#night witches - sabaton | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

azaleaniath · 1 year

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~ NETEYAM X FEM! AVATAR! READER ~

Night Witch

summary: After waking up from a long coma after the war, you meet Jake's kids. While spending time with Neteyam especially, you develop more than just a great friendship with him.

includes: fluff, physical contact, kissing, falling in love, mentions of death, grief, blood, war, coma, jealousy

SFW

9k words

(Inspired by the Song 'Night Witches' fron Sabaton and the female heroes, the Night Witches themselves.)

_____________________

The massive bloodshed had begun.

Eywa had heard Jake's desperate call for aid. And yet, everything seemed so hopeless. Screams filled the air all around. Fire, as far as your vision went. The earth was ablaze. Machine guns and bombs almost ripped your ears apart. Blood and smoke blurred your sight. "Rogue 1 is hit. Sorry Jake."

Trudy's voice echoed from your headset through your brain. Your eyes widened at the sound. A loud shatter followed through her mic.

"Trudy?! Trudy! Where are you?! Trudy!" With a hesistant grip, you activated your mic as well.

Desperate cries for her didn't make her answer. Soon the connection broke.

"Trudy!" Your eyes filled with tears, they rolled over your cheeks and down your throat. "Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck!" Your entire body froze, yet your grip around your weapon tightened so much it felt like your hand would fall off. As your vision blurred, your focus got lost in the massacre.

The winged creature beneath you cried out loud, it's shriek made you squint your eyes, even more as it lowered its height uncontrollably fast.

"Eluri! Stay with me!" you screamed, until you felt your tsaheylu fail. Your ikran had been shot, pulling you into certain death with itself. There was no way out.

A last grip to the unmute button of your headset. "Jake, we're going down..." you mumbled in tears, as your whole body started to tense up and shiver at the same time as you saw the distance of the earth and you shortening rapidly with each blink of your eye.

"So, that's it... Eywa, be with me... "

~~~

Your entire body felt so heavy. The voices around you caused your pointy ears to twitch. "She's awake! She's back guys!"

"(Y/N), can you hear me?"

"Let me through! Now!"

"Dad, what's going on?"

"Ma Jake, let her wake up at least!"

These voices were not just english, but also Na'vi.

Someone lifted your eyelid, you tried to squint lightly at the unpleasant touch.

"Mmh... Jake? Neytiri?"

The few words you mumbled were merely a whisper, but the people around you seemed to be cheering happily about it.

As some strength came back to you, you blinked a few times. Once your eyes focussed after a few seconds your weak gaze met the faces of Jake, Neytiri, Max, Norm and a few younger, unfamiliar Na'vi.

Jake pulled you into a tight hug right away. Neytiri knelt next to you, observing you with a wide smile. They all looked as if a ton of bricks had fallen off their chest.

As Jake lifted your upper body into his embrace, Norm placed some blankets and pillows behind your back. Once Jake had let go, you leaned into the soft supporting material, almost sitting up fully.

"You're safe. Everything is safe." Jake spoke softly. "Quaritch is dead, but the battle isn't over yet."

Neytiri touched your face gently, as you looked down at your hands and body; you were still inside of your Avatar.

"Your human body didn't make it, you had a heart attack when your avatar crashed down. However, for some reason, your Avatar made it. It survived your crash." Max announced in a low volume.

"Eywa watched out for you."

Neytiri said in a gentle voice while tucking some hair strands behind your ear.

"It's a miracle, truly... I'd say you guys haven't changed, but damn..."

They had certainly all aged.

"You have been in a coma for..." Norm didn't manage to bring it out completely.

"I've recorded some brain activity about two days ago. I called Jake immediately as I saw you twitching."

"It's been 13 years."

Jake finally spit out.

Realization hit you. 13 long years had passed. You had missed so much time yet nonetheless, seeing these people lightened your eyes up.

"I have to see Grace and Trudy! They'll be so happy to see me after all that time!"

The following silence in the room felt like thick air.

"(Y/N)... They both died. Don't you remember?"

The pictures flashed back into your head. It felt like a torn, distant memory. These were some of your last memories. All the blood, the sound of heavy machinery, the screams, Trudy's last words. It was all back in your head.

Neytiri was the one to embrace you now, trying to calm you with soft pats over your hair. "They are with Eywa now."

After Neytiri had let go of you, your eyes scanned the room. Just now you truly noticed these younger Na'vis.

You blinked a few times, shoving your memories far away to the back of your head. A joke would certainly lift the energy in the room.

The children looked at you, a bit confused and yet so interested. One of them wore a headgear you remembered from flying Ikrans.

"I see you already gave up on me, getting some new apprentices there to do my job, huh?"

They all chuckled and looked at the children again.

"I want to introduce you to our children. Hey kids, come a step closer and say hello to our good friend."

You tried to get closer and gathered some strength to sit on the edge of the bed, then reached a hand out to his children.

"I know I am not one from the sky people anymore, but back on earth, we used to shake hands as a greeting" you said in Na'vi with a friendly smile on your face.

One of the boys made the first approach. He was wearing a head gear. His ears twitched as he lowered his head a bit and stretched his hand out to you, shaking yours gently. "I'm Neteyam. It's a pleasure to meet you."

He seemed so mature for his age, it amazed you almost.

"Hello Neteyam. Your parents chose a beautiful name for their- hmm, eldest son, right?"

He nodded with a smile and stepped aside. "Well", you added, "if you're their son, you're going to be a strong warrior one day."

"He already is. He will be next Olo'yektan." Neytiri's words were filled with pride.

Next up was his brother. He also shook your hand with a light smirk on his face. "I'm Lo'ak. Your Na'vi is really good!" he even spoke english.

"My my Lo'ak," you answered in their mother language, "that's impressive! But so is your engli-"

"I'm Kiri!" A sweet girl chimed in. God, she looked so much like Grace. She could've been her reincarnation.

"You've known my mother?" she asked with a hopeful look.

You swallowed and shook her hand as well.

"It's a long story. But yes, this is Grace's daughter. I'll explain everything later." Jake interrupted as he noticed your surprised visage. You took a deep breath.

"Kiri, is it? Well Kiri, your mother was a good soul and a wonderful teacher. You look alike, a lot."

"I have so many questions-"

"Kiri." Neytiri called like a warning, so she stepped back frowning.

The youngest of them hid halfway behind Kiri.

"She doesn't bite, Tuk. She's our friend." Neytiri encouraged her, making you giggle.

She hesitantly came forward and shook your hand too. As she realized that you were not as scary as she thought, she even smiled.

"Tuk is your name?"

"Tuktirey." Neytiri explained.

"But my friends can call me Tuk!"

You tilted your head with a slight grin. "That means I can call you...?"

"...Tuk!" She answered after a second, her smile warming up even more by now.

Norm left to fetch you something to drink while Max checked the machines that were still attached to you.

"See? No reason to be scared." Neteyam threw in and Kiri patted her head.

"But mom and dad said she was a ruthless hunter?"

"Against sky people. Ironic, isn't it?" Neytiri nodded at your clarification.

Jake held one arm around your shoulders, then looked to Neteyam, as his oldest son leaned over to his brother. "What was her name again?" he mumbled, but everybody heard.

"Oh god, you all told me your names and I still haven't formerly introduced myself, hah!

I am (Y/N). Your father and I met here through the program. The humans tried to create avatars for younger people too since they adapt better. I was 16 during the great battle."

Everyone was thrilled about your biography. Even the older people around you still couldn't help but be amazed that a 16-year old human girl in her avatar was so skilled with weaponry or even getting used to the ways of the Na'vi. But here you were.

It was clearly visible how happy and relieved your friends were. Although it was Jake who looked the most relieved. Suddenly, Neteyam's eyes widened in both realization and shock.

"Wait, you're the unseen rider who took a rocket launcher onto her ikran and took out countless RDA units?!"

Jake nodded. "She took out more helicopters than me. Many Na'vi know her name."

Lo'ak gasped.

Neteyam grabbed his brother by his shoulder and turned Lo'ak to face him. He gulped as they looked at each other.

"Bro...", Lo'ak swallowed before they looked back at you again, as Neteyam, wide-eyed, almost whispered

"You're the Night Witch."

~~~

It didn't take long to for you to get used to living amongst the other Na'vi. The entire Sully family gathered for dinner. Neytiri had prepared the most delicious fruit bowls for everyone, including you since you were somehow a part of them again.

Since you've woken up from your coma almost a year ago you had decided to stay in the forest with the Sullys, eventually checking in on Max' laboratory for some health checks.

Hungry as everyone was, you all charged at the food, yet a pair of arms kept everyone away from the bowls.

"Uh-uh, no. Kids, what do we say before we eat?"

Jake said in an almost sarcastically calm tone.

Loak rolled his eyes, Tuk sighed.

As usually, you all formed a circle around the food, sat down and closed your eyes.

Each and everyone grabbed their neighbour's hand. On your right side was Tuk, who swung your hand rythmically. With a smile you peeked over to the other side too, seeing Neteyam sit next to you. He caught you peeking at him and copied your facial expression while fishing for your hand.

With a lovely smile you took his hand and his fingers firmly wrapped around yours.

Shortly after, Neytiri cleared her throat to speak. "Thank you, great mother, for this nourishing meal."

Once she was done with her short prayer, everyone finally dug into the food. "Man, I've been hungry all day!" Neteyam exclaimed while shoveling the food into his mouth.

"How many times have I told you to eat properly before spending all day on your ikran?" Jake sighed with a shaking head.

Lo'ak sight-eyed his brother a while, his full mouth turned into a grin. "One day you'll grow some wings on your own, bro." He spoke even before swallowing. There was no time to lose when it came to joking opportunities.

"Hey, no talking unless your mouth is empty!" Kiri brought herself into the conversation as well, but Lo'ak just rolled his eyes a bit.

"Kids, we can talk after eating."

Some time later, as everyone was done, you all stacked your bowls.

"It's Kiri's turn to do the dishes!" Tuk exclaimed, yet Kiri just crossed her arms. "Actually, Lo'ak owes me one."

"How come?" Jake asked, holding his youngest son by his wrist as he tried to sneak off.

"He lost a bet to Kiri." Neteyam explained with a grin.

"What bet?" Jake furrowed his brows.

You were the one to speak up now. "That I couldn't beat Neteyam's flight time of 6 minutes and 25 seconds."

Kiri gathered all infos for Jake at once while triumphantly smirking at the younger brother.

"I guessed she would beat him in a race. It took (Y/N) 10 seconds less."

Jake held out his hand to high-five you, which you did.

"Well done. Looks like it's really Lo'aks turn then." Neytiri watched the situation in awe. This was her family. This was all she ever needed.

"Your new ikran is very strong, (Y/N). Fast and agile. I see you two are training very hard."

Jake looked at you and Neteyam. He couldn't have wished for a better friend for him. Someone that was full of potential, someone worthy.

"So, uhm... Jake, can I talk to you?"

He expected that already, so he got up and gestured you to accompany him on a walk.

A bit deeper into the forest, you followed him with slow steps. The ground beneath your feet glowed brightly with every step.

"What is it, sweetheart?" he asked, pacing through the bioluminescent plants slowly. They started to light up at his gentle touch as well.

You cleared your throat lightly before you spoke. "It's been a while since we've had time to sit down and have a few minutes to talk."

"That's your own fault if you're spending all day flying around with Neteyam. You know you can always come to me, alright? You're like a daughter to me."

His words made you smile.

Your eyes followed a couple of bearded dragons fly by before you answered.

"I know, but..."

"Yeah, you rather stay out there with Neteyam. Training your flying skills. You're a wonderful support to him and us, you teach him so much. And you're not as bad of an influence as Lo'ak."

Both of you giggled before Jake climbed up a tree with a few skilled movements, then he reached his hand out to you, so you followed. From up here, even if it was just a few meters above the ground, the wildlife seemed even more incredible.

"Lo'ak is trying hard to be like him, don't be so hard on him. They are your sons, Jake. Not Marines."

Jake huffed.

"I hope some of that good influence of yours does get into Lo'aks thick skull too. Maybe you should spend more time with him."

Somehow, the thought of spending less time with Neteyam felt unpleasant, and it showed in your face. The man noticed straight away, a grin appeared on his face.

"You don't have to spend less time with Neteyam. Maybe just take Lo'ak with you next time? Or do you want to be alone with him?"

Slightly perplexed, you blinked a few times, feeling your heartbeat quicken.

"What? No- huh? How do you even-"

"Hey, calm down, we don't have to talk about it."

"Good, good..."

Damn, this was embarrassing. Of course you liked spending time with his eldest son. The two of you were bonding extremely fast and well. You learned from each other and sometimes even stayed up late at night because he loved listening to your stories.

"But, do you like him in any specific way?"

"Eh? I-I..."

He just laughed it off as he saw how shy you got all of a sudden, unable to speak without stammering, ears twitching.

"Change of topics?"

"Y-yes, please."

"Alright, sorry, my dear."

A few seconds passed in silence before the man suddenly became all serious.

"Was it scary to be in the air again for the first time after...?"

A lump built up in your throat that made it almost even hard to breathe.

"The first time I flew alone, yeah. But luckily, Neteyam let me fly with him on his ikran before."

"Wait, what? I didn't know?"

"You weren't supposed to. I was pretty insecure about it."

"You, the famous Night Witch? Insecure about flying?"

It was hard to believe that even you could be weak. He had known you as a young but brave warrior.

"Jake, part of me died when my ikran was shot. Literally."

One of his hands rested on your shoulder.

"But you're back. In full power and with a new ikran. Have you chosen a name already?"

It took you a deep breath to answer without your eyes tearing up.

"Rogue One."

When he realized, it also made him very emotional. It was not a Na'vi name, but it had a special meaning.

"You named it after Trudy's helicopter?"

"Uhuh..."

He nodded approvingly, also taking a deep breath.

"She would be so proud of you."

"I think, this is the only thing I haven't come to terms with yet. All the other wounds healed."

"You'll get there too. If there is anything I can help you with, talk to me."

You and Jake both noticed someone coming closer, so you decided to cut the conversation here. It relieved you somehow to talk about everything that had happened.

The man grinned, hit your arm with his elbow gently.

"Look, your future husband~" Jake quietly mumbled as you both saw that it was Neteyam who came closer.

"Oh shut up, Marine." you growled while rolling your eyes before you climbed down from the tree.

Landing right next to Neteyam, you gestured a traditional greeting towards him, and he copied with a flashing smile.

"I've been looking for you already, you've been missing for longer than expected."

Ah, how much you loved the accent he had adapted from his mother. That alone made you feel warm around your heart. His voice was so pleasant to you and it calmed you down every single time.

"Been missing your (Y/N)?" Jake teased, still sitting in the tree.

The face you sent towards the man was deadly, but he just chuckled.

"Uhm..." Neteyam needed a moment to think of what to say, so he just chuckled awkwardly, trying hard to keep his tail calm.

"Actually I wanted to talk to you, dad."

"What a coincidence. Come up here, my son." Jake gestured him to climb up, but before he did so, the younger man looked back to you.

"Hey, you still wanna hang out later?"

The smile he gifted you was so genuine. You felt your cheeks burn everytime you looked at him.

He definitely had a special place in your heart.

"Sure thing."

"Great, I'll come to your place then after this."

While Neteyam then climbed up to his father, you shot a daring glare up to Jake. You hoped his son's english wasn't good enough for him to understand.

"I'll turn your wife into a widow if I should find out that you tell him about that awkward convo."

The man mimicked zipping his mouth and throwing the key away, so you gave a small nod before turning to leave.

~~~

While Neteyam and Jake were talking, you stayed in your tent and and went through some old pictures. Norm had brought them over after he had found them in your old RDA locker.

Completely drowned in your memories, you looked at them, tracing over the faces of your dead friends softly. "I miss you..." you mumbled with a cracked voice. Many times you would just look at them to keep them in your memory, especially since Trudy was human and you couldn't connect with her through Eywa.

As you skipped through further pictures, the corners of your lips curled up. One of them showed you in your RDA clothes. A white tank top and camouflage pants combined with some thick black boots.

Yet, it didn't show your avatar, but your human body.

"I can't even imagine you being so tiny and... not blue."

Neteyam's voice suddenly emerged from behind. He crouched next to you and carefully took the picture out of your hands to get a closer look.

"How did you know this was me?" You asked flustered, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.

The young man just looked at you with a deadpan face.

"Even if you are not in your original body anymore, you kept your features."

"Especially the eye color" you joked, bringing some more emotion into his face again.

"Your skin was so different then."

He sincerely took his time to observe every little detail about the picture over and over again.

"You don't like it?" you mumbled quietly, to which he clicked his tongue.

"Oish! It's just not like it is now but I still like it on you."

While he was busy taking in all these little details you took a look at the other pictures.

As he glanced over to the ones in your hand he stopped you for a moment.

"That's Kiri's mother, right?"

With one finger, he pointed at the ginger haired doctor. She leaned against her desk with a cigarette in her hand while you sat on her chair with a book about Na'vi language in your lap.

"Yeah that's her." You explained, pulling up the next picture.

Neteyam leaned a bit closer to get an even better look. While he inspected it closely, you noticed how near he actually was to you right now.

You swallowed as you watched his features glisten in the low light.

"How tall were you?" he asked and sat back up again, facing you. He himself noticed that your face was right in front of his so he pulled away with twitching ears. In awkwardness, he looked back at the photos, unable to hide a shy smile.

"Compared to now, I was a dwarf. I was probably smaller then Tuk is now" you explained, slightly flustered yourself.

"I could've just picked you up with one hand!" he giggled at the thought of you being so tiny in comparison.

"Can I see the other ones too?" Neteyam pointed at the photos, so you just handed them to him.

Once he got a hold of them, he got them close to his face to see them better.

"Is that your first ikran?" His index finger circled around the image of a beautiful, rather small ikran. He knew that these animals came in many colors, but he had rarely seen one this dark.

"Yes, this is Eluri. She fought with me, carried me safely, so many nights and days. It was so practical that she was smaller than most ikrans, so she carried less weight. It made her faster and more agile. Due to her dark color, it was impossible to spot us at night. That's when we mostly attacked."

Neteyam turned his head and listened to your explanation. There were only few things he preferred to do in his free time over listening to you.

His entire body relaxed, even his tail and ears stopped twitching around.

Another picture showed you in the home tree, when Grace had proudly snapped a few shots during your first time meeting the clan.

"There's dad! And mom, and grandmother too!"

"Mhm, exactly. That day was my first time visiting the home tree."

He huffed.

"Dad looks a bit scared, did he think grandmother wouldn't accept you?" "Take another look at it."

He tried to understand what you meant, until he noticed.

"You went in there with a fucking automatic weapon?! Are you crazy?"

"Hey man I forgot to take it off okay? Force of habit."

Once more he huffed, and it turned into a soundless giggle.

"Did you leave your brain in the connection station that day?"

"Hey, careful!" you laughed, picking on his ear for a moment.

"Argh, (Y/N)!" he tugged your tail with wide eyes and a grin, causing you to gasp.

Just as he leant in closer and was about to pull on your hair strands playfully, you heard someone getting closer to the tent. It was Lo'ak, who had been sent to pick up Neteyam. Their tent was merely a few meters away.

"Uh-hum..." Lo'ak tried to catch your attention. As you both looked up to see him, he could barely keep a straight face.

He crossed his arms, keeping one hand to his chin. You could see him biting his lip in order not to grin.

"Yo bro, you uh... you coming? Or are you like, busy?" It had cost him a lot of strength not to laugh seeing his brother falling for you with every passing second. The way he still was so close to you was painfully funny for him to see.

"'Cuz if you're staying with (Y/N) tonight, you better tell mom and dad personally. And maybe you should close the curtains." He rubbed his lips with one hand to hide his facial expression which got more and more hard, the longer he watched the two of you sit on your mat, hands on each other.

Neteyam got even more flustered at his brother's comments, yet it rather turned into anger. He pursed his lips while you sighed quietly.

"I'll deal with him... " he murmured beneath his breath but you shook it off and wished them both a good night. He tried to give you one last smile before he got up and stomped over to his brother, his tail whipped in fury.

Neteyam grabbed him by the back of his neck and dragged him back to their tent while quietly hissing at Lo'ak, but you couldn't understand what exactly he said.

"These idiots..."

~~~

The next morning you woke up around the same time as anyone else. The volume of the clan awakening, starting their days and chores always lifted you from your sleep. Yet you just shifted a bit and decided to stay down for a few more minutes.

"Good morning, (Y/N). "

Neteyams voice greeted you. Once you blinked and your eyes got used to the light, your sight landed on the future Olo'eyktan, sitting in one corner of your tent. "What are you doing here?" you asked in a hoarse, sleepy voice.

He held up your pictures with one hand. "I wanted to take another look at them again."

But his face told a different story.

As you sat up slowly he put the pictures aside, there was a violet, dark blueish tint across his face, from one ear to another.

"And I wanted to apologize for what my stupid brother said yesterday." You clearly remembered his words, and yes, they had made the situation as awkward as possibly imaginable.

"That is not your fault. It's alright."

"That was not okay though."

One of your hands went through your hair.

"Neteyam. Stop taking the blame for your brother. You don't have to apologize for anything."

He had a hard time looking you in the eyes, nonetheless you got up and pulled him onto his feet.

"Fuck it. Just don't bother. How about we go for a quick morning flight, huh? There's nothing that gets you out of bed like a fresh breeze of air."

Without hesitation, the Na'vi agreed, so you made your way over to the edge of the cave together, calling your ikran loudly. He copied and soon, they both arrived.

While making tsaheylu and mounting your ikran, you agreed on another race. Loser had to take on winner's chores for two days. Both of you took off at the same time, chasing each other down over and under the countless floating mountains.

The wind in your face, as promised, took all sleepiness away at once. You could feel your ikran's heartbeat, it's breath and every flap of their wings through your bond. With a roaring sound, the creature beneath you guided you over Neteyam and his companion and onto the other side of him.

A quick grin at him was enough to lighten another spark inside of him.

"Come on, is that all?" You laughed out loud, leading him to guide his ikran closer to yours rapidly so the wind would cast you away gently.

His expression showed how much he enjoyed riding with you, he looked more than happy to collect more shared memories.

You decided to show him another trick, so you guided your ikran above his and made your winged companion turn upside down. Neteyams eyes widened in adoration and surprise as you flew over him, still upside down, so close that you could even tip your hands on his head. Never before had he even seen such a thing.

Once your ikran turned again, Neteyam tried to get past you with a few skilled tricks. He was an amazing ikran rider, just like you.

The finish like was already in sight, so both of you gave another challenging look before heading down to the tree of souls.

"A tie!" You shouted once you both dismounted, still panting from the headwind.

"Damn, I was so ready go let you do my chores!"

His smile went over his full face.

"That move was crazy! Do mom and dad know you can do this?! It was unbelievable!"

His words made your stomach turn, in a good way.

"They sure do."

Neteyam watched you with an open mouthed smile, still being pretty mesmerized by your talent.

"I have never seen anything like this... It's hard to believe you once belonged to the sky people." The smile on your face just fed on his compliments.

With blushed cheeks you grabbed his hand and led him to the tree of souls, not far from where you had landed.

He intertwined his fingers with yours as he followed you, his heartbeat heavy in his chest.

As you gently guided him through the strings of the enormous tree, your free hand brushed against the glowy strings. Right now, it was just you and him here, nobody else was around.

Neteyam and you both lowered yourself onto the ground, sitting across each other. Your free hand reached out for your queue, and so did he.

"Who are you hoping to see?" he asked in a gentle voice.

"Grace, mostly."

With that, you connected your queue to the tree, breathing in deeply at the created bond. Neteyam did the same, all while still holding onto your hand.

Just hearing the voices of your old friends, people singing and dancing, children laughing and playing, it almost made your eyes tear up every time. It was always a special moment to do this.

Between these voices, you could also hear him. And as you guessed by his face, he could hear you too.

You got to hear and partially see too how he grew up into that young smart man he was now.

Neteyam could see into your avatar back then as well. "(Y/N)... I can hear and see you." he whispered with closed eyes.

A few more moments passed before you emded the connection. You had seen enough. Enough to make your eyes dwell.

As he noticed, he disconnected just like you. His big eyes met yours soon. It felt like they could see right into your soul.

In the light of the soul tree, he looked even more stunning than usual. The glowing spots on his face seemed more intense here.

His ears jerked when he noticed how you mustered him, completely taken away.

He squeezed your hand with a lovely smile while you thought back to the talk you had with Jake the day before.

There was a strong connection between you and him, it was easy to see. Was it friendship? A childhood crush? Or even Eywa's will?

Your heart began to pound in your chest as you watched his tail behind him whip around nervously.

As you noticed his sensitive ears tilt and turn as well, a giggle escaped your lips.

"What's so funny, huh?" he chuckled, giving your hand another squeeze.

Instead of pointing out his restless features, you just shook it off. His fangs flashed as he smiled from ear to ear.

"You're better not laughing about me! Do you know who I am?" he joked, trying to fake a serious face, but his smile triumphed.

"Do you know who I am?" you copied in a mocking voice.

He still mustered your face with a wide, yet shy smile.

"Who could have guessed that I would one day fly side by side with the Night Witch?"

"Who would've thought that I'd fly with the future Olo'ekytan one day?"

Neteyam came closer to you, his free hand reached out to trace over the glowy freckles on your cheek.

The moment he touched your skin felt heavenly.

His voice got a bit softer and even more calm as you moved closer to one another.

"When I'm with you I can be more than that..."

It was nothing new to you that his parents, Jake especially, wanted him to be the perfect son. He had to do as told and was expected to make only right choices. Be strong, be brave, be smart. When could he ever just be himself? He knew his parents loved him and yet, sometimes all he seeked was some time off from clan leader duties, maybe a hug or someone who understood.

All of that, he had found within you.

You lost yourself in his amber eyes with each passing second.

"Neteyam... " you whispered softly.

His hand traveled down your neck and to your shoulders, then down your arm.

"I see you."

The grip around his fingers tightened ever so carefully before you placed your free hand over his heart, feeling it beat heavily.

"I see you, (Y/N)" he answered, guiding your hand he held up to his face. With closed eyes, he grazed his cheek against your hand a few times.

Anytime you two were alone, he turned into the biggest softie. He could finally be vulnerable without judgement.

The beat of his heart jumped as all of a sudden, Jake's voice appeared from his earpiece. "Neteyam? Wherever you and (Y/N) are, I need you back right now!"

The young man jerked at the sudden voice of his father, as did you.

"Thanks Jake, fucking mood killer... " you mumbled in english before taking a deep breath and detaching yourself from Neteyam.

His eyes looked truly apologizing for ruining the moment before he sighed and answered.

"What's going on? Did anything happen?"

"Humans. I need you for this mission, both of you, is that clear?"

"Yes sir." you two answered, before going back to your ikrans to fly home as soon as possible.

~~~

Much to your dislike, Jake had assigned you and Neteyam for different tasks apart from each other.

"We are a good team, why don't you let us work together?" you asked Jake while Kiri finished up your war paint.

Once she was done, you thanked her with a genuine smile and followed Jake to his ikran.

"I need you up there, as an active airforce unit. Neteyam and Lo'ak will be scouting. From afar. They only report to us."

"Neteyam can fight too! You want him to prove himself, then let him come with m-"

Jake turned to you abruptly.

His face was all serious.

"I'm not doubting Neteyam, I'm worried about Lo'ak doing some stupid shit if nobody takes care of him. And now, I don't need (Y/N) out there. I need the Night Witch. Do you understand?"

You understood what he wanted to tell you. Set the emotions aside and stay focussed. That was the only way to survive out there. Once you get carried away by emotions, you were most certainly dead. After all, this was what had caused your human body to die a long time ago.

"Alright, airforces; take-off in two minutes! Get ready!"

Jake yelled across the cave while you loaded your automatic weapon with a sigh.

"Where have you been earlier?" he asked with furrowed brows as he saw his kids coming up behind you so everyone could say goodbye.

When you noticed the others approaching you, you just waved it off.

"Lets talk later."

"Sure, once we're all home again."

Tuk hugged your leg tightly as she saw you in your fighting gear with the war paint on for the first time.

"Show them, (Y/N!)" she cheered.

"Right up their asses!"

You felt a cold stare in the back of your neck, coming straight from Neytiri for talking like this in front of her youngest daughter. She too called her ikran.

"Come back safely, will you all?" Kiri looked at her brothers and you with a worried face, so everyone agreed as Neteyam rubbed her head. "We will all be back soon."

"Yo, (Y/N)", Lo'ak started while holding a fist out for you to bump it,

"You better take good care. We don't want Neteyam to cry, would we?"

As you bumped his fist, Jake's voice echoed through the cave.

"One minute until take-off!"

You sighed at Lo'aks comment, so you just grabbed his shoulder and pushed him away gently.

"I'll be with you in a bit." Neteyam called out to his brother who already mounted his ikran.

Kiri gently led Tuk back to the tent, explaining that you and their eldest brother probably wanted to be alone for a second.

Together you both walked to the edge of the cave too and called upon your companions as well.

"You sure you know how to handle this thing?" Neteyam mockingly pointed at your machine gun, causing a huff to leave your lips. With a wide smile you tugged at his tail. Gasping, he stared at you, attacking our sides with tickles.

Neteyam's smile started to fade away.

"Alright big boy, once you're done scouting and reporting-"

"There is no need to worry about me. My task is far less risky than yours. You're in the middle of this shit."

His hands grabbed onto your shoulders. He pulled you close, resting his forehead against yours.

"Be careful out there, (Y/N)."

His voice was so quiet and yet so easy to determine in between all these noises from around.

"I will, I promise."

He pulled away to kiss your forehead gently, carefully holding your head in both hands.

Your heart raced at the gesture. While he stroked your cheeks with his thumbs, you gifted him a warm smile and he copied right away.

There was not much time left, so you hugged him tightly for merely two seconds. His tail wrapped firmly around your wrist. He pressed your head against his chest before he finally had to let go. Even if it was just a short moment, it meant the world to you.

As you both went to mount your ikrans, you saw how Lo'ak stared at his brother wide-eyed.

"Bro, get a room!" he hissed in a low volume, before looking over to you as you mounted your ikran as well, weapon in hand.

"Shut up you little-"

"War party, take-off!"

The mission was fast and easy, only few people got hurt. You had helped to clean up the battlefield and get everything back to base before you actually returned home.

It filled your heart with joy to see everyone alive and back in their tent from afar, but as you also spotted Mo'at, you knew someone was hurt.

With fast steps you hurried towards the Sully tent only to see that is was Neteyam who got treated by his sister and his grandmother.

"How did this happen?" you asked worried as you knelt down in front of Neytiris oldest son. While you checked his body for bruises and other injuries, Neteyam's eyes stuck to his brother.

"It was my fault..." Lo'aks cracked voice emerged from a dark corner where he sat. "Next time, you better listen to dad." Kiri said while seeing to Neteyam's back injury.

"I'm sorry okay?! I didn't want anyone to get hurt, especially not my brother!"

"Enough now!" Mo'at announced.

After Jake and Neytiri were done with their conversation, the clan leader came up to the tent, gesturing you to follow him, out of hearing range from the others.

Neteyam's eyes did not lose you out of his sight for a second. And Kiri too noticed that he was far less whiny about the process now that his eyes were all on you.

"Well done out there, (Y/N). I see, you're giving 100%. You haven't changed a bit."

While taking off your gear, you offered a light smile.

"No wonder my son can't take his eyes off you." he huffed, which urged your freckles to shine brighter instantly.

"So...", the man crossed his arms, "where did you go this morning?"

Your held your tail behind your back to keep it from twitching.

"The... the soul tree."

His eyebrows rose lightly as he heard your words. He blinked at you with wide eyes. The soul tree was a sacred place to all Na'vi.

"You should give him some time off. And you should be a bit less strict. Like this, you're only putting pressure on both your sons."

"Did he say that?"

Neytiri joined your conversation.

"More or less. Leave him some space to be vulnerable. You can't expect him to be strong all the time."

The woman understood.

"He is still our child after all. You're right. I'm happy my son feels comfortable to share this with you."

"I'm happy too he opens up to me."

Neytiri gave an approving nod.

"They've been to the soul tree this morning." Jake explained to her, getting the exact reaction from her that he had given to you.

"Our son is in good hands with you, (Y/N). It seemed like a very touching moment for you two when you said goodbye earlier. " Jake exclaimed, remembering the conversation you lately had.

"Jake, not this topic again..." you mumbled with dark violet cheeks, averting your gaze.

"Hmm, okay. He probably already told you everything about our father-son-talk anyway."

Your ears twiched at the sound of that. Did he know more than you?

Unable to react, you only stood there, completely perplexed.

With that, Neytiri patted your shoulder gently before she and Jake went back to their tent, leaving you there with tinted cheeks and an empty gaze.

~~~

"Close your eyes." Max said as he attached a few sensors on the temples of your head.

"Today will be the last check-up so far. Your body seems to be completely fine, even after all this time."

Norm sat next to you and tipped around on the display you were connected to. The three of you went through some basics before you layed down almost flat on the bed." I'm gonna let this run through twice. Just to make sure we're really not missing anything."

"How long does this take then?" You asked as Max took out your earpiece since it interfered with his systems. He took your communication collar off as well.

"Probably like 2 hours. I need these reviews to be over a longer period of time."

"Damn..." you mumbled and sighed.

"As long as I'm back for dinner, or Neytiri is gonna send my blue ass back to earth."

Max and Norm smiled at your comment before they got everything ready for the medical check.

You tried to relax, thinking of something pleasant so the time would pass by faster.

Immediately, Neteyam came to your mind. The way he held you close before the mission a few days ago. How he kissed your head gently.

"I think there's a mistake..." Norm turned to Max and pointed at the display besides you.

The scientist furrowed his eyebrows anf checked the system.

"Hmm, weird..." Max mumbled as he observed you, trying to figure out why it showed such a high blood pressure and a quick heart beat.

"(Y/N)?" Norm crossed his arms and you peeked at him with one eye. He had figured it out.

"Could you think of something else? It interrupts the studies."

With tinted cheeks, you looked up to him and swallowed. "Come on, get that guy off your thoughts for the check. It's important we get clear results."

You giggled shyly, have him a nod and closed your eyes again.

"Then get started."

Once you were done and Max gave green light, you returned to the village. There was something in the air, you could sense it clearly.

As you saw the Sully kids all crouched up next to their tent, you joined them silently.

"What's going on here?" You asked as you knelt down next to them. When Neteyam's eyes landed on you, he pulled you into a tight hug. He sighed in relief, happy to see you unharmed after what happened.

The young man pressed you against his body, thanking the great mother silently for being able to see you again. You did not understand what had happened, until you heard Jake and Neytiri argue inside of their tent.

Only hearing the name of Quaritch in their discussion sent shivers down your spine.

So it was all for nothing?

Neteyam released you, only to get up and lead you away to your tent.

Not knowing where to start, he decided to sit down with you first before he explained what had happened.

You cursed yourself for being absent during all of this. How much you desired to kill that man, especially now after he had almost killed your family.

Neteyam reached out for your hands and intertwined his fingers with yours. The coming words felt like stones in his chest.

"(Y/N), we're leaving. Tomorrow morning. And we cannot return..."

A lump formed in your throat.

"All I seek is your safety. I-"

"I'm coming with you. Wherever you go, I'll be by your side, Neteyam."

With wet eyes, he looked into yours, pulling you closer.

"The people here will need you. They will need the Night Witch."

He almost sounded like his father.

A weak smile formed on your face as you let go of his hands, instead cupping his face.

"And yet I know you need me the most. You can't change my mind. I'd go through hell and back with you."

Neteyam gifted you a relieved smile. It was almost unthinkable for him by now to live without you.

"I'm gonna keep you safe, ma (Y/N)."

Tired and exhausted, you leaned your upper body against your ikran's neck.

"We're almost there." Jake announced as he saw your posture.

All of you neared a group of isles, heading straight at them. You looked over to Neteyam who gave a reassuring smile. He was sure that as long as you all sticked together, you would find a way.

Before you landed, the reef tribe was already alerting your arrival with loud calls. They gathered along the shore once your ikrans met the sand.

While dismounting, some of the curious villagers took a closer look at your family.

You stayed close to Neteyam as one of the clan members circled you, making fun of your bodies which looked very strange to him. As he reached out to point at Neteyam's tail, you turned your face, sending a devilish glare and showing off your fangs without even intending to. The foreign boy just grinned back, entertained by your reaction.

While it was decided whether you could stay or not you felt all these icy stares in the back of your neck. It made your skin tense up in the worst way possible, so you reached out for Neteyam's arm, holding it ever so slightly. These looks were more than uncomfortable.

Tsireya, the chief's daughter, lead you to your pod once the permission was given. As you all got comfortable around your new home, you too picked a place to put your belongings to.

"Tsireya seems really pretty and sweet." you mentioned as Lo'ak passed by. He immediately blushed, his ears turned, but he didn't react immediately. Neteyam grinned at you and giggled in silence, as did you. You finally had something to tease him about since he was visibly attracted to her from the first moment he had layed eyes on her. But Lo'ak came back at you.

"I'm sure her brother would be enlightened to get to know you. You're not dating Neteyam, are you?"

It was true, you and Neteyam had never talked about it. By now it was obvious how much time you spent together, often close to each other. And still, neither of you had ever taken the word 'love' into their mouth.

"That ugly ass fish lip? Never. I'd rather die again."

Lo'ak chuckled at the image of you and Tonowari's son.

"Aw, you should give him a chance~"

His words didn't bother you that much, yet they had sparked something inside of Neteyam.

You rolled your eyes and shook your head. Just the thought of his face wanted to make you puke.

"I'll fuck that bitch up if he keeps shit talking us."

"Ooh, I'm sure he'd love that~"

You punched his upper arm at the comment, which he just laughed off.

Neteyam knew that his brother was just joking, but he had seen how this guy had looked you up and down. It took him every fibre of his entire being not to charge at him and scratch his eyes out. You belonged to him. End of discussion.

"Fucking disgusting..." you made a choking sound. With that, Jake had heard enough and gave everyone a mini-briefing to behave.

It was late at night when you rolled around on your mat, restless and unable to sleep.

The sound of the waves combined with your homesickness made it almost impossible to sleep.

You decided to get up and sit on the edge of the woven pathway in front of the pod.

Merely a minute later, you heard someone else get up from their mat and join you. You've expected it to be Jake, telling you to try to sleep, but as you looked to the side you faced none other than Neteyam.

"Can't sleep either?"

"Hmm... The waves are just so damn loud."

He nodded slowly and leaned his head against your shoulder.

One of his hands rested on your thigh. The touch alone had your tail whipping in an instant.

He had apparently warmed up to physical touch.

Your head rested against his for a while, enjoying the closeness of each other. His tail wrapped around your waist while your hand traced up and down his arm softly.

His entire body started to vibrate at some point as you gently rubbed your head against his.

Was he... purring?

As you listened closely, your guess got confirmed. Slowly but surely his head turned slightly, his lips traced your skin gently until his head sunk into the crook of your neck. He listened to your quickened heartbeat while his arm wrapped around your hips.

"Ma Neteyam..." you whispered into the dark night as your hand moved to rest on his shoulder.

You felt him huff ever so softly, then he inhaled your scent deeply.

His soft touches and purring was far more valuable than any answer.

While you placed a soft kiss onto his hair, his fingers traced along your waist.

You completely lost track of time. You could've been sitting here for a few minutes, maybe an hour even, you didn't know. Around Neteyam, time did not feel the same.

As he rubbed his head against the crook of your neck, you cupped his head carefully.

He pressed his face against your skin, you could feel his lips nibbling on your neck.

Spreading gentle, barely noticeable kisses along your skin, you felt your ears twitching and turning from his gentle affections.

Seeing the chief's son grin at you, making fun of you, it was the last tiny bit that sent him over the edge. A weird feeling had spread in his gut just at the thought of someone else eyeing his precious (Y/N).

He had to make his move, it was long overdue already.

The trail of kisses along your neck set your skin on fire. It burned passionately. Neteyam's hands traveled to your neck as well, his fingers tracing ever so gently over each spot he had kissed.

As he finally found the courage to meet your eyes you have him the sweetest smile.

Your heart nearly exploded through its own heavy beating. Seeing that his affections did not make you shy away helped his confidence a lot.

His eyes fell onto your lips, just the thought of kissing you tilted his ears in shyness.

"(Y/N), can I kiss you?" he finally managed to whisper, his eyes half-lidded.

The smallest nod was enough for him to claim your lips into a loving kiss. His body shivered, it felt even better than both of you had imagined.

He captured you in a soft hug while taking in the full magic of your lips on his. Your hands rested against his chest, rising and sinking with his deep breaths.

The kiss went on for what felt like an eternity. With burning lungs, you backed up a bit, catching your breath quietly.

Both of you got pulled out of your trance by Jake who cleared his throat like a warning.

"Go to sleep. Now."

Neteyam's eyes almost shot open at the voice of his father.

"Yes sir." he answered with tinted cheeks before getting up, reaching a hand out to you to help you get up as well.

Soon you both layed down on your mats again. Neteyam silently tried to sneak up closer to continue cuddling with you. His breath hit your shoulder before you felt him hugging your waist to pull himself closer to you.

Goosebumps covered your entire body as he nuzzled his face into your hair. "Ma (Y/N)..." he whispered as quiet as possible before he soundlessly got comfortable against your back.

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