@okaylorrainee The Thread Was Getting Too Long Lol(you Don't Have To Reply!)

One of my fav lo'ak fics ✨️

i can’t share you ⸻ reupload

pairing: lo’ak sully x fem!na’vi!reader

synopsis: in which lo’ak watches the way his best friend tends to neteyam’s wounds and the way he makes her laugh, knowing the jealousy may slowly kill him if his brother gets the one and only thing he’d ever truly had to himself.

genre: fluff, angst, vulnerable lo’ak (bbg)

note: reupload because i’m stupid and deleted my blog!!

“c’mon guys! the war party is back! c’mon!” tuk exclaimed, braids swaying from side to side as she ran towards the older girls who were keeping a close eye on her during the raid. a wide smile splayed across tuk’s face in excitement as she instinctively reached up towards y/n, giggling as the older girl engulfed her in her arms, before resting her on hip. 

kiri giggled from beside the girl, watching the way her younger sister admired the na’vi girl. tuk’s hands reached for one of y/n’s long braids, embedded with bright blue beads that had been a gift from her grandmother. 

naturally, y/n had grown up around the sully siblings, meeting lo’ak during warrior training when she was quite young, instantly catching his attention. quickly, the two became the best of friends - where there was one, there was always the other. essentially everyone knew they came as a pair, and as they grew older, whispers began floating around the clan that the two were to be mated.

of course, this was never something the two had spoken about… still too young to worry about the logistics of mating… still too awkward to even admit their feelings for one another.  yet, neither could ignore the way their cheeks would heat up and their heart beat would quicken in the presence of the other. 

from the stolen glances to the soft touches, there was a fine line remaining between a platonic relationship for the two teenagers, and both were becoming increasingly curious on just how far they could push it.

“come on! they’re returning! ” tuk exclaimed again, eyes widening and she pointed towards the flock of ikran’s charging towards the entrance of the cave - the new home base since the last return of the sky people. she wiggled in y/n’s grasp in anticipation of the return of her family as her ears perked at the sound of hollering from the remaining clan members. 

the drop y/n felt in her stomach couldn’t be ignored, the anxiety beginning to settle into her bones. there will be losses. not everyone will return from this. she remembered her mother warning her, planting a soft kiss to her head before slipping her satchel into her hands, allowing the girl to bid lo’ak a goodbye before he left for the day. 

she quickly turned to kiri, who attempted to give her a comforting smile, ultimately failing as her own worries swarmed her mind. spider slowly made his way next to the sully girl, placing a comforting hand on her arm. y/n watched the interaction, not being able to stop the longing feeling in her heart. seeing the small touches of comfort only brought her mind back to lo’ak, the boy she was waiting ever so impatiently for. 

it was nearly impossible for y/n to identify her best friend through the swarm of bright colours and wings that moved closer into the cave, feeling doom settle into her stomach as her worst fears engulfed her mind. let him be okay. eywa please bring him back to me. 

“i cant see them” tuk sighed worriedly into y/n’s side, wrapping her arms around the older girls neck, who instinctively pulled her closer to her own body, unsure if the act was performed in order to comfort tuk, or herself. her eyes frantically scanned the party, who were now beginning to land their ikran’s, still unable to find either of the sully boys. 

“they will be here tuk, just be patient.” kiri hummed softly, eyes never leaving the entrance to the cave, speaking slowly in aims to ease the anxiety of her younger sister, as well as the girl currently comforting her. spider stole a glance at the two girls holding each other closely, seeing the worry painted all over y/n’s face. he snickered to himself, knowing she would smack him upside the head if he ever mentioned how smitten she was for his best friend. 

within a few moments, jake and his ikran appeared, flying towards the four, neytiri quickly coming into view after him. y/n set tuk down, letting her run to the comfort of her mother, shifting her eyes towards jake, taking in the angered expression that never seemed to leave his face these days. his eyebrows furrowed as a frown sat permanently on his lips. he huffed out a breath of air, placing his hands on his hips, straightening his back. 

since the sky people had returned, the family atmosphere surrounding the sully’s had become extremely tense. jake had gone full-soldier mode on the boys, and had been harder on lo’ak and neteyam than ever before. of course jake loved his family more than anything in this world, but he had a hard time conveying his worry - typically having it manifest into anger towards his youngest son. 

lo’ak and y/n had spent countless nights sneaking out to a quiet place to talk. she would comfort him as tears welled his eyes, questioning why he was never good enough for his father, or how he would never stop being compared to neteyam. she spent countless hours talking him down, running a hand through his hair, or tracing her fingers along his arms as he laid his head in her lap, holding onto her thighs like she would disappear from right under him. 

after what felt like an eternity of waiting, lo’ak and his ikran came into view, along with neteyam. they both landed with a screech as their father walked towards them, a scowl still heavily present on his face. as much as y/n desired to run over to the boy, to examine his body for wounds and tell him how happy she was to see him, she knew now was not the time. so, she would settle for the glance lo’ak tossed her way, a half smile only reaching one corner of his mouth, as if he was reinstating his presence to her, before turning back to his angered father. 

she could see the way both boys avoided eye contact as they were scorned, watching as neteyam took a step in front of lo’ak, knowing he was most likely taking the blame for whatever stupid idea his younger brother had convinced him of. by the looks of it, they had done something really stupid. jake never yelled at them like this in front of the other clan members. she was sure she would hear all about it once she had a chance to talk to lo’ak later. 

taking in her surroundings, the young girl slowly began to realize that she was not where she was meant to be. she sighed softly, feeling her heart drop a little, knowing she would spend the rest of her day tending to the wounded with mo’at, rather than next to lo’ak as he excitedly described his experiences during the war - an idea that frightened her terribly. 

she reached for her small satchel, throwing it across her body before leaving towards the healing hut, where she could already see a line forming from her current point of view. her heart ached at the idea of war, and knowing she was yet to see the worst of it caused her great fear. of course, she appreciated learning under mo’at, but healing from the war involved much more than just the physical wounds.

kiri had soon joined the girl, dragging her older brother behind her who held a pained expression on his face from the way she tugged his arm. she looked towards y/n who had just finished setting up her remedies, before pushing neteyam towards the girl, “sit down skxawng.” she grumbled. 

the older boy sheepishly smiled, looking down at the younger girl before lowering himself to her level on the floor. she quickly moved around him, examining the large gash on his chest, and the blood covering his torso. he took in her grimaced expression, knowing her mind was wandering towards his younger brother. was he also hurt? 

“lo’ak is fine.” neteyam spoke, watching as the girls eyebrows raised in shock, pupils widening at the statement. how did he know? she quickly covered her surprise with a cough, looking down that the floor between the two of them to hide the blush that swept across her cheeks. “that’s good to know.” she spoke softly, pushing a braid that had fallen forward back behind her ear. 

neteyam chuckled as he watched her grab an assortment of pastes and ointments, now feeling the need to avoid eye contact with the older boy due to her embarrassed state. she quietly began to tend to his wounds, wondering if the boy on her mind would walk into the hut any time soon. 

as she moved around neteyams body she took in the numerous scratches and cuts, the blood contrasting his dark blue skin. he winced as she rubbed ointment into the cuts, feeling the way his body flinched away from her hand. she wanted to know what happened, but it was not her job to question, especially not in front of the grandmother of the young injured soldier, who was probably equally as unaware of the events that unfolded during the raid. 

“you have many wounds.” y/n spoke softly, looking up at the older boy who’s eyes were scrunched closed in pain. he sighed, throwing his head back as he took another deep breath. he knew he should not insult his younger brother in front of his best friend, yet the only responses flooding his mind seemed to paint him in a bad light. 

“my brother convinced me to go to battlefield with him.” he said, as her eyebrows furrowed. “but you are meant to be spotters. that is very unsafe.” she frowned, beginning to wipe the extra ointment she had on her fingers back into her wooden bowl, feeling anger begin to bubble in her stomach. how could he be so stupid? neteyam sighed, planning his next words carefully. 

“i think he wanted to impress you.” 

y/n’s ears slowly lowered at the statement, feeling a sudden heat rip through her body as her face flushed again. she was so caught up on the questions racing through her mind, she barely caught neteyam laughing at her blushing state. she blinked quickly, shaking her head as if it would reset her train of thought. what an outrageous thing to say. 

she laughed loudly, slapping the older boys arm “you cannot say things like that, neteyam!” he rolled his eyes, knowing she would deny the idea. “you don’t listen!” he groaned in a playful manner, pushing her shoulder back gently, not enough to knock off her balance. she sighed softly, collecting her remedies, piling them into her arms, moving closer to the boy, who now stood more than a head taller than her. “and you, are wrong.” 

she moved away from him swiftly, watching him shake his head, a smile evident on his face at the girls inability to hide her feelings for his brother. he couldn’t wait to tell him about this - although he worried lo’ak may scold him for exposing him the way he did. 

but lo’ak had already seen all he needed to see. the way neteyams eyes lit up as she playfully hit him, the way she moved closer to him with no hesitation, the giggles she let out as he spoke to her. his heart ached, feeling his stomach drop as he watched the two. had neteyam always looked at her this? was she hiding this from him? 

he couldn’t bare to watch any longer, feeling the jealousy flood his veins as a frown began to form on his face. he turned around, his hands slowly clenching into fists by his side as his breath began to quicken. he swore he could hear his heart beat in his ears as he made quick work of weaving his way through the many clan members greeting warriors who had returned, escaping to the forest, far away from his best friend and brother. 

he walked for what felt like hours, wondering if all the touches and glances the two had shared had been misinterpreted by him. his cheeks puffed at the thought, letting out a small breath as his feet guided him towards the opening to a secluded section of the forest, the place y/n and lo’ak would run off too nearly every night. even when this upset, his body seeked out memories of her to bring him comfort. 

it was now nearing eclipse. the soldiers had been tended to, and mo’at had sent the two teenage girls off for the night, thanking them for their help throughout the day.  kiri had waved the girl off, letting her know that she would be heading to the lab to see spider and her mother for a few hours, an eager smile present on her face.

before heading home to her parents, y/n had decided to stop by the sully’s hut in hopes of finding lo’ak. to her disappointment, jake had told the girl he no idea where the younger boy had gone after they returned from the raid, and that he hadn’t seen him since earlier this evening. where could he be? 

she returned to her own home, greeting her parents as she placed her satchel in the corner of the large room, right next to her mat, the blanket lo’ak had helped her weave folded nicely on top. she quietly fiddled with her fingers, staring down at the blanket as her mind wandered to the boy. he could be anywhere right now. who knows if he took his ikran and flew to the mountains, or whether he was somewhere deep in the forest. 

“what is wrong?” her mother questioned with her eyebrow raised, taking in the appearance of her young, clearly distressed daughter, who had her bottom lip pulled between her teeth as she chewed on it, staring off into space. her head quickly whipped to her mom, snapping her out of her thoughts  

“have you seen lo’ak today?” she huffed, eyes wandering to her mother who now displayed a knowing look on her face, a small, nearly unnoticeable smile forming on her lips. “i have not.” 

the girl huffed again, clearly not knowing what to do with herself as she ran a hand through her hair, before bringing her bottom lip back between her teeth. she was itching to leave - she just wanted to find him and speak with him and feel the comfort of his presence once again. it was almost dark out, which meant she would most likely have to wait until her parents had fallen asleep to slip out of their hut and search for the sully boy. 

“you may go.” her mother spoke slowly, closely observing her daughters reaction. her eyes widened, turning her body towards her mother, “what?”

“go find lo’ak” she laughed lightly, as her daughters face and ears begin to flush a familiar pink – one that always seemed to appear when she mentioned the young boys name. shocked that her mother was allowing her to leave after dark, she shot her a questioning look, before her mother nodded softly. 

she smiled, kissing her mother goodbye as she quickly left the hut, feeling her feet against the ground as she ran towards the forest. she had no idea where she was going, but she was sure her heart would lead her to the right place. the place where lo’ak was currently sat, questioning why he would never be enough for her. 

her mind wandered as she walked deeper into the forest, wondering if she would actually find lo’ak out here. if she did, would he tell her about his day? what he did that angered his father so much and wounded his older brother? or would they sit in silence, knees touching as they stared out into the mountains, knowing the comfort of each other’s presence was enough for the night?

she wondered what was plaguing the boys mind at this moment. does he think of me as much as i do him? the young na’vi couldn’t help but feel her heart pace quicken at the thought - lo’ak staring off into space with a soft smile on his lips as memories of her flashed through his mind, wondering how he had gotten so lucky. 

yet, at this very moment, lo’ak sat with his head between his hands, trying to focus on breathing deeply to slow the rapid pace of his heart, beating like a drum in his ears. he closes his eyes, trying to focus on the large stream of water flowing down one of the mountains not too far from the one he was on now, hoping he could calm his anxieties and disregard the insecurities that had been looming over him all evening. 

he was so focused on the sound of the waterfall that he missed the soft patters of his best friends feet, hesitantly making their way towards the boy, hoping she would not frighten him. she took in his current state, almost curled in on himself as he overlook the mountains, watching his back rise and fall as he took deep breaths. his hair had been let down from its typical ponytail, and the yellow war paint had been washed off of his face, making the girl question what he had been up to since his return. why did he not come visit the healing hut? 

“i have been looking for you.” the girl spoke softly, feeling her stomach bubble with nervousness as she watched the sully boy quickly turn his head to her, clearly taken aback by her presence. his eyebrows raised as he softly nodded his head, uttering out a quick “hey” before averting his eyes, looking back out over the mountains. 

she felt the pit in her stomach grow, knowing this is not usually how lo’ak would greet her when they had not seen one another all day. especially on days of war. the boy would engulf her in his arms, pulling her close to his body, squeezing her arms to remind her that he was here and that he was safe. this greeting however, brought the girl no comfort, watching the way he avoided her gaze and shifted his body away from her. 

she remained in her position, watching the boy let out a loud sigh, contemplating what her next move would be. surely he was upset with his father for the way things were handled earlier. her ears burned trying to decide whether she would attempt to comfort the boy or leave him alone. by his standoff-ish actions, her mind told her to back away, but her heart told her to move forward, to sit with him, to touch him and reassure him that everything would be okay. she sighed, tossing her head back, looking up at the stars as she fought her own internal battle. 

her feet moved before her mind could, moving closer to the boy in front of her, crossing her legs before sitting next to his distressed figure. she took a deep breath, taking in the way heat radiated off his body, before turning her head to look at him. his eyes were fixated on his hands, which were currently settled in his lap, fiddling with a red beaded bracelet that sat on his right wrist, although he could feel her gaze burning into the side of his face. as a consequence of his lowered stare, a few braids had fallen towards his face, making it hard for the girl to his right to make out the expression it currently held. 

“what is wrong?” she asked softly, her gaze never leaving the side of his face. he lifted his head slowly, looking towards the girl who sat next to him, her doe eyes scanning his face for any feelings she could decipher, watching the way she stopped herself from reaching out to touch him. he felt his heart ache, taking in the way the smaller girl was looking at him with so much worry, and so much love. he wished  he could take this moment for what it was, but he couldn’t help but question whether she looked at neteyam this way as well. did i read this all wrong? 

his stomach churned at the thought. he didn’t want to see the way she was looking at him anymore, or the soft smile beginning to form on her face, so he turned his head back towards the mountains, hoping to calm the flush of jealousy that had started to form in the tips of his fingers and ears. the girls heart ached, feeling the way he almost let her in, but shut her back out. 

her eyes gazed down towards his hands, watching the way he ran his fingers over the beaded bracelet she had made for him a few years back. the fond memory bringing a ghost of a smile to her lips, remembering the day, remembering how he told her he would never take it off. 

“do you like him?” he asked quietly, y/n’s eyes shooting back to the side of his face in surprise. 

“what?”

“do you like neteyam?” 

the girls heart dropped, wishing she could have a better look at the boys face at this very moment. is this a joke? she could barely comprehend the question that had just left her best friends mouth, but she did not miss the way his voice lowered as he spoke his brothers name, coming out as if he had just been punched in the stomach. 

“i don’t understand.” she said, pure confusion splayed across her face, feeling the way her flushed cheeks ran cold at the accusation. did he really think she liked neteyam? 

“please don’t make me ask again.” he whispered softly, his eyes squeezing shut as his eyebrows furrowed, almost as if he was in pain. the girls heart tightened at the sight, wondering what in the would could have caused him to question the way she felt about the older sully boy. lo’ak felt the way his throat squeezed, a lump beginning to form. her silence was enough of a response for him. 

“lo’ak i-” she reached to touch his arm, hoping the physical contact would ground her enough to stop the way her nerves began to wrack through her body as she stuttered. “no!” he yelled, pushing himself away from her touch and onto his feet as she flinched away from his explosive response, feeling her heart drop once again. 

“i cannot believe you!” he exclaimed, a look of pain etched across his face as he backed farther away from her. the girls eyes began to well with tears as she scrambled to her own feet, lip quivering as she attempted to take a step closer to him. the sight of her alone was enough to make the sully boy drop to his knees, and apologize for the way his insecurities had infiltrated his mind, but his headstrong nature urged him to stand his ground. 

her hands shook, taking a deep breath as she felt a lump in her own throat begin to form, suddenly feeling like it was hard for her to swallow. the angered expression held on lo’ak’s face mimicked the one his father had worn earlier that day, and she hated it. 

“i do not like neteyam, lo’ak. i don’t understand what could have made you think tha-” 

“i saw you guys today in the hut!” he exclaimed, pain laced in his voice as he slowly straightened his posture, feeling the way his heart ached at the sight of the teary eyed girl, who looked more lost than he had ever seen her before. his breathing faltered as he began to question if he had overthought this entire conversation. 

“i saw the way he was making you laugh, and the way he was looking at you. it’s obvious he was trying to impress you!” he said, scanning the girls face for any slip of emotions, any sign that the conspiracy he had conjugated in his head was actually right. unfortunately for him, he saw none. the only expression he could make out was betrayal, the look of hurt extremely evident on the na’vi girls face. 

she hesitantly stepped forward, until there was only a short distance between the two. as lo’ak was more than a head taller than her, she craned her neck to look up towards his face, sighing softly as she pushed a braid back out of her face and behind her shoulder. there was no point in lying about what the two had been talking about earlier on the healing hut. knowing lo’ak, he would have tortured it out of neteyam if he didn’t hear it from her. 

“you have no idea what we were talking about lo’ak. why would you think he was trying to impress me?” his chest heaved, heart beat still loud in his ears as he stared down at the smaller girl, who’s teary eyes held so much worry, so much compassion- reminding him that she is here for him, and that she is not going anywhere. she watched him expectantly, eyes darting all over his face as he worked his way towards an answer. 

“because every one wants you y/n!” he exclaimed, chest puffing on anger, feeling the jealousy bubble deep inside him as he recalled the way the boys of the clan would talk about her.

“you have no idea the way the boys talk about you! i have tried to protect you as best as i can, but i guess my brother thinks he can claim you as his.” his voice faltered, looking down at the girl before him. 

“lo’ak…” she tried to interject, knowing his mind was spinning in circles right now. she wanted to reach out and grab his hands, but in his current, frantic state, she was unsure if that was the best idea. her heart pound in her chest as she watched the boy she adored so much nearly break down in front of her. 

“he has always gotten what he’s wanted! of course he would want you! being the golden child? the mighty warrior? no! that wasn’t enough! he need to take this away from me, just like he has everything else!” his hands ran through his hair, feeling the way his throat burned, and the way tears began to brim his heavy eyes. 

“lo’ak…”  he shook his head. 

“and it’s unfair! y/n it’s so unfair! you were supposed to be mine! you are my best friend. you are my person. i can’t share that with anyone! i cant share you!” he nearly yelled, voice cracking as he finally felt himself let go of his pent up emotions.  his breathing was rapid as a tear rolled down his face, wiping it away quickly as he stared at the girl. her eyes were wide. did she just hear that right? did he want her the way she wanted him? 

he suddenly felt his face begin to flush, realizing what he had just admitted to his best friend. judging by the way she was staring up at him, eyebrows furrowed like she was trying to piece together a puzzle, he knew she was wondering whether she had heard the boy correctly. 

“ma lo’ak…” she sighed, nervously reaching out for him, grasping his much larger hand with both of hers. immediately, his tense stance relaxed into her touch, moving towards her, hating the way something as simple as the way her skin felt against his had him losing his train of thought. ma lo’ak. 

her gaze faltered, unsure of how she would convey her feelings to the boy in front of her, grasping onto her hand as if she would disappear, never to be found again. 

“you should know i would never choose neteyam.” she whispered, suddenly taking note of how close the two actually were, her head almost leaning on his chest - her heart beat practically pounding out of her body now. she wondered if he could hear it, if he could feel it. 

“who would you choose then?” he asked through half lidded eyes, his breath gently fanning her face due to their proximity. 

she sighed again, gazing down towards her feet, pulling his hand against her chest, feeling goosebumps ripple across her skin. sure, the two had been this close before, had held each other, caressed the others hair… but no moment had ever felt this intimate.  

his other hand made its way up her arm, before gently resting on the side of her face. his index and ring finger held the underside of her jaw, pushing it up softly, meeting her eyes with a gaze filled with hope, a gaze filled with love. please just say it. 

“i would choose you, lo’ak. in this life and every other, i will always choose you.” she whispered. 

the relief that flushed through lo’ak’s body was overwhelming. he was not reading this wrong, in fact, he was never reading this wrong. his face erupted in a smile, staring at the girl who was just inches from his face now. he couldn’t contain his emotion, scooping the smaller girl into his arms and spinning her body around as she let out a giggle. 

as he set her down, her hands found their way around his neck, resting at the nape, underneath his braids. his own hands snaked around her waist, pulling her body closer to his, resting his hands on her lower back. he lowered his forehead to hers, closing his eyes, inhaling his scent as his heart beat began to level. 

slowly, he opened his eyes, watching the way she stared at him - as if he had just hung the moon and the stars. neither could believe that this was happening. they had officially pushed the line until it snapped under pressure, and now here they were, in each others arms, feeling nothing but love engulf both of their young bodies. 

“i see you, lo’ak.” she spoke gently, making his heart squeeze in happiness. 

“i see you, ma y/n”

note: huge thank you to @wowimsofelle for helping me restore this fic ILY!!

I regret reading this. BC WHERE DID THE OG AUTHOR GO. Seriously better at playing my heart strings than any guy ever did

I'm Good At Letting You Go (You Were Never the Enemy)

part one

A/N: I didn't expect anyone to read the first part, but a few people did, so here we are. I thought publishing a one-shot might help my hyperfixation, and prevent me from seeing the movie a third time, but...again...here we are.

warnings: explicit language, blood and gore, allusions to violence involving guns

summary: the end and the beginning of your relationship with lo'ak

***

Loose cuffs trapped your wrists. You’d wriggle out of them once the guards turned their backs. And the ship would be easy enough to crawl through undetected. The head injury resulted in nothing but a mild throbbing in your skull. It was the inconvenience of having to escape that irked you, that made your fingers itch to get a hold of the gun pressed to your head so you could inconvenience your captors right back. 

Revenge was not something you thirsted over often, but you became a lot less forgiving after you left the Metkayina clan a year ago. 

(after you left Lo’ak)

The wreckage of your simple plan was not entirely your fault, though. There was another presence on the ship, something more violent than you, that caused an unaccounted-for influx of guards and updated security system that resulted in your capture. 

The cells were on the bottom of the ship, and you sighed to yourself as you saw how much extra work it would take to climb back up undetected. 

“Pretty hair,” one of the guards sneered, wrapping their fists in your strands and yanking. “I wonder how much it’d sell for.” Your steps faltered, neck jerked back, and you gave one last struggle to get away from them, but their grip on your arms was too tight, and you knew it was futile, so you let them drag you along, scalp aching. 

Keeping a mental note of how many left and right turns you took, you were led down a winding hallway, stopped in front of a heavy door. 

Shoved inside, you had a strong sense of déjà vu when you met eyes with the other prisoner in the cell. 

Your steps faltered, something the soldiers behind you mistook for resistance. They shoved you forward, fastening your wrists to the bar next to Lo’ak. 

“Hey, wait,” Lo’ak called after them when they turned to leave. “I’ll take a bullet to the brain, please.” 

Heaving in a stuttering breath, you looked at the floor as the guards urged Lo’ak to be careful what he wished for. Then, the door opened and sealed shut, and the two of you were alone for the first time in months. 

Silence spread between you, stifling you. Lo’ak was never one to keep his thoughts to himself, and you waited for his tongue-lashing, but it never came. 

“It wasn’t easy.” You still weren’t looking at him, instead choosing to burn a hole in the wall. You had risked a few glances, though, comforted by the fact that he wasn’t looking at you, either. You did not want to be the victim of the hatred in his eyes. “Leaving, I mean. It wasn’t—” you cut yourself off with a sigh, frustrated at your lack of words. 

How many times had you dreamed about being reunited with him? Granted, under more favorable circumstances, but you’d spent so long without him, thinking of him, wishing things were different. Wishing you could talk to him just one more time and explain yourself. 

And now he was here, next to you, chained down so he literally had to listen to you, and you couldn’t figure out what to say. 

“Seemed easy enough.” 

The two of you exchanged a long glance. 

You should’ve known that when you saw him again, it would not be full of warm embraces. It would be harsh words and cold shoulders. 

“Leaving, I mean.” He mocked you with a shake of his head. Talking down to you, like he used to when you first met. 

You were being honest. 

When you joined the Sully’s on their journey, you told yourself not to get attached. This is only temporary, you repeated in your head, even as you taught Kirri what you knew about healing and let Tuk fall asleep on you at night. This is only temporary, you reminded yourself as Neteyam taught you hunting tricks and Neytiri put beads in your hair and Jake sharpened your knives for you and laughed when you showed him the records you’d collected. 

I remember this one, he had said, eyes bright, turning the Britney Spears vinyl over in his hands. You should see the music video. 

But somewhere along the way you’d forgotten just how fragile your situation was. Distracted by the feeling of finally having a family, of finally having people who would notice if you fell off the face of the earth, you forgot to repeat your mantra. 

This is only temporary, you neglected to remind yourself as you showed Lo’ak around the little tree house you’d built near his birthplace, explaining your past through little polaroid’s hung on the wall. 

This is only temporary, you forgot to whisper when the two of you laid on the back of Payakan, tracing constellations, spending the night drifting on the calm ocean waves. 

Lulled into a false sense of security, you chipped away at the stone exterior you’d spent so long constructing, and just as you lowered your defenses, you were struck. 

When you left, you told yourself it was only temporary. 

At least, you wanted it to be. 

But in the long year without him, without any of them, you were reminded why you left. You put a target on their back and returning would be cruel. 

Lo’ak didn’t understand that, though, a fact made clear by his tense shoulders and clenched jaw. 

You missed him. 

Suddenly, you started tugging at your cuffs. You thought seeing him again would be easy. Maybe all that time apart made you delusional. 

You slipped out of your restraints, reached into your boot, and gripped the small blade hidden there. Stepping towards him, he leaned back, as if he couldn’t stand you being close to him. 

“Don’t,” he warned. “I don’t want anything from you.” 

Staring at him, standing there like an idiot with the knife limp in your hand, you said, “you’re being ridiculous.” 

He raised his eyebrows, scoffing. “I’m being ridiculous?” Clenching his fists, you were suddenly glad he was restrained. “You’re so fucking—” he cut himself off, and you were thankful, because you don’t think you could handle whatever he was about to call you. “Just get the fuck out. I never want to see you again.” 

“I’m not leaving you here.” 

“Funny. You seem to be really good at that.” 

“Can we just focus on getting off of this ship and then we can—"

“You don’t get to pick and choose when you give a shit about me--” 

“Would you just stop and listen--” You paced, directly in front of him, his face tilted back to look up at you, enraged.

“You left.” 

His words cut through yours, and whatever you were about to say died on your tongue. The raggedness of his voice, the weariness in his eyes as he looked at you, this was not the same Lo’ak you walked away from. 

There was no response from you. You did leave, you couldn’t negate that fact. It had been for his benefit, but you still left. 

At the time, you convinced yourself that it wouldn’t matter. He was fine before you, then you were just a way to pass time and get comfort, and he’d be fine after you. Same with all the others. 

It was a different kind of heartbreak. You’d convinced yourself that you were the only one mourning your loss. Looking at him now, you thought maybe that wasn’t the case.

The cell door swung open. You turned, half expecting a bullet, but instead you were greeted with a familiar face. 

“Kiri,” you said in surprise as she said your name in the same tone, both of your eyes wide. She looked between her brother, the knife in your hand, and your face. She looked pale, as if she’d seen a ghost. 

If Kiri was here, so was Tuk, and Neteyam, which meant their parents were probably also close by. 

You retreated. 

It made you a coward, turning tail and running at the first sign of conflict, but you’d fought against every single impulse to return to them, and facing Lo’ak’s disappointment alone was too much to bear. You couldn’t face all of them. 

“1657 is the security code,” you told her, gesturing to the side of the cell. “Punch it in and the door will open.” 

Kiri was still staring at you, motionless. Your impatience snapped. “Now, Kiri. Please.” 

The doors slid open; a suction of air released. There was no barrier between you now. In your head, your reunion with her was full of smiles and laughter. 

You brushed past her in silence and dropped the knife on the ground in front of her. “In case you need it,” you jerked your head towards Lo’ak. “For him.” 

You didn’t look back, knowing it’d be much harder if you did. You regretted seeing him at all, and wished you never had. 

Before, your last memory of him was on that tiny island. 

Now, the last thing you’ll remember of him will be his harsh words and resentful eyes. 

A long time ago, your first meeting had been under similar circumstances. 

Laying in the darkest corner of the cave, you woke groggily, as if you’d been drugged. You blinked, head aching, your cheek pressed to something wet. Your own blood, you assumed, judging by the metallic smell and taste in your mouth. 

A loose knot restrained your hands in front of you, and although you felt like you’d been put through the ringer, it was easy enough to pick. With weak arms, you pushed yourself up, swaying. You pressed a hand to the cave wall to steady yourself. Whatever happened to you, you must’ve lost a lot of blood as a result. 

You took a few staggering steps, trying your best to keep yourself quiet. 

The sound of arguing around a bend in the cave covered your clumsiness.

“We have to call this in.” 

“Are you kidding? We’ll be slaughtered.” 

“It’ll be worse if we don’t tell him, and then he finds out later.” 

“I’ll be murdered. Violently.” 

“You exaggerate.” 

“And what do you think they’ll do to her? What if they kill her.” 

“They won’t.” 

“We don’t know that.” 

Back pressed to the cold stone, you listened. You only heard two different voices. Two captors were manageable. Two captors you could sneak past and avoid a fight. In your weakened state, you would be no match for even the kindest of creatures. 

Just as you’d lifted your foot to slink through the shadows, a third voice interrupted. You grit your teeth, mood soured, and retreated again. 

“I say we talk to her first.” 

“Who knows if we even speak the same language.” 

“She looked pretty bad when you brought her here. I should go check on her, make sure she’s still alive.” The female voice sounded kind, but at the mention of her coming to look for you, you panicked. 

In a perfect world, you’d have a weapon to defend yourself. But this was Pandora, and whoever dragged you to this cave was smart enough to confiscate anything you could’ve used to hurt them. 

There was more bickering between them as you wrestled with yourself, deciding whether you should make a run for the opening of the cave (which would be more like a very brisk walk, in your state). 

Except you had no idea where you were. It could be more dangerous outside of the cave than inside. 

Before your mind caught up with your actions, you stepped around the bend in the cave, making yourself known to the others. 

The girl saw you first. She paused mid-step, falling back on her heel as her eyes widened and her lips parted in surprise. 

She was Omaticayan, evident by her tail and color. There was another boy with her, too, also belonging to the same clan. The sky person threw you off guard, his shock clear through the mask he wore on his face. 

Even though they had a few inches on you in height, and more muscle, the fact that they seemed to be similar in age leveled the playing field a bit. 

A long stretch of silence followed your appearance as they sized you up, just as you’d been doing to them. You imagined how horrifying you looked. Hair matted to your face with dried blood, cuts and deep bruises along your body and face, voice rasped. “Do I need to worry about you killing me?” 

Your question shocked them out of their stupor. 

“How did you get free from the rope?” 

The avoidance of your question set you on edge, and your shoulders tensed. “The knot was loose.” 

The Na’avi boy punched the human boy in the arm. “I told you to tie that shit tighter.” 

“I didn’t want to cut off her circulation!” 

“Do I have to worry about you trying to kill me?” you reiterated your question, louder this time, though your voice still cracked. 

“No,” the girl spoke, placing a hand over her chest. “We were just—” 

“I saved your life.” 

The girl closed her eyes and sighed when the Omaticayan boy spoke, and you looked over her shoulder at him. 

Wracking your brain, you tried to remember needing to be saved. But you were drawing up blank, and that disadvantage frustrated you. He could be lying, and you’d have no way of knowing. 

“How long have I been here?” 

He scoffed, inching a few steps forward. “You know, usually people say, ‘thank you’ when someone goes out of their way to keep them from dying.” 

“Lo’ak—” the girl hissed, turning her face to give him a warning glance. 

He raised his hands limply in self-defense, giving her a boyish grin and a halfhearted shrug. “I’m just saying.” He looked at you again. “Maybe they do things differently where you’re from.” 

Based on the way you looked, it was evident you were not native to the forest. Your hair a stark white, even underneath the blood stains. Skin a lighter shade of blue, smaller than them. 

The girl turned back to you with an exasperated look. “Ignore him. We’re not going to kill you.” 

Still on edge, you took a step back to put some distance between yourself and the rest of them. She placed a hand on her chest, sensing your discomfort. “My name’s Kiri.” She jerked her head towards the human boy. “That’s Spider.” 

Despite yourself, your lips quirked. “Spider?” 

Cheeks tinted red, he explained the lore behind his name, but you were only half-listening, still trying to hatch an escape plan. 

You didn’t realize he’d stopped speaking until they were all staring at you expectantly. “Oh,” you said, swallowing thickly. You told them your name since it was only fair. 

“Well, it’s nice to meet you.” Kiri smiled, and you could tell she wanted to ask questions. They all did, you could see it in their curious glances. An interrogation was exactly the situation you wanted to avoid. 

Your eyes flicked down to the girl’s arm, where she pressed a white cloth to her forearm. It was dripping, splattering on the cave floor. 

Finally, a way out. 

“I can treat that.” You nodded towards her injury. 

“We’re headed back to our home soon. They can patch me up there.” 

“You should come with us,” Lo’ak interjected, stepping forward again. You eyed him. 

Supposedly, he saved your life. You’ve never even met him before, and doubted it was true. Kiri and Spider seemed a bit more hesitant than he was, aware of the fact that none of you knew each other. Lo’ak seemed at ease, though. Shoulders relaxed, eyes bright and trusting, like he was searching for something within in you. 

Too close, an alarm rang in your head. You made a mental note to keep an eye on him.

“You’ll lose a lot more blood if you wait. I can stitch it up in just a few minutes. Where are we?” 

Their curiosity got the better of them. You followed them outside, blinking in the bright sunlight, eyes sore from sleep and having adjusted to the darkness of the cave. 

You were near some sort of wreckage. A small ship crashed in a clearing a few hundred feet from the opening of the cave. “We found this place after we got caught in a storm one day.” Spider moved just as quickly as his Na’avi friends; you noted as he spoke to you. “Pretty cool, right?” 

Scouring through the rubble, you popped a drawer and found a medic kit inside. Cracking it open, you told Kiri to sit. Her brothers did as well, watching intently. Lo’ak had a hand near his sheath, the handle of a blade glinting in the light. Your eyes flicked from his weapon to his face, and you turned away when you saw him watching you just as intently. 

It was a standard cut. Deeper than most, hence the extreme bleeding, but not fatal. You’d collected plants outside, familiar leaves that would sedate the pain. You talked to her about what you were doing, figuring it would put her more at ease. She talked back, seemingly knowing a few things about healing herself. 

“I’ve never seen anyone use this stitching pattern before.” When you finished, she held her arm up, eyes glistening with unshed tears, observing your technique.

“Since the wound was so deep, I used a tighter stitch. The thread won’t dissolve on its own, so in a few weeks you’ll have to get them removed.” You shut the kit, returning it to the drawer. “Don’t mess with it and you’ll be fine.” 

You were feeling better, stronger, than you were when you woke up. You turned towards the window, suddenly. “I think someone’s coming,” you told them, and they all turned away from you to peer out the window. 

When they turned back, you were gone. 

Lo’ak couldn’t believe they fell for something so stupid. On the trek back home, he kept shaking his head at himself. “I mean, it’s so fucking dumb.” 

“How about we leave that part out when we tell mom and dad. It’s too embarrassing.” Kiri ran her fingers over her new stitches. 

“We’ll just say we let her go. It’s technically not a lie,” Spider added. 

But his parents didn’t buy it for one second. 

The three of them stood in front of thir family, telling their story with sweeping hand movements and talking over each other, only to be met with silence and narrowed eyes. Neteyam biting his lip to keep from grinning, Tuk complaining that she hadn’t been invited along on the adventure. 

“So, what I’m hearing,” his father turned away from where he’d been kindling his fire. “Is that you got caught in the middle of someone else’s fight, endangered your life by entering that fight, got Kiri injured, saved someone’s life, and then, after giving Kiri stitches, they just vanished.” 

“Yes,” Lo’ak said. “That’s exactly what happened.” 

Neteyam couldn’t muffle his laugh, though he went through a dramatic effort to disguise it as a cough. Lo’ak didn’t appreciate it, narrowing his eyes at his older brother. 

“Spider and Kiri were there. They can corroborate my story.” 

“It’s true,” Spider interjected. 

Kiri nodded. He knew his father would be hesitant to believe him or Spider, justifiable on most occasions but a nuisance in this case, so Kiri was their chance at convincing him. “She was running from these people—they had guns, I think they kidnapped her—and she went right over the edge of this cliff. If Lo’ak hadn’t caught her, she would’ve fallen to her death.” 

Lo’ak straightened his shoulders. 

That’s right. He did that.

Good for him. 

“And she knew a lot about healing! We talked for a bit about herbal remedies and different stitching methods. She taught me a different way to close a wound, which will be useful.” Kiri displayed her cut for her parents to see, though it seemed to have a negative reaction. Neytiri’s ears flattened, and his father’s jaw clenched. Kiri kept talking, too caught up in her story to notice. “She had this beautiful white hair—” 

Neytiri’s hands slipped from where she was skinning some fruit, the knife clattering to the dirt. Eyes wide, she looked up at her daughter. “White, like atokirina?” 

Kiri nodded enthusiastically. 

Confused, Lo’ak shared a glance with his father. “Do you recognize her?” he asked, turning away from his precious fire. 

“They’re from the arctic regions in the North,” Neytiri explained. “Natural born healers. The entire tribe is peaceful, a safe haven for the injured. Their hair is white because they’re thought to be like atokirina, seeds from the Tree of Souls.” 

The three kids went silent, considering the new information. 

“So, is she like, a spirit?” Lo’ak asked lamely. 

“A descendent of one.” 

He and Spider leaned across Kiri to punch each other in the shoulders, laughing. “Bro, you saved the life of a spirit.” 

“She should’ve stuck around longer. Maybe she would’ve granted me a wish or something.” 

Kiri rolled her eyes, pressing her hands to their chests and pushing them away from her. “You’re both so stupid.” 

“Hey, Kiri, maybe she healed you with magic.” Lo’ak grabbed her forearm to observe the stitches more closely, but she ripped her arm out of his grip. 

“Don’t touch me, asshole.” 

“Language,” Jake piped. 

“You’re very lucky,” Neytiri went back to skinning her fruit, occasionally cutting off a slice when Tuk tugged at her arm. 

“I’m the one who saved her life, she’s the lucky one.” 

Spider snickered, and Kiri shook her head. “You can be such a dick, Lo’ak.” 

“Language!”

The conversation shifted over dinner, but Lo’ak’s mind strayed to the healer. He had seen you fight, before you went over the edge of the cliff. It was vicious. The snap of a neck, a bullet between the eyes. You didn’t seem like a healer, or a spirit. More like a desperate animal gnawing off their own leg to escape a snare.

Who were those people, and why were they after you?

And the fear in your eyes when you saw them in the cave. He equated spirits with power and calmness. Gentle. You seemed to be anything but as you stood in front of him, dripping in blood. 

His curiosity got the best of him. After the rest of his family dozed off, he slipped away, the silver moonlight filtering through the trees and lighting his path as he returned to the cave. 

It’s not like he was expecting you to still be there, but he let out a long sigh and his shoulders slumped when he saw that the area was empty and untouched. Exactly how they left it. 

“So dumb,” he muttered to himself as he kicked a rock, cursing himself for falling for your stupid trick earlier. 

The cave was a lot scarier at night, a deep void that light from the stars couldn’t penetrate. He slid into the shadows, remembering how fast his heart was pounding as he brought you to where Spider was helping Kiri apply pressure to your wound. 

“Look what I found.” 

You hung limp over his shoulder. You’d already lost consciousness when he caught you on his Ikra, though you’d woken a few times, struggling in his grip. It was easy for him to keep you restrained, and your weak hands pressing against him did little to loosen his grip on you. You fell back under again and didn’t wake up. 

Kiri looked at him like he’d been the one to put you in that state. “What did you do.” 

He hoisted you back over his shoulder, gently putting you back on the ground. “Hey, a little appreciation would be nice. If it weren’t for me, she wouldn’t be breathing.” 

They debated on what to do with you. Hide you under some leaves, wait for you to come-to on your own. Take you back to his family. After a solid fifteen minutes of arguing, they settled for tying your hands and waiting for you to regain consciousness before making any other decisions regarding you. 

And then you used the easiest trick in the book to get them to look away for one moment, just one millisecond, and you were gone. 

“Where the fuck did she go?” he’d asked, standing up so quickly he nearly knocked himself off his feet. 

“She was just here.” Spider spun in a circle, as if you were hiding in a cabinet. 

Kiri stifled her laugh. “I can’t believe we fell for that.” 

And, yeah. Maybe Lo’ak wanted to talk to you more. It’d been so long since he’d met someone new. Not to mention, your situation seemed exciting. Running from men with guns, able to hold your own in a fight, a healer. Who were you? He wanted to know. 

Pulled out of the memory by something sharp underneath his foot, Lo’ak jumped back. He bent down, scooping the object up in his hands. It was a necklace. 

He’d never seen it before, and he turned it over in his hands as he hoisted himself into a tree and rested on a branch. Holding it up to the light, he squinted at it, trying to discern where it came from. 

Maybe it was yours. 

The thought ignited a flicker of hope. If it was yours, it was probably meaningful to you, and you might come back for it. 

He found a hollowed-out log close enough to the cave and set the jewelry inside. Somewhere easy enough for you to find, but difficult for an animal to get to. 

Days passed. Neteyam didn’t believe him. 

“I’m not calling you a liar,” his older brother said as he pulled his bow string taught, aiming at the pool at the bottom of the waterfall. He let the arrow fly. “But I am saying you’re delusional.” 

“Scared I’m going to take your place as the mighty warrior of the family?” Lo’ak laid back on the rock, tilting his face towards the warm sun. “I mean, how many spirits have you rescued?” 

“She’s not a spirit; she’s the descendant of one.” Neteyam grabbed the fish he hunted, adding it to his collection. “Are you going to help me at all or just scare off all the prey?” 

Lo’ak ignored him. “If she lives all the way up North, how’d she get here?” he shook his head, musing. “I bet it’s a good story.” 

Neteyam sighed, shaking his head and rolling his eyes up towards the sky. “Too bad you’ll never get to hear it.” He threw a dead fish at Lo’ak, laughing when his brother rolled away from it, jumping after him. 

But deep down, it bothered Lo’ak that no one believed him, Kiri, and Spider. He was telling the truth. And he had to prove it. 

“She’s not here,” Spider complained. 

“I just want to see.” 

Always willing to participate in Lo’ak’s antics, he knew Spider was curious about you, too. And when the two of them peered into the hollowed log, they found your necklace was not there. 

His heart kicked in excitement. “See! See!” he did a victory lap, jogging around the small clearing and whooping in victory. He stopped and pointed at the empty place where the necklace used to be. “I’m telling you! You saw the state she was in. She couldn’t have gone far.” 

“An animal could’ve taken it.” 

Lo’ak shook his head. “No. She was here.” 

They both looked up at the trees, as if you’d reveal yourself. They observed every inch of their surroundings, checking for tracks or other lost belongings, but you left no trace behind besides the missing necklace. 

Lo’ak rode that high for several more days. He checked back every afternoon, sometimes alone, other times bringing Kiri or Spider, and Tuk on one occasion. He knew you were still hiding in his forest. Between the leaves, hiding just outside his peripheral. If he could figure out a way to coax you out, get you to show yourself just one more time, he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. 

And then he could rub it in his family’s face. 

See? he’d tell them, brandishing you like a sword. I’m not crazy!

But his best efforts were futile. No matter how much plotting he did, trying to lure you out with food or other bait, you never bit down on his hook. He grew frustrated. 

And then Tuk got sick. 

Like, really sick. 

Even Mo’at looked worried as she cared for his little sister, Neytiri and Jake doing little other than staying at her bedside. 

Lo’ak’s outings to the cave became reprieve from the sick den and the suffocating grief of his family. When he went out alone, he would talk to you. Tell you what was going on in his life. Before, it was mundane things. Like how Spider tried to make an ambitious jump and ate absolute shit in the process. Or how his father taught him how to use a gun and throw a punch. 

But now Tuk knocked at death’s door, and he had no idea if she would be turned away or let inside, and he started talking about that instead. He didn’t know if you were listening. He swore up and down that he could feel you, a second heartbeat assisting his own, but he had nothing to show for it besides that one incident. 

He escaped one afternoon after he saw Kiri crying, unable to take the emotional weight placed on his family. Lo’ak paced around the clearing, breathing heavy, looking up at the trees. “If you’re there,” he started, angry, “just give me a goddamn sign.” 

No response, but a soft breeze through the leaves. 

 “Some fucking healer you are,” he taunted before he left.

That night, he laid awake next to Tuk, and regretted yelling at you. As if you were even there to hear him. 

Tomorrow, he promised himself. Tomorrow is the last day I’ll go back. After that, I’ll let it go. 

It was a bad morning for Tuk. She wouldn’t stop coughing, her blood staining the handkerchief. 

He stomped the whole way back to the site. He was mad again. He ripped back the leaves he used to cover the hollow log, bracing himself for another wave of disappointment. 

His fury dissipated in the air. 

A scratch piece of paper read “For your little sister. Take one each day. Mix with honey to help with the taste.” Next to the note laid a collection of small vials, all filled with a deep green liquid. 

“It could be poison.” Mo’at shook her head, shoving the vial away. “Too risky.” 

“It’s not,” Lo’ak promised, unable to look at where Tuk lay. 

“How can you be sure?” 

He would’ve launched into the whole story, but his grandmother was a tough nut to crack, and telling her it was a mystery vial left in a log might not be the best approach. 

“She’s going to die if we don’t do something.” He set the supposed medicine on the table. “This is our only option.” 

His parents mulled it over. Neytiri eyed the vial, holding it up to the light. Jake rested a comforting hand on Lo’ak’s shoulder. “Are you absolutely sure she’s the one that left this?” 

She, meaning you. Lo’ak nodded. He could feel it, as sure as Eywa’s presence. 

Jake and Neytiri shared a look. His grandmother pursed her lips. 

The first day brought no noticeable improvements. 

By the third day, Tuk could open her eyes again. 

On the tenth day, she spoke for the first time in a month. 

By the last vial, she was herself again. 

“Gross,” she wrinkled her nose at the smell. Even mixed with honey, it tasted bitter, and she’d grown tired of it. 

“Last one,” Neytiri promised, arm wrapped around her youngest.

The weight over his family lifted. 

Throughout Tuk’s healing process, he didn’t have the time to return to the cave. But once all the vials were empty, he collected them and raced with Kiri back to the site. 

He kept one, hoping its absence would be enough to make you reveal yourself. After setting them in the log, he hesitated before leaving. 

“I don’t think we’re ever going to actually see her again,” Kiri told him as they shared lunch in the clearing. 

“We don’t know that.” 

“If she hasn’t shown herself yet, I doubt she wants to.” She peeled an orange, handing him a slice. 

He shrugged. “Who knows.” Spoken with a smile, there was no doubt in his mind that he could find a way to get you to reveal yourself again. He just had to be smart about it, trick you into making a mistake. 

Lo’ak left a note with the vials. “You still owe me for saving your life.” 

The debt was more than repaid, considering you’d brought Tuk back from the brink of death. But you didn’t need to know that. Kiri gave him a flat look when he placed the note inside the log, shaking her head at him. “I think she’s smarter than that.” 

Lo’ak shushed her with a finger to his lips. “She could be listening.” He pointed up towards the trees with a grin. 

Kiri narrowed her eyes at him. “Don’t shush me.” 

They bickered the entire way home. 

A weird sort of trading system began. Lo’ak still liked to talk to you when he visited alone, and he found the objects you left for him in the log corresponded with his stories sometimes. 

A tiny knife, useful for skinning fish and picking out their tiny bones when he mentioned he was having trouble with that.  

A thread and needle when he mentioned Kiri wanted practice replicating your stitching patterns. 

A bunch of bright orange leaves when he told you about how one of his friends pierced his own ears and it got infected, accompanied with more instructions. “Chew and place on the piercing. Make sure to disinfect the needle next time.” 

He left things for you, too. It was harder, since you weren’t talking to him, and he knew nothing about you. But he tried.

Tuk liked making jewelry when she wasn’t busy annoying the shit out of Lo’ak. He left bracelets, earrings, anklets, and necklaces in the place of whatever you left for him. 

Hair combs cast aside by others. He picked things off of the sky people’s ship. Stuff that wasn’t interesting to him, but maybe you would like it, and no one would miss it, so there was no harm done. 

But, in typical Lo’ak fashion, he grew impatient. 

He’d more than proved that he wasn’t a threat, he thought. The trading was fun, and it was exciting to have something to constantly think about. He was always on the lookout for things you might like. But it would be a lot more fun if you would just show yourself and return with him to his home. Then you could find things together, and he wouldn’t feel like an idiot, talking to himself all the time. 

With each new trade, his curiosity only intensified. 

“I have to know who she is,” Lo’ak explained one day when he dragged Neteyam and Spider out to the site. 

“I don’t think she feels the same about you, little brother.”

“You don’t get it.” 

Today was the day, he decided that morning. He’d been cooking up a plan. It was his turn to put something in the log, which meant you’d have to come out and get it. Your trades grew more frequent, there was something new every day now. 

It was exciting. And frustrating. You were right there, so close to him, and still so far out of reach. He wouldn’t be able to rest until he saw you again, he decided. Then maybe he could let this weird hyper fixation on you and your life go. But he had to have at least one more conversation with you, first. 

This trade was valuable. At least, he thought so. Medical supplies his father brought back after visiting his military friends. State-of-the-art gauze and disinfectants and tourniquets. 

There’s no way you’d be able to resist coming out to grab it. And when you did, they’d be there, hidden in the foliage. 

“And what are you going to do when she comes out?” Neteyam asked. “Catch her in a net? Spring out at her like a predator?” 

“No,” Lo’ak countered. 

“You haven’t thought that far ahead, have you?” 

Spider laughed at that and Lo’ak gave him a look of betrayal. Spider was supposed to be on his side, not Neteyam’s. 

“Of course, I have,” he lied. “But we’re getting close, and she could be listening, so no more talking about the plan.” 

Neteyam and Spider snickered, though they heeded his request and made a covering of leaves and plants while he grabbed what you’d left for him in the log. A collection of arrows, the nice ones, crafted with care. 

A gift for his mother.

He wondered if you’d made them yourself, or found them, or did someone give them to you. Shaking his head when his imagination drifted again, he focused on the task a hand. 

Joining his coconspirators under their cover, they shed their knives in a pile behind them. “If we’re covered in weapons when she sees us again, she’ll run.” 

“I think she’s going to run anyways.” 

They whispered back and forth, arguing for a few moments, before falling silent. 

Hours passed. 

They each grew restless, dramatically overestimating their ability to be quiet and still for such a long period of time. They gossiped about their family, other members of the Omaticayan tribe, whether a mountain banshee or a hammerhead titanothere would win in a fight. 

The original plot was to stay awake through the night. 

The three of them fell asleep within a few hours of darkness. 

Startled awake by a branch breaking close by, they jerked back into consciousness. Pushing himself up, Lo’ak cursed, abandoning the cover of the leaves, and rushed for the log. 

“Wait,” Neteyam hissed after him. “It could be dangerous.” 

But Lo’ak didn’t care, peering inside. Blowing out a long sigh, he turned back to his friends, who stood on either side of him, also looking in. “It’s still there.” 

Neteyam shook his head and trudged back to the makeshift blind. “This is pointless. We’re not going to catch her.” 

Lo’ak lifted his head, looking through the trees ahead. It was dark, the forest alive with bugs chirping and birds fluttering about overhead. Spider placed a hand on his shoulder. “We can try again some other time.”

“Yeah,” Lo’ak replied, but he didn’t bother to hide the disappointment in his voice. 

Neteyam’s voice cut through the noise of the woods around them. “Spider, did you grab our knives?” 

“No, I just left them where they were, right behind us.” 

Another beat of silence, and then Neteyam was laughing. “Well, I think your friend decided to pay us a visit after all.” 

Lo’ak and Spider joined him by their camp, staring at the place where their knives used to be. 

They were stolen. 

Lo'ak froze. Spider joined in the laughter. 

“It’s not funny!” Lo’ak snapped, which only caused them to laugh harder. “Shut up! It’s not funny!” 

Neteyam nudged him, smiling wide. “She’s smarter than you, bro.” 

“Smarter than you, too,” he countered, shoving Neteyam back with a hiss. 

Lo’ak couldn’t believe it. 

At first, your little game was cute. 

Exciting, even. 

But now Lo’ak clenched his fists at his side, muscles tense, filled with the urge to break something. 

He couldn’t believe this. They turned their backs for one second, again, and you’d struck. He was certain you were watching now, laughing down at him. 

Turning over his shoulder, he stomped back over to the log. “Whatever,” he called back to Neteyam and Spider. “I’m taking this back.” 

Except, when he reached in to grab the medicine kit, that was gone, too. 

“No way,” he drawled, staggering back as if he’d been shocked. When Neteyam and Spider asked him what happened, he was so angry, he didn’t even answer. 

Spider reached inside, eyes light with curiosity. “Well, shit." He pulled out two knives.

“She’s fast,” Neteyam remarked, sliding his knife back into his holder. “Don’t worry, skxawng, I’m sure she’ll return yours soon enough.” He and Spider snickered, and Lo’ak decided he had to fight them both.

Even his dad got a kick out of the story. “Seems like you’ve met your match,” he said with a wink, Neytiri hiding a smile behind a sip of her tea. 

How could you have gotten the best of them two times in one night, in the span of ten minutes? 

His anger fueled him for several days. His sleep was fitful, full of tossing and turning. He ranted about you to everyone who would listen, until even Spider grew tired of him. 

“Just let it go, man,” he told Lo’ak one day. “It’s never going to happen.” 

And to rub salt in the wound, you stopped trading with him entirely. 

For all he knew, the incident with the knives was the last interaction you two would ever have. 

The thought devastated him more than it should’ve. How could he be this dejected over someone he’d only had one conversation with? Who had bruised his ego and gotten the best of him several times now?

Time passed. Instead of the gaping wound you used to be, you became a scab he picked at. He occasionally still visited the site but didn’t have much time for it after the sky people returned with a vengeance. 

Which is how he ended up with his knees shoved into the wet dirt, a gun pressed to the back of his skull. 

“Leave the others here.” Lo’ak guessed this fool was the leader, judging by the way he listed off commands and his spineless cronies followed suit like puppets on a string. He gestured towards Lo’ak with a flippant wave of his hand. “Take that one to the cells.” 

“No, Lo’ak,” Kiri gasped, his siblings struggling against their restraints. He fought the panic of being separated from them but could do little to stop it from happening. His parents and Neteyam were on their way, and knowing his mother, he’d be free in an hour.  

Lo’ak kept a steady stream of insults flowing as they guided him through the ship, calling the soldiers every name in the book. It didn’t help him, though it did make him feel better, and the guards only grew more violent as they opened the cell and shoved him inside. 

He whirled on them, as if he could run out before the door sealed shut, but it was too late. He kicked at the clear door, his hands still restrained in front of him, cursing. 

“That’s not going to help.” 

The interruption shocked him. He hadn’t noticed anyone else in the cell, distracted by the soldiers that imprisoned him. 

But he’d recognize your voice anywhere. 

Me when I bond with the tree of souls and accidentally upload the nastiest, juiciest, toe curling, mouth drooling, lip biting, back arching, eye rolling smut fantasy.

I have more, but these are my favs;;

Supportive ao'nung >>>

I usually dont like seeing interaction with tsireya in loak × reader fics bc it makes me feel bad lowkey, but this one's so sweet ☹❤ (also the "every step of the way" quote??😭 my fav type of corny)

Best. Writing. Major warning of angst w no comfort tho

Tell me if you decided to read that last one,, ur definitely gonna need every fluff in existence to get the sadness out of your system :)<3

confession: i was a lo'ak girl at first

because cmon lo'ak is so pretty, and i thought his personality was so charming. AND HIS EYES mwah

but yea the fanfictions helped me realize neteyam's charm. (bcus whys there so little lo'ak fanfics haha)

I would say im the other way around except now I like them both, bc just LOOK at this one post

Got me obsessed

confession: i was a lo'ak girl at first

because cmon lo'ak is so pretty, and i thought his personality was so charming. AND HIS EYES mwah

but yea the fanfictions helped me realize neteyam's charm. (bcus whys there so little lo'ak fanfics haha)

Wanted to say more to cheer u up but i couldn't think of anything else to say so i hope these will do (hoping to get a smile out of u 🤞)

i was gonna post something tonight but i was using a terrible wifi connection at school and it didn’t save my progress…….. i’ll go over it in a bit and rewrite it as best i can remember but i’ll probably only post it tomorrow…

Home is where the heart is {Part 2}

Part 0 | Part 1 | Part 2

Pairing: Ao'nung x Fem!Human!Reader

Summary: Finding out the events that happened after you were shot out into space wasn’t exactly what you planned for when arriving in Pandora. But now not only do you have to process all that has happened, but you also have to learn the was of the Metkayina. Which doesn’t sound all that bad when you think about it. Except your teacher isn’t helping. Like at all.

Warnings: Brief mentions of death(?), Swearing at the end

A/N: I left this series alone for over a month 💀 but it’s back now! These updates will still be pretty spread out but they won’t be more than a few weeks (unlike this one🧍‍♀️)

Make up post before I take a few days break to plan out my other works

Italics will be na’vi

15 years.

You have been in cryo for fifteen years longer than you were supposed to be. Just what the hell caused the ship to malfunction while you were put under? "Then what happened in the total of twenty-one years I was asleep?"

Even though you were asleep for fifteen extra years, you still went through the original six to get out to Pandora. And despite all the lost time, you were still technically nineteen.

"It's a long story." Jake sighed. Where was he even supposed to start? So many events have happened in the past two decades. Many of which he'd much rather leave buried in the deepest parts of his mind. But it also felt wrong to keep it from you. After all, you were asleep for way longer than you should have.

"I have all the time in the world apparently." You take a seat across from him.

"There was a war between the humans and the na'vi. Many lives were lost in the process. Including Grace. Quaritch was the one in charge of the whole mess." Jake began.

You remember hearing about how you would probably meet him once you arrived because he was some important figure within the RDA. "And then he came back as an avatar a couple of years ago. Killing our oldest. So the Metkayina aren’t particularly of humans all that much. It's a miracle Ronal even let you set foot here." The atmosphere around you darkened.

Grace was gone?

You sat in silence, slowly processing all the new information. Where did everything go wrong? All you wanted to do was live a simple life on Pandora and a xenobotanist with Grace in the forest.

Of course now, that was impossible. She was gone. Quaritch had destroyed the sacred home tree that she had always told you about. He had caused not one, but two wars between the human and na'vi races.

“Oh. I see.” You continue to stare at the floor.

Everything just seemed to go wrong. So of course the na’vi would be so distrusting of you. Your kind has been nothing but destructive to their home. And you couldn't do anything about it. All you could do was process and continue on.

"So... You somehow managed to find someone who can put up with you." You smirk, trying to lighten the atmosphere. "Never thought the day would come."

Jake gave you an offended look as the woman next to him let out a laugh. The girl beside you, Kiri as you learned, covered her mouth to suppress a chuckle. You always loved poking fun at Jake whenever he was on call because he was always the only one who wasn't in the science field. He was always the easiest target.

"At least I have someone. Your nerd ass could never, in your nineteen years of existence, date someone. You were always a weird one." Now it was your turn to look offended.

"Low blow man." You clutch your heart in false agony. The two of you never took any of the insults personally, always laughing it off. "I will have you know I would probably have someone by now if I wasn't asleep."

Jake simply rolled his eyes. You always had a way to lighten the mood no matter the situation.

“I believe I'm supposed to find Ronal soon.” You excuse yourself from the family.

As you walk along the sandy beach, you feel various pairs of eyes on you, watching your every move like you're a ticking time bomb. Just how far did Quaritch go all those years ago?

Not long after your search began, you saw Ronal wading through the water. She meets your eyes as you make your way over to her, keeping a guarded stance when you reach a few meters away.

“I’m supposed to begin lessons today?” You gave her a nod of respect, raising your fingers up to your forehead.

“Yes. My son shall guide you and teach you our ways.” She didn’t take her eyes off you, like you would attack the moment she turned away. “You can go now.” Ronal waved you off as a warrior approached her.

You quietly took your leave, stepping back onto the dry sand.

“Why did you allow that demon to stay?” The na’vi hissed in their native tongue. You freeze, back still turned to the pair. Did they think you couldn’t understand them?

“It was willed by Eywa. She spoke of a human who would heal the clan of its tragedies.” Ronal only sighed a response.

Someone who would heal the clan? What the hell did that mean? Whatever it meant, it got the gears in your head turning. You were so immersed in your thoughts that you didn’t notice the na’vi that you were about to bump into.

“Ah I am so sorry.” You look up. Before you stood a tall na’vi, around nine feet if you had to guess, long curly hair that was tied half up and half down, tattoos that covered many parts of his body, and various necklaces that hung around his neck.

“Watch it, demon.” He glared down at you.

“I said I was sorry.” You scoff, responding in his native language. To say he was shocked that you spoke na’vi was an understatement.

“Ao’nung.” A female voice called out to him from behind you. Ronal stood beside you, looking at the male before her. “You will be in charge of this little sky demon.”

Little sky demon.

“What?!” He hissed. “Why not Tsireya! She’s better suited than I am!”

Well, at least he was honest about it.

“Your sister is learning to be the next Tsahìk! She is too busy.” Ronal replied in a calm manner.

“I’m not? I’m next in line to be Olo’eyktan!”

“And I am your mother.” She effectively shut the boy up. “You will teach her our ways. End of discussion.”

He lets out a frustrated sigh, turning from Ronal to you. So he’s the one you’re going to be stuck with? Awesome. You’d rather have literally anyone else on this island at this point. You could practically feel the hostility rolling off of him in spades. He clearly didn’t want you around him and vice versa.

“Fine.” He spat through grit teeth.

You watch as his figure grows smaller and smaller before stopping a short distance away, leaving you to actually realizing that you were supposed to follow him. Quickly jogging up to him before he could walk any further away from you.

“You better pay attention when I teach.” He spoke in English for you. “And no more demon language.”

“Fine by me.”

He lead you to an isolated spot away from the village, a small patch of grass surrounded by trees in the middle of the forest.

"Why are we all the way out here?" You admire the flora surrounding the two of you.

"I don’t need my people seeing me with a sky demon.” He sat down.

“Yeah yeah. What are we learning today.” You roll your eyes, joining him on the grass.

“Sign language.”

He watches as your eyes light up at the sound of it. He remembers how Toruk Makto mentioned something about how the hand gestures underwater was similar to something he had back on Earth.

“We have that back on Earth!” You remember when you’d use it to communicate with some scientists back at the lab.

“Show me.” He watches you move your hand in confusion. He had absolutely no idea what you were saying through the gestures. “Yeah no. That’s not even close.”

Ao’nung watches in amusement as your brows furrow in frustration. What did you expect? Your little Earth language couldn’t possible be the same as one from a completely different planet.

Sure, some of the gestures were similar when referring to certain things, but others were way off. You let out a noise of defeat before taking in a deep breath and finally accepting your fate.

You were going to be here for a while.

And you were right. You spent the next 2 hours straight learning all of the basic hand signals to communicate with the other na’vi. Although you were sure it wouldn’t have taken as long if Ao’nung was a better teacher.

“Eywa you are terrible at this.”

“You’re doing it wrong.”

“Come on it’s not that hard demon.”

Yeah. You were certain that the lesson would have gone much more smoothly with a better teacher. “Will you shut up.” You grumbled. “You are such an asshole.” The last insult was spoken in your ‘demon’ language.

Ao’nung scrunched his nose in distaste. He didn’t enjoy listening to you talk without being able to understand anything. Especially when it’s the same language as the species that caused destruction to his home.

“I said no demon language.” He gave your arm a light slap. “It’s bad enough that I have to be the one to teach you.” Teaching you gave him an uncomfortable sense of déjà vu. Back when he was given a similar one as a teen.

You groaned as you were finally let off for the day. “Jesus fuck. That was the worst fucking lesson in my entire life. Shit, I think i just lost even more of my life from that.” The words just seemed to spill out of your mouth like a waterfall. All your foreign curse words escaping as soon as you could formulate them.

“What are you saying.” Ao’nung simply sat there as you grumbled to yourself. You really were a ‘weirdo’ as Lo’ak would say.

"Nothing. Just thinking about how different the signing is here." You flash him a big, fake smile.

“You really don’t belong here.” He scoffed, standing up to walk away. Leaving you alone to wander back to the village by yourself. "Freaks like you should just go back to where you came from."

There he goes again. Acting just like his teenage self.

Taglist: @yawntutsyip @aonungsmate @fukingsad @cumikering @eywas-heir @sunshinewwx @ducks118 @tiredsoulsorry @sparks0918 @ambria @ken-zah @zeroqueen0555 @itsskyvoltage @wowimsofelle @fanboyluvr @awkward-halfhug @1-800-not-simping @feelinmyselfimconceited @milesquaritchh @il0veheartz @chxrrybobaby-sin @myh3artttt @rinsdesires

(Comment or dm if you wanna be added to the taglist!)

I was not in the mood for heartbreak but i hope you are

Secret

pairing: neteyam x fem!human!reader

genre: angst, the tiniest mention of smut, no comfort at all (sorry y’all), & forbidden love

word count: 1k+

warning(s): heartbreak & mention of character death

word bank: sa'nok — mother, yawntu — loved one; lover; beloved person, yawne — beloved, great mother/ewya — goddess deity that the na’vi believe in, & syulang — flower

note: inspired by the song “secrets” by PLVTINUM. i literally thought of this when hearing this song, except it was all sad & nothing of the song is remotely mentioned in the fic lol. brief mention of norm & slightly more mention of lo’ak. neteyam is aged up for the sake of the brief mention of smut but it’s not even really detailed like at all.

You’d like to think you were a person that thought things through. Calculating every single thing that could potentially happen and what could end up as a result. Like a true scientist, Norm often would comment when he found you staring off into space as you tried to think something through, brows pulled into a scrunch in deep thought. I just like to be prepared, you’d respond, shaking your head at Norm’s previous comment. But, no matter how much you thought all of this through, you never would’ve come to the conclusion of any of this happening.

“What?,” your voice came out in a broken tone, stomach churning in anxiety. You couldn’t believe your ears. There was no way that this was happening. You should’ve known better. Done better. Put more distance between the two of you. You got so caught up in what it felt like to be with him that you forgot your reason for putting up your walls.

Neteyam didn’t want to repeat himself. He knew he probably should but he didn’t want to. Because if he did, then it’d be true. What he would be saying would be reality. A reality that he didn’t want, didn’t choose. A reality that his parents chose for him with none of his input on the matter. His Sa’nok was able to choose her own love, so why couldn’t he?

With his ears pinned back against his head, he whispers out, “I am to be…mated with another,” barely loud enough for you to hear, but you did.

The sinking feeling in your stomach goes to your heart, sucking in your heart whole. Tears sting your waterline as you hold back an inevitable sob, shaking fingers digging into the plush of your lips as you tightly close your eyes. Neteyam, your Neteyam, the one that you love, the one you bared your soul to and shared yourself with, was to be mated with another. A Na’vi. Someone who was able to give him children and a stable future. Something you couldn’t give him, no matter how much you prayed to the Great Mother.

“Yawntu,” Neteyam utters, reaching out for you only to be met with your cold stare and slap of your hand, hitting his arm away from your body. His heart began to shatter at the action, trying not to reach out towards you again for comfort. He knew he fucked up. He knew that he should’ve told you sooner instead of continuing to see you behind his parents back. He knew he should’ve fought the betrothal, should’ve fought for your love. He realizes that now as he watches his whole world crumble right in front of him.

“How long…” you ask, stabilizing yourself against your lab desk, hunched over one side of the table with your back to your lover. You didn’t want to know if he kept this a secret from you or for how long he did, but you couldn’t stop the words from coming out of your mouth.

“A while,” he responds, guilt clawing at his throat, “about four months.”.

The confession was the final straw on the camels back.

“Four months?!” You scream, tears now steadily running down your cheeks, voice cracking at the heavy emotion. You had been seeing each other long before that. Confessing your feelings for one another nearly a year ago, but you had only gotten intimate with each other nearly five months ago. The timeline didn’t look so great in your head, your heart breaking even more.

“Did…Did you know before we-we fucked?” The harshness of your voice is what makes Neteyam flinch back as if you just slapped him across the face. The statement fucked brings a heaviness to his heart. The night you two became one, the night where you made love was one of Neteyam’s happiest memories. Often finding himself thinking about it during the late time of the night, smiling to himself that he was able to connect to you one another level and was able to please you in the way he always desired. He didn’t regret any of it.

Truth be told, he was told of the betrothal the morning of that night. He thought that if he avoided the subject at hand entirely, it would eventually go away. That if both of his parents saw his cold demeanor towards the girl he was arranged to marry, that they would call it off and allow him to choose for himself who he wanted as a mate. That if he mated with you, there would be nothing in your way of being together. He now knows that he shouldn’t have done that. That he was wrong to have done that. That he should’ve screamed and kicked and fought his parents once the news was broken to him. But he was too much of a coward to do so.

His silence is what gave you your answer. You scoffed at it. At his cowardice to answer. This was not the Neteyam you knew and grew to love.

“Was I just a distraction to you? Something you could toy with before leaving me in the dust as you continued on with your life with your new mate?” You hissed out, fists tightly closed. You so bad wanted to scream, punch, and hit anything and everything in sight, but you would have to wait until Neteyam had left to do what you desired.

Again, your words had hurt him. Had caused his heart to almost splinter in half. What have I done? He thinks.

“No! No, no,” he exclaims, crouching down into an even lower position to look at you, “You were not a distraction. You are so much more to me, yawne. You are all my stars in the sky. You are my sun to my moon. My other half. My whole heart. My ma-”. You cut him off.

“Don’t!” You firmly say, tears falling down your face at Neteyam’s confession, “Do not say it”.

He knew that you didn’t want to hear what he was going to call you. But it was true. You are his mate. The one he mated with before Eywa. The one he loves with all his heart and being. The one he would lay down his life for.

“But it is true. You are my mate,” he whispers, bringing your face into his oversized blue hands, warm against your cold and wet face. 

His words and actions only make you cry harder and the heartbreak worse.

It’s quiet for a beat. And another. And another.

Neteyam’s worried that you managed to make yourself pass out from how hard you seemed to be crying, but he was proved wrong when your eyes opened and roughly pushed his hands off of your cheeks.

“Go! Go away!” You shouted, pushing at his lean chest. You wanted him gone but you also wanted him to stay. But you knew if he stayed, it would only be harder for you to let him go in the morning.

“I do not want you here! I don’t love you! Don’t see you!” You continued, sobbing.

Your weak attempts at pushing him away didn’t work, but your words did.

Neteyam fell onto his bottom in grief. Did you mean that?

“You don’t mean that, syulang,” he whispered, tears now streaming down his cheeks.

You only shake your head, “How do you know what I mean, Neteyam?!”.

The lack of your usual nickname for him stung. You always called him Teyam, Tey, or Ma’Tayem. Never his full name. He knew what you meant whenever you used his full name. And his heart continued to break at the fact.

“I am so sorry, yawne. Please, let me make it right. Let me fight for us,” he begs, shifting onto his knees as he grasps your hips and pleads for you to look at him, “I love you. I see you. Only you.”.

“You can’t make it right, Neteyam!” You spoke, “You had your chance the minute you knew of the arrangement and yet you did nothing about it. Nothing!”.

Your words were like stones in his heart, weighing him down. Neteyam didn’t think he’d ever encounter a pain quite like this. Nothing could ever compare to the pain he was feeling right now.

A tear fell from both of your eyes as a beat of silence took over the moment. Both hearts racing against the confines of their rib cages.

“Please,” he pleads one last time, voice wavering as it shook.

“Go. Please,” you beg, hands on Neteyams forearms, trying to get them off of you.

Whatever fight Neteyam had left to try to convince you that he still loved you and was going to fight off this betrothal left his body at your words. His eyes closed and his tail fell limp between his legs, heart completely splitting in two.

He only nods in acknowledgment to your request, gently kissing the crown of your head before getting up to leave.

As he leaves you there, in your lab, broken and crying, you still can’t help but still love him. Perhaps a part of you always will, even when he’s grown and has a family of his own with the woman he’s supposed to be with.

Before he completely retreats back into the forest, he gives you one last longing look before heading back to High Camp.

He promises himself that he will fight for you and the love that you share. That no matter what, he will do what is right and do everything in his power to get you back.

The following week, news quickly spread of the Sully children being held hostage by one of the returning Sky People. Forcing Jake Sully to make a decision for his family. Their departure from the clan hurt and saddened most, especially the Sully family. 

You were told of their departure a day too late.

Neteyam had stopped by the day of. He stopped by to tell you that the betrothal was called off. That he still loved you. And that he was leaving to seek refuge with another clan. That he was going to keep fighting for you and that when he gets back, he’ll scream up into the sky that you are his and he is yours and that he doesn’t care that you’re human and he’s Na’vi. He left Norm a letter that contained all of this. He whispered that he loved you into your closed door before leaving, forcing himself to not look back because if he did, he knew he wouldn’t want to leave.

His death reached you four months after the family’s departure from the clan. You had forgiven him during those four months. Rereading his letter over and over again until you cried out all the tears your body allowed you to. 

Your heart hammered in your chest as you saw Lo’ak enter the lab, looking the same as he did months before he left. But, he had a sad look on his face. Like a permanent scowl etched on to it.

When he broke the news to you, he had to cover his sensitive ears from your heartbroken scream. Lo’ak had known of yours and his brothers relationship, walking in on the two of you kissing one night. 

He loved his brother and he loved his brothers love for you. Neteyam quietly begged in his arms for Lo’ak to watch over you in his absence. And so he will. He will love you because his brother loved you and he will watch and protect you because that’s what was asked of him.

Those goat eyes remind me of loak's eyes

I love my girl's self respect and I love this version of kiri, 'm gonna miss her fr

Amazing work, rory!<3 congrats on finishing, it's been a great time ☺️✨️

(Fact: I was always so close to ending my avatar hyperfixation habit with +8h tumblr seshs until i get reminded about your fic, no regrets 😌)

SOMEBODY ELSE !

— chapter 21. earn me.

a/n — oh my god guys we made it it's the end

series masterlist. | previous / end.

written portion below. —

"since when did you listen to taylor swift?" you snorted as you made your way into the car, lo'ak only shrugging in response.

"rey kinda just takes the aux chord anytime she's in my car, taylor started to grow on me."

"as she should," you nodded, immediately turning up the volume when you saw the song, gasping in excitement. "LONG STORY SHORT IT WAS THE WRONG GUY!" you shouted from the top of your lungs, lo'ak laughing beside you.

"you said that with a little too much heart, if you ask me."

"shut up!" you scoffed in mock offense, reaching over to flick his forehead. "you're actually horrible."

"hey, i just said what needed to be said."

the whole car ride consisted of uncontrollable laughter and shouting of taylor swift, before lo'ak turned down the volume, making you look over in confusion.

"ok, so what's going on between you and my brother?"

"lo'ak!" you groaned in annoyance, only to be met with his laughter when you turned red. "we just decided that we liked each other again, i guess."

"did you ever really stop?" he questioned, pulling into a parking space.

you pondered for a moment, sitting still before getting out of the car. "i guess not."

"simp."

"shut the fuck up."

you both bickered as you walked to the cafe, lo'ak stopping just a few feet short of it, blocking your view inside. "you know, are we really sure we wanna do this whole barista thing? i mean, i did burn coffee."

"well hopefully you know how to work a cash register." you laughed, trying to push past only to be met with the hard of his chest.

"you know, i don't think i ever told you the full story of how me and tsireya got together-"

"lo'ak, you can tell me inside, okay?" you pushed past him once more, this time successful. you chuckled to yourself at the boys odd antics, your smile fading as you stopped a few steps into the cafe.

"i'm sorry i tried to-"

you cut lo'ak off, flashing a glare towards the blonde. "literally what the fuck is her problem? why is she so obsessed with neteyam- like take a hint, he doesn't want you."

the boy besides you only laughed, clutching onto your shoulder. "so true. she probably just is clueless."

"annoying," you grumbled under your breath, walking over towards a register, trying to put the thought of neteyam and another girl as far from your head as possible before you could take your interview.

neteyam, who only stood still with a confused violet across from him was approached by lo'ak, whispering lowly in his ear. "if you let y/n leave this cafe before talking to you, you might not have another chance with her again."

─── neteyam !

lo'ak's right, eywa, neteyam knows he's right.

the thought of losing his chance to be with you, once again, is enough to tear neteyam to shreds. and he knows he should probably go after you, talk to you before you go to that interview instead of watching you walk into a separate room and letting violet even slightly think she has a chance with him compared to you.

but alas, even neteyam succumbs to the many voices in his head that tell him he shouldn't. that tell him he wasn't enough for you then and most certainly won't be now. that tell him he should let you go and be with someone you deserve, that tell him he shouldn't be as selfish as he wants to right now.

so he sits in silence, let's violet try to figure out what the hell is going on with him from across the table. he thinks and thinks and thinks, and he doesn't realize how much time was really passed until he watches you brush past lo'ak, making a beeline for outside.

and as he makes a move to follow after you he hesitates, wondering if maybe the voices in his head were right all along.

but this time he decides he shouldn't stick around to find out.

so neteyam leaves violet in the dust, her calls of protest only white noise to him as he chases after you.

─── y/n !

as you heard your name being shouted from across the parking lot, you turned at the familiar voice.

a voice you could recognize anywhere.

you're almost sure you could recognize neteyam by his touch alone, the tenderness in the way his calloused hands ran over your skin, or the hesitant way he'd reach for you.

and even yet, even at the feeling of possible betrayal from the one person you're almost positive it would break you, you still feel comfort from his voice.

he catches up with you, face rather flushed. "whatever that was back there, it wasn't what it looked like."

only lifting your brow in amusement, neteyam continued. "violet's been dming me like crazy the past week, and i've been ignoring everything. i probably should've just blocked her instead because she saw my post and figured we were something we weren't and-"

"neteyam," you cut him off, gaining his whole attention by calling him by his full name. "it's not like- like we're dating, you know?" you noticed the way his shoulders dropped slightly at the statement, but you both knew you were right. "you don't have to explain yourself to me. i know about violet, and especially how she feels about you."

"i don't know where you're going with this," neteyam honestly answered, looking all out of sorts. "what are you trying to say? that you don't care that another girl was holding my hand?"

"i'm saying, you're allowed to live a life and not have to explain every waking thing you do to me," you countered. "and of course i care, neteyam. i care so much. but don't you see what this is doing to us? to our friendship?"

"y/n," neteyam started, refusing to let you step away from him, his hands grasping for your arms. "we can fix this, can't we? we've had some miscommunications here and there, but eywa, i've only wanted you. i don't want violet, or any other girl for that matter. i just want you, and i know you want me. shouldn't that be the only thing that matters?"

"you want me?" you inquired, not waiting for his confirmation. "i need you to prove it. i refuse to be someone you think you can run back to so easily. if you really mean it, earn me."

you left him in the parking lot and went back inside, not giving him the chance to say anything else.

───

the ride home in lo'ak's car was relatively silent, neither of you daring to talk. lo'ak was still a little lost on the situation, only understanding that things clearly didn't go as well as he expected them to.

nevertheless, he didn't question you in respects for your privacy, and trusted that you would tell him when you were ready.

"let me know if you need anything, yeah?" he called out as you got out of the car.

you smiled softly in response, nodding. "thanks for the ride."

you ended the call with kiri, flopping yourself on the nearby couch.

the past few weeks and the fiasco have been more than enough to keep you busy, and honestly? you just wanted to nap. so you grabbed some random blanket laid across the couch, settling on top of the cushions and closing your eyes, trying to let sleep overtake you.

until you heard a knock on the door.

"i'm dreaming, it's apart of my dream, fuck off." you whined, hoping whoever was there would go away.

your hopes were crushed when the knocking continued, this time more insistent.

"i'm coming, i'm coming! so impatient." grumbling, you wrapped the blanket around your figure, opening the door to face neteyam.

"hi, i-"

"what are you doing here?" you cut him off, more shocked than you should be at the fact he was standing in front of you.

"proving it to you," he simply replied, as if it made all the sense in the world. "i'm serious about this, y/n. i know you're skeptical about this and really you should be, but you can trust me, i swear. and i know i've been stupid when it comes to you-"

"really stupid." you added quietly, making him chuckle and roll his eyes at your remark.

"really stupid," he confirmed. "i just- sometimes i cant think straight around you, you know? you drive me absolutely insane and i lose my mind around you half the time."

"are you implying i'm difficult?"

"i would never," he smiled, stepping inside and closing the door, figuring the entire hall didn't need to hear the entire conversation. "i'm trying to imply that i know i don't make the best decisions when it comes to you, and i'm trying to fix it. because i don't think i could stand the idea of only being your friend when i know we could be so much more."

you nodded, your silence making him worry for a moment. "you're right. and you aren't the only one being stupid— i am too. i'm overly cautious around you, it's like i cant stand to make a mistake when it comes to us."

"we're gonna make mistakes, that's natural," neteyam spoke, laughing to himself when he reached for you and saw you wrapped up in the blanket. "but i'll make as many mistakes as it takes if it means i can finally learn how to be with you properly."

"you really mean that?" you know you should trust him, and eywa, you really do. but you're still clinging onto the feeling, the desperation for confirmation.

"i do," he assured, opening up the blanket. "now can you please move this damned blanket so i can give you a proper hug?"

─── one month later ! (your birthday.)

you had just finished your shift, ready to head home and take a much needed shower.

alas, your plan was deterred by a call of your name, a smile immediately making its way to your face at the sight of your newly named boyfriend.

"teyam!" you called, engulfing him in a tight squeeze when he lightly jogged over. "what are you doing here?"

"well you're working on your birthday, i had to come see you one way or another."

"awh, you remembered?" you teased, landing a kiss on the soft of his cheek.

"i'd never hear from you again if i forgot," he quipped. "i actually brought you something, before i see you again tonight."

"neteyam-" you started, no doubt in his mind about to complain about multiple gifts.

"shhhh, let me spoil you," he cut you off. "it's actually something i've wanted you to have for awhile now." wordlessly taking a hidden gold chain from underneath his sweater, neteyam pulled it off himself, revealing what looked like a round locket.

as he handed it over you opened the locket to see an old photograph of you and him, and you smiled, remembering the day like it was yesterday. "how long have you had this?"

"i-" he started, tilting his head with an awkward chuckle. "i got it the day we broke up, actually. the girl you saw me with had it made for me."

your mind flashed back to the argument where you brought her up, and as your face fell, neteyam quickly stopped you before you could think anymore about it. "i just wimped out of giving it to you. now seems like a great occasion for it, though."

"i love it," you declared, looking up at him. "i love you."

eyes widening at the sudden confession, neteyam was unable to stop the smile creeping up on him. "really?"

you nodded, taking his hand in yours. "really."

"i love you too," he admitted, and somehow the dirty alleyway that led to your car was the most romantic scene you'd have to experience yet.

"i always have."

—

taglist #1 / closed ! @n7ytiri @ilovejakesullysdick @possysblog @love-chx @evphology @afro-hispwriter @ydsm-29 @goldeneywa @doulcha @krazy-kattzz @squid4 @blairrrrrr @neteyamforlife @dreamtogether2000 @444lyra @ambria @cawi00 @calums-betch @powowowy @fadingpalacebonkpsychic @elegantkidfansoul @kolsmikaelson @mirikusashes @yukichan67 @goodiesinthecloset21 @netemoon @teyums @littlethingsinlife @coconut-dreamz @anm3mi @jjkclub @il0veheartz @liyahsocorro @drugs-for-memes @grierpilots @misscaller06 @lightskinloak @mommyneytiri @inluvwithneteyam @halibanana @iheartamajiki @ipoopedmypants47 @neigesprincess @lookiiheh @ghostjoohoney @ronalsgirl @alwayswndr @khaleesi56 @azaleaniath @dilfverz

THE END.

─── all i can say is just omfg we finally did it guys 😭 i wanna say thank you to everyone who read this smau and enjoyed it, your support and love was truly amazing and really was my motivation to keep this going. you all are so so special to me and i hope you enjoyed somebody else!

yours truly, rory. ⭐️