But What If || Neteyam x reader

Distracting Denial

     "Oof," You looked up to see the exact person you were about to go looking for. "Oh, Neteyam hi, I was just going to find you." He gave a hum as he looked behind your head. "Are you ready for that late-night ride?" His attention turned to you as he now had a small smirk forming on his lips. "Yes, but I was actually thinking we'd go for a different kind of ride tonight." You were confused, what else was there to ride? "Uhh okay, sure." You didn't know what Neteyam was planning but you trusted him, and maybe it was a ride on an Ilu with a Gil Mantle. "Come on, I'll show you." He grabbed your hand, before he exited the Marui he checked the outside on both sides. You didn't pry any further by what he meant by a different kind of ride, but him holding your hand and leading you brought you back to earlier. Thinking about it now your head was now thinking straight. It was probably just an intrusive thought, nothing more. And it would stay that way, you had almost acted on that intrusive impulse. However, now you are much more detrimental to be aware and focused. When he led you to a beach and your feet hit that soft sand you could feel the day's events in your body. The sting of the cut on your head and the soreness in your body from getting hit. The cooling breeze from the ocean felt like being rocked as you let yourself sway with it. You let your eyes close, just for a second you thought, just to rest them for a moment. You could feel those restless nights catching up to you, swimming with Neteyam at night and still sneaking out in the dead of night. You didn't get much sleep.

    Yawning, you started to feel really tired now, maybe you should ask Neteyam to let you go back. "(Y/N)?" You opened your eyes to see Neteyam stopped and you started to take a step that would've sent you crashing into him again. "Oh, Sorry," You rubbed your eye as it felt restless and itchy. "Tired?" You nodded, Neteyam was very perceptive, you didn't even need to tell him what was wrong with almost anything. "Let's head back then." He just knew, he always did. "Okay," You weren't going to argue, on a regular day you would've fought for the chance to go anywhere at night but not now. "You know you really shouldn't be staying up so often. What do you even do out there alone?" Everything took so much longer when you were tired, especially when it hit you hard like tonight. "I just stare at the stars, or practice what you or others taught me that day." You felt loopy too, which felt like a truth serum sometimes. You would let your guard down when so tired your mind couldn't even function. "The stars? Do you like them?" You smiled as you thought of them. They were right above you but your head felt so heavy that if you were to look up the momentum would've sent you flying back. "I love them, they were one of the only beautiful things still on earth, granted you could only see them if you lived in a skyscraper." Your eyelids just felt so heavy, and so did your body. Your knees started to ache and your stride was getting sloppy. "I have no clue what a skyscraper is but I agree with you. They are beautiful." You felt a squeeze from the only thing keeping you from laying down right on the sand and sleeping there. "You know I think it's beautiful that the Na'vi word for stars, Sanhì, also refers to your bioluminescent spots." Your head was feeling really heavy, you just wanted to rest, though it seemed as if walking back home was taking much longer than before. "It's like saying there's a whole solar system on your face." A harsh breath was released from Neteyam, he was right next to you, no longer leading you but walking by your side. "Really? Care to show me what you mean by that?" You brought your free hand up to a point to your face, "Your eyes are like two suns, they are the center point. Your freckles are stars and the rest of the planets that give the sun a purpose. Your skin is dark blue just like the sky." You explained slowly as you both slowly stopped as you talked. "I see what you're saying." He was looking right at you, his eyes darting between yours. You lazily looked up back at him, you would've broken the silence but it was broken for you.

     "Neteyam," Turning to a voice that made you quickly have your guard back up, you turned to see Ao'nung. Your grip tightened as he strutted forward. "Ao'nung, where is my brother?" That's when you noticed Lo'ak was nowhere to be found, Ao'nung slowed his pace and stayed a few feet away from the two of you. "Did I interrupt something?" Your brows furrowed before looking at your hands and taking your hand back. "No, where is Lo'ak, Ao'nung?" His face contorted and he looked at Neteyam nervously. "He is outside the reef." He said it while murmuring but you heard him loud and clear. "What?" Neteyam spoke in a slow, harsh tone. "Who's with him?!" Now you weren't feeling too tired, hearing the news snapped you awake. "No one." You felt your ears bend back and your noise involuntarily twitched as Neteyam stepped forward. "Have you told anyone else?" Ao'nung just shook his head, still keeping a somewhat straight face as he tried to avoid Neteyam's glare. "How long has he been gone?" You moved next to Neteyam and directly to where Ao'nung was looking. "Since mid-day." Your eyes widened as you looked at Neteyam. His jaw was clenched tightly as his hand reached out. "Come." He grabbed Ao'nung's braid with force so powerful it earned a grunt from Ao'nung. "Ow, what are you doing?" Neteyam started pulling Ao'nung in front of him and walking fast. You being snapped awake now followed. Your body still felt sore so you were slower but your hand also felt colder. "Bringing you to my father." Murmuring "Bitch," under your breath added to Neteyam's sentence. "Ow, stop pulling so hard." You found your spot just a few steps behind Neteyam as your heavy body was still tired. Your mind was wide awake but your body screamed for sleep. "Fuck you, he'll stop pulling so hard when you get there." Ao'nung gave a look of discomfort and pain, good. You looked to the Marui as it crept close, then to Neteyam. His eyes were trained solely on the Marui, his face was seething in anger. You guessed you looked about the same.