Stargazing: Neteyam x reader

17. Stargazing

"As long as you are back before sunrise then I will allow you to go. But you have to ask the Sully's if they will allow Neteyam to go too." My father explained.
After a heavy debate about me taking Neteyam to my secret place to see the stars, my father had finally agreed. At first my parents thought of the idea as exceedingly random, but my way with words seemed to have convinced them somehow.
"Thank you dad!" I said giving him a hug which he returned, laughing softly at my excitement.
"Why do you want to take Neteyam my dear?" My mother asked me before I left.
"He has a love for the stars, so I thought I would find a nice view for him to see them even more clearly." I said simply.
"That's a really nice gesture." She smiled allowing me to depart from my hut and go to the Sully's hut.

Entering their hut I knocked on the side of the frame to announce my presence. Jake and Neytiri were the only ones home.
"I see you." I gestured.
"I see you." They gestured back smiling.
"What brings you here Y/n?" Jake asked me.
"Well you may or may not know this but Neteyam has quite a fascination with the stars and I know of a lovely place not far from here that gives a gorgeous view of them and I was wondering if I would be able to take him there tonight?" I asked nervously.
They gave each other a quick look, "And Tonawari is okay with this?" Jake asked.
"Yes! He just asked me to ask you guys for permission." I smiled.
"Then of course you can, I think Neteyam needs the distraction. He's been keeping an eye on Lo'ak a lot and we both agree he needs a break." Jake replied making me smiled.
"Yes, I think it would be a nice thing for you guys to do, thank you for taking your time to do something nice for him dear." Neytiri smiled at me.
"Thank you so much! I will let him know." I smiled, and thanked them again before making my way to find him. 

It didn't take me too long to find him riding on his ilu on the beach. Attaching my saddle to Pearl I went to join him on his little venture.
"Neteyam! I have news!" I said with a smile.
"What is it?"
"My parents and your parents are allowing us to go watch the stars at that special place I mentioned a few nights ago!" I said excitedly.
His eyes sparkled with excitement, "Wait tonight!"
"Mhm! If you still want to go of course." I pondered.
"Of course I do! Thank you Y/n, I really need this tonight."
"It's my pleasure, meet here at around eclipse?" I suggested.
He nodded before I left to make sure all my duties were attended to before tonight. My smile practically showed off my excitement to the whole world.

Neteyam's POV:

I could barely contain my excitement about tonight. Not just because of the stars but because I could have that experience with Y/n. That alone was a blessing in itself.
Walking back to my hut, I was greeted with a playful smile by my father.
"So I heard you're going stargazing tonight." He teased.
"Yeah, Y/n was really nice to let me go with her." I said simply, not wanting to make a big deal of the situation.

"I think it's really sweet of her." My mother mentioned.
"It definitely is nice of her." I smiled, "Very thoughtful too."
"You deserve some rest Neteyam." She said thoughtfully.
Returning the smile I sat down in the hut waiting impatiently for eclipse to arrive.

Y/n's POV:

I waited excitedly on my Ilu for Neteyam to arrive, My heart rate wouldn't slow down at all due to nerves.
Would he like the place? Would it meet his expectations? How will he react?
All these questions were running through my head frantically wondering what its outcome would be.
Shortly after my internal panic he arrived on the docks, swiftly getting on his Ilu too.
"Good evening." I smiled at him.
"Good evening Y/n." He returned.
"You ready?" I asked.
"I am so ready." He chuckled.

"So, at some point we will be walking to get the good view just as a heads up." I said as we waded in the water. I didn't want to rush the venture there, as I felt it would spoil the moment slightly.
"May I ask, how did you find this place exactly?" He asked me.
"Well, before my grandmother passed she told me a story where she used to visit this special place and that before she died she wanted to show it to me. She never showed anyone else, so in a way it's me and my grandmother's special place. Whenever I miss her or feel like I need guidance I visit here to seek a feeling of contentment."
"That must be a really special place to you then."
"It really is, the view of the planets and stars too is jaw dropping." I smiled.
"When did she pass? If you don't mind me asking." He asked.
"My grandmother passed around three years ago, it was difficult for us especially my father. She was my father's mum, so when she passed he had his mourning period but as a leader he had to get back to his roles too. I saw it as unfair but chose not to say anything of it."
He hummed in response, letting me continue.
"I cried for days, returning to the place everyday for guidance on what to do next. Now I am happier than ever, sometimes loss creates a new chapter in life that you need to move on." I said simply.

Seeing the small gap in the cave system to my right, I smiled knowing we had arrived.
"We can get off our Ilu here, we walk through this water cave." I said pointing to it.
Getting off, I lightly grabbed his wrist excited to show him the view.
"Now I want you to close your eyes, we are about to get to an opening.
Closing his eyes slowly, I guided him to the viewpoint, my hand over his eyes.
Looking at it myself I looked in awe at the sight of the stars. Around us was littered with greenery and plants. A few insects and small animals made their way around their home. The opening of the small water had led to a large opening and looking from below was the most beautiful view of some of the nearby planets and moons too.

"Okay three, two, one. Open them." I said anxiously waiting for his response.

Neteyam's POV:

As I opened my eyes I scanned the area in awe. My eyes couldn't take in all the greenery and bright stars at once. I couldn't form any words to describe the way I felt in this moment, completely in awe of what I was seeing.
It was breathtaking, I was able to see some of the stars in such a better, more intricate detail, the planets and moons contrasting with the stars beautifully. This felt like home, it felt just right, it was perfect. I never wanted to leave this place.
Gazing at her, my smile didn't falter as I felt myself grin from ear to ear in excitement. She looked beautiful too, the stars sparkled in the reflection of her eyes. Her hair shining in the moonlight made her look breathtaking.

Y/n's POV:

"You like it?" I asked softly.
"Like it? I love it Y/n! Thank you for showing me this." He said, embracing me.
I returned the hug happily, feeling myself become warm under his touch. His hands held me close for me to feel safe in his presence. I felt at home.

Pulling apart from the hug we both sat down looking longingly at the stars above us.
"I think my grandmother would be proud of me to have shown someone this place." I said still looking at the stars.
"Well, I am honoured to have seen it first hand." He commented.
"Me too, it seems this place was just the right place to show you. Obviously I miss my grandmother, but she is with Eywa now." I said softly, my eyes prickling with tears ever so slightly at the memory of her. When my mother wasn't around she was the one I would always go to for guidance. She was so loved and cared for, all I was grateful for was that she passed peacefully and painlessly.

"Hey it's okay, I'm here." He said barely in a whisper, lifting his arm up to invite me to sit closer. Nudging closer, I felt his arm rest on my shoulder as my head rested on his shoulder in turn.
He rested his head on mine, as we sat watching the stars.
"And I will always be here too. Whenever you need me." He added, his thumb tracing over my shoulder blade.
"Thank you Neteyam." I answered finally, one of my tears escaping my eyes. I didn't want to cry, but the flooding memories of my grandmother was an emotional subject for me. I kept it together the best I could.
Turning his head to me, he took his other hand, slowly wiping the tear away with his thumb.
"You're safe here with me, okay?" He reassured me gently before letting me rest my head back on his shoulder, feeling at ease and content.
I knew I could trust him with my life and he would never fail me. He was a warrior who would be the best leader of all, living up to his fathers expectations.
I felt myself slowly drift off knowing we had hours before we had to be home. I felt safe in his arms, knowing that me showing vulnerability was okay and had no negative connotation. Before dozing off I heard him say one last thing.

"The moon is beautiful isn't it?"

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I hope you guys understand the reference with the last sentence haha. I really really like this chapter in particular. Thank you for 8k reads too! I love you all
-Author out.