The Great War | Neteyam x Omatikaya!reader

Part 5

With the acceptance of the clan and the permissions of the Olo'eyktan and Tsahik, there was only one thing left to do before you and Neteyam were an official pair.

Under your feet, the moss glowed a vibrant green. You could see the grove of bright white trees swaying gently ahead of you, their light shining brightly in the darkness of the night. You felt giddy as you skipped forward toward the long flowing branches. It had been a long while since you had last been to the Trees of Voices, and now, you could commune with your ancestors as a full member of the Omatikaya.

You could hear that Neteyam was close behind you, but you kept your eyes fixed on the trees as you approached. Kneeling down, you attached your queue to one of the glowing branches, closing your eyes as the new sensory information flooded your mind. Echoes of familiar voices rang through your head, though it felt comforting rather than cacophonous.

Despite being absorbed in the mental sensations, you felt Neteyam kneel down behind you. Gently, he rested his hands on your shoulders, massaging his thumbs against your muscle, and he leaned his head against the back of yours. "Who do you hear?" He asked softly against your ear. You smiled quietly, singling out a voice above the others.

"My mother," you replied. "I hear her. She is happy that I am with you." It was true. In your mind, you saw her figure smiling at you warmly. You missed her so much, and you would never stop missing her, but now, there was no more bitter taste of anger when you recalled the memory of her. Your heart ached, but you didn't feel any sadness or grief, just love. "She knows how long I have been waiting for this," you continued softly. "She says she is very proud."

You detached your queue and leaned back into him. He ran his hands down from your shoulders, brushed over your arms, and wrapped his strong arms around your torso. You put your arms over his and turned your head slightly. "And how long have you been waiting?" He questioned somewhat playfully. You hummed thoughtfully and closed your eyes to think back.

"Since you took me out on your ikran," you answered after a moment, opening your eyes, "the first night after you had bonded with him." You could see out of the corner of your eye him smiling at the memory, too. He had been just on the cusp of turning 14. He was one of the youngest members of the Omatikaya to be allowed to undergo the Iknimaya trial of bonding with an ikran. That night, he had secretly taken you out flying over the trees, where you flew all around the mountains under the stars. "It was exhilarating," you continued, relishing the memory of flying for the first time. "When I was holding on to you, I realized that I never wanted to let go."

Your words caused Neteyam to pull his arms tighter around your waist. You smiled and asked curiously, "And what about you?" He sighed in contemplation. "There has never been a moment when I did not love you," he murmured against your ear. You felt fluttering in your chest at his words, and your heart's pace quickened.

He buried his face against your neck, and you leaned back against him. "I have known my whole life that I wanted to be with you," he continued softly. "There was nobody as brave as you," he paused to kiss your shoulder, "or as smart as you," he moved his lips to the base of your neck, "or as beautiful as you." He finished with a kiss to the spot right under your jaw.

You breathed in deeply, tilting your head to expose your neck for him. It was hard to think that you had once been ready to cut him out of your life when at that moment, you just wanted to be with him forever.

"I only want you," he breathed softly. His fingers were slowly rubbing against the skin of your torso, adding to the growing desire you had. You still had your arms resting on top of his, so you tugged at them gently to encourage his hands to feel. Turning your head to face him as best as you could, you whispered, "I want you, too."