AVATAR one shots :)

Neteyam - I love you.

Neteyam and I shared a unique connection, an unspoken understanding that transcended words. Our encounters were often brief because of his responsibilities, but they left an indelible mark on my soul.

We would exchange stolen glances during our training session, engage in deep conversations during meals, and lose ourselves in the enchantment of Pandora's forest. Despite the undeniable chemistry between us, Neteyam had yet to express his true feelings.

One evening, as the sky blazed with hues of pink and gold, I was sitting by myself in my tent preparing a gift for my mother. She had just lost her Ikran and it was a tradition for Omaticayan people to mourn when our Ikran would join Eywa. I wanted to cheer her up a little, hoping she would like the necklace I was making for her.

I hated seeing my mother in this kind of state, I never knew what to do to help her. A few years ago, she lost her brother to some asshole sky person. I had never seen my mother cry so much. I tried to stay strong for her, I needed her to know that she could rely on me during hard times, so I didn't cry in front of her when I was mourning my uncle.

Neteyam saw what I was doing and was there for me during the whole thing. He helped me understand that my uncle was with Eywa, watching over us and making sure we are safe and healthy. He saw me cry, scream, but he never judged me. Neteyam is the best person in the whole world, and I am so grateful to have him in my life, even if it's only as friend.

I will cherish him; he is a gem.

I hummed to myself as my fingers worked around the beads. A sound behind me made me jump and I quickly turned around.

Neteyam was standing there looking at me. I smiled up at him, putting the necklace I was making on the side. I quickly stood up delighted to see him tonight. When I approached him, he seemed anxious. He couldn't look me in the eyes. I gently grabbed his hands as I looked at him worriedly.

"Neteyam... are you okay?" I asked nervously. Did something happen? He took a shaky breath, moving his eyes around my tent. I lightly squeezed his hands as i waited for him to respond. I did not want to rush him after all, he should take his time to tell me, that is if he wants to tell me.

"I came here tonight because..." He softly spoke as his eyes finally meeting mine. "...I need to tell you something.." He continued.

"What is it? You're worrying me..."

"Today, Kiri, Lo'ak and Tuk almost died and- and they took Spider..." He stopped taking a hard breath. My eyes widened hearing this.

"What-? What happened? Where is Spider?" So many questions were spiraling in my head.

"Sky people... they were in the forest, but we went to save them... but they took spider... and now... now I- I mean, we..." He tried to say but he kept on stuttering his sentence. I quickly let go of his hands and brought him into a hug. I rubbed my hands up and down his back as he hugged me back.

"Neteyam.. your siblings are safe, okay? I know you must be worried about Spider, but he is strong and I'm sure he's okay. You're okay" I said trying my best to comfort him.

"I just know I could've done more.. maybe Spider would be safe here, with us... not with the sky people.. and now my father convinced my mother to leave the clan and- I just don't know why it hurts so much.."

"No, Neteyam, you did great.. you're amazing, you cannot think like this, okay? You did everything you could and that is what's important. You're safe.. your siblings are safe and now you're going to leave the clan-" I said finally understanding his words. "You're leaving the clan?" I said pulling away from the hug to look at him.

He had tears in his eyes. I slowly shook my head not wanting to believe i would be losing him. "No..." Neteyam nodded, a tear rolling down his face.

"For how long..?" I whispered afraid to hear the answer.

"We're probably not coming back..." My heart sank hearing his voice. "But I came here to tell you something... you know I care deeply about you, right?" He asked, his voice weak. Neteyam slowly brought his hands to cup my face, gently rubbing his thumbs to wipe my tears. I leaned against his touched sniffing.

"Before I leave, I need you to know that..." He paused looking me in the eyes as if searching for something. "I love you. Ever since we became friends, I have loved you desperately." I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

His words, uttered with a mix of vulnerability and urgency, startled me. My heart skipped a beat as his voice quivered, laying bare the depths of his affection. But as his words settled, anger mingled with confusion within me. How could Neteyam have kept such a significant truth from me? The revelation that he was leaving the forest, for who knows how long, shattered the delicate balance we had created.

Neteyam frowned at the silence. "Please say something..." He softly said, a ball of nerve in his stomach. I opened my mouth, hoping sounds would come out, but nothing. Without even a second thought, Neteyam rapidly leaned in and pressed his lips to mine.

It took me a second before I kissed him back. Neteyam loves me.. He loves me back.

Reality came back to me like a rock in the face and in a whirlwind of emotions, I pushed Neteyam away, my voice laced with hurt and frustration. "No... you can't do this to me." I said taking a step away from him. His confession felt like an unfair promise, a cruel twist of fate. "This is not fair." I exclaimed, my voice quivering with a mix of anger and sadness.

"Please... no, don't say this. I didn't know what to do." He said taking a step closer and gently grabbed my hands before I could take another step back. "I would have regretted it my whole life if I had left without telling you how I feel about you.." I shook my head, tears streamed down my face as I pushed him away, his touch feeling both comforting and painful. In that moment, it seemed as though our paths were destined to diverge. But Neteyam, his eyes filled with regret, refused to let go.

"But Neteyam.. you can't just leave and drop all of this on me giving me hope that we could be together. This is truly not fair. I don't want you to leave me... I love you too much.." I sobbed out looking down at our hands.

"I don't want to leave you, but i have to. I need to protect my family..." He said trying his best not to completely break down to his knees. "Please look at me... please.." he murmured; his voice etched with remorse.

I slowly looked up at him, trying my best not to break. "My love for you is real. I didn't want my departure to taint what we have. I don't expect you to wait for me, but I needed you to know the truth."

His words pierced through my anger, awakening a glimmer of understanding within me. I saw the pain etched on his face, the vulnerability in his eyes. Despite the hurt, I couldn't deny the depth of our connection. I took a moment to collect my thoughts, to assess the love that had blossomed between us.

As the silence settled between us, I reached out to Neteyam, my heart brimming with a mix of apprehension and hope. "Neteyam... promise me you'll stay safe..." I stopped myself as my voice cracked. I took a deep breath and gently squeezed his hands. ".. and that... that you'll come back to me. I will wait for you Neteyam. I love you." I slowly leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

I pulled away with a broken heart and gave him a small smile. I reluctantly let go of his hands and took a step back.

"I love you..." He whispered before he left my tent.

That night I couldn't sleep. I was crying, there was nothing else I could do.

I wasn't there when Neteyam and his family left, I couldn't bring myself to watch him leave. I stayed in my tent for a few days after their departure. I prayed for them to stay safe, I prayed for him to be healthy and well. I prayed for him to come back to me.

I prayed for my best friend to come back to me.

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A/N : What did you guys think? I like making myself cry, so i hope you enjoyed too :)

Also, I am aware that there are a lot Neteyam chapters, I just really like writing about him. Thank you :)