Pairing: So'lek x fem!Tamtey
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Tamtey sipped from her cup of zangke, keeping eye contact with the young Zeswa male, Rin. His voice was difficult to hear over the dancing and cheering from the other clans. The Great Games were nothing like she thought they’d be. Everyone was so happy. For a moment, she could just forget about the RDA and live. People were dancing, drinking, and laughing like the world was perfect.
The party was beautiful, illuminated by the bright communal fire. Na’vi were decorated with paints and feathers, dancing about. Ri’nela had braided a few flowers and leaves in Tamtey’s kuru, saying it would match her decorative top. Tamtey loved how she looked, but of course, it brought attention from some of the suitors from other clans.
She had never thought of being in a relationship, or even courting. It all seemed like something she could never experience, fighting for the Resistance. The Games made it different, though. Tamtey felt freer, like she could truly be Na’vi.
“And then… Tamtey, are you listening?” Rin asked, pausing his story. Tamtey shook herself out of her thoughts, meeting his eyes once again. She sat up on the log they were on, adjusting her top. Two others were with them, another man and a young woman around her age. All hoping to court Tamtey.
“Yeah, yeah,” Tamtey nodded, placing both hands on her cup. “What were you saying?”
“You know, it doesn’t matter. It was a stupid story,” he chuckled, looking away awkwardly. Tamtey felt a tug at her heart, not wanting to hurt his feelings.
“No, no. Please, tell me,” she said quickly.
“Do not worry,” Rin assured her, picking up his own drink. “Why don’t you tell me something? I fear I’ve been talking your ear off.”
Tamtey let out a short laugh, shaking her head. The Aranahe woman beside her, Sey’ra, bumped her arm, urging her to tell.
“I don’t have much,” Tamtey said awkwardly, shaking her head.
“Tell us about one of your missions,” Sey’ra urged, tilting her head. Her hair was partially braided, the rest loose, and a few feathers decorated it. She was undeniably gorgeous, and anyone would be lucky to have her.
Tamtey wanted to branch out; she wanted to try to love someone, but there was only one who came to mind when she even thought about it. The same one who probably didn’t even show up to the party. He never liked big crowds. The one who didn’t laugh around anyone but her. The one who tried to act like he didn’t care but still showed up. She hated it when he did that.
“I… uh,” Tamtey trailed off, trying to think of something to talk about. Her grip tightened on the wooden cup. “Well, there was this one time So’lek and I—”
“So’lek,” the other man, Khal, cut her off, leaning forward. “He’s that warrior who uses Sky People metal, right? The dark and broody one.”
Tamtey sighed, her shoulders sagging at the description of her friend. “Yes. That’s him.”
“The one who’s staring at us,” Sey’ra pointed out with a small smirk.
Tamtey’s head lifted in surprise, and she followed the woman’s gaze. Her eyes widened when she saw So’lek across the fire, a cup of zangke in hand. He was sitting beside Ri’nela as she spoke to another woman. His head turned away from her the second they made eye contact, and he stared down at his cup. There was a small amount of orange paint on him; Ri’nela had probably forced him to wear it.
Tamtey couldn’t help but stare, her lips parting slightly. He was here. Sey’ra smiled, her gaze flickering between the two. Rin and Kahl had no idea what was going on; they just stared at Tamtey in confusion.
Tamtey tore her eyes from the warrior, looking down at her cup of zangke. It felt like something was crawling up her skin. She wanted to see him, but something held her back. The space around her felt consuming. Why was she so affected by this? Something in her mind clicked, and she took a deep breath.
Tamtey looked up, meeting Khal’s gaze with a small smile. “What was I saying before?”
“Something about you and So’lek,” he shrugged, taking a sip of his zangke.
“Oh, yeah.” So’lek. “Well, there was this one time the skxawng got shot, and I had to come save him—he scared the shit out of me. I flew down on Katir,” Tamtey placed her drink down, using her hands to demonstrate her movement, “I jumped off her back and took out the demons with my bow. There were so many. At one point, one of the AMPs caught me and broke my bow, so I had to use one of their guns to get through the facility. It was chaos.” Khal’s eyes widened at her. Sey’ra smiled, wanting to hear more. Rin was already drunk and practically falling asleep beside them. Tamtey turned to Sey’ra. “Once I got in, So’lek was mad at me! He kept saying that I was “too reckless” and should’ve left him there.”
Sey’ra giggled, covering her mouth. Tamtey shook her head, grabbing her drink again.
“He’s always been like that, though,” she said, taking another sip of the zangke. Around me at least.
“You two seem close,” Sey’ra whispered, leaning closer to the Sarentu.
“Yeah, I guess,” Tamtey replied, staring down at her drink. Sey’ra smirked, her eyes flickering over to where So’lek was. The warrior was still staring at Tamtey, barely trying to hide it.
“He looks a little lonely,” she shrugged, looking down at her nails.
Tamtey’s head snapped up at her words. “What are you getting at?”
“Well, you two are friends, right?”
“So hang out with him,” Sey’ra smiled, wrapping her arm around the Sarentu's shoulders and leaning into her space before adding, “as friends.”
Tamtey scoffed, rolling her eyes. She looked over at So’lek, locking eyes with him. This time, he didn’t avert his gaze and tried to play it off. He just stared, eyes softening when she met them. She lowered her head, grip tightening on her cup before she stood.
“Can you…” Her gaze flickered to the two men beside them, “Take care of these two?”
Sey’ra chuckled, nodding. “Go have fun.”
Tamtey shoved her shoulder before leaving. She took a huge swing of her zangke, knowing she’d need it. So’lek’s eyes never left her as she made her way over to him. Ri’nela smiled gently at the sight, turning back to the Kame’tire woman she was speaking to. Every sound around him was drowned out as he saw her. She was gorgeous. Each carefully picked decorative flower littered in her hair just added to her beauty.
“Enjoying the party?” Tamtey asked, crouching down beside him.
So’lek sighed, meeting her eyes. “Trying to.”
“I’m surprised you even showed up,” she smiled, placing her hand on his arm. His skin was warm under her palm.
“Me too,” he huffed, sipping his zangke.
“Did Ri’nela drag you here?” she asked, leaning into him slightly. She noticed a small leaf in his braids and gently plucked it out, tossing it to the side.
So’lek watched her for a second before shaking his head. “No. I thought you’d want me to be here. Last time I missed one of these, you were not pleased with me.”
Tamtey let out a short laugh, her shoulders bouncing. “I am glad you’re here, So’lek.”
He gave her a small grin that was reserved for only her. No other Na’vi saw this version of him. The happy one—carefree. Not the hardened warrior set on avenging every last Trr’ong member.
Tamtey turned away, watching the Zeswa dance around the fire. It was beautiful. She enjoyed the party more than she cared to admit, but deep down she knew So’lek wouldn’t last long here. He was no partier. She glanced over at him, watching as he stared at his cup, his fingers tapping the sides subconsciously. Sighing, Tamtey made the decision she had a feeling she’d have to make.
“Come on,” she said, grabbing his wrist and standing up.
So’lek looked up at her with wide eyes, not moving an inch. “What?”
“I said, ‘Come on,’” Tamtey repeated, squeezing his wrist. When he once again didn’t move, clearly confused, she rolled her eyes. “Ma So’lek, you’re clearly not liking the crowd, so let’s get out of here.”
“And go where?” He asked, tilting his head.
“Anywhere,” she shrugged, tugging him towards her. So’lek placed his empty cup down and allowed her to pull him up.
“Do you have anywhere in mind?”
“Nope.” Tamtey’s hand slid into his, and she led him away quickly. She looked over her shoulder and sent him a small grin. “How about we fly over the Plains for a bit? I found this spot the other day on Katir that I think you’ll like.”
“Hmm. Show me,” he replied, allowing her to drag him along to where their ikran were. Ri’nela looked away from the woman she was speaking to, smiling to herself when she saw the two jogging away.
Tamtey let out a sharp call for Katir, waiting for the beautiful ikran to land. Ìley halted beside her, shaking his body and opening his wings. So’lek grinned softly, reaching out to place a hand on his bonded’s head. Katir called out to him, nudging the warrior’s side. So’lek huffed, stroking her neck as well.
“See, I’m telling you,” Tamtey complained, walking over to her ikran. “With all the treats you’ve been giving her, she’s starting to like you more than me.”
“And is that such a problem?” So’lek teased lightly, surprising her with a small laugh.
“Oh, stop it,” she shot back, smacking him away from Katir. When he reluctantly moved away and mounted Ìley, she followed in suit.
They both took to the sky quickly. Katir sped past Ìley and Tamtey looked over her shoulder at So’lek with a large grin. He shook his head, urging Ìley forward. They soared over the open plains. The light of Polyphemus shining above them. Small herds of creatures grazed below them peacefully.
“How about a race?” Tamtey called out to So’lek, slowing down so they were gliding beside each other.
“I don’t even know where we’re going,” he responded, rolling his eyes. He knew that didn’t matter, she would still try to race no matter what.
“Oh, come on!” She laughed, speeding forward on Katir. The ikran performed a smooth barrel-roll, Tamtey’s laugh loud enough to be heard from afar.
Ìley sprinted forward before So’lek could even ask, nearly throwing him off balance. He looked down at the ikran in surprise, letting out a small chuckle as they caught up to Tamtey and Katir.
“You can do better than that!” The Sarentu yelled as they gained altitude, flying towards the floating mountains. So’lek ignored her quips as they flew further and further up. Ìley rumbled beneath him, following Katir’s tail as Tamtey weaved through the floating islands.
Ìley’s patterns shone in the night sky, along with Katir’s. The two ikran glided beside each other, Katir drifting close enough to tap his wing, earning a small hiss. Tamtey laughed, leaning forward on her bonded’s neck.
“We’re almost there,” she smiled.
The second they landed on the small floating island, Tamtey hopped off Katir, patting her neck before walking to the edge of the island. So’lek landed slowly, watching her for a second before following. His eyes trailed over her form, mapping every dot on tahnì on her skin.
Tamtey sat down on the edge of the island, her legs hanging over it. She leaned back against her hands, looking back at So’lek. He lowered down beside her, not taking his eyes off her face. She smiled, gesturing to the view before them.
“So… do you like it?” Tamtey asked, sending him a look. So’lek had to practically tear his eyes off her just to get a glimpse. Polyphemus was fully visible before them, shining above the Plains. A large lake was below them, moving into multiple rivers. Small herds grouped around the banks, too far away for the species to be recognised. It was beautiful.
“Yes,” he said simply, nodding.
Tamtey leaned closer to him, their shoulders brushing before she finally leaned against him. So’lek flinched slightly at the contact but never moved away, instead adjusting his position so she was more comfortable. She rested her head against his neck and he waited a second before leaning against her.
“You’re glad I took you from the party?” Tamtey asked, letting out a small huff.
Her smile wasn’t seen by him but he felt it. Something had changed just then between them. It all started to feel a little too real. No longer a dance. Tamtey didn’t know what to say. There was no getting around it anymore. She was done doing this with him and forgetting about it.
Tamtey lifted her head, surprising So’lek slightly. His eyes trailed over her face as she looked at him. Her gaze held conflict and she parted her lips, but no words left them.
“Are you alright?” So’lek asked softly, lifting his hand to her shoulder.
“So’lek… I…” she trailed off, staring past him, trying to build the right sentence in her head. Tamtey shook her head, scoffing to herself. She averted her eyes, looking down at her hands. “What are we doing, So’lek? What is this?”
“What do you mean?” He asked, tilting his head.
Her head snapped up and she stared at him with wide eyes. Could he really not see it, or was he just as confused as her? Tamtey laced her fingers together, biting her lip.
“You know what I mean,” she shot back, rolling her eyes.
“So’lek,” Tamtey sighed, adjusting her position so she was facing him. “You do these things for me. You bring me gifts. You fix my gear without me asking you to.” A small smile covered her lips as she thought back to the times he had helped her. “I can always count on you to be there when I need it… and when I don’t.”
So’lek narrowed his eyes, tilting his head as he listened. Of course he knew what she meant. Eywa, he hadn’t believed it was that obvious. She deserved more than him. So much more. She deserved the world, and he so wished he could give it to her. He wanted to give her everything.
“No, no, So’lek. Stop,” she stated, holding up her hand. So’lek shut up quickly, sighing. Tamtey reached out and took his hand, cradling it softly between hers. “I hope that you can count on me to be there too. I know you aren’t one to ask for help, but I am always here for you. I want to be there for you forever.”
His eyes widened when he caught the true meaning to her words. She didn’t just want to be his partner in the fight; she wanted to be his partner for life.
“I can’t do this with you anymore, it’s getting too real,” she confessed, squeezing his hand. Her voice broke, all her emotion pouring out. Closing her eyes, Tamtey took a deep breath before saying her next words. “I know actions speak louder than words with you, so please, tell me I’m not crazy for thinking this is real and do something.”
So’lek stared at her, unsure of what to do. Her eyes were pleading for some sort of answer from him. He wanted to just pounce and tell her everything, but she was right—he was no talker. Slowly, he lifted his hand, cupping her cheek. His thumb brushed over her cheekbone and she leaned into him, closing her eyes.
Tamtey’s breath caught when she felt him getting closer. He leaned his forehead against hers, waiting there for her to back away or say something. She stayed silent, lifting her hand to the one covering her cheek.
In the blink of an eye she felt his lips press against hers. It was light and quick, like he was testing her. Tamtey smiled slightly, shaking her head against his before reaching up to grab the back of his neck and pull his face back to hers. The kiss was still soft, but with more passion. Tamtey’s fingers ran through his hair, holding him close. So’lek soaked up the affection, still cupping her face so gently it was hard to tell he was there.
Tamtey grinned against him, nipping at his bottom lip. So’lek pressed one last small kiss to her lips before pulling away, brushing some of the hair away from her face.
“Tamtey, are you sure?” He asked, studying her eyes. She tilted her head in confusion, lifting his hand to brush her fingers over his cheek. “I’m not what you need.”
“Maybe, but you are what I want,” she shrugged, running her thumb over his bottom lip. “And sometimes, wants can be just as important as needs.”
She didn't have a chance to react before he pulled her in again, kissing her desperately, Tamtey let out a surprised noise before leaning into it, wrapping her arms around him. His hands roamed her body, running down her sides before settling on her waist. She felt a warmth she had never felt before. A wave of happiness washed over her.
Tamtey pulled away slowly, her hands still running through his hair. “So, I’m not crazy?”
“You are still very crazy,” he answered, giving her a small smile, “but you were not crazy about this.”
“Good,” she grinned, embracing him tightly, resting her chin on his shoulder. She had dreamed of this, never believing it would be reality, but Eywa happened to have surprises. Tamtey sighed into him and mumbled, “Irayo, ma So’lek.”
“Do not thank me, you started it, ma Tamtey,” he whispered, teasing, squeezing her waist slightly.
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