So'lek x fem!avatar driver reader inspired by Tsumuke written by @lvlypinkesworld
So’lek remained hidden within the forest shadows just beyond the reach of Hometree his broad frame half concealed amongst the forest.
He should have left already.
There was no reason to remain.
(Y/n) was safe inside the Aranahe settlement.
His gaze occasionally drifted upward toward the enormous living structure knowing somewhere high within it the dreamwalker was likely tending gently to wounded creatures while speaking in that soft voice of hers that seemed capable of calming almost anything.
His chest tightened faintly. It was becoming a problem. Because somewhere along the way she had begun slipping beneath his defenses without him noticing.
Like sunlight creeping through gaps in the canopy.
She was like the sun touching a world long left cold and abandoned.
The thought alone unsettled him deeply.
Can he truly allow himself this?
The very idea felt dangerous. Wrong. Almost selfish.
So’lek had long ago accepted what his life was meant to be. The ghosts of his clan walked beside him always and he carried them willingly.
There had never been room for softness within that life.
Yet now— Now he found himself thinking about small things.
Her laugh. The way she spoke gently to frightened animals. The way she looked at living things like their suffering physically hurt her too.
The warmth of her hand in his.
A faint smile crossed his face before he even realized it had happened.
So’lek immediately frowned afterward. Dangerous. Very dangerous.
Because he could already feel the lines beginning to blur. And that could not happen.
He straightened slightly against the tree behind him forcing his thoughts back toward harsher truths.
Her body was false. A shell. Nothing more. A demon wearing stolen skin designed to mimic the People.
That was the truth. It had to remain the truth.
Because if he allowed himself to forget that—
If he stopped drawing those lines clearly—
Then eventually he would no longer remember where the lies ended and (Y/n) began. And that frightened him more than any battlefield ever had.
So’lek leaned back heavily against the massive tree behind him, folding his arms across his chest while the distant sounds of the forest echoed.
Animals. Wind through the canopy. Life. Pandora alive around him as it always had been.
Yet his thoughts remained hopelessly tangled somewhere else entirely.
With her. Always her lately.
His eyes shut briefly as he exhaled slowly through his nose.
Maybe it would be better if he simply stopped asking these questions altogether. Because every time he tried sorting through what he felt toward the dreamwalker, he only ended up more conflicted than before.
That truth should have made this simple. It should have been enough.
His people were dead because of her kind. His home gone because of sky people. Children orphaned. Clans destroyed. Forests poisoned. Everything he had suffered traced back eventually to humans and the greed they brought with them.
He remembered smoke. Gunfire. Bodies.
He remembered the helpless rage of watching Pandora bleed beneath metal and fire.
And through all of it the same face remained attached to destruction in his mind. Sky people. Demons wearing flesh not their own.
So why—Why did she feel so different?
That was the question tormenting him. Because (Y/n) did not fit cleanly into the hatred he had spent years building around humans.
She confused it. Blurred it.
Even now she was inside Hometree helping a wounded Queen because someone asked for help. No bargaining. No hesitation.
Just kindness. Relentless impossible kindness.
And Eywa— He had begun craving her presence.
That realization sat heavily in his chest. Because around her things felt… Quiet. Warm. The endless tension coiled through him from years of war eased slightly whenever she smiled at him. Whenever she nudged him playfully. Whenever she looked at him with those tired eyes of hers.
He hated how easily she affected him. Hated how instinctively protective he had become.
The thought of her hurt unsettled him deeply now.
The thought of Alma speaking cruelly to her had angered him far more than it should have. The thought of her starving herself because she was too exhausted to eat had driven him to raid RDA supply depots without hesitation.
His jaw tightened slightly. He could still remember exactly how she felt in his arms. Small compared to him. Like she belonged there.
That thought alone made guilt twist sharply through his chest. Because she did not belong there. She was not one of the People.
No matter how much his heart tried convincing him otherwise. Her body was fake. Constructed. A shell built to resemble his kind.
He forced himself to remember that again.
A demon wearing false skin.
That line mattered. It needed to matter. Because if he stopped remembering it—
If he stopped holding firmly to the difference between her and the People—
Then eventually he feared he would stop caring about the difference altogether.
And what would that make him?
A warrior who forgot his dead because a gentle dreamwalker made him feel warm? Disloyal? Weak?
His fingers flexed slightly against his arms.
Yet even as he tried forcing those thoughts into place another thought surfaced instead.
(Y/n) quietly sewing repairs into his vest when she thought no one would notice.
None of that felt false. None of it felt like deception. If anything she seemed painfully sincere.
And perhaps that was the true problem.
Because it would have been easier if she were cruel. Easier if she acted like the other sky people. Easier if he could hate her cleanly.
Instead she existed somewhere unbearably in-between.
Not fully human in his eyes anymore. Not truly Na’vi either. Just… (Y/n).
And somehow that made this worse. Because there was no clear place to put her inside his heart.
So’lek tilted his head back against the tree staring upward through the canopy. Maybe he should stop trying to define it. Stop dissecting every feeling. Stop asking himself what this meant.
Because the truth was becoming painfully obvious regardless of how fiercely he resisted it.
He cared for her. Far too much already.
And somewhere deep down beneath all the fear and conflict and guilt— A selfish part of him wanted to continue indulging in her warmth just a little longer before reality eventually tore it away.
His jaw tightened faintly. What was he even doing here?
He should have returned to base already. Returned to patrols. To something practical.
Instead, he lingered outside a clan settlement waiting like some restless young warrior because a dreamwalker was inside.
The thought should have sounded absurd. He almost wanted to laugh at himself for it.
Because the truth sat heavily in his chest already.
He knew exactly why he remained. Part of him stubbornly fought it.
What made him think he needed to protect this one sky person?
He had never cared like this before. Never found himself listening for footsteps. Watching entrances. Tracking whether someone had eaten or rested.
The answer came immediately. Because she was gentle. And there was something about that gentleness that settled painfully deep beneath his ribs.
She healed instead of harmed. Nurtured instead of conquered.
Where humans so often tore Pandora apart trying to dominate it— (Y/n) devoted herself entirely toward preserving what suffering she could.
He truly couldn’t get his thoughts to stop churning, in this endless push and pull. The endless conflict. So’lek exhaled slowly looking down toward his hands.
The same hands stained by years of violence. Years of survival. Years of killing. And somehow—
She still looked at him warmly.
The memory of her squeezing his hand before entering Hometree returned uninvited and his chest tightened again.
He knew why he stayed close now. Because somewhere along the way the thought of something happening to her had become unbearable. Not inconvenient. Not regrettable.
He had seen too much death already. Too many good people swallowed by war.
And selfishly— He did not want it taking her too.
That realization sat quietly between his ribs.
He knew exactly what this was becoming. That was the problem.
Because he could continue drawing lines all he wanted. Could continue reminding himself she wore a false body. Could continue calling her dreamwalker. Sky person. Demon in stolen skin.
But none of those thoughts stopped the truth from growing anyway.
He cared for her. And deep down— He already knew he would do just about anything to keep her safe.
“Hey So’lek, I’m finishing up here.” Her voice crackled softly over the coms and immediately his attention shifted toward the entrance of Hometree, though this time there was something different hidden beneath her words. Nervousness. Subtle. But there.
His ears twitched slightly.
Then he saw movement near pathways leading out from the great tree.
At first glance—He did not recognize her.
The woman stepping into the forest light looked nothing like the exhausted sanctuary healer usually covered in medicinal stains, dirt and leaves.
Rich woven fabrics draped elegantly around her body in flowing layers of deep blues and purples that shifted almost iridescently beneath the sunlight, the delicate material tied softly across her chest while translucent sleeves drifted lightly with every movement she made.
The layered skirts fell in elegant asymmetrical folds around her legs threaded with intricate beadwork and woven details that caught the light whenever she moved.
Around her waist sat braided sashes and small leather pouches woven seamlessly into the outfit rather than hanging awkwardly like practical equipment.
Beads and delicate braids threaded through her hair now framed her face softly. Elegant. Graceful. Beautiful.
The breeze shifted gently through the forest then and finally carried her scent to him. (Y/n).
So’lek stepped silently into her path. And forgot how to speak.
Because Eywa— He had always known she was beautiful. Even before this.
There had always been something quietly elegant about her no matter how exhausted or dishevelled she became tending creatures and throwing herself into work.
But this— This felt unfair.
The Aranahe clothing softened the sharp line between dreamwalker and Na’vi in a way that made something dangerous twist low in his chest.
She looked like she belonged here. Not fully. Never fully. Yet enough that for one terrible selfish moment his mind stopped separating the differences entirely.
Because standing there beneath the canopy with the breeze moving softly through her hair—
She looked radiant. Warm like sunlight filtering through Pandora’s forests.
(Y/n) shifted slightly beneath his stare suddenly very aware that he had gone completely silent.
Which absolutely did not help her nerves. “So uh…” She rubbed awkwardly at one of her arms. “I think the Aranahe were… more than happy with my help.”
Her voice softened slightly afterward. “What do you think?” The question came shyly. Carefully.
And So’lek’s chest tightened painfully because she looked genuinely uncertain despite how stunning she was. He forced himself to breathe evenly. To think. To remember his lines.
Dreamwalker. False body. Shell.
But the thoughts felt weaker now staring at her like this.
Because no matter how fiercely he reminded himself what she was— None of it stopped the warmth spreading through his chest looking at her. None of it stopped the fierce instinctive pull toward her.
And none of it stopped the quiet impossible thought whispering through his mind that she looked beautiful enough to bring entire forests to silence.
His gaze moved slowly across the woven fabrics and delicate beadwork before finally settling on her face again. She looked nervous. Hopeful. Waiting for his answer.
“It suits you very well.” The words came lower and rougher than intended.
(Y/n)’s breath caught softly. Because there was something in the way he said it. Honest. Completely honest. And suddenly her heart was racing all over again.
Ulrr chirped smugly from her shoulder as though fully aware of exactly what was happening between them.
Neither acknowledged him.
Because So’lek still could not quite tear his eyes away from her.
“You think so?” (Y/n)’s voice came quieter now, softer beneath his stare while her fingers fidgeted slightly against the woven fabric near her waist. “Nefika, Etuwa and Tamtey practically forced me into this.”
There was embarrassed amusement in her tone but beneath it— Nervousness.
Because So’lek had gone completely still looking at her and she could not tell what that silence meant.
His eyes remained fixed on her. On the flowing fabrics. The intricate beadwork woven through her hair. The soft colors that somehow made her seem even gentler than before.
And Eywa—The sight of her standing there waiting uncertainly for his opinion made something deep in his chest ache painfully.
Because she looked beautiful. Not simply attractive. Beautiful.
In a way that stole breath from his lungs and made the world around him momentarily fade quieter.
The dangerous thought came uninvited again.
His jaw tightened almost immediately afterward.
He should not think like that. Could not think like that.
Yet the feeling remained anyway. That aching pull low in his chest urging him closer toward her warmth despite every instinct telling him to keep distance between them.
She was not his. Could never truly be his.
A dreamwalker. A sky person.
And still—Still he wanted.
The realization unsettled him enough he had to steady himself against it internally before it showed too clearly across his face.
(Y/n) meanwhile was becoming increasingly aware that So’lek looked like he was fighting demons internally while staring at her. Which was not helping her nerves at all. “…So’lek?”
His gaze finally lifted fully to hers again. “You are beautiful.”
(Y/n)’s breath caught instantly. Her entire face warmed. Because So’lek was not a man who gave compliments lightly. If he said something—He meant it.
And the way he looked at her while saying it made her heart stumble helplessly inside her chest.
Meanwhile So’lek immediately regretted absolutely nothing despite how dangerous the truth felt leaving his mouth.
Because it was true. Painfully true.
His heart hammered harder against his ribs now while that possessive aching pull remained buried beneath his sternum.
He wanted— Eywa. He wanted her close. Wanted her warmth. Wanted her smile directed at him. Wanted to remain beside her.
And that terrified him. Because the feelings growing inside him were becoming far too large to ignore now.
He swallowed them back down forcibly before they could fully surface across his expression.
Still— His hand moved almost instinctively toward hers. Large fingers gently enveloping her smaller hand once more. Warmth spread through him immediately at the contact. Calm.
(Y/n)’s pulse fluttered rapidly beneath his touch though she did not pull away. Instead, her fingers curled softly around his hand in return. And for a few quiet moments neither of them spoke while Pandora hummed around them and the distance between them felt impossibly small.
“I, uh…” (Y/n) very suddenly remembered how to forget every coherent thought she had ever possessed the moment his hand settled around hers again. Her heart was racing so loudly she was half convinced he could hear it.
Which honestly— He probably could.
She looked away briefly trying to regain some semblance of composure while Ulrr watched the entire interaction with deeply unhelpful interest from atop her shoulder.
“I have to go collect more nectar for the Kinglor,” she managed eventually. Smooth enough. Mostly. “Are you… coming with me?”
There it was again. That careful uncertainty. Like she genuinely expected him to say no. Even now.
Her fingers shifted slightly in his before she added quickly— “I do not want to inconvenience you.”
So’lek’s expression tightened faintly hearing those words again.
Inconvenience. Why did she insist on thinking of herself that way?
After everything she had done for others—
After all the lives she carried on exhausted shoulders—
She still spoke like taking up space beside someone required apology.
His thumb brushed subtly against the back of her hand before he even consciously realized he had done it. “You are not an inconvenience.”
His voice came low and steady.
And Eywa— The nervous warmth in her eyes nearly undid him again. He steadied himself internally before continuing. “I told you already.”
(Y/n)’s chest tightened softly at that. Most people eventually grew frustrated with how consumed she became by her work. Or exhausted by how often she disappeared into the sanctuary.
Yet So’lek kept choosing to remain nearby anyway. Even while clearly fighting himself over it.
“Then…” She smiled shyly now. “…I suppose I would like the company.”
Something warm unfurled quietly through So’lek’s chest hearing that.
Because she wanted him there. She simply wanted his company.
And selfishly— He realized he wanted hers just as badly. “Then I shall accompany you.”
(Y/n)’s smile softened further afterward and for a moment So’lek found himself staring at it longer than he should have.
The Aranahe clothing truly did suit her. Too well. The flowing fabrics moved softly around her with every shift of the breeze while delicate beads threaded through her hair caught the forest light.
She looked softer somehow. Warmer. And far too easy to imagine beside him.
Dangerous thoughts. Very dangerous thoughts.
Still—He did not let go of her hand as they began walking together into the forest.
So’lek walked beside her through the glowing forest with her hand still resting quietly within his and every instinct inside him screamed that this was dangerous. Because this was how lines blurred. How convictions weakened. How a warrior forgot himself.
He stared ahead into the forest forcing his breathing to remain steady while (Y/n) walked beside him softly speaking about where the richest nectar flowers usually bloomed during this season or if would be better to find some hives, a combination may be best, trying to fill the silence between them.
He only half heard her. Because his thoughts had become tangled somewhere far more dangerous.
He cannot be with a dreamwalker. That thought came firmly. Immediately. Like a shield raised against something already breaking through.
She was a sky person. A dreamwalker. A woman wearing borrowed skin.And his people had suffered too greatly at the hands of her kind for him to forget that.
He had spent years surviving hatred. Loss. Years building walls strong enough to keep grief and loneliness contained beneath duty.
He should not allow this.
Should not indulge the warmth of her hand in his. Should not crave her smile the way he already did. Should not find himself wondering what it would feel like if she leaned against him again.
Dangerous thoughts. Weak thoughts.
Yet another voice quietly reminded him—It was not impossible. The thought unsettled him instantly. Because it had happened before.
Dreamwalkers and the People.
Connections formed despite war and difference and impossibility.
He hated that his mind went there at all. Because suddenly the future no longer felt entirely unreachable. And that made wanting it far worse.
His grip around her hand tightened almost imperceptibly.
(Y/n) glanced toward him briefly. “You alright?”
He nodded once automatically. But internally conflict twisted painfully through him. Was it okay to be this selfish? To want this? To want her?
Because deep down he already knew the answer.
If he allowed himself to continue down this path—He would not stop at simply wanting her company.
Already it was growing beyond that.
He wanted her safe. Close. Happy. Wanted her looking at him with that soft warmth in her eyes. Wanted to continue walking beside her like this without needing to question it.
And perhaps worst of all— A part of him wanted to be looked at by her the way she looked at wounded and frightened creatures. With gentleness. Care.
His chest tightened painfully. Because no one had looked at him that way in a very long time. Maybe ever.
He had become so accustomed to being feared, respected or relied upon as a weapon that the quiet softness she offered him felt almost unreal.
And selfishly— He did not want to let it go.
The realization sat heavily in his chest .
(Y/n) continued speaking quietly beside him completely unaware of the war raging internally within the man holding her hand.
Or perhaps—Part of her knew. Because every now and then she glanced toward him with that same nervous softness in her eyes like she too was wondering whether this path between them was dangerous.
So’lek tried focusing on the forest. On anything except her.
But it was becoming increasingly difficult when she walked beside him looking like this.
Beautiful. Far too beautiful.
And worst of all— She looked comfortable beside him now. No longer tense the way she had been earlier leaving Hometree. Her hand rested naturally within his.
His gaze shifted toward her while she spoke quietly about nectar flowers and medicinal properties, explaining which blooms remained healthy and enough to sustain the Kinglor colonies.
Then her lips curved slightly when Ulrr made an annoyed sound from her shoulder.
And So’lek’s thoughts abruptly stopped.
His eyes drifted downward before he could stop himself. Toward her mouth.
Something deep in his chest tightened sharply. Because suddenly there was an instinctive possessive pull inside him so strong it startled him.
A wanting so fierce and immediate it almost felt physical. To pull her closer. To silence her thoughts beneath his mouth. To consume every ounce of warmth and softness she offered until nothing cold remained inside him.
The intensity of it frightened him instantly.
Eywa. He would forget himself completely if he indulged thoughts like that. Forget duty. Forget caution. Forget every line he had tried desperately to maintain between them.
His jaw tightened hard enough to ache.
So instead—He simply held her hand tighter.
(Y/n) looked toward him immediately feeling the subtle shift in his grip. Her heart fluttered softly again. “You alright?”
So’lek forced his gaze back upward meeting her eyes again instead of where it had drifted moments before. “Yes.” The answer came rougher now. Lower.
And something about the sound of his voice made warmth rise immediately into her face despite not fully understanding why.
She moved slightly closer beside him anyway without thinking.
And So’lek nearly lost whatever remained of his self control entirely.
Every emotion inside (Y/n) felt dangerously close to spilling over. Her heart had been racing since the moment he stepped into her path outside Hometree and looked at her like he had forgotten how to breathe.
And now— Now he was still holding her hand while they walked together through forest like it was the most natural thing in the world.
He had not pulled away. Not once. If anything his grip only seemed to tighten whenever she doubted herself. Her chest ached softly with it. Because she could feel it now. How deeply she had fallen for him somewhere along the way.
Like roots sinking deeper into soil before she realized how impossible it would be to pull free again. She loved him.
The realization no longer frightened her nearly as much as it should have because standing beside him like this somehow made the feeling seem terrifyingly easy.
And part of her desperately hoped—
That he could somehow feel it through the way her hand held his. Through the way she instinctively moved closer beside him. Through every glance she failed to hide.
Because if she were absolutely certain he loved her back— She would tell him right now. No hesitation. No fear.
The words sat right there behind her ribs trying desperately to rise.
What was she waiting for?
He was not letting go. He was not pulling away.
Even now after all his internal conflict she could feel his hand remaining steady around hers.
And when she unconsciously moved closer earlier— He had not stepped back.
If anything she swore she felt him lean ever so slightly toward her in return.
So why could she not say it?
Why did the words refuse climbing past the tightness in her chest?
Because if she was wrong—
It would destroy this fragile beautiful thing forming between them.
So instead she quietly tightened her grip around his hand.
And immediately So’lek’s heart nearly stopped again feeling it.
The subtle squeeze carried so much unspoken emotion behind it that he almost looked toward her in alarm.
Because Eywa— If she kept looking at him like this he was going to forget every reason he had for resisting her entirely.
Meanwhile (Y/n)’s thoughts had become progressively more useless with every passing second.
Because realistically— How exactly was she supposed to collect nectar like this?
Her brain barely functioned anymore.
She was supposed to be locating healthy feeding flowers and hives for stressed Kinglor colonies and instead she was internally spiraling because So’lek’s hand was warm and large around hers and every time she glanced at him her stomach did embarrassing things.
Ulrr chirped knowingly from her shoulder.
(Y/n) narrowed her eyes at him immediately. “Not a single thought from you.”
The prolemuris made an incredibly smug noise anyway.
So’lek glanced sideways toward her. “What did he do?”
(Y/n) gasped softly in betrayal while So’lek’s mouth twitched faintly at the corner despite himself.
And suddenly— Everything felt strangely light.
“So’lek.” Her voice came so quiet it almost disappeared beneath the sounds of the forest.
The two of them stood motionless.
(Y/n) slowly turned toward him fully.
And Eywa—There were a thousand emotions in her eyes. Warmth. Fear. Hope. Longing.
Every feeling she had spent weeks swallowing down sat openly within her gaze now while she looked up at him like she wanted to say something life changing and terrifying all at once.
So’lek’s chest tightened painfully. Because he knew.
He knew exactly what sat behind those eyes because it mirrored the war raging inside his own chest.
Still— His gaze remained steady on hers. Focused entirely on her. “(Y/n).”
The way he said her name nearly undid her. Soft. Careful. Like something precious.
His hand remained firmly around hers while his other slowly lifted toward her face.
(Y/n)’s breath caught instantly.
Large fingers gently cupped her cheek with a tenderness so opposite to the warrior he presented to the world that it made her chest ache. He touched her like she might disappear if he was not careful.
Her heart slammed wildly against her ribs so hard she genuinely thought she might die from it. Because this was real. This was actually happening.
Stoic terrifying So’lek—was looking at her like she was something beautiful enough to ruin him.
He leaned closer slowly.Like he was giving himself every opportunity to stop. Yet he did not.
His eyes flicked briefly toward her lips and the restraint inside him nearly shattered completely.
Because Eywa— He wanted. Wanted to know what her mouth felt like against his. Wanted to feel her closer into him. Wanted to finally stop fighting this impossible thing growing between them.
And for one terrifying beautiful moment—
(Y/n) thought he was going to kiss her.
Gunshots cracked violently through the forest.
Both of them snapped apart instinctively.
So’lek’s entire body shifted immediately from warmth into lethal alertness while his ears flicked toward the distant sounds echoing through the trees.
Another burst followed somewhere far off. RDA.
(Y/n)’s pulse still raced wildly from what almost happened while adrenaline now crashed harshly into the moment.
But even as they separated—
So’lek never let go of her hand. Instead his grip tightened protectively around hers while his eyes scanned the forest sharply.
And somehow that tiny detail—That even startled into survival instincts he still refused to let go of her—Making her heart ache even harder than before.
So’lek’s attention remained fixed toward the distant sounds of gunfire echoing through the forest. Yet even now—
Even with danger nearby—Part of his focus remained entirely on her.
(Y/n) still stood close enough he could feel the warmth of her body beside him while her pulse raced wildly beneath the hand he still held.
His chest tightened faintly.
Another burst of gunfire echoed faintly through the trees. Closer this time.
So’lek’s jaw hardened immediately. Reluctantly he released her hand though his fingers lingered for a brief second longer than necessary before lifting toward her face once more.
Gentle. Always unexpectedly gentle with her.
He brushed several loose strands of hair carefully away from her face, tucking them back while his thumb briefly skimmed across her cheek.
The touch nearly melted her where she stood.
“Stay here,” he said quietly. His voice had shifted again. Warrior once more. “Stay out of sight.”
(Y/n) swallowed softly trying very hard not to think about the fact he had almost kissed her moments ago.
“You’ll come back?” The question slipped out before she could stop it.
Something softened immediately in his eyes hearing it. “Yes.”
She believed him completely because So’lek did not make promises lightly.
If he said he would return—Then he would crawl through fire to do so.
(Y/n) nodded softly despite the reluctance twisting painfully in her chest now that he was stepping away from her again. “Be careful.”
His gaze lingered on her one final second.
Then he melted silently into the forest shadows almost unnaturally fast for someone his size until only the distant movement of branches hinted where he had gone.
(Y/n) remained where he left her, one hand still pressed unconsciously against the warmth lingering on her cheek from his touch.
Her heart still raced from everything that almost happened between them. From the look in his eyes. From how close he had been.
(Y/n) remained tucked beneath the shelter of the trees long after So’lek disappeared into the forest shadows, her eyes lingering on the space where he had vanished while distant gunfire echoed faintly through Pandora’s wilderness.
One hand still rested unconsciously against her cheek where his fingers had brushed her skin moments earlier.
Her heart fluttered softly all over again at the memory.
He had almost kissed her.
The thought alone made her entire chest feel light and unbearably full at the same time. She leaned back lightly against the tree behind her and let out a quiet breath while Ulrr curled around her shoulders sleepily unaware of the emotional catastrophe currently unfolding inside her.
Her thoughts drifted naturally back toward the beginning.
Toward the first months after she arrived in the west. Back when So’lek barely tolerated her existence.
Whenever their paths crossed, they would inevitably end up bickering over something. Her sanctuary. Her lack of weapons. The danger she willingly wandered into. How stubborn she was. How grumpy he was.
She smiled faintly to herself remembering it.
At the time she thought he simply found her irritating.
Actually— He probably still did. But even back then…He always watched her.
That was what stood out most, now looking back. No matter how much they argued or snapped at one another, she would eventually notice him nearby again later.
Lingering silently at the edge of the forest. Watching from a distance while she worked. Never interfering. Never truly approaching either.
Like some massive brooding shadow constantly keeping an eye on her despite pretending he wanted nothing to do with her.
Without either of them fully noticing—
That distance had begun closing.
First it became brief conversations. Then lingering longer near her sanctuary. Then helping her expand shelters. Helping bury the dead. Bringing her proper food. Waiting outside Hometree.
Her smile softened helplessly. Because somewhere along the way the terrifying warrior who once glared at her from across clearings had started looking at her like she was something precious.
Something worth protecting.
Against every expectation— She had watched his icy guarded heart begin melting piece by piece.
Not for everyone. Never for everyone.
So’lek would always remain intimidating. Sharp edged. Dangerous.
But with her— There was gentleness now. Quiet softness hidden beneath all that steel.
The way he brushed hair from her face. The way he looked at her like he was fighting himself every second he remained beside her.
It made warmth spread through her chest so strongly it almost hurt. Because she knew how hard this was for him.
Knew that he knew this could never be. Yet he kept choosing her anyway.
(Y/n) tilted her head back lightly against the tree while a fond almost lovestruck smile crossed her face before she could stop it.
Somewhere deeper in the forest another burst of gunfire echoed.
Her smile faded slightly afterward though the warmth remained firmly rooted in her chest.
Because she knew him now.
No matter how dangerous the fighting became—
It did not take So’lek long.
The gunfire ceased almost as quickly as it had started.
A small RDA waste-burning crew.
He moved through them easily, swift bursts of gunfire followed by silence settling once more beneath the canopy.
Sky people burning their foul waste into Pandora’s air.
By the time the smoke began thinning through the trees So’lek was already heading back toward where he left her.
Exactly where he told her to stay.
Relief loosened quietly in his chest the moment he saw her safe.
(Y/n) straightened instantly the second she spotted him emerging from the forest and hurried toward him before he even fully reached the clearing.
Her eyes immediately scanned him for injuries. Blood. Signs of pain. Instinctive healer habits.
So’lek watched her quietly while she checked over his arms and chest with lightly worried eyes. “I am alright,” he assured.
His voice softened slightly. “They were merely disposing waste.”
(Y/n)’s nose wrinkled faintly. “Disgusting.”
He almost smiled at that.
She relaxed slightly afterward once fully convinced he was unharmed though then suddenly—
They both stopped. Again. Standing close. Too close.
The earlier almost-kiss still lingered heavily between them like something unfinished neither quite knew how to approach now.
So’lek’s hand brushed hers.
(Y/n)’s heart immediately forgot how to function properly.
What did people even do after almost kissing someone?
Her brain supplied absolutely nothing useful. Embrace? Hold hands again? Pretend nothing happened?
What do I do with my hands? Very suddenly her fingers became the most fascinating things in existence.She stared at them briefly in complete betrayal.
Meanwhile So’lek was having absolutely no easier time. Because now that the immediate threat was gone all his attention returned fully toward her again. Toward how close she stood. Toward the lingering warmth still sitting painfully inside his chest from earlier.
Toward the fact he still wanted very badly to kiss her.
He exhaled slowly steadying himself before speaking again. “Come.”
(Y/n) looked back up immediately.
“How about you take the afternoon off.”
She blinked in surprise. “The afternoon off? But there are hungry kinglor to feed.”
“There will still be hungry Kinglor tomorrow,” he pointed out.
(Y/n) hesitated automatically. Responsibility immediately trying reclaim space inside her thoughts. “Well… I do still have several nectar containers back at the sanctuary already prepared…”
So’lek noticed the exact moment she almost tried talking herself back into work.
His expression shifted slightly firmer. “Good. Let me take you somewhere.”
(Y/n)’s stomach fluttered helplessly. Take her somewhere. The wording alone felt dangerously intimate coming from him.
“Where are we going?” she asked softly.
For the first time all day something almost peaceful settled through So’lek’s expression. “To enjoy a peaceful afternoon.”
The answer startled warmth straight into her chest.
Because perhaps more than anything else— The thought of So’lek wanting peace with her felt more intimate than any kiss ever could have.
So’lek led her deeper through the forest until the sounds of dying flames from a finished fight had long faded behind them, replaced instead by the gentle rushing of water over smooth stones.
The stream was small. Peaceful. Crystal clear water shimmered beneath the glow of hanging plants while soft moss covered the surrounding stones and roots.
It was beautiful. Quiet. Hidden from prying eyes.
So’lek stepped carefully down toward the bank before glancing back toward her. He guided her gently to sit beside him near the edge of the stream and for a while neither spoke.
The silence between them no longer felt awkward. Just full. Heavy with all the things neither quite knew how to say yet and weights in their chest they didn’t know how to voice.
The water flowed softly nearby while tiny glowing insects drifted lazily through the air around them.
(Y/n) glanced sideways toward him eventually.
Even resting beside the stream he still looked alert beneath the calm exterior. Strong shoulders. Steady eyes. Hands worn rough from years of survival and war.
And yet those same hands had touched her face with such unbearable gentleness earlier she still felt warm remembering it.
“What are we doing here, So’lek?”
He looked toward the stream quietly for a long moment before answering. “Resting.”
“You are not known for relaxing.”
She laughed softly beneath her breath. “To think…”
She looked down at their hands resting close together between them. “…a few weeks ago you used to glower at me from a distance.”
So’lek’s mouth twitched faintly. “You were recklessly foolish.”
(Y/n) laughed softly again before her expression slowly gentled afterward.
The words caught briefly in her throat. Because what was he now?
Protective. Gentle. Always nearby. Looking at her like she mattered. Like she was something precious.
Her chest tightened softly. “Please, So’lek…”
He turned fully toward her now.
And suddenly she felt terrifyingly exposed beneath the steadiness of his gaze.
“What you are doing to my heart…”
Her voice nearly failed her there. “If I am imagining things…”
She swallowed softly. “I need you to stop it now.”
The vulnerability in those words hit So’lek harder than any weapon ever had.
Because beneath all her warmth and kindness— She was afraid.
Afraid this existed only inside her heart.
Afraid she had misunderstood him.
And Eywa— The thought of her believing that hurt.
So’lek stared at her quietly for several long seconds while something inside him finally gave way.
Because he could no longer pretend this was nothing. Not after the way his chest tightened every time she smiled. Not after the unbearable relief every time she was safe. Not after nearly kissing her beneath the trees because he wanted her so badly it frightened him.
He slowly reached toward her again. Large fingers gently finding hers. “You are not imagining things.”
(Y/n)’s breath caught instantly.
His voice remained low. Roughened by emotion he rarely allowed himself to show. “I tried to stop this.”
The honesty in the confession stunned her silent. “I told myself you were a dreamwalker.”
Pain flickered briefly across his face. “That I should keep distance.”
His thumb brushed softly across her hand. “But every time I did…”
His gaze lifted fully to hers again. “…I only found myself returning to you.”
(Y/n)’s heart felt dangerously close to breaking open completely.
And So’lek looked almost angry at himself for feeling it so deeply.
Meanwhile she looked at him like he had just placed the stars themselves into her hands.
“You make me feel peaceful,” he admitted quietly.
“And that terrified me…” The words sounded almost unfamiliar leaving him.
(Y/n)’s eyes immediately softened with so much warmth it nearly undid him entirely. Her chest ached hearing that.
(Y/n) shifted closer beside him until their shoulders brushed. “You do not have to be afraid of me.”
So’lek closed his eyes briefly at the softness in her voice. No. That was the problem.
He was not afraid of her. He was afraid of how completely he was beginning to love her.
So’lek’s voice came low and gentle. “That is not what I fear.”
(Y/n)’s breath caught quietly in her throat.
Because the look in his eyes now— There was no distance left in it. No coldness. No walls. Only raw aching honesty.
They leaned closer toward one another almost unconsciously. Slowly. Carefully.
Like both of them feared moving too fast would somehow shatter the fragile beautiful thing unfolding between them.
(Y/n) could feel the warmth of his breath now. Could see every tiny shift in his expression.
The way So’lek looked at her made her feel devastatingly cherished.
His hand remained wrapped around hers while the other gently rested against her cheek again, thumb brushing softly against her skin as though he could not stop touching her now that he had finally allowed himself this closeness.
“I cannot ignore my heart, (Y/n).”
The confession sounded almost painful leaving him.
“I have tried.” Eywa, he had tried. Tried drawing lines. Tried reminding himself what she was. Tried forcing distance between them whenever the warmth in his chest grew too dangerous.
But every attempt failed the moment she smiled at him. Or looked at him with concern. It made something ancient and lonely inside him ache.
His forehead nearly brushed hers now. “It wins over my thoughts.”
(Y/n)’s eyes burned suddenly with emotion hearing that. Because So’lek was not careless with words.
Her fingers tightened softly around his hand while her free hand slowly rose to rest against his chest.
The realization nearly made her melt entirely.
“You have any idea,” she whispered shakily, “how relieved I am to hear you say that?”
Something in So’lek’s chest tightened painfully hearing the emotion in her voice.
Because she sounded relieved.Like she too had been fighting this alone for far too long.
His eyes flicked briefly toward her lips again.
This time neither of them looked away.
The space between them disappeared slowly. Naturally. Like gravity itself pulling them together.
(Y/n)’s heart raced so hard she thought she might genuinely pass out while So’lek leaned closer with terrifying carefulness, like he still could not quite believe he was allowing himself this.
And the second it happened every thought inside So’lek shattered completely.
Because nothing could have prepared him for the warmth of her mouth against his. For the way she melted closer instantly. For the quiet sound she made against his lips that nearly destroyed what little restraint remained inside him.
His hand tightened gently against her cheek while he kissed her again properly this time, deeper and full of every emotion he had been trying desperately to suppress for weeks now. Wanting. Relief. Affection. Need.
(Y/n)’s fingers curled tighter against his metal vest as warmth flooded through her so intensely it almost hurt.
So’lek pulled back only slightly afterward resting his forehead against hers while both of them struggled to remember how breathing worked.
The forest around them seemed impossibly quiet now. Like even Pandora itself had gone still for this moment.
And So’lek realized with terrifying clarity—He was already far too gone to ever pull away from her now.
(Y/n) moved closer to him without hesitation now, like whatever final fear had existed between them had finally broken apart beneath the weight of everything they felt.
He looked at peace. Not guarded. Not distant. Just… hers.
His arms slowly drew her closer against him like instinct had finally overpowered restraint. “Your warmth…”
His voice came rough and quiet against her lips. “Your kindness…”
His forehead rested briefly against hers while his thumb brushed gently along her cheek. “It broke through every thought I had of you.”
(Y/n)’s chest tightened painfully hearing the honesty in his voice.
“You are not your kind,” he admitted softly.
The words sounded almost like confession. “You are gentle.”
His gaze moved slowly across her face like he still could not fully believe she was real. “Warm as the sun.”
(Y/n)’s breath caught softly.
Strong terrifying So’lek—looked almost undone by the way she gazed back at him with such open affection.
“I was cold to you,” he murmured. A faint almost bitter amusement crossed his face briefly. “To try and fight how desperately I needed your warmth, (Y/n).”
Her heart shattered beautifully for him. Because suddenly every glare. Every frustrated argument. Every lingering stare from the edge of clearings—
He had been fighting this from the beginning. Fighting her. Fighting himself. Fighting the terrifying comfort she brought into his lonely world.
Now his walls were finally cracking apart completely beneath her hands.
“So’lek…” Her voice trembled softly with emotion and affection so deep she no longer knew how to contain it.
He kissed her again before she could say more.
This time with less hesitation. Less restraint.
His hand slid into her hair while he pulled her closer against him, kissing her like a starving man finally allowing himself something he had denied for far too long.
(Y/n) melted against him immediately. One of her hands instinctively caught against the dog tags hanging across the front of his metal vest, fingers curling gently around them while warmth flooded every part of her.
So’lek felt the touch and something deep inside his chest ached painfully. Because she held even the harsh broken parts of him gently.
He rested his forehead against hers again afterward breathing unevenly now while his arms remained wrapped firmly around her.
“I am done trying to fight my own thoughts.”
No more distance. No more pretending. No more convincing himself she was merely a dreamwalker he should avoid.
He had already lost that battle completely.
“Can we really be together?” The question came quietly from (Y/n) as she remained wrapped against him beside the glowing stream, her fingers still loosely curled around the dog tags resting against his chest.
So’lek looked down at her for a long moment, his hands resting securely at her waist while the forest glowed softly around them.
He would be lying if he said the thought did not frighten him still. A warrior of the People. A dreamwalker from the stars.
Nothing about this was simple.
Nothing about it should work.
But then again— Nothing about the way she made him feel had ever followed reason.
He wanted her. Enough to try despite every fear clawing inside him.
(Y/n)’s eyes softened so much it almost physically hurt him to look at.
“Good,” she breathed softly.
Then suddenly she groaned dramatically and dropped her forehead lightly against his chest. “Because I cannot handle the awkwardness anymore.”
A startled bark of laughter escaped him before he could stop it.
(Y/n) loved that sound instantly. She looked back up at him smiling helplessly and before he could say another word she kissed him again.
So’lek’s laughter faded immediately into something softer as he kissed her back without hesitation this time, arms pulling her closer against him while the stream rushed quietly nearby.
“So…” (Y/n)’s fingers toyed lightly with the dog tags resting against his chest while she looked up at him with that soft teasing warmth returning slowly to her expression. “Was it the clothes?”
So’lek blinked once. “The clothes?”
“You know,” she gestured vaguely toward herself. “The Aranahe makeover.”
A grin tugged at her lips. “Because if those who shall not be named find out this somehow pushed you over the edge…”
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “…I will never hear the end of it.”
So’lek understood immediately.
The trio currently conspiring against them somewhere back in Hometree.
A quiet chuckle escaped him at the thought. Low and warm.
(Y/n)’s heart fluttered stupidly again hearing it.
Though Eywa help him—They certainly had not helped his self control.
His hand brushed lightly against the woven fabric at her waist almost unconsciously while his gaze moved over her again.
Not because the clothing itself mattered. But because of what it had done to him.
What it had made him realize.
(Y/n) tilted her head slightly. “Then what?”
So’lek grew quiet for a moment. Because he wanted her to understand this properly.
“When I saw you walk from Hometree…” He exhaled quietly trying to untangle feelings he had spent weeks suppressing. “It was not the clothing itself.”
His fingers gently brushed a bead woven into her hair.
(Y/n)’s breath caught softly.
“You looked…” He paused briefly. Not because he lacked words. Because he had too many. Beautiful. Radiant. Like sunlight through the forest. Like she belonged beside Pandora instead of apart from it.
His chest tightened. “You looked happy.”
The confession came softer now. “And seeing you accepted…”
His eyes remained fixed on hers.
He shook his head faintly. “I realized how wrong I had been trying to separate you from this world.”
(Y/n)’s eyes immediately softened painfully hearing that. “You belong far more here than many sky people ever will.”
Emotion tightened quietly in her throat. “So’lek…”
“You care for Pandora more gently than most born upon it.”
His thumb brushed softly against her cheek again. “And when I saw you dressed amongst the People…”
A faint almost helpless warmth crossed his face. “…I realized the thought of losing you had become unbearable to me.”
(Y/n)’s heart felt dangerously close to melting completely. Because every word from him sounded earned. Hard fought.
She smiled softly afterward resting her forehead lightly against his chest again. “Well…” Her voice came quieter now. “I am very glad the Aranahe bullied me into changing clothes then.”
So’lek huffed another quiet laugh and wrapped his arms more securely.
Neither of them tried fighting what this had become anymore.
“But are you sure I belong, So’lek?”
The question came so quietly it almost disappeared beneath the sound of the stream.
And immediately— He understood this fear ran far deeper than him. Far deeper than whether the Aranahe accepted her.
This was the wound she carried constantly beneath everything else.
The fear that no matter how much she loved Pandora—
No matter how much she gave to it— She would always remain separate. An outsider pretending at belonging.
(Y/n)’s fingers curled lightly against the front of his vest while her eyes searched his carefully. “I was not born on Pandora.”
Her voice softened further. “This is not my real body.”
Something painful twisted through So’lek’s chest hearing the old hurt behind those words.
Because once— He would have agreed. Once he had seen her as something unnatural. A false thing wearing sacred skin. A demon in borrowed flesh.
And Eywa— The thought of seeing her that way now felt unbearable.
Before she could retreat further into those fears he leaned down and kissed her. Not to silence her. To answer her.
(Y/n)’s breath caught softly against his lips and when he finally pulled back his forehead rested gently against hers once more.
“I do not see you as a demon any longer.”
His thumb brushed gently along her cheek while his gaze remained fixed on hers. “I no longer see stolen skin.”
His voice roughened slightly with emotion. “I no longer see an alien pretending to belong.”
Because none of those things were what defined her to him anymore. He saw the woman who stayed awake for days saving lives—stayed awake for days saving his life. The woman whose warmth thawed something cold and lonely inside him that he thought had died years ago.
Her heart stuttered painfully hard at those words. He saw her. Not the avatar. Not the dreamwalker. Not the sky person.
Emotion burned behind her eyes immediately and she hated how vulnerable that made her feel.
“Do you?” she whispered shakily. “I am not Na’vi.”
“That is not what matters.”
The answer came without hesitation.
So’lek’s hand gently guided her closer against him again. “What matters is your heart.”
(Y/n)’s breath trembled softly.
“You care for this world more deeply than many born beneath Eywa ever will.”
He looked at her like the truth of that sat carved into his bones now.
His chest tightened faintly. “And you make this harsh world feel gentle again simply by existing within it.”
(Y/n) looked like she might cry at that. Not from sadness. From being seen so completely it hurt.
So’lek brushed his nose softly against hers.
“Pandora may not have birthed you,” he murmured quietly.
“But Eywa still guided you here.”
And somehow— Hearing him say it finally made part of her believe it too.
So’lek’s voice came barely above a whisper now while the glowing stream rushed softly beside them. His hand remained against her cheek while his forehead rested gently against hers, their breaths mingling in the quiet warmth between them. “You saved my life.”
The memory still lived sharply inside him even now. Pain. Blood loss. Fever.
The fading edges of consciousness while his ikran’s death echoed like grief through his soul.
Small exhausted hands desperately trying to hold him together while infection consumed his body.
He remembered her voice. Steady despite exhaustion. Gentle even while terrified he would die beneath her care.
“She brought me to your kind and gentle hands.”
(Y/n)’s chest tightened painfully hearing the emotion in his voice.
“I loved you long before I understood it,” he admitted quietly.
The words nearly stole the breath from her lungs entirely.
“If not for my path of vengeance…” Pain flickered faintly across his face. “If not for war and the hatred I carried…”
His thumb brushed softly against her skin. “I would have returned searching for your kindness long ago.”
(Y/n)’s heart physically hurt hearing that. Because she remembered watching him disappear after recovering. Remembered quietly wondering for years afterward whether he survived. Whether he still lived somewhere out there beyond the forests.
Their paths had crossed again somehow despite everything.
And now he stood here holding her like losing her would break him.
“But we crossed paths again,” So’lek murmured softly.
“And your kindness…” His gaze lifted fully to hers again. “…is far brighter than my hatred.”
Emotion tightened harshly in his throat. “You outshine it all.”
(Y/n)’s eyes burned immediately. Because no one had ever spoken about her like this before.
Her fingers lifted slowly brushing against the rough line of his jaw while she stared at him with so much affection it nearly undid him entirely.
“You know what I noticed about you first?”
So’lek’s ears flicked slightly.
“That you watched everything.” A faint smile touched her lips. “You pretend to be cold and distant but you are always paying attention.”
She laughed softly beneath her breath. “You stayed nearby my sanctuary even when we argued.”
“You are not subtle, So’lek.”
That earned the faintest twitch at the corner of his mouth.
(Y/n)’s expression softened further afterward. “You brought me food when I was too exhausted to care for myself.”
Her hand rested gently over his.
Emotion thickened quietly in her voice now. “You were always just there.”
“You listened when Alma made me doubt myself.”
“You make me feel less doubt.”
So’lek’s chest tightened.
(Y/n)’s eyes lowered briefly.
“I have spent so much of my life pursuing a way to keep others alive…”
Her voice trembled softly. “And no one ever really looked after me.”
So’lek’s heart physically ached hearing that.
Then her gaze lifted back toward him again filled with warmth so deep it nearly shattered him. “But you did.”
A tear slipped free down her cheek though she smiled through it. “You made me feel wanted.”
Her voice broke softly. “And I think somewhere along the way I fell completely in love with you because no one has ever done something so thoughtful for me before.”
So’lek closed his eyes briefly overwhelmed by the raw honesty in her voice. “So say it back, (Y/n).”
Her breath caught. “What?”
His forehead pressed lightly against hers again. “You heard me.”
A faint warmth touched his expression.
“Can I?” she whispered shakily.
His voice dropped lower. “I want to hear you say it.”
(Y/n)’s heart raced so violently she thought it might burst.
She did not hold the words back. Her hands gently framed his face while she smiled through tears and overwhelming warmth. “I see you, So’lek.”
The way his eyes softened hearing those words told her no one had ever truly said them to him before either.
“What happened after you left?”
(Y/n)’s voice softened gently while they remained together beside the stream, her fingers absentmindedly tracing across the worn metal of the dog tags resting against his chest.
So’lek’s gaze lowered slightly.
“You mentioned hatred before.” Her thumb brushed softly against the back of his hand. “Vengeance.”
The word sat heavy between them. “What pains you so deeply?”
She looked at him with quiet concern now.
“I have noticed it weighing on you ever since we met again.”
So’lek fell silent for several long moments afterward while the forest moved softly around them.
He rarely spoke about this. Rarely allowed himself to think too deeply on the grief beneath the rage because if he did—
It threatened swallowing him whole again.
“As soon as I was on my feet again…” His voice roughened slightly. “I sought out my clan.”
(Y/n)’s chest tightened immediately hearing the shift in his tone.
But his eyes remained fixed somewhere distant now. Haunted by memory. “They had been wiped out.”
The words came flat. “By the sky people.”
Pain flickered sharply across his face despite the calmness he tried maintaining.
(Y/n)’s heart physically hurt hearing it. “So’lek…”
“That burning vengeance still lingers, (Y/n).”
There was no hiding it now. No pretending. “It never truly left me.”
His fingers flexed slightly against hers. “I still hunt anyone connected to the massacre of my clan.”
(Y/n) looked at him with so much sorrow and understanding it almost hurt him to meet her gaze. Because she did not recoil from that darkness in him. Did not fear it.
Instead her hand gently lifted to his face once more like she wished she could somehow ease years of grief from his shoulders.
“I always wondered why you were so cold to me when we met again.”
A faint sad smile touched her lips. “So guarded.”
So’lek huffed quietly beneath his breath. “It did not last long.”
That finally earned the softest laugh from her. “No,” she agreed warmly. “It did not.”
Her eyes softened teasingly afterward. “I suppose Pandora’s great terrifying oaf simply needed time to thaw.”
So’lek barked another quiet laugh at that.
“Yes,” he admitted. “It took some time.”
Then more quietly—“But you are not them.”
The certainty in his voice made her chest tighten softly again. He saw her.
(Y/n)’s expression gentled. “Even if I am human?”
So’lek’s gaze drifted slowly over her face. Affection. Warmth. Something devastatingly tender now. “Even if you are human.”
“And when you are half my size.”
(Y/n) gasped softly in mock offense. “I am not that small.”
“I am a perfectly reasonable size for a human.”
So’lek’s arms tightened around her slightly. “You fit beneath my chin.”
“That sounds like a you problem.”
His chest rumbled softly with another laugh while she smiled helplessly.
And somewhere between grief and warmth and old wounds finally spoken aloud— The loneliness both of them carried for so long began easing just a little more.
“You are a walking contradiction.” So’lek said it with quiet disbelief beneath the warmth in his voice while his fingers traced slowly along hers beside the stream.
(Y/n) blinked up at him. “A contradiction?”
There was almost fond exasperation in his expression now.
“You should not make sense to me.”
That made her smile faintly. “So poetic.”
His gaze stayed fixed on her while he spoke. “You are sky people…”
His jaw tightened slightly at the old instinctive thought before softening again looking at her. “But you grieve Pandora’s suffering more deeply than many born to it.”
“You wear a false body…” His hand gently brushed against her waist where the woven Aranahe fabrics rested. “But everything about your heart feels real.”
“You are gentle enough to cry burying dying creatures…”
Warmth crossed his face faintly.
“…yet stubborn enough to argue with me while I’m bleeding from gunshot wounds.”
“You also attempt medicine on yourself with experimental compounds.”
“That also happened one time.”
“According to you, you poisoned yourself.”
“In the name of science and good drinks.”
So’lek stared at her flatly.
She looked away immediately trying not to laugh.
He shook his head faintly though affection remained written all across his face now.
“You spend your days healing life with soft hands and kind words…”
His thumb brushed lightly over her knuckles. “…yet you willingly stand amidst battlefields covered in blood trying to save life.”
(Y/n)’s chest tightened quietly hearing the emotion in his voice.
“You are human.” His eyes searched hers carefully now. “But you are the gentlest soul I have ever known.”
The stream rushed softly around them while So’lek exhaled slowly. “And for weeks my thoughts fought themselves because of it.”
(Y/n)’s expression softened immediately.
He had struggled so deeply with this. With her.
“I would watch you from the trees and remind myself you were a dreamwalker.”
A faint bitter amusement touched his mouth. “Then I would see you feeding orphaned creatures from your hands and suddenly hatred no longer made sense beside you.”
He looked down briefly. “I told myself you were not one of the People.”
Then quieter— “But every act of yours reflected more honor than many warriors I have known.”
(Y/n)’s throat tightened softly.
“So I became angry at myself instead. “Because every moment beside you made the lines blur further.”
He laughed softly beneath his breath. “You were exhausting.”
“You exhaust me!.” That made her laugh properly this time.
So’lek’s gaze softened immediately at the sound. “I would decide to keep distance from you…”
His hand gently lifted to brush loose strands of hair behind her ear. “…then find myself standing outside your sanctuary again hours later.”
(Y/n)’s chest fluttered helplessly.
The confession came almost helplessly now.
“Every act of compassion.”
His forehead rested lightly against hers again. “I could no longer ignore my heart.”
(Y/n)’s eyes burned softly with emotion hearing it.
Because beneath all his strength and guardedness—So’lek loved with terrifying sincerity.
Once he allowed himself to.
Her fingers curled gently against his jaw while she smiled shakily. “Well.”
Her voice softened warmly. “Good.”
That earned another quiet laugh from him before he kissed her once more beside the glowing stream while Pandora hummed softly around them like the world itself had finally exhaled.
“Because I genuinely do not know what I would have done if this was never addressed,” (Y/n) admitted softly against his lips, laughing shakily through the overwhelming warmth still flooding her chest.
“My heart may actually have combusted.”
So’lek huffed another quiet laugh at that, the sound rumbling warmly beneath his chest while his forehead rested against hers. “You are foolish.”
“I have spent weeks being stared at by a giant brooding warrior who kept showing up everywhere I was.”
Her hands lifted slightly in disbelief.
“You can be reckless with your safety.”
“You literally raided the RDA because Nalin said I was not eating properly.”
“You were surviving off sludge and were not eating.”
“And through all of this,” she continued, “you somehow expected me not to fall in love with you?”
His heart stuttered faintly hearing her say it so openly now. Love.
(Y/n) smiled helplessly at the way his gaze softened instantly every time she said those words. “You would stand outside my sanctuary pretending you just happened to be nearby.”
“I was checking the perimeter.”
“It is absolutely not different.”
A quiet laugh escaped him again and Eywa she adored that sound more every single time she heard it.
Because she knew how rare it was. How hard won.
(Y/n) brushed her thumb softly along the line of his jaw.
“I was losing my mind, So’lek.” Her smile gentled into something softer afterward.
“Every time you looked at me like that…”
His arms instinctively tightened around her slightly.
“…I kept hoping.” The vulnerability in her voice tugged painfully at his chest.
“That maybe you felt this too.”
He hated the thought of her doubting herself because of his fear. “I am sorry.”
The apology came quiet and genuine.
(Y/n) immediately shook her head. “No.” Her hand cupped his face gently.
(Y/n)’s smile slowly returned afterward brighter now.
“But still.” Her eyes narrowed teasingly. “If we had kept dancing around this much longer I was going to physically perish.”
“You underestimate my inner monologue.”
So’lek chuckled softly again before leaning down and pressing another slow kiss to her forehead.
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