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Oh my fucking god

Your writing is SO GODDAMN GOOD

What. How.

Genuinely, the tension? The plot?? The development??? The way it's rough and somehow soft at the same time?!?! I'm genuinely obsessed, compliments to the chief you're cooking

Here's an idea to hopefully inspire another masterpiece :3

Hear me out on Tsu'tey x dreamwalker!sully!reader

Like reader is a scientist who came to Pandora with Jake but because of actual interest and fascination with the Planet. The movie goes on, they get lost in the forest with Jake, get into the Omaticaya clan and reader is either trained by Tsu'tey, Mo'at (if you'd like reader to be a healer) or a mix. They fall in love like she fell first but he fell so hard he died (no he didn't he's alive in my heart)

It would be especially amusing if he's all brooding and dealing with the moral implications of all this (like reader in your Wakula fic) meanwhile reader is just a cheerful idiot (affectionately) who's just happy to be there

Grumpy x sunshine forever

Plus what's the best way to get revenge on someone who seduced your promised mate you weren't actually in love with but still? It's to fuck his sister

(insert Jake making a surprised Pikachu face when he finds out)

If it's possible could you also add the tsaheylu part? Like the war is over and it's just soft and sexy vibes at the same time

If not, it's ok, remember to take care of yourself and drink water :3

- an: OMGG, this is such a good idea, i absolutely love this thank you so much for sending it in!! i appreciate your kind words, i enjoy writing these so i’m glad it’s reciprocated! i hope you don’t mind no mention of the war as it honestly slipped my mind when writing this but i hope you enjoy this and apologies for how long this took for me to write :))

⤷ tsu’tey x fem!dreamwalker!sully!reader

-an: rather long, got a bit carried away! definitely not proof read lol.

- cw: lower caps intended, smut, a tad angsty, slight grumpy x sunshine, tsu’tey is a bit of a pos and uses reader in a revenge plot but it backfires on him, confession/reconciliation, jake interrupts at some point, mating, dom/teasing tsu’tey, dirty talking, possessiveness, restraint, multiple positions, multiple orgasms, size kink, praise kink, oral (f&m recieving), brief fingering, overstimulation, face fucking, orgasm denying, p in v, slight free use elements? slight breath play, squirting. let me know if i missed anything!!

- wc: 24.3k, ish (woops)

- summary: you came to pandora because of your brother, as well as to study its wonders, not to become part of a warrior's revenge scheme. tsu'tey, bitter over losing neytiri to your brother jake, is forced to teach you the ways of the na'vi, but an idea sparks in his head: make you fall for him as payback.

༻༺

you had dreamed of pandora long before you ever set foot on its soil.

while jake had come here out of necessity, out of a need for purpose after losing his legs, you had come because every fiber of your being had been screaming for this opportunity since you first learned of the avatar program. xenobotany had been your focus, your obsession, your entire world back on earth. you'd spent years studying what little data had been sent back from pandora, pouring over grainy images of bioluminescent forests, reading and rereading every report about the neural networks that connected the flora and fauna of this moon. while earth had been dying, choking on its own pollution and greed, pandora had been thriving.. a living, breathing testament to what nature could be when left to flourish.

jake used to tease you about it, back before the accident that took his legs. he'd ruffle your hair and call you his nerdy little sister, asking why you cared so much about plants on some moon light years away when there was a whole life to live on earth. but you'd always known. you'd always felt it, deep in your bones, that pandora was where you were meant to be. that studying the interconnected ecosystem of this world wasn't just career ambition.. it was a calling.

when tommy died, everything changed.

your brother, the genius, the one who'd actually been selected for the avatar program, gone in a random act of violence. senseless. brutal. final.

and jake, lost and bitter and looking for anything to give his life meaning again, had agreed to take tommy's place.

the rda didn't care that jake knew nothing about xenobiology or botany or any of the sciences tommy had spent years mastering. they cared that his dna was a match, that tommy's avatar wouldn't go to waste, that they wouldn't lose their investment.

you'd pulled every string you had, called in every favor, leveraged every connection you'd made in the scientific community. if jake was going to pandora, then so were you.

you had the credentials, the knowledge, the passion that jake lacked. grace augustine herself had reviewed your research and approved your addition to the team. you weren't a replacement avatar driver, but you had your own avatar waiting, your own chance to experience pandora the way you'd always dreamed.

the first time you'd linked with your avatar, you'd cried.

not from fear or discomfort, but from the sheer overwhelming joy of it. your avatar body was tall, strong, powerful in ways your human form had never been. but more than that.. it was your ticket to truly experiencing pandora. to walking through those bioluminescent forests, to touching the plants you'd only seen in photographs, to breathing air that didn't taste of recycled filtration systems and human desperation.

grace had taken to you immediately. while jake had been cocky and dismissive of the science, you'd hung on every word she'd said. you'd spent hours in the lab, studying samples, learning the na'vi language with an enthusiasm that made even norm's dedication look casual. you'd memorised plant species, learned to identify animal calls, absorbed every scrap of information about pandora's ecosystem like you were starving for it.

because you were.

earth had nothing left for you. your parents were gone, tommy was gone, and jake.. jake was so lost in his own pain that he barely recognized the world around him anymore. but pandora.. pandora was alive in ways that earth hadn't been for generations.

the forests didn't just grow here.. they communicated, they connected, they formed networks of consciousness that defied everything humanity thought it knew about biology and neuroscience. the animals didn't just survive.. they thrived, they bonded, they lived in harmony with their environment in ways that seemed almost impossible.

and the bioluminescence.. god, the bioluminescence.

the first night you'd spent in your avatar body, walking through the forest after dark, you'd understood what people meant when they talked about religious experiences. every step had triggered a cascade of light beneath your feet, purple and blue and green spreading out in ripples. the plants had glowed at your touch, responding to the pressure of your fingers with bursts of color that seemed to pulse with life. you'd pressed your hand against the trunk of a tree and felt it.. not just the bark beneath your palm, but something deeper. a connection. a presence. like the tree was aware of you, acknowledging you, welcoming you.

you'd laughed with pure delight, spinning in circles as the forest lit up around you, and grace had smiled.. actually smiled.. at your enthusiasm. "you get it," she'd said simply. "you actually get it."

jake didn't get it. not at first. he'd been too focused on learning to walk again, on reveling in having a body that worked, on playing around like his avatar was just a new toy.

you'd tried to share your excitement with him, pointing out the helicoradian that retracted at the slightest touch, explaining the theory about pandora's neural network, showing him the samples you'd collected. but he'd just shrugged, more interested in running and jumping and being physical again.

you couldn't blame him, not really. he'd lost so much. but sometimes you wished he could see pandora the way you did.. not as an escape or a second chance, but as a miracle. a living, breathing miracle that humanity had stumbled upon and immediately started trying to exploit.

the rda wanted unobtanium. you wanted understanding. grace wanted to protect what was here. jake.. you weren't sure what jake wanted, beyond the freedom his avatar body gave him.

everything changed the day you and jake got separated from the group.

it was supposed to be a routine expedition. grace had wanted to collect samples from a region closer to the omaticaya clan's territory, and jake had been assigned to security detail. you'd been so excited, practically vibrating with enthusiasm as you'd catalogued specimens, your fingers gentle as you'd collected samples of plants that might hold medicinal properties. norm had been with you, equally enthusiastic, and even grace had seemed pleased with the data you were gathering.

then jake had to go wandering off.

you'd followed him, of course. he was your brother, and despite his marine training, he didn't know the forest. didn't understand the signs that a palulukan had passed through recently, didn't recognise the warning calls of the prolemuris in the trees. you'd caught up to him just as he'd stumbled into a clearing, and you'd grabbed his arm, hissing at him to be quiet, to pay attention, to stop treating pandora like it was some playground.

he'd ignored you, of course. because jake never listened, not when he thought he knew better.

and then the thanator had appeared, and everything had gone to hell.

you ran.. god, you ran faster than you had ever ran in your life, your avatar body crashing through the undergrowth as the creature's roars echoed behind you. jake had been ahead of you, his marine instincts kicking in, and you'd followed him blindly because there was nothing else to do. the forest had become a blur of green and brown, your heart pounding so hard you'd thought it might burst, your breath coming in ragged gasps.

jake had gone over a waterfall. you'd hesitated for only a second before jumping after him, because he was your brother and you weren't leaving him alone in this forest at night, no matter how terrified you were.

the water had been cold and fast, dragging you downstream, slamming you against rocks. you surfaced gasping, looking frantically for jake, finding him clinging to a rock a few meters away.

you both made it to shore together, exhausted and battered, and collapsed on the bank as the sun began to set.

that was when the forest had come alive with light, and you realised just how far from the link shack you really were.

that was when everything had changed.

that was when you'd first see him.

the viperwolves came with the darkness.

you'd been trying to make a torch, your hands shaking as you worked, your mind racing through everything grace had taught you about pandoran fauna. nantang. pack hunters. six-legged with bioluminescent markings. highly intelligent and extremely dangerous. you'd rattled off the facts to jake like they might protect you somehow, like knowledge could be a weapon against the creatures emerging from the shadows with their panting breaths and gleaming eyes.

"yeah, that's real helpful," jake had muttered, grabbing a branch and setting it alight with the makeshift torch you had managed to create.

there were so many of them. too many. they circled you both, their bodies low to the ground, the bioluminescent patterns along their skin pulsing in the darkness like a heartbeat. you pressed your back against jake's, your own branch held in trembling hands, and tried to remember everything you'd read about their hunting patterns.

they'd test you first, looking for weakness, waiting for one of you to break formation..

the first one lunged and you swung without thinking, the branch connecting with a solid thunk that sent the creature yelping back into the darkness.

the sound made you wince as a pang of guilt hit you.

"i feel bad jake, the poor thing."

you could practically hear his eyes rolling at your words.

adrenaline had flooded your system, your scientific mind still trying to catalog details even as you fought for your life. the way they moved, the coordination of the pack, the intelligence in their eyes.. it was fascinating and terrifying in equal measure.

"they’re trying to eat us al- on your left!" jake had shouted, and you spun, swinging again, your breath coming in harsh gasps.

you were going to die here. you were going to die in this beautiful, bioluminescent forest, and you'd never get to study the neural networks, never get to understand how eywa connected everything, never get to-

an arrow had whistled through the air, striking the nantang that had been about to leap at your throat.

then another. and another. the wolves had scattered, their hunting calls turning to yelps of pain and fear, and you'd stood there frozen, your branch still raised, your heart hammering against your ribs as two figures had dropped from the trees.

na'vi.

you'd seen them in videos, in grace's documentation, but nothing.. nothing had prepared you for seeing them in person. they were tall, impossibly tall, moving with a grace that made your avatar body feel clumsy and awkward in comparison. the first one, a woman, had landed in a crouch, her bow still raised, her golden eyes fierce in the bioluminescent glow of the forest.

but it was the second one who'd stolen your breath.

he was taller than his companion, his shoulders broad and powerful, his body marked with the scars of a warrior. his hair was pulled back in a traditional style you'd seen in grace's notes, adorned with beads that caught the light. but it was his face that had transfixed you.. strong features set in an expression of absolute fury, his eyes blazing as he'd looked at you and jake like you were something he'd found on the bottom of his foot.

he was the most beautiful thing you'd ever seen, in a way that was utterly terrifying.

"go away!" the woman had hissed at you both, her english accented but clear. she'd moved toward you with her knife drawn, and you'd stumbled backward, your mind still trying to process what was happening.

the male had said something in na'vi, his voice deep and harsh, and you'd caught enough words to understand the gist.

demons. sky people. leave them.

his body language had been clear even if you'd missed some of the words.. he'd wanted to leave you there, wanted to let the forest deal with you.

"wait.. wait, please," you'd gasped out, and then, struggling with the pronunciation, you'd tried the na'vi greeting grace had taught you. "oel ngati kameie.. i see you. we.. we mean no harm. we are lost."

your accent had been atrocious, you'd known it even as the words left your mouth, but you'd tried. you'd looked at them both with desperation and awe, your hands raised to show you meant no threat.

the male.. tsu'tey, you would later learn his name.. had looked at you like you'd just insulted his entire lineage. he'd said something sharp and angry to the woman, gesturing at you and jake with clear disgust.

but then the atokirina had come.

you'd seen them before, floating through the forest like tiny jellyfish made of light, but never like this. never so many. they'd descended from the trees in a cascade of gentle luminescence, and you'd watched in breathless wonder as they'd begun to land on jake. one on his shoulder. two on his arms. more and more until he'd been covered in them, standing frozen as the seeds of the sacred tree had chosen him.

"jake," you'd whispered. "don't move. these are atokirina.. seeds of the sacred tree. grace said they're a sign from.."

you'd trailed off as you'd felt the lightest touch on your own shoulder. then another on your hand. you'd looked down to see the woodsprites landing on you too, their gentle glow reflecting in your wide eyes, and you'd felt something in your chest crack open. tears had blurred your vision as more and more of them had settled on your skin, your hair, your arms.

it was the most beautiful thing you'd ever experienced.

when you'd looked up, both na'vi had been staring at you and jake with expressions you couldn't quite read. the woman's anger had shifted to something like wonder. the male.. tsu'tey.. had looked torn between awe and fury, his jaw clenched tight, his eyes narrowed.

he'd said something in na'vi, his tone making it clear he still wasn't happy about this development.

"it is a sign from eywa," the woman had said softly, watching as the atokirina had finally lifted from your skin, floating back up into the canopy. "we must take them to hometree."

tsu'tey had argued, his voice sharp and angry, but the woman had cut him off with a look.

you'd caught words here and there.. tsahik, sign, eywa's will.. and through it all, you'd just stood there with tears still streaming down your face, a smile breaking across your features despite the danger you'd just been in.

"this is incredible," you'd breathed, looking around at the forest with wonder. "the atokirina.. i've read about them but to actually experience.. and you.. you're omaticaya, aren't you? your hunting techniques, the way you move through the trees..it's exactly like grace described but so much more."

jake had elbowed you. "maybe read the room," he muttered.

but you couldn't help it. you were standing in front of actual na'vi, in the bioluminescent forest you'd dreamed about for years, covered in the blessing of seeds you'd only seen in grainy videos. even the near death experience couldn't dampen the sheer joy flooding through you.

tsu'tey had been staring at you like you'd grown a second head, his expression caught between confusion and irritation. the woman.. neytiri, she introduced herself.. had simply shaken her head and gestured for you both to follow.

the journey to hometree had been surreal. you'd tried to keep quiet, you really had, but every few minutes something would catch your attention and you'd gasp or stumble or crane your neck to see better. the way the plants lit up at their touch. the calls of animals in the darkness. the glimpse of what might have been a direhorse in the distance. everything was exactly as you'd studied and nothing like you'd imagined, all at once.

tsu'tey had walked behind you and jake, and you'd felt his eyes on you the entire time. when you'd glanced back once, you'd caught him watching you with an expression of deep suspicion, his hand never far from his knife. but there'd been something else there too.. a confusion, like he couldn't quite figure out what to make of you.

you'd given him a small, tentative smile, because even though he clearly hated you, even though he'd wanted to leave you to die, he was still the most magnificent thing you'd ever seen.

he'd looked away immediately, his jaw clenching tighter.

when the hometree had finally come into view, rising up through the forest like something out of a dream, you'd stopped dead in your tracks. your mouth had fallen open, your eyes wide, taking in the massive structure with its spiraling roots and the soft glow of na'vi moving through its branches.

"oh my god," you whispered. "it's real. it's actually real."

behind you, you'd heard tsu'tey make a sound that might have been a scoff or might have been something else entirely. but you hadn't cared. you were here. you were actually here, about to enter a na'vi hometree, about to meet the omaticaya clan.

you'd never been happier in your entire life, even with a furious na'vi warrior watching your every move like he was waiting for you to prove you were the demon he thought you were.

entering the hometree was like stepping into a living cathedral.

the interior glowed with soft bioluminescence, the massive trunk rising up and up until it disappeared into darkness above. na'vi were everywhere.. in the roots, on the spiraling pathways, watching from higher levels.. and the moment you and jake stepped inside, every single one of them stopped what they were doing to stare.

the hostility was immediate and palpable. hisses echoed through the space, and you heard the word "sawtute" spat like a curse. sky people. demons. you'd felt jake tense beside you, his marine training probably screaming at him about how outnumbered you were, how many weapons were suddenly pointed in your direction.

but you.. you couldn't stop looking around with wide, wondering eyes. the way the tree's interior was structured, the hammocks woven between branches, the central fire pit where families gathered, the children peeking out from behind their parents with curious eyes. it was everything grace had described and so much more. you could see the community here, the culture, the life that thrived in harmony with this massive tree.

"i should kill you," a voice had said, and you'd turned to see a na'vi man stepping forward. he was older, his body marked with the scars of countless battles, his presence commanding immediate respect. he'd worn the feathers and adornments of a leader, and even without introduction, you'd known this was eytukan, the olo'eyktan. "your kind has brought only pain to our people."

beside him, a woman had emerged from the shadows, and your breath had caught. she was striking, her presence almost otherworldly, wearing the ornate jewelry and clothing of the tsahik. mo'at. the spiritual leader. you'd read about the role, about how the tsahik interpreted eywa's will, but seeing her in person was something else entirely.

"the atokirina came to them," neytiri had said, her voice respectful but firm. "many seeds. it is a sign, mother."

mo'at had approached you both with slow, deliberate steps, her golden eyes sharp and assessing. she'd circled jake first, reaching out to touch his face, his arms, examining him like he was a specimen. you'd seen jake's discomfort, the way he'd tried not to flinch under her scrutiny.

then she'd turned to you, and you'd felt the full weight of her gaze. she was looking at you.. no, looking into you. seeing something deeper than just your avatar body. when she'd reached out to touch your face, you'd met her eyes steadily, your expression open and earnest.

"why are you here?" she'd asked, her english heavily accented but clear.

"to learn," you answered immediately, your voice soft but fervent. "to understand. pandora is.. your world is the most incredible thing i've ever studied. the neural networks, the way everything connects through eywa, the balance of your ecosystem.. it's beautiful. it's sacred. i just.. i want to understand. i want to learn to see the way you see."

mo'at's eyes had narrowed slightly, her head tilting as she'd studied you.

behind her, you'd heard tsu'tey say something sharp in na'vi, his tone making it clear he thought you were lying, that sky people couldn't be trusted.

but mo'at had held up a hand, silencing him.

she continued her examination, touching your hands, your arms, looking at the way you stood. when she had stepped back, she exchanged a long look with eytukan, some silent communication passing between them.

"it is hard to fill a cup that is already full," mo'at had finally said, looking at jake. "you have much to unlearn." then her gaze had shifted to you. "but you.. your cup is empty. ready to receive."

your heart had leapt with hope, but you tried to keep your expression respectful, waiting.

eytukan had looked like he wanted to argue, but mo'at had spoken again. "we will see if these dreamwalkers can learn our ways. if they can understand what it means to be na'vi."

he turned to tsu'tey and neytiri, his expression grave. "you and neytiri will teach the male. if he can learn to see, to walk as one of the people, then we will know eywa's purpose for bringing them here."

tsu'tey's face had transformed into a mask of barely controlled rage. "no," he'd said flatly, his english rough but understandable. "i will not teach a demon. i will not.."

"you will," eytukan had said, his voice carrying the weight of command. "this is my word."

the look tsu'tey had shot neytiri then had been complicated.. anger and something else, something that looked almost like betrayal.

neytiri had met his gaze steadily, her chin lifted, and you'd seen the tension crackling between them. there was history there, something significant, though you hadn't understood what.

"the female will learn from me," mo'at had announced, and your head had whipped around to stare at her in shock. "she will learn our ways, our healing, our connection to eywa. and.." she'd glanced at tsu'tey, something almost amused in her expression, "she will also train with tsu'tey, to learn our ways of survival. if she is to walk among us, she must know how to move through the forest, how to defend herself."

if possible, tsu'tey had looked even more furious. his hands had clenched into fists at his sides, his jaw so tight you'd thought he might crack his teeth. he said something in rapid na'vi that you'd only caught pieces of..

demon, sawtute..

but you.. felt overwhelmed with gratitude and joy and disbelief that this was actually happening. you stepped forward, pressing your hands together in the gesture of respect you had seen in grace's videos, and tried your best with the na'vi words you'd practiced.

"oel ngati kameie.. i see you. irayo.. thank you. i will.. i will learn. i will listen. i will respect your ways." your pronunciation had been terrible, your grammar probably worse, but you'd meant every word with your entire heart. "it is.. it is the greatest honor. thank you. irayo..."

mo'at had looked at you with something that might have been the tiniest hint of approval. eytukan had simply looked tired, like he was already regretting this decision. neytiri had smiled, just a little.

and tsu'tey.. tsu'tey had stared at you like you were a puzzle he couldn't solve, his expression caught between disgust and utter bewilderment. you'd met his gaze and smiled. your face bright with joy despite his obvious hatred.

he'd looked away sharply, turning his back on you, his shoulders rigid with tension.

that first night, they'd given you and jake a space at the edge of hometree, far from the main living areas. jake had passed out almost immediately, exhausted from the day's events. but you.. you couldn't sleep.

couldn't even close your eyes.

you pulled out the small journal you brought, the one you'd been keeping since before you even left earth, and started writing by the soft bioluminescent light of the tree.

your hand had moved frantically across the page, documenting everything. the structure of hometree, the social dynamics you observed, the way the na'vi moved, the words you learned, the plants you saw on the journey here.

you drew quick sketches of the atokirina, of neytiri's bow, of the patterns you'd seen on the na'vi's skin. you wrote about mo'at's examination, about eytukan's authority, about the way the entire clan had moved as one cohesive unit.

and you wrote about tsu'tey.

about the way he moved like violence and grace combined, about the scars on his body that told stories you wanted to learn, about the fury in his eyes and the confusion that flickered beneath it. about how even his hatred was beautiful, in a way that made your chest ache.

you'd been so absorbed in your writing, a small smile playing at your lips as you worked, that you hadn't noticed the figure watching from the shadows above.

tsu'tey had been unable to sleep, his mind churning with anger at the day's events.

he climbed to one of the higher levels, intending to check the perimeter, to do something useful instead of lying awake thinking about the demons.

but he found himself instead, looking down at where the two sky people had been placed, and he'd seen you there, still awake, bent over something in your lap. even from this distance, he could see the smile on your face, the way your tail swished back and forth with what looked like.. contentment. happiness.

what kind of demon smiled like that? what kind of sky person looked at the people who nearly left them to die and thanked them with tears in their eyes? what kind of dreamwalker sat in a hostile clan's home, surrounded by people who wanted them dead, and looked.. joyful?

he watched you for longer than intended, trying to understand, trying to reconcile what he knew about sky people.. their greed, their destruction, their disrespect for eywa.. with the strange female who looked at the forest like it was sacred, who stumbled over na'vi words with earnest desperation, who smiled at him even when he made his hatred clear.

you were a demon. you had to be. sky people were demons, and demons could not be trusted.

but then why had eywa sent the atokirina? why had so many seeds blessed you, if you were truly the enemy?

tsu'tey had gripped the branch beneath his hands until his knuckles had ached, his jaw clenched tight, watching as you finally closed your journal and laid back, your eyes still open, staring up at the tree above you with wonder written across every feature.

he turned away sharply, forcing himself to move, to patrol, to do anything other than try to understand the impossible contradiction you represented.

tomorrow he would begin teaching the male demon, and you would begin your training as well. tomorrow he would prove that sky people could not learn, could not understand, could not become one of the people.

tomorrow he would prove that your smile meant nothing, that you were just another demon wearing a false face.

he had to believe that.

the first week of training had nearly killed you.

not literally, though there had been a few close calls when you lost your grip on a branch fifty feet up or misjudged a jump between vines.

but your muscles had screamed, your body had been covered in bruises, and you’ve fallen asleep each night the moment you'd disconnected from your avatar, too exhausted to even eat.

and you loved every single second of it.

mornings were spent with mo'at, learning the ways of the tsahik. she'd taken you deep into the forest, teaching you to identify plants by touch, by smell, by the way they responded to your presence.

you learned which leaves could reduce fever, which roots could be ground into paste for wounds, which flowers held properties that could ease pain or induce sleep or strengthen the blood.

but more than that, you learned to listen.

mo'at had pressed your hands against the trunk of a tree and taught you to feel the pulse of eywa flowing through it. she had shown you how to quiet your mind, how to open yourself to the connections that bound all living things together.

"you have a gift," mo'at had said one morning, watching as you correctly identified a plant by its energy alone, your eyes closed, your fingers gentle against its leaves. "you feel what others cannot. eywa speaks, and you listen."

you ducked your head, embarrassed by the praise but glowing with it. "i just.. i want to understand. everything here is so connected, so alive. it's like.. like the whole forest is breathing together."

mo'at had made a sound of approval. learning from her was an honor you would never take for granted, and every piece of knowledge she shared felt like a sacred gift.

afternoons, however, were a completely different story.

tsu'tey had made it abundantly clear that he considered training you to be a waste of his time and an insult to his skills as a warrior. he started with the basics.. how to move through the forest, how to climb, how to maintain your balance on narrow branches.. and you’ve been absolutely terrible at all of it.

where mo'at's lessons felt natural, like you were remembering something you'd always known, tsu'tey's training made you feel like you'd been given a body made of lead and told to fly.

you've fallen more times than you could count, crashed through branches, slipped on moss, misjudged distances, and once.. memorably.. had gotten your foot tangled in a vine and hung upside down for five minutes while tsu'tey had stared at you with an expression of profound disgust.

"you move like a baby," he said, his english rough and sharp. "clumsy. loud. the forest knows you are coming from miles away."

you just laughed, working to untangle yourself. "i've only had this body for a few weeks. give me some grace.." you replied. "how did you learn? were you always this good at climbing or did you fall a lot as a kid?"

he'd made a sound like that of an angry cat and stalked away, leaving you to free yourself.

but you never got discouraged. every time you had fallen, you would get back up with a grin. every time you failed, you'd ask him to show you again. and every single time, you thanked him.. earnestly, profusely, like he was doing you the greatest favor in the world

"thank you, tsu'tey," you would say, your na'vi improving slowly but surely. "you are.. good teacher. patient." you stumble over the words, your grammar atrocious, but your smile had always been genuine.

"i am not patient," he'd snap back. "you are impossible to teach."

"but you keep teaching me anyway," you point out cheerfully. "so that's kind of patient, right?"

he looked at you like you'd grown a second head, his tail lashing with irritation, before turning away sharply.

the questions had started in the second week.

you couldn't help it. everything about the na'vi fascinated you, and tsu'tey.. tsu'tey was a wealth of knowledge that you desperately wanted to access. so you asked. constantly. about everything.

"what does that pattern mean? the one on your shoulder?"

"why do you wear your hair like that? is it a warrior thing?"

"that scar.. the one on your ribs.. what happened? was it a hunt? a battle?"

"how do you know which branches will hold your weight? is it just practice or is there a trick to it?"

"what's that bird called? the one with the blue crest? what does it eat?"

"can you teach me that word? the one you just used? what does it mean?"

at first, he ignored you.

then he would snap at you to be quiet. then, gradually, almost against his will, started answering.

short, curt responses that slowly became longer explanations. you noticed the shift, the way his shoulders would relax slightly when you'd asked about something he was knowledgeable about, the way his voice would lose some of its harsh edge when he'd explain a tradition or a technique.

you started to learn about tsu’tey, that he loved his people, his culture, his world with a fierceness that burned in everything he did.

and when he'd talked about it.. really talked about it, he looked beautiful in a way that made your chest ache.

not that you examined that feeling too closely.

jake's training had been different. you watched sometimes, when your sessions with mo'at ended early, and you'd seen the way jake approached everything like a challenge to be conquered. he'd been cocky, showing off, trying to prove he was strong enough, fast enough, good enough. and neytiri.. neytiri had responded to that with her own challenges, pushing him harder, demanding more.

but you.. you weren't trying to prove anything. you just wanted to learn. wanted to understand. wanted to be worthy of the gift you'd been given.

"you are different from your brother," tsu'tey had said one day, watching as you carefully examined a plant he'd pointed out, your fingers gentle as you felt the texture of its leaves, committing every detail to memory.

"yeah. jake's always been more.. physical. action oriented. i'm more.." you gestured at the plant, "this. learning. understanding. he wants to do things. i want to know things."

tsu'tey had stared at you for a long moment, something shifting in his expression that you couldn't quite read. then he turned away sharply. "come. we practice climbing again. you are still too slow."

you groaned good naturedly but followed, chattering away about something mo'at had taught you that morning, asking if he knew about the neural connections between certain plants, if he'd ever experienced it himself.

he answered, despite himself. he always answered.

the moment that had changed something had come in the third week.

you’ve been following tsu'tey through the forest, actually managing to keep up for once, when you heard it.. a small, distressed sound that had made you stop dead. you turned, searching, and spotted a young ikran caught in a tangle of vines, its wing bent at an awkward angle, its cries high and panicked.

"wait," you called to tsu'tey, already moving toward the creature.

"no," he snapped. "it is not our concern. we must.."

but you ignored him, approaching the ikran slowly, your hands raised, your voice soft. you'd been terrified.. the creature's beak could easily take your hand off.. but you remembered what mo'at had taught you about connecting, about listening.

you pressed your hand gently against the ikran's side, feeling for that pulse of life, that connection to eywa, and you felt it, the pain, the fear.

the ikran had stopped thrashing, its eyes fixed on you, and carefully, you begun untangling the vines, your movements slow and deliberate. when you freed its wing, you checked the joint carefully, relieved to find it strained but not broken.

"you're okay," you'd murmured, stroking its neck. "you're going to be fine. just be more careful, yeah?"

the ikran had made a soft sound, almost grateful, before launching itself back into the air with powerful beats of its wings.

you turned back to find tsu'tey staring at you with an expression you'd never seen before. not quite shock, not quite respect, but something complicated that had made your heart skip.

"mo'at teaches well," he finally said, his voice rough.

you beamed at him. "you both do. i'm learning from the best."

he looked away quickly, but not before you saw something almost like warmth flicker across his face.

after that, something had shifted. tsu'tey had still been gruff, still been demanding, still been quick to point out your mistakes. but there'd been less venom in it. more patience, even if he would never admit it.

he started correcting your na'vi more gently, showing you techniques multiple times without complaint. occasionally.. very occasionally.. offering something that might have been praise.

"better," he'd say when you made a jump cleanly. "you are learning."

and you light up like he'd given you the greatest compliment in the world. "really? thank you, tsu'tey. that means.. a lot. i know i'm not the easiest student."

he would make that frustrated sound in his throat and stalk away, but you noticed his tail wasn't lashing quite as aggressively anymore.

you also started noticing other things. like the way his hands moved when he would demonstrate a technique, strong and sure. the way his voice sounded when he spoke na'vi, flowing and musical. the way his rare smiles.. given to other clan members, never to you.. transformed his entire face.

the way your heart would skip when he'd steady you with a hand on your arm, when he'd move close to correct your grip on a bow, when he'd look at you with those intense golden eyes.

but you pushed those thoughts away. he was your teacher. he made it clear he considered you a demon, a sky person, something to be tolerated at best. the fact that he softened slightly didn't mean anything. it couldn't mean anything.

so you just kept smiling, kept asking questions, kept thanking him for every scrap of knowledge he'd shared. kept being yourself.. enthusiastic, curious, endlessly optimistic even in the face of his gruffness.

you never noticed the way his eyes tracked you when you laughed with other clan members, helped prepare food or weave baskets or play with the children. never noticed the way his jaw would clench when one of the young warriors would smile at you, would offer to show you something, would sit too close during evening meals.

never noticed the way he'd started looking for you in the mornings, the way his day felt wrong if he didn't hear your cheerful greeting, the way he started.. great mother help him.. looking forward to your endless questions.

tsu'tey had realised it one evening, watching you from across the fire as you listened with rapt attention to one of the elders telling a story. your face had been animated, your eyes bright, your whole body leaning forward with interest. you asked questions in your broken na'vi, stumbling over words but trying so hard, and the elder had smiled at you with genuine fondness.

you belonged there, in that moment. not like a sky person trying to infiltrate. not like a demon wearing a false face. but like someone who genuinely cared, who genuinely wanted to understand, who saw the people and not just the culture.

and tsu'tey had felt something in his chest twist painfully, a warmth spreading through him that he immediately tried to crush.

no. no, this was not.. he could not..

you were sawtute. a dreamwalker. the sister of the man who'd stolen neytiri's attention, who'd disrupted everything. you were everything he should hate, everything he'd been taught to despise about sky people.

but you looked up then, catching his gaze across the fire, and you'd smiled.. that bright, genuine smile that you'd given him every day despite his coldness.. and tsu'tey had felt his carefully constructed walls crack just a little bit more.

he looked away sharply, his hands clenched into fists, his jaw tight.

this was a problem. this was a serious problem.

because he was starting to look forward to your presence, to your questions, to the sound of your laughter. he was starting to notice the way you moved, the way you spoke, the genuine joy you took in every small discovery. he was starting to see you not as a demon, but as-

he couldn't finish that thought. wouldn't finish it.

but late that night, lying in his hammock and staring up at the glowing tree above, tsu'tey had admitted to himself what he'd been denying for weeks.

he was falling. slowly, against his will, against every instinct and belief he'd held.. he was falling.

and he hated himself for it.

because this weakness.. this softness growing in his chest. it was exactly what he'd sworn would never happen. not with a sky person. not with a demon in false flesh.

not with jake sully's sister.

tsu'tey's jaw clenched at the thought of the other dreamwalker, his hands tightening on the edge of his hammock until his knuckles went pale. jake sully. the warrior who couldn't even walk in his own body, who stumbled through the forest like a newborn, who disrespected their ways with his ignorance and his arrogance.

jake sully, who neytiri looked at with eyes that had never once softened for tsu'tey in all their years of betrothal.

it wasn't love he felt for neytiri. tsu'tey was honest enough with himself to admit that. it was duty. tradition. respect. she was to be tsahìk, and he was to be olo'eyktan, and their union would have been right. proper. the way things were meant to be, the way things had been arranged since sylwanin died.

he accepted it. been content with it. neytiri was strong, fierce, beautiful, a worthy mate for a warrior. he looked forward to their life together, to leading the people side by side, to the respect and honor their union would bring.

and then jake sully had fallen from the sky and ruined everything.

tsu'tey had seen it happening, day by day. the way neytiri's voice softened when she spoke to jake. the way she laughed at his mistakes instead of scorning them. the way she touched his arm to correct his stance, her hand lingering just a moment too long. the way she looked at him when she thought no one was watching.

the way she had never, not once, looked at tsu'tey.

it burned. not his heart- his pride. his sense of order and rightness. jake sully had come into their world and disrupted everything, taken what was meant to be tsu'tey's, claimed what he had no right to claim. and everyone acted as if it was eywa's will, as if it was meant to be, as if tsu'tey's feelings on the matter were irrelevant.

as if he didn't matter at all.

tsu'tey rolled onto his side, his eyes finding you across the hometree's interior. you were already asleep in your hammock, your face peaceful, your breathing deep and even. even in sleep, there was a slight smile on your lips, as if you were dreaming of something wonderful.

his chest tightened.

and then.. then an idea began to form. dark and petty and beneath him, perhaps, but satisfying in a way that made his blood sing with vindication.

jake sully had taken from him. had disrupted his life, his plans, his future. had waltzed into the omaticaya and claimed what wasn't his to claim, with no regard for tradition or respect or tsu'tey's place.

what if tsu'tey did the same?

what if he took something of jake's?

you were his sister. two halves of the same whole. tsu'tey had heard you speak of it, the connection you shared, how you'd fought to come to pandora together, how you always protected each other.

what would jake sully do if tsu'tey claimed you? if he pursued you, courted you, made you his?

the thought sent a dark thrill through him. it would be perfect revenge. poetic, even. jake would finally understand what it felt like to have someone take what was precious to him, to watch helplessly as his plans and expectations crumbled.

tsu'tey could make you fall for him. it wouldn't even be difficult. you already looked at him with those soft eyes, already sought his attention, already lit up like bioluminescence whenever he gave you even the smallest scrap of approval. you were already halfway there.

all he had to do was let you fall the rest of the way.

his stomach twisted.

because that was the problem, wasn't it? the complication that made this more than simple revenge.

he was falling too.

tsu'tey pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes, frustration coursing through him. he couldn't tell anymore where the revenge ended and the real feelings began.

did he want you simply because you were jake's sister, a way to strike back at the man who'd taken his future? or did he want you because of your laugh, your curiosity, your genuine joy in his world?

did he want to pursue you to hurt jake, or because the thought of not pursuing you, of watching you from a distance for the rest of your time here, was becoming unbearable?

maybe it was both. maybe it could be both.

maybe he could have his revenge and his.. whatever this feeling was. maybe he could make jake sully understand loss while also claiming something he genuinely wanted.

the rationalisation felt thin even to him, but tsu'tey clung to it anyway.

he would pursue you. court you properly, the way a warrior should. he would teach you, guide you, let you closer than he’d let anyone in years. he would make you smile that bright smile for him and him alone. he would learn what made you laugh, what made you gasp, what made your eyes go soft and warm.

and if it made jake sully uncomfortable, made him angry, made him feel even a fraction of what tsu'tey had felt watching neytiri slip away.. well. that was just a bonus.

tsu'tey's eyes opened, finding you again in the darkness. you shifted in your sleep, that small smile still on your lips.

his heart did something complicated in his chest.

revenge, he told himself firmly. this was about revenge. about balance. about making jake sully pay for his disrespect.

it had nothing to do with the way you looked at the world with wonder. nothing to do with your kindness to that injured ikran hatchling. nothing to do with the way his name sounded in your voice, accented and careful and sweet.

nothing at all.

the lie tasted bitter, but tsu'tey swallowed it down and began to plan.

you woke with the dawn, as you always did now, your avatar body naturally syncing with the rhythms of the clan. the soft sounds of hometree coming to life surrounded you. quiet voices, the rustle of hammocks, children's laughter already echoing from somewhere below.

you stretched, feeling the pleasant ache in your muscles from yesterday's training. tsu'tey had run you ragged, as usual, but you were getting stronger. faster. you could feel the difference in how your body moved now, more fluid, more confident.

speaking of tsu'tey..

you glanced across the space where his hammock hung, but it was already empty, tied up neatly. he was always up before everyone else, probably already out in the forest or drilling some other poor trainee.

the thought made you smile despite yourself. he was so serious, so dedicated. even when he was being harsh with you, you could see it came from a place of wanting you to survive, to be worthy of the people's trust.

at least, that's what you told yourself. it was better than thinking he just hated you.

after a quick breakfast of fruit and some kind of protein cake that norm had helped you identify as safe for avatars, you headed to the training grounds.

tsu'tey had told you yesterday. well, more like growled at you, to meet him at the clearing past the ikran rookery at dawn.

you were late.

shit.

you picked up your pace, jogging through the forest paths you'd started to memorise. the morning light filtered through the canopy in shafts of gold and green, and even in your rush, you couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of it. pandora at dawn was something else entirely. the bioluminescence fading as the sun rose, the forest coming alive with sound and movement.

you burst into the clearing, breathless, already forming an apology.

"i'm sorry, i know i'm late, i-"

you stopped short.

tsu'tey was there, as expected, but he wasn't scowling. he wasn't even frowning. he was.. was that a smile? not a big one, just a slight curve of his lips, but on tsu'tey's usually stern face, it was startling.

"you are late," he said, but his voice lacked its usual sharp edge. if anything, he sounded almost.. amused?

you blinked at him, confused. "i.. yes. i'm sorry. i didn't mean to-"

"it is fine." he waved a hand dismissively, and you nearly fell over in shock. fine? since when was anything you did fine? "you are still learning our ways. the people do not expect you to be perfect immediately."

who was this person and what had he done with tsu'tey?

"oh," you said, still staring at him. "um. thank you?"

he moved closer, and you noticed he'd already set up for training, targets arranged at various distances, practice weapons laid out on a woven mat, a waterskin hanging from a low branch. he'd.. prepared. for you. that was new.

"we will work on your archery today," tsu'tey said, picking up one of the bows. "your stance has improved, but your release is still too tense. you are thinking too much."

that sounded more like the tsu'tey you knew, at least. critical, pointing out flaws.

but then he stepped closer, much closer than he usually did, and held out the bow to you. when you reached for it, his fingers brushed against yours, lingering for just a moment longer than necessary. his skin was warm, slightly rough with calluses.

your breath caught.

"here," he said, his voice lower now, almost soft. "take it. feel the weight of it."

you took the bow, trying to ignore the way your heart had started beating faster. it was just tsu'tey. your teacher. who hated you. or at least strongly disliked you. this was normal. this was fine.

except it didn't feel normal at all.

he moved behind you, so close you could feel the heat radiating from his body. na'vi ran hot, you'd learned, their metabolism higher than humans, even higher than avatars. you'd never been quite this aware of it before.

"your stance," he murmured, and then his hands were on your hips.

you nearly dropped the bow.

"widen your feet," he instructed, his hands firm as he guided your hips into position. his palms were large enough to span from your hip bones to the curve of your waist, and you could feel each finger distinctly, pressing into your skin through the thin fabric of your training clothes. "like this. you need a stronger base."

"okay," you managed, your voice coming out embarrassingly breathy.

what was happening? tsu'tey never touched you during training unless absolutely necessary, and even then it was usually a quick correction, a tap on your elbow, a nudge to your shoulder. this was.. this was something else entirely.

his hands slid up from your hips to your waist, adjusting your torso position. "you are too stiff," he said, and you could feel his breath against your ear, warm and steady. "you must be like the trees, strong but flexible. rigid things break."

you were going to break all right. break into a million flustered pieces.

"relax," he said, and one of his hands pressed flat against your stomach, just above your navel. "breathe from here. deep breaths. feel your center."

you tried. you really did. but how were you supposed to relax when tsu'tey was pressed against your back, his hand on your stomach, his voice rumbling through you like distant thunder?

"breathe," he repeated, and there was something almost amused in his tone now. "or do sky people forget how?"

that sparked a little bit of your usual spirit. "i know how to breathe, thank you very much."

you felt more than heard his laugh, a quiet exhale against your ear that made your skin prickle. "then do it."

you took a deliberate breath, deep and steady, and felt his hand rise and fall with your stomach. his thumb brushed against your ribcage, almost absent-mindedly, and you nearly forgot to exhale.

"better," he said, and finally.. finally stepped back.

you could breathe properly again. sort of.

"now," tsu'tey said, moving to stand beside you instead of behind you, "draw the bow. show me your form."

you nocked an arrow with shaking hands, trying to remember everything he'd taught you over the past weeks. feet planted, core engaged, shoulders down, elbow high-

"wait." his hand wrapped around your drawing arm, adjusting the angle. his fingers trailed down from your shoulder to your elbow, then to your wrist, positioning each joint with careful precision. "here. you see? this angle gives you more power, cleaner release."

you nodded, not trusting your voice.

he was still touching you, his hand wrapped around your wrist, and he stepped closer again, his chest nearly brushing your shoulder. "your human body was weaker," he said, and there was something in his voice you couldn't quite identify. "smaller. but this body.."

his hand slid from your wrist down to your forearm, his thumb pressing against the muscle there. "this body is strong. you have trained it well."

was that.. a compliment? from tsu'tey?

you turned your head to look at him, and found him much closer than you'd expected. close enough to see the intricate patterns of his bioluminescent freckles, the flecks of darker gold in his eyes, the way his pupils dilated slightly as he met your gaze.

"you are stronger than you think," he said quietly. "you do not give yourself enough credit."

you stared at him, completely bewildered. "i.. thank you?"

the corner of his mouth quirked up again, that almost-smile that looked so foreign on his face. "you are welcome."

then he stepped back, and you could think again.

"shoot," he instructed, gesturing to the targets.

you did, and maybe it was the adjusted stance, or the way he'd positioned your arm, or just sheer dumb luck, but the arrow flew true and struck near the center of the target.

"yes!" you couldn't help the excited exclamation, turning to tsu'tey with a bright grin. "did you see that?"

"i saw." and he was smiling, actually smiling, not just that tiny quirk of lips but a real smile, small but genuine. "again. show me you can repeat it."

you did. and again. and again. and each time, tsu'tey offered quiet praise or gentle corrections, his hands guiding you, adjusting you, touching you far more than he ever had before.

it was confusing. it was flustering. it was making your head spin.

what had changed? had you finally done something right? proven yourself somehow? you'd been trying so hard for weeks, and he'd been nothing but harsh and critical and distant. and now suddenly he was.. this?

after an hour of archery practice, tsu'tey declared it was time to work on your climbing.

"climbing?" you repeated, looking up at the massive trees surrounding the clearing.

"yes. you are too slow in the trees. if you cannot move through the canopy, you cannot truly move through the forest." he was already walking toward a particularly large tree, its trunk thick and gnarled with age. "come."

you followed, and watched as he began to climb with effortless grace, his movements fluid and sure. he made it look easy, like the tree was made for him to climb.

"your turn," he called down from about twenty feet up.

you eyed the tree dubiously. you've done some climbing, but nothing like what tsu'tey was suggesting. still, you weren't about to back down.

you made it about ten feet before your foot slipped.

strong hands caught you immediately. tsu'tey had dropped down so fast you hadn't even seen him move. one arm wrapped around your waist, the other braced against the tree trunk, and suddenly you were pressed against his chest, your feet dangling.

"careful," he said, and his voice was rough, almost strained. "you must watch your footing."

"sorry," you breathed, acutely aware of every point of contact between your bodies. his arm was solid around your waist, holding you easily, and you could feel the rise and fall of his chest against your back.

"do not apologise. learn." but he didn't let go immediately. instead, he adjusted his grip, his hand splaying across your stomach again. "you are not using your core. you climb with only your arms and legs, but your strength comes from here."

his hand pressed firmly against your abdomen, and you felt your muscles contract instinctively.

"yes," he said, and was that approval in his voice? "like that. you feel it?"

you nodded, not trusting yourself to speak.

"good." he finally lowered you back to the ground, but his hands lingered on your waist even after your feet were planted. "again. this time, engage your core. climb from your center, not your limbs."

you tried again, and this time you made it fifteen feet before struggling. tsu'tey climbed up beside you, moving around the trunk with impossible ease.

"here," he said, positioning himself on the branch next to you. "put your foot there- yes. now reach up-no, higher. you have long arms, use them."

you stretched, your fingers just barely catching the branch above.

"good," tsu'tey said, and then his hand was on your thigh, pushing it higher. "this leg, bring it up. you are flexible enough."

his hand was high on your thigh, his fingers pressing into the muscle, and you nearly lost your grip on the branch above.

"tsu'tey-"

"trust me," he said, and guided your leg up to a higher foothold. the position stretched you, opened your hips, and you were suddenly very aware of how exposed you were, how vulnerable this position made you.

and how tsu'tey's eyes had darkened, his gaze traveling down your extended body before snapping back to your face.

"see?" he said, his voice rougher than before. "you are capable of more than you think. you simply need to.. push yourself."

there was something in the way he said it, some undertone you couldn't quite grasp, that made heat pool in your stomach.

this was insane. this was tsu'tey. he didn't even like you.

except.. maybe he did? maybe something had changed?

you made it to the top of the tree with tsu'tey's guidance, his hands steadying you, positioning you, touching you with a familiarity that felt both thrilling and confusing.

when you finally sat on a high branch, breathing hard from the exertion, tsu'tey settled beside you. close beside you. his thigh pressed against yours, warm and solid.

"you did well," he said, and there was unmistakable pride in his voice. "much better than i expected."

"really?" you couldn't keep the hopeful note out of your voice.

he turned to look at you, and his expression was softer than you'd ever seen it. "really. you are learning quickly. adapting. it is.. impressive."

your cheeks heated under his gaze. "i have a good teacher."

something flickered in his eyes, something complicated and intense. "do you think so?"

"of course. you're the best warrior in the clan. everyone says so."

"and what do you say?"

the question caught you off guard. "i.. i think you're amazing. the way you move, the way you fight, the way you understand the forest.. i've never seen anything like it."

his eyes searched your face, and you couldn't read his expression. "you see me clearly, then."

"i try to," you said honestly. "i know i'm just a sky person, just a demon in false flesh, but i want to understand. i want to see the way you see."

you were quoting his words back to him, and you saw recognition flash across his face.

"you are not just anything," he said quietly, and his hand came up to your face, his fingers brushing your cheek so gently you almost thought you'd imagined it. "you are.."

he trailed off, his thumb tracing along your cheekbone. his hand was so large that his palm cupped your jaw, his fingers reaching back to your ear. you'd never felt so small, so delicate, but not in a bad way. in a way that made you feel.. precious.

"i am what?" you whispered.

his eyes dropped to your lips, and your breath caught. was he going to-

"you are learning," he finished, but his voice was strained, and his hand lingered on your face for another long moment before he pulled away. "we should return. you need to eat, rest. we will train again tomorrow."

"oh. okay." you couldn't hide your disappointment, though you weren't even sure what you were disappointed about.

the climb down was easier, with tsu'tey guiding you, his hands steadying you at every step. when you reached the ground, you turned to him, trying to understand what had just happened.

"tsu'tey.. is everything okay? you seem.. different today."

his expression shuttered slightly, but not in the cold way it usually did. "different how?"

"i don't know. nicer? not that you're usually not nice, just-" you fumbled for words, feeling your cheeks heat. "you're just.. you're being really helpful today. and patient. and.. close."

something that might have been amusement crossed his face. "is this bad? would you prefer i go back to being harsh with you?"

"no!" you said quickly. "no, i just.. i'm trying to figure out what changed. did i do something right? finally prove myself somehow?"

he studied you for a long moment, and you couldn't decipher the look in his eyes. "you are proving yourself every day," he said finally. "perhaps i am simply.. beginning to see it."

your heart soared. "really?"

"really." he reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, his fingers lingering against your neck. "you are not what i expected, little dreamwalker."

the nickname should have annoyed you. it was diminutive, almost condescending, but the way he said it, low and almost affectionate, made your stomach flip.

"is that good or bad?" you asked.

his thumb brushed against your pulse point, and you knew he could feel how fast your heart was racing. "i have not decided yet."

then he stepped back, and you immediately missed his warmth.

"go," he said, gesturing back toward hometree. "eat. rest. tomorrow we will work on your knife work."

knife work. which would probably involve even more touching, more closeness, more of tsu'tey's hands on your body guiding you.

you were going to lose your mind.

"okay," you managed. "tomorrow. i'll be on time, i promise."

that almost-smile again. "i know you will."

you walked back to hometree in a daze, your mind spinning. what had just happened? tsu'tey had been.. sweet. attentive. almost flirtatious, if you were reading it right, which you probably weren't because why would tsu'tey flirt with you?

but his hands on your body, the way he'd looked at you, the gentleness in his voice..

you touched your cheek where his fingers had been, feeling the ghost of his touch.

something had definitely changed. you just had no idea what, or why, or what it meant.

but tomorrow you'd train with him again. and maybe, just maybe, you'd figure it out.

the thought made you smile as you climbed back up into hometree, your body still humming with awareness, your skin still tingling where he'd touched you.

tomorrow couldn't come fast enough.

the weeks that followed blurred together in a haze of training, touching, and confusion.

tsu'tey's behavior didn't revert. if anything, it intensified, becoming bolder with each passing day until you felt like you were constantly off-balance, never quite sure what was happening but unable to stop thinking about it.

about him.

the knife work lesson had been exactly as overwhelming as you anticipated. tsu'tey had stood behind you, his chest pressed against your back, his arms bracketing yours as he guided your hands through the proper grip, the correct angle of attack, the way to twist the blade for maximum damage.

"you must be close to your enemy," he'd murmured against your ear, his breath hot on your skin. "close enough to smell their fear. close enough to feel their heartbeat against yours before you strike."

his hand had splayed across your stomach, pulling you back more firmly against him. "feel my heartbeat," he instructed. "it is steady. calm. you must learn this control."

you were able to feel it, the strong, rhythmic thump against your back. your own heart had been racing, erratic, and you were certain he could feel it too.

"your heart runs like a prey animal," he observed, and you felt his lips curve into a smile against your ear. "why is that, little dreamwalker? are you afraid of me?"

"no," you managed, though your voice had been shaky. "i'm not afraid."

"no?" his hand had pressed more firmly against your stomach, his thumb brushing just below your ribcage. "then why does your body tremble?"

you had no answer for that. or rather, you had an answer but couldn't possibly say it out loud.

by the end of the second week, tsu'tey had started incorporating what he called "forest sense training" into your lessons.

"you rely too much on your eyes," he told you, leading you deep into the forest to a place where the canopy was so thick that even midday felt like dusk. "the forest speaks in many ways. you must learn to listen with all of yourself."

he produced a strip of cloth, soft, woven from some plant fiber you didn't recognize. "i will blindfold you. you will learn to sense what is around you."

"blindfold me?" you repeated nervously. "tsu'tey, i don't think-"

"do you trust me?" he asked, and the question had felt loaded somehow, weighted with more meaning than it should have.

"yes," you answered honestly, because despite everything, despite his initial coldness, despite not understanding what was happening between you, you did trust him.

"good." he'd moved behind you, and you felt the cloth settle over your eyes, his fingers brushing your temples as he tied it securely. "now. tell me what you sense."

in the darkness, every other sense had sharpened. you heard the rustle of leaves, the distant call of a bird, the whisper of wind through the trees. you smelled the rich earth, the sweet scent of some night-blooming flower, and underneath it all, tsu'tey's scent, something warm and masculine that made your head spin.

"good," he'd murmured, and you felt him move. his footsteps were nearly silent, but you tracked them by sound, by the displacement of air, by some instinct you hadn't known you possessed.

"where am i?" he'd asked, his voice coming from your left.

you pointed, and heard his approving hum.

"again."

he moved, and you followed, turning to face where you sensed him. this time, you felt the warmth of his body before you'd heard him, some awareness prickling across your skin.

"very good," he'd said, and his voice had been directly in front of you, close enough that you felt his breath on your face. "you are learning. your avatar body knows things your human mind has not yet accepted."

his hands had settled on your shoulders, warm and grounding. "now. i want you to find my heartbeat."

"what?"

"place your hand on my chest. find my heartbeat without your eyes."

your hands had trembled as you reached out, feeling blindly until your palms had met the solid warmth of his chest. his skin had been smooth under your touch, and you felt the firm muscle beneath, the rise and fall of his breathing.

"lower," he'd instructed, his voice rougher now. "here."

he guided your hand down, pressing it flat against his chest where you could feel the strong, steady rhythm of his heart. it had been beating faster than you'd expected, not quite as calm as he pretended during the knife lesson.

"do you feel it?" he'd asked.

"yes," you'd whispered.

"good. now. i will find yours."

before you could process what he meant, his hand had been on your chest, his palm settling over your heart with a confidence that had stolen your breath. his hand had been so large that his fingers had spanned from your collarbone to the swell of your breast, and you felt the heat of his touch like a brand.

"your heart runs fast," he observed, his thumb brushing against your skin. "like a small bird. so quick, so fragile."

"i'm not fragile," you protested weakly.

"no," he agreed, and his other hand had come up to cup your face, his thumb tracing your cheekbone. "no, you are stronger than you appear. but still.. delicate. breakable."

his hand had still been on your chest, and you felt your heart hammering against his palm. there had been no way to hide your reaction to him, no way to pretend his touch didn't affect you.

"tsu'tey.." you breathed, not even sure what you were asking for.

he was silent for a long moment, his hand still on your heart, his thumb still tracing your face. then he stepped back, and you felt the loss of his warmth like a physical ache.

"enough for today," he'd said, his voice strained. "you have done well."

when he'd removed the blindfold, you'd blinked in the dim light, trying to read his expression. but his face had been carefully neutral, giving nothing away.

by the third week, you started to notice things that made your confusion deepen into something more complicated, something that felt dangerously close to hope.

tsu'tey sought you out. not just for training, but other times too. he'd appear at meals, settling beside you with his own food, his thigh pressing against yours as he ate. he'd find you when you were studying na'vi with the children, watching from a distance with an expression you couldn't decipher.

once, you had been helping some of the clan members repair fishing nets, tedious work that required patience and careful fingers. you'd been concentrating so hard on the intricate knots that you hadn't noticed tsu'tey's approach until his shadow had fallen over you.

"you are doing it wrong," he'd said, but there had been no heat in the criticism.

"i am?" you'd looked down at your work, frowning. it had looked right to you.

"here." he settled behind you, a position that was becoming dangerously familiar, and reached around to take your hands in his. "the knot must be tighter. like this."

his hands had engulfed yours, guiding your fingers through the proper movements. but the lesson had gone on far longer than necessary, his hands lingering, his chest warm against your back.

"you have clever hands," he murmured, and you felt his breath stir your hair. "quick and nimble. good for delicate work."

one of the older women had been watching with barely concealed amusement, and when tsu'tey had finally left, she leaned over with a knowing smile.

"the warrior watches you," she said in simple na'vi that you could understand. "he sees you."

your face had burned. "he's just.. he's my teacher. he's making sure i learn properly."

her laugh had been warm and rich. "if you say so, child. if you say so."

but it had planted a seed of possibility in your mind that you couldn't uproot. did tsu'tey see you as more than just a student? more than just jake's sister, the dreamwalker he's been forced to tolerate?

the thought had been intoxicating and terrifying in equal measure.

it was during the third week that tsu'tey had started touching your tail.

you'd been walking through the forest, following him to some new training location, when you felt a gentle tug. you yelped in surprise, spinning around to find tsu'tey holding the end of your tail, examining it with apparent fascination.

"tsu'tey! what are you-"

"your tail," he'd said, running his fingers along its length in a way that had sent shivers up your spine. "it moves differently than ours. more.. expressive."

"does it?" you'd tried to pull it away, but his grip had been firm, not painful but unyielding.

"yes. it shows your emotions plainly. see? now it is trying to escape me. you are embarrassed."

"i'm not-" but you had been, your face heating as he continued to examine your tail like it was the most interesting thing he'd ever seen.

"the tuft at the end is softer than ours," he observed, his fingers stroking through the hair there. "like your hair. everything about you is softer."

the way he said it hadn't sounded like an insult. it had sounded almost.. appreciative.

"is that bad?" you asked.

his eyes had met yours, intense and unreadable. "no. it is.. different. not bad."

from then on, he'd seemed to find excuses to touch your tail. adjusting it when you sat, moving it aside when it was "in the way," running his fingers through the tuft absently while he explained something. each touch had sent sparks of sensation through you, the tail was more sensitive than you'd realised, connected to your spine in a way that made every brush of his fingers feel intimate.

you'd started to wonder if he knew. if he understood what his touches did to you.

"your hair is a mess," tsu'tey had announced one evening, appearing beside you as you sat by one of the fires.

you reached up self-consciously. your hair had gotten longer in the weeks since you'd arrived, and you'd been tying it back in a simple braid to keep it out of your way. "is it? i thought-"

"come." he gestured for you to follow him to a quieter spot, away from the main gathering.

when you settled on the ground, he positioned himself behind you and begun to undo your braid. his fingers had worked through your hair with surprising gentleness, careful not to pull.

"what are you doing?" you asked, your voice coming out breathier than intended.

"fixing it. you cannot walk around looking like you have been dragged through the forest."

"i didn't think you cared about my appearance."

his hands had paused for just a moment. "i care that you represent yourself well. you are learning our ways. you should look the part."

he sectioned your hair with practiced ease, his fingers brushing against your scalp, your neck, your ears. the sensation had been almost unbearably intimate, and you found yourself fighting the urge to lean back into his touch.

"how do you know how to braid hair?" you asked, desperate for distraction.

"i used to braid for the children, something i picked up." he replied.

“that’s so sweet.” you said, almost a little surprised.

he hummed, his fingers had continued their work, weaving your hair into a complex pattern that you couldn't see but could feel. he'd woven in small beads, feathers, things that clicked softly together.

"there," he'd said finally. "better."

you reached up to feel the intricate braids, amazed at the detail. "tsu'tey, this is beautiful. thank you."

"it suits you." his hands had lingered on your shoulders, and you felt his breath against your neck. "you are.. you are becoming more na'vi. less like a dreamwalker. more like one of the people."

you turned to look at him, and found his face closer than expected. "is that good?"

"yes," he'd said quietly, his eyes searching yours. "it is good."

from then on, he braided your hair regularly. it had become a ritual. every few days, he'd find you and gesture for you to sit, and his hands would work through your hair with that same careful gentleness. sometimes he'd talk while he worked, telling you stories of the clan, of hunts, of the forest. sometimes he'd be silent, and you'd just sit there feeling his hands in your hair, your heart aching with feelings you didn't know how to name.

by the fourth week, you forced to admit to yourself what was happening.

you were falling for tsu'tey.

it was a terrible, wonderful, confusing realisation. he was your teacher. he was na'vi and you were a dreamwalker. he’d been promised to neytiri before jake had-

you tried not to think about that. about jake and neytiri, about how tsu'tey must feel about losing her. was that why he was being kind to you now? some sort of.. you didn't know. compensation? pity?

the thought had made your stomach turn.

but then he'd do something that made you forget your doubts. like the time you'd been climbing and actually fell, not just slipped, but lost your grip entirely. you had a split second of terror before strong arms had caught you, and you found yourself cradled against tsu'tey's chest, his arms locked around you.

"i have you," he'd said, his voice rough. "i will not let you fall."

you looked up at him, and the expression on his face had stolen your breath. there had been something fierce there, something possessive, something that looked almost like fear.

"i'm okay." you muttered.

"you could have been hurt." his arms had tightened around you. "you must be more careful."

"i will. i promise."

but he hadn't put you down. instead, he adjusted his grip, one arm under your knees and one around your back, and carried you down the tree like you weighed nothing.

"i can walk," you protested weakly.

"i know. but i will carry you."

and he had, all the way back to hometree, ignoring the curious looks from other clan members. when he finally set you down, his hands had lingered on your waist, and he looked at you with such intensity that you forgot how to breathe.

"be more careful," he repeated. "i cannot always be there to catch you."

but the way he said it had sounded like a lie. like he would always be there, like he'd make sure of it.

another time, he'd been teaching you to track, showing you how to read signs in the forest. broken twigs, disturbed earth, the scent markers animals left behind.

"here," he'd said, crouching beside a tree. "smell this."

you leaned in, trying to detect whatever he was indicating, but you smelled nothing unusual.

"i don't-"

"closer." his hand had come to the back of your head, guiding you nearer to the bark. "breathe deep. let the forest speak to you."

you inhaled, and finally caught it, a musky, sharp scent that was definitely animal.

"yes," tsu'tey had said, pleased. "you smell it now. a hexapede, male, marking his territory."

you straightened, proud of yourself for identifying it, but tsu'tey hadn't moved back. instead, he leaned closer to you, his nose nearly touching your neck.

"tsu'tey?" your voice had come out shaky. "what are you-"

"you smell different," he murmured, and you felt his breath hot against your skin. "from when you first arrived. less like human, more like na'vi. more like.. the forest."

"is that.. is that good?"

"yes." his nose had traced along your neck to your shoulder, and you felt your knees go weak. "very good. you are adapting. becoming."

his hand had still been on the back of your head, his fingers tangled in your hair, and you were acutely aware of how close he was, how easy it would be to just lean in, to close the distance between you-

he pulled back abruptly, his expression shuttered. "we should continue. there is more to learn."

you were left standing there, your heart racing, your skin tingling where his breath had touched, wondering what the hell was happening.

the touches had become bolder, more frequent, harder to explain away as just teaching.

his hand on the small of your back as he guided you through the forest. his fingers trailing down your arm when he adjusted your grip on a weapon. the way he'd pull you close under the pretense of showing you something, his body warm and solid against yours.

once, during a lesson on pa'li riding, you'd been struggling to maintain your balance on one of the direhorses. tsu'tey had swung up behind you without warning, his chest pressed against your back, his arms coming around you to take the reins.

"like this," he said, his voice rumbling through you. "feel how i move with her. you must become one with your mount."

the pa'li had started moving, and you'd been forced to lean back against tsu'tey for balance. his thighs had bracketed yours, his arms had caged you in, and every movement of the direhorse had pressed you more firmly against him.

"relax," he'd murmured against your ear. "trust her. trust me."

you tried, but it had been impossible to relax when you’re so aware of every point of contact between your bodies. the ride had seemed to last forever yet not nearly long enough.

when you finally stopped and tsu'tey had dismounted, he reached up to lift you down. his hands had spanned your waist, and he lowered you slowly, so slowly that your body had slid against his. your feet had touched the ground but he hadn't let go, hadn't stepped back.

"you did well," he'd said, his voice low and rough.

"i didn't do anything. you were controlling the pa'li."

"you trusted. that is something."

his hands had still been on your waist, his thumbs brushing against your ribcage, and you looked up at him helplessly. the sun had been setting behind him, casting him in gold and shadow.

"tsu'tey," you whispered, not even sure what you were asking for.

his eyes had darkened, his gaze dropping to your lips. he'd leaned in, just slightly, and your breath had caught-

then he released you and stepped back, his expression unreadable. "it is late. we should return."

you wanted to scream in frustration.

tsu'tey told himself it was still about revenge.

he told himself that every touch, every lingering look, every moment of tenderness was calculated. strategic. designed to make the little dreamwalker fall for him so that when jake sully finally noticed, it would hurt.

he told himself this even as his hands lingered on your skin longer than necessary. even as he sought you out when he had no reason to. even as he found himself thinking about you at night, remembering the way you’d felt in his arms, the sound of your laugh, the trust in your eyes when you looked at him.

it was revenge. it had to be.

but the lie was becoming harder to maintain.

he watched you grow stronger, more confident, more na'vi with each passing day. you learned quickly, adapted readily, and threw yourself into every lesson with an enthusiasm that was both endearing and frustrating. you asked endless questions, pushed yourself past you limits, and never complained even when he knew you was exhausted.

you were nothing like he'd expected. nothing like jake sully, despite sharing his blood.

where jake was reckless, you were thoughtful. where jake was arrogant, you was humble. where jake took, you gave.

and you were beautiful. eywa help him, but you were beautiful. not in the way neytiri was beautiful, neytiri was fierce and wild, a warrior born. but the dreamwalker had a softness to her, a gentleness that made him want to protect you even as he taught you to protect yourself.

your eyes were too expressive, showing every emotion plainly. when you were happy, they lit up like bioluminescence. when you was confused, they went wide and uncertain. when you looked at him-

when you looked at him, there was something in your eyes that made his chest tight. something warm and hopeful and trusting that he didn't deserve.

because he was lying to you. using you. planning to hurt your brother through you.

except.. was he?

the plan had seemed so clear at first. make you fall for him. let jake see. watch jake suffer the way tsu'tey had suffered when neytiri had been taken from him.

but somewhere along the way, the plan had gotten muddied. confused. he no longer thought about jake when he touched you. he thought about the way your breath caught, the way your skin felt under his hands, the way you leaned into his touch like a flower seeking sun.

he no longer sought you out to further some revenge plot. he sought you out because he wanted to see you. wanted to hear your voice, watch your smile, be near you.

and that was dangerous.

he was falling, he realised with growing dread. falling for the one person he should not want. falling for jake sully's sister, the dreamwalker, the sky person in false flesh.

falling for you despite every reason not to.

the realisation should have made him pull back. should have made him end this before it went too far.

but he couldn't. eywa help him, he couldn't.

so he told himself it was still revenge, even as his touches grew more tender. told himself he was still in control, even as he found excuses to be near you. told himself it meant nothing, even as his heart called him a liar.

it was the end of the fourth week when things nearly crossed a line you couldn't uncross.

you'd been working on your vision, learning to navigate the forest after dark when the bioluminescence turned everything into a dreamscape. tsu'tey had taken you deep into the forest, far from hometree, where the darkness was complete and the glowing plants were your only light.

"you must learn to move in darkness," he said. "to trust your other senses. the forest is different at night, but no less beautiful."

he'd been right. the forest at night was breathtaking, every plant glowing in shades of blue and purple and green, the air thick with the scent of night-blooming flowers, the sounds of nocturnal creatures echoing through the trees.

you'd been so busy looking around in wonder that you didn’t watch your footing. your foot had caught on a root, and you stumbled forward with a yelp.

tsu'tey had caught you, of course he had, but your momentum had been too much. you'd both gone down, and you landed on top of him, your hands braced on his chest, your legs tangled with his.

"sorry," you gasped, trying to push yourself up. "i'm sorry, i wasn't watching-"

but his hands had come to your hips, holding you in place. "wait."

you froze, suddenly aware of your position. you were straddling him, your body pressed against his, your face inches from his. in the bioluminescent glow, his eyes had been luminous, his freckles standing out in intricate patterns across his skin.

"tsu'tey," you whispered, your heart hammering.

his hands had tightened on your hips, his thumbs pressing into the soft flesh there. "you are always falling," he'd said, his voice rough. "always needing to be caught."

"i'm sorry. i'm clumsy, i know-"

one of his hands had slid up from your hip to your waist, then higher, coming to rest on your ribcage just below your breast. "you are learning. growing stronger. but still.. you need someone to catch you."

his other hand had come up to cup your face, his thumb brushing across your cheekbone. you'd been unable to look away from his eyes, unable to move, unable to breathe.

"tsu'tey," you'd said again, and it had come out like a plea.

"you should not look at me like that," he murmured, his thumb moving to trace your lower lip. "like you want.. like you.."

"like i what?" you whispered against his thumb.

his eyes had gone molten, his pupils dilating. "like you want me to kiss you."

your breath had caught. "what if i do?"

for a moment, one perfect, suspended moment, you thought he would. his hand had tightened on your face, his eyes had dropped to your lips, and he started to pull you down-

then he stopped. his whole body had gone rigid, and something complicated and pained had crossed his face.

"no," he'd said, and it had sounded like it cost him. "no, we cannot."

he sat up, carefully moving you off him, and stood. you remained on the ground, confused and hurt and aching with want.

"why not?" you asked, your voice small.

he looked down at you, and the expression on his face had been tortured. "because you do not understand. you do not see clearly."

"see what? tsu'tey, i don't understand what's happening. you've been.. you've been different. touching me, being close to me, and i thought.. i thought maybe you.."

"you thought what?" his voice had been sharp, almost angry. "that i have feelings for you? that this means something?"

the words had hit like a physical blow. "i.. i don't know. i hoped.."

he closed his eyes, his jaw clenching. when he opened them again, his expression had been carefully neutral. "you are my student. i am teaching you. that is all."

"that's all?" you felt tears prick your eyes, humiliation burning through you. "all those touches, all the time we've spent together, the way you look at me- that's all just teaching?"

"yes."

the lie had been obvious, you'd seen the truth in his eyes, in the tension of his body, in the way his hands had clenched into fists. but he said it anyway, and the rejection had hurt more than you'd thought possible.

"i see," you said quietly, climbing to your feet. "i'm sorry. i misunderstood. it won't happen again."

"little dreamwalker-"

"don't." you held up a hand, unable to look at him. "just.. don't. can we go back now? i'm tired."

the walk back to hometree had been silent and miserable. tsu'tey had stayed close, as if afraid you would fall again, but he hadn't touched you. hadn't spoken.

when you finally reached hometree, you climbed to your hammock without a word, curled up, and tried very hard not to cry.

you'd been so stupid. of course tsu'tey didn't have feelings for you. he was just being a good teacher, and you read far too much into it. you let yourself hope, let yourself imagine something that was never there.

below, tsu'tey had stood in the darkness, watching the level where you slept, his hands still clenched into fists.

he almost kissed her. almost given in. almost ruined everything.

because if he kissed her, he wouldn't have been able to stop. wouldn't have been able to maintain the lie that this was about revenge, about jake, about anything other than the fact that he wanted her with an intensity that terrified him.

she looked at him with such hope, such open longing, and he'd wanted nothing more than to pull her close and never let go.

but he couldn't. because she deserved better than his lies. better than his revenge plot. better than him.

so he hurt her instead. pushed her away. told her it meant nothing.

the look on her face would haunt him.

but it was better this way. safer. for both of them.

he told himself that as he finally turned away, heading to his own hammock.

he told himself that even as his chest ached with something that felt dangerously close to regret.

the lie tasted bitter, but tsu'tey swallowed it down and tried to convince himself he'd done the right thing.

he failed.

you avoided him for three days.

it wasn't hard. the omaticaya were numerous, and there were plenty of other clan members willing to teach you. neytiri took over most of your training with barely concealed satisfaction, though her eyes held questions you weren't ready to answer. jake noticed, of course he did, but he didn't push. not at first.

you learned to weave from an elder named tsahey, your fingers clumsy with the dried reeds but improving. you practiced your bow with one of the younger hunters, a kind woman named se'txelu who praised your steady aim. you helped gather food, prepare meals, tend to the ikran.

anything to avoid the weight of tsu'tey's gaze.

because he was watching. you felt it constantly, that prickling awareness at the back of your neck. you'd glance up and catch him across the common area, his expression carefully neutral, before he'd look away with studied disinterest.

he was good at pretending. you'd give him that.

but you'd also catch him with his jaw tight, his shoulders tense. you'd see him start toward you, then stop. change direction. find something else that suddenly required his attention.

it was almost satisfying, seeing him struggle.

almost.

mostly it just hurt.

"alright, what happened?" jake finally cornered you on the fourth day, catching you as you returned from the river with a basket of water plants. his avatar body blocked your path, arms crossed, expression concerned rather than angry.

"nothing happened."

"try again." he tilted his head. "you've been avoiding tsu'tey like he's got some kind of disease, and he's been.." jake paused, frowning. "actually, i'm not sure what he's been doing. brooding? more than usual, anyway. which is saying something."

you tried to step around him. "it's nothing. we're fine."

"you're a terrible liar." but jake moved aside, falling into step beside you. "look, you don't have to tell me. but.. you know i'm here, right? if you need to talk. or if someone needs their ass kicked. i'm good at both."

despite everything, you felt your lips twitch. "i know."

"he didn't hurt you, did he?" jake's voice had gone quieter, more serious. "because if he-"

"no." you cut him off quickly. "no, nothing like that. he just.." you swallowed hard. "he made it clear he's not interested. that's all."

jake was quiet for a long moment. then, "huh."

"what?"

"nothing. just.. that's interesting."

you shot him a look. "what's interesting?"

"the way he watches you. doesn't really seem like 'not interested' to me." jake shrugged. "but what do i know? i'm just a dumb marine."

your heart did something complicated in your chest. "he said it meant nothing. that he's my teacher and that's all."

"and you believed him?"

"why wouldn't i?"

jake gave you a look that was far too knowing. "because i've seen the way he looks at you when he thinks no one's watching. and that's not nothing."

you didn't know what to say to that. didn't know if you could let yourself hope.

so you just carried your basket back to hometree and tried not to think about golden eyes and almost-kisses and the ghost of gentle hands.

it was that evening when everything came to a head.

you were helping prepare the evening meal, grinding seeds into paste with steady, rhythmic motions. the work was meditative, giving your hands something to do while your mind wandered.

you didn't notice tsu'tey approaching until his shadow fell across you.

"we need to talk."

your hands stilled. you didn't look up. "i'm busy."

"it can wait."

"i don't think we have anything to talk about." you resumed grinding, putting more force into it than necessary. "you made yourself clear."

there was a pause. then, "i was wrong."

that made you look up. tsu'tey stood above you, his expression carefully controlled, but there was something in his eyes, something raw and uncertain that you'd never seen before.

"wrong about what?" your voice came out sharper than intended.

he glanced around at the other clan members nearby, his jaw tightening. "not here. come with me."

"i said i'm busy-"

"please."

the word was quiet, almost rough, like it cost him something to say it. and maybe it did. tsu'tey didn't strike you as someone who said please very often.

you set down your grinding stone and stood, ignoring the curious looks from the others. "fine. but this better be quick."

he led you away from hometree, into the forest where the bioluminescence was just beginning to wake with the falling darkness. you followed in silence, arms crossed protectively over your chest.

finally, when you were far enough away that no one would overhear, tsu'tey stopped. he stood with his back to you for a moment, shoulders tight.

"i should not have said what i said." his voice was low, controlled. "it was.. untrue."

"untrue." you repeated the word flatly. "so you lied to me."

"yes."

at least he was honest about that. you waited, but he didn't continue. just stood there, rigid and silent.

"that's it?" you demanded. "that's all you have to say? you humiliated me, pushed me away, and now you're just going to stand there and-"

"i do not know how to do this!" the words burst out of him, sharp and frustrated. he turned to face you, and there was something almost desperate in his expression. "i do not know how to.. how to say.."

he made a sharp gesture, his tail lashing in agitation.

you stared at him. "say what?"

"that i-" he stopped. started again. "you are not just my student."

your heart was pounding. "then what am i?"

"i do not have words for it." he looked away, jaw tight. "in my language or yours. you are.. you make me.." another frustrated gesture. "this is why i tried to stop it. why i pushed you away. because i do not know how to- i cannot-"

"tsu'tey." you stepped closer. "just say it. whatever it is."

he looked at you then, really looked at you, and the intensity in his golden eyes made your breath catch.

"i want you," he said finally, the words rough and low. "i have wanted you since you stopped to help that pa'li. since you asked your endless questions. since you looked at our world with wonder instead of greed." his hands clenched at his sides. "i told myself it was wrong. that you were sky people, that i should not- but i cannot stop."

you couldn't breathe. couldn't think. "then why did you-"

"because you deserve better than my lies." the confession came out harsh. "better than someone who befriended you to hurt your brother. who planned to use you for revenge."

there it was. the truth.

"is that what this was?" your voice shook. "some kind of game? get close to me to get to jake?"

"at first." he didn't flinch from your anger. "yes. at first, that was my intention. to make jake sully pay for his disrespect by.." he stopped. "it does not matter. because then i knew you. and you were not what i expected. you were kind. humble. you saw our world, truly saw it, and you.."

he took a breath.

"you made me forget why i was supposed to hate you."

tears burned in your eyes. "you should have told me."

"i know."

"you should have been honest from the start."

"i know." he took a step closer, his voice dropping. "i am telling you now. i am telling you that my plan failed because i-" he stopped, struggling. "because when i look at you, i do not think of revenge. i think of how your laugh sounds like music. how you bite your lip when you concentrate. how you fit perfectly in my arms when i carried you."

another step. he was close now, close enough that you could see the faint pattern of his tanhì, the way his chest rose and fell with careful breaths.

"i think of how much i want to kiss you," he said quietly. "how much i want to teach you everything, show you everything. how much i want.." his voice roughened. "how much i want you to be mine."

your breath hitched. "tsu'tey.."

"i am not good with words," he continued, something almost helpless in his expression. "i am a warrior. i know how to fight, how to hunt, how to lead. but this.. you.. i do not know how to do this correctly. i only know that pushing you away felt wrong. that seeing you avoid me has been.." he paused. "painful."

you searched his face, looking for any sign of deception. but there was only honesty there, raw and uncomfortable and real.

"if you want me to stay away, i will," he said. "if you cannot forgive me, i understand. but i needed you to know the truth. all of it."

you stood there, heart pounding, mind racing. he'd lied to you. used you, at least initially. you should be angry. you should walk away.

but you'd seen the way he looked at you when he thought you weren't watching. felt the gentleness in his touch, heard the pride in his voice when you succeeded at something new. and you'd seen, just now, how much it cost him to be this vulnerable.

"you're an idiot," you said finally.

he blinked. "i.. yes. probably."

"definitely." you stepped closer, close enough that you had to tilt your head back to meet his eyes. "you should have just told me you liked me instead of doing this whole.. complicated revenge plot thing."

"i did not know i liked you when i started the revenge plot thing," he said, and there was something almost defensive in his tone that made you want to laugh despite everything.

"and now?"

"now i.." he swallowed. "now i.. more than like you."

your heart stuttered. "how much more?"

instead of answering, he reached out slowly, giving you time to pull away. when you didn't, his hand cupped your cheek, thumb brushing across your cheekbone with devastating gentleness.

"i see you," he said quietly, and the words held weight. meaning.

you knew enough na'vi by now to understand. i see you. not just the physical, though his eyes were definitely tracking over your face, your body, but deeper. the real you.

"i see you too," you whispered. "even when you're being an idiot."

his lips twitched. almost a smile. "especially then?"

"especially then."

he was leaning closer, his other hand coming up to cup your other cheek, tilting your face up toward his. "if you want me to stop-"

"don't you dare."

he kissed you.

it wasn't like the almost-kiss before. this was real, solid, his lips warm and sure against yours. his hands slid from your face to your waist, pulling you closer, and you went willingly, your own hands coming up to grip his shoulders.

he kissed like he did everything else.. with intensity and focus and barely restrained passion. when his tongue traced your lower lip, you opened for him with a soft sound that made him growl low in his throat.

the kiss deepened, turned hungry. his hands tightened on your waist, one sliding up your back to tangle in your hair. you pressed closer, feeling the heat of his body, the solid strength of him.

when you finally broke apart, both breathing hard, his eyes were dark with want.

"i have wanted to do that," he said roughly, "for so long."

"yeah?" you were breathless, dizzy. "what else have you wanted to do?"

his eyes flashed. "many things. things that are not appropriate for-"

"show me."

he made a sound that was almost pained. "you do not know what you are asking."

"then tell me." you slid your hands down his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart. "or better yet, show me."

"if i start," he said, voice strained, "i will not want to stop."

"good."

he stared at you for a long moment. then, with a muttered curse in na'vi, he kissed you again. harder this time, more demanding. his hands roamed your body, mapping you through your na’vi clothing, and you arched into his touch with a gasp.

"not here," he growled against your lips. "anyone could see."

"then take me somewhere private."

he pulled back just enough to look at you, his eyes searching. "you are certain?"

"very certain."

something heated and possessive flashed across his face. "then hold on."

he lifted you easily, your legs wrapping around his waist as he carried you deeper into the forest. you kissed his neck, his jaw, anywhere you could reach, and felt the rumble of his groan vibrate through his chest.

"you will be the death of me," he muttered, but there was something almost fond in his tone.

"hey!" jake's voice cut through the darkness, making you both freeze. "there you guys are. we've been looking for- oh.."

tsu'tey had set you down quickly, but not quickly enough. jake stood a few feet away, taking in your swollen lips, tsu'tey's hands still on your waist, the general state of both of you.

"oh," jake said again."okay. so.. this is happening."

you wanted to die. "jake- "

"no, no, it's fine." jake held up his hands. "i mean, i had my suspicions, but.." he looked at tsu'tey, his expression going serious. "you hurt her, and we're going to have a problem. i don't care if you're the next olo'eyktan. got it?"

tsu'tey's jaw tightened, but he nodded. "understood."

"good." jake's expression softened slightly as he looked at you. "you good?"

you felt your cheeks heat. "yeah. i'm good."

"alright then." jake started backing away. "i'm just gonna.. go. and maybe take the long way back. give you guys some.. time." he paused. "but not too much time. and keep it.. you know what, i'm leaving now."

he disappeared into the forest, and you buried your face in tsu'tey's chest with a mortified groan.

"that was.."

"humiliating," you finished.

"i was going to say 'inevitable.'" you felt his chest rumble with quiet amusement. "your brother is protective. it is.. good. you should have someone who watches over you."

you pulled back to look at him. "i thought that was your job now."

his eyes darkened again. "yes. it is."

"then maybe," you said, sliding your hands up his chest, "you should take me somewhere my brother won't interrupt us again."

tsu'tey's smile was slow and dangerous and made heat pool low in your belly.

"as you wish," he murmured, and kissed you again.

this time, there would be no interruptions.

he took you deeper into the forest, to a place where the trees grew so thick their branches wove together overhead, creating a canopy that blocked out the sky. bioluminescent vines hung like curtains, their soft glow painting everything in shades of blue and purple. the ground was carpeted in thick moss that gave beneath your feet, and the air smelled of night-blooming flowers and rain.

it was beautiful. private. perfect.

tsu'tey set you down carefully, but his hands didn't leave your waist. he looked at you for a long moment, his expression intense, searching.

"last chance," he said quietly. "if you want to stop, tell me now."

you reached up to cup his face, feeling the warmth of his skin, the slight roughness of his jaw. "i don't want to stop."

something fierce and possessive flashed in his eyes. "good."

he kissed you again, and this time there was no hesitation, no holding back. his hands moved over you with purpose, learning the shape of you, the places that made you gasp. when his fingers found the ties of your woven top, he paused, looking at you with a question in his eyes.

"yes," you breathed.

he undid the ties slowly, deliberately, his knuckles brushing your skin as he worked. when the fabric fell away, he made a low sound in his throat, his eyes tracking over you with undisguised hunger.

"beautiful," he murmured. "so beautiful."

his hands came up to cup your breasts, his palms warm and slightly rough. you arched into his touch with a gasp, and he made that sound again, deeper this time.

"so responsive," he said, his voice rough. "i have barely touched you."

"then touch me more."

his eyes flashed. "careful what you ask for, yawntutsyìp."

before you could respond, he dropped to his knees in front of you, his hands sliding down to grip your hips. he pressed his face against your stomach, breathing you in, and you felt the warmth of his breath through the thin fabric of your loincloth.

"tsu'tey.." your hands tangled in his hair, not sure if you were trying to pull him closer or push him away.

he looked up at you, and the sight of him on his knees, looking at you like you were something precious and wanted, made your breath catch.

"i want to taste you," he said, his hands already working at the ties of your loincloth. "i want to make you come apart on my tongue. will you let me?"

you couldn't speak, could only nod. but he shook his head.

"words. i need to hear you say it."

"yes," you managed. "yes, please."

he smiled, slow and dangerous. "good girl."

he pulled your clothing down, helping you step out of them, and then his hands were on your thighs, spreading them wider. you felt exposed, vulnerable, but the way he was looking at you, like you were the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, made you feel something else instead.

"wait," you said suddenly, and he froze, his eyes snapping up to yours.

"what is wrong?"

"nothing, i just.." you bit your lip. "i want.. can i..?"

you gestured vaguely at him, at his body, and understanding dawned in his eyes.

"you want to touch me?"

"yes. i want.." you felt your cheeks heat. "i want to make you feel good too."

something softened in his expression. "you do not have to-"

"i want to." you dropped to your knees in front of him, bringing you eye-level with lower stomach. "please. let me."

he stared at you for a long moment, his jaw tight. "you will be my undoing."

you reached for the ties of his loincloth with shaking hands. he helped you, his movements sure and unhurried, and when the fabric fell away you couldn't help but stare.

he was big. bigger than you'd expected, though you supposed you should have anticipated that given his size overall. his cock was hard, flushed darker than the rest of him, and you felt a rush of heat between your legs at the sight.

"you do not have to-" he started again, but you cut him off by wrapping your hand around him.

he made a choked sound, his hips jerking forward involuntarily. you looked up at him, watching his face as you stroked him slowly, learning what he liked. his eyes were dark, his pupils blown wide, and his breathing had gone rough and uneven.

"is this okay?" you asked.

"yes." the word came out strained. "yes, more than okay."

you leaned forward, pressing a kiss to the head of his cock, and he groaned, one hand coming up to tangle in your hair.

"you do not have to-"

"i want to," you said again, and took him into your mouth.

the sound he made was almost pained. his hand tightened in your hair, not pulling, just holding, grounding himself. you took him deeper, as much as you could manage, and felt him shudder.

"eywa," he breathed. "your mouth.. you feel.."

you hummed around him, pleased by his reaction, and his hips jerked forward again. you pulled back slightly, looking up at him, and found him watching you with an intensity that made you clench.

"you like this," he said, and it wasn't a question. his free hand came up to cup your face, his thumb brushing your stretched lips. "you like having me in your mouth."

you nodded as much as you could, and he made a low sound.

"you are perfect," he said roughly. "so perfect. can you take more?"

you nodded again, and he guided your head forward, pushing deeper. you relaxed your throat, taking him as far as you could, and heard his breath hitch.

"good," he murmured. "so good for me. such a good girl."

the praise made you moan around him, and he groaned in response. his hand in your hair tightened, and he started to move, shallow thrusts that made you feel used in the best possible way.

"tell me if it is too much," he said, his voice strained. "tap my leg if you need to stop."

you hummed your agreement, and he took that as permission to move faster. his other hand joined the first in your hair, holding you steady as he fucked your mouth with increasing urgency.

"look at you," he breathed. "taking me so well. so beautiful like this, on your knees for me."

you could feel yourself getting wet, arousal pooling between your legs just from this, from pleasuring him. you shifted, trying to get some friction, and he noticed.

"are you wet, yawntutsyìp?" his voice had gone rough, almost feral. "does this make you wet? having my cock in your mouth?"

you moaned around him, and he groaned in response.

"i can smell you," he said. "sweet. you want this as much as i do."

his thrusts were getting less controlled now, more desperate. you could feel him getting close, could taste the salt of his precome on your tongue.

"i am close," he warned. "you should- i do not want to-"

you grabbed at his hips, pulling him deeper, making it clear you weren't going anywhere. he made a sound that was almost a growl.

"you want it?" his voice was rough, barely controlled. "you want me to come in your mouth?"

you hummed your agreement, and that was all it took. he thrust deep one last time, his hands tightening in your hair, and came with a groan that echoed through the clearing.

you swallowed, taking everything he gave you, and felt a rush of satisfaction at the way he shuddered above you.

when he finally pulled back, his eyes were glazed, his chest heaving. he looked down at you with something like awe.

"you.." he seemed to struggle for words. "that was.."

you wiped your mouth with the back of your hand, feeling pleased with yourself. "good?"

"good." he laughed, the sound rough and breathless. "yes. very good." he pulled you up, his hands gentle now, and kissed you deeply. "you are amazing. perfect. mine."

"yours," you agreed, and felt him shudder.

"yes." his hands slid down your body, cupping your ass and pulling you against him. "mine. and now.." his eyes darkened again. "now it is my turn to make you feel good."

he guided you down to the soft moss, his movements careful despite the hunger in his eyes. the ground was cool beneath your back, cushioned by layers of green that had probably been growing here for years. tsutey followed you down, caging you in with his arms, his braids falling forward to frame his face.

"i have wanted this," he murmured, pressing a kiss to your lips, then your jaw. "wanted to taste you. to make you shake the way you made me shake."

"tsutey.." your breath hitched as his mouth moved to your neck, finding that sensitive spot just below your ear.

"shh." another kiss, this one to your collarbone. "let me worship you, yawntutsyìp. let me show you how much i want you."

his hands were everywhere, sliding up your sides, tracing the curve of your waist, skimming over your ribs. each touch was deliberate, reverent, like he was memorising the shape of you. when his fingers brushed the underside of your breast, you arched into him.

"so responsive," he breathed against your skin. "i love how you react to me."

he took his time working down your body, pressing open-mouthed kisses to your sternum, the swell of your breasts, the soft skin of your stomach. every few inches he would pause, looking up at you with those intense golden eyes, checking that you were still with him, still wanting this.

"please," you finally gasped when his mouth hovered just above your hip bone.

"please what?" there was a teasing edge to his voice now, a hint of smugness that made you want to grab his braids and pull him where you needed him.

"you know what."

"i want to hear you say it." his breath ghosted over your inner thigh, making you shiver. "tell me what you want."

"i want your mouth on me," you said, past the point of embarrassment. "i want you to taste me."

his pupils dilated, and he made a low sound of approval. "good girl. so honest for me."

he spread your legs wider, settling between them, and for a moment he just looked at you. the intensity of his gaze made you feel exposed in the best way, like he was seeing all of you and loving every bit of it.

"beautiful," he murmured. "so wet already. is this all for me?"

"yes," you breathed. "all for you."

"mine," he said again, and then his mouth was on you.

the first touch of his tongue made you cry out, your hips jerking up involuntarily. he pressed a hand to your stomach, holding you down, keeping you in place as he explored you with his mouth. he was thorough, methodical, learning what made you gasp and what made you moan.

"tsu’tey, oh god-"

"not god," he said against you, the vibration of his voice sending sparks through your nerves. "me. say my name."

"tsu’tey," you obliged, and felt him smile.

he focused his attention on your clit, circling it with his tongue in a way that made your thighs tremble. when he sealed his lips around it and sucked, you nearly came apart right there.

"that's it," he encouraged, his voice rough with arousal. "let me hear you. i want to know what feels good."

he alternated between broad strokes of his tongue and focused attention on that bundle of nerves, reading your body like he'd been doing this for years instead of minutes. when you tangled your fingers in his braids, he groaned, the sound vibrating against you in the most delicious way.

"you taste so good," he murmured between strokes. "i could do this for hours. would you like that, yawntutsyìp? would you like me to keep you here, make you come on my tongue again and again?"

the image his words painted made you clench around nothing, desperate for more. "yes, please, i need-"

"what do you need?" he pulled back just enough to look at you, his lips glistening. "tell me."

"more," you gasped. "i need more."

he slid one finger inside you, slow and careful, watching your face for any sign of discomfort. when you only moaned and rolled your hips, he added a second, curling them in a way that made stars burst behind your eyelids.

"like this?" he asked, his mouth returning to your clit as his fingers worked inside you.

"yes, just like that, don't stop-"

he didn't. he kept that perfect rhythm, his tongue and fingers working in tandem, building the pressure inside you higher and higher. your thighs were shaking now, your breath coming in short gasps, and you could feel yourself getting close.

"that's it," he encouraged, his free hand gripping your hip hard enough to leave marks. "i can feel you getting close. you're squeezing my fingers so tight. are you going to come for me?"

"yes," you whimpered. "yes, i'm so close-"

he doubled his efforts, his tongue moving faster, his fingers hitting that perfect spot inside you with every thrust. the pleasure built and built, coiling tight in your belly, and you were right on the edge, so close you could almost taste it-

and then he slowed down.

"tsu’tey!" you practically wailed, your hips bucking in protest.

he looked up at you with dark, hungry eyes. "not yet," he said, his voice rough. "i want to feel you come around me. i want to be inside you when you fall apart."

he withdrew his fingers, and you whimpered at the loss. but then he was moving up your body, pressing kisses to your stomach, your ribs, the valley between your breasts. he took his time, savoring every inch of skin, his tongue tracing patterns that made you shiver. when he reached your neck, he bit down gently, then harder, sucking a mark into your skin that would definitely be visible tomorrow.

"mine," he growled against your throat, his voice possessive and rough. "everyone will see. everyone will know you belong to me."

"yes," you gasped, tilting your head to give him better access. "yours."

he pulled back to look at you, his pupils blown wide with desire, the golden amber of his eyes reduced to thin rings.

his cock pressed against your thigh, hot and hard and ready again. na'vi recovery time was something else entirely. even in your avatar body, the size difference was significant, he was na'vi, all lean muscle and height, easily over nine feet tall, and you could feel how much larger he was. his hand could span your entire waist, his body dwarfing yours in a way that made you feel deliciously small and protected.

"i'm going to fill you up," he murmured, reaching down to position himself at your entrance. the head of his cock nudged against you, and you could feel how thick he was, how much he would stretch you. "you're going to feel me for days. every time you move, you'll remember this. remember me inside you."

"please," you begged, trying to roll your hips toward him. "tsu’tey, please-"

"so impatient." he caught your wrists in one large hand, pinning them above your head with ease. his other hand gripped your hip, holding you still. "stay still. let me take care of you. i want to savor this.. savor you."

the first press of him against you made you gasp. he was thick, stretching you even at just the tip, and he moved slowly, watching your face with intense focus. his eyes never left yours, drinking in every expression, every flutter of your lashes, every parting of your lips.

"breathe," he instructed, his voice strained with the effort of holding back. he pushed in another inch, and you felt the burn of the stretch. "relax for me. let me in. i know it's a lot, but you can take it. you were made to take me."

you tried to obey, forcing your muscles to unclench, and he rewarded you by sliding in deeper. the stretch burned in the best way, pleasure and pressure mixing until you couldn't tell them apart. he was so big, filling you in a way you'd never experienced before, and you could feel every ridge, every vein as he worked himself inside.

"good girl," he praised, his voice rough with desire. "taking me so well. look at you, opening up for me. so perfect."

he kept that slow, steady pace, working himself deeper with each shallow thrust. his free hand gripped your hip hard enough to bruise, holding you in place as he filled you inch by inch. the heat of him inside you making you dizzy.

it seemed to go on forever, the slow press of him deeper and deeper, until you thought you couldn't possibly take any more.

"so tight," he groaned when he was finally fully seated, his hips flush against yours. "eywa, you feel perfect. like you were made for me. made to take my cock."

he stayed still for a long moment, letting you adjust to his size, and you could feel him trembling with the effort of holding back. his tail wrapped around your thigh possessively, the tip flicking against your skin. when you clenched around him experimentally, testing the fullness, he made a sound that was almost a snarl, his grip on your wrists tightening.

"careful," he warned, his voice dropping to a growl. "i'm trying to be gentle with you. but when you do that.."

"i don't want gentle," you said breathlessly, rolling your hips as much as his grip would allow. "i want you. all of you. please, tsu’tey-"

something shifted in his expression, something primal and hungry taking over. his eyes darkened, his pupils dilating further, and you felt a thrill of anticipation run through you. "you want me to have my way with you? to make you feel good? to use you the way i've been dreaming about?"

"yes, please-"

he didn't need to be told twice. he pulled almost all the way out, slowly, letting you feel every inch as he withdrew, and then thrust back in hard, hitting something inside you that made you see stars. you cried out, your back arching off the moss, and he did it again, setting a deep, powerful rhythm that had you gasping with every stroke.

"that's it," he growled, still holding your wrists pinned above your head. "let me hear you. i want everyone in the forest to know who's making you feel this good. want them to hear you screaming my name."

you were already so worked up from before, still riding that edge he'd denied you, and every thrust pushed you closer. the pleasure was almost too much, overwhelming, and you could feel tears pricking at your eyes. he was so deep, hitting spots inside you that you didn't even know existed, and the stretch of him was delicious torture.

"tsu’tey," you gasped, your voice breaking. "i can't.. it's so much.."

"you can take it," he said firmly, his hips never faltering in their steady, powerful rhythm. "you're doing so well for me. such a good girl, taking everything i give you. taking my cock so perfectly."

he shifted the angle slightly, adjusting his hips, and suddenly he was hitting that perfect spot inside you with every thrust. you sobbed, your whole body shaking, pleasure building so fast and so intense you thought you might break apart.

your legs wrapped around his waist instinctively, trying to pull him deeper, and he groaned at the change in angle.

"please," you begged, not even sure what you were asking for anymore. "please, please-"

"i know yawne," he murmured, and you felt his queue slide over your shoulder, the tendrils at the end seeking, glowing faintly in the darkness. "i want to feel everything with you. want to be inside your mind the way i'm inside your body. will you let me?"

you understood what he was asking. tsaheylu, the bond. it was sacred, intimate, something the na'vi only did with their mates. it was more than just physical, it was a complete merging of souls, of consciousness. and he was offering it to you, wanting to connect with you in the deepest way possible.

"yes," you breathed, your heart swelling with emotion. "yes, please, i want.. i want everything with you."

your own queue had fallen forward over your shoulder, and he guided the two together with his free hand, his movements reverent despite the desperate need you could see in his eyes. the moment the tendrils connected, intertwining and forming the bond, the world exploded.

suddenly you could feel everything he was feeling. the tight, wet heat of you around him, the pleasure coursing through his body with every thrust, the overwhelming need to claim and possess and make you his. and he could feel you too, the stretch and fullness, the way every thrust sent sparks through your nerves, the building pressure that was about to consume you. it was overwhelming, intoxicating, more intimate than anything you'd ever experienced.

"eywa," he gasped, his rhythm faltering for a moment as the sensation hit him. "i can feel.. you feel so good, yawntutsyìp, i can feel how close you are.. how much you need this.."

it was too much. the physical sensation combined with the emotional and neural connection was overwhelming, pleasure feeding back and forth between you in an endless loop. you could feel his possessiveness, his desire, his desperate need for you, and you knew he could feel your trust, your want, your complete surrender to him. every thrust sent pleasure through both of you, doubling and redoubling until you couldn't tell where your pleasure ended and his began.

he started moving again, harder now, almost frantic, and through the bond you could feel his control slipping, something primal taking over. "i can feel how good this is for you," he groaned, his voice rough. "feel how perfectly i fit inside you. feel how much you love being filled by me."

"yes," you sobbed, overwhelmed by the dual sensation. "yes, it's so g-"

his hand released your wrists, and for a moment you thought he might let you touch him, but instead both his hands moved to your hips. "turn over," he commanded, pulling out of you. you whimpered at the loss, feeling empty and desperate, but obeyed, rolling onto your stomach on the soft moss.

"that's my good girl," he praised, his hands running down your back possessively. "so obedient for me. now stay just like that."

you felt him position himself behind you, his hands gripping your hips and lifting them slightly. then he was pushing back inside, and from this angle he felt even bigger, even deeper. you cried out, your hands fisting in the moss beneath you as he filled you completely.

"perfect," he groaned, starting to move. "you take me so well like this. i can go so deep.. can you feel it? feel how deep i am inside you?"

"yes," you gasped, your voice muffled against the moss. "yes, i can feel everything-"

he set a steady rhythm, deep and powerful, and through the bond you could feel his satisfaction at having you like this, at being able to watch himself disappear inside you over and over. his hands gripped your hips hard enough to leave marks, holding you in place as he took his pleasure.

then, slowly, he began to lower himself down onto you. his chest pressed against your back, his weight settling over you, and you felt yourself being pressed down into the soft moss beneath you. more and more of his weight came down until you were completely pinned, your body flattened against the ground with him covering you entirely.

"oh," you gasped, the sensation overwhelming. you couldn't move at all, couldn't do anything but take what he gave you, and through the bond you felt his primal satisfaction at having you trapped beneath him, completely at his mercy.

"feel that?" he growled against your ear, his voice rough and possessive. his full weight was on you now, pressing you into the moss-covered ground, and every breath was an effort. "feel how deep i am? you can't escape me like this. you're mine, trapped under me, taking my cock so perfectly. completely helpless."

you could barely breathe with his weight on you, but you didn't want him to move. the pressure was intoxicating, the feeling of being completely dominated, completely owned. every thrust drove him impossibly deeper, the angle making you feel every inch of him. his hips rolled against yours in deep, grinding movements, and you could feel him in your stomach, stretching you, filling you completely.

"tsu’tey," you gasped, your hands scrabbling at the moss, trying to find purchase. "i can't..it's so much-"

"you can take it," he insisted, his hips grinding against yours in deep, rolling thrusts that had you seeing stars. "you were made for this. made for me. look how well you take me, how perfectly your body accepts mine."

through the bond, you could feel his pleasure mixing with yours, the sensation of being buried inside you, the tight grip of your walls around him, the heat and wetness and the way you clenched every time he hit that spot deep inside. it was dizzying, feeling both sides of the connection. feeling yourself stretched around him while simultaneously feeling how tight and perfect you felt wrapped around his cock. the feedback loop was intense, pleasure building and building with nowhere to go.

he stayed like that for long minutes, his full weight pressing you into the ground, his hips moving in slow, deep grinds that had you whimpering with every thrust. you were completely immobilised, completely at his mercy, and through the bond you could feel how much he loved it- the power, the control, the trust you were showing him.

"i'm going to come," you whimpered, your nails digging into the moss. "tsu’tey, i'm- i can't hold it-"

"yes," he hissed, his thrusts becoming harder, more demanding, driving you into the ground with each movement. "come for me. let me feel it through tsaheylu. let me feel you fall apart."

he shifted slightly, changing the angle just enough that every thrust dragged against that perfect spot inside you, and you shattered. the orgasm ripped through you with devastating intensity, your body convulsing beneath him, and through the bond you felt him experience it too. felt your pleasure crash over him like a wave, felt his awe and satisfaction and overwhelming possessiveness.

"perfect," he groaned, not stopping, not slowing down, continuing to grind into you as you trembled through the aftershocks. "so perfect. and i'm not done with you yet. not even close."

you were still trembling, oversensitive and shaking, when he finally lifted his weight off you. but before you could catch your breath, he was pulling out and flipping you onto your back again, then sitting back on his heels and pulling you with him, manhandling you into his lap with an ease that made you clench around nothing.

"come here," he commanded, his hands gripping your hips as he positioned you over him. "i want to watch you take me. want to see your face when i fill you again. want to see your eyes when you come apart for me."

he lowered you slowly onto his cock, and from this angle he felt even bigger, the stretch almost too much. you gasped, your hands bracing on his shoulders, and he held you steady, controlling your descent with his hands on your hips.

"that's it," he murmured, his eyes locked on where your bodies joined, watching himself disappear inside you inch by inch. "look at you, taking me so well. such a good girl for me. taking every inch like you were made for it."

when you were fully seated, you both groaned. through the bond, you could feel how tight you were around him from this angle, how deep he was inside you, and it made you dizzy with pleasure. you could feel his cock throbbing inside you, could feel his desperate need for friction, for movement.

"move," he ordered, his grip on your hips tightening. "show me how much you want this. show me how much you need my cock."

you started to roll your hips, finding a rhythm, but your legs were shaking from your first orgasm and you couldn't quite get the leverage you needed.

your thighs trembled with effort, and you whimpered in frustration. he noticed immediately, of course he did, he could feel your frustration through tsaheylu and his hands tightened on your hips.

"let me," he said, his voice dropping to that commanding tone that made you clench around him. and then he was lifting you up and down on his cock like you weighed nothing, using his strength to move you exactly how he wanted. the display of power made you clench around him, and he groaned. "you like that? like when i use you? when i show you how strong i am?"

yes," you gasped, your head falling back. "yes, please-"

he set a brutal pace, lifting and lowering you with ease, each thrust driving deep enough to make you see stars. you could do nothing but hold onto his shoulders and take it, let him use you however he wanted. one of his hands left your hip to wrap around your throat. not squeezing, just holding, a reminder of his control.

"mine," he growled, his thumb pressing against your pulse point, feeling your heartbeat racing beneath his touch. "say it. tell me who you belong to."

"yours," you managed, your voice breathless. "all yours, tsu’tey. only yours."

his hand tightened slightly, just enough to make you gasp, and through the bond you felt his satisfaction, his possessive pleasure at having you like this. he could feel how much you loved it, how the slight pressure on your throat made you wetter, made you clench around him, made you even more desperate for him.

"so perfect for me," he murmured, his hips snapping up to meet each downward pull, driving himself impossibly deeper. "taking everything i give you. you were made for this, yawntutsyìp. made to be mine. made to take my cock. made to be claimed by me."

the combination of his cock hitting that perfect spot inside you, his hand on your throat, and the overwhelming sensation of feeling his pleasure through the bond was too much. you came again, harder this time, your body going rigid in his arms as pleasure crashed over you in waves. you cried out, the sound strangled by his hand on your throat, and through the bond he felt every pulse of your orgasm.

through tsaheylu, you felt him experience your orgasm, felt the way your walls clenched rhythmically around him, felt his pleasure at making you come apart, and it nearly pushed him over the edge.

but he held back, his jaw clenched with effort, his muscles trembling with the strain of holding back his own release. he was determined to wring more pleasure from you first, determined to make you come until you couldn't remember your own name.

"so beautiful when you come," he said roughly, still moving you on his cock despite your trembling, despite your oversensitive whimpers. "i want to see it again. want to feel it again. you're going to give me more, yawntutsyìp. going to come for me until i decide you've had enough."

"i can't," you whimpered, oversensitive and shaking. every thrust sent sparks of almost-pain through you, the pleasure too intense. "tsu’tey, it's too much- i can't take anymore-"

"you can," he insisted, one hand leaving your throat to circle your clit with his thumb. "one more, yawntutsyìp. give me one more. i know you can do it. be a good girl for me."

you sobbed, the pleasure bordering on pain, but you couldn't deny him. your body was his to command, and through the bond you could feel his determination, his need to see you fall apart again, his desire to push you past your limits.

he worked your clit in tight circles while continuing to move you on his cock, and despite your protests, you could feel another orgasm building. this one felt different, deeper, more intense, like it was being pulled from somewhere in your core. the pressure was building in a way you'd never felt before, something overwhelming and almost frightening in its intensity.

"that's it," he encouraged, feeling it through the bond. "i can feel you getting close again. feel something different this time. let go for me. let me feel it. don't hold back."

when you came this time, it was with a scream that echoed through the forest. your vision whited out, your body convulsing in his arms, and through tsaheylu you felt his answering groan as your pleasure overwhelmed him. but he still wasn't done.

he gave you only a moment to catch your breath before he was moving again. "one more position," he murmured against your ear. "i want to feel you come apart one more time. want to make you fall apart completely."

before you could fully come down from your high, he was standing with you still impaled on his cock. you wrapped your legs around his waist instinctively, your arms around his neck, clinging to him as he rose to his full height. he supported you with one arm under your ass, holding you up easily, and the other hand came up to wrap around your throat again.

"hold on," he commanded, and then he was moving, thrusting up into you while gravity pulled you down onto him. the angle was devastating, driving him so deep you could feel him in your stomach, and you could do nothing but cling to him and take it.

"look at you," he growled, his hand tightening slightly on your throat. "suspended on my cock, completely at my mercy. you can't move, can't do anything but take what i give you. is this what you wanted? to be used like this?"

"yes," you gasped, your voice strained from the pressure on your throat. "yes, please, tsu’tey-"

he was holding you up by your neck and ass, using you like a toy, and through the bond you could feel how much he loved it. the power, the control, the way you trusted him completely. his thrusts were deep and hard, each one driving the air from your lungs, and you were so oversensitive that every movement sent sparks of pleasure-pain through your body.

"you feel so good," he groaned, his control finally starting to slip. "so tight around me. i can feel everything through tsaheylu. feel how full you are, how deep i am inside you, how much you love this. you're taking me so perfectly, yawntutsyìp. so perfect for me."

you could feel him getting close, his pleasure building through the bond, mixing with your own until you couldn't tell where you ended and he began.

his hand on your throat tightened slightly, and the restriction of air combined with the overwhelming fullness pushed you toward another edge you didn't think you could reach.

but this one felt different. through the bond, you could feel his curiosity, his awareness that something was building in you that was different from before. the pressure was intense, almost too much, and you felt a moment of panic.

"tsu’tey," you gasped, "something.. something's different- i feel-"

"i know," he said, his voice rough. "i can feel it. let it happen. let go. give me everything."

"come with me," he demanded, his voice rough and commanding. "one more time. i want to feel you come around me when i fill you. want to feel you fall apart completely."

"i can't," you sobbed, but your body was already responding, already climbing toward that impossible peak. the pressure was building, something intense and overwhelming, and you felt almost frightened by the intensity of it.

"you can," he insisted, his thrusts becoming erratic, his control finally slipping. "you will. now, yawntutsyìp. come for me now. give me everything."

his hand tightened on your throat, cutting off your air completely for just a moment, and that was all it took. you came with a silent scream, your body clenching around him so hard it was almost painful, but this time was different. you felt something release inside you, a gush of fluid that you'd never experienced before, and through the bond you felt his shock and then his overwhelming arousal as he realised you were squirting, your release coating his cock and dripping down both your thighs.

"eywa," he groaned, his voice breaking. "yes, yes, that's it- so perfect-"

the sensation of you squirting around him, combined with the intensity of your orgasm through the bond, pushed him over the edge. he came with a roar, his hips jerking as he spilled inside you, and through tsaheylu you experienced both sides of it. the overwhelming pleasure of his release and the sensation of being filled, claimed, marked as his. it was too much, the feedback loop of pleasure between you, and you felt yourself tip over into another smaller orgasm, your body milking him for everything he had, more fluid gushing from you as you came again.

"so good," he groaned, still thrusting through both your orgasms. "so perfect. you're perfect. mine. all mine."

he loosened his grip on your throat, letting you gasp in air, and carefully lowered you both to the ground. he was still inside you, still connected through tsaheylu, and you could feel his satisfaction, his possessive contentment, his overwhelming love.

you were both covered in your release, the evidence of your pleasure coating your thighs and his, and through the bond you felt his satisfaction at having made you come so hard you squirted.

"i’m yours and you are mine," he murmured against your hair, his arms wrapping around you protectively. "my mate. forever."

"yours," you agreed, your voice hoarse. "always yours."

through the bond, you felt his pleasure at your words, felt the depth of his feelings for you. he had fallen so hard, so completely, and now that he had you, he would never let you go.

you lay there together in the bioluminescent glow of the forest, still connected in every way possible, and felt completely, utterly whole.

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