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mclintocksdaughter

Sep 6, 2023

shu-box-puns

You wanna be one of them (Tsu'tey x Reader) Part 7

Previous Chapter <- Act 7 -> Next Chapter

Word Count: 11,295

Summary: Tsu'tey is not happy. And then he is.

Reader uses they/them pronouns.

That was the last time you’d do anything nice for Jake. You vowed wordlessly, expression thunderous as you were escorted through the unforgiving undergrowth of Pandora by a squad of marines, who had bound your wrists in bright orange cuffs and left your jaw swelling from a point blank punch. In your comfiest pyjamas no less! Which were now soaked through with river water and matted with mud.

Never again would you brave the dawns of Pandora in search of water, when it could easily wait for a few more hours and the assistance of an avatar to hide behind. Never again you would risk your neck whilst Jake remained comfortable in his bunk. Next time, you vowed you would turn over and put your back to him.

But this time you hadn’t. Because you were an idiot.

You’d been so high on happiness with the victory of your courting advances, that you’d felt particularly charitable that morning. So charitable in fact, that you hadn’t even cursed as Jake when he woke you at the butt crack of dawn to go down to the river. You’d simply slapped on an exomask, pulled a jacket over your pyjamas and grabbed the water jug before practically skipping down the hill.

The marines had found you whilst you were knelt by the waters edge, filling the jug and humming softly to yourself. There had been the distant roar of a thanator echoing from upstream, which had blinded you to the more pressing threat at your back.

When the first man had grabbed you by the back of your jacket, it had startled you into dropping your freshly collected water, which had immediately been swept away by the current. To your credit, you had fought like hell. Exchanging just as many punches as were landed, even after they’d knocked your gun away. You’d even headbutted one of them, making the glass of your exomask groan warningly as it shuddered within its delicate frame. But of course, there were more of them then there were of you, and you’d been quickly, and embarrassingly easily overpowered by the well-trained soldiers.

Which led to now, a full day having passed with how long you’d been walking. Long enough for the sun to begin dipping behind the moon once more.

Your body ached from the unprompted exercise, especially after so long relying on your avatar. There was a decently sized cut in your forearm from where a marine had wrestled you to the ground and kept you there using their utility knife. Whilst your shoulders aching from the amount of times you’d been yanked or shoved to hurry the fuck up, when all you wanted was a drink and to curl back up in your bunk. You wanted to return to the compound, to maybe remain in it long enough that Tsu’tey would come knocking and you could tempt him into laying down with you.

Eywa, Tsu’tey was going to club you to death for getting kidnapped.

Despite the situation, the thought was enough to amuse you.

You could just picture him now. Grumpily trying to wake your avatar, only to huff and give up when the still body did not stir at his attempts. He would decide to leave it of course, glaring at it from across the camp as he went about his daily chores. Growing more and more inclined to trek up the hill in search of your lazy ass.

Logically, you knew that your chances of rescue were next to nothing. Not only had you passed out of Omaticayan territory several hours ago, but the tracks you left behind would be too hard to follow, especially after the marines dragged you into the river and walked through the shallows for several miles to conceal both your footprints and scent.

It was dark enough that the plants were illuminated when you were dragged into a concealed human camp, which consisted of a couple lean-to shelters and a modest fire pit that spluttered and hissed from the lack of proper fuel. The fire barely gave off enough light to upset the steady light of the surrounding plants, whilst the lean-tos themselves were covered in a healthy layer of soil with replanted bushes and vines methodically draped over them to conceal them from the air. It had been done in such a way, that the flora still thrived upon their new home, glowing merrily like the rest of their brethren. It was clever. Allowing this patch of forest to carry on as if it had never been disturbed. Not to mention, it would keep ikran riders from noticing any suspiciously dark patches in the undergrowth.

No wonder there had been no reports of such a camp. The na’vi simply hadn’t been able to find it.

The sense of unease that crawled up the back of your neck upon entering the camp, came from how quiet the forest was beyond the weak firelight. By now, you had grown used to hearing the natural nightlife of Pandora, so much so that its sudden absence beyond the normal scuffle of human noise was unsettling. The hairs on your arms rose as you realised that there were not enough people - barely two military squads worth of them - around to have disturbed the wildlife into moving on.

There was something out there. Something dangerous that had encouraged the birds and beasts to seek shelter.

Unexpectedly, your captures dragged you wildly off course from the fire and into the mouth of the largest lean-to. Your knees retaliated with sharp twinges as you were manhandled into a kneeling position, your cuffed hands dropped carelessly into your lap whilst the mouth of a gun pushed itself between your shoulder blades. Threatening and sweet as a promise.

You glared at the clear leader of the little squad, who, through the heavy shadow of his helmet, you could tell was grinning at your misfortune. Not that you could find enough pride in you to care much. You were just tired now, and wet, and bloody, and dirty on top of everything else. There was little more they could do to humiliate you further. Not to mention, there was an especially sharp stone digging into your right knee that you couldn’t seem to shift comfortably off of.

Movement from within the lean-to drew your scowling gaze to a large, scar faced woman. Decked out in camo-gear and sat lounging on a foldable chair with the confidence of a queen on her throne, you were frozen in place by her piercing eyes. From the double golden arrow badge adorning the upper bicep of her uniform, you recognised her to be a corporal. Her name and face escaped you however. Being so absorbed in your research, you hadn’t bothered to learn many military faces around the base. Quaritch had been the exception of course, considering how many times he and Grace had bumped heads over petty little disagreements. It was hard to miss him really, with that oozing confidence and swarm of military personnel that instinctively flocked to complete his every whim.

The corporal that sat before you now, reeked of arrogance. Watching you down her nose with a sense of detached boredom, barely acknowledging your presence before she barked at the man who had smirked, sharply demanding to be informed why you’d been dumped outside her tent.

“Ma’am, this is one of Grace’s scientists.”

She rolled her eyes, “are you expecting a raise Private?” She drawled, and you watched with mild satisfaction as the one who had answered visibly withered under her attention. “Your mission was to gather intel on Jake Sully or Norm Spellman. I was expecting blueprints of Hell’s Gate, not some na’vi wannabe you found naked in the forest.”

“But Corporal,” a second man piped up, holding up a tablet for her to look at. “This is Y/n L/n, one of Grace’s lead scientists.” That seemed to capture her attention. With a sinisterly slow turn of her head, and a slow but loud puff of her exomask, the woman lowered her gaze back to you sprawled in the dirt. You stared back, expression mercilessly blank. She sniffed, wrinkling her nose before motioning for the tablet.

It was handed to her immediately. The screen hovered within its metal frame, visible to the corporal and you kneeling at her feet. Although the text was backwards from your vantage point, you could clearly make out your security photo staring down at you. The corporal’s face was unreadable as she skimmed through the profile, scrolling past images of your research and colleagues. She paused on a photo of Jake’s face, reading the caption, whilst your eyes were drawn to a blurry picture of Tsu’tey.

“An accomplice of Jake Sully then.” The Corporal remarked. “You got an avatar?” You didn’t answer her.

She huffed and went back to scrolling. Lingering on a picture of Grace, then Norm before an image of your avatar rolled onto screen. She visibly paused.

Without looking away from your avatar, she barked out an order. “James, pull up incident FireFly.”

One of the soldiers at your back broke away to retrieve a second tablet. Within no time, he pulled up a poor quality image of an avatar’s face barely visible through some bioluminescent plants. Greedily, your eyes flickered over the bioluminescence of the plants in the foreground of the photo, the curl of the avatar’s upper lip and the scrunch of its flat nose. Looking as ominous and dangerous as any na’vi hunter.

You immediately knew when the photo had been taken.

The corporal frowned, holding up her tablet beside the new one. You didn’t need to see the crease between her brows ease, to know they matched.

“You’re a driver.” She told you, “you attacked our ground force a few weeks ago, by the Tree of Souls.”

“They were trespassing.” You returned sharply. “Your people should be back at Hell’s Gate preparing to return to Earth, not loudly spying on a battle ready clan.”

“So you don’t deny it.”

When you didn’t respond, her smile turned predatory. “Answer me Doctor, my patience is not what it used to be.”

You refused.

The corporal tipped her head to the side, her words predatory as she continued to verbally prod. “There is a video, do you want to see?”

She clicked play, not bothering to wait for your silence this time.

From your position in the dirt, you could just make out the screen. There was a grainy image of yourself this time, in night vision, with the camera zoomed in on an avatar crouching between two bushes. You recognised your atokirina hilted knife clutched tightly in its fist.

The camera kept cutting the avatar out of frame as the soldier filming was distracted by the distressed screaming of their comrades. It did however, briefly manage to capture a five fingered, alien hand erupting from the undergrowth, grabbing onto the back of another soldier’s uniform and dragging the unsuspecting soul backwards into the darkness. They screamed and fought as they were dragged into the foliage. A sound which was promptly cut off a second before the video ended.

“That was your avatar.” The corporal told you, “and you killed my marines. Good people who were simply following orders. Good people who were on a simple scouting mission-” “They were armed and invading territory that the RDA knows belongs to the Omaticaya.” You cut in sharply, refusing to listen to her repetitive spiel. “Rather poorly might I add, because we heard them from the Well of Souls whilst they were still trampling around in the forest. With stealth like that, they were asking for a fight.” She scoffed, her facial scars pulling horribly as a condescending grin slipped onto her face. “There were no survivors.” She told you, in a tone you assumed was supposed to make you feel guilty. “You killed your own Doctor.” She told you, “you may wear the skin of those monsters, but you’re still human. To my knowledge of drivers, you still life primarily in this body-”

“Do not tell me how I do my job.” You cut in again, completely ignoring the fact you knew she outranked you. That you knew she had at least two squads of marines at her disposal, all of which were armed and ready to kill you with a simple flick of her wrist.

The corporal fell unnaturally quiet. Studying you. Eyes raking over your face, to your dirty pyjamas, to the defiant way you held your body. Her tone was accusatory when she next opened her mouth.

“You’ve been pretending so long, you’ve forgotten what side you’re truly on.” She made it sound like some grand realisation. Something that was supposed to make you pause and think about your actions. “You’ve fooled yourself into thinking you’re one of them.”

You swallowed down your knee jerk corrections. The fact that you knew that in the eyes of the People, you were one of them. You had earned your place. You had passed your iknimaya. You had tamed your mount. You had carved your bow from the wood of HomeTree before it had fallen and had been loyal to the clan. In every way that mattered, you were one of them. Regardless of the skin you currently wore.

“I’ve seen this before you know.” The corporal continued to speak, as if she could talk you round. As if she could pretend to sympathise with you and coax you into some truce. “I’ve seen it in my own men naturally. You spend so long playing nice with the enemy, getting your information, that you forget it’s all a lie. Just like Jake Sully. But don’t worry Doctor, we can cure you. We can help you see sense.” A dangerous undertone had entered her voice now. Something that made your heartbeat kick up and your neck start to sweat. You were suddenly incredibly aware of the gun digging into your back. Of the fact that you would be shot with little more of a nod from the corporal.

“I’ll give you a fair trial Doctor.” The corporal continued, “at a price of course.”

You swallowed despite yourself.

“I don’t make deals with pigs.”

Her smile faltered but she covered it up quickly. “Fine. Have it your way.”

The soldiers at your back shifted, the gun between your shoulder blades eagerly pressing down.

“Ma’am, permission to shoot.”

The Corporal kept you in suspense for several breaths before addressing him. “Not on my floor. Take them into the forest, I don’t care where, just far enough away that that blasted thanator won’t come sniffing round here again.”

The squad’s inaudible confirmations were muffled as you were roughly hauled back to your feet. You could feel yourself going numb as the reality of your situation set in. You were going to die. Alone. Out here. And without being able to send word to the clan about their enemy lurking just beyond their borders.

Blinking back the panic, you allowed the tight grip on your shirt to steady you as you were dragged away from the lean-to entrance. You could feel your resolve hardening. Like hell you’d just lie down and take it. Not after everything you’d been through. Not with everything you’d be leaving behind in the process.

Somewhere in the darkness, there was the familiar hiss of an arrow loosening from a bow. Too quiet for anyone who wasn’t used to it to notice, but you heard it. Even if the marines were oblivious.

The arrow soared straight into the lean-to you were being dragged from and shot the corporal dead on impact. The marines cried out in alarm as the bolt embedded itself squarely between her eyes, shattering her exo mask screen and sinking in deep with a sickening crack of flint splitting bone. Her smug grin remained frozen on her face as her body slumped backwards from the force and tipped her foldable chair back into the dirt.

The soldiers around you immediately leapt into action whilst you were still stuck staring at her corpse. The arrow sitting tall and visible behind the capsized chair seat.

A second whistle of an arrow finally snapped you out of your daze as the roar of a palulukan shook the lean-to.

Hands wrapped around your wounded bicep, yanking you painfully to and fro as you were dragged behind another lean-to and shoved down on your stomach into the dirt. Your mask collided with the earth, the edge cutting into your swelling jaw as people started screaming. More arrows hit their targets. Guns went off and the fire was snuffed out at the centre of the camp.

There was a moment of stillness as the marines organised themselves. Bodies ducked against the lean-to around you, guns were reloaded and the palulukan grumbled threateningly from somewhere between the trees.

“How the hell did it find us?” Someone hissed from the dirt, panting hard as they held themselves unnervingly still. “I don’t fucking know. We’re nowhere near any clan’s territory.” Someone else responded through their teeth. “Must’ve tracked us.” The first one growled. “They’ve got a wicked sense of smell.” “So you’re saying I got my socks wet for nothing.” “That is what you’re worried about right now?”

“Shut up!” The other whisper shouted and the marines fell still. “It’s on the ground.” “What’s it doing?” An audible swallow. “Getting more arrows.”

<”Where are you?!”> The voice that spoke was so overrun with a snarl that you could hardly make out the words it rumbled. There was fury there. Panic hidden beneath thick currents of rage. “What’s it saying?”

“Not a clue.”

“Perhaps we could use ‘em for bait? Draw it into one place and open fire.”

“Might as well give it a try.”

Immediately, the pair of marines tucked behind the same lean-to as you turned on you.

To their credit, they tried. But through a combination of sheer stubbornness on your part, and an enormous four fingered hand punching through the fabric and wooden skeleton of lean-to and dragging one of the soldiers through it, they didn’t get very far. The man screamed the entire time he was hauled through the shelter by his ankle, fingers uselessly raking through the dirt. His companion dove after him, cursing and promising that he had him, that he would be fine.

You threw yourself over the soldier’s back, startling him into letting go of his friend’s hand, before you hooked your bound wrists around his throat and yanked upwards so the cuffs cut into his windpipe. He put up a valiant fight as you choked him, uselessly clawing at your forearms, as you yanked his body backwards into a harsh bend. Gasping horribly, he scratched and spat at you, eyes bulging as you pulled harder. Fury fueling your ruthlessness as you watched his vision unfocus and his wild scrambling reduce to weak pulls at the chain cutting across his neck.

His friend had stopped screaming for him.

And he fell limp in your hold; unconscious.

Beyond the lean-to, something snarled. Low and guttural.

Your body instinctively fell still, as your ears strained to hear it. It was quiet and quick. Poking around inside the lean-to before scampering off with light footsteps. You heard more men scream as it found someone else to shoot. The twang of a bowstring splitting the thick silence.

Taking your time, you quietly slid off of the motionless body between your thighs and unstrapped his gun from the holster at his hip. It was light weight, but would be difficult to accurately fire with bound wrists. However, you knew you needed it, there wasn’t a chance you would be able to leave the camp without some sort of protection. Even if the weapon would only be useful in issuing a warning shot to give you a few extra seconds.

Shuffling towards the edge of the lean-to, you peered around it, towards the centre of the camp. With the fire reduced the embers, you could only barely make out the distorted shapes of several collapsed shelters. And then the shifting, star flecked skin of a palulukan gorging itself on the fallen marines. Even from that distance, you could hear its colossal teeth easily snapping through bone as it feasted. Only briefly pausing to spit out the twisted metal of a gun that had gotten stuck between its teeth.

Whatever had been grabbing the soldiers or shooting them had slunk back into the shadows and out of sight.

”IT’S IN THE FUCKING TREES!”

Nevermind.

The closeness of the yell had you spinning in place, gun held up like a shield as you turned just in time to watch an arrow bury itself in the speaker’s forehead. The body swayed backwards a step before buckling at the knees and hitting the lean-to with a wet slap, causing the delicate structure to buckle and collapse under the sudden weight.

“Shit.” You whispered, eyes wide at the precision of the bullseye.

More people screamed, and more arrows found their targets, whilst the palulukan purred its approval at the thick stench of blood in the air. It was dark, but the plants on the lean-tos were still glowing, and you could see the shine of dark pools of blood soaking into the dirt. The numbness was flooding back into your system now, as unforgiving and final as the blood beginning to seep into the earth. Returning nutrients to the soil.

Guns fired off. Another round of arrows exploded from the canopy, always coming from different spots as if the archer was working hard to leap from branch to branch. Their precision with the bow was extraordinary. And here you were, standing stupidly in the middle of it all, an easy target. With your heart in your throat as you watched people crumble and bend like reed stems in the wind.

Something heavy and large landed behind you. You sucked in a breath, feeling the ground shake from the force of the things footsteps.

<”Yawne?”> That same, growling voice from before. Speaking in na’vi but using a word you did not recognise despite your extensive knowledge and research.

Gun up, you rounded on the person behind you. Glaring down the barrel of the weapon, all you could register were twin embers glowing in the half darkness. They flickered out for a heartbeat before burning brighter.

Blinking, you realised.

They were eyes.

The creature was breathing hard. Backlit by the light from the forest, it straightened from its landing, all long limbs and sharp angles. It moved with the grace of something inhuman. Slow but confident. Its proportions were all wrong. Torso too long, legs unnaturally thin for something clearly so strong.

And those eyes. Fuck. They made every fight or flight instinct you possessed shrivel up and die. Pinning you in place. Leaving you ridiculously vulnerable as you failed to pull the trigger. The sound would startle it. Perhaps you could use the opening to slip-

A gun went off at your back. The controlled explosion illuminating the face of whatever was staring at you.

The na’vi flinched. Hurriedly dropping to all fours and effortlessly seeking refuge behind a surviving lean-to as the gun kept firing. You glimpsed bared fangs, pricked ears. The light had been so brief you could hardly make out anything else.

Why hadn’t it killed you like the others?

Shoving the thought out of your mind, you spotted the gunner hiding behind a nearby tree. Your aim was horrendous with cuffed hands. But it was simple enough to shoot them whilst they were reloading. Once in the thigh, and again through the shoulder when they knelt hard into the dirt at the pain.

They had barely collapsed before someone grabbed you from behind, knocking you off course so that your killing shot bounced harmlessly off of the tree trunk they’d collapsed against. With great difficulty from your struggling, your assailant knocked your gun from your grasp. Teeth gritted, you ripped your head backwards, wincing as your skull came into contact with the hardened acrylic of their exopack. There was a cut off curse, the sound of cracking acrylic. You shifted your weight, driving your shoulder out and up into their sternum, listening as the air was punched from their lungs. They staggered, fingers failing to keep a proper grip on you.

Tearing yourself away, you tried to run only for another marine to tackle you around the middle. You shrieked in irritation as you hit the ground chest first, instantly winded on impact.

The na’vi returned your wounded sound from deep in the undergrowth. A truly horrifying noise that wailed in the otherwise eerily still clearing. It was circling, you realised, collecting its arrows and biding its time. Allowing the marines to pick each other off one by one in their panic.

The soldier on your back, sat himself down hard against the back of your thighs, one hand shoving down hard on the back of your head to keep your mask pressed into the dirt.

“More trouble than you’re bloody worth.” He muttered to himself, weight shifting as he yanked something from his pocket.

You were expecting the prick of a needle, or perhaps a bullet through the back of your skull, but certainly not the soft pop and light hiss of the tubing to your mask being cut by a knife. The effect was immediate. You choked on your inhale, the air too thin. Unsatisfying. Before your lungs had fully expanded, you were fighting to suck down another breath. And another. But it wasn’t enough. You couldn’t breathe. IT WASN’T ENOUGH!

Vaguely, you thought about how cruel of an execution this method was. That the man on your back was watching you suffocate. Ensuring you couldn’t get away to steal someone else’s mask.

All too soon, the na’vi was back.

From where you were choking in the dirt, you could see the soft glow of its markings as it loomed between the trees. The glowing galaxies adorning its body contorted and shifted as it rose from its hunches. Taller and taller. Seeming to stretch towards the heavens.

Ethereal, you realised.

There was the controlled twang of a bow string, quickly followed by a wet thud. The weight on your back pitched sideways and off of you as the dead marine’s corpse toppled, but you couldn’t do anything but struggle to suck in another desperate breath.

All you could hear was the distant warning of the RDA medical instructors, about how you’d be unconscious in twenty seconds and dead in four minutes. How long had it been? You couldn’t tell.

<”Yawne?”>

The voice came from above you. Your eyes were unfocusing as your lungs began to give up. There were enormous hands cupping the sides of your face, turning your head upwards. Vision blurry, you were able to make out the familiar dusting of glowing freckles along the na’vi’s nose, markings you had wanted to trace for longer than you would dare to acknowledge.

There was a wild glint in Tsu’tey’s glowing eyes, which reminded you of a cat’s when you shone a torch at them. They were not the usual warmth of the man you loved, but instead sent a pang of unease down your spine. There was a dangerous curl to his snarling lips as your eyes traced the blood splattered across his cheek, dripping down to his jaw and dirtying his chest.

<”YAWNE!”> His hands cupped your cheeks, shaking you with agonising urgency. Words were beyond your grasp at this point. The darkness no longer simply from the lack of light.

His face twisted into a terrifying snarl as his head snapped up, braids swinging as he glanced to and fro. His enormous body disappeared from your sight. The safety briefly provided by his towering frame leaving with him.

You wanted to call him back, but your throat was too tight. Your limbs too heavy.

He was back before you could really miss him. An exo pack in hand and a determined scowl permanently printed on his expression. Absently, your eyes traced the bullet scraps across his biceps, the trickle of blood leaking out from under his cummerbund.

With a clatter, his arrows were in the dirt, his bow cast to the side with them.

“I’ve got you.” He growled, more furious than reassuring, before leaning you up towards his chest so he could clumsily get at the clasps that kept your current exomask secured to your head. In no time the straps loosened, and humid night air swept across your damp forehead, not that you had time to enjoy it because he immediately slammed the new mask over your face. You jerked at the force of the mask colliding with your face. The action startling a gasp out of you. Which rapidly shifted your focus to greedily sucking down sweet, breathable air. Relief flooded your system as your lungs stopped spasming and your vision cleared. Eywa, that had been too close.

Whilst you evened out your breathing, Tsu’tey busied himself with the straps, pulling them tight around your head so they sat neatly above your ears. Only then did he seem to slump.

Urgently, large hands slid under your sweat slick back, fingers bunching into the damp fabric of your night shirt, before you were hauled into his lap. You went willingly, powerless to so much as wiggle as he effortlessly pulled you against him. In turn you buried your face into the skin beneath his necklace as he curled around you, feeling the adrenaline begin to slip away at the contact. You huffed at the inconvenience of the cuffs, wanting more than anything to wind your fingers into his braids. Instead, you settled for melting into his touch, in relishing the feeling of his fingers digging into your back, holding you closer, his chin burying into the crown of your head.

His chest rose and fell harshly beneath your body. Words barely audible falling from his lips like secret prayers.

You could feel his shaky breath against your scalp. The tremble in his fingers even as he held you so tightly.

You pressed into him. Losing yourself in the comforting weight of him against your back and curled all around.

Something shifted beyond the hug. Like a second enormous body taking tentative steps towards the pair. You stiffened as a wet nose dragged along the back of your neck, an unnecessarily deep sniff making your skin crawl.

Tsu’tey let fly a sharp hiss at whatever was smelling you. One of his hands peeling away to shove at the muzzle of a THANATOR? You gaped at his actions. Watching as the large predator snorted at the sensation, blood dripped from its mouth. It tried to go in for another sniff test, but again Tsu’tey pushed it away with a sharp prod to its snout. The thanator sneezed, an honest to Eywa scowl narrowing its eyes, or one eye, since the other appeared to be blind, before it turned and trotted away.

<”Okay, what the fuck?”> You croaked, voice cracking and warping as you stared wide eyed at the gigantic predator until you were sure it wouldn’t turn back and choose you as its next snack. <”How the hell did you befriend a palulukan?”> <”It is an irritant.”> Tsu’tey hissed, a hint of a growl still laced between his words.

Instead of elaborating further, he returned his sharp gaze back to you. His nose twitched, pupils contracting as he frowned at the cut along your bicep. Then he tutted as he ran a finger over the cuffs.

Wordlessly, he pulled his knife from its sheath and cut them off with a single strike.

He busied himself with checking the rest of you. Scowling harder when he noticed fresh bruises or small cuts, and outright growling when he noticed the swelling of your jaw. Ears pinned down, he grumbled inaudibly to himself about the state of you, uselessly brushing the dirt off your pyjamas with little success.

You said his name softly, trying to pull him out of his anxious state. His ear flicked but he did not acknowledge you. You tried again, reassuring him that you were fine, but he snapped at you this time. Full on teeth cracking together as his tail slapped the earth in displeasure.

Falling still, you let him finish his check. Watching as his throat bobbed heavily, knowing that some untold emotion was getting the best of him.

You’d seen him mad before. Had watched him scream and yell, destroying everything in his path. But you had never seen him quiet angry. Usually, his rage was explosive. His fear was a double edged sword. His grief vocal.

Tsu’tey did not do quiet well. Not when it mattered.

The hunter was silent now as he finished his checks, eyes still glaring at that gash on your bicep before he pulled something from his weapons belt. Shaking it out in one hand, you immediately recognised your jacket which the soldiers had removed whilst strip checking you for concealed weapons. With considerable gentleness, Tsu'tey used it to wrap you up tight and comfortable like some kind of human burrito. It was surprisingly effective.

<”Never do that to me again.”> He finally growled, <”stupid, stupid little demon!”> There was no real bite to his tone beyond an underlying tiredness as he tucked the sleeves of the jacket into the hem under your chin.

Despite yourself, you snorted. <”Wow, you sure know how to make me blush.”> You replied dryly, <”it’s not like I went looking for kidnappers.”>

<”Stupid.”> He repeated more firmly. <”Wandering the forest like this. No hunting party. No knife.”> <”I had a gun.”> <”Had.”> He repeated, tone thick with displeasure.

Rolling your eyes, you tried to wiggle out of his grasp, despite the comforting pressure of the jacket. If he was going to be a dick, you would prefer he grumbled more productively by walking back home whilst he did so. Stubbornly, Tsu’tey tightened his grasp on you. A hint of fang peeking out from between his lips.

<”Now, I know you’re not about to hiss at me.”> You chastised, furiously wiggling in a failed attempt to point an accusatory finger at him. You're not entirely sure he noticed considering your arms were so tightly bound to your side from the jacket. <”And if you are, put me down and sulk where I can’t see you.”>

He took a moment to think about it. <”I fear you’ll get into trouble again if I do.”>

<”Asshole.”>

<”Idiot.”>

<”I think I preferred the other thing you called me. What was it?”>

He ignored you.

<”Tsu’tey?”> More radio silence as he plucked up his bow and discarded arrows. You squeaked as he righted himself, one enormous arm tucked under your ass. His arm cradled your back, ensuring you were leaning heavily into his chest.

<”Put me down.”> You demanded, although it sounded weak even to your own ears. And must have looked and sounded amusing with how your cheek was pressed into his pec. <”I will not.”> He told you simply. <”I would like to hold you longer.”>

You huffed. <”What happened to you shyly asking to pick me up, huh? Where’s that bashful Tsu’tey gone?”>

He stiffened, glancing to the ground as his ears fell. <”Do you want to go down?”> He asked in all seriousness. You could tell he didn’t want to, but he would if you asked.

Just to fuck with him a little, you took a moment to think about it. His eyes never left your face as you fell deep into thought, swiftly sweeping from your eyes to your frowning mouth. You even saw the ghost of a glance to your ears before he remembered they didn’t move when you were like this and would therefore tell him nothing.

<”I’m just joking. You’re comfy.”> You eventually admitted, melting into him. He let out a slow breath. <”Good. We will be able to move faster without you falling over every root.”> <”HEY!”>

>_<

The palulukan shadowed Tsu’tey’s retreat back towards Omaticaya territory.

He could sense it following, curious but not predatory. Like a cub would follow its mother on her morning routine. He paid it no mind, knowing that the beast had seen his skill with his bow. He also hoped that after its feast, it would not be foolish enough to challenge him. He knew he was far too keyed up to be fair if they came to blows.

Luckily, the palulukan remained a respectful distance back, merely watching as Tsu’tey followed his trail home. He was mindful to keep quiet, despite eclipse coming to an end. He knew that other, more dangerous predators, would still be wandering around before returning to their dens at first light. Therefore, he only dared to pause when checking the movement of the stars through gaps in the canopy, before he altered his course and continued on.

Against his chest, he could feel his mate beginning to slip into a fitful slumber. The gentle sway of his strides and the continued pressure of his arm secure around their back seemed to ease them out of their earlier adrenaline filled fight mode. In contrast, they fell limp against him, trusting him to keep them safe as he carried them home.

It soothed the raw thing in him to see them lying contently across his chest, one of their arms slung over his shoulder whilst they cuddled into his neck. The wild thing deep in his chest, which had set his instincts alight when they had been taken, was finally beginning to calm now that he had their weight pressed against him.

He had gotten there on time. He reassured himself, giving his mate a light squeeze to which they let out a sleepy sigh. He could feel his scowl melting away. The Sky People had not been successful this time, and he had gotten them back. His mate was safe.

He repeated those words over and over again to himself as the dawn broke and the sun began to warm the forest. The glow of his freckles dimmed as the day grew, chasing away the horrors of the previous night, but also illuminating the evidence of his deeds. He was absolutely covered in blood. A lot of which was not his own. It was mostly dry now, but was rubbing off onto his mate and staining their skin and clothes.

Tsu’tey scowled to himself, tail thrashing as he glanced at the sun's position. A brief rest would not set them back too much, he could afford to find the river again and clean them up.

And so he did. Despite this part of the forest being outside of his clan’s territory, Tsu’tey had made an effort to familiarise himself with as much of Pandora’s forest as he could in his free time. Whilst usually he did so upon his ikran, he was good enough of a navigator to pick up the sounds and smells of running water and ended up on the bank of a river.

His gaze immediately fell on some large, sun warmed stones half submerged, and after setting his bow down on the bank, he stepped into the current and approached them. The water was deeper here than in his own territory. Easily sliding up his body towards his thighs, but the current wasn’t strong enough to stimulate his usual unease. This was fine. He reassured himself. He was just here to clean up his mate so he could take them home. There was nothing in the water. Just him and the reeds.

The fact that the water was clear helped to ease his discomfort as he easily held his mate above the river. They were beginning to stir now, letting out confused little sounds as Tsu’tey waded in deeper, his tail quivering in the freshwater, pretending to be calm.

<”Yawne? You need to wake up.”> Tsu’tey called, peeling his little mate away from his chest, to which they grumbled.

“No. Fuck off.”

Tsu’tey felt himself smiling warmly at the casual use of English, when usually they refused to address him in nothing but Na’vi. A rule they’d instigated to try and better their grasp on the language and its sentence structures during day to day use. To see it all go out the window simply because they were tired was incredibly endearing.

<”None of that.”>

“Fight me.”

He did not. Instead, he settled them down on a rock that jutted out of the water and began forcibly removing their jacket. They wiggled in his gentle grasp, futilely grabbing at their jacket whilst Tsu’tey fought to remove it from them. Although the thing had done well to keep them warm during eclipse, it was dirty with all kinds of things that Tsu’tey didn’t want to know the origin of. Naturally, being much bigger than them, he managed to unwrap them from the jacket, which he promptly dropped into the river to allow the water to start working on.

“Now that’s just rude.” They grumbled as Tsu’tey kept them steady. They were still groggy, grabbing onto his forearm whilst his hand curled around their shoulder. Their fingers fiddled with his arm guard, clarity only just beginning to trickle back in.

<”Good morning Yawne.”> Tsu’tey mused, leaning down to press his forehead into their hair before, slowly lowering himself to his knees before their rock so as not to let any waves he created get them wet.

Their eyes tracked his movements, all quiet appreciation. “Mornin’.” They let out an obnoxious yawn to which Tsu’tey rolled his eyes. “Did you sleep at all?” <”We’re almost home.”> Tsu’tey replied, not quite dodging the question, but implying enough for them to work it out on their own.

They frowned, opening their mouth to no doubt annoy him for continuing the journey and letting them sleep, only for them to gasp instead as Tsu’tey grabbed one of their arms and dripped freezing cold water onto it. They jerked, trying to pull their arm away from the shock, but Tsu’tey soothed them by rubbing away some of the dried blood. Realising what he was doing, they let him.

“A warning would have been nice!”

“It is cold.” He said, and did it again with a wicked grin on his face.

They scowled at him but didn’t retort, allowing him to focus on cleaning them up.

Tsu’tey found himself getting lost in it. His hindbrain purred at the sight of all the blood and dirt washing away, leaving behind mostly unblemished skin. There were a few bruises starting to collect beneath the skin at places, but they were largely uninjured. Tsu’tey took that as a good sign and moved on to the other arm. Here, he found the scabbed over wound of a blade upon their bicep. Although it wasn’t deep, he ensured to clean it thoroughly. He knew little about treating wounds compared to Neytiri who had learned directly from Mo’at, but he wasn’t so clueless as to leave the wound dirty.

”You can wrap it with those plant leaves over there.” His mate instructed him, pointing to a plant growing in the shallows by the far bank. “The lime green one with the purple flowers. It’s hella absorbent.”

Tsu’tey found himself nodding along. <”When did you become an expert in healing?”> “When I stopped you bleeding out in the bloody forest.”

<”But we were not near a river then.”> Tsu’tey mused, stepping away to cut a couple of the leaves free. Offering a quiet prayer of thanks to the plant, he returned to his mate and sank back into his kneel. The leavers were rubbery on the top, with a cotton like texture along the underside, but would do nicely. “Eywa sent an Atokirinia to guide me to a similar plant.” His mate said nonchalantly, which immediately still Tsu’tey’s hands.

<”Eywa sent me a sign?”>

“I mean technically, the atokirina was for you.” They told him, “you came stumbling out of the undergrowth following it. Nearly scared the shit out of me. For whatever reason, Eywa wanted you to find me.”

<”And then you healed me.”> “Don’t sound so surprised.” They scoffed. “As if I would leave your sorry ass to bleed out. It’d be way too quiet without you.” Tsu’tey felt a swell of affection threaten to choke him as ducked his head. Instead of responding, he busied himself with rolling up the sleeve of his mate’s sleep shirt and carefully wrapping the plants around the freshly cleaned wound. They suctioned on easily.

From there, he allowed the conversation to drop as he went back to his previous task of washing them.

Once or twice, his mate tried to protest as he took off their shoes and set about cleaning their feet, to which Tsu’tey growled warningly. <”Let me take care of you.”>

Something in his voice managed to get through to them and they begrudgingly relented. Pouting cutely as Tsu’tey continued with his ministrations. He liked that they trusted him to do a good job. That for once, they could allow themself to slow down and enjoy his attention without needing to jump to the next task like they tended to when stressed. It was nice.

By the time he was rolling up their pyjama leg and getting at the dirt that got caught beneath, Tsu’tey had pretty much removed everything he could without leaving them damp and unbearably cold during the rest of the walk back.

Satisfied, he moved back up their body to their face. He was reluctant to remove the exomask so soon after the disastrous incident earlier, so he settled for wetting his hands and getting at the skin that wasn’t covered by plastic and glass. His touch was feather light; gentle on tender areas. His thumb idly traced the blossoming bruise just beneath their exo mask where the plastic met skin.

“It doesn’t hurt.”

He grumbled instead of offering a proper response as he traced the mark. It didn’t take a Tsahik to figure out how it had gotten there. And judging by his own split knuckles, several of the corpses back at the demon camp would have similar, if not larger, markings if they had survived.

That was all he could do for now, he knew, but once they were back in Omaticaya territory, he would find them some new clothes and offer them a proper bath in the heated pools the clan preferred to occupy instead of the rivers.

Nodding to himself, Tsu’tey finally backed off so that his shadow slid off of them and instead warm sunlight began to warm them up.

“Where are you going?” They immediately demanded, sounding somewhat panicked.

Tsu’tey smiled encouragingly before cupping river water into his palms and bringing it to his face so he could remove the blood obscuring his markings.

“Let me.” His mate offered. Tsu’tey’s ears pricked at the soft command in their tone, and he opened his eyes to find them offering their hands to him.

He declined their offer. <”You need to rest.”> “Tsu’tey.” They reflexively grumble, to which the hunter merely stepped back further. The water rose a little higher on him, but with his attention on his mate, he couldn’t find his usual unease. Instead, he made a show of allowing his hands to slide more slowly along his abdomen. More tantalising. Caressing rather than doing anything productive. The effect was instant as his mate’s fell into quiet appreciation, if only for a moment.

<”Rest Yawne. I will be done shortly.”>

They snapped out of it at the sound of his voice. “I swear to god, you infuriating man, let me help.” <”No.”>

They scowled, in that familiar challenging way of theirs. It sent a thrill down Tsu’tey’s spine. A thrill which was rapidly doused by the sight of his mate sliding their feet into the water, and promptly hopping off the rock. Judging by the abrupt widening of their eyes as their feet failed to touch the pebbled floor, they hadn’t taken into account the size difference and quite rapidly were submerged. Tsu’tey’s playful grin was swept away on the current as he practically dove after them. His heart hammered, eyes wide and panicked as he scrambled to find them beneath the water.

He could see the shape of them beneath the water, kicking against the current, rising gradually, but not fast enough for Tsu’tey’s liking. They were so small. Their lungs were not as large as his - in that moment, he had completely forgotten about the breathing mask strapped to their face. Surely they would drown!

Fear kept him from dunking his head under, not that he dwelled on it for long, because his fingers brushed against them and then wrapped tightly around their shoulders. He dragged them up, pulling them clear of the water and all the way up to his chest. They were soaked through now, Tsu’tey mildly grumbled to himself, erasing all of his careful attempts to keep the majority of them dry, not that he cared much.

<”That was deeper than I anticipated.”> They mused dryly, <”but at least I’m properly awake now.”> He could tell. They were back to speaking na’vi again.

<”Don’t you ever do that again!”> He growled.

<”Chill. It was actually really pretty under there. There’s tonnes of plants and smaller creatures near the bottom-”> They were cut off by Tsu’tey’s flinch. Now that they had put that image in his mind, he couldn’t help but imagine something bigger, more deadly, lurking beneath the surface. Ignoring his mate’s confused questions, Tsu’tey decided that he’d prefer to clean up at home, where the water was warm and clear of anything bigger than a fish.

<”Tsu’tey? What’s wrong? Did something bite you?”>

His ears flattened at the thought and he shuddered. The water was getting shallower with every step, his bow was in sight and he was pleased to realise he hadn’t wasted too much time judging by the position of the sun. But then he remembered the jacket he’d tossed into the current and loudly groaned to himself.

<”Tsu’tey!”> They were being more demanding now. Reaching up to cup his face between their hands and force him to meet their gaze. <”What’s wrong?”> They pressed.

<”Nothing.”> Tsu’tey returned firmly, even though he felt anything but fine. He didn’t want to go back in. He just wanted to bask in the sunlight, dry off a bit and get home. But he knew that if he didn’t get the jacket, then they would try to instead, and somehow that just made him feel more panicked. It was best to leave them on the bank where they’d be safer. <”Look after my bow.”> He instructed, sitting them down beside his weapon before forcibly unhooking their arms from around his neck.

To their credit, they resisted, but Tsu’tey was stronger.

He could feel them glaring at his back as he forced himself to walk back into the river. Without them in his arms to distract him, he was more aware of the texture of the rocky bottom against the soles of his feet. Of the plants growing out of the river bed and the potentially hundred of little things they were concealing.

Gritting his teeth, Tsu’tey ignored the anxious flick of his tail and rounded the rocks to find the jacket stuffed between them. It was reasonably clean now, thanks to the current beating out most of the dirt, but would be useless with how wet it was. Hopefully, it would dry off before too long on the walk back.

<”What has gotten into you? You were angry earlier, but now you’re just scaring me. Is there something in the water?”> Eywa he hoped not. He’d just been kneeling in it after all. <”Tsu’tey? Talk to me.”> <”I do not enjoy the water.”> He said simply as he turned and began wading back to sure. His mate watched him for a moment, eyebrows drawing close together. Tsu’tey felt shame curdle his stomach. His tail tucked between his legs as he stepped up onto the bank, dripping water everywhere with the jacket hanging limply from his hands. He found it hard to meet his mate’s gaze again.

<”You’re afraid of water?”>

<”I am of the forest, not the sea.”> Tsu’tey defended, feeling himself heat up at such blatant vulnerable honesty. <”I do not share a connection to water like one such as a Metkayina might. This is a natural concern!”>

He watched his mate’s eyebrows jump at his sudden outburst.

<”I see.”> They replied thoughtfully. <”Well, thank you for cleaning me up regardless.”> He nodded in acknowledgement. <”Now allow me to return the favour.”>

<”I believe I have spent more time in the rivers than I would like today.”>

<”We need to clean your wounds.”> <”I will be fine until we return.”> <”I’m not asking you.”> They grit out before taking his hand and pulling on it, encouraging him back to the water’s edge. He humoured them, knowing how stubborn they were, and only briefly paused to lay the jacket out on the grass so it could begin to dry.

They nodded in appreciation and once again, Tsu’tey found himself standing beside the stupid river.

<”Sit.”> They instructed, when they reached the bank, close enough to the current to touch, but far enough away that they were not in the water.

Sceptically, Tsu’tey did as instructed and dropped into a crouch. That earned him a pleased hum and a comforting squeeze to his shoulder before his mate stepped closer to the river. Before he could stop himself, Tsu’tey’s hand snapped out and grabbed onto the collar of their nightshirt. They paused before twisting awkwardly to shoot him an unimpressed look. Reluctantly, he unwound his fingers and retracted his hand, feeling properly chastised.

There was the sound of fabric tearing, making his ears twitch, before they were before him again. Eye level with him thanks to his crouch. Their touch was gentle against his cheek as they dragged the wet fabric of their torn shirt down his cheek, wiping away anything he had missed. Despite his best attempts, Tsu’tey felt his tail wagging embarrassingly at the attention, an action that his mate politely ignored as they moved onto his chest, tutting absently at the shallow cut concealed below his cummerbund.

<”Doesn’t need the plant.”> They mumbled absently, before winding around him and focusing on his back.

With a steady grip, they moved his kuru to the side and started wiping him down. Despite himself, Tsu’tey shuddered at such a careful touch on one of his most sensitive areas. It wasn’t anything erotic or suggestive, just a loving gesture to keep the precious limb out of the way whilst they worked.

<”Am I hurting you?”>

<”No.”> He said breathlessly, revelling in the sensation of little fingers wrapped around his braid, steady and confident in their touch. <”Keep going.”> <”Demanding.”> His mate mused, their touch around his kuru loosening before sliding down it. Fingers periodically tightening as they travelled down, down, down…

<”Tease.”> Tsu’tey growled wetly, swallowing down the saliva that had collected in his mouth as his mate retracted their touch.

They smirked at him, stepping out from behind him to return to the river and refresh the cloth. They took longer than before. Stalling, Tsu’tey realised.

When they straightened, they wouldn’t meet his eyes. He knew, because he was watching their face now, observing them mull over a question, turning it this way and that before allowing it to take shape. Tsu’tey remained quiet as they thought it through, content to feel them move onto his arms, then the back of his neck.

<”When we bond.”> They finally said, punching the breath from Tsu’tey even though he half expected a question of this variety. <”Would you bond with my avatar to get the full connection? You know, because this body won’t allow you to feel anything.”> Tsu’tey swallowed. Hard. He had asked himself the same question countless times. Even more so after seeing his mate in their human form. <”Just because it has not been done before, does not mean it cannot be done.”>

Their hands still on him, and Tsu’tey turned slowly. <”So you want to try? With me?”> They pressed, struggling to keep the hope from their voice. Tsu’tey immediately softened in seeing his own unease reflected back at him. <”I would want nothing else, Yawne. Always with you.”>

They smiled, allowing him to pull them in with a touch to their hips. <”What does that mean?”>

<”In your tongue, beloved.”>

<”Sappy.”>

Tsu’tey laughed, relieved and happy and excited, all rolled into one roiling tempest in his gut. His hands shook as he pulled his kuru forward over his shoulder. The neural whip itself was tingling beneath the protective hair, as it usually did before he communed with Eywa or was anticipating forming a connection. The pull was constant now, and Tsu’tey knew who it was drawing him to.

<”Be gentle.”> He warned, warmed by how they nodded eagerly. <”It is very sensitive.”>

Hesitantly, they reached for him, fingers unsure but tender as they admired Tsu’tey’s neat braid. He allowed them to explore, letting go of his kuru and allowing his every shudder and uneven breath to be obvious. Every reaction only seemed to encourage their exploration. Igniting that familiar fire of curiosity in their eyes as they gradually made their way closer and closer to where Tsu’tey wanted them.

It felt like forever when they finally reached the end of his kuru, and gently held it up to their eye level. Tsu’tey’s cheeks heated as the hairs parted to allow his tendrils to slip free. The wiggling nerves were not shy in searching for something to bond to. They wound around each other, spread wide again and flared as his mate watched.

His mate glanced at him for permission before they moved to connect anything, eyes full of wonder. Tsu’tey nodded eagerly, suddenly desperate for what it would feel like to finally bond with them. To finally See them in their entirety, and for them to See him in return. He was hungry for it. Starving in a way that could not be satiated in any other way.

Once again, they took their time observing him, carefully examining and coming to conclusions before they raised their exposed wrists and offered them to Tsu’tey’s eager tendrils. The effect was immediate. Like a kenten to honey berries, his tendrils darted forward, wrapping around the exposed skin with a suddenness that made his mate gasp.

Tsu’tey was quick to soothe them, his hands grabbing at their waist and leading them to come sit in his lap as he shifted to sit on his heels. They followed his lead, pupils unusually wide and unseeing. Feeling nothing, Tsu’tey busied himself with running his hands up and down their back as they breathed through it, the tendrils wrapped around their wrist glowing in time to Tsu’tey’s heartbeat.

“Fuck.” They breathed. <“It’s like sensory overload.”> Tsu’tey’s languid touch froze. <“Is it bad?”>

<“No. God no. Just.”> They trailed off, blinking slowly. <“Different. Can you feel this?”>

<“I cannot.”> Tsu’tey admitted. <“What can you feel?”> <“All of it.”> They told him. <“Everything. It’s like I’m back in my avatar.”> He hummed.

<“Can you feel me?”> They nodded, so he continued. <“Try reaching out to me, through the bond.”>

They nodded. But for a while nothing happened, even as their eyes slipped closed and their eyebrows drew together in concentration, Tsu’tey didn’t feel so much as a ripple. With his mind linked to theirs he tried to keep his disappointment down. Tried to push feelings of happiness and content down the bond instead of the internal discomfort of having everything he <i>was</i> visible to them, only to feel nothing in return-

There!

He felt something on the edge of his consciousness. Weak and phantom like but no doubt real.

<“That is it.”> He encouraged, <”try again.”> And they did. This time, the contact was like hands coming together and holding on tight to one another instead of a passing touch of fingers tracing down someone’s palm. Tsu’tey lurched to grip back, his consciousness holding on tightly.

It slammed into him like an ikran at full speed. His mouth dropped open at the flood of sheer feeling that suddenly overwhelmed every corner of his mind. His comforting grip on his mate turned bruising as he tried to anchor himself in the real world and not drift away in the current of them. In the back of his mind, he knew they were still out in the open, and getting too wrapped up in one another, but it was addictive.

No wonder his People put such an emphasis on Tsaheylu. The bond was everything. It was comfort and reassurance. It was give and take. To have and to give. To own and be owned in return. To be Seen.

And oh did Tsu’tey See.

Everything they had ever gone through was laid before him at that moment. From the difficulty of their life on a dying planet, to the turmoil of signing said life away. He felt the grogginess of waking up in an alien environment after six years of slumber. He marvelled at the internal structure of Hell’s Gate, feeling glee as they did when they were officially given an office and link unit, and then he felt the freedom of linking up to an alien body for the first time. In a brief flash, he saw his own snarling face as he glanced up through the branches only for the avatar to come crashing down on him and his pa’li. He felt the affection through the bond at the memory. The happiness at finding him. The relief of no longer having to blindly navigate an alien world, even if he was a reluctant teacher.

From there, he is in the flashes more frequently. Finally Seeing himself through another's eyes and being continuously overwhelmed by the sheer volume of mounting love and adoration that swelled with each memory. Their hope threatened to drown him. Their loneliness tried to reduce him to tears.

And through it all, Tsu’tey held them close. Clung to their body as they grabbed at his, holding on for dear life as he in turn was laid bare before them.

This was Tsaheylu in its entirety, and Tsu’tey mused that he was already becoming addicted.

Gradually, the intensity of it all began to slow and reduce to background noise. Never fully, but just enough that he could remain connected to them and focus on the forest at the same time.

“Fuck.” They said again, in awe. “You feel so much.”

Tsu’tey scoffed in amusement. If anything, he feared he felt too little. Especially since the demons had shown further interest in his home. Even more so after he became Olo’eyktan and the safety of the clan was pressing constantly down on his shoulders. Definitely with the threat of more demons lurking in the very forests that were supposed to be safe for his People-

Something warm and soothing washed away his anxious thoughts through the bond and Tsu’tey let out a relieved breath.

<”Focus on me, mate.”> They encouraged, idly tracing the stripes that curved over his cheeks. The gentle touch had him melting into them. Before he could stop it, a purr was rumbling to life deep in his chest. Full and unfiltered in a way it hadn’t been in years. <”There you go.”> They praised him quietly, fingers feather light against his thick skin, tracing the phantom of his freckles along the high of his cheeks and then up his nose to his temple.

<”I See you Tsu’tey.”> His mate whispered, setting his heart alight with affection and relief. <”My Olo’eyktan. My hunter. My friend. My mate. My Tsu’tey.”> They said his name with notes of worship woven into the syllables. The way the People more commonly speak Eywa’s name instead of a mere mate.

<”You are everything to me.”> They assured him, having felt the insecurity riddled in his thought process. <”I acknowledge everything you were and everything you could be. I see all of you Tsu’tey, past and present.”> And oh Eywa, if that wasn’t the most perfect vowel Tsu’tey had ever heard.

His throat was thick with emotion, overwhelming and unexpected as his sheer affection towards this sky person slammed into him at full force.

<”Thank you.”> He whispered. For loving me. He didn’t say. For Seeing me and continuing to love me anyway. For Seeing every ugly part of me. Every bad decision, every explosive temper tantrum and every mistake, and continuing to look at me like that.

<”I know.”> They said aloud, because he couldn’t. Because he feared he would begin to sob if he dared voice anything he thought. He was still scared. He realised. To give form to anything that he couldn’t control.

<”I know.”> They repeated, and he believed them.

<”I see you.”> Tsu’tey whispered back, and the beam of a smile he got in return made everything worth it.

<”God, you’re gorgeous.”> His mate complimented him, hands gentle on either side of his face. And Tsu’tey found he believed them. Although normally he would use words like ‘handsome’ or ‘attractive’ or ‘strong’ to describe himself, he found that ‘gorgeous’ somehow fit too. But only after he’d seen himself through their eyes. Only after he’d witnessed the galaxies of his freckles through their eyes. Only after he’d seen the hidden expressiveness of his large, golden eyes and the ‘cute’ twitch of his ears. He understood, and he was overwhelmed.

He didn’t even have to part his lips to give word to his thoughts for his mate to reach for where they were connected. With surprising ease, they managed to untangle their wrist from his tendrils and return his kuru to where it had previously hung against his chest.

<”Better?”> They asked him, stroking down his cheeks.

He hummed, his muscles feeling like jelly as he leaned some of his weight into them, his face pressed into their stomach. Absently, he noticed he was still purring but couldn’t find it in him to care much, and in his next sigh, he allowed it to kick up a notch. To which his mate huffed in amusement and started fiddling with his ears.

<”We should probably get going.”> His mate prompted.

<”Probably.”> Tsu’tey agreed but made no attempt to move.

<”Come on mate.”>

That got him sitting up. Their expression was soft as they looked down at him, all open and content. A stark contrast to the panic of earlier.

<”Let's go home.”>

He nodded and forced himself to rise to his feet, only to pause as his mate too their hand from his face. Catching them by the wrist, he brought it back to his eye level. THe skin that had been fused to his kuru was discoloured now. Not in the way that suggested an incoming bruise. But in the sense that it had taken on the appearance of a year old scar, the skin darker in pigment and set in the pattern of his spiralling tendrils. Somehow, Tsu’tey instinctively knew that if he were to reconnect them both here and now, his tendrils would attach over the scar in an identical pattern as to how they did here.

<”Gorgeous.”> Tsu’tey breathed, thumbing the permanent mark his queue had left on his mate’s skin. Feeling something possessive awaken deep in his chest at the physical evidence of them being his. All his.

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