A Breath Long Held - Chapter 1
Summary: A reality Tamtey had come to accept in the wake of TAP's horrors is turned on its head; just as she thought she'd found some modicum of happiness.
Pairing: So’lek x f!Tamtey
Content/Warnings: Angst, PTSD, childhood trauma, fluff, unplanned pregnancy, mentions of nonconcentual medical procedure.
Author’s Note: Shout out to @avatar-looks for the req! I don’t have a f!Tamtey of my own so I borrowed their gorgeous girl for it and her Telisi.
I got kind of into a zone with the descriptions here and it’s not even smut. Heh!
The ringing was a continuous, high-frequency whine in Tamtey’s ears; piercing and almost white hot as it drowned out all the sound around her.
So’lek was speaking to her, she could see his lips move and feel the slight vibration his warm voice carried through the air, see the look of concern on his face, but none of his words reached her.
Another day, another RDA base to demolish.
“TAMTEY!” So’lek shouted to her from where he was crouched in cover behind a pallet of drab grey canisters, his voice cracking with alarm, but the warning had come just a second too late.
Before she could register what it was, Tamtey looked at the object at her feet and world exploded in blinding white, the percussion of the explosion like a clap of thunder in her skull, numbing her to all but the sound of blood rushing in her ears; the arrow she’d held drawn clattering harmlessly to the concrete of the loading dock before being snapped under the weight of the AMP advancing on their position.
There was nothing. Nothing to see or hear. It would be almost peaceful if it didn’t hurt so fucking much.
Tamtey staggered, her body pinballing off the supply crates she’d been using as shelter, her hands fisting at her eyes as she doubled over, instinctively trying to make herself a smaller target.
Completely disoriented, she sagged and though her mouth was open the shout of pain that tore from her throat was lost to her, the shrill siren and bump of her pulse all-consuming.
Pressing the palms of her hands against her eyelids, Tamtey desperately tried to recover her vision; the panic of being so exposed and vulnerable gripping her lungs.
New colors of pain bloomed across her side as one of the AMPs, she had no clue which as there’d been four of them in various and incredibly inconvenient positions throughout the warehouse, landed a brutal blow to her ribs; the impact sending her sailing gracelessly through the air to land with a yelp and a sickening thump on the hard, unforgiving floor, skidding another few feet.
She could feel the quake of its steps through the cold cement beneath her, knowing it was advancing and she had to move, to do something.
Tamtey’s mind was sluggish, her typically quick reactions slowed with the disorientation and now likely cracked or broken ribs that shocked her with every breath. So there really was no telling how long she’d laid there, a sitting duck ready for a hunter’s round.
Eventually she was able to squint her eyes open a little; the world around her was blurry, painted in blotches of muted color and swimming dots of light; like watching the sunrise in a typhoon.
There was movement somewhere off to her right, she couldn’t tell how far or what it was exactly, but it wasn’t close; amongst the hazy shapes she could barely register a swath of blue and, though she couldn’t hear it, his name fell from her lips like a reflex.
Gripping at her injured ribs, Tamtey rolled and pushed herself to her knees, bracing one hand on the floor and trying to at least kneel somewhat upright.
As she wobbled, trying and failing to sit up, a pair of strong hands found her shoulders, causing her to jolt for just a moment before familiarity washed over her. In her watercolor vision, Tamtey glared up at the mass of blue and blobby military green hovering in front of her, stabilizing and guiding her until she sat fully on her butt; the impact of the floor to her ass causing her to grunt and make some unknown, probably embarrassing sound as the impact reverberated through her injured ribs.
It took a few solid minutes before her vision began to clear a little more and her ears began to allow sounds to filter back in; his voice slowly came through in fuzzy tones, muffled like a broken radio and she had to concentrate hard to make out any actual words… Except concentrating for more than a half second was impossible, her head absolutely throbbing.
Whatever the fuzzy, blue, vaguely So’lek shaped blob with the warm, rumbly voice, was saying… It gave up at some point, rummaging at its waist before she felt the familiar press and astringent smell of a dapophet to her lips. Without a fuss, she opened her mouth and bit into it, letting the bitter taste flood her mouth and wash down her throat.
Apparently he could tell when the treatment took effect, speaking again.
“Are you with me, ma Tamtey?” So’lek asked, crouched in front of her, sunset yellow eyes searching her face for some sign of recognition.
Before thinking better of it, she let out a heavy sigh, wincing at the throb from her now dulled but now definitely cracked ribs. Even so, she nodded in response. “Yeah. I’m here.” she grumbled, meeting his gaze almost reluctantly. “That was stupid… right?”
A quick puff of air from his nose and barely there twitch of his jaw were the only sign of a reaction; if she were anyone else she’d have missed it.
“It was… not your proudest moment.” So’lek conceded, reaching out to pinch the thick wooden beads that hung at the sides of her face between his fingers and inspecting them for a moment before his hand came to palm her cheek, thumb brushing just below her eye as he studied her face again. From where she sat, it seemed like he had something to say, but instead he just watched and the concern for her flooding from his eyes as thick as sap made her itch in the strangest way. “Come. Let us get you home, I will come back after you are safe.”
Tamtey jolted slightly, her mouth already open to protest that she absolutely did NOT need to leave, they could finish the mission… but her body had other plans as her head throbbed, ribs ached and vision swam.
Not waiting for a response from her either way, So’lek positioned himself on the side opposite her cracked ribs, and swept her up into his arms as though she weighed nothing; the adjustment caused another throb through her sternum but the solid column of his body was familiar, the sturdy cradle of his arms no small comfort and his woody, salty scent seeping into his senses… She couldn’t resist and simply sagged against him as he carried her outside.
Apparently she’d dozed off and, by the time Tamtey awoke, they were landing at The Hollows; So’lek urging Íley to hover and sink to the ground as gently as possible.
She’d argued that he didn’t need to carry her again, had made a truly pathetic attempt at getting off the ikran on her own and then hung defeated in So’lek’s arms as he carted her into Anufi’s treatment space.
From where she stood at her workbench, next to one of her apprentices, Anufi looked up at the pair with a soft but exasperated look; a mother who adores her reckless, idiot children. “Tell me.” she bade, gesturing to a mat on the floor as she gathered her supplies in her efficient, yet graceful way.
“An AMP suit sucker punched me.” Tamtey grunted and hissed as So’lek sat her down on the mat.
“That was after you looked directly at a flashbang.” So’lek chided, suddenly looking incredibly tired from where he crouched comfortably nearby, diligently observing, hesitant to leave her even in Anufi’s capable hand.
“A… flashbang?” The tsahík repeated the word curiously as she knelt down and began to examine her new patient, assessing her injuries and determining treatment as she listened to the story.
That was about a week ago and things were mostly back to normal. The ache in her ribs had faded completely, her eyes and ears had recovered and she was back to doing what she did best:
Being an absolute fucking menace to the RDA.
More random outposts, more stupid little squads in the middle of nowhere, more scorpions shot out of the sky. Would these bastards ever learn?
It was exhausting, honestly.
At the resistance hideout, Tamtey sat with Teylan, her hands busy with a small weaving loom as she listened to him excitedly explain a new piece of RDA tech they’d discovered from a bunch of data she’d jacked from a recently destroyed base.
Apparently, they were back on their bullshit in the plains, gearing up for another rollout of mining outposts and all she could do was sigh in irritation and sit there rooted to the spot while Teylan insisted that briefing her on their latest tech was vital; Tamtey was fairly positive he just really wanted a reason to geek out about cool tech with someone.
It was nice to just hang out with Teylan for a little while. She didn’t get to see him or spend as much time with him as she would like and it was so comforting to see him excited about something, even if that something was human tech.
By the time he was finished she found herself exhausted, head throbbing and feeling a bit nauseous. To be fair, she hadn’t eaten much today, should probably get some sleep and the sterile, too filtered, air probably wasn’t doing her any favors.
As the airlock hissed open and she stepped out into the open cavern and taking a deep breath, she spied So’lek crouched down and rummaging through a large sackful of newly acquired munitions, sorting through his haul and determining what to do with them next.
Unable to resist the urge to bother him, she stepped up into his workspace and crouched down on the opposite side of the sack, whistling in approval at the spread.
“Nice catch.” She smiled, meeting his eyes as he looked up at her, the corners of his own mouth turning up just slightly.
“It will do.” So’lek agreed, picking up a rifle and turning it over in his hands, grunting in acknowledgement as he inspected the weapon and then set it aside.
“Have you eaten yet?” Tamtey asked, also picking up a rifle, giving it a quick look in hand before racking it against her shoulder to check the sight, sure to aim only at the cave wall when she did.
So’lek shook his head, setting the gun aside for later maintenance. “I have not.”
Tamtey perked up a bit, returning her rifle to the pile. “Great! Let’s eat together. I have to fly out to The Circle tomorrow, so I’ll be gone for a while.” So’lek’s ears pinned a bit at hearing she’d be leaving again, his eyes flicking to her face for a moment as he grabbed a shotgun from the bag, checked it and sorted it as well. “And… maybe we could talk for a while? We haven’t really had time to… just talk.” She was babbling a tad, but it was cute.
So’lek picked up another firearm from the overloaded bag, gave it a look, checked some mechanisms and then tossed it over to the side for a complete strip later before resting his arms on his knees and nodding. “You are right. We have not.” he replied after a moment before standing at his full height, a good head taller than her.
Beaming at his acceptance, she stood too and the pair made their way up the ramps and out the back entrance to the hideout, settling at a small landing around the bend with a barely there little alcove set into the side of the mountain; just enough for cover, not enough to be called a cave.
It didn’t take long at all for them to gather what they needed for their dinner. One of the other Na’vi within the resistance had recently returned with their own hunt and had gladly shared the meat with them and Tamtey had collected plenty of other ingredients on her own.
Settling on meat stuffed mushrooms, a recipe they’d both made and enjoyed many times before, they set to work prepping the ingredients. But as the food began to cook, the smell wafting in the air around them, Tamtey found herself sick at the combined gamey-earthy scent.
“Oh… Eywa… I think… I think the mushrooms are bad…” She groaned, cupping a hand over her mouth and stepping back from the fire where So’lek was crouched, having placed the roasting vessel in the fire only a minute before.
He looked at her curiously, then back at the fire, leaning in to give it a brief sniff and contemplating for a moment. “They smell fine to me… and you said nothing when preparing them.” A foul mushroom would’ve been obvious before being cooked, they smelled like sour fish and were slimy to the touch; the banquet mushrooms they’d used were firm and smelled like the earth, as they should and had been collected just that morning.
“Yeah well… they smell and… ugh…” she took another few steps back, leaning over the edge of the cliff a little with her hands on her knees, breathing exclusively through her mouth and trying to get a breath of fresh air. “I can’t eat that…” she waved behind her, gesturing vaguely to the fire.
A moment later So’lek was beside her, his face painted with slight concern, a hand resting on her lower back. “Are you alright? Would you like something different?”
Tamtey felt the bile rise in the throat for a moment and she had to concentrate on pushing it back, taking a slow breath and focusing on the warmth of his hand. It was a long, awkward silence before she nodded a little too hastily. “Yep.. yeah… yep I’m fine. Um… I have some dawn fruit in my bag. I think… hrnn…” she cut off again, slapping a hand over her mouth and turned a little, angling herself even further away from the fire. “...I think I’ll just cut some of that up.”
So’lek’s brows furrowed, looking behind them at the fire and then back at Tamtey where she was doubled over and struggling not to retch. The food smelled fine, delicious even… maybe the seasoning he’d used this time was something she wasn’t fond of.
Tamtey felt him step away, her head almost between her knees as she tried to get a breath in without feeling like letting out would bring a stream of vomit with it.
“Here. Go get some water, I will finish this and cut the fruit.” Looking up, she found him holding out a carved wooden jug and when their eyes met he jerked his head towards the stream at the foot of the mountain.
Gingerly taking the jug, she nodded and pathetically shuffled off down the path. The smell gradually receded from her senses the further she went; taking slow, deep breaths through her nose to calm the wave of nausea that threatened to stop her in her tracks.
It was probably around 30 minutes later when she returned, the jug cradled in her arm as she stood around the bend, well away from where the campfire’s smell would waft her way.
“ma So’lek?” Tamtey called from around the corner, waiting for a moment before she heard his voice return.
“The smell is gone, come.”
Without a moment’s question she rounded the turn, finding he was correct and the air was clear. Returning to her spot opposite him beside the fire, she plopped down and reached for a couple of small wooden hewn cups, filling them and passing one to him.
He took it easily, and brought the cup to his mouth for a sip, Tamtey followed suit and sighed pleasantly at the cool liquid trickling down her throat, prompting So’lek to speak. “Are you feeling better?”
She took another sip before nodding. “Yes. Thanks. I think… I just haven’t eaten much today and the smell was a little strong.”
Passing her the cut fruit, using its own rind as a plat, he nodded as well and an easy silence passed between them as they ate. What he had chosen to do with the stuffed mushrooms, she wasn’t sure, but he’d apparently chosen to err on the side of caution and was calmly consuming a cut fruit of his own instead.
Once finished, the fire crackling pleasantly behind them, the pair shifted to sit on the edge of the landing, their legs dangling off the edge as they looked up at the stars and chatted about nothing in particular; their hands found each other without precedent, fingers twining together.
It was never awkward between them, in moments like this, but what it was… they hadn’t actually talked about. There was always too much going on: too many missions, too much impending doom, too many people that desperately needed anything and everything under the sun. So they just… hadn’t talked about it. Instead, it grew naturally and quietly, though not really slowly.
Especially not after the first time.
Tamtey flushed lavender at the memory, her cheeks and the tips of her ears tinting purple and she smiled to herself, biting her lip and very definitely making up her mind.
Turning to look up at him very directly, clearly expecting him to look back at her, she prodded. “ma So’lek?” as though intent on asking a question.
But when he hummed in response and turned to look back all he got was her mouth slotted firmly to his, soft but insistent.
Later, they laid together on his sleeping mat in the little alcove set into the mountain, her body tucked against his side and a leg slung across his hips as they dozed happily.
“I am coming with you to the plains.” His low voice cut through the haze of her sleep, causing her to blink and shift her head to look up at him again.
“Hm?” She mumbled, clearly asking for more information.
“I want to see what it is the RDA is up to, in case you need assistance.” So’lek answered, the fingers of his left hand ghosting lazy circles over her shoulder, brushing the edges of a scar in the process and pausing to trace it more purposefully.
“You really don’t have to. I’ve done this a bunch of times. It should be pretty quick.” Tamtey protested, ears giving a little flick.
“I want to. I would rather go and you do not need me than to not and you do.” He insisted, his tone gentle but… something.
At that she leaned up, propping herself on her arm to look down at him at an angle, her brow furrowed as she searched his face. “What… you don’t think I can do it by myself? I’ve taken out half a dozen other bases this week alone, why would one more make any difference?” The purse of her lips, pin of her ears and the sudden flick of her tail told him she was getting irritated with his insistence, but one quality they shared in equal measure was being exceptionally stubborn.
“I did not say that. You are perfectly capable. I would simply be more at ease if I went with you.” He responded, not rising to the bait of her goading, reaching up with his right hand to cup her cheek. “It is for my own peace.”
Tamtey deflated a little, huffing in slight irritation as she plopped back into her slot against his side; his hand moving to trace along the edge of her ear, fiddle with the feathers in her hair and simply squeezing her close.
When she drifted off to sleep it was to the steady, comforting beat of his heart against her ear.
The following morning they woke early, ate and packed up the camp before gearing up Íley and Telisi. Tamtey wandered inside to say goodbye to whoever was awake, finding only Ri’nela whom she hugged and asked her to tell Teylan she’d said bye.
So’lek urged Íley into the sky as soon as he saw her breach the mouth of the cave, causing her to grin and surge forward, leaping into place in Telisi’s saddle before they too pushed from the ground in pursuit.
The flight was fairly easy once they’d crested the mountains around the valley, the generally flat landscape of the plains meaning they didn’t have to reroute and could see for a good distance so ambush was far less likely.
But the threat at hand wasn’t an enemy.
They’d been flying for a few hours and had just a couple more to go before they reached The Circle and So’lek’s eyes were trained on the horizon as he shifted slightly in his seat; the alarmed shriek of the ikran flying next to him immediately snapping his attention there only to see the saddle empty.
Alarm blared through his nerves as his eyes darted into the open air below, watching in horror as the rapidly shrinking figure of Tamtey plummeted towards the ground below. Telisi was already beginning to dive, but she wouldn’t be able to catch if her rider wasn’t awake to grab on. With a wordless shout, So’lek prompted Íley into a sleek dive; his near panic and urgency already well known through their bond.
They overtook Telisi a few precious seconds later, slowly gaining on Tamtey’s flailing body.
As the vast expanse of the plains rapidly rose up to meet them, So’lek leaned further forward, jaw clenched tightly and teeth bared in challenge to the planet below, desperately begging his bonded to reach her in time.
Images of his past flashed through his mind. Of Wawen. Of the countless bodies of his people falling from the skies and he’d been unable to catch even a single one of them; the memories seized him by the throat, but he did not relent.
It was none too soon when he pulled her into his arms and Íley quickly unfurled his wings, jolting them to a very abrupt stop as he clung her tightly to his body, fingers sinking into her skin like he was afraid she might evaporate entirely.
“Tamtey?!” So’lek’s eyes were wide as he searched her for injuries and gently shook her, from what he could see as the ikran glided them to the ground, she was unharmed.
There was nothing and she was breathing.
Breathing was good, unseen wounds were not.
Telisi joined them moments later, clearly worried as their bond had broken unexpectedly when Tamtey lost consciousness and fell from her saddle.
So’lek looked around for a moment; they were in the middle of nowhere pretty much. There weren’t any camps nearby that he knew of and even if there were, would there be any healers that could help? He didn’t know. They were too far now to reasonably turn back to seek help from Anufi or The Resistance… so the best thing to do was keep on their path, Minang was capable and he hoped she would know what to do.
Telisi had been anxious the entire time, practically tailgating them and chirping insistently with worry. But he couldn’t blame her, So’lek’s heart had been in his throat the whole flight as well.
Íley, understanding the critical nature of the situation, flew as swiftly as he could and got them to The Circle in what was probably record time.
They hadn’t even fully come to rest before he was calling to the figures on the ikran landing for direction, the thread of alarm and hard, determined look in his eyes told him they shouldn’t prod for details and instead physically lead him to the healer’s tent. As he stood with Tamtey’s deadweight cradled in his arms, she simultaneously felt light as a feather and like the weight of the entire universe condensed into one impossibly beautiful package.
Whatever this was, it was killing him.
His feet carried them both quickly through the camp, following the two that guided them from the landing, other Zeswa clan members stopping and watching curiously or jumping out of the way to not slow their progress.
After what felt like far too long, they finally entered the healer’s tent to find Minang giving a sort of lecture to three eager apprentices who all looked at him with wide eyes when they burst in.
“Help her. Please.” So’lek’s voice wavered, not quite cracking but clearly choking on the adrenaline firing at every nerve.
Minang assessed the situation quickly and beckoned him to lay Tamtey on a mat and got to work, “What happened?” she asked, not looking at him as she took the unconscious woman’s face in her hands, inspecting the color of her cheeks, lifting her eyelids gently to check the position and color of her eyes and working her way down: checking vitals both measurable and instinctual.
“We were flying, she fell from her saddle. I do not know why.” He answered tersely, voice clipped as though straining to keep his volume under control.
There was a bit of a commotion outside, one of the two from the landing platform poking his head in. “There is an ikran causing a fuss. It is trying to land on the tent.” the confused and slightly exasperated man looking from So’lek to Minang and back.
“Go, I will take care of her.” The tsahík replied, not taking her eyes or hands from her patient. When she didn’t hear So’lek move, she spoke more firmly. “You will not be of help here. She would not want to hear of her ikran shredding a tent when she wakes.”
It was as though lead weights anchored him to the spot, his eyes trained on Tamtey’s still figure, as though she were simply resting peacefully. That Minang had been right and Tamtey would feel unbelievably guilty if Telisi caused any damage while fussing over her.
Like slogging through tar, So’lek’s feet followed his reluctant command and he headed back outside; Talisi had landed nearby, rather inconveniently in the middle of a row of tents and was blocking the way as she squawked and hissed at anyone a little too close.
Holding up his hands as he approached, steadily meeting the gaze of this capable predator, seeing the fear and concern staring back at him. One slow step, then another and soon he had reached her and soothingly gave her neck and snout a slow rub. It was all a lie, he wasn’t calm… he wasn’t steady… but he could fake it, he could bury it like he did so often in the face of the greater need. There would be time later to feel and there was now a task at hand.
After calming her enough, So’lek managed to convince the anxious ikran to follow him back to the landing platform where Íley still sat, patiently waiting. Giving his own bonded an appreciative scritch for his unwavering support, So’lek cast a longing gaze back in the direction of the healer’s tent and ran a hand over his face in an attempt to collect himself.
Thankfully, Íley’s more stable demeanor seemed to also calm Talisi to some degree and, to be honest, it gave So’lek some comfort as well. The gnawing pit in his stomach didn’t ease, the itch in his hands to do something didn’t abate and he had to actively fight himself to stay on the platform, knowing that if he went back to the tent he would only be a nagging fly buzzing around while the tsahík practiced her craft.
How long it was before one of the apprentices fetched him, he had no idea, but he followed with a magnetic purpose at her heels and when he entered the tent his bones threatened to turn to soup; the sag of relief in his core as he saw Tamtey sitting up on the mat, conscious and eating as she spoke with Minang who looked exceptionally unbothered by whatever they were discussing.
He was by her side in a moment, kneeling down by the mat and reaching out to settle his hand on her shoulder, willing his fingers to not grip with the same desperation pounding in his chest; she immediately offered him a tired, apologetic smile, her ears drooping as she could very clearly see the plea in his eyes.
Minang watched them for a moment before gracefully rolling up to her feet. “I will return soon.” Was all she said, the you should talk was heavily implied as she left them with some privacy, even as others floated around the tent, patients and healers alike.
One hand sat in her lap, holding a cup of water, while the other reached across to settle on his hand where it held her shoulder. “Thank you… for catchin...” she began, having averted her eyes from the intensity of his.
“Tamtey.” He interrupted, his free hand moving to cup her face and urge her to meet his eyes again. “I will always catch you.” He paused, searching her face for understanding.
Tamtey’s breath caught in her throat and all she could do was nod as he brought their foreheads together. The contact, the shared breath, enveloped them and together they let the tension bleed away, secure for the moment in each other’s presence.
Scooting closer, half on the mat, So’lek took a seat to wrap an arm around her back and urged her to finish the water in her cup as he whispered quiet affections into her ear, assurances of his support and that she was safe. Tamtey was laughing quietly, trying to reassure him that she was alright, that he didn’t have to fuss over her so much.
What he didn’t say was how he had watched her fall from the sky like a corpse. Like the bodies from his nightmares.
Almost as if on cue, Minang returned, smiling knowingly at the pair but keeping any comment to herself.
“So… What’s wrong with me? I’ve never passed out like that before…” Tamtey asked, her expression one that said she was about to spring into a rapid stream of thought-esque ramble.
The tsahík held up a stern hand and Tamtey immediately quieted, Minang was fond of her but very much did not have time for all that.
“There is nothing wrong with you. The thin air and lack of strength as you’d barely eaten caused you to fall unconscious.” The Zeswa chastised, giving her a very pointed look before a gentler expression returned. “And you must eat well if your child is to grow strong.”
So’lek’s hand, which had been gently rubbing her back, stilled as the rest of him went rigid. Surely that wasn’t what she had said. “...child?” he repeated, staring with what was definitely not the neutral expression he had attempted to wrestle back onto his features.
Minang tilted her head a little, registering the disbelief in his voice. “Yes, Tamtey is pregnant. Were you not aware?” her eyes flicked from him to Tamtey and what she found in the Sarentu’s face was much, much worse.
The ringing was a continuous, high-frequency whine in Tamtey’s ears; piercing and almost white hot as it drowned out all the sound around her.
So’lek was speaking to her, she could see his lips move and feel the slight vibration his warm voice carried through the air, see the look of concern on his face, but none of his words reached her.
From the outside, Tamtey’s eyes were wide and her breath heaving from her in ragged pants, her chest shuddering with the effort. So’lek had come around to her front, gripping at both of her shoulders and looking directly into her eyes.
But she wasn’t seeing him, she wasn’t seeing anything in the room.
She was back in that sterile, awful place. Listening to these humans say words she didn’t quite understand.
Only for Alma to later explain it in terms they could grasp.
When the meaning had landed, she and the others had mixed reactions. But they had only been children, so the truth of being unable to have children and what that meant wouldn’t really find them until much later.
As she had walked through the Aranahe home tree, seeing the children learning to weave. Or with the Zeswa, practicing their dance fighting. Or the Kame’tire, learning to listen to and shape the wood. In all of those communities there had been clusters of kids, varying in age, running and laughing, playing. Often, off to the side were the watchful eyes of their parents, some fond and some exasperated, but always full of love.
It hurt. But it was how things were and she couldn’t change that.
Much like with the flashbang, her hearing slowly faded back in with the pitchy whine, So’lek’s face in front of her and Minang’s patient expression further back, both blurry blobs as she blinked away a pool of tears.
“I… that’s not possible… They said… The RDA… they… I can’t be…” Tamtey’s voice cracked, staring past So’lek and looking at the tsahík for any kind of answer, terrified of what she might find in his eyes.
“I do not know what they told you, but you are with child. Several weeks along, by my judgement.” Whether Tamtey was supposed to be pregnant or not, she was. Of that, Minang was certain and all she could do now was prepare them. “A tent is being set up for you, so you may have some privacy and rest. When you are ready, we will tell you what comes next.” Her expression shifted slightly, softer. “Do not be afraid. There are many who care for both of you.” With a nod, she left them again, returning to her many duties.
Tamtey’s eyes were still wide as she watched the woman go and dropped her head to look down at where her hand rested in her lap… and her stomach.
It was a little less defined, she supposed, but she’d never really stopped to look at her physique before, it had never been necessary.
As she looked down, a large blue hand made its way into her field of vision and placed itself flat over her belly, the gesture causing a strangely cracked laugh-sob to wrench from her throat before she covered his hand with hers and looked up.
They hadn’t mated. They hadn’t really talked about mating. Not yet.
But she was pregnant with his child. In the middle of war…
What she found when she looked into So’lek’s eyes was nearly enough to wash her clean of her fear. The adoration staring back at her, the bone deep devotion, there was no question that he would be there for both of them and would raze the entirety of the RDA with his bare hands to see them both safe.
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