#tsahik

He went to bed with a smile on his face that made Grace look at him with worry. She didn't know what that smile came from or what caused it. If what Jake told her before doing his dream hunt and how he came back told her anything, it was that she should be concerned something happened out there that made Jake return like this. He's hiding something and she knows it.

As the night went by, even if Jake was back in his human body, his hold on you was just as firm as when he was in his Avatar form. Thankfully, before the two of you fell asleep completely, you'd briefly separated to put your clothes back on. Jake got you dressed first. He didn't tear his eyes away from yours once, even as he helped put your top back on and your loincloth.

He'll never be able to understand how alluring your eyes are; he could truly get lost in them, stare at them for hours, and not complain once. He almost melted at how you tiredly clung to his shoulders as he dressed you again. His movements were so gentle that they were sending shivers up and down your spine, making you want to stay even closer to his body and never let him go.

After he'd dressed you and made sure you were comfortable again, he did the same to himself, putting on his holster you made him on his body again and his loincloth as well and the two of you laid on the ground yet again, not wasting a second to wrap your arms around each other, both of your legs intertwining, tails tangling together and bodies pressed so tightly against each other that they might fuse.

After that, sleep overtook the two of you, but not before you yawned tiredly as your nose scrunched adorably and cuddled more into Jake, tucking your face into his neck, making Jake's heart suddenly burst with love. He couldn't take it.

Before sleep overtook him, he threaded one of his hands into your hair and leaned forward to press a lingering kiss to your forehead, which was the last little touch you needed to feel safe to go to sleep at last. That was the last either of you remembers, at least until morning finally came around in the forest.

Once the sun started to rise over the horizon and the bioluminescence had dimmed, all that could be seen in the Tree of Voices was the light filtering through the tendrils as a gentle breeze brushed past them. It was still very early, which meant Pandora was waking up all over again.

There was soft animal chittering echoing through the trees, the morning warmth making you subconsciously move even closer to Jake as you began to stir, then briefly go back to sleep. You were so comfortable, content, and happy right where you were. In the arms of your mate, waking up together for the first time in this way after being bonded, and with a whole different meaning to it now, was a place you never wanted to leave.

It has only been one night, and you already knew you wanted to do it for the rest of your life, with him and no one else. Everything was just so good and well, and the serenity and peacefulness of the morning made you want to repeat this all over again, even when you've both passed on to live within Eywa. Jake's arm was lovingly draped tightly over your waist, holding you close even when he's not in his Avatar body, as if not even the link can tear you apart.

You were using his strong arm underneath your head as your pillow, and his head was on top of yours, with his cheek on top of your hair. You felt so safe in his arms, as if nothing could go wrong, and you could not wait for him to wake up, and the two of you could bask in each other's presence and enjoy the fact that last night you had both stopped putting your feelings aside and were finally mated. For life. In the eyes of Eywa. At last.

You truly felt complete now. Your braids were still connected, as well. It was part of the mating ritual to keep them joined until the next day to secure the bond as much as possible. In your head, nothing could ruin this moment.

But you couldn't be more wrong. Even though you wanted to continue living in bliss, you knew there was a clan and family waiting for you to return to Hometree with this news. You wanted to stay with Jake all day. You should have known that letting your guard down was the worst thing. You continued to stir in your sleep and tried to pass off the distant beeping as part of your dreams.

You were blinking in and out of sleep. You tried to ignore it and hoped it would go away. After a few seconds, you started to feel rumbling beneath you that shook the Earth. That was something you couldn't ignore. Your eyes snapped open, your ears went up, and your body went rigid as the ground started to rumble more. The air in your lungs evaporated in a second.

Your first instinct was to, unfortunately, leave Jake's hold and jump to your feet to see what was happening. Your heart drummed in your ears and beat against your chest as your expression became panicked. What was happening?

You were trying to look through the trees, but the tendrils were covering whatever was causing this. Your breaths were coming out choppy and fast as you felt your mouth go dry. Your eyes darted back and forth between Jake and what was causing the loud rumbling. You crouched on the ground and protectively covered his body with yours, shielding him, as you kept an eye out, but despite how brave you were trying to seem, the moment that you saw that the sound of trees cracking and then falling to the ground with loud thuds was heard, you felt your heart drop to your stomach.

You know exactly what this is now. It sounded like thunder before, but now you were realizing how mechanical it sounds. There is only one thing that comes to mind with that. Sky People. There was absolutely no mistaking that. You thought that it couldn't get any worse or that at least you'd have time to gather your thoughts for a second and escape, but you felt your entire body run cold when you saw trees start to fall just a few feet away.

The trees that were falling weren't part of the Tree of Voices yet, but whatever was out there doing this was getting closer, and if you didn't start moving now, you and Jake would get trampled. You haven't even gotten the chance to process the fact that this site would soon be reduced to nothing, and you couldn't stop it, but what you could do is get you and Jake out of here.

This beautiful, sacred, and monumental Na'vi site would be torn to the ground, and just the thought of it made heat start to gather behind your eyes. You tried to step closer to get a good look at what was demolishing the trees, but when you couldn't and realized they were getting closer, you put that aside for a second and immediately leaned down next to Jake and then frantically began to shake his body.

Your vision started to get glassy in panic and distress at the fact that the forest was being cleared and that you didn't even have a voice to yell out how much it pained you deep in your heart. You could not call out to Jake to get him to wake up, wherever he was. You continued to shake Jake's shoulders helplessly as you mouthed his name over and over as if you were yelling it out and had a voice to do it.

You kept looking back and forth between the trees that were falling closer and closer to you both. Trees that were falling would soon crush the two of you if you didn't leave right this instant, and you would not leave Jake behind. Not for anything in the world, even if you had to drag him out of here.

"Jake! Jake! Wake up! Please!" You mouthed desperately as tears started to fall down your cheeks, and you felt your tearing bit by bit at the sight of seeing a few trees from the Tree of Voices already being torn down. It was excruciating. You continued to shake him desperately so that he would wake up, but he was still out like a light, making your distress continue to grow relentlessly.

But what you didn't know is that Jake was completely unaware of what was happening out there and what you were going through all by yourself to get them both out of the bulldozers' way. He had completely forgotten today was the way that they would start tearing their way to Hometree.

Back at the base, he had just woken up the moment he felt the sunlight hit his face, and the first thing he did was wheel himself over to his pod. Grace saw this and laughed at how eager and excited he was, starting to initiate the link he was about to go into. She knew exactly why he had that little sparkle in his eyes. He couldn't wait another second to go back in and see you again, to hopefully wake up by your side for the first time.

Once Jake sat on the pod, Norm walked over and sat on it, beginning to wheel himself back and forth on it as Jake and Grace bickered lightly over starting the link. "No, no. It's that button over there, Grace," Jake said as he pointed to the monitor. Grace then scoffed and stared at him incredulously as if she hadn't done this a hundred times before already. "I know what to do, Marine," She laughed and continued to set it up as Norm watched with amusement in the back.

She could see his body language start to mirror nothing less than utter impatience, and she shook her head as she turned her head to the table next to her. "Slow down, will you? Besides, you still have to eat something. Norm, grab me that plate over there." She said, and Norm did as told and grabbed the plate that had scrambled eggs on it and some toast that she had made for him before coming in to prepare the link. He also grabbed the glass of water and handed both of those things to Jake so that he could at least go back in with something in his system. He keeps forgetting that.

Jake grabbed them begrudgingly as Grace took a pause from the monitor, pausing the process of the link altogether, and turned to the Marine, sitting in front of him on the pod. "Don't make me force-feed a cripple," She said, making Jake shake his head as he laughed at her words and put the plate that Norm handed him on his lap. He needed to get this done fast. He was wasting time here.

What if you were already awake, waiting for him? "Okay, geez. I'm doing it," He said as he started to wolf down the scrambled eggs and toast in his mouth as fast as he possibly could, trying to get as much substance in his body to be as sound as he possibly could to go back into his Avatar body. Grace and Norm looked at each other once and then back at Jake in disbelief at how fast he was eating, not fully understanding how he wasn't choking.

Grace shook her head and went back to the monitor and resumed the link process as Jake washed down the food with the glass of water in one go. He handed the plate back to Norm and then lay down on the pod at last. "Okay. I'm done. Let's go," He said urgently, and Norm chuckled at how eager and impatient Jake was right now, and Grace just wasn't surprised at all. She took a whiff of him, and her nose scrunched at how clear it was how he hadn't been taking care of this body at all like she'd told him to do days ago.

"You're not even going to shower first? When was the last time you did that?" She said, pressing the last few buttons on the monitor that would start up the link, and hearing the whirring of the pod behind her begin to fill up the room. Jake shrugged and got comfortable on the pod. "I don't need a shower," He argued, but Grace didn't believe him one bit on that. He knows he needs one, but he just doesn't care because this body isn't his priority anymore, but the other one out there was.

"Sure you don't. Jesus, Marine..." She said as she tapped the last few buttons on the screen and then turned away from the monitor, rolling her eyes, and stepped away to see the pod's door slowly starting to go down. Norm and Grace both exchanged nervous glances as Jake was finally out of view, and then the red-headed scientist let a couple of beats pass before she stepped away from Norm and went into her own pod. "Prepare my link, will you, Norm?" She asked, and the man nodded, standing up from the wheelchair and walking over to Grace's pod as she sat on it and lay back.

She needed to see what was going on over there right now. She had a terrible feeling in her gut that things weren't all sunshine and rainbows, and that Jake was too blinded to see that there might be something more serious afoot here.

Meanwhile, the bulldozers continued on their path without stopping. Seeing more trees falling closer and closer to you and Jake, tears were effectively falling down your face as you continued to shake Jake to get him to wake up. You were sobbing and realizing that you would have to carry him out of here by yourself, one way or another. Even if your limbs wouldn't be able to take it at all. The more you saw the trees of the Tree of Voices fall loudly to the ground with cracks that reached deep into your soul, the more you felt your own strength deteriorate.

"Jake! Please! Come back to me!" You said as you mouthed to him, as you felt your chest feel even tighter than it ever has, while your throat burned painfully. You grabbed his face and tried to shake his body even more, but it still wasn't working. You knew that you were both running out of time. Your tail was lashing behind you, your ears were pinned back, and your eyes were glassy and torn with agony. Knowing that he wasn't going to wake up in time, you opted for another way to get the two of you out of there.

You grabbed his arm and started to tug him out of the way of falling trees. Many were crashing just a few feet away from the two of you, and were miraculously not crushing you both. Yet. Jake was not light, and it took every ounce of your strength to pull him out of the way. It did not help the fact that he was limp and unresponsive. Your heart caught in your throat when a very spikey and thick tree fell dangerously close to him, nearly falling on his legs, but you pulled him out of the way just in time.

That could've ended very badly. The thud alone from the tree made the ground shake, and you fell to the ground out of the sheer impact and weight of that tree. Nonetheless, you continued to pull Jake out of the way. You would pull him all the way to Hometree if you needed to.

You wrapped your arms under his and started to bring him back further, despite feeling your arms start to burn in a way they never have before. Now that enough trees were cleared, you could see clearly the giant Sky Person machine powering through the remaining trees and getting closer to you and Jake. Adrenaline was coursing through your body, and the more you felt your feet crunch against the grass and moss below, the loud rumbles of the machine reverberated up and down your body.

As you continued to tug Jake back, you nearly tripped on a fallen log, and Jake's body fell over onto it. You looked back briefly at the giant machine, something that looked so out of place in the forest and brought so much chaos and destruction that it was unmistakable that it belonged to the Sky People. The way it was tearing down this sacred site, one of many, that you felt unmeasurably connected to, and so did all of the Na'vi, reminded you how heartless humans are.

It keeps reminding you of what they caused in the past and what made you so wary of them in the first place. Quick and painful flashes of your older sister and the thundering sounds of bullets flying at her appeared in your mind as you grabbed Jake again, even as you felt like you couldn't even breathe anymore. Jake was still hung over the log, and you grabbed his waistband and started to use it to continue to tug him forward.

Along with the giant bulldozer, there were multiple soldiers in giant AMP suits stalking, securing, and protecting the perimeter around the area being demolished in case any Na'vi tried to intervene. You saw this in the distance, and it only made you try to move even quicker than ever before.

You continued to try to haul Jake over the giant log as the bulldozer got closer, but something was making him unmovable, and you started sobbing harder at the realization that you were at a dead end. If he wasn't able to move, then neither were you.

You were not going to abandon him. He was your mate now, and you wouldn't leave him here to die, despite how you couldn't even pretend to be brave anymore because you'd die in the process. You'd still protect him with all that you have inside of you. Terror seeped deep into your veins, seeing trees cracking and breaking to the point that they might fall on the two of you any second now.

The bulldozer was getting closer, to the point that you could practically feel it on top of you at this point from the sheer size."JAKE!" You mouthed with even more intensity to the point that your words came out scratchy, nearly forming a real sound, from the amount of panic in your body that almost seemed enough to defy Eywa and give you your voice back, but it wasn't enough.

By some strange miracle, you gave one hard tug on Jake's arm and managed to bring him over the log at last. The ground continued to shake violently, and another tree collapsed next to the two of you with a deafening crash. You didn't look back again, because if you did, the last of your resolve would be nonexistent. All you could think about was getting him out of here.

Your arms, your legs, and your entire body burned as you continued to drag him through the roots and fallen trees while your tail continued to whip anxiously behind you. Stress and agony continue to claw at your chest as the mechanical and unnatural sounds of the Sky People machines. They were too loud, as if they were trying to announce how destructive they are and were very proud of it.

Your arms started to tremble with effort as you continued to pull him back, even if it was already starting to feel never-ending, as if you would never stop pulling. You didn't see where you were going, and you tripped all of a sudden, collapsing to your knees next to him. You looked up in utter fear as you froze for a second to see just how massive this machine truly was, the closer that it got.

But then you came back to your senses and tried one last time to get Jake to wake up. You grabbed his shoulder with one hand and cupped his face with the other as you looked at him pleadingly, begging Eywa to listen and for him to finally wake up. And as if your prayers were finally answered, that was the moment that Jake finally linked back into his Avatar body.

His eyes slowly started to open, and his vision was nothing but blurry and muffled. He was confused at first, but when his body started to adjust again, and he heard loud rumbles and felt the ground beneath him shake, that was enough for his body to suddenly jerk back to life. A sharp breath ripped into his lungs as his eyes snapped open, and you gasped in relief as more tears came down your cheeks at the fact that he'd finally awoken.

His vision was still blurry, though. Slowly, blinding light and fragments of sound came back to him as his mind struggled to catch up to his body, and his consciousness fully started to transfer. But when his vision finally cleared, the first thing he saw was you. He saw you leaning over him with streaked tears, eyes wide with terror, hair disheveled, the flower he gave you still intact, and your mouth moving, but nothing was coming out.

The sight alone made his heart twist violently inside his chest. Jake started to blink rapidly, and the first thing he did was start looking around, lost and confused. He was still very disoriented. "Hey- hey, what's going on-" He said, but then he looked to the side, and the rest of his words died in his mouth almost instantly. The forest was shaking, and it was because of the bulldozer that the RDA told him would arrive on schedule any day now, after three months. And now it did.

It finally happened. And it was destroying one of the most important sites to the Na'vi, and to you. One of the many places that you felt most connected to Eywa, and the place where you felt like you could go to for answers. Jake's entire body went rigid as he was quick to recognize the RDA logo on the side of the bulldozer, and it hit him like a punch to the chest. "Oh, no..." He muttered lowly as his gaze snapped back to you, and the sheer panic in your eyes made his entire body twist painfully at how heartbroken you were.

You began to sign frantically now that he was awake and tried to get his attention. The two of you could run right back to Hometree again. "Jake! Come on, we have to go! Now!" You signed with so much distress in your movements, through your tears, and before Jake could say anything else, another violent tremor shook the ground beneath both of you.

That made something snap inside Jake as his eyes hardened and he knew exactly what he needed to do, and he wouldn't think about it twice or regret it for a single second. You watched as Jake scrambled to his feet, pulled you behind him as a barrier between you and the bulldozer.

You felt all the blood drain from your body when you saw him run straight towards the machine while jumping up and down, waving his arms around so that the person who was controlling it could see him. "Hey!" He yelled, trying his best to get himself seen. All you could do was stare at him in shock at what he was doing. You shook your head and got to your feet, hoping that they wouldn't hurt him.

Who knows what else they're capable of? And you know that they won't stop just because he's standing there. They've already proved that they don't care about life on this planet at all. You were fighting every bone in your body to stay back like you know Jake wants you to, but all you want to do is just take his hand, drag you both out of here before it costs you both your lives.

You can't fight them right now, either. "Stop! Stop!" He yelled out, waving his hands around, but the bulldozer was still going strong and not showing any signs of stopping. You wished so badly that you could yell out for him to stop, but you can't. You hate that you can't have a voice in moments like these, where you know that you need it the most and just feel completely powerless.

Jake didn't stop and continued to show no fear or weakness in front of the Sky People. He went on to try to get the attention of the people controlling the machine. "Go back! Stop!" He continued to yell out loudly at the top of his lungs, not noticing that there were indeed a few cameras mounted at the top of the bulldozer that were recording everything live for whoever controls it. The camera panned down onto Jake and you, and the image was being shown to one of the operators of the bulldozer in the main control room back at the main RDA base.

The guy who was manning the bulldozer squinted when he saw a flash of blue in his screen. He leaned forward and then saw two Na'vi, one of them waving his arms around frantically. "Hey, boss," He called out, and Parker heard this. The man started to walk over, and the employee pulled back the remote controllers, making the bulldozer stop altogether for a second.

Back at the forest, you and Jake saw this, and in that moment, you could've sworn that you would collapse right then and there from relief. Jake also stopped waving his arms around and then turned to you, saw the state you were in, immediately rushed to your side, put both hands on your arms, and then lifted one hand to cup your cheek. "We're okay...you're okay," He said, voice low and hushed as he wiped your tears. You swallowed and nodded, but deep down, you didn't believe it at all.

You know deep down that this was the start of something much, much worse, and you were scared. You really were, and as you let your eyes trail around to all of the trees from the Tree of Voices that had fallen, tears pricked at your eyes again, and you tried to blink them away. Jake saw this, and he stared at you as if he had been just stabbed repeatedly in his chest. All he could do was pull you into his arms and wrap one arm around your waist, and the other one threaded into your hair as he pressed a kiss to the crown of your head.

As you wrapped your own arms around his waist, you clung to him as if you'd crumble if you didn't. But feeling you hold him so tight, the guilt inside Jake's chest grew exponentially and agonizingly. This was all his fault, and he knew it. He knew that the bulldozers would arrive, and he's kept quiet all this time.

He knows that one way or another, you'll find out about what you did, and you'll never hold him again the way you are now because you won't be able to see anything else other than betrayal. What he saw just now, your tear-stricken face, the heartbreak in your eyes from losing the Tree of Voices, and the endless devotion you felt for him that pumped through your body that you used to drag him out of the wreckage was only a small taste of what would await him the moment he told you the truth, and he won't be able to take it.

If he was scared before of how much it would destroy you to hear the truth, he just saw a preview of it just now. Of you witnessing your home being torn down right before your eyes, without understanding why it was happening. But Jake knew why. And he would have to pay the price for it. All he could do, as you wished for nothing but reassurance and love, was say, "We're gonna be okay..." He whispered again, and you nodded against him, trying to believe every word he said to you and clung onto that as if it was a lifeline.

Your eyes were closed shut as you pressed your cheek against his chest, and Jake could still feel your body shaking and trembling. But neither of you had any idea that the bulldozer stopping meant that they were done. The RDA was far from done, and this little pause only helped the two of you catch your breath and gather yourselves before it started again.

Back at the base, Parker walked over to the man controlling the bulldozer with a bag of chips as he casually put one in his mouth. "What?" He said with a mouthful of chips, and the employee briefly looked back at his boss and then back at the monitor. He had given the go-ahead for the bulldozer to finally make its way to Hometree that morning, and he hoped that there were no inconveniences right off the bat. The morning has just started.

"I got two natives in front of the bulldozer. They're blocking the path. What do I do?" He said, not knowing where to go from here, and Parker leaned down to look at what the employee was talking about, and he saw exactly what was being said. It was a little blurry since you and Jake were at a long range from the camera, but two figures could definitely be seen there in front of the bulldozer.

Parker simply shrugged, leaned forward, and put one of his hands on the controller as if it were one of the most obvious things in the world. "Doesn't matter. Keep going, they'll move, won't they? These people have to learn that we don't stop. Go on, go, go," He said as he guided the controllers forward again, starting up the machine all over again. And that action immediately translated over to the machine in front of you and Jake.

The bulldozer started up again, startling you and Jake. You gasped as a hand flew straight to your mouth, instinctively starting to take several steps back. Jake's face twisted in anger and resolve. His chest rose and fell with adrenaline, and his eyes landed on the cameras for a split second, and he didn't waste another second to take action.

First thing on his mind: getting you out of here safely. Right now, if he wanted to stop this bulldozer, the only way he would be able to do so is if you were safe. Jake turned to you and slid his hands on your cheeks, cupping your face and forcing you to look at him. You froze as you stared at him with glassy eyes, and your mouth parted. "Run," He said breathlessly, and you looked at him with confusion at what he was asking of you. Did he want you to leave without him? There's no way.

You shook your head fervently in his hold, and Jake kept looking back at the bulldozer getting closer. His heart wrenched at how fiercely loyal you still are despite being in a situation like this, and your own fear eating you alive. "Y/n. I'm telling you, get out of here, baby. Now! I mean it! I'll be right behind you, okay?" Jake said with absolute certainty, and before you could object for a second longer about this plan, another tree fell near the two of you, startling you as you gasped silently in terror, and that was more than enough reason to just grab your hand and start to lead you out.

If you refuse to leave without him, he'll just go with you and then leave when he knows you're safe to take care of the bulldozer. Jake brought you in front of him so he could keep you in his sights as the two of you started to run out of there together. "Go! Go!" Jake urged with an intensity in his voice that got your feet moving even faster as the two of you continued to run until your legs started to burn.

It was making your entire body burn even more, the thought that you were leaving this sacred place behind, with no defense. You should accept it's gone now, and there's nothing you can do about it, and that fact hurts more than anything else. Once again, the Sky People crossed a line, and deep in your heart, you swore that they'd pay for it. Right now, you and Jake were both heading to a place that the bulldozers and the RDA machinery hadn't quite reached yet. After Jake knows for sure that you're out of harm's way, he can go and do something about this.

Back at the base, Parker gestured at the monitor and, seeing the two blue figures that were blocking the path move out of the way at last. He patted the back of the employee and then put another chip in his mouth, as if they weren't destroying sacred Na'vi territory in that very moment. "There, see? He moved," He said, and the employee simply continued to control as if it was nothing and moved the bulldozer forward to have it continue on the path it was in before.

They did this with zero empathy in their hearts and had no idea what they were actively destroying. Sites like this one, the most sacred and meaningful of sites for your people, have the most significant and largest unobtanium deposits of unobtanium. Hometree, Tree of Voices, and Tree of Souls were all places that the RDA had in their sights and this particular one was on the path to Hometree, so to them, it was like killing two birds with one stone.

Which was beyond heartless. The trees they are tearing down have an unimaginable number of networks in their system that ar every dear to the Na'vi, and being cut off from Eywa feels worse than death to many. If they tear down this place, and then Hometree, and then go after the Tree of Souls, this clan and many others will be cut off from ever communicating with Eywa ever again.

Ironically, you and your people have built your lives, culture, and way of life around these sites, and all humans see it as valuable mining sites that they'll just leave behind when there's nothing left to take. Witnessing it made something crack in your soul, your heart, and every reason for living. And it was tearing you apart right now.

You didn't turn back once, as Jake told you to do. You just continued to run and run until your legs would snap off at any second. But as soon as you reached the forest and hid behind a tree, and then turned back to see if Jake was still behind you, but when you turned around and didn't see anyone behind you, your blood ran cold.

Your head darted everywhere to see where he could be, and when you saw a flash of blue climbing up the bulldozer, your hands rose to your mouth, and your eyes widened in terror. You stayed behind the tree as you watched Jake make his way up the bulldozer, while successfully avoiding the soldiers in the AMP suits that would surely fire at him if they saw him. You wanted to desperately leave the safety of the tree you were hiding behind, but you know that Jake wanted you to stay here.

You had to fight every bone in your body not to go after him, despite how much you wanted to fight back against this by his side. Your entire body was trembling, and tears had not stopped falling down your cheeks since you woke up. You saw Jake make his way up to the top and stand in front of the cameras, grab the nearest rock and start to smash every one of them with a bruising force.

Every hit was filled with anger for destroying this place, for making you feel unimaginable pain, for causing you to be in an endless sea of tears, for destroying your home with nothing but greed and carelessness. There was anger coursing through his body. This morning could have gone so differently; he imagined waking up and seeing your beautiful face looking at him with just as much love as he was.

He wanted to wake up and realize that you had your whole lives in front of you, both to spend them together, and that you were finally his. But the RDA destroys everything they touch, and he won't let them get away with it.

The frustration he was feeling was being translated with every smash of the cameras, and he realized in that moment that no matter what comes after this, he's known deep down for a long time that he would protect this forest with his life and its people with his life. You and your clan did not deserve any of this.

You and your people were just living in peace and minding your own business before humans suddenly decided that they'd fucked up their own planet enough and had to invade another one for self-interest. Now, Jake wanted nothing more than to send a strong message, loud and clear, and break these cameras and show them that he would not just stand by and let this happen was just the start.

Back at the RDA base, the moment that the employee saw that the cameras were being destroyed by the same Na'vi who had been blocking the path before. "Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, Whoa! Dude, dude! No! Oh, I'm blind..." He said as his eyes went wide in shock and fell back in his chair when the screens all started to go black with no signal. The moment that Jake's smashing of the attention of the soldiers on the ground in the AMP suits, when they saw him, they immediately started to shoot, not knowing that it was Jake.

They just assumed it was another Na'vi that was trying to fight back against them, like its happened before in the past. When Jake heard the barrage of bullets coming his way, he stopped hitting the cameras and immediately ducked to avoid the gunfire. He began to make his way down the bulldozer and headed straight towards you.

He'd made his point, and hopefully, that gave the RDA a small taste of what he was willing to do to go against them. All Jake could think about now was getting back to you as he finally leaped down from the bulldozer and ran straight towards the forest where he was certain you were still waiting.

You felt your heart get caught up in your throat painfully when you saw bullets firing at Jake all of a sudden, and once again, flashes of your own sister dying at the hands of those same sounds came rushing back to you. You saw as he jumped off the bulldozer, tumbled to the ground, but was very quick to get back on his feet as he started to mindlessly run around trying to see if he could get any sight of you.

Your throat burned with the need to call out to him and tell him where you were, but you couldn't. Your heart constricted with agony at that simple fact, and it spread to your entire body. You wanted him to know that you were okay, you wanted to let him know where you were, because who knows what will happen to him if he spends too much time out in the open with those Sky People with guns who knew it was him that tried to destroy their cameras.

You saw him stop for a second and gather up enough energy to yell at the top of his lungs. "Y/n!" He screamed, looking around and trying to see if he could see a flash of blue that was unmistakable to him. But all he could see was destruction; trees that were splintered and fallen on the ground, morning fog, the rumbling of the bulldozer beneath his feet. Everything was destroyed.

He didn't hear an answer from you, and his heart began to race with panic when you didn't show up or show yourself when he yelled the first time. "Y/n!" He yelled again as he started running once more, and after a few seconds, he started to pray that nothing bad happened to you when he was away. He nearly felt his knees give out on him when he saw you peek out of a tree nearby in fear that you might get shot at if you showed yourself too much out in the open.

"Oh my God...Y/n," He breathed out and immediately started running in your direction as you kept flinching with every tree that continued to fall. The sight alone made him just want to hold you in his arms, never let go, and reassure you that everything would be okay. That no one would ever hurt you as long as he was alive, that he would fight alongside your people tooth and nail against Sky People, and that he would never leave your side.

He didn't waste another second to start running towards you, and when he was close enough, you came out of hiding and immediately jumped into his arms, wrapped your arms around his neck, and tucked your face into his chest. Jake immediately lowered the two of you to the ground as he kept an arm wrapped around your waist and another one in the back of your head. He could feel your body trembling and shakingviolently under his hold, and it only made him grip your body tighter.

After a few seconds, after rocking you from side to side for a few seconds, he pulled away from you slightly and cupped your face as he inspected you. He couldn't see it before once he reached you, and you immediately hid your face into him, but now that he could, you still had tears full of heartbreak still pouring down your face, making something deep down inside Jake shatter to pieces.

He couldn't bear seeing you like this. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Is the first he asked, as he began to quickly inspect you. You shook your head numbly, and then you hiccuped silently and quickly buried yourself in his chest yet again, not wanting to witness any more of this. Jake wrapped an arm around you again and held you close to him as you continued to sob in his arms, just seeing how, in a matter of minutes, the Tree of Voices had been leveled completely.

He could feel you being absolutely torn apart in his hold as he cradled your face close to his chest, as you refused to look at any of this anymore. You bonded with Jake here. The two of you made a lifelong connection in this place, and now it was being reduced to nothing. The tendrils that once glowed so brightly with the voices of your ancestors are now lying tangled in the dirt as if they're nothing. Silent, just like you. Cut off from Eywa completely. You would never, ever forget this. Never.

Jake was feeling nothing but anger and rage coursing through every part of his body as the combination of you sobbing in his arms and the bulldozer continuing on their way as if they hadn't done enough damage already was sending him into a spiral. His face twisted with outrage as he slammed his fist on the tree next to the two of you with his free hand and continued to hold you close, wishing he knew how to make it go away.

But as he saw how the ground churned with fire and there were only broken trunks filling the area, he knew that he was too late and that there was nothing he could do to take this back. They were here because he fed them intel. After all, he didn't have the guts to stop them before any of this happened, and because he was too caught up in the bliss of the life he could've had with you to see that no amount of apologizing would fix this.

But now that he knew which side he belonged on, which side he needed to fight with, he will continue to fight back even if you don't want to see him ever again. If he could manage to spare your people from this, and you made it out of this alive, then that would be good enough for him. He knows that he can't change the past, but he can change the future and prevent the RDA from reaching any other very important sites from here on out, and he would do everything he could to make sure that you and your people don't meet a demise you didn't ask for.

All he could do now was stay by your side until you realized you didn't want to be by his. And he would cherish every single minute of it, and hopefully, he would get to see that smile on your face one last time before it's ripped away.

At the same time, several Na'vi from the Omaticaya war party that was being led by Tsu'tey rode in on their Pa'li's from the forest with sharp and fast movements. They all stopped in their tracks as they came across a large clearing that was plowed by the bulldozer and was left to nothing but ash and burning trees. Tsu'tey and the warrior's eyes all widened as they took in the devastation: broken trunks and burned earth.

This was the place where the Tree of Voices once stood and spread far and wide. Their silence spoke louder than words ever could on how horrified they were. They had heard the news of a Sky People attack, but none of them knew that it would go to this extent. Tsu'tey's chest rose and fell as he grew more enraged by the second, huffing angrily at the clear act of war that the Sky People had done. And it didn't help Tsu'tey's rage when his gaze landed on you and Jake.

He began to seethe as he saw the way you sobbed agonizingly in his chest as Jake held you close. He knows that Jake had something to do with this, and he didn't know for sure yet, but he would prove it. To him, he would always be part of the Sky People, no matter how many rituals he passed to become part of The People. For all he knew, Jake had been putting up a front, lying to you all this time, and had been on the Sky People's side all along.

If there was a moment where he truly believed Jake was telling the truth, it was all gone now. The look on his face as he held you was not one of a person who was innocent. And any progress that he and Jake had made before to make amends vanished into the air, and ferocity roared in Tsu'tey's chest instead. He was going to be Olo'eyktan soon, and he needed to do what was best for you, for Neytiri, your parents, and his people.

He has been thinking that every move he's made twice recently for your sake, but now, he wouldn't hesitate anymore. He was trying to give Jake a chance before any of this happened, but this just made him realize he shouldn't have done it at all, and neither did you. Tsu'tey yipped loudly and turned back around on his direhorse to start leading the war party back to Hometree to warn the rest of the clan of what had happened. Now was the time to act and fight back.

-

After the whole incident with Jake breaking the cameras, back at Hell's Gate, Parker, Quaritch, and many other employees were huddling around the desk of the man who was manning the bulldozer to review the footage. They were able to recover the footage before it was destroyed, and once the man who was controlling the bulldozer said that the face looked familiar to him, they brought over the Colonel to watch as well.

So, now they were replaying the footage and trying to figure out who it was that broke the cameras. So, as they rewinded it, Quaritch leaned in closer. "Freeze it right...there," Quaritch said, as the employee paused the video where Jake's face could be seen facing directly into the camera, but the image was still a little blurry.

"Scale-up. Enhance," He said, and the employee did as told and tapped several buttons on the screen to improve the quality of the video. Once it did, it showed that it was Jake. Clear as day. Smashing the cameras.

Parker scoffed as he threw his head back and put his hands on his hips. No wonder Jake and Grace were so intent on putting off the bulldozer arrival. When they came to him the other day, he should've known that it was for another reason other than the good of the RDA and not because of any other personal reason. Unbelievable.

"Son of a bitch..." Parker muttered in utter disbelief as Jake's face in his Avatar body was shown fighting back against the very people and race he promised to be loyal to, and not the Na'vi. Now, while Parker felt disbelief, Quaritch saw this and felt an emotion bubbling up inside him much stronger than rage. It was something else entirely. The Colonel thought in that very moment that he should've known all this time that this is what would happen.

That he should've known that Jake wasn't on their side anymore. He should've picked up on Jake's weird behavior and tone in his voice when they spoke the other day. The pauses, the hesitation, the refusal to stop the mission, and even the dismissal of knowing he could get his legs back. Quaritch should not have ignored those alarms blaring in his head that told him that Jake was up to something, but it all makes sense now.

He went out of his way to give Jake what he wanted and put his trust in him. Marine to Marine. Now, all that trust, camaraderie, and brotherhood that he thought they had at the beginning of these three months was nothing but a facade all along. Something more dangerous than anger brewed inside Quaritch's chest, and he wouldn't stop until he showed Jake that he had made a mistake in betraying them and that he would make him feel it for a very long time after this.

That was a promise. This wasn't just any betrayal. It was personal. He put his trust in Jake and believed that he was on their side and that he would be loyal to their cause. But now that the truth has come to light, there is only one thing left to do.

In one swift movement, Quaritch stood up and walked away from the group huddled around the monitor and over to the exit. At this revelation, he had only one goal in mind right now, and it was to get to Jake and show him that he and the RDA are not who you want to mess with. He walked out of the room and started barking out orders with clear rage in his voice. "Get me a pilot!" He spat loudly, and without hesitation, a soldier who was on standby immediately nodded and ran off to do exactly as he was asked.

"Yes, sir!" He said, and after that, Quaritch didn't stop moving and wouldn't stop moving, even when he knew that this betrayal ran deep. Not only to him, but Jake's own race, the RDA (which were the ones who brought him out here in the first place), and everyone who counted on him. This wasn't going to go over lightly, and now that they know that Jake was against him, Parker ordered the video logs he's been taking all this time during the last 3 months to be looked over.

If this was what they were able to catch, Parker didn't even want to imagine what Jake had been saying in those video logs that could be used against him. Now that Quaritch was on his way to the base camp up in the mountains, Jake was on borrowed time to reason with the Na'vi. That is, if they don't find out what he did first and take care of him first before Quaritch does. Either way, he knows he has no way out of this anymore.

-

There were no emotions that could describe what Tsu'tey was feeling the moment the war party returned to Hometree. Everyone in the clan had already heard about the disturbance from the Sky People and had been waiting for the war party to return and give them the news to see what had happened out there. The moment that Tsu'tey and the rest of the group of warriors returned, the direhorses' hooves thundered across the forest floor, straight towards the entrance of Hometree.

They had been riding through the jungle with their anger and indignation of what they saw translating through the bond with the direhorses, leaving branches snapped and leaves scattered in their wake, and no one dared to speak a word of what they saw because they were too consumed with the displeasure of seeing their home being trampled to the ground by Sky People machinery.

It meant war, and they all knew it. Their goal was to find Eytukan first and tell him about what they saw, and from there, they'd form a battle plan on how to retaliate. He was still the Olo'eyktan after all, and once they tell him, the rest of the clan will be informed in the process, so that everyone is informed about it.

As they all rode closer to Hometree, the tension amongst the warriors hung thick in the air as the images of the devastation became even clearer than ever before in their minds, and it only spurred them on to fight back even harder against the humans, not even considering how severely outmatched they would be. All they knew was that they would fight with courage, bravery, and without fear for their people and their home, and that was all any of them needed to move forward.

So, when Tsu'tey, at the head of the group, led the war party through the opening of Hometree, many Na'vi were alerted to their return and started to quickly rush to welcome them. They started to murmur amongst themselves to see if they could read the faces on the warriors when they saw how sullen they looked. Tsu'tey and the other warriors all kept hardened expressions that made everyone start to murmur and whisper amongst themselves as they all dismounted their direhorses.

They could all tell that something was very wrong here, and it could be seen in the warrior's faces, no matter how much they tried to keep their faces neutral for the rest of the clan. As the warriors got off their rides, the creatures snorted once they separated their queues from them. The Omaticaya could see how sharp and restless their movements were, only creating more discourse and curiosity about what might have happened.

And the one who was at the center of it all was Tsu'tey. All eyes were on him, and everyone was expecting him to say something to the clan about what was happening. His jaw was tight, his ears were pinned back, and his golden eyes were hardened with conflict. Something deeper and darker is brewing behind them. His whole body looked coiled and rigid, as if he might snap at any moment, which is why everyone refrained from saying anything and stayed quiet.

It must have been really bad, then. That's what everyone was thinking. Nobody stopped him and cleared the way for him as Tsu'tey began to head straight towards where he knew Eytukan would be. That was the priority before anything else. But as he walked across the crowd, a smaller figure hurried toward him, trying to filter and actively squeeze through the gathering crowd of nervous Omaticaya.

It was Saeyla, a Na'vi woman from the clan that only recently became a hunter, and she looked up to Tsu'tey a lot for everything she's ever wanted to learn. That is why she felt like she owed it to him to tell him what she knew. "Tsu'tey," She called urgently, but Tsu'tey had other things to focus on right now and couldn't stop to talk to anyone. There were bigger things afoot.

He barely looked at her as he continued to stride towards the center of the village in Hometree, where Eytukan said that he'd be waiting. "Later, Saeyla. There is no time. I must speak with the Olo'eyktan," He said sharply, but the woman did not give up. She accelerated her pace until she caught up with him and grabbed his arm. That caught his attention.

Tsu'tey stopped altogether and turned around to look at the woman with wide eyes as shock flashed in his amber eyes. He was so flabbergasted by her actions and was about to ask why she did that and to let go, but then he saw the urgency in her eyes, one that might just rival his. He sighed and crossed his arms, turning around fully to face her.

"What is it?" He asked, trying to read through her expression and hoping that this was important enough that it was delaying his visit to Eytukan. She was clearly very antsy on her feet and was about to say it, but then she stopped when she realized that the clan was crowding both of them from every angle. She glanced around nervously, feeling several Na'vi already watching the exchange curiously, whispering as they noticed the tension of the war party and were anxious to hear what was happening.

In one swift moment, she grabbed Tsu'tey's arm again and started dragging her away to a more secluded spot in Hometree. Tsu'tey was about to protest, but simply let her do it because this clearly sounded important, but he still wanted it to be quick because there was no time to waste. When they both stood in a place where nobody could hear them, Saeyla's voice dropped to a whisper and began to speak. "There is something you need to know," She said, but Tsu'tey raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. His patience was already running thin.

"Speak. Make it quick," He said, and Saeyla shifted from foot to foot anxiously as she hesitated, but she knew she just had to go and get it out; otherwise, she'd lose her chance before it was too late. Her fingers twisted anxiously with each other as she leaned in closer to him.

"It is about the demon. Jake Sully," She said, and the words alone made Tsu'tey's expression darken. He did not want to hear that man's name right now, especially with the suspicions and anger he had towards him, right now, and if this conversation was about him, then he'd rather just table this and talk about it later. His resentment for Jake had already existed since the moment he arrived in this clan, but now it was reaching a boiling point, and he'd rather not let his emotions explode right now, of all moments when he was supposed to remain calm and strong for his people.

"What about him?" He said, trying to sound as composed as he possibly could. From what he could see, it seemed that she was confident about telling him before, but now that they were here face to face, she was a little bit more hesitant to actually do it. She swallowed, and then a certain sparkle flashed in her eyes, as if she suddenly remembered why she wanted to do this in the first place. Something firm settled behind her eyes, and she spoke.

"Last night, I went to the Tree of Voices. After the demon's dream hunt," She said, and Tsu'tey's eyes narrowed in suspicion on what this had to do with Jake. He glanced back for a second and then turned back to Saeyla again. "And?" He urged, not wanting her to beat around the bush anymore. This was important, and he really needed to go find Eytukan now, and he felt like this was going a lot slower than it needed to. Saeyla's voice dropped even lower as she spoke again.

"I saw him there. With her," She said lowly, getting closer and closer to dropping the bomb, although with those words alone, it was easy to deduce where it was going. Tsu'tey stiffened when things started to click in place for him. Two Na'vi, Tree of Voices, at night? He closed his eyes and exhaled through his nose as he prayed to Eywa that this wasn't going where he thought it was.

For a moment, he said nothing, but he had a million questions bubbling up, as if going to Eytukan didn't seem as important anymore. Anything to do with you and your well-being felt like it jumped to the top of the list. When he spoke next, his voice was low and sharp.

"You followed them there?" He asked, not knowing what Saeyla was doing out there in the first place, but she was quick to shake her head. She did not expect to see them at all there in the first place, and while this whole thing is certainly convenient, it was not deliberate either. "No. After the ceremony, I went there only to pray. They did not know I was there," Saeyla said as she glanced around, hoping no one was around to hear these words.

Something cracked beneath Tsu'tey's exterior; there was definitely a thin line between him letting that string inside him snap. He did not like where this was going at all, and he was scared to ask. It was exactly what he had already feared would happen, and if it happened to be what he thought, he didn't know how long he'd be able to keep his composure. He knew he had to know, and he had to hear it from Saeyla and hear it out in the open before he lost his mind. He crossed his arms and took a big inhale before asking,

"What did you see, Saeyla? Do not lie to me," He said sternly as he straightened up and asked her to be straight with him and not continue to beat around the bush with him. She took a big inhale, maintaining eye contact with him, and then exhaled shakily.

She said the words quietly but with certainty. "They made Tsaheylu," She said, and in that moment, the ground seemed to be yanked from under Tsu'tey. His whole world came to a halt, and hearing it only confirmed what he'd feared was true all along and explained so much.

The details made it so much worse. You and Jake made Tsaheylu, a lifelong bond between two Na'vi. Sacred and beyond meaningful. It was witnessed by Eywa herself. And if the bond was accepted and approved by the Great Mother, it only made the void in Tsu'tey's chest grow. So many images flashed in his brain of you and Jake throughout the last few months that suddenly made him kick himself for not trying harder to stop this.

If a bond is rejected by Eywa, it would be more than clear. It usually manifests as a lack of euphoria or a feeling of indifference or revulsion to the other person, and the two Na'vi are forced to realize they are not meant to be. But that is not what Tsu'tey saw that morning. His fists started to curl in on themselves when he remembered how you'd been clinging to Jake. How your body shook as you sobbed, and he held you tightly to him and refused to let go. His stomach twisted and felt like he'd been repeatedly stabbed.

How could he have let this happen? He was supposed to protect you. In the way he never got to do with Sylwanin. He was supposed to protect his best friend from the influence of Sky People. He was supposed to shield you from it all, and he failed in every conceivable way. He failed to keep his promise to your older sister, the girl he was undeniably in love with for years, but died at the hands of humans and can only visit in places like the Tree of Voices, which is now torn to shreds because of the Sky People. Because of Jake.

This only gave Tsu'tey more and more of a reason to do exactly what he returned to Hometree to do. No hesitation this time, because hesitating and second-guessing is what led to this. He failed before, but he wouldn't anymore.

While Tsu'tey seemed to be spiraling right in front of her, Saeyla watched him carefully as she tried to remain neutral, but her face revealed a little of what she was feeling. Her insides were far from calm. They were much like Tsu'tey's at the moment. She had not intended to witness what she did, and she left after you and Jake made Tsaheylu, and Eywa did not reject the bond, and you were free to be together.

Just as she'd told Tsu'tey, she went there merely to pray, as she often did. But what she saw right before her eyes, with certainty that she was not imagining it, is changing everything. The future of the clan was not simply a matter of warriors and battles, but also spiritual. And the one who would one day stand as Tsahik for The People needed to embody the will of Eywa completely.

And Saeyla has noticed your hesitation lately, your distraction, your doubts. Saeyla has spent years studying and learning from Mo'at as an apprentice, one of the many young women training in the spiritual practices of the clan. She had been a potential future Tsahik candidate.

She learned the chants, how to use herbs, the ways of the spirits, and the voices of the ancestors. She had always believed that if she worked hard enough, she'd be considered more than capable enough to lead the clan. But deep down, she always knew that the path had never been as open to her as it was to you. You were born with the gift, with the connection, with the soul of the Great Mother inside you.

So, a part of her thought that if the clan learned that the future Tsahik had chosen to bond herself to a demon, not out of spite or cruelty for her own doubts but out of true love...it let Saeyla consume her all night. She believes that The People deserved better. She knew that Tsu'tey was also fiercely protective of you, and if he learned about this, something would be done about it.

He was proud and loyal to the traditions of the clan. You seemed to have forgotten what it meant to be a figure that is meant to be looked up to, and if anyone would understand the seriousness of what she had seen, it would be Tsu'tey. All she could see from him now was how he refused to react, as if he was still in denial about what she was telling him right now.

His ears pinned back and flattened as the revelation continued to hang in the air. "You are lying," He muttered, dangerously low, as if his mind was trying to beg for another alternative to this situation because he simply did not want to believe it whatsoever. Saeyla was quick to shake her head and assured him that it was not fake and that it was not a lie. Tsu'tey simply stared at her as true disbelief flashed across his face.

"It cannot be. The demon cannot bond with one of The People," He said as if he was clinging onto the last bit of hope that all of this was some kind of sick and twisted dream and that he would wake up any second now and it would all be an illusion. But he knows it's not, and that's what pierces him even deeper. "I am certain, Tsu'tey. I saw both of their kuru's join. I saw them, and it is not a lie," She said, even more firmly than before, and something in Tsu'tey's gaze cracked as he finally let himself be succumbed to reality.

For a long time, he didn't say anything, keeping Saeyla on her toes about what he could say or do about this. Then, his voice came out low, dangerous, and controlled. "If what you are saying is true..." He started as his golden eyes hardened with a glint that Saeyla had never seen before in his eyes. "Then it is only right that the clan know,s" He said, with all the hesitation that he failed to get rid of before leaving his body in a second. Saeyla looked uneasy but decided to give her own input on what should be done from here on out.

To Tsu'tey, the only reason this was happening is that they made the mistake of letting Jake into the clan, and he was bringing all of the harmful chaos of his world into their own, and they could not allow it to spread the way that it is.

"Should we tell the Tsahik and the Olo'eyktan first?" She added, and this time, Tsu'tey was quick to shake his head, and his gaze lifted toward the heart of Hometree, where the entire clan was still waiting for the news and where Eytukan and Mo'at were also waiting. "No. It is time they all hear it," He said, with a grim and sullen expression beneath how hardened it is. Without another word, Tsu'tey turned around and strode toward the very center of the village to summon the leaders of the Omaticaya and the whole clan together.

He could pretend that this wasn't affecting him the way it was, all he wanted, but Saeyla could see how the tension in his posture spoke volumes. She silently watched as he began walking toward the inner roots of Hometree. Toward the leaders, the clan, and the truth. Even if he only knew a fraction of it, and many of his own suspicions about Jake were yet to be confirmed. Still, she watched him go as her expression remained calm and composed, despite something in her chest beginning to stir.

It was not guilt or regret, because she would not take back getting the truth about this out in the open, but it was more the quiet feeling of hope that maybe Eywa had made this happen for a reason and for the good of the Omaticaya. She has a feeling that the path of the clan might change, for good or for the worse.

Jake doesn't think he's ever felt this kind of love and burning desire alike in his body before, where the devotion he feels for you is being multiplied ten times more than ever before because of the bond.

The moment the two of you declared to each other that your lifelong bond, solidifying the fact that there is no other place that you two would rather be than in each other's arms, Jake acted quicker than you could process it. In a millisecond, Jake leaned back in and slotted his lips against yours and started to kiss you with just as much desperation as before, if not more.

You giggled silently against his lips, and a smirk tugged at them as he began to guide you down to the soft moss below, as the glowing seeds drifted around the two of you with acceptance. Jake couldn't let his hands stay in one place, and neither could his lips.

As his mouth started to make his way across your jaw until he moved to your neck and started leaving open-mouthed kisses there, you felt that same fire return to your entire body, spreading like a wildfire.

As his hands started to occupy different places, letting them roam across your waist, your hips, nearing your thighs, and then back up, going around your back, and repeating the same process all over again continuously.

You couldn't form a single coherent thought in your brain right now, and you couldn't focus on anything else but the way Jake was making you feel at that moment. He was doing all the right moves, and it was just driving you insane. You weren't exactly helping Jake keep all of his composure intact either.

As he towered over you, he could feel you dragging your hands all over him, trying to get some traction. His neck, his chest, his shoulders, his arms, his back, and everywhere you could find. God, what were you doing to him? You didn't know your own power.

Jake was also beginning to feel more and more bold as time went by, and he knew he needed to move this forward, and with every reaction your body made to his touch, he got more and more confident. But he also wanted to remember that he wanted to go slow at the same time.

God knows how long he's been thinking of this; for weeks, after he went to sleep in his human body, after every time you stood too close to him, after you looked into his eyes a lot longer than he could handle with a lingering gaze. Every single time your touch lasted a lot less than he would like and made him internally beg you for more.

And now that it's happening, and he can see you wanting this as much as he does, with this yearning in your breathing and your eyes, he also wants to savor it and enjoy every second of it, despite how much he was rushing it before.

His lips were still latched onto your neck, and when he alternated sides and went to the other one, starting to use his tongue and teeth to rake against it, your response was to gasp silently and raise your hands to his hair that you braided yourself and tugged on them. Jake groaned lowly and breathlessly against your skin, and his hands on your waist tightened, trying to keep his composure.

He was putting everything into kissing you right now because he didn't want to ever stop this moment, and the bond still connected was making the emotions and every sensation multiply by a thousand, and you have no idea how you're holding yourself together right now. Now that Jake attended to both sides of your neck, he quickly went back to your lips and continued to kiss you deeply.

You responded without hesitation and kissed him back just as eagerly, not wanting to ever stop feeling your lips against his. You sighed breathlessly into each other's mouths for a second, breaking the kiss for a second, but then going right back in. You were touching each other in every way possible, in a way you two thought was only a dream, but was more than real in this moment.

You could stay here kissing him forever, and Jake was right on board, but he wanted to go further. If you wanted to. He wanted to worship you, every part of you, but he wanted you to enjoy it. He wanted you to know how much he loved you inside and out, in every conceivable way, with every part of his body, but he also wanted to respect you and everything that made you you in this moment.

You were so unaware of how much of an effect you have on him, how you managed to tear his heart apart and put it back together just from your smile, and he never wanted to be the reason it went away. Now that you have opened yourself to him and allowed yourself to be in such a vulnerable place with him, he will cherish that trust and only go further if you allow it.

If he ever accidentally disrespected you in any way, he would never forgive himself for it, and this moment of all moments was one that that belief will count for the most. He moved his hands from your waist up to your face, cupping your cheeks, tangling his fingers in your soft hair, and continuing to kiss you as if his life depended on it.

He wanted to test the waters a bit, so he bit your bottom lip, making you gasp silently, and he took that as his opening to kiss you even deeper as he slipped his tongue in your mouth. Your face twisted together with pleasure as you kept your eyes closed and felt his tongue tangle with yours because the sensation was unreal, and you've never felt anything like it. You've never kissed anyone like this before, been with anyone like this in your life, and never done what you're about to do with him either.

Jake could see you letting out soft gasps in between the kisses, which were getting sloppier and harder from how good it all felt, but none of them with any real sound, and it left him to wonder in that moment what it would be like to hear those sounds one day if Eywa was gracious enough.

He wished he could hear how much you were enjoying yourself, if you were, and that he could hear the reciprocation. All this time, Jake had been watching and observing you, being attentive to every single movement you made. Every sound, every twitch of your limbs, every twist in your features, and every sign that told him how you were feeling.

It was the only way he'd know if you were okay throughout all of this and if you wanted to continue moving towards. Your eyes fluttered open and closed in between kisses, and you moved your hands to go around his shoulders, feeling the fire grow inside your body with every touch and every kiss.

Your mind was blank and so clouded right now, but in the best way possible, and with how your bodies were entangled right now, you knew that wasn't going to happen any time soon, and you didn't complain one bit. You reveled in it. Jake's hands were still on your cheeks and holding you as if you were made out of porcelain, as if he didn't want to break you, but you wanted him to know that you were ready for whatever he was ready for.

You knew he'd take care of you, and you trusted him with your life. He was your husband now, wasn't he? Your mate for the rest of your days, and you know in your heart you didn't make a mistake by choosing him, and that he would treasure you.

After what felt like hours of kissing already, Jake parted from your lips, and you frowned at the loss, making Jake chuckle. He simply wanted to pause for a second to stare down at you with stars in his eyes as his own thumb silently stroked your cheek and watched as the glowing freckles seemed to glow brighter for him tonight than ever before, all while you stared at him as if you hung the moon and the stars. With undying love for him.

His body shivered when he felt your hands around his neck, starting to drag across his skin, his back, making him smile brighter. He wanted to go further and go to uncharted places you've never allowed anyone else go to, and feel the honor of being chosen by you to do that, but only if you want to.

He then leaned down closer to you, letting his body be almost entirely on top of yours but not quite falling on you, and nuzzled his nose against your cheek, pressing a few fluttering and quick kisses against your soft, blue skin. "Has this been...okay?" He whispered breathlessly against your skin, and you smiled with a nod, closing your eyes and wrapping your arms around his neck tighter, bringing him closer to you. Jake then swallowed hard and decided to finally test the waters. He pressed another kiss to your cheek, this time letting it linger a bit more, and letting go with a soft 'pop'.

"And...what about this?" He whispered, letting his breath fan against your cheek. He dropped his other hand that was on your cheek and let it drop to your waist, but he didn't let it stay there. He slowly started to let it drift upwards, slowly and chillingly, until his fingers began brushing against your beaded top. You know exactly what he was trying to get at.

You turned your head to the side and made brief eye contact with Jake as he kept his nose and cheek on yours, and you nodded with half-lidded eyes. Jake then smirked, lightly lifting his head from yours but still keeping them just inches away from one another so that your noses still brushed against one another.

"And...this?" He whispered, with a feather-light tone, as he let his hand drift further and further, beneath your top until his hand brushed against your breast, lightly cupping it with his hand. He saw the way your closed eyes tightened together a bit more as your mouth fell agape, but nodded nonetheless.

Your chest started to heave noticeably, and you moved your head to bury your face in the crook of his neck, bringing him closer to you like a lifeline and digging your nails into his back, which made Jake inhale sharply. That was his cue to continue. You were driving him insane, and you didn't even know it.

Jake then decided to take the extra mile and use both of his hands, dragging his other hand upwards the same way he did the other; starting from your waist and then bringing it upwards with so much care until he had your hand on your other breast.

It did not take long for you to have a reaction; you immediately took your head out of Jake's neck and let it fall back onto the ground as your back lightly arched at the sensation, and Jake's smirk widened. He adjusted himself to be fully on top of you and realized that he must have done something right.

Jake, in his head, knew what he had to do, but as he promised to himself and to you before, he wanted to go slow and enjoy every second of this. He moved his hands to rest on your ribs instead, and then moved back to your neck and collarbone as he started peppering kisses all over your skin.

Your heart fluttered at how much he was taking care of you right now, and with every action he made, he expressed nothing but love and commitment through it. He had to admit that it was taking a lot of willpower not have his hands on every single place he wanted them to, but he'll get to them eventually.

He could see the contentment in your face every time he edged you on to a new place on your body he never ventured to before, and then continued to a new one. He's learning what you like, what you don't, and if bolder steps are what you want.

That first inching at your breasts was that first step towards knowing if you would be open to more, and now that you know that, Jake will know how to proceed with this. He knows in his head what he wants to do, but he just wants this to be a night you always remember and keep in your thoughts forever. Just as he will.

So, as you kept your arms around Jake's neck, he leaned down to connect his lips with yours yet again, and this time, it was filled with even more desire than the last, and you opened your mouth further to welcome every single movement of his lips against yours. Your hands moved from around his arms to go under his and then wrap them around his back, clutching onto him as Jake once again started to get more bold with every move he made.

He started to let his lips trail down from your lips, leaving you nearly breathless as you gasped silently. He went across your cheeks, your jaw, down your neck, and the expanse of your skin above your collarbone. Your head tilted back, giving him more access, and you held onto him tighter as your hands dug further into him. Your thoughts were cloudy, and all you could do was simply let your mouth fall agape yet again as your chest rose and fell erratically with sensations you couldn't express verbally.

When Jake began to lower his kisses a bit further up on your collarbone, staying in the same region, he found a spot to start sucking on, letting his teeth and tongue graze on it, making you arch your back yet again, loll your head to the side, giving Jake more access as you shut your eyes tighter.

Jake's smile widened when he realized what he'd found, and now that he did, he'd never forget it. He began to open his mouth further on the spot to suck on it, making your nails on his back dig further in, spurring Jake and letting him know that you were liking what he was doing very much.

He could physically feel the shivers and goosebumps going up and down your body, and you could feel Jake's smile against your skin as he kissed the spot he found that he would take note of for future reference. He felt a rush of pride go through him, and it made him curious about what other spots he could find. But he had no rush.

You had the rest of your lives to do that. He bit just the slightest bit harder, making your breath so erratic that he could start to hear small hints of your gasping next to his ear, because those are the only real sounds you could ever make. But hearing them this loud was spurring on something inside of him that he couldn't control.

After that, he decided to move forward, all while he continued to see how you reacted. Jake started to kiss down your body; your neck, collarbone, sternum, until he reached your chest again. A mischievous smile curled on his lips as he decided to use the information he got before.

He started to kiss your breasts over your chest, and the mere act of that made you start squirming underneath him as you let your hands drop from his neck and fall to the ground as you gripped the moss below you. He chuckled against your skin at your reaction and started to spread even more kisses over your skin.

Between the valley of your breasts, on the sides, over them, below them, and everywhere you allowed him to. When you eventually moved your hands to tangle in his hair again, Jake groaned against your skin and looked up at you with half-lidded eyes while you looked down at him with impatience and desperation.

"You okay?" He asked, and you looked down at him incredulously as if it wasn't obvious already. You were more than okay. You stared at him with a deadpan, despite a smile tugging at your lips, and Jake laughed as he stroked your sides up and down. "Well, sorry for asking, then," He said, and you tugged on his hair gently, as if to silently say that you were very much enjoying every minute of this and that you couldn't hide the heat that was gathering in every part of your body.

While Jake remained peppering your chest with kisses, he started to slowly reach a point where he wanted to know if you were okay with it. He let his fingers curl around your top and slowly started to lift it, and before he did it all the way and revealed a part of you that he felt has been reserved for his eyes only until this moment, he looked up and then moved to cup one of your cheeks to force you to look at him through your desire-fueled eyes, ones that mirrored his.

"Is...this okay, too?" He asked softly, merely above a whisper, and your face melted with fondness. You didn't hesitate at all in cupping his face as well with one of your hands and nodding. He had so much respect for you that he didn't allow himself to get carried away, as his body was yelling at him to do.

Jake smiled widely and leaned his head down to press his forehead against yours, breathing you in. "You're actually unreal, you know that?" He said lowly, and you leaned up to press your lips against his, and when he pulled away, he chased after your lips again until you were fully leaning back again.

With a firm nod from you for approval, Jake, little by little, started lifting your top, and with more skin that was revealed to him, the more he felt his heart get caught in his throat, and the less he knew how to function. You instinctively brought your hands up, and when Jake effectively pulled it off and set it off to the side so it wasn't ruined, all he could do was stare. You're absolutely undoing him.

He sucked in a breath once he saw the fully bare top half of your body, and the only thing remaining was the flower he gave you still tucked in your ear. You were sprawled out in front of him, hair spread out, eyes glowing with the bioluminescence and the night sky, your body's freckles glowing even brighter than ever, and your shy and bashful smile nearly making him fall apart right then and there.

You were drinking in the light of everything around you, even as the wind brushed your hair a bit and only seemed to be adding more to how addicting and ethereal you looked. You were now staring at him with so much expectancy and trust that it was destroying him. He was so whipped for you that he could barely keep it together

. You were absolutely alluring in every way possible. Your lips were swollen and glistening, and your pupils were blown wide. You were perfect, in every way that you've given him the pleasure of seeing. He leaned down again, and he nuzzled his nose against your cheek again, and in turn, you closed your eyes with a soft smile as you rubbed your face on his in reciprocation, wrapping your arms around him again.

He pressed yet another kiss to your cheek and murmured. "Fuck. You have no idea what you do to me," He said, completely enamored by you. And he hoped you knew that there was no other place that he'd rather be than right here by your side. You're wrecking him, and you dare to lie there so unbothered and innocent?

He pulled away from you and realized that he didn't want to beat around the bush anymore, and neither did you. Now that one obstacle was out of the way, he immediately leaned down, yet with new fire ignited in him, and slotted his lips against yours yet again. It was intense, urgent, sloppy, and full of desire that this time, you weren't sure you were able to keep up with him.

All of a sudden, when he started biting and licking at your lips, you felt heat start to shoot down below as unusual sensations started to bloom and spread from your chest, down your stomach, and to your lower body. You didn't know what that meant, but you welcomed it and let Jake take the lead.

When he eventually parted from your lips again, and you were left panting hard, you weren't given a chance to breathe when Jake took one of your breasts into your mouth, and in that moment, you wished you had a voice to express how good it felt. All you could do was let your back arch from the ground as you felt Jake's tongue swirl around and his nose graze against your skin.

You thought that alone was enough to unravel you, but when he used his other hand to start fondling the other one, you opened your mouth as if to let out a soft, yet silent moan, and you kept gasping in between as he kept repeating the same thing and then alternating, to give both of them the same treatment. And it didn't help when he stopped to talk you through it. "You have no idea how much I love you," He said helplessly as he kept peppering kisses everywhere around your skin.

He just couldn't get enough. He separated from your breasts for a second and went back to your lips in a deep and open-mouthed kiss that nearly made you melt in his arms as he secured his hands on your hips this time. You noticed he seemed to go even lower every time. First at your ribs, then your waist, and now at your hips, dangerously close to your thighs.

You reciprocated his kiss as best as you could, but the movement of his tongue against yours was making you nearly see stars. How was he so good at that? He stopped the kiss abruptly for a second, but still kept his lips brushing against yours. "I love you...I love you...damn it, I love you," He said over and over as he kept kissing you without stopping and pouring out his heart to you.

Heat started to gather behind your eyes, with happy tears, because you wished so badly you could reciprocate it in the same way that he was. So passionately, lovingly, and tenderly that it made you sad that you might never have a voice to say that to him. You hoped he knew it, though.

That you loved him with all your heart and that there was nothing that would change that. As he continued to kiss you, you suddenly felt a surge of impatience rush through you, and you started to tug on the items that he had on him. You began to cling to the holster that was across his chest, and Jake stopped kissing you for a second to see what you were trying to do.

His eyes darted back and forth between your shy gaze and your hands tugging on his holster on his chest, as if you were silently telling him to also take it off. Jake chuckled heartily as he realized what you were asking him, and he sat up on his knees to do just that as you remained on the ground, trying to absorb the sight in front of you.

"Alright, alright...I hear you," He said, swiftly taking off his holster and fully revealing his upper half to you. You've seen it countless times before, and it was usually something normal to the Na'vi, but now that he was here with the light of the Tree of Voices reflecting off of every muscle of his broad shoulders, chiseled chest and abdomen, built arms, you felt yourself inhale sharply as you boldly, yet shyly at the same time, lifted your hands up and gingerly pressed your three-fingered hands to brush against his chest.

When they did, you flinched slightly, as if you felt like you weren't allowed to touch him at all, but Jake refused to let you think that. His eyebrows furrowed, and he grabbed one of your hands again and put it on top of his chest, again making your entire face flush with heat. He lightly leaned down again towards you and let your nose brush against his. "This...is all yours," He said, smiling with a mix of smugness and tenderness, and he didn't stop there.

He used his free hand to put it on your side again and dragged his hand up and down your body. Your eyes never left his, and your entire body was filled with the same fire that had been building up since this began. "Just as this...is all mine," He said, referring to every inch of your body that you were giving him the honor of worshipping tonight.

As soon as he said that, Jake suddenly saw your eyes filled with a hunger can only be mirroring his, with so much lust that you could barely contain it inside, his grin grew bigger. Keeping his face inches away from yours, he moved his knee to be between your legs and nudged it right over your loincloth, and he saw your mouth fall agape as you raised a hand to grip his sculpted arms, as if it was your lifeline.

As much as you loved feeling Jake's lips on you, when he started kissing down from your neck, and then all day down the valley of your breasts, and now down your stomach, you were starting to wish that he would go a little quicker. You tightened your thighs around his leg to give him the message, and he hid a smirk against your skin.

You were getting antsy, and he knew that, but he was taking his time with you, and he knew that it'd be worth it in the end. He planted kiss after kiss on your stomach, everywhere he could find on your soft, blue skin, and when he stopped, and his breath fanned over it, you shivered again, and he spoke.

"You're just...breathtaking. Absolutely gorgeous, every part of you," He whispered, wanting to give you everything you wanted tonight with no questions asked, nearly throwing all of his original plans out the window when he continued to make his way down your body. When he started going down south and closer to the most vulnerable part of you, you felt your heart start to race even faster than ever before, up until now.

Jake was about to give up on making you wait because the more he got to discover new parts of you, the more he realized that it was harder to pretend you weren't driving him crazy. This just all felt far too good, but at the same time, what if it went by a lot faster than he thought it would, and the two of you don't get to enjoy it as much as he knows that you want to? It didn't help that your braids were still very much connected, and every sensation was amplified in a way that neither of you thought was possible.

He couldn't get enough of you, just as much as you couldn't get enough of him. He continued to just kiss up and down your body and worship every inch of your body, caressing your body as if it were the last time. Jake then crawled back up your body, held your waist with one hand, used the other to cup your cheek, and then, without any warning this time, he started moving his knee back and forth just under your loincloth, and he nearly lost it when he saw your hips start to chase after the feeling. He just couldn't contain himself, and he pressed his lips against yours yet again.

You immediately reciprocated and started to kiss him back as he fully towered over you, moved his knee back and forth, and felt you continue to grind against it. Just from seeing it, the way your body urged you to be with him, to connect in a way it never has with no other person before, and wanted to feel that unique connection and joining of bodies and souls you'll only ever have with him and only him, Jake could feel heat grow in the lower part of his body as well.

He could only let out soft groans at the feeling. There was officially no space left between the two of you right now, your chest pressed against his, your lips had not parted once, and the kisses had only gotten deeper and more erratic. He's done so much to make you feel good that you realized that you've barely done the same for him.

You parted from his lips again, wrapped your arms around his neck, and started to drift your lips down his cheeks and jaw until you got to his neck and started to kiss just as deeply as he was, all while biting and licking as fervently as he did. Jake's head fell against your neck, and he groaned loudly as he gripped your waist tighter, slowing down with his knee from how much you were taking over him and making him go numb in all ways. He couldn't even remember what he was doing last because you were making him unravel in every way possible. He couldn't think straight, and you weren't helping his case.

But when you paused in your kisses and looked down, across your nearly conjoined bodies pressed against each other, and saw how his loincloth had a bulge in it. This may be your first time, but you knew well what that meant. A grin tugged at your lips as you started to feel emboldened.

You reached down between your bodies and lightly tugged on Jake's loincloth as you continued to kiss his neck, and Jake lifted his head from your neck to look down at you with surprise. But when he saw the sparkle or glint in your eyes and followed where your hand was, he looked back at you and smirked again.

To him, your pleasure and happiness during moments like these would always go first, and as your first time together, this would not be the exception at all. He's been holding back all this time for your sake because he wants you to feel that satisfaction before he ever could. You both knew that you were getting closer and closer to the place that you both have been waiting and yearning to get to. Your thighs were tightening around his knee, wanting more friction desperately, begging for release and to be satiated.

Jake knew the moment that he looked into your eyes, and your eyes were glowing with a pleading glint behind them, that he couldn't afford to wait anymore. You've both waited long enough already, and now is the time to do everything you've both dreamed of.

With that in mind, leaned back on his knees and kept his eyes on you the entire time as he did so. He saw your breathing start to pick up and your chest rise and fall the moment you saw him start to reach around his loincloth to untie it. He saw the way you swallowed and sat yourself up on your elbows as your heart thundered against your ears, and you could hear it like drums beating against your ribs. Your body started to tremble with excitement, but also nervousness.

You'd already crossed the threshold of bonding, but that was painless. It was beautiful and soul-touching, but this? You've heard gossip from women in the clan, and you wondered if this was really happening right now. You wanted it to. Eywa, did you want to? But you wanted it to be just as good as you'd imagined it. Jake saw the seeds of worry planting in your gaze, and he reached over with one hand to cup your cheek again.

"Hey..look at me. It's okay," Jake assured gently, not wanting you to be afraid, because he knows this is your first time. He does know the fear that comes with it, but he would never dare to hurt you. Not in a million years, and he'd apologize for the rest of his days if he ever did.

You nodded, and your expression steeled as you saw Jake go back to untying his loincloth. The more they got exposed to you, the more your face flushed furiously. When he finally got it off all the way, all while you failed to keep your eyes glued to his, he was now completely bare in front of you, and the sight of it made your breath get caught in your throat as your eyes widened, all while desperation, desire, and longing all grew inside of you at the same time. This was really happening, now, right?

Jake saw the way you completely froze in front of him and watched as he set off his loincloth to the side. Your face was burning, and you didn't know where to look, but you did know what you wanted right now. And Jake knew it too. He smiled softly and started leaning forward towards you until he was hovering over you once again. He cupped your cheek and stroked your skin so gingerly that it nearly made you forget you were the only one wearing the last obstacle left between you two

"Let's have a safe word, okay? If it's too much, tap my arm. As many times as you want," Jake offered, and you stilled for a second again, but then nodded with a smile, loving how careful and attentive he was being. He knows you can't actually say anything if anything from here on out was too much, but he was giving you that.

Both of you were gazing so deeply into one another, golden eyes with golden eyes. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt you during this, and as much as he's waited for this, he wouldn't let that cloud his judgment here. You were staring up at him now with a light flush on your face and light sweat glistening on your face as small breaths went in and out of your lips. How did you manage to look so utterly gorgeous? How dare you? Your eyes were glinting in the moonlight in a way that nearly made him faint right there.

He gave you one last look to give him the approval he needs to take this last step, until there are no barriers between the two of you. He saw you nod as you were suddenly filled with certainty behind your eyes. He lowered his lips to you again, kissed you as if it was the first time, and trailed his lips down your neck, the hollow of your throat as you tilted your head up to give him more access, and then he continued to use his lips to trail down your body, including the tip of his tongue to savor every part of you until he worked his way down your sternum, your breasts, your stomach, until he finally reached your loincloth.

He looked up at you and saw you looking down at him with a hazy expression in your gaze, with deep desire running through your eyes. Jake felt a shiver go through his body as he lifted your hips and, with the utmost care, started to untie them and then bring them down your legs. His mouth went dry at what he saw, and his insides began to stir.

The direct and visible result of you not being able to hold back what you felt for him. Jake could only feel every part inside him start to burn painfully with impatience that he was holding back for your sake, but he didn't know how much longer he'd last. As for you, your breath was now quickening with so much anticipation that you could hardly take it. Jake dragged your loincloth further down your legs, past your ankles, and then he tossed them to the side. This was eating you both alive. He has been treating you so well this whole time, and it wasn't going to stop now.

But before Jake did anything, he just had to stop for a second and admire you. He inhaled sharply at the breathtaking woman in front of him, his wife, who was completely bare in front of him at last, just as he was, and the sight alone of it was enough to send him down a spiral that felt never-ending.

All of a sudden, his mind was flooded with the need to just remain on top of you with your bodies as close as possible, as if your lives depended on it or you'd perish. As if it were necessary for his survival. You were a tempting vixen, a beautiful vixen that somehow made it impossible every passing day for him to keep his eyes and hands to himself, especially now more than ever.

When Jake looked up and tried to ignore every voice in his head that told him to take you right then and there, he met your half-lidded eyes. he genuinely thought he could drown in them. You sent him a single nod, inhaled sharply as you sent him a warm smile. You trusted him with your life, and this was no different. This wasn't going to be any different. Who knew that this was where the two of you would end up? Jake would not have it any other way, and neither would you.

Not wanting to beat around the bush anymore, in one quick swoop, Jake's mouth landed right between her legs, and he groaned loudly against you, echoing through your entire body. Your entire body writhed underneath him as your face twisted with pleasure and you squirmed in his touch. He flattened his tongue and began to suck, and when Jake heard soft gasps from your end, he knew he was doing something right. He couldn't believe how good this felt.

His groans sent vibrations through his body as he began to suck, and it made your legs start to shake so much that Jake had to put an arm over your hips to stop you from moving so much. Your legs were tightening around his head, though. You reached your hands down as you began to bury your hands in his hair and started to tug on them, making him pick up the pace. And from your body language, Jake hasn't done a single thing that has not made you feel like you were in heaven or on cloud nine.

This was better than either Jake or you could have ever imagined. And to add to it, Jake decided to add two of his fingers into the mix, and as soon as he did, your mouth dropped open as if you'd yelped, and you gripped his hair tighter. Tears were gathering in your eyes at how unbelievably good this all felt, and you couldn't handle it. Your vision was tunneling and becoming white at how good he was at this.

Jake moved your thighs so that they were on top of his shoulders, and he continued his combo of mouth and fingers in circles until you became completely undone for him. As of now, you were continuing to writhe and squirm under her grasp as he sped up, and for the first time, Jake was witnessing you getting close. And you knew it too.

You began to tap Jake on his arm as he'd told you, and in a second, he'd pulled his mouth away from you and looked up at you with concern. Had done anything wrong? You whined silently at the loss of contact, but the heat pooling in your lower region was still there. "Y/n. What's wrong?" He asked gently, and you began to sign frantically to him from where he could see you as your eyes widened with confusion.

Your body ached, but it was not painful, it was not bad, and it was not uncomfortable. It was just very... foreign. "Ma Jake...I feel strange. What is happening?" You signed, and after that, it clicked in Jake's head. He knew what was going on here. He smiled and licked his lips, and prepared himself to go back down and help you reach that point of pleasure that you'd experience for the first time.

"It's okay, baby. Just let it happen," He said breathlessly, and smugly, and dove back in without warning you, and once again, your reaction was instant. You didn't even have time to react to that new nickname of his as your legs started to shake once Jake's fingers and tongue worked fast and in unison. You felt like you were about to be thrown over the edge; the feeling was hot and blinding, while also incredibly satisfying at the same time, and you've never felt anything like it.

Jake pushed his tongue even deeper until he couldn't go any further, not wanting to ever forget this ever happened, and he's able to leave a mark on you. Prove the two of you were ever here together, in the Tree of Voices, proving your love before Eywa.

You threw your head back again as your mouth fell open at the pleasure coursing through your body right now, feeling it climb higher and higher until it felt like it was about to reach a boiling point. You were seeing white, and your eyes rolled back to the back of your head as the coil inside of you finally snapped, and your release washed over you overwhelmingly.

As your body went limp against Jake and you fell back down into the ground, you closed your eyes and panted softly, not noticing the way that Jake was crawling back up to you, grabbing both of your hands and intertwining them together as he put them on the top of your head. He saw the way you tightened your hands around his, but still kept your eyes closed. He leaned down and kissed every part of your face he could find. You were a sight to behold.

Your face was damp with sweat and glistening angelically, some baby hairs were sticking to your face, your lips were still swollen and parted from how much you were panting and as you slowly opened your eyes, Jake saw the way your eyes had this haze to them combined with a slight curve to your eyelids as you smiled lightly and your cheekbones created an eye-smile.

"You're mine," Jake started as he kissed one cheek, and you nodded numbly. He went to your other cheek and kissed it just as sweetly. "And I'm yours," He continued as you nodded again, seemingly in a trance but understanding every word and allowing butterflies to swarm your belly.

"All of me," He finalized and pressed his lips against yours again so you could taste yourself, something you'd never done before in your life. But despite that, you kissed him back with the energy you were slowly getting back. Jake felt pride rising inside him. He was the only one who could ever make you feel this way. He knows in his heart that he can't live without you.

And how he was about to prove it to you. But before that, he would remind you right here, now that he would not stop caring for you, especially now. He wanted you to remember this. Every part of it. Because God knows he will. He pecked your lips again, and your hands gripped his tighter, knowing what was about to happen.

"Remember, let me know if it's too much, and we can stop. I'll go slow. Kiss me if it hurts," He said with so much devotion in his voice that it nearly made you crumble. Your eyes softened, and you let go of one of his hands to sign, earnestly and meaningfully. "You could never hurt me," You signed, letting him know that there is nothing in this world that could ever penetrate deep enough like his love for you has.

With one more deep and firm kiss, the two of you conjoined your hands together again. You could feel him poking against your thigh, and you couldn't help but shudder and feel all sanity evaporate from your body. He angled himself on top of you, nudging your thighs gently apart.

He gave you one last look of reassurance, and you nodded at him firmly, letting him know that you were more than ready for this. Ready for him to be a part of you in a way he hasn't yet. After a few seconds of anticipation, you swallowed hard as you felt a pang in your gut and tried to prepare yourself.

Jake lowered his lips to yours, and you kissed him back eagerly, and with one swift movement, you felt Jake slide inside you. Instantly, you parted from the kiss and gasped silently as you threw your head back and then gripped his hands with a death-grip at how painful the initial sting was. Jake tucked his head into your neck and began to spread light kisses as he continued to push himself even more and felt your body stretch around him.

Your chest was rising and falling rapidly as you tilted your head back and leaned your head to the side against his. You let go of one of his hands and wrapped your arm around his neck, bringing him even closer to you. Jake couldn't exactly tell how much this was affecting him. He was letting out low groans against your skin, but tried to focus on your comfort first before himself.

He was watching your reactions intently, how your body was reacting, and how you were taking him, and trying to guide himself around that. He started kissing everywhere he could find. Your neck, collarbone, jaw, cheeks, sternum, and every other part of you are in his reach. Your breathing was becoming more labored, and your eyes were closed shut as you tried to breathe through the pain until it morphed to pleasure, but that moment hadn't quite come yet, so you were patient.

Jake, on the other hand, felt like he was running out of patience. He felt like he was in heaven, like you were made for him. How did you fit around him so perfectly in a way no one else has? It felt like a puzzle piece locking right into place, and before this, he felt like he couldn't fall deeper in love with you, but he knows he just did. He wanted to move first, but he wanted to wait for you first. He couldn't be greedy.

"Fuck, you feel so good, baby. No one else touches you like this, huh? I've got you," He whispered huskily against your ear, and you smiled tiredly at his words, feeling those same butterflies swarm your stomach yet again. You could get used to him calling you that. It just felt so, so right. Being with him right here felt so right, and Jake could feel it too.

He felt the same way. After a few seconds, once Jake saw your breathing slow down, and contentment show in your face, he took that as his chance to continue. "Ready?" He said breathily, and you quickly nodded, preparing for what you were about to feel. Once Jake started to move, your mouth dropped in a silent yelp, and you let go of your other hand, gripping his to move both of your hands to be on his back and cling to him. You buried your head in his neck and bit the skin to hopefully ride out the pain. Jake let out a low breath at this and moved to grip your hips tightly as he continued to move slowly, trying to keep up a steady rhythm.

He could feel your chest rising and falling faster than ever before, labored and choppy as you tried to breathe through it. You moved your head away from his neck and did exactly as he'd told you, and you slotted your lips against his in a firm kiss. He reciprocated, kissed you back, and tightened his grip on your hips so hard that he was sure that there would be a mark.

He knows that you must be hurting right now, but he knows that it's all up to letting time pass until the pain isn't there anymore. With every rock of his hips, you gripped his back tighter and dug your nails into his skin, making him hiss lightly out of pain and pleasure alike. But as he continued to move more and gradually picked up speed in a way that you could handle, he saw that your expression morphed from distress to one of contentment.

The pain was lessening now, thankfully, and while you were still clutching to him and kissing him fervently, your hands were smoothing over the nail dents you made on his back as a silent apology. You parted from Jake's's lips when your mouth went agape to emit silent moans as your face twisted with delight at what you were feeling.

Jake moved his hands from being on your hips to taking yours on his and intertwined them again above your head. You instinctively wrapped your legs around Jake's waist and brought him closer to you as his speed picked up, making Jake groan lowly as he tucked his face in your neck and began to nip at your skin with his canines, but soothing them with his lips afterwards. Once you begin to recognize a pace, you begin to move your hips against his as well, joining him.

The only thing that was starting to be heard right now was your joined heavy breathing, Jake's groans, sounds of skin against skin, and the rustling of the moss below as the two of you shifted against it. Your bodies were damp with sweat, but neither of you cared. You were so into each other that the two of you failed to notice how Atokirina began to float down to hover above the two of you with a serenity that compared to how intense the scene was below.

Once Jake started to see the way that you began to join him, he chuckled tiredly against your neck and spoke. "Yeah...just like that. Don't stop," He said, and you nodded as you swallowed, obliging with him and not letting up. But after a few seconds, Jake felt a lightbulb go off in his head. He untangled his hands from yours for a second, you shifted them to be around his shoulders again, and then shifted both of them to be on your waist without breaking his rhythm with you.

And in one swift movement, he moved the two of you be on your sides, and Jake picked up the pace as you clung onto him harder, clutching onto his skin for dear life as you tried to move your body against his as best as you could. Your face was in his neck again, as if it was your safe space, and so he couldn't see how your face had unraveled to utter pleasure.

And you thought this would be it, but what you didn't expect was when he took one hand off of your waist and brought it between your legs and pressed down on your most sensitive spot, that bundle of nerves down south, forcing you to tear your face away from his neck and throw your head back as you started to squirm in his hold.

Your legs clenched tighter around him, and after a few seconds, once again, you started to feel heat pooling in your nether region, and Jake felt this. He knew what was happening before you did. So, he started to pick up the pace even more, and he could feel your desperation for release.

He leaned forward and captured your lips together as your bodies continued to rock together, and he saw your breathing become even more erratic, helpless, and harder to control inside of you. "Hold on for me, okay?" He reassured, despite how heavy his breathing is right now. He had to guide you through it because he knew this one was bigger than the last one from before.

He could see that it was becoming harder to control. But he didn't want you to control it. He wanted you to let go completely and not hold back. He started to move faster, and you could feel every single sensation starting to culminate in one place. It felt like you would burst into pieces any second now.

Jake then pressed his lips to yours one last time as everything felt like it was about to start crashing down, and your back arched into him, and your mouth opened into a scream that you wished you had a voice for to express how good it felt. You were losing your mind for him. Jake knew that you reached your breaking point, and the rhythm that you both had now was sloppy, but it was fast all the same.

This current angle he had you in was making you see stars, and you could barely keep up anymore. That same tight coil that you felt before felt like it was about to release. You and Jake opened your mouths during the kiss at the same time, breathing heavily into each other as he felt that he was also reaching his high. He didn't want you to be scared and was trying to make sure you finished first before he did. He could feel that you would not last much longer, now that you clenched down on him. The bond was making this sensation feel 10 times more euphoric than ever.

Once again, your nails started to dig into his shoulder as if it was the only thing keeping you afloat right now, but it only encouraged Jake to continue thrusting until he couldn't anymore. He began to kiss your neck as you lolled your head to the side, and it was becoming all too much for you. His kisses, his body rocking against yours, his breathing against your skin, his hand still toying with you below; you don't know how you've lasted this long, but all you know is that you never wanted it to stop.

The moment you eventually felt like your vision had gone white, and your thighs began to shake around him, you reached a point where you had to let go. And when you did, utter pleasure washed over you, and you threw your head back again, and you felt Jake come at the same time as you as he spilled inside of you just as you did on him. It only took a few seconds after that for Jake to slow down as a groan bubbled in his throat, and he'd reached his end.

Jake fell onto his back, and using the hand he still had on your waist, he brought you onto him so that your head lay on his chest and half of your body was sprawled onto him. The Tree of Voices was filled with the sounds of both of your heavy and labored breaths as the night air brushed and wafted through your sweaty bodies together. Nothing was said for a few seconds.

You wrapped your arm tighter around Jake's midsection, you used his arm under your head as a pillow, you tucked your head into his chest as you nuzzled your nose into his skin, and you hiked your thigh higher up onto his body. Jake tightened his arm around your waist, leaned his head down to kiss the crown of your head, and used his free hand to conjoin it with yours that was across his body, intertwining them together blindly, as if it was second nature to you both.

Jake allowed himself to grin from ear to ear when he realized what just happened. You'd enjoyed yourself just as much as he had, and that's all he hoped would come out of this. A few beats passed, and Jake let go of your hand and then used it to put it on your chin to tip it up so that you faced him. Your eyes opened, and you looked at him so earnestly and with so much love that he nearly combusted right then and there all over again.

He dragged a hand down his face as he chuckled and cupped your cheek, lovingly stroking it. "Please...don't look at me like that," He whispered, and you couldn't help but giggle silently and endearingly, even through your pants. He brought your face closer to his, and he pressed his lips against yours, in a way that felt like it had an entirely different meaning now. When he pulled away, he couldn't erase the smile that was plaguing his whole face, chasing after you for more kisses.

After that, he simply stared at you like he couldn't believe you were real. That you were his wife now, that you would walk together through life and face any challenges that came your way, together. No matter what. What did he do to deserve such a blessing when all he's felt is that he doesn't deserve you at all? Your kind nature, your beauty, how understanding you are, and so many attributes that he felt like he constantly felt like he wasn't worthy of receiving, but tonight, something solidified that changed that old mentality into a different one.

One that would help him to continue to change for you, until he's better for you. He smiled brighter and brought you closer to him. "Come here," He murmured, and your expression got brighter as Jake maneuvered you so that the two of you were spooning. He was behind you with his chest pressed against your back, wrapping his arm tightly around your waist and tucking it there as if you were to disappear right then and there.

You then settled against his hold and took his hands in yours, using his arm as a pillow, and settled yourself in as if it was the safest place in the world. And in that moment, once reality finally set in, you felt heat gather behind your eyes with happy tears as you finally came to the realization that the bond had been made, Eywa approved of it, and there was nothing that could ever tear you both apart now. You were bonded for life, and the Great Mother had been there to witness a beautiful union.

You tried your best to hide how emotional you were right now, but when Jake felt your body start to shake, he panicked. He slowly untucked his head away from your neck from the kisses he'd been pressing there, and then used his hand to tip your head to look at him again. Once he saw your glassy eyes, Jake helped you to move onto your back as he cupped your cheek, stroked your skin, and looked at you with concern. Had he done something wrong?

Something to upset you? "Hey...hey, what's wrong? Did I hurt you?" He spoke so tenderly that it only brought more tears to your eyes. You shook your head and adjusted yourself so that you were on your side now and faced him, face to face. You reached up and cupped his face with a feathe-light touch just as he did with you before and smiled tearily.

"No. No...I just....I love you so much, Jake. Thank you for being here with me," You signed with your free hand, and Jake froze, but then let the biggest of smiles come through his face as he felt himself getting choked up all of a sudden, too. He leaned forward and kissed you deeply, and after a few seconds, he parted and spoke in a voice only you could hear. Those words were reserved for you and you only. "I love you, too. So much, Y/n," He breathed out, and you couldn't help but finally let those tears fall as you continued to smile brightly, and Jake was there to wipe them off in an instant.

You didn't hesitate in wrapping your arms around Jake's midsection, intertwining his legs with yours, and tucked your head in his neck. You exhaled deeply with security, and Jake wrapped both of his arms around your waist. After that, the forest settled into a stillness as the breeze brushed against the Tree of Voices, nearly lulling you to sleep.

The glow of the forest was now dimmed to a soft yet steady pulse, as if it was starting to mirror yours and Jake's heartbeats together in unison. You could hear the faint babbling brook and the waterfall nearby, all while insects and different wildlife seemed to be thriving in the background. It was perfect. You lay there, curled against Jake's chest, his arms staying secure around your waist as if to prepare for anyone who dared to come and take you away from him.

Your kurus were both still connected with his, and your tails were intertwined with each other's legs. The Tsaheylu was still echoing in both of your minds, lingering with a beautiful warmth that neither of you wanted to let go of. You didn't allow yourself to fall asleep. You didn't want this to end yet. You took one of your hands from around his neck and then brought it to his chest as you began to innocently trace the stripes on his body slowly and with care, feeling his heartbeat beneath your fingertips. It was fast but also steady.

Your touch alone was capable of doing that. Jake tried his best not to smile as he tilted his head up so you wouldn't see how much of an effect you had on him,  as he felt shivers go up and down his body. His hands were currently occupying your hair as he threaded his fingers through your silky locks, as if it were the most natural thing he could do.

But other than that, all Jake could do was think. He doesn't regret any part of this. Not one part of it, and he meant what he said. They'd have to pry him out of his Avatar body before he ever thought about leaving you, and now that the bond was made, he would fight like hell to stay here with you. Here you were, lying with him as if you belonged there, and there was no doubt about that.

But while he knows that, that he won't leave Pandora no matter how much they try to force him out pr try to send him back, reality is starting to crash down on him now that your night together would be over in the blink of an eye the second you both went to sleep. He began to think and let the same chain of thoughts reenter his brain; Would you still look at him the way you did tonight once you find out what he did? What has he lied to you about for weeks on end? Would you still look at him with that same love and devotion?

Would you ever forgive him? Tonight had been his only opportunity to let go of everything, forget about his guilt, leave behind his burdens, and just let himself be happy with you. The guilt that has been eating him alive and swallowing him whole for weeks, and for just a little bit, he had the best night he's had in a long time, and created a bond and connection he never thought he'd have with someone before, and he has never been more grateful that it's with you. He feels like a thief because you chose him, but based on lies. The thought of that has been plaguing him, and its unbelivable unbearable. He just wanted to live in bliss for as long as he could, as selfish as it sounds.

He continued to feel you trace and draw on his skin as he stared up at the canopy, replaying every memory he's made with you for the last three months, and even what he just did with you just now. You stared at him as if he could do you no wrong, and with so much trust, joy, and certainty that you two would be together forever, even after death, when you're both with Eywa.

He knew from the start that Na'vi do not mate lightly. It goes so much deeper than love; it's destiny, soul-binding, and sacred. Something that you believed Jake would honor. And that happened tonight, all with Eywa's blessing.  Don't get him wrong, he would do everything to be the kind of mate that you deserved, but he knows he already failed before the bond was even made.

You were bound to someone who's been lying to you. At the thought of that, he curls one hand around your back, and he holds you tighter, as if keeping you close might make the truth evaporate. You shifted and scooted closer to him. His chest constricted painfully at that. He leaned down to press his lips to your hair and breathed you in as if it was the last time he'd ever get to do it.

Memorizing this moment as if this was a ghost of a memory. Just a little longer...please. Just let me pretend a little longer. Let me have her in my arms for a little longer. Before I forget what it feels like. Jake begged silently and hoped that Eywa was listening. But the forest doesn't pretend. The Great Mother doesn't either. Neither will you, when you find out. Jake closed his eyes and held you as if he could protect you from himself.

Just him having and wearing little pieces of you was enough. All you'd said then was, "You can make it up to me by racing me today," You said, and ran off excitedly, leaving Jake dumbfounded on the spot before he got back to his senses and ran off after you, laughing heartily and excitedly.

The first thing you two did when you got back to the mountains was start racing. You'd spiraled and swirled around each other and passed through several mountains until you noticed a cliff. Once the two of you took notice of it, you looked at each other and smiled knowingly at one another before lowering both of your visors. When you came around the cliff, you both dove downwards as Kamari and Bob tucked their wings close to their bodies.

You two were flying at incredible speeds, straight down towards the bottom, and it was an unspoken rule that whoever made it down first was the winner. But, when the two of you got to the bottom, as the wind flapped loudly against the Ikrans' wings, it was decided that there was no winner when the two of you made it down at the same time.

Both of your ikrans then opened their wings at the very same time and began flying upwards yet again, making Jake whoop and cheer into the air, making you beam happily at how excited he sounded. He'll never get over how exhilarating this is, and he knew it was even better that he got to do it with you.

Even more so when you both guided your Ikrans at the same time to fly higher up and then dive back down backwards. There were still so many tricks that he wanted to try out and that he knew he would have to spend even more time discovering, because he knew for a fact that there was so much he could still do and that the possibilities were endless when he was in the air.

Since it was still early in the morning, the sun was appearing over the horizon and creating this golden hue over this new area that you had been meaning to show Jake. A part of the forest that had immeasurable meaning to the Omaticaya, and that he had to know of before it was time for the ceremony of acceptance into the clan, came around, which you can't believe was right around the corner.

You began to fly ahead of Jake and then looked back at him to gesture with your head for him to follow you. He nodded and lifted his visor again to see a bit better. The closer the two of you got to this location you were taking him, the more he started to see the appearance of these giant stone arches that went across and spanned over the forest in a way that made you and him look tiny next to them when you two began to fly under them.

You and Jake passed through a couple of these arches until Jake spotted a much lower cluster of arches that seemed to serve as a guard and protection for the tree that was underneath it. Jake caught up with you until the two of you were flying side by side. He turned to you and saw that you were already gesturing down with a smile to the tree, as you seemed to be taking in being in its presence.

Being around it and knowing you were in the presence of the Great Mother has always been deeply calming for you in every way. Just from that, Jake could already tell that this tree had an incredible importance to you and your people that he didn't quite know of yet, but he was still excited to find out. He had no connection to it yet, but he could feel how grandiose it really was just from being in proximity.

The closer you two got, the more he got to see the details of it. It was this huge willow-like tree, except every vine seemed to be translucent, almost, and they glistened in the wind. The tree also had roots surrounding it and protruding out if that expanded all across the area, intertwining with each other harmoniously.

It was only after Jake got back to his human body later that day, and he got back to the base camp in the mountains, and he told Grace what he saw, that he finally began to understand how big a deal it really was.

Back at the base, Jake, Grace, and Norm were all huddled together over a monitor to see what Grace had to say about the place after Jake came back and told the group what he saw. It was an understatement to say that the red-headed scientist was excited to talk about this particular place.

Never once in her entire time in the clan years ago was she ever granted the opportunity to visit, and the fact that Jake has been able to get so close was already an incredible opportunity. "The Tree of Souls. Or Vitraya Ramunong" Grace started as she pulled up multiple pictures of he place, including some X-ray pictures to show the magnetic field around it.

Grace then leaned back as she crossed her arms in front of her chest and let the pictures speak for themselves. "This is one of the most sacred spaces for the Omaticaya. See the Flux Vortex in these false-color images?" She pointed out and gestured to the bottom part of the large monitor, where the X-ray pictures show how intense the magnetic pull from that place is, so that the computer can't even seem to process or compute because it was just that strong and powerful.

Trudy leaned back in her chair and scoffed as she smiled. "Yeah, that's what messes up my instruments," She said as she remembered how much her helicopter had trouble flying whenever she flew even in the near vicinity of that place, and that energy spanned across the entire Hallelujah mountains.

Her controls go crazy, and it's as if she has no control over them anymore. Grace looked at the place fondly and felt the slightest twinge of playful jealousy that Jake was finally so deeply rooted in being accepted that he got to go. "There's something really interesting going on in that place biologically," Grace started as she looked at the place fondly, knowing that the research that could come out of that place would be out of this world.

But research for herself, and just so she can learn, not for anybody in particular. "I would die to get samples. Outsiders are strictly forbidden. You lucky swine," Grace said, looking back at Jake briefly and then back at the screen. He was just one step closer to becoming one of the people, and being brought to this place meant that his spot was nearly secured.

Ever since she came back to the village a few weeks back, she has been able to see just how much he's been able to do to be seen as one of them and words can't describe how proud she is of him, because she could see it in his eyes that none of what he was doing was part of some mission with the Avatar program but because he truly wanted to do it.

But while Grace gushed about how cool she thought the place was, Jake stayed silent. He was obviously amazed by how magnificent it was, and he loved visiting it with you, but now that he's hearing that this is exactly the place that Quaritch and Parker were looking to strike, so that he can debilitate you and your people, and they can make a move on Hometree.

After spending day in and day out with you and not giving the RDA any information these last few weeks because it just has not crossed his mind, Jake couldn't stall anymore. They won't believe that he doesn't know anything. Now that he knows this information about this place, how can he possibly pretend that he didn't know?

If he fed them fake intel like he's tried to do, they would find out some other way, and now that the 3 months were almost up, he was on borrowed time, and his original plan of trying to pretend he wasn't as useful as they thought he would be wouldn't slide. Jake knows that there is a reason that you and your people feel so connected to this place; it's a direct door to Eywa.

And you specifically, with how much you feel connected to the deity through this place, there is no way he can let the RDA come in and tear it down. It would be devastating, and it would strike you and your people so deeply. The connection that the Na'vi have with Eywa was so vital and necessary that losing the tree, their only path to the Great Mother, would feel worse than death. At least that's the way Grace has put it. It truly meant that much.

He's known for a while that he didn't want to work with Quaritch or Parker anymore, but he knows that being in the Avatar Program would not be enough to stay here longer. The only reason they brought him here was to work with the military on the side, and if he just stays with the scientists, it would be harder to remain on Pandora.

He knows he can't turn his back on them, either, no matter how much he wants to. He doesn't know what to do; he's at a point where he's far too into this that he can't back out on either side of where he's standing. Not with you and the Na'vi, and not with the Avatar Program and the RDA.

He was in an impossible position where he couldn't please anyone, even if he tried, because he should've known from the start that he couldn't have handled both things at once. Now, he knows what's coming the moment that Quaritch finds out about this place, and now all he feels is that he's obligated to give them something, anything, to get them off his tail for a bit. Why did it have to be this, of all things? He cannot pretend to be ignorant about this, and he's running out of time.

So, after everyone decided to split off and Grace and Norm decided to head outside the base to do some research on the foliage outside, it only left Trudy and Jake inside the base. Jake realized that no matter how conflicted he was, he knew he couldn't escape it, and if he was going to do this, he needed to do it without Grace noticing.

And even that felt wrong. The two of them have gotten closer and have done so much for each other over the past few months that Jake wishes she could just tell her everything because he doesn't know what to do anymore. Grace has been such a good mentor to Jake, being willing to teach him sign language and help him navigate through the Na'vi ways, and Jake gave her a chance to come back.

Doing this not only felt like a betrayal to you and the Omaticaya, but to Grace, too. Trudy is the only one who knows about what's going on since she works for the military division in RDA, and she is the only one who is being briefed about all future operations that will happen. Grace and Norm are the only ones who are completely in the dark, and Jake just wants to shout it out to the four winds how much he hates all of this and wants no part in it.

Even as he was reviewing the file he was compiling with all the information about the Tree of Souls, he couldn't even focus. With every scroll of the file and every picture of the tree that he saw, all he could think about was you, and the night you shared a few days ago, where you laid yourself bare for him and poured your heart out, and he felt a sting in his chest like a painful stab to the heart.

As he scrolled through the file and clicked for it to start downloading, Jake felt like he was disassociating, and in the meantime, Trudy was in the back holding herself on a handstand as she tried to keep a balance. "Is that thing done downloading yet?" She asked, and Jake sighed, knowing that she was asking because she was the one who was in charge of bringing it back to the main base and to Quaritch and Parker.

She slowly tilted herself forward under her feet touched the ground again, and she walked over to the window to see that Grace and Norm were packing up their gear outside and preparing to head back inside. She grimaced and pursed her lips at the sight and glanced back at Jake.

"They're coming back," She said, watching as they started heading towards the entrance, and a few beats later, Jake's heart jumped when he heard the main door hiss open behind him, followed by Grace and Norm's voices.

The footsteps and voices behind him were getting closer, and Trudy kept glancing back and forth between Trudy and Norm in the back and then back at Jake, who was still waiting for the file to download, staring ahead with a dead and empty look in his eyes.

"Jake. If we don't give them something, they're going to shut us down," She whispered as she leaned down to him, and Jake knew exactly who 'them' was. And he was aware of everything she was saying, but it didn't make it easier. In fact, it was only making it harder because he knew this was wrong, but he also knew that Parker and Quaritch could shut this down before they could even blink if they didn't find any use for Jake anymore.

"Don't you think I know that?" Jake muttered lowly, watching as the file finally downloaded onto the USB drive. He pulled it out of the computer and held it up, but still didn't let go of it when Trudy reached over to take it. She tried to take it out of his grasp with just a bit more force, but he still didn't let go.

This was going into the wrong hands, and he knew it. She sighed and kept glancing back and forth between Norm and Grace, who had just walked into the room and taken off their masks, but were too preoccupied talking about their research to notice what was going on.

"Doesn't seem like you do. We're buying time here, Jake," Trudy warned, something that Jake already knew by heart. You're not going to want to see him ever again if you ever find out what he's been doing, but he knows in the forefront of his mind that he would fight back if he knew how. He's just taking a little longer to think of a plan.

Whether he or Grace like or not, the Avatar Program was overseen by Parker, and everything he says goes. So he can shut it down in the snap of his fingers if he wakes up one morning and realizes that Jake has been working as a double agent, double-crossing the military. Jake slowly loosened his hold on the USB drive, and Trudy finally took it out of his hands.

She didn't like this any more than he did, but she was aware of the fact that their hands were tied and there was nothing they could do to stop it. It was either that he gave this information to them, or the program shuts down entirely, and the attack happens regardless.

When Trudy walked over across the room to get her things, Grace immediately noticed her presence and greeted her. So did Norm. The two of them exchanged longing and silent glances with each other and tried to seem discreet, but it wasn't fooling anybody.

"Hi," Trudy said as she walked past Norm, and Norm smiled right back at her as they held onto their eye-contact for a few more seconds before Trudy reached the door. She stopped halfway before she was out the door and turned back to face them. "Hey, do you guys want anything? I'm heading back to base," Trudy asked as she put on her sunglasses, leaned against the door, and put a hand on her hip.

Grace heard her and thought about it for a few seconds before she started recalling what they were running out of here at their base. "Uh, sure. Peanut butter, cocoa, and some agar gel if they have it," She said, and Trudy nodded along, making a mental note to get all of that and bring it back the next time she comes back. She still has some duties to fulfill back at the military wing.

"Sure, thing," She said, and at last started to head out, but before she did, she turned her head to make eye contact with Jake one last time and give him a knowing look. She could see the conflict and sorrow in his eyes, and she knew that none of what he's going through is easy, but she knew that he'll find a way to figure it out. Some way or another.

Once the door shut and Trudy left, all Jake could do was stare out the window blankly, knowing well that somewhere out there, past the mountains, you were there waiting for his return. But what you were unaware of is what he has been part of for the past 3 months, and he knows that it will surely break you just as much as it's been breaking and tearing him apart.

He's been so caught up with training, and forgetting about the mission every time he spent time with you, but now that he knows that his deadline is almost up, he can't help but remember it more and more even when he was with you and that was a time where he was supposed to be letting go of everything that was bothering him and just be in the moment with you.

It's all he can think about, even as he flies with you, hunts with you, and laughs with you. You won't even be able to look him in the eye without seeing betrayal and seeing someone you trust so much turn his back on you like that when you thought that he would be different from other Sky People.

But the truth is that he knows that he isn't like other Sky People; he isn't like Quaritch, Parker, Lyle, or any of those other military people who only look for personal gain to fill their greedy and violent agendas. He hopes that you know that, too. That you don't associate him with them.

You've changed him in every conceivable way, you've made him see life differently, you gave him hope, and you have turned around his perspective on how the world works. Not how the humans see it, which is why Earth is dying, but how the Na'vi see it, and he'll never be able to thank you enough for that.

But all Jake is thinking about now is how much he's dreading seeing that light in your eyes that only recently returned, vanish just as fast. And he knows that he will be the cause of it. He can't escape it, and he knows that from now on, it is a ticking time bomb until all hell breaks loose and he'll be responsible for the tragedy that will befall you and your people one way or another.

Until then, he hopes that he can find a way to stop it altogether. If not...well, he hopes it doesn't have to come to that. A possibility where he can't manage to stop it, and he can't prevent the tragedy and the fears that you've told him you hope never repeat themselves in your life again.

-

Jake tried so hard not to think about every thought that had been continuously plaguing his brain. The next day, when he got back to his Avatar body, he tried to act normally around you when he saw you again, and whenever he did, he kept seeing flashes of your potential reaction when you find out what he's done.

You could see that when Jake came back, you could see that something was troubling him. He saw that same look that he had on his face right now in your eyes the other night, but you couldn't decipher what it was about yet or what had him so down.

You were perceiving his behavior with more concern than suspicion, so you immediately thought of something that could cheer him up. There was a hunt for sturmbeest later that morning, and you wanted Jake to be there with you and attempt to make a kill.

After his rite of passage, he was officially deemed a hunter in the clan, and this would be his first group hunt. That would surely cheer him up, right? This particular hunt was only done every few weeks and not excessively, so whenever it was done, it fed the clan for days on end because the sturmbeest are just that big.

So, when you grabbed Jake's hand and led him to your Ikran, you could see a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes slowly appear on his face the moment he mounted the banshee, and the two of you took off. It was a start, and that was more than enough for you. You hoped that the smile got bigger and happier as the hunt went by.

You hated seeing him so sad, even if you didn't know the cause of it, and you were sure that this was bound to get his mood up again. You don't know what happened, but if he ever wanted to tell you, you'd be there to listen just like he did for you that night.

So, now the two of you were flying side by side above a large herd of sturmbeests that were being rounded up on the ground by Na'vi in their Pa'li's. You and Jake were on the air with many other Na'vi on their Ikrans because any of you could try to strike and make that kill, and that included Jake.

You had faith that he could make his first kill today as a hunter, and you were so excited for him. That frown will turn upside down the moment he does it, and you'd be there by his side to celebrate. As you and Jake followed the herd together from up in the air, you watched as Jake held his bow securely, notched and ready to go, observing the best vantage point to shoot so he could get a good angle.

You heard Jake yipping and letting out loud cries to rally the other hunters behind the two of you, making you beam brightly at him. You can already tell that he was getting into his element and preparing to take a shot. You watched below how some of the Na'vi in their Pa'li's also tried to make kills from the ground, but using spears instead.

You saw how many tried to use those spears to penetrate through the sturmbeest's tough exterior, but failed since its skin was too tough. Every time that a Na'vi tried to get a shot, the animal defended itself and knocked itself into the hunter and the Pa'li, causing the Na'vi to fall off the ground harshly.

These were very tough creatures, which is why there was a celebration every time one was hunted successfully. Spears at close range rarely worked, and one had to be very skilled to pull it off. The weapons usually bounced off the skin of the animal because of how tough it is. It was important to assess and then act on it.

All of these hunters were trying to hit this one weak spot that everyone knew about, including Tsu'tey. Your best friend was coming from around the trees on his Ikran and calculated with his eyes which one would be the best to strike at. He flew down lower to one of the many sturmbeests, notched his arrow, and let it fly until it hit directly into an open spot in its head that led to the animal's brain.

In a second, the creature was killed as it fell to the ground in an instant. Hunters all around cheered loudly and cried out for Tsu'tey's kill, but it wasn't over yet. Jake had watched this happen and the way Tsu'tey made his kill, and since he was such a quick learner, he quickly replicated the way the future Olo'eyktan did it and attempted to do a kill.

You watched in awe and with anticipation from your Ikran as Jake weaved through the herd and the trees, and saw how his eyes locked onto a specific sturmbeest up ahead. Jake sat up straight, raised his bow and notched his arrow, and as he waited for a few seconds so he could get a good angle and aim, he let the arrow, and the shot went directly towards the same hole that led to the creature's brain, killing it instantly and with no issue.

Once it was dead, the animal fell to the ground and into the mud with a loud bang, marking Jake's kill. The moment Jake realized that he'd really done it and it really clicked in his head, the beaming grin you would have hoped to see on him finally spread across his face, and he raised a fist in the air.

"Hell yeah!" He yelled out loudly, forgetting about anything that was worrying him in an instant, even if it was just for a few moments, and cheered for what he just done. All the other hunters yipped, hooted, and cried out in celebration, knowing that this must have been Jake's first big kill.

You then laughed silently at Jake's reaction, and your heart soared at how happy he looked. You just knew that he could do it. "Hell yeah!" You mouthed silently at what Jake said, repeating his words even if you had no idea what they meant. Jake saw you repeating his words, and he laughed loudly, finding it incredibly endearing.

You thanked Eywa in your head for guiding his hand and his arrow. After that, the two of you flew off together, going to collect the kill and then head back to the village together to have the feast.

Later that night, that was when the real festival started. Jake had never seen anything like this before in his life. He was sitting with a few Na'vi on the side as a group of Omaticaya started to perform a celebration dance for the successful hunt that morning. There was a fire burning in the middle of the square, and the Na'vi were chanting, laughing, and dancing together as drums beat rhythmically in the background; it was their way of thanking Eywa for the food that they were provided.

They were wearing all sorts of accessories that were handmade and crafted for these kinds of festivals, and displayed them with joy and pride. The sound of the drums vibrated against Jake's chest, and he could see kids running around and elders participating as well. They all sang, danced, and enjoyed this moment while they circled the fire and moved their arms in tune to the music, with smiles never leaving their faces.

And while many were doing that, Jake remained in the back with the group of Na'vi he'd been sitting with. You'd left him briefly to go find Neytiri, but Jake took this as an opportunity to make more acquaintances in the clan, and to say it was going well was an understatement. He was in the middle of the huddle, telling a very compelling story to the others.

The Na'vi were hollering, laughing, and patting Jake on the back as he continued to tell his story, feeling more and more like he was becoming a part of them and growing a bond with the clan slowly but surely. For the first time, it truly felt like he belonged somewhere, and the thought of that started to make his chest ache. But he brushed it off.

Everyone was watching with anticipation as Jake reached the climax of his story, even standing up as he told it, and then concluded it with all sorts of dramatics that made the group start laughing immediately. He did it all in Na'vi as well and then felt himself getting overwhelmed and deeply influenced by the energy in the room.

But as the group of Na'vi started talking amongst themselves again, Jake began to feel as if the entire room had begun to muffle down to nothing when something caught his eye by the fire. You and Neytiri were dancing together in the center of the dance circle and were moving with each other as if you'd done this hundreds of times before already.

The embers of the burning fire were reflecting against your face so beautifully that Jake almost forgot how to breathe right then and there. The genuine, joyful, and unadulterated smile on your face as you and your sister moved in sync made his heart leap and nearly make it stop in that very moment. He couldn't help but just stare at the way you were letting yourself go with the drums and the music as if there was nobody else around. It was so mesmerizing watching you move that Jake couldn't take his eyes away.

But what finally forced him to look away was the laughter getting louder, so Jake took his attention somewhere else and saw Tsu'tey approaching him and the group with two warriors behind him carrying a jug of what Jake could only assume was very strong alcohol by the way the warriors around him were reacting to it.

"Enough talk," Tsu'tey said gravelly as he sat near Jake, and the ex-marine proceeded to stare at the future Olo'eyktan with skepticism. He thought that Tsu'tey still had some prejudice and dislike towards him, but he supposed that it was all being put aside for the sake of the festival. There was no room for discussions, rivalries o judgement.

It was simply about celebrating a successful hunt and the fact that Jake made his first kill. So, a more open smile appeared on Jake's face as he saw Tsu'tey pour out the liquid from the jug and onto a small bowl. When he was done, he held up the bowl into the air, and everyone watched with amazement as he lowered it back down and slowly handed it to Jake.

This must be some strong stuff if everyone was reacting to it the way that they were. Jake still let his eyes trail back to you every couple of minutes, searching for you without even realizing that he was doing it in the first place.

Grace, who was watching from the side, was staring at the exchange with a look of disbelief on her face as she shook her head. Norm was also on the edge of the circle, not being able to believe that he was a part of this. He had been laughing and telling stories with all of the warriors as well, and feeling like he truly belonged. Grace chuckled as she put one hand on her hip and saw as the men began to chant and cheer on Jake for him to drink it.

"Oh man, this is going to end well," She said sarcastically, crossing her arms over her chest as Jake slowly accepted the bowl from the Tsu'tey with hesitant movements. But a few beats later, Jake eventually fully accepted the bowl, and the chants began to get louder and more encouraging, while also starting to be very hard to ignore.

Jake looked around at the expectant looks on the warriors' faces, and a smirk appeared on his lips. Without a second thought, he raised the bowl up to his lips and downed it all in one go. The warriors 'ooo'ed at Jake as he drank the last of it and let out a groan when he finished it all, quickly lowering the bowl from his face.

"Goddamn- that's strong," He said, and a very subtle yet noticeable expression that said both surprise and admiration crossed his features, and a smirk tugged on his lips. He was quite impressed that Jake had managed to get all of that down so quickly. Tsu'tey then took that as a challenge, and everyone watched as he took the jug and served himself some of the liquid in a bowl for himself.

He glanced once at Jake before beginning to chug the liquid without stopping once, making the warriors cheer for him too loudly and encouraging the ex-marine to do the same. Jake smiled, and one of the warriors handed him more of that drink in the same bowl he drank from. Without hesitation, as if a silent competition was forming, Jake raised the bowl to his lips again and started downing the alcohol at the same time as Tsu'tey.

Both men chugging it at the same time made the warriors around them start to cheer louder than before, pushing them to drink until the last drop, to the point they started chanting Jake's name for being able to keep up with Tsu'tey. "Jake! Jake! Jake! Jake! Jake!" They chanted his name, spurring on Jake to keep drinking without even pausing to take a breath.

They cheered even louder when Jake was the one who finished first and dropped the bowl first. They all patted him on the back and congratulated him while Jake grimaced at how strong the drink was. He could still feel the liquid going down his throat and into his body.

When Tsu'tey finished his drink, he set down the bowl and stared at Jake with an unreadable expression. There was something behind it that just screamed that what he witnessed was unexpected, and while he wasn't completely on board yet, he could see Jake for what he is and what he's trying to do.

He'd still keep an eye on him because the trust wasn't one hundred percent there, but it was growing. He sees him as someone he can get along with. Grace was in the back, smiling fondly at the exchange, happy that Jake had been able to integrate himself so well into the Omaticaya in such a short amount of time.

After that small interaction, that was enough for Tsu'tey to get Jake to kick it up a notch. He had a warrior bring him a jug of an even stronger drink that he was sure Jake would not be able to handle. The warriors all began whispering amongst themselves as Tsu'tey poured that drink into Jake's bowl that he'd been drinking out of, and Jake himself was watching with intrigue.

As Tsu'tey held it up for Jake, he looked back at Grace, who was shaking her head with a knowing smile, as if telling him not to do it but also knowing he would do it anyway. And he did exactly that. Jake grabbed the cup, raised it to lips, and started downing it whole yet again.

In response, all the warriors started cheering yet again, hollering and chanting for Jake as he continued drinking and opened a single eye to look at Tsu'tey with a knowing look, as if trying to prove that he really could do it and he wouldn't have backed out.

Norm was getting pretty carried away, too. He was getting so hyped that he accepted some of that same drink from the warrior who had brought the jug, and was about to drink it, but Grace took it from him before he could do it. "Watch that stuff, it'll knock you into next week, Norm," She chuckled, and Norm grumbled in disappointment, but then his eyes shot wide open when Grace started drinking it herself, as if wordlessly saying that she could handle it, but he couldn't.

He immediately moved on from his shock and started laughing in disbelief at Grace chugging the drink on her own without any problems. Tsu'tey and Jake made eye contact and laughed together, slurring their words as they felt their drinks start to have a little kick and affect their system. Around the fire, there were still many Na'vi dancing, and the drums were beating louder than ever.

A new group dance was starting, and many of the warriors left the circle around Jake and Tsu'tey to go join. They were all letting out loud cries, yips, and hollers as they stalked off towards the dance that was forming across the room, and one warrior was so drunk that he stumbled so much on the way down that he collapsed midway, but stood up again eventually and walked it off.

The sight made Jake and Tsu'tey start laughing together yet again, as if there were never any problems between them at all. "Whoa," Norm and Grace said at the same time as they watched the guy stumble off into the group dance.

Eventually, when it was just Tsu'tey and Jake, while Grace and Norm were in their own conversation, the future Olo'eyktan was clearly very inebriated. He was starting to slur his words, and Jake was actively trying to figure out what he was trying to say.

"I thought...that with enough drink, you would not be so ugly," Tsu'tey said, wobbling around a bit as he nudged Jake's shoulder, and all Jake could do was pretend he knew what that meant before he laughed and propped up one arm on his knee. "Well, I'm sorry to disappoint," He laughed, and Tsu'tey was silent for a few seconds after that.

After studying him for a few seconds, Jake could tell that there was something that he wanted to say, so he stayed quiet and waited until Tsu'tey finally got it out. "Your warriors, they hide inside machines, and fight from far away in the sky," He started, and Jake's eyebrows furrowed, quickly understanding this time what he was trying to say.

The Sky People rely on flying in the skies to have the advantage, but rarely dare to fight from the ground, face-to-face with their enemies. "I did not think...a Sky Person like you could be brave," Tsu'tey admitted, and Jake inhaled deeply as he took in his words. Was this his way of admitting that he admired that Jake actually had guts?

That he could see that he was different from other Sky People in that way? Was this a stepping stone to fixing the barrier that seemed to be between them from the moment he arrived in the village? He hoped it would. He knew that Tsu'tey meant a lot to you. He had been meaning to fix their differences for you, but not just that. It was also because Jake respected Tsu'tey a lot and what he's done for his people already, and he knew he would make a great leader, too.

Before anything else could happen, Jake's attention strayed yet again. The drums were beating louder and deeper than ever before, and the rhythm was vibrating through his bones. He could see the fire crackling in the distance at the center of the dance circle, sending sparks into the sky and disappearing amongst the night. Then he saw you.

You were having the time of your life. You were laughing, really laughing. Neytiri spun you around, and your hair swayed with so much movement. The two of you were in complete sync as you joined the rest of the clan in the group dance as your feet hit the earth with each foot of the drums. Your hands were rising and falling with the chants.

There were so many warriors, children, men, women, and elders all joined alike, as your voices rose together in gratitude for Eywa. You felt so free, and you wouldn't be anywhere else right now. There was no pressure, no expectations, no weight of deciding whether you would be Tsahik or not. There was only music, light, and joy. You didn't notice that Jake had his eyes on you the entire time, but he did notice you.

From where he was sitting with Tsu'tey, he sat there frozen and entranced by you as the world around him dulled yet again, and there was nothing but muffled background noise. The warm light was casting a glow on your skin and your features that made you look so alive and so real, even if for a second, he doubted if you were.

He was so out of it that Norm had to nudge him to get him out of the trance he was in, but Jake barely noticed it. In mid-spin, you stopped when you caught Jake's eyes, and your laughter faltered as your heart skipped when you realized he'd been watching.

Your lips curved into a shy smile as you separated from Neytiri for a second and ran over to Jake. You stepped onto the stones he was sitting on, and you crouched in front of him. You felt courageous all of a sudden and grabbed his wrist, tugging him over to the dance circle you were in. "You must dance," You signed to him, with a hopeful glint in your eyes that Jake just couldn't say no to.

But he didn't know how to dance at all, and he didn't want to embarrass himself, especially when he already felt pretty drunk. Norm and Grace all smiled knowingly at each other when you started tugging on his arm more, as you stared at him with your big, doe eyes, pleading for him to join you. It wouldn't be complete without him there with you.

You saw him shake his head, and you pouted your lips slightly, which made Jake nearly fold right then and there. "It is the way," You signed as your smile never left your lips, and Jake sighed as he finally let himself be taken by you, and he began to stumble forward when he stood up, and you continued to tug on his hand.

He laughed, nearly tripping over his own feet on the way there. "You should know, I don't know what I'm doin' here, Y/n," Jake said, and you simply shrugged. That was your way of telling him that you didn't have to know how to dance. You just have to enjoy it. But before you could completely take him away, Jake looked back at Tsu'tey, who was looking at you and Jake suspiciously and trying to figure out the body language you have with each other.

He didn't know if the alcohol was impairing his view or his judgement right now. Jake also managed to grab Grace's hand and started to drag her over with him as well, and you laughed silently at more people joining when Norm also walked over to join the group.

"What-? Oh, no- Jake, I'm a scientist," Grace said as she tried to resist but eventually gave up when he managed to bring her over to where you were taking Jake. Soon enough, you'd managed to bring Jake, Grace, and Norm into the dance circle around the fire, and everyone was now laughing together and dancing in the best way they knew how.

Using every limb available to you, swaying your head to the beat, and keeping in the same rhythm as everyone. The Avatars, Jake, Norm, and Grace, were all trying to follow the moves that you, Neytiri, and the other Na'vi were doing, but despite looking clumsy, it only mattered that they were having fun and nobody was going to judge them for it.

The next part of the dance had everyone start to split into pairs, and there were no questions asked when you and Jake started to dance together, with nearly no space left between your bodies. The two of you raised your hands and put them together, letting them rise and fall slowly to the beat of the music, and you guided him through the steps.

Your hands were intertwining with his unknowingly, because it was not part of the dance, but he let it happen anyway. You laughed with so much endearment at how clumsy and off-beat he was, but you can see that he was trying, and it made it impossible not to smile. Both of your faces were subconsciously getting closer and closer together, and neither of you looked away from each other once, to the point where you could feel each other's breath on your faces.

He leaned down to whisper in your ear, and despite the loud drums, you could hear him clearly. "You're gonna have to slow down for me here. I got two left feet," He chuckled in your ear, making your purse your lips and look away as heat bloomed in your cheeks. You looked back up at him and laughed, but nodded nonetheless. Your hands continued to rise and fall together as your fingers brushed together.

Eye contact never broke. Jake started to get the hang of it, and he smiled down at you, making your belly feel happy and tickling flutters. There was also a pair of eyes that were assessing you both from a distance, wondering what kind of relationship the two of you have. Tsu'tey's eyes narrowed as he watched the two of you dance and gradually decrease the space between you, when no one else was doing it but you two.

The next step of the dance came around, and you began to demonstrate for Jake, too. You began to slowly take a few steps back as you puffed out your chest rhythmically and then began to move your body forward and backwards, moving your head in a circle and then repeating the same thing over and over again. You smiled at Jake as he started to repeat your movements until the two of you were walking backwards and then forwards towards each other again. Each time closer and closer than the last.

He mirrored you the best he could, and while he was awkward, he was also determined. When he finally got it right, he lit up with that boyish grin of his that you love. And eventually, when the same steps from before were repeated again, you and Jake were in the middle of raising your hands up in the air together, but when you brought them back down, Jake's hands slowly intertwined with yours, and you paused as your breath hitched.

The music continued around the two of you; the Omaticaya kept dancing, but the world narrowed down to just the two of you. His hands remained tangled with yours, and his grip was warm and firm. Your heartbeat was hammering against your chest as your lips parted in awe of him. Jake could only swallow as his eyes fought to flicker down to your lips, but he kept them focused on your eyes.

All he could say in that moment was, "You're really somethin', you know that?" He murmured, breathing out his words in a way that made something coil inside you. Your ears tipped back, and you laughed shyly, shaking your head. "You are very drunk, Jake," You signed as you detached one hand from his. Jake could only huff out a laugh as he took a step closer to you and your eyes went wide, your tail flicked behind you and your ears fell back even more. Your face was burning with something you couldn't name.

"Maybe. But that doesn't mean it's not true," He said, and you felt your entire body go still. You wanted his words to be true so badly, but you saw how much he was drinking before. Truth is, if he is looking at you the way he is right now, then are these all drunken truths? There was little to no space between you two anymore, and he was looking at you as if you hung the stars in the sky.

You thought you were the only one in the world right now with him, but the truth is, more people were noticing your exchange with Jake. Tsu'tey was still glaring at you and Jake from afar, specifically at Jake. You two have been getting awfully close every day, and he worries that you're forgetting who you are supposed to be betrothed to.

He has never seen you in that way, but he has always felt like his job has been to protect you. It worries him how close you are getting with Jake, and despite Tsu'tey starting to see Jake in a different light, he still worries that you might leave with your heart broken. The way you two are acting is not the behavior of two people who are just friends, and anybody could see that.

You two are meant to lead together one day, and he worries you're making the wrong choices here. He can't choose for you, but he can help you see what kind of path you're stepping into. And what awaits you if this is what you want to do?

Tsu'tey wasn't the only one who thought so. Neytiri had noticed how close you and Jake had been getting, and how happy you had been around him, so she let it slide. But now? All she can see is you possibly getting carried away. She has always wanted the best for you, and if being with Jake is what made you happy, then she wouldn't object, but she's just concerned.

To her, it never mattered if you were Tsahik or not; she just cared if you were happy, healthy, and content with your life and your choices. Which is why she hopes that nothing happens that makes you regret this one. There was a glow in you that she hadn't seen in a long time, and it hasn't gone away since Jake came into the picture.

She hopes that it stays that way and that if you're realizing that there is much more to life than a predetermined role you were given as a child, then she would support that too. But she knew it would be harder to convince you and her mother of that.

Mo'at was watching the exchange as well, and with skeptical eyes, she walked up to her oldest daughter, standing next to Neytiri, and watched you laugh and dance around with Jake, while also looking at Tsu'tey, who was on the side. "This is not right. We cannot let this seed grow. Her path is Tsu'tey," She said, and Neytiri stayed silent as she saw you smile brighter than you ever have. As if all of your trouble disappeared.

Mo'at did not see the scene in front of them the same way as Neytiri. Neytiri saw her little sister gain back her spark, and Mo'at saw a path that she was not ready to see her youngest daughter go through. One that would not be easy and that would cause her pain. To her, Tsu'tey meant safety, but she also didn't know that your whole perspective and desires had also changed in the span of three months.

Before you were assigned to teach Jake, you were more than willing to become Tsahik, willing to mate with Tsu'tey, and do everything you were asked to do because you thought that would earn back your respect here, and that it was the right thing to do. But you realized that you have the right to choose who you want to be, who you want to live it with, and that you would face the consequences and mistakes that come with it if it's necessary, no matter how much it hurts.

Mo'at has had a hard time accepting that you're all grown up now, and that you can choose your own path, and she knows that pairing you to teach Jake was the reason all of this is happening. She just hopes that you'll know when to make the right choice when the time comes, and that even if she disagrees with any other pairing you choose, she, Neytiri, and your father will all be there by your side to pick up the pieces because they're your family.