Chapter Text
Tuktirey was pure sunshine in na’vi form. Her features were never void of a sparkling smile or eyes of wonder and passion. She skipped from place to place across the village taking in every sight, sound, and wonder Eywa had made with gleeful excitement. Her arms were always open to those around her, in humble seeking of being the reason someone smiles that day. Pure vibrancy. That was the only way to describe the girl.
Her passion only increased as she grew from a little girl into a young woman. Tuk became known for her compassion and beauty. With long flowing hair and a countenance of pure light, she became a well beloved clan member and sister to those around her. Even only being eight years old at the time of her family moving to be with the Metkayina clan, she had adapted and became accomplished, known for having a special connection and tenderness for the animals.
Now at the age of sixteen, Jake’s heart felt a bittersweet pain in seeing his youngest daughter grow from adolescence. His eyes could only see the small child that clung to him when they first met the Metkayina clan. His baby girl, who almost tumbled over her own feet when running to meet him after returning from a hunt. Tuk’s unwavering trust in her father had always spurred him to do everything in his power to protect his baby.
Tuktirey remained innocent and sheltered throughout the years as her parents and older siblings did everything they could to keep it that way. Even upon reaching a more mature age, Tuk paid little mind to the male attention that she began receiving. Young male suitors started making the girl small gifts or bringing her bundles of vibrant flowers in hopes of working towards courtship. Completely ignorant to these intentions, Tuk would beam with joy, taking the gifts as another testament to how many kind and thoughtful people there were in her clan.
The men in her family, however, did not miss the hidden messages in the gifts. Already grown and mated, Neteyam and Lo’ak still kept close eye on their baby sis. Jake was never hesitant to send his sons off to keep unwanted male attention from disturbing the girl. He knew that Tuk was far too young to be concerning herself with romance, let alone courtship with unworthy young boys.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Her grin stretched from ear to ear as her nose was buried in the electric blue flowers. The scent was so sweet and refreshing. Jake watched his youngest fondly as Neytiri and him continued to prepare dinner.
“Sure is, baby girl. Where did you find it?” Jake chuckled at his youngest.
“Oh I didn’t find it. Teeysal picked it for me, while he was out with the hunting party.” Neteyam’s eyes finally looked up from mending the broken spear and connected with his father’s. This was the second gift the male had given Tuk in the last two weeks. There was an understanding look shared between the two. Jake didn't approve of Teeysal and his attention.
“I think I’m going to ask Kiri to help me weave it into my braid later. It even matches my necklace.” The girl babbled on happily, gesturing to the intricate top of blue feathers she wore. Before Jake could question his daughter further, she had jumped from her seat on the ground already bounding out of the Marui. “Tsireya!”
Tuk bounded into the girl’s arms and was quickly received. Tuk had become like a little sister to Tsireya, even before her and Lo’ak had mated. Tuktirey often sought the older girl out when in need of advice or simply a friend to talk to. With Kiri working more often at the healers tent, Tuk had become a little lonely.
“Hey tattle tell, no hug for your favorite brother?” Lo’ak teased beside them, watching his wife and sister embrace. Tuk simply giggled before moving on to hug her brother then pulling the two inside the marui for dinner.
After supper, Jake motioned for Neteyam and Lo’ak to step outside with him. The others were too busy hearing Kiri tell a story to pay much heed to the trio leaving.
“Fall in.” Neteyam and Lo’ak were quick to follow their father out.
“I thought I sent one of you to look after Tuk today.” He raised an eyebrow at the two, hands on his hips.
“She was tending to the ilu practically all day, father. I kept an eye on her the whole time. I have no idea when Teeysal could’ve sought her out.” Jake’s lips pursed at the information, unhappy with the lack of details.
“Teeysal gave her the flowers?” Lo’ak questioned. “He joined us in the hunting party today. Skxawng barely caught a thing, guess now I know why.” Jake let out a heavy sigh, recalling everything he knew about the boy. He was far from good enough for his precious daughter.
“I need you two to be more mindful of your little sister. She’s too kind for her own good.”
“Don’t worry, Dad. He would be a fool to keep chasing after her.” Neteyam laughed confidently, sending Lo’ak a troublesome look.
……………………………………………………………………
“Wow! That’s quite the catch!” Tuk exclaimed, quickly swimming over to Teeysal holding the large fish above the surface. His heart clenched with pride at impressing the beautiful girl before him. Teeysal had to risk going beyond the reef in order to track down the giant fish but it was worth it to see the awestruck look in her eyes.
“Thanks Tuk, it will suffice.” He tried to play it off but Tuk simply rolled her eyes and laughed at the boy. She swam up to his ilu, petting the creature fondly. The ilu responded with a happy cry before nuzzling further into her hands. Teeysal’s heart thumped loudly as he was captivated by the beaming light that seemed to always radiate from the girl. He needed an excuse to spend more time with the her. “Are you heading back to shore soon?”
“Oh yeah pretty soon. Just waiting for Lo’ak to come back from diving for his spear gun then he will be giving me a ride back. My silly brother dropped it by accident during our trip to visit Payakan.” Teeysal felt a nervous pit in his stomach at the mention of her intimidating older brother, but a look around confirmed that Lo’ak was nowhere to be seen. Sensing this would be an invaluable opportunity, Teeysal secured the fish to the ilu before reaching out a hand to the girl.
“Well, how about you let me give you a ride back, Tuk?” The Sully girl agreed quickly, delighted at the kind gesture and tired of waiting for her older brother. Her small hand grasped his as he helped her onto the back of the ilu. Teeysal felt his skin heat up at the close proximity to the beautiful petite girl, but prayed that his nerves would not be obvious to Tuk. “Hold on.”
Small hands wrapped around his shoulders before they dove into the water. Teeysal kept the ilu from going too fast in fear of shaking the Tuk around too much. As they glided past and through the various coral and sea life, he paid close attention to hands gripping his shoulders, hyper alert for any signs of struggle.
His concerns were not needed. Within a few seconds Tuk was reaching one arm out to interact with the small fish in their path. Soft fingers tapped his shoulder and the boy turned to see Tuk signing “go faster”. Spurred by a smile that made her eyes squint, Teeysal urged the ilu to gain speed. The muffled squeal of delight that left her throat infectiously brought a grin to his own face.
The water rushed past them as Tuk requested to go faster and faster. She thrilled in the butterflies she felt in her stomach at the mad rush of adrenaline. When Teeysal had them break the surface in a mighty leap, Tuk let out a scream of utter joy accompanied by his own yips and yells. The only other times she was able to go on a thrill ride was when she was left along with her ilu without supervision, which was an occasion becoming more and more rare.
When the pair broke the surface of the water close to the shore, Tuk was letting out breathless giggles as they both panted for air. Teeysal observed the girl to make sure there was no sign of injury or distress but Tuk only continued to laugh in ecstasy while pushing her long hair out of her eyes. Deciding to let it out the tight braids that day, her hair ran in long waves to the end of her spine.
“That was so much fun!” Teeysal let out his own chuckles at the girl’s excitement as he went about untying the fish. Slinging it over one shoulder, Teeysal followed Tuk out of the water. “I can never make jumps like that on my ilu. You are such a good rider, Teeysal.” The boy blushed at the compliment, heart ready to explode.
“Thank you, Tuk. Maybe I can teach you sometime?” Stomach still tied in a knot, Teeysal found a new spark of confidence in the positive reactions from the girl. Her eyes lit up and a bounce was added in her step as they reached the sandy edge.
“Really? That would be great! Nete has been promising to teach me for months now but always bails before we actually get the chance.”
“Well then, it’s my pleasure.” He gave the girl a small bow as they walked, which was rewarded with another small giggle. His heart felt like it was about to leap out of his chest as he spotted the wilting blue flower tangled in her long tsaheylu braid. Many of the petals were gone and it looked like it had been trampled on by a direhorse, but it remained woven in her hair nonetheless. One more sign to the male that Tuk appreciated his gifts. He ached to make intricate necklaces and pick dozens of flowers if it meant the girl would be willing to display his affections.
Their calm walk was interrupted by a distant yell coming from the bank.
“Tuk!” Whipping their heads back in that direction they found an angry Lo’ak jogging their way. “I told you to wait. I looked everywhere for you!” The tall na’vi male towered over his sister as he looked her over for injuries.
“You were taking forever and Teeysal offered to give me a ride.” Lo’ak’s golden eyes snapped up to look past her shoulder, finally noticing the male accompanying his sister. Those orbs narrowed in fury at the Teeysal, causing him to gulp nervously. If looks could kill, Teeysal was sure he would have been wrapped in the spirit tree by now.
“You can’t run off like that, Tuk. Dad would have my head if I lost you.” Tuk rolled her eyes at the exaggeration. Sensing the tension, Teeysal took a deep breath before trying to smooth the situation over.
“I’m sorry, it is my fault. I should have known better than to bring her back without alerting y-”
“What the hell are you doing hanging around my sister? She doesn’t need your help, that’s what I’m here for.” Lo’ak hissed while carefully maneuvering Tuk so she was hidden behind his massive frame. The years had been kind to Lo’ak as he reached full adulthood. Now he stood in all his glory towering over the younger male, asserting his dominance.
“You’re right I’m sorry. I was going to offer this fish to your family. Please take it now as an apology.” Tuk peaked from behind her brother’s back to see the male trying to hand the catch to Lo’ak.
“We don’t want your damn fish.” The taller male snarled back causing Teeysal’s ears to drop backwards. Tuk stared up at her brother in shock at his outburst. Lo’ak was always known to be hot headed and reckless but she couldn’t fathom why he was acting so out of turn when all Teeysal wanted to do was help.
“Lo’ak! That’s rude.”
“Come on, Tuk.” The older Sully boy ignored her protests. A strong hand gently gripped her wrist before using it to pull the girl along. Tuk was only able to shoot a sorry smile back at the dumbfounded male and a small wave goodbye before they rounded the corner out of sight.
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Despite the awkward interaction with Lo’ak Teeysal did not lose heart. The male knew that if he wanted any chance of courting Tuktirey he would need to get through her brothers and father first. First, he was hoping to worm his way into Tuk’s heart. Having the affections returned would give him a real shot at having a future with her someday. Teeysal planned to take her out again on the ilu to show the jumps but he did not anticipate how hard getting the girl alone would be.
After the last occurrence, Jake was sure to have himself or one of his sons with Tuk at all times. They escorted her from place to place around the village as she fulfilled her responsibilities. On the days that neither of the three were able to be with her, Tuk was invited to help Kiri in the healer’s tent. No matter when the male tried, Tuk was surrounded by protective figures.
“Tuk slow down!” Neteyam called after the energetic girl jumping from the water with her ilu ahead. Gritting his teeth Neteyam had the skimwing dive deep into the water once more. The skimwing was luckily able to catch up to Tuk quickly but that didn’t stop the girl from weaving between the coral where Neteyam was unable to fit.
Tuk on the other hand was lost in her own world. Her body soared with the ilu through the water effortlessly. She closed her eyes for a moment to bask in the peace and quiet underwater. The only sound that could be heard was the soft crackling of the current. She was finally alone.
It took five minutes for the Tuk to realize Neteyam was nowhere to be seen. She had somehow drifted towards one of the other islands, way off course from where her and Neteyam were meant to be traveling. Tuk’s heart rate picked up slightly as her first instinct was to worry about her brother. It was only after a few minutes of exploring that she realized she was the one in risky waters and most definitely the one in trouble once she figured out the way home.
Tuk tied her hair back and took deep breaths as she tried to concentrate. Surely there had to be some way to retrace her path and find the original route home. The only thing in sight was a small island off in the distance. She banked at the island and walked around it, even climbed a few trees to see if it would help her identify the location. Tuk didn’t leave the mainland often so she was unfamiliar with most of the surrounding small ones that the hunting parties would sometimes travel to. Finally tired of circling the island she retreated back to the shore to find her ilu.
Her heart dropped into her stomach as she found only clear water where she left the ilu. Within ten minutes of calling and searching for the ilu, Tuk knew that the animal was gone. Her brain instantly went to horrible scenarios involving the ilu being chased down by a predator or even getting lost like herself. Despite her great yearning to protect her friend, Tuk knew there was nothing she could do while trapped on the island with no means of transportation.
“Tuktirey!” A voice echoed. She spun around to look for the source and was met with the sight of Teeysal riding his ilu toward the island. Instant relief washed over the small girl. She ran as quickly as her feet would allow across the shifting sand. Teeysal, now on the shore, watched her approach but was completely thrown off when her body collided with his own. Tuk wrapped her arms tightly around the boy’s waist. Confused but delighted, he quickly returned the hug, dwarfing the small female easily.
“You have no idea how happy I am to see you here!”
“Tuk what are you doing out here all alone? Are you alright?” He reluctantly released the Sully girl from his grasp so she could explain.
“I got lost and then I think my ilu got scared off by something so she’s gone. I was with Neteyam before but now I have no idea where he is either!” Teeysal’s heart broke as he saw the tears start to well up in Tuk’s gorgeous eyes.
“Oh don’t cry, Tuk. It will be alright, I’m here to help now.” The older Na’vi gently embraced the girl once more, cooing her cries into sniffles as he cradled her against his chest. Once the tears had stopped and Tuk had calmed down a bit, they boarded his ilu together and went out in search of the other ilu and Neteyam.
The sun started to go down as they searched. Teeysal suggested several times that they head back to shore. He assured her that Neteyam would have gone back to the village by now, but that didn’t dismiss her worry for the ilu. Determined to find the creature, they pushed forward even as the bioluminescence became their own source of light.
As time went on, Tuk’s anxiety began to grow. Teeysal was there to comfort and hush the girl. He told her sweet stories from his childhood to distract her. When those ran out he made up happy stories about where the ilu could have gone. Perhaps it saw another one of its siblings or got distracted by the new island and wanted to explore.
Although the stories did not completely take away the worry, Tuk was grateful for the boy and the comfort he brought. Several times she would lean her head innocently on his shoulder, the warmth giving her a sense of peace as she tried to calm her breathing down. Teeysal’s heart fluttered with an overwhelming urge to protect the beautiful girl in his arms.
After a couple hours Teeysal noticed figures off towards the horizon. As they got closer the pair recognized them as a search party. As they heard the calls of both their names being repeated, the older na’vi knew that he had made a mistake keeping the girl out for so long. He hastily instructed Tuk to grab his shoulders once more before diving down and towards the group at great speed. When they breached the water, Olo’eyktan Tonowari was the first to notice them.
“Jake Sully!” His booming voice echoed across the party, effectively grabbing the male’s attention. The Olo’eyktan’s gaze was stern as he watched the two before him carefully. Matters only got worse when Jake pulled up on the skimwing behind Tonowari.
“Thank God! Tuktirey where have you been?” His eyes landed on Tuk’s small hands still gripping the males shoulders before narrowing them up at Teeysal. Tail at attention and back straight in dominance, Jake Sully looked menacing observing the younger male.
“Dad!” Tuk paid no heed to the clouding tension and dove straight into the water to swim her way to Jake.
“Hey baby girl.” His tone drastically softened as he helped Tuk from the water to sit in front of him. Jake’s heart couldn't help but melt as he held his daughter closed to his chest once more. He was starting to fear the worse as the hours went by without her home. This relief however did not quench the fire in his eyes as he looked past the top of Tuk’s head at the young male awkwardly staring back. Teeysal fought every instinct to fidget under the gaze, doing so would only make him look weak and unfit.
“Care to explain yourself, boy?” Jake used his usual gruff disciplinarian voice, which quickly alerted Tuk. She looked up at her father to explain what happened but Teeysal beat her to it.
“Sir, I just found her on one of the small islands. Her ilu ran away and so I offered to have her ride back with me.”
“And that’s why you’ve been gone from the hunting party for two hours?” Jake raised an eyebrow at the younger male shifting in his seat. Teeysal was hoping to leave the time he and Tuk spent looking for the ilu out of the story but it seemed the former Olo’eyktan was already on to him.
“We had to look for her dad! What if she is hurt?” Tuk tried to plead with her father but his eyes never strayed from Teeysal.
“You think you’re a real hotshot, galavanting with my daughter past eclipse ‘looking for the ilu’? What a good fucking excuse.” Tuk flinched at the tone while Tonowari kept a close eye on the interaction. He was hyper aware of any signs that the conversation would escalate out of bounds.
“No sir please, you have the wrong idea!”
“Oh really do I, boy? Are you about to tell me I also have the wrong idea about the little gifts you have been sending my daughter home with?”
Teeysal’s ears flicked back against his head as he finally broke eye contact with the intimidating male. This reaction was all Jake needed to see to confirm his suspicions. Tuk on the other hand was becoming more and more confused at her father’s anger. She understood that the two shouldn't have stayed out so late but what was wrong with giving nice gifts?
“Listen here, kid, and listen well.” Teeysal’s eyes flicked back up towards the former Olo’eyktan. “I better not catch you around my daughter again, otherwise you and I will have a problem. Stay away from her.”
“Dad that’s not-” Teeysal deflated as he watched the pair ride off on the skimwing before he could even hear Tuk finish her sentence.
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The rest of the Sully family was ecstatic to find Tuk back home and safe. Her mother alone refused to let Tuk out of her arms for what felt like hours. However, no one was happier to see Tuk than her oldest brother. Neteyam had spent the last few hours thinking he had lost his baby sister and completely neglected his job as a protector, being the first born.
The rest of the evening was spent quietly with the family huddled together in the Marui, recovering from the small scare. Neteyam spent the night in the old family home. Tuk could tell it was guilt that prompted his actions, no matter how many times she apologized and assured him it was her fault.
Tuk of course had to step out and face her parents at some point. Jake went back into his stern military mode, explaining all the reasons staying out was a mistake. He was always more gentle when talking to his daughters but nevertheless they both decided Tuk would be grounded for a few weeks.
Punishment however did not stop the girl from trying to patch the rift between her father and Teeysal.
“But it was my fault we stayed out.” Tuk tried reasoning with her dad the next day as he continued to sharpen one of his knives.
“And you’re grounded for it.” A sliver of hope began in Tuk’s chest at the closest thing to her father agreeing since the escapade.
“So then there’s no reason for Teeysal to be in trouble too. Once my grounding is over I will be more careful, dad, I promise. I won’t get us in trouble again.”
Jake let out a long sigh looking back at his daughter’s big doe eyes. He should have expected that Tuk would do whatever possible to help the boy get back into good graces. It was the same reason she pushed the pair to look for the ilu in the first place. Tuk was always thinking about others first. As much as Jake was proud of this trait, he knew how vulnerable this often made the girl.
Tuk would be the last person to think ill will of others. She saw the world through rose colored glasses. Jake never wanted to take that away from her, so he had always taken the role of a protector so that she could continue in bliss. His youngest was so different from him in the best way possible. He would never regain the innocence he had before joining the military, but it was not too late for Tuk.
“Baby girl, I love that you give others the benefit of the doubt, but you do not understand this boy’s intentions.” Tuk squinted back at her father in confusion.
“What do you mean? He has always been so nice to me.” Jake couldn’t help the chuckle that left his lips as he shook his head from side to side.
“Yeah I know, sweetheart. He is trying to court you.” Jake watched his daughter closely for her reaction but was nervous to find a spark of interest in her eyes.
“Courting me? Really?” Tuk shifted to sit on her knees with hands braced against the floor, leaning towards her father, now fully invested.
“Yes he is, but you are too young for that right now so I don’t want to hear any more about it.” Tuk huffed at her father’s words, head now swarming with questions.
“But Lo’ak started courting Tsireya when he was my age.” Tuk countered before Jake finally set down the tools and knife.
“Yes and that was different.” Tuk felt more confused than ever staring back at her father. If Teeysal was really courting her and she was only one year away from full adulthood, what was the problem?
“How?” Careful not to push her father when she was already in trouble, Tuk tried to keep the tone from coming off as a complaint. A moment of silence fell as their eyes locked. In Jake’s eyes Tuk saw something that was a rare sight to see; vulnerability. His lips pursed, looking for the right words.
“Different in that you have had the privilege of not knowing what trouble young boys, like Teeysal, want to get into. When Lo’ak started courting Tsireya I was more worried about him getting into some ridiculous shenanigans than Tsireya. If anything, I knew she had an influence on him that kept the boy out of more trouble.” Jake laughed fondly thinking back to those times but Tuk didn’t join him.
“The point is that your brothers and I know what these boys think and it’s our job to help look out for you.”
Looking down at her adorable pout, Jake knew the time had come. It was time that she knew the truth.
“Tuk,” His large hand went to cup the young girl's cheek fondly. “You are always going to be my little girl. It seems like just yesterday you were running around my feet playing with the Toruk figurine I made for you. It’s hard for your old man to see you grow up so fast, but know that I always have your best interest at heart, baby girl.” Tuk melted at the words, watching her father’s eyes get misty with tears. Her Dad was one of her main role models, always so strong and brave. To see him soft made Tuk’s heart ache with love and care.
“You promise?”
“Have I ever let you down before?” A small smile was exchanged between the two before she shook her head softly. Tuk wrapped her arms tightly around the large man holding him tenderly close. Jake relaxed in his daughter’s touch as she nuzzled her head against his broad shoulder.
Tuk loved her father more than words could express, but she would be lying if she said her curiosity and interests were not peaked by a certain Metkayina boy.