Chapter Text
"You've become quite the warrior, Tsyeyk. You are something special - maybe even a sign from Eywa. We will see how well you keep up during the Great Hunt." Tsu'tey's words continued to echo in Jake's mind long after they left the glade.
The pair had fallen asleep, lounging in the sun as they traded barbs and taunted each other in a mostly good-natured way. When Jake finally returned to his Avatar body an hour and a half later, he found the clearing deserted, the others having left while he was asleep. He had half a mind to be annoyed by having been left defenseless, until he picked up a faint scent, then smiled knowingly. Tsu'tey had gotten up and left the glade, but he hadn't left Jake by himself. Jake searched around until he noticed a faint shape in one of the nearby trees. Tsu'tey had been watching over him after all.
In his hand, he found a small, red-and-white object - a spiraling, conical shell that Tsu'tey must have picked up when they had scuffled in the lake earlier that day. He grinned again, then made the "I see you" gesture in the direction of where he knew Tsu'tey was lurking. He laughed as he heard a faint growl, then saw the leaves rustle as the older hunter huffed away. Jake just shook his head and huffed at the other warrior's testy nature. If there were any doubt about the meaning of the shell, they were assuaged by the delicate holes that had been carefully carved into the top and bottom - it was meant for his songcord, a mark of the moment when their relationship had begun to turn.
Jake stared at the shell for some minutes, still confused and uncertain where, exactly, the pair stood. On one hand, he reasoned, a gift like this was something that one didn't give to just anyone - it was considered an intimate, personal gesture by the Omatikaya. It was a mark of affection, though Tsu'tey would never admit to any such thing, and Jake was touched by the idea that he had gone out of his way to pick it up and carve it.
On the other hand, he knew that Tsu'tey was often prickly, even to those he was close to, and his hissed taunts from before had bordered between good-natured and fed-up, as if he couldn't decide which side of that line Jake fell on for him. "It probably didn't help that I wouldn't let up on the guy, pushing on him like that. I practically dared him to make me leave him alone, so I guess he didn't really have a choice," Jake admitted to himself with a guilty expression.
For the time being, Jake decided it was best to move slowly and not make any more forceful advances. Looking back, he realized it was a small miracle that Tsu'tey hadn't snapped on him when he had begun the physical teasing, hoping to get a reaction. The other warrior's indulgence was the best outcome he could have possibly hoped for. He had already been far too bold, he decided, and wasn't going to push any further for a while.
Jake stood up and stretched, working the kinks out of his still-unfamiliar Avatar muscles, then set off for Hometree. It was within his line of sight, and even with his relatively poor forest navigation skills, he had no trouble making his way through the dense undergrowth to the towering behemoth. The light was beginning to fade as he entered the now-familiar shelter of Hometree, and he saw many Na'vi scattered around, talking, sharing meals, and generally engaging in the peaceful village life that he had come to know and enjoy.
Off to one side, surrounded by his usual group of companions and Na'vi admirers, Tsu'tey was the center of attention as always. Jake considered trying to say something to him, but the moment their eyes met, Tsu'tey snarled silently with a look that could have been mistaken for fear, and Jake took the hint to stay clear for the time being. He could tell that Tsu'tey wasn't angry at him, just confused and uncertain. He needed space, and Jake figured the least he could do was to give it.
Instead, he looked around for Neytiri. They hadn't spoken much in the past day, and he found himself unexpectedly eager to spend time with her, to truly feel at home with the still largely alien Na'vi. He paused with a curious huff. When had he come to see Neytiri as synonymous with the feeling of "home?"
He quickly tracked her scent to where she stood with her mother and father. He was hesitant to interrupt them, but Neytiri caught wind of his approach and beckoned him over, not trying very hard to hide the amused, slightly disbelieving look in her eyes that told him that she had already learned of what had transpired since they last spoke.
"Tsyeyk, I have heard much of your adventures today. It seems that you were quite busy, no?" Jake's stomach began to churn as Mo'at spoke. Clearly, Tsu'tey had reported to the Olo'eyktan and Tsahìk about the events of the day. No doubt including Jake's insolence and the way he had disobeyed orders and broken discipline. He braced himself for whatever came next, fully expecting to be punished, maybe even driven away. To be told that it was clear that he could not fit in with the Omatikaya, that he could not learn to be one of them.
"Tsu'tey told us of your performance today, Tsyeyk. He said that you hunted well, and showed great promise as both a warrior and as an Omatikaya. Well done." Jake's eyes widened and he tried to control his breathing as Mo'at spoke those words.
"He says that you are… how did he say it? Difficult to control and frequently disobedient. but brave and unafraid. He told us of your hunting prowess and of how you spoke to him plainly, without regard for his station. He also said that your boldness surpasses your judgment." At this, Mo'at smiled genuinely, and Jake found himself relaxing at last.
"Do not let him hear you say this, but I believe he was impressed by your boldness. There is not a warrior among the Omatikaya who would dare to speak to him as you did, and he is not used to being challenged."
Jake grinned, relieved, and put up his hands as if to say "what can you do?" He made a mental note to smack Tsu'tey for that last remark, but overall he was deeply taken aback by the older hunter's praise and favorable words. Jake found himself especially grateful that Tsu'tey had omitted his more insubordinate behavior, and had said nothing of their mutual combat at the lake. It seemed that he was even more uncertain than Jake had thought, if he didn't even want to mention it.
"So, Jake, where exactly have you been? I haven't seen you since you returned from hunting, and you smell… " Neytiri trailed off and her eyes widened as she picked up the unmistakable scent. She gave Jake a scandalized look, then grinned broadly, her sharp fangs glistening as she tried to process what she had just learned. Without warning, Neytiri reached up and cuffed him gently, though he still yelped in surprise and pulled away.
"You just can't leave well enough alone, can you? Now I understand why Tsu'tey has been so volatile since he returned." She huffed in amusement, a thoughtful smile on her face. "I almost feel bad for him. He never stood a chance with someone like you around."
Jake rubbed his aching ear sheepishly. The more he looked back on his actions, the more he realized how reckless he had been. What had he hoped to achieve, other than annoying his rival? But he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more. He glanced down at his songcord, with the red-and-white shell now hanging from the end, and his heart fluttered slightly.
Neytiri paused, then gave Jake a sideways look that made him uneasy. Whatever thought had just crossed her mind, he figured it was about to cause him a major headache.
"Oh, come on. Neytiri, you can't be serious about this." But the look she gave him made it clear that she was all too serious, and he sighed in resignation. He was never going to hear the end of this.
Neytiri had run off, gesturing for Jake to follow her, and he had done so, against his better judgment. When he realized where she was going and what exactly her intent was, Jake stopped dead in his tracks. Neytiri turned and beckoned him, a challenging gleam in her eyes. He hissed in annoyance but followed her.
Jake had meant to tell them before, but when he had woken in his human body, he had found both Grace and Norm already in their Avatars, and he hadn't wanted to wait around. With every passing day, he felt less at home in his human body and more at home in his Na'vi body, and he found himself spending less and less time out of the link, to the point where Grace was concerned about his health. He shook his worried thoughts away and gave a bashful smile to Grace and Norm, both of whom were visiting the Omatikaya, something Neytiri had evidently been aware of. She pulled Jake over to them and gestured for him to speak.
He demurred, protesting and stammering, but the two Avatars gave him impatient looks, and he sighed in defeat and began to haltingly tell the story. At first, he tried to minimize his own questionable behavior, but a sharp look from Grace made it clear that she wasn't buying it, and he gave up on trying to play it cool.
When he got to the part about the fight, Grace growled, hands to her temples in obvious exasperation.
"Jake, do I really need to explain to you why -" she cut off as Jake put a hand up in surrender, acknowledging that she was right and didn't need to say it.
"Yeah, I know, I know. I shouldn't have done it. But c'mon, you know what he's like, Grace. I just couldn't resist taking him down a bit. And hey, I got away with it." Grace gave him another raised eyebrow, and he huffed. "Well, I mostly got away with it. I mean, he did knock me around a bit for disrespecting him, but y'know, I kinda expected that."
He continued to tell the story, with Neytiri seeming prouder by the moment, while Grace and Norm seemed unable to decide if Jake was abnormally bold or if he was just that dumb. For his part, Jake couldn't really say either way.
When he told of the challenge, Grace snarled in a way that made Jake recoil, frightened.
"That - He - 'änsyem skxawng! Why would you agree to that? And what in Ewya's name made him think that was a good idea? He should know better! I know he knows better!" Her fury was intense, and Jake knew Grace well enough to know that she was about three seconds away from storming into Hometree and chewing Tsu'tey out. He absolutely did not want that to happen for a number of reasons. He tried to calm her, shooting a pleading look to Norm, who had a better understanding of Grace's way of thinking.
The other Avatar gave him a disapproving look, but put a hand on Grace's arm. They spoke rapidly in Na'vi, a conversation that Jake couldn't keep up with, but from the agitated gestures and growls, he could tell that Grace was not happy. To Jake's mild surprise, Neytiri stepped in, also trying to calm Grace's fury before she could lay into anyone else. Gradually, she seemed to calm, her flattened ears and lashing tail stilling as the others managed to talk her down. Jake, sensing that it was safe to be acknowledged again, spoke in his rival's defense.
"Grace, c'mon, it's not his fault. I knew what I was getting into, and he only did it because I had been screwing with him the entire time. If you really want to blame someone, you can blame me, but please, don't go in and start cussing everyone out, alright? They like me, they're starting to trust me more, hell, I'm even making progress with Tsu'tey and his hunters."
With that reminder, Grace calmed, her anger turned back to grudging curiosity.
"Well then, Marine, why don't you finish the story? Tell us why you smell so much… like that, and where that little shell came from." Grace crossed her arms and gave him an expectant look. Despite himself, Jake began to blush as he replayed the memories in his head.
"Fine, but don't judge me, alright? I was trying to get to him, and I figured I'd either get on his nerves or get him to like me more. Honestly, I'm not sure which one I managed more of." Jake gave a nervous chuckle and then began to explain what, exactly, he had been up to after the last time he and Neytiri had spoken.
Neytiri was particularly curious, as Jake hadn't told her this part of the story yet, and she was very intrigued as to why he smelled so strongly of Tsu'tey, and the older warrior of him.
"Tsu'tey said something about the Great Hunt, and I got curious because, I mean, I didn't have a clue what that was, so… I kinda kept bothering him about it until he got annoyed enough to agree to tell me about it. He tried to brush me off at first, even told me to go ask Neytiri or Grace because they're used to me annoying them." Jake paused with a huff as the others couldn't hide their smirks and chuckles.
"Are you three done? Then let me tell this, yeah? As I was saying, I managed to get him to agree to tell me." He told them of how he had half-taunted, half-coerced Tsu'tey into teaching him the Omatikaya tradition by agreeing to remain silent for the rest of their flight home. Another disgruntled pause as his companions burst out into full laughter, with Neytiri grabbing Jake's arm to steady herself as Grace shook her head, clearly impressed and baffled by Jake in equal measure. He started to blush again and tried to ward them off, to no avail.
"Alright, alright, we get it, yeah. I managed to shut up and stop asking dumb questions for like 20 minutes. Now let me get on with it, or I'm not sharing the rest of the story." That quieted the others. They were very curious, and likely more than a little suspicious already. Grace in particular had a look on her face that made Jake suspect that she had already clued in to what he was going to say.
"Anyways, we were in that little clearing, it was nice and sunny and we were all worn out, so maybe none of us were thinking our straightest, alright?" He told them of the glade, of Tsu'tey's endless barbs, and of his own provocation. When he mentioned how he had pulled Tsu'tey's tail, Neytiri began to shriek with laughter as Norm and Grace just stared at Jake, more convinced than ever that he was more on the side of "not smart enough to survive" instead of "bold enough to make it." This did not let up as he continued to describe what had transpired between him and the older hunter. With each passing moment, Jake felt himself blushing more and more, laughing nervously as he tried to salvage some semblance of pride.
"Well, that explains how in Ewya's name he didn't beat you senseless - clearly, there was nothing left for him to do," Grace said, shaking her head in disbelief.
"So you really just sat next to him, like it was nothing, and pulled on his braids?" Norm exclaimed, equally in disbelief. "I cannot believe he let you get away with that. It doesn't even make any sense."
Neytiri managed to compose herself enough to speak. "No, it makes sense. I know Tsu'tey better than almost anyone. He is difficult to get along with, and he often lashes out when he is nervous or uncertain. He is…" She paused and made a gesture, as if reaching to touch a flower, then recoiling.
"He is prickly. He does not let others near him very easily, and even those of us who know him well are often shut out." Grace tilted her head, then began to smile as she understood.
"From Tsu'tey, a lack of violent rejection is the same as acceptance." Neytiri turned to Jake with an expression of part confusion, part admiration. "Somehow, you have managed to earn his respect, and maybe even more. He let you get away with so much because he likes and respects you, even if he will never admit it to anyone else."
"What do you mean by 'maybe even more'?" Jake asked with a raised eyebrow. "What are you implying, exactly?"
Neytiri gave him a long look, then grabbed his songcord. She twisted the red-and-white shell between her fingers, showing it to Grace and Norm. Grace inspected it curiously, then gasped as she realized the implications. She turned to Jake with a wide-eyed look.
"Is that - did he give you that? A token for your songcord?" Jake grinned irreverently and acknowledged it with a shrug.
"I mean, I figure it had to be him. It was in my hand when I got back into the link. Besides, the way we were bothering each other, I figure he's more fond of me then he lets on. Don't think he'd let just anyone into his space like that."
Grace shook her head. "Jake, you don't get it, do you? Giving a token like that - it's not just a matter of him respecting you, or tolerating you, or whatever you're thinking. It's a really personal thing. Like, 'I see you' personal. He's got a lot more respect for you than you think. Maybe Neytiri is right about just how fond he is of you."
Grace's tone was suggestive, and Jake began to blush furiously as he denied all of her implications fervently.
"I don't know, Marine. Seems like you've started to like him an awful lot. Just remember, he's promised to Neytiri, so you can't have him." Norm and Neytiri grinned fiercely as Jake stammered and protested, his face burning at the insinuations.
"No - it's not like - I don't - I mean, I'm not even - " he stopped as he saw the broad smirk and realized that Grace was only teasing him. Jake growled in mock annoyance and swatted at her.
"Alright, come on, knock it off. It's not like that at all. He's still a jerk, even if he did kinda apologize to me. It's nice that he's decided not to hate me as much, but I'd still rather avoid him as much as I can."
Neytiri laughed again and gave him a grin that made it clear she didn't believe him. "You are a bad liar, Jake. But do not worry, you will have plenty of time to show off for him during the Great Hunt. It begins the day after tomorrow." Jake hissed and gave her a sharp glare, but the mention of the hunt turned his mind away from his complicated relationship with Tsu'tey.
"That's two days away? Great. I am totally going to get trampled, aren't I?"
Neytiri put a reassuring hand on his arm and met his eyes. Her gaze was steady and calm, and it helped him to focus. "Do not worry, Jake. You are a brilliant flyer, and you are brave." She moved her hand to his chest. "You have a strong heart, remember? You will succeed, I know it."
Grace and Norm nodded, offering their own assurances. Jake acknowledged them with appreciation, but he remained uneasy at the thought of the looming hunt, where all his bravado and hunting abilities would be challenged. He suddenly felt much less prepared as a Na'vi then he had previously thought.
After a long silence, Grace suggested they return to Hometree. It was about time for the evening meal, and the gathering was an important part of Omatikaya life.
Jake nodded, then paused thoughtfully. "Go ahead, I'll be right there. I've got someone I need to talk to, first."
Jake caught the older hunter alone, just outside of Hometree. Tsu'tey caught Jake's scent and flattened his ears with a hiss. As he heard Jake continue to approach, he swung around with a growl and dropped a hand to his knife.
"I thought you understood, uniltìrantokx. I do not wish to speak to you."
Jake hesitated but didn't back off fully. He stopped advancing and raised one hand in a gesture of peace, tail flicking nervously. His heart was racing and he knew that this might be the defining moment between them. He swallowed hard, then pressed on.
"Look, I get it, you're as confused as I am. I get why you want to be left alone, and I promise I won't bother you. I just… I wanted to thank you. For everything." Tsu'tey's expression softened the slightest bit, and his hand moved away from his knife. Jake took that as a sign to continue.
"I don't think I'd have become half the Na'vi I am now if not for the way you treated me. I felt like I had to prove you wrong, to prove everyone wrong, and it made me determined to be the best I could be."
The anger and fear on Tsu'tey's face had become a mixture of understanding tinged with regret. "You were taught by the best of us, Tsyeyk Suli. Neytiri… she is special. No one else would have brought you to us, much less defended you before the Olo'eyktan."
"Oh, believe me, I know. Neytiri is hard on me, but I know she believes in me. But I wouldn't have been nearly as motivated without you there to tell me how incapable and useless I was." Jake gave a sardonic grin that made Tsu'tey recoil with a hiss before he realized Jake was teasing him again. He sighed, clearly uneasy and not used to expressing himself. He tried to compose his thoughts, but ultimately responded with evident discomfort.
"Please, Tsyeyk, I just… need time to think. I do not fully understand what happened between us yesterday, and I do not know what it means. All I know is that…" Tsu'tey paused and, to Jake's surprise, blushed ever-so-slightly. "I meant what I said, in the glade. And I do not think I regret any of what happened. But you must admit, you have a gift for making things difficult."
Jake huffed but acknowledged the truth of that. He put a hand on Tsu'tey's arm, aware of the way other warrior stiffened at the touch.
"I get it. I'll leave you alone now. I think we both need to think about some stuff. But don't think I won't be there during the hunt, ready to show you up. I'll prove that I'm as good as I know I am."
Tsu'tey let out a disbelieving laugh. "You are truly unique, Tsyeyk Suli. Arrogant and troublesome, yet I have no doubt that you will somehow manage to do exactly as you say. But we will see about that on the day of the hunt. Now, go away and bother someone else." He said it as a command, but Jake knew that it was more of a plea than anything. He laughed agreeably and, on a whim, pulled at Tsu'tey's flicking tail, just hard enough to get a yelp and a snarl. Then, he turned and slipped away before Tsu'tey could change his mind about not hating him anymore, and went to find Neytiri.