Disclaimer: "Avatar" is not mine and belongs a hundred percent to Mr. Cameron, who has my sincere thanks for creating such an amazing world. Characters you do not recognize are mine and were created for the purposes of this story. This chapter was, by far, the most difficult to write so I made extra effort to take my time with it. I have to admit every time I add a chapter I cross my fingers that you'll enjoy it, so I really hope I've not let you down with this one! Thank you for reading and reviewing! - Fallon.

Chapter Twelve

Ma'tirea dismounted her ikran and rubbed the creatures' neck lovingly. She had just returned from a flight to clear her thoughts before finding Tsu'tey. She leapt from the branch, grasping the one below it as she descended the hometree. Her feet finally touched the damp grass at the base of the huge tree and she sank her toes into the earth, enjoying the cool sensation. Her fingers twirled the armbands she wore nervously as she spotted Tsu'tey leaning against a massive root that jutted from the ground.

She breathed in deeply and tried to steady herself as she approached him. "I see you Tsu'tey."

"I see you Ma'tirea." He spoke calmly as he greeted her, nodding towards the trees. "I want to show you something."

She followed him as he took off in a sprint into the trees, not showing any sign that the battle the day before was affecting him now. Ma'tirea smiled, she admired his stubbornness. If it were her, she would have been easy on herself for a day or so, but Tsu'tey rarely slowed down. She hurried to keep him in her sights as he climbed a fallen tree and sprung from it's peak.

Following him over the tree, she stopped momentarily to catch her breath and when she looked up; saw that he had stopped to wait for her. Ma'tirea could not help but smile as she continued to follow him. He had changed since she first met him. Yes, the stubbornness remained and she would never change that but he was kinder to her than she would have ever expected. Her bow lightly tapped her back as she ran behind him, pushing herself to run by his side and make him proud to have tought her. Tsu'tey slid to a halt suddenly in front of her and she stopped to stand beside him.

"What is it you wanted to show me?" She asked as her breathing returned to normal.

Tsu'tey grabbed her hand and led her through some bushes. Ma'tirea followed, lightly squeezing his hand as he parted the thick foliage before them. He stopped in front of her and she bumped into him. He turned, still holding her hand and she hurried to apologize for her clumsiness. But he brushed it off quickly and pulled her out in front of him.

A magnificent waterfall emptied into a lake that was surrounded by thick flora. A young yerik looked up from the shallows were it was drinking and quickly scurried off into the relative safety of the trees. She watched the creature leap effortlessly into the thick bushes and disappear; making only a very soft sound. Ma'tirea scanned the beauty before her, having never seen the hidden lake before.

"It's so incredibly beautiful, how did you know this was here?" She spoke in a whisper, fearful that anything louder than the softest of voices would have made the beauty before her vanish into thin air.

"My mother showed me this place before she passed through Eywa's eye, she said this was where she felt at peace..." He let his voice trail off and watched her stand in awe at the hidden beauty of the waterfall.

Ma'tirea stepped closer to the water, looking at her reflection. Tsu'tey watched her, stepping slowly closer. "Are you feeling better?" She asked quietly. The bath had soothed his aching body and spirit. He nodded to her, thankful that his world had finally stopped its twirling and that his queue didn't pulse with that dull but consistent pain.

"Yes...thank you for helping me." Tsu'tey softly thanked her, truly and deeply grateful for all she had done.

She turned and smirked sadly. "I seem to keep dragging us into danger, sometimes I wonder how you survived training me."

He gazed into her eyes and didn't pull away. "You have made it through that danger. It is what makes you a good hunter and a loved sister in our clan."

The sadness lifted from her and he felt better seeing her pure smile. Something changed in her eyes that made him nervous and excited at the same time. Her huge jade eyes glazed over, sparkling with something he'd never noticed in the eyes of other females. Ma'tirea turned her body towards him and he quickly glanced to her soft, exposed stomach."Now that I am reborn into the clan, will you still watch me Tsu'tey?"

He looked up to meet her huge green eyes, those deep wells of jade that bore into his soul. "Always..."

Her lips curved into a delicate smile and she placed her weapons on the nearby rocks, turning back to him to take his hand in hers'. She urged him towards the water. They stepped into the shallows together. He followed her under the water, watching her as she twisted effortlessly towards the surface. Tsu'tey broke through the surface shortly after her and watched her swim happily on her back, her hair fanned out under her as she stared into the sky. "I admire you Tsu'tey." She spoke quietly, her eyes still searching the skies.

"You do?" He questioned, not sure what she could admire about him. She had become a skilled hunter and was a stunning woman, many males would love to have her as their mate.

She flipped over and nodded. "Your strength and determination, I see it in everything you do my friend."

"I saw determination in you." She looked at him curiously and he swallowed hard before continuing. "When you tried to stop my fight with Keye'txon." She pouted when he spoke his name and the unpleasant memories resurfaced. Tsu'tey saw her smile fade and regretted mentioning the dead male.

She locked eyes with him. "I did not want you to get hurt."

He smiled sadly and swam closer to her. Tsu'tey touched her arm as she forced a smirk. He cursed himself silently for making her sad; it was not the reason he brought her to the waterfall. "Why have you brought me here?" She asked calmly and noticed his body tense.

He looked at the reflection of the setting sun in the water but saw her looking at him from the corner of his eye. Ma'tirea closed the distance between them, touching his shoulder as he began to swim away from her. Tsu'tey stopped and looked at her nervously, his jaw clenched tightly as he tried to find the will to speak. She ran her fingers over his tense chest and slipped her arms around him. A weak sigh left his lips as her body pressed against him. Tsu'tey did not pull away.

Ma'tirea smiled when she felt his nervous hands touch her back. Resting her head on his shoulder, she swished her tail through the water happily. His tail found hers' and they twisted together under the water. Overjoyed, Ma'tirea leaned back to look at him as their tails danced tightly together. He exhaled softly as their eyes met.

She licked her lips and he pulled her closer, pressing her breasts against his chest. Tsu'tey brought his lips to her ear. His warm breath swam over her skin. "This place is very important to me; I knew you'd enjoy it."

Ma'tirea closed her eyes. "Thank you Tsu'tey."

"I wanted to ask you something..." He muttered into her hair, running his fingers through her braids as she relaxed against him. She pulled back and looked at him seriously. "Is something wrong?" Her hands lightly touched the sides of his chest, sending a shiver down his body even in the warm water.

Tsu'tey smirked and shook his head, trailing his fingers from her braids to the beads of water that gathered on her long neck. "You are also very important to me Ma'tirea..." He whispered, slowly bringing his anxious gaze to her eyes. "I wanted to ask you...to be.." He had never done this before and wished he had run through it in his head one more time before bringing her to the waterfall.

"I-I love you Ma'tirea." He spoke softly, leaning his forehead against hers'. "Will you be my mate?"

She smiled as her eyes glazed over, the tight feeling in her chest fading. Tsu'tey felt her hands on his face and opened his closed eyes. She kissed his cheek and began to plant light kisses along his jawline until she reached his lips. "I love you Tsu'tey, I will be your mate."

Ma'tirea pressed her lips gently to his and moaned at the warmth that passed between them. He wrapped his arms around her and deepened her timid kiss. Her fingers ran over his beaded neck piece and he ran his tongue over her lower lip, earning a delicate moan from her parted lips. He sharply inhaled against her full lips as he cupped her bottom and boldly pulled her hips closer to him. Ma'tirea lightly bit his lip.

"Ma'tirea...I am sorry it took me so long to ask-" He was cut off by a passionate kiss.

"I would have waited as long as it took, my love..." She grinned as she ran her thumb over his lips, thankful that her waiting had paid off. With a new happiness filling him, Tsu'tey took her hand and led her through the water to the shallows. Scooping up their weapons, he led her to the side of the waterfall to a trail that she hadn't noticed. She followed carefully, putting her feet were he had stepped as he led her through the narrow trail. They emerged into a moss covered cave that had been hidden behind the water.

He placed their weapons to the side and watched as Ma'tirea looked up to admire the dark rocks that formed the ceiling of the cave. Moss covered the ground and provided a soft blanket to the rocky ground it concealed. Ma'tirea wiggled her toes into the soft moss and exhaled evenly; her entire being feeling a weight lifted.

Tsu'tey tenderly grazed her arm. He tensed involuntarily as she turned and slipped her fingers under the fastenings of his loincloth. Ma'tirea pressed her lips to his chest and smiled against his warm skin when she felt his fingers touch the hem of her shirt. The bindings of her shirt loosened and she shrugged the material from her body. Tsu'tey placed his hand on her sternum to feel the rhythmic beating of her heart. She sighed as his fingers trailed over the soft flesh of her breasts to her stomach. He kissed her collarbone, allowing his tongue to glide over the bio-luminescent spots that had revealed themselves.

As Tsu'tey continued his affections, she slipped her hand down and tugged at the knot that held his loincloth in place. The knot came loose in her fingers and she let the fabric fall to the ground to join her shirt. She locked eyes with him and laced her fingers with his, urging him onto the bed of moss. Ma'tirea knelt beside him as he leaned back on his elbows and pulled her in for another kiss. She glanced down his muscular stomach to the part of him the loincloth had hidden. Slowly, she pulled her swollen lips from his, her nervous fingers timidly caressing his erection.

Her mother had explained the mating ritual to her years ago. The female would connect her queue with that of a male to form 'the bond'. When the deep spiritual bond was made and the unbreakable emotion ties formed, the physical bond would be made. Once a couple was mated, with both connections having been made, they would awake the following morn as mates for life.

Tsu'tey watched her. He had never been so exposed, so vulnerable in front of anyone in his life. A soft moan left his lips as she pulled her hand away and her gentle caresses stopped. Ma'tirea noticed his disappointment and lifted her leg over his slender body to straddle him. Her loincloth still on, Tsu'tey could feel the warmth pulsing from between her legs on his stomach were she sat. Ma'tirea gently grabbed his queue as it lay over his shoulder and reached for her own. She brought them close and the pink hairs reacted, reaching eagerly for each other and wanting desperately to make the bond.

He could only moan her name as the air refused to leave his chest. His elbows ached but at the moment it didn't bother him. All that mattered was being with his love, his sweet Ma'tirea. The pink hairs of his queue reached longingly for hers' and finally they touched, wrapping together and holding tight.

Ma'tirea gasped as the bond was made, hurdling their minds together. Tsu'tey dug his fingers into her thighs as the intense feeling consumed him. He relaxed and rubbed her thighs to comfort her as they both experienced the rush of their highly intimate bond. Tsu'tey reached up to touch her face as she started to cry. He was terrified, what if she regretted the bond? Or felt something within him that reviled her?

"Ma'tirea?" He whispered as he caressed her warm cheeks. "My love, no tears, please..."

She touched his hand. "You've always loved me, I can feel it as clearly as my own emotions. My Tsu'tey, i-it's beautiful..." It was utterly blissful. Their queues connected, what was passing between the thin pink nerves was something deeper and more meaningful than anything else either had experienced.

Relieved, he sat up and held her close, his erection aching as it pressed against the inside of her thigh. She closed her eyes as he kissed the tears from her delicate skin. He hooked his fingers under the thin string of her loincloth, rubbing her skin as he went. His rough finger tips found the clasp that held her loincloth up and pulled, freeing Ma'tirea from the fabric. Trying to steady his eager hand, he slowly laid the fabric to the side before turning his focus back to her.

Ma'tirea looked at him lovingly as she urged her hips closer to him. She grabbed his hand and placed it between her legs. Tsu'tey breathed in sharply as his hand cupped her. Just as she had lavished love upon him, he gently rubbed between her folds. His nerves still present, he focused on the bond that their queues were forming and the peace it was bringing them both. Ma'tirea urged her hips closer and he swallowed hard as he slipped into her.

Shivers ran over her as the physical bond was made. The bliss their bonded queues gave them was joined by a tingling, euphoric warmth that spread out from their stomachs and wrapped around them like a hammock. Tsu'tey held onto her and kissed the curve of her neck as the new warmth shook his body. "My love, we are one..." He spoke as he smiled into her neck.

Ma'tirea licked the tip of his ear as she trembled in his arms. She held on to his shoulders, digging her nails into his flesh as she rocked her hips against him. His hands caressed her back, running over the curve of her lower back to her hips. Ma'tirea licked her lips and wrapped her tail around his thigh. "Tsu'tey..." She moaned his name as he firmly held her close, pressing his erection against her soft walls and sending a shiver through her body.

A deep, seductive purr came from his slightly parted lips and Ma'tirea feverishly kissed him, moaning into his lips. She broke the kiss and playfully pushed him back, allowing her fingers to roam his muscular chest. She touched his chest armor and traced the stitches in the leather before resting her hands on his lower stomach. Ma'tirea brought her hips up and down, sending a bolt of pleasure shooting through their connected queues as he slid in and out of her.

Tsu'tey blinked as the pleasure flooded his body and blurred his vision. Ma'tirea leaned down so their noses touched. She smiled and licked his lips, causing the warrior to whimper and lean up to find her lips. Having captured her lips with his, he embraced her and lifted his hips up. Ma'tirea kissed his jaw, moaning as his thrusts became desperate. He pushed into her, hitting a spot deep within her that made her gasp and clench around him. Ma'tirea felt him tense under her and trembled in his embrace as he released inside her. Their bio-luminescent spots glowed wildly as they both reached their plateaus.

His breathing laboured, he ran his fingers through her hair as a blissful warmth smothered his body. Exhausted, she went limp against him; the pleasure from their lovemaking having been made even more intense by their connected queues. Smiling, he gently eased her onto the moss beside him and brushed the hair from her face. She kissed his hand and opened her eyes. "I'm yours forever, my love..."

Note/Clarification: Look, no cliffhanger! I wasn't sure how to write this story at first, mainly because I knew their was going to be a sex scene and some have varying opinions about how na'vi actually mate. I used my "Avatar: An Activist Survival Guide" throughout this story. The guide states na'vi reproduce like humans, only their queues allow them a higher level of intimacy. I hope that clears things up for those who may not have the guide :) I have one, maybe two, more chapters planned but I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for the hits and reviews!