"Alright," Norm was the first to break the silence as they reached an isolated corner of the common area, "I take back everything I've said before, I'm not jealous. You guys can keep your romance, it seems way too stressful for me. Jake, did you have to have the same tense-as-hell conversation, because I am so sorry for being such an ass before."

Jake made a noise in the back of his throat, remembering the interrogation they'd received his first day here, "Something like it," he blew out a puff of air, knocking his shoulder against Tsu'tey's, "it was a lot more public and there was a lot more yelling. But by all means, you two," he shot Neytiri and Trudy a withering look, "keep throwing me under the bus whenever you're in trouble, I do appreciate it."

Neytiri sniffed indignantly at him, "I do not know what a bus is and I certainly did not throw you under one," she rolled her eyes before fixing him with a wicked look, "all we were doing by mentioning you, was reminding them of how much worse of a bondmate I could have chosen."

Grace had the wherewithal to cut in before the bickering could start, though that didn't stop Jake from making a rude gesture at his grinning friend, "Trudy, are you feeling okay? You had to have taken at least a breath or two of the air, you shouldn't have been able to stay conscious even with that little of exposure."

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine," Trudy waved off Grace's probing hands, "my mask's been ripped off a few times during flights, first few times I was out like a light, but now I'm able to go a few seconds without it."

Absorbing the information, Jake caught Neytiri and Tsu'tey's gaze, filing the knowledge away to consider later.

"Well, even still," Grace huffed, obviously trying to hide how fascinating she found the discovery, "we should probably take her back, I didn't run any of the scans on her that need to be done, and now I definitely need to check on your lungs and your oxygen levels," as one feels the change in atmosphere before a storm, Grace seemed to sense the protests that were about to come her way, "she can come back tomorrow. Right now, we need to be concerned about her health."

That effectively killed any objections, though it didn't stop the quartet from muttering obstinately as they turned to walk to the rookery. Grace and Norm waved at their backs as they went, promising to meet them back at the mobile unit.

"Jake-Sully!" a familiar voice rang out across the clearing, causing the party to stop just before they stepped into the path cut among the brush, as R'oyk bounded up to them.

"Hello, again, R'oyk," Jake smiled, perhaps a little tersely, at the young man.

"How did your meeting with the Olo'eyktan and Tsahìk go?" R'oyk asked, his tail flicking wildly behind him as he came to a stop beside Jake.

"It went very well, thank you," Jake nodded, "we're taking Trudy back now." He meant the words as a dismissal, hoping the man would take the hint and leave them to continue on their way.

"So soon?" R'oyk's head tilted slightly in question, oblivious to any social queues being directed at him.

"Yes, it has been a stressful morning, and we thought it best to hold off on any tours of the territory until tomorrow," Jake could feel his patience growing thin, but he continued smiling, not wanting to offend.

R'oyk laughed at that, his hand raising to rest on Jake's shoulder with a familiarity Jake was unaware they had, "of course, this is a smart idea, I would expect nothing less from Jake-Sully."

Before Jake could pull his thoughts together enough to form some semblance of a reply to that, Jake felt Tsu'tey's arm snake around his midsection.

"We must be going now," Tsu'tey's words puffed against Jake's ear, his tone harsher than he had expected, "thank you for you and your unit's help today, goodbye."

At that, Jake felt himself being pulled away, Tsu'tey's fingers digging into his side.

"Goodbye," R'oyk called after them as the party set off down the path, his hand dangling at his side where it had been unceremoniously pulled from Jake's shoulder, "perhaps I shall see you later."

Jake offered a polite wave behind his back, Tsu'tey's grip tightening dangerously as he did.

"That was weird," Trudy muttered once they were out of earshot, her eyes flicking back to the mouth of the path, where the young warrior still stood.

A low growl emitted from Tsu'tey's throat, before Neytiri replied, "sometimes the new warriors are too enthusiastic, too eager to be a part of things."

Trudy hummed at that, nodding as the rookery came into view ahead of them.

They stood in silence once they reached their íkrans, Neytiri retrieving the rope from where she'd left it wrapped around a low-hanging branch and beginning the slightly laborious task of securing it around Trudy and herself.

Only once the two women were successfully tethered to each other, did Tsu'tey release his bruising hold on Jake's side.

"We will accompany you as we usually do, Neytiri, then we will break off and you will meet us at the normal spot once you are finished." Tsu'tey's voice was strange as he spoke, not meeting anyone's eyes as he mounted his íkran.

"You guys can come, if you want," Trudy shrugged, "I doubt Grace will let us talk for very long anyway."

"No," Tsu'tey frowned, "we will have tomorrow to 'hang out' if that is what you desire," he waved his hand as though to dismiss the idea, it would have been funny if the atmosphere wasn't so tense, "now is a time for bondmates to discuss todays events, alone."

"Yeah, man, okay," Trudy shot Jake a look, who shrugged at her, unsure what he had done to warrant Tsu'tey's cold demeanor.

"You are being weird," Neytiri narrowed her eyes at Tsu'tey, whose mouth opened as though to protest, but she continued before he had the change, "but your sulking is Jake-Sully's problem right now, not mine, so I do not care. Come along, Trudy."

Trudy shot Jake one final look, this time more sympathetic than curious, before allowing herself to be ushered onto Neytiri's íkran.

Jake, feeling frozen to the spot with confusion and worry, forced himself to move forward, mounting his íkran and hoping his flustered mind would not hinder the creature's performance.

-x-

True to his word, Tsu'tey accompanied Neytiri until their usual breaking off point, before banking sharply to the side, towards the direction of the cliffside they had designated their meeting place.

Throughout the flight, Tsu'tey stayed ahead of Jake, never letting up to allow the other man to coast in beside him. Jake couldn't for the life of him think of what he possibly could have done to anger Tsu'tey in such a way that justified his behavior. He wracked his brain, going over the course of the day, trying to find anything he could have done to upset the man. Was it that he hadn't spoken up as Tsu'tey had during Trudy's meeting with Mo'at and Eytukan? That didn't seem fair, his name had been thrown around enough without him butting in. Was it that Jake hadn't rebuked Neytiri's joke about Tsu'tey choosing an inferior bondmate to hers? That couldn't be it, Grace had cut him off and, besides, Tsu'tey hadn't chosen him, they had always been bonded.

Jake's mind faltered at that, causing his íkran to screech indignantly at him, already unhappy with the bombardment of thoughts Jake was involuntarily pushing on the creature.

He soothed an apologetic hand over the neck of the íkran, allowing it to calm itself, before continuing with his thoughts.

What that Tsu'tey's problem? Was he upset that he hadn't gotten to chose his mate as Neytiri had? The thought hurt, burning away in his chest, and he had to fight to keep his mind clear enough to keep them flying straight.

He watched Tsu'tey's stiff back as the other man flew stubbornly in front of him, faster than their journey warranted, fast enough to keep Jake behind him, and Jake's stomach twisted darkly.

It wasn't his fault they were bonded by Eywa, he had though Tsu'tey liked their bond, liked how it connected them, but maybe he was wrong. Jake could admit, though the thought sickened him, that it hadn't exactly been fair to Tsu'tey. Jake had lived most of his life how he wanted, pinning after the man in his dreams aside, he had done what he wanted, been with who he wanted. Tsu'tey had not, had agreed to a political bond with Neytiri, meanwhile waiting for a man who he had no reason to think would ever come to him.

Then Jake had shipped himself off, sending himself hurtling blindly towards Tsu'tey with no real though of the ramifications of his actions. Jake had imposed himself in every aspect of Tsu'tey's life, upending his standing within his clan, forcing him to shift his loyalty between Jake and his people.

Tsu'tey had stood with Jake, had defended Jake, had embraced him wholeheartedly. Jake hadn't questioned Tsu'tey's acceptance of him, because Jake had been able to choose, and he hadn't considered before that Tsu'tey had not. Tsu'tey had waited for Jake because he felt like he had to, right? He had met Jake in the forest that first day and accepted him, because Jake hadn't given him a choice. Jake had barged in, ruining the life Tsu'tey had built for himself, because Jake had made a series of choices, because he assumed that Tsu'tey wanted him there as much as he wanted to be there.

Jake felt like he was going to be sick, and he was simultaneously filled with gratitude and dread when he saw the length of cliffside that they were to land on.

He had come to this planet because he loved Tsu'tey, because he wanted to help protect him and his people and his land. He thought back to that first day, to Tsu'tey confessing the presence of their bond to him in the soft candlelight of an alcove, he had called him soulmates, had said they were bonded. Those had been his reasons for his acceptance of Jake, not love, not affection, he hadn't even said that he liked Jake.

Perhaps Jake had read between the lines, read something that wasn't there, because it benefitted him. What if Tsu'tey had accepted him because he thought he had to, whether out of obligation for their bond or out of guilt that Jake had come all that way.

There was a part of Jake, the part that wasn't spiraling so hard his íkran's wings were dipping harshly as they tried desperately to stay steady long enough to reach the ledge just a few meters away, that told himself that he had been inside Tsu'tey's mind, had seen the love the other man held for him. The part of him that was filling his heart and mind with panic and fear, however, was much bigger, and it needled away at his thoughts, questioning if Tsu'tey's love for him was learned, was the other man making the best out of a bad situation because Jake had forced himself into Tsu'tey's life without a second thought.

Jake was able to pull himself together long enough to keep himself and his íkran from crashing against the cliff face, but not well enough to keep them from scrambling across the rock, long talons digging harsh scars into the ledge as they landed.

Jake dismounted quickly, moving in front of his íkran and rubbing soothing hands over his jaw and snout, muttering broken apologies, feeling ready to hyperventilate as he heard Tsu'tey feet hit the ground beside him.

"My Jake," the words fell on Jake's ears like acid, and he couldn't bring himself to turn and face the other man, "what is wrong?"

Jake felt his shoulders stiffen, his gut twisting violently as Tsu'tey's hand came to rest on his arm, he wanted to shrug off the touch that burned him like embers from a flame, but he stayed mercifully still.

He felt the silence between them like it was a tangible thing, not trusting himself to speak for fear that the burning behind his eyes would break into undignified tears.

"I am sorry, for acting coldly," Tsu'tey's voice was strained, and Jake wanted to run, "I should not have reacted as I did, I know the words meant nothing to you."

"But they meant something to you," Jake's voice broke as he folded in on himself slightly, his hands tightening around his íkran like it was the only thing keeping him grounded.

"Well," Tsu'tey faltered, "yes, I did not appreciate them. Will you not turn to me? You are worrying me."

Jake felt Tsu'tey tug gently at his arm, but he barely heard the words after the 'yes' had fallen from Tsu'tey's lips, and kept his feet firmly planted, "I'm sorry," Jake cursed how his shoulders shook with the effort to keep his tears at bay.

"You are sorry?" Tsu'tey tugged at Jake's arm again, more insistent, but to no avail, "what do you have to be sorry for?"

Jake let out a bitter laugh, "well it's my fault isn't it, I'm the one that came here, I didn't even think about how it would affect you."

There was a long silence after that, the hand on Jake's arm falling, and he felt the loss like it had been a part of him.

"My Jake," Tsu'tey's words were cautious, "what are you talking about?"

The weight of the situation, his thoughts and his guilt and his hurt, were too much, and Jake turned sharply to face Tsu'tey, ignoring the tears pricking dangerously at the corners of his eyes.

"I'm talking about you being upset because Neytiri got to chose her mate and you didn't, you got stuck with me, and I know it's my fault for coming here and I know it wasn't fair to you. So, I'm sorry, I'm sorry you didn't get to choose, I'm sorry if I'm not who you would've picked."

If tears hadn't broken free from Jakes eyes to roll down his face, blurring his vision with wet and worry, Jake would have seen the baffled expression that pinched Tsu'tey's features.

"I…" Tsu'tey stared at Jake, whose face was twisted in some mixture of anguish and hurt, "I have no idea what you are talking about."

For a moment, just the space of a heartbeat, Jake felt annoyance tear away at his chest, frustrated that he was having to explain the problem to Tsu'tey, before something clicked into place in his panicked brain, "what… what were you talking about?"

Jake had never seen Tsu'tey look so confused as the man opened his mouth slowly to reply, "I was upset with R'oyk."

Jake's whole world came to a shuttering halt as his brain seemed to short circuit trying to even remember who R'oyk was, "what? Why?"

Tsu'tey face shifted between confusion, guilt, and indignation, "he was…" he mouth worked over a word for a minute, either trying to remember what it was or stealing his dignity in order to say it, "flirting with you."

"What?" Jake scrubbed at his face, trying to rid himself of any evidence of the tears that had been running down his face in rivets, "No he wasn't," then he paused and ran over the interaction they had had with the young man before departing, and Jake suddenly remembered the possessive hand and harsh tone Tsu'tey had presented as he had pulled him away, "well, okay, maybe he was."

"He definitely was," Tsu'tey frowned, his shoulders stiffening, "but never mind that, what were you upset about?"

Jake faltered for a moment, having nearly forgotten their misunderstanding, but now his worry returned full force. Even if that wasn't what Tsu'tey had been upset about, they didn't mean that the conclusion Jake had reached was wrong.

"I thought," He tried to meet Tsu'tey's eyes, but found himself unable to hold his gaze, too worried of what he might find there, "I thought you were upset because of Neytiri's joke about her choosing a better mate than you."

"It is not a competition, Neytiri was just being bothersome," Tsu'tey's brows were drawn in confusion and concern.

"I know that," Jake waved his hand, dismissing the objection, "but I thought… it might have reminded you that… that you didn't get to choose. That you were forced to accept me at your mate regardless of your feelings, because I was selfish and came here without thinking about how it would affect you."

Tsu'tey's face softened, his eyes growing sad as he took a step closer to Jake, reaching up to frame the other man's face in his hands, "My Jake, do not say such things," Jake meant to protest, to argue his point, but Tsu'tey silenced him with thumbs rubbing gently against his sharp cheekbones, "I had a choice, I could have chosen not to pursue a deepening of our bond if I had not desired to do so. My feelings for you are my own, you have felt them, why do you doubt me, my Jake?"

Jake's heart stuttered at that, wanting to sink into the warmth of the body in front of him, but he fought that desire in the interest of communication, "I worried that you learned to love me, because I had forced my feelings onto you."

Sorrow clouded Tsu'tey's eyes as he dipped forward to briefly capture Jake's lips in his own, "I told you, the day you tamed your íkran, that I have loved you every moment since the day I first saw you. I was not lying then. I love you, I would do anything for you. I beg of you to believe me, and to never question that love again."

Jake nodded against Tsu'tey's hands, unable to resist pressing himself against the other man any longer, slotting their chests together and pressing his face up into the juncture of neck and jaw as Tsu'tey wrapped his arms tightly around him, "I'm sorry, I just… I couldn't stand the thought of you not feeling like you had a choice whether to be with me or not. I was worried you'd felt like you'd had to, because I came all this way."

"There is no one in this universe I would rather be with," Tsu'tey kissed beneath Jake's ear, sending a shiver up his spine, "if given the chance, I would chose you again and again. I would chose you forever, no matter where you are, no matter how far apart we may be. There is no set of circumstances that would ever stop me from always choosing you."

Jake pressed as close as physically possible against the warmth of the other man, "I love you, I would cross a thousand galaxies just to be with you."

They stayed like that, pressed tightly together, not a doubt in their minds that every words they had spoken was true.