If someone were to ask Jake after the fact, once he'd had time to catch his breath, he probably would have attributed the adrenaline pumping through his veins as to why he was not startled when another body landed beside him, on the back of his freshly tamed Toruk. He barely even registered the thump of the weight behind him until the sound of feet beating against the beast's hide hit his ears.
Jake turned just in time to see Tsu'tey take the final steps, barely bothering to slow from his dead sprint, that brought him crashing into Jake's side.
Arms enveloped him, a face, split into a wide grin despite the wet tears streaming down cheeks, was buried into Jake's neck, as Tsu'tey settled to his knees beside him.
"You did it," Tsu'tey beamed, his mouth pressed against the other man's shoulder, "I am so proud of you."
"I barely did anything," Jake chuckled, brushing a wayward braid behind Tsu'tey's ear, "it was everyone else who did all the hard stuff."
Tsu'tey shook his head, a difficult task given that it was still buried against Jake's neck, "it was your plan, this was all you, my Jake. You are... you are going to be a wonderful leader."
Jake could only press closer to Tsu'tey in response. The movement caused his ankle to shift, sending a jolt of pain up his leg, the reality of his injuries finally catching up to him.
"You are wounded," Tsu'tey pulled back, his eyes searching over Jake until his gaze settled on the ankle, already beginning to swell.
"It'll be fine," Jake tried to smile through his grimace of pain, "and, besides," he patted the back of the Toruk's neck, "I've got this guy that I can sit on to ride now, instead of standing. Isn't that right, big fella."
The Toruk, to Jake's surprise, gave a low, keening noise in response.
"Well, you're just all sorts of friendly now that you're not trying to eat me," Jake gave another pat to the large neck, eliciting another soft noise of agreement from the beast.
"We should return," Tsu'tey said, frowning slightly, despite his raised brow betraying his curiosity towards the new creature, "a healer needs to look at that injury."
"Yes, Mom," Jake stuck out his tongue as he signaled to the surrounding fliers that they would be descending.
"Your mother would agree with me," Tsu'tey said, his arms crossing with a stern expression that melted away when Jake began to laugh.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," he smiled before reaching out and pulling Tsu'tey towards him, catching his lips in a soft kiss, "thanks for believing in me."
Tsu'tey only hummed at that before drawing Jake back against him, holding him there for a moment before pulling away so Jake could guide them back to the Kekunan Hometree.
-x-
Jake didn't think he would survive much longer with this clan, having only just managed to convince them to finally let him down from their shoulders. Despite the air buzzing with excitement and their reluctance to allow their guest of honor to rest, now hours into the celebration following their return from the taming of the Toruk, the crowd set Jake down gently on a low platform along the edge of the commons.
The celebration had started almost immediately after they had arrived—the image of wide eyes staring up from the sea of Na'vi as Jake had landed so carefully among the largest part of the common area was seared into his mind—he didn't think it would ever leave him.
Tsu'tey had all but beat off the reaching hands of the crowd, gnashing his teeth and snarling in a way the Kekunan apparently didn't find intimidating in the slightest, but relented in letting Jake be taken to the clan's healer all the same.
Once he had been sufficiently tended to, however, there was little Tsu'tey could do to keep the cheering Kekunan from lifting Jake into the air—at least he wasn't having to walk on his ankle.
That had been hours ago, he'd lost track of Tsu'tey and Neytiri at some point and was now just glad the crowd had allowed him a moment of peace.
It took Jake a second to realize that he'd been placed beside Eytukan and Mo'at, who were seated quietly, watching the festivities unfold.
"You are full of surprises, Jake-Sully," Mo'at smiled at him, her eyes crinkling.
"I suppose so," Jake offered a slightly shy smile in return before turning his gaze to Eytukan, "I apologize, I know it was your wish for us to wait until I was fully healed."
"It seems you have faced the consequences of this choice," Eytukan said in an even voice, eying Jake's ankle, now wrapped in a brace, and Jake could hear the 'I told you so' thinly veiled in the neutral statement, "but, it seems your decision was the right one."
Jake nodded, staying quiet for a moment before allowing a thought to fall from his lips, "do you truly believe Turon only wanted me to go through with it because he found the idea exciting?"
For a long stretch of silence, Jake thought Eytukan wasn't going to answer him, but then his mouth opened, his voice thoughtful as he spoke, "do you believe the Kekunan warriors followed you only because they found the prospect amusing?"
"No," Jake didn't even have to think about his answer, "no, they would not have done it if that was the only reason. They seek out excitement, but not in unnecessary ways. They wanted to help, and they believed in the plan, believed in us, that's why they agreed."
Eytukan nodded, his mouth pulled in a line, the next words to pass his lips seeming to cause him physical pain to admit aloud, "I was wrong with what I said to Turon. He would not have gambled your life for his own amusement. My words were rooted in fear, because no matter how much I may wish to be unbiased, the truth of the matter is... I valued your safety over the greater good. No matter how much it made sense, no matter how skilled I know you three are, I could not keep my own worry for you from clouding my judgement."
Jake couldn't have responded to that if he'd wanted to, all thoughts leaving his mind, his body frozen to the spot, paralyzed by the words the man had just spoken.
"What you should take from this, Jake-Sully," Mo'at, ever his savior, spoke up, her voice filling the space between the two men refusing to look at each other, "is that we care for you. We do not see you as a tool or as a means to an end. You are not only a member of the Omaticaya clan, Jake-Sully. You are someone important to us. You have done so much for our clan, sacrificing your safety, comfort, time, and body for us. What you have done has gone beyond your bond with Tsu'tey—you earned your place beside him long ago.
"Eywa brought you here, to us, and not even I could have foreseen the sheer volume of her plans for you. Never doubt your place here, Jake-Sully, you have more than earned it."
Jake may have offered a weak thank you to her words, he hoped he did, but he couldn't be certain.
-x-
The Kekunan had been sad to see them leave the next morning, Yharu, flanked by the other racers, had made sure to gather him in a tight embrace before their departure, her strong arms nearly lifting him off the ground. They had been placated by the promise that they would meet again, even if it was in the heat of battle, which, to the surprise of no one, only seemed to excite them more.
The Omaticaya, on the other hand, were glad to be going home.
It had been a several days journey back, most of which Tsu'tey had spent sat on the Toruk's back beside Jake.
To say there was some explaining to do once they touched down, even with Neytiri flying ahead to give a bit of warning so as not to give anyone a heart attack by landing a Toruk unexpectedly, square in the middle of their commons, was an understatement. Jake had the feeling, however, as the clan took the news in stride, that they were getting used to them showing up with new and dangerous things and that this too fell into the realm of possibility for what they had come to expect of them.
-x-
Hours after they had arrived back at the Omaticaya Hometree, Jake and Tsu'tey did something completely unexpected. At least, Jake had to assume it was unexpected from the look on Sya'o's face when they approached her, requesting an audience with Eytukan and Mo'at.
They had promised themselves that they would inform the leaders, as well as Neytiri and Trudy, who would already be mad that they hadn't been told immediately, of the new development of their bond.
They would have preferred to wait, to allow everyone a moment to rest, but their trip to the Tayrangi was in two days, so time was not a luxury they were afforded.
They had gathered Neytiri and Trudy, guiltily pulling them from the moment they were trying to share in a secluded alcove of Hometree, by the time Sya'o found them to inform them that Eytukan and Mo'at were ready to see them.
It was impossible to ignore the curious eyes trained on the two men once they had all settled in the usual meeting place, Jake's fingers worrying at a bead braided into his hair.
They started with the easy part, something interesting, something Neytiri and Trudy already knew, something not all together newsworthy—detailing how they were now able to spend their nights sharing a single dreamscape.
"This is fascinating information," Mo'at had said with a raised brow, "but I do not see how this constituted bringing us all together like this."
Jake and Tsu'tey exchanged a look then, bracing themselves before launching into how they had been given a different dream the night before their trip to the Kekunan. They ignored the hitched breathes around them as they described Jake's mother emerging from her tent, wholly unsurprised by their presence. They didn't share the intimate details, the tears that had been shed, the stories they had told, the loving words she had showered upon them, that was for them and them alone.
"She told us that we would be given these dreams before times of stress," Tsu'tey said, powering on through their explanation when Jake had begun choking on his words at the memory, "she did not foretell what upcoming event had prompted her arrival, we can only assume now, with hindsight, that it was a warning towards the dangers of the Toruk."
"She knew why she was there?" Mo'at asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"She seemed to know more than she was willing or able to tell us," Tsu'tey said, his shoulders raising in a small shrug.
"She said," Jake breathed through the words, calming the emotions welling in his chest, "that she'd been there a while, that she knew she was waiting on us."
"Was your mother aware of your bond with Tsu'tey? Did she have prior knowledge of us and our culture?" Mo'at was staring down at Jake, though it seemed more like she was staring through him, her hands braced against the floor as though to keep herself steady.
"No," Jake shook his head, "she never believed me when... when she was alive. I stopped mentioning it to her at all when I was still just a child. There's no way she had any prior knowledge of what this is or what's happening."
"Well," Mo'at nodded, just barely managing to keep the tremble from her voice, "thank you for bringing this to us. I will ponder over what you both have told me. For now, I will dismiss you for the night. Try and relax, if you are able, we must begin preparations for the next trip first thing tomorrow morning."
They offered only polite bows at that, leaving without another word.
They made it down to the forest floor before Neytiri cocked back her fist and nailed Tsu'tey square in the shoulder, causing him to stumble back at the impact, sputtering and growling as he recovered his balance.
She was speaking, however, before anyone had the chance to ask what her problem was.
"Why did you wait so long to tell me?" She snapped; her fist still drawn back as though she hadn't decided if she was done assaulting her friend yet.
"We needed to focus on the mission, you psycho," Jake bit back, stepping over to Tsu'tey, his ankle causing him to limp slightly as he moved, "it's not like it was very important."
"First of all," Neytiri huffed, her fist lowering to prop against her hip, "it was a warning that we were going to face trouble, so I argue that it was rather important. Second of all, that is not the point, we are friends and you two should have told me because it is important to you. It is a big deal, not just because of the danger it foretold, not just because it has fundamentally changed our understanding of death and Eywa's influence over the afterlife, but because... because I cannot imagine how it must have felt to get to see her... Tsu'tey, for you to get to meet her... Jake, to know she finally believed you..." Neytiri scrubbed at her eyes, though she'd deny it if asked, "that is why I am angry. Because it is a big deal and you should not have to go through it alone."
"Okay," Jake conceded, raising his arms in defeat, "you're right, I'm sorry... it was just," he exhaled out a long breath, "it was a lot, and I don't think... I don't think we knew how to talk about it."
Trudy reached out, brushing her hand against Neytiri's arm, that simple action seeming to drain all the fight out of her, "Alright," Neytiri muttered, still fixing the two men with a glare, "I get it, just... do not hide such things from me again."
"Yes, ma'am," Jake rolled his eyes, before shooting her a soft smile.
"I am happy for you both," she said after a moment of silence, her eyes now trained on the dirt between them, "what a wonderful gift, to be able to see those you have lost. I wish I could see Sylwanin once more."
Tsu'tey stepped forward, resting a strong hand against her shoulder, "your sister would be proud of who you have become."
Neytiri gave a soft, pained laugh, looking up past the canopy, into the clear sky above, "she would have loved all of this, would have been by our side through everything. She used to tell me there was good in all, even among the Skypeople... she would have been very smug about how true her words proved... even if it is just for a select few Skypeople."
Silence fell among them again, even as Jake stepped beside Tsu'tey to wrap his arms around Neytiri's shoulders, offering her what comfort he could. There was little more they could give besides that silent understanding. They could not bring her with them into their dreams, they could not lend her the ability, and to apologize for these facts would have done little more than to smother the twinge of guilt that burrowed into the two men's chests—and that wasn't what they were concerning themselves with.
After some time, they finally parted, Neytiri and Trudy bidding them farewell in favor of returning to the alone time they had been attempting to enjoy before being interrupted. Jake and Tsu'tey waved at their backs, suddenly feeling very grateful for the many gifts Eywa saw fit to grant them, stamping down any intruding thoughts over whether or not they deserved them.