Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait! Enjoy!
Tsyeyk woke up alone and freezing without Father's warmth and suspended in the air. He looks around, sluggishly remembering that Tsu'tey lead him up the spiral in Hometree to lay down in the hammocks that the majority of the clan sleeps in that don't have any kids. He had a really long day, and he was so tired that he fell asleep on Tsu'tey's thigh, waiting for Father to come pick him up. But for some reason, Tsu'tey brought him here to sleep. He had been so tired that he followed, but he's awake now, shaking both in fear and because he's freezing.
"Tu'tey?" He calls, sluggishly. He rubs at his eyes, sitting up a bit as it sways. He clears his throat, reminding himself to try again and rasps out, "Tsu'tey!"
Nothing. Despite being surrounded by sleeping Na'vi, he felt incredibly alone. He looks around, desperately, spotting the community fire a few floors below, before realizing that he was suspended over open air. How was he able to get over here without realizing or falling all the way down to the bottom floor again, he has no idea. But now he's terrified of falling and being alone.
He curls up into a tiny ball, shaking and crying. "Tsu'tey... Tsu'tey..."
"Tsyeyk?"
He's not sure how long he laid there crying when the voice made him jolt in surprise. Tsyeyk pulls his head up to see a hunter knelt down by his head on the branch that his hammock is attached to. The male rubs at his eyes, obviously having just woken up.
"Tsu'tey..." Tsyeyk sobs, rubbing at his own eyes. The male hunter reaches out and opens up the hammock with a wave of the hand, before reaching out to Tsyeyk with a sympathetic expression. It takes a moment of quietly sobbing, rubbing at his face, before he takes the male's hand and uses it to help pull himself out of the hammock and onto the branch with him on shaking legs. Then, while still holding Tsyeyk's hand, the male guides him back along the branch toward the spiral that will bring them back down to the lower level and the fire.
"Tsu'tey..." Tsyeyk cries, rubbing roughly at his eyes as they get to the ground level and head in the direction of the center of Hometree.
"Tsu'tey," the hunter says, voice low as he pulls Tsyeyk up beside him once they get to the fire. "Tsyeyk needs you."
"Aw, Tsyeyk," Tsu'tey calls out softly. Tsyeyk opens his swollen eyes to see Tsu'tey straightening up from where he was sitting next to a few other hunters to walk over to the distressed teen to wrap his arms around him. Tsyeyk pulls his hand from the hunter and hugs Tsu'tey, still crying. "Aww, Tsyeyk, you're shaking."
Unable to decide which he's more upset about, through a shaky breath, he cries, "Father, Tsu'tey! Father!"
"Shh," Tsu'tey says softly, pressing a kiss into his hair. "I don't know, Tsyeyk. He hasn't come yet."
Tsyeyk cries harder, burrowing into Tsu'tey's fire warmed skin, both cold and upset. Where is Father? Why hasn't he come for Tsyeyk?
He points a shaking finger up towards the hammocks. "Bad. No sleep. Not up, Tsu'tey. No back up sleep high, okay? Scary, bad. Okay, Tsu'tey? Cold. Tsyeyk, scared. Cold. No, no."
Tsu'tey gives him a pitying look. "I'm so sorry, beautiful. I thought you would be more comfortable in the hammock instead of the hard dirt ground. I didn't realize that it would scare you."
"Bad, Tsu'tey..."
Tsu'tey smiles, leaning forward to kiss Tsyeyk's forehead, pulling his pointing hand back to Tsu'tey's warm body feeling the chill in the extended digit. "I know, I'm sorry."
Even with the shawl wrapped around him, he's cold. The fire helps, and the heat of Tsu'tey's body helps too. But doesn't make him feel better. He's so upset and the cold on top of it just makes him feel worse. Tsu'tey rubs his hands up and down Tsyeyk's arms and sides, trying to warm him up as the younger teen presses into him, face in his neck, hands tucked between them.
"Shh," Tsu'tey softly says, kissing his temple as Tsyeyk lets out a little whine. "I know, my love, you miss him. I don't know where he is, but how about we get some more sleep by the entrance, that way we'll hear him when he calls out for you. Does that sound okay?"
He sniffles, pressing his forehead into the curve of Tsu'tey's neck. He slides his warming hands over Tsu'tey's chest to around his back, hugging him tightly, still sniffling. Tsu'tey gently rocks back and forth, rubbing his sides.
"How does that sound, Tsyeyk?" Tsu'tey asks again softly. "Sleep by the entrance while we wait for Father?"
Tsyeyk nods. "Yeah..." he nuzzles into Tsu'tey's neck. "Wait for Father, yeah. Yes, Tsu'tey."
Tsu'tey takes his hand and gently leads him over to the community baskets, taking a bunch of blankets, grinning crookedly when Tsyeyk sniffles, holding out his arms for the pile. "You want to carry this for me?"
Tsyeyk nods again, sniffling. "Yeah..."
Tsu'tey smiles sweetly, passing them over to him, helping to make sure that he had a good hold on them before leading him towards the main entrance to Hometree that Father usually calls out to him from. That way they would be able to hear him when he does come to pick Tsyeyk up. With a quiet farewell to the hunters he was sitting with, they're off. Tsyeyk stops by the entrance flanked by a few more hunters, safeguarding the sleeping clansmen within. Tsyeyk looks up at the moon, seeing how late it is, surprised that Father wasn't here yet. Father has never made him wait this long to bring him home. But at least they'll be closer so they can hear him when he does.
Tsu'tey brings them to a little nook just off the main entrance. Tsu'tey had to duck beneath the slanted overhead piece whereas Tsyeyk could easily walk beneath it. The soft glowing moss in the smallish space illuminates it enough for Tsyeyk to be able to see easily enough. It's large enough that two Tsyeyks standing on each other's shoulders would be able to stretch comfortably across the space. It was plenty of room for them to rest in.
"This should be enough room to make a nest, Tsyeyk," Tsu'tey says sweetly.
A nest? Tsyeyk has building a nest for him and Father in their cave but hadn't thought to make one in Hometree. They didn't have anything like blankets in their cave, aside from Tsu'tey's blanket - well, Tsyeyk's, but it smells like Tsu'tey which is the best part. But he has other things that he's piled around to make it feel more comfortable, and nest like. Something he hadn't really understood his desire for, but Mo'at had explained - or tried to - that some Na'vi have a stronger instinct than others to make things in a specific way. A nest. He needs to make an environment suitable for young and mates, and even for himself. He needs to make a space that feels safe for him. That he feels connected to and comfortable in.
It's mostly found in females, but males can feel it strongly too. In fact, it was Eytukan that obsessively made up their hut, according to Mo'at. He was the one that needed their home to be a specific way. So, while it wasn't common in males, it wasn't unusual for it to crop up either.
Meanwhile, Father didn't mind all the random things that he brought to the cave because for whatever reason he really liked it, and Tsyeyk was very particular about the things that he brings in and he always moves things around regularly to suit his fancy. He hadn't realized what he was doing was a behavior shared by others, but he was happy to know that he had something in common with Eytukan.
The sudden realization about getting to build a new nest in this space is making him excited. Momentarily forgetting his fears and how cold he is, Tsyeyk gets to work. Father liked to sleep on moss, but Tsyeyk gets to make this one out of soft blankets? Excitedly, he peaks around the offered space, mind already whirling with how he wanted it to look. He drops the pile onto the ground and uses his foot to clear out the space a bit, only nudging away a stray rock or two. Once the area is clear, he gets to work unfolding the blankets, laying them out, carefully considering where everything should go. He takes his time making it perfect.
Once he was done, he glances over at where Tsu'tey had been leaning against one of the walls by the opening, watching with a gentle look on his face, only to see that the space he had occupied was empty. He blinks a few times, surprised that Tsu'tey had just vanished into thin air without him even noticing. His ears press back, eyes scanning the dim darkness around him, whimpering.
But why? Why would he go without saying anything? Why would Tsu'tey just leave him?
"Tu- Tsu'tey? Where? Where Tsu'tey..?"
His chin wavers as he starts to get upset again, when Tsu'tey steps back into the space, dipping his head a bit before looking at Tsyeyk, noticing the pitiful expression on his face, which makes him let out a little laugh. "Aw, my love, I'm sorry. I just had to run back to my family's hut to grab you something that will hopefully help you to forgive me for putting you in the hammock and making you upset. I thought I would be back before you got done."
Tsyeyk twists around a bit, blinking drying lashes when Tsu'tey pulls out another blanket. The feral boy tilts his head, holding out a hand for it so that he can put it with the rest, already trying to plan out the perfect spot for it, but then he catches a whiff of Tsu'tey. He pauses, bringing the blanket to his nose to breathe it in. He immediately starts purring, curling up in the blankets while wrapping the one that smells like Tsu'tey around himself.
Tsu'tey smiles lovingly, watching Tsyeyk's tail twirling happily as one of the only things uncovered by the blanket - and the tips of his toes also sticking out from underneath, while he's folded up into a neat little ball.
"You're so cute," Tsu'tey muses.
Tsyeyk giggles happily, digging himself into the nest before looking over at Tsu'tey, who was respectfully staying out of Tsyeyk's space. It's Tsyeyk's space now and he wasn't going to intrude and start to stress the younger teen out. Tsyeyk turns crested eyes toward him, his giggle muffled by the blanket pulled up to his eyes.
"Nest with Hometree, Tsu'tey."
Tsu'tey grins, pressing his shoulder into the wall, looking down at him lovingly. "I know, you've got a cute little nest coming along, here."
Tsyeyk nods, pulling one arm out from under the blanket and points down at it for Tsu'tey to see. "Like, yes, okay? Tsyeyk's?"
Tsu'tey lets out a raspy laugh, flashing white fangs as Tsyeyk quickly tucks the limb back underneath the blanket once more, relishing in the warmth. And it smelling like Tsu'tey eases his frazzled nerves from earlier. "You want this one too? You want all of my blankets?"
Tsyeyk barely considers before nodding excitedly. "Just like Tsu'tey. Be scent Tsu'tey Tsyeyk. For Tsyeyk okay, yes? Yes, Tsu'tey?"
The hunter laughs, shaking his head, staring into identical golden eyes, this magnetic joy bouncing back and forth between them. Tsu'tey is so beautiful to Tsyeyk. His long, strong body, leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. The beautiful bioluminescent marks line his long limbs, his stomach and chest, and splash across his handsome face. How adoringly he looks at Tsyeyk as if he wasn't the most beautiful and special between the two of them.
"Tsu'tey is pretty," Tsyeyk says, smiling at his beloved.
Tsu'tey looks down, blushing a bit. His shaking head makes the short braids framing one side of his face sway with the movement. He gestures to the opening, quietly saying, "I'll be right here. Try to get some sleep, Tsyeyk. I'll wake you when Father calls for you."
Tsyeyk frowns, tilting his head. Tsu'tey won't sleep? No, that can't be. Tsu'tey will be tired if he doesn't get some sleep.
He points at the bedding next to him and pouts. "Tsu'tey? Be with Tsyeyk? Here? Please?"
Tsu'tey melts at his words, shoulders slumping a bit. He appears hesitant. He glances out of the opening, considering, before looking back over at him. There is this yearning in his eyes. Other than the occasional nap outside, Tsu'tey doesn't sleep around him, while Tsyeyk sleeps all the time. He's super secure in sleeping wherever he wants, but Tsu'tey isn't as much. He'll nap with Tsyeyk so long as it's the two of them, but he doesn't sleep when others are around them. Even when he appears as though he really wants to be with him.
Cunningly, Tsyeyk softly calls out, "Please, Tsu'tey? Please?" He pats the spot next to him. He now doesn't have to worry about being high up or being cold, as he's nice and warm now. But he also doesn't want to be alone. He's never slept alone before. He's napped alone, but never slept alone. Even that first night that he was awake, Father found him at some point in the night. And besides, he wanted to sleep with Tsu'tey. The only thing better than Tsu'tey's blankets, was Tsu'tey.
Tsu'tey wars with himself, looking down at the spot, before looking back at him. Quietly, he asks, "Are you sure, Tsyeyk? This is your nest now, even if temporarily. I don't want to stress you out by being in there..."
Tsyeyk tilts his head a bit. "Tsyeyk," he points to himself, "and Tsu'tey." He points to the other teen. "Our nest."
Of course it would be theirs. They were going to be together forever. Everything that was his would be Tsu'tey's too. And this nest already had a tiny piece of him - the only piece he would take with him into a more permanent nest, like the cave - so why would he have a problem with the person himself being in it? Tsu'tey was made for him. They belonged together. One day, the nest that he makes will be for them. And once it's perfect, they'll mate and start having babies to fill it.
"Our nest," Tsu'tey echoes, full lips pressing together tightly before looking down at the circle of blankets. Desire flaring in his eyes, he very slowly steps onto the nest, making his way over to Tsyeyk, giving the other teen enough time to deny him further access. He pulls off his knife and removing his adornments and cummerbund, laying them off to the side before lowering down next to Tsyeyk. "Is this okay?"
Tsyeyk turns onto his side, facing him. "Tsu'tey! Tsyeyk go liked with Tsu'tey! Be with Tsu'tey here sleep."
Tsu'tey lowers onto his side, staring into Tsyeyk's cresting eyes. This trepidation and sudden nervousness washes over his expression. "Can I hold you?" he blurts, flinches, then steels him before admitting, "I didn't mean to just say that." Another moment of hesitation, as if the answer could be anything other than yes, before asking again, "Can I hold you?"
Tsyeyk sits up, scooting closer before lowering down onto Tsu'tey's shoulder and chest, pulling the blanket over both of them. Purring hard, he curls around Tsu'tey, hugging him tightly. Tsu'tey wraps around him, holding him close. He reaches under Tsyeyk's shawl and runs his hands up and down the other boy's back. This tension seems to leak out of him. He nuzzles Tsyeyk's hair, pressing a kiss to his forehead while Tsyeyk purrs away while they both slip away into slumber.
Tsyeyk's not sure how long he was asleep before a flash of heat wakes him up. He groans softly, peeling himself off of Tsu'tey, sitting up and stripping the shawl off of himself and tossing it away, barely hearing Tsu'tey's gentle chuckle. The cool air makes the skin on his chest and back prickle up in relief after being stifled under so many layers. He lowers the blanket down to his hips but refuses to kick it off and lays down next to Tsu'tey tucking his arms up to his chest and trying to go back to sleep. Tsu'tey wraps his arms around him, pressing another kiss to his forehead, then his hairline, before falling still once more.
After a moment, Tsyeyk rests one arm along Tsu'tey's, placing his hand on the other teen's shoulder and pressing his face to Tsu'tey's, feeling his soft breaths ghost across his eyes. He presses his body as close as he can before drifting off to sleep once more.
The next morning, Tsyeyk curls closer to Tsu'tey's warmth, chest rumbling with his content purr. His tail curling out from under the blanket a bit as he nuzzles closer, feeling Tsu'tey's full lips against his nose. He feels those lips curve a bit into a sweet smile as Tsyeyk continues to purr, nuzzling closer to the other teen, his hands sliding up and down Tsyeyk's back.
Their first night sleeping side-by-side. And it was wonderful. It felt so right. Everything with Tsu'tey is right. Mother made them to be together, and he's just... so happy that of all the people in the world that Mother created, she found all the best parts and made Tsu'tey with them.
Tsyeyk mumbles against Tsu'tey's chin, opening his eyes only to be blasted in the retina by sunlight through the narrow sliver between the entrance to their little side space and the main opening into Hometree from over Tsu'tey's shoulder. A whine rips from him as he brings a hand up to cover his wounded eyes.
He pulls back from Tsu'tey, hissing at the light before turning around to put his back to the beams. Tsu'tey follows him, pressing flush against his back but wrapping the blanket around the space his tail wiggled out, to keep the warmth trapped in with Tsyeyk. Tsu'tey runs a hand from his ribs to his stomach, up to his chest, blunt nails scraping soothingly. He pulls the blanket that had ridden up during the night back down to his hips to cool down his back a bit, but he pulls Tsu'tey closer, purring softly.
"You're so beautiful," Tsu'tey whispers, pressing a kiss to Tsyeyk's neck, right over his scent gland. "I thank the Great Mother for you every day." Tsyeyk's thought exactly! He had just been thinking about that!
He squints over his shoulder at Tsu'tey, smiling. "Yes. Mother thanked for Tsu'tey."
He turns back over and closes his eyes, still slightly swollen from crying the night before, and sinks into Tsu'tey's embrace. He dozes a bit more, holding Tsu'tey's hand to his chest to ensure he doesn't leave. After a minute or two, he drifts to sleep.
"Yes, we spoke with Rantu this morning," Mo'at's soft voice pulls Tsyeyk from his light dream. He blinks his eyes open to see Tsu'tey's stomach from where he was snuggled up on the other teen's thigh. He doesn't remember moving around but he's a very heavy sleeper, so it's not that hard for him to have been moved around - or moved himself around - and not noticed.
"Father didn't call to Tsyeyk at all last night?" Eytukan asks.
"Not that I heard," Tsu'tey says quietly, a hand lightly pushing long black strands from over his forehead. "I stayed up pretty late after putting Tsyeyk to sleep in the hammocks, and of course, as you heard, he woke up crying, so I brought him here for us to be able to hear Father while Tsyeyk went back to sleep, but I never heard him calling and I'm a pretty light sleeper."
Tsyeyk stretches, making his limbs pop. A smile graces his lips as Tsu'tey takes onto of his hands and kisses the inside of his wrist. He squints up at Tsu'tey's gentle look directed at him and sits up slowly. He sighs at the loss of the warmth and comfort of the position he was in, but turns anyway to look at Mo'at and Eytukan, standing just inside the opening, but keeping clear of the circle of blankets out of respect.
Giggling in glee, he waves his hand from his forehead in greeting, tail twirling in delight when they both return it.
"How was your sleep, Tsyeyk?" Mo'at asks, offering a little smile to the youngest in the room.
"Tsu'tey warm nest here!" Tsyeyk says. "Blanket Tsu'tey, see?" He grabs the blanket that smelled of now him and Tsu'tey and holds it up for her to see. "See?"
"I do see," Mo'at says warmly. "Another blanket to add to the one you already have, huh? You're going to have a collection of them soon enough."
Tsu'tey laughs as he gently runs his fingers through Tsyeyk's wild hair as he raises it higher for Eytukan to see with a sweet, "See? See?"
"It's very nice," Eytukan says, offering a tip of his head in approval.
"He already informed me that all of my blankets belong to him," Tsu'tey says mirthfully, smoothing out the wild strands that are thankfully untangled. "Unfortunately, he's going to have to fight my mother for them."
"A battle for the ages," Eytukan says evenly. Mo'at sends her mate a look, her lips curved in amusement. Eytukan spares her a glance for looking back at Tsyeyk. "What are you going to do today, Tsyeyk? Father didn't come calling for you yesterday."
Tsyeyk blinks in realization, remembering that yes, Father hadn't called for him. He spent the night in Hometree, not because he wanted to, but because Father never came back for him. Ears drooping, Tsyeyk looks down at his lap, lower lip wavering a bit.
"Don't cry, Tsyeyk," Tsu'tey says softly, rubbing his shoulder. "Just tell me what you want, and I'll do whatever I can to help you."
Upset, but trying not to cry despite the burning in his eyes, he turns to Tsu'tey and with a soft, but wavering voice, he says, "Tsyeyk see Father, Tsu'tey. Tsyeyk go."
Trepidation crosses his features, but he doesn't deny him. Instead, he nods and says, "I'll come with you. There has to be a reason that Father didn't come back last night. If you're going back to your cave, then maybe Father will be there."
Tsyeyk nods. "See Father?"
Tsu'tey reaches forward, gently cupping Tsyeyk's cheek. "Yes, my love. Let us go to see Father." He looks over at Eytukan and Mo'at. "I'll escort him back to the cave to check in on Father. If everything is alright, I should be back in just a few hours."
"You're not going alone," Eytukan says, frowning. "A hunting party will accompany you."
Tsu'tey knew better than to argue. Something made it so that Father didn't come to get Tsyeyk last night and while Tsu'tey is hard pressed trying to think of what could possibly keep the large albino palulukan from his feral son, he needed to make sure the beast was alright. The times in which he came for Tsyeyk always fluctuated. Sometimes it would be right before or after sunset. Sometimes late into the night. Sometimes in the middle of the day. But last night had been the first time that he can't come at all. And that worried Tsu'tey.
He wasn't going to talk to Tsyeyk about it yet, not wanting to worry him, but he's not sure what to expect when they get to the cave. And after almost thirty minutes of fully bringing Tsyeyk back to life with some food and wrapping him up in his shawl again, the hunters gather and they are off, Mo'at and Eytukan watching them depart with identical looks of professional worry. Not enough to warn Tsyeyk, but also clear enough for Tsu'tey to know that they share his fears.
And for the first time in his life, Tsu'tey is going to go looking for a palulukan cave.
Riding the pa'li as far as the fields got them ahead of Tsu'tey's expectation of how long this trip would take. While it's such a faster way to move around the forest, Tsu'tey always feels so bad for it, feeling Tsyeyk pressed so close to him, shaking like a leaf because of how cold he is. It breaks his heart, even though Tsyeyk is laughing with joy or admiring their surroundings, not seeming to be overly bothered.
He tried to keep a loose smile on his face and keep up with the idle chattering of his feral boy as they make their way through the forest, hunting party following closely. Everyone was on edge, despite trying their best not to show it. Eeki would smile and ask questions to keep him talking and Umrr would hold all the flowers that Tsyeyk handed him so that he could give it to Uvay.
Unease still settled in Tsu'tey's gut the further they went. Still, he couldn't help but worry about Father. Worry about what happened that prevented him from coming for Tsyeyk. He will never claim to be any sort of palulukan expert, and not yet is he a father, but Father seems to adore Tsyeyk. They play and run around and hunt together. Tsyeyk talks to him in babbled nonsense and Father just sits there for hours, listening to him. Father lets him hang off of him and ride on his back and lets him put all sorts of random things across him. They cuddle together and Father will pin Tsyeyk down to groom him - all the while Tsyeyk's fighting to get away until his strength gives out and he just lays there and takes it.
And when he cries, Father is there to sooth him. Father isn't just a physical caregiver, but an emotional one too.
Tsu'tey doesn't know a whole lot about love, but he knows without a shadow of a doubt that Father loves Tsyeyk. So... why didn't he come back for him? It just doesn't make any sense.
"Father!" Tsyeyk calls, ripping Tsu'tey from his thoughts as they come to the bottom of a sheer cliff face. About thirty or so feet up, so a descent climb, with distinguishable gouges in the face belying very sharp claws digging in as he climbed up. But in doing so, there is also natural grooves that Tsyeyk expertly utilizes to begin his ascent.
"We'll stay down here to keep an eye out," Eeki says, casting a nervous glance up the rock face toward the looming cave above. The other hunters nod in agreement, carefully spanning out to do just that.
Tsu'tey slips his bow around his back and follows Tsyeyk up. Once he makes it to the top, he watches as Tsyeyk skips happily into the dark cave, the distinct smell of a palulukan assaulting his senses. Definitely Father's cave, alright. It's making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end in warning of the danger before him. Realistically he knows Father won't attack him without reason, but years' worth of bred in instinct is impossible to ignore, so he proceeds cautiously. He gets far enough into the cave to be able to make out the shape of Father, laying out on his side with his back to them before coming to a stop, knowing better than to go any further without permission as Tsyeyk's nest was there.
Flowers and pretty colored stones and strangely twisted branches and roots and present by the Omatikaya decorate the cave, definitely making it a more permanent nest for Tsyeyk as his scent also permeates this place. A desire builds up in his chest, wishing to be able to enter a nest made by Tsyeyk more worthy than the temporary one that Tsyeyk made the night before. His desire to be one with Tsyeyk so overwhelming it feels gut wrenching to be denied access to his space.
Not that Tsyeyk denied him, he just... hasn't welcomed him yet. And he knows why. His future mate is too distracted by his sleeping father to notice Tsu'tey's spike in anxiety. And Tsu'tey feels bad for thinking only of himself when something could be wrong with Father. Just because he's here doesn't mean something didn't happen that would prevent him from going to get Tsyeyk the night before. And while Tsu'tey doesn't see any apparent wounds, it's still pretty dark in this cave and while he can't smell any blood, he's still decently far away.
He watches as Tsyeyk makes his way over to Father, moving around to the front of him and sitting by his head. Father sucks in a deep breath, catching Tsyeyk's scent, and lets out a rumble as Tsyeyk curls around his head, pulling it up onto his chest as he wiggles underneath, purring happily. Father shifts moving into a more comfortable position before opening bleary blue eyes to stare at him as Tsyeyk rambles on, gently petting Father's cheek. Tsu'tey watches as the beast adoringly stares at Tsyeyk, quietly listening to him talk, eyes drooping a bit from having just woken up from sleep after no doubt being out all night.
While Tsyeyk is rambling on, Father twist his neck a bit to look right at Tsu'tey, eyes still calm and even, unsurprised by him being there. Tsu'tey waves from his forehead in greeting while Father slow blinks in return, twisting back to Tsyeyk to rest his head on Tsyeyk's chest, a long, razor-sharp toothed yawn escapes him, large flat tail thumping against the moss-covered ground before his eyes drift closed, listening to Tsyeyk talk.
Father didn't seem harmed and while that was a relief to Tsu'tey as he's not sure how he would ever be able to console Tsyeyk otherwise, it was still strange as to why Father didn't show up last night. He wasn't going to ask now, for obvious reasons, but it still nagged at him. Maybe Father was just running around too late and figured Tsyeyk would be asleep long before he showed up, so he just didn't? He's not sure. Normally he wouldn't know how much stalk to put into a beast's intelligence, but Father was no ordinary beast. He was capable of rationalizing, planning. As smart as a Na'vi, or maybe smarter, who knows? Father wasn't a normal palulukan and shouldn't be treated as one, even for as smart as a normal palulukan is.
Figuring that Father was okay, Tsu'tey carefully stepped back out of the cave, giving the father and son the chance to bond - while the father dozes. Tsyeyk was probably going to stick around the cave for the day until his idle chatter woke Father up, so Tsu'tey felt confident in leaving Tsyeyk with Father and heading out. Softly waving farewell when Tsyeyk glanced over at him. Tsyeyk waved back, flashing a beautiful smile his way that melted his heart before he was off, relieved that none of the things that had worried him had come to pass.
After making his way down to the hunters, he decides to make this an actual hunting party so that they'll have something to bring back to the clan from their travels that wasn't just a bouquet of flowers and weeds that Tsyeyk picked for Uvay.
Things returned to normal for the three days that followed. Tsyeyk showed up at random times or not at all, until the fourth day.
On the fourth day, Tsyeyk came skipping into Hometree around dinner time, heading straight to the fire after not having come at all the day before, gleefully excited. He made way straight for Tsu'tey blabbing long before he made it to him. Tsu'tey had been surprised to see him. He had missed the other teen dearly in the near two days it had been since they last saw one another, so it was a good surprise that he was here. But it was later.
The hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as he rationalized that Father has never dropped Tsyeyk off so late. That something must be wrong, despite the obvious joy written all over Tsyeyk's face, but before he could open his mouth to ask Tsyeyk what was going on, why Father dropped him off so late - not that he minded having Tsyeyk there at all - one of the hunters guarding the gate comes rushing over to the communal fire.
"Chief," he gasps, getting close. His face is stark white in terror. Eytukan had been making his way over to Tsyeyk with Mo'at by his side, no doubt both curious as to why Tsyeyk came so late.
"What is it?" Eytukan asks, face tightening in growing anticipation of what the hunter would say based on his expression. It put most of the clan on edge, as they all started looking around in worry. Mo'at's eyes lift upward, past the hunter, before her entire body goes rigid.
"Father!" Tsyeyk says in the middle of his blathering, reaching out to take Tsu'tey hand, squeezing it tightly.
"It is the palulukan c-called Father, I think," the hunter says, looking between Mo'at and Eytukan. His face tight with fear. "He, uh, is here."
He's here? He just dropped Jake off. Normally Tsu'tey - and the whole forest - would be able to hear Father when he called for his rambunctious son. Why did he drop him off only to come back a second later? How did Tsu'tey not hear him calling out? What was going on with Father?
Tsu'tey glances over at Tsyeyk in time to see Father looming at the entrance to Hometree, just over Tsyeyk's shoulder in the growing darkness of the world outside. As Tsyeyk had been trying to do for the last few weeks, trying to get Father to come closer to Hometree, it finally happened. Except he wasn't just in the clearing surrounding Hometree. He was standing directly in it, staring down the Omatikaya with cool, ice blue eyes.