the delicate balance (of me and you) | tsireya x y/n

Content (chapter twenty one)

notes: im back, and im planning for this fic to go on for quite a bit longer still until i finish it off :) and yes there will be smut (for everyone who asked for it) but it wont be for a while... sorry lmao

You look up, past the schools of tiny fish and seaweed that frame your vision, and watch the bright blue sky through the water. Clouds drift quickly across it, bending and warping oddly as waves roll over the water, the white foam that bubbles up on top of them standing out starkly against the blue of the sky and ocean. You sigh, air bubbles escaping your lungs as you do so, and you watch them wriggle up to the surface, your mind drifting. You enjoy the minutes of loneliness and silence that you get when you're under the water; people tend to overlook the bottom of the ocean when they're looking for you, so you're generally left alone when you hide there. You use it as time to just sit and think and remember.

Right now, you're thinking about how things used to be. How you used to wake up to a silent home, your father sleeping next to you as you woke up early to watch the sunrise. You think about how he would sometimes come outside and join you as you sat with your feet in the water. You remember how you two used to talk as you watched the pink-painted sky as the sun rose before anyone was awake; you remember the silence of the village, how it felt like you two were the only ones on the whole of Pandora. You close your eyes, a gentle smile on your face as invisible tears spill from your eyes, becoming part of the ocean. You've come to the realisation that maybe you'll never stop crying over him, but that's okay. It means you still care.

You swim slowly up to the surface, meandering past sea creatures, rocks, coral, and seaweed. The seawater brushes past your skin, smooth like silk, and you feel like it's washing you clean of the tears and emotions you shed whilst you were in it. You break the surface delicately, only creating a small splash as you take a deep breath. The cool air fills your lungs, and you turn your face upwards, enjoying the breeze brushing over your damp skin. You make your way back to land, taking your time. You could call Alo'oa, but you're still basking in your memories. You'd rather take a little longer to think about your father before you go back to your daily life, pretending that everything's okay.

You reach the village, and heave yourself up onto a pathway near the Sully's house. You still think of it as the Sully's house, not yours; your house will always be where you grew up with your father, the hut that you spent so many hours of your life in. You visit there often; Tonowari has agreed to keep it empty so that you can do whatever you want with it when you're older. You wander towards the Sully's marui pod slowly, still thinking. Your daze is broken as you hear a loud yell from the direction of their house, and you speed up your pace.

'Tuktirey!' you hear Neytiri yell, and your face splits into a grin as you rush inside to see Tuk and Kiri standing face to face, Neytiri with her hands outstretched between them. Lo'ak and Neteyam are nowhere to be seen (probably off annoying Aonung and his friends, you think), and Jake's standing behind Neytiri, his arms crossed. He's smirking, but clearly trying not to. You make eye contact with him, and he almost laughs, looking away quickly. You grin, and ask, 'what's happening?' 'Kiri's a penis face,' Tuk says, sticking out her tongue at Kiri, who hisses. Neytiri turns to you, aghast. You can't help but giggle, turning away quickly to compose yourself. 

'Tuk,' you say sternly, your face twitching as you try not to smile. Jake laughs quickly, but turns it into a cough as Neytiri turns to face him, her face hard. You keep trying to hold in your giggle as you say, 'where did you learn that language?' 'Lo'ak taught me,' she says proudly, holding her little head high. You hide your grin as Jake says, 'that skxawng.' You can't take him seriously though; his face is contorted, and he's still trying not to grin. 'And why is Kiri a, um, penis face?' you ask, tears forming in your eyes as you try to keep in your laughter. Jake looks at the ground, avoiding Neytiri's gaze as he laughs silently. 'She's just a massive bitch!' Tuk yells loudly, and you can't hold it in anymore. 

You cackle, holding your stomach as Neytiri shouts, 'Tuktirey!' 'I can't,' you choke out, making eye contact with Jake. You see the tears flooding from his eyes as he lets out his (clearly long awaited) laughter, and you laugh even harder. You look up from the floor at Kiri, who's still standing with her arms crossed. Her mouth twitches as she looks at you. And finally, she joins in, and you're all dying laughing except Neytiri and Tuk, who are both looking down at you all on the floor, laughing hysterically in a pile. Neytiri stands with her arms crossed, waiting for Jake. Eventually he stands up, wiping the tears from his eyes. 'Sorry,' he mutters to Neytiri, still trying not to smile. She glares at him.

'What's so funny?' Tuk asks innocently, and that's it. You're all on the floor again. You're holding your stomach, your face sore from smiling as you laugh with your new family. And you're grateful for the distraction; grateful for the brief happiness that this moment has bought you.

* * *

'What was the fight even about, anyway?' you ask Kiri, as you walk with her along the beach. She shrugs. 'I forgot.' You giggle, shoving her gently. 'You have to admit, it was pretty funny.' 'Shut up,' she says jokingly. 'You're just a massive bitch,' you say, laughing, and Kiri cracks a smile. 'I'm going to kill Lo'ak,' she says, slightly menacingly. You giggle. 'Didn't she learn penis face from you, though?' She grins. 'Okay, yes. Maybe she learnt penis face from me. But I definitely didn't tell her bitch!' You laugh, and look out over the sea. The last of the sunlight of the day glimmers over the gentle waves. And you're content.