You made sure that after the Tulkuns left you made yourself scarce not ready to face Ronal and Tonowari knowing they would have questions. You had to be prepared though for tonight and then tomorrow you had to tell everyone and be prepared for war again. They had found you guys, found Jake, and would stop at nothing to get what they want. At the very least you can save the Tulkuns if you can do one good thing here for the Metkayina it would be to save the Tulkuns. You were at the beach trying to clear your head when you heard approaching footsteps.

"Hey, where did you disappear to after the Tulkuns? Everyone was looking for you." You turned to Jake who sat down next to you on the sand dipping his feet in the water. He used his tail to pull you closer so he can wrap an arm around you. You were nervous, should you tell him you're meeting Ranari? He hasn't seen the spear yet, you hid it and planned on bringing it to him tonight thinking maybe it'll be easier to give it to him since it'll be the two of you.

"Oh, it was a lot to take in and I was feeling tired so I went and took a nap and then explored a little bit on the beach collecting shells and stuff. What did you think about the Tulkuns?" The lie flew from your lips easily as the two of you chatted for a bit until he heard the two of your names called out to come to bed. You weren't going to bed yet, you needed to meet Ranari but, didn't want to tell Jake and Neytiri because they will stalk you or, on the other hand, they will be mad if you don't tell them and find out about your meeting on their own.

"Ma Y/N" You snapped out of it looking up at concerned eyes of Jake.  "You're okay? You spaced out there on me." He had a grip on your shoulder and the other hand on your waist not quite gripping and not quite letting go. 

"It's just some things I wanted to think about alone, I promise to tell you tomorrow! I won't be long either. If I'm not back in an hour or so then you can come to find me." You were quick to explain when he narrowed his eyes at you. He tilted his head at you gripping your waist tightly this time.

"You know you can talk to me right? I know I'm not always the most approachable but I'm here." There was conviction in his voice and you found yourself smiling at his protective nature your hands enclosing around his where he had them on you.

"I know I can, I just...need to figure this out on my own first, please?" You weren't above begging knowing that he was weak to it when it came to you. He was weak for Neytiri in other ways. He gave in pressing his forehead to yours and placing a kiss there before hurrying to the Marui to explain to Neytiri what you were doing. You stood there the tingling of his touch still lingering on you as you slowly made your way down the beach, grabbing the spear you made for Ranari before heading into the mangrove forests. Your Ikran was here with the others sleeping somewhere. As you got near the forest you saw a familiar figure leaning against one of the trees. As you got closer you saw he made a face at the weapon. 

"I didn't think you would be that scared of me." You would have rolled your eyes if you weren't so nervous. You leaned it towards him looking off to the side.

"I made it for you, it has the patterns of your tattoos on it." Silence. You were met with utter silence. You turned your eyes to him to see he kept looking between you and the spear trying to figure out which one he wants to look at more. You shook the spear a little urging him to grab it and he did but, to your chagrin, he glanced at it and leaned it against the tree before scooping you up in a hug. You swallowed a yelp at how hard and quickly he grabbed you. It wasn't painful but, you couldn't get out and your feet were off the ground. You figured that this can be worse so you tentatively wrapped yourself, arms and legs included, around him and hugged him. From somewhere deep in his chest a purr came out and by Eywa you blame all the emotions you felt today for the reason you sagged against him. The two of you stood like that just hugging, surrounded by the ocean and the sounds of the forest. It was serene, comforting and the scariest thing was that it felt right. Holy shit you seriously got to ask Eywa if platonic soulmates were a thing or if there was any other kind really.

"You're so damn perfect, I hate you." You were confused now. You tried pulling back to look at him but, he held you fast against him. He wasn't ready for you to see his face so maybe it was easier for him to talk like this. "You have my sister and her mate wrapped around your finger, you have Toruk Makto and his mate wrapped around your finger." He let out a bitter laugh "You got me wrapped around your finger. Eywa you don't know how much I hated myself that day we left you, I left you. I made a promise that I would protect you and I failed you. I let my pride and the cruelty of the others get in my way and it almost cost you your life. I would have never forgiven myself if you died, it would have been my fault and you would have passed thinking I hate you." He was almost growling but, sounded defeated at the same time. "I don't hate you, I never did. When you first washed up on our shores on that Ilu with a smile I thought how cute you were, I was ashamed since day one to admit how I felt about you. I wanted to know you and be near you, but I let my pride and the others talking in my ear convince me to be mean to you. I never understood why, it never made me feel good it made me feel like utter shit but, that day out in the water when I saw how betrayed you were and cried because of me I wanted to vomit, scream and fight all at the same time." He went quiet for a few and you took the time to play with the hair at the nape of his neck being careful with his kuru.

"I don't hate you." He laughed at that burying his face into your neck placing a kiss there before pulling away and looking straight up to the sky.

"I know. Out of everyone here, you deserve to hate me the most. I left you. You had to fight an Akula all by yourself and almost died, you've been having it hard with everyone picking on you even if the Tsahik and Olo'eyktan accepted you even though most of the people haven't. I don't deserve your kindness but, what do you do? You make me a spear with the canine of the Akula and decorate it to match my tattoos." His voice warbled and you felt wetness on your neck "All I ever done is hurt you and make you sad, I don't deserve anything from you." He had fallen to his knees and you were still wrapped around him not wanting to let him go. He didn't want to let you go either. "I'm so sorry for the things I said, the things that I did." He squeezed you a little tighter to try and get his point across physically.

"I forgive you." You felt his breath hitch as he held onto you painfully tight afraid to let you go. "It is not a dream yawntutsyip, I forgive you. It's hard for someone like me, a former sky person to come and disrupt your way of living, your way of life, to learn and do things that you've been doing your whole life. You were conflicted. You felt you might lose your place in your clan if you were to treat me the way you wanted instead of what was expected." You started rubbing a hand up and down his back feeling him shaking like a newborn. "It was not right, you were not right to leave me and I was deeply hurt but...I forgive you Ranari." You heard his voice come out quivering as he finally pulled back enough for the two of you to stare each other in the eyes and you wiped away the stray tears that managed to leave his stubborn eyes. 

"Can you say my name again please?" You nodded, repeating it as you placed kisses on his forehead, his eyes, nose, and cheeks and rubbed his back and neck gently. You weren't thinking about what to do you were just following instinct at this point. "My name sounds so nice coming from you." He sighed pressing his forehead against yours and taking deep breaths. You let him. It took a lot out of him to say all of this and you weren't going to ruin the peace. "I'm sorry for hurting you, I'm sorry for saying you're not a true na'vi, I'm sorry for every single mean and all the undeserving things that have ever come out my mouth about you." He rubbed his forehead against yours. "C-Can I kiss you? I know I'm not the one you want but-" You silenced him by pressing your lips against his and he returned in jest, holding you tightly against him. He was sitting down at that point and your legs were around his hips and your arms around his neck. This was extremely intimate, more than he has ever been with anyone and he loved it. Holy shit he loved having you consume his entire being. This was going to cause problems he knows it.

"Can I admit something?" He pulled away to look at you again observing the way your skin glowed and your freckles shined like the sun itself. You were beautiful and he's an idiot for taking this long to notice. "I am so confused because I have feelings for way too many people, two mated pairs and the one I'm talking to right now. Ronal and Tonowari are one and the others are Jake and Neytiri." He was shocked by that. The way they acted he thought they were together already and he was being greedy and wrong by kissing you. 

"I thought you were with Jake and his mate already." You shook your head no at that and he was shocked. Admittedly, he should have asked this before pushing the kiss but, too late.

"I want to be so bad but, I'm so stingy and selfish. I want them, I want your sister and her mate and I want you. As if I'm not a freak as it is I have to go and want people who are taken for fucks sake and here I am confessing everything I've been hiding to you." He was rubbing his hands along your waist and back trying to bring you comfort. When he saw tears he pulled you to lay against his chest, pushing your head into his neck. 

"It is okay to be with mated pairs, it is normal, it is Eywa's will. We do not judge and believe in everybody having love no matter who and where they get it from. Sometimes it's with having and raising children, sometimes it's with one mate, or two, or three. There have been stories of multiple mates blessed by Eywa herself. It doesn't matter, everything has always been blessed by Eywa. You have especially been blessed, I don't understand how or why I just know." He rubbed your back and neck making sure to purr for you to hear and calm down. "Also, a little secret that we Na'vi have is that there is such a thing as soulmates." You made a noise at that to indicate that you've been listening. "Yeah, soulmates exist. There are platonic, familial, and romantic. You can have all three and I feel that if we are not romantic soulmates then we are platonic. Either way, I truly believe you're my soulmate. Can't you feel how right it is to have you here? The closeness? The comfortability?"

You couldn't deny that there was some truth to his words. It did feel right laying on him, kissing him, just being close but, overall, maybe something was not right at the same time. "It does." That was all you said as the two of you enjoyed each other's embrace for a little longer before inevitably having to separate and go to get some sleep. He sighed and with a grunt of exertion got up with you still on him, grabbed the spear, and looked at you under the moonlight with a gentle smile. It felt like you were seeing him for the first time ever since coming here.

"I don't want this to be the last time we are together. I like being with you. I like touching you, talking to you, and being in your presence." He pressed another kiss to your lips "I would like to talk to you again if you have me." It seemed he wasn't going to put you down until you answered so you nodded your head and he carefully set you back down on your feet. You grabbed his hand and squeezed feeling compelled to say one more thing.

"I would love to but, I don't know when we can...the Tulkuns told me that the sky people are back." He froze completely and you powered on before losing your nerve "Roa and the others told me not to say anything today and to wait until tomorrow because everyone was happy. They all told me that they trust me and Eywa has blessed me and I didn't know what that-" You were stopped by a hand on your cheek and Ranari leaned down to kiss you again and because you were weak and high off of emotions you kissed him back wanting some sort of comfort and attention at the moment. 

"Ma Y/N it's okay. I understand... I trust you too." He rubbed your cheek looking at you with a small, sweet, and sincere smile before pulling away from you. He grabbed your hand as the two of you walked back towards the Marui's hand-in-hand. When you got closer he let go, trailing a hand from the top of your head, down your back to your tail, and then removing himself completely from you. He threw a look over his shoulder and headed towards his Marui. You took a second to calm your heart as you made it to Jake and Neytiri's side noticing there was significant space between them. As quietly as possible you lay there in between them proud that they only stirred. One of them anyway.

"You're okay?" It was Jake whispering right in your ear as you moved your eyes to look into his tired slit ones. You nodded your head and he huffed placing an arm across you, pulling you in by the hip so your front was plastered against his front and Neytiri moved that her entire front was pressed against your back. It was safe. It was comforting. You were out like a light despite the fear and guilt sitting in your chest.

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We are getting into the juicy part of the story finally! Be prepared for the following chapters