You woke in the cool, sterile air of the cryo lab, the faint hum of machinery and soft beeping of monitors grounding you in the present. Sighing, you pushed the gas partition away, the hiss of released pressure barely registering as Grace strode over, her sharp gaze instantly appraising you. "You okay?" she asked, her voice laced with the kind of concern she rarely showed outright.

"Yeah, just sore," you replied, rolling your shoulders. Your wings fluttered briefly, the motion sending a slight ripple through the air, and your tail flicked lazily behind you. The stinger at its tip slid out with a smooth motion, gleaming in the dim light as a bead of venom formed at the edge. You tapped it absently with a claw, the action more habit than thought.

Grace blinked, her brows furrowing as her curiosity sparked. "You didn't tell me you had a stinger," she said, tilting her head to study it more closely. Her voice carried an edge of scientific intrigue, the kind she reserved for things that genuinely fascinated her.

"I didn't want to alarm anyone," you replied simply, your tone nonchalant as though discussing the weather. The truth was, you had been cautious about sharing too much—your body, after all, was still something of an enigma to everyone, including yourself.

From the corner of your eye, you noticed Jake rolling over in his wheelchair. His movement was slow and deliberate, but as his gaze fell on your stinger, a faint blush crept across his face. It was large, sleek, and black, the venom glistening with a dangerous allure. You could practically see the gears in his head turning, his expression a mix of fascination and something you couldn't quite place—but the flush deepening across his cheeks gave you a hint.

Your ears flicked toward him, picking up his uneven breathing. "Jake," you called, your voice breaking through his thoughts. He jumped slightly, his wheels squeaking on the smooth lab floor. "You doing good, mate?"

"I—uh, y-yes," he stammered, the blush spreading further as he avoided direct eye contact.

Grace looked between the two of you, her lips twitching in amusement. "Well, this just got interesting," she muttered, clearly enjoying the awkward tension radiating from Jake.

You smirked, curling your tail back around yourself as you folded your wings neatly against your back. "Guess we all have our surprises, huh?" you quipped, your tone light but your gaze lingering on Jake just long enough to make him shift in his seat.

You hopped down from the high lab bed with a smooth, fluid motion, landing lightly on your feet. As you stretched your arms above your head, your muscles rippled subtly, the light catching on the curves of your toned frame. Jake, still seated nearby, shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting away as though the sight was too much to process.

Norm, ever the enthusiastic scientist, approached with a bounce in his step. "Hey, Y/N, do you want to see some herbs I found?" he asked, holding up a small tray of leaves and stems with the kind of excitement usually reserved for groundbreaking discoveries.

"Sure," you replied, a smile tugging at your lips. You shook out your wings, the motion sending a faint breeze across the room. As you passed by Jake, the soft brush of your wings grazed his face, the leathery sensation making him flinch slightly. Your stinger, already sliding back into its sheath with a soft, organic click, caught his eye for a brief moment, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything.

Jake sighed as you moved away, running a hand through his hair and staring at the floor as though it held the answers to his turmoil. What is wrong with me? he thought, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. You were a friend—a good friend, no less. But damn if you weren't incredibly attractive, and the more he tried to push the thought away, the more persistent it became.

Norm, oblivious to Jake's internal struggle, chattered on about the herbs he was showing you, but Jake couldn't help sneaking another glance your way. The graceful movement of your wings, the confident stride in your step, the way your laughter lit up the room—it was all starting to get to him.

For now, Jake could only sigh again, resigned to the fact that he might be in deeper than he cared to admit.

SCENEBREAK

Norm gestured to a broad, fern-like plant with delicate fronds that shimmered faintly under the sterile lights of the lab. "This here is a Warbonnet Fern," he said, his tone equal parts informative and enthusiastic. "It's supposed to be good for treating coughs and respiratory stuff."

You leaned in, running your fingers lightly over the plant's feathery leaves. The texture was soft yet resilient, a testament to its adaptive nature on Pandora. "Isn't it better used against venom?" you asked, tilting your head as you studied its intricate structure. The memory of its potent properties lingered in the back of your mind.

Norm rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his brow furrowing as he considered your question. "Something along those lines," he admitted, his tone conceding that you might know more about this than he did. "But have you seen any of the Na'vi actually using it?"

A soft chuckle escaped your lips as you straightened up, nodding in response. "I have, actually," you said, your voice tinged with amusement. "Neytiri used it once on me when I got a nasty scrape from hunting. She crushed the leaves and made a poultice—it worked like magic."

Norm's eyes lit up with intrigue. "A poultice, huh?" he said, his voice brimming with curiosity. "So, it's not just for venom—it's multipurpose. Makes sense, considering how versatile most of Pandora's plants are."

You hummed in agreement, watching as he meticulously jotted down notes on a nearby pad. It was hard not to admire his relentless dedication to understanding the planet's flora. "The Na'vi know how to use everything in balance," you added, your tone reverent. "Eywa provides, and they make sure not to waste a single blessing."

Norm grinned at that, glancing up at you. "You've got that Na'vi wisdom down, Y/N. Maybe you should be teaching me a thing or two."

You smirked, your tail flicking slightly behind you. "Maybe I already am," you teased, earning a good-natured laugh from him as he turned back to his notes.

The air between you and Norm shifted abruptly, like a gust of wind stirring still waters. His eyes lingered on the charcoal flower you had been meticulously sketching, but his thoughts were clearly elsewhere. "Y/N," he said, breaking the quiet. You hummed in acknowledgment, your horned head resting lazily on your talons as you continued to trace the delicate petals on the paper.

"Do you and Jake, uh, like each other?" he asked, the words tumbling out quickly as though he'd been holding them in for too long.

You paused, the charcoal still against the paper as you lifted your gaze to meet his. Your brow knit together, confusion flickering in your expression. "Like each other?" you repeated, your voice tinged with bewilderment. "I mean, I do like him, but... as a friend!" The thought of anything more seemed almost comical in its absurdity, and you couldn't help but chuckle softly.

Norm laughed too, but it was short and awkward, as if he were laughing more at himself than at the situation. "Oh," he said, his tone trailing off as he looked away briefly. Then, almost hesitantly, he glanced back at you, a new expression in his eyes—a flicker of vulnerability beneath his usual humor.

"Really then," he began, shifting his weight slightly as if bracing himself. "Umm, would you mind if I told you I liked you?"

The room seemed to shrink, the walls of the lab pressing in closer. Your throat went dry, and your tongue felt as though it had turned to stone. The words you wanted to say twisted themselves into a tangled knot in your mind, refusing to surface. All you could do was stare at him with wide, (e/c) eyes, your pupils slitted in a mix of surprise and something you couldn't quite name.

Norm's expression faltered as the silence stretched between you. "I—I'm sorry," he stammered, his voice cracking slightly. He looked down at the floor, his shoulders curling inward as though to shield himself from a blow that hadn't come. "I shouldn't have said anything. Forget I said that."

You opened your mouth to respond, but the words caught in your throat, clinging to the uncertainty clouding your thoughts. The charcoal flower on the page remained unfinished, a poignant reminder of the moment frozen between you.

In the background, Jake sat silently, his presence almost unnoticed as the moment unfolded between you and Norm. He had been watching with a growing heaviness in his chest, his sharp Na'vi ears catching every word exchanged. His tail flicked behind him in a restless rhythm, betraying the unease he felt.

As Norm confessed his feelings, Jake's frown deepened, the ache in his chest intensifying. He wasn't sure when it had started—this persistent tug on his emotions whenever you were near. Maybe it was the way you laughed, unrestrained and genuine. Or the way you carried yourself, effortlessly graceful yet grounded. Whatever it was, the sight of you with Norm stirred something raw and unspoken within him.

Jake exhaled quietly, turning his head away as if distancing himself from the scene would somehow quiet the emotions churning inside him. But it didn't help. The weight of the moment lingered, pressing down on him like the gravity of Pandora itself.

He sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. What are you even doing, Sully? he thought to himself, a bitter edge to the question. He wasn't sure if it was jealousy, regret, or just the overwhelming realization that his feelings for you were far more complicated than he wanted to admit.

For now, Jake stayed in the background, swallowing the lump in his throat and trying to ignore the ache in his chest.