The week-old newborn's ears flickered at the familiar sound of his name, those bright amber eyes staring up at Jake as they always did, the light of the stars twinkling in them. Ever since you gave birth, Jake loved the quiet solitude of moments like these, watching Neteyam slowly get used to being in the world around him. Those small, three-fingered hands reached up to grab whatever was nearby, the latest victim being Jake's tswin [neural queue] resting over his right shoulder. But he didn't mind. He never did. Not when it was his baby boy.

There was nothing that brought tears to the ex-Marine's eyes like seeing so much of you, his beautiful mate, his first karyu [teacher], who taught him to See, in the features of Neteyam. He admired every feature that he traced with his eyes, your syuratan [bioluminescent pattern] and your stripes, to the small upturning of your eyes when you smile, all that you passed to your son. Standing slowly, Jake adjusted his son in his arms, his hands supporting the little one's back and neck as he walked around the kelku [home], trying to get Neteyam to sleep. But the newborn was relentless, his impossibly tiny hands grabbing at the swaying beads in his father's hair. With every soft coo, came a series of gentle shushes, to no avail.

Outside, within the walls of Kelutral [Hometree], the wind began to pick up, the leaves swaying softly in the night breeze. Fauna clicked, whistled, and moved quietly around Na'rìng [the Omatikayan rainforest], the soft noises being smooth enough to put Neteyam down, Jake hoped. The home had gone quiet, but his little one was still awake, and growing restless by the moment. Every noise, every rustle of of the branches made both his and his son's heads turn to the outside, looking for any trace of you.

You had stepped out for a moment, seeking help from Tsahìk Mo'at with restlessness for both you and Jake. Like any couple with a newborn, it was hard to truly feel rested when you were only able to sleep for a few hours at a time. The Tsahìk mixed batches of sleeping herbs to be made into a tea for the both of you, allowing for deeper sleep and a shortened amount of time between being awake and drifting into the subconscious. Having better rest between the two of you allowed for an easier time when dealing with a colicky newborn, especially as of late. Neteyam had become attached to your side, crying anytime you or Jake weren't there to hold him. And he just tolerated Jake long enough to be rocked to sleep.

Though now, that didn't seem to be working.

Jake was at his wit's end. You fed your newborn before you had gone, then handed him off to Jake while you went to the healing tents. As soon as you left, Neteyam began softly cooing for his sa'nu, while Jake tried everything he could. Rocking, walking around the kelku, even taking him on a short, low-altitude ikran ride. But nothing worked. It seemed his son was hellbent on staying awake until his mother got back.

"Please, do not do this to me, baby boy. Not right now. Sa'nu will be back soon. You just...have to go to sleep first, okay?"

That seemed to be the catalyst that set everything off. Neteyam's small whimpers picked up in cadence, growing louder and louder until the infant began a screaming fit, his small face bunched up as his lungs worked to possibly wake up the clan. Jake let out a harsh sigh, changing his hold to rest his son on his shoulder, patting his back, trying not to hit the small, restlessly-swinging tail that displayed how irritated the little one was. It took everything in within the man to not put Neteyam down in his small nest of blankets and let him cry himself to sleep, but he promised himself not to do that. He wouldn't just leave his only child like that.

Not like his own father would have.

Jake promised himself, promised you, that he would give fatherhood everything he had in him. He knew most of what that entailed, Norm told him all about it, he even grew up around a few babies. All of whom were noisy like this. He had vivid memories of his own father, him and his twin brother Tommy being on the receiving hand of many beatings, many long talks, so many punishments.

'Don't show emotion.'

'Men are supposed to be tough. No fears, no tears.'

'You've got to be strong. You aren't a man otherwise.'

No.

He wouldn't subject his son to that. Jake was going to be better. His son deserved a role model who was not only strong, but vulnerable.

And vulnerable he was. Especially now. With a crying newborn on his shoulder, it was like something was tearing at the inside of his head. Making him doubt all that he had done. The songs he sang to your belly as the two of you lay together near the end of your pregnancy, swearing to love and cherish the gift that the Great Mother had given him. The frustration he felt with himself, not being able to comfort his own son, the very life he had a hand in creating, it was all too much. Jake could hear it now, his father's voice ringing in his head, those same demeaning words creeping their way back into his conscience.

'Look at you. Another failure of the Sully family—'

"Ma Jake? Is everything okay?" Your voice could be heard before you rushed in, dropping the small pouch of herbs at the front of the kelku, immediately making your way to your mate's side, taking in the tears that began to line his eyes, the exhaustion etched into the lines of his downturned expression. His breathing was ragged, desperate, as if you had been what he was searching for. Instantly, you took Neteyam from off his shoulder, cradling your son in your arms as he, slowly but surely, began to settle down. As soon as he became quiet, Jake simply scoffed, burying his head in his hands as he nearly fell into the hammock behind him.

"How do you—I mean, is there something I keep doing wrong? Am I not comfortable enough, am I—"

Am I not a good father?

The words hung in the air, unspoken but permeating through the thick silence of the marui, now that Neteyam had all but fallen asleep in your hold. Quickly putting the little one in a woven sling, taking care to pull his little tail out to allow it the freedom of movement, you sat beside Jake, taking one of his hands in yours, pressing gentle kisses to each of his four fingers.

"Ma yawnetu, nga lu ke kawng sempul. [My love, you are not a bad father.] You are the best father that our son could ever have, the best father that I know you are. You are not doing anything wrong. We are both just, in a way, struggling. We are adjusting to having a new addition around." Motioning to the sleeping infant that lay tied to your chest, you offer Jake a soft smile, something he barely reciprocates. But a smile was there, and that was all you wanted to see.

You brought his hand to settle on Neteyam's back, the two of you relishing in the soft rise and fall of his torso as he slept deeply, something the both of you wished to do as soon as possible. Even though there was a small flicker of hope that sparked in your chest, the belief that you may have quelled those doubts and fears in your muntxatan's [husband's] mind settling within you, for Jake, it was the opposite.

He couldn't bring his eyes to meet yours, the guilt of his earlier thoughts still weighing on his mind. He knew that he wanted to tell you, to tell someone, but he resented himself for ever thinking that way about his baby boy.

"I just...want to do right by him, baby. I promised you. And I promised him. He deserves a better father than the one I had back on Earth. And...I honestly am struggling to think I can give him that."

As soon as Jake stops, the air leaves your chest faster than you wanted to admit. How could he say that about himself? He told you stories, though they were few and far between, about his life back on Earth. How his father mistreated him, and his mother did nothing to stop it. Called it 'discipline.'

Tìkxal.

It wasn't right. None of it was.

And Jake needed to know that too. He needed to believe it.

"Ma Jake, you are doing right by your son. He loves you, even if that comes in the form of crying. He cries with you because he feels safe enough to do so. He trusts you enough to show his emotions. Neteyam loves his sempu [dad]. And I know his sempu loves him right back."

"We will be alright. This will just take time. But I need you to hear me. You have done everything right. You are a better man than...than your own father was. Take pride in that, tìyawn [beloved]."

For the first time that night, Jake took your hands in his, finally looking back at you, the intensity in his gaze far too strong to ignore. His eyes, their glowing golden hue illuminated in the darkness of the Pandoran night, stared into yours, his gratitude for you emanating more than words could. He pressed kisses into your palms, moving up to your neck, then taking your face into his hands, those captivating eyes tracing the outline of your features. Taking great care not to startle Neteyam, fast asleep just as before, Jake moved closer, closing the distance that he could to get as close to his love as possible.

You were right.

He was trying his best.

That was more than his own father could ever say.

Relishing in the tiny, relaxed features along his son's face, Jake pulled you in by the waist, motioning for you to lie down while he moved to the txeptseng [hearth] to start brewing the sleeping tea. Your hands held Neteyam still as you laid back in the swayvini, starting to rock slowly to keep him asleep on your chest. From the other side of the kelku, Jake threw wood onto the fire, bringing water to warm up for the leaves to steep.

He watched the herbs swirl in the water, unpredictable paths crossing and swirling together, but at some point, they all settled to the bottom, together. Just as you and him did, mated before Eywa herself. He turned to see you, humming a soft lullaby as the hammock rocked back and forth, Neteyam's hand curled around one of your own fingers, a gentle smile plastered on your face. Your half-lidded eyes shone with a happiness that the two of you shared, grateful for the uncertainty that made your paths collide. And that unpredictability, it brought Jake the biggest blessing he could've asked the Great Mother for. His baby boy.

A blessing he would never exchange.

thanks for reading! comments and reblogs are always appreciated, let me know if you liked this!

— taglist: @xilaze @strawberrychita @mildly-good @llovekats @yukichan67 @junebugonjupiter @th3realslimb1tch @ilove-nsfw @sullycore @florescencls @coastalcowgirlie @tyrosine22 @saibaxoxo @smuttyjane @itsluvie @garfieldsladybird @wildpandorasky @yoko7658 @whos-nin1

here have this gift while i work on other stuff! wrote ts in a couple hours gng, i went crazy...thank you everyone for being so patient with me during this grueling exam season!

i made this when i was so tired yall so excuse how shallow it seems, but i need more jake fluff in my life, we all do

i also stand by the belief that jake had that harsh southern discipline as a kid, beatings and toxic masculinity and all, so that's the reason he decided to join the marines, because he already understood that discipline and was used to an environment like that. so now he's trying to do better by his sons and daughters, thought that may need some work i can't lie jake...

awwwwww, so cute! sooooo cute! BABY NETEYAM AAAAAAAA but my boy lo'ak, that's my SON and i stand on that!!!!!

Author's Note: i need more dilf jake in my life. also, if you couldn’t tell, i’m obsessed with Tuk ! this was my first time writing for movie 2 and including the kids, so i really hope you enjoy !!! i wrote this for @junebugonjupiter's Pandora in Bloom event/challenge. Prompts: 10. Heat lightning / Summer storms & 23. Swinging in a hammock

a huge thank you, June, for your feedback on this and for always encouraging me when i feel like i ruined my fics during edits ♥️ i also love reading your reactions hehehe 🤭 so lucky to be writing with you !!

Na'vi to English Translations: Metkayina: Oceanic Na'vi clan Awa’atlu: The Metkayina’s main village Marui: House-like pods for clans that do not live in hometrees Kelku: Home/house Eywa'eveng: Pandora ‘Rrta: Planet Earth Nivi: Sleeping hammocks Nga yawne lu oer: I love you Niktsyey: Food wraps Nìhawng: too, excessively Hona: Cute Maite: My daughter Skxawng: Moron/idiot Sempu: Dad

You startled awake at a booming clap of thunder. It rang out in the still dark of what was likely very early morning. The sky fractured into light just moments after, lighting up the marui enough for you to see the details of the woven roof. From the moment you woke each day, the foreign Metkayina architecture served as a poignant reminder of how far you were from home. 

You sighed and blinked sleep from your eyes as the soft patter of rain intensified. Your days of light sleeping were long passed now that your youngest had grown, but deep sleep had evaded you ever since moving to Awa’atlu. The tension in your body kept you on the verge of consciousness, ready to fight, ready to flee if any threat found your family in this place of refuge.   

Jake’s arms rested limply around you as he breathed steadily in his sleep. You shifted to rest your cheek on his chest, lightly tracing the lines of his muscled torso with your fingertips. Your body ached from all the swimming and your eyes stung from the salty water and air. Adjusting to your new life had been more difficult for you than you would like to admit and you grew weary. You listened for Jake’s strong heartbeat and you squeezed your eyes shut, but all attempts to fall back asleep were in vain.

Thunder rang again as you detangled yourself from Jake’s heavy limbs and padded to the entrance of the marui. Rain poured down and made patterns in the water just beyond the dock, distorting the colorful glow of the sea life with circles and swirls. You breathed in the moisture-laden air as each raindrop cut through the humidity of the day before. The smell of rain was the same everywhere.

The wet season of summer brought many rainstorms, and each one came down with deluges of bittersweetness. When it rained, you could close your eyes and imagine that you were back home in the forest, where echoes of the thundering rocks would ring out as the floating mountains collided in the distance. That you stood in your kelku high up in the trees you’ve known your whole life, instead of by the ocean somewhere far away. 

You could almost hear the sound of rain pattering on the lucious, green leaves that used to surround your home, sheltering you from the warm sun as well as from heavy rains. It brought you back to a time when your children were small and carefree, without knowledge of the RDA or any Sky People beyond the stories Jake told and those that remained at Hell’s Gate. A time when hoping the thunder didn’t wake your babies was your most pressing worry. 

You smiled despite the ache in your heart as you held a hand out from under the protection of the canopy. Warm water collected in your palm before leaking through your fingers and spilling over. The droplets thrummed onto your skin and you lifted your face toward the sky as you stepped out into the downpour. The large, heavy drops drenched your hair and rolled down your skin. The rhythm was mesmerizing, and surrendering, you let it wash you clean.  

You didn’t hear him over the next rumble of thunder, but felt his arms wrap around you. Jake said nothing, just rested his chin where your shoulder met your neck. Your mind had drifted to your youth of exploring the forest during storms and playing in the rain, but his touch brought you back to reality. With your eyes closed for a moment longer, you enjoyed the sturdiness of the man behind you, the soft security of his powerful embrace. You brought your hands up to rest on his crossed forearms.   

“Can’t sleep?” Jake finally muttered hoarsely. 

“I am sorry if I woke you Ma’ Jake,” you whispered, patting his arm gently. Just as you opened your eyes, another bolt of lightning cut through the sky a distance away, its light reflecting in the water below.  

“What’s on your mind, baby?” he asked, squeezing his arms around you. “You seem far away.” 

“I think of home,” you admitted softly and it sent a wave of sorrow through you. Jake exhaled wearily, leaning his head against yours. “I mourn the life we left behind.”

“I know, baby, I know. I miss it too, but it’s better for everyone that we’re here,” he reminded. “We’ll adapt, preserve. Like we always do.” 

You nodded, though you couldn’t help but frown. “They are strong, and I am proud, but I wish they did not have to be.” 

“They’re gettin’ older. They notice things,” Jake reasoned. “We can’t keep ‘em in the dark and call it protection.”

“This was our fight, not theirs,” you sighed, your heart yearning for those fifteen years of peace, of bliss. 

“War doesn’t care who it hurts,” Jake whispered. 

“I am sad for our children.” Your voice broke and you blinked the rain from your eyes. Jake hugged you close and his chest moved against your back as he breathed deeply.

“This isn’t what we imagined for them, but it could still be good.” 

“Their skin burns, Ma’ Jake,” you whispered, the overwhelming guilt and pity you felt for your children culminating over their purple and peeling skin.

Jake paused as more thunder grumbled around you before continuing, “Someone very wise once told me that sometimes it’s hard to see a blessing when we’re in the thick of it.”

“But more eloquently,” you corrected as a flash of jagged light tore open the sky. 

He breathed an amused laugh. “How did you put it? I can’t do it justice.”

“For everything there is a season,” you said, quoting the wisdom of the ancestors and willing yourself to believe your own words. “Dancing, mourning, laughing, and crying; they are all made beautiful in their time.”

“I’m doin’ everything in my power to keep us, and the people we love, safe,” Jake continued softly. “I know it’s been hard. For all of us. It’ll take time, but we can have a good life here.”

All these things you understood in your mind, but the eyes of your heart were more difficult to open. It was only his next words that helped you see.   

“Hey, if I never left home, I never woulda found you,” Jake added, breaking an arm from your grasp and guiding your chin toward his face. He always knew exactly what you needed to hear. You met his eyes, so sure, so strong, and the same as when you had first met him. Back when he had just left his whole world behind and left his people to become part of yours. “It was worth every scrape and blister.”

Eywa had brought Jake to you from a star further from Eywa'eveng (Pandora) than you could ever imagine. Neither of you could have foretold Her will; the collision of worlds, the death and destruction, but the ultimate victory. Out of a time of sorrow, you got something truly good, a love everlasting. He was your rock then as he was now. The picture of self sacrifice and enduring strength, he smiled sweetly at you as he leaned forward to rest his forehead against yours.

“Do you ever miss it? ‘Rrta (planet Earth)?” You asked quietly, though you knew what he would say. His answer was always the same. 

He shook his head, but he didn’t stop there. “You’re my home,” Jake elaborated, smoothing his thumb across your jaw. “I didn’t start living ‘til I got here. Until I met you. Everything that matters to me is right here.”    

With a shaky breath, you drew back slightly and met his shining, golden gaze. “Jake,” you cooed, leaning into his touch and hoping the single word carried all the love that threatened to burst through the seams of your heart. The heaviness in your chest was allayed by his words and the sincerity in his eyes. Eyes that lowered before he leaned in and his lips met yours. 

Jake kissed you softly in the lowlight of the early morning. Thunder boomed and rain pelted against your skin, but with your eyes closed once more, all you could taste was Jake and the fresh water that slid down your faces. His hand rested where it had turned your head to face his, and the other moved to your back to pull you close. You slid your hands around his torso and hugged him even closer, water pooling between your bodies. His touch was unchanging, grounding yet exhilarating.

His lips moved against yours with years of practice, angling them just so and taking the breath from your lungs. Jake kissed you like you were still young, with a passion, like there were more depths to explore. Yet, still tender; treasuring you in this moment with excitement that you were all his and that there would be many more like it. His sudden enthusiasm as he nipped your lower lip made you gasp and laugh in surprise. 

Jake smiled into the next kiss; your laughter was like music to his ears. His hand moved to cradle the back of your head as his kisses turned languid. You felt as his body melted into yours, still holding you tightly against him as he leaned forward to chase your lips. The open mouthed kisses mixed with hums of delight made your legs turn to liquid. The rain would have carried you away if it wasn’t for his hold.  

You were both panting for air when you finally pulled apart. He wiped the water from your eyes with his thumbs, though it was quickly replaced by the continuous downpour. He grinned boyishly down at you and you couldn’t help but giggle like you were young, feeling light and giddy.  

“That never gets old,” Jake mused, and you bit your lip. 

The tepid ocean breeze rolled in through the entrance of the marui as you and Jake tip-toed back in. You swatted his greedy hands off your waist and tail, shushing him when he huffed playfully at the rejection. He grabbed your wrist as you attempted to wring the water from your hair and pulled you toward him. You tilted your face up to offer him an appeasing peck, which he returned gratefully, catching a drop of water that clung to your upper lip. 

“Satisfied?” you whispered, brow raised teasingly as you pulled away.  

“Never.” He smiled with a shake of his head.  

Once dried off, together you carefully weaved through the nivi (sleeping hammocks) that hung throughout the space. You leaned over each of your children, who were sleeping peacefully despite the ongoing storm, to kiss their heads and pray over them. Jake’s hand rested on your back, a reminder of his strength, support and agreement. His gaze was soft as he lingered at each hammock even as you began to move to the next.  

When you reached your shared hammock, Jake held it steady for you to crawl in. The nivi dipped when he joined, quickly flopping over to lay half on top of you. His head rested above your heart and you gently stroked your fingers over his still-damp hair. One of his feet hung off the edge of the hammock, but he didn’t seem to mind. 

In a place so far from home, his touch was familiar and brought the closest thing to true rest, even as the storm raged on around you. You were grateful that you could return to his embrace at the end of each day. A certainty washed over you as you laid in the dark under his weight; that wherever you would go, he would be, and together, you would not be easily broken. Together, your family could get through all seasons of life. Sometimes you just needed a reminder. 

“The storm will always pass,” you said softly as the rain’s barrage on the roof began to lighten. Jake hummed in response, closing his eyes and wedging his hands under your back. “Eywa will provide.”

“Yeah,” he murmured, his breath tickling your skin.

“Nga yawne lu oer,” you said, kissing his hair and resting your hands on his broad shoulders. 

He kissed your sternum in response and squeezed you close. “I love you, too. More than you know.”

—

As you came to the next morning, you felt the weight of something on your abdomen. Expecting to find Jake where he had fallen asleep, the sight of your youngest was a pleasant surprise. She was sprawled on top of you both, with half her body on Jake, who had rolled onto his back, and half on you. Her braids fanned out messily atop Jake’s chest and her mouth was parted, snoring cutely. One of her hands held a section of the ends of your hair within its grasp, just like she did as a baby. 

Your eyes flitted up to Jake’s face, he was awake too. He smiled down at you when you met his gaze and winked. He moved a hand to gently poke Tuk’s cheek and you quietly hissed at him to stop. He grinned and settled to rest his hand on her hair instead. Thankfully she did not stir. You watched as her chest rose and fell, leaning your head against Jake’s shoulder. 

Her long limbs were tinted with purple from her endless days in the sun. The sight still made you worry, but perhaps it would all be worth it in the end, like Jake had said. You smoothed a hand up her shin and rested it there. She was still so small, and soon forest life would be but a distant memory to her. You prayed she would not forget.

The rain had ceased and rays of bright sun tried to break through the woven walls of the marui pod. You laid with Jake and Tuk for a good while, savoring the quiet stillness, before the world outside stirred awake, indicating that you should too. You untangled Tuk’s fingers from your hair and one after the other, you and Jake gingerly got out of the hammock. You couldn’t resist giving your baby another kiss as she curled into herself, looking even smaller as she laid alone in your big hammock. 

“Nìhawng hona, maite (too cute, my daughter),” you whispered, as you smoothed her hair back. 

Jake was beside you when you straightened up again. “Want another?” he muttered cheekily, pressing his lips to your forehead and squeezing you into him with a hand on your upper arm. You let out an amused breath and wrapped your arms around him, hugging him sideways. He had been asking since Tuk turned three and didn’t require an answer from you, even though you knew he was only half-joking. Jake loved being a father. Maybe one day you would consider it, but today was not that day.

You patted his chest before you split apart to begin your morning routines. Jake prepared himself for the day, and you crouched to kindle a fire. You had been trying each day to make your family’s favorite niktsyey (food wraps), experimenting with foreign ingredients as substitutes for each recipe. Hoping a taste of home might bring them comfort and a feeling of normalcy, you busied yourself with the task. 

Neteyam was the first to wake, stirring and sitting up blearily before putting away his nivi. He backtracked when he saw that Tuk’s hammock was empty and looked around for his little sister. You adored the fond look on his face when he spotted her and took the time to roll up her hammock as well. Neteyam then greeted his father and began his own preparations for the day in parallel. He had always enjoyed the quiet of the morning. Your eldest had a sweet temperament and was growing to become a great man and warrior, but you always worried that his struggle was silent.  

Neteyam eventually crouched beside you, helping you fan the flames as you prepared the edible leaves and telling you about his exciting plans for the day. Cooking together, you spoke of the ilu he bonded with and Kiri awoke. She stretched her arms into the air and spent some time praying before going through her basket to find something to wear. Satisfied with her choice of a shelled piece she had recently made, she paused by your hammock, looking amused. She waved Neteyam over, and you gestured with your head for him to go.  

“Wake up, baby sister,” Kiri said softly, her voice raspy, and leaning over. “Wake up.” 

You began to cut some fruit, occasionally glancing up to watch as Neteyam and Kiri regarded their sleeping sister. You saw movement in the nivi but there was no response. 

“Tuk.” Kiri rolled her eyes affectionately and gently nudged the hammock. 

“Did you sleep with mom and dad? Like a little baby?” Neteyam teased with a smile, sending the hammock back to Kiri.

“I am not a baby,” Tuk grumbled sleepily as the hammock swung in slow, long arcs between her older siblings. You stifled a laugh and looked to see if Jake was watching them too. He was; smiling at them as he tied his hair with a long leather strip. 

“The day has begun, Tuktirey” Kiri encouraged.  

“Lo’ak is still sleeping!” Tuk pointed out. 

“Do you really want to be like Lo’ak?” Kiri asked and Neteyam laughed. Lo’ak propped himself up at the mention of his name. His hair stuck up in all directions and his eyes were squinted.

“Yes!” Tuk chirped with feeling. 

Her arms and legs stretched up, and her giggles filled the air as the hammock picked up speed. Lo’ak rubbed his eyes from his own nivi, watching as Neteyam and Kiri played with Tuk.  

You looked down for a brief moment, and the next thing you knew, Lo’ak was catapulting himself into the moving hammock. Its movements stuttered and it creaked with the force of his jump. Tuk squealed and pulled herself out from under Lo’ak’s body, as he laid perpendicular to the hammock and managed to kick Neteyam as he adjusted himself.

“Ow, you skxawng! You’re going to break it!” Neteyam exclaimed, stepping back from Lo’ak’s kicking legs. 

“Well, I didn’t,” Lo’ak defended firmly, rolling onto his back. “Keep pushing, bro!” 

“Yeah, keep pushing!” Tuk repeated as she fell on top of Lo’ak’s middle, earning an “oof” from her brother. 

You watched fondly as they played, grateful that Tuk gave them the chance to act like children once more. On any other day you would have put an end to such behavior inside the marui, but your conversation with Jake from earlier that morning echoed in your mind. You would make the exception. Your children showed so much resilience, finding joy in small moments amidst all the change and the grief they must also feel. 

Jake came to sit beside you and placed a hand on your shoulder. You looked from his hand to his face and grinned to match his expression. His brow was lifted as if to say, “See? They’ll be okay.” The unspoken message was further emphasized as he moved a strand of your hair from swaying in front of your eyes, tucking it behind your ear. He knocked a knee into yours and you were just about to speak when your heads snapped up at the sound of Tuk’s voice.

“Dad! Come help! Lo’ak is too heavy!” She whined. Frustration colored her voice and you stifled a laugh. After the initial turbulence, the hammock’s motions had been severely limited with the addition of Lo’ak’s weight. All four of your children turned their heads toward you and Jake, expectant.  

“Duty calls,” Jake murmured before pushing himself up with an exaggerated grunt. But excitement lit his eyes when they cheered. It had been a long time since they asked sempu to play. Your heart ached fondly.  

A grin remained on your lips as Jake rose to the challenge, trying to act unaffected, but the swish of his tail gave his true feelings away to your discerning eye. The scene before you moved your spirit with force. You could have a good life here, Jake claimed, and you were starting to believe it. Home wasn’t the forest nor the ocean, nor a dwelling built by Na’vi hands. Home was in moments like these, wherever your husband, your children, and their laughter resided. That was where you wanted to be.  

That's why you asked Jake to go get the utumauti [rare banana fruit {the fruit Grace throws and Jake eats after running out of the RDA outpost in his avatar body in movie 1}].

He thought nothing of it when you asked last night, while the children were asleep. Cleaning his weapons, you approached him quietly, taking care to not disturb the peaceful presence. "Ma Jake, I wish to ask you something."

His ears turned towards you, a signal that he was listening, though not looking up from cleaning the magazine of an automatic rifle recovered from the day's site raid. It had become a tell of his, always willing to listen to you even when his hands were busy. Your mate would always make time for you.

"I want you to get some utumauti. For us and the children to enjoy. I think it will help lift their spirits." You say, inching closer until you crouch down low enough to rest your cheek on Jake's back, the warmth between the touch grounding the two of you, just as it had before you became a family. When two had become one.

"That would be good for the kids. I know they never got to see Hometree but I know living up here in the floating rocks is not ideal. And I noticed how down everyone seems to be lately."

"Do you know when you will be able to retrieve some?" Inquiring gently, you hesitate to tell Jake just how far the utumauti grows from the lands right underneath High Camp.

Not catching the hint of uncertainty written on your face, he nods once, quick. "It can be a quick thing tomorrow morning, before most of the clan is up. I got it." Flashing you the same wide grin he always had, you felt somewhat guilty for not saying out loud what you really should have started with.

"The purple utumauti, Ma Jake. The ones that grow where—"

"Where Hometree once stood. You want me to get the real ones." Jake finally turned to look at you, setting the pieces of his weapon back down into the carrying case, a grim expression on his face. "They grow in the same place where the RDA are awfully busy, sweetheart."

"I know this. But you know their tactics, know their methods. It is not like anything you have not done before. And is the area not free of RDA yet? It should grow on the western side of the ancestral grounds. The tawtute set up on the eastern side, I thought." Putting on your best pleading façade, even pouting slightly like you had seen some of the friendly scientists do back at the RDA Resistance outpost in High Camp to get their way, your amber eyes sparkled in the bioluminescent light that shone brightest at Eclipse.

Shaking his head while letting out a dry chuckle, you could see Jake immediately caved, his arms wrapping around your waist and pulling you to sit on his lap. "I think you spend too much time with our allies, yawne [beloved]. I wonder who taught you that move."

"It was effective, was it not?" You retorted, giggling softly as you settle against your mate's chest. Feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, you could feel yourself starting to slip into a state of sleep. "Does this mean you will go get us some fruit?"

"I will. I can take a small hunting party just to be safe. We should be in and out in no time at all." Picking you up with ease, Jake settled into the shared hammock that lay on the far side of your kelku [home], sitting in the middle of a cluster of hammocks belonging to the children, its woven fibers sinking with the new weight. Drawing a blanket over you both, he plants a soft, lingering kiss on your temple, whispering quiet words of love into your ear as he always did before bed.

In and out. That's all it should be. Or so you both thought.

. 𖦹˙—

The hunting party departed, and the clan dispersed to continue life as normal. Yet you and your children simply went home. It was extremely out of place for you, the mate of the Omatikaya's leader, who had seem him off on missions much more dangerous than this. You could tell even Neteyam, usually calm and impassive, had a feeling of unease as the five of you sat, Tuk immediately climbing into your lap, her tail wrapping around your wrist.

"This does not feel right." Kiri broke the tense silence, her words conveyed bluntly the complex feelings that the four remaining Sullys seemed to share. "Sempul [father] has never seemed this casual about going with a hunting party to the old ancestral grounds. Sa'nu, [mom] what is going on?"

Before you could interject, Lo'ak spoke up, his gaze unfocused and his lips down turned. "It was...weird. He even asked if I wanted to join the group today. I was so used to just going off on my own that I was stupid enough to say no. Being invited to hunt with the older warriors was not normal at all."

"It is because I asked your father to retrieve some utumauti from near the ancestral grounds. Not the variants, but the real ones. Like we used to have, in what feels like so long ago now. Just like when Tuk was a baby. I think we all could use something to lift our hearts. With the tawtute forces growing stronger, this war has been difficult on us all. Even you, my oldest." Locking eyes with Neteyam, you can see the mix of emotions beneath his eyes, a type of tiredness that no child his age should ever have to experience this young. But the faint glow of hope at hearing the name of his favorite fruit, that brought a small smile to your face, eliciting one from him as he spoke softly. "I hope Sempul finds plenty. I miss how sweet it is."

Still, there was an air of uncertainty throughout the kelku. Thought the sought-out item was not new to any of you, something just felt off. Offering a soft smile, you sent your sons out to go flying on their ikran, hoping that they could escape that lingering dread that settled over their hearts. Kiri moved with a fluid grace as she exited the home, going to sit and study under Tsahìk Mo'at. Leaving you and Tuk to do as you please. Shifting her to lay her head across your heart, you look down to catch her gaze, her bottom lip poking out ever so slightly.

"Ma yawntutsyìp [my darling], it will be alright. When your father gets back, we will all have some fruit and feel better. Just like when you were very little." Bringing a hand up to run a comforting hand along your daughter's back, you start to sing the chorus of her waytelem [song cord]. In just a short time, Tuk started to hum with you, the two of you relishing in the quiet peace woven throughout the silence of the clouds. It was nice, you thought, being able to partake in daily life, at least for now.

"Sa'nu. Will you cut the fruit into pretty flowers? Kiri said you were really good at it." Tuk looked up at you, her three fingered hand tracing the pattern of the tanhì [unique bioluminescent patterns of the Na'vi] that trailed along your chest and ribs. Her hands, not yet touched by the harsh environment of the forest, unmarked from the full instincts of survival brought a bittersweet feeling that settled in your heart.

"Of course, ma 'ite [my daughter]. I will cut them into many pretty flowers, just for you." Giving Tuk a smile that didn't quite reach your eyes, you lifted her off of you to stand, moving to do the same yourself. You gathered a few items to go and sit with other mothers in the afternoon weaving circle. Your youngest reached out for your hand, which you grasped firmly in your own, and the two of you made your way across the large cave that housed what remained of the Omatikaya.

You hadn't even made it past the Tsahìk's tent when it happened.

The screech of an ikran, its rider bloodied and bruised, alerted you and everyone around you to turn as you were met with the sight of the beast nearly crashing into the landing space at the entrance of the large cave within Ayram Alusìng.Finding a trusted friend nearby, you handed Tuk off to her and ran to inspect the ikran in distress. But it was the identity of the rider that made you stop in fear.

"Tarsem." You were barely able to get his name out, just as he was barely able to climb off of his mount and cross the distance to get to you. Being Jake's second-in-command, Tarsem had gone off with the small hunting party like every other mission. The young warrior was known for his strategy and agility in warfare, those qualities aiding him well in every battle. Though, in his current state, cut and scrapes lining every limb and being scattered across his chest and back, it was clear that whatever came at him and the hunting party was an obvious threat.

Snapping out of your trance, you inspected him closely, your hands trembling slightly as you took in the extent of his injuries. "What happened? This was not supposed to be a difficult mission, you were just going to get fruit! Is—"

After a particularly sharp exhale, followed by your immediate movements to get him to the Tsahìk's tent to be healed, Tarsem managed to get out a few words, clutching his side in pain. "The RDA, they...an ambush. We were close to the site of Hometree when it all happened. I just remember seeing Olo'eyktan and a few of the others fighting off tawtute before I collapsed from the pain."

"Where are the others? Where is the Olo'eyktan?" You tried desperately to conceal your worry, using formalities in hopes that whatever seeped through would go undetected. But the young warrior only shook his head, defeat written in his eyes. "Where I last told you. Some...are dead, others wounded yet still fighting. I pray to Eywa that they return home."

"Why would you leave? You left the others out there to...to die! You abandoned my husband and the other warriors!" There was no control to your tone, your yelling drawing the attention of passerby outside. Losing all hope of concealing your fear of the worst, you held a death grip onto Tarsem's shoulders, making him wince in pain. "They told me to run! To come back here and not risk any more death! The tawtute had guns, knives, weapons that can kill immediately! All we brought were our bows and knives, save for Olo'eyktan. There were at least one hundred of them, compared to the twenty-five of us that followed our leader."

Letting your hands drop to your side, you shift your weight back, sitting up straight, your legs folded under you. There was an eerie silence that sat within the small corner of the tent, your eyes becoming glassy and your muscles tensing, stiff and rigid. It was clear to any who saw you that you were processing everything.

That maybe, just maybe, your mate may not return.

Just because of a superficial want.

. 𖦹˙—

It wasn't until you managed to stand, still unsteady on your feet, that you realized one of the other warriors that went with Jake had returned, her body covered in blood, but her bow still in hand, quiver empty. She had been looking for you for some time, and once you took slow, uneasy steps back out to the opening of the cave, that was when she rushed over to you, panting.

"I need you to come with me. Now."

That broke your trance easily. Your ears flattened to the back of your head, body tensing as your tail flicked quickly in both irritability and fear. She wanted you to come with her? Where? Surely not—she couldn't possibly want to bring you to the site of the ambush.

"Do not stand there! We have no time to waste, and I mean no disrespect, but we need to hurry if we are to bring the wounded back. Including the Olo'eyktan."

Moving with a newfound sense of haste, you run to your kelku, exchanging a quick look with Neteyam that spoke many words. Grabbing your bow, quiver, and knife, you run back to the opening of the caves, calling your ikran and not hesitating to make tsaheylu [neural bond] and fly with the female warrior. You trailed behind as she wove throughout Ayram Alusìng on the back of her mount, until you could see the familiar canopy of the Omatikaya ancestral grounds come into sight, punctuated by the hole in the treetops where Hometree once stood.

Once landed, she guides you to a group of Na'vi who already began transporting the ones who lived back to High Camp. But your mind only allowed you to search through the bodies of the dead, looking for that familiar face you spent years memorizing. Searching for any sign of life, there was finally a body that was breathing, albeit the breaths were shallow and sounded painful. Flipping the body to see who it was, you let out a breath that you hadn't known you were holding, seeing the sight of Jake, alive, despite the small fires, dead fauna, and bloodstained flora around you.

Battered and bruised, you can see the crimson stain of blood streaked against the trunk of a tree, your eyes frantically following its trail to find the source, being—

"Ma Jake, your head—you...you are bleeding!" Lifting his head into your arms, the little training you had in healing your own wounds began to kick in, inspecting Jake for any major injuries. The biggest issue you seemed to notice was how his eyes were glossy and unfocused, as if he was looking past you. His breaths came in ragged, shallow attempts of drawing in air, large purple marks staining the blue of his skin. You managed to carry his body to the cover of a nearby tunnel system, taking shelter in a dimly-lit cave while calling to Neteyam and Lo'ak to send a signal to the scientists about the ambush and the need for direct medical assistance over your neck comms. With the faint light from the glowing flora and moss that lined the cave walls, you could tell that Jake was slowly regaining sentience, his eyes starting to focus more on you. Waiting with bated breath, you held his hand, five fingers held tightly in four, waiting for him to say something, anything. But it wasn't something you ever expected to hear.

His words were faint, uncertain, as if he was guessing.

"Who...are you? Where am I?"

The air leaves your lungs as fast as the light drains from your eyes. A gasp escapes your mouth, leaving your chest empty, wishing for another breath that would not come willingly. Just as your spirit was wishing, praying that you just heard your mate wrong. It wasn't even Na'vi, but Jake knew more than one language, so you figured he needed time. Therefore, you would appease him in the moment and speak in broken pieces of English, the language you learned from Grace's school years ago.

"Ma yawne [my love], do you...do you not remember? I am your mate, we...we have children together, you are Toruk Makto! Jake...Ma Jake, please..."

No matter how many times you begged, no matter how many memories you recounted, no matter how many prayers you sent to Eywa, asking for the man you loved to return to his body, you were met with nothing. Simply the same words, over and over again.

"I'm sorry. I don't remember."

. 𖦹˙—

The medical helicopters found the two of you just fine.

Norm, in his avatar body, led the charge, giving orders and kneeling beside you as a small team of humans tended to Jake. You let yourself lean into his embrace as he wrapped an arm around your shoulder, your body tight with disbelief as your mind went blank, numb. You sat inside the vehicle, your hand never leaving your muntxatan's [husband's] as he was flown back to the base.

The medical room Jake was escorted to was sterile, clean. Smelled of something pungent mixing with the familiar, lingering scent of metal that marked all of the tawtute and uniltìrantokx [dreamwalkers]. The English words the doctors spoke flew past your head, though you were not even bothering to listen. Some quieted down as they heard you faintly sing part of Jake's song cord, the personal item having to be removed and being promptly handed to you after you let out a sharp hiss, so he could have IVs administered properly.

The official diagnosis was retrograde amnesia. When said by the English-speaking nurse, you did nothing but stare at her, until you felt a warm hand on your shoulder. Norm had returned to check on his friend, and happened to overhear the diagnosis, easily translating the diagnosis for you.

The loss of old memories. Sometimes temporarily, but most times, permanently.

The amnesia was brought on by the traumatic head injury Jake had sustained, part of his head now wrapped in pure white cloth, the contrast against his skin unnatural, stark, like mourning paint. You could see his eyes searching, looking for any memory of you, of this life you said he had, the savior he became to a race of people not his own. But his gaze was hollow, empty. Coming up with nothing each time.

There was no one, human or otherwise, who was going to make you leave his bedside. Not even at Norm's insistence. Your children came here often; it was only a matter of time before they found you here at the base. Settling a hand atop Jake's chest, you let yourself become grounded by the in and out motions of his breathing while he slowly fell asleep, the action feeling too mechanical, too...alien. But it was comforting. Your body had already given out, collapsing down at Jake's bedside while you prayed over and over and over again. Your ears would flick at every little hum of the medical machines, so much so that you didn't even bother to listen out when small streaks of blue flashed in the corner of your eyes, stopping in a cluster at the doorway.

The children. Eywa, you had forgotten about the children.

The first you saw was Neteyam, and Spider, leading the group of kids, the former extending his arm out when seeing you. Taking in the sight of his father's body spread on the medical table and your hopeless, defeated expression, you could see the pieces slowly start to click into place in his mind.

"Sa'nu...What—What happened?"

Kiri and Lo'ak pushed past his arm, but stopping dead in their tracks as they saw the same. The room fell silent, so much so that you swore you could hear the sounds of the forest above the quiet humming of medical instruments. The faintest gasp finally drew your full attention, seeing the tears that lined your eldest daughter's face at the sight of her father. Beckoning the four children over, you finally gave yourself space from Jake's sleeping form, just enough to speak to everyone with some semblance of privacy.

"Your father—the...the hunt. The RDA managed to carry out an ambush, and the hunting party, they were in the line of fire. It...I do not know much else, just that your father—"

How could you tell them this? When you yourself barely understood, that your husband, the man you mated with, the man who knew your soul just as well as you knew it, was no longer himself.

"Your father has lost his memories."

A broken sob of anguish broke the tense silence, Kiri falling into your arms as another wave of melancholy washed over your body. Three other sets of arms wrapped around the two of you, Neteyam and Lo'ak pressing into you as Spider fit his way into the embrace, the tangle of bodies and six heartbeats grounding you just enough to comfort your daughter. It was always familiar to have the closeness of family bring a sense of content, but now more than ever, you needed your children just as much as they needed you.

Looking up and locking eyes with Lo'ak, you watched as he finally built up the courage to ask the one question that was left out in the atmosphere, the finality of its answer being something that you couldn't fathom, something you still hadn't brought yourself to process.

"So, he has no memory...of us? Of you, of living here? Is that what the human healers said?"

You brought your hands up to cradle his head, palms resting on his cheeks as you looked into his eyes, taking in the sadness, and his eyes, swirling in the amber sea of desolation, there was a faint flicker of hope, that maybe the amnesia was temporary, that over time Jake would regain his memories and all would be right again. The flicker of hope that you, oh, Great Mother, you had to extinguish.

"Ma Loakur [literally: Toruk Makto Amulet; for which Lo'ak was named after {super freaking cool!}], your father...only has memories of his life as a tawtute. Not of me, not of you, or your siblings. I—"

There was no need for words as Lo'ak nearly knocked you over with the force that he burrowed his face into your chest, his cries overlapping with Kiri's quieting ones, the only difference being his getting louder. It was hard enough that Jake's memory had left his mind, but for him to never regain that part of himself, that part that Lo'ak learned to know for his entire life thus far, you could only imagine the emotion that warred within his soul. And as the only parent he had who remembered who he was, you had to be there for him, be able to offer support that a parent should be able to give.

. 𖦹˙—

It was decided, after three days, that Jake was physically well enough to return home, provided he was supervised carefully at all times.

Mentally, however, that was a different story.

Getting him back home was difficult on its own. You flew out before dawn, so that you could speak to Jake just enough that his easily-trusting state was willing to get on your ikran and allow you to fly him home. The children were still sat inside, Kiri having Tuk in her lap for comfort after you broke the news to your youngest about her father. Taking great care to land as smoothly as possible, to keep Jake's head injury from becoming unstable, you took his hand, the known sensation to you feeling alien to him, and led him inside to sit.

The air was thick, uncomfortable. So many questions waiting to be spoken, all begging for answers. But the kids stayed silent, until Neteyam spoke, his voice hoarse from the shared tears shed last night.

"Oel ngati kameie, ma sempul. [I see you, Father.]" Extending his hand forward from his forehead, the gesture was intimate, all Na'vi knowing the weight it carries. But you realized, your eldest chose the greeting for a reason.

If his father was still here, in this body, then he would be able to See. Just as you taught him years ago.

But, there was simply silence. Until Jake inhaled, his eyes searching, making the rest of the family hold their breaths, anticipating something, anything.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're saying, kid."

No. No.

This could not be the will of the Great Mother. Not only did Jake not remember his own son, but he didn't even remember the spoken language of the People. He truly had no memory, and would have to learn this world all over again, just as he did. Yet nothing could bring back the memories of his family, of the sons he helped to shape into growing young warriors, of the daughters that you and him spent nights praying over, asking for their protection and blossoming into young women. The love, that you had built over nearly sixteen years, the cautious yet stupidly endearing mannerisms and nicknames that you now held close to your heart, all of it. The months you spent teaching him to shoot, to hunt, to become one of the People, the time you mated before Eywa, watching your love become the one and only Toruk Makto. The fight he led against his own species, the root of it all being the love he held so deeply in his heart for you that he would not stop until you found it in your heart to love him back. Those domestic moments, cradling each of your children as newborns, family times spent playing in the river nearby and their communions with the Great Mother, and times when you and Jake just went out to fly. To be free of expectation, to be free of the weight of the war that plagued every waking moment otherwise. The feeling of truly living. Those memories, which were cherished feelings between both of you, now torn from one half of two souls intertwined.

Gone.

All because of one, single fruit.

thanks for reading! comments and reblogs are always appreciated, let me know if you liked this!

— taglist: @llovekats @strawberrychita @yukichan67 @/sleepygirl.inc @avatar4eva @skxawngg @saibaxoxo @weasleylovers @filletoilee @persempretua92 @mildly-good

p.s. can you tell i was slowly giving up and the ending was abrupt because was tired and school is absolutely kicking my ass...um. so there's that. and honestly, amnesia was harder to write than i thought but it was really good to write something complex like that. i have so many authors notes written in the translations i didn't even realize until editing but they STAY (sorry for pulling out lo'ak's hidden government name i had to fr)

Author's note: Based on this request by @supergatoderiz!

Na’vi Words used: Skxawng = moron, idiot

Junebug's Jake Sully Writing Event prompts: 48. Teaching Jake to ride an Ilu 54. Jake pretends to not know something so reader has to teach him

“Hey, baby, do you think you could show me how to ride one of those ilu things? Tonowari suggested I learn how to master that first before I move to a skimwing," he said as he helped you prepare lunch for your family. 

You looked up at him from where your knife made smooth slices through fruit. Jake stoked the fire diligently and kept an eye on the meat as it cooked. His shoulder faced you, and you got an eyeful of his side profile as he looked down at his work. 

Your face scrunched up in confusion. “I thought you said that you were Toruk Makto and that an overgrown alligator was not going to scare you?” You repeated his words from yesterday, knowing you had butchered the human word, but having quite honestly, no idea what it meant.

He grinned at how you said it, but shrugged “I changed my mind. If we are gonna fit in here, I need to listen to the chief’s suggestions.”

You nodded, agreeing with his words. “That is wise,” you said, a little impressed at his patience. It was not as if your husband did not have enough common sense to know what was best, but he himself was an Olo’eyktan only a month ago. Plus, he was right, he was Toruk Makto, he knew how to tame a beast. You knew he had taken some offense to Tonowari’s words.

“That’s me, growin’ wise in my old years.” He smirked over his shoulder at you and you scoffed. He looked handsome still, even as he lied to you. 

You saw right through his farce. He was not being sly by blaming this on Tonowari. You both knew he could handle the challenge of a skimwing, maybe not right away, but he would. For him to ask you was strange, but you knew it was his own way of wanting to spend time with you.

“I would not go that far, not for your wisdom or your age,” you teased and he reached back to tap your leg in chastisement. “But I will teach you how to ride, I would not let my husband look like a total skxawng if I can help it,” you added.

He beamed over at you, “Thanks, baby. I appreciate it.”

That is how you found yourself in the ilu pens that afternoon in waist deep water with your husband and a very eager ilu. The sun sparkled across the water, creating a glare that had you shielding your eyes.

Jake looked at you, “And I just… get on?” he asked, smoothing a hand down the ilu’s slippery skin as you stood on the other side of it.

You narrowed your eyes at him, “Yes, Ma’Jake. You are thinking too hard. It is much the same as riding an Pa’li,” you said. 

You had ridden an ilu many times in your youth on your mother’s diplomatic trips to meet with the separate clans. Even as a girl, the ilu was a fairly safe and fun animal to swim on, especially for a rider that had already learned to ride an ikran, or in Jake’s case, Toruk.

“Just checking!” he said defensively. He moved his kuru under his arm, which was connected to the ilu’s, and threw his leg over its body. The ilu made clicks as Jake sat on top of it and it slapped it fin in the water, ready to go.

“Okay, little guy. Hold on,” Jake laughed, but then turned to look at you expectantly. 

You blinked back, “Surely you know this part,” you murmured.

Jake raised his eyebrows, “Uh, do I tell it to go?”

You sighed, “Okay it was kinda cute at first, you wanting to spend time with me, but you are a bad liar and this is starting to get embarrassing for you, Ma’ Jake,” you groaned. 

Jake sputtered, scrambling to find a good enough excuse. “What are you talking about?” he feigned, leaning back on the ilu to look at you more clearly.

All you did was shoot him a knowing look and he folded. “Is it such a bad thing to want to spend time with my wife?” he asked, eyebrows furrowed together.

You barked out a laugh at his dramatic pout, “You are shameless! You know all you have to do is ask,” you insisted. 

“Well, I thought this would be more fun. A throwback to the early days when you had to teach me everything,” he smiled goofily, doing away with the fake expression for his real emotions to show through.

“And yet you still have much to learn,” you poked him in the side. “But since we are here, you will master the ilu.” you ordered and he nodded.

“Yes Ma’am,” he muttered, leaning forward again and giving a quiet “Come on, boy.”

Off he went, diving down below the depths. You sank under to watch him and were not surprised to see that he already did everything exactly as you were supposed to without any further instruction. 

He never needed you to help him at all. That little showoff…

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“You have to press harder. Here,” you picked up the bottle and placed his finger on the silver pump, being careful not to spill the soap you already had in your hand. You told him to press firmly on it so that some of the gel fell in his other, awaiting palm. 

Neteyam laughed at the cool sensation now on his hand as he held it up to eye level to examine.

“Woah…” Lo’ak gasped, looking at his brother's 3 fingered hand which had a dollop of face wash on it.

“Can I have some?” Kiri asked excitedly, looking over Neetyam's other shoulder. 

“Sure,” you gave Kiri a nickel sized amount and when Lo’ak held out his hand, you gave him one too. Tuk didn't want any, the 3 year old was too busy making her wooden Direhorses run from her Toruk toy.

“Okay, so you rub it between your hands,” you showed them how to spread it between their fingers, “And then you put it on your face.” 

Kiri giggled at the feeling on her cheeks as she smeared it on her skin.

“What does it do?” Neteyam asked, mirroring you closely as you spread it across your forehead.

“It gets all of the dirt and sweat off of our faces. Humans can get dots and bumps on our skin when we don’t clean it,” you explained. 

“I do not like this,” Lo’ak said, making a face of distaste at the texture. He held his hands up in the air, his face only half covered in the gel.

“That’s okay! You can wash it off if you don’t like how it feels,” you insisted, backing away so that Lo’ak could reach the sink in front of you.

“I want it off,” he stated, turning on the tap in the humans’ lab and scrubbing his face.

“How long do we keep it on?” Kiri asked curiously, playing with the sticky texture on her fingers.

“Only a little longer, you can wash it off now if it’s bothering you,” you told her, gesturing to the sink where Lo’ak scrubbed it off of his skin, but she shook her head.

“No, I like it,” she grinned. 

“Me too!” Neteyam agreed, the pink gel making their faces look rosy and shiny.

You smiled, glad they enjoyed it. Lo’ak stepped away from the sink, not noticing the water dripping from his skin into the floor. He didn’t bother using the cloth beside the sink to dry his face. Na’vi… always making messes.

“Here, don't get the floor wet, that’s a slipping hazard,” you fussed, grabbing the yellow hand towel hanging up and handing it to him.

Lo’ak looked confused at why he couldn't just let the water dry, but the nine year old still did as you asked. Jake and Neytiri had drilled into their heads to listen to you when they weren't around, despite your humanness. Tonight, the couple were on a date night, probably flying off in the sky somewhere on their ikrans.

“I’m going to wash mine off,” you informed Kiri and Neteyam, splashing water on your face a few times and taking a washcloth to wipe off the dripping water.

“Can we?” Neteyam asked, 

“Yeah, go for it. You can use these,” you said, handing him and Kiri more washcloths from the cabinet.

They did as you had shown them while you moved to your other bathroom essentials, grabbing your toothbrush and toothpaste and starting to brush your teeth. Beside you, Lo’ak started looking over your stuff, messing with the supply of hygiene products you had left. 

Na’vi used roots and water for teeth maintenance, but having a low sugar diet and absolutely no processed foods meant that they had little to no cavities or other problems with their teeth. Following a similar diet had helped the humans as well, but you all still brushed your teeth regularly. The Sully’s had seen the others in the lab brushing their teeth before, so it wasn't as surprising as the face wash. 

“What is this?” Lo’ak asked, reaching forward to place the blue plastic case off the counter that held your retainer.

You panicked when he shook it harshly. “No!” you exclaimed, placing a hand on his to stop his abrasive handling of the precious piece of plastic. 

“I only have one of those! They can break” you yelped, and he immediately handed it to you.

“Sorry!” he apologized, looking guilty. Behind him, Neteyam and Kiri were drying off their faces and turned to see what he had found. You took the tooth brush out of your mouth, spitting out the foam before turning back to him.

“It’s okay, Lo’ak. Sorry I yelled, I already broke my extra one. This is all I have left,” you huffed a laugh, opening the case and showing everyone what the mouth piece looked like.

“What that?” Tuk asked, toddling up to your leg and pointing to what you had in your hand.

It was hard for your human brain to comprehend that she was only three since she nearly came up to your hip. 10 and 11 year old Lo’ak and Kiri had already outgrown you, coming in several inches above your head. Neteyam had already surpassed you a few years ago. 

You placed a hand on Tuk’s head, “This is to keep my teeth straight,” you explained, popping it in your mouth and showing them all how it fit perfectly into place.

“What?” Kiri squealed, crouching down to see better as you smiled, displaying your plastic grin.

“Why do your teeth not stay straight?” Neteyam asked, looking fascinated, but also worried for you.

“It’s because I had crooked teeth when I was little, so I had to get them fixed. Sometimes humans just are born like that. If I don’t wear this, then they will go back to how they were,” you explained.

Lo’ak furrowed his eyebrows, “What is wrong with crooked teeth?” he asked.

You popped the retainer out, finding it hard to speak around it. “I- I don’t know actually. On Earth, they like for humans to have straight teeth, they say it is more beautiful, but… that’s not really true,” you muttered, thinking it over for the first time. 

“Laltu’s teeth are not straight,” Kiri said, referencing her friend in the village. “I think it makes him look cool,” she said, standing up from looking at your mouth now that you had taken out what fascinated her. 

“Mama has a crooked tooth,” Neteyam added, tapping his bottom row of teeth, “She’s always pretty,” he shrugged.

You smiled at his sweetness, “She is, and Lantu as well,” you nodded.

“I think you would look just as good with crooked teeth!” Lo’ak shared, looking at you with his wide, kind eyes.

“Aw, you kids are the best,” you cooed, overcome with love for the Sully’s.

“But I’m still going to wear it though, my mom paid a lot for me to have straight teeth,” you sighed, popping it back in. Neteyam laughed when you shot him a cheesy smile.

“Can I touch it?” Kiri asked, reaching a hand out to your mouth. 

You snapped your mouth closed and held out a hand. The girl froze, “Kiri, I love you, but I am not letting you stick your hand in my mouth,” you warned and she shrank back guiltily.

“No touch?” Tuk asked, looking upset by this news.

“No touch,” you confirmed, your light lisp making her giggle.

“This is just unfair, you got to touch it!” Lo’ak whined, his shoulders slumping.

“Yeah!” Kiri agreed with her brother for maybe one of the first times.

“Because it's mine!” You scoffed, but that didn't seem to deter them. They both glared at you in annoyance.

You turned to their oldest brother who watched his middle siblings complain with wide eyes. “Neteyam? What do you think?” you asked. 

He looked surprised that you asked his opinion, but he shrugged. “I would like to see what it feels like as well,” he said shyly and you sighed.

“Fine,” you relented. The kids gasped, perking up and coming closer. Even Tuk got excited. “Wait,” you said, pulling the retainer away from your teeth and setting it on a washcloth laying on the counter. You would just have to rewash it before bed. 

“There, now you can touch it.”

The kids spent the next few minutes carefully prodding the clear plastic pieces as if it was going to bite them while you shook your head and laughed.

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A long moment passed before your mind drifted in a direction you had not intended. The longer you watched him, the harder it became to ignore the effortless way he shifted from warrior posture to gentle cradle, his voice dipping into a low, velvety coo meant only for the baby. His arms flexed as he adjusted the sling, and every muscle across his chest tightened beneath the thin fabric. A pulse of heat flickered through your abdomen. You blinked, startled by how quickly your thoughts tipped toward hunger—very specific, very physical hunger. Jake’s hands always looked good when they held weapons or tools, but they looked devastatingly attractive wrapped around your newborn, protecting what the two of you created. Your pulse climbed. The warmth in your throat chased upward into your face. You jerked your gaze back to your carving before anyone noticed the flush creeping over your neck.

The toy blurred in your hands as your mind betrayed you again and again. You imagined those same steady hands sliding over your hips, that same gentle voice whispering into your ear with the exact tenderness he used on your baby. You swallowed a quiet sound, part embarrassment, part need, and forced your attention back onto the wood. Each stroke of your knife became a grounding breath. Yet every time Jake laughed at one of the women’s comments, a low, fatherly rumble that vibrated warm through the air, your body responded in a way that made your tail coil tight behind you.

Eventually the circle of admirers dispersed, satisfied with their cooing and doting. Jake wandered toward you with that unshakeable bounce to his step, still humming soft, meaningless comfort to the baby as he lowered himself beside you. The platform shifted beneath his weight. His thigh pressed against yours. The scent of him; clean sweat, sap from the forest paths, and the faint sweetness of your newborn’s skin wrapped around you like a heated blanket.

“Hey,” he murmured, brushing a knuckle over the baby’s cheek before glancing at the carving in your hands. “Working on their first toy already? Overachiever.”

You couldn’t look at his face. Every time you tried, an image flashed across your mind of him above you, skin glowing in firelight, whispering your name with that same soft tone he used on the child. Your voice caught in your throat. “Y-yes,” you stammered, ears tilting back as warmth swept across your cheeks. “I-I… wanted it ready. For later.”

Jake paused. You felt the moment he noticed the tension radiating off your skin. His brows lifted, curiosity sharpening before melting into slyness. His head angled toward you, eyes narrowing with slow, dawning amusement. “You okay?” he asked, dragging out the last word in a way that made you certain he already suspected the answer.

Your mouth opened, but only a choked, incoherent sound emerged. You made the mistake of finally meeting his gaze, and the knowing spark in his eyes sent a full shiver down your spine. His lips curved, slow and wickedly pleased, the exact expression he wore when he had caught you wanting him before.

“Ohhh,” he murmured, leaning back on one hand as his grin widened. “I get it.” His voice dropped, warm enough to melt bark from a tree. “You like seeing me like this, don’t you?”

Your breath hitched, sharp and humiliating. He was enjoying every bit of your fluster, letting his gaze travel lazily over your flushed face and trembling fingers. He shifted his body fractionally closer, shoulder brushing yours, heat radiating from him in waves.

“You’re staring at me like I’m your favorite mauti (fruit),” he teased, voice pitched low enough to make your stomach tighten. “All proud dad, soft voice, baby strapped to my chest… is that what’s getting you all shy?”

You nearly dropped the toy. Your tail curled protectively around your ankle, and you pressed your lips together, mortified by the way your breath refused to steady. Jake let out a quiet laugh; gentle, affectionate, but undeniably smug. His hand lifted to rest on your thigh, thumb stroking a slow arc that made your heartbeat stumble.

“You don’t have to hide it,” he whispered, leaning in until his breath warmed the shell of your ear. “I kind of like that look on you.”

Your lungs refused to work for a long moment. The baby shifted sleepily in the sling, unaware of how the air thickened around the two of you. Jake’s thumb kept moving, that steady, possessive pattern that always unraveled your composure.

After a stretch of silence in which you tried, and failed, to regain control, Jake nudged your cheek with his nose, playful and unbearably tender. “You know,” he murmured, voice rumbling against your skin, “if holding one kid makes you this flustered…”

His mouth brushed your ear, sending heat knifing down your spine.

“…maybe we should make another.”

Your breath hitched that you had been caught staring, but your focus was skewed from him anyway as your friend, Siyka, grabbed your hand. “Come! I am thirsty!” she said and pulled you away from the circle. 

You stumbled away from the center of the room, heaving in deep breaths as you smiled in elation at the adrenaline coursing through you. You loved to dance at festivals like these.

“He looks more like a fkio than a Ikran,” Siyka giggled, pointing to your other friend’s little brother who was still out dancing and you nodded in agreement.

“His wings are much too little,” you laughed, making lighthearted fun of him since he had outgrown his costume for the festival.

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw someone moving towards you, but it did not register until Jake Sully stopped right in front of your path. “Oh!” you skidded to a halt as your body nearly collided with his. Your hands came up to stop yourself and they landed on his chest.

He smiled goofily down at you. “Hey,” he muttered, looking both relaxed and alert simultaneously, his eyes shifting around your face.

“Hello,” you greeted and attempted to respectfully withdraw your hands, but he grabbed your wrists and kept them there. His gaze was intense, loving even, and you stared back, astonished. 

It was not as if you and Jake were not good friends. You spent hours flying together, sharing stories over meals, and showing him the Omatikaya way when Neytiri deferred her duties over to you. You were comfortable around each other, but it had never been overtly romantic, at least, not until recently.

You had noticed his lingering stares and his touches that lasted a moment too long. He found you quickly in a crowd, choosing to be close to you even when Neytiri or the other avatars were there. His attention made you giddy, and you had hoped his feelings were what you had perceived them to be.

“What are you doing?” you asked, a laugh ran through your words as his fingers brushed the soft skin on the underside of your wrist.

“I have no idea,” he admitted and his grin widened as he said it. You blinked back at him as Siyka snorted from behind you.

“I’m going to go…” she trailed off, but neither one of you looked at her, too engrossed in the other’s gaze.

As soon as she walked away, Jake moved his hands up to your face, briefly pressing a palm against each of your cheeks. Your nose scrunched in confusion.

“Jake, what is going on?” you laughed as he sighed.

“You’re just…” he stopped, getting distracted as he dragged his thumbs under each of your eyes. 

He moved suddenly, wrapping his arms around your shoulders and pulling you in tightly for an embrace. Your arms were pinned between both of your chests as he gently squeezed. “You’re beautiful,” Jake exclaimed over the loud drums.

“Thank you,” you answered, cheeks heating at the compliment, glad he could not see your eyes widen and look to Eywa for strength.

You pushed him away after he lingered a moment too long. “You have had too much to drink,” you told him but he shook his head fervently.

“No! Just enough to tell you that I love you!” he said loudly. “I probably shouldn't be telling you this yet,” he chuckled conspiratorily like he was sharing a secret.

You gaped at him, furiously scrambling to make sense of words you could say in return, but he continued.

“What is it you guys say? Ugh,” he tapped his forehead with his hand as he laughed. “Yeah, um nga yawne lu oer!” he came up with, saying the words loudly. Several people turned to look over at you and you pursed your lips. 

“Come,” you grumbled, taking his hand and dragging him to the far corner of the room. His steps shuffled and stumbled without his usual sure and steady gait. You found a spot that was tucked against the wall away from the action and out of prying eyes.

“If I had known that confessing my feelings was all it took for you to drag me away, I might have-”

“Jake!” you hissed, stopping him before he went too far down that path.

“What?” he bit back playfully.

Your ears fell lower. “You cannot say such things!” you told him, ignoring his snide comment.

He frowned, “about dragging me away?”

“No! About… about loving me!” you stuttered, embarrassed to even be having this conversation.

“You don’t love me?” he deflated and you felt bad for the skxawng.

“You cannot tell me these things when you have had enough drink to knock out a Palulukan!” you argued and his brows furrowed. 

“Why would a palu- pa-” he shook his head, eyes narrowed in concentration. “Paloola…” He giggled at the sound he made and you sighed.

“Palu-lukan,” you said slowly. “Palu-” you said and he copied you. “Lukan,” you finished the word again and he finally said it without help.

“Palulukan,” he repeated slowly in his languid human accent. “You guys have some real weird words. What were we talking about?” he asked, eyebrows scrunched together. 

“You were asking why a-”

He shook his head, “Right! I was saying that I love you!” he exclaimed and you groaned, dropping your head in your hands.

“Okay, so you really don’t like me back, huh?” he said, his momentary triumph giving way to a pout. His tail wrapped around his leg as if to self-sooth.

You lifted your head and leveled a gaze at him. “It is not that, Ma’ Jake, it is that you are very, very drunk. We should not have this conversation right now,” you explained.

He crossed his arms over his chest. “It sounds like you want me, you just don't want to want me,” Jake pointed out as if had cracked a secret hidden meaning underneath your words. 

You stared back in disbelief. “That is not what I said,” you argued. 

“But it's what you meant, right?” he asked, looking at you intently, leaning in close enough to your face that you could smell the kava on his breath.

“No. I do want you, but I want you to want me when you are not addled by drink,” you insisted, pushing him away from you slightly. He leaned back, head resting against the wall as he stared at you like you hung Pandora. 

“You want me?” he asked in excited disbelief.

You sighed, not even realizing you had let the words slip. “Yes, Skxawng. But you cannot return my feelings until you have become of sober mind,” you explained.

“But I do want you! All the time I do,” he exclaimed, sounding the slightest bit whiney.

“Then you will want me just the same tomorrow. Tell me then,” you suggested, patting his chest and walking away.

You thought you would get away clean when you felt a firm tug on your tail. You whipped around, looking at Jake who looked very pleased with himself as he still leaned against the wall. 

You reached around and pulled his tail right back, his reaction time much slower than normal. His jaw fell open at your action and it was your turn to be pleased.

“That’s what I thought,” you muttered, walking away fully this time without interruption.

-

The next morning was quiet. Many people slept in, too exhausted or hungover to pull themselves together before the sun was already high in the sky.

You walked down the spiral of hometree, not surprised to find a sparse population of those who were ready for the day.

You were surprised however to find Jake sitting by the fire staring into the flames as he ran a cord of jewelry between his fingers.

“Jake,” you called gently, getting his attention and surprising him. He jerked up to his feet, staring at you blankly before you smiled and he relaxed.

“Hey,” he said. “I’m sorry, you know, about last night. I- that’s not how I wanted it to go,” he sighed, rubbing at his eyes.

You nodded slowly, mulling over his words. “And how did you want it to go?” you asked and he huffed out a laugh.

“Anything would have been better than how it happened, but... I was gonna wait until after I passed my dream hunt to tell you, when I will hopefully have a place amongst the people, but I told on myself last night,” he huffed out a sardonic laugh.

You looked down at the floor, suddenly feeling shy, “So, you did mean what you said?” you asked and his face fell.

“Yes! Geez, yeah. I’m a Skxawng,” he muttered, stepping closer to you and taking your hand. 

He looked deeply into your eyes so you knew he meant it. “Nga yawne lu oer, I love you,” he said with conviction. His pronunciation was nearly perfect, as if he had been practicing.

You smiled, “Nga yawne lu oer, Ma’ Jake,” you answered and he beamed. 

“Good, good,” he breathed out a sigh of relief before holding up what he had in his hands.

“I asked Neytiri what to do when you know, want to court someone, she said you should always start with a gift. I was gonna wait to give you this, but well, after last night…” he shrugged

“You were very persistent,” you nodded, feeling a little sorry for him, but also finding all of this a little funny and very in Jake's way of doing things.

“I know, I’m sorry,” he shook his head, “But since you already know, then I won’t make you wait to ask. I did my best, but… it’s not anything special,” he pressed something into your hand and you opened your fingers to reveal a bracelet. It was brown corded fibers with blue, green, and purple beads running sporadically throughout. “If you would allow me to, I’d like to court you, y/n.”

You looked up to him, “Jake… I love it," you nodded. "I would like that,” you replied.

He smiled at your answer, his tail flicking around behind him, and said, “I know it's not anything near as nice as you deserve, but I’m pretty terrible at this stuff. I swear I’ll work on getting better,” he chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck as you examined the bracelet. 

You shook your head, “It is perfect as it is. Put it on me?” you asked, holding your wrist out and he obliged, wrapping it around your wrist twice and tying it off snuggly. 

“I got something for you too. A courting gift,” you said, digging around in the bag slung over your shoulder and pulling out the arm guard you had made him. It would protect his skin when he used his bow.

“Woah, really?” he asked as you handed it over to him.

You nodded, “It is leather, so it will protect your arm much better than the one you have now,” you explained.

“I love it. Truly, baby, I do. Can you help me put it on?” he asked, holding out his arm and the guard.

“Of course,” you agreed, taking it from him and trying it around his wrist. Your fingers brushed his warm skin as you wrangled the leather string into the right place. 

“This is way too nice,” he protested as you finished securing it. “You didn’t have to do all this for me. Just hearing you return my feelings was more than enough.”

“Well, it is a courting gift, it is supposed to be nice. Like what you made me,” you said, fingers ghosting over the bracelet on your arm.

“I would hardly call that this level of nice,” he scoffed, looking closely at the etched details in the leather.

“Did you spend a lot of time on it and do your best work?” you asked pointedly.

His eyes flew to you before he nodded, “Well, yeah… but-” 

“Then it is a nice gift,” you insisted, “Besides, do not insult my bracelet. My intended gave it to me and I love it very much,” you teased and he smiled.

“On Earth, you would be my girlfriend now,” he told you and you blinked.

“But I have been your girl friend for many months already, have I not? I am both an ‘evenge and your friend. ” you asked, confused at his human words.

He shook his head and chuckled. “There can be a girl who is a friend, but if you’re dating- uh, courting, then that becomes a girlfriend,” he explained.

“That makes no sense, Ma’ Jake. You said the same thing two times,” you shook your head at the nonsense and he smiled at your adorable, confused face.

“Well there’s a space between the words. You see, a girl-space-friend is a friend who is a girl… but a girlfriend, one word, is a girl that you’re courting.”

You blinked, “Last night, you said that Na’vi have funny words, but it is the human language that makes no sense,” you said and he smiled widely, cocking his head in agreement.

“Maybe so… what would you call me in Na’vi now that we’re together?” He asked, genuinely curious for your response.

You smiled shyly, biting your lip, “You are my Yawnetu now. My beloved,” you said proudly, grabbing his hand and holding it tightly.

He squeezed your hand back. “I like that way better,” he smiled.

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You had looked at Neytiri in confusion. This idea seemed to be very basic to you, but you had learned that humans found many things entertaining that you did not. She just rolled her eyes at her husband and said, “Ma’ Jake, we already do this often on hunting parties and long journeys."

He shook his head and beamed, “But this is for fun!” he explained.

So the next day, you and Tsu’tey sat by the shore hand in hand, your one year old daughter, Maea strapped to your chest as your two sons ran around with Lo’ak, Neteyam, and Kiri. 

“Stay where we can see you,” Tsu’tey called to them, and your kids were quick to nod in respect to their father. They ran through the water, splashing themselves and the Sully children. Kiri screeched when her brothers kicked water at her and the boys laughed.

“They run around like wild syaksyuks,” you laughed and Tsu’tey smiled at the comparison. 

“But not half as agile,” he added. Right on time, 6 year old Lo’ak tripped, sprawling out on the dirt. All four adults held their breath, knowing it was best to gauge his reaction first. If he sprung up like nothing happened, then there was no need to coddle him, but if he started to cry, that was different. 

Lo’ak rolled over, staring up at the sky. You saw Neytiri relax out of the corner of your eye thinking he was fine, but then he slowly scrunched his eyes closed as he released a wail. 

“I got him,” Jake said, hurrying over to his youngest child to comfort him and check for injuries. He held him in his arms, Loak sitting at his hip as he rested his head on Jake’s shoulder and sniffled.

Your youngest son, Arwey, ran over to sit in Tsu’tey’s lap. “Is Lo’ak going to be okay, Sempu?” he asked.

“Yes, he will be fine, his sempul knows what to do,” Tsu’tey said, wrapping his arms securely around him. You smiled at the sight of your boys.

“Like how you always know what to do?” Arwey asked, looking up at his father with questioning eyes. 

“All sempuls know what to do. Eywa gives them this gift when their children are born,” Tsu’tey explained, looking to youwith mirth in his gaze to make sure you were hearing the conversation.

“Like magic powers?” he asked in awe.

“Exactly, Son.” Tsu’tey nodded, fighting back a laugh.

Soon, the sun was high in the sky and it was time to eat. Jake and Neytiri laid out a blanket, which you did not see the point of. You would only get it dirty. But everyone sat down anyway. 

You had packed a bag full of food, just as Jake had explained was traditional. You pulled out fruit and dried yerik, some of your kids favorites, handing it off to Tsu’tey who started portioning it out. As the kids sat down around you, you both started handing out food.

Jake and Neytiri were sitting opposite you and Tsu’tey, with the kids filling in all the spots around the circle you made. You were pleased when Kiri sat between Neytiri and you, casting you a smile as you handed her food. 

You were fond of the Sully girl, both families were dominated by boys and your daughter was only one year old, so it was nice to have a young girl around. You had watched Kiri grow up, had done her hair, helped Neytiri pick out gifts for her. In many ways, you and Tsu’tey were like an aunt and uncle to them, just like Jake and Neytiri were to your kids.

In fact, you shook your head as your eldest, Tarik sat tentatively beside Jake, looking up to Toruk Makto, being a little in awe of the legend himself despite seeing him nearly everyday.

“Hey, Champ,” Jake stuck out a hand to ruffle Tarik’s braids and he beamed. 

Arwey stayed by Tsu’tey’s side, sitting between his parents. Tsu’tey helped him tear up his Yerik into smaller sections so he did not choke. Neteyam sat beside Tarik and the boys whispered conspiratorially together with occasional giggles.

“Your picnic idea was not as bad as we thought it would be,” you nodded to the former dream walker as you chewed on your food. 

“You thought it would be bad?” Jake scoffed, pausing his eating to look between the other adults.

Tsu’tey shrugged, “we did not know. These Human traditions are often odd,” he said and you nodded in agreement. 

“Why did you agree to do it then?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“We thought if it was stupid, then we could at least laugh at you,” Neytiri said to her mate whose eyes widened. 

“Always the people closest to you,” he muttered, shaking his head.

“I like it!” Neteyam smiled, nodding to his dad encouragingly and your heart melted at his kindness. 

“We all do, even grumpy Uncle Tsutey,” you insisted, patting your mate's thigh.

“I did not say that,” he grumbled.

“But you do…” you taunted and he shrugged.

“For a human activity, it is… adequate,” he nodded. 

So, all in all, it sounded like your outing was a success.

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You gathered the young hunter you were training, Lilal, as well as Jake near the training ring. You took out orange paint and gave them each the same insignia on their faces, the outline of a ikrans wings in flight. You reminded Lilal of her training and of how far she had come as you ran your finger across her nose and forehead.

When it came to Jake, you smiled stiffly to return the one he sent to you and tried to ignore his intense gaze as the dream you had last night came to mind.

“My dream last night was of us flying together. You will pass this rite today, Jake. No fear, strong heart,” you whispered so Lilal could not hear. 

He breathed in deeply, “I had the same one,” he muttered and you paused with your finger forming the diamond between his eyes. 

Before you could respond, Tsu’tey and the two other tributes rode up to you on Pa’li. “Are you ready? It is time,” he asked impatiently.

You nodded and looked at Jake who visually paled. “Strong heart,” you reminded him once more as you and Lilal moved to get Pa’li to mount.

“Easier said than done,” he grumbled.

You and Tsu’tey led your trainees and Jake high into the mountains and through the grotto that led to the ikran’s nest. Hundreds of ikran would be huddled together, perfect for the young hunter you were training, Lilial, as well as Tsu’tey’s teens, Saeyla and Ka’ani to find one to bond with. 

Jake had kept pace with your group all the way up the mountain, although you had caught him staring slack jawed in wonder a couple times at the scenery. You were impressed that he had managed the treacherous journey up without complaint, and his skills were better than what you were imagining. 

Your party emerged on the cliff face and you could hear the squawks and calls from the ikran as they flew around the air in front of you. All three teens looked at each other, nervous, but trying to be brave. Jake just looked like he was steeling himself before catching your eye. You nodded in encouragement, despite your better judgement.

“Lilal, Jake,” you called the two prospective hunters over to you as Tsu’tey did the same with his. 

“No fear, the ikran can smell it. You move fast, no hesitation, no wavering. Eywa will guide you. Do you have questions?” you asked.

Lilal shook her head, you had been preparing her for this for weeks, but Jake nodded. “Yeah, a lot actually,” he huffed out a laugh with no humor.

“What has Neytiri told you?” you asked, doubting the truth in his words.

“Uh, that I am ready for this, and that Ikran bond for life,” he recited as you waited for the rest. “Also that I would need this.” He held up a mouth-binder. At least he had that, you had noticed it at his waist before you left.

“That is all she told you?” Lilal asked, shocked as he met her eyes. He was looking even more nervous now.

“Yeah…” Jake was cut off. 

“Jakesuli will go first,” Tsu’tey called, and you noticed his group had broken up and were ready to move to the rookery. 

Tsu'tey smirked at Jake, expecting him to fail or die. You could not have that, but you also would not let him look weak. Neytiri was right. He was ready for this.

Jake bravely nodded, showing little fear, despite just saying he had no idea what to do. 

You followed him out onto the ledge, noting his tense shoulders. You wrapped your arm around his bicep to get his attention and stop him from rushing forward, as the Ikran roared when they noticed Na’vi approaching them. 

“Now you choose your ikran,” you instructed. “This you must feel inside. If he also chooses you, move quickly, use the mouth binder so he cannot bite. You will have one chance,” you warned.

“How will I know if he chooses me?” Jake asked tensely.

You cocked your head. You would have thought it was obvious.  “He will try to kill you.”

“Outstanding,” he muttered before moving forward.

The banshee’s eyed him as he approaches them but most fly off or back away,obviously not meant for him to bond with. You grip your knife, hissing at a purple ikran who gets a little close for comfort. Tsu’tey follows you both out to watch Jake’s progress.

Jake unravels the mouth-binder made from a serpent's hide as he attempts to approach several ikran, but they each took off.

Finally, a large blue and teal male turns towards Jake, glaring at him with fire in its gaze. The ikran roars and Jake cocks his head before letting out a hiss in return.

“Let's dance,” he challenged and shifted his weight back and forth between his legs.

“That moron is going to die,” Tsu’tey laughed with the others and you gritted your teeth, not wanting to tear your focus from the fight as Jake managed to wrap the binder around the jaws of the ikran and in its moment of confusion, jumped on the back of the beast.

You stepped forward, watching each second like it was moving at twice the speed. The ikran attempted to take flight, but Jake’s weight around its neck kept its balance off center. Your heart stayed in your stomach even as the others yipped and laughed at the struggle. Jake got his arms around the ikrans head, so close to being where he needed to be.

“Make the bond,” you yelled, frustrated that he was taking so long. You did not want to prove Tsu’tey right and have him die in front of you.

At your urging, he let go of the hold around its head and brought its queue around to make tsheylu. 

“Kehe,” you gasped, as he foolishly let the ikran headbutt him, the force driving him back and allowing it to buck him off and over the edge.

“Jake!” you screamed, running to the side only to see him gripping a root and still conscious. 

He swung himself up before you even had the thought to go help him and leapt at the creature, clamping his legs around its head as he grappled for purchase around its neck. 

Ka’ani whooped in excitement, but you were too nervous. “Tsheylu!” you urged, lowering yourself to a lunging stance as you watched on in equal parts impressed awe and worried horror.

His weight at the ikrans head had it lowering Jake to the ground, but he never let go, just clung on with all of his might. He managed to grab the kuru, yelling out in victory when he connected it to his. 

“Stop!” Jake ordered. You finally breathed out in relief at the bond and the ikran stopped thrashing around.

You moved to be in front of the ikran’s head now that it was safe to be closer. 

He said his next words so low and so quickly that you almost missed it, “That's right! You're mine,” he said cockily to the beast below him.

Jake slowly moved back and let go of the ikrans head after releasing the binder. He adjusted to riding on the back of a calm banshee and you surged forward, resting one hand on the beast's head and another on his thigh.

“Admit it, you were nervous for me weren't you?” he beamed from atop his mount, proud of himself.

You narrowed your eyes, but ignored him. “Go! The first flight seals the bond. You cannot wait,” you ordered, pushing them out to the cliff’s edge and backing away. Jake looked at you, eyes wide and questioning again like before, but you just nodded in encouragement.

“Think ‘fly’,” you suggested and he repeated the word out loud. You could tell he was not prepared for the instant reaction of his ikran as they both took off flailing into the wide open sky.

You laughed as he grappled for purchase and they left your line of sight. Ka’ani, Lilal and Saeyla laughed and whooped for the dream walker as you ran to your own ikran, Na’tu. 

Tsu’tey barked at them to stop and they quickly shut their mouths in submission to their teacher. You did not stop to address them though, you were too quick to mount Na’tu and take off into the sky, looking for your soulmate and his new ikran.

You found them a minute later, flying much straighter than you had seen them leave. You were glad to see he had figured it out. You were finding that he may be less of an idiot than you thought. He was still an idiot, but not as bad of one.

You let out a whoop as you got closer to let him know you were nearby. He looked around and your chest warmed at his excitement at the prospect of seeing you. You let out another yell when you got closer and his eyes finally found you. 

You locked eyes with the avatar as you flew around and beside him. Shooting him your first genuine and unrestrained smile which he heartily returned tenfold.

-

You ran a hand through Jake’s dreadlocks, straightening them out before gathering them together in the back. He sat in front of you as you were on your knees, the top of his back against your stomach while you leaned on him. 

You were in a home much different than that of the Omatikaya. The woven walls and a springy floor gave you no clue where you were, but the sound of soft, rolling waves made you realize you must be on the coast or among the reef.

“Tonowari said he wants me to bond with an ilu first. I tamed Toruk when I was 22, I think I can manage an overgrown fish,” he scoffed and you laughed at his pouting. 

“Maybe he is right, start small. You are not as young as you used to be,” you smiled, knowing it would rile him up. 

He turned towards you, making you drop his hair as he raised his brows. “Oh really, you wanna go there? I still can do this,” he reached an arm around you, knocking you off balance and allowing him to guide you into his lap. You shrieked as he peppered your face with kisses and eventually pushed him away. 

You playfully glared up at him from where he  cradled you. “If you are going to kiss me, Ma’ Jake, do it properly,” you tutted, pulling him down to your lips with a finger hooked around his necklace.

 “You’re right, as usual,” he said before his mouth met yours and he kissed you like it was the first time. 

You pulled away momentarily for breath. “Jake,” you murmured, pressing your mouth closer to him again as you felt his hands grip your hips. 

“Ugh gross!” a teenage voice complained. You separated from Jake to open your eyes and look who was there. 

Jake sighed, "impeccable timing as always, Kelyan.” 

You looked to the opening of the kelku and only saw a silhouette of a person, the light blinded you from making out a face. You blinked, trying to get your eyes to focus and when you opened your eyes, hoping for clarity, you instead found the top of Hometree as you laid in your hammock.

You clenched your fist and groaned as all of the information and visuals gave you a headache. Heat warmed your cheeks at the thought of his lips on yours and his hands on your body.

You had a lot more questions than answers this morning. Why could you never see your children like Jake apparently could? And what did Jake mean when he said he had tamed the Toruk? Maybe you were misremembering things. Surely Jake was not going to figure out how to do what only 5 other people had done in Pandora’s history.

-

He had approached you the night he passed his dream hunt, grasping your hand and backing you into a corner of the room with no one else around. 

“Congratulations,” you had whispered, feeling all the air leave your lungs as he smirked down at you. 

“Thank you,” he murmured. “Now that I am one of the people, Neytiri said I could choose a woman,” he said and you blinked back in response. 

You stiffened, preparing for the worst. Maybe he was going to tell you he had chosen someone else, to warn you to abandon hope for a future. But then you reminded yourself that those would be good things. It would take the decision from you, a decision you knew you were very close to not having the ability to make anymore. 

Your heart was already becoming his, with each passing day, with each vivid dream, he proved himself a strong warrior, a loving mate, even that he would be a good father one day. How could you resist what was chosen by Eywa?

“And who have you chosen?” you asked numbly, trying not to let your thoughts show on your face.

He cocked his head to the side, watching you closely. “Haven’t I been clear from the start? You, always you,” he muttered, stepping impossibly closer.

“I-” you started but he cut you off.

“I know you aren't ready yet, but I’m just telling you because I want you to take your time. I’ll wait for you, as long as you need me too.”

“Jake…” you murmured, shaking your head slightly even as your heart screamed in elation. That was the tipping point for you. The moment you realized there was no going back, he was already etched into your heart.

“You’re my dream girl… literally.” He smiled at his own joke and you affectionately rolled your eyes. 

Your gaze flicked down to his lips, feeling the pull to get closer to him. Your dream last night still lingered in your mind. His hard mouth on yours, the way he had held you like something to be treasured. You had to invoke your self restraint to not let him sweep you away in his current, especially because you knew how sweet it would be.

“What is it? Tell me,” he asked softly, even as you fought to gain any composure you still had. He could already read you like a book.

“I just… I-” you stuttered over words because there was no answer. You had no fight left when it came to him, only respect and love remained where there once was distaste. Of course, you still hated the sky people and what they did to your people, but now you knew Jake was right. He was different from them in every way.

“I see you,” you managed to finally say and his eyes simultaneously softened and lit with fire. 

“You do?” he asked hopefully as if you were going to trick him all of a sudden. 

You giggled at his uncertainty. “Yes, Jake. I see you,” you repeated and he smiled. 

“I see you,” he replied. 

He reached out to grasp your hand, holding tightly as you stood on the edge of the loud, robust celebration and it felt right, like you finally had something to celebrate. 

-

Then the time of more sorrow came. Bulldozers arrived, knocking down the Tree of Voices. One of the people’s most sacred connections to the ancestors, just gone. 

Scouts reported back that they had come as soon as the sun rose, machines too powerful to stop. You had sobbed in the upstairs common area that morning when you found out. Jake had wrapped his arms around you from behind as you cried and he had lowered you to the ground as the people wailed.

Eytukan started organizing a war party immediately, Tsu’tey would lead. You knew you would be picked to go, or if not, you would volunteer. Blood must be spilt for this. 

But instead of the same rage you felt, your soulmate just looked hopeless and afraid. He did not look like the cocky, brazen warrior you had come to know him to be. 

The people gathered around Tsu’tey, Eytukan, and Mo’at. Sadness morphing quickly into anger. 

“Ftang! Rutxe! (Stop please)!” Grace pleaded with the people as they released war cries. The people looked to her, sending glares at the dream walker. “Fìkem nì'ul kawng sìyi nì'aw (you will only make it worse).”

Tsu’tey’s lip curled, “You do not speak here,” he ordered. He turned back to the people, raising his arms. “Foti awngal tìyakuk, mì te'lan! (We will strike them in the heart)” he roared and your clan resumed their cheers.

Jake leaned in closer to speak to you after hearing Tsu’tey’s words. “I wanted to wait to tell you, but I think you need to know-” he started.

Your father stepped forward, eyeing the two of you critically. “What is this?” he asked, growing angry. He was a well respected hunter and warrior, but he was not known to be calm. The room quieted down as the people’s attention shifted to find Jake’s arms still wrapped around you.

“Sempul,” you started, taking Jake by the hand. You were tired pretending he was not who he was to you. You were done with being ashamed of him. “I know this is not who you wished for me, but Eywa has shown us visions, we bear matching tanhì,” you explained and your mother let out a cry of sorrow at the news. 

You pursed your lips at the sound, but your father continued as if he did not hear it. “Vitra muntxa… with a dream walker? Is this possible, Tsahìk?” your father asked, turning to Mo’at who took in the scene before her like it was a tragedy. 

“Come. Let me see you, child,” she beckoned you both forward and when you stopped in front of her, she took your chin in her hand. She looked over each of the tanhì on your face before doing the same with Jake. 

“They are the same,” she announced grimly and the people collectively gasped.

“It is as I said, we are soul bound,” you emphasized as Jake gripped your hand tightly.

“When did you have your vision, what did you dream of?” Mo’at asked, looking between you and Jake. 

“Nearly every night since I arrived on Pandora,” Jake admitted and you nodded. Mo’at’s eyes widened. 

“Mine started several rotations ago, they happen often. Always us together, there are children. In the dreams we have a family,” you added.

“This cannot be!” Your mother cried from where she was nestled to your father’s side, making a big show of being distraught.

You turned towards your parents, “It is the will of Eywa, I did not understand it at first either, but I have come to know him.”

“Then you know that his people are the ones who did this, they must pay. He must pay,” Tsu’tey pointed a finger at Jake and your hackles rose.

“No!” you demanded, “He is innocent.”

“Tsu’tey, don't do this,” Jake spoke up from behind you, stepping forward and letting your hand slip out of his grasp. 

“Silence,” Tsu’tey demanded, marching forward towards him.

“Listen, brother-” Jake tried again, but Tsu’tey shoved him down hard. 

“Kehe!” you yelled as Jake fell to the ground and Tsu’tey roared, “I am not your brother!” 

Jake quickly stood back up and tried once again, “Tsu’tey please, do not attack the skypeople,” you looked to Jake surprised at his unwillingness to fight back.

“The Omatikaya will die if you do,” he said, turning to meet your gaze as if pleading with you to understand. He turned to the people, “I am not your enemy. The enemy is out there, and they are very powerful!” He yelled, growing more desperate to have his words heard.

You backed away at what you felt to be a betrayal. He would not stand with you, did he think the Na’vi were powerless, too weak? You backed away as the men continued to argue, their words echoing in your ears but not being heard.

Your mother was at the edge of the crowd and came up to you when she saw your reaction. “Have you mated with him?” she whispered bitterly. You blinked, slowly tearing your eyes away from the argument. 

“What?” you asked, confused, processing her words slowly.

“Have you mated with him?” she hissed, her eyes glassy.

“No,” you admitted, shaking your head.

Relief filled her gaze. “Good, this can be fixed,” she assured you, but it only filled your chest with a prickly sensation. Everything was going wrong, your entire life was crashing down around you.

Both pairs of eyes flew to the center of the ring where Tsu’tey lunged again at Jake, “No more talking!” he bit out, knife suddenly in hand. 

Jake dodged his body, but missed the swing of his arm. “Jake!” you cried out as a line of blood swelled on his chest where Tsu’tey cut him. Your mother grabbed your shoulders, pulling you to her side as you fought the urge to surge forward and intercede.

He never pulled out his knife, not even to defend himself. You soon realized it was because he did not need it.

Tsu’tey did not let him recover, just threw a punch which Jake readily caught and returned, hitting Tsu’tey across the face and kneeing him in the stomach. You gasped at the brutality when Jake punched Tsu’tey so hard in the face that he spun around and fell to the floor. 

“Surely you were not meant for a vrrtep, look at the violence he is so comfortable with. This is their way, Ma’ite, not ours,” your mother muttered in your ear. 

You did not answer her as Jake started speaking, “I am Omatikaya. I am one of you.” Tsu’tey slowly stumbled up to his feet. “And I have the right to speak.”

He transitioned to Na’vi, a clunky sound coming from his mouth. “Lu aylì'u ngaru, (I have something to say). Ayngaru nìwotx, (To all of you).”

He breathed deeply. You noticed a sheen of sweat forming on his chest and forehead as he looked to you. You shook your mother off, stepping forward towards him. A deep, sinking feeling sat in your stomach.

“The words are like stones in my heart,” he continued, eyes boring deeply into yours.

He opened his mouth to speak, but as he did, Grace’s eyes rolled to the back of her head and she collapsed onto the floor. The people gasped as Neytiri crouched beside her and rolled her over. “Grace!” she exclaimed, but there was no response.

You looked at Jake, worried he would be next. “No,” he muttered, shaking his head and his gaze met yours. 

He took a deep breath, “okay,” he steeled himself. “Look, I was sent here-” but his words died in his throat as his eyes rolled back and he went limp. His body made a thud as he hit the floor and you were already moving. Your father reached out a hand to stop you, his iron grip around your arm halting you from reaching him.

Tsu’tey beat you to the body, standing over him and grabbing his kuru to yank his head back. “Se'a srak? Fìpo lu vrrtep a mì sokx atsleng! (You see? It is a demon in a false body!)” he ground out. You screamed in frustration, clawing at your fathers hand until he let you go, as Tsu'tey's knife rose to Jake’s throat.

“Kehe!” you screamed, tackling your lifelong friend to the side and scrambling back into a crouch over Jake’s prone body, your knife at the ready. 

Tsu’tey popped back up and went to continue his attack, but paused when he saw you. You hissed in warning from over Jake’s body, a hand digging into the grass by his arm. He snarled back, but backed away, going to Eytukan’s side to cool off.

The people slowly dispersed, your parents approaching to drag you away, but you merely hissed at them too, daring them to try. 

You did not move until Neytiri came up beside you and offered to help move him somewhere safer. She had grown fond of the dream walker too. 

Together, you dragged him to the edge of the room where a thick crop of moss grew and you carefully laid him on it. You sat on your knees beside him, smoothing the hair out of his face.

“Jake,” you whispered, pressing a kiss to his closed eyelid, but he did not stir. It was eerie to see his breaths rising and falling but knowing there was no one truly inside. 

You sat by his side for hours until he finally blinked awake. “Jake,” you sighed in relief, pulling him to you in a hug as he sat up. 

“Woah, hey, I’m here,” he murmured, hugging you back tightly. 

“What happened?” you asked, not letting go. 

“They pulled me out, but we don’t have time. They’re heading here right now. They’re gonna take down Hometree,” he urged and you finally pulled away.

“What?” you asked in shock. 

“We have to go,” he repeated and pulled you up to stand. “Where’s Tsu’tey?” he asked. 

You tugged him down the spiral and found Eytukan and Tsu’tey discussing the battle plan. Grace fell in line behind Jake, evidently being awoken from her slumber as well.

“Ma’ Olo’eyktan,” you got Eytukan’s attention as the warriors stood up.

“Ma Eytukan, lu oeru aylì'u frapor, (Eytukan, I have something to say),” Jake said in Na’vi.

“Tìng mikyun (listen),” Grace urged from behind you. 

Eytukan nodded, “Pivlltxe, ma Jakesully, (Speak),” he ordered.

“Eo ayoeng lu txana tìkawng (A great evil is upon us),” he started, and the words caused your heart to sink even though you knew his meaning already. The truth of his words were what discouraged you.

He gestured to the sky, “Sawtute zera'u… fte fol Kelutralti, skiva'a! Skiva'a! (The sky people are coming… to destroy Hometree, destroy),” he stuttered, still learning the language. The people shifted on their feet, looking nervously at each other. 

“Au!” several shouted in anger at the words.

“Tell them they are gonna be here soon!” he begged you when he realized he did not know the words.

You turned to the group, “Pìyate fìtseng ye'rìn,” you explained and Jake jumped in again.

“You have to leave, or you are gonna die!” he demanded. You stilled, looking over to him. He wanted you all to just leave? To just let them destroy your home with no fight, without even trying. Maybe he was more of a coward than he seemed.

“Are you certain of this?” Mo’at asked, looking between you.

Jake hesitated, and you could tell it was because his words weighed heavy. 

“They sent me here to learn your ways. So one day I could bring this message, and you would believe it,” he admitted and your blood ran cold. 

“What?” you stammered, stepping away from him in disgust. “What are you saying, Jake? You knew this would happen?” Your lips curled slightly at the thought. 

He stepped closer, hands coming to rest at your shoulders as he searched your eyes for understanding. “Yes.” 

You pushed his arms off of you, a grimace making its way onto your face as he confirmed all of your fears.

“At first it was just orders. Then everything changed. I fell in love,” he smiled as he stepped closer and put a hand back on your shoulder, holding you still with gentle firmness. “with the forest, with the Omaticaya People… with you!” he confessed, but it all sounded hollow to your ears. “With you,” he repeated when you started shaking your head.

You hit his hands away from you, “I trusted you. I told you what you were and you said I was wrong!” you screamed, shoving him back so hard that he stumbled. 

“Trust me, please,” he pleaded but you barely heard it. 

“You lie! You are as bad as every skyperson!” you yelled, hitting his chest with the sides of your fists, but he stood there and took it.

“Please, I only wanted to-” he started but you shrieked at his words. 

“You will never be one of the people,” you screamed, stumbling back and turning to walk away. 

He betrayed everyone. He betrayed the Na’vi after they had taken him in and taught him your ways. He betrayed Neytiri who spent the last three moon cycles with him every day. He betrayed you and the promises he had made to you. He had said he was not like them and he lied.

When Grace had taught you that word, “lie”, you had not really understood it then. You thought that only humans would be dumb enough to not see through one. 

Now you knew you were the fool.

“Wait!” Jake called, taking several steps to follow after you, but you heard Eytukan command them to be bound. You finally released a sob at the betrayal, letting tears fall down your face as Ayana ran up behind you. 

“Are you okay?” she asked, but you did not hear her, too focused on getting out of the vrrtep’s sight. 

After Jake was revealed to be a liar, the fall of hometree was swift. 

In less than two hours, everything that you knew was gone. You had wiped your tears and taken up your bow with Tsu’tey and the other warriors. Jake had yelled your name when you passed by the place where he was bound alongside Grace, but you did not spare him a glance, just kept walking as you joined the others.

At Eytukan’s orders, you had set off for the ikran at the top of Hometree, ignoring Jake’s screams for you to stop, to run. The flames engulfing your home had licked at your heels on the way up and the explosions rocked your balance off kilter as you scrambled for purchase. By the time you and the others made it to the top, you could feel the steady swaying of Hometree. 

You had no time to sob, no time to scream for them to stop, only to run for your life, yipping for Na’tu to meet you as dozens of Ikran took off into the sky to escape the now falling tree. 

She landed in front of you as you saw Tsu’tey mount his own ride. You were relieved to see he would be safe. 

Na’tu took off into the sky as Hometree fell unceremoniously. It creaked and groaned as it toppled nearly in slow motion. “Kehe,” you muttered to yourself in sorrow, watching in terror as you saw people running for their lives below. 

You swooped down, flying over the area where people had once stood, but now only splinters lay in the grass. You were somewhat relieved to see that Grace and Jake were no longer tied up and bound to posts. A large limb of Hometree had fallen over the arch, crushing the area where Grace had been tied, but you could tell from the way the ropes swung frantically that she had been cut down, they both had.

You heard your name being called down below and you spotted Jake stumbling through the wreckage. He was screaming your name and it broke your heart to hear it. You did not stop for him, just kept on flying. You could not face the man who had indirectly murdered your people and burned your home quite yet. You would have to work up the courage before you faced your soulmate again.

-

“Sa’nu!” a little voice called, causing you to open your eyes and look for the child you knew by heart. 

“Yes, little Ta’ni. What is it?” you smiled, picking up the three year old and putting her on your hip, careful to avoid your stomach which was round with your second child. 

“Sempu said he would be back by now, but he is taking a long time,” your daughter complained, tugging on one of her short, black curls with a four fingered hand. She looked so much like Jake when she pouted, it made you smile.

“Should we go find him then?” you asked her and she clapped.

“Yes! Sa’nu, do you think he is in the river again?” she asked and you laughed. 

“Maybe, let us check there first.” you nodded. The two of you left your kelku and took the short path down to the stream where you had first met your mate all those years ago.

You found Jake there, as Ta’ni predicted, washing himself off after a long day hunting with his group. He had become Tsu’tey’s right hand after the battle that drove the RDA out, and he kept busy.

 “Sempu!” your daughter yelled, squirming out of your arms and you set her down on the grass.

Jake turned at her little voice, his face broke out into a wide smile at the sight of his family.

“There are my girls!” he exclaimed, wading towards you through the water. You stepped in ankle deep, a shiver going up your spine at the chill.

“How was your day, my heart?” you asked, as Jake stopped in front of you, pecking your lips before taking his daughter from you and holding her on his arm.

“Busy, the herds are turning west, away from the good grazing land, and Tsu’tey expects me to do something about it.” He scoffed at the stupidity of sturmbeast’s and you smiled. 

“They always turn west in the off months, give it time and they will find their way,” you encouraged him.

“Tell that to Tsu’tey,” he replied.

“I will tell uncle Tsu for you, Sempu!” Ta’ni remarked cheerfully. 

“That would be just perfect, would you do that for me, babygirl?” he teased the chubby toddler in his arms.

“Yep!” she agreed. 

“Actually, Uncle Tsu sent something for you today,” Jake said, carrying her over to his bag which laid on the rocky shore. 

“Really? For me?” she asked, excited at the prospect of a gift.

“Yeah, all for you,” he nodded, crouching down to pull a little toy, painted orange and yellow. Jake flew it into Ta’ni’s hands, making her giggle.

“What is it?” she asked.

“It is toruk,” you explained, coming to stand beside Jake as he stood back up. “Your sempu flew with him to victory against the mean people who tried to take our land.”

“And did you win?” she asked curiously. 

“Yes, in some ways,” he nodded and she smiled.

“Because mommy and daddy were brave?” 

“Because you make us brave, babygirl. You brought us together,” Jake smiled, kissing your daughter’s forehead.

Your vision blurred and you swayed on your feet, grasping your swollen belly on reflex. “Jake,” you muttered, grabbing his attention. His brows furrowed as he stepped closer and grasped your hand. 

“What is it? What’s wrong?” he demanded.

“I- I think I have to wake up now,” Ta’ni’s concerned face was the last thing you saw before you came to, gasping for breath on the ground below the tree of voices.

Neytiri looked up at the sound, obviously restless from the traumatic day before. “Another dream?” she asked numbly and you nodded. People were still asleep around you both, dawn just breaking under the arches. 

“Neytiri, you trained him, do you think it’s possible for Jake to tame Toruk?” you asked out of the blue and she stilled. Her jaw clenched at the sound of his name. 

“What did you see?” she pressed for answers, leaning in. You could not help but notice the bags under her eyes and the soil clinging to her braids.

“Just answer me,” you sighed, not willing to divulge your heart to her, the wounds Jake created were too fresh to rehash. Ash clung to the air and the elders whispered that Hometree still burned. 

“I do not know,” she stated, looking down at her hands, “If he made the right choices, if he went in with an even head. A week ago, I would have said it was possible, but now… I think Toruk would reject a traitor, that is weakness.” She spat the word with harsh condemnation.

“That is what I was afraid of,” you grumbled. You coughed as the dust you had breathed in yesterday stirred in your lungs again.

She looked up to you, her bloodshot eyes meeting yours, “Why afraid?” she asked.

“Because, my dreams are not a guarantee of the future. He could get himself killed pulling reckless stunts like that,” you said, tucking your knees in front of your body and resting your head on them.

“Why are you afraid for him? Let the betrayer learn his lesson. Eywa can enact vengeance on our behalf,” she gritted out.

Her words scared you, because as much rage as you felt in your chest and as upset as this made you, you could not live with yourself if he was dead. 

As soon as you woke up, all you could think of was telling Jake that your son’s name was Kelyan, because you realized you never got the chance to tell him. Or that you finally got to see your daughter's face and you liked that it looked like his.

“I am still angry at him,” you answered her, “but I still love him too.”

-

That evening, the clan gathered around the tree of souls, chanting and singing for hours. Your voice grew hoarse from crying and continued use.

Your parents had survived the fall of Hometree, but Ayana had not. Your young friend had been crushed under the trunk of her own home, the human’s fire burned away any remains. The Olo’eyktan had likewise been killed, impaled by a splinter through his chest. Dozens more were now with Eywa. 

You sang the old songs, pleading with Eywa to help you now. You prayed to the great mother to keep Jake safe, wherever he was. 

You asked for guidance for him, that Eywa would be with him if he dared try anything stupid, and a small part of you hoped that he would. If he came back, you would know he was not a coward, it would prove him right in some capacity and not all of this sorrow would be in vain. 

If he came back with Toruk… then you knew your dreams held truth. 

Throughout your entire life, you rarely had prayers answered as fast as this one. 

A shadow flew over the people, an orange blur in the sky made the people shriek and startle. Screams filled the air, but you did not join them. Only stood and turned to see Toruk with Jake on its back. Exactly as you feared, exactly as you hoped.

He dismounted and the people calmed, realizing the beast was not there to kill them all.

The crowd parted in two as Jake walked through them straight to you. Your breath hitched as his eyes met yours. He stopped in front of you, his head cocking to the side.

You stared up at him, unblinking as your mind ran through the events of the last week, but all came back to focus on him. “I see you,” you whispered through the hush of the people, eyes brimming with tears.

Jake smiled softly. “I see you,” he replied. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I was afraid of what would happen, but I am not anymore. I’m in now, all the way,” he murmured so only you could hear.

You nodded slowly, mulling over his words. “I was angry, Jake. It blinded me so that I did not see you. I did not help you when you needed me. Forgive me,” you asked.

He shook his head, “No, don’t apologize. It’s not your fault, baby,” he called you the nickname he always used in your dreams and it felt like a full circle moment. Maybe one day you could ask him what it meant. 

“Is Grace-” you started, trailing off, too timid to ask about the whereabouts of the one they called Sa’nok.

“She’s okay, with Norm and the others,” he confirmed and you nodded. He cupped your face before he turned to the leaders watching from under the tree. Jake took your hand and climbed up the steps of the dais to Tsu’tey and Mo’at.

Mo’at backed away, Neytiri coming up behind her to comfort her mother, but Tsu’tey stood still, looking at Jake with fear clouding his eyes.

Jake stepped forward and you let go of his hand. “Tsu'tey of the Rongloa, son of Ateyo. I stand before you, ready to serve the People. You are Olo'eyktan, and you’re the best warrior. I can't do this without you,” He said to the Olo’eyktan in Na’vi.

Tsu’tey looked afraid, before he gathered his courage, glancing at the giant beast behind you and then back to Jake. “I will fly with you,” he agreed.

Jake nodded, shoulders lowering an inch in relief. “With your permission, I will speak now,” Jake requested. “You would honor me by translating.”

Tsu’tey nodded, gesturing to the people as Jake stepped forward towards the people. 

“The Sky People have sent a message that they can take whatever they want, and no one can stop them,” he started, eyes narrowed and fiery. 

“But we will send them a message,” he demanded. “Ride out, as fast as the wind can carry you, tell the other clans to come. Tell them that Toruk Makto calls to them! You fly now, with me, brothers and sisters! Fly! And we will show the Sky People… that they cannot take whatever they want! And that this... this is our land!” His voice held grief and conviction. 

His speech tugged new emotions from your heart, pride being the most prominent. You were proud to call this man your soulmate, that his heart was not one that ran or cowered. He would stand with you, even if it did kill you all, he would stand.

Jake reached for your hand, holding it tightly so you did not slip away again. You understood he needed you here by his side to support him through this. You raised your free hand and let out a war cry. He would fight, you all would.

The rest of the clan followed, ululating and starting to move. Jake tugged you forward and you ran with him to the toruk. You hesitated as he ran up its wing and mounted on with ease. 

“You coming?” he asked, teasing, but also maybe hesitant you would say no.

Your eyes softened, “I will ride with you,” you repeated Tsu’tey’s words, following his lead up the side of the great beast. He pulled you up behind him, winding his arms around the Toruk’s kuru’s as you wrapped your arms tightly around Jake’s middle.

The take off was bumpy, but the sight of a hundred Ikran’s taking off around you was beautiful. The people separated, veering off to the mountains, the plains, the sea, and the surrounding forests. You and Jake headed for the plains where you knew the Olo’eyktan, Akwey, trained fierce warriors. 

The flight gave you time with Jake that you realized was much needed.

“Our son’s name is Kelyan,” you said over the wind.

“Kelyan,” he repeated, testing the name in his mouth. “I like it,” he decided.

“Me too,” you smiled, as the breeze rustled your hair. 

“What dreams did you have while I was gone?” he asked.

“We should talk no more of dreams. They are the reason we met, but they are not the only reason I am falling in love with you. I want to spend time now with you,” you said, hoping he heard you clearly over the air rushing around you.

His hand gripped your arms around his waist and you knew he had.

“Okay, no more dreams. Just us in the here and now,” he agreed. 

“Tell me how you tamed Toruk,” you asked, laying your head on his smooth shoulder, and he chuckled. 

“Oh I see. Not much changes on a different planet, the girl still always wants the guy with the nicest car.”

You pinched your brows together. “What are you saying, Ma’ Jake?”

He shook his head and patted your arm, “Nothing, baby, I’m just joking.”

“You are already testing me,” you sighed, not really meaning the words. 

“Alright, alright! Well, I figured Toruk is the baddest cat in the sky. Nothing attacks him, why would he ever look up? So I came in from above,” he explained and you picked your head up. 

“That… is very wise,” you said, having never thought about it before. 

You could not see the proud look on his face, but you knew he had one. “I thought so too.”

“You are very wise, I am sorry I did not see it before,” you apologized again. “I know you will lead us to victory, even without the dreams telling me so.”

“I thought we said no more apologizing,” he shook his head.

“You said to not do it, but I will a few more times,” you smiled against his skin, pressing a kiss to his shoulder. 

He reached down and held your thigh that sat behind his. “Whatever you need to do, baby. As long as you’re mine.”

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The formerly old man had his goons tie you to a stake in the ground when he captured you. The setting sun beat down mercilessly and you were thankful for the layer of ash and paint on your skin to protect you from being burned, although sometimes you did enjoy the sting.

“How long will it take him to get here?” Quaritch asked, finally tearing his eyes away from the horizon to look at you.

You smiled, resembling a palulukan, your fangs glinting in the dying light. “Can you not feel the stillness? He is here already,” you informed him. The group of recombinant soldiers shifted around nervously, eyes searching the air for any sign of Toruk Makto.

“You’re shittin’ me,” Quaritch called what he thought was your bluff and the words made you giggle.

“I would not dream of it,” you answered calmly.

A screech from the East made all of the Avatar soldiers lift their guns and spin around to face the sound. Simultaneously, an ikran screamed in the opposite direction. 

“If you said your prayers boys, your goddess did not hear you.” You beamed at the sign of salvation. The calvary had come. The sound of beating wings filled the air all around you as the Omatikaya descended from the sky. 

Shots rang out as the recoms aimed their weapons at your clan when the thump thump thump of large wings were heard. Directly overhead, Toruk fell towards you, ash and smoke billowing out from behind him. You cackled at the sight, giddy elation bubbling up in your chest. 

Jake came down from above the group, swooping low and plucking Quaritch up with toruk’s claws. The Colonel’s terrified face deeply satisfied you after he had thoroughly ruined your day. Stealing an innocent girl while she collected herbs in the mountains was just rude.

Quaritch screamed and hollered to be put down and Jake granted his wish. He landed Toruk without letting the Colonel go, causing him to lay prone on the ground as his arms were pinned under the beast. 

You took the moment of chaos to get ahead. You swiveled your feet out from under you and kicked the knees of the closest person. The woman buckled and fell to the rock, ash puffing up around her when she made impact. She rolled over immediately, but you kicked her again, this time in the face. Her skull hit the rocks and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. 

Out of the corner of your eye, you could see when Jake dismounted, spitting on the ground in front of Quaritch as he passed, but otherwise not stopping as he made his way to you.

Around you, soldiers were getting plucked up by ikran and were disappearing into the now inky black sky. You kept low, not wanting to get caught in the cross fire. You maneuvered your hands under your legs so that the handcuffs now sat at the front of your body.

The few Recombanants that were left grouped together, all shooting at the sky, not noticing the Olo’eyktan of the Omatikaya stalking towards them. Red feathers streamed behind him, attached to his mohawk of braids. Over his eyes sat a leather rider's mask with nantang teeth sticking out of the top. A dozen, small metal hoops surrounded the shell of each of his ears and below them hung an ikran fang. They both swayed as he walked.

Paint and ash covered him from head to toe. A vertical red stripe went down half his face, ending at a point at the tip of his nose. Ash covered the surrounding skin, while a black line ran horizontal over his eyes. Red ran from his jawline down to his shoulders, forming an upside down triangle over his chest. You had painted it on his skin this morning. 

He held up his own gun, firing it at the avatars who were picked off quickly. When one ran at him from the side, he unsheathed his knife and plunged it into the man's throat, twisting it so that the man died instantly. He fell like a sack of meat. 

“I knew you would come, Ma’Jake,” you smiled lovingly up at your husband as he took out his knife and flicked off the blood.

“Of course I came, baby. Are you okay? Did they touch you?” he asked, crouching down to press the blade of his knife over the handcuffs. The orange material snapped at the pressure. 

He checked over your body for injuries, before he helped you stand, immediately pulling you in for an embrace.  “I’m good, now that you are here,” you said, laying your head on his chest as you wrapped your arms around his middle.

He pulled away, noticing a discrepancy in your face. “No you’re not, who did this?” he took your chin in his other hand and angled your face to see smudged paint. The revealed skin underneath was purple rather than blue.

You rolled your eyes, forgetting what had happened when they captured you. “Oh yeah, the Colonel was not too happy to see me. I suppose he found out I was the one who killed him last time,” you shrugged. 

“He hit you?” Jake seethed, fangs bared.

You nodded, but smiled. “Do not worry, Ma’ Jake. I promised him that you would give him a slow death,” you drawled, batting your eyelashes at your husband.

“Sounds good to me. Whatever you want, baby,” he smiled wickedly, grabbing your hand and tugging you towards Toruk. 

“Ma’ Olo’ektan,” Tsu’tey called, dismounting from his ikran as he greeted his friend. “Other than the Colonel, they have all been slain, except for one, a coward that fled into the mountains. Neytiri is hunting him down as we speak.” 

“Tsahik, we are glad to see you are safe,” Tsu'tey added.

He bowed his head to you, hair drifting over his shoulder at the action. His paint was perfectly lined, as always. He was known to have a meticulous eye for it. Red was slathered across his chest and down the center of his face. His skin was also covered in self-inflicted scars across his shoulders, one for each of the fallen that died in the fires. A wooden faux claw perched on a necklace, carved from the wood of Hometree.

“Thank you for coming to save me,” you smiled at your husband's advisor and the clan’s most fearsome warrior.

“Very good, Tsu’tey.” Jake nodded, clapping a hand on his back as you passed by, heading towards the hostage.

“Jake,” the Colonel called from under Toruk’s grip. The Great Leonopteryx huffed at the pitiful sound. “We knew each other once. I tried to help you,” he begged and it brought joy to your heart to see him be the one who was scared. 

After he destroyed Hometree and set fire to the forest, there was nothing left but ash and smoke. The fires burned for weeks and your people were forced to rebuild a life from nothing. 

When Jake set down on the ground as Toruk Makto, a new leader emerged. He set up a camp among the rubble with you by his side. The Omatikaya hit supply lines and cargo shipments. You stole guns and medicine and metal weapons. 

The Omatikaya had survived when Eywa had forsaken you and left you to rot. But Quaritch had been the one to order for your home to be blown to ash, the fault laid equally with him.

“You never helped me. You set me up for failure,” Jake hissed. “You never expected me to survive, but here I am, Miles. I am stronger than you, smarter than you. You set me on fire and I emerged from the ashes.”

“Please, Jake, we have guns, weapons. We can make a deal.” Quaritch begged from the dirt.

“I have those. What else do you have to trade me? Blue jeans and lite beer?” Jake snorted. “No, I’ll make my own deal. I’m gonna continue to make raids, taking from the humans a fraction of what they took from us. But one day, we will come at you like a storm that never ends, we will kill every last human on Pandora, starting with you.”

“We were both Marines, you would kill a brother in arms?” Miles scoffed, but it was desperate.

“Yeah, I would. Especially one that hit my woman.” Jake stepped closer to Quaritch, and Toruk stepped away, releasing him from the hold. 

Jake yanked the man up by his vest until his feet were on the ground. “I think I’ll send a message to the skypeople. Baby, what do you think about his hide strung up on the outside of Hell’s Gate?” Jake asked over his shoulder, iron fists still hiking the colonel in the air.

“I like it…” you smiled, but thought more, “And maybe something written in his blood, what should it say, Miles?” You asked, walking around to his back and yanking on his tail hard. 

He hissed at the pain, but did not speak.

“She asked you a question,” Jake growled.

“It is okay, I will come up with something good,” you smiled, circling around again behind Jake, stopping behind his shoulder. “Deal with him, remember the promise I made,” You whispered in his ear, eyes on Quaritch as he grimaced at hearing his fate. 

You traced a hand down Jake’s back and he grinned, shivering slightly at the contact. “Oh, I remember. Go clean up, baby. I got it from here,” he replied, dropping the Colonel on the rocky ground.

You turned and sauntered away to find a ride back to camp. “Be back before dinner,” you ordered over your shoulder.

“Yes ma’am,” he hummed as he took his axe out of his belt.

As he cleaved the axe downward, you heard Quaritch’s scream of pain and the sick crunch of bone, retribution for the suffering you had endured, a repayment of sorts. The Omatikaya people cheered around you, laughing and whooping as the blue colonel died his slow death.

Boys… so easy to entertain.

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Author's Note: this was entirely inspired by a conversation i had with @junebugonjupiter. at her behest, it is done ! anything for my twin/cousin/bestie ! i hope you enjoy ! it is short and sweet (hopefully).

Na’vi to English Translations:

Tawtute: sky person, human Skxawng: moron/idiot Yawntu: loved one, lover, beloved person

“You want me to scrapbook? And sing about it?” 

Jake’s human words were strange to your ears, but the resistance in his voice was clear. He crouched beside you, warily examining the fibers and beads that you gathered in front of you. He looked quite offended at the idea of beginning his own songcord. 

“I’m not doing that,” he concluded, shaking his head. 

“You must, now that you are one of the people,” you explained, shifting your weight to face him. “It is tradition.”

“I’m good,” he declined and you sighed. The stubborn tawtute. 

“All Na’vi have one,” you tried to persuade, gesturing to yours on the ground. It held both precious memories and the promise of tomorrow. You couldn’t believe there was a stone on yours dedicated to the skxawng. “Even the fiercest warriors maintain their songcord and sing its melody.”

Jake said nothing and you rolled a wooden bead between your fingers as you mulled over your next words. Picking them carefully, you said, “Tsu'tey has one.” 

The five digits of his open palm came into view. “...Give it to me.”

You smiled privately, pleased at your success and handed Jake a few pieces of twine. 

“Watch closely, yawntu,” you said as you began twisting multiple strands together, demonstrating a knot that would strengthen the fibers and create a base for the songcord. The base of a story that had only just begun. You could foresee that his song would be extraordinary and you wondered with excitement what part you would play in it.  

You laughed as Jake clumsily followed along with a grimace in his expression. The knot he produced was pitiful. He would have to try again, but Jake Sully was not known to give up so easily.

It was why Neteyam had chosen to ask you if you would be willing to pierce his ear, stating that he was ready for something new. Of course Lo’ak asked for help piercing his ears too, not going to allow his big brother to outdo him.

Currently, Lo’ak stood nearby, watching with rapt fascination as his brother’s face screwed up in pain. Jake stepped forward from where he had been leaning against the mauri’s wall, his cocked head making his braids swing behind him. 

“Is it supposed to bleed like that?” Jake asked at the tiny drop of blood that welled up on his ear.

“We are piercing flesh, it is going to bleed,” you stated, pausing to look back at him in reassurance.

“It hurts,” Neteyam hissed and it made you feel somewhat sorry for the teenager. 

“She told you it would, Champ,” Jake laughed, shaking his head at his eldests’ whining.

You removed your hands from Neteyam and stepped away, looking closely at your work. “Congratulations, you are now a little bit cooler,” you nodded.

Neteyam felt around at his ear, smiling when he felt the small earring dangling off of it.

“Thank you, y/n,” he said, standing up from where he was sitting on the floor.

“You are welcome,” you smiled as Loak plopped down in the seat in front of where you kneeled.

“Are you sure you want one, baby brother? It hurts,” Neteyam griped. 

Lo’ak nodded firmly, “Yes, I do. Besides, Tsireya said she thought I would look nice with them so…” he trailed off with a bashful look on his face.

“Ah, I see,” you nodded. “Okay then, one ear or two?”

Lo’ak thought for a second before he said, “Two. I want both,” he fished around in a tiny pouch tied around his waist.

“Here,” he handed you two small earrings made of coral. “Tsireya made them,” he mumbled.

“Very well,” you agreed, carefully placing the earrings back in his hands before grabbing another needle. You would need to wash and heat the needles later to clean them. 

You gently took hold of his first ear, finding the perfect place to punch through. “Are you ready?” you asked, waiting to hear confirmation before going through with it. 

He took a deep breath, “Yeah, do it!” he said and you stabbed through his ear from the back so that the needle did not pierce his neck behind the ear. 

“SSSHHI-”

“Lo’ak!” Jake barked before his son completed the human curse word.

“Sorry,” he muttered, eyes closed tightly in pain as a small amount of blood accumulated.

“I told you…” Neteyam muttered, watching as Lo’ak cracked an eye open to glare at his brother.

“You did very well,” you grinned at their interaction. You took one of the earrings from Lo’ak’s hand and transferred it into his ear as you slid the needle back out.

“Better than Neteyam?” he asked smugly and Jake rolled his eyes at their competitive natures.

“You both did well, if you get through the second one, then we will consider that you may have done twice as good as Neteyam,” you grinned teasing the boys and Lo’ak beamed.

“I can do that,” he agreed.

“Hey! That is not fair,” Neteyam exclaimed and Jake clapped him on the shoulder.

“Then get your other ear done,” he suggested and Neteyam immediately backed down.

“I think I am okay,” he relented and you shook your head in disbelief.

“Still want to do both?” you asked Lo’ak and he nodded.

“Yeah, just get it over with,” he requested. 

You moved to his other side and began to choose a spot that would match his other ear. “Okay,” you muttered, “Here I go.” You counted to three and drove the needle through his skin again.

He made a grunt, but otherwise did not say anything. That was probably wise. 

“I believe that you, officially, did better than ‘Teyam,” you said as you replaced the needle with the earring.

Lo’ak whooped and Neteyam rolled his eyes. “I am still a better warrior than you,” he insisted.

“But I’m the tougher warrior!” Lo’ak taunted.

“You are both good warriors, stop arguing,” Jake interceded. 

“I may have started something, Ma’ Jake,” you said regretfully as Lo’ak got up. His new earrings dangled as he moved and you did think they looked nice on him. Perhaps Tsireya had an eye for those things. 

“Swimming in the water will help keep them clean, the salt with work like medicine,” you explained to the boys. “Try not to be too rough on them or take out the earrings. You come to me if something is bothering you, okay?” you asked them.

They both nodded and thanked you again for piercing their ears. “You are welcome,” you smiled. You lowered down to sit on your knees to start cleaning up the tools that had been used, but what Jake did stopped you.

“I think I’m next,” Jake said, smoothly sliding onto the spot Loak just vacated. You blinked at him.

“You want your ear pierced?” you asked, just to make doubly sure.

“Yes, I trusted you with my hair, and I trust you with a little poke.” He shrugged and you glanced at Lo'ak and Neteyam who were watching their dad with wide eyed fascination.

You turned back to him, “Do you have an earring that I can put in?”

“Use this one!” Lo’ak insisted, moving to a small basket and pulling out a hooped earring made from carved bone. “It was moms,” he shrugged, handing it over to you.

Jake swallowed thickly, but nodded. “That’s fine,” he said, taking the hoop from your hands to look at it closely.

“If you are sure,” you said, checking with him again.

Jake turned his eyes up to you, “Why do you think I wouldn’t want this? Am I too old or something?” He asked, narrowing his eyes at you.

You let out a laugh, “No! No, you just have never mentioned wanting one before.”

“Well I do,” he insisted.

“Okay…” you sang, moving to pull another needle from your supplies.

“Let me see that,” Jake asked, holding a hand out over his shoulder for you to place the needle into.

You put it flat on his palm and he took it between his fingers. He bent it slightly, testing its durability. “No, Jake. It is very easily-” you stopped as the needle snapped with the slightest pressure from his hold, “... broken,” you muttered.

He turned to you with wide and apologetic eyes. “I’m so sorry, Baby,” he stammered. 

“Ooooooooh, dad’s in trouble…” Lo’ak whispered to his brother and Jake pursed his lips at his son's teasing.

“It is okay, I have more,” you sighed, shaking your head at the manchild sitting in front of you. You searched around your basket full of supplies to pull out another one.

“I didn’t know that it would just…” he trailed off, holding each half of the needle in each hand.

You smiled, looking lovingly at his bewildered expression. “Ma’ Jake, it was an accident. You did not mean too,” you insisted, taking the broken needle from him.

“Guess I’m just too strong for my own good,” Jake jokingly hung his head as if in shame and Lo’ak and Neteyam rolled their eyes collectively.

“That must be it,” you agreed with a smile, leaning over his shoulder to press a kiss to his cheek.

“Oh please,” Neteyam groaned and Lo’ak laughed.

“Now for the fun part,” you said, leaning back to sit straight and positioning the new needle near his ear. “Hold the earring where I can grab it,” you instructed.

“Okay,” he held it near his shoulder with a flat palm. You held his ear in one hand and you lined the needle up with the middle of his lobe. His mohawk made it easy to see without any hair in the way, you were glad you had spent all that time on it.

“On the count of three,” you repeated the same countdown you had done for his sons and as you said “three”, you stuck the needle through.

“Shit!” Jake howled,  as he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists at the pain.

“I thought I couldn't say that word?” Lo’ak asked, raising a brow to his dad.

“You can't say it. I can,” Jake corrected, eyes still closed tightly.

“It does not feel so good, huh?” Neteyam asked smugly.

“Well, I didn’t expect it to be that bad,” Jake ground out, glaring at Neteyam. 

“Awww, my big baby,” you cooed mockingly. 

“Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up,” he sighed as you slid the earring through. 

“Did yours hurt that bad?” he asked you, wincing as you secured the hoop 

“Some, none were very fun, but I got used to it,” you explained.

“Well, how do I look?” he asked as you removed your hands and moved into a crouch in front of him so you could see.

“Hmm,” you hummed, taking his chin and moving it around to get different angles. “I like it, very handsome,” you nodded, a twinkle in your eye as he smirked.

“Good, goal reached,” he muttered. 

“Was that your goal? So I would find you more attractive?” you scoffed and he shrugged.

“That’s always my goal.”

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