❁ Tsmuke: A future worth waiting for
- One shot ❁
Pairing: So'lek x Avatar!driver reader
Summary: So'lek has a dream of his potential future, he just hopes Eywa gifts it to him.
Word Count: 1,452
A/N: I had a vision. One that was far too cute to keep to myself until we got further into the story. This can be read as a standalone but is 100% connected to Tsmuke. This will happen in their future btw. Also, only one kid being named is on purpose. I've got plans.
Na’vi Dictionary:
Sempu - Dad
Sa’nu - Mom
Yawne - Beloved
Shared warmth had settled deep through the night. Lulling. Encompassing. Nothing that So’lek was willing to give up just yet. In fact, all he was currently doing was trying his hardest to curl further into it. Trying to curl further into you. Nose buried in your hair, nuzzling lightly every now and then. Deep breaths mingling through the shared air, soothing. Like music to his ears. The domesticity of it all warmed his heart more and more with each moment.
So So’lek continued to lay there, stuck in that in-between state of sleep and awareness. Wishing that he could freeze this moment for just a little bit longer. Entertaining himself by listening to shared hearts beating together and burying himself further into the smell of you. Though, he should’ve known it would only last so long. Peace of the early morning is broken by the soft pitter patter of little feet.
“Sempu.” Muffled whispers tickle his ears as a small tug at his tail drags his attention away from the warmth his mate offered. “Sempu, wake up.” Another small hand slaps him on the shoulder as another lands on his hip. Not hard enough to hurt, but loud enough to echo off of the woven walls nearby. “Sempu!”
The fear of disturbing your peace is what makes him finally pull away, turning to look over his shoulder at the rascals smiling toothily back at him. “Sempu, it is time to get up!” That made his eye twitch lightly as the four bright pairs of eyes greeted his bleary ones. Well, three pairs of bright, eager eyes waiting for him to get up. The youngest was just happy to be a part of the chaos with the others, babbling happily from your eldest’s arms.
So’lek stays like that longer than necessary, staring at the small intruders to the peace and warmth he had been buried fully in. “What is it?”
Your second son, Ukyo, steps closer, slapping lightly at his shoulder again. “You promised to take us fishing in the morning.”
He stares at them, sleep slowly blinking away. “I remember.”
Your eldest daughter jumps next to her brother, “It is morning now.”
So’lek looks towards the mouth of the cave, light barely fighting back the darkness of the night still looming over the valley. “It is still night.”
“Sa’nu always says it is morning when the sun is awake.” Little hands push harder, rocking the hammock with each word. “So, get up.”
Of course you said something like that. Telling them silly little phrases that they latched onto every single time and turned back on him. “Your mother is silly. Go back to bed.”
That earned him a small, soft jab from your elbow as you slowly started to wake up. Little ears perking up as a muffled, “Watch it,” breaks through the air.
A soft smile crawls onto So’lek’s face, turning to nuzzle into your neck. Trying to drag you to consciousness to help him wrangle the children behind him. “Good morning, ma yawne. How do you feel?”
“Silly and still tired.” You make an effort to twist around in his arms, squinting between him and the troublemakers behind him, “Why are they up?”
The hammock sways wildly in response as Ukyo takes the opportunity to climb up on the hammock with his sister. Though in the process of climbing up and over top of So’lek, they both somehow manage to smack him in the face with both of their tails. “Sa’nu! Sempu said he’d take us fishing today, but he’s being lazy and refuses to get up.”
“Oh, did he now?” That small smile grows as So’lek feels four hands and feet continue to crawl over him, heading for you. Elbows and knees jam into his stomach as you start to lightly pinch at their sides, laughter building. “Do you even know how to fish?”
The voice of your eldest cuts through, “He promised to teach them today.”
“Is that so?” So’lek smiles through the pinch on his cheek, nipping at your fingers with a chuckle. You just squish his cheeks in revenge, “Then you better keep your promise and take them fishing.”
Excited voices overlap. ‘Sa’nu come with us!’ ‘Yeah, come with us!’ ‘It’ll be so much fun!’
So’lek allows one last nuzzle against your hand before he turns suddenly, catching your middle children off guard. Loud shrieks of laughter fill the cave as he wraps an arm around each of them and stands up. Ignoring their protests to be let down while your eldest handed you the youngest and quickly followed after his father. “No, you will let your mother sleep some more.” Setting them down with small ruffles through their hair, “We will surprise her with what you catch today.”
Ukyo’s chest puffs as he reaches for the bow So’lek helped him carve a few weeks ago, “I’m going to catch the biggest one! Make Sa’nu proud.”
His sister shoves him out of the way, “No, I am!”
“If you continue to fight today neither of you will catch anything.” So’lek’s eyes catch on the dimmed fire of the cooking station, “Have any of you eaten yet?” Silence answers. The thought that his kids were far too excited to spend the day fishing with him plants a warm feeling deep in his heart. “Food first, then we can go and give your mother and little sister some peace.”
So’lek can hear you talking quietly from the hammock, teasing your youngest girl. “Are your siblings going to catch anything today?” Giggles in response. “I hope so, their father isn’t a very good teacher.” So’lek’s ears twitch at your jab, suppressing a smile. “You would catch enough fish to feed the valley if they took you with them, wouldn’t you?” High pitched shrieking giggles force his smile to grow, shaking his head.
And as he starts to get breakfast together, listening to the excited chatter running around him, So’lek can’t help but wish to wake up like this every morning. Wishing that every morning the children would be so excited to see their parents, so full of love for the life they had here. Dreading a day when they wouldn’t need their parents to hold their hands anymore.
But everything wasn’t always as it seemed.
As the smell of breakfast started to slowly fill the air, something changed. The voices around him slowly started to mix together, fading into distance that wasn’t there before. So’lek’s brow furrows in confusion as he starts to lose sight of his kids, hearing a faded ‘Be safe,’ calling from your shared hammock. Finding that his attempt to reach out, to call for his family, was fruitless.
Darkness greets So’lek with a surprising coldness. A few beats pass as he tries to make sense of his thoughts, feeling around for your warmth, trying to hear five sets of steady breathing that should be there. Only silence shouts back at him. “Yawne? Kids? Where are you?” Nothing. By now the silence was deafening. Eyes squint in the dark, seeing a hammock that wasn’t built for two underneath him. So’lek’s brow furrows as he looks over his shoulder, seeing emptiness where four hammocks had been. And then realization slaps him in the face.
A dream, it was all a dream.
A beautiful, wonderful, and heartbreaking dream. A sigh escapes as So’lek runs a heavy hand down his face, sitting up and staring at the space that hadn’t seemed so empty before. Frustration grows as he tries to remember the details of his children’s faces, the features they had inherited from you and him, the little things he knew he loved about each and every one of them. But details would not come, staying shrouded in shadow with each push for memory to stick. All he can remember clearly is the sound of laughter, the contentment that had filled him. The warmth that had filled every crevice of the camp he called home.
Exhaustion fills him as he flops back down, heartbroken by what had felt so real but wasn’t, hammock swaying softly underneath. The steady motion threatening to pull him back into the sweet dream of love and happiness. But through the exhaustion and heartbreak, something else settled deep in his heart. This was a future he wanted, one he hadn’t realized he wanted so desperately after all this time. One he wanted desperately with you. It had been a long time since something other than bad memories greeted him behind closed eyes. But if this was something he could have, if this was something the Great Mother would gift him, he would gladly greet this vision every single night. Waiting for it to come true.
