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Summary: when you get drunk at an Omaticaya party, Spider is all to willing to help you get home safely. He is also willing to help you with something else...
Tonight, you were celebrating with the Omaticaya. One of the young hunters just finished their iknimaya. It was a time for celebrations. And celebrating you did. You put on your prettiest loincloth and a matching top and paired it with some traditional jewelry. You didn’t dress up for anyone in particular; you just wanted to look pretty. It was a party after all.
Before the party, Kiri helped you painting your stripes back on. It has been a while since you last painted them, and they had faded quite a bit. Just like Spider, you preferred to have stripes over your body. It made you feel more connected to the people and to Eywa. Not to mention the fact that they looked good on you.
Right now, you were dancing with some other girls of the clan. Your bodies moved to the rhythm of the drums, and you sang along to the clan’s traditional songs. Your movements were perfect before. You could follow the movements of the other clan members with grace, earning cheers from the others. It made you feel like you truly belonged to the clan, like you weren’t human for a while. But, as the party progressed, you drank cup after cup. You weren’t planning on getting drunk, but your friends, especially Lo’ak, talked you into drinking with them. That’s how you ended up stumbling around the fire, your movements not as graceful as before.
You kept tumbling into others, earning laughs from most, but some others hissed at you in annoyance. No one really bothered to get you off the dancefloor though, they were too busy with their own celebrations. The world was spinning around you, and you tried to dance again, but you were just twirling around now, making a fool of yourself.
Spider saw it all happen as he stood to the side, sipping from his drink. You were very good friends with him, and he would do anything to protect you. But he couldn’t have protected you from drinking this much. He didn’t even know you were planning on getting drunk tonight. If he knew that, he would have kept a closer eye on you. It was hard for him to watch you stumbling around, barely able to stand on your feet. It was clear that you weren’t just drunk anymore; you were wasted. When you tripped over your feet for the umpteenth time, Spider had had enough. He couldn’t watch you struggle anymore. It was time for you to go home.
He walked over to you and gently took hold of your arm, making sure not to startle you. You were still “dancing” when his strong fingers wrapped around your bicep, making you halt mid-twirl. You tripped over your feet again, but thankfully, Spider quickly wrapped his free arm around your waist and pulled you against him to prevent you from faceplanting on the dirt. ‘Careful, there,’ he said, raising his voice a bit so you could hear him over the music.
You just giggled at his words and placed your hands on his chest to steady yourself. ‘Monkey boy,’ you greeted him as you looked up at him with glossy eyes. Only now did Spider see how flushed your cheeks were and how your hair was messy. You looked like a mess, a cute mess if you asked him.
‘You didn’t tell me you wanted to get drunk tonight,’ he said as he kept a firm grip on your waist. He felt how you were swaying in his arms, trying to hide how dizzy you were. He was sure that if he let you go, you would fall.
‘I didn’t,’ you responded, your words slurred from the alcohol. You kept your hands on his chest to steady yourself. You only now noticed how intoxicated you really were. You could barely stand without his help.
Spider tightened his grip on your waist when you swayed a bit more and he took a mental note to bring you home as soon as possible. ‘Then what happened?’
You just giggled at his question, remembering how you got drunk this night. You were dragged along by Lo’ak who wanted to have a drink with you, but you guys kept talking, making you keep drinking as well. He might have also called you a lightweight, which made you want to prove yourself to him. To prove you weren’t a lightweight and that you could handle your alcohol. Oh, how you were wrong. ‘Lo’ak,’ you simply responded.
Spider’s nostrils flared when you mentioned your friend’s name. He should have expected this. He should have known Lo’ak dragged you into this, just like how he always seemed to drag you into trouble. You were naïve, a bit too naïve for his liking. You could never say no to Lo’ak, which got you caught up in his trouble most of the times. ‘For Eywa’s sake,’ he muttered with a sigh. He made a mental note to talk to Lo’ak about this in the morning.
You just giggled at his response, finding it all very amusing. You wanted to push yourself away from him to continue dancing, for the clan members were now playing your favourite song, but you nearly lost your balance by doing so, making you fall backwards. Spider reacted quickly and pulled you against his chest again. He did not like seeing you this drunk. It worried him.
‘Come on, let’s get you home,’ he said before he started guiding you away from the dancing na’vi. You whined in response and struggled a bit against him, but it was no use. He was much stronger than you and you didn’t exactly have the strength to put up a fight right now.
‘Nooo,’ you whined as you tried to wriggle out of his grip, which only resulted in Spider dragging you along with him. ‘Y/n,’ he said firmly. ‘You’re drunk. You can barely even stand on your own, let alone dance. I’m taking you home.’
You sighed dramatically at his firm words. You just wanted to dance to your favourite song, and you didn’t understand why Spider wouldn’t let you stay for just five more minutes. ‘You’re drunk yourself,’ you retorted, rolling your eyes at him.
Spider only scoffed at your childish behaviour as he continued guiding you away from the party. He had to keep his arm around you to help you keep your balance. He wasn’t drunk, unlike you said. He did drink a bit tonight, but just enough to get him a bit tipsy. He could easily keep his balance and think straight. The only thing was that his mind was a bit fuzzy and that he had less of a filter.
The walk home took longer than it ever had. You kept stumbling over your feet and you kept getting distracted by the bioluminescent plants and animals around you. You were acting like you were seeing this all for the first time. Spider had to admit that he found your curious and free-spirited behaviour adorable, but he forced himself on the task at hand: to get you back to the lab safely.
Once you reached the lab, Spider helped you to your bedroom. He guided you toward your bed and sat you down on the edge. As soon as your bum touched the bed, you fell backward and sprawled out your limbs, laying down like a starfish. ‘Everything’s spinning,’ you mumbled as you stared up at the ceiling. You weren’t used to being so drunk. You’ve never actually been drunk at all.
In the meantime, Spider walked over to your closet and rummaged through all your clothes, searching for something comfortable to wear. He knew you never liked wearing a loincloth to bed. You never wanted clothes that had been outside to touch your clean bed. He never understood why, but he knew better than to argue with you.
‘Yeah?’ he responded in amusement. He pushed away some clothes, but only found tops and loincloths, no shirts or pants at all. Where did you keep those things?
You giggled in response and nodded, not realizing he couldn’t see it from the other end of your room. ‘It feels like I’m on a rollercoaster,’ you said with a huge grin on your face. Being drunk was actually kind of fun.
‘How do you know?’ Spider asked as he squatted down in front of your closet now, looking on one of the lower planks. ‘You’ve never been on a rollercoaster before.’
You giggled once more at his words, knowing he was right. You grew up on Pandora, just like him. You had never been on a rollercoaster or been to an amusement park at all. You wondered what rollercoasters were like. ‘No,’ you responded simply.
Just then, Spider found a black shirt, one of your panties and some sweatpants. He walked over to you, carrying your clothes. ‘Can you sit up for me?’ he asked as he put the clothes next to you on the bed. He hoped you were able to get changed yourself, but judging from your reaction, you weren’t.
You groaned at his question and rolled over onto your belly. ‘Don’t wanna,’ you whined. ‘’M tired.’
Spider only sighed at this and gently placed a hand on your hip before he gently rolled you onto your back again. ‘You’re gonna have to, sweetheart,’ he said gently. ‘You don’t want to sleep in those dirty clothes, right?’
He knew he got you with that question. He knew how dirty you found your loincloths, and he felt a bit of triumph when you pushed yourself into a seated position. You grumbled as you did, but Spider ignored it. He was glad you listened to him. It made this all a bit easier for him.
He reached for the shirt and handed it to you. ‘I grabbed you something comfortable. Just put this on, okay?’ he asked as you took the shirt from him. You looked at it for a while before you sighed. ‘Too tired,’ you whined. ‘Don’t wanna.’
Spider sighed and ran his hand through his dreads. He didn’t like where this was going. Yes, he would help you get dressed if you needed it, and no, he wouldn’t mind seeing you naked, but he just wished it would be under different circumstances. ‘Do you want me to help you?’ he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
You kept staring at your shirt, already feeling exhausted just from thinking about getting changed. You just wanted to lay down. After a couple of seconds, you simply nodded, silently telling him you wanted his help with getting dressed.
Spider felt his heart skip a beat when you nodded. He never expected you to say yes. You, the most stubborn girl he ever met, wanted his help to get you dressed. He could feel his hands getting a bit sweaty and his heart picking up its pace. He had to tell himself he was only helping you by doing this and he had to take a deep breath to steady himself before he reached for your top. He slowly pulled it over your head and desperately tried to keep his gaze on your face. He didn’t want to take advantage of the situation and look down, even though it was very tempting. The thought of your bare chest right in front of him was doing things to him. Things he desperately fought against.
He quickly slipped the shirt over your face and let out a soft breath of relief when your torso was covered again. He felt glad that he didn’t look down, even though he wanted to so badly. He then looked down at your loincloth and mentally cursed himself for proposing to help you. ‘You’re gonna have to help me with your loincloth, okay?’ he said with a slight tremble in his voice. He couldn’t deny that it was very exciting to see you naked, but he knew it was wrong. You were drunk and he would take advantage of you if he didn’t do this for the sake of helping you.
You nodded lazily at his words, but you didn’t bother to move your body. You didn’t understand what he wanted your help with, so you just sat there with half-lidded eyes. Spider noticed this and sighed before he slowly reached for the ties on your hips. ‘I’m gonna untie your loincloth now, is that okay?’ he asked softly. He didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable in any way or for you to think he was doing something else than helping you.
You nodded lazily again and allowed Spider to untie your loincloth for you. His trembling fingers brushed against your hips a couple of times, making you shiver. His fingers felt hot against your skin, sending waves of heat down your body.
After Spider untied your loincloth, he wrapped his arms around you to get you up on your feet, allowing your loincloth to fall on the ground, leaving your underside completely bare. The air felt cool against your hot folds, and you only now noticed how wet you were. You wrapped your arms around his neck when Spider pulled you on your feet, feeling too dizzy to stand on your own. You rested your head in the crook of his neck and took a deep breath as you focused on the cool air against your wetness while taking in his scent. He smelled musky, like the forest. ‘You smell good,’ you murmured against his skin.
Spider felt your hot breath tickling his neck, leaving goosebumps on his skin. He took in a sharp breath to calm his racing heart. He had to distract himself from the fact that your underside was completely naked now. His hands slid down to your waist, and he had to refrain himself from sliding his hands under your shirt. Eywa, he wished you weren’t drunk right now. He didn’t want to take advantage of you, but it was getting harder to refrain himself. For so many years he’s been in love with you. For so many years he dreamt of you being so close to him, but you only saw him as a friend. At least, that’s what he thought. In reality, it was the exact opposite. You thought he only wanted to be friends, while you had the biggest crush on him.
He ignored your comment about his smell and took your panties from the bed before he squatted down in front of you, making you tumble forward slightly. He immediately placed his hands on your hips to prevent you from falling over and clenched his jaw when he realized how close he was to your thighs. He had to swallow down the lump that formed in his throat. Oh, how tempted he was to lean in just a little closer…
You placed your hands on his shoulders and held him tightly to keep your balance. You noticed how close his face was to your private area and you felt a wave of heat go down to your core. ‘Spider,’ you mumbled as you tightened your grip on his shoulders.
Spider was already holding up your panties and helping you lift one of your legs to slide them on, when you spoke his name. He hummed in response, curious about what you were going to blurt out now.
‘I’m wet,’ you simply said, not noticing the weight of what you said. Spider was just about to help your other leg into your panties when you spoke, making him stop dead in his tracks. His eyes widened when he processed what you just said, and he felt his throat turning dry. He let out a shaky breath before he spoke.
‘Y-you’re what?’ he asked with a trembling voice. He slowly lifted his gaze from the panties in his hands to your face. Did he hear that right? Did you just say… You sighed and remained quiet as you lifted your leg for him to pull your panties up. The movement caught his attention, and he quickly slipped your panties over your foot, but he didn’t pull them up all the way to your hips. ‘What did you just say?’ he asked again, almost feeling like, and hoping, that he misheard you.
‘I’m wet,’ you repeated yourself with a soft giggle. ‘’M feeling butterflies in my vagina.’
Spider almost choked on his saliva when you said those last words. So, he did hear you right. For Eywa’s sake, could you make this any more difficult for him? ‘You’re just drunk,’ he said as he quickly pulled your panties all the way up, making sure he kept his gaze averted. He didn’t want to make this any more difficult for him than it already was.
He then grabbed your sweatpants and held them in front of you, but this time, you saw what he was holding, making you groan. ‘No, sweats,’ you mumbled. ‘Too hot…’
Spider sighed and looked up at you. As soon as he did, his breath caught in his throat. You were looking down at him with half lidded, glazy, but also needy eyes. Your hair was messy from the party, hanging around your face, almost hiding your flushed cheeks, but not quite. Your lips were slightly parted, and Spider noticed how kissable they looked. He quickly averted his gaze back to the sweatpants in his hands. He couldn’t allow his desires to win. That would not be fair towards you.
‘You don’t have anything else to wear,’ he said as he kept his gaze down. He knew that if he looked at you, he would lose his mind.
‘Then, I’ll wear nothing,’ you mumbled as you allowed yourself to fall backwards, down onto the bed again. Spider watched you from his crouched position and mentally scolded himself for glancing down at your clothed cunt. You were sprawled out so perfectly for him. But he wouldn’t, no, he couldn’t take advantage of you. He sighed and dropped the sweatpants before he pulled you further on your bed and tucked you in, draping the covers up to your shoulders.
He thought you were already asleep for you weren’t moving, but as soon as he started to walk away, you spoke up. ‘Stay,’ you mumbled pleadingly. ‘I’m scared I’ll get sick.’
Your words made Spider feel a wave of protectiveness toward you. How could he say no to you? Especially when you were tucked in so comfortably, looking cute all cuddled up under your blanket. He sighed and nodded, even though you couldn’t see it with your eyes closed. ‘Alright, I’ll stay,’ he said softly before he turned off the lights and crawled in bed next to you.
It felt weird for him to lay down in your bed, but he couldn’t deny that it warmed his heart too, being so close to you. For years he’s wanted to be this close to you, but he never got the chance. Now he did, and he couldn’t do what he always wanted to: to hold you and kiss you.
As soon as Spider laid down, you shifted closer to him, pressing your back against his chest. ‘Hold me?’ you mumbled sleepily.
Spider’s breath caught in his throat when you shifted closer. He could feel the warmth of your skin radiating through your shirt, onto his bare chest. It made him want to hold you even more. He swallowed hard and hesitantly draped his arm over you, resting his hand on the mattress right next to you. He was going to touch you as little as possible, afraid he would otherwise be crossing a line he didn’t want to cross.
You hummed in contentment when he draped his arm over you. You didn’t mind that he was laying behind you awkwardly. You only thought about how you wanted his presence. How you were afraid of getting sick, but also by how you wanted to be closer to him. You felt that throbbing between your legs again and this time, you whined softly. ‘Spider,’ you mumbled as you shifted closer to him. ‘’M wet.’
Spider sighed in response to your words and moved a bit further away from you, desperate to keep some distance between you. ‘Go to sleep, y/n,’ he said gently, knowing it was best to ignore your whines.
‘But I’m wet,’ you said again as you shifted closer to him once more, decreasing the distance he just created. ‘Wanna feel?’
This time, Spider actually choked on his spit. He coughed a little and clenched the hand that was lying next to you into a tight fist. Oh, how much he wanted to say yes and give in to his desires. But your friendship was more important to him. ‘No, sweetheart. Just go to sleep,’ he managed to say in a strained voice.
You sighed and took hold of his fist and brought it up to your chest, deciding to just hold him instead. You closed your eyes and tried to focus on falling asleep, but sleep wouldn’t come. You were just too horny, the throbbing between your legs only intensified. You knew you couldn’t fall asleep like this, not until you found some release, so you started rubbing your thighs together in hopes of creating some friction.
Your thigh rubbing eased some of your ache, but not a lot. It felt good the first few seconds, but later, you craved more. You craved the boy behind you. That’s how you decided to push his hand that you were holding down to your panties.
Spider couldn’t sleep either. His mind kept replaying your words over and over again. I’m wet. Wanna feel? Eywa, he wanted to say yes. He wanted to feel how wet you were, he wanted to feel all of you. He was too caught up in his thoughts to feel you sliding his hand down to your panties. His hand was already in, touching the soft flesh underneath, when he realized what was happening.
His eyes widened and he immediately tensed when he realized what you were doing. ‘Y/n-‘ he started warningly. He couldn’t allow this to happen, could he? He would be a terrible friend if he took advantage of you in this moment.
‘’M sorry, Miles,’ you mumbled, using his given name. You barely used it, knowing he didn’t like it when people called him that, but you couldn’t help it. It just slipped. ‘I can’t… I need you…’
Spider wanted to protest, to tell you to not call him by his given name, but something about the way you said it stopped him. Your sweet, sweet voice made it sound so… He couldn’t even continue that thought when he felt you pushing his fingers against your wet folds. His eyes widened even further when he felt how hot and wet you were.
Spider’s heart started beating twice as fast and he could feel his own body starting to respond now. His dick was getting harder in his loincloth and the way your ass was pressed against him didn’t make it any easier for him to stop it. ‘Tanhì,’ he started, his voice strained as he tried to keep his desires in check. He wanted to protest, but nothing else came out. The way you pushed his fingers against your soaked pussy made all his willpower vanish into thin air. Maybe he should just let this happen. Or would that be a bad idea? Probably.
‘Miles,’ you whined in response as you pushed one of his fingers inside of you. It slipped past your wet folds with ease, making you moan in pleasure. Your walls immediately clenched around him, almost sucking him in with a need you never felt before.
Spider’s breath hitched in his throat when he felt your walls clench around his finger. He knew this was wrong. It was so, so wrong. But the way your pussy gripped onto him, almost begging to be touched, made his already painfully hard cock throb in his loincloth. ‘Kehe,’ he murmured weakly. ‘You’re drunk, tahnì.’
You sighed at your friend’s reluctance to touch you. You knew it was wrong to just push his finger inside of you, but he wasn’t struggling. So, your drunk mind didn’t think he’d be against it. ‘Rutxe,’ you pleaded as you slowly started grinding your hips against his hand, allowing his finger to go deeper inside your soaked cunt.
In response, Spider tried to pull his hand away, but by doing so he accidentally hooked his finger, making him hit your most sensitive spot. The touch sent shockwaves through your spine, down to your core. You titled your head back and closed your eyes as you continued riding his finger.
‘Y/n,’ Spider warned again, but his voice was strained. He was having difficulty keeping himself together. He wanted to touch you, to taste you, but he couldn’t. The fact that you were riding his finger right now didn’t make it any easier. Hell, it was pure torture.
‘Please, Miles,’ you whined again. You needed more. More of him. More of his touch. You wanted to cum around his fingers. And so, you rolled your hips even more desperately against his hand, making you moan in pleasure. ‘Feel so good,’ you murmured as you threw your head back again, resting it against Spider’s chest.
Spider let out a frustrated groan. He hated how you put him in this position where he had to resist you. ‘Fuck,’ he muttered under his breath. He really had no choice now, did he? He sighed and shifted his hand a bit, making it easier for you to ride him. ‘Fine, but you’ll only ride my hand, okay? Nothing else.’
An excited smile appeared on your face when he gave you permission to continue riding him. You didn’t wait a second longer and picked up your pace, pushing your hips further on his finger. ‘Irayo,’ murmured breathlessly as you gripped the blankets tightly. The pleasure was slowly building up in your core, but it wasn’t enough to make you cum yet. You needed more.
‘More,’ you breathed out as your movements became a little more desperate. One finger wasn’t enough. You needed more of him. ‘Rutxe.’
Spider allowed you to ride in the exact pace you wanted. He wasn’t going to help you. He would only let you do the work so you couldn’t blame him in the morning if you could even remember this. ‘More what?’ he asked huskily. ‘You have to be clear, princess.’
His words combined with his husky tone made you moan again, and your walls tighten around his finger. ‘Fingers,’ you breathed out. ‘Please, more.’
Your ragged breathing combined with your pleas for more were like a drug to him. His loincloth was straining his painfully hard dick and he fought against the urge to grind against your ass that was positioned so perfectly for him. Spider let out a low groan before he slowly dipped another finger inside your drenched pussy, making you gasp at the way your walls stretched out for him. The pleasure intensified now that you had two fingers to grind on. Two fingers that rubbed your g-spot over and over again.
‘This better, sweetheart?’ he whispered in your ear, his hot breath fanning your hot skin. The sensation of his breath against your ear made you shiver, and goosebumps appear on your smooth skin.
‘Yes,’ you breathed out as you continued humping against his fingers, bringing you closer and closer to the edge.
Spider could feel your walls clenching around him, how your body was begging for release. ‘Keep going, baby,’ he murmured as he leaned in closer to your neck. ‘I can feel you’re close. Just keep going for me.’
Your breathing became ragged at his words and your eyes nearly rolled to the back of your head when he hooked his fingers into you, making them hit your g-spot again. ‘F-Fuck… S-Spider…’ you whimpered. Your grip on the blankets became so tight that your knuckles turned white. The pleasure was almost unbearable, and you could feel your walls clenching and unclenching around him, signalling that you were getting closer to your release.
Spider let out a low groan again when you whimpered his name. The way his name rolled of your tongue, so effortlessly, almost made him dig his fingers deeper inside of you. But he held back, remembering his earlier words. You were only allowed to ride him; he wouldn’t do anything. ‘That’s it, sweetheart. Come for me. I want you to come all over my fingers, can you do that for me?’
‘Yes,’ you said with a moan. You rocked your hips even more desperately now, feeling a familiar knot forming in your core. You were close, so close. Just a little more- and when Spider hooked his fingers once more, you tumbled over the edge. You threw your head back in pleasure, resting it against his chest as you let out an almost pornographic moan while riding out your high.
Spider felt you creaming around his fingers, your walls convulsing around him. It felt even better than he ever imagined. ‘That’s it. Good girl,’ he murmured against your neck while you rode out your high.
After you came down from you high, your body relaxed against him with deep, content sigh. Your body was exhausted from the constant humping, and the alcohol in your system didn’t help either. You felt your eyes getting heavy and barely noticed how Spider pulled his fingers out of your sensitive cunt.
Spider’s fingers were drenched, and he wiped them off on his loincloth before he draped his arm over you again, pulling your tired body against his chest. ‘Feeling better, darling?’ he asked as he made himself comfortable next to you.
You hummed and nodded in response to his question. Your climax was so intense that it felt like you just squirted out your soul. Your eyelids grew heavy, and you allowed them to close as you nuzzled yourself against Spider.
‘Sìltsan,’ he whispered before he placed a gentle kiss to the top of your head. ‘Now go to sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.’
You barely registered his words, but you knew what he meant. He would stay with you. You knew it. With him in mind and the way his fingers felt inside of you, you fell into a deep slumber.
Summary: you and Neteyam are married and have three children. The kids are curious about their fathers human heritage, and when they find out about Father's day, they get way too excited and want to celebrate. After nagging about it to you and Neteyam, you two give in and comply with their wishes. You decide to make him something special with the help of your children.
Warnings: none, just a lot of fluff!
Word count: 3K
Na'vi dictionary:
Sempu: daddy
Trr: day
Olo'eyktan: clan leader
Sanu: mommy
Kelku: home
Pa'li: direhorse
Parulstyìp: affectionate term for children (lit.: little miracle)
Taronyutsyìp: little hunter
Yawntu: loved one
Rewon lefpom: good morning
Stxeli: gift
Irayo: thank you
Father’s day isn’t something the Na’vi celebrate. You didn’t even know what it was until you started dating Neteyam. When he first told you about it, you were confused. A day to express your gratitude toward your father? Shouldn’t a child thank their father everyday? Well, maybe not verbally, but at least with love and respect? You thought it was weird, and you had never contributed to the weird human tradition. Not when you were pregnant, and not when your children grew older.
Neteyam didn’t push you to celebrate Father’s day. He understood it wasn’t part of your culture and he respected your opinion. He didn’t really celebrate Father’s day with his own father either. It was just a normal day for your family.
You were Na’vi. Neteyam was Na’vi, but has had a more human upbringing. He did things differently. Your children therefore grew up with mixed cultures. It was no surprise that they were curious about human culture. Throughout their lives, the children learned more and more about humans. You and Neteyam didn’t deny them this new information. You took them to the labs, Neteyam taught them (and you) how to read and speak English, and they learned about human celebrations like Christmas and Easter. The most recent one they learned was Father’s day.
Tuktirey was the one who brought it up. At dinner one day, while you were sitting around the communal fire, your sister-in-law brought it up.
“Are you doing something for Father’s day this year?”
Neteyam, who just swallowed his bite, responded simply. “We don’t celebrate Father’s day.”
Tuk, who was now twenty years old, leaned forward. “You have three children, and you don’t celebrate Father’s day?”
You and Neteyam indeed had three children. Two boys and one girl. The eldest, a boy named K’eyvu, was nine years old. Your second child, a girl named Lunapey, was eight. About two years ago, you gave birth to another baby boy called Hanu. Hanu was too young to understand, but K’eyvu and Lunapey were huge nerds for human culture.
“Father’s day?” K’eyvu’s ears perked up at the new English word. You could see the gears turning in his head as he thought. Then, with a huge smile, he said: “Sempu trr.” A literal translation of the celebration. It made you chuckle.
“What is that?” Lunapey, who was sitting on your right asked with her mouth full of berries.
“It’s a human celebration,” Tuk responded eagerly, making you and Neteyam share a look. She was going to get the kids excited for this so-called holiday. “It’s a day where children show gratitude for their fathers by giving them gifts and doing something fun.”
Your children, except for Hanu, who was asleep against your chest, gasped in unison. “Dad!” Lunapey pushed herself onto her knees and crawled forward. “Why haven’t you told us?”
“Yes, dad, why haven’t you told us?” K’eyvu chimed in. You and Neteyam shared a look again, before your husband sighed and turned to your children.
“Because mom and I don’t want to celebrate Father’s day.” Both children gasped as if he insulted them personally. “Why not?” K’eyvu asked.
“Because your father gets enough recognition already. We don’t need a special holiday for that,” you put a piece of fish in your mouth, chewing slowly.
Both kids’ ears dropped and Lunapey whined. You knew it was going to go like this. You knew your children would want to celebrate the moment Tuk opened her mouth. You shot your sister-in-law a halfhearted glare, who just responded with an innocent smile.
“Can we celebrate?’ There it was. You knew it was coming. “Pleaseeeee?”
You and Neteyam shared a glance. You both didn’t feel much for the holiday, even if you were the biggest reason you didn’t celebrate. But the day wasn’t about you. It was about Neteyam and the children. And if the children wanted to celebrate, how could you say no?
“Fine,” you agreed with a small smile. “We can celebrate, but only if you eat all your veggies.”
Ever since that dinner, your children wouldn’t stop talking about this Father’s day tradition. Every day, they asked “is it Father's day yet?” They were more excited about the tradition than you and Neteyam were.
One day, when Neteyam was busy leading a hunt (he was olo’eyktan), you decided to prepare for the tradition. K’eyvu and Lunapey were playing in the lake with their friends, while you sat with Hanu, trying to tame his wild hair. He was in the middle of that awkward hair fase, where it was long enough to fall over his eyes, but too short to braid. As you brushed your youngest’s hair, you thought about a present for your husband. You wanted to give him something nice, even though Na’vi didn’t really do gifts. Was there something he needed?
“Sanu!” Lunapey calling out to you caught your attention. When you looked up, she was running over to you, holding a beautiful purple rock. It was small, about the size of a pea. “Look what I found!”
You took the rock from your daughter’s hand and inspected it. It was small, round, bright purple. “It’s beautiful, Luna. Where did you find it?”
The girl beamed at your words and pointed toward the lake, where K’eyvu was giving his cousin (Lo’ak’s son, Akwey) a piggy back ride. “It was in the lake. There are more.”
You looked down at the pebble in your hand. It was bright and small enough to incorporate into a piece of jewellery. Then you remembered something, and a smile formed on your face.
“Do you remember dad’s choker? The one that’s broken?” you asked. Lunapey’s ears perked up, sensing you were onto something.
“Because K’eyvu tugged on it too hard?” “Yes, that one.”
You remember your oldest son wrestling with his father. He had his arms wrapped around Neteyam, and when Neteyam threw him over his shoulder, K’eyvu accidentally pulled on the choker. It tore, and all the beads sprawled on the ground. K’eyvu had cried afterwards, feeling guilty for breaking his dad’s favorite piece of jewellery. You haven’t really gotten the time to fix it, but Lunapey’s find just gave you a newfound motivation.
“We can fix it. If you gather more of these rocks?”
The girl’s face lit up at the idea. Even at the age of eight, she was very artistic. “Yes!” she exclaimed excitedly. “K’eyvu, we’re fixing dad’s choker! Help me find more rocks!”
Hanu’s ears perked up at his sister’s excitement. He got up to his feet, having had enough of sitting down, and reached for Lunapey’s tail. “What doing?”
“I’m gathering rocks like these,” the girl responded as she took the small rock from your hand to show her brother.
“I help!” Without waiting for a response, Hanu ran toward the lake to help his siblings look for more purple stones. His ‘help’ consisted more of splashing water at them and his cousin, but it was the idea that counts.
Even you found yourself helping the children searching for more of these small rocks. You didn’t just find purple ones. You had also gathered red, green and blue rocks. Even eight year old Akwey helped the four of you.
After spending the whole afternoon at the lake, searching for beautiful coloured rocks, all of you went home. Your kelku was woven in one of the trees. After Neteyam became olo’eyktan, he moved the people away from High camp, back to the forest. He was tired of hiding from the sky people, of living inside the Hallelujah Mountains. Not everyone was happy with his decision. The children were happy, and even some of the elders were glad to get some sunlight again, including Neytiri. Jake and Mo’at had made their worries very clear, but it’s been four years since you moved, and nothing bad has happened. You thought your husband had made the right decision.
Your kelku was a large woven structure which swayed slightly under your movements. There were some baskets neatly stacked in the corner in which were either clothes, fruit, dried meat or carved toys. Hanu was chewing on one of the wooden pa’li, and K’eyvu and Lunapey were sitting next to you, watching you bead Neteyam’s choker.
You had already beaded half of it. It took quite some effort, and you knew you wouldn’t be able to finish it in one go. Thankfully, Father’s day wasn’t until next week.
Your fingers moved around the thread expertly. You stacked the brown beads that took up most of the choker. The coloured rocks you put in the middle, a couple of fingers apart from each other.
The kelku was silent as you worked. Hanu was too occupied with his wooden toy to make any noise, and Lunapey and K’eyvu were too focussed on your fingers to say anything. You didn’t mind. You loved your children, but they often knew how to give you a headache. After a while though, K’eyvu broke the silence as he scooted closer and bowed over the choker in your hands, making you unable to work properly.
“May I help?”
You hesitated. K’eyvu was only nine years old, and nine year olds are clumsy. But the boy was also responsible. He was Neteyam’s successor, and he already took himself very seriously. You didn’t always like that, afraid K’eyvu wouldn’t enjoy his childhood the way you wanted him to. But Neteyam has tried to reassure you many times that he was just like this when he was younger, and he still got to enjoy his childhood. Even though you doubted it was true, you never protested. Since Neteyam has lived the same way his son does now, you figured he knew what he was talking about.
“Of course, parulstyip,” you decided to give K’eyvu a chance. He had to learn eventually.
The boy scooted closer, sitting on his knees, and eagerly reached for the choker. You held it out of his reach first. “Be careful. And hold it like this.”
You slowly handed K’eyvu the choker and showed him how to place his hands. One on the choker and the thread, and the other one free to thread the beads. The young boy’s movements were stiff and clumsy, and he occasionally dropped the beads, making his ears pin back in frustration. Every time, you calmly corrected the position of his hands and whispered encouraging words. Lunapey was hovering nearby, watching her brother work in awe.
The three of you were so caught up in fixing the choker, that none of you kept an eye on the kelku entrance. K’eyvu was slowly getting the hang of it, and was threading slowly but didn’t drop any of the beads anymore. You were still next to him, guiding his hands when needed, when suddenly, Hanu spoke up for the first time in a while. His little voice made you jump. You thought he had fallen asleep.
“Sempu!” Shit. The choker. Why did your husband walk so silently? You quickly took the choker from K’eyvu’s hands, who looked confused at first, but then giggled. He knew this was supposed to be a secret, and seeing you hurry to hide his father’s gift was amusing to him.
“Taronyutsyìp,” Neteyam’s warm voice filled the kelku as he reached for his youngest son, while you basically threw yourself toward one of the baskets to hide the choker. K’eyvu’s laughter filled your home, which was followed by Luna’s giggles as well. These children were going to give you away.
Of course, this caught Neteyam’s attention. When you turned around and brushed your braids away from your face, your eyes met Neteyam’s. He raised his hairless brows, giving you a questioning look.
“Kxì, ma yawntu,” you were breathless as you got up to your feet to plant a warm kiss on Neteyam’s cheek. Your husband shifted Hanu on his hip as he gave you a knowing grin.
“What are you hiding?” His tone implied he knew something was going on. Your tail, which was lashing behind you, also implied that he was right.
“Nothing,” you responded as innocently as possible. Neteyam’s response was tilting his head as a smile curled onto his lips.
“We’re not hiding anything, dad!” Lunapey added as she scrambled over to her father, hugging him. Neteyam only chuckled as he wrapped his free arm around her. He shot you another look before his gaze landed on K’eyvu, who wisely chose to keep his lips pressed together.
After almost being caught, you chose to only work on the choker when you were sure Neteyam wasn’t going to be home for a while. You worked on it early in the morning when he just left to hunt, when he had a meeting with the elders, or when he had to help one of the clan members with some issues. Sometimes at night, you snuck out to work on it by the river. You knew Neteyam would stay at home to watch the children. You didn’t enjoy leaving him like this, so you made a mental note to make up for it after giving him the choker.
A week later, on the morning of Father’s day, you were laying with your husband, both of you still asleep. Like most mornings, you didn’t wake up peacefully. It was always one of the children who woke you up. Today, it was Lunapey.
“Rewon lefpom!” The high pitched words made your ears twitch. When you opened your eyes, you saw the sun was barely up, making you groan. It was too early! So, with a sigh, you turned around and buried your face in Neteyam’s chest.
It seemed like Neteyam had the same idea. He wrapped his arm around you and pulled you closer. No words came from him yet. Lunapey wasn’t having it. She climbed on top of her father and leaned closer as she yelled.
“Wake up! It’s Father’s day!”
Who knew a little girl could have such a loud voice? Your ears pinned back enough to bury themselves in your braids. They were ringing now. Thanks, Luna.
“Shh,” Neteyam took his free arm to wrap it around his daughter and pull her into his chest. His voice was rough from sleep. “Not so loud.”
The girl wasn’t in the mood for cuddles. It was Father’s day, a day she had been looking forward to for so long. She wasn't going to wait anymore. She wanted to give her father his present.
“No,” she wriggled on Neteyam’s chest, trying to push herself away. “Stxeli. Now.”
Neteyam’s groan turned into a chuckle. “So demanding.” He let her go. You sat up now, eyes still half lidded as they met Neteyam’s. He looked sleepy, but at least he was smiling.
“You got me something, huh?” he pushed himself up on one elbow, his gaze shifting to Lunapey, who was rummaging through one of the baskets.
“It’s just something small,” you waved it off like it was nothing. Like you haven’t worked on his gift for a week. Neteyam took your hand and squeezed it.
“Doesn’t matter,” he brought your hand to his lips and kissed it while holding eye contact with you. That small gesture made your heart flutter. “It’s a gift from you. That already makes it perfect.”
“I got it!” Luna’s excitement stopped you from responding to your husband. She was already marching over, choker in hand.
“Wake your siblings first,” you said quickly while raising your hand to Neteyam’s eyes. He wasn’t allowed to see his gift yet.
Lunapey groaned but complied quickly. “K’eyvu! Hanu!” her loud voice boomed through the kelku, making Neteyam chuckle. “Wake up! We’re going to give dad his gift!”
The two boys woke up, but both at a different pace. K’eyvu was already wide awake, crawling over to you, while Hanu pushed himself up slowly, blinking up at you. His hair was all over the place, making you grin as you ushered him over to you.
After K’eyvu sat down next to you and Hanu finally made his way into your lap, only to fall asleep again, Neteyam spoke. “May I look now?”
“No,” Lunapey sat down on her knees next to him, holding the choker in her palms like it was some treasure. “Hold out your hands.”
Neteyam obliged, keeping his eyes closed as he held out his hands, palms facing upward. Luna slowly placed the choker on her father’s palms, smiling proudly. “You may open them now.”
And he did. You watched his expression closely. The last time Neteyam wore this choker was a couple of months ago. He thought he would never wear it again, and you could see the surprise on his face as his eyes fell on the piece of jewellery.
“We made it ourselves!’ K’eyvu said proudly, scooting closer to watch his father’s expression. Neteyam was silent for a moment, his thumbs brushing over the new beads. They used to be green and blue. Now they were red and purple.
“This is perfect.” Your husband’s voice was soft, filled with awe and gratitude. The children beamed, and so did you. You had put in a lot of effort into making this. Neteyam’s reaction was rewarding.
“We made it ourselves!” K’eyvu repeated his earlier words. Lunapey added too: “We found some rocks and helped mommy make it.”
Neteyam’s response was wrapping his arms around the two children, pulling them into his chest. “This is perfect,” he repeated. “Really. Irayo.”
All that hard work hasn’t been for nothing. You never thought Neteyam wouldn’t like his gift, but hearing his gratitude made your heart swell just a little more. And when his gaze fell on you, your heart swelled even more.
Neteyam opened one of his arms and invited you in for the hug. You complied without hesitation, still holding Hanu in your lap as your free arm wrapped around Neteyam.
“I thought you might want to wear it again,” you muttered against his chest.
“It is perfect, ma yawne,” he whispered back before pressing a soft kiss to your head before repeating the gesture to his children. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, my love.” You lifted your head to give his lips a proper kiss. “Happy Father’s day.”
Okay, so I just took a huge break from writing. My life was a mess and I couldn’t find any motivation for writing. But I’m slowly finding peace again, and I want to continue writing. If anyone has any suggestions for a fic, please let me know. I could use some inspiration!
Did another RDA MEN cover! This time with Jake as my cover boy 🤍
PSA! I am NOT an RDA stan in any shape or form, viva la resistance! This is just a fun way for me to add something extra to my art.
It's interesting for me to sit down and think about how the RDA would use propaganda as a tool to sway the masses and cultivate negative feelings towards the resistance on Pandora. I feel like they'd use all sorts of media to do so, and this is one of my interpretations of that.
Here’s the art I made of Jake for the cover, I dedicated it to one of my moots on twt / X ✨
Hello dear readers! The Mother’s Day special is delayed 😕 I have been working on it, but uni and work got in the way. I’ll try to finish it as fast as I can 💙
Focusing on capturing features, lighting and expression. I’m thinking of doing more of these- I want to try out some more expressive ones, maybe a hiss (I feel like that will be challenging lmao), and some other characters! Who should I draw next?
Summary: following Neteyam's death, your family started falling apart. Everyone grieved in their own way, but Jake's way of grieving made him more distant. It affected the whole family, but especially you, his eldest daughter. One day, you decided to look for him, only to find him at the sunken RDA ship, gathering old weapons. You manage to persuade him to come hunting with you, resulting in you two having fun for the first time in a while. It's a sweet father daughter-date.
Word count: 4.3K
Warings: the Sully's are mourning Neteyam, whose death is mentioned a few times.
Na'vi dictionary:
Toruk Makto: rider of Toruk
Tsakarem: tsahìk in training
Whipfang crawler: predator that projects venom
Akula: big, carnivorous fish
Marui: Metkayina home
Parultsyìp: affectione term for children, means 'little miracle'
You never agreed to leaving the forest. The forest, the Omatikaya people… they were your home. Just like your mother, you had argued against Jake, your father. Jake Sully was Toruk Makto, rider of last shadow. He was supposed to bring back a time of peace and harmony and fight with the people. But fifteen years after the war at the Hallelujah Mountains, Jake was done with war. He had lost too many people, and during a raid you and your brothers attended, he almost lost his children too. You and Neteyam got injured. Lo’ak thankfully only had a few cuts. Despite the three of you not being harmed badly, Jake still took it to heart, and so, he decided to leave, not bothered by your protests. You had always admired your father, had always looked up to him and called him your source of inspiration. But after this decision, after moving to Awa’atlu, your relationship took a sharp turn.
The Metkayina people weren’t very welcoming to you and your family. They called you freaks, aliens. All because you had human blood. You had always been a fierce tsakarem. You had never doubted yourself, never had a reason to. But after moving to the beach, insecurities started seeping into your body, like the venom of a whipfang crawler; fast, painful, lethal. You blamed your misery on your father, even though you knew it was wrong. He had explained so many times that he just wanted to keep you and your family safe. But as an emotional teenager, you could only focus on the bad, on the fact that he caused this.
You started digging your heels in the sand, literally, every time Jake asked you to do something. You had never needed scolding before, had never been grounded before. The scoldings were new and rare at first, but they slowly became part of your daily routine. After breakfast, after you had not properly done the dishes, Jake would point it out. At first, it started with some mumbled ‘yes, dad’s, but the longer you stayed in Awa’atlu, the angrier you got. That’s how your mumblings turned into outbursts. “Can’t I do anything right?” you had snapped one day. Before you could look at your parent’s and sibling’s surprised gazes, you had already stormed out.
Things escalated quickly. Snapping at your parents didn’t give you enough satisfaction anymore. You went for the more drastic changes: hanging out with Ao’nung and his friends. You hunted outside the reef, like Lo’ak had done and gotten into trouble for it. Unlike him, you didn’t bond with a badass tulkun. You didn’t get attacked by an akula. No, you simply got lost and returned home too late. Jake was pissed when he found out where you went, and with who you went. That was the first time you got grounded.
The months passed. You slowly got accepted by the people. The more you learned their ways, the more Metkayina you were, the warmer their behaviour was towards you. You even made some friends, forming a friend group with your siblings and Rotxo, Tsireya and Ao’nung. This lightened your mood. Your attitude toward your parents improved, which in turn improved your relationship with them. One day, you felt bad for treating them the way you had, and so you apologized and explained your bad, and for you, abnormal behaviour. After crying and making up with them, everything seemed to go back to normal. You were happy and healthy, and so was your family.
But unfortunately in your life, happiness doesn’t last forever. Soon enough, the RDA returned for Jake, resulting in a huge battle at the cove of the ancestors. It was during that battle that your whole world collapsed. Your brother Neteyam lost his life. Not only your world collapsed, but so did your family’s.
Everyone mourned in their own way. For Lo’ak, it was flying. For Kiri and Spider, it was talking to each other. For Tuk, it was finding comfort with you and your siblings. For Neytiri, it was praying to Eywa and singing Neteyam’s song. You found yourself often joining your mother. As the eldest of the children, you held yourself responsible for what happened. You should have protected Neteyam, but you didn't. Turning to the Great Mother seemed to be the only way for you, unlike your father. Jake ignored his feelings. He was gone most of the time, diving down to the ruins of the sunken RDA ship, looking for any useful sky people weapons. You never went with him. You never really spoke to him anymore. You didn’t know why. Maybe because you worried he was mad at you for not being there when it happened.
You never went to your dad, even though you knew he needed the comfort too. So, on one rainy day, after mourning and praying with your mother, you decided you wanted to look for your father. You thought it was unfair how you all had each other and how he seemed to be grieving alone. Not even Neytiri was there for him. At least not in the way he needed her to be. She had her own worries, and unfortunately, their relationship suffered from it.
“Mom?” you asked after you finished your last prayer. You turned your head to Neytiri, who had one white line painted down the middle of her face, as well as black streaks painted over her eyes, going down like tears. You also had that white streak going down your face. It was a sign you were still mourning.
“Yes?” Neytiri responded, her voice a bit hoarse and void of energy. Neteyam’s death has struck her hard. It had struck all of you, but it somehow seemed to affect her the most.
“Where is dad?”
Your question made her still. She had been holding Neteyam’s cummerbund to her chest, smelling it occasionally. She was about to lay it back down with his other belongings, but her hands stilled right above the woven floor of your marui. “Foraging,” was all she said.
That word was all you needed, though. There was only one place Jake foraged, and that was the bottom of the ocean.
“I think I’ll go help him,” you said, getting up on your feet. Neytiri followed you with her gaze, not bothering to stand up. She turned back to Neteyam’s cummerbund, gently laying it down next to his songcord.
“I don’t think he wants your help, parultsyìp,” Neytiri responded quietly. You pinned your ears back at this.
“I’ll go to him anyway,” you added stubbornly. “He could use a break.” Neytiri didn’t respond. Her tail just curled in on itself, making your shoulders feel heavy with something close to guilt. You didn’t want to leave your mother alone right now, but your dad needed you too. So, you pressed a soft kiss to Neytiri’s braids before you left the marui.
The rain was still seeping from the sky, drenching you within seconds. You never liked the rain, despite having lived in the rainforest. The rain there was different. It was warmer, somehow. Here, the rain was cold, making you shiver. With your ears pinned back, you called for an ilu, which came almost immediately. It chirped in greeting as you placed a saddle on its back.
“Hello, little guy,” you said as you mounted it after forming tsaheylu. “You and I have some searching to do.”
And so, you raced through the water, going so fast the raindrops nearly cut through your skin, but you were too determined to find your father to bother. He has been gone ever since sunrise, and you just knew he hasn’t taken a break from foraging. Jake didn’t do breaks. He worked until his body gave up. Judging from how he looked lately, you thought it wouldn’t take long for that to happen.
After swimming for what felt like hours, but were really just a couple of minutes, you found a small boat floating on the waves. From where you were, about fifty meters from it, you could clearly see a pile of junk inside of it. Not just any junk. Sky people junk; weapons, mostly. These were things Jake thought could be useful to him. You never understood why he preferred this sky people junk. Just like your mother, you refused to fight with metals, for it went against the will of Eywa.
A head emerging above the surface caught your attention. His long, thick dreads were very familiar, and so were the broad shoulders and strong hands that hauled more sky people weapons into the boat. Your father.
“Dad!” you called out to him, urging your ilu forward. Jake, slightly out of breath from being under water for so long, turned his head to look at you, his expression one of surprise.
“Y/n, what are you doing here?” His voice was gruff and breathless.
“I came for you.” Your ilu came to a stop next to Jake, who was leaning on the boat, looking tired. He studied you for a moment, a slight frown on his face.
“Why?” was all he asked.
“Because you shouldn’t be alone so much,” you responded quietly. Jake held your gaze, his expression hardening. He didn’t look like he wanted your presence.
“I want to be alone.” He let go of the boat and swam closer to you and your ilu. “You should go back to the village. Go to your mother.”
Your tail lashed behind you like a whip and your ears pinned back against your braids. You weren’t happy with this response, and you weren’t going to give up so easily.
“No,” you responded stubbornly, tail lashing again. The ilu chirped, slapping its flippers against the water, splashing Jake, who glared at the animal, before glaring at you. You bit the inside of your cheek to stop yourself from laughing out loud. You hadn’t meant to splash your father. The ilu probably mistook your defiance for… well, whatever this was.
“Go home, y/n,” Jake said sternly, his ears flattening. “I’ve got work to do.”
“No, dad-” you protested, but he didn’t even listen. He just dove back under the surface, leaving you and your ilu alone. Before you could even form a proper thought, you dove right after him, your ilu gaining on your father’s figure quickly. Before Jake could reach the remains of the RDA ship, you grabbed his arm making him turn toward you with a sharp glare, clearly not amused that you were stopping him.
“Let me help,” you signed with your three-fingered hands. The Metkayina sign language came naturally to you now, after having practiced for months. When Jake didn’t respond right away, but just looked at you like he didn’t know what to do, you added a “please”.
If Jake could sigh under water, he would. With a reluctant flick of his ears, he made a single, quick motion with his hands. “Fine.” He shoved a large flashlight in your hands before diving back down. He didn’t explain what he wanted from you, but you didn’t need him to anyway. You followed him on your ilu, shining the light on the various scraps of metal Jake found interesting. You did this for hours, following him in and around the ship, picking up old weapons and bringing them to the boat. You eventually dismounted your ilu when Jake went further into the ship.
When you two finally resurfaced, you were both tired and out of breath. You were hanging onto the side of the boat as you looked down at the pile of junk inside. The boat was filled to the brim, and you thought you had finally gathered enough. But Jake still wasn’t pleased. You could see it in the way he looked down at it; ears lowered, eyes half lidded, that frown on his forehead that never seemed to leave. When you looked at Jake, you only now noticed how much he’s aged since you moved here. There were more wrinkles around his eyes and on his forehead. His skin looked a bit dry and hard, like leather. Maybe it also has something to do with the mourning paint on his face.
“You should wear more sunscreen,” you said suddenly, making Jake look up at you with wide eyes.
“What?” he asked dumbfounded, folding his arms over the edge of the boat for more support. “How do you know what that is?”
His question made the corners of your mouth twitch upwards. Your people don’t use a chemical layer on their skin to protect themselves from the sun. “Norm told me,” you responded with an eyeroll, making Jake scoff and shake his head in mild amusement.
“Of course he did,” he mumbled under his breath. Just like Kiri and Lo’ak, you’ve spent a lot of time in the lab, learning all about human culture.
Jake didn’t question your sunscreen-comment again. Instead, he looked back at the boat, taking in the weapons piled inside. You didn’t hesitate to repeat your earlier words, even though you were practically calling your father old. “You should wear more sunscreen. Your skin is damaged.”
Jake let out a breathless chuckle, shaking his head. “I’ve got more things to worry about than sunscreen, sweetheart.”
You didn’t respond. You knew he had a lot on his mind. Your ears pinned back, wanting to protest, right as your stomach growled. You were hungry. How long have you been foraging for? It had stopped raining, and the sun was now slowly beginning to shine through the thick clouds above.
“You hungry?” Jake asked, ears flicking when he heard your stomach growl. You looked down, not wanting to admit to being famished. You knew that if you did, Jake would send you back to the village.
And that was exactly what he did. You didn’t even have to say anything.
“Go back,” he said gruffly, pushing himself away from the boat. “Get yourself some food.”
“What about you?” you asked quietly, knowing he wasn’t going to get food himself. You figured he’d stay here until the sun set. He always did that. Didn’t he realise it was hurting his family, and even more: that it was hurting his wife? You had never seen Neytiri so lonely before.
“I’ll see you at dinner.” Again, he said exactly what you had predicted. You sighed.
“Dad…” Another sigh as you contemplated your next words. “You should eat. Come with me.”
“No, babygirl,” Jake responded dismissively, shaking his head with a sigh. “I’m not hungry.”
Your frustration flared up at this. You hated his stubbornness, even though you had inherited that trait from him.
“You need a break-”
“No, I don't!" he cut you off sharply. He rounded the boat, swimming closer to you, his expression hard. You held the boat with one hand, looking at your father in shock. He rarely snapped at you, and to hear him do that right now… it felt like a punch to the gut. You were just trying to look after him.
“Yes, you do!” you snapped back. “You’re never home, never in the village. The only time I see you is when we’re having dinner with the clan and when we’re going to bed. You can’t keep living like this, dad! We miss you. I miss you… You can't keep going without a break, without seeing your family…”
You had to force the words past your lips. They hurt to say. You didn’t want to upset your father, knowing he was mourning in his own way. But you couldn’t keep it in anymore. Tears were starting to fill your golden eyes, and before you knew it, they were rolling down your cheeks. Jake’s hard expression softened immediately at the sight. He could be angry at you, he could snap at you, but one thing he couldn’t do, was seeing his daughter cry.
“Don’t cry, babygirl,” Jake cooed, his voice a lot softer now, but still very gravelly, as he reached out and wiped a tear from your cheek with his thumb. His hand on your cheek felt warm and familiar, despite the roughness of his palm. You felt yourself leaning into it, seeking his warmth, his presence.
“Please,” you sniffled. “Come with me. We can even hunt together if that’s what you want.”
Jake’s thumb wiped away another set of tears, his expression faltering. Seeing you cry was like stones in his heart. All he wanted for you was to be happy, and as a father, he thought it was his job to make sure you were exactly that. His ears twitched when he realised he had failed. You were sad, your mother was sad. All of you were sad and in need of his comfort. And what has he done? Walked away, closing himself off from everyone he’s ever loved, all because he didn’t know how to deal with his feelings.
When he saw the pleading look in your eyes and the trembling of your bottom lip, he cracked. A choked sound left his lips, almost like a sob. His hand moved to the back of your head, gently pulling you closer. “Yeah…” he whispered, pressing a firm kiss to the top of your head. “We can hunt.”
And so, you and Jake brought the boat back to the village. You didn’t unload it. Instead, you - or more: Jake - anchored it and left it there, deciding you’d come back for it later. While Jake anchored the boat, you went to your marui to grab your spears. You were going fishing.
When you got back to the edge of the village, where the ilu saddles were kept, you saw Jake putting a saddle on top of a skimwing, making you roll your eyes.
“Of course he has to ride the damn skimwing,” you mumbled to yourself, sliding the saddle over the ilu’s head. Jake’s head perked up at your words, his ears flicking toward you. He’s heard you.
“What’s that?” he asked as he mounted his skimwing. It growled when he made the bond, as if it was showing dominance.
“Nothing,” you mumbled as you climbed on top of your ilu, making the bond as well. “I just called you a showoff.”
Your words made Jake chuckle, a sound you haven’t heard in a while, as he raised his spear, signaling he was ready to go. You took your own spear from the woven floor, holding it tightly as you gave your father a single nod.
Jake led the way, skimwing and ilu cutting two different paths through the same water. He didn’t say much at first, he just pointed with the tip of his spear toward the outer shallows, not too far from the village, but not close enough for the Metkayina na’vi to scare away the fish.
The sky was still bruised from the earlier rain, but the sun kept pushing through in pale streaks, turning the water glassy in places and bright as polished shells in others. Your ilu chirped under you, pleased with the speed. Jake’s skimwing gave a low, dramatic rumble like it was offended you weren’t riding something “serious.” It wasn’t exactly a race, but you weren’t going slowly either. You knew Jake would’ve gone faster if it wasn’t for you riding an ilu.
“Alright,” Jake called back over his shoulder once you were far enough from the village.. “First one to land a clean hit gets the bigger portion at dinner.” He glanced at you, the corner of his mouth tipping up like he already knew the outcome. “And no whining when I win.”
“I don’t whine,” you shot back automatically, though it came out more like a laugh. You both knew you definitely whined. Your body felt lighter now than it had in days, like the ocean had reached up, taken the tight knot in your chest, and patiently untangled it. Jake pretended not to notice, but his eyes lingered on you longer than necessary, noticing how your mood has seemed to lift. He was glad that hanging out with you has accomplished this so quickly. He made a mental note to do this more often.
You reached the calm pocket where the reef softened into a sandy bowl. Jake lifted his hand, two fingers, then a pointed gesture down. Here. You both slid off your mounts, letting them hover nearby, diving down into the cool water. Below, fish flickered between coral fingers; thin, darting shapes with shimmering stripes that looked painted on. You often found yourself awestruck by their beauty, even after having lived here for months.
Jake moved like he belonged to the water, moving slow and steady, spear held loose like the good hunter he was. You tried to copy him, but your excitement made you a little too fast. The first fish you aimed for vanished in a blink, leaving only a puff of sand and your own irritated bubbles after letting out a huff. Jake turned his head just enough to give you a look that said seriously? without a single word.
You surfaced for air beside him. “Don’t start,” you muttered, wiping water from your eyes. Jake’s expression softened, and he angled his spear tip toward your grip. “You’re holding it like how my grandma held her walking sticks,” he said, making your ears pinned back. “Loosen your grip. Let the spear rest in your hand.” Jake was often very direct, even with you. You often wondered if it was because you wanted to be a warrior like him, or if it was because you were the eldest of the kids.
No matter what the reason was, his directness was always effective. You listened to him, allowing the spear to rest in your hand. You loosely wrapped your fingers around it.
“Mind your wrist,” your father added. “Don’t flick it like this.” He pretended to throw a spear, flicking his wrist down after he made a throwing movement with his arm. “Keep it straight. And breathe. Relax.”
And so you did. You let yourself float, chest rising and falling, letting the sounds of the reef settle around you: distant clicks, the soft scrape of coral, the gentle slap of your ilu’s fin on the surface. When you dove again, you didn’t chase. You waited. A plump, orange fish cruised past a coral arch like it owned the place. Your arm moved on its own, smooth, sure, your wrist straight, and the spear hit clean.
You came up grinning so hard your cheeks hurt. “Clean hit,” you announced, holding the fish up like a trophy. Jake blinked at it, then at you, surprised for half a heartbeat before he scoffed. “Beginner’s luck,” he decided, because of course he did. But he was smiling too, showing he was actually proud of you.
The next stretch turned into a rhythm: dive, watch, strike, surface. Jake caught two in quick succession, both perfect, like he was proving a point to the universe. You caught another, smaller but stubborn, and it thrashed so hard it sprayed you in the face when you pulled it free. From the edge of your vision, the skimwing lifted its head and growled like it was laughing at you. Your ilu chirped, innocent as always, which somehow made it worse. It felt like the animals were making fun of you.
Eventually, Jake motioned toward a sun-warmed rock shelf where the water was shallow enough to sit without fully leaving the sea. You hauled yourselves up, dripping and laughing, and laid the fish in a neat line between you like you were taking stock of your spoils. As you looked down at the four fish you caught, which was enough to feed your family tonight, your father spoke. “We used to do this all the time,” he said, not looking at you at first. His voice was softer here, the way it got when the world wasn’t listening. “Feels… good. Feels normal.”
“Yeah,” you responded quietly, your eyes roaming over your dad’s face. “We should do this more often. I miss it.” Jake wrapped his arm around you in response, pulling you against his side.
“We should,” he agreed quietly, gently squeezing your shoulder.
You leaned your head back, letting the sun dry the water on your lashes. “So,” you said after a moment, tapping the biggest fish with one finger. “I get the bigger portion.” Jake huffed, offended on principle. “That was your first one,” he argued. “I caught more.”
You pointed again. “But mine was cleaner.” He stared at you like he was about to lecture you, then gave up with a dramatic sigh that turned into a chuckle. “Fine,” he said. “You get the bigger portion. But you’re helping me cook them.”
“Deal,” you agreed, and it felt like a promise instead of a chore. With everything that has happened in the past, you were glad to spend more time with him, even when it was helping him and Neytiri cook. Although you’d never admit it out loud.
After you slid back into the water, you mounted your ilu which chirped loudly, eager to go back (and secretly hoping it could get a bite of your fish), and Jake’s skimwing splashed as if impatient with all this talking. You put the fish together in a net and secured them behind your saddle. Then, you and Jake started back toward the village side by side. You didn’t race. You moved slowly, comfortably, as if you two were finally able to relax. It felt good to have your father back, and as you moved through the calm waves, you mentally prayed to Eywa, that this was the start of a new beginning.
I have been struggling a lot lately, thanks to uni, work, my home situation, etc. I haven’t had the motivation to write. But it’s getting better now, so I’m writing again!
If anyone has any requests they want me to write, feel free to let me know!
