Too late to see me
Part 3
The forest was quieter away from them. No tension.
No guilt hanging in the air.
No eyes constantly watching you like they were afraid you’d disappear.
Just silence.
And for the first time in months. You could finally hear yourself think.
—
You stayed away longer this time. Hours turned into days.
Sometimes you returned only to see Lo’ak.
To hold him.
Feed him.
Stay beside him until he slept.
Then you would leave again.
Jake and Neytiri noticed immediately.
Of course they did.
You barely stayed near them anymore.
Barely spoke.
And every time they tried to close the distance—
You slipped away again.
—
One night, Jake found you alone near the edge of the water.
Moonlight reflected against your skin, the soft breeze moving through your hair while you stared silently at the waves.
For a moment—
He just watched you.
Because Eywa…
You looked beautiful.
Untouchable.
And he hated that he was the reason you felt so far away now.
“…Can I sit?” he asked quietly.
You didn’t answer.
But you didn’t tell him to leave either.
So he sat beside you.
Careful not to touch.
Careful not to push.
Silence settled between you again.
But this silence felt different.
Softer.
Sad.
—
“I miss you,” Jake admitted finally.
Your eyes stayed on the water.
“You miss the version of me that stayed quiet.”
His chest tightened instantly.
“That’s not true.”
“Isn’t it?”
You finally looked at him then.
And the pain in your eyes nearly destroyed him.
“Because the second I stopped accepting less… everything fell apart.”
Jake swallowed hard.
Because there was truth in that.
Too much truth.
—
“I don’t know how to fix this,” he whispered.
That was the first honest thing he had said in a long time.
No promises.
No we’ll make it better.
No pretending.
Just honesty.
And somehow—
That affected you more than all his desperate trying ever had.
—
You looked away again, your voice quieter now.
“I needed you.”
Jake’s breath caught.
“During the pregnancy… during the birth… after…”
Your throat tightened slightly.
“And every time I reached for you, it felt like I was interrupting your life instead of being part of it.”
Jake closed his eyes briefly.
Like hearing it out loud physically hurt him.
Because it did.
—
Without thinking, his hand moved slowly toward yours.
This time—
You didn’t pull away.
The contact was warm.
Gentle.
Careful.
Like both of you were afraid to ruin the moment.
Jake looked at your intertwined fingers for a second before speaking again.
“I was stupid.”
A weak breath left you that almost sounded like a laugh.
“That’s one word for it.”
For the first time in weeks—
His lips twitched slightly.
Small.
Fragile.
But real.
—
Later that night, Neytiri found the two of you together by the water.
Her heart clenched at the sight.
Not from jealousy.
From relief.
Because for once—you didn’t look like you were trying to escape.
You looked tired.
Sad.
Conflicted.
But not gone.
—
She approached slowly, sitting beside you on your other side.
Close enough to feel her warmth.
Not close enough to trap you.
“…May I stay?” she asked softly.
You hesitated.
Then nodded once.
And Neytiri nearly broke from how much that tiny gesture meant to her now.
—
The three of you sat together quietly beneath the stars.
No fighting.
No begging.
No pretending the hurt wasn’t there.
Just honesty.
And maybe—
That was the first real step.
—
Neytiri’s hand brushed lightly against your arm.
Tentative.
Asking.
When you didn’t move away, her fingers slowly slid into yours.
Your breath caught softly.
Not because it was intense—
But because it had been so long since their touch felt gentle instead of desperate.
Jake moved closer slightly, his shoulder brushing yours.
Warmth surrounded you from both sides.
Familiar.
Dangerously familiar.
—
“You are still angry,” Neytiri whispered.
“Yes.”
“And hurt.”
Your eyes lowered slightly.
“Yes.”
Jake leaned closer, his voice low and rough.
“But do you still love us?”
Silence.
Long.
Painful.
Then finally—
“…I wish I didn’t.”
That answer should’ve hurt.
But somehow—
It gave them hope instead.
Because it meant there was still something left.
—
The tension shifted after that.
Not gone.
Just different.
Heavier.
More intimate.
Jake’s fingers slowly traced against your hand while Neytiri stayed close enough that you could feel the warmth of her breath against your skin.
Every touch felt careful.
Earned.
Like they understood now how easily they could lose you again.
And maybe that’s why it affected you so much.
Because for the first time—
They were treating your heart like something fragile instead of something permanent.
Jake’s forehead rested lightly against yours.
Neytiri’s hand cupped your cheek gently.
And suddenly the space between all three of you disappeared completely.
The closeness became overwhelming in the quietest way possible.
Soft touches.
Lingering hands.
Breaths mixing in the cool night air.
Not rushed.
Not careless.
Just aching.
Like all the love, guilt, regret, and longing between you had nowhere else to go anymore.
Your eyes fluttered closed briefly as Jake pressed a soft kiss against your forehead while Neytiri held you close against her side.
For once—
You let yourself lean into them again.
Not because everything was fixed.
But because despite everything…
You still wanted to be loved by them.
And they were finally learning how.
—
Back at home, Lo’ak stirred softly in his sleep.
Unaware that somewhere beneath the stars—
His parents were trying to rebuild something they almost destroyed completely.
One careful touch at a time.
TBC.........
(Next lart will be smut bear with me its my first time ok )