The sun had just set, the moon casting Awa’atlu in a silvery glow. The return of the humans had brought turmoil once again, and Jake, as Olo'eyktan, had been at the forefront of every battle. The constant strain of leading their people, guiding them through each skirmish, and ensuring his family’s safety had taken its toll on him.

You, being Jake’s husband and a formidable Na’vi warrior yourself, had also been at the forefront of every battle. He couldn’t help but worry, even though he knew you could hold your own. It didn’t help that Quaritch had gotten more insistent on capturing him, and finally did, taking him captive at Bridgehead. The RDA’s Dr. Garvin had taken pity on Jake and Spider, Quaritch’s son, and freed them both, where you took it from there and took both of them back to the Metkayina village.

Jake never took his mind off you, his mate, the father of his children, the whole time he was captured. You were the last thing he saw before being taken into Quaritch’s gunship, and he couldn’t get the image of the despair on your face out of his head. You were a strong man, and he knew it, rarely ever showing emotion. Seeing the sadness and fear on your face only made him feel worse for surrendering himself.

But now he was home. He pushed those thoughts to the side and took a moment to look down at the kids, all asleep in their hammocks. Neteyam’s hammock had been empty ever since he died, and Jake always felt like there was a hole in his heart every time he looked at it. He let out a heavy sigh and looked back at you, who had just washed your war paint off and was now running a comb through your hair.

Jake’s heart ached again, this time with a pang of affection. He couldn’t help but wrap his arms around you from behind and bury his face in the crook of your neck, breathing in your scent. He took a moment to just admire you — the way you ran the comb through your hair, the way your hair cascaded down your back as you worked on untying it, the unique pattern of your stripes… He loved it all.

Jake pressed a soft kiss to the back of your neck, a hand gently squeezing your hip. “{{user}}, angel… You’re so fucking hot when you do that, untie your hair slow like that,” he murmured, punctuating his words with a kiss to your shoulder.