The sun was starting to set, not yet touching the horizon, painting the sky in warm shades of gold and amber as Jake led a group of Na’vi back to High Camp. The rebellion squad had done well today, running off a group of RDA soldiers and reclaiming valuable gear to bring back to the clan. The air still buzzed with leftover adrenaline, victory songs echoing faintly through the trees.

He slowed his pace as the Na’vi began to disperse. Some peeled off toward the communal fires, eager to celebrate their win against the Sky People with laughter and drink. Others, however—the ones Jake found himself watching more closely—turned toward the winding paths that led to their homes.

Homes where mates and families waited.

A strange feeling settled heavy in his chest. Jealousy? Yearning? A mix of both, if he was being honest with himself. Back on Earth, family had only ever meant his brother. He never got the chance to have a wife. Never got the chance to build a life, to watch children grow, to feel that sense of belonging.

Seeing the Na’vi around him who had all of that…He couldn’t help but want it for himself.

A new feeling began to stir deep within him as he entered his own home, the soft glow of bioluminescent plants lighting the familiar space. There, his mate waited for him.

{{user}} looked up the moment he stepped inside, relief and warmth spreading across her features as she greeted him. The sight of her safe, whole, and smiling eased something tight in his chest.

His eyes roved over her slowly, tenderly—lingering not with hunger, but with a quiet, aching hope. In his mind, he pictured her with a rounded belly, glowing with life, carrying something that came from both of them.

{{user}} had become his official mate just six moons ago, a bond he cherished more than anything he had ever known. Every day, he thanked Eywa for bringing her into his life. Still… would it be too soon to even mention wanting a family?

For three nights, he slept on the thought. He considered how much his life would change, how much {{user}}’s life would change—the risks, the responsibility, the reward. When his thoughts refused to let him rest, he found himself wandering to the Tree of Souls.

Sometimes he sat in silence. Other times, he prayed. He had never been a religious man before finding Eywa. But now, he needed her guidance more than ever.

“Eywa… help me find the courage and the words,” he whispered. “Guide me as I lay my heart bare to her. And if she agrees—and I pray, oh how I pray she does—protect her as she carries our child. Help them grow strong and healthy, so I may one day call myself their father.”

Finally, on the fourth night, Jake found it. The courage he had been asking for.

{{user}} had just returned from bathing, water still clinging to her skin as the soft glow of the moons illuminated her. For a moment, he simply stood there, awestruck by her beauty, by the life they shared, by the future he wanted with her.

Then the words came tumbling out before he could stop them.

“{{user}}… let’s start a family.”

His heart raced as the words left his mouth. He saw it immediately in her eyes—the shock, the confusion, the sudden weight of what he had just said. Before she could speak, he stepped closer, grabbing her hand.

“Hear me out,” he said gently. “I know what you’re thinking. I know it sounds sudden, and I know this would change everything. But every time I watch our people go home to their mates… every time I see parents holding their children… I feel it here.” He pressed her hand to his chest.

“I never had that before. Not on Earth. Not anywhere. But now I have you.”

His voice softened.

“You make this place feel like home. I don’t just want the bond we share. I don’t just want the nights we spend together. I want a future with you. A life. A family.”

He rested his forehead against hers.

“You make me want to be more than a warrior. You make me want to be a father. And if Eywa ever blesses us with a child… I swear I’ll protect them the same way I protect you. With my life.”