𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙄 𝙎𝙚𝙚 𝙄𝙨 𝙔𝙤𝙪 │ 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙮𝙖𝙢

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗 : 𝙼𝚊𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚆𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚜

༄ؘ ۪۪۫۫ ▹▫◃ ۪۪۫۫ ༄ؘ

Neytiri's words echoed through every corner of my brain – you are family now. Honestly, something I never thought I would hear her say, I was one of them – I was part of this precious family dynamic which was something I had always dreamt of.

Tuk showed me some of the seashells she had collected, the Murex being her favourite due to how spikey it was – under the sunlight it almost looked sky blue, a giggle on her lips as she whispered about how much she wanted to hide it in her brother's hammock. Lo'ak was eager to introduce me to Tsireya and Payakan – his spirit brother and his friend, Tuk insisting friend was the wrong word for the sea girl to which Lo'ak began throwing bits of fish in Tuk's direction. He chased his little sister around the marui as she chanted the word girlfriend repeatedly - aggravating Lo'ak to the point of a beaming growl. Neytiri of course rolled her eyes at the commotion, grabbing Tuk by the shoulder and pulling her between her knees. 

Kiri in fits of laughter along with Spider which was filling the marui, I was sure this whole village could hear the Sully family quarrel from miles away. Kiri was eager to drag me off into the reef to show me how beautiful and calm it was, she spoke of serene fish, rays and Ilu. There was so much to see and so many people to meet I would have to memorise a list in my head – almost plan days out and who with.

I stood to brush the sand from my legs and bits of dead fish thanks to Lo'ak – that's when I heard Jake approaching the marui, gloating about the food they had managed to catch. I turned as they walked in, the bag of food falling to the floor as Neteyam caught my eye – his gaze was soft as he strode over, pulling me into an embrace before any words were spoken. His arms wrapped around my waist as he swept me off my feet and into him – his hug was tight, I supported myself by placing my palms on the nape of his neck. After a few minutes he placed me back onto my feet, his smile beamed from ear to ear as he took all of me in – then his gaze turned almost dark and full of desire as he looked over my new appearance. I raised my eyebrows at him, flashing him a smirk before turning to Jake who was also smiling, his expression full of relief.

"Hey kid," Jake smiled pulling me into a hug, "How are you feeling?"

"I feel great actually - other than the intense ache in my shoulder." I smiled; Jake didn't seem to want to let me go either – his fatherly instincts engulfing him.

"That's good- I was thinking we could go fishing tomorrow, Meet you at dawn?" I agreed; whether this was going to be the talk or just a bonding process with Jake - it would be nice to get to know him a little better. He patted me on the head as he walked over to Neytiri who was looking between me and Neteyam – she gave a nod to Neteyam who took my hand and led me into the sunshine, I followed him to a beach which thankfully was empty. 

⛱𓏲☾

Gentle waves curled onto the sand and the peaceful woosh of the sea washed away any nervousness I had begun to feel, the raw heat on my skin was welcoming - tilting my head to the sky trying to soak in the warmth.