Calm Before The Storm, Jake Sully

016, Uniltaron.

Denahi didn't want Jake to go through with this.

He had already proved enough.

She dipped her fingertips into the white paint settled below them.

Jake watched as she did so.

"This is dangerous," Denahi said before Jake nodded his head, already have heard it from Grace.

It was dangerous, but he wanted to do it. Jake wanted to be one of them.

"You do not have to do this," Denahi said as she sighed and looked down at her lap.

Over the few months, feelings had become very clear within her heart.

Feelings for him.

Jake noticed the sad look on Denahi's face, hand reaching out to take her wrist.

She looked up at him before joining the hands together. Jake smiled at the sense of her missing finger, but her hand felt like it fit perfectly.

He took her other hand and brought it to his chest so she could feel his steady heartbeat.

"I wanna do this," Jake said.

She weakly smiled before holding onto his body.

"Just.. come back to me," Denahi told him.

Jake flicked his eyes up to greet hers, their body proximity being so close he could feel her breath across his face.

He looked down to her lips.

How plush they looked before noticing they had slightly parted.

"I'll never leave you..." Jake whispered.

Denahi's lips closed as she smiled, feeling the stray lock of his hair brush against her forehead.

"I have something for you," Denahi said before breaking them apart.

Jake silently cursed before leaning back, watching as Denahi grabbed two woven boxes.

"It is not much," Denahi said before handing Jake the boxes, "But it is a nice gift."

Jake undid one box to find windbreakers.

He smiled at them, not trying them on though because that would smudge his fresh paint.

Then, he turned to the other.

Denahi watched in fascination as he carefully opened the box, revealing a beautiful necklace.

Jake smiled before lifting it up.

It was hand-made, made from Denahi's hands.

It was completed with many colourful stones shaped in different ways, creating plenty of texture to the necklace— mostly being blue and green.

"Thank you," Jake laughed in disbelief before Denahi nodded her head.

"I will put it on.. if you pass this," Denahi said with a thick tone.

Jake sighed, "I won't leave you, Denahi."

"Come. They have been waiting long enough," Denahi took Jake's hand into hers before dragging him towards the other Na'vi.

Mo'at begins to purify Jake.

Before, he had to eat the worm, "Oh, wise worm, eater of the Sacred Tree— bless this worthy hunter with a true vision."

Mo'at places the glowing warm into Jake's mouth.

Eytukan removes the arachnoid from the macro.

Denahi watches with a fast beating heart, the arachnoid dug its stinger into Jake's neck.

She watched him cry in pain, trying to fight back this arachnoid that had hurt him.

Now, all she had to do was wait.

This was going to be the longest wait.

Mukata looked over at her with a concerned face, unsure if Jake was going to survive.

Jake was stumbling across the ground, looking at his hands.

"Please, Eywa..." Denahi whispered.

And Denahi was right.

This was the longest wait of her life.

Hearing Jake in pain sent her ears flying up.

She lifted to her feet and immediately ran towards him.

Her hands attatched to his chin and lifted his face to meet her eyes, "It's okay, Jake."

He stuttered his own words before pressing his face against Denahi's chest.

She stroked his hair, soothing him with her every touch and movement— with her heartbeat.

"It is finished," Mo'at announced.

Denahi sighed in relief.

He did it. He was alive.

"Did you find your spirit animal?" Eytukan asked but Jake only looked around the room.

"Something has come," Mo'at said as she pressed her fingers against his smushed face, "It will take time for the meaning to be clear!"

Jake sighed before pressing himself further into Denahi's hold.

She hushed him, Mukata watching in relief.