Calm Before The Storm, Jake Sully

031, Protect.

♯┆calm before the storm  .ᐟ
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     "How is it all?" When the chaos ended, Denahi noticed Jake sat outside alone. Keeping a close watch on his injured sons. A comforting press on his shoulder was felt, Denahi offering him her soothing touch. "It is all fine. The baby is strong and healthy," Denahi mentioned before kneeling down beside him, stopping him from carving the knife that was already sharp enough.

Although, her touch was meant to be calm. It caused Jake to flinch. Back on Earth, he was learned to cope with death in a different way. Learned to suck up the aftermath of war, to become numb and continue on.

He reached his hand up to hers, stroking his thumb against the back of her hand. "You have to be more gentle..." Jake was too harsh on them. On their sons. When he looked at her, Denahi saw the sadness within his face. How terrified he had been. Knowing that Lo'ak and Neteyam went straight into it without a second thought, putting themselves into immediate danger, was frightening.

"Lo'ak and Neteyam are young, Ma'Jake. You treat them like warriors. They are our sons," Denahi told him before Jake's eyes begin to gloss with tears, "It is okay to be afraid."

"I thought we'd lost them..." Was all he could manage to say. Her face dropped, ears tilted down. She dropped to her knees and squatted in front of Jake. He dropped his head onto her shoulder, holding her tight.

Jake was now realising his true fear of losing his family to those demons. Demons he had created. "We will never lose them..." Denahi comforted him. Their children were strong, safe within their arms at the moment, "What are we as parents if we connect protect?"

The uncomfortable silence filled the air. Jake lifted his head to now work on his gun. "You scared Mal, do you know that?" She asked.

He didn't dare raise his sight to meet her. Scolding his parenting was usual. But, tonight, he didn't want to face the wrath of it. "You have to go apologise," Denahi said.

Denahi held onto his hands to stop him from working on his weapons. He had to be a father before anything else now. Jake sighed and looked up at her, "I'll go now." He then stood and walked towards their hut.

Malhua opened her arms when she saw Jake walk in and Jake picked her up, "Hi, darling." He took her over to a small 'garden' he had built behind their hut, watching as she stumbled on her feet. Noticing how much joy his littlest one had brought him. Jake wanted to keep this innocence forever. He didn't want Malhua to learn what was happening to her beautiful home— he wanted her to remember how safe and protected she is.

"You know Dad didn't mean to scare you," Jake mentioned to his daughter, bouncing her on his knee as she played with a Ikran figure. "I know, Dada was scared..." Malhua responded to him, a smile on her face.

Scared for what can happen to his family. His children and his mate. Jake was terrified. His family were all that he had. All that mattered to Jake. All that he had.
They were all Jake had. Jake hadn't felt pure happiness like this before meeting Denahi.

"Dad would never mean to scare you. Ever. When he does scare you, scare him back," Jake warned his little girl. Malhua giggled at the sentence before hugging his leg.