Calm Before The Storm, Jake Sully

036, Sullys Stick Together.

♯┆calm before the storm  .ᐟ
━━━━━━━━━━

     The children scattered into the pod. Different than a hut back home. Less private. But, no doubt Jake will build a secure makeshift wall to create separation rooms. Denahi could be mad, but she knew that this was their sanctuary now. A safe place. Neteyam walked in with Malhua clinging on his back as he dragged Lo'ak, "Remember? Family meeting?"

"C'mon... Take a knee," Jake ordered, all of them obliging his orders. Denahi moved her hand to hold onto his thigh for the extra stability, Jake resting his hand on hers. Malhua climbed over Neteyam's shoulders and landed in the plush of his lap.

"Be careful, Mal..." He did not want his sister to get hurt over him. Denahi and Jake smiled at the interaction of their eldest son and youngest daughter. How beautiful of a bond the two had created— remembering Neteyam had declared Malhua his favourite from the moment he first met her. "I need you kids on your best behaviour," Jake told them.

"I mean it. Learn fast. Pull your weight..." Although the words applied to Denahi also, she didn't want to learn anything. Awa'atlu was not her home, she did not need to learn their skills. "Don't cause trouble, got it?" He asked, mainly towards his youngest son.

"Yes, sir..." Lo'ak nodded his head in agreement. Neteyam grabbed Lo'ak's hand and attempted to rub but Lo'ak quickly shoved him off with a snarl.

But then Tuk could be heard sniffling, "I want to go home." Denahi snapped her head towards her daughter, face softening. She stood and walked towards Tuk, the little girl falling into her flesh. "Tuk, you have to understand. This is our home now."

It was all hypocritical because Denahi didn't understand either. She wanted to go home too. "Yeah. We're gonna get through this if we have each others backs, right?" Jake asked them all, his palm falling onto Denahi's lower back. "What does your father always say?" Denahi asked all of her children.

"Sullys stick together..." Their replied, all in unison but with no emotion. Denahi sighed at her children and shook her head.

"That's right. Sullys stick together. Now this time, with some feeling..." Jake told them all to repeat themselves. In which they did. Tuk stood and fall into Jake, holding her father close within her little arms.

The night was becoming nearer and the family hadn't had a proper meal for some time. "Does anybody want to help with the meal?" Denahi asked her children. Jake then stood and walked towards her, "Why don't you kids go look around? Find that Tsireya girl, see if she can catch some fish." Their heads nodded enthusiastically. Not wanting to disappoint their father with saying no.

And when the children left the pod, Denahi turned to Jake with squinting eyes. A smile clean on her mouth. She knew what he was doing. "What do you want, Ma'Jake?" Denahi asked, all innocent. He inched towards her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Face settling into her neck and breathing in that same scent from fifteen years ago.

"You know what I want, baby," He told her. Denahi hummed in response to Jake. Bending over slightly to create some pressure against him, Jake groaning in surprise.

"And what do we do when our children return and a meal is not cooked?" Denahi then asked with a tilt of her head. Jake pretended to think to himself, "Well... Then we better make it quick."