Safe Haven

Epilogue

WAIT! Please note this part contains time skips. 

~

'Xilä's in labor.'

'My wife is about to have my kid.'

'Holy shit, my kid. Mine...'

'I'm going to be a father.'

'Fuck, I don't know if I can do this.'

To say Neteyam was freaking out was putting it mildly and- Oh fuck. His damn father-in-law was walking towards him. The last thing he wanted was for the man to see him like this.

The first time Neteyam had a full conversation with Jxo, he was ten years old.

To him, Jxo had always been a man of very few words. He never smiled, hated small talk and was extremely intimidating. But he was also incredibly respected throughout the entire clan, and well, Salveen liked him a lot, and so did bossy D'avi, so those were good enough reasons for the ten year old to think him alright.

Being the chief's son brought its fair share of challenges. There was a time when a group of boys tried to bully him over his "golden boy" status. Neteyam had fought back- and lost.

He was ten, and a mess after. And instead of returning home, he ran to Sal's but she'd already gone to the kitchens that evening.

Jxo, seeing his cuts and bruises beckoned him in and silently cleaned his injuries- a split lip, swollen cheek, scraped knees and bloody knuckles.

And when the man finally asked, "What happened?"

Neteyam broke down and sobbed. He was hysterical and mad at himself for not being strong, mad that he was even crying. He was a man for Eywa sake! A soldier! A warrior! Just like his dad.

But that day he was grateful that Jxo didn't treat him like a silly kid- like everyone else did. Jxo calmed him. He was his usual gruff self and spoke to him straight. Treated him like an equal and imparted words of advice Neteyam needed to hear.

Flash forward to fifteen years later, on the night that he would become a father for the first time, Neteyam was hysterical just like that very day.

Xilä's water had only broken half an hour ago and Neteyam was spiralling- or freaking out as his visiting brother had been teasing. Irritated and short tempered, he snapped at anyone who got too close to his mate who had been slowly pacing up and down the interior of the Tsahìk's tent while her birthing room was being prepared.

And just like he did fifteen years ago, Jxo and his no nonsense- never one to beat around the bush, pulled him outside and called him an idiot- a skxawng, telling him he needed to to get his shit together and stop snarling and hissing at everyone like a "fucking palulukan".

When he'd finished telling him off, he blew out a breath then continued- far gentler or as gentle the man could be, parting fatherly words of wisdom and advice with a comforting hand clasped on his shoulder.

Neteyam humbled himself and took it all in, and by the end he felt lighter, calmer and far more level headed.

With a final, "Don't fuck it up. She needs you. So get in there, skxawng," the soon to be father chuckled with a brisk nod, thanked the elder and headed towards his wife.

~

"Swear I've gone back twenty-five years," Jake murmured in disbelief at his grandson in his arms. "He looks just like you did, son."

Neytiri hastily wiped a tear that escaped her as she too stared transfixed.

"He's got Xi's eyes," Neteyam announced proudly as he lingered closely.