What If? (P1) || Jake / Reader || Draft

N'deh

"Yeah, that'll knock anyone straight on their ass." Grace laughs, and despite it - takes a rather large gulp herself.

"Not me." N'deh insists, downing his bit in one full go - trying to impress Grace as she giggles like some young schoolgirl, blushing from ear to ear.
"I could take several of these."

"Tsu'tey is calling for us, by the way." Jake leans down to grab for your hand, helping you up.

"Oh? What did he want?"

"I'm not sure, but at least hes loosened up a bit with how drunk he is." Jake smirks at the thought of it. "Hardly threatening in that form."

He greets you both with extra drinks, insisting you each down one as best you can.

"I'm ok-" You try to wave it off, but he insists. It is tradition amongst the adults.
   Mostly worried you'd get tongue tied and make a fool of yourself when the impression you made was far too important already.

Norm is behind him, of course - laughing along with Tsuteys little group as they take turns seeing who can handle the most.

Grace looks on, both amused and simply grateful to get to see everyone here - happy, together. It's all she's ever desired with the human-Navi connection.

He's further amused by the way doesn't refuse further drinks, and shows off completely to Tsu'tey as he downs them one after another.

A wide smiling growing on your new friends face.
    Until he turns to you, his eyes more narrow as he looks at you, longingly.
   Simply too drunk to process how much time has passed.

"I did not think sky people could be so brave." He kindly admits, even with the slur of his words and stumbling of his steps as he moves to sit down.
   "Without machine, without a gun. Learning."

And now he looks at Grace, far off in the distance. Admiring the woman he once called Sa'nok — and wanted to impress her so dearly as a growing child.

Jake brings him back to the moment, and places a hand on his shoulder.
   
Tsuteys eyes come back to him, and he laughs as he does the same motion in return. Both men standing face to face with their hands on one another's shoulders.

"—But I did not think you would be so ugly."

Jake bursts into laughter at the unexpected insult, and the two share a drunken moment as their foreheads connect.

Truly acting like a pair of frat boys, something you'd hope to avoid in your later years.

You look past them to check on your friends — noticing Trudy is knocked out from a single drink, and wrapped her arms around Norm's as she lays there comfortably.

Grace makes a sudden noise from behind, one that only you seem to take notice of - and it's N'deh escorting her to the center. Showing her how to dance along with the rest of the tribe.

He seems to know it all too well, which Grace would later explain was from his earlier days being here - he was originally to marry with an Omatikaya woman, but she died in earlier shootings - long before Grace arrived.

At least that longing pain seems to have faded, especially with the way he holds her tightly as they dance.

Which of course only brings on more curiosity— like, where was he before? During the war council meetings at least?
     Maybe something you did here had changed things, maybe he died early on in the Hometree attack? Trying to help his friends? and this was his go at another chance?

Whatever it was, at least Grace was happy.

But it still never answered who Kiris father was, and at this point it seemed nobody would ever know.

"Hey." Jake tries his best to lean down and wrap an arm around your waist as he kisses your side temple.

"Hey yourself." You lean into him, watching the celebration.
   Even though Hometree wasn't there while raising the kids, this still feels every bit like home. You can almost imagine the kids running around the fire trying to mimic the adults, or the time Lo'ak got too close and caught the hairs of his tail on fire.
    One thing you were grateful you didn't have to watch out for as a human, at least.

"You look happy." Jake says, bringing his curled finger under your chin as he lifts your face - wanting to take in the sight of how beautifully your lips faintly curl.
    Staring out into the distance as you watch the Navi.

"I am." You look up at him, and place both hands on his chest. His finger never leaving. 

He one-sided grins as he stares down at you.
"It's a good look. I like it."

"What?" You tease. "You gonna tell me I need to smile more?"

"..And risk getting punched in the nose? No thank you."

His half-lidded eyes are attractive, yet a clear sign of how stable he tries to be as he rocks back and forth a small bit.

"You're so drunk, Jake. You should not have had so much."

"—'M fine, baby." And he brings you in closer, slowly - waiting for you to meet him halfway before he leads the kiss.

You can still smell the sweet scent and taste the somewhat bitter essence of it as he pushes further into you - grabbing at the back of your neck as he refuses to let up until you're both struggling for air.

"Fuck." He lowly gasps as his eyes remain barely closed, his hand still holding onto you as his face lingers inches from yours.
   
He shakes his head as if trying to straighten himself out, though - and goes back in for kissing along your neck that time.

"Jake-" you softly speak at first. "People are here. We're not alone."

He grunts in protest, practically growling against your throat as his lips barely hover against your skin.
   
You can hear how he inhales deeply from his nose, and pulls himself apart from you.

A sudden change in demeanor now as he takes a moment to gather himself, then holds out a finger as if saying to "wait a minute" until he darts off into the forest.

Probably puking his guts out and dying on the ground, if anything.

"Jake?" You've followed him out, and eventually see he's slumped over the creek as he's washing his face off.
   "You okay?"

"Yeah." He roughly breathes out again, grunting like he's in pain. "Drank too much."

"Grace did warn you, you know."

He spares you a very short look, flipping you off before he sits up on the grass and steadies himself.
   "Sorry I ruined the moment."

"You didn't ruin anything. It's fine."
   You take a seat a few feet away from him, not wanting to get too close should he need to throw up again.

He closes his eyes, leans back, and takes a few heavy breaths.

"Do you need me to switch to my human form and bring you some medicine?"

"Need to rest it off. At least I'm not drunk like he is." Referring to his human self over the avatar. "-Ill get him to the hammock in a minute."
   And he partially opens one eye to look at you. "—I wouldn't complain if a cute woman were in my bed when I switched, though."

"Jake." You can't help but blush, before crawling over to him as you feel his forehead for any fever.
   "...Even though as humans we can't-"

"Doesn't mean I can't or won't do things to you." And he brings a hand up to grab just under your ass, leaving indents behind from his fingernails.
     "Besides, we have human kids.. don't we? We figure it out at some point."

You sit back on your heels, your tail nervously flicking from side to side.
   "Kind of." You try not to spoil any more to it.
An unfortunate pull at the bottom of your heart hits, though. Trying not to let the memories get to you of little Da'mik.

He reaches for your hand, and squeezes his fingers around yours.
    "We'll figure it out again, baby."
Knowing that look on your face by now.
   Even as he lifts himself to sit up, and kisses your shoulder.
     "Whatever it takes."