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

Drafting

"You have nothing to prove to me." He calmly reminds, stroking the side of your face delicately.

"I sure had a lot to, actually. I don't think you quite understood postpartum issues, let alone the depression I developed. I was ashamed of it and stayed out of the avatar as much as I could, or else the bond would have given it away."

He looks so worried, or maybe even betrayed that you would hide from him.
"You could have told me."

"I know. I wish I had. I didn't know anything about what I was doing or going through.
   I guess I got too frustrated because you wanted me to transfer, and I wasn't ready. It was one major argument for us. I was more than happy with you doing what you wanted, but you felt strained or like we couldn't be in the same room without issues or a barrier. It's not like I don't understand, though."

"I'm sorry, baby."
  He scoots in closer and kisses your temple. "-What could I have done to make it easier?"

"I don't know, honestly." You pull the blankets on over the both of you. "- We needed one parent who could watch the Navi kids full time, and one who could watch the human kid full time."

"I want you to know this time... you can talk to me. Tell me when you're feeling gross, or sick, or depressed. I'm sorry if I was ever unreasonable with you."

You trace your finger along his face, and feel along the rougher edges of his stubble.
   "You did have your moments, especially during and shortly after the war. I know what it does to a person, believe me."
Cherishing his face for what it is now, and all those years you'd let time go by without stopping to really breathe it in.
   "-You have no idea what this is like for me, to have all of this. By now, Hometree would have been long gone, and we would've had to set up mobile base camps by the tree of souls."

Jake pulls you in without much warning, crushing his lips against yours as he moves you on top of him.
  Despite how hard the conversations are, he still wears a beautiful show of pride knowing you're pregnant and willing to give him what he's always desired.

"Jake- we can't stay in bed today." And he keeps his nose close to yours as you try to pull off. "- We have too many plans to make, we have to meet up with Tsu'tey and—"
   You yelp when he shifts you so you're laying on your side, with your face buried in his tan colored chest.

"I know, but for two seconds I'd like to at least pretend we're a normal couple, yknow? We haven't done much to really prepare for the kids yet..." and his hand snakes down to your abdomen "— or really celebrate them."

"I know."
You place your hand on his, and nuzzle into his hold.

Until the comms go off, at least. Max is on the other end, calling for both of you to come downstairs to the meeting room.

It doesn't take long to throw on clothing, and head out.

Jake stumbles a bit with the exoskeleton, but he's been getting a much better feel for it these days. Hopefully he'd be able to go without grabbing onto things all the time, too.

"What's going on?" Grace greets with as she walks in with Ndeh by her side, and joins everyone else at the larger table in the center.

"Tsu'tey worked patrol this morning, he just stopped by to talk to Trudy. I'm sorry, but it's not good news." Norm almost hesitates to even say, staring down Jake as they both understand how connected this is to the past two attacks.
"It seems they're starting up again. Mech suits, bulldozers — basically anything they've been able to repair, they're going to use it on us. I don't know how many explosives they have, or helicopters, but we can't have any hope that we successfully left them empty handed."