Work Text:
Jake third-person POV
Jake worried deeply for his son. The family had gone through a lot in the last few months. They'd been held hostage, fled their home in a panic, been hunted and tracked down, barely accepted within a new clan, faced problems with the new territory, fought another war... lost Neteyam... and countless na'vi fought for them.
In the month after Neteyam's tragic passing, the family came very close to losing Lo'ak to the merciless clutches of grief. Jake had only just managed to prevent Norm's anti-depressants from doing too much damage by forcing his fingers to the back of his son's throat and holding him as he sobbed loudly and heartbroken.
After that incident, Lo'ak was... different. He was more disciplined. More... like Neteyam, ironically. Jake noticed he walked more quietly than they'd left with, one could argue silent steps. Lo'ak seldom smiled anymore, but his eyes still twinkled when he spoke. Mo'at seemed to be one of the only people Lo'ak would truly open up to, next to that Tsireya of his. Jake had always been an early riser and would pray by the fountain where Neytiri first told him he was gonna be a dad, or sit by the hometree and watch as it pulsed with energy.
But since they returned, Lo'ak would always be up before he was, training with a bow and arrow... Neteyam's weapon of choice, Jake noticed. He smiled softly as he watched from the entrance of the hut, unwilling to disturb his routine. Lo'ak seemed to brighten up and laugh a little more when his unofficial mate, Tsireya, arrived with Neytiri in tow one afternoon. "Hello, young lady. What can I do for you?" Jake asked, smiling. The young woman stumbled over her words before thrusting out a flower awkwardly. Jake smiled as he looked at the flower with a raised eyebrow, "That's a sunlily." He said. The tsahikarm cleared her throat, "I'm here to give it as a gift," She finished. "When you offer a place within your hut, my people give this as a token of our appreciation," Jake nodded with a small frown. "Offer a place? I'm afraid I don't know what you mean..."
Tsireya looked to his mate. "Neytiri said you were allowing me to stay for Kiri's iknimaya celebration," Jake frowned at his mate. She gave a pointed stare with a nod. "Oh. Yes, yes I did. Sorry, Tsireya. My memory isn't always the best,"
~
For a while, Lo'ak seemed to brighten up and show more of his old self again. Jake approved the final request for the two of them to court, having already received approval from Tonowari and Ronal. Jake gazed upon them fondly as they slept in the corner of the hut, empty plates to their sides. For a while, Jake thought his mighty warrior was back... But then the lack of self-care started.
He knew that war and grief had the nastiest effects on the strongest people. Lo'ak began to get thinner, losing the muscle he'd obtained during his training with Tsireya and Ao'nung, despite continuing to run and swim in the pond every morning, without fail, alongside Tsireya. His face became narrower, and he stopped eating as much. Jake saw the ripple effects of it in Tsireya as well, though not quite as severe. She dropped little muscle but certainly became more reclused. More often than not, they would be running in the flatlands or swimming in the pond.
Jake tried to approach him on numerous occasions, but Lo'ak would just smile. "Honestly, Tsireya had it so much worse. She was held by Quaritch and watched as Neteyam died in front of her. It's her I'm worried about,"
Jake knew it was a deflection strategy, but he would move the sky itself to try and help his baby boy. So, to help try and heal his son, he helped his mate instead. Tsireya slowly started to get better with time, but Lo'ak seemed to worsen. He grew thinner, more tired and more irritable. Jake knew he had nightmares from it, for Jake still had the occasional nightmare from his stints on Earth.
"Tsireya... can I ask you a question?" Jake said one evening. Lo'ak, finally, had fallen asleep. Jake carried his passed-out form to the little cornered-off bit that Lo'ak had deemed his "room"
"Whatever you would like to ask, I shall do my best to answer,"
Jake hummed. "Does he ever talk to you? About his nightmares?" He broached. Tsireya glanced over. "No. I know he has them. Whenever I wake in the mornings, more often than not, he is not there... and I know he suffers so,"
Jake nodded. "Yeah, I know too..."
Lo'ak was having a nightmare. He twisted and turned in his bed, sweat leaking down his back.
He was back on three brothers' rocks. Quaricth stood behind his body, glaring. "I'll kill everyone in this clan, then I'll kill your family next," He sneered. Lo'ak fought and screamed as he shot Tsireya. He screamed in rage, trying to stand up, but Quaritch kicked him down and grabbed his wrists. "Then I'll make you mind. You'll answer whatever I want, whenever I want," He smiled sadistically.
"NO!” He screamed, launching up. He swung his fist when something moved in the corner and pinned them against the wall. All he could see were Quaritch’s golden eyes. There was a choking sound, but he wanted him dead.
There was suddenly a sharp pain in her abdomen, then she was on the ground, pinned there. "Lo'ak! It's me!" Lo'ak shook her head, "No, you're dead. Go away!" He twisted and straddled Quaritch's hips. He drove his fist down to his face, but it was blocked. He tried her other fist, but it was blocked as well. "Son, open your eyes," The voice belonging to the man whom Quaritch mercilessly killed shouted. He pried them open into slits and collapsed into tears on his knees.
"I've got this, Jake," Tsireya whispered, crawling over and wrapping her arms around Lo'ak's shaking body. "Daddy?" Jake turned. "It's ok Tuk-Tuk. Daddy's here," He turned back. "You sure? He's strong if he fights," Tsireya nodded. "I'm sure,"
Tsireya held Lo'ak tightly on the ground, knowing how debilitating a nightmare can feel. After the war, Tsireya had a similar nightmare and was only brought out of it by her father holding her tightly. It verged on painful, but it brought her back to reality. "Tsireya... you... you died," He wept into her shoulder. "But I didn't, I'm here, aren't I? I'm in your hut, on your floor," She shushed her and let him cry for the first time in a long while.
~
It was there, in the morning, that Jake found them. One would have assumed it was an inappropriate position, but Jake saw the tear tracks on Lo'ak's face. He quietly called for Neytiri and Mo'at to take in the sight. Neytiri gasped at the sight of her son's stained cheeks, while Mo'at smiled knowingly. Jake pulled the cover too and ushered the women away. "Leave them... they will come out when they are ready," He said. Mo'at just smirked over her drink, while Neytiri continued with breakfast.
Perhaps having Tsireya here was the only way to help Lo'ak heal.