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Jake noticed something was off 2 weeks after tuk’s birth. While Kiri and Lo’ak was really happy to have a little sister, Neteyam seemed to only get quieter and less like a kid. Jake knew this wasn’t normal. Neteyam was only 7, he wasn’t even in double digits yet. So most definetly not a rebellious phase. Jake first noticed it during breakfast, excatly 2 weeks after Tuk was born. Netytiri was chuckling while tuk was trying to grab nuts out her hand. Lo’ak and Kiri were laughing as well, watching her little sister and mother. But neteyam was strangely quiet, not only quiet but staring at his food, playing with it. Neteyam had never played with his food before. “Neteyam. You alright?” Jake asked his eldest son concern edged into his voice. Neteyam jumped, slightly. Slightly enough for netytiri not to notice. But jake being an ex-marine noticed. “I’m fine, dad” neteyam answered not even looking Jake in the eye, Neteyam always looked in the eye, even if he was crying or apologizing. So Jake decided that for the next few weeks he would watch neteyam’s behaviour.
By time it was 3 weeks after Tuk’s birth, Neteyam had stopped looking everyone the eye, save for mo’at, probably because of her awarness, she would most definetly has noticed if he didn’t. But despite that, even Mo’at could tell something was off, she was worried enough to pull Jake aside after everyone else had left, so she could voice her concerns to him. “Something happened to him, Jake. He’s never been so quiet or hollow” Mo’at told Jake, concern to the point it sounded like a mother about to cry which was kinda close since she was his grandmother. “I know. I noticed too” Jake replied just as concerned, “I’m assuming my daughter didn’t notice the change in his behaviour” Mo’at said slight dissapointed in netytiri for not noticing Neteyam’s change in behaviour. “Yes. But she did just have a baby, so right Tuk is getting most of her attention” Jake said. “Perhaps” Mo’at started “that is the reason for the change in his behaviour”. What could Netytiri giving Tuk most of her attention have to do with Neteyam’s behaviour?, Jake didn’t know. “What do you mean?” Jake asked slightly fearing what Mo’at was going to tell him. “I mean, that perhaps. Neteyam thinks you don’t love him anymore” Mo’at explained calmly. “What? Why would he think that?” Jake asked now worried goes through his 7 year old’s head. “Kids minds are a sensitive, Jake. Sometimes, something simple and small as forgetting something could mean to them that you don’t love them anymore” Mo’at finished glancing pass the entrance of the hut to look at Neteyam sit on a rock tracing shapes on the floor with a stick while Kiri and Lo’ak played near him. “Do you really think, that he thinks we don’t love him?” Jake asked Mo’at looking at Neteyam as well, “that is for you to find out” Mo’at said before Jake turned to leave Mo’at’s hut.
In the next week of observing Neteyam became more and more concerning and saddening as more he watched his son the more Mo’at’s words made sense to him. Neteyam was trying to make himself small, probably to make the pain of the false thought that his parents didn’t love him anymore quieter. Jake knew he had to talk to Neteyam soon, before it became threatening to not just Neteyam’s mental but physical health. It was week later when Jake found a chance. It was Tuk’s first month and their whole family had gone on a small trip to celebrate. When they got back in the early evening, Netytiri and the younger kids had gone to bed early. Giving Jake the perfect opportunity to speak to Neteyam. But when he turned to lo’ak and Neteyam’s hammock neteyam was gone. Jake frowned, “where could he had gone” he thought.
Jake stepped out to see if he could spot Neteyam, unable to see him, Jake had started to panic slightly “had his thoughts made him run away” Jake panicked at the mere thought, he was just about to go back into the hut to grab his gun when a soft barely audiable sniffle hit him. Jake walked around their hut to see Neteyam a few branches down, sat on a thick branch hunched over enough to make it impossible to see his face. Jake sighed relief flooding through him, but also sadness since he knew for a fact neteyam almost never cried, not even at his birth. Netytiri actually thought he wasn’t breathing cause he didn’t cry the moment he was born. Since then they jokes that neteyam was born a warrior, but now to Jake it showed that Neteyam might had hid his feelings since he never cried infront of anyone. The mere thought broke Jake’s heart into pieces.
“Neteyam?” Jake called concern in his tone. Neteyam jumped at his name being called immediately wiping his face and straigtening his back. “Yes, Dad?” Neteyam responded still avoiding eye contact with Jake. He sat next to Neteyam on the branch, then wrapping an arm around his son’s back so Neteyam was leaning against side, then moving his hand up to stroke his fingers through neteyam’s braids, a technique he’s used since Neteyam was a kid to calm him down or just to comfort him. Neteyam seemed to not fight his father’s action to relax him as Jake could feel him being to lean closer into Jake’s side, already slowly nodding off. “Neteyam” Jake said making sure his son was awake to answer his question, “hmm?” Neteyam looked up at Jake at tired slightly puffy eyes another sign that he had been crying. “Are you alright?” Jake asked already knowing Neteyam’s automantic answer was a yes “I’m fine Dad”. Jake sighed, he wasn’t going to get Neteyam to open up this way.
“When i was kid. Before my parents passed, I always thought that my parents didn’t love me” the moment the words left his mouth Neteyam froze. “My older brother, Tommy. He was smarter, braver, had a whole life ahead of him. Then there was me, the loud, implusive brother. But before my parents died. I learnt it was different” Jake finished hoping Neteyam would take the bait “what made you learn that they did love you?” Neteyam asked glancing up too look at Jake. “My dad sat down with me, and told me that he and my mother loved me and brother equally, and that i didn’t need to join the military to prove myself to them” Jake said looking up at the stars. “What are you saying?” Neteyam said looking down. “What i’m saying” Jake started, tilting Neteyam’s chin up so he would look Jake in the eye “is that, me and your mother love you. That will never change, ever. Ok?” Jake could see Neteyam’s eyes to begin to water, but Jake wasn’t done “so, for the love of eywa. Please forget the nonsense that we don’t love you” “Really?” “Of course buddy, that will never change”
Neteyam leaned his head onto Jake’s side. “Thanks dad” Neteyam said begining to nod off, “of course son. Now lets head to your actual bed. Or your going to end up falling asleep on me” Neteyam nodded sleepily. “Love you Dad” “I love you more Buddy”