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Chapter Text

The Metkayina village was aglow, the setting sun casting a golden light over the woven platforms and coral structures in warm amber light. Below, the ocean floor was a riot with bioluminescence pulsing in soft greens and deep blues. The waves whispered their steady song, their currents gently caressing the reef's edge. Bright neon green algae clung to the rock walls, and thick vines hung like drapes, swaying lazily and shielding your hidden alcove from the curious eyes of the villagers. In the distance, the faint clicks and playful splashes of ilu echoed through the night, a soothing backdrop as you stood in the sand, waiting for Jake.

This had become the nightly routine—meeting in the dark, then pretending to be nothing more than acquaintances by day. When you passed each other, your hands would drift close enough to brush, the touch brief but electrified and unnoticed by everyone else. Stolen glances and soft smiles were exchanged only when no one saw, little secrets in plain sight.

Jake's eyes landed on your form before making his presence known.

You are the most beautiful thing he has ever laid his eyes upon, the familiar scent of sea salt and the ocean clinging to you. Your long, wavy black hair cascading down your back. The woven beads and fibers you crafted yourself for your chest ornament. A polished shell that landed perfectly between your breasts, your subtle beadwork shimmering under the moonlight.

Just for a moment, admiring you while you gazed upon the sea, he was simply undone.

“𝘏𝘦𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘺𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭…” You heard Jake murmur as his footsteps approached, soft and unhurried. His soothing palm landed on your lower back, warm and firm, a quiet reassurance that made your heart bounce, and soft flutters warmed your stomach.

“𝘔𝘢 𝘑𝘢𝘬𝘦,” you said, turning toward him, smiling bright and warm. Bringing your palm to rest against his cheek, he leaned into your touch, pressing a gentle kiss before trailing it up your arm, hovering at your neck, placing a chaste kiss, then your cheek, until he found your lips.

The way Jake kisses you is powerful and steady. His lips are firm but gentle, moving with intention, as if both of you are savoring the moment. The hand that rested on your lower back slid to your hip, squeezing gently, possessively, and tenderly. “𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘺…,” he said, resting his forehead against yours. “𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶; 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.”

A grin spread across your face, dimples deepening. You’d never known Jake to be jealous. “𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘫𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘴, 𝘔𝘢 𝘑𝘢𝘬𝘦?” His jaw clenched as he kept his eyes on you and answered with one word, “𝘺𝘦𝘴.”

You thought it was cute.

This strong, untouchable man who had overcome impossible things and survived wars was jealous of a few silly, insignificant boys.

“𝘞𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴, 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦.”

Jake shook his head. “𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩… 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵. 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦’𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘺𝘵𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘣𝘪𝘥 𝘪𝘵, 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦.”

sa’nok and sempul. The leaders of our clan.

Although your father respected Jake as a war leader who fought for his brothers and sisters against the sky people, and as the infamous toruk makto, your parents were still wary of him.

“𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩; 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵.”

Jake was overtaken with love for how you stood your ground for him—for the both of you. His gaze lingered on you, darkening before he kissed you again, firmer and more urgent this time, like a man who’d been starving all day. You sighed softly as you gave him an opening to invade your mouth with his tongue. Your fingers slid into his hair, combing through his dark locks as you intertwined your fingers with his, and slowly you guided him down to the cool sand, settling together in the shelter of the reef's alcove.

Your queues gently connected, tsaheylu blooming. The bond sharpened each sensation you both were feeling, your hearts beating in sync.

Jake’s arms wrapped around your figure, powerful biceps underneath your grip, pulling you closer with barely restrained hunger. You shifted instinctively, straddling him as if it were the most natural thing in the world. His breath hitched, hands steadying you, pressing chaste kisses along your jaw and down the curve of your neck, each one pressed with pent-up longing, as if he were counting the hours until he could finally touch you again.

You could feel his growing length pressing firmly against you through the thin fabric of his loincloth. A soft whimper escaped your lips as Jake moved his hips deliberately, and you slowly matched his rhythm eagerly, every moment building pleasure through your body.

A low and raw groan left Jake's lips as he felt the wet spot he was coaxing from you. You began to rock your hips faster, chasing a rising high. His lips and teeth continued to trace fiery paths along your neck.

His thick fingers slid down your back, finding the string that held together your beaded chest ornament, gently freeing your breasts.

“𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘯 𝘯ì𝘵𝘹𝘢𝘯 𝘭𝘶 𝘢𝘺𝘯𝘨𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘨…” Jake murmured in between gentle kisses, traveling down your neckline to reach a pebbled nipple. Jake's hands cradled your breasts as he took one nipple into his mouth while kneading the other with perfect pressure, the way he knew you liked. Switching between breasts, repeating the same motions. Moans fell from your lips as you whined. “𝘖𝘩 𝘦𝘺𝘸𝘢, 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦, 𝘔𝘢 𝘑𝘢𝘬𝘦.”

A primal intensity took over Jake; he picked you up effortlessly and carried you to a rock near the reef, laying you down. Jake was an animal in his own way but gentle with you all at once. He shredded your loincloth, leaving you bare to him, and he got down on his knees, looking at you as if you were his own personal dessert. Jake began placing teasing kisses along your calf and moving inward toward your thighs, beginning to lick his way to where you wanted him most. “𝘮𝘮𝘧! 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦…” you whimpered.

Jake could never say no to you, and how could he when your begging was enough to undo him?

Jake started slow, entering one finger into you and then another, then placed his large palm down on your abdomen and curled his fingers inside your glistening cunt to hit your G-spot while his thumb circled your clit, making you tremble.

“𝘚𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦, 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘺 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭… 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘢 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴,” Jake commanded, his voice hoarse.

The sound of your slickness was loud between the two of you. Sweet moans from your lips filled Jake's ears and made his lips curl into a smirk. “𝘰𝘩...𝘮𝘮𝘧!” Jake replaced his thumb with his mouth, flicking his tongue and sucking, with the sweet taste of your juices. He stopped just as you started to feel that knot in your stomach and stars in your vision.

“𝘑𝘢𝘬𝘦…!” You protested, sitting up on your elbows and looking at him through your lashes with lust-filled eyes. And you saw Jake standing there, palming his large, blue cock in his hand.

The crown of his cock is leaking with pre-cum.

Jake slowly dragged his thick, girthy cock through your glistening folds. “𝘖𝘩, 𝘌𝘺𝘸𝘢…” you breathed.

“𝘚𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘺𝘦𝘵, 𝘵ì𝘺𝘢𝘸𝘯.” Jake’s words only made you wetter. With one thrust, Jake entered your throbbing cunt. “𝘉𝘢𝘣𝘺𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭…𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬,” he groaned.

At first, he took it slowly. Then his pace quickened, pounding into you, going deeper than he was before. Your back scraped against the rock; surely you would be bruised by morning.

He moved his strong, palm on your abdomen, and that intensified your pleasure. “𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘺…”

“𝘠𝘦𝘴𝘴…𝘮𝘮𝘧!” was your reply.

“𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘺..” You couldn’t fully grasp what he was saying as his cock repeatedly hit your G-spot over and over again, making you a blubbering fool.

Unintelligible words slipped from your lips. Jake's locs fell forward, framing his face as he leaned over you, supporting himself on his strong biceps.

“𝘐𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘶𝘮𝘣? ...” his voice low and teasing you. Jake groaned out “𝘔𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘯…” Your walls grip his cock tightly, your core getting wetter. “𝘔𝘢, 𝘑𝘢𝘬𝘦... 𝘐’𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘢…”

“𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘪𝘵, 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘺𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭—𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘦…”

A knot built low in your stomach, rapidly moving through your body, only intensifying when he began rubbing slow circles over your clit again. Stars burst across your periphery, the sound of his balls slapping against your ass almost majestic. Jake couldn’t get enough of the intimacy you shared.

Your cream coated his veiny cock, but he didn’t take it easy on you as he chased his own high. His breaths turned uneven, his locs a wild mess, his cock disappearing and reappearing inside your glistening cunt. The sight of that—of you writhing beneath him—pushed him over the edge, twitching inside you as he filled you with his seed until it spilled from your cunt, just as he promised he would.

Just as he always did, Jake gave you kisses over every inch of your body afterward, murmuring sweet words.

Soon, you’d both have to slip back into your daily duties. But for now, you stayed tangled together beneath the starry sky, sharing hushed words and warmth—his arm secure around you, your hand resting on his rough chest as you traced the familiar paths of his battle scars.

“𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘢’𝘴𝘦𝘮?” Jake asked. You laughed at first, certain he was teasing.

He didn’t smile. Instead, he looked at you with an earnestness that stole your breath. “𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴. 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘴; 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦. 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘵. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳… 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵. 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘴; 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘯'𝘵," Jake said with certainty and a determined look crossing his face. “𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭.”

Your eyes burned with unshed tears. “𝘔𝘢, 𝘑𝘢𝘬𝘦… 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵. 𝘐 𝘥𝘰. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘶𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘣𝘪𝘥 𝘪𝘵.”

He nodded slowly, gaze dropping as he absorbed your words. “𝘔𝘩𝘮𝘮… 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘩. 𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵.” A quiet pause followed. “𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵,” he added softly.

He nudged you a little closer. “𝘎𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱. 𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘢𝘸𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘴.”

You settled against his chest once more, heart heavy with what couldn’t be—yet light knowing that he wanted the same future. Wrapped in his arms and that fragile hope, you drifted into a peaceful sleep, dreaming of what could be.

Chapter Text

“𝘖𝘦𝘺ä 𝘺𝘢𝘸𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘶, 𝘥𝘢𝘸𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦,” Jake murmured, placing a soft kiss on your cheek as he whispered the words against your ear, nudging you awake until you stirred under his touch.

When your eyes finally opened, the sky above the village was painted in a gentle hue of pastel colors—blues transitioning into pinks and strokes of orange as the sun began to rise.

You both smelled of sea salt, a scent that had become a familiar comfort to you, something you had grown to love, the scent that lingered after nights spent in quiet bliss. The village slept soundly, as did the sea, its only sound the rhythm of the tide coming in.

“𝘞𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘰, 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘺…”

You turn to Jake, his features coming into focus as he spoke. “𝘓𝘦𝘵’𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳,” you murmured, unwilling to let the moment pass.

Jake wished he could say yes—to stay wrapped around you for the rest of the day—but reality was not kind. Reality meant you going back to your position as Tsakarem, learning alongside your sa’nok how to lead your people through the power of medicinal knowledge, ritual, and the secrets of the sea. And reality meant Jake going back to work with your sempul, intent on defense and strategy to protect the clan.

“𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺, 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘺… 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵. 𝘞𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰.”

A moment of quiet passed before you nodded, accepting, even as it pained you. Jake reached up to touch your cheek, his thumb warm on your skin, and kissed you. The kiss was long and deep, full of unspoken meaning—both of you knowing it would be the last kiss you shared until nightfall, and that the wait would be interminable.

He helped you up, then gently tilted your face upward before pulling back just enough to look at you. “𝘐’𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴,” he said softly.

“𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘮 𝘐 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘢 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩?” His eyes flicked between yours, searching. You smiled, a hint of teasing warmth in your face. “𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘺.”

You planted one final kiss on his cheek before turning onto your familiar route—your feet leading you east towards your mauri, while Jake led west towards his. Your hands were torn from each other, the separation swift. Just before you vanished from sight, Jake gave your tail a quick pull and a mischievous slap on your ass that elicited a small yelp from your lips, which escaped as a soft hiss. You turned around just in time to see him walking away with a smirk and a chuckle.

Just like before, you followed your memorized route, bare feet tiptoeing over smooth, reef-grown paths. You were careful not to disturb those still sleeping as you slipped between hanging nets and driftwood posts. Below, the water shimmered with fading bioluminescence. An ilu moved silently through the depths as gentle currents hummed. You stayed in the shadows, tail relaxed, listening to the quiet stir of life beginning around you.

Hours later…Awa’atlu was awake with the tide, alive with movement and motion in the salt air—men gliding through the water with spears in hand, patrolling the reefs, hunting fish, and working to build strength against the pull of the current; women sitting along the woven platforms, fingers moving hastily as they braided sea fibers into nets and jewelry, gathering shellfish from the shallows, and softly singing to children as they bestowed the old stories; and children playing and splashing and diving through the coral posts, racing and bonding with ilu in the bright waters, learning to hold their breath and read the tides.

Your mother guided you patiently, teaching you to prepare healing mixtures while several other women sat nearby weaving in quiet rhythm. Your focus lingered on the work until a familiar voice cut through the calm.

Jake’s.

He spoke with a tsamsiyu as he walked past the community’s mauri. Your eyes lifted to him slowly, unhurried, heavy-lidded, through your lashes lingering without apology. Jake was stern, speaking in low seriousness, and it only made the act of looking at him more delicious.

Your gaze stayed on him openly, drinking him in the broad of his shoulders, the way the light traced along his back, his shadow stretching dark and solid across the water beneath him. You bit your lip as heat bloomed deep within you, memory surfacing unbidden: the way he had felt the night before warm, close, steady, so undeniably yours.

As he continued speaking, Jake felt your eyes on him had felt them since the moment he walked past. The awareness crawled up his spine, distracting, tempting, making it harder to focus on the conversation at hand. Part of him wanted to cross the distance between you, to pull you close in front of everyone and make it unmistakably clear who you belonged to. The thought alone made his jaw tighten and cock twitch.

Then he turned his head and your eyes met.

He caught the way color bloomed across your face, that slow, telling deep purple flush that spread and rich against your skin, and the sight of it nearly unraveled him. eywa, you were breathtaking. The way you looked at him without apology, heat written plainly in your gaze, made something restless stir inside his chest.

He kept speaking, voice steady despite himself, a smirk tugging at his mouth as he realized you knew—knew he’d caught you watching, knew exactly what you were doing.

“𝘐𝘵𝘦…!” Your mother’s soft voice snapped you back just as you realized you’d made a mistake.

“𝘖𝘦’𝘮 𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘺𝘵𝘹𝘰𝘢, 𝘴𝘢’𝘯𝘰𝘬,” you murmured quickly, warmth flooding your cheeks as you rose, masking your racing pulse behind a practiced calm. You excused yourself and moved with hurried steps, your body still buzzing, craving a moment alone to steady your thoughts.

You barely made it a few paces.

“𝘢𝘩!”

A palm closed gently but firmly around your arm, pulling you off your path before you could react. In a blur of motion, Jake drew you into a narrow nook tucked between curved supports, safely out of sight. Before you could protest, he silenced you not with words, but with a kiss.

It was a short but commanding one, meant to hush you, though it took your breath just the same. His presence pressed close, warm and achingly familiar, his forehead lightly resting on yours as the sounds of the village faded into the shadows.

“𝘘𝘶𝘪𝘦𝘵,” he whispered, a hint of a grin in his voice as he pulled back.

Your heart was pounding in your chest, and you could feel the heat on your skin as you stared up at him, caught between shock at being caught and the undeniable pull of being close to him again.

“𝘖𝘩, 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘺… 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯,” Jake said, his voice rough with restraint. “𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵.”

“𝘔𝘢 𝘑𝘢𝘬𝘦,” you breathed, Your lips found his again, pulling him closer, fingers threading into his dark locs as the kiss deepened—slow at first, then urgent, hungry. He groaned softly against your mouth, pressing closer, you felt his cock straining against his loincloth.

Your hand slid down his chest, feeling the strength beneath your palm, savoring the way his breath hitched at your touch. His lips found your neck, lingering there, leaving marks that would bloom a purple shade later.

Jake’s breath came in ragged gasps, his hands everywhere at once.

Jake’s hoisted you up quickly, his powerful hands holding you in place. “𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵ì𝘺𝘢𝘸𝘯…” Playful splashes, voices close, footsteps passing, laughter drifting just beyond the narrow cover of shadow. Jakes breath ragged against your ear, his grip tightening as if he were holding himself back by sheer will alone.

Suddenly, a voice, your tsmuke, close and hurried, cutting through the air. The light changed, breaking on the curved supports. Jake responded quickly, standing in front of you, his body in the way as you slid down, bare feet on the cool surface. Your heart pounded against your chest, the light on his skin flickering as he positioned himself just right.

You placed a hand over your mouth, shoulders shaking as a small, breathless laugh escaped past your fingers.

Jake glanced down just enough for you to catch a glimpse of his eyes, dark and amused. A slow, dangerous smile began to form on his lips as the footsteps moved on. He leaned back slightly, his voice low and warm as it brushed your ear.

“𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵.”

In a hurry, you smoothed your hair and readjusted your loincloth just as your younger tsmuke, Tsireya, appeared about to say something before pausing, giving you a curious, narrowed look. “𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘦,” she said instead, suspicion lingering but unspoken, “𝘸𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘴𝘸𝘪𝘮.” You didn’t protest.

Moments later, laughter carried over the water as you and Tsireya raced side by side on ilu, the warm spray catching the late sunlight while friends whooped and splashed around you. The ilu moved with effortless grace beneath you, diving and gliding, their sleek forms cutting through the shallows as you leaned low, fingers skimming the surface.

When you returned, slipping smoothly from the ilu and resurfacing together, Tsireya immediately grabbed your hand, excitement bubbling over as she tugged you toward the communal fire pit where everyone was beginning to gather for the meal. Laughter and voices filled the air, the scent of cooked fish and herbs swarming warmly around you.

Jake hadn’t seen you since earlier. On the outside, he looked composed, calm, steady, but inside, everything was in chaos; his eyes swept the marui again and again, searching for faces, shadows, and movement. You felt it too, that same pull, your gaze unconsciously scanning the crowd until, finally, your eyes found each other across the gathering—brief, electric, and unmistakably aware.

The night went by as it generally did—you ate, you laughed, you shared drinks, and you did your part as the night went by and the fires burned low. Above you, Pandora grew darker and more colorful, the sky filled with unfamiliar stars as the sea reflected them in shimmering silver lines. Bioluminescent life began to come alive beneath the surface, drifting like stars through the dark waters. When the time came, you returned to your marui, lying down and breathing steadily, pretending to sleep as your mind remained vigilant, waiting for the clan to finally rest. When the voices died down and the calls of the night creatures grew louder, you left, your heart light with joy.

When you arrived at the hidden alcove Jake was already there. He had come early. Moonlight and bioluminescent light danced across him, tracing the lines of him in shimmering blues and greens. You felt it immediately that something was wrong—he wasn’t relaxed as he generally was his posture was tighter, his presence charged with a restless tension that made your chest ache with concern.

You stepped closer and placed your palm on his shoulder, drawing his attention. He turned, his eyes softening as they landed on you, and he leaned in to kiss you softly on the lips.

“𝘏𝘦𝘺, 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘺𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭…”

His voice was different, not sad, but nervous. “𝘐𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘺?” you asked softly, searching his eyes in the light cast by the water.

“𝘠𝘦𝘴,” he nodded, then hesitated before continuing, “𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘩, 𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵—𝘐’𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘞𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘬𝘢𝘺?”

The question surprised you. Why wouldn’t it be? You smiled gently, reaching out for his hand, reassuring him in silence that it didn’t matter what you did together—as long as you were together.

So you sat with him, nestled into his side, the ocean breathing rhythmically below and the night filled with soft light and distant sounds. You spoke in hushed tones until time lost all meaning, enveloped in each other’s warmth, cradled in his arms, while Pandora twinkled softly around you.

Jake's gaze was on you from a distance, leaning lazily against a woven pole, but there was nothing lazy about the way his eyes remained fixed on you. The world around him melted away, sounds receding into the distance, becoming nothing more than a dull hum. Your hair was braided in threes, each one bound at the back with pale seashells that sparkled in the light as you moved, flowing gently down your spine like waves. Loose strands fell around your shoulders, framing you in a way that seemed almost effortless, natural—like you were exactly where you belonged.

The beaded harness around your chest, colored in soft blues and greens like the ocean, flowed across your skin like kelp, each bead and string resting against you as if it had been crafted specifically for you. Shell bands circled your arms, simple and unadorned, yet exquisitely beautiful. Every aspect of you seemed fluid and weightless, as if the ocean itself had fashioned you from salt and water and starlight.

Jake felt something shift deep in his chest, something steady and certain. The light around you—warm, alive—cut through a world that had once seemed dim and heavy to him, filling it with purpose. He knew then, with a clarity that left no room for doubt. He had to speak with your sa’sem. He needed their approval, your family’s blessing, to step forward openly instead of lingering in shadows. There was no more waiting, no more hiding. Not for him. Not anymore.

This was all or nothing. Whatever came of it, acceptance or rejection, calm waters or storm, he knew one truth with unwavering certainty. You were worth every risk, every step forward into the unknown. And beneath it all, steady and glowing like the sea at dawn, there was hope. Oh Eywa, he held on to his hope and his faith.

Jake threaded his way through the village with steady steps, though his chest felt tight the closer he got to Tonowari’s marui. Inside were Tonowari and Ronal, side by side, the Olo’eyktan solid and watchful, the Tsa’hik calm, her sharp eyes missing nothing.

“𝘛𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘪, 𝘖𝘦𝘭 𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪 𝘬𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘪𝘦. 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳…” Jake said, his voice respectful but laced with tension. His eyes went to Ronal. “𝘙𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭, 𝘖𝘦𝘭 𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪 𝘬𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘪𝘦. 𝘚𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳...” He raised two fingers beneath his eye, and then outward from him toward each of them in turn, the motion precise and sincere.

“𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵.”

They returned the gesture without hesitation. Tonowari leaned forward slightly before speaking. “𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬, 𝘛𝘴𝘺𝘦𝘺𝘬 𝘚𝘶𝘭𝘪.”

Jake took a slow, quivering breath, centering himself. For a second or two, he thought of you—how the light danced in your smile, how you anchored him without ever trying to. His jaw set with purpose.

“𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦,” he began, his voice low but resolute. He met Tonowari’s eyes first, then Ronal’s, his own steady. “𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵. 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳. 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳—𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘴, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳.”

Silence enveloped the marui, heavy with anticipation. Jake stood through it, shoulders set, hands loose at his sides. Whatever was coming, approval or challenge, he would face it here, in the open. No more shadows.

Jake swallowed down the lump in his throat then spoke before nerves could stop him.

“𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 ‘𝘪𝘵𝘦,” jake said plainly and honestly. No hesititaition. No turning back.

The words fell heavily upon the marui, suspending between them like the stillness before a storm. Jake stood up straight, his hands out at his sides. “𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘦. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘮𝘦… 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘦. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦.” His voice cracked despite his resolve to keep it steady.

Ronal’s eyes sharpened, her back stiffening. “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘭𝘺,” she said, her voice tight and sharp. “𝘛𝘰𝘰 𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘭𝘺. 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘥.”

Tonowari’s face darkened, his jaw clenching in anger. “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴,” Tonowari said slowly, his voice filled with disappointment. “𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘬𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘶𝘴. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯.”

Jake nodded once, accepting the blow. “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘐 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘳.” He lifted his gaze again, unswerving. “𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸. 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘭𝘺, 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰.”

Tonowari remained silent for a long while, broad arms crossed over his chest, the sea breeze blowing at the woven cords of the mantle he wore. “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯,” he said finally, his voice as deep as the reef itself. “𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴..” He took a step forward, and the space between you seemed all the smaller. “𝘛𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴, 𝘛𝘰𝘳𝘶𝘬 𝘔𝘢𝘬𝘵𝘰,” Tonowari said, his voice steady, “𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘌𝘺𝘸𝘢 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳? 𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵, 𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘥?”

The question settled heavily in the open air, not accusatory, but sacred—one that demanded truth, not defiance. “𝘠𝘦𝘴,” he said.

The word landed with quiet certainty. He did not rush to soften it, did not look away.

“𝘞𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘌𝘺𝘸𝘢,” Jake continued, his words unflinching and stripped of pride but full of honesty. “𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥…”

He put his hand over his chest again, his words full of gravity. “𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘦-𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘺—𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘌𝘺𝘸𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘴.”

His eyes came to Tonowari, unflinching. “𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥. 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵..”

Then, softer but no less firm: “𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘯, 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘌𝘺𝘸𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘫𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥, 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯.”

The air seemed to still, the sea beyond the platform calm and listening, as if even the water awaited Tonowari’s answer.

Tonowari sized jake up not just by the words he spoke, but by the man standing in front of him. The man who fought beside him, for his home, his people. His eyes then turned to Ronal. It wasn’t a hard or commanding stare, but a steady and meaningful one. It was a stare that said this is his path now... and maybe hers too.

Ronal lowered her head in a slow, measured movement, the last bit of tension releasing from her stance as the decision took hold. Tonowari moved forward then, his large palm coming down on Jake’s shoulder, his fingers closing in a tight squeeze. Not a threatening gesture, but a reassuring one, Trust, Unspoken, heavy with meaning. Care for her, Honor her, Prove worthy.

The burden that had weighed on Jake as he entered the marui finally released. For the first time since entering, Jake’s shoulders relaxed, breathing came a little easier as the feeling of relief spread through his chest. No more whispering, no more stolen nights—no more fleeting glances or careful touches meant only to pass unseen.

The sun was still high, scattered diamonds across the ocean when jake found you. You stood on the reef platform where the water turned shallow and clear.

“𝘏𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘯…”

You recognized You knew his voice immediately—warm and familiar, ringing out clearly across the reef platform. When you turned, a wide smile broke out on your face. The sun poured over the ocean, bright and clear, catching on shell carvings, woven fibers beneath your feet, and the coral flowers below. The wind caught the ends of your hair as the ocean stretched behind him, calm and blue.

Jake was a few steps away, tall and unhurried, bare feet planted against the smooth weave of the platform. His body relaxed, open, the sun tracing the blue of his skin and the darker stripes on his arms and shoulders. His dark locs swaying.

He drew in a slow, easy breath, content, like this moment required no effort at all. “”𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘬𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘢’𝘴𝘦𝘮,” he said, voice steady and sure. There was no tension in it—only certainty. “𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳. 𝘐𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬.”

Jake took a step closer, the distance between you closing naturally. “𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴,” he continued. “𝘛𝘰 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘪𝘵 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘭𝘺. 𝘒𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘦𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨—𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘌𝘺𝘸𝘢 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴.”

Sunlight lit his face fully as he spoke, no shadows left to soften his meaning. “𝘐 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸,” he said. “𝘈𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘶𝘴. 𝘈𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦.” The world around you continued—water lapping softly against coral, but all you could see was Jake.

After you and jake made it known to the clan there used to be stares, and that same old familiar feeling would creep in, your shoulders tightening, it beame harder to breathe, their eyes lingers to long than you’re used to. Not out of judgement but curiosity.

But jake was always right there.

He stayed by your side, steady as the tide. His hand would find yours, fingers threading through yours with quiet confidence giving a gentle squeeze once, twice, to help ground you without saying a word. He’d always meet you with a look of ‘i’ve got you..’

You and Jake finally found more time to be close, the craving between you never fading, never dulling. That’s how you found yourself face down on the mat in the shared Marui—everything quiet except for your gasps.

Bodies pressing softly together, Jake never rushed. He liked to feel every thick inch sink in slowly. “𝘔𝘢 𝘑𝘢𝘬𝘦… 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦,” you whispered, unsure if you were begging him to continue this sweet torture or to pick up his pace.

“𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘵, 𝘚𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘯?” he replied in a teasing, almost mocking tone, fully aware of the effect he had on you.

You tried to answer but words failed you. Instead, he pressed a tender kiss to your spine, contrasting with the rough rhythm of his hips as he finally bottomed out inside you.

Your lips parted in a silent whine as the sound of skin against skin grew louder, pleasure overwhelming every inch of you.

“𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘴. 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶—𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘵, 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘦𝘴. 𝘍𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯,” Jake murmured.

He pushed you deeper into the mat, changing the angle by lifting his knee. “𝘰𝘩, 𝘦𝘺𝘸𝘢! 𝘔𝘮𝘧...” you gasped.

You felt the tip of his rigid cock hit your wet, overstimulated cunt, repeatedly striking your G-spot. Your eyes rolled back as your fingers clenched, seeking something to hold onto.

His hand slid around your waist to find your button, gently pressing it before tracing slow, teasing circles. Your cunt tightened around him, making a low groan escape his lips.

You began to meet his thrusts, panting, “𝘖𝘩, 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳, 𝘩𝘶𝘩? 𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘤𝘬... 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴.”

Jake took over, pulling back just enough to get a firm grip on himself, your wetness coating him, his thick veins standing out. Then he slammed back in, hard. The stretch was both welcoming and sweet, just like the scent of your juices flowing down the inside of your thighs onto him.

Your wetness coated his balls; each strike to your cervix made your eyes roll, your words a messy whisper as Jake filled the room with sweet, crude words.

“𝘺𝘦𝘴... 𝘰𝘩, 𝘮𝘢 𝘦𝘺𝘸𝘢, 𝘺𝘦𝘴!” you moaned.

“𝘉𝘢𝘣𝘺𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭... 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯? 𝘏𝘮𝘮?” Jake asked, his voice low and commanding.

Your mind blurred, the world narrowing to the knot tightening inside you, thighs trembling. Just as you neared your peak, he slowed his pace.

“𝘶𝘨𝘧!... 𝘫𝘢𝘬𝘦,” you hissed.

He gave a small slap to your ass, his tone strict. “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.”

His hips rolled slowly, the sound of your wetness echoing through the Marui. You turned your head to meet his eyes, filled with lust.

“𝘠𝘦𝘴, 𝘮𝘢 𝘫𝘢𝘬𝘦, 𝘺𝘦—” Before you could finish, he slammed back into you, his strokes rigorous and relentless.

Stars burst in your vision as a scream escaped your lips, a waterfall of sensation cascading down your thighs. Jake’s movements became uneven; you knew he was close.

His cock slid in and out, coated with your cream, driving him toward his climax. His breaths ragged, his release too much to contain, spilling out of your cunt.

As he pulled out briefly, he pushed back in with two fingers. “𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘱 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘶𝘯𝘵... 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘦𝘴.”

In the months that followed jake watched as your belly grew round and full, full with his child, and it never failed to leave him in awe. His hand found its way there often, his large strong palm resting gently, thumb brushing slow, reverent circles as if he might feel a kick if he stayed still enough.

If it was possible, you looked even more beautiful. The sun seemed to linger on your skin longer, shimmering. And somehow, without either of you realizing it, a year passed.

Now Jake stood at the edge of the reef, watching you laugh as you played in the water with your son. The sound carried easily, bright and unrestrained. You splashed gently, coaxing delighted squeals from him as your little one darted through the water with surprising speed for someone so small.

The child was a perfect mix of you both.

He had Jake’s deep blue skin, dark and rich beneath the sunlight, but your tail and hands that were shaped for the sea, made for diving and gliding through the water with effortless grace. He moved like he belonged there, instinctive and fearless, as if the ocean had already claimed him as its own.

Jake’s chest tightened as he watched. Not with worry but with love so steady it felt like part of his breathing now.

When your son looked back toward shore and spotted Jake, his face lit up instantly. Jake raised a hand, smiling without even realizing it, his feet already carrying him closer to the water.

“𝘖𝘦𝘺ä 𝘵𝘹𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘴𝘪𝘺𝘶…” You murmured softly as you reached him. You leaned in to kiss Jake, brief and warm, then pressed another gentle kiss to the top of your son’s head as he nestled happily against his father. Jake’s arms came around you both without thinking, instinctive and sure. Your child laughed, fingers curling into the beaded cords at Jake’s chest, tail flicking with excitement. Jake rested his chin lightly in your hair, breathing you in. “𝘏𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦”, he thought, watching the way sunlight caught in your eyes, the way your son fit so perfectly between you. “𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵..”