Neytiri watches Jake sleep, her mind full of drowsy contentment. They had fallen asleep under tsaheylu the previous night, and for the first time, she had glimpsed the beginnings of his dreams instead of the sudden vanishing of consciousness that used to mark the moment when he'd fall asleep. The sensation had always been rather jarring. She used to startle awake and stare into the sleeping avatar's face, feeling its vacantness through the link and knowing that the real Jake was far away.
The bond has separated during the night, but Neytiri is still enjoying the knowledge that Jake is right here, in this body. She loves knowing that she can call him back any time she wants, without relying on Sky People machines. It's all she can do to stop herself from waking him right now, but she forces herself to wait patiently. Jake is sleeping so peacefully, and she knows he must've been very tired. Yesterday had been a big day for him, after all.
Neytiri waits until most of the clan is up and stirring, then decides it's fair to wake her mate. She shakes his shoulder lightly with one hand.
No response.
Neytiri is gripped with a sudden, irrational fear. What if the spirit transfer wasn't as successful as they thought; what if something has gone terribly wrong in his sleep?
She shakes him harder, with more urgency. "Jake. Wake up."
"Nnnnngh." He shifts his body sleepily, but doesn't open his eyes. Their shared hammock swings gently from the movement.
Neytiri's relief is mingled with surprise at the sleepy sound. Then she smiles playfully. It occurs to her that this is a side of him she's never seen before.
"Good morning, Jake!" she says, her voice cheerful and just a touch too loud for comfort.
"Mmph." He rolls onto his back, throwing an arm over his eyes to block the sun. "Five more minutes," he mumbles.
Neytiri grins. "What is wrong with you?" she teases, rubbing his forearm. "You used to be so alert when you woke."
Jake moves his arm just enough to shoot a bleary glare at her through one half-open eye. "Well, yeah, but it used to be that when I 'woke' I'd actually already been up for at least half an hour. AND dumped a couple cups of strong coffee into my other body. Guhhh, coffee." He rubs his face with one hand. "I had no idea caffeine addiction was translating through the Link."
Coffee? She makes a mental note to ask him to explain this, later, when he's more coherent. For now, she tugs at his arm.
Jake slowly shifts into a sitting position, grumbling, and laboriously stretches out his shoulders and back. Now we're getting somewhere. Then, without warning, he grabs Neytiri around her torso, pinning her arms to her side before she can fight back. He flops back down, causing the hammock to swing wildly, and crushes her to his chest, burying his face in her hair. His voice comes out muffled as she struggles to escape. "Five more minutes."
Author's note: This is my shortest fic to date, but as always, reviews are appreciated. :-)
I think the coffee reference may have been partly inspired by xPrincetonx 's "Never give a Na'vi coffee." It's hard to be sure, but I do know that I'd read it somewhat recently when I wrote this.
I keep thinking I'm done writing fanfiction, then another one-shot falls into my head and demands to be recorded. I've got another one called "You came back" sketched out on my computer – not sure when I'll have time to polish and publish, but it's a more serious piece that explores some of the complicated, difficult aspects of this romance. It'll also be the first fic that fits into BOTH the movie universe and the "five seconds" universe, as it takes place before the two continuities diverge.