Querencia

MEETING GRACE WAS INTERESTING. The older woman was passionate about her work, her eyes judging as she looked at the trio. Norm was practically bouncing excitedly besides Zoe, the woman rolling her eyes and throwing Jake a quick look.

The man smirked up at her, his own gaze flickering quickly to Norm. The other workers in the lab were running around collecting things for the woman, a cigarette quickly appearing in her hands.

They’d taken a trip down to the cafeteria, Zoe wincing as she pocked at the grey slop that they’d been served. ‘Oatmeal,’ the lady had said, but it resembled death and tasted worse than it looked. If all failed, the trip to Pandora would work wonders for her diet.

“There she is,” Max walked forward, the trio chasing after him. The man had greeted them earlier when they had returned to the lab, his eyes kind as he warned them to not get on Grace’s bad side.

“Grace,” Max greeted. “I’d like you to meet Norm Spellman, Jake Sully, and Zoe Fuentes.”

The older woman smiled, a sharp gesture that held little warmth. “Norm, I’ve heard great things about you. How’s your Na’vi?”

Norm looked like he would piss himself in excitement, the man immediately falling into the Pandorian language. Zoe could feel herself shifting awkwardly as the pair of scientists spoke, the words ringing in her ears incomprehensibly.

Perhaps she should have paid more attention during her avatar training. She understood some words, but most of their conversation fell flat.

Zoe turned her head to look at Jake, her eyes scanning over the confusion on his face. “You know,” she whispered. “I’m suddenly regretting not paying more attention to those Pandora documentaries on TV.”

Jake huffed out a laugh as he looked up at her. “It’s like you’re reading my mind.”

She grinned and wagged her brows down at him, the marine coughing to hide a laugh as he looked away and turned back to Grace.

Max let out a small sigh besides them. “Grace,” he called out again. “These are Jake and Zoe.”

Jake stuck out a hand, “Ma’am.”

Zoe could see Grace’s eyes sharpening as she glared down act him, a scowl pulling on her lips. “I know who he is, and I don’t need him. I need his brother, you know? The PhD who trained for this?”

She could feel a sneer pulling on her own lips as she places herself in front of Jake, her shoulders tensing as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Augustine,” she greeted, her voice hard.

Already Zoe could tell that their relationship would be an interesting one, the older woman pursing her lips. “Fucking Selfridge,” she hissed as she turned on her heel.

“They’re pissing on us and calling it rain!” Grace threw her hands in the air as she ranted, her steps quick as she stomped out of the lab. “He can’t do this.”

Max called out her name as he rushed after her, the two scientists disappearing past the door in a whirlwind of white coats. Zoe dropped her arms as she turned to look at Jake again, “Really should have watched the documentaries.”

The man let out a loud laugh as he began moving away. "You're telling me."

“OH SHIT,” SHE WHISPERED, her voice hoarse from the lack of use. Zoe pushed herself up into a sitting position, her eyes scanning over the bright room. She could see more than she had ever before, every particle of dust in the air seeming to scream for her attention.

She could hear something repeatedly pounding and felt something on her head twitch, Zoe’s hand coming clumsily up to touch the sharp points of her new ears. Then, she lifted her hands and gaped down at the blue skin that filled her eyes.

“That’s it marine,” she could hear a scientist praising, her head immediately snapping to the side to where Jake was wiggling his toes.

She turned to the scientists besides her, the smaller woman instructing her to open and close her fists. Zoe followed along until she felt something swaying heavily behind her back, the woman turning her head only to find herself staring at a blue tail.

“That’s definitely new.” She grabbed the tail in her hand and ran her fingers over the blue skin, her head tilting as she inspected the new appendage.

Suddenly there was a loud crash, Zoe jumping as she felt her ears pin back, her eyes flicking back to Jake. The man was standing, his tail whipping violently behind him as he stumbled around the rim and pulled the wires from his body.

“Jake!” Max’s voice echoed around them from the speakers, Zoe pushing herself to her feet as she watched her fellow marine begin to stagger to the door. She definitely wasn’t letting him have all of the fun by himself. “Wait! We have to run some tests! Zoe!”

Zoe ignored his calls as she raced after Jake’s avatar form, a loud whistle leaving her lips as his gown opened in the back and exposed his muscled behind.

“Marine,” she called out as she chased after him, her long strides quickly catching up to him as he stopped and took in a deep breath. “What a beautiful ass.”

Jake grinned down at her- there was a very slight height difference that had Zoe scowling, her eyes narrowing on him. She could see the sharp glint of his fangs as he tilted his head. “Best thing anyone’s ever said to me,” he swooned, a mischievous glint in his eyes, “But you should invite a man to dinner first before you admire his ass.”

Zoe smirked at him and was about to speak again when another voice rang out.

“Hey, marines!” Zoe turned quickly and squinted at the approaching avatar, her eyes scanning over the familiar face.

“Grace?” Jake asked incredulously as he stepped closer to Zoe and whipped her with his tail.

“Careful,” she hissed while rubbing at her side and throwing a quick glare at the man’s tail. “You’re wagging that thing like a dog.”

Jake grinned, his ears pressing back into what she imagined was a bashful expression. “Sorry.”

Grace let out a laugh. “Well, who’d you expect, numbnuts?” The woman reached back and pulled two things from a weird tree thing besides her. “Think fast.”

The fruit soared through the air, Zoe quickly reaching forward and grabbing hers from the air was Jake did the same. “Motor control is looking good,” the scientist praised.

From the corner of her eyes, Zoe could see Jake taking a big bite from the fruit, the juices running down his face as his ears flickered and his eyes widened. “Shit, that’s really good.” He turned to her; his eyes wide as his tail wagged- Zoe couldn’t help but compare him to one of the golden retrievers she had seen one TV back on Earth.

“Try it,” he urged.

Zoe hesitantly lifted the fruit to her lips and bit into it, her sharp fangs quickly breaking the skin of the fruit. Immediately, the flavor flooded her mouth, her eyes widening to extremes as she took another bite. She could feel the liquid running down her face and arms as he looked at Jake, the man grinning before taking another bite of his own fruit.

“This is better than the view of your cheeks running naked,” she hummed while taking another bite, refusing to let go of the joke.

Jake let out an offended grunt as he turned to her, his eyes narrowed. “Better than my beautiful ass?”

Zoe grinned as Norm approached them, his run awkward as he fought to control his limbs. “Unfortunately,” she nodded somberly.

Jake opened his mouth to respond when Norm called out. “Hey, check it out.”

They turned to look at him, Zoe choking out a laugh as she was met with the man posing like a bodybuilder, “I am a living god.”

“Oh year, Norm.” Jake nodded seriously, but she could see the twitch of his lips. “Definitely.”

Covering her face, Zoe wheezed as her shoulders shook with laughter. Perhaps the next couple of years wouldn’t be that bad.

JAKE SAT BEFORE HER on the wooden bed, Zoe combing softly through his hair. They’d spend the day running through exercises and learning to properly use their new bodies, her limbs aching in ways that she didn’t know they could.

They’d been sent to shower and prepare to unlink, told that they would leave the avatar’s resting while they returned to their human bodies. Jake had quieted down at that, his tail pressed tightly against his body.

Zoe wasn’t sure if the tail was meant to express their feelings so obviously, but the marine was easier to read than a Kindergartener’s first book. It was sad, really.

In an attempt to distract him, she had ushered him to sit on a bed and offered to braid his hair so that it wouldn’t get in his way as often as it did. He had agreed, his ears flickering in excitement.

Now they sat in comfortable silence, Zoe detangling his long hair and beginning to section it. She wouldn’t do much, just six cornrows that went straight back- similar to the ones she planned on doing on her own hair once she had the time.

It was easier on the avatar, she noticed. The hair was silky and felt like water between her fingers as she gripped tightly and began braiding back, Jake letting out a small hum as he closed his eyes.

She worked through his hair quickly, her hands- despite the change in body- used to the repetitive movements of braiding. Zoe didn’t touch his queue, her lessons reminding her of their sensitive nature. They had been in their new bodies for a couple of hours, she didn’t want to give the man a heart attack because she held the braid carelessly.

“This is nice,” he hummed, his voice hoarse as his eyes fluttered.

Zoe grinned. “Don’t fall asleep or you’ll unlink. Let me finish first.”

The man nodded slowly as she began working on the final braid. “Can you do this again?”

She hummed in response. “You’re going to have to learn, I doubt I’ll always be around.”

Jake let out a laugh as she finished the braid, the man pulling the queue over his shoulder and squinting as he watched the tendrils escape the braid. “Nah,” he grinned. “I’m keeping you.”

Zoe rolled her eyes as she walked around the bed and threw herself on the one besides him. “Hilarious,” she deadpanned.

“That’s kind of freaky.” He tilted his head as he continued watching the pink tendrils wiggle, Zoe snorting in amusement at his baffled expression.

“Careful with that, Wouldn’t want you to go blind.” Grace walked past them and turned to the light switch.

“Lights out amigos. See ya’ at dinner.”

Zoe let her head fall back onto the bed, her eyes closing immediately. It took mere moments for the change to be made, her eyes opening inside of the link bed.

It felt wrong.