Amorra Week, Day 3: Secrets


She sometimes thought Noatak was the only one she could really confide in. It was kind of silly, really. It had started with just a chance encounter in Narook's, and she probably wouldn't have remembered him if not for his name. Those pieces of pure Water Tribe always caught her attention. It had come up during that first conversation that he was a waterbender, and she couldn't resist asking him what he thought of Amon's revolution. He was opposed to it, extremely opposed, and that couldn't fail to win her good opinion. There was a strange magnetism to him that she'd never be able to put to words, but she'd been reluctant to head home that night knowing she'd probably never meet him again. As she'd finally stood to leave, he asked if he might be able to meet her at the same place and time next week, and she hadn't hesitated for a moment before saying yes.

She'd regretted it when she got home. A week was much too long. She made sure to at least look in at Narook's every evening until their date, but he was never there. The night of, she showed up to the restaurant at least a half hour early, but he was already there too and grinned when he saw her. They talked for hours, trading stories of their childhoods. He was amazed to hear about how she'd found and tamed a polar bear dog cub, but for the most part she was embarrassed at how few of her stories sounded like a normal childhood. His were much better. Parents and a brother, living quietly together. Being trained in waterbending by his father, nighttime hunting trips together... it sounded like the picture of a happy life.

When they had to part that night, she was the one who asked to see him again. It wasn't long at all before she was certain he was the best part of her life. She spent her days worrying about Amon, trying to learn airbending, and working with Tarrlok's task force. She was always tired come night, but there wasn't a single day she didn't have the energy to see Noatak. He told her he'd come to the pro-bending championship to cheer her on for sure, and found her little Water Tribe trinkets in the marketplace. When she was with him, she could almost feel like her life was happy.

Amon, of course, was a shadow that didn't leave. Noatak listened to her patiently as she poured out her worries, and held her close when she cried on his shoulder. The world looked better when he had her wrapped in his arms. He couldn't offer her advice on Amon, but he was always there to hear her problems. As the tension grew in the city, she knew a final confrontation couldn't be far away. She warned Noatak to be careful with so much anti-bender sentiment in the streets, but he always laughed it off and told her not to fret. Whatever happened with the Equalists, she took comfort from the thought that Noatak would be there waiting for her. No matter what.