13 Years Ago
The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. The Red Lotus needed a break before setting out on their next mission. P'Li had finally started pacing making Ming-Hua fall back to the riverside for peace and quiet. Ghazan watched her absentmindedly tease the water into peaks and waves. It was kind of hypnotic. Without her arms she had learned to bend with her mind, the fluid moving like thoughts. There was nothing more difficult.
Ming-Hua and her element were twins in so many ways. Undisturbed they shared serenity. Provoked they shared rage - strike and be lashed back at in waves, drowned, consumed, dragged away by the currents. Ming-Hua was also reflective. Alone she had no colour, gave no light or warmth. Sometimes though, if she were close, real emotion could be shared. When she was mixed with laughter, teamwork and passion she shone with genuine beauty. The world had made her plain but her zeal was vibrant. She had his undivided attention.
Ghazan quietly walked over and sat next to her. Feeling brave he inched closer.
Her eyes moved. The ebbing of the water was uninterrupted.
"What do you want?" she said.
"Nothing." he half lied. There were butterflies rising in his stomach. "Just your company."
She finally turned, her long dark hair swishing with her motion. There it was. His presence had evoked some of that emotion. Her eyes were not so sharp.
"Why?"
"Would you believe me if I said I enjoyed your company?"
She sniffed, a little colour rising to her cheeks.
"Ming-Hua…" Ghazan began. His chest tightened, cutting off his words.
The ripples ceased.
"Ghazan."
"It's… I think it's been pretty hectic lately. But I've really liked working closer with you."
Ming-Hua focussed on him. The tightness returned.
"You're a good team mate." she replied awkwardly. There was a fluttering in her own stomach. Not butterflies, maybe moths. Moths with eyes on their wings that saw every internal struggle…
Whatever she was feeling made her uncomfortable. Dependencies were for the weak. She had got this far almost entirely on her own. As a child she was told she would never amount to anything. She would never be an artist, a tradesperson, a wife. She would always be disabled, the freak born with no arms. Now, she felt it again for the first time in years. Disabled by something beyond her control. These all-consuming feelings made her feel feeble. They were something she could not bend her way out of no matter how skilled.
"When I'm with you, I feel…" Ghazan struggled for words. "I get this sense of…"
"Clarity..?" Ming-Hua suggested, meeting his eyes.
"Clarity." agreed the earth bender. "Do you feel it too?"
"I'm not big on feelings." she said emotionlessly. She looked away and did not look back.
Zaheer watched the two other members sitting together like awkward teens on a first date. He could mediate before a mission to hone his concentration but his team often did not share his mindfulness. They were distracted from relaxing. No one could recover that way. He came up with an idea that would work for everyone.
He called Ming-Hua over to locate the spring that was the source of their campsite's river. Lukewarm water bubbled up and collected into a few pools before tumbling down the rocky hillside and feeding the greenery beneath it. They gathered around it and stripped down to improvised swimwear, finding natural ledges in the sides to sit on.
"Don't touch your feet to the floor or it'll genuinely cook you, ok?" Ghazan said sinking into the rock pool and planting his soles down firmly.
P'Li quickly lifted her feet, crossing her long legs and tucking her towel down securely. Zaheer wrapped an arm around her comfortingly, making Ming-Hua turn her head away. She was sat apart from them, only her feet dangling in the water. Ghazan had hoped she would pick a towel too to bathe in. No such luck. She was almost completely covered by a shawl, a pin of ice holding it closed. Her water arms lay by her sides with the shawl breaking the surface.
"Cook, huh?" she said feeling eyes on her. "It would be a shame to turn out as bad as your cooking."
"Ha ha, miss 'I only make soup'." he retorted as he sent chi into the floor. The ground under the water began to blister and gently glow. Heat rose through the water and sent steam into the air. The Red Lotus let out a collective sigh of satisfaction. The water was heavenly.
"Stop bickering, you too. Just relax." Zaheer instructed, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.
"You're like an old married couple." P'Li added with a small smirk. She inhaled the steam deeply and settled into her lover's shoulder. Ming-Hua wrinkled her nose, stealing a glance for the other man's reaction. Their eyes met and she jerked away. Ghazan found it quite cute. Zaheer and P'Li started nuzzling, making Ming-Hua search for other places to look. Over and over she met Ghazan's eyes. A blush invaded her dull cheeks. The image of sweat drops inching down Ghazan's deep caramel skin was burned into her retinas. He should wear his hair down, even if he was in a spring. Now she pictured his long, dark hair clinging to his taunt neck and shoulders. She shook her head to banish the fantasy.
After a while Ming-Hua suddenly rose and walked away downhill towards a patch of young trees. The lava bender felt a twinge of sadness as his heart dropped. His body temperature seemed to rise… what was this? Lust or affection? He wanted to know so badly. He wanted that clarity.
After a few minutes he rose, leaving the other two dozing, to follow her. He found her downriver, enjoying the solitude. She heard him coming and refused to make eye contact. She did not need it. Her insides ached for intimacy. Would Ghazan cure that? Could anyone?
"I saw you avoiding them." Ghazan finally said.
"Avoiding who?" the petite woman responded.
"P'Li and Zaheer. You refused to look at them."
"I don't have to watch their make out session."
"So you'd rather watch me?"
"I wasn't looking at you either."
"You were. I saw you. More than once."
"Yeah?" she challenged.
"Yeah." he replied. He swallowed, a lump in his throat. "Them being all couple-y got you flustered."
"I don't get flustered."
Ghazan tried to choose his words carefully. He tongue was lead, his worst enemy. He did not want to be deceptive in any way. He needed to ask. Where could this chemistry lead?
"Do you want to try some time? Sex. With me."
He gave himself a mental pat on the back for forming actual words that created a mostly coherent sentence. Ming-Hua paused for thought, trying to think clearly. The warmth in her belly was so appealing. She wanted to dive in and swim. It did not have to mean anything…
"One time." she said.
"One time, alright." the lava bender smiled. "If you change your mind though, I'll back off. You have my word."
She glanced around, inspecting the tree-line.
"Where?"
"What, now?" Ghazan said blinking hard.
"Now or never." she replied as she stood.
"Right." he said with a nod. Suddenly he was seventeen again, trying not to fumble and trip over his own feet. He spotted a flat, leafy clearing shadowed from the moonlight. It looked delightfully romantic in a moment of urgency. "There?"
Ming-Hua nodded and headed over immediately, Ghazan following. She shrugged off her shawl to reveal her own improvised bathing suit, a strapless one-piece and under bust sash. That had to go. His hands found the bow and he shuddered a little as icy claws slid down his waistband. Their clothes hit the leaves. Spirits, she was so petite. He could almost get his hands to meet around her waist. Her breasts and hips were subtle and smooth, deathly pale. He ran a thumb over a rosy nipple and it stiffened. She flexed her shoulders to push her breasts forward. He dropped to his knees to take it into his mouth. His free hand gripped his length, rubbing vigorously. Could she take him inside her? Frozen nails ran through his hair and she breathed heavily, looking down at him with an ever softening expression. His snow queen was melting. Heavenly warmth filled her. Ghazan touched a hand to her thigh and they parted a little. Wetness greeted his middle finger and the freezing claws dug in a little. Hot and tight, cold and sharp. She finally groaned when he curved inside her towards her g-spot. She pictured kissing him when he moved to the other nipple and his index finger pushed inside her. A little gasp.
"Too much?" he asked immediately.
"No," she said shaking her head. "It's been a while."
Honestly, Ghazan had not seen her take a day off in years, let alone a night out. She and P'Li spent quite time together sometimes as his own company could exhaust her. She was introverted. It did not seem appropriate to ask when she last got her rocks off. When he wanted sex he could go out and find it with relative ease. He was a six foot three, broad shouldered and tattooed. He was mostly Earth nation heritage with a splash of fire on his mother's side. It all made for an attractive, masculine appearance with a mellow side that rarely got any appreciation. He may not have saved his body, but he was saving his heart and soul for someone special.
Ghazan bobbed his head lower, spreading her pussy a little to expose her clit. He ran a line with his tongue inside her, taking in her taste and smell, and she pressed against him. He started to make shapes to find where she liked it best while he moved his fingers in and out.
"Ghazan…" she choked. Her knees were weak. "Let's… lie back."
Not needing to be told twice he swept her up in his arms and lay her down on the shawl. His head went back to its place between her thighs. The attention was overwhelming. He worshipped her. The passion came naturally. The moment of pause had grounded his own climax, forcing him back to the beginning. It was not a bad thing. He could do this forever. Pleasure consumed the water bender and soon pulsed in tidal waves, making her toes curl and legs physically tremble. She did not want to cry his name like some smitten maid but the groan that escaped her lips sounded remarkably like it.
"What about you?" Ming-Hua asked. She panted.
"We can finish here." the flushed man said. He did not want to pressure her. Many things he was, but he was no rapist. The thought of pushing anyone into sex made him recall dozens of bare knuckle brawls where he stood between his older sister and would-be attackers looking for opportunity. What a screw up he would have been without her.
"Put it in." she said. "You sit back."
Ghazan did as he was told, rolling over on the shawl. He propped himself up on his elbows and Ming-Hua slid into his lap, thighs spread. He aligned their bodies. He wondered again if he would fit. She could set the pace from on top. He could control the urge to thrust. She sank down to take him in, just the tip at first. Something pleasant and familiar came rush back. Her cool body could feel his heat rising through her. His hands came up to her waist. Feeling confident she pushed further, achieving a deep, intimate stretch. She saw Ghazan's face relax with bliss. A moan. Finally their lips met. She pushed further, hitting her limit. What a feeling.
"Move with me." she breathed.
He started to roll his hips and she leaned into him. The pace quickened, the air heated and the two became tighter in embrace every minute. Ming-Hua leaned forward to kiss him again, hungry for affection. Ghazan's hand held the back of her head. Her hair shook loose was a good look. Colour in her cheeks suited her too. Ghazan's wondering hands caressed everywhere they could reach. He was close again.
"I need to pull out." he groaned. "I'm gonna cum."
Ming-Hua bounced in his lap more vigorously.
"So cum." she uttered into his ear.
That was enough. He gripped her tighter as he felt the waves of pleasure turn into pulsing orgasm. His groan of release made the water bender grin. They lay against one another for a few minutes catching their breath. Ghazan stroked her hair, totally consumed in wonder. Soon she pulled away, grabbing her one piece and tying it on with her sash. She had a shiver, but it was not from cold. Nerves? Spirits damn it. It was nerves. She could not even move naturally. Her entire persona felt thrown off balance.
"I'm going to bed." Ming-Hua said tonelessly. Stiffly she walked down the hillside and vanished into the night.
Ghazan sat there, stunned in the afterglow. The further she walked, the more he ached. No words came to his mouth. His throat closed. He just sat there. Like an idiot. An idiot in love.
"Spirits damn it," Ghazan whispered to himself. "I love her."
"Stupid, stupid mistake." Ming-Hua muttered alone in her tent. "I can't love him."
She clenched her jaw in frustration. Sleeping with Ghazan… What was she thinking? No answer came, only a mash up of mixed emotions. No, no, no… Nothing should make her feel this way. Love did not exist. It was a combination of chemicals and loneliness that drove people into one another's company once it had driven them out of their wits. She was beyond that. She did not need that mess and never had. But now, just thinking of love made her weak in the knees. Unacceptable.
The next morning, she said nothing. Her solitary march spoke volumes. Ghazan tried not to stare. His heart remained twisted all night leading to a fitful sleep pitted with dangerous, romantic dreams. The air was heavy again. P'Li noticed first that the two were avoiding each other. In fact, Zaheer refused to talk about what they saw from the spring that night. They had not intended to spy. All they had done was check up on them and witnessed a few moments of passion before returning to camp. Zaheer felt it was none of his business.
"Do you think we should talk to him?" P'Li said, gesturing to the solemn lava bender.
"No," Zaheer said. "He needs to deal with this on his own. Guru La-"
"Guru Laghima was celibate." the amazon said, raising an eyebrow. "I'm sure he doesn't have a poem about rejection after spontaneous sex. We need to tell him what we saw and what we think."
Zaheer rubbed his forehead.
"Some restful break we're taking. Fine. I'll talk to him soon."
"Thank you." P'Li said, kissing his bald skull. They smiled together.
Ghazan huffed and tried to carry on. All day the scratches left by sharp frozen nails reminded him of his personal heaven. A heaven he would probably never see again. Love sure did hurt.