Aga lay on the bed staring at the low ceiling of the igloo; the candle in the middle of the room flickered and cast dancing lights on the ceiling. She was 18 weeks pregnant, 4 and half months she had her baby growing inside her. There had been times she's been unsure, at the start but also recently, times she had almost been hysterical worrying that she was wrong and that her baby was just something she'd constructed in her grief ridden mind. Hanging on to him, a part of him growing inside her. Her fingers ran through the furs thrown on the bed and she stared blankly at the ceiling. She was defiantly showing now and every so often she could feel her baby moving around. With one hand on her stomach and the other laid on the fur she gave as sigh.
She was, of course, unaware she was being watched by a figure leaning against the doorframe. The message had come from his brother that she'd returned after the 2 long years she'd been away. He had threatened to go and take her back when she had first left but Nakoda had insisted that her sister was happy. Her hair, half up, half down spread out beneath her, styled in a way that was elegant but practical had become a few shades lighter with her years in the sun. She was beautiful in every sense of the word. Laying, her hair against her tanned skin.
He licked his lips and swallowed nervous, they hadn't spoken in what seemed like a lifetime. Nakoda had told him what had happened but spoke briefly in a tone that suggested this was all he needed to know. He and Nakoda had never been that close. Nakoda and Aga had never been that close, they loved each other, there was no doubt about that but they just never seemed to…get on very well, never had much to talk about, never on the same wavelength. They never talked. Aga and him used to talk, they had grown up together. His best friend. He swallowed again and took in a deep breath which make her eyes open as she realised she wasn't alone. "Why didn't you say goodbye?"
In those five words Aga could feel the weight of his sadness. She had to close her eyes again. Tight this time, like she was blocking out some thought, the pain. The last time she had heard that voice it had been full of pain and rage but now the anger had gone and just the sadness remained. The last time she heard that voice he was one of two people in the southern water tribe that knew her plans and he had told her exactly what he thought of it.
His judgement had been bias but was, at the time, dismissed as selfishness. He watched her lay there. He thought she might be in pain as she screwed up her face so tight. She swung her legs off the bed and opened her eyes, forcing a polite smile. Her eyes, the piercing cold blue that penetrated to the very sole of his being; the very eyes which flamed with fury from behind the icy wall when she had yelled her last words at him; the very eyes that met him when he was first learning waterbending and she was his training partner. In their teenage years together his mum always liked to bring up that regretful sentence he used in his boyhood: Aga's eyes twinkle like the last light of winter filtering through the freezing icicles in a carven in the snow. He had blushed when she mentioned it but it was true and now more than ever did he want to lose himself in them.
She looked older. Not in a bad way, she could never look bad but for two years the lines on her face had been carved too deep. The lines around her mouth were deeper from too much smiling and around her eyes from too much crying. He took a step into the room, stooping slightly before pulling up a chair as if it were his own home. "I asked, why you didn't say goodbye" The smile faded and she looked at her lap, a fur flung over her stomach.
"I've been here three days now, why are you here now?" Her ankle slipped behind her other ankle and she began nervously playing with her hands, a trait she picked up after her healing training.
"Nakoda said I should let you rest but I guess I couldn't resist. How selfish of me." He realised his mistake as Aga looked up and caught his eye. Why did he say that, he cursed himself, he sounded bitter and obsessive, clinging to the argument as if it were the only time they spent together but he hadn't even thought about it, it just came out. They sat in silence for a moment, neither of them wanted to break it or continue. No eye contact.
"I didn't think you'd want me to see you again" she said eventually.
"Aga you're my frie-"
"That's why I didn't say goodbye." She didn't look at him. Another pause.
"Did you miss me?" His eyes were fixated on her and it seemed that all she wanted was to avoid his gaze. She didn't want to lie to him. She hesitated.
"Yes, Keirow …in a way…when I thought of home…which wasn't a lot because it hurt too much" She met his gaze if for a split second. Another pause and he gave a sigh standing.
"I can read you like an open book Aga" he smiled with the sort of chuckle that you don't even open your mouth. "Thanks for being honest…I'll see you later, it seems you need time to…recover."
A/N Helll thanks a lot for reading this far…virtual hug :D Sorry the updates are rather sporadic but hey ho such is life. Loving doing this introducing all my characters from 'The Secret Firebender' it's like writing a fanfiction for my fanfiction :D This was going to be short…oops. Stay tuned, stuff gets better for Aga promise :D