A/N: Hey guys long time no see! Just finished my last exam yesterday so thought I shouldn't keep you all waiting any longer. Hope everyone is well? Updates will probably be sporadic as I help out in my parent's shops over the summer – but definitely should be more frequent than a monthly basis XD This chapter adds a couple more layers that I hope you enjoy, nothing major happens but I quite like this chapter. Hope you enjoy! :)
Wednesday Evening –
Katara's POV:
Mindlessly, I tap the end of my pen against my desk as I stare at my laptop. But the anatomy of the upper limb with all these muscles, arteries and nerves is the last thing on my mind after yesterday's events. Grave stone. Orphan. House fire. Both parents dead. They all swirl around my mind like a mighty storm that refuses to settle. And here I was being an utter jerk to him mere weeks ago.
"Way to go Katara." I rebuke myself as I grasp wisps of hair at the front of my head. I glance back to my screen, but the desire to learn has been absent for a while now. With a sigh, I put the pen lid back on with a click and slump in my seat, the need to talk to someone is becoming too great. My blue irises flicker to my phone. 'Yue? No, this is private. The last thing Aang would want to hear is that I just spilled something like this to someone else without his permission.' I chew my lip until Sokka's words hit me like a rock. His random questions about Aang's past. 'Wait, did he know?' I wonder and without a second thought, I grab my phone and start typing out a text:
Can you come over?
A text pings a few moments later:
Are you alright? Could we meet on those benches outside the canteen? It's closer to the house.
- Sokka
I shake my head at the man's laziness and type in a quick 'sure.' I grab a coat and slip on my shoes before leaving my accommodation. A few minutes later, I spot Sokka already lounging on the bench. 'How'd he get here so fast? Must've been already on campus I guess.' I think to myself as I walk over to the man. When he notices me, he raises a hand in a wave and I can already feel his eyes scanning me from here. 'Great, I probably should've sounded less desperate.'
"Hey Katara, what's up?" He greets as I reach him. I shrug and take a seat beside him.
"Nothing, I just wanted to talk." I say, prompting the ponytail to sit up a little straighter.
"About?" Sokka probes cautiously.
"Aang." I clarify and immediately the man's shoulders slump in relief.
"Ah, I thought this was about...you know." My face pales slightly at the reminder of Mum and I have to clasp my hands together to stop their trembles.
"No, I-I mean - unless you want to talk about her?" I force out through my paralysed tongue. Sokka glances at me before shaking his head.
"Not really, I'm just glad that you're doing better, going to lectures and stuff. I know how hard all this is." My brother voices lightly, but his familiar orbs remain fixed on me. I swallow past the lump in my throat as images of my sleepless nights and nightmares dance across my mind's eye.
"Yeah, it's like you said we have to...accept it. What about you?" I lie. I watch as the man drops his head slightly to fiddles with his fingers.
"I...I can't stop feeling guilty." He mutters, making me frown.
"What are you guilty about?" I question in confusion as I shift closer to him.
"About not spending more time with her before all this happened. I just always told her I'm busy and now...now she's not here for me to make it up to her." Sokka utters thickly and my heart constricts at the palpable pain in his voice. Stretching out my arm, I settle my hand on top of his, stilling his fidgeting fingers.
"Sokka, Mum understood you were busy and she never blamed you for it, so don't beat yourself up over it." I try to reassure, but he just shakes his head.
"It's not just for her. It's for me too. I...I missed out on making more memories with her before she was taken away. Now, all I have is old memories and it... hurts." The ponytailed man whispers. I feel my eyes crumple as I pull him towards me.
"Sokka, she's always with you. Those memories don't have an expiry date on them. They're there forever and are something for you to hold onto when you miss her. S-She's always been proud of you." I utter, my voice dipping lower and lower until it's just a mere breath. Sokka's face crumples slightly and I take that as my cue to wrap my arms around him.
"Thanks Katara, I think I needed to hear that." He mumbles by my ear. I swallow, choosing not to answer because I know one more word from me will crack my already weakening resolve and I promised myself I wouldn't break in front of them. Or anyone. 'I have to be the strong one. I have to be the one to pick up the pieces that Mum left behind.'
A few seconds later, I'm broken out of my thoughts by the sound of a clearing throat.
"Anyway, you said you wanted to talk about Aang?" My brother queries, addressing my earlier question. I pull away and roll my lip between my teeth before answering.
"Did you know about his family?" I ask outright, surprising the man who reaches behind him to scratch his head.
"All I know is he lost someone, I don't know who. Why?" Sokka asks curiously. I drop my gaze to my lap and fold my hands together.
"His parents. He lost his parents in a fire." I voice with bubbling emotion, prompting a sharp intake of breath from the ponytailed man.
"Oh jeez, poor guy. Losing Mum was bad enough, I don't even want to imagine..." He trails off with a shudder before returning his gaze to me. "But why are you telling me this?" Sokka asks in slight bewilderment. I give him a half-hearted shrug.
"I don't know, I just...it has me all twisted up inside. I guess I just wanted to spill to someone." I reply anxiously and watch as the man's face softens.
"You really are like Mum." He murmurs lightly, I squirm at the comparison that was so often thrown about candidly, but now it feels...wrong. "Who looks after him then?" I blink twice at his sudden question and shake my head, not having even considered it before now.
"I don't know. I didn't ask, he seemed tortured over it enough and I didn't want to push." I voice, but my mind is already racing several miles an hour. 'That's a good question, who is looking after him? If he lost them at 8 years old, then he would've become a child of the state and therefore put in an orphanage, unless he had a relative to take him in.' I cringe at the thought of a little Aang being tossed into an over-run, old, lonely orphanage.
"Well, he doesn't look worse for wear, so I'm sure he's well looked after." My brother rushes to reassure me, probably judging from the appalled expression on my face.
"I suppose." I echo back unsurely. "Did you know he grew up in the same city as us?" I throw out offhandedly, prompting the man to widen his eyes to comical amounts.
"He is?! Well, then there's nothing to worry about." He says with a wave of his hand. I furrow my eyebrows at him and tilt my head.
"What do you mean nothing to worry about?" I repeat back, feeling perplexed. His features contorts in discomfort as he shifts on the bench.
"Well, the only Air Nomad orphanage in our area got burnt down years ago, everyone inside died, which means that Aang was definitely taken in by family or adopted before that happened." My brother explains as I stare at him in horror.
"What?! That's horrible! All those children..." I trail off, stricken as I cover my mouth with a hand in shock. "How do you even know that?" I express shakily.
"I was helping Dad file some old papers and stumbled across it. But at least that means Aang's fine." Sokka points out and I slump my shoulders.
"Yeah, yeah you're right." I mutter, but I can't help but feel a twinge in the pit of my stomach, as if there's something so obvious that I'm missing.
"Anyway! Dreary stuff over, are you happy that you've nearly got through your first term of medicine?" The man queries in a teasing tone. My eyebrows shoot up to my hairline.
"I have?" I echo back, eliciting a snort from the man.
"Well someone's out of it. Next week is our last week before the Christmas holidays start." Sokka reminds with a quirked eyebrow. My lips move into a shape of an oval as I release a loud 'oh.'
"Wow I didn't even notice." I say numbly, the sensation of anxiety grips my heart when I realise that we'll be home. For an extended period of time. Without...Mum.
"You must really be enjoying lectures." Sokka jokes as he takes out his phone, a quick glance to his lit up screen and he's jumping onto his feet. "Speaking of which, I need to make sure I finish this assignment with Teo before then, so I'll catch you later. Call if you need me!" My brother rambles and shoots off with a wave.
I blink, my hand paused in a half wave before dropping my appendage onto my lap with a sigh. 'I guess being strong isn't as easy as I thought it would be.' I wrap my arms around myself. 'I wish I was like Sokka, he's able to move forward so easily and yet here I am, still hurting. Still broken.'
The sound of crunching leaves breaks me out of my bout of grief and twisting my head, I spot Zuko walking towards me. A scowl graces my features as I whip my head away from him. But for some reason he keeps getting closer. 'Wait, is he walking towards me?!' I wonder anxiously. It's only when he's less than a metre away does he stop in front of me, his expression is tense as he stares at me.
"What?" I spit out, only for the man to roll his eyes at me.
"You're a friend of that airbender, right?" He asks, completely ignoring my question. My eyes narrow in suspicion.
"Why?" I question, my tone curt. The firebender scrunches his nose slightly before digging into his pocket to pull out an envelope.
"Give this to him." Zuko mutters and pushes the thin paper into my unsuspecting hands. I frown.
"What is it?" I echo, only for the man to cross his arms as his features contorts in displeasure.
"None of your business. Just give it to him." The scarred student snarls, but I simply drop the envelope beside me on the bench.
"I'm not giving him who knows what is in there! It could be drugs or a threat note." I retort stubbornly. The man's knuckles turn white as he grips his biceps tightly.
"You people and your judgemental thoughts." Zuko growls, but I simply meet his glare with one of my own.
"Your sister nearly burnt my face off. Excuse me for wanting to be a little cautious." I grit out and watch as the firebender leans back slightly.
"I owe him some money for fixing my car. If you don't want to give it to him, then I'll hang onto it until I bump into him. I was hoping you'd save me the effort, but you're obviously a waste of time." The man mutters and goes to stretch out his arm, his palm open, waiting for me to give him back the envelope. I furrow my eyebrows and glance at the sealed paper. I purse my lips before sighing.
"Fine. I'll give it to him." I mumble, if only to keep the firebender away from the child genius. Zuko scrutinises me for several moments.
"You better not keep it for yourself." He utters under his breath and I shoot him down with a glower.
"I'm not the bully." I fire back. The firebender's eyelid twitches before he turns his back to me.
"Good for you." He spits back before stomping away from me. The temptation to scream to the heavens at the firebender's attitude is tempting, but instead I snatch up the envelope and tuck it into my pocket before making my way back to the accommodation. 'Aang fixed Zuko's car? Is that even true? If it is, why didn't he tell me?' I wonder, feeling slightly wounded at being kept in the dark.
By the time I reach Aang's closed door the creeping insecurities have begun to plague me. Taking a deep breath I knock twice on the mahogany surface. Sounds of bangs and shuffling echoes from the other side moments later and I suddenly realise I've never been inside the boy's room. Not that it would be much different than mine, but still. It's a full minute before the door open swings open your reveal the airbender, bright orange beanie adorned proudly on his head as usual.
"Katara?" He splutters in surprise, making my lips twitch into a half smile.
"Hi, sorry I didn't mean to interrupt you." I apologise, but the child genius just shakes his head.
"Not at all, I just couldn't find my key." He jokes, his eyes bright and entirely absent from the prior melancholy I witnessed just yesterday and I'm suddenly hit with a thought. 'Is it a façade? His happiness, is it just a mask to hide his real feelings?'
"Katara?" Aang probes unsurely, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Ah sorry. Erm, Zuko asked me to give you something." I fumble as I dig in my pocket for the envelope.
"He did?" The boy echoes with wide eyes as I hand over the paper. He frowns upon seeing it and quickly breaks the seal. When he peers inside, a string of grumblings escape his mouth. "Spirits Zuko, I told him, he didnt need to pay." At his mutterings, I find myself leaning against the door frame and crossing my arms.
"I didn't know you were friends with him." I voice casually, snapping the airbender out of his quiet complaining. He blinks and rubs the back of his neck.
"I don't think he quite thinks of me as such. I just fixed his car and gave him a ride home." Aang waves off, as if it weren't any big deal. My jaw slackens.
"But he's a bully." I remind, my tone a little more heated than I intended. The boy's eyebrows furrow.
"He's misunderstood." The airbender defends sharply, silencing me on the spot. I turn my head away from him in an attempt to conceal the hurt that shines from my blue irises. "Oh spirits, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to get so defensive." He immediately apologises and raises a hand as if to go and touch me, but he freezes mid-air. I push myself off the door frame and shake my head.
"It's fine, you can be friends with whoever you want. It's not my business to say otherwise." I mumble while uncrossing my arms and dropping them to my sides.
"That isn't what I meant!" The airbender protests as he goes to tug his beanie down slightly.
"Then why are you helping him? He isn't a good person!" I fire out in exasperation as the boy's hands clench slightly.
"Because it's the right thing to do! I thought you were better than that." He mutters. His words striking me down in one fell swoop. Reminding me that I'm everything that my Mum wasn't.
"Ouch." I utter as tears prick the back of my eyes. The airbender's face falls as he takes a step towards me. Again, he stretches his arm out, but it's as if something is pulling him back from actually providing a comforting hand.
"That was...out of line, I apologise. I just...I need to help, ok?" Aang whispers and his crestfallen expression is almost enough to sap my hurt away.
"But why?" I question, my voice low and confused.
"Because bad things happen if you don't." His voice is a mere breath as he hangs his head low and I can't help but feel he's talking from experience. My expression softens as I go to rest a hand on his forearm.
"Is...is this about your parents?" I whisper gently. His shoulders stiffen, but he keeps his gaze fixed on the ground.
"Something like that." He mutters and I decide not to push. Instead, I release a loud sigh and retract my hand back to clutch my elbow.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean you shouldn't help him. It's admirable that you do. I just...I don't want to see you get hurt." I confess with averted eyes, surprising the boy who jerks his head up to stare at me. The stress lines on his forehead fades as his features soften.
"You don't have to worry about me." He reassures with a sad smile and without another thought I'm taking his hands in mine.
"I want to. I want you to be safe." I murmur sincerely as a burst of affection and care envelops me, from where I do not know. His fingers squeezes mine lightly.
"I...thank you Katara, but I promise I am." Aang encourages with a smile, but it doesn't quite meet his eyes. I gaze at him, trying to see if I can read the stories that he keeps hidden underneath, but he's better at concealing things than I initially gave him credit for. "Sooo, can I have my hands back?" The airbender asks with a cheeky grin, prompting me to snatch my hands back as if they were set on fire.
"Not funny." I grumble with red cheeks, eliciting a laugh from the boy who nudges me lightly.
"I'm sorry for snapping." He mumbles with great big apologetic eyes that makes it hard to even consider staying mad at him. I nudge him back.
"I'm sorry for being pushy." I return, causing the child genius to smirk.
"I'm starting to realise that's a common thing with you." He teases, making my jaw drop.
"It is not!" I argue, giving him a light shove, but he simply laughs and dodges.
"Is too!" He fires back and dances out of my reach once more. Giving up, I cross my arms in petulance.
"I prefer the term inquisitive." I correct, but he shakes his head.
"It doesn't quite explain it right." He jokes. I roll my eyes.
"Fine, use whatever word you want." I retort.
"I will." He says, a sparkle in his eye.
"Good." I fire back, leaning forward slightly.
"I'm glad it's good." He returns with a determined smug, meeting my challenge and leaning towards me.
"I'm glad you're glad." I joke, realising this is sounding ridiculous. Finally, the airbender laughs and pulls back.
"That was a good one." He voices with a bright smile. My heart leaps at the praise as I beam at him.
"Thanks." I voice as the child genius rubs his neck.
"Are you finished for the day? We could watch a movie if you want." Aang suggests casually. My eyes flicker to my closed door, knowing that I should be attempting to catch up on the long list of lectures that I'm quickly getting behind in and yet I can't find it in myself to say no.
"Watching a movie would be perfect." I breathe out and watch as the airbender moves to one side to allow me in. My eyes dart around his room as he goes to close the door. "I've never been in your room before." I note as I perch on the edge of his bed as he picks up his laptop from the desk. His eyes follows mine before shrugging.
"I can't imagine it being much different from yours, except more messy I guess." Aang jokes as he takes a seat beside me. His fingers fly across the keyboard and I suddenly notice that the boy is never seen without both his beanie and fingerless gloves.
"Are you cold?" I ask randomly, probably a little too randomly as the child genius jerks his head up to stare at me in confusion. A rush of embarrassment overcomes me as I nod my head at his hands.
"You're always wearing gloves and a hat." I elaborate, prompting the airbender to quirk an eyebrow.
"You really are inquisitive." He teases before shaking his head. "Not cold. I just prefer wearing them." He utters as a look of discomfort crosses his features. I furrow my eyebrows, but decide not to say anything more.
Instead, we spend the rest of the evening watching a classical favourite: Karate Kid. Time slips by as we stay long into the night discussing and critiquing the actors and in a moment of rarity, the pain that has so constantly plagued me seems to ease ever so slightly.
A/N: So a few extra nuggets and you can probably start putting more pieces together. Next chapter is focussing on Zuko and definitely helps unfold more mysteries. Hope you liked this chapter and that you're all keeping safe. See ya next time! ;)
9/7/21