They could've stood like that for hours. Weeks. Maybe even years, and Koza wouldn't have cared either way. Every moment that Huvanni remained in her arms, every single second their lips pressed against each other was a moment in time that Koza wished would last for an eternity. Nothing in this world made her happier or feel more alive than that single moment they shared together, just the two of them standing in the streets away from the judgment of others.
Though Koza wished they could stay like that forever, eventually Huvanni broke away and smiled up at the Fire Bender with that dopey grin she was always making. Koza wondered how she managed to get through even a single day without that smile.
"We should probably start heading home now, shouldn't we?" She asked as more of a suggestion than a proper question. Koza resisted the urge to pull Huvanni back into the confinement of a tight embrace, to prevent them from going back to that awful place.
"They won't miss us..." Koza murmured.
"It's going to get dark soon."
"My fire can light the way," Koza urged, taking Huvanni back into an embrace. "Stay. Stay with me."
"I'll always stay with you. But we'll be caught if we keep making out in a public area like this." Huvanni reminded her, failing to keep herself from snickering. She pushed against the embrace again, running a soothing hand against Koza's check. "We have all the time in the world to spend together. We don't have to spend a hundred years tonight."
"I know… I just.. I just want to stay in this moment. Where there's no one but us." Koza said, her chest feeling hollow.
"You're sweet. ...But I'm starving." Huvanni said, her grin somehow growing even wider. Koza rolled her eyes.
"Fine, fine. Jeez, way to ruin a moment, Van." Koza teased, taking a hold of the Air Bender's hand and continuing on their way.
"Don't worry, I'll make it up to you," Huvanni said, suddenly leaning in and dropping the volume of her voice. "Maybe you'll have a special visitor in your room tonight."
Koza's face burned cherry-red up until the girls had reached the front steps of Koza's home. They quickly ceased their hand-holding before pushing open the door that Uvi had apparently left unlocked. Despite the fact that they had arrived only about twenty minutes later than Ojin, the rest of Koza's family was already seated at the table and halfway through their meal.
"Ah, Huvanni. Koza. Ojin had mentioned that you two decided to walk home?" Shio asked idly.
"Yes, sir. It was a beautiful day, and I wanted to see what the other parts of Ki Lo looked like. Koza helpfully offered to escort me." Huvanni was quick to answer, saving Koza from having to. She beamed at the Air Bender with thankfulness. Shio Kan's eyebrow twitched, though his face made no change of emotion.
"I see. Well, come and eat before the food gets cold." He instructed. Huvanni moved towards the table and spotted Ojin seated firmly in Koza's usual spot, exactly as he had that morning. Before Koza had the chance to chastise him, Huvnani walked in the opposite direction and took the free seat on Koza's left. Koza smiled gratuitously, and- before she could help herself- stole a quick glance over at Ojin. He had a mixture of outrage and betrayal on his face, quickly looking back down at his plate to hide his expression. Koza masterfully hid a laugh by turning it into a cough.
Dinner that night was especially good- Uvi really outdid herself with a delicious vegetable stir fry. Koza didn't even mind the deafening silence tonight; she was far too happy to care.
Her and Huvanni were together. Though they started out as enemies, they had somehow transcended every rule put in place by their forefathers and fallen for each other. And, though Koza knew that this was a crime worthy of treason, she couldn't care any less about what Fire Lord Sozin thought about her. Sitting there secretly holding hands underneath the table, Koza knew that there would never be an army big enough to tear her apart from her Huvanni.
"So, children, how was school today? Did anything of interest happen?" Shio asked once he had finished eating and was now daintily dabing the corners of his mouth with a napkin. Koza, whose mouth was currently filled with parsnips, looked towards Ojin to answer.
"Nothing too much of interest, I'm afraid. We're still just going over the Southern Tribal Wars in class. Although, today Sifu Kolak said that my Fire Bending forms were utterly perfect, some of the best he's ever seen." He boasted, looking towards Huvanni for approval. However, she was currently focused on tearing the charred skin off her peppers, hardly paying attention to the conversation.
"Very good, Ojin. You're going to bring great honor to this family some day." Shio complimented, which made Ojin beam with delight. Guess he was already over the whole "equal treatment" thing, Koza thought while biting her tongue.
"Had there been any doubt about that, dear?" Fulay- who Koza had honestly forgotten was even there- said with a thin smile. For some reason, though, her words held an odd bitterness to them. "Ojin's our only son. Of course he'd be successful." Shio stared hard at his wife, the two of them sharing words that no one else could hear. Koza glanced between her parents, puzzled by the sudden tension. Had they had a fight before she came home?
"Anyway, I know final exams are coming up soon," Shio's return to reality broke through the discomfort. "I expect to see very high marks. From both of you. Nothing less than the best, right?" He said, finally turning to acknowledge his daughter.
"Of course, Father. Frankly, I'm insulted that you'd insinuate I'd ever be anything less than the best." Koza responded dryly, bringing her own amber eyes up to his own. Shio actually appeared to be momentarily taken aback by her sudden shot at him, but quickly regained his demeanor.
"I'm not 'insinuating' anything, I was just reinforcing a point. You were raised to strive for the best, nothing less. I expect only greatness from my children."
"Have I not already shown greatness, Father? I've been top of all of my classes for nearly my entire life. I've received awards and ceremonies for my achievements, and yet you have never given me the time of day." Koza spat out before she could stop herself. It seemed that alongside her new-found happiness with Huvanni, she had somehow uncovered new-found confidence to do what she had always wanted to for years: tell her Father exactly how she felt.
Her family all went silent at her words, the air once again thick with tension. Ojin actually looked somewhat impressed; Fulay and Shio, however, held a proper mixture of irritation and discomfort.
"Koza, don't make up stories," Shio said flatly. "Your mother and I love you both equally."
"That's rich. Really rich, actually," Koza continued pushing, too far in to back down now. "When was the last time you told me you were proud of me? Or better yet, when was the last time you said you loved me?" The question was met with silence. Shio looked like he had just been slapped in the face. Fulay's eyebrow twitched and she took a calm sip of her drink.
"I can't even remember the last time you said those things to her." She said nonchalantly. Shio Kan temporarily forgot his daughter was in front of him and turned his fury to his wife.
"Whose side are you on, Fulay?" He roared. "You're the one that's always home. You're the indifferent one, not me."
"Oh give me a break, Shio. I told you exactly how I was going to act when we made the agreement. Don't act like a spoiled child because I haven't changed my mind." Fulay shot back, her usual flaunty and feathery behavior now replaced by a tense and furious woman that Koza had never seen before. However, Koza's focus moved onto her mother's words.
"Agreement? What agreement?" Koza demanded. She looked over towards Ojin and was somewhat relieved to see he seemed just as confused as she was. Shio's face fell and his scarred fingers gripped the tablecloth.
"Fulay. You should stop talking right now. We love both of our children equally, don't we?" He asked through a clenched jaw. Some of Koza's confidence seemed to have somehow rubbed off on her mother, though, and Fulay scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"Why do you even insist on doing this anymore? There's no point, Shio! They're both adults, why don't we just tell them already? They've probably figured it out by now, anyway!"
"Figured out what? What're you hiding?" Koza shouted. Below the table, Huvanni squeezed her hand tightly. Koza took a deep inhale and tried to relax her fury.
"Father? What's going on? What is Mother talking about?" Ojin looked at his father with bewildered eyes. Shio looked around at his family, his demeanor like that of a caged animal: he was trapped.
"Nothing. There's nothing that you two need to be involved with or concerned about," Shio shot back, trying to regain his power over the situation. "Huvanni, please forgive us for this unacceptable behavior. It seems that my wife and daughter need a lesson in manners." He growled, his blazing eyes turning to burn a hole in Koza's head.
His absolute burning fury had completely erased Koza's high, and she found herself quickly backing down from the fight. That look… she knew that look all too well. It was the same look Shio often gave Koza when she was young, whenever she spoke out of turn or stepped out of line. For a moment, she felt like a child again- trembling in fear of her father's wrath. Even with Huvanni by her side, she couldn't bring herself to face him any longer.
"It-it's fine, please don't mind me. But you all clearly… have a lot on your mind. Perhaps it would be useful to be open and honest with each other? Build up trust again?" Huvanni suggested. Shio stared at her as if she had just started speaking a different language. Finally, he cleared his throat and placed his napkin onto the table.
"...Koza, Ojin, please go into your rooms. I need to have a talk with your mother." Shio Kan drawled slowly, his even tone so cold and dangerous it sent a chill down Koza's spine. She didn't need to be told twice.
"Yes, Father." She said obediently, taking her hand back from Huvanni's grip and pushing herself away from the table with shaking hands.
"Actually, Mother, Father… Um, may I speak to you first? There's something important I'd like to talk with you about, if you don't mind." Ojin said nervously, sitting up straight in his chair and rapping his fingers against the table.
"Fine, Ojin, but make it quick." Fulay said tensely, glaring at her husband. On a normal day, Koza would be exceedingly curious about what Ojin needed to talk to their parents about in private, perhaps even lingering around in order to eavesdrop. However, all she wanted to do at that moment was flee into the safety of her room like a terrified child who was hiding from punishment. Huvanni followed up the stairs after her, shutting the bedroom door behind her to give them privacy. Koza nearly collapsed onto her bed, her heart positively pounding inside her chest. The two girls stood there in utter stillness, the only reasonable sounds within the area coming from the mumbled, inaudible words echoing from the floor below.
"...What in the Spirit's name was that all about?" Huvanni finally broke through the silence. Koza lifted her head up to make eye contact with the wall.
"Do you mean me yelling at my Dad, or the ominous family secret that we apparently have?"
"Both, I think." Koza took a moment to think before she answered.
"Well, for the latter one, I have just as many answers as you do," Koza said weakly. "I mean, I meant that whole conversation to be rhetorical. When I asked why they don't care, I didn't expect there to actually be an answer. But now I know there's actually a reason for it all, and whatever it is, my parents are hiding it from Ojin and I."
"Are you going to try and figure it out?" Asked Huvanni, leaning against the wall.
"Are you kidding? Of course. I've asked myself for years what I could've done better to earn my parents' respect and affection. If I figure out what that agreement was about, then maybe I can… maybe I can have that." Koza nearly whispered.
"I'm sorry if this is rude, but why would you want their respect and affection? I'd almost say it's not worth your time," Huvanni said softly, moving towards her girlfriend. "You shouldn't have to fight and beg for your own parents to love you. Whatever secret they're keeping from you and Ojin, it should have nothing to do with how they treat you as their child." She said gently, bringing her forehead against Koza's. Koza closed her eyes and listened to Huvanni's breathing, subconsciously matching it to her own.
"Maybe you're right…" Koza finally admitted as she opened her eyes again.
"I usually am." Huvanni joked. She stroked her fingers through the minimal bit of hair that wasn't tied back in a bun. "I have to say though, you standing up to Shio like that was pretty cool."
"You think?"
"Oh definitely. Didn't know Miss Fire Bender could be so… feisty. It was pretty hot, pun intended."
"Gross, you need to stop with the bedroom talk," Koza giggled, playfully pushing Huvanni away. "Don't you Nuns make vows of abstinence or something?"
"The more up-tight ones, yeah," Huvanni chuckled. "But for the most part, the Nuns taught us that, as long as we were careful, it was fully acceptable to explore our bodies and-"
"Okay, okay, I don't need the details, Vanni," Koza snorted, falling back onto her bed. Huvanni flopped down beside her, the two girls staring up at the ceiling.
"You know, if you told me a year ago that this was where I'd be in my life, I don't think I would've believed you." Koza spoke her thoughts out loud. Huvanni moved her arm underneath Koza's back to pull her closer.
"Is that a bad thing?"
"No, not at all. Sometimes the most unexpected outcomes end up being the best."
"That's a very wise observation." Huvanni noted, stroking Koza's shoulder affectionately.
"Guess your spirituality rubbed off on me," Koza stated, pecking Huvanni on the cheek. "Maybe instead of joining the Army I'll go off to be a Nun."
"You're joining the Army?" Huvanni asked suddenly, turning to face her.
"Huh? Oh, no, not anymore. I had thought about it, since it's kind of the expected career for Fire Benders who aren't key in politics or trade. But, obviously, there's no way I'm supporting Sozin and his military anymore." Koza said firmly. Huvanni relaxed again.
"That's good. You worried me for a second there! I thought you were just going to up and leave me once you graduated from the Academy." Though Huvanni was grinning, Koza could tell from the look in her eyes that the girl actually had been legitimately afraid. She supposed Huvanni couldn't bear to lose another person she loved… Koza couldn't blame her for that.
"Now why would I ever want to leave you? After all the stress I put myself through to keep you safe, not to mention our new scandalous relationship. There's no way I'd give that up without a fight." Koza said. Huvanni's grin changed right before her eyes, but not into a frown. It changed to a different type of smile, one not of humor but of joy. A smile of love and appreciation.
Before Koza had time to react, Huvanni had her wrapped in such a tight platypus bearhug that the wind was nearly knocked out of her.
"Thank you for never giving up on me." Huvanni whispered. Koza returned the hug, hiding her nose into Huvanni's gentle shoulder. They remained in that position all through the night, keeping as close to each other as possible even as they slept. Koza's recent history of struggling to sleep at night had finally been put to rest, sleeping soundly for the entirety of the night as she remained locked in Huvanni's arms.
The next morning, Koza's eyes crept open as a gentle beam of sunlight covered them both, alerting her that it was time to wake up. Koza's entire body felt numb, but she couldn't care any less; she was with Huvanni and she was the happiest she had ever felt.
Koza had meant to gently shift her arm to the right in order to avoid disturbing Huvanni- who even while she slept looked beautiful- but alas, the tiniest shift in movement was enough to stir the girl.
"Good morning." Huvanni mumbled sleepily and just barely opened her eyes.
"Good morning," Koza repeated. "It's just sunrise. Don't you have to go and pray?"
"You really pay attention, huh?" She asked happily. "But yeah, I do. Just give me a minute." She yawned and slid off of the bed, clearly still half asleep. Koza watched as she slunk over to the window and knelt down, placing her fists together and bowing her head. Koza made an effort to remain silent so as to not disturb her prayer, simply watching with interest. Huvanni said nothing, but her ability to remain completely still for several minutes was very impressive.
After she prayed for about twenty minutes, Huvanni stood back up so quickly that Koza jumped a little. She sat on the edge of the bed as Huvanni walked back over to her and draped her arms around her shoulders.
"Sorry, forgot to give you this earlier." She apologized, before leaning in and giving her a sweet kiss.
"You know it's okay that we aren't constantly making out, right? I don't mind." Koza joked once they broke apart again.
"I know. I just want to." Huvanni smirked somewhat, running her fingers though Koza's hair in the same way she did last night- only having a much easier time now that it was down and hanging around her shoulders.
"Koza? Ms Huvanni? It's time to get ready for school." Uvi's sudden appearance in the doorway took both of them by surprise, and Huvanni stepped back so quickly she nearly fell back.
"Hi, Uvi. Good morning." Koza stated awkwardly, her face flushing. She glanced sideways to Huvanni and, for the first time, Huvanni's face was bright red as well.
"I see you two are already awake, that's wonderful," Uvi chimed. "I'm so glad you're both such good friends now. Well, hurry on now, no point in being late." She began to hum a cheerful tune as she left the doorway and disappeared down the hall. Koza swallowed harshly, her legs slowly regaining their feeling.
"Think she suspects anything?" Huvanni inhaled sharply.
"Hopefully not. But even if she did, she wouldn't tell my parents. I know I can trust her." Koza said, the heat from her face slowly fading.
"You're… not going to tell her, are you?"
"No, no. Of course not. I'm just saying, out of everyone in this house, Uvi is probably the only one we could trust with our secrets."
"I don't doubt you on that one." They both shared a look, silently debating on the same thing. The girls began to get dressed and ready for school, the Uvi scare quickly forgotten about as they discussed their plans for the day.
"We could go into town after school, tell Father you wanted to try some local cuisine?" Koza suggested, changing into a clean uniform.
"If that means getting my hands on any more of those custard tarts, I'm in. The ones Uvi made were so good." Huvanni drooled.
"You know you can just ask her to make some more, right?" Koza giggled and opened the door to her bedroom.
"I mean, yeah, but I'd feel bad putting her through more work than she already does." The two girls trotted down the stairs when Huvanni suddenly stopped in her tracks. Koza was about to ask her what was the matter when she saw what had made her stop.
Fulay, Shio Kan, and Ojin were all seated at the same side of the table- without any food in front of them, all staring towards the staircase. Were they waiting for them?
"Huvanni. Koza. Please have a seat, we have something very important we'd like to discuss." Shio Kan said, a proud and somewhat menacing smile plastered on his face. Huvanni glanced back to Koza, raising an eyebrow. Koza shrugged. The two girls rather gingerly took the empty seats across from Koza's family, the looming presence of the three of them filling Koza with dread.
"Now then. Huvanni, you've adjusted to life in the Fire Nation incredibly well. Though I've known you for only a few days, I can already tell that you are enjoying your time here exceptionally." Shio began.
"Uh, yes, Sir. Ki Lo is quite beautiful. I, um, really do love it here." Huvanni replied, trying to upkeep her persona through her confusion.
"Of course, of course. And, not to mention, Fulay and Uvi have told me of your respect and kindness towards everyone in our house. You've even grown close with Koza, incredibly." They both tensed. "What I'm trying to say is that you have grown fond of us, and we have grown very fond of you. Would you say that's true?"
"...Yes, that is true, Sir." Koza stared at her Father, trying to somehow read his mind. Where was he going with this?
"Well, Huvanni, what if we could give you a way to stay in the Fire Nation?" There was a short pause at this question.
"Pardon? Stay in the Fire Nation?" Huvanni repeated, her eyes widening ever so slightly. "I… don't understand."
"Please, let me explain. I believe this is a truly wonderful opportunity for all parties involved, the chance to have a lifetime of prosperity and happiness." Shio beamed. Both Fulay and Ojin seemed to be itching with glee, which unnerved Koza. "See, my dear boy, Ojin, has spoken nothing but the highest praise for you. He tells me of the educated discussions you have, the little moments you shared together in private. He's incredibly fond of you, Huvanni. In fact, I would even say it's love."
"O-oh yes? How… nice." Huvanni was beginning to sweat now. All the same, Koza felt her heartbeat begin to increase. Shio looked towards Ojin, signifying that it was his turn to speak. Ojin cleared his throat, looking at Huvanni with nervous excitement.
"Huvanni… Ever since you first entered this house, I knew that you were special. There was something about you, your intelligence, your kindness, your beauty… And there's no doubt that there's a connection between us. Huvanni… I want you to be my wife."
"WHAT?!" Koza was the first to react, her eyes bulging. "Your-your wife ? Are you asking to-to marry her?"
"That's exactly what I'm asking," Ojin said, eyeing her with smug victory. "Think about it, Koza, it'll bring nothing but benefits to everyone! I love Huvanni like no other, and I know she feels the same. So we marry and get to spend the rest of our lives together as a family. Huvanni gets to stay in the Fire Nation, which she just said that she loves. Plus, we'd be combining two wealthy families of Fire and Earth. We could form one of the most powerful connections anyone has ever seen! There's absolutely no downside to any of this!"
"Not to mention, you get to become sisters-in-law with your best friend. Isn't that just lovely, Koza?" Fulay smiled, her fake lovey tone making its first reappearance after last night.
"Ojin told us of his idea last night, and I must say I personally could not have picked anyone better to marry my son," Shio said, puffing his chest out. "You're a wonderful young lady, Huvanni, and we'd love nothing more than to add you to our family." Huvanni was positively horror-struck, sitting in paralyzed fear as Shio, Fulay, and Ojin all stared at her with expectant glee.
"So? What do you say?"