The Tale of Kai

Another day had passed and Kai walked home from the market after all his deliveries. He smiled as he clutched the small sack of coins in his pocket. With these and Lily's savings from working in the eatery, they probably had enough to enter the middle ring and go to Ba Sing Se University.

He could already imagine her wide smile when he tells her the news.

But did he really want their journey to end?

He climbed up the rickety steps of their apartment and walked to the end of the hall. As he entered the room, he found her setting up the table with food. She looked up with a smile. "Hey!"

Kai looked over at the table and saw dumplings, fried rice, curry and noodles. "Hey... What's all this?"

Lily giggled as she set down their plates and chopsticks. "Well, I received a huge tip tonight from one of our customers so I kind of wanted to treat you to some good food." They sat down across from one another and sighed as they glanced at the food.

"You didn't have to do this, you know..."

"I know." She smiled and gently nudged the bowl of noodles towards him. "But I never really got to thank you for all the help you've given me, even when you barely knew me. Hell, I barely even know myself!" Lily laughed as she scratched the back of her head.

They talked about their day as they ate, about how Kai saw Mrs. Chu flirting with Mr. Gou; about how one of the cooks chased the pig-chicken through the eatery; about the old and friendly Mr. Mushi from the tea shop.

"Oh right! Remember Mr. Mushi's nephew? The one who got into a fight the other night? He was the one who gave me the huge tip!" Lily gushed as she took the last dumpling and popped it into her mouth. "He was on a date with Jin!"

"Jin? Oh, that girl from the textile shop?"

"Yes!"

Kai shrugged. "Eh, she's okay, I guess."

She pouted at his remark. "Okay?! Kai, she's pretty!"

"You're prettier."

Lily was about to reach for her cup, but stopped midway, a deep blush coloring her cheeks. "I'm not pretty..." She mumbled.

The rest of their dinner passed in awkward silence and this unnerved him. He didn't mean to blurt out those words, but he did mean them.

Lily was the most beautiful girl he had ever met, bar none. Even during that day when he saw her on the shore, her long dark hair tangled and spread like a halo around her pale face, her kimono dirtied with grime and blood. He even thought she was a sea spirit washed ashore back then.

He was broke out of his thoughts as Lily gathered the plates and bowls. "You go and take a rest, Kai. I know you've had a long day."

"Let me help you clean up." He stood up and helped her. Their hands brushed for a brief moment as they reached for the last bowl and they both pulled away, as if they had been shocked with a current. Lily excused herself and took the plates to the sink to wash them.

He must have gone crazy.

He must have lost his mind.

He wrapped his arms around her waist as she stood in front of the sink. Her back was to him and he buried his face at the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply. He pulled her closer to his chest.

"K-Kai?"

He responded by holding her tighter, almost as if he was afraid that she would disappear. "Lily, I like you... more than just a friend." Kai confessed and held his breath, waiting for her response.

She stiffened at his words. She could feel his heartbeat against her, matching her own. "Y-you can't say that... You don't even know w-what I am before... I might have been a killer... or... or a thief... or someone from the Fire Nation..."

"I may not know the 'you' then, but I know the 'you' now..." He spun her around so she was facing him, trapping her by putting his hands on the counter on either side of her. "You're kind, beautiful, smart, talented..." He gazed deep into her amber eyes. "And I like you, whoever you turn out to be, or whoever you choose to be."

She was silent as she stared up at him, biting her bottom lip. He sighed and leaned his forehead against hers. "I know you are worried and scared, and you still don't have all of your memories. But know this..." He whispered in a low voice, his eyes closed tight. "You can stay and be 'Lily'. You have my mother and father... you have Yona and Hachi..." He opened his emerald eyes and held her gaze. "You have me..."

"Kai-"

He cut her off by crashing his lips to hers. He brought his hand to cup her soft cheek while the other moved to the small of her back, pulling her flush against him.

He didn't want to hear her response, because part of him knew that she won't give up her quest to find out who she really is. But there was still a part of him that hoped that she would... that she would forget everything in her past and live in the present. With him.

He felt Lily's hands pushing firmly at his chest and he finally pulled away. He stepped back, his head bowed. "I—I..." His hands were clenched tightly at his sides. "I'm so sorry."

Kai ran away from her, out of their apartment and into the cold streets. He ran so fast, not bothering to look back, not even wondering where he was going. All he knew was he had to get away.

He found himself in front of a brightly lit fountain, the lampposts shining down, making the water appear like diamonds were afloat. It would've been a romantic scene to be in.

'Lily would've loved to see this.'

Amidst the light, he found a girl sitting by the fountain, her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking lightly. Out of curiosity, he approached her. "Are you alright, miss?"

She looked up at him and he recognized her. It was Jin from the textile shop. The exact one they had been talking about over dinner. "No..." She said honestly, wiping the tears from her eyes and cheeks with the back of her hand. "I just kissed a guy and he ran away."

There was silence between them before Kai's laughter filled the air. Jin looked at him like he had gone crazy, and he probably did. "Why are you laughing?"

He sat at the lip of the fountain, beside her, and in between his laughter, he had looked up at the sky. Even the bright stars reminded him of Chiyo. "I kissed a girl and I ran away."

Jin smiled sadly, finding an ounce of humor in their situations. "Men..." She scoffs and laughs bitterly.

They stayed there in comfortable silence. The only sound was that of the gushing water of the fountain or the occasional crickets. They sat there and gazed upon the sky, wondering what the universe wants to throw at them next.