In the World

Sin: SongxJin

She had collapsed in the road alone, hungry, and exhausted. The sun beat down on her dusty back until she hallucinated about a mother and daughter standing over her.

She thought she heard the woman say, "Last time we took someone in he betrayed us."

But the imaginary girl said, "I won't let her die all alone out here."

Then Jin let her eyes close completely.

Song and her mother carried Jin between them, dragging her feet in the ground. She slept for nearly two days when they put her to bed. Song feared she would die of dehydration.

But she woke up, voice all crackly, and begged for water, which Song was happy to supply. She explained her escape from Ba Sing Se after it had been captured. Her family had been caught, but she ran for days to make her getaway from the Fire Nation soldiers.

She was all alone now. Except for the pretty nurse that always kept watch for her.

Song stayed near her without ever coming too close. They did not touch, except at the beginning when Jin couldn't walk alone. They never shared the occasional longing glance because Song was too busy cooking or cleaning or helping some other refugee. Jin thought once that as Song fluffed her pillows they would kiss. But they didn't and Jin berated herself for cowardice.

Jin stayed awake at night later than the rest of the people in the house. She sat on the porch; stargazing and dreaming until it was hard to remember that Ba Sing Se was gone.

On the coldest night, Song approached her silently with a blanket, surprising Jin greatly.

She spoke softly, "I would hate to see my favorite patient get sick."

"I'm your favorite? Well, that's good," smiled Jin. "You're my favorite."

Song folded her legs to sit next to her. Jin noticed that she came closer than usual.

"I don't think I'm anyone's favorite anything," said Song.

Jin stopped smiling as she looked directly at the other girl.

"You're my favorite person in the world. Don't ever doubt that."

Song bowed her head for a moment before she walked inside as Jin cursed herself for being so forward.

They did not speak for two days, never meeting the other's eye or making small talk.

After a long day of work, Jin lay on her bed looking at the wooden ceiling. She heard the door open and watched Song enter like a ghost.

Song laid next to her, pressed against her body, and whispered into her ear, "You're my favorite person in the whole world. And I don't doubt it anymore."

She pressed her head down against Jin's shoulder, hiding her blushing face.

Jin lightly touched her head her and whispered back, "Then everything's perfect."

xxxxx

A/N: Yay for background character love.