Connect
I sighed, but the whipping wind passing all around me made the sound disappear as soon as I'd let it out. On my back, I looked up at the passing clouds, and then across at Toph and Sokka; she had an arm looped around one of his while a bag of jerky sat between the two of them. They seemed to be animatedly bickering (probably about something unnecessary) but I looked back up at the passing sky; it seemed more interesting at the moment.
It was just another travel day, but it suddenly seemed so heavy; so taxing and boring. To just lie here and do nothing, just feel unnecessarily useless. I sighed again but decided to finally sit up, grunting a little from the effort.
Moving over to the front of the saddle, I looked down to Aang who was, as almost always, at the reigns. Even if it was unintentional, the way his back was slightly slumped and how his arms weren't up to hold the rope, just having his arms rest against his crossed legs, made him seem so fractured. It made me frown.
Standing up, I glanced over to Sokka and Toph and gestured that I was just going to go see Aang. They didn't give any attention to me, they were still too busy stuffing their faces and making sarcastic quips.
Rolling my eyes in reflex, I carefully threw my leg over the saddle and then crawled over to Aang; my hands were tight against the fur in fear of falling to the ocean below. When I finally made it to sit down next to him, he jumped a little in surprise before relaxing and giving a small smile.
I returned it, and found myself a little disappointed that it wasn't as wide as I'd hoped it to have been.
"What's up, Katara?" he asked me as he turned back to the vast area before us.
I opened my mouth, only to find that I really didn't have a solid answer. I opted for, "Not much. You seemed a little lonely up here."
His smile widened, but it seemed more from bitter amusement than happiness. "I'm just a little tired, that's all," he said.
I looked at his carefully controlled face and then to the headband across his forehead; at the gloves and boots that hid his arrows.
But then there was a glimpse. From the wind whipping that small, barely-two inch blue on his neck would show. His collar was high so usually it was hidden but in this flying, it was flapping and revealing the refreshing color.
I felt my lips curve into a smile without thought and I reached out to touch the small sliver of his true nature he was being forced to hide.
He tensed for a moment at my touch before looking over, eyes wide in what I viewed to be confusion and something I couldn't fully identify.
"I know all this hiding and sneaking around must be so hard on you," I say loud enough so the wind won't swallow up my voice; "But it's for the greater good. Believe me."
He nodded mutely. His face was still on the passing ocean and sky and for some reason, and that made my smile seem heavy. Why wasn't he looking at me, like he usually did, when I was talking to him?
Sure, he had run away barely a week ago and seemed quiet, almost detached to the world around. Maybe that small sliver of blue was enough for me to give me hope, but it didn't seem enough for him. So, quickly making up my mind quickly, I reached out again and undid the headband. I made sure to grasp it so it wouldn't fly away before bringing it back with my retracting hand.
His face immediately snapped from the plain view to me, a hand flying up and feeling around his hair, as if to check that I did, indeed, just take his headband. He opened his mouth and I knew he was going to ask why, so I saved him the effort and talked first.
"We're traveling," I said before I shrugged; "You don't need to cover up your arrow all the time, you know."
When he smiled wide, those dimples and teeth flashing, I felt my cheeks feel a little warm. To distract myself, I looked down at the headband and swiftly wrapped it around my wrist a few times before tying it off.
I lifted it to his face and said, "I'll give it back to you when we land, alright?"
"Thanks, Katara," he said as he lifted an arm, asking if it was alright to hug.
My smile felt light again as I leaned forward and agreed to the comforting action. I could hear him sigh from the close proximity and it didn't sound like it was from stress; it sounded like it was from relaxation.
He was, surprisingly, the one to first pull apart after a few long, warm moments of shared heat and camaraderie.
I flashed another smile and stood to leave, but he grabbed my wrist before I even sat up.
I looked across at him with an eyebrow quirked and he stumbled for a few minutes to create any coherent words before he managed to get out, "I actually was a little lonely. Mind keeping me company?"
I blinked in shock for a second before I sat back down.
"Sure; I'd like that," I said and hoped my cheeks wouldn't heat up again.
Aang let go of my wrist, but he kept his fingers close to mine as he leaned back. There was only a few inches of fur between our fingers brushing, and it made me give out a breath of giddy laughter.
AN: I don't know… the thought of that small part of his arrow showing made me start this, and it got a little out of control. Did you guys like? I don't really like writing in first person, so I'm still a little iffy on this. It was a change up in writing though, so that was nice. Review?