They let her stay. It's a gesture of kindness Hana wasn't expecting, but she's grateful for it all the same. It makes her life a little easier. The Avatar's healing has its limitations, and her ribs are still broken. The bruises and lacerations on the skin are gone at least, but there's no way she could have managed five feet from the arena had these three strangers sent her out.
Korra helps her wrap her midsection in tight bandages to help ease the pain of the ribs. Her bedside manner is as cold as ever but Hana doesn't expect that to change for some time. She keeps her mouth closed and tries to show her appreciation with as little conversation as possible.
Korra leaves somewhere in the middle of the night. Mako and Bolin disperse to their beds as well. She is left alone.
Hana has been alone before. In fact, she's been alone practically her whole life. But this time it's different. She watches the stars through the high gaping windows over her head and swallows back the feeling. The shaking, terrifying feeling of being swallowed up in the sea. She's uncomfortable. The pain in her ribs is unrelenting. And the sheer discomfort of being in a place where she's not exactly welcome doesn't help ease her mind. Sleep is turbulent when she finally finds it.
Her dreams are full of her fellow Equalists. They break into her new allies' house and find her. Amon tears her limb from limb for her treachery. She wakes up with a sharp gasp and bolts upright. She's a half a second away from screaming her lungs out when the pain in her side stifles her. With practiced discipline she eases her breath and falls back into the couch. No one stirs. The room is silent. Again, she is reminded of how alone she really is. Sleep takes her in harsh, jagged waves once more. This time, she bobs in the angry ocean until morning.
When she wakes up, she smells food. The stab of hunger is so immediate it almost hurts. Her eyes flicker open. There's music coming from a radio behind her. But that's not nearly as surprising at the pair of gold eyes blinking an inch away from her face. She startles.
"Oh!"
The fire ferret's ears perk up a bit and it wiggles its way off her chest and to the floor. She stares at it incredulously as it scurries over the threshold of the room and toward the source of the music. It finds a pair of sturdy legs and scales the owner of them like a tree before coming to rest on the shoulder. Bolin turns with a sheepish grin.
"Hey," he greets her, "I see you've met Pabu."
"Pabu," she tests the name out on a sandpaper tongue.
She swings her legs off the edge of the couch and clutches at her ribs. The wince she tries to conceal draws harsh lines on her fair face. Shock white hair falls over her lean shoulder and tickles at her temple. The rest spills down her back as her chin tucks and she releases a silent hiss through her pink lips. She expected her injuries to feel better this morning. They don't.
Bolin's face opens up in surprise and he sets down the bowl of something he's been stirring for the last ten minutes, trying to get it to thicken. Pabu switches to his other shoulder as he moves towards Hana on the couch and the crouches beside her.
"Mako said you'd probably be in a little more pain when you woke up," he tries to empathize, "He's broken a few ribs before."
She glances down at him from underneath her fair lashes. The sunlight streaming through the windows colors his healthy, ruddy cheeks. His eyes light up like jewels as he watches her with his brow knit with concern. She wonders what she's done to deserve his kindness or his compassion. She gives him a smile, as if that'll lessen her debt to him.
"Nothing I can't handle," she breathes the words out one by one, releasing the pain as she does so. Once it becomes manageable, she gestures to the fire ferret cocking its head at her from Bolin's shoulder. "Nice to meet you, Pabu."
Bolin grins. He reaches up to grab the animal under the arms and holds him out to her like a beaming father might hold out his newborn.
"Meet the Fire Ferret's trusty mascot!"
Hana chuckles. He makes the animal wave a tiny paw at her and she finds herself giggling. It's so strange how outside this apartment, Republic City is brewing with hate and shadows and a storm on the wings. But in here she can't feel any of that. Bolin smiles like there's nothing wrong with the world, like there's never been anything wrong. It's a refreshing change of pace for her. A comfort. Something she can hold onto.
"He's very cute," she nods.
Bolin's smile widens. He holds Pabu out a little farther and the ferret responds by giving Hana a soft lick on the nose.
"He likes you," he says approvingly.
"The feeling's mutual," she laughs.
He places the ferret back on the ground and it scurries around him before hopping up on the table where the radio is. Hana uses the arm on her good side to run a hand through her hair. Bolin stands after a moment of prolonged eye-contact that makes her insides feel like they might float away, and he runs a hand through his own hair.
"Are you hungry?" he asks.
"A little," she admits.
His smile returns and he bends at the waist, extending a hand to her.
"Then allow me to accompany you to the kitchen, m'lady," he offers.
She finds herself laughing again and gives him the hand on her good side. Their palms slide easily together. She hadn't noticed the night before how much he dwarfs her. Her delicate palm all but disappears in his stronger, sturdier hand. She's thankful for his steadiness too because as soon as she stands, she finds her knees weak. He anticipates this, and gets a hold on her waist too. She leans against him and he supports her as they make their way to the kitchen. Hana squints in the sunlight. It's much too bright to be early morning. Bolin sits her down in a chair once they get to the kitchen and she rubs at her eyes.
"What time is it?"
Bolin busies himself with a few cluttered bowls around the counter, "A little after four, why?"
Her pale blue eyes widen.
"Four?"
The day is gone. And that means it's been a day since she's checked in with the Equalists. Being away makes her uneasy. So many things could go wrong. Each day she stays away is a risk. Bolin turns with two bowls, one in each wide palm.
"Yeah, I didn't want to wake you. You seemed like you needed the rest," he says apologetically.
Hana shakes her head quickly, "No, you're right. Thank you. I just…I'm just…disoriented. I don't mean to overstay my welcome."
Bolin laughs and sets a bowl down in front of her. What ever it is, she doesn't care. It's warm and it smells wonderful. She's not shy about shoveling a spoonful in her mouth. It runs down her throat and warms her from the inside out.
"Don't worry about it! You can stay here as long as you need until that rib gets healed up. It's just me and Mako anyway, it's not like we can take up this much space ourselves. Besides, we're allies! We gotta stick together, right?" he raises his bowl as if to cheers it and she smiles.
The smile fades as she burrows her spoon in for a third round. She pushes the substance around a bit and frowns.
"The Avatar doesn't see it that way," she murmurs.
"Korra?" he asks through a mouthful of food. He has the grace to swallow before he continues, "I wouldn't get too worked up about it. She'll warm up to you."
"She doesn't trust me," Hana says. Not like you, she finishes the thought in her head.
"She'll come around. Korra has a lot on her plate, believe me," he chews through his words.
Pabu circles around and comes to sit on the edge of the table. Bolin rewards him with a small bite before he continues.
"I think the whole Amon thing has her freaked too. And the city is putting a lot of pressure on her. I talked to her today and one of the council members is trying to get her to head his task force." He rolls his eyes and takes another monumental bite.
Hana chews on her own and swallows before attempting the phrase.
"Task force?"
Bolin wrinkles his nose. It seems he's forgotten he's sitting across the table from a member of the Arai society and not just a pretty girl. He nods and sets down his spoon.
"I don't know much about it. Only that they want to take down the Equalists and they want Korra on their side."
Hana rubs at her temples. Her appetite is gone. Her body sinks back against the chair and she ignores the twinge in her ribs. There is a long beat of silence. She can feel Bolin's eyes. Even Pabu's. They're watching her, waiting for her reaction. The problem is, she isn't sure what it should be. Part of her wants to cry, another to scream, another to keep running until her legs give out. But none of these are plausible. There is only one answer to meet news like this.
"I have to go back," she whispers.
Bolin stiffens in his seat.
"To the Equalists?"
Hana nods. Her hair comes around to frame her thin face.
"Not yet," he surprises her by speaking so adamantly. The enduring smile is gone and replaced by seriousness, "Not until your ribs are healed."
"What?" she asks. She can't help herself. She blinks at him.
He looks sheepish again but he doesn't relent.
"Stay with us until you're healed, at least. You can't go back there like this. Especially with the task force –if they find you and you can't get away…you don't know what they'll do to you."
He falls silent and Hana continues to blink at him. Her cupid-bowed lips part ever so slightly. She cant find words for a moment.
"Why?" is what she finally settles on.
"Why what?" he asks.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Doing what?" he's genuinely perplexed.
Hana swallows, "Letting me stay here, feeding me…caring about what happens to me."
For some reason, a lump develops in her throat as she says this. Her eyes feel hot. Moisture collects in the corners.
He blinks back at her. As if it's a thought that hasn't occurred to him before. As if trusting her and caring about her was something that just happened. Second nature. This thought tears her inside even more. Now her eyes are definitely filling with tears. He sees it, she's sure. He gives her what she needs the most. A smile.
"I dunno, I guess…I guess because I know what it feels like to not have anyone looking out for you. And I know how it feels to think you're kind of alone in the world. It stinks, big time," he shrugs.
She laughs. It's a weary sound. And it hurts her side. But it warms her soul.
"Besides," he grins, "Pabu likes you. And he's an excellent judge of character."
She laughs again and wipes at her eyes, a little embarrassed but certainly cleansed. When her hand falls to the table he grabs it.
"So you'll stay?" he asks. His eyes flicker with the eagerness of a child.
She sniffs and nods, "Just until my ribs are healed."
He squeezes her hand. The warmth in her stomach blossoms and reaches her cheeks.
Bolin opens his mouth to say something else when the front door bursts open and Mako strolls in with a sweeping display of his arms.
"Bolin! You'll never believe what happened to me today!"
"In here!" Bolin calls.
The two release each other's hands simultaneously as Mako enters the kitchen. He glances at Hana for a moment, as though just remembering who she was and why she was in his home. His eyes are not nearly as cold as Korra's had been. He's not warmed up to her yet, but he won't be as hard to win over as the Avatar.
"So?" Bolin prompts him.
Mako leans against the doorframe and smirks.
"Well –on my way back from work I got hit by a moped."
Bolin's eyes widen. Hana mimics him.
"That's supposed to be a good thing? Are you hurt? We have practice!"
Mako waves him off.
"I'm fine. But it just so happens that the girl who ran me over is Asami Sato."
"Sato...as in...Satomobile?" Bolin asks.
"Hiroshi Sato's daughter," Mako sighs, a little dreamily.
"So you got a pity date because she ran you over, am I right? So what?" Bolin goes back to his food.
"I wasn't finished!" Mako snapped, "And it wasn't a pity date."
Bolin smiles innocently. Mako scowls and continues.
"Afterwards she let me meet her father. And he just so happened to agree to sponsor us for the tournament!"
That gets Bolin's attention. Hana smiles a little at their shared enthusiasm.
"Are you kidding? Mako, that's amazing!"
"I know!" his older brother beams, "All we have to do is wear the logo on our uniforms and we're set to play!"
"You hear that? We're going to the big leagues, baby!" Bolin jumps up from his chair, grinning at Hana. He howls in with pure unadulterated joy and Pabu circles around his feet excitedly, a blur of red. Bolin turns back to Hana.
"Hey, if you stick around long enough maybe you'll get to see us play!"
"I'd like that," she smiles.
Then she goes back to her food, her appetite a bit restored by the happiness in the room. She ignores the prickling sensation in the back of her head that tells her to leave this fairytale apartment. That nagging sliver that says 'get out while you can before it becomes too hard to leave.'