Author's note: Someone commented on the rating of this story. I have rated it M because there will be explicit sexual content in later chapters. And for now it's just to be sure that I'm covered for any language or violence. So thankyou for pointing that out :) And thankyou to everyone who is reading this.
"We lie beneath the stars at night
Our hands gripping eachother tight.
You keep my secrets; hope to die
Promise to swear them to the sky."
- The Naked and Famous
When I said we'd almost reached an Earth Kingdom village, I was mistaken. We're in a town. And from the looks of it, a very rich town. I doubt either one of us will blend in with our dirty, slightly torn clothing for long. We make our way along the cobblestone walkway through the town shops. I'm delighted to see a range of colorful and interesting trinkets and jewelry and people. I'd like to slow down, to peruse and mingle, but I doubt Chen would be happy about that. Boys just don't like to shop. Except for Sokka. Sokka likes to shop. And besides, I need to send a letter to Aang as soon as possible.
The postal service building is a loud place, full of squawking hawks of all sizes. I'm tempted to cover my ears when I notice that Chen is striding through the place, seemingly unaware of all the noise around him. Well, if he can stand the bird screeches then so can I. I cringe when one of the creatures soars past my right ear, squealing as it does.
Aang and I agreed a long time ago that going about message sending between our group members would require code names. So he became Kavi and I became Amala. Although we haven't had to send eachother letters until now because we've never been separated before. But I'm sure he'll remember the names. It was his idea, anyway.
I lean over the writing station with a long quill in hand and a roll of parchment in the other. Chen is three people away from me, writing his own letters. Writing to his family of crusaders, probably, to tell them that we're on our way. I press the ink against the paper, "Kavi," I write, "I can't believe so much time has passed since I last saw your face. I've been well and I hope you have, too. I've been doing a lot of traveling lately and should be in the Capitol City soon. I can't wait to see your new home there. Would you be so kind as to meet me just outside of the city four days from the time that you receive my letter? I hope this is enough notice for you. See you soon. All my love, Amala."
There. Sounds fancy enough. No Fire Nation officer would intercept this and be smart enough to figure out that it's written from me to the Avatar. No way. I roll the letter up and take it over to the man standing behind the main counter. He motions to the four birds beside him, perched on top of a wooden rail. They all squawk as I come closer. All of them but one.
So I tuck my letter into the quiet bird's canister, whisper to him what Aang looks like and where he'll most likely be, and then the bird takes off through the open window near the ceiling. I'll never understand how these birds got to be so smart and skilled, but I am grateful. Ba Sing Se is way too big for me to go searching for Aang in every house. And I'd most likely wind up in a lot of trouble if I did that. I'll stick to the messenger hawks.
I meet Chen just out front of the building. I notice that he is standing very straight and still, like he's ready and on the defensive. If there's one thing I've learned about Chen during our time together, it's how he looks right before he's about to attack. I look around the street in front of us, filled with merchants and shoppers and children. Nothing looks out of the ordinary to me. "Chen…?"
"See those men over there?" His eyes barely flick to the left and I follow his gaze. Two men are sitting at a small table in front of the shop across the street. One of them has a piercing in his lip and the other has huge arm muscles that make his head look tiny in comparison. Both of them have shifty eyes, searching the streets for who knows what. They do not look friendly.
I nod, "I see them. Who are they?"
"They're from the Fire Nation. You need to change. Right now. Just trust me." He takes my hand calmly and leads us down the walkway, away from the men.
But I'm not so calm. "Who are they? Do they work for General Zhao? Chen!"
"Sh!" He scolds, shoving us into the nearest shop door. When I turn around, I am greeted by an array of glittery and sparkly green dresses. They're gorgeous, and unlike anything I've ever seen worn in either of the Water Tribes. "Pick one and let's get out of here." Chen tells me.
I frown. "But… I don't have any money."
"I do." He says and disappears to the men's side of the store to find something for himself.
Well, then. I scour the rows of dresses, searching for one that could be considered atleast somewhat modest. Glitter and sparkles are nice, but I'm going for a more low-key-don't-stand-out kind of vibe. I finally come to an outfit that seems reasonable enough. It's a pretty green color with dark green trimmings along the edges and gold flowers. I grab it and rush into the dressing room. I slip the dress around my body. It wraps around one shoulder and ties like a sarong, flowing loosely around my knees. I like it.
When I reemerge, Chen is already waiting for me. He's leaning against one of the racks, wearing a dark green outfit. He looks up at me and nods his approval at my outfit. I hand him my folded up shirt and leggings and he stuffs them into his drawstring, which looks big and puffy now. I could use a new bag.
Chen pays for our stuff and we head back outside. "Thanks for the dress." I smile, smoothing my hands over the silky fabric. He simply shrugs in response.
The sun is starting to get very low in the sky. We probably have an hour or two to make it back to camp before it gets dark.
The crowd of people has dispersed now and I can hear loud music playing from the next block over. "We should get food." Chen offers.
"Sure." I nod, following behind him along the walkway.
He stops abruptly underneath a shop awning, spins around on his heels, and grabs my shoulders. "Other way! Go!"
My eyes widen in surprise, but I recognize his look immediately. And I'm certain that we almost just ran into the same two men from before. I follow Chen's instruction and turn around, headed back down the long walkway. We walk as swiftly as possible without bringing too much attention to ourselves. Chen's hand is on my back the entire time we're moving, pressing me forward.
After we round the corner, we run find ourselves in the middle of a huge crowd. This must be where everyone had disappeared to. Atleast we can blend in here. There are tons of people, young and old, dancing along the cobblestone street and sidewalks. Lanterns are hanging from shop awnings and strung on wire, lighting the entire block. Music is playing from somewhere in the distance; beautiful, upbeat music that has me itching to join in the festivities.
My eyes light up instantly. The entire party looks colorful and amazing. I have no idea what these people are celebrating, but all I know is that I want to celebrate with them.
As if he'd read my mind, a tall man dressed in green robes turns to me. He sees my fascinated stare and grins, "Are you here for the festival?"
"Yes." I smile, grabbing hold of Chen's forearm. "Yes, we are."
Chen pulls out of my grip. "No way… no way. I don't dance." He folds his arms over his chest.
"Never?" I reach out and shake him by the shoulder. "Lighten up, Chen."
I dart away from him with a teasing grin. He starts to protest, but shuts his mouth when he sees that I'm out of arms reach. I duck into the throng of people and twirl around to the music. I haven't danced much before, but I really enjoy it. The song changes and so does the crowd. Everyone around seems to be familiar with the music and the dances that accompany them. I must look out of place; bouncing and spinning around. But I don't care. It's nice to feel this free.
I whirl around again and my hair falls freely around my face. I catch a glimpse of Chen, still standing in the spot I'd left him with a look that I can't quite place. Something between a pout and a scowl. I dance my way over to him and he raises an eyebrow in warning for me not to try again.
I stop in front of him and spin in a slow circle, one arm reaching above my head, and the other held out in front of me, twirling my wrist along with my movement. My twirls are loosely coordinated with the beat of the music, but that doesn't bother me. "C'mon, Chen!" I call, beckoning to him with my fingers in a come-hither motion.
The man who'd first asked if we were joining the festival speaks up again. "Hey, get out there and dance with her!" He jeers at Chen, following the command with a loud laugh.
Chen groans loudly, but eventually gives in. He steps forward, with his hands held in front of him in a slumped sort of way. He scowls when I grab onto him and pull him into the swaying crowd.
I'm surprised when Chen takes my waist and pulls me into a dancer's embrace. He lifts my arm above my head and spins me once around in a full circle. My hand comes down on his shoulder and I giggle. "So you do dance?"
A wide smirk spreads across his face and his golden eyes light up before he takes a firm hold of my right hand and pushes us apart. He flicks his wrist and I follow his lead, spinning around until I'm in his arms once again, with my back against his chest. He grins again before leaning over me, dipping me beneath him. His black hair shines underneath the glow of the lanterns. He glances down at my lips and I feel my body temperature climb quickly. Golden eyes meet blue and I can sense myself becoming flustered again, just as I had the night before.
As quickly as the opportunity had presented itself, it vanishes when Chen pulls me upright again. And then we're dancing; jumping and twirling and laughing and spinning. Our movements are free and unplanned. I can't remember the last time that I had so much fun. A dizzying feeling takes over and I hold Chen tighter to keep balance, but we don't dare stop moving. After so many days, years really, of hardship and fighting and war, it's nice to have an escape. And it's even nicer to have someone to share it with.
The dark night's sky is what finally breaks Chen and me out of our dancing frenzy. When I finally become aware of our surroundings, I can see that the festival is still in full swing. I'm disappointed to leave, but we need to get food before the shops close and head back to make camp before it gets too late.
Chen gets a small bag of groceries from the nearest shop and we head into the woods. The air between us is alive and buzzing as we make our way through the trees. We walk quietly, glancing back every few seconds to make sure that we weren't followed.
The moon lights a path for us to walk along. We finally come to a silent agreement that we've put the village far enough behind us when we step into a small clearing. The grass covering the earth looks soft and comfortable. Moonlight is filtered in through the branches of the trees that hang above.
Wordlessly, Chen and I start to unpack here. He sets our bag of supplies on a nearby rock and shuffles through it before pulling out various food items. He divides up portions of biscuits and fruit and roasted duck.
I take a seat across from him in the grass and sigh contently as I eat my dinner. The Earth Kingdom has really great food.
With our bellies full, Chen and I lie down in the grass beside eachother. The air is warm and still. The dizzying feeling that I'd gotten from dancing starts to creep its way into my mind, but I push it back down. There's less than a foot of space between my arm and Chen's and I can feel his body heat. The combination of dancing and food has left me feeling drowsy. Chen shifts so that his arms are tucked beneath his head and we both stare up at the starry sky.
"Hey, Chen… how come you left home?" I ask.
He settles into the grass more comfortably. "My father and I didn't get along very well."
I feel my chest tighten and the words slip out of my mouth before I can stop them, "Is that who gave you your scar?" Rude, Katara. Rude. Rude. Rude. I shake my head. "Sorry, don't answer that. I shouldn't have asked."
"It's fine." He shrugs. "Yeah, my father gave it to me."
"Oh." That sounds awful. I couldn't imagine my dad doing anything to hurt me or my brother. What kind of father could?
Chen shrugs. "Now I get to ask you something."
I bite my lip. "Alright, fair enough."
"Why do you help the Avatar, I mean, Aang?"
Well that's an easy question. "Because he's my best friend."
Chen frowns, unsatisfied with my response.
"Oh, you mean, like, why did I leave home and risk my life every day type thing? Well…because I knew that I was supposed to. The Fire Nation killed my mother, and my father died after years of battle. I want this war to end and I know that Aang is the only person who can restore balance to the world. It's well worth the risk. I have to protect him." It seems silly to explain this out loud. And I'm not one to open up to people.
"I'm sorry. About your parents." Chen says quietly.
I reach up and clasp my mother's necklace between my fingers. I may have gotten used to them being gone, but it's never going to stop hurting. "It's alright." I whisper, swallowing the lump that had started to form in my throat. "So where did you learn how to dance?" I tease him, trying to lighten the mood.
"Just something I picked up." He smirks.
"Uh huh. Right." I roll my eyes and shove his arm playfully.
"So… other than last week, what kind of run-ins have you had with the Fire Nation?"
"Not many." I think of the few times that Aang and I had been attacked on our trip to the North Pole to learn waterbending. Although the trip back was a lot more entertaining because we were both so much more skilled. Those officers didn't stand a chance. "Nothing quite as fun as Pohuai Stronghold."
Chen chuckles in response. There's a raspy quality to his voice that I've come to admire. He slips his hand into mine, instantly warming it. I feel a brush creep up along the back of my neck and spread to my cheeks. My heart is hammering in my chest and I hope that Chen can't hear it.
He leans over to face me and props himself up on his elbow. There's a sarcastic glint in his golden eyes and a smirk spread across his lips. "You know, Katara… I'm actually kind of glad that I rescued you from that fortress."
"Me too." I scowl at him, but I heard the underlying truth in his voice. His face softens and he looks down at me with scrutiny, like he's trying to make a big decision. I watch the steady rise and fall of his chest. Whatever argument he'd been trying to solve in his head is quickly resolved when he leans forward and presses his hot lips against mine.
My head starts to spin and it feels like we're dancing again. I wind my left arm around Chen's neck to steady myself and pull him closer to me. His tongue meets mine and a surge of electricity courses down from my lips to my toes, igniting every cell in my body. Is it me who's spinning, or everything around us? I inhale deeply, taking in Chen's sort of smoky, woodsy scent. He slides his hand up my leg and thigh, sending tingles up my spine. His lips are soft and hot and he kisses me slowly, like he's trying to resist. His tongue lightly brushes against my bottom lip and I shudder beneath him. I can't focus on anything but Chen's lips and tongue and his hands on my waist and how tightly he's holding me and how good it all feels. I've been kissed before, but never like this. Chen overwhelms my senses.
We roll around in the soft grass for hours, kissing way past the point of my lips swelling. When the need for sleep takes over and we're finally spent, I curl up into Chen's chest. After a moment, his arm wraps around me. I can't believe how content I feel. It takes only seconds for me to fall asleep in Chen's warm embrace.