Yep, here's another. Enjoy.
Haha, thanks for reading!
Healed and Hunted
Holding Me Back
Chapter Fourteen
The Study
Kat
Admittedly, she was avoiding human contact. She was sitting in the large, cushioned chair, sipping tea out of a white cup. The steam curled around the book she was reading. Her feet were tucked underneath her. Kat wasn't really interested in the book. She kept seeing the scarred face with a smile.
It wasn't a scary smile, or even a sarcastic one.
He was laughing. A real laugh, a real smile. It was heart-breakingly beautiful. And she meant it. It broke her heart to see him smile. His mouth turned upward, his eyes closed for the most part. His eyes were so sad.
But she wasn't going to delve in.
She couldn't afford to. Her family was her priority, and she couldn't get distracted. That's what this man was going to be, if she let him.
Her phone buzzed. She wasn't going to answer it. No, the only person with her number that was not somewhere around the house was the one person she had decided to forget. She ignored it and tried to throw herself back into the book. What was she reading again?
The door clicked open, and a bald head popped through. She kept her fingers over her mouth, hoping to hide her expression. But, like so many things, it didn't work for long.
Aang reached for her phone, and she made a point not to reach for it and snatch it back.
"He says he had a really nice time last night, and wanted to know if you were free the day after tomorrow," Aang said, sliding her phone back down to close it. Kat's gaze flicked from the numerous words on the page to Aang's inquisitive face. She pretended to be busy reading. She had read this paragraph three times and still did not know what was being said.
"We're going out for the weekend then, aren't we? So, it doesn't matter." Kat blinked and kept reading. Gah, she was tired. She shut the book. Her head rested on her hand, elbow on the arm of the chair.
Aang mirrored her position. "Seeing someone won't tear you away, you know. This is your vacation, too."
She considered it for a moment. And then guilt and shame forced her to break eye contact. It had been one date. She didn't trust this man, and here she was considering going again. Hadn't she already said no?
"Kat, I know you don't want Jet to happen again." Aang's voice was solemn. He had a way of sounding exactly his age, or perhaps even older. Wise and patient.
"He isn't like Jet." This she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt. Once she had been innocent and stupid. Jet had fixed that, and she had perfected what she could in the time after.
"What's holding you back, then?" His eyes connected with her, and she still felt awful. She looked back to the book she had been reading. Well, trying to.
She took a sip of tea to buy a few moments. She started to lie, but Aang would have none of it. So she took a breath to steady herself. "I've been wrong before."
She hated how her voice wobbled. What the hell was her problem? She wanted to harden herself to whatever this was. She didn't want it. She didn't need it.
"Hey, look at me." He grabbed her face. "You don't have to be alone. And you don't have to be with anyone. Do you like this guy?"
Kat slapped his hands away. "It was one date."
"It could be another," Aang said with a smile. He dropped her phone in her lap as he walked off.
Holiday Inn
Lee
She never waited this long to answer. He had sent the message at one this afternoon, and it was now seven. He was stewing impatiently. Lee had checked the send box several times. The message had certainly gone through.
He was about to resend when he realized what she was doing. She was playing the same game he played with all the other girls. She was trying to tell him she wasn't available at all hours.
So he threw the phone down and refused to even look at it. So much for thinking it had been a good date. He had done everything right. Hadn't tried anything weird, hadn't made any inappropriate jokes. He had laughed almost as much as she.
But she was letting him stew!
His phone chose then to vibrate. And he wasn't going to answer. Nope, he was going to ignore her and get back at her. But he was having a hard time seeing her name on the screen and not reaching for the device.
He held himself back. That lasted for nearly thirty minutes.
She apologized for taking so long to answer. She was debating going again. She had a family event at seven o' clock that night, but she was free any time before that. As long as they could be finished before then, she would be there.
He then apologized, too, for taking a while to answer. He thanked her for answering, and for agreeing to another date. He told her where they were going, and she replied quickly. She seemed interested in the area, so he told her what was going on. He offered to pick her up, which she declined.
He asked her what the hold up was.
Always need a getaway car, she said.
And Lee understood the feeling. This date would be less talking and more activity. He had seen her fight a few times in the ring, but this was a different setting. Paintball was a little less about natural abilities and more about strategy.
And this time they would be a team.
The Paintball Equipment Store
Kat
It was all a little much, but Lee seemed to know what he was doing. He led her around the wheels of clothing and helped her pick out a vest that fit her. He was being gentle with his prodding, making sure to keep his hands in the appropriate places. He let her buckle the vest herself.
"How's that?" he asked, looking her over. She was wearing the fatigues he had picked out for her. Kat was surprised at his ability to discern her size so accurately.
She grinned at him. "Fits like a glove."
"Good. Now we just need a helmet."And he motioned with his hand. So she followed, a little apprehensive.
She blinked when she saw all the gaudy pink helmets. Lee glanced back and let out a sigh.
"What?" Kat sighed.
Lee's lips lifted up."I'm glad you don't like pink. It isn't your color."
Odd to mention. But, Kat thought, he was right. Pink was all wrong for her. So she smiled when he held out two choices, white with black lines, or blue with black and white patterns. She took the blue. This seemed to please Lee.
"Ready?" he asked.
"Uhm, Lee, what about you?" she asked, realizing he was wearing the same clothes he had been when they walked in.
"Mine are waiting in the locker room. Once you're settled, I'll go change." He started walking to the register. Kat lifted her wallet from her pocket and moved to pay for the clothes.
Lee grabbed her wrist before the wallet made it above the counter..
"What now?" she sighed.
Lee rolled his eyes. "This is on me. I didn't bring you out here for that."
She narrowed her eyes for a moment. She didn't like owing anyone favors. But Lee paid before she could object. She pretended not to notice the black credit card he swiped. He told her to wait here, that he would return as soon as he was finished.
He came out in the almost-military garb. It looked like a uniform to Kat. And it looked really, really nice on him. She coughed and looked away.
"My my, miss Kat, I think you're blushing," Lee teased.
So she laughed. "No, these clothes are hot is all."
"Alright, alright. Let's go. Next round's about to start." He paused for a moment, and reached into his pocket. He handed her the I-band she had taken off earlier. She hated that red band. The Iroh-band. The Identification-band. The Inheritor-band.
He slipped his own on and went ahead of her. She followed, slightly put off with the production of her band. She sighed, though, and decided not to let her day be ruined.
"Alright, here's the gun. It's all loaded." He let her hold the smaller of the guns. It looked like a sniper rifle to her.
"It's going to hurt," she said blankly. She knew how to read a gun. And, though these were not entirely dangerous guns, they were simple enough.
"Not if you don't get shot," Lee laughed. He pulled her helmet on and tapped on the plexi-glass. He fixed his own and opened the doors. The sound of shots made her jump.
Behind the Hay Bale
Lee
She seemed unnaturally comfortable holding a gun. He couldn't help but feel this wasn't her first time. Yet, as she asked him about the rules, he simply laughed. There are no rules. You shoot and get shot. You have an hour to do so.
She nodded. "Alright. So, how do you win?"
"You don't get shot. It's simple." He shrugged.
Her head jerked sharply and her back pressed against the hay. He was about to ask what, but she put a hand over his mouth. Her fingers were long and slim, cool to the touch. She held a finger over her own mouth. He nodded in understanding. Then she took him by the hand and led him around.
She raised the gun to point in the direction opposite the sun. Indeed, there was a head peeping up over the wall of hay.
"I'll go left," Lee whispered. She gave him a grin that chilled his blood. Oh, how crazy he would go if she kept smiling like that. Her visor seemed to make her eyes dark.
She took off to the right, and he went around the corner. He was pegged twice before he could locate the shooter. The man who had been shooting, just as Lee spotted him, fell backward from two shots to the head. Had the man not been wearing a helmet, there would have been a spot on his forehead and paint in his eye.
Lee traced the paint's trajectory- feeling a little silly- and found Kat. She looked at him again and waved, giving him the thumbs up.
He took a shot behind her, protecting her from getting hit on her back. The shot from the other man went awry and landed next to Kat's hand. Her arm jumped up and she moved backwards so quickly that Lee thought she had fallen. But she rolled onto her feet and pressed her back protectively against the wall. Amazing reflexes.
But something was a little wrong. The way she moved was tense, and Lee wasn't sure she was having a good time. He made his way to her, and they sat together. Lee was careful not to touch her.
"Are you alright?" he wondered. No one had bothered to stick their head back over the wall. They were surely gathering together trying to find a way around to get Kat.
She laughed nervously. "It just feels... ah... like one of my dad's routines. He had us practice like this."
Lee nudged her. "We can quit any time. Best to do it while you're ahead. Think you knocked one guy over."
"Did he get hurt?" she wondered, head turning to where the man had been.
Lee shrugged. "I think he'll be fine. It's a little embarrassing, to be hit like that by a girl. Good shot, by the way."
She looked at him. He could see her lips set into a straight line. "I missed the second shot. I wasn't prepared for his head to move."
"Easy there, killer. I'm sure he thinks they were both on purpose," he laughed. They shared a giggle, but decided to move.
It was fun following her around, watching her take people down with practiced ease. Between targets she told him of what kind of training she had undergone until her mother had died. Then, she said, things had changed when they left. When he asked what she meant, she said she didn't want to talk about it yet.
Cause for concern, perhaps. A darker past, perhaps? Excellent. Then she wouldn't hold his against him. She would be willing to overlook it, perhaps.
When their hour was up, Kat had only taken two shots to the bottom of her boot. (She had literally kicked the paint.) Lee was more paint than camouflage, having tried to protect her most of the day. Her hair looked crazy when she took the helmet off. And Lee tried not to laugh at her.
When everyone else came in through the door Kat was still trying to fix her wild locks. She decided on tying it up. A few men stopped in their tracks and stared. Lee was content to watch how she handled the situation.
One young man tapped on her shoulder, and she jolted around. She smiled, trying to be polite.
"Yes?" Kat blinked. Lee thought she looked so innocent and young. A very small part of him felt guilty for planning to change all of that.
The man, who had seemed so confident a moment ago, was now a little shy. He just smiled and cleared his throat. Kat waited patiently.
"That... was some sharp shooting. Out there." He pointed.
Kat curtsied. "Thanks."
"You pegged me in the face, twice." He held up his helmet. "And who knows how many more."
Her eyes went wide. "Oh my God, I'm sorry! You didn't... get hurt, right?"
"Just a little, but you could make it up to me." Lee had used this line before.
Kat surprised him. "I'm actually here with someone."
She bounded over to him and grabbed his arm, dragging him as quickly as she could. Lee didn't have to glance back to see the jealous and envious glares. He simply smiled and looked down at her, feeling free to put his arm around her.
This was going to be easier than he thought.
The Living Room
Sokka
His sister was hiding her smile beneath a hand. He could tell. It was hard for Kat to hide herself. So, for a while, Sokka didn't say anything. But when it was time to go and it was only them in the house, Sokka leaned over.
"Fun date?"
She forced her facial muscles to still. "Yeah, sure."
"You're still smiling," he noted.
Kat waited a few more seconds before trying to answer, "I think I'm allowed to smile."
"Is he a good guy?" Sokka asked, handing her the last bag. He wasn't even sure what was in it, to be honest. It was kind of heavy. It belonged to Aang.
His sister looked at him and grinned. "No. But I think he was, once. Might be again in the future, for the right reasons."
"Are you planning on being these reasons?" They were walking out the door. He turned to lock his home and knew his sister would be waiting.
Kat leaned on his shoulder and kissed his cheek. "No, I don't think I'm what he's looking for. But maybe I'll be around to watch him find it."
The way she said it sounded like she was planning to witness a miracle. He had heard her talk like that before, when they met Aang. To hear it again made him wonder what the man was like to have inspired his sister so.
"When do the rest of us get to meet him? All Kyoshi will say is he's a very nice man. And he has a scar. Oh, and wears lady pants." The rest of their family was headed up the ladder. Appa was growling happily, once again getting to head out to the open sky.
"When I decide there's a point. To the sky." Kat held her arm to the sky and laughed.
Sokka nodded and climbed up after his sister.
Three hours in the sky and plenty of conversations to distract her later, she was still smiling.
Sokka hoped he got to meet this man soon. This wasn't like Kat at all.
This woman was looking forward.
This woman was keeping the past where it belonged.
This woman deserved to smile.