the thief and the airbender

stay with me

{for AlphaWolfMegan}

[au - Jinora goes after Kai in the season finale after he falls]

Her heart pounded as Jinora's glider expanded, giving only a glance to see that the combustion woman was distracted. She barely heard her mother scream her name behind her as she let herself plummet - if she fell fast enough, maybe she could find Kai, maybe she could save him, she had to.

The wind whipped her hair as she adjusted herself onto the glider, slowing herself down, and squinted through the fog. Jinora couldn't see a thing, but that wasn't why her eyes were stinging. "No!" she cried out in frustration. She had probably already lost her father, as terrible as it was, Jinora was naive. She couldn't lose her best friend too!

"Kai!" she yelled. Her voice bounced off the walls as she carefully glided through the fog. "KAI!" There was still no reply. "KAI!" She yelled until her voice was so hoarse it hurt to, and even then she didn't stop.

Muscles burning, she landed at a small ledge. The fog was finally lifting - with bloodshot eyes she scoured the ground, looking for any sign of her friend. But there didn't seem to be anything, she noted, her heart sinking. No...

What was that?

There was something small and orange curled up in a ball. Cautiously, she reopened her glider and flew closer. There was yellow, too, and the fabric - airbending robes - was scorched, but there. Her heart was jammed in her throat as she shouted, "Kai!"

He didn't stir, but that didn't matter - she rushed towards him, got on her knees and took him into her arms. She shook him, but he didn't move. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Kai, come on, wake up," she begged. "Don't leave me... Stay with me, Kai, stay with me." Trying not to tremble, she gathered the courage to press her ear to his chest to listen for a heartbeat.

It was there. Faint, but that didn't matter. It was there. But if he didn't wake up, if he didn't help, it would be gone soon. And he needed to wake up. Jinora knew she wasn't strong enough to carry him, to get them both of the canyon. She wasn't strong enough.

If anyone's a master, you are.

The words cut deep and the flow of tears started again. Kai wasn't waking up - why wouldn't he wake up?! He was going to die because she wasn't good enough.

"Kai," she whispered, "please. I need you to wake up. I need you... Kai please... I love you."

Because what else could this emotion be, if it wasn't love? What else could make her heart ache with the same fear she felt for her father, but for Kai, if it wasn't love? What else could have given her butterflies and involuntary smiles whenever he was around, if it wasn't love?

And then something shifted in her arms. A soft groan. Her heart leaped in her throat again as she looked down and saw Kai's eyes flutter open. "Jin-Jinora?" he croaked, faintly. "Are you o-okay?"

"You're asking me if I'm okay?! You just fell fifty feet down a cliff, you idiot! If you ever scare me like that again I swear..." She trailed off, unable to swallow the lump her throat. Kai cracked a weak smile.

"I will make no such promises." That got her lips to twitch upwards. "Now, what do you say you help me up and we go rescue the other airbenders?"

Vaguely, Jinora nodded, still trying to get the image of his lifeless body out of her head. She blushed while she helped Kai onto his feet, and after a few shaky steps, the boy opened his glider.

"Oh and Jinora?" There was a big dopey smile on his face; before she knew what was happening he had leaned in and quickly brushed his lips against hers before pulling away. "I love you too."

I tried to keep this as in character as possible. I definitely think, that while Kai and Jinora are young, that while their romantic feelings for each other probably don't go beyond 'I like-like you' they do love each other. After all, they're probably each other's first real friends. So yeah, there's that mini-explanation.

Lilyflower, RollingUpHigh and ShortyStarRose, your requests are up next.

And if you guys haven't already heard, Book 4: Balance shall be airing on October 3rd! (Feel free to join me in the prayer circle for Kainora & passing around tissues while we as a fandom cry.)

P.S. Excited to see who my 250th reviewer will be! :3