Zuko joined the gaang and not everyone is thrilled about it
Part 5 - Starting Over ... Sort of ... - Chapter 1
"Ok, this is really, really weird." Sokka looked to Aang.
"It is," the young Avatar entered the courtyard with a shrug, "but I need a firebending teacher and I meant it when I said I think it's supposed to be Zuko."
"I mean, are you sure? Does it really have to be the Prince of the FIRE NATION?!" Sokka shrilled.
"The Fire Prince is here? Why?"
The Duke seemed to have materialized out of thin air and like kids do, overheard things he wasn't supposed to. Seeing Toph, Haru, and Teo in the courtyard behind him, Sokka facepalmed. The water tribesman silently asked Yue to bless him with the patience and understanding he so desperately needed as the world once again turned upside down. Literally. They were in an upside-down temple clinging to the underside of a cliff like a possum-bat.
Sokka knelt before the Duke and put a hand on the helmet-clad child's small shoulder.
"He's here to teach Aang firebending." Sokka explained, his brow furrowed, "I think. I hope."
"He is," Toph confirmed from her rock recliner.
She sat with her feet still propped up from Zuko's burns. Katara had said Toph's callouses had protected her from too much damage but if she stayed off of her feet until she could do a bit more healing, the earthbender would be fine by tomorrow.
"Is he dangerous?" Teo asked.
"We don't think so. He wasn't part of the attack during the day of Black Sun." Sokka guessed.
"No, Sparky is just a little grumpy." Toph clarified.
"Sparky?" Sokka shot Toph a look she couldn't see.
"Is this a good idea?" the question coming from Haru.
Sokka dragged his hand down his face and looked to Aang who had an uncertain smile plastered on his face, "Honestly, I don't know but Aang needs a firebending teacher and he's all we've got."
"Iroh could have taught him," Toph said a little sadly.
"Uncle Jerkbender?!"
"He was not a jerk! He helped us find Katara, didn't he?" Toph argued back.
"Whatever, I'm going to go find Momo," Sokka said leaving the rest of the small group behind.
"Why?" Aang asked concerned.
"Uhhhh," Sokka shrugged with palms outspread, "scientific research purposes?"
"Momo? I want to come! He never lets me pet him!" the Duke complained chasing after Sokka as he strode away.
Aang, Teo, and Haru shared a perplexed look before Haru scooped up Toph and the four followed Sokka and the Duke.
Katara listened to the retreating footsteps from around the corner, she had heard enough. She didn't know what Zuko thought he was pulling but Aang and the rest of this group were her responsibility. She wasn't going to let him hurt the others, he would have to go through her first.
…
Katara slammed the door shut behind her and Zuko stood frozen to the spot listening as her footsteps retreated down the hall. The others were wary of him, that he expected, but Katara was downright hostile. She had threatened his life and the blue fire burning in her eyes told him she meant every word. She really wouldn't hesitate to take him down.
Tch, if Azula could see Katara, she would be proud.
Zuko fell back onto the thin moth-eaten mattress and let out a sigh. She had every right to hate him, she comforted him while she was his prisoner. She lied to her friends just so she could try and heal Iroh, she even offered to heal his scar while they were trapped under Ba Sing Se.
And what had he done? He had thrown it all back in her face. He had to, if he hadn't, he wouldn't have known what he knew now. Right? These were the consequences of his actions, he knew that but it didn't make it suck any less. He had been naïve in thinking that this would be simple but what did he expect? He had done exactly what Iroh admonished him for, dove in headfirst without any semblance of a plan.
Other than getting some sleep, there wasn't much he could do now. Zuko turned on his side and let his eyes fall shut, maybe tomorrow would be different.
…
Sunlight poured through the eastern window telling Katara it was time to get up. She sleepily scrunched her eyes against the sun's unwanted gift. Healing Toph had taken a lot out of her and she wanted nothing more than to burrow into the thick furs of her home but she was far from home and the best she could do was pull the thin blanket over her head hoping to get a few more minutes of sleep.
She had purposely chosen the east-facing room because an early riser, she was not. But someone had to get breakfast started, to make sure everyone got cleaned up, that food was gathered, clothes were washed and training happened. Getting an injured Toph, a distracted Aang, and novice bender Haru to clear the debris from yesterday's fight was difficult but at least it was out of the way and off of her never-ending list. With their former enemy joining them at the metaphorical table, lunch and dinner had been awkward affairs. Breakfast would probably be more of the same.
His appearance reopened the wound that was the day of Black Sun. It hurt, all of that planning, all of their allies, all of their hope. Extinguished in a short eight minutes. Now she was responsible for overseeing the preparation of the Avatar to defeat the Fire Nation. Aang, a mere child, would have to face Fire Lord Ozai, one of the most ruthless tyrants the world has ever seen.
His father
She pulled the covers off of her face with a groan she had to get up, wallowing in bed would get them nowhere. As it was, obligation called and it wouldn't let her get another moment of rest. Dragging herself from bed she headed for the baths to get ready.
Nearly everything in the temple was carved from the surrounding cliff's brown-grey stone. As she walked the halls she couldn't help but feel like the small water tribe girl who left her little village only a few months ago. Everything was large and palatial yet somehow simple. The halls were long with high ceilings supported by tall plain-faced square columns and unadorned arches and every passage seemed to carry a light breeze that danced along the edges of her hair.
Time had not been kind, stairs crumbled, tiles cracked and statues fell, but it couldn't erode the sense of grandness that the temple carried. In her awe part of her wondered about the people who lived here, who called it home. After the war, would Aang still need her? Could this place ever be her home?
Even in all its magnificence the temple still felt cold somehow. It did not have the coziness of their huts, the warmth of thick pelts piled around them, or the closeness of her family as they gathered near the fire to share stories and songs. The thought of it made her heart ache, for her home, for Gran-Gran all alone, and for her father, imprisoned in some far-flung corner of the Fire Nation.
She gripped the edge of the carved stone sink and glimpsed her reflection in the peeling mirror. Tears glistened in her eyes. With the back of her hand, she quickly swiped them away before they could fall. She couldn't fall apart, not with everyone depending on her, especially Aang. She may be a waterbender but she had quickly realized that she was his rock. He leaned on her the most and she needed to be strong, to be there for him.
Pushing off the sink's edge she bent water from a large stone urn that was big enough to hold two of her. Several streams of water split off and poured neatly into several large clay jugs set on the long trough sink.
She had started with seven and begrudgingly added an eighth for their unwelcome guest. Just the thought of him being here made her blood boil, how could he show his face here after all that he had done to them, all that he had taken from her? A crackling from the jugs cautioned her of the consequences of her anger. She needed to relax or she risked shattering not only the water-filled jugs but the urn that had developed a white coating of frost along its sides. Katara recalled one of Aang's breathing techniques, taking a breath for four, holding it for four, and releasing it.
Even though it had led to the discovery of the Avatar, Sokka hadn't shut up about how she needed to manage her anger issues after she cracked the iceberg holding Aang. It had gone on for weeks. If he did the same thing here, she wasn't sure that she'd be able to keep a lid on it.
With a wave, the ice she'd created in her anger returned to its liquid state. Drawing up a small stream from one of the jugs, she gasped as the freezing water made contact with her face. If she wasn't awake before, she sure was now. Being raised in the frozen tundra didn't make handling the cold any easier in the rest of the world. They were just better equipped. Hefting the earthen jug over to a row of stalls, Katara picked one to deposit her things in and closed the curtain.
The bathrooms were communal? That's the word Aang used to describe it. The Air Nomads in the temples didn't have family structures like the other nations. The Western and Eastern Air Temples housed only women while the Northern and Southern Air Temples only housed men. So instead of homes the temples had private living quarters but shared bathhouses, eating areas, and living spaces. It reminded her of being on the Fire Nation ship.
Aang had explained that when children were born to the Air Nation they stayed with their mothers until the age of three. Once this happened girls born to mothers of the Western Temple were sent to the Eastern Temple, and girls born to mothers of the Eastern Temple were sent to the Western Temple. Boys were sent to Northern Air Temple if their father hailed from the Southern Temple or to the Southern Temple if their father was from Northern Temple. All of the monks in the child's respective temple had a hand in raising them and teaching them the ways of the Air Nomads. In a way, this made every monk part of your family. Aang's description of what life was like here helped her to understand both him and this place just a little more.
After stalling as much as she could, Katara stripped off her clothes and pulled more water from the jug bracing herself.
Why couldn't she boil water like he did?
The thought crossed her mind before she drenched herself in the icy water pulling more gasps from her chest. Shivering she passed a rounded square of scented soap over her skin.
While it wasn't as good as tiger seal blubber, she found that fennel-olive oil served as a decent substitute in soap making. Early on in their journey Katara made the concession and changed her grandmother's recipe for Aang's sake. With some trial and error and a lot of campfire ash, she finally got the ratios right for animal-free soap but she didn't stop there. After her unwilling introduction to them on the riverbank, Katara started to learn more about the different flowers they found along their travels. Eventually, they made their way into her soap-making. Her companions quickly caught on and would bring her the scents they wanted in theirs. Vanilla with smoked cedar for Sokka and bamboo paired with star grapefruit for Aang. Though getting her to use it was near impossible, Toph had taken a liking to lapsang and plum, and Katara herself had developed a preference for gardenias and peonies.
She let the fresh and sweet scent distract her from the cold seeping into her bones. Working it into a thick lather she took a few precious minutes to herself before the day's chaos would ensue. Once it began, it would only end once the sun had set and everyone had gone to sleep. Speaking of the sun, its creeping ascent further illuminated the dimness of the communal bath hurrying her along.
She pulled the rest of the water from the jug and pulled the swirling stream around her. Starting at the crown of her head she worked her way down shivering as she went, letting the water rinse her skin until all traces of the soap's lather had been washed away.
With a quick wave, all the water beaded off of her skin and hair leaving her dry but she was still cold. The memory of waking up wrapped in the almost too-warm embrace of a firebender intruded on her thoughts and made her stomach flutter.
She frowned pushing it away. The same thing had happened with Jet. The few intimate moments they had shared would bob to the surface of her thoughts, making her shiver and giving her butterflies even though he had turned out to be a villain. But those memories had encroached on her mind for only a couple of weeks, not months after and it's not like she and Zuko had-
Katara cut off her train of thought before it wandered off somewhere she really didn't want it to go. She was angry at the bully prince and nothing would change that. She quickly wrapped herself in her sarashi and donned a fresh change of clothes. Leaving the baths she made a beeline for the fountain courtyard where an abbreviated version of their camp had been set up.
The temple allowed everyone to have their own rooms and a shared bath but the one kitchen they had managed to find was too badly damaged for any kind of use. Teo and the Duke wanted to look for more but with Toph tied up in training both Aang and Haru, it wasn't safe for them to go on their own. Maybe they would find another but for now, she made do with the semi-permanent fire pit Toph had made for her.
She would have some time to herself while she made breakfast. It would be another hour or so before others would start emerging from their rooms. At least that's what she thought. What she found in the suspended courtyard made her freeze in the doorway. She wasn't alone.
Katara spotted him on one of the sunbathed corners of the courtyard that overlooked the canyon. With his back to her, he sat silently in lotus, hands resting lightly on his knees, stripped from the waist up. His tunic and sash were a pair of neatly folded squares placed to his right. A wooden box sat on his left and before him was an arc of eight lit candles. She had seen him shirtless before but not long enough to 'see' him. The warm ivory of his back was smooth only interrupted here and there with the occasional scar, some from minor burns others, thin lines drawn on by something sharp but none as serious as the one he wore over his left eye.
He was too close to the unprotected edge for her comfort, especially with him being here alone. Katara wanted to tell him as much but she was rooted to the spot. The flames before him seemed to breathe, shrinking and growing in time with his breath, it was hypnotizing to watch.
"I know you're there," Zuko called out to her.
Katara nearly jumped out of her skin.
"You're not as sneaky as you think you are," he said not bothering to turn around.
She quickly forgot her concern for his safety. The thought of blasting him the mere inches it would take to shove him off the stone ledge and send him tumbling to his doom had become more tempting than she cared to admit.
"I wasn't trying to be sneaky."
"Are you sure? You were standing in that doorway for a long time." Zuko doused the candles with a wave and finally turned to look at her.
Katara's cheeks flushed and her anger flared, "What are you doing here?" she demanded.
"Meditating."
"Out here, alone?" the one word was laced with suspicion.
Keeping one eye on him she walked to the middle of the courtyard. Reaching into her tunic she produced a pair of spark rocks from a pocket and knelt before the firepit.
"I didn't think anyone else would be awake. Meditation should be done in quiet places." Zuko shrugged trying to be civil, he had turned back to the candles before him and was packing them into the wooden box.
"Funny, Aang never seems to have a problem meditating when we're around. Maybe you aren't as good at it as you think you are."
"He's the Avatar, I hope he's better than me. He won't be able to defeat my father if he isn't."
Did he scorch his brain when he burned his face?
She shook her head, "How long have you been out here?"
"Since sunrise."
She looked at him with mild surprise.
"I meant it when I told you we rise with the sun." he closed the cedar box and stood, picking up his tunic and shrugging it on.
She watched the muscles in his back and shoulders ripple as he moved. They attested to years of training in more than just firebending. Surprising for someone who was only sixteen. It proved that he worked as hard if not harder than the rest of them. His kind of persistence required discipline, something Aang sorely needed. She hated to admit it, but he might be the right teacher for the young Avatar.
Too bad she didn't trust him as far as she could throw him.
Ignoring him as he moved around the courtyard Katara pulled the dew from the kindling Sokka had left her the night before and used the spark rocks to try and get an ember going.
"I can do that for you." he offered.
"I don't need help from the likes of you." she spat back, her words harsh and cutting.
Zuko's anger and frustration sparked and threatened to boil over. He was just trying to help. Did she hate him so much that she wouldn't even allow him to help? How could he prove that he was good if they won't let him even be of some kind of assistance?
He needed to calm down. Blowing up at her of all people would just make things worse. Clenching his fists, he squeezed his eyes shut and did what Iroh taught him when his anger threatened to overcome him. Breathe in for four, hold for four, and then release.
"Ok, suit yourself," he said trying to keep his voice as even as possible.
Katara ignored him as he walked past still striking the spark rocks against each other. He headed into the large hall that led to the dormitories intent on washing up and going through a few forms before starting on his first day of training Aang.
"Zuko."
Hearing her call his name made his heart stutter. Half of him held out hope for change, the other dreaded what came next. Zuko stopped and turn around but she kept her back to him as a thick curl of white smoke rose above her head.
She took a flat matter-of-fact tone that unnervingly reminded him of Mai, he hated it.
"There's a jug of water for you in the bath. Breakfast will be ready in an hour and don't sit so close to the edge when you're out here alone. You can plummet to your death after you've taught Aang how to firebend."
Zuko stared bewilderedly at the back of her head. Unsure of how to take the backhanded concern he uttered a simple, "Sure." from behind gritted teeth, and made his way down the hall.
The temple was just as massive as he remembered but the decay had advanced as nature continued its steady march to reclaim the uninhabited structure. Four years ago he had every accessible inch of this place combed for some clue of the Avatar's whereabouts and even swore to spend the rest of his life hunting him down. Now he was sleeping in the same temple only three doors down from the same boy he had sworn to capture. Iroh was right, destiny was a funny thing but this was not at all what he expected.
Zuko quietly walked the silent halls of the dormitories. Aside from Katara, no one was awake. Maybe it was her turn to make breakfast? The crew of his ship would take turns with mess and laundry duties, and so did he, though Iroh would only allow him to assist in a limited capacity. He wasn't a very good cook but he could handle laundry, he would have to ask when turn his turn was coming up.
If breakfast was in an hour the others would be up soon. He might as well get cleaned up before the baths got crowded. Zuko quickly traded the box of candles for a change of clothes, soap, and a towel before heading to the baths.
He found eight clay jugs lined up along the trough sink. He grabbed one that sloshed icy water over his hands making his breath catch. He'd taken brisk showers to rouse himself after a night-long fire watch, but water this frigid bordered on torture. Did she really take a bath with this? Zuko recalled that night in the desert, she could turn water to ice but she had needed him to boil it. She must have. He dipped a hand into his jug of chilled water and within seconds it began to steam. Satisfied he headed to the stalls …
the quiet bubbling of a bowl of water
her look of determination under the weight of exhaustion
waking to find her cheek pressed against his skin
…stopping short he looked over his shoulder at the remaining jugs.
…
"Hey, Katara!" Haru called to her entering the courtyard.
"Morning Haru." Katara handed him a bowl of rice porridge that she had simmered with some gust mushrooms and lotus ginger Sokka and Toph had found in the mines.
They were lucky the Air Nomads had created a temple that relied on the nature around it, making it largely self-sufficient. The few supplies they had retrieved from Black Rock wouldn't have held them over otherwise. After some exploring, they had found mushroom mines, overgrown gardens and orchards, and even an apiary with a handful of still-occupied hives. The remnants of these resources couldn't possibly support the hundreds of Air Nomads they once did but for their little group of eight, it was plenty. Even the hunting was abundant much to Sokka and Toph's delight.
"Are the other's up yet?" she asked him.
"Teo and the Duke are, I'm not sure about the others," he informed her between bites.
Zuko emerged from the hallway into the warm morning sunlight followed by Sokka whose damp hair was out of its usual wolf-tail.
"Morning Sokka!" Katara roughly shoved a bowl in Zuko's direction and promptly ignored him.
"How'd you sleep?" she asked a little too cheerily.
Sokka looked between Zuko who headed for an isolated corner of the courtyard and his sister who had an eerie Joo-Dee-esque smile plastered to her face.
"Uh, fine?" he gave her a half-hearted shrug and spooned the hot porridge into his mouth.
"Oh, thf nefxt tyme you heaf upf da waffer-"
"Sokka, what did Gran-gran say about talking with your mouth full." she scolded.
Sokka scowled taking a big gulp, "I said the next time you heat the bath water, wake me up. I know you're a waterbender and all but that's a lot of work to do by yourself."
"What are you talking about?" Katara asked busily ladling out four more bowls, "I slept in, I didn't have time to heat the ..."
Her words trailed off, she looked up at Sokka who cocked a perplexed eyebrow at her. Slowly, her head turned and found Zuko, once again, sitting in a far corner of the courtyard with his back to her. Irritation broke out like hives on her skin as she put two and two together.
Zuko's spine went ramrod straight, he swore he could feel Katara's glare burning holes into his back. He continued to eat his breakfast, pretending not to have heard the siblings' conversation. He'd helped, hadn't he? Why was she upset at him for helping? Wasn't that the good thing to do?
Katara continued to stare, if looks could kill, Zuko would have keeled over right that second. What did he think he was doing? Do one or two good things and they'd just be a ok with him being here? Did he think she was bluffing?
Haru and Sokka shared a wary look. It was rare for Katara to get angry but when she did, it never ended well. Zuko famous for having his own temper had gone rigid, his frame all right angles as he continued to eat while pretending not to notice Katara's simmering fury. They had yet to exchange a word, yet the tension in the courtyard kept ratcheting up as the silence stretched on.
"Morning Katara!" the young monk breezed
Aang's appearance quickly pulled a curtain down over Katara's anger.
"Good morning Aang." she handed him a bowl and looked up to see Toph up unusually early, Her hair was out of its usual bun and stuck out from her head at every angle
"Hey, Katara?"
"Yes, Aang?"
"I know it was probably a lot of work, but thanks for heating the water this morning."
Katara gritted her teeth, "That wasn't me."
"Oh, then who?" Aang asked confused.
"I could be wrong guys but I'm pretty sure it was the firebender," Toph admitted as she nonchalantly grabbed a bowl.
"How would you know? You hate baths." Karata shot.
"You're right sweetness, but now that we're getting hot water, maybe I'll actually take one."
Toph sauntered over to Zuko and punched him in the arm nearly knocking the bowl from his hands.
"Thanks, Sparky."
Zuko resisted the urge to wince "Thanks?"
How was someone so small so strong?
Wait, did she just call me Sparky?
Toph took a seat nearby and dug into her breakfast. A rustling behind him made him look over his shoulder, the youngest of the group scrambled up on a large chunk of fallen stone next to him. He had only heard him be referred to as the Duke and at this point, Zuko wasn't sure if anyone knew his actual name.
"Thank you, Sparky!"
Toph snorted into her congee and Zuko raised his good brow at her. Confused he looked between the blind girl and the child that had joined him for breakfast.
They didn't hate him?
Daring a glance behind him he found Katara still staring at him angrily. He gritted his teeth and turned back to his nearly empty bowl doing his best to ignore her. Everyone else sat eating and the sound of spoons clinking against bowls punctuated the quiet morning. He shrugged internally to himself, his first two meals were painful but this wasn't terrible. A start was a start, even if it was a strange one.
"Where's Teo?" Aang's question broke the silence that had settled over the courtyard.
"He's tinkering with something," Sokka supplied, "I'll bring him breakfast before he forgets to eat. I was supposed to help him out anyways."
Sokka grabbed another bowl and headed to the stone archway disappearing into the hall.
"I wanna come!" the Duke jumped up excitedly next to Zuko making him smirk slightly.
Zuko watched the small child hand Katara a mostly empty bowl and scramble after the watertribesman. He hadn't noticed Toph's small smile hidden behind her hair. She had just found out that the scary prince had a soft spot for kids. Though this tension between Katara and Zuko was interesting. It made her want to poke the metaphorical beast.
"Hey, Haru!" Toph jerked a thumb at Aang, "Twinkletoes is going to be busy with Sugar Queen and Sparky, do you want to train?"
Haru nodded nervously.
"Awesome, meet me topside in fifteen minutes."
A slightly terrified Haru gave his bowl back to Katara and headed out of the courtyard with Toph close behind him.
With only three of them left Aang looked between his two sifu's. Disdain covered the two like an icy blanket of snow. All of them had reason to be wary of Zuko, even angry at him but Katara was downright furious. Aang had never been on the other side of her temper and didn't want to start now, he approached cautiously and handed Katara back his bowl.
"Did you get enough?" she asked distractedly
"Yes, thank you for breakfast," he answered a little warily.
"You're welcome Aang. If you give me a little bit I can get this cleaned up and meet you in the ravine for practice."
Aang clasped his hands behind his back and looked down shyly, toeing the grey stone with his boot.
"Uh Katara, I was thinking, I've gotten pretty good at waterbending and since Zuko is here, uh, maybe I should start training with him."
"You still need practice." Katara admonished.
"I know but I haven't done any firebending."
"Once upon a time, you swore you would never firebend again. Why are you so eager now?" she questioned backing him into a corner.
"It doesn't work like that." Zuko stood interjecting, "He's the Avatar, firebending is as much a part of him as waterbending is to you."
"What do you know? The Fire Nation- your nation, tried to kill the Avatar. Twice. And in case you forgot, you nearly succeeded the last time." Katara spat.
Zuko clenched his fists but remained silent.
"That's not true Katara." Aang caught between the two angry benders treaded lightly, "Azula was the one who struck me with lightning. Zuko tried to capture me but he never tried to hurt me, not really."
Katara looked at Aang and couldn't help but feel forsaken, "Is that what you think? He never tried to hurt you directly so everything else he has done is ok?" she asked the young boy before her.
Aang shook his head, "No. Some of the things Zuko did were wrong," Aang looked over at Zuko and then back to Katara, "but I believe he's here to do good and because of that, I've been able to forgive him for the past. I wouldn't have accepted him as my sifu otherwise."
Bolstered by Aang's admission, Zuko walked over to Katara, adding his bowl to the growing stack before turning to Aang, "I'll meet you on the balcony of the western hang when you're done."
Aang's mouth fell open, "You can't up there without a glider!"
Zuko smirked, "Wanna bet? The loser has to do twenty hot squats."
Aang grinned, "You're on!"
Zuko turned back to Katara meeting her eyes. His expression was neutral yet the bronze of his stare bored into her. She remained defiant, refusing to falter or wilt under his gaze.
Neither said a word.
Aang looked between the two confused, nothing had been said but he felt like he'd missed something, a lot of somethings. Their staring contest lasted mere moments, but it felt like an eternity had passed when Zuko finally clasped his fist in his hand and bowed to her, "Thank you for the meal."
Katara released Zuko with a respectful nod and he headed for the stone archway. Katara didn't watch him go and Zuko didn't turn back to look for her. Aang stood between the two still unsure of what he had just witnessed. From the outside it seemed like a battle of wills, but with no clear winner. What was going on between those two? Aang opened his mouth to ask but Katara cut him off before he could speak.
"You should get going." she didn't look at him when she spoke, instead, her interest was consumed with the mundane task before her.
Aang nodded and moved for the archway at a slight jog missing the trace of sorrow in the voice of his crush.
Katara found herself in the courtyard alone. Usually, she was ecstatic for a few moments of peaceful quiet, but today the silence was deafening. She took her time with cleaning up, going over her mental checklist of items to be addressed: What training she would be doing, getting Toph to take a bath, delegating chores, and what sewing was left. Less than twenty minutes had passed until she was stacking clean bowls readying for lunch in a few hours.
Somewhere above her, she faintly heard Aang, "… one hot squat, two hot squats, three …" and somehow …
the mischief in his voice before the first jump
the drop in her stomach as they fell four stories
the warmth of his kiss against her skin, under the darkness of the alley
… it brought a sad smile to her face.
Well, they're together again, though getting along might be asking a bit much ...
