CHAPTER 28: I see you

"If anything is worth doing, do it with all your heart."

Day was drawing to a close, and as the sun dipped slowly below the horizon at the Eastern Air Temple, the sky was set ablaze with a final burst of color. A dazzling display of purples, reds and oranges seemed to set the entire world aglow.

Shadows were lengthening in the silent meditation gardens and peaceful courtyards, casting the landscape in a gentle embrace, while the air was filled with the faint chirping of crickets and the distant call of birds returning to their nests.

It seemed like most of the newly arrived villagers had settled in.

Aang had helped them find appropriate sized rooms in the dormitories, while Katara and Nii had prepared a wonderful dinner for them all. And they had all eaten together in silence in the meditation garden, while a gentle breeze had caused them all to breathe out in relief.

They were here, and they were alive.

Aang felt proud when the villagers had thanked him for taking them in.

They had tried giving him presents - small intricate figurines, flowers, and someone even tried to hand him a talisman, and he had expressed his gratitude but politely declined their offer.

"You keep these wonderful gifts to yourself," he had said in a smile. "As a reminder of your powerful jungle spirit."

He had even played tag with a small village girl after dinner.

The sound of her laughter had danced on the wind, weaving its way over the temple grounds and through the old corridors and walls, awakening with it memories long dormant in the temple.

Her giggles had been like a revelation to him - a reminder of the vibrant spirit that once thrived within these walls. It had infused the air with a sense of playfulness, a sound that spoke of youth and innocence, of carefree days spent exploring hidden corridors and chasing dreams.

A sound that spoke of his childhood.

As Aang sat cross legged in the pavilion, he closed his eyes and smiled.

His heart fluttered with all sorts of emotions.

In his depths, sorrow flowed - a hollow ache that longed for something that could never be fully regained. And at the same time, there was also warmth - a flickering flame of love that refused to be extinguished.

He felt happy and sad at the same time.

He chuckled to himself.

Duality was everywhere.

"I never knew a monk's meditation was so funny?" someone suddenly voiced behind him.

Her voice caused something else to flutter in his heart, and in his stomach too, and he turned his face slightly in her direction without opening his eyes.

"You know that it's highly inappropriate to disturb a monk in meditation?" he smiled while cocking his eyebrow at her.

Nii giggled before sighing out.

"Oh, Aang," she breathed, and he heard her taking a few steps closer to him. "I've always been kinda inappropriate with you, haven't I?"

It was clear from her voice that she was smiling.

Aang let another chuckle escape his lips, while he felt the usual tingle in his stomach that he had come to associate with Nii.

He opened his eyes to see that she had placed herself in a lotus position in front of him, a coy smile playing upon her lips.

"You kinda have," he agreed in a laugh. "Even though you promised me that you wouldn't be."

He felt a rush of excitement bubbling from the pits of his stomach as he saw her eyes widening slightly. He watched her as she blushed, tilting her face down to hide behind her hair.

Aang reached up his hand to touch her chin and gently urged her to lift her head to meet his gaze.

Her eyes shimmered with warmth and affection as she looked at him.

He could see his own reflection in her dark liquid pools that twinkled with amber from the vibrant colors of the sundown around them.

With a tender smile, he reached his hand up to brush a stray lock of hair from her face, his touch gentle. The motion caused her to blush again, but she kept her gaze locked with his.

"You know," he said. "There's so much that I haven't told you."

Aang felt a surge of nervous energy welling up from the pits of his stomach and it caused his heart to dance in his chest.

Nii took his hand into hers, and she let her gaze fall down to the space between them.

"Yeah?" she smiled while looking at their hands.

Her voice seemed a bit shaky.

Aang looked down too.

"Yeah," he breathed in a slightly trembling sigh.

He cleared his throat nervously, a faint flush creeping into his cheeks too as he searched for the right words to say. He moistened his lips nervously with a quick swipe of his tongue.

His mouth seemed dry all of a sudden.

He stole a furtive glance at her, and his heart skipped a beat as their eyes met briefly before darting downwards again.

"Uh," he tried in a nervous laughter. "I don't know where to begin."

Nii lifted her gaze to look at him, and he could feel her eyes piercing at his skin, as if she could see right through him. He forced himself to lift his eyes to lock with hers again.

He felt heat travel from his body and land under the skin of his face.

"Would it be lame if I said 'at the beginning'?" Nii said in a breath that was almost a whisper.

They both broke into laughter.

"Yeah," he laughed, and she lifted her hand to playfully slap him over his shoulder, her expression feigning mock offense.

She looked at him with a playful glint in her eye as their laughter subsided.

Aang closed his eyes and inhaled deeply before letting go in a long sigh.

He tried to steady his composure a bit.

He wanted to take this seriously.

"No, really," he started before clearing his throat again. "If I have to start at something even close to the beginning, I uh… I think you're really beautiful too."

Aang forced himself to look at her.

In her eyes, he first saw a glimmer of disbelief, as if she could hardly believe what she was hearing. There was also a hint of shyness in the tilt of her head, but he also saw something else.

A spark of something deeper, something more profound than mere attraction. It was a sort of recognition of the beauty that existed within her, not just in her appearance, but in the strength and resilience of her spirit.

He felt his heart pounding wildly in his chest as he could see her smiling to herself.

It was like his heart wanted to scream out how beautiful she really was to him.

Her face, her voice, her smile, her hands. Her body. Her soul.

He gulped down.

"And I, uh… Huh. And thank you for… for showing me," he tried awkwardly, reaching up a hand to tug a bit at the clothes around his neck as if to breathe better. "You. Your body. That was… Yeah."

He closed his eyes and laughed out nervously.

Man, how he wished that he could be as cool as Zuko.

"Too much?" Nii said in a small voice.

Aang widened his eyes.

She looked nervous too, and he could feel her hand growing clammy in his.

"No!" he exclaimed maybe a bit too loudly. He tried to steady himself. "I mean, yeah, I mean… Urgh."

He sighed deeply.

"It was really… an experience. A powerful one. A beautiful one," he assured her. "Very… beautiful."

He felt a yearning inside of him, coursing through his veins with an intensity that he could not ignore. At the same time, nervousness added a layer of complexity to the mix, casting a shadow of doubt and uncertainty over the bubbles within.

It was like butterflies were fluttering around in his stomach.

He hoped that they would calm down soon.

"It was beautiful for me too," she said in a soft voice while looking down. "Seeing you like that."

He noticed that she bit her lower lip, and it caused him to blush again and the butterflies went wild inside of him.

She lifted her eyes to lock with his, and he almost gasped, as he saw her eyes shimmer like dark pools filled with flames of passion burning within her. He noticed that her pupils were a bit dilated.

It was as if the heat of her gaze bore into him.

"You're so alive, Nii," he said, and he was surprised by how serious and dark his voice suddenly sounded.

It looked like she was surprised too.

The vibrations in the air changed a little between them.

Charged with unspoken emotions.

"And you make me feel so… so much," he continued in a breath, while pulling his hands in to lay them upon his heart and his stomach.

He paused for a moment, as his heart swelled with emotion before he continued, each word spoken with reverence and admiration.

"Yesterday, back in the village… When I held you… When you cried in my arms, I… I just felt so much love inside of me. It was like I was holding you, but at the same time, I was holding myself. It was like… Seeing you in your pain, it allowed me to feel mine."

Aang felt a lump forming in his throat, and he looked up to see her eyes glistening at him. She had placed her hands on her heart and stomach too.

"Like you're not alone?" she whispered.

He closed his eyes and furrowed his brows in surprise as her words sank deep within his heart. It was like she had just laid his innermost feelings bare before him, causing the lump in his throat to swell and ache.

He nodded his head and felt his lips quivering slightly.

Gratitude bloomed within him, like a flower blossoming under the sun's gentle rays. He felt thankful for her insight, for her ability to see beyond the surface and understand the intricacies of his heart.

Emotion and warmth spread from the depths of his soul, enveloping him in a comforting embrace. It felt like a potent mix of sorrow, joy and vulnerability.

"Like you truly see me," he whispered.

He felt tears traveling over his skin as Nii's hand gently settled atop his own over his heart. The warmth of her hand spoke a language of touch that traveled directly to his heart.

"I see you," she purred in a soft voice that was thick with emotion. "And you see me."

He opened his eyes to gaze at her through the glistening of his tears.

When their eyes locked, a silent exchange of understanding passed between them.

In that moment, Aang really did feel seen, truly seen, in a way that went beyond mere words. It was a profound connection, one that resonated deep within his being.

As their hands remained intertwined, he felt a sense of peace wash over him, a feeling of belonging that settled deep within his soul. Time seemed to stand still, the outside world fading into insignificance as he savored the warmth of her touch and the depth of their connection.

"Thank you Nii," he finally sighed. "For everything you are. It makes me so happy that you came here today with your people. Thank you for accepting my invitation."