A/N: Thank you guys for the support, it makes me really happy to know that you're enjoying this, even if it is super angsty XD The first half of this is a bit meh, but things get interesting in the second half! Hope you enjoy :)
Next Morning:
Katara's POV:
My eyes flutter open as I rouse from my sleep. I stare at the ceiling for a few moments as my body sags deeper into the mattress when I realise today is my day off. 'It's been a while since I last had a day off. And it's only because my manager basically forced one on me.'
I sigh and drag myself up and out of bed. When I open my door, the smell of more cooking greets me. 'He doesn't give up.' I think, surprised and my stomach takes that as its cue to rumble. 'I guess having a bite wouldn't hurt. I've skipped enough meals as it is.' I reluctantly decide as I exit my room and go down the stairs.
Aang is nowhere in sight, but the dining table is already laid with food and utensils. I chew my lip and am just about to find him when I think better of it. 'Guard up Katara.' I remind myself, but when I glance at the food again, I decide I can't seriously eat the food he made without at least asking if he wants to join me.
I inhale deeply and go to find him. The first place I search is where I find him; seated at a desk in his old office as he hunches over some papers and rubs his forehead. I tug my cardigan over my chest before approaching him.
"What are you doing?" I ask. The Airbender's eyes flicker over to me before returning to his papers.
"There's some stuff I've been asked to read over." He pauses before adding: "It's not like you to stay in your nightwear this late." He notes neutrally, but I can tell he feels awkward. I shrug my shoulders.
"It's my day off." I say as by way of explanation.
"Ah." Aang hums back as he continues staring at the sheets in front of him. I raise an eyebrow and lean forward to rest one hand on the desk and gaze over his shoulder to see what he's reading so intently. The air nomad stiffens at my proximity, but I'm so busy reading that I brush the reaction off. I frown at the words 'separation' and 'different nations'.
"So, Sokka was right in saying that you want to separate everyone into their own nation?" I ask, trying not to sound as appalled as I feel.
"I'm only in talks about it with the other council members. Nothing has been decided yet. There's just been a lot of clashes with...erm... opposite nations in multiple cities so we're discussing options at the moment." Aang explains, but he falters a couple of times and when I flicker my gaze down at him, I find his ears reddening and I realise how close we are. I swallow and straighten up.
"Do you think it's a good idea?" I ask as I fold my arms across my chest. Aang watches my movements before shaking his head.
"Not really, but it does have some merit. Maybe it will stop the clashes." The Airbender explains as he massages his forehead where the head of his blue arrow sticks out.
"Hmm." I hum in disagreement, before deciding to drop the subject for now. "You cooked again." I say. The man blinks at my abrupt change in conversation before shrugging.
"I thought you might want to eat today." The Airbender voices simply, but I can tell he feels anxious. I bite my lip before pushing my next words out of my mouth.
"Do you want to join me?" I ask, prompting the Airbender's eyebrows to shoot up. The suggestion feels uncomfortable and even the young avatar can sense that as he turns back to his desk.
"Nah you go on without me, I'll eat in a bit." He reassures and I release a breath that I didn't know I was holding. But I feel a pang in my chest when the Airbender's shoulders slump ever so slightly upon seeing my relieved expression. I chew my lip. 'Gah!' I groan silently.
"You sure?" I press. His eyes flicker from me to his desk.
"I don't know, are you sure?" Aang retorts and I flinch at the slight bite in his tone.
"Alright, I'll eat by myself then " I mutter, not in the mood to get into another argument with the man. I hear him heave a sigh as I turn away from him.
"Wait. I shouldn't have snapped." Aang apologises as he rises to his feet. I pivot to face him wearily.
"Then why did you?" I retort as I cross my arms. His gaze drops to the ground.
"You looked so relieved that I wouldn't join you. I had expected it, but it hurt more than I thought it would." Aang admits as he kicks at the ground. My breathing catches at his words. 'Dang. He can still read me so easily. But then again, I didn't try that hard to hide my feelings on the matter.' I puff out my cheeks before reaching forward and taking his arm.
"You want to eat together that badly, then let's." I say decisively as I drag him towards the dining room.
"W-Wait! I want what you want!" The man protests in a stutter. I roll my eyes.
"Obviously not because you wouldn't be so upset." I mumble and I feel Aang wincing as he tries to withdraw.
"I want to respect your space." He says weakly. I sigh.
"But...?" I prompt as we reach the dining room. I release my hold on him, even when he tries to follow my hand. But I stubbornly create some distance between us.
"But... it's hard." He admits as he closes his eyes briefly before re-opening them to gaze at me. I bite the inside of my cheek as my eyes dance away from his.
"It can't be that hard. You were just fine without me for 5 years." I mutter bitterly. The airbender doesn't reply as his eyes stray away. I frown. "What?" I echo. He opens his mouth only to shake his head a moment later.
"It's nothing." Aang evades. I scrunch my nose at him before promptly moving to take a seat furthest away from him and start helping myself to a bowl of sea prunes. I can feel his stare of confusion on me, but I'm tired of trying to prompt him for answers all the time. 'If he's not willing to share then he's not willing to change.' I think numbly.
"What's with the look?" Aang asks as he rounds the table to stand beside me.
"What look?" I query blandly. The Airbender frowns and raises a finger to point at me.
"That look." He empathises. I do my best not to twitch my eyelid as I focus on picking up a spoon by my plate.
"There is no look." I mutter.
"And you tell me I lie." Aang grumbles as he rests his hand on the table by my plate. I click my tongue and swivel on my chair towards him.
"That's rich coming from you." I retort hotly. Aang's lips dip as we stare each other down. He turns his head and clenches his jaw.
"I used to watch you." His voice is quiet, but it might as well have been shouted.
"You...what?" I echo back, not sure if I understood correctly. The Airbender releases a quiet breath before he replies.
"Sometimes I would crouch on the rooftop of the house opposite here to see you come back from work if I was ever sent for Avatar business here." Aang mumbles as he purposeless avoids my gaze. I gawk at him before a flash of rage passes through me.
"You mean, you could've popped in at any time, but didn't?!" I ask incredulously while shooting up to my feet. The Air Nomad towers over me now, not like before when I used to be taller than him. Aang's eyes dart back to my face as he bites his lip.
"It wasn't often! Maybe three times at most. And I told you, I couldn't risk Yon Rha knowing that I was still..." Aang trails off and starts chewing his bottom lip. I scowl and cross my arms.
"You were still what?" I prompt irritably. Those grey orbs penetrate right through me as he answers my question.
"That I was still attached." The Airbender replies. I notice the change in my breathing pattern as it becomes shallower, but I refuse to give him the satisfaction of his words having an effect on me.
"Then you shouldn't have come back at all!" I hiss. Aang's face contorts in pain as he leans forward, creating close to no space between us.
"Why are you so mad at me over this?" My former husband asks with furrowed eyebrows. I lean as far back as I can, but the backs of my thighs hit the edge of the table. I can feel my hands clenching into fists as I stare at him through angry eyes.
"Because you allowed yourself the opportunity to see me, but you never gave me that same courtesy!" I yell, my voice cracks as furious tears prick at my eyes. Aang's mouth hangs open for a moment before he starts rubbing the back of his head hard.
"I...jeez, I didn't think about that. I just wanted to see you." Aang utters with a plea in his voice. I whip my head away from him and drop back into my seat.
"You just didn't care about how that would make me feel." I fire back as I gaze at the plate of swirling brown liquid. A hand rests on my shoulder, but I slap it off. "Don't touch me." I order tightly.
The man surprises me by dropping to his knees and pressing his head into the carpet in a bow which must be very uncomfortable, considering he's still wearing a leg brace. I stare at the Airbender.
"I was stupid. Not just for this, but for everything. If I disappeared, I should've stayed gone instead of going behind your back and gratifying my own wants. That was wrong and selfish of me. I'm so so sorry." Aang murmurs. He raises his head slightly, only to smack his forehead back against the floor. I widen my eyes in alarm and immediately jump out of my chair to crouch in front of him. I catch his head in my hands before he can even think of doing such an action again.
"Hurting yourself isn't what I want." I utter sharply, but Aang gives me an embarrassed smile.
"Actually, I just wacked my head accidentally just then." My former husband admits with an awkward laugh. I flush and pull away immediately.
"I knew that." I mumble as I lean back onto my heels. Aang watches me for several seconds before offering his hand to me. I hesitate, but in a moment of weakness I take it and he pulls me up with him.
"Katara, I'm really sorry." The Airbender repeats. I sigh and wave my hand.
"It can't be changed now." I say with a sigh, but the thought that Aang has been watching me over the years sends a shiver down my spine. Whether it's a good or a bad shiver, I can't decide. When I feel my hand being squeezed, I realise my hand is still in Aang's larger and warmer one. That same lump in my throat returns and I start to slip my hand out, only for him to close his hand around mine.
"Katara, I want things to go back to how it was before." Aang whispers. And suddenly I can't breathe.
"You mean, back to when you could lie to me and I wouldn't even realise?" I voice bitterly as I feel my lungs being squeezed tightly. Aang's face falls and his hand slackens enough around mine for me to slip it out, but the warmth of his touch is still there and I hate how much I want to return my hand in his. 'I hate how much I want to be near him. And I hate how much I miss him.'
"You're never going to forgive me?" His voice is small. His posture is slumped and broken and his face is filled with despair and devoid of light. I take in a shaky breath in an attempt to give oxygen to my starved lungs. 'Why is this so hard?' I wonder.
"I told you before, you need to change, but so far it seems that your first instinct is to lie and hide things from me. I can't take that any more Aang." I answer honestly, maybe a little too honestly, judging by the way the Airbender seems to shrink into himself.
"You're right. That is my first instinct. It's so hard to open up to someone I care about because I don't want to lose you." My former husband confesses, but I shake my head.
"You told Sokka everything." I remind sourly, but the man furrows his eyebrows as he gazes at me.
"Because I knew Sokka wouldn't be mad at me or jump in the way of danger. I couldn't take it if I lost you. It wasn't a pain I ever wanted to relive again after everything. But I guess... I've already lost you, haven't I? I was being an optimistic fool, but this really isn't going to work, huh?" Aang says, as if convincing himself as he closes his eyes in resignation.
I can feel my heart beating faster as it slams against my ribcage in anxiety. What I'm going to do is foolish, dumb, idiotic, crazy, stupid, but my hand has already found its way to the Airbender's cheek and I bring down his head until our foreheads touch. The beating organ in my chest somehow skyrockets in its rate at being this close to Aang. Even the Air Nomad is breathing hard as he gazes into my eyes.
"I know you've been through a lot Aang. And I know that this is your way of dealing with the trauma. I know that better than most people and I suppose this is why its so hard for me, because I understand the reasons behind your actions. But that doesn't mean they don't hurt and our relationship is only not going to work if you let it. I..." I pause, deliberating on whether I should say my next words or not.
My brain is telling me to clamp my mouth closed and continue being angry with the Airbender. But my heart is screaming to move closer, to forgive him, to give him another chance. They battle for a few moments and ultimately my heart wins.
"...I want you back Aang." I confess gently. The young Avatar's breathing hitches and he closes his eyes.
"I don't deserve you." Aang murmurs and it's at this point that I drop my hand from his cheek.
"You're not out of the woods yet." I warn, but a light smile plays across my lips as I finally lean back. Aang opens his eyes and nods at me solemnly.
"I'm going to be better. I promise." The Airbender vows as he presses his fist into his open palm and bows low.
"Good. Now, can we eat? I'm starving." I joke as I return to my seat. Aang grins and drops to the seat opposite me as he starts helping himself to the now probably cold food.
"I'll bet, you haven't eaten in ages." Aang throws back good naturedly. I snort before shoving the food into my mouth. My eyes widen at how good it is.
"Wow. I didn't realise you could cook this well." I praise as I eat faster. The Airbender flushes at the praise and gives me a half smile.
"Trust me, I was terrible when I first started. But I'm glad you like it." Aang reveals with an embarrassed laugh.
"Well, you should be proud, this is really good." I say with a smile. The man's grin widens and we continue to eat in silence. But as the minutes tick by, I can't help but keep glancing up to watch the Air Nomad. At my sixth glance, Aang slowly lowers his bowl.
"Do you want to ask me something?" My husband asks while tilting his head to the side. I gulp and give him a sheepish expression.
"Sorry. I just...wanted to ask how's your arm and leg doing?" I inquire. Aang seems to think the best way to prove he's fine is by carrying multiple plates with his recently fractured arm. "Be careful!" I cry out as I half rise from my chair to stop him and he instantly returns the plates to the table with an impish grin.
"Just wanted to show you not to worry." Aang teases with mirth in his eyes. I glare at him.
"I was worried about you breaking the plates." I huff, but the boy's grin doesn't slip as he sends me a knowing look.
"You're a terrible liar." Aang points out with a smirk. I snort, but don't argue with him because I know that I am.
"And your leg?" I press. At this, his smile slips.
"It's... going to need some more time." The airbender admits begrudgingly. My eyebrows furrow empathetically.
"Don't worry, you're young and it will heal quickly." I reassure gently and that seems to brighten the boy up as he nods his head.
"Yeah, you're right." He agrees with a half-smile. We fall into another steady silence and after a while Aang pushes his chair back. "I need to go back to those papers, if that's ok?" The Airbender excuses. I wave my hand.
"Go on." I usher and from the corner of my eyes I watch him leave. When he's gone, I sag into my chair as the tension disappears from my body.
"This isn't going the way I thought it would." I mutter to myself before rising to my feet to collect the plates.
Night seems to approach more quickly when you're not working as I gaze up at the stars in the sky from my balcony. I thought being at home alone with Aang would be both tense and awkward, but we ended up keeping out of each other's way for the whole day, save for dinner. And even then, we only made small talk before bidding each other goodnight. 'I've got work tomorrow, but I can't seem to get to sleep, so I'm stargazing, waiting for the sleepiness to hit, but so far no such luck.'
I sigh and exit the balcony, locking the door behind me. 'Maybe some water will help.' I decide as I quietly tread down the stairs so as to not wake the Airbender up. I'm nearly at the bottom of the staircase when I hear movements. 'Oh spirits, is he still awake?' I wonder anxiously. 'Should I go back upstairs and wait till he's fallen asleep?'
I chew my lip. 'We might not be at each other's throats at the moment, but I'm still not willing to believe that he's really going to change which has definitely been the cause of the tension in the air between us.'
I release a quiet breath and continue down the last couple of steps. 'I'll just tell him I've got work tomorrow if he wants to talk.' I decide, but when I pass the lounge on my way to the kitchen, I find the boy twisting and turning on the sofa in his sleep. I pause and frown. 'Is he having a nightmare? He used to have plenty of those, but I thought he grew out of them?' I wonder as I approach the distressed Air Nomad.
From this distance I can just about make out his ragged breathing and the sheen of sweat on his forehead. I crouch beside the sofa and rest one knee on the floor. My hand hovers in mid-air, ready to shake him, when suddenly he jolts forward and his eyes snap open in crazed fear. They dart around the place as if he's forgotten where he is.
"Aang?" I probe gently and go to rest a hand on his wrist in concern. His darting eyes snap towards me and I can see him squinting in the darkness.
"Katara?" Aang rasps out as realisation of where he is and how he got here slowly dawns on him.
"Hey, are you ok?" I ask softly. A lump bobs up and down his throat before he swallows it down. His body shakes as he swings his legs off the sofa to plant them on the ground. I shift back to give him room, but when he puts a hand to his head and starts swaying slightly, I move back in case he falls. "Aang?" I repeat as I become more and more concerned with his silence.
"Spirits." He curses. I'm just about to open my mouth to prompt him again when he shakes his head roughly. "The car that hit me. I remember." Aang breathes out with a quiver in his voice. My eyes widen.
"You know who did it?" I query. Stormy eyes snap towards me and for some reason they hold a touch of regret.
"Yon Rha." Aang mutters. I should've expected it, but the name always sends an icy shiver down my back. I'm just about to question him further when I notice that the Airbender is still trembling.
"Hey, hey. You're alright now." I soothe as I rub the base of his back, but he flinches. I could probably count on one hand how many times the boy has flinched from my touch. I stop my movements and gaze at the man in concern.
Aang's POV:
3 weeks ago:
'I'm due for another council meeting in the same city where Ka...she works. I don't like coming back here. It's too dangerous for her. But as the Avatar it's my duty to travel to all the major cities, so I have no say in the matter.'
As I continue my hurried pace, I distractedly eye a black car that trails slowly behind me even though the road is empty. I don't think much of it until he turns down the same side road that I take. I glance behind me, but the windscreen is too dark for me to make out who's behind the wheel.
I pick up my pace, but just as I do so, the car increases its speed and before I know it, the engine revs loudly and drives right across the pavement. My eyes widen as I create a blast of air around me, but I'm not quick enough and the car smashes straight into me.
A scream rips right out of my throat as I'm thrown onto the grass. The car comes back again, I'm barely able to erect a slab of earth, but it splinters around me as the vehicle strikes me again in the side. I gasp. Black spots dance across my vision from how hard I hit my head. I'm panting for air when a face hovers over me.
"I'll take that waterbender girl from you, just you wait. Till then, I'll let you be under her care and re-establish your bond with her, so that it will hurt just that much more when you lose her." Yon Rha voices with a dangerous glint in his eye.
"N-no." I croak out, but my chest is a fiery agony. Actually, my whole body is screaming in pain, especially my arm and leg. I can feel blood trickling down my face.
"Night night, Avatar Aang." The firebender murmurs with a cackle before spinning his heels. I hear the loud bang of the car door closing as he drives off, leaving me shattered on the ground. I try to move, but my body isn't responding. The only part of my body that seems to be working is my pain receptors which continue crying.
"H-Help." I choke out, but it's midday and most people are either at work or school. My eyes flutter to a close as consciousness starts to fade from me.
"Hey, did you hear something?" A feminine voice floats from somewhere in my periphery.
"It sounded like a dying cat." A man's voice replies before laughing at his own joke.
"We should check it out." The female insists stubbornly.
"Aurgh, you're always doing stuff like this. One day you're going to...oh spirits!" The man gawks loudly. A female shrill accompanies his curse. 'Shoot, do I look that bad?' I wonder mildly as I try to force my eyes open.
"Oh my gosh he's still alive! Jet, call the ambulance!" The woman orders as a soft hand takes mine. "Hey, can you hear me? You're going to be ok." She reassures, although the panic in her voice is obvious even to me, a semi-conscious person. 'Jet. That name sounds familiar.' I think numbly. "Can you speak?" The woman asks.
"I..need..." Bile rises up in my throat, stopping me from finishing my sentence.
"Oh spirits, I think he's choking." The female echoes as she opens my mouth to look inside.
"Yue, stop poking in a stranger's mouth, he could have a virus for all you know!" The man, Jet, snaps at the woman.
"I'm a doctor, this is my job. Although this emergency stuff is more up Katara's alley." I hear the woman mutter. I freeze. 'Katara? Wait...Yue?' My fuzzy mind finally pieces together who the woman crouching over me is. Katara's best friend.
"Ka-ta-ra..." I rasp. Hands suddenly withdraw from my face and I have to squint to focus on the lady. Her head of white hair confirms that this is indeed Yue. The woman's eyes turn wide as she states at me. With one hand she wipes the blood off my forehead and the rest of my face before inhaling sharply.
"Shoot. Jet, where's that ambulance?!" Yue screams.
"It's coming! Should be less than 5 minutes away...hey, are you alright? You're shaking." The man questions as he drops beside her and wraps an arm around her shoulders.
"This is Katara's husband." Yue whispers, but I still hear her clearly. I groan silently. 'Out of everyone to bump into.'
"You mean the horrible dude who walked out on her?" Jet clarifies in disbelief. More bile rises up in my throat at his words. But I don't have time to think about it as my body suddenly seizes up.
"Shoot! He's going into a seizure." Yue panics as she rests a hand on my chest in an attempt to cushion my head. I scream at the flare up of pain and she immediately pulls away. "Oh gosh he must've broken his ribs." The white head babbles.
"Hey calm down, you've got this." Jet soothes.
"Shoot, if he dies, Katara will..." I don't hear the rest of what she says as the realm of unconsciousness greets me. My final thought is of the woman I left many years ago. A woman I couldn't stop thinking about. A woman whose memory still gets me twisted up inside. A woman who hasn't seen me in years. A woman I very much love. Katara. That's the last word in my mind as I feel my eyes rolling back into my head.
Present day
Katara's POV:
Aang's forehead continues to shed sweat.
"I need to get out of here." I hear him mutter and my eyes widen in alarm.
"What are you talking about?" I ask, hoping that I misheard. The man suddenly shoots up to his feet, his face twists in pain as he puts a little too much weight on his injured leg, but he moves forward regardless. My eyebrows shoot up to my hairline as I dash to stop him. "Hold on a minute, what are you doing?!" I demand which finally earns the Airbender's attention.
"I'm leaving." He utters as his eyes continue to dart around the house. I frown at his behaviour.
"But why?" I press, only for him to shake his head hard.
"I need to get out of here now. I shouldn't have come here to start with. Ridiculous how the important memories only come back now." Aang rants in a manner that's so unlike him. I shake my head, confused.
"Why, what happened? What did Yon Rha say to you?" I query, but the man only tries to get around me. I stretch out my arms, blocking his way to the front door. "Aang, talk to me!" I snap.
"Katara, get out of my way!" The young Avatar growls as his tattoos flicker white. My jaws slacken and I cautiously step back. He notices and starts inhaling deeply, making the arrows return to their usual blue. "I won't ask you again." The Airbender warns, but my hands are curling into fists at my sides.
"You mean, all this trying to get close to me. To fix things. They weren't true? They weren't something you wanted?" I ask, my voice shakes with the slow, sickening realisation that maybe this is what Aang from a couple of years ago wanted. But this Aang, present day Aang, he doesn't want anything to do with me.
"Of course not. The accident muddled with my recent memories. I kept away from you for a reason." Aang utters tightly. My lips tremble as I stare at him through angry tear-filled eyes.
"To protect me?" I jeer sarcastically. The Airbender's eyes harden.
"I don't need you to believe me. I need you to step aside." Aang forces out between grit teeth. My hands are clenched so tightly that I can feel my nails digging into my palms. A harsh bark of laughter tips out of my throat.
"Of course. Why did I ever think you'd change?" I ask cruelly as I fist a tuff of my hair. The tightness around Aang's eyes eases ever so slightly as he gazes at me.
"This is for the best." He provides uselessly as he takes a step forward, once again trying to get to the door. In a flash of anger, I push him in the chest backwards, forgetting that his ribs must still be sore. He sucks in a breath as he reaches a hand to massage the area where I pushed him.
"You don't care about me at all!" I holler. My voice cracking towards the end. Aang clenches his jaw.
"Stop trying to make me feel bad! You don't know how cruel Yon Rha is!" Aang complains angrily. A sharp intake of breath escapes me.
"Oh I'm sorry, I suppose killing my mother to bribe my father to get to you wasn't enough to show me how cruel he is." I spit. Aang's jaws slacken as his eyes go wide when he realises his bad wording.
"Shoot, Katara I didn't mean it like that." The Airbender apologises as he stretches his hand out towards me. I slap it away.
"You know what, I don't care. Leave for all I care." I voice bitterly as I move to the side, giving him room to get past. The Air Nomad inhales deeply before taking a step forward.
When he's by my side and reaching towards the door knob, a string of words drop out of my mouth before I can censor them.
"I hate you." My whisper is so quiet, but with our close proximity, the man hears it and automatically stills.
"Katara." Aang starts as his breathing hitches. He looks at me, unsure how to proceed.
"I hate you." I repeat, louder. It's more to convince myself than him. A pained whine escapes the Airbender's lips.
"Don't be like this." Aang pleads as his grey orbs become glazed with unshed tears. My throat becomes tight as I turn my head away from him.
"I should've moved on that day you left. Heaven knows how many men offered to marry me, but like a fool I waited." I spit harshly as I take a shuddering breath. "I'm not waiting anymore." The sound of a penny dropping could be heard in the tense air. Aang releases his grip on the door handle, but before he can open his mouth, his phone starts ringing. He's about to ignore it when I jerk my head towards his trousers.
"Answer it." I utter stiffly. Aang purses his lips. "It's 2am in the spirit forsaken morning, it's obviously important." I add tightly. Finally, the man fishes for the ringing device in his pocket and puts it to his ear.
"I'm a little busy right now." Aang mutters, but the waver in his voice from our conversation is crystal clear.
"I need you to come first thing tomorrow morning. It's urgent. I've had...quite a situation here." The caller urges.
"Zuko, I can't really stay here any longer." The Airbender protests.
"Aang, please. I need your help." The Firebender insists and with a weary glance in my direction, he releases a heavy sigh.
"Ok. I'll see you at 8." Aang mumbles before hanging up. His eyes find mine again as he drops the hand holding the phone to his side.
"Maybe...we should talk about things in the morning." The Airbender offers cautiously. I snort.
"Oh, so now you want to talk?" I jeer before shaking my head. "You know what, I'm going to bed. You decide if you want to be here tomorrow morning or not." I retort with hardened eyes.
"Wait, what do you..." The man starts until I cut him off.
"I'm joining you." I answer simply. His eyes bulge as he shakes his head.
"No way! This is Avatar business. Besides, don't you have work tomorrow?" Aang reminds. I press my lips tightly together before replying.
"I've got plenty of days off stored up. Besides, Zuko is my friend and I'm sure he wouldn't mind me being there." I point out bluntly. Aang opens his mouth to argue, but I scowl at him.
"You've had it your way for 5 years, would it kill you if I tagged along?" I shoot out. The Airbender closes his mouth and grumbles incoherently.
"Fine." He mutters as he starts massaging his leg, probably from all the pressure that standing has on his hip. I swallow, but I don't wait for him to say another word as I start ascending the stairs.
The tense atmosphere follows me all the way until I'm safely tucked in my room. I grab the nearest pillow and bury my face into it. 'This is exactly why I shouldn't have let down my guard.' I rebuke myself with teary eyes.
A/N: Hello angst, it's nice to have you back XD Or at least, I enjoy having it around anyway haha. I hope you all do too! Will update either end of this week or next beginning of next. I actually quite like the next chapter a lot, so you're in for a treat… that is, if you like angst haha. Anyway, let me know your thoughts in this chapter and take care everyone!
15/8/23