A/N: Be aware that the POV will switch between Koko and Valen several times during this chapter, even within the same scene. These changes are always marked by a line break.

Hey, do you have any plans for this evening?" Nani asked.

Koko paused at the front door. "Just training with Saph. Why?"

"Valen's coming over for dinner. I offered to give him a cooking lesson and thought the three of us could catch up over a meal." A hint of a sly smile appeared at the corners of her mouth. "I figured you wouldn't mind. You seem like you can talk to him more easily these days."

Koko was unamused. "I thought you knew better than to say shit like that about my past. You know I'm not that person anymore."

"Sorry," Nani said, her face falling. At least she had the grace to look abashed. "I'm glad you two are friends. And I'm even more glad the three of us can finally hang out together. No drama, no crises, no teenagers needing our attention. Just three adults enjoying a quiet meal and sharing a bottle of sake."

On the verge of making up an excuse to get out of the dinner, Koko hesitated. She didn't want either of them to think she was avoiding Valen. Because I'm not. Why would I do that? We're friends. Sort of.

"Are you upset with him about something?" Nani asked before she could answer.

"Upset? Why do you think that?"

Her eyes darted sideways evasively. "Oh, well– You just seem reluctant."

What is she hiding? Koko peered at her for a few seconds. She felt trapped. But what was the harm in dinner? Nani would probably carry the conversation; she and Valen had a lot to catch up on.

"I'm not," Koko lied. "What time?"

Nani beamed at her. "Dinner's at seven, so get here with enough time to clean yourself up."

Fortunately, Saph made Koko forget all about that uncomfortable conversation. She had apparently discovered that other kids didn't have to go to school on the weekend, and she was not happy about it.

"It's so unfair!" she complained while practicing her forms, venting her frustration through bending alongside the angry words. "Why don't I get a day off?! This is all I do, every single day. Study and train, study and train. I know you hate fun, but why does being the Avatar mean that I have to miss out, too?"

At the moment, Koko was just standing there watching with crossed arms. Saph's diatribe rattled around her brain: 'I know you hate fun, but why does being the Avatar mean that I have to miss out, too?'

The words bruised her more than expected. A swift punch to the gut. At Saph's age, Kiriko would've jumped at the chance to spend all day practicing firebending, rather than being forced into a varied routine and social life.

"This isn't fun for you?" Koko asked.

Saph scoffed but her expression quickly sobered. "Oh– You're serious."

"I know the studying is boring for you, but I thought you loved bending?" I'm not even pushing you that hard today.

"I do. I just don't want to spend hours and hours doing it every single day without a break. I'm exhausted. All the time. Plus there's school, homework, meditation, therapy, chores…" She listed them off on her fingers. "I never have time to do anything fun and relaxing, or hang out with my friends, or—I don't know—actually make some new ones."

Koko had to accept that perhaps she no longer fully appreciated the concepts of 'fun' or 'relaxation'. And she supposed that it was true that the Council was doing the same thing to Saph that the White Lotus had done with Korra. Isolation would only hurt her in the long run.

"Alright," Koko said with a nod. "I'll talk to the Council about you having the weekends off."

"Wh– Really? Just like that?"

"No promises, but I'll try. But today's not over. Now go run five laps around the room."

Valen studied the recipe card for a few seconds. I thought this was supposed to be simple? Zenya's never gonna eat this, even if I manage to make it right. But he didn't voice the complaint; Nani was putting in such an effort for him.

"So, I should mix these things up first?" he asked tentatively, pointing to the ingredients she'd set aside.

She was busy with some bread rolls at the moment but spared a glance. "Better to cut up the shrimp and tofu first, and get them seared. The wok should be hot enough now."

Valen wasn't entirely sure what she meant by 'seared' but assumed she would stop him from doing anything totally wrong. "Okay, what now?" he asked once everything was sizzling.

"Mix up those wet ingredients, but keep an eye on the shrimp and tofu. They need to be turned after about a minute."

"I guess this isn't so different from making stir fry," he mused. "I made that whenever I got fresh veggies from Makapu, just with less seasonings."

"Yeah, it's similar. This has more of a creamy, nutty sauce than stir fry. I make it a lot, so I could probably do it in my sleep at this point. It's one of Koko's favorites. I always make it for her at least once whenever we're both in Oldtown."

Hopefully that means she'll be in a good mood tonight, Valen thought cheerfully. I just have to avoid putting my foot in my mouth. Again.

She showed up ten minutes later, drenched in sweat. Loose clothes clung to her in all the wrong places and her braid was in danger of unraveling completely. How could she still look so good, even like that? There was no fairness in this world for lonely but emotionally unavailable men like Valen.

"Hey," he said with a friendly wave as she passed the kitchen one step ahead of the ripe smell of body odor. "Have a good workout?"

She paused to shrug. "Yeah, sure. Having fun?" Was she teasing him? Was she even capable of such a thing?

"Probably more fun than Nani. But she's very patient."

Nani laughed. "You're doing fine!"

"Hope it's edible," Koko deadpanned.

Valen wasn't sure what to make of that but decided to play along. "I'll have you know I'm a perfectly okay cook."

"It'll be ready in about fifteen minutes," Nani said to Koko. "Now go take a shower. I can smell you from here."

Koko glanced at Valen. "That bad, huh?"

"I wasn't going to say anything." What's 'bad' is that I kind of like it.

"I can take a hint," she said with a dismissive wave, already sauntering away.

Nani smiled brightly. "She's in a good mood."

"Really? She has those?" he joked.

"Believe it or not, she does. That's just her sense of humor. Very dry. Very–"

"Serious?"

"Hah. I guess so. I'm still holding out hope that, one day, she'll remember how to smile."

Koko couldn't figure out why she was feeling so uneasy about dinner. Nani was making her favorite food. Valen appeared to be in good spirits. They'd spent so much time around each other that he didn't make her nervous the way he used to when she was a teenager. So why did this?

It was Nani's stupid, teasing comment, she grumbled to herself.

She remembered very clearly the flicker of… something in his eyes when he'd seen her barely dressed the night Zenya broke into the city. The behavior was easily written off as involuntary. She already knew he found her attractive—as most people did—so it wasn't that surprising. What was a surprise was that, when she'd paused to talk to him in the kitchen, that same light appeared in his eyes for just a moment.

But why? She was a stinking mess in baggy clothes that were covered in her own sweat stains. They weren't flattering, and they weren't meant to be. There couldn't possibly be a single thing about her current state that was appealing to him or anyone else.

For her part, his new look was still having a truly irritating effect on her. That tidy beard, short-cropped hair… He looked like a young man once again, but with more maturity than before. A ghost from her past, coming to haunt her. Dazzle her with his insufferable good looks. She wished she knew how to get rid of that twisting ache in the pit of her stomach.

As much as she wanted to blame it on him, she couldn't bring herself to be in a bad mood right now. Good exercise and a hot shower had reset her—relaxed her, even—and the food smelled great.

"Where's Zenya?" she asked Valen once they'd all sat down. Hopefully not home alone… "With Saph?"

"Yeah. She seemed extra depressed today, so hopefully it perks her up. I'm looking forward to her starting school next week. They've got her in some kind of special class and the school is looking into getting us enrolled in a sign language class. In the meantime, we're both studying a phonetic alphabet so that I can start teaching her people's names."

"I bet she'll pick it up so fast," Nani said. "Before you know it, she'll be talking faster than you can keep up with."

"Hah. That might create a whole new set of problems."

As expected, they kept up a constant chatter and Koko was able to eat in peace. Unfortunately, that only lasted for about five minutes, at which point Nani's pager went off.

"Bad news?" Valen asked when her brows furrowed.

"I'm needed at the medical center…" She sighed regretfully but didn't seem especially concerned. "What awful timing. I guess I better go."

Koko watched her with narrowed eyes, a little confused and a lot suspicious. Nani took the time to put the food from her plate in a separate container to take with her, very little urgency in her motions.

"I hope it's not an emergency," Koko said with an edge of irony. "Otherwise they'll be dead long before you get there."

"It's not an emergency. You think I wouldn't be in a bigger hurry if it were? I'd like to be able to eat this meal I cooked, at least. They can manage without me for an extra minute or two."

Once she was gone, Koko sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. It was just her and Valen in a silent house. Great. Now what?

"Bummer that she had to go," he said. "And after all that effort of giving me a cooking lesson."

A lesson that she planned out ahead of time, only telling me about it a few hours beforehand. "It's a set-up," Koko concluded, quite sure now. "It's gotta be."

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"She wanted us to have dinner together. Just us, I mean. I bet she planned this and faked a reason to leave. Probably got one of her coworkers to page her or something." Koko rolled her eyes and shook her head, fuming. How dare Nani play games with her like this?

Valen didn't appear to be convinced. "C'mon," he said with a smirk. "She wouldn't do that."

"I know her. I've never seen her act like that when she gets a page from the medical center. It was like a performance. A bad one. She's never been a good liar."

"But…why would she try to trick us into having dinner together?"

"I assume she thinks she can play matchmaker. You think it's a coincidence that the first cooking lesson she gives you just so happens to be one of my favorite meals?"

Valen barked out a laugh. "She did mention that, but I didn't think anything of it at the time."

An uncomfortable silence settled between them. Koko had no idea what to do or say. They'd already hashed out this particular subject in the most awkward way possible.

Nani is going to get an earful from me when she gets home. She had no right to do this. In fact, this was probably the angriest she'd ever been with Nani, someone who had always had her back and had never tried to manipulate her like this.

Valen interrupted her internal rant by clearing his throat softly. "If you don't want me here, I'll go."

"You were promised dinner," Koko said with a stubborn grunt, reluctant to kick him out for such a trivial reason. "Might as well eat it."

"Alright…" There was another pause while he took a couple of bites. "This is pretty good, I gotta admit. I know Nani did most of the work, but…" He trailed off with a pensive frown and scratched the back of his neck. "Do you really think she set this up on purpose?"

"No doubt in my mind."

"Seems a little naive of her to believe it would be that simple. We just spent weeks traveling together, after all."

Koko pursed her lips. Did he really have to bring this up again? "Who knows what goes through her head. Maybe she figures it's different without three teenagers around."

"Is it?"

The unexpected question made her freeze with chopsticks halfway to her mouth, which had gone suddenly dry. "What?" she managed as her heart did a few loud thumps. What did he mean by that? Had he changed his mind?

"I mean– Are you uncomfortable around me without having them as a buffer? Especially after that…very awkward conversation we had."

"And are still having, apparently," Koko shot back, though she was relieved by his answer. "And the answer is no. I'm not hung up on the past. I barely remember my teenage years, and what I thought and felt back then." It was a half-truth; while the details were often hazy, the emotions behind them remained as sharp as ever.

"Do you–?" he started before faltering for a few seconds. "I mean– I'm just trying to understand. You've said a few times that you're a different person from Kiriko. What does that mean, exactly?"

"Just what it sounds like." She became aware of the deep scowl on her face and didn't bother trying to get rid of it. "Different personality. Different sense of identity. Different wants and goals."

"Oh. Alright."

He didn't have any further response, which was no surprise. Her tone seemed to have effectively shut down his curiosity. Instead, they both went quiet for a minute or so and focused on their food. Just when the silence was about to become truly unbearable, Valen broke it.

"Can I ask you something?"

Koko cocked an eyebrow. What fresh new invasion of her privacy was coming?

"Don't worry," he added quickly. "It's not overly personal. I'm just curious because I've really only spent time around you when we're out in the world, traveling and surviving. Here, it's different, and I can't help but wonder: What do you do for fun?"

The question was far too much like what Saph had said earlier. "...Fun?"

He laughed at whatever expression was on her face. "Yes, fun. What do you do with your free time? Do you have any hobbies?"

"Why?"

"What do you mean 'why'? It's a perfectly normal thing to ask. I'm trying to get to know you on a casual level. Because we're friends, right? Or would you rather talk about your deepest, darkest secrets? Or I guess we could just sit here in complete silence except for the sound of chewing. Your choice."

Koko pursed her lips, but she did consider his original question and couldn't come up with a valid reason not to answer it. Or try to answer it, at least. There wasn't much to say on the subject. "I work at the power plant twice a week. And now that I'm staying here for a while, I teach a firebending class at the gym. Most days I train on my own, too. Sometimes I go to the surface to get some fresh air."

"And that's it?"

"What else would I do? Sit around and watch television?" she asked with a sarcastic twist to her mouth.

"I haven't been here that long, but I know there are lots of things to do. Bars and clubs, parks, an arboretum, a sports field, a theater. And don't tell me you've never liked to go out and do things, because I remember. You used to go out drinking and dancing, even karaoke–"

"What? I didn't do karaoke."

"You didn't? I'm sure Nik told me about it…"

"I don't sing. Not now, not then."

A crooked smile tugged at his mouth. "Lots of people who can't sing do karaoke."

"Well, I don't remember ever doing it."

Valen shrugged. "It's not important. My point is, I know you've enjoyed doing things like that in the pa–" The word died on his lips when he glanced up at her face. Whatever he saw made him sit up straight and clear his throat. He reached for the sake to pour himself another glass. "Never mind. Sorry. I, uh– I don't drink often."

"Maybe you should slow down, then."

"Yeah, maybe." The bottle hovered over her half-empty glass and he gave her a questioning look.

Koko shook her head. "I'm good."

"Please don't judge me," he said with a self-deprecating laugh. "This is the first opportunity I've had in fourteen years to fully relax."

She had a feeling he was saying more than he was saying. "Must be nice to finally get a break from Zenya," she prodded, testing the waters.

As expected, he visibly cringed. "Great, now I feel guilty. Ugh… I mean, obviously I love her and would do anything for her, but I'm just so tired. This is not how I thought my life would go. Am I a horrible person for saying that?"

Koko needed a moment to figure out how to react to his emotional confession. She took a big gulp of her drink to stall. One glass won't hurt. Maybe a little buzz will make this easier.

"No," she said finally. "You're burned out from doing it on your own for so long. There's no point in feeling guilty about it."

"I don't feel guilty about wanting help. I feel guilty for being so relieved about the changes in our life. It feels wrong because it feels like I've only made my own life better. She seems miserable. Unless she's with Saph. Ugh…I don't know." He ran his hands through his hair and sat back with a sigh. "I don't know what I'm doing. We had everything figured out, and now I'm just flailing around helplessly."

She couldn't help but marvel at how verbal he was about his emotions. Had he always been like that? Or was it a side-effect of being alone for so long? No one to talk to who would actually talk back. He'd held it all in for years and now it was overflowing in the form of impassioned words.

At least he's not in fetal position on the floor, like I was a few days ago. She didn't know the solution to the problem with Zenya, mostly because she keenly understood how hard it was to reintegrate after being traumatized. "She's probably still freaked out by what happened with the blue sages. Frankly, I'm surprised she hasn't had any more earthbending tantrums. Maybe she's coping better than you think."

"I guess that's true." As had happened many times in the last several weeks, his hand reached for something hidden inside his shirt. Something hanging from the leather cord around his neck, maybe? It seemed like an unconscious gesture. "I'm sure this is the sake talking, so sorry for getting all sentimental, but I'm grateful to have a friend to vent to. You're a good listener. And since Nani abandoned us," he added with a weak laugh, "you're all I've got."

"What about Nik?" Koko asked, not without some sarcasm. The truth was, she didn't particularly want anyone to rely on her for emotional support. What could she even offer in that area?

"He's come over a couple of times. Brought me a television, actually, which was nice because I know they're expensive. But…I dunno. We don't talk about serious things. You know how he is. Everything's a joke whether it's funny or not."

Definitely past tipsy now, Valen dared to voice a question that his sober brain would've known was forbidden. His curiosity was too great and his inhibitions were quickly evaporating.

"Speaking of 'serious things'...are you ever gonna tell me how you ended up with that tattoo?"

Koko went rigid, brows lifting to show a rare expression. "You must be pretty drunk to ask me that."

"I wouldn't say drunk," he muttered, though his face certainly felt flushed. "If you don't want to answer, you don't have to. But I promise to keep anything you say to myself. What happens at forced dinner date set-ups, stays at forced dinner date set-ups." That last part came out alongside a brash laugh that had just a tad too much force behind it. Why did I say that?

Koko took her time with responding. First, she glanced at the bottle, which was more than half-empty now. Her glass had already been refilled once, Valen was sure. Next, she picked at her fingernail for a few long seconds. When she finally cleared her throat to speak, a question rather than an answer came out.

"When did Kyori, Hunir, and Zira die? How long after the comet?"

In his buzzed state, Valen was unable to do anything but let the pain wash over him—a brutal series of waves that barely left his head above water. "About three months," he managed once the worst of it passed. "Why?"

A soft exhale disturbed the tense silence. She nodded slowly and stared at some point far behind him. There was an uncharacteristic softness in her eyes. "I was just– Never mind. It's not important. I got the tattoo after successfully combustionbending for the first time. That's how it used to be, but now they give it to just about anyone."

The sudden bitterness in her voice took him by surprise. She seemed almost proud , like it was an accomplishment for her but undeserved by the others.

"Would you get rid of it if you could?"

"Nik offered," she said, jaw clenched, "about a year after I first came here. Said he'd built a machine for that. Frankly, I found it insulting."

"Really? Why?"

Her frown deepened into something approaching a snarl. "I'm not going to change who I am just to make myself more palatable for him to look at."

Valen cringed internally. Not so long ago, he'd wanted her to cover it for his own comfort. But never would he have guessed that she'd wrapped her entire identity around the mark.

"So it doesn't bother you?" he asked. "Doesn't remind you of unhappy memories when you look in the mirror?"

"I don't need a mirror to remind me of unhappy memories. I am who I am. I won't run from it."

She wasn't giving him much, but certainly more than ever before. The booze was making him bold so he kept asking questions.

"Do you still think of yourself as a blue sage?"

"No. I'm Koko."

Her voice had become flat and emotionless. Though unsettled, Valen was morbidly curious. What was she trying to say, exactly? Was this a way for her to live with the things she'd done? The things she regretted?

"So…you weren't Koko back then? But not Kiriko either? What did you call yourself?"

"No name. Just a number."

Valen swallowed hard as he remembered the tattoo on her wrist. Of course. He already knew that blue sages didn't have names or identities. The one he'd interrogated could barely remember his own childhood, nor did he seem to care about it.

None of that explained why Koko had abandoned her own past, though. Was it rage? Fury for what had been done to her family? Even tipsy, he was reluctant to ask something so deeply personal.

I better change the subject before she kicks me out. "Sorry for pestering you. You're just very mysterious. Can't help myself."

"You and everyone else." She drained her glass and sat back with a blank gaze.

"Well, I'll stop." He tried to think of something to keep the conversation alive. "You mentioned the gym earlier. I've been there. Bolin showed it to me. Does kinda seem like it would be your go-to haunt."

Fortunately, that seemed like the right thing to say. Perhaps she didn't perk up as most other people would, but a tiny bit of tension melted from her face. "Yeah. I'm there most days."

"It's a great place to take Zenya to get some energy out. Really cheers her up when she's depressed. Bolin's been teaching her some new stuff. He's got a quicker style than me. And she's so light on her feet. She's a good dancer, too. Somehow. Maybe she'd like to learn more. There's so many possibilities here. I think of something new all the time."

"Dancing," Koko mused, as if to herself. "Haven't done that in a long time…"

"Oh, yeah, that's right! I'd forgotten you used to dance. Wasn't there one you did at some fancy party every year?"

"The Tura Tura."

Koko didn't smile. She never smiled. But that fire in her eyes was warmer now. Her shoulders weren't tense with agitation or hunched from despondency. They were relaxed. She was talking about her past without her brows pulling down into a scowl.

Valen decided to take his chances and keep going. "Nik always bragged about getting to see the performance. I was never invited, of course. My parents were too normal."

The second the words were out of his mouth, he regretted them. Every conversation with her was a minefield. But to his great relief, her expression remained neutral.

"You weren't missing that much. It was mostly a chance for politicians and rich people to network with each other. I wasn't much of a socialite, but the dancing made it tolerable."

"Hey, maybe you could teach Zenya!" he blurted, thinking the idea brilliant. It could be a great way to cheer both of them up. "I'm sure she'd love that."

"Uh– I'm not sure I remember how."

"Maybe the muscle memory will still be there."

She shrugged. "Maybe."

Disappointed by her lack of enthusiasm, Valen gave up. I don't know what I was expecting. When have I ever seen her enthusiastic about anything? Other than fighting, of course.

Well, now that's an idea…

"Do you ever spar with people at the gym? I'm so out of practice, thanks to those two weeks without bending. Usually I rely on Zenya to challenge me, but she's still giving me the cold shoulder."

"If you want a challenge, there's a tournament at the gym twice a year. No teams, just one-on-one. Anyone seventeen and up, bending or not, can participate."

"That sounds like a blast. Maybe I'll sign up."

"Just be prepared to lose."

Valen's initial reaction was to frown. What an insulting thing to say– But then, like a crack of lightning, he caught the tiniest glimmer in her eyes and remembered the handful of times she'd stoically delivered similar 'jokes', for lack of a better word.

"That–" He barked out a laugh. "That might be the funniest thing I've ever heard you say."

She shrugged and poured herself another glass. "Do you doubt me?"

"Not at all. I'm sure you win every time. That's why you should spar with me: So that I have a better chance of really challenging you."

"I'll spar with anyone who's willing, but not many are. Mostly I train on my own when I'm not teaching. Granted, I spend a lot of time doing that. Currently five days a week with Saph. Four hours each day."

"Damn," Valen muttered. "That's a lot. For her, I mean. I'm sure you don't mind."

"I mind her complaining about it constantly. Which is why I'm trying to get the Council to give her a couple days off."

"She doesn't have that already?"

"No. Five days with me, two days with Opal. But that'll change once they assign earth and waterbending masters."

"So is this your job? What you do for money, I mean. Training Saph and advocating for her with the Council?"

"Among other things. In return, the Council makes sure my needs are met." Under her breath, she muttered, "Though now they're giving me shit about Shylo."

"What do you mean? Ah, oh– Does this have something to do with him being in your 'file'? Or whatever that guy said."

"Yeah. Long story."

And with only a little prodding, she told it.

Koko wasn't sure how, but they kept talking long after their plates were clear and the bottle empty. One topic led to another and the time passed by without her noticing until they were both startled by the front door opening.

Nani walked into the room and stopped short when she saw them. "Oh! You're still here?"

"What time is it?" Valen asked with a frantic edge to his voice.

"Almost nine."

"Oh, shit! I need to go. I told Mara and Jojin I'd be back at eight-thirty to get Zenya." He stood and looked at the dishes regretfully. "Um– Do you want any help cleaning up…?"

"Don't be silly. You're a guest."

"Well, thank you for the lesson, and for dinner. Sorry you couldn't be here…" His gaze slid over to Koko for just a moment and they shared a knowing glance.

"You're very welcome," Nani said, beaming. "And don't worry about it. I'm glad you had a good time." The way her mouth was twitching with restrained amusement was as good as proof that this had, in fact, been a set-up. "I'll walk you out."

Valen turned to Koko and inclined his head politely. "Goodnight."

"Bye."

Koko started clearing the table once they'd gone, as she always did whenever Nani cooked for them. She'd only just gotten started when Nani came back and leaned against the counter with her arms crossed.

"I cannot believe you sat there and talked for two hours."

"You're not as sneaky as you think you are," Koko said as she vigorously scrubbed a pot. She was definitely a little tipsy. "I know you set this up."

"What do you mean? I had to go–"

"You're lying. I know you're lying."

Nani was quiet for a few seconds. "When was the last time you had a two-hour conversation with anyone?"

"I was being polite."

"Hah," she barked. "Please. You enjoyed his company. If you hadn't, you would've asked him to leave a long time ago. And I know he didn't drink that whole bottle by himself."

"I don't know what exactly you're trying to read into this, but you can stop. Valen is a friend." See, Tolai? I can open up to people when I feel like it. "I'm allowed to have friends, aren't I? You're the one who invited him over, not me."

"I've seen the way he looks at you," Nani pressed.

Koko's stomach churned, which only further pissed her off. "Same way every man looks at me. It means nothing."

"No, it's more than that. He admires you. Respects you. He's a good man, and obviously very lonely. What's the harm in seeing where it goes? I know you have strict boundaries, but I'm sure he–"

"I don't want to be in a relationship!" Koko growled, slamming the pot on the counter. "And neither does he."

Nani's eyes went wide. "He said that? I mean– You've actually discussed it?"

"Believe it or not, we're adults who know how to communicate, not teenagers living out the soap opera fantasy in your head." Her outburst was followed by an awkward silence and she found something else to scrub.

Eventually, Nani cleared her throat softly. "Sorry. I'll let it go."

The hurt in her voice wasn't quite enough to make Koko offer her own apology.

"That's all I ask," she said instead, though in a more moderated tone than before.

Nani walked away, leaving Koko alone in the quiet kitchen with a storm in her mind and an uneasy feeling in her gut.

As Valen hurried home, he realized he was smiling. It had been a good night, despite the part of the conversation that had taken a darker turn—not to mention Nani's supposed subterfuge, which he was now more inclined to believe after seeing her mischievous smile upon returning home.

But Koko hadn't kicked him out. Instead, she kept talking. That had to mean she was getting more comfortable around him, right? They were two damaged people wandering through the dark, and he was content that they'd found some common ground in the search for light.

Now if only I can get Zenya settled, life will be good. We're safe from the blue sages here. Saph has years of training ahead of her before anything big will happen. Maybe I can even be the one to teach her earthbending.

He nodded to himself with satisfaction, more hopeful than he'd been in a good long while.