A/N: Helloooooo all you wonderful awesome people! XD I've got a week off from work which I'm looking forward to, but seems like it will be packed with lots of stuff, so my updating schedule might be a bit hazardous, but I explain that a little more at the end of the chapter. Again, I'm insanely, insanely sorry for my slow replies to a couple of you guys, I have you on my mind and I promise I'll reply as soon as time allows – I'm hoping in the next couple of days!
Guest review responses:
A: Haha that's prob it XD Yes, yes, yes – honestly spot on observations! Yeah exactly, its hard to try to avoid doing the mistakes of your past self when you don't know what they are as well. I thought it would be a nice change of pace XD Huh interesting conclusion. The way I had thought about it was more, because it's triggering her of how flawed their past relationship was and it brought back the bad memories of their time together, but hey its open to interpretation, but you know me, I always take the angsty route XD Haha OFC, you're dying for those specs of romance so I'll give you that XD I mean, usually? Yes. But they have a lot of history, they were friends, knew each other for a long time, were married…for him to say yeah I'd disappear if we didn't have a kid is a little bit of a low blow, at least I thought so anyway haha. Haha definitely salty there, but eh rejection stings even if you expected it. Aye definitely a curse haha! I'll have to try to get it out on the 20th if time allows as a birthday treat XD Thank you! Y'know what? I'm making it my personal mission to make you like him haha. Hope you're keeping well!
Guest: Thank you! XD
Hanyepots: Trust me chapter 20 will be worth it! I hope XD so so true! Yeah the consensus last chapter that Aang is definitely maturing somewhat. Hahaha I know, I know, but rejection and emotions come into play and make you think say things that you otherwise wouldn't! Plus, while he likes Katara, he still doesn't have the foundation and years of knowledge about her like his past self did. Thank you so much! Here we go, a bit earlier for ya ;)
/
1 Week Later:
Katara's POV:
Over the past week, things between the Airbender and I have become so awkward to the point that we've begun avoiding each other completely. It pains me every time I have to decline Yatsu's invitation to join him and his father, but I just can't. I can't get the image of him and Jin out of my mind. Even at work, every time I see a couple together, it just flashes across my mind's eye and the urge to vomit returns.
Even Yun has picked up on the change in my behaviour, but I haven't told him about what the Air Nomad has told me because I didn't want him to worry. I sigh loudly as I reach my car, glancing up at the darkening sky. 'I need to stop working so many shifts.' I think to myself tiredly as I unlock the vehicle, but I pause when I feel a set of eyes watching me.
My eyes sweep around the empty car park, but I don't see anyone. With a shrug, I open the door, but just before I enter the car, I spot the same hooded person that was stalking me a few months back. I freeze momentarily before clutching the door strongly.
"Who are you?!" I shout, fed up of being chased like this, even though it's only been a couple of times now. The person doesn't reply and I'm just about to bend a stream of water for defence when they sprint towards me and grab my arm before pulling it behind my back. "Ah!" I yelp at the sudden shooting pain up my arm, before gritting my teeth as I try to struggle against the hooded figure.
"If you want to know how and why Aang lost his memories, meet me on the roof of the town hall building in an hour." The voice is husky, too masked for me to make out if it's male or female and the mask on their face conceals their features strikingly well. Before I can open my mouth to ask any questions, I'm pushed forward. By the time I've steadied myself and whip my head around, the person is gone.
I stare in disbelief as I rub my shoulder. 'Who on earth was that?' I wonder anxiously. 'They moved so quickly and was able to overpower me with a scary amount of ease.' I think worriedly as I drop my arms to my sides. 'Do...I go? Wouldn't that be foolish of me? Who knows what ulterior motives they might have, but...they're dangling a shred of information that I've been dying to know for the longest time.'
I bite my lip as I drop my head in my hands. 'If it was just me, I'd go, but...I have Yatsu to think about. If anything happened to me, then he'd be in his father's care who struggles in looking after him.' I chew my lips vigorously as I finally slide into my car, shutting the door behind me. 'Shoot. What do I do?'
I sit in my car for over 40 minutes before I finally start the car and pull out of the hospital car park. I find myself pulling up in front of the dark town hall. I glance up, wondering if it's even legal to get up on the roof without permission, but after a moment's hesitation I bend myself up to find the hooded person sitting on the roof's ledge.
"Fine I'm here. But I want to know who you are first." I demand and the person finally turns to face me.
"Good to know my disguise works so well that even you can't recognise me, waterbender." The voice this time drops its husky tone and the snide feminine ring makes me know who it is instantly.
"Azula?!" I breathe out in shock as I take a step towards her. I hear her chuckle, but she doesn't remove her mask or hood.
"Hey Katara, it's been a while. Missed me?" The woman voices smugly, but I can't help and stare at her with slack jaws.
"Where have you been? Zuko said you've been travelling abroad." I echo back as I move to stand beside her.
"I told him to say that, I've actually been running from a hitman that my father has sent after me. Typical, he's in jail, but somehow he still has some influence on people outside his cell." Azula mutters with a curl of her lips. My jaw drops.
"A hitman? Since when?!" I breathe out, appalled. A smirk makes it way up her lips as she gazes at me.
"Aww you almost sound worried about me." Azula teases. I roll my eyes at her and cross my arms over my chest. When she sees that I'm not rising to take the bait, her smirk falls slightly. "A year after Yon Rha exploded himself. I've had to lay low for the meantime. Anyway, that's not what you came here for, is it?" The woman murmurs and I go still at the reminder.
"How do you know anything about Aang's memories? So far, no one knows what happened." I probe as I rest my knee against the ledge.
"He told me two nights before he lost his memories. Thought it was worth telling someone who wasn't in his immediate friend circle. Mind you, he didn't want me to tell anyone. But he felt better knowing that at least someone knew." The firebender explains and my body goes cold at the thought.
"So...he really did know that he was going to lose his memories?" I croak back as my knees weaken. The smirk on the woman's face is notably absent as she nods.
"Oh yes. In fact, he wasn't meant to tell me to be honest. I just stumbled onto him looking sorry for himself and it slipped out." The firebender recounts with a shrug. I have to fumble around for a nearby poll to keep myself upright as I stare at the woman.
"If you knew all this time, why didn't you tell me?!" I hiss, but my anger is quickly shut down with a swift hand raise.
"Not my place to. If you told me something in confidence, would you like it if I spilt it to someone else?" Azula points out reasonably and I clench my jaws, hating the logic of her words. 'She's always been good at winning arguments.' I think in disdain.
"There are still exceptions. I fell pregnant, I needed help and support." I grit back, but the woman shrugs.
"By the time I knew that, I was busy with my own problems. Besides, it's not like knowing would've changed anything." The woman points out, but I shoot her down with a glare.
"Then why tell me now?" I retort as she leans back.
"I might have to disappear permanently, so thought I might as well spill the beans before I leave. Now, do you want to know or not? I have places to be." Azula utters impatiently. I bite my lip and clasp my elbow in hesitation before giving her a jerky nod.
"Fine." I mutter which elicits a smile from the firebender.
"You know how the Avatar can do things that us normal folk can't? Turns out they can talk to spirits too." Azula starts and I blink in confusion.
"Spirits? Like the snake spirit at that weird library?" I ask which prompts a nod from the woman.
"Exactly. Aang connected with the spirit of memories after your brother lost his in an attempt to persuade the spirit to return your brother's memories back." Azula continues, but I suddenly have a sinking feeling in my gut as I press my hand firmly against the pole.
"Oh no." I whisper as I can already gather what must've happened. The woman gives me a half smile before carrying on.
"The condition was to exchange the memories with someone else. Your ex-husband so kindly volunteered. Apparently, the spirit gave him three days to get his things in order before he lost all his memories except how to bend and his role as the Avatar." Azula finishes as her eyes land on me. My knees buckle underneath me and I hit the ground with a thud. I barely register the gravel grating against my skin as I stare at the ground.
"Shoot." I curse angrily. "What an absolute jerk." I grit out as I curl my hands into fists. "I should've been the one to lose my memories, not him. Sokka, was my brother for spirits sake. And he had the gall not to tell me. He...we spent the entire night together and he had the guts to look me in the eye and not say a-anything." I choke out as tears blind my vision. "What a horrible j-jerk." I whisper as the tears fall to the ground. I hear a long-exaggerated sigh from the woman as she rises to her feet.
"This is exactly why I didn't tell you." Azula mutters and I shoot her a watery glower.
"Excuse me for not being happy that my then husband went behind my back and lied in my face when I asked if anything was bothering him and all when we were in a vulnerable..." I angrily rant, until the firebender shakes her head.
"I really don't want to hear the ins of your love life Katara. I'm telling you so you know that it's very hard for him to get his memories back. Either you somehow miraculously contact the spirit to make another memory exchange or something huge happens that it's enough to restore his memories." Azula voices offhandedly. I stare at her.
"Did...did he tell you those were the only two ways?" I query softly. My heart sinks when she nods her head.
"Yeah and even he didn't know what would be big enough to trigger his memories." Azula utters and it feels like all hope has just been shattered at those words. "Well, I best be going. Don't take it so hard." The firebender says as she pats my shoulder once.
"I still don't get why you were acting like a stalker, especially that one night while I was driving." I mutter as I force myself up to my feet. Azula stares at me with furrowed eyebrows.
"What night? This is the first time I've approached you in years." Azula voices with confusion. I go still as my eyes widen.
"You're pulling my leg right now...right? You were there when I went shopping a few months back and also when I finished a night shift. You chased me all the way down to another city!" I accuse irritably, but the woman shakes her head in denial.
"That wasn't me. This is honestly the first time I've come to see you. You should be careful waterbender. I wouldn't be surprised if the person after me, is after you too. After all, you're the mother of the Avatar's son. You can easily be used as leverage for Ozai to control the Avatar or heck even enact his revenge for getting his early release blocked." At Azula's words a shiver runs down my spine.
"That's ridiculous. They would've acted a lot sooner if they intended to come after me." I brush off with a hand, but the woman snaps her arm out to grasp my wrist tightly.
"Before, no one knew who the father of your son was. Now, Aang drops by your place all the time to pick up your son. It doesn't take a genius to work it out. I'd watch your back if I were you." Azula warns and before I can say another word, she hops off the roof and disappears into the night.
I stumble backwards as fear grips my heart. 'Shoot, that's not good. If anything were to happen to Yatsu I don't know what I would do.' I think anxiously as I waterbend myself down from the roof and run to my car.
The instant need to see my son seizes me to the point I break nearly all the speed limits before reaching the house. I fumble up the stairs, ignoring Yun's sleepy groan and make a beeline to Yatsu's room. My shoulders slump in relief when I spot the little boy sleeping soundly as small cute snores escape his half open mouth. 'Thank the spirits.' I praise silently as I enter into the room and lightly sit at the edge of his bed. The boy stirs at the movement and gazes at me with bleary eyes.
"Mummy?" He mumbles as his hand reaches out for mine. I grasp it and pull him towards me.
"Shh shh. Go back to sleep." I murmur softly as I brush some strands of hair from his face.
"Are you ok Mama?" The boy queries with a frown, as if sensing something is wrong. 'He was always able to tell when something was bothering me, even if I had the best poker face in the world.' I shake my head and urge him to lie back down.
"Yes of course, sweetie. Just a long day. Sorry to wake you." I apologise quietly as my hand remains clasped in his.
"I love you Mummy." Yatsu murmurs sleepily before falling back asleep. I swallow and remain the rest of the night seated by his side, unable to move until it's time for him to go to school.
"Katara, I think you should give work a miss today." Yun suggests as he shoos the kids out of the house.
"What, no I'm fine!" I insist, but he's already closing the door.
"You stayed awake all night panicking about...well, I don't even know what. You haven't really been telling me anything these days. I think a day off will do you good." My fiancé voices firmly before closing and locking the door behind him, leaving me all alone as he takes the kids to school. I groan loudly.
"I need some fresh air." I mutter to myself as I grab a pair of keys and just as I swing open the door, I come face to face with my ex-husband. My lips part in shock as I take a step back. "What are you doing here?" I ask with furrowed eyebrows as everything that Azula told me comes crashing down. My fingers dig into the edge of the door as I stare at him.
"I got an anonymous tip that you were in trouble, but I guess that wasn't true?" The Airbender mumbles awkwardly. I furrow my eyebrows in confusion until it hits me a moment later. 'Azula!' I think in disdain as I shake my head.
"I'm not." I mutter.
"Oh. I see. I guess I should go then." The Air Nomad utters unsurely, but he makes no move to leave. I frown at him when he stretches out his arm. His fingers make contact with my chin as he tilts my head up to scan my face.
"What are you..." I protest, but stop when he drops his hand.
"You've got a serious case of black bags under your eyes. Have you not been sleeping?" Aang murmurs in concern and I subconsciously take a step back from him.
"Just busy at work. Nothing you need to worry about." I brush off, but he doesn't seem convinced.
"Mind if I come in for a drink?" He asks randomly and I stare at him for a moment, wondering if I heard right.
"I don't think that's..." I start, but he walks past me before I can shoot him down. I scrunch my nose up before closing the door behind him and follow him inside from a distance. "You know this isn't your house." I mutter which elicits a dry chuckle from the Airbender.
"Trust me, I'm well aware." The Air Nomad mumbles as he glances around the living room before moving towards the fridge in the kitchen. "Do you want anything?" He queries as he pulls out a bottle of water. I furrow my eyebrows briefly before shaking my head.
"Usually, the guest doesn't help themselves to someone else's fridge." I point out dryly which prompts a wry smile from the man.
"I think I've been around here enough times to not be a guest. Could we drop all the fake pretences?" Aang utters tightly as he turns round to face me. I clench my jaws and turn my head away from him.
"No one's pretending." I retort, only for the Airbender to snort.
"You've been acting strange since I came here. Yun mentioned something was up with you, but he wasn't sure what." My ex-husband notes and I stiffen up at his words.
"Yun talked to you?" I echo back anxiously. Something flashes across his stormy eyes, almost akin to jealousy, but it evaporates before I can be sure.
"Yeah, he said I should check up on you." Aang admits as he takes a sip from the water bottle. "I...it's probably about what I said, isn't it? I'm sorry that it's making things awkward for you. Just try to forget that I said I have feelings for-" I stop him by raising a hand.
"That's not helping." I mutter and the man sucks in his lips in embarrassment. "Funny enough that bothers me less than..." I trail off with a shake of my head. 'What am I thinking? I can't tell him that I'm more bothered by the fact that he and Jin were...'
I cut my thoughts off by gritting my teeth. 'He'll get the wrong idea anyway if I told him that.' I think to myself with a sigh. "Never mind." I mumble as I move towards the living room. I catch the expression of curiosity on his face before giving him my back. He trails after me a few moments later.
"Katara..." He probes lightly as I go over to the dining table to rest against its edge.
"Honestly I'm more worried about other things." I say instead which prompts a frown from the Airbender as he gazes at me carefully.
"What other things?" Aang queries slowly as he watches my face. I scrunch my nose up and turn my head to the side.
"I'm worried your position as the Avatar puts Yatsu in danger." I confess as I fold my arms over my chest. The Airbender's jaws slacken as he stares at me.
"Danger? Where is this coming from?" My ex-husband echoes back as his features become taunt with alarm. I bite my lip, realising that I've suddenly led myself into a pit hole. 'He knows nothing about Ozai or Yon Rha or Azula. I can't explain how I know our son is in danger without explaining the rest of it. Shoot. What do I say now?'
"Call it a hunch." I state, but it's obvious he's not buying it by the way his face twists up.
"You can't tell me that my son is in danger and not explain your reasoning for it." Aang utters tightly and I blow out a breath, cursing myself for not keeping my mouth shut.
"Telling you the reason wouldn't help you make any sense of it." I try to reason, but if anything his expression contorts with impatience.
"There's only two reasons for you dodging the question. Either this has something to do with our past which you have been refusing to tell me since we met. Or..." The Air Nomad trails off as his lips curl downwards. I quirk an eyebrow at him.
"Or?" I prompt as his features tighten.
"Or this is your excuse to stop me from seeing him because you don't want me in the picture of your newfound family." Aang whispers numbly. My eyes widen as I push myself off the edge of the table.
"What? No, I wouldn't do that!" I protest weakly, but the man scrunches his nose up dubiously.
"You didn't tell me he existed for nearly 6 years. Heck, I had to figure it out on my own. I wouldn't be surprised if you wanted me to disappear." The Avatar reminds harshly and I have to clench my jaws so tightly to stop myself from saying something I'd regret, especially now that I know why he lost his memories. 'He wanted my brother to have his back, but...he never told me. And something doesn't sit right with me about how easy it was for him to give up his memories. It's like he wanted to lose them. To start fresh. And that hurts more than anything.'
I hear my teeth cracking against each other and I have to spin around to give him my back to hide my anger and tears. I rest my hands out in front of me on the table as I stare at the mahogany's surface. 'Shoot and I can't lash out at him because he remembers nothing. This is the worst kind of pain.' I complain silently as the cruelty of my situation hits me.
"This isn't fair." I croak as I close my eyes when I feel frustrated tears prick the backs of my eyes. I hear him shift closer towards me, so I give my head a hard shake. "Don't...don't get any closer." I mutter as I run a hand through my messy hair.
"I...sorry. I shouldn't have said that." He mutters, completely oblivious to my inner turmoil. I exhale slowly and re-open my eyes.
"Trust me, out of all the things to be mad at you for, that's the lowest on the list." I mutter without thinking and suddenly I sense his presence beside me as he tilts his head in an attempt to catch my eyes.
"What's going on? You're more worked up than usual." Aang murmurs with a frown as he stretches out a hand towards my forehead, but I lean back, out of his reach.
"Gee thanks." I throw back sarcastically and he cringes when he notices his wording.
"You know what I mean. Did you find out something that's making you on edge like this?" My ex-husband queries softly as he takes a hold of my elbow. I want to bat him away, but I feel so tired from fighting all the time.
"Someone I know told me that Yatsu could be targeted. And I know in the past, Avatars have had to hide away their identity or leave their loved ones because of that reason. It's a dangerous job and I'm starting to wonder what..." I ramble until the man rests a firm hand on my shoulder.
"I will never let anything bad happen to Yatsu. Never." Aang vows so seriously that I almost believe him, but...Roku's death plays so vividly in my mind that it's hard to believe him.
I swallow and stare at the ground. 'He once said it himself, bending can only do so much to protect a person. I mean, I've seen it second hand when I was kidnapped all those years ago. And multiple times with Yon Rha.' I massage my forehead as I feel a headache coming on.
"You can't be around 24/7. And if anything happens to him..." I trail off as my voice starts wobbling. I breathe deeply as I try to collect myself. An arm wraps around my shoulders and I look up in surprise.
"Nothing will happen, I promise. I'll protect him whatever the cost." The Airbender utters firmly with resolution in his stormy orbs. I give him a wry smile.
"Even if the cost is me?" The words spill out before I can stop them and I cringe immediately after saying that. I feel his arm tense up around my shoulders as his lips part wordlessly.
"That...it wouldn't come to that." My ex-husband falters and I close my eyes when old memories string across my mind's eye. 'When we had to save my dad but we both ended up being kidnapped. I know we were young then, but I don't think age mattered at that moment. Sometimes there are situations where you just can't do anything about it.' I swallow as I pin my gaze onto him.
"If it did though, you have to protect Yatsu no matter what." I urge firmly and his face falls in distress at the thought.
"I told you that I'd never allow for anything to come to that." The Air Nomad protests, but I shoot him down with a stern glare.
"Promise me." I force him to maintain his gaze on me by holding his chin, but he can't seem to say the words.
"Katara, that's a cruel thing to make me promise." He whispers quietly. I retract my hand almost instantly at that, as if burnt.
"At least reassure me that Yatsu is the priority." I whisper back as my throat closes up at the thought of anything happening to the boy. My thoughts must've shown on my face because he finally jerks his head up in a nod.
"Yeah, Yatsu is...the priority, but I'm not going to let anything happen to either of you and if you ever do feel like you're in danger then call me and I'll be there in a heartbeat." Aang utters seriously and I almost smile at how cringey that sounds, but when he gazes at me with those strong resolute eyes of his, I find myself sighing.
"Sure, but if you're in another city, that won't be possible." I remind mildly as I move to create some distance between us.
"That wont be a problem for the mean time. I've been stationed to stay here for the next few months." Aang throws back casually and I still at his words.
"Really? That's unusual." I breathe back with furrowed eyebrows as he shrugs in response.
"They said they need my help down here for the time being. Something about a dangerous gang or other that's selling illegal drugs." The Airbender waves off breezily. 'It's the first time he's actually told me about his work in a very long time. He used to tell me all about it at the start, but as the years went past, the amount of information he shared with me dwindled.' But that's not what has my heart dropping anxiously. He catches the worry on my face as he frowns. "Is sometimes wrong?" He queries in confusion, but I shake my head. 'It couldn't possibly be the same gang. They're all in jail or dead.' I try to convince myself as I give him a tight smile.
"Nope. You know, I think I might head to bed, didn't get much sleep last night." I say, swiftly changing the topic of conversation.
"Oh right of course. Would it be ok if I picked up some of Yatsu's clothes? In case he needs to stay over when both you and Yun are working nights." My ex-husband requests and with a nod of my head, he follows me up the stairs.
"You can take these ones." I say pointing to the pile at one side of the cupboard. "I'll grab a bag from my room for you to put them in." I excuse myself and rummage through my cupboard for a suitable bag. I find one at the back and just as I pull it out, a frame tumbles to the ground.
I glance down and freeze when I realise it's the photo that Yun had snuck into my luggage the day we moved in with him. I inhale deeply and bend down to pick it up, only for a hand to get to it before me. My eyes widen in panic when Aang scrutinizes the photo. His eyes part in shock as he stares at the frame.
"Wait, this is me?!" The Airbender breathes out as he lowers the photo to pin his steely gaze on me. I cringe and fumble with the zippers of the bag.
"Yeah, Yun packed it with my stuff when I moved in with him. Spirits knows why." I explain with a shrug before he gets the wrong idea. His face twists at my words before he drops his gaze back to the photo.
"Do you have any more?" My ex-husband's queries quietly. I tense up as I bite my lip in thought. 'Azula did say that something small is unlikely to trigger his memories. Would it hurt if he saw a few random snapshots?' I wonder anxiously before finally jerking my thumb towards the cupboard.
"Yun packed quite a few. They're in there." I mutter as I take Yatsu's pile of clothes from his other hand to allow him to rummage through.
"You don't mind if I have a look?" Aang asks in bewilderment and I give him a half-hearted shrug.
"They're your photos as much as they're mine. Besides, I doubt you'd be able to hold yourself back even if I said no." I retort dryly as I pop the bag on my bed and start organising Yatsu's clothes inside the bag while Aang pulls out several frames from the cupboard.
My hands go still when I hear him inhale sharply. I turn wryly to see his face drawn up tightly as he stares at one particular photo. From where I'm standing, I can't see which one has him reacting like this and it's been such a long time since I last looked at them that I'm unsure what photos are even in those frames.
"Wow, so that's what we were like as a couple." Aang breathes out as he starts chewing his lip.
Curiosity gets the better of me and I move to glance over his shoulder at the photo. I nearly choke at the image. 'Shoot. I didn't realise that photo was amongst that pile.' I think in disdain as I eye the way my past self had rested her head in the Airbender's lap while the man had angled his face just inches away from mine in a near kiss. 'It was a shot that Sokka sneakily took when we weren't looking during my final year of uni.' I have to tear my eyes away from the photo as I busy myself with the bag.
"Well, we were no different from any other couple." I throw back nonchalantly, but inside my heart is racing as memories from a lifetime ago haunts my mind.
I note the way the Airbender raises a hand to brush his fingers against the photo while lost in thought. I bite my tongue to refrain from asking him what's on his mind. Instead, I start worrying what other photos might be in that pile. Sokka and Yue had a habit of taking photos of us when we weren't aware of their presence. I bite the inside of my cheek before hovering behind the Air Nomad just in case I need to snatch any photos from his hand. I watch as he sifts through the photos one by one. His lips quirk at seeing Sokka giving him a head-noogie.
"I didn't realise how close I was to Sokka." He murmurs to himself as he moves to the next one. His eyes widen in recognition when he spots Toph and Zuko in a couple of pictures. "Wow, we all looked so close." Aang breathes out, his voice starting to become sombre and I start wondering whether this was a good idea after all.
"Maybe that's enough photos for today." I suggest as I reach out a hand to rest it on top of the pile of pictures.
"Who's this?" He asks instead as he points to a white head woman. I smile softly at the picture.
"That's Yue. She went to med school with me. We're best friends, but life is so busy that we barely see each other unfortunately." I explain as I gaze fondly at the girl. I feel Aang's gaze on me as he flickers his eyes between me and the photo.
"I like seeing you like this." The Airbender whispers and I'm immediately jerked back to reality as I pull away.
"Like what?" I echo back as I try to put my guard back up, but he simply shrugs.
"Happy and relaxed. You always seem worried or frustrated over something." My ex-husband notes and I frown at him.
"Plenty of reasons for that." I mutter as he moves to the next photo. My eyes widen and I immediately snatch the pile from his hand. "That's enough photos." I utter tightly as the man stares at me in confusion.
"Why are you acting so strangely about a picture of an old man with a beard?" Aang queries with innocent eyes and I swallow thickly as words escape me. 'Wow. Even a picture of Roku does nothing for him. I don't know why I didn't get rid of the picture when my Dad gave it to me. I just couldn't help but wonder what he was like as an Avatar from time to time. I mean, it's hard to forget that he saved us that day.'
My hands fumble to slot the picture somewhere in the middle, but I didn't realise how much they're trembling until the pile slips from my hands and scatters onto the ground.
"Spirits." I curse as I stoop down to pick them up. The Airbender crouches down to help, but a few seconds later his face goes bright red. I blink twice at his strange reaction and crane my neck over his arm to see what he's looking at, only to stop short and inhale deeply at the photo of us sharing a rather intimate kiss. I scoop the photo up as I feel my ears going pink. "F-forget you saw that one." I stutter in embarrassment, especially since it's obvious that I was the one who was initiating it.
"Wow, you sure were crazy about me." Aang teases and I barely resist the urge to smack him.
"Zip it." I hiss as I feel my face becoming way too warm for my liking.
"You're looking awfully red over there." The Airbender continues his playful joking, but I shoot him down with one scowl.
"That's enough of tha-" I start irritably until my eyes fall on a picture of my Mum and all the steam I had fizzles out. 'Jeez Yun, you really packed all my photos, huh?' I realise with a sigh as I pick up the photo carefully. Aang immediately notices the change in my demeanour and shifts to flicker his gaze to the photo.
"Who's that?" He asks softly.
"My Mum." I reply without taking my eyes off the picture. I hear him exhale lightly as he rests a hand on my shoulder.
"I was going to say you really look like her." The Airbender murmurs and I give him a half smile.
"You said that before too." I voice lightly as I continue picking up the photos.
"I'm sure she would've been an awesome grandma." The Air Nomad comments quietly and for some reason his words hit harder than I thought they would.
"Yeah, she would've spoilt Yatsu like crazy." I whisper back.
"What about your Dad?" The Avatar asks offhandedly and I tense up at the question.
"My Dad loves him of course." I answer robotically as I tap the edge of the pile against the floor to straighten them out.
"You don't like your Dad?" My ex-husband comments curiously and I flinch at his observation.
"I love him. It's just things are...complicated between us. Nothing you need to worry about." I brush off as I rise to my feet and place the photos back in the cupboard before closing it shut.
"I get the feeling there's more to it than that." The Airbender comments dubiously and my lips curl up at his deduction.
"You wouldn't be wrong, but that's all I'm willing to share." I say off-handedly as I zip up the bag and push it into his hands. "Alright, I really need that nap, so if that's everything..." I pause, hoping that he won't jump something else on me and I'm relieved when he takes the bag and shakes his head.
"Well, I won't delay you anymore. I'll see myself out." My ex-husband reassures as he steps out of the bedroom. "I'll drop by in a couple of days for Yatsu." He adds after a beat and I nod my head.
"Sure, see you then." I confirm and wait until he's out of sight before sitting down on the edge of the mattress. 'That was strangely a lot more tame than our recent conversations. Maybe there is a way for us just to be friends.' I think to myself hopefully, but there's a small voice at the back of my head asking me whether this is what I really want.
"Aurgh brain, be quiet." I mutter as I reach for my duvet.
A/N: Bet you guys were hoping the photos would be the trigger huh? Nope! Gonna keep you guessing on what that trigger will be for just a little bit longer hehe. The first of the chapter is a little tacky sorry, but I hope the second half made up for it.
This was my favourite line to write this chapter:
"Even if the cost is me?"
Alright, for the next chapter unfortunately (or fortunately for me haha) I'm going away so unlikely will have any time to update next weekend and then I have a string of nights the working the weekends, so the next update I'm gonna try to aim for Friday 25th, but will try to get it out before then if possible. Until then, take care everyone and sending you all hugs with tons of thanks yous for being super awesome as always.
12/10/24