Heimat | Aang

THIRTY-TWO

"I like them," Tapeesa assured him, "I wish I knew them better."

"They like you, though," he told her as he turned to face her. "They wouldn't hesitate to let you know if they hadn't liked you."

"I knew they liked me. I am glad they are honest."

Aang hummed his agreement as he looked over Tapeesa's head at something. "Do you not want to head to the hospital today?"

"The healers yesterday told me to not stop by," she admitted, "I protested but they said I have helped enough in the last few days so they have no need of me for a while."

"The hospital of Republic City isn't big but the people of the city aren't many either so they usually manage to handle things well on their own," Aang shared, wincing as his thoughts ran ahead before his words. "What you saw the other day rarely happens."

"They were in need of another pair of hands and I offered them that," she murmured, and Aang sensed a bit of finality in her tone. "I will come in the next few days. They won't turn me away."

"In the meantime, while you don't have to head to the hospital, after training I could show you around Republic City," he suggested with a small smile, paying no heed to Tapeesa's almost instantaneous raise of an eyebrow. "Perhaps we could take the time off Suki offered us for that reason."

"We told her we would be there to watch them practice," she reminded him, "who knows what she will tell Toph or what the officers will overhear if we are absent."

"I don't particularly care," he admitted softly as they reached the dock. "I would just like to spend time with you."

Aang knew Tapeesa wasn't going to deny him the pleasure of showing her around town anyway, she was only voicing her concerns out loud, but that was the last stroke. She looked away with a brief nod.

"Excellent," he beamed as he reached for his whistle to call out Appa. Then he turned back to Tapeesa. "There are a couple of parks around I haven't shown you because I lead you straight to the Police Station when you first arrived. There is also a river passing through the city. Some parts of it have yet to be constructed but they are nice to look at and imagine, I guess."

"It appears you like the city," she pointed out absentmindely, her gaze on Appa's form in the sky that was getting closer and closer.

"Of course," Aang easily agreed, "I helped build it."

Tapeesa didn't say a word as Appa landed in front of them. She climbed on the saddle on his back as Aang took the reins, and with a soft command from him the sky bison was rising in the air. They started flying towards Air Temple Island. Aang was just about to share with Tapeesa what he had thought they could do with the rest of their day when he was sidetracked by a small, dark shape in the horizon. Instantly, he called for her.

"Tapeesa?"

She hummed in response and over the wind he couldn't hear her move by his side, but he certainly was able to sense her presence as her breath came to hit the side of his neck. He attempted to act like he wasn't affected by it.

"What is this in the horizon?"

Tapeesa leaned closer, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the area where the sea met the land to find the dark spot Aang had seen that shouldn't be there. It took her a few moments to decide what it was.

"A ship," she said confidently. "It will be here in a few hours, if we are its final destination."

"I've been waiting for Zuko or King Kuei to come one of these days," he admitted, and with his gaze focused on the horizon, he almost missed the chance to ask Appa to land on Air Temple Island. He managed in the last second.