𖤐₊ ˚ .༄ 𖤐₊ ˚ .༄
↯ chapter seven―act one !
( old faces & awkward tension )
IT'S HARD NOT TO MELT AS YOU GAZE INTO THE EYES OF THE ONLY PERSON– who ever made you feel normal. She told him that she doubted their goodbyes as if to acknowledge the idea that they would indeed meet again. She never assumed that they would cross paths too soon, yet the faint smile on her face said otherwise. It was as if a dozen butterflies entered her stomach as her hazel eyes locked with the ocean blue eyes that made her melt.
And yet, it was as if time stopped as she felt her whole soul melting as she gazed up at him. Had it not been for her brain keeping her upright, Aiyanna would have felt her knees buckle up as she would fall to the ground —possibly fainting. Not that it mattered, he saved her from worse.
"Sokka," she finally spoke as her voice dipped into honey as she mustered a warm smile on her face, trying to compose herself from pulling him into an embrace and kissing his face.
The boy from the Southern Water Tribe only smiled back at her. He didn't hesitate from pulling her into a hug.
Wrapping his arms around her torso, she felt his fingertips touch the small of her back. His touch was soft and comforting, as much as she didn't want to return the embrace, Aiyanna found her arms using a mind of their own. And she closed the space between them, resting her head on his chest, intaking the smell of what seemed like seawater mixed with some sort of herbs.
She could rest her head on his chest all day if she had to. Only if it meant that he would run those calloused hands through her thick locks of dark brown hair like he was doing right now. If time could stop once more, please let it be at this moment.
The teasing whistle of what probably came from Dyami said otherwise.
Interrupted from a very dear hug, the teenage girl jumped out of Sokka's arms. She could only imagine the vibrant shade of red her face was turning into as Dyami and Jiang made their way to the entrance of their home. It was as if she felt her face was on fire (which was quite ironic considering the fact that she was a firebender) and tiny flames danced on her face from the embarrassment she had just walked into.
Although Aiyanna had just met Jiang and had known Dyami for a short period back when they resided with the rest of the Northern Water Tribe, there was no doubt that they were the type of duo to make a sort of mockery out of such displays of affection. Not that it would make much sense seeing that they would literally hold hands and show whatever forms of affection right in front of her face. But it was quite clear that they were here for some sort of a laugh. Especially as her attention gazed to the two young adults who had smug smirks on their faces.
Dyami had an arm wrapped around Jiang's waist while he wagged his eyebrows at the teenagers in his views as a pompous grin crossed his lips. For someone who was a wonderful fashion designer, he radiated the same energy as a child. The whole idea of the whistle seemed juvenile and not to mention awkward. Yet the grin on his face said otherwise as he glanced back and forth between Aiyanna and the teenage boy that was at their doorstep.
"What do we have here, huh? Looks like Aiyanna has a secret boyfriend," Dyami teased which earned a roaring laugh from Jiang who clutched his stomach as he tumbled forward with so much laughter escaping his lips.
Her cheeks flushed another shade of red as the words had fallen out of Dyami's lips. As much as she wanted to look at Sokka and see what his reaction was (she so desperately wanted to know what his expression was regarding this whole situation) she had to maintain the same composed and bitchy attitude that had been present with her from the very beginning. Surely that would be enough to hide the flushed tones of her skin from the events that seemed to happen so soon.
"Funny, because the last time I checked you kept your little royal engagement a secret to your boyfriend over here," Aiyanna scoffed as she crossed her arms over her chest, her words posing a challenge back to Dyami.
Now it seemed that it was his turn for his face to flush a light shade of red as Jiang looked over at Dyami, biting his lip as if he knew what this was about. Sure, when Aiyanna first entered their home, she was no stranger at keeping things in the dark. Especially when it came to dropping the big headline that Dyami was once engaged to the princess of the Northern Water Tribe. He had been everyone's cup of tea ever since he vanished those years ago, leaving Princess Yue to find another boy to be betrothed to. Not that it mattered.
The last time Aiyanna had even heard about Yue was during her banishment. The princess had traded herself to become the next Moon Spirit. Given that or being betrothed to someone who would probably only take pride in being the next chief of the Northern Water Tribe, Aiyanna considered Yue's new position a major step up. Besides, anyone that pretty with such a disposition to do good for humanity was overly qualified to be a spirit.
Then again, Yue would have never given up her life had it not been for the Fire Nation attacking their home. Aiyanna felt her throat swell up as the memories started flooding back into her mind once more. She could see the whole picture as clear as day, how it tainted her to see the bloodshed. Her people struggling against the fiery flames of the adversary. She was one of those flames. Her nails dug into her skin as the angry roars of the people Aiyanna once considered to be her family bellowed for her to be banished. Better yet, killed.
"I thought I made it clear that we were going to be talking about my engagement to Yue for another day, young lady," Dyami hissed as he shot the teenage girl a withering glare. For someone who had a lot of comedy in his system, at least he had one bone of authority inside of him.
Had it not been for the words that escaped his lips maybe Aiyanna would have fallen into the depths of her mind. Reliving the death sentences, the words of her banishment, her exile forever. They blamed her for the death of the princess. They called her a schemer, a betrayer to her people. All because of the truth that was unfolded to her at the wrong place, at the wrong time. The nails ceased to dig into her skin as her mind was drawn elsewhere, but she could have sworn she felt some amount of blood drip from the wounds she created for herself. Yet, she found her heartbeat steadying as Dyami's voice was a calm to the storm in her mind.
"You were engaged to Princess Yue?"
All eyes turned to gaze at Sokka whose eyes narrowed down at Dyami. For someone who had always had the kindest disposition to Aiyanna, seeing those ocean blue eyes turn cold made the hairs on her neck fly up. He wasn't a waterbender and yet, it was as if he could summon a storm on the sea with the hateful glare that he was maintaining towards Dyami. Aiyanna didn't know whether to run or to grasp Sokka's hand and hold him back from whatever he was getting into.
He may be aware of how good of a waterbender his sister was, but neither he nor Aiyanna could attest for what skills lied inside of Dyami. Except for Jiang —but it was easy to know whose side he was on if he had to pick one.
"I was. That was a long time ago," Dyami said as he turned his gaze toward the ground, not daring to meet Sokka in the eye.
"So you're the reason why she was engaged to that bastard! You know, she was supposed to get married to that egotistical jackass named Hahn once you left! But I guess that doesn't matter to you, now does it? Not that it matters, you're here in this nice house at Ba Sing Se while she gave up her life to be the next Moon Spirit!" Sokka sneered as he glared daggers at the older boy who only cowered from the words that escaped his lips.
"You never told me she died," Dyami said softly as he gazed over at Aiyanna who only tensed as his eyes bore into hers.
"I—I didn't know how to bring myself to tell you. I didn't know that Yue sacrificed herself until I was being cast out of the Northern Water Tribe. The day she became the Moon Spirit was the same day that I found out that I was a firebender," Aiyanna choked out as she squeezed her arm hoping that this wouldn't be the day that all of their truths would unfold.
"I guess it's time we all come clean then," Jiang said as he placed a hand on Dyami's shoulder.
"All of us," he added as he looked over at Aiyanna who only flinched.
She turned around to gaze at Sokka, who's expression only soften as his eyes locked with hers. Gently placing a hand on her shoulder, Aiyanna only flinched at the touch. Her body shook as the memories became clearer as she tried to gaze into those beautiful ocean blue eyes. Not even her soul could melt this time, not while the screams echoed in the back of her head. Drawing her back into the fold of her abomination, the power that was her damnation.
"Aiyanna?" His voice was a gentle stream of water, begging her to fall inside the relaxing waves for her mind to calm.
But she couldn't —not this time.
"Stay with me?" She asked like a little child would as their parents out of love. Only instead her words were coming out of fear, hoping that he would be the one to comfort her in this storm of emotions that she could not hone.
"Of course," he replied.
So when his hand moved down to touch hers, it was as if he had managed to stop the rain that pelted down inside of her soul. He stopped the drowning that tried to wash away the mere walls that she created herself during her time alone. But the crashing waves remained inside her mind, threatening to destroy her walls the old-fashioned way.
Aiyanna had no other choice but to let them fall to a glorious defeat.
𖤐₊ ˚ .༄𖤐
IT CAN BE SAID THAT THERE WAS ENOUGH AWKWARD TENSION— in the room to possibly light a million candles. And yet, they had only scratched the mere surface of such an awkward vibe as the four sat across from one another. They sat on the same cushions on the ground from when Aiyanna first arrived at Jiang and Dyami's home. Only this time, sitting by her side, holding his hand for her to squeeze was Sokka. And the other couple did nothing but sip their tea across from them.
"Alright, who wants to go first?" Sokka asked with the most stoic expression on his face.
Because he didn't have any secrets (at least to his knowledge) Sokka was the one delegating this meeting. Or rather, this confessional. His ocean blue eyes flickered over to see the two young adults that had let Aiyanna with welcome arms into their home. As much as he wanted to interrogate the guy that was betrothed to the princess that had once stolen his heart, his boyfriend gave off the mysterious vibe that just needed to be spewed out.
No one spoke. Not that Sokka wasn't surprised. People weren't too thrilled about confessing personal gushy stuff and whatever. Being on Team Avatar had defiantly taught him that whether he was planning on being in touch with his emotions or not. And yet, he gave Aiyanna's hand a reassuring squeeze to let her know that she wasn't going to be the one to start. No, he wasn't going to do that to her.
"Fine, I'll go first,"
The guy —Dyami. The one who had been betrothed to Yue had been the one to clear the silence that had loomed in the room for so long. He bit his lip before speaking as if he regretted what was about to come out of his mouth. Sokka could assume why, after all, he had just yelled at him in defence of Yue. He nodded towards Dyami, the expression was enough for all the guy to talk. He needed to hear what he had to say, even if it wasn't at all what he could imagine what would come out of that guy's mouth.
"I never loved Yue and I knew that she didn't feel the same for me. Sure we were both friends, we had mutual feelings of love for one another, but nothing that would bring us a happy marriage. Because I was a good warrior —better than Hahn, I remember that asshole— and out of the respect I always gave Yue, it was the reason she and I were to be betrothed. But me, to be the future chief of the Northern Water Tribe, rule over my people and marry a woman I would never love romantically? The burden was too much for me," Dyami started as he fiddled with his empty teacup, tracing the edges of the cup with his fingers.
"Yue saw my pain through anyone else. Remember, she and I were friends. She could read me better than most people could. She also knew that I had a big wish to open up my shop, make my own clothes and become a fashion designer. I had been sewing ever since I laid eyes on the needles and fabrics when my mother would tailor my clothes. The last thing I wanted to do was to become chief and rule over a people when I had my own dreams I wanted to pursue. So she helped me escape our forced fate. Yue met me in my room one night, with a bag of my clothes and items already packed, a pouch of money in her hand, some food for the road and a smile on her face," he added on before letting out a small sigh.
"She let me go. Yue knew that I wouldn't be the right husband for her, I could bring her happiness but I could never amount to the role of being the chief for our tribe. She let me live out my dreams, to find my happiness while she was to find another man to marry and live what would be an unhappy life," he finished.
"She let you be free," Sokka mumbled as he watched Dyami look up to meet his eye.
"I never wanted her to be with Hahn. If I had known that would be the rebound boy, I would have come back just to make sure Yue would be treated with respect. But obviously, I was too late. And I had already started a new life with Jiang. No matter what, there would have been nothing I could do. Yue was too good at helping other people find their happiness to hold me back," Dyami replied as he gave Sokka a weary smile before pouring himself another cup of tea.
"And what about you? How did you end up meeting this guy?" Sokka asked as he arched an eyebrow as he turned his gaze over towards Jiang, who really hadn't said much during Dyami's confession.
"I mugged him," Jiang said casually, his ears turning red as the words fell out of his mouth.
Sokka couldn't help but smile as Aiyanna burst out into giggles. A warmth swelled inside of him as he watched with comfort in his eyes and smile as she laughed until her stomach hurt. And she still held his hand while doing so.
"So, that's it? That's your confessional?" Aiyanna teased after letting out all of the giggles in her system.
But before Jiang could open his mouth to speak the rest of his story, an unsettling sound came from the roof. His eyes paused as he carefully listened to the sound. Placing a finger to his lips with one hand, he waved another hand in the air. Fire escaped from his fingertips, Sokka wanted to burst out a shock from his mouth, only to be silenced as Aiyanna squeezed his hand not to do so.
An eerie message emitted from his finger as Jiang quickly wrote a message in the air with his firebending: they're watching us.
To his right, Dyami forced back a grimace as he sat up from his seat, making his way to each window he could find, closing the blinds and sealing any form to where someone could watch the four of them talk. He summoned the water out of the tea, covering the cracks with ice to muffle whatever they would speak of.
Sokka watched this all with wide eyes, curious for answers about how a waterbender and firebender started dating (even though Aiyanna was proof that finding harmony between the two nations could work) and what exactly it was that they were doing. The final piece of the puzzle seemed to click as he recalled the journey he and his friends had only hours before with the lady named Joo Dee and the talk with one of their neighbours. We're being watched.
"What's going on?" Aiyanna asked as Dyami made his way back to his seat, his eyes narrowed while Jiang had a skeptical expression on his face.
"Remember when I told you that I could protect you from the horrors of Ba Sing Se," Jiang started as he poured himself another cup of tea, only handing his teacup to the teenage girl instead.
"Yeah?" Her voice quavered as she took the drink in her other hand, while holding Sokka's hand for dear life in the other.
"It looks like they found us instead,"
( ―YOU SAID FOREVER )
❛ olivia roderigo ❜
( ― NOW I DRIVE ALONE )