Accidental Avatar 3.5: The Burn Book

Spoken Word from the Heart

So, it's the next morning, and we said our goodbyes to Aang and the crew.
"Why haven't you gone with them?" I asked Jin.
"I might be okay with him being here," she sighed. "But I'm not ready to go on a soul-bonding field trip with the prince right now."
"I just thought you'd have gone for the fire training," I shrugged. "Isn't this when they meet the two dragons?"
"Meta!" Jin punched my shoulder. "We aren't supposed to know anything."
"Have you been practising?" I rubbed my tender arm. "But this whole situation does kinda feel like a dream."
"What, having Zuko with us?"
"No," I sighed, walking towards the cliff. "Being here, in this world, having powers and ..."

I gestured at the Ait Temple in all its glory before us. "We're the Avatar's frickin babysitters most of the time. And not very good ones at that."
"We're doing our best," Jin put a hand on my shoulder.
"Yeah," I dropped my head. "But my best doesn't feel good enough right now."
"This isn't about Aang, is it," she said softly.
"I don't feel like I can protect anyone right now," I sighed. "Amaya is gone, and we saw Mogui get got..."
"It's not your fault, and it's not your job," I felt Jin press her forehead into my back, her arms wrapping around my waist. "You don't have to be the strong one all the time."
"It just feels like that's what everyone expects of me," I groaned. "I'm the big, strong man of the group, so I'm naturally the protector, right? I'm the overtired, stressed and depressed dad."
"You might be stressed and depressed, but you're always dressed to impress," she squeezed me.
"But this whole thing is a mess, and I must confess, I wish it were less, and I just have to protest, that I need a rest from this incredulous test with...
"You're rhyming, dear," Jin interrupted, stepping up beside me.

I paused. I breathed. I felt.
"I just feel like I'm in over my head right now."
Silence.
"I wish we could go back," I continued. "Back to the real world, like we never left."
"Back before we met?"
"If I could..."
"If we never came here, then we would never have met. I would have never gotten to know who you are. I'd still think you're nothing more than a wall of well-toned muscle if I ever saw you."
"If you ever saw me..."
I placed a hand on hers.
"You mean everything to me now."