Heimat | Aang

THIRTY-FIVE

Air Temple Island was always quiet. The troubles of Republic City couldn't breach its coast, couldn't trouble the inhabitants of it unless they spoke of them in conversation. One could easily lose track of time in this island or forget about their responsibilities as they watched the sunset or even if they did mundane things like cooking a meal. Aang very much fell into that trap sometimes, feeling as if he lived a normal life for as long as he stayed on the shores of the island. Until Tapeesa arrived and her very presence seemed to ground him.

This time it was no different.

Aang could hear her coming from her footsteps even though she made next to no sound as she walked. At once, a smile formed on his lips as he turned his head back to face her. She greeted him with a tiny smile of her own, one of those smiles he had rarely received back when they had first met that he had treasured but now he witnessed every day, sometimes more than once. He treasured them just the same.

"Welcome back," he murmured as she sat down on the branch he had been occupying, a thick branch from a tree that had fallen over to one side and now served as a seat at points. Tapeesa hummed softly as she scooted so no space was left between them. Aang lifted his arm, behind her back to place it right next to her own. Holding her or having her close was rapidly becoming his favourite moment in the world. "Did you eat?"

"I did," she admitted, "I didn't want to bring the food outside so I ate quickly and joined you afterwards."

"Did you like it?"

"Of course," she turned to face him. "It was nice. Your cooking has grown."

"Definitely," he agreed with a small laugh. "I heard something when I was returning home. I didn't come back at once, I stopped by Sokka's house first and then came here and people were talking in the streets."

Tapeesa hummed, feigning innocence,  "About?"

"You," he lifted an eyebrow at her as she blinked in slight surprise. "You didn't tell me you were considering being officially part of the hospital."

"I've been here for almost a month already, Aang," she murmured, "it was about time I started to take on more responsibilities."

"You were never all that enthusiastic about healing, though," he spoke his worries out loud. "Are you certain this is what you wanted all along? Because you don't have to be part of the hospital. You don't need to help any more than you already do."

"But for how much longer would I stay in the Police Department?" she wondered as she turned to face him. "Toph and Suki are great for that position. Once we finish the training of the officers Li and Yua could teach any waterbenders that want to join the force what I taught them. I won't be needed there."

"You are great for the position Toph and Suki have too, though," Aang protested softly. "Seeing you teaching them is like watching you do what you were meant to do all along. All of these years you have been training to become a fighter, part of the reason you left the Northern Water Tribe was because they didn't let you be one. But now you have the chance to be a fighter."

"I am a fighter regardless of my position in the Police Force, Aang," she pointed out, "the same way you are a fighter even though you are more focused on diplomacy at the moment. What we do at one point in our lives doesn't change who we are. And the people in the hospital need me more than those in the Police Force do. That probably won't change."

"I am worried you won't be happy with what you do and that when you realize you want to go back you won't be that good of a fighter and you will regret it."

"I'm not that good of a fighter at the moment anyway," she admitted as she leaned in slightly in an attempt to catch his gaze he had averted from her as he thought. Once she had his attention once more, she kept on talking. "I am nothing like I used to be when I was part of the Fire Nation navy. My training hasn't been much since then and I cannot fight as well as I once did. I am a better bender than I ever was, though. I couldn't bend in the navy for fear of being found out. The way I fought was spasmodic, violent but focused, and the only reason I succeeded was because of the power I had. Now, on the other hand..."