Sokka, Katara, and Aang sit around an unlit fire pit. Distant splashes can be heard from Polu's aggressive washing of his clothes.
Katara casts a pitiful glance at her brother.
Sokka slumps sadly against a rock, occasionally turning a confused and distressed gaze toward the far-away prince.
She shifts her attention to the water in an attempt to give Sokka a distraction. As if on cue, a green fish breaches the surface of the lake. "Look!"
Sokka jumps and stares at the fish. His eyes narrow as the fish seems to return the prolonged stare. "He is taunting us," Sokka huffs. "You are so gonna be dinner."
The boy flings his fishing pole forward only to find that it is missing a critical piece of equipment. "Hey! What happened to the fishing line?"
Aang smiles innocently. "Oh, I didn't think you would need it." He holds up a necklace woven from the missing line.
"It's all tangled!"
"Not tangled," Aang corrects, "woven."
Polu briefly glances away from his soaked robes to watch his friends interact. He huffs as he wrings the water from his top.
The prince shakily lifts the blue cloth to his face. He gags at the overwhelming scent of smoke. Disgust, fear, and fury battle within Polu as he throws his top back into the water.
The water rockets into the sky. On land, Katara and Aang watch the display.
"What's going on with him?" Katara directs her worried gaze to Aang.
The Avatar keeps his attention on the distant figure of his best friend. "What do you mean?"
Katara toys with the new necklace she wears. "The last few days, Polu has been acting strange. He's been jumpier than usual, and he's being short with Sokka again. I thought they were doing better."
At the girl's words, something clicks in the back of Aang's mind.
~~~~~
"He called me pretty, A. I'm not a girl."
"I know, Polu, but he was sick! He thought he was an earthbender!" Aang desperately tries to reason with his friend. "He didn't mean to offend you- you haven't told either of them yet."
Polu huffs as he rolls to face Aang from the other side of the saddle. "I know! I'm not-" he sighs. "I'm not saying he meant to upset me. How could he have possibly known? I don't want to tell them."
The Advisor sits up and removes the hood of his parka. "But it still upset me. He saw me and thought of a feminine person. He even said if I was a girl, he'd marry me!"
"Well, if it helps, I don't think you're pretty." Aang walks over to his friend and sits down next to him.
Polu snorts as the smallest grin tugs at his lips.
"Maybe pretty can be used for anyone now!" Aang offers. "It has been a hundred years, you know."
Polu sighs. "Yeah, maybe."
A long moment passes before Polu speaks again. "Do you think he might actually like me?"
Aang shrugs lightly. "I dunno. Does he even know you like guys?"
"I think so. When we were with the 'Freedom Fighters', I basically told him my whole life story. I briefly mentioned Ling- not by name, but I did say that he was a guy I had a romantic interest in," Polu murmurs.
YOU ARE READING
The Avatar's Advisor (HIATUS)
Fantasy"You love him, don't you? I see the way you look at him. It's like he's your whole world. I can't possibly blame you for falling in love with someone- especially when that love consumes your every waking thought. Trust me, he loves you too." ...
