Private Lessons - Tahno x Reader

Chapter 8

You had been staring at him for quite some time now, and he as well couldn't handle your burning gaze anymore. The suspicion and confusion that circled your mind had been expressed by an intense stare right into his presence, and he felt like your attention was glued onto the side of his face. He cleared his throat, trying to snap you out of it, but you were too persistent. Too determined to figure out why Amon had taken a bender under his wing and agreed to train him even with his disgust towards his kind.

So as Tahno eyed the scenery outside his bedroom window, you questioned him about his past. He groaned in response to your flood of curiosity and his hand reached out to pinch the bridge of his nose. He was already done and didn't feel like explaining his whole life to you at all, but due to the situation you were both forced into he had no choice but to tell you what exactly had happened.

With a firm look, he motioned you to stay put. He slowly began to pace through his room, as if he was straining himself not to get lost into his own rage or insanity. There was a hidden irritation at the back of his mind called ___, and whatever he did he couldn't get rid of your presence in his life. He owed you an explanation, especially after everything you had been through.

"When I was still a kid, I was a very weak bender..." He started, the volume of the rhythmic tick of his clock seeming to increase as he continued.
"For some reason I couldn't develop my skills very well. Neither my parents or grandparents knew why I was so bad at bending," You fidgeted in your seated position, not daring to break the story in order to ask him when he found out about his bending.

"I got teased at school for being a weak bender, and even my father had mentioned that my lack of ability in water bending disgusted him."

*flashback*

His father seemed even taller as usual as he towered over his frame. A man giant like, intimidating his own son just by standing in front of him. But this sensation of fear for his father had grown with Tahno since he was little.

At the age of 6 he was repeatedly called a mistake, a disgrace to the family, a son that only disappointed.

"P-Please, father, I promise I'll get better! J-just give me another chance!"  His words for mercy did nothing to this man, who he was supposed to call his father. The person who abused him mentally and physically.
His cheek still stung from his fathers previous visit, but even after all the times he hurt him, Tahno still looked up to his dad as a hero.

"I managed to ice bend today... I've been practicing so hard..." The exhaustion was clear in his voice, and from the bags under his eyes alone anyone could tell he hadn't slept well lately.
He could feel the fabric of his father's shirt in his balled up fists, eyes leaking tears as he tried to convince his father that he was not a failure.

"Tahno. Let me make this clear." The tone in his voice seemed surprisingly gentle, but his gaze told Tahno otherwise. The tall man kneeled down and faced his 14 year old son. The hand he placed on his shoulder felt cold, and it had no kind meaning whatsoever.

"Don't call me your father if you haven't proved to be worthy to be called my son. Maybe your mother empathizes you, but I certainly don't." He glanced at the clock. It was 11:23 pm.

"Now get back to practicing."

*flashback end*

", I was cornered in an alleyway. It was a nasty guy who had heard about my bending abilities and stated that my disgusting life was only good for one thing... destroying the lives of the people who hurt me. Aka, benders, as he referred to..." Now he was standing in front of the mirror again, lean frame taking support from the black painted wall as he averted his gaze to something really interesting outside. You urged him to continue.

"So you joined the equalists?" He nodded.

"I was 14."

You swallowed thickly. When you were 14 you still lived with your mom, and couldn't imagine a life where people would treat you without care. Even daring to call you disgusting. It seemed so inhumane to actually tell someone that, although it apparently did happen.

"The equalists took me in, if i promised to never show my bending to the public again. I agreed and they trained me for years, but suddenly as I grew past the age of 17, the urge to bend became too strong for me to resist. I started training myself at home, and I grew stronger. I joined the pro bending team through some friends, jada jada... long story short, Equalists saw me bending and now they're after me..."

he waved his hand in an arrogant manner, as if he didn't care what you thought about his story, but wanted to inform you anyways because you were forced allies.

"What about your father?"

"After he noticed my bending skills began to increase into something more powerful than his... he began to respect me. He treats me like his son now."

A sigh fell from your lips, and you rubbed your face with the palm of his hands. Tahno had been through an extremely rough time, and to think that had just been the start of the mess he was currently in was indescribable.

You rose from your position, forcing Tahno's attention on you as you began to walk towards the door.

"Meet me tomorrow in the arena." Was the only thing you said, before closing the door behind you. Tahno didn't react to your sudden leave at all, and you knew that he probably wouldn't show up if it meant he could embarrass you.

You met his dad on your way out.

You didn't like him.