Heimat | Aang

FIVE

Before Tapeesa had realised it, a few days had passed since the moment she had first brought herself and the Avatar on this island. In that cave they stayed—she had discovered there was a cliff rather close by from where she could see most of the island—she realised there were some activities she could do. Every day she would grab her helmet and head to the beach, fill the helmet with water and then take the route back to the cliff. She would put the helmet with the water at a side of the cave and then she'd train, as if she were once more on a ship. She would lose track of time when she trained, until she had to find some food. And once she had eaten and the sun was starting to fall, she would use the water she had gathered from the beach and start bending.

In all she did, however, Tapeesa wasn't alone. Even if she hadn't meant to, as the days passed, Aang's presence became a constant. She had gotten almost used to being with him.

When Tapeesa woke up in the morning, he would already be awake and sitting at a side of the cave. He'd sent her a bright smile as she'd mutter a 'good morning' in return, and after a while, he would offer her one of the fruit he had gathered earlier in the morning. He'd train while she went to the beach to gather her water, and when she returned and started training as well, he would leave the cave in order to find some food for them to eat. It had been decided without objection on her part that she cooked. While she prepared their meal, he would sit a few ways away, meditating. They'd share a meal, spend a while in each other's company, talking, before she would leave as the sun started to set and he would watch her bend without making a sound. She had gotten used to the way his gaze seemed to follow her around, no longer unnerved.

Tapeesa had found it easy to live in peace with Aang, easier than it had ever been for her to live with another person before. It was peculiar to her, something she hadn't been expecting. Nevertheless, she thought the feeling was a nice one. It only made her decision to save the Avatar from being poisoned feel right.

The fourth morning she woke up in that cave—her back slightly sore from sleeping on the ground—and stood up, she hid a yawn behind her hand as she looked around the cave, a few strands of hair that had escaped her bun overnight falling in front of her eyes. She found Aang a few ways away, and as if he could sense her gaze on him, he turned to face her with a smile.

"Good morning," she muttered, as she usually did, and he repeated her greeting in a chirpy tone as she sat up straight and raised her hands to her hair in an effort to smooth it down. She heard him get up and looked up, following him with her eyes as he sat down a bit closer to her and extended a fruit to her. She took it with a small smile.

"I was thinking we could do something different today," he spoke up as soon as she bit into the fruit. She looked up with a brief nod, allowing him to continue. He did at once. "I told you about a waterfall a while ago. I think I could find it again. I was thinking a swim would be nice."

Tapeesa swallowed as she leaned back against the rock. "You could always go on your own."

Aang's expression seemed to fall. "I could. I thought you'd like to come, though."

"I'm a waterbender, I'll take any excuse to get closer to the water," she pointed out as she leaned forward. "You didn't have to think about me."

He seemed confused. "It really didn't cross my mind I shouldn't tell you. I-I mean, we are a team now, aren't we?"

At this point, she couldn't help but send him a small smile, the friendliest expression he had seen on her face yet. "Yes, we are a team."

He seemed relieved to realise they were on the same page, his eyes bright, and Tapeesa felt as if she had to force herself to look away as she took another bite from her fruit. He kept talking.