Changing Tides

Chapter 7; "You're broken and I don't want to break you any more."

        I wielded the water in my hands, well, just above my hands. I stretched on hand up and the water followed. I began to let it circle around the fire with one hand making a circle motion while I was relaxed in a hunched crossed potion with my other hand resting in my lap. I pulled my hand into a fist and it froze into a floating circle around the fire.

        Gansu looked surprised slightly but he continued to watch. I flung out my hand so it was wide and spread out and it flew shard out in multiple directions. With a wave of my hand I blocked the shards from hitting Gansu and I. He flinched slightly but he recovered quickly. I smirked ever so slightly, but continued.

        I pulled water from the air with a swipe of my arm and continued my little demonstration. I twirled two of my fingers and the water began to go in an upward spiral. Then I let it drop. I pulled my hand to the right before it could hit the ground. The water came back at a small hover above my hand as I held it up with my other hand.

        "You're good." he said with one let laying on the ground as the other was bent and up. He was leaning on one arm while his other arm laid relaxed on his knee that was bent.

        I gave a small shrug and began pulling it in between my hands above my lap.

        "You dumped me in the water but you didn't move your hand. How did you unfreeze it?" he asked as I froze the water with a flick of my wrist and unfroze it once again.

        "An experienced waterbender can control water with the mind as long as they latch onto the matter of it." I said letting my hands drop, but controlling it with my mind. I moved it around in a figure eight.

        "I can do that too with my earthbending!" he said happily. He concentrated on a chunk of ground a little ways away and held it up with just his mind. I applauded with my free hands while I held the small glob of water in front of me. He smiled then replaced it back into the ground. I threw the remaining amounts of water back into the river. We sat in silence for a bit but I had a great idea. I stood up and held out my hands.

        "Do you trust me?" I said with a happy grin. He looked at me questioningly but nodded. I smiled happily then motioned for him to grab my hand. He rolled his eyes with a small smirk but did. I let go once he stood and walked to the river with him in tow.

        "I want to show you something." I said smiling. "Jump into the water with me." I simply said.

        "No! We will get all wet." I rolled my eyes with an annoyed expression crossing my face. I threw my hand down and a splash came up and got him wet.

        "What the heck was that for?" he said trying to shake the water off.

        "Waterbender." I said as I pulled the water from his clothes. He chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck.

        "Sorry." he said embarrassed. I chuckled lightly then motioned for him to get in.

        "Swim to the bottom." was all I said before jumping into the water. I swam to the bottom of the river which was barely noticeable but you could just see it. The river was easily fifteen feet deep so it was quite the swim. I stood at the bottom and patiently waited for Gansu. Since I was a waterbender I could stay under longer.

        Soon enough I heard a splash then came face to face with him. He looked at me questioningly. I could see he was loosing air fast, I got in my waterbending stance and created a little dome over us. Once I did that he began catching his breath on the dirt floor. I smiled and froze the dome over and sat down in front of him.

        "Why'd we come down here?" he said after he caught his breath. I smiled and pointed up. Once you looked up you could see the creatures swimming above the dome. Schools of colorful fish swam over, their scales reflecting in the moonlight. I smiled and laid back.

        "I'm still wet." he said after we laid down. I rolled my eyes in slight annoyance and threw my hands straight up. I grabbed every drop of water from every fiber on his clothes and threw it to the side of our small dome. He chuckled lightly at my small temper tantrum and looked at me. I looked over at him and he smiled slightly.

        "Why are you starring at me like that?" I said with a raised brow.

        "Just looking at my lady." he said with a flirtatious wink.

        "Okay that ruined it. You were good all night and now this happens." I said slightly angry as I looked back up.

        "Sorry." he said quickly. "If I told you that you looked beautiful you wouldn't have believed me." he said turning back.

        "What? Wy would you say that?" I asked quickly.

        "Before you told me your history you would have thanked me, but now? You wouldn't it. You carry yourself differently when you talk to people you don't know. You are bold, sarcastic, and sometimes rude, but you are also sweet, kind, and caring. When you told me your story you carried yourself differently. Instead of hiding who you were you trusted me. 

        "You looked tired instead of upbeat. You were quiet instead of talkitive. You told me who you were but then you showed me. You're broken and I don't want to break you any more." he said putting a hand on my hand. By now my blood turned ice cold and I was silent.

        "How did you?" I questioned as I stuttered on the question. "I can see it and feel it. My earth bending let me feel the vibrations in your heart. That gave me a lead and I followed it." he said looking at me.

        Instead of speaking I just scooted myself over and curled into his side. He chuckled slightly at my change of mood but right now. I just needed someone to hold me. This kid shows up out of no where and bugs me with his little games. Then he tells me my life story. I hate it. I hate how he can see how vulnerable I am. But at the same time I love it. I am so glad someone can see how broken I am. Yes I am happy, but the years of my father being gone when I needed him most, my mother shutting us out and lashing out on us, and then myself lashing out on my self.

        I needed someone to just hug me tight enough so all the pieces fit together. Haku tried but it always failed. He has been strong for the both of us since ba ba passed and now I needed to be strong for him. However now in this moment, I needed someone to hold me and that is just what Gansu did. He put his arm around me and pulled me closer to him.

        That is when I looked up at him and gave him a thankful smile which he returned. I turned back to his chest and laid my head down. Then, I fell asleep to his beating heart.