As I Fall: LOK

Chapter Four

Haitana's family insisted her friends sat with them at the feast.

The three members of the family, plus Bolin, Asami, Mako and Iroh, crowded the table and enjoyed the energy of the evening.

"Oh yeah?" Mako continued jeering at Haitana, as everyone watched in amusement as the two bickered like siblings. "I'm sure you stopped a flying fishopotamus, just like you definitely didn't fall on your face when we played hide and explode."

Haitana slammed her hand on the table in mock anger, trying to hide the teasing smile that crept onto her face. "I most certainly did tame a flying fishopotamus," she began. "And that's so not fair! We were playing hide and explode with the Avatar, that's an unfair advantage!"

"Really?" Mako narrowed his eyes. "Because Asami seemed to do just fine— and she's not even a firebender!"

Bolin pointed a finger at the two. "That is true," he commented, but shrunk under Haitana's pointed glare.

"Bolin!" She gasped. "You traitor! I thought you were on my side," Haitana feigned her shock, not paying much attention to her parents that observed the group encounter with humor.

The two were basically swelling hearts. They had been so worried about Haitana's absence, wondering how she was getting by in the city, and to see her get along so well with new friends made all their nerves subside.

Everyone's attention cut to Unalaq, the Chief of the Water Tribe, and somehow also, Korra's uncle. Haitana cringed a little at his presence, uncomfortable with the way he carried himself all "holier-than-thou".

"As your chief, it is my honor to speak at this festival, which was founded to bring our tribes together and restore the ancient balance between our world and that of the spirits. But I am saddened to see what it has become: a cheap carnival that celebrates greedy and trivial humans," Unalaq started strongly, causing Elian and Roma to frown.

Haitana leaned into her father, giving him a confused gesture. "I have a bad feeling about this," he told his daughter, motioning for her to keep her mouth shut. She nodded, understanding, and pulled her attention back to the man at the head table.

"I feel the time is fast approaching when the North can no longer stand idly by while our Southern brothers slip into total spiritual decay. Angry spirits are already attacking ships in your waters. I only hope we are not too late to change course," he continued.

Knowing what this meant, Haitana shot her father another wide eyed look— almost saying that she understood. The opposite of, "not standing idly by," meant war. And something in the girl felt like they were about to get caught up in the middle of it.

Chatter began buzzing once again, and Haitana felt the world whizz by as she couldn't tear her gaze away from her plate. Asami leaned in from beside her, trying to catch her attention. "I sealed the deal with Varrick," she whispered slowly.

Raising her eyebrows, Haitana gave an amused glance. "You're marrying him?" She asked, shocked.

"No!" She disagreed immediately. "He agreed to be a partner, and handle Future Industries shipping!"

A grin spread across the Fire Nation girl's face, grasping Asami's hand with a giddy attitude. "That's amazing!" Haitana cheered. "So amazing! I'm so proud of you Asami."

"Thanks Ana," she smiled back, before engulfing the girl in a big hug. The two best friends embraced each other for just a moment, before Asami pulled back and whispered in her ear again. "Don't look now, but general hot-stuff is totally giving you eyes."

Haitana whipped her head around, staring dead into Iroh's amber eyes. Their gaze lingered, frozen still at the awkward eye contact before Asami yanked on the girls arm. "I said don't look now!" She exclaimed in a hushed tone, but it was too late, Haitana couldn't pull her stare away.

Iroh coughed awkwardly, before standing up with a reddened face. "I will see you later," he muttered to Elian, as a form of goodbye. "Thank you for allowing me to stay with you and your family."

The girl made a fist under the table: her father did what? Not only was avoiding him for the first few hours difficult enough, but now he was staying in the hut with them? This was getting utterly ridiculous.

"No chance I can stay with you, right?" Haitana whispered back to Asami, who only shook her head, amused at the girl's childlike behavior. "Great," Haitana grumbled after her answer, setting her head in her hands on the icy table.

It was almost against her own will, the way everything in her body screamed to run away from that general as fast as she could. Haitana couldn't help it. It's like she knew what might happen if she got too close— and the girl wasn't ready to get so attached to someone else.

Maybe that's why she kept ducking behind stalls and disappearing into crowds at the festival later that night. Maybe that's why Asami laughed at her every time the girl used her body to shield her. Maybe that's why, when she was finally left alone, she made friends with a lonely koalaotter.

"Don't you want to go along with your friends?" Haitana speaks softly to the animal, who allowed her to pet the white fur of his stomach. The koalaotter huffed, putting his paws over his small black eyes. "Yeah," the girl sighed out. "I'm hiding too."

Piping up at her confession, the animal looked interested in what she had to say. "I think I'm scared," she admits. "There's nothing wrong with him. If anything, I think he's actually pretty great. But it's me who's the problem."

The furry koalaotter places his head on her knee, giving her kind eyes, like he understood or something. "I just.. I... what if he asks me questions about myself? Or what if he doesn't like my answers and he runs the other way," Haitana started worriedly. "Even worse, what if I like him? And what if he finds out that I like him? And what if he likes me back and it's perfect, and he's perfect and I— I can't do it."

Swatting her head with a paw, the animal squeals out, and makes all of the girls hair tumble in front of her face. Pushing the hair from her eyes, flustered, when she adjusted her gaze the koalaotter is gone, and instead a figure approaches.

Making his way through the soft snow that tossed around in the gentle wind, Haitana sees the shadow of a person reveals itself to be Iroh. She supposed that was what the small creature was attempting to tell her.

"What are you doing out here, Fauna?" He asks, concerned. "Everyone's been looking for you." Of course, he really meant that he, specifically, was looking for her— but he wasn't about to admit that to himself, never mind her.

Haitana tries to play it casual, leaning back on her hand as it sinks into the blistering cold frost. "Oh, umm," she started, trying to come up with yet another lie that was certain to be as terrible as her first. "I.. got lost?"

"Right," he said, unconvinced, extending his arm out to help her up. "The festival is ending, and you look like your about to get hypothermia. Let me walk you back."

Accepting his hand, Haitana almost turns a crimson color at his gentlemanly offer. She didn't remove her hand from his as they walked, enjoying the heat that radiated off of him far too much. It wasn't too difficult to regulate her body temperature with her bending, but it was somehow almost better receiving that heat from someone else— specifically him.

Whatever this feeling is, it's clear that it isn't leaving anytime soon.