As I Fall: LOK

Chapter Eight

By the afternoon, Haitana laid quietly in her bed. Mako, Bolin, Korra and Unalaq went to open some spirit portal along with the Avatar's father and weird cousins.

The young firebender had counted the snowflakes that fell outside her window for the past, what she supposed was an hour. A knock had sounded on the small door, and Haitana's heart leaped a little— hoping it was Iroh bearing some explanation about why he was so worried one second and ignored her the next.

Part of the girl supposed that maybe Kya was lying, maybe he wasn't all as concerned as she claimed he was. And that idea, for some reason, made her a little hurt. But Haitana also thought, if he was that worried, he would have at least said something to her when she arrived back.

The door opened, revealing Asami who held a tray in her hands with careful balance. "Hey Ana," she greets, setting the tray on the table next to her bed. "I came to check up on you, and you mom made lunch and tea. Mind if I eat with you?"

Smiling back at her best friend, Haitana sits up slowly. "Of course not," she says softly, patting the spot on the bed next to her. "Come sit. You'll love my mom's Komodo sausage— it's really good," the girl promises, pulling off the metal coverings that kept the heat trapped within the food.

The two girls pulled the plates into their lap, and then Asami poured tea from the kettle into both of their cups. They were quiet for a moment, just getting settled, before Haitana broke the silence at the other girls constant worried glances.

"I'm fine," she promised, as Asami looked to her wrapped up limbs for the millionth time. "I promise I'm really fine. Just a little sore is all."

Sighing, Asami placed the kettle back down with a clatter, and grabbed Haitana's arm to fix the end of a bandage that was sticking out. "It was scary," she whispered. "When you passed out— it was really scary. You looked super pale, and your eyes rolled back, and—- and something happened," she barely spoke in an audible tone, her voice shaking.

"What do you mean... something happened?" Haitana questioned, allowing Asami to tuck the ends of the loose bandage in on all her limbs now.

Looking to her through mascara coated eyelashes, Asami sucked in a deep breath. "It was almost... unreal," she tried to elaborate. "There was a cry— like a loud scream. And then... all the sudden, these birds started circling the air above, and," she cut herself off. "Well has that ever happened before?"

"Asami," Haitana laughed under her breath. "I'm sure that was just a coincidence. The animals were probably all shook up from that spirit."

"Maybe you're right," she confesses, but Asami still held a bit of unsureness.

Like she wanted to validate her observation, Haitana placed a hand on her shoulder. "It is strange though," she whispered, assuring the girl that she hadn't completely lost her mind.

Shaking her head, like she wanted to brush off the topic of conversation, Asami started picking at the food on her plate. "Anyway," she started. "How's general dream boat? You should have seen the way he rushed you over to Katara's. He was all "she needs help" and "is she alright?"," the girl laughed, mocking Iroh.

Eyes widened, Haitana coughed on her tea, sputtering it onto the ground next to the bed like a fountain. "What!" The girl exclaimed in surprise. "What are you talking about? He so did not."

"You didn't see it!" Asami argued back jokingly. "It was totally romantic. You guys would make the cutest couple!"

"Ew!" Haitana gagged at the thought, half surprised by the notion, but half not hating it? "I'm so over love. Never again," she swore up and down.

"Again?" Asami questioned, leaning in with interest. "You were in love?"

Biting her tongue, Haitana realized what she had just released. She could trust Asami, right? The girl couldn't think of any reasons not to trust her— after all she had been such a great friend. But there was always that nagging part of her; the part that told her that she couldn't trust anyone again.

"Well..." Haitana started, unsure if she wanted to reveal that piece of herself. "I was engaged," she started slowly.

"Were?" The girl asked, increasingly invested of what the firebender was going to say. "What happened?"

Intaking a sharp breath, Haitana finally let it out— for the first time. "I've never told anyone this, not besides my parents, okay? So please don't tell anyone, and don't make a big deal of it—"

"I won't, I promise."

"His name was Sufon," she began slowly. "We met when we were just teenagers. We fell in love and everything was perfect— we were perfect. When I turned eighteen he proposed to me with his mother's betrothal necklace. His parents were from the Water Tribe and the Fire Nation, and he wanted to carry on the tradition. We were supposed to get married when I turned nineteen— but..."

Rubbing her arms with uncertainty, Haitana looked down to her feet as they dangled limply from the side of the bed. "You know... he used to tell me I was beautiful?" Her voice wobbled. "And not just in the look way— in every way. He said that he liked how I was: that I was smart and talented and pretty, in that order," she whispered. "But then he joined this group of anarchists— they wanted to take down the monarchies of the world... and the... Avatar."

Asami sucked in a breath at her confession, thinking about Korra for a moment. It was strange to Haitana, of course she was completely opposed to taking down the Avatar before— but now that Korra was her friend, she couldn't imagine anyone wanting to kill her.

"He said he wanted me to join them," Haitana laughed dryly, though she didn't find it humorous. "To break the other members out of prison, and take over the nations and... kill the Avatar. Of course I said no— I told him I would rather die then join their messed up search for equality. And so... he tried to kill me. Four times."

Placing a hand over her mouth in shock, Asami couldn't find the words. "It's okay," Haitana promised. "You don't have to say anything."

After all, how could she blame Asami? This wasn't exactly lighthearted news. It was psychotic and evil and shocking. Haitana could barely find the proper reaction herself.

But a part of her felt good, too. Like she finally had gotten it off her chest, and she could process it all better now. The two girls embraced, sitting comfortable in their understanding silence, and at that moment Haitana thought— there wasn't anything she couldn't handle.