Heimat | Aang

THIRTY-SIX

They left as Aang had said they would, barely an hour later. Momo was left behind in Sokka's care as Appa were to act as their means to Ba Sing Se. The city wasn't all that far, from what Tapeesa had heard. In a few days, they would be there.

Aang appeared stiff as they flew over Republic City, barely looking down, still having not forgotten it seemed about the decision they had made for him, to have Tapeesa join him. Tapeesa knew he was bothered. Not willing to let this become an obstacle in their communication, she moved closer to him until she was standing a few ways away and spoke up.

"Nothing will happen to me, Aang. You know I can take care of myself."

"That's not why I protested," he replied, turning in his seat to face her even though he was supposed to be their guide in this journey. "It's not a matter of skills. I have been beaten before. So have you. I wouldn't want this to happen during our mission to protect the King."

"You cannot plan when you are going to be beaten, Aang," she responded softly. "If there is no attack on the King, for how much do you think we should stay in Ba Sing Se?"

"I don't know," he admitted, "what if we leave and they attack him?"

"We could end up staying in the city for months if that's how we are going to think about it," she pointed out. "We can't stay for that long. We have responsibilities back in Republic City. Sokka will inform the hospital of my absence and I know they have been doing well before I arrived but I would still prefer to not be gone for a long time."

"I would rather I returned too," he admitted with a small sigh. "I don't want to come back and see the city has become different."

"Who knows, they might have completed Zuko's statue," Tapeesa said, mostly teasing.

Aang smiled slightly. Without warning, he leaned in, pressed a kiss against her cheek. Then he turned back to his front to lead them to Ba Sing Se. Tapeesa blinked, slowly leaned back in her seat, and remained quiet.

They landed a couple of hours later around midnight, if Tapeesa's estimation based on the moon was indeed correct. The night was warm, they didn't need to light a fire. After Aang fed Appa, he jumped on the saddle once more and sat down beside Tapeesa. They started eating.

"I wish we could have covered more distance," he murmured into the night, his frown hidden in the darkness. "I can no longer see where we are going, though."

Not too long ago, the sky was covered by clouds, the moonlight limited. The road to Ba Sing Se was no longer lit.

"The stars cannot be seen," Tapeesa agreed, her eyes on the sky. "I cannot tell where we should go from here either."

"We will wait until morning," he decided, "then we'll travel again. We need to reach Ba Sing Se as quickly as possible."

"Appa needs to rest as well," she pointed out.

Aang hummed but didn't add anything to her observation. Instead, he continued to eat quietly until he decided he should speak his worries. There was something about being in the middle of nowhere without any clue as to where he was that made him more open and vulnerable. Somehow, telling Tapeesa about his worries seemed a lot easier now.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

He paused for a moment before he nodded to himself, gaining courage. He asked the question that had been in his mind ever since she had first set foot on Air Temple Island, a question he had asked her before but no matter how many times he asked, he wasn't persuaded what she said was true.

"For how long are you planning on staying?"

Tapeesa turned to face him and although he could feel her gaze on the side of his face, he didn't turn back to her. "I will stay for as long as you want me to."