Living in a Legacy [ON INDEFINITE HIATUS]

Chapter Eleven: All Sorts of Bickering, Really

Tenzin really didn't understand why they couldn't all have Oogie to travel to Republic City.

He also didn't understand why he had to glide over there with Bumi hanging onto his feet, because no one found that enjoyable, he was sure. (The others had claimed it was that so Oogie could fly faster with less weight, but he wasn't so sure about that.)

"Wow, you're a really bumpy pilot," commented his older brother. 

The young airbender rolled his eyes. "I'll have you know that normally I fly very straight, but normal does not include you dangling from my feet and talking my ear off the entire time."

"You're right, Tez."

"I am?" This didn't seem right. Neither of his siblings ever seemed to pass up a chance to tease him, and when they rarely did, they didn't compliment him.

"Yeah! Normally, I'm not talking your ear off. Dad is! Because Mom still doesn't allow you to glide by yourself. Must be rough being the youngest." Tenzin didn't have to look behind him to know that Bumi was smirking.

"You're insufferable."

"Why thank you." 

"It wasn't a compliment."

"Oh, lighten up a little, Tez! There are more insufferable, as you put it, things that I could be doing right now."

"Oh, yeah? Like what." He forced himself to focus on bending the air around him so he wouldn't crash into the sea below. 

"Like this!" And with that, Bumi began to whistle.

"Bumi! You're going to get us caught!" Tenzin hissed, growing more annoyed with every passing second. How did his brother find it within himself to be this frustrating?

"By whom? Mom and Dad and all the other adults gave us the a-ok," his brother replied nonchalantly. 

"Not for searching for Rhea," he mumbled.

"Yes, but they don't know that, do they?"

"And not for flying on my glider with you attached, either," he pointed out.

"Relax, Tez. I bet they can't even see us! It's not like they have a telescope and can use it to view people halfway across the ocean."

"How would you know?"

"Believe me, if they did, I would be the first person to find out about it."

"So, in other words, you would sneak around the temple until you found something of interest."

"E-xactly!"

"You're unbelievable, Bumi. Even Kya would have been better than you! Even Lin!"

This caught Bumi's attention. "Lin, you say?"

Tenzin blushed. "Yeah... I mean, she's smaller and lighter than you, so she's be easy to carry. I-I mean, Su would be easiest, but she's only seven, a-and..."

"Oh, wow. You really like Chief, don't you," he said, making exaggerated "oohs."

"No, we're just friends," Tenzin protested quickly, and he was grateful for the distance between him and his brother, because if he had been flying side-by-side, the pink that spread across his cheeks would have made it obvious. And opened a gateway for endless teasing. 

"That's what they all say."

"What about Izumi, then?"

"What about her?" Bumi replied smoothly.