Heimat | Aang

FORTY-ONE

Light slipped in from the open window, the gentle breeze of the room making the pale curtains sway and move closer to the interior of the room as if they were dancing, the rays of the sun playing between them as if they were a child running around its mother's skirt. Tapeesa's eyes fluttered open for a moment before they fell shut once more and she attempted to melt back in the bed. There was a warm weight across her waist, warmth on her back, and on ocassion, feathery light kisses were placed against the uncovered spot of her neck, starting from just below her ear and ending just above her collarbone.

"Aang," she murmured, voice heavy with sleep, even deeper than it usually was, slightly raspy but not any less soothing. The man behind her let out a small hum in return, placed a kiss on her cheek. "We need to leave today."

"Yeah," he agreed at once, "whatever you want."

She couldn't keep her lips from turning into a smile. "You said that the other two times I said we need to leave."

"But what King Kuei said we should try out was too good to pass up," he whined, nuzzled his nose in the crook of her neck. "Don't say you didn't enjoy it. We saw the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se the other day, then we watched a play. When are you going to get to see the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se and watch a play with me again?"

"That doesn't mean we don't need to go home," she insisted, her voice betraying her smile and bringing Aang to continue his attempts to persuade her a while longer.

"But holidays are nice."

"Aang."

"Fine," he huffed softly, his hold around her tightening. "We will stay like this for a while longer, though."

"As you wish."

And they did stay like this for a little while longer. But when Tapeesa attempted to stand up to get ready for her day, he protested. She still ended up doing things her way, and Aang was left to stay back in the bed, watching her as she left, dressed in nothing but her white nightdress, her long, dark hair cascading down her back. His lips unconsciously curled into a soft smile. When she glanced back at him, he didn't manage to change his expression fast enough, and in the end, he didn't attempt to change it at all.

Tapeesa raised an eyebrow down at him, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Aang was certain, even if he had wanted to, he wouldn't have been able to lie. "You look stunning."

Tapeesa shook her head even though her lips curled into a smile. "Get a grip, Aang."

"I don't really want to."

She laughed at that, returned to the bed to place a short kiss against his lips. "Get ready," she told him as she moved away, reached for her clothes. With a dramatic sigh, Aang did as she asked.

Not too long later, they were leaving the room, their belongings at hand. Tapeesa briefly fixed some hair that had escaped her braids—it was Aang's fault for trying to see if pulling at it lightly would cause them any trouble—as she walked by Aang's side, heading right for the throne room. They greeted a few members of the staff on their way, nodded at the Dai Li standing guards on either side of the doors leading to the throne room and finally, they got inside.

King Kuei was there, sitting right beside his pet bear, a wide smile forming on his lips the moment he saw them. "Welcome! Did you come for the results? All mercenaries have finally been contained! Ding Tong said the Dai Li have found who were the nobles wishing to replace me and he will tell me the names in a while. Then I can ask the Dai Li to arrest them and we can have a trial and they go to prison."

"You have a trial?" Tapeesa couldn't help but wonder, returning Aang's pointed look with a raised brow as she waited for Kuei's reply.

"Of course! They are brought here, usually in shackles because they are criminals with the Dai Li around to protect me, they deny they ever did anything, I don't believe them, I sentence them to a life in prison and then they go to prison!"