The Pawn |Katara

SIX

"It wasn't supposed to be this way."

Two figures were sitting in front of a small fire, the waves of the ocean crashing against the shore not so far away filling in the silence between them. One of them was leaning back, her long hair set in a braid and touching the sand, her eyes on the stars seen above her. She was resting on her elbows, and even in the darkness, the little light the flames offered could make her small frown be seen. Her companion was looking straight into the fire, almost hunched over, his elbows resting on his bent knees. His hair was left out of its usual bun, dark straight strands hiding half of his face from view. His eyes seemed unnaturally bright but also dark at the same time as he looked into the fire, and anyone with a talent at poetry would claim he had stolen the embers and kept them for himself. He showed no reaction to his companion's words, spoken softly, barely carried by the whisper of the wind. Until she let out a sigh.

"You never sigh," he breathed out, glanced her way. "Not that way, at least. What are you thinking about?"

"The way everything has turned out," she murmured, looked away from the stars, down at the fire. "Zuko wasn't supposed to leave. He didn't seem happy but I thought he was just confused."

He hummed, "He was."

"Mai's heartbroken."

He let out a small sigh, "Ty Lee-"

"I know there's nothing I can do," she cut him off, twisted her body so she could face him. "I still can't help but wish things had been different. Like in the past."

He turned to face her properly, his hair no longer hiding his face from view. "You think we were happy before?"

"I was, at the circus," she muttered, but the moment she said it her brows furrowed, as if unsure. "At least, I think I was."

"Were you not lonely?"

She looked away. He had the urge to place a hand over her own in an effort to comfort her. He did no such thing, even when his gaze fell to her hand resting so close to his, knowing any sign of compassion would make her return it. And he didn't wish to be put on the spot.

"I did what I wanted to, didn't I?" He didn't know what to say, so he remained silent, just looking at her even though she had turned away, her attention occupied by the fire. She spoke without looking his way. "Were you ever happy, Akira?"

"Once, perhaps," he murmured, his gaze trained somewhere behind her shoulder. He hadn't been able to escape her scrutinise in the end. He decided to be honest. "When I didn't know what was happening around the world. When I felt like I had someone."

She nodded, "Zuko."

"It had been simpler back then."

"You still have people that are there for you," she told him, still not looking his way. "You have Akemi, Mai, Azula and I."

"I don't know about that. Mai seems awfully distant lately and I'm unsure as to how empathetic Azula is. Perhaps she can't be there for someone fully."

"Don't say that," she turned to face him with a small frown. "She has feelings."

"Yes," he agreed, "what I doubt is how strong those feelings are."

Ty Lee didn't defend her any more. She only looked at him for a while longer, her head tilting to the side as she thought. "What is it you know about the world that hasn't allowed you to be happy?" He pursed his lips, refused to speak. She leaned forward, placed a hand on his knee. "It's just me here, Akira."

"I know," he muttered, but still didn't say a word. His expression didn't change, his jaw set as if he meant to keep himself from saying a word, his glare strong. She frowned.