𝑯𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆

𝑳𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒅

Chapter Eighteen
Inara

The marketplace was buzzing with life as we weaved through the crowded streets. Stalls lined the roads, spilling over with goods of all kinds—jewelry, trinkets, spices, and fabrics in every imaginable color. The air was thick with the scent of grilled meat and sweet, spiced tea, mingling with the sharper notes of fresh herbs. People haggled with the merchants, the noise blending into a constant hum that filled the space between Aang and me.

I pulled my bag tighter around my shoulder, feeling the heat of the afternoon sun on my skin as I glanced at Aang beside me. He had that look in his eyes, the one he always got when we were in a place like this—like he was seeing everything for the first time, even if he'd been here a dozen times before. I swear, for someone who's lived through so much, he still managed to find wonder in the most ordinary things.

He paused at a stall selling small figurines carved from wood. His fingers brushed over one that was shaped like a bison. Of course. I waited a moment, watching him with mild curiosity, before I decided to push things along.

"Are you actually planning on getting her a bison carving? Again?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. My tone was light, teasing, but part of me genuinely wondered if he had any better ideas. I mean, Lora probably had a collection by now.

Aang chuckled, shaking his head. "No, I'm just looking. I haven't decided yet."

I crossed my arms, tapping my foot as I waited for him to move on. "Well, you might want to figure it out soon. We can't spend all day wandering the market."

He gave me a sidelong glance, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "What, you don't like shopping?"

I rolled my eyes. "I don't like wasting time. And you're doing a lot of that right now."

Aang just laughed, unbothered by my impatience, as he moved to the next stall. I followed reluctantly, my gaze scanning the market for anything that might stand out. It wasn't that I didn't understand why he wanted to get Lora something—it was sweet, in that infuriating way of his. But spending hours searching for the perfect gift wasn't exactly my idea of a good time.

"So, what do you think?" he asked, turning to me suddenly and holding up a delicate necklace with a small, polished stone at its center.

I raised an eyebrow. "For Lora?"

He nodded, his expression serious. "Yeah, she likes simple things. And this... it reminds me of her."

I tilted my head, studying the necklace for a moment before sighing. "Fine. It's nice. Get it, and let's go."

Aang seemed pleased with my approval, which only made me roll my eyes again. He turned to pay the vendor, and I took a step back, scanning the crowd. The marketplace was still alive with energy, the chatter of people, the clink of coins, the calls of merchants selling their wares. But there was something... comfortable about it all. Something about being here with him, even if I'd never admit it.

As Aang finished his transaction and we started to walk again, I found myself glancing at him more than once. He had that relaxed, easygoing air about him, like nothing could bother him. Even with everything we'd been through, he could still find joy in the small things. And maybe... just maybe, that was something I admired.

But I wasn't going to say that out loud.

The market had this deceptive calm to it. There was always a buzz—vendors shouting, children running, the constant shuffle of feet against stone—but beneath it all, there was an undercurrent of unpredictability. It wasn't my first time in a place like this. You learned to read the signs if you were paying attention.