Phoenix Fire (Avatar: The Last Airbender) #Wattys2016

||Chapter 37 - Release||

I do have a drawing made by @crowkmc but since I have been holding onto this picture (The one you are seeing right now at the top) I decided to put her drawing in the next chapter :D. Enjoy and don't fangirl too hard like I did when writing this chapter! -Golden

Lea's POV

"Are you enjoying yourself?" I asked Shinya once I found him about ten minutes into the party. He looked over at me, swallowing his gulp of water and nodded

"Yeah, it amazes me of how fast you even put this thing together." He told me honestly

"Well I did have some help from the others, it wasn't all just me like the years before."

"True, but still thank you it really means alot to me." He thanked me pulling me into a hug which I returned

"You're welcome, now come on let's go mingle!" I grabbed his hand and led him away from the beverages. He groaned childishly

"But I just got away from Sokka!"

"No buts mister 13 year old, geez you're already starting to become like my brother-"

"What was that?"

"Nothing~!" I smiled innocently up at him and he rolled his eyes. 'Yep, Teenager Hormones are already starting...' Which reminds me...

"We need to find you a girlfriend~!" I chanted happily causing him to madly blush and cough awkwardly

"N-No we don't-"

"Yes we do." I heard Sokka say to my right and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at Shinya before towards me causing me to laugh at his antics

"No we don't." Zuko disagreed with Sokka blankly, glaring at the Water Tribe Boy with his arms crossed

"Aww.. Why not Fire Lord~?" Zuko growled at him. I stared confusingly at them

"Umm... Why are you guys-" They both went red in the face at the sound of my voice and replied all too quickly

"NOTHING!" Shinya sighed in defeat before leading me away from the two who continued their bickering that wasn't audible for me to hear. Shinya led me out of where the party was being taken place at and into the hallway

"Um Shinya, why are we walking away from your birthday party?" I asked him confusedly but he didn't reply. We walked until we came to the balcony him closing the double doors behind us

"Seriously Shinya, you're acting suspicious." I informed him and he turned his back to me and began pacing, making sure to keep his gaze to the ground

"Shinya, are you alright?" I asked him only to hear him muttering to himself in deep thought

"Should I tell...? Should I not...? What if she hates...? Should I tell...? Gah! If only this was easier..." I scrunched my eyebrows together, pursing my lips

"Shinya, what on Agni are you talking about?" Once again he ignored me and continued on with his nonsense muttering and pacing. I watched him for a few moments before getting tired of just standing around without knowing what was bothering him

"Shinya! Dang it tell me what's wrong!" I yelled at him making him momentarily stop before pacing again

"Let me help if it's serious or not, Shinya!" No response. I threw my hands up in frustration

"Stop ignoring me and listen to me-!" The next I knew, I felt lips on mine. I stared shockingly into Shinya's emerald green eyes, not believing what was happening between us. I could feel my face and ears getting extremely hot and my hands starting to sweat. This can't be happening, Shinya, my best friend for 3 whole years was kissing me? How- How did this even happen?! How did things take a turn to this? Then again... I remember kissing him during the Comet even though it was brief it meant something, and this moment feels stronger than the first kiss we shared. Was this the reason why he was acting so confused and worry earlier? Soon enough, after my boggled mind stopped working, he released me from his hold pulling away for air. I breathed heavily, trying my best to get oxygen back into my system. Once I regained oxygen, I looked up at him to see him looking away from me as if he was ashamed of himself

"Shinya- What- Why?" I mustered out still flustered about what just happened, needing an explanation

"I- I... Have developed feelings for you... At first it was just a simple little crush but when we were taken prisoner those feelings developed more and more to the point of when I just wanted to tell you but-" He stopped himself for a moment, taking a deep breath and looking directly into my eyes

"-I was afraid of what you would think of me, if our friendship would just split apart and that I would lose you permanently. Then I began to second guess myself when you kissed me during the Comet, thinking maybe you felt the same for me and that the next time we would see each other we would reveal our feelings but that never happened, we just went back to acting to how we have always acted back in Ba Sing Se." He sighed heavily, messing with his goggles on his head. I stared at him, speechless

"I don't know and I get it if you don't want anything to do with me after this but I still don't want to lose you then again I want you to be happy and I just..." He trailed off his eyes watering at the thought of me leaving him (A/N: MY HEART!)

"I just... Love you so damn much it's hard to explain!" He yelled finally releasing what he has been feeling all these years. Unable to muster words, knowing I would slur and stutter, I hugged him tightly, wrapping my arms around his torso and buried my face into his shoulder. I felt him become rigged not knowing what to do before relaxing and returning the hug. I took a deep breath, bracing myself for what I was about to say

"I love you too..." I confessed and heard his heart rate become increasingly faster

"You-" He cleared his throat, "You do?" He asked me in disbelief and I nodded smiling to myself. He sighed in relief hugging me tighter

"That's a relief..." He hummed happily and kissed the top of my head before burying his face into the crook of my neck.

To Be continued