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The hum of the guests has risen to a roar, the brass band fighting to be heard above it. Kita navigates the rooftop crowd but still gets knocked on her shoulder a few times by oblivious people. Finally, she reaches the edge and can seek refuge along the railing. The city is all a bustle but that’s to be expected even this late at night. Kita can barely see any stars but she takes comfort in the view of the sea on this moonlit night. All the lights from the city reflect on the water, almost making it seem starlit anyway. After a deep breath, Kita leans into the railing, exhausted.
She needs a break but has no idea how to broach the topic to Atira. After a year of helping Atira and her husband recover from the impact of his illness, caring for and teaching their son waterbending, being Atira’s support during her second and unexpected pregnancy, trying to help the local bending community, and just being a friend to Atira, Kita can’t do much more. And it’s not like she wants to be completely removed from their lives, Kita loves being part of their family. Moving to Republic City and starting over with them was exactly what she needed after what happened in the South Pole. But Kita realizes now that she took on too much when they needed her help. And that she doesn’t know how to get out of it.
She stares out over the city, feeling more and more tired. She hears, “Kita!” off to her side and looks.
Tahno is walking over, wearing a pleasant smile and a smart, dark blue suit. She smiles, glad to see a friend.
“I’ve been looking all over for you, how dare you make me wait to see you. You look beautiful, by the way,” Tahno teases and compliments.
Kita laughs and winds her arm through his as they both rest against the rooftop railing.
She asks, “Where are Ming and Shaozu?”
“Ah,” He takes a sip of his drink. “Ming is filling his second plate at the buffet table while Shaozu is dancing with his fiance. They want to see you before the night’s over, we haven’t seen you in a couple of weeks.”
“I know, I’m sorry. Atira has been so stressed about this party and I’ve had barely any time for anything else. She really wants tonight to go well since it’s Rilek’s reintroduction to Republic society after his illness removed him from it.” Kita pulled more than one all nighter to help prepare their home for the party.
“You both did amazing because it’s gone off without a hitch. There’s a great band, good food, beautiful decorations. While I was trying to find you, I heard more than one group talking about it.”
Kita rests her head against Tahno’s shoulder. “Hm, that’s good.”
She can feel Tahno peering down at her. “Are you feeling alright? You’re not yourself,” he asks.
A simple little lie sits right at the edge of Kita’s tongue. An easy platitude to wave off the concern. But she doesn’t say it.
“I’m tired, Tahno,” she mutters.
“I’d imagine so, after preparing for the party. Get some rest after this, when is your next day off?” Tahno says.
“No, Tahno, I’m tired. I haven’t had a day off in a few weeks.” When Kita first came to live with and work for Atira and Rilek, the agreement was that Kita would have at least one day off every week. But she usually gets two or at least a half day as well.
Tahno places a firm hand over her one on his arm. “What’s going on?”
She sighs, “I know but I don’t know. A few weeks ago, Atira and Rilek had to attend a bunch of meetings with their investors and had no one to watch Vonriq. It was my day off but I love their son so I agreed to watch him. He mostly just came with me on my errands. That was fine.”
Tahno, “But?”
“But the next week Atira announced that she wanted to throw this party and wanted me to plan it with her. Which I normally wouldn’t mind and would be happy to do on my work days, but she scheduled meetings with the florist, caterer, and the performance artist all on my day off. She wanted me to come with to meet all of them.”
“Why didn’t you tell her no?” He asks.
Kita rubs her hand across her face. “I was so close to telling her no. But when I looked into her eyes, she was hiding that she found this utterly terrifying. Rilek was always the one throwing parties like this because he’s from here and his parents taught him how to. Atira didn’t have that, this would be her first big party as planner and host. As her friend, I felt like it would be inconsiderate to say no.”
“Yet, now you’ve burned the candle at both ends for too long, right?”
“... Yeah.”
Tahno takes her hand. “You need a break. Come with me.”
He leads her through the crowded rooftop to the stairs, descending into the penthouse apartment below. It’s a cool night so they duck down the hallway leading to the family bedrooms, where Kita’s room is. The family cat, Yue, is asleep in a white, fluffy puddle on Kita’s bed. Tahno gives her head a scritch while Kita digs a jacket out of her closet. They continue their escape from the party, sticking to the walls to try to get past the seemingly innumerable guests. With a final push past a new group entering, Kita and Tahno finally reach the hallway outside the penthouse. They rush to catch the elevator, luckily the operator sees them before heading back down. Tahno helps Kita shrug on her jacket in the tight space, his hands lingering on her shoulders when they come to a stop before they exit the elevator.
Out on the city street, Kita asks, “Where are we going, by the way?”
“The sea. You always say being by the sea helps you feel better.”
Tahno grips her hand tightly as they walk along, passing other late night people heading to their own parties, or bars, or just heading home.
As they head west, Kita thinks about how she hasn’t been to the shore in a while. She tries to visit every few days, sometimes at dawn when the sun is shining behind the city. The river running through the city and all the various pools are great, but nothing calms her spirit like being in the sea. She’s been too busy lately, heading to the shore has seemed like another tiresome task instead of a refuge. Yet now, walking hand in hand with Tahno, going to the sea feels like no task at all.
After passing multiple city blocks, the pair reach a park along the shoreline. It’s usually discouraged for citizens to be in the park after dark, so they check for cops along the road before hurrying to the boulders bordering the waterline. They quickly duck out of sight, stupid grins on their faces for successfully going unnoticed.
Now that Kita is at the water, powerful waves sounding in her ears, she feels woefully inappropriately dressed. She’s in a fashionable dropped waist dress and the skirt is long and wispy. Reminding her of delicate fish fins billowing in the water when she first saw it. And her short slipper heels are definitely not suited for standing on a beach.
“Kita,” Tahno says above the crash of waves against the sandy shore. “Do you want to sit or swim?”
According to appropriate high society rules, Kita should choose to sit even if it musses up her dress a bit. As Tahno is not her boyfriend and it would not be appropriate to leave behind her dress to swim. But her south pole girl heart says, fuck the rules.
She takes off her heels. “I want to swim.”
Tahno smiles wickedly, enjoying her choice.
Kita continues to take off items she doesn’t want in the water, like her coat, the gem hair piece Atira gifted her for her birthday, and finally the dress. Underneath, Kita has a silver shift that ends halfway down her thigh over her actual undergarments. Once she has all that carefully nestled amongst the rocks and her skin is starting to develop goose monkey bumps from the cool wind, Kita turns to face the water and is surprised to see Tahno undressed just like her. All he has left is a black undershirt and underwear, the rest of his clothes are tucked in the rock line as well.
Tahno catches her staring at his slim form and blushes a little. “What?”
Kita shakes her head, realizing how rude that was. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I thought you would be staying on the shore.”
“Do you want me to?”
“No! You’re very welcome to come. You just don’t usually come swimming with me when I’ve offered in the past,” Kita explains, trying to not make him self-conscious.
“Well, I usually like a pool of just our friends, at the perfect temperature, and a nice drink handy. But this isn’t about me right now,” Tahno says as he walks closer to take her hand again.
Kita takes his offered hand and looks over the water. The moon is shining beautifully over the water, as if showing them the path forward into the sea. Tahno lets her lead the way, carefully stepping through the dark waves.
Kita doesn’t want so much as to swim across the bay as more float at a nice point. She leads them forward until she can’t reach the bottom on her tiptoes before angling her body to float instead. She assumes Tahno will be doing the same until she feels him close to her shoulder, still holding her hand.
“Aren’t you going to float?” She asks.
“I’m fine here, Kita. You can rest your head on my shoulder if you want,” he offers.
She’s about to insist that he float like her, to enjoy the feeling of the waves washing over you, but then she sees his eyes. He means it, that this isn’t about him. He looks concerned, more so than he was letting on earlier. So she lets it go and relaxes her head back onto his shoulder as he rests his other hand against her arm, keeping them connected as the waves push past them.
Of course, the water is absolutely freezing, so Kita is soon using a bit of her bending to warm it to a comfortable temperature just around them. Tahno slowly relaxes into her as he warms up, gently resting his head against hers. It’s peaceful. Kita can feel herself getting dozy but doesn’t mind, this is the most relaxed she has felt a long time.
Without really thinking about it, Kita intertwines her fingers with Tahno’s and brings his arms to wrap gently around her waist. She tucks her head closer to his neck, smelling his driftwood cologne. She feels him squeeze her hands tighter. Breathe a little deeper. They rest there together, bathed in moonlight, enveloped by the sea.
After a while, Tahno breaks the silence, “So, what are you going to do?”
Kita sighs, “I need to talk to Atira, make a new arrangement about what my role is.”
“You also need to take a vacation, ideally starting this week.”
“I know,” Kita says, thinking about how to even broach this conversation with her friend.
“What will you stop doing for them?”
Oof. “Well, my primary purpose when I first came here was to be Vonriq's water bending master since his dad couldn’t be, and to be an in-home healer for Rilek. But I ended up also being Vonriq’s nanny whenever business matters forced Atira to leave him at home and I helped Atira with her whole pregnancy and delivery of baby Kaya. And on top of it all, I’m her listening ear whenever she doesn’t want to trouble Rilek.”
Tahno rubs his thumb across the back of Kita’s hand. “Rilek can’t be a teacher yet, even with how he’s improved, it would be too much. So that will stay. Does he need you to be an in-home healer anymore? Can you reduce it to a couple of sessions a week?”
“His muscle structure is greatly improved from when his illness first did its damage. Movement still causes him fatigue but that’s really only going to get better with practice. At this point, I’m more relieving sore muscles than really healing an ailment.”
“Oh, then he can drink pain relieving tea like the rest of us in between sessions with you. And if you aren’t there to heal as much, they can pay for a nanny to help with the kids when Atira needs to conduct business instead of you,” Tahno asserts.
“But - ” Kita starts to protest.
“But nothing - “ Tahno interrupts. “You will still be training Vonriq most days of the week, they will still see you all the time. But with a nanny, once training is over, you can go do whatever you want. Even if it’s just laying in bed.”
Kita purses her lips but knows he’s right. She adores the children but she was meant to be a teacher, not a nanny. And after basically being a nanny, she finds that she doesn’t really care for it, not just finding it absolutely exhausting.
He continues, “Have you ever thought of moving out? It may help all of you, I don’t know, learn to be independent?”
Kita has never lived alone. Back home, she lived with her parents before what happened forced her to look for a new start in Republic City.
“It’s not that I’ve never considered it but the idea is still a little scary. Not as much as when I first moved here, to be honest. It just still feels like a big step to live alone. Yet it may be the step I have to take.”
Tahno hums in her ear. “I can help you find a place. I helped Shaozu when his parents decided to move back to the fire nation. I had to find mine when I was ready to leave the nest.”
A weight feels lifted off of Kita’s chest. She doesn’t have to do it alone. Knowing Tahno, he’ll also help her find furniture. Ming and Shaozu would be happy to help her move what little she has. And Kita is sure that after the initial shock of deciding to step back, Atira would be delighted to design the space into a comfortable, fashionable apartment.
Kita squeezes Tahno’s hands tighter, “Thank you, Tahno. That means a lot.”
The waves continue to rock them, splashing against Kita’s waist and thighs. They haven’t drifted that much, meaning Tahno is bending just a little bit as well, anchoring them in place.
He’s slowly become a major figure in Kita’s life. When she first came to the city, she couldn’t stand the pompous pro bender who liked to push other people’s buttons. Mostly because he always managed to push hers. Yet, over the year, as they learned more about each other, their differences slowly brought them together. And now they’re swimming, intertwined, in their underwear. How Kita’s parents would be absolutely mortified. Good.
“You know, I -” Tahno takes a deep breath. “I can help you talk to Atira, if you want. Even if all I’m doing is standing next to you.”
Something in the air changes. There’s more behind what he said, Kita feels. And in her heart, she wants to know what that more is. Has a hope for what that more is.
She brings her legs down and swirls to face Tahno in the water. He keeps his arms close, just within her space, but not touching yet. He watches her, or is searching her face for a clue, just as Kita is with him.
She rests her hands on his shoulders before asking, “What do you really want to say?”
His face lights up with a teasing smirk. “Is there something you want me to say?”
Kita glowers and leans back a bit. Tahno immediately places his hands on her upper waist. Not forcefully, but enough to say, stay there.
“Tahno,” Kita implores. This isn’t a moment for teasing.
The teasing smirk disappears, “I’m sorry.” He apologizes. “I, hm, what I want to say is, being next to you, around you, has already made me the happiest man, and it would be my greatest privilege to be with you. If you feel the same.”
She looks into his pale blue eyes and her heart melts. He’s earnest. So openly earnest. Kita would be the first one to be surprised at how she’s come to love Tahno, but it’s him. It’s him. As tears start to fill her eyes, she knows she loves him.
Kita leans in and presses her forehead to his, a radiant smile on her face. “I feel the same, Tahno.”
His eyes widen and he laughs in relief, sweeping Kita into a tight embrace. They laugh joyously together, twirling in the water like a slow-dance.
Tahno brings a hand up to cup Kita’s cheek, gently rubbing it with his thumb. Kita leans into the touch, nuzzling closer. They look into each other's eyes. Tahno glances at her lips, plump and slightly parted. He leans in, watching her. Kita leans in a little more, wrapping an arm over his shoulder. He presses his forehead to hers, like before, looking once more into Kita’s eyes.
He wants to know I’m sure, Kita thinks. She closes the distance, crashing her lips to his. Tahno eagerly pushes back, angling his head as well. His lips are a little salty from the water but at this moment, they’re delicious. Kita’s breathing is short and quick and the last thing she’s really thinking about as she chases a better taste of him with every kiss. Tahno’s hand slides from cupping her cheek to cradling the back of her head, moving in for an even deeper kiss. Kita feels herself getting hot all over, the cool water around them finally feeling like a relief now that she’s forgotten to keep it warm. She runs her hands through his hair, trying to keep him close, wanting to savor this moment.
Soon, out of breath and a little dizzy, their lips finally part. They tread water, still tightly intertwined in each other’s arms. She looks into his eyes. She sees adoration, desire, playfulness, and a little bit of tiredness. She hopes he sees the same and more.
Sighing happily, Kita rests her head on her arms entwined around his shoulders. A new wave of doziness washes over her, Tahno can tell so he gently rubs her back and keeps them stable in the water.
Slowly, to a degree that Kita doesn’t notice right away, dawn begins to break behind the city. She realizes as soft pinks and warm yellows illuminate the water instead of the shining silver from the moon. The sunlight sparkles off the glass of the dozens of skyscrapers, creating a beautiful golden city.
The swimming pair shift to watch it together, Kita still enfolded in Tahno’s arms.
“It’s a new day,” Tahno says.
“A new start,” Kita promises.
The couple soon swim to shore, dry, and dress before walking back to Kita’s home, hand in hand. Back at the apartment, Atira is still awake, having not slept a wink after discovering Kita was gone. Fearing the worst of her best friend, Ming and Shaozu were out searching for her but knowing that Tahno was also gone, the boys weren’t too worried. After a tearful, on Atira’s part, reunion, the friends sit down for a serious talk about that night and their future. Tahno letting Kita handle it but offering a helpful word at times. Feeling guilty for not realizing her friend's exhaustion sooner, Atira agrees to everything Kita asks, only asking that Kita join them for dinner once every week. She can’t miss family dinner now. Which Kita happily agrees to.
At the end of their talk, Atira shoos them off to bed, Tahno included. The couple, after taking off their nice clothes once more, gratefully collapse into Kita’s soft bed and fall asleep. Kita sleeps soundly for the first time in weeks.