Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Welcome to this year’s Annual Pro-bending Tournament, folks! This year’s event is sponsored by FutureTech Industries. Our first match between the Omashu Komodo Chickens and the Republic City Tiger Sharks begins in fifteen minutes. So grab your seats and hold on, because this match just might blow you away!”

“Ready for this, team?” Dazai Osamu asked. The waterbender surveyed his teammates, and Atsushi nodded. 

“Ready, Dazai!” The younger boy had been a last-minute addition in the beginning of the season, but he’d more than proven his worth over the course of it. At least, as long as his confidence held up. He was prone to anxiety, but in a match- or a fight, which happened on occasion- his determination was solid as the earth he bent.

Their other teammate just nodded. Not that Dazai expected much else from Akutagawa. Their firebender was as taciturn as they came, but effective as hell. The two of them were barely over the age limit for teams, but they’d spent their lives fighting on the streets, and both were good at their roles. 

The brunette grinned. “Okay, Tiger Sharks, let’s get out there and kick their asses!”

The match almost went off without a hitch.

“Alright folks! It’s round three of the match. The Tiger Sharks have won two rounds, and are still going strong. The Komodo Chickens need to really step it up if they want to stay in the tournament. And there’s the bell! Nakajima and Akutagawa come out strong. Those two are almost perfectly in sync as always, and Dazai’s defense is nearly impenetrable. The Komodo Chickens have been pushed back to zone 2, and it’s only a minute into the round. For a rookie team, these guys have really dominated- wait! Something’s going on. It looks like Akutagawa’s hurt!”

It happened just as Akutagawa and his teammates advanced into the enemy’s zone. Their earthbender flipped out multiple disks, and Dazai, good as he was, couldn’t block them all. Akutagawa was in the middle of a move when one slipped by and impacted directly on his arm, just above the elbow. There was a loud crack and the raven dropped to the ground, cradling his arm and biting his lip to keep from screaming from the pain.

Play stopped, of course, and the healers carried Akutagawa off the field. It left the Tiger Sharks short a player, but there was only a little over a minute left, so as long as they could hold their ground they’d win.

Chuuya’s eyes narrowed as he watched from the sidelines, gritting his teeth. It had been a fair play, and Akutagawa had always been a bit fragile, but he’d be out for a while if the injury was bad and the healers wanted him to fork up the cash. He couldn’t afford the missed pay, not really, unless Chuuya found a way to make up the difference.

Akutagawa was going to be a pain to deal with for a while, although at least it was his arm and not his ribs or something. That certainly wouldn’t have done the raven any favors. 

Eyes on the match, Chuuya watched as his best friend’s teammates did their best to win. 

Down on the field, Dazai and Atsushi tightened their ranks. Earth and water lashed out, and as the last seconds ticked down…

“That’s the round, folks! And the match! Despite losing their firebender, the Tiger Sharks held on and held their territory, and have made it to the quarterfinals. This rookie team is on fire! Here’s hoping Akutagawa can still fight. That, or they can find a replacement. Don’t worry, folks, another match starts in twenty minutes, featuring…”

Dazai tuned out the announcer as he and Atsushi headed for the infirmary. Akutagawa was on one of the exam tables, looking a curious mix of happy and dejected. “Hey guys,” he said. “Congratulations.”

“Hey, it’s your win too,” Atsushi said. “So how’s your arm?”

“Broken. And the healers can’t fix it- none of them are skilled enough. I’m out for the rest of the tournament. Sorry,” the raven said, his eyes downcast. 

“Dammit,” Dazai muttered. “We need another firebender.” The brunette was mad at himself in a way. He’d tried to learn healing, but the lessons had never clicked for him, despite the insistence of his ex-mentor. He pushed those thoughts aside. 

“It’s okay, Ryu. We’ll figure this out.”

“You did your best, Ryu. It wasn’t intentional, but they fucked you over with that move.” Chuuya said as he leaned against the doorway, arms crossed against his chest and a frown on his face. His eyes watched the three of them. The redhead had never really spent any time with his friend’s teammates - you could say they ran in different circles - but they’d never treated Ryu badly. They’d actually helped out when they could, for some reason, although that wasn’t enough to enamor him to them. “Do you guys have a backup?”

“No,” Ryu told him, his lips tight with pain. What little painkillers they’d given him had kicked in, but it wasn’t enough to do more than blur the edges. “We barely got Atsushi onboard in time. Most of the decent benders either aren’t interested or already have teams.”

The raven cocked his head. “Are you offering? You always told me you wanted nothing to do with the pro teams.”

“I don’t. But I’m also not going to sit around while you watch from the sidelines and mope.” Chuuya rolled his eyes as he walked into the room, hands falling to his hips. The redhead came to a stop in front of the three, looking between them. “I can firebend, I know the rules, and I’m not injured. You need somebody, or your tournament fees are going to waste. If you don’t know anybody, who else is going to work?”

Dazai regarded the other thoughtfully. He’d watched the two spar when he was scouting Akutagawa. The redhead was at least as good, if not better, than the raven; it was only his attitude and profound dislike of the sport that had kept Dazai from trying to recruit him in the first place. A glance at Atsushi told him the earthbender was on board. “Alright,” he said. “If we win, we do a four-way split of the profits. And you come stay on the island, if you like. It’ll make it easier to train together.”

“Is this a temporary offer?” The four ways split sounded good - it’d be less than Akutagawa normally got, but more altogether. Staying on the island, at least temporarily, also meant that Chuuya actually might not have a bad time during the tournament, so long as he could stand the teammates.

“The island? You can stay as long as you like, as long as you don’t wreck anything or cause problems. It’s not like we don’t have plenty of room. And Fukuzawa won’t care- I pretty much have free run of the place as long as the temple’s kept up.” Dazai extended a hand. “So, do we have a deal?”

Chuuya watched him for a few seconds before his hand left his side and took Dazai's. A deal like this wasn’t going to get any better, and it was pretty good already. A place to stay, making sure Ryu didn’t lose his place on the team... “Deal. I’ll stay out of your way for the most part, once I’ve learned where everything is, but I’ll be there for training and matches.”

“Alright. We’re headed back on the ferry in ninety minutes. Get your stuff and meet us at the docks.” Dazai turned to go. “Ryu, Atsushi, I’m going to let the officials know we have a replacement.”

“Okay, Dazai,” Atsushi said, and the brunette left with a wave.

“Chuuya,” Akutagawa said, his voice still rough. “Thanks. I owe you one.”

“Don’t worry about it.” The redhead waved a hand as he turned toward the door he had come through. Ninety minutes should be plenty to get his stuff together; he didn’t have much. “You just worry about healing so you can take your place again. I’m going to get my stuff. I’ll see you at the ferry.”

--------

The ferry ride to Air Temple Island was short, as always, and the foursome was mostly silent during the ride. Atsushi spent most of it hovering over Ryu, making sure he was comfortable. Dazai was a little more practical. “Don’t worry too much,” he said at one point. “If we haven’t found you a healer before then, Aunt Karya should be back in a week or so. You won’t be back for the tournament, unfortunately, but it’s better than the six weeks or so it would take normally.”

Ryu nodded at that. Atsushi sat next to him, and the firebender leaned on his teammate’s shoulder and closed his eyes.

Chuuya sighed and leaned his head back against the side of the ferry, listening to his temporary teammates talk. His time subbing for Akutagawa wouldn't be long, but there would be more than one match he'd have to take part in. His bag rested by his side, everything he owned in that one bag, but he'd have a room to call his own he could store them in. Would there be a lock on the door? He didn't like the idea of anybody being able to walk in whenever they wanted, whether he was there or not.

The slight weight against his other side was comforting, though. A spirit that had accompanied him for so long was still there, although apparently he was the only one to see it. ‘Baki had been through his side for the vast majority of his 18 years, silent and calm. The redhead had never mentioned the spirit to Ryuunosuke because it hadn’t seemed terribly important. ‘Baki only ever followed Chuuya for some reason. Chuuya had never bothered questioning it.

The ferry landed, and the foursome exited onto the dock. The island wasn’t huge, but it was big enough, and at the moment it was practically empty. “Welcome to Air Temple Island, Chuuya,” Dazai said with a sweeping gesture. “My home is your home. Most of it is open to explore- there are only a few rooms that are completely off-limits to outsiders. Let me show you to a room, and then I’ll give you a tour once you're settled. Sound like a plan?”

“Sure.” The redhead told him, looking around. He’d seen the island from afar plenty of times, but he’d never gotten the chance to see it up close. It’d always looked like an interesting place to go look around. Arahabaki sat by his side, feline eyes watching the brunette who was letting them stay here. “It looks pretty empty here.”

“It is. The branch that’s based here travels more often than not. They only come back for a day or two every month to rest and restock. The leader lets me live here in exchange for keeping the place up,” Dazai explained, leading the way up the path. Atsushi and Akutagawa had already disappeared over the first hill, headed for their quarters. “It’s not really an active temple anymore, but the Republic’s agreement with Avatar Korra keeps it more or less sacrosanct. Fukuzawa told me once she always thought of this place as a second home.”

“Huh. How many extra rooms do you have, if I’m not taking anyone’s?” Chuuya asked as he followed the other, his bag slung over one shoulder. He didn’t really know what to make of the brunette - Dazai, if he remembered right - since they’d never talked, but he’d been a good enough friend to Ryuunosuke. Chuuya had always known of Dazai and Atsushi by proxy, through whatever his friend told him and how they acted on the field. “And this seems like a lot for one person to maintain.”

“The others help a bit, and Gin does most of the cooking.  The rest of it… it’s not that hard when there’s not much else to do but practice. And for anything major I’m allowed to hire help or wait until the others come back. I have an allowance for food and necessities for us, the Nomads take care of the rest.” Dazai shrugged and gave a small smile.

“As far as the rooms go, there’ve always been more here than bodies to fill them. Tenzin and Avatar Aang were a little overzealous when they built this place. And since the Air Nation have gone back to being nomads, there are never more than thirty or so here at any one time. Most stay at one of the old temples if they’re not traveling.” They’d reached the quarters by this point, and Dazai pointed out two of the corridors as they passed them. 

“Those rooms are for Fukuzawa and the others. I’m allowed in a few, but no one else is. Our rooms are in the third corridor. First on the right is Atsushi, first two on the left are Ryu and Gin, the one at the end is mine. You can pick any of the others. The doors only lock from the inside, but don’t worry too much. The others are sticklers for privacy, and we don’t get many visitors.”

Dazai paused as the other looked around for a moment, checking out the empty rooms and eventually settling on one halfway down the hall. “I’ll let you get unpacked. Dinner’s in an hour or so- one of us will come get you and show you to the dining hall. I’ll give you the rest of the grand tour after. Sound good?”

Chuuya nodded, still taking in the area. It was actually pretty cool, seeing this place from the inside. If Gin was here, it would explain why he hadn’t seen her around as much, and it was safer anyway. He wasn’t hurt that the raven hadn’t told him where they’d gone, but he understood all too well the want to keep something safe once you had it, and Ryu probably hadn’t wanted to seem like he was rubbing it in Chuuya’s face or something. He paused for a second though, looking to Dazai.

“You said the others are ‘sticklers for privacy’, does that mean I should watch out for you?” Chuuya asked bluntly, leaning against the door to the room that might be his, for at least a while and eyeing the other with maybe not entirely vague suspicion.

Dazai grinned at the redhead. He’s sharp. Good. “Honestly, we need you too much for me to cause problems right now. As for later, I promise not to enter your room unless you invite me, give me permission, or it’s an emergency. Good enough?”

“Explicit permission.” Chuuya responded before pushing himself off the door, nodding again toward Dazai. “Good enough. I’ll see you at dinner, then.”

The brunette waved, then went to Ryu’s door and knocked. A voice came from inside, and he let himself in.

********************************************

“And this is the greenhouse,” Dazai proclaimed as they stopped at another building, this one made primarily of glass. “It grows enough to feed pretty much everyone- in fact, the Air Nomads are vegetarians. If we want meat we have to buy it from the city. But, I’m allowed to trade some of this as well. Atsushi helps me out a lot here- he’s really good with plants.”

“They don’t mind you bringing in meat?” Chuuya asked, looking through the glass walls at the bunch of plants inside. He knew the concept of greenhouses, but he’d never encountered them before. There were a ton of plants inside - how many of them were used for the food cooked here? How many had other uses? The entire island was pretty cool - quiet and calm, with almost nobody around. It was almost a bit jarring after having been in the city for his entire life actually, a stillness rarely seen in the streets he’d called home. He knew others were here, but the silence and the lack of… well, anything, was odd.

Dazai shook his head and snorted softly. “Nah. Aunt Karya and I were raised in the Northern Water Tribe. Meat’s always been a part of our diet- hunting’s practically a religion there. She sticks to their diet on the road, but here… she’ll join us for dinner. Calls it her ‘cheat days.’”

Something dark flickered through the waterbender’s eyes, and his voice went low and slightly far away. “Besides, it gives us a chance to catch up. She’s the only family I have left, and the reason I’m here right now. When she married Fukuzawa it let us both escape.”

He closed his eyes for a moment, and whatever was bothering him seemed to have vanished. “Come on in, if you want. I need to water the plants.”

“At least you have that chance.” Chuuya shrugged, following the brunette into the greenhouse and taking a closer look at various plants. “It’s more than some people have. But you’re not alone, anyway. I know Ryu’s your friend, and I’m pretty sure the other kid is too. Whatever you went through, you’re not alone now.”

The redhead closed his mouth abruptly, realizing that he didn’t really have a place to say anything. He barely knew the guy in front of him, let alone anything he went through, and why did he talk so much in the first place?

The brunette paused, a large ball of water hovering in front of him as he studied the redhead for a second. With a motion, the ball split into smaller ones, each going to one of the pots. Some sank into the soil, while others broke into a fine mist over the plants. “You’re right. I’m not. And neither are you, you know. Not if you don’t want to be.”

Dazai busied himself checking the plants, studiously not looking at Chuuya for a moment. There were a few that were ready to harvest, and he grabbed one of the baskets they kept handy. Another series of motions had the plants bending toward him, and he picked the various fruits and vegetables with ease. 

Chuuya watched Dazai harvest, a familiar weight against his side for a moment before the spirit laid at his feet. The brunette wasn’t wrong, not really. Chuuya had always latched onto people easily, until he’d learned to pull back so he didn’t get hurt when somebody inevitably left or turned on him. That was always a possibility. Over the years he’d stuck to himself, save for Ryu and Gin, who had proven themselves time and time again. It was hard, but he’d made it this far. 

He shook his head, dislodging that train of thought, and refocused on the other, looking at the plants Dazai was harvesting. One held some very familiar fruit - he hadn’t seen it in ages   - and he made an abortive movement toward it, almost reaching out for the fruit he’d enjoyed, before he forcibly changed tracks yet again. Was he going to have to do chores or something to ‘earn’ his keep? Competing earned his paychecks, but living here, especially if food and everything was included…

Dazai grinned as Chuuya reached for the strawberries. “Go ahead. They don’t last long once they’re ripe, and this batch is mostly going to go for jam anyway. You should’ve seen Ryu’s face when he discovered the fig trees in the orchard. Atsu had to literally drag him away a couple of times.” That was one of the nicer things about being here. He was not really fond of vegetables, but there were a few he didn’t mind, and Gin had become a half-decent cook over the past few months.

Chuuya relented after a moment, reaching forward to grab some of the strawberries. Somehow, when he bit into one, it was even better than he remembered. Sweetness that tasted better than pretty much anything else he had found. Strawberries had been his favorite for so long, even though he rarely got a chance to eat them. Figs had always been Ryu’s too, so he wasn’t surprised that Atsushi had been forced to pull him away. 

“What about you? What’s your favorite?”

“Moon peaches. We have a few of those trees too,” Dazai said definitively, pulling the last few ripe strawberries off the plant. He looked over and grinned, then hefted the basket and turned toward the door. “They taste so much better fresh, don’t they? Most of the stuff you get in town just doesn’t compare. We don't usually sell fresh produce. I have seen Fukuzawa take entire bushels to the slums sometimes though. They’re usually gone in a flash, but at least they’re going to people who really need them, not a bunch of snobby rich folks.”

That would explain the rumors that had been running around though, about the baskets that would be found, filled to the brim, with fresh produce occasionally. He’d never gotten his hands on one of them, but he’d heard from those who had that everything in the baskets was delicious and ripe. The redhead could believe it, looking around the greenhouse. Was Dazai aware that Chuuya was from slums? They had never really talked, but he didn’t know what Ryu might have said or let slip. The brunette didn’t seem derisive about the ‘lesser’ class though. Not openly at least. 

“I haven’t had them in years, so they taste pretty good either way.” Chuuya answered. “So am I going to get chores to do too? If I stay here?”

“Oh certainly. We’ll figure that out if you decide to stay after the tournament, though. The quarterfinals are in three days, so our main focus is going to be practice. We have a setup on the east side of the island for that.” Dazai opened the door to the greenhouse and held it for a second. “I need to drop these off in the kitchen, then we can continue the tour if you like. It’s getting dark, so we probably won’t get it all in tonight though.”

“Works for me.” Chuuya bit into his last strawberry as he joined Dazai back outside, looking around again. It’d be a while before he was used to the island, honestly, if he was here long enough to have a chance to. If they went back to the kitchen, he’d have a chance to maybe get to talk to Gin. During dinner she’d been focused on Akutagawa, scolding him for letting his defense down, not that he blamed her. It made perfect sense, given where they were from.

Arahabaki, by his side, gently nudged him, but Chuuya didn’t stumble, didn’t make any indication. He’d gotten used to the spirit making itself known and learned to make sure it wasn’t obvious. Too many people had treated him oddly once they found out, as though he were crazy or something. The redhead had no intention of revealing the spirit’s presence. He didn’t know why he was the only one who could see it, but Arahabaki didn’t seem worried about being seen by others. 

The walk back to the kitchen wasn’t long. Gin was still there, finishing her cleanup from dinner and prepping for breakfast. “Hey Dazai, Chuuya! Been in the greenhouse?”

“Yep. The new strawberry plants are doing well. Think you’re up to trying one of those cake recipes Karya left? It’s been a while since we had cake. I’m going into town in the morning if you need anything.” Dazai hoisted the basket onto the counter and started unpacking it. 

“Eggs and milk, if I’m making a cake. We should be okay on everything else for a while.” The raven-haired girl smiled at Chuuya. “It’s good to see you here, Chuuya. Thanks for filling in for Ryuunosuke.”

“It’s something to do, and I haven’t had a good fight in a while.” Chuuya smiled at her, shrugging one shoulder. “Besides, I’ve been watching long enough I know the rules, get a bit of a paycheck, and he gets to keep his spot. It made sense. How have you been? I haven’t gotten to talk to you in a while.”

“I’ve been good. Dazai and his aunt helped me get into a school. I’m actually doing pretty well, for not having much of a formal education.” Gin started picking up the vegetables and separating them into bins. “Keeps me busy though, that and keeping these guys fed. It’s a heck of a lot better than where we were, though.”

She grinned and patted the top of the counter. “Don’t worry about being rude. Atsushi likes to perch too.”

“How’d you know?” Chuuya grinned as he hopped up, watching his best friend’s sister move around the kitchen confidently. She’d come out of her shell a bit, was just so much more… happy, here. Ryu had chosen right, joining the team. School had probably helped with that, but so had having someplace she could call home, without having to look over her shoulder constantly. He was happy for them. “And you’re absolutely right.”

“I’m glad you found somewhere, Gin.” His grin softened as he spoke, and he leaned back a bit. “Things are so much better for you here; you both are happier, and you’ve made more friends now.”

“I think you’ll like it here too. I hope you decide to stay. We’ve missed you.” Gin blushed a little as she spoke. “Anyway, I need to get this sorted. I have schoolwork to finish.”

“Right,” Dazai said. “I want to show Chuuya a few more things before it gets completely dark. We’ll be at the tower if anyone needs us.”

"We'll see. Maybe if i don't stay I'll visit sometimes." Chuuya hopped off of the counter, nodding farewell to his friend. "I'm glad you're doing well though. See you later."

The redhead followed Dazai from the room, ignoring the eyes of Arahabaki on him; obviously, the spirit felt that he should stay here - it was at least relatively safe and his friends were here. They would see what happened though.

*********************

“And this is the temple,” Dazai said a little while later as they ascended the steps to it. “One huge, rather empty building on an island of rather empty buildings. Still, it’s impressive. And the view from the top is phenomenal.” 

The brunette waved Chuuya into the building. Their steps echoed as they walked, and Dazai pointed out various rooms. “The main temple is open to pretty much everyone,” he explained. “I don’t bother most of the time. But the two rooms in the back are off limits. Only the spiritual leader is allowed back there. And the Avatar, when there is one.”

“Huh. They’re probably pretty dusty then.” The redhead commented. It was pretty impressive here - he’d never seen architecture quite like what was here, and certainly never a temple. “Do people come here often, besides the ones who live on the island?”

“We get the occasional tourist or pilgrim. Sometimes some of the other branches will stop by for a day or two. Other than that, not really. Although when Fukuzawa’s here we’ll get the occasional reporter asking why the Avatar hasn’t appeared yet. Those are always fun discussions. I don’t know why they bother, the answer hasn’t changed in decades. Or, rather, it has, but they’re not going to tell anyone that.” Dazai shrugged and led the way up a narrow staircase that ended on the top floor.

“Has it? All I know are rumors. I heard something about an earthbender being the avatar but then chatter stopped as people got bored of it, so…” Chuuya shrugged again as he followed Dazai up the stairs, despite knowing the brunette couldn’t see it. “I think people are getting antsy about the lack of one though. It’s tradition, and some seem worried this one’s another Avatar Aang.”

“Not exactly.” Dazai turned as they reached the top of the stairs. They were in an attic that for some reason had a large cage in it, and Dazai led the way to a window. 

“You’re not scared of heights, are you?” he asked as he opened it.

“Not really, why?” Chuuya asked as he followed his host to the window. It looked out over the island with the city in the background, the fading light sending shadows over the landscape. It was a beautiful sight, and he leaned against the windowsill for a moment to just keep looking. 

Dazai grinned at him and leaned out the window, snagging a rope that was hanging next to it. He eeled out the window and up the rope. A half a moment later the rope went slack and moved to dangle in front of the firebender. “Come on up. It’s a gorgeous evening.”

“Oh hell yeah.” Chuuya grabbed the rope and shimmied up quickly, sitting next to his temporary teammate. It was even better up here, with the sky over their heads and the sun beginning to set. He’d seen similar sights from within the city, on nights he could get away with it, but never the entire thing. 

He turned toward the other, a remark on his lips dying when he caught sight of the brunette. The dying light reflected in his eyes, a slight breeze ruffling his hair… Dazai was actually pretty cute. Chuuya had always had an inkling that he preferred guys to girls, but his last few years had been focused more on surviving than finding anybody to spend his life with. That, and what would he have to offer anyone? 

Dazai noticed the other’s pause but didn’t remark on it, mostly because he was having very similar thoughts. Chuuya’s hair was amazing at sunset. “Hell of a view, isn’t it?” he murmured eventually. “I love coming up here. It’s almost entirely quiet, and the water reminds me of home. Sometimes I miss the utter isolation. This is about as close as I can get.”

“I’ve always lived in Republic City, but I guess I can understand what you mean. Sometimes where you came from just seems so out of reach, so…” The redhead trailed off as he thought of the one place he’d called home in his life, someplace he avoided going back to because all it held were memories of the past that he didn’t want to relive. He still missed it though, missed the one piece of family he’d left behind there. His gaze slid from Dazai to the scenery before them. “It is an amazing view though.”

“Feel free to come up whenever,” Dazai said, surprising himself with the offer. He’d never even brought the others up here. “We should probably go down soon, though. There’s not much of a moon tonight. And I want to get an early start tomorrow. We have a lot of practicing to do once I get back from the market.”

“You can go ahead if you want. I think I’m going to sit here for another few minutes.” Chuuya said, leaning back as the last of the light died and the nightlife started. In the city, lights flickered on, the glow a halo around the city that kept the dark at bay. Seeing it from here, it was an indescribable feeling he wasn’t quite sure what to make of. 

“If you’re sure. Just be careful getting down, and put the rope on the hook so it doesn’t blow around.” Dazai grabbed the rope and climbed back to the window, sliding inside with practiced ease. It didn’t take him long to head down the stairs, and as he walked back to his room he contemplated bright blue eyes and flaming hair, and something he’d never felt before.

Something warm, coiled deep inside where before there’d only been a cold that could rival the icebergs of his homeland.

It felt like… desire.

Huh.

Chuuya tilted his head back and watched the stars, his mind going down paths that he’d considered off limits, or pushed away for later, sometimes with a bit of a new perspective. He’d found his friends (not that he’d really lost them,) had joined a probending team (something he thought he’d never do,) had a place to stay (at least temporarily,) and… well. Dazai was cute - not just cute, but pretty damn good looking. 

Maybe…

Eventually.

The redhead sighed, one hand going to the large cat curled up at his side, before he leaned down and took up the rope to go back inside. Dazai had been right. They had a lot to do tomorrow.

Chapter Text

Dazai hated getting up early, but he was the only one who could do the shopping. Partly, this was because as the sole waterbender, he was the only one who could get the boat back and forth across the bay. (He’d tried to teach the others basic sailing techniques. It hadn’t gone well.) Usually he took at least one of them, but today he had a feeling Atsushi wasn’t going to leave Ryu’s side, and Gin had schoolwork.

And he had no idea if Chuuya was even up this early. After last night… he’d spent half the night laying awake trying to figure out exactly what was going on with him and what to do about it. When he had managed to fall asleep, his dreams consisted of firelit red hair, blue eyes, and a beautifully rough voice.

It was barely dawn when he arrived at the dock with a bushel basket of vegetables. Fukuzawa wasn’t the only one to drop produce off, especially when they had an overabundance. After all, it was only fresh for so long.

He was climbing into the boat and getting ready to cast off when the voice that had haunted his dreams came from the docks.

“You want some company?” Chuuya asked, looking over the contents of the boat. Obviously Dazai had been downplaying the produce thing yesterday, but he didn’t mention it. He hadn’t slept for long, but that was normal - he’d find a few places to take catnaps later, once he had a better idea what was happening today. 

The redhead wasn’t sure what to make of his dreams - usually he didn’t dream at all, but he’d woken with a picture in his mind that was hard to shake. It’d been Dazai’s face, lit by the last rays of sun and a faintly content look on his face… Chuuya was pretty sure the brunette wasn’t going to leave his mind anytime soon, but if he didn’t get distracted by it, that shouldn’t be an issue, right?

“Sure. It’ll go faster with two. Climb aboard.” Dazai yawned as he untied the lines. Once Chuuya was on board, he gently pushed away from the docks, then unfurled the sail. There wasn’t a lot of wind, but it helped.

The first five or ten minutes of the ride were quiet, as Dazai got them oriented and headed for the opposite shore. He’d done this often enough that it was almost second nature now, but the first and last parts were always the trickiest. It didn’t help that the wind was being shifty, and he studied the sky for a moment and sighed. “We’re going to have a storm later. Hopefully it holds off until we get home, at least.”

“If not, I know a few places we can hide out until it does.” Chuuya watched the sea around them, sitting near the edge of the boat. He’d never spent much time on the water, but at least he wasn’t getting sea-sick or something. The redhead had a feeling he’d never live that down after he’d offered to come along. “So where do you usually start?”

“I was actually going to ask for your help on that,” Dazai said. “I’ve been trying to space out the deliveries a bit, but I don’t really know the slums that well. Usually I have Atsushi or Ryu along for this part. I think I’ve hit most of the worst spots at least once, so is there anywhere, or anyone, in particular you’d like to help out?”

Chuuya was silent for a moment as he considered the question. He didn’t have a lot of people he was close to, not really, but there were definitely a few families with kids he’d seen around. Most people in the slums needed help, but those with children… Those always needed a bit more. 

“I know of a few places, a few people, that could use a bit, but most of them won’t take it if we offer it directly I think.” The redhead said slowly, thinking about how stubborn some of them were. It was one thing to take what was left, where it wasn’t ‘charity’, but if they walked up to someone and offered them stuff… Very few would accept. 

“Hmmm.” Dazai thought for a minute. “I guess we’ll just have to be selective where we leave it. Luckily I’ve got a couple of smaller baskets, we can split it up and leave them somewhere they’ll be found quickly. They can’t really object if we’re gone before they notice it’s there, can they?”

Normally he wouldn’t mind continuing to just leave the basket out in the open, but the last time he’d stuck around to watch. One of the local gangs had come up and taken off with the entire thing, and he really didn’t want that to happen again. Maybe it was the water tribesman in him, but he’d never cared for people who stole from the less fortunate.

“If we’re not there, they’ll probably take it as soon as they find it.” Chuuya bit down the ‘I would’ that almost followed, but he didn’t want to expose that part of himself. He wasn’t sure how much Dazai knew, if any of it, but the stubborn part of him hoped the brunette would never find any of it out. “We should probably divvy it out before we get there though, or it’s going to be obvious.” 

Now that he thought about it, the fact that Dazai and his mentor switched up where they dropped off food was a good thing. It was harder for anyone to try and grab the food as soon as it popped up if they didn’t need it. Some people in the slums were good, willing to share what little they had and make things work, but there were always those who preyed on the weak.

“Makes sense. It’ll be easier to carry that way anyway,” Dazai agreed. He stopped what he was doing for a moment and fetched the baskets. “We can do a four-way split. Help me divvy this out.”

It didn’t take long for the two of them to have four decent-sized baskets filled. Dazai got them the rest of the way into the dock and had the boat tied up quickly. He turned to the redhead. “Do you know any shortcuts to where we’re going? I’m still learning my way around this place.”

“Shortcuts or not, I know some of the more direct routes that go around the places we should avoid.” Hefting up one of the baskets, he looked toward Dazai. His expression was serious - It was Republic City, sure, but the slums had its own set of rules. “I know you’ve wandered the area and dropped stuff off before, but there are places better left alone. Not because they don’t need charity, but because they’ll do anything to come out on top.”

Dazai nodded in agreement, his smile a bit rueful. “We’ve run into that. It’s one of the reasons I try not to do this alone. If it weren’t for Ryu being hurt I would’ve had one of them along, but I wasn’t going to try to drag Atsu away from him right now. It’d be an exercise in futility, and I’m not awake enough for that.” 

He pulled out a length of rope and used it to bind the handles of the other three baskets together, then slipped it over his shoulder. “Come on. Let’s go feed some people.”

It actually worked pretty well. Chuuya led them to four different houses, and they left baskets in front of each, then found a hiding spot around a corner. Dazai used the water he carried to form ice and knock on each door, whisking it away before the doors could open. In all four cases, the person who answered looked around for a moment, then grabbed the basket and whisked it inside. One actually muttered a prayer of thanks- Dazai had seen several children behind her, and they all looked incredibly underfed. He made a special note of that particular house.

“Well, Chibi, that worked out. I think maybe we’ll keep to that idea for the most part. Is there anything else you want to do before we hit the market? I’m going to have to get more baskets before we do the shopping. And we’re probably not going to get back into town before the match.” Dazai grinned at the redhead as they headed back to the main part of the city.

“Nothing I can think of, and that’s fine. Not like I have much of anything to do.” Chuuya shrugged, half of his attention on the streets around them. It wasn’t like he had a whole lot of money, and he had everything he needed for now, especially if meals were included on the island. How often did they eat together, anyway? 

“What do you get at the market? You don’t need food, right?” The redhead asked before his brain registered the nickname and he stopped, looking to his teammate. “Did you just call me ‘chibi’?”

“Meat and bread and rice, mostly. I can- and often do- fish, but anything else we have to buy. And none of us really bake all that much. Fukuzawa does a lot of trading while he and the others are out, and occasionally we’ll do deliveries to other areas if they happen to be headed that way. So we have a running credit with some of the merchants. It’s enough to keep us fed and clothed, anyway.” 

Dazai paused for a second, blushing suddenly as he looked away, and his voice was almost inaudible. “And yes, I called you Chibi. It fits- you’re small and cute.”

Cute? What the hell?

Chuuya flushed and would have turned his head away if he could take his eyes off the brunette. Nobody had ever called him cute before, not seriously - not to his face, at least. If anybody else had told him told him that, Chuuya wasn’t sure he would have believed it but Dazai seemed sincere, if somewhat shy about it. 

He hadn’t thought Dazai would be shy about anything, but then again, he didn’t really know him, did he?

“Okay, but why did you call me that?” The redhead eventually managed to ask, his question nearly as inaudible as Dazai had been.

“Because,” Dazai answered, turning to look at him, “that’s always how I’ve referred to you in my head. I’ve seen you before, when I was scouting Ryu for the team. The first time… you were sitting together, just talking about something, and I was... “

The brunette sighed. He hadn’t meant to let the nickname slip, but it was out there now. “I thought you were cute then, okay? And then, last night, on the rooftop, it kind of hit me that you’re more than cute. I’m not really sure what to do with that feeling. I’ve never really thought anyone was beautiful before, not like that.”

This time, Chuuya did look away. What was he supposed to do with this? This was Dazai, who Ryu seemed to idolize, but had never seemed to be all that special to Chuuya. Telling Chuuya that not only was the redhead cute, but someone that was more. He’d known people envied him for his hair color, his eye color, bright against the black and brown of nearly everybody else's’. More than once he’d felt eyes on his back, watching him.

But Dazai’s eyes didn’t feel like those. They were more… maybe honest wasn’t quite the word, but something more like trustworthy. It’d been less than 24 hours since they’d actually met for the first time and already Chuuya felt like things would perhaps work out for the best here, possibly maybe even with Dazai. 

He stopped himself before he got much further. Chuuya was here to help win the tournament for Ryu, not anything more. Once it was over, things would go back to normal.

"I’m sorry.” Dazai’s voice was still low, and a little… defeated, maybe. “I probably shouldn’t have brought that last part up. I hadn’t meant to let the nickname slip. Can we just forget I even said anything, at least until after the tournament? We can talk then.”

After all, it’s pointless to get my hopes up if you decide not to stay.

God, I hope you stay.

 “...Let’s talk after the tournament.” Chuuya sighed after a moment. He wasn’t sure how the next few days were going to go, let alone after that. There was no point in discussing a possibility that the redhead very much doubted was actually going to go anywhere.

 A small part of him asked why he was pushing the brunette away when there was a part of Chuuya that was actually pretty interested in seeing something happen between the two of them, but the rest of him smushed that idea. The redhead had nothing to offer Dazai, he just happened to have some good looks, be able to hold his own in a fight, and was available to take the spot. Dazai himself said he wasn’t really sure what to do about it - was he even sure what it was? Did he mean to call Chuuya beautiful?

“You know, though… You’re more than cute yourself.” He said as he began walking again, looking toward the streets now with a flush still on his cheeks. 

Dazai followed Chuuya after a moment, his gaze a curious mix of relieved, hopeful, and appreciative. He wasn’t entirely sure what just happened, but he thought it might just be a good thing.

********************************************

“Okay, let’s try that again!” It was after lunch, and the team had adjourned to the training grounds on the east side of the island. It was an almost perfect replica of a battle stage. Ryu had spent the morning coaching Chuuya on some of the plays he and Atsu had developed, and they were currently practicing them against Dazai’s defense. 

For never having worked together, they actually weren’t doing too badly. Dazai supposed he shouldn’t be all that surprised- after all, he had already known that Chuuya and Ryu sparred together, so it made sense that their fighting styles would be similar. Still, it was odd seeing him in their team colors.

The train of thought was broken as the two across from him attacked. They were practicing one of the more difficult maneuvers; the timing had to be precise, but if they could pull it off, it was nearly impossible to block, which was going to be key against the team they were fighting next. Their waterbender was nearly as good as he was.

Nearly.

Chuuya knew very well how this maneuver went, even if he’d never actually done it before today, but doing it in practice was another thing entirely. It hadn’t been one of the ones Ryuu and he had been able to practice, not really, but they’d talked about it. Well, Ryu had ranted about it when they first developed it anyway, and they’d touched on it before they’d started it today. It was a combination attack- feint with two staggered earth disks, and fireblast as the water jet came down. It required him to be extremely close to the line and dodge as soon as his attack was done, which meant his reflexes had to be pretty much perfect. Ryu had spent weeks complaining about it, but it was incredibly effective when it worked.

It took almost four hours for him to get it the first time.

“Why are we working on this first, anyway?” he asked, somewhat frustrated.

“You’ve been watching us all season, right?” Dazai replied, shaking out his arms as Chuuya nodded. “In all that time, we’ve used this move twice, and both times were near the end of the match. This time, though…”

“This time we want to use it right out of the gate,” Atsushi finished. “If we hit it right, we can push their waterbender back to zone 2 in the first few seconds. If we can do that, and press the others, it should give us the round fairly quickly.”

“And then, in the second round, they’ll be looking for that move. Which’ll let us get around their defense with a sucker punch because they’ll be focused on blocking you,” the brunette finished. “If we can do that, all we have to do is hold our own in the third round and we’re golden.”

“Okay, so you’re looking to blindside them. It’s all going to depend on this move then.” Chuuya said, strengthening his resolve. It’d been a long while since he’d fought by anyone’s side, but he was beginning to pick it up again. Part of it was just getting used to your teammates; their cues, their movements, their hints. Little things that told you without speaking what the plan was. It’d take more time than they had to properly work together but they could make it work for now. “That also depends on if they continue to think I’m the strongest or at least most forward on the team. To them I’m an unknown variable, since they haven’t seen me fight. That’s reason enough to be conscious of me. But let’s get this move down.”

The redhead got back into position, watching his teammates. 

Dazai shot him a brilliant grin. It wasn’t often someone got his strategies right off the bat like that- Ryu and Atsu were good, but neither of them were natural tacticians. It seems Chuuya was. We just might pull this off. Wouldn’t that be amazing?

It was amazing. It had taken the rest of their first day and part of the next morning, but Atsushi and Chuuya had almost perfected the attack. That hadn’t left a whole lot of time for practicing much else, but that was okay. Atsushi’s strength was improvisation, and Chuuya had been right. As a new player, and one that had launched a devastating attack right off the bat, they’d spent the entire second round focusing on him, which had let Dazai and Atsushi get in more than a few attacks of their own. All Chuuya had to do was defend and keep their attention. 

Round three was tougher, but again, all they had to do was not get knocked off the platform. 

It was a very happy foursome that made their way home that evening. They had another three days until round three, which gave them time to work up a new strategy. Tonight, though…

“Hey, Chuuya. Want to see something cool after dinner?” Dazai asked, taking a short break from pushing the boat now that the tide had caught them.

“Cool like what?” The redhead asked from where he was, sitting near the edge of the boat and looking out over the water. He was happy that the match had gone well - had gone spectacularly actually - but he also knew not to get too excited about it. The teams watching knew him now and that trick wouldn’t work twice.

“Cool like huge and fluffy,” he answered with a grin, and the other two grinned as well. They knew exactly what he meant.

“Sure?” Chuuya felt like he was missing out on something, but it didn’t seem dangerous, whatever it was. Ryu would have warned him if whatever Dazai wanted to show him happened to pose some sort of threat. “Do I get to know what it is, or is it a surprise?”

Dazai’s eyes twinkled merrily. “Surprise. A pleasant one, I promise.” 

He leaned back to eye the other for a moment before he straightened and went back to watching the city. Arahabaki was curled up at his back, a silent companion, and everything seemed like it would only get better from there. Maybe Dazai’s surprise would be a good one, like the rooftop. 

“Okay.”

There were actually two surprises that night. The first was that Gin had baked a cake- strawberry, with chocolate icing (and Dazai wasn’t sure he wanted to know where she’d managed to actually get good chocolate. It was dear outside the Fire Nation)- and it had come out perfectly. It was a perfect way to celebrate their victory.

The second involved a bit of a hike down the cliffs. The pair ended up in an open area, and in the center of it…

“Oh good,” Dazai said, speaking quietly as they rounded the final corner. “The babies are still here. I wasn’t sure if they’d gotten big enough to fly yet.”

Babies? What kind of babies would be out here?

Chuuya’s question was answered as he laid eyes on the most fluffy thing he had ever seen. He’d never seen one of these in person up close, but he’d seen stuffed animals and none of them had done this justice. 

A baby sky bison. 

Five of them, actually, rolling around in the grass and munching away on it. They were the most adorable things ever, Chuuya was pretty certain. 

“Sky bison?” He barely breathed out, his eyes wide. 

“Yep. Each of the temples has a herd, and there are a few in other places. They’re still not terribly numerous, but they’re not on the verge of extinction anymore, especially since a lot of places have banned hunting them now.” Dazai smiled at the redhead. His reaction had been almost identical the first time he’d seen a herd up close. “Wanna meet one? I can’t introduce you to the babies yet, the herd's super protective if they don't know you, but I can show you an adult.”

He chuckled at Chuuya’s fervent nod, then walked out a little further and whistled loudly. A minute or so later, another bison appeared and landed in front of them. “Kika!” Dazai said, wrapping his arms around its head. “Chuuya, this is Kika. He’s my very own bison. Has been since about two days after I got here. Fukuzawa brought me down to meet the herd- he wasn’t much more than a baby himself then, but we bonded almost instantly. I’m the first waterbender in, well, ages, to have one. I guess he sensed how lonely I was, and since they bond for life, it’s not like anyone could say no.” 

The bison snuffled at Dazai, then lumbered a step or two forward and did the same to Chuuya. “Kika, this is Chuuya. He’s a new friend of ours, so be nice, okay?”

Kika seemed to study Chuuya for a moment, then reached out a long tongue and licked him. 

Chuuya stood there for a moment in vague shock before he tried to wipe what had gotten on his face off with the bottom of his shirt. Kika was also adorable, but the licking people was kinda gross. Once he was done with that he reached forward a hand, setting it on the white, soft fur. 

“They’re amazing.” He said softly, gently petting the large bison. “So they live here their entire lives or…”

“Pretty much, except for the ones that travel with the nomads,” Dazai replied, giggling softly at the expressions on Chuuya’s face. “If I ever decide to leave Kika will come with me. They tend to become very unhappy if they’re away from their bondmates for too long.”

Dazai looked at the sky, gauging the time. They still had a little while until it got dark. “Wanna go for a ride? We haven’t gotten a chance to fly much lately.”

“Hell yes.” Chuuya replied enthusiastically, looking over the bison. He’d never dreamed he would get the chance to fly on one but here Dazai was, offering. Today just kept getting better and better somehow. First the match and now this. 

The view of the city from above must be incredible.

Dazai climbed onto Kika, then helped Chuuya climb up. Once the redhead was situated, he smiled and clucked to the bison. “Hold on tight, Chibi. Kika. Yip yip.”

They rose smoothly, headed inland, flying high enough that everything on the ground looked small. The light from the spirit portal was washed out this time of day, but it was still clearly visible as they flew over the city. Dazai looked over at Chuuya, who seemed fascinated by the view, and grinned again. “We have a couple of hours before dark. Have you ever been through the portal?”

Chuuya shook his head, his words stolen at the moment by the sights around him. If he’d thought the city from below looked good, it was nothing compared to seeing it from the air. Arahabaki was curled up on the back of the bison, for all appearances asleep, but it made sense to him that the spirit wouldn’t be as enthused about it. Once he’d had a moment to take it in, he looked back toward Dazai. 

The brunette’s hair, long and wavy enough to be mussed by the wind, and the grin on his face… Dazai really was handsome, wasn’t he?

Chuuya shoved the idea out of his mind. If he ever entertained the idea, it’d be after the tournament. No sooner. He’d probably go back to how things were before anyway. No point in getting anyone’s hopes up. 

“You get to do this whenever you want?” He asked to change the subject.

“More or less. We can’t land in the city except around the portal, which is why we use the boat most of the time. That, and Ryu’s not terribly fond of flying without a harness,” Dazai said with a grin. “But yeah. I spent about three years traveling with the nomads. Fukuzawa didn’t trust me by myself until I turned sixteen. I formed the team for the extra spending money and something to do- I like isolation, but even I get lonely after a while. Having the others around has been nice.”

Having you around has been even nicer. He couldn’t say it, not yet, but his cheeks burned slightly at the thought. It had only been four days, but he was already falling, and hard. For the first time, he understood what Karya meant when she talked about the day she met Fukuzawa.

“I was wondering why you started it.” Chuuya remarked. “The island’s not bad - it’s very calm. A lot more so than the city. I can see why they can meditate there - that is still a thing, right?” 

“Yep. There’s a pavilion set up for it, or the temple when the weather’s bad. I prefer my rooftop though. No one bothers me when I’m up there; it’s kind of a thing.” Dazai turned away, one hand going to the back of his neck as it turned pink, and his voice went almost too quiet for Chuuya to hear. “You’re the only person I’ve ever wanted to share it with.”

Chuuya was glad Dazai wasn’t looking at him as his face flushed and he pushed it into the soft fur he’d stretched out on. The brunette was apparently trusting him with an awful lot, and he barely knew him! A part of him hoped this wasn’t just an effort to keep him on the island past the tournament, but it was a small part. Dazai’s reaction seemed too genuine to be faked. Once his blush had died down a bit, he lifted his head, turning his gaze to the brunette. 

“I can see why you’d keep something like this to yourself, where it’s just you, your bison, and the sky.” Sure there were the airships and whatnot, but they didn’t seem like they’d talk to anyone on a bison. You were effectively alone. 

Dazai nodded, not trusting his voice enough to answer just yet. They flew in silence for a while, circling the city then continuing down the coast. Fishing vessels and pleasure craft were coming in for the night, and they watched the flurry of activity from their perch. Occasionally sounds from below would make their way up to them. It was… nice, to find someone who seemed to enjoy the silence as much as he did, who didn’t feel the need to break it with inane chatter or forced conversation.

Someone who had secrets of their own, apparently. 

He watched Chuuya more than he watched the scenes below. Every so often his clothes would move oddly, and the fur on Kika’s back had one spot that wasn’t moving in the breeze. After five years with the Air Nomads (especially with Fukuzawa around) Dazai had seen more than his fair share of spirits. He knew what he was looking at, and wondered why the other felt the need to keep it hidden. Finally he shrugged internally. If Chuuya stayed, it would come out eventually.

If he didn’t it wouldn’t matter anyway.

Chuuya could feel the eyes on him, but it was hard to take his gaze off of the city and ocean below them once he’d torn it from the brunette. He was too handsome sometimes - did he even try? Arahabaki had nestled against his side at some point, an odd sort of warmth against the wind and chill of the higher air, but apparently was content to stay in one place. That was fine with Chuuya. A part of him was still glad the leopard (he was pretty sure it was a leopard, or at least something close) was there - he was rarely alone, and up here it would have been very strange with just Dazai for company, even if Arahabaki never spoke.

It was a little after dark when Kika dropped them off near the residences and flew back to the herd. Dazai ran his hands through his hair in an attempt to straighten it, then gave up. It was always unmanageable after a flight, at least when he forgot to tie it back. Come to think of it, it was getting rather long again- his bangs were past his nose, and the back was midway down his shoulder blades. He should have Karya cut it next week. Or maybe not. Growing it out was tradition, after all, even if he wasn't strictly a warrior, and he kind of liked it long. A part of him wondered if Chuuya did too.

“So, did Chuuya enjoy his surprise?” he asked.

"That was really cool.” Chuuya said with a grin, looking toward Dazai. It was somewhat adorable how mussed- nope. He put that thought away for now, along with the questions and other thoughts he’d tucked away. If he let himself think about it, he wouldn’t be able to think about anything else for a while. Instead the redhead turned his attention toward the sky, where the stars had come out not long before they’d arrived back. “Thanks for showing me.”

“You’re welcome. It’s nice to have someone to share it with.” Dazai returned the look, noticing how the starlight reflected in Chuuya’s eyes. 

Even I get lonely sometimes. Never knew how much it hurt, though. Not until now.

 “Come on,” he said finally. “We should probably work on a strategy for the next match. The others should still be up.”

"Yeah. We need to figure out what we should practice next. We won't get away with using that move again." The redhead agreed, tearing his gaze from the sky and back to the earth around him. He had a feeling he'd be climbing up to the tower tonight, just to have a taste of the ride again, before he went to bed.

“No, but I have a few ideas.” All sorts of ideas. Too bad the other team isn’t the only one I’d like to use them on.

With a small sigh, Dazai led the way inside. As he expected, Atsushi and Ryu were in Ryu’s room- and, from the look of it, they’d been doing more than talking. “Sorry to interrupt,” he said with a slight grin. Atsushi blushed slightly, but waved the two of them to chairs, then sat on the bed next to Ryu. The two hadn’t really been terribly secretive about their relationship, at least not around Dazai. 

"It’s alright. How was your flight?” Ryu asked, grinning at Chuuya. He knew how much the other loved heights- and he may have mentioned it to Dazai at some point along the way. Chuuya didn’t have to know that, though.

“You didn’t tell me he had a bison!” Chuuya replied as he made his way over to the raven, smacking his uninjured arm (he wasn’t that mean) with a grin to show he wasn’t actually that angry. It had been an awesome surprise. 

Maybe he should have known that ‘Air Temple Island’ would include bison. Didn’t they usually live around the temples? It made sense but he wasn’t sure.

Eh, that’s what he gets for missing school so often.

“Besides. Looks like your day went pretty well too.” The redhead glanced between Atsushi and his friend meaningfully. He was glad that Ryu had found someone he was happy with, and the other didn’t seem like he’d ever want to hurt the raven. Then again, he’d thought - Chuuya shut down that line of thought in an instant. Nope, not today.

Ryu blushed slightly. "Yeah. I was going to tell you eventually. We've only been official a few weeks."

“Good for you.” Chuuya grinned at him before turning to Atsushi. “You know the deal. Gin’s probably told you this already, but hurt him and we know what to feed your body to so no one will find it.” 

Ryu facepalmed as Atsu nodded. "I know. Believe me, hurting him is the last thing I want to do. Not to mention he'd probably kick my ass before either of you had a chance," he said with a slight grin of his own. 

Dazai chuckled. "Okay, now that that's out of the way, we need to figure out a strategy for the next match. I checked the scores before we left, so I know who our opponents are. These guys focus on offense, so…."

They spent the next few hours discussing plays and strategies. Chuuya suggested a move they'd never tried before- it required a technique Ryu had never quite been able to master, so their opponents wouldn't be expecting it. It was risky, but… 

They hadn’t gotten this far playing it safe.

********************************************

Chuuya leaned back, his legs dangling over the edge as he looked toward the sky. He’d always loved the stars and seeing the city from the highest points he could reach, but today, he’d gotten to fly . He’d left the city behind, even more so than just being on the island had, and it had been wonderful. The lights of the city had never seemed so distant, and the stars so close, as they had been on Kika’s back. 

If he stayed on the island, would he get to see that again? He’d get to keep seeing Gin and Ryu more than he had for the longest time, and he wouldn’t have to keep moving where he slept. Maybe he’d eventually learn to sleep longer than a few hours max.

Maybe they’d leave him too. 

Ryu and Gin wouldn’t, not if they had anything to say about it, but he couldn't have that same trust in Dazai. He barely knew the guy, even if Ryu kind of vouched for him. Dazai.. Chuuya actually wasn’t sure if that was his first or last name, now that he thought about it. They’d never really formally introduced themselves, even if Ryu had given the brunette his name at some point. All he knew about the brunette was that everybody called him Dazai was that apparently his aunt was the only family he had left, he had a ton of freedom, and he didn’t mind taking people in. 

If Dazai had had some sort of problem with it, Gin and Ryu wouldn’t be there still, and certainly not as happy as they were. 

Could he put trust in him, like he had for Ryu and Gin? He’d managed that, after they’d helped him out. Wasn’t Dazai kind of doing the same here, even if circumstances weren’t the same? 

Chuuya didn’t know for sure, but that meant the small spark of hope in his chest that told him not to let go didn’t die. 

Chapter Text

‘Death from above’, as Atsushi dubbed it, quickly became the most hated move in the history of pro-bending, if the other team’s reaction to it was any indication. The first time Chuuya used his firebending to propel himself up and land a quick strike seemed to infuriate their firebender. Probably because the combination attack was difficult as hell to pull off when you were limited to one-second jets. Luckily, Chuuya had prepared for that, and, well….

“Take a look at this, folks! The Tiger Shark’s firebender seems to have invented an entirely new move! He’s fire-stepping and throwing blasts from above the ring. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone with that kind of control; I don’t know where they found him, but the Tiger Sharks really lucked out with Akutagawa’s replacement.”

As a distraction, it worked perfectly, at least for the first two rounds. Their opponents were offense-heavy, just as Dazai had said, and even their best efforts couldn’t defend from multiple directions at once. Especially since Atsushi was almost eerily proficient at using the ropes as slingshots, and there were often four or five disks heading in seemingly random directions at once.

By the third round, they’d started ignoring Chuuya and focusing on Atsushi, who’d been doing the most actual damage to them.

Which was exactly what Dazai wanted them to do.

Chuuya abandoned his airborne antics, and the three of them switched roles entirely. Fire and earth went on defense as water lashed out, and Dazai revealed Chuuya wasn’t the only one that could do two things at the same time. A grin crossed his face as rapid-fire water jets streaked across the arena, pummeling the opposition before they had a chance to redirect their attacks. It was a variation on a water tribe attack move, one that would normally be slightly slower and ice instead of liquid, but tournament rules were a thing.

God, he loved it when the enemy played right into his hands.

“And that’s the bell for the end of round three! Once again this rookie team has defied the odds and won against a much more seasoned opponent! I don’t know about all of you, but I can’t wait to see what they pull out of their hats for the finals. We’ll find out in two days, when they face the Capital City Tigerdillos! Good night and be safe, folks!”

Chuuya grinned as he turned to face his teammates. They’d practiced the hell out of their strategy and it’d paid off. It was a good thing he already had some experience fighting. If they’d tried this with some random person off the street, it likely wouldn’t have gone nearly as well. They’d won the semifinals. Ryu was going to have a lot to practice when he got his spot back, but the redhead was certain he could do it. 

For the moment, he let himself relish in the satisfaction of having decimated the opponents, because that’s what they’d done. They’d have to do something even more incredible for the finals, but the team could worry about that tomorrow. Tonight they’d have to celebrate. Briefly Chuuya wondered if there was any more of the strawberry cake Gin had made and as he waited for the other two (he was closer to the exit) he pulled his helmet off, shaking his hair out. It was tied back and secured beneath the helmet, not out of any fear of it being pulled, but so it didn’t get singed if the opposing firebender got too close. He’d had that happen a few times before in other fights. 

“They didn’t see that coming, did they?” Chuuya asked, his eyes bright and happy. “I see why you guys have so much fun with this now.”

“No, they didn’t,” Dazai said with a grin. God, Chuuya looked fucking adorable with his eyes lit up like that. “That was a fantastic move, Chuuya. I think this calls for something special. And I know just where to go.”

Atsushi’s head snapped around to look at Dazai. “Do you mean-”

“Yep. Tell me, Chuuya. Have you ever had real Southern Water Tribe cuisine?”

**********************************************

Dazai always loved coming to Narook’s.

Of course, the original owner had died some time ago. The place was run by his great-grandchildren now, but the basic style had never changed, and neither had the food. And the decor… it was like going home.

They were greeted the instant they walked in.

“Dazai! How’ve you been? You haven’t stopped by in a while; I hear about you though. Been listening to the tournaments on the radio. Who came up with that move?” The speaker was an older gentleman, and he came out from behind the counter to usher the quintet to a booth. They’d picked Gin up on the way, since her school day had just ended.

“Heya Sarroka. Sorry about that- we’ve been busy practicing the last couple of months. And that would be Chuuya. Chuuya, this is Sarroka. He’s an old friend of my mother’s family,” Dazai said, greeting the man with a brief hug before sitting down. 

“Old friend is right. I remember when she left to marry your father. She had every boy in the tribe wrapped around her little finger. Most of them spent the next few days drowning themselves in alcohol.” Sarroka grinned as Dazai groaned and shook his head, then placed menus in front of everyone. “I’ll be back to take your orders in a few.”

“Thanks, Sarr.”

Atsushi and Ryu were grinning at Dazai. “Haven’t heard that one before,” Ryu said, and Dazai shot him a look that just made the others laugh.

The brunette sighed and put his head in his hands for a moment, but he was grinning slightly too. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Anyway, Chuuya, order whatever you want. Food’s always on the house when Sarroka’s on duty.”

“Okay.” Privately, Chuuya wondered if the man had ever gotten in trouble for it, but if it had, it wasn’t the redhead’s problem. He scanned the menu, but he’d never really heard of the vast majority of the dishes. It’d been a long time since he’d been to a restaurant, and Chuuya wasn’t sure that he’d ever tasted anything on the menu before. 

“Gin.” Chuuya turned to the girl sitting next to him, completely at a loss as to what to order. 

The raven-haired girl smiled at her friend. “You like spicy stuff, right?” At Chuuya’s nod, she pointed at a few dishes. “Southern Water Tribe doesn’t really do much for spicy, but the five-flavor soup is pretty good, and Sarr can probably spice it up for you. And the arctic hen is really good. That’s what Ryu usually gets.”

Ryu nodded. “I think I'm going to go for the noodles this time. It’s hard to eat the hen one-handed.” 

“Really, everything’s pretty good,” Atsushi piped up, and Gin laughed.

“I’m not surprised you think so,” she said. “You order at least a quarter of the menu every time we come here. It’s a good thing Sarroka likes you so much.”

“Hey!”

Dazai chuckled. This was one of his favorite things about the little group he’d put together. He’d spent too long alone. Still, this wasn’t helping Chuuya much. “If you want something close to what you’re used to, Chuuya, go for the noodles and dumplings. Some of the other stuff can be a bit of an acquired taste, although I’m sure Atsu will share if he gets something that looks interesting. It’s too bad they don’t serve platypus bear, but that’s a northern thing, and they can’t really cook it like we did back home.”

Atsushi stuck his tongue out at Dazai, and Ryu leaned over and pecked him on the cheek, which instantly mollified the earthbender. Dazai and Gin laughed as Sarroka came back. 

“So, what can I get you all?”

“Noodles. Jasmine tea.”

“I’ll take the puffin-seal sausages and green tea.”

“Arctic hen and green tea for me!”

Sarroka wrote almost as fast as people spoke. “Atsushi, your usual?”

“Yeah.” The earthbender blushed slightly.

Dazai turned to Chuuya. “And you, Chuuya?”

“The noodles and dumplings please.” Chuuya told the man, setting his menu down. “With green tea.” 

He looked around the table as the man scribbled down his order, nodded, and whisked away back into the kitchen. He’d never seen Ryu or Gin in a restaurant before, but they seemed comfortable, definitely more than he was, which was good. It meant they’d been able to come here more than a few times. Joining the team had definitely been good for them. 

“So Dazai, this is authentic? Real and true?”

“Yep. The family that runs this place has kept that tradition since it was founded back in Aang’s time. Maybe one of these days I’ll take you all to visit. I still have friends there,” Dazai said with a slight grin. “It’s not like we won’t have plenty of time before next season.”

“I thought you were Northern tribe?” Atsushi said, confused. “Could we visit there too?”

A shadow settled over Dazai’s expression and he shook his head and rose. “No. I… sorry, but no. Excuse me for a second.”

With that, he left the table and headed outside.

The redhead glanced at the others, not quite sure what was going on. He didn’t know the brunette well enough to guess what had happened, and nobody else seemed to have any idea. Did one of them go after him? Nobody seemed eager to, but…

“I’ll be back.” Chuuya told them as he made his way out of the booth, following his teammate outside. Outside in the night air, it didn’t take him long to spot the shadow of the brunette. He made his way over to it, making sure his footsteps were audible so he didn’t startle Dazai.

“Hey.”

“Hey.” Dazai was leaning against the side of the building, his head in his hands. He wasn’t shaking. He wasn’t. It was just… 

//And where would you go, Dazai? Do you really think they’d accept someone like you?//

“Sorry. I just need some air. I’ll be alright in a moment.”

“You wanna talk about it? You can if you want.” Chuuya shrugged, leaning against the building nearby, but with a respectable space between them. Arahabaki sat between them, licking one paw, rather than next to the redhead’s feet like usual, but Chuuya refused to question it at the moment. “Or not. I’ll leave you be if you’d rather be alone.”

“Don’t leave.” The words came out a lot more desperately that Dazai had intended, and he cringed just a bit, then sighed. “It was a flashback. I do miss home. Sometimes so much it’s painful. But I can’t go back, not while he’s there. I barely got away the first time.”

“If you can’t, you can’t.” Chuuya told him when he was sure the brunette was done. “They’ll understand, even if you don’t tell them why. And I think… It’s okay to miss something, even if it hurts.”

He sighed and leaned his head back, eyes toward the sky. Chuuya had enough of his own stuff that he missed, however much he wished he didn’t.

Dazai lowered his hands. Chuuya had a point. And he sounded like he knew exactly what Dazai felt, which made him both feel slightly better and curious. He moved closer, not touching, but within arm’s reach, and looked down at the redhead. The light reflected in his eyes was… beautiful, and Dazai’s breath caught in his throat. One hand moved on its own, cupping Chuuya’s cheek, and fingertips brushed soft hair as he spoke quietly. “Sucks, doesn’t it?”

Chuuya nodded as his eyes went to Dazai and - he hesitated. They’d agreed to discuss this after the tournament, but a part of him didn’t want to wait. The attraction was there, it was obvious, but… nobody had treated him like Dazai had. Chuuya was just a street kid, but really… What was holding him back besides himself? As much as the redhead hated to admit it, Dazai probably had already put together most of the pieces Chuuya hadn’t wanted to expose. Sure things would likely change after the tournament, but why not give it a shot anyway?

“There you are!” Gin’s voice cut across the moment, and Dazai’s hand fell away from Chuuya’s face as the boy’s eyes flashed.

“Yes. Here we are. What’s up?” he asked, his voice flat, and the girl shrugged. 

“Food’s ready. Come eat before it gets cold,” she answered, then turned and made her way back inside without waiting for an answer. 

Dazai sighed, his fist clenching briefly as he breathed for a second, then let it go. “Alright. When we get back… join me on the tower?”

Chuuya barely hesitated before he nodded once, ignoring the somehow satisfied look he knew Arahabaki was giving him. It was a total turnabout from his stubborn refusal to really acknowledge what was possibly between them, but… maybe Dazai would be worth it. A small part of him was reserved but he wanted this, wanted the brunette.

“Okay. Let’s go eat. Don’t want your first taste of our cooking to suck because it got cold, after all.” Dazai’s tone was light, despite the irritation lingering behind it, and he led Chuuya back into the restaurant.

Dinner went well. Dazai had lost some of the high from their victory, but that was okay. He spent most of it turning the moment he and Chuuya had shared over and over in his mind, tearing it apart. It left him more than a little distracted; he was fairly certain the others noticed, but he really didn’t care just then.

Afterward, he took them home. Fukuzawa and the others were supposed to be back tomorrow, and he was glad for that. Mostly because Karya could fix Ryu’s arm, but he also wanted her and some of the others to be there for the final match. Speaking of which…

“Atsushi.”

The earthbender looked up from where he was helping Ryu disembark. “Yes?”

“Be at the training grounds early tomorrow. We only have one day left to practice, and I want to get started before the others arrive.”

“Right. I’ll be there.”

Dazai nodded, then turned to Chuuya. “Ready to continue our discussion?”

“Yeah, we should do that.” The redhead agreed, looking toward the others before they left. He was both excited and nervous for the discussion, unsure of where it would lead. “See you guys tomorrow.”

The others nodded, Ryu giving him a grin as they made their way back to the residences.

Dazai watched them go, then turned and gazed at Chuuya thoughtfully for a second before a mischievous grin lit his face. He moved, a complex series of gestures that made it almost look as if he was dancing across the dock, and two tendrils of water rose from beneath them, wrapping themselves around his and Chuuya’s waists and lifting them up to hover in mid-air.

“Dazai, what the hell?” Chuuya snapped as he suddenly rose into the air, the only thing keeping him from plummeting a stream of water. They’d been going to head to the tower, not play on the shore, and he’d been completely startled. Below him, he could see Arahabaki was completely unconcerned, licking one paw clean as if the spirit’s fur ever got dirty. 

Dazai laughed as they rose higher, then gestured, and the streams started moving toward the path set into the hillside. “I’ve been wanting to try this move for months,” he said. “It’s a hard one to master. But I’ve noticed that Chuuya likes to fly, so I thought I’d give it a shot. It seems to be working pretty well.”

“So you decided to just wing it? What if you had dropped us or something?” Chuuya asked, raising an eyebrow. He couldn’t deny that it was kind of fun, a taste of the weightlessness of being airborne without the sudden drop, even if gravity pulled at him the entire way there.

“Pretty much. If it had failed we’d have gotten wet, but that’s about it.” The streams had reached the cliff face and started arcing, and a moment later they were deposited- mostly gently- on the path. “That move only works on the ocean, really,” Dazai said. “It takes a lot of water. And a lot of energy. So it’s one of those things I can practice the hell out of, but don’t really get to use terribly often.”

“It could be kind of fun at the right time and it beats walking up the hill, I guess.” Chuuya glanced over to the brunette. Being suspended like that wasn’t the same as flying, but it wasn’t bad either. “In the middle of town you never would have gotten to practice.”

“Nope. The island or the docks is the only place I can do it, and they get mad if I try it there,” Dazai said, a twinkle still in his eyes. “Open water’s tricky- the move’s complicated and requires a bit of space to work with, so a small boat doesn’t cut it. It can be useful as hell on a ship though, especially if someone goes overboard. That’s why it was developed in the first place.”

They walked as they talked, Dazai leading the way to the tower. The brunette was constantly surprised at just how easy talking to Chuuya was; yes, the redhead had his secrets, and he was understandably guarded, but so was he. And he’d spent far, far too long in silence. Karya had warned him about that when he’d first moved to the island, but he hadn’t understood then.

He thought he might just get it now.

The view from the tower was gorgeous as always- a corner of the sky was dark, the clouds from a distant storm like spilled ink on the sky. It was miles away, though, and not moving their way, so he wasn’t worried about it. The rest… while there were clouds, they were high and thin, and the light from the late afternoon sun bled across them in shades of pink and red and orange. It would be evening soon.

Dazai’s eyes weren’t really on the sky, though. He’d read the weather in a few glances, a long-ingrained habit, but he was much more interested in the blue and red of the figure next to him. The wind played through long red strands, and he had an almost overwhelming urge to follow the breeze with his fingers. He clenched his hands instead, and turned his attention back to the conversation.

Now if he only knew what to say.

At the restaurant, they’d a moment of near-perfect understanding. It had been a meeting of two souls that had, for their own reasons, left behind everything they knew. Chuuya knew his past, at least some of it…

“I’ve told you some of what I left behind. Where did Chuuya come from?” he asked, not sure if he really expected a straight answer or not. He doubted Chuuya trusted him enough to tell him much, but still…

The redhead didn’t answer immediately, biting back the sarcastic response that was on the tip of his tongue. Dazai had opened up about himself, wasn’t it only fair that Chuuya reciprocated, at least a bit? Arahabaki so far hadn’t treated the brunette as anything close to a threat, which was a point in Dazai’s favor. The spirit was a good judge of people, oddly enough. 

“Well, I’m pretty sure I was born here in Republic City.” He said after a moment, his gaze on the sky above them. “I’ve never left here, but there are some areas I’ll never go back to if I can help it.”

Dazai was fairly certain the darkness in Chuuya’s eyes was matched by his own. “Is it the places or the people in them?” he asked quietly. “I have a few of both, so trust me, I understand.”

He turned, laying flat next to Chuuya and watching the sky as the light changed. Sunsets had always been his favorite time of day. His hand strayed unconsciously, moving until it was within a hair's breadth of Chuuya’s where it lay on the rooftop.

Chuuya just shook his head, unsure of the answer, and kept his gaze on the sky. The sun was setting, its last rays shining over the city before they relinquished their grip to the dark so the nightlife could have its turn. He didn’t generally prefer day or night, dawn or dusk, because they all had their uses, their beauties, and their problems, but right here, Dazai by his side…

The sunset looked pretty damn good.

And so did the brunette beside him. 

Chuuya’s free hand twitched as Arahabaki curled up against his thigh, brushing against Dazai’s because apparently the brunette’s was right there.

That was fine.

Chuuya left their fingers touching, unable to convince himself to grab the brunette’s, but also unable to pull away. 

His fingers are warm.

Dazai turned his head, watching Chuuya again as their hands touched, feeling the other tense and then relax, and he decided that for once in his life he was sick and tired of hiding himself away. His fingers slid over Chuuya’s hand and curled around it, turning it slightly so he could lace their fingers together. “Chuuya…,” he said, his voice quiet and uncertain.

“Yeah?” The redhead responded just as quietly, hiding his rising hope. 

“I really, really want to kiss you right now.”

“...Okay,” he breathed, looking over to the brunette. Damn waiting until after the tournament, damn waiting to do something he wanted so badly.

Dazai’s breath caught for just a second, and then he moved, rolling to his knees and straddling Chuuya (carefully, the roof wasn’t exactly flat). The sight of the redhead lying there beneath him, fiery hair spread out on the tiles… “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered just before their lips met.

So warm.

Chuuya hadn’t known what to expect really - he’d never kissed anyone before, but Dazai’s lips were surprisingly soft, and his eyes fell closed. Their hands were still intertwined, so the redhead’s free hand went to the other's side, gripping his shirt lightly. When they eventually pulled away from each other, Chuuya opened his eyes, looking into Dazai’s.

Amber eyes locked with blue, and Dazai smiled. The sun had gone down as they kissed, but the moon was up, although it was muted by the remnants of the clouds. What light there was caught in Chuuya’s eyes and they gleamed. “You really are, you know,” he said. “I thought so the first time I saw you. But last week, when I brought you up here the first time, the way your hair and eyes caught the light… I’ve never seen anything more stunning in my life. I think I’ve been falling for you ever since.”

Blue eyes were wide - the last time they’d been on the tower, Chuuya had just arrived, hadn’t had a chance to get used to things. It hadn’t fazed him, of course - you didn’t make it on the streets by freezing whenever things didn’t go your way. 

Seeing Dazai there, in the light of the sunset, he’d frozen. 

He didn’t now, didn’t want to give the wrong impression or lose the chance in front of him. One hand went to the brunette’s cheek as he spoke.

“Dazai… You’re amazing. Last week, in the dying sunlight, I think a part of me realized that I want you. You’re hot and smart and always have something to say. You aren’t a need, aren’t something as basic as that. You’re so much more, and I can’t believe I’m saying this but I want you in my life.”

Dazai grinned, then bent to kiss him again, warm and sweet and longing. “Does this mean Chuuya is going to stay after the tournament?” he asked softly. 

Chuuya frowned, unsure of the answer. Sure the island was a safe place but he didn’t know if he could stand being stuck on it, and it felt like a blow to his pride to take the offer of sanctuary. Gin and Ryu were here, though, and it would be so much better than how things were. If he and Dazai did work out...

He couldn’t bring himself to answer yes or no - right now, even he wasn’t certain.

“I… Don’t know.”

Well, at least he’s honest. And it’s not a no.

“...Okay. I guess it’s a lot to ask just yet,” Dazai said, blowing out a breath and rolling back over. “Come on. It’s going to get chilly soon. The clan will be back sometime tomorrow, and we still have to map out a strategy for the finals. Which means we should get to sleep.” He grabbed the rope with one hand, then leaned over and kissed Chuuya again just for good measure. With a small grin, he was down the rope and through the window before the redhead even had a chance to reply.

It was fine. Also they’d known each other for barely a week. Dazai really couldn’t ask Chuuya to change his entire life for something they weren’t even sure about yet. But…

/I want you in my life./

Yeah. Me too.

Chuuya leaned back once the brunette had disappeared. Well, it was good to know that his answer hadn’t destroyed things between them, even if Dazai hadn’t seemed happy with his response. They had time to figure things out. 

Looking up into the sky, the redhead was unprepared for the sudden swat of a paw across his face. He sputtered for a minute before glaring at the leopard spirit. 

“What was that for?” Chuuya hissed. Of course he didn’t get any response but a look that definitely said that the spirit thought he was being an idiot. “Oh shut up.”

Arahabaki stood without any sort of response, making its way to the window back inside and jumped in, Chuuya looking on in surprise. The spirit rarely left his side, and only when there was something that he was missing or in the wrong about. 

The redhead hesitated to follow, looking up toward the sky again before he sighed again and climbed back inside. There was a lot to do tomorrow.

Chapter Text

The next morning dawned bright, the clouds of the night before long gone. Dazai woke early, the sounds from outside carrying through his opened window, and he grinned as he heard familiar voices. The clan was back.

He dressed quickly, tying his hair back in a low ponytail, and made his way outside, yawning and blinking as the morning sun hit his eyes. The Air Nomads were still arriving, a herd of air bison landing long enough for their passengers to disembark and take off their saddles and harnesses, then leaving to join the others at the base of the island. Fukuzawa and Karya were already down, as were their kids, and the brunette’s smile went wide. “Karya! Fukuzawa! Ranpo! Welcome back!” he called, waving at the group as he walked over.

“Osamu!” Karya smiled at her nephew. “It’s good to see you, lad. How’s the tournament going?”

“Quite well, actually. Although… we had to get a replacement firebender. Ryu’s arm got broken in the first match, and none of the healers there could fix it. Would you take a look at it?” Karya nodded, and Dazai continued. “The new guy’s actually really good. We’re in the finals tomorrow.”

“That’s wonderful, Dazai,” Fukuzawa said, his deep voice holding a note of pride. He hadn’t been thoroughly convinced by his nephew’s new obsession, but it seemed to be working out well. “Have you been keeping up with the chores?”

“Yes, Uncle. Even the greenhouse, and I’ve taken three bushels to the city. Chuuya actually helped with the last one- that’s the new guy’s name, by the way, Nakahara Chuuya- and we did it a little differently. He’s from there like Ryu and Atsu are, and I let him pick out a few families that really needed the help. I don’t think he knows that I know, though, not for sure.” Dazai had to pause for a second after that, and Karya and Ranpo grinned at him. It was really unusual for Dazai to be this enthusiastic about anything, and they looked at each other knowingly. 

“So when do we get to meet this Chuuya? Is he here on the island?” Ranpo asked, and Dazai nodded.

As the others talked, Fukuzawa noticed a spirit attempting to get his attention from the entrance of the residence, and his eyes narrowed slightly as he saw exactly which one it was. “Karya,” he said, interrupting the flow of conversation, “I have something to attend to. If anyone needs me I’ll be in the temple.”

“Right.” The waterbender reached up to kiss her husband on the cheek, and he smiled down at her, then headed for his office. The spirit followed him a moment later.

The trio watched him go for a second, then went back to their conversation.

Chuuya stayed back, tucked behind a corner that let him hear everything that was going on without being seen. When he’d woken up, Arahabaki had been nowhere in his room, prompting him to search the spirit out. It wasn’t usually a good thing if the leopard-spirit disappeared. 

The redhead had found him here, waiting patiently with his tail curled around his perfectly tucked in paws, definitely in view of the speakers if they cared to look, but with at least one place for him to hide. What was the spirit planning? When Arahabaki moved, stretching and lazily plodding out, the redhead followed him, or at least planned to. 

When they got closer to Dazai and… Karya, if he remembered right, he heard his name mentioned, and couldn’t help stopping to see why. He understood it made sense for him to be discussed, given he was new and a temporary team member, but Chuuya couldn’t help wanting to know how he was talked about when he wasn’t there.

“Aunt Karya, can I talk to you for a moment? In private?” Dazai was almost… shy, as he asked that, and his aunt looked at him for a second, then nodded. 

“Ranpo, would you finish getting everyone settled?” she asked the young man she and her husband had adopted years ago, and he nodded. Ranpo grinned at Dazai, then went back to the others and started directing people.

“Alright, lad, what do you want to ask?”

“Well…” Oh god, Dazai was blushing. “You told me once that the first time you met Fukuzawa you fell in love with him. How did you know?”

Now she really looked at him. “Is this about your new teammate? Nakahara, right?”

Dazai nodded. “He goes by Chuuya, but yes. I think…” He swallowed, then looked away, still blushing as he spoke. “I think I’m in love with him. In fact, I’m pretty sure I am. And I think he likes me, but… I don’t know. I’ve never felt anything like this. Karya, I took him up on the tower. Twice. And on Kika.”

“Oh my.” Karya wanted to laugh but bit it back as she saw just how serious he was. That was something. Not only had he never invited anyone up to his spot on the tower, he’d actually thrown a fit when a couple of the girls had tried to join him. 

And to give him a ride on Kika…. “You really are serious about him, aren’t you? I never thought I’d see you trust anyone this fast, Osamu. He must be something special. Have you talked to him about it?”

“He is.” Dazai looked at her, finally, his eyes bright with something she’d never seen in them before, and her own softened. “He’s really special. And gorgeous, and smart, and strong… And we did talk. Last night. And I kissed him. A couple of times.”

Karya did chuckle at that. “Did you now? Ilya and her friends have been plotting for two straight months now to steal your first kiss. They’re going to be jealous when they find out.”

“Karya!” Now Dazai was really blushing, and his aunt laughed outright.

“So,” she asked, when her nephew’s cheeks had cooled a little, “what now? It must have gone fairly well, or we’d be having a different conversation.”

“It did. I’m not quite sure where we are right now. We both have secrets, and it’s making really being open with each other a little rough. I don’t… I mean, if he does stay and we get close, he’s going to find out eventually, isn’t he? I’ve gotten a lot better at controlling it, but sometimes…” Dazai looked up at his aunt, and she sighed as she saw the fear and self-hatred that always seemed to live in the back of his eyes. “I like him. I really like him, but if I hurt him I’ll never forgive myself. I’m scared, Karya.”

“Osamu, shhh. It’s okay. I know how you feel,” she replied, wrapping her arms around her nephew. “Yukichi helped me figure it out, didn’t he? Maybe your Chuuya can do the same for you. Love is a pretty powerful motivator, after all.”

Your Chuuya. “Yeah, I guess so.” He returned his aunt’s embrace. “Come on. Ryu’s probably up. We should fix his arm before Atsu comes looking for us.”

“Right.” The conversation turned to lighter topics after that as they headed for Ryuunosuke’s room.

“You must be the new guy. Chuuya, wasn’t it?”

Chuuya glanced over at the new voice - a raven had popped up by his side. He must have come with the nomads, because Chuuya hadn't seen him yet. 

"Who are you?" Truthfully, the redhead was sort of glad for the distraction. He had a distinct feeling he wasn't supposed to have heard all, or rather, any, of that, and he didn't really know what to do about it. 

“Ranpo. Edogawa Ranpo. Fukuzawa and Karya are my parents. Well, adopted parents,” the raven answered, green eyes slit open as he studied the newcomer. “Boring story. Anyway, I know what you overheard. I also know that your secrets aren’t as damning as you think they are. Well, one of them could be, but you haven’t figured that one out yet, have you?”

Ranpo grinned at Chuuya’s utterly confused expression, but his voice was sober. “It’s funny. I’ve known Dazai since he was twelve, and I never thought I’d ever see him trust someone as fast as he’s trusted you. He didn’t speak to anyone but Karya the first six months he traveled with us. Even now it’s like pulling teeth to get him to open up. So do us all a favor, okay? Don’t make him regret it. If the romantic side doesn’t work out, fine, but don’t break that trust. It won’t end well for anyone.”

Chuuya blinked for a moment, trying to parse through everything Ranpo had told him. It was kind of a lot, but a part of him warmed at the thought that maybe he was a bit special to the brunette. There wasn’t any other reason he could think of for Dazai to apparently … maybe not completely open up, but start to?

To be honest, it was also a bit intimidating, because he knew fuck all about this sort of thing. Chuuya couldn’t promise that he wouldn’t make him regret it, because there was always the potential for things to go wrong, especially when they were both kinda feeling their way through things. 

“I can promise to do my best. I don’t want to mess this up, but I don’t really know what I’m doing. It’s easy to hurt someone, but if I hurt him, it won’t be because I tried to.” He eventually told him, fully intending it. The redhead had seen too many people fighting over hurts and things they could have worked out if they’d tried, even if he’d never gotten involved with the matters.

“That’s all I’m asking.” Ranpo’s eyes were fully open now, his gaze piercing as he studied Chuuya. “And honestly, no one ever really knows what they’re doing in this sort of situation. You’re a smart kid, and a survivor. You’ll figure it out. Just don’t let your paranoia get in the way.”

Something caught Ranpo’s attention then, and the grin returned. “Come on. They’re going to be a while, and breakfast is almost ready. If you want, I can tell you some embarrassing stories about Dazai while we wait.” 

“Sure.” Chuuya grinned at the change of subject. Blackmail on Dazai sounded good, considering how little he knew of his teammate. Maybe he should ask Ryu if he had any…

In the back of his mind, though, the fire-bender was mulling over what Ranpo had told him. How could someone who had just met him know him so well? Or was he just pretending?

Ranpo smiled to himself as they walked. It was always interesting watching people trying to figure out how he knew what he did. It was simple, really. A finely honed talent for observation and years of learning what made people tick. And he could see what Dazai saw in Chuuya; not just his looks, although those were probably what had caught his eye. No, this one was a curious mix of passion and caution, the fire of his nature encased in a wall of earth and ice built from living on the streets, yet he craved the freedom of the air. Incredibly poetic and fitting, really. 

He led the way in the dining area and they found seats at the end of one of the long tables. "So," he began as one of the cooks brought them plates, "Dazai stories. Where to begin…"

It was an hour or so later when Dazai came looking for Chuuya. Gin and Atsushi had brought them breakfast, and Karya was still working on Ryu’s arm. Broken bones were tricky, and this one had had a week to start healing before they got to it. Luckily it hadn’t set wrong. Still, it would be a few more hours before she was done, and they had practice. 

It only took a moment to find him. And Ranpo. And Chuuya was laughing. 

No, not just laughing. He was doubled over, clutching his ribs, and Ranpo was animatedly waving his hands as his words floated over to Dazai…

“So there we were, in the middle of a field, surrounded by an angry camera crew, four stuntmen, two actors, and the remains of what was apparently a very detailed mover set that was supposed to be on fire…”

Ranpo’s eyes caught his, and the raven smirked. /Payback for that boy in Ba Sing Se/, his eyes said, and he turned back to Chuuya.

Oh god.

Oh no.

Dazai’s cheeks went bright red, and he turned and fled.

*******************************************

“Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen, to the final match of this year’s Pro Bending Tournament! It’s the Republic City Tiger Sharks vs the Capital City Tigerdillos, and boy has this been a heck of a road. Both teams were nearly undefeated in the regular season, and both have dominated in the tournament, despite the Tiger Sharks having to replace their firebender on short notice. This could be anybody’s game, folks, and I for one can’t wait to see how it plays out.”

Chuuya looked to his teammates as the announcer went on, a wide grin on his face.

“Showtime. Let’s kick their asses.”

Atsushi nodded, a grin on his face as well. Ryu gave them all a smile before kissing him on the cheek. His arm was mostly healed, but he’d be watching from the stands with Karya, Fukuzawa and the rest. Most of the Air Nomads had turned out, actually, and there was an entire section of the stands in orange and red. 

Dazai grinned as well, although slightly less enthusiastically. Practice the day before had been… awkward, at least at first. It had taken Dazai a bit to get over his embarrassment. But he had- mostly- and they’d come up with a few strategies. Hopefully, they’d work. 

They did, until they didn’t.

It was round three, and the score was 2-0 in their favor, but it’d been a hell of a fight. The Tigerdillos were fierce, and it was a combination of luck and skill that had kept Dazai and the others in the fight so far.

That luck ran out forty-five seconds in.

Tired and sore, the trio found themselves pushed back to zone three fairly quickly. And then-

Dazai came down wrong on his ankle, twisting it and dropping him to the floor. The other team’s waterbender hit him with a perfectly aimed jet and knocked him backwards and into the water.

Atsushi was next, fire and water hitting with a 1-2 punch that nearly knocked him unconscious. 

Chuuya snarled as the brunette was knocked into the water, dodging one of the whips of water the opposite water bender threw at him. They had been doing so well.

When Atsushi was hit, Chuuya moved to the front, launching a combo that forced the team to switch their attention to him. 

As the redhead dodged a jet of flame, he caught sight of an earth disk speeding toward his only teammate left on the field. The firebender didn't think when he reacted, just moved. Atsushi wasn't going to be able to block a move like that, not when he hadn't even looked up. 

It isn’t often one discovers something that changes one’s life in an instant. Dazai had had a few of those moments in his eighteen years- the day he found out his parents had died in a storm, the day he discovered he had a natural ability he really didn’t want, the day Karya told him she was getting married and they were leaving the water tribe…

He hadn’t really planned on today being one of those days. But that was the thing, wasn’t it?

Dazai climbed out of the water, cursing under his breath. His ankle throbbed when he tried to put weight on it, and he muffled another curse and leaned against the side of the elevator as it rose. Atsushi was down, he was down, and Chuuya was good, but so were their opponents, and he resigned himself to losing this round and possibly the tournament. And then the elevator rose high enough that he could see the field, and time just… slowed.

A disk was headed straight for Atsushi’s head as the other lay half-dazed on the field. Dazai cringed, and Chuuya…

Moved.

In a way so familiar it was almost eerie.

It should be familiar, it was one of his moves. One he’d come up with, and had been drilling incessantly during practices for the past month or so. It was a split water jet, something a firebender never should have been able to duplicate. Hell, it would have been tricky for another waterbender. But, as he watched, water rose in front of Chuuya and split in three different directions- one knocked out the disk, and the other two pushed back their earth and firebenders.

The stadium was silent.

The referee was too stunned to even drop a penalty card, and the last few seconds of the match ran out.

In the stands, Arahabaki and Fukuzawa looked at each other, the cat spirit lifting one paw in ‘I told you so’ gesture, and the airbender nodded. “Well done,” he murmured, and the spirit preened.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” the announcer said, his voice awestruck. “The Tiger Sharks have won the Pro Bending Tournament. But that’s not all. Nakahara, their firebender, just waterbent. ”

He was silent for a second, then swallowed and spoke again. “Folks, I never thought I’d see this. It hasn’t happened since Korra, in my grandfather’s day, but for all of you sitting at home listening to this; the Avatar lives. And he’s standing in the middle of our arena.”

A thousand households in Republic City stared at their radios and televisions in shock. Bars were silent, cars stopped on the street as their drivers were distracted, and even the spirits that lived near the portal felt the sudden upheaval. 

In the Golden Demon, a mid-class brothel located just on the edge of the slums, Ozaki Kouyou looked up as one of her girls knocked emphatically on her door. “Come,” she said.

“Ozaki-san,” the girl said, awe and excitement in her voice and manner as she opened the door, “it’s Chuuya-kun. He’s…” 

The girl stopped for a second. They were supposed to be working, not listening to the radio, but business was slow with the tournament on. “He’s on one of the pro-bending teams in the tournament. They just won, but there’s something else. You need to hear this.”

Kouyou looked exasperated, but she was secretly curious. Chuuya had grown up in her house, the son of one of her girls. His mother had died a few years ago and the boy had gotten tangled up in one of the local gangs. He’d left not long after, not wanting to be a burden. As if that would have even been the case.

They reached the room with the radio, and the stadium announcer was still talking.

“...a miracle tonight. In the last seconds of the tournament, Nakahara Chuuya, the Tiger Sharks’ firebender, used a waterbending move to defend his downed teammate. Fukuzawa Yukichi, one of the leaders of the Air Nation, is in attendance, and is currently in a discussion with both the team and several United Republic officials. It hasn’t been officially declared yet, but I know what we saw here, folks. Nakahara Chuuya is our new Avatar.”

Kouyou raised a hand to cover her mouth as she gasped. Chuuya, little Amelie’s Chuuya, was the Avatar?  She’d had him under her roof for thirteen years and there’d never been a hint…

“Well that explains a lot.” The words came from Meilyn, one of her girls who was about Chuuya’s age and had been a good friend of his growing up.

“Explains what?” Kouyou asked.

“I never thought much of it,” the girl said, “there are a lot of benders in this town, and a lot of it could have just been proximity, but… things used to happen around him. I don’t think he knew he was doing it, but if he was really excited or angry or upset stuff would just, well, happen. Minor stuff- water rippling without a breeze, or pebbles rolling away. Things like that. Like I said, a lot of it could have just been proximity. It’s just the timing that was always odd.”

“Huh.” Kouyou’s look was thoughtful for a moment, but then she shook it off. It didn’t matter now. “Alright. Back to work, you lot.”

The girls grumbled but did as she said. Now that the tournament was over business would pick up again, and it was still early. Kouyou went back to her office and sat, lost in memories of the boy she once knew.

Good luck and godspeed, lad. You’ll need it.

**************

"And I'm saying a single move doesn't make him the Avatar!" The city official was red-faced and arrogant, and his counterpart snorted.

"Shut up, Yoki," he said. "You're just upset that your team lost the tournament. Don't think I don't know how much you had riding on the Tigerdillos. He waterbent. Not only did he use a second element, but he used a move we've never seen before. There's no way that was a fluke."

Dazai was only slightly upset as he listened to the argument. Yes, Chuuya had stolen the thunder of his new move, but what a way to do it. He was more concerned with his (teammate? Possible boyfriend? Friend, he hoped at least). It was a hell of a way to find something like this out. As it was, the redhead was sitting next to him, still staring at his hands like he didn't even recognize them. "Chuuya," he asked quietly, "are you okay?"

The firebender hadn’t been paying any attention to the conversation going on around and about him. His thoughts had been running rampant ever since the incident. He’d acted on instinct. He couldn’t let Atsushi get hurt, and fire wouldn’t have had enough mass to knock aside the disk, not unless he’d managed to concentrate it to the point where he’d need pinpoint precision to hit it. 

Chuuya hadn’t seen Arahabaki since the beginning of the match - the spirit usually stayed on the sidelines so as to not get in the way, but questions pressed in whenever he was reminded of the spirit’s absence. It made him… lonely in a way that he hadn’t been in a long time. 

When Dazai addressed him directly though, he blinked, looking up into concerned brown eyes. They didn’t make the questions immediately disappear, or things seem instantly better, but there was a soft concern in them that reminded the redhead of someone he had tried to leave behind. 

Had she heard? What did she think? Did she approve, did she worry for him, was she glad she didn’t have to deal with it? 

He doubted the last one quite heavily, even if he’d had to make a midnight escape, leaving behind only a letter. She wouldn’t have let him leave if he’d told her, but he couldn’t stay. 

They may have been a different color, different shape, but they both held the same emotions sometimes.

The expression, the softness, the care, those eyes held for him … Chuuya felt tears sting his eyes, though he stubbornly held them back. There was no reason for him to start crying now, especially if he really was the Avatar.

Dazai saw them anyway, and something in him broke just a little. "Right," he murmured, and reached down to squeeze Chuuya's hand before turning to the rest of the table. 

"This is all extremely entertaining, I'm sure," he said in a very bored voice. The blustering stopped, the officials turning to look at him in shock. Fukuzawa's eyes narrowed but he said nothing. "However, it really doesn't matter what you believe, does it? Chuuya's the Avatar. Deal with it. Meanwhile, we have an injured teammate to check up on, and I still haven't gotten my ankle looked at. So if you don't mind- or even if you do, I really don't care- we have other places to be."

He turned to his uncle, who was looking more bemused than anything, and nodded slightly. "We'll be in the infirmary."

Fukuzawa nodded back, and turned to the others. "He's correct, you know"

Yoki tried one last ploy. "Isn't the Avatar supposed to be an earthbender, though? That was the next one in the cycle."

"She was," Fukuzawa acknowledged calmly. "However, she was killed just before her sixteenth birthday. Unfortunately, we'd just identified her and her parents were unwilling to entrust her safety to our care. My fellow leaders and I decided to conceal that fact from the public eye in order to protect the next Avatar."

He looked at Chuuya, an apology in his eyes. "The Avatar has a deep connection to the spirit world. Because of that, some of the stronger ones can identify the Avatar on sight. I sent several on a long-term mission to find the next one, and one of them succeeded. He's been watching over Chuuya ever since."

Chuuya looked up at that, forgetting about the tears behind his eyes. So Arahabaki hadn’t even been by his side by choice? The one thing he thought might be a constant had only stuck around because of something he hadn’t even known about?

His temper flared then, eliminating his worry and fears, and he stood, the scrape of his chair sliding back forcing the conversation to a halt. The redhead glared around the table for a moment, extending a hand to the brunette next to him to help Dazai stand. “Since we apparently don’t need to be here, we won’t be.”

Dazai studied Chuuya's eyes for a second before taking his hand. He winced as he put his weight on the bad ankle for a second. Chuuya slid an arm around his waist, and Dazai leaned on him gratefully as they left the room. He heard the voices start up again as the door closed but ignored them, instead focusing on the man beside him. 

So that was what he'd been hiding. Figures.

"You know," he said, his casual tone not quite hiding the pain in his voice, "if I've learned anything in the past six years, it's that you can't force a spirit to do anything. Fukuzawa can ask them for help, but if they don't want to nothing we do will change their minds. Whichever one was hanging out with you was there because he wanted to be."

“Except that he probably asked them to watch over me. They don’t have to like me to stay, not if they like whoever asked.” Chuuya replied, still angry but doing his best to support Dazai as they walked. “But if they knew already, why wouldn’t they do anything about it if apparently my life was at stake? Not like I had any parents to ask permission from.” 

If he hadn’t been supporting the other, he would have frozen as soon as the words left his mouth. The redhead hated admitting much of anything about himself, didn’t like opening up because it always seemed to end up one of two ways. Either somebody pitied him, or they thought he was making a big deal out of nothing. 

Dazai stopped them then, bracing himself against the wall so he could turn to face Chuuya. "Sorry, Chuuya. I know what that feels like. My folks died when I was six."

He sighed. "Listen, I know you're probably not in the mood to talk right now, but… when we get back to the island, can we? We can go up on Kika and just get away for a while."

The bender turned to face Dazai, scowling, though it was slightly softer than it had been. The idea sounded appealing, for later. Right now he just wanted to go… he didn’t know, somewhere out of here, somewhere more familiar. Chuuya was out of his depth here with everything going on, he needed a chance to think. A part of him was glad for the change of subject.

“Maybe.” Chuuya eventually conceded, mostly just wanting to get Dazai to the infirmary instead of leaning against the wall. “For now, let’s just get you off that leg.”

“Right.” Dazai leaned back onto Chuuya. Luckily the infirmary wasn’t that far, but his ankle was on fire by the time they made it, and Karya scowled at him.

“You should have come to me first, Osamu,” she said, then sighed. “Okay, take the boot off. Let me see how bad it is. Chuuya, thank you for getting him this far. Atsushi’s okay, by the way. Just some bruises- no concussion and nothing’s broken. He and Ryu are in the room next door.”

Dazai let out a sigh at that, and he dropped heavily onto one of the exam cots and started gingerly working his boot off. It hurt like hell, but he didn’t think it was broken. It was swollen and purple, though, and he grimaced as Karya raised it. “Ow.”

“Sorry.” Glowing water surrounded his foot, and some of the tension left his shoulders as the pain started to dissipate. 

Chuuya leaned against the doorway for a moment, having retreated back when Karya had stepped forward. There wasn’t anything left for him to do here; Dazai and Atsushi were taken care of, Ryu and Gin were with Atsushi, and his future was probably being discussed for him. As if he would actually follow it. There wasn’t any point in him sticking around and he wasn’t waiting for them to decide to include him. 

When both of them were sufficiently distracted, the redhead rolled back out into the hallway. Luckily they were still at the arena, rather than having gone back to the island, so once he had slipped out of the building it wasn’t hard to fall into habit and disappear into the streets. This might not be the area he knew best, but it was still Republic City. 

It was about an hour and a half later when Ryu finally tracked him down. It hadn’t been that hard; Chuuya was predictable if you knew him, and they’d been best friends for years. And when Chuuya was upset, he always headed for the highest place he could find. In this part of town, well, that was easy.

He didn’t speak, just sat down next to his friend and waited.

Chuuya didn’t speak immediately after Ryu joined him, although he was sort of surprised the raven hadn’t joined him sooner, not that he was entirely sure how much time had passed. It was silent up here, in this little hideaway he’d found for himself. 

What was it about people that made them think, as soon as they had a bit of power, that they could determine the fate of others? Why did people turn on each other as soon as it was convenient?

There were a lot of things Chuuya could ask, if he wanted to. A lot of things that he could ponder and waste time on. 

But he’d already done that. He’d wasted hours before wondering why humans turned on each other. It hadn’t helped and Chuuya had eventually decided that humans were just like that. Ryu and Gin had taught him that there were still people you could trust, hidden away like diamonds in the rough. 

“Ryu… Did you… Why is this all happening?” The redhead asked eventually, his words barely more than a whisper on the cool night air. He was still angry, sure, but that anger had been banked for now, smouldering under a wave of… not tiredness or resignation, but something he couldn’t quite place. 

“It had to happen to someone,” the raven said pragmatically. He leaned back, resting on his elbows, happy to finally be able to use both arms again. “Honestly, I’m not that surprised it’s you. You’ve always had, oh, an aura around you, for lack of a better term. And no, it’s not just me,” he said, reading the look Chuuya threw him. “Anyone who’s spent time with you knows you’re special, even if we didn’t know why before now. I talked to Gin and Atsu while we were waiting, and they both sensed it too. And I know Dazai did. I’ve been hanging out with him for months now. When Gin and I first moved to the island, we almost never saw Dazai except for practices and meals. He was a ghost. And it’s pretty much always been that way, according to the others. With you, though…”

Ryu shook his head. “Frankly, I’m glad it’s you. You’re smart, powerful, incredibly protective and charismatic as hell. And, generally speaking, you’re really not afraid to piss people off if it gets the job done. From the stories I’ve heard, those are pretty good qualities for the Avatar.” 

“Why me though? I didn’t ask for this. I just wanted to be a normal kid.” As Chuuya spoke though, he knew it was for the best even if he didn’t believe he had all of those qualities that his friend had listed off. The redhead had never really known what he was going to do with his life, had never really seen much point in planning past the next day or maybe week if things were going well. 

He never finished school, had never learned a lot of the typical things adults should know. In a way, maybe his being the Avatar was a good thing. 

Chuuya didn’t really know what to think about Dazai, though. Was he really the only one the brunette apparently wanted to spend time with? Or was it just because he had apparently known something was odd about him. 

“Those guys in there think that I’ll just be willing to go along with whatever they think I should do. They haven’t asked me jack about what it means to me or anything. It’s my life, you’d think I’d have a choice.” The new Avatar continued somewhat bitterly, still looking out over the city. 

Ryu scoffed at that. "Chuuya, think about it. You have more choices now than you ever did. You're the freaking Avatar. Okay, yeah, you're going to need to train, but we're in peacetime, so you have the time to do it properly. Thanks to Dazai, you have connections to both the Air Nation and the Water Tribes. Finding teachers will be easy."

His tone softened a bit. "And you have us. Atsushi and Gin and I will follow you anywhere, Chuuya. We've already talked about it. And you have Dazai, who is absolutely in love with you. And you're in love with him. We can tell, even if neither of you will admit it to yourselves yet. As far as everything else goes, when did you ever let someone else dictate who you were or what you did? If that were the case, you'd still be at Kouyou's."

Chuuya scowled at him, although it was just a tad soft. 

“I’m the Avatar, which I’m pretty sure means I’m supposed to be some big public figure. Especially when people start questioning why I’m a firebender. Kouyou-” The name felt strange on his tongue after avoiding it for so long. “-I left…” The redhead trailed off then, looking toward the horizon as an idea came to mind.

The Avatar stood before he gave himself a chance to back out, walking along the edge of the ledge without fear. He’d done this sort of thing many times, and there was always an undercurrent of excitement that was distinctly lacking this time under everything else he felt.

“Sorry, Ryu. Tell Gin and Dazai that too.”

Without a shred of hesitation, Chuuya sidestepped off the ledge, letting himself fall under the complete grasp of gravity for just a second before he started slowing his descent with blasts of fire. 

"Chuuya!" Ryu lunged forward, leaning over the edge and watching as Chuuya made his way to the street below. He cursed under his breath, knowing he'd never catch up with the redhead in time to stop whatever plan had hatched in that stubborn brain of his.

Clenching his fists, he made his own way to the street, then back to the arena.

"Of all the idiotic, stubborn, knuckleheaded stunts to pull…" Dazai was fuming, but underneath was a sense of betrayal and anguish he wasn't quite ready to face yet. "He knows people are going to be after him and he takes off? What the hell is he thinking?"

"Probably that he doesn't want us involved," Gin said from her perch by the door. "He's always been like that. And he hates being in the spotlight. This… being the Avatar is huge. I'm not surprised he took off. It's kind of his default."

"Still." Dazai collapsed into a chair, his hands over his face, muffling his voice. "He didn't have to leave us. I would've taken him anywhere. Fuck."

Ryu, Atsushi, and Gin just looked at each other as they heard the tears the boy refused to shed. That was, until Gin walked over and put her arms around him. The dam broke, and he cried into her shoulder, silent tears betrayed only by the trembling of his shoulders. 

Chuuya wove through the crowd, ducking into back alleys and taking shortcuts. He’d have to avoid all of his usual places in case Ryu and the others came after him - the raven knew him well. There were few ways out of the city though, and only one, if he really was the avatar, that they couldn’t follow him through. Briefly, Chuuya regretted not being able to go pick up his stuff, but it wasn’t like he didn’t have his wallet and there wasn’t anything he couldn’t leave behind. He’d just have to restart wherever he ended up. 

Chapter Text

The other side of the portal was not what Chuuya was expecting. Of course, he really didn’t know what he’d been expecting, but the burnt, blackened remains of what was once a meadow wasn’t it. There was a single path through, stretching off into the distance. And it was quiet. No voices, no cars, no insects. Even the air was still. His own breathing seemed to echo in that stillness, and he realized something that almost made him turn around and run back.

For the first time in his life, he was completely and utterly alone.

No friends, no gang. No Arahabaki.

No Kouyou.

No Ryu.

No Dazai.

That last thought hurt more than he cared to admit.

Still, he couldn’t go back. Not yet, not until he’d had a chance to figure things out. 

The Avatar straightened his shoulders, setting his feet upon the path.

Unnoticed, unseen, a spirit slipped into the portal behind him. Arahabaki padded forward on silent paws. He’d been charged with protecting the Avatar, and somewhere in the last eighteen years, he’d grown fond of the boy. The Spirit Realm was a dangerous place. It simply wouldn’t do to let Chuuya wander it alone.

There's a thing most people don't know about the Spirit Realm. Distance is weird. It's not so much that it changes, it's more that depending on what one is concentrating on, one's perception of it can change. And, sometimes, if one is connected and strong enough, it will take you exactly where you need to go without you even realizing you need to be there.

Such was the case with Chuuya.

He'd been wandering for what seemed like a day or so, too lost in his inner turmoil to really notice where he was going or really care. It wasn’t like he knew anywhere to go. He'd slept a few hours, eaten some random fruit that had actually tasted pretty decent even if he'd been too distracted to really notice, and then…

A house.

A house with a large table in front, to be exact. A large table, set with tea and several cakes, and two older gentlemen sitting at it chatting. Two gentlemen who looked vaguely familiar, until one turned his head and a distinctive scar came into view.

Chuuya sucked in a gasp as recognition hit him. Lack of education or no, his mother had been Fire Nation, and every Fire Nation kid knew the stories of Firelord Zuko and General Iroh. 

He'd just never expected to randomly stumble into them.

The chatter stopped. Both men turned to look at him, and a gentle smile lit Iroh's face. "I have been wondering when you would come to see us," he said kindly. "Come, young Avatar, and have some tea. It is especially good today."

It wasn't as though Chuua could deny the man, and without a word he walked over to stand by the two. The redhead bowed, right hand over his heart, as he had been taught so long ago, even if he’d rarely had occasion to use it. Most people didn’t care about greeting street kids.

The house was nothing special, a simple construct that was more cozy and homely than any he had seen before, even the one he had grown up in. There was no doubt that this was where the two of them spent their time. He couldn’t deny that it was a bit intimidating, given their legacy, but there was also a bit of hope - if anybody could help him, it’d be them. Probably.

Both men returned the salute. “You need not be so formal, young one. Not here,” Iroh said, the smile still on his face. “And if anything, you outrank us. There are many generals, and many leaders, but only one Avatar. But I sense you have many questions. You have come to the right place; there are none living who knew Aang, and few who remember Korra in her prime.”

Zuko nodded. “I was Aang’s friend and teacher and Korra’s protector for quite some time. I will be more than happy to help any way I can.”

“You two are legends back home, and whether I'm higher-ranked or not, I can still show you the respect you deserve,” Chuuya responded, looking between them. “Thank you both for your help, but I honestly don’t even know what to ask of you. You’re right that I have many questions, but it’s hard to put them to words, in a way.” 

The redhead also found it hard to accept help, especially so freely given. It reminded him of someone, more than one person actually. “Is it really so obvious that I’m the avatar? I only just found out.”

“To most, no,” Zuko answered. “But you’re in the spirit realm now. To those who know what to look for, the one you carry shines bright. It marks you. It was how your Arahabaki found you, after all.”

The Firelord looked thoughtful for a moment. “Perhaps that should be one of the things we show you while you are here. The tree of time has been useful in the past. Connecting with Raava should be easy there.”

“‘My Arahabaki.” Chuuya scoffed before he remembered who he was with. “Sorry. Arahabaki had only been with me because that guy, Fuku-whatever, asked. Why else would a spirit have stayed with me for so long?”

Raava? Who was that? Some important all-knowing spirit?

“That’s not entirely true.” The voice came from behind him. It was a growling sort of voice, and all three turned to face it. Arahabaki was there, a slightly exasperated look on his face. “I found you because Fukuzawa asked me to. I stayed because you needed something constant in your life and because I grew fond of you. If I hadn’t liked you I wouldn’t have revealed my presence, much less anything else.”

Chuuya didn’t really know how to respond to that for a long moment. He’d been so certain that the spirit had considered it purely a duty and hadn’t felt anything for him he hadn’t thought to ask. Then again, he didn’t think to ask a lot of things. Why was that?

“But… Why? Why did you stay? As a spirit you didn't have to do anything.”

Why had it been Arahabaki? 

It made sense now, in a way, why the spirit had tried so hard to lead him back to Kouyou’s, why he had worked to try and get the redhead there when his life had come crashing down around him the first time. 

“Because you needed me, Chuuya. And you’re a good kid. Stubborn as a monkey marmot and prickly as a boar-q-pine, but a lot of people still love you anyway. You’d know that if you’d let yourself.” The spirit moved in, rubbing itself against Chuuya’s legs in a familiar gesture. “Besides, you have this nasty habit of running away. Someone has to keep an eye on you, and I guess I like you enough to volunteer.”

Zuko chuckled ruefully at that. "That seems to be a thing. Aang and Korra both did that when they got frustrated or overwhelmed. Caused us no end of headaches and a hell of a lot of sleepless nights. It worked out, I suppose. Aang would never have learned energy bending otherwise, and his fight with my father would have ended very differently. Still, it's not exactly easy for those of us left behind."

Chuuya blushed even as he scowled a bit. He supposed they would have a better idea than most what he was going through, but it wasn’t like he was actively trying to make it more difficult for the people back in the human world. The redhead just didn’t know what else to do, and if he really did have people after him the last thing he wanted to do was cause trouble to the people around him. It’d been that way all his life.

Arahabaki looked up at him and sighed, then reached up and swatted his arm with one paw. “Stop that.”

“Stop what?!” Chuuya asked, exasperated and completely forgetting the other two sitting nearby. He was used to having conversations with the spirit, but not ones where Arahabaki actually spoke to him, and it wasn't like he'd said any of that aloud.

“Thinking you’re a burden. They know what they signed up for, Chuuya. Especially Dazai- remember what he said in the tower, that first time? He knew your predecessor’s fate long before he knew about you, and he still wants to be with you. And so do Ryu and Gin and Atsushi.”

The spirit sat back on his haunches, his ears twitching as he spoke. “You may be the Avatar, and you’re good at firebending, but you can’t do this on your own. The Avatar was never meant to be a loner, Chuuya. Why do you think Aang and Korra attracted so many people around them?”

Zuko nodded. “You’ve probably heard the stories. Every avatar had friends by their side, allies who helped them because it doesn’t have to be all on your shoulders. It’s one of the reasons I was never able to catch Aang. His friends protected him just as much as he protected them. Although technically you’re not alone anyway. You never have been. Raava’s been with you since the day you were born, after all, even if she hasn’t made herself known yet.”

The spirit’s words made sense, but Chuuya found it difficult to convince himself in his heart that his friends should be by his side. He’d always been protective of the people who managed to get close to him; it’d been why he’d left Kouyou’s. Chuuya had been aware when he’d joined a gang that it might have come back to affect the other redhead, but it wasn’t like he could justify staying to himself. His mother hadn’t been around anymore and the memory of her had hurt too much to keep walking those halls, to keep talking to the people who had been her friends. 

A small part of him, one he’d silenced early on, knew that Kouyou would have kept him there if she could.

So he hadn’t given her the chance.

How much different would his life have been if he had stayed?

The redhead’s scowl lessened as he looked to Zuko, still flushed but distracted from his temper. Raava sounded vaguely familiar, in that way that things you’ve heard a long time ago do. 

“So you’re saying I should just let them come with me when I have people trying to kill me following me? Didn’t Korra have to deal with that too?” He vaguely remembered something of that sort happening in the tales he’d been told so long ago. 

Zuko sighed. “You’re all so stubborn about that. Yes, she did. The Red Lotus hunted her for years, and they nearly succeeded. They did succeed in crippling her for a while, and it was only because she ran into Toph that she managed to find any sort of peace and heal herself. But everything she accomplished, nearly every battle she won, was because she had someone to lean on. Mako, Bolin, Asami, Tenzin, Jinora, Suyin and Lin… even when she ran away they looked out for her. Granted, they weren’t always together, and each of them had other roles to play, but when she needed them they were there.”

“Even the most alert of soldiers cannot see behind them,” Iroh said, sliding a cup of tea across the table. Sugar and cream followed, as did a piece of cake. “And even the Avatar needs to sleep. Having friends to watch your back is both a great comfort and a necessity. But your choices are your own. We can but show you the path. It is you who must choose to walk it.”

Taking the cup and pulling it close to himself, Chuuya nodded a thanks to Iroh, dumping just a bit of sugar into it. Was being stubborn an Avatar trait? It made a weird sort of sense, even if it would have to be tempered. Maybe that was up to each individual to learn.

“So, you’re telling me that one way or another they’re basically already involved because of fate? That meant they had to be elsewhere anyway for things to work out.” The avatar frowned into his cup, compensating for the weight of Baki leaning against him without a thought. “It’s not like they could follow me in here anyway. I’m kinda surprised I got in, given what happened with Korra. ”

He didn’t have to know the story behind the portal to know which Avatar had made it.

“Fukuzawa could,” Arahabaki said, “if he knew you were here. He and a few of the others are strong enough to come in spirit form. It’s how he met with us in the first place. And yes, the others are already involved. The entire world will know of Dazai and Atsushi and Ryu because they were your teammates.”

Although, I’m not sure if Dazai’s in any fit state to come after you just now, the spirit thought. If I’m right about him, I doubt anyone but Karya can come anywhere near him at the moment.

“Just because they were my teammates doesn’t mean much… Well, it wouldn’t if we all hadn’t worked together as well as we did, I guess.” Chuuya sighed and sipped his tea. “Being televised didn’t help at all.”

“I imagine not,” Zuko agreed. Television had been in its infancy when he’d died, but he knew the concept. Then he thought of something. “Uncle, do you still have that book?”

“Book? What- oh, yes. That book. One moment.” The older man rose and moved into the house. He reappeared a few minutes later, carrying what looked like a scrapbook. “This is for you, young Avatar. Korra was not sure if those who followed her would be able to contact their former selves. So, she left this. It was written by her and her companions and friends, and contains both stories of her adventures and her thoughts on being Avatar. Hopefully, it will help answer some of your questions.”

Chuuya took the book carefully - it wasn’t all that old or worn, but there were papers sticking out from between the pages that he didn’t want to knock loose. He set it aside for the moment, feeling as though looking into it would be a glimpse into somebody else’s life in a way, something private between Avatars.

"Thank you.” Looking between the two spirits, the redhead didn’t know what else to say. Both had been impressive men in their lifetimes, with a lot of wisdom to give, but Chuuya wasn’t sure what he could ask of them.

Iroh smiled gently at him. "You're probably tired. There is a spare futon inside, and it will be light for several hours yet if you'd like to read in private. It was Korra's; perhaps sleeping where she did will help you connect with her spirit."

Zuko nodded in agreement. "She would often come here to talk out problems, or simply to get away for a day or two. That offer is open to you as well, young Avatar."

Nodding to the men, Chuuya finished his tea and rose, bowing to them both as he had before. 

“Thank you both for your hospitality.” He told them by rote, a result of manners he hadn’t remembered he’d had, and excused himself into the house. 

**********************************************************************************************************

Karya knocked on Dazai’s door, a tray in one hand and a concerned look on her face. It had been a bit over a day since Chuuya’s disappearance, and her nephew had sequestered himself in his room almost the instant they’d gotten back to the island. She knew why. It didn’t take Ranpo’s gift to figure that out, not with Dazai.

He didn’t trust himself.

It had been there in the way he’d held himself, refusing to look at anyone, not even letting his friends touch him. She couldn’t really blame him, she supposed. 

Still, he needed to eat. 

There was no response to her knock, so she opened the door quietly, and nearly dropped the tray. The room was empty.

The window was wide open, and Dazai was gone.

High above the ocean, miles from Air Temple Island, an air bison hovered. Kika and Dazai had been up for hours, landing only occasionally to let the bison rest. It wasn’t the first time they’d done this; in fact, before Atsushi and Ryu had moved to the island, he’d spent almost as much time in the air as on the ground. Both had been isolated, but somehow the air felt less… lonely. And right now, it was a haven. Up here, he didn’t have to deal with concern or pity or trying to put on a mask so people wouldn’t worry about him.

Up here, even if he lost control, he couldn’t hurt anyone.

Up here, it didn’t matter if he couldn’t stop the tears running down his cheeks. No one would ever see them.

Back in his office, Fukuzawa Yukichi sat back on his heels, coming out of his meditation, and looked at his wife. “He’s safe,” the silver-haired man said, and Karya sighed in relief. “He’s up on Kika. Osamu will be okay, he just needs time.”

“Alright. Thank you, Yukichi. I’ll let his friends know. They’re worried about him.” Karya stood and kissed her husband on the cheek, then left the office.

The airbender smiled at his wife’s retreating form, but his smile vanished as the door closed behind her. With a sigh of his own, he returned to his meditation. Dazai wasn’t the only one missing, after all.

*****************************************************************************************

Chuuya, laying on his stomach, tucked under the futon, turned another page in the book Iroh and Zuko had given him. There was a lot to read, but it wasn’t a clinical explanation. The pages had character, as much an insight to Korra’s world as her personality. The personal nature of the writing made him smile a bit - she obviously cared a great deal for the people by her side and the work she did. It wasn’t just her, though. The book included letters from people close to her, notes and scraps of paper he was careful not to lose. 

He flipped another page, letting it drift into place gently. It was funny to think that both he and Korra had gone public because of probending. She had known from a young age who she was, but one move in the wrong place had thrown both of them into the spotlight. Smiling, he turned the page, reading over the rules and whatnot that hadn’t really changed over the years, not in any major way. His smile faltered as the redhead reached the end of the page - She wasn’t wrong. Every major hero in stories had their friends, their teachers, those people who supported them and helped them reach their goals. 

Chuuya knew he had to let his friends help, but… If they got hurt, it would be because of him. He’d gotten this far after all without most of them.

But not without all of them. Without his friends, he wouldn’t have survived on the streets as long as he had. Arahabaki had watched his back, Ryu and Gin had too, and he’d returned the favor. They’d foraged together, fought together, did what they had to. What was different about this?

Regardless, it wasn’t like they could follow him there. Where was he going to go from here? While nobody could follow him in, Chuuya couldn’t stay there forever. Republic City, where all of his friends were, would be the first place anybody following him would look. There were the other two spirit portals at the poles. In the time since Korra, the South Pole had stabilized a bit but the North was still the center for trade and a lot of knowledge. With all of the traffic from trading and whatnot blending in should be easy enough that he could lay low for a while. 

Decision made, Chuuya shut the book gently and settled himself in the futon. He could read more tomorrow. There was no reason to hurry out of the Spirit World, after all. 

*****************************************************************************************

The next day, Chuuya left the house, bowing farewell to the spirits who had let him stay the night. He left the book as well, after reading through the rest of it, because he wanted to make sure future Avatars had the chance to read it as well. In the mortal world it would just get damaged and dirty. With Iroh and Zuko it would stay preserved and he could come visit whenever he wanted to read it again. 

Arahabaki walked by his side, a shadow that Chuuya found himself looking back at more than once as they went. They hadn’t spoken about where they were headed yet - Chuuya hadn’t even been sure that the spirit would leave with him but Baki had fallen into step with him after giving his own farewells. He didn’t really know where he was going in the spirit world, it wasn’t as if there were signposts or road signs here, but he wasn’t in much a rush to get there.  

The leopard spirit studied Chuuya as they walked, and eventually he sighed. “You really are as stubborn as a monkey marmot. You should be going home. People are going to be worried about you, you know. And disappearing like this isn’t exactly going to help people trust you. But you’re not, so we might as well head for the tree. You should try to connect with Raava, if nothing else.”

“If I go home, they’re probably expecting me to come back. If they’re not worried about me already, then they probably won’t start any time soon.” Chuuya didn’t look back at the spirit, but he frowned. It wasn’t like he wanted to leave them behind or cause problems, but… He didn’t want to imagine what Dazai thought of him now. They’d started getting close and now Chuuya had pushed him away.

What did the brunette think of him now?

“Pretty sure it didn’t help any of the past Avatars either and they still ended up doing it. What’s the point of Raava? Wait, that’s the spirit that makes us the Avatar, right? Why should I connect with her?”

“Raava isn’t any ordinary spirit. She’s essentially the Goddess of Order, as Vaatu is the God of Chaos. It is because of her that you can bend all four elements. And it’s also because of her that you can enter the Avatar state,” Arahabaki said. “She has been part of every Avatar since Wan. The only time that has been broken in the last ten millennia was Korra’s fight during the last Harmonic Convergence.”

The spirit looked up at his charge. “Most Avatars never actually learned of her existence. Korra was the second, and that took an extraordinary set of circumstances. You would be the third to consciously connect with her. Although, reaching the Avatar state should probably wait until you’ve mastered all four elements. It’s powerful, but without control it won’t do you much good.”

“If nobody knew of her before, why do I need to contact her?” Chuuya thought for a minute about how weird it was that apparently, he shared his body with a spirit (god?) who could have helped at some point along the way? Or was it that they couldn’t really communicate unless they were in the spirit world? 

He didn’t know enough about things to have any idea. 

“You don’t, but it might help. And the tree is the best place to do it. It’s up to you; meditation isn’t really something you’ve learned yet, and it’s not something you can force. But you really should decide on a destination. Wandering the spirit realm randomly isn’t really all that safe, even for you.” The spirit had stopped and sat on his haunches, emphasizing his point. 

“Who said I didn’t have a destination?” The spirit wasn’t wrong though. Chuuya had no idea how to meditate and he wasn’t about to start learning at that moment. He stopped though, and turned to face the spirit. “I mean, the human world isn’t all that safe either, right? At least here I don’t think I have to worry about being ambushed by people looking to kill me.”

“No, but there are spirits who will. There are places where you can be lost for eternity. I can guide you, but you have to let me,” Arahabaki said. “I can teach you how to use your connection to the spirit realm. How to navigate it, at least well enough to find your way in and out. But not yet, not until you’ve learned to unlock that side of yourself. So for right now, do us both a favor and at least tell me where it is you plan on going so I can get us there.”

Sighing, Chuuya crossed his hands over his chest.

“The North Pole. Like Republic City it’s busy and one more person among the traffic isn’t going to be noticed. They don’t have a great idea of what I look like, even if I am kind of distinctive, but it shouldn’t be hard to find somewhere I can stay out of the way for a bit. I know I need to find a teacher, I know, but…”

“But you’re bound and determined to make this harder on yourself and everyone else,” the spirit said with a sigh. “Fine. Stay here. Give me five minutes and I’ll lead you to the portal. There’s something I need to take care of.”

Not waiting for a response, the spirit stalked off.

A hundred meters away, deep in a grove, he stopped. “Bum-ju, you can come out now.”

A small dragonfly bunny spirit popped into view, and the leopard shook his head. “He’s really pulled out all the stops, hasn’t he? Go back to the island and tell Fukuzawa the Avatar’s headed for the Northern Water Tribe, okay? I’ll delay him as long as I can, but it won’t be more than half a day. Now get going. I need to get back before he runs off again.”

The bunny spirit nodded, did a loop in the air, and blinked out of sight. Baki muttered to himself and stalked back to where Chuuya waited. 

“I’m not trying to make it harder on anyone except the people trying to kill me!” Chuuya muttered and threw up his hands as the spirit walked off, wandering over to a nearby tree to sit for a minute. He didn’t know exactly how long Arahabaki would be, but he might as well take a break. 

Taking a deep breath and blowing it out, the redhead leaned back, looking into the forest around him. He really wasn’t trying to make it harder on anybody, he just didn’t know what else to do. Chuuya wasn’t exactly accustomed to leaning on other people or being in the spotlight. 

He just wanted to keep the people he cared for safe. Like he always had.

The spirit sat on his haunches, watching his charge from the shadow of a large tree and running through the past two days in his mind. They'd both overreacted, he thought sullenly. He was used to that from Chuuya, but from himself…

The boy was just doing what he'd always done. He hated being the center of attention, hated feeling like a burden, and this situation was tailor-made to set off both of those triggers. He probably should have anticipated this.

Hell, he probably should have contacted Fukuzawa years ago. They could have eased him into it. But he hadn't been certain, not until recently. 

Regardless, here they are. And he still has a job to do. 

"Alright," he said, leaving the shadows and walking up to Chuuya, "let's go."

**************************

It’s incredibly rare, these days, to get visitors on Air Temple Island. The few they do get are generally either reporters or new airbenders. Usually it’s the former. Either way, they almost inevitably ask to see Fukuzawa, which makes sense.

That’s not the case today. 

Today, Ranpo is studying the tall, formally dressed woman who’d just appeared and asked to see Dazai, of all people. The raven can’t even begin to list all the reasons that’s a bad idea right now, but…

"Please,” she’d said, bowing to the younger man. “I need to see him. It’s about Chuuya.”

“Alright,” he said eventually, “but you’re not seeing him alone. Let me get Karya. You can wait in the pavilion; I won’t be long.”

Kouyou nodded and made her way over to it, sitting on one of the benches with a small, hidden sigh. The trek up the cliff had been longer than it looked, which was saying something, and she watched some of the airbenders as they made their way between buildings, intent on one task or another.

It takes about fifteen minutes before Ranpo and Karya return. Karya joins Kouyou in the pavilion and bows slightly. “I’m Fukuzawa Karya. I understand you wish to see Dazai?”

“Yes. Ozaki Kouyou. I… know Chuuya. I have since the day he was born, practically. His mother was one of my coworkers,” the redhead replied, and Karya quirked an eyebrow. 

“I see. I can’t promise he’ll speak to you, but I can take you to where he is. Follow me, please,” she replied, and Kouyou stood, nodding her agreement.

“Thank you.”

Dazai flinched as a knock sounded at his door. For a moment, he was tempted to exit via the window again, but Kika was resting and there were too many people around right now for a clean getaway. It was Karya’s knock, anyway, and if he didn’t answer she’d just come in. She was probably the only person on the island that could get away with doing that.

With a sigh, he tossed off his blankets and got to his feet, one hand scrubbing at the tear tracks on his cheeks. “Coming.”

Grimacing, he opened the door, a “Karya, I’m really not in the mood to talk” dying on his lips as he saw the woman standing next to her. “Who’s this?” came out instead, his voice flat. He really, really didn’t want to see anyone just now.

“Osamu, this is Ozaki Kouyou,” Karya said. “She says she knows something about Chuuya.”

At that, Dazai’s eyes narrowed and he studied the tall, elegant woman before nodding curtly and letting them both in. “Please, have a seat,” he said, waving at the chair by his desk before retaking his own place on the bed. Karya joined him there, sitting close enough for support but far enough not to touch accidentally, and he nodded at her, appreciating the gesture.

Once Kouyou had made herself comfortable, she spoke.

“As your aunt stated, I’m Ozaki Kouyou. I run a brothel called the Golden Demon, located in between the slums and the merchant sector. Chuuya....grew up in my establishment. His mother was one of the girls there.”

“Was?” Dazai asked, and Kouyou nodded. 

“She died five years ago.”

“Ah. And his father?”

“No idea. Amelie was… popular. Extremely so. Chuuya looks very much like her, but she was sweet, almost timid. It appealed to a certain class of clientele, and our mistress at the time didn’t care as long as she made money.” Kouyou’s voice was laced with vitriol, and Dazai’s gaze went flinty. He could guess where the story was going.

So could Karya. “I take it things went badly eventually?”

“Very much so.” Kouyou turned to the other woman, nodding at the look in her eyes. “She had one particular client- a large, burly fellow- who was… brutal with the girls. Usually it was bruises, welts, things that would fade and not scar, but most of us refused to have anything to do with him. And, most of the time, we managed to keep him away from Amelie. Until the one time we couldn’t.”

The look in her eyes was haunted, and Dazai suddenly knew what came next.

“Chuuya tried to intervene, didn’t he?” he asked, and Kouyou nodded.

“He did. But he was far too small, not a fighter, and his firebending wasn’t that reliable yet. Training benders wasn’t exactly a priority of ours. The client threw him across the room. Amelie tried to run to him, but the client picked her up and threw her back toward the bed. He missed, though. She hit the wall instead, and the force of the impact snapped her neck.”

So that’s why. 

That’s why he won’t speak of his past.

That’s why he stays away from others.

That’s why he…

“He left after that, didn’t he?” Dazai asked quietly, and both women looked at him. “He couldn’t protect her. He couldn’t protect anyone, not the way he was, so he ran. And he learned to fight, learned to firebend, but that failure still haunts him. He’s afraid that if it comes down to it, he won’t be able to protect us. ”

“Osamu?” Karya asked, and he shook his head, a low chuckle escaping him.

“Don’t you see? That’s why we clicked so fast. It wasn’t just attraction, although gods know there was plenty of that. It’s because we’re exactly the same. Fucking hell. I should have told him. I should have told him everything. Maybe we could have avoided all this.”

Dazai stood, and there was a dark gleam behind his eyes as he bowed to Kouyou. “Thank you, Ms. Ozaki. You’ve been incredibly helpful. Don’t worry about Chuuya. Ryu and Atsushi and I will find him and keep him safe.”

Kouyou stood as well, inclining her head to Dazai and Karya. “I believe you. You really do love him, don’t you?”

Dazai startled at that, straightening abruptly, and she smiled lopsidedly. “Don’t worry. I’ve watched the reruns of the broadcasts. It’s not that obvious if you don’t know what to look for, but it’s there in your eyes. There’s a light that only shines when he’s in your view.”

Karya rose as well, and the two women started making their way out of the room. Kouyou paused at the door, however, and turned back to Dazai for a second. “If it’s any consolation in all this, that light is in his eyes when he looks at you, too.”

Dazai watched the two women go. As soon as the door closed behind Karya, he sat back on the bed, eyes hard as he thought through everything he’d just learned. A few minutes later, he shook his head.

That stubborn little…

Sighing, he pulled on his boots, grabbed a hair tie, and went looking for Fukuzawa.

Chapter Text

It took longer than Chuuya expected to reach the Spirit Portal to the North Pole. There hadn’t been a lot of conversation between the two of them along the way. Chuuya was used to the silence; before the incident, Arahabaki had never spoken to him. The redhead hadn’t questioned it, despite knowing that spirits could speak if they so chose. 

Chuuya was still annoyed with the spirit but even he knew better than to start another argument between them. He just followed the spirit’s lead until they ended up at the portal, looking between it and his companion for a moment. 

The leopard gazed back at him steadily. He’d delayed getting here as long as he could without truly pissing Chuuya off, which was harder than it sounded. The redhead had a temper when it came to being toyed with. “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked finally. 

“‘Baki, I’m not sure of anything anymore.” The redhead said more than a little resignedly, looking to the spirit before he stepped forward into the portal. He had never left Republic City before, although he’d seen pictures of various places. The North Pole hadn’t really been featured in too many photos except the waterfront district so Chuuya hadn’t really known what to expect when he walked out of the portal and into the city, but it hadn’t been a forest.

And he probably should have thought about his destination beforehand because it was freezing here. After the match he had changed out of the uniform, donning his street clothes, but they weren’t exactly the warmest clothes. As a firebender he was usually pretty comfortable when the temperature dropped, but he'd never been this cold before.

Arabaki laughed silently at Chuuya, his tongue hanging out as he watched his charge for a moment. "Oh, for pity's sake," he said eventually. "Go back through. I didn't come all this way for you to die of hypothermia. Wait there. I’ll be back."

Chuuya didn’t even argue the point, just ducked back into the much warmer world inside the spirit portal. He shook himself on the other side, regretting for just a moment his decision to go halfway across the world, but he wasn’t going to take it back.

It was about an hour later when Baki returned, a bag slung around his neck. He shook it off and grinned at Chuuya. “Here. Get changed.”

“Where did you even get these?” The avatar asked as he made his way over to the spirit, kneeling down to open the bag. The spirit's facial expressions didn't really change a whole lot, but time had given Chuuya a bit of insight, and the lack of speech had made it a necessity. There were a few things in the bag that would definitely make getting to the city much easier; a set of boots (that were actually his size) as well as a much thicker pair of pants and a coat. It was the work of a minute to change, stuffing his old clothes into the bag and slinging it over his shoulder. 

“Heh. You don’t want to know,” the spirit said. “Just be glad I move fast. The city’s a few hours away at your speed. It’s actually a lot closer than it used to be. They’ve expanded.”

“I haven’t even walked in it, but can I just say that I’m going to hate the snow,” Chuuya told him, grinning a bit. “The bigger the city, the easier it is to hide in though.”

A bit more prepared this time, the redhead made his way through the portal. 

**************************

Dazai being stunned into silence is a rare thing.

Unfortunately, this was one of those times, and he stared at Fukuzawa for a full minute before finding his voice again. “He went where?” the boy asked, his voice a whisper.

“According to Arahabaki, he’s headed for the Northern Water Tribe,” the airbender replied, and Dazai closed his eyes, his hands fisting in a mix of fear and rage. A second later they opened and he punched the wall, letting out a strangled scream.

“That IDIOT! ” Fukuzawa’s eyes went wide as Dazai yelled. In all the years he’d known the boy, he’d only seen him react like this once.

It had ended with corpses.

That had been over five years ago. This time, though…

“That fucking stubborn slug,” Dazai said, and the silver-haired man watched as the boy- no, the young man- in front of him visibly forced down his anger, the only remnant the crimson glow in his eyes. “He has no idea what’s waiting for him. If Mori finds out he’s there…”

Dazai turned to his uncle. “I can’t let that happen, Uncle. I can’t lose anyone else to him. I… I know I swore I’d never go back there, but I need to stop running from this. If Chuuya gets hurt because of my past…”

“I know,” the older man said. He rose and put a hand on Dazai’s shoulder. “Gather your friends. I’ll get with Karya and get them cold-weather gear. We have a little time. Baki’s resourceful, he’ll delay Chuuya as long as possible.”

“We?” Dazai asked.

Fukuzawa nodded. “The trip overland is too long for this. We’ll take Kika and I’ll take you through the spirit realm. I can’t condense the trip quite as well as my grandmother could have, but I can shave at least a few hours off. With any luck, you’ll arrive not long after he does. Finding him after that will be up to you.”

“Right.” Dazai started for the door, then turned back for a second. “Thanks, Uncle Yukichi.”

“Anytime, Osamu.”

**************************

Arahabaki breathed a sigh of relief as the edge of the city came into view. He still didn’t like Chuuya being here, but his charge wouldn’t even consider going back yet, and it was cold. There was an inn near the edge of town though, and he led Chuuya in that direction. It would be warm, at least, even if they didn’t have much money.

The redhead followed the spirit, not bothering to question just where they were headed yet. Baki had a better idea of the area than he did, and he’d probably done a bit of scouting around wherever he’d grabbed the clothes from. His legs were beginning to hurt from stomping through the snow, but he could deal with that. A small part of him wondered how sore he was going to be tomorrow though, and even through the new clothes he was beginning to feel the chill. As the buildings came into view, he looked up and renewed his pace. It was getting dark, but lights were starting to show up in windows and on the streets, a beacon against the quickly darkening sky. It didn’t help that his stomach was beginning to growl and conversation had been sparse between the two of them, leaving Chuuya plenty of time to think about the past few days. 

Arahabaki stopped short of the inn door and looked at Chuuya, who stumbled to a stop behind him. “I’m not going to be able to help you much here,” he said. “Spirits aren’t common here outside of the forest, and most of the ones that live there aren’t terribly friendly. Having me visible is just going to draw attention to you, and not in a good way.”

Oh great. Lead him to a new city (that he'd picked) and throw him in with no knowledge of local customs or anything. 

“Guess it’s back to normal then,” Chuuya muttered, looking around to make sure he was out of earshot of anyone around. “Just… Is there anything I should know before I end up sticking my foot in my mouth?”

“Go easy on the fire bending. A lot of construction here is ice. If you see a girl with a blue necklace on, she’s either engaged or married. And… don’t mention Dazai or Karya. We don’t know why they ran from here, but whatever it absolutely terrifies him, so I don’t think you want caught up in it,” the spirit said. And with that, he faded from view, only his tracks in the snow giving away his location.

“Okay then…” Chuuya turned away then, looking at the inn door. He didn’t have a great idea of waterbending customs, not those of the water tribes proper anyway. The only one he knew in person from one was Dazai and it hadn’t really ever come up in conversation. 

Without a reason to keep standing outside in the cold, the redhead reached out and swung open the door, taking a few steps into the much warmer room beyond.

“Welcome to the Diving Tiger Shark. Are you looking for a room?” The voice came from behind the counter, where a smiling young woman stood.

“Just a place out of the snow for now, thank you.” Chuuya smiled at the woman, shaking the snow off of himself as best he could without getting it all over the place. It was a nice enough place. Despite the hour, there weren’t too many patrons which made it easy for him to find a place out of the way and sit down. 

Across the room, a silver-haired gentleman watched the newcomer. He wondered, idly, if anyone else recognized him; the redhead’s picture had been plastered all over the news for the last day or so.

After all, it wasn’t every day that the Avatar appeared in the middle of a stadium and then proceeded to disappear just as abruptly.

The gentleman rose from his seat behind the desk after a moment and approached the young man. “Excuse me, young man,” he said, his voice smooth and low, “you seem to have had a bad time with our weather. Are you by chance looking for a place to stay?”

“It’s my first time in the area, and I was underprepared. Did you have a recommendation?” The redhead explained, looking up at the man. He didn’t trust the guy, not one bit. There was something about him that made him seem even older than his many years. The guy was old enough to be his grandfather, not that he'd known the man.

“As it happens, I am the manager of this establishment. I would be happy to have a room prepared for you.” The gentleman bowed low, and his voice was lower yet, pitched to carry to Chuuya’s ears and no farther. “I know who you are, Nakahara Chuuya. Your picture is everywhere. The Avatar is always welcome here, and the friend of a friend even more so.”

“Unfortunately I lost my wallet in the snow, so I don’t have any way to pay you.” The redhead held his hands up as his eyes narrowed. Friend of a friend? There was only one person he knew of from here, and the brunette didn’t exactly seem in a rush to come back. Dazai had said ‘he’ - that could be anybody, and just because someone said they were friendly didn’t mean they were. “I think I’ll take my chances, thank you.”

“There would be no payment necessary,” the older man said, a shadow- and a warning- in his eyes. “I owe Karya a great deal. She saved my wife’s life some time ago at no small risk to her own. Unfortunately, I was never able to repay her for that debt.”

He straightened, and his voice returned to normal. “Besides, from what I understand there is a blizzard projected for tonight. It would stain both my honor and my duty as a host to send someone out into those conditions unprepared.”

Either Chuuya could attempt to brave a blizzard without equipment, shelter, or knowledge of the area, or he could take the offer of a room and watch his back. Even if the man was lying and there wouldn't be a blizzard, the streets were different here. He didn't know the best places to hole up out of the way or where the local gangs ran. He was pretty sure Baki was still around, even if he was completely invisible for some reason. Maybe it was a reminder that they couldn’t talk. The redhead still didn’t know if he could trust the man, but maybe getting a room would be for the best. He'd at least be warm and had someone to watch his back.

“If that’s the case, then I’ll have to accept your gracious offer. I didn’t know there was going to be a blizzard tonight.”

“Excellent.” The older man bowed again, then went to speak to the young lady at the counter. He came back a moment later with a key on a ring. “Let me show you to your room.”

He led the way upstairs. The room was on the third floor, tucked in the back corner by a staircase. “The stairs lead both to the ground floor and to the roof,” he said, unlocking the door and handing Chuuya the key. “This is the only key to this room, so be mindful of it. We have an in-house kitchen as well; there is a menu on the nightstand. It’s open quite late, and orders can be placed at the front desk. Don’t worry about the cost. It’s complimentary as well.”

A turn, then a pause. “Oh, and my name is Hirotsu. Hirotsu Ryuurou. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask. My wife and I live on the premises, so we’re almost always available.”

The redhead nodded; he didn’t really have anything else to say. Hirotsu wasn’t like Kouyou and this was the first time anybody had called him the avatar who wasn’t a spirit. 

Chuuya shut the door behind him, looking around the small room. It wasn’t much - a bed, a table, a set of drawers. Better than the streets. The redhead started taking off his layers, setting them aside for now since they were still covered in snow and a bit soaked. Once everything was off he went to the bed and laid on it. He didn’t really have anything better to do until either Baki showed up or something happened. 

“Well, that was interesting.” Baki’s voice came from near the door, and the spirit appeared. “I wasn’t expecting to run into someone who knows Karya. That was either a stroke of really fantastic luck or a very well-laid trap, and I’m not sure which it is yet.”

“There’s no way really to know, either. I can’t exactly spy on him, and while you could…” Chuuya sighed, looking over to the spirit. “I think there are a few things and questions we should probably talk about. I can’t keep putting it off.”

“Finally.” The spirit padded over to the bed and jumped up, curling up at the foot. “I was starting to think you’d never listen to reason.”

“Hey, I’ve listened to you before!” Chuuya protested, keeping his voice low because he didn’t know how thin the walls were here. “And give me a break, this was kind of a major life change here.”

“You have a point,” Arahabaki said, relenting a bit. “Sorry. I’ve been waiting to tell you all this for quite a while now. Normally, the Avatar is told who they are on their sixteenth birthday if they haven’t figured it out already, but your situation was a little unconventional.”

The spirit grinned slightly. “You’ve actually been showing signs for years now. Small ones, to be sure, but enough to know that I had the right person. You just needed more exposure to different bending types and a bit of a push. Hooking up with Dazai gave you both of those.“

“Well I certainly got the push one way or another,” Rolling his eyes, Chuuya ignored the bit about Dazai for the moment. “Now I have to what, learn all the elements and ‘restore peace to the world’?” He included air quotes and everything; Chuuya was well aware he was being a bit sarcastic to the one person willing to explain everything to him at the moment, but Baki should be used to it by now.

“Yes, although there’s not a lot of restoring to do at the moment,” Arahabaki answered, unruffled. “Things have been relatively quiet the last few decades. If nothing else, Korra turned out to be one hell of a diplomat; most of the agreements and treaties she engineered are still holding.”

The spirit sighed. “You’re going to have to go back eventually,  you know. Fukuzawa’s the top airbending instructor out there and the spiritual leader of the Air Nation. If anyone’s going to be your teacher, it’ll be him. And air is next in the cycle.”

Besides. If Bum-ju passed on my message, they’re probably on their way here as we speak.

“Fire, Air, Water, Earth. The Cycle. I think I saw something about that in the book. I know I’ll have to go back. I just…” The redhead trailed off and sighed. This whole thing was so much larger than anything he’d ever thought he’d have a part in. “I didn’t want them to get hurt because of me, and I still don’t, but… there’s no way I can do this by myself.”

“No, there isn’t.” Baki’s voice was gentle, and he sighed as he looked out the window. “Come on. It’s getting late, and the snow’s starting. You should get something to eat before the kitchen closes.”

“He said there was a menu…” Chuuya reached over to the nightstand, rummaging around until he found it. “Think I can call the front desk and order that way, or do I actually have to go there?”

The spirit shrugged. “I suppose you could try calling first,” he said dubiously. This was something outside his realm of expertise. Hotels weren’t really a thing in the spirit world.

“Hey, I’ve never been in one either,” Chuuya responded, shrugging as well. He’d been a street kid. It wasn’t as if he’d had the chance to rent a room before anywhere. The closest thing he knew was going to be Kouyou’s sort of place and that was nowhere near this. “I’ll give it a try and see what they say I guess.”

Surprisingly enough, at least to them, it was that easy. Chuuya placed his order, and it was delivered about twenty minutes later by the smiling front desk clerk. He thanked her as she placed the tray on the table, and closed the door behind her with a sigh as she left. The food smelled amazing, and he was suddenly starving.

It was actually quite good- something called platypus bear. Chuuya vaguely remembered Dazai mentioning it during their dinner after the third round. Now he knew why the brunette missed it so much. 

The rest of the night was quiet. He and Arahabaki talked, of course, about many things; what it meant to be the Avatar, Korra’s book, Raava… and as the redhead fell asleep that night, comfortable in a warm bed, he thought that maybe, just maybe, he could pull this off after all.

****************************************************************

“FUCK!!!!”

It figured. This was his luck. This was always his luck.

Dazai stood outside the Northern spirit portal and cursed again at the sky. Where he was standing was quiet, yes, but he could see the signs of the blizzard raging outside the protection of the Spirit Wilds. And while he knew he and Kika could probably make it through (gods know he’s survived enough of them), his friends weren’t really prepared for this sort of weather, even with the cold weather gear Karya had scrounged up for them. Not to mention that just appearing in town in the middle of a blizzard, not knowing who or where was still safe, was probably a really bad idea.

Six hours. It would be dawn in six hours. Hopefully, the storm would be gone by then. It should be; the ones this time of year usually didn’t last that long, and it looked like it’d been going for a while. Luckily they’d brought provisions just in case. 

Chuuya hadn’t, though. At least he had Arahabaki; the spirit would keep him safe. 

Hopefully.

Muttering another oath, Dazai went back through the portal. There was nothing he could do until the storm let up.

Wait for me, Chibi. Please. This time, just… wait.

****************************************************************

Unfortunately for both Dazai and Chuuya, Hirotsu wasn’t the only one who’d recognized the fledgling Avatar. Eyes and ears were everywhere in a city like this, and one of those pairs of eyes had been watching when Chuuya stumbled into the inn. It was only a few hours later that the owner of those eyes was kneeling in front of a desk, and the man behind it smiled.

“Bring him to me.”

Chapter Text

The blizzard let up an hour or so before dawn, and Arahabaki slipped out of the hotel room on silent feet. Chuuya was still sleeping, exhausted from the night before, and the spirit hoped he would actually stay that way for a change.

Looking back, that was a bad decision on his part, but he was old, not infallible.

It took him about half an hour to get to the portal. With any luck, Dazai or Fukuzawa would be there by now. He wasn’t sure if Chuuya would forgive him for having sent that message, but he could live with it if it meant his charge was safe.

Dazai woke to his name being called by a startled Atsushi. The brunette was mildly surprised he’d actually managed to fall asleep in the first place, and he turned his head to see his friend sitting up and staring at a spirit that was waiting just outside their makeshift camp. It was a leopard, one he’d never seen before, but…

The brunette looked over to Kika, who was also watching the spirit. The bison was on his feet, and he lumbered over to the spirit, snuffling at him, before licking him from head to tail. Dazai climbed out of his bedroll as the cat shook himself. “You must be Arahabaki. Is Chuuya safe? Are you here to bring us to him?”

“Hello Dazai. Yes I am, he was when I left him a little while ago, and yes, in that order. Although I’m not sure how long the second will be true. Do you know someone named Hirotsu?”

Dazai’s eyes widened, then narrowed. “Not well. Decent enough guy, has some sort of history with Aunt Karya. Runs a couple of inns, if I remember correctly. I haven’t talked to the guy in years. Is Chuuya in one of them?”

“At the moment, yes. He was sleeping when I left, but that usually doesn’t last long with him.”

“Don’t I know it.” The groggy voice came from off to Dazai’s left. Akutagawa sat up, rubbing one eye with the heel of his hand. “Getting him to sleep more than four hours at a time is a pain. Gin and I were the same way, least until we came to the island. It’s nice to have somewhere safe to sleep.”

“I suppose so.” Dazai hadn’t really put a lot of thought into that angle, but it made sense. But that was for another discussion. “That doesn’t matter right now. We need to get moving.  The longer Chuuya stays in town, the greater the chance someone will recognize him, and that’s a bad thing.”

The three of them nodded (Gin rather sleepily as her brother nudged her awake,) and started packing camp. It didn’t take long. Within fifteen minutes they were loaded on Kika and headed out of the portal.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite fast enough.

****************************************************************

Chuuya woke up alone, and the empty room stirred up a feeling of… something like disappointment? Regardless of what it was, the redhead shoved it down. The spirit probably had something to attend to.

It was the first time in ages that he’d woken up without anybody nearby, and for a moment he just lay there, thinking. So much had changed. He had responsibility now, not just to himself, but to the world. Korra had relied on her friends, who’d stayed by her side throughout everything. Were Dazai and Ryu and Gin the same?

He hoped they were.

He missed them, even if he hadn’t been out of the city for long. 

Shoving that down too for the moment, Chuuya reached over for the phone and ordered something for breakfast. He didn’t really know any of the local options, but the receptionist had been kind enough to discuss what was offered and what he might like, arranging it to be sent up without any fuss. 

While he waited, he thought about the plan ahead of them. Find teachers, avoid the guys trying to catch him, and take down the people who were trying to kill avatars, probably. Chuuya still had a lot to learn, but the first step would probably be to go back to his friends. Maybe?

The avatar’s thought process was interrupted when there was a knock on his door.

“Sir, your food is here. I’ll leave it outside for you to grab when you are ready. Thank you for staying with us and please enjoy your breakfast.” 

Chuuya waited a moment, listening to the footsteps walk away - he’d been a little lost in thought when they’d first arrived. When they were out of earshot, the redhead got up and retrieved the food, taking it back to the desk. He’d have to see if there was anything they could do today when Ahrahabaki got back, but for now, he might as well eat.

It was little while later, after he’d set the plate back outside to be retrieved, that he realized he’d made a mistake. The world started to spin and Chuuya dropped to the bed, his thoughts quickly growing hazy. Where was Baki?

****************************************************************

It took roughly half an hour to reach a spot just outside the edge of town that Dazai knew well. It was large enough to hide Kika- the air bison would be a dead giveaway, since most of the Air Nation avoided the Northern Tribe on Fukuzawa’s orders- but was only a fifteen-minute walk to the inn where Chuuya was staying.

When they reached it, Dazai had the others wait in the lobby, while he and Baki went up to Chuuya’s room. What they found there…

The door was hanging open, there were scorch marks on the walls and floor, and several broken items.

And, of course, no Chuuya.

“Arahabaki,” Dazai said, his voice deceptively calm, “get the others and take them outside. Someplace out of the way. I’ll find you.”

The spirit nodded. “What are you going to do?”

“Get some answers. Give me fifteen minutes.”

Hirotsu’s rooms were on the far side of the building. Dazai knocked on the door; lightly at first, then louder. It took a moment for the door to open, and when it did…

“Hello, old man,” Dazai said, the flippancy in his voice barely hiding the anger.

“Dazai? I didn’t expect to ever see you back here.” The older man waved him in, but Dazai shook his head.

“No time for a reunion, Hirotsu. One of your staff, probably more than one, is working for Mori. Chuuya’s gone, and from the look of it he didn’t go willingly.”

The older man’s eyes narrowed. “That doesn’t surprise me. He’s really tightened his grip on this city since you and Karya managed to slip out of his grasp. Chuuya’s probably on his way to Mori’s headquarters as we speak.”

Hirotsu watched the crimson glow in the other’s eyes for a second, then let his shoulders slump. “I’d hoped keeping him here would keep him safe.”

“It’s not your fault,” Dazai said. “He knew I was avoiding this place, but not why, not really.”

“What are you going to do?” Hirotsu asked.

“I’m not the scared kid I was six years ago, Hirotsu.” Dazai smiled, and something in that smile sent a shiver down the older man’s spine. “Besides. I’m in love with him. And I’ll be damned if I let Mori take away someone else I love. So tell me. Where’s Odasaku keeping himself these days?”

****************************************************************

Chuuya blinked his eyes open, slowly coming to some sort of awareness. It was dark and cold here, nothing like the room he’d had for the night, and as he looked around he kind of remembered how he’d gotten there. There had been a fight and somebody trying to hold him down. He’d fought back.

Arahabaki hadn’t come back yet.

He’d tried to fight back but he’d been sloppy, uncoordinated. There had definitely been drugs involved. 

Now he was chained to a wall, thick cuffs keeping his hands in place without coming close enough to his palms to be melted or letting him bend his wrists. Chuuya was alone here, well and truly.

So much for going back to Republic City.

****************************************************************

True to his word, Dazai found Baki and the others less than fifteen minutes later. “Alright you guys. I think I know where Chuuya is. Arahabaki. If I get you close, can you track him?”

The spirit nodded. “I can sense Raava if we’re close enough. It’s how I found him in the first place.”

“Good. There’s a large walled complex on the western edge of town. If I’m right, and the layout is still the same, he’s probably in the holding cells in the southeast corner. Go to him. Tell him we’ll be there to get him soon, okay?”

“Alright.” The spirit faded from view. 

Dazai turned to the others. “You guys come with me. And stay low. Mori has eyes everywhere in this town.”

The trio nodded. “Where are we going?” Atsushi asked, his voice low.

The brunette smiled. “We’re going to meet an old friend of mine.”

****************************************************************

Arahabaki stared at the enclave he found himself outside of. Large complex indeed. Let’s see. Southeast corner… there. Heavily guarded, one entrance- that’s probably the cells. Good thing I can slip past them, huh Chuuya?

It still took a minute, but Baki eventually found Chuuya in a lonely cell at the end of a long hallway. The kid was awake, which was good. He was also chained to the wall, which wasn’t. Okay.

Baki slid through the bars. He watched his charge for a moment, then sighed audibly and made himself visible. “Sorry, lad,” he said. “I suppose I should have waited until you woke up to leave. I was hoping to get back before you did.”

“Why did you?” Chuuya asked, skipping over the rest for now although he couldn't keep his eyes from narrowing. There was no reason to possibly start another fight, not when there were bigger things to worry about. “Do you know what’s going on? All I know is that they put something in my breakfast and they were ready for me.”

"I was fetching somebody. You didn’t really think that Dazai wasn’t going to follow you, did you? Fukuzawa had spirits out looking for you the instant he found out you’d vanished. I found one of them while we were in the spirit realm and sent a message.” The spirit paused as he heard voices down the corridor. “Someone’s coming.”

With that, he vanished. A familiar weight settled against Chuuya’s legs, though, letting him know the spirit hadn’t left.

Not my best plan, but oh well. I was never known for those anyway. Chuuya thought, letting himself relax just a hair as the weight of the spirit settled against him. He still had no idea what was going on or who was coming, so all he could do was brace himself as the footsteps stopped outside of his door. 

Three men appeared in front of the bars. Two of them had the look of bodyguards, but the one in the center… something about the way he smiled sent a shiver down Chuuya’s spine. “Hello, young Avatar,” he said, his voice silky smooth, yet somehow it reminded the redhead of a snake. “My name is Mori Ougai. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

****************************************************************

Dazai led his friends through back streets and alleys, dodging people and keeping to the shadows with an ease that spoke of much practice. The others followed easily, and it wasn’t long before they were standing in front of a nondescript house in a row of nondescript houses. The brunette looked around, making sure no one was watching them, before leading them to a side door. He knocked, a rather peculiar sequence, and the door opened. 

A young dark-haired girl stood there, around 10 or so, and Dazai grinned. “Hey Kyouka. Is your dad home?”

The girl blinked up at him, and then her face lit up as recognition set in. “‘Samu?” she asked, and Dazai nodded. 

“Long time no see, little one.”

“Yeah, no kidding. Dad’s been worried about you. Come in. Are these your friends?” Kyouka moved out of the way so they could enter, then closed the door. 

“Yep. This is Atsushi, Ryu, and Gin. Atsushi and Ryu are on my probending team.”

“I know. Dad and I watch the games. It’s nice to meet you all.” The girl motioned them to seats around a small table. “Dad’s downstairs. Wait here, I’ll go get him.”

“No need, Kyouka.” A deep voice came from the doorway, and all five turned to face it. A tall redhead with blue eyes stood there, leaning against the door frame. “Hello, Dazai. It’s good to see you.”

“Hey Odasaku,” Dazai replied. The brunette was on his feet and moving as soon as the redhead appeared. The room wasn’t large, and it was only a matter of seconds before he was standing in front of the other man. They both hesitated a moment, and then Dazai was being enfolded in strong arms. “Missed you.”

“Missed you too. You’ve gotten tall. Still entirely too skinny, but tall.” Oda smiled at the boy, holding him tight for a moment, then releasing him. “I have a feeling you’re not here to catch up, though. Especially after the way you left. I thought you swore you’d never come back here?”

“Yeah, well, things happened.” Dazai stepped back and looked up at the man he’d considered an older brother since he was small. “Mori has something important to me, Odasaku. And I am going to get it back.”

A knock on the door precluded any further comments. It was just slightly different than the one Dazai had used, and Oda’s eyes flicked to the door, softening as his lips curled up in a smile. “Let him in, Kyouka.”

Dazai looked at him, and Oda shook his head, the smile still in place. Kyouka opened the door, and was immediately swept up into the arms of the man who entered. The newcomer didn’t notice the others at first, but when he did he stopped short, staring at the brunette as if he’d seen a ghost. “Dazai?” 

The brunette was just as shocked. “Ango?”

“Yes.” Ango gave Kyouka a quick hug, then set her down. “I have a feeling the timing on this visit is not coincidental. How long have you and your friends been here?”

“Just a few minutes, really,” Dazai replied, shaking his head. At least something seemed to be going his way. “I suppose I really should do introductions. Ango, Odasaku, this is Nakajima Atsushi, Akutagawa Ryuunosuke, and Akutagawa Gin. Guys, this is Oda Sakunosuke and Sakaguchi Ango. “

A chorus of nods and “Nice to meet you” followed the introductions, and Oda turned to Kyouka. “I’m taking everyone downstairs. If anyone else stops by, I’m not home.”

“I know the drill, Dad,” she said, and Oda nodded. 

“Alright, you lot. Follow me.”

The room he led them to had even Dazai whistling in appreciation. “You’ve really upgraded,” he said, looking around at what could only be (and indeed was) an underground headquarters.

“Well, it has been six years,” Oda said dryly. “We’ve grown a bit. The more Mori tries to tighten his grip, the more our membership expands. Only a dozen or so know about this place, though.”

He motioned them all into chairs, then leaned against one of the desks, looking down at his erstwhile little brother. “Okay, Osamu. Tell me everything.”

************************************************************

“It’ll be my pleasure to burn you to a crisp.” Chuuya glared at the man who had come to visit him in his cell. The name didn’t mean anything to him - politics had never been his thing even back in Republic City, much less somewhere he’d never thought he’d get to visit. 

“You truly are a firebender, aren’t you?” Mori said, almost mockingly. “I’m almost surprised you don’t know who I am. Dazai is as taciturn as ever, I see. I suppose I should have expected that. If he’d told you about me, then he’d have to tell you the truth about who, or perhaps I should say what, he is. Or did he, and that’s why you ran to the one place he’d never go?”

“Oh shut it already. If he didn’t tell me, that’s his choice.” Chuuya sneered. He wasn’t going to throw a fit if Dazai hadn’t spilled his darkest secrets to him - he may be falling for the man, but they hadn’t exactly known each other their entire lives. “I’m actually a bit surprised you’re not going for the ‘oh, he didn’t trust you but I swear, you can trust me’ shtick. Like seriously, you drug me, haul me off to your top secret lair, and try to use my friend against me? Can you be any more of a stereotypical villain from a children’s novel?”

There were times Arahabaki was very glad he could hide himself from view and hearing, because the spirit cracked up laughing at Chuuya’s speech. It was dangerous, probably, but very Chuuya, and he suddenly felt a bit better about the redhead’s state of mind. 

Mori, on the other hand, blinked. He wasn’t used to being… disregarded like this. He hid the anger behind the mask, however, the only outward sign of it the glint in his eyes, and smiled. “I can see it’s useless to continue this conversation at the moment. Perhaps after a few days with no food or water you’ll be a little more amenable.”

With that, he turned on his heel, and left, his goons following behind. 

“Yeah, like that’s going to happen. Asshole.” Chuuya let his head fall back against the wall behind him for a moment as the fight went out of him. He couldn’t see Arahabaki, but that didn’t matter. Raising his head, he nodded toward the door - it was a gesture they’d worked out ages ago, a sort of ‘check if they’re gone’.

A moment later, Baki reappeared. “They’re out of earshot,” he said, still grinning. “A children’s storybook villain, huh?”

If Chuuya could have shrugged, he would have. “He wasn’t expecting it and what else was I going to throw at him? I don’t know anything about him, other than that he seems to love his dramatics. Did you hear the way he spoke? Who actually talks like that?”

“You have a point,” Arahabaki admitted. “And he apparently doesn’t know Dazai’s in the city yet, which is a good thing. I don’t know what his plans are- he sent me to find you as soon as we realized you’d been taken. But…”

“But what?” Chuuya resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Do they know exactly where I’m at? At least which building or wherever?” 

He hoped they were nearby, but at the same time he wanted them to stay safe. 

“Actually, yes. Dazai knew exactly which building you’d be in. And given the way he was acting when I first caught up with them, I was surprised he didn’t come straight after you. Which means he’s not only familiar with Mori, but thinks he’s dangerous enough to be cautious around.”

The spirit sat, tail twitching restlessly as he spoke. “I think Mori is the reason he ran from here. Him and whatever secret he’s holding over Dazai’s head. I have a sneaking suspicion I know what that secret is. And why he’s so afraid of it.”

“I don’t really care what his secret is so long as it’s not hurting anyone. It’s his to tell.” Chuuya leaned his head back again, trying to relax. There was only so much tension one could hold for so long, and it wasn’t going to help if he was so stiff he couldn’t move when he finally got out. 

“He’s smart though. It won’t take long for him to figure something out. You know, I originally thought that this guy wanted me just because I’m the Avatar, but that’s not his only reason. He might be connected to the people who killed the last Avatar, but he might not be. People I care about are looking for me right now, following me into danger, and I don’t know when they’ll find me. I’m in the dark about so much right now.”

Chuuya took in a breath and let it out again, shaking his head. “I just have to work with it, don’t I? None of us asked for the hand we were dealt, but we’ve made it this far. Fuck, apparently being put in a cell makes me some sort of philosopher.”

“You always were, you just never sat still long enough to let it show,” ‘Baki said softly. “You might as well rest while you can. I doubt Dazai will let you sit here one second longer than he absolutely has to, but I have a feeling you’re not getting out of here without a fight. Don’t worry. I don’t plan on leaving you alone again.”

The last was said with a slight trace of guilt. He still thought he’d done the right thing by going to fetch Dazai, but if he’d waited just a little longer they might not be in this mess.

Sleep. Ok. He could try to do that. He had an idea of why he was there, who had him, and ‘Baki wasn’t going to leave him alone. Just like it was not that long ago. Despite the disagreements they’d had lately, Chuuya wouldn’t want anyone else watching his back here. 

Sighing again, the redhead let his head fall back and closed his eyes. If he could forget about the shackles around his wrists, it would be just like old times.

He didn’t want to think about Dazai and the others coming for him or anything else. There would be time for that later. There would be a later.

Chuuya forced himself to sleep then, taking some comfort that he wasn’t alone.

Chapter Text

Despite Chuuya’s best wishes, sleep wasn’t the black abyss of dreamlessness. 

It was his old room, shared with his mom. Bare walls and little furniture, a single bed and a futon on the floor. His mom had always tried to make things the best she could for him, even if it meant making sacrifices. 

He’d loved her, so much, and she’d loved him back as only a mother could.

She was there, sitting on the bed with his head in her lap. They weren’t talking, instead just enjoying the silence. It wasn’t often that Amelie had time to spend with him, and they usually spent it reading poetry or talking. Her hand stilled where it had been stroking his hair as there was a knock on the door and his heart sank when nobody opened it. One of the girls would have said something or just invited herself in. 

Chuuya sat up, letting his mom answer the door. He knew what was going to happen from here. She wouldn’t be back for a while. What she did have never been explicitly explained to him, but living in the building didn’t exactly lead to a life of ignorance. She leaned down and kissed his forehead gently before she stood up. They didn’t speak, even if he wanted to. The words stuck in his throat. He wanted her to stay, just a little while longer, but if she caused the headmistress any trouble, they’d be out on the streets. 

So he stayed quiet, watching as she slipped out the door and the pair of footsteps faded away. He had just settled back, one of the few books they had in hand, as the door opened again and one of the older girls, eyes wide with disbelief, poked her head in. She didn't say anything, just gestured for him to come. 

The girl’s rooms were in a separate wing from where they took clients, and Chuuya’s heart sank further. He had heard the rumors about the clients, especially the one that everybody tried to keep away from Amelie. Being small had its benefits sometimes, and it wasn’t like he didn’t have any free time, so no one minded him hanging around as long as he stayed out of the way. 

There was yelling from the room, angry and obviously male, but it wasn’t until there was a sound - a slap - that Chuuya stepped forward, suddenly inside the room. Amelie, his sweet, gentle mother, was on the floor, cradling her cheek, and Chuuya felt fury rise up in him. Fury at the brute who had slapped her, who had thrown the other girls around, left bruises and cuts and fear. 

Then he was between the guy and his mother, standing between them like his short 150cm frame could do something to stem the tide of an angry man. Looking up into his face, the wrath, the… Fear coiled in the redhead’s gut, but he couldn’t back down. This man had hurt his mom.

A flash of movement, a single hit, and the world spun as he flew through the air. He hit the wall with a solid thump, and a small part of his mind, that little bit somehow not preoccupied with his situation, remarked on how quiet everything was. Nobody was yelling. It was quiet, save the harsh breathing and whimpers of pain.

Wait, hadn’t his mom yelled? 

She’d cried out and gotten up, trying to stop the man. He shouldn’t have gotten involved. He picked her up like she weighed nothing, the way his hands closed around her arm visible even through the way the pain made his vision wobble. The man - Chuuya didn’t know his name, knew nothing about him besides that he hurt people - threw her towards the bed. She hit the wall instead, head first, and the snap of her neck echoed around the room.

Chuuya jolted, breathing heavily, as he woke suddenly. He hadn’t had that nightmare - memory? - in a while, and he couldn’t stop his eyes from tearing up. That had been years ago, but he’d been helpless then, just like he was helpless now.

“Chuuya?” ‘Baki’s voice was quiet, gentle, and one of his paws rested on the redhead’s cheek. “Are you alright?”

Chuuya hesitated a moment before he gave a minute shake of his head. His head bowed, he let a tear fall before he breathed deeply, letting it out and raising his head. 

"I miss mom."

Ah. The dream again. “I know, lad,” the spirit said. “I do too, in a way. She was a good woman. And I know she loved you with everything that she was.”

‘Baki let his paw slide down from Chuuya’s face, then curled up next to him. “You know, when you were little, sometimes she’d just lay there and watch you sleep, and she’d get this soft little smile on her face. And the proud look she got when you figured out you could firebend? It was like you’d won the probending tournament all by yourself. You were her whole world, Chuuya. And I know she’d be proud of the man you’ve become. All she ever wanted for you was for you to be able to forge your own path, and you’re doing that. Yes, you’re the Avatar. And yes, there are going to be expectations on your head. But that would be true no matter what route you chose, Chuuya. Because even then, she knew you were always meant to be something special.”

The spirit meant every word, but he was not at all prepared for the effect they had. 

Chuuya’s head bowed as the first tears slipped through. He hadn’t talked about his mom in so long. It hadn’t been long after she’d passed that he’d slipped away, and nobody on the streets had been interested, not really. Nobody else there had parents, not ones they cared about, and so it was a subject nobody really talked about. The younger ones had tried but he’d ignored them until they’d learned to stop asking. 

He’d been ashamed that he couldn’t do anything. She’d died in front of him and he hadn’t been able to protect her. 

Would she still think of him like that? If she could see him now, what would she think of him?

The tears wouldn’t stop, not that he tried very hard to stem the flow. He’d never cried for her - on the streets, that would have been a weakness. Here though, with only ‘Baki, the cold cell, and an overwhelming feeling of helplessness, the dam broke. He cried, not silent tears, but ugly ones, sobbing and breathing heavily. 

He missed his mom.

He missed the safety and love she had given him.

He hated having to wait to be rescued like some damsel, when all he had tried to do was protect the people he had started to care for. 

He had tried to help the people he loved and messed it up again.

Through it, Arahabaki said nothing. There really wasn't anything he could say. Instead, he curled tighter against his charge's chest, high enough that Chuuya could bury his face in soft fur. He wasn't really familiar with human grief, but…

Eventually, the sobbing quieted, the tears slowing from a flood to a trickle. He pulled back, eyes concerned. "Are you alright, lad?"

“Kind of? I…” If Chuuya could have shrugged, he would have. He was a mess - tears and snot were all over his face, but it wasn’t as though he could wipe them away. Right then he felt… empty for lack of a better word. Like he had cried himself out and there wasn’t anything left. Some small part of him, tucked away in the deepest parts of himself lest it saw the light of day, did feel better, but Chuuya felt small and tired and empty mostly. 

“I’m tired, ‘Baki.” Chuuya sighed, leaning his head back.

The spirit nodded. "I'm not surprised. You've been holding on to that for a while now. But that's always how you've been- even when you were little, it took a lot for you to let go and actually cry."

He sat back and cocked his head. "You should probably at least try to rest some more. You were only asleep for a little while. Do you want me to stay with you, or try to find the others and see what's going on?"

The redhead was torn. He wanted ‘Baki to stay. They’d been side by side for years, sticking close to each other and rarely out of each other’s sight. ‘Baki was safety and somebody to watch his back.

If the spirit went and made contact with Dazai, seeing what they were up to and what the plan was… Chuuya would be asleep anyway, it wasn’t like he’d actually know if ‘Baki was there or not. 

“You should probably go, but could you…” he trailed off, somehow still embarrassed to ask.

"I'll stay til you fall asleep," 'Baki answered softly, and curled up beside him again.

“Thanks, ‘Baki.” Chuuya whispered as he closed his eyes. It didn't take long; the exhaustion from crying and remnants of the drug in his system combined to drag him into slumber.

Once he was fast asleep, Baki rose on silent paws, slipping through the bars and down the corridor with ease. He wasn't sure where Dazai was at that very moment, but it shouldn't be hard to track him down. Despite what he'd said to Chuuya, there were other spirits in the city. They just didn't talk to humans.

With that in mind, he ran, heading for where he'd left Dazai and the others. Time to see what was up. 

************************************************************

It didn’t take long for Dazai and company to plan their next moves. Odasaku’s resistance teams kept near-constant surveillance on Mori’s compound and confirmed both that Chuuya had indeed been brought there and that he had not yet been moved. And since Arahabaki had never returned, it most likely meant that the spirit had found his charge.

Which meant…

“You’ve been waiting for this day for a while, haven’t you, Odasaku,” Dazai said quietly, as the teams gathered in one of their bases.

“Yeah,” the older man said. “Since the day Kyouka’s mother died. It’s been eight years, but it still hurts like it was yesterday. And Kyou- she doesn’t even remember her, but she’s so much like her it’s painful sometimes.”

“Yeah. It’s a little like that with Aunt Karya sometimes. She reminds me of Dad... and that hurt so much when I found out how they really died. How he-” Dazai stopped, his hands curled into fists, and he took a second to just breathe. “That was the last time I really lost it. Even then, I knew he was baiting me, knew he was trying to prove that I couldn’t control it without him. He was wrong, though. I’m still terrified of it, but I haven’t lost control since that day, not completely.”

“You really have grown up, haven’t you,” Oda said. “It’s okay to be scared. Just don’t let the fear hold you back. You have something worth fighting for now, someone who’s waiting for you. And, I think, if it does come down to that, you’ll be fine.”

“You think so?” Dazai asked, his gaze guarded but hopeful.

“I do.”

“Okay.” The brunette took one breath, then another, centering himself, then unclenched his fists and stood. “Let’s do this.”

Mori’s compound loomed in front of them. It wasn’t the Chieftain’s palace, but it might as well have been, for the man who ran it wielded just as much power. More, perhaps, if the reports were to be believed. 

Dazai did believe them. He’d seen that power firsthand, had spent the better part of his childhood here, locked in the grip of someone who only wanted to use his and Karya’s power to further his own gains. They’d escaped, thanks to Fukuzawa, but now…

Now, someone Dazai loved was in the grip of that madman. And if this worked, he was never letting Chuuya out of his sight again.

“Dazai,” Ryu said, and the brunette turned to him. “Are you alright?”

“Sort of,” Dazai admitted. “Lots of bad memories here.”

Atsushi clapped him on the shoulder. “Today won’t be one of them. We’ll get him back, Dazai.”

“Yes we will,” Odasaku chimed in. “I need to meet the person who broke through that ice wall of yours, Osamu. He must be someone incredibly special.”

Dazai smiled. “He is. Thanks, everyone.”

A breath, and amber eyes hardened. “You all know the play from here. Just remember, this is for real. I know what you guys are capable of. Which is why we’re the ones breaking Chuuya out while Odasaku keeps the guards occupied. And if we come across Mori…”

His eyes flashed crimson for a moment. “He’s mine.”

Ryu, Atsushi, and Gin nodded. Dazai nodded back, and as he did, something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned, and- “Arahabaki?”

The spirit nodded. “Good, I found you. You were right. Chuuya’s in the holding cells. End of the east corridor.”

“Is he-”

“He’s okay for now. Physically, anyway. Emotionally, not so much.” The spirit stretched. He’d been on the move for a bit now. “How long?”

“Diversion starts in twenty minutes, at shift change. Probably another ten to fifteen to reach him, depending on how many of the guards get pulled away and exactly where Mori is,” Dazai replied coolly. “The thing about using ice for construction is it’s pretty easy for any decent waterbender to rip holes in the wall. That row of cells is reinforced, but I can get us close.” 

“Right.” They talked strategy for a moment- guard numbers and the like, then Arahabaki started to slip away, headed back to his charge. He’d been gone nearly ninety minutes, and Chuuya was likely awake by now.

“‘Baki,” Dazai called, a note of something the spirit couldn’t quite identify in his voice.

He turned. “Yes?”

The brunette strode over and whispered something in ‘Baki’s ear, and the leopard looked up at him. “How did you…?”

“Just because you leave someone behind it doesn’t mean they stop caring about you,” Dazai replied, and Arahabaki studied him for a second before nodding. 

“I’ll tell him that too.”

“Good.”

************************************************************

For a wonder, Chuuya was still sleeping when Arahabaki returned, although he was starting to stir. The spirit watched him for a moment, thinking over what Dazai had said, then shook his head and reached out, nudging Chuuya. “Time to wake up, young one.”

Chuuya woke up quickly, blinking and raising his head. He hadn’t slept well, but it’d been enough, and thankfully dreamless. It couldn’t have been that long, though - he knew what sleeping through catnaps was like and it felt like he’d gotten maybe two hours. It was something.

“‘Baki? What’s- You found the others?”

“I did.” The spirit grinned. “If nothing else, that boyfriend of yours works fast. If all goes well, you’ll be out of here in less than an hour. And it’s not just the four of them; he’s got a whole assault team organized. I’d say he’s pretty intent on rescuing you.”

"He's not my- why are you calling him my boyfriend?" Chuuya groaned, shaking his head. He was relieved to hear that there were people coming to his aid. People were assaulting this place to rescue him. 

He still didn't know what all was at play here - the history between Dazai and the villain guy (Mo-something?) Or the people coming to help him, but they were there. "I can't believe so many people came, if he does have a whole team."

“Chuuya, he kissed you. And you were pretty enthusiastic about responding to it. And I know you have feelings for him, so quit kidding yourself. Besides, I doubt he would have braved the platypus bear’s den, as it were, if he wasn’t in love with you,” the spirit said, still grinning. “As for the rest of it- he still has friends here, one of which happens to be the leader of a local resistance group.”

Arahabaki sat, the grin sliding away as he looked at the redhead. “Chuuya… Dazai knows. About your mom.”

“Doesn’t mean he’s my boyfriend,” Chuuya muttered before the rest of what Baki said caught up to him. He looked down at the spirit, eyes wide. “He knows? Who -how’d he find out?”

He hadn’t told anyone about that. Gin and Ryu didn’t even know everything, and they’d known him for years. 

“He didn’t tell me, not outright, but…” ‘Baki sighed. “I think Kouyou sought him out. When I asked him, he said ‘Just because you leave someone behind it doesn’t mean they stop caring about you.’  And no, before you ask, none of the others know. He whispered it to me.”

Kouyou had sought Dazai out? Had she heard of everything somehow and come after him? 

If Chuuya hadn’t cried himself out before, he might have shed a few tears then. Even years later, she cared enough to try and find him. Or she had done it out of a sense of guilt, a small part of him said, but he squashed that thought. He wanted to believe that she had done it for him. 

Dazai knew why he had left now. He knew and was still trying to help him. There were so many feelings inside of Chuuya he didn’t know what to do about all of them, but they were on a time limit. He couldn’t be a mess when there was a rescue going on for him. Instead he took a deep breath and shoved everything to the side for now. He could break down later, when he was out of here. 

“Okay. He knows. I’ll… deal with that when I’m not in some storybook villain's lair.” He tried to crack a smile at Arahabaki to lighten the mood. 

“Alright,” Baki said, and curled up next to him. There wasn’t a whole lot left to do but wait. In the meantime, though, he could offer comfort and warmth. There would be time for everything else later.

Chapter Text

A little over fifteen minutes after Arahabaki left Dazai, a signal came from their scout- a single jet, going straight up, then veering left. 

Shift change. Right then. He sent a matching signal, and watched as a few seconds later figures moved, headed for the front of the compound. Shouts came, then the sound of running, and-

“Alright. Let’s move.”

Sneaking into the back of the compound was easier than it should have been- than it would have been, for most. Between Dazai’s waterbending and knowledge of the layout (which hadn’t really changed in years) and Atsushi’s earthbending, they were able to go under the wall, reemerging a few meters behind the cells. It made sense; there weren’t many earthbenders in the city, and it had been originally built to defend against the Fire Nation. So…

Two guards rounded the corner of the building. They stopped short at the sight of Dazai and the others, and the older one snarled at his partner. “The tall one’s Dazai. Boss wants him alive. Take out the others.”

“Yeah, that’s not gonna happen,” Dazai drawled, even as earth rose to lock them in place and fire lashed out, knocking them unconscious. 

“Good job. Gin, on the roof. Keep watch.”

“Right.” Ryu gave her a boost up, and she scaled the building like a raven-haired lizard. At soon as she hit the roof, Dazai moved, hands twisting, drilling a hole in the wall big enough for them to slide through. It took a minute, and he looked to the earthbender as he worked.

“Atsu, stay here. Take out anyone else who comes this way.”

“Got it,” he said, and ducked into a shadow.

Once he was through the wall, he and Ryu slid inside. They ended up in a corridor, empty for the moment, and Dazai looked around, getting his bearings. “Right,” he muttered, and motioned Ryu forward.

The firebender nodded, and they made their way up the corridor.

Almost there, Chibi.

************************************************************

Mori Ougai prided himself on many things. One of them was his ability to plan for almost every eventuality. 

Almost every one.

That’s not to say he hadn’t expected something like this eventually. He knew unrest was building, knew the resistance was getting stronger, but he hadn’t been able to infiltrate it, not yet. It was said their leader could simply tell who his moles were, and none of the ones he’d sent had ever returned. 

He supposed word had gotten out that he’d captured the Avatar. How, he didn’t yet know; it was probable his informant at the inn the boy’d been staying at had let something slip. That, or they’d been seen. Sloppy, but not unheard of. But that was for later. Right now, he had an insurrection on his hands, and he snapped out orders as he strode out of his office. 

They may be after the Avatar, but he wasn’t about to let his prize go without a fight.

************************************************************

Dazai and Ryu encountered only a few guards. As he’d predicted, most of them had been pulled away by the fighting, and the two of them made short work of the rest. None of them were benders, and each was tossed into an empty cell, the locks frozen shut. One of them had a ring of keys, and Dazai's smile was sharp as he grabbed it.

And then… Dazai slowed to a stop in front of a small cell, and it was all he could do to keep from snarling as he saw Chuuya, bruised and battered, tear tracks running down his cheeks, hands manacled to the wall, those blue eyes gazing up at him... Instead, he focused on the lock. It took a second to find the right key, but soon enough he was kneeling in front of the redhead, hands undoing the cuffs. 

“Hey Chibi,” he said, once he was sure he could keep the rage out of his voice. To his own surprise, the words came out almost soft. “Found you. Hide and seek isn't fair when you can use portals, you know."

"Who said we were playing fair?" Chuuya answered with a faint, slightly forced, grin. He was relieved to see Dazai there, especially since by the look of it he hadn't had too much trouble getting there. 

"Chuuya's so tiny it's hard to find him when he's not trying to hide," Dazai replied as the second manacle came undone. He lowered Chuuya's hands, not missing the grimace from stiff shoulders, then reached out to push a stray lock from the redhead's face. "Don't do that again, please. It hurt."

Chuuya looked away, frowning. Absently, he rolled his shoulders a bit. The cold had seeped into his muscles more than he thought it had, but he'd make do.

He didn't know if he could promise that. He knew it was a problem, leaving people behind like that, but… it was a reflex. He'd failed, when he'd tried to save his mother. If he could protect someone else?

It had hurt Dazai though, and had probably hurt Ryu and Gin, his best friends. 

"I'll… try." He eventually said without looking back up at Dazai. If Dazai was disappointed in his answer…

A finger hooked under the redhead's chin, pulling it up, and Dazai was right there, eyes soft as he pulled Chuuya in for a short, chaste kiss. "Come on, Chibi. Let's get out of here. Can you walk?"

If Dazai was disappointed in him, Chuuya couldn't see it but that didn't stop his heart from sinking a bit as he started to get his feet under him. His muscles were cold and sore - something told him he'd feel even worse after they'd had a chance to warm up and relax - though after a bit of effort he made it to his feet. He powered through the pain, a skill he'd learned years ago, and looked between Dazai and Ryu. 

"Sorry you had to come after me guys."

"Yeah, yeah. Save it for later," Ryu said acerbically. "We need to get out of here before someone else shows up." 

Dazai's eyes hardened and he nodded. "Right. Come on."

They made it about halfway back when a wall of ice rose in front of them, blocking the passage, and the three skidded to a halt. 

"Looks like I was right," a voice said behind them, and Dazai's eyes flashed bright crimson as he turned.

"Mori."

"Oh hey, storybook villain has a name." Chuuya said much more nonchalantly than he felt. The man in front of them looked just as put together as when they had talked last, but Chuuya had no intention of being any more compliant. "Have you come to do your dramatic re-entrance as the heroes escape your base?"

Dazai turned to Chuuya, trying not to gape. "So you've met, I take it," he said dryly instead. 

"Yes, we have," Mori interjected, just as dryly. "I must say, Dazai, you exceeded my expectations, for a change. I doubt my little missive has even reached dear Karya yet."

Dazai's temper flared, and his hands fisted even as he spoke calmly. "She's not part of this, Mori. Karya's out of your reach." 

He gestured, and a hole appeared in the ice wall. "Ryu. Chuuya. Get out of here. I'll handle this."

“And leave you here to fight him alone?” Chuuya argued, standing his ground. He still didn’t know the history between them, but like hell he was going to run away like some damsel in distress even if he'd had to be rescued like one. “Fuck that.”

“Chuuya, please, just go. I can handle this,” Dazai pleaded. “I’ve been training for this for six years. He’s not going to beat me.”

Ryu grabbed Chuuya’s arm, pulling him away. “Come on. The others are waiting.”

“Didn’t you just ask me not to do that?” Chuuya pulled his arm from Ryu’s grasp. “I tried to solve the problem by myself and look what happened. Now you’re pulling the same thing?”

“Dammit, Chibi,” Dazai whispered, closing his eyes briefly. “Ryu, go ahead. Help Atsushi and Gin- it’s not going to be long before reinforcements come.”

He waited until the raven nodded and was on the other side of the gap before speaking again. “Don’t you realize I have a reason for sending you away? I already see myself as a monster. I never wanted you to think of me the same way.”

His temper rising, Chuuya shook his head, moving to stand next to the brunette. He and Dazai had known each other less than two weeks, but the waterbender had already done a lot for him, more than just coming after him. They’d fought together (on a stage, but still,) something that gave a truer insight to a person than nearly any conversation could. 

He barely knew Dazai, but he was already falling for him, and like hell he was going to let himself be pushed away after he’d tried to make the same mistake. 

“I don’t know your history, I haven’t even known you that long, but you’re an idiot if you think I’m going to abandon someone I call my friend right after they called me out for doing the same shit. Secrets or not, I have no reason to call you a monster, and I don’t think I ever will.”

Dazai bit down on an automatic retort, merely sighing and taking up a fighting stance instead. Chuuya was right, he'd probably need the help. Didn't mean he had to like the idea.

“Are you two quite done?” Mori asked, sounding incredibly bored. “This is nauseatingly sweet, and it’s so nice of the two of you to put yourselves in my grasp after all this time. The Avatar and my little pet-”

His words were cut off as a water jet impacted the back of his head. It wasn’t enough to knock him out, but he did stumble, and Dazai sent three more jets headed his way. Gaps appeared in the floor and walls as the two waterbenders pulled from them.

Dazai grinned tightly. “Death from above, Chuuya,” he called out.

“On it.” Chuuya, skating on the wall to position himself behind the other, grinned as well. He loved that move, even when the other teams had learned to expect it. He didn’t know if Mori had watched any of their games, if he knew what it meant. 

That didn’t matter. He’d follow Dazai’s lead on this. The redhead didn’t know their opponent, didn’t know their rules, but they had one advantage over Mori. 

They worked well together. 

When Dazai gestured just so, a little extra flick, Chuuya made his move. Propelling himself high into the air, higher than he could have ever gotten in the tournament bouts, he used the height to stay longer and launch some extra fire blasts. 

And it worked. Temporarily, at least.

The problem with training for tournaments, Dazai discovered a little too late, is that the rules get into your head. And while he’d been training for years, he hadn’t had a serious fight in a long time. Because of that, he was just a hair too slow in reacting as a massive blast came from the side and knocked him into the wall. His head impacted and while he wasn’t quite knocked unconscious, his vision blurred and his limbs refused to move. Fuck.

“Stay down, Dazai,” Mori called out. “I’ll get back to you when I finish with your little boyfriend here.”

Chuuya dropped to the ground in front of Dazai, standing between him and the taller man. Fighting wasn’t new for the redhead, but the conditions were. The ground was riddled with holes and pools of water, condensation seeping down the walls. The architecture hadn’t been created to deal with firebenders- or, at least, the interior hadn't, not for extended periods of time, and the waterbenders pulling from it hadn’t done much to help. 

Water and fire met in clash after clash, steam hissing into the air. At first Chuuya managed to push Mori back, pulling move after move, trying to move them down the hall. 

He’d failed to protect someone he loved once. 

He wasn’t about to let that happen again.

It took a few minutes for Dazai to fully come back to his senses. He could hear the fight- the swish of water, fire crackling, the occasional taunt on both sides- but he couldn’t see it. Not at first. And there was a level of pain- his head, his shoulder where it’d impacted the wall, the knee that had twisted as he was launched sideways. 

Still, he managed to get to his feet as his vision finally cleared, and he looked toward the fight. Just in time to see Chuuya go down.

Chuuya twisted in a dodge, moving his feet to plant them for a jump, when one slid into a depression the floor. He hadn’t been wearing his boots when they had taken him, nor had he gotten any during his stay in the cell, and the redhead realized too late that he hadn’t thought about that. Chuuya tried to re-balance and found himself desperately dodging another water slice, one that would have ended the fight very quickly. 

He ended up on his back as his foot decided not to come free of the hole it had fallen into, and Chuuya looked up to realize that the fight was very close to being over anyway.

Mori’s smile resembled that of a snake as he stood above Chuuya. “You never stood a chance, you know,” he said, raising his hands and beginning to gesture. “You may be the Avatar, but you’re just an untrained kid. Ah well. I wanted to capture you, but I think I’ll just kill you now and take my chances with your next incarnation.”

“Yeah, I don’t think so,” Dazai said, his hands outstretched and clawlike in front of him. He gestured slightly, and Mori’s arms bound themselves to his sides. Another, and he fell to his knees, letting out a grunt of pain as his kneecaps hit the floor. “I was really hoping I wouldn’t have to use this, you know. At least, not where anyone could see it. And it was really, really stupid of you to threaten someone I love. I mean, surely you remember what happened last time.”

Still sprawled on the ground, Chuuya looked over to Dazai, not comprehending at first what exactly was going on. It didn’t take him long to put the pieces together, but when he did, there was no accompanying disgust or revulsion. Bending took on all sorts of forms, and it made sense that a waterbender would be able to do such a thing. 

Besides. It sounded like Dazai truly didn’t want to do it. 

Was this the secret he’d been hiding?

This wasn’t the time to worry about it, so Chuuya eased his foot out of the hole, more than a little displeased at just how numb it had gotten. It didn’t look broken or anything, so he carefully stood up, putting as little weight as possible on the limb until he knew what condition it was in. Limping over toward Mori, Chuuya glared at him until they were nearly face to face.

“Take your chances with this, fucker,” the redhead said as he pulled back an arm and punched Mori in the face. 

Mori collapsed, unconscious, and Dazai dropped his stance. “Not the most elegant response, but effective,” he said with a small smile, then fell to his knees. It had been a long day.

“Not sure why you would expect elegance from me. I’m a street kid, not some noble’s spawn,” Chuuya grinned, a bit sheepishly now that the immediate danger had passed, and limped his way over to Dazai, holding out a hand. “Nope, not going to my knees now. If I do, I’m not getting back up. It’s cold here, I’m going to be stiff soon, and we either need to tie him up or get going.”

“By the way,” he continued, his voice softer. “I don’t think any different of you. You’re still my friend, you’re not a monster. Just because you can do something doesn’t make you evil, especially if you only did it because someone threatened you or someone you loved.”

Dazai looked up at him, gauging the sincerity in his eyes, then nodded. He took the proffered hand, pulling himself to his feet with a grunt of effort, then raised his hands to Chuuya’s cheeks, pulling him in for a soft kiss. “Alright, Chibi,” he said as they parted. “Odasaku’s men should have taken the compound by now. We can let him take care of Mori. I’m sure the Chieftain will be more than happy to lock him up for quite some time.”

Baki appeared next to Chuuya just then. “The way out is clear,” he said. “There are blankets waiting, and there are a couple of healers in reserve. We’ll get you fixed up.”

“If you’re sure. It doesn’t take a long time to wake up from a knock to the head,” Chuuya said, glancing over to Mori. He, for now, was firmly putting the thought of the kiss out of his mind. They were both injured, Chuuya was freezing now that the adrenaline was fading, he hadn’t eaten in a while, and they were both running high on emotions. 

This time, Chuuya had no intention of running away. They would have time to talk.

“By the way, ‘Baki, where were you the entire fight?”

The spirit grimaced slightly. “Outside. A half-dozen guards made it back, including one huge guy that was way more agile than he had any right to be. The rest of them weren’t too bad, but it took us a bit to get him down. Sorry about that.”

“He’s new,” Dazai said, eyeing Mori’s prone form thoughtfully. Chuuya had a point… Dazai gestured, and a sheet of ice rose, bending itself over Mori. It was thick enough that he wouldn’t be able to get out, not without bending. “That should hold him for a bit.”

He studied Chuuya for a second, then grinned and picked him up. “We’ll go out the front. It’s easier.”

“What the- Dazai!” Chuuya sputtered as he was lifted into the air. “Put me down!” 

“Nope, not gonna happen. Your ankle’s fucked up and you’re already starting to get frostbite,” he said, heading for the front door. “I may not be much of a healer but I can tell that much. Besides, your feet are wet, and having them freeze to the floor wouldn’t exactly be a pleasant experience, trust me.”

“You might have a concussion though. I saw you hit that wall and how long it took you to get up.” Chuuya replied pointedly, his gaze on the side of the other’s head. He stubbornly ignored how the cold was starting to seep in through the shirt and pants he wore. “We should at least send ‘Baki on ahead so somebody can take care of Mori and maybe meet us on the way.”

“I’ll get checked out too. ‘Baki, would you get Atsushi and the others and meet us up front? I’ll send up a signal as soon as we get outside,” Dazai said, turning into the entrance hallway.

The spirit nodded and took off. It was only a few meters to the door, and he paused in front of it, waiting until the others had made their way around and Chuuya was wrapped in blankets before going outside.  “It’s colder outside,” he explained in response to Chuuya’s questioning glance.

Ryu was slightly beat up, but Atsushi was more or less unhurt, and he took Chuuya from Dazai’s arms as the waterbender swayed. Dazai stayed upright long enough to send up the signal, then collapsed back against the wall. “Guess it might be a concussion after all,” he admitted a little sheepishly.

“Told you,” Chuuya replied, still glaring at Dazai, though it softened a touch. “I’ve seen people get them before. It doesn’t take much.”

The Avatar turned his attention to Atsushi then, his tone definitely closer to normal, though still a bit annoyed. “Would you put me down already? I’m not helpless.”

“No, but you are shoeless,” Atsushi retorted. “And the ground is covered in snow. All you’d manage to accomplish is freezing your feet and soaking the blankets.”

“Plus your lips are blue and you’re shivering like crazy,” Ryu added. “You’re heading for hypothermia, Chuuya. You always looked after me and Gin. Let us take care of you for a change, okay?”

Chuuya’s reply was cut off as Gin called out. “Odasaku’s coming!” she said. “He’s got a couple of people with him.”

“Right.” Atsushi shifted Chuuya a bit, then stomped the ground. Columns of earth rose up, creating a makeshift staircase, and Gin grinned as she made her way down it.

“Thanks, Atsu.”

Chuuya grumbled at the display, something to the effect of “you couldn’t just make me a chair with that?”, but resigned himself to being held. Ryu was right, and he could feel himself starting to get drowsy from the cold; something that was probably not a good thing, and a large part of him (that he really didn’t want to admit to, not out loud anyway) was happy that his friends were occasionally just as stubborn as he was. Even if it was because he was being a bit dumb.

Dazai was only about half-conscious at this point as well, holding himself upright against the wall by sheer force of will. He let himself collapse, though, as strong arms lifted him and a familiar voice sounded in his ear. “I’ve got you, little brother,” Odasaku said gently, and Dazai smiled, then went limp, the world fading out as he slipped into unconsciousness.

Chapter Text

The first sound Dazai heard when he awoke was snoring. It was coming from somewhere to his left, and he turned toward it almost instinctively, blinking his eyes as the rest of his senses came back online. 

He was lying in a narrow bed in a warm room, the only light a dimmed lamp on the nightstand next to him. Stretching gingerly, he was pleased to note that nothing hurt; the healers must have worked on him while he was out. It was also dark, which meant he’d been asleep for at least a few hours, and the quiet told him either everyone else was asleep or he and Chuuya were alone in the building. Either was possible, really, especially since he wasn’t entirely sure where they were just then.

He was also starving, and torn on whether to investigate the snoring first or go hunt down food. Curiosity (and concern) won out and he sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed as he threw back the sheets. And then stopped, blushing slightly, as he realized his clothes had been changed. Instead of his normal garb he was wearing soft woollen pajamas, just a little oversized, and thick wool socks. It was a familiar feeling- he’d worn ones much like them as a child, and he brushed his fingers down one sleeve, enjoying the softness for a moment.

“Ah, good, you’re awake,” a voice said, and Arahabaki appeared in the space between the beds. “Your friend wasn’t sure if you were going to sleep all night or not. That was a hell of a blow you took- the only reason you didn’t pass out sooner was adrenaline and willpower.”

“Yeah, well, Chuuya’s not the only stubborn one,” Dazai said ruefully. “How is he? What time is it? Where are we?”

Arahabaki grinned a little at the order of Dazai’s questions. “Chuuya’s fine. Mild hypothermia, sprained ankle, a few bumps and bruises, pretty much all healed. As for where, you’re in a room in someone named Ango’s house- Oda said you’d know who that was, and that ‘you’re here ‘cause it’s closer and he has a spare bedroom’.”

Dazai grinned at that. “I do know. Ango and Odasaku and I were the next best thing to brothers growing up. They’re probably the only reason I managed to stay me and not become Mori’s little puppet.”

“I see.” The spirit stalked over, resting his head on Dazai’s knee. “It’s somewhere just after midnight. Ango’s asleep; the others went somewhere with Oda- I’m not sure where they’re staying.”

Chuuya woke slowly, warm and comfortable. He could hear voices talking, but they were familiar, and the quiet tones tempted him to go back to sleep, back to the warm oblivion that was behind his eyelids. The redhead dozed for a few moments, how many he wasn’t sure, letting the sounds drift over him until eventually he started toward waking. 

The room, as he opened his eyes, was unfamiliar, something that normally would have startled him, save the voices that he was quickly recognizing. Arahabaki and Dazai, not far from him. They were discussing plans?

Oh. Mori. The guy they had fought to escape from.

Rolling onto his side, Chuuya smothered a bit of laughter.

Dazai eventually registered the lack of snoring and looked over at the other bed. "Morning, sleeping beauty."

Chuuya looked over to Dazai, smiling a bit. He was still a bit incredulous as to how he had gotten away with addressing Mori, but they were still here and whole. 

"I'm not sleeping beauty, but morning. Healers got us last night?" He didn't hurt, not nearly as much as he was expecting to now that he thought about it, and Dazai looked well.

"They did," Dazai confirmed, rising and making his way over to Chuuya. He sat on the edge of the bed, his hand reaching out to push a tangled lock away from Chuuya's face. "And you are. Beautiful, I mean. All of you, inside and out."

Chuuya flushed, and the short kiss they'd shared came to mind. 

"I thought you were kinda pissed at me, not going to…" he trailed off as he sat up, watching Dazai. The night before had been tense, emotions riding high, but even then he'd known in the back of his mind that there were things they were going to have to discuss later.

"Oh, I am," Dazai said. "I might even yell at you later. Right now, though, I'm more relieved that we got you back. And you did just help me take down the asshole who killed my parents and made my childhood a living hell, so I think I can afford to cut you some slack."

He leaned forward, resting his forehead against Chuuya's, and his smile was soft. "Besides, you're one of the few people who knows my secret and isn't terrified of me. What you said… I was raised to see myself as a weapon, a monster. You don't see me like that. It means a lot, Chibi."

All Chuuya could do was shrug for a moment.

“It’s not what you‘re born with that makes you a monster. We’ve both seen monsters, and they’re all made from their own choices. You did what you had to, not because you wanted to do it. Even when we were fighting in the tournament, you never asked more from us than we could give. Ryu and Atsushi would tell you the same thing. You’ve been there for us when we needed you. You raided the compound of someone who terrorized you as a child because I was there, despite having left you behind because it ‘might be safer’. We’re doing the best we can, and surviving doesn’t make us monsters.”

Dazai closed his eyes. "That wasn't always the case, Chuuya. I… right before we left here, the day I found out what really happened to my parents… I lost it. Like, really lost it. I've never been able to control it, not until today. And that time…"

He took a deep breath, and there were tears in his eyes. "I killed people. Five of them. Took control of them, marched them into the canal, and kept them there until they drowned. I…"

“Why them?” Chuuya asked, not dismissively, but because looking at Dazai right then, seeing what doing that had done to him, he couldn’t stay silent. 

It took a second for Dazai to respond, his voice ragged and eyes closed as he fought the memory. "They were… they were Mori's lackeys. His enforcers. And the ones who sabotaged my parents' boat. They went out one morning, there was a storm, and…"

“How old were you, Dazai?” The redhead asked, voice soft.

"Six when they died, twelve when I found out why. It… I've spent the last six years terrified it would happen again. It's one of the reasons I spent so much time alone."

“You were also twelve, had just found out why you lost your parents, and that it was because of the man who frightened you so much. I lost my mom at thirteen and I ran away. You were young and scared and overwhelmed. Nobody blames you for it. Those men were connected to the man who took your parents away from you. You regret what happened. Mori didn’t, and look at everything else he’s done. He’s willing to murder for power. You had the chance to kill him but didn't. You’re not a monster.”

“I…” Dazai wrapped his arms around Chuuya, burying his head in the other’s shoulder for a long moment. He wasn’t crying, not really, but his shoulders shook as he processed Chuuya’s words. Karya had told him something similar, not long after it happened, but he hadn’t believed her. Now, though…

Now, he just might. 

“Heh,” he said eventually, raising his head. “You know, when I first told Karya about you, I told her I was terrified of hurting you. She told me Fukuzawa had helped her figure out how to control her bending, and that maybe you would do the same for me. Guess she was right.”

“We’ll both have a lot of practicing ahead of us then.” Chuuya grinned, pleased that Dazai was recovering. The hand closer to Dazai settled on his side, the other going to the arms wrapped around him. “There’s something else- You know, the tournament’s over…”

“It is.” A small, somewhat tentative smile tugged at Dazai’s lips. After the last few minutes, he felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off him, one he'd been carrying so long he'd almost stopped noticing it. “Has Chuuya made up his mind, then?”

His voice went so, so, soft, but the hope shone through regardless. “Is he going to stay?”

“If you’ll be there with me.” Chuuya said after a moment. The thought of living in one area, of not being on the streets any more, of being with people who cared about him… It was attractive, but… scary in its own way. 

If Dazai was there, though… Chuuya wanted it.

The smile took hold, growing wider. "Well, I did just chase you into the platypus bear's den, as it were. I'm not going anywhere, love, not as long as you want me here."

“I hope you know what you’re getting into, because I’ve never done this before.” Chuuya’s grin turned a bit sheepish. 

"Neither have I. But I have some pretty good examples, so I think we'll be okay," Dazai said. Then, just because he could now, he leaned forward, hooking a finger under Chuuya's chin to raise it.

"I love you," he whispered, and just like their first kiss…

It was so warm.

**********************************************************

At the Chieftain’s insistence, they stayed an extra day. The quintet spent most of it trading stories with Odasaku and Ango, all of them taking the opportunity to good-naturedly roast Dazai. Dazai and Chuuya, though, took an hour or two to themselves. And Kika. 

“I spent a good chunk of my life here, but I’ve only seen it from the air twice,” Dazai said. Chuuya was curled up against him, the two of them wrapped in furs. It was nice. “The first time was the day we left. I was too scared to really appreciate the view that time. It took me a while to accept we’d actually gotten away.”

“It’s nice up here.” Definitely colder than Chuuya preferred, but with the furs and Dazai by his side it was hard to mind. “And everything looks so small down there. Those aren’t the streets I grew up in, but in the air they both look so different.”

“You’re going to get to see a lot more from the air, love. Cities, oceans, deserts, forests… the Nomads go everywhere.”

He looked down at the city he’d once called home, the white vistas and blue ocean surrounding it, then sighed faintly and turned Kika back toward the ground. “Speaking of which, we should get back. Dinner’s soon, and the Chieftain doesn’t do ‘fashionably late.’”

You’ll let me know what I’m eating, right?” Chuuya asked a touch teasingly. He was a bit disappointed to be going back to the ground, but he was also a bit hungry.  “Since we’re in the North and all.” 

“I will,” Dazai replied, pulling him closer for just a moment, his eyes shining. “Here and everywhere. But tonight’s going to be a good old-fashioned Northern Water Tribe feast, roasted platypus bear and all. It’ll be amazing.”

The redhead leaned into Dazai, silent for the moment. Everybody down there knew he was the Avatar, or at least would. He stood out, he knew that. Whether he was the center of attention or not people were going to want to talk to him. Dazai too, because he had helped lead the resistance into battle. There was no chance of slipping into the background, but at least he wasn’t alone.

“Everybody’s going to be there, right?”

“Yep. Even Karya and Fukuzawa. ‘Baki went and told them last night while we were asleep. Spirits move a lot faster solo,” Dazai replied. “Makes them very useful as messengers. There will probably be reporters too. This is a major event, after all.”

Of course, there was a possibility someone else would be there too. But that part he was keeping as a surprise; if Chuuya knew, he’d only worry himself into a frazzle. 

It didn’t take long to land. Now that he wasn’t hiding, Dazai could land Kika relatively close to Oda’s house, where fresh (rather fancy- or at least as fancy as clothes meant for freezing temperatures got) clothing waited. From there they’d head to the palace and the banquet.

Seeing Chuuya in formal Water Tribe garb did something to Dazai. The redhead didn’t know this, but formal wear existed for only two reasons with his people; formal meals and audiences with the Chieftain… and weddings. And for a moment, just a moment, he let himself imagine the latter.

And then…

“You know, you’d look wonderful in a blue necklace, Chuuya.”

‘Proposing to me already?” Chuuya raised an eyebrow at Dazai, his tone flat. Arahabaki had told him what the necklaces meant, but the two of them never discussed it. 

They hadn’t even really known each other for more than two weeks, but they’d been through a lot so far. Proposing… They had literally only gotten together, officially, that morning. 

“I…” The look of chagrin on Dazai’s face was almost comical, but he recovered fairly quickly. Mostly. “I hadn’t realized I’d said that out loud, to be honest. But… I would, if I thought you’d say yes this quickly. I don’t see myself ever wanting anyone else.”

“Let’s get to know each other first, yeah?” Chuuya grinned, his hand reaching out to grab Dazai’s even if the gloves made it awkward. “But I think I feel the same way.”

“Looking forward to it, Chibi,” Dazai said, and kissed him.

Then he pulled back, studying Chuuya for a second. “By the way. Did you really call Mori a ‘storybook villain’ to his face?”

Chuuya sat back, blushing from both the kiss and a bit of embarrassment. 

 “Well, it was closer to ‘stereotypical villain from a children’s book’ I think? I mean, he drugged and kidnapped me, chained me up, and came out of the shadows all sinister-like.” He shrugged a bit helplessly.

Dazai looked at him incredulously, then shook his head and chuckled. “Stereotypical villain from a…oh my god. Well, at least I know why he was so pissed at you.” The chuckle turned into full-blown laughter, and he doubled over, holding his ribs. 

 “You have a hell of a way with words, Chibi,” he said, once the laughter had died down a bit and he could catch his breath.

“What else was I supposed to call him? I barely knew his name and he practically screamed ‘I’m evil’ in full dramatic glory.” Chuuya grinned shyly. It was nice hearing his boyfriend laugh like that, even if it was over something he’d done. 

“Dramatic he definitely was. And very much evil,” Dazai conceded. “If he’s the villain, I guess we’re heroes, huh? Am I the Katara to your Avatar Aang? I mean, I am kind of connected to her, after all. To both of them, if you want to get technical about it.”

“I should think he wouldn’t be the hero. He kidnapped me.” The redhead wrinkled his nose at the thought. “Pretty sure that’s not really something good guys do.”

He paused and glanced at Dazai. 

“As for if you’re Katara or not… You came after me when I was kidnapped, tried to be by my side for everything, you’re currently my boyfriend…” He shrugged again. “I don’t remember a lot about her, but she was kinda badass.”

“Oh, that she was. Karya used to tell me stories of her and Aang’s first visit here.” Dazai shook his head again. “I always really felt sorry for Sokka in those stories, though. I mean, he fell in love with the Princess, and then she ended up basically giving her life for the Tribes. It was kinda rough.”

“Sounds like it. I bet they came by a lot, if they lived in the City,” Chuuya agreed, frowning. “Didn’t he have a boomerang?”

“Yep. And a sword. I think Fukuzawa has them right now, actually. Family heirlooms and all that,” the brunette replied, smirking a bit at Chuuya’s incredulous look. “It makes sense. Sokka never had kids, and Fukuzawa’s Jinora’s grandson. It’s one of the reasons he’s the leader. Well, that and he’s really good at what he does.”

“So wait, theoretically, you’re related to Sokka and Katara?” Chuuya blinked in surprise, not that he should have been in retrospect. “Huh.”

“Sort of, yeah,” Dazai said with a shrug. “Honestly, the Southern Tribe is pretty small and isolated. Go back far enough and we’re all cousins. And the Northern Tribe wasn’t much better until recently. Since I’m both, really, you could say I’m related to both Katara and Korra. If you go back six or seven generations, anyway.”

The waterbender stopped as someone knocked on the door. A few seconds later, it opened slightly, and Gin poked her head in, grinning.

“Come on, you two,” she said. “It’s time.”

“Thanks Gin.” Chuuya grinned back. “Let’s get this over with.”

The banquet hall was packed. It seemed like half the city was in that room, and almost every eye in the place turned as Chuuya, Dazai, and the others were announced. It was incredibly uncomfortable, and Dazai sought out four pairs in particular, smiling to himself as he found them. “This way, Chuuya,” he said, nudging his boyfriend off to the left as a round of applause went up.

Chuuya tried to ignore the many eyes on them as he followed Dazai’s lead, suppressing a shiver. It was one thing to have everyone’s eye when you were on a stage, but after he’d just been captured by someone looking to use him for power…

He let his gaze run over the crowd, never lingering for long on one person, although when his eyes landed on a head of red hair, as bright as his, it was hard to ignore. She wouldn’t have left Republic City though; her girls were all there and it took time to get here, more than she could justify. 

His boyfriend led the way to the head table, where the others, including Fukuzawa and the redheaded woman (definitely a woman, with the hairstyle and length) were sitting. 

Dazai watched Chuuya as he made introductions, not missing the way his eyes kept going back to a certain person. He wasn’t sure if the other had made the connection yet, but said nothing, instead focusing on his conversation. He’d never actually met the current Chieftain before, and he was much less stern in person than his public persona suggested, which was nice. Of course, gratitude probably had something to do with that, but still…

Chuuya froze beside him, and Dazai smirked as he turned. Sure enough, that person had turned, and…

It didn’t register at first, between the location and her attire, but when she turned her face… It was almost exactly like he remembered. 

“Kouyou?” He breathed out, almost unable to believe it. She was here? She had come all the way from Republic City to be here?

Dazai smiled. “Karya brought her,” he explained, saying goodbye to the Chieftain’s family and steering Chuuya toward their seats. “Apparently they bonded a bit after she came to see me, so I have a feeling you’ll be seeing a lot of her when we’re in the city.”

“I- Why?” Chuuya could barely get the word out. He hadn’t expected to see her here, not so far from the city. The dinner was something to get through, maybe see just how people were in the city now that Mori had been taken down. Now… 

Kouyou was here, and she was smiling at him.

“Because, Chuuya,” the brunette replied softly as they reached Kouyou, “people don’t stop caring just because you leave them behind. She loves you, enough to seek me out on the off chance it’d help us find you. And I’m glad she did.”

With that, he backed away a step, and Kouyou rose, enfolding Chuuya in the tightest of hugs. “Hello, lad,” she murmured. “We’ve missed you.”

His arms rose and wound around her, holding her tightly. Tears were welling up, but he did nothing to stop them, pressing his face against her as they started to fall. Chuuya’s throat was too tight to speak, but he tried to keep himself from crying too hard in front of everybody. 

He’d missed her so much. 

“Shhh, lad, it’s okay,” Kouyou said gently, one hand reaching up to stroke his hair. “I know. It’s alright. Meilyn says hello, by the way. And that you’d better come visit when you get back.”

All Chuuya could do was nod, letting himself be close to the woman he hadn’t let himself see in years. Things were truly different now. 

He could visit without worrying about her, about everybody there. 

She wasn’t his mom, but she was still very close to him and he was still just a teenager who’d had a lot dumped on his shoulders.

Dazai and Kouyou shared a look, and Dazai’s hands were gentle as he disentangled Chuuya from Kouyou’s arms. “Come on, love. You’ll have time later, but they’re waiting on us.”

Chuuya let go, letting himself be pulled back and wiping his face with one arm. He nodded and took a deep breath, shoving everything down for the moment. Right. Major feast, everybody here. They could do this after dinner.

“Okay, okay. Later.” He looked up at Kouyou, letting a small smile settle on his face. “I’m… really happy you’re here, Kouyou.”

“So am I, Chuuya,” she replied with a smile, then retook her seat as Dazai guided him away. 

The dinner itself passed as something of a blur, brief flashes of clarity among a sea of chatter and levity. It was almost odd the way the mood of the entire city had changed when Mori was apprehended. Dazai knew it wasn’t entirely over, knew that not all of his inner circle was behind bars, but that wasn’t really his concern, not just then. The only thing he was worried about was the boy next to him, blue eyes deeper than the ocean outside the gate. 

After, they returned to their rooms- not Oda’s or Ango’s houses, or even an inn, but rooms in the palace, theirs for the night- even Kouyou had one, and Dazai and Chuuya spent part of the night there, talking and catching up.

Before that, though, Chuuya had a stop to make.

Looking at the door before him, Chuuya hesitated and glanced at Dazai. 

“Do you think… I mean, I caused a lot of trouble for you guys,” the redhead hedged, not quite willing to accept the idea that for even one day, everything that happened could turn out to be a good thing. 

Dazai hummed. “You did, but if Fukuzawa couldn’t deal with a little trouble, he wouldn’t be the leader he is. Trust me, you’re fine.”

The brunette grinned, reaching out to knock on the door. “After all, he’s dealt with me for the last six years.”

Chuuya’s answering grin was nervous, but he didn’t argue. He was here to ask a favor from the man who had been searching for him, probably his entire life. He was why Arahabaki had been by his side for so long.

He had people by his side now. Dazai, Ryu, Atsushi, Kouyou, they all had come for him when he needed them. Chuuya took a deep breath and reached for the brunette’s hand, straightening his back. There was a lot weighing on him still, but he could share the burden, and the first step forward to becoming the Avatar was looking for a teacher. 

The door opened, and Chuuya looked up with a determined fire in his eyes. He wasn’t going to run anymore.

Fukuzawa Yukichi looked up as a knock sounded at the door. A glance at Karya told him she was just as surprised, and he rose, crossing the plush carpeting to the door. He opened it, revealing Dazai and a very nervous- yet determined-looking Chuuya, and one eyebrow rose. “Can I help you?”

“I need an air-bending teacher. Would you-” Chuuya cut himself off, squeezing Dazai’s hand, and started again. “Would you please teach me?”

The eyebrow rose farther. Fukuzawa studied Chuuya for a moment, taking in the set of his shoulders, his hand in Dazai’s… and then, as he moved his gaze, the light in Dazai’s eyes. A small smile crept onto his stoic face as he nodded. “It would be an honor, Avatar Chuuya. Your first lesson will be after breakfast, day after tomorrow.”

“Thank you,” the redhead said without dropping his gaze, although a small smile crept onto his face as the man seemed to approve. 

“You’re welcome. Was there anything else?” the airbender asked, a hint of humor creeping into his voice.

Dazai looked at Chuuya, a question in his eyes, and the redhead nodded once. “Well, Uncle,” the brunette said. “We’re dating. Officially. Thought you and Karya should be the first to know, since you’re family and all.”

“Is that so? Congratulations, both of you,” Fukuzawa said, so dryly it almost made Dazai blush. 

“Uncle!” he said, half-whining, half-laughing, and that was enough to make all three of them crack. 

“Alright, alright,” the older man said eventually, when the laughter had died down. “I am happy for the two of you. We both are. But you should get to sleep. We’re leaving early, don’t forget.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Dazai’s smile softened. “Thanks, Uncle. For everything.”

“Of course.”

“Thank you,” Chuuya echoed to Fukuzawa, his smile softer now that the tension had been broken. He was no less determined, but he had a teacher now and everything was okay for the moment. There were still people after him and a long road before him, but the people by his side would be there the entire way. 

The redhead glanced at Dazai, and his smile widened. 

Yeah, everything was okay.

~ End Book One~