Archive of Our Own

The late afternoon sun burned bright overhead, its steady heat tempered by a cooling breeze that swept through the narrow streets of Qinchao. Just strong enough to ruffle the stray strands of Rangi’s hair - the ones that always managed to escape the otherwise neat gathering of her topknot. 

While the walk to the Qinchao from Yokoya had been pleasant enough, if not long, entering the village resulted in a sudden change in atmosphere. A sharp and palpable tension. Almost four years later and the village still held onto its disdain for the Avatar, and subsequently her allies. Rangi couldn’t necessarily blame the civilians for their resentment though. Destroying the village’s renowned teahouse and escaping the enforcers without facing retribution had certainly left a sour first impression. 

And they’d never returned to make amends - the Avatar’s duties taking them elsewhere. Rangi supposed now was as good a time as any to try to reestablish normalcy with the village citizens regardless of whether the Avatar was here or not.

Which she wasn’t. 

She’d taken Yingyong to Ba Sing Se nearly a week ago, on a mission to investigate rumors of another daofei uprising in the Lower Ring. As was common enough with Kyoshi, even all these years later, she’d insisted on going alone.

Which meant she insisted on tactics she knew Rangi wouldn't approve of.

Which meant Rangi had spent the last week stewing in the shadow of her own frustration. Jinpa, who currently resided with them in the Avatar Mansion, hadn’t been subtle in his efforts to get Rangi out of the house. And she’d been prepared to turn his offer down out of pure stubbornness, until she’d remembered that a very specific date was approaching. It was almost four years to the day since they’d solidified their relationship underneath the light of the moon in Hujiang… After Rangi had nearly had her head stomped in. 

That life altering moment was something worth celebrating in remembrance. So Rangi had agreed to Jinpa’s little jaunt, with the caveat that they visit the bazaar. To find Kyoshi a gift. She wasn’t sure how successful her plan would be, but she wanted to give her partner something of significance. Surely a bazaar as large as the one in Qinchao would have something suitable. 

Still, Rangi found herself wishing she could search a market in the Fire Nation isles instead. In her mind, she knew exactly what she would gift Kyoshi from the common goods found there. And maybe herself too. Stalknose mushrooms sounded like a particularly good way to lift her spirits right now.

It was as she had this thought that she realized Jinpa was speaking to her. 

“Huh?” was her rather ungracious response. 

Jinpa’s mouth twisted, one corner lifted up, one down. “I said, I think the bazaar should be down that street?”

Rangi’s eyes followed his arm as he gestured down a cobblestoned street to their right. He’d chosen the bright orange and yellow robes, befitting an air nomad for this excursion, the wraps slung around his chest in a diagonal swoop, revealing some of his thin chest. Despite it drawing obvious attention, it was an appropriate choice for the warm weather. Rangi herself had abandoned her usual armor - there was no Avatar around to protect today after all - relegating herself to a cuffed pair of silken pants and the cropped white slip she wore beneath her armor anyway. The breeze on her bare arms was most welcome as the burning sun climbed higher in the sky.

“Lead the way.” She jerked her chin and Jinpa followed her order, guiding them down the road.

As they walked, the sounds of a large crowd reached Rangi’s ears. Dozens of chattering voices clambering over one another. Vendors shouting their wares and the jingle of copper pieces being passed around. Green covered tented stands began to replace the rows of houses along the road until they found themselves in the heart of the bazaar. The noise and bustle was overwhelming. As was the odd amount of stalls that sold eerie looking dolls. For a moment, Rangi imagined presenting such a unique gift to Kyoshi as a marker of their special day. She could clearly picture the confused twist of Kyoshi’s mouth, the earnestness in her green eyes as she’d lie about how much she appreciated it.  Huffing, Rangi moved ahead of Jinpa, who was quite oppositely enraptured by one of the doll stands. As she pushed her way through the crowd, she found a stand laid out with rows of glittering jewelry. 

“Like what you see?” the vendor asked as Rangi approached the stand curiously. He was a tall and thin man, with a wrinkled face and scraggly beard that reached halfway down his chest. “Everything here was handcrafted by the finest earthbenders this side of the Earth Kingdom.”

The rings and necklaces and headpieces all contained unique and brightly colored stones. Some with engraved symbols unique to the Earth Kingdom. Others were symbolless, but formed from very expensive looking materials. Rangi’s brow furrowed. The items were beautiful but she had no idea what half of them meant, or if they’d hold any significance for Kyoshi. She’d been raised in the Earth Kingdom, but Rangi knew well enough how little a single nation held her allegiance at this point. Or had borne any meaning from the beginning given her origins.  Before she could ask the vendor how much an ornate necklace with a oblong green stone set in the middle was, she heard loud snickers, followed by projected comments she knew she was meant to hear. 

“An auspicious day in Qinchao,” a deep voice observed. “Not often you see a lone firebender this far east.” 

Spinning on her heel, Rangi took in three men gathered nearby at another stall selling ornate pottery. They were taller than her, bulkier, and each one wore an expression of varying disdain. Qinchao residents weren’t known for welcoming citizens of their own nation, let alone outsiders. It was at that moment that Jinpa pushed his way to Rangi’s side, absent of the dolls he’d been perusing, and the mens’ scowls deepened. 

“Accompanied by an air monk, no less.” The one in the middle looked them both up and down. “What an odd coupling to find here.”

“Oh we’re not -, “ Jinpa lifted his hands, shaking his head furiously, but Rangi ignored their snide implications.

“Can we help you with something?” she asked, knowing the answer was no, but not so subtly trying to shoo the men away. 

“We should really be asking you that,” said the tallest man. “Aren’t you two a little far from Yokoya?”

Rangi’s eyes darted to Jinpa, who’s gray gaze met hers just as briefly. While it wasn’t anything extraordinary for staff of the Avatar Mansion to visit the nearby village, the men certainly weren’t implying anything positive with their obvious association. The brief image of a spectacularly ruined teahouse flashed in Rangi’s mind.

“Is the Avatar too busy to show her face today?” the most barrel chested, man asked them. “Or is sending her staff out to do her shopping for her a usual occurrence?”

Rangi bristled, but kept her outside countenance collected, standing a little straighter and plastering a neutral expression across her features. “The Avatar’s business is none of your concern.”

“Unfortunate that it seems she’d rather spend her coppers on pleasantries than rebuilding the teahouse she helped destroy a few years back. She’s certainly had ample opportunity.” 

“It’s rebuilt now,” Jinpa murmured, unhelpfully.

The man shot him a sour glance. “Without a single ounce of help from the one who destroyed it in the first place.”

“She also saved dozens of lives from its collapse and even more from the man who instigated its destruction. His actions would have cost the entire village its very existence.” Rangi insisted despite knowing nothing she could say would sway these mens’ opinion of Kyoshi. 

“You don’t have to act the loyal lapdog,” the middle man sneered. “She’s not even here.”

Rangi’s jaw clenched so hard she heard it pop. Before she could respond, her antagonizer squinted at her, a wry smile stretching across his cheeks. “But, of course, your misguided loyalty makes sense. I know exactly who you are.”

He shouldered his friends knowingly, and they exchanged childish chuckles. “The Avatar’s unwavering companion .”

The way he drew out the word sent a chill down Rangi’s spine. Here in the Earth Kingdom, their relationship was not looked upon favorably. And despite their best efforts to maintain a professional public appearance, rumors flew. Jinpa and Rangi were Kyoshi’s consistent public companions. And after four long years of establishing herself as the Avatar, Kyoshi had done little in the way of cementing her personal relationships outside of them. Which meant, people wondered why the Avatar herself insisted on remaining ‘single’ - especially as her era was currently maintaining a justifiable level of peace. 

Out of her two constant companions, she certainly wasn’t seeking out the air nomad for any sort of personal pleasures. That left either nameless and mysterious paramours in pleasure houses across the Nations.

Or Rangi.

And despite her best efforts, Kyoshi was not always quite as cautious as she could be in public… And maybe Rangi was sometimes at fault too. They’d sometimes been caught on their travels exchanging tender words or embraces or even the quickly stolen kiss. But more often than not faced nothing more than an awkward glance or whispered comment - every antagonist ushered away by a stern glare from the towering Avatar. Kyoshi didn’t care. She never had. And Rangi didn’t want to either - but sometimes she worried about what calloused attitudes would do for Kyoshi’s sway and reputation throughout the world.

Not every Nation would treat them with such disdain, Rangi knew. But here in the Earth Kingdom, especially in the secluded village of Qinchao, broadcasting the nature of her relationship with Kyoshi was not only foolish, but likely dangerous.

“Right, the Avatar’s personal bodyguard.” Another of the men sneered. “Does that tree of a woman really need guarding? Why should the Avatar, greatest of all Benders, need a protector? What does that say about her skill?”

Rangi had first been assigned to Yun, and subsequently self-appointed to Kyoshi; but back then her duty had been protect the young and unestablished Avatar. An inexperienced bender with no refined control of their element - who was at risk from targeted attacks from dangerous groups. Ironically not unlike the very daofei they had later joined.

But now, four official years into her duty as the Avatar, Kyoshi was far stronger than Rangi could ever hope to be. Not only in every other element, but her fire bending as well. It had all improved in dramatic leaps and bounds. Not without Rangi’s personal guidance, of course. But in all truth, no, Kyoshi didn’t need a bodyguard anymore. 

Still, Rangi would sooner let herself get eaten alive by a vengeful spirit than give up her title or responsibilities to protect the woman she loved. It gave her direction and purpose. And she didn’t need to explain to these men that more often than not her protection came in the form of tempering Kyoshi’s more drastic decisions. Ones that often resulted in severe consequences for herself.

“Or maybe,” the man continued. “Your position is less about the guarding… More about the body?”

Beside her, Jinpa stiffened as the air around Rangi flared a few degrees hotter. Despite her fury at the insults being levied at her absent partner, Rangi held her tongue. She took Jinpa’s arm, who yelped at the sudden heat, and shouldered past the men. Allowing them to burrow further into her psyche would do no one any good.

“Oh, did we offend?” one of the men called after her. “We figured it was a place of honor for you, firebender. Being the Avatar’s wh–”

The man didn’t finish his sentence because Rangi’s fist collided with his jaw so hard the air around the impact steamed. The three men stared at her in absolute shock, even the one she’d brought to the ground. Rangi stared back - equal parts mirrored shock and a challenge for them to say one more thing.

None of the men spoke, but they did leap to their feet and the next thing Rangi knew she was being grappled. Instinct overrode logic and she twisted fiercely, using her ankle to kick her captors legs out from underneath him. She brought her knee up to meet his chin as he fell. Somewhere behind her Jinpa shouted “Stop!” before his plea was cut off as a passerby of the fight grabbed him as well, assuming he was part of the brawl breaking out in the middle of the square. Rangi spun to help him, but a firm hand grabbed onto her topknot, dragging her backwards so forcefully she almost lost her footing. Scorching rage shot through her body, but before she could transform it into physical flame, the man released her, howling in pain - his palm pierced by the sharp end of her hairpin.

With a smirk, Rangi launched herself upward, slamming her heel down into the man’s shoulder. His body hit the cobblestones with a satisfying thud. Behind her, Jinpa shouted again. More men were diving into the situation in an attempt to ‘help’ - or maybe as an excuse to fight. They lunged at each other, pushing, shoving, kicking, knocking over stands. The entire bazaar had erupted into absolute chaos.

Jinpa was now buried beneath a pile of struggling men. Lunging to assist him sent a sudden jolt of sharp pain up and down Rangi’s spine. Despite the chaos around her and the third and final man approaching her with violent ferocity in his eyes, she collapsed to the ground gasping, unable to move. Her body locked in spasms, emanating from the circular scar in the middle of her back. 

And then a heavy booted foot came slamming down in the same spot. 

As quickly as it had all started, it ended. Blinding pain coursed through her entire body as the world went black.

The cell they were thrown into was dark and dank with a hard stone floor and thick metal bars on all sides. Very unfortunately, they were placed directly next to their three antagonizers, who shot them sour glares as they licked their wounds. Four others, the ones who had held down Jinpa, were locked in the cell on their other side, shouting their innocence until their voices went horse. Still  other cells contained petty criminals who observed their new inmates with careful curiosity.

Rangi sat hunched against the far wall, bars digging into her back. Sharp throbbing spirals of heat emanated from her old wound. She’d twisted the stiff muscles first, during the fight, and then one of the men had landed a devastatingly painful blow there. She felt like she might snap in half. Or dissolve into nothing.

It would be less embarrassing to cease to exist rather than face the fact that she’d gotten herself arrested in a street brawl. 

What would her mother think? With any luck, she'd never have to find out.

Jinpa sat in front of her, legs crossed, fists placed together in silent meditation. Rangi wished she could imitate him to calm her racing mind, but her body felt like it might fall apart if she moved. Instead she focused on her breathing - deep measured breaths, in and out. Clearing her mind of the absolute mess they were in, without hope of rescue until Kyoshi returned. The thought made her blood run cold.

The Avatar wouldn’t be happy when she found out what happened.

The journey back to Yokoya felt longer than it had to Ba Sing Se. Kyoshi had plenty of information to relay to her companions, before they’d probably need to return to the city in the near future. Having the backup of her friends to combat the amount of seedy behavior she continued to uncover in that city would be a monumental help.

For now though, a well needed regrouping was in order. Despite the fleeting ghosts of the mansion that sometimes reared their heads, the place was still home. Because of the people who resided there, if nothing else. Four long years of rebuilding the mansion to its former glory had been a labor of love. One Kyoshi wasn't sure she should have invested in at times. When the halls felt too empty and memories washed over her like crashing waves.

Regardless, it still felt like a welcome sight, as she and Yingyong finally saw Yokoya come into view. While her journey had only taken her away for a week, Kyoshi missed Rangi. She did every time their duties split them apart. 

And, expectedly, Rangi hadn’t been happy when Kyoshi insisted on traveling to the city without her, and she’d made no pretense of hiding her frustration. Of course she wouldn’t. But parting on sour terms only strengthened Kyoshi’s desire to reunite with her girl, and soon.

Kyoshi hoped the week had tempered her mood slightly. She didn’t want to argue, she would rather they lock themselves away in her room and waste an afternoon together.

It was nearly midday by the time she arrived at the mansion on Yingyong. Touching down, she patted the bison’s wet nose and headed inside. The mansion looked relatively empty, save for the occasional staff member that passed her and welcomed her back in hushed voices. Heading to the washroom, Kyoshi took the time to wet a towel and remove the makeup she’d been wearing for nearly a week - reapplying whenever it became necessary to maintain her appearance.

At home she didn’t need it. No reason to fly her colors in front of friends. 

As soon as it was washed away, leaving her fresh faced and freckled - she began searching the house again for the others. Neither of them had found their way to her first, which was surprising now that she thought about it. At the very least, Jinpa should have been excited to see the return of his bison. But he hadn’t met them in the yard.

Kyoshi poked her head into various, empty, rooms. The library, the study, the gallery, even the her own bedroom. Not a soul greeted her. Beginning to tremble slightly with concern, Kyoshi made her way to the kitchens where she finally found someone. Auntie Mui stood over a low fire cooking something that smelled absolutely delicious. She turned to grab a few ingredients on a table behind her, jumping in shock when she saw Kyoshi in the doorway.

“Kyoshi!” A single hand flew to her chest. “You remain as light footed as ever. Welcome back! How was your trip? Did you bring anything back from the city?”

Auntie Mui had been spared the details of the reason for Kyoshi’s trip to Ba Sing Se. Shaking her head, Kyoshi ducked into the kitchen, glancing around. No sign of the others. 

“No, Auntie. I'm sorry. But, um, do you happen to know where Jinpa and Rangi are?”

Returning to her work, Aunt Mui waved a hand. “The two of them went to Qinchao yesterday. I haven’t seen them return, but they must be around here somewhere?”

‘Of all the places they could have gone missing…’

A sinking in Kyoshi’s gut told her something must have gone wrong on their trip. The residents of Qinchao village harbored fierce disdain for the Avatar and her friends. Why Jinpa and Rangi would have chosen a day excursion there she couldn't even imagine. 

“I’ll keep looking, Auntie. Thank you.”

“Of course. Now don’t be late for supper! It will be ready in a few hours.”

Ducking her head, Kyoshi hurried out of the kitchen and back out into the courtyard where Yingyong was just lying down for a well deserved nap.

“Sorry, Yingyong,” Kyoshi muttered, as she once again leapt onto his back and tugged on the reins. “One more trip.”

Qinchao was in disarray and Kyoshi was met with no lack of sour glances when she arrived. As she walked down the streets searching for any sign of her friends, she came across wrecked market stands, along with piles of broken merchandise. Blood still painted some of the cobblestones beneath her feet. Something had happened here and dread began pooling in Kyoshi’s stomach.

“Avatar!”

Whirling around, Kyoshi came face to face with an enforcer, a captain if the elaborate armor he wore was any indication of his status. He stood a head shorter than her, and Kyoshi noticed her was stretching onto his toes to appear taller.

Twisting her mouth to stifle a chuckle, she met the man's angry green glare and tipped her chin. “Captain?”

“Every time you or one of your goons steps foot in this town, you cause problems,” he growled, throwing an accusing finger in her face. Kyoshi quickly squashed the urge to snap it off. “I'm one more incident away from signing a decree that bans you from entry all together!”

Ignoring his threat, Kyoshi kept her tone measured and posture straight. “My friends have been here?”

“Oh they've been here all right. Destroying the bazaar, accosting my citizens, arguing with my enforcers-”

There was absolutely no way Jinpa had been an instigator in any of this, meaning Rangi had been on a warpath .  For some reason. It wasn't like her to lose public composure. Not like this.

Kyoshi bit her lip. “Where are they now?”

“Locked up!” The Captain threw his arms out as if the answer was obvious. “Preparing to pay for their crimes!”

“Take me to them.” 

The Captain narrowed his eyes. “I'm not letting you and your lot escape trial again.”

“That wasn't a request.” Kyoshi’s tone darkened.

The Captain visibly straightened, his face turning red, mouth twisting into a grimace. After a tense stare down they both knew he'd lose, the Captain turned down the street and gestured for Kyoshi to follow.

He led her into the dark jailhouse where immediately her eyes fell upon the two hunched figures of her friends. They were crammed between a slew of other cells, but despite the crowd, Kyoshi’s gaze found Rangi’s easily. The Firebender scowled and then focused on a crack in the stone floor instead.

Before Kyoshi could decide if she was more concerned or frustrated, the Captain cleared his throat. “About their punishment -“

“How much?” Kyoshi interrupted.

The Captain blinked. “Excuse me?”

“For their freedom? How much? I can pay.”

For a brief moment, the Captain looked like he might protest, before his eyes lit up with greed. Kyoshi’s inheritance had been steep enough to cover any amount this man might ask for. And while it soured her to imagine paying the people who hated her so much any amount of money, she had to wonder if it might go some way to make amends for the destruction she’d caused here.

“Let’s talk,” the Captain sneered.

A substantial sum and much haggling later and Kyoshi walked back into the afternoon sun with Rangi and Jinpa behind. She glanced back at her companions as they walked towards the edge of the city where she’d left Yingyong.

Neither seemed to want to speak. Jinpa looked absolutely contrite, pale and exhausted. With dark bags under his gray eyes. He wrung his hands when he met Kyoshi’s gaze, but any apology must have died in his throat, because he snapped his mouth shut and hung his head. Kyoshi wished he would have said something so she could absolve him of his guilt. It was obvious who’s fault this had been.

Even so, it was difficult to be too angry with Rangi either. She looked terrible. Cuts and bruises covered her face, her hair was falling out of her signature topknot. A limp interrupted her gait - whether from some injury to her leg or something else, Kyoshi couldn’t tell. But despite her frustration, it made Kyoshi's heart ache to look at her right now. So she focused on getting them all home instead, gaze locked on the horizon as they flew.

Auntie Mui called them all for dinner when they trudged single file back into the mansion, but no one took her up on her hard cooked meal, much to her chagrin. Jinpa immediately made for his quarters, dragging his feet behind him. And Kyoshi headed down the opposite hallway, with Rangi not far behind.

Drowning in her own dark thoughts, Rangi angled toward ‘her bedroom’. The room that had been designated to her back when she’d first arrived at Yokoya as a bodyguard to Yun. It had gone unused for years now. The current staff all knew she shared Kyoshi’s. It was an act of pure stubbornness to pretend she was going to make any use of the spare room now or ever. 

Before she could even touch the doorknob, Kyoshi’s hand grabbed the back of her shirt, dragging her firmly but gently further down the hall in the direction of her room instead. After the casual redirection, Rangi didn’t put up much of a struggle. 

Allowing herself to be guided into the room, she plopped down on the edge of the large bed, toeing off her shoes as Kyoshi closed the door behind them. She sat slumped nearly in half partially due to the pain in her back and partially out of a futile attempt to avoid her partner’s gaze.

A clump of unbound hair slipped into her face as she lowered her head - mussed from the fight a day prior and never regathered, her topknot was held together by her hairpin and a hope. Kyoshi wasted no time in attending to her now that they were alone. She knelt at Rangi’s feet, still at eye level thanks to her height and removed her heavy gloves, placing them neatly on the floor beside her. Then reverent hands removed Rangi’s metal hairpin and set it gently aside atop her gloves. Dried blood from the man’s palm still colored its tip. She’d need to clean it. Now loosened hair tumbled down her shoulders, a pleasant shiver wracking Rangi’s body as Kyoshi’s scarred hands ran through her hair a few times to smooth it completely.

Despite a basic knowledge of the significance of a Fire National’s hair, Kyoshi had been a frequent toucher of Rangi’s head. With hands, cheeks, lips. Her height coupled with Ragni’s own desire - and forgotten boundaries - meant that particular border of intimacy had been broken the day they’d fallen asleep together on the iceberg. And Rangi distinctly remembered it being a conscious choice on her part. Despite Kyoshi’s lack of true knowledge back then, her touch had never felt anything less than safe and respectful. And now, with the adequate knowledge, the significance of her attentive touches only held more weight.

Kyoshi’s left hand drifted through her hair, around the back of her head and along her jaw, where she firmly gripped Rangi’s chin, drawing their gazes together. Rangi’s scowl was only mirrored in Kyoshi’s. As strong fingers tilted her chin left and right to assess the damage she’d accrued during the scuffle, Ragni focused on finding the tiny paint specks Kyoshi had failed to entirely remove before she’d come to find them. 

There were still a few traces of red mixing with the edges of her dark brows, some of her freckles missing under specks of white. She’d come after them in a hurry. Rangi was surprised she hadn’t kept the makeup on entirely. No doubt the imposing figure she struck with it on would have silenced half of the disrespectful protests the Captain made to her back at the jailhouse.

Gentling her grip, Kyoshi flexed her free hand, drawing a bit of water from a water bucket beside the bed. The floating bubble of water engulfed her hand, forming a liquid glove that glowed slightly as she brought it to Rangi’s face. First a touch to her split lip, then her swelling black eye, then the cut on her cheekbone. The damage disappeared quickly, leaving nothing but a tingling coolness in its wake.

“Where else?” The sudden breach in their heavy silence nearly made Rangi jump.

She shook her head. “I’m fine.”

Emerald eyes narrowed slightly and Kyoshi stood, bidding Rangi to do the same. Like a petulant child, she refused at first, until she was pulled to her feet and the water glove began scanning around her entire body. With little preamble she tugged at the hem of Rangi's shirt, lifting it swiftly over her head in an impressive display of speed. Leaving Rangi exposed to her scrutiny in only her chest wraps. A dozen more exposed bruises brought a new tightness to Kyoshi's face. 

“Why did you do it?” Kyoshi asked, focusing hard on her work. “When Auntie Mui told me you and Jinpa were missing, the last thing I expected was to find you locked in a cell for starting a street fight.”

“I like to keep you on your toes.”

“Rangi, what happened?”

The water touched each spot where she’d received a few brutal kicks to the ribs and she hissed. “Some men said some...distasteful things. I made them regret it.”

Finishing with her rib, Kyoshi straightened, one brow lifted. “You beat some random civilians over a few insults?” 

“You didn’t hear what they said.” Rangi knew she sounded foolish. She felt foolish, hearing Kyoshi say what the situation looked like out loud. 

“Enlighten me.”

Rangi bit her lip.

“You’re better than this,” Kyoshi’s tone was sour as she bent the glowing water from her hand back into the bucket. ”The Rangi I know doesn’t stoop to fighting thugs in the street because they called her a few names.”

“I don’t care what they called me.”

“Then what –?”

“I care about what they said about you!” Rangi hadn’t meant to shout, but her voice practically shook the door in its frame. Kyoshi’s shoulders dropped slightly, realization softening the hard look that had overtaken her features since she rescued them from the cell.

“They called you weak. Doubted your ability as the Avatar. Questioned your morality,” Rangi continued, fighting to keep her breathing even and the tears burning at her eyes back. “They can say whatever they want about me, but I was not about to let them insult you freely.”

Kyoshi shook her head. “I don’t need you to defend me.”

“Yes you do!” Rangi insisted, throwing her arms out in a move that sent jarring pain down her back again. “You always have. You say you don't care, Kyoshi. But others do. Your image as the Avatar does matter. And I won't let anyone speak poorly of you when they know nothing about you. Or what you've done for them, indirectly or not. They should respect you. You. They call you weak because you have friends. They call you cruel for the choices you've made. They mock your appearance and accuse you of debauchery. I won't let them do that to you. I won't. Ever.”

Kyoshi fell silent, a still statue as the air around them burned with the heat of Rangi’s fury.

“So be as angry with me as you want. I'm not sorry for what I did. They deserved it.” Heart pounding against her ribs, Rangi realizes she'd been drawing closer in her rage. A single step back revealed the agony still wracking her body. She stumbled and Kyoshi's hand flew out to catch her elbow.

Neglecting to respond to Rangi's words, she instead observed, “Your back.”

Rangi tore her arm away. It hurt like nothing she'd ever felt before but her anger kept her from wanting the help, the sympathy, the gentle touches that would so easily melt her righteous fury away.

“I took a hit. I'll be fine.”

Ignoring her protests again, Kyoshi took both of her arms and walked Rangi backward until her knees hit the bed. She fell onto the mattress rather unceremoniously, Kyoshi standing over her.

“Roll over.”

“Oh? Not even a warmup?” she scoffed, half a jab, half a test to gauge if Kyoshi was still angry. 

Normally as pliable as fresh clay in Rangi’s hands, Kyoshi’s face remained shockingly stoic despite the flirtation. Emotions were still running high. The Avatar’s eyes flashed in a silent command. Admittedly a little impressed and flustered by her partner’s insistence - though she’d never say it - Rangi did as she was told. Wriggling around like an upended turtle-duck.

A harsh sigh slipped from her lips as she settled onto her stomach, arms crooked at the elbow so she could grip the pillow she rested her chin on. It always hurt at first, despite the gentle efforts from both Kyoshi and Atuat - whoever happened  to be available to help when the pain became overwhelming. Stress and tension gathered consistently over time in the ruined muscles. And she supposed after four years of continued treatment, that it was something she would always suffer. A constant reminder of their lost friend.

Struggling not to let that thought bring her to pathetic tears, Rangi gripped the pillow as Kyoshi settled against the backs of her thighs. She heard the swish of water, and a gentle hand ghosting up her spine. For the briefest moment, a wonderful cooling sensation graced her skin - before the familiar tug and pull of her sore muscles shot white hot pain through her body. She bit back a sharp groan, not entirely successfully, as the woman currently torturing her grunted a quiet, “Sorry.”

Fists and jaw clenched, eyes squeezed shut, Rangi tried to focus on anything but the agonizing sensation of her muscles being stretched and warmed and cooled all at the same time. The twisted energy gathered there uncoiling itself. She stared at the darkness of her eyelids, watching the tiny bursts of colors and static explode behind them. Eventually, the pain passed, giving way to relief, and the coolness of the water flooded through her back and limbs.

A shaky sigh escaped her as Kyoshi finished with the water bending portion of their routine. She bent the water into the bucket she’d drawn it from and returned her hands to Rangi’s back, thumbs digging deep on either side of the scar. This part always hurt a little worse than the waterbending portion, but Rangi allowed her to work the muscles loose for a solid few minutes before reaching back with one arm and tapping Kyoshi’s thigh. The stiffness was gone for the time being, thank all the Spirits .

Kyoshi’s weight disappeared only to land beside her, the mattress dipping as her partner flopped onto her back. Rangi wiggled onto her side, hands tucked under her cheek to face Kyoshi. She yearned to close the distance between them but there was still an unspoken tension in the air.

Kyoshi broke it first. Drawing her hands down her face, the silvery lines of her lightning scars catch the light of the setting sun. With a sigh, she rested them atop her stomach, turning her face to Rangi.

“Can you promise me that you won’t do anything like that again?”

“No.”

Kyoshi’s dark brows drew together. “Rangi.”

“I can’t.” Rangi met her stubbornness blow for blow. “It’s my duty to protect you. From anything. Including the likes of those fools looking to tarnish your reputation.”

“And that’s all it was about?” Kyoshi’s voice softened. “Nothing else?”

“No…”

Neither of them believed it. 

Closing her eyes so she didn't have to watch Kyoshi’s face, Rangi exhaled long and slow before explaining. “It made me think of how this,” she gestures between them, “Isn’t what the Avatar should have. An illicit lover. Someone she can never display proudly as an equal partner. Something she will always be mocked for in certain corners of the world. Something someone will always hate her for.”

“People hate me for a lot of things.”

“Well, maybe this one thing you can control. Change their perception.”

“After four years, Rangi? Where is this coming from?” The break in Kyoshi's voice nearly broke Rangi too.

“I don't know.”

Silence followed.

Rangi realized she shouldn’t have opened her eyes because when she did, Kyoshi’s expression was a contorted mix of baffled and furious. 

“What makes you think any stranger gets to decide what’s best for me? What makes you think you get to decide? You who has always stood by me and the choices I made, even when you disagreed? Why does that change because some idiots threw a few insults around?”

The raw defeat in Rangi’s voice is a surprise to her own ears. “They won’t be the last.” 

“There will always be idiots.” Kyoshi scoffs. “I’ve spent my life not caring about the opinions of people like them. I’m not about to start today. I thought you didn’t either.”

“I don’t.”

“Then why-?”

It was rare for Rangi to be the source of Kyoshi’s ire, let alone the target. Usually, it was Kyoshi who insisted on being the bigger headache. Rangi was used to their arguments, they happened, especially with their stark difference in approaches to problems. But something about pure disdain in Kyoshi’s tone felt different than normal. For once, it made Rangi want to curl in on herself and disappear. 

Perhaps, deep down, despite the layers of armor she adorned each day - this was something that had been gnawing at her consciousness for too long without examination. The struggle they would face from the outside world for the rest of their days. The notion that someday Rangi might be left out of Kyoshi’s story entirely. The truth of their lives erased for the sanctity of what others found acceptable.

Maybe it did bother her. Maybe in moments like this, when the reality of their relationship felt heaviest. Maybe.

“I just wish it wasn’t a struggle. That I wasn’t a part of the struggle. You already have so many burdens. If I were better at my job, I wouldn’t be one of them.”

“If you were better at your job you wouldn’t be splitting a man’s skull in the street because he called me tall.” 

Rangi snorted, she couldn’t help herself. After all they’d been through in the last few years, Kyoshi had grown adept at untangling her when she got like this. Frustrated, stubborn … grumpy. It wasn’t why she’d hit the man, but Kyoshi knew that - she understood Rangi’s concern, and was trying to cheer her up regardless. Because she hadn’t cared – from the very moment Kirima had found them on the lakeshore together. She’d been brave and bold in her love. Maybe after all this time, Rangi owed her the same. 

“Then this is what you really want?” Rangi kept her eyes down, focusing on the forest green lapel of Kyoshi’s tunic. “Despite the hardships it will continue to bring?”

“Of course it is. I’m sorry if I haven't done enough to make you believe that.” Suddenly, she was pulled forward, strong arms circling her shoulders, soft lips against the top of her head, purposefully pressing into her hair. Rangi closed her eyes again, nosing into the dip of Kyoshi’s collar and breathing her in. “You are my center. My reason. I don’t want anyone else. I don’t care how difficult things might be in public at times. I get to decide my happiness, no one else…” There was a long and poignant pause before she felt Kyoshi whisper against her forehead. “ You taught me that.” 

A soft silence settled around them. Not harsh and oppressive like before. But heady and comfortable. Rangi hummed, taking in Kyoshi’s words. “I guess you do listen sometimes.”

“When it benefits me.” One of Kyoshi’s hands rose, fingers dragging through the loose ends of Rangi’s soft hair.  “I'm sorry what those men said hurt you so much… Does it make you regret it? Us?”

“No, of course not. Where you go, I go.” Rangi briefly pondered her next confession. “It’s just frustrating. Do you think someday…When they write your name in the history books, they’ll include mine?”

“They will if they know what’s good for them.”

“I’m serious.”

“So am I.” The hand playing with Rangi’s hair, rested between her shoulder blades instead, solid and firm “I don’t intend on letting the world forget you any more than I ever could. What you did. Who you were. What you meant to me. They don’t get to erase that.”

“Maybe we won’t get to decide.” Slowly, Rangi pushed herself off Kyoshi’s chest, taking in the sight of her partner laid out before her. “But we can show them now. While we’re here.”

“I thought we were already doing that.”

Her tone was hushed and heated. “Not nearly enough.” 

Kyoshi’s eyes slipped shut as she waited for a kiss that never came, instead Rangi ran her thumb across her lower lip, pressing lightly.

“I didn’t even manage to get you the gift I wanted to,” Rangi pouted, watching her eyes spring open again. 

“Gift? Is that why you went to Qinchao?” A smirk curled the lip that her thumb currently held captive. “A gift for what?”

Scoffing, Rangi rolled her eyes. “You mean you don’t know?”

A flash of panic crossed Kyoshi’s face and Rangi knew she was retroactively scanning the last four years of their lives together in a desperate attempt to connect a date with an impactful event. A positive one, at that.

“You don’t even remember.” Rangi crossed her arms, deciding to toy with her. Emerald eyes grew wider, scarred hands instinctively rising to Rangi’s hips to keep her close even as she moved away. Thumbs brushed softly over her exposed skin.

“No, I do,” she insisted, her barely contained panic saying otherwise. “A, um, gift for the day we decided to rebuild the gardens outside the mansion and you wanted to start with fire lilies even though they don’t grow well here.”

Technically, the date was close, and while it had been a gesture in remembrance of their departed friend, Rangi didn’t see how Kyoshi could connect that with a gift for her.

“No.”

Kyoshi’s lips pursed in thought. “Was it the day we went elephant koi fishing for your mother and you ended up in the lake?”

“Why would that be a day worth remembering?” Rangi growled, but Kyoshi met her with a grin.

“Oh, so many reasons.” Dark bronze eyes flickered dangerously, daring her to try again. “Or was it for the day you saved me so heroically from Aoma and her crew?”

Memories of a time so far gone, and so full of innocence, filled Rangi’s reply with solemnity. “No, but maybe worth recognizing next year.”

Suddenly, Kyoshi pushed herself up on her elbows, bracing against one arm so she could gently cup Rangi’s jaw with the other hand. 

“I…I know what day you wanted to remember,” she murmured, leaning to brush her lips along the soft skin of Rangi’s neck. The firebender inhaled sharply, melting at the touch despite her best efforts to remain in control. Kyoshi placed slow and featherlight kisses up the slope of Rangi’s neck, until her lips touched the corner of her jaw and she pressed the words into flushed skin. “And as wonderful as you are for wanting to get me a gift, I don’t need anything to remind me of that night. I’ll never forget it. Hujiang.”

Rangi closed her eyes, the warm puff of breath against her skin taking her back in time to the lake just outside of Hujiang.

‘I do feel loved.’

‘Kiss me where I’m not hurt.’

Just as Kyoshi’s teeth caught her earlobe, Rangi placed a firm hand on the center of her chest, shoving her back against the mattress. She leaned her weight forward, hips pressed flush against her partner’s, pinning her in place. 

“Good guess,” she murmured, drawing the hand she had on Kyoshi’s chest down, gently beginning to work the folded fabric free. “I suppose if you really don’t want a gift, we can commemorate the occasion another way.”

A tense and anticipatory bob of her lover’s throat is all the encouragement she needs to continue. Dipping down, she dragged her lips along the exposed rise of Kyoshi’s collar, feigning delicacy until she bit down on the sensitive flesh. It would leave a dark mark come morning. An obvious claim to her Avatar. 

Kyoshi’s hands tightened on Rangi’s hips, pulling her closer, silently begging her for more. Without hesitation Rangi complied, sweeping her hips against her lover’s as she continued to mark Kyoshi’s chest and neck with evidence of her love and loyalty.

The gentle glow of the early morning sun woke Rangi as it peered through the cracks in their bedroom window. Groaning, she turned her face away from the glare, hiding against Kyoshi’s (highly decorated) neck instead. The arm Rangi had slung over her middle drew tighter, bringing their already tangled and naked bodies somehow closer.

Kyoshi, lips parted, freckles stark against her skin in the morning sunlight - shifted in her sleep, cheek pressing against the top of Rangi’s head. She murmured something incoherent, the arm she had looped around Rangi’s shoulders tightening.

Rangi watched her sleep, watched the flicker of her long dark lashes, counted the freckles on her cheeks. She looked so much older with the makeup on. More powerful, fiercer, more confident. Strikingly beautiful. And while Rangi loved those things about her, there was something special in seeing her in this vulnerable light too. When she looked more like her actual twenty-one years. They were both still so young, and after the conversation and intimacy shared the previous night, Rangi couldn’t help feeling ashamed of her reaction in the village.

To be ‘accused’ of loving Kyoshi wasn’t an insult. And anyone who thought to weaponize it against either of them, well, their opinion on anything mattered very little then.

Raising a hand, Rangi drew gentle fingers along the soft curve of Kyoshi’s jaw, letting them trail down her neck, along the many marks, to rest against her lover’s chest. A steady and solid heart beat against her palm, chest rising and falling with even breaths. 

Rangi closed her eyes to revel in the rhythm when suddenly a much larger and drawn out breath signaled that her partner had awoken. Kyoshi stretched her long body, nearly throwing Rangi off her entirely before she groaned and sighed and wrapped herself around the smaller woman again. They formed a tight tangle of curled limbs, her head now tucked beneath Rangi’s chin.

“You’re so warm,” she murmured and yawned again. “I missed you.”

Smiling, Rangi drew one hand through her long hair, over and over, soothing her back into sleep. After the excitement of the past few days, she figured a long day in bed was what both of them deserved. 

“Stay with me?” she murmured against the crown of Kyoshi’s head. “Just here. All day.”

“A day where you don’t insist on training at the break of dawn?” Kyoshi rebutted sleepily. “Never thought I’d see it.”

“I’m feeling particularly merciful,” she teased back, looping her arms around broad shoulders and kissing Kyoshi’s forehead. “We’ll make up for it later.”

“We?” Lips curled teasingly against Rangi’s chest.

“You.”

A soft chuckle tickled her bare skin followed by a steady hum, a gentle kiss, and the even breathing that signaled her partner was rapidly falling back into slumber. 

The sudden rumble of Kyoshi’s voice against her chest made Rangi jump, “You wouldn’t have to be ‘illicit’.”

“Huh?”

“An ‘illicit lover’. Like you said. You wouldn’t have to be. Not forever.” A tender hand moved up beneath the sheets, splaying against Rangi’s stomach. When Kyoshi continued her voice was soft, barely loud enough to hear. “We could marry. Someday.”

Rangi flushed from her neck to the tips of her ears. It would be a lie to say she hadn’t thought about it. A ceremony recognized in the Fire Nation. Matching red outfits - or maybe green to honor Kyoshi’s own origins. 

“Would you want that?” she asked, voice just as quiet.

“Yes.” Her voice didn’t waver. The hand on Rangi’s stomach brushed a tender circle. “Would you?”

“Yes. Someday.” A grin broke out on her face, and she squeezed her partner tighter. “Of course I would.”

Rangi watched the dappled morning light crawl across their entangled bodies for a long time. Whatever came next, they would face it together.

Just as they had every challenge before.