Haki stirred in his sleep, cracking his eyes open slowly to allow the natural lighting fill his senses. His vision was still bleary from the previous night, and his body was sore, however; he could feel warmth against him that was not his own doing. Slowly, he glanced down, blinking the sleep from his eyes as they adjusted. A slow smirk pulled at his lips, leaning forward slightly to rest his head against Kiara's, pulling his arms around her. The smirk faded from his lips as a slow realization dawned on him. He could feel flesh upon his arms and hands, and the bandages wrapped around her. He held back a snort, trying hard to contain the laugh that bubbled beneath his chest. Really, were they both that tired that they had fallen asleep against each other this way? He released a slow sigh, trying not to disturb her when he finally notice that Rika was gone. A bout of worry coursed through him, however; he relaxed slightly. She probably left back home, though he wasn't so sure that was a wise idea.
She could have at least waited for the both of them to wake up so they could all walk together. Amon was probably still at large, and the Equalists would not hesitate to take a person who was still physically exhausted. He had no doubt in his mind that she was mentally exhausted as well. He shook his head softly, sighing through his nose as he lifted his arm from around Kiara. He winced at the motion, holding a grunt back as he shifted himself and removed himself from the couch. Not a preferred place to sleep, however; one wasn't exactly obliged to choose where they slept when they were incapable of moving any further. Standing from his spot, he recovered Kiara with the blanket and set towards his kitchen. The least he could do was make breakfast and get something inside the both of them. All the healing, running, and fighting had taken a lot of energy. It was time to replenish it.
"Kiara, hey," he called out, setting the food on the small table in front of the couch. Gently, he placed his hand on her shoulder and gave her a gentle shake. "Turtle-Duck, you've got a cabbage slug on your face," he stated, poking her cheek in the process to see if that would wake her up. Perhaps not the brightest idea to have, however; he could deal with the consequences.
Kiara did not part from the warm comfort of sleep especially easily on the best of days, and today was far from that. She was tired, sore in places she hadnât thought it possible to be sore, and more than anything, she just wanted to sleep away the rest of the morning. Unfortunately, it did not seem that this would be possible, as something was poking her face, and someone was talking to her. Someone she knew very well, but did not usually see this early in the day? Why did something seem strange about this situation. She groaned, turning her head away from the irritation, then cracked clear blue eyes open. Despite the appearance of the color, she was in fact quite bleary at the moment, and so it took her a moment to register things properly.
âGood for the slug,â she mumbled, only half-coherently, and tried to turn the other way to go back to sleep, but this only ended up rolling her into the back of her couch. Her couch? Why was she sleeping on her couch? And why did rolling like that give her a scratchy feeling on her stomach? She didnât wear scratchy shirts toâ
Everything came rushing back then, and she sat up sharply. âItâs morning? When did IâŠ?â She didnât exactly remember falling asleep, only that sheâd been having a halfhearted argument with Haki about healing him, and then given up. Rika had been there, too, but upon inspection of the room, she could see her best friend nowhere. âWait⊠why are you up? You still havenât been healed!â There was too much to consider right at the moment, and so she settled on the most pressing matter that she could actually deal with, which was apparently scolding Haki.
Haki resisted the urge to snort when she spoke of the slug, only barely managing to keep his eyes from rolling as well. Really, if there had been a cabbage slug on her face, it'd feel a little more moist. A strange thought entered his mind as the smirk spread into a grin once more, reaching to both sides of his ears as he leaned down, however; she sat up quickly. He barely had enough time to pull back to avoid a head collision with her, and tilted his head when she began speaking. He chuckled lightly, shaking his head as he rested a hand on her shoulder. He raised an amused brow and tried to keep a laugh from escaping him.
"Well, if you want me to answer all of your questions, you should sit down first, and eat," he stated, ushering her back into a sitting position. He set the plate in front of her before taking a seat to the other side of her. "For starters, you fell asleep last night. You were tired, Turtle-Duck. And the reason why I am up is simple," he stated, smiling all the same. He picked at his breakfast, pushing past the eggs and swirling them. "I made breakfast," he replied simply, shaking his head as if he had made the most obvious statement. As for being healed, he didn't necessarily need it, though he could tell that his ribs were a little sore. They were probably broken from when the Equalist had kicked him.
"If you really want to heal me, though, wouldn't it be easier and better if you were properly clothed?" he stated, his lips tilting up in slight amusement as he pointed towards her with his spoon. Granted, he'd usually glance away, however; it was amusing to see that she had yet to notice that she wasn't exactly wearing a shirt. Covered, perhaps, but it wasn't a shirt nor anything that could be properly considered. "Not that I don't mind the view, but don't you think people would get the wrong idea?" he continued, shrugging his shoulders in a nonchalant manner before wincing. He shouldn't have done that, his side was starting to throb.
Kiara had been halfway through her plate already by the time what he was saying properly registered with her, and she looked down at herself, presently in her bindings and the pants sheâd been wearing the night previous. She remembered that sheâd needed to cut off her shirt to give herself proper medical attention⊠and then had completely forgotten to get another one. In an emergency situation like then, that was fine. She wasnât one to put modesty over practicality. But right now, eating breakfast with the blankets falling down to her waistâŠ
With false calm belied by the impressive shade of carmine red her face was turning, Kiara set aside her plate, placing her fork down on top of it and stood, clearing her throat awkwardly and walkingânot running, though it was a near thingâback to her room. She was so embarrassed! Especially because it was Haki, and, well⊠that seemed especially bad for some reason. Something she would think about later, when she wasnât quite so mortified as she was right now.
She returned to the living room a couple of minutes later, a quick wash and some new clothes going a long way towards cooling her down, but she was still definitely a bit pink under her dark complexion. Setting her plate back on her lap, she finished the breakfast heâd been kind enough to make, then washed the dishes quickly, turning back to him with her hands on her hips. By no coincidence, the tunic she currently wore was the most shapeless one she had, and her pants were baggy enough that she stepped on the ends of them with her heels when she walked around. She cleared her throat again, and was pleased when her voice came out steady. âI am not letting you leave with injuries like that,â she informed him archly, scraping for the last of her dignity to hold up in front of her like a shield against his teasing.
She gentled her voice after that, though. âI know what happened to you in there, Haki. I saw most of it. Please, I⊠I couldnât stop it then, at least⊠let me fix it now.â She looked down and to the side, either unwilling or unable to meet his eyes. She couldnât get it out of her head now that she had time to really think about it, the image of those people hurting him like that.
Haki had to keep himself from laughing at the shade of red her face turned. Really, it was just so easy to do that to her, and he found himself enjoying it often. Plus, he really did like that shade of red on her face. He watched as she calmly left the room and came back, dressed this time, properly. He leaned forward on his hand, propping his elbow up on the arm of the chair, and gave her a rather sly look, the smirk never once leaving his face. That is, until she spoke. He frowned for a fraction of a second, before sighing heavily. There was no way of getting around this. He didn't want her wasting her healing on him when she still needed rest. It would drain too much out of her. He could heal fine on his own, though perhaps a little slower, but he'd heal nonetheless. Instead, he merely shook his head, closing his eyes temporarily.
"I know... I know that you saw that, and I am sorry you had to witness that, however; you cannot tell me right now, that what I need is healing. You are not even back to full strength yet," he finally spoke, keeping his eyes closed still. "I know you want to heal me, Turtle-Duck, but you are not in the position to heal me at all right now. You still need to rest. I promise you, I'll be fine as long as I don't move too much. Just... trust me on that, okay?" he knew she wouldn't, or she would continue to insist on healing him, however; he would rather wait it out until she was at full strength again. He wasn't in such dire condition that he needed to be healed, if having a few broken ribs wasn't considered dire. At least to him, it wasn't.
"And I promise I won't leave... not yet, until you've healed me, deal?" he stated, opening his eyes to stare straight at her. She wouldn't look at him, but that was okay. He didn't need her to. He needed her to trust him, and to believe him. "Besides, even if I wanted to leave, Turtle-Duck would just drown me instead," he spoke, the smile returning to his lips. He wasn't smirking, and it wasn't a half smile. He offered her a genuine smile, one he had not worn in a very... very long time.
âStupid.â It was the first word out of her, and though she was a little surprised that sheâd said it, that was not to say she did not mean it, exactly. âIâm fine. Itâs not the first time Iâd have healed someone with my own injuries.â Besides, they werenât even that bad anymore. Sheâd had a full nightâs rest, and something to eatâshe was far from a hundred percent, but then, that could take days. And she wasnât going to leave him that long.
Her eyes were still downcast when she reached out for his sleeve, holding it loosely in her fingers and hesitating for just a moment before she stepped into his personal space and wrapped her arms loosely around him, careful not to put pressure on his injuries. âWould it kill you to just let me help you?â Her tone carried a sort of pout in it, and she felt a little pathetic about that, but there wasnât any taking it back now. He was being an idiot, thoughâdidnât he understand that she wouldnât be able to rest properly knowing that a friend was still hurting? It wasnât in her nature, just as, apparently, letting people help him when they wanted to wasnât much in his.
She pressed her cheek to his chest, and more words tumbled out of her into the silence. âI⊠I used bloodbending.â The admission made her flinch, and she pressed her lips together before continuing. âNot⊠not on purpose, but I⊠I was just so⊠desperate, when I knew they were hurting you. I thought⊠I thought they were going to kill you, and it just happened.â She felt dirty, having done something like that. Bloodbending was wicked, evil, even, and she had never before felt the desire or the need to use it. But the situation had just pulled it out of her, and she still wasnât sure she could bring herself to regret it. Not if it had spared him even a bit more pain.
Haki allowed his arms to encircle her when she pressed against him, sighing against the crown of her head as she spoke. No, perhaps it wouldn't kill him if he let her help, and even if she healed someone before, injured, he would not be the one to make her do so again. Even if it took days for her to recover, he wanted to make sure she was okay first. He smiled, though, at the tone of her voice, however; it disappeared as soon as she continued speaking. His eyes narrowed slightly, when she spoke of using bloodbending. He could feel her flinch when she spoke the words, and he only sighed heavily. He lifted himself up, pulling her away and holding her at arms length, forcing her to stare at him.
"I want you to listen to me, Kiara," he spoke, his tone set in a way he had never used before. It was serious, all trace of amusement gone. "I am sorry, for making you do that, even if it was to help me, I am sorry," he stated, his eyes never leaving hers. He could sense the way it made her feel, and he regretted it. Why? Because it was partially his fault. "But do not think for a moment, that it makes you a bad person. Bloodbending is not necessarily a bad thing. It is only so when those who use it, use it for impure purposes and intentions. You... saved my life, Kiara. If you had not, I would not be alive right now," and that was partially true. If the Equalist had managed to kick him another time, it would have truly fractured his rib, and pierced his lung.
He would have drowned to death on his own blood. He sighed softly through his nose, relaxing his arms as he did so. "So thank you, Turtle-Duck. If you are still so insistent on healing me," he began, a familiar light returning to his eyes as he stared at her. "I want a kiss first," he spoke, the smirk belying the fact that he was serious.
Of course. Of course it wasnât that she was automatically a terrible person for using bloodbending. Of course he was rightâbut that didnât chase away the feeling of guilt at the pit of her stomach, like a child that knows she has pushed the rules just a little too far and got someone hurt in the process. It was just such a taboo matter in the tribes; she had difficulty seeing past the way sheâd been raised, but she tried to, because she didnât want to seem like she regretted helping him. Because she didnât, not one bit. Sheâd do it over again, as many times as she had to, if it saved him. She knew that like she knew nothing else, and the realization centered her a little, allowing her to nod slightly, as if to say that she understood, that she was okay. But nothing was really okay anymore, was it? Not when there were still people out there trying and succeeding in hurting so many. Her breath hitched at how close they had come to being just more casualties of this conflict, but his next words brought an abrupt halt to her thoughts.
âA-a w-what?â She was immediately caught off-guard, but then studied his facial expression. He was smirking at her, the bastard! Here she was, caught up in thoughts about terrible things, and heâd already moved back into joking with her. Kiara compressed her lips into a thin line, narrowing her eyes with disapproval. Well, she wasnât in much of a mood to deal with his antics right now.
âYou better hold to your word, Haki Soen, or Iâm telling everyone youâre a rotten liar.â She raised an eyebrow at him, cocking her head to the side and relaxing her facial expression into something more neutral. She was interested to see what heâd do, honestly, though why she was so curious was not something she could explain to herself just yet. The palm of one hand reached up and cupped the side of his face, and slowly, Kiara raised herself onto her toes, watching keenly for any sort of reaction. She made it to an inch from his mouth, her breath fanning over his jaw such that they breathed the very same air, and hovered for just a moment before she diverted as intended, brushing her lips with the lightest of feathered touches over his cheekbone, then landing back on her heels and putting both hands on her hips.
âNow sit down.â She wasnât sure why her heart was thundering so loudly in her ears, but she didnât have time to worry about it right now.
Haki blinked, his breathing a little more labored than he could recall it. His eyes were slightly glazed, and her words barely registered in his head when she spoke, telling him to sit. He, at first, did not oblige, instead, remaining in his spot. He blinked down at her, studying her for a moment before the very same smirk grew across his lips. He took a step forward, hooking an arm around her waist, and the other snaking to the back of her neck, his index finger curling around a strand of her hair. He pulled her closer, the grin never leaving his face as he lowered himself closer to hers. He remained there, lips just a hairsbreadth apart, for what seemed like hours, however; it was mere minutes. Slowly, he covered the remaining distance, and placed a chaste kiss upon her lips. He lingered for a moment, before pulling away, a look of triumph crossing his eyes.
"That, Turtle-Duck, is a kiss. This," he spoke, brushing his lips as lightly as she had, across her own cheekbone, "is not." He released her, hands falling back to his side as he finally did as he was told, sitting and making himself comfortable on her couch. Lifting his gaze to her, he patted the spot next to him for her to join him. "You wanted to heal me, remember?" he spoke, the grin never leaving his face.
Kiara stood in dumbfounded silence for exactly three seconds before her open palm cracked across his cheek. Her face was flushed, her breathing hitched and irregular, but her eyes registered a mixture of upset, hurt, and mostly confusion. She felt bad for hitting an injured person, terrible for hitting him in general, but it had been her first instinct, probably in part because of the Kohaku incident that sheâd only ever told Rika about. She was kind of sick of being kissed without her consent. At least Kohaku had meant something by it. This⊠this was somehow so much worse than that. âStop it,â she said, and there was no anger in her voice, just a sort of resigned, melancholy calm. Because something had clicked into place for her with that kiss, and it was not something she was ready to deal with right now. âPlease.â Her fingers curled loosely into her palm. Kiara licked her lips, mostly out of habit, finding that she was still able to taste spice on them. They tingled where his had touched them, a lingering echo of what heâd done.
But what heâd just done to her emotional well-being would last even longer than that.
She searched his face for something, unsure sheâd know it even if she found it, but then she shook her head. He never took anything all that seriously. It made him a lot of fun to be around, in most cases. She liked it about him, even. But this⊠this was too far. Kiara knew that she couldnât let him play around with her like this, because if he did, there would be no turning back for her. She needed to be taken seriously, and that just wasnât him. At least not any part of him that sheâd ever seen shown to another person.
The waterbender swallowed. âIâm sorry⊠I shouldnât have done that. Itâs⊠itâs been a long few days.â Her apology was genuine, and she bent some water from her faucet and took the seat beside him, keeping about a foot of distance. Any further, and she wouldnât be able to do this properly. âIf you donât mindâŠâ she made a vague gesture with her hands indicating that he should show her where he was in pain.
To say anything of what he was currently feeling, Haki was doing a pretty damn good job at hiding it. She had slapped him, and he supposed he deserved that, however; the tone in her voice, the shakiness, the way it sounded. It caused something inside of him to freeze, to stop. If he were not breathing, he'd have believed it to be his heart that had stopped. But he could still breath and taste the air, so his heart was still working. Perhaps, it had something to do with the irregular thump that was now present, and the way it squeezed against his chest. It didn't hurt, but the tightening feeling felt suffocating. Something flashed across his eyes, however; he was grateful, for once, that he was not looking at her. If he was, she would be able to read the broken look that had crossed him.
"My apologies, Kiara," he spoke, his voice low and solemn. Perhaps, it was his own fault for doing that. He knew what could happen if he pushed too far, and from the reaction she had, it seemed he went a little further than he should have. "I will," he continued, his voice dropping in volume as he spoke. "You do not have to be sorry for that, you were not in the wrong. I should not have done that," he added before showing her the bruised spot on his ribs. Luckily, it wasn't too high, and he only needed to lift his shirt half way up, allowing her access to the wounds for her to heal them. He glanced towards her, opening his mouth to say something, however; a knock at the door, followed by it opening, caused him to close his mouth.
"Guys?" Rika called out as she peered through the hallway, spotting Kiara and Haki. She pursed her lips together before glancing towards Kiara. "Kiara, I need your help," she spoke, taking a deep breath as she did. "It's Fang, I found him in my apartment this morning and he's in bad shape. If he doesn't get help soon...," she trailed off, her bottom lip quivering for a moment. She did not need to say anything further to imply what would happen if he wasn't helped soon. The only reason she didn't arrive sooner was because he had wanted her to stay. Haki, however, welcomed the moment, pulling away as he stared at the two.
"Fang needs your help. You should go to him," were the only words he spoke. Rika gave him a questioning glance, but shook her head.
Fortunately, by that time she was done with Hakiâs injuries anyway, and was able to stand without stumbling, though her knees still didnât feel all that stable. There was an unmistakable tension in the air now, one that had not been there before. It was almost a relief to be interrupted, and she nodded shortly to both of them. âOkay. Iâll⊠yes. Can you describe his injuries while we walk?â Sheâd be able to give quicker treatment that way.
At the doorway, she paused for a moment and threw a glance over her shoulder, but she felt that sheâd probably said too much already. Returning her eyes to the ground in front of her, she slipped out of her home behind Rika.
She could have at least waited for the both of them to wake up so they could all walk together. Amon was probably still at large, and the Equalists would not hesitate to take a person who was still physically exhausted. He had no doubt in his mind that she was mentally exhausted as well. He shook his head softly, sighing through his nose as he lifted his arm from around Kiara. He winced at the motion, holding a grunt back as he shifted himself and removed himself from the couch. Not a preferred place to sleep, however; one wasn't exactly obliged to choose where they slept when they were incapable of moving any further. Standing from his spot, he recovered Kiara with the blanket and set towards his kitchen. The least he could do was make breakfast and get something inside the both of them. All the healing, running, and fighting had taken a lot of energy. It was time to replenish it.
"Kiara, hey," he called out, setting the food on the small table in front of the couch. Gently, he placed his hand on her shoulder and gave her a gentle shake. "Turtle-Duck, you've got a cabbage slug on your face," he stated, poking her cheek in the process to see if that would wake her up. Perhaps not the brightest idea to have, however; he could deal with the consequences.
Kiara did not part from the warm comfort of sleep especially easily on the best of days, and today was far from that. She was tired, sore in places she hadnât thought it possible to be sore, and more than anything, she just wanted to sleep away the rest of the morning. Unfortunately, it did not seem that this would be possible, as something was poking her face, and someone was talking to her. Someone she knew very well, but did not usually see this early in the day? Why did something seem strange about this situation. She groaned, turning her head away from the irritation, then cracked clear blue eyes open. Despite the appearance of the color, she was in fact quite bleary at the moment, and so it took her a moment to register things properly.
âGood for the slug,â she mumbled, only half-coherently, and tried to turn the other way to go back to sleep, but this only ended up rolling her into the back of her couch. Her couch? Why was she sleeping on her couch? And why did rolling like that give her a scratchy feeling on her stomach? She didnât wear scratchy shirts toâ
Everything came rushing back then, and she sat up sharply. âItâs morning? When did IâŠ?â She didnât exactly remember falling asleep, only that sheâd been having a halfhearted argument with Haki about healing him, and then given up. Rika had been there, too, but upon inspection of the room, she could see her best friend nowhere. âWait⊠why are you up? You still havenât been healed!â There was too much to consider right at the moment, and so she settled on the most pressing matter that she could actually deal with, which was apparently scolding Haki.
Haki resisted the urge to snort when she spoke of the slug, only barely managing to keep his eyes from rolling as well. Really, if there had been a cabbage slug on her face, it'd feel a little more moist. A strange thought entered his mind as the smirk spread into a grin once more, reaching to both sides of his ears as he leaned down, however; she sat up quickly. He barely had enough time to pull back to avoid a head collision with her, and tilted his head when she began speaking. He chuckled lightly, shaking his head as he rested a hand on her shoulder. He raised an amused brow and tried to keep a laugh from escaping him.
"Well, if you want me to answer all of your questions, you should sit down first, and eat," he stated, ushering her back into a sitting position. He set the plate in front of her before taking a seat to the other side of her. "For starters, you fell asleep last night. You were tired, Turtle-Duck. And the reason why I am up is simple," he stated, smiling all the same. He picked at his breakfast, pushing past the eggs and swirling them. "I made breakfast," he replied simply, shaking his head as if he had made the most obvious statement. As for being healed, he didn't necessarily need it, though he could tell that his ribs were a little sore. They were probably broken from when the Equalist had kicked him.
"If you really want to heal me, though, wouldn't it be easier and better if you were properly clothed?" he stated, his lips tilting up in slight amusement as he pointed towards her with his spoon. Granted, he'd usually glance away, however; it was amusing to see that she had yet to notice that she wasn't exactly wearing a shirt. Covered, perhaps, but it wasn't a shirt nor anything that could be properly considered. "Not that I don't mind the view, but don't you think people would get the wrong idea?" he continued, shrugging his shoulders in a nonchalant manner before wincing. He shouldn't have done that, his side was starting to throb.
Kiara had been halfway through her plate already by the time what he was saying properly registered with her, and she looked down at herself, presently in her bindings and the pants sheâd been wearing the night previous. She remembered that sheâd needed to cut off her shirt to give herself proper medical attention⊠and then had completely forgotten to get another one. In an emergency situation like then, that was fine. She wasnât one to put modesty over practicality. But right now, eating breakfast with the blankets falling down to her waistâŠ
With false calm belied by the impressive shade of carmine red her face was turning, Kiara set aside her plate, placing her fork down on top of it and stood, clearing her throat awkwardly and walkingânot running, though it was a near thingâback to her room. She was so embarrassed! Especially because it was Haki, and, well⊠that seemed especially bad for some reason. Something she would think about later, when she wasnât quite so mortified as she was right now.
She returned to the living room a couple of minutes later, a quick wash and some new clothes going a long way towards cooling her down, but she was still definitely a bit pink under her dark complexion. Setting her plate back on her lap, she finished the breakfast heâd been kind enough to make, then washed the dishes quickly, turning back to him with her hands on her hips. By no coincidence, the tunic she currently wore was the most shapeless one she had, and her pants were baggy enough that she stepped on the ends of them with her heels when she walked around. She cleared her throat again, and was pleased when her voice came out steady. âI am not letting you leave with injuries like that,â she informed him archly, scraping for the last of her dignity to hold up in front of her like a shield against his teasing.
She gentled her voice after that, though. âI know what happened to you in there, Haki. I saw most of it. Please, I⊠I couldnât stop it then, at least⊠let me fix it now.â She looked down and to the side, either unwilling or unable to meet his eyes. She couldnât get it out of her head now that she had time to really think about it, the image of those people hurting him like that.
Haki had to keep himself from laughing at the shade of red her face turned. Really, it was just so easy to do that to her, and he found himself enjoying it often. Plus, he really did like that shade of red on her face. He watched as she calmly left the room and came back, dressed this time, properly. He leaned forward on his hand, propping his elbow up on the arm of the chair, and gave her a rather sly look, the smirk never once leaving his face. That is, until she spoke. He frowned for a fraction of a second, before sighing heavily. There was no way of getting around this. He didn't want her wasting her healing on him when she still needed rest. It would drain too much out of her. He could heal fine on his own, though perhaps a little slower, but he'd heal nonetheless. Instead, he merely shook his head, closing his eyes temporarily.
"I know... I know that you saw that, and I am sorry you had to witness that, however; you cannot tell me right now, that what I need is healing. You are not even back to full strength yet," he finally spoke, keeping his eyes closed still. "I know you want to heal me, Turtle-Duck, but you are not in the position to heal me at all right now. You still need to rest. I promise you, I'll be fine as long as I don't move too much. Just... trust me on that, okay?" he knew she wouldn't, or she would continue to insist on healing him, however; he would rather wait it out until she was at full strength again. He wasn't in such dire condition that he needed to be healed, if having a few broken ribs wasn't considered dire. At least to him, it wasn't.
"And I promise I won't leave... not yet, until you've healed me, deal?" he stated, opening his eyes to stare straight at her. She wouldn't look at him, but that was okay. He didn't need her to. He needed her to trust him, and to believe him. "Besides, even if I wanted to leave, Turtle-Duck would just drown me instead," he spoke, the smile returning to his lips. He wasn't smirking, and it wasn't a half smile. He offered her a genuine smile, one he had not worn in a very... very long time.
âStupid.â It was the first word out of her, and though she was a little surprised that sheâd said it, that was not to say she did not mean it, exactly. âIâm fine. Itâs not the first time Iâd have healed someone with my own injuries.â Besides, they werenât even that bad anymore. Sheâd had a full nightâs rest, and something to eatâshe was far from a hundred percent, but then, that could take days. And she wasnât going to leave him that long.
Her eyes were still downcast when she reached out for his sleeve, holding it loosely in her fingers and hesitating for just a moment before she stepped into his personal space and wrapped her arms loosely around him, careful not to put pressure on his injuries. âWould it kill you to just let me help you?â Her tone carried a sort of pout in it, and she felt a little pathetic about that, but there wasnât any taking it back now. He was being an idiot, thoughâdidnât he understand that she wouldnât be able to rest properly knowing that a friend was still hurting? It wasnât in her nature, just as, apparently, letting people help him when they wanted to wasnât much in his.
She pressed her cheek to his chest, and more words tumbled out of her into the silence. âI⊠I used bloodbending.â The admission made her flinch, and she pressed her lips together before continuing. âNot⊠not on purpose, but I⊠I was just so⊠desperate, when I knew they were hurting you. I thought⊠I thought they were going to kill you, and it just happened.â She felt dirty, having done something like that. Bloodbending was wicked, evil, even, and she had never before felt the desire or the need to use it. But the situation had just pulled it out of her, and she still wasnât sure she could bring herself to regret it. Not if it had spared him even a bit more pain.
Haki allowed his arms to encircle her when she pressed against him, sighing against the crown of her head as she spoke. No, perhaps it wouldn't kill him if he let her help, and even if she healed someone before, injured, he would not be the one to make her do so again. Even if it took days for her to recover, he wanted to make sure she was okay first. He smiled, though, at the tone of her voice, however; it disappeared as soon as she continued speaking. His eyes narrowed slightly, when she spoke of using bloodbending. He could feel her flinch when she spoke the words, and he only sighed heavily. He lifted himself up, pulling her away and holding her at arms length, forcing her to stare at him.
"I want you to listen to me, Kiara," he spoke, his tone set in a way he had never used before. It was serious, all trace of amusement gone. "I am sorry, for making you do that, even if it was to help me, I am sorry," he stated, his eyes never leaving hers. He could sense the way it made her feel, and he regretted it. Why? Because it was partially his fault. "But do not think for a moment, that it makes you a bad person. Bloodbending is not necessarily a bad thing. It is only so when those who use it, use it for impure purposes and intentions. You... saved my life, Kiara. If you had not, I would not be alive right now," and that was partially true. If the Equalist had managed to kick him another time, it would have truly fractured his rib, and pierced his lung.
He would have drowned to death on his own blood. He sighed softly through his nose, relaxing his arms as he did so. "So thank you, Turtle-Duck. If you are still so insistent on healing me," he began, a familiar light returning to his eyes as he stared at her. "I want a kiss first," he spoke, the smirk belying the fact that he was serious.
Of course. Of course it wasnât that she was automatically a terrible person for using bloodbending. Of course he was rightâbut that didnât chase away the feeling of guilt at the pit of her stomach, like a child that knows she has pushed the rules just a little too far and got someone hurt in the process. It was just such a taboo matter in the tribes; she had difficulty seeing past the way sheâd been raised, but she tried to, because she didnât want to seem like she regretted helping him. Because she didnât, not one bit. Sheâd do it over again, as many times as she had to, if it saved him. She knew that like she knew nothing else, and the realization centered her a little, allowing her to nod slightly, as if to say that she understood, that she was okay. But nothing was really okay anymore, was it? Not when there were still people out there trying and succeeding in hurting so many. Her breath hitched at how close they had come to being just more casualties of this conflict, but his next words brought an abrupt halt to her thoughts.
âA-a w-what?â She was immediately caught off-guard, but then studied his facial expression. He was smirking at her, the bastard! Here she was, caught up in thoughts about terrible things, and heâd already moved back into joking with her. Kiara compressed her lips into a thin line, narrowing her eyes with disapproval. Well, she wasnât in much of a mood to deal with his antics right now.
âYou better hold to your word, Haki Soen, or Iâm telling everyone youâre a rotten liar.â She raised an eyebrow at him, cocking her head to the side and relaxing her facial expression into something more neutral. She was interested to see what heâd do, honestly, though why she was so curious was not something she could explain to herself just yet. The palm of one hand reached up and cupped the side of his face, and slowly, Kiara raised herself onto her toes, watching keenly for any sort of reaction. She made it to an inch from his mouth, her breath fanning over his jaw such that they breathed the very same air, and hovered for just a moment before she diverted as intended, brushing her lips with the lightest of feathered touches over his cheekbone, then landing back on her heels and putting both hands on her hips.
âNow sit down.â She wasnât sure why her heart was thundering so loudly in her ears, but she didnât have time to worry about it right now.
Haki blinked, his breathing a little more labored than he could recall it. His eyes were slightly glazed, and her words barely registered in his head when she spoke, telling him to sit. He, at first, did not oblige, instead, remaining in his spot. He blinked down at her, studying her for a moment before the very same smirk grew across his lips. He took a step forward, hooking an arm around her waist, and the other snaking to the back of her neck, his index finger curling around a strand of her hair. He pulled her closer, the grin never leaving his face as he lowered himself closer to hers. He remained there, lips just a hairsbreadth apart, for what seemed like hours, however; it was mere minutes. Slowly, he covered the remaining distance, and placed a chaste kiss upon her lips. He lingered for a moment, before pulling away, a look of triumph crossing his eyes.
"That, Turtle-Duck, is a kiss. This," he spoke, brushing his lips as lightly as she had, across her own cheekbone, "is not." He released her, hands falling back to his side as he finally did as he was told, sitting and making himself comfortable on her couch. Lifting his gaze to her, he patted the spot next to him for her to join him. "You wanted to heal me, remember?" he spoke, the grin never leaving his face.
Kiara stood in dumbfounded silence for exactly three seconds before her open palm cracked across his cheek. Her face was flushed, her breathing hitched and irregular, but her eyes registered a mixture of upset, hurt, and mostly confusion. She felt bad for hitting an injured person, terrible for hitting him in general, but it had been her first instinct, probably in part because of the Kohaku incident that sheâd only ever told Rika about. She was kind of sick of being kissed without her consent. At least Kohaku had meant something by it. This⊠this was somehow so much worse than that. âStop it,â she said, and there was no anger in her voice, just a sort of resigned, melancholy calm. Because something had clicked into place for her with that kiss, and it was not something she was ready to deal with right now. âPlease.â Her fingers curled loosely into her palm. Kiara licked her lips, mostly out of habit, finding that she was still able to taste spice on them. They tingled where his had touched them, a lingering echo of what heâd done.
But what heâd just done to her emotional well-being would last even longer than that.
She searched his face for something, unsure sheâd know it even if she found it, but then she shook her head. He never took anything all that seriously. It made him a lot of fun to be around, in most cases. She liked it about him, even. But this⊠this was too far. Kiara knew that she couldnât let him play around with her like this, because if he did, there would be no turning back for her. She needed to be taken seriously, and that just wasnât him. At least not any part of him that sheâd ever seen shown to another person.
The waterbender swallowed. âIâm sorry⊠I shouldnât have done that. Itâs⊠itâs been a long few days.â Her apology was genuine, and she bent some water from her faucet and took the seat beside him, keeping about a foot of distance. Any further, and she wouldnât be able to do this properly. âIf you donât mindâŠâ she made a vague gesture with her hands indicating that he should show her where he was in pain.
To say anything of what he was currently feeling, Haki was doing a pretty damn good job at hiding it. She had slapped him, and he supposed he deserved that, however; the tone in her voice, the shakiness, the way it sounded. It caused something inside of him to freeze, to stop. If he were not breathing, he'd have believed it to be his heart that had stopped. But he could still breath and taste the air, so his heart was still working. Perhaps, it had something to do with the irregular thump that was now present, and the way it squeezed against his chest. It didn't hurt, but the tightening feeling felt suffocating. Something flashed across his eyes, however; he was grateful, for once, that he was not looking at her. If he was, she would be able to read the broken look that had crossed him.
"My apologies, Kiara," he spoke, his voice low and solemn. Perhaps, it was his own fault for doing that. He knew what could happen if he pushed too far, and from the reaction she had, it seemed he went a little further than he should have. "I will," he continued, his voice dropping in volume as he spoke. "You do not have to be sorry for that, you were not in the wrong. I should not have done that," he added before showing her the bruised spot on his ribs. Luckily, it wasn't too high, and he only needed to lift his shirt half way up, allowing her access to the wounds for her to heal them. He glanced towards her, opening his mouth to say something, however; a knock at the door, followed by it opening, caused him to close his mouth.
"Guys?" Rika called out as she peered through the hallway, spotting Kiara and Haki. She pursed her lips together before glancing towards Kiara. "Kiara, I need your help," she spoke, taking a deep breath as she did. "It's Fang, I found him in my apartment this morning and he's in bad shape. If he doesn't get help soon...," she trailed off, her bottom lip quivering for a moment. She did not need to say anything further to imply what would happen if he wasn't helped soon. The only reason she didn't arrive sooner was because he had wanted her to stay. Haki, however, welcomed the moment, pulling away as he stared at the two.
"Fang needs your help. You should go to him," were the only words he spoke. Rika gave him a questioning glance, but shook her head.
Fortunately, by that time she was done with Hakiâs injuries anyway, and was able to stand without stumbling, though her knees still didnât feel all that stable. There was an unmistakable tension in the air now, one that had not been there before. It was almost a relief to be interrupted, and she nodded shortly to both of them. âOkay. Iâll⊠yes. Can you describe his injuries while we walk?â Sheâd be able to give quicker treatment that way.
At the doorway, she paused for a moment and threw a glance over her shoulder, but she felt that sheâd probably said too much already. Returning her eyes to the ground in front of her, she slipped out of her home behind Rika.