The Sake of Hope

I guess it wasn't so much the kiss that shocked me- secretly I had been imagining kissing Lee for many weeks, much to my own annoyance. What really shocked me was that he was the one who initiated it. In all of my fantasies, I never pegged Lee to be the one doing the kissing. He just didn't seem like the type. He didn't even seem like he liked me that much. Something must have changed.
As if an answer to my thoughts, he pulled off of me much sooner than I would have liked, and I hadn't even opened my eyes yet. When I had, the uncomfortable look on Lee's face was a little less than an encouraging thought.
"I... uh..." was all he could muster.
"Geeze, Lee. Don't look so scared," I said, blushing already.
"It's not that. I mean... well... It was a little sudden. Sorry," he said, looking down.
"Don't be," I told him, pecking him on the cheek. "It was nice," and he smiled back.
We waded our way to shore, soaked almost entirely, and tried our best to dry out. Lee had taken off his outer robe and was trying to wash the mud I'd smeared on it off as best he could. I, on the other hand, was just trying to get my hair to quit dripping.
"Lee, you know I could get that out faster, right?" I said, watching him scrub feverishly. He looked at me, confused.
"Earthbender, remember?" I said, rolling my eyes. I couldn't believe he had already forgotten.
"Oh... right. I just, I mean, I thought you'd stopped."
"What, because of you? Well, you tell me- are you going to turn me in?" I said, seriously. He looked a little insulted.
"I wouldn't have turned you in. I couldn't," he said, more honest with himself than he had been in awhile. I smiled.
I walked over to his robes, and with a flick of my wrist I had delicately removed the dirt that was embedded into the cloth.
"Impressive," he said, smirking.
"Oh please. You've obviously never seen serious bending," I said, returning to fixing my hair.
His face was white, and he was rubbing the back of his neck.
"Yah... not me," he said, his voice a little fainter. "So... have you done anymore paintings... or carvings, or whatever you call them?" he said, desperate to change the subject.
"Yah actually," I replied, and looked at him smugly. "Do you want to see?" and he smiled and nodded eagerly.
We reached my private little spot and I pulled back some plants for him to see one I did of a fish I'd been watching in the lake.
"It's perfect. It looks so real," he said, truly in awe.
"Well, it was," I said giving him a funny look.
"Do you have any others?" he asked, pushing back more branches, his eyes scouring the ground.
"Um.. well, yes, but they're, well... they're not quite finished," I said, trying to keep him away from my latest one , but he beat me to it. He'd found the one I was currently working on, and he just stared at it.
"It's... it's me," he said, in awe.
"Well, give me a break, Lee. It's not quite you yet. It's not very good. Besides, it's really not even finished yet, so don't worry about it, that's not what I think of you," I said, laughing, in attempt to draw his attention from the unfinished relief. It was him sitting on the old bench outside of my aunt's garden in the back of the house. There were a few things added in the scenery, but it was without a doubt mostly a portrait- a very poor one at that. It took a lot of my concentration to do my carvings, and required me intently staring at my subject, which, even I'll admit, I didn't do too often to anyone, especially Lee. He could have been any boy sitting on a bench, honestly. The only things that gave him away were his robes, and, of course, his eyes. The right one was generic- it was Lee's, but only a choice few people could pick it out. The left one, however, was unmistakable. That was why I didn't want him to see it.
"My scar," he said. "You didn't finish the scar," he added quietly.
It was true. It was merely an outline, with a fainter one inside to distinguish the darker part of the scar. I wanted very much to stare at his face for hours, if not because of how I felt about him, but how much I wanted to finish this work. It had so many lines, so many depressions and points of prominence that set it apart from anything else in this world. That was what I needed. I had to set him apart from any other boy on a bench. He had done that for me, and I had to do it for him.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to see this one..." I said, embarrassed. He looked at me.
"Why not? It's good. You just need more details. I don't mind, honest," he said, and grabbed my hand and smiled. "You should have me pose sometime. Just sit, so you could finish it." I wasn't so sure.
"I don't know Lee... I don't know if I would feel right..."
"Think about it," he told me. And I knew I would.

***

"Lee, do you plan on wearing your good clothes tonight? I really think you should," Mushi asked his nephew, who was behind the changing screen, pulling on robes.
"Yes, Uncle. I will look fine," he said, and stepped out, in his nice robes. Even so, he looked at himself in the mirror, in a vain attempt to smoothen his unruly hair. It was almost embarrassing for him to see himself caring so much, but he couldn't stop.
"You look fine, Nephew. I am sure Sake will think so as well," he said, looking away from his nephew so he couldn't see the smile he wore. Lee's face dropped in surprise and turned crimson. His gaze was stolen from the mirror and darted to his uncle.
"Why would Sake care?" he asked, trying, in vain, to play it cool.
"Lee, I have seen the two of you look at each other recently, and I am sure she cares more than you lead on," he said, turning, still smiling.
"Well... uh... we just... I mean," Lee tried to think of something decently intelligent to say, but was failing miserably. His uncle cut his stammering off.
"And I couldn't be happier for you," he said, genuinely, resting a hand on Lee's shoulder. Lee finally relaxed and smiled back.
"And besides," his uncle started, "This means I'm closer to being a great-uncle!" and he smiled delightfully. Lee's face was that of shock once again.
"Uncle!"

***

The reason for all of the fine clothes and the groomed hair was, in fact, a party, in the great hall in the center of town. One of the most popular- and richest (at least as rich as someone living in a town captured by the Fire Nation can be)- elders was turning 103. The old man was grouchy, stubborn, and a bit of a bore at this point, but, still, he knew how to throw a party. The whole town was invited.
So, Aunt Jun, my brothers, her seven demons, and I got all dressed up, and Mushi and Lee came as well. It was quite the event, and when we got there, the music had already started and the buffet tables had been filled. My cousins jumped right in the middle to find all of their individual friends and my brothers, not being quite as outgoing, decided to eat first. Aunt Jun and Mushi mingled with the adults, which left Lee and I. We too grabbed a few things from the buffet table, but I wanted to dance mostly, and soon.
"Ok, but don't eat too much, Lee. I plan on showing you a few dance steps," I said, taking a sip of my tea. He nearly choked on his roll.
"Um... I'm not really the dancing type. Maybe I could just stay back..." he fumbled.
"Oh please. This is the occasion of the year. The best musicians are here to play. We even have a tsungi horn player from Omashu! You have to dance!" I said, pleading with my eyes.
"Well... maybe."
Finally, I had convinced Botan to come out onto the floor with me, which helped get Lee out of his seat as well. Natsu stayed behind, little to my surprise. I never expected him to open up tonight or any other night for that matter.
There were a few fun numbers, where I could teach Lee the steps, which were already thought up and put to the songs. He was awkward and quiet, but I assured him no one was watching him. There were already too many people here making fools of themselves to worry about him doing so.
He just frowned at me.
The entire night, though, I did notice at least two sets of eyes on Lee and I constantly, as I'm sure he did as well- Aunt Jun and Mushi. It was very obvious that they knew how close Lee and I had become and were becoming, and they were delighted, though it was a bit intimidating.
To my upset, though, there were a few other people watching as well. My friends had noticed my interest in Lee- one of them being Luke. They said nothing to me all night, apparently siding with Luke.
"There's a group of people staring at us, Sake. I think one is that boy you took to the dance," Lee said to me, as we took a small break to get something to drink. As uncomfortable as it made me, and even though Lee's noticing made it worse, I tried not to show it. I didn't want to show it. I didn't owe any of them anything and I was having far too much fun to let them ruin it.
"So... does that make you jealous?" I asked Lee, a twinkle in my eye. It caught him completely off guard, and it took him a moment to regain composure and answer.
"Only a little," he said, smirking. The song playing had ended, and they announced their last song for the night- a slow, beautiful number. I'd heard the melody in an old lullaby Aunt Jun would sing my cousins. I had to dance with Lee, and now. The other two slow numbers that were played, Lee had managed to avoid- either because of an empty stomach or a bathroom break.
"Well, seeing as we're already being watched, let's go ahead and dance, shall we?" I asked him, and this time, he didn't try to escape.
The entire time I'm sure Luke stared, and Aunt Jun, and Lee's uncle, Mushi. I bet my cousins stared, and possibly some older people, like Luke's father, and the local grocer.
But, I know for a fact, that Lee's eyes were on me the entire time