"It's too hot," the Water Tribe youth complained. No, not a youth, he'd bitched like a noblewoman with a broken comb when Bumi had called him that earlier. He was a man, never mind he was young enough to be the earthbender's own son.
Pakku's heavy parka hit the floor of Bumi's bedroom, and the earthbender wondered what possessed him to keep the waterbender here.
Oh, right, the youth didn't like anyone else, and he was upset enough over the Fire Nation skirmishes, high-strung enough over whatever had dragged him out of the North in the first place, and powerful enough to be very, very dangerous. He didn't trust anyone except Bumi, and putting him by himself seemed like a shot of dumb idea with a bad plan chaser. Not the fun kind, either.
"Still too hot," Pakku grumbled, unbuttoning the lighter jacket he wore underneath his parka. That and his boots soon hit the floor, and he flopped down on the bed. He wriggled as he tried to get comfortable, black hair fanning out around his head.
'Of all the luck to get a boy,' one of his guards had complained. 'Water Tribe women move like nothing else, and I haven't seen one since I was sixteen.'
Water Tribe men, it turned out, moved like nothing else either. Bumi hadn't quite realized how- not like anyone else Pakku moved when they'd been fighting.
"Hot!" Pakku said again, fumbling at his belt buckle. That came undone in a flash of silver, then he slithered out of his pants to reveal another set.
"... How many layers are you wearing?" Bumi asked, propping himself up on one elbow to look at the youth.
"Only two," Pakku replied absently. "Agh, why is it so hot? It wasn't this hot on the trail!"
He pulled his shirt off over his head, revealing wraps of white cloth covering his chest and arms. Then he slithered out of his second pair of pants, and Bumi could see that the cloth-wraps went down the Water Tribe youth's legs and protected his modesty.
Well, as much as wrapped cloth could protect modesty.
Which was enough to give Bumi a pretty good guess as to what the Water Tribe ladies would be enjoying whenever Pakku got back there.
Bumi stretched and turned over in the bed, putting his back to the Water Tribe youth. His eyes were wide in the dark, and he tried to ignore the rustle of cloth as Pakku settled on top of the covers.
Aang had kissed him once, he recalled. He'd looked at the other boy oddly; they'd been busy and Aang definitely wasn't a girl. But Pakku wore his hair long and he moved differently than Earth Kingdom men did. It was- confusing bits of him into thinking of the youth as a girl.
He needed to convince the boy to have his own room. Some possibilities he shouldn't open his brain to, not at all.
Bonus: Bumi/Pakku
"It's too hot," the Water Tribe youth complained. No, not a youth, he'd bitched like a noblewoman with a broken comb when Bumi had called him that earlier. He was a man, never mind he was young enough to be the earthbender's own son.
Pakku's heavy parka hit the floor of Bumi's bedroom, and the earthbender wondered what possessed him to keep the waterbender here.
Oh, right, the youth didn't like anyone else, and he was upset enough over the Fire Nation skirmishes, high-strung enough over whatever had dragged him out of the North in the first place, and powerful enough to be very, very dangerous. He didn't trust anyone except Bumi, and putting him by himself seemed like a shot of dumb idea with a bad plan chaser. Not the fun kind, either.
"Still too hot," Pakku grumbled, unbuttoning the lighter jacket he wore underneath his parka. That and his boots soon hit the floor, and he flopped down on the bed. He wriggled as he tried to get comfortable, black hair fanning out around his head.
'Of all the luck to get a boy,' one of his guards had complained. 'Water Tribe women move like nothing else, and I haven't seen one since I was sixteen.'
Water Tribe men, it turned out, moved like nothing else either. Bumi hadn't quite realized how- not like anyone else Pakku moved when they'd been fighting.
"Hot!" Pakku said again, fumbling at his belt buckle. That came undone in a flash of silver, then he slithered out of his pants to reveal another set.
"... How many layers are you wearing?" Bumi asked, propping himself up on one elbow to look at the youth.
"Only two," Pakku replied absently. "Agh, why is it so hot? It wasn't this hot on the trail!"
He pulled his shirt off over his head, revealing wraps of white cloth covering his chest and arms. Then he slithered out of his second pair of pants, and Bumi could see that the cloth-wraps went down the Water Tribe youth's legs and protected his modesty.
Well, as much as wrapped cloth could protect modesty.
Which was enough to give Bumi a pretty good guess as to what the Water Tribe ladies would be enjoying whenever Pakku got back there.
Bumi stretched and turned over in the bed, putting his back to the Water Tribe youth. His eyes were wide in the dark, and he tried to ignore the rustle of cloth as Pakku settled on top of the covers.
Aang had kissed him once, he recalled. He'd looked at the other boy oddly; they'd been busy and Aang definitely wasn't a girl. But Pakku wore his hair long and he moved differently than Earth Kingdom men did. It was- confusing bits of him into thinking of the youth as a girl.
He needed to convince the boy to have his own room. Some possibilities he shouldn't open his brain to, not at all.