So I'm currently benching Avatar the last airbender, and I just love it so much. I am almost done with the first season, and I just couldn't help myself writing this while I watched.
   Hope you enjoy!

p.s I'm sorry if I have gotten anything avatar-ish wrong, I am watching it on Swedish and Swedish is so bad at translating somethings, so if you wish me to correct a name or something, just comment and I shall do my best!

Now Leo wasn't the bravest fire bender, all of the other soldiers were much more hyped about the up coming fight, Leo was more scared than anything else. All he wanted was to go home, home to his family, home to his mother that was one of the few to disagree with the Fire Lord. All Leo wanted was to not be here.
   The earth kingdom was wast and the Fire Lord had decided that they should attack a small village. A simple village that looked so much like Leo's own. Except where Leo's village was all red and flames everywhere, this villages was one with nature. Elegant grass roofs, simple stone huts, the trees grew close enough to some of the huts and homes so that a few kids climbed on them from their own windows. Other times the trees were one with the buildings.
   "I take Zhang, McClean, Octavian, and Katie," one boy said out loud, they were all lurking behind bushes so that the people wouldn't see them, "Grace you take the B squad, and Tyler you take the rest."
   Everyone spread out, Leo tried to walk as quietly as he could but he could tell from the glances of his fellow friends that he was making far to much noise. Leo wasn't exactly gracious, or good at sneaking. Hell Leo would have been less seen if he had simply walked into the village with his sword and fire bending.
   "Valdez I swear to the Fire Lord that when we come back I will punish  you," a girl hissed behind him when he accidentally stepped on a twig and sent rocks tumbling.
   "I'm trying," Leo protested.
   "Not enough," she pushed him out in the open.
   Leo stood there, on the outskirt of the village, fully visible in his fire nation armor. Some grown ups turned towards him and gawked, children started crying knowing all to well what was going to happen. Teenagers went to find weapons to help the men stand up against the attacker. 
   The problem was that the only thing Leo was good at was fire bending, but he didn't want to use it on people. 
   One time when he had been younger he had accidentally burned his best friend, her hands had terrible scars still. The smell of her burning flesh, the sound of her cries... no he would never again use fire on a person.
   So he did the next logical thing, he raised his arms in defeat, surrendering was the only option for him. At least until the rest of his squad came out to rescue him, which they probably wouldn't since everyone of them hated him.
   A big man walked up to him, it was clear that he was an earth bender, with all those muscles he could break Leo in half. Leo was scrawny, and even in an armor he was still more like a twig than someone to pick a fight with.
   "State your business soldier," the man barked at him.
   Now... he could tell the truth that his fellow soldiers were lurking in the woods, waiting for an opportunity to attack. Or he could lie, saying that he had gotten lost and didn't mean to cause trouble. Or he could do both. Well not flat out tell the villagers that they were being attacked and that he was lost, but a version of it.
   "Well?"
   "I-i... well you see good sir, I..." Leo cleared his throat, clearly awkward. 
   The man nodded towards someone behind him, he felt a hot breath on the back of his neck, "hold up one finger if there are others of your kind here, or hold up two if you are alone."
   Behind him was a boy, from the sound of it not much older than himself. Leo thought for a minute and then decided to be truthful, after all he could feel the blade that the boy held against his back, right were his armor was in two parts, one stab and Leo's spine would be two spines.
   So he held up one finger.
   "Hold up one finger if they are going to attack us, hold up two if you don't know." when he once again held up one the boy behind him snorted, "hold up one if they kicked you out."
   Leo waited for a minute, he kept waiting until he realized that the boy wouldn't give him an option two on that one. With a defeated sigh he held up one finger and the boy actually laughed, a dark and sooth laugh that sent shivers down Leo's spine. Hearing that laugh made him happy.
   "Hold up one if your going to help us, or hold up two if you are just going to sit here while we are being attacked."
   Leo thought for a moment before he opened his mouth instead of using his fingers, "well if I help you, what would I get?"
   "Not killed?" the boy asked.
   "How about a date?" Leo asked with his most charming smile, even though the boy couldn't see it he could clearly hear it.
   "How about I stab you?" the boy asked, "he's good Butch, just another runty kid like yourself."
   The knife disappeared from Leo's back and soon he was able to look at the boy that had threatened his life. The boy had wavy black hair that reached his shoulders, he had dark eyes that were filled with sadness and madness. His clothes were dark shades of green, obviously he had tried to dye them black but had failed terribly.
   "Wait is Butch the same age as us?" Leo turned around to stare at the one he had mistaken for being a man, he was clean shaven, huge muscles, he was huge!
   "Yeah so?" Butch grumbled.
   "Nothing, nothing, hey looking good," Leo said quickly and offered a wink that Butch couldn't see because he still had his helmet on.

   "Watch out for him, he is the flirty type," the boy said and shoved him with his shoulder as he walked passed him.
   "Hey Nico, your on watch duty, looks like you'll be getting nice and cozy with this one until he speaks about their plans." Butch called after the boy.
   A loudly huff escaped Nico's lips, he snatched Leo's hand and dragged him into one of the houses.

"Do you earthbend?" Leo asked, his armor was off and Nico had lent him some clothes, it was heaven sent, the armor had been hot and even for a fire bender it had been to much.
   "Why you ask?" Nico sat in the corner of the small house and carved a lump of wood.
   "You are kind of scrawny," Leo stated.

   "So are you, doesn't stop you from being a fire bender."
   "Why haven't you asked about our attack plans yet, I mean we could attack at any moment and you are just sitting there!"
   "Are you?" Nico raised an eyebrow even though he wasn't looking at Leo.
   "Not until dark," Leo grumbled obviously displeased about the fact that Nico didn't talk to him.
   "You want to know the trick with you?" Nico ask laying aside his carving and walked up to sit in front of Leo. "You are so desperate for someone to talk too that you will spill every secret you have without me even talking. Kind of sad."

   "Not as sad as you, do you even have friends?" Leo shot back, far to hurt to even care.
   "Sure I do," Nico shrugged and stood up again, he checked the ropes around Leo's arms.
   "Butch? Didn't look like it, I mean I have hardly been here for more than five hours but to be honest Nico... no one has come in here to keep you company or even checked that you are still alive."
   "Isn't Butch." Nico shrugged again and went back to his corner and picked up his carving.
   "Do you even have family here? I know my little sister would be dying to know if I was still alive or not." Leo continued. "I bet you aren't an earth bender, not because you are scrawny, but because if you were, you would be out there planning for a good enough defense against my army."
   "I'm the best fighter." Nico said with venom in his voice.

   "And still you are looking after me, a guy who clearly doesn't even need to be bound to a chair, I am as harmless as a cat." Leo scoffed.

   "Cat has claws." Nico threw away his carving and walked towards Leo with his knife raised. "And I have met some rather unpleasant cats in my years."
   Nico sliced the knife and Leo closed his eyes. The cold steel didn't touch him, maybe the pain would come later? Slowly Leo opened his eyes to see that Nico had cut the ropes.
   "Why?"
   "Because I am going to show something to you."

The clearing was peaceful, birds sang in the trees, insects buzzed, the creek flowed slowly through the clearing making Leo relax at once.

   Nico stood in the creek, the water was shallow and didn't even reach Nico's ankles. Leo stood a few paces behind him. The sun came through the leaves warming Leo's hands. He started a small flame that he played with, much like rolling a coin between his fingers Leo did the same but with the fire.
   Nico flicked his wrist and water splashed away the flames that Leo had created.
   "You're not an earth bender, you're a water bender!" Leo almost screamed with surprise.
   Nico flicked his wrist and did an elegant move that sent water into Leo's face.
   "Thanks," Leo smiled.
   "And I don't have friends nor family here. They are in the north." Nico confessed. "I miss them, but why would a soldier like you care?"
   "I'm fifteen and a soldier, my mother and sister are home in the fire nation. All i want is to be with them right now, I know what it's like to be lonely." Leo said biting back tears. "I don't agree with the Fire Lord, if I could, I would take my family and hide them away in Ba Sing Se."
   "Fire Nation has control there." Nico stated, "only safe places is among the Kyoshi warriors, and at the northern Water tribe."
   "They have taken Ba Sing Se?" 
   "Azula, your precious fire princess has. A spy of ours told us last week."
   "The crazy princess? The world is ending huh?" Leo asked sinking down to the ground, it was a long way home, and an even longer journey to take to get his family safe.
   "We have our hopes on the Avatar."
   "Why aren't you home?" Leo asked.
   "I only have my sister left, she is in the south right now, checking how things are going, making sure that our sister nation is surviving. I was sent to Ba Sing Se, I barley escaped when Azula took over. Now I'm awaiting orders from my king. I guess he hasn't gotten my messages yet." Nico explained.
   "If I help the people here, and then take you to the fire nation to pick up my family, would you help us to the north?" Leo asked hopeful, "I would do anything for you."
   "Deal."

Nico and Leo laid ambush behind Leo's old troop. The other soldiers hummed and laughed as they waited for the sun to set. Their bending was much more powerful at day but they thought that they could surprise the poor villagers if they attacked at nightfall. That and they needed to re group after kicking Leo out.
   "You know the plan?" Nico asked.
   "Yep." Leo nodded and walked into the camp of fire benders. "Sup me homies!"
   "Valdez," the girl sneered, her name was Clarisse and Leo hated her more than anything. "You survived."

   "Obviously, and look what I got," he shoved Nico to the ground, the loose rope around Nico's hands granted him the power to bend but was hard enough not to give the fire benders any suspicions. 
   "What's that? Another runt like you?" Clarisse laughed.
   "The best fighter in the village." Leo corrected her with a powerful voice, "am I still a runt?"
   "Short answer yes. You took down one fighter, Squad A and B are still out there looking for a way in."
   "You know where they are? Cause I found a way in." Leo grinned playfully.
   "Position K and P." Clarisse said nonchalantly.
   Leo ran over the map in his head, so they were close to the front of the village. That was good, that was were Leo thought they would be. He had positioned Butch there with the best of the earth benders, the rest were at the sides. Leo had thought that they wouldn't enter were they had pushed Leo in, which meant that leaving that side wide open wasn't a perfect plan but rather good than anything else. Plus the villages was small and the population even thinner. If they were to win they couldn't cover the whole village.
   "Cool-"
   "What do you mean cool, they will slaughter my people!" Nico cut off in the most dramatic way ever, just like they had planned. "We are defenseless."

   "Good thing for us then." Clarisse said and motioned for the others to get up and prepare for attack.
   "I guess we can say that we are lucky that you shoved me out of those bushes." Leo said and shot fire against Clarisse's face.
   Nico got up from the ground and willed the water to lash out and freeze the rest of the soldiers to the ground.
   "Traitor!" Clarisse roared and sent a fire ball to Leo who easily picked it up himself and tossed it between his hands. 
   "We both know I'm better at bending than you." Leo put out the fire in his hand.
   Meanwhile Nico had frozen most of the soldiers, the ones that had broken free were knocked down by water whips, Nico was powerful in his right element, it was just good luck for him that the camp was right beside another creek.
   Clarisse took out her sword, "we both know that I'm better with a sword."
   She lashed out and tried to chop his arm off. She took a step back to send him another blow. Leo who had always been light on his feet side stepped, ducked and jumped away from Clarisse and her sword.
   Leo controlled the fire to engulf him as a shield, when he saw an opportunity he sent away small fire balls, and blasts. Clarisse took the blows and sent the fire behind her making the trees light up like candles.
   Nico swiftly put them out once he had the other knocked out and tied up. Between Nico and Clarisse, Nico was the superior swordsman. 
   "It's just you left Clarisse. The villagers have taken care of the others, it's just you." Leo hissed out sending her yet another fire ball to tackle.
   "Surrender." Nico said, his sword high and ready.
   "It was a good thing that I sent that hawk to the Fire Lord," Clarisse hummed, she was fearless were she stood, she didn't care for the fire or the sword.
   "What did you write to him about?" Leo lowered the fire around him, his heart pounding with fear, he was the complete opposite of Clarisse.
   "Oh, just a woman that opposed him, you know what he did to the queen, he is surely not soft hearted about delirious women." She twirled her sword around, "You know, he was quick to reply, their execution is scheduled to tomorrow."
   "How did you have the time?" his tears were soon spilling down his cheeks but he bit his cheeks in an last attempt to stop them.
   "I wrote right after I shoved you out of that bush, I know you Valdez, I knew you would go with the villagers, you are soft and weak." she took a step back, "also we are the closest we can come to our home. Our hawks have trained well."

   "My mother!" Leo screamed, a fire started in the woods, crackling fire that sent a heat wave over them.
   "And of course your sister too, that baby is just like your mother. What is she, ten?" Clarisse asked mockingly.
   "Fourteen."
   "Oh that's right, a year younger than you..." she hummed and the smiled, "she is training too isn't she, to join the army. Her fire bending is good, not good enough though, she will die, with your mother, I just hope the Fire Lord has come up with a good execution. To bad you can't be there, takes to long to travel by boat. And your an outcast now either way, you would die if ever stepped a foot in the Fire Nation again."
   "You are a horrible person! You are mad!" Leo screamed with rage, sending sparks flying, he didn't care about the fire that tore this forest apart.
   "Didn't you know, I learned from the best," Clarisse purred, taking another step back.
   "You're as mad as the princess." Nico hissed, his sword long forgotten, he knew that Clarisse would run soon, no idea to waste energy in a battle that already was lost.
   Clarisse shrugged and ran away.
   Leo let himself cry, he cried and cried, and wailed, his heart was broken, he had lost everything. He had nothing to return too.
   The safe embrace of another person willed him to sleep, to exhausted to care if he would live to see tomorrow or not.

Traveling with Nico was quiet. Nico talked, a lot more than he had too, probably because he missed how chatty Leo had been those few hours at the earth village. They traveled by boat, on foot, and whatever they could get their hands on, Nico's voice always present. 
   Still it was quiet, Leo hardly heard anything, his heart hardly even beating. He only ate when Nico forced him too, something that didn't happen so often since they didn't have money to buy food with.
   The further north they came, the colder it got, the more Nico had to fight to keep them alive. Leo had kind of stopped caring, sure he helped Nico when he was asked too, he wouldn't let Nico die too, but other than that he didn't care.
   "Leo, we will be there tomorrow, don't use your fire, promise me." Nico urged him as they sat by the small camp fire they had.
   Leo had fought to keep it going, they needed it to not freeze to death. Leo often send hot breaths over his hands to keep them warm, a dragons breath was always warm and kept his hands warmer than normal camp fire would.
   "Leo please say something, it has been two months, please say one word." Nico begged.
   Leo stared at him, those dark eyes were warm in the light of the fire, Nico's dark hair shined, he had gotten tanner since they left the village. Mostly because they had been outdoors every single moment since they had left.
   "One word." Nico begged.
   Leo laid down and pretended to fall asleep, even though most nights were filled with nightmares now a days. He had hardly slept. Every day was a chore, only reason he was still here was because Nico needed his fire to survive the cold.

Their small boat wouldn't have made the trip if it hadn't been for Nico. Nico who skilled fully used his water bending for keeping them a float and keeping them moving forward.
   Leo would have given Nico thanks for taking him with him home, but the words couldn't leave his lips. They were seal shut.
   Nico talked about his father, and his sister, and he talked about his people. He told Leo about the northern tribe, how amazing it was. How good Leo would feel, how safe he would become.
   Leo would have asked how far they had left to travel but his lips wouldn't move.
   Nico chatted away, he had even started humming on an old song to keep their moods up. Leo was just glad that he was stuck with Nico and no one else. Over the last month that they had been together, Leo had grown fond of him, he had actually started to like him. During the night when Nico slept Leo would answer all the questions that Nico had asked him. Leo had talked and talked and talked until his throat was sore. But when Nico was awake he pretended to be mute.
   "One time-" Nico screamed in surprise when their small boat rocked and almost sent him overboard.
   "Nico!" Leo took Nico's hand in a tight grip to keep him steady.
   Leo hadn't time to make sure Nico was okay, ice had crept up their boat making it impossible for them to keep going. But it wasn't the ice that worried Leo, it was the men on the boats that worried him. The men held spears, spears pointed at Nico.
   "Stop can't you see he is one of you!" Leo scream at them, "take me but leave him alone."
   Nico tugged at Leo's hand sending him a smile, he turned towards the closest boat, "tell my father I am home."

"Why didn't you tell me you were the prince?" Leo asked.
   "Cause I don't care for that title. I am nothing more than just me. My father is the king of the northern tribe, my sister is the heir, I am a long way from the throne, a simple foot soldier for my father's army, an excellent spy."
   "You're his only son." Leo argued.
   "You will be staying close to me in the palace." Nico said ignoring Leo, he lead him through the ice palace, "and I am going to bring you some warmer clothes."

   The last comment was because Leo used his dragon breath on his hands again. 
   "Yeah and I remember, no fire." Leo grumbled.
   Nico took his hand again, "you know, I heard you talking most nights." he lead them into a big room, full of animals skins, and cozy lanterns. On the ground was a huge bed, not the normal kind, but a place full of animal skins and then a big sleeping bag. The platform was of solid ice. Leo was impressed.
   "Is this my room?"

   "No it's mine." Nico said dragging him to the far end were clothes hanged. "Do you mind?"
   Nico looked down at Leo's chest and then to the clothes. Leo shook his head. With swift hands Nico stripped Leo of his shirt and quickly replaced it with a warm undershirt and pulled down a nice warm coat/jacket/thingy on top. Leo wouldn't have to use his fire ever again.
   "I'll give you warmer pants and boots tomorrow."
   "Why tomorrow?" Leo asked.
   "My father wants to meet you, he wants to know why you are here, then it's time for a welcome home feast in my honor and then sleep." Nico explained dragging him out of the room.
   "Why am I even here?"
   "You have nowhere else to go."
   "I'm a fire bender."
   "You're my friend. And like you said a week ago, you really like me, more than a friend should." Nico rushed them through the castle, Leo almost slipped a thousand times.
   "I did not!" his cheeks were bright red, he felt bad about all the talking he was doing, how could he be so happy and talky with Nico, Leo's family was gone, forever.
   "You did, it's just to bad that you fell asleep before you heard that I liked you too."
   Before Leo could say anything Nico had pulled him into a new room. A huge room full of important people, and big chairs, and long tables, and pretty animal skins.
   Nico walked right up to the far end of the room, where a man with long black hair sat, the blue coat he wore was elegant and had different designs on his chest.
   Nico fell to his knees and pulled Leo down with him, "father, I am home."

   "So you are my son. And who have you brought with you?"
   "Father, when I left you talked about marriage, when I would come home you would have found me a wife, have you done so?"
   "No, simply because I know you don't like women, I have found a nice husband for your sister, but no man has come up to offer his hand to you." Nico's father said, his dark eyes on Leo.
   "Then father, I would like you to meet my fiance." Nico said with a proud smile. "He may not look like much but he is an amazing fighter."

   "A fire bender too." Nico's father said disappointed.
   "Father I-"
   "What is your name?" Nico's father asked Leo.
   "Leo Valdez, sir." his heart pounded, had Nico seriously said that they were going to marry each other, they were fifteen!
   "You love my son?"
   It was true though. He loved the way Nico wouldn't stop talking. He loved the way Nico sang or hummed when he thought Leo didn't listen. He loved the way Nico so easily summoned the water and how easily it obeyed his will. Nico was everything Leo had hoped for, and so much more. He had never seen him as a prince, he had hardly even seen him as a fighter or a spy. Sure he was amazing with a knife, and he had caught them food the entire month they were alone. But he had always been the dorky kid with a nice laugh to Leo.
   "May I ask a question sir?" Leo asked, his legs were starting to go numb from the cold ice floor.
   "You may."
   "If I were to marry your son... would it be soon?"

   "Would you like it to be?" Nico's father asked in return.
   "Don't take this the wrong way sir. I love your son. But we have only known each other for a brief time, and marrying this young could cause problem." Leo shook so hard, not from the cold only, he was so scared, his heart pounded, his hands were sweaty. "I love your son sir. He is intelligent, and strong, and amazing. But marraige at age fifteen isn't something I would wish on my worst enemy."

   "It is to be held when Nico turn twenty, if the two of you could stay together that long, and if, and only if, you have learned our ways." Nico's father said.
   "I will try my hardest sir." Leo bowed his head.
   "Thank you father." Nico said, he beamed.
   "Now go and prepare for the feast."

"You did great!" Nico said as he once again paced his room, Leo sat on the bed, he had finally gotten better boots, something he was very proud about.
   "You scared me with the fiance thing." Leo said.

   "You are willing to marry me though? It's the only way to keep you here, of course I could arrange for other ways for you to stay... that is if you don't want me as a... well as a husband."
   "We have five years to agree on all the terms," Leo smiled.
   "You're going to keep me waiting for five years?" Nico asked, his face pale.
   Leo walked up to him and took both of Nico's hands in his. He leaned in and planted a soft kiss on Nico's lips.
   "How about we get a proper date first."