#maang

He must feel Mai looking at him, because he looks down at her quite suddenly. His eyes are a cool grey tone, but even from as far away as they are, he meets her gaze so intensely that Mai thinks this man is more dangerous than he seems. Slowly, deliberately, he waves the hand that’s busy bending the rain away. “Want some ice cream?” He calls to her, startling the beat of the rain. It’s strange. Mai is sure he’s more dangerous than he looks, but his voice is like air itself. All encompassing, surrounding every crevice of space. It tumbles down from the sky, a zephyr that pushes her to trust him. His feet are still swinging against the building, as if he can’t keep them on the ground.

Mai considers whether she wants ice cream or not. It’s been a while since she’s snuck into the cafeteria, and even longer since she’s said fuck it about her personal safety. “Sure.” She calls up to him, and in the next moment he’s standing. He hesitates for a hairsbreadth of a moment, before taking the rain water around him and freezing it in a downward motion of his arms. Sliding down it, he’s on his feet and in front of her before she knows it.

“I’m Aang.” He says, extending a gloved hand out to her. Mai doesn’t take it, but he doesn’t seem to care either way. “Let’s go.” Following him, they walk around to the back of the building and Aang pulls on the doors of the rear entrance. It opens, just as Mai knew it would – the staff consistently forgets to lock these. Shaking the rain off her umbrella, Mai enters the building first, making a beeline to the soft serve ice cream machine that’s nestled at the end of the buffet line. Grabbing a cone, she gets herself some chocolate ice cream. Aang gets himself a refill, half vanilla half chocolate.

As they step outside, Aang asks her if she’s heading back to her dorm. “My apartment,” Mai corrects. “Yeah.”

Aang nods, “Want some company?”

Again, the urge to trust him is strangely strong, and her gut has never been wrong before. She finds herself nodding. Because Aang is bending the rain away from them both, she doesn’t bother to get her umbrella out again. Just enjoys the view of the water, and the way it bounces off of them. “Mai.” She supplies. “My name is Mai.”

He gives her a smile, so charming and bright in the darkness that Mai wants to look away. “That’s a beautiful name.” It isn’t the first time she’s heard that, but it is the first time in a long time that it’s been said with such sincerity. Mai can’t help wonder if he’s always so sincere. “What are you studying, Mai?” Her name rolls off his tongue like he’s known her forever.

“Creative writing.” Mai says. “And history.” Engaging her in a conversation on literature, Mai loses herself in her ice cream and conversation with this virtual stranger. By the time they reach her apartment, Mai finds he’s coaxed a smile out of her. “I’ll see you around.” Mai says, and though he is tempting, Mai doesn’t offer him her number.

He doesn’t ask. With another charming smile, he says, “You’re beautiful company. Be safe out there.” And then, as quickly as she met him, Aang is gone. It’s strange; all Mai does is blink and he’s disappeared. If she hadn’t seen him waterbending, Mai would think him an airbender.

That’s the first time.