March 1st, 2021
A/N: Sorry that I keep disappearing and reappearing randomly, my personal life has been a literal roller coaster lately, I hope you enjoy this though! I would say what AU this is, but it's pretty obvious right off the bat lol

"I can't believe Thomas didn't agree," Roman huffed angrily.

Logan looked up as his roommate sat down rather loudly across from him. He arched an eyebrow at him, setting down the book he had been enjoying. "Did he give you a reason for declining the offer?"

"Yeah, yeah, he said he's trying to focus on his Avatar training and all that," he replied with a wave of his hand. He pouted, crossing his arms. "But considering the fact that nothing is happening you'd think he would've agreed to take a break and help a friend out. I mean, how long does the pro-bending season last? A few weeks? What harm could a few weeks of lighter training do? It's not like he's got a war to fight and the matches would keep him exercised and refreshed on his waterbending!"

Roman slumped down in his chair and sighed heavily. "And I asked Patton to help me convince him, but he thinks Thomas should focus on learning too!"

"Well, Thomas does have a very important duty to the world, Roman, you can't fault him for wanting to be prepared should his skills be needed," he told him. "If Thomas is still struggling with mastering the Avatar State then it might be a wise choice for him to stay focused on his training."

"I thought you wanted to compete, Logan, why are you acting like Thomas saying no is a good thing?" his roommate said, scowling at him.

The earthbender rolled his eyes. "I agreed to compete if you could find a waterbender for the team."

"Well clearly I'm TRYING!" Roman snapped, shoving his chair backwards and standing up. He ran his fingers through his hair and huffed a puff of steam. He could feel the inner fire in his chest being stoked by his anger. He needed to calm down. "I'm going for a walk, I'll see you later."

"Don't stay out too late," Logan advised him.

He waved off his comment as he left their apartment. The cool night air hit his skin, making the flames within him shrink instantly. Roman sucked in a deep breath, remembering all the basic lessons of firebending he'd learned. As he exhaled, the stress and frustration left and was replaced by heavy disappointment in his chest.

The city was quiet, but not silent. He could hear the sounds of distant automobiles. As he walked down along the pavement toward the park, he looked up to see the Pro-Bending Arena out on the water. It was aglow with its brilliant stadium lights and sparkling with life.

Another sigh escaped his lips. He'd been dreaming of becoming a pro-bender since he was a kid, but his family wasn't wealthy. His brother wasn't a bender so they couldn't teach each other, and his parents couldn't afford to send him to train with true master fire benders. Being from a village on the outskirts of the Earth Kingdom, his only options were to travel to the Fire Nation to find a teacher or teach himself. He had tried the latter; he only had the basics down and he knew he could do better. He wanted to do better, to learn to control his power.

With the winnings from the Pro-Bending Tournament, I could go to the Fire Nation and find a real fire bending master, he thought, staring at the building with longing. Self doubt and anger swirled in his stomach. I'm probably not even good enough to make it to the finals...

Roman shook his head, forcing the thoughts away. He knew that he probably wasn't good enough to win the tournament immediately, but if he started competing, maybe he could start learning more. Not to mention that Logan was an incredible earthbender. If he could just find a waterbender to complete the team, he'd have a chance.

He knew that he needed to be thankful for what he did have. After gathering enough savings, he'd managed to get to Republic City. He met Logan who, despite their disagreements, was a good friend and had been kind enough to offer up his guest room.

He couldn't help that his dreams and aspirations were so large. If he wasn't so stubborn, he would go find a cheap teacher in the city to teach him, but he wanted to learn from the best. Roman also wanted to learn about the Fire Nation and its culture. It was where his mother was from and it was a part of him.

The sounds of the city became even softer as he traveled into the park. The trees swayed gently in the breeze and the grass beneath his feet was speckled with moonlight pouring through the branches.

Roman closed his eyes and listened. A small smile stretched across his lips. He heard life moving around him and it gave him comfort. The scampering of animals, the songs of birds, and the splashing of water... His eyes snapped open suddenly. There was a pond in the park, but it was a still body of water. There shouldn't be any splashing unless an animal, or a person, was playing in it.

He headed toward the noise, his curiosity getting the better of him. The pond came into view and he spotted a person. They were waterbending. A tiny gasp escaped his lips as he ducked behind a tree, trying to stay as quiet as possible as he watched.

They appeared to be male and under the moonlight, Roman could just barely make out his hair and pale skin tone. He blinked in surprise; most waterbenders came from the Water Tribes and they had typically darker skin. He wondered where his family was from. The young man looked about his age based on his size. He moved his hands hesitantly and slowly as he streamed water in the air in front of him. He guided it higher about his head and spread his fingers suddenly. The water burst into tiny snowflakes.

Roman watched in awe as they fell around the young man. He stood up and spun around under them slowly, a barely audible laugh coming from his lips. He paused, facing Roman and looking up toward the moon. The firebender's eyes widened as it illuminated his features.

His expression softened to a more reserved smile as he looked down at the snow on the grass. He moved his hands and picked the snow up, streaming it back into the pond. He then looked around cautiously, as if remembering he was in public. Roman hid, his breathing and heart racing. He listened as the waterbender hurried away.

He came out from behind the tree, looking off in the direction he had gone with curiosity. He wondered who he was and if there was any chance he could find him again. Looking up at the moon, he realized; the tentative motions and nervous nature made sense. He had been in that position before. This waterbender was teaching himself, which must be why he was out at night with the moon to aid him.

Roman felt hope flutter in his chest. Maybe if he could find this mysterious waterbender, he could convince him to join him in the Pro-Bending Tournament. He grinned and turned toward home.