As much as Aang enjoyed the company of his closest friends, the stresses of peace negotiations, extensive plans for rebuilding, and his general Avatar duties had left the young man needing space…and air. Besides, he thought as he walked out onto the terrace of the Jasmine Dragon, the sunsets in Ba Sing Se were beautiful.
But nothing could be as beautiful as her.
Aang turned at the slightest sound and his gaze softened. He smiled.
Nothing could be as beautiful as the girl who had the Avatar's heart.
"Katara." He loved to breathe her name. It came to his lips as lightly and sweetly as a gentle breeze.
The watertribe girl moved towards him, drawn to him like a tide pulled by the moon. She wouldn't fight this time. The fighting was over, and she was content to be drawn into the current.
Aang watched her as she approached, slow and steady. After all, a hundred years of war had passed, and now time moved more slowly, and they appeared to have a great deal of it- far more than they had ever known. As she walked, his eyes swept over her. He noticed the silkiness of her pale green celebration robe, and wondered how it would feel if he ran his hands down her back. He noticed the flower bloom tied into her hair, which was left long and free and it shifted in the breeze. He noticed the way the lights of the setting sun seemed to gather in the pools of her eyes.
Those eyes then met his, and when she smiled at him- small and private- her eyes smiled too. Katara reached him, placing her hand gently on his shoulder, and together they pulled into an embrace. A hundred years past his own time, and here, in Katara's arms, he finally felt at home again.
Aang kept her close, the silk of her robe soft against his fingertips and the smell of her hair sweet and intoxicating. Breathing her in, Aang relaxed, truly relaxed, and let his eyes fall shut.
Eventually they released each other, but only so much as to watch the sunset, arm in arm. Aang was happy to share this memory with her.
Katara turned to him, no question in her eyes but a sure and absolute certainty. Somewhere deep she had known since he first came into her life, and it had taken her this long to realize and admit it to herself. Aang, of course, had fallen for her the moment he awoke to her face. It was cosmic, it was destiny, it was…love.
Aang leaned in to meet her, and softly their lips connected.
It wasn't what Aang had expected. He had expected fanfare and explosions of light. He hadn't expected her to love him back, hadn't expected to believe it.
It wasn't what Katara had expected. She had expected a dashing man and an epic romance to sweep her off her feet. She hadn't expected to fall in love with her best friend, almost without realizing.
This was better, by far, than any expectations. This felt…right.
Entirely consumed, their kiss deepened, and they wrapped their arms around each other, knowing that this was not the end, but the beginning of a new future that they would embark on together. Knowing that this would be the first of many such kisses, the first step in the journey of a lifetime.
Just a sweet, short little story about The Moment. Hope you like it. :)