Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Just in Case

"I brought you something to eat. Do you need anything else?"

"Huh?" was the only thing Aang could say as he stared at Katara, who was placing a tray of rice and vegetables on a table next to his bed. Maybe it was just a moment left for the Avatar to ponder upon after everything that happened. It could even be that the battle with Ozai left him quite restless- not just physically, but mentally as well. In reality it didn't seem to be any of those things. He was just so surprised that she was still speaking to him as if he was the same, fun-loving Aang she knew him as.

"Do you need anything else, Aang?" the waterbender repeated.

There was that tiny part of him that wasn't ready… mainly because of the changes the airbender could see in his friends. Not that Toph didn't stop calling him Twinkle Toes or Zuko stopped being his angry self. Even Sokka, however sarcastic he may be, was a little more aware of the fact that Aang was a fully realized Avatar. Katara, however, didn't hold that 'Avatar alert' gaze the others held when they saw him. Hence, Aang actually felt happy that she saw him the same way.

"Aang?"

He snapped out of his trance. "Oh… no thanks, Katara. It's fine."

"Oh…okay." She said, well aware that he was deep in thought. "If you need anything, let me know. I guess… I'll leave now-"

"No!" He stopped himself, blinking rapidly. "I meant… I need to tell you something…"

She did so much for him. She saved him, gave him moral support, brought him out of the dangerous Avatar State situations… she was one of the main causes for him to still be sitting here. And what did he do as a response to that? He pushed her to reveal her feelings regarding him. Maybe this was the nagging thought that tore him up…

"Yes?"

Aang sighed after another moment of deep thought. "Thank you."

She smiled, placing her hand on his shoulder and communicating with him by holding a look of pride he knew so well. "Aang, you've been saying that all day."

"I wanted to say it again." He smiled goofily. "Just in case I wasn't sure if I told you or not."

And it was the soft kiss on his cheek which followed that soothed his mind and gave him peace at last.