A/N- I want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to WaterWarrior294! She really deserves it guys, and I could not ask for a better fanfiction sister or best friend. =]

You should go check out her page, especially if you are a Aang/Katara fan like myself. She's really an amazing author, and her story Open Doors is the best AU story I've found. Seriously, go check it out, and drop her a happy birthday while you're at it. =]

This is third person, which is something I have always struggled with, so if it has problems, I'm sorry!


Disclaimer- If you recognize it, it isn't mine.


She tried to keep a her face neutral when he finally found her in the massive temple, tried to keep the pain and the hurt and the anger out of her voice, but she knew she was fighting a losing battle.

But, even so, she wasn't one to give up.

So, when the Avatar really did find his way down to the lowest point in the entire temple, she didn't even look up from the small pond she was sitting at. She felt him walk up beside her, felt him sit down next to her, felt the heated warmth of his body seep into her cool skin, but she didn't acknowledge his presence. She spun the water between her fingers, feeling it lift up out of the pond as her hand did, and let the spinning stream of water float in front of her eyes as she felt Aang's gaze on her face.

And, she still didn't look at him.

She knew that as soon as she did, she was lost. She knew that she couldn't deny him anything even as mad as she was, and there was no way she was going to be able to keep up the uncaring mask if she really looked at him.

So, she simply didn't.

She focused her eyes on the stream of water in front of her; she watched as it ran and flowed in the air. She watched as her breath made it waver slightly, as the wind buffeted it though the air and still it spun. She tried to keep her mind and eyes away from the silvery grey eyes that were locked on her own blue ones, tried to completely block out the person in front of her, but it didn't work.

How could it when they were the one that drove you to find this little alcove of the temple by yourself? How could you block someone at who was sitting there, right in front of you, with their woodsy, airy scent filling the air and your nose? When their pale lips were just mere inches-

No. She didn't come down here to think about him. Not completely anyway.

First seconds went by, then minutes, and they kept up the same position. She never let her eyes wander off of the water in the air, and she never felt his eyes leave her face. She could still smell him in the air, so close, and he never moved. The only sounds in the whole place were of their breathing and the sound of running water.

She could feel his eyes on her face, boring a burning hole into her temple. The water between her fingers sped up as she twisted it more forcefully.

He just kept looking at her, and she knew that if she looked over at him she'd see that false calm on his face and the hurt in his slate eyes. She knew that if she even glanced his way, she'd be utterly lost. She gave her fingers a forceful flick and sent the water spinning even faster. She could hear it swishing, and she could feel her heart beating just as fast as the water in front of her.

And Aang just kept looking at her.

She knew her uncaring façade was cracking, but she wasn't going down without a fight. Her fingers moved even more quickly, spinning the twisting wheel of water even faster.

He keeps looking at her with those wide slate eyes, and she just keeps flicking her moving fingers around the water.

She knows she's losing; she knows she's breaking, but she can't let her efforts go to waste. She can feel the cramps start to form in her fingers and wrist, can feel the lump forming in her throats and the tears at the back of her eyes, but she's not giving up.

She knows she won't give up, but she also knows that she will, eventually, break under his slate eyed gaze. She knew this to be even truer when she felt him shift closer to her, his warmth soaking her side and his scent assaulting her nose in the best way possible. She feels her teeth unclench, feels her face relax as he watches her, but she just keeps on Waterbending.

Does he realize how much it hurts her to sit here like this, so uncaring? Does he realize that the holes his eyes are burning into her face are also drilling into her heart? She could feel every heat beat in her chest, could feel every slight twitch of the person next to her, and it was tearing her apart.

She didn't have to look at him for it to happen; she broke long before she gave up on her own.

She knew the mask was off, knew without a doubt that he could see the emotion rolling across her face, but that didn't stop her from trying. What stopped her was the warm droplet that slid from her eye as she watched the water spinning in front of her, and the warm calloused hand that wiped it away.

That's what broke her. His calloused fingers.

The water in front of her fell back into the pool with a splash that completely shattered the silence. She could hear his calm breaths and her own ragged gasps of air, but she still didn't look at him.

"Katara."

If looking at his eyes would have cracked her façade, hearing his voice shattered it.

She felt all those things she'd tried so hard to repress come back full force, and for an instant, she was irate. Her eyes were blazing blue flames, her hands trembling as she clenched her fingers into her palms, and when she finally did look up at him, it was to a look of surprise.

He realized right then that this was something she wasn't backing down on.

He looked down at her side, a place he knew a small thin scar marred her skin from her belly button to her hip. He looked back into her blazing eyes and knew that he wouldn't give up.

If she was angry, he was determined. If he was stubborn, she wasn't backing down.

He also knew he wasn't going to get anything out of her like this, and he really did despise arguing with her.

She was tired, he could see it in her angry eyes, and so was he. He was just as tired as she was; tired of fighting, of being angry. He wanted all the fighting to stop, not just what was happening between them now. But, first, he had to make peace here, with her.

"Katara."

She heaved a sigh, shaking her head just a fraction of an inch, only barely enough for a piece of hair to fall from her messy up do and into her face.

He leans forward and sweeps the strands back behind her ear, her soft skin sending tingles across his calloused palm as his fingers entangle in her hair for a moment, just a moment, before he pulls away.

She really has no idea how tired he really is.

"I know you're mad," he says because it's the truth and he knows it, but he doesn't get to finish the thought.

"Of course I'm mad. You're being unreasonable." She seems to liven up, her eyes blazing with that same fire he fell in love with.

"Katara," He tries again, but he's as unsuccessful now as he was then.

"Don't 'Katara' me! You know you're being unreasonable! There's no reason to keep me out of this!" She's yelling now, and she can feel the anger come back from where the tiredness tried to trap it.

She knows why he's fighting this tooth and nail, but she doesn't think it's really valid. She's done it before, of course. He knows she can fight.

And she will. She stood by while the guards fought of the lone rebel. She treated his wounds when an assassin got too close and made a failed attempt. She watched as her brother fought beside him, cutting through a group of enemies even though Aang would do nothing but knock down. She watched, and waited, but now it was an army rebelling, and she wasn't watching him go alone.

He won't stop her, this she is sure of. She won't let him.

He closes his eyes now, sucking in a deep breath of cool air before trying again.

"You know why I don't want you there."

She hasn't told him that these words hurt her. She doesn't tell him that him not wanting her there tears at her heart. She's angry and tired and she can't help but feel betrayed, because didn't he tell her he wouldn't want anyone else by his side?

"I thought you said you'd rather have me than the whole army fighting beside you?"

He looks away at the pain in her voice, and he knows she's right.

"I did."

"Then why don't you want me there?" Her voice is trembling now, and he can tell by the sound that she's on the verge of tears, whether she knows it or not.

He can think of a thousand answers to this question. To keep her from the thick of the fight, from war. To keep her from the fighters, because some of them are her people. To keep her safe and out of harm's way.

But, as appealing as all these are, they aren't the real reason he's fighting her about this. He's selfish, he knows he is, and he doesn't care.

They've developed a lot of technology in the past years, and he wants her very, very, far away from it.

But, that's not it either, although that's definitely part of it. Those things are a big part, but that's not all.

"Because I'm selfish, Katara."

She has no idea how selfish he is.

She's confused, startled. She'd been expecting a fight. "What?"

"I don't want you there because I'm selfish, Katara. Because I'd rather make you mad than put you out there. Because I'd rather be utterly alone on the battlefield than even risk losing you. I'm not brave enough for that. I love you way too much to lose you now."

He looks back at her now, and he only gets a seconds glance at her bright blue eyes before his are closed and his whole body is lighting up at her touch.

She pulls back, arms still locked around his neck and face only half an inch from his.

"You're never going to lose me." She whispers, her breath warm on his face. "I love you too much to leave you alone."

"I can't lose you." He whispers back, dropping a feather light kiss on her lips before pulling back.

"You won't." She sounded so sure, so positive. "I'm a warrior Aang; I've always been a warrior. You know that."

"I don't like the idea of you fighting an army." He didn't, not in the least bit, but he knew she was right.

"I'll be with you the whole time." He knew from experience that she would be, and she really would be better than the whole army. There was never anyone he'd rather have by his side. "I can handle myself."

She leaned in closer to him, her warm breath mixing with his before their lips met, and he was quite sure that she could.


A/N- Tell me what you think?

Happy birthday Warrior!