Just a little something that came to my mind. Based a few months after the end of the war. First few chapters will be the fall of their relationships.

I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

~.~.~.~

Everything was perfect. The war was over, the Nations were rebuilding, and Aang had his girl. All was going as smoothly as it could ever have been.

But sometimes, perfection cannot last.

The changes came slowly; so slowly, neither of them noticed it. Aang was away more and more, doing his duties as the Avatar. Katara was wrapped up in heading the openings of waterbending schools all over the world.

Soon, though, Katara began to notice. She realized she couldn't remember how long it had been since Aang had done something unexpected and sweet, like he used to do all the time at the beginning of their relationship. She tried doing it herself; invited him on a date, only to be stood up because of some 'emergency' meeting. She tried giving him flowers, only to have him forget them on the table when he had to rush off.

The hollow feeling inside her chest grew with each passing month. Sure, Aang still told her how much he loved her, but she could barely utter the words back. Sure, they kissed after an acknowledged long time away from one another, but she couldn't feel it anymore. Soon, she felt like an empty shell, staying with him only because she had to. She was the Avatar's greatest accomplishment, a trophy girlfriend. If she left, it could break the balance they had worked so hard to achieve. So she stayed.

Aang didn't notice the lifeless mess that had replaced his beloved waterbender. He thought things were perfect, that they would never change. Katara was his, and he loved showing her off; but he would do so in the safest way possible. He was terrified of her being hurt, so he protected her with all the power given to him. He didn't know how much it angered Katara to be treated like fragile glass, like one screw-up would crack her, nor did he realize he was being so overprotective.

All the cracks that had formed in their relationship were breaking Katara. Still, she kept them hidden, only for the sake of the world. Aang would lose his mind if he lost the thing that he had strived so hard to get.

But hiding can only last so long.

On the day of Sokka and Suki's long-awaited wedding, she broke. It wasn't anyone specifics' fault, it just didn't work. Aang's extraordinary capability to understand didn't seem to be able to comprehend Katara's tears that day. Leaving the entire wedding party shocked and soaking after their biggest fight ever, she fled deep into the forests of Kyoshi Island.

There, shivering and crying, was where Zuko found her.