I love goofball Aang. He is the inspiration for this piece. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Avatar: The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra belongs to Mike, Bryan, and Nickeolodeon. Those lucky ducks.
At the age of seven, Tenzin began to show signs of his ability to air bend. His training began immediately, due to the young boy's insistence. It went at a much slower pace than he would have liked, but he was simply glad to be training under his father. As his training progressed, it became clear that Tenzin was a prodigy just as his father was, and destined to complete his training at a young age. He hungered constantly for more advanced moves, but was continuously denied by his father. Eventually, he stopped asking.
One day, just a few months after Tenzin's twelfth birthday, Aang told him that he wanted to teach him a very complicated new move, one that had taken himself quite a while to master. Tenzin could hardly contain his excitement and it was infectious as the usually reserved boy hardly demonstrated an emotional reaction to anything. In the hours while his father was away in the city, sitting in on the council, Tenzin had collected for himself an audience to watch him learn the new move. Among them were his best friend Lin Bei Fong (who spent a good portion of her week on Air Temple Island, being tutored by Katara and his other teachers), his older brother Bumi, and his mother. His sister Kya would have most likely been in attendance as well if she wasn't spending her summer in the Fire Nation, vacationing with their "cousin" Princess Ursa on Ember Island.
All waited in thick anticipation for when the Avatar would return home. When Aang finally landed in the courtyard with glider in hand, he was quite surprised to find himself greeted by his wife, Lin, and sons. Bumi had turned sixteen two weeks prior and usually was very hard to find, tending to be gallivanting in the city.
" Is there something going on that I should know about?" Aang arched an eyebrow as his eyes scanned the faces before him.
"We want to see this move you're going to teach Tenzin." Katara wrapped an arm around her husband's waist.
"Oh. Well, think you can wait until after dinner? I'm starving." The children groaned but started at a light trot towards the dining hall, much to the amusement of Aang and Katara, who followed them at a more relaxed pace.
"So, what's this move?" Katara trailed a finger down Aang's chest as she pried.
"I'm not going to tell you." Aang caught her hand, chuckling. Katara pouted in response.
"C'mon. I won't tell him."
"Nope. And nothing you can do will make me talk."
"Oh, really?" Katara's hand, despite them being in full view in the open courtyard, began to wander past the sash that held Aang's robe closed. Aang was rescued only by the yell of his eldest son for them to hurry up. Katara was not pleased and continued to try and get the move out of him all through dinner. The children of course, were oblivious to the looks being shot across the table and the epic game of footsie being played beneath their plates. Everyone's plate, even Katara's, was cleaned in record time. Aang took his last bites slowly, much to the annoyance of the children and Katara. A vicious kick a bit too close to a particular area had Aang choking a bite down and exclaiming that he was full.
The children rushed outside to the training area with Aang and Katara following at a faster pace than before dinner. Katara, Lin, and Bumi sat down to the side so they would have the best view of the bending about to be presented. The children were vibrating in excitement and Katara found herself rather eager for the demonstration to begin as well. Tenzin stood a few feet away from his father, bouncing on the balls of his feet though he was clearly trying to school his features.
"Are you ready?" Tenzin could only nod. Aang cracked his neck, rolling his shoulders as he did so. Katara leaned closer to the scene in anticipation, as did Lin and Bumi. Aang rubbed his palms together vigorously, taking a deep breath as he did so. He turned around in a blur and when he was facing Tenzin again, his palms were about five inches apart, one over the other, as three marbles spun in a circle above the palm facing up. Aang had the biggest grin on his face, one so large it threatened to split his face in half.
Katara could only stare at her husband in disbelief. She could distinctly remember the day he had first shown her that particular trick and it was no more impressive than it had been on that day. She sighed, covering her face with her hands. She loved her husband, she really did, but sometimes he was just too much. Lin was laughing very hard at Tenzin's expense, rolling around on the ground. Tenzin's mouth had been gaping initially, his eyes wide. This expression lasted for a few moments before the temper he had inherited from his mother shown through.
"Really, Dad? You said you were going to teach me a complicated new air bending movement, not a parlor trick!" Aang's face fell and Katara felt terrible for him, her hands having left her face at Tenzin's shout.
"It is complicated! It took me a month to master it." Tenzin rolled his eyes and stomped off. Aang moved to follow him, but Katara shook her head and went after her youngest son. Bumi stood up, dusting himself off.
"I thought it was pretty cool, Dad."
"Thanks, Bumi. Will you wait with Lin at the docks for Aunt Toph?"
"Sure, Dad!" He took Lin by the hand and the two ran off. Bumi adored Toph. Aang sighed and put away his marbles, making his way to the room he shared with Katara.
Meanwhile, Katara was looking for Tenzin. She didn't have to look for long, finding him sitting upon the roof of the dining hall. Tenzin noticed her approach but did not look at her.
"Are you going to come down or do I have to come up there?" This caught Tenzin's attention.
"You can't get up here." The only response he got was an arched eyebrow and a dangerous look. He hopped down immediately.
"Tenzin, you need to apologize to your father."
"He tricked me! He got me all excited and then pulled a stunt like that! Not to mention he embarrassed me in front of Bumi and Lin." Tenzin turned away, arms crossed.
"He didn't trick you. Your father honestly believes that what he showed you is an actual complicated feat of air bending."
"You're joking."
"Not in the least. Aang loves that little trick. He showed it to me when we were children and his face lit up just like it did tonight. It amused you and your siblings to no end as infants."
"If he loves it so much and it amused us, why didn't he show to us as we got older? Wouldn't he want to try and impress our friends?"
"He was saving it."
"For who?"
"You of course, his first air bending child, when he believed they would be ready to master it." Tenzin stared down at his feet.
"I really hurt his feelings, huh, Mom?"
"Yes, you did. I know it's not a quarter of impressive to you as it is to your father, but I want you to humor him. It'd really make him happy."
"Okay, Mom."
The next day, Aang found his youngest son trying to spin three balls of rice he had formed from his breakfast and it warmed his heart. He couldn't help but to smirk and tease the boy a bit though.
"Not as easy as it looks, is it?" Tenzin's ears and face flushed in the manner similar to how his father blushed as his family laughed.