"Thanks for everything, I'd give my life for you, you're the best." We all have a best friend we say this stuff to, right? But it's different for me. With Aang, that is. I mean...yeah, it's true of course, I owe everything that I am today to him. He was my who reason for pressing on then and he still is now. My hero, my hope, my bright spot.
But it's also sort of a cover for the words I don't say. Not because I can't, I could say them any time I wanted. And it's not like I'm afraid he doesn't feel the same, I know he does. Not in that selfish wishful thinking sort of way, but it's in his eyes and his gestures and his smile and the closeness of his body.
They say not telling a person "I love you" can make them feel unwanted and hurt. I actually discussed this with Aang once and he just laughed, and to be honest so did I.
What do "they" know?
Sometimes the words you don't say are just a footnote to what you already know.