AN: Yeah, I know. A first for me. Usually I stick to the Potterverse! But I actually wrote this awhile ago, and after some editing and such, I decided to post it. It's set very early in the show. Probably halfway through the first season, if I remember correctly. Give or take a few episodes, lol. It's just a mindless bit of Kataang drabble. Enjoy, review, yada yada. The only thing I ask is that you be kind. It's my only bit of AtLA fanfiction, and I'm rather fond of it. Thanks for stopping by. x) – Christine.
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Observe
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If Aang could be known for anything other than his status as the Avatar, he hoped it would be his observation skills. He was a very good observer. Sure, he didn't always see the true meaning in all of his observations, but he still observed.
There was only one thing he observed more than anything else. And no, it wasn't bending, although some days he thought it should be. It was Katara.
The first thing he observed was her eyes. Heck, he observed them all the time. They confused him like crazy. She expressed so much with those icy blue orbs he had a hard time keeping track of the various emotions that ran through them. He loved watching them change from brilliant cerulean to a bluish gray. They did that whenever she was being very serious.
The second thing he started paying attention to was her voice. It almost reminded him of the wind, weaving effortlessly around words, sometimes strong and sometimes weak. And sometimes he compared it to water, or even birdsong if he was feeling poetic enough. But mostly it was music. A melody that was soft and relaxing but constant and powerful. Reassuring. He could almost hear it now.
And eventually, he had to notice her water bending. It wasn't skillful all the time, but the look of concentration on her face said it all for Aang. She put everything into it, as if she were filtering bits of her soul into the water. And maybe she was. He'd never really know unless he asked, but that would never happen.
Of course there were other things he noticed. Her hair. Her smile. The color of her skin. Her blush whenever he complimented her, or Sokka embarrassed her. The way it felt when she touched him, or kissed him on the cheek…
He knew practically everything there was to observe about Katara. He wondered vaguely if anyone had ever watched her as much as he did.
"Aang?" said the music. "Are you alright?" Aang only stared into those blue eyes. He was too busy observing to answer.
Katara waved her hand in front of his face, obstructing his view. "Aang?"
He held back a disappointed sigh; she must've noticed by now that he was staring at her. "Yeah. I'm fine. Just… you know. Thinking." He grinned sheepishly. The campfire flickered behind her as she nodded.
"Okay. Just get some sleep. We've got a long day tomorrow." She walked around the fire and settled into her sleeping bag., unaware of Aang watching her through the flames.
"Good night, Katara," he heard himself say as he settled into the fur on Appa's tail.
"Night, Aang." And then it was quiet.
As a few stray clouds flittered across the night sky, Aang couldn't help but observe something else.
He would be fine. As long as he could hear the music, watch the blue sky turn gray, and see a soul sift into waves. If Katara was there, he would be fine. Definitely.