Not As Beautiful As You
"I hate when it rains."
Aang chuckled, tucked his knees up closer to his chest as a chill swept through his body. "Me too, but I'm used to it."
He was balanced precariously on the wide, slippery railing of the marble banister, bare feet propped up beside him, watching her where she sat in a chair nearby. It wasn't that there were no other chairs available – he had insisted on sitting on the rail, claiming that it would give him a better view. Instead, it made him look ridiculous. The wind tousled his clothes, playing with his loose, white button-up shirt, transforming his pants into a miniature tent, but he didn't seem to mind. His smile was just as wide as ever, oblivious to everything except for her.
"Do you ever wonder what it's like up there during a storm?" Katara asked, words blending into a murmur beneath the subtle pitter-patter of rain against the banister, pointing with her index finger at the wet canvas of dark clouds above them. "Do you think it's as dark and wet as it is down here?"
"Do you want to find out?"
She knew what he was thinking. "Isn't that a bit dangerous?"
He smiled at that – a lopsided, mischievous grin – and flung his backside over the railing, wiggling his toes at her as he dangled dangerously over the two story drop. "Isn't this a bit dangerous?"
She instinctively reached out to grip his ankle, holding onto it as if it would actually prevent his much heavier body from falling. "Aang!"
"Ha-ha! I'm fine, don't worry."
Even though she had seen him act this way countless times, the fact that his entire life was reliant upon the strength of his legs against a slick surface still unnerved her. It shouldn't really, though. He had carried the entire weight of the world on his shoulders long before she had even known him. This shouldn't be any different.
"That doesn't mean I like it!" she snapped, slapping him on the leg. "Would you just get up here?"
A single gust of air propelled Aang upwards, bringing him inches from her face. She could feel his breath on her lips – cold, and smelling of the cherry blossom trees that surrounded their home. "Do you know what I think?" he asked in his deep, gravelly tone, so different from the squeaky pre-teen voice he'd had when they had first met. They were changing… together. She wasn't the same, and neither was he. She liked to think that they had grown more mature, but she wasn't sure that was necessarily the case – not when it came to situations like this.
"What?" she asked, lips quirking with the question.
"I think it must be beautiful up there."
It took her a moment to understand that he was talking about the sky, about the question that she had asked him before. She responded by smiling.
"But not as beautiful as you."
It was a cheesy line, which only made her grin widen. She hardly had time to react before he had covered her smile with his own. His lips moved against hers expertly as they had for years, fitting every niche, every curve… matching every movement. It was a desperate kiss, and she knew why. They didn't have long.
After a minute they broke apart, and when she returned for more, he fell back and disappeared over the railing, reckless as always. He was lucky not to hit his head on the way down.
"Aang!" It was a cry of frustration rather than fear. He was always doing this to her, always coming and going as he pleased, and even though she never really knew where he went or what he was doing, she knew that it was important. He wouldn't leave her if it wasn't. That gave her some inkling of security while he was away.
After her shock at his departure had subsided, she saw him rise up into her line of vision again, flying through the air on that silly hand-glider of his with only one hand on the steering rod. The other was waving goodbye.
She waved back half-heartedly and collapsed in the chair behind her, watching the little black dot that was Aang slowly disappear into nothing.
And then she was alone, listening to the soft pitter-patter of rain against the banister, wondering why she was even outside on a day like this.
~fin.