Hey guys! So, Valentine's Day is not too far away, so I decided to write a quick oneshot related to that. Also, I'm writing this since writing the fight scene in Back got me all depressed and stuff and I need to sort of get happier.
If that made any sense at all.
Disclaimer: I don't own a single drawing of a rock from ATLA, let alone the entire show.
Times like this, Aang wished he could go back in time and tell his younger self to focus all of his attention on Monk Tashi's writing lessons.
My dear Katara,
I really like you,
My love is true,
And I really—
Yet another paper landed in a steadily growing mountain of crumpled balls. Aang groaned in frustration and slammed his head into the desk, throwing his calligraphy brush over his shoulder.
"Ow."
"Sokka?" Aang asked in shock. To his surprise, when he turned around, Toph stood there, an equally shocked look on her face.
"You…thought…I…BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHA!" Toph burst out into loud peals of laughter and fell onto the floor, rolling around and pointing at Aang.
Aang rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. "Sorry…I don't know why…" he apologized. He was pretty sure he knew why.
The last thing he wanted was Sokka reading his poems right now, so when Toph abruptly popped up out of nowhere and shocked him, he automatically thought of Sokka. Toph stopped laughing and got back up, still shaking from occasional chuckles.
"So, why'd you throw a…" Toph paused, feeling the object. "…calligraphy brush at me?"
"Well, it wasn't at you," Aang answered sheepishly. "I was just really mad."
"Trouble writing?" Toph asked, smirking.
Why would Toph be smirking? She wouldn't know… "You were reading some stuff aloud, Twinkletoes," Toph interrupted.
Aang blushed down to his toes. "Look…uh…could you not…"
"Oh, I won't tell Kat—" Toph was suddenly interrupted by Aang's worst nightmare.
"So what's going on here?" Katara asked, peeking through the doorway. "Why were you laughing so hard, Toph?" she asked in confusion.
"Twinkletoes here was writing some stuff," Toph started. "I think you should take a look at it," she continued, starting to shake slightly.
"Okay…" Katara said, bending down and reaching for one of the paper balls on the floor.
Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew all the papers off the floor and tossed them out a window in the room.
"Wow," Aang said, chuckling nervously. "I think I'll just close the windows; that was a pretty strong draft…" Out of the corner of his eye, he spied a ball that the "wind" had missed. He moved towards the windows, nonchalantly swinging his arms a bit harder than necessary.
Another extremely convenient gust of wind picked up the last ball and tossed it, too, out the window.
"Aang!" Katara cried. "All of your writing, it just…" She started moving towards the door, ready to retrieve Aang's work.
"Don't get them!" Aang shouted. Then he realized what he had done. "I mean, uh, you shouldn't get them, it was just some junk."
"Ok then," Katara answered doubtfully. Then she spotted something that made her forget all about Aang's lost writing. "Toph? Are you ok?" she cried, rushing anxiously to Toph's side.
Toph was shaking, her face red from laughter. She fell on the floor again and started rolling around, clutching her sides. "Oh…I'm fine…" she managed to gasp out.
"So," Sokka asked Katara, "you bringing anything to the potluck they're having over at the Earth Palace?" Sokka licked his lips at the thought of all the meat.
"I guess," Katara said. She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Hmm…I guess I'll make some sea prunes…Sokka? Could you get me some water from the spring they have?"
"Nah, I'm too busy sharpening my boomerang," Sokka replied. He scraped his boomerang against his sharpening stone one more time.
"What're you going to use a boomerang for at a dinner party?" Katara asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, you never know when Ozai will show up," Sokka responded smugly. "Better safe than sorry," he said.
"Even though Ozai is currently hundreds of miles away in the Fire Nation's top prison and has no bending?" Katara countered.
"Well, also to drive away all the guys who'll be hitting on you," Sokka countered.
Katara blushed slightly. "Oh come on, Sokka, that won't happen," she protested. "Besides, —"
"—Aang will protect you from all those big baddies?" Sokka teased.
Katara blushed even harder. "I was going to say," she said, shooting Sokka the evil eye, "I'm a master waterbender. I can take care of myself. And Aang will be busy! He won't be sticking with me," she finished, sounding slightly sad.
"Oh, I'm sure he would," Sokka muttered to himself.
Katara heard, but decided not to respond. "Fine, I'll get the water myself," she decided. Turning, she retrieved a bucket and walked out the door.
As Katara walked towards the spring, her foot hit upon something. Katara looked down in surprise. "What?"
She had stepped upon one of Aang's discarded papers. Katara bent down to pick it up. "I wonder why Aang thought this was junk…" she murmured to herself. "What was so bad about it anyway?"
Katara uncrumpled the paper and turned it right side up, eyes flicking across the paper. As they did, they widened slowly.
Katara's bucket dropped to the ground with a loud metallic clang, forgotten.
Katara saw another wrinkled paper. And another. And another.
One lonely carrot sat on Aang's plate.
One.
Out of all the dishes at the dinner party, there was only one vegetarian meal. And when Aang had stumbled upon it, almost crying aloud in glee, there was only one carrot left.
Apparently this health fad is bigger than Sokka thought, Aang said. All around him, people chatted and talked, munching on their carrots at the same time.
Where are my friends?
Aang had left early while Katara rushed to complete her sea prunes. Apparently she had been distracted for a few hours or something…
As if on cue, the door burst open with a bang, and Toph marched in, followed by a very embarrassed looking Sokka and Katara.
Everyone stopped talking and stared at the newcomers.
So much for a subtle entrance, Aang thought wryly. He thought he saw Sokka elbow Toph. His suspicions were confirmed when Toph punched him hard in the side, creating a girly scream that echoed in the awkward silence.
Aang waved to his friends.
"So, what took you guys so long?" Aang asked, chewing on his solitary carrot.
"Oh, well, Katara seemed to forget she had to make something for the potluck before I reminded her," Sokka replied. His plate was stacked full with meats and sugary pastries of all kinds, along with Katara's sea prunes.
"What were you doing?" Aang asked curiously.
Katara flushed red. "Oh, nothing…just reading some old waterbending scrolls," she explained weakly.
"Why? Aren't you a waterbending master? You've reminded me of that enough times," Sokka prodded.
"Heh…just…uh…forgot a move…" Katara said weakly.
An awkward silence permeated the table, supplemented by the chatter of other people talking.
"You look pretty," Aang blurted. Mentally, he kicked himself. What was that for? Stupid, stupid, stupid…
"Thanks, you look pretty nice today als—" Katara was interrupted by a deep male voice.
"Hey there, baby, you're looking pretty pretty tonight," a boy said, leaning on Katara's chair. Behind him, his friends were visibly urging him on.
Sokka slowly brought up his boomerang, flashing Katara a I told you so look.
"Um, thanks," Katara said, trying to subtly motion Sokka to put his boomerang away. The last thing she needed was an accidental hit to some other person's head.
"So, you want to meet some of my friends?" the boy said, jerking a thumb towards his cronies.
"I…guess…" Katara said, trying not to offend him.
"Great!" the boy said, turning back. "Go there when you're ready."
As soon as he was out of earshot, Sokka leaned over the table and hissed, "I told you so! I TOLD YOU!"
Toph nudged Katara and said, "Getting yourself a boyfriend, Katara?"
Aang said nothing. Getting up from his seat, he said, "I think I'm gonna go back now, what with paperwork and stuff…"
Aang had left the large dining room with a loud slam of the door before Katara realized what she had done.
"Aang!" she cried, running after him.
"Here we go," Toph said to Sokka.
Aang went outside of the Earth Palace, but didn't leave on Appa. For a moment, he just sat against him and stared at the starry sky, listening to the peaceful sound of crickets.
He felt a warm, furry body land on his head and laughed a little. "No, Momo," he said, scratching the flying lemur's head, "I don't have any food for you right now…"
Momo scampered onto Aang's arm, looking at him with a crestfallen expression.
Aang laughed. "Life is so simple for you," he murmured wistfully. "Just thinking about food and rest, nothing like love…"
Aang got up and prepared to leave, when he suddenly heard the sound of running footsteps and then panting as the runner slowed to a stop. "Wait…Aang…"
Aang froze. "Katara?" he said, turning slowly.
"Hi…"
"What are you doing here?" Aang asked in confusion. His face darkened as he said, "I thought you were going to meet that boy and his friends."
"Yeah, I was," Katara answered.
"Well, have fun then," Aang replied, with as much sincerity as he could muster. He turned to face Appa, preparing to jump on. "See you tomorr—"
"Aang, wait," Katara interrupted firmly. "Look, before you leave, I just wanted you to know…I know how you feel and I feel the same way."
"You…you mean…oh…yeah…you're my best friend too," Aang replied nervously. "That's what you meant right?"
"Aang, I found that 'junk' you wrote," Katara said. "You know that's what not what I mean…"
"Oh…" Aang murmured. "You…did? Spirits, some of those were so cheesy…"
"I didn't think so," Katara murmured. With that, she closed the gap between them with a gentle kiss.
Aang's only thought was WOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Then, he realized something.
Aang pulled out of the kiss. With a mischievous glint in his eye, he told her, "I think you're ready to meet that boy and his friends now."
"Only if you're coming with me," Katara laughed, and together they rushed back into the Earth Palace.
Welp. Read and review please! :D
PythianPickles out.