A little drabble of nothingness. Takes place during the episode The Day of Black Sun. Recommended listening: Different by Acceptance. Enjoy! Love, Katie
I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender
Different
His heart was beating loudly against his chest. Now that it came to it, he wasn't so sure that he wanted to do this.
She was his best friend, his confidant, his first love, his savior. She was a million things to him and he didn't want to ruin it. Plus, it didn't help that she looked positively gorgeous with her hair down like that. But he needed to step up; he needed to say what was on his heart. Because this secret was starting to weigh like a heavy rock in his chest and he hated the feeling. But the speech he had prepared seemed to blow away in the wind as their eyes slowly met. Oh, Spirits what a time to have a case of nerves!
He looked away awkwardly, trying desperately to remember what he had wanted to say.
"Katara," the words just kind of came out of his mouth, and he realized that she had said his name as well. "I…." he was all ready tripping over his own words. Finally, he decided that it might be best if before he confessed his undying love, she went first. Just in case she didn't reciprocate the feelings, it wouldn't make everything awkward like he feared it would.
"You go first," he quickly added. Katara smiled warmly, brushing back her bangs back.
"We've been through so many things together, and I've seen you grow up so much."
He felt his heart rate rise even higher as an obvious blush came to his face.
"You're not that little goofy kid I found in the iceberg anymore. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm really proud of you," she added leaning towards him a little bit.
The words were wonderfully warm in Aang's stomach as he chewed over what Katara had just said to him in his mind. Proud, she said she was proud of him? Like you would be proud of a child who has taken their first step? He sighed. Did she honestly only see him like a little kid? Even though she herself had JUST said he'd grown up! Here they were, on the eve of a huge world change, and she still thought of him as a kid. Maybe she just needed a little prompting.
"Everything's gonna be different after today, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is." Katara answered simply, brushing back a hair from her face.
This is where a normal boy in his situation would give a long speech about how he was actually fighting for her, about how he secretly loved her. But, instead his stomach was now flipping itself upside down. Instead all he saw was the face of Ozai. What if Sokka was wrong? What if Ozai would still be able to overpower him?
"What if I don't come back?" He asked quietly then slapping himself mentally for it.
This was not impressive! This wasn't the strong earthbender, or the Avatar set on balancing the world. This was Aang, being scared! If he was too weak to tell Katara how he really felt, there was no way that he would be able to face the Fire Lord and it seemed as though his body knew this. He needed to do something! He couldn't just fly off, letting her be 'proud' of him! That was NOT the way this was supposed to go! He didn't want to be JUST her friend anymore. His feelings had grown MUCH to put up with any more of that torture. He needed to be something different, heck he'd even take her being on-again off again with him. But, this dance of illusions needed to end, right here and right now. He needed to make his move.
"Aang," Katara pleaded. "Don't say that, of course you'll, HHMPH!" But, she could not finish her sentence because Aang had finally decided that she was talking way too much. Without really thinking he had placed his hand on her shoulder and crashed his lips on to hers. The cute little noise she made only made Aang more certain that this is what he should've been doing all along. Her lips were splendidly soft, and the familiar taste of something WAY too delicious to be given an earthly name met his taste buds. He felt like he was flying without even airbending, like he'd traveled into space itself.
He'd only kissed Katara one other time but this was even different than that, it was more desperate, longer, more filled with a deep hunger for her. He wanted to make sure she had no doubt in her mind that this was no friendly peck on the lips. When she relaxed against him, he felt like his heart had suddenly been removed of the terrible weight. He could breathe again and he could be strong for her, the woman he had fallen in love with. When he reluctantly pulled away he was delighted to see an adorable blush on Katara's lovely copper toned cheeks.
When she opened her eyes she blinked at him in shock and then looked away from his intense gaze. He didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing. But, he didn't have TIME to think about that right now. There was a Fire Lord to stop. He opened his glider and casting one more furtive look at Katara, sailed off into the horizon. But, as he flew away, her sweet taste still lingered on his lips like morning dew to a flower. He couldn't help but smile.
He would defeat the Fire Lord, then he'd return to Katara and she'd greet him with another sweet kiss. With another smile, he assured himself that things were going to be different after today.
At least he hoped so.
-x-
A/N -Of course we know that things won't be different for poor Aang right away. I just wanted to crawl in his head a little bit. Because we all assume he was scared of losing Katara. But, I wondered: what if he just wanted things to be different?
Different by Acceptance
"Tell myself on the ride home,
Getting tired of hating all I've known
Holding on, like it's all I have
Count me out when it's clear when that I
find it hard to say.
And you find it hard to care.
I wanted to see something that's different
Something you said would change in me,
Wanted to be anything different,
everything you would change in me.
Got this way up front, but never true
God I'm wrong, it's just the way I am.
Crashing down any chance you'll hear
Caving in any chance that you, could see inside of me
And I, I'll know what to see.
It's fine, this isn't Hollywood.
So fine, getting in your way.
I wanted to see something that's different
Something you said would change in me,
Wanted to be anything different
Everything you would change in me.
I'm taking a chance,
This could be different
this could be all I'm waiting for.
Taking a chance, this could be different.
This could be all I'm waiting for.
Wanted to see something that's different
Something you said would change in me
Wanted to be anything different,
Everything you would change in me."