Disclaimer: I own only the idea, the characters and series belong to someone else.

AN: This is for Zukaang week prompt: Duty.

I'm posting the prologue up now since it isn't very Zuko or Aang centric in anyway.

This is also my very fair warning that this is going to be very Slashy. Not just my regular fluff.

With that said, I hope you enjoy, please let me know what you think.


"When you date a guy for five years, there are just certain things you expect from him. Things like marriage and maybe children. There should be talk of settling down and at the very least getting a home," Katara explained.

She shifted on the furs she was sitting on to face her grandmother better. The two of them sat talking in the make shift guest house the water tribe used whenever Aang and Katara came to town. It wasn't that they were here that often or really that they stayed that long. It was more of a measure the tribe had made for any important guest that might show up.

"You speak of children, but when you two got together, you were hardly more then that yourself," The elderly woman admonished.

"Gram-Gram, I know that. I also know that for that first year while we were fighting the war, I wasn't really close to him at all. I often wonder if that is why he isn't close to me now. It doesn't change the fact that he has grown. I have grown too. Not counting the first year during the war, after at least two years, I would have expected him to at least want more then to just kiss me," Katara said with her voice downcast.

The older woman shook her head and her face looked stern as she said, "I can not say I did not expect this day to come. I didn't know under what circumstances though. I had half believed you would be coming home dragging some young man in tow behind you explaining that you had found love while Aang was off saving the world. I'm saddened that it took this long and for your loneliness to take over before you could finally see it."

Katara laughed bitterly and said harshly, "See that I was second to him being the Avatar? Even in that first year when he pursued me the most, I knew that I was. I've spent the last five years going through desert, wasteland, tundra, forest, and city to every corner of the world all for the sake of his duties. Always on the constant move and never being able to settle down anywhere for long. I've hardly seen my homelands in this time except when there was a summons for the Avatar to be here. Even now, Aang is over talking about trading rights between the southern and northern water tribes. We just got here with the sun set and he wouldn't even put it off till morning. He'll spend all night in there away from me, like it always goes."

Large tears formed in Katara's eyes. In an instant her grandmother was beside her, rubbing her back gently trying to comfort her. Katara had fully felt the gulf that was between her and Aang in the last year. Every time that she would try to talk about settling down that he had turned from her, then he would lecture her on his duty. She hated that speech so much and she had every word memorized from the numerous times she had heard it. Her tears fell.

"Aang is the Avatar, as you know that means he has great responsibility. Still you chose to remain beside him this long. You are very strong Katara. Now is not the time to keep crying, now is the time to decide what you must do. If you keep going on like this, you'll only turn bitter and cold as the tundra. You have to chose to listen to your heart now and figure out what to do," The old woman explained between Katara's sobs.

She choked back another one hearing her grandmother's words. This way why she had probably waited all this time she realized. She had wanted the comfort of her family to be near her. There were many tough decisions she was going to have to make from here on out and she knew she needed the support her family had to offer. She calmed herself with much effort. Too many times had she cried these tears to herself while Aang was off at this meeting or some other dispute. Now though, she had her family to help her. She gave a small sad smile to her grandmother.

"I think I know what I have to do Gram-Gram. Thanks for talking to me. Actually, I think I may have known for a long time now. I just don't think I've been able to. I think I've just been too afraid of what will happen afterwords. Though, now that I think about it, I think I might be more afraid of what will happen if I don't get this sorted out soon," Katara told the older woman.

"Just remember Katara, your family is here for you no matter what you decide. We will be here to help you one way or the other. Even though your brother is off with his wife and baby girl, they will be back here shortly. I'm sure you'll have their support too," The woman expressed as she got up.

Katara turned to her with questioning eyes. The woman made her way to the entrance before stopping and turning back. Her eyes crinkled with the wide smile that lit up her face.

"Your father wont let the meeting last much longer. Not when he knows your waiting on it to be over. I need to get back to my house to be ready to greet your grandfather. I'm sure that whatever happens from here on has a reason for doing so even if we don't see so at first. Good luck," The old woman said before slipping out of the warm house and into the night.

Katara placed all of her thoughts in order. She wasn't very sure of her plan of action just yet, but she knew part of what it needed to entail though. It was a start. She let her thoughts roam as she tried to place them all in order. She wasn't sure how long she sat there thinking before she was pulled out her thoughts from the cold that washed over her.

Katara turned to the entrance and saw Aang coming in. He still seemed so much like that boy she had found in the ice. He had grown taller and even managed to put on a bit of muscle, but his exterior was still Aang. He was still small for his age and still had a face that would be considered really cute rather then handsome. The only real difference was that instead of the playful smile he always wore, he now wore a steady flat expression. She used to only see that face when he meditated, but now it was his only real expression. It made her heart ache for the kid he used to be.

She gave an unsteady smile before saying, "Aang, we need to talk."


Footnote: I'm not exactly sure how many chapters this thing is going to have, but I have a full plot outline of it and already have six chapters written, though I may squish two of them together.