It was so close.

He could feel her warm breath on his face. Her hand, as soft as silk, was placed upon his. He could see the blue in her eyes, radiating with their own light. Her caramel skin glowed in the dimming torchlight, the flames setting shadows across her beautiful face.

She leaned a bit closer.

His heart was hammering inside his chest. He sweat furiously, and bit his lip. He didn't know what to think, or feel, or say. All he could do was hope for the best, and that his breath didn't stink.

Her long eyelashes fluttered closed, and he could see out of the corner of his eye the torch finally extinguishing, setting them into a blanket of black.

Not that he cared.

He could tell she was a centimeter away; just any slight movement would send his heart into a state of total panic. His knees felt like they would collapse beneath him, and his stomach was churning, beating at his insides. He clenched and unclenched his free hand, millions of emotions running though his mind at the same time.

Suddenly, the space around them began to glow. She looked up, making his heartbeat slow. He suddenly wanted to punch a wall.

"Aang, look!" She exclaimed, pointing up at the cave ceiling.

He glanced at the direction she was pointing. There were hundreds of shining stones all across the ceiling and leading down the tunnel.

He was slightly distracted. "The crystals!" He said. "They must only light up in the dark!"

Her blue eyes filled with excitement. "That's how the two lovers found each other! They just put out their lights, and followed the crystals." She waved a hand at the glowing gems. She looked down the tunnel where the crystals were leading. "That must be the way out!"

She glanced back at him, and threw her arms around him in a bone-crushing hug. He grasped her just as tight, wanting the moment to last.

But then she stepped back, and beamed at him, making his heart flutter and his palms sweaty.

He shuffled his feet. "So…um…"

"Let's go!" She ran toward the exit with no hesitation.

Does she not care about what almost happened? He thought worriedly. But then he shook his head, as if to fling the thought from his mind, and smiled. He started to hurry after her, Appa on his heels.

No matter what, he would always remember this as the day that he almost kissed Katara.