Competition: May 2015 Monthly Competition/ Battleship Challenge

Task: Someone confesses something/ write about anyone from the Water Tribe

Word Count: 1846

Main Characters: Katara, Hahn, Sokka, Aang

Summary: After the Siege of the North, Team Avatar stays in the city for a few days to help rebuild. Hahn's reveals his love for Katara and she is not too happy about it.


Hahn's Crush

Katara lifted her arms into the air and with seemingly effortless grace and water floated from the canal. She swiftly morphed the water into a solid wall of ice. She did this three more times, creating the four walls of the house and then once more to add the roof. Even in the cold of the North Pole her exertion brought beads of sweat to her skin and they rolled down her face. She sighed and wiped them away with her sleeve. Katara took a moment to catch her breath. In the three days since the Fire Nation's attack had been repulsed she was fairly certain she'd helped to rebuild hundreds of homes. It wasn't as thrilling as fighting, but it was just as exhausting. She rolled her shoulders, getting ready to start on another house.

"Hey, Katara," Aang landed next to her and flipped his glider closed.

"Hi, Aang. What is it?" Katara said smiling and lowering her arms.

"It's time for dinner."

"Oh!" Katara looked over at the horizon in surprise and saw the sun's edge just making contact with it. She also saw that she was one of the only waterbenders left at work. "I didn't realize how late it had gotten."

"I know." Aang said with sheepish grin, "that's why I came to get you."

"Okay," Katara lifted her arms back up and glanced at Aang, "but just one more house before we go."

"Alright," Aang said, "let me help you."

Together they quickly finished the last house for the day and walk to the palace. Aang lead the way and Katara followed close behind him. She didn't really have much to say. All she wanted to do was eat and go to bed. Tomorrow would be another long day of reconstruction, and as much as she loved helping people, the grinding work was starting to wear on her. She looked at Aang, who cast occasional looks back at her. He still had a spring in his step despite everything he'd been through in the past few days. She wished that he could give her some of that energy.

"You alright, Katara?" Aang finally asked, breaking the silence of their walk.

"Yeah," she answered honestly, "just tired." They walked up the steps of the palace and the smell of the food made her stomach growl. The meals weren't as elaborate as that first feast they had been treated to upon their arrival in the North, but Katara still appreciated eating watertribe cuisine after traveling for so long. She told herself to savor every meal they had left, because soon they'd be in the skies again and back to eating whatever they could find.

Aang and Katara got in the food line. It was very long. Katara's stomach grumbled again. She wouldn't allow herself to get annoyed, though. All the people around her had lost so much. They would all suffer through this together.

"Man," Aang said letting out a sigh, "is he ever going to smile again?" Aang pointed to someone sitting at the long tables set out for the homeless. Katara followed to where his finger was pointing with her eyes and found Sokka. He was prodding his noodles with his chopsticks and had one hand on his chin.

"Don't worry, Aang. He'll be okay." Katara said with a bright tone of voice, but even she doubted her words. Sokka had really loved Yue, and now she was gone. They waited patiently for their noodles and then went to sit with him. "Hey, Sokka." She greeted her brother with that same bright tone.

"Oh," he said sounding uninterested and looked up at both of them, "hey, Katara. Hey, Aang." Katara gave Aang a pleading look and sat down next to Sokka.

"Soooooooo," Aang said, drawing out his words as he sat down on Sokka's other side. "How did the rebuilding efforts go on your end."

"Oh just great!" Sokka snapped, but Katara was glad that he was at least showing some kind of emotion. Even if it was anger. He continued, "I had to work under a slimeball all day. It was just wonderful."

"Who are you talking about?" Katara asked and cocked an eyebrow.

"Hahn," Sokka said in a low whisper, then shouted out, "who else would I be talking about?" He groaned and shoveled several mouthfuls of noodles into his mouth. He swallowed and grumbled, "I can't wait to get out of this place."

"We'll be leaving with Master Paku in three days," Aang said, giving Sokka an encouraging look, "let's just all keep doing what we can to help the Northern Watertribe the best we can until then."

Sokka didn't seem to be listening to Aang. His eyes were focused straight ahead. "Here comes the jerk now."

Katara recognized the boy Sokka was staring down. He'd returned from the king's mission to kill Admiral Zhao in failure, but still held his head high. It seemed to her like he was doing his best to help his tribe. Still, she knew that he was a slimeball, as Sokka had said. Yue had just made the ultimate sacrifice for her people in the battle against the Fire Nation, and he was already pursuing new girls. Katara rolled her eyes. She didn't care about his love life. "Don't get all worked up over him Sokka. He's not worth your time." Hahn looked up from his food and made eye contact with Katara. He flicked a lock of hair from in front of his eyes and winked at her. Katara had to stifle a gag.

"Look's like someone has an admirer." Sokka said and nudged her in the ribs.

"Ugh," Katara gave into her urge to gag, "please, Sokka, now while I'm eating."

"Yeah, seriously," Aang agreed. Katara looked over at him and saw a look of disgust on his face. They all finished eating in silence. Katara realized this was for the best. They were all on edge. Right now, the less they talked, the better.

When Katara finished, she stood up and found herself face to face with Hahn. "Ah!" She yelped in surprise, nearly dropping her bowl and chopsticks in the process.

"Forgive me for startling you, Cat-tara of the Southern Water Tribe," he said with a small bow.

"It's Katara, actually," she said correcting his horrible pronunciation of her name.

"Of course," he said flippantly and took her hand, "I noticed you were looking at me from across the table, and to be completely honest I've been looking at you lately, too. You are beautiful and fierce, and I admire you for that. I'd be honored to court one as fine as you." He took her hand and kissed it. Katara immediately recoiled into the table.

"Not interested, buddy," Katara started to storm off, but Hahn grabbed her by the wrist.

"Now, just hold on a second."

"Don't you dare lay a finger on my sister!" Sokka jumped from his seat and yelled inches from Hahn's face. Katara yanked her arms from Hahn's grasp and Sokka grabbed the other boy by the shirt collar. "You're disgusting. Yue just passed a few days ago and you're already chasing girls?"

"You want to go again?" Hahn threatened.

"Guys, please stop." Aang got up and stood between the older boys and pushed them apart. "We shouldn't be fighting now. We need to focus on rebuilding the city."

"Sokka, stop." Katara said harshly and narrowed her eyes.

"But, Katara-" Sokka started.

"This is my fight." She cut him off. "Hahn, you want your date? You have to beat me first," Katara said pointing to her chest.

"Katara," Aang said, "I just said we shouldn't be fighting."

"It's fine Aang. This chump doesn't stand a chance against me," she said with a cocky smile.

Aang facepalmed. "That's not the point!"

"Alright," Hahn said, "no girl, even a waterbender, stands a chance against me in combat." He flicked his hair again. Katara rolled her eyes.

"Oh, yeah?" Katara tightened one hand into a fist and pounded it into her other hand in front of her, "don't go easy on me just because I'm a girl." Katara lead the way out of the palace and to the same place where she'd spared with Master Paku for the first time. She turned on a dime and stood in her fighting stance facing Hahn. Behind him she saw Sokka, Aang, and quite a large crowd that had followed them.

Hahn put up his fists. "I better get a kiss out of this, too. After all the effort you're making me go to."

"A kiss? Sure," said Katara, "but if I win, you have to run a lap around the palace. Stark naked."

"Fine." Hahn agreed to her terms.

Katara rolled his eyes. She didn't know where he got his confidence, but it was about to cost him quite a bit of his pride. Hahn charged at her with a battle cry, and for an instant Katara considered toying with him, but she decided it would be better to put him in his place quickly and show him how much better than him she really was. With a flick of her wrist a water tendril shot out from the pool of water behind Hahn. She wrapped it around one of his ankles and he sprawled to the ground. Before he could recover, she whipped her arms around her head and sent a wave of water crashing into him from the pool behind her. She froze the wave, leaving Hahn dangling upside down with his legs encased in the ice. Katara walked up to him and looked him dead in the eyes. "Looks like I win." She crossed her arms.

"I want a rematch! You got lucky." He squirmed as he tried to free his legs from the ice.

Sokka walked up to Katara and put his arm around her shoulder. He was laughing heartily, "lucky? She destroyed you! Just admit it, you lost." Sokka pointed right at Hahn's face.

Katara thawed the ice and Hahn fell unceremoniously at their feet. This caused Sokka's laughter to intensify. Katara smiled. She was glad to see her happy brother again. This was just a small distraction from his grief, but Katara was glad she was able to do at least this much for him. "Now, keep up your end of the deal." She demanded.

Hahn got to his feet rapidly and dusted the snow from his clothes. It didn't do him much good because completely soaked. Katara saw his teeth chatter. He looked around and saw the crowd. His cheeks turned bright red.

"Well?" Sokka pressed.

Hahn grumbled and began to disrobed. Katara averted her eyes, she hadn't wanted to actually see him naked when she gave her condition for the duel, she'd just wanted to humiliate him. She heard his footsteps as he took off running and everyone around burst into laughter. Katara looked up and saw his retreating form and she had to admit to herself that, in spite of all his flaws, he did have a cute butt.


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