First Fanfic gimme a break, okay?

...

Aang stood on the metal submarine, clenching his staff in his hand.

He looked up at his friends, and swallowed hard. "So. This is it, huh?"

Sokka smiled one of his smiles, and exclaimed, "Are you ready to let the world know that the Avatar's alive?"

Aang clenched his jaw, and straightened his shoulders.

"I'm ready."

They stood there in silence for a minute, soaking in everything that was happening.

Then Sokka stepped toward Aang, arm outstretched. Grinning, Aang took it, and Sokka pulled him into a group hug, arms wrapped around each other in a warm family gathering.

Toph snickered. "I hope you kick some serious Firelord butt, Twinkletoes."

A small smile danced across Aang's features, and he felt content. He couldn't do this without his friends. It would be impossible. It was hard to believe only yesterday he was freaking out over too little sleep, and now there was different kind of nervousness inside. The kind that wondered if his friends would survive through this day.

His eyebrows furrowed. No. That won't happen. They'll make it.

They have to.

"Okay, listen up, everyone!" Chief Hakoda boomed, and the group broke their hug, all equally unsatisfied. "It's time for the invasion to start! You all of shown so much strength, and courage. We'll live to see this war end." The chief abruptly turned around. "Okay, now break time's over! Back in the subs!"

Sokka and Toph ran from the group to submerge into the "Tin Can of Death," as Toph liked to call it. All of the benders and warriors who were talking and stretching immediately followed suit, and pretty soon the only two people out were Aang and Katara.

They both looked at each other, and then looked at the metal floor awkwardly. He shuffled his feet, and he could hear Katara clear her throat.

Come on! Don't stand there like an idiot! Tell her! Just do it!

Aang gulped, his heart a sledgehammer in his chest, working at his ribs. "Katara I-"

"Uh, Aang, I-"

They both chuckled nervously. Aang gestured to the waterbender. "You go first."

Katara smiled one of those smiles that usually send Aang's knees shaky, but this time they had turned to full-on jelly. "We've been through a lot of things together, and I've seen you grow up so much." She blinked, and looked at him with a sparkle in her blue eyes that made the butterflies in his stomach pound against his insides. "You're not that little goofy kid I found in the iceberg anymore."

Aang felt heat rise up to his cheeks to add on to what was already there. He averted his eyes away from her, and a secret little grin played across his face.

Katara's head tilted to the side a bit. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm really proud of you."

Aang looked back up at the girl. The ocean of her eyes made him nearly lose his balance, and her pink, heart-shaped lips quirked into a small smile that parted so perfectly against her tan skin. His stomach butterflies' little fiesta had grown, and suddenly they spontaneously decided to invite the frogs in, as well.

Proud of him? What was that supposed to mean? In what way? Proud in a sisterly way, or was it in a…

Aang bit his lip. He could barely think the word. "Everything's going to be different after today, isn't it?"

She nodded, brushing a stray curl from her eyes. "Yes, it is."

He started to grow just a bit bolder. "What if… what if I don't come back?"

Her eyes filled with horror. "Aang, don't say that. Of course you'll- hhmph!"

After scraping up the courage from the corners of his mind, he unconsciously grabbed her shoulder, and pulled her toward him, his lips crashing against hers.

Spirits, her lips were soft. Like silk, or satin, or whatever. He didn't need to describe it. He couldn't. Nothing was registering into his mind, nothing except the smell of her hair, like wild beach roses, and the taste of her mouth, a delicious sweet feeling wavering in every corner of his being. He couldn't quite put his finger on the unique, intoxicating sensation.

But right at that moment, he didn't care. His heart was thumping a million miles an hour, the butterflies were having a riot, and his shaky hand on her shoulder probably told her how nervous he was. His knees shook, and he suddenly felt like he could fly, really fly. Screw his glider. He would choose this over fancy swoops any day.

But he knew moments like this had to end. They always did.

He broke away from her, slightly out of breath. He felt a fire on his face, and creeping down his neck.

Then he glanced at her. Her eyes were wide with surprise, and a rose blush powdered her cheeks. She blinked several times, her long lashes brushing her caramel skin. Then she looked away, her fingers twisting through a chocolate curl… bashfully? He hoped so. What he really hoped is that she wasn't disgusted.

Aang whipped open his glider, and jumped up into the air, sailing off into the cloudy blue sky.

He could feel her eyes boring holes into him from behind, watching him.

He touched his lips, still tingling from the kiss. He had summoned all of his courage into that one gesture, letting all of his emotions flow freely through him and into her. She must have felt it. Who wouldn't have?

Suddenly, he didn't seem so scared of the Firelord anymore. He felt, after that, he could take on anything, do anything, and say anything.

It was the best feeling in the world.

With a few exceptions, Aang thought, replaying the kiss over and over again in his head.

Then the lovesick Avatar tilted his glider toward the Fire Nation Palace, feeling triumphant and ready for any flame the Firelord threw at him.

If only he knew.