A/N: More angst coming up!

Day 2: Comfort
Word Count: 1, 200+
Rating: T
Genre: Tragedy, Hurt/Comfort, Angst

I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

It was late afternoon. The fading sunlight streamed through an open window, and the sound of waves crashing onto the island's shore filled the room. Everything around them was so deceitfully peaceful.

The healer quietly made her way out of the door, wanting to leave the couple alone.

"There's really nothing you can do?" She turned and saw him staggering out the room after her. Her gaze was immediately locked by a pair of stormy gray eyes.

She stood in silence. She had dealt with such cases so many times before, but it hadn't made it any easier. It ached her to see a young couple so tormented by the injustice of life.

"Nothing at all?" the young man repeated.

She knew that it wasn't as if he didn't know the answer. But desperation made people blindly cling on to the slightest ray of hope they could find.

She shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry."

She watched as his posture sagged, despair taking over him completely. It was one of her greatest regrets as a healer: as skilled she was in easing physical pain, she couldn't help when it came to the emotional—and that, she had learned, was the worst kind of pain there was.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Aang clutched the doorframe for support. Although her response was unsurprising, the healer's words were like a blow to the chest. He closed his eyes. No. No.

He had seen more than his fair share of death and destruction in the world, and he had spent the past years trying to prevent others from experiencing the same. What had he done to deserve such a thing? What had she done?

He felt it, the urge to let loose of the emotional turmoil within him and destroy everything he touched. But he didn't dare give in; it wasn't right for his devastation to be the cause of someone else's.

"I'll leave you with Master Katara." The healer's voice sounded distant. He heard her walk away, her footsteps echoing in the empty hallway.

Katara. He had to pull himself together for her. She needed him.

He took a deep breath. He needed to be strong for her. For them.

He slowly walked back into the room. Katara was sitting on the bed, propped up with the help of a pillow. Her eyes were closed, and she was still as a statue.

"Katara?" he asked tentatively. When she didn't answer, he sat down on the edge of the bed, careful not to disturb her in any way. The silence that filled the room was thick, but Aang wasn't going to force her to talk if she wasn't ready.

After a few minutes, she finally spoke. "Why, Aang?" she finally croaked out. "Why, of all people . . ."

Aang took her hand, tears pooling at the corners of his eyes as well. "I'm thinking the same thing, Katara."

"She didn't deserve it," she whispered.

He nodded. "I know. Nobody does."

Katara drew in a shuddering breath. "I—I—"

"Shh." Aang adjusted his position so that he could wrap her securely with one arm.

"I—I'm s—sorry," she said in between sobs.

The tears leaked out of his eyes as he smoothed back her hair. "It's not your fault, Katara," he reassured her, pulling her closer.

She clung to him, dampening his robes with her misery. "I—I could have been more careful . . ."

"You couldn't have," he said softly. He didn't blame Katara at all for continuing to work at the hospital even when she was pregnant. No doubt that she had gotten the virus from there, but she never could turn her back on people who needed her. "No one but you could heal that patient, sweetie. I'm proud of you for saving his life."

"But what about Kya's life?" She pulled back to look at him. The pain in her eyes was palpable as she said the name that was shared by her mother and daughter, both taken away too early. "What about her?"

Getting struck by lightning was almost better than seeing his wife like this. He closed his eyes. "Katara—"

"I'm a failure. I know how badly you want an airbender." Her words knocked the breath out of him. He did want that. So badly that it hurt. "And I want more than anything for you not to be alone anymore. If—"

"Katara," he cut her off firmly, looking straight at her. "Any child of ours would be perfect, airbender or not. Don't beat yourself up over trying to repopulate the Air Nomads."

"But—"

"My people won't die out, Katara. The Fire Nation tried, and even they didn't succeed."

"Aang . . ." They just stayed like that for the next few minutes, just holding onto each other.

"Aang?" He looked up. Her eyes were closed. The Avatar could tell that she was exhausted.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"How are we going to get through this?" She sounded hopeless, defeated.

To be honest, he didn't know. He was still so consumed in the present.

"We just will, Katara," he assured her, even though he didn't fully believe in the words himself.

He could see from her expression that he hadn't fooled her. "I could use a philosophical saying right now," she sighed.

The Avatar chuckled darkly. "I know a few, but I don't think we'll find any one of them convincing at the moment."

Katara's mouth twitched, showing the slightest hint of a smile. "You're right."

Silence ensued once more, but it wasn't nearly as tense as earlier. It was sadder, more thoughtful.

"Katara?" She looked up at him. "About what you said earlier, about me being alone . . ."

"I've seen the way you look at the air ball field at the Southern Air Temple, Aang," she said regretfully. "I know you're lonely—"

"That's not true, Katara." He said, cutting her off once more. He lifted her chin, guiding her eyes to his. "I'm not alone. I have you."

Their faces were only inches away, and their need for each other was great. They poured out all their grief into a kiss, holding onto one another as if they might fall apart if they didn't. In that moment, with their tears mixing together, they knew that they were each other's only refuge from the crushing pain that threatened to shatter them both.

"We can get through this together, Katara." Aang said after they had pulled away. He reached out to wipe away the tears from her face. "We can always try again."

Katara nodded. "I'm still naming her Kya, though," she murmured. "It's your call if it's a boy."

Aang blinked. "I actually hadn't thought about that. I'll get back to you," he promised.

The corner of her mouth pulled up in a smile at his light humor. She gazed into his thundercloud eyes for a moment, seeing only her own love for him reflected in them.

A newfound sense of comfort spread throughout her. They could get through this.

With this in mind, she snuggled up against him, resting her head on his strong chest. "I love you," Katara said. Her eyes slid shut once more, but the sorrow, albeit still evident on her face, had been somewhat eased.

He instinctively encircled her in a protective embrace, planting a kiss on her forehead. "I love you, too."

So yeah, I'm not really sure how to write about characters kissing, so I apologize for any awkwardness, weirdness, etc.

Anyway, hope you guys liked it, and see you all tomorrow!