The Farewell

Those four weeks sped by faster than any week in their memory. They spent many afternoons in a corner booth of the dimly-lit back room of the coffee shop that many of the Water Tribe youths enjoyed. Oftentimes, they would talk, about the future, about their couple-hood and if it could last with Katara all the way in the Earth Kingdom. Occasionally, they'd invite their friends with them and, after the coffee shop, they'd play water-bending games.

"OK, Yakone, you're it!" Aang called as he hit the smaller girl with a water whip.

"Hey, no fair!" she called back. "I wasn't ready!"

A darker boy, close to Katara's age spoke up.

"Aren't we too old for games like these?"

"You're never too old for games like these." Aang called back, falling back into the snowbank he had been standing on.

"Ugh, Tikaani, let's go," he called to the curly-haired boy leaning on a snowbank. "Let's go watch tv at my place. My parents aren't home and we have all the movie channels."

"Sweet," Tikaani said, brushing himself off. "Come on, Yakone!"

"What?" she called as she tried to freeze Aang in place, as the boys left without her. "Hey, Tikaani, Nanuq! Wait up!"

She ran after them, leaving Aang and Katara alone in the snow. Defeated, Aang fell back into the snowbank.

"I just thought they'd like to spend some time with you before you left."he said quietly.

"It's ok Aang," she said, sitting next to him. "I'm glad you invited them, but Nanuq just got accepted to the University as well, and Tikaani is taking over his father's store and trying to save money so he and Yakone can get married next year, and of course, Yakone has a wedding to plan. Our lives are changing. They were right, we don't have time to play waterbending games anymore. "

Aang sat up, bringing his knees to his chin.

"But you'll still play with me, won't you?"

"Of course."

The last several days were spent cleaning and packing. Katara finally got to spend some time with her friends, but this time it was just Yakone. She had a white binder full of magazine clippings detailing the newest wedding trends for the year and she couldn't wait to show Katara some of her favorite designs.

"I was thinking about this one," Yakone started, as Katara squeezed another suitcase shut. "I know it's lavender, and I don't really like lavender, but it's in this year and I know I wore lavender at the Solstice Dance and Tikaani said I looked really good in it."

She blushed.

"I know," Katara said. "I remember that. You kept calling me."

"Sorry," Yakone said, blush deepening. "I was just really excited. It's not every day a girl gets engaged."

"I really wish I could be here for the wedding."

"Well, we were thinking of a summer wedding, so you can make it, if you'll be up for the summer. I hope you can, it'd mean a lot to me if you could be there."

Katara looked wistfully off into the distance; summer seemed so far off. She had been right though, everyone was growing up so fast. Little did she know, though, that Aang stood just on the other side of that wall, gathering up the courage to ask a question he knew he was going to ask the day he arrived at the South Pole. In his hand he held a betrothal necklace that he had carved himself. He had hidden it in a drawer and was waiting until Hakoda came back from the South Pole to ask if he could marry his daughter. But that was two years ago and he still hadn't returned. He didn't want to wait any longer; she was going away in three days. It was now or never.

"Hey Katara, I--" he started, barging in.

"Oh hi Aang," Yakone said, smiling. "It's nice to see you."

"Hi Yakone..." he said queitly. "Katara, can I speak to you a minute?"

"Oh sure, Aang. What's up?"

"Out in the hall please?"

"Umm, OK. I'll be right back," Katara called to Yakone as she followed Aang out of the room.

"Katara, I've been thinking...that I'd like to move our relationship to the next level, but I've been taking it slow because I didn't know what you would think, but now I'm ready..."

"Aang, are you saying you want to have sex?"

"What?! No.. umm well yes, but not right now. I mean, I'd love to have sex with you, but a friends over and maybe later and...ugh, can I just start over?"

He leaned against the wall for a moment, hiding his face in his hands. He took a deep breath, as Katara rested a hand on his shoulder.

"It's ok, it's not a big deal, I would like to too, when the time is right."

"That's not really what I was trying to ask, but I'm happy that you want to."

He sighed and tried again.

"Katara, I love you and I always..ugh this isn't right. I should really ask your dad first and I haven't done that. Katara, I'm sorry!"

He ran off, leaving a bewildered Katara. Yakone left a few hours later, and Katara was busy making dinner and packing. Aang stayed in his room all night, making it impossible to talk to him. Frustrated, she just went to bed. She'd talk about it with him on the way to Ba Sing Se; she was leaving in three days and Aang was going with her since her father was still stuck in the South Pole on business. They were to take Appa, since the Avatar never went anywhere without him. The snow and ice was making Appa restless and Aang had been itching for a field trip since last summer, when they went to go visit Katara's family in the Southern Water Tribe.

The trip to Ba Sing Se was longer than they expected, and they had to stop several times to rest. Aang had remained strangely silent, still embarrassed over the question he never had strength to ask. He hoped Katara would still say yes when it came time to ask her again. He had sent a letter out to her father before they left, feeling a letter was more personal than an email. He hoped he get an answer soon. He was still nervous and tried to change the subject every time Katara mentioned it.

"Is everything ok, Aang?" she asked finally, as they flew over the great wall of Ba Sing Se.

"Yeah... everything's fine." he said quietly."I guess I'm just a little nervous...and sad. I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too, but we'll only be a phone call away!" Katara said.

"We will..." Aang started.

He was suddenly stopped by the view of the university. It was almost as large as the city itself; a cloister of buildings, with a giant courtyard in the middle, complete with trees and ponds, and several larger buildings surrounding it, five stories high, with a giant stone wall surrounding the complex.

"I can't believe it, it's huge!" Katara exclaimed. "It's bigger than anything I would have imagined."

"Do you know where we need to go?" Aang asked, trying to find a place to land Appa as inconspicuously as possible.

"I have no idea, but I'm sure those buildings by the courtyard must be student housing, maybe it's that small building near them?"

"Do you want me to come with?" Aang asked, jumping off the side to help Katara down, after they had landed.

"No, I think I'll be good. Why don't you watch my stuff?"

"OK," Aang said, rolling in the grass. "I'll be here."

When Katara exited the building a half hour later, Aang was dozing happily next to Appa. Smiling, she sat down next to him.

"Hey, sleepyhead," she said, shaking him.

"Nuh?" he asked, looking around groggily. "Oh hi Katara, I must have dozed off."

"I got my room assignment. You want to help me move my stuff in?"

"Sure. Now Appa, don't let anyone take off with you, ok?"

Appa grunted in comment as the students who were already at school passed from the dorms to get lunch. They stopped and looked at is as Aang airbended Katara's suitcases to the ground.

"Cool, a sky bison."

"I wonder if the Avatar is going to school here. I'd love to study Earthbending with him."

"If he's studying Earthbending, he should take the class with Professor Bei Fong. She's insane but the best earthbender in the world."

"You're wrong Dae, she's just plain insane."

Their laughter faded into the distance as Katara and Aang walked to the freshman dorms. They were silent for a while, the only time Katara spoke was to tell Aang to push the third button on the elevator. Once the doors closed, she spoke.

"I'm going to really miss you."

She rested her head on his shoulder, as Aang sighed and looked at the flashing number. In a second he tilted her face towards his. Their lips met furiously, and soon he was pushed back tight against the elevator wall, Katara's legs wrapped around his waist, his hands lightly pushing her against him. The elevator stopped, ringing it's arrival and they jumped apart quickly, straightening their clothes and grabbing the suitcases.

"Well it says I'm in room 344, which looks like it's at the end of the hall...oh this wasn't too hard to find."

She knocked on the door. No answer. She pushed the door open a crack. It was empty.

"Hey, no one's here."

Setting her bags down, she walked inside. It was bigger than it looked from the outside, with two beds on each side of the room. There were two large windows, both which opened into the courtyard. She set her small suitcase on the desk facing the window.

"I think I'll take this bed."

She sat on the bed closest to the door. Aang closed the door behind him and joined her on the bed.

"So...this is it." Aang said quietly.

"Yeah..."

"I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too."

They embraced tightly, neither one wanting to let go. Aang's eyes grew misty and he squeezed them tight, he'd have plenty of time to cry on the long, lonely trip back home. They pulled apart and he forced a smile.

"I'll call you everyday," she said.

"And I'll text you when I get bored, or if I miss you too much."

"I'll keep my phone on me at all times," she said with a smile.

Neither one of them spoke for a moment, both trying to find the right words to say, and both dreading the moment they'd have to say goodbye for good. Their eyes met and suddenly they realized nothing more needed to be said. With that, Katara kissed Aang long and full of desperation. He kissed her back with the same desperation as the world melted around them. She didn't remember laying down, but suddenly Katara was aware of straddling Aang's waist, and that he was clawing at her shirt. She pulled herself away for a moment to remove the offending article of clothing, and was pressed tightly against him before it fell to the ground. He had abandoned his shirt as well.

Aang's hands wandered, one content to stay wrapped in her hair, the other one roving her body: the small of her back, the curves of her hips, and finally her backside, pushing her gently against his ever-growing erection. He abandoned his post to unhook her bra, all while she pushed against him harder, grinding against him. And then she was on her back, legs still firmly wrapped around his waist. He ran his hands down her body, sending shivers down her spine and buried his face in her chest. He kissed her breasts with more fervor than he usually attended to them, and she mumbled his name, quietly, back arched, offering him more. He took that as an invitation and moved lower, hands firmly holding onto her hips, kissing around her navel. She bit her lip as he moved to unbutton her jeans.

The crash of the door brought them back to reality. In a second, Aang rolled off the bed, grabbing his shirt. Katara covered herself, and rolled over, searching for her shirt.

"Hello," he said, bowing, eyes kept to the floor."I was just leaving. Nice to meet you."

He slid behind the door, and closed it shut as Katara's roommate stood there confused.

"Hi," Katara said, breathlessly, pulling her shirt over her head. "I'm Katara."

"Was that your boyfriend?" the shorter girl said with braids said. "He's cute."

Katara blushed and the braided girl spoke again.

"I'm Meng. Does cutie have a brother?"

****

Outside the door, Aang was trying as hard as he could to cool off. As he paced back and forth he thought of everything, Appa, Sokka, the look on Hakoda's face when he read Aang's letter, and nothing seemed to help.

"How's it goin'?" asked a voice from behind him.

"It's been better," Aang said as a tall figure emerged from the other side of the hallway.

"So what can you tell me about the two fine ladies in that room?"

"I don't think that's any of your business." Aang retorted angrily.

"Woah, brah. I was just starting conversation, calm down." the tall stranger said. He was dressed in green and orange. He must have been from one of the families on the Upper Ring, the way his clothes were embroidered. Over his shoulder he carried the trademark blue pullover emblazoned with the gold letters of Delta Gamma Chi.

"I don't feel comfortable talking about my girlfriend with you."

"Whatever brah, What about that cute short girl I just saw? I bet she's fun in the sack."

Aang beat his head against the wall. As he did so the door opened. Katara stuck her head out.

"Hey there."

"Hi,"Katara said, smiling. "Can I talk to Aang alone?"

"Sure," he said, smiling and winking. He walked back down the hall, the elevator ringing his departure.

"Thanks for coming with me," Katara said quietly, playing with her hair.

"Of course," Aang said, putting his hands on her hips. "I'd always come with you where you go."

"I don't know want to say good bye."

"It will be winter break before you know it," Aang said smiling weakly, drawing closer to her. "We'll talk everyday, you know we will."

With that, he kissed her, slowly and sweetly, melting her tears away.