It appears that I have finished this sooner than I thought I would. Well this one as you probably guessed by the title happens sometime while Aang was out and Katara was caring for him.

Battle scars and realization

His chest rises with every breath as Katara tends to his wound. The gaping hole- so much blood that it almost makes her gag. She sucked in her breath and gently dabbed it. She had turned him onto his stomach to be able to see it better.

It broke his arrow- he wasn't going to like that when he woke. She thought.

More blood pulsed out and she tried to hold back her disgust but something kept her there. The same something that had taken over when she had saved him. He was gone but she couldn't let him go.

It hadn't been him being the Avatar that had kept her there. No, she had honestly forgotten that fact at that moment. He was hers. Her Aang that she knew she couldn't live without. She couldn't live on if he wasn't there. She probably would have jumped off Appa if she hadn't been able to save him.

Katara stopped dabbing and tightly wrapped a fresh bandage around his chest. She tried not to feel his rippling muscles as she did this. But her hand still wiped across there anyway. He had really grown and it showed.

What am I doing? He's Aang. She told herself sternly.

She flipped him back onto his back and lightly kissed his forehead. She felt the fuzziness of his new hair growing. She would, should have shaved it off by now but she liked his hair. It made him look older she had decided. She stood and with one last look back at him she opened the door and walked up to the deck. This had been her friend's idea after the first day they had decided that she needed some air. And now she had to go out at least once a day.

The deck was completely clear which was surprising. She looked up to the moon and realized that it had to be at least mid night. Everyone was asleep. Her brow narrowed- when was the last time she had slept? It seemed like years.

The water bender walked towards the railing and gripped it hard. Sure she needed air but hers was in the lower deck. She needed her Aang.

How long have I felt this way about him?

Looking back she realized that it hadn't happened in an instant like in fairy tales but over time. It had started from the moment that she saw his face- his grey eyes blinking up at her that day until now- now it was confirmed.

''I love him.'' She whispered.

She hadn't realized the truth of her words until she had said them out loud. She did love him. She did but just never wanted to admit it. She had fallen for her best friend and Katara knew that she could never look at him the same now. Her feelings would take over. She would want him- more so now.

Katara wiped a hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. She peered up at the moon- so many questions but no answers.

She sighed and headed back down to where Aang, her Aang was. He hadn't moved since she had left him a few minutes ago but she could still feel his breathing and she sighed with relief. She went to kneel beside him. Katara brushed at his little bits of hair and smiled. She leaned in close and said confidently.

''I love you.''

She pulled away and shook her head. ''Now if only I could say that to your face.''

I do think that it was during this time that she would have realized her true feelings and that idea alone inspired this. I hope you liked it and would be ever so kind to leave a review [Oh and thank you to FanOfItAll5 for being my first reviewer I really appreciate it].