Hiya! This is (or is going to be) a series of related one shots that will be in what would be chronological order. This might get a little complex because what is chapter 1 one week might be chapter 6 the next. Although, I only have one at the moment… Anyway, I should probably mention that neither Avatar nor the title of this series belong to me. I just thought "These Happy Golden Years" would be such a nice name :) Anyway, here's my first:


(Aang's POV)

I expected we'd be dating right after the War ended. Especially after that kiss.. But I had been too shy to ask her out. I was too nervous to even be around her. Despite Sokka's encouragement, I just couldn't be confident enough to talk to her.

So instead, she came to me.

"Listen, Aang," she said one day when she'd finally had enough of me being so darn awkward. She pulled me away from the group, into a little clearing in the forest. "I've been meaning to tell you since.. Well, about.. You know, that kiss.." She blushed. I was so embarrassed and nervous I probably blushed too. But all I could focus on Katara; what she was saying and how cute she was when she blushed. "I-I just want you to know that it didn't mean anything to me. I was just stressed and.. Times were hard. I'm sorry I made things so awkward between us." She seemed as though she had to work up the ability to say this last bit.

I wasn't sure how to respond. I wanted to tell her that it was all my fault; that I just couldn't work up the nerve to ask her out! I wanted to tell her how frustrated I was with myself about how silly I've been! But all I managed to say was "Oh. Okay.." But after I did, I realized that only made things worse. How could I have said that? How stupid am I? And how could that kiss not mean anything to her! It meant everything to me! But if what she had just said was really true, I couldn't tell her that! What an idiot I'd been!

"Okay, then" She sounded as though she felt better. She sounded like she expected things to get better. But how could they? As she turned to walk away, she looked like she was about to cry. I blushed. She left in a hurry. How could I be such an idiot!

After Katara returned to camp, Sokka came up to me. "Real smooth," he commented. He'd been listening the whole time. Probably hiding in some bush, spying on us-again.

"How could it not have meant anything to her?!"

Sokka walked over to me like a big brother or a teacher. "It definitely meant something to her. ..And so do you. You can tell because of what just happened. She wouldn't have done this if you didn't. …Or, if you had taken my advice and asked her out."

"Or at least not have made things so awkward. I've been suuucchh and idiot!"

"Yeah, that's for sure."

I wanted to say something sarcastic in response, but it was all true. "But what can I do now?"

"You know, you're sure lucky to have me. If it weren't for me, your relationship would be hopelessly lost. But never fear! I have a plan!" Sokka ranted on for a good 5 minutes about how awesome and handsome and wonderful and intelligent and clever and funny he was until I couldn't take it anymore.

"Sokka! The plan!?"

"You really have no appreciation for me do you.. Is a little respect too much to ask?"

"Sorry, Sokka"

"HM!" Sokka cleared his throat.

"Sifu Sokka"

"Thank you. The plan is.. Well, we've gotta make her jealous."

"Jealous? Do you really think that will work?" I knew Sokka was pretty good at this kinda stuff, and he was right, without him I'd be lost (not that I wasn't anyway), but sometimes he comes up with the craziest schemes. "And how's that gonna work?"

"I'm gonna set you up on a blind date.." He smiled mischievously.

"But we're camped out in the middle of, well, nowhere. There are only the four of us, Appa, and Momo."

"Trust me." Something told me I really shouldn't trust him. But what else could I do?


(Narrator's POV)

Toph hugged Katara, who could no longer contain herself and had started to cry. "How could it not mean anything to him?! I thought maybe he'd stick up for us! That he'd ask how it couldn't have met anything to me! He wasn't supposed to just sit there and take it!"

Toph made a noise in some sort of agreement or some sort of recognition that she understood what Katara was saying. She was still a little new at this whole "love" thing and wasn't quite sure what to say or do.

"He's so brave, Toph. If I really meant anything to him, don't you think he would have said it?" Katara put her head on Toph's shoulder and continued to sob. Toph hugged her a little tighter as a though popped into her head..

"I know this is going to sound crazy, but maybe you should go on a date. You know, to get your mind off Twinkle Toes."

"I don't know. There are only the four of us. And who knows where we are."

"Well, I can tell you that we're 300 miles from the nearest ocean and 57 meters from the nearest creek. We've been heading north, so-"

"Toph."

"Oh, right. Sorry." Toph wiggled her toes. " Anyway, I have the perfect solution."

"I am not going on a date with my brother." Katara stated.

"What? No.. That's not what I meant. Trust me on this. Aang will see he has some competition and realize him much you mean to him."

"Wait, you're saying we're going to make him jealous?"

"You could put it that way,"

"Let's do it," Katara giggled.


(Aang's POV)

I was so mad! He got me all dressed up for this mysterious date and who was sitting at the table but the very person I was trying to avoid, Katara! I mean, what was I supposed to say? "Sorry, I'm such an idiot, Katara. I'm a total whip and I ruined our relationship forever because I couldn't get up the courage to ask you on a date because if you said no I would have been crushed and so now you hate my guts and I totally deserve it because I've been a complete jerk even though I love you and I just don't know what to do?" She looked almost as shocked and angry that I was there as I was that she was there. What did he expect me to do? What did she expect me to do?

Katara's eyes welled up. I couldn't tell if she was about to start crying or punch me in the nose. Honestly, I was leaning towards the latter. I deserved it. Instead, I decided that what I'd thought about saying earlier didn't sound all THAT bad.. And it was sounding better by the millisecond.

"Katara," I said. Behind the tears, she looked beautiful. Her long, dark chocolate hair was down past her shoulders and starting to curl at the end. I thought maybe I should comment on how she looked before I continued. But would that be too cheesy? I couldn't afford cheesy. What I needed to say had to be perfect. But I needed to decided what that was. And fast.

Before I could open my mouth to continue, though, Katara looked up and me. She tilted her head, "Aang?" she asked. "Are you crying?"

I hadn't noticed until she said that. I had about 3 tears rolling down my face, and plenty more in my eyes. Of course, more started flowing after that. "Katara, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! I don't know how I could just let you think that you don't mean anything to me! I've loved you since the beginning! Actually, since we went penguin sledding when we first met. Your hair loopies rustled in the wind and your eye sparked. And that smile warmed my heart, even though it was about 2 degrees out and all I was wearing was my soaked monk's uniform! As we slid down that mountain, I knew that I'd found my home! That I wanted to be with you forever! I love you! You'll never know how sorry I am that I make things so awkward between us that you thought I don't care about you, when really I care so much for you that I couldn't build up the nerve to ask you out! I made things awkward between us, not you! I know it's too little, too late, but -"

The next thing I knew, Katara had her lips on mine. It was as though she was trying to tell me "I forgive you, but NEVER do it again."

"By the way," she said, pulling away, "I love you too." We kissed again as Toph and Sokka cheered and high-fived in the background. Katara glared at them in a way that knew meant "That was mean! But thank you."


So, what do you think? This is my second, well, fluffy fan fiction. Hope you liked it! Please review (it would make me sooooooo happy!) Thanks for reading :D