Title: Day 4: Happy Beginnings, or "The Beginning of our Story"
Rating: K+
A/N: Some off-screen moments of Katara coming to the final realization of her feelings and the finale.
Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Mike and Bryan, Nickelodeon and Viacom.
Day 4: Happy Beginnings
The finale, the finale! The kiss! The start of their relationship! Get on it with your lovely interpretations!
The fading lights of the sun in the horizon brought the day to its end. Today was the end for many things, including a hundred-year-war. Today was the day the Avatar bravely fought and defeated the Firelord, the world's nemesis, and brought the horrible war to an end.
The war may have been over, but this wasn't the end at all. There was still so much to be done. Now that they'd saved the world, they'd have to keep changing it until there was once more stability. Until all nations could stand proud and live together in harmony, according to Aang. Speaking of the young Avatar, he had been fantastic. Katara couldn't have been prouder of him as she saw him stand together with Zuko, the new Firelord, earlier in the day. Singlehandedly the young airbender had not only defeated Ozai, but he had also taken his bending away. The thought that such power even existed scared her; had Aang not been the Avatar, she'd have feared the ability falling into the wrong hands. But she knew Aang would never use it in any way to hurt others because that's just the way he is: kind.
That kindness would definitely help the world – Katara was sure of it. Aang was exactly what the world needed so it could get back to its feet. The Avatar belongs to the world, not to just one person. Katara knew that. Every day that she watched the young and naïve airbender earn power and responsibility that concept became more and more clear. She knew and she had been afraid of what would come from a relationship with him. After much thinking, she'd decided to let him go. The fear of losing him, both as the Avatar and as Aang, consumed her. When it almost happened, back in Ba Sing Se, she'd almost lost all her hope. But she brought him back.
From then on, there was no use denying her feelings anymore. Katara knew what she felt for Aang was definitely deeper than what she felt for anyone else. Still, she had been confused and afraid. Looking back, it had all been so stupid, childish but also understandable. They were still far from adulthood and there would be mistakes along the way during their entire lives. But, Katara realized as she watched Aang smile to the crowd before him, if she was going to make mistakes, she'd rather do it with her most important person.
And there she stood now; wearing in the light green dress Iroh lent her while spending the afternoon at his newly reacquired teashop. Looking at Aang now, dressed in his airbender master tunics and with a tranquil expression in his face, Katara knew there was nothing to fear – not nor or ever. She held him tightly, silently asking him to never leave her again. He was still smaller than her and Katara secretly took pleasure in this fact – in her opinion, it made him in ever cuter. Being in Aang's arm was like being home; it brought the sense of security she'd longed for and it was also warm and comfortable. Katara had always known this, albeit in an unconscious level, and she wondered if that were the reason she'd always try to find ways to hug him. But she wasn't interested in hugging right now – there would be time for that later.
Katara distanced herself from Aang, but just enough to look at his face and those beautiful grey eyes. Those eyes also reminded her of home, back in the South Pole where the skies were always filled with silver-gray clouds. She slowly brought her face closer to his. Both of them held their breaths as the butterflies in their stomachs fluttered wildly.
Katara never kissed a boy before. There had been enough instances in the past, but she'd never had the chance – or willingness – to do it. Even so, she was certain that no kiss could ever compare to the one she shared with Aang. If merely touching him already brought tingles to her spine, kissing him brought a wide set of sensations she'd never experienced before (she'd pinpoint them later, all in due time). Loosing herself in the kiss, she brought her arms around his neck and furthered the kiss.
This wasn't the end at all. Rather, Katara thought as she locked her lips with Aang once more, it's only the beginning.