AN: as usual, I'm starting this chapter a bit backward from where i left off last time, just to get you back into the mood. No cliffhanger this time, I promise!

disclaimer: avatar is not mine, nor are any of these characters. weep

"Aang." She kissed him roughly. "Aang" she tugged him to the floor where his overstuffed goose-rabbit fur pallet lay. "Aang" she whispered as she slid his robe from his shoulder. Her hands danced over his bare chest as they began to kiss slowly, savoring each other. "you promised not to leave me. Just remember, you promised." She whispered in between kisses.

"Katara. I love you."

She had heard it before. She had known it before. She had felt the same way before. But those times didn't have the relief and bliss and sweetness this time had. It also didn't have the man Aang had become kneeling before her, bare chest and bare heart in her hands.

"I love you too. "

He launched a new wave of kisses and caresses at her. It was all she could do to keep up, and still she felt like she was drowning the wake of his passion. His enthusiasm knocked her backwards into his pallet. Her skirts were feeling looser and looser, now that the shoulder wrap was dislodged. His loose robe trailed over her too. He was concentrating kisses on her throat again.

"Aang…"

He cut her off with another hurricane of kisses. Finally he let her speak (and breathe) again.

"Aang…do you think…are we…we're in your bed."

"Are you sure we're not in the clouds?" it was so sappy, so adorably Aang that Katara laughed.

"I don't want to leave you. But do you want me to stop?" he asked. He mentally kicked himself for not asking before he had let her guide him to the floor. but surely she HAD guided him to the bed? Hadn't she initiated…whatever this might turn into?

"I…no."

"Are you sure?"

"No…well…I want…"

"Please, Katara. Let me know. Let me know if I need to stop. I don't want to hurt you. "

She cut him off with a rough insistent kiss. They parted reluctantly afterward, foreheads resting lightly against each other. Aang's eyes stayed closed, savoring the memory of that kiss and burning the moment fiercely in his memory.

While Aang had paused to savor the moment, Katara had paused to try and move her desire-fogged mind beyond it. Aang was right, she did need to be sure…be sure of whatever happened next.

She marveled at how easy it was to be swept away by the intoxicating flood of emotion Aang stirred in her. She had been being so bold, bolder than she would have dared were it not nighttime, were they not so close, were Aang not too sexy for his own good…

She took a deep breath and reluctantly admitted to herself that it was a bad idea to let things go further. And now for the impossible task of admitting it out loud...

"Aang, as much as I hate to say this…would it be alright if we…stopped here for now? I mean!" she blushed prettily, suddenly demure and shy. "This is all still a bit new…" her hands fumbled together, turning over and over one another in a pantomime of the fluster in her voice.

Aang took her restless hands into his own and held them steady. He gave her forehead a quick reassuring kiss. "Of course."

He grinned, but with empathy in his eyes. "This is all kinda new for me too."

She leaned her forehead on his bare shoulder, their hands still clasped. She could feel his pulse still racing, she could smell his sweat and musk and a faint trace of smoke, which she supposed was from the candles from earlier. But mostly she could feel the warmth radiating from his skin, as she was sure it must radiate from her. Her own pulse was slowing, and with it, the world. Slowly the flood of their passion receded into something manageable.

Aang's mental state was being more difficult. He felt like he'd been through a lighting-fire-flash-flood-tornado and then suddenly dumped onto a lake. His heart still beat frantically. He admitted to himself that it was better that they'd stopped, but his body was having trouble keeping up with that conclusion.

But at least she hadn't run away right? At least she was still here, not angry with him, not rejecting him, not scared away. And that alone was worth the painful beating of blood in his head.

Time passed in the darkness with the two of them doing nothing but breathing together and waiting for the flood to abide. Badger Frogs croaked and HummingFlies hummed, and the world around them was still and peaceful, oblivious to the ups and downs and boiled blood of the young.

Finally Aang broke the silence. His shoulder was beginning to ache with the effort of keeping it perfectly still for her to rest on.

"Katara…I guess, if we're not…are you...um. Would you mind if we moved?" he really really didn't know how to ask. In many ways, he still felt like the situation was on thin ice. This was unexplored territory for both of them after all, this intimate, physical side of their relationship. "Did you want to sleep in your own room?"

Katara wrapped her arms around his neck. She lifted her head from his shoulder and smiled shyly.

"Not really. After all," she looked coyly into his eyes. "I have to make sure you don't try and fly away on me." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek to let him know she was teasing. "I mean," she suddenly hesitated, "that's ok right? You don't' mind, do you?"

"No, no, no!" Aang said, possibly a little too quickly. "I just wanted to make sure you were ok with it."

Katara couldn't help but kiss him again. The blush and fluster in his face was just too adorable. As naturally as breathing, Aang kissed her back and before they knew it, another more southerly presence was making itself known. Aang groaned.

"We've gotta stop doing that." He moaned. "It just feels too good. You've got to roll over so I stop getting tempted to kiss you more and more."

Katara grinned into the darkness mischievously, but rolled obediently to the side. She could get used to the thrill of power getting him riled up gave her. As much as she knew it was better to take it slow and not let things go too fast physically she could help but love feeling him get hard for her. It was strangely flattering, Aang's body reacting so obviously, giving such an unequivocal sign of desire for her. And it certainly felt good to rub against that spot…. she had to bite her lip to keep from moaning.

Still, it felt just as good just to be there, with Aang's solid chest against her back and arms wrapping securely around her shoulders. He was holding her tight to him and it felt so…right.

Tomarrow she'd wring for details of his plan from him. For tonight, she'd settle for the promise of his company and the security of his embrace.

AN: YAY I finally updated! It took me a long time to evaluate whether or not Katara and Aang were ready to take their physical relationship to the next level. I still plan to have a sex scene, but I want to be sensitive to the fact that this is a big step for them. Now, the process will get nice and speeded up when they end of being alone together several night running…mwa-ha-ha…but i think you'll find the buildup will be just as sweet as the 'final frontier'. And don't forget…there's lots of stuff they can do without actually playing hide-the-staff…

I'm kinda iffy on this point of view. Being omnipotent and knowing what Katara and Aang are both thinking seemed like a great way to get the most from a sex scene to me when I started, but now seems a bit burdensome. What do you think?

I'm gonna go back and edit some old chapters, try and get things to jive with how the finale ended. so far I'm not seeing much discrepancy but feel free to point it out...