I present to you all, Chapter 7, with one or two songs at the end.
Sorry about it being so long! I had no intention of that!
I own nothing except for the complete awesomeness of the story!
Katara returned from packing the paintings away in Appa's saddle to Aang, who was at the post office. He had a messenger hawk on his arm, and was putting a note into the pouch. "Take this to him," he said, then lifted his arm. It beat its wings once, and then took off into the sky.
"Who was that to?" she asked as she came up beside him.
"Toph and Sokka," he replied, "to tell them that we won't be back at Kyoshi in time for dinner."
"What? The sun hasn't even begun to set yet, we have plenty of time to get back to Kyoshi Island before sunset," she pointed out, crossing her arms.
"I'm not done yet, Katara," he said, laughing a bit. "We won't be back in time for dinner because I'm taking you out for dinner."
"Oh."
"The great and mighty Avatar doesn't want his delicate flower to starve after not eating all day," he joked, grabbing her hand and pulling her into his arms.
"Honestly, I haven't notice," she said truthfully, putting her hands on his shoulders.
"Well, before you do, let's go someplace I know you'll love," he promised, drawing away from her and took her hand. "Come on!" He dragged her through the busy streets eagerly, making sure that her fingers never left his. Pushing through the crowds, he finally stopped in front of a large building that looked like it was made of ice and alabaster stone, almost like the palaces in the Northern Water Tribe. Written across the archway of the doorway were words scrawled, 'The Artic Seal'.
Katara stopped in front of the doors, her hands slipping out of Aang's. "Wait a second—"
"I thought you might have wanted food from home, from the South Pole. You haven't been back home since you met me."
"Oh, Aang, thank you!" She threw her arms around his neck, then she pulled back, though she still interlocked her fingers behind his throat, and looked into his eyes. "Are you going to try the sea prunes again?"
"I will make no such promises."
She rolled her eyes, but took him inside.
It was pleasant inside; it reminded Katara of home. There was animal skins hung up on the walls and paintings of the Northern Water Tribe doing various activities, though the inside was mostly made up of dark wood. There was two long cushiony seats in the waiting room along the wall to the host stand. He was a rather good-looking man, with stylishly curled dark hair that framed a handsome face and startling green eyes. He wore long blue robes that seemed to go well with his sharply-defined Earth Kingdom features. The host looked up from the stand, then his eyes burst wide open.
"The Avatar!" he gasped. Everybody that was waiting in line turned to look, and then began to goggle at Aang, much to his discomfort. He hated feeling like all eyes were on him; what if he had a tiny slip up or fell below their standard of how the Avatar should act?
Trying to ignore the stares, Aang strode up to the stand and said in a low voice to the host, "Hello, my girlfriend and I are trying to find a seat. How long would it be for a two hour wait?"
"Uh, the next free table for two will be available after a five or ten minute wait. Is that enough for you?" he asked nervously.
"It's fine," he assured him.
Katara suddenly came up beside Aang, and whispered to the host, "Would you happen to know where the restroom is?"
Aang didn't think that eyes could get that big, but when the man saw Katara, his eyes seemed to take up all of his face. He blinked a few time, then straightened out his robes and stood considerably straighter. "Yes, the Artic Seal has several restrooms suitable for our customers," he said importantly. "Would you like me to show you to them?" He extended a hand to her. Aang couldn't believe what was happening; was this guy really flirting with girlfriend right in front of him?
He felt a stab of desire to smite him with the power of the Avatar.
She raised an eyebrow at him. Aang hastily said, "I think she find her own way, thank you." Don't go Avatar State, don't go Avatar state.
"No, it's quite a maze here," he insisted. "Don't worry Avatar, I'll show you and your girlfriend next."
"Uh, I am his girlfriend," Katara put in, and Aang thanks the spirits that he had such a faithful girlfriend.
The young man blinked, then turned to Aang. "This young woman is your girlfriend?"
"Yes. Why wouldn't she be?" Aang asked thinly, barely concealing the anger in his voice.
He shrugged. "I just didn't know that you preferred such beautiful Water Tribe girls, though I can see how this lovely gazelle caught your eye." He winked at her. Katara blushed. "I thought that a Fire Nation girl would be more to your taste, since then you can conceive more airbenders that way, or an Earth Kingdom lass. I hear they have real lookers in Ba Sing Se. And both have tempers to help out yours. But I guess you prefer the mellow, lovely, silent types. My mother was like that, though clearly Earth Kingdom. And she had nothing on this beautiful doe." He smiled at her. Katara's cheeks turned even redder as she gushed with pleasure. "Bet he never called you that," he murmured.
Aang narrowed his eyes, trying not to lose his temper and prove him right. He couldn't believe that this man, who had previously had been trying to impress him, now taunting him in front of her.
He extended his hand to her again. "Now, would you like me to lead you to the bathroom?"
Her eyes flickered to him, then to Aang, and back to the Earth Kingdom man. Aang couldn't tell what was going on inside of her head, her face completely smooth besides the blush on her cheeks, her eyes sparkling but entirely unfathomable. She finally spoke, her voice cool and relaxed.
"I'm sorry, but Aang is right, I can find my way to the bathroom. But you were right about Aang not calling me a doe or a gazelle or mellow or silent or lovely. He doesn't call me those things because he doesn't think of me like that, because he actually knows me. He calls me a panda lily, because he thinks I'm rare and precious. Aang thinks I'm not lovely, mellow, or silent, because I'm not. I'm outspoken and hotheaded, which makes him call me his little firecracker, his Oceana, a diamond. He also doesn't think that I'm lovely. He calls me beautiful no matter what I'm wearing, even before we were together, because he thought it was a fact, not an opinion."
Clearly taken by surprise, the host opened his mouth to protest, but she continued on. "Aang's considerate of my feelings and he took me here because he knew that it would remind me of home in the South Pole. He just took us to get our paintings done because he wanted to capture the moment forever, to show our kids when we're married. I think he has been a wonderful, considerate boy and his temper is rarely aggravated unless by jerks like you!"
Her voice started to grow louder, drawing the attention of nearby waiters and some people who were already seated. "Aang is faithful enough to me that he doesn't go looking at every girl that goggles at him. He has kept his eyes on me since we met after I, yes my brother and I, freed him from the iceberg that kept him captive for a hundred years. Unlike you, who I saw flirting with one of the waitresses outside not twenty minutes before!"
"That was completely—"
"And I can take care of myself, thank you very much. I don't need you or anyone else to hold my hand lead me to the bathroom, and I find it a shame that anyone who thinks that Avatar chooses a girl who cannot stand on her own. He didn't choose me because I had a pretty face."
"Well—" Aang began hesitantly.
"Okay, part of the reason why he fell in love with me is because he thought I was beautiful. But he also knew that I was strong and tough and good enough to stand up for myself. And as soon as he found out, he embraced it. He took it in and loved me for the way I am. So I am not going to fall for any guy who tries to sweet-talk me, calling me things that I do not represent in any way or form! So—let me be and stop picking on Aang before I tell him to smother this building to the ground!"
Just then the manager, who had been watching nearby with a agape mouth, strode over to the stand and said quickly, "I'm sorry Mr. Avatar, Lady Katara. Hun, go take your break," he growled at the host. He glanced sulkily at them before leaving. The manager then turned to the couple and spoke quickly, "I'm sorry about that. Hun has always been the type of person who will flirt with our female customers. I've warned him and warned him, but will he listen? This is his third strike," he promised. "Would you two still like a table?"
Katara and Aang glanced at each other, then he said, "Yes please."
"With a female waiter," she added.
"Of course. Let me show you to your table."
Aang and Katara sat down at the private booth the manager had set them up with that showed the rolling green hills outside and the sun that was starting to set. As they slid on to opposite sides of the table, the manager bowed to them, and left.
Aang watched Katara, his eyes following her as she straightened out the utensils and flattened out her napkin over her lap. She looked up to see him still staring at her. "Why are you staring at me like that?"
"It's just that…..I had no idea how committed you were to me. I've never known anyone to stick up for me so strongly." He gazed at her with star-filled eyes. "Thank you."
She blushed and patted her napkin. "It's not that hard. All I did was tell the truth."
"Well, then I'd like to hear more of your truthful side." He leaned across the table and kissed her ever-so gently on the mouth, then sat back down. "But really, I'd like to hear your truthful side," he said earnestly. She laughed.
Aang watched Katara, swirling the cherry in his untouched drink with his straw, as she gave her opinion on the fruity mango drinks that they had been given and how similar to the ones in the desert. As she talked on, gesturing as she brought in new subjects, Aang just watched her with star-filled eyes, not really paying attention to what she was saying, but more to how she was saying it, the way her voice rolled up and down as if she was singing. It captivated him like a moth to a glowfly, making him think of nothing else but her. Her eyes were twinkling as they did whenever she started to talk about something she enjoyed or liked. Her hands, so soft and smooth like river stones, worn smooth by the force of the water, were making shapes and gesturing in the air.
"Not to mention that I can't even tell that there's papaya in here, and you know how much I hate papaya" She looked to see him still watching her with moony eyes. "Aang? Aang, are you listening to me?"
"Hmm?"
"Aang, are you even hearing a word I'm saying?" she asked, exasperated, but amused at the same time.
He blinked, realizing that she was talking to him. He straightened his back and cleared his throat. "Yes, of course I'm listening to you," he said defensively.
"Then what was the last thing I said?" she challenged.
"You said, uh, that you, um, uh-"
Just then the waitress came over, saving him from answering. She laid down their meals in front of them, then asked, "Is that all?"
"No, that'll be just fine, thank you," Katara replied. The waitress bowed to both of them, then let them be. Aang eagerly smelled his seaweed noodles with seaweed bread and cookies. He usually didn't have much of a taste for Southern Water Tribe food, but when Katara introduced him to the deliciousness of seaweed and what you could do with it, he was hooked. Katara grinned at her food, which was Artic hen and sea prune stew. Then she remembered what had happened before the waitress came, and asked Aang, "So, what did I say last?"
"Uh..."
"If you get it right, then you get to have a kiss," she said. "If you don't, you have to try the sea prune stew."
He made a face. "Can't you just force me to eat the meat?" he pleaded.
She shook her head. "Nope. You have to have a bite of this." She swirled the spoon inside of her bowl. "Don't worry, it'll probably be better than the ones Bato made."
"Yeah, right."
"What did I say, Aang?"
Aang searched in his head for the right answer, but came up with nothing. "Something about a tiara?"
Katara rolled her eyes. "Nice try." She scooped up a spoonful of the sea prunes and extended it out to Aang. He pressed himself against the back of the seat, trying to get away from the abomination.
"Please, don't make me eat it, Katara!" he pleaded.
"Nope. Scoot over."
He, like an idiot, scooted over, and she slid in next to him. "Come on, Aang, just-eat-the-stupid-sea prunes!" she grunted as she tried to force the spoon into his mouth, jabbing at his cheeks and nose and chin, but his constant ducking and dodging continued to make her miss his mouth. She growled in frustration, then an idea popped into her head. Without a warning, she kissed him on the mouth. Surprised, but welcoming it, he closed his eyes. Suddenly, she drew her head back quickly and stuck the spoon into his open mouth.
He gagged on the sudden intrusion on his tongue, and fought to swallow the disgusting Water Tribe food. Katara watched him, her arms crossed over her chest, a look of satisfaction on her face. "So, how was it?" she asked once he had gotten it all down.
"It was better than last time," he admitted, massaging his scalding throat with one hand.
"Is it worth another try?" she asked, scooping up another spoonful of the sea prunes. He glared at her, but took the spoon and put it into his mouth. The first time he had tasted the sea prunes, they had tasted like how he would imagine rotten penguin meat to. The second time, although it had been forced down his throat, didn't taste as bad. It was sharp and spicy, he had to admit, and there was an aftertaste that reminded him of the delicious apple pies that Monk Gyatso used to bake for him on special occasions. But there was something about the stew that repelled against his tongue.
He swallowed it, this time without wincing or groaning. The taste that repelled him seemed to die down with every bite. "It actually tastes good!" he exclaimed, scooping up some more.
"Hey! You have your own food!"
"Can we switch?"
"No. But we can share," she added.
Aang grinned and put the tip of it to her lips, which she let slide into her mouth. "I honestly don't know why you didn't like sea prunes before," she said after she swallowed it.
"Well, thanks for making me try. And for that, I'm glad I got something for you."
"Aang, you need to stop giving me gifts!" she moaned, though she secretly appreciated the elaborate gifts that he would get for her.
"Come on, you'll like this one," he promised. "I was on my way to the post office and there was a brand new store that had just opened up. A mother and her daughter had decided to follow their dream and run a shop. Today was their grand opening, but I don't think they expected the Avatar as their first customer, by the looks on their faces! You should have seen them when I walked in and-"
"What does this have to with what you got me?" she interrupted.
"Don't worry, I'm getting there. Anyway," he continued, "after they were done bowing and saying how honored they were and stuff, they were even more surprised when I requested a daily order of their products, because I know that you'll like it so much."
"Aang—"
"And I promise you that you will not regret it." He reached into his robe and pulled out a velvet colored, dark red, heart-shaped box with a large bow on the top left corner and handed it to her. She took it hesitantly and placed it on the table and lifted the top off. Inside were little brown balls wrapped in tissue paper laying on the soft, fuzzy-looking bottom.
She picked one up and unwrapped it. "What is it?"
"The most delicious dessert in the world."
"They look like penguin droppings," she said, a disgusted look on her face. She put it back down. Aang picked it up and looked Katara in the eyes, his grey eyes serious.
"Do you trust me?" he asked. She nodded. "Then open your mouth, and I promise that you will love it." Katara hesitated, then opened her mouth and he placed it on the tip of her tongue, and watched her expression as she chewed slowly and swallowed.
"So…" he began, tucking his arms under his chest, "how does it taste?"
"Delicious!" She reached for another one and popped it into her mouth. "What are these called?"
"Chocolate," he pronounced.
Katara licked her fingers, scooping up every last trace of the sweetness. "Mmmm…I've never tasted this before."
"They told me that it was a secret recipe that their family had kept for centuries," Aang told her as she took another one. "They just now decided to share it with the world."
"They should have done this years ago!" she exclaimed, taking another.
"I know, right?" he agreed, reaching for one. Katara's hand whipped through the air and smacked his away. He clutched it to his chest, surprised. "What was that for?"
"Uh uh. These are mine!" She took the box and pressed it against her chest.
"Come on, I bought you those!" Aang protested, trying to grab the box. Katara held it out to the side as he tried to go around her to grab the box. She pressed one hand against his face to push him back while holding the box up high with the other hand out of his reach.
Suddenly, their waitress started to come down the aisle, and the two immediately sit down properly in their respective stances for eating, Katara's chocolate box in her lap, her hands folded over it. She came over and inquired, "Can I help you with anything?"
"No, we're fine," Katara replied.
"Actually, can we get a refill of our drinks?" Aang asked, pushing the two empty glasses towards her with one hand while his other inched towards the box under the table.
"Of course." She took them and put them on her plate. "Anything else?"
"That'll be all," Katara said, silently knocking away Aang's creeping hand.
The waitress nodded, and turned away and left. Katara looked away from her to see Aang staring back at her, his eyes all wide and sparkly and grey and innocent. He knew that his puppy-dog eyes worked on her as well as hers did on him. He wondered that if both of them did it on each other at the same time who would win.
Katara's willpower crumbled. She put the box back on the table and pushed it to him. He cheered and kissed her on the cheek before grabbing one chocolate ball. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he tasted the sweet. "Now I know why you didn't want to share," he laughed as he took another.
"I know. It's like…sweetness and love all in one," she said dreamily.
After he took a third, Katara took the box away again. Aang raised an eyebrow. "Let's save some for dessert," she told him, placing the lid back on and pushing it to the side.
"If you say so." He pulled his stew towards him and began to eat.
They continued the dinner with joyful talking in between eating. Aang spoon-fed Katara his noodles while eating his own. One time, he put the end of one noodle into his mouth while accidentally giving the other end to Katara. They both sucked up the noodle until it came up and they realized that they had the same one. Aang pulled back, his cheeks blazing red. Katara, on the other hand, ignored him, and continued to eat it until their lips met. There was a furious battle in their mouths for who got the last piece of noodle. Katara, of course, won, but Aang didn't mind. They continued to eat, Katara trying out the seaweed cookies after a bit of encouragement. As Katara ate her Artic Hen, Aang started to talk about the times before the war ended, going over the funny misadventures. Katara, who was actually listening, made sure that she laughed and murmured in agreement in the right places. After the waitress took away their cleaned plates, they shared the chocolate balls, placing them in each other's mouth or breaking them in half and giving one part to the other. Katara even put one in her mouth and made Aang break off the other half with his teeth, causing them to kiss, and they ended up kissing passionately for a while.
"Check please!" Aang called, while Katara was giggling uncontrollably from their make-out. She came over and handed him the receipt. He regarded the slip of paper, then handed her four gold coins. She nodded to them, and moved out of the way to let the two out of the booth.
Aang grasped Katara's hand and swung it joyfully as they left the restaurant. He spotted former Earth Kingdom host boy leaning sulkily against the wall of The Artic Seal out of the corner of his eyes, though he had been stripped of his grand robes and left in plain green shirt and shorts. He grinned and leaned over and tried to kiss Katara on the cheek. But at that moment, she had turned around to say something, and their lips met. For a second they both stood there in surprise, then Katara twined her hands around his neck, and he held her around the waist. Aang closed his eyes, forgetting about the boy, and leaned into her.
Katara broke the kiss, pulling her head back and smiled at him. Then she glanced over his shoulder, then whispered to him, "Let's blow this joint." Confused, he turned his head to see the boy glaring at them, his hands clenched into fists. He turned back to her, grinning. She took his hand again and they walked towards Appa, who had settled down in the field nearby.
He helped her up on to the huge bison's head, then climbed up himself and grabbed the reins and whipped them. Appa roared in protest. "It's okay, buddy. I promise, one last stop, and then we get to go home," he promised.
Appa roared again, but flew up into the air, the couple holding each other's hand as they disappeared into the sky.
Su Su, the young man who had been the host, got off of the wall and headed down to the post office. He found a bird and stuck a note that been previously written beforehand.
As he watched the bird fly away, a mysterious figure stepped out of the shadow.
Su Su turned to the person, apparently unsurprised. "I don't think this is going to work. She really loves him."
"Oh, she does," a deep, gravelly voice that came from the person. He pulled out a scroll from his pocket. "But I just got a message from Oyaji, and he told me that they had been arguing a bit lately."
"And?"
"She seems to get jealous when he talks about his…fan-girls. And he seems entirely oblivious to the fact of how they make her feel. Unlike how I do." He fingered the scroll, lost in thought.
He shook his head. "She really seems to be in love with them. How sure are you that this is going to work?"
"Because our little friend down from his little fan-club might be of assistance. Have you gotten a response from them yet?"
"I got one from Hei-Won and Won-Yee. They said that they'll be happy to be of an assistance."
"Good, good." He leaned against one of the tables and started bending three rocks around his hand. "Everything is going according to plan."
"So where are we going?" Katara asked as they soared through the sky.
"It's a surprise," Aang said enthusiastically, crawling across Appa's head to her side. "But believe me, you won't be disappointed."
She glanced at the sky. "I don't know, Aang. It looks like it's going to be dark soon."
"We're almost there," he reassured her. He cupped her cheek with one hand and brought her mouth to his for a quick kiss, then looked into her blue eyes. "You will love this place."
Katara could barely think, let alone reply. She nodded numbly, her mind still on how soft his lips had been on hers. Aang noticed the woozy look on her face and waved his hand in front of her. She didn't blink. "Uh, Katara? Are you okay?"
She blinked. "Hmm?"
"Who's not paying attention now?" Aang joked, pulling her close to him and wrapping his arms around. She rolled her eyes, but grinned and rested her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes, inhaling the scent of wind and white lotus from his clothes, enjoying the fresh breeze toying around with her hair, loving the feel of his soft, smooth skin against her own. She always felt so...relaxed during moments like this. She loved the moments of peace with her and Aang.
"Hey, we're here!" Aang exclaimed, snapping her out of her moment of euphoria. She opened her eyes and leaned out of arms to glanced over the side of the flying bison. They were over what seemed to be a sea of grass with rolling waves, a tree appearing every now and then. Appa swerved to the side and came down underneath a huge oak tree that seemed to touch the clouds. It was bent over a large lake, whose water was becoming pink-stained from the reflection of the sky.
"What made you think we should come here?" Katara asked as Aang swung his legs over the side and jumped off.
"Because I want to actually have fun once in a while," he said, puling off the top of his formal robes and throwing them on to Appa's saddle, then the shirt underneath.
"Uh, Aang? What are you doing?"
"Come on, don't tell me you're not getting sweaty in that dress," he told her, turning around to face her in just his pants. She had to stifle a gasp, as she always did when she saw him without a shirt on. His four-pack and strong biceps made him look as sexy as the fan-girls made him out to be. Not that they were wrong, but Katara found it hard to imagine that this was the little boy that she had went penguin sledding with.
He caught her staring, and smirked, crossing his buff arms over his chest. "Done staring yet?" he called. Her cheeks reddened, and she decided that she was going to make Aang pay for that remark. She stood up, grabbed the hem of the bottom of her dress and pulled it off, leaving her in her chest and bottom bindings. His eyes flew wide open as he took in her body, looking majestic and stunning against the baby blue sky, the wind teasing with the end strands of her long black hair. How could she not be a spirit? Aang wondered.
Katara laughed as she swung herself down on Appa's horn in front of him. "What's wrong? Catfish got your tongue?" she teased as she walked past him, flicking his nose with her forefinger and thumb. He blinked and turned around, continuing to watch her with a look of complete awe and reverence. "Are you coming?" she called over her shoulder as she jogged to the lake.
Aang shook his head, trying to clear the fuzziness in his head, and replied, "I'm coming!" He ran through the grass after her, the long strands reaching up to his midsection. He was just about to catch up to her, when she came to a sudden stop. He tried to stop, but it was too late- he collided into her, and they both shrieked as they toppled over each other and fell into the lake.
Trying to see through the bubbles, Aang flailed his arms in the water. Suddenly, a hand grabbed one of his wrists, making him stop. He squinted and saw that it was Katara. She let his wrist go, and beckoned him with one finger before swimming up back to the surface. Aang followed her, and as soon as his head broke through the surface he gulped in a breath of air, sucking in as much as possible. Katara laughed, treading around him.
"What's so funny?" Aang demanded.
"Oh, nothing. Come on." She dove back into the water. Aang hesitated, then let himself sink into the water after taking a gulp of breath. He blinked in the clear water, looking at the majesty around him. Through the water shot bursts of sunlight, making rays of light. Katara was swimming like a giant Koi fish through the rays, as graceful and majestic. She glanced over her shoulder, then flipped backwards so that she was facing him and swam towards Aang. She extended one hand to him, and he gave her his. Katara wrapped her fingers around his wrists, and began to pull him through the water.
He struggled to keep up with her perfect kicks that seemed to make her shoot ten feet, not even bothering to use her hands; he was beginning to feel like he was being dragged. Aang tried to kick them as straight and powerfully as she did. They weren't as good, but at least he wasn't being dragged.
They did loops and twirls in midair-oops, I mean water. But they were cutting so effortlessly through it was almost like they were in the air. But the time came when they had to come up for air. "That was fun," Katara panted after she had caught her breath, and pushed the wet strands of hair out of her face.
"But we're not done yet," Aang reminded her, taking both of her hands, and they plunged back into the water. He didn't let go, though. He made them go around and twirl and flip in the water, making them look as if they were dancing. Katara laughed during one loop where he was over her, her hair fanned out behind her. He reversed them, so that she was on top, and waterbended the water around his feet and made them shoot down. Then he made them make a U-turn, then shot up out of the water.
Katara shrieked as they began falling back down, though Aang was laughing. They hit the water with a loud splash. Katara resurfaced, gasping. As soon as Aang came up, she opened her mouth to scold or rant, he really didn't know which. And he wasn't in the mood to find out. He grabbed her head with one hand and pressed her open mouth on his. She flailed her arms in the water for a bit, surprised, but then she relaxed against him, groaning softly.
He moved his head from the back of her head and twined both of his arms around her neck and closed his eyes. She wrapped hers around his waist and snared her legs in his. They sank back into the water, their bodies tangled together. Aang had always found it hard to breath while kissing Katara, but now it was strictly impossible, with the water. But he managed to hold his breath as he moved against her, trying to find new angles to feel her lips and explore her mouth. Katara clung tightly to him, moaning, bubbles fluttering out of her nose. He pressed even harder, trying to find her trigger, to find out what would make her go nuts like how she did with him.
Praying that she wouldn't slap him(though it probably wouldn't hurt him, them being underwater and all), he released her neck and pressed his hands just below her breast. Her eyes flew open, and she gasped in his mouth. Suddenly, she broke away from him, and swam frantically to the surface. Surprised, Aang came back up after her. He found her panting and coughing, spurting water from her nose and mouth. "What's wrong?" he asked, concerned, putting a hand on her shoulder.
She coughed a few more times, then glared at him. "Can you try and do that when we're NOT underwater?" she managed to say in between gasps. He had to laugh.
Katara and Aang laid in the rolling green grass on their backs, a little ways from the lake and oak tree. They were staring up at the sky, which was beginning to darken in the most beautiful of ways. But Aang wasn't thinking about the magenta-and-orange-and-pink stained sky. He was too busy thinking how lucky he was to have Katara, the girl of his dreams, to have by his side. To have her here, and he could just wrap his arms around her.
Without even thinking, Aang began to sing in a soft voice.
"I like where we are,
When we go near and far.
I like where we are... Here."
Katara turned her head to look at him, her eyebrow raised. He blushed and murmured, "Sorry."
"No, don't stop," she urged, getting on her elbows. "I know the song. I like it."
He glanced at her to make sure that she wasn't going crazy, then continued on,
"Cause our lips, can touch.
And our cheeks, can brush.
Our lips can touch... Here."
Then Katara started singing loudly, stopping Aang from continuing the song.
"Well you are the one, the one that lies close to me,
Whispers, 'Hello, I've missed you quite terribly.'.
I fell in love, in love with you suddenly,
Now there's no place else I could be but here in your arms."
To emphasize the meaning, she rolled on to him, and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her. She laid her head on his muscular, sinewy chest. He lifted his head up, his heart pounding though he wasn't sure why, and whispered,
"I like where you sleep,
When you sleep, next to me.
I like where you sleep... here."
He played with a couple strands of her hair, smiling, as he went on,
"Our lips, can touch.
And our cheeks, can brush."
"Our lips can touch...here."
Katara leaned down and kissed him after he sang the last word. Then they both sang the chorus together, their voices joining in harmony,
"Well you are the one, the one that lies close to me,
Whispers, 'Hello, I've missed you quite terribly.'
I fell in love, in love with you suddenly
Now there's no place else I could be but here in your arms."
She laid her head back down, whispering to Aang,
"Our lips, can touch.
Our lips, can touch..." She traced Aang's lips teasingly. "Here."
Suddenly, Aang sat up straight, startling Katara into sitting up straight, too. He looked her deeply in the eyes as he sang loudly, meaning every word,
"You are the one the one that lies close to me!
Whisper's, 'Hello, I've missed you quite terribly!'!
I fell in love, in love with you suddenly
Now there's no place else I could be but here in your arms!"
Katara jumped in on the chorus again, hugging Aang around the chest as tightly as she could, feeling that she couldn't possibly holding all these feelings, feeling completed, together, and completely, entirely, in love, alone.
"You are the one, the one that lies close to me!
Whispers, 'Hello, I've missed you quite terribly!'!
I fell in love, in love with you suddenly!
Now there's no place else I could be but here in your arms!"
Aang returned Katara's embrace, wrapping his arms around her back and burying his face in her dark, soft, silky hair, running his fingers through it, just like he promised himself he would. Then he remembered his other daydream from earlier that day and wondered if it was going to come true, too.
Without a warning, Katara unwrapped her arms from around Aang and pushed him back on to his back. She scrambled off of his lap, and started to run. "Can't catch me!" she called over her shoulder as she jogged through the grass. Aang stared after her in disbelief, then laughed and got up, dusting off his pants before chasing after her.
She had gotten a pretty good head-start, almost fifty yards away from Aang. Aang, though, was the Avatar, and being the Avatar, he could bend all four elements, including Earth, which meant-
He came to a dead stop and got into an earthbending stance, then stomped the ground with one foot. At that moment, the area underneath Katara's feet shot up. With a startled cry, she was launched into the air. Aang darted through the grass, his arms out, and she landed squarely in them. The sudden weight made Aang trip and fall forward. He crashed on the ground, though his arms still protectively underneath Katara, keeping her from falling directly on the ground.
She took her chance and got up and began to run again. "Hey!" Aang cried, airbending himself back on to his feet.
"You still can't catch me!" she shouted.
But I just did! Aang bit back the retort, having wasted too much time already, and ran after her. He sprinted through the long strands of grass, concentrating on his breathing, focusing on the wind around his legs, airbending them to make him go faster. Katara glanced over her shoulder, then shrieked when she saw how close behind her he was, and tried running faster. Aang grinned.
Without thinking, he leaped for her, just when she turned around to see how far behind he was. Instead of landing right in front of her, like he had planned, he ended up colliding into her. Katara gasped as he accidentally knocked them both to the ground. They both fell into the grass and started rolling down the hill. Katara clung to Aang as they tumbled head-over-heels, her nails digging into his shoulders. He grabbed her around the waist, although he was laughing.
They finally came to a stop, and Katara rolled away from Aang, who was clutching his stomach, still laughing. "What...was...so...funny about that?" she gasped.
"Nothing!" He laughed again.
She rolled her eyes and flopped on to her back, but couldn't help laughing along with him. Then they both sighed in unison and stared back up the sky, just like they had been doing not twenty minutes ago. "You know, I don't think we're going to make it back to the inn before night," Katara said after a while.
"I know." He turned his head to look at her, a worried look on his face. "Is that okay with you?"
"It's fine, don't worry," she assured him. Then she rolled on to her stomach so that she was right next to him, and leaned her head over his. "I actually would like to stay here all night, if that's alright with you." Her hair dangled over the sides of her face, providing a curtain for their faces. He wished that it kept his face from hers, because it was obvious that his cheeks were starting to turn red with her right over him. Her eyes were so wide and blue and beautiful. He wondered how many stars lived inside of them. And her lips were long and full and the ends of them were slightly turned up, not quite smiling, but it was enough to make Aang's heart beat even faster. Then he remembered that she was waiting for an answer.
"Uh, of-of course," he stammered.
She truly smiled and reached down to kiss him. Aang closed his eyes and let his head rest in the grass as she simply pressed her lips against his softly, not trying anything with her tongue or hands-or, at least, not yet. She broke away from him, and traced the outside of his face with one finger. "I'm starting to wonder if it's healthy for me to kiss you," she murmured.
"Why?"
"Because you seem to get a fever every time I kiss you a certain way.
"No I don't!" Aang said, although his stomach was beginning to cramp up a bit and he felt light-headed.
She rolled her eyes. "Liar." But she leaned down and kissed him again, again that simple kiss that made his head spin and his heart pound.
If she kisses me like that anymore I'm gonna have pentapox, he thought, feeling woozy when she ended it. Struggling to think, he didn't notice her getting up. "Aang, are you coming?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.
"Huh?"
She rolled her eyes again, and extended her hand out to him. "Come on, sleepy-head." He gratefully took her hand, thinking that he wouldn't be able to stand up on his own.
After she helped him up, they headed back to the oak tree. Aang sat down near the trunk, while Katara went off to collect hay for Appa. Aang had wanted to do it himself(he was his bison), but Katara had refused to let him do so, and so he just sat back and watched her pick bundles of hay out of the grass that was waving gently in the soft breeze.
He let his mind wander, and started to daydream about feeling Katara. He closed his eyes as remembered how soft and warm her touch was against his own skin, how her lips were so gentle, yet overpowering, overbearing. He imagined that she was kissing him right them, her hands holding his face up so that their lips could meet, her nose gently nudging his own. He imagined that she was sitting on his lap, though not at all provocatively, and his arms were around her waist, holding her close to him, that their heartbeats beat as one. Without realizing it, a smile crept on to his face.
Katara looked up from the huge pile that she made, and whistled for Appa. He shambled out from behind the oak tree, grumbling. "Hey, I didn't have to get this," she reminded him. "You could have went and got it yourself."
He roared again, and bent his head to take a bite. She laughed, and turned to Aang to say that she was done, when she saw him grinning and his eyes closed. He looked asleep. She puzzled over what could make him be smiling that like in a dream, then she chuckled when she realized exactly what he dreaming about. Carefully tip-toeing through the grass, trying not to make a sound, she made her way over to him. Then she sat beside him, and leaned over and kissed him full on the mouth, making his dream a reality.
His eyes fluttered open, then widened when he realized that it wasn't a dream. She gazed back at him steadily, then closed her eyes as she pressed against him lovingly. He closed his eyes, too, and, just like in his dream, he wrapped his arms around her waist. In return, she cupped his face between her hands and tilted his face to hers.
I am the luckiest person alive, he thought to himself, holding her tighter.
She stroked her fingers across his face, thinking how soft and smooth his cheeks felt. She could feel his heart pounding beneath her own, and wondered why it would always get like this when they kissed. She hadn't even done anything. But she loved how it seemed that she could have complete control over him, that she could make him do whatever she wanted. That he believed that he couldn't live without her.
Aang pulled away slowly as they let go of each other, his eyes still closed. When he opened his eyes, she was looking at him, her eyes wide and soft as she gazed into his own eyes. "Thank you," he whispered.
Katara shrugged. "It was the least I could do, after you took me out on such a wonderful date."
No, it was the most, he though to himself. But, of course, he knew that she already knew that.
Aang and Katara were back laying in the grass, though this time on top of the largest hill. The sun had gone down a while before, and now the stars had come out. Appa was snoring softly, twenty yards or so away from them. Katara tucked the cover under her armpit for the sixth or seventh time, grateful that Aang had thought to bring a sleeping mat and blankets, then looked up at Aang. He was laying flat on his back, hand behind his head, the other on his stomach as he looked up at the stars. He had refused to have any of the blanket, worried that she was going to get cold. His face was now tight, wondering, as he looked up into the sky. It was if their inability to sleep was being shared.
"What are you thinking about?" Katara whispered.
"The stars," he replied. "They don't seem as bright tonight."
"Really?" They seemed to gleam even brighter out here.
"Yeah." He turned his head to face her. "It's like I can only see them in your eyes."
She blushed, and looked away. "But they're still beautiful," she murmured as she looked back up.
"Not as beautiful as you," he said softly, still gazing at her.
She couldn't help but smile as she looked back at him. Hesitantly, she asked, "Aang? Could you sing me another Southern Air Temple song? As a lullaby? I can't sleep."
"Of course." He turned back to the stars, deeply sucked in a breath, and began,
"I hear the wind across the plain
A sound so strong - that calls my name.
It's wild like the river - it's warm like the sun.
Yeah, it's here - this is where I belong."
Katara let herself drift as she listened. She gazed up at the stars, and they seemed to shine even brighter. His voice began to lull her, like a little baby swaddled in leopard fur.
"Under the starry skies - where eagles have flown,
This place is paradise - it's the place I call home."
He glanced back at Katara as he murmured,
"The moon on the mountains,
The whisper through the trees,
The waves on the water-" he twined his fingers with her nearby hand-
"Let nothing come between this and me."
She smiled sleepily as he stared into her eyes. Aang could see that she was almost unconscious, and knew that it was working.
"Cuz everything I want - is everything that's here.
And when when we're all together - there's nothing to fear."
He started humming the melody, watching comets and shoot stars flash across the sky. When he turned back to Katara, she was sound asleep. Smiling, he reached over and pulled her closer to him, and whispered the last few lines in her ear, hoping that they would carry on into her dream.
"And wherever I wander - the one thing I've learned
It's to here - I will always, Always return."
With that, he kissed her on the forehead, then laid his face in front of hers as he closed his eyes and joined her in the land of dreams, thinking that he was already in one.
Here(In Your Arms)- Hellogoodbye
This Is Where I Belong- Bryan Adams, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
PLEASE go and listen to these!
