A/N: I know, I've dropped off the face of the earth, and when I come back this is all you get.
A little explanation: I was reading a story out of my favorite Tokka collection, and the story just happened to have some Zutara in it. Needless to say, I felt that I needed to get the Kataang flowing in my veins again, so I wrote this.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Happy Reading!
Home
The night was dark and calm, with only a light breeze stirring the clothes that hung on the line out back. A full moon hung, silvery and orblike, in the sky, making all the stars seem to fade into nothing. Trusty staff in hand, Aang stepped on light feet up the walkway and stopped just outside the door of his home. He reached up one arrowed hand and placed it, palm-down, on the door. He hadn't opened this door in months, as he had been arranging meetings in the Fire Nation. Katara had so wanted to join him on his journey, but she hadn't been able to because the trip was what he had called 'risky'. But he was home now, and he couldn't help but feel a little nervous as he took a deep breath and opened the door.
The light of the moon vanished as Aang gently pushed the door shut, and he was plunged into darkness. A small, indistinguishable murmur escaped the Avatar's lips; he couldn't see a thing. Carefully, as to avoid bumping into anything that would make a loud noise, Aang moved forward. His plan was to find a comfortable spot on the floor to sleep, as he didn't want to rouse Katara from her sleep until morning came. From what he understood, she had little to no idea of when he would be returning home.
A small sound over to his left caused him to cease motion. His ears instinctively tingled, listening for any sound whatsoever, but there was none. After a few moments, he dared to whisper, "Is anybody there?"
Still no reply came. Puzzled and slightly apprehensive for reasons he did not understand, Aang stepped forward. Then, as he made to take another step, a strange sound – like cracking ice, he thought – filled his ears, and he found that he could no longer pick up his feet. Next, a warm, flickering light appeared in the corner of the room. Standing there, in a fighting position with candle in hand and hair falling around shoulders, was –
"Katara!" Aang's one word came out as a choked whisper. He made to dart forward, but the ice around his feet caught him off guard and he just barely managed to keep from falling.
When Katara saw that she was in no danger, she set the candle down on the table and closed her eyes in relief, one hand over her heart and the other resting on her pregnant belly. "Oh my," she breathed, "I thought somebody was breaking in. But Aang, you're home!"
The ice around Aang's feet melted away into a puddle, but he didn't stop to clean it up off the floor. His eyes were now set on hers, his heart racing in his chest and somehow in his throat, too, because it had been far too long. He finally reached his pregnant wife and took her up in his arms, loving the familiar scent of her hair and the feel of her soft skin on the side of his face. He kissed her forehead and smiled down at her.
"Home," he breathed. "It's been so long."
She nodded. "Sokka said you weren't going to be home for another month – I was so sure you were going to miss the baby."
At this, Aang let go of his wife and dropped to his knees. He pressed his lips to her stomach and closed his eyes for a brief moment before looking up.
"I can't believe I missed all this." He shook his head in disappointment.
Katara chuckled. "I guess we'll just have to do it all over again later, huh?"
The Avatar grinned. "Absolutely."
Aang closed his eyes and placed one of his hands on the center of her stomach. Concentrated on his thought, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Moments later, the blue arrow on his hand glowed white. Katara didn't gasp, though; she was used to this sort of thing.
After a few seconds, Aang opened his eyes and the glowing ceased. "A Bender," he breathed, grinning. "I can feel it."
"Really? That's great!"
"Yeah. I can figure out if it'll be a boy or a girl too, if you want."
Katara paused. "Only if you want to."
They shared a brief look. Aang then shook his head and Airbended himself to his feet. "No," he said. "I like surprises."
Katara laughed and hugged him around the middle, pressing the side of her face into his chest just so she could feel his heart beating. "Me too," she said, "Just not this early in the morning." She looked up at him and smiled warmly and picked up the candle from the table. "Come on, you need sleep. You've been traveling for days. How are Appa and Momo?"
Aang took Katara's hand and they started for bed together. "They're good," he said. "Tired from the trip, but glad to be home. Like me."
At this, Katara tried to stifle a yawn and failed. Grinning, for he was thrilled to be home to enjoy the little things, Aang put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him as they walked. At the moment, neither of them cared about what was going to happen in the future. Neither cared what the weather would be like, or that Sokka would slip on the water on the floor when he strolled in the next morning, or even that Aang would burn breakfast. At the moment, neither cared about anything other than one another, and that feeling one feels when a loved one returns safely home.
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Fin.
A/N: Yep, that's about it. You know Aang liked Katara's idea of doing this whole baby thing all over again. xD
The story itself wasn't the greatest, but I was in the mood for some sweet Kataang love without much kissing and stuff.
Thanks for reading!
