A/N: I really liked the concept of this when I came up with it, but I feel like I wrote Katara kind of out of character :/. So I'm sorry for that. I'm still working on the SummerSweetheart inspired request too, so I'm sorry that's not up yet. The good thing about this chapter is that it *isn't* a repeat. Don't have too much else to say this time around...so I hope this is okay.

I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender.

Katara combed her brush through her hair a final time and took a last quick look at herself in the mirror before releasing a short sigh of satisfaction and preparing to open her bedroom door. Lately, she realized she had been spending a great deal more time on her appearance than she ever had before. Sokka and Toph sometimes complained that she took too long to get ready now, ever impatient to move on to whatever activity was scheduled for that particular day. But Aang always let her take her time, and sometimes even helped her get ready if it was reaching buttons on the back of her dress or brushing her hair for her. She smiled at the thought with a soft blush. Though she and Aang had been together for almost a month now (she knew a month wasn't a long time considering many marriages lasted for decades, but it still felt special to her because Aang was special to her and it seemed none of the obstacles that they could possibly face in their relationship would be as challenging as saving the world in under a year) the small ways he showed his love for her still gave her chills of excitement and her heart would race whenever he touched her. She could tell he was also still a bit shy, never having had a relationship like this before and having confessed to her that part of him was still hesitant as he didn't want to do anything that would possibly, has he put it, "mess this up." Though something told her that almost nothing in the world could possibly come between her and Aang as she knew for a fact they had a very deep, special connection, she could understand his cautiousness as she too, wanted to always be at her best for him. Which, she knew, was why she took so long to get ready now. She told Sokka and Toph it was because now they didn't have an urgent schedule to follow, and a great deal of their activities involved appearing in public or participating in formal events which called for neater, more presentable appearances as a show of respect. Certainly that was part of the reason, but Katara didn't care for the opinions of the nobles or the public nearly as much as she did about Aang's. She needed to be her best for him. Part of her, the down to earth, logic driven part of her, told her that it was silly as she knew Aang meant it when he told her he loved her for who she was on the inside and for everything they had been through together, but there was still a certain instinct that drove her to seek her best appearance whenever she presented herself to him. A gentle knock on the door of her room stopped her musings, and she called for the person to come in.

"I just thought I'd warn you Sokka's about to come in to get your sheets and stuff. It's his turn to do laundry." Aang poked his head into the room. "Good morning by the way." He grinned. Katara smiled at him.

"Good morning to you too…but can't he wait for like, two minutes? I'm almost done." She answered, slightly irritated at her brother and his lack of patience. Aang shrugged.

"I know. But you know how he is. Besides, you're dressed and all. I just thought I'd warn you because I know it annoys you when he-"

"Spirits Katara, you have to stop taking so long." Sokka himself strode into the room, liftinghis arms above his head in a stretch. Katara rolled her eyes.

"Oh yeah, you're one to talk mister "five more minutes!"" She retorted.

"Hey!" Sokka took hold of the sheets at the end of his sister's bed. "Those five minutes are for sleeping! That's actually important! Besides, Aang practically loses his eyeballs over you no matter what you're wearing. I don't think it matters too much, isn't that right, Aang?" Aang blushed, gulping.

"Sorta I guess. I always think she's pretty. But if she wants to dress up, that's fine with me too." He said quickly, trying not to pick a clear side to as not to worsen the argument between the two siblings. Katara gave an annoyed huff.

"Well, I'm done now, so I hope you're happy…wait!" She suddenly rushed over to the bed Sokka was currently stripping of its sheets, ducking in front of him before he could pick up her pillow. Aang had left the room, but Sokka gave her an odd look.

"What? You should be glad I'm doing women's work for you." Katara felt the blood rush to her face.

"Yeah…thanks Sokka, I really appreciate it. But because it is women's work, why don't you let me do it?" She suggested hurriedly. Her brother raised an eyebrow at her, now obviously puzzled.

"Um…because whenever I ask you to do it when it's not your turn you yell at me? Besides, it's not actually that big of a deal. What's the matter with you?" He inquired.

"Nothing!" She said hurriedly. "You know, actually, I think I changed my mind about what dress I wanna wear. Will you leave for a moment so I can change?" Now, Sokka looked downright suspicious.

"Not when it's just as easy to just grab this before you do that." Quickly, he ducked past his sister despite her attempt to block him and lifted the pillow off of the bed, revealing a folded piece of paper.

"Sokka!" Katara cried, diving onto the bed to seize his wrist as he reached to grab for it.

"What the heck, Katara? It's just a stupid piece of paper!" He exclaimed.

"This is my room and I say you can't see it! Just take the stupid sheets and go!" The words were not harsh, only frantic, panicked, which only made Sokka more curious. Before she could stop him, he wrenched free of her grasp and snatched the paper, standing on the bed and holding it over his head as he unfolded it so Katara couldn't reach.

"Sokka, stop it!" She cried. But it was too late. Sokka released a loud laugh.

"Wait a minute…this is that stupid wanted poster of Aang we found like, half a year ago! You sleep with a picture of Aang under your pillow?"

"Give it back!" She tried to defend herself, but it did no good, for Sokka had already jumped off of the bed with both pieces of paper, laughing to himself as he ran for the door which led to the hallway connected to the apartment's sitting room.

"You guys, look what I found under Katara's pillow!" He announced loudly, Katara on his heels as he half skidded into the sitting room where Suki, Toph, Zuko, Mai and to Katara's horror, Aang, were sitting on chairs or sofas.

"Sokka!" She exclaimed, giving one last futile jump for the paper held firmly in his hands. But as agile as she was, her brother was taller. Toph burst into laughter.

"Man, Katara, I didn't know you had it that bad…"

"I know right? Jeeze Aang, if I didn't know any better I'd say Katara was as bad as those fan girls of yours." Sokka added. Aang only blushed deeply, feeling his heart race. He tried to catch Katara's eye to reassure her that she didn't need to be embarrassed, but she wouldn't look at him. Rather, she looked as though she wanted to disappear. Luckily, Suki didn't look too amused and Mai and Zuko were only chuckling quietly at the siblings' quarrel.

"Oh yeah…you're "wanted" alright, Twinkletoes." Toph laughed, causing Katara to glare at her and Aang to blush still deeper. He hadn't known Katara had kept that…he lifted his eyes to look at her again, but hers were fixed intently on the floor and it was then that Aang knew her brother's teasing had gone a bit far, despite the fact that he knew it didn't truly make anyone think less of her, especially not him.

"Alright you guys, leave her alone. It's not that funny." Suki said, realizing the same thing Aang had and rolling her eyes at Sokka. The older boy's shoulders slumped and Toph snorted and stood up.

"Alright. I'm gonna go see Iroh, but thanks for the laugh, Sokka." She chuckled and punched Aang playfully in the arm on her way out and saying to Aang, "You've got her wrapped around your finger." He cringed, rubbing the spot as the door shut. A suffocatingly awkward silence fell over the room and Suki cleared her throat.

"Why don't you go do that laundry, Sokka? I'll help you." She offered, standing up. Sokka, who looked slightly disappointed that the only one who had laughed with him had just left, agreed and the two returned to the hall that led to the bedrooms. Zuko didn't even bother making an excuse to leave, instead slipping out of the same door Toph had with Mai, leaving Aang and Katara alone. Katara still refused to look at the airbender however, too mortified to face him. He, however, was peering carefully at her, trying to gauge how upset he was. She wasn't crying, but she was blushing more darkly than he'd believed possible for her tan complexion. His first instinct was to go to her and hug her, but he was stopped as he was struck with an even better idea. Without a word, the airbender rose from his seat and left the room, leaving Katara alone. She let out a long, shaky breath, sinking down onto the sofa left empty by Mai and Zuko. Aang hadn't even said a word to her. Oh no. What if Sokka had just ruined everything? What if Aang did see her as just another fan girl now? What if he'd wanted to laugh too but had only held it in to avoid hurting her feelings? Deep down, she knew that none of these were even possibilities because Aang was far too kind, caring and understanding for any of that. Still, it was beyond humiliating for her and she couldn't bear the thought of this bringing out any awkwardness or negative change in their relationship.

"Katara?" She jumped, feeling a hand on her shoulder and looking up to see none other than Aang himself before her as he sat down beside her. The blush that had finally been starting to recede flared up again when she at last caught his eye.

"Aang…I…" Sorry didn't seem quite right. It wasn't as though she'd done anything to hurt him. What were you supposed to say after your brother told your boyfriend that you slept with a picture of him under your pillow? For once, Katara had no idea. Aang however, only smiled softly at her, his cheeks slightly pink as well.

"It's okay. Here, I wanna show you something." He told her gently and it was only when he handed it to her that Katara realized he had been holding a folded piece of paper. Curious, she opened it, surprised to find her own face looking back at her and a lock of brown hair tied with a piece of string lying in the crease of the paper. "See? You shouldn't be embarrassed. If anything…I'm flattered that you think about me, too." Aang murmured, smiling reassuringly at her. Katara's heart fluttered. She suddenly felt much, much better, if slightly confused.

"But…I haven't cut my hair since years before we met and I've never had my portrait done or anything. How'd you get this?" She questioned. Aang only grinned.

"I took the hair from your brush after that first time you let me brush it. And for the picture… it's not like I stood still for the fire nation to do my portrait or anything. Some people are just good at drawing from memory, and it actually turns out Haru was one of those people. So I asked him to draw a sketch of you." He shrugged. For the first time that morning, Katara smiled.

"Really? I never even knew that…" She breathed, touched. Even though Aang had been the first to admit his feelings, she always found it hard to believe that he could possibly love her as much as she did him.

"Yeah. Can I ask you something though?" Aang looked at her seriously in that way that made her feel like he was looking into her very soul. It wasn't an invasive, unwanted feeling though. It was merely profound and understanding. If anything, it made her feel rather safe, cared for.

"Of course." She answered.

"Why'd you keep that poster of me in the first place? That was before I even kissed you. And just a couple days before that you said I was just a friend." His eyes shone briefly with sadness at the memory. Katara nodded and took his hand, giving it a squeeze as if to remind him that that event was in the past.

"It wasn't really a decision I made as soon as I saw it. I mean, we took it down because we didn't want the Fire Nation to have any way of following you to capture you, and I just sorta put it in a pocket in my bag without thinking about it. And it just…stayed there. I took it out a few times, but I never threw it away. I know I told you you were just a friend, but honestly, even I didn't completely believe that. I'd never met any boys my age other than Sokka in the South Pole, and you were so different and exciting and fun…not to mention you were always so sweet…"

"Like Momo?" Aang interrupted, and this time, they both laughed at the memory.

"Well," Katara started again. "I don't think it's possible for anyone, human or lemur, to be as sweet as you. Anyways, I told you this, but after Azula shot you, I was really afraid of losing you and I realized how much I really cared about you. Then I started putting that picture under my pillow. It was just…sort of comforting, you know? Like how I always wear my mother's necklace. Then after you beat the Ozai I realized that you were pretty much out of danger, at least for a while. But…even after that I couldn't really bring myself to let go of it. Even though I was going through a really hard time when this started, I don't want to forget it because I don't ever want to take you for granted. It sort of helps me remember to be thankful that you're alright." She finished, hearing Aang exhale softly.

"Wow." He said. "I really am sorry I made you worry so much, Katara…" Katara shook her head, smiling.

"It's not your fault. Besides, that's just what happens when you love someone. You care about them, so you worry about them." She told him. Aang laughed.

"Believe me, I know." He was looking at her again, stroking the back of her hand reverently with his thumb and Katara realized again how much she adored him. Locking her eyes on his, she placed her hands on his shoulders and placed a slow, tender kiss on his lips. He seemed surprised at first, but soon leaned into it, wrapping her in his arms and relishing the fact that she was here with him.

"Better?" He asked when they parted, grinning. Katara nodded, sighing contentedly.

"Much."