Hello everyone who reads this and welcome to my very first fanfic so please be nice I did my best lol.Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the last airbender or it's characters
It had been 6 Months. 6 Months of counsel meetings and overseeing peacetreaties. 6 Months of going where the Avatar was requested for help. And 6 Months of relocating the youngest Fire Nation colonies back to the mainland, and probably at least another 6 Months before getting to some of the oldest colonies, that might be harder for Aang to figure out.
It had also been 6 Months since one of the best moments of his life so far, that perfect late summer sunset in ba sing se when Katara kissed him, finally ready to be together after everything they'd been through. Aang was currently musing on all this from his seat on the beach of ember island outside the royal family beach house.
After the end of the war, Zuko had the house refurbished so it could be used comfortably again. The renovations were recently finished and Zuko offered the gaang to be the the first to experience it, and seeking a break they graciously accepted. So Aang, Katara, and Sokka came to the beach house for a much needed vacation. Suki met them there, taking a vacation from bodyguarding Zuko, the other kioshi warriors more than capable in her absence. Toph was busy back in the Earth Kingdom looking for recruits for her new metal bending academy.
He'd been sitting there for a few hours now and it was approaching sunset so he knew it was only a matter of time before his water bender came to check on him...And as if being summoned he could feel the familiar vibrations of her footsteps approaching him.
"Hey, what are you doing out here all alone". Came the teasing voice behind him.
"Just thinking". Aang replied as Katara settled in the sand beside him.
"What about?" she asked.
Aang gave her a small smile before replying "Everything that's happened over the last year and a half, everything that's led to where we are now".
Realizing there was something serous on his mind, she decided to see if he would open up to her about it. "Sounds serous" she teased. "Do you want to talk about it?"
He smiled again and shrugged a little "Nah, I was only reflecting on how unreal it all is sometimes".
Katara gave a small nod in understanding "It was a journey of a lifetime that's for sure" she reached between them to lace her fingers through his and smile at him "And there's still a lot more to do, no rest for Team Avatar it seems...at least not for long" she added with a short laugh.
Her mirth was infectious and he gave a small laugh himself "No, apparently not". He sobered with a series look on his face before saying "Thank you for coming with me for all of this, I know you didn't sign up for it, and I know how much you miss the south pole".
She gave his hand a squeeze and said "You don't have to thank me Aang, there was no way I was going to leave your side now, not after everything we've been through. And I do miss the south pole sometimes, but we'll go visit from time to time".
She leaned towards him so they leaned against each other and finished her thought "Besides, I'd miss you more than I miss the south pole now if I went back full time, and I don't think I could go back to the mundane tasks of everyday life there".
He smiled and leaned his head on hers before saying "That's good, because I'd miss you too much if you went back home". He took a slow steadying breath before continuing "There is something I wanted to ask you about though, I've thought about it a lot but it never seemed like the right time".
Katara sat back up straight and gave him a warm look "You can ask me anything, you know that" she glanced back at the house before returning her gaze to his "And we won't be interrupted, Sokka took Suki into town for a date night since they've been apart for a while".
Aang smiled at the thought "That's good, I feel bad that he's always traveling with me and can't see her more".
She squeezed his hand again before saying "Don't feel bad, Suki is busy in the fire nation herself and he loves traveling the world helping people. And your family to him Aang, he wouldn't abandon you anymore than I could". She finished as she playfully bumped his shoulder "So, what is you want to ask me?"
He released her hand to rub the back of his neck in the nervous habit she secretly found adorable and began fidgeting without meeting her eyes "Well, I know it's kind of personal, a-and you don't have to answer if you don't wa..."
Katara placed a comforting hand on his shoulder as she interrupted "Aang, it's O-Kay, just ask".
He finally met her eyes again to see her patiently waiting. He rubbed his neck again and looked away before finally asking "Well...what exactly did you see in... in Jet that made you like him?"
Her hand dropped and she wore a slightly stunned look, clearly not expecting this to be his question.
Seeing her reaction Aang quickly tried to take it back "L-like I said you don't have to answer". There was a short pause which felt like hours to Aang before he added "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything...we can just forget this happend". And feeling embarrassed he moved to stand up before her hand grabbed his wrist keeping him there.
"NO! Don't go".
Still wanting nothing more than to escape and forget he said anything, Aang nonetheless complied and sat back down beside her.
Katara adjusted herself to sit facing him and gathered her thoughts "I'm sorry, I just wasn't expecting that, honestly I hadn't thought about Jet in a long time". Although I can understand where it came from, if there was a girl we met during the war that he followed around like a love sick puppy for two days I'd probably ask about her too she thought.
Knowing she'd been quiet for too long and that he deserved an answer she tried to be as honest as she could "Jet was a silly crush" she began "It wasn't based on any kind of connection or bond between us at all, he was the tall dark handsome charming guy most girls envision as their fantasy guy".
Aang stayed quiet not wanting to disrupt her train of thought, and was already somewhat relieved to know her feelings for the freedom fighter never went all that deep.
Katara drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them as she continued without meeting his eyes "He used me...in fact in the aftermath of it all I remembered that the very first thing he said to me was a complement about my waterbending" she looked up at him to see his patient gaze staring back, and she gave a humorless laugh "And I'm sure I wasn't the first girl that fell for his charm to get something he wanted".
She relaxed her posture to be less protective and sat up crossed legged with her hands in her lap keeping her eyes on his "I did feel hurt after I saw for my self that he wasn't the guy he pretended to be, I wouldn't even believe Sokka when he was trying to look out for me because I wanted him to be the perfect guy". looking out towards the crashing waves not far from them she continued "Eventually I realized the Jet I built up in my head and the real Jet had very little in comon".
Aang spoke for the first time since she began, with another question he was curious about "So then, when he showed up in ba sing se when we were looking for Appa, is that why you were so hostil toward him?" before she could answer he quickly added "I mean I knew even then that he hurt you".
Katara nodded "Yes, I was mad at him for using my feelings against me...And at myself for falling for it" she said "And embarrassed to have it thrown in my face by him acting like he'd changed, but I did feel bad for him when he died". She kept her gaze on her hands in her lap pressed tightly together.
Until Aang reached over and pulled them apart to hold them in his "We all did, no matter what he'd done no one deserves that".
She smiled at his sincerity and gave his hands a squeeze "So, why did you ask about Jet anyway?"
Aang squeezed her hand back with a small smile, but couldn't meet her eyes when he said "Well...I guess I was wondering, what do you see when you look at me?"
Now it made sense to Katara, this is what he really wanted to ask. He'd been comparing himself to Jet and she hoped she hadn't done anything to make him question himself. And she knew he was looking for reassurance, but she felt like teasing him a bit first.
"Well, sometimes I see the goofy boy I pulled from the iceberg who shurked responsibility and was only interested in having fun". She started with a teasing voice and a glint of humour in her eyes, making Aang rub his neck again and laugh. "And sometimes I see Avatar Aang, with a stoic expression hiding the fact he'd rather be anywhere else but over seeing yet another counsel meeting".
That got another chuckle out of Aang for the truth in it, and Katara decided to give her real answer "But I do admire both of those versions of you" she took his hands again and continued "Avatar Aang is the legend I learned of as a kid during bedtime stories and the young man I got to see fulfill his destiny and save the world".
Aang blushed in modest embarrassment, not one for liking praise. She used a hand to direct his gaze back to hers in reassurance and continued "That goofy boy I found reminded me I still had growing up to do myself, before that I was a 40 year old woman in a 14 year old girls body" Katara cupped his cheek to hold his gaze "You reminded me...us that it was okay to still be a kid, and that there's a time to be serous, but also plenty of time for fun too" she said with a laugh making him chuckle.
She sobered before continuing "But mostly, I see my best friend who's been there for me since the day we met. The boy who stole my heart well before I was ready to admit it". Aang went to speak but she continued before he could "The person who knows me better than I know myself most of the time, and the handsome powerful in every sense of the word man I already see you growing up to be".
Aang was stunned for a few moments by all she had to say, hardly believing he deserved such praise "Do you really mean that?"
She squeezed his hands again and said "Of course I do, I love you Aang" It wasn't the first time it was said, but it always made his heart flutter to hear her say it "Do you know why I wanted to start calling each other sweetie?"
"No I hadn't thought about it, I was just happy you even wanted to use a petname" he said genuinely curious to what she was going to say.
Katara had to swallow the lump in her throat and grasped her necklace before saying "It was the pet name my mom used for me" Aang's brows shot up a bit at that knowledge "I never thought anything could hurt as much as losing her, but when Azula shot you in ba sing se I thought my heart stopped with yours" she grabbed his hands again in reassurance that he was there before continuing "I barley remember anything until you opened your eyes for that brief moment and smiled at me, and I knew you would be okay".
She took a deep breath and continued "I spent those weeks giving you healing sessions over and over until my hands were raw and dad or Sokka had to pull me away to rest" Katara looked into his eyes and smiled "Looking back it was then I knew I was falling in love with you, but I was to scared to admit it still, but it made me realize that you mean everything to me, and in so many ways you filled the hole her absence left in me".
At a complete loss of what to say to that and too choked up to try, Aang instead leaned in for a chaste kiss and hugged her tightly in gratitude. And Katara hugged back just as tight.
After a moment of composing themselves they pulled back and smiled at each other. Then Katara had a question of her own for him "So you got to ask me now it's my turn, what do you see when you look at me?"
"Heh" he chuckled as he reached for her hands and entwined their fingers again "I was hoping you might ask, I've thought about it a lot basically since we met".
Aang took a deep breath and with her hands still in his looked in her eyes and said "I see the girl who pulled me from the iceberg and did everything she could to keep me safe in this new world I woke up in a century removed from anything and almost anyone I knew, I see the girl who stole my heart before I even understood what I was feeling".
He smiled a bit at a certain memory "I think I had a crush on you starting the day we met" he said making them both laugh a little "You have always been so fearless in defending the people you love and what you believe in, and time and time again you pulled me back from the Avatar state when everyone else ran away" he said.
Aang looked at her in pure admiration when he said "You even saved my life, I was gone, but you pulled me back" he squeezed her hands and looked at her with love in his eyes and continued "By the time we were at the cave of two lovers I knew I was falling for you, and then you kept us together after we lost Appa and you gave me a reason to be hopeful again".
He took a breath and cleared the lump in his throat from getting choked up "Your my best friend too, but your so much more than that. Your the most important person in my life and I don't know what I would do without you, you taught and inspired me to be the Avatar the world needed".
Aang scooted closer and cupped her cheek "I love you Katara, more than you will ever know".
Tears ran down Katara's cheeks but before Aang could wipe them away she grabbed his face with both hands and kissed him hard, Aang immediately melting in to it and pulling her against him tightly.
When they pulled back they stared at each other with giddy love sick expressions after their revelations "So, why were you thinking about Jet anyway?" Katara asked, still hoping she hadn't made him feel like second place.
Aang scooted next to her again to be shoulder to shoulder and took her hand again "Well, I guess I was wondering what you really thought of him, then and now" he quickly continued "Not because I'm insecure, it's just that I can't really relate".
"What do you mean" she asked.
He said "For me it was always and only you, I've never felt this way before and I never want to feel this way about anyone but you" he looked at her and said "He used you and hurt you, but you did like him once and I guess I was just wondering how much he really meant to you".
Katara cupped his cheek and looked into his eyes and said "He never meant that much Aang, like I said it was a crush, we didn't even know each other after all we only knew him for a total of like three days, it was childish infatuation and nothing more" she smiled at him "I never want to feel for anyone else what I feel for you, no one knows me better than you not even Sokka or dad or gran gran" she said "I'm in love with you Aang, and that will never change".
He wiped the tears of his cheeks with the back of his hand and hugged her again "Thank you for loving me sweetie".
She smiled as she hugged him before pulling back and pulling him to his feet and entwined their fingers again "Well this got way more emotional than I was expecting" they both laughed a little before she continued "And since Sokka and Suki are having a date night, we have the house to ourselves so we can have our own date night, how does that sound sweetie?"
He gave her hand a squeeze as they began making their way up the pathway back to the house and said "That sounds perfect sweetie, we should enjoy the rest of our vacation, hey you should come flying on my glider tomorrow we can sight see".
She looked a little nervous and said "Sounds like fun...just promise not to drop me okay".
Aang laughed a bit "You know I'd never let you fall, don't worry it'll be fun...just you and me".
Katara looked at him with a smile and said "I know I trust you" she pulled him along as they approached the house and said "Now come on dinner should be ready and for dessert I found some egg custard tarts in town".
He smiled in adoration unbelieving he was so lucky to have a girl like her. And so they re-entered the beach house content to spend the evening in the company of the person that means the most.