Response to reviews: anayeli12: Yes! You will see them at premiers, interviews, and also the fan reactions. Since the show has only filmed a few episodes, it will be at least a few more chapters before the "show" airs. Thank you for the support!
A/N: Hey everyone, I wanted to thank you all for being patient with me. My work should slow down soon so I can update this fic more often. Been having the worst luck and been going through it the past two months. Hopefully that's all done with. Thank you for your reviews and kind words.
Anyway, here we go!
"Breathe in fully, letting the cool air fill your lungs….and exhale slowly," the tall man with a shaved head and long, white beard commanded in front of the room. A small room with a wall-length mirror at the front displayed the reflections of Zuko and Aang pushing their arms fluidly away from their bodies in tandem. Their arms flowed away and towards themselves slowly as they breathed and watched the instructor.
After several minutes, the instructor, Mr. Tenzin, closed the session.
"Good job today, guys. Continue to work on that fight sequence we learned, and I think they'll want to film it by the end of the week," Mr. Tenzin said with a warm smile.
Aang grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat from his neck and face. His body was sore and exhausted from practicing fighting moves for the past hour. But, it was a good kind of tired, he thought, as he was excited to be able to do his own stunts for the role. In the middle of drying off, Zuko approached him with a smile.
"Good work, today, Aang. I can't wait to get a shower, my girlfriend is meeting me here and I don't think she'll appreciate the smell," Zuko laughed.
Aang laughed with Zuko as he put his towel in the hamper. The two walked out of the room, continuing to talk along the way.
"So you have a girlfriend? What's she like?" Aang asked.
Zuko smirked, "She's kind and gorgeous, but kind of serious, too. Looks on the dark side of life. I like that, though." They walked out onto the lot, heading for their respective trailers. Zuko continued, "So, what about you? You have a girlfriend?"
An image of Katara briefly came to his mind but he quickly shook it from his thoughts. Trying not to let his disappointment be apparent to Zuko, Aang recovered with a lopsided smile. "No, I'm single right now."
Zuko hummed for a few moments before a mischievous smile crossed his lips, "I think I have someone in mind for you. Her name is Ty Lee. She's my girlfriend's best friend, bubbly and nice. I feel like you would get along."
Aang furrowed his brow in thought. He technically was single and knew that Katara was off-limits. Besides, he did not think she liked him that way. Aang considered this prospect but felt that it would be best to keep his options open. He didn't want to say yes, but he didn't want to say no. Something inside Aang was preventing him from fully committing to a course of action.
He nervously rubbed the back of his neck, "Uh, maybe. I've never dated anyone before. Let me sleep on it and get back to you, okay?"
Zuko smiled as he slapped Aang on the shoulder, "Yeah, yeah, no pressure. Hey, I'm gonna head in and take a shower. I'll see you in makeup in a few, yeah?"
Aang's face brightened, "Yup! See ya later."
As Aang entered his trailer, he peeled off the sweaty clothes and placed them neatly in a hamper near the bathroom. He fully undressed and jumped into the shower. His mind began to race as the warm water washed the sweat and grime off his skin from the day. Aang wondered if he should just let Zuko set him up. At the very least, he would get his first date out of the way. While lathering his hair, Aang thought of his childhood. He remembered finding girls attractive, sure, but he never liked a girl enough to want anything more than friendship. Katara was the first girl to make him feel this way. Rinsing away the soap and turning off the faucet, Aang stepped out of the shower and dried off. The war between his head and heart still raging on.
Fully dressed, Aang walked out of his trailer and arrived at the makeup trailer. He greeted Katara, Sokka, and Zuko, who were all just starting to have makeup applied. With a beaming smile, Aang sat between Katara and Sokka.
"Oh, I'm looking forward to this scene today, Aang. I get to yell at you! Finally, something fun," Sokka laughed in his chair.
"Sokka! You're such a jerk," Katara chided as she rolled her eyes.
Aang laughed, "It's okay, Katara. I know it's only acting. Besides, I think it'll be fun, too."
Zuko cleared his throat, "So, I'm having some people over tonight. Everyone's invited. Aang, want to come? Ty lee will be there."
The emphasis on the last sentence was obvious to everyone except Aang, who seemed to be unphased by the statement.
Katara's eyes snapped to look at Zuko, who was wiggling his eyes at Aang. She wanted to groan but stopped herself. Instead, she became quiet and withdrawn, only speaking to her makeup artist.
Sokka snickered, "Oooooh, somebody's in love."
Aang responded to Zuko, blushing beet red, finally understanding what his friend meant, "Uh, sure. I mean, if everyone is invited, I'll come by." Aang looked over at Katara, who was staring at the wall with a blank expression. "Are you going to be there, Katara?"
Katara responded flatly, not looking at Aang, "I don't know, maybe. I haven't decided on anything yet."
Sokka looked at Aang, "Ohhhhh, we're so coming. Katara almost never leaves the house plus free booze and food? It's ON."
As both Zuko and Sokka laughed, Aang didn't feel much like laughing. He sensed something was off with Katara and it drove him crazy. Was she mad about something? Before he could think more about it, the four of them were called to the set to film.
Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Zuko arrived on the set to continue filming the scene from earlier that day. After the cast was in their places, the director yelled, "Action!"
Aang looked at Katara with a sense of understanding, "Katara, I don't want to come between you and your family."
Katara flatly asks Aang, " So, you're leaving the South Pole?" Devoid of emotion, Katara asks, "This is goodbye?"
The director stands up, annoyed, "CUT! Katara, you're supposed to be upset that Aang is leaving. Let's try that again.
The scene starts off well, but Katara continues to interact with Aang coldly.
The director huffs and walks over to the stage. Standing between Aang and Katara, she looks at both of her actors and asks, "Did you guys get in a fight or something?"
Before Aang can answer, Katara responds to the director incredulously, "No, why would you say that? Everything is fine."
The director hums, replying in a sarcastic tone, "Oh, I don't know. Maybe because you seem like you couldn't care if Aang comes or goes here. Try to imagine Aang is someone you really care about in your life. I need to see that shine through, okay?"
Katara nods at the director and takes a deep breath. The scene plays out perfectly, with Katara acting upset at the thought of losing Aang. The director excitedly yells from her chair, "Cut! Finally! Okay, let's move on to Zuko arriving on his ship."
Two hours later, the day wrapped and the actors, exhausted, smiled at the relief of being done for the day. Aang starts saying goodbye to the cast and crew before approaching Katara.
"Good job, today! I was thinking maybe we could carpool tonight for Zuko's party?" Aang asked in a jovial manner.
Katara answered with a pleasant yet flat tone, "That's okay, Aang. We'll have to head out early, I think. I'll see you there."
Without a smile or warmness in her eyes, Katara ended the conversation and walked away. Aang was left standing on the set. As the lights began to turn off one by one, he started to walk away from the set to avoid the darkness.
Zuko's Party
Aang, wearing a white t-shirt, black jeans, and black and white high top shoes, opens the front door to Zuko's house. He scans the living room, which had about 15 people who were all drinking and talking while music played from a big speaker. After a few seconds, Aang's eyes finally land on a familiar face. Instantly, he smiles at the sight of Katara. Her long, chocolate brown hair was wavy and flowed down her back. She was wearing a low-cut turquoise skater dress that stopped about mid-thigh. Aang's smile quickly faded when he saw Katara laughing and smiling with a guy he did not recognize.
Katara giggled, "Haru! You're so bad." She playfully hit Haru's shoulder before turning and smiling at Aang. She locked eyes with Aang briefly before turning her attention back to Haru. In the corner of her eye, she saw her Aang walk away. She continued to smile and laugh, not really hearing what this guy was saying.
As the conversation quieted down, Katara drank her beer until it was gone. She sighed contentedly before addressing the group of people surrounding her, "I'll be back, time to refuel!" Katara didn't wait for a response before she began to make her way to the kitchen. After bending down to take a new beer out of the cooler, she straightens up and sees Zuko walking into the kitchen.
"Hey, Katara! Thanks for coming. Hope that brand is okay," Zuko smiled as he pointed to the beer in her hand.
Katara smiled, "Oh, no, it's fine! I'm not picky. Thanks again for inviting me."
Zuko waved dismissively, "Don't mention it! We're coworkers and I think you're cool. Actually, everyone on the show is awesome. Aang and I have been hanging out a lot. I even tried to set him up with a girl. He seemed like he wasn't interested in whatever reason. Sometimes he seems like he's another universe." Zuko laughed.
Katara feigned laughter while Zuko talked about Aang. A few moments later, she said goodbye to Zuko and began to walk outside on the back porch. She didn't know why, but she needed fresh air. Her eyebrows rose in shock at seeing Aang sitting on the bench, staring up at the star-less sky. She shrugged her shoulders and sat next to him. After a few moments of silence, Aang locked eyes with Katara.
He sighed before talking, "I miss seeing stars. Did you know that humans are made of stardust? We share most of the same atoms as a star."
Katara stutters, unsure of how to respond, "Um, uhhh, wow. No, I didn't know that. What made you think of that?"
Aang smiles, grey eyes fixed on Katara, "Just thinking about how you can meet someone for the first time but somehow feel like you've known each other your whole life, even though that's impossible. Isn't it?"
Katara hummed in thought for a moment before answering, "I don't know, Aang. I remember you saying you don't believe in fate, but I think anything is possible."
Katara shrugged her shoulders as Aang finally turned his attention back to the night sky. No stars were visible, but he knew they were there. He almost felt like this LA sky sometimes. There was something between himself and Katara, but what that something was, he couldn't see. The sound of Katara clearing her throat brought his attention back to her. He stared into her big blue eyes with a smile across his face.
"So, Zuko was telling me he was hoping to set you up with his friend. Is that true?" Katara asked as she looked down at her shoes.
Aang felt weird at this moment. He wondered if Zuko trying to set him up was the reason for Katara being cold towards him. Aang let the thought linger briefly before finally shaking it away. She could never like someone like him, he thought, so he let it go.
"Uh yeah," Aang said calmly before panicking, "NO! I mean, he tried, but I was unsure. I never dated anyone before. I'm not really focused on it right now, you know?"
Katara finally looked up and into Aang's grey eyes. She responded, "Yeah, I feel you. I dated someone a few years ago and he turned out to be a big jerk. Haven't really been trying to date at the moment. "
The two friends sat in silence. A thick air of tension grew between them. Aang stared at Katara, mouth open to speak. Before words could leave his lips, a terrible sound could be heard in the bushes a few feet away from them. Aang flinched before realizing what the sound was. Someone was violently throwing up in Zuko's back yard.
While Aang was trying to figure out who it was, Katara immediately recognized the silhouette of the person puking in the moonlight. "Sokka! You're a mess and mom and dad are going to kill you if you come home drunk again," she yelled annoyed. Katara stood up, hands folded across her chest.
The grunts and retching sounds subsided, eventually allowing Sokka to stand up and walk over to his sister. Aang and Katara groaned at the smell being emitted from him. Sokka, annoyed, defended himself with slurred words, "H-heyyy, you're nnnnooo better than…..me! Kataraaaaaa! I...I need a ride. Pleaaasee?"
Katara waved goodbye to Aang and rolled her eyes before pushing Sokka from the porch all the way until they reached her car. After struggling to get him into his seat, she closed the passenger door before walking over to the driver's side. Starting the car, Katara began to think about the moment with Aang on the porch as she turned on her music.
Who's gonna pick you up
When you fall?
Who's gonna hang it up
When you call?
Who's gonna pay attention
To your dreams?
As the song played, Katara smiled, ignoring the groans of her brother in the seat next to her. She rolled to a stop at the red light and she craned her neck up to look over the tall buildings. Only one star was visible in the whole, dark Los Angeles sky. Katara giggled, shaking her head, before murmuring to herself, "I hope you can see that star, Aang. Wherever you are."
FYI, I will probably be featuring a song in every chapter, almost like this story is a tv show. The song Katara is listening to is "drive" by soccer mommy. Next chapter will bring in Suki! And for future reference, we will delve more into Katara's past relationship. There will only be Kataang so no worries, they're not gonna date anyone else!