Review responses:
TheLastSoulBender: I'm interested by your thoughts on MaixAang. I can see that you understand where this one is going, and I completely, Mai and Aang together in this case is way more appealing then Kataang, but the fact is, I love Kataang, so I'm sure you can imagine where this is going… Yeah the idea behind Katara's choice is because the fear and guilt is consuming her. Aang will find out about Zuko and Jin but i've decided that im pretty much done with Zuko in this story. I love his canon character but in this story I don't, so im not putting much energy towards him. Woah! A lot of valid questions, and they will all be answered in the next chapter, so I can't reveal any answers. Glad you enjoyed the comedy! Thanks for the review.
TheQuietReader23: ahaha, I'm glad you enjoyed the sex talk. Yeah, MaixAang definitely have a place in my heart now. I think they just complement each other. Yeah, completely agree about Zuko, I've made him into a grade A asshole. As for Mai, I have an ending for her which I think you will like… That's what I went for with Katara, and a bit more will be cleared up in this chapter. Thanks for the review!
SovietWomble: Thank you! MaixAang is definitely a good mix!
I am vegito: Thank you!
Bay45220: Yeah, Zuko is a dick… let's see what you think about this!
Okay, so you'll probably read this and think I've left tonnes of stuff out, and that's because I have. There is still important stuff in this chapter, but I am saving explanations for the next one; a big Kataang argument and reunion! This story is drawing to a close, so I am sorry to give such a poor chapter, but I hope you can understand where I am coming from. Enjoy!
Go read Until I Bleed You Out by TheLastSoulBender! We have very similar ideas but his story has so many fantastic working parts, I highly suggest the read!
Leaving
Katara stalked the long walk back to her room, a thick coat of sweat pooling in the pits of her body. She had been living in the Fire Nation for three years; she thought she would have adapted to the humidity after so long.
Who was she kidding? Katara knew damn well she wasn't sweating because of the heat. It was because of what she had seen. The passion coming from Aang's room was palpable, Katara could almost taste it on the tip of her tongue. The slow, thorough way he made love to Mai whilst Ty Lee smothered his face with her breasts was… invigorating. The Waterbender longed for that kind of passion, she longed for him.
"Soon" she told herself. Katara had to believe that soon, she could be with him. She had to believe that soon, she could hold him. She had to believe that soon, she could love him, properly. And with a severe stroke of luck, she thought, he might end up loving her again.
Katara was so lost in her dreams of being with Aang that she didn't even notice Zuko sitting in the dark corner of her room when he entered. The Fire Lord sat by her dresser; his scarred eye hidden by the shadows. He adorned a grim expression, his arms firmly folded against his chest.
"Where were you?" Zuko finally said, his raspy voice somehow even more coarse then usual. Katara jumped at his words, the thoughts of Aang immediately fading away as she turned to face her boyfriend.
"Um, I was looking for a servant…" Katara mumbled as she searched for an excuse. Zuko merely scoffed.
"You were going to find Aang, weren't you?" Zuko said angrily. Katara blushed slightly, confirming Zuko's suspicion, before her eyes narrowed on the Fire Lord.
"And what if I was? We both know you're going to find some other random girl to fuck when this argument is done!" Katara spat. Zuko flushed – his adultery had never been mentioned once by Katara – but the shock of her words did little to dissuade him. He ignored the second part of her comment as he gripped on to the arm rests of the chair he was sitting on.
"I saw the way you were looking at him!" he bit back, their voices getting closer and closer to shouting in pitch.
"Oh? You weren't doing the same to Mai?" Katara yelled back.
"That's different" Zuko muttered darkly.
"Enlighten me Fire Lord!" Katara said as she paced slowly around the room, a predator on the prowl.
"Because I don't have feeling for her! I know there's something going on between you and Aang!" Zuko exclaimed from his seat, pointing his finger directly at Katara. The Waterbender snorted loudly at his accusation.
"I've seen the letters to Mai that you drafted Zuko! Dozens of letters! You're going to lie to me about that as well?" Katara snapped. She flung her arms behind her, the glass of water on her nightstand spilling over.
Zuko looked mortified at her words, but his anger took over again. His hands began to glow orange, singeing the wood of the chair that he was gripping onto so tightly.
"I was never going to send them" he said quietly, his voice a low growl. Katara laughed sardonically as she went and sat on her bed.
"You think that makes it any better?" she asked rhetorically. Zuko seemed to think it was a genuine question.
"Well yeah-"
"I'm done, Zuko. I want to leave; you and I clearly don't work" Katara cut him off bluntly, Zuko opened his mouth to protest, but she beat him to it, "I'll pack my stuff and be gone by morning". Zuko shot up from the chair violently, the wood of the arm rests nearly burnt through entirely.
"I forbid it!" he exclaimed. Katara gazed at him warily. Looked like Zuko wanted to do this the hard way.
"Is this a prison now?" Katara asked. Zuko snapped at her snarky comment and roared loudly, fire spouting from his mouth. A large black mark was left on the ceiling above them.
"Do you think this is funny?" he asked, "You think you can just leave? I won't let you go! You can stay here and figure out what is going wrong between us! And even if you do get away, you think Aang will take you back? I know how the Water Tribe works, Katara. No one wants used property!" he said angrily.
Katara launched from her bed at his words. Without a noise, she summoned all the water she could muster from the humid air and water whipped Zuko, right on the forehead. The Fire Lord looked at her in shock, but before he could even react, he was flung back into the wall and frozen at the ankles and wrists.
"I don't belong to you Zuko!" she shrieked like a banshee, "you stopped having a say in what I do when you started fucking anything in sight!"
Zuko watched in silence from his position on the wall as Katara broke down to the floor in wracking sobs. He made no attempt to break free; he knew he deserved this. It took a while until Katara had calmed down enough to string together a coherent sentence.
"Do you have any idea what I've been through?" she asked as she stood up on wobbly knees. Zuko didn't answer.
"I made a mistake three years ago, Zuko" she said, a little more strength in her voice, a sense of finality in her tone. "We're not even good friends" she pointed out, "this relationship is toxic, and I pushed away the chance for a good one because I was too scared."
"Katara, I-"
"Shut up, Zuko" Katara bit, her words lined with venom.
"I would say I'm sorry that its over, but I'm really not" Katara said glumly, "I stopped caring about you when I found you laying around with that servant."
Katara liquified his cuffs after that, and Zuko fell to the floor.
"Kata-"
"No. No more" Katara said tiredly, "just… leave. I'll be gone in the morning".
Zuko didn't say a word more as he stood and left. Katara left shortly afterwards, heading for one of the few places in the palace where she felt she could breathe properly.
XOXOXOXOXOX
Aang woke up slowly. He admired the two girls tucked under his arms, especially Mai. He looked around the room, searching for the source of the interruption to his slumber. The moon shone brightly through the window, a million stars twinkling softly around it. He panned his vision to the door and felt some strange compulsion to go to it. It wasn't some aching need, nor some pulsing dread, just a low hum in the back of his mind urging him to get up and leave the room for a bit.
Aang was not averse to late night adventures, so he decided he would check to see what his mind was willing him to. He tried to gently shift the weight of Mai and Ty Lee off of him, but he clearly wasn't successful as he felt Ty Lee stir next to him.
"Hey Aang" Ty Lee said tiredly as she cupped his cheek and began kissing him softly. Her kisses picked up in vigour as Mai woke up as well, immediately going to caress his chest and stomach with her fingernails.
Aang knew where this was going. The door could wait.
"I'm sorry I woke you" Aang apologised as he turned to kiss Mai softly, sweetly, lovingly.
"It's fine" she consoled quietly, "we don't get to do this so much anymore; a late-night session won't do us any harm" Mai explained.
Aang felt his length shoot to attention as Ty Lee and Mai got up on their knees to kiss each other, their faces dangling over his. As Mai moved to focus on Aang's manhood, Ty Lee kissed him again. Aang trailed his lips down to her collar bone, nipping slightly at the skin, before finding her large breasts. He kneaded the soft flesh slowly before taking her nipple in his mouth, sucking and biting at it. Ty Lee giggled as she watched his infatuated eyes rake over her breasts.
As Mai swung her legs over either side of Aang's waists and took him inside of her, Ty Lee did the same to his face. Aang smiled dizzily as he began to flick his tongue at Ty Lee's slick folds. Aang reached around to squeeze her plump rear as he stuck his tongue inside of her, earning a soft moan for his troubles. All the while, Mai worked devotedly on his throbbing length, rubbing the bundle of nerves above her womanhood to make up for the lack of Aang's direct attention. She didn't mind sharing Aang with Ty Lee once in a while. She loved how much he enjoyed the company of herself and the acrobat.
As Mai climaxed, so did Ty Lee. Aang lapped up Ty Lee's liquids as her thighs tightened around his face, revelling in the musky tang of her folds. The girls collapsed on either side of him with lazy smiles. Aang waited patiently as they regenerated their energy. Aang flipped himself over when Ty Lee began to kiss him again, thrusting into her tight folds quickly after.
He smiled as he felt Mai come up behind him and hook her arms under his. She let her soft hand guide his lips to hers. They kissed passionately as Aang continued to thrust into a moaning Ty Lee.
"You like that?" Mai purred as she rested her head on Aang's shoulder. Aang shivered at her whisper. He turned his head to kiss her softly after he had nodded.
"Did you like that?" Aang asked as he felt himself nearing his peak. Mai laughed lazily as she continued to caress his chest from behind.
"Always, my love" she answered, kissing his temple.
Soon after, Aang reached his climax, groaning as he shot his warm seed into Ty Lee's folds, squeezing her breasts all the while. After Aang had pulled his seed out of her, Ty Lee promptly fell back asleep. Aang and Mai shared a laugh before kissing heatedly. When they finished, Aang felt the feeling pulling him to the door return. He slid off the bed as Mai lay down again.
"Are you not coming to bed?" Mai asked, confusion clear in her voice as she watched Aang pull on a discarded pair of trousers and a loose-fitting cloak. Aang shook his head as he walked around the bed and knelt down next to his girlfriend. He brushed the strands of hair on her forehead away before leaning into kiss her soundly.
"I'm just going to go for a quick walk" Aang whispered as he pressed his cheek to hers. Mai hooked her arms around his neck to kiss him one more time before letting go.
"Do you want me to wait up?" She asked. Aang smiled at her thoughtfulness, pressing a final kiss to her forehead as he stood.
"No, beautiful, you sleep" he said softly.
"Okay. Love you" Mai said through a yawn as she curled into Ty Lee.
"I love you too" Aang responded before he slipped out of the door. He looked to his left and right, sighing at the identicality of both pathways. He settled on going left; it felt right. He walked down the torch-lit hallway for a while, looking into various courtyards. When he reached the end of another corridor, he spun around as he felt a vibration through his sonar-sight. Aang crept back down the corridor, following the small vibrations until he looked back into a courtyard he had barely glanced at.
It was a full courtyard, surrounded on all sides by open corridors. A single tree stood in the middle, arching over a small pond. Beneath the tree sat a sole figure. Aang knew immediately that it was Katara. He supposed that it was her who had been silently calling him from his room.
Even after all this time.
Aang moved quietly across the grass, increasing the sound of his foot falls as he neared the Waterbender, not wanting to catch her off-guard. Katara spun around when she heard the dewy grass squelch beneath his feet, and Aang froze the moment he saw her face. The moon light glinted off her cheeks, but these weren't the small tears Aang had seen in Ba Sing Se; her entire face was smothered in her salty tears. For once, Aang let the walls he had built to keep Katara at bay fall, and he rushed forward. He scooped her up into his arms, stroking her hair softly as she weakly returned the embrace and buried her face in his chest, her tears rolling down his stomach.
Aang gently dragged her to the tree until they could both rest against it. After a while, Katara had calmed down enough to remove her face from his chest. She stared up at him with tired, red eyes.
"This is becoming a bit of a habit" Aang teased lightly. Katara gave him a wet smile before snuggling further into the warmth he provided. Aang felt his walls rising from the ground again, but he pushed them down. Katara clearly needed him right then.
"What's wrong Katara?" Aang asked, shaking her shoulders gently. Katara looked away from him. The fear of a bad reaction to her next words flooded back in.
"I… broke up with Zuko" she said quietly. Katara felt Aang freeze around her and winced. After a few moments, his muscles relaxed again.
"Oh. Are you… alright?" Aang asked awkwardly.
Ok. Not really what Katara had expected. In her nightmares she had imagined Aang laughing at her as she spoke those words, and in her dreams, she would see Aang pull her into a searing kiss. She was hoping for the searing kiss and expecting the laughing, but his flat reaction was probably worse than any cruel words; she had no idea what he was thinking. At this point, Katara let go of her fears. He deserved to know what she was thinking.
"Yeah" she started quietly, "Zuko and I weren't good for each other" she added simply.
"Um, okay" Aang said, shifting slowly away from the Waterbender. Katara yearned for his heat. "What are you going to do now?" he asked suddenly.
"I don't know, but I'm leaving in the morning" she replied as she pulled her knees up to her chest and reasted her head on them to make up for the loss of Aang's embrace. "Maybe I'll go home. I haven't seen dad in a while" she commented in an afterthought. Aang didn't know what compelled him to do so, but he felt the need to keep Katara close for the near future, so he made her an offer.
"You could come to the Southern Air Temple with Mai and I tomorrow, were doing some restoration work" he said quietly. Katara lit up at the idea of getting to spend time with him, then shrivelled.
"Are you sure you want me around?" she asked dejectedly. Aang placed a hand on her bare shoulder and Katara revelled in the small electric shock it sent through her body.
"Why wouldn't I?" he prodded. Katara sighed.
"Well we've not been on the best of terms since…" she started frankly before trailing off. Aang chuckled mirthlessly beside her.
"Katara, I learnt to coexist with those feelings a while ago" he supplied. Then he didn't say anything else. No confirmation of his undying love for her, no enraged yells at her bringing up their past. Katara really needed to stop setting expectations, but she had, and his brief answer was frustrating.
"Okay…" she said weakly as Aang got up.
"Now, be ready before midday, that's when we're leaving" Aang told her as he walked around the tree to stand in front of her. He offered both of his hands and Katara took them before she was hoisted up. When she regained her footing, she found herself directly in front of Aang, or more specifically, his chest. He towered over her now, a full head taller. Katara traced the lines of his muscular chest with her eyes and suddenly her need for answers became too great. She embraced him tightly and for the first time in years, he returned her embrace properly. She sighed as she breathed in his familiar scent. It hadn't changed since the war.
Aang pulled back from the embrace after a minute to hold her at arm's length. He gave her a soft smile, one that made Katara's heart flutter. She eyed his lips for a moment. They seemed so inviting. In a moment, she expelled her fears.
Katara leaned forward, standing up on the tip of her toes. She was surprised when she felt Aang lean forward slightly and tilt his head a bit. Katara cupped his face softly and pulled his lips to hers.
Aang's body tingled vibrantly as his semi-dormant feelings for Katara surged up his centre and into his beating heart. He melted into the feeling, tugging her forward to kiss her hungrily. Katara deepened the kiss, her leg hooking around his thigh to support herself.
Aang could see their future together; right there, with that kiss. Not the dreams he had experienced as a twelve-year-old, but a real vision. He saw their children, he saw the temple they would live on in some bay looking out onto a bustling city, he saw everything. It felt like heaven, until his current reality rang true in his ears.
His girlfriend was waiting for him to come to bed. Aang realised that somewhere, deep down, his relationship with Mai was nearing its end. Not because of any bad blood between them, no, they loved each other as deeply as their broken hearts could allow. But, Aang could feel his heart coming back together during their kiss. He was being restored.
It didn't make it any easier for Aang though. He loved Mai, and he didn't want to hurt her.
He pulled back from Katara, untangling their limbs in the process. The Waterbender looked at him with swollen lips and confusion in her eyes.
"I have to… Mai. Don't be late tomorrow" Aang said quietly before turning around and leaving the courtyard quickly.
Katara sighed as she watched him disappear into one of the corridors. She didn't feel the need to cry though. That kiss had been nothing short of heavenly. Her frustration kicked up again. What did that even mean? He had leant in, but did that mean he still had genuine feelings for her? Mai had told her that he still loved her, but that was nine months ago. Aang had undoubtedly formed a deeper connection with the knife wielding girl.
Katara wandered back to her room. She threw what little she actually wanted to keep into a bag before falling into an uneasy sleep.
XOXOXOXOXOX
"I'll miss you Aang" Ty Lee said as she stroked his bare chest. Aang smiled and drew her into a tight hug. He rocked them slowly, burying his nose into her hair. Aang wasn't in love with Ty Lee, but there was a fantastic friendship there, a relationship based on deep care and support for each other.
Aang leaned down to kiss her softly.
"I'll miss you too, Ty. Say hi to your sisters for me!" he said as the acrobat slid out of the door into the bright sun of the Fire Nation morning. Aang turned to look at a sleeping Mai after that. He walked over, a little bit of apprehension in his step. He didn't know what to tell her about Katara. Being honest was what she deserved.
Mai stirred as Aang got back into bed with her. The Airbender leaned over her, caressing her cheek lightly. He smiled as she pulled him down to kiss, her eyes still closed. When he pulled back, she opened her eyes, wincing as the sun skewed off the window and into her face.
"Morning" she said tiredly.
"Morning, yourself" Aang said with a smile. She looked so beautiful in the sunlight. Mai shuffled up the bed to lay against him as he rested his back on the wall behind them. They sat in silence for a few minutes as Mai woke up properly.
"How was your walk?" Mai asked, remembering their late night 'session'. Aang kissed her head.
"I found Katara crying" Aang said with a neutral tone. Mai splayed her fingers out against his stomach as he spoke.
"Why was she crying? And why wasn't she with Zuko?" Mai questioned.
"They broke up" Aang said, his face not giving anything away. Mai raised her eyebrows, but internally admitted that she wasn't really surprised. She had seen this from a long way off.
"I can't say I'm surprised" Mai said. Aang ran his hands down her shoulder and hooked his arms under her breasts. He kissed her temple.
"Why's that?" he asked curiously. Mai sighed as she recalled what the Waterbender had said during her breakdown in Ba Sing Se.
"She asked me not to tell you, but I don't really see the harm in it anymore" Mai said, "Zuko has been cheating on her for ages, and she confirmed that she had feelings for you" Aang felt himself boiling at the discovery of Zuko's adultery, but then the guilt of what had occurred the previous night flooded in.
"I know… Mai, something happened last night" Aang said sadly. Mai turned in his arms and looked at his forlorn expression. It was guilty and depressed. She didn't like to see his beautiful face in such a state. It looked much better when he was smiling.
"Katara and I kissed, and I asked her to come to the temple with us" he said, his arms falling limp around her. Mai didn't make a noise or move a muscle at his confession. "I understand if you don't want to see me, or if you're angry, but I want you to know, Mai, I'm so sorry," he let a few tears drop, "you deserve so much better than me".
Mai couldn't take the guilt in his eyes anymore. It was in moments like these that she remembered Aang was only twelve when he had his heartbroken. He had been fused to this girl because of fate, and yet the cruel, twisted mistress had taken her away from him. He didn't deserve this. Mai leaned up to kiss him softly. Aang opened his eyes in shock.
"A-Aren't you angry?" Aang asked with a dumbfounded look.
"Do you want me to be?" Mai asked in confusion.
"No!" he yelped and pulled her to him, cradling her upper body, "I'm just confused is all. I thought you would have left on the spot" Aang admitted. Mai smiled lightly into his chest.
"Aang, for the thousandth time, we both know how we feel about other people. If I ripped into you for every time you felt or did something with Katara, we wouldn't have lasted very long" Mai explained.
"So, you're not leaving?" Aang asked hopefully. Mai grinned and kissed him softly.
"Not yet, Avatar" she replied. Aang laughed in relief before scooping her up and placing a hundred kisses all over her face. Mai giggled as the beginnings of his beard tickled her cheeks. When he was finished, Mai dragged him out of bed.
"We need to get packed; we wouldn't want to leave Katara waiting, would we?" Mai teased.
XOXOXOXOX
They had been at the Southern Air Temple for a week. Aang had done his up best to avoid Katara (I'm sure you can imagine how awkward the ride on Appa was) to the point where he was wondering why he had asked her to come in the first place. Katara seemed a bit bothered by his distance, but her rediscovered freedom had covered for most of her feelings.
Aang, Katara and Mai worked dutifully in that week, restoring the temple to a semblance of its former glory. It was only during the day that Aang dared to interact with Katara, and that was only for polite greetings or instructions for what to do. After dinner, Aang would take Mai and disappear to some random room in the temple whilst Katara would retire to one of the rooms he had cleared out on the ground floor of the great building.
Aang sat awake one night, Mai sleeping calmly next to him. He had become increasingly frustrated during the last few days. He had no idea why he couldn't interact with Katara without feeling like he was staring at some dangerous trap. Whilst their relationship had never matched the one they shared during the war, Aang had been able to remain cordial with Katara after she announced her relationship with Zuko. Hell, they even had fun on one or two occasions. Now, however, Aang could hardly look the Waterbender in the eyes.
Aang needed to clear his head. He slipped of the bed and grabbed his glider before promptly dropping out of the window. He soared for a while, though Aang wasn't really sure how long. When he finally felt his head calm down, he landed on the ground floor of the temple and headed for the kitchen.
Some water and a quick snack and he would be back to bed.
At least that's what he thought.
He strolled into the kitchen and once he had filled up on water began fumbling through the many cupboards in search of a moon peach. Aang was so lost in his futile search for a snack that he didn't even notice Katara sitting on the small table in the centre of the room. It was only when he stopped his desperate search for the peaches that his eyes properly acclimated to the dark room and he saw the silhouette of the Waterbender.
"Katara?" he asked into the dark as he shot a small burst of flames at a candle sitting on one of the counters.
"Hey Aang" Katara said quietly, her voice, her entire being, felt and sounded tired.
"What are you doing up?" Aang asked as he edged closer to the table.
"I couldn't really sleep" she answered vaguely. Aang sat down with her, the tension of the last few days forgotten immediately.
"Tell me about it" Aang exaggerated. Katara gave a small smile, but it didn't reach her eyes.
"Something wrong?" Aang asked sincerely. Katara looked at him, her anxious eyes giving him the answer he expected.
"Where do I stand with you?" Katara asked bluntly. Aang reared back slightly at her words.
"What do you mean?" Aang asked confusedly.
"Aang… do you still have any feelings… do you love me anymore?" she asked resolutely. Aang felt himself darken at her question. A simmering flame of rage ignited in his stomach. He had felt that feeling only one; at the Fire Nation Palace at the end of the war. Katara took his silence as signal to carry on.
"Because I… I realised that I love you Aang. I know that this isn't great timing with Mai and all, but I just wanted to know if there is any chance that you return my feelings" Katara explained. Aang was disgusted at the lack of remorse in her voice. Did she have any idea what she was doing to him?
Aang stood from the table and walked away from the table, leaving a suddenly panicked Katara in the dark as he extinguished the candle.
"Aang? Won't you at least tell me how you feel?" she asked in a frantic voice. Aang paused in the doorway, his frame blocking out almost all of the natural light coming from outside. He turned his head slightly, his right eye catching her barely visible silhouette.
"Tomorrow" he said coldly before walking away. He glided up to his room again and stumbled through window, his head a mess. He completely forgot that Mai was sleeping mere feet away from him.
"Aang?" she asked tiredly as she peaked over the edge of the bed. Aang looked up at her with a blank stare as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. When his head slowed down, he felt tears pooling at the corners of his eyes. As he crawled over to Mai and grabbed her hand, he started bawling.
Over the next hour, through frantic tears and desperate grabs for any part of Mai that he could reach, Aang explained what Katara had told him, about his own feelings, asking what he was going to do. Mai shushed him and cradled his head to her bare stomach. She knew what she had to do. Mai's love for Aang was a gift, but she had to accept the reality that Aang's heart didn't belong to another her. It was at the bottom of the temple, with Katara.
Mai calmly explained to Aang that she needed to go, that it wasn't right for Aang to be with her when Katara was now returning his feelings. Aang tried to protest, but Mai was unyielding. He deserved this. He deserved true happiness and a wholehearted love. When Mai had finished explaining, Aang looked up at her with remorseful eyes.
"I never wanted to hurt you, and I still did" he said dejectedly.
"Who said you hurt me? You gave me the best year of my life, Aang" Mai retorted softly, her own tears rolling slowly down her pale cheeks. Aang gulped back the lump in his throat and nodded sadly.
"is there anything I can do for you Mai? Anything in the world?" he asked. His final testament to their love. Mai smiled solemnly.
"Hold me for one more night?" she asked softly. Aang nodded and crawled into bed with her. They didn't make love, they didn't speak; but they held each other fiercely.
Sometimes you just have to let go.
Okay, so that the end of MaixAang for this story (quite sad if you ask me) but I will start on a separate story for them soon! Read the top for some explanations on the brief nature of this chapter.
Please review!