Until I Bleed You Out

by TheLastSoulBender

Retelling of Save Your Tears For Another Day - this story will be told from Aang's persepctive. Follow Aang through his journey when Katara chooses Zuko over him at the end of the war. Witness how he changes and transforms into someone new, and uncover whether this new Aang is for the better or worse. AangxJin, Taang, TyLeexAang, slight Maang, Zutara, Sukka, Kataang endgame.

13. Chapter 13: Your Tears, My Blood

A/N:

Blaze01245: I'm glad you're enjoying it. Hope you like this chapter too!

Ashley Barbosa: Yeh, tried to make him more terrifying than the unstoppable Aang, glad to see I'm succeeding :) Yep, Aang's going through a lot, but not for long. Hope you enjoy this chapter :)

Syd: I'm glad you like it. And sorry, but this is the end. Hopefully you enjoyed the last ride!

Bay45220: Well, unstoppable Aang does play a role in this story, but he isn't crucial. Though, the other Aang in this fic isn't the unstoppable Aang. I know I've hinted towards that, but its not him. Hopefully you liked the way they got their feelings out here... it wasn't too dramtic or anything, hopefully it works for you and the others.

Sporkofdoom23: Well, its the last one, so sorry its ending. But its been a long and enjoyable ride I'd say. Thank you for reading.

Gabriela N Gonzalez: hahahahhaa don't worry, everything will be fine :)

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I dedicate this chapter to Ashley Barbosa: a loyal reader who always brightens my mood through her reviews, I appreciate you; and Bay45220: my main motivation for writing fanfiction in the first place as I fell in love with his Hearbroken story, go check out the latest chapter, its a banger!

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Chapter 13: Your Tears, My Blood

"So, you gonna explain to me why you've been waking up sweaty while screaming your head off in the middle of the night for the past month?"

My eyebrow quirked on its own, "I haven't done that for the past week or so."

Suki scoffed, amused. "That's because your girlfriend would always be at your side to calm you down before you woke up crying like a baby."

"She's not my girlfriend," I bit back, ignoring the truth in her statement – not the crying like a baby part… well, not entirely.

Suki simply smirked at me, muttering a teasing, "Not yet," before returning to scolding the children for messing about. It had been about two weeks since our arrival at the South Pole. Even though we protested, claiming that the siblings should spend some time with their family to regain a sense of familial familiarity before inviting us over, Suki and I were both coaxed – or more like threatened – to remain as the humble guests in Chief Hakoda's home. They had a spare room that they weren't utilising, and although I offered to sleep on the couch or outside by Appa, Suki and Sokka both suggested that I take the spare room instead. No doubt so she could room with her boyfriend and do all the oogie filled things they wanted to. I was just glad that Sokka's room was the furthest away from mine – Katara's room was the closest; I was indifferent to it.

'He's lying; he was ecstatic.'

I pondered on her claim while she continued to teach the children various forms of the martial arts the Kyoshi Warriors had mastered. Sokka and I were to attend a meeting in an hour, however, since I was naturally an early riser, as was Suki, surprisingly, we decided to stroll about the Southern WaterTribe for a while. Somehow, we found ourselves passing by a waterbending arena where a few children jumped me in excitement, begging me to teach them some waterbending. I gladly went through a few forms before I asked Suki if she could incorporate some Earth Kingdom styles as well. So, there we were, an hour left till the meeting – Suki was finishing up her 'class' while I continued to ponder on her statement. She was right, I concluded; the nightmares I've been having this past month only got worse and haunted me more frequently. It got to the point where every single day on the calendar would be crossed off with that same red smile that was worn by that clown. I'd see him everywhere: a pair of black eyes and a red smile on the scrolls I'd receive, on the food I'd eat, on the clothes I'd wear, on the faces of regular everyday people passing by, even.

Either way, I'd wake up every night panting and sweaty, clutching onto my bed sheets to ground myself while I searched the dark room, trying to identify a white face and red smile within the void. As every waking and sleeping moment passed by, reality became the faintest of sensations. I felt pain in my dreams as I did in reality. I felt fear in my nightmares as I did in reality. I felt lost… regardless of reality. Nothing felt real, genuine.

Warmth was all I had; the sensation of tanned arms wrapping themselves around me in my sleep, or whenever I'd wake up – sometimes glowing white in the Avatar State – warm, tanned arms and a soft body clutching onto me; my only anchor. Silent hot breaths against my neck, soft velvet lips caressing the arrow on my head, small, comforting hands running up and down my back soothingly. She was all I had in those moments. An anchor. Or a compass, if you will; highlighting the path I understood to be leading in the right direction, towards reality, towards home.

"Aang? Aaaaannnnnggggg?" Pale fingers interrupted my train of thought, snapping before my eyes, thus dragging me away from whatever internal crisis I had placed myself in this time. "Did you hear what I said?" Suki asked.

"Ughh, no," I rubbed my head in embarrassment while she groaned in annoyance – her class had finished, and we were now alone. "Sorry, I kinda spaced out. Could you repeat that?"

"I asked if you were going to tell me what it is that's been troubling you lately?"

I shook my head immediately, unwilling to burden her more than I already have.

She frowned as I stood up, waterbending the snowflakes glittered across my attire as I prepared to make my way to the meeting. "You know you can talk to me, right?" I nodded absentmindedly – she noticed. "I don't like it when you close yourself off and keep your problems to yourself." She continued to frown, "Let us help you, Aang."

"You don't have to, and you don't need to. I'll be fi–"

"But we want to. Anyone can tell you're not getting enough sleep just by looking at your face," she bit her lip carefully, probably wondering whether it was safe to continue with her train of thought knowing my spontaneous and unpredictable mood shifts. I have been getting better at controlling that though. "Does it have anything to do with Katara?"

I guessed that's what she would ask, "No." I answered honestly, "For the first time in a while, it's not because of her. It's me; my own demons are…" I trailed off, recognising I've said more than I actually wanted to, and in the process, I've caused her concern for me to climb to a greater extent. "Don't worry about it, I'm dealing with it."

"You still need someone to talk to, though," she stated, walking alongside me and stopping when we neared the Southern WaterTribe: Council of Elders building. "Aang, you know how you get when you bottle your emotions. I've picked up and put you back together enough times to sense an upcoming breakdown." I tried to pry my eyes away from her, attempting to hide from the truth even though I made a promise to myself not to anymore. "Aang? You know what I'm talking about." She forced me to face her by cupping my face and holding me there. Suki stared into my eyes for a while before pulling me into a hug, I noticed a couple onlookers whispering in the distance, no doubt gossiping – in the few weeks I've spent here, I've noticed that the Southern Watertribe is much more respectful towards one's privacy than Ba Sing Se – that still doesn't stop a couple helpless individuals though.

"You may be the Avatar, and I know you feel like you owe it to everyone to carry the world on your shoulders." She whispered, forcing her voice to remain unwavering as I nodded against her head. "But if you keep pushing us away, then whose gonna save you from yourself when the weight becomes too heavy?"

---

The various voices in the room grazed by him, accumulating to becoming but distant hisses as the voice of the phantom reverberated with more intensity. The paradoxical high-pitched-low-voice echoed through his ears, demeaning and condescending, hostile and threatening. Reality once again became a distant notion as his imagination conjured the smile voicing Aang's discrepancies, hypocritical actions, and critical mistakes – the Southern Watertribe Council didn't notice his state of absence.

He seemed estranged from the world around him, from the ice his boots bore into, the table his hands gripped onto. However, one rather demeaning and uncalled for statement was all it took to gain his attention inadvertently.

"We were hoping to reconnect with our sister tribe through the marriage of the Chief's daughter and a delegate from the North. However, the stupid girl just had to sully herself."

Aang was oblivious to what had caused Councilman Nuktuk to reach that conclusion – if Chief Hakoda was actually present in the meeting, then everyone doubted he would say such a thing, but Aang wasn't going to stand for it, and neither was Sokka.

"Hey! Don't you dare talk about my sister like that!" Growled Sokka, glaring at Councilman Nuktuk who remained undeterred by the warrior's warning.

"And why not?" Asked the ignorant man. "What has she done for the tribe, honestly? She didn't help us rebuild. She didn't help us settle disputes with the North. She didn't do anything!"

"She's done more than you could imagine!" Sokka protested, standing to his feet as he slammed his hands on the icy round table.

"All she's done is ruin herself," Nuktuk replied, venom laced in every syllable that was uttered. "Her only role was to help us rebuild – if not that, then at least help us reconnect with our sister tribe. However, due to her immature and childlike behaviour, the North will no longer accept her as they've already heard the rumours that the girl has sullied herself with the Firelord! She's nothing but used property now!"

The entire room remained still, silent… even Master Pakku barely reacted. Sokka stood tall, seething. The other councilmen remained statue-like, fearing that if they adhered to their impulse to glance between both men, they'd be inviting a catastrophe they'd rather not entertain. Councilman Nuktuk had donned a smirk; he thought Sokka had nothing to combat his arguments with – sitting there smugly with his arms crossed against his chest. On the contrary, I reckon the warrior had his entire argument planned out in his head, he was just probably trying to remove the vulgar language from his speech to ensure he didn't resort to doing more harm than good.

I, however, was in no mood to maintain propriety and respect, especially for someone who deserved none.

"Face the facts Councilman Sokka, the girl – "

He choked on his words, suddenly grasping his throat as he gasped for air. Every eye in that room widened and homed in on the disrespectful, gasping man… all except mine.

"What – What's happeni- Argh!" The Councilman choked again, eyes trailing across the room, scanning for a culprit until his dark-blue irises landed on me, glaring at him. My hand and fingers were spinning in a spiral and circular motion when an airscooter-like formation revealed itself; a massive ball of air surrounded the Councilman's head – not suffocating him, but doing just enough to make him feel like he was. "Av – Avatar Aa- Argh!"

"Master Katara," my low and raspy voice was the catalyst for all eyes to immediately latch onto me. "You will refer to her as Master Katara, and that goes for everyone in this room." My grey, challenging eyes roamed around, glaring daggers at anyone who attempted to defy me until they landed on Nuktuk's fearful yet seething dark blue irises. "Is that understood?"

Every head, even Pakku and Sokka's – subtly – nodded in agreement. I lowered my hands and ended the technique, thus allowing Nuktuk to finally catch his breath as his head fell in submission, and he began rubbing his throat, trying to soothe the built-up tension.

"Master Katara, despite not residing in the Tribe, has helped in more ways than you ever have Nuktuk," I stated, my voice calm yet raised by an octave or two as I demanded the attention of every man and spirit in that room. "She helped smooth the relations between the Fire Nation, Water Tribes and Earth Kingdom. She convinced Fire Nation delegates to send resources to the South to aid with the reconstruction. She handled disputes between the Tribes and the Fire Nation. She remained by Firelord Zuko's side and ensured he didn't take any drastic measures like Yu Dao ever again. She defeated Princess Azula and helped free the Fire Nation. She saved my and my team's life on countless occasions. She was the rock we leaned on when we were battered and beaten. She ended the 100-year war alongside Firelord Zuko, Master Toph, Councilman Sokka, Kyoshi Warrior Suki, the White Lotus and I… and yet you, in that fragmented mind of yours, somehow produce the audacity to question her loyalty and worth to her Tribe?"

Nuktuk simply stared at me, baffled by my response and unsure of how to retort to my truthful statements. I noticed Pakku staring at me, slightly amused as he tried to hide that smirk of his. And I noticed Sokka gazing at me from above from the corner of my eye. I didn't need to see his face to know the emotion behind his expression for I had seen it before. I saw it after I defeated Ozai, during Zuko's coronation, after we resolved Yu Dao, after we saved Zuko's mother, after we settle the awkwardness between us: it was pride.

"Master Katara is the one who found me and freed me from my icy prison. For that deed alone, she is worth more to the world, let alone the tribe, than you." Certain members gasped in surprise at my bold statement, while others nodded in agreement. Souls like Sokka and Pakku simply smiled, and Nuktuk lowly growled as he finally sat up straight. "So, I suggest that you detach yourself from your resentment and ego for the remainder of the meeting and work productively on how to settle this dispute with the North efficiently. Or should I summon Master Katara and have her offer ten solutions in the same timeframe it took you to offer one? And a rather disappointing one at that."

Nuktuk remained silent for a while, glaring at me with icy eyes until he cleared his throat and spoke with a raspy voice, "Apologies, Avatar Aang."

"Don't let it happen again," I warned.

"Of course, not."

"Good."

Chief Hakoda joined us shortly after, and it took us a while, but we eventually agreed on the smoothest approach to take to discuss a settlement with the Northern Water Tribe.

'Unbeknownst to the Darth Vader-wannabe here, Hakoda was actually standing by the door and listening to the whole thing – including Nuktuk's comment, Sokka's protests and this idiot's monologue. He stood there with a proud smile and, in his mind, urged his daughter to not let this moron slip away again before he entered the room, feigning ignorance. Though, he did have a rather effective talk with a frightened Nuktuk afterwards.'

---

XOXOXOXOXOX

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It had been a few days since that rather… interesting meeting. Katara, Sokka and their father were busy preparing for the celebration they were holding for the newly rebuilt Southern Watertribe. Suki and I helped whenever we could, though mostly, the siblings remained busy. It was only during the actual celebrations that we loosened up, and I was immensely thankful that Chief Hakoda agreed not to hold a noble, dress-up party; for once, I could dress as a normal air nomad and enjoy myself without having my head talked off by a bunch of prissy officials and noblemen.

Sokka and Suki were already at the party, or parties, I should say, considering that there were several being held at different locations as well as stalls being set up with many games for children and us teenagers to play. Anyways, those two lovebirds had already left – they were actually quite eager to leave and were smirking at me as they did. I got the sense that they were possibly planning something, but I brushed it off – or rather, it completely left my mind when Katara left her room and appeared in the living room where I was waiting.

Its safe to say that my eyes were solely focused on her, and her alone – the background and foreground of the house becoming nothing but darkness and mist when contrasted to her beauty. She wore her traditional watertribe clothes, except her arms were sleeveless, and I could tell she had some subtle make up on, her hair was also in a similar arrangement it was in during the end of the war, the only difference was that resting above the bun that linked her 'hair loopies' together was a rather large blue orchid. Her skin was flawless and smooth, her smile shy yet glistening with pink lipstick, her figure slightly timid yet seductive either way.

She was gorgeous.

"Well, do I look… okay?" She asked shyly, smoothing out her dress nervously as I shook my head and approached her.

I don't know what came over me, maybe I was entranced by her or something but… I walked up to her, took her hand in mine while trailing the other down her cheek, pushing a strand of her chocolate hair behind her ear all while bringing the back of her hand to my lips and kissing it.

"You look absolutely stunning, Katara," I whispered lowly, smiling at her as a red hue spread across her face while she diverted her eyes away from mine.

I didn't know what got into me. I mean, I was supposed to stay away from her. To give myself time and space to think things through so we can talk about the grey area we're in at the moment. Yet here I was, kissing her hand and touching her cheek intimately while telling her she looks beautiful. I mean, there's nothing wrong with it, I reckon, but its just not what I expected myself to be doing… at least not this early.

She seemed just as surprised as me at my sudden change in behaviour, though, when it settled in, she was as receptive as I thought she'd be.

"Thanks," she said, grinning widely as she gave me a one over, her eyes faltered and glanced at my naked right shoulder for while longer, I discovered. "You don't look so bad yourself."

I grinned at her as I offered her the parka she'd left on the couch before we left the house. Side by side, we walked in comfortable silence, grinning and laughing when we entered the city and were met with the radiant smiles and laughter of people from all nations. Chief Hakoda had invited any and all folk from the North, Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation to attend… and though it was expected, Katara and I were still surprised by the shear amount of people who had flocked over to the South. Though, we were glad they had; 'no better way to create harmony than to dance and laugh together, regardless of what colours we don' – I had phrased during a meeting that Katara, Suki and Sokka all attended.

As they approached the building which held the main banquet hall, Katara and I laughed together when we caught sight of Sokka already stuffing his face with watertribe delicacies while Suki tried not to die from embarrassment. Deciding that we should adhere to our growling stomachs' pleas first, we filled out our plates with food from all nations and joined Sokka and Suki. Suki shot an appreciative smile towards the us while Sokka simply nodded, barely acknowledging our presence.

"Wow. That's a nice look, Katara," beamed Suki as Katara took a seat beside her. It was a round table meant to seat four, so I sat between the two siblings as I delved into my food.

"Thanks Suki," Katara beamed back, gripping her chopsticks and preparing to throw a sea prune in her mouth but halted when Sokka voiced his opinion.

"Meh." He shrugged before saying, "Nothing special," which earned him an elbow in the gut from his girlfriend.

"At least I didn't tell the entire council that I was having sex with Suki on a regular basis," Katara retorted, smirking at Sokka as he glared at her while Suki groaned in embarrassment when I spit out my food due to the laughter erupting from within me.

"I still remember that…" I said between my chuckles, "Suki literally dragged you out of the room by the ear and – ", I immediately halted when I saw Suki glaring at me with the look that conveyed: 'I will chi-block you and leave you laying here all night if you don't shut it right this instance'. So, fearing she'd actually remain faithful to her silent threat, I dipped my head and quietly continued eating my food.

"Okay, first off, that has got nothing to do with what I said about your 'looks'", Sokka stated using air quotes, "second of all, it was a mistake! I didn't know that's what they took from it. It was a metaphor, an example!"

"How do you link consistency and communication between the tribes with boning your – ", I began but immediately stopped talking when Suki shot me another death glare, only, it was ten times more threatening and frightening. "I'll just shut up now," I muttered under my breath and opted to finish the food before me, tuning out the quarrel currently unfolding between the watertribe siblings. When I finished, I wordlessly stood up, grabbed my plate and dropped it off near the sinks where they were being cleaned. I offered to help but the volunteers refused me at every turn. So, I simply decided to wait for the others to finish; we had decided we'd spend some time as a group before splitting up. Me a month ago wouldn't have been comfortable with being left alone with Katara – well, we wouldn't be completely alone, but you catch my drift. Now however, I don't really mind the idea. I'm looking forward to it, I'd say.

When I returned to the table, Suki and Katara were finishing up and waiting on Sokka. So, I insisted to take both their plates for them. Sokka, yelling across the room for me to wait, joined me shortly after as we dropped off the dirty plates – well, Sokka's seemed brand new; I think he literally licked everything off it, including the gravy. I cringed at the image of his tongue gliding across the plate – how on earth Suki deals with him, I'll never know. Shortly after, we left the banquet hall and began strolling through the streets. The entire city was embracing the festival, therefore, there were stalls in almost every corner, at every turn. It didn't take long for us to start goofing around as we played a couple festival games and took a few rides – Sokka though, were especially fond of a ride referred to as a 'rollercoaster' in the Earth Kingdom.

Essentially, there was a long and rather large track which contained many steep climbs and low drops, swift and sharp turns, and small and wide loops, with two seated carts running along the track – no doubt Toph and her metalbending students played a role in the structure's construction. Surprisingly enough, Suki shared a seat with Katara, which left Sokka and I sharing one… and I soon found out why she insisted I sit with him.

…

"OHHHHHHH FUUUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKKK!" Sokka screamed in my ear as we approached a massive deep dive, his arms wrapping around my head and his legs hugging me close while I groaned in annoyance, and Katara and Suki laughed from behind us.

"AAAAAANNNNNNGGGGG…" he yelled as we met a sharp right turn.

"WEERRREEE…" another right turn.

"GONNNAAA…" a sharp left.

"DIIIIEEEE!" now we were approaching a loop.

"Oh shit! Oh Fuck! Oh Fuck!"

"Sokka!" Yelled Katara from behind, "there are children here, stop swearing!"

"Oh, shut it Sugar Queen!" He yelled by my ear… again.

I think it was safe to say that my eardrums had ruptured. Now, here me out, I'm not one to seek revenge, but I feel like Sokka truly deserved this – I mean, he's the one who suggested we go on the ride in the first place. So, as we approached the loop, and he continued yelling and clutching onto me, I used some subtle airbending to loosen his hold on me and the cart. So, during the loop, when we were hanging upside down, I create an airbubble around Sokka and left him hovering just above the track.

"AAAAAAAANNNNNNGGGG!" He yelled, erratically waved his arms and legs, to the observer, looking almost like he was trying to swim his way back onto the cart. Katara, Suki and I, as well as the others on the ride and some people on the ground floor, laughed at Sokka's predicament.

Though, I knew I couldn't leave him there forever. So, I concentrated and when the loop ended, since we were in the first cart, I released the air around him and allowed him to fall back right next to me. We all began laughing again, though, when Sokka regained his bearings and jumped at me, I halted my laughter in an attempt to fend off his attack while the others behind us laughed even harder.

"I'LL KILL YOU AIRHEAD!" He growled as he wrapped his hands around my throat and began shaking me. Realising I could tease him further, I let him do what he wanted as I stuck my tongue out and shook my head in the same direction he was shoving me against. My goofy expression only caused his annoyance and anger to flare further while Suki and Katara practically had tears of amusement in their eyes at this point. The thing was, due to our antics, none of us were aware of the fact that the cart was slowing down and climbing even greater heights, which would eventually lead to the deepest drop on the track followed up by a spiral.

A few moments before the drop was exactly when Sokka and I realised what was about to happen, and despite being an airbender myself, I have to say that I was somewhat afraid. We both halted our actions and stared straight ahead, grimacing as we watched the train tracks disappear from our field of vision, leaving only the glorious lights of the city and the vastness of the sea – it was beautiful, but for some reason, all the two of us saw were our deaths.

"Guys, i-in case we don't make it, there's something I h-have to tell you," Sokka uttered, still not taking his eyes off what he considered to be his end.

"Me too," stated Katara from behind. "One time, I went to the bathroom, and I didn't wash my hands."

Sokka shook his head as his eyes widened, the deep drop was just an arm's length away. "One time, I used Katara's toothbrush to get Appa's shit off my shoe."

"Wait WHAT?!"

"OHHHHHHH SHIIIIIITTTTTTTT!" Yelled Sokka as he and I ignored Katara's scream of protest, clinging onto each other like terrified children when we found ourselves diving down at record speed. "SAAAAVVVVVEEEE USSSS YYYYUUUUEEEE!"

Katara and Suki's screams backed up our own as we approached the several spirals now, our heads and bodies colliding against our partners' as we zoomed through it all.

Eventually, we met the end and Sokka literally stepped over me to get off immediately. His shoe scraped my back as he leapt off of me and kissed the ground repeatedly, letting out a sigh of relief while Suki frowned and Katara and I laughed at her expression.

"You're gonna have to wash your mouth before you get to kiss me now," she simply stated before turning on her heel and walking off the platform as we all were instructed to. Sokka chased after her while I took Katara's hand and helped her step off her cart before we trailed behind them.

"I think it would be a good idea for you to buy a new toothbrush," I joked, chuckling as I earned an elbow in the gut while she groaned and stormed off half-heartedly – I saw the grin on her face before she strolled away.

Grinning to myself, I chased after her and soon we found ourselves racing across the streets before we found Sokka and Suki calling us over to an ongoing party by a campfire. It contained mostly people of our age: teenagers, which meant there would also be booze present.

---

She giggled as I chased her, both of us stumbling and misplacing our steps due to the booze.

At the party, Katara, Sokka, Suki and I had gotten fairly drunk. We'd spent most of it playing a game famous in the Earth Kingdom known as 'beer pong'. Sokka and Suki ended up winning two out of three games simply because they were the more sober pair whereas Katara and I were already shitfaced halfway through the second game. After the games and drunken banter, we landed on the dance floor; obviously, Sokka danced with Suki while I danced with Katara. Normally, I would've objected to the idea, but maybe the booze and the serene atmosphere of the entire night finally caused me to ease up and let her in, even if it was only physical for the time being. We started off a few inches apart, dancing together, hints of flirting through subtle touches. However, as time passed by, I realised that I had pulled her against me, her back flush against my chest. My arms encircled her waist, wrapping themselves completely around her midriff while her hands encircled mine, ensuring I held her in that position as her head tiled back to rest on my shoulder. We swayed together as I leaned my head down and caressed her cheek and neck softly with my own. We both let out sighs of relief at the contact – sober me would've probably protested the entire act, arguing that it was too soon for us to be doing any of this, that we were too close, too intimate. But… it felt so right. I could care less in that moment.

She was warm. I felt my heart melting. So, I didn't dare break away until the music stopped – thankfully, it never did.

We lost ourselves in each other amongst the flock of people, couples and individuals of all kinds; fair toned and tan skinned, bearded and clean shaven, Earth Kingdom, Watertribe and Fire Nation – a sea of blue, green, white, brown, yellow, red, and orange. In our drunken state, Katara began slowly taking off her parka – to be honest, it was getting quite stuffy and hot amongst the many equally as sweaty bodies – and I helped her. When her parka was off, her smooth arms were revealed to me due to her sleeveless top, and also in my drunken state, I trailed my hands up and down, softly caressing the smooth, flawless and slightly moist tan skin as she sighed. Not long after, Katara began grinding against me, her delicious plump behind pressing against my crotch was a sensation unlike any other, and I wanted more. So, I reciprocated; thrusting back into her as we grinded against each other, the both of us groaning and gasping. The campfire surely would've highlighted us in the darkness, how she trailed her hand to my neck and pulled me down, causing me to crane my neck towards her… she didn't kiss me, but the lack of distance between our lips was annoying and dizzying, and I wanted a taste… just a taste… so I gave into my temptations. Like I said, the campfire would've highlighted us, but the sea of people surrounding us prevented the illumination. I had no doubt in my mind that Sokka and Suki were either among us and doing the same exact thing or were already back home and were way ahead of us.

I had wanted a taste. Just a taste. But it wasn't enough. As soon as our lips connected, I felt a spark light within my stomach, roasting my heart until only embers remained, and I wanted more. Sighing into the kiss, I darted my tongue out and Katara opened her mouth to meet my tongue with her own, both of us moaning into each other's mouths as her grip on my neck tightened and my hand trailed up from her soft stomach to her face as I pulled her closer to me, roughly. She groaned as she turned around in my embrace and wrapped her arms around my neck – my own came around her waist and tugged her even closer. Without wasting another moment, she stood on her tip toes and attached her lips to my own again, and I felt all the tension brewing within me through the past few years flowing away along with the breeze. Her tongue, her taste, her warmth… it was the steady stream crashing against the stems off weed that had bundled up against my insides; polluting them, thus freeing me from my demons and cleansing my soul, allowing the energy within me to flow without restriction.

She was a substance… a medication… an entity like no other. And I was drowning in her. I wanted to drown in her. I could no longer deny the fact that she is all I've ever wanted. Since I woke up in her arms, everything I did, all my actions… everything, it was for her. I wanted to rid the world of war for her. I wanted to resolve all disputes for her. I wanted to bleed her out of my heart for her… so I could continue being her friend, continue being happy for her without feeling an ache, a resentment in my heart. Everything… every single fucking thing I've done… I've done for her. And I cannot deny it.

I cannot deny how good it feels to have her tongue wrapped around mine. How warm I feel to have her arms, her body, pressing against mine. How enticing it is to take her right then and there when she moans and groans into my mouth. Those oh so delicious sounds… they'll be the death of me. She'll be the death of me. And I'll welcome it with open arms.

We pulled away. I was annoyed by the fact I needed air to live as I wanted to continue kissing her without breaking apart. And by the way her eyes gazed into mine; half lidded, a seductive smile tugging at her lips: all were indications of the fact she was following my train of thought. I smiled as I closed my eyes and leaned in for another tasting. She, however, used that moment to slip out of my grasp. When I opened my eyes, I saw her exiting the dance floor, shuffling through the flock of red, blue, yellow, green and brown as I trailed behind her. She giggled as she ran towards the table holstering drinks and swiped a bottle. I watched her as she turned around and wiggled her finger, gesturing me to follow her while biting her lip before she ran off again, giggling as I trailed behind her.

And that's how we ended up in some random, newly developed and constructed motel. In a fairly decent sized and well decorated room, with various candles as the only sources of lighting, incense sticks supplying the aroma, and furry quilts supplying extra warmth. We sat on the bed, sharing the drink she'd swept from the table as we laughed and talked about the past – occasionally sharing chaste kisses as well. We had just finished laughing at my memory of being shot into the sky when I told Toph that 'love was blind' – the air around us suddenly became serious.

"Love can be blind, you know," Katara stated, her eyes and expression slightly saddened as she regarded me through the corner of her gaze. She chuckled in what seemed to be self-pity as she spoke, "Or, more like one can be blind to love until its too late…" she hesitated for a moment before meeting my gaze, "at least, in my case."

I didn't really know how to respond. On one end of the spectrum, the old me would've been outraged by her comment, and would've chided her for bringing up a sensitive topic he'd rather leave unsettled. However, the part of me that wanted to change, desired to open up, ached for a resolution… was somewhat stronger… and maybe under normal circumstances it wouldn't be sensible to have this talk while we were both drunk, but I opted to have it now because were drunk; we'd adhere to our heart first, thus resorting to being completely honest and open rather than mindful and reserved.

"Okay, let's do this now," I sat up from my lying position and shuffled into a cross-legged lotus position. She sat up and copied my actions.

"What? Do what now?" Katara asked.

"Remember how I promised you I'd hear your side of the story and let you explain everything when I was ready," I held out my hands as if saying 'tadaaa!' as I continued. "Well, I'm ready. So, let's do this."

"You… you sure?" She hesitated, "We're both drunk, Aang. Shouldn't we talk when we can think clearly?"

"On the contrary," I held up a finger as if trying to argue a critical point, "I believe that now is the perfect time; we're both drunk, so we won't overthink things and we'll be completely honest with each other."

"Okay," she beamed, "that's good enough for me." Katara sat up straight and set the half full bottle down as she asked, "So, where should I begin?"

My eyebrow quirked up by its own volition in mirth, "The beginning maybe?"

"Oh, right… the beginning. Well," she clasped her hands together as she began, "when I first found you, I instantly knew there was something special about you and that we shared a connection. Through our travels, that idea only strengthened in my mind, and I began seeing you in a different light. It was precisely… ummm… if I remember correctly," she tapped her finger against her chin in thought, "it was when we saved Aunt Wu's village from that volcano that I started seeing you differently. By the time we reached the Fire Nation, I knew we shared a deep connection; when I lost you in Ba Sing Se, I literally felt my heart shatter, but our bond strengthened when you came back to me a few weeks after."

I nodded as I mulled it all over, "Okay, so far it sounds just like I remember it… or like I thought it went. So, when did it go wrong?"

"Well, nothing went wrong per say," she frowned in thought as she glanced away, "I remember only seeing you as my best friend… until you kissed me on the submarine."

"Oh."

"Yeah… it wasn't that I didn't like it or anything," she hastily added once her blue orbs had discovered my frown, "I just… that was when things started becoming unclear to me."

"How do you mean?"

"I – can you please let me finish?" She asked as she pouted and crossed her arms against her chest in an almost childlike manner – maybe it was the booze.

I rubbed my neck while offering her a goofy embarrassed smile, "Oh… sorry." I think the booze was calming us down to the point where we were practically acting like children – I didn't mind it though.

"Its okay. But, to answer your question, I guess my mind was clouded with doubt; like I knew I liked you, I knew that I didn't just see you as a friend anymore… you were something more… but I didn't know if I wanted that. Or… at the time, I didn't know if it was good for us… or whether I even felt it as deep as you did." Katara took a moment to inhale, cutting her rambling off herself as she took a swig of the booze before offering it to me. I held the neck of the bottle and attached it to my lips as I downed a few sips while she elaborated. "And when Zuko came around and proved himself… that's when things became really fuzzy. I admit now, that, looking back at it, I was being an idiot. Like, I knew I liked you… but I also knew that you loved me. And I didn't think I felt that way at the time… actually, when Zuko came around, I even questioned exactly how much I liked you and started doubting everything; thinking that I only saw you as friend again, simply because he was…" she groaned in frustration before continuing, "he was a… little attractive, and I was still confused on how I felt about you. If I'm rambling and not making any sense, what I'm basically saying is that I thought that I may have liked you, but I didn't want to pursue a relationship with you while knowing that you already loved me when I myself wasn't even fully aware of how deep my feelings for you really were."

I took a moment to absorb it all, the booze, and her explanation. If it were the old me, that would've been a deadly combination, but it seemed that the serene atmosphere and her chaste kisses, her warmth… they had melted the hardness I forced upon myself.

"So, you basically didn't know how you felt about me… and you knew how I felt… so instead of leading me on further… you decided to pursue the boy you were attracted to?" I scratched my smooth scalp in thought as I chuckled. "I'm confused. Can you explain further?"

She too chuckled at my goofy smile and asked for the booze again. After downing a few sips, she elaborated again, "Okay. After Zuko helped me track down my mother's killer, I felt closer to him. I felt like he saw both my sides, the hopeful and the traumatised girl… and I felt I could relate to him more so because of our past familial experiences. He lost is mother too, and when we reached Ember Island, we just got to talking more and became closer. That entire time, I tried to force myself to forget about you because I knew I'd feel guilty. But… I also knew that I couldn't allow myself to pursue a relationship with you if you were already at a hundred percent sure about me while I was barely above twenty-five. Plus, the hormonal idiot in me saw an attractive, older, brooding boy and… well, I guess I just latched onto the next best thing I could find."

"Okay, I think I'm getting it now," I nodded in thought, feeling giddy inside as she basically said that even back then she preferred me over Zuko because he was the 'next best thing'. "So, you didn't think it would be fair of you to be with me if you weren't sure of your feelings while I was already in love, all the while you were growing closer to Zuko. To you, it would've felt like you were being unfair or were betraying me by being with me since you knew how much I cared while being unsure of how much you cared. Is that it?" I asked, raising my eyebrow goofily.

"Precisely," she smiled, and laughed when I fisted the air like an ecstatic kid who got his first question right in class. "Jeez, I ought to get you drunk more often, you only become more fun to be around," commented Katara, laughing as I did a little dance of celebration.

"We're literally discussing the origins of my heart getting broken and I'm laughing and dancing about it," I suddenly stopped and turned to her, horrified. "Am I a complete weirdo?"

She laughed again, "Definitely. But – ", suddenly, she pushed me down on the bed and straddled me, grinning while I smiled up at her. "I like this weirdo."

Just as quickly as she had leaned down to kiss me, I had flipped our position and pressed myself closer to her, kissing her senseless as her hands roamed around my back. I was drowning in her moans and soft gasps once again – her whimpers when I sucked on her bottom lip only enticed me further. But our talk wasn't yet over. I recognised this and pulled away, thus causing her to pout playfully as she gazed into my darkened irises.

"What happened after that?" I asked softly, trailing my fingers across her cheek to push back the strands of chocolate hair hiding her eyes.

"After that," she sighed as her expression grew somewhat dejected. Her hands held onto my shoulders while she answered, "I thought I could forget about you and whatever I felt for you would fade by moving to the Fire Nation. I knew you loved me, and I knew how much it would hurt you to see me after I'd broken your heart. You being all nice and understanding was making me feel even more guilty though, so I guess my reasoning was somewhat selfish as well."

"And?" I pried further, caressing her flushed cheeks as I asked, "What went wrong?"

"Everything," Katara exhaled heavily. "At first our relationship was fine. I was content. But soon, the cracks began to show. Differences in opinion caused us to fight and argue more often. I'd want to resolve these issues, but one of us would always get sick of arguing and just resort to having sex. And in doing so, many things remained unresolved and unsaid."

"Plus, you were probably frustrated by the one-minute sessions," I joked, thus causing Katara to laugh as she slapped my shoulder playfully.

"A-Aang," she laughed, "this is serious."

"Sorry, please continue," I bowed my head playfully, and she leaned up to peck the arrow on my forehead before continuing.

"Anyways… yeah. Things just ended up getting worse. It wasn't that Zuko treated me badly… we'd argue and fight, sure. But he'd never hurt me. Not physically at least. That all changed when I found the letters he wrote to Mai. He never sent them, but I wished he had, so I wouldn't have to read how much he missed her, and how much he regretted jumping into a relationship with me, and how he wished he could have her back."

"And then he cheated on you?"

"Yeah," she sighed, now completely dejected. I hated seeing her like this, so I leaned down and kissed her softly but passionately, moving my lips slowly against hers as she kissed me back with the same energy. "Its okay," I whispered against her lips. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"No," she stated firmly, trailing her hands up to wrap around my neck as I leaned down further and dug my face into the nape of her neck. I breathed in her sent and she sighed in content as she relaxed in our embrace. To make her more comfortable, I rolled onto my side and held her close, allowing her to hold me close as well as she spoke softly. "It was during the four-year anniversary of the end of the war… a couple days after we arrived, I had decided to go on a girl's night out with Toph and Suki. We got a little too drunk and I had to crash with Suki. I believe you and Sokka were already asleep on the couch by the time we arrived. Anyways, the next morning, when I arrived back at the quarters the Earth King had provided Zuko and I, I ran into a servant who said they were receiving noise complaints. Apparently, 'Zuko and I were being too loud with our relations last night.' I was obviously furious, and I entered the room ready to rip his head off. But, when I did, I found him naked with a few sheets covering him. I searched the room for another body, but I found none. What I did find, however, was… I f-found a throwing knife… with M-Mai's family insignia."

I pulled back and gazed into her eyes as her lips began quivering slightly. "I was mad at Zuko the entire week, and I confronted him at the party. It was bad timing… but something held me back from doing it earlier. Maybe it was because I somewhat felt like a hypocrite because I had tried to kiss you a couple times before that, even though what he did was much, much worse. Still, I learned during our argument that he had approached Mai again before the party and that she had… said some things to him. He looked broken, his eyes… they seemed empty… almost just as empty as mine were when you said you hated me."

I internally cringed, knowing full well that I only said it to make her hate me because it wasn't true in the slightest.

"That's why it hurt so much when you said what you said… because during our argument, Zuko told me that you probably hated me for what I did to you. That... you forgiving me was just a façade, so that I wouldn't feel bad. That in reality, you resented me. So, when you actually said it, it took an entire night of crying and reminiscing on every smile, every time you made me laugh to convince myself that you were lying to protect yourself."

"I'm sorry," I stated, my voice low and raspy from the booze. "I didn't mean it. I didn't mean any of the things I said that night. I was just upset, and I was purposefully trying to hurt you because I knew how broken I was and how hurt you were and that if you tried helping me or being with me, I'd only hurt you more, so I tried pushing you away and I just… I hate myself for it and –"

She placed a finger on my lips, thus stopping me from rambling further. Katara glanced at me through half lidded eyes and with a sad smile as she whispered, "I know, Aang. Trust me, I understand. And I forgive you."

"Why? How?" I asked, baffled.

"You really want to know?" She asked, biting her lip, and I nodded goofily like a child. Suddenly, the depressing atmosphere was once again replaced by a refreshing breath of playfulness. "You sure you won't yell at me or laugh at me or tell me you hate me?" She joked.

I chuckled at her before pointing towards the arrow on my forehead, "Avatar Promise."

She giggled at my goofiness as she whispered, "Because I love you."

I grinned at her as I leaned down and kissed her soundly again, the booze preventing me from thinking twice about my actions, further enticing me to just do what I wanted and ask questions after.

"And what led to that?" I asked against her soft velvet lips.

"What?" she muttered.

"What led to you loving me? What made you realise it?"

"Everything…" she sighed as I pulled away, probably missing the feel of my lips as I knew I missed hers the moment I detached from them. "Everything after the war… everything that happened, or more or less didn't happen, helped me realise that I loved you. That I always loved you, even before, and that I was just overthinking and creating unnecessary doubt within my mind, all because I was afraid that… that you'd always love me more than I loved you. And I hated thinking like that… I thought – I knew you deserve better than me. I still do. But I'm… ugh… I guess I'm selfish; coming back to you, telling you that I love you… I just couldn't live without you, Aang. So, I selfishly came running back to you, despite knowing that you're better off without me."

"That's exactly how I felt a month ago in Ba Sing Se, when I said all those hurtful things… I knew you'd be better off without me."

"Well, you're wrong. I'm not. In fact, I only feel whole… I feel complete when I'm with you," she whispered, cupping my face with her palm, and gazing calmly into my eyes as she spoke. "With Zuko, even in the beginning, I only ever felt content. But whenever I'm with you… Its more that that. I feel… I feel happy. Ecstatic. With you, Aang, I find myself wondering what next adventure awaits us. I feel excited. And even when there's nothing to do, if we're just talking, like we are now… I feel calm, satisfied, and just as happy."

"How do you know?" I asked, resting my forehead against hers.

"Its quite simple actually," she grinned when I raised an eyebrow in interest, "you make me laugh."

"What?" I chuckled, and she reciprocated.

"You make me laugh, Aang." She ran her hand up and down my cheek softly, soothingly – I closed my eyes to completely lose myself to the calming sensation. "You make me smile, and cry, and laugh in ways no one ever has. You make me feel giddy inside. Plus," I detected a bit of flirt in her soft whispers now, "the six-pack abs, broad shoulders, firm chest, strong legs and arms, and back muscles don't hurt." I opened my eyes, grinning with mirth, matching her own as her fingers now glided across my sharp jawline. "You're quite handsome as well; definitely easy on the eyes. Imagine my surprise when I see just how much you changed for the first time a few years after the war. Imagine how I felt when I saw this tall, sexy Aang instead of the short and skinny Aang I used to know."

"So, you were jealous…" it was more of a statement than a question, and basically had nothing to do with what we were talking about, but she knew what I was indicating to, she tried feigning ignorance regardless.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"In the Fire Nation, when you asked me about Ty Lee and I… you were jealous," I smiled when she sighed in defeat, darting her eyes away as she answered.

"Fine. Yes, I was jealous, okay. Happy?"

"Does it bother you?" I asked, going back into serious mode – I'll just blame it on the booze… again.

"Does what bother me?" She was meeting my gaze now, intrigued.

"That I slept with Ty Lee? That I dated Jin?" I didn't mention Toph purposefully, probably because I genuinely can't predict how she'll react to the news that I slept with one of her best friends. And I didn't want to ruin the mood by making her mad.

"Does it bother you that I dated and slept with Zuko?" She countered.

I simply shook my head, zero reluctance. "No."

"It doesn't bother me either, Aang." She stated, sadly smiling at me while caressing the tattoo on my forehead. "I understand, from what you've told me, that you were basically just trying to forget about me. I'm fine with it because, it was practically what I was doing with Zuko too."

I thought about it for a second and decided not to mention the event… but it slipped anyways… again, I blame the booze. "And you're not mad that I slept with Toph?"

"No, I'm not – wait… what?! You slept with Toph?!"

I flinched, thinking she was going to hit me as I nodded sheepishly.

"When?!"

"In the Fire Nation."

"You… you – you slept with my best friend?!" Again, I nodded. Hesitantly, I allowed one eye to flutter open slowly, watching as the frown on her face slowly turned into a cheeky grin. "I was right; you really are a slut."

"Hey!"

"What? Am I wrong?"

"I was, Katara. Was. I'm not anymore," I protested, pouting childishly as she giggled in response. "I've been a good boy. And I wasn't a 'slut'. I believe that the appropriate term is… 'fuckboy'?"

She shrugged as she smiled, "Same concept." Then she remained silent. I waited for her to say something, but from the look in her eye, I got the feeling that she was waiting for me to elaborate on something.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Well?" She asked, raising her eyebrow as she smiled shyly.

"Well, what?"

"How was it?"

"How was what?"

"The sex."

"With Toph?" I asked, baffled when she nodded and giggled at my shocked expression. "Why on earth would you want to know how my experience having sex with your best friend was like?"

She shrugged sheepishly again, "What? I'm just curious."

I smirked, "Right. And you're not at all jealous?"

"Nope, not at all," she laughed, and so did I.

"It was… rough. Like the roughest I've ever had."

"No surprise there."

"But… oddly satisfying if I'm honest."

There was a beat of silence that enveloped us, one which we spent gazing into the other's eyes. That is until she spoke up.

"Well, I've told you how I feel," she stated, leaning in closer as she rested her head against my chest before asking, "Tell me how you feel. What are your thoughts regarding… 'us'?"

"I want to be with you," I answered immediately, no hesitation, no regrets. "I've wanted you ever since I woke up in your arms." I brought her face up – levelled with mine, I leaned in and pressed my forehead against hers, my eyes boring into her oceanlike depths. "I crushed on your beauty. I admired your persistence. I idolised your determination. And I fell in love with your compassion." The pads of my thumbs brushed away the few tears that had escaped her eyes as she sniffed, her bottom lip trembling while I did so. "I was upset when you chose him. I was heartbroken… you broke my heart, Katara."

She closed her eyes, trying to deny the moisture escaping her eyes to no avail while she cupped my face in both her hands. "I know. And I'm so, so s-sorry. It kills m-me to know I'm responsible for y-your t-t-tears."

"I know," I cooed softly, kissing her cheeks where her tears pooled beside the pillow as I continued. "And I forgive you."

"How can you?" She asked brokenly, "after all the things I put you through? All the unnecessary pain I caused… how could you just… let it go, like that?"

"How could you forgive me immediately after all the hurtful things I said that night?" I asked her rhetorically, smiling as I finally stated out loud what I had been denying for multiple years. "Because… I love you, Katara." She chuckled as more tears fell, her eyes finally meeting mine again as they shone brightly, glimmering through the moisture in her eyes. "I've spent almost half my life denying it… but I can't lie to myself anymore, or to you… I love you, Katara." I kissed her forehead, "I love you."

Laughing gleefully, Katara beamed at me as she gripped onto the back of my head and pulled me to her lips. We kissed passionately, the salt contained in our tears was mixed into the kiss, but neither of us cared. We'd finally admitted to each other what we had been denying out of fear and selfishness for countless years. And now… we were together. Complete.

"You don't know how long I've waited to hear you say that," Katara whispered above my lips, her hot breath landing on my face, and her body cascaded me with her warmth as I pulled her closer by tugging at her waist.

A smile formed on my lips as I answered before kissing her again, "I think I have an idea."

She sighed into the kiss, her hands gripping onto the back of my head to pull me closer and closer. I groaned as she squirmed to entangle our legs; her thigh brushed against my erection, and I wanted more. However, in that exact moment, another thought entered my mind and I had to pull away to clear the doubt. During these past few months, Katara has been able to restore my soul and sense of self faster and more effectively than anyone else before, even me. I know I need her just as much as she needs me. I know I love her. But I need to make sure I'm not making a mistake by giving her another chance. I need to know that she knows what all this means. There could be no room for doubts or regrets, not this time.

"How do I know you won't leave me for someone else again?" I asked, breathing deeply against her lips as her eyes bore into mine, half-lidded blue irises enticing me further, but I remained vigilant. "How do I know history won't repeat itself?"

"You don't," she answered, cupping my cheek again as she sighed against my moist lips, "no one can guarantee everything; I can't promise you that we'll always be together just like I can't guarantee that you won't leave me for someone else. That's the risk we take, Aang… when we choose to love each other." I nod in agreement, but she wasn't done. "What I can promise you. however, is that I will never leave you again. It doesn't matter whether we're together or not. Whenever you need me; a friend to talk to, a lover to hold you, a confidant to trust… I'll be there. I promise."

"And how can you promise that?"

"Because I know what life without you is like," she answered, softly leaning up to kiss my forehead as she murmured against the tattoo, "and I don't ever want to live a life like that again."

"Me neither," I replied before hastily leaning in and taking her lips, straddling her as I kissed her with vigour.

She moaned into my mouth when our tongues met and began tearing my robes from my chest. This time, we had no reservations. Once my robes were discarded, I broke the kiss to remove her top. She sat up and lifted her arms, thus allowing me to remove her sleeveless top before she wrapped her arms around my torso while I pushed her back down, kissing her senseless as my hands explored the newly revealed soft, tan skin. I battled with her tongue while my hands ran down her sides, caressing her midriff before one of them cupped her left breast through her white wrappings and kneaded it. She groaned into the kiss, and I pulled away, kissing my way down her salty yet sweet neck, sucking and biting on certain soft spots as she squirmed beneath me.

"Mhmmm… that feels good, Aang," she gasps when I lick across her collarbone as I firebend her bindings open without burning her and grasped both her breasts roughly. "That's a neat trick," her giggles transformed into low moans when I pawed at her breasts with greed, practically squeezing the life out of her tits while rolling my thumbs around her dark pink peaks. "Oh fuck… Aang… more. I want more."

"What do you want, Katara?" I felt her shiver as my hot breath landed on the recently abused skin of her collarbone.

"I want you to suck on my tits… Ohh fuck… and I want you to touch m-" I didn't allow her to finish her sentence as I licked around her right nipple, my tongue teasingly avoiding the peak as she groaned in annoyance. At the same time however, my other hand trailed down her midriff until I stopped by her lower bindings. I teasingly ran my tongue over her dark pink areola before engulfing her breast entirely, sucking and biting on her nipple while I moaned as I felt how soaked her lower bindings already were. "Spirits Aang… so good. More. More. Please. I've waited so long for you to fuck me."

"Patience, my love," I cooed, detaching myself from her nipple so I could treat its twin with the same love. "Let's just enjoy ourselves, there's no need to rush this."

I latched onto her left nipple, and just as she was about to protest, I used my free hand to pinch the nipple I had previously sucked on. She arched her back while only caused her boob to be shoved further into my mouth – the sensation of the soft skin grazing against my own only further delighted me. Every mewl and whimper erupting from her mouth was etched into my brain. Her delicious moans when I latched onto her nipple and drew from the tip, letting it go with a 'plop' sound, only further hardened my erection. I was drowning in her, and I for the first time in a while, welcomed the abyss. I couldn't deny it… deny my need for her when it felt this good.

"You're so wet, Katara…" she squealed in surprise when I greedily ripped open her lower bindings – her cry of surprise transformed into a moan when I traced her lower lips slowly. Using my firebending, I warmed my fingers and penetrated her sex, slowly entering her while I kissed my way down her body, my lips and tongue reaching every nook and cranny of her soft, pliant body.

"Ohhhh my spirits! Aang!" She moaned as I quickened my pace slightly, my hot, long fingers seemed to be driving her crazy. However, her sounds and the way she squirmed beneath me was inflating my ego to the point where I demanded more. I needed more. So, I removed my fingers.

"No! Why'd you stop? I nee – ", A tortured cry of pure pleasure erupted from deep within her when my tongue run up her lips before attacking her clit ferociously, lashing it with my flexible tongue. "Mhmmmm… good boy," she mewled and gripped onto the back of my head while her thighs enclosed around my head. I thrusted my tongue within her entrance, tasting her juices and moaning as I did so. She tasted exquisite. I couldn't believe I had denied myself this for months.

"You taste delicious Katara," my admission caused her to whimper and probably turned her on even more so as I soon found myself being dragged up her body into a searing kiss. As she kissed me senseless, she literally kicked off my trousers and my underwear before wrapping her legs around me. We were both now completely bare against each other, and as I kissed her back, she bucked her hips against mine, thus causing us to moan into the heated kiss as my fully erected dick brushed against her wet pussy.

"Get inside me, Aang," Katara ordered as she pulled away from the kiss and lined me up with her womanhood. "Take me. I can't wait a second longer. Take me now and take me good."

I smirked as I answered her, "As you wish princess."

She gasped silently and sharply while I groaned loudly as I completely sheathed myself inside her. I thought that she would need a moment to get used to me, but it seemed that her lust was burning far to brightly to be tampered with; she bucked her hips forward, an indication for me to begin moving within her, which I gladly did. I pulled away until only my tip was inside her, she whimpered at the loss and soon groaned when I thrusted back in, slowly yet hard.

"Fuck. You're so big," she mewled, rocking against me as I continued to thrust into her. My lips found her salty throat, and her moans only got louder when I revisited the soft spots I had discovered earlier. I was sucking and biting on her neck so hard that hickeys were sure to make their presence known, though, neither of us cared in that moment. All we felt was pure pleasure from entwining in the most intimate way possible, and we wanted more.

"You feel so fucking good, Katara," I sighed against her neck as I rolled to my side, thus changing our position. I desired to feel more of her, so in this new position, I gripped onto her plump ass cheek and squeeze and massaged the muscle, thus causing her to moan louder in response.

"Aang! That feels so good. I want more! More Aang! Faster!"

I growled at the desperate need laced within her voice as I slapped her ass cheek while quickening my thrusts, driving into her with more force and more frequently as I used my free hand to massage her left tit.

"Oh! Again! Do that again!" She pleaded, so I obliged. This time, I spanked her a little harder and it only seemed to arouse her further. "Fuck! Again! Spank me again!" I groaned again as I slapped her at the same time I thrusted into her, thus causing her to arch her back like a bow. In that position, when she arched, her tits were practically shoved into my face. So, naturally, I took full advantage and latched onto them greedily, rolling my tongue across her nipples and kissing down the valley between her breasts while she mewled in pure ecstasy. "Yes! Yes! Again! Spank me harder!"

"You like that?" I asked, getting more aroused the more she mewled and moaned into my ear as I spanked her harder.

"Yes! I love it!" She moaned, now bouncing on my dick while I thrusted into her, thus allowing me to reach the deepest nook and cranny of her deliciously, wet and tight cavern.

"How much do you love it?" I spanked her again, but this time I rolled her on top of me so I could watch her in all her glory.

"I love it so much, Aang!" I watched as she sat up and bounced on my dick, taking me in even deeper inside her, the both of us moaning even louder now. The way her chocolate hair cascaded down her chest, the way her breasts bounced up and down above me, the way her mouth hung open after every thrust, and the shear ecstasy behind the noises that left her mouth had me in euphoria, and I could tell she clearly felt the same.

"You look so sexy, Katara. Bouncing on my dick like that," Unable to stay away when she whimpered at my admiration and admission, I hastily sat up and melded my lips to hers, allowing her tongue to enter mouth so I could trap it and suck on it selfishly. Taking in her taste, we both moaned in pleasure when I framed her hips with my hands and thrusted up into her, now reaching even deeper within her sex.

"I love you, Aang," she cooed when I released her mouth and began kissing down her neck, gasping as our synchronised pace quickened even more so. "Love you so much…" Gripping onto her ass, I dragged her back down into my thrusts whenever she got too far, thus causing her to squeal and groan in appreciation and pleasure. Soon after, I sensed my end approaching, so I latched onto her right nipple once again and began sucking on the peak, devouring it completely and drawing it from my mouth till she mewled in pleasure. "I'm so close."

"Me too," I responded hoarsely, panting against her chest as I cooed, "Come for me Katara. Let go. Become undone."

"Ohhhhh…. Yes!" Katara immediately climaxed when I pressed onto her clit with my thrusts. She sighed deeply and continued bouncing while I clutched onto her tighter. As I felt her hot, exquisite juices drenching my dick, I became just as close to losing myself within her. She continued riding her orgasm, but I didn't slow down my pace at all, in fact, I sped up even more so I could reach the end I so desperately desired. "Come in me, Aang. Let me have it. I want to feel you lose yourself inside me." Stated Katara as she cupped my face and dragged me up to meet her lips. I moaned into her mouth as I came, showering her pussy with my cum as she too moaned alongside me. "Ohhhh... It feels so good when you come inside me. I feel so full."

"Katara… I love you."

We continued to rock against each other, both of us riding out our orgasms until we fell onto the bed. Katara rested atop me as we panted, trying to regain our breaths while coming down from our high. Being an airbender, I was able to stabilise myself before her and I began trailing my fingers in her hair after I bended our mixed juices outside of her and evaporated it using firebending. I began smoothing out the knots and curls of her hair as she sighed atop me, drawing small circles on my chest.

"I hope this doesn't kill the mood or anything… but you're so much better at this than Zuko. That was the best sex I've ever had," stated Katara, which caused me to grin and chuckle in response.

If she was trying to inflate my ego, she was doing a fine job, which was odd since I was supposed to be a monk.

"Oh, I know," I teased, earning a playful slap on my shoulder from her as I chucked and kissed her sweetly. "I'm kidding. You were amazing too, Katara." I kissed her forehead as I rolled us onto our sides and held her lazily, "You were the best."

"Oh, I bet," she teased back, chuckling alongside me as she leaned up for another sweet and soft kiss. "I think it's because it was with you… like, that's why it felt so good. I don't know, is that weird?"

"Not at all, I feel the same. It probably felt better because we love each other and weren't just doing it for momentary relief. We were making love, if you will."

"How is it that you always know exactly what to say to make my heart melt?" Katara asked rhetorically, to which I just shrugged to in response. Smiling sweetly, she pecked me on the lips as she cooed, "I love you, Aang."

"I love you too, Katara," I replied, smiling sleepily as she leaned into my chest and sighed. Soon, the booze heightened our exhaustion and in no time, we were sound asleep, entangled in each other.

However, right before I fell asleep, I knew I still had one job to do. And I was determined to finish it.

---

XOXOXOXOXOX

---

"This is no victory. Just a momentary calm before the storm."

"You're wrong. You were always wrong. I'm not the monster. You are," sitting in my lotus position, I lifted my head to meet the clown's eyes, except now his warpaint had faded. I could see the grey within his dark eyes, I could see the ruggedness of his lips clearly, and I could see the scars on his face, scattered everywhere, random, unpredictable. Just like him.

"You think you know me, Aang?"

I shook my head, "No, I don't know you, Aang. I don't know what led you to become what you are now, and I'm not going to pretend to know. But you should stop acting like you know me."

"I do know you… I've watched your rise, and your fall. I've seen what you've become. I recognise what you can become. I – "

"But you don't know what I will be," I cut him off, conviction and determination laced in my voice. "You don't know the kind of man I'll grow up to be. You don't know of the future. None of us do. Not the living anyways. And none of us can control what happens next… whatever's predetermined will simply be. However, what I can change is myself. My actions. My thoughts. They're mine to meld however I desire. And despite the uncertainty looming over me, there's one thing I know to be an absolute fact…" I narrowed my eyes as I regarded the older-evil me, my resolve unwavering. "I do not want to become you. And I will do everything in my power to prevent such an outcome. And spirits forbid that I do become you, I know that my friends will be there for me, ready to pull me back into their embrace and away from your clutches."

"Once you become me, your friends won't be able to help you. No one will."

"You're only saying that because you're alone… because you're afraid."

"You can't know that for a fact."

"And neither can you. Despite what you believe, you're not above the spirits. You may be the Avatar, and you may be more powerful than me, but you're not invincible. You're not unstoppable."

"What, are you gonna stop me?"

He chuckled in amusement, but I remained sombre, "If I have to."

"You won't be able to."

"Maybe not alone. But I have something you don't…"

"And what's that?"

Here we go, I'm channelling my inner Vin Diesel….

"I have my friends… my family."

He snickered in disbelief.

"You don't actually believe your pathetic friends will be able to make a difference, do you?"

"I do," I nodded, smirking as I did so. "And I can tell you do as well. Why else would you want to separate me from them? All these mind games you've been playing; showing me images of me killing them, images of them betraying me… you wanted to drive me away from them by playing to my fears. Because, if I'm estranged from them… then whatever happened to you, it'll also happen to me. But…" I challenged him as I met his gaze, still unwavering. "None of that's possible if I'm not alone, is it?"

He didn't answer for a while. He just sat there, the mist mystifying his expression slightly. Until he smiled and began clapping slowly.

"Well played, Aang. Well played. I truly thought that I could convert you… but it seems that Roku anticipated my manoeuvre. Anyways, it doesn't matter," he sat up from his lotus position, airbending himself to his feet as he spoke, slowly fading into the mist as he backed up. "You may have won the battle, Aang. But the war is far from over." He smiled at me again, the various scars on his face contorting in ways that made me cringe, but I didn't show it. "I'll see you soon."

---

XOXOXOXOXOX

---

"So, basically, what you're tryna say is… an evil you, from a different reality, a completely different world, with his own life, has been haunting your nightmares and influencing you to become more like him for the past month or so? That about cover it?" Katara asked, completely baffled by the information I had swept upon her.

I didn't want to initially, but I took Suki's words to heart and realised that if I wanted Katara and I's relationship to strengthen and blossom, then I needed to trust that she could deal with and persevere through the craziness that comes with dating the Avatar. So, when we both woke up the next morning, limbs still entangled and bodies melded together, I confessed everything. The alternate realities, Roku's warning, the nightmares, and the evil-me. So far, despite being shocked, she seemed to be taking it well; her heartbeat was steady, and she wasn't shaking or quivering in fear or worry yet.

"Yep, that about covers it," I answered her question nonchalantly.

Instead of doing what I estimated she would've, which was either running away, inquiring further, or scolding me for not telling someone soon, she cupped my face and reassured me. "I really wish that you had at least told either Suki, Sokka or I sooner but… just know that what I said before still stands true; you're not a monster, Aang. You're the farthest from it. You're the sunrise that shines a bright dawn upon the darkness. You're the soothing breeze that personifies the serene evening. And you're the night sky that allows the universe to shine through you." Tears well up in my eyes at her touching, heartfelt words – she brushes away the few that escape my hold. "You're not like him. You're the man I love. You're everything everyone aspires to be, Aang."

I worshiped her lips when I leaned forward and kissed her sweetly, trying to convey exactly how much I love her, and exactly why I can't stop loving her as she kissed me back, humming against my lips while craning her head to deepen it. Similar to how she had explained it last night, I felt complete with her. I felt at peace. Like no matter what happened from that point on, I knew I'd be fine in the end because I'd have her by my side. She wouldn't leave me, and as I tasted her tongue, I vowed to myself that no matter the circumstances, I'd never leave her.

"I love you Katara," I muttered against her lips, running my fingers through her hair as she sighed into the kiss.

"I love you too Aang." She pulled away, and though the moment was peaceful, I could see that there was something lingering within her eyes.

"Something on your mind?" I asked.

"Ummm, its really not that important," she tried to dodge, but I could tell that her curiosity hadn't been satiated. I grinned at her knowingly, and when she caught my change in expression, she groaned in defeat before peeking at me shyly. "Promise me you won't get mad."

"Katara," I sighed as I leaned down and kissed her neck, biting certain spots which made her softly gasp. "I'm done being mad at you. From now on, I only want to love you." After teasing her neck for a while as I produced more hickeys which Sokka would not be happy about, I leaned back up to meet her curious and careful gaze. "Tell me. What's troubling you?"

"Well, nothing's troubling me," she bit her lip, gazing at me cautiously as I nodded, encouraging her to continue. "I'm just curious about a scroll I found on your bed on one of the nights you were having those nightmares."

"Oh," I asked in surprise. "Why'd you think I'd get mad at you for that?"

"I don't know… I was afraid you'd think it was an invasion of your privacy, which it kinda was and – "

I kissed her to cut off the beginning of her rambling, but I think I pulled away too quickly for her liking as she groaned in annoyance when I detached from her. "Katara, its fine. I don't mind. I was going to tell you about it anyways."

"You were?" I nodded. "Okay, so what was it?"

"It was a… ummm," I hesitated, knowing exactly what I had written on it – I didn't want to reveal it to her in that instance as I feared it would be too soon. I hoped that once our relationship grew stronger, then I'd be able to reveal it to her. But I guess its inescapable now. "It was a poem I wrote."

"You wrote a poem?" She asked, surprised and intrigued. I nodded, and she smiled at me. "Can I read it?"

I winced slightly, "Its ughh… I began writing it when the war ended…" I trailed off, hating myself for ruining the mood when I caught her frowning.

"Oh… ummm, sorry I brought it up."

"No, its fine. Like I said, I was gonna show it to you soon anyways."

"Is it about me?" She reluctantly asked, and I leaned down and nuzzled her neck, nodding against it.

"It was incomplete before, but in these last few weeks, I finally found the words to complete the last stanza. And… despite its beginning, I think you'll like how it ends," I cooed, kissing her neck again as I pulled her closer.

"Can I read it?" She asked again, though, the request was rather half-hearted in the moment as she mewled right after due to my tongue licking her naked shoulder.

"Later," I muttered as I gripped her ass and grinded against her, "Let's just enjoy each other for now."

"C-Can you at least tell m-me… Oh Aang… what it's about?"

"It represents our journey," I answered, kissing down her thighs and drowning in her sighs and whimpers as I blew hot air on her moist pussy. "A rocky beginning, one laced with sadness and despair, but eventually, like I said before, everything falls into place." She saw me grinning between her legs and her half-lidded eyes gazed at me curiously. "Similar to how I know exactly what sounds will fall into place when I do this," I leapt down and penetrated her with my tongue, thus causing her to release another moan of exquisite and delicious ecstasy.

'With all this screaming and moaning, they do realise that they are in a motel, right? One that many people are residing in due to the celebrations…'

"Ahhh Aang! Right there! Don't stop!"

'Nope, I don't think they do, or if they even care.'

---

XOXOXOXOXOX

---

From my heart to yours, Katara,

I asked you a question on a warm fleeting night,

Even the sunset could see my desperation for your love seeking life,

I needed you to understand, you wouldn't hear me out,

Now I'll cut you outta' my mind, until I bleed you out.

I worried if you were okay, the moon as my witness,

You were getting busy with someone else, while I drowned in my sickness,

Your love was a poison, I hadn't figured it out,

But now I'll cut you outta' my veins, until I bleed you out.

I said I was happy for you, Spirits know I meant it,

Didn't tell you that I loved you, didn't know if you would resent it,

My acceptance made you happy, for that I was proud,

I'll just cut you outta' my heart, until I bleed you out.

Your small velvet smile, your curly chocolate strands,

Your chiming little giggles, and your cute, warm hands,

They haunt me in my sleep, and taunt me when you're around,

Now, I'll have to cut them outta' my dreams, until I bleed you out.

Your persistent, comforting nature, your radiating, honest spirit,

Your childlike mischief, your outspoken, angered lyrics,

You're insecure about your flaws, I'd rather you wear em' like a crown,

You don't need to bleed for me, but I'll have to bleed you out.

I wonder if I can, is it already too late?

Like the waves you command, am I lost in your fate?

This blood that I have spilt, in it I'll probably drown,

For how can I cut you out, when you're the only love I've ever found?

I wish I could bend it out, but your love has left me leaking,

I try to ignore the spillage, but even these girls can see I'm bleeding,

I warn them not to catch feelings, and if they do, don't show them to me,

I don't want to be reminded of what I can't have, all because you're woven to me.

But then you said you loved me, on a cold fleeting night,

Even the moon could sense your need for my love shining bright,

You needed me to understand, I wouldn't hear you out,

I was too busy spilling the love you had already bled out,

My own voice commands me, I thought it to be right,

Yet that same voice tortured me, while you held me close at night,

I realise it now, believe it's not a lie,

I'll bleed myself dry, so my love for you survives.

Your tears and my blood created our love.

---

THE END

---

Well, its been a long and bumpy ride hasn't it. I'm sorry for the long ass chapter, but I wanted to make a finale and this seemed like the best way. As you can see, this chapter isn't as angsty as the rest of the fic and that was done on purpose. I wanted the ending to be a light touch while also being emotional. Its precisely why I added more fluff - even the confession and discussion between Aang and Katara is more lighthearted. I used booze as a plot device to do that, obviously, but I hoped yall liked that. All my other heartbreak reolutions were dramatic and sometimes overdramatic, and I wanted to change it up a bit here. Hopefully, it wasn't too weird and made sense to you all. Anyways, I appreciate everyone who read and reviewed this fic. It really means a lot to me, I appreciate you all. Leave a review, let me know whether you love or hate the ending or whether it was just a meh - I'm eager to read all opinions. Anyways, stay safe yall! Soulbender out...