Katara looked disgusted from the stage to her friends. 'How can they keep watching this shit?' she asked herself. She scanned the faces in the crowd below them. All cheering and hooting as Azula's Actress declared the death of the Avatar. Katara winced and looked down at her hands. She looked over to where Aang had been sitting but discovered his spot empty. The cheering stopped as the curtain fell and the lights rose for the second intermission. Everyone filed out, while Sokka and Suki playfully argued. Zuko slumped down against the wall, Toph beside him. He noticed Katara's eyebrows creased in worry as she scanned the crowd. Before he could ask what she was looking for she piped up.
"Has anyone seen Aang?" she asked turning to the group, hopefully. Sokka broke his conversation with Suki and turned to face her, not a hint of concern on his face.
"Yeah he left to get me some candy ten minutes ago. You'd think the Avatar would know how to treat his friends," he raised his eyebrows in humour and chuckled. Katara sighed and looked around the room again.
"I'm going to go look for him outside," she said, slightly annoyed that no one else seemed as worried as she was. She wandered around, trying different doors that lead to balconies, but all were locked. She approached the last one and eased it open. She found Aang leaning over the edge of the railing, the back of his neck bright red. Lost in thought.
"Hey," she said softly, leaning over the railing next to him. When he didn't notice she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. He turned, shocked and grabbed his hat to keep it from falling off.
"Oh, hey Katara," he turned back to look at the moon, distracted once again.
"Are you OK?" she asked leaning in, if he needed comfort. He pulled back angrily.
"Why would you think I'm not OK. I'm fine. Great in fact," he pulled his hat from his head and threw it down in a huff. Surprised by his anger, she stood up straight, flushed with frustration. He turned away, and her eyes softened. She calmed herself with a deep breath and walked over to him.
"You are clearly not fine," he didn't look at her, his gaze remained laser-focused on the wood floor. "I get it. It's not easy to see yourself portrayed in a shitty play. But don't you think you're over-reacting a bit," his grey eyes turning stormy when they snapped up to meet Katara's calming blue ones. Her eyes seemed to do nothing but further anger him.
"You think I'm overreacting? I would probably be in the Avatar State right now if I hadn't blocked my chakra!" he threw his arms up and then began pacing to let out the anger pent-up inside of him. She stood back as he continued on for several minutes, ranting and pacing. Finally he returned to his original place, his anger having exhausted him. She moved back beside him and slung an arm across his shoulders. She noticed how much wider and stronger they had gotten in the past months of training, but didn't say anything.
"Katara... I-," he stuttered and met her eyes. "Do you really only think of me as a younger brother?" she felt his hand move up to reach for the one she had over his shoulder. Quickly, she pulled away and then blushed. She didn't respond and he felt his heart sink.
"It's true, isn't?" she looked up slightly, still silent. His eyes pleading with her. "Say it. I need to hear what you think," he blurted.
She met his eyes. "I don't know," he looked more hurt.
"How could you not know?" he pleaded.
"Aang," she started but he interrupted.
"No, just tell it to me straight,"
"I just don't know," she moved towards him. To touch him. Comfort him as if by instinct. He backed away almost repulsed by her small, soft hands. "We shouldn't be worrying about this right now, it's just not the right time," she looked almost equally as hurt because of his reaction to her touch.
"Then when is? We kissed at the Invasion. I wanted you to know about my feelings in case..." he didn't finish but they both knew what he meant. "But since then, you haven't brought it up. I...," he sighed. "I thought if I survived, we would be together. But we're not," he looked down and focused all of his hurt on picking up his hat.
"Aang," her saying his name normally sounded like music but tonight her voice pierced his soul like small knives. "We're in the middle of a war. We don't have time to figure this out," she said gesturing between the two of them. "I don't know and I'm sorry you're hurt, but I'm just a little confused right now," he surged towards her. Overcome by emotion, but still very much in love with her. Their lips touched briefly and Aang stopped short in his tracks, melting into the kiss. He was pushed away by Katara who looked shocked and confused. "I said I was confused and you go and kiss me? What is wrong with you?" she said angrily and started to walk back inside but stopped. "I think I've made up my mind," he looked up hopefully as she got up very close. "I will never love you. Not even in the way I do with my brother. Never," the menace dripping in her voice and written on her face. She turned, "I'm going back inside," On her way out she heard Aang softly say "I'm such an idiot," but she continued, glaring all the way back to the group and through the rest of the show.
The cool air greeted everyone as they stepped out of the theatre.
"That wasn't a good play," Zuko said flatly, exhausted from the mess they just witnessed. "Wait, has anyone seen Aang," Zuko turned fully looking for the boy.
"I think that's supposed to be Katara's line," Sokka joked, arm slung around Suki. Katara pushed forward as the rest of the group held back waiting for Aang. Judgment still clouded by her anger at Aang and the play she said, "Very funny, Sokka. I'm going home, anyone who wants to join me can come. I'm not waiting around for Aang," shocked, the group looked at one another to decide who should stay and wait, and who should leave with Katara. Finally Zuko volunteered. "I know Ember Island the best, I'll stay behind," the rest of the group left, quietly chatting about the play while following Katara's huffy pace.
Aang meandered back to the sitting area, but the audience and his friends had cleared out already. He sulked, still hearing Katara's words, 'I will never love you,' over and over in his head. He wandered trying to find his way out but stopped back at the balcony, 'What if that is the only way she thinks of me, just as a little brother,' he thought sadly. 'I forced myself onto her when she didn't want it. When she doesn't want me,' he turned looking through the clear balcony doors to the site of Katara's infamous words. "I'm such an idiot," he said aloud again, to no one but himself. He slunk down the stairs and into the main foyer of the theatre. People milled around, chatting quietly and socializing with the actors who were now out of costume. He walked outside, the fresh air slightly helpful as he continued trying to clear his mind. He noticed a lone figure on the steps. Dark hood pulled up around their head. He figured it was Zuko and went to sit beside him.
"Hey," Aang said quietly, Zuko nodded in acknowledgement. "Where is everyone else?" Aang looked around and then down towards the beach. He spotted no one. They were alone, only the quiet chatter of the theatre behind them and the sound of waves crashing on the beach.
"They left with Katara. She seemed really mad. What happened?" Zuko looked over to the younger boy who blushed slightly but kept his focus on the water in front of them. After several minutes of waiting for a response, Zuko spoke up again. "You don't have to tell me, but I would like to know why some of the two closest friends in our group are fighting," Aang looked down at his hands, gripping one another with anger and nervousness.
"Do I really come off as 'feminine' to you guys?" Aang finally asked.
"Wait, that's what's bothering you. Buddy, it's just a stupid play. It's meant to degrade us. You especially," Zuko reassured him but Aang didn't look any calmer. Aang sighed and looked from the theatre to the beach again.
"It really bothered me. What Katara's Actress said on stage," Zuko looked surprised.
"I think after you and me, they did her the most dirty," he smiled at Aang, but he was ignored.
"When the actress said she just viewed me as a younger brother, it really upset me. I-. I kinda confessed my feelings to Katara on the day of the Invasion and I kissed her," Zuko looked down at Aang. Zuko thought about congratulating him, but then frowned.
"You thought she would have the same feelings automatically, right?" Zuko asked, remembering how angry Katara had been earlier.
"Yeah, I did. I thought that if I survived the Invasion, that we would. I don't know. Be together or something. Or at least be more than we are right now," the younger boy looked up and met Zuko's eyes. "Pretty stupid of me right?" he chuckled to himself. It seemed as if hindsight had already set in.
Zuko sighed as Aang continued. "Just seeing you two together after I confessed my feelings, even on stage. I just couldn't take it. If you feel that way about her, and you guys get together, I'll be fine with it. Really," Zuko knew that was a blatant lie and recalled all the times Aang had looked at him with jealousy when he and Katara got a little too close.
"Aang, you do know I have a girlfriend, right? Well, more like had a girlfriend, but...," the boy looked up, shocked but smiling a bit. "Yeah her name is Mai. But when I left to join you guys I had to leave her behind, and technically break up with her," Zuko looked over to the beach, with the same look in his eye that Aang had moments before. Remembering his lost love.
"Mai's the emo knife-y one that's friends with Azula, right?" Aang asked, intrigued by Zuko's openness and vulnerability.
"Yeah," Zuko smiled, "We danced around each other for years when we were younger. And then I got banished. But when I came back a 'hero' for having "killed" the Avatar," Aang winced with remembrance but Zuko continued. "It all just kinda clicked. Right place, right time I guess," Aang nodded, both boys staring out at the ocean, thinking of their respective girls.
"How did you finally get it to 'click'?" Aang asked tentatively, Zuko smiled.
"It just happened. That's the thing with relationships, it's all about timing," Aang nodded and felt a chill run through him. Zuko noticed and started to get up. Other people had been walking around them for a while, but more and more started leaving as the night grew colder.
"I think it's time to go," the older boy held out a hand and helped the young Avatar up. They dusted themselves off and started the trek home in a comfortable silence. As they got close to the home Aang broke it, "What should I do," even without context Zuko understand from the pain in Aang's voice what he was talking about. "I love her so much and she rejected me tonight," Zuko looked down at the ground and then at Aang. He put a hand on his shoulder.
"I think you have a couple options. One is: you can let her go. She rejected you, it's clear she doesn't want to be with you. You have to accept that and move on," Aang nodded slightly. "Or...," Zuko stopped short in his tracks and Aang looked on hopeful. "Now I wouldn't recommend this, but you could hold onto those feelings, and wait. Just wait until the timing is right and ask her again," Aang nodded. "Again I don't recommend the second option," he said cautiously looking at the boy's hope filled expression at the suggestion. "You have to do what's right for you. We're in the middle of a war, Aang. If you do anything, at the very least wait to bring it up with her again. I saw how angry she was by the end of the play. The friendship you have is great, don't ruin it by bringing unwanted feelings into it," with that, the older boy left. Aang stayed on the steps of the house with a lot to think about.