Author's note: this takes place just a few days after the show finale. It started as a one shot mostly about Aang (along with everyone else) helping Sokka, but the opening kept growing so I went with it and made it a chapter of pure fluffy Kataang. I hope you enjoy it.
Standard disclaimers about not owning anything herein go in this spot.
It was a late summer evening as Katara made her way through the garden toward the back of the house. Those in the house were sleeping, but she hadn't been able to sleep. Well, that wasn't exactly true. She hadn't wanted to sleep, if she was honest with herself. She'd waited to have an excuse to head for her destination. In fact, she'd also bribed Momo with some fresh moonpeaches earlier in the evening, so he'd stay with her. That'd give her an additional rationalization for the late destination.
The destination was the large earthen barn constructed in the back of the Upper Ring house. The Avatar and his companions had been given the same Upper Ring house as their last visit to Ba Sing Se. Immediately upon their arrival Aang had built an oversized barn for Appa using earthbending. It was large and functional, and unadorned, appropriate for an Air Nomad, or maybe it was appropriate to someone who was primarily a functional earthbender. Later, Toph had worked hard to both enlarge it, and shape the stonework to fit into the upper-class neighborhood. She'd also lifted the interior floor, so that it would drain outside.
Toph had claimed it wasn't a big deal and she just needed something to do, but Katara felt certain the younger girl still harbored guilt over the loss of Appa in the desert. That certainly accounted for making it so water wouldn't pool in the barn, and moving some interior walls around to make sure Appa was comfortable. It didn't account for making certain the structure blended into the neighborhood so seamlessly. Perhaps Toph felt some guilt about wrecking the house the last time they'd lived here and was demonstrating a bit of remorse in that regard too. In fact, that damage was still under repair inside the house, though structurally it was sound. Nobody had said anything, but she wondered if placing them back in the same house was a light admonishment for the previous destruction.
With the addition of Zuko, Suki, and Mai to their group, the house was overfull. Naturally, Aang had volunteered to sleep with Appa in the barn. She was certain it was something Aang actually preferred, at least for the time being. He'd been doting on the great beast since they'd returned, mired in memories of the anguish and loss from the last time in Ba Sing Se. This separation from the rest of the group worked to her advantage tonight, at least for the plan formulating in her head since earlier in the evening; the plan that her conscious mind wouldn't even admit to herself that she had. She was sneaking out of the house to find the young airbender to spend time alone with him. They'd been together constantly this week, but always with others around. She just needed a little time with him to herself. It was a simple plan, really, and given that she hadn't even admitted it to herself, that was for the best. Really, she suspect nobody else cared or had an issue, so she thought it silly to be sneaky about it, but at the same time they were so newly a couple that she wasn't really sure how to go about things, so sneak it was.
Katara arrived at her destination, but rather than entering the barn immediately she stopped on the threshold of the barn entrance. Aang's back was to her, his eyes closed and he was embracing Appa's head, his whole body pushed into the fur of the great creature. He was actually carrying on a low conversation with Appa. While Katara could have distinguished the words if she'd tried, she chose to tune it out. It felt like eavesdropping, though she had a good idea of what was going on between the companions. For the moment she held back and simply watched the scene, unsure whether she really should interrupt. Unconsciously, she reached up and stroked Momo's head to keep him content and quiet for the moment.
Instead of interrupting, she found herself mesmerized with how tender the two were with each other. They shared a bond that had lasted over a hundred years and gave each other the only direct link to their lost culture. She didn't want to intrude, and was even contemplating whether she should leave and come back a different time. She didn't think too seriously about it, but did hang back a bit longer until Appa made a lower rumble of welcome, as he gave the most gentle of nudges to Aang. When Aang turned his head toward her, his face absolutely lit up with a welcoming smile, "Katara." She melted at that look of pure adoration he gave her.
She quickly closed the gap between them, stopping just short of Aang. He continued to look at her with that same large open, welcoming grin. Appa even grunted a low welcome to her. She found herself thinking back to when Aang had compared his feelings for Appa to her. Most girls wouldn't appreciate having a boy compared his feelings for them to a ten ton bison, but at the at the time, she'd been thrilled by the comparison. She'd thought she'd lost him in the desert, and was afraid he'd lost himself. When he'd said that, her fears turned to uncertainty. Had she read too much into the conversation after little baby Hope had woken his deadened emotions? Now, she looked back fondly on the memory and realized how it was exactly as she'd hoped at the time.
Momo broke the silence, flying onto Appa's head. With the minor distraction, Katara closed the last little distance, embracing Aang and leaning in to kiss him. It'd only been three nights since the kiss on the balcony outside the Jasmine Dragon, and they'd had no time alone since then. There were too many meetings and too many companions, and they had too many responsibilities. She was determined to take the time where she could.
He returned her embrace and leaned up and into the kiss. She ran her hands along his back and up his neck to his bald head, noting the stubble. He shaved every morning, but it was night. There was a muskiness to the barn he'd picked up blended with a background of sweat from the summer heat earlier in the day. It'd be gross from Sokka and she'd scold him, but somehow it was different from Aang. It was enticing.
They finally broke apart, resting foreheads together and noses together, staring into each other's eyes. He regarded her with the same unguarded smile as before, and just said, "Thanks." She started to respond, when Appa snorted and pushed the two over on the ground, not wanting to be left out. He gave a bit wet kiss of his own, drenching the two in drool. Aang just rolled over on his back, arms up embracing the bison, and laughing. Katara could help but giggle at the absurdity of it. She was aware that Aang and Appa came as a set, and she was more than content with that. She wiped the drool off her and rolled on her side to face Aang. He rolled to face her too, still grinning.
Katara decided to wipe the grin off Aangs face by grabbing him with the intent of kissing him again, but instead she somehow rolled him onto his back and found herself sitting astride him. Rather than kiss him, she suddenly realized the intimacy of the position and hesitated. Deciding to treat it like a game, Aang took advantage of the hesitation and rolled her onto her back where she found herself looking up at Aang. They'd reversed and rather than completing the kiss he'd started, he suddenly airbended himself off of her and upright, blushing deeply. He didn't forget to offer her a hand up, which she gladly accepted.
As he pulled her up, he did deliver that light kiss, from a safe upright position. He held her hand and nonchalantly deflected the awkwardness by reaching up to scratch Appa's head. She held his hand, but mirrored him otherwise. It was safe. She noted the straw hanging from Aang's clothing and was sure she had it in her clothing and hair. It wouldn't be a good look if anyone else saw them covered in hay and barn dirt.
Suddenly from the house, she heard, "No! No!" It was her brother, yelling. Leave it up to Sokka to interrupt things, even when he was asleep! It brought back memories of Aang attempting to confess before he flew off to see the Guru. She was so intent on what she thought Aang was going to say that she hadn't even noticed Sokka until he stepped in the middle of things, completely destroying the moment. That had not been amusing, but she'd grasped at what she'd hoped was the idea and given Aang the kiss on the cheek just before he left. Just a few nights before, he'd come out on the balcony to interrupt her first kiss with Aang. This time it might be a reprieve from the awkwardness, but she was mostly just annoyed. Leave it up to Sokka to always get in the way.
Was he really aware of what was going on in the barn? Of course not. Then, he screamed again, his voice breaking in the middle of it, "Hold on Toph!" What was going on? It was frantic. Something really was wrong. She took off for the house, holding Aang's hand. He casually airbended the worst of the dirt and hay from them as they made their way to the house, into the door and to the repaired bedroom.
They arrived to find Zuko sitting upright looking across the room at Sokka, while Suki was sitting to Sokka's side, her arm around him embracing and comforting him. What she hadn't expect was to see Toph sitting on his lap, embracing him. He had his cheek pushed down on her head, holding tight to the younger girl, in a protective manner.
Katara let go of her boyfriend's hand and slipped to the other side of Sokka, surrounding him with his three closest girls' support. He was shaking and soaked in perspiration. When he lifted his head, she could see his bloodshot eyes and tears running form them. He didn't look at her, but looked directly at Aang, who regarded him with concern.
Please read and review. I'd love to hear your thoughts on how I handled the two lovebirds here.