A/N. Don't judge the poor guy too hard lol!
I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender.
Would she be angry? He had not joined Toph just to have fun or something like that! Sure, it had been fun... But that had not been the important reason…
Aang had wanted to go to the town, alone, without Katara. Yes, that was true. But not to annoy her! Only… He didn't want her to know what he had bought. It wasn't that important! But he had needed money to do so, and Toph had won… a lot of money.
There had been, in the shadier part of town, a man who was clearly cheating at the game. He was making a lot of money from scamming, so, they had decided to beat him at his own game. Wasn't that what they were supposed to do? Stop people who were taking advantage from the less fortunate? Well… They had also cheated, but only because he was a cheater! Toph had used her blindness to make the man believe that she was an easy target, only to use her earthbending to beat him.
It had been fun… A lot of fun actually. But it wasn't the same without Katara… And when they had won the money, they had used it to buy some more supplies…. So, that was good, no? The provisions they had bought before would not last them the week, so some more things would be beneficial. And while Sokka and Toph had been looking at the meat and such on, Aang had slipped away, with a handful of coins.
He still had the stone he had taken from the Eastern Air Temple in the pouch… And he wanted to begin making something from it. Well… Not something. He had a very specific thing in mind… A necklace. Not that he wanted to give it in the near future or something! Just… it would be nice to have one… Just in case. For her.
But to make such a thing, he needed silk. During the lessons in the Southern Air Temple, Monk Jashi had taught him those necklaces in the Water Tribes were normally chokers, but Aang had been thinking… It would be quite forward and inappropriate to give Katara something that would displace her mother's necklace… In a few years, of course!
So… He wanted to buy a silken band, long enough be worn as a sort of pendant. If Katara wished, it could always be shortened… But this was more fitting, he thought. So, while the others were occupied with the butcher, he had used his aversion for meat to slip away. And to quickly run towards the nearest cloth merchant. He found one on the corner.
"Flamey-o, my dear Hotman!" He grinned to the older man behind the counter of his stall, hoping that his old way of speaking wouldn't be weird… This time.
"Young folk these days…" The man shook his head, clearly not airbender tried to hide his disappointment. Each time… No one knew the language anymore, and their dialect of the common language had changed drastically…
As he looked over the cloth that was being exhibited in the stall, Aang tried, yet again, not to show his disappointment. It was not this man's fault that red was mandatory in nearly every uniform these days. But to have only red cloth? Wasn't that a bit… too much?
"Do you have anything blue?" He asked, looking hopefully at the merchant.
"Blue?" The man smiled at him, as if they shared a secret. Of course, that was just a sale tactic. The merchant knew perfectly well that if he asked for something that specific, there was a reason.
"Yeah, silk if possible…" Aang answered, eyeing the red silk that lay on the counter. If there was red… there surely would be a bit of blue, no? Just a bit, enough to make a ribbon?
"I may have some… But why do you need that?"
Alarm bells began to ring in Aang's head. If this man told others he had sold blue cloth, that would raise suspicion… Perhaps. Maybe he just asked to be nice.
"Ehm… Just, a change of colour for the headband!" He pointed to his head. As the man began to search through his stock, Aang looked back to the butcher shop. Spirits, Sokka and Toph seemed to be paying. That was not good… Not good at all! If they caught him purchasing this specific item… Even Sokka, who seemed to refuse to see what was happening between him and Katara, would get it… Immediately…
"This what you wanted young man?" The man showed him a dark indigo piece of silk, wrapped around a wooden staff for transport. It was… well, beautiful. It was a shade darker than Katara's dark blue eyes… Yeah.
"Perfect…" He whispered as he felt the fabric between his thumb and index. Yeah, this was exactly what he wanted.
"So, how much?"
As he didn't want to arouse too much suspicion, Aang held his hands apart, just enough to indicate the length needed for a headband. Of course, there was no need for that much material, but better safe than sorry. The merchant began to cut the fabric, and Aang, yet again, looked at the others. There had just finished paying. Shit.
"How much?" He asked, quickly.
"One silver dear boy."
Oh… that was… cheap. Like, really cheap. The man must have seen his puzzled look, because he chuckled, and gestured to the red cloth.
"You think I can sell blue any day? Nah, I keep it for people like you, but it isn't my main source of income." The old man smiled, and took the coin Aang was handing him. With his other hand, he took the small package the man had prepared, and quickly left. But before returning to his friends, he looked back over his shoulder, to cast one last look to the stall.
It had a white flower on the wooden barrels, something that made the airbender feel like déjà vu. As he searched his memories for the reason why it made him feel like he had already seen it somewhere, his thoughts were interrupted by Toph.
"Ah, Twinkletoes! There you are! Come on, we are going back to the camp. See if Sugar Queen has calmed down." The blind girl cackled, while holding a bag in her arms. Sokka, standing next to the earthbender, raised his eyebrows, and Aang couldn't help but agree. Sure, Katara had been irritated, but it Toph was also in the wrong…
As they walked back to their camp, the airbender knew that Katara wasn't going to be pleased… Of course not. They had broken the rules they had given themselves : Lay low, stay away as much as possible from people, and don't give people the chance to figure out that they weren't Fire Nation.
Lay low? Well, that had gone well, by attracting the attention of some of the underworld of the town. Just perfect.
Stay away from people? Yeah… They had talked a bit with the people they had cheated before winning the games. And even if it had given them some ideas about the places not to visit in the city, such as the "Honeypot Lane"… If Aang's dirty mind worked alright, he suspected that would be the brothel district.
And well… He had bought something that no Fire National would ever buy. Something that raised suspicion… So, they had all broken the three rules. And if he told Katara that… Well, she would be angry. Rightly so! But still, it wasn't going to be pleasant.
"Do you think I should get myself a bird? You know, like those at the Message Office?" Sokka spoke up, and Aang couldn't help but laugh. Why should they buy such a thing? Next to him, he heard Toph snicker at the same moment, and unluckily for them… They had just entered the camp's earshot…
Appa's saddle had been removed from the bison's back, and their belongings stood in a neat pile next to a campfire, on which a soup was boiling. Katara stood next to it, looking at it from time to time, all the while throwing small nuts at Momo. Spirits she was really beautiful, standing in the red skirt that went so well with her appearance…
"Where did you guys get the money to buy all this stuff?" Her voice interrupted his musings. Quickly looking up, because his eyes had been fixed on her bare waist, her saw the ocean blue eyes looking at them questionably.
"Toph got us money… She scammed one of those guys in town who moves the shells around, all sneaky like." He explained. Maybe if he began by saying that their worries about the money were solved…
No, of course not. Katara hated that kind of money making…
And of course, Sokka needed to explain further, not seeing the irritated look on his sister's face.
"Yeah! She used her earthbending! Classic!" The water tribe boy laughed, sitting down next to the fire, and sniffing at the soup. The smell coming from it made Aang's mouth water, and his stomach grumble, but he also felt that it wasn't going to be a nice dinner… Rather an awkward one. At best. At worst, it was going to be a rather uncivilized business.
"Oh, so she cheated." Katara stated, while also sitting down, with her hand on her hips. Aang quickly sat down between the waterbender and Toph, knowing that it would maybe be better if he was between the two in case of another fight…
"Hey, I only cheated, because he was cheating. What's wrong with cheating a cheater?" Toph bit down in one of the apples that lay in the bag close to the fire, grinning.
And Aang saw the angry look on Katara's face… Shit.
"This isn't something we should make a habit of doing guys." She clearly tried to remain calm.
"Why not? Because it's fun, and you hate fun?"
Monkeyfeathers. That was exactly what you shouldn't say at such a moment.
Thanks Toph.
"I don't hate fun!" The waterbender objected, while turning her back to the earthbender. Yeah… maybe it was better.
Dinner was horrible. Katara and Toph ignored each other but made snarky remarks to each other through him and Sokka.
"Aang, could you ask Miss No Fun to pass me my bag?"
"Aang, could you tell that savage that she has feet so, as she always says, she can pull her own weight."
It was just torture. The airbender didn't want to just eat quickly and go meditate, because Katara had put time and energy in making dinner, and it was rude to just chuck in in his mouth and run off. So, eating was slow, and quite the ordeal.
"Come on, we can get some peace!" The water tribe boy whispered in his ear as soon as dinner was over, and the airbender couldn't help but agree. So, they grabbed the bowls and spoons and ran off.
The small river next to their camp flowed into the bay down the cliffs, so he and Sokka climbed down the small path carved into the rocks, until they stood down in an alcove, with the water falling down.
"Let's stay here! A long time! Tui and La, that was one of the longest dinners I have ever eaten! And I like eating!" Sokka sighed, throwing down the wooden bowls in his hand and sitting down on a rock.
"Yeah… Hopefully, a good night of sleep will calm them down." Aang muttered, putting the spoons with the bowls and lying down on the sand. This was the first time he and Sokka were actually alone, since… Well, the cave party. He and the water tribe boy had discussed his relation with Katara… And Aang wanted to do that again actually.
Not by telling Sokka that he and the waterbender were now clearly in one. No, that was something that he wanted to tell, and celebrate. And he didn't want to taint it by using it to forge peace between Toph and Katara.
But there were one or two things he wanted to know.
"So… Sokka. Can you keep a secret?" Aang whispered. The water tribe boy did not have the best reputation as a secret keeper, but still… Important things, he could stay silent about that. For example, he had known about Aang visit to Hakoda… but had not said anything about it to Katara, until she had begun about it.
"Sure…" Sokka answered, sounding dubious. Of course, it was a bit direct, but Aang needed to know several things about Water Tribe culture for his plan. And well, Katara wasn't an option for this.
The airbender put his hand in the pocket of his trousers, extracting the pouch, and throwing it to the water tribe boy, who caught it, with raised eyebrows.
"I promised I would tell you what it was… Open it." Aang kept his eyes on Sokka as he undid the knot in the small rope that bound the pouch together. As soon as it was undone, the cloth fell away, and revealed its content. The small yellow stone, with the greyish veins.
The first expression Aang saw on Sokka's face was puzzlement, then realization, and finally, it settled on… Amusement?
"Air Head… You know that Katara is never going to forgive you, right? For having shown me this, I mean. You are not supposed to show anyone before giving it to the girl." Sokka chuckled, lifting the stone between his fingers and examining it with care.
"Oh… I didn't know that…" Spirits, the first thing he does with it, and it was wrong. Of course.
"Where did you get this? It isn't like something I have seen before. It is not the like the granite in the South Pole. And it is certainly not the sandstone of these islands." Sokka asked, holding the stone to the light of the setting sun.
"The Eastern Air Temple… I got it the day when I arrived there to talk to Guru Pathik." Aang explained, while sitting up, "The southern and eastern ones are built with these stones. And I… Well, I was born there." It was something he had only told Katara… But yeah, she had really been the one that had made him open up about his people. It still hurt to talk about them… But he could do that now, thanks to her.
"Well, it is beautiful." Sokka put the stone back in the pouch. It surprised Aang how mature the water tribe boy was being. He had prepared himself for at least an hour of screeching…
"Thanks… I don't have any plans for the moment, mind you!" It was better to make that crystal clear. He didn't! it was not the right timing!
"Yeah, I guessed. And it is something between you and her, I want to stay out of that, as always. But why show me this?" Sokka asked, as he threw the pouch back towards him. Catching it, Aang felt some blood rush to his face.
"Well… You know, I wanted to know… if there are rules. Like, what you can put on it, and what you should certainly not put on it!" Yeah, imagine he did something stupid, and she accepted it… Katara would have to walk around with something embarrassing…That was something he didn't want to do to her.
"Oh! Just something that represents something important to you. Take my mum's necklace. Pakku made it for my grandmother, and there are patterns of waves and water on it. Probably for the fact he is a master waterbender, knowing the arrogant old fool." Sokka laughed.
"So… Anything? As long as it has a meaning?" The airbender sighed in relief. Yeah, he could do that! That didn't sound too difficult.
"Indeed. Come on, let's get this done." The water tribe boy waved to the pile of bowls, "Otherwise, Katara will come down here to check on us. And you don't want that, do you?"
Spirits no!
With the help of waterbending, Aang cleaned the dishes in a matter of seconds, and they made their way back to the camp. The sun had just disappeared underneath the horizon as they arrived there. Toph had made an earth tent for herself and was inside it. Maybe for the better… At least, that would make sure that there wouldn't be any more fights this evening.
Aang looked around and saw Katara sit on the ledge next to Appa. He heard Sokka snicker behind him, but he didn't mind. He had counted on it actually, it would be too much to ask him not to tease the airbender, just a bit.
Making his way to the waterbender, Aang sat down next to her. With no acknowledgment of his presence, he gently pushed his shoulder against hers. No response…
"Are you alright?" He asked. Aang knew it wasn't the case, for she had not shut him out like that… Well, since that one time with the map, last winter.
"Yes." She answered, still keeping her face straight to the horizon.
Oh spirits… Sokka had told him once that whenever his parents had a fight, Kya would always answer with one word… oh shit.
"What is the matter?" The airbender tried to pry a little further. Was it him she was angry with, or Toph?
"Why?" Was her only response. Why… why what? Why did you say nothing? Why did you go with her? Why did everything go to shit in the span of a few days? He didn't know! How was he supposed to answer these questions, if he didn't know what she was talking about? But he guessed it was about him going with Toph and Sokka to the city, instead of staying with her…
"I… I hoped to calm Toph down, and maybe get her to apologize…" That was the truth! He had tried to do so, while they walked towards the town!
"Don't need you to do that for me. Toph has to apologize by herself." Katara still sounded monotone and didn't look at him. But at least he had longer answers now! That was something… right?
"I know… Just, I wanted… I wanted to help." He sighed, creating a little more space between them. It had never been his intention to hurt her…
"I don't need help. I just want her to understand what she does is wrong."
"Is it wrong to cheat a cheater? I seem to recall that you said that stealing from a pirate wasn't all that wrong… Is this any different?"
Well… That was the wrong thing to say. Katara whipped her head around, and even in the fast-installing darkness, he felt and saw the glare. Shit.
"I stole something that belonged to my people back! Is that wrong? Toph just cheated a man who tried to make a living! A dishonest one, but still a living! He didn't kill or torture someone to get them to participate in his game!" Katara's voice sounded angry… Oh spirits, he was really in for it now…
"I-I see your point!" He quickly answered, and that was true. Aang could understand the difference here.
Katara just huffed, turning her face back to the sky.
"Tara… I understand you, and I would never intentionally hurt you." He whispered. That sounded better than his previous sentence.
"I know. I am not angry with you." She answered, still not looking at him.
Sighing, Aang got up. He knew Katara. It was no use to talk about it at this moment, it was better to wait, and discuss it at a better moment. But maybe… Maybe he should try?
"Hey… Sokka seems quite lax with the rules now… And there is a nice bay to swim in… Would you like to go down there later?" He asked quietly. Maybe it was a bit wrong to ask that at this moment? But spirits… This was the first time in at least two weeks that they could possibly be alone! Together that is!
"Not tonight." Her answer came, and Aang nodded. Yeah… He deserved that.
Walking back to Appa, the airbender tried not to slap himself too hard. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Of course she was going to say no to that! Asking an angry and hurt Katara if she wanted to go swimming with him, in the middle of the night! Sure! Good plan Air Head!
Lying down on one of Appa's paws, he vowed to himself not to make the same mistake tomorrow. If Toph wanted to go to the city tomorrow, he was going to stay here!
Answers :
Kalaong : Haha, yeah, I understand your way of thinking! I have written a chapter about Aang's dirty mind actually a few days ago ! And I really was hesitating to put the mud wrestling into it lol!
Gabriela N. Gonzalez : Yeah, they are all under a lot of pressure, and that just exploded, which is normal. And of course, Aang wants to have fun, but he had his reasons to go to the town, as I showed here, but he can't just explain that to Katara lol!