When she realized she was staring out the window again rather than reading, Katara slammed her biochemistry book closed and banged her head onto its humorless cover. Once. Twice. And a third time for good measure. She sat back up and glared at it. How in Tui's name was she supposed to grasp all of amino acid metabolism and nucleotide metabolism in one lecture? The supplemental reading would help but only if she could keep her focus on it rather than the open window.

Through the screen she could see a small square of blue sky. It beckoned to her. You don't want to be trapped in that stuffy room it whispered. The breeze is warm and there are clouds, water longing to break free. Come play with it!

"Breaks! You need breaks." her beleaguered brain reminded her. "You can't focus because you've been reading about transamination reactions and ketoacidosis for four hours."

She opened her desk drawer to free her phone from its banishment. She could study more effectively when the temptation to look at every incoming text was eliminated, so in the drawer the phone went when serious study beckoned. As she lifted it, the screen lit up, and the lock screen image made a lump rise in her throat. In it, she and Aang stood side by side and hand in hand, her small smile outshone by his wide, lopsided grin. Both his front teeth were missing and her lips were sealed tight to conceal the gaps in her teeth. She gazed at their carefree younger selves and wished he weren't so far away.

Katara traced a reverent fingertip across the picture of his sweet face and was frustrated when her phone unlocked and the picture whooshed away. Frowning, she opened her photos and scrolled through her Aang album. A smile stole across her face and the warmth that spread through her chest melted the lump in her throat. Maybe she'd log into Discord and see if he was around instead of playing some mindless game during her study break.

A few flicks and she had the app open. When she tapped the icon for the Harmony Bending Academy Grads server she was delighted to see Flying By Son listed as "Online." She selected his name and sent a brief message.

Waterwhip Queen Today at 10:46 PM

Worst thing that happened to you today?

Flying Bye Son Today at 10:47 PM

Blew off my professor's toupee when I airbent my assignment to his desk.

Waterwhip Queen Today at 10:47 PM

Ouch. Fell asleep on the bus home from campus. Best thing?

Flying Bye Son Today at 10:48 PM

My best friend messaged me on Discord

Waterwhip Queen Today at 10:48 PM

LOL same.

Flying Bye Son Today at 10:49 PM

I was just thinking about you, too. Remember the day we met?

Katara smiled softly. That had been one of the best days of her life and she could recall every moment of it, could remember the smells of new Republic City on the gentle breeze and how the sun felt on her skin. And, most of all, she could remember Aang, how effortlessly charming he'd been and how instantly they'd connected.

-0-0-0-

"Will you go penguin sledding with me?"

Katara was busy building a sand castle, relishing the interesting, crumbly texture of the sand under her legs. But she looked up at the unexpected question. A little boy with shaggy black hair and big gray eyes stood on the edge of the sandbox, balanced carelessly on the narrow ledge surrounding it. He had the most adorable smile she'd ever seen. It tilted up higher on one side and radiated warmth and good humor. Her mama had told her to be careful of strangers, but surely she didn't mean other little kids, right? Something about this boy was so entirely trustworthy and appealing that she decided the admonition couldn't possibly apply.

Hesitantly, she smiled and said "o-okay." Then she looked around, making sure she could see Mama.

There she was, sitting on a bench at the edge of the playground, talking to a bald man with a long mustache and unusual blue tattoos on his head and arms. The man gestured toward them and her mama smiled and waved. All right, the boy must be okay if Mama wasn't warning her off.

Katara turned back to him. "I'm Katara and I'm 6. What's your name?"

Smile widening, the boy answered "I'm Aang. I'm 5."

His crooked smile spread into a rather dazzling grin as he held out his hand toward her. "Penguin sledding?"

Katara had no idea what penguin sledding was, but the boy seemed very excited by the idea. With a decisive nod, she decided to let him lead the way. She slid her hand into his and was surprised by his firm grasp. Aang drew her away from the sandbox and toward the other end of the playscape.

He stopped abruptly in front of the biggest slide, the one she had never tried because it was so tall. It was even taller than Papa. She only went on big slides if her papa could hold her hand as she went down. But on this particular slide he couldn't reach high enough to hold onto her. She had never noticed before that the walls of the playscape were decorated with otterpenguins. The black and white birds climbed up the side of the handrail along the ladder and slid down the edges of the slide riding tiny sleds. It suddenly crystallized for her that the entire playscape was made to look like a scene from the south pole during the cold months, its chutes and steps all icy shades of blue and white.

She grinned delightedly at her companion. "This looks like home! I'm from the South Pole, but we came here because Papa's a dip-lo-mac." She pronounced the newly acquired vocabulary uncertainly.

Aang giggled and responded "So is my Gyatso." He hauled her toward the ladder. "Come on."

Aang dropped her hand when they reached the playscape. He climbed the ladder quickly, barely touching one rung before he launched himself to the next. Katara looked on in wonder at his bravery. He wasn't as old or as big as her, but he scaled that height as easily and carelessly as she climbed into her bed.

Aang leaned over the edge of the high platform. "Come on, Katara!"

She closed her eyes briefly, his proximity to the steep drop making her palms prickle. But his comfort with the height eventually reassured her. Katara took a deep breath and set a foot onto the ladder. Carefully she focused only on each rung as she grasped it and pulled herself up. When she reached the top Aang grabbed her hand again and nearly blinded her with his bright smile.

"Look," Aang pointed back toward the bench where her mama had been. "Gyatso and that lady—is that your mom?-look so tiny down there!"

He waved vigorously to the adults. Stomach swooping, Katara glanced down and saw that Mama was standing up. Her arms were folded across her tummy just like she did when Sokka showed off what he could do with his boomerang. Katara waved hesitantly. Gyatso leaned toward Mama and told her something. With a small smile Mama relaxed, dropping her hands to her sides,. She waved back at Katara slightly, just a small twitch of her fingertips.

Resolutely Katara faced Aang again. "I haven't ever been up here before. Do we go down the slide now?"

He nodded solemnly. "Are you scared? It's pretty tall. I'm an airbender, so heights are no problem for me, but Gyatso says sometimes other people are scared of being up high."

Katara bit her lip as she thought about how to answer. She didn't want to seem like a scaredy-polarcat. She really liked Aang. He was fearless and fun and she didn't want him to think she was a baby. Her gaze trailed down to her mom again, but the grownups had taken out their phones and were showing each other things on them.

Lifting her chin, she met Aang's clear grey eyes and decided she liked him too much to be dishonest. "I'm a little scared, but I want to go down the slide. My papa says that true bravery is learning to face your fears."

Aang's face went serious. "Your papa must be pretty smart, because Gyatso says the same thing and he's the smartest person I know." He held his small hand out toward Katara again. "What if we go down together?"

Katara looked skeptically at the slide, then back to Aang. Voice hesitating, she said "I don't think we'd fit."

Aang's answering laugh filled her chest with a warm fluttery feeling. "We will if you sit behind me!" he reassured her.

She grabbed his outstretched hand, her fingers slotting neatly between his. He tugged her gently toward the slide. When they reached it, he released her and sat down, bracing his feet against either side. Turning slightly, he motioned for her to sit behind him.

Gingerly, she sat down, planting her feet right behind his. His hair tickled her cheek until he turned his face toward her. His smile was softer this time.

"Ready?"

Eyes wide and heart racing, Katara nodded.

"Hold onto me."

Katara wrapped her arms around Aang's waist and tucked her chin over his shoulder. He pushed off the sides of the slide at the same time he relaxed his feet and they shot downward. Wind stung her eyes and whipped her hair into a chestnut cloud around her head. A laugh escaped her as they slipped around the first curve, picking up speed. By the time they tumbled off the bottom of the slide, both children were laughing so hard their sides ached with it.

Still giggling, Aang stood and offered Katara his hand again. Smiling so hard her cheeks hurt, she allowed him to help her to her feet.

"Again?" he asked.

"Race you to the top" Katara yelled over her shoulder as she started to run toward the ladder.

-0-0-0-

Katara couldn't help but smile at the memory.

Waterwhip Queen Today at 10:55 PM

Of course I do! I'm not sure how you do, though. You were only 5!

Flying Bye Son Today at 10:55 PM

How could I ever forget meeting the person I admire most?

Waterwhip Queen Today at 10:56 PM

Tui and La, I can't believe you are still needling me about that! It has been 6 years, Aang. Let it go.

Flying Bye Son Today at 10:57 PM

Never. You spoke of me as the person you most admire to everyone in our public speaking class. That is something I will hold close to my heart until the day I die.

Waterwhip Queen Today at 10:58 PM

Hmph. Don't forget that you talked about me when you had to give your speech the next year!

Flying Bye Son Today at 11:00 PM

Of course not! Every word of it true. You're the best.

Waterwhip Queen Today at 11:00 PM

Aww. No you.

Flying Bye Son Today at 11:01 PM

We'll have to agree to disagree. Hey, On Ji's here to study for our chem test. Talk to you later?

Waterwhip Queen Today at 11:01 PM

Okay.

I wish you weren't so far away. I miss you.

Flying Bye Son Today at 11:02 PM

Miss you more.

Happy mood sliding downward, Katara switched her phone off. Annoyed at the moisture blurring her vision, she swiped the edge of her sleeve across her eyes. Sometimes she wished Aang would forget that stupid speech, but the wishing didn't change the fact that she'd meant every word. Aang was kind and brave and loyal and altogether wonderful and she still did admire him more than anyone else. And she knew he thought equally highly of her.

So why, oh why, had he decided to go to university in Ba Sing Se instead of in Republic City with her?

~o~o~o~

Aang's gaze lingered on the screen. I wish you weren't so far away. I miss you. Spirits, he missed her so much it felt like part of his body had been carved away, a constant ache, every heartbeat singing her her her her. If he didn't exercise the strictest discipline over his thoughts, they always slid back to Katara.

His grand plan of getting over her was going about as well as Gyatso had predicted it would. Gyatso had radiated disapproval when Aang had told him he had to be away from Katara to try to get her out of his heart, so they could be friends again in their old easy way, free from his racing pulse and aching longing.

"Oh Aang," he'd said, placing his weathered hand gently over Aang's shoulder, "she'll never be out of your heart. She has always been your person and you are her person. I knew this as soon as I saw you together the first time. You shouldn't leave her; you should tell her how you feel."

He had resisted his former guardian's advice, maintaining that confessing his love would ruin everything. Katara was compassionate to a fault, and she cared for him so much. He knew she'd feel guilty for not returning his feelings. And the last thing he wanted was to make her feel bad in any way. So he did not follow her and their Harmony Bending School friends to the University of Republic City, choosing instead to go halfway across the continent to Ba Sing Se University.

Leaving hadn't helped. His heart remained unchanged, still utterly hers, despite their distance and his useless and short-lived attempts to date others. Not for the first time Aang worried he'd made the wrong decision. Gyatso's advice had never steered him wrong before. And, really, BSSU had never felt right to him. Without Katara, nothing felt right. Maybe he could look in to transferring. If he -

"Earth to Aang?" On-Ji's irritated voice cut into his thoughts. "Are we studying for the chem test or are you going to keep staring at your laptop and ignoring me?"

Aang tried on a smile, but found it too strained to hold. He sighed. "Sorry, On-Ji. Let's go over the review questions first."

Deliberately, he closed his laptop and pushed Katara out of his mind. Later, he reassured himself, he could figure it out later. But he knew she'd be in his thoughts as she always was.