Phew... managed to get this chapter ready for today, but again - further chapters may not be on a daily schedule. I am not certain if I can keep writing at this pace.
---
Chapter Three
---
That plan was almost foolproofed!
I know, Kyoshi... but Katara really is a clever girl.
? What are you two talking about?
(very confused) Roku, they wanted Katara to help Aang dye his Air Nomad clothes blue.
? Why for?
(annoyed) Figure it out for yourselves.
(is still commiserating over their plan's failure)
... I don't understand their intention either... and now Aang has to wear Water Tribe clothes made of animal skins.
... Perhaps that was their intention?
No, I don't think so. If all they wanted was for Aang to change clothing styles, they didn't have to go tell him to ask Katara for help in dyeing his clothes blue.
... Perhaps they don't like Air Nomad colors?
(turns a bit miffed) That's what I thought too. Our robes are perfectly fine.
(becomes impatient) Oh good grief. Of course, it wasn't about clothing preferences. Think about it. If Aang's clothes have to be dyed, they'd all have to be done at the same time together, including the ones he wore.
? ... Huh?
... I think I am seeing where this is going, but, Kyoshi, that is still not going to work. Katara would just request for him to wear one of her brother's clothes in the meantime.
(sounding morose) Aang was supposed to refuse to wear any Water Tribe apparel by making the excuse that he can't wear them because they are all made from animal skins.
... But if all his clothes are being dyed and if he won't wear Sokka's clothes- (suddenly understands) Oh Spirits.
Exactly.
---
At dawn, the hunting party returned exhausted but triumphant with the prized carcass of a monstrous walrus leviathan.
"Good hunting?" said Katara with a smile after exchanging an embrace with her brother.
Sokka, his face creased by a large grin, inclined his head towards the carcass, already surrounded by villagers intent of skinning it of its thick tough hide in order to get to the precious blubber and meat inside. Nearly every part of the creature would be made used of, from its six tusks to its three spiny tails, from it's softer belly skin down to its intestines and bones. Even the midnight blue ichor that was its blood would be used.
"Should last the village for about a month," said Sokka with much pride as he outlined to Katara how he had been the one who made the killing strike. "It was just about to go back underwater when I speared it right in the-"
"Ouch," someone suddenly commented. Irked by the interruption, Sokka turned his attention from his sister to give a blistering retort to whoever it was, only to open his mouth silently to gape at Aang, who was watching the animal being disembowled with a faintly pained expression on his face.
"A-ang?" Sokka croaked out and received a sheepish smile, which turned more embarrassed and quite forced when Aang was suddenly given a encompassing bear hug by his friend who reeked of walrus leviathan blood and blubber oil and whose clothes were caked in them. Aang; however, didn't had to suffer the very uncomfortable embrace for so long for all of a sudden Sokka released him very abruptly and without warning threw a punch at his jaw.
"Ow!"
"And that's for making us worry for five years!"
Aang, touching his aching jaw gingerly, almost got punched again when he corrected Sokka, saying, "Actually, I've only been gone for four years."
Katara hurriedly stepped in between them, saying, "Aang, Sokka is of course very glad you're here."
"Speak for yourself, Katara. We were worried sick because of him and you kept crying-"
"Sokka please," she shushed her brother quickly. Her cheeks slightly flaring with red, she avoided Aang's concerned gaze and asked him to explain to Sokka why he had to leave them.
"Katara-" Aang began to say but she just gave him an overly bright smile before informing them that she was going to help with the carcass and then leaving the two of them alone.
Taking apart a walrus leviathan was hardly pleasant work but Katara took to it without hesitation and felt even relieved to be distracted by the disgusting chore. She had been assigned to receive strips of blubbers from the cutters, placing the fat layer upon layer in rawhide baskets, which when filled would be taken to the pressers who had the duty of flattening the strips in order to force out most of the oil which in turn would be stored in sealed gourds.
At midday, after six straight hours of exhausting work, the carcass had been decimated down to its skeleton, which was completely doused several times with sea water before being left to dry. The workers then scattered to their huts to clean up and perhaps take naps while the rest of the village continued to thrum with activity, preparing a feast to celebrate the hunters' safe return and success.
Katara was just about to remove her soiled tunic when she heard Aang outside her hut asking for permission to come in. Bone dead tired, Katara barely found the energy to call out to him, saying and lying that she wasn't decent.
"I don't mind," was his answer, causing Katara to blink and her jaw dropped in outrage when he let himself in.
"Aang, I said I wasn't decent! Get out!" said Katara in a low furious tone, barely remembering to keep her voice low.
"Well, obviously I knew you were lying. You just came in here only a few seconds ago," said Aang mildly, taking a step towards her.
"I didn't and don't want to see you right now. Get out!"
"You're upset with me; this is why I had to see you."
"I wasn't upset with you before, but I am upset with you now. You don't have the right to come in here without my permission."
"I had to see you, Katara."
"You could have seen me later."
"I couldn't wait."
"Well then, you better learn to wait-" Katara's eyes widened when she abruptly realized that he was standing only a scant step away from her. Instinctively, she tried to take a step back but was unable to since she was right against the back of the hut. All of sudden feeling like a trapped animal, Katara became all too aware that Aang was now far taller than she was, his height allowing him to practically tower over her and that there was an intent almost foreboding light in his gray eyes that she had never seen in them before when he looked at her.
Does he want me? Katara suddenly found herself wondering wildly; her gaze lowering from his face to measure the width of his shoulders, which somewhere in the back of her mind she decided were broad enough to appeal to her. Her eyes lowered further down to his slim hips and trim legs now clad in leather rather than shrouded in loose robes. Aang did have very nice legs.
... Oh Spirits, Katara, what are you thinking! And she turned red as a tomato when Aang, in a concerned tone, asked her if she was all right.
"Huh? What?" she blustered, her eyes flying back upwards to look into his eyes, which though appearing worried for her sake, were also narrowed as though their owner was wondering what she was thinking of.
Katara turned even more flustered when Aang observed, "Your face is very red."
"... I'm just exhausted," said Katara vaguely as she struggled to fight down embarrassment for having assumed that Aang had invited himself into her hut for the purpose of seducing her.
"I know you are," said Aang lightly, his words sounding alien to Katara's still burning ears, "I watched how hard you worked out there... it looked to me as though you were deliberately tiring yourself out. ... You didn't want to think of how much I had hurt you, didn't you?"
Katara had to swallow hard before she could answer him in a steady enough voice, "I think you'll find that most if not all people do not wish to dwell on painful memories. ... Your leaving us did hurt me a lot, Aang, but I understand now why you had to leave us." She breathed in sharply when Aang closed the remaining distance between them to hold her tightly against him.
"Aang, I'm filthy!" Katara choked with alarm for indeed she was covered in oil and bits of blubber and thus didn't want to be hugged by anyone while in such a mucky state, most especially by Aang, whom she knew to be a vegetarian and who respected all forms of life so much that he wouldn't even hurt a fly.
Aang; however, didn't seem to be the least bit dissuaded. He whispered an apology against her hair, which fortunately wasn't slimy since she had wound her hair into a bun and covered it all up before working on the carcass. While Aang continued to hold her too closely against him, Katara once again struggled with the very uncomfortable realization that her body was responding to their position as intimate and quite welcomed and not platonic and awkwardly unwanted.
Discovering that Katara's posture was stiff and tense, Aang tried to make her more relaxed by running his hands up and down over her back in a gentle massage. A whimper broke loose from Katara's lips and thinking that she was about to cry, Aang murmured another apology before saying, "The last thing I ever wanted to do was to hurt you. I didn't want to leave, Katara. But I had to. I had no choice. Had I stayed even for just another day, I don't think I would had gotten up enough strength to leave. I missed you all so much, most especially you, Katara. I'll never hurt you again, I promise."
"Aang-"
"It's all right, Katara. You can cry. I won't mind."
"Aang-"
"I'll keep holding you until you're okay-"
"Aang!"
"Huh? What, Katara?"
"I'm fine. I'm not going to cry-"
"You don't have to feel embarrass-"
"I am feeling embarrassed, but it's not because I'm going to cry or want to cry. Aang, I'm really very filthy. I just don't feel comfortable being with you like this; I'm all covered in blubber oil."
"Yes, it is a little messy. Stinks too."
"... Let me go, Aang. I really need to clean myself up."
"Oh, okay." Katara had to force herself not to breathe out a sigh of relief when Aang finally released her, only to be put into another wringer of emotions when Aang declared, "I'll help you clean yourself up."
"... No, you can't."
"Yes, I can."
"... Aang, I'm not going to let you see me without clothes."
"All you have to do is strip down to your underclothes."
"What!"
"You don't have to be shy around me, Katara. Besides, I've already seen you in your underclothes a lot of times before."
"... Aang, this isn't the same as when we're swimming."
"No difference to me, and you will get cleaned up faster if I help. Anyway, if it makes you feel more comfortable, I'll take off my clothes too."
"... No!"
"I really don't mind, Katara."
"I'd mind- No, don't take off your clothes!"
---
To be continued.
---
Yes, me hearties - congratulate yourself if you guessed that Aang's being shy, awkward, acting stupid and saying -very- stupid things (Cave of Two Lovers, anyone?) when it comes to matters of the heart concerning Katara was what was to be made-over in this chapter. Sorry, Storybender. Those were good guesses though. 8) Then again... the stuff Aang just said above can also be considered as stupid. (is definitely insane)
If you're going to review, do let me know what you think of this story turning lime-ish or lemon-ish in further chapters. Note: Not promising anything of that sort. This story is Rated T, not M. Just want some readers' opinions on that sort of thing. And do let me know how you reacted to the dye plot concocted by Avatar Kyoshi and the Waterbender Avatar. (experiment, you especially, I want to hear from you about it.(8) Do me a favor - be like Kyoshi and tell me straight what you think of it. I won't bite, I swear.
When it comes to matters of what's funny, not so funny or not at all funny, I'll always want to know so that I'll know where to improve.
ardy1 said, "Are we going to find out what he was doing for those four years (in the Fire Nation)? Split-personality, huh."
Me: Just hints of where he has been, and the Avatar (any of them), in my personal opinion, always has a split-personality. XD
