A/N – I understand it's a duty as a writer to read through your fics properly and thoroughly and pray that you didn't miss something, but I either forget or can't be bothered. So take it or leave it. I'm sorry I'm not a spelling whiz or Grammar Dynamo S. On a good note I'm glad the people are enjoying : ) from what I can tell I guess. Ok so hopefully this goes to plan. : )
Disclaimer – all I own is the clothes on my back and some pocket lint, nothing more. Aka I don't own Avatar the last airbender.
Katara awoke on the morning of the Earth festival day with a smile on her face. In the bathroom her older brother could be heard being sick because of the night before's escapade with a little too much alcohol. Aang was in the room opposite to Katara's, he woke up to the sounds coming from the bathroom. His Eyes slowly flittered open and there on his chest sat a letter, he shot up right trying to remember what had happened last night, he could remember everything before he had started drinking and he felt his already low spirits hit the ground. He eyed the scruffy envelope up and down, trying to evaluate the contents before he had even opened it, he clutched it in his hands flipping it over 'I thought you should know' were the words scribbled on the back. Unsure if it were even his. He opened it anyway, the paper seemed to be years old it didn't take much to break the seal. The letter read :
Dear Aang.
It's been five days since the war, Two of which you spent alone. I can completely understand why. I want you to know that I'm here for you no matter what. I wish I could have been there for you when you needed me most more than anything but Iroh had just passed and Zuko needed me too, you don't know how afraid I was for you. Aang you saved the world and I am very grateful, not only for that but because of all you have given me. Before you came along I could hardly bend and now I'm a master. You're my best friend and I love you so much and always will. I'm glad we found you, I'm glad it wasn't someone else. Ever since I met you, you have always been the boy that is going to save the world, all the training and expectations. But now you're the boy that saved the world. No matter what you or anyone else thinks you did good. I'm so proud of you and I have a confession to make, I've fallen in love with you, I cant say it was at first sight because I would be lying but ever since I have gotten to know you I have fallen deeper and deeper. Aang I'm in love with you its plain and simple, If you don't feel the same it's ok, I just thought you should know. It's a shame I'm too afraid to tell you.
Love always Katara
Aang finished the letter and found himself in a state of awe, she hadn't been lying and he had been wrong about the whole assorted affair. Aang felt like he was going to throw up, he didn't know whether it was because of shock or the hang over but either way he needed to hurl. Once he had finished he defaulted from his standing position over the window sill and knelt. In his hand was the letter, he wasn't sure how he felt, he wanted to laugh, he wanted to smile, and he wanted to cry. It was all too complicated, and he was sure this kind of torture could only happen to him. Aang had walked out into the kitchen just as the day before he stubbed his toe on the way, although it didn't seem as painful, halfway to the kitchen Aang realized he had prepared anything to say to Katara, how would he act? He had no dialogue prepared at all, but it was too late he was almost there. He wished he had stayed in his room, but he desperately needed a change of scenery.
"Hah" Sokka exclaimed sitting at the kitchen table "You look about as good as I do" he joked at the appearance of the monk.
"It's the fashion didn't you know?" he said pointing to his face which had a layer of stubble growing.
"Right, Right" Sokka said going back to the morning paper.
Aang had just realized Katara standing in the kitchen; he put his hand in his pocket and brushed it against the letter.
"What took you so long this morning? I heard you up ages ago" She was mocking him, dangling the reality of the letter in front of him. Aang knew exactly how to play it.
"Oh I just caught up on some reading" He played along.
"Oh yeah, anything good? Were you happy with what you read?"
"Well It kinda made me feel stupid, I should of checked the facts before I said and did some things a while ago. I'm not sure the rules in this book still apply to me though." Aang and Katara's eyes met searching for answers to questions that had and hadn't been asked.
"What was the book?" Sokka butted in
"Umm err, It was called er 'The Water Bending Book'" Aang lied, but Sokka was none the wiser.
Katara tried to suppress a giggle and only just managed Aang was glad she was smiling that had to be a good sign.
"Katara, for some reason I think I saw Toph last night" Sokka randomly stated.
"Someone call my name?" Toph came out of the hallway and leaned up on the arch.
"Toph!" Sokka and Aang shouted together.
"I had the strangest feeling I had seen you last night, I knew it" Sokka exclaimed.
"Really I don't remember a thing?" Aang confessed.
"I'm not surprised Twinkle toes you were adding extra letters to peoples names and falling about the place, one name I caught in particular was 'Katary'" Sokka and Katara laughed. "And you Sokka you were just as bad I think you at one point were trying to chat me up" They Fearsome foursome all laughed.
"No really Toph your looking great" Sokka reinstated.
"Thanks" Toph blushed a little and walked over to where Katara was.
She looked over to Aang and looked back "How's operation 'Secret Love Letter' coming along?"
"I think its going good, really all I can do is wait and see what happens" Katara said with a smile. "I'm glad your back Toph"
The Squad all got ready to go to the Earth Festival, the Avatar and his companions were expected to eat lunch and watch the Earth Parade with the King today. Aang and Katara walked to the Palace in silence presumably deep in thought about the letter and rain incidents while Sokka and Toph started reminiscing about 'the good ol days'. When they finally arrived at the Palace, Sokka ran up the steps and knocked on the door with the large brass knocker before anyone else could.
"Still a child at heart" Toph chimed.
"Hey" Sokka wined back and the large doors cascaded open.
"Welcome, please come in" The King Instructed.
The pack followed the king through the majestic palace all the way to a balcony that peered over the main street. People edged the pathways awaiting the floats to drive by.
The king pointed to a row of vacant seats along the bench, Sokka, Toph, Katara and Aang sat in that order.
A horn was sounded in the near distance and the floats began to flow down the street.
One symbolizing each nation started the chain and random beautiful floats drove past, Katara gasped ant the one which was in honor of Yue she had never seen a more decorated float, Sokka immediately went silent after that float passed until it neared the end where the four last floats passed. A float of Aang drove passed and the people in the crowds cheered louder than ever, Then Katara's, Toph's and Sokka's. The avatar had once already had this flattery so it wasn't at all new to him, the other three however gawked at there floats in surprise they had no idea they would have one and each. Toph's float was made of thin sheets of rock on the outside so she was able to see it.
"Did you like that?" The King asked the Gang.
Things like "Oh yes" and "It was excellent" were heard over each other and the King just smiled back at them happy they enjoyed them self's.
An hour or so after the festival had finished the gang left the palace. Sokka thought himself pretty cool as his float had ended the whole parade and Katara and Toph were just grateful to have one at all.
"Do you guys wana go for a kinda camp out dinner by the river, for old times sakes" Aang proposed.
They all thought it was a fantastic idea.
Later that night they were all sitting around a campfire Aang had bended and shared stories of there past few years.
After Sokka had told a humorous story about Bumi, who they visited often Toph told the group what she had been up to "When Aang left and we all well kind of broke up I decided to go back home, apologize for leaving and stuff. My family was really just happy to see me back, because I helped you guys end the war they treat me normal now, I'm no longer their blind daughter. Oh and I've been teaching at the Earth bending Academy"
"That's great Toph, you are a great teacher. I should know, I still have bruises" Aang joked and she bended a rock under the log he was sitting on causing him to fly into the river. Katara, Toph and Sokka howled in hysterics, Aang got out of the water dripping wet, he bended him self dry and dunked the excess water on Sokka who had still been laughing. Katara laughed even harder and It made Aang feel fantastic, things were almost back to normal. They finished the night up and Katara extinguished the fire as they started to walk back Aang stopped Katara and let the others walk inside.
"Hey can I talk to you?" Aang asked.
"Sure" Katara nodded.
"Katara, I am so so so so so sorry. If I had of known, if I had of just seen things would be so different"
"It's not all your fault you know, If I hadn't off kissed Zuko back you may not have left"
"Why did you kiss him back?"
"I thought you didn't love me" She blushed.
"Katara the only reason I saw you two was because I had come down to tell you how I felt" They laughed, they may have wasted years of there lives but still they laughed.
"Awww so one of us had the guts in the end hmmmm?" Katara said looking up at Aang.
"Are we ok now? Friends?" he asked.
"The best" And they hugged.
Neither knew if it would ever be more than a friendship, nor did they want to rush it.
A/N – another end to another chapter, next one probably won't be much more exciting but hey I'll try. Keep reviewing : ) love the fans! I'm sorry the chapter is so short.
Xo