A/N. So… There will be one or two chapters of The Hut… You'll understand, don't worry!
I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender.
Her brother's snoring began half an hour after they had extinguished the candle. Spirits! Finally!
"Aang?" Katara whispered. She was really praying to whatever Spirit that was listening that the airbender had not gone to sleep. She knew she couldn't really expect anything more from tonight that it wouldn't be fair… But Spirits, she was hoping for some alone time with him…
"Come on!" A voice answered, and she saw how a dark shadow stood up in the corner where Aang had been lying. Katara herself threw the blanket off and nearly flew up. Since their dance, she had been… Well, excited. Excited to spend some time with the airbender. But what kind of spending time? If it was her choice, and hers alone, Katara knew perfectly well what she wanted to do. But it wasn't. Aang also had a vote in this, and they needed to be on the same page.
But perhaps he had not understood her nudges? She had looked at him when Toph had been teasing her about wanting to screw Twinkletoes on the dancefloor. Had it been obvious, or had Aang not taken the hint? She didn't know… He had smiled at her at that moment, but that could mean a thousand things!
She heard the creak of the door, and saw the moonlight enter the hut. Aang had opened the door, and was now standing in the opening, waiting for her. She quickly looked around, and snatched the blanket she had been lying under from the floor, as well as the candle. She wanted to see his face when she talked to him. Their talk on Roku's Island had been nice, but it would have been even nicer if Katara could have seen his face, and his expressions…
"Katara!" the waterbender heard a hurried whisper. Of course, they could not stay standing like this. Sooner rather than later, they would wake someone up, and then they would have to explain why they were sneaking off. Katara quickly followed Aang through the door.
She had kind of suspected that they would go to the barn… But she saw Aang's silhouette go towards the first hut they had passed. Yeah… Maybe that would be better? As much as she loved Appa and Momo, Katara preferred to have them in another place… This night at least…
"You took something to light that candle?" Katara heard the airbender whisper when they stood in front of the door of the small hut. Spirit… She had forgotten the flint and steel… And more importantly… It was in Sokka's pocket.
"No…" She tried to hide the disappointment in her voice. If Aang could firebend… This wouldn't have been a problem.
"It is alright, I have a spare one in my chest, it is with Appa… Please, stay here while I go fetch it." Aang nearly flew past her, towards that barn where he had put the bison in.
Katara entered the small hut, and immediately saw that it was… Well, it was clean, but that was the most positive thing she could say about it. In three steps, she was at the other end of the small room, and it was not very high. She had to bend her own head a bit to avoid the wooden beams of the thatch roof. It was not perfect… But it was better than spending no time at all with Aang. And here at least, they had privacy…
The waterbender put the blanket she had taken from the other hut on the floor, and sat down. The nights were getting warmer and warmer, so they wouldn't have need of it… Sitting down, she couldn't help but think about what exactly was going to happen…
They needed to talk, that was as clear as day… But spirits, after that dance, she had wanted to rip off his clothes and just… well, spend time with him. And that kind of made her anxious. That time in the barn, in Ba Sing Se… It hadn't been planned, at all. No, it just had kind of… happened. But now, she knew that it was a real possibility. It was possible that Aang hoped for it. She had seen it in his eyes, during that dance. The same dark grey look, the look he had given her when he had… When he had been on top of her. In her.
And Spirits, she wanted to. After all these weeks of stress and sadness, it would be so good to be loved, in that way… But for some reason, her insecurities, that she hated, were knocking on the door of her mind. Aang hadn't seen everything that night… He had seen her chest, but the barn had been dark, only lighted by that small candle… And in the small space of this hut, a candle would be enough to light the room. He would see… everything.
And not only would he see everything of her… She would also see everything of him… That kind of stressed her. He had been gentle and loving that one time, even if he had been a bit… Well, it had been a bit one-sided. Nothing against him at all! But yes, it was true… And having read the book she had bought about it… She knew it could be so much more… And Katara wanted to try that. Would it be very rude of her to give the book to Aang?
Yes. The answer was quite easy. Of course it would be rude! She could as well say, "Here, you are bad at it, and I need you to improve. Quickly!" How awkward would that be? And it wasn't his fault! She was sure that she hadn't been perfect either… But it had been so, so sweet… She had loved every second of it, because it was Aang. But improving it would be good…
"Found it!" A whisper managed to cut off the rambling in her head. Spirits, that would be better. She had been spiralling into a pit of stress…
Aang entered, and quickly shut the door behind him. She saw him fumble with something in his hand, and the scraping was very distinctly the one of flint on steel. A few sparks flew up, but it didn't make flare up the candle. A second attempt made the candle catch fire, lighting the small room in an eerily orange glow.
"Well, hello there…" Aang said, smiling at her. He looked… wrong.
"Get that off your head!" She smiled, extending her hands and pulling the headband off. The blue arrow tattoo appeared, still not covered by the dark hair. Katara tried not to smile too widely, because she liked his hair. She loved it, she wanted to run her fingers through it. Katara wanted to pull his head to her and kiss him.
But most of all, she wanted Aang, not Kuzon. Aang, with his tattoos, his bald head, his lopsided grin, his grey eyes.
"Katara… I… liked dancing with you, so, so very much…" Those words made her heart flutter. Spirits, that was good to hear. She knew he had enjoyed it, but to hear him say it, out loud, that made it real…
"Me too! You are quite a dancer!" Katara answered, at it was difficult the belief that just some days ago, she had been so stressed and sad. In just some days, her world had been turned upside down, in a good way.
"That was the first time a danced… Like that. With another person." He sat down next to her, leaning his back to the wall of the hut.
"You mean that you've never danced with someone?" She found that hard to believe, having seen the effect the airbender had on… well, most girls. Actually, the only girl that had never had a crush on Aang was Toph. Well, except Azula. But she didn't count. Even Ty Lee had been attracted to Aang…
"No, I meant, I've never danced… like that… with someone." Aang explained, and she felt his hand on her fingers. She knew what he meant. He had never danced with that exhilarating new feeling that they had both felt. That she was still feeling the aftershock from…
"Aang… About what I said during that dance…" Katara wanted to say it again. And again, and again, until the stars went out. She wanted to say it to him until her dying breath.
"Katara, I love you too. I have always loved you." He spoke up, and his voice sounded sure. There was no hesitation, no embarrassment. Just pure truth. He loved her.
Katara felt her cheeks flare up at that confession. She had not anticipated the directness Aang was using. But she liked it.
"I love you Aang… I have never felt like this for anyone… I missed you so much during your coma, you can't imagine it. It was like my heart had stopped beating the moment you feel unconscious… And it only started beating again when you woke up…" The waterbender could resist and put her head against his shoulder. Spirits it felt good to feel him against her, warm and alive. Not the rigid coldness of his unconscious body…
"Katara… I never plan to do that to you again, please believe me. I never want to make you sad…"
She smiled at that. He had no reason to apologize, it hadn't been his fault, but Azula. But it was so like Aang to feel guilty about something that he had not done, but that had brought grief to her.
"How did you know about what was happening in Ba Sing Se?" She wanted to know. Sokka had told her that there had been a vision, and that Aang had rushed back from the Eastern Air Temple. But she wanted to hear it from him.
"I… the guru showed me how to access the Avatar State. The first several chakras were quite easy to open up… But the last meant detaching myself from the world, from whatever binds me to it. And that's you Katara… Always been… I tried, thinking I would be able to separate my duty from my feelings. To give up neither one of them. And it worked… I still felt the same things, but I felt the power of the Avatar State, while I was in control of it… But then I saw you, in chains, in some room… I grabbed Appa, and flew back as fast as possible… I would never abandon you."
Katara felt tears prick in her eyes… That was exactly what she had needed to hear. Her father had been afraid that Aang's duty would be disrupted by his feelings, but to hear that he was capable of separating the two of them… All her own fears and worries were calmed thanks to that…
"And you? What happened in Ba Sing Se?" She heard the airbender ask. Of course, he did not know… She had not told it to anyone, and so, no one could have told him.
"Well… After everyone was gone, I went to several meetings with the generals. At one point, the initial plans of the invasion were laid out, and I would bring them to the Earth King. I decided to go for a cup of tea. There was a new teashop in the Upper Ring… But it was run by Iroh and… Zuko. I ran to the palace, and discovered the Kyoshi Warriors, who actually were Azula and those friends of her. Ty Lee, that is the chi blocking girl, she knocked me out. When I woke up, I was in chains."
That was the moment Aang had probably seen… And she tried to imagine his worry. If she had seen him like that, Katara would have moved heaven and earth to get to him. And… he had done exactly that for her…
"Azula knew about us." Katara whispered. It was only fair that he would know that.
"Really? How…"
"The Dai Li kept records on us… She planned to make you exchange the city for me. She thought you would do anything for your… Bitch." It was weird to talk like that about herself, and certainly in front of Aang… But he had a right to know.
"I.. I… Yes. I would have done anything for you. For Katara. For the sweetest, most genuinely caring person I have ever met… For the most beautiful woman in existence. For you. Not for my bitch. For the woman that I love more than life itself." The waterbender felt his fingers gently caressing her cheek. Spirits, the flame in her stomach flared up unexpectedly at that.
That confession… She couldn't resist… How could anyone resist when someone told you that? And Katara knew one thing for certain. Some people would say anything, lie and deceive to get to this point. But not Aang. He didn't lie. He was honest to a fault.
And she didn't resist. She moved her head, so that she looked Aang in his eyes. In those grey eyes, she saw the reflection of the small flame of the candle. Then, she closed the distance between them, and kissed him.
Spirits, it had been so long… The last time they had kissed was in the barn, in Ba Sing Se. More than a month ago… longer even. And she had dreamed about it, feeling his warm lips against hers, finally… And now that she was kissing him, the waterbender realized that her dreams would never live up to the real thing.
The airbender pressed his mouth against hers, and Katara felt his hands touching her waist. Due to the fact that her midriff was not covered by anything, she felt the hands on her skin. She shuddered and smiled into the kiss. Spirits this was good…
And then, he did something she didn't expect.
Katara felt how his lips parted, and she followed the movement, without even thinking about it. And then, she felt his tongue against her lips. The feeling was so new, but at the same time, it exhilarated her. She had read a bit about this in her book, but to feel it… Spirits that felt good. So, she moved her own tongue to meet his…
She didn't exactly know how long they stayed like this, but at a certain point, her need for air was too great, and Katara retreated a bit, releasing Aang's lips from her own.
"I've missed that too…" She whispered, not looking at him. It was true…. Spirits, she had not known how much she had missed the physical part of… whatever they had. A relationship? No, she wouldn't call it that… Or at least, not without speaking to Aang about it… And now, she didn't want to discuss that. No, she wanted to continue… The feeling in her lower abdomen was yet again flaring up.
Sitting upright, she began to undo the clasps of Aang's black vest. Yes, she needed this. And when she looked up, Katara saw his eyes…
Oh, he wanted it too. That was as clear as day.
"Katara… I wouldn't… I mean if you want to… Could we… you know, do the same thing as… as we did in the barn?" The words came rambling from his mouth. She looked up, into his eyes, and saw the kind, and a bit pleading, grey orbs fix her.
She nodded.
The waterbender heard the small exhale of air coming from his mouth and knew he had just sighed in relief. Had he been stressed about that? Of course, she wanted to continue what they had done… Why would he have been worried about that?
"I thought… I thought you hadn't liked it…" He whispered, and Katara could hear the relief in his voice.
The last clasp opened, and the sleeveless vest opened. Under it, Aang still wore that grey shirt. Pulling the vest from his shoulders, Katara tried not to look too happy. Spirits, how she had longed for this moment…
"I liked it." Katara whispered, while pulling the shirt from his trousers. She needed him to get out of these clothes, like… now. He looked at her, and then lifted his arms so that it was easier for her to do just that. And in less than a minute, his chest was visible.
Katara sighed at that. She had seen him for three weeks without a shirt, only wearing the bandages… And she had missed it. Certainly, now that she saw him, completely, without those hated linen bandages. She could look at him all night…
"Your turn!" Aang said, and his voice sounded much huskier than it usually did… Yeah, he wanted her, that was clear as day to her.
"Someone is eager…" She laughed, but when she felt his hand fumble around the hem of the top she was wearing, the waterbender tried to feel comfortable. The only time he had seen her… like that, was in a half-dark room. Katara felt the tips of his fingers go under the edge of the top and stop. He looked at her, and she saw the clear question in his eyes.
Can I?
She nodded. Spirits, yes, she wanted to… The top passed over her head, and Katara moved her arms to remove the piece of clothing. Normally, she would wear her bindings under her clothes. She had tried to put her upper bindings on, but it had looked ridiculous with these kinds of clothes… So, Katara had abandoned her upper bindings.
Meaning that her chest was now naked… She saw Aang's eyes wonder to her breasts and couldn't help but feel a bit self-conscious. The waterbender was acutely aware of the fact that her nipples were slightly harder than they normally were, and not thanks to the cold because it was warm in this hut…
Another thing she realized, as they sat opposite each other, was that, thanks to the light of the candle, Aang would probably have a much better view of her than the last time, when they had made love in a half-dark barn…
"So beautiful…" She heard him murmur, and a smile found its way to her lips. Of course, he didn't judge… He was just happy to be with her, as she was with him… The waterbender looked at the airbender's face. And she couldn't help it, but Katara felt a blush rush to her face.
Was it the stress, or just the look of amazement in Aang's eyes? She didn't know. But Spirits, he looked exactly like he did when he saw something he liked to eat on the table. She bit her lips to stop laughing, but still grinned as she looked at Aang. He had too many clothes on.
"Can you… take those off?" She asked, gesturing to his trousers, still grinning. He was apparently not against it, not at all, because he jumped up.
As he was hopping on one leg to get his boots off, she also stood up. It would be only fair if he got naked, that she would do the same! Katara kicked off the sandal that she had been wearing, and undid the few buttons in the skirt, which fell to the ground…
There she stood, only in her bindings, as Aang managed to get out of his trousers. The waterbender realized this was going to be the first time that she actually saw… Well, his parts. That time in the barn, they had not looked down, and there had not been any touching and looking. No, that time had actually been just… They had looked each other in the eyes while fumbling a bit around in lower regions until it… fit? They had not seen each other naked… Really naked that was…
"Katara… I… What do you want to do?"
She saw how Aang, standing just in his undergarments, looked at her. And the waterbender couldn't help it, but her eyes began to wander… And her eyes followed the tattoos, snaking over his legs, disappearing around the thighs. Katara knew that the two lines trailed over each butt cheek, that much she had seen in Ba Sing Se… And that they met up and the lower part of Aang's back… Then, they were interrupted by the scar, to begin anew over in upper back, to snake around his arms and follow the spine over the skull, ending in arrows on the hands and his forehead. But for the first time, she began to appreciate how good they looked on him…
"Katara?"
Oh… She had been carried away a bit. Looking up, she saw that Aang was blushing.
"Sorry…" Yeah, that could be awkward… She must have looked like the airbender had done when she had revealed her chest to him…
"I… I would like to… Do the thing again? If you are up for it?" She whispered, and as soon as she had said those words, her lips were captured in a kiss by the airbender, who closed his arms around her.
Yeah, he was up for it!
As he was kissing her, she felt his hand around her waist, and Katara knew what he was searching for. The knot, which he knew was there. The knot that kept her lower bindings together… She took a small step backwards, separating her lips and his, and smiled shyly.
"Together?" It would perhaps be easier if they both felt a bit awkward, seeing each other naked, really naked, for the first time…
"Together."
Katara knew that she had to have a bit more time to undo the knot, so she began to fumble and the linen bindings, and when the knot was undone, she looked up.
"Ready?"
Aang nodded, putting his thumbs inside his undergarments.
Katara exhaled, closing her eyes, and pushed the bindings down, in one movement. Straightening up, she opened her eyes, just a little.
Oh Spirits…
Answers :
Gabriela N. Gonzalez : Oh he will be able to put it too good use, next chapter! Yeah, Sokka's worry for Suki will came back!
Jjsmith103 : Yes, even tough Katara and Aang are clearly the focus points of the story, I didn't want to give the others just a supporting role without developments or stories. Sokka may be overprotective, but I think that that is just his age. Here, he is eighteen, and has probably (!) outgrown those feelings. And of course he wants his sister to be happy!
Rak : Yeah, I put much effort in building up that tensions, so that shyness wouldn't play a major role in this case. Of course, it will still be there, but less so! And Sokka and Toph are both caring friends, who want to see their friends be happy!