A/N. A slightly shorter chapter, but I wanted to get this transition chapter out, before I went on holiday. I won't be posting the coming week, sorry!
I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender.
Groaning, Aang woke up, feeling the soft fur of Appa underneath his back. Sitting up, he saw, from the cracks in the stable wall, that dawn was still at least an hour away. The night before, Katara had fallen asleep against his shoulder after having cried her heart out. The airbender had scooped her up and had brought the waterbender inside. There, the others had smiled tentivaly towards him, but he had shaken his head, to make sure that they wouldn't ask anything more to Katara.
He had put her inside one of the first bedrooms on the first floor, and then, had gone to guide Appa inside the stables next to the summer house. The bison too had seemed exhausted, and Aang had opted to stay with his companion animal that night.
Not because he was angry with Katara, or because he didn't want to sleep next to her… He craved it! But… She hadn't given him her express permission or welcomed her back into her bed. Sure, she had fallen asleep before they had even had the chance to discuss sleeping arrangements… So, he had chosen to stay away from the bedroom on the first floor.
Standing up, the airbender glanced towards Appa, who laid sprawled on the stone floor, all six paws sticking out in different directions. Smiling, he walked around the bison towards the door of the stables. Even here, Aang could see the riches on display. Even at the stables, the beams were decorated with intricate symbols, making him think of smoke and fire. He guessed these stables had been built for animals like kimono rhinos or mongoose lizards…
Momo also slept in the barn. Aang had not seen him enter the night before, but as he shuffled towards the door, he saw his lemur hang by the tail onto one of Appa's horns. Shaking his head at that sight, the airbender managed to walk outside.
The courtyard next to the stables was ringed by a covered walkway, and the yard itself was tiled with a mosaic in the form a crouching dragon, snarling to the sky. To be honest, as he walked over it, Aang didn't think it gave off a family home or vacation vibe. No… like the Fire Nation Palace, this place was built to impress. In a more subtle, intelligent manner… But still, this villa on Ember Island gave of strong propaganda vibes.
As he walked over the tiled courtyard, Aang looked up into the sky, seeing the pale stars strewn over the greyish sky. The colour suggested that sunrise was not that far off. Exhaling deeply, he thought about if Zuko would come and search for him for Sun Meditation. Normally, they did that as the sun rose into the sky, early… So, perhaps.
But maybe the firebender was exhausted too from the last two days of constant travelling, and would cut him some slack… Even if the comet came in twelve days. Twelve days… twelve days to master firebending, and find a way to master the Avatar State, without having to let go of worldly attachments… Sure, he had guessed in Ba Sing Se that it was possible to let them go as Avatar, but to keep himself as attached as possible as Aang. But still, he had not tried it again since waking up from the coma.
The doors leading into the house from the courtyard were of light wood, bamboo or something… And slid into the wall as he opened them. Stepping inside the dark room, Aang lit a very small fire inside his palm, to have some light to explore the room without hitting anything over.
It looked like a wild party had taken place here a few months ago. The furniture lay around, but dust had gathered on it and around it, suggesting that it had been several weeks since this had happened. One chair stood straight, with traces of cleaning around it, suggesting someone had used it yesterday. Aang blew the fine particles of dust around him away, walking over to the next room. Casting a look inside, he realized it had to be the kitchen. Vines had grown through a broken window, and the whole counter was covered by it. If this place was to be habitable, they would need to clean that part out first…
Turning back to the common room, he grinned. One of the perks of being an airbender was that cleaning was… easy. Oh, so very easy. Inhaling deeply, he let air around him pick up and blow in every direction. One thing that he had forgotten, however, was the fact that no window was open... So, the only thing he managed to do, was blowing it upwards.
Coughing because of the dust that flew literally everywhere, he quickly fled to the corridor, letting the common room be for the moment. At least, the dust had been blown into the corners of the room… he hoped.
Turning around, he saw the staircase leading to the first floor. Should he… No. Not yet. Aang shook his head. This was the Fire Lord's home… So, perhaps, he could learn something about the man before going to wake up the others. The first step of the stairs creaked under his weight, and the airbender cringed, waiting to hear if someone in the bedrooms would wake up. After a few moments, where no one screamed or shouted at him, he continued to climb the stairs.
Last evening, when Aang had come down from putting Katara to bed, Zuko had said that they could take any bedroom… But that it was better to take the left side of the corridor, for the right side had been the rooms of the family when they came here regularly… But the firebender had said that every room was open for them, and that they could look around.
Aang couldn't imagine why someone, who would be under a lot of pressure, wouldn't come here as often as possible. If he had a house like this, closed off to any curious individuals… Spirits, he would come there as much as possible. As he arrived on the top of the stairs, he looked into the corridor.
Some of the doors had clean streaks over them, suggesting those were the rooms that were being used. All were on the left side. That surprised the airbender to be honest, for he had thought Zuko would at least settle into his old room. Then again… The prince's youth hadn't sounded that pleasant. With a father who had never loved him… And who had probably burned him. Zuko had never said it, but the small details of the few times he had talked about his father had been… unsettling.
Zuko had told him that Ozai was one of the best firebenders on the world, much better than Azula, and perhaps as good as Iroh. It had surprised him, however, that the prince hadn't talked that much about his mother, the Fire Lady. She had to be there too, no? Had she been as bad as Ozai, was that why Zuko didn't want to talk about her?
Or… Or was she out of the picture? Katara had told him that during her captivity under Ba Sing Se that the firebender had talked about his mother with her, that he had lost her to the Fire Nation.
What had Zuko meant by that? That his mother had been a nice person, but after the accession to the throne, had changed into a cruel person… Or had the Fire Nation killed her? Aang didn't want to ask Zuko, for it was surely a sore subject…
A door scraped open, and Aang looked up, seeing the firebender in question step out of the room at the end of the corridor. When the ember eyes spotted him, a tired, thin smile appeared on his face.
"In such a hurry to train that you've come to wake me?" Zuko whispered, as not to wake any of the others.
"Ehm… Not really." To be honest, no. No… Aang didn't feel like training today, after what had happened with Katara these last few days. But at the same time, he had already missed several days, and the deadline kept coming closer…
"Ah… Well, I suppose we could skip Sun Meditation to be fair. I had a bad night sleep, being back here… So, let's just have breakfast with the others, and begin after that. Toph said she wanted to give her feet a well-deserved rest. So, she won't be training you today." At the mention of being back in this house, Aang saw Zuko's lips make a thin line, not a trace of the smile that had adorned his face just moments before.
The firebender sighed, looking just over Aang's shoulder. Turning around, the airbender saw that the door behind him looked… Different. More… Well, rich. The look in the prince's eyes were all too familiar to him. Zuko hated being here, being reminded of things… Things that were not too pleasant.
"Hey… Do you want to talk about it?" He asked. It had worked for him when Katara had listened to his stories about the Western Air Temple… But for some reason, Aang suspected that the same treatment was not going to work on Zuko. His memories at the temple had been happy. The memories of the firebender from this place? He wasn't too sure.
"No." Zuko suddenly walked past him, and, without another word, descended the stairs, slamming the door behind him that led to the common room. After a few moments, Aang could hear the prince sneeze as he inhaled the dust in that room. Trying not to laugh, he turned his attention back to the door behind him.
The dark wood, and the gilded doorknob suggested that it was the bedroom of an important person. And… Well, Zuko had said they could explore the villa. But after having seen the reaction from the firebender, Aang chose not to enter the room. It would invade the little privacy Zuko had left, and it had seemed to him that that room held bad memories for the firebender.
So… He turned back to the left side of the corridor.
Just left to the stairs was the room in which he had put Katara… Would it be awkward after yesterday? He should have stayed in her room, of course, he should have! After all she had said, her emotions a mess… And he had just left her in the bedroom!
Express permission… Spirits, what had he been thinking? Of course she would have let him stay in the bedroom! He could have at least slept close to her, maybe not in the bed itself, but on the floor or something! At least he would have been there when she woke up! Grimacing at the fact, he had not thought everything through… like most of the time… Aang took a step towards the door.
Softly knocking on the door, as not to wake the others, he waited. There was no response… Knocking once more, a little harder, he waited… And waited.
No response.
Of course, she was still sleeping. Right? So… Why not just check if she was alright?
Opening the door as gently as he could, he quickly stepped inside. Closing the door behind him, he cast a look into the bedroom. The night before, when he had taken Katara to this room, he hadn't really looked around, preferring to let her sleep in peace, after everything that had happened… But now, his eyes scanned the room. In the corner stood a large closet, while closer to the door stood a high mirror.
Aang was surprised, because the Fire Nation had not been known for its glass industry, or mirror-making skills when he had been younger, a hundred years ago… Maybe this was something they had imported from around Gaoling, or… Well, no, the other place known for it hadn't made a glass bead in a century. So, probably the southern Earth Kingdom.
His eyes travelled to the other side of the room, where the bed stood. Next to the bed stood a chair, with soft cushions, that looked inviting enough. The airbender sighed in relief as he saw that Katara was still asleep, wearing her long blue dress. He had put a blanket on her, but the fabric lay on the floor beside the bed. Next to the bed stood a chair, with soft cushions.
He could understand that. Even now, Aang could feel sweat on his back, announcing the warm day. Spirits, he had never lived through such a hot summer…
Wait… yes he had. The summer before… before everything… Could it be that the coming of the comet was announced by sweltering heat?
Shaking off that thought, he quietly stepped towards the bed, crouching next to it, as Katara turned in her sleep. She now faced the towards him, and the look of pure relaxation brought a smile to his face. It had been days since he had seen her like this… Just… Just happy. Not being worried about anything.
"Spirits, you really think of everyone except yourself, don't you?" he whispered, his heart still aching when he thought back at what Suki had said to him a few days ago.
Of course, Katara had worries of her own… But he had just been too dumb to see them, blinded by his own fears. About what Azula had threatened, the deadline of the comet, the prisoners from the invasion… All that, his fault, yes… But that didn't mean that others didn't worry. And he had forgotten that.
So, last night, he had tried to give Katara enough space to let her speak, let her talk about what had hurt her… And even though he suspected she had only shown the tip of the iceberg, when she had been crying her eyes out about what happened with the bloodbending, her mother's murderer, and everything else… He had just been there for her. As she had always been there for him.
The least he could do was be there for her.
"My love, if I could take your worries away from you and take them on myself, I would… I know it hurts. You should have the opportunity to feel happy… Every day. I have been a gloomy asshole these last few weeks, haven't I? Sulking about in the temple, crying for people who would have been dead by now no matter what… I should have used the opportunity to show you around the place, show you my happy memories… But instead, you had to deal with my grief. As I ignored your own…"
Aang didn't know why he said all this… But it felt good to at least acknowledge it. He would do it again when she woke up. Straightening from his crouching position, he sat to the chair next to the bed. Spirits, why had he not taken a second longer to look around the room yesterday evening? If he had done so, he could have slept in the chair, keeping an eye on Katara… Putting his elbows on his knees, Aang let his face sink into his hands.
"Gloomy… asshole?" A very tired sounding voice repeated what he had said. Looking up, the airbender saw the big blue eyes of Katara slightly open. Smiling, he shook his head.
"Not important. Go back to sleep, it is still early." He suggested.
But Katara didn't close her eyes. Instead, she moved her knees up, close to her chest, and kept her half-opened eyes on him. Spirits… She looked so beautiful like this…
"Why are you up already?" She murmured.
"I was awake, that's all." He answered. No need to tell her about his worries and why had not slept here tonight. There was no need.
"What time is it?" Katara whispered as she resettled into the cushions on the bed.
"Around sunrise. I already spoke Zuko, we are going to skip meditation today." Aang said, smiling as he saw that a long strand of hair was blocking his sight on her face. No need to tell her about the morose firebender… She didn't need to worry about anything else. Just herself.
"Mm… Back to bed?" She suggested, her eyes closed with a soft smile on her face. The airbender tried to smile, but he hesitated. She didn't know he hadn't spent the night here... Was she just unaware about what happened last night? Was her exhaustion so great that she found herself in that blissful moment between sleep and consciousness, where nothing else mattered except the soft embrace of a good mattress? Spirits, he hoped so… She deserved a moment of blissful ignorance, where she could just be… happy.
"Sure." He whispered back, standing up, quietly pulling off his boots and lying down next to the waterbender. As he closed his arms around her, Aang couldn't help but sigh in relief. This felt great. Their fight… It didn't matter, to be honest. He was just happy to have her back, unharmed.
Even if she had killed this man… On the one hand, it would have been justified. If he had been captured by any other Water Tribal, his life would have been forfeited because of his crime. But on the other… Aang knew that sooner or later, Katara would have grown to hate herself for killing the murderer. Not because she had done a bad thing… but rather because she wouldn't have had the closure she needed. No… only time could do that… Hopefully.
"I don't remember getting here." Katara's voice sounded from close to his chest. Aang put his chin just above the crown of her head, smiling.
"After… After yesterday, you fell asleep on me at the pier. I carried you here." He answered softly, planting a kiss on her head before putting his chin back in place.
"Mm… Aang?" Katara murmured, "Thank you."
"Why ever are you thanking me?" He had ignored her feelings, blew off her worries as insignificant… She shouldn't be thanking him.
"For being there… When it mattered." Her voice sounded tired, but it didn't sound angry or vengeful, as it had done the days before… Now, it seemed, the rage had left her, making way for exhaustion and regret.
"Thank Suki… She may have kicked some sense into us all…" Aang smiled, thinking back about how the Kyoshi Warrior had pulled him and Sokka on their ears to get their attention and make them shut up.
"I'll do that… later. But for now… I'm going to put it behind me." She murmured, still blowing hot breath against his chest. Squeezing her softly against him, Aang tried to hide a smile. She had shouted at him, during the fight, that their carefree days were gone, because of their worries. Maybe… Maybe he could get her one moment of untroubled happiness? If what Zuko had said about this island was true, there was bound to be some kind of entertainment…
And his disguise had worked during their stay in the Fire Nation…
So, why not now?
He surely had a hat or something to hide his tattoos… And as much as he hated to hide them once more, if it was to make Katara happy… Oh, he would do it without hesitation. Perhaps, after training, they could all go into town? If there was a town, of course.
He could try and help Sokka with his… problem. After having been interrupted by Zuko during the beginnings of… well, that, his friend had told him that nothing had happened. Sokka had tried to recreate the setting, the mood... But it hadn't worked.
And it would do Zuko some good to have a moment of relaxation. He had been the most stressed and uptight person Aang had ever met… And it couldn't hurt, certainly not if they found a way to hide the scar…
And Toph would surely have a laugh at their expense, for whatever reason… And she was actually the only one able to pass as real Fire Nation, with her jet black hair and pale skin. Sokka and Katara could pass off as mixed, from the colonies, or even from Harshi Island, known for their tanned skins.
So… If they found a hat for him, and a way to hide Zuko's scar… Why not?
"Katara?" He asked softly.
"Mmm?"
"I thought… maybe it would be a good plan to get out of this place, this evening… If you feel up for it, of course." And maybe… just maybe… There would a chance he would spend the night in the bedroom. And not only for sleep.
Hopefully.
"Is there a town?" She answered, sounding sleepy.
"I don't know… But if not, we could go to the beach. Bend a little…"
Or bend her a little.
Spirits brain! What the monkeyfeathers!
Hey, you thought it.
Aang grimaced at his thoughts. Sure… He was hoping something would happen, at least once… once before… Before the comet.
"Sounds…" The sentence was cut off by a yawn, "Sounds… like a plan."
With that, Aang felt how she settled her head against his chest, and her breathing rapidly changed into a sleepy rumble from deep within.
He let her. It was still so early, and the airbender knew that his day, after breakfast, would be filled by firebending kata and lessons about the history of the art, while Zuko would try and burn of any non-essential body part to make him learn that fire shield faster than humanly possible. But even the prince would need a rest, and during one of their breaks, Aang promised himself, he would try and pry some information about the island's activities from the firebender.
Because… honestly? They had the weight of the world on their shoulders, the world as they knew it could be ending in twelve days… But what else would they do with their evening?
Sit around, talk a little, and go to bed, one by one… So, why not make it a little more fun, and spent their free time doing whatever Ember Island had to offer? At least… At least, that way, there was not a moment lost. That way, they could profit of the time left. And… and maybe, he could make Katara happy, for the few days before everything went to shit.
Because, to be honest… That was everything he wanted. Sure, his Avatar duties obligated him to ensure the safety of the world, and fight against those who would disturb that balance, meaning, in this case, Ozai… But Aang himself? He cared for his friends… but his heart was set on one thing. Making Katara happy.
So, why not? Why not live a little before whatever the Fire Nation planned to do on the day of the Comet?
Answers:
Bbacon: Oh, I have a thing planned for the Ember Island Players, but it will be very different. Seen that Aang and Katara are already together, it wouldn't make sense to have him become jealous all of the sudden.
Airhead5678: I hope you still managed to finish the report lol? And I thank you for the compliment, it means a lot someone would binge read my stories!
Jjsmith103 : Exactly, I too have that problem each time I write. I have to remind myself that even if I know something, and Aang or Katara knows something, that doesn't mean anyone else does! And for example, Hakoda think about Kya sacrifice at the beginning of the story, but decides not to tell Katara that it was probably done to protect her. About Zuko, yeah, I think this makes more sense, seen Katara's personality. Indeed, Aang is her best friend before being her lover, so she knows she can always rely on him!