A/N. The chapter is a little all over the place, but I'm trying to convey the confused feelings that Aang is experiencing.
I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender.
As they entered the town, Aang couldn't hide a smile. Sure, this was not perfect… but Spirits… It looked so much like the festivals he used to visit before everything happened. And damn him, the airbender didn't care that this was but a poor imitation. These people were actively forbidding their fellow countrymen to do these festivals and cultural events, and at the same time, the rich partied on this island…
But they were here, and he hadn't had the chance to show the others what the Fire Nation used to be. So, why not ignore, just for tonight, the horrible truth? And at least enjoy what was given? At least, they would have one evening of joy… Twelve days… In twelve days, that joy would probably be so difficult to find.
The main street was packed with food stalls and people filling through the masses. It was… So much like it used to be that it nearly hurt him physically to think of it. A caught one or two people looking at him with a confused expression. Yeah… He could understand that. His clothes suggested that he wasn't that poor, but at the same time, he was wearing a hat that seemed out of place. But most people didn't seem to care… They probably thought he was wearing it as a joke of some kind.
"Alright, we don't stay long." Zuko stated, in a voice that didn't want to be contradicted, "Our group is probably too easy to notice… So, it may be better to split up. But stay in sight of each other!"
At that, Aang grinned. Perfect! He had suggested this evening just to give Katara something else to think about, but he had not known how to do so with all the others around them.
"I'll keep an 'eye' out." Toph grinned, and with that, she kicked him softly, with a wink. Yeah… No shenanigans. If he did anything, Toph would know. Shaking his head, Aang turned back to Zuko.
"Promise, we'll look out." He smiled at the firebender, but the airbender already knew one thing. He would not keep his eyes on the others… Only one.
"Groups of two in that case. And for Agni's sake, don't get into fights or something of the sort. That also count for… Flirting. No flirting with the locals." That last part, the prince apparently meant for Toph, and Aang couldn't help but laugh. Spirits, he empathized with the person Toph was going to end up with.
"I'll do whatever I want Sparky. But you are with me, let the others… do their own thing." The blind girl wiggled her eyebrows, before marching off, grabbing Zuko's arm and dragging him into the crowd.
Turning to Sokka and Suki, Aang realized those two had already gone, for he could see the tall frame of the water tribe boy in the mass of people just a few yards away, with a flash of auburn hair appearing once or twice between the heads of the Fire Nation citizens…
That left him with Katara… Just as he had hoped. Looking at the waterbender, he saw the smile on her face.
"So… This is how it was supposed to look when you told me you would show me Fire Nation at their best?" She whispered, and spirits, those blue eyes… They looked at him with such love he felt his heart nearly burst at the sight.
Yes… When they first came to the Fire Nation, he had told her about the festivals… And about the music, the dancing… And then, they had discovered that that wasn't done anymore. Even the language of the Fire Nation had been gone. And now, even though war loomed over their heads… Spirits, Aang knew that they had to at least taste a bit of joy from this.
"Come on!" He laughed, taking her hand. As he began to manoeuvre in between the people on the street, the airbeneder couldn't hide the big smile that was forming on his face. This was what it was supposed to be. Visiting festivals, and only thinking of the fun they could have there. He had missed that so, so, much…
"Aan… Kuzon, wait." Katara voice laughed behind him, as he dragged her towards the town centre. Aang could feel the slight tug on his hand, and, turning around, he realized that they had nearly skipped the stalls.
"Oh, that one!" He pointed to a stall that sold fire flakes. Feeling inside of his pocket, Aang produced the small triangular coins of the Fire Nation that he may or may not have taken from the big moneybag that had been in Zuko's luggage. The firebender had told him that he had stolen it from Ozai's personal treasury… And what better way to rub it into the face of the Fire Lord then amusing themselves in his villa, in the town that was built to amuse him, with his coin?
"Oh no! I tried that with Toph once in… well, somewhere! It was horrible!" Katara answered, and he could hear the mirth in her voice. Spirits… That was exactly what he had been wanting to hear. To give her this, to give her a moment of joy…
"When was this?" He asked. Aang had no memory whatsoever of that occurrence, and as they were elbowing their way towards the stall, he looked at Katara who seemed conflicted.
"The Earth Kingdom… During your coma."
Ah… So, during the time on the ship… No. He wasn't going to make her think back of that time. No… This was an evening for amusement.
"Well, I don't know what fire flakes you tasted, but they are really good!" Waving his hand to the stall holder, Aang held up two fingers, thinking of using his thumb and index finger. The other nations used their index and middle finger to say two, but here in the Fire Nation, you had to use your thumb.
The burly man, with a moustache as large as Aang's forearm, nodded and handed him two small bags filled with the steaming flakes.
"Five copper Bans." The man spoke in a surprising high-pitched voice. Aang nearly scoffed at that price. The last time he had bought them at a festival, when he had gone to one with Kuzon, two similar-sized bags had been one copper Ban… But then again, he had seen that the prices around the world had gone dramatically upwards, so his own limited knowledge about economics may not be very wise to discuss with the stall holder.
He quickly put the money in the man's hand and took the bags. Giving one to Katara, he spoke up once more.
"I once went to a Fire Flakes eating competition." He laughed, earning a raised eyebrow and a smirk.
"An eating competition? You? That sounds more like something Sokka would do." Katara answered, shaking her head before putting on flake between her fingers. Aang could see she was hesitating between just throwing it away and tasting it.
"Oh, Kuzon convinced me. He told me no airbender could hold down more than one bag. Only firebenders could eat it without passing out he claimed." Aang explained, taking a small handful of flakes in his hand and putting them in his mouth.
The inside of his cheeks began to burn up as he was munching on the snack, and he was trying to keep his eyes from watering. They were… strong. A little bit too strong even. Swallowing the flakes, he grinned at Katara, who had been watching his reaction. As he looked at her, she put the one flake in her mouth, but nearly immediately, her eyes watered and she began to cough.
Quickly rubbing her back, Aang hid a grin. That was… Well, he had never met anyone outside of the Fire Nation who loved that snack to be honest. He himself found them good, but not terrific, so he could understand the waterbender's reaction.
"Ah, there you are!" Sokka's voice sounded from their left, and, turning around, Aang saw the water tribe boy pushing his way towards them, followed by Suki.
"Here." Katara sounded slightly hoarse as she handed a bag of fire flakes to her brother.
"Oh, thanks!" Sokka sounded genuinely pleased, although Aang remembered another festival they had visited in one of the colonies during the winter where his friend had tried it and had made it quite clear he hated the snack. Now, however, he put a fistful in his mouth without even batting an eye. The airbender laughed, turned to Katara and whispered.
"You're right, next time such a competition takes place we are putting Sokka on the lists." He felt the soft humming from the waterbender's body, for he still had his hand on her back.
"Spirits, guys… You really are a bit… much. You do realize that, no?" Sokka rolled his eyes, but Aang saw the slight smile on the tanned face of his friend. Yeah… Sokka liked to complain, but the airbender knew that deep down, he was happy for him and his sister.
"I think it's cute." Suki pipped in, and the meaning behind those words seemed rather clear to Aang. He may not know much of the way you were supposed to flirt and charm people… but he knew what that tone meant.
Sokka, for the love of the Spirits, take the girl's hand and stop being shy!
He didn't say it, for a group of people pushed them aside, separating the two couples.
"Come on, before he finds us again." Katara whispered, and Aang noticed a hand taking his own fingers in their grip and pulling him towards the walls of the building lining the left side of the street. And while the waterbender was sneaking him through the crowd of crimson and gold… Aang couldn't help but only see blue. The blue of her eyes, the blue of those eyes flashing from time to time behind to look at him.
Spirits… he loved her so much…
"Where to now?" The waterbender asked him as they reached the wall of a building at the other side of the street.
"The square?" He suggested, grinning. Most of the noise of instruments and cheering came from there, and if he was not mistaken, that meant that there was music… And maybe even a bit of dancing? Spirits, let that be true. Let there be a big dancing crowd, in which they could ease without anyone noticing…
Katara nodded, sporting a similar grin as he felt on his own lips. Spirits…
As they walked towards the square, Aang kept her hand firmly in his grasp. Spirits it had been a long time he felt this relaxed… There was nothing to worry about, at least, not this evening. The threat of the comet, the danger his friends were in, and especially Azula's threat… They were not important tonight. No, tonight they were just simple people trying to have a good time at a festival… That was all.
As they arrived at the edge of the square, Aang's face felt as if it would crack because he was grinning so widely. It was true… There was dancing. And, to his surprise, a lot of drinking. He had not seen much of that at the other festivals he had gone to in the Fire Nation before the war, but he supposed that this was not a traditional festival like he was used to. No… This was the rich youth of the Fire Nation having a good time. Because he had observed that nearly everyone was around their age, or just slightly older… There were no older people, except the stallholders and the occasional man or woman above thirty.
He felt Katara press herself against his side, and the fingers around his hand squeezed slightly.
"Was it like this… before?" She asked softly.
"A bit, yeah…" He didn't say that there were subtle differences, for that was no use. And it was not important, at least, not really. The spirit of just wanting to have fun was present in this raucous cacophony, and that was enough.
"How were parties… when you were younger?" He didn't say at the South Pole, in case someone overheard him or her talking.
"Not like this, believe me. We had some… But that was mostly the elderly talking about legends and folklore… There was some music, and I remember one or two people dancing, but… not like what we did, in that cave. Slower." She smiled.
Aang could imagine who those two people had been about whom she was talking. And he could imagine Hakoda and Kya dancing together on the rhythm of those water tribe instrument he knew of… Spirits, that must have been nice to see. The airbender could feel a slight pang in his heart because he knew he would never see that. He would never see what Katara thought was normal for a… for a married couple.
"Would you dance with me?" He asked softly. Their corner of the square was filled with people, and there were still a small crowd between them and the space that served as a dancefloor… But that was not important. Not for what he wanted to do.
"There? We shouldn't attract attention…" She hesitated, but Aang just shook his head.
"No… here." He answered, taking her other hand and pulling her slightly closer. As he could feel her stand just one or two inches from himself, he let go of her hands and gently lay his own hands around her waist.
"Just… Just be here. Dancing doesn't need to be around moving around." He whispered, and heard the soft chuckle. He shuffled his feet in a very slow, deliberate way, letting Katara sway in the same direction as he did.
"Tara…" He whispered softly as he felt her forehead connect with his collarbone. Aang was still not used to the fact that he was taller than her, by a lot… But this felt so… so good… He had missed the carefree days… Those days that had seemed to far off these last few weeks.
"You can't imagine how much you mean to me…" The airbender muttered, and he didn't know where the words were coming from. But then again… he knew. He wanted to shout those words from the rooftops, so that no one would doubt about what he felt for the waterbender. Love, unimaginable love… These last few days, he had been so afraid for her. Not of her, nor because of what she could have done… No, he had feared for her and her alone.
"Aang…" She whispered, and he realized she used his real name, even though they were surrounded by hundreds of people who may or may not be listening, "We lost yet more time." Katara continued.
Yes… Yes, they had. Spirits, Aang had known he loved the waterbender ever since that time in the canyon where he had begun to learn earthbending. And they had lost so, so much time. First because they were just too… too shy to recognize the feeling. Then, because of the Long Feng and the Dai Li. Then, they had lost more than a month because of Azula… Of all the time they could have been together, even their time in the Fire Nation had been spent hiding their feelings from the others, sneaking around…
And then, he had given her that necklace… The necklace that still lay inside his chest, given back for all the right reasons… And finally, they had lost even more time they could have together because of his grief in the Air Temple and because of the anger Katara had felt because no one had even taken the time to listen to her… While she had cared for everyone.
"I know my love… But that is not important… We are here now… And that is what matters." He could feel a tear prick in the corner of his eye. In twelve days, that damned comet would come and change their lives forever… For better or worse. And there was nothing he could do to change that. No way he was ready to face the Fire Lord, and even if he was… How were they supposed to get close to Ozai…?
Katara didn't answer that but continued their slow swaying. It was completely out of tone with the fast-beating drums in the square, but Aang didn't hear the music. No… In his head, it was the silence, and the cheers and noises from the crowd just a feint nuisance. They weren't important… The only person that was important was in his arms.
"We need to move before we attract attention…" He heard the waterbender mutter against his chest, but Spirits… He wanted to stay like this for eternity. Aang didn't understand why, but in his heart… he knew that there wouldn't be another opportunity for just… Being together.
"I know…" He groaned, putting his chin against the soft velvet expanse of Katara's hair. He didn't want to move away… And the waterbender didn't move either, so he suspected it was the same for her…
"Come on… We really need to get going."
From far away, he heard the disappearance of the music, meaning that the dance was over, and that in not that long, they would be the only people dancing, softly and to their own music that no one else could hear.
Sighing, he let go of the waterbender's waist, realizing that dancing had been a bad idea. All his fears of losing her became clear once more, and Aang knew that he should put those fears on the background. He had taken enough of her patience with that. She had listened to enough of his problems… No, tonight was about getting her a moment of respite of all their troubles…
"Come on, we need to see what the others are doing." He spoke softly. Even though he didn't really want to do that, his friends also needed to stay safe, and the airbender suspected that his fears couldn't stay hidden if he spent more time like this with Katara…
Taking her hand into his, he pulled gently, but Katara didn't move.
"Tara… Did you hear me?" He asked, turning back to the waterbender, only to see her smile woefully at him.
"My love… it is alright to be sad."
Had he been so easy to read? Yes… yes, he probably had been. Aang had never been able to hide his emotions, enough people had said that to him to make him realize that it was probably true.
"I'm not sad… just… I wish everything would be different." He sighed. He spotted an empty stone bench on the side of the square, which seemed quite miraculous to him seen how many people were filling the streets. He pointed his chin towards it, and without another word, Katara pulled him to it. Sitting down, he felt how the waterbender pressed her left leg to his right one.
"I don't." She answered his previous comment.
"Tara… If everything was different, we wouldn't be in this impossible situation." And here they were once more, talking about his grief and his problems… And Katara was yet listening once more. Exactly what he had wanted to avoid in the first place.
"If everything was different, we may never have met… And if there is something I learned the last few months… Is that whatever time we have is precious." Katara whispered in his ear, and he could hear her own sadness in those words.
Of course… She was afraid too… Afraid that they would never be able to live a normal life, that this war would take yet more people she loved…
"Katara, I… I just want to plan my future, with you…" There. That was exactly what he wanted. To be able to look past the coming twelve days, and know that there was a chance that the thirteenth day would be another day, one filled with joy and relief… And hope.
"Aang." Her hand touched his cheek, and he lifted his eyes to look into those beautiful ocean blue eyes, who were just filled with love. And he even saw the small smile on her lips. "That will come, I'm sure of it."
"I'm sorry." He answered, "I wanted to take you, and only you here… to give you an evening of relief, where worries didn't matter." Aang kicked himself mentally. He had tried to make this a joyous moment, but fears and worries had crept up and ruined the moment.
"They don't… not now. My love, listen to me. We are going to manage, day by day. And tonight, we are going to spend together, without worries whatsoever." With that, Katara suddenly stood straight up, and offered him her hand.
"Come on." She smiled at him, and the sadness was gone from that smile. Aang sighed, knowing she spoke the truth. There was no use in worrying about something he couldn't change tonight. But he could at least give her the same as she was giving him. A carefree evening.
Also standing up, he took her hand and smiled as she pulled him along, in the same manner as he had wanted to do just before. As people streamed in the opposite direction, they were going up down the street.
"We need to find the others." Katara stated, as had been their original plan, "And after that, we are going back to the villa."
That surprised him. He had thought they would stay here, in town, for a while.
"All of us?" He asked softly, but Katara cast a look at him, before answering.
"No. Just us."
"To…"
"To do whatever we want. Just us two. You are right, it is a night for no worries, but visiting a Fire Nation festival isn't going to give that to us… no… We both know what does." She spoke.
Yeah… Her presence, and her alone. That made his worries go away. And did that mean… Did this mean that she felt the same way. That his… his presence made her calmer and happier? Yes, he knew that…
"Ah, there!" Katara suddenly stopped in her tracks, and Aang nearly walked straight against her. He could stop himself just in time and followed the pointed finger with his eyes, to find Suki at the opposing end of the where Katara was pointing.
The Kyoshi Warrior was alone, but Aang suspected that Sokka wasn't far. They began to push their way through the crowd.
"Su… ehm" He began to call, but realized that the girl's name was distinctly Earth Kingdom, so even the most drunk person could guess that the girl wasn't Fire Nation.
Suki looked up, however, and saw them, and the relieved smile on her face made him worry. What did that mean?
"Oh, there you are! Sokka is there." She pointed a thumb to a dark alley, "Throwing that snack up. It didn't seem to agree with him…"
Spirits… poor Sokka. He was really having a bad time trying to build… whatever those two had going on. First, he was interrupted by Zuko that night, then it had caused him to close off, and now, at the moment he had a chance… he was throwing his guts up in an alley.
"Make him drink milk." Aang suggested, "Water is not a good idea with all this spicy stuff…"
"I'll tell him. Are you two having fun?" The Kyoshi Warrior smiled at them. She didn't need to know about their small… Scene. That they had both felt slightly heartbroken thinking of their problems and uncertain futures…
"Yeah, we dance a bit, and we came to warn you that we are going back." Katara answered for them, and Aang felt relief that the waterbender had managed to explain it so neatly.
"Back, already?" Suki seemed startled, before a smirk appeared on her face, "Oh… back. Alright. I'll tell the others… You two have… fun."
Oh Spirits… She thought they were going back to have… well, sex. That was not at all the case! Aang just wanted to spent time with Katara, to be able to think of nothing else but her… And sure… if sex was on the table…
Or on the table!
Shut up brain.
That was not at all Aang's goal!
"Thanks Suki." He answered awkwardly, with Katara mumbling something similar.
"Get out of here." She smiled, before ducking into the dark alley, probably to find Sokka.
"Shall we go… Go back to the villa? We could continue this party there… I seem to recall there are a few bottles in the cellar…" Katara smiled tentivaly.
"Tara… Are you suggesting we drink the Fire Lord's wine?" He couldn't help but laugh a little at the idea.
"Maybe…"
Answers:
Alyssa: I am thinking about having a Sokka pov one of these days, maybe just before the Ember Island Play, but I'll have to see how I can weave it into the story. I want to focus on the feelings of both Katara and Aang, which are both a little all over the place at this moment, going from confident to shy, from afraid to happy.