Rating: G

Word Count: 606


"Aang!"

The airbender in question turned around, and Katara only had a moment to register the startled look on his face before she threw her arms around him, crushing him to her. Aang let out a startled "Mmph!" as she squeezed him with a strength that even Katara found herself surprised by.

But she couldn't help it.

She had come so, so close to losing him.

She exhaled slowly, trying to calm her racing heart. She felt Aang squirm in her arms, as though trying to wriggle out of her embrace, but it only prompted her to hold him closer, unwilling to let go for fear that if she did, he would disappear, swept away by the wind.

Aang let out a muffled sound of protest and shifted again. This time, Katara felt his hands gently pushing against her, as though trying to pry her away from him. As much as she didn't want to, though, Katara immediately went to respect his wish and (with great difficulty) managed to pry herself off of him, though she kept both of her hands on his shoulders to reassure herself that he was still there.

As soon as she semi-detached herself from Aang, he let out a great gasp for air and coughed, which immediately made Katara feel guilty. "Sorry," she apologized. "I just—" Katara halted, unsure of the influx of emotion that suddenly surged within her, and bit her lip as she struggled to place her emotions into words. "I was worried," she finished lamely, averting her eyes from his gaze.

That was a vast understatement.

A hand on her shoulder prompted her to look up, and she glanced up to see cloud-soft eyes trained on her, swimming with understanding and sympathy. "It's okay," he said in that soft, reassuring manner she was coming to love so much. "Don't worry, Katara, I'm alright."

"But— you almost— if the firebenders had—" Katara stopped, suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. "I don't know what I'd do if the firebenders had gotten to you," she confessed in a low whisper, glancing down at her feet. "I—I don't know what I'd do if I … if I lost you."

She heard Aang inhale sharply, and she couldn't blame him; she let out a shaky breath, rattled by her own confession. Yet, saying it aloud, she knew it was true, deep down to her bones; Aang made everything make sense in her life. He gave her a purpose, a purpose beyond being stuck with house chores back in the South Pole. He gave her freedom. He gave her meaning.

And if she lost him…

"You won't lose me," came Aang's solemn voice. Katara's head snapped up of her own accord to look at him in shock. He offered her a tiny smile that, while a far cry from his normally huge, child-like grin, was infinitely more comforting. "I promise."

Katara's hands trembled of their own accord. The way he said it … the way he sounded so convicted in his promise and so comforting at the same time … the way he spoke as though she had nothing to worry about … it reminded her of her mother.

She hesitated for a moment, the tide of emotions tumbling within her, before giving in to her impulse and dipping her head to kiss the arrow on Aang's forehead. She lingered for a moment, heart fluttering in her chest — but from what, she didn't know — before she pulled away to encircle her arms around him.

"I'm so glad you're alright," she mumbled into his ear.

She could hear Aang's grin as he said, "Me too."