Rating: G

Word Count: 712


Katara stared down at the cave floor, feeling rather empty. Seeing Aang dancing with that other girl — what was her name? An Ji? On Ji? — stirred a smoldering, crackling heat in her belly that she couldn't understand but left her feeling agitated all the same.

She seethed silently to herself as she pictured the blush painted across that girl's face when Aang offered her his hand. She didn't understand why Aang chose her to be his dance partner for the demonstration.

As quickly as the anger had come, though, it dissipated, replaced by a sadness that was more than just sadness, an emptiness that went right into her bones.

Why didn't he choose me?

Logically, she knew it was because the girl was closest to him at the moment. Logically, she knew Aang chose her because he had managed to … acquaint himself with her. Yeah, that was it. Out of all the kids there, he would've gone with the people he's met before. Yeah, that … that made sense.

Logically, she knew she had no reason to be so torn up about it.

But she was anyways.

And so she averted her eyes from the dancing, joyful crowd. She yearned to join them, yearned to feel the playfulness they felt, yet it was as if a chasm had opened up in the cave between her and the party. She felt so … distant. So forgotten.

And nothing could bridge the gap between her and the party.

Nothing except for the footsteps that padded towards her, or the boy who suddenly appeared right in front of her, a soft smile on his face and a hand outstretched in a silent request.

Katara flushed. Her affirmation was right on the tip of her tongue, yet what flew out of her mouth were excuses — excuses, excuses, excuses. Her fingers jumped to her hair by their own will. Her tongue twisted in her mouth in a jumbled mess of words tripping over themselves, but she stilled when she heard three simple words.

"Take my hand."

This time, only one word jumped from her mouth: "Okay."

And as Aang pulled her into the dance she would remember for the rest of her life, Katara felt nothing but the fast-paced beating of her heart, the fluttering in her stomach every time Aang's skin brushed against hers, the thrill of adrenaline as she moved in sync with him.

And when she found herself mere inches away from Aang's face, a plea sat right on the tip of her tongue. But she swallowed it and instead returned the smile Aang gave her.

As they stood there, sweat pouring off of each other and chests heaving for breath, submerged in the cheers and applause of the kids that had gathered around them, Katara thought she knew what it was like to be carefree again.

Aang helped her back to her feet with a wide grin, a grin that she had seldom seen since Ba Sing Se and so desperately missed, and waved at the kids to continue on before they both stumbled back to Katara's table, laughter shaking their forms and giddiness making them unsteady on their feet.

When Katara slid back into her seat, she looked back up at Aang, suddenly feeling shy. "Thanks for dancing with me," she said bashfully.

Aang hesitated for a moment before — much to Katara's surprise and delight — he leaned forward and kissed her on the tip of her nose. He drew back, red painted across his face, but he looked so ridiculously happy that Katara couldn't help the giggles that bubbled up from her chest. "It was my pleasure," he said brightly with a grin and a wink. Heat rose in Katara's cheeks.

Then, in a blink, he was gone. Katara looked back to see Aang chatting with that girl from before, but the molten mess in her chest from before was gone; there was only a contented hum deep within her, a feeling of fulfillment to replace the deep, aching emptiness in the pit of her soul.

She touched the tip of her nose, still feeling the warmth of Aang's lips against the skin there, and wondered when it would be her turn to pay him back.