Rating: G

Word Count: 1039 (the only drabble I broke 1k on -_-)

Sequel to "Palms - Wish"


What Aang liked most about Katara's hands was that they were soft.

He wondered just how Katara managed to keep them that way. Aang thought he remembered her saying something about a seaweed lotion or something, but the recollection was so faded that he wasn't sure whether it was a dream or reality.

Whatever the case, Aang envied her hands; his were the hands of a fighter, callused and scarred from earthbending and wielding his staff for combat, hands that were unbefitting of a pacifist monk. Hers were the hands of a healer, soft and warm, lithe and gentle. Yet Aang has also seen her hands in combat, nimble and light as she commanded her element in battle. Her duality only impressed him all the more, for in an instant, she can turn from administering care and compassion to marking enemies with deadly precision.

And still, her hands stayed gentle and full of love … just like her.

All these thoughts flickered through his head as he sat with her on the balcony of their rented home in Ba Sing Se, looking up at the stars. Her slim, smooth fingers were intertwined with his larger, rougher ones, and her head was leaning on his shoulder, humming contentedly. The thoughts in his head spilled out of his mouth rather absentmindedly.

"Have I ever told you how much I love your hands?" Aang murmured, brushing his thumb against the palm of her hand.

Katara lifted her head, blinking at him in surprise; evidently, she didn't expect this. "Really?"

"Yeah." Aang stroked her fingers. "They're just so warm and soft and gentle. Full of love. Like you," he added with a grin, looking up to her.

Much to his surprise, Katara didn't smile back at him. Her eyes became shadowed, her expression shuttered. She gently pulled her hand out of his grip and curled in on herself, not looking back at him. "I don't know why you would like that," she muttered.

Concern was beginning to replace the hazy contentment that had clouded his head. Aang wracked his brain, trying to figure out what exactly he had said that would warrant such a reaction. He thought she'd take it as a compliment … but…

Now, he wondered if there was something he missed.

"Hey." He ducked his head, trying to get Katara to meet his eyes. Katara kept averting her eyes from him, but he didn't give up. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Katara gave a shuddering breath that shook her entire form. With a start, Aang realized she was crying, silent tears trailing down her cheek. He just barely caught a glimpse of a tear track in the moonlight.

"Katara?"

Katara shook her head, taking in another trembling breath. She finally met his eyes with her own, and Aang could see, much to his worry, a deep sadness in her eyes … and something darker, something heavier.

"You—" She inhaled shakily again. "You have so much strength. You have so much strength, and power, and resilience." She nodded towards his hands.

Aang bemusedly waited for her to finish.

"But I — I don't," Katara continued. She flexed her fingers. "I didn't have enough strength to s-stop Azula, and I — I almost didn't have enough strength to bring you back." She gazed up at him with teary eyes.

Suddenly, it clicked.

"Oh, Katara, no." He embraced her, curling his body around her huddled form. "You saved me."

"But I almost didn't," she sobbed. Her hands uncurled from her huddled form and grasped at his robes, fingers clenching into them. "My healing abilities almost weren't enough, Aang. I — I couldn't pull you back. And I would've never forgiven myself if you'd — if—"

"Shhhh," Aang hushed her gently, rubbing her back as his thoughts raced a mile a minute. Now he thought he understood why she was so torn up about his comments. But he also knew that she was wrong; she was strong, stronger than she gave herself credit for; he had to show that to her.

He gently pulled away and clasped one of her hands in his own. Katara raised her head, looking puzzled for a moment. "Aang, what are you — ?"

Aang gently pressed his lips against one of her fingertips. Katara gasped, then fell silent. One by one, he planted a kiss on each of her fingertips on the one hand. When he was done, he stretched out his hand in a silent request. Katara stared at him in shock, but she nevertheless complied, and Aang gave each finger on the other hand the same treatment. When he was done, he grasped both of her hands and tried to plant a kiss on all of them at the same time. He heard Katara giggle and glanced up to see her mouth curled in a small smile.

He lowered their hands onto his lap, and for a moment, they simply looked at each other. He felt the cool night breeze stroke his skin and saw it ruffle Katara's hair; her blue eyes shimmered in the moonlight.

"The reason why I like your hands so much," Aang said softly, "is because they aren't just soft and gentle, they're strong."

At that, a frown flickered on Katara's face, and she tried to pull away from him, but he held on steadily. "No, just listen," he implored. "These hands" — he lifted Katara's hands up for her to see — "brought me back to life."

Katara averted her eyes. "It wasn't me," she muttered bitterly. "It was the spirit water."

"No," Aang countered, "it was you, Katara. You brought me back to life. You didn't let me go. And that takes incredible strength." He turned over one of her hands, palm up, and laid his other hand onto it. "My hands may be scarred from all the fighting we've done, but there's different kinds of strength." He gently grasped her hand in both of his before drawing it to his chest, over where his heart beat. "And if your hands could restart my heart, then I'd say you are the strongest of us all."

Katara gazed at him, wide-eyed. "Do you really believe that?" Her voice was small.

Aang grinned. "I do."


A/N Stan Katara, y'all. Stan Katara.

Also, I'm publishing two chapters tonight because I will be gone for a week, and I thought, no use in publishing "Palms" and leaving you guys hanging.

So this will be the last update until ... next Saturday. If I don't publish another two chapters by then, feel free to remind me in a review!