A little Kataang fluff for Valentine's Day 😊
The idea came to me while chatting with a friend of mine who is expecting her first little one soon, so I'm not so sure how in-character I kept Katara and Aang here. But I do like the way this turned out, so I hope you enjoy!
Reviews are appreciated!
Disclaimer: Nope, don't own ATLA, the characters, etc.
"Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. But everything changed when…," her voice carried quietly out into the hallway.
Aang slowed his steps against the stone floor as he approached the bedroom where his wife was supposed to be sleeping. At six months pregnant, she had finally given in to his pleas to rest. Needless to say, it had been a struggle to convince her.
She had never really been one to accept help or nurture from others. For most of her life, it had usually been her doing the caregiving. Though, in the thirteen years since she had found him in an iceberg and six blissful years of marriage, Aang had learned exactly how to get Katara to let him take care of her.
Or so he thought.
Her stubbornness had come out in full force for this first pregnancy. As the months waned on, his wife's most common demand was that he should not treat her as though she was fragile just because she was with child. On more than one occasion, she had been determined to demonstrate just how not fragile she was by challenging him to a sparring session. He had obliged to some light sparring at first, though she consistently pushed the boundaries of light sparring. His enthusiasm to maintain the flirty and rigorous sessions had ended when her belly rounded, and he had the very visual reminder of the small helpless baby within her. Not even her most guileful protests could move him after that.
"Sweetie, I'm putting my foot down. I think you should take it easy for the next few months."
An adorable pout formed on her face, fists on her hips before she decided to test the firmness of his resolve.
"Katara, Sweetie, please don't do this…," the Avatar pleaded with mild exasperation as she sent several taunting water whips at his legs.
"C'mon Aang. You scared I'm going to beat you, Avatar," there was a fun teasing tone in her voice, but Aang could hear in her voice that she was already a little winded.
He tugged at his collar in the nervous manner that had carried over from his youth, "No, Sweetie," she raised an eyebrow at him, clearly in the mindset that he most definitely should be afraid she'd beat him.
Realizing his mistake, Aang rubbed his temples, "I-I mean, of course I know I stand no chance against you...I'd just rather not send whips of water or tsunami-sized waves at my pregnant wife… We can do some gentle pushing and pulling, though!"
He tried to compromise.
She rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him begrudgingly.
"That's no fun. I am a master waterbender, I can handle some real sparring. Please," and there came the pouts and pleading beautiful blue eyes.
It took everything in him not to give in.
Aang had spent the last few months desperately begging Katara to take a break (not because you're fragile Sweetie, but because you deserve it more than anyone) to no avail. It was not until she felt their baby kick within her belly a few weeks ago that she had finally given in.
Naps had become a commonality in their household soon after. As it turned out, Aang and the little one staying warm in her womb were the perfect team in encouraging Katara to rest.
Though at the moment, Katara seemed to be wide awake and telling a story.
"Now, your Uncle Zuko was not a part of that horrific crime against humanity. Actually, no one in the Fire Nation that you will meet was part of that, so don't hold that atrocity against them. That was a long time ago and a very different nation. They're our friends now."
Aang smiled. He remembered a time when even the mention of the Fire Nation incited anger and sadness in his wife. Now, the Fire Lord himself was about to be Uncle Zuko. My, how things had changed.
"Before I continue, remember this: The story I'm about to tell you is not your average fairytale, my sweet little one. It is full of adventure, action, some unfortunate tragedies, growth, love...And most importantly, it is completely true," Katara said firmly, "Now, in this story, the princess wasn't so kind, the prince was far from charming, and it was the goofball that saved the day in the end. But it is a tale for the ages, so brace yourself!"
A small sigh and the shifting of bedsheets came from within the room as his wife seemed to be making herself comfortable. Aang was still just steps away from the doorway, his mind going between wondering whether he should enter the room and wondering what Katara would say of their story next.
The urge to listen won. He leaned against the pale yellow wall as he took in her words.
"It started with a fourteen-year-old girl and a twelve-year-old boy. Well, one hundred twelve, but who's counting."
He laughed internally at the acknowledgement of their strange age difference but continued to listen intently. The Avatar had never heard Katara recount their journey to anyone before. They had told tales here and there, but it felt different hearing her tell the story from the beginning to their unborn baby.
He felt a bolt of electric excitement shoot up within him. If someone had told him at twelve years old that he would be listening to a pregnant Katara, his wife! retelling their journey to their baby while she sat in their bed… Well, he would have had to pinch himself to be sure he wasn't still dreaming in an iceberg.
A thoughtful smile grew on his lips. He considered entering the room but was too curious about the story she would tell. So instead, he silently plopped down on the stone floor and leaned against the hallway wall as he continued listening.
"Your Uncle Sokka and I found that twelve-year-old goofball in an iceberg. Somehow, despite the hundred years that had passed since he had encased himself, he, and his bison Appa -who you'll meet soon- had hardly aged a day," Aang could hear the smile in her voice, "I know what you're thinking, how is that possible, Mommy?"
She laughed knowingly. Music to his ears.
"Well, I'll tell you, I would come to find that this kind, goofy boy could do a lot of what I had once thought impossible. Including making me fall in love at fourteen."
Aang's heart skipped a beat. He found himself subconsciously leaning in toward the doorway, hanging on her every word.
"We later discovered that he was the Avatar, keeper of world peace...but, well, he was silly and so young...and far from ready to take on the burden of restoring peace," Katara exhaled dramatically, "I just knew he would save the world, though."
Aang rested his head against the wall, eyes closed and letting the gentle narration of his wife envelope him. From penguin-sledding to exploring an abandoned ship to turning himself in to Zuko, she made it all sound magical. He felt his heart swell with love as he began to relive what had been both his journey to save the world and their love story.
"That first day of adventure with him made me happier than I had been in a long time. I knew that he was special from the start, but when he selflessly gave himself up, I was even more certain. You see, the sacrifice your daddy was willing to make for me and my village that day was the kind of sacrifice I had only ever known from one other person…," he could hear a slight quake in her voice, "And especially after the way he had been treated, it was a bit unexpected. Earlier, your Uncle Sokka had banished him from our tribe. Which come to think of it, I don't know if he ever lifted that banishment…," there was a pause as he assumed his wife mulled the thought over.
She was right. For as much as he assumed he had proven his valor to his brother-in-law, Sokka never had never rescinded Aang's banishment. The Avatar shrugged to himself. He figured he was safe.
Katara's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
"Well, Prince Zuko kept his word to leave us alone, but Sokka and I hadn't promised to leave him alone. So, we went after them."
The way she recounted the ensuing events made Aang sound a lot more heroic than he had felt at the time. Then again, she had always made him feel like a hero beyond his own powers. Katara's faith in him had never wavered. By some wonderful blessing from the Spirits, she had always believed in his potential and pushed him to be his very best. It was a wonder such an amazing woman would fall for the goofy boy she found in an iceberg.
As the tale continued, Katara muted some of the true traumas they had faced, making the story lighter and more fairytale-like. Every so often, she stopped to coo at their baby, the bed creaking ever so slightly as she readjusted herself.
"Now, Aunt Wu told me I'd marry a powerful bender. Uncle Sokka pointed out that your daddy, the Avatar, was a powerful bender...but I'll be honest, the thought had never crossed my mind until then," Aang made a face at her comment but smiled as she went on, "After that day, it crossed my mind all the time. I just never told him. Either way, he remained steadfast and was the best friend I could have ever asked for. By the time we had reached the Northern Water Tribe, we were thick as thieves -not that we had ever stolen anything. Stealing is not okay."
Aang's body vibrated with a silent laugh. His mind wandered to the waterbending scrolls his wife had stolen, their shenanigans scamming people, and the things they had had to do to survive, some of which might be questionable. He knew eventually they would share more of the truth of their travels as their little one got older. Trauma and all, it was worth sharing the lessons they'd learned.
The Avatar had to admit, he sometimes missed those days living on the run. Though their travels had been weighed down by the burden he and his friends had carried, they were also the days that brought him to the wonderful life he now shared with Katara.
"Well, by the time we made it past that misguided Avatar State debacle, we were on our way to find your Aunt Toph. Although we did not know her name or who she was at the time. We just knew we had to find her because your daddy needed an earthbending teacher to help him prepare for his ultimate destiny."
Aang looked up at the portrait of him and his friends, his found family, hanging on the wall across from him. Their lives had been weighed down from the start, but together they had helped each other find peace and happiness. He felt so grateful that despite losing his people, he had been able to stitch together a family that was better than he ever could have dreamed.
He began to wander back into his own memories when Katara's voice pulled him into hers. He especially loved this one. Even well past a decade later, his heart still fluttered, and a blush still burned on his cheeks at the reminder.
"...love is brighter in the dark. Well, he was not as smooth back then, but we had our first kiss that day and as soon as we did, our torches burned out. But almost instantaneously, we were welcomed with the most beautiful crystals lighting our way in the dark."
He heard his wife sigh in the contented way he knew so well by now, "And many years later, daddy asked mommy to marry him with a pendant made of one of those very crystals."
Love filled her voice and it swelled powerfully in his heart.
He imagined her touching her fingers to her neck where she wore the pendant he had carefully carved and presented to her years earlier on a cliff at sunset.
Aang closed his eyes again and felt himself drifting off into a dream of his adventures with his friends, except in this dream they were accompanied by his and Katara's children.
Though he was nervous about starting his journey into fatherhood because of his lack of experience with fathers, Aang was so excited to raise a child with Katara. They had always worked beautifully together, and he just knew they would be an amazing parenting team.
He could imagine the fun he would have teaching them about their Air Nomad heritage and taking them to the poles and across the nations to all the places he and Katara had passed through on their travels.
As Katara got into the part of her story where he learned earthbending, he wondered if their children would be benders. Though he knew the world expected an airbender from him and his wife, Aang trusted that they would get the children they were meant to have.
He and Katara would love them beyond words, whether they were benders or not. The pair had agreed that they would just as happily support their children as benders as they would in the skilled art of hand-to-hand combat and blade work or any other pathway. If they practiced the kindness and compassion both he and Katara valued so much, Aang knew he would be a proud parent.
As thoughts of fatherhood swirled in his mind, he only distantly caught the next part of Katara's story.
He was pulled completely out of his thoughts when he realized what moment she had reached in recounting their journey. She took a shuddery breath that was audible to him even from his place in the hallway.
"It was one of the scariest moments of my life, my little one. My heart broke in that moment. I thought I had lost your daddy for good," she paused and Aang gulped as he was reminded of the pain she had suffered during his uncertain recovery after the battle in Ba Sing Se.
"But with miracle spirit water and all the love I could pour into my healing sessions, he made it out alive. Weeks later, after your grandpa had helped us secure a safe place for him to heal and when I finally got to hear his voice again, I had no doubt in my mind that I never wanted to leave your daddy's side...even if I didn't quite understand why," she sniffled a bit, "There's something about loss that pushes you to hold on to those you love even harder."
He heard her sniffle again, this time harder. Katara didn't like to talk about the night he'd nearly lost his life and the ensuing weeks of emotional turmoil. As the sniffles continued, he thought it best to take that as a cue to make his presence known and comfort his wife.
Standing with a slight creak in his knees and distractedly dusting himself off, Aang stepped into the doorway. The sunlight from their bedroom window had cast a soft light on his wife. Katara looked radiant in her light blue robe surrounded by pillows as she cradled her round belly, presumably seeking comfort from the unborn baby within. Aang's breath hitched as he admired her while she was still unaware of his presence.
He leaned on the doorframe, smiling dreamily.
She rubbed her belly and took a breath before speaking, "There's a lot left to this story, little one. I'll skip ahead for now to let you know that even in our scariest moments I knew the Avatar -Aang, my best friend and person I loved and trusted most- would save us all," she grinned happily when she looked up to find Aang watching her, "And you know what, your daddy did not let me down, Bumi. He won. He restored peace just like I knew he would."
Aang took this opportunity to step into his and Katara's bedroom, where she lay propped up in a mountain of pillows, rubbing her pregnant stomach. She looked up at him, eyes glistening with tears but a loving smile forming on her lips. That smile she reserved only for him.
"That's a nice story you're telling there," he said as he gingerly removed a pillow from next to her and sat in its place.
Her eyes shone as she looked at him with the purest love. He leaned over to kiss her forehead, her eyes closing as another sweet smile played on her lips. Aang held the kiss for a minute before leaning down to place a kiss on her round belly.
"Well, who doesn't love to tell stories of grand adventures," she said warmly.
Extending an arm around his wife's shoulders, he brought her in for a kiss. It lasted a few minutes before they pulled apart, a little breathlessly. Katara adjusted herself to rest her head against his chest, his arm firmly around her waist and hand on the side of her belly. A contented silence fell over them.
Suddenly, Aang felt a little kick against his hand and his heart fluttered excitedly. Katara looked up at him with an equally excited expression on her face.
He rubbed the spot on her belly where baby Bumi had just made his presence known and decided to add on a little to his wife's story.
"You know Bumi, there is so much more to the story that I can't wait to tell you in person. Like when your mother fought the patriarchy of the Northern Water Tribe, or her amazing way of pulling me out of even my most uncontrollable states, the way she continued to demonstrate just how smart and talented she was all throughout our journey. She says I saved the world, but she saved my world."
In reaction to his brief addition to her story, Katara snuggled up to him even more.
"Oh Aang, how do you still pull at my heartstrings in just the right way," her question was rhetorical, but Aang contemplated it briefly.
"Because you're everything a hundred-twelve-year-old goofball could have dreamed of and more," his wife laughed, "And now we have this amazing next part of our story starting. Our little Bumi, we love you so much already. You're a part of us. The greatest adventure we'll ever have, I just know it."
Katara looked up at him, beaming with love and happiness. Aang felt content to know that he could do that for her. She reached up to kiss him tenderly. When she pulled away to meet his eyes there were tears glistening in her bright blue eyes once more.
"What is it, Katara," he asked with concern lining his voice.
"Nothing. It's just...Lots of parents have made up fairytales to tell their children to give them hope or to inspire them. And maybe they do the trick, but they're not real," she said as though she was working through something internally.
"Well, I'm sure they mean well. Do you, do you not want to tell these kinds of stories to our kids? Or is there a tale from Grandpa Hakoda you'd like to share...Or...," the Avatar felt a little confused about where she might be going with this.
Katara shook her head with a fond grin falling easily across her features.
"No," her brows furrowed with a sincere expression, "You, Aang. You gave me my own fairytale to tell. It's full of adventure, faraway places, love, battles, travels, friends...But the best part is," she cupped his face in her palm the way she had so many times before, "Mine is true and I get to live it every day."
Again, Aang's heart swelled with love and he felt a soft kick against Katara's belly as if to remind them both of their happily ever after.
Thank you for taking the time to read this 😊 I truly hope it added a little Kataang-induced smile to your day.
Feel free to share your thoughts in a review. Until next time, readers!