Differences

Lanky fingers fiddled with creased robes. A soft, barely audible sigh quickly followed as the digits stopped anxiously pulling on the fabric. A moment later, the airbender who inhabited the clothing quickly peeled the top layer of his ceremonial robes and leaned against the sink in front of him. His thoughts were racing.

"I'm being ridiculous! We've been together since we were kids! It would have come up by now if she thought that way." His digits that once nervously played with his saffron robes began to mindlessly trace his arm. The movement bringing his attention to it. Aang took mental note of every detail presenting itself in the bathroom mirror. He wasn't the same twelve-year-old boy anymore; in fact, he looked more and more like a man every day. He always reedy, but his late teens had been kind to him, and he had filled out relatively well. Air nomads always were thinner than the other nations, yet constant training in the various bending disciplines had helped put some lean muscle on the Avatar. His pale skin and bright blue tattoos also served to mark his differences from those around him. After all, he was the only one in the world that still carried the marks of an airbending master. Aang's eyes were what bothered him the most, one of a kind and depressingly unique, they were a tell-tale sign that the avatar was thoroughly an Air Nomad. Aang decided that he was a much bigger fan of those sapphire blue eyes that often looked back at his instead.

He contemplated the visage staring back at him for another moment before quickly wrapping his robes around him once again. "I am Aang. I am an Air Nomad." Aang thought to himself before adding after a moment, "I guess no one will ever mistake me for a water tribesman … but that's okay, it doesn't matter." Although, the ending of that thought didn't sound very convincing even to Aang.

A light tap on the bathroom door pulled him from his thoughts.

A familiar voice followed the delicate percussion, "Aang? Are you ready yet? I do not want to be late like last time. Sokka almost made us an itinerary for the rest of the month."

Aang took a moment to steady his breath before answering the question, "Umm … yeah I just finished. I'll be out in a second." Aang cringed as he heard his own voice. Katara always knew when something was going on. Maybe she wouldn't notice this time?

For a moment nothing on the other side of the door moved. Aang breathed a sigh of relief as he assumed that his voice hadn't betrayed his rather glum demeanor. Not a second later did Katara answer from the other side, "Sweetie? Are you okay?"

She noticed. Monkey feathers.

Aang froze. He didn't really want to have this conversation. What if his worse fears were right? He heard Katara move closer to the door. Maybe he could still salvage it.

Aang cleared his throat and tried to put on a much more confident voice, "I'm the pinnacle of okay! I'm the very image of okay! I'm …" Words seemed to allude the airbender as he fumbled around for a few moments. "Content! That's me … good ol' content Aang."

Well. That didn't go very well. The light chuckle that left Aang's mouth at the end of that sentence only served to undermine the confident exterior he was attempting to put on.

Apparently Katara did not find it as amusing as Aang, "Sweetie." Aang decidedly did not like to hear that tone of voice. It typically meant that he had messed up. She continued, "you're going to come out here and we're going to talk this out."

The decision seemed to be settled upon, so there wasn't much for the airbender to do except to come out and face an interrogation. Aang wasn't so sure why he didn't want to have this conversation; after all, Katara knew him best and he would have to find out one day. That thought did little to soothe his nerves as he slowly opened the door.

When Aang opened that door, he was meet by a rather worried looking waterbender. Her brows were furrowed in a rather sharp angle, the corners of her mouth pulled down in a rather typical Katara fashion. She relaxed her expression as she looked up towards Aang, seemingly not liking what she had read on his face. Katara took a gentle step forward before speaking, "Come here, lets sit down and talk."

Aang took a seat at the foot of their bed, not really that eager to begin their conversation. Katara seemed to talk the hint and began slowly, "I'm not really sure what to say Aang, something is bothering you and you're not opening up. Did I do something?"

The avatar's gaze met her own as he responded, "What? Of course not. You've been nothing short of amazing." Katara cut him off before continuing, "Then what's happening Aang? I know you've been distracted lately." She slid her hands under his before continuing, "Then is it seeing everyone tonight? I know its been a while since we've seen everyone but its still the same old group."

A sigh escaped Aang's mouth. Katara wasn't going to drop this and he wasn't going to feel better until he got his answer, so he might as well take the leap. Aang took a deep breath before finally blurting out his thoughts "I'm not watertribe." That was it. The truth was finally out and Aang couldn't stop himself now.

"I'm not watertribe. I don't look watertribe. I don't talk or eat or walk like a watertribe warrior. I'm lanky and lean, nothing even close to the usual tribesmen. I'm pale and I have these tattoos that wrap around my entire body. I have a flying bison for spirts sake! I'm a vegetarian and I don't even like the one meatless dish of the watertribe!" When his tirade was finally over, Aang nervously peered over at his girlfriend terrified at what he might find. Katara was still seated at the foot of the bed, Aang hadn't even remembered jumping up off it, her jaw slack at the sudden outburst.

A few breathless moments go by and Aang is positive that he had just ruined his relationship. Suddenly Katara stood from the bed. She took a few steps towards the tense airbender before stopping directly in front of him and planting a firm kiss on his lips. It seemed to stretch forever and stole the breath from Aang's lungs. She melted against him as she wrapped her arms around him, and he cupped her face. His insecurity and worries flew from him and instantly he realized this whole train of thinking was silly. Of course, Katara knew he wasn't like her, but that was why she loved him because he was her missing piece just like she was his. She pulled away from the kiss but remained firmly within his arms.

"I don't care that you aren't watertribe. I never cared. I love you because you're this missing piece I never knew I had. You changed everything for me and showed me a world beyond the watertribe. I love my home, just not in the same way I love you." Katara finished with a smile on her lips and a blush rising on her face.

Aang responded, "I'm sorry. I just got this thought in my head and I couldn't shake it. I was so worried that if I brought it up to you then it would just confirm the whole thing and I wasn't ready for that."

"It's okay. Next time just ask me. It's important that we're honest with each other. Where did you get a thought like that anyways?"

Aang sheepishly removed an arm from her waist and rubbed the back of his neck., "You're going to laugh."

"What did I just say about being honest?"

Aang sighed before returning his arm to her waist, "Fine. Sokka and I went to the markets in town and the conversation turned towards you guys growing up … and … about how he always thought you would end up with a watertribe guy, so I guess I just felt insecure about it all."

Katara did laugh. She rested her head on Aang's chest before speaking, "Sweetie, you were the first non-watertribe guy I did meet. I probably would've ended up with a watertribe guy if you hadn't come along."

Aang grinned. "Right. Didn't think about that."

She pulled away from him. "Alright, let's get moving. Everyone's probably waiting on us and Toph gets grumpy when she has to wait." She was about to turn around before focusing back on Aang. Katara leaned in close and whispered in Aang's ear, "And for the record, I love your tattoos." She quickly turned around and headed towards the door.

Once Aang's heart finally settled he began towards the door. As he strode forward, the airbender's hand found its way to his pocket and grasped the smooth stone fixed on the front of a necklace.

A final thought crossed his mind as he walked through the door, "Maybe she won't mind being married to an Air Nomad after all."