A/N: Hey everyone, sorry for the delay. I usually update weekly but I wasn't able to write for a few days last week so it pushed things back. But better late than never! Let me know what you think you. It's been a rough past few weeks for me, so reviews mean a lot.
Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender
3 Months Later
Graduation day
"I'll be right down!" Aang yelled before smirking at himself in the mirror. He had defeated Ozai three months ago, yet he was still getting used to being back in his own bedroom. Every day felt like he was readjusting to being home, to feeling safe. Two and half years ago, he had lost faith in ever knowing what safety would feel like. While his hope had returned, he still woke up in the middle of the night often, still held onto Katara tight daily. Aang wasn't sure if that feeling of hypervigilance would ever go away completely.
Aang eyed his yellow and orange robes that hugged his silhouette and the matching yellow cap with a tassel perched snuggly on top of his head. A smile formed across his lips as he remembered how Gyatso sewed graduation robes for him, due to the school only having red, blue, and green robes available. The school could have made a robe for him in Air Nomad colors, but Aang had totally forgotten about graduation until a few weeks ago, which was not enough time for his school to order robes. Giving himself a lopsided grin at his reflection in the mirror, he grabbed his phone and headed downstairs.
"There he is! I hope you're not too grown up for some egg custard tarts," Gyatso said with a smile as he stood at the kitchen counter.
Aang laughed, "I will never be too grown up for those. Are these for later or for now?" The mischievous look on the airbender's face elicited a guffaw from Gyatso. His guardian gave an approving nod and before he could grab silverware, Aang had picked up a custard tart, inhaling it in what had seemed like one bite. "I'm still growing, you know." Gyatso grinned, "Of course, you are. Soon you'll be moving to downtown Republic City and attending council meetings. I still can't believe it." Gyatso's face was filled with a bittersweet expression.
Aang's eyes became shiny with tears, "I can't believe it, either. Speaking of that, the Council asked me if I'll be appearing as a traditional Master Airbender. I've been thinking about it a lot more lately." His mind flashed back to seeing his parents, both with head to toe blue tattoos and shaved heads, just like Gyatso. This tradition had become less customary in the past 20 years, with both Aang's parents and Gyatso encouraging him to make the choice on his own. Aang was staunchly opposed to getting his tattoos and shaving his head, he had a hard enough time fitting in when he was announced as the Avatar. But after the death of his parents, and the belief by Ozai that airbenders were weak, Aang felt that he wanted to get his tattoos more and more each day.
Gyatso tried to hide an excited smile as he asked, "Well, that's up to you. It's not something to be taken lightly. And the tattoos are done the old way, which means painful. What do you want, Aang?"
Aang thought for a few moments before responding, "I think I want it all. Tattoos and shaving my head. I want everyone to know who I am and that I'm proud to be an Airbender." He looked over to Gyatso, who had a smile on his face and tears filling his eyes. Aang's guardian only quietly nodded as a steady hand rested on his shoulder. Gyatso whispered through choked tears, "Your parents would be so proud of who you have become. You may have had help, but you accomplished this on your own. Don't let anyone take that away from you." Gyatso cleared his throat as he resumed, "We'll have plenty of time for that before you move downtown this fall, but for now, let's go get your diploma."
Arriving at his school made Aang's stomach flip. The culmination of the numerous challenges he had faced since enrolling at Kyoshi High School was on the horizon. Aang walked proudly with Gyatso, breathing deep as he wistfully hoped his parents could have seen him reach this moment. He wondered if what Gyatso had said was true. He wasn't sure if they would be proud of him, if they would agree with the choices he had made. The musical laugh of his girlfriend a few feet away pulled him from his dark thoughts.
"Aang!" Katara beamed as she threw her arms around her boyfriend.
Aang's heart skipped a beat as soon as he was enveloped into Katara's arms. He marveled at how she always made him feel so alive. The sound of obnoxious kissing sounds by Sokka made the couple pull apart, with Katara's eyes narrowed at her twin brother. Aang took a moment to notice Katara and Sokka in matching turquoise caps and robes, both standing in between Hakoda, Pakku, and Kanna. Much to Aang's surprise, Kanna pulled him into a tight hug. "You did good, Aang. I look forward to seeing the future you and Katara will share. I know it will be incredible."
Aang pulled away from the hug to look at the smile forming on Kanna's mouth. There was a twinkle in her eye that was unmistakable. Aang couldn't put his finger on it, but It felt like she knew something that he didn't. He shook this thought away to speak, "I think so, too, Gran Gran. Thank you for believing in us, and for believing in me." Aang talked with Pakku and Hakoda for a few more moments before the students were called to find their seats.
The sections of chairs were usually divided by nation, but since they had no airbending department, Aang got to choose where he would be sitting. Aang had a crooked smile on his face as he sat down next to Katara, "I need to thank the Water Tribe for being so welcoming to me." Katara giggled as Sokka leaned over in his seat on the other side of his sister and spoke seriously, "As far as we're concerned, you're an honorary member of the Water Tribe." Aang smiled as he squeezed Katara's hand, his eyes beginning to water again. He was surprised at how emotional this day was turning out to be for him.
Aang's attention was then brought to Principal Joo Dee giving a speech. The words were milquetoast at best, a lot of "the time of your life" and "bright future" drivel. Aang rolled his eyes and started tuning it out. He looked over to the Fire Nation group to see Azula and Mai rolling their eyes as well, but not Ty Lee, who hung onto every word by the Principal. Aang then caught sight of the Earth Nation section, where Toph was sleeping between Suki and Haru, both of which seemed fascinated by the unoriginal, "inspiring" words being spoken from the podium. He chuckled to himself before the sight of students getting out of their seats brought him back to the present. Names were being called and diplomas were being handed out. Aang mostly used this time to zone out while snuggling Katara, but he snapped to attention when his name was called.
"Aang Benson, The Avatar," Principal Joo Dee proudly announced.
Aang rolled his eyes at having "The Avatar" added to his name, but the smile on Katara's face allowed him to relax and unclench his jaw. He jogged up to the stage, hoping to make a quick exit. Unfortunately, Principal Joo Dee decided it was a prudent time to give a speech about Aang. Disappointment set in for Aang as he realized he might be standing on the stage longer than he would like.
Principal Joo Dee began to speak, facing the crowd, "I, and I'm sure everyone else present today, would like to show appreciation and thanks to you, Avatar Aang. Your bravery, resilience, and compassion are traits that we could all stand to have more of. You saved the world, and for that, we are forever grateful." Applause rang out amongst the crowd but for Aang, this speech was nothing to celebrate.
"Thank you, Principal Joo Dee, but to be honest, you shouldn't be thanking me. I had so much help defeating Ozai, and I couldn't have done it alone. Part of my duties going forward will be focusing on uniting every nation. We can't forget that we're all one people, all equal. I hope history will never repeat itself," Aang closed his eyes tight and walked away from the microphone, making his way back to his seat. A deafening silence fell over the crowd. As Aang sat down, he felt sad eyes from students and teachers burn into his skull. He got a reprieve by Katara and Sokka, who smiled at him proudly.
"I know people probably wanted to celebrate, but I liked your honesty. They needed to hear that just because Ozai is in jail, doesn't mean it can't happen again. I'm so proud of you, Aang," Katara said as she sweetly kissed him on the cheek. Sokka, stifling a groan of disgust, echoed his sister's sentiments, "Yeah, Aang, you know, most of Ozai's supporters are still alive, even if they are locked up. I think people need to know the truth. Good job, buddy."
Aang smiled at his friend, "Thanks, Sokka." The solemn look on Aang's face diminished as the rest of his graduating class received their diplomas. He felt like he could be in the moment and enjoy his graduation again. After the ceremony concluded, Aang and Gyatso left to begin setting up the graduation party for Aang's friends.
A few minutes after Aang and Gyatso arrived at their home, multiple cars began to pull into their driveway. Katara, Sokka, Toph, and Suki happily ran into the house first. Zuko, Azula, Mai and Ty Lee arrived last. Aang beamed at the sight of his friend's faces together at his home. It had felt like years since they could all be together out of hiding. Aang walked over to the buffet table filled with veggie dumplings, fried tofu, veggie spring rolls, noodles, and veggie stir fry. "Well, I hope you're all hungry. Dig in," Aang exclaimed with a big grin.
Once the chatter died down and everyone began to eat, Aang sat down next to Katara on his deck in the backyard. She took a sip of her la croix, finishing her drink with a smile in his direction. His heart fluttered, like it was the first time she smiled at him. Aang loved the way the sun glistened on her brown skin and he began to feel himself melt away. But a nagging thought about the decision he had made halted these good feelings. He knew that he needed to tell her, which made his stomach drop. Aang was aware that, deep down inside, Katara would not care how he looks, but he still wasn't completely certain. Shaking the nerves away, he took a deep breath, forcing himself to speak the uncertain words.
"Uh, Katara, can I ask you something? It's kind of important and might...change some things," Aang asked with a wince.
Katara's laid back demeanor quickly changed as she sat up straight, worry apparent in her eyes. "Aang, what is it?" she asked. Aang grabbed her hands and placed them in between his, to steady her but to steady himself as well. Aang's stormy grey eyes became sad, which sped up Katara's heart rate. "Well, see..okay, you know how master airbenders used to look years ago?" Katara replied, confused, "Um, I think so. I remember seeing a picture of Avatar Yangchen in your room, she had these blue tattoos that seemed to go on forever and a shaved h-". The waterbender stopped talking as understanding took over. "Oh," Katara said matter of factly, "I'm guessing you want to shave your head?"
Aang shook his head, "Yeah, and tattoos as well. I don't know how you'd feel about it, since it's unusual. I know you like the hair and-" Aang was cut off by Katara kissing him passionately on the lips. A few moments later, Aang returned the kiss with matching fervor. After a minute, Aang pulled away, dazed and confused. "So, does that mean you're okay with this?" Aang asked cautiously.
Katara nodded as she replied, "Of course I am, Aang. I know what it feels like to be connected to your culture, how it's a part of who you are. I'm proud of my ancestors, and I want you to be, too. Just as you're accepting of my culture, I want you to know that I accept whatever you need to do. I do love your hair, but that's the least important part of who you are." She smiled reassuringly at Aang as they sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments. Katara asked, "So, I know about how the shaving will go, but what about the tattoos? How will that work?"
Aang grinned in excitement at being able to share his history with Katara, "Well, from what I understand, at the temple, the monks and nuns will shave you and privately tattoo the arrows in blue ink. This can take hours. After it's done, they usually do a ceremony at the temple to unveil your transformation. Friends and other people you're close to are invited. Gyatso said we can do it after our vacation. I wasn't too sure about waiting but then I remembered that I might be pretty sore for a while and I need my body to tear it up on the dance floor on Ember Island."
Katara giggled as she placed her hand inside the palm of Aang's hand, and squeezed gently. "We do need to show everyone how it's done, so I agree with that." It was Aang's turn to laugh now. He leaned in to kiss her but was interrupted by an all too familiar voice and hand stopping him right there.
"Hey, guys, want some salmon puffs?!" Sokka grinned as he pushed a plate of food in Aang and Katara's faces. Aang shied away politely, "No thanks, Sokka, I'm good." Katara's face turned red and her fists balled tightly as she yelled, "Sokka! How did you even get those in here? Aang and Gyatso don't eat meat."
Sokka frowned, "Fish is not meat, Katara! Besides, I got some delivered since I knew there wouldn't be enough protein here for me." Katara continued to scrunch her red face at her brother, "You're so embarrassing, you just can't bring food that someone doesn't eat for cultural reasons to their home! Why don't you ever think?"
The twins continued to bicker as Aang slumped against the back of his seat. The way they were arguing, he knew it could be a little bit so he decided to walk inside and talk to his friend. "Hey guys, have fun out here, I'm going to be a good host and mingle inside." The twins simultaneously took a quick break from arguing to look at Aang and say calmly, "Okay, Aang" before they both returned to yelling at each other. Aang smirked at them before opening the back door and walking inside.
Aang entered the kitchen and immediately heard cheering coming from the dining room. Walking briskly to where everyone was, Aang smiled at the sight of Zuko toasting the cream on the egg custard tarts with a big flame emitting from his hand. Gyatso looked up from the display of firebending skill to address Aang, "Isn't this wonderful? You weren't here so I had to improvise." Aang chuckled as he approached Gyatso and gave him a tight hug. The thought that he would be moving away from his guardian in a few months hit him all at once. Tears formed in Aang's eyes, thinking about how much he initially hated the idea of anyone else raising him, to now feeling grateful for having him all of this time.
Azula yawned obnoxiously, "This really is a touching Full House moment, but I'm bored now, can we eat dessert?" She smirked as she saw the glares from everyone around the table. "Good, I'll take that as a yes," she replied as she made her way over to pile sweets on her plate.
Aang saw through Azula's facade, and decided to have some fun. Quietly sidling up to Azula at breakneck speed, the firebender's eyes widened as she jumped briefly before returning to her normal, annoyed face. "Real mature, Avatar," Azula quipped sarcastically. Aang only beamed more as he used his seismic sense to feel that she was trembling ever so slightly. Since he had taken her father's bending away, Azula had treated him differently. She thought she had everyone fooled, but Aang and Toph noticed, and that was all the joy Aang needed.
"Oh, come on, Azula, I know you'll miss me when I'm gone," Aang said with a wiggle in his eyebrows. He reveled in seeing her mind trying to figure out how to say something mean but not too mean to upset him. Aang decided to start eating his egg custard in anticipation of Azula's meandering acting skills.
Azula scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I'm going to miss you trying to get everyone to sing kumbaya every day. I'd rather go to school in the South Pole with your girlfriend." The look on Aang's face after the words tumbled out of her mouth was unbearable to her. "This is what heartbreak looks like," she thought. Azula grimaced as she realized what she had just said. "Uh, shit, I mean...you know...if she was going to school there."
Aang's friends and Gyatso, having overheard the conversation, stood around the table in stunned silence. Aang calmed himself with a few deep breaths before asking the dreaded question, "Azula, what do you know? And remember, I'll know if you're lying."
Azula gulped loud enough to be heard throughout the entire house. "Uh, well, I'm not really sure but, Katara seemed pretty excited about South Pole University. She..um..showed me the dorms on her phone a little bit ago. I don't know if it's definite though, Aang," Azula attempted to soften the final blow. She winced, preparing for anger that would never come. After a few moments of silence, she opened her eyes and saw everyone staring at the doorway. She turned around and saw Katara and Sokka standing together, mouths agape.
Aang spoke before anyone else could. "Katara, can I talk to you?" he asked. Her somber nod gave Aang proof that Azula was right. He interlaced his fingers with hers as they walked upstairs to his bedroom. After Katara walked inside his room, Aang closed the door gently before haltingly walking over to his bed where she was sitting.
Silent moments passed as the couple averted their eyes from each other. Katara cleared her throat before asking, "So, you wanted to talk to me?" Aang's hurt eyes looking at her caused her stomach to lurch. She nervously twirled her hair waiting for him to respond. Aang furrowed his brow, "Yeah, is it true? Are you going to United Tribe University?"
Katara took a deep breath, eyes looking at her feet and replied, "Yes, it's true. I only sent in my acceptance letter today. I was going to tell you when we had some time alone today but Azula ruined it. I'm sorry, Aang, I really was going to tell you today." Aang's face remained in a pained state for another minute in the quietness of his bedroom.
After what had seemed like forever, Aang spoke. "I do believe you, Katara. It's just...a lot to take in. We're going to be long distance. And not like a five hour car ride apart, more like a 20 hour flight away. You'll be busy and I'll be busy too, the Council is already talking about me attending all of these meetings, "Aang sighed, "So many meetings. I'm just worried."
For the first time since Aang became comatose, Katara felt anxious about their future together. "Worried? I..uh..about what? People do long distance all of the time. We can also skype and text, it's doable," Katara eagerly said. She held her breath as she looked upon Aang's face trying to figure out what she had just told him. He cupped her cheek with his hand, and the breath she was holding finally released.
Aang weakly smiled and said, "You're right, we can do this. I'll probably be traveling a lot so there's a good chance I could sneak away to see you if I'm close enough. I think I was worried because you chose something so far away but then I realized it's because of your culture and your mom. I understand that now. I think it's great. The only condition I have is that we spend as much time as possible together this summer."
Katara smiled and kissed Aang softly on the lips. The soft kiss turned into hunger. Katara felt the need in both of them to make this moment last. To not have anything else come between them. She wrapped her arms around his neck, breaking away from the kiss only to catch her breath. They stared into each other's eyes. Nothing else needed to be said. Their future was decided and waiting.
A/N: So, that was the final chapter but there will be an epilogue updated next week! More Kataang fluff and lemon ~