Had a random idea for this fic so I decided to jot down a 3rd chapter. It's not as strong as the other two chapters, but I really wanted to get this idea out of my brain. Also, it turned out longer than anticipated, so thanks in advance for making your way through it! lol

If you have an idea for a story and want to request a fic-let or one-shot, send me a message. I like inspiration.

Disclaimer:

I do not own ATLA or any of its characters. If I did, this would not be a fanfiction, it would have been part of the show.

"Please. The real hero is the Avatar."

Aang looked down at the crowd gathered below. Though he had to admit there were times he craved attention and maybe even a little praise, today he did not. The cheers from the crowd and the moment of recognition from Zuko, now Fire Lord, humbled him. He chose to let his friend do the talking, content simply to stand at Zuko's right hand for this occasion.

So much had changed and so much was yet to come. For the first time since the monks had told him that he was the Avatar, Aang felt more than just the weight of the role. He felt proud and prepared to heal the world. The gentle smile from Katara looking up at him gave him even more confidence.

He watched as his friends and allies listened intently to Fire Lord Zuko's words. The atmosphere of the coronation was celebratory yet serious, with all attendees evaluating their role in the work ahead.

Not wanting to dwell too much on the new responsibilities he had, Aang continued to scan the crowd thoughtfully.

His eyes found hers again. His stomach flipped at the sight of Katara's expression. There had been something different in the way she looked at him these last few days. Though she had always been his biggest supporter, her eyes held something deeper since their reunion after the comet. Finally, he felt he had become the Avatar she had always believed him to be.

An overwhelming feeling of love engulfed him as he held her gaze. Yes, he still loved her. Despite having opened his seventh chakra and finally mastering the Avatar State, he had not had to let her go. He knew that his love for her made him stronger. It was Katara that he was really fighting for this entire time. Despite being the Avatar with important duties to the world, when he looked at Katara he knew his life's most important work would be loving her.

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Later, after the festivities had concluded and friends old and new had gone, Aang found Katara waiting for him outside of his room in the palace. She smiled carefully when she saw him approaching.

There came another flip of his stomach and a gulp he feared was so loud everyone in the palace could hear it.

Aang looked at her curiously as he neared, "Hi Katara...What's going on?"

An uncharacteristic blush rose to her cheeks as she fiddled with her hands, wringing them in a nervous manner.

Now standing before her, Aang thought he recognized the expression on her face. It was the same one he had seen flash across her features at random moments these past few days and on a few occasions in the year they had been traveling together.

He smiled gently at her.

Katara's smile became more confident. "Let's go for a walk, Aang."

It was not a question, nor was it really a request. He simply nodded and followed in step as she led him through the palace.

She kept a brisk pace as they walked. Steady and silent, looking at him out of the corner of her eye every minute or so.

Aang longed to take her hand and finally tell her how much she meant to him. To hold her and feel her warmth against him. Maybe the time was finally right to broach the subject with her-

"Almost there," Katara broke their silence quietly. A small smile seemed to tug at her lips when she caught his eye.

-There had been a notable shift in her interactions with him since their reunion just a few days ago. Beyond the flashes of emotion on her features, she had given him the kind of attention he had been craving from her for so long.

Aang sighed softly.

Despite the change, he knew better than to push her by now. Aang saw her glance at him quickly then look away just as fast. He realized that the soft pink haze from earlier was still etched across her cheeks.

That conversation could wait.

"What's on your mind, Katara?"

They were in the palace courtyard now. It was a secluded area, filled with enough greenery to put it in stark contrast with the rest of the Capital City. Aang was momentarily distracted when he spotted a fountain pond occupied by a few turtle ducks swimming about.

"Do you mind sitting with me for a while?"

He looked back to see Katara gesturing to a bench under one of the trees. Nodding, he took a seat beside her.

For a moment, he thought he could hear her take a deep breath and wondered if she was trying to calm herself. Katara's hands seemed to be gripping the bench edges just a bit. He let his hands fall to the bench as well, just inches from hers.

Looking back out at the turtle ducks, he waited patiently for her to speak.

"We never really got a chance to talk about, about the other night and everything…," her voice wavered.

Aang looked at her, keeping a face so neutral he might have been interacting with Koh and not Katara.

He heard a loud gulp. It wasn't his.

"...and I just wanted to clear the air. I hope that's okay," she said at last.

Aang considered his words. He was not sure what she was expecting from him in that moment. He wasn't sure whether he should apologize, share his feelings, or both. For just a split second, he pondered asking his past lives for some guidance.

He thought against going that far. Nevertheless, he maintained his pause before speaking.

Then, after a few moments...

"Katara, I know it was an awkward situation for the both of us. We were both tired, it was just a short nap. I know we were both a little startled when we woke up, but I didn't think anything of it. We've camped together every night for a long time, so I didn't think there was an air to clear. I'm sorry if it bothered you though."

Although they couldn't have been dozing next to each other for long, Aang was happy to have had her next to him. It had not shown very well when he had airbended himself out of the bed, startled to have awoken with her asleep next to him in bed with an arm draped over his chest. In the seconds it took him to assess the situation, she had already jumped up too.

As she digested his words, something like a look of relief washed over her face and her posture changed.

Katara had the same blush now that she had that night. Scurrying out of his room without an explanation and an almost lingering "Goodnight Aang", Katara had set the tone for an unspoken change between the two of them. In the days since, he had longed to express his feelings even more. He had not realized how much he had needed the warmth of her against him until she had left his room that night.

"I know. I just didn't want you to think…," she seemed to be a lot less sure of her words than she usually was.

"I... I hadn't meant to doze off or startle you, either. We were both tired and it was just a brief rest near each other," she said as though she was really trying to explain the situation to herself but finally conceded, "and I just wanted to be near you for a while longer, so I let myself doze off. "

He looked at her with some surprise. She took another deep breath before he could respond.

"Aang, I care about you. You know that, right?"

He felt a rush of blood to his face. Looking down at their hands, hers still gripping the bench and his less than an inch away, he considered his next words.

"I've never doubted it, Katara. Things have just been confusing between the two of us. I don't know where I stand with you. I just know what I feel."

He looked at Katara and couldn't help the imploring expression on his face. Her deep blue eyes shone with what he thought might be tears.

Panic rose within Aang. The last thing he wanted to do was make her cry. He opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it.

"War is a scary thing. You know better than anyone how much it can take from a person. By the time I met you, the war had already taken so many of the people I loved…"

Katara held his gaze, eyes shimmering but not giving way to tears.

"I didn't quite know what I was getting into when I left my village to join you on your journey. I didn't know how important to me you would become... We've been through so much together. From the first day I met you, I have been able to count on you and trust you. You mean so much to me, Aang. But I've come so close to losing you too many times to count and I've been scared. Losing you, I don't know what that would do to me."

Without thinking, Aang covered her hand with his and squeezed it gently. She was still holding the bench, but he could feel her grip loosen under his palm.

"You're never going to lose me, Katara. That's a promise. No matter what, what happens between us, or where my Avatar duties take me. If you're not ready to be with me or if you don't want to, well then, that's okay. I'll always be your friend."

In a flash, Katara closed the space between them with a tight hug. Aang froze. He did not know what to do or what her embrace meant.

He decided that whatever it meant, he would hold onto the moment and hold her closer. They held each other for what felt like a blissful eternity. Aang felt her heartbeat match his and knew she felt it too.

Aang wanted to say so much to her but settled for a simple encompassing sentiment.

"I care about you a lot, Katara. That won't ever change."

She hugged him just a little tighter. He let out a soft sigh of happiness.

Slowly they pulled away from one another -though somehow their hands found each other, and they rested comfortably connected in the space between them.

Now facing her, Aang looked up to meet her eyes. A warm feeling rose within him when he realized her eyes were searching his eyes rather hopefully.

"I just need a little time to process all of this, okay."

Though not quite what he would have wanted to hear, Aang was simply glad to have some reciprocation from her. He nodded and tried to keep the giddy feeling bubbling within him from bursting onto his expression.

"Of course, Katara. I can wait. When you're ready, I will be ready to go in whatever direction you want. I'm not going anywhere."

She beamed and squeezed his hands softly.

He could no longer hold in the giddiness filling him and grinned at her -perhaps too broadly, but he didn't care.

Katara, still holding his hands, chuckled in amusement.

"Why are you smiling at me like that?"

"Oh, was I smiling," he asked innocently.

This time she grinned.

He felt his heart skip a beat.

Yes, Aang concluded, he could wait.

And that is it. Now, I am done with this fic. Comment, review, etc if it so pleases you. ^_^

Thanks for reading!