A/N: Sorry, had to reupload due to issues ugh.
An anon on tumblr asked me for a headcanon yesterday and this spiraled out of my control lol
I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or The Legend of Korra
Katara never really looked old. People often complimented her on how she never seemed to age a day, and she'd even been mistaken as her little Kya's older sister a couple of times. She was the talk of Republic City's women—some said she had this special seaweed cream available exclusively in the South Pole, while others theorized it was due to a plant-based diet she'd probably adopted from living on Air Temple Island. Still, there were rumors that maybe it had to do with her healing prowess—maybe she had a special technique that kept her body from aging.
Little did they know, though, that her only secret to not looking old was nothing more than just having her goofball best friend-husband by her side. Aang just never lost that kid in him, and while it did frustrate her at times, it was also one of the things that just endeared him to her. It showed in the way he still grabbed every opportunity to impress people with his undying marble trick and in how he snuck around the kitchens for an extra slice of fruit pie. In the silly competitions to see who could round up the kids for dinner the quickest, and the playful way he spun her around when they danced, just like when they were in that Fire Nation cave.
Even though he had to carry the world's burdens, he never lost that childlike sense of fun, and he made sure everyone around him didn't, either.
That is, until he couldn't.
Kya, Bumi, and Tenzin all saw it. Only weeks after their father's passing, Katara seemed to finally catch up with her age. And it was almost scary how quickly she did.
She had gotten smaller as her back hunched a bit, and her wrinkles became more prominent. Her smiles never seemed to touch her eyes anymore, and they no longer carried the lively spark they once had.
Tenzin and Bumi helped her move back to the South Pole, while Kya had volunteered to keep her company. As hard as Aang's death had been for everyone, they knew their mother carried the brunt of it.
For the next few years, she busied herself with assimilating back into the Southern Water Tribe with Sokka's help. He and Kya held her together on her bad days, and celebrated with her on the better ones. Her sons would visit when they could, breaking her usual routine every now and then. Life went on like this until the day the White Lotus knocked on her doorstep, saying that they found the one.
Of course, she immediately volunteered to be her waterbending master. From the moment they met, she felt a strong connection to the little girl, and the young Avatar reciprocated it. They were an almost inseparable pair, drawn to each other—after all, they had met before.
Slowly, things started to change. Kya and Sokka noticed how she brightened up around Korra, even laughing affectionately at the various troubles the child seemed to get into. Life became more than family visits and quiet meals at home. Renewed energy seemed to fill her, and she would smile real smiles again, the kind that touched her eyes.
The day Korra announced she was going penguin sledding, Katara knew she had to come with her. And from then on, she would watch her sled down the South's snowy slopes, bending her ice ramps so she could soar a bit before landing.
She knew he loved soaring, after all.
Korra would squeal in delight before landing back onto the ground in a heap of snow. The poor penguin would waddle away while its earlier rider collapsed into a fit of giggles. The scene would always grip Katara's heart with pure nostalgia.
Penguin sledding practically became a biweekly routine, and Katara looked forward to those days very much. Korra just seemed to have so much fun, and after many years, she was reminded of how infectious the feeling was. On penguin sledding days, she felt lighter, freer, and—dare she say it—she felt ... younger.
On those days, she would fondly think about how Aang was bringing fun back into her life yet again. Sometimes, it was almost like before, the only thing missing was—
"I love you, Katara," Korra declared one day as she wrapped her little arms around the old waterbender's knees. Big cerulean eyes looked up to her, and for a second, they seemed to flash silver.
She knew it was meant differently this time around. But she could see from the young girl's eyes that the words carried the same certainty and strength she knew. A single tear escaped her as she stooped down to return the hug.
"I love you, too," she whispered.
A/N: Another rushed writing job, but I hoped you liked it! Tell me what you think :D