Well, hello. Needless to say, I have a lot of catching up to do. So, um…yeah, I'll have to get on that. I'll start by saying that I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. (Now stop asking, you know the answer will always be the same.)
Enjoy!
After finally resolving the conflict in Yu Dao, he, Katara, Sokka, Suki, and Toph all decided to settle in Ba Sing Se.
Needless to say, Aang was exhausted. As soon as they reached their new home, he was the first one to his bedroom. He'd had more than enough conflict for a thirteen-year-old boy to handle. He had just saved the world a few weeks ago, how much more could he take?
His stomach lurched. He hadn't been feeling well ever since the resolution of the conflict. He hadn't told Katara, though, as he figured it was nothing to worry about.
His head started to throb. "Ugh," he moaned. He got up and trudged to the bathroom.
He looked in the mirror. His face was paler than usual. He felt his forehead. Sticky.
His stomach lurched again, and without warning, emptied its contents Ito the sink.
I think I'm sick, he concluded as he tried to wash the bitter taste from his mouth.
Meanwhile, in the living room, Katara noticed that Aang was absent from the group.
"Has anyone seen Aang?" she asked.
A chorus of "No"s followed.
She sighed. "I'll look for him."
"He's probably sleeping," Suki suggested. "Poor guy is probably exhausted after Yu Dao."
Katara got up. "Well…I'll check on him, then."
She walked down the hall and knocked on Aang's door. "Aang? Are you in there?"
When she didn't get an answer, she figured he was probably in the bathroom. So she patiently waited for him.
Five minutes passed. Then ten. Then fifteen. Katara became concerned and walked to the bathroom. "Aang? Are you okay?"
She heard the sound of someone vomiting. "Ugh…no," was the reply.
"Can I…come in?" she asked hesitantly.
"Y-yes."
She opened the door, and saw a very pale, clammy Aang.
She immediately put her hand to his forehead, and Aang could tell she was not happy with her findings.
"Come on," she told him. "Let's get you to bed." She helped him across the hallway and into his bed.
"Okay, I think you may just have some indigestion," Katara said.
"No kidding," Aang said sarcastically. He coughed.
"No, what I mean is that it's nothing to worry about," she explained. "You probably worried yourself sick. Literally. You've been under so much stress lately, that your chi is blocked. So it's flowing in spasms, and It happens to be blocked in your abdomen, so…you have indigestion."
"Can you save me, Doctor?" Aang asked softly, but playfully.
"You're not dying, Aang," Katara laughed, "not while I'm around. But you'll get better if you just unwind. You don't need to sleep, but you need to let go of all that stress." She smirked. "And I know just how to do that."
Aang raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?" he asked innocently.
Katara lay in bed next to him. "Lying here with you. Why?" She kissed his forehead, the bridge of his nose, and then the tip of his nose.
"K-Katara, be careful," Aang warned. "I don't want you to get sick."
"I don't care," Katara replied. And with that, she kissed him forcefully.
His eyes widened at the sudden display of passion. He wished he weren't so ill that he couldn't respond much. But he closed his eyes after a couple of seconds and let Katara do with him what she would.
Eventually, though, the sheer lack of air forced Aang to pull away, panting for air. His face was beet-red. "K-Katara…" he gasped. "Too…much."
Katara was as red as a tomato, as well. "S-sorry," she said sheepishly. "Are you…okay?"
"Yeah," he replied, touching his head. "Just a little…dizzy. I'm sorry." He blushed harder, ashamed that he couldn't respond better to her.
She giggled and stroked his cheek. "Aang, it's not your fault. You didn't ask for this." She kissed his forehead. "Besides, since you're not going to that meeting…I have you all to myself." She turned him over and nuzzled into his neck. "And I can cuddle with you all day."
He beamed before kissing her hair. Sometimes he forgot how young he was, that he was still thirteen and sometimes all he ever wanted was a hug. "I'd like that…" he murmured, just audibly enough for her to hear.
"I love you…so much," she breathed, kissing his cheek. "Sick or not."
Aang coughed. "Ugh…I—I love—you, too," he hacked, trying to stop his coughing fit, which had turned into a choking spout.
Katara shot up like an arrow, and, fearing that Aang's upset stomach may get the better of him, she ran to the bathroom and retrieved a bucket. She ran back just in time, for Aang vomited in the bucket two seconds after it had been put down.
But it was weird. The vomit was coming out in small spurts. Aang was shaking convulsively, and his jaw was clenched.
She grabbed his arm. "Don't fight it; relax. It's how your body cleans out its system."
So, Aang relaxed his jaw and opened the floodgates.
Katara patted his back gently. "It's okay, Aang."
After the geyser stopped spewing, Aang looked up at her. "I know," he said, grimacing from the bitterness in his mouth, "but it…hurts." He clutched his stomach.
"I know it does, sweetie," Katara said sympathetically, "but if you hold it in, you might rupture the lining of your stomach, and I can't help you much with that."
Aang tried to apologize for worrying her. "I'm s—"
"Shh," she cut him off. "It's not your fault. You're just a little sick, it's no big deal. You'll be better in a couple of days."
"Couple of days?" Aang uttered, shocked. "I-I have to be better by tomorrow! If I miss two meetings in a row…" He groaned. "If this disease doesn't kill me, then Zuko will."
Katara smirked. "You really think I'd let him do that? And anyway, I told you, you aren't going to die. It's just some nausea. You do, however…" She pulled out her water skin and gave it to him. "…need to drink plenty of water. In this heat, throwing up will cause you to dehydrate. As long as you drink, you'll be fine."
He took a sip. "But, Katara…what about tomorrow's meeting. There were important treaties I was supposed to sign today. If I don't show up tomorrow, I'll be skinned alive!"
"Oh, please," she replied, rolling her eyes. "Aang, I'm sure the world can go on without the Avatar on duty for a couple of days. After all, it did for a hundred years."
"Yeah, and it was at war," Aang pointed out, "which is exactly what might happen if I don't sign the Yu Dao Document."
Katara sighed. "Aang…I know you're under a lot of stress right now. And I know that you're very busy, and the world needs you. But you need to relax. You need to rest if you're ever going to get better. So stop worrying about everything, okay? Please?" She took his hand and laced their fingers together. "For me?"
He squeezed her hand and exhaled heavily. "I'll try."
That answer, though, did not satisfy her. She looked at him hopefully. "I love you. And I don't want to see you so upset. So please…just relax."
Aang nodded in response, pulling the covers up to his chin after getting a slight chill.
"Are you cold?" Katara asked him. "Do you want me to get you some more blankets?"
He shook his head. "N-no," he said softly. "You don't have to d-do that, I'm fine."
"Obviously you aren't," she replied, "or else you wouldn't be as green as Toph's dress and spewing like a geyser."
Aang raised a finger and opened his mouth as if to argue, but sighed in defeat before he could counter. "Point taken."
"Exactly," Katara said, smiling warmly at him. "I'm gonna get you an extra blanket, okay? I'll be right back."
"Promise?" he asked, looking at her with big, shining eyes.
"Yes," she answered, giggling. "I promise."
Needless to say, the next few minutes that passed were very cold.
Aang shivered. I'm freezing. Man, I wish I weren't sick. This blanket is too thin. Where's Katara, already? I don't mean to be pushy, but—
Fortunately for the Airbender, Katara came in and interrupted his cold, freezing thoughts by spreading another thick blanket over him.
"Thanks," he said gratefully.
Katara touched his cheek. "You're welcome."
"I-I just want to ask you one more thing, Katara," Aang said, lightly grasping Katara's wrist.
She smiled. "Anything you need, Aang."
"Would you just…stay with me?" he requested.
Her smile widened. "Of course I will. I had no intention of leaving."
"No, that's not what I meant," he said. "I was wondering if you could just…lie here with me?" He blushed, thinking about how silly his request was.
"Um…sure," she replied. I guess it couldn't hurt…I mean, it's just Aang.
She crawled under the covers next to him and turned so they were facing each other. "Better?" she asked.
His cheeks remained pink, but he gave a small smile and nodded. "A little."
She kissed his nose. "Hey, I know you're trying your best," she said, her smile never leaving her face. "But when you're sick, you're sick. And you don't need the extra stress of the state of the world right now. So take it easy."
"I'll try," he promised, nuzzling into her shoulder. "I'd kiss you, but I don't think that you'd want—"
"No, no. You need to rest," she told him.
"Okay," he replied. He closed his eyes and drifted off, but not before saying, "I love you."
She kissed his clammy forehead. "I love you, too."
