This idea has been nagging at me for months now, but I've never been able to come up with something I really like. But I think this is pretty good, so enjoy!

"I…can't…reach!"

Aang stood on his toes, his arm outstretched as far as it could be, but he just couldn't reach the plate on the top shelf of the kitchen cupboard.

Katara sat at the kitchen table, giggling in amusement. "Something wrong, sweetie?"

Relaxing his muscles, the boy sighed. "No, I'm just trying to get that plate up there. I'd use my Airbending, but I don't want to break anything." With a growl, he muttered, "I hate being short."

"Aw, don't worry, Aang. You'll grow," the Waterbender replied with a smile. "Here, I'll help you." She got up and started to walk toward the Airbender, but he stopped her.

"No, no. I can do it myself," he insisted. "I'm not a baby, surely the Avatar can handle making his own lunch."

"All right, then, O Mighty Avatar," she said with a smirk. "I'm here if you need me."

With a few strained groans, he again stood on his toes and outstretched his arms in pursuit of the plate, to no avail. Katara had to admit that Aang looked rather adorable at the moment, like a small child. Though she felt a bit sorry for him, she knew he'd grow pretty soon. He was thirteen years old; there was definitely a growth spurt coming in the near future. Though she had to admit, she quite liked his current lack of height.

"I don't know what you're trying to prove, Aang," she said with a small laugh. "You're not tall enough, just let me help you."

"It's the principle of the thing," Aang replied. "I can do things for myself."

Though the boy's voice was strained, Katara could detect a hint of bitterness in his tone. "Sure you can. Who said you couldn't?" she asked.

Returning to a normal standing position, he shook his head. "N-nobody, Katara. Never mind, I—I just…" He gave a small, nervous laugh, deciding that the issue was too trivial to keep to himself. "You'll think this is dumb, but…I try every day to reach that shelf to see if I've grown at all. But I'm still so short. I'm starting to wonder if something's wrong with—wait, you're not laughing at me?"

Smiling, she looked up at his confused facial expression and responded, "Aang, there's nothing wrong with you. You are perfect, in every sense of the word." Her smile grew wider when she saw him blush at the compliment. "I know you're not as tall as maybe you'd like to be, but you've got to understand that these things take time. And everyone grows at a different pace. You'll get there eventually; you just need to be patient."

"I know, I know. It's embarrassing, though," he replied. "I'm supposed to be the most powerful person in the world…how is anyone supposed to take me seriously when I'm not even five feet tall and they have to look down at me?"

"They do take you seriously because you're good at what you do," she said. "It doesn't have anything to do with how tall you are. You make great decisions and do the right thing all the time."

"…And, don't get mad at me, but sometimes I'm a little embarrassed when people see me standing next to you. You're a lot taller than I am, and I know that it shouldn't matter, but it points out the—"

"Age difference," she finished for him. "Is that why your height bothers you so much?" she asked gently.

He looked away, ashamed. "Kind of. I know it doesn't matter to you, and I try not to think about it much because…well, I love you, and it's not like you're a middle-aged woman or something. I just keep thinking…what happens when you turn eighteen and I'm only sixteen? A legal adult dating a minor? Especially one so short? Aren't there laws about that?"

Katara raised an eyebrow. "Whoa, slow down there, Aang. I didn't know this bothered you so much. First of all, you'll be taller by the time you're sixteen." She paused, doing a quick subtraction problem in her head before continuing. "And second of all, two years over the course of a whole lifetime is practically nothing. It's normal for a married couple to be a few years apart. My mom was five years younger than my dad, and that was normal. They met when my dad was eighteen, so she was thirteen years old."

Aang blinked, now feeling more than a bit foolish. "Really? I didn't know that."

"And technically, I'm ninety-eight years younger than you," the girl pointed out. "So if two years is weird to you…"

He winced. "The iceberg doesn't count. But…I guess you're right."

She put her hands on his shoulders. "So, you're okay now?"

"I guess," he said with a shrug. "But I still wish I were taller."

"Well, it doesn't happen overnight," she told him. "Sorry."

Aang sighed and gave a strained smile. "Guess I'll just have to wait."

She nodded, wishing she could make him feel better. After a few seconds of thought, she smiled at him. "For the record, Aang…there is one good thing about you being shorter than me."

"What's that?" he asked.

Katara responded with a warm embrace, her smile widening as he melted into her arms. "You fit perfectly," she breathed.

He laughed, wrapping his arms around her midsection. It was true, his chin came up just to her shoulder, allowing him to nestle comfortably in the crook of her neck. "Mm, I do, don't I?"

She pulled away to plant a loving kiss on his forehead. "Like a glove."

He blushed, about to say something when his stomach growled.

"Oh, that's right," Katara said. "You're hungry! Here, do you want me get the plate down for you?"

Shaking his head, Aang relented with a small laugh. "Yes, please."

Also, I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. I wish I didn't still have to say that.