A/N: As requested by several reviewers, I finally finished the next chapter of this. I'm sorry it took so long :(. I've been inspired to update for months, but just couldn't seem to find time to sit down and write it all out. Here it is though! Because it's summer and I love summer, this is very summery :).
Also, for those of you that write yourselves (love scenes in particular) or for those of you that just need to de-stress and relax sometimes, I highly recommend this music: (put the youtube url and / before the link) watch?v=lOwz2Nu3Vs8. and all the other songs in the related videos list by Stephen Rhodes. I always listen to them when writing kataang, or if I need to fall asleep. They're lovely and you should definitely check them out. In fact, this chapter shares a title with one of my favorites of those songs. Just throwing it out there :). On with the story!


It was the end of a long, satisfying day. As a token of his gratitude for ending the hundred year war, Zuko had lent Aang and Katara the royal family's vacation house on Ember Island, which now included a private piece of beach property that only Zuko's family and his personally approved guests could use. This was largely for safety reasons as there had been several attempts on Zuko's life since his coronation. But Aang appreciated it not only because it helped keep his friend alive, but also because as much as he appreciated the admiration and love from his supporters and fans, it was nice to have a break from the public somewhere he knew no one could interfere with his time with his wife, Katara. Despite the fact that they'd had a full day however, spending most of it in town together, Aang lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling. He wasn't sure why exactly he couldn't sleep; he wasn't particularly worried about anything at the moment. Everything was fine, better than fine, in fact. He and Katara were on vacation in one of the most beautiful, peaceful parts of the Fire Nation. He closed his eyes, willing the sound of the waves to lull him to sleep, but after a time it became evident that no amount of willing could produce the desired effect of slumber.

Opening his eyes again, Aang ever so quietly swung his legs out of bed, treading lightly so as not to make the wooden floorboards creak and undoubtedly wake Katara. When he'd made it out of their room, he made his way out of the house entirely and onto the beach, where the moon shone over the ocean. He debated wading into the water and practicing his bending, but decided against it, instead seating himself on the sandy shore, looking out over the sea. The beach was peaceful even in the daytime, but at night it was ethereally so. He wasn't alone for long however, for soon, he felt a pair of quiet footsteps creeping up behind him on the sand. Before he even had the chance to turn around and greet her, Katara had seated herself beside him. But when he looked at her, he noticed with surprise and concern that her eyes were red and wet. She wiped at them hurriedly.

"Katara…" he breathed. "What's wrong?" His wife inhaled deeply, scrubbing the tears away with the heel of her palm.

"It was just a dream." She said softly, though she looked visibly shaken. Aang winced for her, inching his hand over to cover hers reassuringly.

"Was it about Azula?" He asked gently. It wasn't uncommon for either of them to have nightmares about the deranged princess that had almost taken Aang's life. Katara however, shook her head.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" Rare were the times where they weren't open with each other about their private thoughts and fears, but Aang always thought it better to ask rather than to pressure her. She leaned against him and he wrapped her in his arms, running his fingers soothingly through her hair.

"In my dream," she began quietly, "I was Yue, sort of. I was being forced to marry some Northern Water Tribe noble guy while you were gone. But then you came back…" Katara paused, swallowing. "And you were so angry. You wouldn't even look at me. The morning of the wedding I came to see you, but you were with someone else and you said I didn't even know you and you hated me. Then you left and said you were never coming back…and I woke up. I know it's stupid. It just felt so…real and-" her voice broke, tears threatening to fall once more.

"Shh." Aang whispered. "I'm right here Katara, and I'm not going anywhere." He felt her relax, however gradually, against his chest. "You're not actually scared that something like that will happen, are you?" He questioned after a time, genuinely concerned. As the avatar, he was busy, but he did his best to spend as much time with Katara as he could.

"No." She sighed. "I told you, it's all so silly. It's just, even though we're married, some of your older fangirls say that I don't know you or care about you or understand you and they do because their dads are also powerful and I guess…I guess it does get to me sometimes." Aang chuckled softly and Katara looked up at him, puzzled.

"What?" Aang smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ears and gently wiping the last traces of tears from her brown cheeks.

"You know me better than anyone, and that was always part of the reason I loved being around you so much. No one could ever take that place. Do you know how hard it is for me to feel like myself around most of those people?" Katara, now curious, shook her head. Aang laughed.

"Well, it's hard. I feel like nothing I'll ever be able to do will live up to their expectations sometimes, which is why I ran away in the first place. If I got angry or upset or felt lost or wanted to cry, they'd see it as me being weak or a failure. You support me through all of that. Besides," He leaned in close to her ear, "if you were forced into an engagement with someone else before we were married, I would've run away with you, as long as you wanted to." At this, Katara giggled, lifting her face to her husband's.

"Aren't you romantic?" She teased, already feeling significantly lighter. Aang shrugged, grinning.

"I try. Now, no more worrying about impossible things like me leaving you?" Katara smiled, her eyes shining in the moonlight.

"Alright. Why did you come out here anyway?" She asked, shifting the subject. In truth, she had been a little worried to wake up finding her husband missing.

"Couldn't sleep." He said simply. "It was warm." Katara smirked, moving her own lips towards her husband's ear.

"Warm, huh?" Slyly, she placed a nibbling kiss just under it, humming softly against his skin. He blushed, his eyes fluttering shut in pleasure before he could even stop himself.

"Well, it just reminded me of-" He stopped suddenly, biting his lip. He could have kicked himself. Katara couldn't know about that!

"Reminded you of what, sweetie?" She asked, seeming genuinely interested. He gave her his best reassuring smile.

"Nothing, it's not important." He hedged.

"Not important?" She echoed, and he felt her warm presence move away from him, causing him to instantly regret the words.

"I must've heard wrong when you said you felt like you could be yourself around me, then." Aang thought his wife was actually angry until he heard the singsong tone in her voice as she scooted away from him.

"No, it's just…it's just…just…" Katara smirked.

"Just what?" She prodded. Aang sighed, frustrated with his sudden inability to speak.

"It's embarrassing." He murmured. Katara softened.

"It can't be that bad." She insisted. When he still looked apprehensive, she continued.

"How many embarrassing things do you know about me?" Aang's shoulder slumped in defeat. Katara had made it clear that this was not something she was going to ignore.

"Alright. It reminded me of…well, when we were younger, my first um, fantasies of us, you know…were on the beach." Katara couldn't help but giggle at his shyness, but found herself blushing as well, suddenly rather intrigued.

"How old were you?" She questioned. Aang looked thoughtful.

"Probably around fourteen. But I dreamed about it earlier than that." He answered. To his surprise, Katara scooted closer to him so that their legs were touching again.

"Will you tell me about it? I won't laugh, I promise." Aang laughed, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Well, I could…are you sure?" He asked. Katara nodded.

"Yeah. I'm curious." Aang chuckled.

"Well, alright then." He licked his lips, trying to think of a good way to begin. How did one go about telling their wife about their first intimate fantasies anyways? "Um…you were out one day, I think, and I was lying in bed, doing nothing and I just started thinking about it. I guess that's when the hormones were really starting to kick in. I didn't want to, at first, because it felt dirty to think about you like that and I wasn't sure you'd want me to, but I couldn't help it. I'm sorry." He apologized. Katara giggled.

"Don't be." She assured. "I probably would've been more flattered than upset, even then." Aang's eyes widened.

"Really?" Katara nodded.

"You weren't the only one who thought about it, Sweetie. Now, keep going." Aang laughed.

"Okay, okay. Anyways, so I sort of let my thoughts go and I just imagined us on a beach at sunset, kissing and stuff. You told me you loved me and I said the same, and that you were beautiful." He paused here, smiling. "Then you told me you wanted me and we undressed and laid down and kissed some more…and you know…it just happened." He looked over at her and smiled shyly. "It was nice." Katara nudged his bare feet with her own, smiling coyly back.

"I wonder what Sokka would've thought if he knew you'd been thinking about having s-"

"Shh." Aang interrupted, giving her a familiar grin.

"It's not having sex. When I think about you, it's making love." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively at her and it was all she could do to not burst into a fit of giggles. Instead, she gave him a sly smile of her own.

"Oh Aang, you do know how to make a woman swoon." She said playfully, falling dramatically onto his shoulder. He shrugged easily, wrapping an arm around her.

"Well," he replied, smiling, "it's a good thing I'm here to catch you then." At last, Katara gave into the urge to laugh, nightmares completely forgotten as Aang laughed with her, a peaceful smile spreading across his lips when they quieted and looked out over the ocean.

"That does sound nice, though." Katara murmured after a minute, turning her face to Aang's again. He blushed, knowing even without her specifying what she was referring to.

"You think so too?" Katara nodded.

"I do. Besides, no time like the present, right?" Aang grinned.

"I guess not." He agreed and Katara leaned over to kiss his cheek softly. He wrapped her in his arms again and she began to place soft, slow kisses along his neck and bare shoulders.

"I love you." She murmured between kisses, hearing his regular breath turn into barely controlled pants under her lips. By now, she had memorized all of his most sensitive areas, explored all of the most secret places on his body that no one else would ever know, and he knew the same of her. A low moan emitted from the back of his throat and his eyes fluttered shut. Her hands began to skim along his chest and stomach, fingers dipping just below his navel before coming back up. This time however, it was she who was caught by surprise. Aang interrupted his wife's gentle touches and wrapped her in his arms, one hand running down over her backside to capture one leg and swing it over his so that she was straddling him. He grinned at her.

"I love you too. And you really are beautiful." In response, Katara cupped his face in her hands, bringing their lips together in a long, slow kiss. Aang's hands moved down her back and then her legs, one creeping under her nightdress and caressing her abdomen and inner thighs, purposefully skipping over the area he knew she wanted him to go. In response, she shifted her weight on him so that only their undergarments prevented them from coming together right then.

"Katara..." He groaned her name longingly as she broke the kiss, and as she looked in his eyes, she lost almost all resolve for teasing him. He was giving her his best polar bear-puppy eyes.

"Oh Aang." She sighed. "You're not being fair." A corner of his mouth twitched upwards.

"I know." He murmured. "I'm sorry Sweetie. I'll make it up to you though, Avatar's promise." Knowing she now had the advantage, Katara leaned down and placed her lips against his ear.

"Right now?" She asked. Aang responded by slipping his hands beneath his wife's nightdress once more and in one swift motion, lifting it over her head. He then slid her off of his lap and laid her gently in the warm sand beneath them so that he was above her.

"If you want." He murmured lowly.

"I do." Katara replied, sliding her legs around Aang's as he captured her lips in a kiss once more. Katara used her feet to work off his pants as his caressed the bare skin of her stomach, detaching his lips from hers to place a series of kisses along her throat. Allowing her hands to wander, Katara skimmed her fingers along his stomach as he had done to her, pausing to stroke his hip just above the line of his undergarments. He buried his face against her collarbone, gasping out her name. She couldn't help but smirk in triumph, even as she herself longed to go further. She coaxed him into a position laying beside her, and he watched with bated breath as her lips travelled the length of his body, hands working quickly and quietly to remove his last piece of clothing, placing a single kiss where her hands had been just moments ago before returning to his face, feeling him shudder under her touch.

His eyes shone at her in the dark in that familiar look that always made her heart stop and her whole body heat up, breathing heavily. That look meant only one thing, and was reserved for her and her alone. She was practically trembling as his warm hands worked their way along the bare skin along her ribcage, fingers finding their way under her bindings and unraveling them. She arched against him, murmuring his name as her underwrappings fell away from her body and he caressed what lay beneath, dipping his head to kiss gently but hungrily along her collarbone. It was odd, she mused. How this with anyone else would be completely and utterly repulsive to her, but with Aang, it always felt like the best thing in the world. How he had won her trust so effortlessly and how much she relished these moments with him. Or perhaps, she thought as he met her eyes and gave her the most caring, loving smile and she traced that line of the tattoo along his muscled back, it wasn't so odd. She would follow that smile to the ends of the earth. He leaned forward and placed an innocent, loving kiss on her forehead as he pushed away her undergarments. She kicked them off, unable to contain her smile as Aang nuzzled a second kiss on her cheek, his bare chest pressing against hers.

Holding her around the waist, he maneuvered himself back on top of her, his manhood pressing against her folds. She kissed him, nudging her hips up to meet his and allowing him to slide inside. He buried his face in her throat, his hot breath warming her skin, the sound of the waves in the background muted by the sound of her heart pounding in her ears. She wrapped her arms around him, tracing the tattoo on the back of his head down his neck and resting her head on his shoulder so that she could whisper into his ear.

"Is this as good as your fantasy?" She asked quietly. Aang shifted so that he could lean his forehead against hers.

"So much better." He answered, nuzzling her nose affectionately. Katara lifted her hips against his again and he responded by pressing back.

"Good." She smiled and he began to move inside of her, causing her breath to quicken and her legs to quiver even as she circled them around his hips. She covered his face in kisses, occasionally nipping at his ear when he would reach deep inside of her, causing her to whimper softly or gasp out his name. He would purr or groan in response, holding her tightly against him until there was no more space between their bodies. He varied his pace, moving slowly and sensually when Katara's breath caught in her throat and more quickly when she arched against him in urgency. Still, he was gentle, always so gentle and loving and Aang.

"Aang…" She moaned and he paused, tucking a damp strand of hair behind his beloved's ear and giving her that look that made her melt despite the fact that she could have sworn she already had.

"Yeah?" Katara smiled and gave a shuddering sigh.

"I just thought I'd let you know that you're perfect." The look on her husband's face as she uttered the words told her that they'd struck a chord deep inside of him.

"In that case," He murmured in reply. "I'd say we're a pretty good match, seeing as you are too and I love you more than anything." In response, Katara locked her lips with his again and closed her eyes, allowing herself to get lost in the blissful feeling of him moving deep within her, her entire body throbbing with pleasure. She stroked the length of his back, stopping only to hold onto him as tightly as she could when she felt his muscles tense as he neared what she knew to be his end. The sound of his voice when he called out her name drowned out every other sound and as she answered him with a keening cry of her own, the world was reduced in just a few precious moments to just the two of them and Aang was hers and hers alone. And then he was kissing her, his warm weight slackening on top of her even as his hold on her remained strong and sure.

"I love you." She said simply when they parted at last, Aang rolling over to lie on his side, still cradling her body against his, eyes sparkling. He kissed her cheek.

"I love you too." They lay together peacefully, relishing each other's company and warmth as the waves continued to crash rhythmically, soothingly onto the shore.