Sleepy
Summary: AU. 'College students never get any sleep'. Aang had never believed that so much until this moment.
Note: These are long. I can't help it.
His fatigue was so palpable she could've sworn she felt his forehead hit the library table before she heard it.
Toph readjusted her balanced on the book in her lap and her bean bagged bottom before she spoke up.
"Sooo. What'd I tell you?"
He grumbled.
"I'll tell you what I told you," She continued, not pausing her fingers across the braille, "I told you that a day job, a night job, and studying for finals was going to kill you. And you know what's happening right now Twinkletoes?"
Another grumble.
"That's right!" Toph gasped in a sarcastic tone of excitement, "Toph knew what she was talking about. The odds, I ask you, the sheer odds."
Aang sighed and finally gathered enough strength to balance his chin on the most comfortable oak table he'd ever felt in favor of glowering at the blind girl on the floor.
"Oh put the pout away Mr. Monk," Toph grinned, flipping a page, "Wouldn't want your girlfriend to see you without your usual 'glow', would you?"
Aang was surprised he had enough blood circulation for such a blush, "She's not my girlfriend."
"Yet." Toph added. She heard him scrape his nails against the table; his thing he did when he was both nervous and happy.
"Yet.." Aang agreed, the grin spreading before he could stop it.
Oh yes, Katara Whitman, also known as The Only Girl For Him. From his first glimpse at her in middle school until now that they went to the same college (pure coincidence on his part, honest) Aang was sure every day was a bright day.
And he'd finally managed to ask her out.
"At this rate you really will be dead before your big date. When was it again?"
"Tomorrow." The muffled voice of Bison answered as he took a seat beside Aang.
"Sokka did you come in with your mascot uniform again?"
Said mascot pulled the Flying Bison head from his own, grinning, "I can't believe they let me wear it in here. So, whose excited about their big day tomor-woah. Aang, you look like a zombie."
"Maybe your sister has some weird fetish." Toph noted.
Sokka stuck his tongue out, "Oogie."
Aang was drowning them out. Or rather, letting their voices become white noise that'd allow his eyelids to droop lower. All he needed was a few minutes, and he'd be a hundred percent. Better than a hundred, he'd be...
"He's asleep." Sokka poked at his cheek.
"Finally." Toph tossed her book aside, "He must be totally out of it if his Kata-Radar can't even detect her two bookshelves away."
Katara poked her head from her hiding place, "You guys weren't kidding."
"So you gonna cancel?" Sokka asked, situating his chin onto his furry hoof.
His sister shook her head, "No way. All his hard work would be for nothing."
"Then what are you going to do?"
Katara grinned at her blind friend on the floor, "You just let me worry about that."
Aang's lips detached in an enormous yawn as Katara's hand guided him away from bumping into another lamppost.
"Thanks for walking me home again Aang. It's really sweet of you."
Aang nodded in delight, "No problem. I just want to make sure you get back safe."
'Even though my apartment is only two blocks away, you live in the dorms-'
Aang yawned again.
'...and your dead tired.'
Seeing her building up ahead, Katara paused to take both of Aang's hands into her own.
"Aang, about tomorrow-"
"I've got it all figured out, don't you worry. I'll pick you up at 6', we'll see a movie, grab some dinner-"
"I was actually thinking of something more... Traditional."
Aang lifted his brow past his signature blue-arrow beanie, now a tad more awake, "Traditional?"
He noted Katara seemed to be much closer now, snuggling into his arms and... Aang gulped, and staring at him that way. Where the street lights melded with her eyes like honey... Was that the smell of the cinnamon incense burners he'd given her? She actually used them?
'Sweet..'
He leaned against her hair and took a deeper breath, knowing if he was sleepy before, he was darn well blissfully dreaming now.
"Yeah, you know, home cooked meal, a nice movie..." Katara eliminated the space, agreeably warm in the summer heat, and tilted her smile to his neck, "bit of cuddling. What do you say to that?"
If Aang could say anything he was sure it wouldn't have been in any language either of them could understand.
When Katara finally felt him nod, she kissed his warm cheek and released him.
"Great!" Taking her bag from his shoulder (that he insisted on carrying each time) Katara hustled to the stairs of her place and tossed a wave from the railing.
"You get plenty of rest, you got it? Big day tomorrow!"
Aang watched contentedly as Katara made her way inside before trekking back to the school, positive he'd get the best sleep of his life when the reward would be his dream come true.
'So this is the feeling of a dream dying?'
Aang thought sluggishly, smashing Snooze on his third alarm.
There was no way he was going to be able to get up. Fatigue had finally weighed down so heavily on him he couldn't even feel his feet let alone use them to get to Katara.
Not twenty minutes later after he'd gotten back from walking last night had his boss called him in to work late. He'd gotten home at seven and had exactly twelve minutes of sleep before he had to get ready for his day job.
It was now 5:45 p.m., the date having been scheduled for six, and he'd just finished his classes fifteen minutes ago.
In other words, the only date he could get his body to go on was reserved for him and his bed.
All that hard work, all to treat Katara to the date she deserved, was now squandered because he didn't take Toph's advice.
Aang let loose a self-deprecating snort before burying his head further into the blue silk pillow; the worst part was he couldn't even work up the decency to call her.
Dead. Tired.
He gave the phrase a whole new meaning.
"Rise and Shine, Twinkletoes! You've got a date!"
He grumbled.
"Coming!"
Aang balanced against Katara's and closed his eyes.
While an immense relief flooded over his body knowing he wouldn't stand the love of his life up, he didn't know how much longer he was going to be able to stand up.
The heat from the walk over, both from the sun and the two people dragging him, had only served to make him sleepier.
Aang rolled off of the door in time for Katara to unlock it. For a moment Aang was sure her smile alone could wake him up.
"Hey Aang."
"Hey Kata-ah-ra."
Her smile turned sympathetic instantly and she pulled him in.
The first thing Aang noticed was the air. It was frigid! She must've turned the AC down to twenty below! It certainly woke him up a bit.
The second was the lack of lighting, save for the television.
"K-K-Kata-" She reappeared with a thick red blanket and draped it on his shoulders.
Aang dazedly allowed her to push him on her sofa, blushing when she huddled underneath his arm to share the warmth.
"So hears how I see it," Katara reached for the remote to press play, scooting the popcorn bowl over, "you almost stood me up because you don't know when to say "when". Am I in the ballpark here?"
Aang looked down in embarrassment, removing his arm from under the fleece to fiddle with its edge.
"Aang, you might be the silliest guy I know," She cupped his face and favored his lips with a kiss, "but you're also the sweetest."
While he was stunned in silence, Katara turned back to the 'chick-flick guaranteed to knock any guys lights out' (as Sokka had so generously labeled her cover) and cuddled.
"That's why I want you to save whatever 'date money' you earned for the next time. Deal?"
There was a soft thud against her head and Katara peaked up, chuckling as his beanie sagged from his hair, his accumulating stress lines unwound, and a goofy smile spread across his lips.
"Deal." Katara whispered for him.