Where could he be? Katara wondered, shoving away yet another reaching branch.
She had seen Aang walk this way a short while ago. He must have thought they were asleep – Toph, Sokka, and herself – but she'd seen his dark silhouette sneak into the woods. Thinking that nature had called, she'd stayed in her warm sleeping sack. When the airbender hadn't returned right away, however, curiosity had nudged her awake and prompted an urge to follow. Who knew where Azula was? She just wanted to make sure he was okay. Anyway, it was as good an excuse as any.
So there she was, walking through the trees in the dark, trying to avoid running into anything, searching for Aang. Katara stepped over a fallen limb, brushing leaves from her face in annoyance, and a clearing suddenly appeared before her. There he was. A little shocked at the abrupt find, she stopped in mid-step. Her balance shifted, and she stumbled backwards into the branch she'd just pushed aside. Aang turned his head around at the noise and seemed to look right at her. Katara held her breath. After a moment, he lay back down, resting his head on his hands.
The waterbender wasn't sure why she didn't want to be seen. She was, however, very sure that she wanted to stay hidden. She held still for a few seconds, then slowly steadied herself on both feet. The branch was gripped tightly in her hands as a means of support, and she allowed it to straighten bit by bit, carefully releasing the tension. A breath of relief, and Katara stepped closer.
She kept to the shadows, which puzzled her. Was she trying to hide from Aang? No, she decided. The moment to announce herself had passed. If she stepped out now, Aang would think she had been spying on him. Which she was. But she hadn't been then. Something like that. She just didn't want to be caught watching him – that was it.
Katara had had a small crush on the airbender for a while now. Well, she wouldn't call it a crush, exactly. It was more like an intense desire to be near him at all times; a creeping heat sensation whenever he touched her arm; an inexplicable, unstoppable smile that sprung to her lips if his eyes caught hers. It was impossible to describe really, let alone name. But it wasn't a crush. Definitely not. Crush seemed such a superficial word to express her feelings. And no matter what Toph or Sokka said, it wasn't love either. Nope. It was certainly not that.
To be honest, she wasn't quite sure when she had begun feeling…whatever she felt for him. It was undeniably there during their dance in the cave, that much was certain. And there had been a little something going on in the Cave of Two Lovers. But before that? Katara couldn't say for sure. There'd always been a connection between Aang and herself, but when had it become more than platonic?
Whatever she felt for Aang kept her from walking into the clearing, sitting down next to him, and asking him point blank what he was thinking. (Since when has talking to him been difficult and awkward?) For now, Katara was more than happy to simply observe him. She had to admit – even though she didn't have a crush on him – Aang wasn't bad to look at. She'd actually caught herself gazing his way more often than was completely necessary. His new hair looked so cute and so short, her fingers itched to run through it. The black school uniform complimented his beautiful grey eyes. The pensive expression he now wore was adorable, attractive even – those eyes slightly scrunched, that tiny wrinkle right above his nose. True, these minute details weren't visible from where she stood, but she'd memorized that expression so well, she could easily picture every aspect of it now. She just wanted to run out there and hug him. Or kiss him. Her cheeks reddened at bit at that thought.
And why shouldn't I kiss him? she considered. Katara had caught Aang staring at her more than once, and she was sure he'd blushed each time she'd dared to peck him on the cheek. It was obvious he liked her too. Or maybe it wasn't. Maybe that was her mind fabricating details to make her think he liked her. Katara put her hand to her head. This was too confusing. Crushes – no, not crushes. Strong feelings of like were more trouble than should be possible.
In any case, she was going to act on the assumption that Aang did share her strong feelings of like. However, it would be a lot easier if he would admit all of it before she had to (and she would if he continued to be stubborn about it). Then she could declare that she loved – or really liked – him too, and they would fly off on Appa into the sunset, sharing a passionate kiss. Or something like that. She'd be alright with any one of the several scenarios she'd imagined, so long as it ended with Aang and herself together. If only that stubborn monk would get over himself and admit it, they could live happily ever after, dang him!
Judging by the way things were going – too stinking slow, by the way – Katara would have to initiate anything. That plan was a little too bold for her liking, though. Despite her optimistic outlook, telling her best friend that she cared for him as more than a friend took more courage than she thought she had. Especially if she had to travel with him no matter what. So a new plan was needed. Somehow, she had to get Aang to confess first.
A heavy breath escaped her throat, and she covered her mouth, praying to Yue that Aang hadn't heard. When he remained motionless, Katara relaxed.
She would have to get him to come clean without doing so herself. This meant encouraging him, but not actually committing herself. But making him aware of her feelings while somehow avoiding saying anything outright. Yes, Plan B was going to be tricky to carry out, but it was much preferred over a direct confession. Even though Aang hadn't mentioned anything on this touchy subject, she was sure she could do this. There were hints of romantic feelings, so it shouldn't be too hard. He simply had to be convinced to tell her he liked her. And she would use every trick in the scroll to get it to happen.
Her decision made, Katara resolved to put her plan into action the next day. It would give her time to come up with a few decent ideas. Also, she would be able to think better after a good night's rest. Turning on the spot, she took a step towards camp.
Not a good idea. A stick beneath her feet snapped noisily. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that the airbender was staring in her direction once again.
"Hello?" he called softly. Well, no time like the present, she supposed. Besides, with the moon out, she felt braver, and it would take all her courage. Aang called a little louder, and Katara made up her mind. Initiating Plan B, she thought nervously. Inhaling deeply to calm and steady herself, she stepped into the clearing.
"Katara?" Apparently, he couldn't quite make her out in the darkness yet. She went to his side and lay down next to him. When he continued to stare at her, it finally struck her that she hadn't spoken a word. Her nerves were stretched tight, and her heart pounded. A flock of sparrowkeets seemed to be flying around inside of her. Katara didn't think she could manage a complete sentence.
Great, now he's going to think I'm mentally challenged. But what could she do? Then the thought came to her that silence could be a part of her plan. Maybe he would open up to her in the quiet, romantic night.
Evidently, Aang had nothing to say, and his focus switched back to the leaves above them. Minor setback, but he still had the opportunity to speak up. Unsure what she should be doing, Katara let her eyes wander over the sky.
She could actually see only a small patch above her, but it was a beautiful night all the same. Stars winked as leaves covered them for a second and then swayed away in the slight wind. Katara couldn't see the moon from where she lay, but she could feel its waxing life in her blood. It was quite perfect, actually.
Spirits above, why didn't that boy just say something already!
It was then that she became aware that he was looking at her again. Emotions she couldn't identify out of the corner of her eye were evident in those amazing grey eyes of his. When he didn't speak right away, she gave him a chance.
"What?" she whispered. It took all her will power to not look at him, but she saw a blush in her peripheral vision. Or was that her imagination?
Aang looked up at the sky. "Nothing. Everything's perfect."
Now it was her turn to blush. No, it wasn't a confession, but it certainly set the mood. All Katara had to do was nudge it in the right direction.
"What's perfect?"
He turned his head away. "Nothing. Er… well, everything, I guess."
A nudge, not a shove, Katara, she chided. A gentler approach, then. She let the silence between them deepen for a minute or so. Turning onto her side, her head came to rest on her hand as she faced him.
"Whatcha thinking about?" There. That was better, more casual.
His answer took a moment in coming. "Time," he said.
Well, that was odd, really. Not at all what she was hoping for, but maybe she could work with it.
"Time?" she asked. "What about it?"
"Just time." Finally, he turned onto his side and looked at her. She realized that they mirrored each other exactly, right down to the slightly curled legs. She snapped back to reality and, sensing that he wasn't finished, kept silent.
"Do you think it's strange that I'm from a different century? I mean, I could've been old enough to be your granddad." It was obvious that he had thought about it, had been thinking about it for some time. To be honest, Katara had mused over that fact herself. Not wanting to interrupt something that he clearly worried over, she simply nodded in understanding.
Aang continued, "Sometimes I feel like I don't belong in this time. I feel like I'm not a part of it," he said. "I don't know. I can't describe it."
"But you know that you belong here, right, Aang? The storm, the iceberg – it all happened for a reason." That small, romantic part of her liked to believe that she was the reason. However, she was practical and knew that his purpose was to save the world. But she could dream, couldn't she?
Aang's head slowly nodded. "Yeah, I guess so." A moment of quiet wrapped around them, and they lay there, thinking, not looking at each other.
Katara had thought about the issue before – briefly. There hadn't really seemed to be anything important about it until the moment Aang had mentioned it. She realized he would be 112 if things had worked out differently, and it was disturbingly strange to think of Aang as an old man. Even stranger, she couldn't begin to imagine how her life would have played out in that alternate reality he had suggested. What would have been different? Would the war have ended already? Certainly, she wouldn't have been on this unbelievable quest. The implications were impossible to determine. Perhaps she never would have met him. Now that was a bizarre thought. Life would have been totally altered – more mundane and tedious – if Aang hadn't come into her life.
"What are you thinking about?" The boy had psychic powers. He couldn't have asked a worse question at a worse time.
"What?" She looked up, her mind racing for a believable excuse.
He looked a little sheepish. "Well, you just had the most thoughtful face, and I couldn't figure out what was making you frown like that, and I wanted to know what it was."
Spirits, he was so adorable when he babbled in embarrassment. Maybe he had picked a perfect time to ask what was on her mind. She'd tell him in any case; it would fit nicely with Plan B.
"I was just thinking," she said, meeting his eyes, "about what life would've been like if I'd never met you." Katara didn't know what she expected, but it definitely wasn't this: he looked perfectly calm. She'd just admitted to thinking about him! The least he could do was appreciate it or something.
"And?" he asked innocently. She didn't think he was faking it. He looked like he honestly wanted to know.
"And…" She hesitated. Aang's collected manner unsettled her. Should she say it? "And it would have been much worse without you." There it was. She'd said it, and now it was all up to him.
He must not have known how to respond to that because he didn't say anything for a moment or two. And in those few moments of silence, Katara grappled over her already-made decision. She alternately berated herself and crossed her fingers in hope. She had just reached a low point – she was on the verge of standing up and walking away – when Aang answered.
"I can't imagine what my life would've been like." Okay, so it wasn't exactly a response to what she'd said, but at least they were making progress. "I can't believe I never would've met you."
Wow. What was she supposed to say to that? Thank you?
"Yeah." She caught his gaze and held it, staring into his deep, grey eyes. "It's a good thing you were frozen in that iceberg then."
"Yeah," Aang said softly, dropping his voice until the word faded. They lay there for a moment in silence. Katara found it difficult to look away from him. And he was looking at her, too! Maybe this was the moment! Her heart leapt as she silently begged him to confess, to kiss her. Anything!
Aang drew a breath as if he were about to say something, and the sparrowkeets in her stomach began pecking frantically. But he just released the air and rolled back onto his back. The sparrowkeets froze. Katara didn't know what to do. She opened her mouth, closed it, and gave it up. Turning over, she chewed her bottom lip in annoyance. That had been the perfect moment. Why didn't he say anything? Perhaps she'd misread things, and he didn't really like her like that. Thinking back to the second their eyes had locked, however, she knew she'd seen something in his eyes.
Those eyes! Oh, she loved them to death. They were so expressive and full of life. It was easy to read his mood just by looking into his eyes. When he was angry or upset, they seemed to swirl and build like storm clouds before a heavy rain. When he was troubled or deep in thought, his eyes looked far away, the distant color of the sky before a blizzard. And when he was excited or just plain happy? That was her favorite because his eyes shone like two bright, polished pearls. The other, more complex emotions were just as easy to determine. She had no idea why Sokka couldn't figure it out. Even Toph, with all her bending and emotion-reading, couldn't seem to understand. Kind of odd, really.
Yet she was still standing on square one, ready to step up to square two. Heck, she'd skip two and jump straight to three if she could just get him to talk. Unfortunately, Katara had run out of ideas. What else could she do? She felt like she'd tried everything. Then suddenly it came to her. She didn't know why she hadn't thought of it before, but if she was going to use all the tricks in the scroll, she might as well use the oldest. What it lacked in subtlety it made up for in an almost guaranteed success.
After waiting a minute to let the mood sink in – she certainly hoped it was the right mood – she spoke. Her voice came out gently, and she tried desperately to keep her focus on the sky and not study those eyes.
"It's a beautiful night."
Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw Aang turn his head to look at her. Letting her gaze linger on the stars just a little, Katara met his eyes.
Those beautiful eyes. Have I mentioned that I love them?
Right then, those eyes held an emotion she found difficult to pinpoint despite her usual adeptness. They looked almost like a thin veil had been pulled across them. She got the feeling he was struggling to hold that veil in place, to not let her see what he was thinking.
Dang it, Aang! Just let me know already!
Finally deciding what to say, Aang whispered, "Yeah. It is."
What? He was supposed to say she was beautiful and kiss her! Didn't he know how this was supposed to work? He just agreed with her, and that was it!
What is wrong with this boy? she fumed. Work with me, Aang! Completely unaware of the grimace on her face, she gritted her teeth. Lost in her crushed fantasies, Katara failed to register that 'this boy' was still watching her. As it was, she was abruptly brought back to reality when Aang spoke.
"Um. Are you okay?"
Beyond embarrassment, she managed to mumble, "Just great." Sighing, she surrendered. It wasn't like she was getting anywhere, anyway. She might as well just lay there and enjoy the quiet. It was still a beautiful night, no matter how frustrated and irritated she was.
Lying still proved to be more difficult than she imagined. The waxing moon coursed through her veins, and she felt tense and anxious. Even without the Aang issue, Katara would have been jumpy because of the life and energy the moon breathed into her. The whole thing was making her restless. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore.
"I'm going to head back to camp. I'll see you in the morning." In the time it took Katara to blink, the master airbender was on his feet, his hand reaching down in a silent offer. Blushing a bit, she accepted and took his hand, trying not to read too much into it. He helped her stand, and they turned to go. Aang's warm, comforting palm still pressed against her own, their fingers lightly entwined. It would have been impossible to not notice that he was still holding her hand, and Katara's blush darkened. However, they both did a very good job of looking anywhere but at each other.
Neither one spoke, but Katara was optimistic, unable to hide the small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. He was holding her hand after just one night of Plan B. Admitting that he liked her was just around the corner. And tomorrow was another day filled with opportunities. Maybe he would hold her hand again. They did say that actions speak louder than words.
Tomorrow, she would get him to say it!
I'm back! Woot! Thanks to Tara for helping me get through my problems. And a big thanks to Liselle for encouraging me when I was unsure about this piece AND going through the trouble of beta-ing it for me. I don't know what I'd do without either of them.
If you can remember back this far, I wrote a oneshot titled To Belong. It was about Aang and Time. I hinted that I might make a sequel, and here it is! This is Katara's point of view up until the end of To Belong and what happens afterward. Also, I'm writing a prequel to my songfic, Never Again. If you've read it and liked it, keep yours eyes out for the prequel!
This time, I'm crossing my fingers for more than three reviews. Feel free to hit the Review button if the urge hits you. If not, thanks for reading!
