Day Two: Complications

A bow, a too-formal "thank you", and he was gone, leaving her alone and confused under the moonlight.

She didn't know what to think. He had never pushed her away like this before. This was not her Aang, the sweet, playful Aang who wore his heart on his sleeve. This Aang was almost…lifeless. Even his rage in the desert was preferable to this, because at least that stemmed from his pain at losing his friend, the one other creature who was with him one hundred years ago. This, this came from no emotion at all, from him suppressing his feelings.

She completely understood that he didn't want to let the Avatar State overpower him and end up hurting someone. After all, she remembered better than anyone the raw power of his Avatar spirit directed at those sandbenders, and even more how broken and defeated he had been once she had pulled him out of it. She didn't like seeing him that way either, but she couldn't help but feel that he was handling it the wrong way. He couldn't hide from his emotions for the rest of his life. She just wanted to help him, but he wouldn't let her, wouldn't even acknowledge her advice, and that made her feel almost as helpless as she had back in the desert.

And, well, maybe it was stupid, but he had never turned down a hug like that before. She wasn't entirely sure why that was bothering her so much; after all, Sokka and Toph weren't really the hugging type, and that never upset her…but then, she realized suddenly, hugging Aang was not entirely the same. Hugging Aang made her feel warm, not just happy, but warm inside and out. It felt nice, but a little strange too. Out of nowhere the memory of her and Aang trapped in the Cave of Two Lovers came to the forefront of her mind. Standing alone and looking out over the water, she blushed and rubbed her hands over her upper arms, wondering why she thought of that.

By the time she returned to the campsite everyone was already asleep and the fire had been reduced to a few glowing embers. As she climbed into her bedroll she couldn't help casting a determined look in Aang's direction. Even if Aang didn't have hope anymore, she did, and she wasn't about to let him give up.

Day Two of Kataang Week: Katara's thoughts after her and Aang's talk at the Serpent's Pass. 400 words.