Hello peoples! Sorry it had been like a week since I updated! I had this sort of written but I couldn't edit it because I had to balance my finals for school and my sports practices... Anyways here it is, it is two days since the fight. I hope you all enjoy it! AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!
Some call love a curse, some call love a thief but she's my home. -Devil's Tears
Everything was dark. Including his thoughts.
It was around midnight and he was trying to sleep, but failing miserably. Everytime he closed his eyes he was reliving the moment on the balcony. But the moment he was reliving was not the one that happened two nights ago.
The moment he was reminiscing was when the war had just ended and he and Katara had shared a kiss. But it was more than just a kiss. It was a gesture that conveyed how much they loved each other. How they were more than just friends. The moment was so blissful and full of hope, yet when it formed in his mind, it only depressed him.
Because that moment was over.
And with it went Katara's love.
With the those words ringing in his head, he suddenly woke in a cold sweat. He was breathing hard and trying to calm down before he woke someone in his panic. But as his dream wore off it was replaced with a new feeling that he hadn't felt in years. Instead of his constant desperation he was filled with determination.
Determination to fix his mistakes.
He was done standing to the side and watching his world crumble to pieces. He was done crying. And he was done hurting Katara.
He was determined to show her that he really did love her, whether she would accept it or not.
And most of all, he was done running away. He was done being afraid.
It was time to be courageous and face his fears. And his destiny. Whatever it was.
All of his conviction suddenly erupted from him and he jumped into the air. His feet hit the ground with a small thud and as soon as they touched the ground, they were moving him towards the door. But halfway there he stopped dead in his tracks.
Last time he told her he loved her, it had backfired horribly, and it had resulted in two devastating casualties. But when he said it last time he had been flawed. He had let her say no. He did not believe himself enough to fight her words back. And he had hesitated.
But this time was different. He would not let her doubt him. And this time he would not let her walk away. Because as he stood there, he knew for sure that it was love that filled his lonesome heart. And all that love was for her.
It was risky, but what is love without a couple of risks.
So he finally cracked open the door and took his first step to what could result in the complete destruction of his emotions. But he didn't mind. She was worth it. She had always been worth it.
He lightly moved across the floor heading towards the last door on the right. The hallway felt longer than usual as he walked this time. He could feel his blood moving from his heart all the way to the tips of his toes. He was so aware. With every step came butterflies to his churning stomach.
Before he knew what was happening, he had arrived at her door and his fist was poised to make a small tap. But he paused again.
What if she doesn't answer? What if she doesn't listen? What if she rejects him again?
He answered all of his voices with three words: I love her. So what if she didn't care… all that mattered was that he told her what he should have told her two years ago.
And with his resolution came a slight twitch of his wrist against her door.
He waited a few seconds before the door inched its way open.
Only one blue eye stared at him through the crack, but he still saw that there was no sleep in her eyes. She hadn't been able to sleep either. A twinge of hope pulsed with his heartbeat.
He stared into her eye for only a second before the door slammed shut with a sharp snap. He was pretty surprised no one woke from the large noise, but then he thought that maybe they knew what was happening and they chose not to emerge from their rooms.
So Aang put his lips close to the door and said quietly, "Katara. Open the door." His sentence was not a question. It was only a soft demand.
His only reply was a stinging, "Go away." She didn't yell it, but her tone sounded as if she was trying to keep herself from backing down. And from letting him into the room and her heart.
But Aang knew she would respond like that, so he was ready.
"I'm not leaving. My biggest mistake was leaving someone I loved two years ago, and I am determined to never do it again." Even though the door separated them, he could hear her inhale with a sharp gasp. She didn't say anything to what he said so he continued.
"You were right. I ran because I was afraid. I was afraid of losing you. I was afraid I would hurt you. And so I thought that if I left I could save you… from me." He didn't think about what he was going to say beforehand, but as he stood there the truth just poured out of his lips. " But after I left, I realized that I was just trying to save myself, but the problem with that is..." Now it was getting hard to speak. Just breathe, he told himself. You are NOT a coward. Not anymore.
"You are the only one that can ever save me." And it was true. She had saved him from the iceberg. She had saved him from that shot of lightning. She had saved him from his grief. And she had saved him from himself. And now she stood behind a door, with his safety in her hands.
After he confessed that knowledge he had held inside for so long, he just waited. Waited for a sign telling him he was forgiven. A sign telling him he was still loved and she had not completely given up on him.
But five minutes passed and there was no response. Doubt started to push its way in, but he quickly put up a wall to block it out.
So he turned his face away from the door and set his back against the cold frame, letting the door support himself. Then he slid down the door until he was just sitting against the door with his legs crossed.
He meant what he said. He wasn't going to leave. So he sat for another 20 minutes, and his eyelids were starting to droop a little. When he shut his eyes he didn't sleep. He dreamt. He dreamt of Katara. It was like his life with her was passing before him.
Every memory he had of her appeared in front him. Her face when he awoke. Her when he gave her the necklace she had lost. Her in the cave of two lovers. Her pulling him out of the avatar state. Her when he had died. Her when they danced. Her when they kissed. All her. And soon the memories surpassed his knowledge and he was seeing the future. Her hugging him. Her marrying him. Her having children with him. Her growing old with him.
In every memory he could feel her warmth. And all of a sudden that warmth became real. He felt the cold door against his back vanish and he felt her replace it.
His eyes opened and he knew this was no memory. This was real. She was real.
She placed her arms around his waist grasping the front of his shirt, and rested her head upon his shoulder. Aang could feel something wet drip onto his sleeve and soak through to his burning skin. She was crying. And with her small tear came her beautiful voice.
"You are wrong. I never saved you... You saved me." she murmured softly into the fabric of his tunic.
And as she spoke he simultaneously spun around and grabbed her in his arms. Finally.
And she hugged him back.
She placed her face into the nook between his neck and shoulder. And with her every breath he could feel a warmth spread over his skin and through every corner of his body. He could feel her gentle hands holding him to her with a fierce need. She wasn't going to let him go.
But this hug was different from when he first encountered her.
This hug held forgiveness. And with the hug came relief.
After all the things he had messed up, she had found a way to love him again. But the love she gave him was bittersweet.
It was sweet because after two years of abandonment, she had found a way to forgive him for his mistakes. But her love was also bitter because even though he could hold her now, he knew that it wasn't his job anymore. It was Kantu's.
But he didn't want to think about that, so he embraced her tighter. And with every inch closer, he became less worried about the future. Because right now was all that mattered.
This moment he shared with the woman he loved.
And at that moment they were infinite.
As he held her, he could feel her breathing against him become more and more steady. Before long she was asleep in his arms. She must have lost a lot of sleep after their fight.
So he gently lifted her so that her head was against his shoulder and her knees were folded around his other arm. He slowly carried her towards her bed trying to savor every thing about her in his arms. Her warmth. Her softness. Her breathing. Her touch.
But the part he loved the most was her face.
It was so serene.
And it gave him peace. He was no longer at war with her, or himself. He was finally free of the invisible constraints that he had worn since he left. But that didn't erase his fatigue which was becoming apparent as he held the young woman in his arms.
So he laid her down on her bed, and carefully placed her blanket around her so she would not get cold during the night. As his nimble fingers moved the blanket over her sleeping body, he brushed over the skin on her arm. The simple touch had given him a strong surge of longing to stay there all night.
But instead he swiftly placed a kiss on her forehead. It was quick, but he still had enough time to feel the soft skin and the heat that pulsed just beneath it. He felt a shiver move down his back and he also felt a pang of guilt.
It was not his job to kiss Katara goodnight. But that didn't stop him.
So after he said a soft "Goodnight" he turned and he left her room. He had wanted to lay down beside her and keep her warm, but he knew that if he did that, he would be crossing a line. So instead he treaded down the hall back to his room.
He was almost to his door when he heard a small voice coming from the room beside him. The voice sounded… different… so he cracked open the door.
What he saw brought him spiraling back down to earth.
As he opened the door he glanced the very person who had stolen Katara from him.
Kantu.
But that wasn't what surprised him.
The surprise was the woman who was locked on his lips.
Woohoo! I do love myself some obstacles! The next chapter should be up by the weekend so stay tuned! Please leave reviews!