The next morning, no sun shone in the windows to wake the group up. The only alarm clock was Aang's instincts telling him about his upcoming departure. As Aang slowly started to come out of his deep sleep, he found the only person he ever wanted to see all tangled up in the sheets beside him. Even though it was raining hard outside, the overcast of grey highlighted her body perfectly. With a smile growing across his face from last night, Aang tried to get out of bed with out waking Katara up, But to no avail.
Katara woke up just long enough to wrap a slender arm over his chest and mumble "No, stay a little while longer…"
Katara managed to pull her head and shoulders on top of Aang to cuddle into him. Deciding to wait a couple of minutes, Aang spend his time taking in all of Kataras features her slender arms, long legs, smooth shoulders that framed her chest. Everything about her he loved. Playing with her thick wavy hair, he started to kiss her head as he made a mental plan of the long day ahead. The sounds of her deep sleep was intoxicating that he wished he didn't have to go, that he had no responsibility other then to make love this girl in his arms.
Deciding it was time to start his day, Aang again tried to leave the bed as quietly as he could. This time managing to leave, he grabbed his pants, one of his small bags and headed for the wooden floor passage (kind of like a porch in the back yard) that was located at the back of the house close to where they ate last night, the furthers away from everyone's bed rooms.
Katara woke up with a smile on her face. Stretching and rolling over expecting to see Aang still beside her, she found that he was gone, But not by too long. She could still feel the heat in his side of the sheets. Getting up and throwing her tunic on, Katara noticed the rain outside her window. "What a horrible day to travel anywhere." She thought in hopes that it keep Aang home for another night.
As she started to quietly wonder, she soon found Aang on the back wooden passage of the house. With a chunk of ice in front of him to create a reflection and his head almost completely covered in a foamy substance, it didn't take long to realize that he was shaving. As he used short stoked against the grain of his hair, his antique razor from when he was 12 still never failed in doing the job. She watched as after each stroke he used his water bending to rinse the blade in a small bowl beside him.
"Wouldn't it be easier to do that in the washroom?" Katara asked
Aang stopped his process and looked over at Katara who, to him, looked absolutely stunning and glowed even in the rain. Her long hair draped to one side as she put her weight onto one of the pillars.
Smiling at her with a half shaven face, he chuckled to him self quietly. "I'm used to doing it like this, and I didn't want to wake anyone up because I knew you'd find me."
Katara smiled as she walked over to Aang and sat down beside him. Taking the razor from his hand, she motioned for him to lower his chin so she could start on the back of his neck. Noticing the large scar in the middle of his back brought back a flood of memories of how it happened, how she saved him and the meaning behind it.
Copying his technique, Katara started to shave the hair off while ignoring the scar staring up at her. The shave didn't take long for her to finish his whole head revealing the tattoo once again. Giving the razor back to Aang so he could finish his face, Katara took a scrap of fabric and, once she dampened it, used it as a towel to clean off any residue left behind by the razor. Aang followed suit once he finished with the other side of his face.
"What time?" Katara hated asking,
"Soon, I'll have to skip breakfast. This weather-"
"…isn't good for flying Appa. Maybe you should wait it out" Katara cut Aang off with a hopeful suggestion.
As he finished cleaning off his face, he placed the scrap fabric and razor into the now emptied small bowl beside him. "Katara, you know I can't…"
Katara didn't reply to his answer. She just shifted her body away from him a little bit.
"I need to start getting ready." Aang mentioned as he placed the bowl into his bag and got up from his seated position.
"You're not going to wait till Sokka and Toph wake up?" Katara asked surprised.
"Katara, you and I both know that those two won't be awake till the day is half over." Aang replied with a smile as he started for his room.
"Well, when are you coming back?"
"…At the first opportunity that I can leave."
"When do you think that will be?"
Getting a little annoyed at the questions, Aang swiftly turned around and pulled her hands into his chest. "Katara, I'm not going to war! I will be back like always. I promise you." And with a smile he let go and walked into his room.
Katara waited in the door way as she watched him pull his robes on and start the complicated task of tying it all together. Once everything was tied and secure, he focused his attention on cleaning his room. Picking up sheets and folding them together, Katara quickly jumped in. "No Aang, I can get those when you leave." She said as she reached for the sheets from his hands.
"Katara, I can take care of my things too. You don't need to baby me anymore." Aang replied with a gentle look on his face as he took the sheets back.
Katara let go reluctantly, watching him put his sheets away and tidying up the room wasn't just one of the things he was taught to do as a child, it was also a sign that meant he was leaving for a while. As he turned back to her with a smile, Katara just frowned and focused on the ground. She could feel him walking towards her and then pulling her shoulders into him for a hug. "It's not like I haven't left before Katara," Aang assured her.
"Yes, but before you weren't leaving to resolve a civil-war." Katara commented while wrapping her arms around his neck and raising her self up on tip-toe.
"Nothing is going to happen to me. I was taught by the best Water bending master I've ever know, and I was taught Earth bending, Fire bending and maybe I picked up a little Metal bending along the way." Aang whispered into her ear while still holding on to her. "Point is, I'm well trained, and I am coming back. I just don't know when yet."
"Just when I thought I had you back…."
Determined to put a smile on her face, Aang lowered his grip onto her lower thighs and lifted her up off the floor. As she gave off a little squeal, he started to laugh as he spun her around in the middle of the room. As she countlessly to ask him to stop, she also started to laugh as he dipped and swerved her around the room. Finally stopping, he slowly let her slide down his body, letting his hands drag along her sides as well and stopping her when he could see eye to eye. Pulling her into a kiss, he held onto the back of her neck catching a hand full of hair.
"You've always had me" Aang smiled.
Putting her down, he grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder then grabbed his staff. Starting to leave the room, he took hold of her hand and led her though the house quietly. Getting to the front door, he looked back at her. "I already have Appa ready to go. Stay inside so you won't get wet."
Throwing on a black rob on top of his orange and yellow ones, Aang sat down on the floor to put on his boots and leg guards. Getting up from his seated position, he started for the door and took a step outside when Katara walked out with him.
"Katara, there is no need-"
"I'm a Water bender, Aang," was all she said as she cut him off and started for Appa who was waiting near by.
Hitting his head with his palm in realization, Aang just shook his head and followed her out to the Bison.
"Good-bye, Appa. We'll see each other again real soon." Katara said as she kissed the Bison's large head.
Aang smiled at the sight. Walking over to Katara, he promised that this is a quick kiss and he'd be on his way. But like all plans that he made, none of them ever went as planned. Letting the rain fall on him, he grabbed the girl and pulled her in for a final passionate kiss.
So caught off guard, Katara forgot about her bending the rain. Wrapping her arms around him for what would seem like the last time, Katara let her tears fall with the rain. Feeling him pull away, Katara just attacked with another kiss before he could get too far. This pattern flip-flopped a few times until he pulled her in for a hug and whispered "Take good care of this, you know I'll be coming back for it."
Katara felt Aang pull her hand down from his neck only to receive what felt like a beaded necklace. Pulling her in for a final kiss, he worded 'I love you' on her lips and just as fast, flew up on Appa's neck and took hold of the reigns. Looking back at Katara, his Grey eyes smiled as his face frowned and Katara mirrored the expression.
All that was left to say was 'Yip, Yip" and he was gone into the grey sky.
Realizing the rain falling on her, she quickly Water bended a umbrella. Still looking up at the sky, she squeezed what Aang left in her hand and rolled her fingers over what felt like beads. They were in fact beads, but made of wood and they felt like they had carved symbols into them. Katara quickly looked at her hand and her panicked thought was right. It was the beads Aang wore on his wrist.
She smiled at them and looked back at the sky to give a silent prayer to his safe journey and return.
A few months past and Aang was in the Earth kingdom waking the shores of Yue bay with Zuko and the King at his side. As they discussed plans for the city, a messenger ran up. Clearly out of breath, the messenger stated his name and that he had an important message for the Avatar. Aang looked at him confused and knew something had to be wrong for him receiving a message through messenger boy.
Grabbing the message and giving a bow in thanks, Aang read the message over and was suddenly taken back at the contents.
"Aang, what does it say?" Zuko asked impatiently.
Taking a moment to understand what he just read, a smile of a different kind grew across his face. Looking back at his friend with an expression only a select few could understand, Aang looked back at the letter and, with a smile, said "Katara's Pregnant."
End