This felt more like a filler chapter. I guess cause of the fluff.
I'm uploading the Zuko one tomorrow. I'm so exhausted that I won't answer like I normally do.
Your reviews were awesome and I will answer them next chapter.
Aang withdrew from Katara's hunched form, her words echoing in his mind. Part of him had felt sorry for her but the other was sullen. He had come to this temple to get away and it seemed all his problems kept landing and making themselves at home.
He snapped the glider shut as he headed to his room. She wasn't there but he had a feeling where she'd be. He collided with Sokka on his search who very quietly asked if Katara was ok.
"She's fine a little bruised but given who she was fighting. I guess that's a good outcome." he commented. "Sokka, she is going to ask you to take her home."
Sokka smacked the wall and stared him down. "She probably thinks you're in love with Mai. So she's moving out of the way. I know she's hurt you in a way I can't understand but she has only ever given herself wholly to one person and you know who that is."
It was a gentle reprimand. Sokka sadly was torn between his duty to his sister and the duty to his best friend.
Aang turn beet red but he understood her brother's point. "If she leaves, its because she wants to. I would never force her to but having her and Mai together under one roof may be harsh on all our health's."
Sokka patted him heartily on the back, "Well that's what happens when you're good with the ladies. Oh and if you're looking for Mai, she went to where she keeps her plants."
"Thanks Sokka, I appreciate that." Aang smiled and began sprinting down the corridor.
"Oh, Aang. I haven't managed to give you a proper talk about what went on with you and Katara." Sokka punched his fist into his palm. "I'm sure I don't have to give you details."
"Ahh…ha…ha. Nope, I'm very aware of what you mean."
Sokka's face darkened at the guilty expression on his young friend's face. "Aang exactly how involved where you with my little sister?"
"I gotta go," Aang yelled beating a hasty retreat.
It had been a while since he'd been in this room. Almost six months of living here and for some reason it astounded him how fast it was to get turned around. "Is everything o.k.?" He asked as he picked his way past her dangling herbs and empty flower pots scattered on the floor.
"You could say that."
Aang propped himself in the doorway eyeballing her suspiciously. "You said you would tell me what Katara was talking about in the clearing."
"I don't want to talk about it. It's been a long day." she filled her pot with dirt and settled the tiny seeds. I'll tell you later, I just need some time alone." Something about the way she said it had him worried. She must have sensed it because she frowned, "Promise."
Confused he headed back towards their room which was actually Sokka's. Tomorrow morning he would take the rest of his stuff up to the high rooms where his was located. He had spent the rest of the afternoon helping Toph get rid of the debris and restructuring some of the pillars. "The carvings will have to be done tomorrow when there's light out." Aang said.
"I could do it now. It's always dark for me." Toph shoved him and he bumped into the stone pillar.
"Oww. Haven't we had enough violence for today?"
"Speaking of, have you seen Katara? Its past mid afternoon and she is still not here." Toph shifted her feet a bit, shushing Aaang. "Forget it, she's on her way. I'd beat it if I were you. She seems really fragile and you might not be the best person to see right now."
He thanked Toph, resolved to talk to Katara first thing. 'His day was just gonna be chockfull of good times tomorrow.' He waited in his room playing with an airball to kill time. He soon grew bored and his mind went to the two people currently in his life.
He examined Katara first, it was difficult to put a name to what she meant to him.
He had taken a three day leave from the council. His love life had been put on hold and this was the first opportunity to really share any time with her that didn't include paperwork in some form or another. "Katara, are you ready?" he asked standing impatiently at her door.
"I'm trying to hurry but I never saw how much stuff I had accumulated here." she said surprised. "Maybe we should go around the world all alone to get the hang of traveling light again."
His face practically glowed at her statement. "All alone? With you. Yeah." she had laughed at his silly grin. It had taken several hours to get moving since she easily distracted him. Once on Appa, they had bid their goodbyes and headed to Roku's island home.
Aang had felt a deep connection with the old Avatar and had decided to ask his permission to build a small home there. Roku had been delighted and with his avatar help had cleared a large patch of earth for a home and maybe a small garden.
"Can I open my eyes yet?" Katara inquired her hand folded in Aang's to guide her. "Aang, please the suspense is killing me." Aang enjoying her increased pleading lifted her into his arms and carried her extra slow the rest of the way.
"Aang, put me down. This is so mean of you." whatever sharpness had been in her command died when she giggled. He arrived at the stoop and gently lowered her to her feet. He untied the headband. She blinked several times before she got the scope of what he was showing her.
Katara thanked him with a hug that sent both tumbling down. "Aang. Its beautiful…kiss--- You're beautiful…kiss--- How did you? …kiss---You sneaky thing…kiss---"
"Katara, I…need…air…" she sheepishly got off him and Aang adjusted his robes. He got up and pulled her with him. "So, I take it you like it. I know this is really sudden. I mean I just turned fourteen and you're not quite of age according to your tribe rules but I thought when you were. We could---"
She cupped his face and he looked into those eyes. "Shut up. Aang. I would love to when its time."
That was the first time they had been together though unbeknownst to Sokka not the last.
Her brother's name dropped a cold spray on the intimate memory. "Damm, Sokka for reminding me," he grumbled. She would have been his companion now but today they were in limbo. It was grueling for him to break ties with his past.
Mai was even more unsettling. They weren't just friends but they weren't lovers either. Though she laid with him every night their arrangement was still too tender to follow things all the way through. He had no doubts that he loved Mai but how and with what intensity still baffled him. Her actions didn't make sense either.
There were times when all they talked about was their past. While other times all they did was lay in bed holding each other as closely as possible. They had, had their close calls. Four months of being in the same giant area together rattling like peas in a cup had nearly driven both nuts.
Having rooms next to each other had seemed ideal. It would have remained platonic if not for that lighting storm. Since his close brush with that force during his fight with Ozai, Aang had developed a healthy fear of it. It turned out Mai had a similar opinion and they had run into each other in the corridor both having come up with the same idea.
"Aang."
"Mai."
"I'm sorry, are you hurt. I mean. You go first." They said as Aang assisted her off the ground.
"I was coming to see if you were o.k." He paused a little self conscious, "I…um have a fear of storms and lightning so I just wanted to. Never mind. Sorry for knocking you over." he apologized.
"Me too." she admitted. "Since I was a kid. I've never liked it. Azula used to chase me with it." Aang looked at her oddly. "Don't ask."
He put up his hands. "There's some nice rooms deeper in the temple where you can barely hear it. The sisters that used to live here had an herb storage. It has really nice murals of the air nomads."
"Murals? that would be nice. I used to paint but with war, I lost the touch for it."
"Let's go see them, maybe it will rekindle your love for it." he suggested eagerly.
Her eyes widened in awe as she gazed at each detailed wall. She skimmed her fingers lightly over the sky bisons, her long pale fingers tracing each arrow reverently. Aang looked away taken aback by the swell of desire he felt at her simple action.
He really shouldn't be surprised after all he was a teenage boy and the effects of puberty had been hitting him for a while. What he had not expected had been her reaction to the figures and what they represented. She had looked at him like it was the first time she'd really saw him. Goose bumps broke out on his skin and he blamed the cold.
"The women in these paintings are beautiful. Were they all like this?" she asked innocently.
"Yes, at least the ones I remember. Sister Yi Niu was my favorite. She was tall with long dark tresses. She visited the Southern temple a few times to check on the bisons. She was pale with dark eyes that matched her hair. She always smelled of moon lilies." He beamed oblivious to having almost described Mai.
She thanked him for showing her the colorful scenes and returned to bed. Several weeks passed by before he found her again in that room. Another storm had passed over them driving him from his bed. It had become a custom for her to outline them with her hands as if redrawing them, then looking him over memorizing him.
He brought food and she began bringing blankets and that became their spot when it rained or stormed heavily. That night he had almost fallen asleep but he woke up with a start when he found her leaning over him. "I was hoping not to wake you." she bit her lip at how that sounded.
"Were you trying to catch me unawares?" he questioned. She had stammered until he couldn't take it anymore and he roared with laughter. Catching the joke she let out a tiny chuckle.
"I was inspecting the pictures of the bisons and realized you had the same markings." He gulped and could almost sense her fingers trailing over his lines. He shuddered and bobbed his head not trusting his voice. "I like them. It's the pathway of your energy, right." She rubbed her thumb over the top of his hand and he prayed to every spirit that nothing embarrassing would befall him.
Somehow their faces had gotten closer until his nose bumped hers. On instinct he inclined his and their mouths touched. They lingered and the tiny spark ignited. He'd buried his nose in her hair whispering, "better than moon lilies."
His clothes were loosened and he got one of many looks at her creamy white shoulders. He touched the delicate bones and from there it had blurred until they had woken up twisted together. He thankfully still had on his pants and she had a navy blue outfit similar to Katara's white one.
After that they had changed their two rooms into one with two mats for those close calls but still close enough to reach out for comfort.
Mai returned fading the recollection to the back of his mind.
He waited until she removed her dirty over tunic and then let loose the barrage of questions that had been sitting on his tongue. "What did she mean, she would lose me? Zuko told you didn't he? Did he swear you to secrecy?" Aang watched the emotions flit through her face.
"No, he didn't. I just assumed. Maybe if I had to told you, we wouldn't be here. It was stupid to keep it to myself." Mai gestured wildly showing a lapse of control. "Zuko told me that the Council of General's were trying to get you connected to the Bei Fongs."
"What!" Aang yelped, "The Generals wanted me to marry Toph? Why?" Aang was now pacing beside her.
"How could they even suggest that. Everybody knew I was with Katara." he sputtered, the outrage at having his life planned and his happiness further sacrificed incensed him. "What the hell gave them the right to even think they could force that upon me?" Several embers scattered from the pit.
"Calm down, you're gonna set your stuff on fire." She advised.
Aang threw himself on the bed face down. "Was that the whole problem or is there more to it."
"There's more and you're not going to like it." Mai answered.
"I already don't like it so you might as well tell me all of it," was his muffled reply.
"Aang. They wanted you connected because the Earth Kingdom was having serious doubts about Zuko as Firelord. They were especially mistrustful of your friendship with him. So they figured if they got you with a high ranking earth kingdom family that the Earth Nation would be more open."
He rolled onto his back, "Ok, but what does that have to do with Katara birthing airbenders?"
"Katara came hysterical that night. I've never seen her so shaken. Zuko had let it slip that it was expected that a child be born within the first year and half of the Avatar's marriage. Zuko had to agree to the clause to keep you and Katara together. He signed it once Katara told him of your engagement." she said.
"But Katara and I weren't engaged. I hadn't even asked her yet. I was going to when…they got together."
Aang shifted and Mai sat down. "I told Katara to tell you but her and Zuko told me not to because you already had so much on your plate. They figured as long as they kept a long engagement it wouldn't come up." Mai rested her chin on her knees waiting for his reaction.
"But that backfired because they were constantly near each other while you and I were off doing other things. What a ridiculous reason for this headache."
"Aang, what do you want to do about Katara's request?"
"If she wants to go. What can we do? What would you like me to do?" Aang spiraled another ball.
"Are you ready to let her go? I'm confused so I wonder if you are too? Do you think we can love each other without all this stuff tangling in our relationship?" she asked.
He was about to answer but an insistent knocking derailed his train of thought. "I'll get it." Mai said. She blocked the view of the door and Aang was too busy trying to keep his personal peace from unraveling.
He thought he heard Katara's voice but Mai closed the door behind her. He must have dozed off because the fire was done and he more felt than saw a shivering Mai slip under the covers and lay her head on him. He kissed the top of her head and she buried her nose in his neck.