"I love you." The words were so casually spoken, so seemingly innocent. They shouldn't have caused a thundering in her head, shouldn't have set her heart to racing, shouldn't have caused her palms to sweat and lips to tremble. And yet, these were more than words… This was an admission of something deep, and strong, and all consuming.
He had made himself so vulnerable by uttering those three simple words. Even with his face obscured by shadow, she could see how his eyes had suddenly grown timid, saw how his hands clenched to fists at his side. He needed reassurance, and everything in her screamed to give it to him, to make his shoulders straight and his eyes full of fire once more.
But how could she say those simple, soul shattering words in return when she didn't even know if they were true? He was one of her very best friends, and if she were to be truly honest with herself, she would have to admit that she cared for him in a way that went beyond friendship. But love? Did she really love him?
Katara bit her lip and took his clenched hands into her own, gently rubbing circles over the skin with her thumb. She knew she loved him at some level, as she loved Sokka and Aang and Toph and the rest of the gaang. She cared for him more than she cared for herself; she would willingly give her life for his. But could she see herself growing old with him? Could she picture him as the father of her children? She did not know.
But his expression was so hopeful, and there was a light in his eyes that she knew she could so easily extinguish. His heart was in the palm of her hands, and it would take so little effort to crush it, so small a time to completely shatter him and cause him even more pain. Could she do that to him? No. She couldn't. She wouldn't.
"I love you too," she murmured softly, and his grin widened before he crushed her to him and kissed her. He would never know that she had told a half truth, would never know that she was still uncertain of the full extent of her feelings. She would make sure of it. His life had been so full of heartache… she would give him this one happiness.