All This Time

Aang's ears were bright red, and it wasn't because he was embarrassed.

It was because he was angry.

The Gaang were all mingling around in the latest political party to support peace, Zuko believing that with dancing and mixing of cultures there would be more alliances and friendly dealing. His father had been just defeated just over two years ago and it seemed things were finally beginning to calm down; to mellow enough for the teenagers to have actual time off. And with the Avatar and his close-knit group of friends at parties to promote peace and equality, what could go wrong?

The new Fire Lord was right for the most part, except for one little thing. And that tiny thing was the bartender Katara had been talking to for the past (he glanced up at the large clock) twenty seven and twenty three seconds. And counting.

"What are you doing over here brooding at a peace gathering, Twinkle Toes?" Toph asked as she approached him with a plate piled high with food, using her other hand to land a solid punch in his shoulder, as if in a greeting.

Sokka, who next to her and eating off her plate, followed Aang's obvious, unwavering gaze and sighed as he spotted the problem.

"Just go get her," Sokka said as he munched on a leg of what looked like zebra-ostrich.

"You don't understand," Aang sighed.

"I'm blind, but I'm going to take a wild guess and say this is about Sweetness," Toph snorted.

"Right as ever," Sokka nodded.

"You know, this kid here is a little sad, wouldn't you say?" the earthbender asked, looking up to Sokka for him to answer.

"Poor, poor airbender. Doesn't know what to fight for anymore," Sokka sighed as he rubbed his chin.

"You guys aren't helping," Aang deadpanned, not finding this moment to suddenly appreciate their sardonic humor.

"I wasn't trying to help but if I were to give you advice, being your teacher and all, I'd say the same thing I do to you in practice. Stop being such a pansy and just go for it."

"Yeah, like I said," Sokka agreed.

"Easy for you guys to say," the love-struck teen sniffed.

"Fine, then just be depressing for all we care," Toph snorted before grabbing Sokka's arm and pulling him towards a table.

Aang stayed leaning on the wall, looking down at his shoes and the legs of people passing by, before he sighed and his shoulders slumped in self-loathing. He had survived 100 years in an iceberg, had mastered all four elements, had died and come back to life and had defeated a Fire Lord even before he was a teenager.

But he couldn't just go over to the girl he liked; he could only get jealous.

After their kiss the day after their victory and she had confessed to him as well, making it the best day of his life (just barely beating staying alive in his battle against Ozai because that meant he could have this day) nothing had really happened.

She would give him kisses on the cheek on occasion, and they would hold hands and spend lots of time alone talking and cuddling, but there had been nothing really else. At first Aang thought it was how he was younger than her, but that didn't seem so much of a problem now as he was just fourteen. And with everything he'd accomplished, and continued to do, he really shouldn't be thought of a just a boy.

But even if Katara did want to have something of a more physical relationship with him, he knew he wouldn't like it as much as their love right now. Because, honestly, he wasn't ready for such a drastic change in their dynamics right now. Everything was already changing so much, even if it was all good, and Aang wanted them to stay a constant; he wanted to always know that Katara would be everlasting. He wouldn't shake away a kiss every now and then, but then the option hadn't come along for him to decide about.

And then there was the problem of how boys and men alike were now paying attention to his endearing waterbender.

"Aang?"

At the soft voice, his head snapped up and he jerked apart from the wall, almost colliding with the girl he'd been thinking about.

"Oh, uh, hey Katara," he muttered as he looked aside. He would look down, but since he'd been growing, he would still see her face.

"I got our drinks," she grinned.

"I'm not thirsty," Aang said as he crossed his arms over his chest and kept his eyes averted.

Katara immediately knew something was wrong, so she put down the drinks on a nearby counter and took his wrist, moving him past smiling people to one of the balconies. The airbender looked up at the night sky and noticed there were a few clouds, but the crescent moon shone through everything. And it illuminated Katara's face hauntingly as she whirled on him.

She placed her hands on her hips, cocking them to the right a little bit, before she asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he immediately answered.

Her eyes softened and he felt a little guilty about lying so horribly, but Aang didn't waver or take his definitive, although unoriginal, answer back.

"Is it the party? I know we've been going to a lot lately-"

"It's not the party," Aang said with a sigh, and then felt like slapping himself as he'd pretty much admitted something was bothering him.

"Then what is?" she asked as she dropped her hands to her sides.

There was silence as Katara waited and Aang thought. And then he decided that it was time to face this.

"Why do you do that?" Aang asked as he looked up at her with hard grey eyes.

"Do what?"

"Flirt with everyone!" he yelled out as he raised his arms, slightly alarming Katara. But that only lasted for a moment as she took in his statement and felt anger spark.

"I don't do that with everyone; I don't do it with anyone," she said evenly.

"Well why did you talk to that guy for so long?" Aang asked in exasperation, "And how you kept leaning in to him – !" He broke off to give out a loud, resounding groan that the background music did nothing to hide. But it seemed that everyone inside were too busy laughing or drinking the high-priced free beverages.

"Aang, calm down," Katara said in annoyance, "He was just telling me an interesting story and I couldn't hear him well because of the music."

"Oh, sure, the loud music. Convenient excuse, Katara," Aang said with a roll of his eyes as he crossed his arms.

He knew he was going a little overboard, but this wasn't the first time. The way she could so easily bat her eyelashes or flick her hair and there would be guys fawning over her, it was a chore! Aang saw her increasing beauty as both a gift and curse; a gift in how her physical appearance matched her pure and amazing personality and inside attributes but a curse in all the unwanted attention it brought.

Her eyes narrowed, as she said, "You're getting worked up over nothing."

"I don't think so!" he said as leaned down to look her in the eye, "It's hard to watch!"

Her cheeks flushed and her hands formed fists at her side before she hissed, "Stop being such a stupid, possessive boyfriend! It isn't you at all!"

Aang opened his mouth to snap back but he found himself closing it as he suddenly felt great- grand even. She had, inadvertently and in the heat of a mounting argument (sure), called him her boyfriend. Even in unfaltering context, she had still said it and that's all that really mattered to the teenager.

"I don't actively flirt with anyone! If talking is such a crime, I might as well just go mute!" she continued on, not stopping even as Aang's eyebrows raised and his face went blank.

"You called me your boyfriend," Aang said with a silly, stretched smile.

"And why is it-… wait, what?" she asked as she blinked, her eyes now wide open and her back straightening.

"I'm your boyfriend?" Aang asked in hope, as he began to unconsciously hop on the balls of his feet.

Katara's blank face turned incredulous and she tilted it a little bit as she said, "Of course you're my boyfriend."

"You've never said it before," Aang stated, but his smile just kept growing. She had affirmed it.

"You're kidding," Katara said with a snort, "I've said it before."

"No, no," Aang said, "You never have. I mean, after we won you confessed but…"

"So you haven't taken into account how I kiss and hold hands with you? And only you?" Katara asked with a skeptical raised eyebrow.

"Well, I mean, I don't know," Aang said, stumbling, "You just never said it. And we haven't really, uh, kissed in a while."

"Do you have any idea how busy we are? And the rumors that go around just because I take up your time? They think I'm making you lazy and irresponsible."

"That's-" Aang began in anger, but Katara cut him off by raising a hand.

"I'm sorry, Aang," she laughed as she came up to him, "I guess I've just never said you're my boyfriend because I didn't think I had to. It's obvious enough, isn't it? I said I love you, and I still do."

Aang felt his chest rise.

"It's still really nice to hear," the teenager said as he wrapped his arms around her frame to bring against his.

"I'm sorry," she repeated, "I had no idea you were worried about us all this time. No wonder you just exploded in worry."

"You do make me feel insecure sometimes," Aang chuckled, "With all those boys chasing after you."

"I don't have anyone chasing after me," Katara said as she squeezed his body extra-hard for a moment in faked annoyance.

"Well, I'm sprinting after you. Metaphorically, but… never mind I'm not a poet," Aang sighed.

Katara chuckled into his collarbone before she lifted her hands to his face; she placed them on either cheek and made him look down at her.

"I think you've caught me a long time ago, Aang."

And then she kissed him with such passion Aang thought his knees would buckle and give out. But then he found a second-wind and grabbed her shoulders, bringing her even closer to him as their lips continued to move together.

AN: I wanted to try and take something generic and make it interesting. It's still a little blah for me, but I hope you all liked it enough!