"Katara, I wish you could stay."
"I know."
She couldn't help but remember those two sentences—the first one so full of hope, the second one so full of sadness as she watched him stand guard. He'd grown taller, filling out even more—though he'd been no slouch the first time she met him. The goatee and mustache were new, and Katara found that she didn't like it.
It made him too old, too serious to be idealistic, passionate Haru who'd held her hand and thanked her for helping him and his people find hope again. It had been the first time anyone had called her hope, and the first time Katara realized why she prized the emotion so much. Seeing how the Earth people had changed from weak to strong, from timid to courageous—that was what hope did. That was what made it so powerful.
It would have been easier if he'd kept the facial hair, but then he'd gone and shaved it off, and she had to admit she found herself drawn to him. Which might explain why she was staring at him the night before the invasion. She walked forward, and he turned, as if instinctively sensing her presence. "Katara." His mouth twitched. "Couldn't sleep?"
She knew he was teasing, could see it in the slant of his mouth and the curve of his lips, but took the bait anyway. "No, just making sure you didn't need any help."
"I can take care of myself."
She knew it too, and her eyes flickered to his shirt, remembering the lean muscles that had captured her attention during their sparring match earlier that day. He'd held his own—not easily, but still managing to impress her with the magnitude of his skill. Remembering their fight brought her mind to another image, warming her cheeks.
It had been a hot day, and she had no reason to believe that he took off his shirt for any reason than to cool himself off—but something about the teasing look in his eyes made her suspect he knew the effect his naked torso was having on her.
He totally deserved getting thrashed in icy water.
"Like what you see?"
Katara's head shot up and she blushed harder at the look on Haru's face. "Don't flatter yourself. I was just checking to see if I left a mark during our training today."
Haru raised an eyebrow. "Really. Well, come here."
She walked over, a bit hesitantly. "What—" He was taking his shirt off. Oh, by Master Pakku she didn't need this on the night before the invasion. "What are you doing?"
"If you want to check me for injuries, you have to be able to actually see the skin, right?" Oh, he did not just smirk at her like she was some lovesick village girl who'd he'd just caught drooling over him.
"Fine." She waited until he pulled the shirt off, and then scanned his torso as fast and uninterestedly as she could. "No wounds, no bruises. You're fine."
"Thank you for that, brief inspection." Haru sat there comfortably, turning around to scan the bay. He made no move to put his shirt back on, and Katara forced herself not to stare as she sat next down next to him. A chill wind blew over and she shivered.
"Haru, I can't believe you're not freezing," she said, and then squeaked as the Earthbender wrapped a muscled arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. His body was warm, and Katara instinctively snuggled closer, feeling his breath hitch as she rubbed against a sensitive place.
Now it was his turn to blush as she asked with a grin, "Ticklish much?"
"Very."
They sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments, and then Katara said very quietly. "This time tomorrow we could all be dead."
"We won't." Haru's voice was confident and sure in her ear as she put her head on his shoulder.
"How do you know?"
"Because I haven't gotten to kiss you yet," Haru's voice was teasing, but his eyes were serious when she looked at him. "And the spirits wouldn't be so cruel to reunite us and then take you away again without letting me do that."