Chapter Three
The rest of the week was a blur, day after day blending like a smoothie being mixed. Luckily there wasn't much homework though, so there would be free time for the gang. The group of friends have become very close to one another, especially Aang and Katara. Since the incident earlier in the week, their bond grew, melding together to form something unbreakable. They had managed to give flyers to those who were invited to the party. It's Friday and the gang were just leaving the school when Sokka got a text message.
When his phone beeped, he took it out of his pocket and looked at the text, which in turn made his eyes wide with excitement. "Hey!" he exclaimed. Everyone stopped walking and looked over at Sokka; well, besides, Toph, who used her earth sense to feel his heart and breathing. "I got a text from Zuko and Mai. It says that they're coming for a visit for the weekend." Zuko, a 17 year old teenager was Sokka and Katara's friend from childhood. Mai always looked bored, but she can be fun when she wants to be. Katara thought that they were weird, but did have fun with them. They got transferred after Ozai, Zuko's father, got a job in San Francisco. Ursa, Zuko's mother, divorced Ozai for his cruelness and wanted her son to stay with her, but Ozai won the rights to keep both him and Azula, Zuko's sister and Ozai's favorite daughter, at court. Zuko is a junior and Azula is a sophomore. Katara remembered them, but the others had a look of confusion.
Toph asked, "Who's Zuko, Snoozles?" Sokka made a face at her and remembered that Toph can't see.
"He was a friend of ours before he moved to San Francisco, because his stupid dad got a new job there. He used to hang out with us to get away from the she devil that's his sister, Azula. Remember Katara?"
She nodded. "Yeah. His girlfriend, Mai, was always with him, even before they became a couple last year."
Sokka grinned. "That's right, little sister! It was obvious that they were made for one another; they make themselves complete: Zuko's hotheaded and Mai's dull." Everyone laughed as they walked over to Suki's car.
The laughter stopped as a voice said, "Is that anyway to say hello to an old friend?"
The group turned to the voice and recognition lit up Sokka's and Katara's faces. It was Zuko and Mai, holding hands, staring at them. Zuko was wearing a black T-shirt and pants while Mai wore a black and red outfit. Sokka and Katara ran to them, the others on their heels.
Katara was the first to hug him and Aang felt a little jealous; he could tell how close they were. "Zuko! You're here!" She released him and even gave Gloomy Mai a hug, although Mai looked a little embarrassed and uncomfortable about it. Sokka gave him a high five, grinning.
"Dude! I thought you weren't going to be here until later!" The boy was obviously excited about seeing his friend again.
Zuko laughed. "I thought it would be better if we came here sooner than you thought. Who are they?" He nodded toward the rest of the gang.
Katara made the introductions. "Zuko, Mai. These are our friends. Aang, Toph, Teo, Haru, Lexi and her boyfriend, Mat." She gestured to each one she introduced. Zuko remembered Suki from before and she gave him a hug before returning to Sokka's side. They talked for a while before a car horn honked behind them. An elderly man sat at the wheel of the car. The group walked over to the car and Zuko said, gesturing to the old man, "This is my uncle Iroh." Everyone introduced themselves to the kind man.
After a while of talking, Iroh said to Zuko and Mai, "Come along, Zuko. It's time to visit your mother."
Zuko opened the door for Mai and she went in, then he went to front seat. Before the car drove off, Katara said, "Wait, Zuko." She fished something out of her pocket. It was one of the flyers for the party and she handed it to Zuko, who looked it over. He nodded, saying that he will show up. Then the car drove off, the gang waving at them.
After the car was gone, they walked to Suki's van, anxious to be on their way. Everyone piled in, except Aang, who was frowning at the ground. Katara was about to get in when she noticed that he wasn't moving. She frowned in concern and walked over to him. Aang seemed distracted about something.
She placed a hand on his shoulder and jumped slightly. He looked in her big blue eyes. "Are you okay?" Katara asked him softly. Aang looked away and bit his lip. No, he wasn't okay. Two things bothered him. Her hugging Zuko was one of the problems. He thought that she might like Zuko more than him, and the other thing is Jet, how he had made Katara scared, cry and bleed at the same time. The gray eyed teenager kept getting this weird feeling that there was something about Jet that made Aang feel like he was back fighting for his life with the stranger. Something familiar…
But he couldn't say that in front of Katara, he didn't want to worry her any more than she was now, so he says, "Yeah, I'm okay; just thinking." He smiled at her, although it felt a little forced; he felt more like grimacing than smiling. Katara didn't look that convinced but she let it go, for the time being.
They got into the green van and drove off toward the Mall.
The boys don't get why girls like shopping so much, but the girls are having the time of their lives, buying the cutest outfits that were on sale. No wonder they had been jumping in the van; it was like they had waited for this sale for weeks, which they could have been. The only girl who wasn't having much fun was Toph, being blind and all, not really caring how she looked. But Katara and Suki managed to bring her into this, her grumbling about how it was a waste of time. The boys, save for Teo, were holding most of the stuff the girls got. After hours of shopping and carrying, the group of teens stopped at a food court and got lunch. They got subs and coke; the foot was good, but a certain teenager couldn't enjoy it very much. Aang was still a little distracted about the Jet thing and the Zuko thing. Speaking of which, here comes Mai and Zuko, walking towards them. When the couple spotted them, they waved, others waving back. Seeing them hold hands, Aang felt a little relief that Zuko seemed more interested in Mai than Katara. The two teenagers sat with them after getting their food. Everything was going normal and Aang got to know the two oldest members of the group, and was fascinated by the history of their families. He always did like history.
It was some time later when everyone was about to leave when an alarm went off, surprising them and making every member tense. Gunshots blasts could be heard from one of the clothing isles, getting closer all the while. Panic went out through the entire mall, causing people to start screaming and running. The gang was on their feet and running, keeping their heads down to go faster and to avoid any bullets that might come flying over them. There were five masked figures in black with guns, causing a rampage, shooting at anything and anyone, more to scare them off then to kill. Still, better safe than sorry. The teenagers were going to front door when Aang looked back and saw that one of the crooks was pointing a gun in their direction. But when he saw where exactly the gun was pointing, his heart turned to lead.
That guy was pointing to Katara with careful aim.
No; that was not going to happen. Aang wasn't going to let anything happen to her, not now, not ever. He already lost his parents; he wasn't going to lose the girl he loved most. The mysterious man cocked the gun. Aang ran to Katara just as the guy was about to shoot. When the gun fired, the teenager grabbed the girl and went behind a counter, the bullet missing Aang by an inch. They were breathing hard, fear and adrenaline coursing through their bodies by what had almost been murder. Aang looked from where he was sitting, and noticed two things almost immediately. The crooks had vanished to go torment other people, and their gang left without them.
He ducked back down, his mind reeling. Where had these people come from and what did they want? Katara looked at him, fear in her gorgeous blue eyes, along with worry and anxiety. He grabbed her hands; she clutched his hands in return as if wanting to keep him there where he can't leave.
It hurt him to say it, but he had to. "Katara, you need to get out of here. It's too dangerous; you need to find the others and stay safe. I have to do something to stop those guys from harming people."
Katara gripped his hands tightly, like her life depended on it. She shook her head. "I'm not leaving you! They'll kill you if you went out there by yourself." Aang kept his stormy gray eyes on her.
He said, "Please, Katara. I don't want you to get hurt. I've already lost my parents; I can't lose the best thing that has ever happened to me either." Katara was crying silently now, like a waterfall over a cliff. Aang released one of her hands and cupped her cheek, gently wiping her tears away.
"They'll kill you," she repeated in a whisper, looking down. Aang cupped her chin so he can lift her gaze to his, his eyes holding so much warmth and kindness that Katara has ever seen.
He continued, "If someone doesn't do something, a lot of people are going to get hurt. I don't want you to be one of them." He cupped her cheek again as more tears fell. "You're too special to me. I care about you, and I'm willing to do anything to keep you safe. Please, just go; for me." Katara reached up and pressed her hand against his, feeling his warmth course through her. She nodded and kissed him on the cheek.
Aang smiled at her, but his smile faded when he heard footsteps coming towards them. He looked out the corner and saw the men in black coming. His heart raced as they looked around, searching for more people. The mall was empty in their area, but still they could hear screaming as the rest of the people left the place. Still, the men would leave and search for some more innocents to terrorize; Aang knew it, so he had to stop them. He looked back at Katara and pushed her towards the door; she ran for it, while Aang ran to greet the intruders.
Katara made it outside, where Sokka, Suki, Zuko, Mai, Toph, Teo and Haru were. When Sokka saw his sister running, with fear written all over her face, he came over and grabbed her, gently, by the shoulders before hugging her. He let go and looked back, hoping to see the little freshman with her. But he wasn't; she was alone.
"Where's Aang?" Sokka asked.
Katara was breathing hard and quick. Not just from running, but from panic, too. She gulped and pointed to the doors. "He's inside," she panted.
Everyone went silent, exchanging nervous and frightened glances. Toph bent down on one knee and focused, hand on the ground. In a few seconds, she has a picture in her head from the rough vibrations she feels. She rose and could feel her friends looking at her, even though she can't see. She pointed to far left.
"He's fighting them," she reported. "So far he's winning, but there are like five guys in there, not counting Aang. I don't know how long he can keep it up."
Katara was the first to run to the window before anyone else. She peered inside and saw Aang fighting them. He was very light on his feet, and seems to be holding out on his own very well. One of the men ran towards him and showed some Kung Fu attacks, but Aang managed to deflect his blows. The guns lay empty at the other side of the floor; Aang must've managed to get the men to use all of the bullets. Aang knocked down the man with some swift but precise moves. Katara grinned. He was winning!
But then something went wrong. One of the guys Aang thought he knocked out was rising to his feet. And in his hand was something that made Katara's blood and heart turn to ice. The man had a dragon dagger in his hands, blade gleaming in the light. And he was approaching Aang, quietly, stealthily like a snake. Katara felt like she couldn't breathe as the man brought up the knife, ready to strike.
"AANG!" she screamed and he looked back in time to see the dagger come down. Aang caught the wrist and moved out of the way, but the man was fast. He struck Aang in the arm and down his chest. The teenager yelled in pain. He fell to the floor, clutching onto his arm and chest as blood seeped out of the wound. The cut looked deep and it hurt Katara to see him so helpless, that she couldn't do anything to help him. Katara was unaware that Zuko and Suki ran into the store, until she saw them fight the men in black. Katara was panting as tears were streaming down her face. Without realizing what she was doing, she ran into the mall.
"Katara, don't!" Sokka shouted after her.
But she didn't listen to him. Her only her objective was to get Aang to safety. Outside, police cars and an ambulance arrived at the scene. Sokka gave them an abbreviation about what was happening and the cops saw the teenagers fighting inside.
Suki and Zuko were fighting extremely well because they both have black belts in karate. Katara managed to get a wounded and moaning Aang out of firing range behind a counter. Aang was breathing heavily and Katara places his head on her bent knees, gently massaging his soft hair. Aang's eyes fluttered open and he gazed up at Katara's beautiful, wet face.
"What are you doing in here?" he croaked.
Katara kept massaging his head. "I saw you get hurt and, um, I thought I was going to lose you, so I ran in here after Zuko and Suki did."
His eyes widen a little bit. "They what?" Aang tried to get up, but he winced and almost yelled out. He lay back down on Katara's legs. She continued stroking his head, trying to comfort him as best she could. Katara dared to look at the wound and decided it wasn't as deep as she thought, but it still looked painful and Aang was still getting paler all the while; he would die unless he got help.
Then all of a sudden, the doors and windows burst open and the police came in, guns at ready. The teens fighting the men finished them off, and then ran to Aang and Katara, the others coming in as well, despite the polices' protests. What they didn't see was that one of the men got out through a window. He spotted Aang and his eyes became angry slits. Katara saw him at the corner of her eye and glared at him. Then he vanished.
The paramedics came in and noticed the wounded boy on the floor. The two men and women ran over to them and told the other teens to step away. Katara was the only that remained where she was, not really willing to let go of the boy she cared so much for. The medics got Aang on a stretcher and rolled him out of there, fast. Katara couldn't stand to see Aang being taken, so she ran after them, the others following her.
Katara got outside as the medics got Aang into the ambulance. She ran to a brown haired woman in blue and white uniform. "Please, let me come with him. I need to make sure that he's okay," she pleaded. Tears were streaming down her face, looking at Aang. He was breathing heavily, like that wound was sapping his strength and he was struggling to hold on. The woman was about to say no when she heard a voice behind her.
"Please, let her." She looked inside. It was Aang. He had his head lifted slightly, tears of his own going down his now paler face.
The woman looked at Katara. "Hop in!" Katara went in immediately. The doors close and Katara grabbed Aang's cold hand, trying to warm it with her own. The ambulance went into high gear and drove off towards the hospital. Katara kept talking to Aang, keeping him awake, because she fears that if he falls asleep, he might never wake up again. She would never get to see Aang's gorgeous eyes or smile again, feel his hugs, his warmth and all the sweet stuff that made him Aang if she lost him.
In no time at all, they were at the hospital. The doors opened and the medics took Aang out of the vehicle. Katara jumped out and was about to follow when a doctor with gray brown hair and glasses got in her way.
"I'm sorry, miss," he told her. "But you can't go into the emergency room. You'll have to wait in the waiting room." And he led her to the room. She caught the last glimpse of Aang before he disappeared into the room. She walked into the waiting room and sat down on a cushy chair, feeling helpless. She put her head in her hands and cried, praying that Aang would be okay.
Katara felt hands on her shoulders and she gasped. She raised her head and saw her friends there, looking sad as well. Sokka has his hand on her shoulder. He sat down in the other chair. Then he hugged her as she began to cry again. Everyone was rubbing her back, telling her Aang would be alright, but it did little comfort to her shattered heart.
After a while, Sokka said, quietly, "He'll make it, Katara. I know he will. He's a strong kid. Don't give up on him." Katara took a deep breath before looking into her brothers eyes.
"I won't give up on him. I promise that much," she whispered.
Everyone took a seat as they waited to see what has become of their brave friend.
The gang didn't know how long they have been there, waiting for Aang. Visiting hours were almost done, and no news came about the boy. Katara was more than worried. Is Aang dead? Did he fall into a coma? Is he dying? These questions were too much for Katara to bear. If Aang died, she would die, too. Katara feels more like herself when Aang's around. He makes life fun and enjoyable; he knew her past and what she could do. She felt like she knew him and he did her. Plus, she really loved him. It took her until he got hurt that she understood what that feeling was when they met; she had thought she loved him, plain and simple, but now she knew she was truly and irrevocably in love with him.
She started crying again, thinking that Aang might never know her true feelings for him; the world could be so cruel sometimes. Things sometimes never go right the way people meant them to. 'But he might not be dead,' a small part of her mind thought. Aang might not be dead. Maybe he's recovering from the damage the knife did. Maybe he's getting better. That brought Katara some comfort.
Just then a door opens and the gang looked to see the doctor, who had stopped Katara from going into the emergency room, come out, sweaty. Katara braced herself for the truth. She took a deep breath and stood. The doctor walked over to her and Katara asked the question that's been bugging her since they got to the hospital. "Is Aang okay?"
Dr. Emerson, according to his nametag, nodded. Katara felt tears in her eyes again, but she's smiling. Sokka came over and hugged her, tears in his eyes as well. Dr. Emerson said, "He's had to get stitches on his right shoulder and down his chest. The wound wasn't deep, and he's going to be fine." Katara felt so relieved that she completely forgot about her death thoughts. The doctor continued, "He should be able to go home tomorrow afternoon. He's resting in his room. Do any of you have a way to contact his guardian?" Katara was the first to pull out her jeweled cell out of her pocket, looking up Aang's home phone number and telling Dr. Emerson what it was.
After he wrote down the number, Katara asked, almost begging, "Can we see him now?" She and her friends were extremely anxious to see how he was. Emerson took a moment to put his pen away before answering.
"I don't see why not. But you must be quiet. There are people sleeping in here. He's in room 103." Katara nodded her thanks and walked fast but quiet to Aang's room, the others following like ducklings.
Only one word can describe the room; white. White walls, white beds, white sheets, everything was colorless and stale. Katara never really liked hospitals and could only wonder how Aang felt about it; he never liked closed in spaces. He preferred to be outside rather than in. She looked around and saw the boy with his eyes closed, almost as colorless as the room. He was lying on the hospital bed with an IV drip in his arm.
'Aang' Katara thought. She was at his side in an instant, heart in her throat. He looked so peaceful, like nothing had happened; almost as if it had all been a nightmare, nothing else. She grabbed his hand. It was cold, but she can feel a pulse beat strongly under his skin. She watched his chest rise and fall in perfect rhythm; it was like watching him sleep. The others saw this and each smiled. Even Mai had a small smile on her face.
Katara looked at his shoulder, and saw bandages on it. It's the shoulder he had to get stitches on. Katara reached out her left hand, the one not holding Aang's, and started rubbing his head, like she did back at the mall after the knife had cut him so easily. She started feeling her eyes water and blinked hard; crying wasn't going to do anything for him. Aang was alive and breathing; he would heal and get better. He just had to take it easy for now.
Everything was quiet until Sokka said, "I'm going to call dad. Come on guys. Let them have their moment." The others didn't argue but quietly followed as Sokka led them out and quietly closed the door when everyone was out. It was just Aang and Katara now, alone in the room. The girl continued to stroke his head, feeling its softness. She kept her grip on his hand, feeling it warm up slowly against her skin.
Suddenly she heard a moan. Her eyes have been watching her hand move on his head, but they flew to his face, wide as she stared at his pale features, watching for movement. His eyes moved under his lids slightly.
It was a long shot, but she whispered, "Aang?"
Silence; maybe it was her imagination acting up, thinking that he said something.
Katara closed her eyes, feeling tears again; but then she was surprised when she heard, "Katara?"
She gasped lightly, and watched as Aang's eyes fluttered open, looking dazed and confused. His gray orbs were half opened when he tried to focus them on her. There was a look of relief on her face and her heart soared with delight and happiness at seeing him awake and hearing him talk.
She rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb. "I'm here, Aang. I'm alright." Aang's eyes were fully open now, and looked around the room before fully focusing on the beautiful girl before him.
The boy asked, "Where am I?" He looked around, brows furrowing. "Where's everybody else?" Katara rubbed his head again when she answered.
"You're in a hospital and the others are in the waiting room; we've been worried about you for hours." She paused before saying, "I'm so glad you're okay. You really had me worried."
Aang kept his eyes on her red face, and he knew she'd been crying; over him. He can only imagine what she felt like when he got hurt, and thinking that he may not survive his struggle. But he did. He's here, alive, with the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. With his free hand, Aang reached up and touched Katara cheek, gingerly. "You really had me worried when you came into the mall," he whispered. "You could've gotten hurt…or worse. If anything bad happened to you, I never would've forgiven myself." He paused as he winced at his bad arm.
Katara took this opportunity to kiss his cheek, and Aang seemed to relax a little. It was a tiny kiss, something to make him feel better. Aang took a deep breath, or at least tried to before wincing, before continuing.
"Because if you got killed, I wouldn't be myself anymore; I changed when you came into my life. You make me feel happier than I ever have since my parents were murdered. I feel more like myself when I'm with you." He paused again, thinking of how to tell her this. "There's something you need to know."
Katara was curious now. She wanted to know what Aang was trying to say. But he hesitated. "What is it, Aang?" she asked gently. Aang realized that she hadn't let go of his hand. He caressed the back with his thumb, loving the feeling of her warm, soft hand against his cold, hard hand.
He sighed through his nose; it was now or never. "I love you," he murmured. He half hoped that she didn't hear his confession; Aang didn't think he could live with the rejection. Ever since he met her, his world had revolved around the girl beside him. Everything had changed for him and he hoped it was the same for Katara. She heard him though and a smile grew on her olive face, along with a blush. Katara did the only thing she could think of.
She moved her head towards his. Aang looked into her eyes, and noticed how close she was. His heart's banging in his chest, like someone was playing with it like a giant drum. He gulped, quietly, not wanting to disturb this moment; it was almost like being in a dream and if he was, Aang never wanted to wake up ever again. Then she did something that caught Aang off guard. She kissed him on the lips; his breath caught. The kiss was tentative, exploratory. Katara was testing it to see how it felt. Aang didn't know what she felt, but to him, it was like lightning going through his body, making it tingle. His head is elevated just right, so it wasn't difficult to kiss him.
She removed her hand from his and placed it on his good shoulder. She was careful about his bad arm. Aang gently wrapped his arms around her slim waist and kissed her back. To him, Katara's lips felt like flower petals, roses, maybe. He felt lightheaded; not from lack of air but from the amazing sensation that consumed him through her touch and lips.
To Katara, it was as if the world was brighter, the air sweeter, and the sun seemed to open up inside her. That was how powerful this small act was to her. Her heart was pounding and, judging the sound of Aang's heart monitor, so was his. He deepened the kiss a little, held her a little tighter. In the back of her mind she knew they were in the hospital and there were people outside, but she didn't care. All there was is her and Aang, kissing and holding each other in their bubble of calm.
But it ended too soon. Slowly, Katara pulled away a little bit and they opened their eyes, blue meeting silver like the sky and the sea. They harmonize each other. They smiled, their eyes sparkling with happiness.
Aang asked, "So, does that mean you love me back?" For an answer, Katara kissed him again. She pulled away from him in a few seconds.
"Yes, Aang. I do. I really do," she answered, glad to have said it at last. Just then, someone knocked on the door. Reluctantly, Katara got up and walked over to it. When she opened it, she saw someone she has never seen before. He was a man with a white moustache looking like the top of a hollow circle. He's wearing a long sleeved yellow-orange shirt and baggy pants. He's bald, and he has Aang's gray eyes.
The man said, "Is my nephew in here?" That's why he has Aang's eyes! This is his uncle, Gyatso.
Katara nodded and led the old man to the boy on the other side of the room. Aang was already looking at his uncle. Gyatso sat on the other side of the bed as Katara took her original seat on the left, grabbing one of Aang's hands. Gyatso gazed at him with sad, concerned eyes. He noticed the bandages on the boy's arm. Gyatso asked, "Is that where they put in the stitches?" Aang nodded, and then winced. Katara squeezed his hand, letting him know that she was still here. He looked at her gratefully. "Tell me everything that happened," he said to Aang,
So Aang tried to explain what happened at the mall, Katara coming in every once in a while to fill the spots Aang forgot about. He winced a lot during the explanation. Gyatso's face grew more lined as he heard the story and there was a flicker of anger in eyes that let Katara know of his protective nature; that was something he and Aang shared, apparently.
He finished with, "And that's how I got here." Katara nodded, confirming this. Gyatso reached up and rubbed his hand on Aang's head. He didn't say anything for a while, but he seemed to age ten years just from listening.
Finally he said, "Well, the important thing is that you are all right. The doctor told me you'll be able to come home tomorrow." To Katara he said, "Thank you for watching out for my nephew. I greatly appreciate it."
Katara smiled at him. "You're welcome."
Then Gyatso leaned in close to Aang's ear and whispered, "You have a wonderful girlfriend here." Aang blushed. He gave his uncle a sheepish grin, before Gyatso ruffled his hair. The man stood up. "I will see you tomorrow, Aang. Try to get some rest." He left the couple alone; Aang smiled at her a little nervously.
A moment of silence passed before Katara asked, "What did your uncle whisper to you?" She knew, but she wanted to hear it come from Aang. He blushed in that cute way he does when he's embarrassed.
He said, "That I have a wonderful girlfriend." Katara laughed before kissing him again. It seemed hard to do so, but she separated their lips after a few moments.
"And don't you forget it, mister." She poked him in the chest to mock threat him.
He responded with a grin, "I don't think that's possible."
Just then the door opened, and Sokka came into the room. He said to his sister, "Come on, Katara. Dad's waiting for us up front." Then he noticed that Aang was awake. He ran outside and said, "Hey guys! Aang's awake!" The others came in and saw that it was true. A lot of pats were given to the boy. They talked a little bit about what was going on and a lot of asking if Aang needed anything.
Someone came into the room. Everyone stopped talking and looked up to see that it was Katara and Sokka's father, Hakoda. He nodded towards Aang. "I see you're feeling better."
Aang nodded. "Thanks to my friends. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them, sir."
"I'm glad. These are some good kids. And please call me Hakoda." Hakoda turned to his children. "Come on, you two. It's time to go home." He nodded to everyone else before exiting.
Zuko said, "We should be leaving too. My uncle's in the waiting room. Bye guys." They said their goodbyes and the couple left.
Suki stood up and said, "I think I should get home too. It's late. I'll take Toph, Teo and Haru home." The boys and Toph nodded. Sokka gave Suki a look and Suki gave him a kiss on the lips. "I'll see you tomorrow, sweetheart." She closed the door behind them as they left
Aang, Katara and Sokka were the only ones left. After a few moments of silence, Sokka stood and said, "Come on, Katara. We have to go. It's not like we can't see him tomorrow."
Katara looked up at him. "I'll be out in a second." Sokka shrugged and walked out of the room. Katara looked back at her boyfriend. She didn't want to leave him alone. But she had to.
She said, "I hope you feel better tomorrow." Aang reached up and stroked her cheek like before. While stroking, he said, "I'll be fine, Katara. You saved me from dying. Kept me going on when my body was ready to shut down. Don't worry; I'll be back before you know it. I promise."
Katara bit her lip, closing her eyes as she reached up and pressed her face into his now warm hand.
She sighed through her nose. "I know you will. You're strong, Aang. Stronger than any boy I've ever met. Not to mention the cutest."
They smiled at each other. Katara bent down and kissed him one more time before standing. She walked to the door, paused, looked back at Aang and blew him a kiss. Aang watched as Katara left the room. He tried to make himself comfortable, but it was hard without Katara being near him. The nurse came in and said her goodnights to Aang, turned off the lights and left.
He remained awake, thinking about the events that took place. The mall, the attack, Katara holding him, weeping, going unconscious while getting stitches, admitting his feelings and getting hers in return. Aang touched his lips. He can still feel her lips on them, even though she left. A knot formed in his stomach. He doesn't like the idea of leaving Katara alone after what happened earlier. He looked out the window. The half-moon shone some of its light on him. Aang had the feeling that he was being watched, but it was good feeling. The moon reminded him of Katara; her eyes that shine with emotion, the feeling of her arms around him, her stroking his hair. 'Katara's amazing' Aang thought.
And Aang fell asleep, Katara's touch still lingering on his skin.