CHAPTER RATING: M (Language, Sexually Suggestive Situations, Sexually Suggestive Dialogue)
A/N: In the name of Pacing, Here's a chapter to prepare you for the next.
Chapter 8: "More than Anyone else. Anywhere else."
"Okay. The first thing we need to do is to get you some new clothes." Sokka tugged at Aang's torn robe.
"Yeah. I guess so." He replied
"But since Zuko's uncle said you were dead...You can't go."
"So?"
"So we do what we always do. I'll go with..." He looked at the ragtag group. "I'll take everyone! We could all use some new clothes."
"What about Zuko? Won't people notice his scar?" Aang asked.
"I was traveling across the Earth Kingdom with my uncle for weeks." Zuko sneered. "No one ever knew who I was."
"Okay, so we'll take a group of me…Suki, Zuko, Toph, and Azula…" Sokka observed.
"Wait!" Toph shouted. "We can't do that, Sugar Lips here is still the Fire Nation Princess! Do you think we can just waltz into the Fire Nation with her in tow?"
"Hmm..." Sokka hummed. "You're right." He examined Azula from head to toe.
"What the hell are you thinking in that perverted mind of yours?" She scolded.
"I know!" Sokka shouted. "We can pull your hair down!" He undid Azula's bun and let her hair fall. "Ah Ha!"
"You're so right, Sokka! I'm looking at a totally different person!" Toph exclaimed.
"I know, right?! I knew it, I'm a covert genius~" He paused. "Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny, Toph." He crossed his arms. "Whatever, it doesn't matter, we're leaving ASAP."
They boarded Appa, leaving Aang and Katara behind.
...
"Come with me, Katara." He squeezed her hand while leading her into the temple.
"What's this about, Aang? She asked.
" I want to show you something. " Aang held a burning light in his hand, that only illuminated the path a few feet from them.
"So where are we going?" She watched him wave his hand, and felt a gust of wind. Then he let loose a spark that grew into a flame.
"It's identical to the Spirit Oasis in the North Pole. The place with the strongest spiritual energy within the Temple." He lit more air-fueled torches as he walked past them. "Each temple has a place like this. But I've never been here before."
"You never traveled to the other temples?"
"I was raised in the Southern Temple, if I were able to travel, I would have only seen the Northern Temple." He smiled. "Men lived in the North and South. Women were housed in the East and West."
"You were separated by gender...?"
"Yep. That's right."
"So you've never..." Her voice trailed off.
He stopped in his tracks.
"Never what…?" He raised an eyebrow.
"N-Nevermind. I don't know what I was thinking." She stuttered.
"Oh…Alright then, we're almost there."
Further down the hall, they saw hints of a large wooden door with a massive set of horns, looping into multiple chambers.
"It's just like at the Southern Temple." Aang stepped back, planted his feet into the ground, and spun in a circle. He brought his hands in during the same motion, and pushed them forward with gusts of air. The wind from his palms flew into the horns, whistling through the empty halls. Several of the tubes turned outward, and the door began to creak open .
It was pitch black, even darker than the hallway. Katara's hand tightened around Aang's. He held it with the same anticipation.
"Don't worry, Katara." He reassured her and raised a hand. A gust came with his command. Torches lining the walls lit the room, revealing intricate illustrations of the Air Nomads. A white fabric replaced the grey stone on the floor. Katara noticed Aang remove his shoes, and followed suit.
"It's so soft." She noted while walking across the floor, feeling the carpet move against the soles of her feet.
"It's like walking on a cloud, huh?" Aang laughed. "The monks would always emphasize how our culture was about freedom. And how no one could take it away." They continued to walk until they came across another room. It gleamed with white light from the crystals that grew from the cavern. He motioned for her to sit across from him. "They said 'Your spirit is always free'."
He held her hands, and took a deep breath.
"I wanted to show you this, Katara. Close your eyes." She followed his instruction, and within minutes, it felt as if she was floating.
...
When she opened her eyes, she saw him sitting across from her just as he had in the Western Air Temple.
"I said that it felt like a cloud, well, now we are in the clouds." He whispered. She looked around, a white fog surrounded them, and below her, she felt nothing. She felt lighter than air.
"What is this place?" Aang took her hand and returned to his feet, inviting her to follow.
"The Boundless Sky. A place that all airbenders visit at least once in their lifetimes."
"How often did you come here?"
"Not so much. The monks always came here when they needed to meditate, or 'seek enlightenment', as they called it. As you know. We haven't had much time for that."
"Right." She chuckled. "So, only airbenders have ever been here?"
He nodded.
"You're the first waterbender to ever see this place." Katara took in the sight of white clouds that continued to move, revealing the sapphire sky that surrounded them.
"Unbelievable." She gasped. His heart lifted at her reaction.
"That's not all." He held her hand tighter, and led her to another area in the Sky. "Ready?" He asked her.
"For what?" She replied. He brought her close, and held her.
"A-Aang, w-what are you doing?"
"Trust me." He smiled.
"Okay." She returned the gesture with a flushed expression. He leapt up, and crashed through the white padding. She felt panic and worry, but within a matter of seconds, she felt a calm wash over her.
They stood in a emerald grassland, that stretched as far as the eye could see. The grass itself seemed to beam with the sun's light, as if it were made of crystal.
"Where are we now?" She asked.
"The Jade Meadows." He answered. "A 'never-ending realm of tranquility and peace' as the monks put it."
"It's amazing." She sat down on the grass. "They were right." He took a deep breath before sitting next to her, and taking her hand.
"Katara!" He looked into her eyes. "I have to tell you something!"
"Go on, Aang. I'm listening." She lightly laughed at his outburst.
"I love you." The moment he was attempting to share brought a smile to her face. "I love you more than anyone in this...No...In every world. And I want to show you how much I love you." He took a breath after the hasty confession.
She laughed, and his heart sank.
"Aang, why are you saying this?" It sank even further. Katara saw his reaction, and corrected herself. "That's not what I meant." She cleared her throat, cupped her hand on his cheek, and brought his eyes to hers again. "You've already told me this." Her smile brightened his heart. "I love you too, more than anyone else. Anywhere else." She kissed him, he closed his eyes, and swore that he could feel the warmth of her embrace on his lips.
Katara broke away, and held his chin up, their breaths meeting as she spoke.
"Meet me...on the other side." She brought her lips to his again, the warmth grew upon him as they began to fade away.
...
The warmth on his lips was real. The soft touch on his lips was real. Her kiss, her embrace, was real.
She pulled away from him, her soft breath crashing against his lips as their foreheads rested against each other.
"I wanted to show you..." He whispered.
"Then show me..." She answered.
Aang acted upon her request. He brought his lips to hers. Katara felt his bold, yet delicate caress. She shuddered with chills quaking through her body. Her muscles relaxed, and she felt his hand on the small of her back, supporting her as she slid down onto the cushioned floor.
The warmth of her lips overwhelmed him. It felt like his body was moving by instinct. He hadn't even noticed his hand as it wrapped around her, resting at her back. He held her in his arms, his heart racing, wanting to jump out of his chest.
Katara could hear her own heart pulsing in a wild, rhythmic song. She shivered when his hand brushed against her neck, pushing away her silken ebony hair. Chills crept along her body, following the trail of heat that his fingers created.
He moved his fingers along her neckline, descending with purpose. The sound of her desperate breaths playing in his ears as he caressed her right breast with the palm of his hand. With the white of her robe as his guide, he took hold of it and flipped it open.
His fingertips blazed a trail of tension down her body, causing it to shudder in anticipation. The soft fabric of her blue robe pressed against her, causing a gasp for air. A chilling breeze blew above her as her robe opened.
He marveled at her flawless curves. She was even more beautiful than in his wildest fantasy. He kissed her again, his hand wrapping around the shape of her body, caressing her as it continued to move. Her sapphire eyes called to him, his fingertips could feel the heat the radiated from her core. The intensity grew with his anticipation. His lips touched hers again as his fingers felt her.
Katara let forth soft moans that rumbled through their bodies when she felt his fingers. She cried his name in a muffled voice, interrupted by his tongue as it intertwined with hers. The heat building in her core was overpowering. His gentle touch, sending a storm of electricity through her nerves.
He moved down the length of her body, planting a path of kisses every step of the way. The heat emanating from her pushed him further.
His descent, and path of kisses created a trail of heat that led to her core. His breath fell upon her in rhythmic exhalation. Tension rocked her body at the contact.
"A...An-..." Her cry of his name transformed into a soft breath by the surges of ecstasy ravaging her body. His tongue made contact with her; massaging her, and caressing the small nub of flesh that pushed her beyond climax.
Katara found her hand clasped onto the back of his head; pushing, encouraging him to continue. But it began to lose strength with every passing second.
He felt her hand that rested on his head begin to weaken. She cried for him again. And in one moment, her grasp strengthened around him, and her muscles tightened. She tried her best to pull him up, but couldn't find the strength.
He acknowledged her weakness, and moved to her. His soft kiss met a weakened response. She wrapped her arms around him, and interlocked her hands behind his neck. With a gaze into her eyes, his muscles stiffened. A sudden terror of lost control took him, and then faded. He fell to his side, and could feel the blood rushing through his veins.
Katara's fingers dictated his every movement. She never thought that she'd be using bloodbending like this. But to her surprise, he didn't seemed panicked or concerned. She laid her bare body on top of his, her fingers tracing a path down the fading scar of his chest.
Her breaths fell upon his ear in a hushed tone.
"I thought you'd be afraid." She smirked.
"I've seen this happen before." He admitted. She smiled as she realized what he meant.
"How many times?" A stream of blood followed her fingertips. His heart raced as he searched for the strength to answer.
"Many...many times." He let out almost with shame.
"Don't feel bad." She kissed him, broke away, and whispered "We all do it." His head leaned back when she pushed her hand against the fabric of his pants. With a slow tug, Katara extended the torturous wait he seemed to have endured for so long.
Her grip was tender, and firm. She held him in the palm of her hand. She started with a gentle motion, teasing by rubbing herself against him; her own thoughts dispersing at the sensation. The tension she was tempting him with grew with every passing second.
Moans of pleasure and ecstasy roared through the empty halls of the temple. The cries of each others' names seemed to linger on forever as Katara lowered herself onto Aang. The warmth that took him was even more intoxicating than he had imagined a few nights before.
She was desperate to keep her balance, and planted her hands onto his chest for support.. She held her head down, feeling the ecstasy surge through her being; but continued to move, feeling him deep inside her, until her skin crawled with the shuddering impact of climax.
The shockwave of bliss that roared through her took away her strength. He caught her in his arms, letting them run down the length of her body, admiring every curve until he reached her hips. Her arms wrapped around him, holding him close as her breath fell upon his neck in gasps for air.
His hands took hold of her hips, pulling her up, and pushing her down along his length. She moaned his name again in a muffled voice that trailed into his ears, and disappeared.
"A-Aang-" Katara cried out to her Avatar. The warmth of his body pressing against hers, the feeling of him inside her, the sensation of his breath landing on the nape of her neck, pushed her further, and further.
Her ebony hair blocked his vision, taking the light away from his eyes. He closed them, and focused on the moment. Heat began to build at his core, his breaths becoming shallow, and desperate.
"Katara-" His cry mixed with hers. Their embrace tightened. They pulled each other close, and took one last breath before they both felt the release of climax. Through their exhaustion, Katara fell next to him; they closed their eyes, and felt the light fade.
...
She awoke to the sight of his back, a blue strand running from the base of his spine to over his head.
"Aang? Is something wrong?"
He took a deep breath.
"Everything changes now, doesn't it?" He answered. She smiled, sat next to him, and rested her head on his shoulder.
"Nothing changes." She answered. "Do you know why?"
"…Because I've loved you ever since the moment I saw you." He replied.
PUBLISHED ON: 8/9/2014
A/N: I'll see you next Late Saturday Night, or Early Sunday Morning.
Thanks for reading!