Summary: "To whomever it may concern: You and a guest of your choice are cordially invited to the Eastern Fire Nation Secondary School's 10-Year Reunion on the 7th day of the 4th month of the year 110 AG in the caves near EFNSS. Join us for a night of dancing, music, and more!" Or, the one where Katara and Aang have some improvements for their Kataango.
Word Count: 3.7k
Welcome to Day 7 of Kataang Week 2023! Today's prompt is Reunion! Enjoy!
"Welcome home, sweetie."
Aang exhaled deeply as he saw his wife reclining on their bed, book all but forgotten on her nightstand. She outstretched her arms for him to bury himself into, inviting him into her warm embrace with a smile. Without another word, he stripped himself of his outer clothes and leaped onto the bed, eliciting a delighted squeal from the waterbender as Aang nestled himself against Katara's side and gripped her for dear life.
"Sorry for coming home so late, sweetie," he said, muffled by the crook of her neck.
Katara pressed a kiss to the tip of his arrow and frowned as the bags under his eyes were illuminated by the candlelight. "Don't worry about it, Aang. I'm just glad you're home now. Here." She shifted towards the edge of the bed and patted the space next to her for him to join her under the blankets.
"You got some mail today," she whispered to him once he settled beneath the layers of shed bison fur. He quirked an eyebrow up at her. It was rare that any mail came directly to Air Temple Island when he wasn't home. Avatar-related correspondences usually went straight to City Hall, unless his immediate attention was required.
"Well, I suppose that's not true." Katara turned on her side, stretching her arm behind her to retrieve the gold-accented crimson envelope lying on the side table. "Kuzon got mail," she said as she handed it to Aang.
"Kuzon?"
The airbender carefully slid his thumb across the top of the package, heating his fingers just enough to burn off the top of the envelope and reveal its contents. From its interior, he pulled out a beige piece of parchment with alternating red and gold Fire Nation insignias that created a border around the edge of the letter.
"To whomever it may concern," he read aloud, "You and a guest of your choice are cordially invited to the Eastern Fire Nation Secondary School's 10-Year Reunion on the 7th day of the 4th month of the year 110 AG in the caves near EFNSS. Join us for a night of dancing, music, and more! Sincerely, On Ji Himisa and Shoji Akunai."
"Looks like On Ji and Shoji became friends after we left," Aang smiled, folding up the parchment. "And it looks like we," he looked up at Katara for emphasis, "are going to a party. Or at least we are in three months."
The waterbender paused for a moment, deep in thought, before she wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Do I have to?"
"Of course you have to! I can't go alone."
Katara's expression remained unchanged.
"Come on," he murmured, taking a softer tone as he began peppering kisses on her neck and the side of her face. "Think of all the girls I'll have to fight off if you're not there! Who will I dance with?"
Aang felt Katara hesitate and pressed a kiss right under her earlobe, cupping her other cheek with his hand as he touched his forehead to hers.
"I'll grow out my hair if you come with me. Avatar promise."
Like a light switch being flicked, Katara broke out into a grin and moved her hands to his shoulders, flipping them over. Her hair cascaded past her shoulders onto the pillow beside his face like a curtain, separating them from the rest of the world. Aang's breath hitched, heart racing as he looked up at her, before he groaned, coming to an unfortunate realization.
"You were waiting for that, weren't you?" he murmured, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. "You had no intention of saying no in the first place. You just wanted me to say I'd grow out my hair."
The waterbender giggled deviously and nodded before kissing him, long and sweet.
"You can't go back on it now," she whispered once they broke apart. "You didn't just promise, you Avatar promised."
Aang gave her an overdramatic sigh, making a show of his expression turning to deep resignation and regret as Katara once again dissolved into laughter. "You have gotten the better of me yet again, Sifu Katara. But I will be avenged!"
"I'm sure you will," she snickered. Aang pecked her cheek and turned them back over, once again nestling himself in the crook of her neck as the smell of her rose shampoo filled his nose. His arms lay draped across her torso while hers traced the scar on his back, sending shivers down his spine.
"We'll have to make some adjustments to our dance. Our Kataango."
Katara scoffed. "I still can't believe Sokka's name for that caught on," she said disbelievingly.
"It's a good name," Aang laughed. "He's rubbed off on the acolytes too now. Ileh was looking for us the other day, except she asked Zai where 'Kataang' was. I think I even heard one of the little ones, Ban, say 'oogies' the other day."
"Leave it to Sokka to corrupt innocent children," she shook her head as they both laughed.
"Are you excited?" Katara asked after a few moments of silence. "To see them again?"
"On Ji and Shoji?"
The waterbender nodded.
A fond, distant smile crept onto Aang's face. "Yeah, I am. We never really went back to any of the places we visited on our travels, other than Ba Sing Se and Kyoshi Island of course. It'll be nice to see some familiar faces, see how they're doing after all this time. I know I was only there for a few days, but I don't know." He flushed, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. "It'll be nice. That's all."
Katara smiled and looked down at him, cupping his cheek. "It will be," she reassured. "You don't have to justify feeling excited, Aang. You really helped those kids, and they barely even had a chance to thank you before we had to leave. I'm happy for you."
A mischievous glint sparked in Aang's eyes as he stared her down. "Not even the slightest bit jealous?"
"Jealous?" Katara raised her eyebrows. "Of what?"
"A little birdie told me after we started dating that you got quite jealous of On Ji and me dancing together in that cave," Aang said with a smirk. "And now that I'll be seeing her again, well."
Katara scoffed, her cheeks instantly covered in a dark magenta. "I'm assuming it would be sheer coincidence if this birdie were to be blind and about five and a half feet of pure spite?"
"Maybe."
She cursed under her breath.
Aang continued, unperturbed. "I believe her exact words were 'You should've felt the way Sugar Queen's heart rate jumped when Meathead said he thought you and that girl from the Fire Nation school made a cute couple. I thought she was about to have a stroke until I felt her heartbeat when you asked her to dance. Seriously, Twinkletoes, what took you guys so long?'"
The waterbender blushed furiously, knowing if she tried to play it off, he'd know she was lying.
Aang let the silence ring in the air for a few moments before giving her a devilish smile and pecking her cheek. "So, I do believe I've been avenged for the hair incident."
The gears turned in Katara's head, and she groaned. "You're incorrigible."
"But you love me, anyways."
Katara pouted. "Do I?"
"Hey, I'm growing out my hair for you!"
"Ah, that's right," she yawned. "I do."
Aang chuckled and shifted in the bed so that he could be the one holding her as she felt her eyelids begin to droop. "You're adorable."
"Even when I get jealous of random Fire Nation girls?" she mumbled half-asleep.
"Especially when you get jealous of random Fire Nation girls. I can feel it in your heartbeat when we're in public and see fangirls, actually. You tend to hold my hand a little tighter or kiss me more often. It's very cute." He laughed as she nudged him in annoyance. "Sleep, sweetie. We'll work on our Kataango in the morning."
"Morning," she agreed and yawned. "Love you, sweetie. G'night."
"Love you too. Sweet dreams."
The next few months were a blur for 'Kuzon' and 'Sapphire.'
Between council meetings, maintaining Republic City, and the new hospital expansion project, Aang and Katara certainly had their hands full. It was rare that they got extended periods of free time not spent working, eating, or sleeping, but when they did, they worked tirelessly on modifying and improving their Kataango. Hours were spent practicing jumps, flips, kicks, and twirls until finally, the day of the reunion had arrived.
"Ready to go, sweetie?" Aang called out as he adjusted the collar on his new Fire Nation outfit, custom-made by the Fire Nation royal tailor at Zuko's insistence. He couldn't exactly wear his old school uniform, opting instead for a looser, sleeveless tunic and burgundy trousers that ended right below his knee. He was, however, wearing his old headband, having found it a few days prior in a box in the back of Katara's closet.
"Almost!" Katara stepped out of the bathroom, fussing with a ruby earring that couldn't seem to clasp right. She gave him a small twirl once it was in her ear securely, her crimson skirt flaring around her as she spun. "How do I look, sweetie?"
Aang gasped softly, heart racing and collar forgotten, when she turned to face him. Her outfit was quite similar to the one she had worn during their time in the Fire Nation, but it still managed to take his breath away. The top had one strap running over her left shoulder and cropped right above the curve of her waist, showing off her toned stomach from years of waterbending. Her skirt and flared pants rested low on her hips, and she wore gold bangles on her wrists and biceps. She opted to keep her hair loopies in but otherwise sported the same high bun she had all those years ago, the red beads on her loopies complimenting her earrings.
"Aang?" she smiled shyly. "Are you still there?"
The airbender blinked, torn from his thoughts, and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry." He pulled her to him and kissed her cheek. "You are very distracting."
She giggled, resting her arms on his chest and looking at his outfit approvingly. "I could say the same for you. Remind me to thank Zuko's tailor later. Are we leaving now?"
Aang nodded and led them outside to where the sky bison was standing.
"If you would allow me, Master Waterbender Katara of the Southern Water Tribe?" he asked with a smile, his arms reaching around her waist and legs.
Katara rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing Aang to pick Katara up bridal-style, though carefully so as to not to ruin either of their outfits. With a single gust of airbending, the two were in Appa's saddle. "Appa, Yip yip!"
The flight was a shorter one, taking just over two hours to fly from Air Temple Island across the Crescent Sea to the Fire Nation School. The two spent their time laughing and reminiscing over their travels and the chaos they had gotten themselves into during the war. Before long, they were landing on the shore near the cave they had used a decade prior, which was now bustling with activity and decorated with streamers and candles.
"Avatar Aang! Glad you could make it!"
The two dismounted from Appa and turned towards the voice, which belonged to a tall young woman with brown eyes and a high ponytail who was smiling at them.
"On Ji!" Aang grinned. "Nice to see you again!" The two greeted each other with a bow. "This is my wife, Katara," he introduced, wrapping his arm around the waterbender who gave a small wave. "Though tonight we're just Kuzon and Sapphire."
On Ji gawked. "Oh my goodness. You're Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe?!" Katara nodded, shifting her weight awkwardly. "I'm such a big fan! I've read all about your work in healing and energy balance! I know you probably don't want to talk about work tonight, but my fiance and I would love to pick your brain sometime about the uses of healing in physical therapy and improving physical fitness. That is, if you're okay with that? Oh, let me go get him. He'll be so excited!"
Katara's eyes widened as On Ji ran off, taken entirely off guard by the woman's enthusiasm. The airbender gave her a slight nudge, a cheeky smile on his face. "So… am I allowed to be jealous of random Fire Nation girls now?"
"Master Katara! Er, Sapphire!" On Ji returned holding the hand of a tan, green-eyed man whose jaw dropped when he saw the two.
"Avatar Aang? Master Katara?!" The man immediately bowed low to show respect. "I-it's an honor to meet you. Or, meet you again I suppose. I can't believe you really came!"
Aang squinted, trying to place the familiarity of the face. Then,
"Shoji?"
He straightened his back and nodded, eyes wide. "You remember me?"
"Of course I do! We played the awesomest game of Hide and Explode ever! Well, the only game of Hide and Explode I've played. But still!" Aang looked between the two of them. "You guys are engaged?"
The two blushed and nodded. "We became really good friends after you guys ended the war and people like Hide and the Headmaster fell out of favor," Shoji explained. "After being friends for a bit, we started dating and well, here we are."
Katara smiled and squeezed Aang's hand. "Sounds vaguely familiar."
"We run a performing arts school now," On Ji said. "We both teach dance, I teach theater, and Shoji teaches music. He's really good at tsungi horn!"
"Hey, maybe you can teach me sometime!" Aang grinned.
"I'd be honored!" Shoji exclaimed. "Let's go inside! Some of my students are providing the music for tonight."
The three followed Shoji through the cave entrance and gasped when they were met with the inside. Small candles connected by strings lined the walls of the cave, filling it with a warm glow. Streamers crisscrossed the rocky ceiling, and balloons floated near a large table with snacks and drinks. There was also a raised platform in the middle of the cave with a band, playing drums, a few plucked instruments, and, of course, the tsungi horn.
"This place looks amazing," Katara said as she looked around.
"Yeah!" Aang agreed. "You guys did an awesome job!"
The other couple smiled. "We were hoping you'd come and didn't want to disappoint," Shoji said.
"You really had an impact on us, Kuzon," On Ji added. "You taught us what it meant to let go, to really have fun. You introduced us to our passions. We're indebted to you."
Before Aang had a chance to reply, a few other amber-eyed people waved over Shoji and On Ji.
"Sorry to end this so soon, but we should probably see what the other organizers need," Shoji said with an apologetic look. "Enjoy the rest of your evening!"
Aang sighed quietly as the couple walked off and went with Katara who was pulling him to the snack table. She grinned as she handed him a cup of lemonade. "What'd I say? You really helped these people, Aang. You helped them find their passions, live their dreams-" She gave him a pointed look. "-find love. I hope you're as proud of yourself as I am."
He nodded and took a sip of his drink. "I am," he said softly. "I wish we got to talk with them more, really catch up, but moments like these make all the annoying parts of being the Avatar seem worth it." Aang turned to look at her. "I'm lucky to have you, Katara."
The waterbender tilted her head. "What does that have to do with anything?"
Aang shrugged. "Things that make being the Avatar worth it. Helping people, traveling the world, meeting you." He looked at their intertwined hands. "And everything that came after that. I'm really, really lucky."
Katara smiled and squeezed his hand before they both turned their heads to the center platform where the band had begun playing a lively, upbeat tune. Aang chugged down his lemonade with one large gulp and put down his cup, giving Katara a wide grin.
"So, are those shoes right for dancing this time?"
The waterbender laughed and nodded. "They are." She put down her cup and stepped away with her back towards the center of the dance floor. She outstretched her arm. "Take my hand."
Aang's eyes glinted with amusement in the candlelight and obliged. "Okay."
She pulled him to the dance floor, and the two bowed before circling each other, their wrists raised and touching. More and more people began pausing their own dancing to watch the famed Avatar and his waterbender master, cheering them on as they waited in anticipation with vivid memories of the last time they had danced.
"Katara," his eyes darted around the room. "Everyone's watching."
"Don't worry about them," she smiled. "It's just you and me right now."
The two circled each other once more before abruptly switching direction, their fingers outstretched in the shapes of flowers. They then clasped hands and leaned out before lunging back towards each other in parallel, their faces out towards the crowd.
The couple's grip tightened, and they pulled themselves back into a standing position facing each other. The airbender grinned right before he kicked with a small burst of fire, which Katara elegantly dodged, ducking underneath the flames just as they had practiced.
Aang then pulled Katara into a twirl and leaned her back, her legs almost making the splits with the floor. He then hooked his hands under her thighs and lifted her into the air while spinning, leading to many oohs and ahhs from the crowd, On Ji and Shoji included.
He set her back down and held her hand tightly as they both pulled back, Katara's hair flying wildly with the motion. They spun again and leaned back in, their faces so close that Katara could feel Aang's breath on her lips.
They separated back into their standing positions right before Katara aimed a kick at Aang's head, which he jumped over this time with airbending. They shifted their weight to their hands and did cartwheels and backflips, their bodies soaring above the cavern floor as the sweat glistened from their foreheads and their breathing labored.
Katara kicked again and twirled while Aang did a backbend and brought his legs in a large circle over his body. Katara copied the movement a moment later before the two switched to leaping from foot to foot, their hands out in front of them and switching direction with each jump synchronously.
Katara then grabbed Aang's hand, allowing him to twirl her rapidly with a gust of airbending. He released her, still spinning towards the edge of the circle that had formed around them, and got down on one knee. Katara ran back towards him and flipped over his shoulder. He clasped their hands as she stood back up and spun her once again.
The two did another flip, this time perpendicular to one another, with Aang using his airbending to flip right above Katara's head, his feet almost touching the cavern ceiling. They held hands once they landed and stretched backward, holding the movement for a moment before pulling back towards each other.
Gripping her waist, Aang lifted Katara up to his shoulder, one of her knees bent as the other leg extended outwards, as the two spun. With their second turn, Aang brought Katara down such that he was carrying her bridal style in his arms, and with the third, she was back on the ground. He twirled her around one more time before leaning her down, their arms outstretched, and their lungs gasping for air.
The crowd cheered as the song ended, and Aang grinned, unable to help himself this time. He leaned down further, bringing Katara into a passionate kiss, her hands gripping his hair for dear life. The two broke apart as the next song began, Aang helping Katara to her feet as they stepped off the dance floor to recover.
The couple smiled uncontrollably as they moved back towards the sideline, the cold, refreshing taste of the lemonade hitting their tongues and the sweat from their forehead beginning to evaporate. Aang wrapped his arm around Katara's shoulder and pressed a kiss to her temple as the two drank from their glasses. His heart was still racing from their dance and subsequent kiss.
Aang smirked. "I take it you like the hair then?"
"That's what you got out of that?" the waterbender laughed.
He nodded, a cheeky grin on his face. She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I like the hair. You looked hot, sweetie." Aang felt heat rising to his cheeks at the casual declaration. "But you knew that already."
"Not too bad yourself there, sweetie. Although," he pushed a few damp strands of her hair out of her face. "In retrospect maybe we should've considered the amount of time it took you to do your hair in contrast to how long it took for our Kataango to mess it up."
Katara just smiled and leaned her head against his shoulder as they watched the other couples finish their dances to a fast-paced Earth Kingdom song Toph loved. "It was worth it. It's been ages since we danced like that. I forgot how much I love dancing with you."
"Tell me about it," Aang murmured. "I mean, the last time I remember us dancing like that was our wedd-"
The two froze, hearing a slower but incredibly familiar song begin playing. Their wedding song.
"Well," Aang chuckled. "If there was ever a sign from the spirits to do something, I think this is it."
He stood up and outstretched his arm, just like he had all those years ago.
"Take my hand."
"Okay."
And the two began swaying on the dance floor, so hopelessly in love, so enamored with each other that the rest of the world seemed to melt away.
"It's just you and me," Aang whispered, their foreheads touching. "Forever."
Katara smiled.
"Forever."