Chapter 21: Birthday
AN: This was a fun chapter to write! It was also an easy chapter to write as my birthday was two days ago :) Arc 2 was pretty heavy so why not have a chapter of just pure Kataang fluff! I hope you all enjoy :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender
As the first ray of sun rose in the South Pole, so did Aang. It must have been the firebender side of him that made him wake this early, but it became increasingly frustrating at times because he also stayed up late due to the moon as a waterbender. Normally, he would take these opportunities to get up and meditate, followed by practicing his bending skills. This has been tougher for him however, as he only had been able to meditate this past week because of his injuries in Ba Sing Se. If it were any other day, Aang would be heading outside to find a quiet place to meditate, but today wasn't any other day. In fact, it was an extremely important day to him- Katara's birthday.
The waterbender was currently cradled in his arms, her head resting lightly on his chest. The tiniest of smiles was etched across her face as she slept, and seeing her this way caused Aang's heart to flutter. Katara was clearly content staying in his arms at the moment, so what kind of person would he be to disturb her current peace by getting up to meditate? It was her birthday after all, so Aang wanted to make sure that she was as happy as possible. Plus, he wasn't going to complain at all that she was currently resting in his arms.
He would never admit it to anyone else, but Aang loved to watch his companion sleep. For him, it helps keep him grounded. Katara was his reason for well, everything. She was his reason for fulfilling his duties and ending the war, and she currently was his reason that he was going to keep pressing on with his Avatar duties, even though it was the last thing that he wanted to do. She gave him the motivation to take on whatever challenges were ahead, because he knew that he had her to go back to if life ever got tough. Katara had become his rock, his soul, and his greatest joy, so being able to watch her sleep helped ease all of the constant self-doubts that ran through his head at night.
As time passed, Aang allowed himself to get comfortable, and dozed back off, his head gently resting on the top of Katara's. Two hours later, Katara was the first one to wake between them. Gently stirring and opening her eyes, she let out a sigh of contentment as she realized where she was. Although she was up, she would have been perfectly fine if she and Aang just stayed like this all day. Leaning her head back slightly, she placed a soft peck on his cheek. This caused the airbender to stir on his own, and slowly his own eyes fluttered open. When the two made eye contact for the first time that morning, nothing could stop the blushes that formed across their faces as they affectionately gazed into each other's eyes.
Aang was the one to lean in first, closing the distance and capturing Katara's lips. In that kiss he tried to pour all the love and affection he could possibly muster as he held his loved one in his arms. As the two slowly broke apart, Aang nuzzled his head into her hair, enjoying the scent of the ocean breeze, before addressing his soul mate. "Happy birthday Katara," the airbender said with a warm smile, causing the waterbender to blush in response.
Katara responded by nestling herself closer into her soul mate's embrace, enjoying the warmth that Aang was currently providing. Finally after letting out a hum of content, she gave him a smile in return. "Thank you, my love." The couple cuddled into each other and shared a comfortable silence, Aang gently running his fingers through her hair while she in return traced the arrow on his shoulders. Eventually, Aang decided to break the silence.
"How are you feeling, Katara? I know last night was tough for you." Katara didn't seem to be too disturbed, as she remained in her position, still feeling content.
"I'm feeling a lot better. I guess a lot of emotions were brought up visiting her memorial for the first time in forever. Plus, listening to you have a conversation with her . . . and all of the sweet things you said about both my mom and me?" Katara shifted her body so they were both at eye level with each other. "Aang, how do I even deserve you?"
The airbender wrapped his arms around her tighter and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "It's funny you ask that, because I ask myself that same question every single day." Both of them were blushing at this point as Aang continued. "I meant every single word that I said, Katara. You are the most incredible woman on this planet and I thank my lucky stars every day that I somehow get to have you with me. You're my rock, Katara, and I promise you that I will never take you for granted."
Katara was satisfied with this answer, as she fervently cupped his cheeks and brought her lips to his. As the two deepened their kiss, they reflected the passion that they held for one another into their actions, wanting the other to know just how much they care for them. As they broke away, Katara intertwined her hands with her companion, before affectionately looking back up at him. "Seriously, Aang, thank you for last night. I seriously am so lucky to have you. Honestly, I thought I was going to be the one comforting you last night. I was pretty worried when Dad came back to the igloo."
Aang softly smiled back at his companion, caressing the top of her hands with his thumb as they continued to stare into each other's eyes. "I'm sorry for worrying you. Your father and I had a really nice conversation about the people we lost. I guess seeing you and your brother reunite with your family was harder on me than I thought it would be."
Katara let out a soft gasp and frowned in response. "Aang, I'm so sorry, I never even thought to consider how you might be feeling right now-"
"Katara, it's alright. All that matters to me is that you and Sokka were happy. Just because I'm grieving for my family doesn't mean that you need to be sharing my pain. Watching you two interact with your grandmother brought me so much joy, I promise." The waterbender nodded in response, ridding herself of the guilt that she had placed on herself. "Can I ask a favor of you, Katara?"
Shifting her eyebrow upwards, Katara's features immediately softened as she saw that Aang was completely serious right now. "Of course, Aang. What is it?" The airbender struggled to put words in his mouth, instead he shyly broke eye contact and stared down at the foot of the bed. Katara took two fingers and moved his chin back up to face her, trying to convey as much compassion in her eyes as she could muster. "Please tell me, Aang."
Letting out a soft sigh, the airbender nodded as he seemed to be mustering up his courage. "I want to go back to the Southern Air Temple when we leave here. I know that after the peace treaty is signed, the world is going to want to start the restoration projects of the temples. I want to be able to properly bury and give a funeral to all of my loved ones back home. It's the least I could do. It's just . . . I know right now that I'm not going to be able to do it alone. I was wondering if you would be willing to come with me, and be there for me."
Katara squeezed his hands before bringing her companion in for a warm hug, gently placing his head into the crook of her neck as she hugged him tightly. "Of course I'll go with you Aang. I'm not going to leave your side. Whatever challenge that we face there, we'll take it on together." The airbender never verbally responded, but instead he squeezed her tighter to show his appreciation. The two stayed in each other's arms, soaking in the comfort that they had in each other. Eventually, Aang broke himself out of the hug, and Katara could see the physical relief that seemed to have been lifted off his shoulders. Her heart then fluttered when he flashed her a lopsided grin.
"I have one birthday gift that I want to give you before we officially get up and start the day, that I know you'll really like." This caused Katara's face to tighten in wonder as she was trying to guess what he could possibly have in store for her.
"I don't know, Aang. I don't think anything could make me happier than just being in your arms right now." Katara playfully responded, but also stated the truth. If she and Aang spent her entire birthday cuddling like this the entire day, she would consider it to be her best birthday yet. Her thoughts were interrupted when Aang shifted her body so she was laying against his chest, and she soon heard the familiar glow of the healing water. Aang slowly and methodically began to massage her shoulders and tense muscles, working his way down her back. Letting out a contented sigh, Katara made her confession. "Okay, I was wrong, this is an amazing gift to start the day."
After a home-cooked meal from Gran Gran for breakfast, the group of friends set off towards the snowy hills. Katara and Aang wanted to show the group the wonderful joys of penguin sledding, and Toph especially was excited to try it. Unfortunately, Aang still wasn't in good enough physical shape to be able to participate, but he happily came along with the group to cheer them on. Suki had offered to stay behind with him and keep him company, but Sokka and Katara were insistent that she come with.
Katara still had a hard time grasping the fact that Aang was her companion. He had quickly eaten breakfast so he could go outside and meditate, since he had sacrificed his usual time to spend some alone time with Katara. When she and her friends were done with breakfast, they had found him outside and playing with the children. He was creating different ice sculptures for them to place in their homes, and showing them his marble trick as well. It brought a huge smile to Katara's face to see how captivated the children were by him, but also how happy he was to be spending time with them.
She also had been worried about penguin sledding, wanting to make sure that he didn't feel left out at all. He was the first one to dismiss her fears however, telling her that just because he was injured didn't mean she couldn't have fun. Although she still tried to argue, he had managed to convince her with a kiss and stating that he would be her biggest cheerleader in their races. He also had been extremely helpful with Toph, showing patience and guiding her to help grab a penguin to sled on.
So, as Katara was currently making her way down the snowy banks of the South Pole, with her brother and friends behind her, she had to admit to herself that she couldn't possibly be happier. For the first time since her mom had died, she was excited to celebrate her birthday. She was thankful for the friends that she had made along the way, and her soul mate in Aang. Her other three friends were clearly inexperienced compared to her penguin sledding skills, and she had quite the lead as she came rushing towards Aang at the bottom of the hill. At last, she arrived, her friends and brother way behind her, and she immediately got off of her penguin and crashed into Aang's arms, embracing him in joy.
"I never would have done this again if it weren't for you." Katara joyously exclaimed. Aang smiled in response, holding his loved one against his frame while they waited for the rest of their friends to arrive. As soon as they made it to the bottom of the hill, Katara was jumping up and down and screaming "again," causing excitement from the rest of the group, who had thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The group made their way down three more times, and when Katara insisted that they went down one more time, she was met with groans.
Aang, laughing, decided to spare them and called for Appa using his whistle, and flew them back up the hill so they could go one more time. As they finished their fifth time down the hill, it was clear that Sokka, Suki, and Toph were exhausted. Helping them climb aboard Appa, Aang went and dropped them off at the igloo so they could get some rest. The airbender was about to climb off with the rest of them when he felt Katara grab his hand, keeping him rooted to his seat. "Don't go," she began to plead with wide eyes. "Exhausting them was all part of my plan to get some more alone time with you."
Her companion could only grin in return. "What would you like to do, Katara? Unfortunately, I'm pretty useless when it comes to the activity department." This earned a look of pity from the waterbender, followed by a kiss on the cheek.
Katara formed a mysterious grin on her face, before taking the reins of Appa and shouting "yip yip!" Aang shot her a questioning brow, which prompted her to explain herself. "Trust me, where we're going, you won't need to do any physical activity." Still being clearly confused at what she could possibly be hinting at, Aang just decided to shrug it off and enjoy the time he did have with Katara. Appa sailed out into the open water, and soon they were in a cove of ice. Aang watched his companion as she searched around with a focused face, and he jumped as she lit up in excitement. "There it is!" Katara exclaimed, and Appa dove head first into a block of ice.
When they finally landed, Aang had a hard time figuring out why she had possibly brought him here. Then, as if a lightbulb lit up in his head, the moment hit him. "This is the iceberg!" Aang stated in awe, "where we first met." He turned to see Katara admiring him with her bright ocean blue eyes, and he blushed as she slowly wrapped her arms around his form, bringing him into her embrace. He relaxed into it, before letting a lopsided grin form over his face. "I think we should do a little reenactment." He stated with a mischievous tone to his companion, who sent a questioning look back at him in return.
He didn't give her a chance to question him. Instead, he took her by the hands and leaned up the side of the ice, and she instinctively took him in her arms, micking the position that they found themselves in when they first met. Just as he did 11 months ago, he repeated his first words to her. "I need to ask you something," he feigned in a weak voice.
Katara smirked as she realized what was going on, she decided to play along, putting a shocked look of concern. "What?" She mustered out dramatically, causing the both of them to laugh.
After the laughter subsided, Aang dramatically got back in his position, pretending to be weak again. "Please . . . come closer." Katara responded warmly just as she did 11 months ago, moving her head slightly closer to the airbender, closing the distance between them. "What?" she mocked in the same curious tone from their first encounter. This time, however, Aang was going to go slightly off-script. Moving his hands behind her head, he gently brought her down and placed his lips on hers, leaving her shocked in surprise. Once she got over the shock, she quickly responded, the two getting lost in the moment. Eventually, Aang pulled away with a satisfied grin. "That, Katara, is what I wished I would have done all that time ago."
The waterbender responded with a laugh and a playful slap to the shoulder, before leaning back in and kissing him one last time before they headed back to the Southern Water Tribe.
That night, an official party was thrown for Katara by the whole Tribe. Not only were they celebrating her birthday, but they were celebrating her and Sokka's accomplishments as heroes. The village had pulled out all of the stops, cooking both of the siblings' favorite meals. Everything was there, from seal jerky to sea prunes. Fortunately for Aang, there was some leftover rice from the meal that they shared the past night, otherwise there wouldn't have been anything for him to eat.
The friends enjoyed their dinner, once again reminiscing with past stories from their journey together. Sokka emphatically retold the story of how Katara and him had met Aang, trying to make Aang sound like a Fire Nation spy who couldn't be trusted. Katara wasn't thrilled with his retelling, but she contentedly allowed her brother to drone on as she rested her head on Aang's shoulder. Throughout the entire dinner, multiple villagers came up to the table and thanked them for their heroic deeds, and Sokka and Toph especially enjoyed the extra attention.
Things came to a sudden halt when Hakoda stood up and called out to the Tribe, intending to make an announcement. "Thank you all for coming out and celebrating tonight. As you all know, it is my daughter Katara's birthday, and we as a village couldn't be more proud of her. I wanted to start us all off by saying a few things about my daughter. When I finally got my opportunity to reunite with her, it was under the worst circumstances. Ba Sing Se had fallen, and Avatar Aang was clinging on to dear life. I was amazed at my daughter's strength and resolve as she spent the next three weeks nursing Avatar Aang back to health. Then, through the stories that I heard from random strangers that would pass us by, I heard of the heroic deeds that my daughter had made across the nation. Katara, I'm so proud of you, and I can't wait to celebrate many more birthdays with you in this time of peace."
Katara ran up to her father and gave him a warm embrace, and he invited her forward so she was in the open, allowing other people to say their own piece about her. To Katara's surprise, Toph was the one to stand up next. "When I first met Sugar Queen- er- Katara, I honestly thought she was an annoying know-it-all that liked to get into other people's business." Receiving a weary glare from Katara, Toph formed a grin as she continued. "But, as we continued our adventure, Katara became a dear friend of mine. I've never met a more caring person in my life, and Katara has never backed down from what she believes in, which is one of the most admirable traits someone can have. I'm glad I met you Sugar Queen."
Katara held her arms out wide as Toph begrudgingly came in and gave her a hug, before moving to sit back down. Suki then stood up, and gave her a warm smile before addressing the crowd. "I too haven't been able to know Katara for too long, but it didn't take me long at all to figure out how nice and caring of a person she is. She is always looking out for others, and she won't hesitate to do something to make your day better. Also, she is a role model to me as a warrior. Katara, you're one of the strongest people I know, and I'm so glad that you've become like a sister to me. Our friendship has been one of the best things that's happened to me."
Another round of applause from the crowd came as Suki came up and gave Katara a hug, before sitting back down. Sokka then stood up, making his sister's eyes go wide in trepidation. "Now, there are plenty of things that I could say about my sister, but if I did that then we would be here all night. Katara has taught me what it's like to properly show compassion and empathy to other people. My sister taught me the joys that helping out random villages and strangers can bring. She forcibly knocked me down a couple pegs when I needed it . . . which turned out to be a lot." The crowd laughed for a moment before he continued. "Most importantly, my sister taught me how to love others. To trust that things might be okay. To have hope when the world and our future looked dark. She took care of me, even though I should have been the one taking care of her. Katara, we may bicker a lot, and fight over dumb things, but you are so important to me, and I wouldn't trade you for anything or anyone else."
The crowd let out a chorus of "awwws" as the two siblings met each other and hugged, which lasted much longer than the previous ones. Eventually with a sad smile, Sokka made his way back to his seat, and Aang decided that it was his turn. As he stood up, the entire village erupted in roars of cheering and applause, which he quickly tried to dismiss by shaking his head and waving his hand. The crowd immediately silenced, and Aang took the time to walk up and stand next to Katara.
"First off, I just wanted to give a shout out to all of my friends who have just spoken, and Katara for the part that they played in the war. I appreciate the praise that is sent my way, but believe me when I say that I couldn't possibly have done any of this without them." Aang then turned towards his companion, a warm smile on his face forming. "Especially you. Katara, you have been my rock ever since the first day that I met you. The world had become a really scary place since I had disappeared, and you were right by my side to help me as I picked up the pieces. Even when I doubted myself, and believe me, it was a lot, you were the first one there to be by my side and show that you still believed in me."
"It was no secret that I was attracted to you when we first met. At first, I tried to do all of these things to impress you, but as we continued our adventure, I couldn't help but just sit back and watch as you were the impressive one out of the two of us. You fight so valiantly for others, and the way that you refuse to turn your back on the people who need us is so admirable. The way that you are able to sympathize with others, looking past people's mistakes, and showing them compassion proves how incredible of a human being you are. Then your waterbending is just something else. You fought so hard in what you believed in and changed the culture of the Tribes in order to learn, and since then you have become the greatest waterbender in the world."
"The greatest gift you ever gave me was letting me into your family. When I was at my lowest at the Southern Air Temple and grieving for my people, you didn't even hesitate to pick me up from my fall and bring me back to earth. Time and time again, no matter how many times I would fail and feel miserable, you were always the one to pick me back up. Falling in love with you was the greatest part of the war, because it gave me something to fight for. Now that the war is over, it reminds me of the great things that did come out of the war, and you continue to give me hope, every single day. I love you so much Katara, and I'm so glad that you were the one to pull me out of that iceberg." By the end of Aang's speech, both of them had tears falling down their eyes, and Katara crashed into Aang, wrapping her arms around him as she gave him her thanks.
When the two stepped away from each other, Aang was about to make his way back to his seat when he was stopped by Katara grabbing his arm, beckoning him to stay. He became even more confused when Katara motioned for him to sit in the very chair that she was just sitting in before. Reluctantly, he sat down, before Katara began to speak. "Thank you to everyone for helping make this birthday an amazing one. My friends and family have worked so hard to help make this night occur, but I also wanted to take a moment and celebrate another person whose birthday was just last week." She looked down lovingly at her soul mate, who in return was flushing red in embarrassment.
"Aang's culture doesn't really put too much of an emphasis on birthdays, so I figured that this little speech would have to make do." Turning to the airbender, she affectionately placed a hand on his shoulder. "Aang, when I first met you, you were this crazy kid that taught me how to live again. Then, I had to painfully watch you grow up as burden after burden was placed on your shoulders, just like I had forced myself to grow up long ago. Still, even with all of the responsibilities and pressure, you managed to stay lighthearted and remained focused on helping other people. Day after day, you would find a way to do something new that would awe me, and your wisdom continues to make me question if I'm truly just talking to a teenager. Aang, your Nation would be so proud of the young man that you have become, and I know that I am beyond proud to be by your side as we continue on our journey together. I love you, Aang, and I'm hoping that we can celebrate so many more birthdays together."
Once again, the two warmly embraced in front of the crowd, who this time were on their feet in applause. Before the two could even realize what was happening, music was playing, and the Tribe began to dance as they continued their celebrations. With Aang still being in the condition that he was, he wasn't able to do any upbeat dances like he shared with Katara in the cave, but the two of them found that they could still slowly dance together. As the two swayed back and forth to the rhythm of the music, there was no doubt in anyone's minds that they were hopelessly in love with each other.
As they stared into each other's eyes, they got lost in the moment as they nuzzled their heads against each other. Suddenly, Aang jumped back in surprise, startling Katara. "I just realized that I never got you a birthday gift!" The airbender exclaimed in a sort of panic.
Katara responded with a soft giggle, before pulling her companion back into her arms. She softly pulled Aang into a quick kiss, before deciding to address him. "My birthday gift is right here, and it's the best present I could have ever asked for."