Before I start this, I just want to clear some things up, It has to do with the future of this story and is very important, so please read it all.
OR if you want to read the chapter first and then come back to read this part, that's also fine.
First things first, the next chapter is going to be the last one of this Broken Avatar fanfiction in particular.
As you read this chapter, you'll notice that Aang is still struggling with his identity and it might seem really confusing to see that, so late in the story. But I have some big plans for a sequel in the future. I want to write another separate fic where Aang's journey into accepting himself as an Air Nomad continues.
Of course even in the sequel, Kataang will 100% be the main focus.
But yeah, I felt like it would feel really rushed and forced if I made him forgive himself so suddenly, accept everything and become a monk again, just like that. Then on the other hand it would also feel wrong to end the story with him struggling with himself like this. It would leave too many questions.
I want to make his redemption more realistic, I want him to actually learn to forgive himself and make it feel genuine and not forced. And that's what the sequel is going to be. I also want to introduce a new villain that the Gaang are going to face, this time together.
Basically, the new fic is going to wrap up everything nicely. You'll see more of the group of friends bonding and you'll see Aang's redemption and his journey continue.
I have some very big ideas to make it really exciting, I want to tell you guys so bad but I also don't want to spoil it.
So yeah, I just wanted to make it clear that I don't plan on ending the whole story with Aang still being conflicted, his journey will continue in the sequel on a separate fanfic that I will upload eventually.
Anyway, enjoy!
The group of friends walked inside the house, which was surprisingly big, considering that Katara lived alone.
"You guys hungry?" Sokka asked, rubbing his hands and grinning. "We were just about to eat. I made some steak and mashed potatoes."
"Me and Aang just ate." Katara said but smiled, glancing at the Avatar a little shyly. "Let's all sit down anyway."
"That's a good idea." Aang smiled at her. "It's been a while since we've all sat down together and had a proper conversation."
Toph grinned and plopped down on one of the chairs set around the kitchen table. "Damn right it has been. You know you have some explaining to do, Twinkle Toes."
Aang chuckled nervously but agreed.
"Oh, so you two aren't going to eat anything?" Sokka tilted his head, a little disappointed.
He had cooked for everyone.
Aang shrugged. "I'll have a little bit, and some water please."
Sokka's face lit up and he turned back to the pot of food with a massive grin on his face.
Suki opened the cupboards and took out two glasses. "Toph, what do you wanna drink?"
"Water is fine. Make it cold." The blind earthbender requested, kicking her feet on the table.
Katara looked at her feet in disgust and opened her mouth to scold her but then changed her mind with a shake of her head.
It was no use, she should know that by now.
A genuine grin pulled at Aang's lips as he looked around at all his friends, and took everything in.
He had missed this. Just hanging around with them. Toph with her poor manners, Sokka with his big stomach, Suki with her kindness and of course Katara's beauty and her caring nature. He missed it all.
For the first time in over three years, he felt at home.
He discarded his cloak completely, before walking up to the older boy, who was putting the food in four different plates.
The Avatar raised an eyebrow. "Since when can you cook?" He was shocked to see Sokka willingly cooking, considering his view on men, women and their duties.
But he smiled, It was just one of those things that reminded him of how much Sokka had grown and changed over the years, he no longer cared about gender roles.
Sokka looked at him, mock offended. "What do you mean, I've always been a great cook."
Aang stared at him, deadpan. "Last time you tried making us food you almost caused a forest fire, remember?"
Toph laughed and raised her hand. "I remember that."
Sokka grumbled. "It was Katara's fault, she was bossing me around and distracting me."
Katara's nostrils flared. "Shut up Sokka, if it wasn't for me you would've done a lot worse."
Aang burst out in laughter and immediately covered his mouth but it was too late, Sokka looked at him with a look of betrayal.
"Sorry..." He said, stifling his laugh.
Katara and Suki giggled, exchanging an amused look.
Sokka turned back to the plates of food and grumbled to himself again.
"No food for you three until tomorrow." He shot pointed looks at Toph, Aang and Katara.
Toph smirked. "Fine by me, It's been a long day anyway and I don't feel like getting food poisoning to make it worse."
They all laughed again. Aang was the only one who bothered to hide his laugh, by turning his head away.
Suki shook her head once her laughter died down and put a hand on Sokka's shoulder. "Actually, Sokka has been cooking for me quite a lot and he's really good."
"Thank you, Suki!" Sokka beamed at his girlfriend. "It's good to know that at least one of you appreciates my cooking skills." He ended his sentence by shooting dirty looks at the others.
"Sorry, Sokka." Aang held his hands up with a grin. "How about you let me taste your food then? I'll let you know my honest thoughts on it."
Sokka contemplated it for a second, before agreeing. "Fine."
With the help of Aang, the kitchen table was soon set and they all sat down.
Toph noticed that Katara sat down next to Aang, and smirked to herself when she felt both of their heartbeats quicken.
She almost laughed, they were so in love.
Not wanting to ruin the great moment they were having, she refrained herself from teasing them.
Aang watched in surprise as Sokka handed him a different plate from everyone else.
The steak was replaced with Tofu.
He looked at him with a slight smile. "I appreciate the gesture Sokka, but you didn't have to do that. I'm not a vegetarian anymore."
He heard a loud clatter as Toph's fork dropped out of her hand and hit the table.
"W-What?" Sokka's jaw had fallen wide open, along with Suki's. He looked at his sister and saw that she looked unbothered by what Aang just said.
He must've told her already.
The older boy shook his head, regaining his composure. "Oh wow, I guess that makes sense though... considering..." he trailed off awkwardly, but they all knew he was talking about him killing the Fire Lord.
Katara noticed the sad expression on Aang's face and put her hand on his shoulder, looking at him in concern.
"It's okay." The airbender smiled but they could all tell that it was a little forced. "It's something that I've accepted already."
"You sure?" Suki asked, frowning.
"Yeah. Trust me, I'm fine."
They seemed to accept his answer, Katara more reluctantly than the others.
Sokka took his plate away and came back with a brand new one. He set it down in front of The Avatar.
"That works just fine for me." Sokka commented and grinned so wide, his face looked like it was going to split into two, as he practically bounced up and down. "Ah man, you're going to love the steak even more!"
"It's so tasty!"
Aang looked at him in amusement. He was still obsessed with meat, that much was obvious.
Sokka sat down and leaned forward with excitement, waiting for the younger boy to taste his cooking.
Everyone watched as Aang picked up a spoon and scooped up some of the mashed potatoes.
Sokka was watching Aang's face closely, with a bated breath.
He slid the spoon into his mouth and chewed.
Suddenly, his eyes shot wide open and he looked like he was struggling to swallow the food.
Sokka jolted up on his chair, his jaw almost touching the table in disbelief at his reaction.
Toph laughed so hard she fell out of her chair.
Katara and Suki looked at the airbender in shock, before pushing their plates away with a nervous look.
"What is going on?!" Sokka fumed, leaning over the table. "It can't be that bad!"
Aang couldn't do it anymore, he swallowed the food easily and burst out in laughter.
"I'm kidding! I just had to see your reaction."
"Are y-you serious?" Sokka tried to glare at him but his lips stretched into a grin instead and he shook his head. "You're so stupid with your stupid pranks."
"You should've seen your face!" Katara laughed, doubling over. "He got you so good!"
Sokka fell back down onto his chair with a sigh of defeat.
Toph finally managed to pick herself up from the ground and high fived The Avatar. "That was amazing, Twinkle toes!"
Katara was grinning from ear to ear. That was the last confirmation she needed to know that Aang hadn't changed much at all.
Monk or not, deep inside he was the same mischievous and fun guy that she fell in love with.
When everyone's laughter died down, Aang smiled apologetically at the older boy.
"The food is actually really good, Sokka." He said, being completely honest and feeling a little bad now.
"Watch yourself, Avatar." Sokka stared at him, attempting to look threatening but it was evident he was having too much fun. "I'm gonna get you back."
He then smiled right after. "But thanks!" His voice went back to being light and the sheer contrast from the tone of his voice from just a moment ago made them all laugh again, except Aang, who was unsure how serious he was being.
What did he have in mind and was he actually hurt from the stunt he pulled?
Sokka seemed to sense his thoughts as he shot him a smile, which eased his worries, and Aang smiled back at him.
They fell into some more light conversation after that, and recalled some of their moments traveling together.
"I used to be a little nervous around you, Suki." Aang admitted and when Suki looked at him incredulously, he hurried to explain. "I don't know why, I guess it was just because I didn't know you that well and we never really talked."
He then smiled at her. "But during the short time we traveled on Appa together, I got to know you better and I think you're really cool!"
Suki blushed and grinned. "Aww, thank you, Aang. I think you're really cool as well!"
"I won't lie though, I was a little intimidated when I saw you again after so long." She confessed. "You had grown so much and you looked so different, even your voice was different, and with everything that happened in the past, I thought that you had changed for the worse, but I quickly found out that you're just as nice and friendly as ever."
"My first impression of you, Twinkle Toes, was that you were a scrawny weakling who couldn't even lift a rock without keeling over in pain and crying." Toph cut in very bluntly, ruining the wholesome moment between the two.
Sokka barked out a laugh.
Aang stared at her with his mouth open.
"Why do you always have to do that, Toph." He whined, his face turning bright red in embarrassment.
Katara laughed and then smirked, deciding to play along. "I thought you were really adorable and cute with your really big eyes." She cooed in a high-pitched voice, not even realizing that she called him cute out loud.
Aang blushed even harder and smacked his head against the table with a groan, making everyone laugh. "You guys are seriously embarrassing me."
"You were so small back then." Sokka snickered. "You're lucky puberty saved you buddy."
Katara looked at Sokka in amusement. "Remember when you thought that he was a spy from the Fire Nation, you big idiot?"
Sokka looked at her and scoffed. "Oh please, I was only being rational. He just popped out of nowhere! If you weren't so infatuated with him, you'd have reacted the same!" He accused her.
Katara's cheeks went dark red and she glared at him. "Shut up!"
Aang blushed again and Toph cackled loudly.
"This is hilarious!"
After a while though, Toph turned the conversation into a completely different direction.
"Where were you all this time, Aang?" She asked the question they had all been thinking since he came back.
She didn't want to be the one to break the ice, and deep down she didn't even want to talk about any of that. She was having so much fun just laughing and joking around with Aang.
It felt like the old times.
He made everything so much more fun just by being here. She couldn't even remember the last time they had fun as a group.
After Aang left, everything became too serious, too somber for her taste. She needed this, she needed to feel like a normal teenager again and not a war hero or a political figure.
But she also knew that they needed some answers.
Aang's smile faded and immediately Katara could tell that he had gone back to his previous self. Walls up, closed off.
He swallowed and had to remind himself that it was okay to open up to them. They were his family now, and they genuinely cared.
"I was on the Lion Turtle mostly."
"All alone?" Katara was the one that asked.
"I had Appa and Momo with me." His lips twitched up a little. "But yeah, mostly alone."
"Are you okay?"
His eyes widened slightly at that question, especially because of who was asking it. "Yeah, Toph. I'm okay now, thanks to you guys." He glanced at Katara subconsciously, before looking away with a blush.
"So are you really not a monk anymore?" Toph asked again. It seemed like everybody else was hesitant to prod, but she got straight to the point. "Because it doesn't seem like it, you know with the hair and stuff."
"No." He swallowed, gripping the glass in his hand tightly. "I lost the right to be one the moment I killed Ozai." he remarked bitterly.
"Monks are people who do good, they live by morals. I am the opposite of that."
"Aang." Katara spoke up, her voice sad. "You're being way too harsh on yourself."
"Sorry, It's just-" He swallowed again, looking away from their stares. "I don't-" he struggled to find the right words, struggled to express his feelings.
"Is that why you hide your tattoos?" Suki cut in, saving him.
Aang nodded, feeling relieved and he mentally thanked her.
Katara reached over and placed her hand over his bandaged one, surprising him.
He met her eyes, a little hesitantly.
"We're always here for you, if you ever want to talk about it." Katara looked at the others. "Right guys?"
They all nodded, looking serious.
Suki smiled gently. "She's right Aang, you don't have to hide your feelings anymore. We love you and want to help you." Her voice was so soft and kind, and Aang nearly teared up right then and there.
He never had a sister, but Suki reminded him of one. She always looked out for him and she was so kind and supportive, from the start.
A singular tear managed to escape his eyes and rolled down his cheek. He quickly wiped it off with his other hand. "I know..."
He looked up to gaze at all of them and smiled. "I know I'm not alone anymore."
Katara beamed at him, wiping her own tears away and leaned forward to hug the airbender.
"I'm so happy you're here back with us, Aang. We missed you."
Aang hugged her back and laughed softly, looking over at the others. Sokka shot him a thumbs up, Suki grinned at him and even Toph had a smile on her face. "I missed you guys too. I really did."
"You shoulda seen the state of him!" Sokka exclaimed, holding his belly and keeling over the table in laughter. "He was a mess!"
Suki and Toph were laughing with him as he recited the events of earlier today, when Aang got drunk for the first time.
Aang's cheeks burned. "You wanna talk about being a mess? What about that time when you drank that cactus juice, you were so out of it you didn't even know where you were or what was happening around you!" He shot back, pointing at him defiantly.
Sokka's face dropped and the two girls laughed again.
"Good one, Twinkle Toes!"
Katara, on the other hand, was looking at them both disapprovingly. "I still can't believe that you two drank so much, especially you, Aang!"
The Avatar looked sheepish but Toph rolled her eyes. "Oh lighten up, will ya, Sugar Queen?"
The waterbender sighed and crossed her arms.
"She's right." Suki agreed.
Katara stared at her in disbelief. Not her too
"What?" She shrugged. "We're all old enough to drink. Aang is 16, he's not a 12 year old kid anymore."
Aang mumbled something incoherently and Katara turned to look at him. "What was that, Aang?"
"I'm actually 17."
Katara's eyes widened and Suki gasped. Sokka nearly choked on the piece of meat he was chewing on.
"Really?" Toph exclaimed, eyebrows raised. "When did you turn 17?"
"A few days ago or so."
Katara was staring at him in shock. "And you didn't say anything?"
"Well, we weren't exactly on the best of terms." Aang shrugged, eyes fixed on the refilled glass of water. "And I didn't think it was that important."
"Of course it's important." Sokka exclaimed, standing up suddenly and staring at him like he was crazy. "Birthdays are always important!"
Katara nodded, looking serious. "We're celebrating your birthday tomorrow."
Aang's eyes widened in shock, but before he could even say anything, Suki shot out of her seat with a loud cheer. "Yeah!"
"Preferably inside so I can see." Toph mumbled, her lips twitching up into a smile.
Sokka grinned. "So it's decided then! I already have a gift in mind, you'll love it!"
Aang shook his head in disbelief. "Guys, you really don't have to, it's not that big of a-"
"Yes, it is!" Katara interrupted him, not even trying to hear it. "When was the last time you even celebrated your birthday?"
His face fell and Katara wanted to slap herself as she realized her mistake. "It was your 12th birthday, wasn't it?"
"Yeah." His lips pulled up slightly in a sad smile as he recalled Gyatzo's excitement. The old man was almost more excited than him, and it was his birthday!
He chuckled fondly.
"It was the day I got my tattoos and officially became an airbending master."
He looked up in surprise when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
Katara was smiling at him softly.
He thanked her silent support with a smile, then frowned.
"It's really not that important guys." He didn't want to be a burden and besides, he wasn't really in the mood to celebrate.
"It's going to happen, whether you like it or not, so you might as well accept it." Toph stated, picking her nose.
Katara nodded in confirmation, which made Aang chuckle. There was no way he could deny them, so he thanked them for what felt like the thousandth time today.
His friends really were amazing.
After they were done eating, Sokka and Suki sent everyone to the living room and cleaned up. Aang tried to stay with them, to help, but Suki shooed him out, telling him to just rest and take it easy.
He had a long day.
Sokka was washing the dishes, with Suki next to him drying them and setting them in place.
The couple were working in a comfortable silence, before Suki eventually broke it. "It's amazing to see Aang so happy, isn't it?"
Sokka chuckled. "It really is. Not only is it amazing to see him happy but Katara as well, she's practically glowing with happiness."
"I haven't seen her like that in so long."
Suki agreed, a soft smile on her face.
A brief moment of silence passed, then Suki asked a question that had been on her mind for a while now.
"You think they'll ever get together?"
"I don't know." Sokka answered honestly, remembering what Aang told him when they had their talk. "But either way, it's entirely up to them. There's no point to force or rush them."
"You're right... as long as they are happy it doesn't really matter."
Sokka nodded in agreement.
Soon after, Sokka told his girlfriend to join the others. "I'll finish the rest by myself."
"You sure?"
Sokka answered by kissing her on the lips. "I got it."
Suki nodded, blushing a little.
He smirked cockily. "It's good to know that I still have that effect on you, even after so many years." He teased her.
She slapped him on the shoulder. "Way to ruin it, idiot." She huffed, but couldn't keep the smile off her face.
Suki walked into the living room, and came to a sudden stop at the scene before her.
Aang and Katara were sitting on the couch, so close together their bodies were practically touching, and they were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't even notice her
Toph was laying down on the floor, tossing her molded meteor toy up and down in boredom. She would chime in their conversation every now and then when one of them would ask her something, but mostly just listened and left them to themselves.
The earthbender knew how much they had missed each other and wanted them to catch up as much as possible.
Toph planted her feet on the ground and sat up suddenly. "Suki!" She exclaimed, making the two teenagers look up, only now noticing Suki's presence.
"Where's Sokka?" The Avatar asked and quickly distanced himself away from Katara when he realized how close they were sitting.
Aang didn't forget what Karu had almost let slip out, Katara had feelings for someone else, and he didn't want to make her uncomfortable by sitting too close to her.
He missed the hurt expression on her face.
"He's finishing up." Suki plopped down on the couch that was facing the two, so she could see them better, and looked at Toph with a raised eyebrow.
"Why are you laying on the ground?"
Toph shrugged, enjoying the feeling of the hard floor. "I'm more comfortable here."
Aang laughed. "You haven't changed a bit, Toph."
"You have." She pointed out, surprising him.
"What makes you say that?"
"When we... sparred," If that's what you could call it. "I noticed a few changes, for one you've gotten a lot stronger."
"She's right." Suki chimed in. "I noticed that too, even the way you move is kind of different now."
Aang was confused. "The way I move?"
Toph pointed at his feet. "You're not as light on your feet anymore, you're more grounded."
He scratched his head. "Is that a bad thing...?"
"No. I just got so used to your light footsteps that it feels a little strange." She then shrugged. "It actually makes it better for me, I can see you easier."
Aang nodded. "Well, I had a lot of free time to train and It was a good way to distract myself from everything."
"I guess I stopped leaning on airbending the most, though it still is my favorite, I learned to embrace the other elements as well, such as earthbending and firebending." Aang continued.
"That must be it." Suki exclaimed, making him look at her. "You don't move like an airbender, at least not as much as you used to."
"That means you're more in tune with the other three elements." She smiled. "I bet It's a part of your growth as the Avatar. To embrace all four elements the same and be more balanced."
"I wouldn't be surprised if every Avatar went through that change at some point."
"That makes sense." Aang nodded, rubbing his chin in thought. "Every Avatar starts off with their main element, I believe that they all eventually learn to use and appreciate all elements the same, instead of only focusing on their first element, and like you said become more balanced as a fighter."
"For example, I remember when I first started my Avatar journey, I would always subconsciously use airbending whenever I got into a fight or had to escape from a difficult situation, but now I just use whatever element is the most efficient. It's like a switch flipped in my brain."
"So that just means that you've embraced your Avatar side more as the years have gone on." Toph added. "You move and think more like an Avatar instead of an airbender."
"What are you guys talking about?" Sokka exclaimed, walking into the living room and plopping down next to his girlfriend, who was listening attentively to the ongoing conversation.
She found it fascinating.
"Did I miss something?"
"Nope." Aang grinned at the older boy. "Just boring Avatar stuff."
"Anyway, enough about me." Aang sat up slightly and looked at everyone. "It's your turn to tell me what you've all been doing since I left."
Sokka leaned back and folded his arms. "Well, me and Katara have stayed mostly here. I've helped Dad run the Tribe and improved my swordsmanship skills."
"Really?" Aang looked at him with awe. "You have to show me how much you've improved."
Sokka suddenly sat up with a grin as a brilliant idea came to his mind and he smacked his fist into his palm. "We'll spar! I'll use my sword and you use your staff only."
Aang smirked. "Deal!"
They grinned at each other, both of them buzzing with excitement.
"Winner gets to be my sparring dummy." Toph exclaimed.
Aang laughed, before turning his attention to the waterbender next to him. He noticed that she was unusually quiet and looked a little sad, which made him frown.
"What about you, Katara?" He asked curiously and changed his position on the couch slightly so he was able to give her his full attention. "What have you been doing?"
Suki noticed the way his whole demeanor visibly softened when he addressed Katara and it made her heart melt. They were so cute.
Katara met his eyes and smiled a little shyly. "It's been fine, like Sokka said I've helped Dad with boring political stuff, and sometimes I help teach the students waterbending."
Aang grinned. "They're lucky to have the world's best waterbender teaching them." He remarked, trying to cheer her up a little.
It seemed to work as Katara blushed and her smile widened. "Thanks, Aang." She wanted to reach over and hug him, but kept her hands to herself this time.
"I've rotated between here and Kyoshi Island." Suki spoke up. when she felt The Avatar's eyes on her next. "Oh and I don't know if somebody already told you, but Ty Lee joined the Kyoshi Warriors."
"What?!" His jaw dropped open. The same Ty Lee that had tried to capture them? He must've asked that question out loud because Suki nodded, giggling.
Aang leaned back on the couch and ran a hand through his hair, still in disbelief. "So Mai and Ty Lee both switched sides, is there anyone else I should know about?"
"Azula maybe?" He joked and regretted it right after when he saw the way Katara's eyes darkened at the mention of her.
"She's rotting in jail." The waterbender remarked coldly. She would never forget what Azula did to Aang, and if it was up to her she would have her executed.
Aang didn't know what to say, he felt bad for even bringing her name up.
Luckily Toph saved him from having to say anything, though not the way he wanted, as a small ball of metal smacked him in the head, making him yelp.
"Are you going to ask what I've been doing or did you forget?" She huffed.
Aang rubbed his head and shot her a half-hearted glare. "I was getting to it."
"What have you been doing?"
Toph grinned. "I started a metalbending academy!"
"You teach others metalbending?" He echoed, looking surprised.
"I realized that I liked bossing people around." Toph shrugged. "It's fun."
He winced, recalling his own training. He already felt bad for her poor students for having to deal with her. But he also knew that part of the reason he was so strong and capable today was because of her teachings.
"That's really cool." He remarked. "Though, I didn't take you as the type to share your metalbending secrets to complete strangers."
"You want to learn metalbending, Twinkle Toes?" Toph suddenly asked, catching Aang off guard.
He shook his head. "As fun as that sounds, I don't think it's necessary and learning earthbending was already hard enough."
She shrugged again. "Suit yourself."
They stayed up and talked for hours after that, past midnight, and although it had gotten really late, the excitement in their bodies kept them all wide awake.
They were enjoying the moment too much and never ran out of things to talk about, there was so much to discuss.
At some point though, Sokka and Suki got into a deep discussion with each other, while Toph and Katara argued which element was more useful, water or earth.
Katara eventually realized that a certain someone had been quiet for a while now.
Aang.
She looked in his direction only to see him, slumped back on the couch with his eyes closed and lips parted open.
He had fallen asleep.
Toph was confused when Katara abruptly stopped talking to her and she set her feet on the floor to see what was happening.
"He fell asleep?"
Of course Aang wouldn't be able to stay up like them, who knew how long it had been since he last slept.
Katara wanted to slap herself for forgetting about that.
She bit her bottom lip in worry. "It is getting pretty late... and he hasn't been sleeping well."
"What really? Aang hasn't?"
The waterbender nodded absentmindedly, before turning toward Sokka who was oblivious to what was going on. "Sokka." she whispered, loud enough for her brother to hear her over his chat with Suki, but still careful to not wake the airbender.
Although she doubted he would wake up even if she yelled, considering how out of it he looked, he must've been really tired.
She bit her lip again.
The couple turned their heads and their eyes widened when they saw the airbender in deep sleep.
"Take him to my room, he'll be sleeping there tonight."
Sokka frowned. "Katara, don't you think It's a little weird for you two to be sleeping together."
"That's not what I mean, you idiot." Katara blushed hotly. "I'll sleep here on the couch."
"You sure?"
She nodded. "I want Aang to be as comfortable as possible, he needs the rest more than any of us."
The others agreed, making Sokka nod.
He got up and made his way to the sleeping Avatar, before picking him up carefully so he wouldn't wake him, and made his way to her room.
Katara's concerned gaze followed them, and even after they disappeared out of her sight, her gaze stayed there.
She was only snapped out of it when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "He'll be okay."
Katara's throat tightened slightly. She wanted to tell them everything Aang had told her on top of that cliff, but in the end she just nodded.
"I know. He has to be."
Aang woke up with a sudden jolt. He shot up covered in sweat and gasping for air. He clutched his chest to calm his pounding heart.
Another nightmare.
He looked around in confusion. Where was he? Whose bed was he sleeping on?
Katara. He was at Katara's house.
His eyes widened. Did that mean that he slept on her bed-
He blushed, then frowned. Her sheets were soaked with his sweat now.
"Great..." he muttered to himself, before letting out a sigh and swinging his legs over the bed.
For a moment he just sat there and stared into the darkness, but then when he remembered what happened before he fell asleep, a slow smile spread across his face.
He had a long talk with his friends, they accepted him back and actually cared about him.
With newfound energy, Aang pushed himself off the bed with a small gust of wind and took the sweaty sheets off the bed.
He needed to go look for the shower and clean himself up.
Aang walked out of the room and made sure to move around the house as quietly as he could.
He looked around in wonder as he walked.
The house was slightly smaller than he expected, considering she was the Chief's daughter and technically a Princess. But she lived alone so it made sense.
He found the shower and walked inside, closing and locking the door behind him.
Aang took off his clothes and put them away, before taking a long look at himself in the mirror. His eyes lingered on the faint bruises and scars on his body, even after Katara's healing they were still slightly visible.
He must've gotten beat up worse than he thought in his fight against The Fire Spirit. With a shake of his head, he started the shower and closed his eyes in bliss as the first drops of water made contact with his skin.
His mind went blank and he just enjoyed the warm water running down his body.
He sat down with his back against the wall and relaxed under the water, letting all the tension in his body wash away.
After a while though, his mind went back to earlier.
He caught up with his friends, he expected to be judged and grilled with questions but they surprisingly didn't prod too much.
He didn't think they were going to be so nice and patient with him, which was kind of stupid now that he looked back.
Katara's beautiful smile appeared in his mind and his eyes softened.
She was so kind and understanding. Minute by minute, he could feel his walls cracking more and more when he was around her.
He was starting to believe that she genuinely cared.
His head hit the wall with a thud.
She cared... right?
After he was done, he turned the water off before grabbing one of the towels on the wall, almost wincing.
He felt like such an intruder.
He shook his head and wrapped the towel around his waist, before opening the door and stepping out.
Aang walked inside the room he was staying in and as he was closing the door, he heard a gasp come from behind him.
He spun around, wide-eyed, and saw that Katara was sitting right there, on the bed he had just slept on.
"Katara!" He whisper-shouted and looked frantically around the room for anyone else. His muscles relaxed and he visibly calmed down when he realized that she was alone.
Last thing he needed right now was Sokka seeing them like this.
"What are you doing here?"
Katara's wide eyes went down to his body without meaning to.
She caught her breath and forced her eyes away when she realized what she was doing.
Her face went red.
"I'm so sorry!" She gasped out, covering her eyes. But it was too late, the image was planted in her head and made her heart race.
She had been so excited to be with Aang again, that she wasn't able to sleep. She twisted and turned the whole night.
When she couldn't get any sleep, she decided to check up on him, just in case, which brought her to this moment.
Aang was standing in front of her with only a towel on. Of course he had seen the Avatar shirtless before, right after his fight with Malik, but she had been too busy worrying out of her mind and tending to his wounds to actually look at him.
He had filled out and his abs were more defined than ever. His biceps and shoulders were also bigger.
He looked muscular and strong, yet lean, and she knew how much power he possessed which made it that much more remarkable.
"What are you doing here and how are you awake so early?" He asked again, almost laughing when he saw her cover her eyes in embarrassment.
"Sorry! I was just worried..." She began, not removing her hands from her face. "I wanted to check on you."
He smiled. He was happy to see her here, even though her timing was a little bad.
"You can uncover your eyes, it's okay. It's not like I'm naked."
She nodded and hesitantly took her hands off. She didn't know what she'd say or do if she looked down again, so she made sure to keep her eyes on his face only.
His hair was messy, making him look even cuter than usual.
She loved his hair and couldn't decide if she preferred it over the bald look. The hair complemented his fine features perfectly and made him look slightly older, but on the other hand when he was bald his arrows, which she loved, were all visible.
Aang completely oblivious to her thoughts stood there a little awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "So uh- do you have any spare clothes here?"
Katara's eyes widened and she blushed again, shaking her head. "Sokka should have some packed in the other room, I'll go see what I can get from there without waking him up."
"Anything in particular that you want?"
"As long as they're long-sleeved, anything is fine."
She smiled sadly. He wanted to hide his tattoos.
"I'll go get them for you."
"Thanks."
Aang sat down when she left, waiting for her to come back with the clothes.
A few minutes later, he stood back up as the door opened and he saw Katara walking in with a bunch of clothes in her arms.
Aang looked surprised. "That's more than one outfit."
She shrugged and smiled a little shyly. "I brought you sleep wear as well, it must be uncomfortable to sleep in long-sleeved shirts."
He contemplated it for a second before nodding reluctantly. "Thanks, you didn't have to."
She smiled softly. "I know, but I wanted to."
He went to the bathroom to change and came out with loose pants on and a t-shirt. He figured he might as well be comfortable for now, he would change before anyone else woke up.
Katara thought he looked really good. It was a nice change from the heavy clothes and cloaks he wore all the time.
But Aang couldn't ignore his arrows showing and a part of him wanted to scratch them off or even burn them if he had to. Get them off his body by any means necessary. He was disrespecting real monks.
He was a pretender.
Katara frowned when she saw his eyes darken and he glared at his arrows.
"Are you okay?" She asked hesitantly, her eyes filled with concern.
"No." He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I shouldn't have these tattoos, I feel like an impostor."
"They would hate me." He spat out bitterly.
Katara didn't know what to say so she decided to convey her feelings in another way. She rushed forward, closing the distance between them and hugged him tightly.
He inhaled sharply in surprise.
"Katara..." Aang looked down at her with a soft sigh, before hugging her back. "I'm sorry."
She pulled back slightly. "For what?"
"I feel like I'm burdening you with my problems, I don't mean to."
She thought for a moment before smiling slightly as she thought of a perfect response. "Aang, If I had a similar problem would you help me or be annoyed by me?"
"What- Of course I would help you!"
"Exactly." She smiled at him fondly. "So let me help you, please, don't distance yourself from me again."
His eyes softened and he pulled her closer. "Okay, I won't. I promise"
They fell into a comfortable silence for a little while, both of them just enjoying each other's presence and their closeness.
"Katara." Aang started, a little hesitantly. She pulled back from the hug to look into his eyes. "I-I want to apologize too... I wasn't the only one hurting these past years, was I?"
The look in her face answered his question, making his throat tighten.
"I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused you... I'm sorry for leaving you so suddenly."
Katara's heart swelled with emotion and she blinked back tears. "It's okay, you're here now and that's all that matters."
Aang let out a shaky breath. "Thank you... for forgiving me." he whispered.
She was amazing.
Katara's fingers twitched at her sides, she wanted to touch him, kiss him and tell him everything, how she loved him, even before he went to fight Ozai. But she was scared.
The moment was broken by Aang's yawn, to his embarrassment.
Katara looked up at him with a soft expression. "You should go back to sleep. It's still early and you need more rest."
Aang shook his head, the nightmare still fresh in his mind. "I don't think that's a good idea."
"Why not?"
"I don't think I can sleep right now."
"Can you at least try." He was about to refuse again but paused when he saw the pleading look in her eyes. "For me."
He let out a defeated sigh, not being able to refuse her when she looked at him with those eyes. "Fine."
She beamed at him and he thought that it was worth it, since he could see that beautiful smile on her face again.
Katara was about to leave the room to let him rest, but Aang panicked and before he knew what he was doing, he had already grabbed her hand, stopping her from walking out.
She turned around to face him, looking surprised. "What is it?"
"Can you... stay?" His voice came out small and vulnerable and he wanted to beat himself up for being so pathetic.
But Katara didn't seem to mind as she grinned brightly. "Sure!"
With a shy smile, Aang got under the covers and was about to close his eyes when he felt her hand grab his.
He looked up at her.
"Do you mind?" She asked, her voice small.
"No." He smiled.
Aang closed his eyes and with the waterbender next to him, his body soon relaxed.
To Katara's shock, It didn't take long for him to fall asleep. His hand went limp in her hand and soon he was snoring, making her smile widen.
She just sat there, staring at him for a few minutes.
He looked so peaceful.
Katara lifted his soft locks from his forehead and after a moment of hesitation, leaned down to kiss his blue arrow.
She looked at the sleeping Avatar with love in her eyes.
"You mean so much to me... I wish you knew." Katara whispered, really softly. "I won't let you suffer and go through everything alone, ever again."
Katara loved his tattoos and she hated it when he hid them. They were a part of him, and she knew that deep down, Aang cherished them.
She traced the blue arrow on his hand absentmindedly, before she too, fell asleep right next to him.
Again, please go back up and read the author's note at the top, if you haven't already.
Other than that, I hope you liked the chapter! Let me know what you thought. Good? Bad?