This chapter was really hard to write, I can't lie. But we are getting closer and closer to the end and I'm excited. The next chapter or the chapter after that will be the finale.
This is also the longest chapter so far.
Oh and I just want to warn y'all, there's lots of angst, but there's lots of wholesome Kataang moments as well to make up for it.
Anyway, enjoy.
"When we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change." - Avatar Aang
"How have you been, Katara?"
Kanna asked as her and Pakku sat down around the kitchen table, watching Katara begin making dinner.
Her eyebrows were creased in worry. "I already asked Hakoda, but nothing bad happened to you when they took you, right?"
Kanna had seen first-hand how cruel and dangerous the outside world could be and as much belief she had in her children, she couldn't help but worry.
Katara shook her head, flashing her grandmother a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, nothing happened. I'm all good. "
"And your brother, how is he?"
"I just saw him, he's okay. Aang's with him." Katara said absentmindedly, throwing the ingredients in the pan.
Pakku and Kanna exchanged a look, before the older woman let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and smiled. "That is good to hear."
They made more small talk while Katara prepared the food and in less than an hour she was already done.
She brought three plates of food to the kitchen table and sat down with a grin.
They thanked her and started eating.
"Pakku, how are your students? I heard you've been pushing them extra hard lately." Kanna asked, starting a conversation.
Pakku nodded. "They are improving at a very fast rate." He looked at Katara with a smirk. "I bet a few of them could even give you a run for your money."
Katara laughed. "Well, why don't I come there tomorrow to spar them."
He agreed, but then scratched his head in thought. "Actually speaking of sparring them, Tarloq was supposed to come test their skills today but he never did."
Katara's smile faded and her face scrunched up in disgust at the mention of Tarloq.
Kanna noticed and laughed. "You still don't like him, do you?"
"No." She scowled, crossing her arms. "He's a massive jerk who keeps annoying me."
Not to mention, he was from the Northern Water tribe and the male benders from there were very full of themselves. They always treated Katara like she was inferior to them and it pissed her off.
"How's the food?" She asked, wanting to change the subject.
"It's delicious, Katara." Her grandmother answered, smiling at her proudly.
Pakku nodded in agreement. "Really good."
She grinned.
They continued eating and were talking about the current state of the tribe, when they heard rain pouring outside, banging loudly against the roof.
Kanna caught Katara's worried gaze flickering to the window behind her.
"Worried about a certain airbender?" She asked, a knowing smile on her lips.
Katara shook her head, face turning dark red. "No!" She exclaimed, a little too loud.
Pakku chuckled at the obvious lie.
"What's that little runt doing these days anyway?" His tone was soft, unlike his words.
Contrary to popular belief, Pakku had taken a liking to the Avatar and just like everybody else, he had been worried when he heard of his sudden disappearance.
"I did hear from Hakoda that he came here and plans on staying." Kanna remarked, looking at Katara with a smirk.
"Yeah..." Katara avoided their eyes and played with her food. "I guess so."
"So, do you still like him?" Kanna asked, getting straight to the point when she realized that Katara wasn't planning on continuing.
"W-What?" Katara spluttered, eyes going wide.
"You still like him, don't you? I always had a feeling you did."
The very first day he showed up in their tribe, Kanna figured he and Katara would eventually end up together. It was obvious they shared a special bond, from day one, and he really changed Katara's life for the better.
Even before Katara met Aang, the young waterbender had always admired The Avatar, and In a sense, Aang had given Katara hope even before he came into her life.
From what Kanna could tell, Aang was a very good boy with a kind heart. It wouldn't surprise her one bit if her granddaughter ended up falling in love with him during their time traveling together.
The corner of Katara's lips turned down. "It's complicated." Part of her wanted to tell them everything, get it all out of her system, and another part of her wanted to not talk about it at all.
Pakku laughed when she didn't deny it. "I always knew there was something between you and the Avatar."
Kanna nodded in agreement. "It was so obvious, that boy is head over heels for you."
"I'm not so sure about that anymore." The teenager said, voice sad, making them frown.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't think he likes me anymore." She straightened up in her chair and her voice got stronger as she spoke. "And it doesn't matter anyway, I don't like him either!"
"I don't care about him at all!"
Pakku stared at her in shock, his fork frozen in the air.
"Why would you say that?" Kanna leaned closer to the waterbender, frowning. "Even you don't believe that honey, you care about him even now. It's so obvious."
"For you to say such things... what actually happened between you two?"
These past three years she had noticed the change in Katara and she knew it had something to do with the airbender but she wasn't sure what exactly had happened between them. Whenever she tried to ask her about it, Katara would change the subject and close off, and not wanting to push her too much, Kanna left it be.
Katara bit her lip in frustration and looked away from their stares. "Just forget it, It doesn't matter."
It was better to not talk about it, they wouldn't understand.
But suddenly, Kanna launched a spoonful of food in her face, making her draw back in shock.
"Gran Gran what-"
"Listen to me very carefully, Katara." Her voice was stern, silencing Katara. She had enough of tip-toeing around the subject, this time she planned on finding out what was going on. "I don't know what's got you so upset, but if you lose him I can guarantee you that you'll regret it down the line."
"That airbender, he is a really good boy." Kanna stated, recalling the day she met him. "I'm not allowing him to slip through your fingers due to your stubbornness and foolishness."
Katara drew back, feeling offended, and opened her mouth to retort, but Kanna held up a finger. "I'm not done yet."
"You can be very stubborn sometimes, you know that?" Kanna continued, gaze softening. "Your mother was similar in that aspect, she'd often let her anger blind her and I always had to be there to knock some sense into her."
Katara stared at her, eyes wide, and swallowed through a lump.
"Gran Gran..."
Kanna sighed, looking at the stunned teenager. "Now please, explain to me why you're so upset with him." she asked, in a more relaxed tone.
"He has changed." Katara finally said, revealing what's been on her mind. "The Aang you two met is not the same person he is today."
"What do you mean by that?" Kanna asked, waiting patiently as Katara tried to look for the right words.
"He doesn't care about anyone but himself, he is so selfish!"
"H-He left us without a second thought, he just wrote a stupid letter and expected me to be okay with it!" Katara scoffed, and to her frustration felt tears build up in her eyes. "I thought I meant more to him, I thought we were closer than that!"
"He broke my heart when he left." She continued, eyes downcast. "I- I wanted to be with him, I loved him. And I know I never got to tell him that, but he said that he loved me too, so why would he leave me without saying anything."
She shook her head. "The fact that he did leave speaks volumes on how little he really cares."
Tears rolled down her cheek, despite her trying to hold them back. "It took him three years to come back." Her lips pursed in anger. "Three years later, he expects me to be all okay with him, like he didn't stomp on my heart!"
"Have you tried telling him this?" Kanna asked, voice gentle.
"No." She looked at her grandmother, lips quivering and eyes showing vulnerability for the first time as she allowed herself to really think about the boy she loved.
"I haven't really had a conversation with him since we met, because I'm really mad at him... and I also don't trust myself to be vulnerable around him again. I'm scared that he'll hurt me again."
The entire room was silent when she finished, nothing could be heard except for Katara's sniffling and the pouring rain banging against the roof of the house.
Kanna stared at her in thought, before speaking. "He's gone through a lot, that child."
"O-Of course, I know that-"
"Do you?" She was cut off by Pakku's gruff voice, the older man speaking up for the first time since they started talking about her and Aang.
"Because I don't think that you do."
Katara stared at him in disbelief.
"Aang is the last airbender, an entire nation is resting on his shoulders. The responsibility of that alone can send anyone crazy." Pakku met her wide eyes. "Not to mention all the countless other difficulties he has faced throughout his life, like being the Avatar and having to go against his beliefs to end the war."
"I can't even imagine having that much responsibility at all, let alone at such a young age."
He paused for a brief moment, letting his words sink in.
"He needs friends by his side, people he loves and trusts." He continued, voice unusually soft. "He needs someone he can lean on when times get rough."
Kanna nodded and looked the teenager in the eyes as she spoke next. "He was wrong for leaving you without telling you, but Katara, have you ever thought about what made him leave? Or what he is going through?"
By the time they had finished, Katara had shrunk back on her chair, her stomach tight and her appetite gone.
Was she really the one in the wrong here?
Regret shot through her as she thought back to the day she had the argument with him, right after his fight with Ozai. Back then she made the mistake of not understanding him and his pain.
By the time she did understand, It was already too late, he had left.
Wasn't she doing the same thing now?
All this time, she had been so focused on her own problems that she hadn't even allowed herself to think how bad Aang had really had it.
Ever since their reunion at Malik's mansion, Katara had tried to delude herself into thinking that she would be fine if he left again, but in reality she knew her life without Aang would feel empty and incomplete.
It was a terrifying thought. Katara never thought she would be so dependent on a man like she was now, but it was the truth, for better or worse, she loved Aang.
She still loved him, she realized. Without a shadow of a doubt Katara still loved Aang and needed him. It was like her mind that had been clouded by hurt and anger cleared, and the only thing she could think of was Aang and his well being.
"If you care about that boy, you need to check up on him and be there for him." Kanna continued, eyes soft. "He needs to know that he has someone who loves and cares about him."
"But it's okay, he has Sokka with him. I'm sure he's fine." She hurried to reassure the teenager when she saw the distraught look on her face.
Katara shook her head. "I've been so cold and mean to him all this time." She swallowed hard, all the signs that she had missed during their time together came rushing back at her. All the forced smiles from him, the way he distanced himself from everyone, all his attempts to talk to her and apologize.
It was hard for her to be alone after her mum died, even harder when her dad left to help in the war. But during all that, she had Sokka and Gran Gran.
She always felt loved and had people that took take care of her.
Aang had none of that.
He must've felt so lonely all those years alone.
By now, tears were freely streaming down her face and she bit her lip hard, nearly making it bleed.
He did a very good job at hiding his pain, to the point where even Katara didn't notice. But if she had tried to look for the signs and paid more attention to him, if she didn't distance herself from him, she was sure she would've realized.
Her heart felt like it was being squeezed by a cold metal fist, as she thought more and more about it.
How could she be so selfish?
If he wasn't with Sokka right now, Katara would've ran out to find him just to make sure that he was okay.
Because even though he messed up and hurt her by leaving so suddenly, Katara still loved him and she wasn't going to let him go through everything alone, not anymore.
She needed to see him.
Katara wiped her tears away the best she could with her sleeves and cleared her throat. "You're right, Sokka is looking out for him." She said, more to convince herself than anyone. "and I'll make sure to talk to him the next time I see him."
"But I've been so selfish." Katara balled her fists. "The fact that I had never considered how he felt... I shouldn't have been so harsh on him."
A steely look of determination came to her face. "I need to get over myself and actually talk to him, because Aang means a lot to me and I'm not giving up on him without a fight."
"Exactly, Katara." Kannu grinned proudly at her. "Collect your thoughts and everything you want to say to him while he's out with Sokka, and the next time you see him talk everything out like two adults."
Pakku leaned back, chewing on his food. "I wouldn't count on Sokka to look after him, that boy is as dumb as a rock. It's probably going to be Aang who'll be looking out for Sokka."
"Pakku!" Kanna glared at her husband and elbowed him in the ribs, making him choke on his food
Katara giggled, covering her mouth.
Their conversation after that turned more lighthearted. She relaxed slightly and listened to the two, but the airbender never left her mind.
What was he doing right now, was he okay?
"Katara!" She heard her grandmother shout from the living room, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Do you need help with the dishes?"
"No Gran Gran, I got it!"
She scrubbed on the plate really hard, nearly breaking it as her thoughts went back to the airbender.
She froze when she heard someone bang on the front door. She dropped the plate she was holding and rushed out.
"Who is it?"
When she stepped into the doorway she saw that Pakku had already opened the door, revealing a familiar face.
Katara let out a loud gasp in surprise.
"Sokka?!"
The older boy was standing outside, drenched and teeth clattering. "What are you doing here, I thought you'd be with Aang?"
"H-Hi Katara." His eyes snapped to her and then to Kanna who was standing behind her. "I-I'll explain everything, but can you guys let me inside first, I'm about to freeze to death out here."
Kanna rushed to him and wrapped her arms around the boy gently, attempting to warm him up as she led him inside.
Katara followed them to the living room, worried for her brother.
"Look at the state of you, why would you come this far without putting warmer clothes on?" Kanna scolded him, as she handed him a heavy blanket.
Sokka took off the outer layers of his clothes and fell down on the couch, covering himself with the warm blanket.
He snuggled inside it. "I was in a rush."
"I'll go make you a warm drink." Katara said, before running back into the kitchen.
Kanna frowned. "Pakku, can you go get the boy a towel? His hair is soaking wet."
The older man nodded, before walking out of the room.
She then looked down at Sokka, eyes filled with concern. "What's so important that you got yourself in this state for?"
"I had to get here as fast as possible, I'll explain why as soon as Katara comes back." Sokka responded, before closing his eyes in bliss as he felt his body warming up.
Pakku came back, a towel in her hand and handed it to Kanna who was sitting next to Sokka's head.
She dried up his hair the best she could and laid the towel under his head.
Soon after, Katara came back with a hot cup of tea in her hand.
Sokka sat up, still covered with the blanket and took the drink from her with a grin.
"Thanks sis."
She smiled at him for a moment then asked the question that had been weighing on her mind since he got here.
"Sokka, what happened?"
He seemed to remember the exact reason he came here for, Katara figured, as his face fell and he gulped.
"I- uh, I lost Aang." he revealed, making Katara's eyes widen.
"You what?!"
"How have you managed that?" Kanna spoke, lips parted in surprise.
Pakku shook his head. He was beginning to think that his earlier joke about the boy being dumb was true after all.
"Sorry!" Sokka shrunk inside the blanket. "I don't know where he disappeared to, one second he was right there with me, and the next second he was gone."
Katara's face fell suddenly and she scoffed bitterly, a realization washing over her. "Oh so he left? That didn't take long."
She ended up being right, this was exactly what she feared, why she distanced herself.
It's what she prepared herself for.
But it didn't hurt any less.
He wanted nothing to with her. Aang didn't care about her, or any of them for that matter. Why would he stay.
Her heart clenched painfully.
"No, I don't think that's the case." Sokka quickly assured her, making her eyes snap back to him.
"That's what I thought too for a moment but Appa is still at the stables." He explained. "and unless Aang left without him, which is very highly unlikely, he's still here."
Katara's eyes widened as the rationality of Sokka's explanation sank in. The crushing weight on her heart lessened and she felt like she could breathe again.
"Where is he then?"
Sokka looked down. "I don't know, I checked his room and the entire palace before coming here, he was nowhere to be seen."
She bit her lip, eyes filled with worry. "Maybe he's with Suki and Toph?"
Sokka shook his head. "Nope, I already checked, they hadn't seen him either."
"Oh my..." Kanna gasped, she looked at Pakku and saw that he had the same troubled look on his face. "It's really cold outside and raining, Is he really going to be okay out there all alone?"
"I sent Suki and Toph to look for him while I came here." Sokka continued, loosening his tight grip on the blanket when he finally felt warmer. "If they don't find him by midnight, we'll inform dad. Maybe he can send a search party."
Kanna stared at her grand daughter in concern.
She had gone pale.
"S-Sokka, tell us everything that happened after I last saw you two." Katara demanded. "I want every detail."
Sokka's eyes widened and he looked almost scared. "Wha- why? We shouldn't waste anymore time, he's out there and is probably freezing and-"
"Maybe there's a clue about his whereabouts." Katara cut him off impatiently. "You just said that Suki and Toph are looking for him as we speak, so tell me everything, now."
Sokka gulped when he felt all three of their gaze's burning through him. He knew they weren't going to approve, but he had no other choice.
So with a defeated sigh, he got straight to the point. "I took him to a nightclub right after you left."
Katara's eyes widened. "You what?" she gasped, glaring at her brother.
"He needed it, okay?" Sokka retorted. "You know how Aang is, he loves dancing and parties so I thought what better way to cheer him up."
Katara wanted to scold him but she didn't want to waste any more time, instead she rubbed her temples and exhaled. "What happened then?"
Sokka shrugged. "Nothing much, we danced and had fun and as time went on Aang slowly started going back to his old self. He seemed genuinely happy." He decided not to mention that they were drinking alcohol, she didn't need to know that.
"Um, at some point we separated and he met a new friend."
"A new friend?" Katara echoed, feeling her stomach twist uncomfortably.
"Some girl, she was nice." he said, not noticing the way Katara's eyes widened. "Aang and her danced and the next thing I knew he was gone."
Katara felt nauseous as a possible outcome came to her mind and jealousy gripped at her heart. "How do you know he didn't go to her place?"
Sokka immediately shook his head. "I saw the girl briefly outside the building as I was leaving, she was alone."
Katara nodded, breathing out a small sigh of relief.
She then turned to her grand mother, gaze hardening. "I have to go look for him, Gran Gran."
Kanna looked surprised, but did not object. Instead, she smiled when she saw the look of determination on her face.
"Put some warmer clothes on at least."
Aang felt numb.
He wasn't sure why, but it felt like everything came crashing down on him all at once. His deceased nation, his morals. His life - past and future.
The weight that had been crushing him for these past years, came back at full force after his altercation with Tarloq and Ayana.
The broken teen walked around the South Pole. He had wandered off, far away from the Tribe and was now pretty much in the middle of nowhere.
There was only endless snow and mountains all around him, not a single building or village in sight.
The heavy rain was pouring all over him and he was completely soaked, but he couldn't bring himself to care.
It actually fit the mood, he thought humorlessly.
He spotted a tall cliff and made his way up to the top, dragging his feet.
Aang felt like he was at his limit. He didn't know if he could take it anymore, even the alcohol couldn't hold back the dark thoughts in his head any longer.
He had distracted himself from everything today and It worked, he had a lot of fun when he was with Sokka and felt at ease. He had fun dancing, drinking and just talking to the older boy.
But that's all It really was, a distraction.
Now reality slapped him in the face and snapped him out of his delusion.
Also, his head felt like It was about to explode, his eyes hurt and he once again cursed at himself for drinking so much.
He groaned as the lashing rain made his head pound even more and he tried to yank his hair back, as If doing so would take away whatever It was that was making it throb.
He almost wanted to laugh at his situation.
How could things get this bad?
Ever since the day he was broken out of the Iceberg, It had been nothing but downhill for him. It was like he got cursed or something.
Maybe this was the spirits' way of punishing him and making his life a living hell for betraying his people, for being a coward.
Aang finally made his way up to the top and stood on the edge of the tall cliff, looking blankly down at the wide fields of snow around him.
He ran a hand through his wet hair, despair bubbling up in his chest.
He lowered his gaze even more and stared down at the bottom of the cliff with a thoughtful gaze, a stupid, rash thought entering his mind, before he shook his head and looked back at the endless fields of snow.
"Gyatzo... can you hear me?" He spoke softly, reaching his hand forward as if he could sense his Mentor's energy around him.
"Have you been looking after me?"
He closed his eyes as an icy blast of wind blew at him.
"I'm sorry if you have... I'm sorry you've had to watch over a failure like me."
His lips trembled.
"You must be so disgusted with me, I keep messing up and making the wrong decisions. I can't do anything right."
His legs buckled and he fell to his hands and knees, eyes blurry with unshed tears.
"Gyatzo... would you ever forgive me? Or have you completely given up on me?"
"Please forgive me..." Aang choked out, his hand coming up to clutch at his chest as a heavy pang shot through it. "I'm so sorry for everything."
He looked up at the sky, biting the inside of his cheek. "You all had such high expectations from me... I'm the Avatar and the last of our people."
"You probably had full belief in me to restore our nation and culture."
"But at this rate-" A heavy sob racked his body and he curled up on himself. "I don't know if I can do it."
He dug his fingers in the snow, feeling his heart clench painfully. "When will this pain end?"
"When will it end?"
"What have I done to deserve this?" His voice rose and he clenched his fists so hard his nails dug into his skin. "I've done the best I could!"
"Damn it..." He growled, eyes wild, as a wave of despair and fury crashed through him. "Damn it all!"
He snarled and brought his fists down as hard as he could, smashing them on the cliff he was sitting on.
"Augh!" The platform under him shattered and Aang fell. Closing his eyes, he let himself fall for a second before he came back to his senses and his eyes flew back open.
He stopped his fall with a burst of air, and used another powerful burst to shoot himself back up.
He landed on the top, stumbling a little and holding his bandaged arm in pain.
"What am I doing..." he whispered to himself, as he watched the pieces of the cliff fall down to the ground below. "Did I really just..." he trailed off, bringing his injured arm closer to his chest.
"I'm so pathetic." he remarked, chuckling bitterly.
Pain shot through his arm and he fell forward with a groan.
"My arm... I shouldn't have done that."
Katara was searching for the airbender on Appa. She had searched for hours now to no avail, and was slowly losing hope.
Before she could start fully panicking, Appa suddenly picked up the pace, making her gasp.
"Appa! Is everything okay?!" She yelled over the wind and held on to the rains tighter.
Appa growled and Katara nearly fell as the bison suddenly dove down. She was about to open her mouth again, not understanding why he was acting so weird but changed her mind, deciding to stay quiet.
Whatever it was, Appa was determined and would not budge.
She gasped again and slapped a hand over her mouth when she finally saw what had gotten the bison so worked up.
He had somehow sensed Aang.
The Avatar was stood on a tall cliff, Katara couldn't see much since he had his back turned to her but she recognized him easily.
She breathed out a sigh of relief and a slow, wide grin spread across her face at the sight of him.
He was safe and okay.
Appa dove down and landed on the ground next to the cliff, he would've landed at the top, but the cliff wasn't wide enough for him.
Katara understood and her lips pulled into a smile. "Good job, Appa." She patted him on the head softly, before jumping down.
She was about to start making her way up the cliff but stopped and frowned. She turned back around and ran her hand through the bison's fur.
"You shouldn't wait for us here in the rain, we might take a while."
"We'll be fine, go back to the stables, Appa."
Appa hesitated, making Katara smile. He was worried about Aang, just like her. "It's okay, Aang has your whistle remember, we'll call you back if anything goes wrong. I promise."
That seemed to be enough for the bison as he grumbled and reluctantly listened to her.
Slamming his tail, he flew off.
Left alone, Katara turned back around and faced the cliff, trying to figure out the fastest way to get to the top.
She cursed at the pouring rain and shot her hand up, bending the rain away from her face so she could see better.
It wouldn't take long to get there If I used my bending. She thought to herself.
Feeling confident in her abilities, she looked up at the tall cliff with determination and started making her way up.
Katara had just arrived to the top when she suddenly felt the entire cliff shake violently.
Letting out an alarmed gasp, she quickly grabbed onto the nearest rock and held on the best she could.
Head whipping up in shock, she saw that Aang had broken the front of the cliff that he had just stood on and Katara watched in horror as he fell down with the pieces.
Her blood froze, and the color drained from her face.
Time seemed to slow down, the moment reminding her of that fateful day in Ba Sing Se.
Aang falling to his death.
She opened her mouth to scream out his name, when the airbender seemed to finally come back to his senses and shot back up with all his strength.
Katara watched, still frozen in horror, as Aang landed back up with his back turned to her and clutched his injured arm.
She could not believe what she had just seen.
He stumbled forward and fell onto his knees, muttering something under his breath.
She shook her head, not believing her eyes as Aang curled up on the ground, drenched from head to toe.
"A-Aang?" Her voice came out pained and weak, more like a whimper.
The Avatar had been so absorbed in his thoughts, he hadn't sensed Katara. So when she spoke he jumped to his feet and spun around all in one motion.
He stared at the waterbender, wide-eyed. "Katara? What are you doing here?"
She looked at him and then at the broken cliff in disbelief. "What just happened, did you just try to..." She couldn't finish her sentence, feeling sick to her stomach.
The pained expression in his face shook her to her core.
She ran closer to him, fearing he would try to do it again.
"What were you doing just now?" She demanded, staring him in the eyes.
He looked away from her, jaw clenching.
"Aang, what were you about to do just now?" Katara repeated herself, voice increasing in volume. "Don't ignore me!"
"Why did you..." Her lips trembled and she once again could not finish her sentence, could not bring herself to say the words aloud.
"Why are you here, Katara?" Aang asked, evading her question and asking his own. "I thought you wanted nothing to do with me."
His voice cut through the air like a steel blade and Katara swallowed hard.
"I had to see if you were okay, I was worried when Sokka told me you had disappeared without a word." Katara said, blinking back tears. "And it was a good thing I did, why would you even think about-"
Her eyes fell on his arm and she gasped, only now remembering that he had hurt himself.
"Your arm! Are you okay?" She bit her lip and tried to reach for him but Aang stepped back.
She felt her heart stop in her chest, when his feet neared the edge of the broken cliff.
"What are y-you d-doing?"
He shook his head, scoffing. "I'm fine. Drop the act already."
"What?" She frowned, not understanding.
"Pretending to care about me." He clarified, turning his back on her. "Doesn't it get tiring?"
"A-Aang." She whispered, throat tightening and the tears she was holding back streamed down her cheeks. "Please step back and listen to me."
"Just leave me alone." His voice was monotone, so unlike him.
"Please, Aang!" Katara pleaded, walking closer to him in an attempt to wrap her arms around him, but he suddenly spun around and the look in his face made her freeze on the spot.
He was glaring at her fiercely, eyes bloodshot.
It terrified her. Aang had never glared at her, not like this.
"Why are you even here?!" He exploded, teeth clenching. "Just earlier today you wanted nothing to do with me, but now all of a sudden you act like you care?!"
"I don't want your pity! I don't want to see you pretending like you give a damn about me, so just do us both a favor and leave!"
He was breathing heavily, getting angrier by the second when he realized that she wasn't moving.
Why was she so damn stubborn.
"Get out of my face already!"
She finally had enough, before she knew what she was doing she slapped him in the face as hard as she could.
Aang's head snapped to the side and he froze in shock, not moving an inch as he tried to process what just happened.
"Shut up, Aang!" She cried out. "You really think I'd leave you after I just saw you hurt yourself?"
His head dropped down and she forced herself to calm down. "I care about you, nothing could ever change that." her eyes were pleading for him to believe her.
His bangs were covering his pained eyes from her, but couldn't hide the quiver of his lips. He buried his hands in his face in an attempt to hide the tears that had escaped his eyes.
He so badly wanted to believe her, but she had been so cold toward him these past few days, and only now when he was at his lowest point she suddenly cared and was there for him?
"She's just pitying you!" He thought darkly.
When Aang looked up again, he noticed that she was staring at him with a soft gaze. Tears were streaming down her own face and she was biting her lip to keep herself from full-on sobbing.
Her heart ached for him and seeing him like this broke her, but she couldn't fall apart now. She had to stay strong.
If she was hurting like this just by watching, she couldn't even imagine how he was feeling.
She waited with a bated breath for Aang to say something, anything, and after a moment he did.
"Why are you lying?"
He suddenly walked toward her, but she stood her ground.
"Stop lying!"
Katara cupped his face in her hands gently, making his eyes widen.
As they stood close to each other and Katara got a better look into his eyes, a realization finally crashed over her.
"You're drunk." She stated simply, rubbing her thumb on his cheek softly.
"I am? I didn't notice." he remarked dryly, but Katara realized that he had calmed down slightly.
"Aang." She started with a gentle voice. "Why would you do that?" she asked, obviously referring to earlier.
His eyes darkened and he pushed her hands away from his face, making her face flash with hurt.
He looked down and it took him so long to answer Katara thought he was going to ignore her again.
"I don't know... I just... I saw a way out I guess." He finally answered, voice hesitant.
Her hand flew to her mouth with a gasp as he confirmed her worst fear.
She obviously already had an idea what he had tried to do, but hearing him confirm it felt like a sucker punch to the stomach.
"Why?" Her voice was shaky, barely above a whisper.
When he didn't answer, she grabbed his shoulders and slammed her head against his chest out of frustration.
"Tell me why!"
Aang frowned when she kept going and caught her head softly in his hands, stopping her.
"Stop hurting yourself."
She drew back angrily and nearly punched him in the face. "Says you! You just tried to kill yourself!"
He furrowed his eyebrows but looked away.
"You wouldn't understand even If I told you." He said, referring to her earlier question.
"Make me understand then! Please!" Katara cried, holding a hand over her pounding heart. "I can't believe you'd even think about k-killing yourself."
Aang chuckled at that. Normally his laugh would've made Katara's heart melt, but now it scared her.
There was no warmth in it.
"Really?" He asked, walking away from her and rubbing his jaw mockingly as if he had to really think. "Let's think about it."
"I failed my people." He held up a finger.
"I failed everyone, including my friends, you and your family." He held up another finger.
"I haven't had a good night's sleep in years." He held up a third finger.
Katara's breath hitched in her throat and she bit her lip, hard.
"I keep messing up and making everyone around me sad." He looked her in the eyes pointedly as he held up his fourth finger.
"I feel like I don't belong, I don't have a home or a family and I feel like a burden to everyone." Aang finished off with a fifth finger. He then looked down sadly and finally decided to voice the tiny, dark thought that had been in the back of his mind for years now.
"Wouldn't it be better if I just disappeared forever and stopped hurting the people around me?"
Katara couldn't take it anymore. She threw herself at him and wrapped her limbs tightly around him. The sudden weight made Aang stumble back, but he managed to ground his feet down and stopped them both from falling down the cliff.
He looked down, eyes wide in shock, as Katara clung to him and sobbed into his chest. Her body racking with heavy sobs.
"N-No" she choked out and tightened her legs around him, trying to convey everything through physical contact. "Never... don't even... think about that." she managed to say in between her sobbing.
She looked up, eyes teary but hard. "Tell me that you'll never think like that, ever again!"
"Katara get off me." He groaned instead, but she shook her head.
"Not until you tell me that you will never think like that again." She mumbled into his chest, holding onto him stubbornly.
She was scared to let go.
Aang looked at her form in astonishment, the sudden change in her behavior from earlier today to now confused him.
"I don't understand..."
"I-I'm so sorry." She looked up at him, her blue eyes filled with tears. "Please forgive me."
"What are you talking about?" He shook his head in frustration. "Forgive you for what?"
"All this time, I was so mad at you. I never knew you were hurting this badly."
Aang's face tightened as he finally seemed to understand what was happening.
"Stop that." He grimaced, trying to push her away.
She looked up at him in shock, feeling hurt. "W-What?"
"Stop pitying me, that's the last thing I want from you."
"I'm not pitying you!" She glared at him, but reluctantly got off him when he wouldn't hug her back and stepped back. "I really care about you!"
Aang remained impassive, not believing her in the slightest. "I find that hard to believe, Katara."
Katara's eyes softened. "I know, and I'm to blame for that."
"I was so mad at you to the point where I completely blocked you out of my mind, I convinced myself that you were in the wrong." Katara looked disgusted with herself. "Gran Gran and Master Pakku made me realize how stupid I've been."
Aang's eyes widened, not believing his ears. Master Pakku and her grandmother talked to her about him?
"I've been so selfish." She looked down at her feet in shame. "I never realized how much worse you've had it."
He shook his head. "That seems to be a running theme." He remarked dryly, recalling Sokka saying the same thing.
"You're so good at hiding it." Katara tried to defend herself. "You've come across so unbothered, I thought you changed and didn't care about anyone but yourself, but all this time you were hiding yourself from us."
She fell on her knees suddenly, making Aang's eyes widen again. "I'm so sorry."
Why did she ever think that Aang could be selfish? There wasn't a single bad bone in his body. He was so pure and amazing.
"I don't deserve you, Aang." She sobbed, her frame wracking with her sobs. The guilt was consuming and eating her alive. "None of us do."
Seeing Katara, someone who was so stubborn and full of pride, like this, shook him to his core.
"Katara..." He whispered in disbelief, before snapping out of his shock and hurrying toward her. He pulled her into his arms and whispered in her ear. "It's okay... I'm okay."
Katara looked up at him with her beautiful teary blue eyes, making Aang's gaze soften.
Yup, he was screwed. He was still very much in love with this girl.
This was the Katara that Aang fell in love with all those years ago.
Empathetic, sweet, loving and caring Katara.
"Is there any way I could make it up to you?" Katara asked, voice low. She felt so ashamed of herself. She had been so damn selfish. Here was Aang going through so much pain for years, he had no one to rely on, had no shoulder to lean on. And she had the audacity to be mad at him.
He should be the one mad at her! He deserved so much better.
"I-I just don't want you to hate me." Aang spoke honestly, voice low, making Katara look at him in surprise. "I want my friend back."
"You have me." Katara smiled softly. "I'm so sorry." she apologized again.
"But, only if you actually want to." Aang emphasized, tone more serious than it had been throughout their entire conversation, wanting to drive his point through. "I don't want you to feel obligated to be my friend just because of what I'm going through, that would hurt me the most."
Katara shook her head, looking offended. "I would never! I'm not pitying you Aang, I already told you."
"I care about you, and I want to help you."
"I-I-" She started, but looked away blushing. She wanted to tell him that she loved him but didn't want to scare him away.
There was no way he still had any feelings for her, after everything.
"I'd do anything to help you, Aang. I care about you deeply." She said earnestly, smiling warmly at him.
He smiled back, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Okay then."
He was still skeptical, making her frown.
She would do whatever she could to prove to him that she genuinely cared, she would heal every broken piece in his heart. If it was the last thing she'd do.
Katara was very grateful for her grandmother and Pakku for helping her understand. Aang wasn't worth losing over some stupid mistakes.
Of course, she didn't forget about his suicidal thoughts and confessions about his lack of sleep and his people. She would never forget. But she also didn't want to ruin the moment, they were finally taking a step in the right direction.
Though she made a mental note to bring everything back up at some point, she would do everything in her ability to make sure those dark thoughts that he had went away.
A small groan of pain snapped Katara out of her thoughts and her eyes widened when she saw him clutch his left arm.
"Your arm!" She stepped closer to him and gasped, only now remembering that he had injured it. "How is it?"
"I don't think It's broken, but it does hurt." He admitted, sheepishly.
Katara bit her lip in worry and grabbed his arm, before carefully unwrapping the bloodied bandages.
She effortlessly drew out water from the rain and enveloped his arm in it.
He closed his eyes, exhaling slowly. "Ahh, that feels so much better."
She grinned and kept the water there to soothe his arm for a moment longer, letting him enjoy the feeling.
"Hold on a second." She said, letting the water drop to the ground with a splash and pulled out her medical bag.
Aang watched her, gaze soft, as she opened it and dug out a roll of bandages before quickly closing it back up before the contents inside could get wet from the rain.
"Hold out your arm." She instructed, voice soft.
Aang did so and smiled a little when she wrapped the brand new bandages around it.
"I'm guessing these are water proof?"
"Yeah, they are."
When she was done she let her arms fall to her sides and smiled up at him shyly. Their eyes met and Katara licked her dry lips nervously.
She didn't know why she was feeling so awkward and nervous in his presence all of a sudden.
It was Aang. The same Aang that she broke out of the Iceberg, the same Aang that she travelled with for a year. There should be nothing to be nervous at.
The Avatar was the first to break their eye contact and looked her up and down with a frown. "Are you not cold?" Her clothes were drenched and the rain wasn't slowing down at all.
Katara looked down, only now realizing that she was unconsciously hugging herself in a feeble attempt to shield herself from the cold.
She had been so busy looking after him, she hadn't even noticed how cold she had gotten.
"A little, but It's okay."
Aang shook his head. "Let me help." He said and blew warm air at her, drying her clothes up the best he could.
She looked at him in awe and closed her eyes in bliss as the warm air enveloped her form.
"Thank you." She sighed in relief, already feeling much warmer in the dry clothes.
Her eyes widened when Aang took off the cloak he was wearing and dried it up the same way, before handing it to her.
"Here. I know It's not much, but you should still wear It. It'll at least stop your clothes from getting wet."
Katara stared at It in surprise. "What about you?"
His lips twitched up slightly. "Airbenders don't get cold."
She nodded and took it from his outstretched hand, smiling gratefully at him. "Thanks."
She wrapped the cloak around herself and closed the front, so it covered her entire body.
She breathed in his scent, exhaling softly.
"Shall we head back?"
The girl nodded, but before they could go the wind suddenly picked up and a violent gust of wind slapped her, making her teeth clatter.
Aang watched her, concerned.
"Sorry, It's really cold." Katara let out an embarrassed laugh, shivering.
Aang thought for a moment, before he made up his mind and walked behind her, wrapping his arms around her.
"Wh-What are you doing?" She stuttered, blushing, but moaned in relief when she felt the heat emitting from his body.
"How?" She breathed out in awe, closing her eyes with a satisfied sigh.
She felt really warm.
Aang chuckled, bringing her closer to his chest. "Firebending. I guess it does come in handy in situations like this."
"Mhm." Katara hummed, eyes closed.
Once her body warmed up and the coldness went away, she noticed the position they were in and blushed hard.
Aang cleared his throat, realizing how close they were. "Sorry." He muttered and let go, fearing he was making her uncomfortable.
Her eyes went wide and she nearly cried at the loss of warmth.
"No!" She exclaimed, surprising him. She blushed again. "Sorry, I was just feeling really warm."
Aang chuckled again, the sound making her heart flutter.
"I've got an idea." He said, and before Katara could question him, he picked her up and held her in his arms.
"A-Aang." Katara gasped, breath hitching in her throat. "Wh-What are you doing?"
He grinned, a mischievous glint in his eye. "I'll carry you back to the Tribe, that way we'll get there fast and you'll stay warm."
Katara's heart warmed at the sight of his trademark grin, but she shook her head. "Wait, you're probably tired yourself and your arm hasn't completely healed-"
"Katara." Aang cut her off, a warm smile on his face. "Don't worry, I can do this and I want to."
"Just relax and trust me, I won't let anything happen to you."
She nodded, finding herself trusting him without any hesitation. "Alright, but be careful!"
All she got was a wide grin in response, before he jumped over the cliff with a giant leap.
Katara shrieked. It felt like they were flying in the air for a moment, before they suddenly plummeted down.
"Aang!" She screamed, her heart dropping to her stomach.
She shut her eyes and held onto him as tight as she could.
When they neared the ground, Aang cushioned their fall with his airbending and landed softly.
He looked down and laughed, noticing that Katara's eyes were still tightly shut.
"You can open your eyes now, Katara."
The waterbender did so, hesitantly, and saw him looking down at her in amusement.
"That was scary. You should've at least warned me before jumping off!" She tried to glare at him but her smile betrayed her.
Her hand was resting on her racing heart.
Aang laughed again, making Katara's smile widen.
"Sorry, I got a little carried away." He apologized, looking sheepish.
"It's okay."
"I can walk from here if you want." She offered, not wanting to be a bother. Though really she was enjoying being in his arms.
She felt warm and comfortable.
"I did say that I'd carry you to the Tribe, didn't I?" He smiled softly.
Katara smiled back and wordlessly rested her head against his shoulder.
"Hold on tight, I'm gonna get us there quick." He said, before he took off running with newfound energy, boosting himself using airbending.
Katara's mouth fell open in a shriek, holding on to him for dear life as her surroundings blurred.
The sound of his laugh filled her ears and made her insides melt. She had missed his laugh so much.
It didn't take them long to reach the walls of the Tribe at the speed they were going.
Aang stopped in front of the gates and gently set Katara down. "I warned you this time." He joked.
As soon as she separated from him, the warm feeling went away and the cold air whipped her.
"You did." Katara giggled, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "That was fun, still scary, but fun."
Aang grinned again. "Glad you enjoyed it."
It had gotten really dark outside, most of the Tribe folks had retired in their beds, making the city feel a little emptier than usual.
The two benders were walking in the streets of the Tribe, when Aang's stomach rumbled.
Katara's eyes snapped to him in surprise, noticing the reddening of his cheeks.
"Are you hungry?" She asked, frowning. "When was the last time you ate?"
Aang scratched his head sheepishly. "This morning at the camp site."
Her eyes widened. "What?" She had only made them a small plate of soup.
She grabbed him firmly by his hand and started leading him the other way. "Woah, where're you taking me?"
"To a restaurant." She said, lips pursed. "You need to eat, now."
"Why aren't you taking care of yourself, Aang?" She scolded him as they walked, eyebrows creased in worry.
He shrugged. "I've just had a lot going on."
Her lips pursed in disapproval, but she said nothing.
Aang let her lead him by his hand. The feeling of her soft hand in his made his ears and neck heat up.
They were walking on the outskirts of the city and soon arrived to the restaurant.
"Here we are." Katara announced, motioning toward the building. It was fairly small and bright with lamps and lights surrounding it
They made their way inside and Aang looked around in wonder.
He was glad he had chosen to buy a long sleeved shirt that hid his arrows, because no one seemed to recognize him. His hair had also grown long enough to pretty much cover the arrow on his forehead entirely.
He looked like a completely normal teenager.
The people inside only took a curious glance at them before losing interest and looking away.
"This place is beautiful." He remarked, lips pulling into a slight smile.
It wasn't very big but it was cozy.
Katara beamed at him. "Isn't it? This is my favorite restaurant in the whole city." Still holding his hand, she led him to a table at the corner of the room and they sat down.
"I come here whenever I feel stressed or just want to be alone with my thoughts." Katara explained, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
Aang's eyebrows furrowed at that and he opened his mouth to speak, but someone else beat him to it.
"Oh my spirits!"
They heard a high pitched voice and Katara's eyes widened, recognizing the voice.
Aang watched in confusion as a waiter ran toward them, beaming at Katara.
"Katara, is that you?!"
"Karu?" She turned around and held back a groan. Don't get her wrong she actually quite liked Karu, but she wasn't in the mood to talk to the bubbly girl right now.
"I heard that you were kidnapped by some crazed man! Are you okay!?" She exclaimed, going up closer to the waterbender to take a better look at her, like she was seeing her for the first time.
Even though Katara was a little annoyed because Karu was now like the hundredth person to ask the same question on the same day, she couldn't help but smile a little at her obvious concern.
"I'm completely fine."
"Thank the spirits." Karu exclaimed and only now seemed to notice that the waterbender wasn't alone.
"Who's this?" She gasped, staring at the boy in wonder.
"This is my good friend..." Katara trailed off, looking at Aang uncertainly.
"Kuzon." He chimed in, smiling. "Nice to meet you, Karu."
"It's very nice to meet you too, Kuzon." She giggled, making Katara frown when she noticed the flirtatious tone in her voice.
She turned to Katara, oblivious to the annoyed look on her face.
"You have very good taste, girl." She gushed, clapping her hands excitedly.
Aang looked away, cheeks turning bright red.
"Karu!" Katara spluttered, blushing hard. "He's not-"
"I am a little confused though, I thought you still had feelings for Av-"
"Karu!" Katara shouted, standing up and cutting her off harshly. She glared at the girl. "It's not like that, we are just friends!"
Aang drew back slightly in shock at her outburst and stared at her wide-eyed.
"Oh." Karu's mouth fell open and her eyes blurred with tears. "I didn't mean to- I'm sorry."
Katara shook her head and sighed, feeling bad for snapping at her like that. "It's okay, I'm sorry for yelling at you. I've had a long day."
"I understand." Karu sniffled and hugged her, making Katara hate herself even more for being so harsh on her. She was so kind and sweet.
She smiled sadly and hugged her back.
Aang's thoughts went back to what the girl said though. Katara had feelings for someone?
Don't get him wrong, It wasn't like he had any hope that she liked him or anything, but still...
He clenched his fist under the table and did his best to keep his face stoic, trying to not show how hurt he felt.
"Kuzon?" Katara's beautiful voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he looked up to see both girls staring at him.
"Karu was asking what you'd like to drink." Katara said, looking at him in concern. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, sorry. I just spaced out for a bit." He forced a smile on his face and looked at Karu, scratching the back of his head. "I'll take a glass of water please."
His mouth felt really dry and he wanted the remaining alcohol out of his system as soon as possible.
Karu nodded with a grin on her face and turned to look at Katara. "I'm assuming you want your usual, Katara?"
Katara nodded, smiling at her. "Yes, please."
"I'll be right back with your drinks!" She exclaimed, smiling at them apologetically one more time, before walking away.
"Sorry about that." Katara mumbled, trying to ignore her burning cheeks. "She means well."
Aang looked at her with a warm smile, making her feel like she was melting on the spot.
"It's okay."
His eyebrows then furrowed slightly. "Is she a friend of yours?"
Katara nodded. "I met her when I came here for the first time, she is really friendly and nice."
Aang nodded, eyes skimming through the menu.
"What should I order?" he asked, scratching his head sheepishly.
Katara's face lit up and she leaned forward excitedly. "Sea prunes!"
Aang's eyes widened, the color draining from his face. "S-Sea prunes?" He thought back to the first time he tried them in Bato's tent and had to hold back the urge to vomit.
"Are you okay?" Katara asked, looking at him worried. "You're looking a little pale."
"W-What? Yeah I'm fine." He laughed nervously. "But, maybe something else?"
She shook her head with a sigh. "Fine, suit yourself." she looked at the menu, a question popping into her mind but she hesitated to ask.
Aang seemed to notice though, because he raised an eyebrow at her. "What is it?"
"Um." She licked her lips nervously. "Are you still a vegetarian?"
Aang's eyes widened in surprise.
"I-I'm sorry I asked, you don't have to answer." She said quickly, feeling stupid for asking.
Aang shook his head. "No, it's okay."
"I guess I'm not." He answered, looking down at the table with a deep frown. "But I still mostly eat the same stuff I used to."
"Why?"
He gave a half shrug, tapping his fingers on the table. "I don't know what else to eat really."
"I've been a vegetarian all my life, and I was surrounded by vegetarians since I was a kid."
Katara nodded in understanding and gazed at him softly. "You want to try something new today?"
He shrugged again. "Sure."
"Okay then! Let me choose a dish for you, I guarantee that you'll love it!"
A small smile pulled at Aang's lips at her enthusiasm. "I'd like that."
She showed him what she wanted him to try on the menu, and soon after Karu came back with their drinks.
"Here ya go!" She exclaimed cheerfully and set them down in front of them, before pulling out a piece of paper and a pen. "Have you decided what you would like to order yet?"
"Sea crabs and Sea squid for both of us, please." She said and Aang had to hold back a grimace.
He had never tried Seafood and he certainly wasn't looking forward to it. But, he was a little intrigued.
"Gotcha!" She wrote everything down on the piece of paper and disappeared again to get their food.
Aang grabbed his large glass of water and started gulping it down like he had never tasted water before, making Katara giggle.
Karu arrived with their food a few minutes later and they ate making small talk.
Katara thought It would've been more awkward but she quickly found that It was really easy to talk to Aang. She was shocked at how effortless it was, even after so many years of not speaking to each other.
A warm feeling spread across her chest. It felt like the old days, and talking to Aang was so much fun. He always understood her, he was a good listener and he made her laugh.
"This is actually pretty good." Aang remarked, taking another bite.
Katara giggled, covering her mouth. "I told you."
They finished eating and Aang paid for their food, he insisted, then Katara hugged Karu goodbye and the two teenagers left the building.
The rain had stopped by the time they came outside and Katara handed the airbender his cloak back, thanking him once more.
Aang draped it over his shoulders, and the two continued talking as they walked back to Katara's house.
Katara soon realized that even though Aang seemed open and friendly toward her, he was still wary around her, she could tell. He still had his walls up.
It saddened her, but she understood. It was going to take more time to make him comfortable around her again, but Katara would do whatever and would wait however long for him to trust her again.
It was worth it, Aang was worth it.
They were nearing her house when her face suddenly fell as a thought entered his mind.
Aang noticed, and raised an eyebrow at her sudden change of mood.
"What is it?" He asked, worried.
She looked away from him, clutching her right arm. "Sokka said you met a new friend when you two were out." She asked vaguely, not trying to sound like she was jealous.
She tried to not care, but it had been stuck in the back of her mind the whole day, ever since Sokka brought it up.
Aang looked confused for a second, before his face dropped as he finally realized what she was talking about.
So much had happened today that Aang had completely forgotten about Ayana and Tarloq.
"I'd rather not talk about it, If that's okay." He grimaced, not only did he never want to talk about it, he also wanted to forget it ever happened.
Because like he said earlier tonight, the whole thing was a mistake.
Katara wrapped her arms around herself, looking visibly upset.
"You okay?" Aang looked at her, frowning. "Did I say something wrong?"
"I'm fine." She answered shortly, trying to smile but even Aang could tell how forced it was.
"Okay..."
Katara's face softened when she heard his defeated voice and she cursed at herself.
"I'm sorry Aang, I'm being really stupid." She muttered, annoyed at herself for making something out of nothing. "Please forget it, everything is okay."
He shrugged, not quite believing her. "Okay, if you say so."
She opened her mouth to apologize again but stopped when she saw him suddenly stop in his tracks.
"Is that Sokka and Suki?" He exclaimed, mouth falling open as he pointed at the couple standing beside a building.
Katara had been so absorbed in her thoughts, she hadn't even noticed that they had arrived to her house already. Her head whipped around in shock, seeing the two. "What are they doing at my place?"
Katara made her way to the couple. Aang followed her.
"Sokka!" She yelled, making the lovebirds turn around in surprise.
Sokka looked in their direction, jaw dropping to the ground. "Aang!"
The airbender waved at him, a huge grin on his face.
When they neared the couple, Sokka walked to the airbender and hugged him tightly.
Aang laughed and hugged him back, the grin never leaving his face. "What's up, Sokka."
"You scared us man!" The older boy said, pulling back from the embrace. "Where were you?"
Aang ran a hand through his hair, smiling sheepishly. "I was just taking a long walk, sorry I made you worry."
Suki stepped up to him and hugged him too, he happily hugged her back "Hi, Suki."
"It's really good to see you, Aang." She then grinned, looking at him and Katara. "So, you two finally made up, huh?"
"Yeah." Aang rubbed the back of his neck and glanced at the waterbender. "We talked it out."
Katara nodded, beaming at him. "Yes, we did!"
Sokka fought the urge to grin and instead grumbled. "Took you long enough."
Katara stared at his brother with her arms crossed. "I thought you were at Gran Gran's place, what are you doing here?"
The older boy shrugged. "You took so long so I went to look for Suki and Toph to see what they were up to, we searched for Aang for a while when eventually we got really cold and decided to warm ourselves up and take a small break."
"I had the keys to your house so we decided to use your place."
Aang looked down at his shoes, guilt flooding him. "I'm sorry I put you guys through all that trouble."
Suki immediately shook her head. "It's okay Aang, we're just happy to see that you're okay."
The siblings smiled at him and nodded in agreement, making Aang's throat tighten.
He loved his friends so much.
"Thanks guys."
Suddenly, the front door to the house opened with a bang, making them all flinch.
"There you are, Twinkle toes!" The blind earthbender stomped out, making her way to him and punched him on the arm, hard.
"Ow!" Aang gasped, wincing in pain. "What was that for, Toph?"
"For disappearing on us, you feather brain."
Suki and Sokka laughed, but Katara was looking at him in concern. The others didn't know that he had hurt his arm again.
He shot her a quick smile, before looking back at Toph. "I'm sorry, I just needed some time alone."
She crossed her arms and blew her bangs away with a huff. "Whatever."
"Let's go inside, It's really late and I'm freezing out here." Suki cut in, hugging herself and looking at the siblings. "How do you two live here without freezing? I will never understand."
"You especially!" She yelled at Aang, as they walked inside. "You're not even wearing a coat!"
Aang laughed. "I'm an airbender, I can control the temperature of my body." He explained, making her eyes widen in amazement.
"Woah, that's so cool!" She exclaimed in awe. "I didn't know airbenders could do that."
"Neither did I." Toph grumbled, and was about to punch the Avatar again for not telling her sooner when she was stopped by an angry waterbender.
"Relax! Or did you want to injure his other arm too, Toph!?"
"And what If I did?! Mind your own business, Sweetness!"
Sokka laughed, walking inside after everyone else and closed the door behind him.
I've finally finished it. So sorry for the long ass wait.
Please leave your thoughts down below, I'd love to hear some feedback.
