Thanks guys! The last Kataang theme drabble went out with a bang!
And now I come with some new material. One that was born from the idea that Katara should open up more about her feelings, and a Kataangst that came out of nowhere. Hope you enjoy these!
A little pain killing me softly:
(This one I posted in the Sky Castle, but thought it would be alright to post here since it is a new drabble and whatnot!)
The evening air felt cooler than other nights. a cold breeze passed by Katara while gathering the tools she needed to stitch together what was left of Aang's robes. The battle last night with Azula and Zuko proved to be one of the biggest battles they ever had. The scars from the battle were all over Katara -- her hair was a mess, her blue tunic burned and torn in several places, and a few visible scars could be seen on her arms and legs. However, her wounds weren't as bad as Aang's, and this was something Katara wished she could carry for him.
As she thought about the events that happened only a few hours ago, it almost felt like it was all a bad nightmare.The evidence that this was all real was engraved on to Aang's back. She knew there would be no possible way to remove the scar on his back but she also knew that he wouldn't care about it as much. He may have a scar, but he was still alive and that was all that mattered.
Unlike Katara, Aang didn't know how close to death he really was. Before the battle she was prepared to use the spirit oasis water to heal Zuko's scar, and if Aang and Zuko's uncle hadn't busted in when they did, then aang would've been dead. A few tears rolled down her cheeks from just the very thought of it. it wasn't because she almost lost the avatar, but because she almost lost Aang. He was someone very dear, and very close to her. During all of the days they spent together traveling, having fun, and enjoying what very little moments they had, she came to think of Aang as not just this strong powerful force but as a person. He bled, he cried, he smiled, and he frowned. She was never scared of anything so much before.
She knew how much he cared about being close to the life he had before -- the environment of being free and happy amongst the Air nomads -- so she tore apart fabric from her own tunic and stitched it to Aang's own shirt to replace what was missing. It was her own way of saying that even though he had his past, he also had the present and that present was the life they now had together. It took her awhile to completely fix his shirt, mixing orange and yellow with blue and white, but by the time the sun was close to rising she had finished.
Her glance went towards the fallen boy, and she couldn't help but smile and cry while caressing his face. He was so young and he's been through more than anybody would during his age and time. Aang was brave and he was kind. it was something Katara admired about him a lot because even through all the hardships he faces he would never let himself lose hope. During the days of appa's abduction, she saw him deteriorate every day. The hope that was once in his eyes slowly faded away within each passing minute. It wouldn't hold him down, oh no, and Katara would know because she knows him better than that. It was soon revived, and she was happy to see him be hopeful again.
Placing the finished shirt by the side, she moved her hand down to hold on to his hand. "You know, I wish I was as brave as you Aang."
He was sleeping so he couldn't hear her.
"The only reason why I'm always filled with hope, why I always have a smile on my face is because you give that to me." Her thumb caressed the back of his hand, a few more tears slipping down.
"I can't believe I almost lost you..."
She paused, front teeth bitting down on her lip to keep herself from crying out in pain, in sadness. "And even though we made it out alive, I'm not hopeful for the future. Ba Sing Se was taken by the Fire Nation and there's no possible way we could win the war now Aang."
Holding on to his hand tighter, she continued. "I wish you were awake right now. I wish your eyes would open so you could smile at me and say how pretty I look even with my hair all in a mess."
She sniffled as more tears came running down. "But most of all, I wish you were awake right now so you could help me. I always had a hard time opening up about everything that's happened. When my mother died I had the most horrible feeling in my stomach and I couldn't really understand why it hurt so much to see her gone back then. now I know, Aang, now I know because I lost someone whom I loved very much. when Azula used her lightning against you and I saw you fall, the same feeling in my stomach came back."
With her hand guiding its way, she raised his hand to her cheek. She rubbed his hand against it, teardrops trailing down his arm. "I don't ever want to lose you Aang and I never want to feel this like this again. Won't you please wake up, Aang? Wake up just for me? I need you right now more than I ever needed anyone right now because, because I..."
Katara was surprised to see Aang's eyelids squint, a groan escaping his lips before the hand she held began caressing her cheek on its own. His eyelids opened to reveal gray eyes looking back into her blue ones. he smiled weakily before responding.
"I did it all for you, Katara."
She smiled, leaning her cheek against his palm. "I'm so glad you're alright, Aang."
"You should go check on Sokka and the rest. I'm fine on my own here, I just need to sleep for a little while longer."
"No Aang, I don't want to leave your side right now. You've been injured pretty badly and I want to be here just in case -- "
"Katara, I'm okay. Don't worry about me and go be with your brother and your friends."
She nodded, "You're right. Oh! By the way, I stitched back your robes. I hope you don't mind that I used some of the fabric from my dress to replace the material that was lost." She gave him his shirt before standing up to walk out of the room.
He sat up, and watched her stand in the doorway. The sun slowly began to rise, and the sunrise glossed across her features which, Aang thought, made her look beautiful. He could tell now that she had been crying for awhile now from the trails of tears still left on her cheeks. Wiping away a few tears that fell with the back of her hand, she smiled and waved to him. "I'll be back."
He nodded and then watched her leave. when he finished putting on the shirt he layed back down against the floor. He winced, the scar on his back still hurting but not as much as before, and then slowly closed his eyes to get more sleep so he could rest. He liked how the smell of her clothing was on him now and dreaded the day when she would be able to replace the shirt with a new one.
Katara leaned back against the door that led into aang's room. Her chest rising as she took in a deep breath before walking to where her brother and the rest of their crew were. The air no longer felt cold like last night, but warmer. She looked back at the door, knowing that a new hope would dawn upon them soon.
She's like the wind:
She's like the wind: forever passing, coming and going as a gentle breeze or a terrible force. Aang can feel her while manipulating the air currents to his needs, and feels closer to her when he waterbends -- moving the water with a move of his fingertips, like he imagines grazing her dark skin. he thinks of her lips like a blaze of fire: beautiful from far away, but when touched can burn. Still, he thought, it wouldn't hurt to try one day. Her eyes are like the earth because they're beautiful, like the greenery landscapes of the world and filled with a certain toughness after witnessing so much.
All of these thoughts and musings and ideas ran across his mind day after day, night after night. The older they became, the more aware he became of her beauty. It wasn't merely just a physical attraction, or a mental attraction, it was everything about her put together into a mixer. The end result was a girl who became a woman, a fierce and strong and courageous woman, who stole his heart. Let it be known to every other of his next lives that the woman Avatar Aang loved the most was the one he could never have.
As much as it hurts to accept it, and as much as it hurt to live throughout his existence without the one thing he wanted the most, he didn't want to forget. She was happy now, and even though she wasn't with him, he still had the precious memories he made with her not too long ago when they were children: having fun, being young and naive while carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders.
He wishes to go back to those days when things were still simple, when he was only Avatar Aang, and that the girl he loved was Katara of the Water Tribe.
EDIT: Gosh, I'm filled with writing material tonight!
Last night:
Aang paced back and forth across the room, his mind clouded by thoughts of yesterday's events. His facial features twisted in deep thought, bending the air around him in a small swirl as a habit. It almost felt like a dream born into reality: Fire Lord Zuko held a banquet in honor of the establishment of peace that was made three years ago last night. The banquet was lively, and everyone was having a good time. Aang, who was away for a few months for meditation, returned back to the Fire Nation only a couple of days before.
Everyone toasted in his honor, and Aang made quick to mention that it wasn't only because of him that peace was restored -- but because of all the hard work and dedication everyone gave to the project. A couple of minutes later the dances began. Katara smiled at him, her features now of a grown woman, asking him for a dance. He complied, and the two danced away on the dancefloor. After their dance, the two walked towards the gardens discussing about the old days.
He wanted to tell her that he was in love with her, and that the feelings he felt for her back then when they were children was still burrowed deep within his heart. He wanted to hold her, caress her dark tresses, move a hair loopie away from her face as he softly stroked the skin under her ears, and kiss her as passionately as he could. He wanted to so much, but he knew it was inappropriate. After all, she
was Zuko's wife. The two married not too long ago, while Aang was in the Eastern Air Temple. He received news when he arrived back for the banquet, and was devastated to hear the news.
In front, he was happy for her, but deep down his insides twisted with jealousy and the idea of a future they could've had that was now only a distant dream. While they continued talking, Katara suddenly placed her hand on his, her eyes asking for something he knew he couldn't give.
"Do you think I'm unhappy, Aang?" She asked, her thumb slowly caressing the back of his hand.
He couldn't hide the blush. "Why would you ask me that?"
"I don't know..." she told him, taking his fingers to play along with hers. "I've been thinking about you lately."
"You shouldn't." he quickly remarked.
"I know I shouldn't, but I have."
He wanted to find some hope within her words, but he knew that it was probably her being nervous about finally settling down instead of some deep hidden feelings she may have had for him. "You just got married awhile ago, Katara. You're probably just being nervous about the situation."
She laughed, "You really think so?"
He didn't want to say it, but for some reason it slipped out without notice. "Why else would you ask me that question?"
Before he knew it, she scooted closer towards him. Her hip touching his, as her hand trailed up his arm, touching his shoulder, and then caressing his jawline with her thumb. "I'm asking myself that question too, Aang..." she said in a low whisper.
He turned to face her, both of his hands on her shoulders. "You know you can't be like this Katara. You made a vow, and you have a duty as Fire Lady to be by Zuko's side."
It stung to say that.
Her thumb moved up, touching his bottom lip. "What about you? You made a vow, you have your duty, but I know that you still..."
She closed her eyes, and leaned in. He didn't know what to do. His heart wanted to embrace her and kiss her right then and there, but his mind told him that he shouldn't give into the moment. They both would face the consequence later on. If Zuko found out, if Sokka found out...
Her lips were hovering above his when he whispered her name. It was hard to resist her because he's dreamt of this moment for as long as he could remember.
"Aang, my sweet and darling Aang..."
"Katara," he replied in a husky tone. "You shouldn't do this to yourself. You love Zuko, not me..."
"Oh, but I do love you Aang. I love you very much..." She placed her hands on his cheeks, and Aang allowed her to guide him closer.
"Only as a friend..." he whispered, their lips only a few inches apart.
"No. It's deeper than that, and I always knew it too but I was afraid..."
Aang closed his eyes, and felt her lips against his. Later on the two escaped, entering the chamber that was provided for Aang while he was staying in the Fire Palace. He held her, kissed her in places he only dreamed on, and she showed him the world he always wanted to live in. A world where they were together, complete as one, without anyone holding them back.
The next day, he awoke to find Katara missing from his bed. He knew it would've been better for her to leave in the middle of the night so they wouldn't raise any suspect. As the day progressed he couldn't stop thinking about her, about the night they spent together, and about the confessions they made to each other. Things were going to get complicated quickly, and as much he shouldn't have thought it, he was waiting for the next moment they could be together again like that.