Chapter Text
Katara held the old leather steering wheel loosely as she drove up to the edge of the curb. There were the familiar sounds of squeaking and grinding as she braked to a stop. She leaned back in the seat and sighed, glancing over at the campus athletics facility. Tall tinted windows and bright white concrete comprised the rather artistic-looking building, with the school’s white lotus emblem carved into the pavilion outside. The logo was also painted on the building walls, along with the mascot name “Warriors”. She had been inside the building once or twice with Sokka, but the facilities were limited to use by varsity athletes and athletic teams only.
Unfortunately, it was also on the opposite side of campus from their freshman dorm, so Sokka had asked Katara to come pick him up after practice. She had the time; school wasn’t set to start for another few days. Sokka had moved in almost two weeks prior to the start of classes to participate in the soccer team’s preseason, in which he was trying out for the few remaining roster spots not occupied by the incoming recruited first-years. Katara had moved in early along with him; they had loaded his old truck up with their things, said goodbye to Gran-Gran, and driven down to Republic City.
A familiar silhouette outside the building spotted the rusty, beat-up blue truck and started walking towards it. As he walked closer, Katara could tell Sokka was in a bad mood.
“So, how was practice?” she asked out of the open window.
“Fine,” Sokka grumbled. He was soaking wet, like he had showered and not even bothered to dry off.
“What is it, Sokka?”
“Nothing, you wouldn’t understand,” Sokka dismissed. He took a hand and smoothed back the wet hair on the top of his head. The sides were shaved short but the top was long enough to flop into his eyes without product to keep it in place.
“Oh, sure …” Katara rolled her eyes. “Like I’ve never played a sport before.”
Sokka ignored her and pulled open the driver’s side door. Katara looked at him quizzically.
“I’m driving,” he stated.
“I’m already in the driver’s seat,” Katara protested. “Why can’t I drive back?”
“Please, everyone knows guys are better drivers,” Sokka said.
“Are you kidding me!?” Katara looked at him with flames in her eyes.
“Katara! Why do you have to be so difficult? It’s my truck. Just get out of --”
“Fine!” Katara snapped her seatbelt off and barreled out of the driver’s seat. Her shoulder knocked against Sokka’s as she brushed past him. She heard Sokka groan half a complaint, but it was drowned out by the sound of her slamming the driver’s side door shut behind her.
“Let’s go,” Sokka said, reopening the door and climbing in.
“I’m not riding home with you,” said Katara, now standing on the sidewalk. She crossed her arms and looked at him defiantly. “I’d rather walk.”
“Katara, are you kidding me? Leave it to a girl to make things this hard ...”
“No! I do something nice for you and all you do is sulk and make sexist comments --”
“ -- I’ve had a long day and I just want to get home and go to sleep! It’s not like you were doing anything --”
“ -- you know, I actually do have better things to do than sit around and do your laundry, run your errands --”
“ -- you always think you know everything, Miss-Know-It-All --”
“ -- fine! I’ll see you later, Sokka,” Katara yelled. She turned on her heel and began to walk away from the truck.
Sokka groaned angrily and sped off. Katara quickly oriented herself and started stomping back to her dorm, muttering under her breath. After walking for about fifteen minutes and still having a ways to go, she started to regret her decision a little.
As she rounded a particularly long hill, her calves burning, she noticed something odd ahead. Her thoughts of anger and frustration were quickly replaced by surprise and concern -- a scene of disaster lay ahead. There was a silhouette of a man, hunched in the grass over what looked like a gigantic mass of white fluff. A few feet off to the side, a bicycle was thrown to the ground.
“Hnngh …” she heard him groan.
Katara gasped softly and ran over. Did he fall off the bike? Did he hit something with the bike? It was still unclear what was going on -- and nothing but his back was visible to her.
“Are you okay?” she asked frantically. As she got closer, she could see he was hunched over a very large sheepdog, with his arms wrapped halfway around it. The dog’s eyes were closed and it had a brown triangular stripe down its face. She looked over at the bicycle for any clues; it was dirty and the paint was chipping but nothing seemed to be broken.
“Huh?” the man turned around in confusion. “Oh, hi!” He smiled at her. He had a nice, large smile and kind grey eyes. There was a yellow cap atop his head, worn backwards, so the blue arrow that ran over the apex pointed down to his face. What really caught Katara’s attention were the matching long blue lines tattooed down his forearms. They were a brilliant, vibrant sky blue color.
“Are you okay?” she asked again.
“Oh, yeah,” he replied. He untangled his arms from the dog and stood up. Standing at his full height, Katara was a few inches shorter than him. She smiled back at him.
“I’m Aang.” He had a nice voice; smooth and soothing. Now that his arms were no longer buried beneath the dog, she could see his tattoo lines shifted into an arrowhead -- same as his hat -- at the apex of his wrists. Katara offered out her hand and Aang shook it.
“I’m Katara. Nice to meet you.”
“This is Appa,” Aang said, gesturing grandly at the large white dog lying on the ground. At the sound of his name, Appa opened his eyes and began to pant enthusiastically.
“Is he okay?” Katara inspected the dog lying on the ground.
“Oh yeah,” Aang chuckled, sitting back down next to Appa, “He’s just tired. I took him on a long walk before practice and now he doesn’t want to walk back.” Aang ran his hand over the dog’s shoulder, shifting his fingers through the fur.
“Practice? Do you play a sport here?” Katara asked.
“Yep!” Aang grinned, “I’m on the soccer team.”
“No way!” Katara’s face lit up. “You must know my brother, Sokka.”
“Oh yeah, I know him! He’s funny, and kind of a grouch.”
“Yup, that’s him,” Katara agreed. It was strange but nice to have a face to put to the name Aang. Sokka had spoken about him before briefly: once to complain that he was unfocused and juvenile, and the other time a jealous comment on his remarkable athletic ability.
“So are you two twins?” Aang asked. “And feel free to sit with me. Appa’s too heavy to carry so I’ll have to wait until he wants to walk again.”
Katara shook her head and sat down in the grass next to him. It’s not like she had anywhere else to be, and she certainly was in no rush to run into Sokka back at the dorm. She crossed her legs out in front of her and tucked her hands between her thighs. Aang lay on his side, one knee propped up into the air, with his torso turned to face her.
“No. I’m nineteen and Sokka is a year older. We ended up starting school at the same time though.”
“Oh cool,” Aang said. “I’m a first-year too! I’ll turn eighteen in a few days, actually.”
“Oh wow, you’re still young.”
“I skipped a grade when I was twelve,” Aang explained.
“Nice,” Katara said, “So where are you from?”
“All over really,” Aang answered, “My foster dad Gyatso and I moved around a lot growing up. We lived in a lot of places, in and out of the country.”
“That’s so cool!” Katara smiled excitedly. “This is the first time I’ve ever traveled far from my hometown. I’ve always wanted to travel, see the world.”
Aang nodded. “It’s wonderful! I have friends all over the world.”
“Where was your favorite place to live?”
Aang paused in thought. “It’s hard to pick just one place. I love the mountains though, the views are amazing from that high.”
“That sounds really nice,” Katara said. “Sokka and I’s hometown is very flat and very cold. It snows most of the year. It might as well be the South Pole.”
Aang chuckled. “That’s one place I’ve never been. I do love sledding though.”
“Yeah, it’s a lot of fun,” Katara agreed. She glanced over at Appa again, who had now shifted to lay on his back, belly exposed to the cool evening air. “So how did you get permission to have a dog living on campus?”
“Oh, Appa can’t stay in the dorms,” Aang explained, “I wish he could though. I can’t wait until I can move off-campus and get a house with a yard for him.”
Katara thought it was a little odd that he even had the dog here, but she didn’t dare ask such an invasive question.
“So where does he sleep then?” Katara asked.
“Professor Roku is friends with Gyatso, my foster dad, and he offered to let me keep Appa at his house. He lives in one of the faculty houses on campus and it has a huge yard, so it’s great for Appa. I go over and walk him every morning and every night, and visit whenever I’m free.”
“That’s a really nice deal,” Katara said, her curiosity satisfied. Despite not growing up with pets, she always appreciated having animals around. Plus Appa seemed lovely, and it was clear that Aang had a deep and loyal love for him.
“Come on, buddy,” Aang said, nudging Appa’s belly with his hand, “Wake up.”
Appa let out a deep groan but rose onto his paws all the same. Aang hopped up to his feet with a vigor that made Katara do a double-take.
“You have a lot of energy for someone just finishing preseason,” Katara observed, rising to her feet as well. He and Sokka would be on the same intense training regimen trying to prepare for the upcoming soccer season, but whereas Sokka had been basically dragging his body around like a zombie for the past two weeks, Aang seemed absolutely unfazed.
“Oh, my body has never been more sore,” Aang assured her, “But I find it hurts less to keep moving.”
“Makes sense,” Katara agreed. She had her fair share of aches and soreness after intense workouts, and routine stretching afterwards had always alleviated it somewhat.
“Well, Appa and I are headed that way,” Aang pointed ahead, down the path Katara would follow to her dorm. “Which way are you going?”
“The same way actually,” Katara said.
“Oh, great!” Aang suddenly offered her the loop of Appa’s leash. “Would you mind holding Appa while I grab my bike?”
“Sure,” Katara took the rope in her hand, bending down to pet Appa’s shoulder with the other. Once Aang righted his bicycle, they began to walk; Katara and Aang side-by-side, Appa in the middle and ahead of them both, with Aang pushing his bike along the outside of his body.
“So what else do you like to do for fun?” Aang asked.
Katara stared ahead at the horizon. The sun was beginning to set, shedding a peaceful orange light over the sky. “I used to really like swimming,” she admitted.
“Like competitively?” Aang seemed very excited by the concept. “That’s so cool! What did you swim?”
“I don’t really swim anymore,” Katara said softly. “My mom passed away a few years ago. I haven’t swum since.”
“I’m sorry, Katara.” The look in Aang’s eyes was surprisingly refreshing — it wasn’t pity, it wasn’t discomfort — it was simple empathy and understanding.
Aang stood taller as if hit by a sudden realization. “Well, if you ever want to get back into swimming, I know a great place.”
“Where?” Katara’s interest peaked. “Isn’t the campus pool closed for renovations?”
“It’s not the campus pool,” Aang grinned slyly. “There’s a separate pool for athletes. Only the swim team uses it. And I guess the athletic trainers use it for water therapy, but that’s pretty rare.”
“But I’m not an athlete,” Katara pointed out, “Wouldn’t that be a problem getting in?”
“Well …” Aang drawled, “We wouldn’t exactly go turning regular hours.”
“How would we get in then?”
Aang smiled genuinely. “I know Bumi, the athletic director. I clean the pool for him at night twice a week.”
“I don’t know, Aang,” Katara’s voice wavered. “If we get caught, we could get in a lot of trouble. I wouldn’t want to risk your job.”
“It’s okay, there’s no pressure,” he soothed, “I doubt Bumi would care, he’s super laid back. So if you ever change your mind, text me. Sokka has my number.”
“Thanks,” Katara gave him a soft smile. “It might be easier if you just give it to me directly, though.” She wholly planned on avoiding talking to Sokka until he removed his head from his ass.
“Sure!” Aang looked ecstatic. Katara gave him her phone and he quickly typed in a series of numbers. “Here you go.”
“Thanks. Well, this is my stop.” She pointed at the four-story cinder block building that lay in front of them, perpendicular off the main sidewalk.
“No way! I actually live in Temple Hall too. First floor,” Aang said.
“Third floor,” Katara smiled. She handed over Appa’s leash and Aang wrapped it around his forearm, the line of the rope spiraling around the line of his tattoo.
“Well hopefully that means I’ll run into you again,” Aang said.
“Yeah.” Katara felt her cheeks flush, so she quickly bent over to scratch Appa’s head. “Bye, Appa. Bye, Aang!”
“Bye, Katara,” Aang smiled at her as she walked away, up the sidewalk to the dorm door. “Come on Appa, yip-yip,” he cooed.
As she reached the dorm door, he must’ve thought she was out of earshot, but she could faintly hear him speak.
“Appa, that’s some girl …”
She heard Appa rumble a response right before the door latched behind her. She glanced back over her shoulder out the window, but Aang and Appa had already turned and continued on their path. Feeling an indescribable mix of emotions at the conclusion of a long day, Katara turned to head upstairs to her room, only to spot Sokka sitting adjacent on one of the lobby couches, looking at her.
“What are you doing down here?” Katara asked, surprised to see him.
“I waited to make sure you got back safe,” Sokka explained, “I’m your big brother, and it’s my duty to make sure you get back okay.”
“Thanks, Sokka,” Katara smiled, heading for the staircase towards her room. She was still frustrated with him, but his actions were sweet and her mind was more interested in wandering back to Aang.
“Why are you smiling?” Sokka asked, following after her. “Aren’t you still mad?”
“Yes and no,” she replied, “I made a friend.”
“Oh,” Sokka accepted the easy-out without another word. “So, who’s this friend?” he teased.
“His name is Aang,” Katara replied curtly. Sokka was still on thin ice and she was in no mood to humor his teasing.
“Aang!?” Sokka repeated, “Like my teammate, Aang?”
“Yes, your teammate Aang,” Katara rolled her eyes.
“But Katara, he’s —“
“Goodnight Sokka,” Katara said, practically shutting her dorm door in his face. She was in no mood to put up with anymore of his rants tonight. He squeaked indignantly on the other side of the door but his footsteps then padded away.
That night, Katara lay in her bed, unable to shake the memory of her and Aang’s conversation. It really would be so nice to go swimming again. And it was hard to beat an offer of a private, empty pool. Especially at night, her favorite time to swim. And it’s not like she was an athlete anymore, they couldn’t really punish her for using the pool. A scolding and a slap on the wrist maybe. But she could easily play the confused first-year card, right?
Katara stared up at the ceiling, searching for an answer to be written for her. She yearned to feel the water back on her skin again, enveloping her. It had been so long. It was time. In a moment of bravery, she pulled her phone out and texted Aang’s number.
I’m in.
“Okay, so if anyone asks, we’re cleaning the pool for Bumi,” Aang stated. He was already back to treading water in the pool, looking up at Katara. “But I came earlier and finished it already.”
The pool Aang occupied was large -- regulation size -- and took up the majority of the building. The water was bright blue, illuminated solely by the pool lights. Industrial tubes and metal bars covered the ceiling; the underwater lights reflected off the pool’s surface to create an undulating light show above their heads. The rest of the building, bleachers and hallways, were covered by shadow. If there was no pool it would feel like a forlorn, luxury warehouse, but the radiant lights over the water transformed the concrete box into an oasis.
“This is a really nice pool,” Katara noted. She stood hesitantly over one of the pool ladders. She wasn’t even in a swimsuit -- having long outgrown all her old ones -- and the sports bra and shorts she wore now felt foreign and alien to wear into the water.
“The water’s not too cold. Just jump!” Aang started to backstroke away, giving Katara a large area to jump in.
Katara stared into the pool for a moment, the enchanting blue both calming and overwhelmingly nostalgic. The rhythmic slapping of the water against the pool edge filled her ears. Katara took a deep inhale and shoved the dull ache in her heart to the side. She was here now, and there was something drawing her to the water, to this guy.
Her feet bounded against the concrete as she ran towards the water, jumping as the rough concrete shifted to smooth tile. There was an aquamarine blur followed by darkness, icy water encasing her entire body in an instant. The pressure surrounded her like a heavy blanket. She quickly exhaled, bubbles all around her, and allowed her body to rise to the surface.
“Nice jump,” Aang grinned. He had swum closer while she was underwater, so they were now a little over an arm’s reach away.
“I forgot how cold they keep the water!” Katara exclaimed. She brought her hands up to slick back the strands of hair in her face which escaped her braid.
“Yeah, it’s pretty chilly,” Aang said, “Too cold?”
“No, I love it,” Katara grinned. Adrenaline surged through her veins, her muscles aching for motion. Treading water was no longer enough -- it was time to move. She took off, alternating forms -- breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly -- anything and everything to feel the soothing caress of the water against her body. When she finally slowed down and circled back, Aang was smiling softly at her.
“Why are you smiling at me like that?” she asked.
“Oh, I was smiling?” Aang quickly shifted his face to a more neutral expression. “Race you!” he challenged, pointing to the far side of the pool.
Poor guy. He didn’t even stand a chance. They both took off in a flurry of limbs and splashes, Katara gunning for that far pool wall, waiting to feel the edge under her fingertips. To her surprise, Aang actually kept pace with her, but she was still able to clench her victory.
“Wow, you’re fast!” Aang looked at her excitedly, a huge smile plastered across his face.
“Thanks.” Katara felt a heat rise to her cheeks. Her heart pounded with adrenaline and joy. Her limbs felt so powerful and she felt so alive.
“Please tell me you’re going to join the swim team,” Aang said. He propelled himself forward to hang off the plastic line float that separated their pool lanes. (Aang would later admit to her that his body was thoroughly depleted from preseason, and he had used up all remaining energy in an attempt to not embarrass himself during their race -- hence his sudden need to hang off the line float.)
Katara’s smile dropped. “Oh, no, I couldn’t …”
“Why not?” Aang’s demeanor had suddenly grown serious and concerned.
“Well, I’m pre-med, and ... with my class load and all, it would be too much …”
“That’s the only reason?” Aang asked. “You seem really happy when you swim. I’m sure you could make it work, if that’s what you want to do.”
Katara was silent for a second. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had asked or even referred to doing what she wanted.
“Katara?” Aang’s voice broke her haze.
“Oh, sorry,” she said.
“Are you okay?” Aang asked. “It seems like you have something on your mind.”
“Yeah …” Katara trailed off. She swam over to share the line float with Aang, a few feet downwards so the line still stayed buoyant. “I don’t really know what I want … I mean, I do, it’s just …”
Aang was endlessly patient, not making a single sound, as she tried to place words to feelings she hadn’t considered in awhile.
“I used to swim a lot. With my mom,” Katara said. “And now that she’s gone, it feels like …”
“It feels like a different lifetime,” Aang finished.
That was it exactly. Katara nodded, no words to describe her level of agreement with his description.
“For the longest time, I thought that if I didn’t swim, if I didn’t do the things that we did when she was alive, it would preserve her memory,” Katara said, “It would always be our thing. If I did it without her -- if I did it alone -- then it would mean she was really gone.”
Aang listened intently, giving her a minute to say anything else before replying. “So what changed your mind?”
“I don’t know, honestly,” Katara confessed. “It just felt like I couldn’t let the chance pass by.”
“Well, I’m glad you decided to come,” Aang said. “We should probably get going though.”
“Yeah, we don’t want to get caught,” Katara agreed. They both shifted over to the edge of the pool. Aang slapped his hands on the concrete edge and quickly hoisted himself off. Katara let out a soft gasp. Like the arrow tattoos that ran down his arms -- that brilliant blue -- another arrow ran up his spine also. The lines rippled over his muscles as his body moved, glistening with residual water. He was clearly in excellent shape, and the tattoos only captivated Katara’s attention further.
“You coming?” Aang asked, looking back at her over his shoulder.
“Yup!” Katara answered a little too quickly. She hopped over the pool edge and began squeezing the water out of her braid.
“Here, catch,” Aang tossed a towel to her.
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
They both toweled off quickly, heads on a swivel, searching for anyone that may have caught sight of their semi-trespassing.
“So, are you planning on coming to any soccer games this season?” Aang asked, as they both tossed their shirts back on. He shook his head like a dog and slid his arrow cap back on. The two then made their way to the door, pausing so Aang could retrieve his bike from the rack outside. They started walking away together, Aang once again wheeling his bike along so that they could stay at the same pace.
“Of course,” Katara answered, “Can you imagine how butt-hurt Sokka would be if I didn’t come support him?” They both chuckled.
“Well, it’ll be nice to know there’s a friendly face in the stands,” Aang said.
“I’m excited to watch you play,” Katara said, “Especially now that you’ve seen me swim.”
“Oh, I don’t know if I’m as good ...” Aang replied, cheeks a bit pinker than they were a second ago.
“From what Sokka says, you sound like a pretty incredible player,” Katara stated.
“Huh,” Aang said, “I kinda got the feeling he found me annoying.”
“He does,” Katara admitted, “But he’s a softie at heart. I think he’s just jealous and nervous. Being a walk-on, I think it puts a lot of extra pressure on him. And he’s always put a lot of pressure on himself, even when we were little.”
“I think he’s going to make the team,” Aang said.
“I hope so,” Katara echoed. “He’s trained really hard for it. Even if he doesn’t have the raw talent of the recruited first-years, I hope his grit counts for something.”
“Everyone has to be treated like they’re worth giving a chance,” Aang said, “I think Coach Piandao sees a lot of good in Sokka.”
Katara looked at him in awe for a moment. “You’re pretty wise for a seventeen-year-old.”
“Only for a few more days,” Aang protested. “My birthday is the day of our first game.”
“Well, I will be certain to be there,” Katara promised. They continued to stroll back through campus, walking along the same path they had met on only a few days prior.
“Katara?”
“Yeah, Aang?”
“I’m sorry about your mother. She sounds like a wonderful person. I don’t presume to have known her, but I think she would be glad you’re rediscovering your passions again.”
Aang’s words hit right in her heart, but it -- surprisingly -- wasn’t painful. No, Katara’s heart felt warm and more whole than it had felt in a while. He … was right. Katara‘s mind flashed to a photo of her mother that hung over their family’s mantle, a soft smile on her face as she posed with her two young children. She had seen that smile many times. She had started to forget it slightly as time had passed, but right now the memories flashed more vibrant than they had in a long time.
“Thank you, Aang … for everything,” Katara said.
“Of course,” Aang bowed his head. “When you’re ready to do it again, let me know.”
She knew for a fact they would do this again. There was something special to it, something special here with the two of them. Katara had never met someone who so instantly believed in her. He had immediately supported her and her interests, and it felt so relieving to come into her own again.
Katara glanced over at him and smiled. “I will.”