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Four years after the war, the Southern Water Tribe—once whittled down by the Fire Nation to no more than a collection of battered tents—thrives once again, its icy skyline having been largely rebuilt by waterbenders emigrating from the north. Katara is proud of her home, and considers it far more progressive than her sister tribe, especially after her first and only visit to the north two years ago. She’s proud of her father, to whom she attributes most of her tribe’s growth—she may have contributed more directly to the rebuilding efforts as a master waterbender herself, but it’s his negotiation skills that have allowed them to form new trade agreements and re-establish contact with the rest of the world. It’s thanks to him that the other nations finally acknowledge their existence again. She’s never had qualms with any of the decisions he’s ever made.
Until today.
A spring storm rages outside of Hakoda’s council room, but inside the silence is so deafening that one could hear a pin drop. Hakoda is seated in his usual spot, at the center of the room. Katara is seated to his left, and Sokka to his right. Before them are four council elders, straight from Republic City: emissaries for the Avatar. As far as Katara is concerned, however, they’re just old men who have taken it upon themselves to spread nonsense, because their completely insane proposal has just left her and her family dumbfounded.
The man on the far left clears his throat. “For clarity, I will repeat myself,” he says in a rasp, staring Hakoda down as if to make his point clear. “We are seeking a match for the Avatar, and have decided that the Princess of the Southern Water Tribe would be an excellent candidate.”
There is a barely-suppressed snort from Hakoda’s right side, and Katara leans back so she can shoot her brother a death glare. Sokka just barely manages to hide his amusement behind his gloved hand, but Katara sees straight through him when he straightens up and says in an exaggerated formal voice, “Apologies, councilmen, sirs. I seem to be coming down with a cold, and my hearing is a little fuzzy. Did you just say that the Avatar wants to marry my sister?”
There is a slow cascade of murmurs amongst the council. Another one of them speaks, his voice higher. “Not marriage, per se. Just a formal courtship with the promise of eventual marriage. The Avatar has made his terms quite clear: he will not marry a woman he doesn’t find agreeable, and so this would just be a meeting to determine your, er, compatibility.”
“And how many women has he found disagreeable, so far?” Katara grits her teeth as she speaks. The councilmen seem surprised to see her speaking freely, which makes her feel a little smug—her father has always treated her as an equal in his council room. If they’d come in here expecting all the men to make a decision on her behalf, they’d been sorely mistaken.
“At least thirty, Princess,” the man replies, and Katara suppresses the urge to roll her eyes. She doesn't’t know what’s more annoying: the fact that the Avatar appears to be incredibly picky, or the fact that these men would rather treat her like a princess than the master waterbender that she is. She’s made no secret of the fact that she had to fight tooth and nail to earn her title; to her, it’s worth more than being a byproduct of her father’s accomplishments.
While Katara continues to seethe, Hakoda finally breaks his silence. “Why do you bring this proposal to me? Shouldn’t the Avatar be the one requesting an audience with my daughter and I instead?” He raises an eyebrow. “Does he not consider us important enough to speak with directly?”
“Th-that is certainly not the case, Chief Hakoda!” the first man stammers. “The Avatar simply trusts us to act as his proxy on this matter. When it comes to matters of alliances, he can be quite…capricious.”
“Capricious,” Hakoda repeats slowly, the words sitting heavy in the otherwise-silent room. “Very well. My family and I will confer and give you an answer by sunset. Until then, you are free to enjoy the hospitality of the Southern Water Tribe.”
The old men regard each other nervously, then get to their feet and bow low before exiting the room. Katara grins as soon as they’re out of sight, confident in her victory.
Then, Hakoda turns to her. “Katara,” he says simply, and the look he gives her speaks a thousand words, wiping the smirk off her face in an instant.
“Dad,” she says, eyes going wide as she shakes her head. “You can't be serious.”
“This is our opportunity to form an alliance with Republic City.” Hakoda’s voice is firm, but his eyes are sad—it’s clear he doesn’t like this any more than she does. “A place where all the nations can truly co-exist…Republic City is the future, Katara, and we need to be a part of it.”
“Why does that mean I have to marry someone I’ve never met?!” Katara’s voice is laced with rage. All her life, she’d thought her father was always in her corner; this feels like a betrayal of the highest order.
Hakoda shakes his head. “I don't expect you to marry him,” he says, placing his hands on her shoulders. “Just meet with him. For our tribe’s sake.”
“Sokka.” Katara turns to her brother, pleading with her eyes. He meets her gaze evenly, and that’s all it takes for her to understand that he agrees with their father. Another wave of fury hits her then, and she pulls away from Hakoda’s grasp and shoves herself to her feet. Without another word, she storms out of the room.
It isn’t fair, she thinks as she trudges through the snow, going nowhere in particular. As a child, she’d always dreamed about traveling the world, and mastering waterbending was supposed to be the first step towards her making that dream a reality. All her accomplishments, all her training…all of it means nothing if her only worth is in being married off to the highest bidder.
The storm has faded into a light flurry now, and snowflakes settle upon her eyelashes, masking her tears. She hears the crunch of boots behind her and knows it’s Sokka without even having to turn around.
“Katara, look—” Sokka begins, but before he can say another word, she turns on her heel and gives him the biggest glare she can muster.
“I am going to meet with the Avatar,” she says through gritted teeth, “and he won't be able to stand being in the same room as me, because I am going to be the most annoying person on the planet.”
“Like you aren't already,” Sokka scoffs, which earns him a punch in the arm. “No, seriously, I think that’s a good strategy. The guy’s probably so used to being fawned over, just make fun of his taste in clothes or something. Or talk about all your waterbending forms and bore him to death.”
“He's mastered waterbending too, Sokka. I’m sure he knows all the forms.”
“No way. I’m pretty sure you’re the only waterbender in the world who actually remembers all of that stuff.”
Katara wants to stay mad at Sokka—at everyone and everything, really—but she feels her anger gradually receding, finally giving way to resignation. “Why does it have to be me,” she murmurs, taking a step forward and pressing her forehead against Sokka’s shoulder. “Why can’t you court the Avatar instead?”
Sokka’s arms come up around Katara. “Would that I could, little sister,” he sighs dramatically. “If the Avatar had asked for me instead, I would’ve taken one for the team. But it’s possible those old guys made that decision for him, too.”
The war may be over, but there are still other battles left to fight. Katara closes her eyes. I guess this one had to be mine.
Several weeks later, Katara finds herself at an inn in the heart of Republic City. Avatar Aang claimed to have been “too busy” to visit the South Pole—a statement that made Katara want to kick the councilman who relayed it—and so she had to be boated and carted off to him, instead. Her accommodations have all been paid for, but the isolation is what gets to her most: at a time like this, she wishes she had her family close by.
Katara has never met the Avatar. She knows what he looks like from the various posters and illustrations she’s seen, but everything else she knows about him comes from stories. The most detailed accounts she’s heard were from her time at the North Pole—everyone she spoke with there said that he was a natural when it came to waterbending; that what he lacked in strength, he made up for with creativity and grace. It had all sounded embellished to her ears, even back then, and anyway, none of it ever clued her in to his personality.
So far, he just seems like a selfish jerk, she thinks to herself as she braids her hair into a neat tail that falls over her shoulder. She’s determined to be a complete nuisance at the meeting, but that doesn’t mean she can’t dress up just to make the the point hit home harder.
The weather is milder and more humid here than it is down south, and so she opts for a simple blue tunic over loose navy pants. She belts it at the waist, weaves some flowers into her hair, and as a final touch, she wears her mother's necklace—mostly for reassurance, but also to confuse the Avatar if he has any familiarity with water tribe customs. Surely he was told all about them during his stay at the Northern Water Tribe…assuming he cared enough to remember any of it.
The setting sun peeks through her window, and she sighs, getting to her feet and making her way across her inn room. She’s slated to meet with the Avatar at sundown. One cart ride, a few hours of piddling small-talk, another cart ride back, and then she can finally rest before having to report to the council tomorrow. There, she can tell them what an awful time she had and get back to her life.
If her performance tonight is convincing, however, maybe she won’t have to bother making her own excuses. Maybe she’ll spill tea on the Avatar’s clothes, or constantly complain about the temperature in the room being either too hot or too cold. If things get bad enough, maybe she can talk his ear off about the Southern Water Tribe’s cured meat exports, knowing full well that he's a vegetarian. It may be taking things a step too far, but if she has to, she won't hesitate to make him as uncomfortable as possible to make sure his report at the council meeting is several times worse than even her own.
Katara sucks in a long, deep breath, then steps out into the street. Her cart is already waiting for her, and she gets in, staring determinedly out the window as it trundles along towards her destination.
The cart finally arrives at a gorgeous building situated atop a small cliff. Katara is led up several sets of winding stairs, then down an ornate hallway with shutters thrown wide open, allowing the scent and sounds of the ocean to drift indoors. It’s a small comfort amidst the panic steadily mounting within her chest, and she clenches her fists by her sides, running through her strategy over and over again as she walks.
“Avatar Aang arrived earlier; he will be expecting you.” Katara’s escort gives a small bow, then abandons her in front of a decorative green door. She has no idea what’s behind it, nor any sense of how this evening is expected to proceed. All of her well-laid plans to annoy the Avatar suddenly seem like childish pranks. Will there even be tea for her to spill?
Katara shakes her head to force the doubt from her mind. Just a few hours, she tells herself. You can do this.
She places her hand on the doorknob and pushes the door open, taking a step inside.
All at once, she notices three things. The room is unlit, save for a small fire burning in a hearth off to the right, which seems strange considering the Avatar arrived before her. The second thing she notices is a cool draft accompanied by the salty scent of ocean air, probably coming from an open window.
The third thing she notices, as she turns to said window, is the Avatar half leaning out of it, one leg up on the windowsill, staring directly at her like a deer-dog caught in lamplights.
Katara’s jaw drops. “A-are…are you trying to leave?”
“L-leave? Me?” The Avatar lets out a nervous laugh. His voice is low, laced with an undercurrent of warmth. “Why would I do that? I was just, uh…getting some air.”
Katara raises an eyebrow. “With one foot out the window?”
“I…thought I’d do some stretches too?”
The ridiculousness of the situation begins to sink in, and Katara can’t help but let out a small snort of a laugh. “Silly me,” she says, shaking her head. “I’m sure not even the Avatar could survive a jump from that high.”
“I totally could!” he counters, gracefully extricating himself from the window and folding his arms behind his back. “If I was trying to leave, of course. Which I wasn’t.”
The expression on his face seems nonchalant, but she catches a glint of mischief behind his eyes in the low light, and it takes her by surprise, sending all her well-laid plans flying from her mind.
This is not what I was expecting at all.
“Well then,” she says, daring to draw closer. “I’ll take you at your word, Avatar Aang. But say, hypothetically, that you were trying to leave.” She meets his gaze. “Why would you want to do something like that?”
At that, he flinches, and Katara feels bitterness gather in the pit of her stomach. All of this fanfare over this formal alliance meeting, and the Avatar already can't stand to be around her. This evening might go faster than she’d expected…she would be happy, if it didn’t also make her feel so utterly worthless.
“Can I be honest?” The Avatar lets out a sigh and flops down onto a nearby futon. He lifts a hand, and all of a sudden the dying embers in the sconces around the room flicker back to life. It makes her flinch a little—she often forgets that the Avatar is also a firebender.
Avatar Aang folds his hands together in his lap. “I don’t know what the council of stick-in-the-muds is telling everyone these days, but I’ll tell you what I told every other woman they’ve arranged for me to meet with: I hate these things.” He drags a hand down his face and groans. “In my culture, we marry for love, not just for alliances. Forcing us into these things…it’s a waste of your time and mine.”
A weight seems to lift off Katara’s shoulders. Within moments, however, all her relief turns to guilt. All these weeks spent resenting the Avatar, and it turns out he was just as reluctant to be dragged into this as she was.
“I even tried making excuses so they’d call the whole thing off, but they ended up dragging you all the way out here! I didn’t think they’d go that far—”
“So that wasn’t because you hate me?” she blurts out, then quickly snaps her mouth shut. She hadn't meant to say that out loud, but it’s too late to take the words back now.
Avatar Aang’s eyes grow wide, and he quickly pushes himself to his feet. She belatedly becomes aware of the fact that he’s over a head taller than her, and his movements are more graceful than she’d expect for someone cloaked head to toe in ceremonial garb.
“Hate you? I don’t even know you!” He lets out an incredulous laugh, then shakes his head. “No, no, I don’t hate you. You…”
His voice trails off and his expression softens, as if he’s actually taking her in for the first time. “You're beautiful.”
The earnest compliment makes Katara’s cheeks grow warm. She turns away, hoping to hide her embarrassment. “S-so, what do you propose we do now, Avatar Aang?” she asks instead, hoping to change the topic. “If neither of us wants to be here, what do we tell the council?”
“Oh!” Her admission seems to take him by surprise, but he recovers quickly, tapping his chin thoughtfully. “Well, you probably know that the council expects the two of us to report back to them tomorrow. We could spend some time coming up with what we’re going to say? This evening doesn’t have to be a complete waste—we can even get to know each other a little.”
Katara considers this. “It sounds like you’ve done this before. Is that how all your other meetings went?”
He grins sheepishly. “More or less. I made some friends, got my butt kicked at Pai Sho a couple times. It was fun…as long as they weren’t actually trying to marry me for my massive wealth or whatever.”
She laughs. “And how did those meetings go?
“Well, you know.” He shrugs lightly. “They gave up pretty quickly when they found out that all I have to my name is a sky bison and the clothes off my back.”
Everything makes more sense now, Katara thinks. The leaders of Republic City serve as the Avatar’s patrons during his stay here, and in exchange they try to make political decisions on his behalf, even against his will. Katara imagines he only puts up with it because he believes in the future of Republic City, just like her father does. Maybe she won’t end up strengthening ties between her father and the old council by being here tonight, but forming an alliance with the Avatar sounds even better…not to mention more interesting.
“Maybe we can come up with a way to shut this whole thing down, so you can focus on your actual job,” she says, holding her hand out for him to shake. “What do you say, Avatar Aang?”
His grin widens. “That sounds great! But please, just call me Aang.” He takes her hand and shakes it firmly. “It’s an honour to officially meet you, Princess Katara.”
“Just Katara is fine.” She pauses, then dares to add, “or Master Katara, if you have to use a title.”
Aang’s entire countenance seems to change; he lights up, grey eyes practically glowing in the firelight. “You're a waterbending master, too? That’s amazing! What’s your favourite move?”
The pure awe in his voice catches her off-guard. “Probably the water whip,” she says softly. “And maybe the octopus form.”
“I love the octopus form!” he exclaims, his grin widening. He casts a quick glance out the window, then leans in like he's telling her a secret. “Do you maybe want to spar? We’re right by the beach…”
Again, Katara’s jaw drops. “Spar? Right now?”
“The moon’s out, so that makes now the perfect time, doesn’t it?”
“We can’t just leave!” she hisses, then pauses, her eyes also drifting over to the window. “And even if we did, it’s a thirty foot drop—”
“Like I said earlier, I can totally make it. I’m an airbender; falling out of the sky is kind of our thing.” He extends a hand to her. “Trust me?”
Katara thinks for a long moment. Aang is still a complete stranger to her. And at the same time, he’s the Avatar, and she knows the Avatar would never let anyone get hurt on his watch.
In the end, she takes his hand, curiosity winning out over caution. His palm is warm against hers, and he pulls her close before suddenly scooping her into his arms, forcing her to let out a yelp of surprise.
“Hold on tight,” he says, and she feels the words rumble through his chest more than she hears them.
Then, he sweeps them out the window and into the night.
Dark cliffs rush past them in a blur as they race across the landscape. Katara closes her eyes against the wind as it whips against her face and tugs her hair from its neat braid. And then, she finds herself suddenly laughing, a thrill of excitement rushing through her bloodstream as Aang carries her off to who-knows-where in the middle of the night. It’s the first time she’s ever done anything like this before.
She hopes it won’t be the last.
Eventually, Aang deposits them on a small moonlit beach. Katara’s legs tremble beneath her as she tries to stand on her own two feet again. She stumbles briefly, and Aang catches her around the elbow to steady her, a small frown tugging at his lips.
“Sorry,” he says, sounding genuinely apologetic. He reaches a hand past her cheek and pulls a flower petal from her curls. “I messed up your hair.”
Katara just shakes her head and starts giggling like a child. She doesn’t think she’s had this much fun since she was a child. Her laughter must be contagious, because Aang soon joins in, and before long they're both clutching their stomachs and cackling in unison.
I can definitely see how he befriended all his other suitors, she thinks to herself. She’s known Aang for less than an hour, and she can already see the radiant sun that he is; the way he draws others into his orbit with his warmth and sincerity.
“I’m trusting you not to run away and abandon me here, Avatar Aang,” she teases.
He places his hands on his hips, still grinning. “I’d never run away from a fight, Master Katara. Especially not one I suggested myself.”
They pull off their shoes and tug their pants up to their knees before stepping in the water. Katara takes in a long, deep breath, smiling faintly. Aang was right: there’s no better time to waterbend than right now, with the tide high and the moon watching over them from above.
She takes up a casual stance, tendrils of water at the ready by her sides. Aang does the same, a near-perfect mirror of her pose, but with some theatrical embellishments. They stare each other down for a few long moments.
Then, they charge towards each other in unison.
Katara sends water whips flying through the air, and Aang dodges all of them, using the movement to close the gap between them. She smirks as he goes for what appears to be an obvious weak spot in her defenses—a cleverly-laid trap that has won her most of her sparring matches in the past. At the last second, she deflects his attack and raises a wave between them; a move intended to knock an overzealous attacker off their feet.
To her surprise, Aang doesn’t falter; instead, he rapidly freezes his feet to the ground to keep from being bowled over by the torrent of water rushing at him. He grins, then takes control of the wave as it breaks, sending two swirling currents right back in Katara’s direction.
Before long, their match turns into more of a dance as they push and pull the water back and forth, feet gliding along the shallows. It’s been a long time since Katara has faced a real opponent; one who truly understands the flow of water rather than trying to manipulate it to their own ends. It’s refreshing, almost exhilarating, being able to use the full extent of her strength without holding back.
Eventually, Aang slips up, letting a weakness show in his defenses. Katara seizes the opportunity in an instant, sending out a water whip to coil around his leg and tug him off-balance. He goes down in a tangle of limbs and robes, letting out a yelp before splashing down in the shallows.
Katara grins, placing her hands on her hips. “I win,” she says, letting the feeling of triumph seep into her for a long moment. In the very next moment, she realizes that she’s just humiliated the Avatar, and her eyes go wide in the dark.
She rushes over to him to help him up, but before she can offer up an apology or reach out a hand, she feels a tendril of water slip around her ankle, pulling her down into the water beside him with another resounding splash. Aang is laughing as she pushes herself upright, both of them soaking wet from head to toe.
Katara feels like she should be furious—if it were anyone else, she probably would’ve given them an earful and stormed off. But Aang’s laughter is contagious, good-natured even after his obvious defeat, and before long she’s also laughing, flinging more water in his direction as payback.
They splash around like children for a few minutes, and as the exhaustion begins to set in, they slow down in favour of picking themselves up and wringing the water out of their clothes. The night air is humid, and Katara shivers a little as they walk back to shore.
“You're incredible,” Aang says from behind her, and she turns to him to see genuine admiration in his expression. “I wish I’d had you as my teacher instead of grumpy Master Pakku.”
She’s been complimented on her skills before, but inexplicably, this time it makes her blush. “Master Pakku is the reason I’m as good as I am,” she admits, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. “But honestly, he could do with some lessons in not being a jerk.”
Aang lets out a breezy laugh. “I know! He needs to lighten up a little. I pulled that little trick on him after one of our matches and he made me stand outside in the cold for hours.”
“I’m impressed he even let you back into his classes after that.”
He shrugs. “One of the perks of being the Avatar I guess. That said, you took it way better than he did. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.”
His grin is disarmingly charming, and Katara doesn’t want to admit that she probably would’ve throttled him if he’d been literally anyone else. She opens her mouth to respond, but another shiver runs through her, and she absently begins the slow process of trying to bend the water out of her clothes.
“Oh, here, let me.” Aang brings his fists together and creates a blast of air, mostly drying the two of them off. Katara feels her hair whip around her head, now officially a tangled mess, and tries to smooth it down as best she can while avoiding Aang’s gaze. Suddenly, the idea of looking a mess around him is far less appealing than it might’ve been a few hours ago.
They sit down in the sand and look out at the water in silence, gentle waves occasionally lapping at their toes. Katara takes the opportunity to tilt her head and study Aang’s profile—his gaze is serene, mouth set in a line as he stares straight ahead. If his eyes were closed, she’d believe he was meditating.
“How old are you, Aang?” she asks casually. It’s something she’s been curious about for a while now—in all the stories about the Avatar’s return to the world after a hundred years, they never mention how old he was when he emerged from the ice.
“Twenty-two,” he says, still staring straight ahead. As if to answer her unspoken question, he adds, “I was sixteen when they pulled me from the ice, and I spent two years training to defeat the Fire Lord.”
“You’re two years younger than me,” Katara observes, surprised. “I wasn’t expecting that.”
“Because I seem so mature for my age?” He casts her a sidelong glance, eyes serious, then pulls a face that makes her burst out laughing.
When she recovers, Katara shakes her head and tugs her knees up to her chest. “You're not at all what I expected, Aang,” she admits softly. “I thought you’d be so full of yourself after saving the world. But you’re just…normal.”
“I could say the same about you,” he replies with a shrug. “I’ve met a lot of princesses, and you’re definitely my favourite.”
Katara’s shoulders stiffen, her face growing warm. Aang seems to notice this, because he quickly clears his throat and looks away.
“Um, that’s…I mean…you’re normal too, I guess,” he says before burying his face in his hands. “Ugh, real smooth, Aang.”
Despite herself, Katara lets out a laugh. “Well, I haven’t met a lot of Avatars,” she says, “but even if I had, you’d probably be my favourite.”
He pulls his hands away at that, and she sees him smiling as he settles back in the sand. They lapse into an amicable silence, and Katara feels her heart settle peacefully within her chest.
This is nice.
The wind picks up a little, and Katara shivers again. Aang brings a hand up to his chest, and a small flame ignites in his palm, the light casting cool shadows across his face. He brings it closer to Katara, and while the logical part of her mind understands his intent, she can’t help but flinch and shuffle away from him on instinct.
The look on Aang’s face is apologetic. “I’m sorry,” he says softly, extinguishing the flame in an instant. “I feel like I keep messing up.”
“No, no.” Katara shakes her head. “It’s not your fault. The four nations are at peace now. We’re rebuilding, and things are getting better, but…” She glances down at the space between them. “Firebending just makes me think of the Fire Nation and what they did to my tribe. To my mother.”
Katara brings a hand up and places it against her necklace, squeezing her eyes shut so the tears won’t fall. Every time she thinks she’s cried enough, another reminder rips the wound open all over again.
“I understand.” A warm, calloused palm presses against Katara’s cheek, and she opens her eyes to see Aang looking at her, brows furrowed. A deep sadness seems to linger behind his gaze as he brushes away a tear trailing down her cheek.
“Fire Lord Zuko is doing everything he can to right the Fire Nation’s wrongs,” he says, “but the pain is still real, and I know what it’s like.” He places his other hand against his chest. “I still carry them with me wherever I go, but nothing I do can ever bring my people back. That’s a burden I have to live with every single day, because I ran away and they paid the price.”
“It wasn’t your fault—” she begins, but Aang cuts her off by shaking his head.
“It was my fault, Katara.” Aang smiles again then, a watery smile that doesn't reach his eyes. “If I hadn’t left, maybe I could’ve stopped the war. Maybe you wouldn't have had to lose your mother.”
“And maybe you would’ve died, too!” she cries, suddenly furious. She never could’ve imagined the guilt that Aang must’ve been carrying all these years, all on his own. “You were just a teenager, Aang. We’ve all made selfish decisions at that age.”
He sighs. “And my selfish decision cost so much, Katara. That’s why this arranged marriage thing is…” He shakes his head. “When every choice I make puts others at risk, maybe it’s just safer for me to be on my own.”
Katara sees it then: the loneliness lingering behind Aang’s eyes that separates him from the rest of the world. He relishes in companionship—that’s become clear to her after tonight—but he keeps himself at a distance for fear that anyone he grows to love might be taken from him again. She understands that feeling, too, because losing her mother made her desperate to grow stronger. It made her willing to challenge the rigid customs of the Northern Water Tribe so she could learn to fight, all so she could protect the people she loves.
Aang has the strength to do the same—she knows he does. But she also understands now that his heart can’t take the pain of failure again.
“We’ve both had to grow up so quickly,” she sighs, absently leaning into his touch. “I don’t know you very well yet, Aang, but there is one thing I do know: you don’t deserve to be alone. You deserve love, and companionship. And you’ll find it someday; I’m sure of it.”
She feels Aang’s hand tremble lightly against her face before he pulls away, and she finds herself missing its warmth almost immediately. To think she’d been dreading this meeting for so long—now, she almost doesn’t want it to end.
“Thank you, Katara.”
Aang breathes the words into the space between them. Katara meets his gaze, and the gentle look in his eyes, glimmering blue-grey in the moonlight, nearly melts her heart.
I could see myself spending my life by his side, she realizes in that moment, and the thought almost makes her let out a bitter laugh. Too bad we’ve both already decided that that won’t be happening.
The moment ends all too quickly when Aang pulls away, staring determinedly at the sand as he turns back to face the ocean. Disappointed, Katara does the same, and they resume sitting in silence. After a while, she dares to lean her head against his shoulder, and to her surprise, he doesn’t pull away. She can feel the warmth radiating through him even though his cloak, and his slow, deep breaths coupled with the gentle sound of the ocean waves gradually lull her into a light slumber.
Katara feels herself being lightly shaken awake, and she jolts upright, trying to remember where she was before falling asleep. Aang is watching her, his expression unreadable as he pulls his hand away and says, “We should probably be getting back.”
She glances around—the moon is no longer visible overhead, and the horizon is rosy with the promise of sunrise in a few hours.
We’ve been here all night?!
As if reading her thoughts, Aang finally smiles. “I didn’t want to wake you. You looked like you were having a nice dream.”
At that, Katara feels her cheeks heat up, and she pushes herself to her feet. “I hope I don’t get you in trouble for this,” she murmurs, wrapping her arms around herself.
“Are you kidding?” Aang gets to his feet as well, brushing sand from his robes. “I’ve gotten myself in trouble for way worse. This is nothing.”
Then, he offers her a hand. “Can I escort you back? I could’ve woken you up sooner, so it’s really my fault we’re out this late anyway.”
The prospect of spending just a little more time with Aang makes her smile, and she takes his hand. “I’d be honoured.”
They fly through the streets of Republic City, Katara clinging to Aang’s shoulders as he carries them across rooftops and awnings. He drops them to the street just a short distance away from her inn, and they walk back together, side by side. A few times, Katara feels her back of her palm brush against Aang’s, and she resists the urge to take his hand in hers, not wanting to ruin the night by pushing her luck.
All too soon, they arrive at her doorstep. Katara feels a gentle ache tugging at her chest, knowing that after tonight, she’ll probably never cross paths with Aang again. Their lives are far too different after all—his duty takes him all over the world, and hers binds her to the South Pole. At least she did what her father asked her to do—even if she’s disappointed with this outcome, at least Hakoda will be happy.
“It’s been a pleasure, Avatar Aang,” she says with a genuine smile, lifting a hand for him to shake. “I had more fun tonight than I thought I would.”
To her complete and utter shock, Aang takes her hand and brings it to his lips, pressing a kiss against the back of it. “The pleasure was mine, Master Katara,” he says, smiling against her skin. “I’ll see you again soon.”
The sun has fully risen now, and so there’s no hiding the blush that paints its way across Katara’s cheeks. When he returns her hand to her, she’s still gaping like a fish out of water, and he just gives her a little smile and a wave before turning around and making his way back into the city.
It’s hopeless, she thinks as she watches him walk away. I think the Avatar has just ruined my dating life forever.
Katara stumbles back into her room and collapses onto her bed. Not even bothering to change out of her dress clothes, she falls into a deep sleep.
Katara is jolted awake for the second time that day, this time by a loud banging on her front door. “Princess Katara!” a voice calls urgently. “You are late for your meeting with the Republic City council!”
All at once, she scrambles to her feet. “I-I’ll be right there!” she calls as she digs around for a fresh set of clothes to change into.
As she sits in front of the mirror and re-braids her hair, she suddenly remembers that she and Aang never actually came up with a plan for what they would say to the council. She tries to think through what she could say to spare Aang from having to go through another one of these meetings, but the only answer her useless mind can come up with is yes, of course I’ll marry you, Avatar Aang.
“I can’t say that!” she hisses to herself, but the voice in her head only grows louder until she can hardly think about anything else. Irritated, she decides that she’s just going to have to shut her mouth and keep her feelings buried deep down.
Even if it breaks my heart a little.
The thought floats into Katara’s mind unbidden, and she allows herself to sit still for a moment, soaking it in. She never thought she’d be the type to fall so hard and so fast for someone she just met. Even if they never see each other again, Katara knows that she’ll never forget their time together last night.
Another cart is waiting for her outside again today, and the driver is looking impatiently around at the incoming traffic. Katara gets in and apologizes to him, then takes to staring out at the skyline again as they drive.
Somehow, she feels like she enjoyed the view more from above.
The council building is large and octagonal, and the room she is escorted to is basically a terrace with a roof, open on all sides to let in as much natural light as possible. This time around, Katara finds her role reversed—she is the one standing at the center of the room, Aang standing by her side, while the old council looks down upon them from their seat on high. Hakoda and Sokka are seated up there as well, off to one side. Sokka catches Katara’s eye and gives her a questioning look, and she answers by looking away, too afraid of what she might reveal if she returns it.
As the council members confer amongst themselves, Katara chances a quick glance up at Aang. There are bags under his eyes, but nothing else in his posture betrays any exhaustion he might be feeling. His arms are folded behind his back, and he’s staring straight ahead, mouth drawn into a firm line. She didn’t think he was capable of looking as rigid as he does.
“Avatar Aang.” One of the councilmen finally speaks, looking down upon them like a watchful hawk. “You met with Princess Katara of the Southern Water Tribe last night.”
He nods. “I did, sirs,” he said, and Katara just barely catches a mild tremor in his voice. Why is he so nervous?
Another councilman raises an eyebrow. “Well? What is your verdict?”
For once, Katara is glad that tradition requires her to go second, because she has no idea how she would respond to that question without embarrassing herself and her family. She hears Aang suck in a deep breath beside her, senses him taking a step forward even as she continues looking straight ahead.
Then, all of a sudden, Aang’s shirt and cloak come into view, and she realizes that he's stepped in front of her. She looks up at him, eyes growing wide as he reaches forward and takes her hands in his.
“Katara,” he begins softly. “I know this isn’t what we talked about last night, but…” He closes his eyes and takes in another shuddering breath, then opens them again, his steely grey gaze boring into hers. “I think…no, I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you. Would you allow me to court you?”
The entire room goes silent. Katara just stands there, dumbfounded, allowing Aang’s words to sink in while her mind kicks into overdrive.
Is…is this real?
“Katara?” Aang is still watching her, sadness and resignation seeping into his gaze. She panics and shakes her head—no, don’t look so sad—and his expression falls even further, forcing her to find her voice and use it.
“Aang,” she says slowly. “Is this really what you want?”
His expression lightens a little, hope mingling with uncertainty. “Yeah,” he says simply. “Is…is that okay?”
A giddy laugh bubbles out of her before she can stop herself. “Yes,” she breathes, throwing all decorum to the wind and flinging her arms around him, eliciting a gasp from the council above. “Yes!” she says again, louder this time. “Yes, yes, of course!”
She only has a moment to take in the sight of both her father and brother’s jaws falling to the floor, and then she’s suddenly being swept up into Aang’s arms, both of them laughing helplessly as he spins them around. Katara feels weightless, giddy beyond all reason even as he sets her down and presses his forehead against hers, silently asking for permission. She smiles and tilts her head forward, and then he’s stealing her breath away with a kiss, his smiling mouth warm against hers.
The sound of a throat being cleared loudly is what finally forces them apart, and they awkwardly shuffle back into their original positions, standing beside each other while staring straight ahead and acting like they didn’t just kiss in front of four old men and Katara’s family. Aang slips his hand into hers, and she grasps it firmly, twining their fingers together.
“Well, this is certainly a surprise.” Hakoda is the first to speak, much to Katara’s embarrassment. There is a knowing, almost nostalgic smile on his face as he adds, “Shall we take a moment to discuss the terms of your courtship, Avatar Aang?”
Aang smiles and bows. “It would be my pleasure, Chief Hakoda.”
The sun has already set by the time they step out of the council building, still hand in hand. Before their meeting with Hakoda, the councilmen had needed to say their piece. So had Sokka, whose first instinct had been to march up to Katara and ask, “Who are you and what have you done with my sister?!”
Now, they meander along the streets, taking in the city sights at dusk. Maybe it’s just Aang’s presence beside her, but Katara realizes that she's growing pretty fond of Republic City. She can almost see herself living here someday.
“Six months, and if we still like each other then, we can talk about marriage,” Aang murmurs out loud as they walk. “Are you sure you’re okay with that?”
“Scared you’ll be sick of me by then?” Katara teases. Thanks to her father, she’d been the one to set the terms of their courtship. Six months had seemed like a reasonable timeframe at the time, but now she wonders if it’s too long.
“Never. I just…” Aang hesitates, then explains. “I’m the Avatar, and that means I’m needed all over the world. I can’t stay in one place for too long, and things are more peaceful in the south than they are everywhere else.” He gives her a forlorn look. “It might be six months before you even see me again. If you decide you don’t want to wait for me, I…I want you to be able to back out of this arrangement if you want to.”
“Wait?” Katara raises an eyebrow. “Why would I wait around at the South Pole if I can just travel with you instead?”
A cautious part of her wonders if he’ll shoot the idea down entirely. Instead, to her relief, Aang’s face lights up, a reverent look crossing his features.
“You’d really do that?” he asks, voice low. “Leave your family and your home behind…just to travel with me?”
“It’s been my dream since I was a child, actually,” she admits, suddenly shy. “I’ve always wanted to travel the world, see the sights…”
She trails off into a laugh when Aang suddenly scoops her up and spins her around, his robes fluttering in the wind around him. Even at night, his smile is as bright as the sun, and Katara doesn’t think she’ll ever get tired of seeing it.
“I’ll take you wherever you want to go.” He beams at her before setting her down. “My next stop is in Ba Sing Se, so we can start here at Mount Makapu, cross the Great Divide, and make our way across the whole continent—”
Katara watches as he excitedly goes on and on, a fond warmth seeping into her chest. If there’s one thing she’s come to understand about Aang, it’s that he knows how to have fun no matter where he is. If their days together continue to be anything like last night, she knows she’s in for an exhilarating future by his side.
“You’d have to be okay traveling by sky bison, of course, and we'd probably camp out whenever we aren’t at a village.” He places a hand behind his head, suddenly bashful. “It’s not a very glamorous life, but I want to share it with you. If you’ll still have me.”
She wraps her arms around him in a hug, gratitude and affection sweeping over her in equal measure. “Of course,” she whispers, tucking her head beneath his chin. “I see more sparring matches in our future too, Avatar Aang.”
She feels his laughter more than she hears it, and smiles when he drops a kiss atop her head. “I can’t wait.”