420Late update, I know. I seem to be getting lazier with each chapter written. But I've also been working on a huge Algebra project. And English project. And Health project. So… Yeah.
Oh well. It's going to be a really long wait until next season. So until then, I guess we'll need to get our Kataang fix from this site.
About all of these suggestions for how Aang and Katara find Toph and Sokka, I already know how I'm going to do it, now I just need to work my way there. That's always the hard part of any fic, isn't it?
Okay, in the last chapter I meant to say that the idea of the conversation between Aang and Katara would be funny. This isn't that comedic… I tried though. There's not that much comedy you can stuff into a traumatized announcement.
Not to rip off anyone's ideas, but I've seen some song quotes up in the author's notes of some peoples stories, and I know a few that could apply to this story.
Everybody needs somebody
Everybody needs somebody to love
Someone to love (someone to love)
Sweetheart to miss (sweetheart to miss)
Sugar to kiss (sugar to kiss)
I need you (you), you (you), you (you)
I need you (you), you (you), you (you)
I need you (you), you (you), you (you) In the Morning!
(you) (you) (you) When my soul's on fire!
-Everybody Needs Somebody to Love- by Joliet Jake and Elwood Blues; The Blues Brothers (lol, I know.)
Ch.23
Katara's eyes fluttered open. She woke up with a smile, telling herself that she hadn't slept better a night in her life. She turned over a little, hoping to see her love sleeping happily next to her. Her smile faltered a little when she realized that he wasn't there in the tent. She quickly reminded herself that Aang wakes very early, and that he's probably outside, waiting for her.
She began to get up and move towards the exit of their small tent. She emerged from the entrance and stretched a little, yawning as she did so.
Aang had been sitting by the stream, meditating on the things he had been told in the Spirit World, the majority of his thoughts revolving around how he will tell Katara their new 'task.' Sure, they had already talked about getting married and such, but kids? Wasn't it kind of early to be talking about such things? How would she react? Would she be angry? Would she be frightened? What if she took the news well? What if she liked the idea? What if she'd be happy?
He was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard Katara yawn somewhere near the tent. He pushed past all his thoughts and began to get up. All he wanted to do now was be with the one he loved.
Katara saw him walking over.
"Good morning." She said through the yawn.
Aang smiled and walked right up to her. He took her by surprise, and with one swift motion, he dipped her, laced his left hand with her right one, and kissed her strongly, causing her to feel light in the head and slightly dizzy. She looked startled but happy at the same time. He pulled away slightly so his lips hovered about an inch above hers.
"Good morning." He replied, sounding very serious and straight-faced, but at the same time sounding gentle, loving, and caring. He lifted her back into an upright position and she stumbled back a little, still feeling a little wobbly from his powerful kiss.
"Wow… What was that for?" She asked softly and with a beautiful smile, still sounding a little woozy.
"Because I love you." He spoke as softly as she did, with a small, gentle smile upon his face.
Katara stood there, with that same small smile. "Oh." Was all she said before her smile grew. "Well, in that case…" She leaned into him and put her arms around Aang's neck, and kissed him as strongly as he had done to her. She pulled away slowly, a lovely smile tugging at her lips as she watched a happy grin form on Aang's.
"I love you, too." She said, putting every ounce of truth and sincerity she could behind the words, because they deserved them so much. She remembered the smile Aang had given her the night before, the one that was so warm and comforting and full of love that it had made her tear up. She would give up anything and everything to be able to feel like that every day of her life.
It was another action that he could not explain, he just did it. Aang closed the distance between the two of them and scooped Katara up in a tender embrace. His arms snaked around her and she melted in his hold, wrapping her arms around him and returning the hug. She bowed her head a little with a contended sigh and Aang placed a gentle kiss upon her forehead.
"You know, I never would've guessed it, but that sounded even better today than it did yesterday." Aang murmured into her hair, referring to her 'I love you.' He allowed his eyes to close and just stand there with Katara in his arms, living the moment happily and satisfied and entirely relaxed, temporarily forgetting about the war and the conversation he needed to have with her, forgetting about the rest of the world and any troubles they now or may soon face. Right now, it was only him and her and their moment to share.
Slowly, Aang began to remember what he needed to tell her. It wasn't something that could be put off until later. Roku said that it was things like this that he couldn't let get in the way of his duties. He wasn't really sure if talking with Katara about having kids counted as one of his 'duties,' but it was best to play it safe…
"Katara?" He mumbled into her hair, sad that the moment would have to come to an end.
"Hmm?" She raised her head to look at him curiously, wondering why he had spoiled the moment that he had created.
It pained him to do it, but he had to break away from the embrace. He made sure that the words 'I'm sorry' were written all over his face, he wanted her to know that it wasn't his decision to pull away. Not wanting to break contact entirely, he held both of her hands in his.
He didn't know how he would start off, so he started from the beginning.
"Last night, while we were sleeping, I was brought into the Spirit World." Aang tried to keep any tone of graveness out of his voice; he didn't want to worry Katara over nothing.
Katara's curious expression was now replaced with concern. "Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, yeah. Everything's alright. Better than alright, actually." Aang wanted to start off on a light note, making sure that he didn't convey anything that might seem grim or severe.
"Okay… So why'd you go?"
"Umm, Avatar Roku needed to talk to me." Aang looked into Katara's eyes. "About us."
Katara straightened up slightly. "Us…" She repeated quietly.
"Yeah, but nothing's wrong remember? He needed to tell me that… umm…" Aang began stumbling over his words as he came to realize that saying this would be more difficult than he had thought.
"Tell you what?"
"It's, uhh, kinda embarrasing." He said, sounding somewhat like Avatar Roku for a moment. "He said that we need to… We need to, um… have…"
At this point, Katara thought Aang was just being silly. "Aang, how embarrassing could it be? Just tell me."
"Very embarrassing, actually. It wasn't something I was expecting to hear, and I don't think it's something you'll be expecting to hear, either. The Spirits… They want us… When were older… They want us to…"
"C'mon Aang, what can the Spirits possibly make you do that's so embarrassing?"
"Oh no, doing it isn't the embarrassing part, it's telling you that we're being forced into it by other-worldly creatures that's embarrassing."
"Aang, tell me. I don't care if it's embarrassing to me or you or anyone else. Just stop being so hesitant so we can get back to holding each other." She said with a smile, eager to reestablish their embrace.
"You'd be pretty damn hesitant too if you got the order to impregnate the person you've only been dating for a day." At first Aang thought it to be a good argument, at least until he realized that he had just told her of their new 'assignment.'
Any expression that was on Katara's face had fallen off and was now replaced with a blank stare. "You're kidding right?"
All Aang could do was shake his head. "They want you and me to have kids when we're older and 'save the airbenders' or something. I told you it was embarrassing…" Up until this point, Aang had been trying his best to keep from making eye contact with Katara, not knowing what her reaction would be. When he didn't hear her say anything, he looked up at her, waiting for a response.
"Katara…?" He asked, unsure of whether he should have or not. She hadn't blown up in anger… But she hasn't really expressed any form of delight, either.
Katara looked up at Aang when she heard her name. She could see the concerned look on his face and all she could think to do was smile reassuringly. "How many?"
At first Aang was worried because she hadn't shown any form of negative emotion, but thought past it and only focused on the fact that she was smiling.
"I- I don't know. All Avatar Roku said was we needed to have kids. At least one had to be an airbender. 'Preferably more' was what he said…"
Katara could understand why it was so embarrassing… But wow. This… This was news. Aang's initial delivery of the statement could have been worded better… But wow. Kids? Did she really want kids with Aang? Of course she did, and she knew it. She would want nothing more than to raise a family with him. Maybe it was because they were talking about it so early, or maybe it was because the fate of an entire race was suddenly their responsibility to see out, but this was shocking. It was a happy thing, but shocking…
Katara couldn't find the right words to describe how she felt to Aang, so she decided she would just show him. She dove back into his arms.
Aang was taken aback when Katara jumped back into their embrace, but he returned the hug anyways. It wasn't something that he would grow bored of. Ever.
"So I guess you took it well?" Aang asked with a smile after he lightly kissed her on the cheek.
Katara just giggled softly in response. She rested her forehead against his and let herself become fully immersed in the moment. Seemingly out of nowhere, she began to speak.
"Shen and Yun."
Aang pulled back slightly so he could look at her. "Hmm?"
"Names. For our kids." She clarified with a smile. "Shen means 'smile.' Yun means 'luck.' Two things that we've had a lot of since we got stuck here."
Aang smiled widely. "Two?"
"Assuming that one of them is an airbender. I want at least one waterbender." Katara admitted with a sly grin.
Aang laughed whole-heartedly. "And what if the first two are airbenders or non-benders?"
The next thing would bring blood up to her face, but this was just too good an opportunity to let the answer slide. "Well…" She began before lightly pecking him on the lips. "We could always try for more."
Aang's head glowed red. He suddenly stepped out of the hug. "Okay… That's enough close contact for now."
Katara laughed.
I've fallen into a mush-pit. So much mushy stuff… It's EVERYWHERE! Ahhhh! Lol, okay.
The names really mean what I wrote. I assume Shen would be a boy's name and Yun would be a girl's name. Sounds about right like that.
So how 'bout that finale? All's I know is Aang better confess his feelings soon, these episodes just had way too much to do with Aang loving Katara for him to not say anything. But if I had to guess, the creators will leave things unsaid until book 4 or something. You know, to make it even more dramatic.
And what about Black Sun? I can see 2 things happening when the day arrives, either the Fire Nation never lets the invasion start, or they assemble a massive defensive and the invasion fails. All I can say is that the Earth King is a freakin' moron. Hasn't he ever heard of the term 'National Security'? Damn man, learn something about secrecy.
So… I don't really have anything else to say… Uhhh… … … Okay…
Reviews please!