for all eternity..!

"You should get ready for your lessons."

"No!"

Aang chuckled, reaching over one shoulder in a hopeless attempt to pry one of Bumi's arms free. The effort only earned him another laugh as the boy held on tighter, forcing Aang to carry him through the room.

Across from them, Katara watched the exchange over the rim of a wooden bowl placed on the table, shaking her head in quiet amusement before turning her attention back to Kya.

"Eyes on the water," she reminded gently.

The little girl sat cross-legged opposite her mother, tongue poking out in concentration as both hands hovered uncertainly over the bowl. The water quivered, rippling beneath her shadow before lifting in an uneven wobble no higher than a few inches. 

It lingered there for only a heartbeat before collapsing back into the bowl with a splash that soaked the front of Kya's tunic.

She stared at herself for a moment before bursting into delighted laughter.

"I did it!"

"You did," Katara smiled, brushing damp strands of hair from Kya's forehead. 

"Soon, you'll be able to move it without throwing it at yourself." She continues, swiftly waving her hand over Kya's front, the water gathering into itself before she drops it into the bowl.

Aang watched them for a moment, a smile settling across his face. He still found himself stopping whenever he saw Katara teaching. It didn't matter whether it was Kya, an eager student from the city, or even him all those years ago—she always carried the same patience.

Although, the moment was interrupted by Bumi dramatically dropping his full weight against him.

"I'm hungry again!"

"Bumi, you finished breakfast." It was Katara who answered this time, getting up from her place leaving Kya to practice alone.

"Well I gotta eat to become strong!"

"You'll survive until lunch." Aang hums, patting Bumi's back who only pouts as though life had become impossibly difficult.

"You always take Mama's side."

"I'm married to her."

"I guess..." He pouts.

Aang smiled to himself as he finally manages to coax Bumi off his neck, giving his hair a quick ruffle before reaching for the outer layer of his robes that Katara was holding out for him.

"Did they mention what this meeting was about?" Aang questions her, slipping on his robes.

She looked up, thinking for a moment before shaking her head.

"No. Brother Lao only sent word that the council needed you this morning. He didn't say why," She shrugged lightly, adjusting the sleeve of Aang's shirt.

"He seemed distracted and unusually insistent, though."

Brother Lao had represented the Air Nation on the council for years, and if there was one thing Aang had come to know about the older Air Acolyte, it was that he wouldn't ask him to attend the meeting unless absolutely necessary. 

"Hm."

Katara noticed the faint crease settling between his brows and offered him a reassuring smile.

"I'm sure it's nothing you can't handle."

He returned the smile automatically, leaning down to press a kiss against her forehead before crouching to ruffle Bumi's hair and kiss the top of Kya's head, earning an indignant squeal when a stray lock tickled her cheek.

"I'll be back soon."

The council chamber had fallen so silent, and Aang was sincerely hoping that he had simply misunderstood what had been asked of him.

"...I'm sorry?"

His voice carried little more than disbelief as his gaze drifted slowly across the circular table, searching each familiar face for the slightest indication that someone might laugh and dismiss the suggestion as a poor attempt at humor. 

The Earth Kingdom's High Chancellor, Minister Qilan, folded his hands neatly atop the polished table, his expression remaining as composed as it had throughout the rest of the morning's proceedings.

"Avatar Aang, we, as the council, believe it would be prudent to consider taking a second wife." he repeated with measured patience.

The words settled over the room as Aang stared at him.

For years these meetings had revolved around criminal disputes, reconstruction efforts, and the endless growing pains of Republic City. 

Never—not once—had anyone presumed to speak of his marriage as though it were another item upon the day's agenda.

"I'm already married."

The response came automatically, almost incredulously, and to him that should have been the end of this discussion.

"We are aware," Minister Qilan replied, inclining his head ever so slightly. "Our concern is not with Master Katara, but with the future of the Air Nation."

Something tightened in Aang's chest and instinctively, his eyes shifted toward the seat beside him.

Sokka sat a distance away where the chairman of the council does, the carved emblem of Republic City resting proudly behind his chair. 

It had taken years of work to earn both that position and his place as the Southern Water Tribe's representative, and ordinarily there was very little capable of stealing the confidence from his posture.

Now, however, his shoulders sat unnaturally rigid, his jaw tight as Aang noted he hadn't spoken once.

"Sokka?"

His friend finally looked up, guilt crossing his face as he sat unable to say anything.

Aang's confusion deepened.

This wasn't some political matter. They were discussing Katara. His wife. 

Sokka's sister.

If anyone in this room should have objected first, it should have been him.

Before Aang could question him further, another voice spoke.

"It is not Master Katara's place in your life we question."

Brother Lao rested both hands upon the table, the older Air Acolyte speaking with the same calm restraint he always had, and of everyone gathered within the chamber, his words surprised Aang the most.

"Our concern is that there may come a day when there is no Air Nation left to return to."

Aang's brow furrowed. "There was a time we didn't. But we do now."

Brother Lao held his gaze, neither offended nor discouraged by the interruption. 

"There are the four temples. You have acolytes who have dedicated their lives to preserving your history. But there are no Air Nomads."

A silence settled over the chamber.

"The children born to you are the only chance our nation has at beginning again."

Aang's jaw tightened. "And you think the answer is another marriage."

"It...is unfair that history has left you carrying a responsibility no man should ever have been asked to bear." Brother Lao answered carefully.

"Then don't ask it of me." The words came sharply and he didn't regret them.

"I entrusted you to speak for the Air Nation," Aang continued, unable to hide the disbelief in his voice as he looked directly at the man. 

"How can you sit here and agree with this?"

"I have spent the last twenty years watching you carry the weight of being the last airbender, and I know better than anyone that you should never have had to."

Brother Lao lowered his eyes for only a moment before looking back at him.

"If there were another way, Avatar Aang, I would gladly place it before you."

"There is another way." Aang leaned forward. "My children."

"Your son is nine years old and has shown no signs of air bending. Your daughter has already begun waterbending under Master Katara's guidance. If your son doesn't inherit your bending..."

Brother Lao let the sentence hang unfinished.

"The Air Nomads end with you." It was Minister Qilan who finally broke his silence.

"The only person capable of air bending will be the Avatars that come after you. And no one will remain who can truly guide them."

The words lingered long after Minister Qilan had spoken them, leaving behind a silence that no one around the council table seemed willing to question.

Aang felt his jaw tighten. "So that's it?"

"No one is questioning your marriage, Avatar Aang." Minister Qilan's voice remained as composed as ever, almost frustratingly so. 

He looked younger than a man entrusted with representing the largest nation in the world had any right to, yet there was an ease about him that suggested long familiarity with debates far more heated than this one.

"We are asking you to consider your responsibility beyond it."

"My responsibility?" Aang echoed, unable to keep the edge from his voice. "You speak as though Katara and I haven't spent the last decade rebuilding an entire nation together."

"And no one here would diminish that. We have only placed the matter before you." Minister Qilan paused, allowing the weight of his words to settle before continuing.

"If, after careful consideration, you decide the council's concerns hold merit..." His gaze never wavered from Aang's. 

"I would be honored to offer my youngest daughter as a prospective bride. She is not far from your age."

The offer settled over the chamber like stone, and suddenly the motive was clear. 

Aang simply stared, genuinely wondering whether he'd heard correctly.

"You..."

"I think that's enough."

The sharp voice cut cleanly through the silence.

Every head around the table turned toward the chairman as Sokka folded his hands before him, his expression carefully composed.

"You've all said what you came here to say," he began evenly. 

"The Avatar has heard every concern this council wished to raise. Whether he chooses to act on any of it is, and always will be, his decision."

No one interrupted him as Sokka's gaze swept once around the chamber before settling briefly on Minister Qilan.

"So unless someone intends to force the matter, I'd suggest we move on to the rest of today's agenda."

Another silence followed, and the discussion had not reached a conclusion; it had been brought to an end.

One by one, the representatives returned to the documents before them, parchment shifting across polished wood as though the uncomfortable conversation had never occurred.

Sokka reached for the stack of reports resting at his side, his voice returning to its usual cadence expected of a chairman.

"The next matter concerns the proposed expansion of Republic City's eastern harbor..."

Aang heard him along with every report that followed, but not a single word found its way into his thoughts. 

They remained fixed on the conversation the council had chosen to set aside so easily, as though suggesting he take another wife had been no more significant than approving funds.

The meeting had barely been adjourned before Aang was on his feet.

He didn't acknowledge the representatives filing from the room, brushing past the murmured conversations that had already begun replacing the one they'd left unfinished. 

By the time he stepped out into the corridor, Sokka had only just caught up, a stack of reports still tucked beneath one arm.

"Aang."

He didn't stop even at the call of his name.

"Aang." Sokka tried again, matching Aang's pace beside him until finally he stopped in his tracks, looking absolutely livid.

"What was that?" The question came out sharper than he'd intended to, especially when he would never wish to speak in such a manner to his friend, though after everything that had just transpired, he found he no longer cared.

Sokka let out a slow breath. "I'm sorry you had to sit through that."

"No." Aang turned to face him, disbelief still written plainly across his face. 

"I don't think you are. They sat in there discussing my future marriage as if my existing marriage to your sister doesn't exist, and you didn't say a word."

Sokka looked away.

"You let them talk about Katara like she wasn't relevant."

Sokka simply stood there, the confidence he'd carried throughout the council meeting melting away. 

As chairman, he'd ended the discussion without hesitation. But as Katara's brother, he suddenly seemed at a loss.

Finally, he rubbed a hand across the back of his neck.

"Arguing with them wasn't going to change why they brought it up, Aang."

Aang stared at him in disbelief, not able to fathom the fact that Sokka of all people could possibly be agreeing to their reasoning.

"You don't have to do it." Sokka met his eyes at last, and there was something unmistakably guilty in his expression.

"I'm serious. Nobody can make you do that."

"Why was this conversation even brought up? The council has no right to be making suggestions like that."

"Because..." Sokka stopped himself, exhaling quietly before trying again. "I think you should talk to Katara first."

Aang frowned.

"What is it? Did she...say something about this?"

It lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough for Aang to notice the hesitation written across Sokka's face.

"Sokka."

"I can't."

"You can't what?"

"I can't be the one to tell you." Confusion slowly gave way to unease.

"What are you talking about?"

Sokka lowered his gaze for a moment before looking back up. "Just...talk to her."

Aang searched his friend's face, hoping for some explanation, some hint of what had just happened inside that council chamber that he still wasn't seeing.

Instead, Sokka only repeated himself.

"Please."

It was the first time that morning he'd sounded less like the Chairman of the Republic City Council and more like Katara's older brother.

"Just talk to her."

By the time the sun had disappeared beyond the skyline of Republic City, his house had settled back into its much needed calm.

Bumi had reluctantly given in to sleep only after reminding Aang twice about his promise to take him flying on Appa tomorrow, while Kya had drifted off halfway through one of Katara's stories, her tiny hand refusing to let go of her mother's sleeve until Aang carefully lifted her into his arms and carried her the rest of the way to bed.

It was an ordinary evening, but Aang found himself moving through it mechanically.

He'd smiled when Bumi insisted Appa could beat any sky bison in a race. He'd laughed when Kya proudly announced she'd managed to lift the water "this much" today, stretching her hands impossibly far apart as though she'd parted the ocean itself. 

He'd even joined Katara in cleaning up after dinner, drying bowls while she put the kitchen back in order.

Yet every moment had felt strangely distant.

Only once the children were asleep did the house finally grow quiet enough to settle his thoughts.

Katara sat at the edge of their bed, absentmindedly unravelling the braid she'd worn throughout the day, her hair falling over one shoulder in loose waves as she caught Aang standing by the doorway.

"You've been quiet all day."

He looked up.

"Hm?"

"You've hardly said a word since you came home." She knew him too well not to notice.

Aang let out a slow breath before crossing the room, lowering himself onto the bed beside her. Neither of them spoke as he rested his forearms against his knees, staring down at his hands as though the right words might somehow be waiting there.

"...What did the council need you for?"

He looked at her, still bothered by Sokka's suggestion to speak to her, hoping to see if Katara might have had a hand in it, but he only found quiet curiosity in her expression.

He looked away, unable to meet her eyes as he admitted his worries.

"They..." His voice faltered before he tried again. "...they asked me to take another wife."

Katara froze, searching his face for the slightest hint that this was some poorly timed joke, and when she found none, the color seemed to drain from her expression.

"...What?"

"The council..." He let out a slow breath, still struggling to believe the words had actually been spoken only hours ago. "Minister Qilan brought it forward. He wants me to marry his daughter."

"The Earth Kingdom representative?"

He nodded. "He said the council believed I should consider taking a second wife because our children can't airbend."

Katara stared at him. "No."

"I wish I was making it up."

She shook her head almost immediately. "No one else said anything?"

"They all said something."

Aang leaned back against the bedframe, rubbing a tired hand across his face.

"Brother Lao spoke for the Air Nation. He said..." Aang hesitated, remembering the older Air Acolyte's expression more than his words. 

"He said if something happened to me, the Air Nation would disappear with me."

Katara lowered her gaze. "He...isn't wrong."

"He said Bumi's nine, and he still hasn't shown any signs of airbending."

Katara's fingers curled around the edge of the blanket resting across her lap.

"And Kya. They know she's started waterbending."

"They all know," Katara murmured. "Half the city knows. News travels fast when the Avatar's daughter bends for the first time."

Aang gave a faint nod.

"They said since neither of them inherited airbending..." He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence, but Katara already understood.

"They think...that a non-bender would be more likely to have an airbending child." She said quietly, urging Aang to look at her.

"How did you know?"

Katara couldn't answer him. She couldn't tell him that she had thought of the very fact before. If she had been a non bender, perhaps both Bumi and Kya would have been air benders.

But she was proud of her heritage, just as much Aang was of his. And she knew Aang would never think in such a manner, and that he would always be proud of their children even if they will never air bend.

"The whole time..." He exhaled slowly. "I kept waiting for someone to tell them they'd gone too far."

Katara's eyes met his. "Sokka?"

"He didn't say a word."

That surprised her.

"Sokka ended the discussion before it went any further," Aang continued, "but after the meeting..." He frowned, remembering the conversation in the corridor. 

"He kept telling me I needed to talk to you."

Katara froze. Her expression changed so subtly that anyone else might have missed it, but not Aang.

"...Katara?"

She looked away and Aang watched her carefully.

"...Katara."

She still hadn't looked back at him and a quiet unease settled over him.

"Sokka told me to come home and talk to you." He searched her face, trying to make sense of the guilt that had crossed both hers and Sokka's. 

"Do you know something about this?"

Katara closed her eyes.

When she finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. "...I think I know why Minister Qilan brought it up."

Aang felt his stomach sink.

"What do you mean?" 

She took a slow breath before setting the hairbrush aside, her hands folding tightly in her lap.

"A while ago, while you were away, I went to the council building."

He nodded.

"Bumi had been asking all week when Sokka was coming back into the city, so I thought..." A faint, tired smile crossed her face before disappearing just as quickly. 

"I thought they could spend some time together before he had to leave again."

As she spoke, Aang could almost picture it.

Bumi racing across the courtyard the moment he'd spotted Sokka, Kya stumbling after him with all the determination before demanding to be carried the rest of the way.

"The children ran off into the gardens," Katara continued quietly. "They were playing together while Sokka and I stayed behind."

She hesitated.

"I don't even remember how we started talking about it." Her gaze remained fixed on her hands. "I just...admitted something I'd been trying very hard not to think about."

Aang said nothing, letting his wife speak.

"I told Sokka..." She swallowed. "...that I was scared."

The confession lingered between them, and Aang grew concerned at what her words might entail.

"Scared of what?"

"Another pregnancy." Her answer came so softly that, had the room been any louder, he might not have heard it at all.

She drew in another slow breath.

"I loved carrying Bumi. I loved carrying Kya." Her eyes shimmered, though she kept her composure. 

"And I love them more than anything in this world, Aang...but I don't know if I can do it again."

She looked up at him then.

"I still remember how much it hurt. I told Sokka..." she continued after a moment, "that I wanted another child. I really do."

Her voice broke slightly on the last words.

"But wanting one and...being able to go through all of that again...They're not the same thing."  She shook her head.

Aang instinctively reached for her hand.

"Katara..."

She squeezed his fingers before he could say anything.

"I know what you're going to tell me. You always tell me it doesn't matter if our children aren't airbenders."

He frowned. "Because it doesn't."

"I know you mean that. I've always believed you." She smiled sadly. "But I've also always known you."

Aang's expression slowly faltered.

"You've spent your whole life believing the Air Nomads will end with you. Now Kya's started waterbending...and Bumi..." Her voice softened. 

"I thought..." She looked away. "I thought eventually we'd talk about trying again. And I was going to ask you to wait a few more years."

Aang stared at her. "You thought I'd want another child because of that?"

"I did. And...Sokka didn't say much," Katara continued, her eyes falling once more to their joined hands. 

"He just told me I needed to tell you before you brought it up yourself."

She paused.

"And then as we were talking, Minister Qilan walked over."

Aang's attention sharpened immediately.

"He greeted us and it felt like nothing more than a polite conversation. I didn't even consider that he might have heard us."

Katara sat quietly for a long moment, replaying the memory in her mind.

"I suppose..." she said after a moment, "...he must have. It's the only explanation I can think of."

She drew in a slow breath.

"I've spent the last few years telling myself that if we ever wanted another child, I'd be ready by then." Her voice was quiet, but there wasn't any uncertainty in it anymore. 

"After Bumi, I thought maybe it was just because he was my first. Then Kya came, and I remember thinking the second time would be easier because I'd know what to expect."

She let out a humorless laugh.

"It wasn't. I know there are mothers with four, five, six children, and I wish I understood how they find the strength to do it because I..." She paused, shaking her head. 

"I don't think I have it in me."

Aang opened his mouth to speak, but she gently squeezed his hand before he could.

"Please let me finish."

He nodded.

"I love our children more than anything. If I had to go through all of it again for Bumi or Kya, I would. I wouldn't even hesitate." 

She looked at him then, tears beginning to gather despite the composure she'd held onto all evening. 

"But choosing to do it again...knowing exactly what's waiting for me..." She swallowed. "I don't think I can."

Aang stared at her. He had been there through both pregnancies.

He remembered the mornings she couldn't keep food down, the nights she barely slept because nothing eased the ache in her back, the fear that had settled over him every time she cried out during labor. 

He remembered standing helplessly outside the room with Bumi, listening to the woman he loved scream until his own knees had threatened to give out beneath him.

He had never forgotten it.

"If you think I want children in hopes of raising an airbender, then you're wrong. I never wanted this for you," he said quietly. "Not once have I looked at Bumi or Kya and wished they were someone else."

"I know."

"I want children because you're the love of my life. I want a family with you, but if you say we should stop, we'll stop. I mean it, Katara." He stressed, wanting his wife to believe he would never put her in a position that would harm her.

She looked at him, no longer able to contain her tears as her eyes glossed over. "But that doesn't change what Brother Lao said today."

Aang looked away, finding truth in her statement.

He was indeed the last airbender.

"I hate that they're right," Katara whispered after what felt like an eternity. "I hate it so much because they had no right to ask that of you...but I can't stand here and tell you they don't have a reason to."

The words lingered between them and neither knew what to say next. Aang found himself staring at the floorboards beneath his feet while Katara absentmindedly traced circles against the back of his hand, both of them searching for something—anything—that would make the decision before them feel less impossible.

And when it never came, they kept talking.

What began as quiet attempts to reassure one another slowly became hours spent circling the same impossible question, each trying to find an answer the other hadn't already considered, only to arrive at the same painful conclusion every time. 

The candles burned lower with each passing conversation until their flames were little more than trembling embers and there were no arguments left.

Aang lowered his head into his hands, his voice scarcely more than a whisper.

"I don't want another wife. I don't want anyone but you."

Katara's eyes closed for a moment.

"I don't want that to change either, Aang. But maybe we can come to an understanding."

"They can say whatever they want in that council room. Brother Lao can tell me I'm the last airbender until the end of time. It doesn't change anything."

"It changes everything."

"But It doesn't change us!"

Despite the small outburst, Katara held his gaze.

"I married you, and I'd only marry you again." She answered without hesitation. "In every lifetime."

His expression softened.

"So then that's it."

"Aang..."

"We're done talking about this." He spoke as though the decision had already been made. "They don't get to decide who I spend the rest of my life with."

"They don't."

"Then why are we still having this conversation?"

Katara looked down at their joined hands.

"Because if we stop now..." she whispered, "...you'll spend the rest of your life pretending being the last airbender doesn't bother you."

"It doesn't."

"Yes It does, Aang! You've spent ten years telling me that it doesn't matter whether Bumi airbends. Then Kya was born, and you told me exactly the same thing." She smiled sadly. 

"You never once lied to me."

"I didn't."

"I know. But I've watched you stand alone at the Southern Air Temple. I have watched you walk through those halls. I was there, Aang"

He looked away.

"You've never made me feel like I failed you."

"Because you never have."

"But I've also watched you carry the weight of an entire nation on your shoulders since you were twelve years old."

The room was silent again.

"You've spent almost two decades believing the future of the Air Nomads begins with you." Her voice trembled despite herself. "I can't ask you to put that down simply because I'm afraid."

Aang shook his head immediately. "I'm asking you—"

"No."

"Katara—"

"No. I won't let you choose me because you think you have to."

He stared at her as she reached up, cupping his face with both hands.

"If this was only about us..." she whispered, tears finally spilling over. "If you weren't the Avatar...if you weren't the last airbender..." Her voice broke. "I'd tell the council to go to hell."

A laugh escaped him despite everything.

"So would I."

She rested her forehead against his. "But that's not the life we were given."

He closed his eyes, giving the smallest nod as Katara brushed away the tears he hadn't realized had fallen, and somewhere between the silence they shared and the dawn that crept through their windows, they accepted the future waiting for them.

chapter two coming soon...

a/n: how many times did i write "the last airbender?"

masterlist

idia is significantly the worst because he actually wants to understand. one afternoon you looked at one of his horror games and instinctively whispered, "...i gently open the door..." idia paused the game immediately. "what happens when they open the door?" "d...depression." "what?" "it's... uhhm..." you buried your face in your hands. "it's a reference to a visual novel from my world." idia leaned forward so fast his chair squeaked. "a visual novel? romance? horror? psychological? what's the route structure? who's the developer? how many endings?" forty-five minutes later he'd somehow gotten you to explain doki doki literature club, undertale, minecraft, roblox, and why saying "the cake is a lie" made you laugh even though there wasn't a single cake involved. by the end of the lecture, idia quietly adjusted his hair. "your world made peak fiction." "it really did." "i'm actually mourning games i never got to play.."

PREVIEW ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ໒꒰ྀི ´ ˘ ᐩ་། ꒱ა

CHAPTER FIVE

WARNINGS. 18+, mdni, angst, implied sexual assault, fight with zuko, zuko is kind of a prick ngl, protective aang, takes place 10 years after atla, age gaps, reader is 21, established relationship, fem reader, atla spoilers, no spoilers for legend of aang, not proofread.

CHAPTER SIX

WARNINGS. 18+, mdni, angst, blood, stab wound, cauterization, lots of fire, a little tension, takes place 10 years after atla, age gaps, reader is 21, established relationship, fem reader, atla spoilers, no spoilers for legend of aang, not proofread.

CHAPTER SEVEN

WARNINGS. 18+, mdni, slight panic attack, a very bad injury (not detailed), takes place 10 years after atla, age gaps, reader is 21, established relationship, fem reader, atla spoilers, no spoilers for legend of aang, not proofread.

CHAPTER EIGHT

WARNINGS. 18+, mdni, alcohol consumption, underage drinking (?) [idk their legal age for drinking, but in this fic it's 21], takes place 10 years after atla, age gaps, reader is 21, established relationship, fem reader, atla spoilers, no spoilers for legend of aang, not proofread.

CHAPTER NINE

WARNINGS. 18+, mdni, angst, kidnapping, restraints, sexual assault, character death mentioned, takes place 10 years after atla, age gaps, reader is 21, established relationship, fem reader, atla spoilers, no spoilers for legend of aang, not proofread.

CHAPTER TEN

WARNINGS. 18+, mdni, angst, bad father, takes place 10 years after atla, age gaps, reader is 21, established relationship, fem reader, atla spoilers, no spoilers for legend of aang, not proofread.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

WARNINGS. 18+, mdni, angst, takes place 10 years after atla, age gaps, reader is 21, established relationship, fem reader, atla spoilers, no spoilers for legend of aang, not proofread.

CHAPTER TWELVE

WARNINGS. 18+, mdni, angst, zuko spirals a little, multiple minor character deaths, ozai appearence, takes place 10 years after atla, age gaps, reader is 21, established relationship, fem reader, atla spoilers, no spoilers for legend of aang, not proofread.

CHAPTER THRITEEN

WARNINGS. 18+, mdni, angst, takes place 10 years after atla, age gaps, reader is 21, established relationship, fem reader, atla spoilers, no spoilers for legend of aang, not proofread.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

WARNINGS. 18+, mdni, angst, takes place 10 years after atla, age gaps, reader is 21, established relationship, fem reader, atla spoilers, no spoilers for legend of aang, not proofread.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

WARNINGS. 18+, mdni, blood, mentions of premeditated murder, angst, takes place 10 years after atla, age gaps, reader is 21, established relationship, fem reader, atla spoilers, no spoilers for legend of aang, not proofread.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER WARNINGS. 18+, mdni, blood, mentions of premeditated murder, head injury, angst, takes place 10 years after atla, age gaps, reader is 21, established relationship, fem reader, atla spoilers, no spoilers for legend of aang, not proofread.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

coming soon...

• Falls asleep so easily on you. Being the esteemed Avatar, there are always responsibilities and expectations lingering in the back of his mind and the minds of everyone around him. With you, however, he’s able to forget about that, if only for a moment, and that’s more relaxing than anything else. Hence, he falls asleep so naturally on you, within minutes, no matter where you are or what’s going on. He can’t help it at all.

• Still flusters easily at your love. Despite growing up so aware of the tragedy of the world around him, Aang somehow managed to be shy at the same time. Aside from his sheepishly endearing attempts at flirting, he also has no idea how to even react to flirting. Without fail, he blushes, gives a small smile and stammers over his words, a cute image of pure fluster even at his adult age. Though, of course, he’d never admit to it.

KATARA:

• Loves sneaking in kisses. Whether it be between training sessions with younger waterbenders or in the midst of an adventure, she adores the kisses she can give you when no one else is looking. Your cheek, nose, forehead, lips, anywhere she can reach. It doesn’t matter where she kisses you, what matters is your love and the affirmations that it’s strong despite everything.

• Is encouraging. Being someone who’s consistently boxed in by restrictive labels or deterministic expectations, the most important thing to her is freedom and the justice that brings it. No matter what you do, she would always encourage you, defend your choices and be so openly proud about what you achieve… though, this doesn’t exempt you from her worrying about your safety if you’re being too dangerous.

• Has to exchange ‘i love yous’ every day. Throughout her life, she’s lost so many people near her–her mother, her tribe, Jet even. No matter if she were close to them or not, the weight of death still weighs heavily on her. Hence, she always has to exchange ‘i love yous’ with you, just in case you may be torn from her next; just to be sure that her love isn’t silent, it exists in the air around you both until she professes it again.

• Always traces patterns over you. Regardless of if it’s merely a hug, actual cuddling or any other sort of intimate affection, her fingers are always running tenderly over the ridges of your muscles and the smooth surface of your skin. You can’t tell if it’s random patterns, or something deeper than that, but it always manages to feel warm against you.

SOKKA:

• Slowly melts at tender words. Even though he’s loud, playful and seemingly entirely unserious, that persona easily melts away from a few, tender words from you. Easing from simple compliments to long confessions of love said in the silence between you, the more gooey it is, the more visible he reacts–dilated eyes, a dopey smile, sighs of contentment.

• Always has his arm around you. He loves it; not just the proximity, but also the display of affection. He’s always needed to prove himself as a non-bender by showing off and you see firsthand how it bleeds into your relationship. He adores the feeling of having you so proudly beside him, being closer to you than anyone else, showing his love so loudly.

• Gets cuteness aggression. Sokka is a man borderline theatrical with how he conveys his emotions and, sometimes, you get the full brunt of it. He’s often overcome with pure affection for you, pouncing on you and squishing your face or gently pinching your cheek with an endless supply of compliments spewing from his lips. You can’t complain, you chose this.

• Is the king of silly petnames. Yes, he’s directed war, invented… questionable creations, been an esteemed member of the Gaang, but whenever he’s in a good mood, his goofy persona shines through. Sometimes it’s random, not-even-real words that just rhyme with your name, other times it’s just optimistic nouns; it’s as if his mouth has a mind of if its own and he calls you whatever fits.

SUKI:

• Savours the moments where it’s just you two. Of course, she adores living as a Kiyoshi Warrior–the sisterhood, the justice, the message–but time with just you will always be precious to her. Whether it’s something so casual as a walk along the coast, as energised as a training session or a moment as intimate as stargazing with you, they always cling to her heart and she will always recollect them fondly.

• Adores casual affection. The things that don’t need to be commented on, that come naturally, that don’t need to be showed off. She may be a strong, warrior, but she doesn’t need to make a point about how much she loves you, she just lets it exist, even when no one is looking. She gives you this sort of affection often, as if it were no big deal and especially if it flustered you, often walking away with a pleased smile already on her lips.

• Always lights up in your presence. Despite how she may put on the determined poise of a warrior’s face, she can’t help how it always falters at your presence. Her eyes always light up first, then her smile, followed quickly by her entire body straightening up. It happens without fail, an explosion of happiness that immediately shows anyone in her vicinity how you’re the light of her life.

• Relaxes the most when you take off her makeup. Being a Kiyoshi warrior means that she becomes something more than herself, she carries the morals and values of the Avatar Kiyoshi, spreads justice, trains her discipline. She would never take it for granted but, still, the moments where you take off her makeup and ease her into the comfort of being herself are some of the most relaxing moments of her days. She always closes her eyes, melts into all of your touch and sighs at the gentle movement of the warm cloth across her face, a smile only crossing her lips when you’re done.

TOPH:

• Is clingy. While to many, it’d seem as merely a need for direction because of her blindness–and, to an extent, it is–it’s more that she’s touch starved. Growing up being treated as fragile and weak, she never really received much openly loving affection prior to joining the Gaang. So, when she’s comfortable with you, she’s constantly clambering over you, desperate for your touch, love and affection.

• Loves play-fighting. Toph is almost infamous for needing to show her strength and while, usually, it presents in her battles where she gets bruised and battered, she quickly fell in love with the gentler alternative of play-fighting with you. She adores the proximity, the way she can easily overpower you, how she can cockily show off and hear your airy laugh beneath her. It’s a fight without any heavy anger or pain, it’s a way for her to show her strength, not just her physical prowess but the strength of her love too.

• Is jealous. With her disability, she’s often wrongfully underestimated and denied certain things under presumptions and prejudices. It’s made her defensive in a way that sinks into your relationship whenever she catches someone talking to you in a way that is beyond her comfort. She often stews on it, clenches her fists while silently approaching your side, letting her presence and your familiarity to it, speak for itself.

• Always stealing your clothes. Working as the Police Chief of Republic City means that she’s grown accustomed to the discomfort of heavy armour and itchy uniforms. So, it’s no surprise, that she’s constantly stealing your clothes, desperate to soak up your warmth, familiar scent and the immense comfort that comes with it. To her, nothing else compares. The ability to show off your relationship with it, is just an added bonus.

ZUKO:

• Is devoted. Having grown up learning that love is dependant on his ability to serve his Nation, having something true means more to him than anything else. He’d be loyal to a fault, always willing to favour you over others and always going to your defence, regardless of if it’s physically or emotionally comforting you. It’s clear to everyone, how you own his heart.

• Always protects your image. It may be someone talking bad about you during royal Fire Nation events that he sternly corrects. It could be him merely adjusting your collar when it slips off of your shoulder. Considering his title as the Fire Lord, you’re automatically famed by association but he will not let it tear you apart. He consistently ensures your safety, your wellbeing and lets your love and spirit roam freely under that protection.

• Is always in your presence. He may not always have the words–for comforting you, for explaining how he feels, for conveying the pain of his past–but he is always there, he always tries. Sometimes, he may not touch you; other times, he may hold your hand. No matter the situation, he makes sure you’re never alone and lets that reassurance speak for itself.

• Has the softest voice with you. In meetings, he has to be firm and directive; against adversaries, he’s angry and spiteful; but with you, he’s something else entirely. His whole voice softens, permeates a sort of affection through his tone that reaches into the deepest depths of your heart. He doesn’t even attempt to hide it in front of others, just lets them see how you soften him and how much your love means to him, even if it means he’s facing Sokka, Aang and Toph’s teasing for it.