#atla stuff

(set a few weeks after the legend of aang movie)

Aang woke from a peaceful sleep to the sunlight streaming in from the balcony. He groaned and turned away from the light, trying to hold on to sleep. With groggy half-shut eyes he stretched out an arm to find Katara, not yet welcoming the burden of full consciousness. Katara’s side of the bed was still warm, but empty. Aang rose out of his sleep-drunk reverie and sat up, looking for Katara. Aang was usually the one waking with the sun, so this was an unexpected twist in their morning routine. Aang found her, standing at the edge of the balcony gazing out at the early-morning Republic City. He stopped just for a moment, simply taking her in. Her hair was messy and fuzzy around the edges from sleep, but the golden haze of sun caught each strand turning the deep brown to a soft halo, like feathery kisses from the light. He decided to give her some of his own kisses, too.

Aang carefully peeled back the blanket and padded out of the bedroom towards Katara. He approached her carefully, making use of his airbending to ensure he was silent. He came up right behind her, and hug-attacked her from behind. Katara startled then looked back to see Aang, grinning ear-to-ear. That smile never changed since the beginning.

“Aang!” Katara said chidingly.

“What? I wanted to surprise you!” Aang said as he pressed a kiss to her cheek. Heh, take that, sunlight. I’m better.

“Next time you do that you won’t be conscious long enough to give me a kiss,” Katara said. She pulled him closer and Aang wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

“Well good morning to you too, sweetie,” Aang mumbled, rolling his eyes and pretending to be bashful. Katara leaned back on the railing of the balcony and sighed. It could’ve been just a soft laugh, but her shoulders drooped like there was something weighing her down. Aang let his eyes drift back from the far horizon to Katara. Her stunning blue eyes were clouded, her mouth drawn in a tight line. Aang frowned.

“What’s on your mind?” Katara met Aang’s gaze. She hesitated before smiling half-heartedly and looking away.

“Nothing, sweetie. Don’t worry about me.” Aang frowned and tilted Katara’s chin to face him. The simple act of eye contact said everything.

“Is it about Taga?” Aang asked. Katara only nodded. “Tell me. Everything,” Aang’s voice dropped down to nearly a whisper. Katara leaned heavily against Aang and they dropped to the floor, and she cocooned herself in Aang’s embrace as she looked towards the rising sun.

“It’s just- something he said,” Katara conceded. Aang twirled a piece of her hair in his fingers.

“The water child thing? Katara, you know you’re the strongest—”

“No, Aang. That’s not it,” Katara breathed a laugh before dropping her gaze to Aang’s tattooed hands. “He said… you have weakness in you.” She looked up at Aang, his grey eyes wide. “And that your weakness is me.” Aang sat stunned. Katara let the silence settle, then pulled away from Aang and stood up. Aang reached out his arm to motion for her to come back, but Katara kept going. “What if I’m what’s holding you back from bringing balance to the world? You could be out there, sweetie–” Katara swept her arm out towards the vast expanse of earth. “-resolving all these issues of bender superiority or non-bender revolts firsthand! But instead you’re here trying to solve it behind a desk, all because I asked you to. I wanted a normal life, but you’re the Avatar, Aang. The bridge between our world and the spirits. The bridge between the nations, benders and non-benders! What if Taga was right? What if I’m holding you back from what you could truly accomplish?” It was only then that Katara looked back at Aang, who was still sitting on the floor, mouth agape.

“You… really think you’re bad for me?” Aang said, incredulous. He could see the doubt flickering across Katara’s features— The same face he fell in love with the moment he was pulled out of that iceberg. “Katara, sweetie. Without you, there would be nothing left to bring balance to. I’d be dead two times over!” Aang finally stood up, but it didn’t feel right saying this looking down on Katara. So he fell to his knees.

“Aang,” Katara whispered as she tried to get down to his level. Aang held her up, not letting her kneel too.

“Sweetie, time and time again I’ve been told to let go. Guru Pathik at the temple all those years ago promised me cosmic energy on the condition that I let go of you. I walked away with no cosmic energy to show for it, because you are more important to me than any power.” Katara broke away from Aang’s intense gaze, brows furrowed.

“That’s exactly my point, you would give up anything if it meant I had to go. Republic City’s still a mess, the Southern Water Tribe is unstable, and the rift between benders and non benders is growing.” Katara locked eyes with Aang, worry and fear and guilt casting a dark shadow on her, even with the sun still shining bright on the horizon. “I’m scared, Aang. I’m scared that ending the war wasn’t enough. I’m scared you’ll leave and be better for it.” Aang’s expression was determined.

“I would rather let the world fall into fire than to live a day without you, Katara.” Aang stood and placed his hands on her shoulders. “And I know for a fact that without you I’d be lost. The world is far from balanced, but you’re the reason we even made it this far. Sweetie, I promise we’ll be okay.” Katara melted into his arms, letting him tell her every reason he loved her, every time he would’ve failed without her, how everything was going to be just fine. They stayed like that until the sun rose overhead, and Aang was completely sure he was going to propose to this formidable, beautiful, perfect woman. She was the only one who could bring balance to his world. Both his weakness, and his greatest strength.

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