Katara picked at the fire. Slowly, she scanned her surrounding companions.

Sokka, who snored loudly and mercilessly.

Toph, her rock tent a barrier no Fire Nation soldier could bend their way into.

And then…

And then there was Aang.

She held her breath unknowingly as her eyes fell upon the child—No, he was a

child no longer. The delicate looks of his eyes were deeply misunderstood, for

what lay beneath them was a mix of pain, hope, so much more. So much history.

She knew, because the tender kiss they had shared seemed to have passed it on.

They stared. The young lady trembled slightly, and in all her beauty, she was

shocked. The boy, however, was about to pass out.

"Aang…" she murmured softly.

"No, Katara. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you so suddenly," he interrupted.

A tear fell from the Waterbender's face. "Really, let's just forget this. It's

my fault," Aang said mutedly. His troubled face was filled with more worry.

He might as well of lost a friend.

"It's not your fault. It's...But, Aang! You're the Avatar! And.." she was

stopped in mid sentence again.

"What does me being the Avatar have to do with, well, you know?" he said

defensively.

"You shouldn't have let me get in the way of your training. Summer's almost here

and you still need to master two whole elements!" Katara cried.

"It shouldn't matter! Katara, I'm telling you, I shouldn't have told you. But

it's true that I love-''

"Aang, just stop it!" she let a few droplets of water fall from her eyes again.

The twelve-year old smiled weakly, trying to remember he had caused her enough

pain before.

"Okay. I'm really sorry for doing this to you," Walking away from the scenic

ocean, he repeated in his mind that he had done the right thing by telling her.

But something was pulling him back. Literally. Before he had a second chance to

think, he was caught in a tight embrace. The kind that soothed him while he was

in the Avatar State.

"It's a lot for me," she said, barely using her voice. Aang stood there,

completely dumbstruck. He slowly broke from the embrace, but it did no better.

The two friends looked at each other briefly. Aang's heart raced, his eyes

landing on the pair of azure orbs. Their faces grew closer, slower and slower

still without knowing.

And then they kissed.

Katara smiled, accompanied by a face heating. She let out a soft laugh. The girl

had fallen hard for the Avatar, just the way Toph had for Sokka. Katara wasn't

sure if she absolutely loved him, but she simply knew she returned his feelings.

Bashfully, she continued watching Aang. To her he had no secrets, and the pain

he held captive in his heart could easily be set free.

Just the way she had been.