A/N: Here we go! I realise not many people are following/reviewing this, but for the few who are... well, here!

Back at the Palace, Katara turned her attentions towards Sokka's injured leg. There was little she could do for him after an initial healing session but bind it up tightly in a splint; it was definitely broken and would need a considerable time to heal. Suki was more than happy to fuss over him and Katara would usually have been more than happy to let her do it. At the moment, however, she needed something to keep her occupied while Aang dealt with Ozai.

They stayed in Zuko's room, partly because they felt remotely welcome there, and partly because it backed onto a small courtyard where Appa was sleeping, unconcerned by the events around him. Toph had unloaded everything from the saddle and even made up a few beds. Apparently, despite the many rooms available to them, no one felt like sleeping alone tonight. Even Sokka and Suki made no indication of planning to sneak off. They both looked far too tired.

It was well over an hour before Zuko returned, having sent off his first order of business as Fire Lord- the order to release all the prisoners of war and send out and official declaration.

"Aang's back," he said quietly to Katara as he passed across the threshold. "He's in the War Room still. We had to hold a brief meeting."

"Right. Thanks."

Without troubling to explain to the others where she was going, Katara set off down the hall at a bit of a run. There was almost no one about now. She wasn't even halfway to the room before she spotted Aang at the end of one of the corridors. Evidentially, he'd been making his way to them.

"Aang!" she breathed, his name sounded oddly musical, oddly elated, in a way it never had before.

"Katara!" his face suddenly burst into a wide, goofy grin. Except... it didn't look so goofy any more. It was just bright and big and teaming with joy and relief.

The two of them collided, finally, clinging to each other utmost alleviation and might. Katara felt, for the very first time, that she never wanted to let go. The piece of her that felt missing suddenly clicked back into place. There was no need to move, she realised. Not ever again...

"Are you OK?" They both asked, at exactly the same moment, and drew apart grinning. In a very quick babble, they told each other exactly what had happened since they'd last scene other. They both didn't seem to want to waste important moments talking about separate adventures.

A silence followed the end their explanations. Neither one of them seemed to be able to think of the next thing to say, so, after establishing that Aang wasn't hurt at all, Katara suggested they head back to the others.

"I should probably... possibly... maybe... go and see if there's anything I can do to help? In the city?" Aang said, a little less than enthusiastically. Katara could tell he was just trying to be dutiful.

"I don't think so, Mr Avatar," she said, in a very businesslike manner.

"Really, I should-" Aang said, this time with a slight smile, as if he almost enjoyed being bossed around by Katara.

She seized his hand firmly and began to march him down the corridor.

"No," she said tersely. "I'm not letting you out of my sight. I'm not letting you out of my sight ever again."

Aang's fingers relaxed under hers. They slipped together loosely, and Katara slowed her pace until they were walking side by side, quite easily. Like a romantic couple out for a night-time stroll.

"I guess I can live with that," said Aang, scratching the back of his neck with his free hand, his cheeks rather pink.

"You're rather adorable when you blush," said Katara, and instantly felt very stupid for pointing in out. Her own cheeks tingled hotly. Thankfully, Aang appeared not to have noticed. His eyes were darting away from her, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"Yeah, adorable, right..."

Katara wondered why this bothered him. Surely it was good that she thought he was cute? He'd made it painfully obvious in the past that he liked her. She wasn't insecure enough to start worrying if his feelings had change. Aang was not that fickle, and nothing -well, nothing aside from her rejecting him during the production of Boy in the Iceberg- had changed. He was certainly happy enough to hold her hand, and the way he and held her just then...

"Katara?"

"Um, yes?"

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Oh? I was staring?" Katara dropped his hand suddenly and began nervously tugging on her hair. "I didn't- oh look, here's Zuko's room..."

Katara pushed back the door and was immediately faced with a muffled kind of silence. The room was noisy -nosier than it had been in the hall- but despite the sound of Sokka's snoring, the loud breathing of three other people snuggled in their blankets, and the quacking of turtle ducks outside, their was a pleasant, restful quiet to the room.

"Oh," Katara whispered, unable to suppress a yawn, "we should probably just go straight to bed..."

"One moment." Aang leapt outside noiselessly, to bury his head in a sleeping Appa's fur. By the time he returned, Katara had already bedded down on the pile of cushions that had been left for her. Zuko slept soundlessly on his bed, Toph under a table in the corner of the room. Not far away, Sokka dosed on loudly with Suki, apparently oblivious, curled up on his shoulder. Two remaining beds had been set up for her and Aang. She itched them a little closer together while he was outside.

Silently, he moved back across the room and slid down beside her, his eyes staring up at the ceiling, as if watching the stars. He made no indication of actually sleeping, and Katara, not wanting to dose off until he was ready to sleep as well, found herself able to resist the call of sleep a little longer.

"Aang?" she said quietly, and offered up a part of her blanket for him to sink under.

Aang rarely slept under covers. Katara, who'd spent a large part of her life buried under piles of think furs, found this a little weird. Somewhere at the back of her head, a voice popped up.

That could be very interesting if...

Katara tried to shake the thought away before it could finish, but all in vain.

If you ever end up really sharing a bed...

This time, however, Aang just accepted her offer, and snuggled down under the covers, at least a foot still between them.

"Katara?" he said.

She looked up, fighting once more against the heavy pull of her eyelids. His palm was open, reaching for hers, and he had the same determined, steady expression that he'd worn when he'd asked her dance...

Wordlessly, Katara reached across, smiling, and clutched his fingers in the dark. They fell asleep holding hands.

A/N: This was a little more tricky to do, but I had fun doing it. I wanted to so them both being a bit more adorkable, and perhaps Aang being a WEE BIT more confident. He just saved the world, after all. Katara's also a little bit more nervous because she's starting to realise she likes him... oh, how the tables have turned! (slightly...)

Review? Pretty please?