AN: I'm back already! Real quick, thanks to everyone who checked out my last story, 'the storm is passing over'. It got more hits, favs, and reviews in one day than my first story did in a month. So, this is kinda a thank you for that.

This story idea started out way different then it ended up, but I'm still very happy with it. Be warned, it is full of fluff.

And, it might be somewhat AU. It takes place after the war, but there is some explain of Aang's past. Apparently there is a book or article that explains more about the Airbenders, but I haven't read it. So, if something in here doesn't agree with that…that's why.

Now sit back and Enjoy 'The Color of Love'

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER, I DO OWN THE CHARACTER EVELYN THOUGH.

"…then Toph said, 'Better leave the nicknames to us honey' and we all started laughing."

Aang, Katara, Suki, and Toph all sat in a circle in the middle of the floor listening somewhat intently Sokka as he told Katara the story of everything that had happened before she showed up at the site where Aang had faced Ozai. She had heard it earlier from Aang, but she didn't want to disappoint her brother. It had been only a few hours since the Fire Lord had fallen, and the five friends had decided to stay out of the public eye till Zuko was able to get some public relation things sorted out.

Zuko had given them a house to stay in that was located on the palace grounds, and he told them that he would come and alert everyone when it was time for his coronation as Fire Lord, but that was probably still a few days away.

Since then, the group had been filling each other in on what had happened in their section of the war.

It was starting to get late though, and the group was getting restless. Suki helped Sokka up and the two of them hobbled off into another room. Katara had fixed Sokka's leg the best she could, but it was going to still take some time to heal.

Toph just laid down on the floor and closed her eyes. Aang couldn't tell if she was concentrating or sleeping, but either way, he wasn't going to be the first to interrupt her.

Katara had wandered off into the kitchen, and Aang noticed that he was the only one still sitting on the ground. He got up and went outside to think.

As Aang stepped out onto the balcony, he felt a rush of fresh air hit him, and he realized for the first time that this was the first gust of wind he had felt in over 100 years that didn't have the feel of war in it.

Aang climbed up onto the side of the balcony, and sat on the ledge, with his knees tucked under his chin and just watch the fire nation below him. He felt bad for the people down there. The next few days would be filled with torment and confusion, as the palace tried to reorganize itself.

Aang found himself drifting back into his thoughts. Katara had shown up just as Suki, Toph and himself were loading Ozai into the fire nation balloon. She had seen the light from Aang's spirit bending, and was beyond relieved to see that he was ok. She then filled everyone in on the battle with Azula as they made it back to the fire nation capital. After making sure that Sokki, Suki, and Toph had Ozai under control, Aang with Katara to find Zuko and see Azula.

Katara had just about convinced Aang to take Azula's bending away, just like he did to Ozai, but after Aang saw the state we was in, he refused. He had decided that she was no longer a threat, and taking away her bending while she was in such a fragile state would be no different than ending her life.

Katara had walked back into the living room, with two cups of tea in hand. She had expected to find Aang still in there, but wasn't very surprised to see him on the balcony. She walked out onto the balcony and tried to get his attention without startling him.

"Aang? I brought you a tea. You want it?"

Aang jumped slightly at her voice, but he lowered his legs so they were hanging off the side of the ledge and accepted the tea graciously.

The two friends sat in silence for a bit, just listening to the wind, when Katara finally spoke up.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Aang looked over at her and smiled, "You just did." Katara was glad that he was able to joke around. She had been worried at first how he would act after defeating Ozai.

"Ha ha. Very funny. Seriously, can I ask you something about your past? When you lived with the monks?"

Aang seemed startled. He wasn't quite sure what made Katara want to talk about his past, but he figured but couldn't be anything to awful, so he agreed.

"Well, I was thinking the other day…you always talk about friends that you use to have from all of the nations, but you never really talk about your airbending friends. I mean, didn't you have one or two really close friends that were airbenders?"

Aang sat in silence for a moment. He really didn't know how to answer that question. Sure, he did have friends that were from the air temples, but most of them stopped being his friends when they found out he was the avatar.

'All except one' Aang reminded himself.

He decided to try and answer. "Yeah, I guess I did. Most of my friends started treating more like a god of some kind when I found out I was the Avatar, especially the ones I had at the Southern Temple."

Aang got quite again. Katara wasn't sure if he was collecting his thoughts, or if she had said something to make him upset.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, no its fine, I was just trying to figure out what to say."

"What do you mean?"

Aang thought again for a moment, then sighed. "Well, I did have one friend who always stood by me, and was there with me till the end. But…our relationship was…complicated."

This was not the answer Katara was expecting. "What do you mean by complicated?"

"I guess I should start at the beginning. My friend's name was Evelyn. She had grown up in the western Air Temple, and we were only able to see each other one weekend a month. But we were inseparable during those times."

Katara started to guess where this was going, but she was afraid to say anything, since she knew that her relationship with Aang at the moment was…complicated also. Aang had sensed her thoughts before she could say anything though.

"No, it's not what you think. Well, it is sort of." Aang sighed again. This could get hard to explain.

"Ok, let me back up again. I need to explain something about Air nomad Culture so everything else I want to say will make sense."

Katara, sensing that this story could take some time, crawled up over the ledge so she was sitting just like Aang, her feet dangling off the side a story or so off the ground.

"Go ahead, I love hearing about Air nomad culture." Katara had spoken truthfully. She absolutely loved hearing the stories Aang would tell about the nomads. He just wouldn't tell them very often for some reason.

Aang had blushed slightly at her comment. "Well, as you know, three of the four air temples were segregated into males and females. The Northern and Southern temples were where the males would grow up and learn, and the western temple was where the female benders were taught. They Eastern temple housed both men and women, mostly as husbands and wives.

"See, not every nomad was a nun or monk, since both the nuns and monks remained chaste."

Katara had suspected this, but it never truly came up in everyday conversation to ask. She nodded her head in understanding.

"When a baby air nomad was born, he or she would be spiritually paired up with someone of the opposite sex. Then, once a month every month for the next 16 years of their lives, the two people would meet, talk, become friends, and possibly more.

"After the 192nd meeting, which would be exactly 16 years, the couple would be locked in a room for a weekend so they could discuss their future. If the two decided that they wanted to be together, then they would get married and move to the eastern temple. If not, then the girls would become nuns, and the guys would become monks and they would go and teach airbending to the kids that came though the temples. So, it was kind of like an arranged marriage, but with a choice."

Katara was blown away. She had no idea that the air nomads, a group of people known for being so detached and care free would have a system so structured, especially one that was suppose to determine love.

"So, that was how I knew Evelyn. She was the person I was paired up with. And she was one of my closest friends."

Aang smiled to himself and Katara frowned a bit. Aang had had, in a sense, a fiancé! If things had been different the two of them would have been deciding their futures, 96 years ago. Katara had a feeling in her gut that they would have married. Aang was too much of a romantic to become a monk, especially if he was betrothed to someone he had considered his closest friend.

'Calm down Katara. Remember, everything happens for a reason.' Katara had looked over at Aang, and he seemed happy almost at reliving that memory. Katara smiled, and decided to allow him to think on it more.

"Do you remember what she looked like?" Katara had hoped that any pang of jealousy was hidden from her voice. Aang didn't seem to notice one.

"She had really light brown hair. The lightest color I had ever seen. The other girls use to tease her about it, but it always brought out the color of her eyes. It was a color I had never seen before in eyes." He paused again trying to find the right words to describe this color.

"It was a blue. Like the sky on a summer's day. Or the feel of a cool breeze on the hottest of days. Or the way the first flower of spring smells."

Katara had frowned again. He had loved Evelyn. It was obvious. She was about to move off the ledge, thinking he was done, but Aang continued.

"It was almost as pretty as your eye color." Katara wasn't sure at first if she had heard him or not. He had said that last statement so quietly, she could have imagined it.

Katara wanted to know what he thought. "What do my eyes look like?"

Aang looked at her at first. Katara felt overly conscious at first, and then she realized that he was staring into and through her eyes, trying to find the true color.

"Your eyes are the color of the ocean after a storm. They are the sound of laughter to ears that had forgotten happiness. They are the feel of the light of the full moon."

Katara could feel tears start to swell up in her eyes. She had never heard anyone explain color in that sense before. She suddenly realized something.

"So..Evelyn's eyes were the color of happiness, the color of comfort, right?"

"Right. Her eyes were the color of relief in a sea of turmoil. But, yours are that, and more. Your eye color is the color of power. It's the color of freedom and realization." Aang then quietly whispered to himself, "It's the color of love."

Katara smiled again as she felt a blush creep onto her cheeks. She knew that she had feelings for Aang. Now, there was nothing stopping her from admitting them. The war was done, peace would soon be brought, and everyone was alive and well.

"Aang, do you want to know what the color of your eyes is?"

Aang nodded and looked toward Katara. Katara stared into his eyes and realized how easy it was to get lost in them.

"You eye color is that of the first snow in winter. It is waking up early to watch the sunrise, its running through the rain, and stopping to see a rainbow." Katara felt her face move slightly closer to Aang's. She noticed that his face was edging closer as well.

She continued, "It's how I feel when I do this." Katara quickly closed the gap between the two with a kiss. It was sweet and innocent, yet both could feel the passion and heat that the kiss potentially held. Katara broke the kiss and opened her eyes, seeing Aang do the same.

"Hm, I think I'm starting to like the color of my eyes."

Katara gave him a sweet smile and she felt his hand grasp hers. "I think I'm beginning to like it more also."

Well? It is a bit different then what I've written before, since the story jumps around a bit more. But, I need opinions. What did you think of it? And, if anyone has any suggestion for future writings, please tell me and I'll try to make them happen. I've gotten a few already, but I need to work on more than one story at a time.

Please Review! And until next time!

Nasecoeur