Kataang Stories

The Headband Returns

Katara walked over and sat on her knees behind him, her hands rubbing the muscles on the tops of his shoulders as she peeked over at the texts that so diligently held his focus. She leaned her cheek against the side of his head. "You've been reading for quite some time, my airbender," she muttered above his ear. The page was filled with information about fauna from air temples, beautiful pictures of flowers and trees. The page number read 253; she couldn't believe he had been reading that many pages just about plants.

"The lecture is only a few days away. I have to be prepared," he responded, half-mindedly. Katara continued rubbing his shoulders as she felt the strong curves, wishing he would use them to hold her. She then found herself frustrated by his unrelenting attention towards his studies, the gaze he dedicated to words on a page rather than to her body. She couldn't believe that she was feeling jealous of a book.

"Suki just picked up Kya, and Bumi is still at school. Which means, your wife is wondering what to do with her time..." she continued rubbing, lowering her hands to the top of his chest, her left hand peeking under his sash. Katara didn't know it, but Aang's eyes slightly closed from the relaxing touch of her fingers. Before she could notice, he flicked them back wide again.

Aang slightly turned his head towards her as he continued reading. "The gardens, perhaps? Or you could read a waterbending text with me," he suggested. Aang had gathered nearly every book he could find on waterbending history during his travels. It was a sweet gesture, and Katara did enjoy reading through them, but reading was the last thing she had in mind. Annoyed, she hummed against his shoulder and moved her lips to lay a kiss on his neck. He froze.

"I think I'd like to spend my time doing something else," she suggested.

He did a slow inhale, similarly to how he breathed before a battle. "Like what...?" he asked, feigning innocence, already knowing where she was going. He knew his self control was about to be tested. This game was familiar to him, as usually it was him who was attempting to distract Katara from her focus. It doesn't matter, he thought. I have no choice. I have to be prepared.

Katara continued her kisses. "It has nothing to do with reading."

The sound of her lips leaving his skin before trailing to a new spot on his neck was intoxicating, but he wasn't giving in. "I'm sure there are other things you could do besides that." Aang was unrelenting. He loved his wife, but there was no way he was going to break his focus with the lecture being so soon. He turned the page of his book.

Katara sighed, her eyes locking on the display case in the corner of the room. Behind a door were items from their original travels that they held as keepsakes. From where they were sitting, Katara could see a White Lotus tile, his old bag of marbles, and the headband Aang wore in the fire nation. She stood up and walked over to the display, an idea forming. Aang watched her motions out of the corner of his eye.

Katara grabbed the headband out of the case and smiled at the memories it brought. When she turned back towards him, Aang met her eyes for the first time since she walked into the room, curious and silently pleading for her to give up her attempts. He looked her up and down as she made her way back to where he was sitting, noticing her wearing a thin bandeau and shorts. Her skin looked so appetizing in the dim candlelight. He couldn't remember the last time he took her in, and felt a small tinge of guilt for not showing her attention. I'll make it up to her after the lecture, he reasoned to himself, looking back down to his text as she sat back behind him.

He had just finished a paragraph about berry bushes when Katara wrapped the headband around his forehead and tied the back. Aang was shocked and confused, but before he could comment, she dragged her hands from his shoulders and up his face to pull the fabric over his eyes.