Fire | Distorted Reality [ 1 ] | ATLA

15

"The deserter"

She moved like a dancer.

She was weaving, glistening, shining, illuminating... He could sit there for hours using all different words to describe her – yet it was only one thing she was doing. Her pond was oddly clear in the moonlight. He was hiding in the bushes, leaning his head against his arm, just watching with a faint smile on his face. He missed simple enjoyments like these. She never knew he was there, but it was better this way. She wouldn't have to know about his feelings. Not yet.

And yet, Toph knew. She easily sensed his heartbeat whenever she was around. She knew when he walked off to find her training alone... He used to go under the pretense to protect her, since it was dangerous for them to be alone these days. Toph didn't buy it. Of course she didn't. It didn't take the master earthbender to know that Katara could handle any trouble by herself, especially under the light of the moon.

They were a little older now, each day a battle of survival in the world ridden with war. He had gone so long without touching her, without the feeling of her lips on his... He missed those days. But ever since the first kiss, she never mentioned it again. The war took precedence in their lives.

They had no time for love anymore. All of them, and most importantly Sokka, had learned the hard way with the loss of Suki... and everyone else they cared for.

As his mind wandered, Katara seemed to have spotted him. From her standing position on the water, she touched one of her many ribbons of water and attacked the figure in the bushes, not even moving from her twirl beforehand to indicate that she even noticed her observer.

She had grown clever as much as she became more beautiful over the years.

With a cry, the figure in the bushes fell back as he was doused with the water. Katara seemed to glide over to him, ready to attack again, but her water fell when she saw the person's identity.

"Aang?" She tilted her head, confused. Her luminescent blue eyes came into his view, and he grinned weakly.

"Hello," he tried to say nonchalantly. Katara gave him a curious, amused smile. "I was just coming to check up on you."

"Well, somehow, I caught the almighty Avatar off guard. You should have been more careful. I thought you were someone else... and I could have seriously hurt you."

"That's okay," he said, standing up with a smile. He seemed to reserve them only for her these days. He trusted her waterbending. It would never, ever harm him... She was much too gentle and caring. He had seen her fierceness in battle, but with her family, she was a different person. For Katara, waterbending was something to be cherished. It was part of the reason why he didn't bend water as much as the other elements. The element of water belonged to her.