Boots in the snow

Boots in the snow, the sound of the crisp crunch, two silhouettes plodding along. Aang and Katara continue their journey. Fresh tracks form as they go, revealing their route. "It shouldn't be much further"  Katara exhales a fog forming in her mouth as the warmth of her words die in the cold. They continue, Aang squints and looks at the snow ahead, "over here" he ushers lightly guiding Katara and grabbing her gloved hand, weening off into the white until they approach the already tampered with snow. They share a glance, excitement gleaming in the corner of their eyes they follow the small foot prints left prior by a penguin no doubt. They arrive at a horizon  it almost feels like they are of the edge of the world, they glance down, on the brink of the ice bowl. There just out of reach below them were a family of penguins socialising, the faint echo of their whispers to each other rattles and resonates around the deep bowl of ice. Chinese whispers.
Aang peeks at Katara's reaction to the beautiful view, he memorises; every contour of her face, the light in her eyes, the way her lip swells in the cold and he notices the ever so subtle accumulation of water under her eyes, gleaming onward not daring to escape and roll down her face.  Aang's eyebrows tense, he turns Katara, to face him he lightly strokes her cheek, "are you okay sweetie?" Their eyes connect and both of them relax into themselves, "I'm great actually, I was just thinking" "oh really" Aang retorts "whatever about?" he queries  smiling ever so slightly. Katara blinks glancing over at the penguins again, "I was thinking about how much everything has changed" she trails off "it's weird being here, at... home and without Sokka". Aang notices her tone and reassures her "I did invite him and we'll see him soon, he's probably causing trouble at Toph's academy, plus I think it's fitting we're here together. It's  like when we went penguin sledding the day we met." Katara smiles "being here just seems so surreal to me, to return successful in stopping the war it's almost unbelievable. I feel like a turtle crab, reunited  with their shell, the one they out grew. I felt so adamant and sure back then, I thought I was grown then but standing here today makes me realise how young I  was and how many shades of grey I was yet to see."  Katara's face reddens, she blushed feeling wide open suddenly "sorry" she mumbles she'd never been very good at admitting she was wrong and she just divulged how naive she was. "it's just I finally feel like I see the bigger picture, made the journey, you know?" Aang sighs and plops down on the snow,the deep snow nearly burying his crossed legs he pats next to him. Katara hesitates but decides to sit, feeling her thick clothes start to dampen slowly. Aang controls his breathing spreading his body heat evenly, skin to snow. Aang laughs "you know" he begins "I understand how you feel completely, we've both come very far, in fact all of us have changed for the better, and grown into ourselves, arguably Zuko the most." Aang shakes his head the memories of a younger lost Zuko filling his mind, he giggles and "don't get me started on Sokka". Katara softens as she reminisces "as a water bender I should embrace change but I can't help but wonder what's next after all we've done, I can't imagine not waking up to the gaang, Toph has created her own life in the academy, I wonder what I'll create."  Aang smiles at Katara lovingly, "it doesn't matter, it will be brilliant if you're involved." He grins and leans into her side, bumping shoulders "you shouldn't worry it will work out for us like it did before." Aang water bends an ice ball, hovering in front of them in the centre of the bowl, resembling the ice berg he was once in and breaks it. Tiny shards of ice decorate the ice floor below them.
"Sometimes things have to go wrong to go right, you can't free the avatar without breaking an iceberg"
Katara stares at Aang for a second blank faced, before loosing it, intermittent giggles escaped her between breaths. "Wow so profound"  "you know" Aang continues and begins to stand  "you've been so focused on the world changing, you've forgotten about what's stayed the same". Katara copies him and they stand facing each other.
Katara looks at Aang in a new light, Aang was right and staring at Aang now she'd noticed how tall he'd become. He had grown into himself and though throughout the years things have subtly changed, she finally realised. The love she shared for Aang would never change, she knew in that moment she didn't have to wonder what she'd do ever again only what they would do and that idea seemed a lot less daunting. Katara started feeling the excitement in the pit of her stomach grow she wasn't at the end of her journey, it was the beginning. She took off her gloves and water bent the wet out of her damp  clothes she grabbed Aangs warm hands in hers tugging slightly, Aang smiled being drawn closer to her and their lips grazed each other's tickling the surface of each other's skin before they closed their eyes and embraced  fully.
Both of their cheeks red, but not from the cold "I could get used to that" Aang whispered against Katara's lips. Katara looked into Aang's eyes they looked a lighter grey in the snow and she decided it was her favourite shade. "I love you" Katara whispered so quiet the words got lost to the subtle wind. Aang watches her lips contort forming shapes and words and his eyes widened, his mouth agape. Katara giggled at the avatar, the strongest man reduced to looking like a 10 year old boy in seconds. "Do you mean that?" Aang nearly stuttered. Katara would normally feel endangered by the question, vulnerable but not anymore, she knows. She is sure. She thought back to aunt Wu's predictions and how that day feels so out of reach but so close in sight. "I did and do" Katara admitted, smiling up at the man she had grown to love, she believes actions speak louder than words so she kissed him with everything she has, she palms the back of his neck dragging him down to her before lunging her legs around his waist. Aang embraces Katara's movement, they persevere their lips frantically dancing with one another. It felt so right, they had always made a great team. They are used to working together, moving together and bending together however this time sparks were flying around them instead of air and water.
Katara releases her grip and loosely dangles her wrists either side of his shoulders as she pecks him lightly, face to face, chest to chest and heart to heart. They could feel each other's heart thumping through their embrace as they pant slightly trying to make up for lost oxygen. They connect foreheads and each other's breath washes over them.
"I love you too, Katara. I've loved you for a long time. It's always been you, I've known since I met you. I'd do anything for you. I've always chosen you, when I was trying to unlock my chakras I couldn't let you go. I couldn't reach enlightenment due to my love and attachment to you and I didn't mind because I didn't need enlightenment when you were my light, loving you wasn't a mistake then and isn't now. You've made me the man and avatar I am today and I'm so grateful for you. You really helped me see the world for what it could be, I never thought of the possibilities. It felt wrong when Zuko proposed for Fire nation  colonies to merge with the Earth owned land but it was thanks to you, my love for you that made me see I was blind before you, blindly running away but now I'm here, with you and I never want that to change. Katara I've loved you for years and I'm never going to stop." Kataras eyes pooled with tears she'd never felt so special or seen, this time one escaped. Aang kissed the run away tear and Katara flashed her pearly whites as she smiled wholeheartedly.
"I know I should be giving you a  betrothal necklace...  but I don't want to replace your mothers necklace, I know how important it is to you, feeling close to your mother, so instead I've got you these I hope you like them..." Aang air bends and there suddenly floating between them, something. small. metal maybe . Aangs blushes feeling exposed. He slowly releases Katara's waist, she unwinds her legs freeing him, suddenly she felt so small separated, needing to adjust back to her own height.
Still in between them the floating mystery. Katara stares in a trance, the small pieces dancing in the air, she is being teleported through time she takes a trip down memory lane.
She is tied up to a giant statue of avatar Kyoshi, alongside Sokka "Aang do some air bending" she hears her own voice echo in her head and he, the last airbender demonstrates his power by showing off his marbles.
Katara reaches upward and Aang grabs her hand and raises it palm up, he drops the trinkets into her palm. Their future is in her palms much like that day at aunt Wu's. She closed her hand and looks up at Aang expectantly she slightly raises an eyebrow waiting for an explanation, as she retracts her hand and inspects. Aang confesses "they're hair loopies, there are multiple sets. I uh" he scratches the back of his neck "couldn't decide so I made you quite a few" he smiled sheepishly " they have  our initials on a pair, our elements on another and your favourite flower on another. I drove toph crazy making them." He paused as katara took a closer look. She smiled and loved the idea Toph was involved in something so romantic, she wondered  how he convinced her. She imagined Aang pestering her relentlessly until she caved.
Precious.
He admired  her relaxed face fill with emotion and that is when he asked the question that would change their lives. "Katara will you go penguin sledding with me, as my wife?"
And just like that the end of their childhood together, and the beginning of their future of adventures together.