Coming Together

The Aftermath

Morning came very quick for her. The dreamless sleep hadn't exactly refreshed her brain. It put it on pause, more or less. Her opening statement to herself was an internal barrage of insults and she twisted in the sheets. Aang had tried to comfort her the previous night and it did help a little. But Katara was and always had been her own worst enemy. She lay in the morning light and watched the clouds pass by, praying for the strength to forgive herself eventually.

She sighed and sat up in her bed, letting the sheets fall off her body. It was true that Fei ZhiZhu was the true monster in this case, but she had lowered herself down to his level, letting an angry, vengeful beast take over. And for that, she needed to pay some consequence. At least, she believed she did.

Actually getting out of bed was harder than she thought. She felt like a rock was in her stomach and her limbs felt tired from the whole ordeal. What finally got her out of bed was a knock at her front door.

She slipped onto the floor and made her way to the door, cracking it open.

"Morning." Aang said with a patient smile. Her lips pulled up just the slightest and she let him in. He flashed a toothy grin and closed the door behind him.

"Get dressed, we have a full day today." He said with pent up excitement.

"What do you mean?"

"You and I are going to do some waterbending practice."

She shook her head.

"Aang, I really don't feel like bending today."

"And that's why you're going to do this."

She put her hands on her hips.

"Aang, you can't make me."

"I can try. I'll dress you myself if I have to." He said and she blushed looking away from him. She huffed and dropped her arms.

"Fine, wait here."

He nodded and smiled triumphantly.

She didn't take long. The hottest days were dwindling down and today felt much cooler than the previous week had. She dressed accordingly; leggings, short sleeve tunic and her hair in a braid. She came out and was wrapping her forearms with a navy cloth.

"Much better." Aang said and smiled. "Not that I don't love seeing you in your little night gown." He added, trying to lighten her mood. He made them both blush in the process and he cleared his throat. He stepped over to her and pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her. She encircled him and exhaled into his robes as he kissed her hair.

"Trust me," he said in a softer and more serious tone. "I know this will be good."

The ride on the ferry was quiet. He held her hand and rubbed her hand with his thumb. It calmed her a little and helped her feel less horrible.

Once on the island Aang took her off the path and around the cliffs where there was a small part of a beach just big enough for both of them. He let go of her hand and walked to the top curvature of the water, the most inland part, and took off his shoes and rolled up his pants. Katara took her cue and slipped her leggings off with her shoes and set them aside, feeling the warm sand between her toes. Aang went into the water to about Mid-thigh and she came after him, the bottoms of her tunic in the water.