No Time To...

Maturing

They flew through the day and into the night after a break to get dinner and appa was ready again. Katara napped during the day but took the reins again for the night when everyone else slept under the moon.

She could hear some rustling behind her but she paid no mind to whoever it was. She looked at the stars trying to find constellations through the thin clouds.

"Mind if I join you?" Aang asked quietly at the front of the saddle. She didn't respond and he crawled up next to her on the saddle.

"Can't sleep?" She sighed hugging her knees to her chest.

"I'm to antsy, kept tossing and turning," Aang smiled shyly.

"Been a while since I've flown this high," he looked over the edge missing his bison. Momo was out and slept in the center of the saddle behind.

"Do we really have to make conversation?" Katara asked flatly.

"I'd like too, I missed You a lot Katara, probably the most," Aang looked at her as she kept her eyes ahead.

"You know that means absolutely nothing to me right?" She narrowed her eyes.

"Does it mean anything when I say I'm still in love with You?" He offered taking his eyes off the master bender.

"I wouldn't believe you," Katara scoffed.

"I know we had something before and it's probably all gone now but I missed you, I missed being around you," Aang rubbed his head with a soft sigh.

"We were literally kids when we kissed Aang, it wasn't true love, we were teens," she looked at him scrunching up her nose.

"I know but I always felt something more for you, since I met you I knew you'd be my forever girl, I wouldn't feel the same for anyone else," he smiled sadly but the tension between them was heavier now.

"Say that was true, what do you imagine our future as? Say we became something more one day, where are we in the future?" Katara spat harshly at the hypothetical.

"We'd get married, travel for fun, start a family and have like three kids, maybe more, for air benders sake," Aang laughed thinking it was a silly future that probably wouldn't happen but he imagined what it would be like to have her as a wife.

Katara felt her throat tighten at the thought of being pregnant. She wrapped her arms around her stomach as tears welded her eyes.

"Please stay with me kat, breathe, please," Zuko sobbed holding her head to his chest as their baby's wailed, but everything was blurry, nothing made sense. She felt dizzy and tried to fight off the darkness that kept coming into her vision.

"Please love please don't give up, I'm here with you," he cried into her hair.

"I'm infertile," she whispered.

"What?" Aang was caught off guard.

"I can't get pregnant," she lied to keep herself from getting sicker at the thought of carrying a child again. She couldn't risk having triplets or twins again. One baby was one thing but any more than that she know she'd die.

"I-oh, how do you know?" Aang felt awkward for even bringing it up.

"I had a boyfriend, we weren't safe a lot and nothing ever happened," she continued with the lie.

"Do you think it could've been him or just like-" "no no, he has a family of his own now, I know it's me," she smiled shaking her head trying to seem like it was real for Aang to believe her.

"I'm sorry to hear that Katara, I know you wanted to be a mother, you'd be a good one too," Aang offered a soft smile for her but she looked down.

"Things change Aang, i don't want to just be someone's wife and to stay home with the kids, im powerful and I want to make a difference in peoples lives, I want to be more in the world, im a master water bender, not a trophy wife," Katara explained and he listened. He was disappointed knowing she was aiming to just rejecting him completely for his stupid ideas but he respected it.
She deserved to be recognized for her greatness.

"No ball and chain for you, I think you definitely made a difference in the world," he smiled.

"I did some horrible things, but it was sacrifices to be able to fight in the war," she crossed her arms tightly.

"And I don't think I can be with anyone right now Aang, after the war even I just, don't think we'd ever be anything more, so don't try convincing me other wise, I'm not confused I know I don't want anyone," Katara continued, unable to shut up it felt like.

"I understand... but you need to understand I'll wait for you too," Aang whispered.

"You shouldn't," she closed her eyes.

"Do you think we'll ever be friends again?" He asked quietly.

"Are You going to leave again?" She huffed.

"I don't know, I don't know where I'm going to be next week," Aang chuckled shaking his head.

This is a pointless conversation, it was giving her a headache.

"Since I might not see you next week though, can I ask why you were confused last time I saw you?" He continued trying to get rid of the awkward silence. It didn't help.

"You are talking about eight years ago when we were kids? Fuck Aang give it a rest," Katara groaned.

"Your meaner now," he pouted.

"No I grew up, we're adults, start acting like one and maybe we can have this conversation," she snapped and got up.

"You take the reins, I'm going to bed," she went to the back of the saddle as Aang sighed disappointed again.

He screwed that up badly, it was hard to talk to Katara again, it was a completely different person, but in his mind she was the Katara he knew and loved eight years ago but she was cold and distance and probably angry at him mostly but... he missed everyone growing up and he's still stuck in the past.