now or never || an atla fanfic

𝔲𝔫𝔢𝔵𝔭𝔢𝔠𝔱𝔢𝔡

Katara's eyes snapped open, disoriented by the unfamiliar layout of the tent. She sat up, placing her hand over her racing heart, taking deep breaths to calm herself. Cold sweat trickled down her neck; the nightmares persisted, despite being away from home. The princess fell back on her pillow, her body tired but her mind fully alert.

She turned to her left, where Toph was passed out on the cot. She sleeps like a dead log, she thought, the corners of her lips tugging upward.

The princess pulled her limp pillow over her face--falling back on her straw cot--which creaked under her weight. After groaning and tossing around on her cot for nearly half an hour, she accepted the fact that she couldn't go back to sleep.

Wide awake now, she slipped a robe over her nightdress and stepped outside her tent in the bitter night.

She saw a tall figure sitting in front of their makeshift campfire--truthfully, it was a kerosene lamp surrounded with rocks and sticks. 'For the full effect!' Sokka insisted earlier.

Aang stiffened at her presence, relaxing once he realized it was Katara. Her hair was lazily piled into a braid, the ghost of traveling and sleep deprivation visible on her face. Regardless, she radiated contentness, as if nothing bothered her at all.

She's clearly good at pretending that everything is fine. 

It was as if Aang was seeing a part of himself in another person.

"Couldn't sleep?" she asked, interrupting his thoughts as she took a seat across from him. It was much colder outside than Katara had anticipated, the sharp night air settling around them. It was well after midnight, and bright stars bloomed across the sky.

Aang shook his head. "I'm not used to the time zones here. The sun sets much earlier." His eyes were focused on the light beaming from their lamp. 

"Me neither," she agreed, extending her hand towards the lamp, hoping to feel the heat emanating from it.

"Are you cold?" he prompted, tearing his eyes away from the lamp, noting the goosebumps on her arms.

"Aren't you?" she returned, seeing that he only had a pair of sweatpants and a plain shirt.

He chuckled. "I'm not the one who's wearing a dress. Clearly those weren't made for camping in the forest," he added, eyeing the thin, cream-colored silk fabric of her robe.

She huffed, turning away.

"Sit with me," Aang offered, patting the spot on the log next to him.

Katara raised a brow, but didn't turn down his offer. She sat on the log next to him, instantly feeling warmer. Sighing in relief, she felt the warmth return to her body.

"Perks of being a firebender," he replied with a grin.

"You can use it to regulate your body temperature?" she asked, turning her head to him.

Aang nodded. "A trick Zuko taught me a while ago."

Katara couldn't help but lean against Aang's shoulder, her heart felt at ease with the heat radiating off of him. Hesitantly, he wrapped his arm around her, slowly running his fingers up and down her spine. His finger left a trail of goosebumps in its path, and she shivered at his touch.

"For Yangchen's sake, Katara, you ought to bring more clothes out here in the forest," Aang lectured. "I can practically hear your shivering."

The princess shoved Aang in response. "You heard nothing," she denied.

"Take my coat." He picked up his discarded coat and offered it to Katara. When she didn't take it, he took the lapels of the coat and wrapped it around her himself.