You are Everything that I've Been Searching for ~ a Zukka Fanfic

Chapter Seventeen, Blackout

Chapter Seventeen, Blackout

Katara watched as Aang moved around the kitchen. He was putting things away and cleaning up the sink. If you didn't know Aang actually slept at the campus dorms you'd think Aang lived here, he was so at home at their apartment.

Aang caught Katara's eye and she looked away. She hadn't told him yet. But how were you supposed to tell your childhood friend they were your soulmate? None of the books or movies seemed to know. Sure, they had ideas about how such a confession should go, something dramatic, with lots of emotion, preferably in the pouring rain or in an airport terminal. But surprise surprise, that was not how it went in real life. In the movies the characters knew what they wanted, it was easy for them, simple. But in real life it was complicated, nothing was simple and it certainly wasn't easy.

Katara wanted to tell Aang, she really did. But she was so afraid. Afraid of what? She didn't know. Rejection? Ruining their friendship? What if she wasn't Aang's soulmate?

Katara knew she was overthinking it. The mark of the red string was usually a romantic soulmate mark, and it usually was the two same people. But that was the thing! It was usually the same two people and a romantic mark, but the thing about usually was that it did not mean always. Usually gave room for outliers, room for error and abnormality.

A movement startled Katara out of her thoughts. Aang had evidently finished whatever he had been doing in the kitchen and had come to sit down on the couch, opposite the end of Katara. Only a couple of feet away. He was so close but so far away. He picked up the remote and turned on the TV.

"Wanna catch up on Brooklyn-Nine-Nine, Katara?" he asked.

Katara nodded. "Sure," she said.

"Make sure you keep it down, Baldy!" came Sokka's voice from the kitchen table. "I'm trying to focus."

He was glaring at his computer while chewing on a pen anxiously. His hair was tied up into a messy ponytail and he was in his pyjama trousers. He was currently trying to finish an assignment that was driving him up the wall.

"Sure thing, Grumpy-pants," Aang replied.

"We'll turn on the subtitles," Katara suggested. And Aang nodded.

They had only gotten halfway through their episode when the TV shut off with a loud "BZZT" and the apartment was thrust into darkness. There was the sound of movement as Appa got up from the floor and started barking.

A couple minutes passed before Sokka's voice called out. "You guys okay?"

"Yup," Aang replied.

"Appa come here," Katara called.

Appa stopped barking with a reluctant final "Woof!" and she felt his fur brush past her as he jumped up onto the couch, his heavy head came to rest on her lap, giving her hand a small lick.

"Did you hear the sound it made?" Aang asked.

"Yeah, it was realy weird. Like a "Bzzshhoo!"," Sokka replied.

A small light beamed through the darkness. Sokka's phone flashlight.

"The circuits must have blown. I'm gonna go check it out." He said.

Katara watched as the light from the windows illuminated Sokka's long legs walking over to the door.

"Are you gonna put on a shirt? It's cold out there," she asked.

Sokka groaned and then disappeared into his room, he came out moments later with a sweater half on, hap-hazardly pulled over one shoulder. He called for Appa as he opened the door. Appa got off the couch and eagerly trotted over to Sokka.