Sea and Sky

Chapter 18: The Weight of Promises

Sea and Sky

Chapter 18: The Weight of Promises

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If there was anything she found relaxing, it was the ocean side. Or really, being next to any body of water.

The moment she'd heard Aang's words - Me. You. The beach. Let's go. She'd had no hesitation is removing herself from the overly crowded and stuffy banquet hall. As they'd made their escape, Aang had stolen two wine-skins and and a platter of food. He wasn't quite sure what was on the platter, but figured they'd find out once on the beach.

As the pair ran towards the beach and up the gravel path, they exchanged excited glances. Juggling the wine-skins and food platter, Aang propelled himself through the air with swift currents, launching himself in the air and over Katara's head. Letting out a laugh, Katara hitched the tunic up around her legs and gave chase.

No matter how much ground she gained, she was left in the settling dust of Aang's bending. Breathing deeply, Katara inhaled the salty air and luxuriated against the feel of the cool breeze on her face. The sun melted into the horizon, casting splashes of orange and violet over the seascape.

Tossing the wine skins and food platter onto the sand, Aang looped the leather strap of tsugi horn over his head and dropped it too onto the sand, a satisfied look on his face.

"Why did you take the tsugi horn too?" Katara questioned as she shrugged out of her tunic, spreading the silk garment over the sand to create a place for them to sit.

Shrugging his shoulders, Aang really didn't have a good answer. "Seemed like the best decision at the time. The musician just left it there, so why not?"

Katara laughed as she kicked off her sandals and sunk down to the sandy shore, reaching for a one of the wine-skins. Uncapping the skin, she took several deep swallows of the liquid. Warmth spread over her body as the wine took hold of her, the worries plaguing her mind fading.

Sitting down next to her, Aang looped an arm over her shoulders and pulled her closed. Offering him the skin, Katara settled into his embrace as he took a few small swigs of the wine. While normally wouldn't consume alcohol, he wanted than nothing more than to escape his current reality.

Stomach growling with hunger, Katara ducked out of Aang's embrace and inspected the platter of food. Several items lay on the plate, semi-disturbed from their hasty escape to the shore. The small bits of food looked unfamiliar to Katara and looked like things only the elite of society would eat. Taking one of the bits into her hand, she popped it into her mouth. She'd expected the still steaming bun to be filled with pork, but it was filled with a creamy vegetable mixture.

"I think most of these are vegetarian. Good choice. You should be able to eat most of this too."

Tossing the empty wine-skin onto the sand, Aang scooted closer to her and inspected the platter. His mind was on anything other than food at the moment. Pushing the platter away, Aang pulled Katra down to lay next to him. As their eyes locked, Aang wound his fingers into her hair and placed a deep kiss onto her lips.

Letting out a soft moan, Katara melted into his embrace and wrapped her arms around his chest. Pushing herself closer to him, she slipped her hands under his tunic and nudged the fabric up and over his head. His hands roamed over her body, sending tingles up her spine.

She wanted him as he wanted her, but something told her to wait. They would come back to that eventually, but she wanted to savor their time on the beach. Pulling away from him, Katara placed a small kiss on his lips before sitting up.

Taking her cues, Aang was able to gauge that she wasn't quite ready for them to come together in that way just yet. Shaking his head, he tried to clear his mind of longing and desire. He wanted to just be with her, regardless if they joined in intercourse or not. Just being next to her, alone, without interruptions, was enough in that moment.