Chapter Text
“I’m tired of this, Katara.”
“I’m tired of the dishes, Aang.”
“I did them last week.”
“Congratulations. Can you cook?”
Summer heat warmed the Western Air Temple. Inverted pagodas hung like icicles above vine-covered statues carved into the rockface. Once, five years ago, Katara and her found family hid here from Fire Lord Ozai. Three years later, Aang and Katara had made it their home.
During one of Aang’s many spirit quests, Katara found a circular meditation room. She covered with walls with Water Tribe cloth and made a small bed of white furs in the corner. When Aang returned, he kissed her and said everything in the room was beautiful.
Katara sighed. That was a long time ago. The blue wall hangings were shoved into sacks, left the walls bare in the morning light. It was the only thing Katara managed to pack. There were still clothes, scrolls, trinkets, and a small box of dried seal jerky and sea prunes. Though she had lovingly made the wooden chair, table, and clay washbasin, Katara would leave them behind. Aang joked the room had everything she needed, except for him. And on one bitter night, yelled that she liked it that way. Katara closed her eyes and tried to forget their latest, their last, fight in this room.
“I can make lemongrass tofu.”
“I need more than lemongrass tofu and two nights of clean dishes!”
“You’re losing your temper. Again.”
“I have a right to!”
Katara caught her reflection in the small, whalebone wall mirror. Nineteen, fresh out of a five-year relationship. Bags under her eyes, hair full of snarls. The off-color yellow robes made her look sick. She really needed to do laundry. And take a bath. But she was exhausted. She sat down on a chair. Too tired to do, or feel, much of anything. Even anger, which had coursed through her last night.
“You have the right to be angry? I’ve been waiting six years to marry you.”
“What? Is this how you get out of the dishes? Whining that you weren’t engaged at thirteen?”
“I always wanted to spend my life with you. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
A sudden ache for her airbending best friend almost stopped her heart. Their time here had been more than just fights. He would show her animals and make little trinkets. She taught him Water Tribe dances and stories. Katara rested her head against the cool stone. Aang was sweet, kind, wise, funny, and…gone.
“You told me you didn’t mind waiting. Countless times.”
“I don’t.”
“Then what is this about?”
“Katara, I saw you find the necklace.”
“…what necklace?”
Katara traced stone cracks in the floor with her feet. What if, somehow, they had met now? Or waited? Could they have worked?
“Katara!” A scream came from the other side of the whitewashed door; it slammed open. In ran Sokka, wolf tail bobbing, blue eyes brimming with tears.
“Sokka?” Katara said, bewildered, standing up. “It’s good to see you, but-oof!” The strength of Sokka’s hug forced the air out of her lungs.
“Hug out the pain.” Sokka tightened his embrace. He smelled like a wine bar.
“What are you talking about?” asked Katara, hearing the unconvincing pitch in her voice. But they couldn’t already know …could they?
“You’ll hug everything out at that rate,” Suki said, smiling. Katara had hardly noticed the Kyoshi warrior sweep into the temple. Off duty, she wore a simple dark green dress with gold fans shoved into the waistband. “Come on, sweetheart,” said Suki, ruffling her boyfriend’s hair. “Ease off.”
Sokka lessened his grip on Katara, but did not let go.
“Guys,” said Katara. “It’s so good to see you, but this isn’t the best time. Maybe later ?”
With swiftness, Sokka pulled back, looked his little sister in the eye, and glared.
“No.”
“No?” Katara asked, more than a little baffled. Her brother didn’t exactly agree with her all the time, but he respected her boundaries. Mostly. “But I’ve got a lot of work to do if you come back later we can-
“Katara,” Suki said as she pulled Sokka off. “Aang came straight to Kyoshi Island and told us everything. He gave us Appa so we could check on you.”
Katara grumbled. Of course, she didn’t even get to tell her own brother about the breakup. And she couldn’t even be mad about it because Aang was being thoughtful. Spirits, she hated breaking up with the Avatar.
Suki started to gather up the bowls on the table. Katara, with embarrassment, noticed the number of dishes scattered around her room. Sokka tried, and failed, to roll up her bed of furs.
“How is he?” Katara asked, walking to the table to help Suki.
“Rough,” said Suki. She swatted Katara’s hand away. “But the warriors are looking after him. Until the reinforcements arrive.”
“Reinforcements?” asked Katara.
“He wanted us to know this wouldn’t break up our family!” Sokka threw his around Suki who, ever graceful, didn’t drop the stack of bowls she held. “We are forever brothers.”
“They had a lot of plum wine,” said Suki as Sokka buried his face into her chest.
“Yeah.” Katara sat back down in the wooden chair, defeated. “I could guess.”
“Right!” Sokka shoved himself upright. “But we’re here for you, Katara. I love you, you’ll get through this, I’ll get the plum wine, my forever brother is terrible!” And with that, Sokka sprinted out of the room.
“You don’t have to do all this,” Katara tried as Suki picked up some spoons off the floor. “I can handle it. Maybe we can meet up after I move out?”
“Okay,” Suki said, putting the utensils in the washbasin. “You give me one hug; if you want us to go, we’ll go. I’ll drag Sokka out myself.”
“Really?”
“Really. But it’s got to be a good one.”
Suki pulled Katara into her arms, smelling like pine trees and perfume.
“I’m just not ready. We talked about this.”
“Did we talk? Or did you just decide?”
“I get to decide, Aang.”
“…what about destiny? You’re my best friend. My forever girl.”
For the first time since they broke each other’s hearts, Katara let herself cry.