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“Are we there yet?”
Bumi asked for the thousandth time from where he was starfished on the back of Appa.
“No.” Aang sighed, facing the endless icy ocean in front of them.
“We're getting close, though.” Katara hummed, her fingers running through Kya’s hair. The girl was sleeping against her mother with a blanket pulled over her. The air around them had long grown chilly. Tenzin was curled up against his mothers chest, extra bundled in a coat.
Bumi sat up while rubbing his eye, “Why is the South Pole so far away?”
Aang let out a quiet chuckle at that. Despite the burden from the journey and life in general, his oldest could always pull a laugh. It had been awhile since they visited Katara’s home. Republic City was up and running, but it was rare when both the Avatar and one of the head founders could leave at the same time. Plus, with the recent influx of refugees from an Earth Kingdom famine, the couple had been barely able to breath.
He glanced back at his wife. She had nodded off a few times during the trip, but a subtle exhaustion clung to her. Aang’s heart panged. Between the kids and Council matters, the two had barely been able to spend time together recently.
Appa let out a low groan, flying lower to the ocean. Aang reached down and patted the bison between the horns, “Almost there, buddy.”
It wasn’t long before the Southern Water Tribe’s silhouette came into view. Thanks to Sokka, Katara, Hakoda, and the Northern Tribe’s effort, the tribe had grown from its tiny ice patch to a thriving village. Smoke billowed out of chimneys they flew over. People wandered the streets, with young children pointing out the bison overhead with excitement. The port was lively with trade ships and merchants.
“Finally!” Bumi gasped as he scrambled over the saddle's ledge and onto Appa’s head beside his father.
The boy knocked into Aang, who had to catch himself on the bison’s horn, “Careful!”
Katara snickered from where she sat. When she did, Kya’s eyes blinked open. She slowly sat up and let out a big yawn. “We’re here?”
“Yes.” Aang spoke with relief as he pulled Appa down to land. He kept a hand on Bumi’s shoulder to make sure the boy wouldn’t launch himself off before they even touched down.
The bison descended in front of the largest igloo, which was on the edge of the village. Hakoda was already standing out front. The moment Appa was still, Bumi launched himself over the edge with a wide grin,
“Grampy!”
“Hey there, champ.” The Chieftain grunted with a laugh as his grandson crashed into him for a laugh.
Aang could only shake his head with a smile as he airbended himself down. He turned back and grabbed Kya from Katara, setting her on the ground. The girl had a similar reaction to her brother, running to give Hakoda a hug. Finally, Aang reached out and helped ease her onto the ground. Tenzin was still asleep, but roused at the movement. He yawned and tried to snuggle closer to Katara. Aang watched with a warm feeling in his chest.
“Grampy! Grampy, I can make ice now!” Kya was bouncing in front of her grandfather. She lifted her hands and let out a breath of focus. Within a moment, the snow around Bumi’s feet solidified.
“Hey!” He cried out.
Hokada chuckled, ruffling her hair, “Pretty soon you’ll be a master, like your mother.”
“Uncle Sokka told me to say hi for him!” Bumi suddenly blurted with clenched fists, wanting to steal the attention back from his sister.
The Chieftain stood straight again, “Did he, now?” He looked to where the parents were approaching.
“He really wanted to come, Dad.” Katara grimaced. “But, some Council issues came up that he needed to tend to.”
“I understand. Duty calls.”
Finally, Tenzin’s head popped up with a sudden deep breath. He rubbed his face before turning to look at the new voice. His face lit up, “Grampy!”
“Ah, there’s the little squirt!” Hakoda stepped forward. He made an exaggerated grunt as Katara passed the toddler over. Tenzin giggled.
“I’m surprised he remembers me. He must have grown at least an inch since I last saw him.” He commented while tickling the squealing boy. Before either Aang or Katara could respond, he scolded, “And why aren’t these kids wearing heavier clothes? Come on, I have furs inside.”
He led Kya and Bumi inside while still holding Tenzin. Katara and Aang glanced at each other before laughing.
Dinner that night was a lovely chaos. Kya and Bumi kept talking over each other, trying to gain more of their grandpa’s attention than the other. It was, literally, blown off course when Tenzin sent his bowl flying with a gust of wind. While Aang cleaned it up with waterbending and tried to settle the kids enough to finish eating, Katara talked to her father on updates about Republic City.
Aang watched her quietly for a long moment, the bowl forgotten in his hands. The way her smile was tired, but easier when she was around family. Coming to the Southern Water Tribe always lifted her spirits. They loved Republic City, but there's no place like your birth home. She seemed to glow amongst the snow and blue. Aang’s heart swelled as he watched her chuckle softly, before he was knocked out of his thoughts by another blast of wind to the face. All the children busted out laughing.
Once night had overtaken, Aang and Katara had attempted to put the kids to bed, but they were too buzzed with energy. Just as Katara was getting frustrated, Hakoda stepped in,
“I can handle them for a bit.” He sat around the fire with Tenzin in his lap, the other two perched nearby. “I’ll tell them some stories. You two go relax.”
Katara considered for a moment. She looked at their pleading faces before sighing, “Fine… but nothing graphic, Dad.” She gave a pointed look.
“Of course.” Hakoda nodded. Though, as soon as the parents walked into the other room, he grinned, “So, there we were, the Day of Black Sun…”
Inside their bedroom, Katara was facing the side table. She pulled some scrolls out of her bag. These were plans for future Southern Water Tribe development that Sokka asked her to bring. Her focused gaze scanned them, not planning to rest any time soon.
Aang watched her for a long breath. Always determined to move forward, she was. One of the many, many things he loved about her. Though, he wished that sometimes she would just let go and decompress, even just for a day or two.
Katara sucked in a deep breath as Aang came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her torso. He leaned his head down, his lips pressing down her neck and collar bone. The contrast of his warm lips and the cool air caused her to release the breath a bit more shaky than she would like to admit. His hands drifted up and down her sides in a lazy motion, just barely grazing under her shirt.
“Aang…” She warned with no real bite behind it. Her head tilted back as she leaned into him, eyes closing. His kisses dragged from her shoulder, up her neck, and around her ear. He leaned in close. She knew where this was going.
“...Will you penguin sledding with me?” He muttered against the shell of her ear.
Katara’s eyes snapped open. Her head turned sharply towards him, “What?”
He pulled back with an shit-eating grin, “Do you want to go penguin sledding with him?”
“I know what you said, jerk.” Katara turned in his grip and pressed a hand to his chest. She glared at him for a long moment before deflating, “Aang, we’re way too old. And the kids-”
“-are fine. They have their grandpa.” Aang respectfully cut off. “And you’re never too old to have fun!” He just really wanted to get some alone time with her. Katara was always so busy, and it hurt his heart for her. It was time to loosen up again, like old times. She deserved it for everything she did.
He grabbed her coat from the chair near them and held it out, “Come on. For me?” He gave her a dramatic, pleading look.
Katara thought for a few seconds, glancing between the coat and the curtain of fur that separated them from the room where the rest were. Finally, with a tiny smile, she took her coat. Aang practically jumped with joy, hurrying to grab his own coat and gloves. Just as Katara was about to walk out of the doorway, Aang held out his hands,
“Wait, wait! We have to go out this way.” With a pull of his hands, the snowy walls of the home opened up to the outside.
“What?” Katara stared at him with utter confusion.
He made his way to the new exit, “If we go out that way, the kids will see us! Now, hurry!”
She let out a disbelieving laugh, though still followed. As soon as she was close, Aang grabbed her hand and pulled her into the night. He waterbended the wall close, and booked it. Katara gasped as he hauled her along. He ducked under the windows where the kids could see, prompting her to do the same. Once they were in the clear, it was a full sprint out of the village.
The moon was full, lighting up the sky, along with the stars. The snow practically shined. Their lungs burned, breath coming out in foggy puffs. Katara continued to let out incredulous laughs, stumbling after her crazy husband. Two full grown adults, war veterans, and political figures- sneaking off like a couple of teenagers.
Aang suddenly let go of her hand as they came to a downward slope. His hands shot out, and within moments, he was waterbending down the hill. The ice created a path before him, allowing him to skate down with a whoop. Katara blinked before jumping to follow. In a few seconds, she was skating next to him. The wind whipped at her hair, arms out to command the movements of the snow. Aang's eyes were latched onto her, admiring the way she so easily moved with her element. They came to the end of the hill. She glanced at him before smirking.
“What-”
Aang tried to ask as he smacked head on into a wall of snow she had formed at the bottom. Katara started cracking up, coming to a stop and crouching to catch her breath. He pulled himself out of the snow, airbending it off with a fake look of annoyance. She gasped, looking up at his face before snorting again.
“You still have a little-” She pointed to her own cheek.
Aang rubbed at his face with a chuckle. He opened his mouth to speak just as a loud squawk was heard nearby. He perked up and grabbed her hand again, dragging Katara along before diving behind a snow hill. They peaked over to observe the colony of otter-penguins.
“So, what's the plan?” Katara looked at him with a smug expression. He totally forgot the fish-
Aang was holding up two fish with a sly smile. Her face dropped, “Where did you get those?”
“Nabbed them from a fish stall we passed on the way here.” He shrugged. She glared at him for a second before he quickly clarified, “I tossed some coin! So judgy. If I remember correctly, it was a certain someone who stole a waterbending way back.” He teased.
“It was pirateering, actually.” She informed while snatching one of the fish.
“Whatever you say, my love.”
Aang hopped up and made his way to the herd. Katara followed. They held out the fish, and before long, two came wandering along. The couple led the animals back up the hill. Once at the top, they gave the fish and climbed on.
“Bet I can beat you to the bottom.” Aang hummed.
“In your dreams.” Katara grinned before pointing at him, “And no airbending!”
“Aw.” He whined before taking off.
She gasped, “Hey!”
Her penguin followed right behind. Snow kicked up into the air, creating a trail behind the two. As they picked up speed, the cold air roared through their clothes. Katara beamed, blood pumping through her veins as her hairs flew in her face. She naturally leaned along with the penguin as it twisted and turned through the slopes and crevices. For once, the weight of everything seemed to lift. Only the night sky and the cold air existed at this moment.
To Aang, only Katara existed.
The smile that painted her face was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. The light of the moon reflected in her ocean blue eyes, causing them to sparkle enchantingly. Her laugh was intoxicating, sounding exactly like it did all those years ago. He couldn’t look away as they ripped through the snowy landscape.
They came to the end of the hill. The penguins slowed and then stopped. Katara stood and patted the otter penguin on the head, who gave a squawk in return. Before Aang could even stand, the penguin straightened and knocked him onto his butt. His wife covered her mouth as she snickered.
Her giggles were met with a snowball to the face. She gasped, slowly turning towards him.
“Hey-!” He cried as a tidal wave of snow came crashing over him.
In just a few seconds, only his limbs were sticking out. Katara’s giggles broke out into full laughter. Aang sucked in a sharp breath and blew out, airbending the pile away and scattering the snow. He then created a waterstream, bringing it in front of himself.
“You’re getting it now.”
Katara lit up at the challenge, “You’re on.”
He tried to crack the water whip at her legs, but she brought up a wall to deflect it. Within moments, the two were in a dance, throwing and deflecting shots. None of it was serious, just a familiar push and pull of their intertwining energies. Aang was bringing up another wave when he felt something cold wrap around his leg. His eyes shot wide as he was lifted into the air, dangling upside down by the ankle. Katara had her hands up with a satisfied countenance .
“No fair.” He huffed, arms dangling down.
“Should have paid more attention.” She teased.
“Was busy looking at you.” Aang smirked at her sudden blush. “Now, can you let me down?”
Katara turned away in an attempt to hide her red face, crossing her arms, “What do you say?”
“Please?” He exaggerated the end.
She flicked a hand over her shoulder, and he dropped onto his shoulders with an ‘oof’. Before she could turn, though, Aang vaulted up and raced to her. His arms locked around her and spun. She shouted a protest as he went down, landing on his back with her on top. The snow kicked up around them.
His eyes opened to see her staring back down with a playfully annoyed gaze. The moon was directly above her head, emphasizing the shadows of her face and glimmer of her eyes. The breath left Aang’s chest. His hand came up to tenderly brush back a strand of hair that had fallen into her face. It slid to the back of her head. Their heavy breaths intermingled for a moment before he leaned up and crashed his lips against hers.
Katara blinked with surprise before kissing back, pressing him deeper into the snow. It was only a moment before Aang pulled back, continuing to stare at her with absolute admiration. Finally, he muttered,
“How did I get so lucky?”
She smiled softly, “By being you.”
The woman rolled off of him in favor of snuggling into his side. Her head rested on his chest as they watched the stars in the sky for a long minute. His arms remained locked around her. His hands wandered to find hers, grabbing them and tugging them to his face.
“You’re cold.” He whispered to himself, rubbing their gloves together. Before Katara could brush off the concern, he was breathing out the softest breath of fire. After a few blows, her hands were nice and toasty. He continued the warmed breathing, keeping the two of them from freezing in the snow.
Katara sighed from the warmth, “What would I do without you?”
“Incredible things.” He answered without missing a beat, causing her to freeze in surprise. He simpered, “As for me, I would still be stuck in an iceberg. So thank you for being with me, Katara.”
She snorted, but still blushed at the honesty of his words while curling tighter against his chest. He kissed the top of her head. Her body was at ease against him, and it caused his smile to widen just a bit more. Finally, it was just them, without the rest of the world watching.
“I miss this.” Katara murmured after there was a long stretch of silence.
“Me too.”
Far were the days where it was just their little group traveling the world, fighting to end the war. The conflict needed to end, and Aang is so unbelievably glad it did, but at times, during chaotic moments between politics and family matters, he wishes he could go back. There was a certain freedom they had then that they couldn’t obtain now. The freedom to just be. Now, everyone was simply too busy. Zuko had a daughter and was Fire Lord. Toph had her daughters and was Chief of Police. Sokka and Suki were still trying to have kids, and each had their leadership roles. They all tried to meet up as much as possible, but it was hard.
Aang’s hand absently rubbed up and down Katara’s arm. He glanced down at her, remembering all the time that had passed from when he first woke up out of the iceberg to now. Every laugh, every tear, every scream, every victory.
Yeah, it was all worth it to be with her.
“When the kids get a bit older, we should all take a trip. The six of us. Like old times.” He hummed.
Katara let out a breathy sigh, “I doubt it would work.”
“Why not try though? It doesn’t have to be long. Just a few days of camping somewhere.” Aang pushed.
Katara bobbed her head for a moment before conceding, “Yeah… doesn't hurt to try.”
The two stayed there for a long time, keeping warm due to Aang’s subtle firebending. He had almost nodded off when she nudged him, “Come on… we should head back before we accidentally freeze.”
“Eh, I could just trap us in another iceberg.” He shrugged, but still sent a gust of wind to pick them up off the ground. When they were on their feet, he brushed the snow from her hair before cupping her face. He stared deeply into her eyes for a few moments before whispering, raw and from the heart,
“I love you, Katara. So much that it feels like it's bursting from my chest. You're so beautiful, and powerful, and kind, and smart- I could go on forever. Please, never forget that. Even when it all feels dull and too much at the same time. Even when I’m being dumb and asking you to go penguin sledding.”
She listened with wide eyes that slowly grew watery. The warmth she felt for him from their first shared look surged again with renewed strength. As soon as he finished, her arms came around his neck and she kissed him desperately. The boy she had fallen in love with continued to win her heart every day, over and over.
“I love you too, Aang. I will always go penguin sledding with you.”