Kataang Week: Day Four!
I KIND OF LIKE THIS ONE. <33333
Prompt: Butterflies
As much as he liked kissing (and he had to admit, he really liked it), he knew that staying out too long would lead to someone walking in on them; and the thought of that, coupled with the jokes and questions that would follow, caused him to blush. Pulling back, reluctant and missing the warmth of her lips, he smiled at her gently. Her eyes sparkled--what was it he saw, floating deep within those orbs?--and she nuzzled his cheek.
“We should go back in,” he whispered. His stomach began to flip-flop as she held him closer.
Katara mumbled a quiet, “Just a few more minutes,” and sighed happily.
He held his breath. When would the anxiety leave? The butterflies raging in his gut made it hard to concentrate. The smell of her hair (like the air at the ocean) invaded his nose, and he bit his lip. What he wouldn’t give to just kiss her again…. Finally, Aang murmured, “I… I love you.”
There was a gasp. The girl in his arms stiffened, and he feared he’d done something wrong. Maybe he’d confessed too soon? What else was he supposed to say, though? “K-Katara?” he urged, voice shaky.
“I… Aang, I,” she stuttered, stepping away, “I really care about you… and--” Her eyes shifted toward the ground, her cheeks reddening. “--I want to be with you.”
His stomach knotted, and he held back the question begging to be asked: Don’t you love me? Closing his eyes, he forced a smile. “I’m sorry. I should have… waited. Just a little bit at a time, right?” He glanced up at her; she was still avoiding his gaze. “I want to be with you, too. If you’d like, I could… uh, hold back on saying things like that--until you’re ready, anyway.” (would she ever be ready?)
With a chuckle, he turned back to look out at the sky, the purples darkening and the sun nothing but a small sliver. One step forward, three steps back. Just like always. He wondered… was it really such a bad thing to confess? He had been sure, so sure, that she felt the same way. He would never have kissed her if he hadn’t had even an inkling (and she’d denied him once for it, hadn’t she?). And her kiss! What did that mean, if not ‘I love you, too?’ A groan formed in the back of his throat.
Before he could arrange his thoughts and attempt conversation, two hands snaked around him from behind. He froze. Katara wedged against him, burying her face into his shoulder, grip tightening. A slow exhale, and then he questioned, “Katara, what are you--”
“I love you, too, Aang.”
His heart nearly jumped out of his chest. Face burning, he tried to make sense of the situation. Just a moment ago, she had been weary of the words. Now, she…. “Don’t,” he chided, “say that just to make me feel better.”
One hand glided over his chest. Her nose brushed against his neck. “I’m not. I just… love is such a powerful, scary thing,” explained the waterbender weakly. “But I think… it would be better if we faced this together, don’t you?”
“You really mean that? Together?”
He shuddered as her lips suddenly brushed against his ear. “Yes, I do.” Fingers trailed his chin, and she turned his face toward her (it felt a little awkward, but his mind and stomach were currently blocking almost every thought).
“Katara….” Aang was shocked at the longing in his voice, the need spilling from every syllable. “I love you,” he repeated with more intensity.
Her reply was another kiss.
(How easy it is to lose track of time when you’re in love.)
AAAAAAAAAAND... I FORGOT HIS NECKLACE. DANG.
Prompt: Butterflies
As much as he liked kissing (and he had to admit, he really liked it), he knew that staying out too long would lead to someone walking in on them; and the thought of that, coupled with the jokes and questions that would follow, caused him to blush. Pulling back, reluctant and missing the warmth of her lips, he smiled at her gently. Her eyes sparkled--what was it he saw, floating deep within those orbs?--and she nuzzled his cheek.
“We should go back in,” he whispered. His stomach began to flip-flop as she held him closer.
Katara mumbled a quiet, “Just a few more minutes,” and sighed happily.
He held his breath. When would the anxiety leave? The butterflies raging in his gut made it hard to concentrate. The smell of her hair (like the air at the ocean) invaded his nose, and he bit his lip. What he wouldn’t give to just kiss her again…. Finally, Aang murmured, “I… I love you.”
There was a gasp. The girl in his arms stiffened, and he feared he’d done something wrong. Maybe he’d confessed too soon? What else was he supposed to say, though? “K-Katara?” he urged, voice shaky.
“I… Aang, I,” she stuttered, stepping away, “I really care about you… and--” Her eyes shifted toward the ground, her cheeks reddening. “--I want to be with you.”
His stomach knotted, and he held back the question begging to be asked: Don’t you love me? Closing his eyes, he forced a smile. “I’m sorry. I should have… waited. Just a little bit at a time, right?” He glanced up at her; she was still avoiding his gaze. “I want to be with you, too. If you’d like, I could… uh, hold back on saying things like that--until you’re ready, anyway.” (would she ever be ready?)
With a chuckle, he turned back to look out at the sky, the purples darkening and the sun nothing but a small sliver. One step forward, three steps back. Just like always. He wondered… was it really such a bad thing to confess? He had been sure, so sure, that she felt the same way. He would never have kissed her if he hadn’t had even an inkling (and she’d denied him once for it, hadn’t she?). And her kiss! What did that mean, if not ‘I love you, too?’ A groan formed in the back of his throat.
Before he could arrange his thoughts and attempt conversation, two hands snaked around him from behind. He froze. Katara wedged against him, burying her face into his shoulder, grip tightening. A slow exhale, and then he questioned, “Katara, what are you--”
“I love you, too, Aang.”
His heart nearly jumped out of his chest. Face burning, he tried to make sense of the situation. Just a moment ago, she had been weary of the words. Now, she…. “Don’t,” he chided, “say that just to make me feel better.”
One hand glided over his chest. Her nose brushed against his neck. “I’m not. I just… love is such a powerful, scary thing,” explained the waterbender weakly. “But I think… it would be better if we faced this together, don’t you?”
“You really mean that? Together?”
He shuddered as her lips suddenly brushed against his ear. “Yes, I do.” Fingers trailed his chin, and she turned his face toward her (it felt a little awkward, but his mind and stomach were currently blocking almost every thought).
“Katara….” Aang was shocked at the longing in his voice, the need spilling from every syllable. “I love you,” he repeated with more intensity.
Her reply was another kiss.
(How easy it is to lose track of time when you’re in love.)
AAAAAAAAAAND... I FORGOT HIS NECKLACE. DANG.