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Absolute Power	By : whirleeq Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > Het - Male/Female > Aang/Katara Views: 17982 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Disclaimer: Avatar, The Last Airbender belongs to Nick. I am making no money or profit off of this.
A/N: I really shouldn’t be starting another fic right now, let alone entering yet another fandom. But my muse is screaming at me to write an Aang/Katara fic, since there aren’t that many of them (And why is that? Bald is beautiful, people!), and I feel inspired by the obvious love between my favorite Avatar couple. Hopefully this story will help kick my muse back into gear and motivate me to update one of my other fics.
Also, fair warning: This fic will be a little dark, and Aang will probably be a little OOC at times. Simply because sometimes when I see Aang/Katara I for some reason, also see Anakin/Padme. Yes, I know I’m a freak – I’m the only one who looks at sweet little innocent Aang who represents all that is good and sees an undercurrent of darkness. But you know what they say about absolute power…
~*~
The rain came at them from all directions, making it very difficult for him to navigate the giant air bison. His grip on Appa’s reigns started to slip as the leather became more and more saturated with water with every minute that passed. He knew how dangerous it was for them to fly in this kind of weather from personal experience. In fact, the last time they were out in a storm of this magnitude, both Sokka and Katara ended up seriously ill. That thought weighed heavily on his mind as the young Avatar blinked his eyes frequently in an effort to keep them free of rain. It was becoming increasingly difficult to see, and he needed to be able to find someplace where they could safely land.
“Aang! Aang! We need to land, Aang. Katara and I are both soaked, and I don’t know how much more of this we can take.”
Sokka was shouting, yet his words barely penetrated the roar of the fierce winds and frequent thunder. Aang could only make out the words ‘Aang, land and Katara’. Was something wrong with Katara? He felt suddenly ill at the thought. “No,” he muttered under his breath, “I won’t let anything happen to her.”
It didn't even cross his mind as unusual that after he heard her name, he didn't give the others a passing thought.
His resolve to find a place to land soon doubled and the young avatar grimaced, pulling on Appa’s reigns in an attempt to encourage the great beast to go faster. Lightening lit up the sky only a few meters away from their location, renting the air and leaving a thunderous boom in its wake. Consequentially, the loud noise spooked poor Appa to the point where Aang lost control of him. All of a sudden, they were falling, dropping like anchors from the sky towards the water, and Aang’s eyes widened exponentially at the horrifying familiarity of the situation. He heard screams from behind him along with an inhuman shriek that he knew must have originated from Momo.
They were hurtling towards the water… fast… faster, he had no control over the giant air bison anymore, and in his terror, he recognized one of the screams piercing his ears as his own.
The last coherent thought that went through his head before he blacked out, still several meters above the fierce sea, was of Katara, and that he could not fail to protect her.
~*~
Some time later – it could have been hours or days, he honestly did not know – Aang woke with a gasp. Frantically, he rose to his feet, more than a bit confused. The last thing he remembered was that they were caught in a fierce storm, hurtling towards their doom in the icy seas below. Now… now he was lying on Sokka’s heavy cloak which had apparently been hastily thrown down upon the soft sand as temporary bedding for him. He cleared the sleep out of his eyes and blinked a couple of times, taking in his surroundings curiously. Appa was lying up against a natural sand dune, snoring loudly in his sleep. The great beast looked somewhat bedraggled but still very much alive, causing Aang to release a breath he hadn’t even realized that he’d been holding. Momo was curled up against Appa, looking a bit scruffy, yet content to be on dry land all the same. A small grin stole across Aang's face at the sight. Thank the gods that they were alright! Now, if only he could find…
“Sokka? Katara? Hey, where are you guys?”
When he didn’t receive an immediate answer, he rose to his feet, ignoring the burning pain that shot through his slight form at the movement. He felt overwhelmingly lethargic, which told him exactly what must have happened in order to bring them all to safety. The state of his body was a sure fire indication that his Avatar spirit had been invoked, thus draining him of energy in the process. Somehow, he had managed to get them to land, and for that he was grateful -- even if he had no recollection of how he had accomplished it.
On somewhat shaky legs, he walked a little ways down the beach, looking for any sign of the two siblings. They had to be here as well… someone had taken care of him, after all. Finally, he heard voices coming from just behind one of the dunes. Aang sped up into a soft jog, nearly desperate to catch up with them, to make sure that she… they were okay.
“Katara? Sokka? Finally... I was worried about you guys!” Aang said between pants when he saw them. His grin increased to the point where it was covering most of his face in relief. They were sitting around a small fire cooking what appeared to be some kind of fish. “Why… why are you all the way over here?” He asked, before plopping down next to Katara.
“Aang! You’re okay! I… uh, we were so worried about you when you didn’t wake right away.” Katara said before pulling him into a quick hug. Aang’s heart rate increased and a rosy blush stole over his cheeks. His blush only increased when Sokka looked at them and rolled his eyes.
”Geez Katara, do you have to do that stuff here? We’ve finally got food, and you’re going to make me lose my appetite!”
Aang smiled as Katara shot her brother a dark look before drawing back from Aang, causing his grin to falter and leaving him feeling somewhat… bereft.
“Katara? Why are you both over here?” He asked again, his wide gray eyes locked on her ice-blue ones.
“Oh, Aang… you’ve been out for nearly a day, and Appa is in no shape to take us someplace else. We’re stranded here, wherever here is. We didn’t mean to leave you alone, but we smelled the fish cooking, and we were so very hungry. So we came over here.”
The sound of twigs cracking caught his attention. Aang reluctantly turned from Katara to see a dark haired boy about the same age as Sokka approaching from the other side of the beach. The boy was dressed in earth nation garb, and was carrying a fishing pole in one hand and in the other he had a bucket filled with about a half-dozen lively ocean perch. He nodded to Sokka and smiled at Katara before sitting on her other side, seemingly oblivious to Aang's presence.
The slight blush that suddenly marred Katara’s lovely tea colored skin did not pass Aang’s notice, and he frowned slightly. He found himself wary and distrustful of this stranger, which was odd because he normally gave everyone the benefit of the doubt. But something in the way this stranger was looking at Katara – not to mention the way she was looking back at him – was not setting well with the young Avatar.
“Thanks, Koru! Wow, you really can fish! We’re going to eat good today!” Sokka exclaimed, practically salivating over the bucket of fish. Within moments, he was at work spearing them through with some sticks they had gathered, and was holding them above the fire – not even bothering to gut them in his haste to cook them up.
“Yeah, well, you get sick of it after a while.”
Sokka’s mouth was already filled with chunks of white meat from the fish that he had been cooking when Aang first arrived. He mumbled something incoherent before he swallowed. Picking fish bones out of his teeth, he tried again.
”Well, don’t worry about that. We’ll be happy to eat the fish you catch for you -- just because we’re such nice guys.”
At this, the boy named Koru chuckled. Katara rolled her eyes before shooting Sokka a disapproving glance, which went without notice.
By this point, Aang was more than a little confused – not to mention suspicious. Unaware of what he was doing, he shuffled closer to Katara, who to his dismay was still looking brightly at Koru. The boy winked at Katara, and Aang suddenly lost his taste for sitting by Koru’s fire; even if he was providing food for his friends. In a voice slightly accentuated by spite, Aang questioned him, peripherally noticing that his tone startled Katara and Sokka both. The water tribe boy even stopped eating; a piece of hot fish held between his thumb and forefinger halfway to his waiting mouth.
“Who are you and why are you feeding my friends?” Aang asked with a scowl.
Katara turned to look at him questioningly. She had never heard such vehemence from Aang before, and it was confusing her. Even veiled, she knew him well enough to recognize the distrustful tone of his voice for what it was. What could Koru have possibly done to set Aang off? Aang didn’t even address Zuko in such a way, and the prince was determined to turn Aang over to the fire lord. Her eyes widened in concern… perhaps Aang was still a bit disorientated, and thus wasn’t quite himself yet. After all, it was quite an amazing feat of both waterbending and airbending he had performed in order to whip up the little cyclone that not only saved them all from a watery death, but brought them to safety. Yes, that must be what's wrong with him... what else could it be?
Katara reached out to gently grasp Aang’s shoulder to comfort him, absently noticing that his breath hitched briefly and something in his eyes flickered.
“Aang?” She asked, her soft blue eyes locked on his. “Is… anything wrong?”
Aang’s hand reached up to cover Katara’s own and squeezed it. He met her eyes with his own briefly before shaking his head.
“Huh? Oh, no, Katara! I’m… I’m sorry. I guess I’m still a little confused, that’s all.”
Katara saw a flicker of some emotion she didn’t recognize flash in Aang’s large, grey eyes before he schooled his expression into the one he normally had – carefree and happy. She pulled her hand away and sat back, not entirely convinced of Aang’s answer, nor sudden change of moods. What was going through his head?
On the other side of Katara, Koru chuckled.
“That’s okay kid… from what they told me, it’s no wonder. A little boy like you, having done such a thing… I’m surprised you’re up and walking at all, yet. But you don’t need to worry about me, kid.”
'Little boy?' Aang thought, feeling an irrational surge of anger at Koru's remark. Yes, he was young, but he was far from a little boy. Still, he chose to let the jibe pass, knowing that he shouldn't be reacting to it at all. His eyes briefly flickered to Katara.
He... he just wasn't himself around her lately.
Unnerved, Aang composed himself, listening quietly as Koru went on to tell them all how he and a few of his companions escaped to this island a few years ago. They were putting together a little resistance group against the Fire Nation. Naturally, Koru was the leader, and say, wouldn’t it be great if they came to his camp to meet some of the others?
Aang’s eyes narrowed millimeter by millimeter until they were almost slits as Koru spoke; visions of Jet passing through his head, even though he knew that they weren’t justified. He couldn’t help but compare their sudden new acquaintance with the morally ambiguous warrior they had met a few weeks back. What was really puzzling him was that neither Sokka nor Katara seemed to be getting the same impressions, since they were both literally hanging on every word.
Aang started to scowl. This went unnoticed by all but Koru, who turned to the Avatar with a smirk.
“I’m sorry, I forgot my manners. Are you hungry, kid? You can help yourself to a fish, you know -- they’re for everyone.”
Katara opened her mouth as if to answer for him, but Aang cut in abruptly.
“I don’t eat meat.” He said, sounding very much like a spoiled little child who wasn’t getting his way. He hated the way he sounded to himself even, but couldn’t help it. His patience was wearing thin, and he had no idea why. Peripherally, he noticed Koru’s hand brush against Katara’s, and his scowl deepened further.
“Aang!” Katara exclaimed, more than a bit surprised by Aang’s demeanor. What had gotten into him? She made a mental note to pull him aside later and ask him about it… Koru was being so… generous, after all. It was refreshing to have someone offer food and lodging, especially after the past few weeks they had. Plus, she couldn’t help to be somewhat flattered by the appreciative glances and attention Koru was bestowing on her. It wasn’t often that someone looked at her that way, and she was reveling in it. Of course a little voice in the back of her mind reminded her that the last person to look at her in that way seemed very much like Koru on the surface, and turned out to be a… a… she didn’t know the words strong enough to describe what a jerk he had been.
No, she wasn’t going to compare Koru to Jet; not at all.
Was that why Aang was acting so strange? Did he make that comparison himself? She looked over to her best friend and noticed his scowl, even as Koru’s hand brushed against her own, causing her to blush. Her eyes absently shifted over to Aang’s, noticing how his were glaring at the proximity of their hands, and she pulled her hand away from Koru as if burned. Aang’s eyes softened somewhat after that, something unreadable flashing in them before the Avatar allowed himself to relax, his expression neutral once again.
Then it hit her as suddenly as if she’d just been jumped on by a Hog Monkey – Aang was jealous!
No, it couldn’t be possible – could it? Aang didn’t think of her like that; he was just a boy, after all.
‘But he won’t always be a boy.’ Some part of her traitorous mind supplied, causing her to blush fervently. That same part of her traitorous mind also supplied images of what Aang might look like in a few years; taller, with a sinuous, sculpted body accentuated by those admittedly sexy arrow tattoos.
Ugh, did she just think of Aang’s tattoos as sexy? Unconsciously, her blush magnified and was now highlighting the supple skin of her neck. Had she looked up at the moment, she’d have noticed two of her companions watching her with unveiled interest, and one looking at her warily as if she was about to be sick.
Absently she heard Koru clear his throat before offering Aang some sort of local fruit, and Aang accepting it, but she was far too lost in her own thoughts now to follow their conversation exactly. Surreptitiously she glanced over at Aang again, wondering what exactly was going through his mind and if her suspicions were correct. His eyes burned into hers and she had to look away; the heated look in his eyes was too unsettling.
She felt as if she was burned. It excited her, confused her, and frightened her all at once. What was he doing, looking at her like that? An irrational anger surged within her. How dare he unnerve her like this! And then the surge was gone as fast as it came, and she felt shame. How could she get mad at him when he was most likely more confused than she? After all, Aang had been raised by celibate monks – he probably didn’t even understand his feelings towards her, let alone acknowledge them for what they were. It isn’t as if he had someone pull him aside and explain such things to him.
Still, it kind of bothered her that Aang thought of her in that way. She didn’t want things to change between them. He was her best friend, after all, and she didn't want to lose that due to what was most likely a transient crush.
Then, in a moment of sudden clarity, Katara decided that nothing had to change between them at all.
‘I’ll just pretend I don’t notice, and we’ll go on like normal.’ She told herself, feeling absurdly confident with her decision. After all, it wasn’t as if she wanted Aang to notice her in that way. He was too young for her after all, being barely thirteen. Okay, make that one hundred and barely thirteen, but those one hundred years he spent trapped in an iceberg don’t count. She didn’t feel anything for him that she didn’t feel for… say, Sokka for instance. She loved him like... another brother, right? So Aang’s interest in her didn’t affect her at all, right?
Right?
“… Don’t you think, Katara?”
“Huh?”
Katara snapped out of her introspection rather flustered. Koru had just asked her a question, and she’d been so pre-occupied with her thoughts on Aang that she hadn’t noticed. “Uh… what do I think about what?” She asked sheepishly.
Koru shot her a strange look before shaking his head and getting to his feet.
“I said we should wake the animals and head for my camp before nightfall. Don’t you think?”
He offered her a hand to help her up and she absently grasped it, fully aware this time of the dark look in Aang’s eyes as she did so. Choosing to ignore it, she let Koru help her to her feet, noticing that the fire had burned down to just a few embers and Sokka had polished away all but one of the fish, which he handed to her regretfully. It was somewhat charred, but still delicious considering how hungry she was.
As she nimbly bit pieces of the fish off of the skewer, avoiding the head and tail and spitting out bones as delicately as possible, Koru put out the remains of the fire and grasped her hand. He started walking towards where Appa and Momo still slept, idly chatting about his grandiose plans to have one of his men infiltrate the Fire Nation’s ranks, thus putting him in a position to notify Koru of any plans that might be made against his resistance. Katara nodded politely on occasion, but truthfully, she wasn’t really listening. Casually turning her head, she glanced at Aang, and her breath caught. The way he was looking at their joined hands sent a prickly feeling down the back of her spine. His eyes were so…unnerving.
Unable to stand it, Katara casually removed her hand from Koru’s on the pretext of pushing her hair out of her face. For his part, Koru didn’t seem to notice and kept talking, giving Katara the distinct impression that he liked to hear himself speak. She glanced back at Aang once more, and nearly tripped. There was a triumphant gleam in his eyes, the likes of which she had never seen before.
Aang noticed her looking at him and met her eyes with his own. Immediately, he was blushing fiercely, but to Katara's surprise he didn’t look away. Instead, he kept his eyes locked upon hers and Katara found that she was the one who had to break away, his gaze was so… intense.
Feeling a strange shiver run through her, Katara politely excused herself from Koru and rushed up to Sokka, who was gently coaxing Appa to wake. She knelt down next to him and gently stroked the fur on Appa’s nose, since he always responded much better to her, and Katara had to do something – anything – to get her mind off of the increasing puzzle that was Aang.
Sokka glanced at her briefly, noticing her complexion and his eyes sparkled with amusement. Coming to the absolutely wrong conclusion for her blush, Sokka snickered.
“Thanks for the help, Katara. I was going to ask you to do this, but you seemed preoccupied with stroking your new boyfriend’s ego, so I left you alone.” He said conspiratorially.
Katara slapped him, the “Shut up, Sokka,” nearly automatic.
Sokka of course, feeling his suspicions confirmed, ignored her slap and snorted, probably thinking of many obnoxious ways to tease her about her supposed new ‘crush’.
Knowing that Aang had heard all of this since he had suddenly come up behind them, Katara nervously glanced over her shoulder at him, expecting… she did not know what, perhaps a scowl? He’d been so unpredictable today. But Aang wasn’t scowling. Instead, he was smiling as if nothing was amiss; looking very much like the carefree Aang she knew and loved. Relieved, she met his eyes and briefly returned the smile before turning away; now that they had succeeded in getting Appa to his feet.
They followed Koru away from the beach and towards the woods, where his camp was supposedly located. Katara did her best to write off Aang’s earlier bizarre behavior as fatigue, even though deep down she knew that she was only fooling herself.
She walked by Koru’s side and did not even bother to glance at Aang, who was walking behind them and leading Appa. Which was a good thing, because if she had looked back, she would have noticed that his soulful grey eyes had a new look to them as they followed her every movement; one that she would have been able to identify in a moment, though she’d scarce believe the source.
The Avatar's eyes were filled with a look that could only be described as possessive.
~*~
A/N: Well, what do you think – good, bad, indifferent? Is it worth continuing? Would someone be interested in beta-ing this for me, since my current beta is not an Avatar fan? Thanks!
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Absolute Power