AN:

My Day 2 submission for Kataang Week 2017. This is what I imagined happened after team avatar got home from the Ember Island Players' show.

Again, please comment and let me know what you think? Prompts and one-shots aren't my usual deal, so I'm exploring with this week. As always, the lyrics for this story can be found on the tumblr post at GreetTheDawn. Remember to check out Kataang-Week on tumblr for more ship-y goodness!

Prompt: Best Friends

Song: How Would You Feel - Ed Sheeran

The walk back along the beach to Zuko's vacation home was long and awkward. There was something about seeing your own life from the outside that was deeply unsettling, even if the play had been off-beat and inaccurate. Even Toph, who had enjoyed the majority of it, seemed to be in an unpleasant mood. They shuffled along, speaking in muted tones, each marinating in their own thoughts. Perspective wasn't their friend that night.

For Aang, the play had brought him a sense of foolishness and shame. He cast a little glance over his shoulder to Katara. She was talking to Toph, not looking at him. His gaze dropped back down to his feet.

He'd really screwed up. Maybe she was right. This wasn't the right time for them to be together, if he even had a chance with her, which, according to that play, he didn't. And if that play had shown him anything, it was that he had a lot more to tackle than just the Fire Lord. His country adored him. They wanted the Avatar dead. Even if he did manage to defeat Ozai, what then? He was supposed to be a representative of all four elements, all four nations. So how could he do his job if one of them didn't want his help?

He shouldn't have been worrying about a girl when he had the fate of the world on his shoulders. But Katara wasn't just a girl…

Back at the mansion, he paced around his room anxiously. Momo sat on the bed, quietly nibbling on a mango and tracing his owner's path his eyes.

"What if she stays mad at me?" he asked the lemur. "I don't know if I can do this without her. Ozai… I don't know if I can focus on fighting him if I'm worried about her too. Not to mention my chakras would probably be too gunked up to control the Avatar state…" He flopped onto his back next to Momo, who gave a gentle chitter and passed Aang the mango.

Aang took a bite and handed it back. "You're right, Momo. I need to talk to her. Thanks, buddy." He rolled to his feet and out into the hall. The scent of soup was wafting through the house, so he headed downstairs.

Katara was standing over a pot in the kitchen with Zuko next to her, boiling a kettle for tea.

"Is that vegetable?" Aang tentatively spoke.

Katara looked up, saw him, and looked away just as quickly. "Yeah, but I was considering throwing in some chicken duck."

Zuko looked at the expression on her face, then to the Avatar, and back to her. "I, um, you know what? I was gonna practice the Dancing Dragon a few more times before bed… Call me when dinner's ready." The prince awkwardly excused himself and rushed out of the tense room.

Aang sighed and moved closer to his friend. "Katara, look, I wanted to apologize-"

"There's nothing to apologize for," she cut him off curtly.

"Yes, there is," he insisted, placing a hand on her wrist. She set down her ladle and finally turned to look at him. "Can I talk to you alone, please?" He cast a glance over his shoulder at Sokka in the other room, chucking his boomerang at Toph who kept bending it away from her and back at his head with a gleeful cackle. Katara nodded and he followed her outside. They settled on the steps of the courtyard.

"Okay," Katara huffed, her defensive hostility abating. "What did you want to say to me?"

Aang tentatively reached for her hand. "You were right, Katara. I shouldn't have kissed you. We have more important things to think about right now, and as much as I want to be with you right now…" He sighed and looked her in the eye. "I want you to know it's okay if you're confused, because I am too. Just not about that. Not about you."

Katara's breath caught. "Aang, what are you-"

He shook his head. "Let me finish, please. I'm confused about a lot right now. Different things. But if you rushed me to figure those out, I'd be upset too. I just wanted you to know that I need you. I can't face the next few weeks if you aren't my friend. You're my best friend, Katara. I'll be whatever you need me to be for you."

She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. His nerves relaxed with her touch and he allowed himself to be comforted, though his goal had been to comfort her. She had a way with that. "Aang, I'm not going to stop being your friend for anything. You're my best friend too. You don't give up on that so easily."

He pulled back just enough to meet her eyes, his gaze sincere. "I can wait for you to figure things out, and I won't pressure you again. I'll be okay with whatever you decide, I promise. Just so long as we stay together."

She smiled. "Always, you should know that. I'm with you to the end. For better or worse."

Aang smiled back. "Thank you, Katara." He held out his pinky finger. "Best friends?"

She locked her pinky with his. "Best friends."

He believed her. Even if they were together someday, he knew that would never change.