A/N: Welcome! This is my first fic in many years. I've just seen The Last Airbender for the first time and I can't shake Kataang out of my head. So, enjoy, and be warned of the lemon to come in a later chapter! Cheers.

Standard disclaimers apply.

- Meg

Chapter One: Soon

Aang worked painstakingly on the stone he was carving, desperate to make the combination of the Water Tribe and Air Nomad symbols nothing short of perfect. He had a mere four hours before the dawn of his sixteenth birthday, and while a normal kid would be excited about their birthday celebrations, Aang was hoping that he and Katara would have more to celebrate than his aging. He knew how ridiculous he could get when he was sleep deprived, but finishing the betrothal necklace he planned to present to Katara tomorrow was definitely a good reason to stay up.

Katara was a few months shy of eighteen, and she had filled out beautifully. She had taken to wearing a rotating wardrobe of the various nations' attires in lieu of her specific blue Water Tribe outfits. It was a symbol of the peace they now enjoyed, that they could celebrate their neighbours in the world and revel in the lack of a specific divide. When she met him the previous morning to head to Iroh's tea shop, she had worn a green dress from a prominent Earth Nation designer, and if she was trusted to follow schedule, tomorrow she would be wearing the flowing yellow and orange Air Nomad robes he had commissioned for her the previous year.

Most of the gang had arranged to attend the meetings in Ba Sing Se that took place earlier that week, save for Sokka and Suki who were at the South Pole tending to their growing family. Hakoda had been there to represent the Water Tribe, however he left the city after the meetings to return south. The others remained to spend some quality time together, and celebrate the young Avatar's coming of age.

Katara and Aang continued to travel together after the war, not willing to be apart from each other after admitting their mutual affections nearly three years ago. Toph was happy to have an excuse to have some time away from her metal bending school. This month's batch of trainees were proving less than promising, and as usual she had a very hard time keeping those opinions to herself. Zuko was in attendance as the Fire Lord, and Bumi represented the Earth Kingdom in light of King Kuei curiously never having returned to his duties after the war.

If there was one problem Aang had with their friends and family being around, it was that he couldn't monopolize Katara's time. He understood now how she felt when he got sucked into diplomatic dealings and political conversations in back rooms while she was left to mingle within the crowds, or do the shopping.

The airbender almost spilled his heart out a little earlier that day, when he accidentally overheard Katara and Toph speaking privately in the kitchen of the living quarters set aside from them in the Upper Ring.

"So, Sugar Queen, not tired of Aang's staff yet, are you?" Toph laughed.

Katara blushed fiercely, though Aang could only hear the nervousness in her chuckle. "Of course I'm not tired of him, but we haven't done, well… that."

"Why the hell not? You've had three years alone with him and you haven't jumped his bones? What's wrong with you?"

"It's not as easy as all that! I can't put that kind of pressure on him! He was raised a monk, and I couldn't encroach on his beliefs, regardless of my own, well…"

"Needs, sister. You've got needs. And you needs to get your cherry popped before you leave this city." Katara didn't think her face could be redder if she smeared oil-paint on it. Toph was always outspoken, but this was a new level entirely.

"Toph! Listen, it's not as if I haven't laid the ground work, okay? There are only so many times I can touch him a little more than casually and be rebuffed before I see that he probably doesn't want to have sex, okay? And I can be alright with that. I love him, and if being with him means taking care of myself, then I'll live with that."

Aang wanted nothing more in that moment than to burst into the kitchen and have his way with Katara, promising her she'd never have to take care of herself again, but he resisted. It was impossible that Toph didn't know he was right outside the door, yet she hadn't said anything. She wanted him to hear the conversation, conniving as always. That was when he headed back to his room to finish the necklace, replaying Katara's words in his head and regretting that he had ever made her feel like he didn't want her physically. Tomorrow, he could start changing that.

XxXxXxXxX

Morning came swiftly, and Aang hadn't slept a wink. Every time he thought he could turn to bed, he noticed an imperfection on the stone. Eventually he nodded off still holding the small, sharp chisel against it, and jerked awake. That would be enough of that for the night.

No time had passed between his acquiescence to his fatigue and the sun shining into his windows. Groaning, he gave up on trying to ignore the call of the sun to the firebender in him. Fire and water left him with a precarious sleep schedule, rising with the sun and being pulled to the glowing moon at night… When he and Katara were camping, he had no issues succumbing to slumber, but when they stayed in formal accommodations they were always in separate rooms. She brought him the peace necessary to focus on his own needs rather than his elements, and he would give anything for her to give him that now.

Hopefully after tonight, there won't be any reason for us to sleep separately anymore, Aang thought.

A fierce knock jerked him out of his reverie, and his door burst open revealing Sokka and Suki.

"Surprise! Happy birthday, Aang! Come on, Katara's making breakfast." Suki smiled as Sokka ran into the room to try and drag Aang up at the mention of food.

"Thank you! What are you doing here though? Are the kids with you?"

"No, that's why Dad left after the meetings," Sokka replied. "We weren't expecting it, but he came back to relieve us of the kids so we could come be with you on your birthday. We can't leave them with Gran-Gran now that there are three of them, they're too much for her."

Aang smiled, happy that Hakoda had made the kind gesture, and glad of more of his friends being there for what would be one of the most important days of his life.

The couple left Aang to properly dress before he followed their route to the kitchen. True to their word, Katara was working away over the stove. He was right; she was wearing the cloth of his people, and as he told her every time she did, (and frankly, every day besides) she'd never looked more radiant.

She turned as she heard him approach, breaking off from her conversation with Zuko and smiling brilliantly. "Happy birthday, honey." They met half way across the kitchen and he swept her off her feet, drawing her laughter in his playfulness.

He kissed the top of her head in thanks. Three years since the end of the war, he was finally taller than her, and a great deal so. The top of her head now fit snugly under his chin, a perfect puzzle piece if there ever was one.

The rest of the morning passed casually between breakfast and birthday greetings from the rest of his friends. It wasn't long before they all set out for the Jasmine Dragon, where Iroh greeted them with tea and more well. If was there anything that a life waging war hadn't had an effect on, it was the elder man's affinity for "hot leaf juice," as Zuko put it.

The jubilance of the morning was short-lived as they were interrupted by a member of the Earth Kingdom's communications team, entering the tea shop with purpose, and bowing when she reached the table.

"Avatar Aang, sir, I have been sent to fetch you for an emergency convergence."

The group looked around at each other quizzically before Sokka stated the obvious: "But the conference was over three days ago?"

"I apologize, sir, but King Bumi sent me to fetch the Avatar without delay. I do not have any further details."

Aang noticed Katara's face fall slightly, and interpreted this as her assuming this would last all day and put a damper on the plans they had made to celebrate his birthday. Aang turned to her and kissed her pouting lip. "I'll be back shortly, it can't be too big a deal if Fire Lord Hotman over here wasn't summoned as well," Aang reasoned, though he certainly couldn't promise that. He stood and allowed the page to show him out, wondering what had happened for Bumi to summon him so suddenly. He was looking forward to spending the day in the quiet company of his friends.

Unlike the city of Omashu, where Bumi was born and bred, Ba Sing Se was getting to be overpopulated even years after the war. It had originally been the dainty capital city of the prosperous Earth Kingdom, but the war brought refugees from all over streaming in over a number of years, and although the city expanded under the administration of Long Fang, who had poisoned the city and its last king with lies and deceit, the city couldn't keep up with its ever-increasing numbers. Aang wasn't crazy about crowds, but spending time here was part of his duty as peace-bringer and diplomat.

The page led them to the palace, not to the conference room where their recent meetings had been housed, but to the library in the far-left wing of the grounds. Aang's face betrayed a curious look before the page stepped aside to allow him entry through the grand oak doors.

"Bumi?" Aang called, not seeing his old friend inside. His own voice, deepened over the past few years of awkward adolescent changes, reverberated back to him. He continued inside until he reached the cozy seating arrangement at the back of the room, lit by numerous candles and torches all framing the brilliant fireplace at the center. The fire was lit, but no one was there to enjoy it. Then Aang noticed a note taped to the mantle.

Opening it, he couldn't help but chuckle. It was so like Bumi to leave him riddles to solve on his birthday.

Runs, but cannot walk. Sometimes sings, but never talks. Lacks arms, has hands. Lacks a head, but has a face.

"Come on, Bumi. You can do better than that. A clock!" As if on cue, the clock-tower in the palace courtyard chimed mid-day. Intrigued, Aang rushed out to find his next clue.

If the next one hadn't been placed in a bright red envelope, Aang wouldn't have noticed it poking out from behind the hour hand on the grand clock. With the grace only an airbender could manage, he jumped up to the ledge of the clock face and freed his next clue.

What is always running, but never moves, has no mouth but has a powerful roar? Aang groaned, despite himself. He wasn't too keen on going to the waterfall at the opposite end of the city just to carry on with the game, but he knew his old friend was probably enjoying this from some vantage point.

So off he went.

XxXxXxXxX

Back at the Jasmine Dragon, the rest of the group set to work. Aang had wanted to celebrate quietly. Katara knew he wasn't the biggest fan of the attention being the Avatar came with, and he preferred to avoid the spotlight when he could, but this was his birthday. Of course they were going to have a party! Which is why she had asked Bumi to keep Aang occupied for most of the afternoon.

With Aang almost certainly on the opposite side of the city by now, the decorations and supplies were removed from Iroh's storage room and they set to work clearing away the tables and setting up. Zuko and Bumi had initially tried to convince Katara to host the party at the palace, but the smaller setting was the better choice in her opinion. She knew her Avatar well, and he would prefer to celebrate small-scale, especially considering he initially wanted for the two of them to go to dinner alone, making no fuss of it at all.

"Everything has to be perfect," Katara instructed for the hundredth time that afternoon.

Sokka aimed a pointed glare at her. "Enough already. It's going to be great. Everyone is going to have fun. Just shut up about the birthday banner being off center."

She shot him a glare that he knew far too well. His waterbending sister was not to be trifled with today.

"Uh… I mean… Nothing. Just striving for perfection over here." Sokka took that as his cue to run.

XxXxXxXxX

Meanwhile on the outskirts of the city, Aang was stumped on his next clue: What do you want 'mo' of?

He was near to giving up when he passed the outdoor animal sanctuary that he helped to build some three and a half years ago, when his group had first arrived in Ba Sing Se. "'Mo'…. Mo! Momo! He has the next clue!" Finally, he could head home and see what Katara and the others were doing.

The Avatar created an air scooter and rushed back to their temporary lodging place in the Upper Ring. Flinging the door open, he expected to be greeted by somebody, but the house was acutely empty.

He found Momo and Appa eating in the garden. They both looked up at his arrival and grunted and squeaked their hellos. Momo had a scroll tied to his tail, and he brought it to Aang animatedly.

Aang sighed, admittedly disappointed at his friends' absences, and unrolled what he assumed would be his next clue from Bumi. Instead, he saw Katara's neat script inside: Hope you've had a fun afternoon. Meet me at six at the palace fountain. Love, Katara.

While he couldn't help but wonder why Katara was involved in Bumi's scavenger hunt, he was excited that it was already after five. He went inside to shower and change, and made sure the necklace he had finally perfected was tucked safely in his robes.

Soon, he smiled to himself.