A/N: Alright, so this is my second attempt at a Kataang short story; and this one was a little more difficult for me to write because I know it didn't happen. I enjoy writing stories (especially Kataang) but it is a little more challenging for me when I know it could not have happened base on what actually happened in the show.

This specific short story will consist two different POVs (Katara and Aang's, from the First person)
And, this will only contain Avatars Roku and Kuruk simply because I don't know enough about Kyoshi and Yangchen

Whispers beneath the stone

Katara's POV

Zuko had just been accepted to train Aang, and I couldn't be more wary. After my little chat with him, after I saw the fear that flashed in his eyes from my promise I feel a little more at ease, but my guard won't drop again like it did in Ba Sing Se. I find myself drawn to watching their practices, ever since they returned from the Sun Warrior's Ruins Zuko has been able to teach with better results; and Aang is picking it up quickly.

My mind continues to wander to Aang no matter what I am doing, not that it is a problem, I just can't stop thinking of the kiss. I was too shocked when he kissed me to really understand what had just happened, and then Sokka distracted me so it left my mind completely; but now… now I've had all the time in the world to think.

It's been almost a week of sleepless nights, I'm so restless due to the war, due to Aang. This morning, Sokka and Zuko 'went fishing' and said they'd be gone for a bit; this might be my chance to catch Aang alone and talk to him. He seems distracted, even when Firebending.

I walk the halls of the Western Air Temple and enter a courtyard; I think I see Aang alone and my heart flutters, now's my chance.

"Aang!"

"Oh, Hey Katara!" He smiles that sheepish grin of his, looking away and rubbing his neck like he always does.

"Can we talk for a b-" I begin before being interrupted

"Stow it, Sugar queen. I'm taking Aang for some Earthbending practice. He is getting rusty with all his splashing and playing with fire. He needs some real bending"

I scoff and see Aang let out a small smile and sigh "Can we talk after we're done earthbending?"

"Uh..I-sure" I stutter and look away "Whenever you want" I sigh and leave Aang and Toph to their own devices, returning to my room. I plop down on the bed, laying on my stomach and mumble into my pillow.

"Why is this so hard" I whisper, feeling a tear form on my eye, I close my eyes and before I knew it, sleep overtook me.

Aang's POV

"What was her deal, Twinkletoes?" Toph pokes at me

"I don't know.." I mutter, still a bit confused

"Mhmm, say what you want, I know about your little pre-invasion kiss lover boy" she chirped and laughed

"Wha-I mean-How did you?!" I stumble over my words

"Oh hush, even though we were on a boat, I could feel your hearts beating like war drums; it was pretty annoying" she concluded

"Oh… sorry?"

"Meh, whatever. You going to talk to her about it?"

"What can I say? 'Oh hey Katara, sorry about that kiss'" I grumbled, Toph just laughed

"Spirits, you are such a wimp! You'd rather fight Ozai than tell Katara how you feel"

"Fighting Ozai is pretty straight forward; how much experience do you think I have with girls." I sighed

"Hmm, fair point. But regardless, I say get some rest and think about it" Toph continued, looking dead at me with her sightless eyes

"What about Earthbending?"

"I just said that to get her outta here, I knew you weren't ready for whatever she was going to say. Don't say I never did anything for ya Twinkletoes" Toph added as she walked away, I imagine feeling quite pleased with herself.

"Yeah, thanks" I mutter and walk away, I find myself walking aimlessly around the temple, looking for something, I'm not even sure what; lost in thought for what felt like forever. It is well past sundown when I finally look up and see where I am, I find myself at Katara's door. I'm going to regret this… I think to myself as I knock softly on the door, and hear nothing. I'm really going to regret this… I sigh and quietly open her door to see her asleep on her bed. My eyes widen and my jaw drops when I see the tearstained pillow; I quickly shut the door and walk away

"What do I do now" I mutter as I quickly walk the hallways. I go to a different courtyard, a little out of the way, in hopes of not being disturbed. I drop into my meditation posture and concentrate. "Roku… Kuruk, someone, I need advice" I mutter, hoping my fellow Avatars will hear my plea; and to my luck, my call is answered by Kuruk.

"Greetings Avatar Aang, what troubles you" Kuruk's spirit began

"I need advice on…" I stop, thinking of the best way to put this

"On love?" Kuruk finishes for me, I just nod and he smiles "Love was all I had to really worry about in my time. I didn't have a warlord to defeat, it was peaceful back then" he sighed, thinking back to Ummi, his face showed his distress

"I'm sorry, I know that Koh-" I start before he holds his hand up

"Don't fret; I haven't given up on getting Ummi back, nor is that your problem. You are referring to the young Waterbender… Katara I believe is her name" he states, and I nod once again

"Why is it so difficult? Is it because of the War? Should I let her go, The Guru told me I had to let her go to master the Avatar State, but I can't"

"Slow down; How do you think Roku or myself mastered it when we had the ones we loved; there are other ways but that is a discussion I allow Roku to have. Love is tricky, no doubt about it; especially when you are young. Tell me, what do you like about her, just name off a few things for me" Kuruk smiles, nodding for me to speak

"Well, to me she is radiant, but it is more than her physical beauty; her eyes, her hair, her personality.." I start before blushing and looking at the ground "And this is hard to actually talk about…"

"Hmm, you'd rather fight your firelord than talk about this… why?"

"I don't know, I get butterflies when I talk about this, or even think about it. And when I kissed her-"

"You kissed her?" Kuruk seemed surprised "Did she pull away?"

"No, actually" I conceded "Or at least, I don't think so."

"Then that is a start" he stated, holding up his index finger and smiling "Look at the silver lining, my young Avatar. If I may offer the advice you were seeking."

"Please"

"Finish your war, allow time for your brain and your heart to sort through these feelings, then, act on them to their fullest. And give her time to process her feelings as well."

I sigh, that was not the answer I wanted, but it makes sense "I guess"

"I would suggest talking to Roku as well" he finished, and his spirit slowly faded away

"Yeah, and Roku is going to tell me the same thing you did" I grumble, throwing my hands down in defeat "Why is this so hard!" I ask to no one, raising my voice before sighing. "Come on, maybe Roku can help…" I mutter as I concentrate once more, attempting to call my predecessor

In a matter of seconds, an eerie white mist forms in front of my and the form of Avatar Roku sitting lotus appears. His spirit just looks at me for a moment, not saying anything; I gather he knows about my conversation with Kuruk and is trying to think of what to say.

"Avatar Aang…" he begins "It is troubling to see you so conflicted in light of the coming battle. How can I help alleviate some of your turmoil?"

I sigh and look down, closing my eyes as I think "I just… I need to know what to do; I've never felt this… unsure before"

"What exactly are you unsure of; your feelings or hers?"

I look at him in surprise, but it quickly fades as I remember we are one, so he must know everything, or close to it. I look back to the ground "I.. I don't know. Hers I suppose, I know what my heart is telling me. When I kissed her, she didn't run… but she didn't return it either. Should I follow Avatar Kuruk's advice and wait until after the war?"

"Perhaps that is what is really bothering you; you don't know if you are coming back after your next confrontation with Ozai. Maybe that is what is bothering her; would you want to give your heart to someone, knowing they could be killed weeks later?" Roku asked. My mouth opened in shock, but closed as I thought about his question

I let a small smile escape my lips and I look back to him "Yes, I would, I love her. I would regret it for the rest of my life if I had not told her and she died without knowing."

Roku pondered for a moment, but I could have sworn I saw a small smile from him from my answer, after what felt like ages, he finally spoke. "Then it seems that the only advice you need is from yourself. Either you tell her everything now; or you wait and let it sit until after the war, and risk not being able to tell her at all."

I groan and rub my neck "Spirits are you and Kuruk related, it's like my conversation with him all over again!" and just as I finish my statement I groan again at Roku's laughter

"Well, we are previous Avatars, so, in technicality, yes, we're related" Roku concludes and I roll my eyes but laugh a little with him.

"I'll let it sit for a few days… Katara said she wanted to talk to me anyways, maybe it was about this" I added

"Perhaps, she is in as much turmoil as you are?"

"Maybe, Spirits, let's hope not. She is the smart one of our group; if she is distracted, and it just leaves Sokka or Toph, we may end up fighting the whole Fire Nation Army just because" I groan, and hear Roku chuckle

"I feel the turmoil within you has died down, at least a little. I recommend sleep, tomorrow will be a new day and you should be ready to face it" Roku finished and smiled as his form disappeared

"Yeah, thanks, Roku" I sigh and look out to the moon, almost full tonight. I close my eyes and sit in the moonlight for a while, thinking on the advice from Roku and Kuruk before I am snapped back to reality.

"Aang?"

Katara's POV

I groggily open my eyes; it sounded like my door just opened and closed but no one was here. I slowly sit up and stretch before standing and moving quietly to the door. I open it and peek my head out to see a familiar orange robe moving off in the distance. My eyes widen as I realize the time, I had actually been able to sleep.

"Where are you going" I mutter and quietly follow Aang down the corridors. I was following him for what felt like hours before I almost tripped over myself as I came to a grand Courtyard, one I haven't seen before, extremely out of the way. I gaze at its beauty and my eyes trace the wall line until the fall onto a figure sitting lotus on the cold stone. I hear muttering and just as I am about to speak, a ghost appear infront of Aang; a Spirit I can't recognize.

I quietly move around trying to get a better vantage point, listening to the conversation, hardly able to hear until I gasp at the sound of my name from the Spirit; my hearing increased tenfold as I listened in.

Here was Aang, pouring his heart out to a Spirit… about me, he looked… frustrated, confused even a bit sad. Even when that goofy smile flashed on his face, his grey eyes betrayed his deeper turmoil. I had to use all of my willpower to avoid running up to him and hugging him.

After a long conversation, the spirit disappeared and I heard him grumble to himself before a new one appeared; this one I recognized as previous Avatar Roku. I listened to their conversation; about me. My heart fluttered and my stomach felt weak; why hasn't Aang told me any of this? I think on everything he has said, what he said… He loves me I find myself thinking, it brings a warm feeling to my heart and smile to my face as I think of that. Love… he loves me My smile widens

"I feel the turmoil within you has died down, at least a little. I recommend sleep, tomorrow will be a new day and you should be ready to face it" I hear the spirit of Roku say as it slowly disappears, leaving Aang alone.

I see him close his eyes and move his head towards the moon, basking in the light. He looks a little more peaceful than before, but how am I going to approach him now… I wait for what feels like hours, but in truth has only been around a quarter hour before I quietly approach him.

"Aang?" I murmer, just loud enough for him to hear, his body jumps as his eyes snap open, obviously surprised by the sound of my voice.

"K-Katara? Wh-what're y-you doing h-here?" He fumbles over his words, still utterly surprised by my presence, his face turning beat red, I just giggle and hug him

"I got worried when I couldn't find you. I tried your room and you were gone" I lie "Didn't realize I slept through the day" I smile giving him a chance to breathe "What're you doing out here?" I ask, giving him his chance to decide

"O-oh… Well I was just, taking a s-stroll, then I f-found this courtyard and sat down, relaxing you know" he fumbled over his words, rubbing his neck like he always does when he is embarrassed. I just give him a sweet smile. Adorable

"Oh? Relaxing eh? Earthbending practice must have been rough" I tease, not pushing any talk about his conversations with the Avatars

"U-uh Y-yeah it was.. Y-you know Toph, he..he" He stutters, still red as a beat, suddenly his face calms down like he remembered something important, and I suddenly am aware of pressure on my lower back, I blush when I realize we're still in a tight hug. I slowly release him and he releases me before he continues "You said you wanted to talk to me before?"

This took me off guard "O-oh, right. Well…" I pause, not wanting to push the subject if he didn't want too, luckily, I didn't have too. I felt his fingers lace with mine and I blush again, looking away

"Katara, I need to tell you something"

"What is it" I mutter shyly, feeling the blood rush to my cheeks

He sighs and I can tell he is working up all the courage he can muster "I-" he pauses, and uses his hand to lift my chin so we are looking each other eye to eye "I love you; I have for a long time now. I'm sorry I surprised you with the kiss on the boat; and I know this isn't what you want to hear before our next fight with Ozai… I just, I needed to tell you"

I smile slightly and feel my heart race; my eyes drift to the stone floor "Oh… Aang" I begin before he continues

"I understand if you don't feel the same way, and I am sorry for putting you in this position…" he mumbles

"Aang, shush" I whisper, his eyes widen and I sigh "Back before the invasion… I was surprised, shocked, confused. But I didn't pull away, did I?" I ask, returning my gaze to him, he simply nodded and was about to speak before I continued again "Aang, it means the world to me that you told me… and" I pause before leaning in, my lips brushing up to his ear "I love you too" I whisper before pulling back and looking at our hands, still intertwined and blushing. "It was what I wanted to talk about before…"

Aang doesn't speak for a little bit, obviously calculation what I just said… I was still calculating what I had just admitted.

"You.. You love me?" Aang asks, looking even more confused, happy, but confused. He was about to speak again before I worked up all the courage I had and kissed him. I'm kissing him. I feel him surprised at first, not knowing what to do, but then his lips slowly start moving with mine; his arms snake around my waist and mine around his neck, deepening our kiss. I run my tongue against his bottem lip and he slowly opens his mouth, granting access to my tongue. Our tongues dance passionately together for what felt like days before we both pulled away, breathing heavily, blushing madly

"I love you, Katara" Aang says, his arms still around my waist

"I love you, Aang" I smile, pulling him into another kiss, his lips brush against mine softly and I close my eyes.

Then suddenly, I don't feel him anymore, I open my eyes longing for his lips only to see the wall in my own room.

"Was that… really just a dream" I mutter in disbelief and sadness. It was just past dawn, the sun still low in the sky, setting off orange and pink colors through my window, I feel a tear run down my cheek as I run my fingers across my lips "but it felt so real, I felt him" I whisper

I get up and check myself before heading to the courtyard outside our rooms, I see Toph, Aang, Teo and Haru sitting around a fire. Aang looks flustered, but none of them know I'm walking in yet, I hear Toph complain

"Jeez! Turn your heart down Twinkletoes! I can hardly think!" she complains "It was just a dream right!"

My heart stops for a second as I pause, waiting for his answer

"But it felt so real… I wanted it to be real" I hear him mutter

"Oh hush loverboy, turn your heart down a notch or I'll earthbend you to the moon." Toph threathens and everyone but Aang laughs.

This is as good a time as any I think to myself as I resume my course and walk in, trying to act normal. "Morning guys" I say as cheerfully as possible

"Morning Katara" Teo and Haru say in unison

"O-oh, M-Morning Katara!" Aang stutters but smiles and stands to greet me

"Hey Sugar Queen, you seriously need to tell Twinkletoes to keep his heart down, it is hard to think between the two of you. You are just as guilty" Toph remarks making both of us blush

"Sorry, just woke up" I mutter and look to Aang, who still looks flustered and is blushing brighter than a tomato. "You alright Aang?"

"H-huh? O-Oh yeah, just a really weird dream" he quickly responds

"Good or bad?"

"Oh… good, very good…" he mumbles, blushing and looking away

"I had a weird dream too" I admit and he looks back to me, pure shock in his eyes "And I liked mine" I concede, feeling my heart flutter and blood rushing to my already warm cheeks. His face turns redder and looks down before Toph remarks again

"Spirits! Tone it down you two. I am going to suspend my feet in midair, this is ridiculous" she complains, earning a laugh from all of us

I just smile and look to Aang who is looking at me, we just smile to each other and blush; realizing the dream we had was shared; perhaps a sign, perhaps mere coincidence. But I've come to believe nothing is coincidence in this world. We both know how we feel, and that is enough for now, but I cannot wait to feel his lips on mine again… even though it was a dream, it felt so real… so real.

Alright, So I didn't intend on turning it into a dream, but it was an idea I had halfway through Katara's second part, and I must admit, I liked it. It makes it more plausible to have actually happened, as I mentioned, it is easier for me to write stories that can't be proved to be false :P Don't judge, just a preference. Plus it was a nice twist don't you think?

Reviews are welcome, keep them respectful please. I enjoy criticism as long as it is constructive.