#of his teachings with a chapter about meditations they still use to quell their urge

[wi1dshxpe]

gortash sets up a lending library at his estate after seeing durge’s in the bhaal temple. they both know they’re the only people who use them so it turns into a sort of game. durge loves music, so after enver’s last visit a book about viola has appeared in the temple library. enver fancy’s himself a jeweler so it’s only natural a scroll about gem welding would end up in his library. books relating to their schemes, hobbies, pasts, futures, inside jokes and aspirations get passed back in forth. the only extended pause is when a novel about star crossed lovers gets dropped in the bhaal library. it’s weeks before the favor is returned and enver receives a scroll about bhaalist marriage ceremonies. he doesn’t know whether to take it as an advance or a threat, so he accepts it as both.

[lovedmoviesb]

Oh Brother

Sokka thinks it’s pretty obvious that Katara and Aang are destined for each other. He wonders how long it will take them to figure it out

Kataang moments through the eyes of a big brother

https://archiveofourown.org/works/26078683/chapters/65457238

Aang was meditating atop Appa, hovering above the bison’s furry crown, his legs crossed and his eyes closed. It was a sight to behold for sure, but Sokka had long since gotten used to Aang doing incredible things as though they were perfectly normal.

“Do you think that’s something all airbenders can do?” Katara asked suddenly.

Sokka craned his head in his sister’s direction. She was seated as well, bundled against the cool night air, staring forward.

“What?” he blinked at her, wondering where her mind was.

“The things Aang can do,” Katara began again, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. “Do you think it’s because he’s the Avatar, or--”

She broke off, lost in her musings. Sokka held in a sigh.

“Why do you care?” he asked. Ever since Katara had her fortune read, she’d been full of unanswerable questions.

“Either way, he’s a powerful bender,” Katara continued as though Sokka hadn’t spoken.

A million comments raced to his mind at once, but Sokka swallowed them down. Instead, he reached for his little sister’s arm, giving her what he hoped was a reassuring squeeze.

“He’s not the only one,” Sokka winked, settling back against Appa’s saddle.

“Thanks Sokka,” Katara smiled, rubbing her necklace absently.

“Anytime,” he answered, shutting his eyes.

                                                      -l-l-l-l-

“It’s stupid that Pakku won’t teach Katara,” Aang continued on his tirade, wearing tracks into the ice beneath his feet as he paced.

“She’ll figure it out,” Sokka said, watching as Aang bounced back and forth.

“She’s the most talented bender I know,” Aang continued. “And I’m the Avatar! He should listen to me. Right?”

Wide grey eyes looked towards Sokka entreatingly. Sokka held in a sigh.

“You could try that, Aang,” he acquiesced. “But Katara can handle herself. She doesn’t need you to intervene.”

“That’s true,” Aang admitted, pausing in his steps. “And I wouldn’t want Katara to be mad at me. But I do want to help.”

“Of course you do,” Sokka said patiently. Aang always wanted to help, especially where Katara was concerned.

“It’s just not fair,” Aang began anew, resuming his pacing. “Katara is so talented. If anyone deserves to learn, it’s her.”

“Well, life’s not fair buddy,” Sokka said. His mind wandered to Yue, to her soft spoken words, the way her hands felt in his.

“Yeah,” Aang sighed, dropping back into his crossed-legged stance. He hovered over the ice, despondent.

“It’ll work out,” Sokka said, turning towards the Northern Water Tribe palace. “It always does.”

                                                      -l-l-l-l-

“He won’t talk to me,” Katara lamented in low tones. “He always talks to me.”

“Aang always stays pretty positive, but even he’s allowed to be sad sometimes,” Sokka reminded her. The Serpent's Pass wasn't the most comfortable place to chat, but then again, he couldn't remember the last time they were all comfortable.

“But talking about it helps,” his little sister imparted. “He misses Appa. I get that. If he’d just let me in--”

“Katara,” Sokka steadied her with a hand to her back. “Aang will come around. You have to let people get themselves through things sometimes. Grief takes time, you know.”

A silence stretched between them, heavy with the shared loss of the past. Sokka heard Katara sniffle before she quickly quelled it.

“I just want everyone to be alright,” she sighed heavily, her face falling into her hands.

“We are alright,” he reminded her. “If anyone can find Appa, it’s the Avatar. And if anyone can get through to the Avatar, it’s you.”

Katara scooted closer to him, laying her head on his shoulder. Above, the moonlight bathed the craggy surroundings in a warm pale glow.

“It must be nice to see Suki,” Katara hedged.

It was Sokka’s turn to sigh. “She tried to kiss me,” he admitted.

“You couldn’t?” Katara asked knowingly.

“I just feel…” he felt a million things, but one emotion more acutely than the others. “Guilty.”

“That’s understandable,” his little sister soothed. “But liking Suki doesn’t erase what you had with Yue.”

“Maybe not,” Sokka tilted his head, leaning against Katara.

“I’m glad you’re here,” she murmured, her eyes fluttering shut.

“Me too,” Sokka smiled just the slightest.

                                                      -l-l-l-l-

“You alright there, Aang?” Sokka stepped up to his friend’s side.

The palace was filled to the brim with Ba Sing Se dignitaries, all milling about and speaking in cultured tones. For all of the splendor, Sokka could only miss the parties back home. It’d been years since the Southern Tribe had something to celebrate. Back before the Fire Tribe came, they used to dance and sing. After his mother died, all music seemed to have gone out of the world.

The Avatar blushed scarlet at once, his gaze falling to the ground and away from Katara. Sokka grinned, sensing an opening.

“Is it Toph?” he baited. “Katara cleaned her up really well.”

“Uh, yeah…” Aang stammered. “She looks really pretty. Well, they both look beautiful. Katara-- she did a good job. She always does. I mean...not that being pretty is--”

Sokka held in his laugh. “Maybe you should tell her. Girls like compliments. Toph, I mean.”

“I don’t think Toph is a compliment kind of girl,” Aang ventured. “Not that kind of compliment.”

“Katara might like it,” Sokka suggested slyly. There was no maybe about it. Sokka had seen her preening, looking at Aang out of the corner of her eye. They could both learn some subtly.

“Maybe,” Aang burst out, looking like the thought alone might send him into the Avatar state. “Do you think she’d want to dance?”

“It’d probably look weird if the help started dancing with a dignitary, don’t you think?” Sokka reminded him.

“Right,” Aang swallowed, shaking his head as though to clear his thoughts. “We should find the Earth King.”

“Good idea,” Sokka agreed.

Across the room, he caught Katara’s eye. She was staring at Aang with that same moony-eyed gaze.

Sokka sighed. One of these days, he’d have to do something about this.

                                                      -l-l-l-l-

Katara thought he was asleep. Sokka didn’t bother to correct her. It was hard enough to convince her to let him into the room as it was. He stayed still in his chair in the corner, watching through hooded eyes.

He’d only slept a few hours in the last few days. He wondered if Katara had slept at all. She barely left Aang’s side. The Avatar had barely stirred since his accident, but Katara was not discouraged, caring for him with a tenderness that Sokka recognized.

She was leaning over Aang’s bed, dutifully bending water into his mouth. She’d spent the entirety of two weeks saving Aang’s life. He laid unmoving, pale and broken, but gaining strength under Katara’s watchful eye.

Their father had asked Sokka seriously what it was between the Avatar and Katara. Sokka was certain that he knew. Still, 12 and 14 years old were perhaps too young to see things as they truly were.

Katara finished her work and lowered herself to the bed, exhaustion weighing heavily on her shoulders. Sokka watched her, wishing he could bring her comfort. Above all, he hoped that there would be time for Aang and Katara to see what the rest of them could see so clearly.

He had a feeling there would be.

                                                        -l-l-l-l-

“So,” Sokka sidled up to Aang, doing his best to keep a straight face. “Are you sneaking around kissing my little sister?”

Aang oscillated in rapid succession from bright red to a ghastly pale, a look of panic crossing his face.

“We didn’t mean to sneak! It just happened. I wanted to tell you but Kat--- we thought maybe we should keep it quiet just for a little while until we could figure out…”

Sokka watched him stammer as long as he could stand it. The laugh burst through his lips about a minute into Aang’s heavy handed explanation.

“Aang,” Sokka cut him off. “It’s fine.”

“It’s fine?” Aang’s color returned to normal and air rushed out of his lungs.

“Not that you need my permission,” Sokka continued.

Aang mustered a smile. “Thanks,” he blushed once more. “I didn’t think Katara would ever think of me this way.”

“Really?” Sokka fought down the urge to roll his eyes. “I saw it coming.”

Aang’s gray eyes widened. “How?”

Sokka laughed again, waving at Katara as she spotted them from a distance.

“I’ll tell you both sometime,” Sokka promised, leaving the two lovebirds to their fledgling relationship.