While staying at Zuko's magnificent home on the beach, the ocean was where Katara was most often found. There was a sense of comfort there for her. The house was one she had never known, but it was as if she could still feel the memories left behind inside its plaster walls. She would often look at Zuko and see that familiar, brooding frown on his face, but it seemed that his mood darkened the longer they stayed at his abandoned mansion.
The sea calmed her. The water over her skin felt like soothing hands running down her back, her arms. She felt more restrained, and her temper did not flare as often as it used to. She had Zuko to thank for that. He was, after all, the one who had brought her so close to her element.
Even though the Fire Prince was still a complete mystery to her, she had forgiven him for his wrongs. He had risked his life in an attempt to help her find solace, and in the end he had taught her how to forgive. Forgive him.
Katara breathed in, remembering the sadness of that day, but also, the calm she felt after letting go of a grudge she had never thought she would be able to release.
"I will never forgive him... but I am ready to forgive you."
She gazed at him a moment longer. He expected nothing from her; all he that he desired was her forgiveness. His smile was earnest at her words, and she could see a sigh of relief escape his lips.
Losing herself for a moment, she sprang towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck and breathing him in.
At first he was shocked at her sudden touch, but soon enough he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her in an equally tender embrace. This was unusual for the both of them.
Zuko was not the type to become emotional, especially in the company of the young waterbender. And over the past week Katara had barely been able to contain her disgust at Zuko. But there they were, hearts beating at a gentle rhythm as the two of them intertwined.
Katara found, as she stood there in the arms of the Fire Prince, that she didn't want to let him go. She wanted him to hold her through the comet, through the war, through the endless fighting she knew would ensue. Because here she felt safe. Though this thought scared her, she could not resist holding on a moment too long.
The truth was, she did not find Zuko revolting, not in the least. He was strong and warm, and smelled of spice and fire. He was handsome, even with the presence of the scar. Knowing the history of that mark had altered her perspective on the young prince. He had been through the same, if not more pain than she.
They were connected, but complete opposites nevertheless.
And upon this realization, she let him go.
She couldn't help but smile at the boy's dazed face upon her leaving. She often wondered what he thought of her whenever they had a close encounter such as this one.
Did he think of her fleetingly every day, just as she did?
Katara inhaled the salt filled mist that sprang towards her from the restless ocean. She felt more at home in this place than she had anywhere else, even in the Southern Water Tribe. She stared out at the vast expanse of the ocean in wonder at this realization.
She slipped off her robe, folding it neatly and setting it on the peak of a sand dune.
She loved the fresh air on her skin. Although the top and bottom of her were covered in cloth, she could still feel the ocean spray on every part of her body. She waded into the ocean, feeling her power course though her veins.
This was who she was.
Her hands moved back and forth in a fluid motion, sending water swirling around her in all directions. Her feet were swift beneath the sea, her bending power giving her ability that was unnatural of a normal human being.
Breathe in.
Her hands swirled in front of her face, her arms twisting and contorting, sending giant waves crashing onto the shoreline.
Breathe out.
She took a moment to survey her surroundings. That was when she noticed that she was no longer alone on the secluded beach.
There stood Zuko atop one of the highest sand dunes in her view. She wondered how long he had been watching her.
As she waded out onto the shore, she noticed that he was staring directly at her. Only when she met his gaze entirely and held it there for a few moments did he quickly turn his eyes downcast. She waved to him and smiled. He returned both gestures and made his way down to her.
She regarded him with fascination, as if she had never seen him before. He had a languid way of walking, with long strides and confident steps. His unkempt hair swung in his face, partially hiding the scar that was ever present amongst his features. He strode with clenched fists, and as he approached her it was as if he was about to command her. He was still his father's son after all. The physical correlation was apparent, but in temperament Zuko could not have been any more dissimilar. Beneath Zuko's accidental rages she knew a kind and gentle heart triumphed.
"Zuko" she said as he reached her.
"Katara" he responded, his lips twitching up into a smile. They stood there in silence for a moment, surveying the sea.
"Enjoying the view?" Katara asked in an attempt to fill the quiet. It was odd that Zuko had approached her. He wasn't one to attempt small talk, and they weren't exactly close. She thought he must have had some specific reason for singling her out. But now, as she searched his face, she realized that he was genuinely indifferent.
Zuko looked taken aback by her comment at first. She watched his eyes which slowly scanned the expanse of her. She rubbed her arm nervously.
'What is he doing?' she thought as a blush crept up her neck. The way he was looking at her, so intensely, made her feel practically naked.
Meanwhile, as Katara was contemplating whether or not to snatch her robe and make a run for it, the Fire Prince was at a loss for words.
'What am I doing?' thought Zuko helplessly as he looked at the wet girl in front of him. He could not help but notice the young waterbender's soaking attire sticking to every curve of her dark skin, or that her cheeks were now a very attractive shade of pink. Whether this was his doing, he did not know. But he was not this type of man. The two of them had just begun to resolve their differences, and thoughts such as these would ruin any progress they had achieved.
He assumed that Katara never contemplated him the way he did with her at times. Although the thoughts were quick flashes, such as in his dreams, he knew they were about her, and what they could mean.
He contained himself long enough to tear his eyes away and give her a logical response.
"Very much" he replied.
That pretty shade of pink which tinged Katara's cheeks turned visibly darker at his remark, and on realization of his words, he immediately wished he could take them back. He realized, with much chagrin, that at some point he was going to be frozen where he stood.
But Katara had no intention of reprimanding the Fire Prince. Though she was a bit taken aback by Zuko's blatant comment, she managed to gather her nerve, a coy smile forming about her lips.
"Would you like to join me?" she asked. She chuckled at Zuko's astonished expression. She had never been one to flirt, and though she did not know why she was attempting to with Zuko, she was thoroughly enjoying the experience.
Zuko replied with the only response he deemed acceptable. She had extended the invitation, after all.
"Sure" he said, smiling slightly, hesitantly. He removed his shirt, laying it in a crumpled pile next to Katara's neatly folded robe and following her down to the shoreline.
She had already begun to wade back into the cool water when she turned around to see him trailing behind her. She could instantly feel her body temperature rise at the now wet, half-naked boy she saw before her.
'Get a grip' she thought, gritting her teeth. 'This is Zuko we're talking about here!'
She could not seem to locate the self-control that she desired. Her eyes practically ate him alive. She took in the taught expanse of his stomach, his wet torso and muscled arms. Zuko waved a hand in front of her face, attempting to snap her of her daze.
"Earth to Katara?" he said, gently touching her forehead with his pointer finger.
"You in there?"
She immediately tore her eyes away from him and turned a brilliant shade of crimson. She could not help but notice the satisfied smirk on his face. He thought he was causing her to lose focus. It was true; he had the ability to momentarily stun her with his flawless physique. But to Katara this was a challenge, one which she would accept readily. She swatted his hand away.
"Ah, there you are" Zuko said chuckling "Thought I'd lost you for a second there." Katara huffed in frustration.
"If you must know…" she began, attempting to gather her thoughts. Zuko quirked an eyebrow.
"I was deciding which form would be best for us to practice." He looked at her, puzzled.
"Katara I'm a firebender, remember?" Katara sighed in exasperation.
"These moves will improve your firebending, I promise." She waded toward the Fire Prince, the ocean waves lapping against her sides.
"And they help you to relax."
She ran her wet hands down Zuko taught arms. His muscles slowly began to loosen with each trace of skin her fingers touched.
"See?" she said with a satisfied smile. "Now watch me closely."
Zuko was too distracted by Katara's touch to register the words that were coming out of her mouth. It was as if it were some sort of enchantment. Her fingers on his skin made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, and at that moment he wanted nothing more than to touch her back.
He followed her movements halfheartedly, unable to concentrate with the wet waterbender standing at such a close proximity. She noticed immediately.
"Zuko!" she exclaimed "You're not even trying!"
"What?" he said, coming out of his daze now that her ferocious glare was penetrating him.
'I knew at some point today I was going to be frozen' Zuko thought hopelessly. But she surprised him yet again. She made her way behind him, inches away from his broad back. He did not turn around. Somehow he knew that she didn't want him to. He could feel Katara's breath on his neck, causing him to clench his fists in order to stifle a sharp gasp.
She grasped both of his hands and held them, spreading his arms at full length. She slowly went through the positions that she had just taught him moments ago. She did not feel the need for an explanation. She knew he could learn without verbal instruction. The truth was, she saw how nervous she was making him, and she was reveling in the sight.
With a roguish glint in her eye, she moved a bit closer to him, their bodies molding into one another. She could hear Zuko take a shuddering breath.
'Spirits, when did she become so close!' he thought as he felt every nerve in his body come alive from her closeness. He could feel every curve from her body, could feel her soft wet skin against his.
'Who's distracting who now?' Katara thought mischievously as she felt the boy's body temperature rise to an unnatural height. It seemed as though Zuko was beginning to understand the movements, and so she let go of his hands. She laid them gently on his shoulders and put her mouth to his ear.
"That's it" she whispered.
The Fire Prince lost all control. Every functioning brain cell was commanding him to turn around and rip off those insufferable cloths that were covering her from his eyes. He was astounded at the amount of desire he felt for her, but somehow he had always known, ever since they had met, that a link had been formed in the back of his heart to hers.
He took a deep inward breath and spun around, grabbing both of her wrists tightly in his hands.
The boy in front of her looked more lustful and confused than ever, his golden eyes staring intensely into her blue ones. She suddenly remembered that look from long ago, so similar now, but in such alternate circumstances.
"I'll save you from the pirates" he said in his husky drawl as he grabbed her wrists, pulling her dangerously near to him.
From that close of a distance she could feel the heat that was pulsating from every pour in his body. It made all of her senses begin to buzz at once.
His eyes were like daggers, staring into her soul where no one else could reach. She could see her reflection in his golden orbs, clear as if looking into a mirror. Although she felt fear in the pit of her stomach, there was something else, and for that reason alone she could not look away.
She could see by his expression that he was surprised by her challenge, but it seemed to only deepen the intensity of his gaze. What she did not realize was that something had shifted inside him as well, and he would be forever haunted by her innocent blue gaze.
Katara gulped as she watched his eyes, which had become very close all of a sudden.
"Well…" she began, her voice shaking "This is familiar." Zuko let go of her and immediately backed away. But she didn't want him to let her go, not now.
"I should go" he said, his eyes downcast in shame. He began to wade his way out onto the shoreline. Katara thought helplessly of something to say in order to get him to come back to her, to get him to touch her again. But she could think of nothing. She followed him to the beach.
She wished dearly that she could take her words back. It was not familiar, not at all. So long ago, he had been forceful, commanding, his grip violent and his eyes full of fire. His eyes still held that similar fire, but now their light was passionate, loyal. His grip on her wrists was tight, but he did not harm her. It was as if he wanted to hold her there and never let her go.
She followed after him as he found his way to the shore. He plopped down in the soft sand, a foot from his crumpled robe. The sea was high, and the sky looked as if it were burning. Orange and crimson streaks filled Katara's vision. It was beautiful.
She sat down next to Zuko, a careful distance away. The tension between them was so intense that she had to look away after a few moments. She didn't know what was wrong with her. She hoped that he would forgive her.
"I'm sorry" she whispered. His mouth twitched.
"What did you say?" he questioned, his tone stern and eyes unwavering from the shoreline.
"I said… I'm sorry." She whispered again. He turned to her and stared at her in silence for what seemed like an eternity. Then, slowly, he slid over to her, looking directly into her eyes, which now resembled saucers.
"There isn't anything that can be done" he said simply, looking away for a moment. She stared at his face, studying his features in confusion.
"What does that mean?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Zuko sighed.
"It means that… you and me Katara, we… well… I don't think we can help feeling the way we do for each other."
Her mouth dropped open in disbelief.
"We can say that we dislike each other all we want. And we can tease each other, just like a moment ago. And we can pretend as though we feel nothing because in our heads we believe it's the right thing to do. But it's not, and we know it. We are helpless creatures under a remarkable spell."
Katara searched his face for any sign that he was joking. But indeed, he was very serious. She couldn't believe it. She never would have thought that Zuko could feel anything for her. She had never suspected.
"But we're not" she said, her breath coming quickly in and out of her lungs. Zuko raised his eyebrows.
"We're not helpless to the situation" her voice was barely audible "Are we?"
At this, Zuko closed the remaining space between them, placing both of his hands on her warm cheeks and gently brushing his lips against hers. He pulled away for a moment, judging her reaction. She was too astonished to speak, but she closed her eyes willingly, waiting for him. He couldn't help but smile at this.
He kissed her softly and slowly, his mouth moving against hers as gentle as two feathers brushing her lips. Katara's head was reeling.
He pulled away after what seemed like no time at all. They stared at each other for the longest time, neither one of them believing that the earth had not moved beneath them, that they were still on the same sandy beach and not on some otherworldly continent.
They were still the same two people they were when the day began. His hands rested on her cheeks.
"What are we going to do?" she whispered. Zuko furrowed his brow.
"You and Mai…" she began. He put a finger to her lips, silencing her. "It's complicated" he replied. She looked down at her sand covered feet.
"Just like you and Aang" he added. At this her head snapped up. A small smile crept up on his normally serious face.
"But there is something between us that is incomparable to my relationship with Mai or yours with Aang."
Katara moved her hand so it was on top of his.
"Like what?" she whispered. The smell of her cool breath in his face made Zuko's head spin. He shook his shaggy crown of dark hair, trying to regain his concentration.
"I think about you. I've dreamt about you. It's not like that with Mai."
Katara didn't know what to say. After all of her careful calculations, she had come to realize that they were not opposites at all. Everything he was feeling, every thought, they were all hers as well. Not a day went by when she didn't have a fleeting dream of the Fire Prince, and to her utter disbelief, he was the same way with her.
Zuko analyzed her soft features, looking for any trace of disgust. But her eyes held nothing but warmth for him. He smiled and she leaned in, kissing his teeth.
They stayed there like that until nightfall, watching as the sun lowered itself into the oceans depths, fire and water combining as one.
As Katara stared at the two elements, she began to realize the meaning of the phrase 'opposites attract'. Although completely conflicting in every way, eventually those two elements collide. The wild, burning sun melding into the coolest, deepest of oceans. At some point in time, they must work together; learn to accept one another for their similarities and differences.
She had never anticipated she would fall in love with a man made of fire.
"So…" she sighed, searching his amber eyes for an answer to the question she knew was swimming in his mind as well.
"What do we do?"
He stroked the side of her face with his thumb, looking intently into her gentle eyes. He did not know what they were going to do, or how their relationship would progress. All that he was sure of was that he had never felt so at peace in his life. And he knew in his heart it was because of her.
He had never expected to fall in love with a girl made of water.
It seemed as though the earth had moved beneath their feet, and along with the world and all of its contrasting elements, their hearts had shifted as well.
Two opposites on a divergent path, moving together as one.