A/N Allow me to apologize beforehand. I am highly sucky with prompts. Thank you. Also, the story is in third person omnipotent, I think. Well, whatever, what I mean is you'll hear Katara's and Zuko's thoughts. Didn't want any confusion on that. Enjoy!


Day 1: Fire Lady


Katara's feet padded softly down the hallway, though even her light steps seemed to echo. The full moon shone brightly that night, its soothing glow slipping through windows, doors, and any other place left unguarded from the outside. The young woman paused in front of a set of double doors, glancing sharply over her shoulder. She had an itching feeling that she was being watched or followed.

You're being paranoid. Calm down.

She proceeded to the gardens beyond the doors, taking care to shut them firmly behind her. Practically running to the small pond nestled beneath an old tree, she sighed in relief. Water. At last, at last, my beautiful water! Ever since she had married Zuko and taken on the duties of Fire Lady, there had been next to no time for bending, or even coming into contact with her element. Laughing with pure joy, the Waterbender flicked one hand upward, and a stream of water from the pond obediently followed it. Spinning and twisting, Katara began what would appear to be an intricate dance, if she was not followed through the garden by long, watery ribbons flowing behind her.

Katara ran for a blissfully long time, unrestrained for once by suffocating robes and sashes, wearing the colors of her homeland; her comfortable tribal clothing. The girl tired at long last, contenting herself with sitting leaned up against the ancient willow, freezing some of the water she had carried with her through the gardens.

Intently, she began manipulating the ice, making beautiful carvings and statues. A flower, a fire lily, in fact, formed beneath her brown, masterful hands. Another block of ice became a familiar animal, an arrow running down its tail and head. It really was quite a good replica of Appa, though on a much smaller scale, of course.

She allowed her thoughts to wander, to freely roam in the humid, sticky night air of the Fire Nation. She thought wistfully of the South Pole, of her family, of her home. Sharply, she reprimanded herself for letting her mind go there. Stop it! This is your home now. Being homesick is silly. You love Zuko, remember?

Glancing absentmindedly at her work, she laughed when she saw what she had unwittingly created in her musings. A set of figures, each one no bigger than the turtleducks that swam about the pond during the day, lay in a perfect row before her. Aang, Sokka, Toph, Suki, Zuko, and Katara herself. Every one had a happy expression on their little frozen faces.

A warm hand set itself on her shoulder, and the startled girl twisted to her feet in a matter of seconds. At the same instant, she drew more water from the pond, pinning her assailant to the tree with a series of icicles along their clothing, another hovering just a hairs breadth away from their throat. The person let out a strangled sounding laugh, amber eyes glinting in the moonlight. Katara flushed a red even darker than the colors of her husband's robes as she released him.

Zuko grinned, making a show of brushing off his casual robes while his wife looked at the ground in embarrassment, face flushed.

"Well, I guess we don't have to be concerned about you getting jumped, huh? Maybe I'm the one who should be concerned," he teased, lifting her chin to face him.

She smirked in response. "Since when do either of us have to worry about that? Master benders, remember? I just happen to have better reflexes than you, Mr. Lazy Fire Lord."

He gave her a wounded look.

"I'm not lazy! Come on Katara, come up with an insult that actually has some merit!"

Katara pulled him down by his robes, kissing him chastely on the lips, only to pull back a second later.

"Geez, still can't take a joke, even after all these years."

Her words and voice were teasing, but her husband of several weeks, and best friend long before that, picked up on a bitter undertone to her jibe. Frowning, he sat, pulling her gently down in front of him. Agni, I hope I didn't do something wrong...

"Okay, are you going to tell me what's wrong, or do I have to figure it out myself?" Zuko said firmly, wrapping his arms around her. She sat between his legs, back to him, but he could hear the smirk in her answer.

"I'm kinda curious as to how you think you'll do that. I mean, it's lining up all too well: me Waterbending, you coming up and grabbing me... All I'm saying is there's a tree right there. Are you hinting at something?" she teased. The two of them clearly remembered that night with the pirates, and it was a constant source of teasing among the Gaang.

He chuckled, kissing the top of her head. "I may have to if you don't stop being stubborn. Seriously, what's wrong? No denying or changing the subject."

The young woman sighed. There is literally no way out of this.

"I just... I don't know, Zuko. I guess I miss the South Pole."

He stiffened involuntarily. She just misses her family. She's not leaving you. She doesn't mean it like that. She couldn't... Could she?

Katara, feeling the Firebender's hold tighten around her waist, leaned her head back to look him in the eye. His frightened, troubled, beautiful amber eyes. Tui and La, not again! This man has the worst paranoia... Like I can talk.

"Zuko. Don't freak out on me, okay? You know I'm never going to leave you. Till death do us part, remember?" she said softly.

He relaxed considerably, laughing uncomfortably. "Sorry. It's still just so... Unbelievable. Surreal. Like I'm living in a dream." He turned her to face him fully. "I... I don't want to wake up."

Even in the sparse light of the moon, she could see the pink color tinging his pale cheeks. Spirits, if he isn't the cutest guy I've ever met...

Katara kissed him again, smiling softly now. Leaning back into his embrace, she snuggled her dark brown head under his chin.

"I just miss everyone in general, you know? I mean, they were all here for the wedding, but... I don't know. I don't even know why I feel like this, why I'm homesick, but it hurts." By the time the Waterbender finished speaking, tears were making tracks down her face.

Zuko heard her voice break and knew she was crying. He stroked her hair. "You know, you can take a ship down to the Southern Water Tribe anytime you want, right? You travelled between the South Pole and the Palace City constantly while we were dating." As long as you come back to me.

She turned her head in surprise, wide blue eyes meeting his own. "Really? Just... Pick up and leave?" Zuko's heart ached at the thought of her being gone from him, but put a smile on for his wife.

"Of course. I'm the Fire Lord; that makes you the Fire Lady. You have resources."

She frowned slightly, brow furrowing. "I guess that's true..." Katara pressed closer against him. "But... Zuko, we just got married. I don't want to leave you right now. I knew when you asked me to marry you that I wouldn't be going South much. I'll be fine."

He was elated in the inside, obviously, that she didn't want to leave him, but a twinge of guilt pricked his conscience.

"Are you sure? Because I could get a ship and crew ready to go by tomorrow afternoon, easy. Just say the word, Katara, and you can be on your way. I don't want you to feel like you're trapped in any way. Seriously, just..."

Katara cut him off with a long, sweet kiss. Zuko relaxed into it, before pulling back and meeting her eyes with his own anxious ones.

"You're too good to me," the Waterbender said softly, running a hand down his face. "I'm fine now. Really."

Zuko smiled, satisfied at last. His smile shifted to a smirk as his gaze landed on the set of ice figures behind his wife.

"Are you an artist, now?" The Fire Lord teased. He reached around her, picking up two specific figures; Katara and himself. Katara blushed slightly.

"I didn't make them on purpose, Zuko! I zoned out, and next thing I know I'm surrounded by little people!"

He raised an eyebrow, a wolfish smile on his face. Leaning in, he whispered lowly in her ear.

"I wouldn't mind being surrounded by little people, too. I'll even help you with making them..."

She furrowed her brow in confusion. He laughed at the expression on her face as she tried to decipher his cleverly veiled meaning, then laughed even harder when realization and fury dawned on her.

"Zuko! G-geez, get your mind out of the gutter!" she yelled, hitting him on the shoulder.

He grinned cheekily. "Nope, I'm allowed to say stuff like that now, we're married, remember?"

Katara glared playfully at him. "You'd better be nice to me, Mister Fire Lord, if you want to be 'surrounded by little people'," she mocked.

Zuko smiled. "I'm too charming to resist, Madame Fire Lady. Shall I escort you to the bedchambers?"

She yawned slightly. "I'll take you up on that." Giving him a look, she poked him in the chest. "But only to sleep, okay?"

He laughed and scooped her up in a bridal carry, walking back to the palace.

"Zuko? Zuko, I'm serious right now! I'm tired, okay?!"

"Shut up and kiss me, Katara."

"...Oh, fine."

"Hey! It's not a job, for Agni's sake! Don't look so annoyed!"

"Shut up and kiss me, Zuko."

"Gladly."


A/N I'm sorry guys. I know that was seriously crappy, and Katara was probably OOC, but I've never really written for her before, and I definitely haven't written any Zutara before! But hey, if you liked it, and I hope you do, then review and follow this collection! Thanks guys! -Nerdy J