The night was dark, and the stars that bejeweled it put even the most beautiful gems to shame. It was a cool evening, with soft breezes that promised warmth but were just chilly enough to make you edge closer to the fire. The flames licked the night, casting long shadows over the people gathered around it. Though the rest of the world was incased in dark, this group had their own dome of light, in which they fought off the blackness with laughter and music.
The sand gave way beneath Katara's feet, but still she danced to the music of the gently lapping ocean and her friends laughing and clapping. She leapt around the flames, spinning and kicking, creating intricate movements with her legs. Sometime since she had begun her hair had come undone, and her dark locks floated around her, indistinguishable from the encroaching night.
The embers glowed as Katara gave a magnificent bound, catching her movement as her foot slipped and laughing as she fell.
Strong arms caught her. Katara looked up into golden eyes, brighter than the fire behind her. The light casted deep, dark shadows off the angles of Zuko's face and for a moment he looked like an avenging angel, all sharp lines and contrasts.
As her heart thudded louder than the clapping around her, Zuko whispered, just for her, "May I have this dance?"
Though her head spun, Katara drew herself away from him, trailing a hand down his arm and lingering on his fingertips. "If you can catch me." She gave him a mischievous smile and threw herself back into the dance.
The two shadows locked in an elaborate battle across the flames. Katara was all fluidity and adaptability- Zuko was precise and sure, each step measured in perfect accuracy. Both were beautiful. The dancers were locked in an endless circle- the hawk hunted its prey as the evasive sea bird darted and preempted its every move, never to be caught.
Then, Zuko spun quickly and gracefully just as Katara did the same, and they were nose to nose. Before Katara could react, Zuko had one hand on her ribs, a little too high, and the other encasing her fingers. They stared into each other's eyes, blood pounding.
"Caught you."