DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor am I in any way affiliated with Michael Dante DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko. This story is purely fan-made.
Katara was breathing heavily as she managed to bind an unstable Azula to the metal grate beneath them.
She was soaking, her hair was dishevelled and her heart threatened to beat out of her chest after all the effort it had taken to restrain the armed and insanely dangerous Fire Princess. She took a step back, wary that Azula could escape. She wouldn't put it past her.
Then a faint moan caught her ears and her heart skipped a beat, before completely plummeting.
Zuko.
He'd taken Azula's lightning for her. Why did he do it? It didn't matter now, she just had to make sure he was okay. She ran over to him, her legs so weak that they could barely carry her.
Please don't die.
She found a way to run though. She had to.
Please don't die.
She reached him and collapsed down onto her knees. The rough ground tore at her leggings, but she felt nothing. For a moment, she could only stare in horror at the raw burn on Zuko's chest as he clenched and unclenched his fists, sucking in air through his gritted teeth as his face contorted in agony.
"No, no, no, no," Katara whispered, her voice shaking as she turned him onto his back with quivering hands. "You've going to be fine," she said, raising her voice slightly so that Zuko could hear her.
She ignored the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes and took the water out of her pouch, setting it down onto his chest wound. As horrifying flashbacks of cradling a dead Aang in her arms assaulted her mind, Katara tried to focus on the present, and put all of her energy into healing Zuko.
Relief washed over her as the water glowed brightly and Zuko's scowl relaxed into a peaceful expression. Katara held her breath until Zuko opened his eyes, and then couldn't control her joy that he was alive. The tears that had formed now flowed freely down her face as she smiled.
"Thank you, Katara," Zuko murmured, his voice weak.
She gave a short, shaky laugh. "I think I should be the one thanking you." She helped him into an upright sitting position and resisted throwing her arms around him. "Why did you do it?"
Zuko paused, pretending that he was trying to steady his already stable breathing. That was the million gold piece question. Would this finally be the moment he admitted how he felt towards her? If she rejected him, he could always pretend he had been delirious or something, pretend it was a rare side-effect of being healed. So rare that in the history of healing it had only ever happened to him.
But what if she did reject him?
Agni, he didn't think he could live with that. He'd rather face a hundred rounds with Azula that risk Katara being too uncomfortable to be around him anymore. That would hurt worse than a shot of lightning to the chest. That would be like a shot of lightning to the heart.
"Because I didn't want you to die," he settled for answering. It was as truthful as he could be.
"Well, I don't want you to die, so no more jumping in front of oncoming lightning," Katara answered with a small grin. She cast an uncertain glance backwards, towards the source of the wailing that had begun. "I…she's trapped."
Zuko nodded, his chest heavy with the knowledge that he had just had the perfect opportunity to tell Katara his feelings and he had let it drift by. Deflated, he allowed Katara to help him up and leant on her slightly as she led him to where his little sister was chained to a grate, screaming and crying hysterically.
He watched as Azula thrashed about, tears rolling down her cheeks. He felt his own eyes sting but couldn't look away. He noted Katara's arm on his shoulder, anchoring him to the world that he didn't understand, and his pain and regret welcomed a new, stabilising emotion: gratefulness.
He was grateful that his Uncle had taken him in when his father cast him out. He was grateful he had at least gotten to spend a few short years with his mother before she disappeared. He was grateful he had found redemption. He was grateful he had found Katara
After the Comet
Zuko struggled putting his robe on. He didn't know if it was through his still painful injury, his irritation that Katara was completely oblivious that he liked her, or his nerves about the upcoming speech he had to give. He had never been one for speeches. That had always been Azula's forte. Zuko would've preferred to write a nice letter informing everyone that the war was officially over. But then, that wouldn't be the best way to begin his new reign as Fire Lord.
"You need some help with that?"
Zuko smiled sadly as Mai came up behind him. He knew what he was going to have to do, and it filled him with more fear than public speaking. Generally, the public didn't have an incredible aim and carry sharp knives with them.
"Mai, you're okay," he said, stating the obvious while trying not to dwell on what would happen once he delivered his news. "They let you out of prison?"
Mai shrugged as she helped him with his robe. "My uncle pulled some strings," she answered, her voice the monotonous drawl that Zuko found he hadn't missed at all. "And it doesn't hurt when the new Fire Lord's your boyfriend."
She straightened his robe and stepped in closer, before tilting her head upwards and kissing him. Zuko kissed her back automatically for a moment before breaking away and shaking his head.
"Mai…"
"What?" She paused, noted his uncomfortable expression and scoffed. "Are you breaking up with me again?"
She folded her arms and glared at him, her eyes piercing his.
"I just…" Again, Zuko wished he could hide behind a letter. That would've been so much easier. "I've changed. I'm not the same person that I was when we were together."
He didn't tell her the real reason. He didn't mention that, during his time with the Avatar's friends - with Katara - he barely gave Mai a second thought. It was an awful thing to admit, but it was the truth. Mai hadn't been there when Zuko was fighting for his life and protecting Katara's, like she hadn't been there to comfort him when his sister finally released her fragile grip on sanity. This wasn't Mai's fault, of course, but Zuko couldn't change his feelings.
"That's it?" Mai asked, her voice deadly calm. "I find that hard to believe." She took a step towards Zuko, her eyes flashing. "Is there someone else?"
"There's no one else," Zuko replied, frustration entering his tone as he realized just how true this was. "It just won't work with us anymore."
A flicker of hurt passed over Mai's stoic face, and Zuko was immediately sorry that he had snapped. He still liked Mai, and was fully prepared to be her friend if she wanted. Just nothing more than that.
"Did I do something wrong?"
Zuko looked up in surprise to see that Mai's eyes were averted. He had never heard her speak in such a small voice before.
"No!" he almost fell over himself to assure her. "This doesn't have anything to do with you. I…my life is just complicated right now with Azula and becoming Fire Lord and I-"
"Don't want me anymore," Mai finished for him incorrectly, turning her back on him. "Okay."
Zuko didn't have a clue what to do. It wasn't as though he'd ever been in this situation before. Usually when he was upsetting girls (mainly Katara) it was involved with making life-changing decisions. But this was just awkward.
"Mai, you will always be my friend."
This turned out to be the worst thing to say in a situation like this.
Mai whipped around, her eyes blazing. "I don't want to be just your friend!" she scowled.
Zuko stepped forward tentatively. When Mai didn't move away, he took another step towards her before gently embracing her. She stiffened, before slowly putting her arms around his neck and hugging him back.
In the doorway, a throat cleared and Zuko sprang away from Mai.
Katara stood just inside the room, watching Zuko with an odd expression on her face.
"Coronation time," she managed after a moment of silence, before turning on her heel and leaving swiftly. "Sorry I interrupted."
Zuko was tempted to call after her, to offer to walk her to his Coronation, anything just to be with her a little bit longer. But he had to sort out the issue with Mai first.
"Mai, you're one of my oldest friends," he began, his stomach a jumble of nerves as he realized how soon his Coronation actually was, "and I'm sorry if that's not good enough for you, but that's all we can be from now on." His stomach churned as he glanced towards the balcony. "I need to go but I'm here to talk. You know, if you want to. Which you probably won't. Which is okay."
Shut up, Zuko advised himself.
Taking his own advice, Zuko sighed, took one last look at the girl he was leaving behind for the fourth time in his life and left to meet his destiny.
The Jasmine Dragon in Ba Sing Se, three days later.
No one had asked why Mai hadn't joined the group when they had gone back to Ba Sing Se. Zuko was glad of it; he didn't want to face their questions or pitying looks when he told them their relationship just hadn't worked out.
When he wasn't out making speeches, Zuko would sit quietly even when he was surrounded by his friends, speaking only when spoken to and not adding anything to their conversations. The only time he would speak animatedly was when Katara talked to him. His mood would lift and he would laugh and smile. Reflecting on it afterwards, he would curse himself for being so obvious, but there was really nothing he could do about it. It was an embarrassment, really, but at least no one could tease him for it. He supposed that was the one, and only, good thing about not actually being with Katara.
On the third day, his cowardice was beginning to annoy him. If he admitted everything to Katara and she rejected him then what was the worst that could happen? It wasn't as though war would break out again. The world wouldn't end. His pride would suffer a blow and that was about it. At least he would finally know.
As the group around him - minus Aang, who was stood on the balcony outside, brooding - doubted Sokka's artistic ability, Zuko gathered up his courage to ask Katara for a moment alone.
He had just drawn breath to speak when she got up and glided out onto the balcony, her beautiful mahogany hair tumbling down the back of the light green dress she wore. She stopped when she reached Aang, and Zuko stood up. He would have to interrupt their conversation while he still had the nerve. He excused himself under his breath and made his way out to the balcony.
"I wouldn't," Toph murmured warningly as he walked past. He paid her no heed and continued.
He took a step out onto the balcony and stopped cold as he watched Aang and Katara embrace intimately. With a smile on her face that tore Zuko apart, Katara slowly leant in and kissed Aang full on the lips.
Zuko couldn't help but stare for a moment. Then he uprooted his feet from where they had been seemingly frozen to the floor and mechanically walked away.
He had thought it was only his pride that would suffer from a rejection from Katara, but with every step his whole body physically hurt. Anger, pain, jealously and confusion flashed up in his mind, joining to create one awful ache.
Zuko barely registered where he was going, let alone that anyone was trying to speak to him. He wasn't even aware that Toph had been following him until he had exited the back of the tea shop into the slightly sparse garden.
He clenched his fists as tears burned in his eyes. He shut them tightly, refusing to cry over a girl.
"I told you not to go out there," Toph muttered from behind him.
"Leave me alone."
"I want to ask you something."
"Not now, Toph."
Zuko was trying to keep his patience, but he noticed thin tendrils of smoke escape from his nostrils every time he breathed out, a sure sign that he was losing his temper. If he could just be left alone to vent...but no, apparently that was too much to ask.
"I could tell she was going to kiss him," Toph continued quietly, driving the knife further into Zuko. "Her heartbeat went all weird. Kind of like a heart beats quicker when a person sees someone they love."
Zuko closed his eyes again, preventing the tears from slipping down his cheeks. Not here. He wished Toph would shut up.
"Only, it wasn't exactly like that. Katara's heart only beats like that for one person, and it isn't Aang."
Zuko opened his eyes and slowly turned around. Toph was giving him her version of a pointed look - her eyes faced in his direction and her eyebrows were raised.
Zuko felt his fists unfurl and his anger slowly drain away. If Toph was messing with him…but she wouldn't, would she? She was sarcastic and sharp, but she wasn't cruel.
"If I told you that you could have a chance with Katara, would you take it?"
"Yes," Zuko answered immediately.
A small smile appeared on Toph's lips. "You don't even know what you'd have to do to get that chance."
"It doesn't matter," Zuko replied. "A chance is better than what I've got now."
"And what's that?"
Zuko considered his answer before turning back to the garden. "Nothing."
A/N:
Hello everyone, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Writing my last oneshot reminded me of how much I enjoyed writing fanfic (especially Zutara :D) so here we go. Sixth Form (like the UK version of Grades 11 and 12 in American education) is still my number one priority, of course, but I'll update as soon as I can.
Anyway, sorry about the long chapter, there was a lot to fit in. I tried to keep it consistent with the episode as much as I could, so about three lines of this chapter is from the episode 'Avatar Aang'
Kataang will be kept to a minimum and Taang will either be hinted at or actually happen…opinions would be great, I've not decided yet.
Reviews are appreciated, thank you for reading and hope you're having a good week so far! :)
- Momo
