Might be OOC. This is just a brief little fight scene between Zuko and Katara. Just not the physical kind. Hope you like it.

In any case, I don't own ATLA. Just sayin'.

Heartbreak
26th October 2012

"Katara!" Zuko ran after the waterbender storming across the courtyard of the Fire palace. "Katara! Wait!"

Katara felt her jaw clench as she listened to the sound of Zuko's footsteps getting closer and resisted the urge to break into a run. She felt raw and vulnerable and furious and … hurt. bBut she just wanted to focus on being angry. Anger was a better emotion to deal with right now because if she was going to grieve over hurt, she was aware of the fact that she might start crying.

"Katara, wait!"

"Why, Zuko?" She stopped and whirled around suddenly, startling him. Her face was tight with anger. "So you can tell me some more lies?!"

"I never lied to you," Zuko insisted as he came to a slow stop in front of her. When she continued to look unconvinced, he snapped in frustration, "Believe me!"

"Why should I? I have all the proof I need!" She grabbed something from her belt and for one wild moment, he thought that she was seizing a weapon to attack him with but it turned out to be a black silk ribbon. She threw it at him and it fluttered and twisted in the night breeze.

He stared at it as it spiraled gently to the ground. "What is that?"

She laughed a little but it was a shaky, bitter sound that made him flinch. He knew that she expected him to recognize it and that she probably figured he was faking his bewilderment but he was honestly confused. He'd never seen it before.

Although it did look vaguely familiar.

"Don't you recognize it? It was on your bed," Katara spoke as if she was spitting poison. She stopped to stare at him, her beautiful eyes boring into his skull, obviously waiting for him to get it.

Zuko stared back at her in confusion then at the black ribbon settled upon the ground between them. On his bed? It was familiar but at the same time unfamiliar, like something he'd seen before but never really taken an interest in …

Then it hit him.

Mai.

Of course.

She'd come into his room this morning, asking him to give her an explanation as to why he'd been avoiding her. Why he hadn't shown any desire to pick things up where they'd left off last, why he hadn't shown any interest in a relationship with her, why he hadn't proposed. He'd explained to the best of his ability – which wasn't much – that he wasn't interested in her anymore. And somehow or other, she'd started throwing knives at him and he'd started bending fire at her. In the end, they'd both been breathing hard from the workout, his clothes had been tattered and her hair had collapsed from their usual put togetherness.

But no harm done. She'd accepted his decision with grace and even wished him well. Then she'd left and he'd had his room cleaned up. Obviously the staff had missed the ribbon on his bed.

An innocent story but looking into Katara's face which was tight with fury, he realized how it must have looked to her.

Slowly, he stretched his hands out to her. "I can explain."

"Was Mai in your room this morning?" Katara asked between pursed lips. She sounded beyond consoling.

"Yes but – "

"Then we don't really have anything to talk about, do we?" She whirled around and started walking again. Walking to a destination she didn't know.

Cursing fluidly under his breath, he ran after her again. "Katara, nothing happened! I swear!"

"I can't do this anymore," she threw over her shoulder without pausing in her speed walking. "I can't. I thought I could but I can't pretend everything's fine when it's not."

He stopped right in his tracks, feeling ice lock around his heart.

This was it. A conversation he had been dreading. Feelings he had been hoping would not crop up. A rock in their relationship he was not sure they could jump over.

"What?"

She had stopped too. But she kept her back to him. Her breathing was heavier than normal and her shoulders were shaking slightly – although from the cold or an excess of emotion, he did not know.

"Let's not pretend that I can just marry you and everything will be alright," she said quietly and each word pierced through his heart like daggers. "You can't marry a waterbender. And I'm not even a princess! I'm just a simple peasant – "

"Don't talk about yourself in that way," he interrupted harshly.

"I can't continue this," she continued as if he had not spoken. "You belong in the Fire Nation with Mai and your other loyal subjects. I belong with Aang and Sokka and Toph and Suki. I can't pretend to be the perfect Fire Lady when I'm not."

"I don't care," Zuko said, but his heartbeat was unnaturally loud in his chest. He took a few steps forward. "Katara, don't –"

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty," she said and the words felt like a whiplash. He fell back and she began to walk again, picking up pace until she broke into a run completely, hoping he could not see the tears running down her face.

She left him in the darkness.

I'm having mixed feelings about this. So let me know what you think? :)

Kindly rate and review. Any hate and I will do everything in my power to hunt you freaking down. Constructive criticism is much appreciated.

x Kasainoai