(The night after Katara officially forgave Zuko in the Southern Raiders)
Zuko shivered in the cold of the night. He was in a wide grassy space beside a gorge, far from their tents.
He was surprised to see the beautiful Katara walk and sat down beside him.
"Why are you here? Aren't you sleepy?" He asked.
"Why are you here? Aren't you sleepy?" Was her reply, smiling at him. He smiled for a while, and looked at the full moon.
"Oh." Katara said. "It's the full moon – my favorite phase. This is where you are at your weakest, and I'm on my peak."
"Is that so?" Zuko looked at her wistfully.
"Yeah. Do you want me to prove it?"
"I remember you doing that creepy thing on that Chief. It was awkwardly scary of you."
"Really? Hama taught me that scary technique. She calls it the Ultimate Technique of us waterbenders, bloodbending."
"Sounds pretty amazing. You could have defeated my father by that."
"He's strong enough to hold that off, I think. And it's supposed to be Aang's job to defeat him. No matter how amazing it sounds."
Zuko lied down and rested his head on his hands. "You are amazing yourself, you know. Like – forgiving that old scum who killed your mother."
Katara lied down, too. "Really? That's…flattering. "
"I also miss my mother. Her name was Ursa. She's kind, loving, and actually cares about me. No one loved me so much since her. No one loves me like the way I…love them."
He turned sideways to look at Katara, who was intently gazing at the few stars. Zuko continued:
"I love them but they hate me. I don't expect them to love me so much, I understand, because of what I did. I only want them to forgive me. To be with them."
Katara frowned and turned sideways, facing him. "Are referring to…us?"
Zuko looked once again at the sky. "Yes, but – not really team Avatar, you know?"
"But we've forgiven you already. You're always welcome at our team, Zuko. Without you, Aang wouldn't learn firebending."
"I know."
"So who are you referring to?" Katara asked, curious.
Zuko was becoming red now, not knowing what to say further without blurting it out.
"Never mind it. That's just the way I am."
"But I must know whom you feel you are unloved by. You don't actually mean…Ozai and Azula, don't you?" She sat upright. "So you want them to forgive you! You love them and you want them to forgive you and you want to be with them!"
"Of course I don't want to be with them! Remember I chose to go away from them."
Katara chilled down. "Okay."
She lied down again and gazed at the stars. Zuko watched her; and he saw that gleam in her eyes at night that he was always thrilled to look at.
Then tears began to flow in her eyes. "I miss dad. I miss mom. I miss Gran-gran. I miss everyone from the South Pole. Even those little penguins we used as sleds."
"Yeah. I miss the good times, too." He nodded, looking at the brightest star.
Katara became slightly unthinking and drowsy. "The good times where you hunted us and conquered every part of the planet." She said dreamily as she closed her eyes and drifted to her subconscious mind.
"I don't mean that. I mean when my family's still happy and complete. At least when mother's there. Being alone drives me crazy. You drive me crazy as well." He had not meant to say it, and he said it.
Katara's eyes were closed and peaceful; and Zuko thought she was finally asleep.
For many minutes he just stared at her dreamily; half-smiling although unintentionally. "Katara?" He stroked her hair.
She moved a little and her eyes slowly fluttered open. "What? Uh – where –"
Zuko helped her sit up. "I'll carry you to your tent." And that he did. As he carried her, she fell asleep immediately.
Gently, he put her down and kissed her on the cheek.
"I love you." He whispered. "But I realized it too late. We're not supposed to be together. We're different." With that he left the tent; thinking that Katara did not hear what he had just said.