Zuko's stomach did summersaults, he was pacing back-and-forth, and he was biting the bottom of his lip. He couldn't decide what to do. She had noticed—Katara had noticed. Katara was no fool, she was perceptive and articulate. Through the weekend the friends had spent together, excluding the preoccupied avatar, the young fire lord's peculiar behavior was made evident through his gauche inability to guise his flustered state. Every time the consummate woman skirted by, the feckless man would flush three shades of red; when she spoke to him basic questions, he'd stumble on his words, and twiddle his thumbs. Zuko had held undisclosed affections for her since he was seventeen, but now— the years had done her well, and she seemed even more elegant, and amazing than before— that itself was a feat for the record books.
But, she knew. She caught his scurried scuffles in his words, that lingered off his tongue, and she spotted the heat that radiated off his porcelain, baffled skin. So, Katara demanded an answer. She cornered him, and demanded to know why he was acting so strange around her lately, but when Zuko tried to stifle a reply in vain, the hotheaded waterbender grew frustrated at his lack of response, and stormed off. She deserved a response, and he respected her more than anything— so he was going to muster up his courage, and masquerade a lionheart, tell her how he really had felt all these years. She deserved to know, even if it meant losing her friendship- he just hoped she'd keep it from Aang. He was certain she'd reject him, he knew she'd not be harsh about it, he knew she'd spew apologies for his unrequited love, and he'd have to act like it didn't feel like an axe to his chest.
Today was the day she was packing up to depart. She was returning to the Water Tribe, to see her grandmother, her father, her home. He saw her by the twinkling dock, the sunlight illuminating her hair, showing tints of red highlights. The water was glistening, but her eyes put the sunset's reflection to shame. Zuko inhaled sharply, not daring to exhale as he lightly tugged her sleeve from behind. Katara darted around to face him.
"Zuko?" she responded, peaking an eyebrow, then swiftly growing cross with him. "What? Are you here to mumble out nonsense again and refuse to answer me?"
"No!" Zuko quickly refuted, raising his hands in protest. "I-I mean… I'm here to answer you."
She folded her arms over her chest, but her demeanor softened. "I'm listening," cued Katara, smiling warmly with encouragement. Zuko gulped. This was it.
"Katara… I— First of all, I'm sorry," Zuko rattled out quickly, going a hundred-miles-per-hour down his freeway of thoughts, having lost the breaks. "I'm sorry for everything I ever did to hurt you, and I'm sorry for what I'm going to say, and I just really hope that we can still be friends, even though I know you'll never feel the same way about me; I don't blame you; I'm awful. I love you, I've been in love with you since we were kids on Air Temple Island, I— I'm just glad you forgave me and that we're friends. I don't expect anything from you; I want you and Aang to be happy together, but you demanded an answer, so I figured I was sort of obligated to—" he was interrupted abruptly. His eyes bulged open wide, but then softly fluttered shut, his hands were resting on her waist, and hers were around his neck.
"Be quiet," Katara whispered, finally coming off the spontaneous kiss. "You worry too much. Zuko, you're a wonderful person," Katara spoke, soft like a gentle rain shower, her hand cupping his scarred cheek as she softly looked into his passionate, amber eyes. This was something she had been waiting to hear for a couple years, years they'd spent apart, years Zuko didn't know she and Aang had split awhile ago. "I have to go, but I'll see you later, Zuko. I'm coming to the Fire Nation after I go home."
Zuko was left dumbstruck again, but this time it wasn't to Katara's annoyance. She kissed him on the cheek as she got on the ship where her brother already boarded. She waved at him with a smirk, and he brought himself out of his bewildered daze enough to wave was something completely unexpected. That was aconfession that was worthwhile.