"So..." Zuko rubbed the back of his head. They came to a stop outside his tent. Looked around, avoiding eye contact. "Look. I. ok. Never mind. Look, I'm impressed that you could do that., uh" he looked down. "Forgive me, no, uh well not. Kill him." He groaned and sighed. "I know these things can be difficult, I... don't know if I could do that- I. Respect that. You've given me a lot to think about- and, well, thank you-"

Katara put a hand on his shoulder, and he slowly moved his arm away from rustling his hair. "I know. I think we still have a lot to talk about... so." She looked back at the others "let's go inside, get some privacy."

"That's not,"

"No. It is necessary. I think..." she rubbed her own shoulder now, "if we aired everything out it wouldn't distract you anymore."

"Ok."

Zuko turned and entered his tent. Katara looked back over her shoulder st the rest of her friends. It felt weird to mentally associate Zuko with 'friendship' like that. She smiled and gave a thumbs up, then followed. Zuko had the drape helped open for her. She thought it was weird realizing that he was actually a person with class. At times.

There was a stiff silence. Katara made herself comfortable and sat down in the centre on the tent. Zuko nervously went back to rubbing his neck. "So. I uh. I don't have any pai cho. I, I can make this little game we used to play as kids with an apple-"

"I'm not here to play games."

"Right, right." Zuko eventually sat down. He clearly didn't know how to be a host or be a good friend.

He tapped his fingers on his knees and continued to waste time. He hung his head and sighed, he felt so socially inept still. "Look, Zuko, relax." Zuko nodded. Even though she said that she didn't really know how to indicate a heart-to-heart like this.

Time continued to pass. Zuko stood up and flapped his arms in the air. "Ugh- this should be easier already!" Katara just sat and watched as he started to pace. "Toph was easy. Even Sokka and Aang- but I just can't relax and act like this is normal-! It should be easy but- ugh I don't know I can't just be calm!"

Katara sighed before she got an idea. "Well-" she avoided eye contact. "There is something that might help-"

Zuko stopped, he pouted and crossed his arms looking at her. It was silent again and he grew impatient. "Well?"

Katara looked at him, speaking with motions in her hands. "Well when Toph joined, she and I didn't get along, so we needed to find a way to relax together-" her eyes widened, and she looked away, cupping her head with a hand to shield her eyes. "No, no, it's stupid forget it."

"Forget what?"

She started playing with her hair ignoring him "I. Maybe, if. no. No it's stupid it wouldn't be the same-"

Zuko became animated, flapping his arms at her "Tell me what it is and I'll decide if it'll help!" She didn't reply quickly enough for his liking, so he continued. "Katara, we're going to be fighting together I need to- be able to just relax around you and- urgh."

Katara waved her hands at him. "Ok, ok!" Zuko was making motions with his hands in every direction grunting in frustration. "Calm down! Just sit down, and we can... and I'll tell you-"

Zuko sighed out to calm himself and went back to sitting, balling his fists at his knees. "Okay... okay." She continued and started tapping her fingers together. "Just give me s moment- this is really hard to say."

Zuko closed his eyes. "Ok. Take your time"

Katara looked up, She grimaced at saying it out loud. How was it best to say this, explain it slowly or just blast it out so that it was over with. She patted her bangs. No, it would be best to say it slowly, so he fully understood the context. "I think we should have sex." She blurted out.

Zuko's eyes burst open. His lips curled up and then stretched really far down, his lower lip trying to control his upper lip, very unsure of what expression to make. The pink on his face almost matched the red of his scar.

Katara' s eyes widened in response, face growing into a dark red brown. "I know, but, uah just listen-"

"I- I stILL have a gurl frIenD-" zuko clasped his mouth as soon as he noticed his voice breaking.

"A- and I have Aang, but"

"Oh god! Aang- he'd- oh god-"

He got up and started pacing again. Katara in turn stood up and motioned her arms out to try to explain herself. "I didn't know you- how is this supposed to relax me. This is about relaxation- should have just had a cup of tea- if I knew I wouldn't have gotten back wi- Aang would never forgive me, to hell with killing my father, he'd kill me! So would Mei! Ar ugh! Stupid, stupid, stupid-!"

Katara kept trying to interject, but he seemed lost in his own ranting. She finally reached out and grabbed his shoulders. "It's not like that-" she sighed she should have explained better. "We've had this situation before- like I was saying, me and Toph-... it was her idea by the way- Well we didn't always get along, and we couldn't relate to each other, so we kinda, did... it. So! It became. kind of thing when any of us had a big... issue we couldn't get over to just..." she motioned with her hands towards him, not able to put it into words "... it out."

Zuko paused for a while, looking st the ground then back to her. "... u... Aang wouldn't... kill me?"

"No."

"Sokka-"

"Please he has no room to judge me with his little harem of gir-"

"You... and Toph?"

"Yes... a. Few times-"

"That... good?"

Katara let go of him immediately, completely red "n- y- that wasn't the point!"

He pointed loosely at her. "You... and Aang have-?"

"Ok! Enough!" She flapped her arms up now. "You're right this was stupid I made everything worse- I'm sorry"

"I." he blinked a few times turning his head away. "I mean- you're not hideous but- I"

Katara turned to him trying to fill in the lines for him but as soon as She spoke he did too.

"Can't?" / "am"

Katara eyes widened, she didn't ever think of him having insecurities. His hand was moving g up near his face. "No- no! You're not!" She instinctively grasped at his hands, she couldn't help but mother everyone like this.

They were close now, she was staring st him in the eyes, holding his hands at the chest, and he kept blinking to look away. It felt like forever.

"I-"

"Do you, then,"

"Um."

They couldn't get over the embarrassment.

Zuko blinked a few times.

"Should we, uh, close our eyes?"

She kissed him.