A/N: Hello there, and welcome to my third Zutara fic! This was a spontaneous idea that was, well, spontaneous. :P This oneshot is a modern AU, but don't let that put you off. The only reason it's modern is because I need the use of an interesting invention… ;) And it is also a preview of my upcoming Zutara fic. It's not an exact giveaway, but it'll give you a sense of what to expect. Maybe. I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any copyrighted material mentioned in this story, especially not anything made by Suzuki…

Into the Night

Zuko's pair of golden, narrowed eyes watched the scene ahead, taking note of every detail. He could hear them perfectly from where he stood, and see them all too clearly while hidden in the shade of the bell tower outside the library. Leaning against the pillar, arms folded across his chest, the boy was the picture of silent rage – oh, but no one could see him, not even the possibly oblivious girl and completely intentional scoundrel under his burning glare.

Katara laughed. "The move wasn't that bad. I practice enough in my free time." She readjusted the stack of books balanced on her hip. "But your sparring with Suki was pretty good too – I'm sure no one can use hook swords like you."

The scoundrel – Jet was his name – put on a disgustingly conceited look. The boy standing in the shadows of the bell tower stifled the urge to rush forward and rip it off of his tanned face. "Of course. Suki was tough, but I was hoping to impress you, Katara." Zuko rolled his eyes. If Jet wanted to impress her so much, why was he not helping her with those books? She was obviously struggling. He was more wrong than a snowstorm in hell if he thought himself chivalrous.

She bit her lip awkwardly and glanced left and right, searching for a reply. "That's… great," she finished brightly, a forced smile – with a hint of a grimace – coming to her face.

That was when a bolt of hot, white anger flew up Zuko's spine; Jet reached over and enclosed his fingers around her free hand. "Tell me, where is that boyfriend of yours?" he asked a little too innocently, inky eyes fixed on her palm as he traced patterns on it. "Why isn't he with you?"

By now, Zuko was shaking with fury. His fingers sunk painfully into the flesh of his arms and his foot moved forward of its own accord, preparing to aggress the other boy if things became graver. No way was he going to let someone like that try to romance Katara. It had been made blatantly clear that they were in a relationship – for an entire year, too. Jet had no grounds to do what he was doing now. This was Zuko's philosophy, but knowing Katara like he did, he was surprised that she was tolerating such a situation. Perhaps… this was what she wanted?

Katara swallowed, her face draining of expression. "Jet…" She paused and drew her hand away, using it to hoist her books to rest against her abdomen, putting a barrier between herself and the other boy as she took a step back. "Zuko and I are a couple. You and I… We're friends, okay?"

Jet nodded slowly, plainly displeased. "Sure."

"Please respect that. Excuse me, but my bus will be here soon." She brushed past him, making in the direction of the bus stop.

Zuko was secretly satisfied at the look on Jet's face. Pure rejection. If only Zuko could add to it with a few blasts of fire… But alas, he would not. It was against the Academy's rules and regulations, he was on the premises, and his uncle could be rather frightening when he wanted to be, especially when it came to things like preserving justice and burning people's faces off. Besides, this sliver of dirt was not worth his time and energy. What had been worth his energy, however, was the friendly duel he and Katara had had that morning; it resulted in a draw and many people were still talking about it, hence Jet and Katara's previous conversation.

Ah, Katara… He would have offered her a ride home, but that would lead to his discovery. It might upset her if she knew that he had been eavesdropping and doubting her at the same time. He knew he should not, but… at this moment, he did doubt her. She had been oddly collected about this, as if it happened before, all the time. It would not be a shock, considering Jet harbored strange feelings for her. Regardless, something about this really bothered Zuko, conflicting with the firebender's own feelings for her.

It was obvious more people thought that she was special. Frankly, Zuko could not see how they would not. But he savored that uniqueness – that charm about her, and because of that, he wanted it to himself. In his mind's eye, no one but him should be able to have it. After such a drastic happening with his family – his sister being moved into a mental institute, his father's disgrace after the political scandal – Zuko had very few joys in his life. Katara was one of them – the main one, in fact. Happiness. She was his, and he would not share her with anyone, particularly the likes of Jet. The idea that formed in his mind, then, was to see whether she wanted to share herself.

As he retreated from the bell tower, going to the parking lot in the opposite direction, he decided that he would utilize the opportunity to test Katara tonight when he planned to take her to the Fire Days Festival. It would be nothing too major, just a trial of her loyalty to see the nature of their relationship and how valuable it was. Oh, he knew exactly how to test her, too…

The crisp night air of the suburbs was welcomed by Zuko. The stars were dispersed and bright in the dark blue sky; little followers to the great, glowing moon at the heart of it all. Hands shoved in his black jacket's pockets, Zuko shifted his weight onto his left foot as he waited on the doorstep of Katara's family home. He could hear voices behind the door – most likely Katara's overprotective father and brother giving her another set of warnings before a night out with Zuko. He smirked when he heard her shut her brother up quite rudely, and took a step back from the door when the handle bent down.

The door was flung open to reveal a peeved Katara. She had done as advised and pulled her hair back in a high ponytail, though her hair loopies were still present. Her outfit consisted of her usual choker that had belonged to her mother; a fitting jacket the same colour as the sky outside, with the material of a black t-shirt stretching from beneath it and down to her mid-thighs; and skinny jeans coating her legs, the ends tucked into a pair of black calf-length boots. Her glossed lips curved into a brisk smile as she passed the doorframe, stopping next to Zuko and turning around once more to face her father.

"We won't be long, I promise," she said tiredly.

Hakoda gave Zuko a hard look, not blinking once as he wordlessly surveyed his daughter's companion. Zuko cleared his throat and piped up, "Good evening, sir."

"Iroh's nephew," acknowledged Hakoda sternly. "What are your intentions for the evening?"

"To see the fireworks-"

"At the Fire Days Festival?" Hakoda narrowed his eyes. "Your uncle will be there?"

Katara grunted and rolled her eyes. "Dad, anyone and everyone goes to the Fire Days Festival. And Zuko is his name – he's not just your drinking buddy's nephew." Really, was her father not used to Zuko after an entire year?

"Sure, sure…" Hakoda glanced around. "Am I forgetting something?" He murmured from the corner of his mouth, and it was then that the couple noticed Sokka leaning against the doorframe, partially obscured by his father's stiff back.

"The drill, Dad, you forgot the drill," hissed Katara's brother.

Katara narrowed her eyes at him and glared at her father when he continued. "Now, do you two remember the drill?" Hakoda acted as if Sokka had never contributed to the 'conversation'.

"Y-Yes, sir. Bring her back by ten, no abusive substances, and no snorkeling," said Zuko, easily remembering the main points albeit not understanding the last…

"Hm, correct. I have another condition-"

"Ugh, Dad!" Katara protested.

"Shut up, Tara." Sokka grinned devilishly from his place behind his father.

"Why don't you come out here, Little Sokki?" Katara sounded threatening, and Zuko resisted laughing out loud. He found her unintentionally amusing when she was threatening… as long it was not him being threatened.

"Quiet," ordered Hakoda. "The last condition is that you have mild fun."

Katara blinked, exchanging a surprised look with Zuko. "Dad…"

"The reason that I say mild fun," Hakoda went on calmly, "is because lots of fun can lead to preg-"

"Dad," said Katara between clenched teeth. "Can we not discuss this now – or ever? We're going out. Goodbye." She spun on her heel and hauled Zuko with her down the porch steps and along the pathway to the front gate; she pushed it open and spared an exaggerated smile for her prattling family standing at the door. "Love you!" she called, before giving Zuko a firm shove forward.

Once they were away from those overly defensive gazes, blocked by the hedges, Zuko let her link her arm with his. She huffed before speaking. "Sorry about that. My dad still can't believe I'm dating a firebender, but Sokka just goes along with it to get in the good books. He likes you enough."

"Sure." Zuko's mind was elsewhere. He hoped she knew that he respected her – although she was one year younger than him, Zuko would never do anything to harm her, especially not in the sense Hakoda had envisaged earlier. He respected her as a person and a master waterbender. It made him feel just a bit guilty for what was about to happen – oh, but no harm would come to her. He would ensure it. After all, it was only part of a test. "Don't worry about it. I can't blame your dad – my sister is a nutcase, and my father…"

Katara let him drift off without continuing; it was a sensitive topic and she did not want their evening to be spoiled. How anxiously she awaited his reaction… The hard soles of their shoes battered rhythmically as they advanced further down the sidewalk. "So, where are we really going? You told me earlier it was a surprise, but then you said the Fire Days Festival to my dad…"

"Oh, we are going to the Festival," his gold eyes flickered to her briefly, "but we're making a quick pit stop, first."

She beamed. "I'm intrigued." Zuko stopped them, then, near to a lamppost but not quite under its light. He withdrew his arm from her grasp and stepped back; Katara frowned. "What's wrong?"

Zuko gestured with his hand, and the corner of his mouth lifted fractionally when she looked. Bowing faithfully on the tarred road was a sleek motorcycle; it appeared very resilient, with a shiny black surface. Printed on the bottom part of the lower fairing was the brand Suzuki in glistening silver, and way above that was the type of series it was. Before Katara could register what was happening, Zuko was seated on the motorcycle and the engine roared to life, the lights flaring. This new illumination allowed for a clearer sight of the motorcycle amongst the night sky, and it was revealed that the muffler exhaust, footpegs and rotor were also silver. A rev from the engine visibly startled Katara.

Zuko held out a hand to her. "Shall we?"

She eyeballed it uncertainly. "Uh… Zuko, is this… safe?"

Zuko could not help the smirk that rose to the surface. "Of course. My uncle and cousin taught me to ride years ago. It wouldn't hurt to say that I'm good, but let's just leave it at… experienced."

She pursed her lips at his smug tone. "And no helmets? Nothing?"

"Nope."

There was a moment of silence in which Katara gaped at him and Zuko kept his hand held out to her, not in the least bit bothered. This was the beginning of what he supposed would be punishment. Katara hated too much speed – while it could be enthralling, her natural caution would get the best of her, gnawing at her courage. Once she got her license, it was obvious that she would never get a speeding ticket for the rest of her life. But Zuko would not be overly sadistic, since she did not seem to be aware that she had done something to unsettle him on the inside. Put in an unexacting, more cordial way, he likened it to conquering her fear. The look he placed on those lovely, unsure blue eyes was passive – and yet, he could practically feel her resistance breaking. But if it did not break…

"Zuko…" Katara pinched her mouth to the side.

…she would be failing the test…

She sighed, head drooping down. "All right." Without lifting it, she took his hand and let him pull her onto the seat behind him, placing her feet atop the footpegs after his.

So she trusts me – to an extent. Either way, she does… Zuko ran his tongue over his lips and gave the motorcycle a final rev, before slowly drifting away from the sidewalk. Her hands atop his shoulders, her breathing seemed to calm as he moved the motorcycle in what would almost be a curve. But then he paused to share a whispered utterance.

"Hold on tight."

And they were off, faster than she would have been able to expect. Katara let out a long cry as they sped along, her hands moving of their own accord; one hand curled over his shoulder and fisted the material of his jacket at the level of his collarbone, and the other reached around his abdomen to clutch the material at his ribs, nails digging deep as her body was forced to mold to his. In front of her, Zuko could feel her bodily heat as she urgently held on, as if about to fall off. But his cheeks were not becoming flushed at the proximity – the wind took care of that, rushing at his face and whipping his hair back.

"Whoa!" she squealed as they zipped around a corner. At least it was not completely sharp, otherwise the motorcycle would bend into a slanting position. That might terrify the living daylights out of her, although…

She did not seem as scared anymore.

Zuko could hear her excited breathing in his ear, competing with the racing air as she tucked her chin on his shoulder. Well, there was an aspect of this test that he quite enjoyed, further proven when her grip around him tightened and her eyelash tickled his jaw while she blinked. He smiled ever so faintly, a warm and pleasant feeling settling in his chest. Not even the autumn air could make him shiver with cold. The road ahead was straight, and he firmed his hold on the handlebars so that he could look down at her without losing control of the motorcycle. Her expression was that of delight, lips parted in anticipation and blue eyes sparkling more than the stars above them. She… was stunning.

A jerking motion made him gasp, and his eyes shot back to the road… but it had disappeared.

Eyes widening, he realized that the motorcycle had hit a speed bump he had not seen, but instead of being catapulted off the seat to a gruesome injury, the whole vehicle had been elevated and they were currently airborne. Zuko found himself grinning, and Katara jubilantly cheered – that was what he thought she was doing. For all he knew, she could have been screaming for her life. As gravity caught up with them, Katara released her hands from around Zuko and let them sail behind her. Okay, she isn't screaming for her life and she isn't scared… The reunion with solid earth resulted in a jolt; the single bounce forced Katara to return her hands to Zuko's shoulders.

She laughed unconsciously. They were going uphill now, headed for the cliff that would give them a view of the whole town. "Enjoying yourself?" asked Zuko, even though he knew the answer.

Katara sighed and rearranged her arms so that they curled around Zuko's torso, embracing him heartily from behind. She poked her chin over his shoulder and placed a peck on his cheek as best as she could in this position. "Sure am."

They were still moving rather quickly, but something had definitely calmed down. It was a soothing ride along the upwards-slanting, winding road, the surrounding patches of trees and the moist feel of the mountain air enclosing them in a sweet daze. Neither of the two dared to break the harmony of the crickets in the bushes as they travelled higher, until Zuko was able to steer the motorcycle onto a cliff that jutted out like the nose of a rocket. The motorcycle steadied to a halt, letting out a final sigh in tandem with the teenagers' as the engine was shut off.

Zuko swung his leg over the other side and stepped off, flexing his legs – clad in dark jeans – as he helped Katara off, too. At first, she wobbled and placed her hand on Zuko's shoulder while regaining her balance. During the ride, Zuko's jacket collar had loosened and the side of it was not fully covering his shoulder; through the material of his shirt, he could feel the cold of Katara's hand as opposed to the rest of her body. Ah, she had been nervous at one point. If she was not going to pass his secret test, then whatever fear or nerves experienced before was good punishment. But he hoped she would pass.

Katara tore from his side with a little intake of breath, rushing forward to the safety banister at the cliff's edge. Ambling forward to join her, Zuko realized that the fireworks had already started down at the Fire Days Festival, dots of bright colour spraying up to join the stars, distant whistling noises being given off. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" she said.

"Mmm." Zuko gazed at the bursting colours alongside her. Firebenders had always had talent with fireworks… and generally anything flammable or fire-based.

This place – the cliff – was easily one of his favourite places in the town, maybe even the world. Everything was quite simple here, and also subtle in its beauty. What Zuko was fond of, though, was that this place was neither too high and neither too low. It was high enough so that the moon seemed reachable with only a touch of his fingertips, and low enough to be connected to the world and the people in it whom he loved. It was here that he felt most at peace, like he did when in the presence of the girl beside him, whose own fingertips ventured closer to his and managed to lace them together.

He turned to find Katara peeking shyly at him, and she looked away with a smile as soon as she was caught. The thing Zuko was about to do next was rather impulsive… He used the connection of their hands to angle her around to face him, his free hand coming to rest on her cheek. His thumb delicately brushed an imaginary tear from her eye, feeling her cheek heat up ever so slightly when he gently pried his hand from her grip and slid it around her slender waist, stopping and pressing to her back. The pressure from his hand brought her closer into his arms, not that it was against her wishes; she was an affectionate person. And so he gazed into her eyes for a meaningful moment longer before pressing his lips to hers in a sweet kiss.

It was almost hesitant at first, waiting to see if his advances were welcome. He recalled that after their first kiss with one another, Katara had bashfully given a comment on him being a gentleman. The memory would have made him smile, had it not been for the increase of his heartbeat when she responded to the kiss, their lips moving in a slow dance as his hand fell below her jaw; her pulse was rushing, too. As if unlocked from a stupor, Katara lifted her arms up and around his neck, bringing them together in a tender and close embrace akin to when the motorcycle had been moving up the mountain. His hand slipped into her hair, which was soft even though she had pulled it into a ponytail. And it was this feeling that he enjoyed – being drawn underwater by his ardency for her, but also feeling as weightless and free as though he were in space. Happy.

It was special, just like her.

But although they wished it did not have to end, the kiss broke as they pulled away for air, only now realizing how staggering their breathing had become. Zuko pressed his forehead to hers, supporting both of them, and brushed his lips over hers as the spell ended. He could hear his heart like the flapping of wings in his ears, eyes glazed over as he watched her eyelids flutter.

"Zuko?" she whispered to break the silence.

"Yeah?"

She opened her eyes, peering thoughtfully into his. "I have to tell you something important."

"Go ahead."

Katara's face was highlighted by a precious smile, cheeks reddening again, and she inhaled deeply to catch her breath before speaking.

For another time that night the motorcycle pulled up at the curb of Katara's house, the waterbender in the know about it this time. The motorcycle was a tad closer to the house but remaining in the cover of the hedges. After disembarking, Zuko politely walked her up to the front door as he always did after returning from another one of their outings, knowing to maintain a respectable distance between them; no doubt Hakoda would be waiting. He was no enemy to spying from the window beside the door or even through the peephole. Zuko cringed. He had never really considered the peephole before…

They came to a stop on the doorstep, Katara's feet shuffling on the welcome mat, arms folded behind her back. Her cheeks were as rosy as they had been on the cliff. "Well, I won't do the typical Hollywood thing and say, 'This is it'." They laughed in hushed tones. "Good night, Zuko." She nodded to herself and placed her hand on the brass doorknob. But just as she turned it, she leaned over and swiftly gave Zuko a dainty kiss on the cheek that burned from eating Fire Flakes for most of the evening. "Bye!"

The door closed behind her with a click. "Good night." Zuko turned around and traipsed down the path, feeling positively giddy as he recounted what had happened on the cliff. Pausing at the gate to look over his shoulder, he could make out Katara's silhouette in her bedroom on the second storey as she paced back and forth before the window, occasionally flapping her hands. He was beaming, though considering his character, it was hard to tell. Now that he really tried to play the memory over in his mind, he found that… he could not. Everything he remembered went through his mind like a stuck record: a daring motorcycle ride, an intoxicating kiss that led to realizations, and of course, the treasured short sentence that she had shared with him…

"I love you."

He should not have doubted her, for she had allowed her soul to link to his alone when she told him those words – and they were sincere. He believed her with all of his self, and to return the new bond she had composed like tuneful music; to show his fortune at receiving such a cherished gift, happiness… he had told her the same. And he had meant it, too.

Zuko moved away from the gate, closing it silently. Going further down the sidewalk, he stopped beside the motorcycle and studied it carefully. He had certainly not chosen it for its speed, handling, thrust, or anything of the sort. Rather, Zuko had chosen it for its darkness – the way it blended into the nighttime background, the shadows of the streets. It would be difficult to see at first because it could camouflage so well, blending with the black, fading into the night. It symbolized feelings, he supposed – the ones he had been so unsure to give and let out though they were present. But now that he considered it, he could see the feelings clearly – in her, and in him. Looking up at the sky, peeling his gaze from the motorcycle, he was sure that she did not know of the redemption she had caused him. Zuko indulged in a genuine smile.

Yes, the stars seemed much brighter now…

A/N:

This wasn't supposed to be so fluffy. …do you like fluff? X3 (I think I do.)

This was such fun to write. Just so you know, I know nothing about motorcycles, bikes, etc. In fact, I still kind of don't… It required a bit of research on my part, you see. :P If you want a better idea of how the motorcycle looks, you can find a reference on my profile page! Also, I'm not entirely sure why I closed their age gap some more, but it felt right for some reason. And what you just read – that was the first detailed kiss I've ever written. O.O I hope it turned out fine…

Thanks for reading! :)

~SuperSonic Violet