Toph sat on top of a high plateau, listening to Sokka's flint click together hopelessly over the pile of twigs and lichen they'd gathered.
Sokka let out a cry of annoyance. "This just isn't working! Katara, isn't there something you can do?"
Katara stood near the pile of twigs, hair and clothes soaked by the pounding rain. She wrung out her hair for the third time in five minutes. "I could bend the water out of the wood, but it wouldn't help, not in this rain."
Aang had crawled under Appa's front leg, nestled into the bison's long fur.
Sokka let out an angry sigh and went back to striking his flint uselessly.
Katara watched her brother for a bit before she turned and looked out at the edge of the plateau.
He was sitting so close to the edge, looking so carefully balanced that a gust of wind could blow him over. Katara knew better. Knocking Zuko over was nearly impossible.
She took a step towards him, and then another, he had his back to her, so she couldn't really tell, but it looked like he might be meditating. Again. She took one more step, edging gradually closer.
"What do you want, Katara?" Zuko muttered.
Katara jumped about a foot into the air. Not only had he heard her despite the pounding rain and occasional thunder, but he'd known it was her.
"I-I was wondering..." she trailed off, unsure about how ask.
He stood up in one graceful, fluid motion and turned to look at her, rain drops sizzling and steaming where they touched his skin. He blinked emotionless golden eyes at her.
"I... Could you- um, would you...?" She trailed off again.
He raised an eyebrow.
"Katara wants you to light the fire." Toph saved her.
Zuko glanced over Katara's shoulder at the young earth bender.
"Please?" added Katara hopefully.
Zuko looked at them boredly. "You interrupted my meditating for this?" He inquired.
"Yes mister high and mighty! Get your rear over here and light the fire!" shouted Toph.
"No." said Zuko stubbornly. Turning his back on them and sitting down again.
"Please?" repeated Katara. "I know it won't take more than a second of your time, and we're all freezing."
"I'm not freezing." Zuko turned his head slightly, and Katara caught sight of the corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk.
"You- You- Agh!" snapped Katara. She was shaking, weather from cold or anger was hard to tell.
"Yes!" came Sokka's triumphant cry.
Katara looked over her shoulder, only to find that the twigs at burst into full-fledged fire, that didn't waver as the rain hit it. She looked suspiciously at Zuko, who had once again turned away from her, returning to his meditating. Katara turned to the fire, walking back towards it.
Appa scooted closer to the flames, letting out a huge puff of air on the fire, which amazingly, barely wavered. Now she knew Zuko had lit it. She sat down by the fire and began making some stew, roasting some meat on the side so Aang wouldn't have to eat it. Sokka eyed the meat and wouldn't stop poking it with his knife, and eventually, Katara gave up on reprimanding him.
When the meat and stew was done, Katara dished a bowl of stew and managed to wrestle a little meat away from Sokka, resting against the edge of the bowl. She walked over towards Zuko, trying to step lightly and sneak up on him. She set the bowl next to his knee.
"Hello Katara."
Katara startled, nearly falling over the edge of the cliff.
His arm shot out and gripped her wrist, steadying her.
"Clumsy." he muttered.
"How the hell did you know it was me?" Katara almost shouted.
The rain had subsided slightly, but the thunder was still there, and, she realized, he'd never opened his eyes. He opened his eyes, looking at her as if she'd just asked him how to breathe.
Katara glared at him.
He closed his eyes again, refusing to answer.
She bristled, ready to strangle him. She aimed a kick at his shoulder.
Zuko's arm snapped up, and he gripped her ankle, giving a sharp yank.
She fell on her rear. Letting out a yell of outrage, Katara tackled him from behind, grabbing his shoulders and trying to force him to the ground.
He twisted, cat-like, out of her grip. As he rolled away, she crawled after him, grabbing his arm and rolling him onto his back.
She put a hand on his shoulder, attempting to pin him to the ground. His smirk returned, and his hand gripped her waist, flipping her on her back and rolling on top of her, pinning her down with his body weight.
"No fair!" She squirmed, trying to get free. One of his hands pinned her wrists to the ground above her head.
Her eyes met his, and she suddenly realized how close he was. An electric hum went through her muscles. "Get off me." she whispered.
Zuko rolled off her and let go of her wrists, turning his back on her and picking up his bowl of stew, starting to eat.
She walked backed to the fire. Then she realized the others had all been watching. She blushed.
Sokka was glaring at Zuko's back; Aang was openly staring at her, holding a sleeping Momo in his lap.
Toph, who had obviously felt the whole scene, was the first one to speak. "That was interesting."
Katara's blush deepened and she wondered if Toph had sensed the electric thrum. She crawled into her tent to hide from everyone.
Aang's voice sounded near her a few minutes later, whispering through the fabric, "Are you alright Katara?"
She blushed again in shelter of the tent, pulling the blanket over her head, remembering the heated touch of Zuko's skin. "I'm fine." she squeaked, pulling the blanket more securely about her.
Aang's shadow nodded and got up, returning to the fire.
Katara didn't remember falling asleep, but she did remember waking up breathing hard, and sweating. The cobwebs of nightmare still clinging to her mind, she'd dreamed about her mother again. Katara climbed out of the blankets and left her tent. She broke down into quiet sobs before the tent flap had closed behind her. She stumbled to the fire pit, the fire had burned down.
The sky was barely light around the edges, and the rain had subsided.
She shivered and sobbed rocking herself by the fire pit. The fire flickered into existence. Katara quickly wiped her eyes on her sleeves, and tried to calm her sobbing. She looked to her left and found Zuko sitting there.
He stared at the fire, ignoring her.
She pulled my knees up and rested her chin on her knees.
"Nightmares?" came the quite word.
A small sob escaped Katara's lips as she shook her head. "Memories." she replied.
She felt a hesitant touch on the back of her hand, Zuko's finger tracing lines on her skin. The comforting warmth of his touch made her want to confide in him. She sighed, telling him about the loss of her mother. She realized she'd said much more than she'd intended. Katara put a hand over her mouth.
Zuko's hand had moved from mine. "I understand." he murmured.
She'd moved closer to him during the story.
She scooted away from him, "Sorry."
Aang exploded out of his tent, the huge gust of air blew her hair into a tangle. She stood up, laughing and returned to her tent to fetch her comb.