It was the dead of night. Aang was out late at a meeting with Sokka and the other Republic City representatives. Katara stepped a small cerulean slipper out of the paper screen door of her house and pulled her black cloak closer to her face.
He was only in town for a few days, and his note seemed very urgent. She could only imagine what could be that important to a Fire Lord.
Despite her best efforts to conceal it, Katara was nervous. It had been almost four years since she had seen him, and she wasn't quite sure how her emotions would react after that long. Maybe I should've made Aang come with me, she thought, as she pushed open a golden door to the hotel. Zuko's invitation seemed extremely vague, saying nothing more than "I'm only in town for a few days but I would love to meet up with you. Please meet me at the Blue Komodo hotel."
So maybe describing the invitation as "urgent" wasn't exactly the right word.
When she reached the top floor, a bellhop escorted her one of the room in the long scarlet and gold hallway. Even though this grand building was called the Blue Komodo, there was scarcely any blue to be found in the decoration. But the décor was nothing less than luxurious; even the wallpaper in the hallway shimmered unlike any gold Katara had ever seen and, being the avatar's girlfriend, she had stayed in some pretty exquisite places.
Katara tried to focus her mind on petty things, like the decoration or her state of dress. She was dressed more lavish than usual, but not completely formal. Completely at a loss for dress of this occasion, she had just decided on a form-fitting, but airy blue dress, which tied across her chest and in the back like a robe. Her hair was done in its normal "hair loopies" (as Sokka always called them), while the rest of the thick chocolate locks fell in curly waves down to her waist. Her attire was simple, but Katara was simple. Or at least, that was what she seemed to be reduced to.
But all thoughts of clothes and décor were blown away as the bellhop paused that the furthermost door, and Katara's heart suddenly started to beat rapidly. Kindly thanking the bellhop, the water bender stood in front of the tall amber door.
Why was this so nerve racking? Zuko had always been a close friend of both her and Aang. They used to often hang out back when they were still just young teenagers. Katara never felt anything but comfortable with Zuko. At times, maybe a little too comfortable.
Shaking the thoughts from her head, Katara held up a firm fist and knocked three times on the wood door. Inside, there was some rustling before the door was opened by a thin young man with a wiry mustache. He was dressed in the tradition fire nation colors, scarlet and gold, and had a plate in his hand and a hand towel thrown over his forearm, obviously a servant.
"Welcome, Lady Katara," he greeted in a squeaky voice. "Fire Lord Zuko will meet you in the lounge."
The water bender nodded at the servant, and was led through the luxury suite to a room filled with couches and lounge chairs, all, of course, scarlet and gold. Katara sat awkwardly in the middle of the cozy room, as the servant ran to bring her some tea. As she waited, her eyes danced around the celestial room, begging for anything to take her mind of off the excruciating nerves she felt. Her hands fidgeted. Her toes tapped the ground.
"Katara?"
The water tribe girl turned her head towards the direction of the low, familiar voice, and smiled at the tall, handsome, and very much grown-up Zuko. She jumped out of her seat.
"Zuko!" she enthused. "It's so good to see you!" She stood in front of her old friend, and was quickly welcomed by a hug.
"I'm so glad you could make it!" Zuko smiled, making the scar on the left side of his cheek wrinkle. "You got my note?"
"Yes, yes," she beamed. "I just can't believe it's been four years. I mean just look at you! Mr. Fire Lord!" It was true. The man Katara had expected to see walking through the door was not the mature man that stood before her. Zuko was no longer a lanky teenage, but instead stood tall and muscular. His raven hair was long and pulled back, decorated with the flaming gold headpiece that signified the leader of the Fire Nation. Though Zuko was more of a physically intimidating (and handsome) presence, Katara could tell in his tone of speaking that he was the same sweet, sincere boy that she had known all those years ago.
"I could say the same about you, Avatar's girlfriend," he cracked. Katara forced a smile. "Could the great avatar not bless us with his appearance?"
The water bender's stomach tightened. "He had some business with the Republic City representatives."
"Oh," said Zuko. "Well, please sit." The two sat across each other on matching lounge chairs as the servants brought out a pot of boiling tea.
With each sip of the calming tea, Katara's nerves began to settle, and she remembered why she loved hanging out with Zuko when they were younger. "So what have you been up to lately? I feel like we haven't heard from you in forever."
Zuko sipped the hot spiced water. "Things have calmed down ever since we got things settled in Ba Sing Se. There's supposed to be a coronation soon for the new Earth Queen in a couple days, that's why I can't stay as long as I'd like to."
Katara smiled to herself. "I keep trying to convince Aang to revisit Ba Sing Se, I've always love our trips there."
"It's a beautiful place, now that the corrupted Dai Li agents are out of the way and the destruction caused by my father is nearly fixed."
"Sounds like you've been busy."
Zuko smiled. "That's what people keep telling me, yet sometimes I feel like I have so much time on my hands." The Fire Lord took a deep breath and his face fell.
Puzzled by his cryptic comment, Katara asked, "How's life been in the Fire Nation."
Zuko rolled his eyes. "Incredibly boring, which is why I'm almost never there. They always want me to sit on the throne and lead meetings, but I would rather be out helping to rebuild the things that my father has destroyed." He paused. "Well that and the throne room is kind of creepy."
Katara giggled. "Here I thought you were just being noble."
"What about you? What have you been doing?" Zuko asked, expectantly.
"Well, I've been accompanying Aang on multiple trips to various Earth Kingdom villages. He walks around and helps people, and I usually assist by healing any injured citizens," she took a long sip of tea. "Recently, Aang and I have been working to help get Republic City on its own two feet. We're hoping that the council will select a supervisor, who can overlook the city until a President can be elected."
Zuko was impressed, "sounds like you've got it all figured out."
Katara shrugged. "I do what I can to help.
"I'm sure the Southern Water Tribe has also benefitted from all your help."
Her face fell. "Actually, I haven't been able to visit either of the water tribes in many years."
"Why not?" Zuko asked, hinting concern. "I always thought you cared a lot about the water tribes."
"I do!" Katara defended. "But…" she cupped her hands around the small tea cup, "...Aang and I have just been really…" her tone dropping with each word "...really busy."
Zuko set down his tea cup and sat forward. "Are you okay Katara? You seem upset."
She sat up, perking, "of course I'm fine! Couldn't be happier!"
"You don't seem happy." Zuko perched an eyebrow. Katara bit her lip.
"It not that simple anymore," she explained. "Sometimes we have to make sacrifices for people." Her blue saucers flitted up to meet his brown, kind ones. "You should know that better than anyone." Warmth suddenly filled her cheeks.
Zuko chuckled. "I've still got the scar to prove it."
Katara smiled. Only he would look back on an agni kai with his deranged sister and chuckle. Suddenly, her expression turned grave, "can I ask you something? About that night?"
He must've detected the seriousness in her tone, setting down the tea cup and smoothing his crimson silk robe. His eyes became focused on the table in front of them, memories like flames ignited in his mind. When he finally did meet Katara's gaze again, his fingers were massaging his temples. "Anything."
"Why did you do it?"
Zuko exhaled slowly. A thin smiled and low laugh caused Katara to feel confused and a little offended.
"Is something funny?"
His amusement ceased as his eyes found hers. "Can I ask you something?" Still confused, Katara nodded, feeling as if this conversation could not get any more obscure. "Why are you asking me this now?"
"Curiosity."
"You've never asked me before."
She paused. "I guess it never crossed my mind before." In this moment, Katara felt extremely grateful she had not asked Toph to accompany her, because the explanation she had offered up for the Fire Lord was a horrible lie. Often times in the past, the water bender found herself going through the events of what happened during Sozin's Comet and, more specifically, Azula and Zuko's agni kai: every flame bent, every flash of heat. And when the scenario would play out in her head, Zuko would jump in front of Azula's lightning strike every time, without fail. For years, she had passed it off as a gesture of pure platonic friendship. She didn't want to admit to the Fire Lord that she was beginning to second guess his motives.
The Fire Bender patiently waited for his guest to offer up a better explanation, seeing right through her lie. But instead, Katara simply crossed her legs and smoothed out her pale blue dress.
Zuko bowed his head. "I did it because it was the right thing to do. I couldn't let Azula kill you."
Upon hearing his answer, Katara felt her shoulder's sag subconsciously, almost as if she was disappointed by his response. Her mouth let out a small "oh", more out of realization than dissatisfaction. But realizing her somber body language, she quickly sat up and smiled. "You always were the honorable one."
"I wish my father shared in that belief," Zuko said. The water bender could tell that, even though it had been many years, the former Fire Lord Ozai still plagued Zuko's mind.
"What your father thought of you doesn't matter anymore," comforted Katara. "You're doing great things now, and you have people who care about you. Aang, Sokka, Me, Mai—" Zuko scoffed. "What?"
"You didn't hear?" he asked, in the most neutral tone possible. "Mai and I aren't together anymore."
Katara had to quickly swallow her sip of tea so she didn't spit it out. "Oh, I didn't know," she said, trying to sound apologetic. Why did this news suddenly arouse a new feeling in her stomach? "I'm sorry."
"Don't be, she was boring as rocks." They both shared a hearty laugh.
Finding out about Zuko's newfound relationship freedom released something in Katara, and that was evident in the flow of their conversation from that point on. In the past, she was always afraid of showing any affection towards him, out of fear of either upsetting Aang or Zuko's knife-throwing girlfriend. Things had been so simple before they both entered into relationships after Sozin's Comet. When Zuko helped her to find closure with the Southern Raiders, it was one of the most heartfelt things anyone had ever done for her (save saving her life). There was a bond forged between them that day. A bond that seemed to slowly dissolve when they returned to their normal lives.
The conversation between the fire and water bender went on long into the night. They laughed, reminisced, drank, and shared comedic stories of their travels. It was almost as if the two had kept up their bond from four years ago. There was a sense of understanding and energy in the air, as the two began to dive into the more reserved parts of their current lives. Zuko talked of his interest in purchasing a dragon and raising it in memory of his Uncle Iroh. Katara expressed her desire to visit her father in the Southern Water Tribe.
"Just once," Katara stressed, "I'd like to leave this stupid city and all the 'business' it requires and settle down in the Southern Water Tribe."
"Why don't you?" Zuko asked, genuinely concerned.
She groaned. "I've already tried talking to Aang about it. He'll just avoid my proposition, promising we'll take a vacation there after he finishes up with his duties in the city." A sip of tea. "Which is never."
"Have you ever thought about going by yourself?"
Silence. "I couldn't do that."
"That's not the Katara I know." The water bender blushed.
"People change," she begrudgingly admitted. "I knew when I started dating Aang that we would both have to make sacrifices."
Zuko was slow to answer. "What has Aang sacrificed for you?"
The words cut Katara like a knife; a firm slap back into reality occurred while she rapidly tried to think of an answer to the Fire Lord's question. When her flustered mind came up with nothing, she suddenly became defensive. "Aang has made plenty of sacrifices for me." Zuko raised an eyebrow, in surprise and in anticipation of her explanation.
"Name one."
"I don't think that's any of your business."
The conversation had taken a turn for the worse. Katara had it made up in her mind that Zuko was trying to point out that she had made a bad decision choosing the Avatar as her boyfriend. Looking back on it, maybe she had, but she wasn't going to let Zuko point it out. It was a conclusion she needed to come to on her own. Realizing that there was now a lot of thinking to be done about her current relationship, Katara began to excuse herself from the meeting.
"No," was Zuko's blatant answer.
"Excuse me?"
"I'm not going to let you escape from this that easily," he answered. "You obviously have some things you'd like to work through; things that can't be put on the backburner anymore. If you leave, you'll be going back to your life and your perfect boyfriend and will probably forget about all the needs and wants that you have, and that just can't happen. You're a kind person, and you offer up incredible support to everyone. But there has to be time to reflect inward and support yourself."
Katara's anger flared and she stood up from the couch. "How dare you insult my life style. I am perfectly happy the way things are now!"
"You're in such denial that you don't even see that you're making yourself miserable!"
The water bender, got up and stormed towards the door. "I don't have to explain my choices to you! I'm leaving."
In a flash, Zuko was up and standing in between Katara and the door. "Why can't you just see that you need to address your frustrations instead of hiding them inside. It's what's best, Katara. If you continue to let your disappointments and regrets build inside of you, your mental state is going to deteriorate! I would know! Just sit back down and we can talk about this!"
When he finished, their faces were no more than inches apart, eyes locked in an unwavering glare. The Fire Lord towered over her, and at this distance, she could see every detail of his pale skin and glowing brown eyes. But listening to Zuko's concern over her broke something in her. Brow still furrowed, a single tear rain down her medium skin. She broke the gaze, and threw her head into her hands. A sob escaped her throat.
"I don't want there to be any frustrations or regrets!" she exclaimed in tears. As her hands welcomed tears, Katara's back was overcome with the warmth of a body as Zuko wrapped his arm around her. She leaned into his chest, sniffling, as the fire bender held her in a protective embrace. "This was supposed to be the perfect life, and I'm so afraid that if I tampered with it, that I'd destroy it." She sniffed. "I guess while I was so worried about keeping other people happy, that I didn't realize that it wasn't the perfect life anymore."
Suddenly, Katara felt her chin touched by Zuko's hand. He turned her tear-stained face around to meet his, and brought their lips together.
Her first instinct was to pull back in shock. But her body never retracted. Eyes flashing, Katara took a second to register exactly what was happening. It was so different from the way Aang kissed her. Though she hated to admit it, Aang had not been the best kisser at first (he had been frozen for 100 years, what did she expect), but after a few years, she had trained him well. Zuko was in stark contrast with the avatar. He kissed hard, passionately, as if he was giving her everything he had in this one lip lock. His hand found the back of her neck, pulling the water bender, who was still taken off guard, closer. Katara felt all of Zuko's emotions: his pain, his devotion, his intensity. She had never felt so wanted in her life, and it was probably the reason why, instead of pulling back, Katara closed her eyes, and sunk into Zuko's mouth.
The fire lord had ended up rolling over on the couch so that Katara was now on top of him. They switched hand positions, so that she now ran her fingers through his raven hair as he palmed her curvy hips. Zuko was as far from an inexperienced kisser as one could get, and Katara could tell, as his lips moved from her mouth to her neck. Tilting her head back, a slight moan escaped her lips, pressing her body closer to his torso. As he began to continue kissing around her neck, the water bender nuzzled her face into his neck, bringing their bodies as close as physically possible. Suddenly, Zuko pulled back. Katara sat up, legs on either side of his hips, sitting on his lap.
A smirk came across his face.
"What?" the water tribe girl asked, blushing.
"I've been waiting so long to do that."
Hey guys, thanks for reading my very first one shot and zutara fanfic! I've just been having all these zutara feels lately, and what better way to express them than through fanfiction! I'm already in the process of writing a follow up one-shot in this same universe, so stay tuned!