"Zuko, we can't let him know. He has the strength to destroy both of us." I said sadly as I caressed my loves scarred face.

"I know, I know, Katara, but I love you, that won't change. We'll run away, somewhere he can't find us. I'll even go to the South Pole for you. We'll change our names! We'll start a family! Anything! Anything you want Katara." He looked at me and stroked my face, ceremoniously pulling strands of my hair back over my shoulders.

"Zuko." I looked up, tears forming in my eyes, "you're fire, and I'm water, you'd do all that, just for me? But he'll figure it out! He would know! He loves me too, and I love him." After saying this, I could see the hurt in his eyes and quickly added on: "like a brother, of course, a brother."

"He doesn't have to know, we can leave today! Find a place in the country, anywhere you want, and set up a family. If he really loved you, he would want you to be happy." My love continued.

"I don't know, Zu-Zu. I don't know. It's all so confusing, so…hard. I'm scared Zuko, I'm scared." I said in the most quiet, small voice that made me sound like a child who was about to be executed, talking to her mother. I could very well be that child. The future was so cloudy, so unsure, and I hated that.

"We'll stay together, always. Everything we do and everywhere we go, we can be together. Your brother is in love and he'll be gone soon, the war is over and all we have to do is stick close. I love you and I will never leave you unless it is your choice." He continued with the consolation.

"Fire and ice Zuko, fire and ice, what about that?" tears were flowing down heavily by now and it was hard to see is beautiful face.

He wiped the tears with his thumb, as much as he could anyways and whispered into my ear:

"That doesn't matter. Remember Oma? And Shu? They didn't care! They round a way, we can too!" his eyes were like the fire he produces from his hands, they were aflame and blazing. They melted me and made me feel just a bit warmer.

"Y-you want us to go live in a tunnel?"

He chuckled at this and grabbed my elbows that were drawn up so my hands could wipe the tears.

"No, I want us to live happily and peacefully and away from those who would try and destroy our love. Aang would do that, even though he loves you, he would still try to pull us apart." I could tell he was excited.

"Would it work? Could we actually escape?" I was more interested now, wanting him and only him forever. I put my hands on both sides of his neck as he held my elbows.

"Yes, it will. I promise it will." The tears stopped flowing and I smiled at him.

"I love you Zu-Zu. I hope you know that."

"I do, which is why I'm going to do this…" he got down on one knee and my heart flew, he brushed his hand all the way down my leg to my bare foot and tingles spread up my spine, then he got back up, and pressed himself up to me, took a stray strand of my hair away from my ear and whispered into it.

"Marry me." It wasn't a question, and I knew why. I wanted him, he wanted me, we wanted each other. It was perfect.

My breathing became heavier and more pronounced and I breathily answered back into his ear: "yes."

Then we were kissing. His lips were on mine and mine were on his, our bodies pressed up as close as we could go and every curve of mine was fitted perfectly and aligned with his.

We kept it up like this for hours, and only stopped in five second periods for one of us to breathe and whisper I love you's.

I knew that he would keep me safe and warm for the rest of my life, and I was comforted. I never thought of Aang again.