KISS OF FIRE

Katara's arms strained as she struggled to pull him onto her lap. Zuko's head laid on her thighs, his entire body was shivering. Katara knew that he wasn't cold. His shirt had been burnt to ashes from where Azula's lightning had struck him. The smell of burning flesh filled Katara's nose. She floated water from the nearby drain over the still-sizzling crater on Zuko's chest. The water started to glow and Zuko seized up.

After a few moments, Katara found that there was little she could do to heal the burn. She pulled her hands away as Zuko's body relaxed. She was so weak after fighting Azula that she didn't have enough strength to pull the water away with her hands. It splashed onto Zuko's chest and he started to stir.

Katara watched his golden eyes open, "Thank you, Katara."

He had saved her life. She had been so distraught that she wouldn't be able to tell him how she really felt. When the moment came, she found that she couldn't describe them. The next thing she knew, Katara's head was diving down to his and her lips were pressed against his. Zuko moved his chin up and down, Katara's nose pressing against that sharp chin and his on hers.

Zuko reached up and rested his hands on the back of her neck. Katara massaged his shoulders and ran her fingers around in his glossy black hair. Her own dark brown hair was curtaining their faces. It was a few moments before Katara lifted her lips off of him.

"What have I done?" she breathed, touching her lips which were tingling from kissing Zuko.

Zuko tried to sit up but the burn across his chest down to his abs sent a shockwave of pain throughout his body. He groaned in agony. Katara felt tears welling in her blue eyes as she pushed him up so that he could sit. Zuko hovered a shaking hand over the burn mark but thought better of touching it. His bloodshot golden eyes met hers.

"Where's Azula?" he asked, his lips trembling.

Katara gazed over his shoulder at the place where she had apprehended the princess. Zuko followed her gaze and saw that his younger sister was bound to the drain by chains.

Against her better judgment, Katara placed her hand on his, "Do you think you can stand?"

Zuko turned back to her, "I'm not sure."

"Let's try," Katara said, her voice thick with repressed tears.

Katara pulled one leg out from under her and knelt on the other, carefully placing her hands under Zuko's armpits.

"Ready?" she asked him with a small smile.

Zuko nodded and hissed when she started lifting him up. Her arms ached but Katara forced herself to ignore it. Zuko staggered to his feet and swayed on the spot. Katara sensed that he didn't have enough strength to stand on his own so she wrapped one of his arms around her shoulders, anticipating that he would fall back down at any moment.

"We need to go get help," she said, her voice straining underneath his weight.

It had been a month since the great war has ended. Katara was in a grand kitchen in the Earth Kingdom with Aang, Sokka, Suki, Toph, Uncle Iroh, ... and Zuko. Katara felt his golden eyes burning into her from the moment he had arrived that day. He had come to discuss with Aang how to begin the recovery process around the world. Katara sat very still in her chair, her hand frozen around her tea cup.

She chanced a glance at the new Firelord and regretted it almost immediately. She instantly thought of kissing him ... and couldn't deny that she wanted to kiss him again. Katara had been trying to engrave into her heart that she had kissed him because she had been so close to watching him die. She had been striving to forget her feelings for him. Katara wiped a traitorous tear from her cheek and yelped when she felt a heavy hand on her shoulder.

"Can you come with me?" Zuko breathed warmly into her ear, "I need to tell you something."

Katara turned to look up at him then gazed around the room. Aang was drawing with Sokka and Toph was talking with Zuko's uncle, Iroh. Feeling as though she was sneaking away to do something covert, she got to her feet and followed Zuko to her room ... he probably didn't know it was hers. Zuko closed the door behind them and walked to the other side of the room past Katara, leaning against the wall. He had grown quite a bit since she last saw him. He used to be a bit taller than her, now he was much taller.

There was now a bump on his throat and his chin was sharpening into that of the man he'll become. His hair had also grown a little more. Katara forced herself to ignore his maturing physique and opened her mouth before he could draw breath to speak.

"You have to let it go. Go home, Zuko. Go back to Mai."

Zuko refused to look at her, his face contorted with anguish at her words. Katara had been right. It was the kiss he had wanted to discuss. He had always been emotional. He was famous for his hot temper and fierce convictions. But, Katara had never seen him at the edge of crying.

"Please, say 'goodbye'," she begged, closing the distance between them.

Zuko finally looked down at her and took her outstretched hand in both of his, tears spilling down both of their faces.

Katara choked on a sob,"Please …." Katara pulled her hand out of his and headed for the door.

Zuko gulped audibly,"No … no!" Zuko ran forward and wrapped his arms around her, violently pulling her away from the door. "Katara!" he cried.

Katara tried to writhe out of his grip,"No, Zuko! No, please!"

Zuko picked her up higher, "Please, stay with me!"

Katara shook her head, trying to hold back her welling tears, "I can't! Let me go!"

"I don't care what they'll say, Katara!" he said as he carried her around to the foot of the bed.

Katara tried to look over her shoulder up at his eyes, "We can't do this!"

"But, I can't leave without you!"

Katara's voice fell quiet,"Please, think about this! We won't be accepted!"

Zuko threw her onto the bed and pinned her by her wrists there,"Don't you see? I don't care!"

Katara shook her head again,"No!"

Zuko pleaded,"Please, don't make me go!"

"No, Zuko! It's not worth – it won't work! Zuko, we can't!"

"Look at me! Look at me! Katara, I love you! I've never felt like this about anyone else. Don't you love me?"

Zuko crumbled onto her shaking chest, crying into the green elegant fabric of her dress. She felt him relinquish his grip around her wrists. Katara squeezed her striking blue eyes closed, lifting one trembling hand to run her fingers around in his jet-black hair. She struggled to breathe underneath his weight. She could feel bandages wrapped around his chest. Katara licked her lips and lifted his head up.

She pulled his face to her till he was barely an inch away, "Zuko, look at me. Zuko, look at me! You're right, you're right … I love you."