I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

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Katara felt her breath catch in her throat. Zuko looked so perfect.

"Katara? You alright?"

Katara quickly faked a smile so he wouldn't see.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

She was far from fine. Every time Zuko looked at her, she had to hide her true feelings. It had become second-nature to her. If she let it slip, he might see what she wanted so badly, everything that they should be.

She was in the Fire Nation palace, at a party thrown by the Fire Lord himself. It was for the final signature received on the Southern Water Tribe Peace Treaty. The journey to restore balance to the world was nearly over.

Glancing around the finely decorated room, she spotted the reason she hadn't confessed her love for Zuko to him that year previous: the raven-haired beauty Zuko couldn't stop talking about.

Katara felt familiar pain and jealousy rise within herself when she looked at Mai. The seemingly emotionless girl had everything Katara had to live without.

"How do you like the party?"

Katara turned her gaze back to the firebender in front of her. The world seemed to fade away when she looked into Zuko's golden eyes.

She laughed, simply for the fact that she couldn't see anyone else when he was with her. Zuko took it as a laugh of pleasure.

"It's great, Zuko. You must've gone to a lot of trouble to get this place looking so beautiful."

Zuko smiled and shook his head. "It wasn't that much trouble. Speaking of beautiful, have you seen Mai tonight? Her dress is gorgeous. You look pretty good yourself."

Katara's heart jumped as he looked around and leaned towards her.

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Let's find out," she said with a grin. She hoped he couldn't hear her heart hammering in her chest.

"I love Mai so much. When we're together, it feels so perfect. I've finally got it right. That's why I'm going to ask her to marry me."

Katara's legs suddenly felt like jelly. Her heart seemed to stop, and she suddenly wished she was sitting down.

Concerned, Zuko asked, "You sure you're okay? I can call a nurse if you want."

"Master waterbender and healer, remember? I'm fine," Katara laughed.

In her head, though, she was longing to scream. No! I'm not okay! Do you realize you're all I think about at night? You're the reason for the teardrops in my bending water. You're the reason I still wish on stars like a little girl. You're like a song that I keep playing, a painful song. And I don't know why I keep playing it. I love you, Zuko. I've loved you for a long time.

Her mental speech went unsaid.

"I'm just surprised. But I hope she says yes. You two are perfect for each other." The lie physically hurt to think, much less say. Yet she said it, wanting only for Zuko to be happy. Even if it meant she was tortured.

Zuko smiled broadly. "Thanks, Katara. I'm going to go find her now. Stick around a bit, I'm gonna try soon. I'd like you to be there."

"Sure, Zuko. Now go find Mai."

Pain shined in her eyes as she watched him walk away, so perfectly. She hoped he couldn't hear her catch her breath. Why couldn't she be that flawless? Maybe then, Zuko might love her. Instead, he loved Mai. She'd better hold him tight, and give him all the love that she masks so well. And when she looks into those beautiful eyes, she'd better know how lucky she is.

Zuko was the reason Katara cried. He was why she wished on stars. He was her sad, haunting song played over and over.

Why did she keep listening?

"Hey, Katara."

Katara instinctively faked a smile as she turned to the person who was addressing her.

"Hey, Aang!"

Aang rubbed the back of his bald head with his hand. "Katara, can I talk to you?"

Glancing at the crowded ballroom, she shrugged.

"Sure. Where's Toph?"

It was Aang's turn to shrug. His girlfriend was rarely where she was supposed to be. As the Avatar's girl, she was expected to stay by his side. Just like Mai was supposed to stay near Zuko. Neither girl ever did so.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"Well… It's about you."

Katara's eyebrow arched.

"Here… I'll start from the beginning."

Katara waited for him to continue. She was interested in what he had to say, and a distraction from Zuko was always welcome.

"Uh, well, a year ago, before Zuko's crowning, I thought I loved you. But I could tell you liked Zuko, so I never told you. I have a feeling you still have feelings for him, and, well; I just wanted to tell you that it gets better. You'll get over him. I had myself convinced that there was no other girl out there for me, but then Toph knocked it into my head that there were more fish in the sea, and it turns out she had liked me for a while. I got over the crush I had on you. I was too young to know what love really was. But now, I'm sure I love Toph. You don't really love Zuko, if you think you do. It's just a crush. You'll get over him, eventually. I just wanted to let you know that I'm here for you."

Katara was stunned. Aang, her unbiological little brother, had liked her? Then the rest of what he had said sunk in.

"You… You don't know what you're saying." Her voice was cold. "This isn't some silly crush. I can't live without Zuko. I LOVE HIM!" She loudly whispered the last part.

"No, Katara, you don't. I can tell. You'll get over him, and one day you'll find out what love truly means." Aang was trying to calm her down. He wasn't doing very well.

Katara suddenly wished they were having this conversation in private.

"You don't know anything about how I feel. You don't know what I go through every day. You might have, at one point, but the months have made you forget how badly it hurts. You don't understand. No one does."

Aang tried to put his hand on her arm to comfort her. She jerked sharply out of his grasp.

"Don't touch me!"

Aang gave Katara a concerned look. "Katara, I'm trying to help you. I just-"

"Help me? You want to help me? Then get rid of that emotionless thing I hear is human. That's the only thing that can help me." Her eyes had grown cold.

Aang sighed. "Katara, I know you're hurting. And when you're out of this, just know that I'm still here if you want to talk."

He slipped away, leaving Katara alone once again.

She saw Zuko laughing with Sokka and Suki. They seemed so far away...

She didn't want to see Zuko propose to Mai. She didn't want to see the rare emotion that would show on her face. It might be happiness, surprise, or amazement; maybe all three. Whatever it was, Katara didn't want to see it. So she left.

Slipping out the back door, she headed for the ostrich-horse she had tied up hours earlier. The palace grounds were huge, and required transportation to get to places in a reasonable amount of time.

"You understand, don't you?" she asked the ostrich-horse. It snorted in response.

Sighing, she mounted the animal. Guiding it to the guest houses, she picked up a trot. She wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. Alone, she arrived in front of her temporary bedchambers. As a personal friend of the Fire Lord, she along with the rest got the best. Her room was literally a miniature house, complete with separate living room, kitchen, and its own tiny backyard.

She signaled a stable hand to come fetch the ostrich-horse. The young boy seemed surprised to see the master waterbender back so early. They had expected the party to last until the first rays of dawn.

Entering the room, she blew out the candles someone had lit for her. She didn't want to see the light.

An image of a smiling Zuko had seared itself into her brain. She hit her forehead with her hand, trying to get it out.

"I might be able to sleep tonight, if you get out, you stupid boy."

When her attempts to get the picture out of her mind failed, she sighed and sat on her bed, feeling dejected.

I love him. I do! Forget what Aang says. I know I love him. Aang doesn't know what he's saying.

He was the reason for the single tear sliding down her cheek. He was the only one who had enough of her to break her heart. Him, her lonely song played over and over.

You're just time of my life taken up. There's never enough. You're all I need to fall into, Zuko! Too bad you can't catch me, not while Mai is in your arms.

She wiped the stupid tear off her cheek. She was tired of crying.

"Aang's wrong," she fiercely said aloud.

Is he?

She ignored the thought. "I love you…"

Am I forever destined to be alone? This cycle keeps going on and on. Zuko looks at me; I fake a smile so he won't see. He smiles, I try not to get lost in his eyes. He kisses Mai, I die even more inside. And now I'm going to lose him forever. I should have told him a year ago. What did I have to lose? He might be mine now if only I had told him. But I can't change the past. I'm alone.

She fell into a restless sleep.