So this takes place right after the "Ember Island Players" episode in season three. I feel like this is what Katara really wanted to do. This is a Zutara Fanfic all the way Kataangers Im sorry, but I just love Zutara.
Katara sat by the fire its soft orange glow making the tears on her face sparkle, she wrapped her arms around her knees and rested her chin there, almost like she was trying to collapse in on her self. Thats what Zuko saw when he left the large manor house for a late night swim.
"Katara?" Her slight form shook slightly, "Katara? Whats wrong?"
"Zuko," Katara said her blue eyes sparkling as she turned to him. "Would you sit with me?" She had hardly finished the question and he was next to her. Silent tears rolled down her face.
"Whats wrong? Come on Katara, you can tell me." All he wanted in at moment was to know what had hurt her and to kill it before it could cause her any more harm. She sighed deeply and wiped her tears.
"Its Aang, I just don't know how I feel about him, but he keeps trying to make me feel what he feels." she paused "I know he's not trying to but I still feel pressured" She turned away not wanting him to see her face "I just feel so unsure, so cold and alone." Zuko was a little shocked at this Katara was supposed to be strong and fierce the mother for the whole group, he forgot sometimes that she was only a girl.
"Katara," Zuko paused choosing his words carefully, "Im here for you no matter what." He wrapped his arm around her and she leaned in to his comforting warmth. "Aang is 12 and your 15 you have your whole lives ahead of you, thousands of experiences left to have, thousands of people left to meet, you cant know for sure what would happen between the two of you yet. If Aang cant see that then hes stupid, childish, irra-"
"Zuko," Katara interrupted, "Thank you". She snuggled closer to his chest. "You're so warm" she sighed and closed her eyes.
"It's because I'm so 'hot headed'" He joked lightly. They sat that way for a short while till Katara spoke up.
"I don't love him I just cant of Aang as anything more than a little brother." Zuko nodded his agreement then quickly realise she couldnt see his head verbally agreed as well. "Im going to get some sleep" She rose and waaalked into the house. Zuko walked towards the beach to get in that late night swim.
She went around the large spacious house tidying from their time there, cleaning food and clothing from places it didn't belong. The house was all open spaces but had very few actual rooms, for which not everyone was grateful.
Toph laid in bed hers was the smallest room in the house but she choose it because it was the farthest away from the other rooms not far enough though she could still hear Sokka and Suki kissing in their room. She hated sleeping in the same area as others because she could hear everything they did and it drove her crazy.
Aang lay awake in bed mentally berating himself for kissing Katara. (what a dumb move that was) he thought to himself (how could I be so stupid). He listened to the sound of her very quietly moving around the house. Cleaning he presumed. He mentally beat his head against an imaginary wall.
Sokka and Suki lay gigling and kissing in their room not sparing a moments thought to anyone else in the house.
Zuko swam and dived beneath the cool ocean water, he climbed up to a rock out cropping not too far above the water and prepared to jump but at the last second slipped. Turning in mid-air attempting to grab something to hold on to his chest slammed into the rocks and he plunged into the dark calm water below he swam to the surface. Calmly rising out of the water and back to the beach he examined his bruised chest. It was throbbing but not too bad, he would definitely be fine. he returned to house ready to call it a night.
Katara went upstairs deciding she couldn't put it off any longer, she needed to talk to Aang he deserved that much. She took a deep breath and knocked.
Aang flew to the door and opened it, he was immediately wary of her serious eyes.
When she left the room a few minutes later her heart was heavy, or at least it was till she walked straight into something big warm and dripping wet. She squealed and backed away when the thing spun and caught her wrists. Fire danced along the young man palm.
"Zuko! You nearly gave me a heart attack" Katara hissed
"Well, I almost burned you! Agni Katara, why are you sneaking around in the middle of the night anyways!" Zuko said all of this quietly but it took on the quality of screaming. Katara looked down her heart heavy once more.
"I was talking to Aang." Zuko remembered her sadness and felt like a jerk. Then Katara suddenly asked "Why are you soaking wet?" Zuko frowned angrily.
"I was swimming and I fell off a rock" Katara chuckled her inner mother coming out.
"Did you get hurt?" She asked already bending the ocean water off of him.
"No" Zuko replied a little too quickly to be believable. Katara ignore that and gathered the last of the water into her hands she sent most of it out the open window the were standing next to but kept just enough to do her healing. The water began to glow and she saw the bruise on his chest and gently placed her hands there. All of a sudden Zuko was watching himself kissing Mai then the vision changed and instead of him and Mai kissing on the beach it was him and Katara.
Katara smelt burning wood she pulled her hands back and saw Zuko's hands and feet glowing like hot iron. "Zuko" she said pushing on his shoulders.
He snapped out of the vision and was standing in front of Katara. "Stop it" she said quickly "You're burning the floor!" She laughed at his confused look and walked to her room down at the other end of the long hallway. She opened the door to her room only to be assaulted by a horrible smell she saw Momo sitting on her bed. Disgusted she closed the door quickly and paused to consider her options. (Toph? no. Sokka and Suki? Not if you paid me. Aang? Not the best idea ever Zuko? Zuko it is.) She walked down to the door to his bedroom and knocked gently on the door.
Ok So thats chapter one, Chapter two will probably be a lot shorter.