Love Will Find A Way
Katara hated him, and he supposed he deserved it. No, he knew he deserved it. He deserved every bit of hatred and anger she had to throw his way. But it didn't change that it hurt him. Seeing the hate in her blue eyes made his heart ache and the urge to just hold her always overwhelmed. He had felt like that in the caves as she offered to attempt to heal his eye. She had faith in trust in him and he threw it away. But now he was here to make amends for all of his past discretions, and hoped beyond all hope that she could find it in her heart to forgive him.
Zuko stepped into the small and dusty room, the air tense as Katara faced her back to him. The anger was etched all along her shoulders and down her back, and he wanted to soothe it away.
"Everyone believes you changed," she said, her voice dark and cold, "But I don't. I don't trust you."
"I have changed," Zuko replied, forcing himself not to flinch at the glare she threw his way.
"I believed that once," she spat out, "I believed you. I trusted you, and you betrayed me! And now you expect me to just take your word for it?"
"No, I don't," he sighed, "All I'm asking is that you give me the chance to prove it to you."
"Not a chance in hell," she said as she pushed past him out the room.
"I will prove it to you Katara," Zuko yelled after her, "Whether you want me to or not!"
~0~0~
Katara felt her heart clench at the sight of him. It had been a few weeks since Zuko had joined the gang. And his words had proven true. He had shown her that he had changed. He tried with Aang, and had actually became friends with Sokka and Toph. They all accepted him, except her. He even tried with her, even though he knew she didn't want anything to do with him. Even though she used to not want to even look at his face. And even though she used to hate looking at his face, she actually enjoyed it now.
His scar was one of the most beautiful things to her, and always had been. It was the mark of survival that all of them carried in some way. Some of the scars were more internal and mental, but scars none the less. She had wanted to heal him in the caves, to take away the pain and give him the freedom to be away from his past. But now his scar has become a badge of honor, rather than a curse. Watching Zuko train Aang, Katara realized that Zuko had suffered just as much as the rest of them, and she had forgotten that in her anger.
~0~0~
"Zuko," Katara gentle voice called to him as they sat around the campfire, "Can I talk to you for a moment?"
Everyone looked around shocked as they waited for Zuko's answer. He was shocked himself, his eyes wide as he took a swallow before answering.
"Uh, yea, sure." Zuko stood up and followed behind her. She walked to a secluded area along the cliff face next to the ocean. Her long brown hair swayed in the wind, and Zuko could help but feel admiration for her. She had been through so much. She protected Aang, had to fight for her place as a warrior in the Northern Water Tribe, and face him. She was so much stronger than he could ever be.
"I wanted to apologize," she said softly, her voice barely carrying above the crash of waves.
"You don't have to apologize for anything Katara," Zuko cut in. If anything, he should be the one apologizing. He hurt her, and it was one of his greatest regrets.
"I do," Katara continued, a sad smile on her lips, "I allowed my anger to cloud my judgment and I tried so hard to hate you. I wanted to hate you because you were the face of the Fire Nation to me. In my eyes, in my mind, you were the reason I had lost everything. And because I had allowed myself to open up."
"It was hard for you to forgive me," Zuko finished for her, his smile much brighter than hers, "You don't have to explain. I understand. And if there was anyway I could take back what I had done I would."
"But then you wouldn't be the person you are today," Katara told him. She took a step towards, her blue eyes soothing his heart. She had forgiven him. Zuko knew that he could fight any battle against his father with Katara by his side. Her strength was all he needed to survive.
I'm sorry Katara," he apologized once again, and suddenly he was wrapped in a warm hug. He was surprised at first, but as her warmth seeped into his cold bones he wrapped his own arms around her, his face burrowing into her should and breathing in her scent. She smelt clean, like water.
"We're family now," she whispered into his ear before pulling away to look back into his eyes, "And family means that no matter how angry we get at one another, we'll always forgive each other. And understand." Zuko grinned down at her before wrapping her in another tight hug. Today had been a good day.
~0~0~
It was a calm day as Zuko trained with Aang next to the river. Katara and Toph were swimming around, catching fish and laughing, and every time he heard the light tinkle of Katara's laugh, he felt his gaze being drawn to her. Fortunately Aang never noticed his continued lack of attention. Toph, however, had.
"Why is Sparky continuously staring over here at you," Toph asked, smiling at the loud splash she heard Katara make from the sudden question.
"I didn't realize he was," Katara replied, and Toph knew that she was telling the truth. She hadn't realized that Zuko couldn't keep his eyes off of her.
"Well now you do," Toph told her, smiling mischievously at the events. Katara and Zuko had suddenly started always hanging about each other ever since their private conversation that had happened a week ago, and only Toph had noticed. Something was going on between the two, but not even they knew it yet.
"Can we take a break now," Aang light voice rang over to them. Zuko had been working him to the bone since they realized how close Sozen's Comet was, and how close they were to the final fight between Aang and Ozai.
"No, not until you get it right," Zuko's harsh voice followed behind, and although Katara knew that it was just because Zuko was worried, she knew that Aang would never learn that way. He did better if he got breaks rather than working to death.
"I think both of you deserve a break," Katara cut in, angry honey colored eyes facing her direction.
"It's my turn to teach him," Zuko rasped out, "Stay out of it."
Katara felt her anger well up inside her at his words, "Well then as his teacher, you know that Aang doesn't learn that way."
"Well he's learning that way today," Zuko countered before turning away from her. That was the last straw for Katara, and suddenly Zuko was soaked through with water.
He slowly turned around, looking like a drowned scowling cat before the water turned to steam and floated away, "You're distracting him from his studies by distracting me. Stay out of it Katara." When she didn't do anything but glare at him he turned back around only to be soaked through again.
"Why don't we settle this in a duel," Zuko offered, fire forming around his hands, "Loser washed dishes for a month."
A dark smile entered Katara's face, "Deal." Suddenly she threw a small wave at him, encasing his feet in ice. Zuko quickly broke through it and punched fire towards her, but it the flames were swallowed by the water.
"Why don't you come out of the river Katara," Zuko called out to her to bait her, "Scared?"
"Why don't you come in the water Zuko," Katara called back, "Scared?" Zuko growled at her words before running towards her, his feet leaving the ground to create an arc of fire that was aimed towards her head. Katara reacted fast and used her water to grab his foot and pulled him down into the water, making sure not to do it so roughly as to break his bones. But definitely roughly enough to give him bruises.
Zuko came up for air, barely even three feet away from her, a happy and mischievous glint in his eye, "You've gotten good Katara."
"So have you," she replied cheekily.
"But not good enough," he told her as he whipped his body low, using his fee to knock her off balance. Although his movements were slower due to the water, it was still fast enough to catch her off guard, making her fall back into the water. Zuko used this to his advantage and lifted her up to toss her out of the river. Katara let out a loud gasp before using her water to catch her mid air and land her gently on the ground.
Zuko was allowed enough time to get out of the water, his chest heaving from the fight. While she was still unaware, he used his fire to punch towards her, but she used her water to cut through it at the last minute. Zuko continued the onslaught of punches and kicks, pushing Katara back step by step.
"Surrender," he growled out.
"Never," she hissed, using a small moment to create a whip and latching it around his ankle. Before he could break it she pulled on the whip, pulling him hard to the ground. Zuko quickly shot back to his feet, some how closer to her than he had been before. He was too close to use his fire, and instead used his hands to grab her wrists. Katara tried to pull away from his grasp, but he used his foot to kick her ankle out from under her, making her crash to the ground. He followed behind, using his body to hold her down.
"I win," he proclaimed, a smug smile on his face. Katara muttered to herself about cheating, pretending that she didn't enjoy the feel of his hard body against hers. It made her heart beat a little faster, and the urge to kiss him became a little stronger. His eyes shining like bright molten gold.
Zuko knew that he should get up from on top of her, but he couldn't bring himself to. He liked feeling her body beneath his, the way her curves molded against his. Her blue eyes looked up at him, and he could just stare at them all day. They were jewels, gleaming like sun hitting water.
"That was a great fight," Aang's excited voice cried excitedly, breaking the two out of their spell. Zuko quickly jumped off of her, as if he had been burned, helping her up a second later.
As Zuko went to go finish his training session with Aang he felt a warm gaze on his back, and when he turned around he met Katara's eyes. He didn't know what he saw in her eyes, but it made him feel warm inside, and he always wanted to feel that way with her.
~0~0~
Time slowed down as Zuko watched his sister through lightning towards Katara. There wasn't enough time to deflect it, and as he jumped in front of her he took all of the attack. Zuko had cried out in pain as he hit the ground, his sight going dark.
Katara felt fear well up in her chest, a fear she hadn't felt in a while. She had wanted to immediately run over to him, but Azula had began to engage her in battle. Her mind wasn't on the fight as it should have been, her eyes constantly watching Zuko's lifeless body, hoping that he could wait for her to get to him.
"You've fallen in love with my brother," Azula said, her voice filled with anger and hatred, "A peasant has fallen in love with the Prince to the Fire Nation! I'm not surprised though, weak people tend to stick with other weak people."
Azula's words filled a fire in Katara, "Zuko is stronger than you will ever be." Azula's crazed laugh rang out over the courtyard. Katara completely focused all of her anger and frustration and fear into the fight, and after Azula became trapped it all became fear.
Katara quickly ran over to Zuko, her hands gently touching his shoulders, "Zuko, wake up. Wake up!" Her fear must have gotten through to him because he groaned out, his hands clenching as a way to ease the pain.
"Don't you ever scare me like that again," Katara cried out, tears welling in her eyes. Zuko smiled at her through the pain.
"I will always do what I have to do to protect you Katara," he rasped out, his pain clear in his voice. Katara scoffed before using some of what was left of her water to place it on his wound and heal it the best she could.
"There'll be a scar," she whispered, her eyes moving from his chest to his eyes. Zuko brought a hand up to her cheek. He didn't know what had made him so bold, but almost dying made him realize something. He loved her.
"I was taught that love was a useless emotion," Zuko began, breathing a bit easier for him than before, "And when I began to have feelings for you, before the island, before the cave, I was afraid. Because I wasn't supposed to have feelings for anyone, let alone you. But now I realize that love is the only thing that can get me through anything."
"Any where I go, I'm home. As long as you're beside me Katara, I can do anything," Zuko took a deep breath, a wide smile lifting his lips, "I love you."
Katara felt a sob leave her chest and as she quickly pressed her lips against his, tears streaming down her cheeks, she knew that she loved him too. She didn't know where this would take them, but she didn't care. Love will always find a way.
A/N: I had the song Love Will Find A Way on repeat while I wrote this, so that's my inspiration for this, especially the end. Here's my birthday present to my good friend Janelle! I'm happy to have you in my life and I hope that you had a wonderful birthday! Love you!