On the Same Page, an avatar: last airbender fanfic

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

A/N so here's another commissioned story requested by huskibunni! Hope you guys enjoy :)

Cover art is called "Relief" by Matereya, with permission from the Queen herself to use it. The third section of this story is modeled after this work, and the adult appearances in this story are modeled after her concepts of the gaang's older selves. You can check her out on deviantart and on tumblr! Thanks again, Mati, for letting me use your work for inspiration!

Then

He was falling, endlessly descending down through the darkness. Nothing touched him, nothing passed him. It was completely silent and pitch black. Weightless and drifting, there was no concept of time nor of sensation. He just... existed.

A strange pulse shook through his whole body and made him a little more alert.

Where was he?

Oh, right. The Fire Nation. He just battled his sister for the title of Fire Lord in an Agni Kai with Comet-enhanced bending. Katara was there. He saved her from Azula's lightning. They had stood together over Azula's crying and bound body, sadness and pity filling him so much it almost cancelled out the agonizing pain of being burned from her lighting.

A second pulse vibrated through him.

Except it didn't.

That's right. That's where he was now.

He had collapsed, crumbling to the cobblestones. Azula's whimpers were deafening behind Katara's surprised shouts. The spasms from the electricity that he had absorbed were pulsing right at his heart and he couldn't breathe. Katara's hands were pulling at his, stopping him from clutching and clawing at the raw skin where he had directed the lighting. He met his sister's haunted gold eyes and then everything went black.

His face was wet.

Another pulse.

Was he crying?

No, it had to be Katara. Though he was falling, he knew she was there. He felt her within him, deep as if she was within his very soul to carry him back to the light. That connection told him of her tears and their touch on his skin.

He was cold, but comfortable at the same time. Tingling reached his fingertips and toes and he swore it felt like he was laying in a pool of water. Maybe that's another reason why his face was wet. He was swimming. And this was all a dream.

But why did he feel Katara crying?

With his best effort, Zuko opened his eyes. At first everything was blurry, but he was able to barely clear his vision with another blink. Above him was a plain dark ceiling, indistinguishable from the rest of the palace proper. There was a soft blue glow to the entire room... Katara's healing. She was healing someone.

Unfocused eyes searched around as best as he could, and he blinked some more clarity forward when he saw her standing over him, arms waving back and forth in a bending motion. It was then that he realized the pulsing was the water itself flowing back and forth across his body, its glow casting strange shadows on her face.

She was healing him.

Even through the water, he could hear her sniff and blink away more tears. They crashed into the healing water and the ripple shook him to his bones. With as much strength as he could muster, Zuko opened his mouth a croaked out her name.

Katara's hands stilled and her eyes shot to his, meeting them for the first time since he collapsed in the arena. Through the water, he could hear her gasp, "Zuko!"

The water's glow ceased and she quickly fell to her knees. She scooted closer to him and her hands shot into the water, cupping the back of his head and helping him rise out of the basin he had been soaking in. The water fell from his skin in rivets as he sat up, baring him to the cool air above him. He must have shivered, because Katara clutched him a little tighter and then reached for a towel behind her.

"Can you stand?"

Without answering, Zuko looked to his feet and stared at them, as if willing them to move would be enough to get them to listen. His whole body ached, that he was keenly aware of now. It was almost as if every muscle in his body was set on fire, doused in ice water, then pounded down by a million bricks. He was surprised that he was even able to sit up with how much his body hurt at that moment.

He shook his head as another shiver rushed through him and Katara wrapped the towel around his shoulders.

"This will have to do until we can get you some more help," she murmured, her voice coming from his right. He was still having a hard time moving on his own and searching for her eyes again. "Unfortunately, I'm still a little worn out from carrying you in here."

"I'm sorry," he rasped out. Katara's hand rubbed at his back and he shivered again. "I should have been stronger."

He felt her head rest against his shoulder and she sighed, "You were absolutely strong enough, Zuko. I've never seen such an impressive display of bending before. You should never apologize for what happened."

Zuko turned his head, ignoring the stab of pain through his spine, and protested, "But-"

"You saved my life," she cut in right as their eyes met. "Never apologize and feel like you didn't do enough."

He was frozen in place by the intensity in her gaze, stunned at their brightness in the otherwise dim room. The sincerity made him ache in a completely different sense, and Zuko had to remind himself to breathe.

"How long have I been out?"

Katara's eyes dropped to the water he was still sitting in and she pressed her chin to his shoulder. "Two days. I received word from the White Lotus that Ba Sing Se was reclaimed in the name of the Earth Kingdom."

Zuko swallowed and hesitantly asked, "Any news about Ozai?"

Katara looked up through her lashes at him and he did his best not to make his gasp audible at the way she looked straight into his soul.

"The Avatar defeated the Fire Lord as the Comet faded from the sky," she remarked quietly, as if reciting word for word from a book. There was an emptiness in her voice that he wanted to ask about, but he chose not to. After all, he just learned that his father was dead and Aang had dealt the blow.

Despite knowing it was inevitable, Zuko felt a stab of remorse hit him square in his heart. He pushed past that sudden tightness and whispered, "And... my father's body?"

Katara sat up and stared at him with a strange perplexity. "His... Zuko, Aang didn't kill him."

He blinked and momentarily forgot the all of the pain in his body. "What."

Katara shrugged and when he shivered again, it seemed she suddenly remembered he was still sitting in the basin of water. She stood, tucked her hands under his armpits and helped him stand. It took a minute for him to regain his balance and proper feeling in his legs, but as soon as he stepped out and Katara bent the water off of him before wrapping him in another thicker blanket.

She led him towards a nearby chair and as she helped him sit, she stated, "Aang used some sort of... technique that took away Ozai's bending. They should be arriving here sometime soon with members of the White Lotus. The other world leaders are waiting for you to make a decision about Ozai now that you will be crowned Fire Lord. They'll be happy to learn that you're awake."

He frowned and watched as she went to the nearby fireplace and tried to light the fire on her own. With a jerky thrust of his fist, he shot a fireball towards the wood towered there and it quickly crackled to life. She jumped and sent him an embarrassed and grateful smile before taking the seat across from him.

"An awful lot happened while I was out," he remarked. Katara's lips pulled down and he asked, "Who's been giving the orders in the meantime?"

"I was on your behalf," she immediately replied. "Nothing more than telling the Fire Sages to put Azula in a room until we could figure out a solution for her... breakdown, and replying to the correspondence that came for you. The war can't officially be called off until both you and Aang sign an agreement declaring the Fire Nation's defeat and forfeiture of lands in the Earth Kingdom."

Zuko stared at her for a long moment, suddenly overwhelmed with gratitude for her intervention and help these past few days. His heart swelled with some unknown emotion and all he wanted to do was sweep her into a hug and bury his face into her neck as he showered her with his appreciation. Katara must have seen the relief in his eyes because she smiled and reached across the chasm between them to rest her hand on his knee.

Silently, he pulled his hand out of his little blanket cocoon and laid it on top of hers. "Thank you, Katara."

She let out a soft sigh and twisted her hand around to weave their fingers together. "I know I said this before, but I should be the one thanking you. It was the least I could do after you saved my life..."

"You shouldn't feel indebted to me," he couldn't stop himself from claiming. "I did what I had to do."

Her face pulled into something he couldn't decipher and he felt her try to pull her hand away. A panic seized in his chest and he tightened his grip on her. "Not saying that I didn't want to! I just..."

As Zuko trailed off, he met her eyes again and saw the exhaustion in those clear blue depths. She had hovered over him for two days as he lingered on the precipice of death. She must not have slept the entire time, desperate to keep him alive from the blast that had been meant for her. He owed her so much...

"I would do it again if I had to."

Katara's eyes softened and she pressed their palms together. "I'll make sure you'll never have to."

He barely noticed that they both had started to lean closer to each other, pulled in by some sort of heavy gravity. It's what always tugged him towards her, like a tide that they rode since the day he landed in the South Pole and met her eyes for the first time. Once again, he felt the air getting dragged out of his lungs. She had this sort of effect on him as of late, and he was slow to resist it this time.

When their foreheads touched, Zuko shivered again. The little grin that tugged at the corner of his lips was hard to fight. "S-Sorry."

Katara pulled her hand away from his - the loss of her touch making him shiver again - and she used her hands to tighten the blankets around his shoulders. She lingered at his chest, her eyes dropping down to where his skin was mottled in a starburst-shaped burn from Azula's attack.

He could see the anguish as she took it in, and he realized she was mourning the thought of him being marred again. He knew of her sadness regarding his other scars, particularly the one on his face, and seeing her so regretful at the sight of his new one made his stomach churn.

"Please don't get sad," he whispered as another shiver filled his chest.

"It's my fault..."

At her despairing tone, Zuko lifted his hand and tipped her chin up with his thumb. Their eyes met and he felt the chills cease completely. "I will look at it with pride for the rest of my life, knowing in getting it I saved yours."

Her lower lip quivered and Zuko gave into the pull. He stopped the shaking with his own lips and sighed as he kissed her, eyes fluttering closed at the shock of sensation. Air rushed out of her and she melted into him, her hands tightening their grips on the blanket at his neck. Zuko slid his hand from her chin back to cup her neck and his fingers tangled themselves in her hair. Katara's hands moved from the blanket and held his neck, mirroring him. The touch of her bare skin on his made him sigh again and he shifted closer to her.

Feeling bold, Zuko started moving his lips and caressing hers. Her little breathy moan sent a thrill through his blood, warming him fast. His heart was racing, his mind was reeling, and all he wanted to do was touch her even more. But the second he took a deep breath and made to bring her closer, a jolt of pain bloomed in his chest and he had to break away from the kiss with a groan and grimace.

Katara's blown eyes were wide with shock and terror as he leaned back and clutched at his chest again. The pain was hot and sharp like a poker fresh from the fire, prodding him in time with his rapidly beating heart. He gasped when the chilling sensation of Katara's healing water washed over him, eyes springing open to finally realize she was straddling his hips as she poured more of her bending into him. He met her eyes over the glow and noticed the disheveled look in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," he croaked, causing her to deflate slightly. "I keep messing up."

All she did in response was kiss his forehead and smile softly as she slid to his side and curled up against him, her water discarded back into the basin and her hand resting protectively underneath his new scar. They were found that way by Uncle Iroh hours later, both fast asleep as the fire died and the news of Ozai's defeat rang through the lands.

Now

Dear Zuko,

I was hoping to see you at the Earth King's birthday party, but I was a little disappointed to hear that you couldn't make it. Aang didn't tell me what exactly was the problem, but I had an idea it had to do with Azula. I'm sorry to hear that she's struggling so much, and I wish I could do something about it. I spoke with Yugoda of the Northern Tribe in regards to mental health and if waterbending could do anything to help aid in the healing process. She said the brain was a very complex network of chi paths that would be difficult to navigate, but with the proper training I would be able to assist in calming Azula down and possibly heal some of the networks that have been causing these breakdowns.

I'll only come on your blessing.

I hope everything else is alright on your end, though. It feels like ages since I've last seen you and I miss you terribly.

After everything that happened in the South Pole, Sokka and I have decided to go back to traveling with Aang and help him with keeping the balance. Although I love my home, it feels more fulfilling to help Aang than to stay. I can always come back, but some of the issues around the world need to be fixed now. Home can wait a little longer for me.

Can't wait to see you again,

Katara.

~0~0~

Dear Master Katara,

I'm sorry it's taken so long to get back to you but yes, things are well. I was at home with Azula at the time of the birthday party last year. The fact that she came to me willingly despite our last encounter gave me lots of hope in terms of her recovery, and I knew if I left her I could have never seen her again. You know that family is the most important thing to me, despite everything we've gone through. Though, if the people know she's staying in the palace again they might falter in their trust in me again. After the issue with the Kemurikage I had to earn back the people's favor and I cannot do that by withholding information again, even though I know that it is for their protection that I do it. Sometimes I wonder if I am making the right decision by trying to help her. After all we've been through, I'm not sure if it's worth it.

She's showing signs of improvement, and I feel that if asking you to come help even further will hinder the progress we've made so far. She does not seem malicious, but at the same time I know I have been susceptible to her manipulation. This time feels genuine so I don't want to screw it up and lose her forever.

I'm glad to see you and Aang are getting along again. When you decide to come back to the Fire Nation, we can have tea and catch up. I feel that I was unable to really speak to you while I visited your home.

Truly,

Fire Lord Zuko

/\/\/

Zuko,

I hope you're well. Things have been... okay since we last saw you in Omashu. I know we left on bad terms, and I wanted to apologize on Aang's behalf because I know neither of you will do it first. Despite being sixteen now, he still has a lot of maturity to grow in to. Though, I could say the same for you. The way you reacted, especially towards me, really hurt. And although I regret even taking sides in the matter, Aang has gotten awfully smug about it all.

We had another fight about the same stuff again. And I know you're probably still mad at me, but I don't really know who else I can talk to, mostly because Sokka has decided to stay with Toph in Yu Dao to avoid the tension between us. She wants nothing to do with it, even though I know she'd take my side. Aang always thinks he's right and it's gotten to the point where I can't even have a conversation without him being condescending or rude.

We were going to go to the Northern Water Tribe to visit and so I could go back to learning some more healing methods, but he said it would be a waste of time because the war is over. Even though I disagreed, we never went. People will always need healing and I can't stay where I am in terms of skill. Had I studied more during the war, your wounds from the fight with Azula would not have been as severe and your scar would have not been as pronounced.

He doesn't get it. I thought you would.

I'm sorry if this is just bugging you.

Hopefully I'll see you soon. We really need to sit down and talk.

Love,

Katara

~0~0~

Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe-

You made your stance clear during the council meeting. If you'd like to discuss a different solution, it can be arranged at the next meeting in the fall.

-Fire Lord Zuko

/\/\/

Zuko-

Is everything alright? I heard about what happened with your mom from Uncle Iroh. I'm so sorry for your loss. I just wanted to make sure you're okay...

Though I wish you had told us yourself. I would have come for her funeral.

Please write soon.

Katara.

~0~0~

Zuko,

It's happened again.

Convince me I'm doing the right thing by staying.

Kat

~0~0~

Zuko,

I know you don't want to talk to me, but I want to know if you're okay. Sokka told me you looked terrible when he saw you in Republic City for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the train station. I want to make sure everything is okay.

I hate that there's this rift between us because of Omashu.

Please write back.

Katara

~0~0~

Kat-

I'm sorry.

-Z

/\/\/

Zuko-

I'm coming. I don't care what Aang wants or says. You need my help. Suki wrote to me and said there was another attempt on your life and now you won't sleep again. Those lessons from Yugoda may be put to use for you if you don't start letting people in and to help you.

Your nation may be standing again but you can't lead it from your knees.

Katara.

~0~0~

Katara-

I don't want to see you.

Don't come.

/\/\/

Then

Sometimes Katara forgot what had been the smell of her mother's favorite tea. It was accidental, and bound to happen after all the time since she passed, but Katara hated herself for forgetting what it was. She had to struggle to recall the name sometimes, too.

It was easier to remember when Zuko was around, though.

Kya's favorite tea had been a blend of crowberry and juniper leaves, its light scent always on her cloudy breath on especially cold mornings. When Zuko made tea, he always added one small sprig of juniper to every single blend. No reason why, at least not that he would tell her. It didn't have that much effect on the flavor of the tea, but every time he made a pot Katara would be whisked away to the tundra and watching the sun rise for the first time in months.

She never told him that.

So now, as he poured her a cup and they watched the sun rise over the ledge of the dormant volcano where he lived, she smiled and breathed in that subtle hint of juniper. She glanced over at him, observing the odd sense of calm that washed over him, and realized that she liked this look on him. The soft smile on his lips as the rays of the sun warmed his skin, the way the breeze that came in through the open balcony doors and pushed his hair away from his face and his closed eyes...

It was so breathtakingly unreal that it took her breath away.

"What's on your mind?"

She was taken aback at his observation due to his lack of glancing in her direction. Deciding honesty was her best bet, she replied, "I was just thinking about how serene this is. And how beautiful you look right now."

His good cheek turned a dusky color and she almost giggled at the bashful look that he sent her. After all, it would be unbecoming of the soon-to-be new Fire Lord to look so shy and for her to take joy in it.

"Are you nervous?"

He shook his head and took another sip of his tea. "All that needs to be done is putting on my ceremonial robes and my hair..."

Katara set down her cup. "Do you want me to dress your wound again?"

Zuko looked down at his chest and the white bandages wrapped around his torso. She had done that wrapping job the day before, so it was still pretty well done. But she wouldn't deny the excuse to rewrap him so she could delve into her desire to touch him again.

His eyes flickered to her again and he nodded. "Let's finish our tea first, yes?"

When she met his molten gaze, her heart did a back flip and she took another drink of that fragrant tea.

Once the pot was empty, Katara stood and brushed out her skirt, then went to her bag that held her bandages. Zuko stood as well, taking a little longer than her due to his still-healing abdomen, and when she returned he was finally standing tall. Their eyes met as she coated her first two fingers with water from her pouch and sharpened them to an icy point. Her makeshift scissors cut through the old bandages and they fluttered to the ground. She reformed the water into her palm and pressed it to the wound, eyes never leaving his as the glow of her healing shone on them both.

She started feeling strange and fluttery under his scrutiny, so she moved her gaze drifted down towards the palm she was resting on his stomach. As she focused on her work, she felt his fingers drift up and rest on the nape of her neck over her hair. Though she knew his eyes never left her face. A smile pulled up on her lips, one that mirrored his serene one from earlier, and she heard him chuckle.

Without looking away from her glowing hand and his abdomen, she whispered, "What's on your mind?"

Like in some cliché manner she could find in a romance scroll, Zuko murmured, "I was just thinking about how serene this is. And how beautiful you look right now."

She felt her cheeks heat, mirroring his reaction from earlier, and she blinked slowly before looking up at him. His face was much closer now than it had been moments before, and suddenly she realized she was no longer holding the water in her hand. Her mind instantly went back to the kiss they shared a few days ago and her heart leapt up into her throat.

Zuko must have picked up on her trail of thought, because the corner of his lips turned up in his usual half smile and he lifted his other hand to brush some hair away from her face. "Can I kiss you again?"

With her heart in her throat, she couldn't properly answer. So she nodded and he leaned in. When their lips touched, it felt like an explosion of sensation burning through her veins. She sighed and her chest tightened as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer. She was keenly aware of how he stiffened only slightly when her chest brushed against his wound, but he stopped her worry entirely by deepening their kiss and lifting her up into his arms.

Butterflies were let loose in her stomach as she wrapped her legs around his waist, and Zuko carried them to the mats they had been kneeling on while they drank their tea and laid her on the floor. A shiver rushed up her spine when he pressed his body against hers, and she gasped when he settled himself between her legs. Caught up in the sensation, she clutched at his back and took charge of the kiss. From what she learned from romance scrolls and her short endeavors with the opposite sex, she trailed her tongue across his lower lip and pressed her chest against his.

Zuko eagerly opened his mouth and she slid in. When their tongues touched, it was an odd but not unpleasant sensation. In fact, she really wanted to do it again. So she did. And this time, as she did she lowered her arm so it was wrapped around his waist and she pulled him closer.

What she didn't expect was for his hips to follow and grind against her crotch.

When they both moaned at the touch, it echoed around the room.

Zuko froze and he broke away from the kiss so he could look down at her with dark eyes in the shade of melted honey. Katara was panting and was well-aware that she probably looked like a mussed up mess. They couldn't get so wrinkled up. His coronation started at high noon and he still needed to get dressed.

With a heavy breath, Katara closed her eyes and said, "We... we should stop. I still need to wrap your chest..."

She felt Zuko nod, but he didn't move. When she opened her eyes, he captured her lips in another deep and frenzied kiss. He purposely pressed his hips to hers again and her unbidden moan was eagerly swallowed by him. He leaned down over her, fingers carding through her hair as his tongue caressed hers and retreated to trail against her lips. As her hands grasped at his shoulders and back, she threw her caution and apprehension to the wind and arched her hips up to his.

She reveled in the groan that bubbled out of his throat.

Every grind of his hips against hers sent sparks up her spine. Every kiss and nibble made her head spin and all she wanted to do was hold this man until the end of her days. It was unfortunate that they probably would never have that chance.

Now

The clouds were overcast, as they always had been as of late. Zuko frowned as he tossed another small piece of his uneaten roll into the pond. The little turtleducks swimming around fought for it and then looked to him to toss more.

He was almost out.

And he was surprised, considering he had just started to tear it apart. Or was that hours ago? It was hard to tell how time was passing nowadays. Everything blended together. It felt like yesterday that he was visiting his mom in the hospital when she started coughing up blood. And the day before that he was kissing Katara underneath Ba Sing Se.

He scowled and tossed the last of the roll into the water.

Fuck her. And fuck her stupid boyfriend. It's not like they cared.

Even after everything they went through, she would always take his side. Even if it was wrong. And now their friendships had suffered because of it.

The water in the pond rippled as the turtleducks snatched up the large roll and started fighting over who would get the last bite. He watched each wave move out and reach the shore like a miniature tide, gentle and serene and beautiful. Another thing that made him think of Katara.

A roll of thunder echoed across the sky and he sighed. It was about time for the raining season to start. The turtleducks seemed unfazed, still tugging the larger bit of bread between them. It felt like a sick metaphor for his life.

The wind brushed his face and felt himself sag with disdain. His back was pressed against the tree and he wished there was some sort of way to stop the wind from blowing into his sanctuary, too. It made him think of the Avatar, which in turn made him think of Katara again. It was an endless, loathsome cycle.

He heard the sound of feet whispering against the blades of grass behind him, and he had half a mind to yell at whoever disturbed him. No one was allowed in here except his friends, but they were so far in between nowadays he knew no one would be coming in here except him.

Right as he turned to snarl at the intruder, he was met with impossibly blue eyes set into a matured and beautiful face.

Immediately at the sight of her, he scowled and snapped, "Get out."

"Zuko-"

He shot to his feet and spun around to face her. Another crack of thunder roared in the distance as if to highlight his anger. "It's Fire Lord Zuko to you. Or were you not taught manners in the South Pole?"

Katara had the audacity to flinch at his biting tone, and her silence gave him the chance to really look at her for the first time in over a year. She was taller now, but not nearly as tall as him. She still wore her mother's necklace, but the edges of the ribbon were starting to unravel and it settled lower in the hollow of her throat as it had done when they were teens. She traded out her usual dress for a tunic the same length as his, stopping mid-thigh to reveal dark blue pants and knee-high fur-lined boots. Her body curved like a full-grown woman, emphasized by the wide belt tied at her waist. Her hair was longer now, pulled into the style she wore while they were in hiding in the Fire Nation, minus the stupid little buns tied at the ends that she favored after the war.

There was a knife strapped to her thigh and her water skin hung right on her hip, matching the wraps on her forearms.

She looked like the warrior she was, not the housewife Aang wanted her to be. And more importantly, she looked like a woman, and Zuko hated how it made him feel.

"I'm sorry I came unannounced," she murmured, at least looking ashamed as she averted her gaze. "But you weren't answering my letters. And the ones you did answer made me worry even more."

"I told you not to come." He hated how soft his voice sounded despite his anger. "Why don't you ever listen?"

The blaze in her eyes roared back to life as she snapped her gaze back to his, and he was struck by how much he had yearned for that fire. It had been missing from his life for far too long.

"Friends don't turn their backs on friends. Unless we aren't even that anymore."

His fingernails dug into his palm and he was sure he broke skin. "You tell me. You made your stance clear in Omashu. Friends don't stab friends in the back because their boyfriend's feelings might get hurt."

He almost laughed at the pained look in her eyes as she shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe you! Is that what you really think?"

"Yeah, well when you tell me you're on my side one minute and turn around and support Aang's side the next, it's very clear what your intentions are, Katara."

She flinched when her name rolled off his tongue and he felt almost smug at the way he affected her. Almost.

"You can't double cross me and then come crawling back under the guise of caring," he spat. "Now leave my home before I make you."

She leveled her eyes with his and she scowled. "Would you let me explain myself? Please?"

"Resorting to groveling?" Zuko snorted as he crossed his arms. Thunder rolled again, closer this time, and he felt his forelocks brush against his cheekbones as the wind blew past him. What a difference five years made...

"Zuko-" He hated that he felt a shiver when she said his name. "- if I had sided with you, it could have caused an international incident. Taking Aang's side to calm him down was all I could do to prevent another war from possibly breaking out."

"Funny how your job has become nanny and peacemaker on behalf of the Avatar instead of being his actual lover," Zuko instantly regretted saying. Her eyes widened with hurt as he continued, "If you had been more concerned with doing the right thing instead of coddling him, I wouldn't have walked out of that summit looking like an even bigger fool than I already am. The Fire Nation has been smeared for years and letting the Avatar and his bitch stomp us even lower was dirty, even for you."

"We did it-"

"Because Aang doesn't want to face the fact that being the Avatar doesn't mean he gets to do whatever he wants or that he may not always know what's best for the people of the world." He unfolded his arms and clenched his fists at his side. "Admit that you did it so he wouldn't run away because he was wrong."

"No one was wrong," she insisted with a sharp edge to her words. "It was just easier to take Aang's side so no one else got upset."

"You keep telling yourself that, Katara."

The blazing fury in her eyes reminded him of Azula's fire. Lightning streaked in the sky behind her and suddenly, his chest felt tight and a throb of phantom pain ebbed through his stomach. He would not reveal it, though. Not when he was finally winning with her. He had to get this off his chest and finally let go of all those feelings that have been pent up since he was a teenager.

The thunder was loud enough this time to rumble across the ground.

"It was a suggestion that the policy be implemented so the United Republic of Nations could be ruled fairly," she stated lowly, her pacing slow as if she was trying to rein in her fury.

He hated that.

"And when Aang suggested that the Fire Nation forfeit those lands, he thought it would be wise to give the United Republic territory from all of the nations instead of just the Earth Kingdom. The fact that he would be overseeing it all meant it would go more smoothly-"

"What it sounded like was the Avatar would be the one ruling them," Zuko seethed, his voice just as low and simmering dangerously. "Just because he's the Avatar doesn't mean he's the best suited to lead all of those people or make the only decisions regarding them. His only job is to be impartial and maintain balance. And yes, that is the duty of a leader, as well, but he can't do that when he's supposed to maintain the balance of the whole world and not just a single country like me or Kuei. Making him the leader of the United Republic would give him too much power with no checks in place, and he would not be in an impartial position should there be conflict between nations again."

"What would you rather do, Zuko?" Katara bemoaned with exasperation. He felt a rain drop hit his cheekbone. "No one else is stepping up to fill the position! Having Aang as the interim leader of their council would give the United Republic the chance to build with proper guidance and find a better group of leaders in the long run. It's only temporary."

"And it's already causing international incident without even being in place yet!" Zuko replied. "Hakoda and Arnook are on my side with it, and you were, too, until Aang got to you. And with the land? Those islands are the oldest pieces of the Fire Nation and taking them away would mean taking away part of our ancestral home! Aang of all people would know what it feels like to have someone else take something sacred to a nation. I don't know why you didn't suddenly felt the need to tell him that he was wrong for once, like you told me you would."

She deflated and cast her stare away, looking over towards the turtleducks in the pond. Zuko glanced over and saw the water had been shaking violently - most likely in her ire - and the turtleducks had swam away. More rain started to fall as thunder rolled again.

"I spoke to him about it afterwards," she said softly, so soft it was almost lost in the growing wind. "He was so proud of himself for coming up with those ideas, saying adding those islands would be beneficial to helping the United Republic with trade. When I brought up those same points you and I had discussed back then, he said that you got to me. He's still so suspicious of you and your intentions with me, and it's clear when it comes to his decision making as the Avatar. It's almost as if he deliberately chooses to do the opposite of what you would do so the people would take his side and make you look bad."

Zuko tried not to loosen his fists and he took a deep breath. "That's exactly what he did."

Katara met his eyes again and he saw the sadness there swirling over her prior anger. "He knows that being the Avatar had its advantages, mostly because people are less keen to anger him and will follow him if he says it's what will maintain balance. He feels that it will help keep peace in the United Republic until the people can establish their own economy and government."

"Sounds an awful lot like a corrupt tyranny to me," Zuko muttered, finally releasing his fists and pinching the bridge of his nose. The tension rolled out of him in waves and he swore up and down it was her doing. After all, he hadn't felt this... loose in ages. Maybe having a shouting match with his sort-of ex and love of his life would do that.

"The council recently decided not to go through with it when it came to the final vote last week," she finally said after a few moments, causing Zuko to drop his hand from his face and look at her. "Your reaction to the vote during that meeting told them that perhaps you had the right idea. Aang wasn't happy, but he figured they would change their minds. And when I told him he needed to shift his focus on keeping balance, he suddenly decided that it was time to rebuild the Air Nation."

Zuko felt his stomach twist and he fought the urge to vomit. He knew what she was referring to; she had mentioned it in Omashu before the argument and again in her letters. Aang was adamant that they start sleeping together, but she wasn't willing. He knew exactly why, and it fueled his opinion about her being afraid of hurting Aang's feelings. Because of her reluctance, it caused Zuko more pain instead.

Another bolt of lightning crackled in the clouds and the rain started to pick up. He was tempted to flee, to turn his back on her and end the conversation before he said something he regretted about his best friends. Yes, they were still his best friends despite what they were going through. It just hurt that he felt like he was always on the opposite side of these conflicts as they were, resulting in him almost always being proved wrong because no one wanted to tell Aang that he was instead.

A small hand rested on his forearm and Zuko glanced up to see her looking at him with a strange expression. Her other hand was extended over them, stopping the rain from hitting them, and he was pulled back into time when she stopped the rain. Back then she was the angry one, not him.

Her full lip was pulled between her teeth and there was a hesitation in her eyes. For some reason, it made him ache seeing her so... vulnerable and down. If he had his way, none of this would have happened. If Aang had just learned to get hurt without being coddled, Katara wouldn't be so visibly unhappy. He knew what Aang expected of her, and he knew that she didn't want to give it.

Her eyes told him of her sadness, of her regret. He knew his told her of his resentment and shame, brought by her hands because of her inability to make her own decisions and by his own actions in regards to them. All he could do was try to fix what he could, because no one else mattered to him anymore. He had to do something to close the chasm between them all. And it started with her.

"Would... would you like some tea?"

The twinkle returned in her eyes and she nodded softly, her hand not leaving him. "Tea would be lovely."

Then

It turned out Ba Sing Se was quite silent after the fireworks display. Apparently, the citizens were tired and ready to turn in and face the new world with fresh eyes. Fortunately for Katara and Zuko, that gave them ample time and ability to sneak around without getting caught. Zuko had insisted on taking her somewhere secret, not even telling her of their destination.

After being swept away from Iroh's tea shop, she was certain Zuko was just wanting to spar or go visit an awfully beautiful fountain near the main square of the Upper Ring, but when he led her closer and closer to the palace, she was completely at a loss.

It didn't help her brain was still a little fuzzy from kissing Aang earlier that evening and getting caught by Sokka and subsequently Zuko made it much worse. The look of shock and hurt in his eyes was not deterred, even after her murmured apology on top of Appa. And after his little "promise" talk with Aang, it made it even harder to approach him after she basically coerced Aang into agreeing.

She was wholly surprised when he came to her room in the middle of the night, his cheeks lightly flushed, and his eyes bright with excitement. Without a word, he took her hand and whisked her out of the house and onto the empty streets of Ba Sing Se.

Katara had no idea why he was hurt by her kissing Aang in the first place. Almost right after they made out on his floor and she rewrapped his chest, she left to go freshen up and when she returned Zuko was kissing Mai right where she had healed him.

For whatever reason, the pain of his rejection spurred her to go to Aang, who she knew loved her.

It wasn't fair to any of them, but she had to mask the hurt from Zuko going back to Mai so quickly after he claimed Katara's lips and soul. And now that he was leading her through the darkened streets of the Earth Kingdom capital with his beautiful smile on his face as he still refused to tell her their destination.

However, when they snuck through the fencing that surrounded the palace and he led her to a hole in the ground right next to the side of the western wing, her heart stopped.

She knew where this led.

"Zuko..."

He whirled around and pressed his finger to his lips before taking her other hand. "Look... I know I made a lot of mistakes. But I want to make them right. This will help."

Katara smiled up at him, conscious of how the moon's light reflected beautifully in his golden eyes, and she replied, "You've already earned my forgiveness, Zuko. We don't need to go down there."

"No," he conceded with that same light tone she used, "but I want to. Come on."

He led her down the tunnels, using a flame in his free hand to light the way. There was a slight glow at the far end of the tunnel, barely discernible behind Zuko's bright fire, but she knew it was where they needed to be. Her hand unconsciously tightened around his and he glanced at her over his shoulder with his eyebrow arched.

"Everything alright?"

The moment the green light took over the entire tunnel and Zuko's flame went out, she felt herself shudder at the sight in front of her. It was as if nothing had changed since the battle all those months ago. Earth was still dislodged, the crystal cocoon that Aang had trapped himself in was still shattered on the floor, scorch marks crossed over each other in deep patterns.

It brought her right back to her darkest day.

Zuko's hand was still clasped around hers and she realized her breathing had picked up. When he met her eyes, she could see the shame glowing as bright as the crystals behind him.

"I'm so stupid, I shouldn't have brought us here-"

"No, no," she murmured as she shook her head out of her stupor. Her hand automatically went up and cupped his scarred cheek to reassure him, just like she had back then. "It was just a little more than I expected... Where did you want to go exactly?"

She could tell Zuko was aware of her unease, so he placed his hand over hers and wove their fingers together before leading her down the staircase to their right. He made sure their backs were to the battleground as he navigated the forgotten city, and soon they were standing in front of an entrance that Katara knew exactly where it led.

"Is there a reason you're wanting to go there?"

He nodded but remained silent as he tugged her hand and they went inside. After a few more moments of silent walking, they came upon the place they called their prison all those months ago. It looked exactly the same, minus a new jutting of rocks that was clearly destroyed by firebending, either by Iroh or Zuko considering who had been here when she left with Aang. Zuko slowly made his way to the center, leading her all the while, and he looked up to the ceiling before turning on his heels and looking at her square on.

"I wanted to apologize. I feel like I never truly expressed it to you, regarding what happened here."

"Zuko-"

He let go of her hand and held his up to stop her, then closed his eyes and sighed. For a long moment, the silence stretched on, and Katara thought that maybe he was having second thoughts about coming here. Or he was just gathering himself for a moment she knew would be incredibly vulnerable for him.

When he finally reopened his eyes, Katara had to stop herself from gasping at the intensity in the golden depths. It was almost as if they were amplified in the light of the glowing crystals.

She was suddenly thrown back to that fateful day. He was exhausted then, the bags under his eyes prevalent and the weariness in his voice told her of his struggle to keep fighting in a war that kept chewing him up and spitting him back out. Back then he was scared and confused and lonely, but now it was almost completely gone. She could still see the weariness in his eyes, but there was a peace to him now that didn't exist then.

"I never wanted to be a part of this war," he started, breaking her from her observations of the past and bringing her to the present. "I tried so hard to avoid it, but when I became Crown Prince I felt it was my duty to serve my country and my people. Then I was banished and I felt like I had failed and had no chance of fixing my mistakes. Uncle and I came here, and at first I resented it, but then I grew content with where my life had settled; I no longer had a part to play in the war. And somehow that felt right...

"But that day," he trailed off and looked over to the broken shards of crystal behind him, "I was reminded of my duty, and of my family. I've always loved my family, and ever since Lu Ten died and my mother disappeared, I had been grasping at a past I could never get back. I was so desperate for my father to love me that I would have done anything to get it..."

There was that pain in his voice, the one she always ached to soothe away. "Zuko..."

He met her eyes again and that sad smile had returned. "Even though we were enemies then, you still treated me like an equal. I never had that with anyone back home, except maybe Uncle Iroh. And the moment I shot at Aang I regretted it. Aang had shown me kindness when he didn't have to, you showed me kindness when you didn't have to, Uncle showed me kindness even when I was the biggest brat to him. And for what? A pat on the back from a man who never truly loved me?"

Katara took his hands. "You don't have to explain yourself to me. You proved your regret already, and proved you were more than your mistakes."

"And you've proven to me that I am redeemable in spite of them," he murmured with a contented smile. Silently, he let her go and walked over to one of the stalagmites of crystal, and in an instant punched it as hard as he could. It shattered into a thousand pieces, all of them falling to the floor in a useless glowing pile. Zuko bent over and grabbed one of the crystal shards, one large but still small enough to rest on the pad of his pinky finger, and he walked back to her. He fished his free hand into his pocket and procured a small length of twine. As he weaved a little cocoon around the crystal, he continued, "I want you to take this with you. As a testament of my remorse and retribution. I want you to look at it and think of me, and think of how far I came in order to triumph over all of my struggles."

He met her eyes as he handed her the little woven bracelet. "And think of my love for you."

Tears pricked in her eyes and she nodded as she took it and tied it around her wrist. Her sleeve of her robe covered it up and she sighed with content at its weight against her pulse. That swell of happiness filled her lungs and she looked up to Zuko to see a similar expression of joy on his face. Without even thinking, she stood on her toes and captured his lips in an ardent kiss. He was quick to react, arms wrapping tightly around her waist and pulling her close to his chest. His breath fanned her face and she lost herself in the sensation of his warm, pliant lips against hers and his even warmer hands planted on her back.

Zuko made a noise of content back in his throat and his fingers threaded into her hair as he started shuffling her backwards. Her back pressed against a crystal and Zuko pressed himself against her entirely, surrounding her with his scent and touch. Her head spun and she opened herself to him, completely lost in him.

When his thumb pressed against her neck and stroked the fabric of her necklace, she shivered and her hand fisted itself in the folds of his robe, right over his new scar. Zuko shuddered and his breath came out in a ragged sigh, his movements now becoming more frenzied and hungry as he used that same thumb to tilt up her chin and deepen their kiss.

His other hand drifted down her arm and then clutched the wrist that was now home to the crystal bracelet. There was another shiver and he smiled against her mouth before breaking away from their kiss. He met her eyes, his gaze dark and dangerous as he smirked and brought her wrist to his mouth and pressed his lips over the crystal. The warmth of his breath trailed up her skin and she swore up and down that this man would be the death of her.

Suddenly, a sad look crossed his face and he lowered her arm as he took a step away from her, effectively breaking the spell that had been cast over them. Katara's tongue felt swollen in her mouth and she couldn't breathe, still reeling from the touch of him against her.

"I'm sorry," he murmured with a guilty tone. "I shouldn't have done that. I got carried away."

Katara felt herself shake her head and she tried to refute, but as soon as he met her eyes he remembered the people they left back at the teashop. They could never go back to this without hurting the ones they loved back there.

But could she really love him if the man in front of her already stole her heart?

Katara folded her arms over her chest and her fingers dug into her sides. "Why did you do it, then?"

Zuko looked away and he took another step back. "Because I love you. And I wanted to let you know before we had to return to the lives we made on the surface."

Without another word, Zuko extended his hand to her and he led her back to the silent streets of the walled city. The whole walk back to Iroh's shop, they did not exchange any more words. Instead, when they reached the door as the sun broke over the horizon, Zuko lifted her wrist to his lips one last time and pressed a kiss to the crystal hiding there.

Then, like closing the final chapter of a book, he dragged his thumb over it and let her go.

Now

Katara trailed her thumb over the crystal, eyes staring hard at its persistent glow. Wind blew her hair out of her face, and the words of Sokka's and Toph's nearby conversation, as well.

Zuko had sent a letter to Aang, requesting his assistance with taking out a rabble of rebels on the north side of the Fire Nation. Aang quickly accepted as soon as he learned of the severity of this group and their size. Full of master benders and former military officers, they were planning on invading the capital city and staging a coup to overthrow Zuko. The Fire Lord learned of this activity while he was returning from the Sun Warrior village and spotted the encampment in the mountains. Once he figured out their plans, he quickly sent word to the Avatar.

Our friendship may not be as strong as it was before, but I ask that you please help me protect my people and the rest of the world from another war.

Eager to put the past behind them, Aang was soon on his way to the Fire Nation from Republic City with Katara, Sokka, and Toph in tow on Appa's back. Zuko and Suki as well as several of the Kyoshi Warriors, and platoons of Yu Yan Archers and Imperial Firebenders would be joining them in a small village at the base of the mountains before they traveled to the hidden encampment.

She hadn't seen Zuko since she spontaneously came to visit him four months ago, and after reconciling and explaining Aang's behavior on his behalf, she made Zuko willing to speak to the Avatar once everything in the United Republic calmed down and this rebel situation was dealt with. He knew they were behind the assassination attempt on him earlier that year, and he promised to tell her as soon as he gleaned any more information about their whereabouts.

"Friends help each other in times of need," she had told him softly as she grasped his hand over the table. "Don't shut us out because we disagreed on something."

It was then that he had noticed she was wearing the bracelet he made her, but it was tucked under some of her wrist wraps so the crystal wasn't visible. He had asked her why she kept it, and when she didn't answer he just got mad again and asked her to leave. That time she stood as she fought the void that grew in her chest, and did as he requested. With a heavy and hollow heart, she was on a boat back to Republic City that evening.

When she returned to her Avatar boyfriend, who hadn't waited for her on the shores of the new city he called home, she realized her mistakes and regrets that had plagued her for the past five years. And immediately broke up with him.

"Can I ask you something?" Aang had mumbled through his angry tears. "Is it because of him?"

Katara had shaken her head and denied it, but they both knew she lied. After all, she kept the bracelet Zuko made her for five years, hidden from Aang so he wouldn't get suspicious, and now she was openly looking as it continued to glow just as brightly as it had when he shattered it with his fist.

When they landed in the mountain village, there wasn't much fanfare. Aang went and spoke to Zuko immediately after spotting him, greeting him with clasped forearms and stoic frowns. Orders were given, people were grouped off, and soon they were marching up the mountainside to ambush the rebels in the valley. Katara tried to catch his attention, but when Fire Lord Zuko was present it was hard to pin him down. Even without his typical Fire Lord regalia, he was every bit of king she knew he was.

Dressed in armor in the colors of his nation, he stood out from all of his men despite the lack of his crown and official mantle. The Dao swords strapped to his back were visible over the armor on his shoulders, all matching the greaves on his shins and bracers on his wrists.

She always preferred his hair long, and now it hung between his shoulders in silky strands that were partially pulled into a top knot. Though, he still had thick wisps of hair that dangled over his temples and cheekbones, pronouncing them almost in an obviously rebellious manner. It was charming, and so very Zuko that is made her ache.

The one thing she noticed when he turned around was the tanto knife strapped to the small of his back, the very tanto that her father gifted him on his eighteenth birthday. She has a similar one strapped to the small of her back, but more in the styling of the Water Tribe than the Fire Nation.

It was almost as if Hakoda knew.

"We're here," she heard Zuko order quietly from his position at the front of the ranks. "Spread out to your designated areas. On my signal, we attack."

From over the head of one of his Imperial Firebenders, their eyes met for the first time in months and Katara felt a thrill of simultaneous excitement and dread rush through her veins. For that moment, it seemed like time stilled as they held each other's gazes solidly, with nothing else but this thing between them. His stare was cool and even, but no hint of the malice he spat at her when she fled from his home. It made her ache even more.

Too soon, his attention was diverted by one of the Kyoshi Warriors, and she was led to her position on the opposite side of the ravine.

Even though she was aware of him at her back, especially when a rebel tried to sneak up on her and he took them out before they could touch her, it wasn't until after the battle that she saw Zuko again.

As a healer, it was part of her job to catalog injuries and deaths. The rebels had more losses on their side, but there were some of the Fire Lord's forces that were taken down. She watched as a Yu Yan archer got beheaded by a lumbering man with tattoos, only for him to be skewered by a spear held by a Kyoshi Warrior. So much death, she was thankful that none of her friends met a fateful end like that.

The full moon shone bright overhead, giving her enough light and power to observe what else was left. She scanned the camp, taking in each living and deceased body and sensing their blood - a skill she hated to harness but realized she could utilize for healing. As much as she hated it, she knew it would help her save a life.

And that life belonged to the man she loved.

As soon as she felt his blood - or lack thereof - and his wavering heartbeat, she darted off towards him. He was lingering behind near the edge of camp, head drooped as he leaned against a boulder that had been bent from the ground. No one was looking at him, too busy tending to their own wounds and helping their friends, so no one could see him as he clutched at his side and blood spilled between his fingertips.

"Zuko!"

His head snapped up, bleary eyes locking on hers, and immediately he collapsed against the ground. There were shouts from all over, ones of alarm and others of panic. She realized vaguely that the ones overpowering them all were hers, orders to get her gauze and a gurney and some water for the love of Yue!

She knelt on the ground where he fell and rolled him over, the motion bringing her back to a red-streaked sky and cries of a deranged princess echoing against the cobblestones behind her. But this time, Zuko's eerily pale face did not contort with pain. It was vacant in his unconsciousness.

That was more worrying than anything else.

"Don't you dare die on me, you stupid firebender!" she cried as she pulled water out of the bucket Suki just dropped next to her. She quickly brought it to Zuko's side and immediately realized that just water wasn't going to help him this time. He had lost way too much blood.

Tears blurred in her eyes and she hissed, "Stubborn man! You should have come straight to me immediately!"

The slowing and uneven thrum of his heartbeat alarmed her and she quickly spared an imploring prayer up to the glowing orb in the sky before grabbing a hold of his blood. All of the blood that soaked through his shirt, that stained his and her hands, that had pooled on the ground when he fell... she gripped it with her bending as easily as she would grab clear spring water. She breathed heavily, feeling sweat rapidly break out on her forehead as she moved it back into his body, willing his heart to pump it and stay inside him.

She heard Aang's shout telling her to stop, but she couldn't. Her vision started to darken around the edges, but she had to push on. She ignored the way her head started to throb and how she saw a speck of blood drop onto his face. It was likely coming from her nose in the strain to get all of the blood back into Zuko's body.

Soon - but not soon enough - she felt Zuko had just enough blood in his body to live, so she called forth more of the water from the bucket, coated her hand and quickly sealed the wound. As soon as his alabaster skin was sealed completely shut and the excess blood washed away, she smiled to herself and let the black completely take her over.

A strange pulse shook through his whole body and made him a little more alert.

Where was he?

Oh, right. The Fire Nation. There were rebels planning a coup on the northern side of the mainland and he led a group of soldiers and peers to take them out before they could march on the capital city and overthrow him. All of his friends were there to help him and they wiped out the would-be usurpers. Only, he had been too focused on trying to protect Katara from a sneak attack that he didn't see another rebel come up and cleave him in the side with a sword.

Too focused on trying to keep his blood and innards in, he killed the man with a fire blast to his chest. Soon the battle was over, and he was quickly losing consciousness. He barely had taken one step before he heard Katara yell his name and he collapsed on the ground.

After that, he was sure he was going to die.

Only he didn't.

A second pulse vibrated through him.

He recognized this pulsing, from years ago when he had almost died the first time. The memory of her touch quickly brought him back to consciousness and awareness of the water that surrounded him. He opened his eyes, vision hazy but zeroing in on the silhouette above him. Like before, she was bending the water around his body, the pulses coaxing the healing process, and she looked exhausted. The fireplace behind her was lit, casting her in a warm glow that overwhelmed the blue glow of her healing.

As soon as his vision cleared and their eyes met, she dropped her arms and lowered herself so she was kneeling outside of the basin in which he laid in. There was a comforting smile on her face, eyes glistening with the promise of tears, and he managed to smile back.

Just like back then, she silently helped him sit up and grabbed a towel from the chair behind her. After she wrapped it over his shoulders, she cupped the side of his face and the first of her tears fell. "Welcome back."

"It takes more than a sword to kill me," he replied hoarsely, fighting the grin that tugged at his lips.

"You are awfully persistent," Katara murmured with a fondness that made his chest feel full. Another tear dropped from her eyes in time with her falling smile. "I was so afraid... You were barely breathing when we got you back to the palace on Appa's back."

Zuko leaned forward and wrapped his arm around her shoulder in an awkward hug. It was the best he could do while still sitting in the basin of water and her sitting outside of it. "I'm sorry. I should have been more careful."

"I feel like you're constantly apologizing for things that are out of your control," she remarked as her hand smoothed his hair down his back. The absent gesture made his heart stutter. "You have no reason to apologize to me right now, not when I should be apologizing to you."

"Were you the one wielding the sword that struck me?" he found himself saying. Katara shook her head and another tear fell, this time dripping onto his towel. "Then you have nothing to apologize for."

Katara kept her eyes on his, more tears spilling out on their own accord, and she whispered, "I hurt you just as badly."

Zuko couldn't stop his face from hardening in acknowledgement. She was right, in a way. He had been cut deeper by her than that sword had gone. And as much as he tried to force away his pain and focus on leading his people, he was constantly reminded of her abandonment and later her betrayal. Soon, he began resenting her and subsequently himself for falling so hard for her without thinking of the repercussions.

She left him to be with Aang, despite seeing him put his heart on the line for her. Literally.

Though, he was not blameless in the matter. When she left that day after she wrapped his chest, Mai had walked in and, swept up in the joy and love of the day, Zuko couldn't help but embrace his former girlfriend. He originally had no intention of reconciling with her, especially since he had found himself loving Katara, but things progressed so quickly and by the time he had the chance to speak to the waterbender alone to get an idea of what she wanted, she was kissing Aang on the balcony of his Uncle's teashop.

It set in stone the paths they would be taking from then on. He made that clear when he made her the bracelet in their former prison.

He was not faultless, no. He absolutely had every chance to tell her how he was feeling, especially after the Agni Kai, but his fear of her rejection and Aang's anger stopped him from completely letting himself be happy with her.

"The fault doesn't lay solely with you," he started softly, fighting the anger at the lost years down so he could keep a level head. "I should have been more upfront about my affections towards you-"

"Zuko, you need to learn to let people apologize for wronging you," Katara cut in, causing Zuko to snap his jaw shut. She sighed and readjusted herself so his arm fell back into the water and so she could look him square in the eyes. "I don't care about the whole miscommunication between us right after the war. I know I should have been more upfront with you, and you should have not run back to Mai so quickly when we literally had been making out in the same room not even ten minutes beforehand. And I shouldn't have gone to Aang as a result -"

Her voice started to get shaky and she stopped to take a deep breath. Her fingers dipped into the water that still surrounded him and Zuko felt as if the touch was against his skin instead.

"When we were in Omashu, I felt this strong pull to you and it frightened me so much. Even though I truly agreed with you, I knew that had I vocally remained on your side then it would change everything. I was scared that if I didn't support Aang it could cause a conflict with the council and the other world leaders and break us up, and at the time I thought I was happy, even with the whole repopulation crap he was pulling."

"That's a shit excuse, you know?" he murmured lightly, causing her to snort and shake her head.

"It's what I told myself was right back then." She pulled her lip between her teeth and then that troubled expression crossed her face again. "When you looked at me during the meeting after I voted, I could literally feel your heart break. I knew I loved you then, and I knew you still loved me, too. I thought after you left that I would never see you again. I tried so hard to keep up this façade that everything was okay, with us and between me and Aang. I knew you were angry but I didn't want to face the fact that it was my fault."

"Was keeping Aang happy really worth all of this trouble?"

She shook her head again and her hand dipped into the water to grasp his. "He's a good man, truly. But he never made me completely happy. Making me choose between you two essentially was what caused a rift between us. All of us. Sometimes the line between Aang and Avatar Aang was blurred and it blended with how our relationship operated. And in turn ruined what you and I had as friends."

Zuko swallowed and he lifted his hand so he could push some loose hair away from her cheeks. "And now?"

That twinkle in Katara's eyes returned, complementing the glow the fire gave her, and she held up her wrist so he could see the old bracelet with the glowing crystal. Zuko couldn't stop the swelling of love in his heart, and before he could even act on this new information, Katara leaned forward and kissed him hard. She was quick to reassure him of her decision, coaxing his mouth open with a deep kiss as she leaned over the ledge of the basin. Without breaking the kiss, Zuko quickly grabbed her by her waist and pulled her into the water, completely ignoring the fact that she was still wearing clothes and he was only in a pair of undershorts.

Katara settled above him, her legs straddling his hips and her hands cupping his face. Their kiss dragged on, slow and languid to make up for the years they forced themselves apart. Katara melted above him, her sighs like music as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him closer. Zuko's hands traveled up and down her back, squeezing and rubbing her in an attempt to convey all of the love he had been feeling for her all these years.

All of his heartbreak was soon forgotten when she broke the kiss to whisper her love to him. Her kisses accented every sentence; on his nose, on his forehead, on his scar, on his jaw- I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you.

He shivered when she nuzzled her cheek against his, and her hand drifted down to the starburst that still lingered on his torso, and she whispered in his ear, "Thank you for loving me."

Zuko wrapped his arms around her entirely and kissed her earlobe in response, and they continued on. Katara quickly shed her shirt and upper wrappings, giving Zuko an ample view of her bare chest as it heaved with her sighs. The water was cold, but he couldn't tell by the way she warmed him from the inside, and his erection starting to throb and ache painfully with want. Her mewls as he kissed and caressed her chest harmonized with the sloshing of the water and the crackling of the fire behind them, and when he wrapped his lips around her pert nipple, her first clear cry sent a spark straight down his spine.

Their eyes met, blue against gold, housed in their opposite element; Zuko surrounded by water and Katara framed in flames. He kissed her breast once more before leaning up and capturing her lips in another fervent kiss. His hands moved on their own, shucking off her pants and underwear and throwing them outside of the basin where they landed with a wet plop. Katara's hands worked just as diligently, divesting him of the last barrier between their bodies before she spread her legs and sank down on him.

The fire behind her flared, reacting with how his breath shot out of him at the perfect sensation of being inside of her. Zuko trembled as she clutched his shoulders and started to grind herself down on him, using the water to help her move against him with ease. Zuko busied himself with playing with her breasts, alternating between suckling on her nipples or kissing the weighty undersides, and then moving to her neck where he lavished her with kisses and bites in time with her rolling grinds.

Her breathing picked up as a tightening grew in his stomach, and he knew what was coming. He cupped her neck in his hand and quickly shifted them so he could be on top. Katara laid on the water, floating right on the surface as he hovered over her and thrust back into her. He suspected she was using her bending to aid in preventing her from sinking and drowning, but that was a question he would ask later. Right now, he was too occupied with the glazed look in her eyes and the cries of pleasure every time he rocked into her. The water helped him maintain a smooth rhythm, and the fire dancing against the walls and in her eyes punctuated every thrust.

Soon, her walls were fluttering around him and her cries of his name filled his ears. As her body arched into him, the water seemed to quiver with her and lift up around them into little droplets. As she shook and panted, the water moved with her, and Zuko couldn't hold himself together anymore. The tightening in his sac and abdomen was too much to handle and he felt a bolt of pleasure shoot up his spine and down to his toes. The moment he cried out her name, the fire behind them burned white and the water crashed back down into the basin, splashing over the sides in the process.

As the fire calmed back down and the water no longer sloshed against the sides of the basin, Zuko slowly slid out of Katara and he pulled her into his arms. Katara was quick to wrap her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist as he stood and carried them to the chair next to the fire. When he sat, she grabbed the blanket that was draped on the back of the chair and wrapped it around their bodies. She laid against his chest, their bodies completely pressed against each other, and he resigned himself to believing that this was the most perfect position he could ever find himself in.

He kissed her wet temple and murmured against her skin, "I love you."

She copied him by pressing a kiss to his collarbone and sighed, "I love you, too. So much more than you know."

His hand slid down the damp skin of her back, caressing as he went, and smirked against her hair. After giving her a light swat, he cupped her ass and gave her a squeeze as he chuckled, "I think I have an idea now."

Katara sat up, pulling the blanket with her, and Zuko was given a clear view of her naked body in the flickering light of the fire. He felt his arousal flare again, despite the pout she sent him, and he tightened the grip he had on her ass. He gave her a wink and she relaxed, but soon a troubled look crossed her face and she shrank in on herself.

"What's wrong?"

Katara bit her lip as her fingers splayed on his chest, right above his scar, and she murmured, "What do we do now?"

Something tight and warm settled in his chest, right below where her fingers touched him, and he slid his hands up to her waist as he sat up straighter. "What do you want?"

Her eyes cast away from his and she looked into the fire. There was conflict in her gaze, but not of whether or not she wanted him, per se, more like what she wanted to do with this recent development.

Taking her chin in his hand, Zuko steered her gaze to his and he said, "Whatever you want, I will allow you to make your own decision. But I did want to tell you that I love you, and I want you to be with me. Whatever troubles we face, we will face together. That I promise."

"What of your people?" she whispered, fear swirling in her dark eyes. "Or mine?"

Zuko shrugged and he pressed a kiss to her soft lower lip. "They will learn to love the thought of us together, if they disapprove at first. What better way to usher the world into an era of balance and cohabitation than the love between a firebender and a waterbender?"

"Even if the firebender is the Fire Lord and the waterbender is the Avatar's former master and ex-girlfriend?"

He smiled and kissed her again. "Doesn't matter. I'll be with you as long as you'll have me. Who cares what anyone else thinks?"

When she smiled in return and kissed him back, Zuko's heart soared. The fire brightened just a bit before settling back into its usual glow, just as Zuko settled Katara into his arms and relaxed. For a while, it was quiet and he was content in letting himself fall asleep with her in his arms, but as he was about to completely fall unconscious his rest was interrupted when Katara gently shook his shoulder in order to get his attention.

"Zuko?"

"Hmm?"

"Can you tell me why you put juniper in all of the tea you make?"

He snorted out an amused laugh and tightened his hold on her. "Long ago, I remember my Uncle Iroh saying that it helped with calming the mind and the body. Turns out it may just be a psychological thing because all of the research I did on juniper said nothing on the matter. But it didn't make a difference to me. As soon as I started adding juniper, regardless of its lack of benefits, it seemed like everything just... worked. And I've never turned back. Call me superstitious."

Katara snuggled closer to him and her breath warmed his chest. "My mom used to drink juniper tea, so whenever you make it I always think of her."

The warmth reached his heart and he pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. "Then I'll be sure to add juniper to every pot until we die."

Katara tipped up her head so she could give him another sound kiss on the lips, causing them both to meld into each other, and soon they relaxed back into the peaceful silence and rest that had surrounded them before she had woken him up. After they slept - and had a few more rounds of making love - the Fire Lord and Master Waterbender dressed themselves and left the room hand in hand, ready to face the world together.

It was about time they were on the same page.

fin

A/N hey... did you guys notice that each section's theme goes with Zutara Week 2018? If you liked this, consider hopping over to my tumblr page and checking out my commissions offers or buying me a ko-fi!

Thanks for reading!