Original Series: Avatar: The Last Air Bender.
Story Title: Returning Favours.
Summary: She will never admit that they need him more because she doubts that she could live without him, and she just knows that Mai couldn't. Katara-centric. Maiko and Zutara.
Character/s: Katara, Zuko and Mai.
Katara doesn't trust him, she watches with cautious eyes just waiting for him to turn on them but slowly that changes.
He helps her, so she helps him, he understands her, so she understands him, and he loves her, so she loves him.
It is when she trusts him, when she goes with him to face Azula that Katara learns just how their relationship works. He saves her, so she saves him.
They give and take, they simply return favours.
Zuko loves so Katara loves right along with him, but she isn't the one he loves most. It is after the war that she realises this because she sees them interact.
This is when Katara finally realises the kind of man that Zuko is.
Zuko saves her because he loves her, because he understands her, because he wants to help her, because he knows how their relationship works.
Zuko saves her because he loves her because it's in Zuko's nature to love and protect. So Katara wonders just how far Zuko would go to save Mai before she starts praying that no one would ever take that risk.
It is one thing to risk your life for someone; it's another to die for them.
Katara knows that the world needs him. She will never admit that they need him more because she doubts that she could live without him, and she just knows that Mai couldn't.
Author's Note: I should probably pay attention when I write because otherwise it just runs away from me. Yes. Katara/Zuko/Mai is now my favourite triangle.
Also, sorry about the title, couldn't think of a better one.