Disclaimer: Unsurprisingly, I own nothing.
Prologue:
He and I were very good friends. At least, that's what we chose to let the others think. I knew how upset Aang would've been three years ago had he understood the true extent of the relationship between Zuko and I. Contrary to popular belief; we weren't friends who enjoyed antagonizing each other. We were close friends who saw something in each other that no one else could see.
I knew what he meant to me. He understood what I would be to him. They say mankind used to exist with two heads, four arms and four legs. At least until the Gods had a need to punish man. When they punished man, they did so by splitting them in half. The punishment would then be for man to spend forever searching for the one who completes his heart.
That was what Zuko was to me. That was what I was to him. Aang couldn't understand that. He would choose not to. Maybe Sokka could've. Maybe that was who Sokka and Suki were to each other. I wouldn't know. Sokka and I rarely see each other now.
Zuko understood the dark bit of me that Aang didn't believe existed. The day I found my mother's murderer, I intended on killing him. I don't know what stopped me from murdering Yon Rha. I don't know why I didn't kill him. My only guess is that Zuko had something to do with it.
The same way Zuko understands that bit of me, I understand who he is. I know how he struggles each day not to have his father executed. I know how he longs to torture the man until he releases the information Zuko needs to find his mother.
Aang could never understand that.
I love Aang. I always have. I always will. He is my best friend. He is a necessary part of my family. The only issue? Aang doesn't understand me. There was a time when I wished he would. There was a time when I longed for Aang to understand me so that he could love me the way he thought he did.
He never could. Eventually I realized that. It wasn't until Zuko joined our party that I fully understood what I was missing with Aang. I did my best to make my lack of interest in Aang known. Finally, light dawned for my young, Avatar friend. He understood what I wasn't telling him.
Needless to say, I was unsurprised when two years after the fall of the Phoenix King, Aang and Toph announced their relationship. Needless to say, no one was surprised when Zuko announced his intention to marry me at the very same dinner.
It hasn't happened yet. I'm busy helping to reconstruct North Water Kingdom. I'm also busy trying to help the Southern Water Kingdom, my birth place, progress. My home village was hopelessly behind with technology, education and other movements that have happened in the last, well, many years. I found it my duty to help them progress the way Zuko was trying to rebuild the Fire Kingdom from the ground.
It will eventually happen though. Even my father acknowledges that there is an undeniable connection between Zuko and I. I don't know what it stems from, unless it comes from the myth of soul mates.
Aang is my best friend. Zuko is my soul mate.
Sokka is my guardian. Zuko is my protector.
Toph understands. Zuko just… knows.
Zuko always knows.
AN: So this is obviously the prologue to a new story. This is my first attempt at anything Avatar: The Last Airbender. This is going to be Zutara (Also very, very obvious), as that is my favorite pairing for this fandom. The other pairings are Toph/Aang (Yeah, I don't know how that's going to work out either) and Suki/Sokka. This story has no plot outline, so don't expect rapid updates. It is also very much a back burner project while I work on Seasons Saga: Winter. Anyway, I hope people like this.
