Disclaimer: I don't own either characters. It sucks.
A/n: Katara and Zuko have such good chemistry :) I didn't want to do a fic where there was too much love/hateness going on. I think I've written enough of that for my zoNa fics. Maybe I'll do love/hate in another Avatar fic :3
"Are you cold?"
I jumped at the voice. I had been so wrapped up in my thoughts I had hardly noticed the firebender's presence, and I still had an expression of surprise on my face as he sat himself next to me on the same mossy log, staring at me expectantly with his piercing amber eyes.
I shivered in response. In truth I was freezing. It had been why I hadn't been able to sleep. I had came her in an effort to warm myself up, although the blanket I had thrown around myself felt thin against the night air, and I could hardly feel my fingers anymore.
"Here," he said, taking my hands in his, his pale skin glowing slightly as he concentrated his heat into it. For a second, I was scared he was going to burn me. But no fire appeared, and the sudden warmth was paradise to my fingers.
It felt strange to be so close to him, Prince Zuko, son of the Firelord, who had only weeks ago, been chasing them to the ends of the earth and back. So strange that he was now one of them, accepted in the group as being a friend.
A friend?
I looked at my hands, both cupped by the fire nation boy's, feeling slightly hot as I realised what I was thinking. No. No way. Anything else than that would be wrong…wouldn't it?
"You okay?" He was looking at me, a frown on his face now as he watched my changing expressions.
For the second time that night, I jumped, flustered. "I'm fine!" It had come out angry in y hurry to answer.
Hurt flickered across his face and he began to withdraw his hands, looking away, as if he had done something shameful, beginning to stand up.
I panicked at losing the warmth. I didn't want him to leave. I liked his hands holding onto mine. I liked his closeness. His presence. His security. And most of all, his company. "Zuko, wait!" I stood up, grabbing his sleeve.
He stopped, and turned to look at me, surprised.
I stepped towards him, arms curling under his arms as I pressed myself to him, resting my head below his chin. Heat burst into me as I touched him, and I inhaled sharply, before relaxing in the comfort of it.
I could hear as my ear lay against his chest that his heart beat had sped up. It calmed me. At least he was feeling the same. "You're warm," I mumbled to him simply, as if it explained everything.
I wondered whether I was right to do this. We were both complete opposites. Water and fire. And we were still only supposed to be friends. Just friends.
There was a moment in which the firebender did nothing, before his arms shifted slowly to my back in acceptance, resting his head on the top of mine. "Here," he uttered in response as simply as I had uttered mine.
My heart leapt at the movement and for a second I felt completely weightless.
Right, wrong…those technicalities didn't matter right now anyway.
"Are you still cold?" he murmured, his breath like invisible flames on my head.
I closed my eyes, sinking into him with a smile. "Nope. Never again."
a/n: Aww...Zuko can be so sensitive sometimes :3
Read 'n' review people to keep this boiler boilin'!