"So… where do we go from here?"
Her eyes are a little too intense staring into mine. I don't want to answer her. I don't even want to look at her right now. I know what I have to say to her, but I don't want to hear my voice say the words I will hate to hear. We just stand there awkwardly in the dark, hours away from Sozen's comet, flushed and guilty.
This was a horrible mistake.
"I think we both know what we need to do now." I suddenly become very aware of my tongue. Her eyes are still beaming through me like headlights of a speeding car. They appear to be glowing in the light of the moon. Now that I'm thinking about it, this seems like the worst possible time to get a water bender upset. She suddenly turns her body away from me and crosses her arms. Strands of her hair fly lightly in the breeze.
She sighs raggedly.
"I know you think I need to stand by his side… you see it as some sort of political tactical move." She moves her hands as she speaks. A true sign of a person ruled by their emotions.
"We will become leaders of this new world, Katara, whether we wanted to or not. Once Aang defeats my father the world will look to him, and through extension, us to put the world back together. As leader's we need to make smart decisions that will benefit not us but the world." She doesn't move, just stares at the grass. "You need to stay with him. It's what everyone expects, it's the right thing to do."
"I love him… I really do." Katara sighs and looks back at me again. She steps closer. "I know it's what I should do, and maybe I could and be happy…. But I have such strong feelings about us…" She clenches her fist and brings it to her chest as she struggles to find the words to express herself. "I want to see where this could go."
"It just doesn't make sense to risk it."
Katara takes a step closer, and runs her hands up my torso before resting them on my chest. She looks so disappointed. I know she is truly too young to settle down with any one man right now, but I strongly feel it is her destiny to do so. That being said, I don't want her to ride off with Aang into the sunset. I want her to ride with me, she is everything I need. I crave her calm and gentle contrasts to my hot and raging personality. We have so much in common, and yet what separates us bonds us strongest. I want to be with a woman that knows what I've gone through and knows who I was and see's the man I've become.
Mai could be that woman. She has seen it all… maybe more-so than Katara. She actually knew my mother, saw what it was like for me as a child…. But maybe I don't need someone around that constantly reminds me of those feelings, but has experienced similar and wants to move on together. I will stay with Mai never the less. I feel like eventually our toxic attitudes will clash to the point of self-destructing, but like most royal couples we will fake it for as long as we have to. Till death do us part. I don't think there is a single notable family that is truly happy. It's all about politics.
"If this is really what you want, then why would you bring me out here?"
"You followed me."
"Well you woke me up when you walked by."
I love these little arguments we get into. She is a total fire cracker but in a completely innocent way. She would make the most adorable fire-bender.
"You didn't need to follow me."
"I was curious as to why you were walking around in the dead of night before potentially the biggest day of our lives."
"This has nothing to do with what followed." I huff as I start to get flustered at her wandering mind.
"You're right… I just had to be with you one last time." Her hand brushes some invisible dirt from my shoulder. I look down at it, then back at her.
"I'm glad you did." I take her hand in my own and bring it to my mouth. I plant a light kiss on her knuckle and lower it to my chest. "I will never regret getting intimate with you… something I'll probably think about in the grave." I laugh, but sadly I really do feel like I'll never feel that recklessly passionate again.
"You know, I could just refuse your request and selfishly follow my heart." She says coyly making circles with her finger on my robe.
"You won't do that… you are the most unselfish person I know." I lift her chin up with my hand. "I know you will do what's right." She leans forward and our lips connect. We kiss passionately under the full moon. I imagine Yue is probably shaking her head in disgust. The last time she saw us together we were fighting to the death and I was a bald angry jerk. I never want her to pull out of this kiss, I wrap my arms tightly around her pulling her in close.
She pulls away and I'm suddenly aware of how cold it is. Her eyes are sad as she turns away from me and walks into the shadows of the woods. I look up at the moon and then down at my feet. I will be a good Fire Lord.
Next morning, Toph joins the group around a cooking fire where they are eating a questionable breakfast before the big battle ahead.
"I had the craziest dream that Katara and Zuko were having sex."
Aang stares at her with horrified eyes. Katara and I don't react.
"You dream about sex?" Sokka asked with a skeptic tone. "You probably dream about me all the time." Toph pounds her fist on the ground and sends him flying thirty feet into the air.
A/N: I'm back!