Note: So I realize I'm a little late on this fan pairing, BUT! I love it. This story was actually started last year. At the end of the school year, we had to take that big giant test that every state has a different name for and my project for when I finished was writing. Thus, this Zutara fanfic was conceived. This won't be too long, I promise! If you desire smut/lemons/ that kind of thing, you'll have to request it. It's rated M just in case because, as you read this, you'll see it's a little graphic.

Disclaimer: NO! I do not own the characters. My dreams are crushed every time I make one of those statements.

Katara sat on the beach, watching the waves crash down on the shore. Her dark skin glistened with tiny water sparkles as she breathed raggedly. Training was always made more difficult in the hot sun. She closed her eyes and sighed. It had been so long since any excitement had aroused. Everything was so… clam.

She frowned to herself. It wasn't like the world around her to be calm. Katara, loving and nurturing, found herself missing the adrenaline rush of the fight and the war wasn't even over! The young bender opened her cerulean blue eyes and looked up at the sun. "Why must you be so…" She couldn't think of the word that was on the tip of her tongue and grew annoyed.

"-Hot?" Another voice asked. Katara looked around and found that she wasn't alone anymore. "I was going to say over-bearing, but hot works too."

She sat up, feeling slightly embarrassed to be in only her undergarments at the moment. Zuko shook his head and chuckled softly, "I was asking if you were hot."

Katara gave a nod, "The sun light's pretty heavy today." Turning her gaze back to the mass of water before her, she asked, "So what bring you out here?"

He sat in the sand and dusted off his hands. "I had to get away from everyone. I need to clear my mind."

Katara growled at the sun that got in her eyes as she attempted to look at him once again. "Gr! I wish the sun would just extinguish itself!"

Zuko smirked, "So you want me to lose my bending again?"

She shrugged, "Then we wouldn't be in the middle of a war."

Zuko gave a pained expression and picked up a rock, throwing it into the waves. "And we wouldn't be sitting here, having this conversation."

She shielded her eyes and looked at him as if she had said something wrong, "I didn't mean to offend! I'm just saying that it's hot out and even the water isn't soothing! I actually think I'm beginning to burn."

He looked over her bare shoulders. Why would it even matter if she were burnt? The pain would do no more than hide behind her beautiful dark skin. And sunburn isn't as bad as a fire burn, right? She felt herself blush under Zuko's scrutinizing gaze. "Couldn't you just heal yourself?" He finally asked, looking away.

"I guess I could." Zuko stole a glance at her still punk cheeks. A large gust of wind blew and sent her brown locks reeling back so he could see her smooth neck. He cast his eyes away once more and they sat in an awkward silence.

"So what did you need to think about?" Katara asked.

Zuko looked at the waves and suddenly envied their freedom. They sloshed happily, back and forth, crashing down on the wet sand. "Nothing." He muttered.

"I'm always around if you ever need to… yaknow… talk or something." She wasn't sure why she'd said it, but now it was in the air. She guessed it was due to her motherly nature. Looking at him now, however, she didn't feel motherly at all… He placed his hand over hers and gave it a soft squeeze, "Thanks."

She smiled one of her usually polite smiles, "No problem." And with that she stood and brushed off the back of her legs. "I'm going to swim." She announced before running into the waves. She dived down once she was waist deep.

Zuko watched as her underclothing hugged her body tightly. Her curves seemed even more defined as he watched her rise from the water. He stared in wonder as she caused the water to rise well over her head and freeze, making an igloo shaped dome. She smiled and motioned him near.

He raised his good brow and stood up. Zuko pulled his shirt off and left it on the beach, leisurely strolling to join Katara in her ice dome. She waited for him to get under it before speaking. "It feels much better in here. I haven't felt this cool since we visited the North Pole."

Zuko remembered that very well. Her bending had been at its peak. She had seemed so in control. Half of his attention was on fighting her, the other half was on watching the way she controlled the water with such finesse. He leaned his back against the ice and sighed. He had to admit, it did feel nice. "It feels good to just catch your breath for a little while." He muttered. "To not have my crazy sister or someone else after us. I really never stopped to look at the world like this." He announced, looking at the island with amusement as the ice created a fun-house mirror effect. "It all looks so…"

"-Delicate?" She offered. His gaze was turned on her and he nodded, "Yeah." He looked back up, "It's amazing that water benders can control ice too."

She sunk down so that her shoulders and head were all that was visible above water. "I remember seeing your sister bend lightening for the first time. For just a second, I wished I was a fire bender."

He nodded and chuckled, "I'm a little jealous of her myself. The only lightening bending I can do is redirecting it."

Katara leaned her head to the side, "You're ahead of me. I don't even know that."

Zuko gave a shrug, "Fire benders don't even take credit. My uncle invented it by studying the water benders." He looked at her to see she was watching him in awe. "I could… teach you the technique if you want. Maybe it actually does something with the water."

Katara pushed herself up and ran her fingers over the ice at her back. It was beginning to melt, much to her dismay. She nodded and swam over to the fire bender. He nodded to her and half smiled. "Put your arms up like this." He said.

She mimicked his movements. Zuko's brows drew together. "Your form is too water bender. Think of yourself as a fire bender."

She looked clueless, so he slid behind her and positioned her arms. "Like this." He said softly. She nodded. "The point is to let the lightening flow through your body and then push it back out."

Katara could feel his breath against her wet shoulder. His heat radiated enough to strike her back, even if they weren't connected. He began to move her hands through the motion. "You want it to flow… like a river."

Feeling ready to try the motion on her own, she pulled back to free her hands but only succeeded in pressing her back flat against Zuko's bare chest. She exhaled sharply at the feeling of his body heating her every pore. He walked her through the motions again slowly, then slowly ran his palms up her arms and down her sides, resting them on her hips. Carefully he pushed her feet apart with one of his. "You have to make sure your stance wide enough for the electrical current."

Goosebumps seized her arms as she could feel his grip on her hips. She went through the motions on her own and cringed as the ice dome fell nearly silently back into the water. Warmth caressed her all over as the sun beat down on her once again. "Like this?" She asked quietly as she ran through them again.

Zuko watched from over her shoulder as droplets of water slowly slid out of her hair, down her shoulders, and into the valley between her breasts, under her wrappings. His breath caressed her cheek as he whispered to her, "Perfect." He felt the shiver that was sent through her body at his actions. She felt his hands slipping down to her thighs and back to her hips, warming her. "You're perfect, Katara." He whispered, gently placing his lips on her shoulder.

Katara was paralyzed. Her mind was silently at war. On one hand, Aang held a romantic interest in her and it would be wrong to simply dismiss it, so she should push Zuko away. On the other hand, he was sending tiny tendrils of warmth and tingles wherever he touched. He was older and seemed to be a little more experienced than Aang and was displaying his own interests. It would also be wrong to dismiss his without a second thought. She had no idea what to do!

She felt his lips on her shoulder again and shivered, only this time she arched her back on impulse, making her chest lean out and pressing her lower half against the fire bender behind her.

Zuko smirked just slightly. He suddenly began to wonder what other reactions he could solicit from this water goddess before him. He moved his hands agonizingly slowly, up her thighs and up to her deliciously curvy hips, crossing the flat of her stomach. His fingertips rimmed the waistband of her clothing. Katara raised her hand to his. His palms were hot against her wet skin and it felt nice. A small breeze wisped through the air and chilled the couple –more so Katara. She folded her arms across her breast. Zuko arms suddenly wrapped round her belly and pulled her against him harder. She could feel the heat in his skin increasing and he could feel her heartbeat against his chest. "Zuko," She whimpered as one of his hands dropped back to her bare thigh. He rubbed from the inner side to the outer.

"Hmm?" He hummed. The way she purred his name was enough to send his mind into a frenzy but the way she reacted to his touch left him ready to explode. His other hand reached up to pull her hair over her left shoulder. His free hand slid down from her shoulder and between her breasts easily.

Feeling the excitement running through her, she pushed Zuko away and dove into the water, shouting, "IHAVETOGOBYE!" The way she said it made it all sound like one weirdly long word, but she didn't care.

Neither did Zuko as he followed her closely. "Katara –wait!" He called to her.

She tripped onto the beach, scraping her knees on some seashells without noticing. She rushed to her clothes and grabbed them up as Zuko exited the water.

He stood in front of her and watched her still pink cheeks, listening to her heavy breathing. Gods she was beautiful…

"I really have to-" Katara tried to push by him but he grabbed her wrists and pulled her close. His amber orbs bore into her own with such intensity that Katara found it impossible to look away. Before she was able to say anything else, Zuko brushed a small kiss against her lips. He released her wrists and stepped back, "Thank you, Katara."

Her face reddened to a lovely scarlet and she nodded before running away. Zuko found himself unable to take his eyes off the sweet sway of her hips as she ran. He also found himself desperately craving her company and attention. For a moment the young bender questioned just how far she and the avatar had gone... He realized after a moment that he'd balled up his fists at the thought of Aang's hands groping Katara. Were they really that close?

Zuko smirked to himself and picked his shirt up off the ground. People aren't property and Katara was a person –her own person, at that… for now.

And while she was still her own person, Zuko had time to win her heart.

**Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review :D!