I just can't leave my oneshots alone! Plus, I hated the ending last chapter and hope that this chapter will slightly make up for it. Pluuusss, I have major writer's block on my other stories.

And for those who think I'm a Kataanger, what with Zuko's nightmare at having Katara as his wife last chapter- ha! Not likely! You've obviously not read any of my other stuff. ^_^


Ch. 2

That nightmare back in Ba Sing Se haunted him. Like the others, they floated in and out of his mind. The dragons circling him, his own bald head with the arrows, but that kiss. Agni! He almost wished for the dragons to eat him over that kiss.

During the day, thoughts of those dreams would float into his brain. He had begun to grow the fantasy out. Tucking those little children in at the beach house, kissing their little foreheads, and then going to his room with her and battling in a way that he had not really ever thought of prior. He felt guilty fantasizing about it, but he was a teenage boy and that's just what they do. He wasn't dead after all. In that time he experienced his first kiss. That safe feeling he sought in the dreams were not there. Then, as life tends to do, the fantasies faded and so did the dreams. It had been well over a month since he had thought of her.

Being in that cave with her under the great city of Ba Sing Se haunted him. She was too close to him and it scared him. Visions of that stupid dream (nightmare) came back to him. All he could see was the older versions of themselves and those three little children. But it was her lips that distracted him. Made him stupid. Made him weak. He fought his entire teenage-hood to be seen as strong and here he was feeling like he was the mercy of a mere waterbending peasant's lips. He kept his back turned as she yelled at him, letting her wrath roll off his back like water off one of the turtleducks back home, trying to remain indifferent to this creature that had invaded his brain for longer than he wished. How or why she managed to start apologizing he wasn't quite sure of, something to do with their mothers, but somehow they managed a non-verbal truce. He faced her and it was the hardest thing he had done. She approached him with that little vial of magic water, or so she claimed, he felt his body stiffen. He prayed she wouldn't touch him. Then she did and he felt the smallest shock pass between them. It was odd to him. If she felt it too, she didn't show it. Half of him prayed she did so that he wouldn't think he was crazy. The other half prayed she didn't because he was crazy. Then the Avatar came and his uncle and the crazy half took over. He fought her. It wasn't just the words he spewed; he fought her so the thoughts would go away. If he filled his head with hatred, the love and safety he had felt would have nowhere to hide and he would be fine.

….

Being back in the Fire Nation haunted him. He had a girlfriend, Mai. She was beautiful and she certainly wasn't some peasant. The perfect girl for a prince. But whenever he felt Mai kissing him, stroking the back of his neck just the way he liked, it wasn't that same feeling. He knew he should like it more. As time went on, her feelings for him grew and, while he tried, other thoughts haunted him. Then on that stupid beach, where "your true self will be revealed", he broke down. His anger wasn't only about himself, it was about her, but he couldn't admit to something like that to these girls, especially not to his sister (it would give her more ammunition to harm the waterbender) and definitely not to Mai (he wasn't that stupid). After the brief breakup and reconciliation, he and Mai retired to their shared bed amid a flurry of empty kisses and even emptier intimacy. Sleep over took both when they were done.

He was in the courtyard at the palace. The tension was thick. Energy high. He felt a presence behind him and it soothed his nerves. Then he saw blue light scream across the yard and her voice, that waterbender, filled with terror and agony, cries out. "Zuko!" Azula's maniacal laugh surrounds him as she transforms yet again to the blue dragon this time enveloping him, burrowing its way into his chest, flesh ripping away, searing his very being. He can't breathe, but at least he knows that she is okay. He sacrificed himself as he should have before in Ba Sing Se. He watches her blue eyes fill with tears, for him, as she cries out again, for him, trying to reach him but is blocked by the crazed dragon thrashing about while laughing. Then he sees a protective fury in her eyes as she transforms into a giant red koi and attacks the dragon. Blackness starts to take over him as he watches her battle and finally defeat that evil, cackling dragon. The waterbender races to him and with her soothing touch, she heals him. He grips her hand and pulls her down. Lips so close to lips yet so far away, too far away, he can feel her heat, that warmth he has sought, that sensation of home that he so desired. Then he's awake and trying to catch his breath as he sits up straight. He feels the bed beside him shift and he looks down on the pale skin of his girlfriend, nude under the sheets of their bed on Ember Island.

"What's wrong with you?" Mai asks, looking over her shoulder at him with her golden eyes, a hint of irritation at the intrusive awakening.

Running a hand through his sweat dampened hair he tries to regain his composure. "Nothing," he leans down and kisses her bare shoulder, "Go back to sleep."

"You're so odd," she replies, snuggling back into the pillow. Zuko watches her and then shifts himself spooning against her. "I'm sorry," he whispers against her skin. He's suddenly not so sure who he's apologizing to.

For the first time in a long time, he cannot go back to sleep.

He's afraid to.

Being in their group haunted him. She was always around, always watching him no matter what he did; he almost couldn't leave her sight. If he knew that he hadn't betrayed her before and that the scar on the Avatar's back wasn't in some part his fault, he might have appreciated her attention and taken advantage of it. Guilt still plagued him, and the nightmares showed it. The dragons were back, the koi was back, the beach was back, and there were others that he could never quite explain. They were jumbled images of a home, a sun, a moon, a waterfall that transforms into flowing brown hair, rain showers that douses him in blue eyes, a never ending beach that he's too fearful of what would happen if he entered the water, what it would mean to take that step into its cool embrace.

It was two weeks away from the arrival of the comet. The little band of teens were at his family's island home. For some reason as the day approached the dreams came back. One night in particular, it was very detailed. They had tucked those little children into bed and arms around each other's waists went to their own room where they played little games only lovers can play. But the kisses were still just as haunting, just as emotional, just as passionate, perhaps even more so since he joined the Avatar's group. He woke with a start, and wiping his hands through his hair, decided he needed some fresh cool air. Padding his way down the hallway, all was quiet in the expansive house. Suddenly a feeling came over him and, as in that first dream, a siren's song called to him and he obeyed. In bare feet, he made his way down the steps walking across the sand, she was there. It was almost the full moon so he understood that she would not be asleep. In the moon's light, she bent the ocean's water. She was the epitome of her bending: beautiful and powerful.

Zuko plopped down in the sand and, arms resting on his knees, he watched entranced with her movements. Each one seemed new, different, or maybe because he wasn't on the receiving end of that water. Either way, he was always amazed at her power.

After some time, Katara noticed him and waved before making her way to where he sat on the sand.

"What are you doing up, Mr. I-Rise-With-The-Sun?" she teased, standing above him as she wrung the water from her hair before joining him in the sand.

"Couldn't sleep," he simply answered, not daring to meet her eyes.

Her forehead scrunched in worry, her open, honest eyes never left him. "What's wrong?" He denied anything, but she was the most convincing person, even more so than his sister. It must be a water tribe thing, to be so damn easy to confide in. He begins to tell her about the nightmares, the dreams, and when he begrudgingly confides about the ones with her, she has to hold her sides in pain from her laughter.

"Wait, that would mean I'd be the Fire Lady, right?" she began wiping away the tears, "That's hilarious! Could you seriously see me as Fire Lady?!"

Yeah, the idea was pretty preposterous.

"The Fire Sages' heads would probably explode at a waterbender being Fire Lady," Zuko observed, a slight smile gracing his lips at the absurdity of such a thing.

Katara's eyebrow went up as did the side of her lips in the snarkiest of smirks, "Besides I'm way too nice to be Fire Lady."

"My mother was nice," Zuko glowered, defending his beloved mother.

"Yeah, but she wasn't the Fire Lady. She was just a princess," Katara replied casually as she flicked her hair over her shoulder. He was impressed that she would remember that detail he had shared with her under Ba Sing Se.

"True. And besides you're way too stubborn."

"Well, when I know what I want, I get it," she admitted, nudging his shoulder with her own, inadvertently bringing herself closer to him.

"And you're definitely too outspoken."

"There's nothing wrong with voicing your opinion. But wait, it's because I'm a girl, right?" She turned her body, looking straight at him, practically challenging him, but it was the softness in her eyes that belied the severity of her question.

"No, no," he held up his hands in defeat, "Nothing wrong with a girl having an opinion. Besides, I don't think you'd know how not to keep your opinions to yourself," he teased.

He was promptly smacked in the arm for that, "Well excuse me for being so open. I guess we can't all bottle everything up."

"And you're bossy," he continued,

"Wait! Wouldn't that be a good thing? I mean, I would be the ruler of the nation," she observed.

Zuko laughed, "Yeah, I suppose it would be. And you're fiercely loyal." He tried to turn this conversation around on her.

"Yeah?" she held her head up proudly.

"And head strong. You don't take crap from anyone."

"Yeah?"

He nodded, "And honest."

"And…?" she prompted, leaning in slightly to him, unintentionally luring him in.

"And intelligent."

"And…?" she prompted again, leaning in just a bit more.

"And…" he leaned in until their lips are a breath away, "beautiful."

Eyes stare into eyes, uncertainty and confusion mixed with desire to go to the next step. Her tongue flicked out to her lips in anticipation before she made the decision to quickly place her lips gently against his before drawing away. In that ever so brief moment, Zuko felt it. What he had searched for. He leaned forward and kissed her again. Gently caressing her lips with his own before pulling away. He knew it had only been a moment in time, but it felt like eternity.

What he longed for. Safety. Home.

He knew from the look in her eyes, she felt the same spark. But confusion overruled desire to do it again. Instead they stared at each other as if trying to rationalize what just happened but neither could.

"I… I don't think… we should… do that… again," Katara murmured, biting her bottom lip, looking away shyly before staring back out at the waves, hugging her knees to her chest.

Although he could hardly speak he managed to agree with her, turning away also glowering at his stupidity, "You're right. I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she whispered after a moment, so quietly he almost didn't hear.

They sat on the sand in awkward silence staring at the white-capped waves hitting the shore. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught her fingers float to her lips and that wistful look he was certain he had as well before returning to hug her knees.

"Well, I'll think I'll be going to bed now," Katara announced as she rose from the ground. "I hope you have a good night's sleep." She gently touched his shoulder before leaving him alone on the beach.

Zuko just nodded. He doubted it. And he was right. What they did should not have felt that good. What they did was stupid, and childish, and… and… and completely …right.


One more chapter is upcoming, then this story is done, man. I swear!

I had a really hard time getting the two to kiss, so if it felt rushed, I apologize. Mneh. I fail at buildup.