Chapter 2

Katara laid flat on her bed staring at the ceiling. Ever since she got back from dinner, she felt like she couldn't breathe yet, at the same time, she was walking on air. She agreed to go on a date with Zuko and what struck her as odd, was this was not going to be their first date together. More like... third. She closed her eyes trying to calm down but all she could see was him. She saw his scarred face she found so captivating, his golden eyes that stared into her soul, she saw his muscular figure and heard his oh so sexy voice. Then, without warning, the memories of the two of them from four years ago soared through her head. She remembered his laughter ringing with hers in the cave they explored. She remembered when she jumped off the waterfall, she came up and realized her top was gone. She had looked around her but then saw Zuko standing on a rock and holding her top.

Her stomach jumped when she remembered that night she had gone into his room. His hot breath on her neck just right and the shivers he sent down her spine. She had given everything to him that night. When he had fallen asleep, she grabbed her clothes and left. He woke up alone and she had made sure she was surrounded by her brother or Toph until they all separated again.

"Are you okay? You looked flustered when we came back to the rooms" Suki said walking in and snapping Katara back to reality.

"Yeah, Sugar Queen. What's up?" Toph asked with a smirk.

"Tomorrow...I have a date with Zuko"

Toph burst into laughs and Suki's wide brown eyes got even wider.

"Like...our Zuko? Fire Lord Zuko?" Suki asked.

"That's the one" Katara said smiling.

"I knew it! You two were flirting up a storm at dinner!" Suki exclaimed.

"We were not!"

"You're a liar just like he is!" Toph laughed.

"Okay...fine! Jeez! How old are we? Yes, I was...flirting. He's an attractive man who-"

"Who is also the best friend to your ex-boyfriend" Suki said calmly.

Beginning to feel exasperated for no reason, Katara gathered a blue robe and a towel while saying,

"For one thing, Aang is the Avatar. He's got more things to worry about than-"

"Who you sleep with?"

"Shut up Toph!"

As Katara slammed the thin door and walked out of the room to go to the bath house on the first floor, she could hear Toph's laughter through the hall.

"Why do you keep looking at me like that?" Katara asked Zuko as they ate noodles at a small restaurant the next afternoon.

"Just making sure you won't disappear on me" he replied adding a wink.

Sighing and smiling shyly, Katara could only say,

"Well, I'm a big girl now. So I can face my fears"

"You're afraid of me?"

"More like...I'm afraid of myself with you"

Zuko nodded and smiled at her even more, then he grew a semi-serious face.

"I have a question for you..."

"I might have an answer"

"If you don't mind...what happened with you and Aang?"

"Probably the same thing that happened with you and Mai"

"He was boring and didn't care about anything and was pissy you had to work all the time? Along with you having trouble getting a hard on?"

Katara nearly choked on her tea at the last statement and smiled out of nervousness.

"Not quite" she laughed.

"What happened?"

Shrugging and trying to smile, Katara answered,

"He's the Avatar. I realized...the people weren't...I mean they were respecting me...but...in all seriousness it was the nomadic life."

Zuko waited patiently for her to continue and saw Katara's cerulean blue eyes glaze over a little as she explained,

"Don't get me wrong, I loved the traveling. I enjoyed flying and meeting new people and being welcomed because I was with Aang but..that's all we ever did. Fly. After awhile I just...I realized he wasn't going to stop being a nomad and I couldn't ask him to. He's the Avatar and has a world to take care of. He couldn't give me something I needed. So...I had to sit him down and talk. Like adults. Which proved to be fairly difficult. He was seventeen and I was twenty."

"What couldn't he give you?"

Katara focused and Zuko felt that knot in his chest when they made eye contact.

"Stability" she answered.

Zuko nodded in understanding,

"So..you're happy with your stability in the South Pole?"

"I didn't say that." she giggled.

"You're never happy are you?" Zuko teased.

"It's going to sound immature, but, after running from you, training Aang, fighting your sister, winning the war...my family is driving me absolutely crazy!"

Zuko couldn't help but laugh at her comment, not to mention her exasperated face.

"Isn't the Water tribe all about family?" Zuko laughed.

"Don't get me wrong, I love my family. I do. I want a family one day. But after having all the freedom we did when we were younger...I need to find my own home"

Zuko instantly began imagining what the fire palace would like with Katara in it. Adding blues and purples and whites beautifully to the halls would add a new sense of calmness to the palace. He would even build her a small pool to swim in. Shaking his head and focusing on the woman in front of him, Zuko stood up, paid for their lunch and held out his hand. When she took it, he felt the sparks between them ignite once more. He was reminded of what her mocha colored skin felt like beneath him..and what it tasted like. He remembered her thighs around him and what her moans sound like, he smiled at himself knowing he hadn't forgotten how to please her.

"So..." Katara said breaking the silence with her cheery voice,

"Mai..."

Zuko let out a chuckle, excited to hear what Katara had to say. The two walked through the bustling streets, all the while ignoring the merchants from stores and the running of children.

"You really had...I don't remember you...so she was boring huh?" Katara said instantly changing the subject.

Zuko didn't miss that she was about to reference to how easily 'excited' he was their night together. Instead of calling her out on her shyness, he simply let out a light chuckle and sighed,

"She was. She was always sighing all the time and upset that I had meetings."

"Why? You're the Fire Lord and your nation has to recover from a war. Did she think it was going to be some sort of fairy tale?"

"I suppose. She was complaining I wasn't talking to her, so when I tried, she would sigh and sort of just walk away"

"Bitch..." Katara muttered making Zuko smile.

The two walked and laughed the rest of the day. Finally coming upon Iroh's tea shop in the evening, Zuko escorted her inside.

"There you guys are!" Sokka exclaimed.

Katara could feel her cheeks blushing and her grip on Zuko's arm only tightened. She smiled to herself when he squeezed her arm in response.

"We're going to see a play tonight. Want to go?" Suki asked smiling.

"Correction, they're going to go see a play. Twinkle Toes and I are going to go see a bending match" Toph said.

"What?!" Zuko and Katara exclaimed in unison.

"Since when are you into watching the matches?" Katara asked nodding her head towards Aang.

Aang's eyes quickly darted between Katara, Zuko and their touching arms before answering,

"I'm not. But Toph doesn't want to go to the play so she's making me go with her"

Katara furrowed her eyebrows and only nodded before smiling at Iroh who brought her a cup of steaming hot tea as she sat down. She tasted the intriguing flavors and smiled at Iroh.

"This is delicious Iroh. What is it?" Katara asked.

Smiling, Iroh answered,

"It's called Masala Chai. I thought you would enjoy it before going to the play"

Sneaking a wink to his nephew, Iroh quickly whispered to Zuko,

"It's also a wonderful aphrodisiac."

With wide eyes from surprise, Zuko watched his uncle walk away and turned to Katara taking her half empty tea. He set it down, smiled at the others and said,

"Let's get going, shall we?"

"But my tea-"

"I'll buy you something at the theater."

Grabbing her hand, Zuko ushered Katara away from the tea cup.

"Is it just me or are they acting like-"

"Oh stop it Sokka. Let them be while we're here" Suki said cutting him off and nuzzling into Sokka's side.

Sokka watched his younger sister laugh and lean into Zuko's side the whole way to the theater. His older brother instincts told him to separate them and lock Katara in her room she shared with Toph at the inn. However, his 'adult' instincts that he was trying to listen to, told him to let his sister enjoy herself. Shaking his head and focusing on Suki, Sokka could only think, Eh, Katara could do worse.