Day Two: Change

Katara breathed in anticipation. She and Zuko had just been dropped off for some "liquidy hot offense", basically to kick Azula's butt. She wasn't scared before. She had pictured this moment a thousand times, each time the fight getting more brutal. But, hey, she'd grown up in the past year. Hell, she was fifteen now. She'd learn to blood bend, to lie, betray, kill, she was a Master Water bender for La's sake.

So what if she wanted Azula to die a slow and painful death? There was only one thing that she hadn't imagined the first time around. That being Zuko. When she first met The Crazy Lady with Blue Fire months ago, she pictured the whole gaang and herself taking her down. Then as time went on, just Katara herself taking Azula down. But, no, here she was with the banished prince of the fire nation, ready to take down the princess of the fire nation.

If someone had told her this a year ago, she would've laughed in their face before freezing them to a tree. If someone had told her in the Crystal Catacombs, she would've blushed fiercely and imagined it until it happened. And now? Well, now, she couldn't imagine it any other way.

Zuko had become her best friend. Don't get her wrong, Aang was still her best friend too, but there was something different with Zuko. He could take care of her. She could go to him with anything and he'd be there for her. If she told Aang she had blood bent, he would probably go off and give her a little 'right and wrong' speech. Oh, how Katara hated those.

So when Zuko asked her, "Are you scared?"

And she replied, "Yeah."

She felt a little bit warmer inside. Like she said, there was something different with him. Katara wouldn't exactly say he'd changed. Well, he had, but then he hadn't. Zuko was still the hotheaded, stubborn, angsty, fire bender he was before. He'd just matured. But so had she. She wasn't the little innocent, cutesy, couldn't make a water whip girl she used to be. She'd grown up. Not changed, just had more added to her.

Katara snuck a look at Zuko, only to see he had been staring at her. She blushed and looked away at the ground. Curses, they were supposed to go take down a blood-thirsty demon and here she was flirting with her partner! Hold on a minute, pause, time out, flirting? She'd been flirting? With Zuko?

Katara twitched, what was she thinking? Of all the times and places for her to be thinking those thoughts now was not it! But once she thought them, she couldn't unthink them. Nor did she want to. She couldn't get his hazel eyes, his midnight locks out of her mind. She licked her lips unconsciously thinking of his hardened abs underneath his shirt. Yum.

Wait, no! Bad Katara! She shook her head and mentally slapped herself. What was she doing? She looked up at the sky, and as if a reminder, she saw Sozin's Comet in the distance, glowing. It really would've been beautiful if it hadn't been for all the destruction it brought with it.

She sighed heavily. Maybe the war had changed her. At least in some ways. She was a woman now. Older, more self aware. She took another peek at Zuko, admiring his hair before she mentally slapped herself. Nope, still a teenage girl.

The fire bender turned his head back around to look at her, and Katara froze. Oh Spirits, why was she not moving? Why was she mesmerized by him all of the sudden? Why couldn't she tear her eyes from his lips? Oh, wait, they were moving. He was saying something.

"Katara. Katara?"

"What? Oh, yes. Hmm?"

"I was just saying, uhm…" Zuko's good cheek darkened and he stumbled over his words. Katara caught on and blushed.

"Oh!" She squeaked, "What were you saying?"

"Uhm. If something bad happens to us today, I just–it'll never change what we have."

Katara flushed. "Of course it won't, Zuko, I'll still love you. Err–"

Zuko's good eye widened in surprise and Katara felt her whole face heat up. Oh Yue, why had she just said that? Now he was probably going to take it the wrong way, or the right way, or the…oh spirits. What was her problem?

She tried to correct her self, "I mean, uh."

The ex-prince looked crestfallen, "No, it's okay. I know what you mean."

Katara bit her lip, "No, you don't Zuko. I do love you, and we have to do whatever it takes to keep that love alive. So, don't go dien' on me." She added a nervous laugh on the end that sounded like she was choking. It was quiet. Too quiet.

Zuko opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it. Katara closed her eyes, berating herself. Stupid, stupid, stupid. You just have to go opening your big fat mouth; can't you just shut your trap hole?

She opened her eyes only to see Zuko a few inches away from her. He was on his hands and knees, his normal ear tinged pink and his fingers were tenderly caressing her jaw. Katara colored. "Z-zuko–" was all she could choke out before his mouth was on hers. Then she was on the ground and he was above her and at that moment, Sozin's Comet really did look beautiful.


A/N: aww, cheesie zutaraness, some fluff to make you feel all warm and mushy inside. : D