Zuko did the unthinkable

Zuko did the unthinkable.

He didn't knock.

Katara's door was open, he could see her, she was on the bed healing her burn mark. It had only been an hour, and by the looks of it, she hadn't cooled down a bit. He entered, making his footsteps deliberately loud so he wouldn't creep up on her.

She didn't even say something about his not knocking. She just looked up and looked back down.

"How…how are you?"

"It'll take more than one healing session to make it go away completely, and it still may leave scars."

She was speaking to him civilly. That scared him. Her voice was cold, emotionless, controlled. She was beyond rage. This was cold hatred.

He sank on the bed beside her. "Katara, please…talk to me. I'm sorry. Really."

"I am talking to you."

"No. You're…you're telling the prisoner it's time for his execution. Listen to yourself! I liked it better when you yelled. At least then you cared enough to be mad."

"Yeah, well, this is too much. I don't care anymore."

Zuko wanted to hug her so much. To tell he had never been this sorry in his life.

"Please, Katara. Please. I'm begging you; at least revert to hating me. It's better than nothing."

"Nothing is all you're ever going to get."

Zuko left her room. He didn't go to his. He went to Suki's. She took one look at his expression and said, rather than asked, "Katara."

He dissolved crying.

Suki opened her arms and let him cry on her shoulder. Sokka walked in and looked confused. Her eyes widened, this wasn't what it looked like! Sokka nodded. He planted a sweet kiss on her lips and left her to comfort Zuko.

After Zuko had explained everything that had happened and how much he liked Katara, Suki guided his hand to her swollen belly.

"You know how this happened?"

Zuko made a face. "No offense, Suki, but I know how babies are made."

Suki laughed. "No, I mean why Sokka and I decided to have kids. He wanted them, I didn't. We had a huge blowout fight over it, and Sokka left. He came back late that night, completely stoned. I slept in the guest room. The next morning, he was gone again. I figured he was drinking again, so I just ignored his absence. He came back with the last thing I expected: a huge bouquet of red roses. He told me he was sorry, he was wrong to push me, and that he'd back off. That night, I told him I though his and my baby would have the best father on earth. He was confused until I told him I'd have a baby if he wanted one. And here she is."

"She?"

"I found that out at the doctor. I'm having a baby girl."

"And the point of that was..?"

"Even the dumbest argument can turn out well, if you like each other that much. And trust me, you do."

Zuko sighed. "I don't know how much she likes me now…"

"Do something to SHOW her you're sorry. Get her flowers. Bake her brownies. Something like that. Well, on second though, she'll think flowers are cheesy. Do something else."

Zuko sighed. He prayed baking brownies wouldn't nearly burn the house down.