Katara was nervous. She'd talked long into the night yesterday with Toph and finally decided to talk to Zuko. She'd been in love with him since he nearly died five years ago, but it had taken her a while to realize it. Maybe she'd loved him before that, but it was then that she realized she wouldn't be able to live without him. Of course, at the time she'd thought she belonged with Aang, but as the years went on, they realized that their love was more of a familial one than a romantic interest.
So when Mei left Zuko for Sokka, as odd as that was in the extreme absurdity of the thought, she began to look at him. And realized what she felt. Because really, when it came down to it, it had taken Sokka spelling it out and Mei smacking her upside the head to realize she was head over heels for the hot-tempered fool.
The problem had been convincing herself to take the chance to confess while trying to keep her hopes down in case her feelings weren't returned... or were rejected. But no, what he said when she told him 'I love you'?
"Uh-huh... Hey, can you hand that to me?" he demanded of one of his assistants, pointing to a paper on the other side of the table. "Sorry, Katara, but I'm really busy... Can we talk later?"
"Oh... Yeah. Okay."
And when she asked him about it the next day, he couldn't recall what she'd said.
The jerk. Katara spun away, ready to just run out of the alley way and ignore him for the rest of his life, but he snagged her around the waist and bodily pulled her back, preventing her escape. She squirmed and slapped ineffectually at his arm, but he didn't let her go and held her in place silently until she stopped struggling, crying into her hands.
Satisfied that she wouldn't try to flee again, he set her down and turned her around. "Katara?"
"No," she replied, shoving him away, but he persisted and grabbed her shoulders. "Zuko, just stop... Just quit it."
"Katara," he insisted and waited for her to meet his eyes with a frustrated 'what?' "I'm sorry," he said earnestly, bending over slightly to meet her eyes squarely. "I didn't mean to ignore you or forget about it. You caught me at a bad moment, but I should have listened to you and I'm sorry."
Her eyes widened slightly and she waited for what she assume was the gentle rejection, but when it wasn't forthcoming, she swallowed and dared to hope. "So... You're not rejecting me?"
"I'm not saying no," he replied with a shrug and straightened. "I'm... Willing to give it a try. I can't promise anything, but... I can try."
She smiled slightly at that. "Well, that's all I ask, then."
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Epilogue
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"Mommy, are you mad at daddy?"
Katara glanced down at her youngest, smiling slightly when she spied Zuko and their oldest peering at them through the bushes. Then she nodded. "Yes, Muza, I'm very mad at him."
"How come?!" the five-year old demanded, glancing back where his father and older sister were hiding and giving them a thumbs up.
She laughed as they both scrambled out of view, grumbles of "Why'd I send the five year old instead of the eight year old?" and "Stupid Muza, we're hiding, idiot" reaching her ears. She laughed and hugged up her adorable son as the duo guiltily came into view.
"But don't worry, Muza. I learned long ago that daddy's an idiot, so I always forgive 'im."
"Yeah- hey! I'm not an idiot!"
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The End. XD
R&R! Don't just fave/alert!