Chapter Summary: They were together again. Together and happy and that's all any of them could really ask for.
Author Note: I finally have a beta for this fic which is super exciting and hopefully means I can get chapters out to you guys quicker! Her name is Jordyn and I love her very much for doing this ok.
Also if you guys are curious I totally found the song that captures this fic perfectly. It is Waves by Dean Lewis! I definitely suggest giving it a listen while you read this chapter if that's your thing!
Despite the bundle of nerves that seemed to lodge itself in her stomach, Katara managed to sleep an hour past the sunrise before the anxiety of Aang's arrival forced her out of bed. The energy she had surprised even herself, but she figured it came with the territory of seeing an ex-boyfriend after half a year.
Katara had only written to Aang once since she left and only to let him know that she had arrived safely back home. He hadn't written her back, and she hadn't expected him to.
Of course, she knew they would see each other again. Katara wanted to see Aang, they were still friends after all, but so much had changed for both of them the last six months and it was not knowing what those things were for Aang that was a little unsettling. She also just really dreaded how everyone would act around them. Would they act normal? As if nothing had changed? Or would they find themselves unsure of what to say or how to act?
Katara was the last one to arrive. The wide, open space between the docks and the city was the perfect place for Appa to land with Aang and Toph in tow.
Suki and Sokka chattered beside her; both filled with an excited energy that Katara smiled at. They all loved Aang and Toph dearly and this time of year was always filled with the warmth of family and unbreakable bonds as they all found themselves together.
"Good morning," Zuko whispered beside her as she stood between him and Suki.
She smiled up at him, which settled her nerves slightly. "Good morning," she said.
They only had to wait a few more minutes before Appa appeared in the sky. She must've taken in a sharp breath at the sight because Suki's hand slipped into hers and squeezed gently. Zuko seemed to have noticed as well because he looked down at her with a small smile, "You two left on good terms, remember that. I'm sure he'll be excited to see you," he said, voice pitched low and soft.
Affection flooded through Katara for her two friends, two people who seemed to inherently understand her and never once made her feel as though her emotions were an overreaction.
Appa groaned loudly as he landed in the clearing before everyone and all of them couldn't help but chuckle. They knew the sky bison loved being in the sky with Aang and that his groans were usually more for show than anything else. Katara, however, felt like she was going to throw up her stomach as she noticed Aang's head turn back to the saddle where no doubt Toph was currently. Zuko reached up and squeezed her shoulder in tandem with Suki squeezing her hand one more time.
"It doesn't make a difference Twinkle Toes! I can't see either way, at least on Appa I don't have to wear boots," they heard Toph shout at Aang.
They waited for Aang to reply, but only saw his arms sweep out in front of him and it was with amused grins that they watched him airbend Toph gently to the ground in front of them. "Toph, your feet would still freeze even if you stayed on Appa," Aang replied with a grin that nearly split his face in two.
"You're lucky I can't bend in this ice town, though maybe I can get Sugar Queen to bend you right into the ocean for being annoying," Toph huffed as she turned away from Aang.
They watched as Aang laughed, shook his head and threw an arm around Toph's shoulders. It was when they were about halfway to them that Katara saw Toph punch Aang in the side. He let out a small pained noise but still grinned as he rubbed where she hit him.
Whatever anxiety the others had at seeing Aang seemed to have disappeared entirely at the familiar banter that Aang and Toph were notorious for. Toph did a blanket hello for all of them before she yawned as Aang stepped up to Sokka and pulled the other boy into a hug. They said a few words to each other that Katara couldn't hear before he moved on to give Suki a hug as well.
Then the moment Katara had been dreading happened and Aang stood before her. She couldn't help but notice how he seemed to carry himself a little lighter, which she thought was impossible for an airbender. His gray eyes seemed to search her the same way she nervously searched him, taking in all that they had missed over the last six months.
The others had fallen into a slightly tense silence as they watched the exchange and if Katara hadn't been so knotted up with anxiety she would have snapped at all of them.
After what felt like ages, Aang made the first move. There was only a slight hesitation as he stepped forward and wrapped Katara into a warm hug. And just like that, the anxiety released its hold on her, and she laughed as she returned the hug happily. Tears pricked at her eyes as Aang pulled away and they spilled over onto her cheeks when she saw his own eyes shined with them. As he set her back down firmly on her feet, he pulled away but left his hands on her upper arms. "It's really good to see you Katara," he said.
"You too, Aang," she said with a watery smile.
Aang's expression softened as he reached up and wiped away the tears on her cheeks. "We're okay, Katara, we're okay," he murmured as her smile widened.
Before Katara could reply in kind, Sokka cleared his throat loudly. She threw her brother a glare and by the looks of it so did everyone else as he flinched. That didn't deter him though as he threw his hands up. "As much as I'm touched by this little reunion, I'm starving, and the festival does start pretty soon you know," he said.
Katara rolled her eyes as Aang released her, but she smiled as Aang and Zuko hugged each other tightly. It was a sight that still made her head spin. Even though Zuko was only their enemy for a few months and been their friend for so much longer it was still quite the sight to see them hug each other affectionately. "How are you holding up in this weather Zuko?" Aang teased.
Zuko looked a little sheepish as he shrugged, "It's actually not as bad as last time," he admitted. "I need to make sure I only visit during the summers."
Sokka and Katara laughed loudly at that, which seemed to snap everyone back to the present. "Alright, Twinkle Toes I said hi, now take me to some actual dirt like you promised," Toph said after their laughter died down.
Katara's smile turned into a smirk when she noticed a small blush on Zuko's cheeks. "Can't handle the cold Fire Lord?" she teased.
His blush deepened, but he raised an eyebrow at her. "It isn't the cold. I don't know how you can go months with only seeing the sun for a couple of hours a day during winter," he said.
She shrugged as the others began to walk back towards the city, "It's normal for me. But I guess the cold wouldn't bother you much when you can just, you know, become your own personal heater," she said.
Zuko smiled as he shook his head. "That is a perk of being a firebender," he replied.
The two of them had taken up the rear of their group and watched the others with affection. Sokka and Suki walked just ahead of them holding hands and were undoubtedly chatting about the festival based on the excited look on Sokka's face. Aang and Toph were at the front and Toph had managed to climb onto Aang's back so she didn't have to walk on the snow and ice. Aang didn't seem phased by Toph's antics as he chatted happily to her and Katara wondered just how much time the two have spent together since she left. She had expected there to be jealousy at the thought, but instead, Katara found herself feeling happiness for her two friends. Regardless of how often they've seen each other, Katara was just happy Aang hadn't apparently isolated himself to just the acolytes.
As she glanced at Zuko out of the corner of her eye, he also had a small smile on his face as he watched the others and Katara was sure his thoughts were in the same vein as her own.
They were together again. Together and happy and that's all any of them could really ask for.
The city was crowded as they wound their way through the streets, a multitude of colors swirled around them, and Katara could only smile. Most of the visitors for the festival wore parkas, not used to the constant cold that clung to her homeland, but those who lived in the Northern Water Tribe and some of the northern parts of the Earth Kingdom decided to shed them. Katara and Sokka themselves wore their summer clothes, which consisted of only a lighter jacket over the clothes their friends had seen them wear for most of their travels.
Their group gained a lot of attention as they moved and after a while, Katara wasn't sure who people bowed to as they walked past, she got the feeling all of them were being bowed to, not just Aang and Zuko.
Five years into peace wasn't that long when Katara thought about it. And frankly, she couldn't really say the world had reached the harmony it once had before the war. Even though people from all nations walked around them, there were a lot of important people from the Earth Kingdom who refused to entertain these festivals of peace. Katara knew some of the old ministers who served under Zuko's father and grandfather also refused to participate.
Later when Katara commented on her thoughts at breakfast, Aang said that it helped for those who did come to the festivals to see all of them as a united group. Each of them represented the four nations, one used to be an enemy turned treasured friend, and non-benders had been as vital to ending the war as he had been. And the stories they told of the six of them when they went back home affected the next generation's view on the world.
There wasn't much to be done about those who were older than themselves, who lived most of their lives in the trenches of the war and the devastation it left behind, but what they could do was make sure everyone after them would only see unity.
"You two ready to give your speeches?" Suki asked after their plates had been cleared and they sat around the table, letting their food settle.
Zuko and Aang looked at each other and shrugged in unison. "It's pretty much the same speech every year; I think by now we both can say it in our sleep," Aang said with amusement.
Zuko snorted and rolled his eyes, "I think I have you beat on how many speeches I could say in my sleep. My advisers are relentless until I have them all memorized perfectly."
"Oh no, the horror, a world leader memorizing speeches!" Toph said with an overdramatic gasp at the end. Aang shoved her harder than anyone, including Toph, had expected because she fell off her chair with booming laughter.
As Toph popped back up with a devilish grin on her face, Katara knew what was about to come. All the metal in the dining hall clattered off the walls and headed right for Aang who dodged each shot with ease. Sokka's boomerang flew off his back and Suki's fans soon joined it. "Hey!" Sokka cried as he leaped across the table in an attempt to snatch it away.
All of them were lost in laughter as Hakoda entered the room. He watched on with amusement before he cleared his throat. "As much as I enjoy watching you all act like the young people you are, it is time to head down to the festival," he said.
Katara and the others knew that her father did not say that with disapproval. She knew many of their parents and adults in their lives wished they hadn't had to be the ones to end the war, that they could have allowed them all to have normal, happy childhoods. So it was rare whenever they were together, acting the way they were, that they were berated for it. No one reminded Aang he was the Avatar or mentioned to Zuko that as Fire Lord he should act better.
Secretly, Katara was always thankful for that, even if she wanted to be seen on equal footing when it came to her capabilities of using her influence to change the world.
It was also a relief to see that none of her friends seemed to sport apologetic expressions at their antics. Perhaps growing up meant that one could act childish in the safety of their friends and family, but knew when to act serious. Maybe they never really grew up at all, maybe they just got better at faking being serious, boring adults the older they got.
Zuko was the first to speak as he rose from his seat, "Thank you Chief Hakoda."
Her father's eyes glinted with laughter as he bowed to Zuko and then to Aang before he left the room. He would make his own speech today and Katara was sure her father wanted to make sure he had crafted the perfect one before he had to take the stage.
"I have no idea where everything is supposed to go, so I'll just leave everything on the floor. I'm sure you'll clean it up later Sugar Queen," Toph said with a shrug as she made her way out of the room.
Katara rolled her eyes and fell into step beside Aang as they left the room as well. "She does remember that I don't have to clean up every mess she makes now right?" she asked.
Aang laughed and shook his head. "It's Toph, so who really knows."
A crowd had gathered around the stage Katara and other benders had crafted for the festival, lights were strung above their heads, stretching from one building to the other. It would be a beautiful sight to behold when the sun crept below the horizon and the firebenders lit them.
Her father, Aang, and Zuko walked up onto the stage and stood with the Earth King, King Bumi, and Chief Arnook. In the back of her mind, Katara wondered if anyone else looked at the now familiar sight and still felt a wave of awe. These were the world leaders; these were the men that carried them into an era of peace.
(Another, more bitter thought crept into Katara's mind at how there lacked female leaders on that stage.)
Aang was the first to step forward, like every other year, and for those who had been to each festival knew what words would be said next. But as Katara looked around she saw younger children and those who perhaps weren't apart of the upper class looking up at him with wonder and anticipation.
"Welcome to the Peace Festival," he said loudly with the help of his airbending. "I am always humbled by the turn out each of these festivals receive every year. They are a testament to our world's journey back to harmony and peace…"
Katara listened as Aang and the other's spoke. Her father and then Chief Arnook followed the young monk since it was her nation that held the festival this year. The Earth King and King Bumi were next which left Zuko to wrap the speeches up.
He stepped forward and Katara swore he was almost entirely different than the man who sat beside her in the palace oasis last night. Then again, Katara was a friend, a person he did not need to his Fire Lord mask on around. It made her proud, in a way, to see Zuko slip so flawlessly into a role that he once knew he'd have, only to have it stripped away and given to him back to him at the end of it all. He was destined for this, Katara could feel it, and as she looked around it seemed others could feel it as well.
Zuko may have been the first born, but he was a strong, compassionate leader all on his own.
"All wounds heal, whether through time or through the aid of skilled benders who selflessly assist others," He began. "But not all wounds fade, and some leave scars behind."
Katara heard people shuffle around her and murmur to themselves. Despite the fact that she knew Zuko had embraced his scar, had never asked her to see if she could heal it with spirit water after the war, the need to protect him clawed up her throat. Toph's blindness and his scar would always be subjects she happily reminded someone of their small minded nature by promptly freezing them to a wall.
"As we stand before you on this stage, talking about peace and the future, it is also necessary to remember there will be scars of the war that will live on far beyond us," Zuko said, and Katara saw his eyes flicker to Aang briefly before back to the crowd. "But as I had to learn, some scars, despite the horrors that created them, can be used as a source of strength. They can be used to remind ourselves of what happened and that we should always take steps towards never allowing them to happen again. These Peace Festivals are what heal our wounds and remind us of our scars. They bind us together as one nation and we remember that the war was not enough to break us. As you enjoy the festival over the next few days, remember that and carry it home with you so that we never find ourselves living in war again."
Toph whistled lowly beside her and Katara jumped slightly at the sound. "Sparky sure has a way with words," she said.
Katara nodded in agreement, "Yeah, he does."
Everything was totally silent for a few more moments as Zuko made his way back to his seat. Sokka made his way onto the stage and nodded to Zuko before his characteristic grin graced his face. Whatever spell others had been under after Zuko's words seemed to snap out of it as they drank in Sokka's excitement and enthusiasm. "Alright! With all those stuffy words out of the way, the festival has officially begun. Have fun everyone!" he said as he swept his arms towards the booths that littered the town square and beyond.
Katara, Toph and Suki waited by the stage as everyone else had begun to move towards the vendors and games that had been set up for them to enjoy. A few others loitered around as well, all eager and hopeful to catch a hello from Aang and the other world leaders.
It was strange for her to remember that seeing these men was not a regular occurrence for them. Aang and Zuko seemed to have the patience that equaled the older leaders as they answered questions, held babies and were just generally available for them to see and be reminded that they were indeed real. Toph started to grow antsy beside her and Katara and Suki shared a look over her head. Before they had to intervene her impatience, Aang managed to break away first. One look at Toph's face made him grin far too wide for his own good.
"You look like you just lost a fight to a spider-monkey Toph," he teased.
For such a short girl, Toph made it seem easy when she managed to wrap her arm around his neck and yank him down so she could rub the top of his head until it was red. Aang just laughed between his winces of pain before he finally pushed Toph off of him. "The speeches couldn't have been that bad," he said as he straightened.
"They were boring! It's the same thing every year Twinkle Toes. At least Sparky changed it up. You need to come up with some new material, seriously," she said with an eye roll.
Aang looked sheepish at her words and Katara and Suki's snickering behind their hands. "Yeah, well it's too late now," he said as Zuko finally managed to make his way over to them with Sokka on his heels. "Let's just enjoy the festival."
"I couldn't agree more," Suki said as she looped her arm through Sokka's. "Sokka worked very hard," she began, but Katara cleared her throat with a raised eyebrow, "and so did Katara," she amended with laughter in her eyes. "We should enjoy ourselves."
There were smiles and nods all around, and Katara happily followed the rest of them towards where more of the games were set up. Sokka stopped them before a booth and puffed out his chest. Katara just rolled her eyes since she knew what was about to happen. "Alright Toph," he said. "Let's see if you can beat this game. I spent a whole week making sure you couldn't use your earthbending sight and cheat."
Zuko groaned beside her and Katara laughed at both him and Sokka. "Did he really spend a week on this stupid game?" he asked her.
After another bout of laughter brought on by Toph's quick defeat of Sokka's game, Katara nodded. "More like two."
The way Zuko slapped his forehead and dragged his hand down his face in exasperation reminded Katara of when they traveled through the Cave of Two Lovers and Sokka got stuck with the free-loving nomads. They really were suited to be best friends. "I don't know why he even bothered, I'm sure he had other things to do for this thing," he finally said.
"Oh I'm sure he did," Aang said as he tried to control his own laughter. "But we all know how he can get."
With one final shake of his head, Zuko just watched as Toph laughed and teased Sokka mercilessly and Suki tried her best to comfort him through her own laughter. When it was clear that Sokka was about to jump behind the booth and tinker with the game until he was satisfied Aang grabbed her hand along with Zuko's and dragged them towards some of the other games. "I have a feeling they'll be a while, and I want to play some games too," was the only explanation they got from Aang.
Zuko shrugged as Katara smiled to herself. "I know just the game for you Aang," she said and began to lead them down another street.
An hour seemed to fly by for the three of them. Aang wanted to try each game and usually dragged Zuko into trying it with him, despite Zuko's initial reluctance. Katara found herself jumping in on many of them as well, but she found she also enjoyed watching the two boys compete against each other to win. There was a lot of laughter, and she could see as time ticked by they both carried themselves a little lighter.
Toph seemed to have had enough fun tormenting her brother and based on the smirk on her face Katara gathered she beat the game after every single one of Sokka's tweaks. "You know I'm going to have to listen to him whine about that game for months," she said as she crossed her arms.
True to her nature, Toph shrugged and didn't feel an ounce of regret as she grabbed Aang by his robe. "You'll both survive Sugar Queen," she said. "Now c'mon Aang I want to try that cliff jump thing that Suki was talking about."
As the pair walked away from her and Zuko, she heard Aang say, "Cliff jump?" in a high pitch as he craned his neck over the crowd to see what on earth she was talking about.
"Cliff jump?" Zuko repeated as he looked at Katara with a wary expression. "That doesn't sound exactly...safe?"
"It actually is pretty safe, considering," she replied with a shrug. "Sokka came up with this harness for everyone to wear that's attached to this rope that's very flexible so that when someone reaches the end of it during their fall they kind of bounce up and down safely until they're stable enough to lower to the ground completely. It's kind of his nod to the airbenders. Plus he made sure there was plenty of snow below so that if anything did happen, no one would be hurt."
Zuko nodded as they wandered through the streets, though Katara could see his eyes search the horizon for the cliff jumpers. "It sounds pretty ingenious actually," he said, "And I'm not at all surprised Toph wants to do it."
Katara laughed and dodged a couple of children who streaked past them. "That girl it totally fearless. I wish I throw rationalization to the wind like that," she admitted.
"Well, I wouldn't count you out of the fearless category, you did beat my sister after all," he said as they stopped at a booth to grab a few snacks for themselves.
She snorted as she popped some fire flakes into her mouth. "I was terrified the whole time. Though admittedly most of that fear was about making sure you didn't die on me," she said nonchalantly.
As Zuko rubbed the back of his neck and she saw the small flinch her words provoked, Katara wondered how much that day had ingrained itself into his thoughts and life. Though, she couldn't really talk, whenever she saw Aang's scar on his back after the war had ended she always thought of Zuko and the same scar that was mirrored on his stomach. They would never fully escape the war, not really, not when so many of them had physical reminders. Still, she found it easier to think about it all as the years moved by.
"Yeah, well," he started and cleared his throat gently before continuing, "I guess I should've uh, said how you don't really let fear, uh...stop you."
Katara let her hand reach out and rest on Zuko's arm at his words. "If that's what it means to be fearless I guess you are too," she said before she reached down and stole some seal jerky from him. "Enough about the war. Tell me what's been going on with you since last year. I'm sure you have lots of stories to tell," she said.
Zuko appeared grateful for the shift in the conversation as he stole some fire flakes from her in retaliation. "Nothing very exciting I assure you," he said. "Most of the last year was spent rebuilding some of the smaller villages that were neglected in the war. So I traveled a lot, much to the annoyance of my guards I'm sure."
Speaking of his guards, Katara noticed that none of them had followed Zuko around the festival. The fact that Zuko felt safe enough in a city that was not his own around citizens that were not all his own said volumes about the state of the Fire Nation to Katara. "Are there still assassination attempts?" she asked with wide eyes.
"There will always be assassination attempts, it comes with the territory," he replied with another shrug. That bothered Katara more than anything because it shouldn't be such a normal occurrence in his life. "Plus, I'm not too popular right now anyway," he added.
"Why?"
It never seemed like Zuko was popular with his people, and honestly, Katara would have thought by now most of the citizens would have been deprogrammed from Ozai's propaganda and rhetoric.
"The colonists in the Earth Kingdom are set to be completely removed by the end of summer. And of course, the last ones to be forced to come to the Fire Nation are the colonies that were established when my grandfather was my age. None of those people have ever actually stepped foot on Fire Nation soil before, so they're pretty angry about it," he said.
And even though Zuko talked about it as though it didn't bother him, she could see right through that facade. It seemed to bother him a great deal if the tension in his shoulders and the firm line of his mouth were any indications.
"Do you have any programs set in place to help them transition?" she finally asked. "I'm sure a lot of their concerns stem around finding jobs and housing when they arrive right?"
Zuko's gaze was sharp when he looked over at her and for a brief moment, Katara was about to kindly remind him that she was more than just Aang's waterbending master and Sokka's sister. "Are you sure you don't want to come be my Southern Water Tribe ambassador because seriously why didn't I think of that yet?"
The last bit of his sentence was directed more to himself than her, but Katara snorted at his words anyway. "I don't want to kick out the ambassador that's already there. Maybe if Aang hadn't asked me to run off with him five years ago, I would've actually taken you up on that offer. But," she said, "I am happy to help whenever you do need it Zuko. Ambassador or not, I'm still your friend."
By this point, Katara knew neither of them paid much attention to the booths around them. She couldn't really say what the ones behind them had contained, but she found she didn't mind all that much. After all, the festival would go on for a couple more days which was plenty of time for her to see their hard work in action.
"Now I just have to figure out how to evaluate their skills and actually find enough jobs for them all. I can already see the mountain of paperwork that'll pile up on my desk," he said half-sarcastically and half-seriously.
Katara shrugged at his words, "I'm sure you'll figure out something. I mean I doubt all of them will stay in the capital so whatever towns and villages they wind up in will need things built to accommodate them. You could always start there."
Zuko laughed and shook his head, which confused Katara until he spoke, "We don't give you enough credit, Katara and for that I'm sorry."
She blinked at him, thrown off by his genuine words. "You're just sucking up to me because you want the rest of my fire flakes don't you," she said with narrow eyes in an attempt to move their conversation back to something more lighthearted.
Zuko didn't miss a beat as he grinned and said, "Perhaps. What will you do if I say that I am?"
"Either water whip you upside the back of your head or give them to you. I'm not sure which. Are you in a gambling mood today Fire Lord?" she said with a smirk.
His eyes searched her face and then jumped down to the fire flakes in her hand. "I think that I am," he said as he looked her straight in the eyes and his own smirk tugged at his lips.
"Alright, I'll ask you again then. You're just sucking up to me to get these fire flakes aren't you?"
There was a beat of silence as they stared at each other before, "I meant every word."
Katara was thrown off by his words, and her expression must've shown her surprise because before she knew it, Zuko plucked the fire flakes from her hand and happily started to much on them as he walked away. It took a few seconds of her heart stuttering before she realized what he did. "Hey!" she called after him.
The lights that were strewn above them had begun to be lit, and Katara grabbed Zuko's arm and began to drag him the other direction. "C'mon, the fireworks start soon and I just so happen to know the best spot to watch them," she said.
"Is that so?" he said and let Katara drag him along without protest.
"You forget I also worked on this festival. And I just so happened to have been in charge of the firework display, so yes," she said over her shoulder as they broke free from the hustle and bustle of the town square and market. The city thinned out as they walked through a more residential area until they reach a hill that overlooked the docks perfectly. "Here we are. A front row seat," she said and bent them a bench to sit on from the snow.
"After you Fire Lord," she teased with an obnoxious bow.
Zuko just rolled his eyes but sat down nonetheless. As Katara sat next to him, she could tell he was still bothered by what was going on with the colonist, but for the most part, he was as relaxed as a world leader could be on their day off. And that was enough for her.
They sat in a comfortable silence for a while, just enjoying the sunset over the docks and the way the city lit up with the lights that were hung up pretty much everywhere. "Whose idea was that?" he murmured after the sun had dipped completely below the horizon.
"Mine. I thought it'd look beautiful and I was so right," she replied just as soft as she looked on proudly at her home.
Zuko looked at as she spoke and it was an expression she had never seen on his face before. She couldn't place the emotions that flickered across his face and stirred in his eyes and just as she was about to say something she heard footsteps behind them.
"I knew Katara would beat us here," Sokka groaned.
Suki's laughter drew both Zuko and Katara's gazes towards the couple. "C'mon let's go find somewhere else. There's plenty of room up here for all of us."
They could hear Sokka's huff from where they sat, but he happily followed Suki to their bubble of privacy. Some things were just meant to be constants.
"I'm glad they left. I did not want to watch Sokka and Suki be disgustingly cute with each other," Zuko said, breaking the silence.
Whatever moment they had before the interruption was gone and Katara wasn't sure why she felt so disappointed over that. Especially since she wasn't even sure that was any kind of moment at all. It had been a long day, so her imagination clearly had a mind of its own as a result.
"You're telling me. He's my brother, and there are some things I just never need to see," she said with a small shudder.
Zuko's laughter received a glare from Katara, and he threw his hands up in response. "I totally understand. I mean if Azula was capable of having romantic relationships I definitely wouldn't want to see her make out with her boyfriend or whoever," he said.
This time it was Katara's turn to laugh. "Spirits, that would be quite the sight though. I mean, she has such a dominating personality I'm sure that'd carry over to the bedroom."
Her laughter only grew when Zuko's eyes widened, and he slapped his hands over his ears. " Agni , Katara I do not need those mental images."
Before Katara could tease Zuko further a loud bang drowned out her thoughts. Both of them snapped their gazes up to the sky in time to see the first firework fade against the stars. Katara nervously waited for a certain part of the firework show to appear in the sky and when the two dancing dragons seemed to magically fly through the air Katara's eyes were glued on Zuko's face. Of course, each of the nations had a little tribute in the sky, but she knew how much those two dragons meant to Zuko and what they did for not only his bending but the clarity of his mind.
After they had completely faded, Zuko turned to her with that same strange expression he had on his face earlier. "You didn't have to do that," he said.
His words left a knot in her stomach, and she shrugged to appear casual about it. "They're not only important to you, but they are an important part of Fire Nation history. I figured it would be fitting," she said.
It was a few moments before Zuko replied, "It was."
They watched the rest of the show in a comfortable silence and as the grand finale came to an end Katara had no intention of moving from the bench right away. During the show, they must have subconsciously leaned closer to each other. They were close enough that Katara could rest her head on Zuko's shoulder if she wanted. But before she could decide one way or the other if she wanted to do so, Sokka and Suki reappeared.
"So what'd you think Zuko?" Sokka asked with pride clear as day in his voice. Like he had been the one who planned the whole show, not her.
"Katara did a great job," Zuko replied. "I can't wait to see the show on the final night."
Sokka didn't deflate like Katara half expected him to, but then again he wasn't too proud to let people know Katara had planned just as much of the festival as he did. And he was kind enough to remind people of that when they came up to congratulate him on a job well done. It was sweet really.
"Well, that was boring," Toph's voice carried itself up the hill as she and Aang appeared. "What's the big deal with exploding lights in the sky anyway?"
Katara felt a swell of momentary pity that Toph was unable to see the firework show, but quickly squashed those feelings. Toph would bend her into the sky if she knew any of them felt pity towards her. She had made it perfectly clear she wasn't bothered by her lack of sight and neither should they.
Aang in response just launched into detail of what each firework created and the story that Katara had been trying to tell with the display.
And without any of them saying a word they decided to spend the rest of the evening sitting up on that hilltop that overlooked the city and docks. Some sat on the ground while others whined at Katara or Aang to bend another bench for them to sit on (Toph and Sokka).
The festival would be over in a couple days and the thought saddened Katara because this, this right here is what made her feel at home and what made her feel safe. The six of them together and just being themselves.
It was Aang who noticed the tears that shined in her eyes and without saying a word Katara knew he understood and they stayed out there under the stars and moon much longer than they should have, but with two firebenders they were warm and happy.
End Notes: I hope you all enjoyed! I adore writing the whole gaang together, especially when they're all so happy. :) Again, I know there wasn't much going on this chapter but I feel like it's really important to set up and develop the relationships between the whole gaang as their older selves so that the rest of the story has a foundation to build off of! I also hope you guys have been enjoying all of Zuko and Katara's interactions, we'll get one more chapter of them before they go their separate ways for a few chapters. But don't worry, Zuko will have a huge part of the rest of the story, obviously haha!
And yes, I totally did the cliche thing of having Katara and Zuko watch fireworks together because I couldn't help myself, haha. It was too hard to resist and incredibly fun to write.
Also we are all caught up to what I've already posted on AO3. I am currently working on chapter four and it should be posted in the next few days depending on how quickly I can finish it and my beta can read through it.
Until next time!