Confession-
On their last few days on the ship Katara had began to look more like her old self. She was waking up early and pestering the cooks into letting her help with the meals. She made sure that every single crew member had food before she allowed herself a bite. Some found it amusing that a teenage girl was capable of making a grown man look like a child. Others rolled their eyes and held their chin high. Zuko didn't talk to her. He hasn't talked to her since the night she found him outside her room. She had just served lunch to a few men and was taking her food to the deck to eat in the sun.
The fire nation rays were beating down on her skin and she smiled as she let her bare calves dangle off the edge of the ship. Water splashed at her ankles as it slapped against the side. She felt her hair frizzing as it fell down her back in the humidity. She picked up one of the spicy dumplings and nibbled on it suspiciously.
"It's not going to kill you." Katara shrieked and the dumpling flew out of her hand and into the water below.
"My dumpling." A frown surfaced on her mouth and she turned to glare at the person who made her drop part of her cold lunch. Her cheeks turned red and her eyebrows shot up. "Zuko?" He sat down next to her and threw his legs over the side. He was glaring at the waves.
"Just listen okay?" Katara dropped one of her eyebrows and snorted at him.
"Oh, so now you have something to say to me?"
"Would you please just listen to me?" Zuko dropped his head into his hands and dug his fingers into his hair. The smirk on Katara's face faded and she looked at him confused.
"What-"
"Katara. Stop talking for a second and listen. Can you please do that?" He popped his head up and stared at her and she nodded her head so fast her head started to hurt. He sighed and didn't look away. "We get to the capital today, and I don't want to be fighting. I'm done fighting with you. I want to talk to you for once without the argument. I just want to talk. Be your friend. I want.." He paused with his hands in the air. They were tense along with his entire body. He was stuttering and unsure. "I want to be your friend. Or maybe more than just your friend." His one good eye widened at the confession that Katara supposed he accidentally let slip. His smooth cheek turned pink all the way up to his ear. A hand flew to her chest over her heart and she did the only thing she knew how to do with Zuko.
She hit him on his arm.
"Okay, but you owe me a dumpling."
