R&R

Next chapter cuz i'm on a role!

Hope you like it!

Chapter 4: Snow

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Katara didn't even realize she was bouncing on her feet until Aang slung an arm over her shoulder to still her, chuckling softly to himself. Sokka and Suki had returned yesterday, bringing with them an assortment of trinkets from Kyoshi to share with everyone. Toph had stormed in that morning, relentless in her teasing of Aang that she hadn't been able to do for months.

And now it was his turn.

Zuko.

For the first time ever the water tribe girl would be happy to see black snow.

"There it is!"

Katara's bright blue eyes shifted away from the white sky in order to squint out into the horizon. Sure enough, there was a black speck on the water, steadily growing closer.

"Do you think he'll look any different?" she wondered allowed, getting a silly look from Aang.

"Of course not! It's only been… half a year?"

"Seven months," she corrected.

"Yeah, seven months," Aang continued, hugging her into his side. "I'm pretty sure he's still tall and brooding."

Katara laughed, the sound still able to make Aang blush. "Tall and brooding? Why does it sound like your describing your ideal guy or something?"

Aang's flustered face burned crimson. "I didn't mean it like that!" he insisted, only causing Katara to laugh more.

"Hey what's all the ruckus out here?"

The lovebirds glanced behind them to see Sokka immerge from the tent.

"Jeez Sokka you're staring to sound like Grandpa Paku," Katara giggled, poking her brother in the arm as he came to stand beside her.

"Yeah," Aang agreed. "Next thing you know you'll be saying whipper snapper and go around beating people with your walking stick."

Sokka brushed off the couple's snickers. "Ha ha ha, very funny. Hey, is that Zuko's ship docking?"

"Yup, let's go greet him," Aang suggested enthusiastically, "He's probably tired from all that traveling."

Katara nodded. "Sounds like a plan." She threw out her arms and balled her hands into fists, clenching the snow beneath their feet until it turned into ice. Then she was waving her limbs to and fro, causing them to push off and glide across the white expanse on her icy platform.

The frigid breeze whipped across her flushed cheeks and raked through her wild hair. The war and every day before it suddenly seemed so far away. When was the last time she had done any water bending of this magnitude?

"You know," Sokka murmured for Katara's ears only, "Your days of always having to one-up Zuko are over."

She shot him a glare and commanded a pointy icicle to shoot up and poke him in the butt.

"Ouch! What was that for?!"

"Being an idiot."

Aang grabbed Katara's shoulder, bringing her attention back to the task at hand. "Maybe you should slow down now?" he suggested, "We're practically there."

Katara waved her arms and brought their make shift sled to a halt right as the hull of the ship began to open. They smiled and patiently waited for their friend and Fire Lord to descend from the giant hunk of metal.

"Presenting Fire Lord Zu-"

"That really isn't necessary."

Katara bit back a giggle as Zuko walked off the ship in surprisingly normal winter clothes. It was like seven months hadn't separated them at all, and they were back at the air temple or hiding in some cave. It seemed he had made a point not to wear his crown or his royal robes. His hair, slightly longer now, was the only thing that seemed to have changed.

"Zuko! Buddy! Great to see ya, man!" Sokka greeted, strolling up to the apprehensive Fire Lord and wrapping him up in a giant bear hug.

"Alright Sokka, what do you want?" Zuko deadpanned, not even bothering to return the gesture.

Sokka waved his hand with a dismissive air. "Nothing of course! Why would I-" he leaned down to Zuko's ear with a sneaky expression. "Suki's been missing Ellis Island big time so I was wondering if you could help a brother out and-"

"You are not my brother," Zuko interrupted, frowning.

"That doesn't matter," Sokka whispered, brushing away the statement nonchalantly. "The point is I need your help man. I don't have the resources to-"

"It's done."

"What?" Sokka said, louder now. "Really? Just like that?"

"Yes now move before I change my mind."

"Yeah, right." The water tribe warrior scurried out of the way before Zuko's glare could fully get to him.

"ZUKO!"

Katara was just about to greet the fire bender but it seemed her boyfriend had beat her to it.

"Aang! Hey!" Zuko returned the bald kid's hug, managing to smile back. "Wow did you actually grow?"

The growing avatar pouted and shoved his taller friend. "Yeah and soon I'm going to be taller then you."

Sokka smirked and slung an arm unto Aang's shoulder. "At least now you don't have to keep looking up at Kata- Ow! That hurt!"

"You deserved it," Katara chuckled, watching as Aang continued to poke at Sokka until he was running away.

"Let's see how far you can run when I'm on my air scooter!"

Katara laughed at the panicked look on Sokka's face before turning back to Zuko. She hadn't realized how much she missed the playful banter of her friends. She hadn't realized how much she missed everyone, for that matter. Being back home and spending every day with Aang had somehow blinded her to the fact that the people she cared most about were off doing there own thing. The difference in time was apparent in everyone's subtle changes.

Katara opened her mouth to finally give her greetings to the Teenage Fire Lord before her, but stopped at the look on his face. Sure she was used to his usual frown, he couldn't help the expressions his face automatically made, but at the moment Zuko wasn't just frowning. He seemed tense.

Really tense.

"Hey, Zuko?" she spoke up, the statement sounding more like a question as it left her lips. "You look cold. Let's head inside."

There was a pause and then, "Yeah. It's freezing."

Zuko waved away his guards, managing to convince them that he wouldn't need any protection. Then Katara led him towards her family tent, hoping that she was just imagining the awkwardness between them.

"Sorry."

"Huh?" Katara turned to give Zuko an incredulous look. "Sorry? What for?"

Zuko shrugged. "I don't know. For acting weird?"

Katara smiled and patted his arm, ignoring the way he flinched away from her touch. "We haven't seen each other for seven months Zuko. Its understandable that things are a little awkward right now."

"But it shouldn't be."

Katara stopped walking and stared at him for a moment, before continuing. "That's probably true… and look! We're talking like normal. It's not awkward anymore." She studied him out of the corner of her eye as he buried his hands in his fur coat and drew his shoulders up to his ears.

"Yeah," he whispered. "Not awkward at all."

Happy Zutara Month and thanks for reading!

A new chapter will be up soon;)