Sunrise, Sunset
Letting in the Light
Katara woke up to a tear stained pillow and a heavy heart. She looked outside, only to see that the sun had yet to set. The water bender yawned, and got up, stretching like a cat. Her blue eyes reflected her conflicting emotions, and with a shake of her braided head, she shook out the memory of Zuko leaning over her. Instead, another one invaded her mind, of the Fire Lord happy in his gardens. Katara put her head in her hands, trying to sort out her feelings for Zuko. Before, they had been quite clear. Hatred, and a rush of heady fun whenever they "fought". Now that she looked back, she could picture what it might have looked like had she been an onlooker.
Possibly, it could have seemed as if she, Katara, might have been flirting with Zuko. But Katara knew that couldn't be possible. Everyone knew that fire and water didn't mix.
Katara could lie to herself all she wanted, but she couldn't deny the tiny attraction that might be building. With a shake of her head, she shook out her brown locks, and turned her attention to combing out the tangles. Wincing, the water bender encountered a particularly big knot, and reached for the comb to tease it out.
A pale hand held out her comb, and Katara's eyes looked up to see muscular arms, tanned shoulders, and the face of a familiar fire bender. "What do you want?" said Katara scathingly, snatching the comb out of Zuko's outstretched hand, and violently returned to combing out her hair.
Zuko's eyes reflected his hurt for a moment, until he drew up his usual shield. Uninvited, he sat down on the bed next to the young woman, noting her tear streaked pillow. Zuko, too, had woken up alone, and he had had the time to think on his actions. "Well…." began the young man, running his fingers through his dark hair. "I just wanted to say, that, zyou know…." Zuko trailed off, trying to communicate with his hands what he wanted to say. No such luck. Apparently, if he wanted to get credit for apologizing, he actually had to apologize first. With a sigh, he crawled back on the bed until he was facing Katara's back. With a tentative hand, he reached out to touch the water bender's back, and when she didn't pull away, he leaned forward, brushed away her hair and placed a ghost of a kiss on her neck.
"I'm sorry." he said simply, his hands in his lamps, amber eyes serious. "I know you think I was leading you on, but…. I don't know." said Zuko, frustration in his posture and voice. Katara turned around, her confused blue eyes meeting his. "Can I make it up to you?" said Zuko with gritted teeth, a slight smile on his face. Katara's face lit up as she smiled, laughter bubbling out of her mouth like champagne from a bottle. "Yes. You can," said Katara, laughing at the sight of Zuko so obviously in pain. She still couldn't understand him, but she understood how hard it was for him to apologize, so she accepted the apology silently, her face telling him all he needed to know.
A/N: Sorry, I know that was REALLY REALLY short, but I needed more room for the next chapter, which will be HELLA long. Sorry I haven't updated in, like, a MONTH, but I had spring break, and I've been really busy on other sites. Well, I got it done eventually, and the next chapter will be on its way very very soon. Thank you reviewers, lub ya oodles. R+R! Thank you guys, you keep me going……
Su-Su