AN: Pretty sure the AN's are the most embarrassing part of the revising process. Also, changed Katara's reaction near the end here to be less angry because she was, for some reason? Revised 2/11/2015

"I was just a kid," Zuko began. Katara had changed out of her gown in the privacy of the washroom, and now sported a pair of loose fitting pants with a long shirt to match. None of her clothes fit Zuko, so he had to make do with his formal clothes. They were sitting cross-legged on her large bed, her at the head clutching her pillow while he was at the foot.

"How old?" She asked softly. Katara didn't want to be rude, after all, and maybe it was a sensitive thing. Maybe he didn't want to remember that much.

"Thirteen." His response was almost instantaneous.

He probably remembers every detail about that day, she thought.

"I insisted on sitting in on a war council. I thought I was entitled to it," he continued dully. "My uncle told me not to speak out, but I was never one to take direction well."

She wanted to say that it was true even now, but the mood was too serious. It was like making a joke about a dead sabertooth moose-lion cub. Not cool.

"My father demanded I should fight in an Agni Kai for being so insubordinate, to which I accepted. I thought that this could be my chance to show my father he had a son he could be proud of. When I turned around on that platform, I thought I would be facing the general I insulted. But because it was my father's war room..."

Something seemed caught in his throat, and he cleared it loudly. Katara already had a dreadful suspicion building in the pit of her stomach concerning what he was about to say.

"Because it was his war room, I had directly insulted the Fire Lord. My Agni Kai was against him. I begged for forgiveness on my knees. I wouldn't fight him. He called me a coward, then burned me and banished me."

The silence that followed seemed deafening. How could a father scar his own son like that? She clutched her pillow to her, thinking that her own father would never be so cruel to Sokka. Banished at thirteen. No wonder he was so set on bringing back the Avatar.

"The emotional scars," Katara murmured, touching the pillow covering her chest where her heart would be. No wonder he had been so confused in Ba Sing Se. The approval of a parent is always sought after. "I'm sorry life has treated you so poorly."

"It's alright. The Fire Nation has taken something from you that I can never give back..." He shook his head in disgust. At least he had found his mother after the war was over. The girl across from him would never see her mother again. Her chin sunk into the top of the pillow, back hunching unconsciously as she thought of her mother.

"I don't want to talk about that," she said dispassionately. Without the necklace as a constant reminder of what had been lost, the woman no longer thought too closely about her mother. Zuko wanted to point out that when she married she would gain a mother-in-law, but he let the conversation drop.

"It's sort of funny, the way Ozai and Azula both marked me physically. They were my primary tormentors." He gave a dark chuckle, but Katara didn't seem to notice. "Uncle and my mother, though...their kindness is internal. I'm a better person because of them. And you." He touched his shirt where the lightning scar was, the woman's eyes now found him. "You healed me."

She could take away all his scars, even the ones from regular combat. He could look like a normal person, but he would still be the same on the inside. What did it matter how he looked? His scars were proof that he had survived a traumatizing adolescence. Proof that he was strong.

"I have a scar on my knee," Katara said, keeping the topic of physical imperfections alive. She pulled up the right leg of her pants, revealing a scar about as long as his hand and think as his pinky. "A few years ago I fell on a patch of rough ice. I hit my head so I couldn't heal my knee right away. Good thing Sokka was there, or I would have bled to death." A wan smile appeared on her face. The gash hadn't been that deep, but her brother said there had been a lot of blood.

"I'm glad you're still alive. The ambassador chosen to replace you wouldn't be half as talented, I'm sure," he joked.

"I don't do anything special," she protested shyly. He thought she was talented? Of course her bending was renowned, but her political prowess?

"Please. The polar bear-puppy eyes you gave to the cabbage merchant guild six months ago just so he wouldn't raise his prices was more than impressive." Zuko smirked at her sudden scowl. They both knew he was right, but the waterbender didn't like to be reminded of sinking so low. Speaking of sinking low...

"Sorry for trying to get in your pants." There was no way to put it delicately. She didn't want to bring it up ever again, but it would be beyond rude to not apologize.

Katara couldn't bring herself to look at the man. If she did, she would've seen that he was utterly dumbstruck. He closed his gaping mouth with a firm click of his teeth, and tried to think of something appropriate to say without completely lying. Obviously he couldn't say, "Maybe some other time?" This was the Fire Lord though, and he had been through difficult word games before.

"Oh, well, y'know..." There. She could take that any way she wanted to. Hopefully the waterbender wouldn't ask for clarification, because that's when things could get hairy. Thank the spirits that she seemed placated by it.

"I had to do something, the prices he was asking were insane," the woman continued the previous conversation. "It would've been the end of peace for sure." It was as if she didn't apologize, like the incident never happened. But Zuko would never forget.

"Yes, an all out Cabbage War," he mused. This conversation was going nowhere fast, and Katara seemed to have realized it. An idea must have hit her, because he saw her eyes light up in the dimness.

"That reminds me of a famous battle I once heard of...the Pillow Fight!" Dropping her guise of solemnity in favor of beating the man mercilessly with her pillow was much more interesting. He gave weak protests with arms raised in defense, surprise prominent in his spurts of rusty laughter.

"Attacking a defenseless man should be a crime!" She continued to pummel him with the feathery weapon, showing no signs of letting up. "I'll have to resort to violence," he warned.

The attacks grew more fierce if anything. It took Zuko a couple of tries to snatch the pillow away, but he was successful in the end. With a shout of protest, the woman scrambled to get her weapon back but to no avail. The Fire Lord had longer arms than she, and she was already well into his lap while he held it at a distance behind him. Realizing her position, Katara quickly withdrew to her side of the bed. It was embarrassing enough that she had tried to seduce him once tonight, and being so close a second time didn't help her image.

"I'll give it back when you've learned your lesson, young lady," he scolded in his best parental tone. Relief flooded her; it would seem that they were just playing, as friends were apt to do.

"You're not my father," Katara said,playing along and sticking her tongue out petulantly for effect.

"Good. I don't envy the man who is," he snorted. "I'm sure you were one unruly child before you started saving the world. And even then...hey! No blanket bending!" Katara had taken her end of the blanket and tossed it over Zuko, effectively blinding him. He floundered in the fabric for a beat before resurfacing. "Now you're all out of weapons." This time, he hoped he was right.

"I could just run away," she shrugged, but there was no attempt to shift her body into a fleeing position. Instead, her posture was relaxed against the headboard, arms folded comfortably across her chest. The dim light from the lantern flickered over her, shadows dancing wherever the flame directed.

"Where would you go? This is your room." His logic was infallible, but that never stopped Katara. The firebender set the pillow next to him, untangling his legs from the blanket as she spoke.

"Toph's room. Or yours. We could switch." For obvious reasons, she absolutely refused to think about sharing a room with her brother and Suki. Bunking with Toph would be like sleeping beside a wild animal, with all the snoring and flailing she did in her sleep. She had only seen Zuko's room today for the first time, but it was already more appealing than her other options. Plus, think of all the snooping she could do!

"Why would I switch my comfortable royal chambers for this tiny room?" Free of his burdens, the Fire Lord had begun inching his way across the bed.

"Because I said so," Katara frowned suspiciously, noticing that he was getting closer.

"So the almighty leader of the Fire Nation is just supposed to bow to the whim of the Southern Water Tribe ambassador?" Their voices had become progressively quieter, the need for volume diminishing as the gap between them closed.

"Of course," she replied, as if it should be common knowledge. He stopped at her feet and sat back on his calves, surveying her with calm composure. She drew her legs to her unconsciously, knees bending more as she made a barrier to protect herself.

"You could sleep in there every night if you were the Fire Lady." Nothing in his words implied that they would be sleeping together, but it didn't take a genius to know that Fire Lord's chamber equals where he sleeps. His serious mask cracked with his smirk. "I'll sleep on the floor and you can sleep on the bed."

"Why would you do that? That's ridiculous," she scoffed, now exceedingly uncomfortable.

"It seems a little less ridiculous if it's for you," the man shrugged at his own hopelessness. Why did he have to make this moment a more-than-friends situation?

Katara was touched though. When had a guy really done something in her best interest? Aang was sweet of course, but most of the time he had been occupied with making the world happy rather than making her happy. Not that that was a crime - he was the Avatar after all, it was his duty - but it had made her feel so alone.

"I don't like to think so far ahead anymore," she confessed sheepishly. After all those future hopes and dreams wasted on the Avatar, her reasoning was understandable. It was a sting to his pride none the less, but it could be borne.

"You don't have to," he said quickly. "I'm just saying. We could have fun together."

Katara was about to protest - if she was going to be in a relationship, it wouldn't be just fooling around - but she stopped at a thought. What if he was saying that because he's agreeing with her decision? It wasn't so farfetched that he respected her enough to choose her own course, but it was very unlike Zuko to follow blindly. Not sure of what to think, she stored away that bit of thought for further consideration.

"We have fun now," she said instead, inviting a verbal challenge.

"We could have fun all the time. You'd never have to leave."

"I don't have to leave, but I do. My people need me." The man looked as if he had been expecting this answer.

"I know the feeling," he grunted. "But I'll think of some way to keep you here." Reaching behind him, he pulled the pillow into his lap and the blanket over their heads, making a tent of sorts with their heads as the supports. "I think it's time for bossy ambassadors to go to bed."

He kissed her nose lightly before escaping the blanket, leaving her no choice but to sigh and arrange her pillow. When she was laying down, her head peeked out at the top to witness the Fire Lord standing over her bed. He seemed satisfied by something, and he made as if to duck down for another kiss but decided against it.

"Good night," he said, favoring words over actions for the moment.

"Good night." When he was at the door he turned, gathering the firelight in his hand from the lantern. Her eyes were intent on his face as he spoke.

"Sweet dreams." And he was gone, vanished into the night like a spirit. Katara stared at the ceiling for what seemed like ages.

We could have fun together.

His words were still ringing in her ears when sleep finally claimed her.

The next day found Katara well rested and eating breakfast with Suki by late morning. They reclined on couches on the veranda overlooking the garden, the roof above providing shade from the always fierce Fire Nation sun.

"I can't believe he's really going to try to get with you," the Kyoshi said for what seemed like the hundredth time. "Like, he's really trying to date you. Zuko. Jeez." She sipped idly at her tea as if wonderstruck at the idea.

"When you put it like that..." Katara honestly couldn't believe it herself. But after yesterday, the fact was undeniable. "I mean, it sounds weird." For lack of a better word, weird was the label for his pursuit. Or maybe unexpectedly forward. The other woman nodded in agreement while the bender picked at her rice.

"What's really weird is that Lee didn't show up at all last night. Maybe girls with a lot of emotional baggage scare him." Not that Suki was being mean, but it was an honest assessment.

"But he promised he'd make it up to me," Katara frowned the slightest bit, glancing up at the warrior to see what she made of it. Her companion only shrugged, silently sticking with her theory.

"You're lucky that Zuko agreed to take you for a new dress, friend or otherwise. Sokka never likes to go shopping," she said wistfully, thinking of all the pretty baubles begging to be bought in the city. "I wonder what he has planned tonight. The surprise," she prompted when the other woman looked confused.

"Oh. Well, I'm sure it's nothing to worry about." Katara had always been the curious sort, but the surprise must have slipped her mind after retelling the events of last night (minus the seduction bit). After all, it's not every day that the Fire Lord, who is coincidentally one of your closest friends, declares his romantic intentions.

A door slid open on the opposite side of the green space, revealing said Fire Lord to the world. After looking around quickly and spotting them, he sauntered across the grass towards the women. His body spoke of relaxation, but his eyes were piercing when Katara caught them.

"Good morning, ladies," he bowed to them, and they returned his pleasantries. "Where are Sokka and Toph?" Zuko resisted staring at the waterbender with difficulty, but years of self-discipline paid off sometimes. Instead, he addressed his words more towards Suki.

"Asleep. I doubt they'll wake before noon," the warrior answered easily, flicking her eyes to Katara when the man turned his thoughtful gaze to a shrub. The women had discussed the idea of hide and seek earlier, and it was obvious that both shopping and playing would not fit into one day. Zuko seemed to come to this realization too.

"Perhaps we should play our games tomorrow?" Now his attention was fully on the Water Tribe native, golden eyes calm as he waited for her decision. Surprised that the choice was hers to make, she nodded wordlessly. "We'll head out when you are ready. I'll be in my mother's chambers." He bowed again and retreated across the garden, the door shutting softly behind him.

" 'Perhaps we should play our games tomorrow.' " Suki gave a rough imitation of the firebender's voice, waggling her eyebrows suggestively at Katara. "That guy could make asking for a bowl of rice sound suggestive."

"It did not sound suggestive of anything!" The other insisted, blood rushing to her face in her embarrassment.

Zuko certainly knew how to turn on the charm, but two could play at that game. She would simply have to one-up him. Somehow. A thought appeared in her mind as if it was sent by the spirits themselves, and her face turned serious as she began her mission.

"Suki, I need you to tell me everything you know about the weaknesses of a man."

All's fair in love and war, and this was going to be an all out battle.

About an hour later Katara was standing outside of Lady Ursa's chambers, twisting the hem of her shirt nervously around her finger. Her outfit was sensible, loose dark blue capris paired with a light blue tunic with a white sash tied around her waist. Suki had suggested something more revealing, like that outfit she had worn in the Fire Nation during the war, but comfort had seemed more important. Hindsight was 20/20, and now she was wishing she had worn something nicer.

No turning back, she thought as she gave a small knock at the wooden frame of the door. The murmur of voices hushed, and Katara gave her hair a once-over with her hands before a voice beckoned her in. Sliding open the door revealed Lady Ursa and the Fire Lord as expected, with the woman rifling through some documents while Zuko leaned over a table. His back was to the door, and only when Lady Ursa welcomed her with a kind word did the man whip around. Closer inspection on Katara's part showed her that he had been looking at a map of reformed Fire Nation colonies.

"It took you long enough," his voice rasped, but his lone brow twitched in amusement. The waterbender was relieved that he was dressed casually as well, his baggy trousers and dark sleeveless tunic reminded her of when he had first joined their 'side.'

"Don't be rude, Zuko," His mother chided, watching him closely. She knew. There was no way on Earth she didn't know. This knowledge dawned upon Katara as the man offered his apologies, he had only been joking, and her eyes locked with the elder woman's for a beat.

She totally knew.

The Fire Lord kissed his mother on the cheek before ushering Katara out the door. He gave a short, nervous bark of a laugh before leading her away by the wrist.

"Mother's a stickler for decorum," he explained, and he muttered something about a procession and formal wear.

"What? Was I supposed to wear something else?" She asked, annoyed that she looked the fool by not being told ahead of time. How much longer would that delay them?

"No, no, I talked her out of it. She wanted it to be good publicity. Unity between countries or something," he supplied quickly, hoping to placate her.

"I'd rather not be swarmed." Katara gave an involuntary shudder. The daily news had a special section dedicated to all things Gaang related, and the reporters were always hungry to get something new. If they got wind of her and Aang...The invasion of privacy made her blanch.

"I thought so." It was short and simple, but it made her steps stutter. He was defying the wishes of his mother for her personal comfort? The mother who he had sought out for so long after the war was ended, whose opinion he valued most?

"You're going to make me her enemy that way," she replied lightly. Zuko looked over his shoulder at her and their pace slowed to a halt. He was thinking, but of what?

"There's no way anyone could think so ill of you. Besides, she approves." He turned away from her, facing the open hallway. A gentle pressure on her wrist reminded the woman that he was still holding her. It was early in the day, and they were already talking about that?

"Good to know," she replied curtly. Maybe it had come out more snappish than intended, but she was a little fed up with worrying over what everyone thought of her relationships, whoever they were with. A guilty barb pricked at her conscience when his shoulders hunched slightly, his grip on her wrist loosening.

"Sorry, it's just a little...stressful with all of these emotions..." It wasn't a very good explanation, but it was the best she understood the situation herself. Katara moved around to the front of him, placing a reconciliatory hand on his shoulder.

"I get it. I'm not the most patient person, though," Zuko stated flatly.

"After six years of knowing you, I think I knew that," she smirked and he seemed to take heart at her better mood. "Now, how do we get out of this place?"

"We're almost there," he replied, nodding at the large double doors at the end of the hall. "It's a back way, since we're not trying to attract a lot of attention." Agreeing with his plan inwardly, she set off without another word. Purpose fueled her strides, but Zuko was not far behind. Throwing open the doors let in a flood of sunlight so bright that she had to squint.

When her eyes had adjusted, the waterbender saw the stone steps leading down to a path were plain and worn. A servant's entrance, she thought in passing, but they weren't out of the royal complex yet.

Her companion padded down the steps, as if he had done this a hundred times, and followed the path to a back gate. Not knowing exactly where she was going was unnerving, but she walked beside the Fire Lord all the same.

The guards at the gate bowed to their Lord before opening the gates just wide enough for the two of them to slip through, and they were on a populated street before she could blink. The open storefronts were inviting, peddlers crying their wares to passersby.

"Would the pretty lady like a necklace?" They had come out right across from a jeweler, and a man had hobbled over to them. He grinned up at her, but some of his teeth were missing. "Finest jewelry in all the Fire Nation!" She highly doubted it, but this poor man was just trying to make a living.

"She doesn't want anything," Zuko intervened before she could get a word in edgewise. He tried to steer her away from the man - when had Zuko pulled up his hood? - but Katara planted her feet firmly.

"What if I did want something?" She asked. Who was he to make choices for her? She was more than capable of taking care of herself! Their staring contest lasted a few moments after she whipped around, and he grudgingly gave in. It was her shopping trip, after all.

"Fine," he growled. The man led them into the shop where another, more presentable man stood behind the counter. A glance at the waterbender showed her eyes to be as round as walnuts at the sight of the shining trinkets under glass. Counter Man welcomed them humbly, and the woman wasted no time in her scrutiny.

Zuko was reminded of a toddler in a sweet shop as her eyes darted and stared, the way they lit up unmistakably in an I-want-this way half way down the counter. Counter Man was in front of Katara before the Fire Lord could take two steps, and the merchant was exclaiming over what fine taste she had.

"Oh yes, the finest pearls from the depths of the sea! They would look lovely against your skin." Zuko craned his neck and saw that it was indeed a string of pearls. Pearls didn't really count as finery to him - they came out of oysters, for Agni's sake - but he could think of no one who could wear them better.

Leave it to her to pick the thing that comes from the sea, he mused. Next thing you know, she'll want her gown made out of seaweed.

Katara felt selfish asking for anything. She was the motherly type, and mothers took care of their wards first. Only, she didn't have anyone to take care of any longer. Sokka would be safe under Suki's supervision, and Toph always made it a point to be overly independent. There was still the hesitancy she had always known as she met Zuko's gaze, and he didn't know what it meant just then.

"Do you like it?" Better to hear her opinion than assume something completely wrong. It wouldn't be the first instance of miscommunication between them. He stood behind her, asking for the necklace. The jeweler handed it over hesitantly, and Zuko fumbled with the clasp before the piece was secured around her neck. Fetching a mirror before young man was finished, Counter Man held it up for Katara's viewing pleasure.

"Oh," she breathed in surprise. Each individual pearl looked like a glowing full moon against her comparatively darker skin. Blinking hard to break the trance, her eyes caught Zuko in the reflection. He seemed hypnotized too, and the way his fingers lingered on the back of her neck was starting to give her goosebumps. "Do you like it?" Her question echoed his.

"It's perfect," he replied, her words bringing him back to reality with a sharp snap. He was reaching for his coin pouch before she even confessed her liking for it. In his opinion, she'd be crazy not to like it. "How much?"

"Five hundred gold, sir," Counter Man replied pleasantly. Money was no object to the Fire Lord, and it was without greed for his coins that he doled out the pieces. The merchant was another matter, and he could barely suppress his excitement at the amount. When the pair turned to go, he snatched up the coins and hardily thanked them for their business.

"I didn't even say I wanted it," Katara pointed out as he stowed the pouched necklace at his waist. He was trying to think of where a reputable seamstress was in their vicinity.

"You'd have to be as blind as Toph to not see how good you made them look," was his response as he steered her around a cart peddling meaty dumplings. His blatant compliment took her off guard and her eyebrows knit in confusion. She didn't have a good comeback for that one.

Zuko took her hand as the streets became progressively more crowded. Allowing him to lead her through tight spaces in the throng for what seemed like an hour, Katara unexpectedly found herself surrounded by dresses on mannequins.

"Hello young ones, may I help you?" A rickety woman with a kind face appeared from behind one of the more elegant pieces. Her dark gray hair was piled haphazardly atop her head, and her beady eyes blinked as she took them in.

"I need a dress," Katara said before her companion could reply for her. He shot her a look that she pointedly ignored. "I was hoping to commission one from you." Zuko wouldn't have taken her here if this woman wasn't one of the best, she assumed.

"Of course dear, of course," the elderly woman beamed. "Now, come into the back and I'll show you some fabric swatches..." She turned without a backward glance, hobbling along and trusting Katara to follow. The waterbender glanced over her shoulder at him, but Zuko shook his head in affirmation that he would stay in the front room.

"Let's start with the color," the shopkeeper smiled and looked up at the young woman expectantly. The back room was large and orderly, the walls lined with cubbies full of fabric, thread, needles, buttons, and whatever else a seamstress might need.

"Blue." Of course it had to be blue, what else would she feel most comfortable in? The elder carefully chose a collection of blue cloth held together with a ring, stating that these were the colors she had access to. There was a lovely blue that Katara associated with the clearest noonday sky, and a deep black blue that resembled midnight for the trim.

"What is the occasion, dearie? Are you getting married? Is that your intended, out there?" The old woman gave a sly wink. She knew a matched set when she saw one.

"No no no," Katara declined hurriedly. "We're just friends. It's not like that at all. It's for the masquerade," she explained.

The seamstress was not convinced.

She saw the way he had looked at the young woman who was now standing before her. It was best to let them figure it out, she decided, and displayed a few dress pattern scrolls before the youngster. When the finer details of buttons, embroidery, and measurements were dealt with, the two women returned to the front of the store. Zuko was still standing dutifully in the same place, looking angrily at the floor as if he was arguing with it. His head snapped up when he saw their shadows over the floorboards, his eyes fully interested as he simultaneously tried to look at Katara and hide his scar.

"Your dress will be ready tomorrow before sunset," the seamstress assured, patting Katara's brown hand with her wrinkled one. The Water Tribe woman thanked her graciously, promised their return, and sighed when they were back on the street.

"I suppose I'll have to find something else to wear tonight." Her voice was disappointed, but her face was strong. Zuko was smirking on the inside, secretly relishing the brilliance of his own secret plan.

"I'm sure you'll make do." She always did in any situation. "Let's have lunch, I feel like I was in there forever. Those mannequins were really creepy," he explained, catching sight of a street food vendor and coaxing her through the crowd towards him.

"Ugh, no, I hate Fire Nation food," she grumbled when she figured out his plan. "It's always so spicy. How can you taste anything if your mouth is on fire?" The Fire Lord ignored her as he looked at what the man had to offer, paid for some noodles plus a serving of roasted meat over rice, and gave no sign of hearing her protests when they left.

If I could find my way back to the palace, I'd leave right now, she thought grumpily as they made their way deeper into the city. In the center of the bustling capital was a large green space, filled with stunted trees and happy people.

What in the...?

"I'm sorry I didn't bring a blanket, but this is the more impromptu part of the day," he shrugged, crossing his legs and settling onto the grass.

"We're having a picnic?" She asked. This was definitely a surprise.

"Why not?" He asked casually. Apparently Katara couldn't think of a good reason to say no, so she settled with some muttering and sitting down hard on the grass. It hurt, but she was mad about being caught off guard so it would be ignored.

"Here, these noodles were the least spicy." Zuko proffered the sealed cup like a peace offering, and she eyed it suspiciously. "And they're really good."

Her stomach made her a traitor to her will, and when it demanded to be fed she gave in. With chopsticks clutched tightly in her hand, she fed a noodle into her mouth cautiously. Her companion nearly laughed at her sheer concentration as she waited for the spice to hit the back of her throat. After a few tense moments, the waterbender relaxed and ate a few more noodles before ravenously diving into the cup.

Then he really did laugh.

"What's so funny?" She asked suspiciously after swallowing a mouthful of soup. Nothing good could come from Zuko laughing and her not knowing the reason.

"You're face, ah, no, not like that," he tried to assemble his wits before continuing. "It's just - well, uh - really cute. And expressive."

"I don't think that's something a friend would say, Zuko," the woman pointed out between bites of noodles. Her feelings were decidedly undecided when it came to him. Why did he have to say things like that? It just muddled her brain even more.

"The 'expressive' part does sound stalker-ish," he conceded after chewing over a piece of meat.

He's really going to make me say it.

"I mean the part where you called me really cute. You wouldn't call Suki cute."

"She's a betrothed woman."

"Well, you wouldn't call Toph really cute."

"She's not cute, she's terrifying. I'll be right back." Zuko was as composed as if they had been discussing their food, but Katara was on the edge of pouting. She was too busy focusing on tiny details (which meant absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things, really) to notice why the man had left. He returned with two clay cups filled with tea, offering Katara hers as if nothing was wrong. Perhaps nothing was for him.

This isn't the way it's supposed to go at all, he thought as she glared into her cup, too confused by her emotions to drink. What was the big deal with saying she looked cute?

"Are we really friends?" His voice was quietly inquisitive, but it only seemed to fuel the waterbender's fire.

"Of course we are," she snapped back. "Don't be so stu-"

"I feel that our relationship is on that fine line between being friends and something more." Zuko raised his voice to cut her sentence short. He couldn't bear to see the face she would make, and instead watched a group of young children run around. Their childish shrieks of delight filled the silence between the two benders while the tribeswoman tried to find the words to say.

There were so many things that she thought of saying, but none of them justified all of her feelings in one neat little package. It would be a lie to say that she wasn't attracted to him. She had kissed him willingly, for La's sake. Not to mention trying to bed him.

Temporary insanity, a small voice pleaded in the back of her mind. But the jury was out, and Katara was guilty.

Guilty of trying to be happy.

"Is this a...date?" The word was foreign on her tongue, and her mouth was strangely dry at the thought. Her? On a date? The idea was so strange, so seemingly wrong without Aang.

"It was supposed to make you happy." His indirect confession was enough to convince her.

"A date. I'm not even wearing nice clothes," she grumbled, glancing down at her casual attire. Strange how that was the thing bothering her now, instead of the fact she was supposed to be on a date. With Zuko. Might as well forget Lee entirely at this point while she was at it.

"I could buy you some," he offered hesitantly. There was no telling what would set Katara off at a good time, and this was not one of those better times. This wasn't a particularly bad time either, not quite to what Zuko had dubbed "volatile Katara."

"Yes!" Thankfully she was excited about that thing in particular, but there was an aspect he had yet to explain.

"Whatever you buy will probably be Fire Nation. We don't exactly have all nationalities represented here in the Capital." He tried not to flinch as her eyebrows knit furiously in quick thought, but they eased without an explosion.

"Yeah, alright. I've worn Fire Nation clothes before."

"When?" The first thought he had was the woman dressed in Azula's clothes.

Super creepy, he thought before gulping the last of his tea.

"During the war for a disguise. And when I have nothing cooler left to wear when I'm here," she shrugged. The young man struggled to find a scrap of memory to back up her story, but there was none to be had. No, wait, there had been that time on Ember Island, but he had been a bit more focused on saving the world.

Zuko wasn't exactly eager to begin the rigors of shopping again, but the curiosity of seeing Katara in his native color was almost distracting. Forcing himself to slow down and enjoy the moment, he set his cup aside and laid back on the plush grass.

No reason to rush. We have the whole day.

Zuko laced his fingers behind his head and looked up at the cloudless sky. Not entirely certain of what to do, he turned his head towards his friend and raised his brow in a silent question. Heaving what sounded like a resigned sigh, Katara flopped onto her back gracelessly, throwing her arms out beside her. She refused to look, but the fingers on her left hand were surely close to brushing the side of his shirt.

"How long has it been since you thought of yourself?" He asked offhandedly. She jerked her head to look at him, warily assessing his face. Zuko could feel her gaze, and continued when she said nothing. "I know you're always taking care of others. It's okay to be selfish once in a while." That was the exact inner turmoil she had been grappling with earlier. Could he read her mind? How did he know?

"It feels like forever," she admitted grudgingly. Her head was directed back at the sky, but her eyes were far away. "Ever since mom..."

Life itself had never been the same. Gran Gran had been there to take over the womanly duties, but she wasn't as young as she used to be. Katara had come of age earlier than need be but then again, most children of war do.

"It's not like that now. We're at the edge of being adults. You can't boss Sokka around forever, now that he's got Suki." The corners of his mouth turned up into the slightest smile, thinking of how well the Kyoshi warrior kept him in line already.

"By tradition in the Tribes, I should have a family by now." The Northern Water Tribe had girls engaged on their sixteenth birthday, and though it was not as strictly enforced in the South, it was encouraged. In the past she had had Aang, but he always felt too young to be a man in her book. Besides, traveling the world didn't sound conducive to raising a family.

"Is that what you're going to do? Go back and find a husband?" Zuko's voice was dry; the very thought of her with another guy made his body rigid with jealousy. Returning the the South and marrying some guy was an option, but not at all attractive to Katara.

"Most if not all of the men around my age are already married. And I don't want some pompous snot from the North telling me bending is a man's job," she grimaced. After such wonderful years of freedom, a marriage to a controlling husband was a poor life choice.

"Haru seems like a nice guy," the firebender suggested in return. Would it be wrong to remind her of how he needed a wife? He could see it now: hey Katara! You need a husband and I need a wife so let's not beat around the bush! Yeah, no.

"He insists that mustache makes him super handsome, but it looks funny to me." She wrinkled her nose at the thought of his facial hair, and then there was the fact that he and Toph had a 'history' together.

"Lee, then?"

"I barely even know him!" Katara threw up her hands in vexation, letting them fall uselessly to the ground when her point had been made. "Besides, he ditched me last night."

Why hasn't he suggested the most obvious choice?

"Then we should ditch him tonight." It was now or never. This was the perfect moment in the conversation to introduce his intended surprise, and it wouldn't happen twice.

"What?" The young woman propped herself up on her elbows, suspicious and yet undeniably curious.

"My surprise. I wanted to take you out for some fun tonight." He licked his lips nervously, rolling onto his side to face her.

"I'm listening."

"Dancing. Like how people our age are supposed to dance, not that formal masquerade stuff."

"You want to take me to a bar?"

"It's not a bar exactly. More dancing than drinking. They call it a club." Something about Katara made his sentences short and choppy, turning him into sixteen year old Zuko rather than Fire Lord Zuko. He tried to make his face look hopeful, but something must have gone horribly wrong because she was smirking.

"What's that face you're making?"

"It's my hopeful face. Like, hopefully you won't bend me into oblivion for asking you out on a date." He relaxed his features into their natural frowny state when she laughed. "Don't laugh, I thought I gave a good impression."

"You should really try it out in front of a mirror and then tell me not to laugh at you," she snorted. "Sure, I'll go dancing with you. Suki was curious about it anyway." Yeah, like she needed an excuse. Her friend had told her that it was best to leave a man guessing, and that was the goal. Katara stifled the smile trying to creep onto her face, and she sat up before it could break free. Two dates in one day? This was simply too much.

"Great," he said, following her up into the sitting position.

"You have some grass..." Before she knew what she was doing, her hand was brushing away a few blades of grass from his hood. Normally it would be out of maternal instinct if it was anyone else, but there was nothing motherly in the way she felt at that moment. Katara's heart skipped a beat as his golden eyes watched her arm retreat quickly, following some invisible line to her face.

"I think we should head out," she said, practically jumping to her feet. It was more than a little alarming that she felt those feelings; the way her heart jumped in her chest. His assent was in the form of joining her with their food containers, disposing of them as they passed a receptacle.

"I think there's a women's boutique down this way," he said vaguely, looking down one of the streets that seemed more crowded than the one they had come from. The silence between them was almost uncomfortable, and Katara grabbed his hand when the crowd became thick.

La help me, I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing, she thought, looking up at Zuko's hooded face.