Katara had a very unusual dream.

At first, it seemed like the same one she had been having the past few nights, the one where Zuko tied her to a tree and tried to bribe her. A memory more than anything.

But there was no necklace, no bribing, just Zuko circling her like a predator, whispering, "Stop trying to deny it, Katara. It'll be much easier if you just accept the truth." Her name sounded strangely wonderful coming from his low, raspy voice.

Jet was there, too. Well, sort of.

It was him, but completely different, dressed in the pirate captains clothes (plus that ridiculous pink apron, though she couldn't fathom why), joining the prince's urging. "Yeah, Katara. Just let it go. Stop trying to hide the truth."

She had absolutely no clue what they were talking about.

At some point Zuko had moved out from behind the tree and stood instead at Jet's side, directly in her line of vision. When she looked at his face, the only word that came to mind was 'mask'. His smirk seemed permanently stuck, almost demonic in its smug, taunting way.

Then things got weird. Well, weirder.

Jet and Zuko and Momo (when did he get there?) suddenly merged to form Pirate-Appa, the familiar flying bison dressed in ridiculous clothes and an eye-patch. At the same time, her friends appeared, Aang emerging from within a tree, Toph sprouting from the dirt, and Sokka washing up on the river bank. They all charged forward and attacked Pirate-Appa, seeing only Jet and Zuko, ignoring Katara's shouted pleas and that the tree she was tied to was slowly sucking her inside.

Then she woke up.

Apparently, she had screamed, because an instant later Sokka was bursting into her room, brandishing a machete and demanding to know who had hurt her.

"No one! I'm fine," she insisted, breathing heavily and resting a hand on her forehead. "I just... had a really weird dream."

"You sure you're alright?" Toph asked, stepping in behind Sokka. "You're heart's pounding."

"Nightmare. Really freaky nightmare. That's all."

"Are you positive? Because you've been acting-"

"Aang, I'm fine!" she snapped, growing impatient with their insistent concerns. Honestly, she was a master waterbender; if anything happened, she could take care of herself!

After ordering her make-shift family to get out of her room, she quickly got dressed and ran her fingers through her hair, admiring it in the mirror. The Earth Kingdom humidity did wonders to her curls, making them bigger and bouncier. Maybe she should leave it down for a change...

Grabbing a quick breakfast, she rushed out the door and headed for Lower Ring, barely sparing a second to say good-bye to her friends. Walking at a brisk pace, she tried to figure out what to say to Jet when she confronted him. She knew she was going to set things straight with him – he chat with Li had solidified that decision – but drew a blank when trying to think of what to say.

'So kick his ass and show him you're not some sissy he can take advantage of!'

'He won't shut up about you, actually.'

'... He kissed you, didn't he?'

'Mostly he just complains about how long it's been since he's seen you.'

Of course – Toph and Li's words had to choose that moment to enter her mind. While she appreciated their advice and reassurance, it was harder to make a choice when two opinions were warring against each other inside her head.

Sighing, she decided to wing it. Trusting her gut was always the best option, right?

XxXx

With a grunt, Zuko heaved a heavy box onto a shelf in the back room, shoving it as far back as he could to make room for the rest. A shipment of new tea and supplies had just come in, and he was in charge of putting it away while Jet took care of the customers. It was a slow day, so he could handle it.

He grinned as he hefted another box onto the shelf. The other teen had been looking forward to getting a new apron, but the owner had 'forgotten' to place an order for one. Really, he just liked all the business it attracted.

The bell above at the entrance tinkled, alerting the shop to a new customer. Peeking out the slightly open door, Zuko checked if it was anything his friend would need help with.

And was very happy to be hidden away in the tiny supply room.

Standing in the entryway, Katara scanned the shop, spotted Jet, then headed toward him with purposeful strides. Her hair was free of its usual braid, making long brown waves down her back, its twisting curls looking rather exotic to the firebender. Back in the Fire Nation, most people wore their hair straight or pulled back in topknots. That was proper and traditional and the only way to be beautiful. But, on the waterbender, curls were undeniably wonderful.

Jet seemed to have noticed, too. His body had stiffened, hand paused with a teacup in its grasp, waiting to be set on a waiting customer's table, and, even though the Freedom Fighter's back was to him, Zuko knew he was looking her up and down, appreciating the change.

One hand on her hip, the other pointing a finger at him angrily, Katara said, "You are the most arrogant, manipulative, pig-headed jerk I have met."

Lifting his gaze to meet hers (where had he been staring?), Jet opened his mouth, struggling to find a response. But before he could speak, she ploughed on, gaining momentum in her tirade.

"First you lie to me and use my bending for your own twisted plans, then you expect forgiveness and send your friend out to do your dirty work, and then you have the nerve to kiss me out of nowhere!" as she listed each offense, she lifted a finger her left hand, the right one still at her hip. A low murmur filled the shop as the customers listened and shook their heads at Jet's alleged actions. "Maybe I'm crazy, maybe I'm a masochist, maybe I'm naive and believe that, deep down, you're a good person. I don't know why, but I like you. You do all these things and I still like you... Asshole!"

Seeming torn between defending himself and cheering with joy, Jet stared, brow furrowed and mouth open as her words sunk in and he searched for an appropriate response.

"Well?" Katara asked, crossing her arms and glaring. "Isn't this the part where you kiss me?"

He confused expression vanished, replaced by a self-satisfied smirk. Taking a step forward, he said, "I'd love to."

Then his arms wrapped around her waist and he was pulling her into a deep kiss.

Still watching from the safety of the supply room, Zuko rolled his eyes. This was a scene straight out of one of his uncle's cheesy romance novels.

Kneeling behind the counter, which was only a short distance from where Zuko hid, Iroh smiled and whispered, "You should be taking notes, nephew."

He merely scoffed and returned to his work.

Author's Notes: So, Zuko finally sees Katara as a pretty girl instead of a peasant and an obstacle, Katara finally stops trying to deny her feelings, and Jet finally gets what he wants. D

I hope you guys enjoy the update!

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Avatar' or any of its characters.