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Zuko sunk himself deep into the rejuvenating waters of the hot bath. His mind, body, and heart were all thoroughly drained and exhausted. As the steam filled his nostrils, the tension in his muscles slowly faded away, along with the echoing voices of his ministers.

"Half of the things they wanted me for they could have handled themselves," he thought aloud. He submerged his head and drown out the memories of the day. When his face broke surface once more, he laid his head back on the edge of the large bath.

It had been a long, trying day. A day made longer by constant thoughts of the previous night. Zuko still could not believe that he was able to finally tell Katara what he felt.

"But she didn't say anything," he reminded himself as he closed his eyes.

Katara had just stood there and stared at him. Her eyes seemed to be asking him something. Begging him even. But he could not discern what that something was. She had opened her mouth to speak, but the words never came. In the end, she turned away and followed Shuchun back to her little house, leaving him with only questions. What was it she had wanted to say? What was hiding within those eyes? Most importantly; how did she feel?

More than anything he wanted answers, but until she was ready he was not going to get any. He wanted to march down the streets and board the Water Tribe ship and ask her for an answer, but he also knew that it was not so easy for her to have one. No. This was something she was going to need time to figure out. Time and space. When she was ready, she would come and find him. Until then he would have to be patient.

"Too much," he said. "This is all too much right now. What I need is sleep."

Unfortunately for Zuko, sleep proved to be more elusive that night than a certain young airbender. As slow as the sun had been in its journey across the sky, the moon seemed much more eager to end its nightly vigil. Long before Zuko was able to rest, the sun's rays pierced his windows and danced across his face. As Zuko pulled his covers over his head he could already hear the shuffling of feet in the hallway that was slowly making its way to his door. They were coming for him. Their voices grew louder and louder until there came a thunderous knock on his door.

"Fire Lord Zuko, it is time to get up," someone announced. "You are late for your morning duties and I need you to look over these tax proposals."

"Not before he looks over the city plans!" another voice argued.

"But first, he must meet with me about the restructuring of our military!"

"Quiet!" Zuko shouted from his bed. "I'm not signing anything, reading anything, or even acknowledging the existence of anything until after I get something to eat!"

The ministers and secretaries were easy enough to intimidate, however they were very dedicated to their work. This is why as Zuko sat in the dining hall eating his breakfast, one of his secretaries was reading off his schedule for the day as he scanned the tax proposals.

"So most of your time will be occupied with finalizing details for the celebration tomorrow, Fire Lord Zuko," his secretary finished.

"At least it'll be more entertaining than all this paperwork," Zuko muttered darkly into his breakfast.

How wrong he was.

Most of the paperwork was little more than signing off on licensing merchants to sell their goods. Nearly halfway through the stack of contracts, Zuko began to wonder why he was bothering to read through them anymore. With the exception of the merchant's names the documents were all nearly identical anyway. As he ran his finger along yet another contract, his secretary poked his head through the doorway.

"Who in their right mind sells cabbage at a festival?" Zuko growled as he tossed the contract aside and eyed the man with a menacing glare. "What is it now?"

"Y-y-you have some guests, Fire Lord Zuko."

"Send them in," he commanded. "Anything to get away from this.

When the door opened, Zuko barely caught the blur that shot through the opening. He rose from his seat just in time for Shuchun's arms to wrap around his waist.

"Surprise!" she smiled.

Zuko had been caught completely unaware. It was not that he did not enjoy the embrace, he simply was not used to such an affectionate greeting. Before turning his eyes on the small girl that clung to him, Zuko noticed a shadow still lingering by the doorway. He patted the girl's head and smiled down at her.

"How did you get in here?" he asked with considerably less gruffness than he had used all day.

"I didn't get to see you all day yesterday, so I asked Katara to bring me!" she grinned.

The figure at the door now stepped into the room. Katara wore a somewhat hesitant smile, but a smile none the less. Without a word Zuko understood that she did not want to talk about that night, and he gave her a smile to let her know that he understood.

"So what can I do for you, ladies?" he asked with a tired attempt at a smile.

"Shuchun needs an instructor," Katara explained. "I told her that you might be able to find her one."

Zuko's eyes returned to the young woman. She pouted her bottom lip and opened her eyes wide and bright to beam up at him. As if her overpowering cuteness was not enough . . .

"Pretty please?"

"I think I may know just the man for the job."

- - - -

The palace gardens were something to behold. All along the walls were bushes and trees lined with the most gorgeous flowers that the Fire Nation had to offer. Panda lilies, ember orchids, and other such dazzlingly flowers just to name a few. As beautiful as the scenery was, it was not what captured Zuko's attention. Shuchun followed her new instructor step for step in a traditional firebending form as small blasts of fire danced majestically through the air around them.

"That is quite impressive," Iroh said as he guided the young lady through the form. "You are taking to the lesson magnificently. And you say that you are self-taught?"

"Yup," Shuchun answered proudly. "Uh . . . I mean, yes sir. Sifu Iroh."

Zuko and Katara sat together on the deck facing the garden watching the exercise. Every so often Zuko's eyes would steal a glance at the woman next to him, but his eyes would quickly return to the firebenders in his garden when the cerulean orbs turned towards him.

Stupid, he thought. How is this giving her space?

Katara's heart was pounding so loudly and violently in her chest that she was surprised that Zuko could not hear it from where he was sitting. She should say something. What should she say? "How are you?" was just a stupid question. "Do you like being Fire Lord?" was only that much worse.

"Katara--"

"What do you want from me?" she blurted out. What are you doing? she thought as she mentally kicked herself.

"I don't want anything," Zuko replied in his bewilderment.

"Then what was that all about?" Shut up!

What was what--"

"What you said, Zuko!" she yelled. Don't say another word! "I'm talking about what you said!"

"I only said what I meant," he answered, raising his voice to match hers.

"And what was that?" she shrieked, now almost hysterical as she stood and glared down at him.

"That I love you!" he screamed.

Katara took a sharp intake of breath when Zuko stood to meet her gaze. She could feel her heartbeat echoing in her head as her cheeks lit up and her hands began to tremble.

"Not a day passes that I don't wonder how you are or what you're doing! I can't even make a decision without thinking 'what would Katara say?' It's driving me insane!" Zuko ran his hands through his hair as he bowed his head. After taking a few calming breaths, he looked up at her once more. "I want you in my life. Always."

Katara drank in Zuko's words and allowed them to fill her every thought and feeling. He loved her. He had just told her that he loved her. Her mind carried her back to the ministers when they had returned from Shuchun's village and fear gripped her. The Fire Nation would never accept this. She turned her back on the Fire Lord in an attempt to shut him out.

"Zuko, I can't," she whispered.

"You can't, or you won't?" he asked just as quietly.

"Stop," she begged as the tears began to swell in her eyes. "Please, just stop."

"Fine." Zuko stepped around her and faced her directly once more. He placed his hands down on her shoulders and waited for her to look at him. When she finally did look up into his golden eyes, she could see the determination and sincerity that burned within them. "Tell me you don't love me," he said. "Tell me that you don't care for me and I'll never speak of this again."

How she wished that he would not stare at her with those eyes. They revealed to her a truth that she was not she she was ready to face. A truth that promised a great deal of struggle and adversity ahead, but also a happiness that she knew could never be matched in this world. She loved him too. She shut her eyes as tightly as she could, hoping against hope that the tears threatening to fall would stop. When they did not, she felt the familiar comfort and support of Zuko's arms wrapping around her. There was a feeling of safety, of sanctuary, in those arms that she had missed so much since that night three years ago.

"It'll be alright," Zuko whispered to her. "It'll all be alright."

"But what if it won't be?" she asked, burying her face in his chest. "What if your love isn't enough?"

"I'm not going to pretend that I ever thought that my love could be," he replied. "But I know that our love can be."

Zuko's strong, reassuring hand stroked her hair as he held her tightly. Katara was not sure how long she cried into him, but when the tears finally left her she felt as though they had carried a great burden away with them. She placed her hands on Zuko's arms and pushed back from him just enough to look into those beautiful eyes. He confusion and chaos that she was so accustomed to seeing in them were gone as though they had never been. She felt her heart begin to race once more as Zuko leaned towards her. Without thinking, she closed her eyes and waited for him. A soft giggle stole her from her dreamy state and stopped Zuko in his tracks. Iroh and Shuchun were witting at the edge of the deck, both smiling and watching eagerly.

"Not the lesson that I had in mind," Iroh shrugged. "But this is definitely a very important one."

Zuko blushed furiously as the other three laughed. When Katara's hand slid its way into his, Zuko find himself smiling and laughing too.

A/N: Ooh, so close, Zuzu! Keep trying! If you all want to read the exciting conclusion, Kasamari is gonna need your reviews!