The Truth

Katara woke up in Zuko's arms, next to him in bed. She slowly and quietly got up from the bed, being careful to not wake him up. She made her way outside the tent and went to the baskets where the team stored the food. She grabbed something and returned to Zuko's tent, she walked in and saw that he was already awake.

"Good morning" She said while flashing him a smile. He smiled at her and greeted her back.

"What's that?" He asked while putting on his shirt

"Oh, I went to grab food" She said while setting it down next on the small table next to his bed.

"Thank you" he said while getting up from his bed,
"Have you planned on what you're going to say to Aang?" Zuko asked while beginning to eat some of the food Katara had got him.

"No… not really. I was just planning on letting the words come out when I tell him" she said, the entire night she had tried to plan what she was going to say to him. She didn't know how to start the conversation off, she couldn't just walk in and just tell him that she didn't like him back, or tell him that she had never felt anything for him. That was a lie actually, she did indeed love him, but just not in the way Aang loved her. She liked him in a brotherly way, and that's how she would always feel about him.

"Don't worry so much, you'll be fine" he said while placing a kiss on her lips. She smiled at him and hugged him, thanking him for his support.

Suddenly Aang walked in to the tent, "Hey Zuko have you see Kata-" he said before stopping and gasping. He looked shocked, but that turned to anger as he stormed out.

Zuko and Katara looked at each other with worried looks, "I guess I have to tell him now" Katara said to Zuko. He nodded at her and she headed towards Aang.

"Aang wait" Katara said while catching up to him. She put her hand over his shoulder, "Let me explain" she said before she shoved her away. "Go away!" he said angrily, while running off again with the speed of wind.

Katara ran after him yelling his name. She passes numerous trees but didn't see any sign of him. Until she saw bunches of leaves on the ground, knowing that it must've been wind that knocked so much leaves down she heading off toward the trail. She eventually found him.

"Aang, just hear me out" she said while panting from all the running she had just did.

"There's nothing to hear Katara" he spat out, he gave her an angry look.
"You lied to me about having feelings for me." He said with anger while looking away from her.

"What?" she said confused, she could understand why he was mad but to say that she lied to him about having feelings was a lie.

"You heard him, you are a liar. You led me on, made me think that we had something." He said while his anger started to change to sadness. He looked at Katara with sadness before turning away.

"Aang… we were never a thing." She said while trying to not cry. It pained her to put him through so much pain but the truth had to be told.

"How could you say that!" he yelled. "What about the fun times we had together? And I even kissed you." He said louder.

"I only saw you as a friend" she said back, not being able to make eye contact with him, it would hurt too much.

"But I love you Katara" he said, Katara had a tear streaming down her face now. She felt a knot in her stomach, like the world was falling apart. It wasn't long ago that everything was fine.

"I do too Aang." She said while smiling at him. "But… just not in the way you love me" she said.

"You could have told me. Instead of leading me on to think we were more than just friends when really… the entire time you were with Zuko" He said painfully, "How could you?" he asked.

"Listen Aang, I never kissed you back. I never thought of us like that, I am sorry that you believed we were a thing when we never were. I am sorry I didn't tell you earlier." She said.

"You're with Zuko… aren't you?" he asked. Katara looked away, looked at the ground and sighed. Telling Sokka about her and Zuko was no easy trip, but this would be harder. She knew it had to be done but still, at the moment it happened the words couldn't escape her lips. She just couldn't manage to tell him, she searched for the right sentence, the right way, the right words, but nothing came to mind. Nothing she thought of could be said, she was lost.

"well?" Aang said impatiently. He looked at her but she didn't look back. The entire time they were talking she had not made eye contact, only once had she looked at him.

"Yes…" she said. "I know, I should've said something sooner but I couldn't figure out how"

"So all the times you went out to the woods, or when you came back with Zuko in the morning… and told me you were taking walks" He began, already knowing the answer.

"I was with Zuko." She said, "I'm sorry I lied about that."

"How long have you loved him" he asked with anger starting to return to him. Katara didn't know how to respond to him, how long did she love Zuko? Had she loved him before?

"I…I don't know" she said truthfully.

"But you love him now" he said.

"Yes" she said quietly.

"I love him" she said again as a whisper.

"I love Zuko." She repeated.

Aang stood up, "Ok" he said as he started to walk away to the camp.

"No hard feelings? She said, he stopped walking and turned around to face her. He didn't respond to her, he turned around and kept walking.

She sighed and returned to the camp. Zuko greeted her as soon as she returned and she hugged him. She could see Aang staring at them angrily in the corner of her eye. Zuko could see Aang also, he smirked a bit and kissed Katara. Wanting to show Aang that she was all his now. Katara whispered quietly "lets continue this in your tent. He is watching"

As they both went back to Zuko's tent they sat down next to each other.

"How'd it go?" he asked.

"it was okay" she said, giving a deep sigh.

"What happened?" he asked while putting a arm over her shoulder.

She leaned in closer to him, "He got mad I guess."

"Did he do anything to you?" he asked while cupping her head in his hands.

"No I'm fine Zuko, he just got mad, but then sad." She said.

"Did he take it well?" he asked.

"No, when our conversation was over he got up and left. I asked him 'no hard feelings?' but he didn't say anything. He stopped walking and looked at me, but he just turned around and kept walking." She responded.

"I'm sure he will get over it" He said.

"Yea" she said while leaning into him more. He wrapped his arms around her, she smiled against him.

"I love you Zuko" she said.

"I love you too" he said.

The end, sorry the story ended like this, sorry it was a horrible plot, I can remake the story later. I am planning on another story, an overused plot of Zuko kidnapping Katara and using her as bait but then falls in love. The first chapter of my next story will be out probably next week.