A/N: So as it turns out there isn't a two seperate chapters for Zuko and Katara! But I'm sure you all won't mind that because Zutara is what you're here for ;D If Aang is a little OOC I'm sorry, I'm not used to writing him! :O So tell me what you think :)

Enjoy!

Zuko fought the urge to freeze again. He paused, breathed in to keep calm, and walked on with Katara. Inwardly he heard the cruel laugh of his father. No, of course he didn't have any other scars.

"No, I don't," Zuko said, not making any explanation.

"Well...why not?" Katara asked. Zuko sighed, he had hoped she wouldn't ask that.

"Because a scar mars the perfect purity of the body. If I were ever to be scarred none of the noble women's fathers would have let them marry me, no matter how much they wanted to be connected to the royal bloodline. It just isn't done. A scar is a mark of dishonor and punishment. It's an embarrassment, and in some cases...a mark of banishment," Zuko finished rigidly.

"Oh...I'm sorry," Katara mumbled, blushing at how personal a question she had asked.

"It's alright. I should tell somebody these things," Zuko absolved.

After a few minutes of silence Katara piped up. "You know, in the Water Tribe a scar is a mark of honor." Zuko didn't reply, and so they walked in a comfortable silence.

The two wandered through the upper ring of the city, silently taking it all in. Just as silently, Zuko took Katara's hand.

Katara pulled her hand from his.

"I'm sorry, Zuko, but people know who we are. I'm supposed to be with Aang and you're supposed to be with Mai. Not to mention Toph's right, and we should discuss what happened last night."

"There's nothing to discuss, Katara. You know how I feel about you. And like we agreed, we're not going to talk about his until we leave."

"Look Zuko. I know I agreed to that last night but it's not going to work! It's a miracle that Aang didn't walk in on us last night to sleep on my floor! So I need to know what we are before I have to explain not wanting to be with him tomorrow. So what are we?" Katara demanded, hands on her hips.

Last night Zuko's mind had been fogged with his desire for her. All that she had pointed out was completely true, but somehow the spirits had been with them last night and they hadn't gotten caught.

"You're right Katara, you're always right," Zuko huffed. "I want to be with you. You can tell Aang tomorrow that you can't love him because you're with me...if you want," he added, nervous after his overjoyed outburst.

"Of course I want to!" Katara exaclaimed, and threw her arms around her Firelord and kissed him happily.

This was the happiest Zuko had been in a very long time, and it was because of his love for a water bender!

They laughed in amazement and thought the same thing:

It's astounding how a year can change so much!

XOXO

Aang was laughing at Momo while walking back to the tea shop. MoMo was trying to find piece of fruit in the mess that was Aang's disguise.

Aang was eavesdropping on different conversations along his walk. It was something he couldn't do with Katara, she would yell at him. Besides, it as just for fun! Aang snuck up to a group of girls and listened. The disguise he had on made it so that nobody would recognize him.

"I swear! The water bender from the Avatar's group was kissing the banished Fire Prince!" one of them exclaimed, trying to get her friends to believe her.

"Yeah right, Suni! And besides, he's the Firelord now," another girl answered.

"I saw them, I swear!" the first girl insisted.

"Oh - kaay..." another girl sarcastically agreed.

Aang's eyebrows knitted together. The girl must have been mistaken. Those two hated each other.

Then he thought again. They used to hate each other. Lately they seemed to have some sort of weird connection, even though they weren't speaking to each other at the moment. And Zuko took Katara to her room last night...

"Yeah right! Zuko and Katara together!" he exclaimed, and laughed for the rest of the way back. When he got back it was dark, and Iroh was closing the teashop for the night. Aang walked into the kitchen to see if Katara was there. She was, and she was already making dinner.

"Hey Katara! Did you have a nice day with Toph at the spa?" he asked cheerily. Her face was blank for a split second, but she quickly recovered, and Aang brushed it off.

"Yes Aang. Toph and I really needed a girl's day," Katara answered.

"I heard the funniest thing on the way home today. There was this group of girls arguing over whether or not one of them had seen you and Zuko kissing," Aang laughed, but Katara didn't seemt to find it funny. She looked shocked and her mouth was hanging open slightly. It clicked in Aang's mind. "They're wrong, right Katara?"

"Aang...I..." Tears rolled down Aang's cheeks, and consequently they rolled down Katara cheek's, too.

"Katara, how could you! You know I love you, that I was waiting for you. But you go around kissing him anyway?"

"Aang, I was going to tell you tomorrow, I can explain!" Katara sputtered.

"How can you explain sneaking around with the new Firelord while the Avatar stands here waiting for you, Katara? How?" Aang shouted.

"She doesn't need to explain. She chose me over you. It was her choice," came a low, angry voice from a shadow just outside of the doorway. Zuko stepped into the light, his amber eyes tinged with an angry red fire licking at his iris'.

"Zuko, get out of here. You aren't helping," Katara said icily.

"But - " Katara shot him a warning glare and he stomped out growling.

"So you chose to be with him? The guy who wants to fight your fights for you?" Aang said angrily, pointing in the direction Zuko had gone.

"You aren't any better than he is, Aang! And as much as I hate that he came in here and said that for me, he's right! I can choose to be with whoever I want! Zuko loves me and...well I love him!" Katara finished angrily. Aang was gaining control over his emotions again, and tried to talk her out of it.

"But don't you remember what Aunt Wu said? She said you'd marry a powerful bender! That's me!" Aang pointed out, and gestured to himself.

"You think you're the only powerful bender in the world, Aang? You forget who taught you fire bending, Zuko did. And you think he's not as powerful as you are?"

"But I'm the Avatar. I'm the powerful bender! Don't you get that?" Aang argued.

"No Aang, you don't get it! Just because you're the Avatar doesn't mean you get everything you want, and it certainly doesn't mean you can have me just because I cracked you out of a hundred year old block of ice you stuck yourself in having a tantrum!" Katara yelled, and finally this shut Aang up. Aang stormed out of the tea shop, grabbing his glider on the way.