Right,
Left.
Right,
Left.
Breathe,
Smile.
Katara walked down the main staircase that went from the royal alcoves on the second story down to the ballroom. The shoes which incarcerated her feet glided smoothly over the marble floor, and she was about to come within sighting range of the many guests present for the Fire Lord's twenty-first birthday when a pair of warm, broad hands closed around her hips.
She was lifted and thrown backwards up the stairs, somersaulting almost automatically in order to land silently on the floor. She faced her attacker with a full water skin hidden beneath her dress, but lowered her hands as she recognized him.
"By the Gods, Zuko," she breathed, "You scared the soul out of me."
He smirked and wrapped his arms around her, "We've got a couple of minutes to spare."
She raised an eyebrow, "And?"
His mouth closed in over hers, "And we could make good use of them, don't you think?"
She nodded and pulled him closer, edging her way towards the closest chamber.