"Who are you?"

It had not been an expected question; Zuko had just saved her and he had not expected to be interrogated without at least a 'thank you' first. Zuko looked at her, confused, and was surprised to see scorn and anger in her eyes. His broad swords suddenly seemed heavy and awkward; his mask foolish and unwanted; his silence suspicious and stupid.

The Blue Spirit stared at her for a moment. He could tell the girl wanted an answer, and she would stay until she got one.

"A friend." Because it was true.

(Or that was what he'd thought at the time, but looking back it had been a chance to play hero and nothing more. So he fled cloaked in the lie he had just told, and only the forest was left to see a sneer curl on her lips.)

x

"Who are you?"

The second time she asked had been no accident; she had found Zuko standing over his sister's body, blood trickling out of Azula's mouth and onto the ground.

Katara had convulsed and retched (he remembered her snarling at one of their enemies, once 'That I don't kill can only make me stronger'), looking up at him with eyes full of pain and choking out her question one more time. Zuko had stood their, dumbstruck, because he had no answer and because he would have thought she would have made an exception for Azula, of all people.

So he had answered, "A friend." Because, after all, he had just saved her life and everyone else's.

(But she had looked at him incredulously, her eyes full of pain and betrayal, and Zuko had known that once more, he had lied.)

x

"Who are you?"

The third and final time was not meant as an insult, but it stung Zuko like a paper cut as Katara looked at him, the carefully carved necklace resting in her hand and all seriousness in her eyes as she met his amber gaze.

It was a question she had to ask and he needed to answer, and so for a long moment of silence as he searched for words to tell her.

"A friend." Because he had always answered that before and, really, there was nothing else to say.

(There is a moment of horrible, horrible anticipation as she looks at him calmly, but everything is resolved in the single moment when Katara smiles and leans forward, her lips meeting his.)

Because this time, it was the truth.


I like writing this - fluff, angst, death, Blutara, and italics all in one drabble.

And AvatarKiba1001 - when I get the chance, I will write a hot fire/water makeout scenes when I get the chance. Hopefully my horrible kiss-scene writing won't mentally scare anyone, lol.