Day 10: Fake Dating

Katara looked into Zuko's golden eyes, happiness washing over her. They were in his room after leaving dinner with Iroh. They laughed at how he was so content that they were "dating" but neither had the heart to tell him that it was all a ruse.

"Do you think that he really believes it?" Katara smiled.

"I think so. He is a hopeless romantic." Zuko walked over to his bed and lied down.

Katara followed his lead and decided to lie down next to him, just as they had done a few nights before.

When she came to the Fire Nation, she came to take a break from the Water Tribe. She had visited Toph and thought that she would have been the hardest to visit but all they did was go to fights and to the spa. She visited Aang and he was busy rebuilding the Air Temples. He had a few recruits and a new girlfriend. She was happy for him. She never thought that she would have spent her time in the Fire Nation meddling in Zuko and Mai's love life. She never would have imagined that she would have fallen in love with him as well.

She and Zuko had only begun this arrangement a few weeks ago. Zuko had approached her on her first night and asked her to be his fake girlfriend. Apparently he and Mai had a fight the previous month and Zuko wanted to make her jealous. Katara didn't have the heart to tell him that Mai had probably moved on so she selfishly played along.

At first, they would just share meals together and go out to town. They wouldn't hold hands or display any kind of affection. Soon the two would play Pai Sho with Iroh and spend nights together talking until the early mornings.

"I can't believe that you have to leave tomorrow." Zuko sighed as he turned to face Katara. "I am really going to miss you. I have had more fun in the past few weeks than I have had since I became Fire Lord."

"You should come visit sometime. Ever since you became Fire Lord, you haven't been to my home. I can take you polar bear dog sledding and let you taste sea prunes. I can assure you they are a lot better than fire flakes." Katara giggled.

"You must be joking. Nothing is better than fire flakes." Zuko scrunched up his nose.

"We can agree to disagree." Katara smiled as she tucked her hands under her head. "So what are you going to tell Mai when I leave? What are we going to tell Iroh?"

"I never really thought that far." Zuko shrugged.

"That far? Zuko, I leave tomorrow."

"I know, the days just kind of flew by."

"Well you better think of something. Maybe we should 'break up'. You are doing this to get Mai back. She can't really get back together with you when we are still together."

"I don't think that I want to be with Mai anymore."

"What?!" Katara exclaimed, shooting up in the bed, "Then what was all of this for?"

"I just realized that Mai is not what I wanted out of a partner or a Fire Lady." Zuko sighed.

"And what exactly do you want?" Katara asked as she rolled her eyes.

Zuko swallowed and slowly brought up his eyes to look at Katara.

"You."

Katara let out a small laugh, "Very funny, Zuko."

Zuko was silent. Katara's eyes went big.

"You-you can't be serious. Me? The Fire Lady? A water bender from the water tribe the Fire Lady?"

"Katara, I think that I love you." Zuko sat up.

Katara turned away from Zuko and stood up from the bed. She ran her hand through her hair as she began to pace Zuko's room.

"Katara, please say something." Zuko looked at the nervous water bender.

"This wasn't supposed to happen." Katara stopped and faced Zuko.

"I know and I feel terrible. This was not the time to let you know."

"And just when did you realize this?" Katara almost yelled at Zuko.

"When you began crying at the musical that we went to the other night. I thought that you looked so beautiful. The tears rolling down your face, the way that you were hanging on to every note. It was then that I realized that I loved you and that you were the one for me."

"You love me because I cried?" Katara lifted her eyebrow.

"No," Zuko stood up, "I fell in love with you because of your passion, your intelligence, the love that you show to those who need it most, your generosity, your beauty, your...everything. Katara of the southern water tribe, I love you more than I can comprehend." Zuko walked over to Katara and placed a hand on her cheek.

Katara's eyes began to water. She was equal parts flattered and equal parts angry. Angry that he didn't tell her sooner.

"Please don't cry, Katara." Zuko sighed, wiping away the single tear that rolled down her cheek.

"I am so angry right now." Katara whispered.

"Well that was not the reaction that I was expecting." Zuko chuckled.

"Don't laugh, Zuko!" Katara exclaimed. "How dare you tell me this the day before I have to leave! You should have told me sooner."

"I was scared, Katara. It is not everyday that I tell someone that I love them. You should know I am not good at this kind of stuff. I never thought that I would be capable of the love that I feel for you."

Katara's head fell onto Zuko's chest.

"This is a fucking mess." Katara groaned.

"I really am sorry, Katara. I understand if you don't feel the same way." Zuko rubbed Katara's back.

Katara quickly lifted her head, "Not feel the same way? Zuko, I have loved you since the day that you took that lightning bolt for me but you were so happy with Mai and so I tried to be happy with Aang."

"Wait, you love me too?" Zuko wanted clarification.

"Yes, you idiot! I am just mad that you didn't tell me sooner so I could have told my dad not to send the ship!"

"So what are we going to do now?" Zuko asked.

"You created this mess, you get us out of it."

"I come with you." Zuko looked down at Katara.

"What?"

"I will come with you. I will leave Uncle in charge and I will come with you to the South Pole and be with you for a few weeks. It will give me a good chance to get to know your people and also remind Sokka who the better fighter is."

"You would do that?" Katara asked.

"You are really asking that of the guy who took a bolt of lightning for you? Katara, I would do anything for you." Zuko tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

Katara blushed before wrapping her arms around Zuko.

"I never thought that I would fall in love with a fire bender, much less the Fire Lord." Katara laughed.

"And if you would have told me during the war that I would have fallen in love with a water bender, I would have burned the other side of my face off to prevent that from ever happening."

"Hey, water benders aren't that bad."

"So what do you say? I join you in the South Pole?" Zuko smiled down at Katara.

"I would love that."