Zuko was getting worried. Katara had been inside for almost an hour. He wanted to give her all the time she needed to say what must be said but...he couldn't pretend he wasn't worried about Aang's reaction. She hadn't even told him if she intended to tell Aang that they were together now. He really wanted to scream it to the world, just so he was certain it was true. But he also wanted to keep it hidden, so that the truth belonged just to him. And so he wouldn't lose Aang's friendship.

Footsteps were approaching from behind him. Katara must have finished, at last.

He turned to receive her, trying to read her mood from her footsteps. They were hurried, but light. Almost one with the wind. By the time he realized they were not Katara's footsteps, it was too late. Aang was right in front of him, his face still hidden in the shadows of the entryway.

Should he back up? Scimper off? He didn't know. He wanted to stand his ground and say Katara was with him, but he didn't want to hurt Aang.

"You came here with her?" Aang asked, the wind subsiding as he spoke.

"Yes," Zuko croaked, trying to hold Aang's eyes through the shadows.

Aang was silent for a moment. He didn't move from the shadows. Zuko wondered if he was trying to hide his feelings, or if he was figuring it all out.

It seemed likeliest to be the second option.

"Aang...you should know...I...Katara…" Zuko stumbled. He didn't know where to start.

Aang moved out from the shadows. There was no maliciousness in his face; no anger or negativity. It scared Zuko more, that Aang's face was almost blank, when the remnants of his conversation with Katara still lingered; puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks.

"Whatever it is," Aang said calmly, "now is not the time to tell me. I won't react well. I need-need some time. Some meditation."

Zuko bit down on his lip hard, and nodded, looking away from the vivid pain in Aang's grey eyes. Aang was passing by when he stopped walking suddenly, and turned back to look at Zuko. He scanned him carefully, his eyes wide with wistfulness.

"Just promise me...you'll take care of her, okay?"

Zuko turned to respond, but Aang had rushed ahead; the winds speeding around him to numb all other sounds. He hurried into the temple, angry that he hadn't told Aang; feeling worse than ever at the smug satisfaction that Aang had at last relinquished Katara.

Katara, he found, was kneeling in front of a large moon hoisted at the front of the building. He slowed his pace to observe her. She was leaned forward completely, something crinkled between her fingers.

He kneeled down beside her; she didn't look up. Gently, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and she stirred; reacting to his touch. She straightened up and leaned into his shoulder. Her eyes were closed, but her dark lashes held a multitude of tears.

I should comfort her, Zuko thought, though no words came to mind.

They just sat there, silently, holding each other for the longest time.

"I'm sorry," he said finally.

She shook her head.

"No, I'm sorry. None of this should have happened. I should of...I should have recognized my own feelings a long time ago instead of shoving them down." She met his eyes. There was terrible pain, and mourning, but there was also admiration. "I don't know how you did it for so long."

"Did what?" he asked.

"Held on," she mumbled, looking down at the object in her hands; straightening it out with her fingers. "How you knew you cared about me, and watched me with someone else...with your friend."

"Well of course it wasn't easy," he said, "and I was angry and depressed most of the time."

"Angry?" she asked.

He laughed a little.

"That surprises you?"

She smiled a little.

"I suppose not. Who were you angry at?"

"Everyone. At Aang, for managing to win you, at you, for choosing Aang, but mostly, I was angry at myself that I never really gave you the choice because I didn't tell you."

She laughed. "That does make it hard for me to choose you." She paused. "I want you to know, I am glad."

He didn't understand.

"Glad?" he asked.

"That...that even though there's all this pain...and I'll never forget Aang's face when I told him...I'm glad that I got to choose you. Even with all the difficulties that come with it, I am thankful I still got to make that choice."

His face was red. He wanted her to stop looking at him, but she didn't. She just moved closer and closer, until she was close enough to kiss him-and then she kissed his bright red cheek. She turned her head and leaned back into him.

"Someday," she whispered, "someday I know we'll look back and...and see this as the beginning of the real adventure."

"So just forget about stopping a war that lasted one hundred years?"

She laughed again; her body shook against his, and he pressed his head over the top of hers affectionately.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe this is just the epilogue. But you know what's great about the epilogue?" she breathed, "no more problems."

"Well if you choose to spend it with me, we might debunk that theory."

"We'll just have to see, won't we?"

"I guess so."

Zuko closed his eyes, content in the warmth of Katara against him.