AN: Zutara week, day 4! My friends, you have no idea how long I've been waiting to write this chapter.

Celestial

It's up to you, and it's up to me
And no one can say what we get to be
So why don't we rewrite the stars?
Changing the world to be ours?

- Zac Efron and Zendaya

Katara sits on the beach, her legs outstretched just far enough that the rising tide tickles her toes.

The sky is dark and clear, filled with flickering stars and a full silver moon. The whole world is quiet in the hours before dawn.

She thinks on what Zuko told her long ago at the Western Air Temple. He was right. There's something special about this Ember Island beach. The darkness is warm and enveloping, the sea is beautifully calm, and the moon is brighter here than anywhere she's ever seen it. Katara thinks she would stay here forever if she could.

It's been a few days since the wedding. Most of the guests have left already, but the Gaang is staying at the beach house until Katara recovers completely.

Katara is feeling much better, and besides the scar on her side, she can hardly feel the wound anymore.

No, it isn't her near-death experience that's been troubling her. It's what happened after.

She looks up at the constellations and wonders who decided them, who decided that some lines were meant to be drawn while other lines were not. The stars never got the chance to choose, did they? The lines connecting them were drawn by others, by different cultures and societies.

But she thinks as much as people try to fit shapes to the stars, there is a chaos to the night sky that cannot be tamed by anyone.

"Katara."

The voice startles her. She turns. It's always impossible to hear him coming. She thinks he doesn't even realize it sometimes, but he's quiet as a ghost.

Katara sighs. "Hey."

Zuko walks over and sits down in the sand next to her, their shoulders brushing.

She glances at him and quickly looks away. He's bare-chested. He must have woken in the middle of the night, like her. They've slept separately ever since that night. In fact, they haven't even spoken about that night, about the undeniable pull like gravity that they both feel.

Katara is seventeen, hopelessly in love, and she has no idea what to do about it. She's been thinking, though. She can't stop thinking about him.

"Sokka and Suki are planning to leave for Kyoshi for their honeymoon," says Zuko.

She raises an eyebrow. "Where'd you hear that?"

"They were talking about it tonight," he replies. "I overheard them while I was sneaking out of my bedroom window and onto the roof."

Katara laughs. "What? Spirits, Zuko, why were you on the roof?"

"Taller vantage point," Zuko explains. "Easier to spot where you were."

She blushes. "You knew I was out here?"

He rolls his eyes. "I heard you sneaking through the halls, down the stairs, and out the front door, Katara. Nice attempt, but you really need to make your steps lighter. I could hear the floorboards creak from three rooms away when you got up."

"Seriously?" Katara laughs. "Zuko, sometimes your abilities are just plain spooky."

"I just pay attention to my surroundings," he replies.

"Why'd you come after me?"

He shrugs. "I . . . I just wanted to talk to you. Why are you out here anyway?"

"I couldn't sleep," she admits. "It's been a problem lately."

"Yeah, me neither," says Zuko. He half-smirks. "They say misery loves company, huh?"

Katara smiles. They share a moment of silence, gazing at the stars together. She finally breaks the silence. "Did you catch when Sokka and Suki plan to leave?"

"In a few days," he sighs.

She hums in acknowledgment.

"Katara?"

"Yeah?"

He hesitates. "How long are you staying? In the Fire Nation?"

Katara doesn't know how to reply. She knows what her answer is, of course, but she also knows the question is more than it seems. They're dancing around each other, avoiding the real conversation, and they both know it. Katara is fine with it. She wouldn't know how to start that conversation even if she wanted to.

"I just . . . some company would be nice," he continues. "I know the wedding over and you have responsibilities at the South Pole and Ba Sing Se and—"

"Zuko," she interrupts gently, placing one hand over his on the sand. "I'll stay as long as you need me here. I've missed the Fire Nation, and I'm sure I can find something important to do here." Her smile turns teasing. "Someone needs to watch your back, after all, since so many people want you dead and you obviously can't take care of yourself. I wouldn't trust the job to anyone else."

He takes a relieved breath. "Thank you."

Katara smiles softly in reply.

Zuko's hand lets go of hers and slips around her waist, hugging her to his side. She snatches his other hand in revenge, and suddenly they're very close.

They gaze at each other.

Katara thinks he looks very different at night. Zuko's body is relaxed and one with the darkness, his breath in harmony with the tide. His eyes are no longer burning gold like a sunrise. No, this is something softer and cooler—a pure celestial glow, like the moon.

Like stars brought down to earth.

Katara leans closer, and Zuko does the same. Both of them are holding their breath. It feels like the entire world has gone still.

She questions with her eyes, whether he feels the same way as her, whether he wants this, whether he's going to cover the distance. She kissed him the first time, but this time she wants him to decide. His eyes offer no answer at all, only that soft glow that makes her soul shiver and her heart skip beats.

All at once she understands. That look is his answer.

He covers the distance.

At first it's just a brush of lips. Katara tilts her head and half-closes her eyes, and then she pushes a little further, and he responds with equal and opposite pressure. She leans in, her hands wrapping around his neck, feeling the bare skin of his shoulders. One of his hands tangles in her hair and the other settles on the small of her back. They fall onto the sand with her on top of him, their kiss unbroken, mouths searching, hands wandering. Her mind is blank. All she feels is herself and him.

They're kissing in the dark and the stars are shining down on them and she's sure that she loves this boy.

Katara thinks she might be in heaven.

But when they finally pull away from that kiss, Katara takes deep breaths, propping herself up on his chest with her arms. She looks at the stars, and then she looks to the side, unable to meet his gaze.

"Katara?" he whispers. "What's wrong?"

Katara shakes her head and moves backward, off of him, pulling her knees to her chest and curling up on the sand. Zuko sits up and touches her shoulder, then gently puts his arm around her.

She sighs and leans into him.

"Katara," he murmurs. "Would you . . . would you be annoyed if I said I love you?"

She laughs weakly. "You know I love you too, Zuko."

They sit together in silence for a long moment. His eyes are bright and warm as always, and Katara can't look away.

"But it's not just about us," she finally says.

Zuko's eyes darken, and she knows he understands what she meant.

"You're the Fire Lord, Zuko!" Katara sighs. "Everything you do has political consequences, especially in this. You should be with someone noble, a respectable Fire Nation girl! I'm just a . . . a Water Tribe peasant, you know? Your people might never accept me. Our cultures are complete opposites, our elements are opposites. Our families live far from each other, and we both have responsibilities. I . . ." Her voice breaks. "I really, really want this, Zuko, but I just don't know . . ."

He nods thoughtfully.

Katara gazes at the night sky. "Everything written in our stars is against us."

Zuko looks up as well, then meets her eyes and gives a soft laugh.

"What?" she says defensively.

"You know what I think?" he teases. "I think you're scared."

Katara's jaw drops. The words she spoke on the night of the wedding echo back in her ears. He just used her own line against her. The nerve of this boy. But even if it's just a silly taunt, his words are the truth. She frowns.

"You're right," she admits. "I am scared."

They're both silent for a while.

Finally, Zuko's arm tightens around her and he leans his head against hers. "It scares me too, but I think we can do this. We've done impossible things before." His other hand gestures to the heavens. "I don't see anything written in those stars, Katara. I see an open sky."

She gazes up and sees it too.

"I see a blank canvas," continues Zuko, "and I'd love to write something there with you."

Katara absorbs the words for a moment.

She wants this, more than she's ever wanted anything. She thinks he's right. Together, they've done impossible things before. They've gone from enemies to best friends to whatever this is together. They helped end the war together. They saved the world together. Maybe they can rewrite the stars together too.

Katara smirks and gives him a teasing glance. "Want to start now?"

She leans in and captures his lips with hers, and Zuko returns the passion, smiling into the kiss.

This, thinks Katara, really is heaven.

. . .