"When the lights come up and there's no shadows dancing

I look around as my heart is collapsing

'Cause you're the only one I need

To put a little love on me."

-Niall Horan

The ballroom was vast and echoed with the excited chatter of visiting nobles and potential donors. The smell of fresh paint permeated the air and even in the dimly lit space, the brand-new marble floors sparkled. The high ceilings and carved columns created a touch of elegance, and the four-piece orchestra playing in the corner benefited greatly from the acoustics.

Yes, the reception hall of the newly founded Republic City was truly a beautiful piece of modern architecture. The members of Team Avatar flitted about the room schmoozing with guests and encouraging donations to make their dream city a reality. As the night went on, the buffet had been emptied, drinks were served, the donation box reached a bursting point, and couples gathered together to dance in the dim, romantic light.

These parties always followed the same routine, Zuko observed. But, if it kept the guests happy and the donations flowing, he couldn't complain. It took a lot of time, effort and, most importantly, money to build a city. Furthermore, convincing the royals that their new democratic system would create an idyllic place to live proved to be more difficult than anticipated. But they were coming around. Zuko had a difficult time coming up with a convincing argument on the spot. He was much more of a well-prepared speech kind of guy. But the others…

He spotted Katara on the other side of the great hall, silhouetted by warm candlelight from the sconces. She was speaking with a member of the Norther Water Tribe, smiling, fingers toying with her necklace. She was the one who was so good at this. She showed off her thorough plans for medicinal research and a hospital that would run as smoothly as a well-oiled machine and the donations came pouring in.

For a brief moment, her eye caught his, and her smile widened. The corner of his mouth twitched in response and he quickly turned his back to her. He saw Aang standing by the donation box, smiling proudly for a photographer. Normally Zuko participated in the photo-ops as well, but he was content to let this one slide. If he was being honest with himself, he was getting tired of these grand parties. He longed for the chance to sit in the meeting room just upstairs with his closest friends and flesh out the plans for the city. But, of course, the funding needed to come first.

The party began to thin out as the midnight hour passed, and those who remained were slowly backed up to the door by Sokka's obnoxious but clever chatter.

The chandeliers above were lit once again – how amazing this new electricity was! – and illuminated all of the cleaning up that needed to be done. She was also illuminated and Zuko's breath caught in his throat. She stood by a column, waving goodbye to the last of the guests, smile wide and genuine. Another successful party, more funds for her hospital. She had all the reasons in the world to be so filled with joy.

And so did he. So why wasn't he?

He watched as Aang carted the donation box off to their safe, Toph trailing close behind to metalbend the lock for extra security. Sokka and Suki pushed the long buffet table together, guiding it to the storage room where it belonged. Everyone seemed to have coupled up, except for him. It was just Zuko, in the massive, echoing hall. Katara, on the other side, seemed about a thousand miles away.

And then he realized the orchestra was still playing. A low, lilting melody gently riding the air like a wave. It wafted over him like the sweetest perfume and he swallowed. He wasn't by himself, but he was, essentially, alone with her.

His feet moved without his instruction. They took him to the very center of the room and stopped underneath the sparkling chandelier. The glass cast glittering rainbows over the floor, highlighting the marble. She caught his eye again and smiled. As she approached, his heart leapt into his mouth.

The orchestra continued to play.

She was only a few feet away now, and he cleared his throat. "The orchestra…we should dismiss them. The party's over…"

"I asked them to stay a little longer," Katara admitted, the faintest pink tinge spreading over her cheeks.

She stopped just in front of him and Zuko's eyes darted around. It was still just the two of them, swallowed by the elegance of the marble and sparkling chandeliers, dressed in their absolute best. Her deep royal gown and the shining sapphire hair piece brought out the blue of her eyes. The golden accents of the traditional Fire Lord robes wrapped him in grace. Two parts of a group working to create a whole new world.

"I, um…" Katara continued. Her eyes lowered, staring down at their feet. "I'm tired of just watching all the couples dancing during these things. I want to try it for myself. I was wondering…if you would dance with me?"

The question was so out of the blue that Zuko could only stare at her in stunned silence. Her eyes widened and she turned to make a quick escape, but he reached out and gently took her wrist.

"I…I'm not very good at dancing," he stammered.

Katara did everything she could to avoid meeting his eye, her face a deep crimson. "You don't have to. It was stupid, I shouldn't have…"

"Wait!" Zuko interrupted, mentally cursing himself and his social awkwardness. "I mean…the orchestra is still here. It's just us…so we might as well."

Katara's shoulders relaxed and her blush faded as she broke into a cautious smile. "You really want to?"

He nodded and placed his free hand carefully against her waist. He slid the hand gripping her wrist up to her hand, intertwining their fingers together. "Like this, right?"

"It's how everyone else seems to do it," Katara agreed, draping her hand over his shoulder.

Gently, they swayed to the music. The low heels of Katara's shoes clicked against the marble with every step they took. Unconsciously, Zuko drew her closer until their torsos were touching. As the music swelled, Katara rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"Do you think you can dance with me at the next party?" she mumbled into the fabric of his robes.

Zuko tensed. "There are more parties?"

With a snicker, Katara pulled back to look at him. "At least two more. We haven't quite reached our goal yet."

With a sigh, Zuko said, "I guess dancing with you is something to look forward to, then."

"I'll make it worthwhile. I promise." Katara rested her cheek against his shoulder once more and closed her eyes, taking in his touch and the beautiful melody surrounding them.

Relaxing, Zuko placed his chin on top of her head and also closed his eyes, relishing in their closeness.

With their eyes closed, neither noticed as the lights dimmed around them. The flickering candles in their sconces cast subtle shadows throughout the grand hall, bouncing off the young couple dancing in their own world.

"Shouldn't we tell them it's time to leave?" Sokka whispered to Suki, who had her hand on the light switch.

She shook her head with a smirk. "Let them have their moment. They'll figure out we left eventually."

"I guess." He threw his arm around her shoulders and began leading her towards the exit. "I snagged all the leftovers from the kitchen. Want to come over and eat them?"

Suki snickered and cast one last glance back to the dancing couple. "I guess I don't have anything better to do."

/Somehow these stories also end up being more from Zuko's point of view. I'm trying to get more Katara POV worked in...eventually! I'm just a sucker for the angsty fireboy. -MM