"I've been seeing all, I've been seeing your soul.

Give me things that I wanted to know, tell me things that you've done. I've been feeling old,

I've been feeling cold; you're the heat that I know, listen, you are my sun." Drop The Game, Flume & Chet Faker

Xx

Sokka wakes Katara up a little later so that she can eat. She's too tired to even be impressed that someone else cooked for once, and she refuses to leave Zuko's side— not that anybody asks her to. Toph is already asleep, having eaten before Katara could even wake up, and Sokka and Aang sit a ways away from her, talking quietly to each other. Zuko is still sleeping, but his face is calm and his breathing is still even. His skin looks better, the color having come back after she healed him. She doesn't think that she'll ever get that experience out of her head; it was so hard to see him in so much pain, physical and mental, and have to just… let him ride it out while she worked. She couldn't go too fast, she didn't want to risk damaging any part of him, but there had been so much darkness twisted up in his mind. Someone had covered Zuko, and herself, with a blanket while she slept, and she was glad to know that her friends cared about him so much.

"How is he?" Aang asks quietly as he and Sokka come up beside her.

"He's stable. How long was I out for?"

"Four hours." Sokka's voice is gentle as he and Aang squat down on either side of her.

"He'll probably need to rest for a few more hours, at the very least." She puts her empty bowl down, having been so hungry that she pretty much inhaled her food. "That experience was bad for us, but I can't begin to imagine what it was like for him." Her eyes start to water, and she feels Sokka's heavy hand on her back.

"He's safe now." She looks at her brother, always there to comfort her when she needs it most. "That's what matters. You should get some more rest."

He and Aang stand up, the latter holding a small pillow out to her. She smiles as she takes the pillow, and lays back down in the same position she had been in before, sore back and dead arm be damned. She presses her face into Zuko's arm, the warmth comforting her as she falls back asleep.

Xx

She doesn't wake up again until the next day, and about halfway through the morning, Zuko begins to stir next to her. She's sitting next to him brushing through her hair when his face twitches and he inhales deeply. She almost throws her comb onto the ground in her haste to get closer to him (even though she is already right next to him), and he groans as he opens his eyes. The gold is bright and multifaceted in the sunlight shining down on them, and tears well in Katara's own eyes when she finally sees his focus on her.

"Katara?" His voice is scratchier than usual, but the sound is no less comforting. After weeks and weeks of fearing that he was dead, and then having to disentangle all of the darkness in his mind, his voice is more beautiful than the rarest bird song. "What happened?"

"Zuko!" She can't form any more words, her throat closing up around the swell of emotions in her chest. Her tears start to fall, and she can do nothing but lay her head on his chest and cry. His arm comes around to hold her tight, the other awkwardly trapped on the ground between Katara's body and his, but she doesn't care. She holds him to her, one arm holding his waist and the other fisted in his shirt, all her weight supported by his chest.

"Katara..." She feels him tilt his head and press his nose into her hair as she tries to control her sobs. "Katara, it's okay. I'm okay."

She pulls away from him, wiping her nose on her sleeve and taking note of the patch of tears she's left on his shirt, and helps him sit up as the others come to check on him.

"Hey." She looks into his eyes to respond, and they're full of worry, full of concern for her even though he's the one who was hurt and gone and brainwashed, and she surges into his arms again as her sobs return anew. She locks her arms around his neck, wishing that she'd never have to let go, and his snake around her waist, his warmth grounding her. I love him. Spirits, I love him so much. She cries herself dry, and only after her breathing is steady and her hiccups have subsided does she pull herself from his embrace.

"Katara," Sokka kneels down beside her. "Let the man eat before you cry all over him, at least." Katara's laugh is choked and wet, and as she dries her eyes she sees Sokka hand a bowl of food to Zuko. "Glad you're back among the living, buddy." Sokka gives Zuko's shoulder a firm squeeze, and the look of shock on Zuko's face almost makes Katara laugh.

"Thanks..." He sounds lost, but he starts eating immediately, no doubt famished after everything his body has been through. "What happened? Why are you all looking at me like that?" To his credit, he waits to speak until his mouth isn't full. Toph and Aang approach them, and they all sit around Zuko.

"You were brainwashed by the Dai Li." Zuko stops with his spoon half way to his mouth when Aang speaks. "You helped us escape in Ba Sing Se, and Azula had you brainwashed to come and find us."

"Oh." Zuko puts his spoon back into the bowl. "How did I get here?"

"Well..." Toph begins, and Katara nudges Zuko's elbow to encourage him to keep eating. "You showed up with your friend Mai, and you were all like "I finally found you!" but Mai knocked you out before you did anything stupid. She told us Azula sent her with you to keep you in line, but she couldn't stand to see you all fucked up 'cause of the brainwashing." Toph's words are inelegant, but they get the point across well enough.

"Do you remember anything between Ba Sing Se and today?" Sokka asks.

"Not really." Zuko wipes his mouth with the back of his sleeve. "I know that I was looking for Aang and that Mai was with me, but I don't remember any details."

"Do you think you're well enough to travel?" Katara doesn't want to risk his recovery, but they have to get going. "We can't stay in one place for too long."

"Yeah, I think I'm good." He moves to stand up, and groans when he straightens out. "How long was I on the ground for? My back is killing me." He stretches his arms up over his head, his shirt pulling up just enough to show a sliver of his stomach, and Katara has to pretend to pick at a hangnail to hide her blush. He twists from side to side, his back cracking audibly.

"Ohh, did that feel as satisfying as it sounded?" Toph seems to have enjoyed the sound that Katara had cringed at.

"Absolutely." Zuko turns and smiles down at Katara, and she realizes that travelling with Zuko is going to make things very hard for her. Yue, help me.

Xx

Zuko's first time flying on Appa is as terrifying as it is exhilarating. He feels like a little kid as he peers over the side of the saddle, a smile stretched over his face as his hair whips around in the wind.

"This is amazing," he says to himself, not expecting anyone to respond.

"Speak for yourself, Sparky." Toph sounds like she's going to hurl at any moment, and it reminds Zuko of his first few months on his ship after he was banished. He thinks about how his uncle would make him peppermint tea to calm his stomach and his heart clenches in his chest.

"Are you okay?" His thoughts must show on his face, and since he's woken up Katara has been very… he would say overbearing, but he can't deny that he is greatly enjoying all the attention she's giving him. Even if it makes it extra hard not to kiss her.

"Yeah." He's glad she's sitting next to him, because the look on her face screams "I know you're full of shit," and he doesn't want everyone knowing how weak he is. "I'm just thinking about my uncle," he murmurs, voice low so that it doesn't carry.

Katara's brows crease in sympathy and she takes one of his hands in hers. Agni, if she keeps doing stuff like this, I'm going to end up telling her I love her by the end of the night.

"I'm sure he's okay Zuko," she says with confidence, and he believes her. She could tell him that the sky is green with orange polka dots and he'd believe her. Her hair flutters around her face, the brunt of the wind blocked by Appa's huge head, and the urge to run his hands through it is almost overwhelming. Relax Zuko. You're not fifteen anymore. Pining isn't cool.

"That's it!"

His attention is pulled away from Katara (something he is grateful for and frustrated by at the same time) by her brother, who is pointing at a small island not too far in the distance.

"That's the rendezvous point!"

They had told Zuko about their plan for the invasion on the day of black sun, and he had to admit that it was a pretty solid plan. He had no idea if it would work, but it was worth a shot. The bison tilts downward, and Zuko's stomach flips as they lose altitude. Katara must see it in his face, because she laughs at him and gives his hand (which she is still holding) a squeeze. I'm so screwed.

Appa touches down in a vast field, and they all hop off to start setting up their camp. It hits Zuko that he's actually a part of the group now. They all work together to set things up, and he stands to the side awkwardly, not sure what to do with himself. He's never been part of a group like this; hell, he hasn't even had a real friend since he was 13, and even then, Mai and Ty Lee had been Azula's friends first. Are these people his friends? He thinks maybe Katara is his friend (he tells himself that it's better than nothing), but he's not so sure about the others. None of them really know him, not even Katara.

"How did you pick this place?" Toph asks Sokka, and Zuko moves towards the group, feeling like he should at least try to socialize.

"Before we split up, my dad and I found this island on a map. It's uninhabited, and the harbors surrounded by the cliffs seemed like the perfect secluded place. And we have some time to relax; we're four days ahead of schedule!"

"Four days?!" Aang's eyes are wide, and the anxiety is visible on his face. "There's only four days until the invasion?!"

"Yeah, but that's like, four days from now." Sokka unfurls his bedroll and climbs into it. Zuko realizes that he doesn't even have a bedroll. "For now let's just relax and…" he yawns and trails off, and is snoring in minutes.

"Sokka's right, Aang." Katara is laying out her own bedroll as she speaks. "We're here, we're ready. The best thing we can do now is rest."

"I guess so..." Aang looks unsure, and as he sits down on his own bedroll, Zuko realizes how tired he is, but has no idea what to do with himself.

"Oh, Zuko, you don't have a bedroll, do you?" Katara climbs up onto Appa and returns with another bedroll. "We had gotten this for Toph, but she likes sleeping on the dirt." Her nose scrunches up, making Zuko smile. "Here."

She gives it to him as if he has any idea where to even put the damn thing. His anxiety kicks up as he weighs the options in his head; if I put it next to Katara, does that come off as weird? But I don't really know anyone else. Should I put it off to the side? No, that'll seem weird too. What if—

"Come sleep next to me."

His cart crash of a thought process is interrupted by Katara, who smiles at him like she isn't flipping his insides around like pancakes. He lays out his bedroll next to hers, judging the amount of space between everyone else's beds before determining a safe distance to put between him and Katara. If it's too close, he could make her uncomfortable, but if it's too far, he could offend her. Can my anxiety relax for like, twelve seconds? That's all I need. He lays down and forces himself not to look at her, instead gazing up at the night sky to appreciate the gorgeous stars until his eyelids slide shut.

He is awakened before the sun has risen by a steady pounding sound. The sky is soft and light, the sun just below the horizon casting a warm orange glow that bleeds into a calm lavender. He takes a deep breath to center himself before he sits up to see Aang… punching a tree? Katara groans next to him, clearly frustrated with being woken up before the sun has risen, and sits up as well, her hair frizzy around her head. She looks at Aang briefly, and turns to look at Zuko, who shrugs his shoulders before stretching his arms above his head and bending over to touch his toes, cracking his back all the way up his spine.

"Is it supposed to do that?" He looks at Katara's slightly horrified face and chuckles, knowing that she is referring to his back crackling like popcorn popping over a fire.

"Probably not, honestly."

He gets up as Toph and Sokka start to stir, both of them groaning as well. The sun is creeping closer to the horizon, orange and pink splashing higher up into the sky as he goes to approach Aang with Katara close behind him.

"How long have you been up?" Aang has deep purple bags under his eyes, and looks to be in a daze as Zuko talks to him.

"A few hours." His voice is monotone, which worries Zuko more than he'd like to admit. "I've got a lot to work on before I fight Ozai."

"Aang, you know there's such a thing as 'over training,' right?" Katara moves beside Zuko, concern coloring her voice.

"You don't get it!" Aang snaps, turning on them with wild eyes. "My form is bad, I'm sloppy, and I still don't know any firebending. Not even the basics!"

"Why doesn't Zuko teach you some firebending?" Sokka speaks up with a yawn as he walks over towards the three of them.

"I don't think it's a good idea right now. Aang already has a lot to focus on, and adding firebending to that will just make it more stressful." He doesn't say that his firebending hasn't been at its greatest lately, and that he's worried that he won't be able to teach Aang anything at all.

"Plus," Katara interjects, "the eclipse will render firebending useless anyway. You don't need to know it right now."

"Well I still need to work on everything else. I better spend the whole day training." He bows to the three of them rapidly, the motions almost comical if it weren't for the situation surrounding them, and speeds off on an air scooter towards a large gathering of koala sheep.

"I was gonna ask him if he wanted to meditate with me, but…" Zuko trails off, unable to even see Aang anymore, knowing that the boy is too anxious to sit still right now.

Sokka and Katara both sigh and head back to the camp, and Zuko walks around to find a good spot to meditate. He settles on the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea, facing the sun as it begins to crest the horizon. He breathes deep, closing his eyes and revelling in the grace of Agni as he rises and bathes Zuko in light and warmth.

Xx

The next three days pass in a haze. Aang is high strung and anxious, his nervousness so intense that Zuko starts to feel anxious as well. He starts thinking about the invasion, about seeing his father, about revealing to his family that he's on the Avatar's side now. He meditates and goes through his katas every morning as the sun rises, and despite his nerves and his difficulties with firebending, he feels content. It's nice to finally be a part of a group, to be with people his own age who accept him and value him. He and Sokka get along better than he thought they would, and he often trains with him in swordfighting. They relate through both having Piandao as a mentor; at first he was surprised that Piandao had taken Sokka on as a student, but as they fight he understands. He's creative and quick to react, and he keeps Zuko on his toes by using a wide arsenal of attacks and dodges. He still has yet to beat Zuko, but they talk and laugh and Sokka swings his broad arm around Zuko's shoulder, and he feels a camaraderie with the other man that he has never felt before. It reminds him of his relationship with Lu Ten, and he imagines that this is how they would have interacted if he was still alive.

Toph is snarky and rough around the edges, but he finds her sarcasm and wit refreshing. She punches him to show her affection, makes fun of him endlessly, and refuses to call him by his actual name, making up a new nickname for him at every opportunity. So far, he's been called Sparky, fire flake, jerk bender, and his favorite, asshole. At first her teasing confused him, until Katara had explained that she is actually showing her love by being a little terror in a five foot two human costume.

And Katara. Being around her makes his heart sing, a weak, warbling song that grows slowly more confident by the day. She casually touches his shoulder while laughing at his awful jokes, her bright blue eyes sparkling with mirth as his heart swells in his chest. She is obviously the mother of the group, and he makes a habit of helping her with the laundry, cooking, dishes, and anything else she'll let him do. He sees the appreciation on her face and understands quickly that she isn't used to being helped very much. They talk when they do chores; mostly she tells him about her childhood growing up in the South Pole, but occasionally he'll share a story about his uncle or some of the pranks his crew had played on each other (and him) when he had been on his ship. Talking to her is easier than he ever thought it could be, and the two of them usually fall asleep after the others (except for Aang, who hardly sleeps at all) after they've stayed up talking under the stars. He's hopelessly in love with her; he loves how she plays with her hair and how her beautiful smile lights up her face like the sun breaking over the horizon. His knees feel weak when she casually pulls grass from his hair after he's sparred with Sokka, his stomach a cage of sparrowkeets when she falls asleep facing him in her bedroll. He constantly feels a pull towards her, a desire to be in the same space as her; even just being next to her fills him with a warmth that his inner fire never has. It's intoxicating, and he'll never get enough, and it terrifies him to think that he's so helpless when it comes to how he feels about her. There's nothing he can do but bite back his true feelings and enjoy and cherish the friendship they have; he would rather die than ruin it by telling her how he really feels. He is resigned to swallowing his love, and he tells himself that this is enough.