Once Katara realized that despite Zuko saying he wasn't going to give up on chasing Aang, he truly had no idea how he was going to go about it now, it made it easier for Katara to put off her decision, seeing as she was just as stuck as they were.

She stayed at the camp they had made more often now, the quiet discussions between Iroh and Zuko having become nearly nonexistent. Zuko had resumed his training with his uncle on the beach, Katara often joining them to watch Zuko's firebending skills. Katara did her training at night, sometimes accompanied by Iroh who had asked if he could observe the moves she did. It had surprised her at first when such a skilled firebender seemed so interested in her novice skills as a master, but Iroh had been quick to explain how he enjoyed studying all forms of bending, the collective study teaching him things about firebending he never would've come up with on his own.

In return, he would point out different things in Zuko's bending to Katara when she watched that he thought could be implemented into her bending. At night, she would try out the moves, Iroh providing feedback on how he thought it should look. Each night, Katara could feel herself improving, amazed by how effective Iroh's teaching methods were. Master Pakku may have given her the title of master for her skills, but only now, after seeing how Iroh learned was she able to begin studying as a master would.

Zuko had mentioned once while they'd been eating the fish dinner Katara had provided how he didn't find it fair how quickly Katara was improving. She'd been quick to shut him up by saying if he wanted her to stop getting better, then he'd better stop eating since she was using her skills as a waterbender to get food for the three of them.

"You're improving greatly, Katara," Iroh told her as she finished another round of training.

Smiling from the praise, Katara bowed to him, breathing heavily from the last round of forms he'd had her perform.

"I'm just grateful to have the instruction of a master," she told him truthfully as she rose.

"You were trained by Master Pakku, weren't you?"

Katara's eyes widened.

"You know him?"

"You could say those with a certain skill like to keep an eye on each other," he chuckled, giving her a quick wink.

Slightly confused, Katara smiled at him, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand to try and rid herself of some of her sweat.

"You and my nephew should train together every once in a while," Iroh recommended, the two of them turning to begin walking back up the beach.

Keeping quiet, Katara nodded carefully. Recognizing her wish to avoid the subject, Iroh moved on to talk about how lovely it was to train on land again and be off of their metal ship. Katara listened with half an ear, her thoughts beginning to revolve around Zuko.

In truth, she knew he wanted to try sparring with her again, and she couldn't deny she missed it as well, but her inability to answer him on what she was going to do was causing Zuko to keep his distance, refusing to broach the subject. She'd asked for time, and he was doing everything he could to give it to her for the past few days.

They'd reached the camp where Zuko was sitting curled up in front of the fire, head resting on his knees as he watched the flames. He straightened when he heard them, his eyes immediately going to Katara. She nodded to him, quick smiles flashing across the both of their faces.

"Prince Zuko," Iroh said, catching his nephew's attention. "If you'd be willing to assist Katara here, I noticed as she was practicing, she was a bit stiff in her shoulders."

Now he had Katara's attention as well.

"I thought you told me my form looked good," she protested.

Iroh simply smiled at her.

"As for me, I'm going to take a walk. A walk in the moonlight does wonders for a man of my age."

Iroh was gone a second later, disappearing into the trees as Katara stared after him with her jaw dropped.

"After all the compliments he had for me, he gives me this?" she muttered, kicking the sand.

"You're feeling stiff?"

Katara yelped, spinning into a defensive stance as Zuko's voice sounded in her ear, the prince standing right behind her. Zuko snorted, trying to hold back his laughter.

"Don't do that," she ordered.

"You sure are jumpy," he remarked.

"It's because you do that silent moving thing. It's freaky," she insisted.

Zuko rolled his eyes at her, a smile on his face.

"Uncle said your shoulders are stiff," he repeated. "Come sit down for a second."

"Why?" Katara asked warily as Zuko took her hand, pulling her to a spot near the fire in front of a log they'd placed to sit on.

"Because," Zuko replied. "Can you sit on the sand or are you too worried about getting your dress dirty?"

Katara scoffed at him, sitting down to prove she had no issue with the sand. Grinning in triumph, Zuko spun her around so that her back was facing the log.

"What are you doing?"

"Shh."

Katara's heartbeat quickened slightly as Zuko stepped behind her, sitting on the log so that his knees were on either side of her.

"Zuko…"

"Katara, can you just trust me for five minutes?"

With a huff, Katara went quiet, waiting in anticipation. As Zuko's fingers touched her shoulders, Katara jumped, only to feel his hands grip her so that she'd stop moving.

"Just relax," Zuko growled.

"I just want to know...ohhhh Zuko. That feels so good."

Zuko's hands dug into her stiff shoulders, his fingertips making circular motions as he sunk his fingers into her muscles. Blinking her eyes at the feeling, Katara felt herself going limp at his touch, the soreness she hadn't realized she had slowly drifting away. She winced as he pushed on an especially tight spot, the pain turning sharper as he dug into the knots on her back.

"Sorry," Zuko said, once he realized she was in pain.

"Just keep going," Katara said, shaking her head, prompting his hands back onto her shoulders.

She could sense the smile from him as he went back to rubbing her back, his hand slowly moving up to her neck to make circular motions on either side of it, Katara's head dropping down in pleasure.

"Where'd you get so good at this?" she asked, breathlessly.

"Enjoying yourself, are you?"

Katara felt her cheeks heat up and her back tightened slightly again. With a huff that blew the hairs up on Katara's neck, Zuko dug his fingers in deeper, forcing her to lose the attitude.

"I learned because my uncle thought this would be the best way for me to study the muscles used as firebenders, but honestly, I'm pretty sure he was only doing it to try and get as many free massages out of me as possible," Zuko informed her, getting Katara to grin.

"Your uncle is truly a genius," Katara mumbled.

Zuko snorted at her statement.

"That's one way to describe him, I guess," he responded.

Silence fell between the two of them, the sounds of the island filling the space of their lost conversation.

"I'm sorry, Katara," Zuko whispered, his fingers pausing.

Katara went still as she felt Zuko rest his forehead against her neck, the heat from his skin seeping through the collar of her dress.

"You have to stop, Zuko," Katara murmured, Zuko shaking his head against her as she spoke.

"I can't, Katara. You know I can't give up now."

"I'm not talking about that, Zuko."

She could tell she'd surprised him when he pulled away from her slightly, a chill running across her neck from the sudden lack of heat. Placing her hands on the ground, Katara turned in the sand so that she was facing Zuko. She grabbed the hands that had dropped to the log Zuko sat on, wrapping them in her own and clasping them on top of Zuko's knees, staring into his golden eyes.

"You have to stop apologizing, Zuko," Katara insisted.

Eyes widening in surprise, Zuko pulled his head even further away, but he couldn't get far with the grip Katara had on him.

"I'm not saying I'm happy about the decision you've made, but you've made it," Katara continued. "I'll admit, it hurts...it hurts so bad to know what you're planning on doing with my family, and basically every day I wonder if running and leaving this all behind wouldn't be better for the both of us. But Zuko, I already know that you sincerely care about me. You've proved that to me so many times now, and so I know that you're truly hurt to be doing something that is painful to me, but you have to stop apologizing for it, because I've already forgiven you."

There were tears forming in both of their eyes now, but neither tried to pull away from the grip Zuko was now returning between their entwined hands to wipe away their tears. Instead, Katara was able to watch as a single tear dripped down Zuko's cheek a moment before her own tears began to fall.

"How?" Zuko choked out. "How can you so easily forgive me?"

Katara smiled at him, blinking away her tears as best she could.

"It isn't easy, Zuko," she told him, watching as his face fell slightly. "It's not easy at all. But you're right. I can't ask you to give up everything you know for a girl you captured on your ship only a few months ago. Which is why you'll have to forgive me when I do the same."

Her declaration shocked both of them, Katara realizing she had finally come to a decision.

"When an opportunity comes for me to get back to Aang and my brother, I'm taking it," Katara announced, the tears coming back in full force. "But I'm still hanging onto that hope, no matter how much you say it's worthless."

Expecting Zuko to storm away immediately or even ask her to change her mind, Katara was completely unprepared for his lips to crash onto her, his hands cradling her head up towards him. She responded instinctively, hands latching onto his forearms as she matched her lips to his. The kiss was a raging fire to her, stronger than any of the gentle kisses they'd shared so far as Zuko pressed himself forward, his thumbs brushing away the trails of water her crying had left across her face.

"Zuko," she mumbled as she pulled away for air, desperate for a breath before Zuko was pulling her back to his mouth.

His mouth was feverish and desperate, latching onto her like he was drowning, and she was his final chance at breathing. As Zuko shifted in their kiss, he fell forwards, tipping Katara back so that her elbows dropped behind her, keeping her back off the sand as she blinked at Zuko in surprise. Zuko was breathing hard as he waited, one knee in the sand in front of her as he stared at her face. When neither moved, Zuko sighed, reaching for her arms to help lift her back up so that she was sitting in an upright position. The next kiss he gave her was gentle and soft and didn't last very long.

"Katara," Zuko whispered, pulling back just enough so that his lips still traced hers as he spoke. "Stop hanging onto me. Please."

Her blue eyes fluttered open in time to watch as Zuko opened his beautiful golden eyes.

"You can't keep hoping that I'll change, because I won't," Zuko murmured. "I realized that when I made my decision to keep going after the Avatar."

"Zuko," she whispered, just before Zuko stood, turning from her and walking out into the forest.

"Zuko," she whispered again, to herself this time. "You idiot. You think I'm ever going to give up on you?"

"You're good for him."

Startled at the voice behind her, Katara spun, her knees still in the sand to see Iroh watching from the tree line, a sad smile on his face as he looked to the place his nephew had disappeared at.

"What?"

"You're good for him, my nephew. And he knows it too. He also knows you won't stop believing in him, no matter how much he wishes you would."

With a sigh, Iroh came further into the light their campfire shed, the fire casting shadows that emphasized his anxious and tired face.

"It worries me, what he'll do to try and convince you that he's become a hopeless case," he admitted, staring into the fire as though it could answer him.

"There's nothing he can do," Katara assured Iroh. "I've seen him redeem himself too many times to doubt him."

What Iroh whispered next were so quiet, Katara almost missed them, his words striking a sliver of fear into her heart.

"I can only hope you're right and pray that Zuko decides it's not worth the risk to try and convince you otherwise."