AN: Welcome! This is (was) my very first fic, and I'm rebooting the chapters now that I have a better handle on where the heck I want this story to go. So if it's your first time, consider yourself lucky. I've edited out what I now consider to be the cringe worthy parts and added a few others.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think this story would get so many readers! Thank you one million times over, you are truly my inspiration.

As always, thanks for reading!

"You rise with the moon, I rise with the sun," Zuko smirked, stepping out of a moon shadow near the palace. He hadn't been hiding, exactly, just quietly observing. Approaching the target in question, he was met with a thin point of ice at his throat.

He didn't flinch, but Katara had wanted him to. She scowled, disappointed that he was so calm under pressure, but then again it was his job to keep his temper under control. Not so with a younger Zuko, who would've jumped back perhaps.

Older Zuko was boringly responsible, she considered, turning from him to pull more water from the turtleduck pond and work the forms. She also considered that she should've jabbed him at least, but the moment had passed.

Working the forms always made her think of Pakku, though her mind should be empty, and that inevitably made her think of the war so many years gone. She didn't like to think about the strife caused by the Fire Nation.

Not the Fire Nation—Ozai, she corrected herself. Firebenders just happened to be ambitious, bullying fools.

"It's not polite to ignore your gracious host," he teased, interrupting her careful balance between bending and thought. "I thought your time among more civilized persons would change your uncouth ways, but I guess some things never change."

This jab at her pride irked her just as he meant it to, but she could keep calm too. Her bending betrayed her straying thoughts though, and she dropped it back into the pond. It was better to drop it voluntarily rather than giving Zuko the satisfaction of knowing he had put her off balance.

"Oh, there are civilized people in the Fire Nation?" She made a show of looking around, shading her eyes from the moonlight and squinting. "Because I sure don't see any." She smirked and crossed her arms, hips cocked at an angle.

The truth of it was, she enjoyed the playful banter between them. Bantering with Toph just made her want to punch the girl and bantering with her brother wasn't anything new or exciting. Zuko was a good match of wit and he couldn't cheat by feeling her heartbeat through the earth, which made him a much better companion than either of the former.

He gulped, hoping she couldn't see the look on his face. The way this young woman stood was enough to remind him that she was just that, a young woman. That scrawny fourteen-year-old girl he had first met had grown up. It hadn't happened so suddenly, he knew, but suddenly it dawned on him that she was older than he had been in the war. How long had it been since that fateful day? Four years? He shook his head with a slight smile on his face. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought this would be his future, friends with the Avatar and his title restored. Promoted, even.

"What's so funny?" Katara asked suspiciously with narrowed eyes. It was commonplace for her to be so guarded if they ever happened to be alone. It had been easy to become better friends after the war with her being the ambassador for the Southern Water Tribe. The only reason she was at the palace now was because of the annual festival held to honor the end of the war. They were all present to be honored as war heroes, except Aang, who was tied up with Avatar stuff (or something, he couldn't exactly remember).

"I think you have some kind of water plant in your hair, have you been splashing around in the pond?" He lied quickly, closing the remaining distance between them. He startled her, as was his intention. Was it so bad he liked to get a rise out of her?

Katara took a step back in surprise but refused to go any further. She stood her ground as he picked up a lock of her hair for closer inspection. She frowned at him openly as he did so. What was he playing at? Why was he always playing these mind games with her?

Meanwhile Zuko was watching her surreptitiously through his lashes, smiling inwardly because he had seen that look so many times before. The frown/glare combo was enough to make anyone think twice about messing with her, but he thought it was rather attractive.

Attractive? Since when have I admitted this? He wondered, giving himself a mental shake. What was he doing? He was single and ready to mingle, but she definitely wasn't. He and Mai hadn't lasted long after the war, but Katara and Aang were still the dream team they'd always been. He chastised himself for these dishonorable thoughts.

"Guess I was wrong." Zuko dropped the piece of hair but his hand lingered uncertainly. His sudden change of mood must have been evident because her eyes softened with concern.

"Hey, are you okay? Your old wound isn't acting up again, is it?" Katara guided him to a nearby stone bench but he was shaking his head. It wasn't uncommon for him to have nerve complications after that Agni Kai with Azula. "Well, let me take a look at it," she insisted. How could he resist? She was already motioning for him to straddled the bench. She did likewise and faced him, waiting for him to open his tunic for her. The thought of her hands on him sent a thrill up his spine, but he tamped down the inappropriate thought.

Katara gathered a glove of water from her pouch and began immediately. They had done this more than a few times, but the cold shock of the healing water always took him off guard. He bit back a gasp but she didn't notice, her face concentrated in a slight frown. He let his mind wander as he waited for her diagnosis.

"So, how are things here? In the Fire Nation?" Her question caught him off guard; she had never spoken during their sessions before. Maybe they were becoming better friends after all.

"Fine, but I won't bore you with the details," he replied after a moment of silence. Surely she wouldn't be interested in politics, court life, or finances. "Mother has been putting more pressure on me to find a bride." Girls like to talk about marriage and that kind of stuff, right? But there was also truth in what he said.

Only two years had passed since his mother's return and she was already down to the business of marrying him off. Not that he resented her for it (because she was right after all) but the only girl he had ever considered was Mai, however briefly.

"Oh," was all the reply she gave. Maybe she wasn't that interested in talking after all. But after a few moments she said, "I'm sure there are plenty of eligible bachelorettes in the world. You should host a ball or something. Gather them all in one place and choose. Of course," her voice became thoughtful, "it would have to go on for many days, for you to meet every girl. Oh!" She gasped suddenly, struck with a wondrous epiphany. "A masquerade! That way, you'd choose for love and not status!" Her face came alive at the romantic thought, and looked to Zuko for feedback.

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea," he admitted. The palace was large enough to house all of the ladies and their attendants, but the expenses would be notable. "And it wouldn't be any fun if my friends weren't there, obviously," he added. Katara broke into an open grin, already planning what she might wear. He was glad she had wrapped up her examination by this time. Certainly she would've felt his heart skip a beat because of her smile.

"I'll send Aang's invitation to you, since he travels so much. You'll probably see him before it's all arranged." Katara's grin faltered and he cursed himself. He should've known she missed the Avatar while he was out trying to bring peace to the world.

"No problem." The waterbender's voice was steady enough, but she felt the pang of sadness as surely as she felt the moon above her. Her long distance relationship was a lot harder than she had originally anticipated. "You're perfectly healthy by the way, must've been a muscle spasm," she continued as he tugged on his shirt against the night air. Katara stood, leaving Zuko no choice but to follow as he tightened the sash around his waist.

"I'll see you at the celebration tomorrow." He was desperate to keep her a little bit longer and he didn't want to know why. Clearly her mind was elsewhere, but maybe he could bring that smile back to her lips. "I'm a great dancer you know." He did his best impression of a quick step of Fire Nation dance, but they both knew that was beyond him. It was enough to draw a short laugh from her, and he could leave with a clearer conscious.

He didn't want her wistful face haunting his nightmares tonight, so he bade her goodnight with an exaggerated bow and a kiss on the hand. She rolled her eyes but was amused nonetheless, returning the courtesy and curtseying dramatically.

Once he left her to her thoughts, Zuko immediately felt tired. It was easy to pretend for a little while, and maybe he didn't even have to pretend around her, but he was tired to his bones. The insomnia mixed with the nightmares made a concoction that wasn't exactly conducive to a good night's sleep. It was his norm however, and he was resigned to it. The very thought of it made him cold with the dread of another night to fight through, but he recalled Katara in the moonlight.

He wasn't supposed to think of her but he found himself doing it often, even before that night. But how could he not? The quick wit, that charming smile? Her compassion that knew no bounds? The very thought of her warmed him and sent him more cheerfully through the palace. He would never admit to it, even to himself, but some might think that the Fire Lord had feelings for the master waterbender.