Written for Zutara Week 2020

Day 1: Reunion

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or its characters. Those rights belong to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.

Far warning, there's going to be a lot of fluff and sappiness coming up in these chapters. This story isn't super plot-driven, so it focuses more on the growth of their relationship.

Enjoy!

A year had passed since the arrival of Sozin's Comet, and the defeat of Fire Lord Ozai. The world had entered a time of peace and reform. Although it wasn't completely in balance yet, it was on the right track, and progress was being made.

The Avatar and the Fire Lord were very prominent figures in restoring balance and harmony to the world. Many towns and cities, big and small, had been impacted by the war. People of all nations had been left scarred and broken due to its consequences. There was much work to be done, and the road ahead was long, and challenging. But the world was changing for the better.

That summer had marked the one year anniversary of the end of the war, which of course, called for celebration.

And so, Fire Lord Zuko summoned his friends to the Fire Nation Capital to celebrate. Though in reality, this decision was made after much persuasion from his Uncle. "Come now, nephew. An entire year has passed since the war's end! A bit of celebration is needed, wouldn't you agree?" Iroh had said.

Zuko agreed, but not for the reason Iroh gave him. It was because of his friends. After defeating the Fire Nation, after Zuko had taken his rightful place on the throne, they had all gone their separate ways. Their destinies had no longer been so closely intertwined. He missed them all terribly.

If only we could go back to before the war ended, Zuko thought. The reasonable part of his mind argued that the thought had been completely irrational. That time had been dark, and full of fear, with the Fire Nation just inches away from gaining victory.

But Zuko couldn't help but feel a little selfish at that moment. But I was with my friends. I was truly happy, surrounded by people who cared about me, he thought longingly.

He yearned to be back with them. Back to the peaceful moments around the campfire, just talking and laughing together like normal teens.

He missed Aang's innocent, peaceful energy. Though the bald monk had acted a little too childish sometimes, he was incredibly wise, and had a pure heart. Aang had grown from the boy that he needed to capture, to the boy that had become a true friend and ally.

He missed Toph's sarcastic remarks, her cunning nature, and her honest friendship. She had been the first one to give him a chance when he was trying to join their group. Toph was an incredible judge of character too. And even through all the teasing and chaotic energy, she was sincere and true — the little sister he never had.

Although she still remained a personal guard, Zuko missed having Suki as a friend. They still were, of course, but their relationship had been forced to something that was annoyingly formal. With their respective work-demanding jobs, it was hard to get a moment alone to act like normal friends. He had grown to admire Suki's fierceness, loyalty, and comforting personality. Suki had become someone that he would trust with his life.

He really missed Sokka too. Almost immediately after he joined the Gaang, Sokka had honored him with his terrible jokes and puns. Although Zuko found them sort of annoying at first, they grew on him over time as a sort of guilty pleasure. But Sokka did more than have the ability to cheer Zuko up — Sokka taught him courage and leadership, qualities Zuko really valued and admired about him. Sokka was someone he'd grown really close to.

And he missed Katara. A lot. It had taken the longest time for Zuko to earn her trust and forgiveness. And when she finally forgave him, he felt as though he could soar. Over the few weeks that had passed since, they had become so close, almost inseparable. He missed her sarcastic humor, her compassion and kindness, her strength, her courage, her selflessness — everything! She was someone that he cared about a lot, and was his best friend.

By the time Zuko had gotten replies from each of them, he found it almost impossible to contain his excitement.

Katara sat in Appa's saddle, anxiously twiddling her thumbs. She felt something warm tingle in her stomach and her heartbeat quicken as the sky bison flew closer to the Royal Palace. She was uncharacteristically nervous, and mentally yelled at herself to get a grip.

"Wow! I can't believe it's been a whole year!" Aang exclaimed from his position on Appa's head. "It's gonna be so great to see everyone again!"

"Yeah, it is," Katara said in a faraway voice, her mind elsewhere, and a soft smile playing at her lips.

Appa touched down onto the palace grounds with a soft groan. Katara peered down from the saddle, her eye catching on a figure in blue. A broad smile spread across her face. "Sokka!" she exclaimed, sliding off the furry beast. She ran towards him with alarming speed and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Sokka responded with a chuckle, tapping her head affectionately, "Yeah, yeah, I missed you too sis," he said, smirking softly. He eventually returned his sister's embrace, holding her close for a moment longer.

"Hey Sweetness, I'm here too by the way," a sarcastic voice drawled from behind her. Katara turned away from her brother, the grin returning to her face as she saw who it was. Toph stood before her, milky eyes glancing blankly up at Katara, a wide smirk on her face.

"Toph, it's so nice to see you!" Katara laughed. She brought the young earthbender into a hug, which Toph gladly returned.

Katara pulled away and held Toph at arm's length. "You're taller," she observed.

"And you're exactly the same, Sugar Queen," Toph smirked. Katara rolled her eyes at the old nickname but could help but let out a little chuckle.

"Suki!" Sokka exclaimed once he saw that the Kyoshi Warrior had arrived at the courtyard. The couple shared an intimate greeting, causing Toph to gag.

Suki practically had to untangle herself from Sokka's arms to greet the others. She eventually got away from him by giving him a playful (yet firm) shove. "Hey!" Sokka yelled in response, staggering backwards slightly, but the silly grin was still on his face.

"Katara, it's been so long," Suki said with a sweet smile, hugging her lightly.

"It's great to see you too, Suki."

Everyone proceeded to share their respective reconciliations with each other. Though it wasn't long before they noticed someone was missing.

Katara looked around, her face drawn inwards in slight skepticism. "Where's—"

"Hey guys," a voice called out. Zuko walked towards them with a rare grin on his face. He was dressed in the formal robes of a Fire Lord that trailed dramatically behind him. And he was practically glowing with joy.

Zuko exchanged a quick hug and greeting between each of them, the same kind for everyone. The reunion had been painfully short, and Katara yearned for something more. Perhaps she was being selfish, but it was true. An entire year and all I get is a short hug and "Good to see you, Katara,"?, she thought bitterly. She shook her head, dismissing the thought. She inwardly cringed at the childish complaint. No, she wouldn't allow herself to spoil the mood.

She huffed softly, and forced a smile as she followed the others inside the palace.

A party had been thrown in the main hall of the palace. Many Fire Nation nobles and prominent war heroes and leaders had also been invited.

For the entire night, Katara had been on her toes trying to steal a moment with Zuko. All she wanted was to talk to him. It didn't matter the topic — just to spend some time with him before she and Aang had to leave the next day.

It really annoyed her that they had to leave so soon, they'd literally just arrived. But Aang had his duties as Avatar, and Katara felt obligated to be with him on his travels.

But as the night went on, Katara found herself being pulled over to meet with the many nobles and leaders. She forced a smile and tried to shorten each boring conversation as much as possible. But by the time she'd ended a conversation with one person, she'd be dragged into another. Either that, or she'd see Zuko talking with someone else, resulting in her inability to spend some time with him.

By the time the party ended, it was late in the night; most likely past midnight. Everyone had been sent to bed straight after. As Katara reached the door of the guest bedroom she was staying in, she felt a pit grow in her stomach. Her chest ached, and she swallowed thickly.

She spotted Zuko's figure slip around the hallway and disappear out of sight — probably headed towards his bedroom. Katara's heart sank. She entered her room and shut the door quietly behind her.

Zuko let out a soft groan of frustration once he was in the solitude of his room. He shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

It was almost funny, really. The celebration had lasted for hours. Hours. And he hadn't gotten a single chance to speak with Katara. Ironically, he had been able to catch up with all his other friends. But Katara was always just out of reach.

Aang had told Zuko that he needed to leave with Katara the following afternoon. Zuko tried to play it off in an understanding manner, but truthfully, he was devastated.

Katara had only just come to visit — how was it fair that she had to go so soon?

Zuko sighed. Perhaps a walk through the gardens would calm his mind.

Katara lay in bed, struggling to find a comfortable sleeping position. She exhaled sharply, feeling exasperated at the sleep that refused to come.

She got up and walked towards the window. The full moon shone brightly before her. Its light entered her room, giving everything a soft blue tint. Katara noticed the gardens in front of her, filled with beautiful trees and blooming firelilies. Small turtleduck ponds were scattered across the area, which rippled slightly in the soft breeze.

The combined energy of the full moon and pond water were practically calling her name. Katara sighed, and gave into their calls. She slipped out of her bedroom and past the patrolling guards, silently and undetected.

She settled down at the base of a tree at the base of a pond. She toyed absentmindedly with the water in front of her, twisting it into a variety of random shapes.

It was only then that she felt the tears of frustration build up heavily in her eyes. She tried desperately to coax them away, trying to blink them out. But instead, they rolled down her cheeks like a flowing river. She hated feeling so weak and vulnerable. She hated that she was getting emotional over nothing.

But it wasn't nothing. She hadn't seen Zuko in an entire year. They'd written to each other occasionally, but it wasn't the same. And the first time they reunited after that had been mere seconds long. And she was leaving the next day. How could she say goodbye if she never got a chance to really say hello?

The water dropped with a loud splash, bringing Katara out of her mental rant. She wiped her tears away and leaned back against the tree trunk. She shut her eyes tightly, wishing the pain would fade away.

"Hey Katara."

Her eyes snapped open and she whirled around to see who the voice belonged to. Zuko stood before her in casual sleeping robes. His hair hung freely out of its usual topknot, and a soft smile stretched across his face.

In an instant, Katara had stood up and flung her arms around him in a crushing hug. A surge of emotions washed over her once again. The slight possibility that she was invading his personal space flashed briefly in her mind, but she quickly dismissed the thought. She needed this.

Zuko returned the gesture with just as much intensity, arms wrapped firmly around her middle. His head was buried in the crook of her neck, and he tightened his grip even more. They sank into each other, walls finally crashing down.

They stayed in this embrace for many moments longer, clinging onto each other as though they were lifelines. Eventually, they broke apart, but remained in their close proximity. Their gazes locked together intensely.

"I missed you so much," Zuko said, his voice thick with emotion.

"Yeah, me too," she whispered, afraid talking any louder would cause the tears to fall again.

Katara smiled up at him, taking in his features — his angled jaw, his lazy yet genuine smile, his captivating golden eyes, and the way his dark hair fell into them. She reached a hand up to brush his bangs to the side. "Your hair's longer," she murmured.

His eyes crinkled in amusement. "Well so is yours," he countered, taking a lock of her hair and brushing his fingers through it. They chuckled softly at the rather ridiculous scene, and took their hands out of each other's hair.

"What are you doing out here this late?" Zuko inquired.

"Full moon, couldn't sleep," she replied simply. Though technically it was only half of the truth. "I could ask you the same question."

Hesitation flickered briefly across his face before he answered. "I—Too much on my mind. Late-night walks help me clear my head." It seemed like there was more to it, but Katara didn't pry.

They settled down on the ground in a comfortable silence. The quiet sounds of cricket-moths and rustling leaves filled their ears as they sat together, finding natural comfort in each other's presence.

"So," Zuko started, "has it really been a year?"

"It feels like longer," Katara said.

"It feels like yesterday."

Katara turned to him and raised an eyebrow, a humored expression on her face. He simply shrugged and smiled.

Katara's mind wandered to the events of Sozin's Comet. Her heart skipped a beat as a particular scene replayed in her head.

The shift in Azula's gaze just before the lightning bolt was sent her way. Zuko's reflexes as he ran towards it. The desperate yell that left his throat as he put himself between the attack and her own body. The sound of her heart shattering as he hit the ground lifelessly and a surge of lightning exited his body.

"Katara?" His quiet voice brought her out of the trance. She looked at his concern-filled face.

"Why, Zuko?" Katara strained. "Why did you just jump in front of me like that?"

His look of confusion turned to one of realization as he understood what she was talking about. "I acted on instinct," Zuko said, choosing his words carefully.

She didn't look satisfied.

"But why?" she asked again, almost pleading. "You knew what was at stake — how could you just throw your life away so carelessly?" Her tone had started to rise. "How could your nation go on if you were gone? How could your friends move on? How could I?" That last part had come out as a broken whisper.

Zuko's momentary shock disappeared as he took in Katara's pained expression, realizing how much this was affecting her.

"Katara, you can't honestly believe that I was thinking about my nation at that moment." But she wasn't reassured. He sighed, and turned to face her fully. "You're worth more to me than my nation will ever be. If I'm gone, someone else like my Uncle would replace me as Fire Lord. But if you're gone?" He took her hand in both of his. "There's no replacing you, Katara. You mean too much to me." His eyes bore into hers, filled with nothing but sincerity.

"Really?" she asked.

"Really."

She sniffled, and wiped away an escaped tear. She laughed dryly. "I'm sorry, this probably wasn't the reunion you expected." Katara continued to hastily wipe at her eyes, embarrassed by her emotional state.

Zuko paled slightly — he wasn't too sure what to do with emotional people, let alone what to say to them. It's just Katara, a voice reasoned in his head. He had been with her at her strongest and most vulnerable moments, as she had with him. A few tears were nothing. Zuko let his uncertainty slip away.

"It's alright. I'm just glad we got to spend some time together after so long," he said with a smile.

"Yeah," she mused. "This was nice, Zuko. Thank you."

Katara wore a solemn look as she packed the last of her things onto Appa's saddle. She hated that she had to leave so soon. A part of her told herself that she didn't have to go wherever Aang went all the time. But this was a trip that had already been planned — so she would worry about that issue later.

She sighed for the umpteenth time before walking over to say goodbye to Zuko. He enveloped her in a tight embrace. Though not as intense as the one they shared the night before, it held just as much emotion. At that moment, they didn't even care that they were in plain view of everyone else.

"This isn't goodbye," Zuko said quietly in her hair, holding her close. "Not really anyway."

"Of course not," Katara replied. "But we'll reunite soon, I promise."

He pulled away, and smiled warmly. "Can't wait."

Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Please leave a review on what you thought of this chapter. I know I'm kind of late, but happy Zutara Week :)