Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender purely begins to Mike and Bryan. This is just my vain attempt to live past the series finale.
Summary: Building a new world is never easy. Years after the end of the war, one night between Zuko and Katara leads to the reveal of hidden truths and disrupts their plans of the peaceful lives they thought they'd have. Even when everything spins wild, they will always find each other. They could fight the entire Fire Nation together, but what are they willing to sacrifice when the other is on the line?
Last Time…
"You up to a race?"
Katara let the laughter bubble up again. "You want to race our carriages home?"
"Sounds like you're scared to lose," he teased.
"Zuko, you should know much better than to challenge me."
He grinned, for once feeling like the young man he was. "Do I?" he retorted. He blew past her to mount the bench at the front of his carriage, the ostrich-horse already shifting its weight impatiently as he took the reins. "Last one home has to chug two cups," he called back.
Katara pulled her robes up even higher to rush to her carriage, laughing giddily the whole way.
"No way!" Katara nearly fell over and gripped her stomach from how hard she was laughing. "That's not possible, you have to have rigged that!"
Zuko laughed and held up his hands in innocence before laying the cards face up on the table. "Fire Lord's honor," he said with fake solemnity, earning another raucous bout of laughter from Katara. He smiled widely and gestured at her cup. "I won fair and square. Drink up."
Katara good-naturedly took another healthy sip of her fire whiskey. Whether from the alcohol or the laughter or the fire that Zuko had lit in the fireplace, she was feeling warm all over. She put down her cup and met Zuko's eyes, her blue eyes lively and bright. After their race home, which she suspected Zuko of letting her win, they had found a deck of playing cards in the living area and decided to make good use of it, along with the wine they had taken from the palace.
After finishing both bottles, Zuko had rummaged through the kitchen and found an unopened cask of fire whiskey in one of the cupboards. Soon enough, they were both rosy-cheeked and Katara may have thought the room was spinning once or twice, though she was having too much fun to worry about it. They'd also allowed themselves to relax in the comfort of their temporary home. Katara washed the makeup from her face and removed many of the outer layers of her fancy dress robes, leaving her in her inner tunic over a pair of leggings that went down to her calves. Zuko had removed his ceremonial armor as well as the heavy outer robes, leaving him in a simple shirt and pants. It reminded her of late nights around the campfire when they were younger.
"I haven't had this much fun in a long time," she admitted, fighting to get out her words through her fit of giggles.
Zuko shared in her easygoing smile and nodded. "Me, neither. Maybe not since when we were all together on Ember Island years ago. Just being kids on the beach."
"Oh was that before or after you surprise-attacked us for relaxing before defeating your father?" she recalled teasingly. Her lips curved upwards as she saw Zuko sheepishly rub the back of his neck as he remembered the incident in the days leading up to Sozin's comet. "Is it crazy to think that life was simpler than? Even in the midst of a war?"
"No, I feel that way, too. 'Defeat the Fire Lord' was really the only thing I had in mind. I wish ruling a nation was as easy," Zuko admitted.
Katara's smile fell as she frowned and reached across the table to place her hand over his. "Zuko, I know I've told you this before, but we all mean it when we say that you can come to any of us for help. We're your friends."
"I shouldn't have to. It's my duty."
"You and your damn honor," Katara sighed. "Don't let your pride be your downfall."
"Like you're one to talk."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Katara, I captured you once because you were angry Aang mastered Waterbending forms before you, so you ran off with a stolen pirate scroll to train in secret and one-up him."
Katara groaned and held her face in her hands in embarrassment as she envisioned the smug look on the young prince's face as he tied her to a tree. "Okay, you may have a point there."
Zuko shrugged. "You were dedicated to mastering your talent. I respect it."
"And exploited it for your own use," she reminded him.
He shrugged again, though he had a slightly more shameful expression. "All's fair in love and war. And I'll apologize again."
"Zuko, I'm only teasing." She brought a hand to her neck where she still wore her mother's necklace. "But still, bribing me with my mother's necklace so I help you capture the Avatar… How monstrous of you!" she gasped dramatically.
Zuko growled playfully before throwing one of the smaller cushions at Katara. She batted it away easily, giggling. "Did I hurt the poor Fire Lord's feelings?"
"If you call me the Loser Lord, you might," Zuko drawled with a roll of his eyes. But then he smiled at her and Katara couldn't help but match his expression. The rosiness in his cheeks shone through more against his pale skin and his eyes were heavily lidded.
"Zuko, are you drunk?" she taunted.
With a scoff, he brushed off her accusation. "As if. You think some wine could get me drunk?"
Katara tapped her finger against her mouth as if she were inspecting him. "You also partook in some fire whiskey, oh strong one," she pointed out. "I think you're positively wasted."
Raising an eyebrow at her, Zuko watched her warily. Dryly, he retorted, "Right. Me. Wasted."
"Oh yes, Spirits forbid that the Fire Lord have any fun in his life." She rolled her eyes at him, shrieking as she dodged another throw pillow that he tossed in her direction.
"Katara, you're the one who's drank something stronger than ceremonial wine for the first time in her life," Zuko deadpanned, smirking at her.
"Don't deflect, Zuko," she huffed.
She stood and leaned over the table to look at him more closely and Zuko's eyes widened as he rushed to back away. Katara leaned too far forward over the table and being that she was drunk, she lost her balance and nearly fell onto the table. She held her hands out and closed her eyes to brace for impact, but instead she fell into something solid, but much more forgiving than the table. She blinked her eyes open and saw Zuko had leapt to his feet to catch her before she could hit the stone surface, gripping her upper arms and holding her against him, her own palms pressed against his firm chest. His golden eyes bore into hers, intense but unreadable, and his jaw shifted as if he wanted to say something.
"Zuko?" she squeaked out.
Effortlessly, Zuko shifted his hold so that he lifted her up with one arm under her knees and the other cradling her head before he righted her onto her feet on his side of the table. One of his hands was still pressed against the nape of her neck. She felt his fingers twitch against the sensitive skin there.
"Told you I wasn't drunk," he told her. His voice was deeper, more husky than usual, and Katara decided that she wanted to hear more of it.
"I'm still not convinced," she breathed. His hand quickly pressed against her neck again before the pressure disappeared. "Zuko?"
With a deep breath, Zuko pulled his hand back and stepped away. Katara hadn't even noticed that she had fisted her hands into his shirt until he stepped back and out of her grasp, the fabric still twisted from her fingers. She flexed her hands once before forcing them at her sides. He gave her a shy smile and hinted, "It's getting late."
Katara nodded slowly, still in a daze. "You're right… I'll clean up."
"Hey, don't worry about that. We can clean up in the morning. I think you should head to bed." He offered a slightly apologetic look. "You're going to have a hell of a hangover in the morning, I'm afraid."
Katara's eyes lifted to his and Zuko felt himself tense. The way she looked at him, her lashes fluttering over her darkened gaze, his hands itched to touch her soft skin again. "I'm sure the staff will take care of it before we wake up anyway. They'll be shocked. They haven't had anything to clean the last two weeks. You're the perfect houseguest."
"You're right," Katara repeated. She found that her brain wasn't able to offer much else. "Um...Good night, Zuko." Her voice rose in pitch at the end, as if she were asking him a question.
"Good night, Katara."
With a final glance at him, Katara hesitated before turning out of the living room and into the hallway that led to her bedroom.
He didn't realize he was holding his breath until he heard her bedroom door softly close. He exhaled and scrubbed a hand over his face. "Agni, what the hell was that? Get it together, Zuko."
Leaning against her bedroom door, Katara sighed and gently let her head knock against the door as she closed her eyes and groaned to herself, "What in the world did you think was going to happen, Katara?"
She threw herself onto her bed and buried her face in her pillows to ignore her creeping sense of humiliation.
Iroh gave a hearty laugh, his weathered eyes crinkling in delight as he listened to his nephew. "My dear boy, it clearly sounds like you have a harmless crush on Master Katara." His boisterous laughter blended into the clamor of the busy tea shop, which was in the middle of the evening rush.
"I don't have a crush on her!" Zuko snapped.
Leaning in conspiratorially, Iroh told him, "Fire Lord Zuko, I may be an old man, but I am still a man. And a man who has felt the way you have many times in his youth. It's nothing to be ashamed of."
"You're right. Because I don't have a crush on her," Zuko hissed through grit teeth. "That's ridiculous. I've known Katara since she was a girl and—"
"And now she's a woman. You both are very good friends. I don't see what's so ridiculous." Iroh leaned back and sipped from his teacup. "Master Katara has always been very beautiful. There's nothing wrong with admitting that you're attracted to her. In fact, I would worry more if you didn't find her attractive."
"There's more to her than that," Zuko insisted, shaking his head adamantly.
Iroh raised an eyebrow and smothered a knowing smile.
"Katara is kind and brave and strong and everything about her is good and I am… not." Zuko twisted his face in frustration before continuing, "Uncle, you don't understand. I can't have a crush on Katara. That would be impossible."
The older man sat back in his seat, studying his nephew carefully. "By all means, explain why."
Zuko stammered, "She's Katara! She's… she's Aang's… well she was Aang's girlfriend."
"And now she's not."
"It's not that simple."
"Zuko, you've always had a knack for complicating the simplest of things," Iroh said sagely.
Zuko crossed his arms and glared at his uncle. "Even if I did have a crush on her, it's over."
Iroh smiled again. "It is? Please be sure to announce how you've accomplished that so quickly during your next address to the nation. I'm sure that you'll end much heartache throughout the entirety of the Fire Nation. Perhaps your words may reach me here in Ba Sing Se."
"Uncle, this isn't funny!"
"I daresay it is. Fire Lord Zuko, it's a harmless crush," Iroh repeated. "And there are worse women than Katara to have one on. Much worse." Iroh turned his attention to the pai sho board between them and idly flipped a tile around in his fingers. "Besides," he began thoughtfully, "who is to say that she may not return these feelings?"
"Now I know you're going senile," Zuko grumbled. "She was with the Avatar."
"And now she's not," Iroh responded offhandedly. "You're a handsome man. You're a good man, no matter what you may think. You have trust and respect between you. It's not impossible that she may be attracted to you. Zuko, no one is asking you to proclaim your undying love for her. I'm merely saying that what you're feeling is normal and valid. Do not deny yourself something as wonderful and terrifying as the beginnings of a crush. It is part of the human experience and reminds you that you have a life to live."
"It's not a crush, Uncle," Zuko insisted.
"Perhaps you're allowing yourself to feel something you didn't allow yourself to feel prior to the helpful effects of alcohol," Iroh speculated, ignoring Zuko's insistence.
"I don't feel anything," Zuko hissed.
"Lucky you, I still have a headache from all of the alcohol," Katara teased as she approached the table. "You called it last night, Zuko. My hangover this morning was vicious and still hasn't fully disappeared." She had a friendly smile and bowed politely. "General Iroh."
"Master Katara! What a pleasant surprise!" Iroh rose from the pai sho table and made his way over to her with wide arms. He brushed off her bow and gripped her shoulders as he smiled down at her. "What brings you here?"
"You know as well as I do that a visit to Ba Sing Se isn't complete without a visit to the Jasmine Dragon and the Dragon of the West. I've been meaning to drop by, but the last two weeks have been surprisingly busy. But with the Earth King's birthday's celebrations last night, many of the outer delegates are heading home as they no longer have summit business so I should have more time to drop by."
"The honor of your presence is mine to have, Master Katara."
Katara blushed. "You're too kind, General Iroh. This is such a nice reprieve from all of the meetings I've been stuck in today. You're definitely a sight for sore eyes."
"You flatter this old man far too much, Master Katara."
"How many times do I have to tell you that it's just Katara?"
Iroh gestured for her to take a seat at the pai sho table and chuckled as he sat back down. "It's hard for this ancient mind to remember things nowadays."
Katara playfully narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't believe that for a second." She looked between him and Zuko. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything? I know that you two probably don't get to see each other often and I don't want to intrude on your time together. I can come back and visit another day. I just had a late luncheon with some Earth Kingdom governors and was close enough that I thought I'd visit."
With a jovial smile, Iroh assured her, "You could never be a bother or an interruption. Right, Fire Lord Zuko?"
Zuko nodded and Katara relaxed.
"Just let me know if I'm overstepping." She looked at Zuko, "Don't want to be hover-y, mother-y Katara. I know that always drove everyone crazy."
Zuko frowned. "Toph and Aang just didn't know how to appreciate a good thing when they were younger. Aang, eventually, but you know how Toph is with any kind of authority."
"You don't have to make excuses for them, Zuko. I know how I was when I was younger." She inclined her head and blushed. "How I can still be from time to time… I'm sorry, you two probably don't want to hear me clamoring about this."
"Master Katara, your caring nature could never be a bother."
Zuko fought the urge to roll his eyes so that Katara wouldn't think he was rolling his eyes at her— he knew his uncle was laying it on thick.
"And it is refreshing to hear your honest thoughts. Insecurities are human nature and nothing to apologize for," Iroh said comfortingly. "Truthfully, that kind of worry doesn't go away, even at my age."
"When I first joined you, I confided in Sokka and specifically asked him for help so that I could get you to like me," Zuko admitted in a rush.
Katara widened her eyes. "What?"
Zuko could feel his cheeks flush but he cleared his throat and stammered, "Well, you hated me! And what you think of me mattered to me— I mean, it still does, but I just wanted to— you were so angry at me and I deserved it after what happened. I just…"
"This is before we went to look for Yon Rha?" Katara asked quietly. "This is how you knew?"
Nervously rubbing the back of his neck, Zuko nodded. "I told Sokka that I cared about what you thought of me and that I wanted to understand your anger. It seemed so personal. You had mentioned your mother before in the catacombs and then after I joined you guys so I knew that was how I could fix it. I mean, as much as I could."
Zuko lowered his eyes and his voice was soft as he continued, "It was really important to me that out of the whole group, I had your forgiveness and trust." He made a face and felt as if he wanted to crawl under the table.
"Sokka never told me," she said eventually.
"Well he's always been good about keeping a secret."
"Oh really?" Katara raised an eyebrow. "What other secrets are you hiding, Zuko?"
"Defeats the purpose if I tell you, doesn't it?" Zuko murmured.
Katara rolled her eyes. "Bad sport," she commented, earning more of Iroh's laughter.
Iroh rose. "I believe I have a special tea in the back that's perfect to help with a hangover. Let me get started on brewing it for you."
"Please, don't go through the trouble!" Katara insisted.
"Nonsense, I need an excuse to use this tea. It's a new blend I've been working on. And if I have you endorse its effects, I'm sure I could strike up a deal with some of the nearby bars and social clubs," he wiggled his bushy eyebrows at Katara.
"Very lucrative of you," she grinned.
As Iroh stepped away, Zuko considered Katara more carefully. "You should eat if you're still feeling pretty terrible. You were out cold when I left this morning. I'm sure you haven't had time to eat with all of the different meetings today."
"Zuko, I just said I had a late luncheon—" Katara blinked. "Wait, you checked in on me?"
Zuko's blush returned with increased intensity and he mumbled, "It was partially my fault you got that drunk to begin with."
Katara smirked. "Spirits forbid that I add onto your list of things to feel guilty over. You didn't force me to drink, Zuko." She waved him off. "Raging headache aside, I'm perfectly fine. I could honestly probably heal the hangover away if it didn't seem too superfluous."
"Good." Zuko dropped his gaze.
"And we had fun. Or at least I did." Katara watched him curiously. She saw that he was blushing intensely but was mostly confused by his closed off demeanor. "What's going on, Zuko?" she demanded before wincing at herself. "I'm doing it again, aren't I? Being pushy?"
Noting how her own cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink with her blush, Zuko assured her, "Don't apologize for caring, Katara. It's who you are. To be honest, I've always been a little jealous at how free you are with your emotions. The way you let others know that you care, even if they don't want it… it's important. People need to know that someone out there does. I certainly did."
Katara blinked again, taken aback by his quiet words. "Zuko…"
"I also may have been a little jealous of those who got to be on the receiving end of your kindness when I first joined you all. Not that I deserved it then."
Wincing again, Katara remembered how she had threatened Zuko when he first joined them at the Western Air Temple. The way the rare look of peace on his face fell. And she was the one to ruin it.
She sighed and spoke slowly and intentionally. "Zuko, we were so young. And we both have tempers. And to be fair, you're giving me far too much credit. I'm too good at holding onto grudges. Sokka's always pointed that out. So have Aang and Toph. I didn't act fairly to you when you came to us feeling vulnerable and uncertain. If you didn't have self-control the way you do… my words could've changed everything. Honestly, I've always admired that about you. "
"Me? Have self-control? You don't know me at all," he joked lightly.
"You know what I mean!" she laughed, nudging him lightly. She chewed on her bottom lip before continuing, "I hope that you still don't feel that way about belonging with us."
Zuko shook his head and smiled at her reassuringly. "No, I don't. I haven't for a long time."
She placed her hand on top of his and squeezed it briefly as she gave him a small smile. "I've forgiven you… but I never apologized for my behavior."
Zuko smirked. "You still haven't," he reminded her teasingly.
Katara's smile grew. "Zuko, I—"
"Here we go! Just a few sips of this blend and you'll feel like you can scale Ba Sing Se's walls." Iroh poured Katara a cup of tea and his gaze lingered on the way she held Zuko's hand for a beat too long. "Am I interrupting?"
Katara jumped and snatched her hand away. "Not at all!"
Leaning in, Zuko whispered, "You still owe me."
She turned her attention to her teacup with far too much interest. "What's in this hangover cure?"
Iroh eyed her knowingly before answering, "It's a special blend of green tea mixed with ginger to soothe any nausea or an upset stomach while boosting your energy. I've also included some peppermint for the headache, chamomile blossom, ginseng, and a special root to help detoxify the body."
Katara eagerly drank and her eyes widened immediately as soon as the liquid touched her tongue. She put her cup down, forced herself to swallow, and fought a grimace. "That's… bracing."
Iroh frowned. "I may have overdone the concentration of that root," he mused, stroking his beard.
Zuko watched worriedly as Katara took several more sips of the tea, noting how her face twisted with each gulp. "Uncle… what kind of root?"
"A passing merchant mentioned that this special root could detoxify and energize even the most weary of wanderers and explorers and was a favorite among frequent travelers for its effects. He offered me a large satchel at a very cheap price."
"Uncle, what kind of root?" Zuko asked again through grit teeth.
"He came from somewhere near the Si Wong Desert… now that I think of it, it may not be a root…"
"Uncle!"
"Perhaps a plant extract?"
Zuko groaned. "Did you just dose Katara with cactus juice? No wonder she'd be able to scale the city's walls, she'd be hallucinating a fluffy mattress underneath to catch her fall!"
Katara widened her eyes and looked down at her cup. "Oh no," she moaned, slapping her palm to her forehead. "This is ridiculous."
Iroh frowned and scratched his head. "I think I would know if it was juice. He handed me a powdered substance."
Katara groaned again. "Which means it's even more concentrated since the water content was pulled out. That's what healers do to increase the dosage of certain extracts. Could I have some water?"
"I'll take you home right away," Zuko declared.
Katara shook her head. "No, it's okay."
"Katara, I insist."
"Zuko, it's fine."
"No, it's not! My uncle poisoned you!"
Katara rolled her eyes. "It's not quite that dire, Zuko. I may just see hallucinations and confess my darkest secrets for the next few hours, but I wasn't poisoned."
"Katara," Zuko hissed, urgency in his tone. He watched as she downed the glass of water his uncle brought her. "Do you really think you can just dilute it with water after you've already ingested it?"
"Fire Lord Zuko, Master Katara is one of the best healers in the world. She knows best so we should trust her judgment."
"Her judgment is currently compromised because you drugged her. This is just like that time you ingested poisonous White Jade because you thought it was White Dragon. Agni, please don't tell me you've served that to anyone else."
Iroh pursed his lips. "No, it was a new blend that I was working on. I see that I'll have to go back to the drawing board."
Sighing, Katara, held her fingers to her temples and closed her eyes tightly. "Zuko, please. It's not that serious."
"You're joking," he deadpanned.
"What's done is done and yelling at your uncle won't get us anywhere." She opened her eyes at looked pointedly at Iroh. "But Iroh, please consider this the end of your trials with this special blend. No going back to the drawing board." She shut her eyes again and took a deep breath.
"What's going on?" a new voice asked.
Katara recognized the voice and groaned for the third time in as many minutes.
"Katara, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Aang. Just accidentally had a concentrated dose of cactus juice."
Aang reared back in confusion. "How'd you get cactus juice all the way over here?"
Zuko snorted, "Ask my uncle. What are you doing here? I thought you were leaving this morning to get back to the Eastern Air Temple after King Kuei's birthday celebration?"
"I was convinced to stay a little longer. I'm heading back now, but I wanted to say goodbye since you two disappeared last night. I figured you'd be here." Aang's eyebrows furrowed at Zuko's tone.
"Aang, it's nothing." Katara told him, hearing the hesitation in his voice. "You should go back to the Air Acolytes."
Bristling, Aang demanded, "Why are you both so eager to get rid of me?"
"I'm not eager to get rid of you! You just get overprotective and I don't want to keep you. I'm fine and you should get back to the Eastern Air Temple and your duties."
At the same time, Zuko snapped, "My irritation has nothing to do with you, Aang, but rather because my uncle effectively drugged Katara!"
Zuko's words fell on deaf ears as Aang rounded on Katara.
"Katara, don't you get it? You never held me back. And why does everyone prioritize my duties over what I want and choose to do? When will what I want for my own life matter?"
"Aang—"
"Don't try to tell me that I'm the Avatar and it's different for me. I know. I get it! If you don't want to be with me, that's fine, but don't try and put the blame on me and my title that I didn't even want," he hissed.
Zuko stood abruptly. "Aang." His deep voice held a tone of finality and Aang shrunk back. Katara stared at the Airbender with wide eyes, her mouth agape. They hadn't heard him have an outburst like that since the time Appa had been stolen or when he was upset with the idea of taking Ozai's life. Aang looked between Zuko and Katara with sorrow in his grey eyes.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly.
"I'm sorry, too, Aang," Katara replied. "I didn't mean to imply anything. I just don't want you to worry about me unnecessarily… you should really worry about your tattoo melting. It's running off!"
As she spoke, Zuko saw how her blue eyes darkened, her pupils dilating, and her cheeks turned pink, as if she was drunk again. Zuko raised an eyebrow at her words and quickly made sure to scoop her up.
"Zuko? Since when can you Airbend?" Katara gasped as she was lifted into his arms. Her unfocused eyes roved over him in a mixture of concern and awe. "Are you an Avatar, too?"
"Aang, I'm sorry, but I think I should take her home to sleep this off." Zuko nodded at Katara, who was now poking at him.
"But if you're made of air… how are you so solid?" She smoothed a palm over his chest. "It's so firm," she marveled.
Zuko could feel his cheeks heat up and he avoided looking the Airbender in the eye. "Have a safe trip home, Aang."
Aang nodded and stepped aside. "I didn't mean…" He gestured at Katara but Zuko shook his head.
"She probably won't even remember anyway," Zuko replied smoothly. Aang looked as though he didn't believe him, but the young Airbender allowed the white lie. Zuko sighed and added, "But I do think the two of you should definitely talk or you can maybe send her a letter?"
"Yeah, that could work," Aang muttered. "I'll see you around?"
Zuko tried to offer a smile, but was distracted by how Katara was squirming in his hold. "It's been a while since you've visited the Fire Nation. I might be convinced to take a break if you did."
Aang's face visibly brightened and he nodded enthusiastically. "Take care of her, will you?"
"Fire Lord's honor." With that, Zuko bid him and his uncle goodbye and hurried out of the Jasmine Dragon and into his carriage waiting outside.
Aang turned to Iroh and asked wryly, "Cactus juice?"
Iroh smiled nervously while rubbing the back of his neck with a shrug. "The merchant gave me a very good deal for it!"