"Katara?" Aang exclaimed. "You're the Painted Lady?"
"Hi...Aang." She rubbed the back of her neck before catching Zuko's eye. "Zuko, I-"
He held up a hand.
Katara was the Painted Lady.
Nope.
No.
NO.
And yet it made perfect sense. He felt like an idiot for not realizing it before. Headstrong, hated Phoenix Industries, wanted to do everything alone. Zuko felt sick.
Katara. was the Painted. Lady.
"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Apparently he wanted to add 'hypocrite' to his list of recent sins. "How much danger you've put yourself in? What were you thinking?"
"I wanted to help people," she explained. "I can heal, more than just a regular nurse. I use waterbending to-"
"I don't care!" he shouted. He wasn't really shouting at her, it was just that with how heightened his emotions were, everything felt like it needed to be louder. "You put yourself in danger!"
"Don't be like Sokka, Zuko." She placed her hands on her hips. "I know how to defend myself."
Perhaps with water, but her hand-to-hand needs work. Multiple realizations crashed into him at once: he'd trained her, rescued her off that pirate ship. She'd been captured! And he almost hadn't...the nauseous feeling returned.
"You have no idea what you've done," he insisted.
"No idea?" she demanded, her blue eyes flashing. "You mean like saving hundreds of innocent lives from raids like this one?" She motioned towards where this block's resident's belongings were still stacked. The rain, that had resumed since her hat had fallen off, shifted with the motion.
"Providing supplies to villagers who would have gone hungry any other night?" She waved her hands again and a loud crack drew Zuko's attention to the wall behind her.
He gulped. "Uhh, Katara?"
"I was doing all the work around here while you were off playing thief of the island!"
"Katara?" Zuko tried again.
"No, I won't apologize, Zuko. I've made a difference. Things are going to change. People are starting to fight back." -more hand waving- "If we don't get things going and bring them hope, it will get to the point where nobody can save them."
"Katara!" Zuko shouted.
"What?" she shouted right back. There was another loud crack that finally caused her to turn around and face the fissure she'd created in her anger. She gasped as large sections of the abandoned building began to fall around her.
Acting on instinct, Zuko leaped forward and grabbed her arm to yank her towards him. They fell with a splash, water and debris scattering over them as he attempted to cover her body with his own. Once everything stopped rumbling, Zuko lifted his head.
"Are you alright?" he asked her.
She nodded, her lip trembling slightly. "What happened?"
He helped her up before looking to the building that had now been broken in two.
"You mean I did that?" she asked.
"I think so."
A quiet groan from the other side of the alley had Zuko quickly shoving her behind him.
Katara huffed. "Seriously?"
"Zuko?" Aang called, rubbing his head. "Katara?"
"Aang!" She pushed past Zuko to run over to him and help him up. "Are you alright?"
"I think so," he said, then shook his head. His bleary eyes found Zuko. "Whatever it is that you drink, don't ever let me have it again."
Katara turned to glare at him and he rolled his eyes. Of course he would be the one in trouble. Never mind that she's been putting herself at risk every night and just demolished a building.
It looked like a giant had bent down and taken a bite out of the apartments. They could see into the living rooms of two adjacent houses. Buried in the middle, sticking out of the center wall, was a thin metal box.
"What is that?" Katara began climbing over the bits of broken building towards the open wall.
"Katara," Zuko complained, exhausted. "Please come back here. We don't know what that thing is. Azula might have rigged this place to blow!"
Ignoring him, she made it to the box and opened it up.
"And she opened it," he muttered. "Unbelievable."
"It's some kind of scroll," she called out.
"A bending scroll?" Zuko asked.
"I'm not sure," she said. "I don't quite understand it, but I don't think so. It has the Phoenix Industry logo."
"What?" Zuko helped Aang up and propped him against a larger piece of the rubble. "Bring it here, let me see."
Making her way back over to him, he grabbed the scroll and unfolded it. After squinting at it for about a minute he finally huffed in annoyance. "I need more light. This scroll has to be at least ten years old. The only things I can make out don't make sense. All I recognize clearly is the signature."
"Your father's?" Katara prompted.
"No." Zuko shook his head, rerolling the scroll. "My Grandfather's. Azulon's."
They dropped off Aang at his apartment, Zuko helping him lay out on the couch as Katara covered him with a blanket. Tip-toeing out, they locked the door behind them.
"And now that the kids asleep/we're alone..." Zuko took her hand and started navigating them back to the bakery. He was happy that she'd taken off her Painted Lady garb. He couldn't stop looking over his shoulder and checking every corner ahead with her cloak billowing around like a beacon. At least now, with her appearing as a civilian, he could protect her if anything tried to attack them.
The sun was just rising on the horizon by the time they entered the South bend, the sky a beautiful ombré of yellows and pinks.
"So," she hummed, swinging their hands between them. "I think we should win an award."
Zuko sighed. "For what?"
"Most exciting first date?"
He couldn't help the laugh that escaped him. There were moments he couldn't ignore her relation to Sokka. "I told you, this wasn't a date."
"We talked, walked, saw pretty things, and even had food." She counted the four reasons on her fingers.
"Again with the drinks being food?" he asked. "Do we need to revisit our peach smoothie argument?"
"Fruit is food!" Katara insisted.
Zuko only pulled her closer, hiding his face in her hair. "You're ridiculous," he mumbled, and kissed her forehead. She giggled and slid her other hand around his waist.
"Wait." She paused them. "Where are we going?"
"The...bakery?" Zuko motioned forward.
Katara hesitated, biting her lip. "Zuko...the bakery..."
He turned to grip her shoulders. "What happened?"
"Azula..." she started. Tears began gathering in the corner of her eyes and he pulled her close, his hand sliding through her hair as he tucked her head against his shoulder.
"Shh, it's okay. Tell me what happened," he spoke quietly. "Did they take him?"
"I got him out," she said. "He's at the apartment. I left him there before I went looking for her. I couldn't just...I couldn't just..."
"I understand," he said. "You needed to do something."
She nodded against his shirt. His stupid silk shirt that had been soaked through with sake, rain, and now Katara's tears. His hand at her back tightened it's hold, his teeth gritting with frustration.
"By the way, I hope you realize we haven't finished with the whole 'you're the Painted Lady' talk."
"I know," she whimpered in defeat. "I was going to tell you."
"Me too," he said. Then frowned. "But you already knew that."
She tilted her chin up in the same way she'd done earlier to smile at him. "I had a whole plan to act surprised."
"Enjoy my suffering, do you?" He quirked an eyebrow. "You put me through enough stress and worry. Can we be done for the night or is there anything else you need to tell me?"
She thought about it. "Nope. I think that's everything." Then she bit her lip again, looking away. He turned her back.
"I'm not the only one with a thinking quirk," he said. "What is it?"
"You know," she said. "You saw me bloodbend."
He thought back to that night, imagined Katara beneath the veil as she'd turned men into marionettes. "Yeah?"
"You're not scared of me?"
"Oh, Katara." He brushed a lock of hair out of her face. "I'm terrified."
Her eyes welled with tears again and he leaned down to touch his forehead to hers.
"Terrified for you," he clarified. "I know what the Industry has planned. I was worried when it was just some stranger beneath the mask, but knowing it's you?" He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. "I want you to use whatever you have to if it means you can get out of there."
"But I-"
"Whatever it takes, Katara," he said seriously, holding her face with both hands. "It doesn't matter to me. The only thing that matters is that you're safe, and you get out."
She smiled even as her tears still fell. "Okay," she said. "I never said thank you."
"For what?" he asked, leaning back.
"For saving me," she said. "After being angry at you, and then I found out you were the Blue Spirit...somehow I forgot."
Zuko grinned mischievously. "Oh, I remember a thank you."
She blushed, obviously also remembering their kiss, and smacked his shoulder. "Zuko!"
Laughing, he pulled her into his side again and started the trek towards his apartment. "What a pair we are. The thief and the healer."
"Don't start on that, I couldn't stand those news reports."
"Turns out they were all true," he hummed. "Even that playwright knew before we did."
"Those characters were grossly exaggerated," she said. "It's not like I'm some sappy crybaby giving overemotional speeches about hope all the time."
"You literally yelled at me not even an hour ago about being the hope of the people before you destroyed a building."
To his great relief, she laughed.
"I suppose that's fair."
"I know what it is." He moved to walk in front of her, facing backwards. "You're trying to scare me. Well it won't work!" He twirled her before pulling her close, stopping them just a street away from home.
"You're stuck with me," he murmured. "For as long as you'll have me." He shrugged, turning to continue their walk. "Or until your father and brother kill me."
"You're the Blue Spirit, aren't you?" She teased, releasing his hand to hug his arm. "Surely a baker and video game enthusiast don't scare you. And anyway, they love you!"
"Loved me," he argued. "You've seen Sokka. Imagine what they'll do to me when they think I've defiled their precious sugarplum." He shuddered.
"Sokka will get over it," she insisted. "Speaking of-" she stopped them. "It would probably be best if we don't walk in together at six in the morning after a night out. You might stand a better chance on your own."
Zuko gasped dramatically. "You're leaving me? I thought you were going to protect me!"
"I think this situation you need to handle on your own. I'll head over to Suki's and see you tomorrow." She frowned. "Or later today."
Zuko legitimately panicked. "Wait, do we have class today?"
"No, idiot." She turned to stand in front of him, grabbing his other hand. "It's Saturday, but we need to go over that scroll when we're a little more lucid." She nodded to his bag where they'd stashed the ornate, tin box.
"Oh, yeah, of course." He smiled at her weakly. "I guess I wouldn't mind seeing you again."
Katara bit her lip, thinking. "You know...my mother used to work for Azulon." Her hand strayed up to her neck when she suddenly gasped. "Zuko!"
"What?" He asked. "What's wrong?"
"My necklace!" She pulled down her thick cloak to reveal her bare neck. "It's gone!"
"It must have fallen off when the building collapsed," Zuko said.
"We have to go look for it!" Katara was hysterical, her eyes wide and watery.
"Okay, okay," Zuko soothed her. "I'll go back."
"I want to go with you-"
"Katara, be reasonable," he said. "There's absolutely no reason for you to be in that part of town today. After what happened, that street is most likely being scoured by the Agni Kai. I'm the only one who won't look suspicious."
"I'm a nurse, I'm a healer," she insisted. "I could volunteer."
Zuko placed a hand against her cheek. "And who's going to heal you if something happens? I can't promise you'll be safe if you come. Please, Katara. Let me do this."
He watched the conflict of her thoughts pass across her face, her eyes shifting between his until they closed in resignation. "Okay."
Zuko kissed her forehead. "Go to Suki's, go to bed. I'll text you if I find anything." Slipping the scroll from his jacket he handed it to her. "Take this."
"Be careful," she said.
Zuko was near dead on his feet but still he went. Just as he'd predicted, Agni Kai were all over the bend, piling the rubble and searching for the scroll he'd just left in Katara's possession. Some nodded to him as he passed but most just ignored his presence. It made it easy to walk through the demolished building, his eyes scanning the floor for any sign of the blue ribbon or marble pendant.
Nothing.
After an hour of searching, Zuko's vision began to blur. Another thirty minutes and he walked into a wall and then apologized to it.
As much as he didn't want to, he had to admit that if Katara's necklace had been here, it wasn't anymore. The thought left a bad taste in his mouth. The idea that something that could be linked back to her being left at a scene where the Painted Lady had been sighted.
Hating every second of it, he texted Katara that he had failed. After adding details to meet him later in the afternoon with the item, he staggered home and fell into bed still fully clothed.
They met at the tea shop. He'd been worried Katara would be upset with him, but she was just sad. Her eyes were rimmed in red and slightly puffy. When she saw him she came up to slide her arms around his middle and simply stood there for a bit. Suki gave him a strange look but Zuko didn't give anything away.
"We'll find it," he whispered to her. She nodded against his chest.
"Thank you for looking," she mumbled.
"I'm sorry I couldn't do more." He stroked his fingers through her hair.
"It's fine." She leaned back, wiping her eyes. "Let's just...let's just try and figure out the scroll."
"Did you want to go somewhere else?" He eyed the nearby table. The whole gang had somehow intervened on their second attempt at a private meeting.
"No, it's fine." Katara led him to their seats. "I wanted to talk to Suki anyways. We were discussing the raids."
It hadn't been a date. Looking over an old scroll depicting some unknown edict of his grandfather was not what Zuko would consider a romantic activity.
Still...
The only positive to come from the crowded table was that Katara had to sit closer to him than normal. Their bodies were practically glued together from shoulder to knee.
"Okay, so explain to me again. Why haven't the police intervened?" Katara asked.
Suki held out her hands. "Orders from the top brass not to intervene. Phoenix Industries really dug in for this one. Edicts came all the way from the mainland. Our top priority is meant to be apprehending the Painted Lady and Blue Spirit."
"But they're literally dragging people out of their own homes." Katara continued. "There's no way that's legal!"
"Hey, I'm with you." Suki defended herself. "But Phoenix Industries technically owns the land, they can choose to evict whenever they like."
"By forcibly removing people from their living houses and seizing everything inside?" Katara's hand landed flat against the table. "It's not right."
"Again. Messenger." She motioned to herself- "shot" -she pretended to stab herself and then gush out from her chest- "bleeding all over the floor."
Katara huffed, her hands on her hips. "There's really nothing you can do?"
"I'm afraid not," Suki replied. "Nobody is willing to testify, either. They're too afraid. The Phoenix King is good at what he does. He's greased all the right gears to make sure everybody is looking the wrong way when his dirty work goes down." Her eyes shifted to Zuko. "How soon do you graduate?"
"Two months," he muttered. He'd forgotten. In all the chaos, he'd forgotten about the goal he'd spent years striving towards. It was a fight to keep his eyes averted from Katara. Funny how priorities can change.
Toph thankfully changed the topic to celebration as Sokka would also be graduating this year.
It was around three in the afternoon when they finally got around to opening the box and unrolling the stiff parchment.
"What you got there?" Sokka leaned over Zuko's shoulder and he flinched.
"Sit or back up," Zuko said, agitated. "Hovering is not allowed."
"Okay, take it easy. Sheesh." Sokka grabbed a nearby chair and scooted in next to Suki. "I was just kidding around. Calm your man, Katara."
She scoffed. "Yesterday you couldn't stand us together. Now he's suddenly 'my man'?"
"Well he doesn't listen to me anymore."
Toph groaned, her head lolling back against her seat. "Ladies, ladies, you're both pretty. Can we get to the scroll already?"
Zuko read quickly, his eyes scanning the carefully worded document several times. "There's a lot of political jargon," he commented, "a paragraph about a deposition of some sort, and then something about a Dragon of the West."
Toph's fists slammed against the table causing all their cups to clatter in their saucers. "They have a dragon locked up in that facility too?" she demanded.
A shattering sound had them all turning to the back of the shop where Iroh had just dropped a mug of tea.
"Uncle?" Zuko asked, moving to help him. "Are you alright?"
The old man was pale, paler than any of them had ever seen, and he wore an expression of shock. His eyes, normally so cheerful, were terrified as they trained onto the unraveled scroll. When he pointed at it, his hands were trembling.
"Where?" Iroh gasped. "Where did you get that?"
"You know something about this?" Sokka pointed to the scroll.
"I-" he hesitated. "I helped to write it. Ten years ago."
"You what?" Zuko demanded.
The old man hesitated, then held up a hand. "Give me just a moment."
For the first time since they'd known him, Iroh closed the store early. He apologized to the remaining customers but was quick and efficient in evacuating the small space. Once everyone was gone, the group relocated to a more central table with a bit more room, Iroh sitting at the head.
"I am the one to blame for your misfortune," he said, pain laced in every word. "I cannot apologize enough for the pain I have brought to your family."
"What are you talking about?" Katara asked, the first to regain herself in a crisis.
"I grew up in the industry," Iroh said. "There were four of us at the top level of the company. Azulon, your grandfather-" he motioned to Zuko- "a shipment facilitator named Jeong Jeong, myself, and..." he turned to Sokka and Katara, "Your mother, Kya."
Zuko's blood ran cold. Sokka and Katara's mother had been working with Iroh? "What does this have to do with the scroll?"
"I'd been working with Azulon as the head administrator for the company," Iroh explained. "He saw that the values of the industry had been corrupted by greed. He saw what Ozai was growing into. We devised a plan...a plan to reset the future of the company. A new face that might bring peace." Iroh took a deep breath. "We knew we couldn't do it alone, so I chose your mother to help. She was a kind and gentle soul with an inner strength that matched any queen. The three of us worked in secret to devise a plan. People from all areas of expertise. We called it the Avatar initiative."
Zuko clasped his hands beneath the table to keep them from shaking.
Iroh went on, "We had codenames to keep our identities secret. Jeong Jeong was the General, Kya was the Necklace-"
Katara's eyes watered as her fingers strayed to the empty space between her collar bones.
"And I..." Iroh swallowed thickly. "I was the Dragon of the West."
The group of students sat in dead silence, speechless after what they had just heard.
"Ozai grew wary of the amount of time I spent with his father," Iroh continued. "He knew something was wrong, that his father had been distant, so he set me up and accused me of embezzlement before banishing me from the grounds." Iroh took a small sip of tea. "Jeong Jeong was not as easy to get rid of...one day, he went missing."
The implication washed over the young adults who chose to remain quiet.
"My accounts were frozen. It was only by the help of your mother that I came here." He opened his arm to the store around them.
"How did she help you?" Sokka asked.
"We were worried Ozai would keep digging until he discovered the entirety of the operation, so your mother took out the loan from the industry to avoid suspicion," Iroh explained. "She used that money to build this shop."
Everyone's eyes surveyed the room, suddenly seeing every table, window, and teacup through a different lens.
"You've been living here and running this place on stolen money?" Sokka demanded. "My mother's money? Do you understand what my father's been through because of that loan?"
Iroh shook his head. "She gave me the shop as a place to lie low until we completed the plan to upend the company. It was Kya who transported the messages between myself and Azulon. She kept saying we just needed a little more time." Iroh paused, his voiced choked with emotion. "I gave the money to your father anonymously after she passed to pay back the loan. Since then, I've been doing what I can." He sighed. "I'm the one who paid for your schooling."
Katara stiffened. "What?"
"I told the university to send it as a scholarship so that you wouldn't be suspicious," he said. "It was the only way I could think to get it to you without drawing more attention to your family. If Ozai thought you kids had been involved, I wouldn't be able to protect you."
"Why would we need protection?" Katara breathed.
"What is this?" Sokka asked, holding up the scroll.
"This was Azulon's final will, amending his heir," Iroh stated. "What you have here is a signed testament that Ozai was not to succeed Azulon upon his death."
"What?" Zuko choked. "That can't be right. Who was going to inherit the company?"
Iroh turned his face away. "Me."
"This is crazy!"
And that, Sokka, was the past three months in a nutshell.
"Our mother wasn't any type of spy or anything. She was just an assistant," he insisted. "You're telling me she was running top secret messages the whole time?"
"She knew the risks." Iroh rubbed his forehead. "Kya knew that the scroll had to be protected, it had to be taken to Azulon's lawyers outside the city before Ozai could get a hold of it. After her success with the waterbending scroll..." Iroh locked eyes with the blue-eyed siblings. "She volunteered."
Katara covered her mouth.
"It was while she was transporting this scroll that she was captured by Ozai's elite spies, the first order of the Agni Kai's," Iroh said, tapping the parchment in front of them. "The night she died."
Zuko was glad he was already sitting down. So the guild had always been corrupt, from the very beginning.
"That's what they've been looking for," he muttered. "The artifact they keep talking about. It was this."
Katara straightened. "You mean if I hadn't been there...?"
"Azula would have gotten her hands on this scroll." Iroh confirmed.
The whole gang let that thought settle.
"My father said something about a deadline." Zuko pulled the scroll closer to himself, his eyes scanning the words with a renewed vigor.
"Azulon's previous will testified that if an amendment wasn't found within ten years of his death, the current stipulations would be final."
"English, please," Toph sighed, her chin dropping into her palm that was propped up on the table.
Zuko couldn't speak. Having run dry, his mouth opened and closed uselessly. Sokka was the first to catch up.
"You're telling me," he said, "that Iroh could still be instated as the CEO of the company?"
He could have lost his legacy before it had even started. Here he'd been fighting tooth and nail for a chance to prove himself and a single piece of paper was about to tear it all away from him. As much as he wanted to be angry or confused, all he could really feel was...relief.
"When did Azulon die?" Suki asked, ever the detective. "The date. Exactly."
"Zuko?" Katara asked. It was her hand gripping his beneath the table that stirred him from his reverie.
"What?" he asked.
"Do you know the day your grandfather died?" she asked.
"Um." He shook his head, trying to think. "November 19th."
Toph swore but nobody had the energy to scold her. "No wonder he's so desperate. That's only two weeks away."
"Do you have any proof of this?" Suki asked.
Iroh's eyes passed over all of them. Eventually he sighed, apparently coming to term with the fact that they intended to see this through. "Kya filed the transcripts of the meetings in the vaults under a false name. It's possible Ozai hasn't found them yet."
Katara squeezed his hand again and he looked over to see her eyes on him. Those big, blue orbs shining with worry and support. He gave her a wan smile in return.
"We need to get a hold of that original will," Suki said. "If we can find the stipulation, then we can see about having this rendition instated." Everyone looked at Zuko. "Zuko?"
Yet again, he was struck dumb with no idea what to say.
Katara stood from her chair, dragging him with her by her hold on his hand. "Give us a minute, guys."
He followed willingly, trailing behind her like a dog on a leash, his feet on autopilot. Next thing he knew, he was sitting at their bench with Katara's hands on both sides of his face.
Her eyes were so blue, like the sky on a clear day. It helped him to have something to focus on.
Her voice was garbled but he heard the words, "Breathe, Zuko."
Was he not breathing? Taking a deep breath, his lungs burned. Perhaps he hadn't been. The world started to come back into focus. He noticed the cold bite of the afternoon air and the uncomfortable boards of the bench beneath him.
He kept his attention on her eyes. They were grounding as he continued to breathe. The more he looked at them, the less they looked like a sky and more like an ocean. Like the water she could weave through the air. He could almost imagine them swirling like a shallow pool in a gentle breeze. It was remarkably calming.
"There you go." She smiled at him, her thumbs tracing over his cheeks. "You scared me for a moment."
Closing his eyes, he leaned forward to push his forehead against hers. "Sorry."
"Why are you apologizing?" she demanded.
He sighed and shrugged, taking a moment to breath in her scent. She smelled like clean water and flowers. He had a distinct mental image of lilies on the glassy surface of a forgotten park.
"You don't have to do this," she whispered.
Inhaling slowly, Zuko leaned back and opened his eyes. Her hands dropped from his face to settle in her own lap.
"I think I do," he said. "Even if Iroh doesn't end up taking over the company, I need to know what my grandfather had planned. I need to know if my father really did all of those things. If he..." murdered your mother.
She pursed her lips. "I can understand that." Then she looked away. "Just be careful, alright?"
"Well, I was planning to be reckless before, but now that you've asked me I suppose I can be careful."
She shoved him with her shoulder. "I'm glad you're feeling well enough to tease, Mr. Sarcastic."
"It's why you like me, right?" He teased, using her line from the previous night.
"One of the many reasons, yes." She smiled at him, then stood. "We should probably go back in there."
Zuko stood as well, taking her hand. "I don't know how much more I can handle."
"Don't worry," she said. "I'll be with you the whole time, and if you need to leave I'll come with you."
He smiled down at her. He didn't deserve her kindness. She'd just learned her mother's death hadn't been an accident, that her murder had been ordered by his own father, and she was comforting him?
Her lips brushed against his scarred cheek and he blinked. That was the second time she'd kissed him there. Maybe she was doing it on purpose, maybe she didn't even notice.
Zuko had experienced a variety of reactions to his scar. Many avoided it. The only girl he'd ever dated before tended to touch the left side of his face only.
He smiled down at her. "Alright then, let's go."
The plan was simple. Zuko would use his new access to get into the vaults and find the avatar meeting transcripts. Suki was calling in a favor in the records department to retrieve a copy of the original will. Toph had a lawyer friend she was bringing in on Thursday to look over the documents to ensure everything was viable for the takeover. By Friday, Phoenix Industries would have a new contender for CEO.
No big deal.
Katara pulled her coat closer as she knocked on the apartment's door. Her fingers fiddled towards her necklace in agitation only to be reminded that it was gone. Katara sighed.
She hadn't seen or heard from Zuko since they'd all parted ways last night and she was concerned. He'd scared her a little bit with his panic attack after they'd left the first time, but in his defense his world had just been turned on its head. It had somehow had a calming effect on her as well when she was able to talk him through it. His own return of control somehow made it seem as though everything were going to be alright. He was going to figure things out, he was going to handle it. He would protect her. She was certain of it.
Sokka answered the door wearing a blue apron dusted with flour and brandishing a wooden spoon. He looked surprisingly similar to her dad.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Making dinner for Suki," he replied. "What do you want?"
Katara took one look in the kitchen and knew she didn't want to be anywhere near that. So she asked, "Is he back yet?"
Sokka waved towards their bedroom. "He's in there, working on a paper."
Right. Schoolwork. She'd almost forgotten. Two months until he and Sokka graduated.
"Knock knock." Katara rapped against the door as it slid open. The room was dark, the only light coming from Zuko's desk lamp. He must have fallen asleep while working. His head was resting against his arm that was pillowed by textbooks. His articles, notes, and highlighters were spread across the surface of the desk and his laptop was open to a shifting screensaver. The photos shuffled through silly selfies of Zuko and Sokka together around the island. She chuckled when one came up of the two of them at the beach wearing identical pairs of some of the most ridiculous sunglasses she'd ever seen.
"Zuko?" she called softly. As she watched, his chest rose and fell with a deep breath, his eyes still closed. He was wearing comfy clothes she'd never seen him in before. A maroon hoodie that looked worn and some black sweats. Without shoes she could see that his socks didn't match. It was unclear from his state if it had been a choice or an accident. Smiling, she stepped up next to him and ran her fingers through his hair.
He hummed deep in his chest, shifting further into his arm. Scooting closer, she continued to comb through his hair with her fingers. It had gotten shaggier since she'd known him, he must be due for a cut soon, but it was still so soft.
"I really hope you're not my roommate," he mumbled into the sleeve of his hoodie. "Otherwise this would be extremely awkward."
Katara laughed and didn't fight him when his other arm rose to slide around her waist.
"I'm glad you're getting some rest," she said. "Even if it's on your desk."
His eyes slatted open, holding on the doorway for a moment before sliding up to her. "I'm glad to hear you have at least some interest in my well-being as you're putting my life on the line right now."
"What?" She asked. "What are you talking about?"
Sitting up, he raised his eyebrows at her. "You are aware that your brother and father currently live here, right?"
"Yeah...?"
"Are you also aware that this is a bedroom? And we are alone?"
Katara blushed and he smirked.
"It's not like we're doing anything," she huffed. "Sokka watched me walk in here."
"Didn't you stay in a dorm while you were in the North?" He asked. Then pointed. "You closed the door."
"So?"
He squinted at her. "Remember that talk we had about defiling the sugarplum? Crushing the lily?"
"I'm the lily?"
"Of course you are." He stood up. "Blossom of the water?" He swiftly stole a kiss then strode for the door. "Seems fitting, doesn't it?"
When he opened it, Sokka was standing on the other end with his hands on his hips.
"It was her." Zuko pointed behind him.
"Snitch," she muttered. "I didn't realize this wasn't a home of adults."
"Both feet on the floor and the door open, young lady." Sokka wagged his wooden spoon at her.
"Oh my gosh." Katara covered her face with her hands. "Can we talk about something else?"
"I'm busy," Sokka called over his shoulder heading back towards the kitchen. "This dinner isn't going to make itself!"
Katara and Zuko shared a look.
"Did you prep everything?" she asked.
"Actually, no." Zuko moved to grab a jean jacket from a hook on the back of the door. "I've been writing. He wanted to do it all himself. You want to go for a walk?"
"Are you sure we should leave him?" she asked. "What if he burns the place down?"
"Suki will be here any minute." He shrugged, sliding his jacket on over his hoodie. "Bonus for me if she witnesses it, maybe we'll get matching aprons."
"Aww, you know you're the only sparky around here." She lightly tapped his cheek before proceeding out the door ahead of him. "Did that have anything to do with your 'spirit powers'? Or was it just an accident?"
A crash from the kitchen stopped Zuko from saying whatever he'd opened his mouth to say as Sokka stomped over to them for the second time that night.
"She knows?" he demanded.
Katara's mouth dropped. "You know?!"
"You told her?" Sokka was still looking at his roommate.
Katara also rounded on Zuko. "You told him before me?"
"You already knew!" Zuko insisted, his hands waving helplessly at his sides.
"But you didn't know that I knew," she countered.
"Well you didn't tell me, either," he said.
Katara scoffed. "I'm not a criminal."
"Maybe not to the villagers, but you're being just as reckless with your safety."
"At least I could keep a secret."
"I keep secrets just fine," Zuko huffed. "Sokka didn't even know until Aang hit me with his car. Although, he's the only reason I found out about your 'spirit powers' too, so maybe I should be thanking him."
"Spirit powers?"
Katara froze as Zuko paled, both of them having forgotten about the third person in the room.
"Yeah, amazing secret keeper," she muttered and Zuko blushed with a pout.
"Katara?" Sokka's tone was warning.
Slowly, she turned to face him. "Yes?"
Sokka's face was smooth and calm but his eyes held a storm. "What's he talking about?"
"Nothing?" she tried.
Pointing to the couch with his spoon, Sokka said, "Sit."
Katara moved quickly to sit on the couch, Zuko hot on her heels. Once they were seated, Sokka headed back into the kitchen where he proceeded to make, in Katara's opinion, an absurd amount of noise.
"Do we make a break for it?" she whispered to Zuko.
Zuko shook his head. "He's still wearing his shirt. We're doing good. I think leaving now would only make it worse."
Katara took her eyes off the kitchen to look at him. "He still does that?"
"You're telling me that-!" The shout had both of them jumping as Sokka paced into the room only to immediately return to the kitchen with a growl. The crashing sounds intensified.
Katara frowned. "What was that?"
"The boomerang," he muttered before calling out "Do you need help, bro?"
"Not from you, bro!" Came the response.
Zuko's head fell into his hands. "Why am I so bad at this?"
A shattering followed by a loud curse confirmed that whatever Sokka was doing was causing things to break.
Katara sighed. "Sokka, you're being ridiculous."
"Me?!" He demanded, returning again to the living room. "I'm being ridiculous? Me? Not my roommate who thought it would be a good idea to date his best friend's sister?"
Zuko winced next to her and she placed a steadying hand on his knee.
"Not said sister who decided to date her brother's best friend against his explicit wishes?' Sokka continued. "Not the criminal who had no idea what he was getting himself into until it was too late? And now I find out-" he had to stop himself again, inhaling heavily with his eyes closed.
"Katara," he said, his eyes still closed. "Please, for the peace of La, please tell me you're not the Painted Lady. Tell me you haven't been travelling through town by yourself. Tell me it's not your face plastered on all those wanted posters outside."
She squirmed in her seat, then said quietly, "Sometimes Zuko was with me."
Sokka cursed.
"Language," she reprimanded, unable to turn off the reflex.
"Does Dad know?" Sokka asked.
"No," she said, "Zuko and Aang only found out last night on accident."
"So just Zuko and Aang and no one in your family," Sokka said. "Perfect. Why would you tell your brother and father about your magic water when you could tell your boyfriend?"
"It's not magic water, it's waterbending." She would dwell on the fact that she'd chosen to correct the wording for 'waterbender' but not 'boyfriend' later.
"Whatever it is, it's put you and everyone around you in danger."
"So you think telling dad would make things better?" she asked.
That stopped him, if only for a moment. "Maybe he could actually talk some sense into you."
"Excuse me?" Katara demanded, her temper flaring. "I've spent years, years, taking care of the two of you, and now that I'm finally trying to make a difference for everyone else, now that I'm finally doing something that I believe in, you're trying to stop me? You're the one who originally said that something needed to be done!"
"I didn't mean by attacking their ships and making yourself into a target, I meant by someone like Zuko!" Sokka pointed at his roommate who had been doing his best to blend into the shadows.
"Please leave me out of this," he begged.
"You've always struggled with facing your own limits," Sokka pushed through, turning back to Katara, "You're too stubborn. Do you really think either of us could handle losing another member of this family?"
Her anger evaporated, her chest thudding with the proverbial blow. It was still fresh, the memory of being locked in that room. Not knowing if the dark walls would be the last things she'd ever see. And they'd never have known.
They all jumped about a foot in the air as the door suddenly swung open.
"Hey guys! Sorry I just let myself in, I hope that's okay."
The tension in the air was palpable. Suki's smile fell as her eyes passed between all of them. "Wow, next time I'll knock."
When they still hadn't moved she straightened and crossed her arms. "Alright, what's going on?"
Unable to stand it any longer, Katara said, "Zuko and I were just leaving."
Grabbing his hand, she walked straight out through the open door.
Upon leaving his apartment, Katara had announced that she wanted hot chocolate. Considering the state she was in...hot chocolate she would get. They'd grabbed two steaming mugs from a nearby café as well as a couple pastries. The food and hot drink calmed her until she was leaning gently against his arm as they proceeded to walk aimlessly through the streets. It wasn't until they reached Omashu park that Zuko realized where he'd been leading them. The walk through the glow worm caves was much more pleasant than their previous attempt. Mainly because this time he knew it was a date.
Food? Check.
Time alone? Finally.
Pretty view? Heck yes. It was like walking into a cool pool on a summer's day when they stepped out into the quiet, open area. They wouldn't be disturbed here, they could finally just be themselves.
Katara seemed to have the same idea as she let off a sigh and then turned to beam at him. She giggled.
"What?" Zuko asked.
"You've got a little..." she motioned to her mouth and then appeared to think before she slid a hand around his neck. Bringing his face down, she lightly kissed the side of his mouth before leaning back. Her eyes went wide and her cheeks bloomed with color before a nervous laugh burbled from her lips. "Oops, I missed." This time, she used the napkin around her cup to dab away whatever was there.
He smiled down at her. "Thanks."
"You're welcome," she said shyly. Then she looked around. "So why did you bring us here?"
Zuko looked around too. "I think I just needed some time away, I figured you'd probably need the same."
She hummed in agreement.
"Also, since I'm going back... I was thinking," he trailed off.
Katara tilted her head. It was adorable. "Yes?"
"I was thinking maybe you could help me with my bending." Zuko shrugged. "Maybe it could come in handy."
Her eyes grew unfocused for a moment, her thoughts far away. Then she was back. "I can do that. You want to show me what you can do so far?"
Zuko smiled sheepishly. "It's been years since I've tried to do anything on purpose, so I don't remember much."
"I promise only to laugh a little bit." Katara grinned at him, then moved to sit on a nearby boulder. She took a long sip of her drink before waving for him to begin.
Zuko huffed, feeling like a child standing before his tutors. Men who couldn't even firebend, but knew the concepts. Men who had most likely been killed for what they knew.
"Stay there," he instructed, pointing to where she was seated on the boulder. "I wouldn't want to accidentally burn you. I have mentioned it's been a while, right?"
Another wave was her only response.
Zuko moved to the center of the area and took a deep breath in.
Energy flowed through his limbs, the concentrated breath extending past his fist to become fire. The first blaze was small, his intentions timid, but as he swept through the motions of his memory the blasts gradually grew in power and heat. It was instinct, his fists cutting through the air followed by a spin of his leg that created a downfall of flame. Sparks broke from his fingertips, dancing across his vision like fireworks. Digging deeper, a wall of fire enveloped him as he spun on the spot. With a final jab, his fists bloomed to open hands, swirling the flames back and forth in front of him. Breathing out, with his palms facing down, his hands lowered to relax by his waist and the flames faded from existence.
Opening one eye, he peeked over to Katara.
She was still seated, her legs swinging as she leaned back, the toes of her shoes barely grazing the grass. "I hadn't realized firebending was so...aggressive."
Zuko looked down at his hands. "Yeah, I guess."
He'd thought he'd feel guilty for bending again, maybe a little afraid. He hadn't expected this...exhilaration.
"Zuko?"
His head snapped up. She'd stood from her place on the boulder and was now only a few paces away.
"Are you alright?" she asked. "I know bending is...a delicate subject for you."
"I'm okay," he said automatically. "I'd just forgotten what it felt like."
She closed the gap between them, catching his eye as she stood in front of him. "I'm worried about you," she admitted.
"That's something we have in common, then."
He was glad to see her smile.
Leaning up, she pressed a gentle kiss against his scarred cheek, her lips lingering against the rough skin.
"Katara." His hand reached up to touch the side of her face.
"You're not a monster, Zuko," she whispered against his skin and he sighed, his chest expanding with it's first deep breath since they'd unrolled the Avatar amendment. Then he kissed her, his lips trying to convey the depth of emotions he couldn't bear to convey in words. How could he tell her that after years of being fueled by ambition and consumed by bitterness, she'd finally brought some semblance of happiness to his life. Crippling anxiety and a mountain of headaches, but also joy.
His chuckle had them pulling apart but he kept his eyes closed.
"What?" she asked, tugging gently on the front of his hoodie.
"I was just thinking about how much work you are," he said.
She tried pushing him away but he held fast, his hands secured around her waist.
"And about how I'm still willing to risk everything, including Sokka's wrath and losing my place in the industry, to keep you."
"Nice save," she played, leaning against him again. "Even though it was pretty sappy."
"Get used to it," he mumbled, sliding his nose along her cheek to bury it in her hair.
She let him, the two of them resting in each other's presence for a moment until her quiet voice broke the silence. "Zuko?"
"Yeah?" he asked.
"When you access the archives, after you've found the transcripts, if you still have time can you do something for me?"
He leaned back to look at her. "Anything."
Her eyes were cold as ice. "I want you to find out who killed my mother."