"Sokka!" Katara ran across the foyer and straight into her brother's arms, embracing him tightly. She closed her eyes, relishing in the feeling that he was safe. That they'd both made it through this. They were both alive. Sokka laughed and when he broke away his smile was as wide as his face.
"Hey sis!"
Katara moved through the group, talking with and hugging each member of the gang. When she reached Aang she couldn't help the overwhelming flood of emotions that came over her. He was alive, and he'd won this war for them. He'd saved the world and restored balance. In the midst of the chatter of the group, Aang's eyes locked onto hers and he threw her that same crooked grin he'd flashed right after he'd slid out of the iceberg. Katara felt a tear slide down her cheek as everything they'd experienced together in the last year flew through her mind. Her chin shook as she stepped towards him and hugged him tighter than she'd ever hugged anyone before. He's okay. He's alive.
"I'm so proud of you, Aang."
His own arms tightened around her and he whispered back. "Thanks, Katara." Tears of happiness flowed faster and she laughed in relief as she released him, locking onto his eyes again for another moment before scanning through the rest of the group. Sokka, Suki, Toph, Aang. Everyone was here. They'd all made it.
And then her eyes met the stare of someone else's eyes from across the group and her heart fluttered. Zuko. Spirits. She couldn't even begin to explain how she felt about Zuko, because it was so unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. She thought of the moments they'd shared together over the past few days. The fight with Azula, when he'd saved her life. Their moment in the training arena after Azula had escaped. And finally, just a few minutes ago, when they'd shared a kiss in the fountain. She read his face and knew exactly what he wanted–what she owed him. Staring at her and Aang, likely also thinking of the kiss they'd just had in the fountain, Zuko wanted an explanation. And Katara didn't feel like she had one. She'd just seen him there in the fountain, his hair damp from the splashes of the water and eyes bright from their spar and… she'd just…kissed him.
"Fire Lord Zuko!" Sokka emphasized each word slowly and thumped Zuko on the back, breaking Zuko and Katara out of their stare. "Who would've thought it possible a year ago?"
Everyone in the group laughed and even Zuko's face couldn't contain a smile. "Well, not yet. I technically won't be a Fire Lord until tomorrow."
"Ahh screw the technicalities. Fire Lord's a Fire Lord," quipped Toph. Everyone laughed again at her joke as Sokka shot into a reenactment of what exactly went down during their attack on the air fleet. Aang shared snippets of his battle with Ozai, but for Sokka's part, Katara felt it was perhaps a little embellished. The thought only made her smile grow.
She glanced at Aang, who was talking with Suki, and her heart filled at his smile, his happiness and just the fact that he was okay. All the training, all the flying around and nearly not escaping death…all of it had been to prepare Aang for this moment. And he'd done it. She loved him. In the simplest, purest sense of the word, Katara loved Aang. A deep, familial love.
And then she glanced at Zuko, who was still watching Sokka, and a fire deep within her grew when she thought of the success he'd had as well, though she knew he'd never speak of it openly to the group. She thought of the battle he'd fought to become the person–the man–he was today and the pain and anguish that'd been inflicted on him by his own family. She thought of his strength and determination and the way he was willing to give every part of himself to save the world, whatever that part might be. And then she thought again of the warm kiss he'd returned to her after she'd shocked him with the first one…and the way he'd paused to see if she truly wanted it. And she had. Katara could at least admit that to herself. The bond they'd developed since their vacation to the Southern Raiders was undeniable, and worth more to Katara than she cared to admit.
Again, Sokka interrupted Katara's deep train of thought. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to have any food at this palace of yours would you Zuko? Some meat maybe?"
"Do you ever think about anything other than your stomach, Sokka?" asked Suki.
"Nope," answered Katara, and everyone laughed again. Sokka faked a look of offense.
Zuko chuckled and motioned for them all to follow him. "Yeah, follow me. I'm sure the cooks have prepared something for lunch."
They arrived at the simpler dining room where Katara had previously eaten dinner with Zuko and started chatting easily. Most of the time, it was Sokka continuing to retell the story of how they defeated the air fleet. Apparently, Toph had almost fallen to her death, but he'd been able to pull her up with his immense strength. His leg had also almost been chopped clean off while he'd been in the middle of fighting 20 firebenders at once. But luckily, he pulled through. Based on the looks on Suki's face, some of this was an exaggeration, but Sokka loved telling the story, so they all let him.
After he'd finished, Sokka turned to Aang. "Your turn. I want an exact play by play of the smack down with Ozai. I know you said you took his bending away but what happened exactly?" Zuko's head whipped up to look at Sokka, who was miming bending moves with his arms, his face full of shock. He smarted himself quickly, shifting his eyes to Aang and keeping them there.
Katara quickly realized why. After reading her letter from Sokka the day after the war ended, she hadn't mentioned anything to Zuko other than that they'd won and that everything was okay. In all honesty, she hadn't really registered until now what exactly Aang had done…and how crazy it was.
"You took my fathers bending away?" Zuko's voice was incredulous, his half eaten plate of noodles forgotten. He wasn't angry, just…surprised.
Toph shifted nervously and Katara felt herself squirm as well. The thought of having your bending taken away was not a pleasant one. For Ozai, someone who craved power, and saw bending as the source of that power, Aang's punishment probably felt worse than death. That was the genius of it, she supposed.
Aang smiled, and there was a little bit of sheepishness there.
"Did you guys not talk about this in Ba Sing Se?" asked Katara.
"It was all so busy," said Suki. "The White Lotus had just reconquered the city, the Earth King was released from prison and they were planning a giant party. But Aang did mention something about a…what was it again?"
"A giant Lion Turtle," said Aang with a small laugh. Then his voice turned more serious, sensing the mood in the room. "After talking with my past lives, I came to the conclusion that I would have to kill Ozai. But then I met this Lion Turtle by accident and he taught me how to bend someone's energy. When I met Ozai, I offered him the chance to stand down, but he didn't, so we fought. " Zuko was suddenly very interested in his plate. "It started off really badly. I was losing, and he gained ground on me really quickly." Katara held her breath. "But he accidentally opened my last chakra, and I went into the avatar state." Aang paused and his face went solemn. His eyes glazed over, as if remembering a distant memory. "I had him right there in front of me, totally helpless. And I was going to do it. It was like every past avatar was screaming in my head to slaughter him right there, but I just couldn't do it." A beat of silence passed as everyone soaked in the information. "So I used what I learned from the Lion Turtle about energy to take away Ozai's bending."
If it hadn't been for Sokka, Katara was sure complete silence would've followed Aang's story.
To her dismay, her brother's interruption was made with a mouth full of food. "So can you like, give that to someone else now?" He swallowed, and Aang lifted an eyebrow. "Like could you give Ozai's fire bending to Suki? Cause that would be epic."
Everyone laughed. "I don't think it works like that, Sokka."
"Dang. Too bad."
"I said it once but I'll say it again," inserted Toph. "You have the craziest adventures, Twinkle Toes." Aang beamed. "Sounds like a bunch of avatar mumbo jumbo if you ask me."
All Katara felt was awe. Complete awe at what Aang had managed to do. He'd defied every single other avatar ever, and stuck to his own morals, like only he would've been able to do. It was amazing.
The tension in the room seemed to lift and the gang continued to swap stories. Katara soaked in every moment, grateful the heaviness was gone now. It was hard for her to believe that they were all finally back together again. It almost felt too good to be true.
Of course, Azula had escaped, but it felt like a minor problem now. If they could handle a war, they could handle Azula.
Sensing something, Katara looked to Zuko and found he was already looking at her, his eyes burning with a question. Her stomach filled with butterflies. Spirits, what was wrong with her? Katara looked at her food and took another bite when Suki spoke.
"Wait! What about you two?! How did it go with Azula?"
Katara's brain instantly filled with guilt and worry. What should they say? Luckily Zuko took the lead.
"We actually found her right before she was crowned Fire Lord. She challenged me to an Agni Kai, and I accepted." All eyes were on Zuko now, intently listening to the story. "I made the mistake of taunting her, and she channeled her lightning at Katara." Aang's mouth fell open. "I stopped it, and Katara finished the battle for me."
"Dang, sis!"
"Quite ingeniously, I might add," said Zuko with a grin. Katara smiled too, torn that Zuko didn't confess to the wound he'd taken for her. He'd done much more than he was letting on, but perhaps he didn't want to share.
"Nicely done, Sugar Queen."
Katara was appreciative that there seemed to be a small unspoken, mutual agreement between them to not mention that Azula was now gone. Maybe that was wrong, but there didn't seem to be a reason to worry the rest of them.
"Thanks, Toph," she replied sheepishly. She'd never been good at accepting praise.
The rest of lunch passed easily, which was a blessing. After the meal, Zuko announced that he had to go to meetings with some of his advisors. Now that Aang was here, he had to attend as well. The rest of the gang spent the day sparring and exploring the Fire Nation capital city. Katara wished she'd thought to do this sooner. There were booths of fresh fruit and Fire Nation foods, street dancers, and lots and lots of people. It was amazing.
She would've thought that since the Fire Nation had technically lost the war, their country wouldn't be celebrating and cheering like this. But perhaps the war had taken its toll on these people just as much as it had in the rest of the world.
Towards the end of the afternoon, more people had started arriving in the capital for the coronation the next day. Sokka told Katara that they'd been in contact with their dad and the rest of the group from the Western Air Temple while in Ba Sing Se and learned that they would be there later that evening.
A burden she didn't know she'd been carrying lifted when she learned that they'd get to see their father soon. Even though it hadn't been that long since they'd all split up, they'd left in such uncertain circumstances that it would be very comforting to see him alive and well too.
As they were walking back from town through the gates to the royal grounds, Aang and Zuko approached them. Zuko was in more royal attire but his hair was ruffled and down. They must have just gotten out of a meeting.
"Hey guys!" Aang called.
"Ahh there's our dynamic duo!" Sokka teased. Aang laughed. "How were all your boring meetings?"
Aang and Zuko both shrugged as if to say they were indeed pretty boring. Aang spoke again. "Zuko just got a letter saying his uncle is going to be here this evening!"
"That's so great!" Katara responded as she looked at Zuko. She was searching for some sign that maybe he was still thinking about their kiss in the fountain, but if it still crossed his mind, he wasn't letting on. Maybe that was for the best.
"Yeah, I'm very excited to have him here to help."
"Our dad and Haru and everyone else from the Western Air Temple are coming later too!" said Sokka excitedly. "This coronation is going to be quite the party."
Zuko looked to Katara and Sokka as if he'd just remembered something. "Oh! I talked to some people who run the prisons, and they are going to start releasing prisoners of war as soon as they can. The men from the invasion are coming straight here tomorrow morning."
"Bato!" said Katara.
"And the swamp benders!" said Toph through a laugh. "Man, I LOVE those guys."
"What about the Kyoshi warriors?" asked Suki hopefully.
"They should be released as well, but I haven't heard how soon," replied Zuko carefully. Suki's face broke into a bright smile and tears of relief seemed to be forming in her eyes. Sokka wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she leaned her head on his shoulder. Katara noticed Aang watching them curiously, almost sadly. Was it bad to assume he was thinking of her? Did she want him to be thinking of her?
Later that evening, Katara was in her room when a maid knocked and came in. She informed Katara that dinner would be more formal than it had been before. Katara sighed at that, remembering how fun dinner had been with just Zuko. Until the news of Azula of course.
She didn't have any other dress besides the her regular one, and the Fire Nation didn't have any blue dresses. To make it more formal she took off her water skin belt and her arm wrappings. She also slipped into cooler shoes since there was no reason for her boots. The maid kindly helped Katara braid back her hair. She'd been wearing it down most of the time since her fight with Azula, so it felt nice to get it off of her neck.
"You're really good with hair," Katara told the lady kindly. "I've never had anyone else braid it besides my grandmother." The lady, probably in her mid-forties , smiled warmly and blushed.
"Well, you have very beautiful hair. I've never gotten to try water tribe hairstyles before."
"How long have you worked at the palace?"
"About 10 years now."
"Wow, that's amazing. So you've seen Zuko and Azula grow up here then." Katara wasn't sure if she should mention this, but she was curious. The maid smiled at the mention of it, and she continued to braid as she talked.
"Yes, indeed. Prince Zuko was an amazing child. So kind and curious. The opposite of his sister, I might add. No person should have to go through what he did with his mother and of course later with his father. This place was scary after Prince Zuko and General Iroh left. Most of us stayed out of desperation for a job. Fire Lord Ozai had started to recruit more and more people to the war, more than Fire Lord Sozin or Azulon ever had. The country basically shut down with most of the men gone. Places to work were scarce."
"Wow," was all Katara could say. That was terrible.
"But with Prince Zuko back now, most of us here at the palace know things will be different. The country will thrive when he is Fire Lord. I know it." Katara turned around and smiled at her. Her black hair was starting to gray in a few places. "We just hope the people of this country who didn't see him grow up will come to know how amazing he is too. That he'll be different from his father."
"I'm sure they will." Katara's heart swelled with pride again, this time for Zuko. Zuko would be an amazing Fire Lord. Of that, she had no doubt. The maid smiled back at Katara and walked to open her door. Katara started to walk out before pausing next to the maid again.
"What is your name?" Katara asked.
"Yzona," the lady said, bowing to Katara. Katara bowed back.
"I'm Katara." The lady smiled again
"Oh, my dear. I know who you are." Katara smiled, thinking this response was strange, and walked out.
She walked down the hall and saw the smaller dining room where the gang had eaten lunch. It was empty. She reached the foyer with the large front doors and saw different groups of people she didn't know slowly walking into the palace and mingling with each other. Some of them appeared to be from different nations. Mostly the Earth Kingdom. Others looked like Fire Nation nobles or other important native people.
Katara followed the flow of people and was amazed when she entered the large formal dining room. It was brightly lit with torches and chandeliers with hundreds of candles in them. The table was long and ornately carved and decorated. People were gathering around and taking their seats. There was a buzz of excitement in the room.
Zuko sat at the head of the table and was earnestly talking to a gray-haired old man seated to his left. Iroh was here! Zuko turned to look at the entrance and his eyes met Katara's. His face lit up and he stood, waving her over. His obvious jump in ease and excitement was no doubt due to the presence of his uncle, she thought. Zuko knelt down when she reached them and Katara knelt down into the seat on his right. Iroh greeted her with a bow of his head.
"Master Katara, it is good to see you again," he smiled. His happiness was contagious and Katara smiled brightly and bowed back.
"It's good to see you too, General Iroh." Zuko watched their greeting happily.
"Oh, please. You can just call me Iroh." He turned to look at Zuko. "Or simply 'old man' if you feel like it. I'll respond to that too." Zuko rolled his eyes and Katara laughed.
Iroh and Katara exchanged a few more polite greetings. She asked about his trip and he asked about Katara's friends and family. Afterwards, she turned to Zuko. Katara had just noticed exactly how many Fire Nation nobles were here. There had to at least be ten of them.
"Are you sure I should be sitting here? I feel out of place," she whispered to Zuko. It was true. Sokka, Suki, and Toph had walked in already and were sitting a small ways down the long table. They were still towards the front but Katara wouldn't be able to talk to them. Shouldn't she be sitting there? Why couldn't this just be like how it'd been at lunch?
Zuko reacted as if this was a strange question. "Of course. Why shouldn't you?"
Katara just shrugged uncomfortably and watched as more people continued to file in: nobles, advisors, capital city citizens. She noticed Iroh watching Zuko's face intently, smiling. Zuko seemed to be avoiding his uncle's gaze by staring at the door as well, his face emotionless.
The flow into the dining room finally started to thin, but the chatter and excitement did not. After a couple more minutes of table conversation, Aang walked through the door. Zuko noticed and stood again. Iroh stood up next. Katara smiled brightly as she stood and met Aang's eyes. He smiled brightly back and started to walk towards that end of the table. The chatter quieted down quickly, and other people stood slowly as they realized who had walked in. All eyes seemed to follow Aang as he arrived at the spot next to Iroh and bowed to Zuko. Zuko bowed back and Aang plopped down unceremoniously, clearly still not used to this level of extra attention.
After Zuko sat back down, everyone else followed suit. Zuko looked to the people at the table.
"I want to thank you all for traveling to the palace to celebrate the end of this war. I know many of you have come a great distance. I am grateful for the support and loyalty you have already shown. Now for dinner!"
A lot of people laughed and shouted "Hear, hear!" Some of the Fire Nation nobles seemed slightly uncomfortable with the lack of formality, but others seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it. Servers waltzed through the doors and served everyone rice and noodles and different Fire Nation meats. There were also strange soups and other dishes native to the Fire Nation.
Katara was worried she'd feel awkward sitting with Zuko, Aang and Iroh, but conversation passed easily. They laughed and talked about how nice it was for everything to be over. Although, Katara had the feeling that things were just starting for Zuko and Aang, if the number of meetings were any indication. When the conversation slowed, Iroh piped up.
"You know, I am starting the Jasmine Dragon up again after I help my nephew get settled. You and your friends should come for the grand reopening," he said to Katara and Aang, who looked at each other and smiled.
"We'd love too!" Aang said excitedly.
"It's an honor to be invited," said Katara. "Thank you." Iroh smiled at their response.
"And of course, you must come too nephew."
"I wish I could Uncle, but I know I'll be too busy."
"It would be good for you, Zuko, to take a short vacation after your coronation. It will help you prepare for when things get truly busy."
Zuko looked like he was considering arguing, but didn't. "Of course, Uncle. I wouldn't want to miss it anyways." Katara was amazed at the respect Zuko had for his Uncle. Their relationship was clearly a deep one. Perhaps deeper than Katara realized. Aang and Iroh slipped into a conversation about something so Katara turned to Zuko.
"I could come take a look at your scar again after dinner if you'd like. I think one more healing session would help a lot."
Zuko looked at her a moment before speaking. "Katara, you don't have to feel… indebted to me."
"I don't," she said softly, but firmly. He continued to look at her.
"Please understand, I don't want you to think you owe me anything."
She looked at her food while she talked, choosing her words carefully. She couldn't believe they were having this conversation right now. A part of her wondered if Zuko thought she'd kissed him as repayment for what he did as well. Perhaps he thought everything she'd done since was some sort of debt fulfillment. "I know that. I don't heal you to pay you back for taking that lightning for me. Besides, I know I could never repay you for doing something like that." She paused, thinking carefully. "You're my friend, Zuko, and I care about you. I would heal you no matter who you took that lightning for."
Zuko smiled and took her hand below the table. It was friendly, but also intimate, and Katara flashed back to when he'd done that while they were sitting on Appa after they'd interrogated the leader of the Southern Raiders. He was looking at her the same way he had then. The same way he had in his room after he'd taken Azula's lightning. The same way he had in the fountain. It made Katara's heart flutter and her cheeks warm.
"Then I am glad you are here." He looked like he wanted to say so much more. Or maybe he wanted her to say something. Katara couldn't tell. She also couldn't think of anything to say, so she just held his gaze and his hand and hoped he understood that no matter what, she would always be there for him. That's just what she did for the people she cared for.
Suddenly a feeling of guilt seeped into her and she turned to look at Aang. He was still engaged in a conversation with Iroh and hadn't noticed anything. But why would she even feel guilty anyways? Nothing her or Zuko had just said was bad. It's not like there was anything for Aang to notice. Right?
But Katara knew why she'd suddenly felt guilty. There was something else there with Zuko. Something so deep that she couldn't keep brushing it off. She knew she couldn't deny that now. Spirits, she should have realized this when she'd kissed him. Or the time before in his bedroom when she'd wanted to kiss him.
She had feelings for Zuko.
Deep down, Katara wondered what it would be like to be more than friends with Zuko. Would something like that ever even be possible? They both had such demanding lives. A part of her, a part deep inside of her, yearned for that. Katara took a deep breath and refocused on her food.
As people finished eating, the buzz of conversation in the room grew louder. But when Zuko stood to leave, the Fire Nation nobles and Iroh stood as well. Everyone else quieted down and followed suit, realizing the proper etiquette. Katara stood at the place where she'd been seated, her head slightly bowed. Iroh cleared his throat loudly. And then did it a second time. She looked up and noticed Zuko had extended his elbow out for her at his uncle's conspicuous urging. Her eyes widened.
"Zuko. . ." she whispered earnestly. "Go."
"Come on. Take my arm. It won't kill you." Katara smiled nervously and gingerly grabbed his arm. She was suddenly acutely aware of all of the eyes on them. Zuko nodded his head to the people he passed as he made his way to the door. Katara just kept her nervous smile plastered on her face. Iroh and Aang started to follow them and soon everyone else did too. Once they were out in the foyer, conversation started again amongst the line of people behind them.
Zuko nodded his head at Katara and smiled teasingly. "Thank you. It was an honor." Katara couldn't help but laugh. She shook her head in disbelief.
"Wow. I can't believe you just did that. Who knew you were such a gentleman?"
"Hey, you forget. I grew up with these rules. They were banged into my head before I could walk. Besides, I think my uncle might have strangled me if I hadn't escorted the lady sitting next to me out of an event like that."
"If you say so," Katara teased, now recognizing Iroh's very obvious signal from a moment ago.
Zuko flashed another rare smile. "I'm going to have to wish some of the guests that aren't staying here good evening before they leave," he explained.
"Sounds good. I'll go catch up with the others." Zuko nodded and walked to the large front entrance. Katara watched him as he talked with the guests walking out the doors. She turned to go find Aang, Sokka, Toph and Suki. She spotted them standing in a circle talking and walked up to join. No one seemed to be commenting on Zuko's surprised burst of etiquette, which was a relief. Perhaps she was overthinking it.
"Well, I'm not sure if this food was as good as Ba Sing Se's, but it wasn't bad," Sokka said, gesturing with his hands as he spoke.
"Sokka," Toph said, shaking her head. "You are too high maintenance, my friend." All of them laughed except Sokka.
"She's right, you know," Suki said. Sokka gasped at her, but she kissed him on the cheek and his face melted into a smile.
. . .
A few hours after dinner, Katara found Zuko lounging on a couch in one of the palace sitting rooms reading a scroll. She walked into the small room and he looked up. Night had fallen and the windows were dark, but a dying fire in the fireplace dimly bathed the room in an orange glow.
"Hey, Katara," he said as he sat up.
"There you are. I was wondering where you went. I can take a look at your scar now… if you'd like me too, I mean."
"Of course. Yes, definitely." Zuko had changed out of his formal attire and was now in the clothes that Katara was used to seeing him in. She sat on the couch next to him and placed the bowl of water and bandages she'd brought on the floor between their feet. Zuko opened his shirt slightly. This seemed to have become a natural routine for them.
Katara moved the shirt open further and took a good look at the hole in Zuko's abdomen. "It really is looking a lot better, Zuko."
"All thanks to you," he replied. Katara smiled, resisting the urge to also roll her eyes. She poked and prodded for another moment before calling the water to her hands. She placed them on his warm stomach and began to heal. She was happy to notice he no longer seemed to feel any immediate pain when she did so.
Katara worked for another moment before speaking. "Are you ready for tomorrow?"
Zuko shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. I've thought about this day for so long. Wondered what it would be like. And then, I started to wonder if it would happen at all."
"And now it's here," Katara said softly. Zuko looked at her.
"Yeah. Now it's here." He paused. "All thanks to Aang of course."
"I'd say it was a team effort," she countered. "I think we all played a piece in ending this war. Aang maybe more than the rest of us, but don't count yourself out. You're responsible for this peace too."
Zuko laughed. "I guess maybe that's true." Katara smiled at his words. "Are you always right?" he joked.
It was Katara's turn to laugh. "Definitely not. But if you could start telling Sokka that, I'd appreciate it." Zuko smiled, and Katara circled her hands a few more times, focusing on repairing the damaged tissue, before she guided the water back to the bowl. Zuko watched her carefully.
"It's really amazing….that you can do that, I mean. This would have taken months to heal usually." he said. "It feels good as new."
"What can I say?" Katara joked, adding in a shrug so he'd know she was being sarcastic. "It's a gift."
"It really is," Zuko said, no hint of joking in his voice. Just amazement. It was a second before she found words again.
"Here, stand up. I brought some more bandages." Katara grabbed his arm and stood. Zuko followed her lead and Katara gently pulled his shirt the rest of the way off. She could feel him watching her, and her heart raced. Why did he do this to her? Katara took a calming breath and grabbed the bandages that'd been lying next to the bowl. She began wrapping them around him, slower than she had the first time. She decided to ask him the question she'd been dying to ask since the gang had arrived.
"How do you feel about…you know…everything?"
Zuko took a deep breath and looked past her, as if to some distant, imaginary spot. Katara forced herself to focus on the bandages. "Ozai's fate was always in Aang's hands. I've known that from the moment I walked out on him and joined you guys." Katara made particular work of tying the final knot on the wrappings, needing something to keep her hand busy. "He's my father, but that doesn't mean I get to choose if he lives or dies. Aang did a noble thing." A beat passed. "I guess I can only hope to be like he is some day."
Katara didn't look up. "You are already more noble than you think."
"No." Zuko shook his head and spoke simply. Sadly. "A noble person wouldn't have said what I said to you last night. A noble person wouldn't have wanted his younger sister to die."
"Stop," she said softly, not able to think of better words. "Don't do that to yourself."
She stared at her hand, which now rested on his chest. His warmth was consuming, and she wanted to melt into him. And then came that familiar racing of her heart, reminding her that something was here between them, something she could no longer blame on the short time they'd spent together. It was like he ignited something inside of her, something she'd never realized was there. She took a shaky breath and Zuko took a step closer to her, almost, but not quite, closing the space between them completely.
One of his hands moved to cover hers, pinning it to his chest. Her breath quickened at the touch and her eyes slipped closed. How did he manage to do this? How did he make her feel so…
"Katara."
Her eyes fluttered open and he was right there, looking to see if she meant what she'd done in the fountain. He wanted to see if she'd do it again. She knew they both had to be feeling…whatever this was. He lifted his other hand to her cheek, and brushed her skin so softly she thought it might've been a whisper.
She took another shaky breath, and it was suddenly all too much. His smell, the warmth of his hand on her cheek, the way she could feel his heart beating under her other hand as he continued to hold it to his chest.
Her movement forward faltered, and she froze completely before leaning away slightly. No. Everything was overwhelming her senses and she needed out. It was too much. Her heart and mind flashed to Aang and something hurt inside of her.
She took a step back. And then another, letting her hand slip away from where she'd finished tying his bandages. She sensed Zuko's confusion and knew he was watching her carefully. She looked farther away, suddenly unable to meet his eye. His hand fell from her face and she turned around.
"Sorry, I think I need to go. I think Sokka may've mentioned something about our dad coming in tonight…so…I should….go." With her back still towards him she bent and picked up the bowl of water and old bandages. She wished she didn't feel so flustered.
"Katara."
The word wasn't a question, or a command. He said it as though he was trying to calm her down. His voice was even, and didn't reflect any of whatever he must've been thinking right now. She whipped around quickly and flashed a shaky smile, still not meeting his eye.
She pointed to white wrappings. "That bandage should be good for a while…I think in about a week you should be all healed," she said with a nod. She felt her feet start to move towards the door. Right before she stepped out completely, she finally looked at his face. The hurt and confusion she saw when their eyes met would be burned in her heart forever.
A/N Hey guys! I hope you don't hate me for taking so long to post. Things got so busy. But I promise to update again super soon? I absolutely love writing this, so thanks again for taking the time to read. I hope Katara's confusion is believable. In my mind, Katara is the queen of mixed signals. ?