Katara and Zuko walked back to their rooms, Katara stopping at hers first. Zuko looked off to the side, feeling a bit awkward. More awkward than he did saying "pie". "Thanks," said Katara, before going inside her room in the prisonhold.
...Zuko wondered if Katara felt the same way he did for her. He didn't know if he could go on without the answer. But he couldn't just go up and say, "Katara, do you love me?" No... It was more complicated than that. I musn't be taken lightly, he decided. Pehaps his only choice was to find out on his own...
Katara sat on her small bed, fingering her necklace. Just why had he given this back? He didn't want to give it back at first... Perhaps it was because bribing-with-the-necklace-plan was hopeless. Since she didn't actually ask for it back, maybe she could ask why he gave it back instead.
Eventually, Zuko sat down with his uncle. Before Zuko could say anything, Uncle Iroh scooted a cup of tea his way. He shrugged, took a sip, then slid a wooden piece toward Iroh's piece, assuming this game was supposed to be like checkers. The game silently went on for a while, with Zuko's occasional huffing when he lost a piece, and Iroh's loud sipping on his tea.
Finally, Iroh looked out the window. The sun was setting. "Almost time for the girl's nightly lockdown," he observed. Zuko scowled. The "nightly lockdown" was the time in which Katara's cell was locked, so she would not try to pull any weird escape-plans during the night. Otherwise, though, she was free to roam about, though she normally hung out around her room, or the galley when she became hungry. Zuko didn't like the lockdown idea one bit, but he knew it was necessary. Zuko pushed his chair back and walked up to his room. "Was it something I said?" asked Iroh as Zuko shut the door. He turned around and began picking up the game pieces when he received no answer.
Katara was well aware the nightly lockdown was approaching, so she decided that the best time to ask Zuko her question was before they both went to sleep.
She wandered up to Zuko's room. She leaned her ear against the door, and heard the flare of fire. What was he doing? She gently pushed the door open, and winced when it made a loud "creeeak" noise. Zuko was slowly executing his Firebending moves, making sure to get each movement right. Zuko froze, and his eyes focused on the cracked door. He quickly and hurridly straightened his posture and said, "...Who is it?"
Katara slowly pushed open the door some more, and quickly realized... Zuko wasn't wearing a shirt. And she thought his arms were muscular... Nothing campared to the rest. She quietly stepped in and shyly bowed her head. "...Hi."
Zuko blinked. "Um... Hi. What are you doing in here?" he asked, trying to not sound mean.
"Umm..." She pointed at him. "Where's your...-"
Zuko cut her off. "I didn't think anyone would be coming up here this late..." he said. "...And it gets kind of hot in here sometimes," he added.
Katara giggled, and Zuko's face flushed. "What are you laughing at?" he said in a nervous tone.
Katara waved her hands. "Nothing, nothing..." She looked over him, eyes stopping at his scar. Suddenly she didn't really care why he gave her nacklace back... "What happened to-"
Zuko cut her off again, and motioned her to sit on his bed. He sat down next to her, slipping his nightshirt on in the process, and wiped some sweat off his brow. "It kind of a long story... But it all started two years ago," he began. He shuddered a little when he began to explain exactly how he got the scar, but the rest of the story went smoothly after he started. "...And I've never really told anyone else before. The other people who know what happened know because they witnessed it... Fortunately, there weren't too many."
Katara set her hand over Zuko's. "I... I'm sorry..." she said guiltily.
"It isn't your fault," he reassured her. He drew back a bit when she rested her head on his shoulder, but he really didn't mind that much...
A while later, Iroh knocked on Zuko's door. "Zuko, do you know where-" He stopped when he saw the two sleeping, with Katara's head on Zuko's shoulder, and Zuko's head leaning on hers. He smiled and slowly shut the door.