Disclaimer: Why God? Why must I remind myself that I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender! GGGGAAAAAAHHHHHH!

Special thanks: Once again my almost infamous special thanks list. If you review, then you are put on my list. Feel free to use the list idea as much as you want…you don't even need to cite it! This is for people who have reviewed 1 or more of my chapters!

Luna Chaos

almostinsane

nori12

Lionessmon

MattsLittleSister

Alexandra Bordeaux

Elfluver13

Arya Svit-Kona

C.A.M.E.O.1 and only

ditz4lyf

Rebirth of the Phoenix

Dolphin Water

FireChildSlytherin5

Zutara Lover

sesshoumaru's son

Nikanuu

frenchfrypsycho

Demonic-One

latafmodginkianp1618

DemonDaughter

dark-kishy

Thanks to every one of you. Fluff and steaminess are coming up soon! There is also some gore and violence in this one. By the way, I'm sorry to those of you who thought my last chapter seemed too unlike something that could happen in Avatar. I'll try to keep closer to the true nature of the story. I am also sorry to those of you who thought my last chapter wasn't as good as the others. I promise that this one is really good. Sorry!

Is This Love?

Zuko's head was spinning. He had no idea what emotions were coursing through his veins, but he felt something alright. He knew that this was different from anything he had ever experienced. He felt the warmth of Katara's body radiating off of her. He felt at piece with her in his arms. This felt right, and he didn't know why.

Katara's lips parted from his and he felt a sense of disappointment. He wanted to kiss her again and again. Katara looked up at him. Then a strange look came to her face as she realized what she had just done. Her eyes quivered and her face flushed a deep red. She quickly got up and ran away.

"Katara! Wait, don't leave!" Zuko shouted. He bit his bottom lip. Maybe she didn't really mean it…it could have just been an impulse…damn. Zuko wanted her to come back, but he knew she wouldn't.

Katara, feeling that she had run far enough, stopped to catch her breathe. She sat down on the cold, hard ground and looked around. The moon was high in the sky and Katara had no idea where she was. Am I lost? SHIT! She started to walk around, hoping desperately to notice a familiar landmark.

"How do I get myself into these things?" she grumbled. "They're never gonna find me."

Iroh, Sokka, and Aang ran through the bushes and saw Zuko sitting at the foot of the spring. Zuko looked up at them with a questioning look on his face. "What's wrong?"

"We heard you yelling!" Iroh belted. "We thought YOU were in trouble." Before any of them had any chance to argue, Sokka spoke up.

"Zuko, where's my sister?"

"She…ran off. I thought she would have run to you guys. She's with you isn't she?"

"We haven't seen her since she came to talk to you." All three of them looked at each other. "OH FUCK!" they said in unison. They immediately got up.

"Which way did she run?"

"That way." Zuko said pointing. "She went north."

"Okay then, north we go." Aang chorused.

"What was I thinking, kissing Zuko like that? I must be out of my mind. He's our ally now, but still. He's a hot-tempered, serious-natured, firebender prince. His father is my enemy for God's sakes. He probably thinks I'm easy now. The again, he did hold me against him…" At her last sentence Katara started blushing. "Maybe he does like me."

She was sitting and holding her legs close to her chest. It was getting colder, but she tried to ignore it. She knew that if she focused on the negative, it would only create problems.

"What are all of these feelings? Why am I freaking out so much about a mistake? Was it a mistake? Oh my God…is this love? Do I love him? That's not possible! It could be that I'm just a sucker for his sad past. Then again, there's something about him. His eyes are cold, yet warm at the same time. I know that there's another person inside of him who's ready to come out. I may not be in love with the angry-aggressive Prince Zuko we first met, but I could be in love with the Prince Zuko inside of him." She started yawning uncontrollably. "Maybe I should stay here and sleep for a little bit." She curled up next to a tree and just as she was about to fall asleep, she heard a noise coming from a bush in the distance. She cracked an eye open to see what it was. When she didn't see anything, she finally fell into a deep sleep.

Aang, Zuko, and Iroh had just about had it with Sokka. He had been screaming, ranting, and raving about how he was gonna kill her, once he found her that is.

"SOKKA SHUT UP!" Aang screamed. "You're not the only one who's worried about Katara…" Aang's face slowly faced downward. That was when Zuko noticed the tears rolling down Aang's young, innocent, and love-stricken face. Zuko's heart sunk. He could tell before that the Avatar had a crush on Katara, but now he was certain. He felt even worse because it was his fault that she ran away.

"Uncle…" Zuko whispered.

"Yes Prince Zuko, I know…" he whispered back

"Hey! Look!" Sokka shouted with joy. "Katara's footprints! They're Katara's footprints!"

"We're getting closer! We'll find her in no time!" Aang sang happily.

Katara's dreams were rudely interrupted by a similar sound to the one she heard earlier. Her eyes fluttered open. She rubbed them wearily and yawned, stretching her arms out at the same time. "What is that?" She slowly pulled herself up by using the tree as support. As her eyes started adjusting to the mild sunrise that was creeping over the horizon, the sound kept coming closer and closer to her. She started to become nervous and fidgety, whatever it was making those sounds she didn't like it.

Then, all of the sudden, the noises stopped. The entire jungle became dead silent. Not even bugs or birds could be heard.

"It's way too quite," Katara thought, "Something's definitely wrong." She walked over to the bushes where the sounds came from, but didn't see anything. "Hello? Is someone here?" Sweat dripped down her face, and her brow furrowed. She gulped down the lump in her throat and ignored the sickening feeling in her stomach. She reached down and parted the plants just to make sure.

A loud screech rang out, and Katara screamed from being startled. She fell backwards onto her back and looked up to see a large, red animal screeching and leaping towards her. She rolled out of the way, but it moved too fast. The creature stabbed her right shoulder, causing her to bleed tremendously. She yelped in pain and clenched her arm in response. Please…please find me… Katara closed her eyes and awaited death. She couldn't fight this creature, whatever it was. It was too powerful for her to overcome. Just when she thought it was all over, she felt nothing. She opened her eyes to see Zuko stabbing the creature in the throat with a concealed knife. He twisted the dagger. The monster let out the most agonizingly strange sound she had ever heard. Blood spurted out of its neck. Zuko slipped the dagger out and let it drop to the ground. The monster was lying in a pool of its own blood.

Zuko was breathing heavily. The blood had brought out the true warrior in him, and like all warriors, he craved more. His eyes were fixed on his fallen prey. He turned and pulled Katara up, fixing her into an embrace. Katara never knew that he could be so incredible violent, and yet protective at the same time. Since Zuko had run ahead Aang, Sokka, and Iroh had just caught up. They saw the blood enveloped monster and Zuko holding Katara in his arms.

Aang's anger started to swell as jealousy raged through out his whole being. Sokka was speechless with his eyes wide with hatred and disbelief. Iroh seemed rather indifferent towards the whole scene, as if he had already seen this side to Zuko.

Katara's emotions finally left her body and she started sobbing uncontrollable. "I was s…ss…so scared." She sobbed in-between breaths. "I thought I was going to die!" She cried and cried in his arms. She held onto his shirt with such a ferocity that one might think that it was the source of her life's energy.

"I never thought that you of all people would save me…why did you? I was so mean to you in the past, I didn't deserve to be saved." Zuko remained silent while holding her. Then after a moment of thought he responded.

"You didn't know me well enough then. And don't you ever say that you don't deserve to be saved. I saved you because you're one of the only people who have ever tried to understand my situation. I feel safe telling you how I think and feel. I haven't felt this way about anyone in a long time. You've given me the one thing I've wanted this whole time."

"What's that?" Katara sniffled.

"You've given me acknowledgement of my pain. You acknowledged the fact that I have gone through tough times. All I wanted was for someone to agreed, accept, or acknowledge my existence."

Aang had had just about enough of Katara and Zuko's little moment. He walked over and grabbed Katara from Zuko's arms and smiled.

"C'mon Katara, let's head back…" Iroh, Zuko, Katara, and Sokka stared at him blankly. Without saying another word, Aang escorted Katara back to their camp. Sokka and Iroh turned their attention toward Zuko, who's face became grave with the recent events.

Zuko looked back at his earlier victim. He walked over to it, kneeled down, and asked for forgiveness. Iroh did the same.

"What're you two doing?" Sokka asked rudely.

"I didn't just kill some animal Sokka." Zuko responded, "I killed a sacred animal without thinking. This poor dragon, just a baby too. Forgive me."

"That's a baby dragon!"

"Yeah, it's one of the Fire Nation's most sacred symbols. I only hope I can make up for the defilement of such a wonderful being." With that said, the three boys walked towards their camp, staying several feet behind Aang and Katara.

That night Aang went to bed early, he needed to calm down his pent up rage and jealousy towards Zuko's suave speech from earlier. Sokka decided to spend this time figuring out why his sister ran from Zuko in the first place. He hoped it wasn't because of Zuko's teenage hormones.

The young water warrior saw Katara sitting by herself near the campfire. Zuko and Iroh were off a ways, probably discussing the same issue that they were about to. Sokka sat himself down next to his younger sister. He put his arm around her in a brotherly and protective fashion. He decided to lighten the mood a little.

"Hey, look at all those bright starts up there. Aren't they something?" Sokka smiled a genuine smile, knowing that his sister was completely enamored by stars.

Katara looked up at the sky and couldn't help but to smile. The stars really were wonderful that night. How they twinkled and glowed in the midst of total darkness. They were sort of her role models in that respect. She wanted to twinkle and glow in the midst of darkness too.

"Yes, they really are wonderful."

"Are you alright Kat?" Katara looked at her brother now, who hadn't used that nickname in a long time.

"I guess so. I…I just have a lot on my mind."

"Yeah, I hear ya. Hey, question."

Katara turned to face her brother. "Hhmm?"

"Why did you run away from Zuko in the first place?" Katara seemed startled by the question and looked up at the sky as if asking it for answers.

"I…I…I think I accidentally kissed him."

"What do you mean "accidentally"? You either did or you didn't."

"Okay then, I did kiss him, but I don't know if I meant it. That's why I said accidentally." She started blushing and prayed that he wouldn't yell at her. She was still shooken up by her encounter with the dragon, and Zuko's saving techniques.

"Oh, I see. Well, only you can answer that Kitty Kat." Katara was surprised by her brother's words. Especially his use of all her childhood nicknames. But what he said had some truth to it. Only she really knew whether or not she loved him.

"I think, I meant it." She said, no longer afraid of her brother getting mad at her.

"That's what I thought. I was pretty certain." He smiled wicked, as if teasing her in his normal brotherly ways.

"What do you mean you were pretty certain? Was it that obvious?"

"Well, I'm your brother, so it's easy to tell when you like someone. You get this look in your eyes. The only thing I'm worried about is how Aang will take it. He likes you you know."

"Yeah, I figured as much. Wait, are you saying that Zuko likes me back?"

"He totally does! God! He pretty much gets a hard-on by thinking of you! He doesn't even have to see you!"

"SOKKA! How could you say something like that?"

"I can because it's true! Geez. I'm a guy, I know this stuff."

"I guess I'll have to take your word for it then." She giggled.

"Maybe you should go talk to him." Sokka said with a serious tone of voice.

"I think you're right." Katara got up and noticed Iroh walking away from Zuko. He smiled and sat next to Sokka. She ignored it and went up to where Zuko was sitting.

She sat down next to her like her brother did to her. "Hey…" Zuko turned his head to face her.

"Uumm, hey." He turned his head away from her and stared at the campfire. He was fiddling his fingers, not knowing what else to do in such an awkward situation. Her turned to face her once more. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what?"

"For scaring you earlier. I was only concentrating on protecting you when I killed that dragon. Please forgive my hasty actions."

"You really care about me?" His demeanor started to change. A smile slowly crept itself onto his face.

"Yeah, I really do. You mean a lot to me."

"What are you trying to say?"

"What I'm trying to say is that I love you." Before Katara could react, his lips were pressed against hers. Her eyes widened with this sudden action. Then slowly, she closed her eyes. Zuko wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her almost limp body up against his. We're so close…Katara wrapped her arms around his neck to hold herself up. Then when she least expected it, he slipped his tongue into her mouth. Katara let out a slight moan. She had never been like this with anyone. She wanted more of him. She never wanted it to stop.

They finally parted lips to catch their breath. Katara's lips were numb from the pressure. Now she knew she loved him, it wasn't a mystery any more.

"I love you too Zuko." Zuko's face seemed to glow with happiness and pride. He pulled her by the waist so that her back was resting on his chest. He ran his fingers through her long mahogany brown tresses. She looked at him with a look of affection and appreciation. Hopefully, they would be together for a long time. They both slowly dosed off and fell into a deep sleep filled to the brim with wonderful dreams.

Yay! A little more action at the end for all you Zutara lovers! There will be more and better to come. As you have all noticed, this story is rated T, but not too many T rated things have happened. Oh how that will change! Please continue to read and REVIEW my story :cough cough: My next chapter will be up soon, so not to worry! Until next time!