At breakfast the next morning, everyone was in a remarkably good mood. They were all settling in well and enjoying their vacations, most of them having not taken any time off in quite some time. Katara had chosen another Fire Nation outfit that morning, and she walked into the dining hall wearing another cropped red shirt with matching tights, a dark brown over-skirt with yellow trim, and armbands in red and brown to match. She had left her hair down, tying back the front layer in her usual knot behind her head to keep it out of her face. To her surprise, Zuko was dressed rather casually, and he had left his crown behind, letting his shaggy black hair fall into his eyes and around his face. She found herself thinking how she preferred him this way.
She settled down at the table, listening to her friends chat about their plans for the day. Aang had agreed to accompany Iroh to his favourite tea shop with several other generals and diplomats, and Sokka and Suki had made plans to go on a date in the afternoon, jumping at the chance to spend a little time alone. Though when Katara mentioned that she and Zuko were going to spar, Suki seemed genuinely disappointed that she would have miss it.
"We should take bets on the winner," Toph suggested with a smirk.
"Who would you bet on?" Suki asked curiously.
Toph's smirk grew, and a smug look crossed her face. "My money's on Katara."
"What? Really?" Sokka asked, causing Katara to kick his shin under the table.
"Why not me?" she said angrily as he yelped in pain.
"I didn't mean you aren't a strong bender! It's just… Zuko has more… diversity," Sokka said, avoiding another kick from his sister.
"Did you forget that I can Bloodbend?"
"No, but you can only do that on the full moon. And even if it were a full moon, you don't like doing it. Besides, I mean that he has non-bending combat skills as well."
"Katara has grace and dexterity though. She is hard to hit, which can be just as much of an asset as hand to hand training," Zuko interjected, causing her to blush.
"Well, I'd still bet on you, Zuko," Sokka replied with a shrug.
Suki elbowed him in the ribs. "You won't even be there!"
"Doesn't mean I can't bet!"
Toph chuckled to herself, enjoying the chaos that she had inadvertently caused as Sokka continued to bicker with Suki and Katara. Shortly after breakfast Aang took off to go find Iroh, and Suki and Sokka left to spend the day together. Apparently Sokka had a whole day planned, but had not told Suki what they were doing, so she left rather excited, despite her disappointment at having to miss the fight between Zuko and Katara.
Once everyone had filtered away, the four of them that remained headed out of the palace, following the high palace walls towards the lake. The area between the wall and the water was unoccupied, save for the occasional guard who wandered through, but the opposite bank already had dozens of people gathered, swimming and playing in the water to relieve themselves from the hot, midday sun. Toph and Ty Lee settled in the shade of the wall as Zuko and Katara walked down towards the water, preparing for their fight.
"So, any rules or anything before we start?" Zuko asked, eager to begin.
Katara shrugged. "Don't hold back," she replied with a wink.
He grinned in response, then nodded. They backed away from each other, putting a few feet between them. They bowed respectfully, and then took battle stances, both grinning at one another. Zuko gave her a nod, indicating he was ready, and she returned it.
Zuko struck first; he threw a punch, summoning a blast of fire and sending it flying towards Katara. She immediately pulled water from the lake and formed it into a shield before her which caught the blast, sending flames flying past her. She responded by reforming the water shield into frozen spikes, which she sent towards Zuko. While he was distracted with blasting the ice out of the air, she ran forward and pulled more water towards her, jumping up onto it as it froze before her and skated forward with more momentum. Another blast of fire came at her but she dodged it, narrowly avoiding a second blast that she caught just in time. Zuko sent blast after blast towards her, but she dodged them easily as she skated around him playfully. He changed his tactic; he unleashed a wall of flame directly in front of her, causing her to launch herself into the air with a flip and land crouched gracefully on the ground below.
He spun low, kicking out towards her and sending another blast of fire skimming along the ground towards her. She rolled out of the way and was on her feet swiftly, pulling more water towards her which formed into several tendrils. She whipped one towards him, but he leapt out of the way with ease. She retaliated by sending all the tendrils at him at once, dowsing him in a tidal wave of water which she instantly froze around him. But it didn't hold him for long; the ice around him began to melt as he burned his way out, causing Katara to give him an impressed look. He used this distraction to send a powerful blast towards her, which shattered through the remaining ice. She barely blocked the blast in time, and the force of it hitting her shield sent her flying backwards, but she cushioned her fall by pulling the water under her, and then sent it towards Zuko with a crack like a whip.
As they battled, the crowd on the other side of the lake had all stopped to watch the fight, unsure if they should call for the guards or not. But the guards had already arrived, drawn by the sounds of fighting, and they stood transfixed and unsure of how to proceed. They all knew that the Fire Lord and the Master Waterbender were great friends, and judging by the fact that Toph and Ty Lee were casually sitting by and watching they had realized that the two benders must be sparring. But the intensity with which they fought was impressive, and they were shocked to see that neither bender was pulling blows or holding back.
Katara sent out another round of ice spikes, followed quickly whip of water. The whip caught him around the ankle as he dodged the spikes and pulled him off of his feet, but he quickly pushed himself off the ground with a blast of fire, sending another attack back towards her. She pulled the water up out of the lake in a great swell, letting it wash up around Zuko's legs, attempting to freeze him in place once more, but he was prepared for it this time. He used another blast of fire to launch himself in the air, sending a barrage of fireballs towards Katara. She was not expecting the attack, and rushed to pull more water towards her. As the fire and water clashed, a great cloud of steam rose around her, momentarily blocking her from Zuko's view. He hesitated, and when no counter attack came he began to panic.
"Katara?!" he called, running towards her.
He broke through the cloud of steam and found Katara crouched low, waiting to ambush him with a satisfied smirk. Two tendrils of water suddenly lashed out and wrapped around him, and as he tried to fight back Katara suddenly leapt up, slamming her body into his and knocking him flat on his back. She fell on top of him, straddling his waist and immediately grabbed his wrists, pinning his arms down above his head. The water that had surrounded him previously snaked around his arms and legs, freezing him into place.
She grinned down at him, her hair falling across her face as she panted from the effort of the fight. Zuko tried to summon the heat within his body to melt the ice, but found himself suddenly and entirely unable to concentrate. All he could think of was the way her hair stuck to the sweat on her brow, the weight of her body on his, and the shiver that had suddenly run up his spine that he knew was not a result of the ice. After a few moments the ice melted, and Katara got to her feet, holding her hand out to help him up as well. As he took her hand, he was extremely tempted to pull her back down and pin her instead, but she had earned her victory. His mind and his heart were both racing, and he wasn't sure he could summon the concentration to so much as light a candle anyway.
"Congratulations Katara. You fought really well," he said as he got back to his feet, trying to wring the water out of his shirt.
Katara pulled the water off of the both of them, instantly drying their hair and clothes, grinning happily.
"I got lucky. I wasn't sure if you would fall for that trap," she replied with a laugh. "But thank you, you fought well too. You almost had me with that last shot."
"You didn't get lucky, you outsmarted me. Next time I won't underestimate you."
Katara grinned at him, her cheeks turning slightly pink. Toph and Ty Lee came running up to them, Ty Lee cheering and jumping up excitedly.
"That was amazing you guys!" she exclaimed, embracing both of them.
"Yeah, real steamy," Toph added, casting a sly smirk towards Zuko.
Ty Lee and Katara laughed it off as a joke, but Zuko could tell there was a deeper implication behind the Earthbender's words, and his felt his face go hot. Suddenly the sound of applause carried across the water, and the four of them turned to see the crowd on the opposite bank cheering and clapping, clearly having been entertained by the fight. Zuko waved at them briefly, then turned back to his friends with a sheepish look and gestured for them to head back inside. The guards looked between him and Katara as they passed, but did not question them.
Later that evening they sat around the table in the dining hall once again, joined by Hakoda, Iroh, and the Water Tribe warriors. Aang, Suki, and Sokka had all returned as well, and they all sat down to a busy meal together. Ty Lee was loudly going over the details of Zuko and Katara's fight, and most of the table listened attentively. Katara waved off their congratulatory remarks, clearly embarrassed, and Zuko couldn't help but smile at her reaction. Considering how powerful she was, she still managed to be humble and he loved that about her.
Only Aang seemed to find anything to be gloomy about, and he kept casting jealous looks towards Zuko, which made him extremely uncomfortable. He had a sneaking suspicion that Aang was not yet over Katara, and that he was resentful towards Zuko for the close friendship he had with her. Though considering both Suki and Iroh had assumed they were dating, it wasn't entirely a surprise that Aang might suspect the same.
Suki interrupted his thoughts by standing and calling for everyone's attention. The chatter fell silent, and all eyes turned to her.
"I have a few things that I would like to say," Suki started, grinning down at Sokka. "First of all, I would like to announce a few changes to the Kyoshi Warriors. Ty Lee and I have been discussing this for a long time, and we have decided to open up a branch of the Kyoshi Warriors here in the Fire Nation, which will be run by Ty Lee."
The chatter started back up and Toph clapped a beaming Ty Lee on the back. After everyone fell silent again, Suki continued.
"I have also decided to leave the leadership of the Kyoshi Warriors of the Earth Kingdom to Zhou, who is my current second in command. This is because I will be relocating to the Southern Water Tribe and starting another branch of the Warriors there as well."
Katara's face lit up, and she gasped excitedly. The Water Tribe members around the table all clapped enthusiastically, but only Katara and Hakoda seemed to understand where Suki's string of announcements was headed.
"This is something I have been planning for a long time, but now is the time to put that plan into action," Suki added, taking Sokka's hand and pulling him to his feet.
It was at this moment that Katara noticed something around Suki's neck. It was a delicate green ribbon trimmed in yellow, with a circular yellow charm dangling from the center. She clapped her hands to her mouth, fighting the urge to spoil their announcement.
"I have finally decided to make the move to the Southern Water Tribe because this afternoon, Sokka asked me to marry him." she gently touched the betrothal necklace, smiling. "And I said yes."
The entire table erupted into happy congratulations, and everyone was on their feet immediately. Katara dashed around the table and launched herself at Suki, hugging her tightly before pulling Sokka into the hug as well.
"Finally! Now you really are my sister!" she exclaimed, causing Suki to laugh happily.
Toph came up behind them and punched Sokka on the arm. "Congratulations you guys. It's about damn time."
"Thanks Toph," Sokka grinned, rubbing his arm.
Zuko called one of the servants in and asked him to fetch some wine, and before long they were all toasting Suki and Sokka and their upcoming marriage. After a few hours everyone started to trickle up to bed feeling extremely happy and slightly drunk. Zuko was halfway up the stairs when he heard someone call his name. He stopped and turned, seeing Toph jogging to catch up with him. He stopped and waited, carrying on when she fell in step with him.
"Heading to bed too?" he asked.
"Yup. I've just about hit my romance limit for the day."
Zuko chuckled. "You say that, but I saw the look on your face when Suki made the announcement. You're just as thrilled for them as the rest of us."
Toph reached out to punch his arm, and narrowly dodged, laughing. "You need a new way to show affection."
She scowled at him, but it quickly turned to a smirk. "Speaking of romance and affection… what the heck is up with you and Katara?"
"W-what do you mean? Nothing is going on," Zuko replied, nearly tripping over his feet.
"That was a lie."
"What? No it wasn't."
"Did you forget that I can sense your heart rate? I know when you are lying. I also know that every time Katara flutters her pretty little lashes at you, your heart starts pounding like a drum. That's how I knew she would beat you today; you let yourself get distracted by her."
Zuko's face flushed bright red, and he was momentarily grateful that she couldn't see it. But then she laughed.
"And there it goes again, pounding at the thought of her."
"I'm not… I don't… you have it all wrong! We're just friends!"
Toph stopped and smirked at him again. "Lie."
Zuko let out a frustrated sigh and rolled his eyes. "Can you stop that?"
Her smirk grew, and she gave him a short wave before turning down a corridor towards her room. "Good night Zuko! Sweet dreams."
She disappeared down the hall. Cackling with laughter as she left and leaving Zuko frustrated and confused. He started down the hall towards his room then stopped again, Toph's words still echoing through his mind. He sighed, knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep now that he was doubting his own feelings, so instead he turned around and crept back down the stairs. Careful to avoid the guards and the servants who were still awake, he snuck through the lower halls and took a side door out into the palace gardens. A quick glance around told him that it was empty, but he still crept silently through the garden towards a small pond. As he got closer, he noticed a figure sitting under the tree near the pond, right in his favourite spot. He moved closer, curious as to who might be out so late, and with a jolt he realized it was the very person who was currently consuming his thoughts.
Katara leaned against the tree, watching the surface of the water ripple gently as a breeze blew through the garden. She seemed to be solemn, lost in whatever thoughts were running through her mind. Zuko felt his heart pounding, and couldn't help but recall Toph's words yet again. Cursing to himself, he walked forward, making his presence known. Katara looked up sharply, startled by the sudden appearance of another person, but relaxed when she realized who had joined her.
"You found my favourite spot," Zuko said, stopping just short of her.
Katara looked up at him with a small smile. "Did I? I didn't realize… I just came out here to clear my head and I thought it was a lovely little place to sit."
Zuko returned her smile and sat down, settling next to her. His arm brushed hers as he leaned back, and he felt a little shiver run through him. He wasn't sure if he was just imagining it because of what Toph had said, or if he was starting to realize she may have been right. He turned his face away from her to hide the blush that crept across his cheeks, and he tried to push the thoughts from his mind. He looked out at the pond, watching the reflection of the moon as it rippled across the water.
"My mother and I used to sit here and feed the Turtle Ducks," he said suddenly.
Katara turned to him, her expression sympathetic. "I'm sorry to intrude; I imagine you come here to be alone, especially if this spot holds such precious memories for you."
"No, you're not intruding," he replied with a shake of his head. "I do come here to be alone, but I prefer your company. It's nice to have someone I can be alone with, you know?"
Katara smiled to herself, turning her face away from him. She leaned back against the tree, looking up at the nearly full moon. The light of it cast a soft glow over her features, and Zuko caught himself staring, admiring how she seemed to radiate light like a spirit.
"Your mother sounds like she was a lovely person," she sighed, sadness etched into her expression.
"She was. I miss her a great deal." He sighed and turned his gaze back to the pond. "She sacrificed herself to save my life, you know. Like your mother did for you." He turned his eyes back to Katara, a bittersweet smile pulling at his lips. "I think they would have gotten along very well."
She turned to him then, her eyes finding his. "Sometimes I forget just how much we have in common," she said, a small smile gracing her own lips.
"Like seeking out a quiet spot to be alone and wallow in our thoughts?" Zuko joked.
"Apparently," she replied with a chuckle. "What's on your mind anyway?"
He shrugged, not sure how to explain that Toph had gotten him second guessing the type of relationship he had with Katara. He couldn't sort out his feelings for himself; he wasn't about to confuse her with it too. "I just have a lot on my mind I guess. I wanted to clear my head and try and sort out my thoughts."
Katara nodded. "Yeah… me too."
"Is there anything in particular that's bothering you?"
"No, not really. I think I'm just… feeling a little lonely, as stupid as that sounds."
Zuko raised his eyebrow at her, shifting slightly to face her. "Because of Sokka and Suki?"
She smiled, giving him a strange look that suggested he had guessed correctly. "I am so incredibly happy for them. I've been expecting this for years, and I am so glad they are finally engaged. But… I can't help but feel a little… jealous I guess. Like I said, it's stupid."
"No it's not… I completely understand. You were in a relationship for four years with someone you weren't in love with. You want what Suki and Sokka have, but you didn't have it with Aang and now you're wondering if you will ever find it. Trust me, I get it."
Katara couldn't help but smile, and she leaned her head against his shoulder. "Another thing we have in common."
He chuckled, but didn't reply. He closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth of her body against his for a moment before all of his confused thoughts and feelings came flooding back in.
"We should get back inside before the guards come and scold us," Zuko said, letting the moment pass.
Katara pulled away and nodded, a shadow of disappointment crossing her features. Zuko stood and held out his hand to help her up, and then the two of them set out across the garden together silently. They reached the door back into the palace, but as Zuko reached out to open it, he found it to be locked. "Uh oh… one of the servants must have locked it up for the night."
"It's locked? Are we stuck out here?" Katara whispered, covering her mouth to stifle the laughter that bubbled up.
"Well we could go around the front and through the guardhall, but then everyone will know we had snuck out," Zuko replied, chuckling. "But I have another solution, if you are up for a little danger and adventure."
Danger? How much danger could we get in when we are in a heavily guarded palace?"
He smirked, then grabbed her hand and pulled her away. "Come and see."
Zuko led her to another section of the garden, moving swiftly and silently through the grass until they came to another large tree growing next to an exterior wall of the palace. He stopped and pointed up, smirking.
"Do you see that large balcony there?"
"Yes…" Katara replied hesitantly.
"That's my bedroom. Sometimes when I want to sneak in or out unnoticed, I go out through there. All you have to do is climb this tree," he pointed at a thick branch part-way up the wall. "jump from that branch onto that smaller balcony there, and then climb up onto the awning and make your way around that corner. Then you just drop down onto my balcony and you're in."
Katara followed the path he pointed out with her eyes, her mouth falling open. She turned to him with an incredulous look. "How have you not broken your neck!?"
"I'm good at climbing, and I've done this many times," he replied with a laugh. "Don't worry, it's not as difficult as it looks. I won't let you fall."
She rolled her eyes at him, but smiled. "You're going to be the death of me."
Zuko grinned, then pulled her over to the tree. He took a running leap, catching the bottom most branch and pulling himself up on to it with ease. He waved down at her coyly, before reaching his arm down to help her. Katara rolled her eyes again, then copied his actions. She couldn't quite reach the branch, but she caught Zuko's arm and he pulled her up next to him.
"Now we climb," he said, pointing to the branch they needed to reach.
Zuko went first, showing her where to place her feet and which branches were safest to hang onto. With his instruction, she found the branches fairly easy to climb and soon she found herself sitting on a large branch that brushed the wall of the palace. Zuko stood and carefully walked along the branch, then he jumped, landing gracefully on a small balcony a few feet away. He beckoned for her to follow, and she swallowed hard.
"You'll be fine Katara. I know you can do it; you've done far more dangerous things than leap a few feet out of a tree," he called softly to her.
She took a deep breath to calm her nerves, then stood and slowly tiptoed her way along the branch, careful not to look down. She reached the spot where Zuko had jumped from and hesitated, taking another deep breath. Zuko reached his arm out to her, and though she couldn't quite reach him, she felt more confident knowing he would likely catch her if she missed the balcony. Steeling her nerves, she leapt off the branch, feeling weightless in freefall for a brief moment before landing next to Zuko, stumbling slightly at the sudden halt of momentum.
His arms wrapped around her as she stumbled forward into him, laughing as adrenaline coursed through her. She clutched at the front of his shirt to steady herself, feeling dizzy with excitement.
"See? Easy. Don't doubt yourself Katara, you're one of the bravest, strongest, and most impressive people I've ever met," he said, smiling down at her.
She met his eyes and they fell silent, the laughter fading from her lips. Katara felt a strange heat move through her, and as she gazed into Zuko's golden eyes, she felt as if all the air had been sucked from her lungs. She was acutely aware of his strong arms around her and of his lean, muscular body beneath her hands. For just a moment her eyes flickered to his lips, and she found herself leaning into him, realizing with a jolt of anticipation that he had done the same.
Her body yearned to be closer, but her mind snapped back into sharp focus, and she forced herself to remember that this was Zuko, her friend. They were just friends, and nothing more. Allowing herself to be swept up in the moment would only make things awkward, and she didn't want to risk hurting her relationship with him.
"So," she started, clearing her throat and pulling away, letting the cool air come between them. "Now where do we go?"
A brief look of disappointment crossed Zuko's face, but he brushed it off and gave his head a quick shake, trying to rid himself of the same confused feelings that had been swimming through her mind.
"Uh, we climb up onto the awning. Watch," he replied, climbing up onto the rail of the balcony.
He grabbed the edge of the awning and pulled himself up, climbing onto the roof. Katara followed him, feeling more confident now that she hadn't fallen out of the tree and broken her neck, and together they shimmied across the side of the roof before dropping down onto Zuko's balcony. Katara peered over the edge with a small smile. She wasn't usually afraid of heights, but she was certainly glad to have her feet on something more solid than a tree branch.
Zuko pulled the balcony door open and gestured for Katara to enter. She crossed the balcony and into the room, immediately stopping in her tracks as she gazed around the space. His room was much larger than her guestroom, and it was covered in fine silk drapery and Fire Nation banners. Everything was various shades of red, with brown, yellow, and gold accents, giving the room a warm, energetic feel. His four-poster bed was raised on a slight dais, and was large enough to sleep at least four people side by side comfortably, and there was a fireplace on the opposite wall which had a blazing fire lit, despite the warm temperature outside.
There were a few personal touches in the room too, things that showed off Zuko's more sentimental side. His twin swords hung above the fireplace, glimmering in the firelight. They looked to be well taken care of, and were still as sharp as they had ever been. On another wall she spotted a wanted poster, depicting a figure wearing a mask which she recognized as Zuko's Blue Spirit mask. He had hung the poster like a badge of pride, and Katara's heart swelled at the sight of it. On another wall hung an ornately embroidered banner depicting two dragons, one red and the other blue. It was a beautiful piece of art, though Katara didn't understand the reference behind it.
On a nearby desk she found several pictures of their friends, including her. She smiled as she studied the pictures, touched by how deeply he appreciated his friends. As she looked over the images, she found one of he and Iroh, and next to it there was a picture of a beautiful, dark-haired woman who bore a striking resemblance to Zuko.
"Is this your mother?" she asked turning to Zuko, who had been leaning against the door frame of the balcony and watching her inspect his room with a small smile.
"Yeah. It's one of the only pictures I have of her."
"She's lovely," she remarked, her eyes lingering on the woman's face. "You look a lot like her."
Zuko blushed slightly, and he pushed himself off of the door frame, moving into the room and away from her. "Maybe once I did. Not anymore."
Katara turned her eyes away from the picture and watched him turn his back to her, frowning. She followed him and placed her hand gently on his shoulder, turning him back around to face her. He avoided her eyes, but when she reached up with her free hand and gently touched the scarred flesh on his cheek, his eyes snapped to hers and he pulled away from her.
She sighed and let her hands fall back to her sides, then sat down heavily on the edge of his bed, wishing she could heal his insecurities. She had offered to try and heal his scar once, but he had never mentioned it again after that moment so she hadn't brought it up either. His scar was as much a part of him as anything else, and she thought it would be strange to see him without it. She realized Zuko must feel self-conscious about it, but he didn't see himself the way others did. The scar was a symbol of his strength and resilience, and it certainly didn't diminish his handsome features either. If anything, it made him all the more appealing.
Katara bit her lip as she thought this, fighting a blush and cursing her own wayward mind. She brushed it off, and patted the spot on the bed next to her, inviting him to join her. He sat down wordlessly, but seemed to be suddenly nervous.
"You really are your own worst critic," she said, giving him a smile.
"So you've said," he replied, unable to stop himself from returning it.
"But why? Why are you so hard on yourself all the time, Zuko?"
"Growing up, I was never good enough. The only person who had faith in me was my mother, but when she disappeared I had nobody. And then my father gave me this scar and banished me from my home and my family, just because I dared to speak my mind. My uncle and I grew close then, so I finally had someone looking out for me, but the damage was done. I constantly second guessed myself. I still do. And this scar is a huge, ugly, permanent reminder of that," he said, sighing. "Leaving the Fire Nation and joining you guys was perhaps one of the only things I have ever been certain of, and because of all of you I managed to find more confidence in myself. As strange as it sounds, considering we were in the middle of a war, the time I spent with all of you were some of the happiest memories I have, and the only time in my life that I can recall being sure of myself."
"You're not sure of yourself now?" Katara asked, reaching over and taking his hand comfortingly.
"I have my uncle and a counsel to bounce thoughts and ideas off of, so that helps. But… no. Not really. I'm constantly worrying that I am going to do something that the people will hate me for, and that they will turn on me. The people of the Fire Nation as a whole were miserable over the past one hundred years, but they were prosperous and safe. What if they decide they preferred my father? What if they turn against me and the war starts all over again? I've had so many failures throughout my life, and I worry every day that I will fail at this too."
"Zuko… I've seen the way your people admire you. The peace and happiness they have now is because of you, and they won't forget that. Everybody makes mistakes, and you probably will make a few more over the years, but every time you have ever failed at something, you have come back stronger and wiser for it. Let your scar be a reminder of that instead."
He cast her a contemplative look, closing his fingers around hers. She smiled and gave his hand a squeeze, before pulling away and falling back onto the mattress, stretching out comfortably and patting the mattress for him to do the same. Zuko raised his eyebrow at her curiously, then stretched out next to her on his side with an amused smirk.
She rolled over to face him, grinning. "See? You can relax."
He stared at her for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Honestly Katara, what would I do without you?"
"Fall into a pit of self-doubt and continue hating yourself even though it is totally unwarranted."
"Ouch… brutal honesty."
Katara grinned at him. "And for the record, the scar is not ugly, nor does it diminish your attractiveness. A lot of people think scars are sexy, you know."
He flushed bright red and he rolled onto his back to try and hide the smile that crept across his face. His stomach felt like it was in knots as her words sank in, and he stared up at the canopy above his bed contemplating if there was more to her compliment than just a friendly gesture. He was already quite confused by everything Toph had said to him earlier, and the moment they had shared on the balcony had almost thrown him completely. He had felt a strong urge to kiss her, and for one brief moment he thought that they might, but then she pulled away and left him more confused than ever. He couldn't decide if it was just his mind fooling him into believing there was something more between them because of Toph's words and Suki and Iroh's teasing, or if he legitimately had developed feelings for her. He already knew he loved her; she was his very best friend and the only person in the whole world whom he felt truly understood him and could relate to him. In fact he was fairly sure she knew him better than he knew himself. But how did his love for her differ from his love for his other friends, his uncle, or his people? After having her here in person after so long apart, he wasn't so sure anymore.
They had fallen into a long silence, but it didn't feel awkward. Zuko closed his eyes, finding comfort in the sound of Katara's slow, steady breathing and the warmth of her body next to him. His mind began to drift, and before long he had fallen into a peaceful sleep.
XXXXX
Bright sunlight washed across Katara's face, and she groaned slightly as it pulled her from her slumber. She yawned as her mind slowly came into consciousness, moving closer to the source of warmth that enveloped her. She opened her eyes, squinting against the morning light, then realization suddenly hit her like an ice-cold wave. She was curled up against Zuko's chest, her head resting on his upper arm and one of her arms was draped comfortably around his waist. His arms were wrapped around her protectively, and their legs were tangled together. Despite the rising embarrassment within her, she couldn't help but notice how peaceful he looked slumbering in her arms, nor could she push the thought of just how well she had slept from her mind. She let her eyes study his face, which was close enough for her to feel his breath against her cheek as he slept. Her heart seemed to clench in her chest, and she had to bite her lip to keep her thoughts under control.
Just as she had been contemplating how to untangle herself from Zuko without waking him, he stirred and slowly opened his eyes. For a moment they merely gazed at each other, and then the intimacy of their current position seemed to sink into Zuko's mind and he pulled away from her. They both sat up, blushing furiously and avoiding each other's eyes.
"I-I'm sorry… I must have… drifted off," Zuko stammered, trying to suppress the urge to embrace her again.
"Yeah... me too. I didn't mean to… ah… I'm sorry too. I guess we were just tired," Katara replied, giving an awkward laugh as she tried to diffuse the tension.
Zuko rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, staring at the floor. "Yeah. We were up pretty late."
"And we had been drinking too… and your bed is really comfortable."
Zuko laughed, finally sneaking a glance at her. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, playing with her hair nervously. Strangely, this action calmed his own nerves, and he found himself amused that she was feeling just as anxious and awkward as he was.
"I slept really well anyway, so no harm done," he joked, coaxing a smile out of her.
"I did too." They locked eyes for just a moment, and then Katara spoke again. "I should probably head back to my room to change before going to breakfast… how do I get back from here?"
"Oh… just go left out the door, walk down all the way to the end of the hall, go down the stairs, and take a right from there. That will lead you back to the guest wing."
Katara nodded and then stood up, heading for the door. "I'll see you at breakfast," she said, looking back to him with a smile before slipping out the door.
Zuko stared silently after her, his mind reeling. He fell back onto the mattress and fixed his gaze on the canopy. 'I'm in trouble,' he thought to himself, unable to shake the feeling of her warm, lean body against his. 'Toph was right.'