"Blue is the color of the sky

In the morning, when we rise.

In the morning, when we rise,

That's the time I love her best."

-Donovan

The fresh morning sun, barely peaking over the horizon, streamed pale light through the narrow opening of the tent. The ground was hard, but Katara wasn't complaining. Eyes closed, still trying to hang on to the last fleeting fragments of sleep, she turned her face into comforting warmth. Her head rested in that perfect nook on Zuko's chest, like it was made for her. His warm hand rested on her arm, and even in sleep his thumb traced lazy circles on her skin.

She took in a slow breath, relishing in the sweet calm of the morning. The clean scent of fresh morning dew and a new day wafted into the tent, and the only sounds were the chittering of bugs greeting the sun.

If I could freeze time, I'd do it now, Katara thought sleepily. The gang may have abandoned the safety of the Western Air Temple, but she felt at peace here in the wilderness, enveloped in Zuko's arms. The early morning was theirs, when everyone else was still sound asleep and their secret was safe.

Zuko gave her arm a gentle squeeze and she knew he was awake. She lifted her head, a playful smile tugging at her lips, and met his amber eyes.

"Hi," she whispered.

He smirked and moved his hand to the back of her head, tangling his fingers in her hair. He raised his head and placed his lips over hers in a soft kiss before falling back onto the pillow.

"What are you doing awake? I'm supposed to be the one who rises with the sun."

She let out a quiet, breathy laugh and placed her head back on his chest. "The sun isn't fully up yet."

"Then you don't have to go running back to your tent?"

"Not yet, but soon."

They kept their voices low, always overly cautious. Neither wanted to risk waking anyone and spoiling their little secret.

"How long have we been getting away with this?" Zuko asked, his fingers playing lightly with her hair.

"Hmm, almost two weeks. Ever since we came back from searching for the Southern Raiders." Katara closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling. "That was a very close call with Toph the other day, though."

Zuko chuckled and pulled her in tighter. "Do you think we should just tell them? They're going to find out at some point anyway."

"I don't know. Sokka might have a freak-out."

"Why? We haven't done anything wrong," Zuko said with a roll of his eyes. "Besides, we all know Suki is sneaking into his tent every night."

Katara groaned and pushed herself up into a sitting position. "I don't want to think about that."

With a smirk, Zuko moved to sit cross-legged directly across from her. "I'm just saying we're not the only ones sharing a tent."

She waved his comment away with a simple flick of her wrist. "We'll come clean soon. Right now, I'm enjoying the privacy."

He nodded and leaned forward to catch her lips again, one hand resting gently on her knee. The thin ray of golden sunlight streaming in traced the outline of their bodies, painting them as one. Katara shuddered at his touch. Even through her pajamas, his touch was warm and comforting. She leaned into him and placed her hands on his shoulders.

A month ago, she would have never imagined herself kissing Zuko, relishing in his touches, and wishing those moments would last forever. But the more time she spent with him, the more natural everything felt. She was even the one who kissed him first, late one night when they were up talking while everyone else was asleep. He was shocked, but he hadn't pushed her away. She still wasn't sure what compelled her to crawl into his tent the next tight, but she was so glad she did. Spending her nights in Zuko's arms provided a comfort she hadn't known she'd been longing for.

They both tensed at a rustling sound just outside. Katara drew back and placed a hand over his mouth, eyes wide. She strained her ears, listening for voices. The rustling came closer. Her heart began to pound, and she met Zuko's concerned gaze. They were caught.

A curious fox antelope nudged its nose into the tent, sniffing the air. Zuko and Katara watched with twin expressions of relief as the animal gave them a wary side-eye. It gave a few more polite sniffs, licked its nose, and drew back, going on its merry way.

Katara met Zuko's eye and they both laughed as quietly as they could manage.

"That was a close one," Zuko joked.

Katara swallowed her remaining giggles down and shook her head with a smile. "Okay, maybe we should let our friends know. I don't think I can handle another false alarm like that."

"And, let's face it, Toph probably already knows," Zuko added.

"She's probably waiting for the perfect opportunity to hold it over our heads," Katara said with a snicker.

Zuko smirked and leaned in for another quick kiss. "Let's not give her the chance."

"All right, we'll come clean when everyone wakes up." Katara reached out and draped her arms over his shoulders. "For now, I'd like to just enjoy the morning with you."

"This is my favorite time," Zuko admitted. He placed his hands on her waist and pulled her in as close as their crossed legs would allow. With that playful smirk he liked so much, Katara leaned forward and boldly caught his lips.

The early morning was theirs. No one was awake to disturb them. There was no avatar who needed training. There was no war. There was just Zuko and Katara, bathed in soft sunlight, wrapped in each other's warmth. Time remained frozen for them until the sun fully crested the horizon line. Neither knew what would happen once their friends found out about them, but they would face their reactions together. And no matter what the future held, the mornings would always be theirs.