Chapter 32: Chapter 32

Zuko

Wait a second. What in just happened?

The Azula he knew would never do this. She would never stick up for anyone other than herself. It wasn't in her nature. Azula was always looking out for herself as a child, and only herself. Looking around, he saw that he wasn't alone in his surprise. Katara's friends didn't know Azula, but even they looked a bit intrigued by the way this conversation was going, sitting forwards and whispering to each other. His mother looked anxious, hands clutching at the folds of her dress, almost as if her nails would puncture through. Azula's mother, Tiang looked furious at the sudden turn of events, and Zuko could hardly blame her. It was clear to him that Tiang was behind this trial, and each of her attempts to condemn Katara had backfired.

With her own daughter being the final catalyst to her destruction.

The father they shared merely looked on at his daughter with carefully masked interest, the ghost of a smile on his lips. Zuko tried his best to read his father's face, but like Azula, he was a master at hiding his emotions and real thoughts.

Katara looked just as shocked as he did, and Jet even more so. His mouth hung open, the piece of straw that hung from it, falling from his mouth to the ground. He turned to Katara, and asked her a question, mouthing the words, but Zuko couldn't hear it, nor could he read Jet's lips. If he was being honest with himself, Zuko was a bit jealous of what was going on between the two of them. Clearly, they had started up some kind of friendship that he wasn't a part of. Clearly, Katara cared about Jet, or she wouldn't be risking her neck to save him.

What was so great about Jet, anyway?

They looked about the same age, and they had the same build, but there was no way that Jet was as good of a fighter as he was, but did Katara even care about that? Should he train more?

He watched Katara carefully. She was wincing, almost like she was in severe pain, and the white prison gown she wore was torn in several places. When she kneeled down on the platform, she cried out as she made contact and Zuko couldn't help but wonder what other injuries she had. He looked back at his father. How could his father have caused such pain to the girl he loved? It should have been him instead.

His thoughts were broken by the sounds of his Aunt's hesitant voice. The Fire Lady looked at his sister with uncertain eyes. "W-What d-did you j-just say Princess Azula?"

"I said…that Jet was with me. Those are my clothes. I borrowed them." Azula's voice was as calm as the waters in the turtle-duck pond.

How could she be so calm, even when she's telling a bold-faced lie?

Their Aunt arched an eyebrow. "You do understand the implications of your relationship with this commoner?"

Azula nodded, looking back at Jet for a split second, before turning back to face judgment. When she spoke, her voice was even stronger than it was before. "I understand the implications completely."

The Fire Lady seemed taken aback, but then let out a tiny laugh. "I must say, Princess Azula, I never took you for this sort of thing." Looking at their father and Tiang, she asked. "Tiang, Ozai, did you know about this?"

"I had no idea." Tiang said through clenched teeth. If she glared any harder at Azula, two holes would have been burned through her daughter's head.

But what surprised Zuko the most, was that his father merely laughed. The hair on Zuko's neck stood on end. His father never laughed. Azula stiffened as well, giving their father shifty looks.

"Oh Tiang, don't you remember that Azula mentioned this boy once or twice before?" Ozai looked upon the pair with kind eyes.

Zuko fought back a surge of bitterness. When it was Azula, their father looked on her relationship with joy. But with Katara, Zuko had to fight every day just to keep her in the Fire Nation. Father would never accept her.

Tiang stared at him, mouth agape. "S-She did?"

Ozai laughed again. The sound was foreign and bewildering to Zuko's ears. "Of course, she did. But I'm curious, how did the two of you meet?" This question wasn't directed at Azula, but at Jet. Prince Ozai smirked.

"I…um…" Jet said quietly, trying to find something to say. "My sister is one of Princess Azula's servants." His voice had a hard edge to it, as though he hated admitting the fact.

So, this guy didn't like royalty. How interesting.

"Right." Azula chimed in. "So, we met when Jet came to visit his sister."

Their Aunt chuckled lightly. "This is very unorthodox Princess Azula. This is the first I've ever heard of you actually having an interest in someone...especially a lowborn." Azula didn't say anything, only nodded. The Fire Lady then turned her attention to Katara. "Princess Katara, I believe that in light of these new…developments, that it is safe to say that you didn't have an improper relationship with a man other than Prince Zuko. As such, I move that all your charges; Attempted Murder, and Adultery in the Third Degree be dropped, and no punishment be levied against you."

Then she was in his arms.

As soon as his Aunt finished saying the order for Katara' release, he sank to the ground on bended knee. Everyone and everything disappeared from his mind as Katara found her way into his arms. She hissed a bit as his hands made contact with her back, and Zuko pulled away to ask if she was okay. But she nodded, and he hugged her again, having missed the feeling of her like this. There were cheers and clapping coming from his mother and Katara's friends, but they were faint, almost non-existent, because Katara was near him again. She was here, she was fine, and she was his. Her arms wrapped around him, and she pulled, as though she couldn't get close enough, and neither could he.

"I missed you so much." He whispered in her ear, and he could feel her nod and sniff, though his clothes muffled the sound. Was she crying?

"I missed you too." She mumbled, and Zuko pulled back. Sure enough, her blue eyes were watery and there were faint tears running down her cheeks. Zuko brushed away the falling tears with his thumb. Katara held his hand and leaned her head into it, relief all over her face. "So, so, much."

They knelt there for minutes, but it felt like forever. He was grateful to his family for giving them a moment of peace, even if it would only last for a few minutes. For now, he just wanted to spend time like this, holding the one he loved in his arms. It was true, that you didn't know what you had until it was gone. And he hadn't. He hadn't realized how much he would miss her presence until his father's guards ripped her out of his arms. He hadn't realized how much he loved her, until she was no longer there to be loved.

It wasn't until he felt tears stinging his eyes that he realized that he was on the verge of crying as well.

"Aw, isn't this cute." Jet's smug voice rang through Zuko's ears, and Zuko looked up at the person that Katara saved in Shibai hospital. He was standing over them both, a smirk on his lips. "So, you must be Katara's prince. Nice to finally meet you. The name's Jet." He ended the sentence with an outstretched hand.

"So I gathered." Zuko said quietly, grasping Jet's hand as the teen pulled him to his feet. Katara clutched the leg of his robe, eyes flashed between them both. He looked at her and grinned, hoping to reassure her that he didn't truly believe something was going on between the two of them. Zuko's eyes roamed Jet's face, searching for what would make his sister actually stick up for this…commoner. "Thank you for helping Katara, I appreciate it."

Jet was appraising him too, studying his face, and Zuko wondered what this person had to gain from this. "I owe everything to Katara. I wouldn't be here without her." He and Katara shared a look, and Zuko was surprised by the irrational fear of jealousy rising inside of him.

His next words came out more bitter than he'd intended, but he couldn't lie that he wasn't exactly pleased that the two of them were so close. "Katara's grown attached to you and your sister, and apparently, so has someone else."

Jet stiffened, and his eyes cut to Azula for a moment before registering back on Zuko's face. But Zuko's eyes lingered on his sister. She was still kneeling on the ground, but her hands were balled into fists, and she appeared to be trembling. What could he say to her? Could he say anything? As annoying and untrustworthy as Azula was… she's still his sister, and he knew all too well the feeling of admitting that you liked someone under pressure. But what was so special about Jet, that caused Azula to act this way, a way that was so unlike her.

"Azula." Katara's soft voice cut through Zuko's thoughts.

Azula froze instantly and didn't turn. "What?" Her voice was hollow and didn't really contain any emotion. He wondered how difficult it must have been for her.

But Katara didn't seem deterred. Yanking on Zuko's sleeve, she pulled herself up with Zuko's assistance, though to his shock, Katara looked to be in great pain. She hissed as she straightened her knees, pulling on Zuko's arms more, causing him to double over at the waist. Exactly what happened to her? Zuko eyed his father, watching them with interest from his seat in the stands. What's with that creepy smile? He thought before turning his attention back to Katara. She leaned on Zuko for support as she walked forward, stopping just a few feet away from where Azula knelt.

"Azula." Katara said again, more forcefully. She grimaced as she took another step, and Zuko braced her as she fell against him.

Azula stood, looking over her shoulder at the three of them, Katara, Zuko and Jet. As her eyes met Katara's, she faltered. She turned, facing them fully, and Zuko could see that for the first time in who knows how long, Azula's careful mask fell apart right before his eyes. He saw anxiety, worry, and pain in them, but he didn't know where they stemmed from, or the root of her problem. But then it was gone, all in that same moment, and Azula built the emotional wall back up; but there were cracks, it wasn't as strong as before.

Azula was losing her grip. How…surprising.

"What, Katara?" Azula asked again.

"Thank you." Katara beamed at his sister, eyes shining brightly, and Azula's emotional mask slipped again. Her eyes widened for a minute.

"What do y—What are you thanking me for, anyway?" Azula asked, her voice quivering, and not as calm as it used to be. Her eyes tore away from Katara's face, instead looking at the far wall to Katara's left.

"Isn't obvious?" Katara stepped closer, taking Zuko with her. She gestured to their intertwined arms and Zuko could only stare at her in confusion, "You saved my life. And my relationship."

Azula blinked slowly. Once, twice, before turning away from the both of them in a huff, arms folded over her chest. "Don't be stupid." She sneered, but the usual bite was out of her voice. "I didn't do it for you."

Then Azula walked past the both of them, with determination, stopping only a few feet from where Jet stood, far away from Azula, hands balled tightly into fists. He was likely the cause for the weakening of Azula's control, and he doubted that she understood her own feelings at all.

They were engaged in a staring contest of sorts. Their gazes intensified and neither looked away, Zuko wondered if Azula was trying to burn Jet alive. He also wondered what their father and Tiang really thought about all of this, but he refused to look in their direction. He wouldn't miss this. This was the day that he got to see his all-controlling sister crumble because of a boy. He never thought he'd see the day. He still couldn't believe that Azula had practically saved Katara's life. Azula didn't care about anyone else. It wasn't in her nature. So why now? Why Jet?

"You didn't do it for her?" Jet spoke, and Azula looked almost bewildered to hear his voice. "Then—,"

"You stupid, stupid, low-born boy." She said, shaking her head. "I'm unbearably selfish. Because…I couldn't bear to see you die. I did it for me."

"Princess…" Jet breathed out, but Azula didn't stop walking. Her hands balled into fists though, so obviously Jet affected her more than anyone really believed.

And just like that, the wall was up again. Azula brushed past Jet, their shoulders coming in contact, and Jet turned to grab her, but she deftly slipped out of his reach. "Besides," She finished, getting farther and farther away. "You wouldn't look nearly so cute scorched to a crisp."

Who was this girl and what did she do to Azula?

"Azula!"

Before Azula could leave the Arena, Tiang's shrill voice rang out over the entire Arena. Zuko turned to see her storming down the steps and his father wiping his hand on a handkerchief. His father must have covered Tiang's mouth to watch the scene between Azula and Jet play out. Zuko didn't understand anything that his father was planning.

Did he support them? Would he fly into a rage like Tiang? Their father was indisputably unpredictable.

Tiang blew past everyone to face her daughter. She was panting heavily and looked more like a woman who had lost everything she'd ever cared about; rather than his father's usually in-control concubine. Azula turned to face her mother, indifference on her face.

"Yes Mother?" The 16-year-old said calmly. Tiang's eyes narrowed further, her lips pressed into a hard line.

SLAP!

The sound of Tiang's hand meeting Azula's skin echoed in Zuko's mind, and he was certain that he'd never forget it. This was Azula, the perfect daughter, the one who never did anything wrong. Zuko couldn't believe what he was seeing. Her cheek was red and enflamed, perhaps bruising. Azula touched her face gingerly, eyes still wide, not seeing clearly. Her lips trembled as she revealed a hand covered in crimson blood.

The trickle of blood caused by her own mother's nails flowed from Azula's cheek to her chin. If anything, Azula looked like she couldn't believe what just happened. Zuko couldn't even believe it himself. Everyone seemed to freeze, and the only things in motion were Azula and Tiang.

"How dare you defy me? I trusted you, Azula." Tiang screeched at her daughter, "And you swore to bring down that stupid girl! But you choose him over me? Your own mother?"

"How dare you mother?" Azula murmured so low that Zuko had to strain to hear it. But then in a louder voice, she said. "Your plan to have Princess Katara executed failed, obviously. And seducing Zhao…won't Father be disappointed?" She shook her head as Tiang's eyes, once so angry, now held fear. Zuko refused to look at his father, too fearful to see the expression on his face. "Your servants can attest to that."

Wait, what?

Azula… turning on her own mother? For what reason? She was connected to this somehow? Why?

A trail of blood marred her face, but Azula didn't back down. Even though her dress was stained by her own blood dripping from her face, Azula didn't back down. She narrowed her eyes, a cruel smirk forming on her red lips. "You nearly killed Princess Katara, all because she was trying to save Uncle Iroh's life? And how could you try to frame Jin for the attempted poisoning of Uncle Iroh…. where you used the same poison you did on Kyoshi!"

"Azula you traitor!"

But Azula smirked at her mother. "We all know that your dream of being Fire Lady will never come true." Lower, she muttered, "Truth be told, mother…I have no interest in being locked away with you."

Tiang began to back away from her daughter in fear, and Zuko wondered what was going through her head. Did she ever realize that the daughter she put so much confidence in would betray her in the end?

"W-Why Azula?!" Tiang questioned, suddenly finding her strength again. Grabbing her daughter by the shoulders and shaking her repeatedly. "Why would you betray me? For that boy? You could have anyone, and yet you chose him?"

"I've never had my own choice. You've made all my decisions for me. But…" Azula pried her mother's hands from her body. "The only one I could ever choose is him." Zuko heard Jet's startled breath from next to him. "And if I had to do it all again, I would."

Tiang let out a mix of a scream or growl and raised her other hand to strike Azula again in a fit of rage. Azula easily dodged it, or she would have if Tiang had a chance to get to her.

When had Jet moved?

Jet caught Tiang's arm before she could even lower it to hit Azula. Tiang twisted, turning around, cheeks flushed with anger as Jet kept a firm grip on her arm. Tiang writhed, trying to get out from Jet's hold.

"Y-You! How dare you touch me, you peasant!" Tiang screeched at him. Zuko wanted to mention that as a concubine, Tiang wasn't all that far from being a peasant herself.

"Forgive me," Jet said coolly. How could he be so calm at a time like this? Jet yanked hard on Tiang's arm, pulling her even further away from Azula. "But Princess Azula saved my life. I will do anything for her too."

"You little—," Tiang raised her other hand to hit Jet as well.

"Enough, Tiang." The Fire Lady's commanding voice was enough to stop her in her tracks. When had his aunt come off the dais? When had all of those guards been summoned?

Standing behind the Fire Lady were dozens of palace guards and Zuko realized they must have been summoned through one of the side entrances of the Arena while everyone was distracted. Or maybe he was just too distracted to notice. Jet relinquished his hold on Tiang as soon as Zuko's aunt approached, and Tiang staggered forward, falling to her knees in front of the ruler of the country.

"Fire Lady…" Tiang began in a pleading voice. "I-I…"

"I said…enough." He'd never seen his aunt so angry. She stared down Tiang with so much disgust that Zuko wondered if she'd put together the whole story. Maybe his aunt realized that she'd been dancing to Tiang's strings all along, from imprisoning Jin, to accusing Katara, did she even realize perhaps that Tiang was responsible for the poisoning of Uncle Iroh from the very beginning?

If not, she'd find out soon enough.

Turning to Azula, his aunt appraised her with a steady eye. "You have knowledge of recent events, Azula?"

Azula nodded. "Of course, Aunt Yun Xi." Azula bowed slightly, turning a nasty eye on her own mother. "And I will be more than willing to tell you everything I know."

The horror on Tiang's face, almost made him feel bad for her. But Katara, hissing in pain next to him made that feeling go away almost immediately. The concubine looked terror-stricken, as though she couldn't believe how events were unfolding, as though she couldn't believe that her own daughter would turn on her.

Now, Azula wasn't an innocent by any means, and Zuko firmly believed that had Katara's trial gone another way, Azula wouldn't have said anything. Azula was an opportunist to a point, and would be on whatever side was winning, but fortunately, if that meant turning against her own mother, then so be it.

But what did their father think?

Zuko didn't want to know.

"O-Ozai, my love!" Tiang pleaded, and Zuko turned as his father's presence overwhelmed him. But something was off. "You believe me? You believe that I had nothing to do with any of this, don't you? Help me my prince!"

His father stood next to Tiang, but his eyes held no emotion, no pity for the woman he claimed to love for 15 years. If Zuko were his father, he'd be angry, or something. But his father was guarded, revealing nothing of his innermost thoughts. "You betrayed me, Tiang." He deadpanned. Tiang made a grab for his foot, and Ozai kicked her away roughly as she sprawled on the ground before him.

"We will settle this later in the day," The Fire Lady decided, and snapped her fingers. Two guards appeared and pulled Tiang to her feet. "Take her to her room. I want a guard posted to her door. She is not to leave until my husband, or I give the order."

The guards bowed and dragged Tiang away, while she was screaming all the way. "You little Water Tribe bitch! I will never forgive you for this! If I die, I hope I become a fearsome ghost to haunt you for the rest of your days! You will never get a moment's rest!"

The screaming faded, but Katara still looked troubled.

"Are you alright?" Zuko asked, and Katara shook her head.

"I…I—," Katara's eyes rolled in the back of her head, and she fell limp in his arms, taking Zuko to the ground with her.

He shook her lightly, but she didn't respond. "Katara? Katara!" His hands smoothed the hair away from her face.

He heard footsteps rush over to them and looked up to see the anxious faces of Suki, Song and Toph, as well as his mother. His mother was crying as well, and in a very un-ladylike manner, she brushed them away with her sleeve.

"Oh Katara! Is she alright? Zuko, what happened?" His mother asked anxiously.

"I don't know." He answered honestly. "She just collapsed." He held the unconscious Katara in his arms, and he could see all to clearly the dark bruises on each of her shoulders. The sight of her pain made him almost flare up in rage. And he felt his palms heat up as he realized that his father caused those bruises, and they were accompanied by who knows how many other injuries.

"Perhaps she should rest in that room, Zuko." Zuko froze as his father's voice washed over them, chilling the warm moment. Zuko's eyes narrowed, and he pulled Katara closer to him, shielding her from his father's view. Zuko stared up at his father with uncertain eyes. The Fire Prince stood behind his wife, lips curled somewhere between a smirk and a smile. "We wouldn't want our daughter-in-law to be in any pain, right Ursa?"

His mother gasped, and turned to her husband in shock, and frankly, Zuko couldn't believe what he was hearing either. He never called his mother by her name. Only her title, First Wife. But even more surprising, his father actually wanted them together? The questions he had about his father's motives grew with every word.

If his father, Prince Ozai wanted them together, then what was the point of telling him to marry Mai? What was the point of arresting Katara in the first place? What was the point of any of this? Was it all for nothing? But taking in the confident grin on his father's face was enough to send his mind reeling.

What was he planning?

These questions and more raced through Zuko's head to fast for him to keep track. But just as he was about to say something, his mother answered first.

His father's hands were on his mother's arms in an almost possessive gesture, and his chin rested over her shoulder. His mother gasped again at the contact. For someone who'd just seen the woman they'd claimed to love for years get taken away by guards, his father was acting awfully calm. And really attached to Zuko's mother.

Zuko felt as though he was going to be sick. His mother was flustered, Zuko could tell, because his father was closer to her now than he'd been in such a long while. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were wide, and she was breathing rapidly. And his mother still loved the bastard, and would do anything for him, even after all of this time. The thought made him sick.

His mother reddened further. "Right, Husba—Ozai. Maybe we should give Princess Katara sometime to rest." His mother offered, smiling at the two of them kindly. As insightful as his mother was, couldn't she see that he was playing her the way he always did. Turning to Katara's friends, she smiled at them kindly. "Perhaps it would be better to visit her once she's recovered."

"Of course, Ursa my dear." His father said, kissing his wife on the cheek. "Whatever you wish, it shall be done."

Has everyone in his family suddenly gone insane?

Katara

When Katara came to, she wasn't in her room. There wasn't a single trace of blue in here. She wasn't in Zuko's room either. In fact, she didn't recognize this room at all. She blinked, trying to register the lack of light in this room. Save a few sparse torches, the room was dim, and shadows multiplied and moved with each flicker of flame. She was in a bed in the middle of the room. It was large, with dark red covers and white sheets. Sitting up, groaning at the pain in her back, she looked around, trying to get a better gist of her surroundings. Ugh, it hurt to sit up. The lashes on her back had never quite healed, and every muscle in her body cried out in protest at every move she made. With a groan she fell back on the bed, sighing heavily.

"Katara?" She heard Zuko's anxious voice coming from an open door on the far wall. He'd obviously heard her moans of pain and come running. How adorable. "Katara are you awake?"

He left whatever room he was in and moved towards her, stopping at the foot of the bed. At first, his face was anxious and worried as he ran his eyes quickly over her, but then relaxed once he saw she was awake and alert. Or as alert as possible with the grimace on her face.

"Hi Zuko," She winced at how cracked her voice sounded. She was fine only a minute ago—was it a minute? How long has she been asleep for? "How long have I been out?"

He shrugged. He said, moving around the end of the bed to sit on the side of the bed, taking her hand in his own. He was warm, like usual. "3—maybe 4 hours. You collapsed while Tiang was being taken away, so I brought you here."

"And where is here, exactly?" She asked, looking curiously around the room from her sideways viewpoint. She attempted to sit up again, trying to rest on her elbows to get a better view of the room.

"Katara wait, slow down." Zuko's hands gently pushed her shoulders back down. But that didn't really help either, because Katara's strength gave out and she hit the mattress hard, causing her to cry out in pain.

"Argh!" She cringed, curling into a ball.

"Where does it hurt the most?" He asked her, and Katara's aching arms gestured to her back.

"My back—my arms—my wrists—It'd probably be an easier question to ask me where I don't hurt." Zuko's eyes widened as she pulled the sleeves of the ridiculous trial gown she wore up to reveal her red and purple wrist. He lifted the same hand he held, running his fingertips lightly over the marks.

"My father did this?" Zuko asked, pressing her wrist to his lips in a soft kiss.

Katara smiled, but then shook her head. "No, he was never in the same room. I know he was watching, but he was always out of sight—,"

"Remaining out of the equation. Who'd he have do it?" Zuko asked her, eyes dark with rage, but then stopped, his expression softening. "If you'd rather not talk about it, I—,"

"No—I'd rather get it out now," She said, turning her head away from him. It would help her relieve herself of the pain if she didn't look at him. "I only knew him as the Torturer."

"Long." Zuko hissed through clenched teeth, grabbing the covers in a fist.

"You know him?"

Zuko scoffed. "Barely. He's Zhao's nephew." He reached up and yanked the diadem out of his hair, running his hands through the fallen locks. "And knowing that we're together, it's likely he took out his anger at me—on you. Katara, I'm so sorry."

Katara's heart reached out to him, and if she could move her body without being in total pain, she would have hugged him. She wondered what was going through his mind, but if she knew Zuko, and she believed she did, he likely would have been angry at himself, because in Zuko's mind, he would have believed that he was the source of her pain. As she held his hand, she felt his temperature increase.

"Zuko…Zuko." She said louder when he didn't respond. He looked up, and the utter agony on his face made her eyes prick with tears. "What happened to me is not your fault. Your father gave the orders, and you didn't cause this."

But Zuko refused to look at her face. "Maybe you should…go back to the Water Tribe when your parents get here in a few days." He let go of her hand.

Katara sat up with a lurch. Groaning through the aching of her back, she grabbed Zuko's wrist. He looked at her in shock, his eyes widening. She narrowed her eyes at him. "No. I'm not leaving."

"But Katara—," He gently tried to lift her fingers off his wrist, but Katara held firm.

She raised herself up further, to look Zuko right in the eyes. "Zuko, I love you. And it's an all-encompassing love. I'm not giving up because things get tough. You think I would have stayed after Shibai if I mmph—,"

Her words were cut off as Zuko's lips covered her own. He kissed her, and Katara's fingers fisted the sheets as Zuko's hands cradled the back of her head, moving them closer together. How she missed this, and she didn't know she would miss it so much until she finally got it back. They broke apart as Katara gasped when she leaned too far backwards, and her muscles screamed in protest.

"That's not fair…" She panted. "You can't just do that—I wasn't done talking."

He smirked at her, kissing her again. "I know." His arms moved around her back supporting her and taking the weight off of her muscles. "Now let's get you healed up."

"Wait, what are you doing?" She asked as Zuko suddenly lifted her into his arms, carrying her bridal style through the room. She looked at his face, darkened a bit by the shadows, masking his eyes from view. She knew he was still upset, but she had to admit—he hid it well. They would talk about this later. "What's this room, anyway?"

"Your—our room." He said, cheeks reddening. "For after we're married. It's not decorated yet, so it'll look better soon."

"O-Oh." Katara offered, blushing herself.

He carried her through the doorway he had just come through.

She looked to see a massive bathroom. A single in-ground bathtub took up most of the space in the room and was as red as the rest of the room. The walls were red, with golden accents and trim across the molds. A large empty vanity was across the spans of the wall opposite the door. A red and gold divan with a red blanket was on the wall adjacent to the door. Several bath soaps and flower petals were littered across the floor; some spilled leaving a soapy, watery mess on the red tiles.

"I figured the first thing you'd want to do when you woke up was heal yourself. I tried to make the bath myself…" Zuko said. "But it wasn't as easy as I'd hoped. I may have to warm it up again."

"How will you—?" She asked, but then he raised an eyebrow at her. She chuckled. "Right, right, I forgot. How's that been coming by the way?"

He shrugged, "Non-existent, pretty much. I hardly have the opportunity to practice, I can't take the risk of my father finding out."

"Maybe I could help you." She asked, and he looked at her curiously. "Waterbending and firebending aren't as different as you might think—Okay, maybe they are, but some bending is better than none, if you have the ability, right?"

She asked as Zuko carried her over to the duvet. He lay her down softly, and her cheeks heated as his hands lingered on her skin, running over her hips with a feather-light touch.

"I suppose you're right." He said, standing up.

"Haven't you learned by now? I'm always right." She said, smiling at him. He turned to heat up her bathwater, and the temperature of the room increased as a burst of flame erupted from Zuko's hand, brightening up the room as he heated up the water. "Did someone help you with this?"

Zuko scoffed playfully at her. "Around you? The biggest thing you've said since you've got here is how unlike the Water Tribe, we relied way too much on servants and don't do enough for ourselves. Remember how you refused to be carried by palanquin?"

She blushed more as she realized how much she'd changed since she arrived. It was true. Before, she would be spouting off things like that, only now, she was actually agreeing about using servants for things. Not everything, but maybe the Fire Nation was growing on her. Or maybe it was just Zuko.

"Okay, so you may have a point." She agreed, laughing. "Oh, that reminds me. You said this was our room. I thought couples in the Fire Nation don't live in the same sleeping quarters."

"They don't." He said, turning back around. "Except for the first 100 days. For 100 days, couples share a room, and then once that's done…they…drift apart." His voice grew melancholic, and she wondered if he was thinking about his own parents.

"Oh. I see." Katara said solemnly, and Zuko straightened, returning to the couch.

"Yeah." There was a sadness in his eyes, as well as confusion and Katara couldn't understand it. "She'd ask him later. Eyes roaming her face, he shrugged. "So, if that's all you need, I'm going to g—,"

"Zuko, wait." She said quietly. She sat up, pulling on his arms for support as he helped her stand. "Could you do one more thing for me, if it's not too much trouble?"

Her arms clutched at his sleeves, and his arms found her waist. Sprits it felt so good to feel him this way. She only hoped that he agreed to what she wanted. His eyes met hers and there was a quiver in her stomach. But she was nervous to ask.

"Katara, what's wrong?" He asked quietly. "Why do you look so nervous?"

"Because…I don't know if you would agree to what I want to ask you." Katara said, and their gazes broke, Katara looking away first before Zuko caught her chin with his fingertip.

"Whatever it is, just ask me." He said quietly. Their lips were only an inch apart, and she could feel Zuko's warm breath on his face. He was still so warm from using his bending earlier, and his warmth helped ease her muscles.

"Could you…" Katara asked, as their lips brushed together lightly. "Help me…"

His voice as breathy. "Yes?"

"Could you take off my dress?