When Zuko comes to her room in the middle of the night, it's through the window.

She almost screams, until he places his hand against her mouth and lifts the Blue Spirit mask. He gives her a tentative smile and she feels her wild heart slow to a more comfortable pace. Dressed in black, they leave through the window, making sure to fluff some pillow under the blankets in the off chance someone checks in on her.

She doesn't know how to feel about sneaking out with the Fire Lord. Wishes she could remember what they were like before and who they were to each other. She wants to ask him why he's been so secretive about seeing her and why he doesn't talk to the others. This isn't exactly the behavior of a nation's leader.

Zuko holds her hand in his, guides her through the shadows of the palace. He knows this place, no matter how many years he was in exile. The voices of the guards lift and fade as they weave their way around.

Their defense has been a lot lower now since there haven't been any real threats coming after Zuko and the Avatar, not after what happened with his father. Feels like a good thing that the guards finally have a chance to relax, but Mai thinks otherwise. She encourages him to push his guards into staying more alert, doing more drills, and increased patrols. Now that she finally has him, she's scared at any chance of losing him again. He wishes she would trust him, trust in their people like he has.

They make it to the big wall that surrounds the palace, meant for protection. Lately, it's felt more like a prison, keeping Zuko away from the world. Katara feels the same, stuck in that room all day. Feels like forever ago they were on that wild adventure trying to save the world.

He scales the wall fast, familiar with the grooves and bricks that seem a little too perfectly pushed out in the right places. Their big escape from the palace is exhilarating, to say the least. The two of them work well together, she thinks. Wonders how he got so good at sneaking out especially being that he's the Fire Lord. He throws the rope down for her, steady, doesn't even hesitate to grab her when she slips a little, pulls her up by her forearms with a grip so strong she's clearly underestimated his size underneath the grand clothing he always wears these days.

"Trust me," he says, when she gawks at how far the ground is from the top of the wall. He pulls her to his side, and she isn't afraid to cling tight. He knows what to do. She keeps her eyes close until her feet hit the dirt ground and opens them to find Zuko looking at her… curiously, maybe?

"What is it?"

"Nothing," he says, quick. She squints her eyes at him but doesn't press on it.

The walk in the forest feels much faster; they don't have to work to stay quiet. She can hear the waves crashing before they even make it out of the darkness, and when she emerges, the beach feels a lot brighter than the forest and palace combined. She rushes to the edge of the water and turns back to face Zuko, smiles real big at him. Makes him feel good about himself, for once.

"You took me to the beach?"

"Yeah, figured it would be the best place to start."

"It's beautiful here. I didn't even realize the Fire Nation had places like this," Katara says, bends down to run her fingers through the water. Tries to hide the excitement in her voice. Always assumed the Fire Nation was all heat, metal cages, and military. Can anybody blame her? "So, where's this old mentor of mine?"

"She's in the sky," he says, notices how the moonlight casts a soft glow on Katara's warm, brown skin. It was a full moon tonight, and Zuko recalls Uncle Iroh telling him that water benders got their source of power from the moon. The way it pulls and pushes the tides of the ocean.

Katara doesn't know what to say. Thinks of the bad things she's been told about him and can't seem to paint him in that image. Instead, she gives him a hug without warning, "Thank you." He doesn't know how to respond, so he just wraps his arms around her awkwardly.

The water bending techniques Aang taught her in the gardens seemed easy enough. But after an hour of the water consistently escaping back into the ocean, she ends up splashing it angrily. Zuko sees more of the old Katara coming back, but he's not about to tell her that right now. "I don't understand! I'm a water bender, so why isn't it coming naturally?"

"Try drawing your energy from the moon."

"I am!" The water clings to her hips, her all black ensemble left beside Zuko at the shore. She wears her water tribe undergarments, the white practically glowing. "I just… feel stuck. I'm not sure how to draw up the energy."

Zuko gets up from the sand and starts to undress.

"What are you doing?"

"I think I know a way around it." His skin is as white as snow and his physique is fit. Shivering, he stands beside her in the water. "My uncle taught me this when he was studying water benders. It's supposed to help the energy flow in your body." Demonstrating, he takes his arm and extends it from his body, alternating sides so that it looks fluid, almost like… water itself.

"Like… this?"

"Close. Your arms have to be higher." He moves beside her to raise her arms. Warm skin against cold. Her breath hits his chest and he works to still his own. They move together naturally, back and forth, almost in a dance. Goosebumps rise on Katara's arms and he apologizes.

"No, it feels nice, actually. The warmth." At this, they both take a step away from each other, more intrigued in the way their surroundings look. She feels dumb for saying that. For the sake of switching topics, says, "I think I've got it down though."

Zuko's face is flushed. He doesn't remember when being close to Katara came so easily. Glancing back at the shore, he knows she doesn't need him in the ocean with her. But the water is cold, and it's a hot summer night. Thinks it would be smarter to stay where it'll cool him down, but really, he just wants to be near her. They practice the motion of pushing and pulling the tides together until Katara can control the waves.

"Look, Zuko! I'm doing it!" She moves the water steadily, a grin on her face. "Who knew I'd learn water bending from a fire bender?"

"Being a fire bender doesn't mean anything when it comes to clearing your energy. At least, that's what Uncle would tell me."

"What made you want to do this? Teach me, that is."

She looks at him with curious eyes and he doesn't want to tell her that it's to fix his wrongs. Doesn't want to admit to her what he's done, yet. "We were friends, you know."

"Were?" She raises a brow at him.

"Are," he smiles. When they return to shore to dry off, he asks, "What do you remember?"

Katara hums, looks up at the wide expanse of the night sky, adorn with millions of stars. "I remember who I am, and I remember my brother."

"That's it?"

A fire blazes between them, the tree branches hold their clothes to dry. The flames dance in Zuko's eyes, amber gold.

"And… the first day I woke up, I remembered my mother. The Fire Nation took her."

"I'm sorry," Zuko says, feeling déjà vu. This isn't the first time he's had to apologize for it.

"But, I'm sure you already knew that. It was just hard, at first. It felt like she was right there beside me, and then the next moment, she was gone. When really, she's been gone for a while."

"I lost my mom to the Fire Nation too. And I had to live with the family who chased her away. I understand what you're feeling."

Katara places a hand on his arm, with sympathy he feels he doesn't deserve.

"I guess the Fire Nation took something important away from the both of us."

Zuko sees her eyes glisten and thinks of Ba Sing Se, when he and Uncle Iroh tried to turn their lives around, even if it was short lived. It must have been mere coincidence, or fate, that pulled him and the Avatar into one place. That was when he betrayed Katara's trust, right after they bonded over losing their mothers to the Fire Nation. He had needed the Avatar to return home, to restore his honor.

Whether he followed the path of good or proved his loyalty to his father, Katara's face was always the first to pop up. Her disappointment, her hurt, her pride in him for making the right decision. And he doesn't know why, but he cares what she thinks of him.

"What do you remember about me?" He asks, suddenly, because he needs to know. "And not what the others have told you, but from your own memories."

"I don't," she starts, confused. "I already told you. I don't remember anybody other than my brother."

"Look at my face and tell me what you feel," Zuko says. "You must hate me, right? Somewhere deep inside of you, you don't trust me, or don't like me."

Katara looks at him, actually looks at him, and feels nothing of the sort. Not even when he makes the fire burst brighter than it should, enough to scare off the rabbits in the forest. "What are you trying to gain from this?"

His head bows. "Katara, it was-"

"Look!"

Suddenly, she points at a shooting star, just as quick as it appears, it's gone. "Quick, you have to make a wish." She clasps her hands together and closes her eyes.

Zuko swallows down his words. Closes his eyes and puts his hands together, but his mind is too concentrated on other things to think of what to wish for. It was his fault for not watching her back in that last fight with the earth bender bandits, and as always, he somehow manages to screw things up. And now, the one person who should hate him the most is the one who hates him the least. He wishes she would treat him how she really feels, how she should feel.

"I don't hate you," she says, when he finally opens his eyes. It catches him by surprise. "You've been there for me since I woke up and you brought me here, to the source of my water bending powers. You aren't as horrible of a person as you think you are." And when she smiles at him, there's a weird ache in his chest.

Because maybe, as much as he hates to admit it, he wants Katara's approval as much as he feared his father. Maybe more. But she can't be his saving grace, a girl to nurse his bad habits and old demons. She's more than that. Being around her felt like it could somehow make everything he's ever done into something right again, felt like a way to redeem his mistakes.

But looking at her right now, cast in the light of the moon, he wants to see her again like this. Without any obligations. He doesn't want to be near her to right his wrongs, but simply because he wants to.