Hi everyone!

The following is practically self-explanatory.

Day 18: Caught Undressed

It is bold, but Katara doesn't care.

It seems so logical, but having grown up in the South Pole, and having travelled through the earth Kingdom in spring, constantly surrounded by her friends in summer, and then never living in the wild nature again, it had just never come to her mind.

But now, three years after she's been here on Ember Island for the first time, she isn't only alone in summer, she found a place, where no one would be able to find her. Shielded by cliffs, the bay is so small that Katara is not even sure one could call it a bay. And the cliffs' top reaches further towards the ocean, so she is even shielded from the looks of people standing on this cliff.

There is no problem in going into the water with her underwear, but being alone, not seen by anyone she thought she might try to be in her element without anything separating them.

It's quite the difference, but it actually only feels like taking a bath. The only things that are different to that are the feeling of the salt water and the gentle up and down of the waves.

Katara decides she likes this feeling better than taking a bath in a creek, or river, or lake. Or a bathtub.

She lets herself float on her back, making sure with her bending that the waves aren't carrying her away, as she stares up into the night sky.

Then a light suddenly covers the walls of the cliffs, and before Katara can react she hears a loud, high pitched scream.

She quickly moves her body back into the water again, hoping that the water and the darkness obscure her nakedness. She just hopes it isn't Zuko who came across her.

But of course it's him.

He's standing there at the edge of the water, only in his underpants, his hands pressed against his eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were here, and I didn't see anything, I swear!"

Katara is blushing fiercely, and her body feels suddenly way warmer against the cool ocean than it did before. "What?" she shouts hysterically.

"Uh…"

"What are you even doing here?" If he followed her here, she would so make sure that he will suffer.

"I know this place. I've often come here as a child," he says, but it sounds nasal, since his hands are also pressing against his nose.

She narrows her eyes at him. Well, what he said could be true, but she doesn't have any proof of it. He could have made that up. "Then what are you waiting for? Get out!"

Zuko's body tenses, and it looks like he's contemplating something. "Well, okay. But… I have the same right to be here that you have, so make sure to be dressed next time. I don't want to be chased out of here again!" He nods, as if to emphasise his point, then turns around and lowers his hands.

"Just don't come here, when I'm here!" Katara shouts back. She won't take orders from him. And she does feel a little insulted at how vehemently he seems not to want to see her naked.

"I'll come here whenever I want to!" He crosses his arms in front of his chest, and Katara can see his muscles moving on his back.

It sucks. She admires his torso so much, and the first thing he does seeing her naked, is screaming like a little girl and pressing his eyes shut. She thought she was a little more attractive to him.

"But I want to take a bath without my clothes!" she hisses.

He tenses again. "Fine. I'm going to ask if someone's here next time, before I come in."

She opens her mouth, and swims a little closer to the edge. She grabs his ankle, and he flinches. "Zuko?"

"Hm?"

"Was it…" She feels herself blushing again. "Was it really so bad?"

Her boyfriend seems to take a deep breath. "Spirits, no. I just thought we weren't at that point yet."

She licks her lips. "Yes, we're not, but… you were just surprised, right?"

"Surprised and shocked," he admits, his voice sounding a bit amused. "But I liked what I saw."

She grins widely, the red colour still on her cheeks. "Then close your eyes, turn around, and give me a kiss."