A/N:
The writer's block I had combined with another case of COVID made me a slow writer...sorry it took longer then (THAN? IDEK ANYMORE) my usual week!
Thanks to all my reviewers, followers, favorites.
Leave me a review? Let me know what you think? Even just a "good chapter", makes my heart happy! :)
Previously…
"Is that the prison?"
A tanned slender finger moved in front of the map.
Turning his gaze, his eyes lingered on Katara, who was curiously looking back.
Zuko nodded solemnly.
"This is the capital," his finger circled a large crater in the center of the map. "The Royal Plaza, this stretch of concrete here," he gestured to the long line pointed toward the capital. "Is the only way in or out from the sea. Harbor City is just beyond that."
"How are you going to get to the prison?" Sokka asked, and both of their heads swiveled to look at him.
Zuko tapped the map with one finger, a confident smile spreading across his face.
He had a plan of hisown.
Katara leaned against the massive pine, gazing out at the wide open sea.
Dad will be arriving soon, she thought, rubbing her arms. Tomorrow afternoon, if everything worked out in their favor.
Excitement of seeing that all too familiar Water Tribe ship bubbled up inside her.
As a child, she spent weeks at a time waiting for her father to come home for even the shortest of visits.
Toph and Aang worked in the bay below, bending massive chunks of earth up for their naval fleet to dock.
Tomorrow, they would join that fleet and take the short journey into the heart of the Fire Nation.
They would join their father in fighting this war. Or, in a way, he would join them — join Aang.
Katara licked her lips.
If you would have told her the day before they found Aang or even the day after they found him — that she and Sokka would be in this position…
She shook her head.
Sure, traveling with the Avatar brought them dangerously close to ships, soldiers and the like, but they'd been blessed to really not have to go into all-out battle.
But tomorrow…
Tomorrow, they would prepare for war.
Turning away from foreboding seas, Katara shot a bittersweet glance at her brother, who'd taken to bickering with Zuko about building the fire.
A smile tugged at her lips and she rolled her eyes.
Those two…
Zuko's plan made its way to the forefront of her mind and she sighed, turning back to stare at the water.
Zuko and Gin would go on ahead of them.
Without her.
The realization that she'd be separated from Zuko sent panic flashing through her, as if he would switch back into the angry teen and that she'd suddenly be alone again.
No, Katara. She reminded herself. Too much has happened in the past month. Zuko won't just disappear on you like that.
She didn't see Zuko making friends easily and deep down she knew she probably was one of his only friends. That was aside from Iroh, of course, and the man's absence was the primary reason Zuko was leaving in the first place.
Katara couldn't blame him for prioritizing family. It was something that she'd do herself if she was in that situation.
With the eclipse happening or not.
She prayed and hoped that the outcome of the invasion wouldn't put her in a situation like that. She'd lost her mother, thought she'd lost her brother. His momentary absence was enough.
From behind, she heard Sokka laugh, though she figured at the tone that it was at Zuko's expense.
Regardless of what Sokka was laughing at, it was a nice sound to hear. Laughter was something that they probably all needed before the upcoming days.
They'd be going to the capital soon.
All of them.
Too much could happen there.
The same dreadful uncertainty rose up and Katara swallowed thickly.
There would be time for those feelings another time.
"Sokka!" She called, pushing herself up off the tree.
"Let's get camp set up and then have some fun," she said, walking over to where Sokka was setting up his bedroll.
Zuko pouted over a small roaring fire, quietly stoking the blaze and stacking additional logs atop the burning heap. He silently eyed Katara at her arrival.
Sokka frowned, pausing to glance up at his baby sister.
"What?" He blinked. "I'm sorry, did you say have fun? You. My sister. You want to have fun."
She socked his shoulder with a playful scowl. "Hey! Just because I know when to mean business doesn't mean I can't have fun too."
Katara could feel Zuko's gaze on her.
"Oh," he said, fluffing out the bedroll. "Well excuse me."
Almost two hours later, once everyone's camps were set up, Katara accompanied Aang and Zuko down the earthen slab towards the ship.
Aang moved the earth beneath them, the motion sending Katara off balance. Wobbling on her feet, she gripped the closest thing - Zuko's arm.
His opposite hand shot out to gently grab her flailing body, their gazes momentarily meeting before she blushed, feet steadying.
She let go once she was stable, unable to stop herself from self consciously glancing to the back of Aang's head.
Good, she thought. He didn't see anything.
Not that it matters if he did — another part of her bit in.
The two young men's shared glares over the mess hall table brought back a comment she remembered Zuko making, weeks prior.
He's in love with you.
Now with Aang's presence, it was a much harder matter to avoid thinking about. Katara found herself wishing that it was Zuko doting on her, as opposed to the younger air bender.
Katara glanced over to find Zuko already looking at her, hair cutely mussed. She resisted the urge to fix it, instead smiling warmly up at him.
The earthen platform rumbled to a stop in the belly of the bay.
"Wow, Aang," Katara commented, stepping onto the massive stone. "You and Toph did a lot."
The bay, once no more then a water-filled divot in the landscape, now had ample room for an army to mill around.
The two earth benders had erected a large platform against the cliffside with six stone docks jutting out into deeper water.
Their destination, the Akagi, was docked in the third, the lone vessel rocking back and forth with the tide. Her mind's eye filled each of the five remaining docks with Water Tribe vessels and she shivered.
Everything was about to change.
~0~
Five sea bass lay on the largest platter she could find, each stuffed with vegetables and seasonings.
"Zuko, can you light the stove for me?" She asked over her shoulder, hands sliding beneath the metal tray.
"I, uh, can try."
She frowned. "What do you mean? Is there something wrong with your bending?"
"What?" Zuko replied, much too harshly and quickly. "No!"
Katara studied her friend, surprised at his sudden response.
Sokka's laughter echoed in her ears and she squinted at him thoughtfully.
His eyes darted away at the obvious scrutiny, hand going up to scratch the back of his neck.
When he turned away to open the oven, she sighed, setting the tray down and walking over to him.
"Hey," She came to a stop beside him. "Talk to me."
Finally looking at her, she flinched when she saw that familiar scowl plastered over his face.
"There's nothing to talk about. I've just lost my stuff."
"Your…stuff?"
His nostrils flared. "My fire bending."
Katara's eyes widened in surprise.
"Do you want me to take a look at you?" She winced at the awkward question before clarifying. "Try to heal you and see what's going on, I mean?"
He crossed his arms, turning to look out the doorway into the mess hall. "There's nothing wrong with me. I don't think it'll do any good."
"Well, it could be worth a try," she offered hopefully. "I fixed your uncle's chi some when I healed him."
The corners of his mouth twitched downwards. "I can light it. It's not like I can't produce any fire."
Katara stepped back, out of the way of the oven's door. She tried to not act interested as he blasted the most measly stream of fire.
Interesting…she thought. What had caused his sudden lack of bending?
"Thank you," she said nonchalantly, forcing herself to turn away and pick up the platter of food.
After placing it inside the oven, she went to perch on the small stool nearby.
"Has something like this happened before?" She asked innocently.
He crossed his arms and glared at nothing in particular.
"No," he said.
Something seemed to pop up in his head. "Well…"
Zuko told Katara about the mysterious illness he'd faced in Ba Sing Se, not long after realizing that Aang too was in the Earth Kingdom city.
She hummed. "So Iroh thought it had to do with your choice to not come after us?"
That same scowl still blanketed his expression, though his eyes had softened. "He called it a metamorphosis."
"Do you think he could have been right?"
Zuko tossed his hand dramatically up in the air with a shrug.
Katara remained quiet, wondering how much more prodding she could get away with on the subject before he blew up and avoided her for the remainder of the day.
"Well, it would make sense that that could be the cause of it," she suggested lightly. "You've spent all this time here with us and now you're going to sneak back into your nation to rescue your uncle."
Amber eyes met hers. "That's not all I'm doing. I'm getting answers."
Her lips parted and she held his gaze. "Answers?"
"He knows what happened to my mother."
Swallowing her rage at her own mother, she turned to busy herself with the dishes.
"I don't think that could make your bending go on the fritz. Do you?"
He made a noncommittal noise behind her and she dropped the topic. There would be time to talk about his bending later.
~0~
After everyone ate their fish, spare Aang, who opted to just eat the seasoned vegetables, Sokka leaned back on his hands, picking his teeth.
"I'm bored. Katara, I thought you said we were going to do something fun tonight."
She chewed her last bite of her meal before saying, "I said we should do something fun, I didn't say I had any ideas."
Toph snorted from beside Sokka, a smirk quirking her lips.
"Big surprise, sweetness."
Katara glared at Toph, putting her plate down on the ground beside her.
The fire crackled.
"We could…" she started, thinking intently. "Uhhhh…"
"Zuko," Aang piped up. "Will you give me a fire bending lesson?"
"We're supposed to do something fun," Sokka whined. "You guys can bend all you want tomorrow."
A dark expression drifted over Zuko's face.
"I don't know," Toph mused. "Zuko blasting fireballs at Aang seems like it would be fun."
Katara thought back to their earlier conversation and to Zuko's admitted loss of his 'stuff'.
"Sokka's right," she said. "There will be plenty of time for bending tomorrow."
Sokka oohed, an idea suddenly piquing his interest. "Let's see who's the better swordbender!" He hopped to his feet. "Me versus Zuko!"
Zuko cocked an eyebrow at the suggestion. "Sword bending? That's not even a word. Besides, I don't need to prove I'm the better anything." He said dryly.
"Aw, come on!" Sokka whined. "It would be fun! Besides, Katara can patch you up when I inevitably beat you."
He snorted. "Its not going to be me who needs patching up."
Just as Katara started to say that fighting wouldn't be a good idea, Toph broke in.
"Now that I'd like to see!"
Sokka laughed, drawing his dark sword and holding it to the sky. "Yeahhhhh! Sword bending match!"
Zuko rolled his eyes and looked to Katara for help. But the girl had a small smile on her face and shrugged, silently telling him he was on his own.
It would be entertaining to watch the fight, especially now that Sokka had additional training from Piandao.
Toph got to her feet, cracking her knuckles. With a few bending stances, she bent a circular platform up out of the earth.
"Come on jerk bender, what are you, scared?" Sokka taunted.
Zuko flared his nostrils. "Fine. But when I win, you've got to stop calling me that."
"What do I get when I win?"
Zuko drew his sword and stared thoughtfully at the younger guy.
"Bragging rights?" Aang offered and Zuko shrugged.
The two stepped into the circle, one on each side. Toph stood in the middle, that same devious grin plastered across her face.
"Alright! First to three points wins!"
"How do we get points again?" Sokka asked, frowning.
Toph pointed at the edge of the circle. "If you step out of the circle, it's a point. If you manage to get the other to yield, it's a point." She mused the rules for a moment. "If you draw blood, it's—"
"No blood!" Katara cut in. "That's my rule. I don't need either of you injured."
Toph grumbled. "Okay."
"Fight!" She yelled a second later, hopping out of the circle.
"Oh, I've been waiting for this," Sokka said with a maniacal grin.
Zuko pulled apart his sword, wielding the dual broadswords.
Katara moved closer to stand beside Aang and Toph.
"Two swords? No fair!" Sokka whined, before the comment faded away and he replaced his expression with determination.
Holding the two swords with the same relaxed skill Katara had seen a million times, Zuko darted forward. Sokka parried with ease, his own dark blade knocking his back. The two continued on, Sokka attacking, Zuko easily batting him back or parrying his blows.
After an alarmingly close swat to her brother's head, Katara audibly gasped and hugged her body, eyes wide.
C'mon Sokka, don't be cocky, she thought.
Aang touched her arm and smiled reassuringly up at her.
"I don't think the Blue Spirit would hurt your brother."
Glancing down, she unwound her arms and took a little breath, returning the smile.
"I wondered if you knew."
The two glanced over at Toph to see if she had caught the comment. The girl seemed far too interested in the onslaught of attacks in front of her.
"Yeah, I know," Aang replied.
She trusted Zuko's ability to wield his swords carefully enough to be able to control them. Sokka, on the other hand, she did not. It wasn't that she didn't trust her brother's skill, it was more she half-expected his ego to get one of the two injured unnecessarily.
The mock-battle waged on, sweat eventually forming on both young men's foreheads at the workout. Katara, Aang and Toph watched time and time again as Zuko toyed with Sokka, letting the Water Tribesman think he would step out of the circle, only for him to leap or roll out of the way, leaving Sokka caught near the edge.
"Hey!" Sokka protested after the third instance, having caught on.
Zuko glanced at the group watching on, meeting Katara's eyes.
He shot her a smirk. She smiled back, happy to see that the fight had momentarily taken away his brooding.
Sokka caught the prince's momentary lapse of attention and chuckled darkly, swatting one of the Zuko's dual swords outside the ring.
Zuko snapped his attention back to his opponent after the loss of one of his swords.
"I saw that look," Sokka hissed to Zuko, their swords pressed together inches from their faces. "Stay away from my sister."
Zuko's dark eyes lingered on Sokka's blues, seeing an easy opportunity to rile the boy.
"Or what?" He rasped.
The quip served its purpose; Sokka's attacks becoming more forceful and less precise.
Zuko ducked beneath one particularly sporadic swing, eyes shooting to the blade settled on the ground a mere ten feet away. After another moment's hesitation, he darted out of the ring to grab his other sword, wincing at Toph's loud proclamation at Sokka's point.
It was well worth the sacrifice.
The dual-swordsmen stepped back into the circle and the match went on.
Biding his time carefully, Zuko watched his opponent's footwork.
He could tell he trained with Piandao, but Sokka's determination to beat Zuko made him sloppy.
Sliding to the side at the last second, Zuko watched on as Sokka teetered tottered, the weighted blade slashing through free air with too much force. Staggering, his foot stepped out of the ring.
"Point!" Toph yelled victoriously. "Zuko!"
The remainder of the match went quickly after that.
Just as Zuko got the final two points, Aang saw something flick out of Sokka's hand. He frowned, eyes scanning the air for whatever he'd seen.
Whishwhishwhishwhish.
The boomerang hissed through the air, Aang only picking up on the object at the last second. Zuko straightened as the noise became audible, ears perking up at the distinct sound.
SMACK.
The blue and white object hit Zuko straight in the back of the head and he grunted, swords popping out of his grasp and clattering to the ground.
"Sokka!" Katara chided, glaring at her older brother. "Now that's playing dirty!"
"What?" Sokka said innocently, a mischievous grin spreading across his face as the boomerang came back to his grasp. "Toph didn't say I couldn't use my boomerang."
Zuko knelt in the earth, groaning, hands pressed to the back of his head.
A nasty headache blossomed at the impact spot.
Katara huffed in response, before going over to the edge of the ring where he knelt.
"You okay?" She asked, squatting down beside him.
He didn't respond, head hung low, hands clamped over the welt.
"Here," she murmured, gently tugging away one his hands for her to take a look at the bump. Sure enough, a lump had formed on the back of his head. Uncapping her water skin, she pulled out enough water to coat her hand and placed her palm over the injury.
Feeling the pull of the inflammation, she worked her magic.
Zuko groaned as the pain lessened, his hand eventually prodding Katara's arm to signal that it was good enough.
"Thanks," he said huskily, looking up at her through his fringe.
She offered a smile in response and got to her feet, sticking out a hand to help him up.
The three of them were staring weirdly at them, eyes flicking from one to the other.
"What?" She demanded, perhaps a bit too defensively.
"You're not gonna look at me?" Sokka grumbled and she rolled her eyes, striding over to her brother.
After a brief glance at him from head to toe, she shrugged. "You look fine to me. Just dirty."
His jaw dropped open and he grumbled further.
~0~
Soft reddish sunlight blanketed the cliffside, the warm light slowly fading as night arrived.
The group sat around the dwindling fire. They'd avoided talk of the impeding invasion for the majority of the afternoon and evening at Katara's request.
"So," Zuko cleared his throat. "Say that the invasion doesn't pan out. What then?"
Though the question was directed to everyone, his gaze naturally landed on Katara, settled across from him in her bedroll.
She chewed her lip, eyes flicking from Sokka to Aang before going to Toph.
"Sokka?" She asked, hoping he'd at least planned for such a thing.
A hard look overtook him and he stared into the fire.
"We're not going to lose."
Katara's lips quirked downwards and she turned to Aang, half expecting him to chime in with a suggestion.
"Really?" Zuko replied dryly. "You don't have any sort of contingency plan?"
The water bender's lips pressed into a full out frown now, the feeling not particularly directed at either of them.
"I'm sure we'll figure out something, Katara." Aang finally said. "But let's not think like that!"
The group was silent, yet Toph didn't need working eyes to know that the tension that had formed could have been cut with a knife.
"It'll be fine, Sparky. You've found us once, you can find us again."
A rock swatted Toph in the side of the cheek and she turned to glare at Sokka.
"What?" She demanded. "I'm not wrong!"
"It's a valid question, Sokka." Katara said. "There's a lot of variables. We need to be prepared for something like that."
"Yeah, well!" Sokka picked up his boomerang and directed his aggression towards it, rubbing the dirt off it. "We'll cross that bridge if we come to it! Dad won't let us fail."
The heavy silence fell over the group and managed to remain there for the remainder of the night.
~0~
"Dad!" Katara shouted, rushing down the stone dock, morning air cool against her face.
She slammed into the dark haired man at full speed, arms instantly grabbing onto him.
Hakoda laughed, his daughter's weight sending him staggering back.
He squeezed her tightly, thankful she was in one piece.
"You made it!" She exclaimed, stepping back to stare up into his kind face.
He looked older, she realized, though her smile didn't waver.
His blue eyes crinkled, chin raising to stare ahead at Sokka, who jumped around impatiently behind his younger sister.
"Were you able to find everyone okay?" Sokka asked.
Katara peered around her father to the boat behind them before turning and looking at all the other ships that were slowly docking.
Sure enough, Tho and Due moseyed down onto the dock, whistling.
"I'm a little concerned, Sokka," Hakoda said quietly enough where the two swamp-benders wouldn't hear. "These men don't exactly seem to be the warrior type."
Katara chuckled.
"Ooooweee!" Due crooned, looking around. Both men wore their all-too familiar leaf-hats and green loin cloths. The only notable difference was the large chunks of tree bark they now wore as makeshift armor, the wood strapped to their chests and backs haphazardly.
"This ain't nothin' like the swamp!"
Tho raised an thick eyebrow at his taller friend.
Bato disembarked after, drawing the group's attention from the two hillbillies.
"Katara," he greeted with a solemn gaze and head bob. "Sokka."
"Is it just me, or are those…swamp-benders a little loose in the leaf hat?" Hakoda asked Bato with a sidelong glance.
Heavy footsteps thudded and the group turned to see Hue walk down, displaying the same awe as his two friends.
"I just hoped they'd put on pants by now," Bato commented with a smirk.
"Pants are an illusion," Hue said, casting a grin at Katara and Sokka. "As is death."
The man rubbed his rotund bare belly thoughtfully, peering down the row at the other ships.
Katara followed his gaze, watching with awe as nearly a dozen other Water Tribe members, presumably from their sister tribe in the north, offloaded. From their father's ship, more swamp-benders slowly unloaded, all dressed in the same strange attire.
The siblings shared a knowing glance, sharing the amusement at the thought of Bato and Hakoda being cooped up on a ship with the strange folk.
The trio strolled down the docks, Sokka and Hakoda trying to set up logistics for the morning. Katara had just attempted to involve herself in the conversation when she watched Toph shove Zuko out in front of Aang.
He came to a bumbling stop at the end of the dock, his pack and bedroll barely still in his grasp. After straightening, the dark haired youth turned to glare angrily at a now-snickering Toph. It seemed to be then that Zuko realized who was coming towards him and he straightened even further, his back jutting upward, chest puffing out. His cheeks reddened uncomfortably when Hakoda brought the group to a stop a few paces away, staring uncertainly at him.
Aang, oblivious to the entire situation, waved exuberantly at the sibling's father.
"You guys made it!"
"Yes," Hakoda said evenly, his gaze on not on Aang but Zuko. "We did."
He turned to look at his son and daughter, the confusion and panic thinly veiled.
Neither sibling said anything for a few moments.
"Dad, this is Zuko." Katara piped up cheerfully, rushing over before Sokka could open his big mouth.
She came to a stop beside the stiff youth, weaving her arm in his.
"Yes, Katara. I am well aware of who the crowned prince of the Fire Nation is."
Her father's face was stiff like his tone, lips pressed into a tight line.
"Banished crown prince," Sokka corrected and Katara felt Zuko flinch at the term.
Shooting him daggers, she went on with the explanation, desperate to smooth over a quickly souring situation.
"I owe him my life," she said. "Sokka here let me get separated from the group—"
Sokka opened his mouth in protest, but she kept going.
"And Zuko and I ran into each other in a small village off of Jang Hui. He helped me find my way back to everyone."
Hakoda didn't seemed to be mollified by the answer, eyes still pinning Zuko in place. His gaze flitted over Katara's arm interwoven with Zuko's before he looked expectantly to the Avatar.
"And you trust him?"
Aang's eyes widened and he fidgeted beneath the look.
"Uhhhh," he scratched his short hair nervously. "I think we can. Katara does."
"We've been through a lot together, Dad." Katara said earnestly. "He kept me safe for a month."
At that, Hakoda turned that pointed gaze on his son, who audibly winced and chuckled at the look.
"He chased the four of you around the world for far longer." Hakoda said to no one in particular.
Sokka knew he'd get an earful about losing his baby sister later.
Zuko felt Katara's father's gaze on him once more, and he bowed his head.
"It is an honor to meet you, sir. I understand your hesitance to see me here."
Hakoda's thick eyebrows pressed together ever so slightly.
"You better be thankful you seem to much better at protecting my daughter then you are capturing her and her friends."
The young man swallowed thickly, holding the taller man's gaze.
"If what Katara says is true, then I suppose I should thank you." Hakoda started. "But I want to hear more about this month spent together first."
It was Katara's turn to squirm beneath Hakoda's gaze.
Sokka regarded Zuko with a sympathetic look.
"So, Dad, about the invasion plan…"
Katara released Zuko's arm, offering him a small smile.
"Are you about to leave?"
His eyes raked across the now-full docks, taking in the mass amounts of people from around the globe.
"Yes."
"Okay," she murmured. "Tell Gin I said thank you for everything."
He nodded, looking down the row of ships at the Akagi.
"I probably should get going."
"Mind if I walk you?" Katara asked with a smile.
A smile twitched on his lips and he turned, slowly heading towards the ship.
"It's going to be weird not having you around, you know," Katara commented, eyes on the ground at their feet.
She saw Zuko glance at her from her peripheral, but she didn't meet his eyes.
"I'll be back."
"Yeah…" They passed by two more docks. "You better be."
Something gave her the confidence to look up at him and she met his gaze, smiling again.
"Hi Katara," someone said from behind them.
That voice! She thought, spinning around.
A man stood behind them at the intersection of the dock and the platform, hands tucked into his pockets. Her blue eyes scanned his tanned face, green headband and facial hair.
Was that…?
"Haru!" She exclaimed, running the short distance to embrace the much, much taller earth bender.
"It's so good to see you!" She pulled back from the quick hug and beamed up at him, hands still on his shoulders.
"Toph, Zuko," Aang called, gesturing to Haru. "This is our friend Haru, he's an earth bender we met a long time ago! His town was controlled by the Fire Nation, so we had to help him hide his earth bending."
Katara glanced behind them, surprised to see the two younger kids over this far.
Zuko studied the long haired man, the same uncertain feeling still present.
He'd not felt this awkward in a long time. Meeting all the Avatar's friends - all of Katara's friends - kind of felt like a first date…a never-ending, awkward first date.
Especially after meeting her father.
The outing his uncle forced him to take with Jin briefly reared it's head.
He tried to not notice how Katara's hand lingered on the tanned man's shoulder as Haru explained their friendship further.
A blush rose up to Katara's cheeks, a giant older man appearing behind them both, large hands settling on both of their shoulders.
"Now, we're here to help you," the elder man's last sentence registered with Zuko, the youth mentally cringing when both newcomers' gazes landed on his face.
"Hello," the words left Zuko's mouth before he even knew what was happening. He readjusted his bags.
The unease mirrored itself on the two earth bender's faces. "Katara, is that—?"
"Yes," she cut in, offering a reassuring smile to the fire bender before directing it to her friends. "I don't know if you heard, but I got separated from my brother and the others about a month ago. Zuko helped me make it this way in one piece."
Katara moved to be by his side after that, like a mother-turtle duck silently protecting a lost duckling.
As much as Zuko wished he could react viscerally to the obvious distrust and ambivalence, he knew it would be in his best interest to remain polite and calm.
Much like how he dealt with Sokka in the beginning.
Perhaps he'd take a card from Uncle's book and make everyone tea after the invasion. That seemed to help him.
Well, a snide voice said within him. Uncle didn't go around blowing up villages and throwing massive temper tantrums in attempts to stop a quest to restore balance to the world.
The introductions went on, all the new faces and ethnicities making Zuko's head spin. They both seemed to forget for a moment where they'd been headed.
It seemed easy enough to at least recall what nation they were from, thanks to their clothing, but he felt pressured to remember all of their names.
And that was definitely something he was not skilled in.
He didn't even want to admit to Katara the number of times she'd had to say her brother's name for him to remember it. It had been a skill he'd been working on, since Ba Sing Se. Fire Nation names were easier for him to remember, likewise to Earth Kingdom names, having spent ample time in the Ba Sing Se's lower and upper rings.
Part of him knew if they were successful in ending the war…ending his father's reign…that this would only be the first of many times where he would have to meet and interact positively with such a wide variety of people.
But that…that was not something he wanted to get into right now. Mentally or otherwise.
So, for the time being, he pushed that concerning thought to the side and turned his attention back to Katara and the others.
Two more Earth Kingdom men came off a ship. Their way of speaking was distinct and based on what he'd heard about Toph — or the Blind Bandit, as the wanted posters called her; these two must be brawlers.
Their names would presumably be much easier to remember. Hippo, the larger man of the two, had two wide set front teeth and not much else.
Good name for that one. He thought with a quirk of his lips, the larger man lifting and hugging Toph.
The other had some earth based name and both men seemed more than happy to refer to themselves by their own name. It was a strange vernacular, but not one that seemed to surprise anyone.
The group startled as one of the boats down the bay shook, smoke pluming out of the middle.
"That must be the Mechanist," Katara commented, watching Teo roll down the ramp.
"Hey!"
Katara and Zuko turned towards the voice.
Two docks down, Gin leaned over the rail and was looking expectantly.
He waved at the pair.
"We should get going!"
"C'mon," Katara tucked her arm into Zuko's again with a small blush. "I'll walk you the rest of the way."
Weaving through the crowd, the two finally made it to the Akagi, the ramp tilted down onto the stone dock.
Letting Zuko go, she watched him walk a few steps up the ramp.
Nerves ate at her stomach and she stumbled forward.
"Wait!" She called. "I think I left something!"
What she had left, she hadn't a clue. But it gave her the excuse she needed to trot up the ramp behind him.
"Let me just run up to my room real quick," she called to Gin, who leaned against the railing with a sly grin.
Don't say a word, old man, she thought with a innocent smile.
Once they both made it up to the suite, she scooped up her Painted Lady cloak she'd left in a heap just inside her room.
"Can't leave this behind," she said nervously, holding the cloak close.
Zuko raked his hand through his hair and nodded in agreement. They stared at one another wordlessly, both looking like they wanted to say something.
Licking her lips, she started towards the door.
"Okay…" she mused, shooting him a little smile before turning away. "I guess I'll get out of here so you guys can go."
"Katara."
She froze, heat rising to her face at the rasp of his voice.
"Yeah?" She managed, turning back towards him.
Zuko had said her name and moved closer before he could think better of it. When Katara looked back at him, she was in arms reach.
He grabbed her and tugged her to his chest, arms engulfing her in a hug.
The cloak hit the floor unceremoniously as she too, wound her arms around him.
Face pressed into his shoulder, she sighed contently. "Please be careful."
His arms tightened.
"I could say the same thing to you." He said huskily, warm breath trickling down her neck.
"I'll have an army." Katara retorted with a chuckle. "You'll be alone."
She felt Zuko shake his head and she smiled against him.
They let one another go and she looked down shyly, quickly bending down to scoop up the cloak.
Once the fabric was in her grasp, she glanced up into his face, eyes tracing the angry red lie of his scar.
Her hand moved to his cheek, gently moving his head to the side. Pressing up onto her tiptoes, she brushed her lips against the line of his scar.
His breath caught in his throat, hand coming up to hold the one pressed to his face.
Katara gently pulled her fingers from his grasp and took a tiny step backwards.
"I'll see you later?" She offered, noticing his lidded eyes slide to hers at the sudden lack of contact.
Gulping, he nodded.
Before he could say anything, she'd turned and went out the door, nearly tripping over herself as she went down the stairs.
As much as she wanted to feel his lips on hers…she thought as she pushed the door open and stepped into the sunlight.
It would have felt too much like a final goodbye.
And that…that was something that she couldn't handle right now.
Her fingers brushed her lips and she turned back to gaze at the Akagi one last time, before walking down the ramp.