Previously…

The environment seemed to sense what she was suggesting, the animals going quiet. The only sound was the leaves rustling in the night breeze.

"Controlling the water in another body. Enforcing your own will, over theirs." Hama continued smugly. "Once I had mastered the rats, the men became quick work. I had them unlock the very cage they put me in."

"If you perfect this technique, Katara," she turned around to stare at the water bender. "You can control anything or anyone."

A maniacal smile spread across the wrinkled lips.

That same fear turned into horror and it was all across Katara's pretty face.

She would need to tread lightly.

"To reach inside someone and control them?" She said evenly, earnestly. "I don't know if I want that kind of power."

"The choice is not yours, Katara."

Hama's gray eyes locked onto hers.


The look sent fear surging through Katara, holding her in place.

"The power exists inside you already."

Katara looked down uncertainly.

The fear inched deeper under her skin and she swallowed thickly, throat rubbing painfully.

When had her mouth become so dry?

"It's your duty to use the gifts you've been given to win this war!"

They had their own plans to win the war…plans that didn't involve controlling other living creatures.

She brought her head up to find Hama staring intensely at her, hands pressed to her chest.

"Katara," she continued fervently. "The fire benders tried to wipe us out. Our entire culture. Your mother!"

"I know," Katara managed, frowning.

Frustration was bubbling beneath the surface, Katara could hear it in Hama's tone, in her words. She was afraid to find out what Hama would do if she declined to be a willing pupil.

"Then you should understand what I'm talking about!" She exclaimed. "We're," her palm came to her chest again, gesturing between them. "The last water benders of the Southern Tribe. We have to fight these people whenever we can, wherever they are, with any means necessary."

Something suddenly clicked in Katara's head.

Hama.

She was responsible.

"It's you!" Katara gaped at the woman. "You're the one making people disappear during the full moons!"

Hama's face twisted into disgust and rage. "They threw me into that prison to rot. Along with my brothers and sisters, they deserve the same!"

~0~

Zuko grumbled, pushing through another thicker patch of underbrush.

That stupid freaking ostrich-horse.

He broke through a line of trees and stumbled to a stop, the animal in sight.

Had she been waiting for him?

"Where are we going?" He asked Yujo.

Yujo stomped impatiently and her dark brown eyes glared at the fire bender.

"What?" Zuko demanded, hands flying up in confusion.

The animal huffed at him, before turning and taking off in a trot once more.

Lurching forward, Zuko grabbed at it, only to be met with a sharp beak, pecking at his hand.

"Hey!" He ripped his hand away and stumbled after her.

They broke through another patch of underbrush and Yujo skidded to a stop. A large cave loomed in the mountainside ahead.

Was this what she wanted to show him? He wondered.

"Help!"

Zuko's brow furrowed.

Had he imagined that?

Who was that?

A small glow came from deep within the cave and he peered into the darkness.

Squawk!

A hard object met his back.

Stumbling forward, he whirled around to glare at Yujo, who simply stomped her foot.

"Yeah, I get it," Zuko grumped, cursing silently as he advanced deeper.

The flickering light grew larger and brighter.

Rounding the curve, a massive rusted metal door loomed ahead.

"Hello?" Zuko called uncertainly outside the door.

"Hello?!" Another voice called back, other voices muddling behind it.

Zuko tried the door, the movement wiggling the lock dully.

Footsteps scraped from behind him and Zuko whirled around.

Squawk!

Yujo clambered over to sniff the door.

Her beady eyes met Zuko's and flicked to the door again.

"I know," he said to her, frowning.

"Are you still there?" A voice called again. "Hello?"

The young man tugged at the lock. "It's locked! Hold on."

Yujo successfully herded Zuko aside after a few attempts.

The ostrich-horse paused in front of the door for a moment, before lifting a stocky leg to kick the door. Zuko's hands flew up to cover his ears, the clang loudly reverberating throughout the cave.

He shot the animal another glare before Yujo kicked it once more, the metal denting and creaking at the force.

A third kick blew the door inward, the metal smacking hard into the cave wall on the other side of the passage.

Yujo chirped victoriously and stared expectantly at the human.

Summoning a small fire in his hand, he stepped uncertainly into the cold darkness.

Firelight licked down the dark caves walls, only illuminating the few feet ahead of him. As he continued deeper into the passage, the walls opened up to reveal a much larger room.

Warm light blanketed a woman's face, her arms pinned painfully above her.

There had to be at least ten people in the room, all chained to the wall or floor.

"We're saved!" An elder man weakly cheered. "Hurry, before she comes back!"

"Before who comes back?" Zuko asked, turning to inspect the closest set of bound hands. "That spirit?"

"That's no spirit," another voice piped up. "That's a witch!"

Zuko's fingers nimbly found the rusty hinge of the cuff.

"This may hurt," He rasped in warning.

He had only just started to heat the metal when another prisoner piped up.

"No! Wait!"

He froze, the warmth sizzling out.

"She keeps a key…I think next to the entrance!"

Zuko sighed, pulling his hand away.

"Now you're telling me," he grumbled, so low the others didn't hear it.

He went back towards the entrance, yanking a torch off the wall. After a few moments of searching, he found the small metal key beneath a stone on the ground.

"What did you mean a witch?" Zuko asked the woman rubbing her wrists.

She glanced up at him. "She seems like a normal old woman, but she…controls people, like some sort of dark puppet master."

His amber eyes widened, the marionettes in the closet popping in his mind.

"Hama."

Yujo squawked loudly in agreement from the entrance.

"Yes!" Another old man piped up, as another prisoner freed him. "The inn-keeper atop the hill!"

"She's dangerous!" The woman in front of Zuko insisted. "Insane!"

Katara.

Shit.

"I'm sorry," Zuko started, backing away. "I've got to go save my friend, she's with her now!"

He shoved the torch into someone's waiting grasp.

"Go!" The villagers insisted, yelling their thanks as he rushed out of the cave.

He spent a few moments outside the mouth of the cave trying to insist that Yujo come with him, but the stubborn animal wouldn't budge.

"Fine," he huffed. "I'll go find her myself."

~0~

Hama's eyes widened and the insanity that had been so aptly kept beneath the surface reared its ugly head.

It was just enough for Katara to stumble backwards, leaves crunching beneath her feet.

"You must continue my work, starting with ridding yourself of that disgusting fire bender you call friend," she spat.

"I won't!"

The words were out of Katara's mouth before she knew what was happening.

She didn't even need a moment to consider it.

Blood bending?

Controlling someone else against their will? The mere suggestion of it was truly awful.

Hama was no better than the radical fire benders she so desperately wanted to destroy.

And if she wouldn't see that…then she knew she would have to stop her.

"I won't use blood bending and I won't allow you to keep terrorizing these innocent people!" She glared defiantly at the elder woman.

Hama stared down Katara for a mere heartbeat before jerking her chin to the right.

Something inside Katara yanked, hard. Her eyes widened as she felt and watched her left arm wrenched to the left.

"Innocent?" Hama snarled, hands clawed in the air.

Crying out in pain, Katara's whole arm tingled and her veins seemed to tremble beneath Hama's ministrations.

Was this…blood bending?

Katara yelped again as the arm began to get shoved behind her, putting her shoulder in an awkward position.

With her right arm, she gripped her skin, hard, and pressed it the opposite way.

"You should have learned the technique, little girl, before you turned against me." Hama spat.

The other arm stiffened, the bender forcing the girl's arms to her sides. It felt as if a great snake had wrapped itself around her entire body, squeezing tightly.

Katara attempted to thrash in the grip, but managed no more then a pitiful wiggle.

"It's impossible to fight your way out of my grasp." Hama assured. "I control every vein, every muscle in your body."

As if to prove her sick point, Hama rocked her arms left and right, puppeteering Katara, who skittered left and right.

The bender squeezed tight on her lungs and Katara gasped for air.

No…

"Stop, please!" She gasped out.

No.

Katara watched on, her body forced to dance about, awkwardly moving left and right.

No.

The elder woman forced her to her knees, relinquishing control.

She felt she'd proven her point.

Tears dripped down Katara's face, the droplets spattering on the backs of her hands.

A cackle erupted from Hama and that was all it took to send Katara over the edge.

Enough.

All the water around her sang to her bending abilities, the pull a silent reminder.

She was a master water bender. She too, drew great power from the moon.

Taking a deep breath, she ripped the water from the earth, getting to her feet.

"You're not the only one who draws power from the moon." Katara stood upright, the moon's soft glow coating her body. "My bending is more powerful than yours, Hama."

The old woman gaped in shock.

Katara's arms flowed from her sides and she pulled more water from the plants around her. With fluid movement, she circled the water around her body and whipped it towards Hama with all her might.

The elder woman caught the liquid, skillfully redirecting it on Katara.

They continued to fight, water whipping and splashing back and forth.

Hama's lips curled in a victorious smile, a massive canon of water headed straight for the girl.

But Katara was prepared for it.

Everything she previously countered with was distinctly water bending.

Something had to be done differently.

Katara slipped into low, traditional earth bending stance. Her palm flew up to meet the brute force of the water, smacking it away. The blast deflected, the drops flying up and back away like Katara had put up an invisible shield.

Hama's mouth dropped open in surprise.

Time seemed to slow, Katara's awareness expanding to every drop, every molecule of water around her and in her.

And, in Hama.

Katara pushed the water back in two separate tendrils, smacking Hama from one direction in the chest, and the other direction on her legs.

The force sent the woman midair for a moment before gravity brought her tumbling to the ground with a guttural scream.

The forest went quiet, Katara panting from the fight, Hama momentarily bested.

"Katara!" Zuko's voice cut through the silence.

"Katara?"

Footsteps thundered closer and he stepped into the moonlight.

"Zuko!" She exclaimed with a thankful smile.

He heaved a sigh of relief at the sight, mirroring her expression.

The elderly woman pushed herself to her feet slowly, hair a mangled heap atop her head.

"Hama is a-" Zuko said urgently, staring at the woman between them.

"I know," Katara cut in. "She's the one doing all this."

"Ah yes," Hama said lowly. "There is your fire bender. Last chance, Katara dearest, before I end him myself."

Zuko's eyes widened.

Hama straightened, bending Zuko with ease.

His bones creaked beneath the blood bending, his body stiffening and stretching as she wound her will around him like a rope.

Zuko grunted at the sensation, Hama flinging him towards Katara.

Katara slipped aside at the last second, swatting his body away with water.

Sorry! She thought, redirecting him into a tree trunk.

The bender only took a fraction of a second to redirect the liquid to the real enemy.

Hama was quick to counter, evaporating a tree from behind her and slamming down on the attack.

"Katara," Zuko's voice grit out from behind her and she whirled around, just in time to see his fist flying towards her again.

The young man hurled towards her choppily, the motions lacking in skill.

He's just a distraction, Katara. She reminded herself. Focus.

Pulling more water up again, she looped it around her, allowing the stream to push Zuko out of the way once more. She froze him against the tree and turned her attention back to Hama.

"Don't hurt your friend, Katara," Hama cooed innocently from the sidelines.

She made a few motions with her arms and suddenly Zuko was free, the ice shattering.

Zuko's arm raised stiffly up in front of him, hand opening.

Katara stared on in shock, unable to move.

"And don't let him hurt you, either!"

He zoomed through the air, palm colliding with her windpipe.

The air whooshed out of her, her body slamming into the rough bark of a tree.

Zuko's face was a mere arm's length away, his wild, sorrowful amber eyes staring into Katara's shocked blues.

They stared at one another for only a fraction of a second, Zuko's fingers forcedly tightening around her surprisingly small neck.

Struggling to breathe, her fingers pulled and yanked at his fingers around her windpipe.

Her head swam at the lack of oxygen, heart pounding.

Would she die?

She didn't want to die.

Not like this.

Katara searched his eyes, still weakly grasping at his hand. Dark spots flicked across her sight.

"Ka-Katara," Zuko grit out, veins popping in his neck. His amber eyes shone.

He was fighting back!

Katara vaguely felt the grip loosening.

It had been enough to suck in air.

"Ah, ah!" Hama tsked darkly from behind them.

Zuko's other arm rose swiftly into the air and formed a fist.

The oxygen, combined with her steadily beating heart, pulled her from her panicked daze.

Katara bent the tree from existence, stumbling back, free of the grasp.

Quickly knocking Zuko off his feet, she sent the tail end of the stream into Hama.

Keeling over, Katara gasped for more oxygen, the telltale sight of lightheadedness rising up.

Breathe. She commanded herself.

"Fine," Hama sneered. "I'll do it myself."

Ignoring Katara entirely, she turned her offense to Zuko.

His body rose up off the ground, pained sounds escaping his mouth.

"Human bodies," she mused. "So fragile. No more then - what did I say? - ah, yes, skins filled with liquid."

Zuko's face paled and pain contorted his face.

What was Hama doing to him?

The look on Zuko's face sent terror through her.

He was helpless!

She knew what she had to do, as much as it sickened her to do it.

It was the only way to stop her.

And she had felt it earlier.

Hama's blood.

She would only have to reach out and manipulate it.

Her stomach flipped, brain spiraling uncertainly.

Eyes darting back to Zuko, tears welled into her eyes as he turned a light blue.

"Stop!" Katara screamed.

Her arms rose up and she focused on the blood coursing through the elder woman's veins. As she gripped onto it, bile rose up in her stomach.

She felt awful. Disgusting.

The power, however, was exhilarating.

Katara had never felt anything like it.

Zuko tumbling to the ground didn't even register in her mind.

Hama croaked in pain, glaring at Katara, powerless to do anything else.

The younger woman felt Hama struggle, felt the muscles attempt to flex, attempt to fight.

But Katara gripped harder, mirroring the strange hand movements she'd witnessed Hama use earlier. She shoved the woman to the ground, her knees colliding with the earth.

No more. She thought.

Squawk!

Her eyes darted up to the path behind Hama, the direction Zuko had came from.

Yujo, followed by a group of people, rushed towards them.

Katara held the woman in place with her bending, arms trembling.

~0~

When Zuko came to, villagers were clamping metal cuffs around Hama's wrists.

"You're going to be locked away forever," a man said to the 'witch'.

"My work is done," Hama sneered, craning her neck to stare back at Katara. "Congratulations, dear. You're a blood bender."

Katara, who was standing a few steps in front of Zuko, stiffened.

Spirits…she had won after all, hadn't she? Katara thought, tears flooding her vision.

Her hand clamped over her mouth and she sank to her knees, sobs wracking her body.

Yujo squawked gently and padded over to her, nudging her.

After a moment, the animal seemed to notice Zuko had woken up, and shot him a pointed glare.

Yeah, yeah, he mentally grumbled. I know, you were trying to tell us.

Zuko got to his feet, moving over to kneel beside her.

Wordlessly, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her against his chest. She shifted onto her butt, burying her face into his chest and winding her arms around his middle.

They sat there, beneath the full moon, in silence. Yujo curled up behind them, a feathered backrest for Zuko.

"Hey," he rasped after a few minutes, once her tears had mostly subsided. "You're safe now. We're safe now."

His hand stroked her hair, the motion carrying down her back with soothing strokes.

"It's gonna be okay, Katara. I promise."

She sniffled deeply, inhaling the woodsy smell that permeated into his clothes.

If only he knew…

"I-I feel like I'm a monster," she sputtered, voice cracking. "What she made me do…"

He shushed her, stroking her head.

Zuko still wasn't sure if he fully understood the severity of blood bending, but from what he felt…he knew it had the potential to be awful.

Something very, very dark.

"Katara," he said, pulling her gently to stare up at him. "Listen to me. You're not."

Zuko cupped her tear stricken face in his palm. "I promise you. If anyone is a monster, its her." He searched her watery eyes, wishing he could do a better job at calming her down. His thumb stroked down her cheek, wiping away tears.

Katara's lip quivered, holding Zuko's gaze.

"You saved me, Katara. And we saved all those people you saw." He continued. "Those villagers she'd imprisoned, they're free now. And they won't get imprisoned again. They're safe."

She licked her bottom lip, nodding slowly.

"I know," she managed, weakly. "It's just…"

Katara looked away, staring at the dark woods. "I felt… powerful…and…and I liked it."

A haunted look drifted across her face. She felt awful.

Evil.

Zuko didn't know what to say to that. So instead, he pulled her back into his arms and remained silent.

If the tears returned, they didn't shake her body like before. They stayed there like that, deep in the forest, with the glow of the moon illuminating their bodies for quite some time.

Eventually, Zuko gently patted Katara's shoulder and murmured huskily, "C'mon. Let's go back to the inn."

The two of them arose to stiff limbs and wordlessly climbed on Yujo's back.

Katara rode in the front this time, leaning back against Zuko's warm body, eyes closed. When they finally made it back to the inn, Zuko secured Yujo in the barn, Katara leaning against the threshold, waiting patiently.

He wondered if she was tired, or if the moon would keep her awake.

For her sake, he hoped it wouldn't.

They finally climbed into the massive bed, the only sound the rustling blankets.

The arm length between them seemed like miles to Katara.

She'd not felt this alone in a long, long time.

She forced herself to lay there in silence, eyes staring up at the wooden ceiling for what must have been five minutes before she gave in to her wants.

She didn't even know if he would still be awake.

Or if he would even do what she felt she so desperately needed.

"Zuko?" She whispered softly.

"Yeah?"

Her eyes didn't leave the paneling above her, not wanting to see if the dim light would be enough to make out the other's features.

"Can…can you hold me again?" Her voice sounded small, broken. "Please?"

After a moment, he shifted beneath the blankets, holding the top up in silent invitation. She pushed herself closer, settling her body in the space next to him.

Her head nestled into his shoulder, legs pressed up against his.

He was warm.

So warm.

Every inch of him felt evenly heated, so much to the point she resisted the urge to press her cold toes against his to see if his feet were cold, too.

It was nice.

Comforting.

Zuko's arm lazily draped across her shoulders, his other slowly, nervously, going across his body to gently hug her.

She breathed a small sigh of relief. The contact helped with that nagging sense of loneliness just enough where she might be able to actually rest.

Katara would worry about any potential awkwardness in the morning.

"Thank you," she murmured against his chest. "I'm…I'm glad you didn't die."

He laughed once, a short, jerky huff that shook her head and torso.

"Yeah," he said, his voice closer then she'd expected. "Me too."

Then, after another bout of silence, "Thank you for saving me."

"Figured now we're even." She retorted, voice heavy with sleep.

Zuko smiled in response, hearing the exhaustion in her voice.

He'd be lying if he wasn't exhausted too. The young man's legs hurt from the run after Yujo, his hands, from Hama sending him barreling after Katara—

His fingers curled around her windpipe flashed to the forefront of his mind and he winced.

Zuko dreaded to see her neck tomorrow. He prayed that there wouldn't be little blue or purple lines that just happened to fit his fingers oh so perfectly.

The fire bender had fought back so hard against the old woman - with what he thought was every fiber of his being, yet he'd still felt so powerless against her.

The sensation of Hama's grasp on his body had been strange.

A puppet master indeed.

And…now Katara was capable of blood bending… he thought.

The bending style was so different from her personality, easily going against everything that made Katara, Katara.

A snore sputtered out of her lips and Zuko tucked his chin to stare down at her.

He'd momentarily forgotten about her closeness somehow.

Smoothing her hair down, he took a deep breath.

How had they, of all people, ended up here, like this?

Oh, if Uncle was there to see them.

It's simply platonic, he would insist, and he would be lying. And Iroh would know it.

But they were getting closer and closer every second, to the eclipse.

To her friends.

To the Avatar.

What would happen with them? — to them?

They would go back to how things were before, he bet.

Like they were strangers.

Uncertain thoughts continued to dance in Zuko's mind, his utter exhaustion finally, thankfully, dragging him into a deep sleep.

~0~

Katara's eyes blinked open the next morning, her eyes taking in her surroundings much faster than her groggy brain could process.

The rice-paper window, blankets, a shoulder, an angular jaw and dark hair — dark hair?!

She flicked her eyes to her hand, which had been splayed against a clothed chest. Slowly, she lifted her palm up and rubbed her eyes.

Right.

Zuko.

The previous night rushed back into her brain.

She slowly, carefully, craned her neck to get a better look at his face, and she winced, the skin around her neck protesting in pain.

Her fingers slid down to her neck, curling around the tender, bruised skin.

Oh, yeah.

Her gaze flitted across his closed eyelids.

Zuko's fingers around her neck made anxiety course through her veins.

Katara didn't have to be a mind reader to know he hated every second of that as much as she did. She made note to heal herself as soon as she got up.

He looked so peaceful when he was asleep, his handsome face not marred with that signature scowl.

Katara blushed at the thought, suddenly glad he was still asleep.

The sunlight brightened, casting more warmth through the window. The inn was eerily quiet, as the owner was now imprisoned, the two were the only souls present in the massive building.

What time was it? She mused.

The fire bender shifted beside her, his leg pushing beneath hers and putting her more on top of him than before.

Katara's heart fluttered nervously.

Had the sunshine woken him up?

He remained still for a few heartbeats before groaning softly, shifting beside her.

"Morning," she whispered, scooting her head down so it wouldn't look like she'd been staring at his sleeping face.

He grumbled, unconsciously squeezing her tighter to him.

Her heart thrummed again, the blush returning.

Zuko cracked his eyes open blearily.

The young man seemed to have the same somewhat startled response Katara had, blinking a few times, taking in the girl still snuggled against him. His grasp instantly loosened.

"Uh, morning," he murmured, voice still laden with sleep.

Katara remained still beside him.

"How are you feeling after last night?" She asked casually, staring at the adjacent wall.

A strand of brown hair had slipped down her face, tickling her nose. She pretended she didn't feel Zuko stiffen when her arm moved against him to brush it away.

"Uh," he started, clearing his throat. "I'm a little sore…how…how are you?"

She shrugged, nervously placing her hand back on his chest.

"Nothing a little water can't heal."

"Oh," he responded.

Should she move? She wondered. Did he want to get up? She was literally laying on him…

Would he say something if he did?

Oh spirits, had her moment of neediness made both of them awkward now, just as they had started to get comfortable?

"Yeah," she slowly removed her leg from on top of his and tried to scoot away, when she felt his arm still around her.

"Oh," he sputtered, quickly moving it to free her.

Color rose to her face and she stole a glance at his expression. His hair was even more mussed than she thought, and he too, was blushing.

She forced herself to get up, scooting the covers away from her.

Once she swung her legs off the edge of the bed, she paused.

"Hey Zuko? Thank you. Really." Katara's eyes remained on the little bench in front of her.

Neither moved or said anything.

"It's nothing," he said huskily and she found herself with a silly smile plastered on her face.

Pressing herself to her feet, she went over to her bag, scooping up the strap.

"We probably should leave soon, huh?" She let herself glance nonchalantly over to him, where he'd sat up.

Like they hadn't spent all night cuddling.

"I'm gonna get cleaned up before we do." She went on.

They met eyes across the bed and regret flashed against Zuko's face.

Katara caught the look and frowned.

"What?"

He dipped his head, running a hand through his bed head. "Your neck."

Her hand touched the small bruises and she widened her eyes exaggeratedly. "That bad?"

Zuko nodded, the picture of stoicism.

"Like I said earlier." She mused reassuringly. "Nothing a little water can't fix."

His good eye narrowed. "It shouldn't have happened in the first place."

Katara readjusted the bag on her shoulder, holding his eyes.

"It wasn't you. It was Hama."

Her hands flexed at her sides, the words intended for herself as much as they were for Zuko.

~0~

The heavy bathroom door slid shut behind her with a dull thunk. Padding across the hall, she pressed open the door.

As expected, Zuko was seated on the edge of the bed, bags packed and ready to go.

He got to his feet at her arrival, a flicker of concealed pain momentarily brandishing his features.

"Uh-uh," she said sternly. "Sit back down."

His eyebrow raised and he sent her a look. "What?"

"You're injured. I'm healing you before we leave."

Her bags dropped to the ground unceremoniously and she strode over to him.

He crossed his arms defensively, glaring at her from beneath his fringe of overgrown bangs.

"Zuko." She mirrored his stance. "Let me help."

He stared down at her stubbornly, jaw set firmly.

"Okay," she said dismissively after a few seconds. "If you want to sit on Yujo during that bumpy ride back to the Akagi with whatever you got going," she motioned to his body. "Then be my guest. Have fun with that."

Katara had just turned away from the boy when a dejected huff came from his direction.

"Fine."

She hid her smile before turning back around.

"Thank you," she said simply. "Now where does it hurt?"

He worked his jaw, still wearing that annoyed look. "Everywhere."

Katara arched an eyebrow.

"Sit down."

He obliged and she cloaked her hands in water, getting straight to work. After a tentative once over, she took a step back from him, peering at him.

Zuko sat stiffly, his hands folded in his lap.

"Okay," she started. "So it looks like your core muscles are a bit strained, maybe? And your legs."

The boy's chin jerked once in agreement.

Recalling the water, she began to work on his torso, feeling the angered bits of tissue and muscle relax beneath her work.

All of him seemed strained, from Hama's blood bending.

"You shouldn't have let me sleep on you," she murmured from behind him, before she could think better of it.

"It's nothing."

Her fingertips brushed his lower back as she lowered his shirt.

Goosebumps trickled across the path.

"No," she responded. "It's not nothing. You need to take better care of yourself. You should have told me."

Katara moved onto the next limb, working through his clothes for his legs. He'd protested initially at the moisture spreading across his legs, but she'd simply pulled it back out from the clothing fibers and met his eyes pointedly.

"You were upset," he rasped. "I wasn't going to let you cry yourself to sleep."

"I wasn't crying."

"You may as well have been."

She paused. "Well, it goes without saying, I appreciate it— you. I-I was worried it'd make things awkward between us. And we just kind of worked through everything else, I feel like."

Katara dried his pants and glanced up.

Their eyes met and she found herself unable to look away.

Her breath caught in her throat.

Zuko's eyes were dark.

Stormy.

Something appeared to roll just beneath the surface.

He swallowed and his Adam's apple bobbing was the excuse Katara needed to glance away. Without meaning to, her gaze skimmed across his lips before going to his neck. Then, she went back to work on the other leg, keeping her eyes down.

She was thankful for the distraction.

~0~

Katara forced herself to talk about anything but their sleeping arrangements from the night before. So, she had settled with asking Zuko about something else.

Or, tried to, before someone interrupted.

A thin, pasty woman rushed over to them.

"Oh!" The woman called to them as they led Yujo out of the barn. "You're still here!"

"Hello," Katara greeted politely, looking at Zuko in confusion.

He squinted at the elder woman. She looked familiar, but he couldn't immediately place her.

"I'm sorry," she continued with a smile. "Where are my manners! I'm Li! I was one of the people you freed from that cave." Li's eyes widened. "Thank you for that, by the way!"

Zuko shifted in place uncomfortably.

"Hi Li," Katara smiled.

"I just wanted to tell you two before you left town," she said. "You both are welcome to come back anytime and stay at the inn here free of charge. I'm going to be the one taking it over."

"I see," Zuko rasped, flicking his eyes to Yujo. It was clear by his tone he didn't think they'd be back.

"We appreciate the offer," Katara dipped her head.

"Well," Li babbled. "I'll get out of your hair now!"

Katara nudged Zuko, who looked like he'd just been kissed by an overly affectionate grandma.

His expression turned into a forced smile, doing little to appease the younger girl.

Sensing her annoyance, Zuko let his bangs fall in his face and he silently led Yujo onwards.

~0~

Two miles in, the pair climbed onto Yujo's back, both eager to give their legs a break.

"So," Katara started, holding lightly onto Zuko's waist. "How did you find those people, anyways?"

Zuko chortled dryly. "Actually, it was Yujo who found them."

To her surprise, Zuko reached forward and affectionally gave Yujo two little pats.

"She burst out of the barn and took off into the woods."

Katara giggled, rubbing the ostrich-horse's flank. "Atta girl. I wonder how she knew?"

Zuko shrugged.

The pair fell back into an easy silence.

"Was it weird?" Katara started, body rocking back and forth atop the animal. "Saving those people as you, instead of as Blue?"

"Kind of," Zuko mumbled.

He wanted to talk to her, he really did, but his mind kept dragging him back to last night — and to this morning. Katara's smell, her soft hair, her touch, all of it was beginning to drive him mad.

The young man had been able to ignore all the teenage hormones for the longest time, but he would be lying if he said he hadn't wanted to kiss her.

And then she'd been the one to glance at his lips, that cute little nervous yet confident expression.

All of that, of course, brought back his own nervousness.

His awkwardness.

Why would she want any of that? Why would she want to kiss him, of all people?

She was just nice.

Very, very nice.

And pretty.

"That's all I get?" She said from behind him, poking him lightly in the ribs.

He grunted.

"Um," he used the roots ahead as an excuse to gather his thoughts, guiding Yujo around them. "It was more…gratitude then I'm used to."

Silence.

"Oh," Katara said after a few seconds. "Sorry, I nodded; forgot you couldn't see me."

His lips quirked up in a grin.

Of course.

"Those people won't forget what you've done for them," she said. "And for once, it'll be as you, not as Blue. You know that, right?"

"Yes," he replied.

They arrived back at the docks right on schedule, the Akagi's familiar metal hull glinting at the same dock as it had been when they'd left it the day before.

"Ahoy!" Katara yelled to the ship — and to Gin, standing below the bow.

Gin's head popped over the railing, glasses nearly falling off his face at the angle.

"Welcome back!"

The crank whirred, Gin working the cog wheel to lower the bow's ramp.

The trio boarded the ship, Katara taking Yujo to her quarters below while Zuko and Gin worked together to unload all the supplies.

"So," Gin grunted, picking up the jug of lamp oil. "Did you kiss her yet?"

Zuko's mouth dropped open, eyes as wide as saucers. He brushed his hair back and gawked in surprise at the man.

"What?"

Gin broke out in laughter, eyes tearing up and gripping his sides.

The expression, once of shock, swiftly shifted into annoyance, his eyes and lips both affixing themselves into a straight line.

"Well," he said more seriously. "Did you?"

"Why would I do that?" Zuko retorted dryly, turning away to lift a crate. "We're just friends."

"So, you're traveling with that beautiful young lady, taking her back to her friends, I assume. And you're not together?" Gin continued behind her. "Why are you guys going back to Caldera, anyways?"

Zuko froze at the question, back still to the helmsman.

"Why does it matter?" He asked evenly, breezing by him to set the crate on the shelf.

Before Gin could press the matter anymore, Zuko disappeared.