"We're making steady headway, my lord," Admiral Jee said to Zuko later that afternoon. "I expect that we will arrive at the Western Air Temple in the mid-afternoon tomorrow."

"Thank you, Admiral. Once we reach the shore, Katara and I will head for the temple by ourselves," Zuko said to him.

"Are you sure you don't want some of the crew to accompany you?" Jee questioned worriedly. "I don't want to send you and the princess without protection."

"Two master benders? I think we'll be fine," Katara assured him.

"Too many people will slow us down. It's a good hike to the temple from the coast," Zuko added. "We'll be able to get there and back faster if it's just the two of us."

"As you wish." Jee bowed reluctantly.

Zuko turned to Katara. They had spent the rest of the morning sparring. After they had stopped for lunch they had taken a break to rest before checking in with Jee on their progress. After getting cleaned up, Zuko had given her an unofficial tour of the ship. He was very familiar with Fire Navy ships, and they were all very much alike. "Are you ready to learn some more moves?"

"Definitely," Katara said with a steely grin. Sparring with Zuko kept her mind off of Aang.

The two of them left the mess hall and headed back up to the deck. The sky was a beautiful azure blue, but there were dark clouds on the horizon.

Katara studied them. "Do you think there'll be a storm?" Her brow knit in worry. A storm would slow their journey.

Zuko observed the clouds. "Maybe. Hopefully we'll be able to get past it without getting caught in it."

He stopped in the center of the deck. "I'm going to teach you some basic hand-to-hand combat before I hand you any kind of weapon. I don't want either one of us getting hurt." He sent a grin in her direction. "I'll start with some self-defense moves."

"I mean, it's not like I'm a healer or anything." She rolled her eyes at him, but she nodded. "But you're the expert here, so I'll let you decide when I get a weapon."

"Again, posture is important here. You need to be balanced while being able to throw your opponent off balance in order to ensure your victory." He set his feet firmly to the deck facing Katara and she copied him. Zuko raised his hands up, but instead of forming fists he kept his fingers straight and rigid. "I want you to try and hit me."

She blanched. "What?"

"You heard me. Self-defense is best taught with a hands-on education. Now hit me!"

"O-okay." Katara threw a punch, aiming for his jawline.

Zuko caught her by the wrist. He eyed her fist. "You've never even been taught how to punch, have you?"

Heat rose in her cheeks. "It's that obvious, huh?"

"Yeah. Punching like that is gonna break your wrist." His fingers worked her hand into the proper form. She ignored the chills that went through her at his touch. "Keep your wrist straight. Don't tuck your thumb into your fist or you'll break it. And you only need to punch with these two fingers." He rapped the knuckles of her index and middle fingers.

"Why?" Katara asked.

"They're properly aligned with your wrist, making them less likely to break, and you can concentrate your force there. Try to hit me now."

Katara drew her fist back and punched him, focusing on keeping her wrist straight and channeling her strength into her first two knuckles. Zuko brought his wrist up and knocked her arm away with ease. Before she could react his other arm lunged toward her, fingers straight. They connected lightly with the soft flesh of her chest where it met her shoulder. He didn't hit her hard, but it didn't prevent a tingling numbness from shooting down her arm.

"Hey! That's what Ty Lee does!" Katara exclaimed. She wiggled her tingling arm as it went numb. She was lucky he hadn't hit her hard or else she wouldn't have been able to move it at all.

"In case you haven't noticed, Ty Lee's methods aren't a direct attack. They're a defense mechanism. She's been teaching me a few things. I didn't hit you hard so your nerves are just numb," Zuko said. "Don't worry. I didn't block your chi. I'm not that good yet." He gave her a cocky smirk. "Now I want you to try to block me."

Katara raised her arms like he had. Her right arm was still heavy and she hoped she would be able to use it. She watched his fist come toward her and she brought her arm up. Their wrists connected, sending a jolt down Katara's arm and into her shoulder. She forced his arm away and jabbed out with her other hand, aiming for his shoulder. Zuko's hand caught her wrist and stopped her before she could. To her surprise, he grabbed her other arm.

His eyes were intense pools of gold. "Now what can you do?"

Katara frowned, mind whirring as she tried to decipher the best way out of his hold. She brought her leg up between them and delivered a sharp blow with the heel of her boot to his thigh. Zuko faltered, grunting, and Katara took the opportunity to draw her arms in hard. But she had underestimated him: he remained rooted and he pulled back against her.

Katara grit her teeth in frustration and she drew back harder, like a child's game of tug-of-war. A thought flashed through her mind: push and pull. Even with all of her strength, Katara was unable to budge him. With an exasperated growl she yanked hard as his hands tightened around her wrists. Her right foot slid toward him on a slick of water and Katara suddenly found that her legs were shooting forward while the rest of her toppled backward. She let out a little yelp.

Zuko released her wrists and caught her around the waist. He pulled her upright but overshot it: Katara thumped into his chest, winded from the exertion. Their bodies were flush and faces were inches apart; she could see the honey-colored flecks in his eyes.

"That didn't work out quite the way I wanted to," she chuckled, a bit embarrassed. Katara moved to step back but found he was holding her in place.

"We're not done." Zuko kicked one foot out and swept her legs out from under her. He kept one hand on her waist.

A surprised shriek left her and Katara suddenly found herself laying on her back on the sun-warmed metal. Zuko leaned over her as he straddled her waist with his knees. He had her wrists pinned beside her head. She stared up into his flaxen eyes, her breath hitching in her throat.

"In a fight, every second counts," Zuko said, his breath close enough to brush against her cheeks. "You can't hesitate. What do you do now?"

"I don't know," Katara admitted helplessly. "I can't use my arms or legs."

"Believe it or not you've got the advantage here, as long as you know what to do," Zuko said. "You're rooted. I'm not. It won't be hard to throw me off."

Katara considered this, and understood what he meant. Bracing her feet against the ground she bucked her hips up, twisting hard. Zuko was tossed to the side. He released his hold on her to catch himself. Katara jumped to her feet, breathless. Adrenaline was coursing through her, but there was something else too, deep in the pit of her stomach. What's up with that?

He caught the uneasy expression on her face, as if she was contemplating something. "Are you okay?" Zuko asked as he sat upright. He shook his hair from his eyes.

"Uh, yeah." She cleared her throat. "I'm good."

He got to his feet. "That was quick thinking, and it was the right thing to do. You're a natural at this."

"Thanks." She blushed a little and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "What now?"

Zuko grinned at her. He seemed to be enjoying himself. "We keep at it. We've got until tomorrow to practice. By the time I'm done with you, you'll be a master at hand-to-hand combat."

"You don't seriously think I'll master hand-to-hand combat in a day, do you?" She looked at him curiously. "I'm not that good."

"By this time tomorrow you'll at least have the basics down." He quirked his eyebrow at her. "What, you think this is a one-and-done deal? Oh no, Princess. We're just getting started."

They felt the first droplets of rain in the early evening. The temperature had been dropping steadily all afternoon, and a chill had come on as the clouds rolled in. The ocean was a stormy slate color, broken up by short, choppy waves.

"The storm's coming," she remarked as she wrapped her arms around herself against the chill.

"We better get inside then," Zuko said. "I'll go find Jee and see what he thinks is our best course of action." He took one last look at the sky before they went inside.

They found the admiral and most of the crew on the bridge. All of them had their eyes to the sky as well.

"Looks like a nasty summer monsoon, my Lord," the second mate said. He looked at Jee. "What should we do, Admiral?"

Jee turned to Zuko. "It's your call, sir. It's your ship, your mission."

The two men locked eyes as a memory passed between them: nearly six years ago Zuko, bent on finding the Avatar, had put the safety of his crew at risk to pursue him and his friends. During the storm, his ship had been damaged by lighting and the helmsman had nearly fallen to his death. Zuko and Jee had worked together and saved him. It had been a turning point for Zuko, one of many, where the person who he had been before had made an appearance. But Zuko's callous attitude toward the safety of his crew was still a moment of shame for him.

That tempestuous day had been a reflective moment for Jee as well: unbeknownst to Zuko, his uncle Iroh had told Jee and some of the other crew the true story of Zuko's banishment, and how he had received his scar. It had been no training accident, as Jee had once believed. Knowing the truth had begun to turn him away from the Fire Lord and the ideology the Fire Nation had brainwashed its people into believing.

"Can we get ahead of it, do you think?" Zuko asked pensively. "If we put on full power?"

Jee considered this. "It's possible, but I'm not sure of it, sir."

"If we want to try it, we've got to do it now," the helmsman remarked. "The storm is coming, and when it hits, it's gonna hit hard."

Zuko and Jee looked at each other and nodded once in mutual understanding. The admiral turned to the crew. "You heard the Fire Lord. Let's get this ship moving!"

Zuko left the tower and made his way back down into the ship heading for his room. He and Katara had been sparring hard all afternoon and he needed to clean up before dinnertime.

She had impressed him today. She was an astute learner and she didn't tire easily. He could see why she had mastered waterbending so quickly. Katara was tenacious, stubborn, and dogged. She didn't give up. The water tribe princess reminded Zuko of himself in that way.

Princess...Katara is a princess now. Well, I guess she always was. It's just officially acknowledged now. And aren't princes supposed to be with a princess? Zuko shook the thought from his mind. What was he thinking? It wasn't as if Katara had ever shown any kind of interest before. He paused. Or did she? Why was he even thinking about her like that? She just broke up with her long-term boyfriend, who, he reminded himself, was also a good friend of his. He really needed a hobby.

He changed his clothes and washed himself up, leaving his damp hair to fall into his eyes. Away from the palace, he didn't feel the need to wear his hair up in the formal topknot. It was an identifying factor, and he wanted to remain anonymous. His scar was a prominent enough reminder of who he was. He had a hard enough time blending in.

Zuko's fingers touched the rough skin of his scar, his memory now conjuring up the moment Katara had offered to try and heal him of it in the crystal catacombs below Ba Sing Se. Back then he had been dumbfounded by the gesture. How had she been able to be so kind after everything he had done to her and her friends at that point? She had been willing to use the rare water of the Spirit Oasis for an old scar, not knowing if it would work or not, on her enemy. Katara was a special kind of person. She made him want to be a better man, and Zuko found himself feeling incredibly grateful that she was his friend.

In the end, he was glad she hadn't used the water on him. Not only did it save Aang's life after Azula had shot him with deadly lightning, but Zuko was now proud to wear it. The scar was a part of him, a reminder of the journey he had been on during his young life. It was a reminder that he was strong enough to overcome any obstacle, no matter how much it might hurt in the beginning. He felt the same for the star-shaped scar on his stomach, a parting gift from his wicked sister.

Zuko stepped out into the hallway and ran directly into Katara. He steadied her with a hand on her waist and caught a whiff of her soap. It smelled like cherry blossoms.

"Sorry, Zuko—"

"Careful, Katara." Their eyes locked. Pink rose in her tan cheeks as she felt the heat rising off of his chest. Zuko's heart skipped a beat. Realizing his hand was still on her hip, he withdrew it and gave her a sheepish smile. "Sorry."

"I was just coming to see what our plan of action is," Katara said, recovering quickly. "The sea is uneasy. I can feel it."

"We're going to try and beat the storm by cutting a path to the northeast at full speed," Zuko answered. "I hope we're fast enough. I don't want to be delayed...and I don't want to get caught in the storm either."

Katara nodded in agreement.

"Come on, let's go get something to eat," Zuko said. "We've got nothing to worry about, okay? This crew is the most reliable one my uncle could have found for us."

"It seems like you've met them before," Katara observed as they headed toward the mess hall.

"That's because I have." Zuko looked away from her. "This was my crew during my banishment as well. Of course, back then Jee was just a lieutenant. I promoted him after I was crowned. Well….after Yu Dao."

"And back then you were the banished prince." Her tone was light, but he could detect an undercurrent of sadness.

"Yeah. They were faithful to me during our two years at sea. They respected me. Rarely questioned my judgment, even when they probably should have. They put up with my crazy chase to capture the Avatar." He glanced sideways at her and saw a small smile. "They're a good crew. I'm glad my uncle was able to get them for our trip."

They entered the mess hall. The aromatic smell of food filled the room, but none of the crew were present. Zuko looked at the cook. "Where is everybody?"

"All hands on deck at the moment, your Grace," said the cook. "They want to make sure we get ahead of this storm. But I've got the evening meal prepared for you and Princess Katara. Please, enjoy." With that, the cook took his leave.

Zuko arched a brow at her. "I guess it's just the two of us, then."

They sat down on opposite sides of one of the tables. Dinner was roast crab duck and noodles with roasted vegetables. Minutes passed as they ate in silence. Both of them were ravenous from the arduous exercise. Below them the ship rose and dipped with the wild sea. The storm was approaching fast.

"What's the plan if we don't make it before the storm hits?" Katara asked nervously.

"Then we head for the eye of it and wait for it to pass," Zuko replied. He couldn't help but feel that this storm was no accident...like it was a parallel to the storm he had gone through all those years ago.

Katara picked at her food, her appetite suddenly gone. She had a bad feeling about this.

Zuko suddenly reached out and took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "It'll be okay, Katara. I promise."

Overhead, thunder boomed. Katara flinched and unconsciously curled her fingers around his hand. In response, he tightened his grip to reassure her. "This is a bad start to our trip." Despite her trepidation, she felt comforted by his touch.

Zuko and Katara retreated to his room after dinner. Even with the storm raging on, they still had to come up with a plan for their mission, starting with the Western Air Temple. They had spent some time there in the past, after the failed invasion on the Day of Black Sun and Zuko had defected from the Fire Nation.

Katara hadn't spent much time exploring the temple. She had been too busy training with Aang and working on a plan...and then Zuko had shown up and that had been another distraction.

"I didn't check out the temple that much. The others did. Haru, Teo, and the Duke," Katara murmured. She frowned unhappily. "Aang would have a better idea, I imagine. I guess we'll just have to go through the temple, room by room, until we find their records. Hopefully they're not locked behind a door that requires airbending to open it."

"We better hope it's not. If it is, we might be out of luck. We don't have time for obstacles like that." Zuko said. "But I searched all of the temples before, when I was looking for the Avatar. I didn't find anything like a records room. Or anything locked by airbending."

""We might not even be looking for scrolls. It could be some kind of object or something." She chewed her bottom lip as she thought. "And then we better hope they've got something that will point us in the right direction."

"Urgh, I wish my uncle had been more specific!" Zuko jumped to his feet, feeling restless. "He could have given us a better clue. His note for me is completely useless."

"Maybe even Iroh doesn't know where the Conduit could be," Katara mused thoughtfully. "If he did, he surely would have told us. I mean, it doesn't make sense for him to withhold information from us, does it?"

"I'm sure he didn't tell us everything. That's how Uncle works," Zuko told her. "He's all about wisdom. He never gives the whole truth first. I get the feeling that he's testing us for some reason."

"So do you think there is no threat to the world?"

"No, I absolutely believe there is. But if he wasn't testing us, then why would he send me and you on this journey? Why not Aang? He's the Avatar. This is sort of his job, not ours." He paced the short room as he thought out loud. "He has to have a reason for sending us instead, and I think it has to do with whatever Uncle didn't tell us."

"Maybe it wouldn't make sense to us if he told us outright. Maybe we have to figure it out so we'll better understand what we're supposed to do?" Katara deduced with uncertainty. "Do you think he has something else for Aang to do instead? Something even more important?"

Zuko processed that. "I don't know. Maybe." He paused. "Most likely."

Suddenly the ship bucked and rolled. Zuko was thrown off-balance. He caught himself against the wall as Katara was knocked back onto his bed. She propped herself up on her elbows, her eyes wide with alarm. Overhead, thunder cracked loudly. Through the narrow porthole they saw brilliant flashes of raw lightning.

"Sounds like we didn't make it out on time," Zuko said quietly. "Come on."

The two of them rushed up to the tower. Admiral Jee was at the helm, steering it against the maelstrom outside. The rain was pouring down in thick sheets, obscuring their view. The clouds were a sickly looking shade of purple-black. It was impossible to tell if night had fallen or not. Far below, the ocean was a roiling, foaming monster, ready to swallow the ship up.

"How are things looking, Admiral?" Zuko asked with a tense edge to his voice.

"Not too good, sir. We didn't get out of the way on time. And this storm is a lot worse than I thought it was going to be." His frantic eyes landed on the Fire Lord's face. "I...don't know if we'll make it through."

Zuko's face set into a look of determination. He looked at Katara. "We'll be fine. We've got a master waterbender on board. She'll make sure we get through. Won't you, Katara?"

She looked into his confident golden eyes. She gathered her courage and pushed away her fear. She nodded, allowing a fierce smile to cross her face. "Let's do this." He believed in her; that was enough to bolster her, fear be damned.

They hurried down to the deck. It was slick with rain. The ship bobbed precariously on the waves, threatening to knock them off their feet. In an instant their clothes were soaked. The sharp wind whipped their hair back. Lightning flashed across the sky, touching down on the water a mere hundred feet from the ship.

"I'm going to guide the water around the ship toward the temple. It should help keep the ship afloat!" Katara had to yell to be heard over the howling wind and the rain pounding onto the metal deck. "You should get below deck. It's not safe out here!"

Zuko shook his head, rain flecking from the ends of his saturated hair. "I'm not leaving you out here!" He pointed upward toward the sky. "We're a giant target for lightning. I can redirect it from the ship if I have to."

Katara gave him an understanding nod before she slogged through the water covering the deck until she was near the front of the ship. She encased her feet with ice to keep herself planted firmly on the deck. She brought her arms up at her sides and felt the sea respond to her. Katara concentrated on bending the water to her will as she fought against the forces of nature. The waves around the ship calmed at her command and she began to windmill her arms. The water began propelling the ship forward on a steady wave. It took nearly all of her concentration to hold out while the rain pelted her face. She allowed herself a brief moment to marvel at her own power; when was the last time she had exerted herself like this?

Zuko watched her in sheer admiration. The water tribe princess was a force to be reckoned with. Her element bowed to her with no resistance and she took command of it as if it were a part of her, bending it to her will. He could see the physical strength it took to control the wild sea. His appreciation for her deepened infinitely.

With some force he tore his eyes from her. His attention needed to be focused on the sky. The last thing they needed was for the ship to be damaged by lightning. The nearest port was a hundred miles to the east and would derail their mission for days.

Thunder rolled and lightning crackled in the deep purple sky. Zuko watched, a part of him hoping he would get the opportunity to redirect it. Nothing he had ever experienced came close to the thrill of lightning; its raw untamable power coursing through him was the greatest adrenaline rush.

He wished he could conjure it himself, the way his sister and father could, but no matter how many times he tried, it always blew up in his face. His uncle had once told him he needed to be at peace with himself, but Zuko had finally found peace once they defeated Ozai and the war ended, so why couldn't he do it?

"Zuko!" Katara cried out.

He looked up. The lightning was beaming down toward the ship. The air was charged with electricity that raised the hairs on his arms. Zuko jumped forward, extending his fingers outward. The lightning made contact and passed through his veins. He felt the fury of nature course down his arm. With a breath Zuko forced it to pass through his stomach, relishing its raw, wild power for a brief moment before sending it out through his other arm and back into the sky.

Zuko locked eyes with Katara. She was craning her neck over her shoulder, her eyes were wide with admiration and a touch of fear.

He recalled the last time she had seen him try to redirect lighting: the fateful Agni Kai against Azula. He had been prepared to redirect his sister's deadly attack, but he had underestimated her cruelty. Azula had broken the rules of Agni Kai and had instead sent the blast toward Katara, who was defenseless. Zuko had selflessly thrown himself in its path and had attempted to redirect it back toward Azula. He hadn't been able to do it properly, and his body absorbed most of the lightning instead. If he hadn't known how to channel it through his stomach, it would have pierced his heart and killed him. Zuko had nearly sacrificed himself for her.

And then she had used her incredible healing powers to save him.

"I'm fine!" he called out to her.

"I know," she said, her expression unreadable.

At last, the rain slowed and the wind dropped. Thunder sounded only in the distance, and lightning stopped crackling across the sky. Katara dropped her arms to her sides and swayed unsteadily on her feet, exhausted. It had felt like she had been moving the ship along for days, but it had probably been no more than an hour. She was drenched to the skin and shivering.

She felt Zuko rest his hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him. "You did a great job, Katara. We made it to the other side. Let's get into some dry clothes and warm up, okay?"

Katara only nodded, too drained to say anything. Together they walked back into the ship. Their clothes dripped water down the hallway as they made their way to their rooms. They stopped outside of Katara's door.

"Hey, you sure you're okay?" Zuko asked. He looked down at her with concern.

"Yeah. I'm just...so tired." She yawned deeply. "That was a lot of work."

"Go put on something warm. I'll bring you some hot tea," Zuko said softly.

"Thanks." She yawned again.

Katara weakly opened her door and stumbled inside. With numb fingers she pulled off her drenched clothing and left them in a sopping pile on the floor. She shivered as her damp skin made contact with the air, raising gooseflesh.

Katara pulled the water from her hair and bended the remaining liquid from her skin before she pulled on a clean outfit from Iroh's sack. The clothes were neutral shade of black, form-fitting and comfortable. They looked nearly identical to Zuko's, but the skirt fell to her knees and had slits up to the mid-thigh for mobility. She got the feeling these clothes were made for practicality, both for travel and for fighting. What has he gotten us into?

Finally dressed, she curled up on her futon and buried herself beneath her blankets. Powerful shudders wracked her body, hard enough to make her chest ache and her teeth chatter. She was so exhausted, her body and soul completely sapped of energy. She hoped Zuko would hurry with the tea. Something hot and calming sounded lovely right now. She blinked, forcing her heavy eyelids to open.

In her mind's eye she saw Zuko redirecting the lightning on the ship's deck again. It was incredible to see him do that. Watching someone conjure lightning was one thing, but seeing someone take charge of nature in its raw and wild glory was something else entirely. His strength was immeasurable.

Beyond that memory was a darker one: the Agni Kai. She remembered the utter horror she felt when she saw Azula turn her deadly attack on her. In a split moment Katara had accepted her fate. She would not survive that. But then Zuko had thrown himself in the way, the ultimate sacrifice. He had been willing to give his future, his throne, and his life, for her. Watching him fall, his body hypercharged with electricity, had been horrifying. Katara had thought for sure Zuko had died right there for her. That sort of moment...it bonded people. They had saved each other's lives that day. If they hadn't, where would the world be now?

It was meant to be, Katara thought sleepily.

There was a light knock on her door, and then the hatch opened. Zuko came in. He had changed out of his wet clothes as well and into yet another form-fitting dark outfit, and he was carrying a tray with two tea cups and a pot of tea with steam escaping its spout.

"Are you still awake?" he asked gently.

Katara nodded and lifted herself up onto one elbow. "I'm not sure how, but I am. I'm absolutely freezing though."

Zuko sat cross-legged on the floor beside her bed and poured her a cup of tea. "Here, drink up then. This will warm you up."

With effort Katara sat upright and took it from him. She wrapped her numb hands around it and inhaled the fragrant, warm steam. The shivering had calmed, but her muscles still trembled. She sipped her tea, feeling the warm fluid travel down into her belly. She eyed him. He didn't seem at all phased by their time in the storm.

She shuddered. "Aren't you c-c-cold?"

Zuko shook his head. "No. It's another one of my uncle's tricks that he learned from the airbenders. He calls it the breath of fire. I'm able to use my inner fire to raise my body temperature and keep myself warm."

"Like Aang does." Katara winced when she said his name and took another drink of her tea to distract herself. "I wish I could do that, or at least be impervious to the cold. You'd think being a waterbender and growing up in the South Pole, I would be."

"Is the tea helping?" Zuko asked earnestly. His eyes were filled with concern.

"A little bit," she said in a small voice. "I'm still cold though." Another shiver rocked her.

His eyes softened into a look she wasn't used to seeing on him. And was he blushing? "I could help you out with that, if you want. Warm you up, I mean."

"P-p-please?"

Hesitantly Zuko moved until he was sitting beside her on the bed, his side pressed against hers. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she leaned into him. He was already so warm, she wanted to be closer. He began to breathe deeply to stoke his inner fire. He felt his temperature rise and begin to radiate from his skin. Katara's reaction was almost instant: the shivering ceased and he felt her muscles relax under his touch.

"That feels nice," she murmured, her eyes closing. She pressed deeper into him, tucking herself snugly against his side. Katara turned her head until her cheek rested against his collarbone. He smelled musky, like rain and smoke. She decided she liked the combination.

His palm traced a soothing line up and down her arm, withering away the gooseflesh. He found himself lulled, his eyelids getting heavier. Zuko suddenly realized how tired he felt. But he would stay until she was warm again, until she was ready for him to leave. He enjoyed the way she nestled against him. Her hair smelled like rain.

Katara leaned forward and set down her empty tea cup. She settled back against him and curled herself into his side, resting her head against his chest. Decisively, and before he lost his nerve, Zuko pulled her into his lap and wrapped his other arm around her, embracing her in a cocoon of warmth. She wasn't complaining: it was warmer there. He rested his chin on the top of her head, feeling drowsy and content.

Katara sighed sleepily, her breath brushing across his neck. A tremor ran through him, but it wasn't from the cold. She slowly relaxed against him, her breath evening out. Zuko was sure she had fallen asleep, but he found that he was now stuck. He hadn't thought this through.

What are you thinking? He asked himself. This isn't right. She just broke up with Aang. He thought of Alasie back at the Royal Palace. He had broken things off with her, telling her—and himself—it was because of the noble girls who were coming to meet him, but now a quiet part of himself told him that wasn't the only reason.

Katara sighed in her sleep and nestled further into his chest. One of her hands snaked around his waist and held him in place. Zuko pressed his scarred cheek against her soft hair and let his eyes close.

Looks like I'm not going anywhere for awhile. He may have to endure her wrath for it later, but he found he was fine with that.

I hope you guys enjoy that little taste of Zutara! More to come! :)