Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of the characters from the aforementioned series. If I did, Zutara would be canon and would be the only thing spoken of for half of season 3.

Chapter One

"Come on Katara, please unlock the door." Sokka pleaded from the other side.

"NO! Just leave me alone!" Katara replied.

"Please tell us what's wrong." Suki entreated softly. "The wedding starts in less than ten minutes and everyone is waiting."

What's wrong? Hmph. Katara mentally scoffed at that. The better question would be: What's right? She wasn't ready to be the Avatar's wife and the mother of a nation! She didn't want the survival of an entire race to rest upon her shoulders! She didn't want to spend the rest of her days roaming the Earth on Appa!

Everyone kept telling her that she should be honored Aang chose her out of the "thousands" of women he could have had. And she was honored, but was honor a good enough reason to marry someone who felt like her little brother? As of late, she hadn't thought so.

When she agreed to marry Aang just over a year ago, she quite honestly hadn't understood the full implications and obligations of marriage. And, right now, she didn't feel ready to fulfill any of those marital "obligations" to Aang. The thought itself actually sent a shiver down her spine, and not in the good way.

Today she realized, in all of her 18 years, that she had never made a more foolish decision. While she did have some reservations about marrying him when she consented, she sent them all to the back of her mind, allowing Aang's joy at her response to overshadow any doubts.

But as she looked down at the mucus yellow wedding dress Aang had chosen for her, she felt all the more sure she couldn't say "I do." She should've known then, when he chose her dress that she couldn't marry him. But no, she had to wait until the last possible second to realize she couldn't do this.

She sighed. What was she going to do?

"Just give me a minute guys." She told the small group of friends and family waiting outside her door.

Minutes passed and she still hadn't mustered up the courage to tell anyone the truth, when she Sokka squeal.

"Zuko! Buddy, you're here! Why didn't you tell us you were coming?"

Zuko?! Katara suddenly cheered up. She hadn't seen him in years.

"I didn't know I'd be able to with the demanding schedule I've had as of late. But I told Uncle about my problem and he volunteered to take over my duties. So, you have Uncle to thank for my appearance."

Wow. She realized Zuko's voice hadn't changed much, but it was so good for her to hear him.

"Well, that's all fine and dandy. But there won't be anything to appear for if A CERTAIN BRIDE DOESN'T COME OUT TO HER OWN WEDDING."

Katara rolled her eyes.

"Have you tried talking to her?" Zuko questioned.

"Yeah, that's all we've been doing. Why don't you give it a shot?"

"What? Me? I haven't seen her in years."

"Yeah, that's exactly why. Maybe she'll feel obligated to-"

"You know I can hear you Sokka." Katara said through the door.

Her brother could only moan in response.

"Sokka, you're obviously not making anything better." Suki chided. "You're coming with me."

She listened to Sokka and Suki's footsteps recede as they walked down the narrow hallway.

Now those two were perfect for each other. They were who needed to be getting married, not she and Aang.

She was drawn from her thoughts at the sound of Zuko's voice.

"Hey Kat, what's going on?" he questioned.

Katara couldn't help it, she started laughing. It was one thing to read that nickname in letters, but something completely different to actually hear him say it.

She could practically see the confused look plastered on his face through the door. "What's so funny?" he said almost angrily.

"Nothing." she replied as she leaned her head against the door. "It's just really good to hear your voice."

"I bet it would be even better to see me." He replied slyly.

"It would." She giggled. "I just, I don't-"

"Come on; let me in…for old time's sake."

Ugh. That voice. Why did he have to say it like that? At that instant, she realized Zuko was the only person who could make her truly angry…and the only person that could melt her heart.

She opened the door; and before she knew it he was there, standing in front of her like a dream.

His eyes stood out, eyes as golden and striking as the sun. She became transfixed, trying to take in every detail, every part of him that had changed over the past three years. But she couldn't take her eyes away from his eyes.

"Erhm…You look nice." He said, removing Katara from her daze.

"Ahh, thank you." She replied. "You don't look so bad yourself." And she meant that, he looked-well, he looked amazing. He looked like a Fire Lord should.

"Well" she added. "Are you going to hug me or are we just going to stand here staring at each other?"

Before she knew it, he was walking towards her and wrapping his arms around her. It was a lot more awkward than she expected, but she liked it. He understood her and she loved that about him. And his hugs were different; a good kind of different. Her head nestled right in the hollow of his chest, almost like she belonged there. She didn't want it to end, but of course it did.

"Uhm." Zuko cleared his throat. "You know I'm not very good at this sort of thing. But what's wrong?" He asked awkwardly. "Whatever it is, I promise I'll try fix it."

Katara removed herself from his arms and plopped down in the nearest chair. "This isn't something you or anyone else can fix." She sighed. "I made a mistake and I need to be the one who fixes it."

"What mistake?" he questioned. "Look, I know that dress isn't exactly the best thing I've seen you in but-"

"No, no, no. It's not the dress or any one thing at all really. I just can't marry him." She said as she turned her eyes to floor. "I can't marry Aang."

She looked back up to see Zuko gaping at her. "Wha-Wha-What do you mean you can't marry him? You've been together since before the war ended. You're literally known across the world as the Avatar's Girl. How can this-" He paused for a moment. "Why can't you marry him?"

"Because-" As she looked into those stupid golden eyes of his, she understood why. She understood exactly why.

"Because this." Was the last thing she said before she closed the distance between them and covered his lips with hers.

A/N: Hey readers! Thanks for checking out the possible first chapter of this fic, I would give you all virtual cupcakes if I could. Right now, I'm trying to decide whether this should be a one-shot or a multi-chapter fic. Please let me know what you think in a review. Whether this is continued or not depends on you: the reader. Until next time (maybe)! Toodles! :D