He sought out to touch her, comfort her; he couldn't believe what he had just heard; how could he ever forget her. How could he live without remembering her face, her memories, and her body that swayed like a candle flame whenever she walked? "What? How could I forget you?" He rubbed his thumb along her cheek, wiping her tears away. She looked up, not meeting his eyes. "It doesn't matter anymore…. Don't worry… about it." She looked down again, still not realizing her present state of nudity. "Katara… after the war, they offered me the throne. I didn't know what to do…. By the time I had turned the down, you were gone, and I didn't know where you went…" She turned her face in his hands, feeling the inside of his palm against her lips. "I'm sorry, Aang offered me a position in the Earth kingdom, I couldn't refuse it, and I thought it was a nice opportunity".
He stared at her, not knowing what to say; so he lifted her head to meet his gaze and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. "It's fine; you're here, I'm here that's all that matters…" She looked at him, not knowing what to do. "Zuko….. How can you just act as if nothing has happened? How can you stand looking at me?" He pulled her into a firm embrace. "I love you Katara, I have never forgotten you. I stand here before you because I thought you were some dream my mind had made up, but it was you….. You kept me going, I searched the world for the sky bison; and when I found it the Avatar said you were wandering around…. I thought I had lost hope…" He kissed her ear, gentle and soft. "I'm so glad I found you, and have you here in my arms, safe." She looked at him, not fully releasing herself from his body. "I don't understand I tried so hard to forget you. It was painful, to imagine you with Mei or Jen, I wouldn't believe it…. But I tried to picture my new life, and the great things I could accomplish." She gazed at the water and then back up at his face.
"I've tortured myself for trying to get you out of my mind. But it never worked; you were always there, just lifting my spirits whenever I was down…." He looked at her, in pure amusement and relief. "You thought I would go with Mei or Jen, really?" He chuckled at her assumption; he looked deeply in her eyes and searched for some unforeseen emotion that was not presented on her face. "Katara…. Haven't you realized that I'll never let you go; I love you too much to see you leave me and never come back." She looked at his face, searching for truth, seeking even the littlest lie to run and never come back. She found nothing. There was no evidence, no proof that demonstrated the slightest fib. She leaned into his face, and kissed him; soft and gentle, without much emotion. But he quickly overlooked that tiny flaw, with passion and anger; he longed for her to be beside him, to hold her and protect her when needed. They moved and molded into each other, leaving no gap or entry for any person to go in between. They searched, inside and out of their mouths to find both comfort and pleasure; to fill their loss. She released herself, gasping for breathe in the process. He looked at her, stunned what had just happened… "How…. do you…. feel….for me?" She looked at him, wondering what the kiss had signified to him. "What do you…..mean?" He sighed. "Do you love me?" She stared at his lips, and inched forward to whisper at him. "I…..feel for you….very much." He stepped back to look at her. "But…do you love me?" She contemplated his question, to find the best possible answer. "I did…very much. But when we weren't together, I tried to forget you; and seeing you again just brought back heart ache and memories." He stared at her. "So, you don't love me." He looked at the water and took another small step back. "I don't want to get hurt. I…."