Part VI- Discovering
The sunlight hitting her face as the sun rose the next morning woke her up. She lay still in the comfortable bed, trying to figure out what she had dreams that made her that happy. She decided she didn't want to know, just in case it was an illusion of happiness. Shutting her eyes she rolled over and her hand touched something. Something warm and slightly soft. She stiffened in horror. Her eyes did not have to open for her to know who it was next to her. Only one person could be that warm or smell that way. She had smelt his smell and felt his heat when she had hugged him.
A soft whimper escaped her as her eyes flew open and she sat up, moving away from a still sleeping Zuko. As she saw him the events of the previous day, and the previous night, flooded back to her. He had kissed her. Zuko, the Fire Nation prince that had wanted to capture and perhaps kill them, Zuko had kissed her. In panic she realized that her memories sort of ended at the kiss. With a gulp she hesitantly ran her hands over herself, sighing in relief as she found she still had her clothes on. Her eyes widened as she found not only relief but a bit of disappointment.
I'm disappointed? What the hell! This is too weird; I gotta get out of here!
She got out of the bed quickly and silently made herself look respectable. She glanced at Zuko one last time before she left, her head full of questions she didn't want to answer right then. As she shut the door Zuko woke up and, upon finding that his wound was bearable, also remembered what had happened last night. Finding Katara nowhere in the room he reigned curses down on himself. He must have been disorientated by the battle or something… Katara. The Waterbender. And, worst of all, she was probably going to tell the rest that he had assaulted her or something.
No matter what anybody says, I'm still glad I did it.
The thought shocked him, and he made himself focus on other things the whole morning through.
-x-x-x-
"Uhm, avoiding each other, much?"
Toph was looking in the general direction of where Zuko and Katara where. Or, to be precise, where they were going to be if they hadn't caught sight of one another and changed their courses.
"Maybe they had another fight?" Suki suggested, watching them also.
"I suppose… But usually when they fight they confront each other, not avoid each other."
"Well, it can't be anything else."
"No," Toph agreed, not really believing it.
The way they had reacted when they saw each other was nothing she had felt before. Their hearts had nearly stopped, then they started beating again wildly… Something other then a fight had happened, she was sure of it. All through the day she tried to talk to Katara to confirm her theory but the Waterbender was never available to talk to. Toph had a suspicion she was being avoided too. And then when it finally seemed she'd get her chance after sundown, Katara evaded her again with the mumbled excuse that she had to go and heal Zuko.
"Why did she say that as if it were a death sentence?" Sokka asked with narrowed eyes.
"I think they had a fight," Suki replied.
Katara took a deep breath before she opened the door to Zuko's room. He was lying on his bed, his eyes closed, and for a moment hope flared in her that he was asleep. But she was granted no such luck as the sound of her entering made them open.
"I need to… Heal you again," she muttered, wondering why she was blushing that hard.
"Oh… Uhm… Thanks…" he replied awkwardly.
This time Katara did not sit on the bed with him but stood next to him as she worked. Neither of them said anything but as Katara started healing him she focused solely on her job, almost forgetting Zuko was almost there. He closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation and didn't watch her as she moved to get better accesses to his wounds. In fact, she only noticed what position her body had put her in when she felt two warm objects on either side of her. Finally distracted from her work she looked down… and nearly died from embarrassment. Somehow, somehow, she had managed to end up on the bed facing Zuko with his legs on either side of her kneeling form. As he felt her stop Zuko looked up too and, noticing her blush looked to see what the problem was. His entire face up to the tips of his ears went a bright red.
Both of them looked up from Zuko's legs into each other's eyes. There was uncertainty and fear in both pairs as they stared. Then, without consent from her rational thoughts, Katara leaned forward. Her lips met with Zuko and again, she could find no reason at all to pull away. He started to slowly sit up and her position became more comfortable. It also allowed her to move closer into him…
-x-x-x-
"She's been in there kinda long," Sokka said, scrutinising Zuko's door. "I wonder what's going on?"
"Maybe they're having a silent argument?" Aang suggested, picking up on Suki's previous suggestion.
"In that case, I'd better go stop them," Sokka scowled, standing up.
"Uhm… Sokka… I don't think that's such a good idea…" Toph said, standing also. There was a weird look on her face. When Sokka ignored her she rushed in front of him and blocked his way. "Seriously, don't! They're both giving off way weird vibrations."
"You were feeling them through the wall?" Suki looked at her.
"So what if I was?" Toph defended herself. "That's not the issue here. Sokka, don't go in."
"She's my little sister, and I gotta protect her!"
A little scuffle issued and Suki and Aang got up too. Sokka broke free and marched towards the door with Suki, Aang and Toph hot on his heels, trying to get him to stop.
"What could I possibly find that's so bad?" he sniffed as he yanked open the door. "It's not like they're on the bed… kissing?"
His mouth fell open in horror at the sight that greeted them. Zuko was half sitting and, leaning into him, was Katara. She was still kneeling between his legs and her hands were entwined in his hair. His hands were keeping him in his position, but his mouth was as busy as hers was. They looked like they were in perfect, peaceful bliss.
Sokka started making choking noises.
"Sokka, sweetie, you need to breathe," Suki told him quietly.
"Everybody out," Toph said suddenly, turning around and making shooing motions.
Nobody really moved and, with a growl, she Earthbended them out of the room. Katara broke away from Zuko, looking at confusion at the door.
"What?" Zuko asked her, his warm breath tickling her neck and making her shiver in delight.
"I thought I heard Toph… never mind. My imagination."
