The day before the invasion, was one of the strangest days of my life. That day, it was like I had been split in two, one part of me crying to run back to Aang, the other mourning for Zuko.

That day, Aang had spoken to me. It took my breath away, and like a true Air bender, he nearly lifted me off of my feet.

It was a simple conversation, but I nearly broke apart. The emotion pressed down on my shoulders, the pressure rising higher and higher until I felt as though I might sink into the ground.

I was practicing my water bending in a quiet stream, the thing that calms me down, releases tension, cools off the heat, when I realized someone was water bending with me, just pushing and pulling the water near me. I knew who it was before I even turned to look.

Aang moved his arms with graceful fluency, not looking at me, but at the water, as if he needed to concentrate, which of course he didn't. With a pang in my chest I realize that this is the first water bending move I ever taught to him. He must've known this...was he doing it for a reason? I watched him, lost all composure and grew steadily warmer as my stomach simply fell away from me.

"...Hey." I said eventually. It took so much courage just to greet him. It never used to be this hard. I never imagined that it would be.

He stayed silent for a while, as the water obeyed, as it bowed to him, the Avatar.

"Hey." He replied eventually, and turned his soft eyes on me.

"How are you?" I asked, hoping that he'd open up, and tell me how he really felt about the last few weeks.

"I'm fine." He told me.

No such luck.

He started to elaborate with his bending, making the water mull, capturing it under his fingers. He twisted and it rose with him. He fired it skywards, and then blew a steady flute of air towards it. It split the streak of water and it parted into countless droplets, rising into graceful arches before pelting back towards the earth. Finally all was still, and I stared at Aang in amazement.

"Always full of surprises." I said to him, a wide grin splitting my face. It felt unfamiliar but nice all the same. I kept it there as I looked at him. Even though he didn't open his mouth and give me that gorgeous beaming smile, his eyes brightened, which was enough for me.

"Katara," He said, stepping closer, making my pulse kick up just a bit.

You're with Zuko. Crush those feelings; you've made your choice.

But who says I ever got to make it?

Aang looked at me, something in his eyes, something I recognized and welcomed back with open arms, even though I shouldn't have.

"Just so you know, you're still my closest friend. I know you know about my feelings…and I guess I was just kidding myself when I hoped you liked me too. Every kiss you planted on my cheek, every little smile, just added to my love for you."

I felt my heart swell as he said the word "love". He had no idea… even when I leant forward to taste his lips those lifetimes ago, that crisp morning; he probably assumed even then that it was just another innocent peck to the face, not the confession that I'd been waiting,itching to unleash.

"I want to apologize for kissing you before the invasion as well." He said with a flush creeping up his swan-like neck, slender and calling to my lips even then, "All I can say is that it could've been the last time I'd ever see you again. It was too short to tell you how I felt. In one minute, I was meant to fit all those months, all those adventures into that one minute? A whole lifetime wouldn't be enough…"

Those last words stuck with me, as I felt a lump grow and begin to rise in my throat, my arms itching to throw themselves around him.

"Aang…" I began, but I fell silent as he raised his hand.

"It'sok, I'll be ok, we'll be ok. Nothing can change our friendship. We've been together this whole time, without romance, without the complications of love, and we've managed. Who says we can't now?"

He made it sound so simple, it was almost painful. I felt my eyes smart on the account that he was being so brave, so wise, because of all those past lives behind him. The only life I've ever known was this; I had no wisdom to pass on, no consoling words. Just…
"Aang." I murmured, watching him in awe, forgetting all proof that we shouldn't be together. What proof? This constant stomach ache was an argument in itself that we belonged, as I missed him and missed him.

"It's ok, I'll be ok, we'll be ok"

Those words broke my heart; they were the finality, the mark that signified us moving on from it all, forgetting it ever happened, and forgetting that I ever loved him.

And finally, Aang brought up his arms in that wonderfully familiar action and I stepped into him, into the warmth and comfort of knowing thathe's still here.

Zuko found me, under our tree. Its branches seemed to be blooming as the beautiful but daunting summer blessed its flowers. The nearer the heart of summer approached, the nearer the landing of the comet followed, and every time we thought of it, a chill would shiver down our spines.

I was sitting at the trunk's base, draining the water out of a panda-lily, remembering back to the time that we went to the fortune teller, and the story of the rare panda lily, but I slowly squeezed it's life out of it anyway- even the most unique and wonderful thing can slip through your fingers. It's a harsh lesson to learn, but I suppose everyone has to learn it. I remember what the fortune teller had predicted for my life, that I would marry a powerful bender. This didn't help with my troubles at all.

I moved the few droplets from the flower to my temples and see their newly found glow flicker just out of the corner of my vision.

A headache that wouldn't go away, summer heat that loosens your mind and your perception.

"I've been looking for you everywhere." Zuko told me, holding out his hand to me, his warm, wide, wonderful hand…that didn't reach me somehow. He was trying to touch my world, but it seemed so distant from his, the simplicity of loving the one person, the easiness of preparing to face a ferocious father, with lighting at his hand.

I had other weights on my shoulders, biting at my flesh, gnawing and scrabbling at the inside of my body, screaming in my mind.

Zuko or Aang, Aang or Zuko.

But I take the hand, not feeling it, but knowing that I was rising to stand up. And I knew those lips are on mine, but I couldn't feel it. Doesn't that just answer my question?

Look further…

And then I saw his passion, his fiery gaze, his lean physique, the lips that are singing upon mine right now. Our noses brushed, our fingers entwined and I melt again, I melt under his touch, his tongue, his fire.

Skin grazing on skin…

We'll be ok…

Lips blessing lips…

Nothing can change our friendship…

"I love you"…

"I love you." Zuko breathed, for real, not in my mind, where memories were rushing through again, but through his voice, his teeth, his lips. He had said it. It was done.

I look up at him, not missing the scar that had haunted me, the one I had never asked about, because I didn't want to upset him, I didn't want to see him cry…

"What?" I whispered, wanting to cover his mouth, to stop him saying it, not until I was sure I should love him back.

"Katara, these past few weeks have been the best of my life, cut free from my father, my mother still alive," I had no idea what the issues with his mother were but he seemed to think I did, mentioning it briefly before moving on. Did I know him that little? I let him continue though, too afraid to speak up and shatter his elation, "I made peace with the Avatar, my uncle's free…and then there's you. I realize now that I love you. I can't imagine life without you in my arms, without us together, freeing the world, riding the skies!"

I took it in, looking into his eyes but looking somewhere else entirely, replaying his care free declaration.

Freeing the world, riding the skies.

It all sounded too familiar, an exact copy of the life that Aang, Toph, Sokka and me led, when Zuko was still trying to blast us out of the air, watching intently as he prayed for us to fall to our deaths, as we clung onto Appa, the most dear friend, screaming as fear ripped through us, stole our breath, made us giddy with terror and we expected the end, the final boom as we hit the earth and left the world forever.

But as I watched him I felt myself give way, my common sense and my grudges slip away as his hand rubs my arm, the other cupping my face. And I melt, knowing that I'll be furious with myself later.

Fire…passion and power…

Air…freedom and life…

Lips, joined, making the promise of eternity; that they'll never part.

As if we're breathing for the first time…

I felt myself slip into Zuko's spell once more, marvelling at his sensitivity, his meaningfulness and his determination, but scolding at my weakness, my naivety, my ignorance of that important fact- once you get in, it's harder to get out.

And that was one of the most strangest days of my life, being ripped in two, coming away from the world, embracing love, giving in to lust and all in all making the important decision, the one that I would live with, abide by for the rest of my life.

And when you think about it, it's all so easy; life is so easy, easier than passion and betrayal, when you just remember the life you've lived and a warm embrace.

After that it is effortless. All you have to do is follow the path, and abide by it.