Falling into the Moments
Rating: M (for alcohol/tobacco use, adult language and sex)
Summary: The comet came and went, the avatar defeated Fire Lord Ozai, and (almost) everyone rejoiced. However, years later, Katara can no longer keep up the façade that everything was alright in the world, and now wonders if she made a mistake by not taking an alternative path. Kataang moments as well as Zutara moments in this piece. Part three of three. Post series.
.
.
If I Said I Was Truly Over You, My Heart Would Say 'Amen'
.
.
The air was cold, crisp, the wind bone-chilling. White was the color of choice, from the snowy ground to the overcast afternoon sky, to the pair exchanging vows in formal attire.
The ones getting wed were used to the harsh environment, for one has lived there all their life, while the other was learning to adapt. It took them a few years to come to an understanding about growing roots in the snow capped village. It was not easy for her to give up her homeland and to live a long time in unfamiliar territory; but seeing his luminous smile and to feel his love radiate even through his fur parka, she knew it was worth it.
So on that auspicious day, the two joined hand and hand, lips to lips, to start their new life as wife and husband, their families and friends bearing witness to the union.
As the reception was well underway, laughs and merriment blanketing the oncoming night, one guest lingered away from the festivities.
Armed with a glass of arctic wine, Katara wandered back to her home, which was thankfully far enough away to grant her some quiet. Inside she sat on her layered bedding with a sigh, followed by a swig of her drink. It burned going down without fail, but Katara felt no need to brace herself. Instead, she welcomed the temporary warmth.
It was not fair of him to be there. It was her home turf, her safe haven. She did not want to see him; she could not face him.
It was inevitable, however, because they shared mutual friends and it did make for a nice opportunity to witness two nations together joining forces. Two nations, two harmonious events, and one resigned, slightly irate waterbender.
She took another pull of her glass, the liquid warming her once more.
The flap to her home gave way to the last person she wanted to see; but again, it was inevitable. Eventually, he was going to seek her out anyway.
.
.
Five Years Ago…
Months passed by after the epic battle and outwardly, everything seemed okay. Katara traveled with Aang as they tried to restore peace, while their friends were elsewhere, doing more or less the same.
Treaties were written and eventually approved. Tensions were still high, even after the fall of the previous Fire Lord, but the gang was making do and doing the best they could.
As each day passed, Katara filled her role as the avatar's girlfriend. She played the part well and had everyone fooled. She acted over-protective of him, she shared kisses with him in front of everyone, and she even gave him a hand job behind closed doors when they were alone. Although, it was very awkward and she really only had to stroke him about four times before he spilled out on her hand.
She could not clean her hand hard enough.
Weeks, followed by months, then a few years passed and the pair moved on and on, restoring peace to each nation they came across.
As for as being diplomats and peace makers, they were making great progress, but in terms of their relationship, very little changed. Katara kept things above the waist for as long as she could, but Zuko's voice from years ago rang in her head about Aang becoming a man. Kisses no longer satisfied him, nor did the quick dry humps Katara allowed. He wanted more and she increasingly wanted out of the relationship.
Late one night when they took a respite at the Western Air temple, Aang tried letting his hands roam down Katara's body as they made out. She stopped his wandering hands, which made him withdrew from their embrace.
"Monkey-feathers, Katara! Why do you keep stopping me," he asked, clearly frustrated in more ways than one.
Katara smoothed out her dress, not meeting his eyes. "I'm not ready, Aang. I told you this many times."
Aang sighed. "I know, and I'm trying to be patient, I really am, but you won't even let me touch you down there," he stated, his cheeks tinted pink.
She glanced at him. "It's not easy for me either, but it's for the best right now. We don't want to get carried away."
"Katara…I hate to break this to you, but eventually we're going to have to cross that hurdle," Aang replied. "I'm the last airbender in history as far as I know, and down the line, I'm gonna need to start a family."
Katara was dumbstruck. For whatever reason, that thought never occurred to her; in that moment she realized that she could not let this go on anymore.
"Aang…I think you'll be better off with someone else, if that's the case. "
Aang looked at her in shock. "Katara, I'm not saying we need to start now, we have plenty of time-"
"But I can't, Aang. I'm not ready for that kind of life," Katara interrupted sadly. "It's not fair to you to keep going if we don't have the same future in mind."
A silence fell, Aang simply shaking his head over and over, not believing a word.
"We can work through this, I know we can," Aang said after a while.
Katara stood up. "I'm sorry, Aang…"
He stood too. "So that's it? After all these years, you're gonna just walk away from this, from us?" he asked, tears starting to cloud his vision.
Katara looked at him and could almost see his heart breaking before her. "It's for the best," she whispered.
Despite what transpired, Aang had a shred of kindness left in him to fly her back to her home. It was the quietest and longest trip he ever took on his six-legged companion.
Once he dropped her off, he wasted no time flying away, no more words needed.
Katara watched him soar off, clutching her traveling pack close to her chest. She waited until he was just a dot in the sky before turning toward her village.
.
.
"Beautiful ceremony, huh?" was his weak attempt at an opening line.
Katara suppressed the urge to sigh, and instead finished off her drink before responding.
"Yeah, it was."
Aang gave up the pretense of small talk and got to the point. "I know that we left on not such good terms, and I was very hurt over it. But...I understand now."
Katara looked at him and realized with a start just how much he had grown, his height almost rivaling Sokka's.
"You do?"
"I think so. I mediated the event over and over, stood under waterfalls, even sought outside counsel from Iroh," Aang stated, a wistful smile on his face. "Not the details, of course, just the general gist of the situation."
Katara circled her finger over the rim of her wine glass, mulling his words over in her mind.
"And what was your conclusion?" she could not help asking, wondering if he really knew the major reason why she could not give him the relationship he very much so deserved.
"I was caging you in. As Iroh put it, you're like a Blue Jay, and when you joined me in the beginning, you were set free, at least from your home. Being at home back then was stifling you, as if your wings were saturated with water, constantly weighing you down, but as we had our adventures, though difficult, you were able to spread your wings. Just… Not as wide as you would have wanted. So when I said what I did, about starting a family and all, it was like you were being caged once more…"
Aang paused, looking down at the floor before continuing.
"I never wanted that for you, to feel like that. I guess I was just being selfish, only seeing what I wanted for our future, never actually asking you what you wanted. Or if…you even wanted a future at all with me," he finished, not being able to keep all the sadness out of his tone.
Katara did not know what to say. Her eyes burned with unshed tears.
She placed the glass on the floor as she stood, walking over to Aang.
"Look at me, please."
Aang's head slowly raised, tears in his eyes as well.
"I'm so sorry…I never meant …If I realized then, I would have never pressured you."
"No, Aang, no, the fault lies with me," Katara protested, cupping his face in her hands. "You're right, I did feel trapped, uncertain, and I was still confused. I thought that if I tried, really tried, to have a relationship with you, both our feelings might be equal, that I would grow to love you like you love me, and it wasn't like I didn't, I did. I do, but…" She stopped, a few tears escaping, rolling down her cheeks like hot coal.
Aang felt his heart constrict and did not stop the automatic motion of his hand gently wiping away the tears. "Katara…"
"But I couldn't keep lying to you, or to myself. It wasn't fair to either of us," she continued, removing her hands from his cheeks. "To be honest, I still don't know what I want."
Aang looked at her sadly. "And that's okay. Eventually, you'll figure out what you want out of life, and know that I…I will be there for you, albeit friend or otherwise. After all, you were my first friend after I awoke from that iceberg."
Katara smiled a tad at the memory, which seemed so distant then. From the boy in the iceberg to a fully realized avatar, she could not help but be amazed at all the progressed he made over the years.
Nor how insightful he was; he figured her out before she did, and although it was a sobering fact, it was one she had to face.
.
.
The following day, as Katara awoke to the rising sun, she pulled the blanket over her head, trying to block out the oncoming new day.
"Katara! Come out here and help clean up."
It did not matter that she was a grown woman now, she was still given orders. Plus, no one said 'no' to Gran-Gran, it just was not done.
So Katara groggily sat up, letting the blanket fall off her like a wave.
She ran her fingers through her messy hair, then stifled a yawn, cringing a little at her morning breath.
Katara got up and stretched as she made her way to the water basin in her room. She splashed her face and rinsed out her mouth, tossing a mint leaf into her mouth afterwards.
Grabbing her coat and pulling it on, she braided her hair as she made her out of the home.
Katara was not only blindsided by the morning sun, but by running into someone's back as well.
"I'm sorry," she apologized immediately, shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun.
The person turned around to face her.
Smoked bellowed out of his mouth and the pine laced smoke seemed to ensnare around her form.
His crown glimmered in the dawning sun.
.
.
Five Years Ago…
Zuko did not know why he was surprised Azula turned her lighting onto Katara, but he was, and even more surprised he jumped in the line of the attack. Though, he probably should have realized it then on why he did what he did.
He cared about her, obviously.
And when she healed him, held his hand, he could see it in her eyes.
She cared about him, too.
"Can you stand?" Katara asked.
Zuko flexed his fingers slowly, still feeling the aftershocks of the lightening, but he knew he could not stay on the ground forever, and they desperately needed shelter.
"Yeah, I think so," he stated, leaning up and cringing when a shot of pain came from his torso. He groaned loudly and lie back down. "Well, fuck."
Katara summoned the water on the ground to her hands and began to heal him once more. She began to cry, and she let the tears fall, watching them mix into the glowing water.
Zuko closed his eyes as he hissed in pain, the sharp ache shooting through all his nerves and muscles before the water soothed it away. When he opened his eyes, he was surprised to see Katara crying again.
He leaned up and was glad the pain was dulled. "Hey, what's wrong?"
Katara wiped at her eyes. "Everything," she whispered, "everything is wrong. Just look around us…We might have won this, but at what price? Everything is in ruins, we don't know how the rest fared, and you're…"
"I'm what?" he asked tentatively.
"You're scarred again…And it's my fault. First Aang, now you, all because of me…" All because you both care too much about me, she finished in her thoughts.
Zuko did not want this heart-to-heart to be in the courtyard, with fire still burning around them, the smell of smoke perfuming the air, and his sister's sobbing out her madness.
"Come on, we should find some shelter." He stood up gingerly, not quite being able to stand completely upright.
Katara reacted quickly and placed his right arm over her shoulder. "Here, lean on me."
Zuko did not protest the help and together, they walked away from the ruins and made their way inside, taking care to sidestep fallen rocks, and fallen Fire Nation soldiers.
They found sanctuary in a guest bedroom that thankfully was not damaged from the battle.
Zuko sat on the bed, heaving a sigh, sweat trickling down the side of his face.
Katara took note of his distressed state and left to search and hopefully retrieve some things that might help relieve his suffering.
As she left, Zuko removed his burnt and torn tunic, tossing it to the floor. He then touched his torso gently, grazing his fingertips across the scarring flesh. His mind could not help but flashback to the last time his body suffered a fiery blow. Only this time, he would wear the scar proudly.
While his father's scar was for years, a mark of shame, the one on his chest would be a reminder of sacrifice, of honor, for years to come.
"Does it still hurt?" came a soft inquiry.
Zuko looked up and wondered how long Katara was standing in front of him with a bowl of water in one hand that had a rag hanging out of it, and a bottle in the other.
"A bit. There's a dull ache, but aside from that, I'm okay."
"That's good." Katara sat down next to him and handed him the bottle. "Drink this. It's some herbal green tea, which should help give you some energy back."
He took it, uncorked it and took a swig, slightly wishing it was something a bit stronger. He then handed it back and watched, as Katara drank the rest without hesitation.
When she was finished, Katara placed the bottle on the floor, then gently nudged Zuko to lie down, putting the damp cloth on his forehead.
"Rest," was her soft command, following her own lead as she lie down next to him.
They fell into an exhausted slumber.
.
The next day, Zuko woke up to the shining sun hitting his face and Katara kneeling beside him, healing his wound once again.
When he started to sit up, Katara stopped and released the water into a basin on the floor.
"How are you feeling?" she asked.
"Better, thank you," he replied gratefully.
"And I thank you."
Zuko searched her face. "Are you still blaming yourself?" he could not help but ask. "Because you shouldn't. I made the choice to stand between you and the attack, and I do not regret it."
"How can you not? We-"
"Survived. We survived, Katara," Zuko finished for her. "I didn't just ask you to join me on a whim, I knew that she would have something up her sleeve. I needed someone I could trust to have my back."
Katara glanced down into her lap, but it was short lived because only a few seconds later, Zuko was lifting her head back up.
"Say it," he pleaded.
"We survived…" she whispered.
Zuko touched her cheek. "Again."
"We survived," came her firmer reply.
Zuko touched her lips, leaning in as he said softly: "Once more."
"We survived," Katara stated, almost believing it as she leaned in, closing the distance between them.
Their lips met with urgency and in a blur, Katara found herself on her back, her top open and her boots and leggings gone.
Zuko pulled at her chest wrappings next, finding the tucked in corner, and within seconds had it off.
Katara nudged his slacks down, just enough to release what was needed, wanting him just as exposed as she.
He merely pushed aside the flaps of her dress, tugged away enough layers of her bottom wrappings, not bothering to take it all off as he leaned into the apex of her thighs.
Just before he made an advance, he whispered into her ear: "Now we live."
Katara's response was her hooking her ankles against his behind and pushing up her hips, making him slide inside her.
Zuko gripped the sheets as he made sure they lived to see another day.
When it was over, Katara stared up at the ceiling, catching her breath, Zuko on his side next to her doing the same, though his eyes were closed.
Katara sat up slowly after a while, moving her hand in a circular motion over her stomach, guiding their combined release out and into the basin.
Zuko heard the faint splash. "Why?" he rasped out.
"Why what?"
"Why did you do that?"
Katara glanced over at him, confused. "Because I didn't want to risk being with child."
Zuko opened his eyes to peer up at her. "Would that really be so bad?"
"What? Of course it would be, we're not ready for that at all and-"
"And what?" Zuko interrupted, sitting up. "Katara, we're alive, there's a future now."
She stared at him in astonishment. "You mean…together?" she asked tentatively.
"Why not?" Zuko questioned, tugging on a lock of Katara's hair, getting lost in thought. "We made it through the worse of it and now, things are possible; we're possible."
Katara gently pulled her hair out of his grasp, scooting away a little. "Zuko, we can't. Things are still up in the air, there's lots of rebuilding to do, we don't know if Sokka and the others are even safe, and then there's—"
Before she could finish her statement, someone down the corridor shouted her name.
"Katara! Are you here? Katara!"
It was Aang, his familiar voice wrought with concern as it ranged down the hall and into the room.
"Maybe she's this way!" came Toph's voice, and a moment later, they heard footsteps running in the opposite direction.
Katara extracted herself from the bed, throwing the sheet aside in her haste to get dressed.
Zuko sighed, a slight frown gracing his face as he swung his legs over the side of the bed, planting his feet firmly on the stone floor.
"Aren't we going to talk about this?"
"There's no time, so please get dressed," Katara pleaded belting her dress in a hurry before pulling on her leggings, then her boots.
Zuko stood, letting the sheet fall away.
"Katara…"
She turned away, face heated from his nude state. "Zuko, please…we can't, not now," she whispered, pulling her hair over her shoulder to braid.
He sighed again as he pulled up his pants. When he was finished, he sat back down on the bed just as a blur of orange and yellow breezed into the room.
"Katara!" Aang cried out, enfolding her into a tight hug.
Zuko watched as they embraced, Aang openly sobbing his relief, and Katara rubbing Aang's back soothingly, reassuring him that she was fine.
Not ever, Zuko thought, casting his gaze away.
.
A few days later, right after he was crowned Fire Lord and everyone was gathered around his uncle's tea shop in celebration, everything was calm for once, the tsungi horn being played softly in the background, everyone taking shots at Sokka's painting. Nothing could ruin the moment.
Until Zuko witnessed Aang and Katara kiss in the setting sun.
He felt like he got shot with lighting all over again.
A half an hour passed after that and Zuko sought solitude behind the tea shop, only a couple of trash cans and a few wooden crates keeping him company.
Somehow, though, she knew where he would be and quietly came out to tell him they were wrapping things up inside.
He only grunted, not making eye contact with her as she stood next to him. Out of his periphery he saw her fiddled with her dress sleeve.
"Look, Zuko…"
"Spare me, okay, I don't want to hear it."
Katara sighed. "You do because I owe you that much."
"No, you really don't," Zuko began. "I don't need to know about how you couldn't help the rush of feelings that came back after the battle and that you love him after all, despite what you told me, nor do I need to be regaled in that smooch outside the store front."
He turned toward her, finally making full eye contact. "And you know what else? I don't need to hear how what we had meant nothing and that it was just some meaningless fling."
Katara frowned, placing her hands on her hips. "It was not some fling, it did mean something to me. As for me and Aang…I do care for him, I never denied that, and just…" Katara looked down, losing some of the fight in her. "I can't really explain it. I just know that this is right, that I should be with him right now. He still needs me. I thought that after the war he wouldn't, but he does."
Zuko gave her a dubious look. "So, what, you're just with him out of obligation? And you think that's okay, not only to him, to you, but…" He faltered, then finished softly, "but to me as well?"
"Zuko…" She started to reach up to caress his cheek, but checked herself. "I never meant for any of this to get so complicated."
"Which part? Giving him false hope of a happily ever after, or for painting an illusion that maybe, just maybe, I had a chance with you?" Zuko asked angrily, placing his hands on the brick wall behind her, crowding her personal space. "You want to know what I really think? I think you're scared."
Katara looked up at him. "Of what?"
"That a romance between us would be too much for you to handle. You would rather play it safe, but how long do you think you can keep it up? A week? A couple of months? Eventually he will become a man and he will want more than just kisses, Katara."
Zuko caressed one of her warm cheeks, searching her eyes. "And when that happens, you'll realize you already had a man," he whispered, bringing his fingers to slide along her slightly parted lips. "What then, Katara? Do you really think he'd have any clue on how to please you, on what makes you moan in delight, what makes you soak your pants in mere seconds. I highly doubt it." Zuko grasped the back of her neck gently, pulling her only a breath away from him. "And that's when you'll think back to what we had, and I hope it fills you with such regret."
Zuko let her go and before she could even begin to respond, he left.
Katara slid down the wall and simply sat there. There was no response she could give anyway.
.
.
The smoke wisped away and Katara could clearly see Zuko after the years apart. He was a fully realized Fire Lord and had really grown not only into the title, but the person behind it. The eyes were still the same amber shade that rivaled the dragons, but his hair fell passed his shoulders, half of it up in a traditional top-knot, his nose was a little more prominent, his cheeks were slightly more defined, and he even had stubble on his chin.
He was striking.
Though, she was not going to say any of that to him, but instead:
"Since when did you start smoking?"
"Since I had to rebuild a nation with practically my bare hands from the shambles of war. Add on multiple assassin attempts, an awful break up, a crazy sister who refuses treatment and some political bullshit, I guess I picked up the habit some time ago."
He took another drag of his tobacco stick before putting it out in a metal case, blowing the smoke passed his lips slowly, glancing at her through it.
There was something cold in his gaze that was not there all those years ago, and something left unsaid.
She was not going to pick at it, though.
"Oh…" she started, then gasped as some of what he said fully processed. "Wait, assassination attempts?"
"They obviously weren't successful," was his clip reply before walking off to talk to new bride and groom.
When he reached them, Katara noticed his whole demeanor changed. His wore a smile, laughed at something Sokka said and even hugged the pair before walking off to his guest hut.
She made a weak excuse about being sick to Gran-Gran and all but ran back to her home, for there she stayed for the rest of the day.
.
.
Dusk soon came and it was tradition to see the newlyweds off for their week long sea voyage. They would be with a small crew to ensure safe travels, but once they reached their destination, they were to be alone to do what couples do best: sex then hopefully babies.
So there Katara stood, along with the rest of her family and friends, and…whatever she was to him now.
She had to make amends at some point with him, somehow.
Or drink another glass of arctic wine, whichever came first.
After a moment, with hand waves and 'be safe' sentiments told multiple times, the small ship sailed out to the sea.
As everyone went their separate ways to their respective homes, Katara knew she needed to set the record straight with him.
She watched him go to the guest hut and after waiting a few seconds, followed after him.
He was just shedding off a borrowed fur parka when she entered.
"We need to talk."
Zuko tossed the coat on his makeshift bedding, then walked over to a chair next to a table, taking a seat.
"I thought we already did that," he asked, taking off his crown and placing it on the table. He then reached into his pants pocket, pulling out a silver metal case.
Katara bravely walked over and took a seat in the adjacent chair.
"It was an unfinished conversation-"
"I was actually quite finished, hence why I walked away" he interjected, lifting a tobacco stick to his lips, lighting it with a small flame from the palm of his hand.
"Don't do this, please," Katara pleaded.
He took a drag from the stick, blowing the smoke up toward the ceiling.
"There's nothing left to say. You made your choice-"
"And I regret it!" Katara all but shouted.
A hush fell, which was soon followed by a laugh.
A harsh, broken laugh.
"I fucking knew it," Zuko proclaimed, shaking his head. "I was just wondering how long it was going to take you to admit it." He glanced at her, then at the ashes falling off his stick onto the table, running a couple of fingers through it.
Katara did not know which hurt more, his laugh, his words, or just his overall being. She barely recognized him; but then again, she thinks maybe she had something to do with that.
"…What do you mean?" she asked softly.
"People talk. In fact, it was the talk of the nation for at least a year before they moved on to other gossip," Zuko stated with a shrug of the shoulders.
Katara felt like she should have known word would spread about her break-up, but she vainly hoped that somehow Zuko would not hear about it. At least, not until he heard her side, though it was proving to be a weak attempt.
She sighed. "I can't change what happened, but I can at least try to be a better friend to you…We used to stay up and talk-"
"Don't," Zuko intervened, slamming his almost finished tobacco stick on the table, a tiny wisp of smoke barely making it two inches into the air before dispersing. "Don't go traipsing down memory lane and think for even a moment that everything will miraculously be how it used to be. We can never go back to that."
"I don't want it to," Katara admitted.
That shut Zuko up as he stared at her.
"I don't want to go back to the way things used to be because I know how it would end," Katara rushed to finish.
Zuko let out a swear before asking, "So what do you want?"
"A clean slate."
Zuko chuckled without mirth, shaking his head.
"I'm serious. I really want to start anew with you, Zuko."
His teeth clenched hearing her voice say his name.
It has been so long. Too long.
He watched her fiddled with the end of her braided hair that hung low over her shoulder.
It seemed unnatural for it to be that way, her hair.
Before he realized it, he was reaching forward, pulling the hair tie away and watched, as her hair slowly started to unwound.
Surprised, Katara did not know what to do.
"Why did you do that?"
"I…It just didn't seem right to me."
Confused, but nonetheless intrigued, Katara reached up and combed her fingers through what was left of her braid, feeling it unravel in seconds.
Something unhinged inside Zuko at the sight of her hair being set free.
As if they had their own gravity, he stood up and pulled her up to her feet, delivering a harsh kiss to her mouth.
He tasted of ash, pine and familiarity.
She tasted like mint, arctic wine and uncertainty.
Combined, it was rhapsody.
He unbuttoned her parka, for she would not need it anymore.
She shrugged it off and pushed him toward the table.
He pulled her along and spun her around, lifting her up to take a seat upon the wooden table.
The kiss remained locked.
They worked on each others' shirts and pants. Hers pooling around her bottom and opened limbs. His making a home at his ankles as he stood between.
The kiss reached to a new urgency the more layers they took off.
Soon, all articles of clothing were either nesting around limbs or thrown about in the haste.
Zuko gripped her hips, pulling her the mere inches closer and sliding in with ease.
She let out a soundless cry, ankles locking underneath his bottom.
It was familiar, yet completely new and they did not need it any other way.
They moved in tandem, and it was hurried, for the foreplay was years in the making.
It was rough, it was quick, and it was cosmic.
Their movements caused his crown to rattled and finally toppled onto the floor, where it rolled away, forgotten.
All too soon, it was over in a flash, though just to catch their breaths, calm their heartbeats, and to wipe the sweat from their brows.
When their eyes reconnected, he picked up her and carried her to the layered pallet.
From there, Katara straddled him atop and performed illustration fifty-two in the book from all those years ago.
Her hands found purchase on his shoulders, her nails biting just so into his skin, riding him like the wild dragon he was.
He did not lie placid.
He met her thrust for thrust, until she circled her hips in a way that should be against nature.
Katara pulled her hands away from his newly sweaty, hot skin and ran them through her unbidden hair.
He watched, transfixed, and let out a groan, his head falling back, a puff of steam emitting from his mouth.
Katara kept an even pace, just as fast driven as the last, hands now clutching at her breasts, fingers pinching her nipples just slightly.
He peered at her, at her wanton abandonment, and could not help but want to pull her in.
So he did, hands taking hold of her back and with a swift rotation, rolled them and took control of the frenzied pace.
.
.
When Katara woke the next morning, he was gone, and the only indicator that he was there at all were the smears of ash scattered on her skin, sore muscles, and a silver case left next to her with a small note, which read:
For cold nights, light one
When low, come to Ba Sing Se
Original source.
She smiled at the poorly written haiku.
.
.
When they met again, she had an orange-yellow choker around her neck and a small child on her hip with eyes that were the color of amber.
.
.
A/N: Chapter title credits go to Alexz Johnson's '2AM.'