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Zuko paced in front of his bed. He kind of liked Katara, but at the same time he still longed for Mai. He thought that maybe if he knew Katara a little better he would like her more. But it was going to take for ever! He didn't want to seem odd and start asking her all kinds of questions and rambling about stupid things. They had like, absolutely nothing in common! The only thing was that they were being forced to marry each other. How can love be forced and still be true?

There was nothing to talk about. She was from the water tribe. Okay, how exciting is that? Not very. He guessed he talk about the book tomorrow. He sighed and sat down on his bed.

"Zuko," His mother knocked.

"Come in." He grumbled.

"What's wrong?" She asked sitting next to him.

"There's nothing to talk about." He said slumping.

"Well there must if your like this." She said rubbing his back.

"No, I mean between Katara and I." Zuko plopped backwards down onto his bed.

"Well, than take her to the beach tomorrow with Azula and Ty Lee."

"Mom," He whined sitting back up. "I don't want to go with them!"

"Oh, Zuko. It's important to spend time with your sister."

"But what about Katara? She won't want to go with Azula there." Zuko held back a smirk. He knew his mother wouldn't want Katara to have any kind discomfort.

"All the more reason for youto be around Katara."

"Fine." Ursa smiled and left his son to think. Zuko sighed and changed into his night ware.

Zuko woke up and put some plain red pants on and a shirt. If he was going to go to the beach he planned to be there all day. Zuko grabbed a towel and headed for Katara's room.

Just as he was about to knock Katara opened the door. She jumped and steped back.

"Hey," He chuckled. "I was wondering if you wanted to go to the beach today."

"Um...sure...is it okay if my brother comes, too?"

"Yeah, that's fine." Zuko nodded knowing that Sokka would distracted Ty Lee.

Katara went back in and grabbed a bathing suit. It was a plain red one. The top looked like Azula's from when they went to Ember Island and the bottoms looked like regular swim suit bottoms.

Katara guided Zuko to Sokka's room and she asked her brother if he wanted to go to the beach and he agreed. He figured this would be a good chance to nail Zuko with all sorts of questions and to also meet some pretty girls. :]

"We're going to ride some Komodo-dragons down there so we get there quicker." Zuko told them.

"Kimono whats?" Sokka asked. Zuko shook his head and took them to the holds. Azula got her own, Ty Lee and Sokka shared, and so did Zuko and Katara.

Once they got to the beach Ty lee and Azula layed out while Zuko, Katara, and Sokka all headed for the water. It was pretty much like any other beach day. Spending hours in the water and minuets on the sand making stuff.

Around lunch time Azula left to go get something to eat and Ty Lee and Sokka went walking.

"So, you liking the beaches?" Zuko asked sitting down next to Katara.

"Mhm. Is it okay if I water bend?"

"Yeah, sure. Go ahead." He said leaning back, using his elbows to prop himself up. Katara walked down into shallow water and started to bend. It was more of playing around than practicing. Not long after Zuko got up and joined her.

She thought this would fun and a chance to see what kind of fire bender he was. About half way through they had moved into deeper water and they were both getting a little more aggressive. Zuko noticed it was almost time for dinner and he was starving so he decided to end this. After she bent at him he shot one fire blast to confuse her and another to knocked her back. A wave caught her and took her to the shore while a bigger one knocked Zuko off his feet and threw him on top of her.

She laughed and pushed him up. "The sea got mad at you." Zuko hovered over her. Her hair had fallen out of the pony tail and now pooled around her. Her skin seemed to sparkle along with her eyes. While he looked her up and down she did the same to him. He brought his face down to hers, waiting for her to bring hers up. She looked up at him. She felt this was going too fast, but at the same time there was a lot of attraction between them. Before she brought hers up, her stomach growled. "Um." She breath out quietly looking to the side. "Can we get something to eat?"

Zuko chuckled at her and smiled. "Yes, we can get something to eat." He said pushing himself up and extending his hand out to help her up.

Zuko let Katara use is towel as a blanket so she was warm as he led her down the boardwalk.

"You want some fire flakes?" Katara shrugged. "Have you ever had fire flakes before?" Zuko asked looking over at her.

"Nope." She said shakeing her head.

"Oh," Zuko went up to the stand and ordered some extra easy ones for Katara and some extra hot ones for himself. "Here." He said hand hers to her. She smiled as a thanks and grabbed some. They didn't burn her tongue like some of the others food's and even some of the drinks did. They walked in silence back to the palace.

Zuko led Katara back up to her room. By that time they had both finished their fire flakes.

"Thanks for the fireflakes and walking me back up here." Katara said bringing his towel closer to her for warmth.

"Mhm." He nodded with a smiled. She smiled back and got on her tippy toes to hug him. He wrapped his arms around her and she noticed how warm he was. They had spent a day at the beach and the breeze from outside was chilling, but he was as warm as ever. She moved her hands from his back to his chest and snuggled against him taking in his warmth and he hugged her tighter. After a few seconds she stood down with her feet flat on the ground and she continued to stay with him.

She felt like she hardly knew him, but there wasn't much to know. He was Prince of the Fire Nation. Son of Fire Lord Ozai and Lady Ursa and brother of Princess Azula. But, she felt like there was more she wanted to know, but it seemed like they were only stupid questions. Like, what was was his favorite color, his favorite thing to do, his favorite place. Just little things. She knew there was an attraction there. A deep attraction, but it felt like it was only towards his looks and not his personality.

She figured he was a lot like his father. Stern, but careing. But what if there was more to him? She felt like there was, but she wasn't sure.

She gasped out of surprise when she felt him kiss her. He kissed her to the side of her lips and pulled back. She lifted up and he kissed her fully on her lips and she melted right into it. His lips were soft and warm. She kissed him back and put her arms around his shoulders. Now she felt like she knew what ever it was that she didn't know before.

They pulled apart a few seconds later. "Goodnight." Katara smiled up at him. He smiled back and kissed her one last time.

"G'night." He grinned and started to head for his room. Katara smiled and went into her room for a nice hot bath and a good nights rest.

Zuko woke up and headed straight for Katara's room despite his aching head. It was the only downside of the beach for him. Her family and friends only had about two days left and then they would head back to the water tribe. He didn't want to be the one to tell her because he didn't want her crying, but he noticed the more time he spent with Katara the less he thought about Mai...the less he wanted to think about Mai.

He opened her door slowly and quietly. She was still asleep in her bed, curled up under the covers with them pulled tightly under her chin. He didn't want to wake her up, but he had to. So, he sat down next to her gently shook her shoulder.

"Katara," He said. "Katara," He repeated a couple times more before her eyes fluttered open. "Hey." He smiled down at her.

"Hi." She mumbled while she stretched.

"Um, hate to tell you this, but your family is heading out soon."

"What?" Katara sat up. "Today?"

"No, not today. But probably tomorrow or the next day."

"Oh..." Katara whispered looking down at her hands in her lap. She wanted to cry then, but she didn't want to in front of Zuko. She had been lying to herself while she was here. Saying that her family wasn't going to leave and she would always have her mother and father around, but now that she heard that were in fact leaving hurt her and she didn't want to believe it.

"We can send ships down every few months or whenever. When you want to see them..." Katara huffed.

"Theres so much I'm going to have to get used to. The foods, the festivals, the clothes...and anything else you guys throw at me."

"If we're going to be married and you're going to be a princess of the Fire Nation, you will have to go see Li and Lo." Zuko said taking her hand in his to comfort her.

"Who?"

"My sister had to stay with them so she could learn certain things. I think the training is different for a princess than a prince, so I don't really know. They made me learn posture and manners and well speaking and what not, but I didn't really listen. I didn't care."

"Something else I have to get used to."

"Oh, well," Zuko chuckled. "Good morning." He said taking her cheek in his hand and kissing her.

"I could get used to that easy." Katara smiled. She looked behind him and noticed no light coming from behind her window shade 1, meaning it was much too early for her to up. "How early did you get me up?"

"The sun will rise soon. You have a perfect view from your window, if you ever open you shades." He pointed out.

"Well, it's too early for me to awake." She said laying back down. Zuko got up and pushed her curtains to the side. He turned to leave, but she put her arm out for him to join her. He smiled and crawled underneath the covers and laid next to her. "So, you always get up this early?" She asked running her hand up and down his muscular chest.

"Yes."

"What do you do?"

"Well, sometimes I'll meditate until the sun rises, or my father will show me the robes. Or I'll fire bend."

"Oh." She mumbled closing her eyes. It only took seconds for her to fall asleep again. Zuko put his arm around her and rubbed her back. He had planned on watching the sun rise with her, but at least she was there. He found her presence comforting and calming. He loved it.

When he was with Mai there was always a sort of tension he couldn't quite figure out what it was or where it was coming from. Mai was demanding and bored. She seemed like she didn't care about anything or notice the things he did for her. She never thanked him. It didn't even seem like she loved him. It seemed like she had just used him. For what; Zuko didn't know. And right now he didn't care.

The feeling he found while he was with Katara was amazing. It was breath taking, but lung filling. It was like it was just them, even when they were surrounded by hundreds of thousands of people. She had the most amazing bright blue eyes he had ever seen. Unlike Mai's dark dull ones. Katara's told a story. A story of a happy little girl and Zuko liked that. Katara was exotic to him. Like some kind of sweet treat that wasn't traded into the Fire Nation and when it was smuggled in, it was favored and protected. Like a very valuable and rare jewel. Katara did seem to like him and when they kissed, even it was just a peck there was a spark. An electric, waking shock that waved through his body. Not like Mai's kiss. Hers were just kisses. Nothing to it. Lips to lips, like skin to skin. Didn't matter. Katara wanted to know things and she had rather do things for herself. Katara thanked Zuko for just walking her to her room.

Zuko didn't want to admit, but he felt like he already loved her, or at least he was starting to. He thought hat Mai was the one for him and the only one for him. But maybe he had been lying to himself. Thinking about it and having someone else in his arm, he noticed just how numb Mai had made him. Mai was numbing and Katara was electrifying. And being a fire bender....He was absolutely a hundred percent attracted to the electricity.

There was something else about Mai that made him feel...odd. He didn't want to talk about it. Because Mai was so dull and numb and demanding...there was something about her that made him feel...just...odd! Let's just say that when he's with Katara he feels a whole lot more...masculin than when he is when he's with Mai...

Katara stirred and mumbled. She pushed herself up with her right arm.

"Now is when I get up." Katara said noticing plenty of light pouring into her room. Zuko smiled and sat up.

"Sleep well?" He asked.

"You mean before or after you woke me up?" She said rubbing her eyes. He laughed and kissed her dimple.

"Ready for breakfast?"

"I've got to get dressed first. So do you mr.-I-have-no-shirt-on."

"Alright, I'll go get dressed and I'll meet you there." Zuko said getting up. Katara nodded and watched him as he closed the door behind him.

She sat there a second and thought to herself that she loved him. He was everything she ever wanted in a man. He was tall and built. He was kind and careing. Also a good kisser. :] Not to mention all the perks that come with being a prince. A part of her...the older and mature part of her...the woman part of her hoped that his big muscles wern't an excuse for something else....

They ate breakfast together and spend the time between breakfast and lunch waltzing around the palace. Telling stories of the Great Kings of the Past and tales of the spirits the bless or haunt. Telling secrets and jokes that no other was trusted with. Attempting to see what was there was to be seen inside the palace walls. Reading scripts and tales that were carved into the shadows or lighted by the suns rays. Scripts that were on the walls, or columns, some on the floor and others even in the ceiling.

Lunch was a good meal, but today was different. The couple didn't even seem to want to eat. All they wanted to do was spend time together. Any kind of hole in their relationship was filled with one thing or another. Nothing was blotched over or ignored. They learned so much about each other that they. They learned that liked each other that day. They learned that they might even love each other that day.

Dinner was just a usual dinner.

Zuko walked her to her room again and just as last night she thanked him and he kissed her twice before turning and leaving to his room.

1. I forget if I said there was a window in Katara's room...well, there is now.

"All the more reason for you to be around Katara." Reading it reminds me of "All the more reason to be protective." Scar.

"Echo" by Gorilla Zoe "Nth Degree" Morningwood.

! How does Mai make Zuko feel!?

! Uh, oh! Womanly Katara wants some!

YES! BUCKING THREE OH OH TWO, SON! What! 3,002. Enjoy :]

Freaking. REVIEW! Or I'm not uploading for a month and when I do it'll only be 100 and it'll be some sappy thing with...Sokka...and...Hakoda!