Chapter 22: Queen of Ice
Zuko didn't know how, but he was breathing. Water still encompassed his person, tingling kisses across his skin. He didn't even have the presence of mind to try to figure out how it was happening, he didn't bother to open his eyes. Zuko knew that if did he'd only see the blinding light. He didn't know how big around the sphere surrounding him was. He didn't know if Katara was even a part of his strange bubble. All he knew was the unearthly suspension he felt here. It felt like he had been teleported to different time and place, where gravity and time played no role.
He was tempted to fall asleep here, slide out of a state of consciousness in this weird tingling warmth. He had to open his eyes when he felt a solid force bump into his fingertips. Katara's smile was mere inches in front of his, the water clearly washed away the panic she had been feeling.
Zuko didn't know how she managed, but here she looked like a spirit from the stories. She looked like something walked directly from the spirit world, like La taken human form as Tui did. Her brown skin glowed in the pale moon, shining through the water. Zuko had never, in his life seen so much hair, each coarse brown strand of hair grew from her with a life of its own. Every gradual movement sent them cascading in another direction until it flitted around them like a raincloud.
Zuko thought about it for a moment, why on earth did he decide on forever with her? They'd hardly spent any time together. Not like her and Aang, not like him and Mai. They'd spent years together, even still, they hardly knew each other, that much was evident. He knew Katara though, he knew her. His soul knew her. They had lived the same life, from the time they were very little, they had lived the same life. Zuko recognized every pain in her eyes, he knew her joy. He felt everything she felt. He practically heard her laughter as her delicate arms wrapped behind his neck. He loved her, as he had for years. He couldn't help it, time and space hadn't meant a thing. Seeing her and holding her reminded him of the tension and passions from so many years ago. What if he hadn't chosen Mai, how would things be different.
Temptingly she brushed her nose against his. They'd been fighting just a minute ago, but that didn't matter here. Time and space didn't matter here.
Zuko knew why he loved her. He loved the passion she seemed to just ooze in everything she did. He loved the warmth which radiated from her heart. He loved the spark in her eyes. He loved that she was strong, not physically, but in every aspect of her life. He loved that she always got what she wanted, always. And he couldn't tell her no.
Her lips were solid ice against his. How could a woman be so cold and so warm? Electricity shot through the sensitive skin of his lips. What is it about kissing that rose electric shocks? All he wanted to do was keep kissing her, over and over. Her sweet, soft icy lips were like a drug he couldn't give up.
