Hey guys! I'm here with another songfic, this one is Hinder's Lips of an Angel. Italicized is song lyrics, Bold is text messaging. K = Katara, Z= Zuko, and M = Mai. Enjoy!

ZZ

Honey, why you calling me, so late?

K: My mom was in a car accident. I'm two hundred miles from home and she's in the hospital. I can't deal.

Z: OMG i'm so sorry

K: Can I call you?

Z: Yes. U can.

It's kind of hard to talk right now.

K: When?

Z: In 20 minutes. Mai isnt asleep yet. She'll wake up if i move.

K: Mai's there?

Z: yes

K: Is it okay for me to call you when she's there?

Z: y wouldnt it be?

Honey, why you crying, is everything okay?

"I'm here, Tara, cry it out."

"She's my mom, Zuko. I'm so scared."

"I know, honey, I know. I'll stay on the line with you. You'll be okay."

Katara sunk to her knees against the pillar in the parking garage, clutching her phone for dear life. It had been three hours since she'd heard the news of her mom's accident, and thirty minutes since she'd texted Zuko begging to hear his voice. As she sat on the cold concrete with the snow falling around her, she sobbed as quietly as she could into her phone. Thirty miles away, Zuko sat on his couch, holding his phone in his hand and wishing he could be holding her instead. He hated tears, but whenever Katara cried them, his only complaint was that often times; he couldn't do anything about the reason behind them.

I gotta whisper cuz I can't be too loud.

"I'm sorry I called you when Mai was over."
"Don't worry about it. I'm your friend. This is my job."
"Yeah, my friend."

Despite Zuko's reassurance to Katara that her calling this late wasn't a problem, he glanced over at his closed bedroom door, praying to Agni that Mai wouldn't wake up while he was gone. Even though there was nothing particularly damning about this specific phone call, he knew given his feelings and her jealous tendencies, if Mai knew about it, Katara would have to watch her back.

Well my girl's in, the next room, sometimes I wish she was you.

Katara had managed to stop crying, so Zuko began asking her about things he knew would keep her mind off her mom's accident. As Katara detailed her research project, Zuko listened with interest. His girl was smart, like really smart. In the year they'd spent not speaking, she had created her own research study from scratch. Zuko and Mai had continued moving through the motions of job, sex, food, sleep. Zuko wanted to go back to school, but Mai was still young, and wasn't ready for something as serious as university. Katara, on the other hand, had jumped right into university right after school, and now Zuko watched her succeed from afar, while the girl he chose over Katara kept him closer to the ground.

I guess we never really moved on.

The next day, as Mai waited tables and Zuko kept the restaurant organized, he kept seeing Katara in every customer. The customer complaining that her soup was too cold had Katara's hair color. The customer the newest waitress, Ming, accidentally spilled soda on had Katara's fiery temper. The little boy who ordered "all the ice cream you have, mister!" had Katara's big blue eyes. Mai had nothing of Katara's. Where Katara was petite but shapely, Mai was tall and straight. Where Katara had a warm, chocolate hair color, Mai had stark raven black hair. Where Katara's very speaking voice was musical in its inflections, Mai's was boringly monotonous. Today, Zuko was painfully aware just how different Mai was from Katara.

And how much he desperately missed everything that was Katara.

It's really good to hear your voice, saying my name, it sounds so sweet.

K: My mom is getting discharged today.

Z: thats great. i'm so happy for u.

K: Thank you. This has really messed with my head.

Z: i can understand that

K: Thanks, Zu, for being there for me.

Z: wanna call me and say that?

"Thanks, Zu, for being there for me."
"Anytime, Angel."

And he meant it.

Coming from the lips of an angel, hearing those words and it makes me weak.

"What?"

"Nothing."
"You're looking at me."

"I'm not allowed to look at you now? Fine, I'll just stare at the table. Am I still allowed to talk to you?"

"No."

"Oh, okay."

Katara giggled and grinned, "I'm kidding, Zu, you can look at me."

"Whew, I didn't think I'd last much longer."

And Katara giggled again.

And yes, Zuko had a girlfriend.

And yes, he loved that girlfriend.

But damn Katara's angelic laugh.

And I, never wanna say goodbye, but girl you make it hard to be faithful,

M: Where are you?

Z: out.

M: When will you get back?

Z: idk

M: Who are you with?

Z: a friend

Because Katara was just a friend.

With the lips of an angel.

As Katara talked about her roommate and her schoolwork, Zuko couldn't stop staring at her lips. The lips he was all too familiar with; the lips that had the ability to make him forget his own name. As he contemplated her lips, her phone chirped and she picked it up to answer the text. It was from her boyfriend, Jet something or other. Zuko ground his teeth together as he quickly remembered that Katara's lips were not for him anymore.

It's funny that you're calling me, tonight.

Zuko had had a long day at work. Three of his staff were caught making out in the stockroom, his chef had up and quit on him, and Mai had been two hours late to work, with no explanation – as his girlfriend or his employee. As he opened up his fire-beer, Katara's number lit up his phone. She was calling him because she was home alone all weekend, and wanted to see if he wanted to come watch movies with her. As a friend of course.

And yes I've dreamt of you too.

As Zuko drove the thirty miles out to her apartment – address in hand – he thought about the dream of her he'd had that morning. It involved relatively little clothing, a lot of touching, and more moaning then he was comfortable with remembering alone in his car. His hands tightened on the wheel as he remembered they were just friends.

Does Sasha know you're talking to me, will it start a fight?

He knew Katara and her boyfriend had broken up recently, her boyfriend was one to prefer being single on the weekends, but he still had a girlfriend, a fact he needed to remember.

Not that he would cheat on Mai, Zuko was a man of honor after all, but if he forgot for even one second that he and Katara were supposed to only be friends, he might change his relationship status relatively soon.

No I don't think she has a clue.

M: Out again?

Z: yes

M: What am I supposed to do?

Z: hang out with Ty Lee. i'm busy.

M: Doing what?

Z: visiting a friend.

M: Is it her?

Z: no.

M: Whatever. I'm bored with this discussion.

Z: then go entertain urself

M: Fine.

Zuko sighed. He shouldn't be hiding where he was going from her. It wasn't honorable. But she wouldn't understand that he and Katara were just friends.

Well, my girl's in, the next room, sometimes I wished she was you.

"You want anything to drink?"
"What do you have?"
"FireBeer, water, soda, whiskey."

"All my favorites."

"I know."

Zuko looked at Katara in mild disbelief. It had been almost a year since they'd last spoken, but that Katara remembered all of his favorites kind of surprised him. Mai could never manage to remember he hated pickles on his burger, a fact he told her nearly once a week.

"Water."

I guess we never really moved on.

"Don't I get a say in the matter?" – Willow

"No." – Oz

"Don't you love me?" – Willow

"All my life, I've never loved anything more." – Oz

Zuko heard a sniffling sound. He looked over at Katara and saw her holding her face in her hands, weeping silently. They were watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Katara was crying as Willow and Oz broke up. Zuko pulled Katara into his arms.

"It's not real, Tara," he whispered against her hair.

"I know, but it still feels so familiar. "

But Katara didn't elaborate, she didn't have to.

It's really good to hear your voice, saying my name it sounds so sweet.

"Zuko, let me down!" Zuko held Katara over his shoulder as he ran up the steps. "Zuko!"

Zuko grinned and charged into Katara's bedroom and threw her down onto her bed.

"There, I let you down," he smirked.

Katara sat up and looked and glared at Zuko. Her clothes were rumpled and her hair was disheveled. As Zuko continued smirking at her, Katara swung her legs around, kicking Zuko's legs out from under him, and as he was leaning over Katara, caused him to fall on top of her and her bed. Before he could react, she pulled him underneath her while simultaneously flipping herself so she pinned him just underneath her hips onto her bed. As Katara smiled in victory, she noticed Zuko's pupils dilating.

"Zuko…"

Coming from the lips of an angel, hearing those words, it makes me weak.

"Zuko…"

Zuko stared up at Katara leaning over him, her disheveled hair framing her face as she looked at him in confusion. She looked at her legs, which were pinned on either side of his hips, he followed her eyesight and was shocked to see his hands stroking their way up her thighs, towards her hips. Quickly jerking his hands from her legs, he cleared his throat.

"Sorry about that. Being in this position again with you, my body just automatically reacted."

Katara, attempting to lighten the suddenly tense mood quipped, "I knew you were on autopilot all those times we had – oh, never mind."

They were both silent as they attempted to ignore the sexually charged air between them.

"Tara?"

"Zuko?" She wouldn't look him in the eye.

"I love, love you being on top, but this might be a little inappropriate given our current circumstances."

Katara's beet red face as she scrambled to get off him was priceless.

And I, never wanna say goodbye, but girl you make it hard to be faithful, with the lips of an angel.

They were back downstairs, now, sitting on her couch and watching a movie. Or at least, they had been. It was three am, and Zuko was fondly stroking the long hair of his blue-eyed princess who was lying across his lap. She had fallen asleep somewhere in the middle of the movie. He knew he should wake her up so she could go to bed and he could fall asleep on her couch, but her slightly parted lips of her peaceful sleeping face and her warm body against his had him holding onto this moment for as long as he could get away with – honorably speaking.

It's really good to hear your voice, saying my name it sounds so sweet.

"Zuuuuuko! Wake uh-up."

Zuko heard his name being sung to his right, and felt the long fingers stroking his hair line. "Five more minutes."

"Oh come one, Zu, I'll make you pancakes."

"No."

"Fine, Grumpy Pants, stay asleep on my couch. I'll just go to the kitchen, play music as loud as possible, and sing all the songs while I make pancakes."

Zuko grabbed the hand stroking his hairline and brought the fingers to his lips, kissing them lightly, keeping his eyes closed. "You say that like you expect it to be punishment. Food and entertainment while I just lay here?"

The hand left his, and Katara walked away with a huff. Zuko, dutifully, got up and followed her into the kitchen. Like he could really disregard what she wanted.

Coming from the lips of an angel, hearing those words, and it makes me weak.

"Well some things, just, some things just make sense and one of those is you and I. Some things just, some things just make sense and even after all this time. I'm into you; baby not a day goes by that I'm not, into you!"

Katara spun around as she sang, dancing between the griddle and the plate of hot pancakes. Zuko watched her with his mouth contorted into a smile. Katara turned to him suddenly and gripped his hips, pulling him into her dance-circle as she continued to sing at the top of her lungs.
"I should be over all the butterflies, but I'm into you. And baby even on our worst nights, I'm into you. Let 'em wonder how we got this far, I don't really need to wonder at all. Yeah after all this time, I'm still into to you."

Zuko gulped as he listened to the lyrics. Did Katara mean them? Was she really still into him? Nah, she couldn't be. He kept dancing around with her before she stopped abruptly and stared him down as she sang the last few words of the song.

"I'm still into you. I'm still. Into you."

Before Zuko could respond to Katara's declaration via song, she released him and turned back to the griddle.

And I, never wanna say goodbye, but girl you make it hard to be faithful.

Z: I think we should talk.

M: Are you breaking up with me?

Z: Idk.

M: It is her, isn't it?

Z: maybe.

With the lips of an angel

Z: Can you come over?

K: Sure. When?

Z: Now?

K: It's 4 in the morning!

Z: Please?

K: Won't Mai mind?

Z: No.

K: Okay?

Z: We broke up.

And I, never wanna say goodbye, but girl you make it hard to be faithful.

K: I'm on my way.

Z: K.

With the lips of an angel.

Zuko grabbed Katara by her hips and brought his lips crashing down to hers. Oh, it was heavenly. Her lips were as warm as he remembered. The texture and taste was everything Katara. He pulled her down onto his bed with him and her scent flooded his nostrils as her hair flowed around their still-joined faces. He gripped her hips hard and flicked out his tongue to taste her lips. Her answering moan reflected his own guttural growl. It really had been too long.

Honey, why you calling me, so late?

Zuko looked at the sleeping woman beside him, her chocolaty hair splayed across her pillow and his. He slipped out from under his covers to turn out the light, before sliding back into his bed as close to her as possible so that he could sleep with his love.

ZZ

AN:

The song Katara was singing was "Still Into You" by Paramore. I'm thinking of writing a song fic to that as well.