a/n THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed chapter 11! And a huge THANK YOU goes out to everyone for waiting so long for an update (I could list my pathetic excuses for not updating earlier… or I could just cut to the chase)!
There are a few twists and turns in this chapter (nothing very M-ish) and it's very Zutara focused (it sets up for some pretty M-ish stuff [well that's the plan… it might depend on how well this chapter is received]). Nothing else I can think to say about this chapter… except: Enjoy!

Chapter 12 ~Intense~

-Katara-

They were alone. As much as she hated to admit it, he scared her. In such a short matter of time, he had become one of the most important people in her life.

She never felt this intensely about a boy before; not with any other boy she'd been with. Zuko stepped closer towards her and she stiffened.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly. He reached out to tuck a loose strand of hair. His gentle voice and touch made her heart melt a little more every time she

heard it or felt it. The concern she read in his eyes spoke of his depth of feeling and she cherished it. More than anything, she wanted to launch herself into his

arms, but she couldn't. Right before she had fallen asleep in his arms last night, she promised herself to give him some space. Maybe then, he could work

through his fears. She believed that he would not hurt her physically, but emotionally…

"I have-I have stuff to do." She said huskily. Agni! My voice! She thought. Before he could see her blush, she turned away from him and walked away.

She tried to find sanctuary in her room. The events of the day were finally catching up with her––from her wonderful morning with Zuko to Aang's melt down

after Sokka's Melon Lord Scheme. In a way, she understood where Aang was coming from. Hadn't she just chosen to spare Yon Rha's pathetic life? She shook

her head. This was different. The Fire Lord was responsible for destroying countless lives and families. He wanted to destroy an entire nation. Sokka was right:

the Fire Lord's plan was just pure evil. There didn't seem to be any other alternative. She nodded to herself. Assured in the decision that must be made. But a

frown crept over her mouth. Only problem: she didn't have to make the choice. Aang did. Agni, help us! She thought. To protect the world, Aang had to kill the

Fire Lord.

-Zuko-

The sun finished its journey across the sky. For a while, only a light orange-pink afterglow remained in the west, but now the stars started to twinkle into life.

He still sat cross-legged at the end of the pier. His eyes were closed and he breathed deeply, trying to find solace in the cool night air. Earlier, he had tried

clear his mind and meditate, but now thoughts of her swam before him. She was now everything to him. He hoped beyond hope that she knew. There is one

way I can show her, he thought. A smile spread across his lips, but it disappeared quickly. No. I cannot hurt her… again. There seemed to be a constant war

inside of his head about what he should do. The rational part of him told him to wait until they were both ready. She promised she could wait too and he really

didn't have much control right now. But the 16 year-old boy in him had no plans on waiting. An intense fire, different from one he'd ever really known before,

had spread over him. This fire was more akin to a disease. It would surely consume him without proper… attention. He knew what his cure was. He knew what

he needed.

"Katara," he whispered quietly. Just saying her name aloud increased the intensity of his feelings for her. But suddenly he felt very desolate. Solitude had

never bothered him before, but now it seemed so wrong, cold even. If he needed her then why was he still sitting alone on the end of the dock? He rose to his

feet, stretched for a second, and started off back towards the Summer Palace. Within seconds, he broke into a jog, then a sprint, and finally an all-out run. It

felt good to run, his heart pounding to the rhythm of his feet hitting the dirt below. He slowed his pace and crept inside silently. An invisible string seemed to

guide him to a closed door. He knew at once where he was and whose door it was.

"Katara." He whispered aloud again. With one knuckle, he knocked on the door three times. He held his breath, waiting, but no sound of acknowledgement

came from the inside. So he tried again. "Katara?" he asked. Nothing. Maybe she's asleep. He thought. Now he was torn. Do I go in or not? But he had to make

sure she was okay…he had to see her. The feelings he had on his run over came coursing back. With a deep breath, he opened her door.

The milky light from the rising moon shone through her open window. It's later than I thought he commented in his head absentmindedly. He quickly spotted her

figure, asleep dressed in her under-wrapping on her bed. Silently, he moved into the room and shut the door behind him. She looked so peaceful and beautiful.

Her hair was fanned out onto the pillow and the moon light bleached her skin. A small part of him wondered if it was creepy for him to study her while she was

asleep, but it was a very small part so he continued. He watched in fascination as the corner of her lips tugged into a smile. Her head lolled to the left––

towards him and the door––and she mumbled something. Automatically, he crept closer to the side of her bed. He kneeled on the wooden floor beside her and

strained his ears to try to hear her voice again.

"Zuko," she moaned in her sleep. His heart stopped and his breath caught. She must be dreaming about me… the thought made his stomach clench.

"Katara," he breathed. A small frown creased her brow and her eyelids fluttered open, exposing her piercing blue eyes.

-Katara-

They were standing face to face on the beach in the moonlight. He caressed her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into his warm touch. Then his touch

turned icy cold. She opened her eyes. Sitting out of place on the sand was an ice sculpture of Zuko. She leaped back in surprise.

"Zuko?" she asked tentatively, but he didn't respond or move. He seemed to be frozen… or perhaps he was never there. Now she wasn't sure. She took a

hesitant step towards the stature. His arm position prompted an image of a dancer. His right hand cupped the air and his left arm curved around the air lower.

It wasn't a bad likeness, but she didn't get a chance to study it for long. A giant fireball whizzed past her, exploding the sculpture.

"Zuko!" she yelled. Around her were echoes of a sinister laugh. She twirled around, trying to find the owner of the voice, but she couldn't.

"'Zuko!'" The voice mocked. Wherever the speaker was, she could guess they were smirking. Another fireball flew through the sky directly at her and had to

dive out of its way. Just when she got to her feet, again, a third fireball came at her and she barely had time to dodge it. She tried to call upon the water from

the ocean, but it wouldn't respond. The voice was laughing again. But what could she do? She couldn't waterbend, she couldn't find the speaker, she couldn't

do anything. Darkness crept closer and closer, the moon had disappeared. A weight seemed to be crushing her. It was all she could do to curl into a small ball

and not cry out. She wanted to close her eyes and escape. Just when she was about to give up and join the darkness she saw a faint light. It grew closer and

stronger. It twirled in the air, making beautiful arcs and rainbows. The light became so bright she had to close her eyes. She felt a familiar, warm, rough hand

help her to her feet and she opened her eyes.

"It's you," she was so overcome with relief she sagged in Zuko's strong arms.

"Katara," he said, anguished.

"Wh-what wa-was that? I-I was…it-it was…" Stringing two words together suddenly seemed very difficult.

"Shhh…" he said soothingly and crushed her to him. The surge of relief she was feeling to have him here with her was intense. But it was as if she needed

more proof of his presence. Maybe he felt it, because he pulled away, tipped her chin back with his hand, and kissed her. She poured all of her fear, relief, and

love into the kiss. Their arms and hands entwined around each other, seeking more contact. She found his hair and pulled him closer, while he dug his hands

into her hips. A moment later, he broke off the kiss and his amber eyes looked into her seriously.

"Katara?" he asked his voice husky.

"Yes, Zuko?" she breathed.

"I love you." he whispered and she smiled down at him.

"I love you too." At her words, his grip retightened and his mouth found her neck. "Zuko…" she moaned.

"Katara," someone replied quietly. She realized that the voice wasn't from her dream and she frowned slightly. Then she realized she wasn't dreaming

anymore, that she was awake, and she frowned a little more. It was a good dream––terrifying at first… but it was shaping out to have a heck of an ending. Her

eyes reluctantly opened to find Zuko, in the flesh, just inches away from her kneeling on her floor and staring at her.

She sprung backwards. The vase on the other side of her bed shattered as the water from within it exploded out, formed ice daggers, and headed straight for

him.

"Katara! It's me!" he yelped, holding up his hands over his head.

"Agni, Zuko!" she gasped and the water she was bending melted and splashed him.

"Jeez, Katara, a little bit of an overreaction, don't you think?" His hands wiped the water off his face. Then he shook off the water in his hair and clothes in a

way that reminded her of Appa for a second.

"It serves you right for watching me sleep." She jutted up her chin in defiance, as she gathered the covers around her. But it was hard to compose her after

waking up to him after she was having quite the erotic dream about him. Even in the pale light, he must have seen her blush, because his annoyance

disappeared and he smiled.

"So," he asked nonchalantly, "What were you dreaming about just now?" She reddened even more, which didn't seem possible.

"Uhm…uh…I… Why were you in my room?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Well…" he started. Now it was his turn to blush. Ha. Ha. Ha.

-Zuko-

"Well…" he blushed. Why had he come into her room? The truth will sound insane… No, he decided, it sounds like love. She looked at him expectantly. "I was

trying to meditate on the dock. But thoughts of you kept distracting me."

"I'm 'distracting?'" she commented quietly, batting her eyelashes. He snorted but continued.

"Suddenly I felt this crushing weight on my heart. I actually felt sick for a minute at the thought of…" he didn't really want to tell her his deepest fears, but he

wanted her to know how much he cared for her "…of not being with you or seeing you again. I suddenly couldn't stand being alone on the dock so I left and I

ended up outside your door. When you didn't answer to my knock, I thought about leaving, but my need to see you was too intense. It was like if I didn't see

you soon you'd disappear…" he waited silently for her reply.

He had bared his soul (well…mostly…), trying to open up about how he felt about her, so he really hoped to get a positive reaction from her; a smile, a

declaration of love, anything but the look of pure agony that swept over her. She covered her now open mouth with her hands, releasing the covers. A tear

trickled out of her electric blue eyes. He stood up quickly, stunned. He had never seen her like this before. Is the thought of me loving you so deeply that

appalling?

"No," she shook her head, spookily answering his unspoken question. He was at a complete lost. She was normally so brave and strong––two of the many

qualities he loved about her––he wasn't sure how to proceed. Do I go? Do I stay? As he stood there trying to decide her sobs grew. Uncertainly, he got onto

the bed and sat beside her. After a second pause, he pulled her into his arms so her face was buried in the crook of his neck. She froze for a second, but then

relaxed and nestled herself in his arms further. With that sign of acceptance, he tightened his arms around her. Thank Agni I made the right choice he

congratulated himself in his head. If she had rejected me…. No, don't think like that. He kissed the top of her head, affirming for himself that she was really there

and trying to comfort her. He inhaled her unique scent; even now, she smelled like the ocean.

The back of his head rested uncomfortably on the back wall and the headboard of the bed pressed rigidly into his upper back, but it would take more than a

wall and a headboard to make him move. He would be there for her forever. He was never going to let her go.

-Katara-

The moon had almost reached its peak when she gently untangled herself from him.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his eyes scanning her face. She couldn't speak, so she nodded. All cried out she was now angry at herself for being so weak.

Without a word, she took a seat next to him on the bed. She waited. She waited for the flood of questions he must have to hit her. They didn't come. She

peaked sideways to find him looking at her intently.

"It's stupid," she sniffed, "but earlier…I dreamed we were together on the beach, but you… weren't really there. Fireballs kept raining down at me," she

shuddered at the recollection, "and I couldn't bend or do anything to stop them." His mouth fell open, undoubtedly to issue consolation, but she held up a

finger to silence him, "just when I was about to surrender to the darkness you came… You brought searing light with you and saved me."

"Then?" he prompted gently.

"Oh well," she blushed now, "in the dream you comforted me and we… kissed… and…" There was no way she was going to finish that sentence. It was not only

mortifying to tell him, but she was sure she told him enough to kick his imagination into overdrive.

"Katara? I get how horrible nightmares can be, Agni knows I've had my share, but why did you start cr… why did you freak after I told you why I came into your

room?" She was grateful he didn't say 'crying,' it seemed like such a childish thing to do.

"I don't know…" she tried to skirt the question. Then she realized there was no shame in hiding the truth, "I think yesterday was such a long day… When I had

my nightmare it left me feeling so alone and hopeless… then it changed into…err…yeah…then I woke up and when you told me why you came into my room… it

was like a koalaotter dam broke inside me and everything came rushing out… But I realized that I felt the same in my dream. I needed confirmation of your

existence to save me and feel anything but pain… And I still feel the same… This doesn't make much sense, does it?" He shifted towards her, leaned in, and

cupped her head in his hands.

"It makes perfect sense." He answered his voice thick. She smiled.

"Zuko, I love you so much it scares me." She barely got the words out before he kissed her. They filled the kiss with intense feelings for which words seemed

hardly adequate.

a/n Sooo... did you "enjoy" it? Did it make any sense? If you liked it (or even if you hated it) PLEASE leave me a review so I'll know! Thank you so much for following/reading/reviewing!