Author's Note: Hey! I'm soooo sorry for the long wait! It's been hectic with me trying to find a job, and I've just not been in the mood for Zutara lately. But here is the next chapter as promised:) I can't tell you when the next update will be, because I've been also writing SJM oneshots. But I will be continuing this one gradually. Have fun reading!

Katara woke up to the sensation of being deliciously warm. With a little sigh of contentment, she snuggled even more into that strange furnace behind her. She was comfortable. Extremely comfortable. The only thing that drew her away from that fact was the odd weight lying over her waist. Yet somehow even that was comforting in a way. Katara yawned and then scrunched up her face. The typical smell of her bedroom was different this morning. Gone was the usual fragrance of silk sheets and flowers, and in its place was the strange smell of wet earth and dying embers. Katara shifted again in an attempt to relieve her aching muscles but froze as she suddenly remembered where she was. And what or more like who was pressed against her back.

Zuko was sound asleep. The odd weight she had felt was in fact his arm which had been draped over her. And sometime during the night, his hand had crept under her shirt, and those long fingers she admired were now lightly resting on her bare stomach. Katara's breath hitched. When she had demanded that he sleep with her, she had not expected to be this flustered by waking up next to him. But if her reaction to seeing Zuko's bare chest had been anything to go by, she should have anticipated it. Her body seemed to delight in embarrassing her in front of him. Okay, but she really had to do something about the hand on her stomach. A girl has got to breathe eventually. Moving as slowly as she could, Katara reached down and gingerly began to pull Zuko's hand away from her. But as soon as his fingers left her skin, Zuko let out a sleepy groan and settled his hand right back on her as if that was where it belonged. Katara's heart jumped. What was she to do now? Interrupting her thoughts, his long fingers splayed out on her stomach for a quick second before he tightened his grasp and dragged her whole body into his. Katara gasped as she found herself up against Zuko. Her back was flush with his warm chest, and her ass was settled neatly against his crotch. Was he awake? Surely not. Why would he do that if he was? That's when she felt it. Something unmistakably hard pressed against her. Katara's eyes widened and she froze. She knew what it was of course. But there was a definite line between knowing something and experiencing something. And this was definitely not something she had experienced.

After the initial panic wore off, curiosity took its place. Katara shifted imperceptibly closer. That part of Zuko was hot. Very hot. And by the way Zuko was rasping in her ear, quite painful. Katara couldn't help it. She wriggled. Just slightly, but she did. Zuko's response was immediate. His arms tightened around her, and his hips pressed urgently into her backside. She could hear and feel the low moan that slipped out of his lips. It rumbled through her like a thunderclap. His fingers just then slid up her stomach and brushed her sarashi wraps. Katara's subsequent gasp of surprise must have finally woken him then, because he stiffened and snatched his hand out from under her shirt like he had been burned. And before she could even blink, Zuko had rolled away and stood up. With his intoxicating heat gone, the haze in Katara's mind cleared a fraction. What had just happened? Her limbs still refused to move, so she just lay stiffly where she was. From her spot on the floor, Katara watched Zuko pace around a bit, run his hands through his hair, and get to work tending the fire. He had yet to say anything.

Katara felt her face burn. What had she been thinking? He had obviously been asleep and had not known what he was doing. Most likely he had been dreaming about some Fire Nation girl. That would explain why he had moved away from her so fast and acted so repulsed by the fact that he had been touching her instead. That must be the reason.

She almost felt like crying. Here she was relishing his touch, and he could not even stand being next to her. Was that why he had looked and sounded so weird when she had healed him earlier? She had held the foolish hope that he had been enjoying her touches, but the more Katara thought about it now the more she recalled the times he had looked away or grimaced. His reaction to waking up with her this morning just reassured her. He did not want her like she wanted him. How could he? She was not beautiful like the other palace girls. She had scars from fighting on her skin. She had muscle instead of soft flesh. And she did not have the flawlessly white complexion that other girls had. How could he want her? He was him and she was her. Zuko could have any girl he wanted. He was the most attractive person she had ever seen, not to mention he was Fire Lord. Katara rubbed her eyes. She had not even realized that she had started crying.

Zuko was still busy on the other side of the fire. He looked oddly frustrated and was muttering to himself something she couldn't make out. The fire was crackling steadily now, and the heat seemed to chase away some of the damp. With one last hurried swipe at her wet cheeks, Katara sat up. There was no reason to cry like a baby. Zuko had not done anything wrong. It was not his fault he did not want her like she wanted him. But even so, she couldn't bring herself to say anything as they cooked their morning meal.

…

Breakfast seemed to drag on and on. They ate in silence as neither of them even now seemed inclined to talk much. But by the time they had taken the last bites of their meal, Katara was almost begging for someone to break the silence.

"We should–" She began, just as Zuko also said, "I wanted–"

Inclining his head towards her, he said, "You go first."

"Oh, I.." Katara started. "I just was going to say that I should probably try to heal your ribs again. It's better to not wait too long between sessions." Although she certainly did not want to deal with a shirtless Zuko right now, what she said was true. It was better to have less time between healings.

"Yes. That's a good idea." Zuko murmured, rubbing the back of his neck. "I think I'll only need one more session anyway because my ribs feel much better already. Should I lay down like last time?"

Katara was surprised at how quickly Zuko had agreed to her plan. But she was glad that some semblance of normalcy had been restored. "Yes, you get settled, and I'll get the water." With a flick of her wrist, Katara melted a little bit of the ice wall and floated it over to where they were sitting. Even though she had been waterbending for a long time, she still felt a rush of joy and power whenever she bended water. Just seeing the liquid glide and move in the air calmed her on an almost spiritual level. She could no longer imagine not being able to waterbend. It was a vital part of her being. She wondered if Zuko felt the same way.

When she turned back around, Zuko had already taken off his shirt, and Katara couldn't help but stare a little bit. He was just so beautiful to look at! With his lean but strong physic and smooth flawless skin… she just couldn't get enough. Even the scar on his stomach was attractive in its own way. Especially since he had gotten it to save her. That day was burned into her memory. She had never been more afraid for someone then she had been for Zuko in that moment. She could practically smell the singe of the lightning and the burning of his flesh. He had endured all that just to save her.

Blinking, Katara realized she had been staring a little too long. Zuko, however, was just lying there watching her with a slight smile. She couldn't help blushing a little. Why did he always have to catch her in the most embarrassing situations? Huffing a breath, Katara bended the water onto her hands and set them on his chest. She was determined to not show any more emotions that he could tease her about later. She would be professional from now on, no matter how handsome her patient might be.

After several long minutes, she was done. Leaning back, she wiped the sweat off her brow. Healing looked easy, but in reality it took a lot of her strength. But Zuko had been right. His ribs were a lot better. But in her opinion he should still take it easy for a while. Zuko rubbed his chest a few times, thanked her, and sat up. Katara had to shove her disappointment away when he slid his shirt back over his head. This was going to be a long week.

…

"Ugh, here is nothing to do in this stupid cave!" Zuko moaned. The entire morning and most of the afternoon had passed without much excitement. None in fact. Their day had consisted of laying around, staring at walls, and exchanging a few random words. They were both bored. Really bored.

With another groan, Zuko threw off the coat he had been wearing and stood up. "That's it. I'm going to work out. I've had enough of just sitting here." Shucking off his shirt, he stomped over to the widest part of the cave.

"Um Zuko, I don't think you should be exerting yourself yet." Katara commented. "It's still a bit soon to be putting pressure on your ribs."

Her apprehension did not seem to phase Zuko at all as he replied, "I've been hurt worse." When he saw she did not seem convinced, he added, "It's fine Katara. I feel fine. But if I have to suffer through one more minute of sitting on my ass I might not be fine anymore." With that he dropped down and started doing push ups.

Katara wanted to argue, but the sight of Zuko's muscles shifting as he effortlessly moved up and down shut her up. It was hypnotizing. His back contracted every time he moved and his arms bulged pleasantly. Could muscles bulge pleasantly? She didn't know, but Zuko's seemed to be able to. His soft grunts made Katara's blood heat. Zuko didn't seem to notice her staring. He just kept working out like he hadn't just made Katara lose all sense of reality.

After around thirty push ups, Zuko stood up and started practicing what Katara assumed were hand combat forms. He looked at home as he seamlessly moved through the maneuvers. Katara had always wanted to learn how to fight without bending. Whenever she wasn't by water she felt weak and helpless, and she did not want to feel that way anymore. She wanted to be able to protect herself whether she had her bending or not. Mind made up, Katara stood and marched over to where Zuko was practicing.

"Teach me how to fight."

Startled by her sudden appearance, Zuko faltered, "What?"

"I want you to teach me how to fight." Katara repeated confidently. "I only know how to use my bending, and I want to learn how to fight without it."

"Um, I'm not sure I'm the best person to teach you..." Zuko said apprehensively.

"What do you mean!?" Katara argued, her voice rising slightly. "You are the best person to teach me. No one is better at sword fighting than you, and even without swords you are almost unbeatable. I literally can't think of anyone better to teach me." Katara huffed. "Plus I'm just as bored in here as you, so the least you could do is let me join you."

"Okay, okay, Katara." Zuko conceded. He looked slightly taken aback by her outburst. "I'll teach you how to fight. But don't complain if it's harder than it looks."

"I can handle it."

"I know you can." Zuko said quietly. But before Katara could say anything in response, he added abruptly, "Well let's get started then. Why don't you show me your best punch."

Shrugging off the sudden wave of nervousness that washed over her, Katara pulled off her coat and got into her best imitation of a fighting stance. She honestly did not know a thing about punching. Or fighting in general. And Zuko looking at her from a few feet away with a knowing little smile on his face did not help her confidence. The prideful part of her regretted asking him since he would see how miserable a fighter she was, but another part of her knew she would have to learn eventually. Katara also knew that although Zuko might tease her, he also understood what it was like to not be good at something immediately. With one last nervous breath, Katara swung her arm out in the best punch she knew how to do.

She knew as soon as she had finished that it sucked. Miserably. Zuko for his part did not laugh, although he did subtly hide his grin. That bastard. Katara frowned. "So what should I do differently?"

Clearing his throat, Zuko walked over to where she was standing. "Well first, you need to adjust your stance." As he spoke he moved behind her. Katara could feel his heat as he adjusted himself. "May I?" He whispered, his breath tickling her cheek. It took Katara embarrassingly long to realize that he was asking permission to put his hands on her hips.

Trying to act unphased, she answered with as much confidence as she could muster, "Of course." His touching her must be absolutely necessary otherwise he wouldn't do it. Right? So as his hands settled lightly on her hips, she tried to ignore the sensations spreading deep into her stomach. Oddly enough, his breathing seemed as ragged as her own. Must be all the push ups he just did, she thought. What else could it be? Certainly not her.

Zuko cleared his throat before he spoke again. "You need to have a sturdy stance if you want your punch to work effectively. If you are not balanced properly, your punch will not have power and your opponent could easily push you over." As he spoke, he shifted her hips to the left and used his foot to adjust where she was standing. Katara tried her best to focus on what he was telling her and not on his overwhelming presence behind her. Oh why did she think this was a good idea? But after a few more adjustments, she was in the right position.

"Now for the actual punch," Zuko said from behind her. As he spoke his hands moved to her shoulders and gently slid down her arms till they wrapped around her wrists. She was glad her long sleeves hid her goosebumps. "You need to make a fist like this." With that he took her hand and adjusted her fingers to curl inwards with her thumb resting on the outer two fingers. Katara tried desperately to focus on what he was teaching her and not how good he smelled. "You need to remember to always keep your thumb on the outside of your fist otherwise it might get dislocated or even broken." He continued. "Also keep your wrist straight. Don't bend it or move it when you make contact otherwise it may get injured as well."

"Seems like a lot of risk just to give one punch." Katara muttered under her breath.

"No risk, no reward, Katara." Zuko said, suddenly serious. "Fighting is always risky, and escaping is always the better option unless absolutely necessary. Okay, now let me walk you through the motions."

…

After two and a half hours, Katara wanted to kick some ass. She felt indestructible. Zuko had taught her how to punch, kick, and fight. Obviously she did not know everything, but she felt like she did, and mindset was everything right?

"Fight me Zuko, I'm ready." She stated confidently.

Katara frowned as Zuko laughed. "Sure, you've improved a lot Katara, but you haven't improved that much." Well if confidence wasn't the key to changing his mind then she would try a different approach.

"Come on, Zuko. Please?" She batted her eyelashes as she said the last word. Zuko rolled his eyes with a slight smile on his face. He was so cute when he smiled.

"Okay." He conceded reluctantly. "But I'm telling you you're not ready. Just don't blame me when you find yourself on the ground."

Katara clenched her fists at his words, nails biting into her skin. Was she being stupid? Probably. But that wasn't going to stop her. It wasn't like she thought she could beat him. She just wanted to prove she could at least put up a decent fight. Moving into the position Zuko had taught her, she raised her arms in a position to protect her body. Zuko just stood there. Even when she started circling him, he still just stood there, acting infuriatingly relaxed. After a few more seconds, Katara realized he had no intention of moving or attacking. His back was even towards her and his arms were relaxed by his sides. He was still not wearing a shirt which was not helping Katara focus. Turning his head slightly, Zuko spoke, "Well? Are you going to attack me?"

Oh this man was infuriating! With a growl, Katara launched toward him, intending to hit him in the back of the head. However, right before her fist reached him, Zuko tilted his head to the side, and the only thing Katara hit was air. Stumbling forward with the force of her strike, she almost collided with the firebender. "Is that all you got?" Was the only reply Zuko gave her. Oh he was going down! Muttering curses under her breath, she regrouped and then executed a few more maneuvers; all of which ended in the same failure. So far Zuko hadn't even raised his arms. He just stepped out of the way every time she tried to hit him or kick him. At least he was facing her now. If he wasn't acting so smug, she would have been impressed. Katara was starting to feel hot. All this fighting was making her sweat. She wished she could take off her shirt like Zuko did. Lucky son of a bitch.

Huffing a frustrated breath, Katara swung her arm toward him again. But this time instead of just dodging, Zuko grabbed her wrist and held it firmly. Suddenly feeling a little panicked, Katara tried to jerk her wrist away but only succeeded in losing her footing. A mistake that Zuko took full advantage of. With one swift pull, she found her back against a smirking Zuko's chest. He had also captured her other free wrist and now held it behind her back. No matter how much Katara wriggled, she couldn't break his grasp. So much for getting in a few punches. She couldn't believe how stupid she had been. What had made her think she could beat him? At least she had had some real practice, even if it was a huge failure.

Katara sighed. "Okay Zuko, you made your point. Let me go now." When he did not answer her immediately, Katara squirmed, trying to free herself.

"Hmm, just give me a few more seconds to savor the sweet feeling of victory." He whispered smugly in her ear. Katara felt her pulse quicken. If he knew what kind of effect he was having on her right now, he would release her in a heartbeat. But Zuko just grinned and leaned towards her neck. Katara shuddered slightly as he breathed in deeply against her hair. She hoped desperately she didn't smell too sweaty.

Out of nowhere, Zuko dropped her hands with a grunt and stepped away. Finally she could breathe again! Rubbing her wrist, Katara turned to face her firebender. Wait. Her firebender? Where had that come from? He was not hers. Nor would he ever be. He was completely out of her league. That point was only proven more by his whooping her ass a few minutes ago.

Her stomach just then decided to growl loudly, reminding her wandering mind that it was time for supper. Zuko seemed to be thinking the same thing since he was already heading to the food supplies. Katara sighed. Another supper of crappy food. At least the company was good.

…

The sun was setting by the time they finished eating. Zuko, to Katara's surprise and delight, had helped make the meal tonight. He had not been very good at it, but with her instruction, he got the hang of it eventually. Now they were leaning against the cave wall, staring at the fire. The cave floor was uncomfortable even with the blankets, but her tired bones did not care. Although the silence between them did not seem awkward anymore, Katara wanted to ask Zuko something.

"Zuko?" She started, and his golden eyes turned to look at her. "How has Azula been doing? Has she made any progress?" It was no secret that the Fire Lord's sister was in a mental hospital. But what was happening inside no one knew.

Zuko sighed and leaned his head back against the wall. "She's doing a little bit better now and does not try to attack everyone who enters the room. But she still won't talk to me or anyone else." Katara could see the sadness in Zuko's eyes as he spoke about his sister. It was obvious that it pained him to see her in such an unbalanced state. She knew that Zuko cared about Azula despite her desire to kill him, and he often went to sit with her. Katara hoped that his efforts would pay off eventually and that Azula would get better.

Katara shivered and hugged her arms around her as she spoke. "That's good that Azula has improved, even if it's just a minor change. Baby steps are better than nothing."

Zuko nodded in answer, but then frowned at her shivering. "Come over here, Katara. I have enough heat for the both of us." Nervous for some reason, Katara slid over closer to him. But obviously he did not think it was close enough, because he reached his arm out and pulled her so that her back was resting on his chest.

Katara let out a little "Oh" of surprise, but then practically melted into Zuko as his warmth surrounded her fully. This was nice, she thought contentedly. Why hadn't they done this before?

The evening wore on as they talked about Azula and other things, and Katara's eyes were starting to droop. Settling further into Zuko's embrace, she yawned. "You're a good brother Zuko." She said sleepily, eyes closing. "Azula is lucky to have you to take care of her." Katara's voice trailed off as she started to fall asleep. She did not hear Zuko's response and did not feel the kiss he pressed into her forehead. Nor did she remember how gently he carried her over to the bed and settled her down beside him…

Sorry that wasn't my best work. I just got major writer's block, and this chapter was a struggle. But please bear with me. Anyway, you probably noticed lol how much Katara overthinks :)' I just felt that seemed like her. But it is infuriating to read how clueless she is haha. Don't worry, you will hear Zuko's side in the next chapter. Thanks for reading and if you want to read more from me please check out some of my new SJM oneshots! I also got TVD if thats more your jam:) Hope you have a wonderful day!