Author's Note: I made a few changes to the first chapter just so you know. I made the time that has passed be 6 months instead of two. And I added Katara healing Zuko for a few weeks. Anyway, this is Zuko's chapter. I will be alternating POV's each chapter. Hope you like it!

Warning: Swearing

Zuko climbed back into Appa's saddle when he saw their destination was nearing. He was excited but a little nervous to be visiting Katara's home since he had attacked it only a year or so ago. Although Katara had assured him that they were fine with him coming back to visit, he was still unsure how they could forgive him that easily. The village (quickly becoming a city) had been rebuilt and was being used as a sort of capital for the Southern Water Tribe. The foremost thought on his mind right now, other than Katara, was Sokka. He and the warrior had become friends during the boiling rock incident, and now Zuko wanted to see how he was doing. Sokka had in fact sent him a few messages over the last few months, but it was difficult to keep up correspondence when both of them were so busy running their own nations. Since Sokka wasn't chief yet, he did not have as much responsibility as Zuko himself had, but the warrior had taken it on himself to oversee the rebuilding of the Water Nation. And although Katara wasn't going to be chief, he guessed she was going to play a major role in running the Water Tribe alongside Sokka. Zuko had no doubt she would be the official healer since she obviously loved helping sick people.

Katara was something special. Not only was she breathtakingly beautiful, but she was also the most powerful water bender he had ever seen. And his power seemed to be drawn to hers in a way he couldn't understand. His fire seemed to burn hotter when they were in the same room or when her fingers brushed his accidentally. It probably had something to do with the oppositeness of their two elements. She was water; smooth, flowing, and cool. He was fire; passionate, intense, and scorching. She moved like the waves, elegant and shifting. It mesmerized him. However, it was not only her bending skills that intoxicated Zuko, but also her compassion and kindness towards everyone, even him. Although he did not deserve her forgiveness or friendship, she somehow found it in her heart to give it to him. She had even saved his life after he had been struck by Azula's lightning. He rubbed his scar on his chest as he remembered that day. He often felt phantom pains in his chest like a fist gripping his heart. But Katara had healed him well. The vast majority of the physical pain was gone by the time their healing sessions ended. If he was honest with himself, he had not wanted those times together to cease. At first she was shy and did not speak often to him as her hands bended the hurt from his body. But gradually they exchanged more and more words. Zuko had looked forward to those moments with Katara, not only because her hands had run all over his chest and stomach, but also because she was the only person who looked at him and truly saw him.

But if he was to be honest, Zuko found her immensely attractive. At those healing sessions he had to control himself on many occasions so as to not have a bulge in his pants by the end. To make matters worse, she would often climb up over him and sit on his legs to get a better angle for healing. God it was difficult to not pull her on top of him those days. Her hands would slide over his chest unknowingly setting his pulse racing. Oh she had no idea what she did to him. He thought of those moments a lot. Who was he kidding? He thought of her a lot. Her eyes looking at him. Her mouth as she talked and laughed. Her body as she water bended... He was entirely too enamored by her body. A friend shouldn't be thinking about another friend's body like he does. But fuck if he couldn't stop. He would wake up at dawn and train until he dropped to give himself a distraction from thinking about her. He would smother himself in work so he couldn't lay in bed and imagine how soft her skin felt. Or how round her breasts are... Fuck. He needed to stop this before he did something stupid and ruined their friendship forever.

Zuko breathed a sigh and leaned his head back to control his breathing. It wouldn't do to show up at the South Pole with a tent in his pants. No, he must get this under control. Katara obviously thinks of him as just a friend and nothing more, so he must control his desire. He looked over his shoulder to look at her. She was gazing out at the water, probably fully focused on the upcoming reunion. She had barely talked or even noticed him the whole flight. He had felt what he thought to be her gaze on his back at one point, but when he turned around she was talking to Toph.

Feeling the wind change, Zuko looked out and saw that they were heading down to the ground. He could faintly make out a group of people waiting by the ice sheet that was supposed to be their landing site. Zuko chuckled when he saw the watchtower standing tall and proud at the edge of the city. Sokka definitely loved his watchtowers. In fact, the first thing he had built was that tower.

Zuko gripped the edge of the saddle feeling the wood bite into his palms as Appa landed. It was a smooth landing as always, but one could never be too careful in his opinion. As Zuko got to his feet and grabbed his belongings, he watched Katara leap to the ground and rush to hug her father and brother. Their display of affection made his lips turn up in a smile. It must be nice to have such a loving family. It was no secret his dad hated him as Ozai made sure to tell him after every visit Zuko had made to the prisons. He had told himself that he did not care what his father thought of him, but there was no denying that those words stung all the same. Azula was currently under house arrest and constant supervision. She was in therapy and making some progress though it wasn't much. Zuko hoped to see her better, but he wasn't sure she would ever love him like Katara loved Sokka. Even though he did not hold much hope for Azula's love, he still visited whenever he could. At first it was difficult looking at her after all she had done to the people he loved, but gradually he began to enjoy and even look forward to his visits.

All of a sudden, Zuko felt Toph's hand grab his arm. He looked down to see her clinging to him like a baby monkey. He almost laughed at the look of annoyed embarrassment on her face.

"Shut up Sparky, and just help the blind girl without any comments." Toph muttered under her breath.

Zuko chuckled, "Hey I wasn't gonna say anything. But you have to let go for a second so I can get down to help you. Don't worry I won't drop you."

After a little maneuvering and a few jabs to Zuko's face with her foot, Toph had both feet on the ground (not that it did much for her sight since everything was covered in ice). Just as Zuko was certain he would have to lead Toph around the whole time, Aang stepped up and said, "Here, you can hold on to me Toph."

"Thanks, Twinkle Toes. I'll be sure to take it easy on ya in our next training session." Toph said as she was led away by Aang. Zuko watched as the airbender smiled down at her even though it looked like his arm was being squeezed in a vice grip.

Suddenly by himself, Zuko found himself walking towards Katara and the others. The ice was slippery, and he made a mental note to borrow a pair of winter boots to replace his Fire Nation shoes. He would also need a jacket he thought as the wind blew cold air through his clothes making him shiver. Katara, he noticed, had on her Water Tribe clothes. Although the blue coat and leggings did not highlight her features as well as her Fire Nation clothes did, they still hugged her curves well and made her ocean eyes sparkle. Adjusting his suddenly uncomfortable clothes and running a hand through his shaggy hair, he took his place behind Katara. She hadn't noticed him yet, which gave him the chance to watch the joy dance on her face. Could he ever make her smile like that? The thought of making her happy sent a confusing pang through his chest. He wondered why she had stayed in the Fire Nation in the first place. It was blatantly obvious she loved it here, cold and all. The selfish part of him wished she stayed because of him. But he knew that it couldn't be the reason. She probably just wanted to be closer to Aang. Or maybe she liked the palace or the beaches. Anyway, staring at her back and daydreaming wasn't going to do him any good.

All of a sudden, Katara turned around, dark brown hair flying in the wind, and grabbed his hand. Almost tripping when she pulled him forward a few steps, Zuko halted unsteadily in front of the group. Katara was still holding his hand, and Zuko couldn't help but notice how small her hand was in his. How soft and smooth it was compared to his own, calloused as it was from years of labor on his warship. The size comparison reminded him of how delicate she really was. If she did not have her bending, she could easily be hurt or much worse by men. The thought caused something primal to stir inside him, but he pushed it down when he heard her speak.

"This is Zuko everyone! Or um I guess I should call him the Fire Lord... But anyways here he is." She was beaming at him which made Zuko blush slightly. He was still uneasy being the center of attention which was strange since he was always in the spotlight as the Fire Lord.

Before he had the chance to utter a single word, Sokka yelled out an enthusiastic "ZUKOOO!!!" If the sheer force of the volume did not knock him over, Sokka sure did. Zuko let out an umph as he found himself wrapped inside the warrior's arms. After he had caught his breath, Zuko hugged Sokka back, glad to finally see his friend again. Sokka had grown a few inches since the last time he saw him, but Zuko still had a few inches on him. Letting out a laugh as the bearhug subsided, he clasped his hand on Sokka's shoulder.

"It's good to see you too, Sokka. How's running the Nation going?" Sokka's smile grew even wider.

"Come with me to the house and I'll tell you all about it." After a moment's pause he whispered to Zukko under his breath, "You didn't bring any fire flakes did ya? Because I swear there is nothing good to eat here besides sea prunes and oddly enough those can in fact get tiring eventually."

Zuko laughed. "I might have brought a few with me."

"Great! But for now let's head inside and see if the meat is done cooking. I have some ideas about a new air balloon that I want to show you too."

With one last glance at Katara's smiling face, Zuko let Sokka lead him toward the huge igloo that served as the chief's house.

…

Zuko was secretly glad when supper was over. It was not the company that he did not like nor was it the food; it was just that he was so tired and needed some time to himself. With a quick look over his shoulder, Zuko crept out of the igloo. It was a cold night and he felt his body protest at the sudden chill that seeped into his skin. But he ignored the desire to go back inside, and instead started walking without knowing where he was going.

After about ten minutes of trudging through snow, Zuko found himself at the harbor. The moon was full and shining down on the water which crashed against the dock he was standing on. It was a beautiful night. Thoughts of Katara unbiddenly crossed his mind as he gazed at the moon. This was her element. The waves and snow around him were what she called home. Seeing them now made him feel like he understood her a little better. He did not know why, but he wanted her here beside him. She calmed his fire in a way no one else could. Zuko let out a puff of air that was visible in the cold. All of a sudden, he heard the crunch of light footsteps behind him. The sound made his soldier instincts activate, and he whipped his body around, ready to fight any danger that may threaten him. But his wariness was unfounded as he found himself standing in front of Katara.

Her quick gasp at his sudden movements, made his heart beat oddly faster. "What are you doing here?" he said without entirely realizing he was speaking.

"I saw you leaving and wanted to make sure you were okay." He heard her say. "But I can go if you want to be alone… I did not mean to startle you."

When his brain finally registered her words past the fact that she wanted to make sure he was okay, he rushed almost breathlessly, "No! I mean… no, you can stay if you want. It doesn't bother me. I was just getting some fresh air."

"You sure?"

He felt his suddenly heavy head nod in response to her question. "Yes. In fact, it's nice you are here. It's been awhile since we had the chance to talk."

"Ya, it certainly has been awhile," Katara said with a dizzying smile. Zuko stood still as she walked toward him. Only when she maneuvered herself to sit down with her legs dangling off the end of the dock, did his mind catch on. Moving quickly to make up for his brain's lagging, he settled down stiffly beside Katara. The thin material of his pants did not keep him very warm now that he was sitting directly on the cold ground, but Zuko hardly found himself caring as Katara looked over at him. Her face looked like it was glowing. The moonlight was shining down on them, and he guessed it was giving her the same feeling that he got under the full light of the sun. Surprisingly, it was his own voice that spoke first. "So, how do you feel being home?"

"Oh, I love being back!" She said as her fingers spread out over the snowy ground almost reverently. "It's wonderful to see how happy my family and village are, and I'm really excited to see the village rebuilt." Zuko felt a flash of guilt at how he had been the one who had destroyed it in the first place. But it was obvious she had not meant to rebuke him. She was just happy that her home was rebuilt again. Her voice continued as she said, "I can't believe it, but I even missed the snow! Isn't that crazy?" Her laugh rang out across the water, making Zuko smile at her. She was so beautiful when she laughed. It reminded him of a bubbling brook, which seemed appropriate since she was a waterbender. When he realized she was looking over at him expectantly, he realized that she must have asked him a question.

"I'm sorry." He stammered, embarrassed at his distractedness. "What did you say?"

"I asked you what you thought of the South Pole."

"Oh. It's beautiful." He said looking at her eyes, "It's cold too, but I like how the snow glitters under the moonlight. It is like a frozen sort of beauty. Silent and calm compared to the noisy and chaotic beauty of the Fire Nation." When he saw her looking at him strangely, he added with a nervous laugh, "I don't know if that makes any sense."

"It does." she whispered in response. For a long moment it was just the two of them looking at each other. The seconds seemed to tick slower as he gazed into her eyes. His hands twitched with the desire to touch her and hold her, but he resisted. Barely. The trance they had been under broke when Zuko saw Katara shiver with cold.

Suddenly registering the temperature around them, he lifted himself off the ground and said, "It's getting colder. We should probably get inside so we don't freeze to death." He stretched out his hand to help her up which was probably a mistake, because as soon as her delicate hand touched his, he felt his heart pound and his blood get hot. Katara on the other hand (other than a small shutter) did not seem affected at all by their contact. Shoving this thought away, Zuko helped Katara off the ground. By now it was getting pretty late.

"Thank you." Katara whispered almost breathlessly. Zuko nodded in response and dropped her hand reluctantly. He tried to ignore her presence beside him as they walked to the igloo, but found himself unable to stop glancing at her. He wanted to stay up all night talking to her and just being around her. However, when they finally reached the igloo, she turned toward him and whispered, "Goodnight."

Zuko swallowed his objection, and whispered back quietly, "Goodnight, Katara…"

So hopefully I haven't disappointed anyone with my attempt on Zuko's POV. I usually stick to what I know (aka the girl's POV:) Please comment what you think! I loveee reading comments on my stories. It makes all the time I spent writing worthwhile:) Have a great day!