A/N: I know I know! Early chapter but I couldn't help it! Thank you Night and Pickles. Always love your reviews!

And without further ado! Enjoy!

Sokka and Aang were the ones to help him back to his room. They had to carry him partially, his arms slung over both their shoulders to keep his legs from buckling under him. Yes, Zuko was in pain, but he wasn't about to pass out from it or anything, so best to stay on his feet.

Though he was exponentially glad when he finally sat down on his bed. The ache across his chest had intensified and his back was killing him.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Aang asked, hovering over the Prince who sat on his bed hunched over slightly against the pain. His hair did well to hide his expression, so Zuko simply nodded. "I'm fine. I just need to sleep it off."

The Avatar glanced at Sokka, and the two of them shared a worried look. "Well, if you need anything just tap the floor, Toph will be able to sense it." Aang said, gesturing to the younger girl who stood at the doorway with Katara beside her.

Zuko only nodded.

Though hesitant the two boys walked out, lingering in the doorway for a few seconds. And once they were sure that Zuko wasn't going to fall over, they left.

Sensing they were gone, Zuko let out the groan of pain he had been holding back, his hand reaching to press against the center of his chest where the whip had caught him. Carefully, so as not to aggravate his injuries any further, he removed the two layers he'd been wearing to assess the damage.

He glanced down and winced.

Already the wound was discoloring across the expanse of his chest, running in a horizontal line. The bruise was easily the size of his palm, not to mention the strength and power that had been behind it.

At least he could breath properly, he noted after he had taken a deep breath. That meant no broken ribs. Thank Agni for little miracles. His back though, he couldn't get a look at, so he was left to imagine how many bruises were forming there.

He had also hit the back of his head, judging by the sensitive spot and the lump growing in that particular area. Which meant that he shouldn't sleep for a while.

Though he had told Aang he would sleep it off, it was the furthest thing from his mind.

What occupied his mind was Orora.

And the look of pure horror she had worn before racing out of the fountain hall.

He'd seen her, having tilted his head to the side and catching a glimpse of her through the feet that surrounded him.

Gently resting his head on the wall against which his bed was pushed up, he stared at the ceiling. Knowing Orora, and he knew her rather well, she was probably beating herself up about hurting him.

He wanted to go and find her, to go and tell her that it wasn't her fault. After all, he'd been the one to offer her to let loose all her emotions on him. He just hadn't been fast enough.

Truth be told, he'd forgotten how fierce she could get in battle.

His mind drifted back to their first ever battle, back near that lake when they were still living as refugees. He'd managed to best her because she'd been inexperienced.

But now?

He wandered if she was at Master level yet. Though he hadn't been fighting her himself, Zuko was aware enough to know a strong bender when he ran into one. And Orora had become very strong. His Uncle would be proud to see her progress, the young Prince thought to himself, glancing at the portrait of the man he had set on his bedside.

Zuko missed him. Terribly. And he wished, more then ever, that Iroh was there with him now. With both of them, to help give words of wisdom and try to get past whatever barriers that remained between them. Then again, Uncle would advise them to work it out themselves. Aside from that one time he had set his nephew on that had resulted in him and Orora getting closer, Zuko didn't think his Uncle had ever meddled in either of their proceedings as soulmates.

Agni, he had no idea how long it would take him to win back Orora's trust. He was actually counting on her kind and soft heart to give him some leeway, and yet he knew her to be stubborn enough to not make it easy for him.

He didn't blame her though. Besides, he knew it would take time. It had taken a long time for her to actually start trusting him when they first met.

Slowly, his thoughts began to grow fuzzy, and he drifted in and out of memories. All of which involved his soulmate one way or the other.

Zuko had no idea how long he sat there, lost in his thoughts, his body aching all over.

That is until he felt his finger tug and his relieved golden amber eyes opened to meet a pair of worried and guilt-ridden ice blue eyes.

Their little battle had happened earlier in the evening.

And now it was getting late.

Orora had only managed to gather strength once the moon had appeared in the sky and she'd been able to rise to her feet, her legs trembling as she did. Looking around, she found herself to have taken refuge in a rather familiar looking clearing.

One that had been a campsite for her and Zuko when they had first arrived.

The waterbender had stood there, staring up at the moon through the branches and leaves that slightly obscured her vision. The gentle breeze allowed her an undisturbed view every now and then. Normally she would've spoken to the moon, would've revealed all that she was feeling and feel better for it.

But right then she just felt numb and empty.

All that she kept seeing in her mind's eye was her water whip, as it flew through the air, hitting Zuko in the chest and making him fly back and smack against the wall with a sickening thud.

Over and over and over.

She didn't cry though. Maybe she had finally run out of tears?

A headache was beginning to throb just behind her red rimmed eyes, and some of her hair stuck to her wet cheeks. Brushing them back, and wiping at her cheeks, the girl slowly, albeit reluctantly, began to make her way back down to the Temple with timid steps.

Once she'd climbed down the stairs, she retrieved her medicinal bag and water skin from her room. Guilt gnawed away against her very skin, her expression one of apprehensiveness as she made her way to where Zuko's room was.

While one part of her screamed at her to stay away from him, lest she hurt him again, the other part urged her, pushed her, to go see how he was.

To make sure he was alright.

And that was how she found herself standing at Zuko's doorway, her eyes wide as a horrified sound fell from her lips at the sight of his bruised torso.

"Its not as bad as it looks." Were the first words out of Zuko's mouth as he straightened up, only to wince at the sharp pain that radiated across his back and chest. He brought up a hand to rest it gently against the whip mark. Orora remained where she was, now biting her lower lip, her knuckles white from where she was clutching her bag and water skin to her chest.

Allowing her a few moments to collect herself, Zuko cleared his throat. "You gonna stand there or are you gonna come in and heal me?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her. A look of surprise flitted across her features. "How did you-" She trailed off, wandering why he would say that after what she had just done to him.

The firebender shrugged. "Well, you always said you were a Healer first and foremost and then a Fighter, so I figured that's why you're here." Quickly pointing towards a cluster of candles, he lit them to give the room some more light for her to work in. "Yeah." She said, her shoulder drooping visibly, her eyes never once leaving the ugly bruise along his chest. "But...only if you want me to." The waterbender said, her voice small, and so utterly unlike her.

Zuko frowned. "Why wouldn't I want you to heal me? You've done it before, and to great results. Remember the time when I was sick?" The memory only served to remind her just how close she had gotten to loosing him to the fever that had raged his body for days. "I meant," She paused, gulping back a lump in her throat. "I meant after what I did."

She was still standing in the doorway, looking almost afraid. And she felt it too, afraid that she might hurt Zuko again. It was a ridiculous notion since Orora knew she wouldn't. In all honesty though, she just didn't trust herself. Realization dawned on him, and he pursed his lips. His suspicion had proven true, she did blame herself.

"There is no one in this world I would trust more to heal me then you Orora."

He didn't just mean his physical injuries.

Maybe she picked up on it, or perhaps she didn't. Whatever her perception, it caused her to look at him, finally meeting his eyes since she had stepped in his presence. He could imagine the storm of emotions that raged behind her ice blue eyes, and yet she was looking at him with a level of surprise, confusion and something else he couldn't identify.

Slowly she took one step forward.

Then another.

Then another.

Until she stood at the head of the bed, placing her bag and water skin next to the portrait of Iroh. She did glance at it, but now wasn't the time to admire the likeness in charcoal. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply before exhaling through her mouth. It wasn't difficult to allow the Healer within her to awaken and take charge.

Coating her hands with the clean water and activating her Healing Abilities, obvious since the water began to glow, Orora moved to sit down next to him. Zuko pushed himself forward so that he could rest his feet on the floor. Purposefully not making eye contact with the Prince, the girl pressed her hands against his abdomen. Though he hissed slightly, Zuko managed to hold back any other sounds of pain aside from an occasional sigh of relief as her Healing Abilities soothed the bruised skin and aching muscles.

And while Orora kept her gaze fixed on the wounds as she healed, Zuko's gaze never once wavered from her face.

He tried hard not to look at her, but he couldn't help himself. She hadn't washed her face, he noted the tear tracks, and her hair was in tangles, since she hadn't bothered to pull them up in a ponytail or comb through them. The look of sheer concentration on her face would slip every now and then, to one of guilt and concern, when he would react to the pain. The flickering candles cast a shadow across her face, making her appear even more downcast then she looked.

It only took her ten minutes until the bruise on his chest was near fading, looking as if it were a few days old rather then having just been inflicted a few hours ago.

"Turn." She said, her soft voice echoing in the otherwise silent room. Zuko mutely obeyed, turning around so she could assess his back as well as the back of his head. Repeating the same process that she had his chest, it took another ten minutes for her to heal the sporadic bruises across the broad expanse of his back, before shifting her attention to the back of his head. Another five minutes, and she was done.

Though the last session went by quicker because she had to brush away some of his hair to get to the swollen area, and the way his body had tensed had not gone unnoticed by her. Neither had the fact that she had unconsciously noted that his hair was just as soft as she remembered it to be.

Finally, once she was satisfied that there were no more bruises she could physically heal, the girl pulled back her hands, bending the water back into the water skin and standing up. "You should take something for the pain." She said, as Zuko lifted a hand to rub the spot where it had been hurting just a few minutes ago. Opening her bag, Orora quickly sifted through the various small pouches within. Once she'd selected one, she pulled it out.

Only for her eyes to fall on the portrait she had barely glanced over half an hour ago. Zuko glanced at her from where he had been pulling on his inner shirt. She paused, the pouch in her hand, while with the other she delicately picked up the frame. Even though it was a drawing, Orora could see the ever-present kindness that had always twinkled in her Master's eyes.

Zuko straightened so he could sit properly, just as Orora sat back down next to him. "Was he alright? When you would go see him?" She asked, her voice holding the pain of missing the kindest man she could ever know. The Prince nodded, his warm gaze flicking from the portrait she held to her face. "Yeah, he mentioned you whenever he spoke to me. He missed you." He revealed, hoping to alleviate some of the pain she felt in that moment.

It did, but it also made her miss him ever more.

Nodding, the girl set the frame back before holding out the pouch for him to take. "Here, just dissolve a pinch of the powder in water or tea and drink it at night before going to sleep. It'll help with any leftover pain." She promised, trying hard not to shudder when his fingers brushed against hers as he took the pouch. Wanting to ease her guilt Zuko decided to go for a rather direct tactic, lest she take the chance to walk away from him.

"It wasn't your fault Orora." Her jaw clenched at his words, and she looked away to stare at her hands which she had placed on her thighs. Her knuckles turned pale as they gripped the fabric of her shirt. "I should've been more on guard." He didn't look away from her, wanting to read her as much as he could to better handle the situation. "And I guess I underestimated you, you've become more powerful and skilled since the last time I saw you bend in battle."

His attempt to lighten the situation was met with a sharp intake of breath, followed by a shudder that wrecked through her entire body as she closed her eyes and shook her head. "Don't" She whispered, her hand hanging low, her hair acting as a curtain around her face, as if to hide her from the rest of the world.

To hide from him.

"Don't try to make it your fault Zuko." His eyes never wavered from her. Even though he couldn't see her face. "I shouldn't have let my anger get the better of me." She bit her lip, as if she were holding herself back from revealing something else.

And Zuko knew it too.

Knew it in the way she clenched her hands and the way her body tensed. Slightly hesitant, and yet hopeful at the same time, Zuko reached out, gently covering one of her hand with his own. Her reaction was immediate. Her mouth fell open, her breath hitched and her head lifted to meet his gaze. "You were right to be angry at me Orora." He said, his voice soft. "What I did and how much I hurt you, I don't even deserve to be in your presence."

Seems she hadn't run out of tears yet, judging by the burning behind her eyes as she tried blinking to keep them from falling. Her gaze dropped to where his hand was pressed atop hers.

There were three things Orora noticed about their hands. The contrast of their skin color, hers dark and his light. The feel of his callouses along his palm, probably from years of practicing his swordsmanship. But what she really noticed was how warm his hand was.

The one thing she ignored, though could not deny, was the glow of their strings.

Blue and red.

Neither of the strings had stopped glowing since their encounter earlier.

"I just..." She trailed off, swallowing the lump in her throat before starting again. "I just don't understand. Were we...was I not enough for you?"

There.

It was out in the open.

The question that had haunted her every single day since Ba Sing Se.

Zuko's eyes widened as a horrible realization settled in his chest. His mind went blank for a brief moment, unable to comprehend the level of heartbreak Orora must've felt because she thought she hadn't been enough for him.

"No!" His reply came, quick and urgent. "No. No. No. No. No." He kept repeating. Against his better judgement, his other hand lifted to press his palm against the side of her cheek, guiding her face so that he could meet her eyes properly. Seeing her eyes shine with unshed tears only had his heart twisting in his chest. "Orora you-" He swallowed, trying to find the words to explain. "You were more then enough." His thumb traced a gentle path against her skin. "It was me. I thought you were leaving and I don't know, I guess I just... just..." Zuko trailed off, sighing deeply, his eyes full of regret as he turned away from her, allowing his hands to fall away.

She instantly missed his warmth, while he missed her softness.

"My mother left me Orora. And I thought you were leaving me too. I thought that if I went back home then I wouldn't have to think about you leaving me because then I would've left first." Realization dawned on Orora, as her lips parted. Reaching out, she placed a hand on his shoulder. She felt him tense under her touch, but neither of them pulled away. "I was quick and rash about my decision, and because of that I lost you."

He lifted his head from where he had buried his forehead in his hand to look at her. "But believe me when I say, that I regretted it. The moment you were gone, I began to have doubts." His face was open and sincere as he continued. "When I was going back to the Fire Nation, and I realized I wouldn't be able to see you, talk to you, hold you, hug you, fight you, k-kiss you," He swallowed trying not to let his voice break even as a tear escaped his eye. "I knew I had made the worst decision I could ever have made." The final words were spoken barely above a whisper as silent tears paved a path down his cheeks.

Orora lifted her hand from his shoulder, only to cup his cheek the way he had hers just a few moments ago. She'd never seen Zuko cry, and it broke her heart to know just how much he had suffered because of what had happened to him in his past. Her thumb caught a tear, wiping it gently away, before she traced her fingers to the edge of his scar.

And after months of dreaming about it, of hoping that she wouldn't hate him so much that she never would do it again, her gentle fingers traced the scar that marred his face.

He closed his eyes, allowing himself to soak in the comfort of her touch as she brushed the tips of her fingers against his skin, tracing that familiar path she had memorized so long ago and still remembered it.

Slowly, the tears lessened before they finally stopped, and Zuko opened his eyes to see Orora offering him a tentative lilt of her head. He answered her silent question with a nod, reaching up to cover her hand with his own, savoring her touch for a few moments longer.

Her eyes dropped from his face to the fading bruise that still adorned his chest, a small part of it still visible since his shirt didn't cover the front of his chest completely. Unable to help herself, she found her fingers just barely touching the colored skin. Zuko barely moved, in truth he barely drew breath as he waited for her. He would've stayed like this, waiting for her to talk the entire night if he had to.

The silence prevailed. Yet this one was neither uncomfortable, nor was it heavy with unspoken feelings and doubts. They were both, finally, laying out the tiles on the table. Zuko had shown his White Lotus Tile, now it was her turn.

"I was so angry after you left." The girl began, her voice soft and low. "And for awhile I just stayed angry, but then I realized I was sad because I thought I hadn't been enough for you. To make you stay." His heart twinged at her words once again, but he kept quiet. "I kept it all in. Barely spoke to anyone about it and I was barely able to function."

She sighed, closing her eyes briefly before opening them again. "I finally broke and let everything out. Honestly, I had thought I'd moved past it but then I saw you again and all of it came rushing back." Unable to help himself, and wanting to provide her with the comfort she had given him, Zuko took the hand resting atop her thigh into both of his, giving it a light squeeze as he did.

"All that anger, it boiled inside me and I was unable to look past that anger and see that you had-no,have changed. I," She paused, pursing her lips, the devastation clear in her eyes. "I thought I hated you, and that devastated me." The waterbender finally revealed, feeling Zuko all but freeze in place.

Not wanting to loose him, and hoping to clear things, she continued, this time raising her eyes to meet his because she was desperate. Desperate for him to understand all that she had felt. "But then I realized I didn't, and that only made me more angry so I decided that I should just ignore you."

"But then you came in and you said to take it out on you and I did, and I hu-hurt you." Her words came out rushed and hurried, as if she were afraid she would loose her voice or perhaps her courage if she didn't reveal everything. "I hurt you even after I had promised myself that I would always protect you. You told me how so many people have hurt you, and I promised that I wouldn't be one of those people. But then I went and did exactly that. Just like your father. And-and..." She gasped for breath, the tears she had been holding back now streaming down her face as Zuko stared at her the shock evident on his face as he stared at her.

Did she really think that?

Did she really just compare herself to his father?!

Ever since they had met, it had been Orora who had comforted him. Who had shown him that there could be good in people, and that there was good in him. That he was not his family.

And now? It was his turn to make her see that she was one of the most beautiful people he had ever met. Both inside and out.

"No." He stated, his voice loud and determined as he glared at her. His proclamation was followed by a burst of light as his anger fueled the candles into burning brighter for a second before they resumed their gentle glow. Orora paused where she had opened her mouth to go on, gaping at him as the tears continued. "You are nothing like my father Orora." His voice one of conviction as he held her hand. "He's a heartless monster who doesn't care about anyone."

"But I hurt you Zuko." She tried to argue to which he responded with an answer that had her staring at him. "And I hurt you too didn't I? Does that make me like your father?"

The tears had finally stopped, and now they both just looked at one another. Zuko still held her hand in both of his, while her other hand had come to rest atop his chest in a gentle fist. Lifting her hand away from his warm skin, she gently pulled her hand out of his grip, before turning to sit straight once more.

"Orora." He said, his voice heavy, closing his eyes for a moment before continuing. "Neither of us will ever hope to move forward if we keep feeling guilty about hurting one another. I know you're still angry at me but, I just want you to be happy." He revealed, his hand finding the side of her face once again and turning her to face him. All so that he could force himself to look up her, to meet her gaze and answer any question she might have because she, at least, deserved that much honesty from him.

Though this time, even though he wanted to keep touching her, he pulled his hand back.

The girl shook her head, a look of resignation on her face as she sighed. "I can't be angry at you anymore Zuko." She whispered, and Zuko tried very hard not to let his hopes get too high. "I won't want to be angry anymore." Raising a hand to push back her hair from her face, the waterbender sighed yet again. "I'm just so tired."

"But what we had, that trust, its broken." She continued, once more turning her body towards him. Zuko nodded. "I know, and I am so so sorry for that Orora. I never realized how important it was until I lost it."

A nod followed his words almost immediately. "It will take time, to rebuild that trust again, just like it was the first time." Zuko, finally allowing his heart to swell with the hope he had denied himself earlier nodded. "I understand and I'm willing to do whatever I can to win your trust again Orora."

The two of them continued to gaze at one another, with Orora inwardly battling with herself, unable to decide whether she should ask what echoed in her heart. And Zuko sensed it, because he nodded at her in an encouraging manner.

"Is-is that all you're willing to win back? My trust?" She asked at last. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest and for a moment she thought that perhaps she had crossed a line. A brief flash of confusion sparked in his amber eyes, before he saw her blue gaze drop to their strings which were still glowing.

Eyes widening in realization, and a sharp breath sounding in the air, Zuko swallowed back the sudden lump that formed in his throat. His heart felt like it was doing flips in his chest, as he pursed his lips before speaking. "Do you want me to win back...more?"

Her reply was unsure and yet hopeful at the same time as she, looked away suddenly feeling shy.

"Maybe." She whispered.

Was it too much to ask of something like that? They were barely on speaking terms and here she was asking if they could be more?

Why?

Because during her meditation Orora had been able to comprehend just how easily they could loose one another. They were fighting in a war. What if the next time someone attacked, one of them didn't make it out?

So if he was willing to win back her trust, maybe he would be willing to win back her heart as well.

And if his reaction was anything to go by, what she had asked of him was perhaps something he wanted as well.

Because Zuko grabbed her arms and pulled her in for an embrace that was equal parts desperate as it was intimate. His arms came to wrap around her shoulders, while his face rested at the juncture between her neck and shoulder and he finally, finally, allowed himself to memorize her scent once again. Orora wasn't any better, she had her face buried in his chest, eyes closed as she savored his warmth as any remaining doubt she had were finally, finally, put to rest.

How long they stayed in that embrace? Neither of them had any idea. And even when Zuko pulled back, he didn't pull away. Instead he rested his forehead against her own, allowing them to stay close but so their eyes could meet.

"Then I'll devote every moment of my days to win you back Orora." He vowed, his face serious. "I promise, no matter how long it takes me."

With that, he reached into the pocket of the shirt he had pulled on, only to pull out an item she never thought she'd see again.

Her comb.

The one she had left back in Ba Sing Se.

Orora stared at it wide-eyed and in disbelief. "You dropped it during the fight." He explained, holding it out for her to take, which she did so, her fingers trembling slightly.

"Y-You kept it?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper as she lifted her gaze from the comb to meet his.

"It was the only thing I had that would remind me of you."

A blush stole across her cheeks as he reached up to brush some of her unruly hair behind her ear. But then he paused as another idea sparked in his head. One that had nearly his entire face flushing red, but he barely took note. Taking the comb gently from her fingers, he placed it against the side of her head, just behind her ear and pushed it into place. "So, of course, I kept it." He finished, his fingers lingering against her hair far longer then it was appropriate.

Sighing deeply, Orora closed her eyes, savoring the closeness and warmth he provided that she had sorely missed. "This isn't going to be easy. Is it?" She asked, and though there was a touch of humor in her words, there was also uncertainty.

Zuko shrugged. "You're from the Water Tribe and I'm from the Fire Nation. This," He gestured to where their strings were glowing.

"Was never going to be easy."

They still had a long road ahead of them, but at least it was a road they would travel together.

A few minutes later Orora walked out of Zuko's room, holding her bag and water skins. The light of the moon danced along her face, as if it too shared in her joy of not going to bed with a heavy heart for the first time in weeks.

And within the confines of his room, Zuko stared up at the ceiling, a rare smile on his lips as he thank every Spirit there was that fate had allowed him another chance to win back his soulmate.

This time though, he had no intention of messing anything up like he had the first.

At least not intentionally.

As soon as Orora had disappeared into her room, several shadows began to stir.

First, Sokka was dropped from the ceiling by Aang, who had been holding him up. Both of them had been on the ground near Zuko's door and as soon as they had heard Orora bid him goodnight, the boys had panicked. And Aang had quickly opened his staff, grabbed Sokka and began to levitate in the air.

Second, Toph dropped her camouflage wall from behind which she and Katara stepped out off, with the latter brushing away stray stones from her hair.

Had they been spying since the beginning?

Yes.

Did any of them regret it?

Of course not.

Would they do it again?

...

Yes, yes they would.

A/N: Please leave a review and lemme know what you thought of the chapter! Till next time! - Hestia28