Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Push and pull. Push and pull. Make the waves strong enough to hold their own.

The mantra gave her a sense of balance—a sense of sanity. The cascading waves pushed and pulled at her command, waiting for its master to tell it otherwise. Katara guided the waves to shore, then froze it into a moderate sized block of ice and unfroze it again.

She'd been doing this for several hours now.

A few days had passed since the arrest of Hama. Word had spread that she was to be sent to a secure Fire Nation prison, where she'd rot for the rest of her days. It had also been a few days since Katara had spoken. The group silently promised to leave her be until she was ready to talk—if she was ready to talk. Every one of them had tried to coax her into speaking, save for Zuko, but with a slight shake of her head, she left them before they could even voice their concerns.

The group decided to rest after hours of sparring, and to no one's surprise, Katara was absent.

"You guys can't just force her to talk. Especially after everything that happened." Zuko said.

Sokka crossed his arms. "Oh and I suppose you have a better idea, jerkbender?"

"Actually, I do. Leave her alone until she's ready. You're her brother. You know how she gets when she's feeling bad."

"I know, but it's been three days now! Whenever she's cooking or sparring, she hardly says anything. I could play a prank on her right now and I bet five silver pieces that she still wouldn't say anything." The dark skinned warrior crossed his arms.

Aang sighed. "I think Zuko's right Sokka. We all nearly died that night. I can't imagine how she's feeling." The monk sat with his head in his hands.

"Well, I think Sweetness deserves some more time to herself. I wasn't there when it all went down, but from what I've heard, it had to be terrifying for her." Toph said.

Zuko looked down at his feet. "To be able to control someone by using their blood...that's insane. I thought firebending was brutal, but that technique..." He trailed off, shaking his head.

Everyone was quiet for a moment as they let Zuko's words sink in. Toph quietly asked Aang if he wanted to spar, so they left to test out new techniques, which left Sokka and Zuko alone.

After a heavy moment of silence, Sokka spoke up. "When our mom died, I thought that was the worst that Katara had to endure, but now...I'm not so sure. It's not like her to be like this."

Zuko sat quietly, pondering on what to say next.

Sokka sighed. "You know her. You know her better than you give yourself credit for. I think..." he paused, trying to find the right words, "I think you should talk to her, Zuko."

Zuko looked up and sighed. "Should I? I don't want her to be angry at me."

"She won't be. You have a way of reaching to her without speaking. I doubt she'd reject you."

"Alright then." With that, he left to find the waterbender.

"Don't hurt your friends, Katara! And don't let them hurt each other!"

"Katara, I can't move!" The sharp, metallic point of the blade slowly started to tear at Zuko's neck, blood slowly dripped from the wound. Sokka and Aang were frozen to the trees, temporarily safe from the manipulation of their blood. The strain on her body from the woman's bending prevented Katara from being able to do the same for Zuko.

She briefly glanced at her best friend and muffled a sob. She snarled at Hama, "You'll pay for that, you monster!"

Hama's body began to twist and turn as Katara forcefully guided the blood in her vessels to act on her command. She bent her legs  and slowly guided the sinister woman to her knees. The old woman groaned in pain.

Katara was still on her knees, shaken from what she did, when the villagers appeared. They stood angrily, ready to put Hama away forever.

As the citizens began to drag her away, Hama gave her a wicked smile. "My work is done. Congratulations, Katara. You're a bloodbender."

Tears pooled in Katara's eyes as she let the woman's words sink in.

She was a bloodbender.

"Katara."

She looked up and saw everyone staring at her with sad eyes. She tried to speak, but sobs were the only thing that escaped her mouth as her body trembled. Everyone surrounded her, trying to give her some sort of comforting embrace. She looked up and saw Zuko's bloodied neck and gasped.

"Oh my god." She whispered. She forced herself not to look into his eyes while she healed him.

The memories of that night made a reappearance in her mind over and over again. She let them all down. She let Zuko down. If she hadn't summoned up enough strength, Zuko would have died. 

With a frustrating scream, she lifted her arms in the air, bending the huge wave of water and threw it against a few old, decaying trees. Tears slowly ran down her face.

"Congratulations, Katara. You're a bloodbender."

"Katara?"

She knew that voice. She didn't even have to turn around to know that he wasn't that far away from her. She knew that she had to face everyone at some point—she knew that they were sick of her odd behavior.

"...Yes?" She tried to sound detached, but her voice cracked at the end. She silently cursed. She knew he wouldn't miss that.

Zuko stood, unsure of how to approach the topic, but already knowing the answer to his question. "How are you holding up?"

Katara watched the ocean waves descend on the horizon and bit her lip while trying to hold in her tears. "I'm fine."

Zuko narrowed his eyes. "That's bullshit and you and I both know it," he stepped a bit closer, his voice softened, "I know that you don't let people see you break. Believe me, I get it. My father practically beat it into me until that's all I knew. You dont have to be so tough all the time, at least not around me. I'm...I'm worried about you. We all are. You're-," He licked his lips, "You're important to me. And I don't want you to hurt anymore."

Like a broken dam, Katara crumbled. Sobs wracked her body until she fell on her knees. Zuko ran to catch her and pulled her against him. He rubbed circles into her back to let her know he was there for her. Through thick and thin, good and bad. She was his best friend and he wasn't going to tolerate her being this hurt. This broken.

Katara wiped her eyes and face until she ready to speak.

"You know," she sniffled, "I was the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe. No one was around to teach me how to bend. I was...an amateur at the very least. I could lift the water and freeze it, but that was it. I didn't know anything else."

Zuko thought about the raid on the Southern Water Tribe that occurred when he was only a kid. He remembered how his father would boast about the power of the Fire Nation and how it was their duty to spread its glory.

That power destroyed Katara's people.

He knew that he wasn't responsible, but to know that his family was...it still broke his heart. He could apologize a million times and it would never suffice. It wouldn't bring back the Southern benders. And it wouldn't bring back her mother.

Katara continued. "But when I met Hama, I was overjoyed. I thought, 'Maybe this is my chance to learn more about my culture, my heritage, my people'. I ignored you and Sokka and continued to trust her, because she reminded me so much of Gran Gran and I thought that I could learn to be a better bender. People say that I'm really good, a prodigy even, but I always strive to improve. Waterbending makes me feel whole and without it, I'm not sure who I'd be.

"But then she bended water out of flowers and trees, taking the life out of nature. I didn't know she could do that and it made me wonder what else she could. Then...she took control of my body, Zuko. My body! I could feel the ache in my bones as I tried to resist, but it hurt so much. I was so scared. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, she started to control you guys. I was able to stop Aang and Sokka, but - "

Her lips trembled as Zuko held onto her tighter.

"I couldn't help you! I tried so hard to protect you, but I couldn't! I'm so ashamed because if I hadn't mustered enough strength at the last minute, you would've died! I'm so sorry, I - "

She didn't have enough time to finish before Zuko pulled her in for a hug. "Hey, hey that is not your fault. You're so strong. You're so powerful. Aside from Azula and Aang, you're the most powerful bender I've ever seen. I know you were doing everything you could to help, and I'm still alive because of you."

Katara turned away before Zuko caught her arm, she looked up at him. "I know how it feels to trust someone, only for them to betray you in the end. It sucks. And I'm sorry Hama ended up that way, no one should be forced to learn something they don't want to. I know I warned you before, but I understand why you ignored it. My people...they decimated your tribe, Katara. You didn't have any benders left to teach you and it's understandable why you'd trust her. You can't blame yourself for that forever. At some point, you have to learn to forgive yourself."

Katara shook her head, but looked at him anyway. "How?"

"I don't know. I believe forgiveness is only for the strongest among us. It'll take time, because it's not easy. But..." he looked at her, "I hope you find peace."

She wiped her eyes and gave him a small smile. "Where'd you learn all that? Let me guess, your uncle?"

Zuko rubbed the back of his neck. "You could say that."

She leaned on his shoulder. "Well, thanks. I...I hope I can find peace with all this too." He squeezed her hand in reassurance.

They remained quiet for a moment. "You know, I've been thinking about something."

Katara snorted. "Keep doing that and your brain will stop working." Zuko only rolled his eyes.

"Anyway," he gave her a pointed look, "I've been thinking about what you said. You know, when you mentioned how Hama was able to control you. I...might have an idea. But you have to listen and wait until I'm done talking. No interruptions."

"All right. But I swear, if it involves Sokka's smelly clothes -"

"What?"

"- then I'm out."

Exasperated, Zuko pinched his nose. "No, it doesn't involve Sokka's smelly clothes, now can you please listen to what I have to say?"

Relieved, she grinned. "Okay, go ahead."

"I know how you said bloodbending controls others and is ultimately evil, but what if...what if you could heal with it?"

Katara's eyes widened. "I-I've never even thought of that. But I don't know, Zuko. I just...I don't know if I want to deal with that technique again. I'm still freaked out."

He held her hands as he held her gaze. "Katara, I know. It was terrifying for me too. But you said it yourself that you're always looking to improve. You always want to be better. If you can heal with water, why not blood? Uncle used to say that there is no such thing as bad bending. It's all about who is bending what. You can do it, I know you can."

They held each other's gazes as Katara measured the weight in his words.

"All right. I'll do it."

"Try bending it the other way."

"I'm doing what I can, Zuko," Katara huffed, "The vessels are damaged!"

"Well, can't you just bend the blood away?"

"Yeah and hurt the poor little thing by accident? No way."

It had been a few days after Katara confronted the Gaang with what had been going on with her. She was dealing with so much pain, that it shut her down and eventually shut everyone else out of her vicinity. After her apology, she was surprised that everyone had forgiven her.

"But why?"

Sokka sighed. "Katara, you were in a lot of pain. I don't think it would be fair to expect you to be okay after what that witch did to us-what she did to you. And you're my little sister. I would never turn my back on you when you need me most." Katara nearly cried in relief.

From that day on, Zuko helped Katara use her bloodbending for other useful purposes. Apparently, Toph had meant to throw a rock at Aang, but it ended up landing on a small sparrowkeet's wing instead. Toph apologized profusely, which Sokka rolled his eyes at, and wanted to make amends to the tiny bird. Zuko found this to be the perfect opportunity for Katara to try something new.

"Katara, you have to do something."

"Ugh, fine!"

Katara put her hands on the small wing, feeling for the warmth of blood and the small, weakened muscles. She then allowed herself to use the blood in the wing and guide it back into the wound. She wiped her sweaty forehead and smiled as the bird slowly flapped its wings and flew away.

"I did it! By Tui and La, Zuko! I can't believe I did it!"

Zuko grinned. "See? I told you there's no bad bending. You just have to have good intentions and the rest will take care of itself."

"Hmm. You may have a point there. Is that what you thought when you learned how to bend lightning?"

He sighed. It wasn't easy, that's for sure. He was so angry. Angry at his father. His sister. Himself. He was ready to die that day, as he stood in the midst of the violent storm, ready to be struck down.

"You've always thrown everything you could at me! Well, I can take it, and now I can give it back!" The rain poured harder as the lightning seemed to ignore his broken voice. "Come on, strike me! You've never held back before!"

He remembered the hot tears on his face, intermixed with the cold rain. It was a painful day indeed.

"I thought it was a really cool technique, but my uncle informed me that only royal benders knew how to do it. But you can't let it hit your heart. You have to guide the current in your body. He came up with that technique by studying waterbenders."

Katara's eyebrows rose at that. "He studied waterbenders? Wow. That's impressive. Maybe I could study firebenders and learn a few moves. But I have a question for you," Zuko lifted an eyebrow, "Have you ever used bending for more than just combat? I don't mean lighting a fire or creating a light source. I mean, like, to help people."

"To help?" Zuko asked incredulously, "Katara, the only thing fire has done is cause death and destruction. My family made that very clear."

Katara looked at him, sympathetically. "Zuko..."

"All my life I was taught that the Fire Nation was the most powerful and deserving nation in the world. Our culture, our people, our existence was worth more than anyone else's. It caused a hundred year war! It desecrated towns and ruined so many lives. It..." He clenched his fists, "It killed your mother, Katara. If it were up to me, I wouldn't bend fire at all."

Katara shook her head. "Zuko, fire is a part of you. It will always be a part of you. Your family has done some terrible things to this world, but bending fire is never a bad thing. As you said, it's all about who is doing the bending, right? It's what makes you you."

He gave her a long look. "I want to see it that way, but I can't. Not with firebending. I don't know, Katara. I feel conflicted. I believe that, but when I look in the mirror, all I see are my mistakes."

Katara put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay to feel conflicted. I think it's normal to not know how to feel about certain things."

"I guess. But how can I embrace something that tormented me for years? My father," Zuko bit his lip to keep his tears at bay, "Burned me. He burned me Katara! After the Agni Kai, I was terrified. It took me weeks to start bending again. Every time I saw fire, I saw my father's face."

Katara's eyes widened. She always wanted to know how he got his scar, but she respected his privacy. She figured he'd tell her when he felt comfortable. She didn't know Zuko went through something this horrid. She had no idea.

Before he could protest, she pulled him in for a long hug. Tears shamelessly ran down her face as she held her best friend. "I'm so sorry, Zuko. I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

Of course, she had heard the rumors from the others. Sokka and Aang figured it was some kind of training accident, but Katara had the feeling that there was a story behind it.

And it was a very serious story indeed. One that shook her to the core.

When the siblings first found Aang, Zuko had been adamant about capturing him. She figured he was just trying to help the Fire Lord, without having any regard to anyone else. He was the face of the enemy for so long and she hadn't even thought about his personal life or experiences. How could she, when his people killed her mother? And then she had an encounter with him in Ba Sing Se, where they connected over their lost mothers. She had began to really see Zuko. Just another broken teenager caught in the midst of war. But now that she thought about his scar, she put the pieces together. The only person willing to burn a prince would be a king, she thought. She held him tighter, not willing to ever leave him alone. Never again.

Zuko was trembling in her arms now. He held on for dear life. Ever since his banishment, he'd tried to stay strong. For his uncle, for himself. When times were hard, he forced himself to keep going, even when he wasn't sure if life was worth living anymore. He told himself he wouldn't cry, that he wouldn't give in to the feeling of utter despair. But with Katara holding the pieces of him together, he decided to lay down his defenses. It was time to let it all go.

He still held onto her as he spoke. "I had begged my uncle to let me join the war meeting my father was holding. My father always told me that Azula was born lucky and that I was lucky to be born. I wanted to make him proud, show him that I could handle political assignments and stuff. The army was in the Earth Kingdom and wanted to infiltrate a base, so he recommended sending fresh recruits at the front of the formation, sacrificing them to get in. I spoke out against it and was told that I had to duel the general.

"I didn't know that I'd actually be fighting my father. I thought I had just disrespected the general, but I was wrong. So wrong. I begged my father for forgiveness, but he wouldn't listen. He decided to burn and banish me, saying that suffering would teach me respect," He wiped his tears, "All my life I thought, 'What's wrong with me? Why can't I ever please him?' I was his biggest failure and it was somehow my fault."

Katara pulled away, wiping away her tears. "I wish I had known back then. I had no idea your father forced you to capture Aang," She spoke menacingly, "Your father is a monster. If he was here right now, I'd crush his heart."

Zuko allowed himself to smile a bit. "Yeah, well, now you see why I'm not particularly fond of firebending anymore."

"Zuko, I understand why you would resent it. Believe me, I did at one point. But I now believe that fire is life. It can bring heat to the cold, light the darkest places, and it can be beautiful. It can destroy, yes. But so can water, earth, and air. I destroyed a Fire Nation factory using water, I can kill with water, but I choose not to, because that's not who I am. Aang has the power to do all of that too, but you don't see him doing that, do you? Bending is what you make of it."

Zuko couldn't believe she was reiterating what he had previously told her. Yes, he believed that bending is what you made of it, but he just couldn't bring himself to believe the same about firebending. Perhaps he had let his past experiences cloud reality.

He smirked. "This is ironic, considering that I was just giving you this talk a few minutes ago." Katara rolled her eyes.

"I just think you believe you're a bad person, therefore, you think the advice you gave me doesn't apply to you. You're not a bad person, Zuko. Your father? Yes. But you? You were misguided and just wanted your father to love and accept you. That's not hard to understand."

Zuko smiled. "You really believe that?"

She scoffed. "Why wouldn't I? You've clearly made amends and you're even teaching Aang firebending. You've made me see you in a new light, you know."

He blushed. "Well, uh, thanks for that. It means a lot. So, um, what were you saying earlier about my bending helping people?"

"Oh! Well, let's say someone was unconscious or something. Maybe using lightning could help bring them out of shock?"

Zuko's eyes widened. "W-What?"

"It's just a theory of course, but I do believe that every element has a healing ability to it. Firebending is no different."

"So I suppose you have an unconscious person I could work on?"

Katara groaned and slapped her forehead.

Chapter Text

After walking Katara to her tent, Zuko retreated to make a small fire. He didn’t need it of course, but watching fire calmed him for some reason. The flames always grew hotter and larger, beckoning to reach out to him. When he was initially banished, even the sight of fire frightened him. It was like seeing his father’s disappointed face within the flames, constantly deeming him worthless and disgraceful. Perhaps he saw himself unfit to bend the flames.

But not anymore. 

Talking to Katara helped put many things into perspective. She told him that it wasn’t his fault that his father treated him with little regard, it was just how he was. There was no changing that, no matter how much he strived to try. He knew he was good with swords—probably one of the best—but his father still deemed the skill as weak. Firebenders don’t need to acquire a peasant's skill, his father always said. Why should they when all the power is merely at their fingertips?

We won’t always be able to use our bending, he thought bitterly. He briefly recalled his refuge in the Lower Ring of the Earth Kingdom and how he and his uncle had to survive without the use of their chi. It was exhausting. A bender not being able to use their bending is a dangerous situation, and relying solely on that can determine life or death. 

After seeing how traumatized Katara was from their encounter with Hama, Zuko decided that she needs to learn how to defend herself without bending. People like Ty Lee exist, eclipses exist. He needs to make sure that Katara continues to as well.

The sun was unusually bright this morning as Katara tried to shield her eyes from it. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, trying to adjust to the bright light. She quickly got her clothes and toiletries and headed to the river near their camp. 

After washing and drying her hair, Katara made her way to Zuko's tent, making sure he was okay this morning. Before she could say his name, he opened the flap of his tent, surprised to see the waterbender. 

"Katara," Zuko said, shocked that she was right in front of his tent. He had meant to walk over to her and ask her about sword usage, but he didn't really think about the possibility of her showing up first. 

"Do you—I mean, hey! Good morning." 

Katara arched an eyebrow at his enthusiasm. She knew he rose with the sun, but this was a bit much. Especially for him. 

"Mm. Good morning, Zuko. I was just gonna ask if you slept well?" Understanding how awkward this must be for him, she cleared her throat. "It's just that we had a pretty intense conversation last night." 

He let himself smile. "Yeah, I'm alright. Just a bit hungry." Remembering the reason he was going to talk to her, he continued, "Also, there's something I wanted to talk to you about." Noticing Katara's curious look, he hurried to elaborate. "Nothing serious...just wondering…" 

Katara gestured for him to continue. Zuko sighed. "I know waterbending is really important to you. Bending is the core of every bender, but sometimes you won't have access to it." 

Katara gave him a confused look. "What do you mean?" 

Zuko ran a pale hand through his dark locks. "When my uncle and I were fugitives in the Earth Kingdom, I couldn't use my bending, so I had to rely on my swords. It's always good to know more than one way to protect yourself." 

"So, what are you suggesting?" 

Zuko gestured towards his dual swords, which laid against a nearby rock. 

"Wanna learn how to wield swords?" 

Using swords were a lot harder than Katara thought they were. 

When Zuko and Sokka used their swords, there was a particular grace that enveloped them both when fighting their opponents. There was no hesitation, no second guessing. Doing so could cost them their lives. 

Of course, this was the case with bending as well. However, Katara noted that there was a particular kind of focus one needed in order to wield any sword. 

"Your stance is a bit off." 

Zuko's voice was firm as he corrected Katara's stance while holding his dual swords. 

"Don't think of them as two different swords. They're both parts of the same whole. Think of them as extensions of yourself." 

Katara inhaled, then exhaled. She corrected her stance as she wielded the swords and cut down a branch on the tree in front of them. 

An hour later and Katara was almost out of breath. Sweat dripped from her hairline to her chin. Wiping it off, she wielded one sword, while Zuko held the other. They were both going at it for so long, that they failed to notice the rest of the gang watching them with shocked gazes. 

"I didn't know Sugar Queen could use swords! Sweet!" 

"I'm not gonna lie, Katara would make a great Kyoshi Warrior." 

"I hope she doesn't get hurt. Maybe he's going too hard on her?"

"That's it, sis! It's time for payback! Beat him to a pulp!" 

Hearing their cheers, Zuko smirked, lowering himself to his knees, then doing a spinning kick, bringing Katara to the ground.

"Ugh!" Katara fell, but with natural persistence, she quickly got up, demanding for a rematch. 

"No way! At least not today. We've gone ten rounds and I beat you eight times, fair and square." 

Katara bended the sweat off them with precision, leaving Zuko in awe. "Fine, let's take a break." 

A few moments later, they both sat on the grass, sharing a water skin. 

A beat later, "So, why'd you learn to use swords? I mean, I know you want to know more than one way to protect yourself. But I figured there was another reason." 

Zuko wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He stared out at the horizon and took in the sight of the water near the hill they sat on. 

With a sigh, he said, "When I was born, my father said that I didn't have that firebending spark. The one that signifies that one will be a powerful firebender someday." 

Katara listened intently. She nodded for him to keep going, probably getting the feeling that this story wasn't a happy one. 

"When I was 7, I still wasn't able to bend. Azula was able to do more than just the basics and I was believed to be a nonbender because of that. Father made Azula and I battle each other, just to show others which one of us was more powerful." 

Ozai deemed his son a failure, even as a kid. Katara felt a surge of anger course through her veins. She clenched her jaw as she listened to Zuko's story. 

"When I was 11, I trained with Master Piandao and took up learning how to wield swords. Father and Azula hated it, claiming that it was a peasant's skill and that I had no business learning it." 

Zuko paused, clenching his fists. Katara placed her hands on his, calming him almost immediately. 

"But he eventually allowed me to learn anyway. Part of me still thinks he let me learn because he deemed me as a peasant." He laughed, humorlessly. "Might as well have me learn something, even if I didn't have my bending, huh?" 

Katara finally found words. "Zuko, you're one of the most powerful benders I've ever met," she placed a finger against Zuko's lips to silent his protests, "and I'm not saying this out of pity. Even at the North Pole, I was impressed with the amount of grace you have when you bend. It's mesmerizing." 

Zuko gave her a genuine smile and continued to gaze at the horizon. He squeezed her hand in response. 

"Thanks, I needed that."  

Chapter Text

Some time had passed after Katara learned to wield swords. Well, she wasn't a master yet. She knew the fundamentals, but that seemed to be it. However, Zuko argued that the fundamentals was all she needed. They went into town one day, thirsty and in need of more food. (Of course, this complaint came mostly from Sokka and frankly, Zuko was sick of hearing it.) Katara picked up fresh kumquats, but seeing Zuko’s unimpressed expression, she put it back and decided to try something new. 

“How about some pineapples?” Zuko asked, inspecting the one in his hand. Katara raised an eyebrow.

“A what?” Katara asked. Zuko gaped in disbelief.

“You…You’ve never heard of a pineapple before?” Even the poorest of the Fire Nation had access to those.

“Seeing as I have never seen that before, I’d say no.” 

Zuko rubbed his neck sheepishly. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed.”

Katara took in his body language and sighed. She didn’t mean to sound so brash, but he sounded as though she was dumb or something. Or maybe that’s what she wanted herself to believe. It didn’t matter because he was her closest friend and she didn’t want to hurt him. 

“No, Zuko, I'm sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you like that. I think I’m a little hungry to be honest.” As if on cue, her stomach growled loud enough for him to hear. 

He chuckled. ”It’s alright. I kinda figured.” He tossed the fruit to Katara. “It’s a fruit. It’s sweet and a little sour, too.” 

Katara looked at the pineapple skeptically, wondering if the Fire Nation was just crazy or sadistic. With that thought, she smiled. “It looks like a weapon, Zuko.”

He smirked while grabbing a few onions and carrots. “Do you really not have pineapples back home?”

Katara shook her head, still grinning. “Nope. We hunt for meat mostly. There’s hardly any vegetables and fruits because of the climate.”

“Hmm,” Zuko was thinking about what desserts to make her when he suddenly bumped into someone on his right. “Oh, I’m sorry sir, I didn’t see you there.”

Katara took in the guy next to Zuko. He was a very large, hairy man. He had two teeth missing in the front and smelled like Sokka’s dirty socks. Judging from the man’s scowl, he didn’t accept Zuko’s apology.

“You wanna mess with me, boy?” He yelled. “You look new in these parts. Never seen your little girl friend either.” Though, the way he said that insisted that he wanted to do more to Katara than just hurt her. 

Zuko immediately placed his arm in front of Katara, protecting her. “Stay the hell away from her.”

The man looked between the both of them and laughed. In his peripheral vision, Zuko could see three more men walk over to where their ‘leader’ was. Luckily, he brought his swords. He could use his firebending, but that would draw more attention than he already had and that was the last thing he needed right now.

The man with missing teeth started to attack first, throwing Katara off guard a bit. She wasn’t used to being in close proximity with swords. Zuko was keeping up, though. She knew he was a master swordsman but seeing him in action put Sokka to shame hands down.  

With a quick swoop of his leg, all three men were down in less than two seconds. However, the relief fled when she saw three more men show up. Katara felt for her water skin and realized she left her water skin at camp. Sucking her teeth, she was in the midst of forming a makeshift ice sword from thin air before she realized something else. 

She was near the Fire Nation and in a prominent area. She couldn’t use her waterbending here. Well, she could but that would put unnecessary attention on their little group and she couldn’t have that. The last thing she needed was Aang going missing or getting hurt because of her mistakes.

Or a little visit from Azula. 

With a sigh, she called out Zuko’s name and he gave her his sword without asking if she needed it. He just knew.  He gave her a look that told her everything. Not only did he expect her to use it, but he trusted her with it. Pushing down her gratitude, she landed a low kick to one of the men’s shins and suddenly she was defending herself with the sword without even thinking. It was exactly like breathing, but more exhilarating. 

With the last of the men down, they paid for their food and ran. Zuko took Katara’s hand and they ran all the way back to their camp. Katara starts laughing as they ran because it's the most fun she’s had in a while. Zuko looked at her like she grew another head but seeing the smile on her face made him keep quiet. She was glowing and he smiled, enjoying their trip even more. 

When they got back to camp, Suki lifted an eyebrow at their laughter--and was Zuko actually smiling ? She had so many questions but decided to ask them later, but then she saw Katara brushing some dirt off his tunic and Suki was so tempted to ask them what the hell they’d been doing but she decided to be a good friend and let them tell her themselves. 

“Zuko! That was so freaking awesome! I can’t believe we fought them all off!” Katara was still jumpy and smiley and maybe Suki could get used to this. 

Wait. Fought?  As in…they fought people?!

Zuko shrugged, still grinning. “Yeah, I wasn’t totally surprised at that, but I’m even more impressed at how quickly you picked up swordsmanship. You’re truly a master, Katara.”

Katara blushed at the compliment and Suki’s eyes went as wide as their porcelain bowls because Katara never blushes. At least not around the rest of them, she thought. 

Sokka came from inside the house with his hands on his hips as if he was his sister. “Where the heck have you guys been?! It’s been three hours!” 

Katara rolled her eyes. “Oh quit complaining! We’re here, aren’t we?” 

Sokka had to do a double take because he’s pretty sure he just saw Zuko smile and at his sister. He almost fainted but went to Suki and started pointing at them exaggeratingly and Suki nodded knowingly because there was no way either of them were just going to not question it. Toph’s smirk said it all. 

“You seem to be having a good time with Sweetness, Sparky.”

What’s unbelievable is the fact that neither of them seemed to deny it. They told everyone—including Aang who just finished his meditations a while ago-–the story of what happened in the market and Sokka’s mouth seemed to reach the ground.

“And I missed it?!” 

Zuko fed Katara a slice of the pineapple and she squealed in delight. “Zuko! How could this possibly exist without me knowing it? This is amazing!”

He grinned. “That’s why I couldn’t understand why you hadn’t heard of it. It’s something that I knew you’d like.” 

Katara gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek. He blushed, his wide eyes on hers. 

“Thank you, Zuko.”

Chapter Text

It had been a week since the whole market incident happened and everyone had it in their minds that Zuko and Katara were dating. It wasn’t that Zuko hated the idea or anything. Hell, he had always wanted the waterbender. But, he didn’t know how she felt and didn’t want her to be uncomfortable around him or anything. Not that he’s been around her lately, but still. 

Zuko woke up this morning feeling a sense of dread, not understanding why. He also registered that he had an excruciating migraine. Rubbing his temples, he started to remember. He and Sokka got insanely drunk last night, which explains the pounding in his head. He remembered asking Sokka if he could talk to him in the morning about Katara and—

Oh, shit.  

He had the fleeting urge to vomit, but remembered he wanted to talk to Sokka about how he’d feel if they became an item. It was theoretical, of course. He still didn’t know how Katara felt about him and although everyone said she liked him, he wanted her to confirm it for herself. 

After bathing and brushing his teeth, Zuko left his tent to look for Sokka. 

A few seconds later he found the tribesman snacking on seal jerky while pouring over an old map of the Fire Nation. 

Hearing his footsteps, Sokka looked up, grinning, “Zuko, buddy! You’re here!” 

Zuko rubbed the back of his neck, sheepishly, “Yep, in the flesh.”

Sokka walked around the log he had the map on and guided Zuko to the area he was sitting at. “You will not believe the lengths I had to go to just to find decent seal jerky! Fire Nation food is good and all, but nothing beats seal jerky.”

Zuko crossed his arms, “Uh huh,” he looked Sokka in the eyes, “Listen, you remember what we talked about yesterday, right?”

Sokka looked up for a moment, trying to remember what transpired the night before, “Uh, yeah? I think you wanted to talk to me about something.” Seeing how serious Zuko looked, he cleared his throat, “What’d you wanna talk about?”

Here it goes, Zuko thought. “So, hypothetically speaking…”

Sokka raised an eyebrow, “Mhmm…”

“Let’s say that someone had feelings for, uh, a girl,” Sokka sat, clasping his hands together, “and they really liked her. Like, really really liked her. And they might’ve done some regretful things in the past that kinda hurt her, um, and—” 

Sokka sighed, unclasped his hands and leaned back, “You’re talking about you and my sister, aren’t you?”

Zuko sighed. Well there wasn’t a point in trying to keep things hypothetical anymore, now is there? Zuko knows he’s terrible at explaining things; at least when he’s conscious of doing it. But he doesn’t want to anger Sokka. He respects the man more than he’ll ever respect his own father. Sokka is many things, but never dishonorable. If it was anyone’s opinion he cared for, it was his. 

He looked away, then looked down at his trousers, “Yeah, I am.”

Zuko looked back up to see Sokka searching his face for something, but he wasn’t sure what. But what came out of his mouth shocked him, “Go for it, then.”

The main reason Zuko even approached Sokka like this was because he knew how overprotective he was over Katara. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he’d accept it like it was nothing. 

Zuko’s eyes widened, “Y-you don’t care? But I thought—” 

The tribesman held up a hand, “I didn’t say I didn’t care, I just want her to be happy. And well, yeah,” he cleared his throat, “I mean, I don’t think anyone is good enough for her, but that's for her to decide. And when I think about you and the things you did? Well, I can understand it. It doesn’t excuse it, sure, but I understand it. And I’m the kind of person to judge people by the good things they do, not just the bad.” 

Zuko would have cried right then and there but then there would be no going back from that. He didn’t think anyone could see him the way Sokka does. The way Katara does. Hell, the way all of them do. And while that doesn’t erase what he’s done, it also means he can do better from here on out. To at least make up for it. He allows himself to smile a little. 

Sokka continues, “Plus, my sister would kill me if I tried to make any decision for her,” Zuko smirks at that, “and I trust her to follow whatever she thinks is right because she deserves that. Besides, I already consider you a brother. It’s just a matter of time before things become official.”

Zuko chokes at the implication of them getting married. They aren’t even dating, yet Zuko feels like he’s melting. 

The prince clears his throat for the third time, “It, uh, well, we aren’t a thing. I haven’t actually asked Katara how she feels about me, yet.” Sokka looks at Zuko like he’s grown another head. “What?! Well what the hell are you waiting for? Go!” He pulls the firebender to his feet and pushes him near Katara’s tent. Zuko stops, then turns back to give Sokka a hug.

“Thanks, Sokka.” 

This shocked even Sokka. Zuko wasn't exactly known for his vulnerability. The younger boy could feel the sincerity in the older’s voice, though. So holding back his teasing, he says, “Yeah, sure thing, buddy.”

Katara groaned, stretching her limbs. She sat up and unbraided the thick tangled mass on her head. Yawning, she opened the flap of her tent to see Zuko lifting part of his tunic up to wipe something out of his eye, which exposed the outline of his abs. Blushing, Katara closed the flap while bringing a hand to her chest to steady her heart. She couldn’t get that kiss out of her head. Granted, it was a small chaste kiss she’d planted on the firebender’s cheek when they got back from the market but she noticed he’d been acting differently around her ever since. 

He always meditated near the water which coincidentally had the laundry materials next to it. So lately, whenever she did the laundry, he’d always steer clear from her. This kept happening and she realized how much she missed Zuko’s presence. In fact, she missed him altogether. And when that thought invaded her mind, she knew that she was done for.  

She liked him. Like, she really really liked him. 

And she hated that she liked him, because she didn’t know if he felt the same way. Groaning, Katara picked up her toiletries and headed towards the ocean, pointedly avoiding him. He must’ve really needed her because just as she turned toward the water, he lightly grasped her arm. 

Katara narrowed her eyes at him, “What? You need something?”

Zuko scratched his head, looking her in the eyes for the first time in a week, “Yeah, can I–can we talk?” 

Katara led him by the water and waited for him to start. 

“I wanted to say that I’m sorry,” Katara nodded, accepting his apology, “I didn’t know how to be around you after that, uh, kiss, and I needed time to sort out how I felt about it.” Zuko saw Katara’s apologetic expression and panicked, “It isn’t your fault! I swear! I know it was just a small kiss, but I–” 

Katara interrupted, “Zuko, if you felt uncomfortable you could’ve just said something instead of avoiding me all week.” 

He nodded, “I know, and that’s unacceptable. I never wanted you to feel like I didn’t want to be around you anymore. Because I do,” Zuko stepped a bit closer to her, “I love being around you.”

Katara gaped at him, shocked, “You like being around me?” He could’ve kissed her right there for being so adorable. He hummed, “Mhm,” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, “and I also really like you too.” 

Katara almost stopped breathing, her mind going into overdrive. Is this a prank?! Is Sokka messing with me? Because there’s no way this is real—

“Um, Katara?” 

She suddenly found the confidence to do what she’s wanted to do for ages. She grabs him by the front of his tunic and kisses him on the lips. After a few seconds she lets go, seeing Zuko’s eyes widen in shock. 

She pants as if she had just finished running, “I like you, too. In fact, I just might be falling for you,” she placed her hand on the curve of his neck, “Now kiss me.” 

Now knowing how she felt about him, he cupped her cheek, rubbing his thumb across it soothingly. Seeing her hopeful eyes, he captured her lips with an eagerness that made Katara’s body tingle. She stood on the tips of her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck as they explored the caverns of their mouths. Zuko was floating on a cloud, feeling nothing but air. He felt as if he could touch the sky with his fingertips if he tried hard enough. It was as if he were born for this very moment. Nothing could top this feeling, this sense of belonging. Katara felt as if she was going to explode. Who would’ve thought he was this good at kissing? Feeling a bit daring, she bit his bottom lip, surprised to feel him pull back with a fire in his eyes she’d never seen in him before. 

He placed his warm hand on her cheek, stroking it again, “I think I got a bit carried away.”

Katara laughed, holding the pendant on her neck, “Hah, you think you got carried away? I was about to pounce on you!” 

Placing his hands on her waist, he held her to his chest as he whispered, “I just might take you up on that later.”

Katara blushed profusely. While backing up a bit, she tripped on a nearby towel. “Ah!”

Zuko grabbed her just in time. After thanking him and reaching for her mother’s necklace for comfort, she found that it was no longer on her neck. 

“Hey, where’s my neck—”

Zuko held up the old pendant, “You mean this?”

Katara grinned, taking it from him, “Thanks, I don’t know what I’d do without it.”

Zuko knew he’d ruin the mood, but he’d always been curious about the pendant and what had really happened to her mother. He knew that the Fire Nation had something to do with it, but he didn’t know anything else.

Fidgeting with his hands, he asked, “What happened to your mother?”

Katara gasped, definitely not expecting him to ask that of her. It makes sense, though, for him to be curious. He must’ve had a million questions when seeing the pendant in his hand. Zuko immediately looked regretful but before he could say anything, she answered, grief etched into her voice.

“My mother—my mother was murdered by Fire Nation soldiers when I was eight years old.”

Zuko noticed how young she sounded. She didn’t sound like a teenager, or even an adult. She sounded like a frightened young child who had no idea how to process what had happened to her. He remembered feeling like that about his own mother, but in this case he believed her situation was much worse than his ever was. 

He rubbed her back soothingly, “Katara, I’m so sorry,” she nodded, “Thanks. Sometimes it feels like it happened yesterday. Like those ships are right outside and I’m just waiting to be taken.” 

Zuko remained silent, pondering on her words. She mentioned ships, and they could be the ships he’s thinking of but he wants to be sure—

“What did those ships look like?” 

Katara looked taken aback by his question but answered anyway, “Uh, they had red flags on them. And they had this symbol of a bird on them,” studying his face, she asked, “Why do you wanna know?”

Zuko immediately connected the dots, eyes widening, “Katara, I know who killed your mother.”

Katara froze, unable to register his words. She grasped the necklace in her hand. After coming back to her senses, she found her resolve, “Who are they?”

Zuko met her gaze, “The Southern Raiders.” 

Chapter Text

Zuko remembers the first time he scared a turtleduck. It happened while his mother was busy helping Azula with something in the palace. He couldn't remember what it was, but he distinctly remembers her being gone for almost half the day. He had rubbed a newborn chick’s head just a tad bit too roughly before it quacked and waddled quickly back to its mother. At first, Zuko thought it was angry. He’d upset them before, after all. But when he tried to reach out his fingertips to touch it again, it backed away immediately. Almost as if it were afraid to go through it again.

That was exactly how Katara had looked when he had told her about the Southern Raiders. Before the hardened resolve had settled into her expression, there was fear. She would’ve been successful in hiding it had Zuko not been aware of her subtle movements. The lack of eye contact, the shifting of her feet, and even the way she moved her hair signaled that something was wrong. No, not wrong. Not wrong at all. This was exactly what she needed.

Closure.

And Zuko was going to give it to her even if it killed him.

She stepped outside of the tent, not saying a word. Zuko knew better than to think this had anything to do with him. He knew it didn’t. This was about her mother. He didn’t know the entire story, but he remembered Katara mentioning it to him in the cave back in Ba Sing Se. Maybe someday, she’d tell him.

He left her to go to his tent and grab their stealth clothes when he heard Katara ask Aang if she could use Appa for a few hours. 

“What is this, a field trip with Zuko?” Aang was about to laugh but the expression quickly left him as he saw the look on Katara’s face.

“Yeah, it is.” Sokka came over with Suki, hearing the commotion. 

“What’s going on?” Her brother asked. Katara met his gaze.

“Zuko told me who killed Mom and I’m going to find them.”

The thing about Aang is that he’s been fairly reasonable since the whole incident with Hama. Zuko had once threatened to leave if Aang didn’t get off his high horse. He wasn’t serious, but he knew that Aang would take it that way, considering he was the only one who could teach him firebending right now. But Zuko could still see the wheels turning in the thirteen-year-old’s head and he realized that he’s about to say something absolutely thoughtless, but before Zuko could interfere, Aang says:

“And what is revenge supposed to solve?”

Silence fell over everyone, and it seemed no one could form words to answer his question. Even Toph had woken up from her nap in time to hear what the airbender said. Katara’s hands clenched into fists, her eyes wide in barely restrained anger, and even Sokka glared at the young boy, like he was just seeing who Aang really was for the first time. Suki kept shaking her head, seemingly disappointed at the whole thing. And Zuko…

Zuko was furious.

He was so upset that he had to control his breathing, lest he make a mistake and set the whole camp on fire. He let out repeated breaths: in, out, in, out. He exhaled, emitting a soft flame before speaking.

“That was way out of line Aang, and you know it.” Aang looked away.

“Aang, you’re on punishment starting now!” The earthbender yelled.

“Seven years.” Katara said, ignoring everyone’s protests. Aang turned around, eyes wide at his waterbending teacher. Sokka walked closer to Katara and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, seemingly knowing exactly what she was referring to. Toph was silent.

“It’s been seven years, Aang! Seven years since they murdered my mother! And you wanna know who saw her body first?” She was in Aang’s face now, not wavering in the slightest at his almost fearful expression. She clenched her fists.

“N-no…”

"Me!”

Suki gasped, her hand covering her mouth in shock. She had no idea that Katara had experienced such a horrible ordeal. Sokka had told her about what happened to their mother, sure, but she didn’t know this. And maybe Sokka didn’t tell her because he felt it wasn’t his place to. Her heart went out to her waterbending friend, and it twisted in resentment towards Aang for judging her so harshly. 

“Katara…I-I didn’t know…” She wouldn’t even let him get a sentence out. The gentle, compassionate girl he once knew was replaced by rage.

“Yeah, you don’t know! And you never bothered to ask, either! So stop telling me what to feel! Stop acting like you’re so much better than us!” He flinched at the emphasis on “better”. Did he really think he was better than them? Aang was unsure of how to deal with this, so he turned to Sokka, silently asking for help.

The warrior shook his head, “Don’t look at me. You’re the one who screwed up here. Now you have to be the one to fix it.”

Sokka stepped up to his sister and hugged her, attempting to calm her down. 

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay. Don’t worry about what he said to you. He’s wrong. You do what you feel is best and I’ll support you no matter what you choose,” he glanced at Zuko, who gave Sokka a sharp nod, “and I know he will too.”

Before their friends sent them off, Katara remembered seeing Aang’s dejected expression. She vaguely remembered Toph giving him a good scolding, but shook her head to rid herself of the thoughts. She didn’t feel as bad for lashing out at him like she thought she would. He had always gotten on her nerves with his self-righteousness, but today had been her breaking point. It was easy to speak like him when you’ve lived your whole life during peacetime, she thought. But this was war, and nothing in war was colored in black and white. 

The moment that man—no, that monster —burned her mother alive changed Katara forever. 

“Hey, you okay?” Katara shrugged.

“Yeah, why?”

Zuko looked back at her, momentarily, before turning back, “Just worried, that’s all. You haven’t said anything since we left.”

“Oh.”

She’d been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn’t thought about how it affected Zuko.

Feeling sheepish, she replied, “Sorry. I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

“I didn’t mean that you had to say anything, I was just checking in on you,” he glanced back again, “But I’m all ears if you ever want to.”

Katara decided then that it would be better to have him indulge in her thoughts rather than keeping them to herself.

“So they were actually looking for me, but she claimed to be the last waterbender and offered herself.”

“Your mother was a brave woman.” She blinked away her tears as she grasped her mother's necklace for comfort.

“She was.”

Katara had decided to switch with Zuko, seeing how bone-tired he was. He had been steering Appa for quite awhile now, so she decided to take the reins. But before he gave them to her, he pressed a small kiss to her cheek and wiped a tear from it, which earned him a blush.

“Hey,” she looked up at him shyly, “why don’t you stay up here? There’s plenty of space.” 

“You sure?” He knew she had needed space earlier, so he didn’t want to intrude.

“Of course. I love talking to you.” He didn’t miss the way his heart skipped a beat when she said that. Or the inviting look in her eyes. She patted the space next to her with her free hand and Zuko had no choice but to oblige. Not that he didn’t want to, of course. 

They sat in a comfortable silence before Katara spoke. 

“Hey, Zuko,” he looked at her intently, “What happened to your mother?”

“If you don’t mind me asking.” She added.

The prince leaned back on his hands, remembering the day like it was yesterday. Now that Zuko thinks of it, he can’t remember a single day where he didn’t think of his mother.

“It’s a long story.” She gave him a gentle smile.

“We’ve got time.”

As Zuko finished his story, Katara’s eyes watered as he told her how most of his family wanted him dead and that his mother had to pay the price.

“A few days after she fled the Fire Nation, we got a letter saying that she had been assassinated for treason against the crown.” Zuko had long since grieved over his mother’s passing, feeling nothing but cold hatred for his father and his forefathers.

She leaned her head on his shoulder out of comfort. He took her free hand in his.

“But you wanna know what she told me before she left?” 

“What?”

“"No matter how things may seem to change, never forget who you are.” It’s practically etched into my memory.”

Before Katara could comment further, she paused, noticing something red in the distance. Zuko saw it too and pulled out his telescope to view it better.

“Those are sea raven flags. It’s the Southern Raiders.” He passed her the telescope. She pursed her lips as she prepared herself for what was coming.

“Let’s do this.”

“Who are you?” The commander asked.

Zuko scowled, his fists engulfed in flames, “You don’t remember her? After what you guys did to her?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

The man suddenly lifted off the ground, as if he were possessed. Katara was shaking and sweating, angry and fearful all at once. Her expression was contorted with pure rage. Zuko looked back, his eyes wide in fear and shock and reverence.

She truly was a master at her craft. 

Zuko pulled him up, ignoring the man’s cries, “Think about it! Think about the last raid on the Southern Water Tribe!” 

Katara was bending and twisting and pulling so much that Zuko was sure he’d seen the man’s shoulder pop out of its socket. 

“Wait! Wait!” Katara reluctantly pulled back her assault, “You must be looking for Yon Rha! He retired ages ago!”

The waterbender wordlessly walked out of the room as the man gave Zuko his location. Her mouth felt like cotton and her hands clenched so tightly that she was sure there were moons already engraved on the palms of her hands. She didn’t care.

Yon Rha. 

A name fitting for a monster.

“That’s the town,” Zuko said, looking around cautiously, “He should be here somewhere.”

“There.” Zuko followed Katara’s finger to where she was pointing. There stood a thin old man, with wrinkled pale skin and drooping eye bags. Katara scoffed. This was the man responsible for her mother’s death? She almost let out a sardonic laugh but kept her mouth shut. 

Zuko took the tripwire out of his stealthy attire. Katara smirked. 

“We’re gonna trip him? Nice.” He grinned.

“Yeah, I can’t wait to see him when he falls flat on his face.”

They spooked him out for sure. The both of them snickered while watching the old man ask the vendor if he’d seen anyone strange. 

As Yon Rha walked toward his house, he bended a blast of fire at a bush, assuming someone was hiding there. After turning around, he tripped, all of his produce scattered across the ground. He looked up to see Zuko aiming his fists at the man.

“Nice try, but we weren’t behind the bush,” the man attempted to bend again, “and don’t even try firebending again!” Yon Rha let out a small whimper.

Zuko stepped to the side, revealing Katara. Her hands were clammy and the rain didn’t help either. She was shaking, with anger or fear, she didn’t know. What she did know, however, was that the man responsible for her nightmares was laid before her on a silver platter.

And she was ready to feast.

She pulled down her face mask. “Do you know who I am?”

“No…I-”

She stepped a bit closer, “Oh, you better! Take another look at me.”

She watched his expression change from confusion to recognition to fear in a matter of seconds. Zuko smirked, knowing what was about to come. 

Go find your father, sweetie. I’ll handle this.

Mom!

The flashbacks ran through her mind as Katara continued, “My mother lied about being the last waterbender. There was still one more left.”

“What? Who?”

Katara smiled. It wasn’t a kind one, either. It was sort of like a demented one. Zuko was almost scared for the guy himself just seeing it. Almost. Whatever Katara chose to do with him was entirely up to her so he wasn’t about to interfere with that.

“Me!”

She moved her arms in the air, creating a huge water shield around them. She then transformed the shield into a huge stream and sent it towards Yon Rha, suddenly turning it into ice daggers. Zuko had to tug his face mask down because he was in utter awe. The timing was awful, but he couldn’t help but find her even more attractive than she already was.

He truly was a goner.

His thoughts were interrupted by her cries. She transformed the ice daggers back into water, splashing it all over the man. 

“Why?! Why did you take her away from me?!” 

The man was on his knees now, begging Katara for mercy.

“I’m sorry! You deserve revenge. So take my mother! Surely that would be fair?” Zuko rolled his eyes. This man was pathetic.

Katara spoke softly, “You know, you were the monster in my dreams. Always haunting me. Always there. But now that I see you, I see you for who you are. There’s just nothing but emptiness and sadness in you,” she turned away, “You’re not worth it.” The man cried.

Zuko stared at her in awe, wondering how she was able to do that. If it were up to Zuko, the man wouldn’t even be breathing. He glared daggers at the man, hoping they’d never cross paths ever again.

Katara was shaking. Zuko wanted to ask if she was okay, but that was stupid. Of course she’s not. He didn’t have to wait long, though, because as soon as they got far enough from the area, she fell onto her knees, sobbing.

Zuko immediately rushed to her aid, rubbing soothing circles into her back. He inwardly cursed at himself for even slightly thinking that any of this was easy for her. She latched onto his shirt as if she’d fall to pieces without him.

“Hey, hey, shh. I’m here,” he sat her against a tree and held her against him. She attempted to say something but burst into tears again.

“Shh. Hey, come closer. You’re freezing.” He wrapped his arms around her to warm her up. The rain was now pouring, but Katara didn’t seem to care.

Zuko would stay with her all night if he had to. He wanted, no, needed her to know that she wasn’t alone. That he would help her heal all of her scars, and this one too.

“I’ve got you.” He whispered softly.

She held onto him tighter, not allowing him to ever let go.

Chapter Text

The clouds spat out their beads of water as the people in town ran for cover like ants in heat. Puddles overflowed, spreading over the terrain with unnatural speed, and lightning roared over the earth in agony. And Katara’s tears still hadn’t dried up yet.  

Zuko took a peek at Katara’s huddled form and caught a glimpse of her face and felt his heart tug in pain. He wanted to do something, but he didn’t want to intrude on her space. He wanted to let her process what happened without any interference from him, regardless of how it made him feel. He let his fingers trace intricate patterns across her back as he held her, making sure to be there through thick and thin, hot or cold. The message he sent was clear: someone would have to kill him to get him away from her.  

Maybe not even then.  

"I–I'm-" Zuko turned his head sharply at her response, his grip on her softening. He took in her body language.  

Her eyes were puffy and red, her face still wet, from the tears or rain, Zuko didn't know. Probably both. His gaze shifted to her thick hair, strands plastered to her damp face. He slowly tucked the strands behind her ears, making sure to make his hands warmer to help her get as dry as possible. He placed a soft, lingering kiss on her forehead. For the first time in almost half an hour, she turns her head to meet his gaze with an unspoken question written in hers.  

Will you stay with me?  

Months with her made him a master at recognizing what she was trying to say without her saying it. "Take your time. I'm not going anywhere."  

Katara exhaled, feeling the pressure on her chest slowly disappear. Part of her was scared to ask, scared to even think what's been running through her head all this time. Despite her best efforts, tears escaped her eyes one by one as she faced Zuko.  

"Do you think I-" she gulped, feeling bitterness well up in her throat, "Do you think I should've killed him?"  

The waterbender wanted to hide. Wanted to scream, shout, run. Wanted to do anything but be here, questioning her decisions and morals after facing her mother's killer.  

Tui, what would her mother think?  

The bitter liquid spewed out of her mouth before she even had time to react. Zuko held her hair up as she spewed her sins and regrets out onto the cold and wet ground.  

As Katara finished emptying her stomach, she sighed, angrily wiping her mouth. She felt a brief wave of nausea was over her as she tried to sit up. She was feeling very lightheaded. Zuko had to help her sit up properly. He found her water skin amongst their things scattered on the ground beside him and urged her to get a sip. She eagerly took it and gulped it down like a woman starved.  

When Aang questioned her decision to face her mother's killer, she didn't have revenge on her mind. Well, part of her did, she thinks. But she honestly didn't know what she was going to do when she faced him. She had dreamt it so many times, the man with the cruel twist of his lips and piercing amber eyes. She imagined him dying in a million ways, but for some reason she couldn't actually picture herself finishing him.  

No, that wasn't true. That wasn't true at all.  

There were nights where she had brutal nightmares. Of shadows haunting her, of her mother's words and her brother's cries. She imagined the man lying in front of her, his guts ripped to shreds, blood splattered on the ice. The only thought that plagued her mind was whether her mother would be disappointed or not. Kya was a brave woman, a fierce warrior and was known to always fight for what she believed in. If there was anything Katara remembered of her mother, it was that. So why did she feel like she made the wrong decision? Why was it eating at her like this?   

Do you think I should've killed him?   

Zuko sat there, pondering on her question, a thoughtful expression gracing his features. The firebender didn't want her to feel like she had to kill Yon Rha. It was true that he wanted to burn the man slowly, watching his body turn to nothing but ashes. But this was Katara's fight, something that was owed to her. He couldn't take that away from her. But she had a question that she desperately wanted answers to and he had to give her something to cling onto.  

"Zuko, what would my mother think?"  

He flinched at the unwavering guilt in her voice, the doubt that laced her words like venom. He found himself speechless, which was definitely not what he needed right now. He was going to tell her that it was her choice and that she should stand by it. But the hitch in her voice… 

Agni, she sounded like a child. 

He had to think carefully about his next words to her. She was fragile right now, breakable and delicate and very vulnerable in a way that the waterbender usually wasn't. He reached for her hand and gave a gentle squeeze.  

"You did what you felt was right in the moment."  

She seemed to consider what he said and hummed in appreciation. She's glad he went with her and not Aang. Not that she would've let him, but still.  

That encounter before she left the rest of the group still left her feeling bitter resentment towards him. She knew he meant well sometimes, but meaning well and doing well were two different things. And she doubted that Aang could tell the difference.  

Zuko licked his lips, a habit he developed when his nerves were frayed, "And I think that your mother would be proud. If she's as brave and courageous as you say, then she'd be over the moon at your courage and strength. Not everyone can say that. Not everyone can say that they've faced their demons."  

"And even if you did kill him, I think it would be deserved," he paused, organizing his thoughts, "He took away your mother, your childhood, and any semblance of innocence you had before then." Katara's lips trembled at that, but she stilled them and hoped her effort to keep her tears at bay would come through this time.  

The rain stopped, and Zuko didn't miss how the waterbender unintentionally changed its intensity whenever she was in distress. He brought her hand to his lips and placed a tentative kiss there. The warmth traveled up her body, making her feel more at ease. Her lips stopped trembling.  

"So I'm–I'm not a monster?" 

His eyes widened in shock. Is this what she'd been feeling? He felt his eyes begin to prickle at her words. Katara was the most selfless, passionate, talented person he's ever known. 'Monster' is definitely not a word he'd use to describe her, and he needed her to know that.  

"Katara, look at me," he cupped her face in his hands, softly rubbing it with the pads of his thumbs, "You're not a monster. You're a person who sees the good in people even when they don't deserve it. You're just human. You're just a person who has lost a lot and you're trying to still process it. You're amazing, do you know that? You're one of the best people I know and it's…it's why I love you."  

It might've been news to Katara, if the expression on her face was anything to go by, but not to him. He's known for awhile now. He can't imagine a life, a world, without her. Loving her is as easy as breathing. If he was being honest with himself, he's loved her since he joined their group in Ba Sing Se.  

"Y-you what?"  

She thought about how he'd been acting for the past week or so. The subtle flirting, the smiles he seemed to only reserve for her. The evenings he'd dedicate to making desserts specifically catered to her. Granted, he was avoiding her but she knew it wasn't because of anything bad. She'd realized her feelings for the former prince before he joined them in Ba Sing Se. She buried them back then, knowing that it wouldn't lead anywhere. Not anywhere good, at least. But things have changed. He's changed, she's changed. And the world would forever be changed when Aang faced the Fire Lord during the comet.  

She thought of a future with him after the war. After she helped her tribe rebuild and the world was silent, waiting for the future of the world to commence. She thought of Zuko, the scarred and banished prince who chased them all over the world, who was hurting and just wanted to go home. How she misunderstood his intentions back then. She also remembered how he praised her bending abilities despite them being on opposite sides of the war.  

Looks like you've found a master.  

Katara thinks of yesterday—was it really yesterday?—when he kissed her. She felt her cheeks grow warm at the memory of his soft lips claiming hers. She wanted him to do it again, she realized. Her gaze shifted up, locking onto Zuko's worried expression.  

"I love you too," she whispered. Zuko's eyes grew wide. "Katara, you—" 

"I'm sure, Zuko. Now please," she pleaded, "please kiss me."  

Zuko took her face in his hands and crashed their lips together, one hand gently cradling her head. This was only the second time they kissed, but Zuko felt like he could keep doing this forever. There was a wave of relief that flooded Zuko at Katara's confession.  Katara felt like putty in his hands, sighing contently at his touch. His lips held a certain tenderness to them, like they were made for her and her only. He continued to explore her as if he was trying to find something he lost. The firebender's natural heat burned against her skin, warming her in a way that made her body tingle in excitement. She tugged on his clothing, trying to find purchase.  

I love you too. Now please kiss me.   

He groaned, remembering her words to him. Giving her one final peck on the lips, he sighed in annoyance. He wanted to keep kissing her, but his legs were starting to cramp and they needed to get going soon. So he kissed both of her cheeks, her forehead, and then a lingering one on her nose. Something to make up for it, he thought. Katara tried to stifle her giggles, but failed, making the firebender smile. He was glad she was feeling better, even if it was just a little.  

"We should, uh, get going," Zuko offered. Katara nodded, fixing her hair and clothes. She maneuvered her hands to bend the water out of their clothes and fastened her water skin to her back.  

"Where to?"  

"There's a house on Ember Island that isn't being occupied. It belongs to the royal family, but it hasn't been used in years."  

"Why not?"  

Zuko turned his head towards her. "Uh, well, we used to go there for vacation. Back when my mother was still…around." Katara's eyes softened.  

"I'm so sorry, Zuko. I didn't mean to intrude." He waved her off. "It's fine, you didn't do anything wrong. It's okay to ask questions."  

They walked towards the cave where they left Appa. He grunted when he saw Zuko, nudging his head towards his open palm. Katara smiled at him, giving him a hug.  

"Hey buddy. Do you think you're up for another trip?" He groaned.  

Zuko gave a soft pat to his nose. "Are you tired? We can stop here for the night and fly out in the morning." Appa licked him, making Katara laugh at the former prince's disgust.  

After they got their belongings together, they went further in the cave, with Zuko taking the lead, his palm open with a sizable flame lighting their surroundings. Katara was surprised at how content she seemed to be. She was feeling the exact opposite just a few minutes ago but now she felt a sense of calm wash over her. It's scary but also relieving that Zuko could have this effect on her.  

That confession…she wanted to know where they stood, but she couldn't bring herself to ask, afraid of what his response would be. Now that they both knew how the other felt, would it make it harder for them to proceed in the future? Zuko would go back to the Fire Nation, and she'd go back to her tribe. How would a relationship like that even work? 

"Katara?" The waterbender turned her head, eyes wide. "Did you say something?"  

Zuko couldn't help but feel concerned at Katara's absentmindness. It was understandable for her to be like that, given what happened just a few moments ago. Was she thinking of that too? Zuko didn't really think much past 'I love you', though he probably should have.  

Taking a stab in the dark, he cleared his throat, "I know that, erm, what I said was kind of sudden, but I meant it. Every word."  

"So," she pressed, "Do you want to…be with me?" The firebender was sure his heart skipped a couple beats at that.  

He fully turned his body so that he was facing her. He lifted his free hand, cupping her cheek and placed a brief kiss on her soft lips. "Of course I do. But I think we should wait until after the comet. There's a lot going on between now and then."  

Her face fell, but only slightly. She tried to hide it but of course Zuko noticed. His chest ached. "Yeah, you're right. We should wait." 

Zuko thought of what he was saying. There was no telling if they'd even survive the comet, yet he was expecting them both to wait until after? He could've smacked himself at how dumb he sounded. He loved her, she loved him, yet the only thing that stood in their way was them? He clenched his jaw and closed his eyes. He didn't like that idea. Not one bit. He opened them again to find Katara's warm blue eyes staring back at him in concern.  

"You know what? Screw what I said," her eyes widened, "I want to be with you now, because who knows what the future will bring. Who knows if we'll even–"  

Katara wrapped her arms around him, her arms like chains, her next words the lock to seal in his fate.  

"We'll face whatever comes together." 

The next morning, the sun was an agonizing vice around Katara's eyes, blinding her to the world around her. She woke, feeling a bit of sweat on the nape of her neck. Her mouth was parched, and she briefly felt a pang of regret at not drinking any water before falling asleep. The last thing she registered was Zuko's arm wrapped around her middle while one lay underneath her head.  

She was a bit surprised that he wasn't up yet. The whole 'rise with the sun' thing didn't seem to be the case this morning. Though a lot happened yesterday, so she figured she'd let him sleep in a few minutes before they had to get going. The plan for this morning was that Zuko was going to fly her to Ember Island since Appa was too tired to go yesterday, and then once he did that, he'd fly back to get the rest of their group.  

She turned around, tracing light patterns on his cheekbone, his nose, his lips, and then she finally rested her palm on his scar. She places a gentle kiss there, feeling far more protective of him than she had previously. Katara vowed to never ever let anyone scar him ever again. As she lifted her lips from his warm skin, she felt him squirm underneath her. His eyes slowly adjusted to the sun and then they landed on her. He grinned.  

"Morning, Katara." Her heart swooned at the depth of his voice. She'd sleep next to him everyday if it meant hearing that. She blushed at the implications of that statement, making Zuko raise an eyebrow at her antics.  

"Good morning to you too, Zuko." She whispered, placing a feathery kiss on his lips. 

"Everything okay?" She nodded.  

They ate a quick meal of rice and komodo chicken, food that Zuko packed beforehand, got dressed, and made their way to Appa, who was chewing on a stack of hay Zuko conveniently found at the mouth of the cave.  

"Hey buddy, ready to go?" The air bison groaned, wagging his tail. After Zuko told her of his good deeds in Ba Sing Se, she understood why the animal liked him so much.  

They both made small talk on their way to Ember Island, with Katara taking the reins and Zuko next to her, holding her hand. Katara felt a sense of gratitude towards the firebender as they neared Ember Island.  

"Hey, I never thanked you for doing this for me." Zuko seemed confused.  

"Do what for you?"  

"You know," Katara gestured to Appa, "Taking me to face Yon Rha. You didn't have to do that." Zuko shook his head. 

"I had to do something, Katara. I know that I can't bring back your mother, or take back everything the Fire Nation's done to your people or the world. But I can try to restore the things I actually have power over. Because it's the right thing to do. Because it's something that is owed to you."  

Katara squeezed his hand, unable to use words. Zuko seemed to understand and squeezed back.  

Hours later after he dropped Katara off at Ember Island with a kiss and promise that he'd be back soon, Katara was taking inventory of everything the house offered. There was wine, bags of rice and grains, and lots of thread. Zuko said his mother used to knit clothes for them sometimes when they were little and it made her eyes well up at the thought that maybe she was intruding, that they'd all be once the rest of them got here.  

Some time later and she was practicing her forms when she heard a familiar groan in the sky. She squinted, waving when she saw the familiar blue water tribe attire. Her brother was going to have a field day here, she thought as she remembered the old maps and other interesting items that seemed to be abundant in the vacation house.  

As soon as they landed, Toph jumped down, kissing the ground beneath her as if she'd been in the sky for years. Katara resisted the urge to roll her eyes, smiling at the sight. Suki and Sokka made their way to her first, both of them giving her appraising looks.  

"It seems you're holding up well," Suki offered. Sokka kept his eyes on his younger sister, making sure she was actually okay and not just faking it. Though, she was pretty good at that. He ignored the thought and clasped her tightly in his arms.  

"Are you really okay, Katara?" His sister nodded, looking genuinely content.  

"A lot happened but Zuko helped me out a lot. I'm fine now, I promise." She told them. The waterbender vowed to tell him everything that happened later. Sokka felt a wave of relief wash over him at this. He'd been worried for the last day or so, wondering if his sister was okay. He didn't doubt the firebender's feelings for her and knew he'd do anything for her, but she was still his sister and he'd always worry regardless.  

He took in her appearance, her eyes had a spark in it that hadn't been there before she left and he wondered what happened. Of course, he'd ask her this later when they had some semblance of privacy. He patted her back, giving her a half smile. "I'm glad he was with you. If it had to be anyone there, I'm glad it was him."  

A moment later and Aang appeared, a disgruntled Toph in tow. He cleared his throat, rubbing the nape of his neck sheepishly. The earthbender kicked the back of his leg, hard. "Ow!"  

"Say it, Twinkletoes." Aang looked down in shame, then lifted his gaze to meet Katara's now irritated one.  

"Can we go…talk? Alone?" Katara crossed her arms. "Hmm, I don't know. Are you gonna call me a cold blooded monster this time? Or a psychopath?" Aang gulped.  

"N-no–"  

That seemed to be enough for Katara. Zuko was standing next to her, mimicking her stance, his arms crossed, eyes narrowed at the airbender. She was about to walk off with Aang when she felt the gentle touch of Zuko's hand on her shoulder.  

No words were needed to convey his message, as Katara could easily understand him without them. "I'll be fine, Zuko. Don't worry." He nodded, stepping aside. Sokka watched their exchange with a knowing look. 

As they neared an empty clearing next to the house, Katara felt a sense of dread. What was she expecting to get out of this exchange? It's been a year since she found the Avatar, and not once did she ever hear him apologize, at least not to her. She used to coddle him, she knew that. Everyone around her knew, but no more. She was no longer going to be a doormat for him to step on. She didn't care that he was twelve, even though she  knew to take accountability at the age of ten, so no excuse was going to satisfy her in the slightest.  

But she was also a person who saw the good in people. And she was also willing to give someone a second chance to redeem themselves if they felt hungry enough for it. So she'd relent and let him say what he needed to. She stood, arms still crossed. Aang twiddled with his thumbs before clearing his throat again. He wasn't good with confrontation, so she gave him kudos for having the guts to own up to his mistakes. At least, that's what she hoped would happen.  

"Katara, I just want to say that I am so sorry for what I said before you left. I know that I grew up in a different time period and a different culture than you and I know we don't always agree on things and, um, Toph brought to my attention that you tend to agree with me sometimes so that you don't hurt my feelings and that's not okay. I know that now. I'm also very sorry for judging you for your actions. Just because I personally believe something doesn't mean that you also have to."  

"I'm supposed to be your friend, and I let you down. I'm sorry."  

To say Katara was shocked was an understatement. She didn't know he had it in him to apologize and not make it seem like it was still her fault somehow. Though she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing that, not yet. 

"I accept your apology and I appreciate you for understanding what you did wrong. However, I do want to elaborate on why I decided to go." Aang perked up at this, deciding not to say anything just yet. Katara would have to thank Toph later for getting through to him. 

"That man took everything from me: my childhood, my mother. And because of that, I've had to sacrifice everything to make sure that my tribe was okay, that my father was okay, that Sokka was okay. I've had to make sure everyone in my life was okay without anyone doing the same for me."  

"I didn't have revenge in mind when I decided to face him. You might not believe me, but I didn't. I didn't know what I was going to do, I just wanted to face the man who took everything away from me. So when you judged me for even wanting that, I almost lost it." The young Avatar cowered in shame, regret etched into his eyes.  

"I didn't kill him, but part of me will probably always wonder if I should have. And I'm not telling you this because I feel you are owed this. I'm telling you this because this is the real me. Flawed, emotional, and nuanced. I'm not as perfect as you think I am, and it hurts that you even think that of me. Like I'm not even allowed to be flawed." 

Aang rushed to apologize, but Katara held up her hand. "I know you're sorry. But I need to see it, Aang. I need to feel that you're serious." He nodded, fidgeting again. 

"Are you—are you okay?" 

Katara didn't think she'd be. She thought it would take her awhile to recover from facing that cruel, sick man. But Zuko helped a lot, and now she doesn't feel alone anymore. She exhaled, facing the airbender's inquisitive eyes. "Yeah, I'm okay. Feeling a lot better than I have in a while, to be honest."  

They made their way back, both of them going in different directions. Aang needed to train with Toph more, and Katara wanted to spar with Zuko to release some unspent energy.  

"Hey, Zuko!" 

After they finished their last sparring match, Katara gave one of his dao swords back, wanting nothing to do with the weapon. She had lost to him five times out of ten, which shouldn't mean much considering it meant he also lost to her the same amount of times, but she was spent and very thirsty.  

She took a sip of water from her water skin and handed it off to Zuko, who thanked her before taking a few gulps of the refreshing liquid. They were both now on the dock, facing the sunset. Katara had her bare feet in the water, kicking some onto Zuko, who only gave her a look.  

"I'll just splash more on you, you know." She rolled her eyes. "I'd just bend it back at you." 

He flung some droplets in her face but it never touched her. She bent it back in his face, laughing when his slender fingers reached the skin of her sides and started tickling it.  

"Oh, La, Zuko stop it! I'm sorry! I won't do it again!" He finally relented, seeing the tears in her eyes.  

They sat there for a while in a comfortable silence, taking in the view before them before Katara spoke again. "Do you think we'll win the war?"  

Zuko placed a kiss on each of her knuckles, holding her hand towards his heart. "We will. I won't make any promises, but I have a good feeling that we will."  

"I just keep thinking about what's going to happen afterwards. Like what if–? What if…?" 

What if we can't be together after all?  

"You mean what if we can't be together? We can figure that out much later. We can always do long distance until we can figure some other things out. I can't, I won't be without you. I need you, Katara." Her eyes welled up at the passion in his voice. She leaned her head against his shoulder, wrapping an arm around him.  

"You will never be without me, Zuko. I love you too much to let you go now." She refused to let go of the boy with the scarred face. She refused to let him ever be alone. Not again. Through all these adventures they had together, she got to see the real him. Not the Zuko who was misguided, or the one who shut out his feelings. The real Zuko. Even if the whole world is against them being together, she would forever still be by his side. 

And this time, she didn't blush at the implications of that statement.