When he saved her from the falling rocks, the first thing she felt was anger.

Now she was indebted to Zuko of all people. He saved her, but she could have jumped out of the way! (no she couldn't). He saved her, but she didn't need him to (she did). He saved her, but she had everything perfectly under control (she didn't).

The second thing she felt was confusion.

Did he expect her to be grateful? He chased them around the world, he took her mother's necklace, he fought her in the Spirit Oasis.

He betrayed her in Ba Sing Se.

After everything he did, how could he ever think she would thank him for saving her life.

Because she wouldn't. Ever.

He knew. Katara could tell.

But he still saved her.

xXx

Zuko was falling.

She reached for him,

and hesitated.

Why was she doing this? She couldn't trust Zuko as far as she could throw him, yet here she was, saving him.

But he had saved her.

If she helped him now, she wouldn't be in his debt anymore.

and she could continue to hate him in peace.

That reason, and only that reason, is why she caught him.

Nothing more, nothing less.

(she was lying. nobody, not even lying scum like Zuko, deserved to go out like that).

So she saved him.

xXx

As soon as Katara looked into Azula's unhinged eyes, she knew she was as good as dead.

She couldn't dodge that lightning.

She hoped it wouldn't hurt too much.

But the lightning never came.

because Zuko saved her.

He had jumped in front of the lightning and hugged it close to him, so that none of it could touch her.

His name tore from her lips, because he saved her and now she owed him again, because she didn't hate him anymore, because she forgave him and he was her friend and it wasn't fair.

(Zuko was more than a friend)

He was curled up on the ground, lightning sizzling in blue arcs around him.

She started to run, reaching for her water skin, the only thing that could possibly save him.

But Azula had other ideas.

xXx

Azula was smart, but Katara outsmarted her.

Thrashing and bending uncontrollably, Azula seemed to have lost all of her dignity and pride.

Katara gazed in pity at this hysterical and pathetic girl.

They have a lot in common.

Both bending prodigies, fifteen years young, they have older brothers, they lost their mother at a young age.

except

Azula's mind was broken,

and not everything can be fixed.

xXx

Zuko was dying.

She could see that, but she couldn't, wouldn't accept it.

She is a master waterbender. She taught the avatar. She could heal a simple lightning wound.

She did it before.

Except she didn't. It was the spirit oasis water that healed Aang, while Katara was nothing more than a guide.

and this wasn't that simple.

When she turned him over, he groaned. It was soft and low, like he didn't have the energy to do much more.

he probably didn't.

Her healing wasn't working. He was slipping away from her,

like the water in her hands.

Zuko was looking at her, but she didn't want to meet his gaze. She didn't want to see the light leaving his eyes, she didn't want to see herself fail to save him.

so she stared at the large and inescapable hole in his chest.

it must hurt so much.

he did this for her.

Tears leaking out of her eyes, Katara managed to choke out one word.

"Why?"

and then she squeezed her eyes shut, because it was too much to hear him struggle to talk.

"I just… couldn't lose another person I love," he whispered.

He loves her.

Zuko loves her.

xXx

She could do nothing but stare at him in shock for a moment.

because she never thought this would happen.

because she never thought about it before,

because when their eyes met

she realized

that she loves him too.

xXx

She never even got the chance to say it back.

because in that moment

he closed his eyes,

took a shuddering

breath, and sighed.

His heart had stopped.

xXx

Katara felt numb.

and could do nothing more

than stroke his cheek softly,

and whisper

"I love you"

She would never forgive herself.

because of the three times they saved each other

and the

one

time

she

didn't.

xXx

A/N: So… i promised i would do a one-shot for zutara month (even though this has nothing to do with the prompts). But i didn't mean for it to be this sad.

Sorry guys.

I was experimenting with the spacing and it kind of looks like a poem now (which is weird because i hate poems in general). But I had a lot of fun making this.

Wow, my first zutara month contribution will make people sad.

(Hell it made me sad and i wrote it)

Once again, I apologize.