Title: Empty Spaces

Author: Psalm 136

Rating: M

Summary: It's his first time, too, and it's a lot more real and awkward than he thought it might, but he needs this after the horror of the day. Zutara.

Disclaimer: It doesn't belong to me.

Author's Notes: So, I haven't seen any of season three, except the fight with Azula, so forgive me if I make any mistakes. And do note that this isn't going to be the hot romp people imagine. It's their first times, and I tried to show that.

Katara was hunched over a water basin, crying quietly, when Zuko found her. She had told him she was only leaving his room for a moment to find some supplies for their dinner, and he'd thought it odd when a half hour passed and she hadn't returned, even for directions. His legs were still weak from fighting Azula, and parts of his body would randomly twitch from the vestiges of lightning, but he hadn't needed to go far to find her.

He watched her silently for a few moments, debating what the best course of action would be. When she let out a pitiful little sob, his heart overruled his questioning mind, and he limped over to her, and knelt at her side. He shivered slightly, having shed his destroyed tunic, but settled a hand on her shoulder. He felt something inside of him crumble when she looked up at him with red eyes and sniffed like a small child. He drew her to his chest and let her cry against him.

He always wonders what his life might have been like if he had allowed someone to comfort him as he was comforting her.

Katara snaked her arms around him. Her left elbow was resting on his shoulder, her forearm dangling down his bare back. Her right arm was holding her body against his, her fingers splayed on his lower back. He held her close, letting her burrow her face into his neck and keeping her still when her body threatened to shudder and tremble its way away from him.

Many minutes passed, and Zuko shoved away his selfish thoughts about how much his knees were hurting and how much he felt like passing out. He clung a little tighter to Katara, hoping to anchor himself to the world because he knew it shouldn't be spinning as wildly as it currently appeared to be. His head really did hurt badly, but Katara needed him.

No one has ever needed him before.

"Zuko?" Katara caught his attention, not moving her head from its place on his shoulder. Her lips were barely grazing his skin as she spoke his name and her breath was pleasantly warm against the cold surface of his neck.

Zuko leaned his head back so he could see her face. She wasn't looking at him; her eyes were red, and even her nose was faintly pink from crying. Her tears had slipped onto his skin and had dried there. He didn't mind as much as he thought he might. Instead, he was more relieved she seemed to be feeling better.

"Yeah?" He replied in the same soft tone she had used. He couldn't articulate how her dependence on him, even in this one moment, made him feel.

Katara slowly moved her way from his embrace, and stood up, using her sleeve to wipe away her tears. He stood up as well, and took her hand. Together, they went into the hallway and crossed it, entering the empty servant's bedroom they had found on the first floor. All of their sparse belongings were piled in the corner.

Even though his legs were trembling, Zuko sat Katara on the bed and found her bag, carefully pulling her second set of clothing out. He handed it to her, and smiled gently at her silent, questioning look.

"It'll make you feel better. Trust me." He walked to the door, and turned around without having to be prompted.

He stiffened when her soft, lovely voice merely said, "I do."

He never expected those words would come from anyone, least of all her. But now he feels as though he's finally accomplished something without even trying. He never wanted her to trust him, but she does, and he likes it.

Zuko waited for a long moment, hearing the sound of cloth being dropped to the stone floor and the rustling of articles of clothing as they were drawn on the body, and was tempted to turn around to see if she was finished and simply hadn't alerted him, but knew better than to actually turn. When he was about to open his mouth and ask her if she was done dressing, she gently tapped his shoulder.

He faced her and studied her face. She still looked entirely too sad, as though she was grieving and was beyond tears. She appeared as though the whole world's sorrows were draped around her, and he wished he could remove that burden from her.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

Katara nodded, and seemed to be at a loss of what to do. Zuko thought it best not to be too obvious about the way his gaze dropped from her eyes to her lips.

It was as though that one motion alone galvanized the two into action. Zuko began to break up the non-necessary pieces of furniture in the room and tossed the broken parts into the hearth that was craved into the wall. Katara leafed through her bag for any suitable supplies for supper. She welcomed the warmth that filled the air when Zuko lit a fire, and she smiled at him as he came to sit by her on the floor. She didn't miss the sweat that was beading near his hairline.

"Oh, Zuko." She murmured, pressing a hand to his forehead, and then touched his cheeks. "How do you feel?"

He didn't want to tell her because there was still a lingering sadness in her every movement, but the words seemed to come out of his mouth before he could check them. "Dizzy." He shut his eyes and pressed his palms against the cold floor, hoping to alleviate the sensation by assuring himself that, no, the floor was, in fact, not moving. It didn't work. "And I feel very… odd. I can't describe it. And I feel very, very weak."

It doesn't bother him how he's so honest with her. He trusts her in a way he hasn't ever trusted before. He knows all she wants to do is help, and for the first time in his life, he's actually ready to accept it, in any way she's willing to offer.

Katara nodded, and then offered him a hand once she had stood. She carefully led him over to the bed, and he obediently laid down and curled up underneath the covers. She gave him a sympathetic look as he sat up, his back against the headboard, intent on participating in conversation and not being hindered by the last evidence that he had been mortally injured that day.

"She's insane." Zuko admitted aloud. "And I feel very sorry for her."

Katara was quiet for a long moment, and then replied, "You're more forgiving than I am."

"You forgave me." He reminded her. Zuko knew that something had changed between them when he had taken Azula's bolt of lightning. They wouldn't have been having this conversation any other way. Maybe his sacrifice had proven to her that he had changed. It didn't matter; it was… good to be so honest for once.

She turned from preparing their meal to meet his eyes. She dropped her gaze, and nodded. "I did. But you…" She faltered, unsure of how to continue. "I…"

For a moment, Zuko thought he knew what she wanted to say, but earnestly squashed that notion. There was no reason to be a silly romantic, except for the fact he so wished his fleeting thought was true.

"She's still my sister." He raked a hand through his dirty hair, thinking of her screams as he and Katara walked away from where Azula was chained. "Even though she's twisted… I still love her, even if I don't want to." He gave her a half-hearted, teasing smile. "I mean, you still love that brother of yours when he acts like an idiot."

Katara giggled, thankful for the release of tension. "Well, yeah." She agreed, and stirred the stew she had managed to throw together in minutes. It was probably not going to be the most delicious thing she had ever created, but it would be warm and filling. She just wanted to get some sleep.

She looked at the stew, and then left the wooden ladle in the pot, moving over to sit on the bed beside Zuko and let their dinner cook. The Firebender slowly pulled her closer by sliding an arm around her shoulders. She accepted his touch – a surprise in and of itself – and set her head on his chest.

"I never thanked you."

Zuko's confusion registered on his chest. As his thumb massaged her far shoulder, he rested his chin on her head. "For what?"

Katara pulled away, her hands on his chest propping her up. "For what?" She repeated incredulously.

"You saved my life, Zuko." She said as though it should have been obvious.

He hadn't thought of it that way. It had been an instinct; an instinct to protect, to preserve. Maybe he did save her, but only because he can't bear the thought of her being hurt.

"Oh." He looked down, missing the warmth from her body already. Her weight against him was soothing. "You're welcome." He told her, awkward. No one had ever thanked him like that before, as though he deserved it.

He kept his eyes off her, wondering what she was thinking, desperately hoping she wouldn't go and sit on the floor. He thought about saying something, but what, he didn't know. Then, her lips slowly found his, sending shockwaves more powerful than any lightning Azula could conjure throughout his body. He was frozen in place for a few frightening seconds, and he eventually kissed her in return.

His fingers wove themselves into her loose hair as she rested a hand on his thigh. Slowly, ever so slowly, regretting what he needed to do, Zuko pulled away. Immediately, he regretted that decision, but kept his hands in her hair. As an apology, he gently brushed his lips against hers.

"What are you doing?" He asked, increasingly distracted by the hand on his chest.

The hand was retracted, and Katara moved to the edge of the bed. She looked guilty, and horribly rejected. She pulled her knees up to her chest, keeping a physical barrier between herself and Zuko. He felt bad for pulling away, but he needed to know.

He has an inkling as to where this night might go, and he has no problem with that. He just needs to know if this isn't some twisted form of thanking him. He wants to be with her, and he wants her to want to be with him. He couldn't stomach it any other way.

"It's… I mean, I…" Katara shook her head, standing up and walking to the other side of the room. She turned her face away from him, but he knew she was close to tears. "Never mind. Forget about it."

"I can't." Zuko wearily stood up, and was glad that she was turned away, so she wouldn't see how his legs buckled underneath him. He grit his teeth, and padded over to her. "Katara… I won't do this unless it's… unless it's real." He stumbled over the words in awkwardness. "Because I care about you, and-and-and…" He trailed off, his cheeks burning.

"What?" Katara looked up at him, her eyes wide.

"I care about you." He repeated.

She watched his face silently. "Me too." She told him. There was a startling honesty in her eyes, and he smiled slightly at her.

The tension between them eased, and Katara checked on their food, and then ladled some of the stew into a bowl for him and one for her. His hand touched hers when she passed him the bowl and then sat beside him on the edge of the bed. They ate in silence, occasionally glancing at one another. Zuko didn't say a word when he threaded his fingers through hers as they ate, their bowls in their laps.

It was a silent affair, the routine of washing their dishes in the water basin in the next room and then packing them away for the next day. The silence was companionable and unrushed. The same thing was lurking on both of their minds, but they knew they had the entire night before they would rejoin the rest of the world.

Before they had to return to what was considered right and moral for each of them. This was neither right nor moral, not to mention rash. They were far too young for this, but they were also far too young to be fighting a war, to have the result of that war on their shoulders. Zuko supposed he could be forgiven for wanting her so badly when she was so perfectly good and so lovely in the firelight. She had forgiven him and accepted him. They were far too much alike, and yet so completely different, and he wanted to know her in every single way a man might know a woman.

Zuko let out a weary sigh, and then sat on the bed. Katara came from the next room, carrying the pot in which she had cooked their dinner. She set it by the fire to dry, and as she was walking by, he caught her hand and tugged her down to capture her lips. It was just as exhilarating as the kiss she had initiated. Goosebumps were raised on the skin of his forearms when Katara's fingers ran through his shaggy hair. She smiled into the kiss and leaned her forehead against his.

"What was that for?" She asked.

Zuko looked up into her blue eyes. "I want you."

"What?" She asked, slightly intimidated by such a bold statement. "As in…?"

He nodded, his neck flushing once he really realized what he had said. "Yes." He admitted. "It's not that… you know. I didn't mean anything by it. I would never…"

Katara grinned and loosely wrapped her arms around his neck. "I know, Zuko." She trailed a finger on his blush, thinking to herself that, for all of his Firebending skill and for the fact he was fighting in this war, he really was just a seventeen-year-old boy who liked a pretty girl. "I… I want… to. I do. I'm just… I guess I'm just… scared."

Zuko grinned in return. "Me too." He looked at her seriously. "So… do you?" He cleared his throat, resting his hands on her waist. "I'm sorry, I'm not good at this." He took a deep breath and looked her square in the eye. "I do want you, but I won't touch you unless you want me to."

He wants this night with her. There is no one else he needs with him; it's always been her. It doesn't make sense and it's probably not the best decision to make in such a troubled time, but if he dies tomorrow, he would have rather have this beautiful mistake to recall as he dies.

"I want this too." Katara smiled at him, reaching up to play with his hair, and then sat down beside him so she could easily access his lips.

He leaned in, and she met him halfway. His arms went around her, drawing her close. One of her hands was resting on his chest, and one of his hands slowly rubbed up and down her side. Their lips stayed glued together for countless minutes, as their hands tentatively began to stray from the platonic areas of the body.

Katara, as they pulled away for air, settled her hands on his hips, her thumbs grazing the front of his hipbones. He shivered at the contact, and she looked up at his face, concerned.

"No, no." He felt his body begin to react to her touch. "Don't move. That's good."

"Oh, okay." She offered him a nervous smile. She found that she liked touching him, and she liked it when he touched her, even so innocently. It made her feel so close to him, and it was stoking fires within her that she was only beginning to realize existed. She moved herself closer to him, one of her legs moving between his daringly.

Zuko felt his mouth go dry as Katara moved so close. He touched one of her knees, and slowly ran a hand up her leg, onto her hip, his fingers grazing her backside, and then up her side. He stopped his hand before he touched her breasts, and looked at her face, silently asking permission.

"It's okay." She whispered, pressing a kiss to the side of his mouth.

"Okay." He nodded, and experimentally brushed his thumb across her left breast. He heard her sharp intake of breath, but he was, sadly, too focused on the part of anatomy in front of him. He had never stared so blatantly before, and when he looked up at Katara's face, she was blushing with a silly little smile on her face as she leaned back, in a pose that seemed to suggest she was offering herself to him.

With that permission, with both hands, he cupped her breasts. He felt their weight, and gently massaged them. While he'd never been with a girl in this way before, he'd heard things and read things. It was odd how a dirty book never needed to be dusted in the Fire Palace's library.

But he knew of things that… pleased girls. So, he wasn't totally in the dark. But… he wondered what to do in the meantime. He swallowed, and placed more pressure on her breasts. Recalling something he'd heard two crude soldiers boasting about when he was twelve, he bent his head to press his lips against her nipple, which was straining against her breast bindings and shirt. It was the most erotic thing he'd ever seen.

The Water Tribe girl sucked in a breath, threading her fingers through Zuko's somewhat rough hair. When he looked up with his gorgeous golden eyes, she nodded. "Don't stop that. It feels so good." She encouraged him, the fire between her legs burning brightly. She wanted to feel his hands on her bare skin, all over her. She wanted to touch his deliciously pale skin. She wanted him.

Zuko nodded, deciding to take a risk. He took her nipple and gently tweaked it. Katara flinched slightly, but bit back a sound of pleasure. Thoroughly encouraged by that, Zuko did the same thing to both of her breasts simultaneously. She was overwhelmed by the feelings Zuko was creating for her, and she moved away from his touch momentarily, only to lie on the bed, her arms above her head, for lack of a better place to rest them.

The Firebender got on his knees and crawled over to her, and straddled her. He tentatively rested some of his weight on her hips, liking it immensely when she smiled up at him. She reached up with her hands and brought his face down to hers. She kissed down his cheek, and onto his jaw. He titled his jaw upwards so she might more easily access his neck. She kissed down the column of his neck, her hands busy exploring his muscular abdomen.

Zuko felt embarrassment rise up under his skin as his penis reacted to her closeness and her touch. He shifted uncomfortably, but froze when her hand ghosted over the noticeable and swelling bulge in his loose pants. He bit his bottom lip as Katara sat up slightly, her eyes glued to where her hand was hovering.

"Can I… touch it?" She asked. Of course, she too knew the basic mechanics, but this was completely different in practice, rather than just thinking about it. Her curiosity was amplified by the increasingly sexual desires running through her veins.

Zuko could only nod wordlessly as he took his weight off of her and allowed her to completely sit up. He crushed her lips to his, and then released her. He grinned wolfishly at the dazed look in her eyes. She giggled at the look on his face, and then grew serious as she lowered her hand to his penis.

For a long moment, she rested her hand there and watched as his features scrunched up, and as a long sigh that turned into a light moan came from his throat. He reached out and stroked her cheek as she became bolder and lightly gripped him, and then began to stroke him curiously, watching his reactions and remembering how to touch him to draw out a hiss, followed by a guttural moan.

"Stopstopstopstopstop…" Zuko finally forced out.

Katara recoiled. "I'm sorry. What did I do wrong?" She glanced down worriedly, and then back up at his face.

"Nothing." He assured her, giving her a smile and kissing her quickly. "It's just… it felt really good, and if you kept going for much longer…" He trailed off. "Well, you know."

"Yeah." Katara nodded, and then glanced downwards. "Um… what should we do now?" She asked, looking for him to lead.

He never could have imagined this would feel so good. It's not perfectly passionate, and she isn't headed for multiple climaxes. It's going to get even more awkward, but it's with her.

"Here." Zuko gently pushed her back onto the hard bed. He began to kiss his way down her jaw and onto her neck, peppering her collarbone with kisses. He found the high collar of her blue shirt annoying. "Please, please, please take this off." He gestured to her shirt.

Katara smiled shyly, and sat up, pulling her shirt off and dropping it on the floor. For a minute, she stupidly wondered if it would be wrinkled in the morning. She found she didn't care as she surveyed the pale prince above her whose was fumbling with the white stripes of her breast bindings that seemed to be suffocating her. Once her breasts were revealed, Zuko went slack-jawed, and Katara blushed brightly as she looked away from him and dropped the breast bindings on top of her shirt.

"Um…" Katara mumbled as she waited for Zuko to regain his mental functions. Once he did, his hands went immediately to her breasts and he began to tweak her nipples and massage them. She laid back and murmured her assent and encouragement as he continued his ministrations.

"Do you like this?" He asked her, straddling her as he continued to touch her, and then kissed her deeply. He grinned as Katara mumbled something against his lips. "Good."

Zuko stopped his fingers, and then kissed down her body. As he moved himself downwards, Katara's legs opened and he found himself cradled between her legs. He shifted uncomfortably as his penis swelled at the intimate contact. Katara shifted as well, feeling wetness gather between her legs and couldn't help but grind slightly against Zuko.

She wanted to make a comment and tease him about how easily she could make him grimace in pleasure, but then he began to kiss her breasts and slowly kiss down her torso, exciting her and making her ache in such a foreign way.

He is beyond questioning this now. She wants it and he wants it. He's never heard someone moan in such a pleasurable way, and now, he's addicted. He wants to consume her and make her moan his name.

Zuko stopped kissing her and looked up at her, his fingers resting on her hips. "Should we… um… finish undressing?" He asked awkwardly, smiling embarrassedly as she blushed, and nodded.

The two teenagers stood up from the bed and faced each other. Katara couldn't meet his eyes. Being shirtless was one thing, and it was flattering that Zuko couldn't stop staring at her chest. But taking off her pants was… it was the next step. She did want this, but it was a big deal. She trusted Zuko. She did. But this was different than trusting him in a life-or-death situation. This was trusting him with her body, with her heart (if she was honest), when he could so easily break it, even if he didn't mean to. She knew he didn't want to hurt her, but he still could.

"We don't have to do this, Katara." Zuko told her when he noticed her hesitation. "I'm serious. I don't want… I don't want you to regret this."

"I-I-I do want this. I won't regret it. But…" She trailed off, looking away. "This is my first time. I don't know what to do."

"It's my first time too. I don't really know what to do either." Zuko admitted. "But, I mean, we can just… learn from each other." He cracked a smile. "This is kind of weird to talk about, isn't it?"

Katara smiled in return. She seemed completely reassured by his admission that he was scared, and that it was weird. She'd had thoughts that when she would do this, it would come naturally and they would both be overwhelmed with lust for each other. But reality was that that didn't just happen. She leaned over to kiss him, and he pulled her close, his hands resting on her bare waist.

The kiss was more careful and gentle than the ones they'd shared before, but Katara felt reassured, and by the way Zuko's arms encircled her waist, he was comforted by the fact he could make her feel better. Slowly, Katara drew away from him.

"Ready?" She asked him, and he nodded.

Together, they finished disrobing and took a moment to look at each other. Katara awkwardly crossed her arms over her chest, unable to stop looking at him. It seemed so wrong to start at a completely naked boy, but she wasn't about to forget the fact Zuko was a completely naked, very, very good-looking boy. And it was odd to stand in front of a boy, herself completely naked. All she could think about was the fact she was a little underweight after traveling for so long and not always having a lot of food, not to mention all of the waterbending she had been doing. And he… he looked so perfect. His muscles seemed to actually ripple, and he was so handsome.

"You're…" Zuko couldn't stop staring. "Wow."

Katara flushed. "Thanks. You're…" Her eyes fell down, and she wondered what it would feel like for that to be inside her. She'd never seen a penis, but his looked pretty big. She knew it would hurt, but it didn't seem like it would fit inside her. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other at the thought.

She looked back up at Zuko and realized that she had been saying something. She blushed prettily and looked away, wringing her hands. "Sorry. I think you're gorgeous." She practically gushed. She couldn't help but grin when his ears turned red and he looked away. "What?" She teased him.

"Nothing." He muttered good-naturedly. He offered her his hand.

He knows he's offering a lot more than just his hand. He's offering her a place in his heart, if not a place by his side, for the rest of their lives. He's offering her his heart because he's already smitten. He already loves her.

She took it, and he smiled at her. He guided her to the bed, and let her lie down, and then joined her. Both on their sides, he slid an arm around her waist and pulled her close, playing with her hair with his free hand. And then slowly, ever so slowly, moved his hand downwards. He opened his eyes briefly to observe her eyes were shut and then heard a delicious moan leave her mouth, into his as his fingers grazed the hair gathered between her legs.

"Move onto your back." He urged her, and then opened her legs. She sat up so she could watch what he was doing.

Zuko knelt between Katara's legs and gently began to touch the small nub that was poking towards him. He saw her close her eyes, and grinned when he heard her gasp as he rolled the nub between his thumb and forefinger. He watched as the folds between her legs gradually became more lubricated as time wore on. Curious, he brushed his finger by her "love hole" as he'd heard it referred to by the more inappropriate soldiers that had traveled with him.

He gently inserted his finger, and her eyes flew open, wondering at the sensation. She watched as he moved his finger in and out, and then moaned as he added pressure to that small nub. He slowly added a second finger.

"No, don't." Katara shifted and pulled away from him. "That hurts."

"I'm sorry." He apologized, settling his hands on her upper thighs. "I'm sorry." He repeated.

"It's okay." She assured him and stroked his cheek. "It felt good, though, with one…"

Zuko nodded, and returned to one finger, smiling as she smiled angelically up at him. It was in that moment that he really realized that he could spend the rest of his life with this girl. He was young, but he'd grown up in these past years. He'd had everything, lost it, and lived with nothing. Once this was all over, he wanted her with him.

"Okay." Zuko finally stopped his ministrations. "Is it okay if we start?"

Katara nodded wordlessly, fear shimmering in her gorgeous blue eyes. He moved up to her face and kissed her soundly, and then with one hand, guided his manhood and slowly pushed. He felt something tear around him, and his eyes shot to her face as she cried out. He froze, and then held her close as a few tears slipped from the sides of her eyes. He kissed her face, and then kissed her lips.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He whispered.

Katara kissed him back. "It's okay, just don't move for a little bit. It hurts." She buried her face into his shoulder and he stroked her hair. "Okay." She finally said after a long moment. "Slowly, though."

Zuko nodded, and used his arms to make sure he didn't put any unnecessary weight on her. Slowly, he sunk into her, groaning as he was surrounded by foreign warmth and wetness. Once he was as deep as he could be, he remained there, fighting the urge to thrust in and out. He assumed that it would really hurt her if he did that, so he forced himself to not move.

"Is it okay if I move now?" He asked her, absently thumbing the nub between her legs.

Katara felt her blood boil. "Please." She whispered in his ear, kissing his cheek next to his ear.

Zuko nodded, and started to move in and out. His breathing became labored, as did hers. He was sure, though, that it wasn't for the same reasons. He felt slightly guilty because he was enjoying this, and it was probably only painful for her.

He once thought that this would be a whirl of passion and orgasms, but he likes this way better. It's real. But he can't stop thinking about how much this might be hurting her. She's so beautiful as she moans.

"Are you okay?" He asked, taking one of her hands.

She smiled and nodded. "Yes. Keep going." She urged him as she squeezed his hand.

He continued to move within her, and felt almost painful pleasure building up in his loins, and he let out a guttural moan as he moved faster, almost lost in his own pleasure. His free hand fondled the nub that Katara seemed to like touched a lot, and then his pleasure turned almost animalistic as one word was hissed through her teeth.

"Zuuukkkkoooo…"

"Yes?" He asked mischievously.

Katara managed to roll her eyes before his groans overtook him. He picked up the pace even more, and had to stifle a moan that seemed to originate from a primitive part of him. Once he felt that he couldn't hold on anymore, he pulled out of her, his erection painfully hard. Wordlessly, Katara sat up and gripped his erection, stroking him and putting some pressure onto the organ. With a gentle hand she pushed him back onto his back, and then kept stroking him until he climaxed, her hand and arm and his stomach getting covered with a white, sticky mess.

She looked down at it in confusion, touching the liquid curiously. She made a face at him, and he laughed, oddly tired. He had heard stories that men fell asleep right after, and he did feel tired, but not so tired he wanted to sleep. He wanted to drink in this gorgeous glass of water in front of him.

"Come on." She pulled him up and led him into the next room and cleaned him off with her waterbending, and then washed her arm off as well. Hand in hand, they went back to the bedroom and pulled clothing.

Zuko laid down, and threw out an arm for Katara to use as a pillow, but she cuddled up to his chest. He curled up with her and slipped a leg between hers. She looked at him oddly, but with a tender look in her eyes.

"It's cold." He lied.

"I don't mind." She whispered to him, and then burrowed her face against his neck, underneath his chin. "Is this going to change things?"

"Yes." He replied, closing his eyes as he enveloped his arms around her. "But change can be good."

Katara smiled against his skin, and then nodded. "Are we going to be together?"

"Do you want to?"

His heart is thudding against his rib cage. He doesn't know what to say; all of the words are clawing at his throat and he doesn't know what to say. He does, but he doesn't, but he still does.

"Yes." She admitted. "I really care about you, you know."

"I know." He gave her a squeeze. "I think I might…"

"Me too."

Zuko squeezed his eyes shut and really hoped this was real. "This meant a lot to me. There isn't anyone else I wanted to have experienced this with… thank you."

"Thank you." She returned.

He doesn't know what tomorrow will bring or where tomorrow will take him. He doesn't know if he and this beautiful woman will end up together. If he ends up forced to marry a heartless noble girl and is miserable for the rest of his life… he will always remember this night and the way it feels to hold the girl he loves in his arms.

Zuko didn't know if she had drifted off yet, but she was rather still in his arms. Taking the greatest chance he had ever taken in his short life, he said the three words that would end him.

"I love you." It was barely more than a whisper into her hair, but he said it, and it seemed so much more real.

With the weight of those words off of his chest, Zuko fell asleep.

There were two things that Zuko didn't know happened after he was asleep. The first was that Katara knew she couldn't be with Zuko in the way she knew they both wanted because she was scared of what being the Fire Lady would mean, if they even survived. The second was three words that were whispered in the cold night air.

"Me too, Zuko."

I hope you enjoyed this, and please review. Good? Bad? Mediocre? Could use more nutmeg? I'd like to know.