A/N: All of the paragraphs completely in italics is a flashback. In the normal paragraphs, all of their thoughts will be put into 'single quotation marks' and italicized to avoid confusion.

As a shoutout, I would just like to say, I would not have come up with this one-shot were it not for the song "So Close" by Jon McLaughlin. It's an amazing song and helped me push through.

I hope you all enjoy this story! :)

Caught (v.): To discover or come upon suddenly, unexpectedly, or accidentally

She stood up from her crouch on the balcony and stared into the dark room before her, trying to figure out where he was. She knew the room before her was completely empty save for two worn, old chairs and a creaky table he had managed to rustle up. They were supposed to be against the right wall, but it was so dark she couldn't see any of it. There was a small closet on the far side of the wall, a perfect niche for anyone to hide and scare her. However, he didn't seem like the person to play pranks on other people.

She should be meeting up with him here; this was the spot that they met at every night. But, it didn't seem that he was here tonight. There wasn't a light in the room to signal he was there. She edged forward into the balcony, unused to being the first one there.

Without warning, her feet caught onto something and she stumbled into the room, arms out wide, unable to see where she was going. Even the light of the moon provided little for her to see. She took her time regaining her balance before she finally tipped her head up to look at the room. Then, she gasped.

She took a deep breath and reminded herself where she was and where she was going to be. 'This is a social party for all of the people planning the new treaty with the Fire Nation. I am going to see him in that room, his golden eyes focused on other people... but I can't let that affect me. It's the first social gathering where I can finally lift the weight off of my shoulders; I can be with Aang, my boyfriend, without fear. I need to think about him before myself and my problems. I have to be the perfect girlfriend.' She heaved in a big breath and shot Aang the biggest smile that she could muster. She was as ready as she was ever going to be.

He beamed up at Katara and brought his hand into hers. He laced their fingers together, and gently tugged on her hand, bringing her into the room. 'I have to be the perfect girlfriend. I have to be the perfect girlfriend.'

They weaved through the crowd, greeting all of the dignitaries they had become familiar with over the past few weeks of debate and negotiation. Katara talked with every person that Aang pushed at her. She made sure she always the first one to smile at him and the first to laugh at Aang's jokes. She talked as little as she could manage, because she wanted Aang to be the star of the show, as she knew he wanted to be. She was going to be happy with Aang, she reassured herself. She was going to be the perfect woman for him. She would support him in almost everything that he does and be the greatest she could be. She would never let onto her secret and he would never know. She would make sure of it.

Soft candlight played off of the walls, creating long shadows and soft lighting on every object in the room. He stood in the center of the room in his black suit like he had been waiting a while for her to show up, blue mask discarded cleanly onto the table by the candles. Without hesitation, he dipped down low into a bow before her before standing back up and stretching out his hand toward her.

She curtseyed, slightly pulling up her Painted Lady dress with her hands, and placed her hand in his. She didn't need to ask what they were doing; she just seemed to know. She knew that he wanted to show off his talent he had learned as a kid, and it was something she was willing to do with him. He pulled her body against his, placing his hands on her waist and in one of her hands. He guided her hands into his and onto his arm, putting them into a dancing position. He knocked the hat off of her head, letting the wide-brimmed hat fall to the floor in a cascade of gauzy white material. The music in his head seemed to play, and, soon, they were both off, gliding across the room in harmony.

He had swept all of the dust off of the brilliant cherry floors, and they seemed to glow with the dim candlelight gleaming across it. She smiled happily up at him, reveling in the moment. His hands, firm and rough in her own palms, seemed to fit hers so well. Her hands, small and petite, seemed engulfed in his, but she didn't mind. The contrast of their hands seemed so perfect, like chocolate and milk in a mug. They seemed to fit so well. She couldn't imagine ever leaving his side. They just seemed so perfect together.

Her heart, heavy in her chest, screamed at her not to do it. They worked so well together; they were opposites that fit together like Yin and Yang. They were destined to be together. But her mind would not follow. She had to do it. They couldn't be caught together; it would ruin everything she had worked so hard to build. There was no way that they could ever stay together.

He gently squeezed the pale hand slipped into his. Zuko had never been good with small talk, so he allowed Mai to do most of that for him. He just nodded his head at the right times and smiled down at the woman who had his hand, trying to seem like he was in love. He wouldn't allow himself to think of her oceanic blue eyes, of her chocolate skin, and the feel of her cold hands wrapped in his. He wouldn't think about her and the dance that they had shared last night; nor could he remind himself of the words she had said after, which had pierced his heart like the sharp icicles that she makes. No, he had to think of Mai.

Though his heart felt like it was shattered into small fragments, he knew that his relationship with Mai was one of the best things that ever happened to him. He would be the best supporter to Mai he could ever be. He tried to be the man that Mai would always want and love. He told himself he was going to be happy with Mai, even if he had to miss out on sleep so he didn't dream of her. He would be the perfect boyfriend. She would never know of his secret and make sure she never found out. He was going to make sure of it.

She wanted to stay with him and dance forever. She didn't want this moment to end. But, she knew, soon enough, she was going to have to say the words. She would just have to come to grips with reality sooner than later. However, right now, she could revel in the feel of his touch sending sparks up her spine, making her shiver with desire. She would memorize how his hand held hers, how his black hair flopped over his eyes whenever he tried to spin her out from his grasp. She would remember how his hand tightened on hers when he pulled her back in, and how a small sigh would escape his lips whenever she came back into his grasp. And she would never forget the depths of the silky golden eyes that always seemed magnetically charged to her eyes whenever she was around him.

She found they were slowly moving closer and closer. Zuko stopped spinning her out and opted to keep her in his arms. They moved closer and closer, swaying to the beat of the music in their heads, till they were simply hugging one another. She buried her face into his black suit, feeling the smoothness of the material, the taut, hard muscles beneath the suit, and the scent of spice and cinnamon drift through her senses. She tried to ingrain as much of it as she could into her mind to remember. He leaned his head down and rested his cheek against the top of her head, his hand gently teasing her hair. She took a shuddering breath, closed her eyes, and enjoyed her last moment.

"Zuko?" she whispered, breaking the peace surrounding the two of them. She pulled her head from his chest and he retracted his head. She brought her blue eyes to look up into his. They were so full of trust and care, she thought she was going to burst into tears. However, she barely restrained her eyes from tearing up. She took another shuddering breath before continuing on. "We... we can't be together anymore."

Before she could realize what was happening, Aang was dragging her to their friends. An invisible, undetectable shudder ran down her back as she caught sight of him.

Her mind recounted last night before she could react. She could feel his hands gently resting on her back, the warmth of his hands on hers, and the smell of cinnamon on her nose. She could see the black of his suit highlighted by the candles, each muscle tight beneath the suit. Her eyes closed instinctively and she allowed Aang to lead her forward. How could she try and face him after last night? She had broken both of their hearts for the greater good of the world. She couldn't imagine trying to talk to him after what had happened; it was too soon. Both of their wounds haven't healed yet.

Quickly, she reminded herself of the situation. She and Zuko were not in love; they never have been. That was a part of the past now. She was Aang's girlfriend first and foremost. She would try and make light conversation with Zuko and Mai and not think of last night. She would be strong for Aang. She had to be.

Her eyes slowly opened and she faced him, ready to do what she needed to for the world.

Katara sat alone upon the balcony, her blue eyes fixed up into the sky. Her hat was back onto her head, pushed down into place, creating a curtain of fabric between her and the rest of the world, allowing herself these few moments to regret her decisions and grieve with her heart. The moon hung heavy and bright in the sky, mocking Katara. No matter how it seemed that her world turned upside down, the moon would always stay the same. It would always continue to circle in its orb and never stop. Never, it seemed, would she be able to have the things she wanted, for the world always had something different planned for her. She wiped away a silver tear from her cheek.

At first, when he had heard her say the words, he thought he had heard wrong. But, after she assured him he had heard right, fury came next. He had picked up everything in the room and thrown it across the room to the other wall. He tried to destroy everything in the room. Though, his mask seemed to be his favorite target. It was flung around the room the most, collecting many scratches and dents from hitting the walls. Burn marks covered the surface, which had come after he had thrown everything at the wall.

As much as she cared for him and wanted to be with him, she watched with a heavy heart. She knew she couldn't support him. No, she couldn't support him this time. She had to let someone else be the one to heal his wounds; she knew he would have to go back to the palace and allow Mai to heal him. He couldn't love her anymore. She had to keep herself from getting caught with Zuko to try and preserve her relationship with Aang, so she did the only thing that she could think of to keep them apart permanently.

The thought had brought tears to her eyes. She had turned her back to the wreckage, trying to ignore it to the best of her abilities, while allowing the hot tears to slip from her eyes. She ran to the balcony and had to grab the edges of the railing to keep herself from running into the room and comforting him. She had to take long, deep breaths, to try and control her tears, though they fell freely from her cheeks. She stared up at the full moon, drawing on its power to keep herself away from him.

Soon enough, the sounds of destruction in the room behind her had stopped, and she heard him drop to his knees. The sounds of sobbing had echoed through the room, wrenching her heart in pain. It only made her cry harder. She was breaking his heart, just as she had broken her own. But it was for the good of the both of them. She had to do it. The world wanted she and Aang together, and she knew it was going to happen that way. No matter how her heart felt. Her hand had come up to reach for the necklace at the base of her throat. It was her only source of comfort that she could be with. She wrapped the pendant into her palm and held on for dear life.

His golden eyes, ripe with light and love, turned dark and hateful once he caught sight of her. He walked stiffly and awkwardly, unable to walk up to her and try and make small talk. The wound in his heart was still tender from that night. There was nothing on this Earth that would force him to talk to the girl that had broken his heart beyond all recognition just a day ago. He would rather fight against Azula a hundred more times than have to face her! He silently cursed her.

Yet, without his consent, his mind dragged him back to the night before. He could feel her chestnut hair tickle his hand on her waist, feel her hand gently resting on the front of his forearm and the other small but firm in his own hand. He could smell the scent of jasmine and the sea from her hair, and see the gentle, kind blue of her eyes looking up into his own. Gods, that night was heaven. He would never forget it, no matter how much the aftermath had hurt.

Another hand, not her hand, was in his own, reminding him of where he was. He pulled himself from his fantasies and focused on the couple approaching them. He would have to talk to her. And he would. He would keep a polite, friendly conversation between them until they were ready to leave. He would be sincere and honest, trying to be Mai's boyfriend (he owed her that much since last night). He would not think about what had happened between himself and Katara, and he wouldn't be weak. He would be honorable to his guests.

He faced the couple, squeezing Mai's hand one more time to reassure himself he was really here. He would do what he needed to to keep Mai happy.

Finally, finally, she heard him get up. The sobbing had stopped and nothing greeted her ears. She stopped sobbing, instead allowing a few more tears to roll down her cheeks and for her to sniffle. The door behind him slammed shut and she knew then he was gone. She had done her job successfully, and she had never felt like more of a jerk in her life. She released her hands from the railing, realizing that her hands were cramping from the force she had used to grab it. She massaged her hands, trying to remind herself that her actions were for the greater good. The world came before her feelings, no matter how it seemed to hurt.

Thus, she found herself here, alone and dealing with her own heartbreak. She couldn't tell Aang about what happened-that was what she was preventing here-and she couldn't speak to Zuko about it. She was left with her own problems to try to deal with.

She pressed the mask to her chest, remembering the few sweet moments she had shared with him that night. The last of her tears fell down her tan face as she looked up at the moon. She would never forget this day; the day she prevented them from getting caught. The day she prevented her own heartbreak by breaking their hearts. She would never forget this day.

They had lightly chatted but said nothing of consequence. She hardly looked into his eyes; he hardly looked into hers. They both recited their mantras to keep themselves from looking at the other. They held their significant others hand, trying to keep up the appearance that they were happy with the ones they were with, though the one that they truly loved was right across from them. They did it all to keep the world in balance; they did it because they knew their love would never be accepted. They had no other choice, and they acknowledged that fact, no matter how much it hurt.

They parted as two hearts that longed for one another but could never be together.