A/N: This is not ENTIRELY new. This used to be the ending to my other Zutara story, River Flame. But when I edited it, I realized it didn't fit as a part of that story, but was still good on its own as an alternate way for things to happen. So anyway, you may have seen this before, so sorry about that. It has been edited though. And River Flame has been significantly edited (a lot of stuff is totally new) so check that out again too!

Words: 796
Characters: Katara, Zuko
Time: Post-TLA
Genre: Romance

Disclaimer: Everything you recognize belongs to whoever owns Avatar: The Last Airbender. Not me.

It was their routine, their training, their practice, their entertainment. Without a war, life seemed so boring at times. No, no, there was still plenty to do, of course – but sometimes, Katara felt like her bending skills were suffering, especially her battle skills. So every afternoon, she met Zuko on the mountaintop, where a river began as a bubbling spring and the sun blazed hotly above them. It was just like old times on their journey. Just them and the natural world. Both of them wanted to keep in practice – and this was the only effective way. They had to actually battle.

Katara grinned at him, pulling water from the stream behind her and shaping it into a long, narrow blade. She threw it hard towards Zuko, like Sokka's favorite boomerang. It flew straight and fast, just like she intended, but Zuko was faster. He ducked and shot fire behind him as he turned, boiling her water-blade into sizzling steam at once. Then he spun and sent a flaming whip towards her, which Katara avoided by a mere fraction. She retaliated with a shower of sharpened ice. Zuko was forced to create a flaming shield, melting the ice until only a gentle patter of rain fell onto his head. Eventually, they were both flying, wordlessly sending attack after attack until their arms and their bodies were nothing more than a blur in front of the craggy landscape and setting sun.

The night was cooling, but Katara's body was warmed by both Zuko's flames swirling around her and the heat of her own movement. Her hair had flown out of its neat braid. Zuko, too, did not wear his palace garb when he fought; his hair hung loose and long around his face. When they drew close, Katara could see sweat on his face, and every now and then his golden eyes would flash. Katara doused him with a fountain of river water, but he used his fire to blow some of it back towards her as hot vapor, soaking her too.

They drew closer and closer together as they danced with their bending, stopping only when they were mere inches apart. Drenched and panting, both of them froze save for the heavy rise and fall of their chests. Katara stared into his narrowed, molten gaze, determined not to back down. Zuko grabbed her elbows and pulled her close. Their hearts beat together at the same rapid pace, their bodies pressed so tightly that Katara could barely breathe from the intensity.

Thoughts were useless now. The only thing left between them was action. It was Zuko who moved first, pinning her arms to her sides and kissing her with the sudden, uncontrollable heat of his element, his fire. His lips were strong, and he tasted like sweat and ash; Katara wondered vaguely how Zuko – the man she had hated for so long, who had almost killed her countless times, who had nearly destroyed the world's only chance at survival – could come to hold her like this, and even more so, how she could come to hold him in return.

She jerked her hands from his grasp and tangled them in his damp hair, running her fingers over his cheek and the scar over his eye; she did not flinch or hesitate. It felt like lifetimes before they broke apart, panting even harder than before. Zuko moved his hands from her elbows to her shoulders, then ran them down her sides until they rested firmly on her waist. Their eyes locked for a long, long moment. Katara felt Zuko's hand touch her lips, but she didn't see it; she was too focused on the blazing look in his eyes.

"Katara, I…" murmured Zuko, his eyes gleaming.

"Don't talk. I might just change my mind."

At that, they both jumped apart, smirking and standing with their hands at the ready. At the same exact time, they both pushed out all the strength that they had left. A waterfall poured from Katara's hands; a crackling flamethrower shot from Zuko's. They collided in midair. But instead of dissipating, instead of one conquering the other, the elements intertwined and shot high into the sky, a twisted braid of opposing powers. Katara looked at Zuko again. He was smiling, watching her, and in that moment, Katara knew exactly what she wanted, and why.

The sun was almost fully set now. Only a pale orange glow lit the sky, but their bodies were illuminated like lanterns by Zuko's fire and set off to glitter like stars by Katara's water. They drew close again, their bending still swirling and forming a great tornado around them. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, Katara kissed him first this time, smiling against his lips.