Zuko

"You're so stupid!" I grumble at myself, making my way though the maze that is the palace. "How could you have even thought that Katara would feel the same as you! You freaked her out!" I end up outside, somehow, and though I didn't mean to, I arrive at my favorite pond. Of course, the turtle-ducks that I like so much have gone into their nests at this hour, but it is still just as peaceful. I can hear the light music from a neighboring party flowing through the garden. I sigh, plopping down by the bank and burying my head between my knees. I sit there, just listening and wallowing in my own thoughts for what seems like forever.

"Haven't you ever danced, Zuko ?" Katara's voice comes from the other side of the pond. I stand up, peering through the darkness, trying to see where she might be. The darkness is too thick almost. My hand instinctively sets ablaze. The red flame licks against my palm, and spins in the air. The light stretches across the pond. My eyes reach hers, but only for a brief moment. A serpent-like stream of water rises from the pool, striking my open palm. A hiss erupts from it. I stumble backwards, startled because the steam slightly popped my skin.

"Katara !" I start to protest but, before I can get another word out, Katara's finger presses against my open lips. I still try to speak, but she just glares at me, blue eyes burning into mine. I immedently, snap them back close. Still, I defiantly cross my arms.

"Shush Zuko ! Even in the light, you can't always see what's right in front of you. " She slurs every other word, and her breath reeks of spirits. She smiles so big that I can even see it in the darkness. I can't help but to laugh. She reaches to me, grabbing my hand gently, and holding it by our sides. I feel myself start to tense, but I resist the urge to withdraw from her.

"You... " I stammer nervously. " That sounds like something Uncle would say. " I feel her fingers wrap around mine. Her hands are almost unbearably cold against my own, yet somehow comforting. Even with the influx of alcohol in my system, I feel a deep flush reaching my cheeks. I'm so lucky that she can't see my face ; there's a first for everything I guess.

"How is he, anyways?" She takes my left hand and places it on her lower back, causing me to step into her. I smile, raising an eye brow. I'm uncertain if she can see it, but she chuckles. Maybe she can sense how weird this is for me. The melody of her laughter makes me smile even bigger. Her palm hits the back of my neck, chiding me for teasing her. When I hum a bit of a chuckle, she scrapes her nails across the nape pretending to be angry.

"He is the best tea merchant in the Fire Nation. The only thing that could make him happier is if he didn't have to have the title of Fire Lord." I scowl at the thought of Uncle not getting to do what he loves all the time.

"Tell me again, why is he Fire Lord? You should be." She lays her head on my chest. The waters swirl beneath us, causing us to spin gracefully with no real effort.

"It's the Fire Sages'fault. They are all about bringing back the Old Ways." I pause, audibly sighing. "That means I must marry before I can take the throne."

"Then why didn't you just marry Mai at the end of the war ?" She spits her name. I knew that Katara wasn't Mai's biggest fan, but she has never shown such disdain for her to me before.

"You can't marry until your twenty-one." My awkwardness gets the better of me and I drop my hand from her back. Mai and I just broke up, yet here I am, acting as if it had never happened.

"At least your free from her now." She steps backwards, pulling me with her into the water.

Water splashes onto my bare feet. "Katara." I begin to protest. We are swirling around on the banks of the shore. She leans, pulling against the back of my neck. I stumble forward a half-inch, but from then on I don't budge.

"Just trust me on this one." She pulls a bit more insistently. The pond water pushes past my feet, and I know it is Katara's doing.

"Fine." I step forward, knowing that if I didn't she was going to soak me anyway. I expect for my pants legs to be soaked, but instead, water laps at the soles of my feet. "Woah." I gasp, feeling the waves beneath me. She laughs, taking her steps gracefully. I feel like a toddler chasing after her.

"You really haven't danced!" She picks fun at me.

"Not my fault!" I stomp my foot, splashing the water high, still amazed that we are stepping on it. As a child, dancing was taboo. I can almost remember dancing with my mother, though, on the beach on Ember Island. Although the memory is faint, it's one of the oldest happy ones.

Katara speaks, disturbing my thoughts."Just relax. Dancing is like bending, except with two people. It's just harmony." Her hands wrap around my neck again. "Just try." She whispers it in my ear, sending shivers up and down my spine. I loop my hands around her waist.

We slide around in an awkward, tight circle. Here, without the shade of the trees, I can see Katara's big blue eyes shining in the moonlight. I blush again. "How are you doing this?"

"What?" She tilts her head in confusion, her hair falling from it's intricate braid.

"You're bending, without your hands. If memory serves, grabbing your hands makes you useless." I grab her wrists, holding them just how I had all those years before when I first captured her outside the Earth Kingdom. I laugh, pushing against her slightly.

She rocks backward, but regains her balance by bracing her feet against me. "We've both changed. Frankly, I'm just happy that you don't have that ridiculous pony-tail anymore."

"Hey! I liked my pony-tail and it's called a warriors-tail." I cross my arms, sulking.

"Hey!" She throws her arms around me again, making me catch her. She laughs, her feet dangling about a foot from the water. "There were many days when I wanted to rip that damn pony-tail from your head." She weaves her fingers through my hair, and pulls hard, tipping my head back towards the moon.

I grunt loudly, trying to ignore the tingles that cause my whole body to boil. "Your drunk." She lets me go, all though she doesn't move her face. Her breath washes over me in cool wisps. We are so close to each other.

"So are you. Maybe you need to sober up." The water that was so firm up under my feet, softens, sending me straight in the cool waters.

"Katara!" I scream angrily at her as I plunge. She laughs, from her dry platform above me. I am way to heavy to swim. The current pulls me under. "I'm sinking!" My heavy, ornamental robes drag me beneath the surface.

"Well then strip pretty boy!" She dives head first into the water, I didn't even notice before that she was only wearing her undergarments. My head dips below the surface, and I kick furiously. She bends a bubble, suspending us in the water. Then, she comes up behind me, unlacing the heavy metal shoulder pads. I easily bob up after that, but I keep removing the sodden clothes. Katara helps me with the armor, but swims away when I get to the actual cloth.

I shoot to the surface, sucking in air as quickly as possible. I hear her stuttering a few feet away. I flip over, and float on my back. We stay silent for what feels like a long time. "You want to know why I love coming out here?" I break the silence. I shoot fire balls in all directions, lighting the lamps around the waters.

"Wow. Zuko, this is amazing!" She spins in a circle in the water, laughing as she floats above the water. "How..?"

"There's a fountain, in Ba Sing Se, a friend showed me. It was stunning, and I wanted to bring it here." I feel myself rambling, and my thoughts went to Jin, so I dip my head beneath the surface. The cool water washes over my head, almost sobering me up. Katara glides over to me, and slicks my hair backwards. "So now you have me half-naked, what are you going to do to me?" I nearly slap my hand over my own mouth in surprise. Damn alcohol.
"This." She grabs my face, running her fingers along the curve of my jaw, and pulls me into her. At first, our lips only slightly touch. She brushes her top lip against my bottom. She pulls back, and there's a hesitant pause. My eyes flutter open, and she laughs. She leans back in, but kisses my cheek, my nose, the other cheek, and then my ear.

"Katara!" I groan impatiently. She laughs again, blowing into my ear. I roar loudly, the sensation almost torturous. Fire erupts from my mouth, and Katara pulls back again. "I'm sorry. I couldn't control it." She stares at me, the shock evident on her face. I resist the urge to drop my head. I stare into her crystal blue eyes. Then I lean in and kiss her softly, holding her there in my arms. I keep her like this for as long as possible, and as I pull away, I suck a little on her bottom lip. We bob there in the water, gasping for air.

"Zuko." She says my name with such care. She traces my scar gingerly. "You are amazing." She tenderly kisses my scarred eye.