Author's Note: So this is actually the first fanfiction I have ever written. Ever. I have never done this for any show, any film, or any pairing. This is the first time I actually tried to write down an idea that I had in my head and actually put it out there. So of course it was Zutara that made it happen. Because Zutara.

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to this animated television series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, which is solely the creation of Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino.

"No lightning today? What's the matter—afraid I'll redirect it?"

Zuko felt confident. Azula wasn't the same firebending prodigy had known. A part of him wanted to prove himself to her, that being born lucky would only tear you down in the long run. He thought he was ready. He knew the technique. He had done it before. But he forgot to expect the unexpected. That was a mistake.

Katara felt afraid. Zuko said that something was off about Azula. He was right, but Katara didn't see it as an advantage. She had a bad feeling that an unstable Azula could be an even greater threat. She ran out into the courtyard on a strange, involuntary impulse. But she forgot to expect the unexpected. That was a mistake.

"Oh, I'll show you lightning!"

He prepared his stance. Taking a deep breath, Zuko steeled himself for the reality that he might just be redirecting lightning back at his own sister. But he knew he could do this. He could and would do whatever was necessary, at any cost.

Zuko watched as Azula gathered up a great amount of energy, coiling it around her in a supercharged bolt of lightning. He watched Azula's eyes suddenly glance to the side and her lips curl into a sickening leer. He watched Azula shoot her lightning. He thought he would have known by now how Azula would act if she had the opportunity to kill him. He didn't expect that Azula would try to kill someone else.

Katara watched as Azula changed her original target. She watched the bolt of lightning erupt from Azula's fingertips. She thought she would have known by now how to handle anything, but she completely froze on the spot, practically blinded by the intensity of Azula's lightning when it went hurtling towards her. She didn't expect that she would die today.

Zuko didn't stop to think. He followed Azula's aim and saw she had picked another target. Without any hesitation, Zuko ran straight into it the bolt that was heading towards another.

"NO!"

Zuko wasn't prepared. But he knew he had to redirect this. He recalled the ingrained memory of his uncle's voice.

"You must create a pathway from your fingertips, up through your arm, to your shoulder, and then down into your stomach. From the stomach, you direct it up again and out the other arm."

That technique was ingrained, the motions perfectly memorized. He didn't need to have to think about those instructions.

But his uncle's warning rang in his mind.

"The stomach detour is critical. You must not let the lightning pass through your heart, or the damage could be deadly."

I must protect my heart.

Zuko reached out his hand. Once the lightning struck, he could only think of one word. The name of the Water Tribe girl he was taking this lightning for.

Katara. He felt the lightning tear through his arm. Katara. He felt it pierce the joint of his shoulder. Katara. He forced the energy down into his stomach. He had to protect his heart. He had to protect her. Katara. He felt the searing pain course through his abdomen and scorch his flesh. But he had to protect his heart and the young woman who owned it. Katara. Nothing else mattered. He was completely incognizant of anything but that single word. Katara. He was entirely unaware of his body lifting off the ground with the force of the blow. It was so strong, so sharp, so hot, but he had to control it. He had to keep it away from his heart. He had to keep it away from her. Katara. He hit the ground. Katara. He forced it through his other shoulder. Katara. He felt it rip through his other arm. Katara. The lightning shot out of his fingertips and shattered through the sky, turning the Fire Nation capital a glaring blue.

Katara.

Katara watched it all in slow motion: Zuko throwing himself into the path of the lightning that was meant to kill her, Zuko flying through the air, Zuko swallowed up by a bolt of electricity, Zuko falling to the stones of the courtyard. She didn't see him redirect the lightning. She saw only his body crumpled up on the ground. She saw him sacrifice his life for her own. She saw Zuko dead.

His name erupted from her throat.

"Zuko!"

She was running before she even realized it. She could never accept this. This couldn't be happening. She couldn't see anything else but Zuko dead on the ground. Dead for her.

She was reminded that there was still a world around her when she saw another bolt of lightning hit the ground in front of her feet and heard a young woman's mad cackling.

Yet the reality of the situation scarcely registered. All Katara saw was a young man in the middle of a burning courtyard. Nothing else mattered. Only Zuko. The young man who she had grown to know. The young man who had understood her on a level no one else could. The young man who had gone to the greatest extremes to earn her forgiveness, who had done everything he could to give her the closure he could never have, who had finally let himself share the heart she had seen in him deep under Ba Sing Se. The young man she cared for so much. The young man who had just died.

The young man who had just rolled onto his stomach.

Zuko was alive. Hope lit up Katara's heart. She could still try. There was still a chance.

She ran towards him, desperate to do something, when a burst of blue flame rose up between them.

Azula.

The deranged fire princess who had almost killed her only brother was still determined to watch him die.

So many feelings possessed Katara. So many thoughts invaded her mind. But this was not the time to think or feel. It was the time to act. Getting to Zuko meant getting through Azula and Katara had to do everything in her power to get through the mad young woman if it meant getting to him.

Zuko was consumed by pain. He could barely move. He could only watch as Azula tried to kill Katara.

Katara.

She had been the only reason he was able to protect his heart. The only thing he cared enough about to control that bolt of lightning. Katara was his heart.

I love her. I love Katara.

Why had taken so long for him to realize it? Only when he was facing his death did he find the one reason for him to keep living. But instead that reason was being forced to fight for her own life while he was completely powerless to stop it.

What if Katara dies? I will never be able to tell her. She will never know.

He couldn't act. He couldn't help. His own death was scarcely on his mind. If he survived and Katara died, his sacrifice would mean nothing. He would rather die himself than live the rest of his life knowing he was to blame for her death. Guilt was a familiar emotion for Zuko, but the possibility of Katara dying would weigh on him more than any other betrayal or crime he had ever committed in the past. Her death would crush him with guilt for the rest of his life.

And yet here he was, watching his insane sister try to kill the young woman he loved.

Zuko could only tremble on the ground and reach out his hand in a pointless gesture. He couldn't do anything for Katara now.

He could only hope that the brave, powerful young woman could defeat his sister.

Katara had hope now. Zuko was alive. But a certain mad girl stood in the way.

She knew she had to repress that hope. She wanted to let reason control her, but there was too much at stake and too little time. She allowed her rage possess her instead. Rage was good. Rage fueled her. There's nothing quite like an angry waterbender. If she can break an iceberg yelling at her brother, she could handle a firebending prodigy, sane or insane.

"I'd really rather our family physician look after little Zuzu if you don't mind!"

And Azula was insane. Katara would never believe anything the princess said for one second. But it didn't matter what Katara thought about Azula. She couldn't waste one more moment on the princess when every moment that passed might mean Zuko crawling one step closer to death.

Katara was determined to get to Zuko and nothing could or would stop her, at any cost.

No matter how much lightning or fire she had to dodge, Katara would stop Azula. There was no other way. She dashed behind the columns surrounding the courtyard. Katara knew that she was running out of time. She had to figure out a plan.

"Zuzu, you don't look so good."

Katara quickly glanced out into the courtyard. Azula couldn't be allowed to finish the job. Zuko had to live. Anything else was beyond contemplation. Distracting Azula was the only way.

Katara tried to attack with her waterbending, but Azula was tricking her, providing a false target and appearing behind Katara's back with fire at her heels.

Clearly Katara had to trick Azula instead.

Sliding through the courtyard on ice was a start. Azula couldn't hit Katara if she kept moving. Katara's slide threw her into another edge of the courtyard and knocked her down to her knees on top of a grate. A grate that ran over a stream of water. She glanced up and saw a chain.

You are about to lose your own game, Azula.

"There you are, filthy peasant!"

The firebender and the waterbender were equally determined, but this filthy peasant was about to trap that Fire Nation princess. Azula should have never underestimated a master waterbender.

Katara's water whips did the job of distracting Azula. Stepping on that grate was the biggest mistake the princess ever made. That, and messing with a determined Katara.

The ice surrounded them both. The look on Azula's face was priceless, but Katara didn't derive any satisfaction from it. She had managed to outsmart the princess and tie her down, but it didn't fill her with pride like it might have once. Zuko was the only thing that mattered now.

Katara knotted the chain and abandoned her prize without a second thought.

She ran to Zuko, her mind in a panic, hoping that she still had a chance to save him. She couldn't let herself think otherwise.

Zuko had watched it all, paralyzed with pain and engulfed with fear. He could scarcely register anything, but he somehow managed to hear Katara's footsteps, racing across the courtyard to get to him.

She was alive. She had stopped Azula. She was here, with him, and everything else simply faded away.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised. She is Katara after all.

The pain was still overwhelming his senses, but her hands grazing across his chest, his collarbone, and his cheek as she rolled him onto his back all sent an entirely new sensation through him.

Katara looked him over, hoping against all hope that she could still save him. His stomach was heavily burned. He was hardly breathing.

Tell me I'm not too late.

She looked to the sky, sending out a silent appeal to any god that might be listening, and started to heal his wound. The burn would scar, there was no doubt about that. He had gotten another scar for her—another scar he shouldn't have to have.

Why? Zuko, why would you do this? Why did I have to run out into the courtyard? If you die, it will be my fault and my fault alone.

Katara couldn't face that. She couldn't have his death on her hands. Zuko had suffered so much, he had done so much, and he had changed so much. He couldn't die, not for her. She couldn't imagine a world without him in it. She cared far too much about him. He couldn't die, not after all he done for Aang and all he would do for the world. And especially not after all he had done for her. He mattered so much. He mattered to everyone, but he especially mattered to her.

The healing was done. She was afraid to look at him, afraid she had lost him forever. She couldn't live with that guilt. She could never be at peace knowing he had died for her.

Katara had started to realize she didn't know if she could live without him.

Zuko suddenly breathed. The tears Katara had been holding back now flowed freely. He was alive. He would be okay. Her heart swelled with a rush of emotion, and before she realized it, her hand had left his chest and reached for his face and suddenly she was kissing him.

To say Katara kissing him was unexpected would be a gross understatement. Zuko was completely immobilized by it. But before he could even begin to react, she pulled away, her hand leaving his cheek to cover her mouth. She bolted upright, her eyes widening as her other hand fell from his chest to curl on the ground beside her.

Katara tried to come up with some kind of apology, stuttering out a garbled mess of words the only clear one being a "sorry" that was muffled against her hand. Zuko could hardly speak, but he needed to communicate something to let her know that apologies were the last thing he wanted in that moment.

"Don't…"

Something inside of Katara broke with that word. She stumbled over something to say, beginning to feel a deep sense of shame for acting without thinking. The words started to form but they never reached her lips. She was silenced when she felt Zuko's hand circle her wrist. He was so weak, but he had to convey what he couldn't say. He could only run his calloused thumb over the smooth skin of her inner wrist.

Zuko cleared his throat.

"Don't stop."

But the word "please" caught in his throat. Speaking was a painful exercise, but he knew he could have said just one more word. Yet he couldn't bring himself to say it. A tiny part of it was pride, but the much greater part of it was something entirely different. He didn't want Katara's affection given to him out of pity. He didn't want her kiss as a thank you gift, as a reward given to him for saving her life. He needed it to be real. He needed her to want this as much as he did or it would mean nothing.

Zuko felt Katara's hand slip through his grasp. He swallowed and closed his eyes again, resigning himself to the reality of this situation. That is, until he felt that hand on his left cheek, those fingers grazing along his scar. It was just as they did in the caves below Ba Sing Se, when he was another person entirely. Before he understood his true self. Before the group accepted him and gave him comfort of true friendship. Before Katara taught him the meaning of true love.

He couldn't stop a small smile from gracing his lips.

That small smile made Katara's stomach flip. Without any awareness of what she was doing, she caved into the urge to trace it with her thumb, as if etching it into his face and burning it into her memory. And the shock of that sensation and the warmth of that gesture gave Zuko the courage to open his eyes and seek out her own.

The look Katara saw in his eyes coursed through her and coiled in her chest. She couldn't quite place what she saw. It wasn't that piercing stare that she saw from Jet (or perhaps imagined she had seen). It wasn't that reverent gaze that made Aang's eyes light up whenever he though she wasn't looking. Zuko's eyes were laden with passion and not desire. They were laden with tenderness and not adoration. What she saw in his eyes was a look so raw and still so pure that it surpassed any other she had ever known.

Katara knew she should listen to thought. She should contemplate what this moment was, what his look meant, what her reaction entailed. A part of her truly wanted to. But another part of her felt she needed something else. She needed to kiss Zuko again. So she simply closed her eyes, leant down, and kissed him.

This time, there was absolutely no hesitation. If this were to be the only time Zuko had a chance to kiss Katara, he had to savor every moment. Zuko had never been good with words, but maybe here actions would be enough. He met her soft kiss with as much strength as he could muster, doing everything he could to communicate what he could never quite say.

Clearly thought was no longer an option for Katara. For the first time in a long while, instinct overrode introspection, impulse overrode indecision. Her fingers left his cheek to weave through his hair, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss.

Zuko's left hand found its way to her back. It was still shaking, but the cause and effect were not quite as distinct as they were before. That hand slid up her spine to the nape of her neck. Zuko hooked his thumb through her loose hair and used the rest of his hand to push her mouth still closer to his own.

Katara vaguely wondered why she wasn't afraid. This wasn't anything like those two chaste kisses she got from Aang. Those kisses were awkward. They made her feel uncomfortable. But there was no awkwardness when she threaded both of her hands through Zuko's hair. She was in no way uncomfortable with taking Zuko's lower lip between her own. It was just natural. It felt good. It felt right.

Zuko simply curled the rest of his hand through the hair at the nape of her neck and opened his mouth just enough to mirror the action with her upper lip.

Katara only responded by delicately nibbling his lower lip. She felt the catch in his chest more than she saw it, but only slightly. She couldn't ignore his wound and she didn't want to hurt him by putting the pressure of her own bodyweight on Zuko's burnt abdomen.

Zuko vaguely understood her restraint and knew it would be better if she avoided the closeness that he wanted, but it hardly mattered anymore. His right hand ghosted over her waist to rest on the small of her back. He was hardly strong enough to apply any pressure to her body in order to show Katara he didn't mind, but she responded on her own by hooking her elbows over his shoulders to rest her weight on his upper body and sliding her hands up towards the crown of his head, her fingers almost pulling at his hair.

She experimentally ran her tongue along his lower lip. She felt him shudder. She tried it again, this time just along the seam of his mouth. He impulsively clutched the fabric of her dress where it covered her lower back.

One by one, Zuko's inhibitions melted away. His shock, his hesitation, his apprehension, and everything else that he should be feeling simply disintegrated without a trace. He entirely forgot that any semblance of reality existed except for the reality of Katara kissing him. Every sensation about it was so exquisitely real—the weight of her body, feathery touches of her fingertips, the light pressure of her lips—all of it. This didn't feel like a hazy daydream, and that fact thrilled him more deeply than idealized fantasy ever could. That realization rejuvenated him much more than her expert healing had done or could ever do. It gave him a surge of strength, all of which he put into kissing Katara.

When Katara felt Zuko deepen the kiss of his own accord, angling his mouth and flicking his tongue between her lips, everything changed. She felt her heart soar and her chest expand. It was now feeling and not sensation that possessed her. She felt pure, unadulterated joy running throughout her entire body, mingled with some strange twinge of pleasurable pain. Then a realization struck.

I am in love with Zuko.

The pieces had fallen together in stark clarity. Every complicated element of their relationship and every convoluted feeling she had ever felt for Zuko suddenly resolved into one single emotion, one simple fact that she had failed to notice for far too long. She didn't fear that fact in the slightest. She only felt freed by it. She couldn't stop herself from smiling into his mouth.

Zuko felt her kiss change. It was nearly imperceptible, but there was something different now. He allowed himself to open his eyes just the slightest amount to sneak a look at her face. That small glance showed him something he could hardly believe. He saw a glow to her cheeks and a certain, recognizable curl to her eyebrows. It meant that something had lit up her heart too. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to feel just a little bit of hope that maybe this wasn't his only chance.

But then Katara stopped kissing him entirely. That flicker of hope evaporated instantaneously.

"Zuko?"

Her voice was hushed and warm. She wasn't angry. Zuko decided it was safe to open his eyes.

He saw her flushed skin and swollen lips and then met her eyes.

"Zuko."

"What?"

"Your sister."

Yes, he had a sister.

"What about her?"

Katara gave him a lopsided smirk. Zuko was clearly in a daze, breathing heavily and looking at her with an oddly charming, bewildered expression.

A scream rent the air.

"Oh. Right."

Katara couldn't stop herself from a small laugh.

"Do you think we should maybe do something about your crazy sister instead of kissing in the courtyard for the next hour?"

"No."

This time he laughed with her.

"Come on."

Katara unraveled her fingers from his hair and leaned back on to her ankles, leaving Zuko with two very disappointed and very empty hands. A quiet grumble rolled around in his throat without ever quite leaving his mouth. Katara had to smile at the pitiful pout he was making before reaching behind his back to push him upright and folding his left arm around her neck to lift him to his feet. Still, she didn't release his arm once they were standing and kept her left hand circled around his wrist. Zuko wasn't about to complain. He wanted to keep his arm there as much as she wanted to keep holding it, no matter how necessary the contact was to support his weight.

They walked together towards the source of the screams and the erratic flashes of blue fire.

When they finally saw her, Katara's hand released Zuko's wrist and suddenly dropped to her waist.

Azula wasn't madly cackling anymore. She was sobbing hysterically, shooting flames out of her mouth, and shrieking the incoherent words that only come with total heartbreak.

Katara had thought Azula was a complete monster. But still a monster who was actually a person. But now the fire princess was scarcely human. She was wailing and struggling against her chains like a rabid polarbeardog.

It was terrifying without being remotely threatening. Katara was completely astonished by the degree to which Azula had fallen apart between being chained down and now. The fire princess had lost everything: her friends, her family, her throne. And now she had lost her mind. The harsh reality of the situation pierced Katara's conscience without warning. Azula's crimes and cruelties could never be undone, but watching the princess unravel made something like pity twist in Katara's chest. And despite the princess's animalistic thrashing, Katara felt that she could now finally see Azula as a real person, without that immovable mask of apathy. Katara turned to look at Zuko.

Zuko kept his face impassive. That thing in front of him was his sister. The sister who repeatedly tricked him, lied to him, and tried to kill him. But she was still the same sister who he built sandcastles with at Ember Island. She was still the sister who had let him bandage her perpetually scraped knees, who had let him eat all her fireflakes, and who had let him see her tears when her pet sealguana died. He wasn't sure if he should hate her for what she did or love her for who she used to be. He felt tears prick at the corners of his for a multitude of reasons and yet no real reason at all.

Katara just gently stroked his back. She didn't say a word. Because really there was nothing that could be said.

They simply stood together in silence for a moment, accompanied only by the sounds coming from what was once known as Azula, the princess of the Fire Nation and one of the best firebenders in the world.

Zuko took his arm off Katara's shoulder and cleared his throat.

"Guards!"

His voice didn't waver, but there was something hollow in his tone.

"GUARDS!"

The sounds of scrambling feet and rattling armor were heard just before three very frightened Royal Palace guards stumbled into the courtyard.

"Please see to my sister. Put her somewhere comfortable where she can no longer harm anyone. Especially herself."

The guards stared at each other, as if deciding whether to refuse as a group or to individually flee as fast as they could and leave the last guard to fend for himself against a deranged firebending master.

Katara saw Zuko just barely bite his lip to keep it from wavering. This simply wasn't fair. She decided to speak instead.

"Your Fire Lord commands you to secure the Princess Azula and remove her to safe space until her current condition can be considered more thoroughly."

Zuko finally turned away from Azula to look at Katara with bemused admiration.

Only she could break Fire Nation protocol and save my ass at the same.

Zuko held back a smile and turned to the three guards.

"What are you waiting for? I demand that you secure Princess Azula and take her to the Palace Ward until the best treatment for her can be determined."

He had to level the best glare he could manage at the guards before they rushed to remove their princess to what they all knew would be a prison cell. But it would still be the best prison cell the palace had to offer.

Zuko took a last look at his sister before the guards took her away. Azula had stopped screaming and crying. Her silence was more shocking than anything else. She didn't struggle at all as they more or less carried her away from the courtyard. Azula never broke eye contact with Zuko until she and the guards had passed through a side exit.

The moment they were gone, Zuko faltered and practically collapsed into Katara's arms. It was impossible to tell whether this rush of weakness came from his beaten body or his battered heart.

Katara said nothing. She only looped Zuko's arm over her shoulder again and circled her other arm around his waist to offer any and every kind of support she could give him. They staggered into the palace together.

Katara sought out the nearest Royal Household servant and asked to be directed to the Fire Lord's rooms. If the maid quirked an eyebrow, Katara didn't see it.

"Shouldn't the Fire Lord be taken to the family physician?"

Katara couldn't help her bitter smile, thinking about the words Azula had said not too long ago.

"No. I'm a waterbending master and a healer and I already understand the nature of his injury. I think it's safe to say I'm the best person to continue treating it."

The maid bowed her head.

"Yes, Master Katara. Please follow me."

The maid let them through an excessively complicated route of passages until they finally ended up at the door to Zuko's chambers. He didn't say a word the entire time and only continued to slump downwards.

The maid unlocked the door and opened it for Katara.

"Master Katara, do you require any herbs for your treatment of the Fire Lord?"

"Not really. As long as there is a bowl in there and water to fill it with, I'll have everything I need. The wound will need time to breathe before being bandaged anyway."

"You will find what you need already available in the Fire Lord's chambers. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance."

"I'll be fine. Just stick around and I'll come out and get you if I need anything else."

"As you command, Master Katara."

The maid bowed quickly walked away with silent footsteps.

Well that was weird.

Katara dragged Zuko through the door and after a bit of searching found his bedroom. She tossed him onto his bed in the gentlest way she could possibly manage. His eyes were already closed by the time she came back from his bathroom with a bowl of water.

She smiled and set the bowl down on a bedside table before sitting on the edge of his bed. She touched the back of her hand to Zuko's forehead. He had a low-grade fever, but nothing to really worry about. She turned her hand and lowered it just slightly to trace the lines of his scar.

"You're a complete idiot, Zuko. You know that."

Clearly the Fire Lord was asleep.

"You were always an idiot. Travelling all over the world with your ridiculous ponytail and chasing down your honor. Running around the North Pole in all that snow. Really? You should know better. You're a firebender. Stupid idiot."

Katara let herself laugh at that one.

"Picking the side of family in Ba Sing Se. Even though you knew it was a dumb idea. Total idiot."

She paused for a moment to gently comb her fingers through his hair.

"Offering yourself as a firebending teacher to Aang while admitting at the same time that you had sent Sparky Sparky Boom Man to capture us again. Taking off with Aang to follow what could have easily been a dead end and almost dying yourself until you danced with a dragon. Sitting in an icebox for hours so you could make it into a boat without realizing it might just melt in boiling hot water. What an idiot."

Katara moved her hand down to Zuko's neck and traced her thumb along his jaw line. She swallowed and spoke again.

"Chasing down Yon Rha and risking being captured by the Fire Nation just because you wanted me to forgive you for something you never even did. Such an idiot."

She lowered her hand to touch his new scar and continued in a whisper.

"Taking a lightning bolt for me without even thinking of what could happen. You never think about anything, do you?"

Katara took her hand away from Zuko's abdomen and brushed his perpetually messy hair off his face.

Idiot.

She leant down and gave him a lingering kiss on his forehead.

"I love you."

Katara jumped.

"Asshole! You were awake the whole time?"

Zuko opened his eyes only to see Katara's glaring back at him.

"Was that the wrong thing to say? It's probably way too early and I know we only really kissed once even if it was for a long time and—"

"Zuko. Stop. You have a fever."

"No I don't."

"Your forehead is warm."

"I'm a firebender."

"You're delirious."

"But I love you."

Katara paused to take a good look at him. Zuko was definitely overheated and he would never be able to convince her otherwise, firebender or no firebender. But his face was only flushed without his skin feeling clammy. His eyes were bright and shining without being glazed over. She was seeing the same look on his face that she saw in the courtyard before she kissed him the second time.

Maybe I am the idiot.

Maybe that's what that look meant. Maybe that's what love looks like when it's felt without being said. The glistening eyes, the glowing complexion, the soft smile. Maybe Zuko wasn't delirious. She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"How long have you known?"

Zuko would have laughed if he didn't already know how much it would hurt. His old habit of rubbing the back of his head when he felt uncomfortable would make him cringe with more than embarrassment, but he was seriously tempted to do it all the same. But blushing didn't require being in peak physical health.

"Uh. I didn't really know until I kind of almost died out in the courtyard…"

No. He is definitely the idiot.

"Zuko, your idiocy knows no bounds."

He couldn't resist the laugh then, despite the pain.

"Yeah. But it has served me well, hasn't it?"

"If you can call almost dying repeatedly serving you well."

Katara couldn't keep up her irritated expression anymore. She had to smile back at him.

"You're still an idiot, Zuko. Now go to sleep."

"Not until you answer a question."

Katara considered that for a moment. If it would make him sleep, she had to agree to it.

"One question and one question only. And it has to be a yes or no answer."

Zuko smirked. Katara began to worry that this was a mistake.

"Do you love me, Katara?"

"What?"

"That isn't a yes or no answer, Katara."

"Shut up and go to sleep."

"Still not a yes or no answer."

"You're impossible."

"Yes. Or. No."

Katara wanted to laugh. She wanted to roll her eyes and shake her head at him. But she couldn't deny him the truth.

"Yes."

Zuko's entire face lit up. The goofy grin of the young boy he never had the chance to be spread across his face.

"How long did you know?"

"One question, Zuko."

"I still knew before you did, didn't I?"

"One question only."

"Just admit it."

"How about I just kiss you instead and then you shut up and go to sleep?"

"Yes."

She bent down and pressed her lips to his. It was her way of trying to convey all the tenderness she didn't have time to explain, all the warmth she could never quite communicate, and all the depth of that emotion that can never be fully described by just the word love.

Katara pulled away slowly and began to smile at Zuko before he moved his hand up to cup her face. Katara wouldn't have minded continuing the kiss if she hadn't seen him wince with the effort to move his hand more quickly than he should have.

Katara reached up to link her fingers through the hand that held her cheek. Zuko ran his thumb across her cheekbone. But then he stopped. He decided that he simply wanted to cherish this moment of being in close proximity to Katara's face. He wanted to savor everything about her. Not just her lips, considering he already liked those very much and knew them fairly well by now. He just wanted to take a moment to lock all of it into his mind—the color of her eyes, the softness of her skin, the feel of her breath fanning across his face, the smell of her hair, the quirk of her eyebrows, the shape of her nose. But there was hardly enough time to look at everything he loved about her. And there was still so much more he loved about her that he couldn't see—her hopefulness, her thoughtfulness, her attentiveness, her boldness, her sarcasm, her optimism, her soul, her heart. But now was the time to simply kiss her again.

Zuko closed his eyes, still picturing the face that was just above his, and leaned in to kiss her again.

But Katara pulled away. Still, Zuko refused to let go of her hand. When he opened eyes, he wasn't surprised to see her simpering smile, but he was still disappointed.

"One kiss, Zuko."

"That wasn't a part of the deal, Katara."

"Consider it as a part of the deal that was delayed in its enactment."

"That doesn't work."

"I say it does."

"But how is it a deal if we didn't agree on it together?"

"On behalf of the wounded party, who was unable to think clearly enough to understand the importance of the deal being struck—"

Zuko closed his eyes.

"—and who is currently falling asleep—"

"No I'm not."

"—it is therefore safe to say that the deal was made in complete agreement—"

"Nope."

"—based on the fact that the wounded and also incoherent party is even now denying that he is falling asleep—"

"Because I'm not."

"—and based on the fact that the wounded and incoherent party loves the coherent party and will do whatever she says or suffer the consequences."

"Fine."

"Now shut up and go to sleep."

"I love you."

"You're an idiot. Now sleep."

"You're supposed to say 'I love you' back."

"I know."

"Then why aren't you saying it?"

"Because you already know I love you and you are just baiting me into continuing an argument that—"

"Okay you said it. I'm satisfied."

It took all of ten seconds for Zuko to fall asleep. But he still didn't let go of Katara's hand.

"Great."

And Katara admitted, at least to herself, that she wasn't being sarcastic this time.

She didn't want to let go of his hand either. So she decided to simply lie down next to him. As always, she remembered to be responsible and check the wound of her patient. It wasn't healed. She could do more. But it could wait. There were other things to heal now. Starting with two heavily bruised egos.

Really, they were both complete idiots.

It had to take a bolt of lightning to reveal what their hearts truly contained.

Shocking, really.