Chapter Text
Word spreads quickly when the Avatar is suddenly seen without his closest companion for the first time in five years.
Even the Fire Lord is not free from the gossip, and frequently hears the servants discussing what may have happened, before they quickly go quiet when he makes his presence known.
He does not want to hear what they have to say about Katara, and how she crushed the poor Avatar’s heart. (Or alternatively, he’d heard rumors that the Ember Island playwrights celebrated the end of their relationship, claiming that Katara is in love with the Fire Lord- Zuko chose not to comment on that). When Zuko had found her on the beach that night, curled up into herself as she slept, it was clear that part of her own heart had been crushed too.
He doesn’t know what their argument was about, she hasn’t detailed it to him in any of her letters. He doesn’t know if their kiss was brought up but judging by the fact Aang hadn’t tried to kill him when he stormed into the house, he has a strong feeling it wasn’t. It’s selfish, but he was relieved to know that he wasn’t the catalyst to the end of their relationship, even if something in him wants to take advantage of the fact that they are no longer together.
Zuko hasn’t mentioned the prospect of a relationship to Katara. It would be wrong of him to ask something of her while she’s still trying to figure herself out. During the last weeks of their stay, he caught her lost in contemplation more than once, as if it were the first time in years she’d truly been able to stand around and think for herself.
The group had carried on, though Aang’s absence always lingered in the corner of the room but was never addressed. It was a conclusion most of them had expected, but they never truly thought Katara would go through with it. Their support was silent. Toph sparred with her regularly, and Suki took care of breakfast. Sokka agreed to wash his own socks, and they met every night for a swim. Once their time ended, Sokka had taken her back to the South Pole to stay with their family.
Despite their distance, Zuko feels closer to her than ever before. Three months of frequently writing back and forth have only made him miss her more. She reads about his political squabbles, and crafts solutions that his own advisors wouldn’t think to consider, and once more, the Fire Nation is in her debt. She tells him about the young children now running around the ice and snow, a new generation that has not known war. Pushing his own feelings aside, he feels true happiness for her, to know that the South Pole is recovering after the damage his nation inflicted upon it, and to know that she’s finally found a sense of peace.
Or so he thought.
“I’ve loved the months spent here. I went too long from visiting my family and the people of my tribe. Yet, I am still unsatisfied. I am not truly needed here, there are plenty of people that could replace me in my tasks, even if they won’t admit it. There is something else out there calling for me, but I don’t know what exactly it is. Maybe I could work on rebuilding my home through other means.”
He spent more time than usual drafting his response to her latest letter.
Come here. It’s me, I’m calling out for you.
He settles with,
“You, more than anyone I know, deserve to be satisfied. I wish the best for you in any endeavor you choose, but please know that the Fire Nation will always welcome you.
Yours,
Zuko”
He would never force her away from her home, but he does want her to know that his country will always be available to her, and that will never change. Maybe she’ll find her place in the Earth Kingdom or somewhere else, but he can’t stand the thought of never giving her an option.
A few weeks pass before he receives her response, but the wait is worth it when he opens it to read,
“I’ve recently discovered that the Fire Nation is in need of a Southern Water Tribe Ambassador. Would the Fire Lord consider me for the position?”
Katara had always thought her destiny to be clear. From the moment she found Aang in the iceberg, it made sense to stay with him: the Avatar and his girl. But here she is, over five years later, at the port of the Fire Nation’s capital city, her blood rushing in anticipation, and the only thing that she is sure of is that this is where she wants to be.
She scans the small crowd of people waiting at the dock and does not even attempt to hide her large smile when she spots him. Despite his black cloak, she would be able to recognize Zuko anywhere.
Not caring who’s watching, she runs to him, wrapping her arms around his neck when he catches her and spins her around, holding her tight against his chest.
When he places her on the ground, she clings to him just a second longer, “I’ve missed you.”
“So have I.”
He guides her through Caldera’s alleyways, passing by street vendors and shops. The smell of grilled food and chatter fill the air, and the streets that may have once frightened her seem so inviting now. She imagines that he’s walked the same streets during the dark hours of night, in full black attire and a mask over his face. The Blue Spirit has become a protector of the Fire Nation, carefully watching over its people. Maybe Katara would join him sometime.
“You don’t know how glad I am for you to be an ambassador,” Zuko admits to her, his hand wrapped tightly around her wrist.
“I’m shocked no one’s accused you of nepotism.” Public favor of her had already declined since she and Aang split up.
“Please, half the men there hold the positions their fathers held. Not a single person there is as nearly qualified as you, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, daughter of the Chieftain, instructor to the Avatar, waterbending master since age fourteen, savior of the Fire Nation, highly skilled pao sho player-”
“Alright, I get it, there’s no need to list every single one of my accomplishments.”
“Oh, but that’s one of my favorite things to do,” he smirks back at her, and she turns away to hide the heat growing on her cheeks.
She doesn’t point out that her most common title is no longer used anymore. She has not been the Avatar’s girlfriend for months, and never will be again.
“Do you take all your new ambassadors on walks around the city?” She teases.
“Only the pretty ones,” and she knows she’s glowing red. And despite his boldness, there’s a flush on Zuko’s neck too. They walk the rest of the distance to the palace wearing matching blushes, like two teenagers after a date, and not at all like the war-hardened politicians the world expects them to be.
Winter falls upon the Fire Nation, and it is so different than that of the South Pole, but Katara doesn’t mind. There is no snow on the ground, no layers of clothing to pile on as she huddles with others for warmth, but it is still beautiful. She had thought she would find what she wanted back where she grew up, but another part of the world had been calling out for her, and she finally realized where. At night, a breeze carries the songs of Caldera’s people up to her bedroom window, and knows it is where she wants to stay.
A peace summit is approaching soon, and she will have to see Aang for the first time since she finally ended their relationship for good. He’d sent a letter to her in the South Pole, asking if she was ready to end their break and be with him again, and she received no response when her reply requested otherwise. But preparing to see him again can wait. For once, her own work comes first.
She found her calling in politics. The times she’d been by Aang’s side had opened her to the world of it, and now she can explore it further, this time, on her own. Meetings are not always smooth, but there is something invigorating in fighting for what you believe in, and she’ll argue with a thousand councilmen if it’s for something she knows is right.
If someone asked her what her favorite part of her position is, they may expect her to say the luxurious festivals or the chances she gets to help people. And it does fill her heart to know that she is making a true difference somewhere. But the part she finds herself looking forward to most are the quiet moments she and Zuko spend in his officer, filing their paperwork side by side in a comfortable silence.
One night, they’re working together and reading documents for a joint proposition regarding the Fire Nation colonies. Solutions to issues caused by a hundred years of imperialism are difficult to come by, but she and Zuko manage it together.
He’s sitting close to her, with only inches in between their seats. She had begun in another office entirely, and everyday since, she’d found herself being drawn closer to him, like he’s the sun and she’s caught in his orbit. They haven’t brought up what happened on Ember Island, but tonight she’s reminded of it more than ever as she sneaks glances to look at him more.
She’s afraid that he’s caught her staring when his hand suddenly lifts from his paper and seeks hers out. He delicately intertwines his long, pale fingers through hers, warmth emitting from them and sending waves throughout her whole body. He rubs circles into her skin, and she’s unsure whether it’s to reassure her or himself, but she sits quietly, waiting for him to speak.
“Katara, would you like to have tea with me tomorrow?” He almost sounds shy, so unlike the authoritative figure that appears at meetings. She’s shared conversation with him over tea many times since her arrival, but thinking back to Ember Island, she knows that is not all that he is asking.
She nods her head, looking up at him through her lashes. “Yes, Zuko, I’d love to.”
There’s logistics to worry about, as Zuko is the Fire Lord after all, and she’s not just some noblewoman. There will be discussion of heritage, of marriage, of heirs, and much more, but the future no longer scares her. If anyone could make things work, it would be the two of them.
He won’t meet her eyes, but she can hear the hopefulness in his voice, “And every day after?”
Katara turns his chin towards her and answers him with a soft kiss, and at last, everything seems to click into place.