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After the Agni Kai, the coronation, and all the hugs, and plans, and promises to write, Zuko dove into his new role with relish. He was terrified--make no mistake of that-- but for the first time in his life, he felt like he was where he was supposed to be, doing what he was supposed to be doing, and with the support and resources to do it.
Mai showing up the morning of the coronation had been a surprise, but also a gift ostrich-horse he was not looking in the mouth. He welcomed support from all corners, and she was decent company, all told. Their conversations were still detached and insubstantial, but at night, behind closed doors, they found other ways to communicate.
It took Zuko longer than he should have to realize what they were having was fun, but that it wasn’t anything to build from.
One day, she swept into his study, slumped into a chair without being invited and proclaimed, “Zuko, we need to talk.”
His heart jumped to his throat, knowing no good ever came from those words.
“I think I need to go. This has been fun, and believe me, I will always be your loudest defender in the nobility, but I think I’m done. We’re getting too comfortable, and the councilmembers have started eyeing me weirdly. Like, differently than they did before.” Mai took a deep breath, digging into reserves of sincerity she usually tried to avoid. “There’s a new semester at Ba Sing Se University starting soon, and I think I’d like to go try being a regular person for once.”
As his heart rate returned to normal levels, Zuko realized he had no real negative reactions to this announcement.
“Okay. Do you need anything before you go? Do you want to get dinner or something one last time?”
Mai blinked, having been braced for a discussion at the very least.
“Yeah, I’d like that.”
Dinner lasted until it turned into “or something,” and the next day, they hugged and parted as friends. Zuko sincerely wished her well, and hoped she’d find something she was passionate about. Agni knew it certainly wasn’t politics or him.
Her departure, however, left him at loose ends. He was still busy, as new problems appeared like mushrooms. It hardly seemed like one crisis was resolved when another popped up.
Zuko found that there wasn’t an issue that one of his many allies couldn’t advise on. Uncle, of course, was always there, especially to help navigate the murky waters of domestic politics. In matters of dealing with the Earth Kingdom, Toph or Suki often had fresh perspectives, to say nothing of King Kuei or King Bumi. Zuko found himself relying on Hakoda and Sokka, especially on matters regarding the North. He would have liked to hear Katara’s opinions, but something always stayed his hand when he tried to write about anything of more substance than health and the weather.
His reliance on her presence, which seemed a constant at the end of the war, felt uncomfortable and inappropriate in this new life during peacetime. At least, that’s what he told himself. When the war ended, he’d understood far too well the pull she’d felt toward her home. Of course she wanted to return to her family, to help rebuild. Anyone would. But in the quiet of the night, something in him insisted she should be there, like a phantom limb. The first time he’d consciously been aware of it, he felt a stab of guilt toward the childhood friend asleep in his bed. But he’d also found himself more at ease with a companion whose company he merely enjoyed, rather than one whose absence felt like he’d run out of oxygen. He was alone at night again now, and thoughts he hadn’t had since the end of the war were floating their way to the top of his consciousness.
He muddled through with this as his status quo for months. There was nothing that could be done about it, so why dwell? He clung to this sentiment like a mantra, sure it was the only way he’d get through his days.
The Water Tribe delegation arrived a couple days ahead of a massive trade summit. His chief of staff, an efficient woman named Naoko, informed him that his presence was expected at the harbor for the arrival. Long since used to showing up where Naoko told him to go, he found himself under a soft canopy, there to shield him from the bright sun.
From his shaded seat, he saw a large ship make its way into port. Since the end of the war, the Fire Nation and the Water Tribes had made considerable efforts to share technology. Ships that once had only moved from wind and water bending, now had steam engines in their hold. It was precisely the sort of change that Zuko was proud of. What better emblem for this new era?
Once docked, the gangplank was lowered, and the passengers began to disembark. Zuko stood, making a mental tally of the figures coming off the boat. There was Chief Arnook and his protege, Hahn, Pakku was next, trailed by Chief Hakoda and Sokka, and then...Katara? Zuko blinked, not quite believing his eyes.
“Naoko?”
“Yes, Fire Lord?”
“Did you know Master Katara was part of this delegation?”
Naoko consulted her ever-present clipboard, trying not to meet his eyes. She would never admit it to her liege, but Master Katara’s absence over the last few years had been a matter of discussion amongst the palace’s staff. Anyone who’d been present at the end of the war knew the Fire Lord and the water bender had been…close. But then she’d gone off on an Air Bison, and he’d taken up with Lady Mai and they all decided to keep their opinions to themselves.
“I did, Fire Lord. Did you not see her name on the itineraries I left you?”
Now it was Zuko’s turn to avoid eye contact-- he hadn’t bothered to look at the itineraries. They were always the same. Reception luncheon, hours of negotiation, sanctioned nap, dinner, and another reception. He could recite the hours in his sleep, so it never occurred to him this summit’s attendance list might be different. He had the good grace to give Naoko a sheepish smile.
“I must have uh...missed it. My apologies.”
“Think nothing of it, sir.” Naoko looked back down at her clipboard, hiding a smirk.
Zuko greeted the guests as they finished coming down off the ramp, then directed them to waiting palanquins. He was entirely unprepared when he found himself in a palanquin sitting across from Katara. He hoped she didn’t see the shock on his face when he looked up and saw her there.
She chuckled, and he knew for sure he’d seen. Great. This was off to a wonderful start.
“Surprise…?” Katara waved her hands a little, shyly smiling at her friend.
“Since when are you part of the Water Tribe delegations?” The words were hardly out of his mouth before Zuko realized how they sounded. “I mean, yes, this is a surprise! A good surprise!” Smooth. Zuko cringed inwardly.
“Advancements in medical techniques and access to them are one of the items on the table for the talks. Yugoda asked me to come in her stead.”
Zuko cursed himself once more for failing to read the itinerary.
“That’s wonderful! I mean that Yugoda trusted you...I. I’m going to stop talking now.”
Katara grinned at the flustered man in front of her, and his heart lurched. Echoes of lightning tingled at his fingertips, and he found himself entirely on the wrong foot. Where was any of this even coming from? You know where, said a traitorous voice in his head.
"Naoko also asked me to to speak on a couple other panels, too. But you can relax, Zuko. I’m still just me.” She leaned over and tweaked his nose, then guffawed at the stunned look on his face. No one ever tweaked the nose of Fire Lord. No one dared! Finally, he composed himself.
“All right, plain old Katara. Tell me what’s been happening. I get the feeling your letters have been a bit light in the details.”
Katara laughed and launched into an exhaustive retelling of her last visit to the North, and how she’d convinced Pakku to open both the fighting bending and the healing bending classes to whoever wanted to learn.
By the time they arrived at the palace, the shock of Katara’s presence had worn off, replaced by a sense of relief Zuko hadn’t realized he’d been seeking.
He returned to his study, giving his guests a chance to get settled. Not wanting anymore surprises, he practically dove for the itinerary he’d ignored. Besides Katara’s name, something seemed off about it. After long minutes, he realized what it was: Aang’s name was nowhere to be found. That same knowing voice in his head from before started yelling. What was even happening?
What people often didn’t realize about these diplomatic summits was that it wasn’t just one conversation happening, but many. Different areas of the palace were set up for a rotating schedule of topics. Zuko found himself both disappointed and relieved that none of the discussions he was assigned to were the same ones where Katara would be present. He eventually decided it was better: He didn’t want to be distracted, and if yesterday had been any indication, he would absolutely be distracted with her in the room.
He was walking between one talk the next, when he realized the room for the next session was still occupied. The previous discussion was running long. Zuko turned to look for Naoko, who usually kept the talks meticulously on schedule. From the door, he saw her in the room already, frozen in place. Whatever the discussion was, even Naoko was stunned by it to the point of paralysis. He entered, and took in the scene for himself.
Katara was standing, hands on the table, eyes blazing. It took him a moment to catch up with what she was saying.
“...and I’m telling you you’re wrong!” Her ire was directed at an Earth Kingdom noble. He was holding his own, but hadn’t realized yet that he was outclassed.
“Miss Katara--”
“Master Katara, I’ll thank you to remember. Which is why I know you’re wrong!”
Zuko edged closer to Naoko and leaned down to whisper in her ear.
“How long has this been going on?”
“About half an hour. They’re ten minutes over for the time slot, but I almost don’t want to interrupt such a take down.” Naoko’s eyes gleamed like she was watching an Earth Rumble match, not a discussion about water conservation.
“The poor guy had no idea she’d be in the talk, did he?”
“No one reads my itineraries, apparently.”
Zuko chuckled at the dig-- he was as guilty as the rest.
“That’s a mistake I think many of us won’t make going forward.”
“Woe to anyone who finds themselves on her wrong side.”
“You have no idea, Naoko. You have no idea,” he said. Visions of the bridge of a ship flashed through his mind. Closing his eyes, he relived the moment he saw his friend control a grown man using the blood in his veins. Now, as then, he found as much thrill running through him as fear.
Realizing he was drifting into dangerous territory, he coughed to clear his mind as much as his throat. At the sound, Katara’s head whirled toward the door, her anger melting into a fierce blush once she laid eyes on Zuko and Naoko.
“Oh! Hello! Are..are we over time?” The sweetness in her voice was a shock compared to the icy tones heard moments before. Zuko gaped at the shift, but Naoko took point.
“Yes, but that’s fine,” Naoko replied smoothly. “Please, complete your closing statements.”
Zuko turned and stared at Naoko. He had never seen her let someone run over. He turned back to Katara, curious to see her next move.
Blushing harder than before, Katara squirmed, aware of the gaze of everyone in the room.
“Oh, um. I was saying to Governor Huang that it was important to keep track of the water tables when building factories.” It was quite clear that Katara had said far more than that: Governor Huang was turning purple trying to restrain himself in front of the Fire Lord. Naoko came to the rescue once again.
“That’s certainly a good detail to mind, yes! And you’ll be able to discuss it all further during tomorrow’s talk on Environmental Surveys. Unfortunately, the talk regarding further reparations to the greater Ba Sing Se area needs the room now.”
Those in attendance knew a dismissal when they heard it, and the sound of scooting chairs and shuffling papers filled the room. Zuko took his usual seat, not sure how he was going to keep his mind on Earth Kingdom relations with visions of Katara, past and present, swimming in his head.
Many hours later, the summit was gathered in a ballroom. Servants passed around trays full of drinks and small plates of food as musicians played on a raised platform off to one side. Zuko was reminded that as tedious as he found diplomacy and negotiating, these events were really his least favorite part of summits. His ear was being bent by an Earth Kingdom merchant, and he scanned the room looking for an escape. Be honest, whispered that voice in his head, you’re looking for Katara.
Zuko took another sip of wine and willed himself to be more present. What was this guy talking about again? Silt futures? Oof. He caught a flutter of blue out of the corner of his eye, heading through a wide archway leading off the hall. He mentally counted to thirty, then excused himself.
He took a wide circuit around the room, hoping she didn’t leave the reception entirely before he found her. He finally made it to the side gallery where she’d been headed, but voices hit his ears before he made it through the threshold. It was Sokka’s voice raised in what sounded suspiciously like anger that gave Zuko pause.
“...You’re going to have to face him sometime!”
“I know!”
“I can’t keep covering for you, Katara. He keeps asking when you’re going to rejoin him and he’s only going to take my excuses for so long.” It struck Zuko that he wasn’t the subject of his argument, as he’d first thought. “Don’t think I didn’t notice you agreed to join this summit only because you knew he’d be in Gaoling helping Toph.”
“I know, Sokka. You don’t have to keep hounding me about it.”
“Obviously I do! Look, I have to write him back by tomorrow at the latest. What should I tell him about where you’re headed after the summit?”
“Ugh, I don’t know. Make something up if you have to.”
“I refer you back to the part where I can’t keep covering for you.”
“Fine. Tell him I’m taking a tour of hospitals in the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom, and I’ll contact him when I’m done and no sooner.” Katara stormed out of the room, running right into Zuko. “Oh great. You heard all of that, didn’t you?”
Not bothering to wait for a response, Katara ran off, and Sokka emerged shortly thereafter.
“You heard all that, didn’t you,” Sokka echoed.
Zuko felt a blush rise to his cheeks as he replied, “Yeah. Everything okay?”
“It will be. Eventually,” Sokka sighed.
“If it’s not breaking any confidences, may I ask what’s going on? I’ll admit, I was surprised when I saw uh...his...name absent from my assistant’s lists.” Zuko felt like it wasn’t his place to identify who they were talking about, even if it was clear he knew.
Sokka cringed. He didn’t want to break any confidences, but if he didn’t talk about this with someone he wasn’t related to soon, he was going to lose it.
“All right, you didn’t hear this from me, but...Katara tried to break things off with Aang. It uh...didn’t take.”
“It didn’t take? How does that even work?” Zuko tried to imagine a more stubborn person than Katara. Even Toph only came in at a close second.
“They had a fight when he told Katara he was going to skip the summit in favor of going to Gaoling.”
“I didn’t realize she was so invested in him attending this summit.”
“She’s not. The fight happened when she said she wasn’t going to join him and accepted the invitation to speak here instead.”
“That’s another thing I don’t get-- why is this the first summit she’s attended? She’s been invited to speak for years!”
Sokka cringed again, not sure if Zuko deserved truth as much as Katara didn’t deserve his telling her secrets. He decided to give some of the truth.
“Katara told me a while back that she found the only time she could really help out back home was when Aang wasn’t there. So every time one of these summits got called, he’d attend, and she’d beg off to stay at the South Pole. When he found out she accepted the invitation, basically because he’d declined it, it got pretty ugly. And yet somehow in the same breath as understanding she’s avoiding him, he’ll insist they’re going to be together forever. I keep trying to talk to him, but...it takes about as well as when Katara tries.” Sokka blinked, realizing that even for a chatterbox, that was a lot to let out. “Um. Sorry for laying this all on you, man. I just...I can’t really talk about it with anyone but Dad and Suki. Dad refuses to get involved with any of it, and Suki’s banned it as a topic entirely.”
“No, I get it.” Zuko coughed self-consciously. “Do you think she’d be okay talking to me about it? Maybe get a new perspective?”
“I mean, you can try. But she’s not really the one who needs the concept reinforced, you know?”
“I know. But still, she sounds like she could use a friend.”
“I guess. Let the spirits be on your side then, I guess. I’m gonna say my goodnights and head to bed. Good luck.”
“Thanks.”
Zuko scrubbed at his face and tried to figure out where Katara would go. He knew she would be too wound up for sleep, so she probably hadn’t gone back to her room. On a hunch, he made his way to the courtyard that sat between the royal wing and the guest wing.
He stepped out onto the lanai to a breathtaking view: In the center of the courtyard, knee-deep in the pond, stood Katara. Her eyes were closed, and her arms wove the water in an intricate pattern. Lattices of ice surrounded her, moonlight glinting off each facet. She swept her arms up once more, then with a slow exhale, melted the ice, returning it all into the pond.
“I know you’re there, Zuko,” she said, her eyes still closed. “How much did my brother tell you?”
“Enough. I’m sorry you’ve been feeling this way. I had no idea.”
Katara bent the remaining water off her clothes and sat down on the soft grass. Zuko sat down as well, trying to decide how close to her was too close for propriety. He settled for close enough that she could lean on him if she wanted, but not so close they were touching. He tried to ignore the echoes of electricity he was feeling again.
“You had plenty enough else to worry about. I didn’t see a reason to burden you with my poor relationship choices.”
“You realize you’ve had me at a disadvantage for months, though, right?”
“How do you mean?”
“I told you about Mai leaving.”
“Honesty time? I knew about that before you told me.”
“What? How?”
Katara began counting off the list on her fingers.
“Mai told Ty Lee, Ty Lee told Suki, Suki told Sokka, and Sokka never heard a piece of gossip he kept to himself.”
“He kept his mouth shut about you and Aang all this time.”
“Well sure. Mai’s only a danger to him when he’s in range. Sokka knows I know where he sleeps.”
Zuko shifted uncomfortably, wondering what punishment she’d threatened Sokka with to keep his mouth shut. Katara drew her knees up and leaned on them.
“I didn’t want to be happier without him.” Her voice sounded small, almost a whisper, like she’d been keeping this secret to herself for so long she’d forgotten the words of it.
“But you are?”
“Yes.” Katara choked back a sob, realizing that whatever he said to her the next time they met, Aang’s negotiating skills had reached their end. Zuko hesitantly put a hand on Katara’s shoulder, and blinked awkwardly as she leaned into the touch. “I didn’t love the idea of the whole forever girl thing, like it wasn’t mostly chance that I was the first girl he saw. But I loved him and his vision for the world. And I liked the idea of being a part of that.”
“Katara, please tell me you didn’t think being Aang’s partner was necessary for you to help change the world. Because you did quite a lot on your own. Saving his life? Saving my life?” Zuko smiled at his friend sidelong. “The Painted Lady?”
“How did you know about that?”
“I have my sources.” Zuko did not divulge those “sources” were actually just Toph, tipsy on plum wine, ranting about the fights she’d had herself with Earth Kingdom industrialists and their pollution-causing factories. “But seriously. You know we wouldn’t have kept inviting you to these summits if you were just seen as Aang’s Girlfriend. You have a lot of knowledge and expertise, and you’re always seeking out more. The world already knows how valuable you are.”
“I know. And I know he doesn’t mean it, but he really has a way of behaving like, and making it-- me, feel like the opposite of that.”
“Katara, I swear, if you ever decided you wanted to stay here for a while, there is so much I would love your hands in.” The words were barely out of his mouth before he realized how they sounded. “I mean--”
“Yes, what do you mean?” There was a teasing note to Katara’s voice that Zuko hadn’t heard in years. He’d forgotten how much he missed it.
“You have a lot of really good ideas. You understand people, you understand how the war impacted not just your people, but all of us. You may not be a master of all four elements, but you have an understanding of the four nations that hasn’t been seen in generations.”
“So does Aang.” The sadness from moments ago was creeping back into her voice.
“Not the way you do. Aang is working from information that’s nearly obsolete. He’s gotten better the last few years, but there’s always some outdated tradition he tries to lean on, and it never goes well. You just always have a way with people from all over the world.”
“I’m sure Governor Huang has a lot to say about my diplomacy.”
“Governor Huang is an idiot who was angry because he knew you were right.”
Katara squirmed at the glint of moonlight reflected in Zuko’s eyes. He was smiling warmly at her, looking proud and admiring in a way she wasn’t used to seeing from anyone other than her students. There was something else in his look that she recognized, but didn’t expect to see from him. She took a breath.
“Zuko, what exactly did my brother say to you? What did he say Aang and I fought about?”
“He said that Aang got mad that you decided to come to this summit when you found out he wouldn’t be attending.”
“Huh.”
“Is that wrong?”
“It’s not wrong. It would just seem my brother has learned how to keep some of his mouth shut.”
“I don’t follow.”
Katara took another deep breath.
“Part of the fight was yes, that he felt like I was attending just because he wasn’t. And that’s absolutely part of it, but not for the reasons he thinks. People seem to forget me when I’m around him, and I…” Katara trailed off. “...I couldn’t bear the thought of it happening with you, too. But that wasn’t why Aang was mad.”
“Why was Aang mad?”
“He accused me of only attending when he wasn’t here…he thought...that I’d only be here without him so I could be with you.”
Zuko’s head swam, his emotions at war with themselves. Anger at Aang being so petty and jealous; embarrassment that his own desires were somehow obvious, despite his efforts to tamp them down. Sympathy for Katara for being put in this mess. His own deferred feelings for Katara, showing up just to make this all more awkward.
“I don’t know if I’m more offended on my own behalf or yours. What an awful thing to say to someone! So wait. Sokka said you tried to end things, but...he really thinks he’s still in your good graces?”
“He hears what he wants to hear. He hears the ‘I love you,’ and never the ‘I love you but…’”
“What do you, Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, want?”
Katara stopped short, blinking.
“I don’t think anyone has ever asked me that before.” Katara gazed at him, tears welling up in her eyes, but a serene look on her face. She looked like she was about to explore the thought further, but just then, the midnight watch was called. “Oh gosh, I didn’t realize it had gotten so late! I’m sorry for crying all over you, Zuko. You didn’t need to be burdened with all that.”
Katara stood up, offering a hand to Zuko. She didn’t miss the fact he didn’t let go of it once he was back on his feet.
“I was happy to do it. I’ve missed you a lot, Katara, and your well-being is important to me.”
Katara felt her cheeks grow warm at Zuko’s words.
“Well, thank you all the same.”
She took her hand back, then gave him a quick hug before darting into the shadows. Zuko made his way back to his room in a daze. His heart felt lighter, but none of his confusion had been sorted.
Sleep didn’t come easy to Zuko that night. He kept turning Katara’s words over in his mind, wondering how he’d missed such bad behavior on Aang’s part. It dawned on him that Aang had studiously avoided talking about Katara when they’d talked. If she was mentioned, it was never in-depth, and Zuko had always been preoccupied with whatever diplomatic matter they were addressing. Aang had never asked about Mai.
Zuko realized he’d done such a good job at keeping Katara at arm’s length, he never noticed how much effort Aang had put into making sure he stayed that way. He didn’t like the feeling that one of his closest friends regarded him with jealousy and suspicion. He liked it even less that he was only noticing now. And to make matters worse, he realized with a twist in his gut, the suspicion wasn’t entirely mislaid.
He didn’t know when he’d finally drifted off, but Zuko woke up feeling the sunrise in his bones. He tried to hold onto the dream he was having, but by the time he opened his eyes and sat up, it had faded. He was left with an impression of cool, soft hands on his body, and a sense of contentment. He tossed his covers over with annoyance when he realized his dream was only a further brick in this new wall he found himself repeatedly walking into. These feelings were all much easier with Katara out of reach, literally and figuratively. Well, he wasn’t sure about that second part, but it certainly felt plausible.
Once he was bathed and dressed, he made his way to the reception hall where breakfast was being served. Naoko knew better than to try and herd diplomatic cats first thing in the morning, so a breakfast board was set out, and people could show up at their leisure and take care of themselves. Many tables were set around the room, giving it an air of a very fancy cafeteria. Some mornings during summits, Zuko felt like he was back in the mess on his old ship.
The dining room, however, was nothing like the mess on his old ship.
Zuko assembled a plate of fruit and a small bowl of congee, then found his way to a vacant table. It was still early enough that the room was mostly empty. Attendees of these summits usually stayed up late into the night, and wine was very often involved. Hangovers were common, and Naoko always made sure there was willowbark tea among the pots placed at every table.
He was just tucking into his food when a shadow crossed his table. He looked up to see a wild-eyed Sokka sitting down uninvited.
“I don’t know what you said to my sister, but she’s gone totally loopy. And I don’t mean her hair!”
“Honestly? She did most of the talking. It sounded like she had some serious stuff to work through.”
“She was up at first light this morning, and you know that never happens. She said she wanted to catch Dad and I before we came down for breakfast. Zuko, she wants to stay here after the summit is over.”
Zuko made a valiant attempt at not choking on his sip of tea. He failed.
“She what?”
“She said she’s staying here. Did you invite her to stay here?”
Zuko ran through the conversation again, trying to rememb-- oh. His cheeks burned. He absolutely had invited her to stay. He’d also phrased it in a way he was pretty sure Sokka would punch him if he knew.
“I may have--”
“Zuko!”
“It was a hypothetical! We were talking about how she felt...underutilized. I said I thought her point of view would be valuable here. For the peace efforts.” Zuko knew he had absolutely not put it that way, but Sokka didn’t need to know that. “I didn’t realize she’d take it so literally. Truly.”
Sokka glared at his friend, knowing this had to be the truth: he knew that Zuko was a lousy liar.
“All right. Well. Spirits know there’s no point in trying to stop her once she’s made up her mind. Congrats on your new advisor, Fire Lord.”
Sokka got up and hit the buffet table, dangerously overloading his plate. He sat back down, and the two had a companionable meal, sticking to more neutral topics.
After breakfast, Zuko went looking for Naoko. Seeing as Katara had accepted a job offer he hadn’t realized he was extending, Naoko was the first person who needed to know. He stopped short at the sight of the two women, already deep in conversation.
“Fire Lord Zuko! Good morning!” Naoko had an odd mix of happiness and her “you-have-just-made-my-life-complicated-and-I-can’t-yell-at-you-about-it-in-public” look on her face. Clearly, Katara had beaten him to the punch.
“Good morning, Naoko, Katara. Is everything okay?” Zuko got glares in stereo for this question.
“Everything is fine, sir. Master Katara was just telling me about her intentions to stay with us after the summit is over.”
“Yes, I just learned of this myself. I mentioned that we could use someone of her expertise, and--”
“I accepted.” Katara lifted her chin, daring Zuko to recount any more of their conversation.
Naoko glanced between the two of them, suddenly feeling like this could work out better in the long run than anyone considered. She turned back to Katara.
“You are welcome to stay in the same rooms where you are now, or we can move you to more permanent quarters after the summit?”
“Oh, there’s no need to make a fuss. I’m happy where I am.”
“Certainly, Master Katara. If you’ll both please excuse me, I have arrangements to make. And the rest of this summit to run.” With a dip of her head, Naoko whisked away in a flutter of papers and officiousness.
Katara played with her fingers, not quite meeting Zuko’s eyes.
“For what it’s worth, I’m glad you’ve decided to stay.”
“Being back, I realized how much I missed this. Being a part of the process, I mean. The work back at home is mostly done. It’ll never be done done; a society is always a work in progress. But the foundation is there now. They don’t need me mother falcon-henning every little civic development. They’ve got Dad and Sokka for that, anyway.” Katara still wasn’t quite looking at his face. “And if I’m being terribly honest…”
“Yes?”
“I missed you.”
With that, Katara rushed forward and grabbed him into a fierce hug. Zuko was startled for a moment, and then folded his arms around her, returning the embrace.
“I missed you, too,” he said softly into her hair.
“Part of what made me so angry at Aang was...he wasn’t wrong. And it scared me that he knew that. That he knew to even look for it. I don’t...I don’t know what happens next, but this feels like the right choice.”
Zuko squeezed her tightly once more, then drew back.
“I think so, too. Whatever happens, we’ll face it together.”
Katara looked at his face for the first time since Naoko left the room.
“Together?”
“I know why you had to go, but I’ve been kicking myself for letting you leave the first time.”
Katara barked a hoarse laugh.
“Nobody ‘lets’ me do anything, you should know that by now. But...yes, I’ve often wondered what would have happened if I’d stayed.”
“Probably something like this, for starters.”
And with that, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. Katara exhaled in surprise, and returned the kiss with fervor.
“Mmm. I think I’ll enjoy my stay in the Fire Nation.” And with that, the two devolved into a fit of giggles Naoko heard all the way up the hall.
Some months later, as Naoko was compiling the documents to have Katara instated as Ambassador, she received a parcel. In it was a fine brooch of gold, inlaid with swirls of blue and red lacquer. There was also a card with General Iroh’s seal stamped upon it. The note simply said, “Nicely done.”
She happened to agree.