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Something nobody had told Katara would happen as she got older and her body reached adulthood was that she would start getting stretch marks. Nor had they told her that not everyone got them.
Normally, it wasn't a problem living in the Southern Water Tribe; her daily outfit consisted of a parka that covered her completely. But when all her friends decided to go on vacation to Ember Island for a few days, and she looked at herself in the mirror wearing a bikini, her confidence vanished. Her white stretch marks stood out starkly against her skin, making them impossible not to notice.
As Katara quickly thought of how to cover them, someone knocked on her room door.
"Sis, come on, hurry up, we're leaving!"
So with no time, Katara simply put on a shirt and began to think of an excuse not to take it off.
"It's just that I think I'm catching a cold from the temperature change," Katara nervously told Suki. The kyoshi warrior gave her a puzzled look but said nothing more and went to the sea with her boyfriend.
Everyone did the same except for the one person she hadn't expected to find here.
Azula had been living on Ember Island for years; apparently, Ozai had left the house to her, and it was the perfect place for her recovery. Somehow, Zuko had 'convinced' her to let them stay there for a few days, after all, there was plenty of space.
Azula was also sitting with a shirt on and her legs against her chest. She seemed lost in thought until she noticed Katara's gaze on her.
The firebender's yellow eyes still intimidated her even now.
"Aren't you supposed to be swimming with your friends?"
It took Katara a few seconds to realize she was talking to her. "Eh? Oh, no—I—No."
Azula raised an eyebrow but didn't ask more. Katara did the same with her.
Tonight was a full moon, so Katara arrived at the beach in the middle of the night. The beach was deserted, at that hour of the early morning everyone was asleep, so the whispers of the wind and the murmur of the waves filled the night air.
Barefoot on the sand and seeing that no one was around, Katara took off her clothes, staying in the bikini she hadn’t dared to show earlier. With delicate steps, she waded into the water, feeling the sea embrace her with a chilly yet comforting hug. She closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply the salty aroma and letting herself be enveloped by the serenity of the surroundings.
With a fluid movement of her arms, she began to practice her waterbending. Each gesture seemed like a dance, a perfect choreography weaving a symphony of water. The moon's rays intertwined with the droplets Katara lifted. Columns of water emerged and spun in graceful spirals, while small waves danced around her, obeying her every move.
“Don't you feel cold at this hour, but not in broad daylight?” A voice from the shadows caused Katara to stop her practice and form a block of ice in front of her.
Seeing that it was Azula, she melted the ice but remained tense. “What are you doing here?”
“I couldn't sleep, so I saw someone sneaking out under the full moon and wanted to see what you were capable of.”
Katara became defensive. “I've defeated you once already.”
Azula laughed. “I didn't come to fight, waterbender. I just wanted to see the extent of your power due to the moon.”
Katara raised an eyebrow, not buying Azula's words, and Azula added, “Besides, I wasn't in my right mind, so it doesn't count.”
“Excuses.”
Azula stared at the waterbender without saying anything. Katara noticed her state and moved into the water.
“Why are you covering up? You are not… hideous.”
“Not your business. Besides, you do the same.”
Azula made a sound of acknowledgment and after a few seconds began to undress.
“Hey, what are you doing?” Katara said, blushing.
Without a word, Azula entered the water with her, surprising the waterbender, “I wanted to bathe too, but I didn't feel comfortable surrounded by the others.”
Katara looked the firebender up and down. "How on earth can you not feel comfortable? Just look at yourself."
"It's not about my body.” Azula laughed. “It's the scars. I couldn't stand all of you looking at me with pity.”
Katara started to notice. Azula was covered in scars of all kinds, mostly burns, but the largest scar was on her shoulder and, by its shape, it had to be caused by lightning. Katara could put two and two together.
"Your turn. Don't you want your friends to see your scars?"
For some reason, Katara stood up and showed Azula the stretch marks on her hips. They resembled the lightning scar on Azula's shoulder, as they were whitish in color. "They're not exactly scars, but I don't feel comfortable with them."
Azula made a sound of acknowledgment and shifted her gaze from the waterbender’s stretch marks to her eyes. "They are marks that show you’ve grown and matured. If anything, you should be proud of them."
Katara was very surprised by the firebender’s kind words, even though her tone was rough. Still, she sighed and, being honest with Azula—spirits know why—said, "I know it's stupid, but I don't feel sexy with them."
Azula frowned. "Nonsense."
"It is true!" Katara shouted sadly. "None of the girls around me have them."
"You were right, it is stupid." Before Katara could protest, the princess added, "You are possibly the most beautiful person I've ever seen. Of course, you're not comparable to the girls around you."
Katara's jaw dropped at Azula's words, but she managed to ask, "Even with stretch marks?"
Azula smirked. "Why do you say that like they're a bad thing?"
Katara felt something she hadn't felt in a long time, and by someone she never thought she could feel it: butterflies in her stomach.
At that moment, Azula processed everything she'd said so far and blushed furiously. Turning away to avoid looking at Katara, she began to leave until she heard the waterbender's words.
"Your scars are marks that show you're still alive and a fighter. They don't elicit pity; they show your resilience." Azula turned to look at her, surprised, and saw a smiling, blushing Katara. "And if you don't mind, I'd like to know the story behind each one."
Azula seemed to think about it, then, instead of walking away, she slowly walked out of the water, letting the silence and the gentle murmur of the waves fill the air between them. She headed to the sand and sat down, looking toward the horizon with a thoughtful expression. Katara watched her, her heart pounding with anticipation, and after a moment, she sat down beside her.
Both of them stayed there in silence, listening to the steady rhythm of the ocean. The minutes passed slowly, each second stretching in the stillness of the scene, until finally, Azula spoke, her voice soft, “The largest scar comes from when I was starting to learn how to lightbending. My father thought I also needed to learn how to redirect it.”
Katara looked at the scar with a knot in her stomach, but before touching it, she looked into Azula’s eyes, and Azula nodded slowly. Katara had never seen such a level of vulnerability in her, as if she were a fragile object. She delicately ran her fingers over the scar and saw Azula get goosebumps.
“I’m sorry it was because of that. Though I must admit, it’s beautiful.”
This surprised the firebender. “It’s a testament to my father’s abuse.”
Katara chose her words carefully and said, “I see it as proof that despite him, you’re here today and not rotting in a cell like he is.”
A tear fell down the firebender’s face, while Katara, instead of lifting her fingers, let them guide to another scar, this time a burn. Azula took a deep breath before beginning to speak again.
“I got this one when I was eleven. I had started training with Ozai day after day, and I made a mistake. Ozai didn’t tolerate mistakes.”
Katara gently ran her fingers over the burn, feeling the rough texture under her touch, like a sad melody on her skin. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
Each scar was a story, and each story humanized Azula more, drawing Katara closer to her. They continued like this, moving from scar to scar, unearthing painful memories and sharing moments of silence laden with meaning.
Another scar, a thin line on her wrist, was accompanied by a story of sibling betrayal and jealousy. “Zuko and I had received a gift from our uncle. He got a knife, and I got a doll. I didn’t want the doll, and he didn’t want to let me have the knife.”
The sky began to lighten as Azula narrated the story behind a scar on her side, caused by brutal training under the supervision of her teachers. Katara listened with tears in her eyes, feeling how each word deepened her understanding and empathy for the woman beside her.
When she finished telling the story of each scar, it was already daylight, and the two women had cried their hearts out together. Feeling as if a weight had lifted from her shoulders, Katara took Azula’s hand and squeezed it gently. “Thank you for sharing this with me.”
Azula nodded, her eyes swollen but no longer carrying the cold indifference they usually held. “You’re not as bad as I imagined.” which brought a smile to the waterbender's face.
The sun rose on the horizon, bathing the beach in its golden light, marking the beginning of a new day as a burden lifted from each girl’s shoulders.
When Zuko was about to sit down at the table for breakfast, someone grabbed him by his tunic. Turning around, he saw Sokka gesturing for him to be quiet and to look at what was happening at the table. Looking over, he saw his sister and Katara conversing animatedly, a scene that, until yesterday, would have been inconceivable.
“But how can you eat so much spicy food for breakfast?” Katara said, watching as Azula poured on the sauce that Katara had learned to avoid after several failed attempts to get used to the intensity of the fire in her food.
“It’s called having good taste and not wanting your food to be bland,” Azula replied with a smile, adding even more sauce. The morning light reflected on her face, softening her usually severe features. “You should try adding some.”
Katara quickly covered her bowl. “Don’t even think about it. I want to feel my tongue today.”
Azula laughed, a genuine laugh that resonated like an unexpected melody in the morning air, and began to eat. As she did, she looked up and, with a mischievous glance, whispered, “Hey, do you think they’ll stop staring at us at some point?”
Katara, seeing she was safe from the fiery sauce, said, “Well, it’s just that yesterday we weren’t even speaking to each other.”
“Excuse me, but I remember talking to you a bit.”
Katara paused, chewing slowly as she tried to remember what moment Azula was referring to.
"Aren't you supposed to be swimming with your friends?"
“Oh, no way, that’s not a conversation,” replied Katara, laughing.
“You were the one I talked to most.”
“That’s… concerning,” said Katara, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
Azula blushed slightly, something Katara noticed with surprise. “Oh, right, there’s a festival they want to go to today. So we’re going,” Katara said, changing the subject and smiling.
“Aren’t you going to ask me if I want to go?” asked Azula, raising an eyebrow.
“It’s just that I don’t want you to say no,” replied Katara, her tone defiant but playful.
“Smart girl,” murmured Azula, admiring Katara’s determination.
As the two girls continued their lively conversation, Zuko and Sokka exchanged confused looks from a distance.
The conversation continued, peppered with laughter and playful comments. “I remember the first time I tried to make breakfast with that sauce,” said Katara. “I almost choked on the first bite. How can you handle it?”
“It’s a matter of good taste,” said Azula smirking. “Though it might also be because I’m a firebender. You should’ve seen Ty Lee’s face when Mai poured all the sauce on her food without her even realizing it.”
Katara laughed again, “I’m starting to understand a lot of things now.”
“Don’t worry, she did the same to Mai, but Mai always noticed.”
And even when the rest of the group sat down to eat, the two of them kept talking about all the pranks they pulled in their childhood, with the sounds of Sokka and Zuko’s complaints in the background.
Sokka was coming out of Aang's room, helping him shave his head carefully and avoiding the sunburned areas from the previous day at the beach. As he turned the corner of the hallway, he saw his sister Katara walking determinedly towards another room.
“Suki was over there, I think,” Sokka commented, pointing with his thumb towards the end of the hallway.
Katara looked at him puzzled, not stopping. “Okay?”
“Aren’t you going to get ready with her?”
“No, bye!” Katara replied, hurrying so she wouldn’t have to answer more questions from her brother.
When she reached Azula's room, Katara knocked softly. Azula opened the door, half-prepared, wearing a red top and matching baggy pants. Katara felt a pang of pride seeing that the firebender had decided to leave the lightning scar uncovered.
“You look incredible,” Katara said, her eyes shining with something she couldn’t yet identify.
“Someone told me my scar was pretty, so…” Azula smiled, a flicker of vulnerability in her eyes.
Katara blushed but didn’t look away. “Well, they weren’t wrong.”
Azula let her in and went to her wardrobe to get a red dress for Katara, a dress the waterbender had asked for because she had “nothing” to wear.
“The bathroom is over there,” Azula said, nodding her head. “I’ll be doing my makeup in the meantime.”
Katara nodded, taking the dress in her hands and admiring the texture and quality of the fabric. She headed to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. If there was one thing Azula had, it was good taste in clothes.
When Katara emerged from the bathroom, now changed, she saw Azula applying red lipstick. The delicate and precise movement of her fingers as she corrected the outline took Katara’s breath away.
“I don’t know if this color will suit you; I have more pink tones that might look better on you,” Azula said, turning to look at her. “You do the dress justice, I see.”
Katara blushed deeply and went to sit on Azula’s enormous bed. “Can you do my makeup?”
“Don’t you know how?”
“It’s not really a thing in the South Pole.”
Azula, instead of arguing, picked up a mascara, several soft shadows, and a pink-toned lipstick.
“Let’s see what we can do.”
“You don’t have to call me ugly,” Katara said, slightly offended.
“I can call you many things, but ugly isn’t one of them. Close your eyes,” Azula ordered in her authoritative voice.
Blushing, Katara did as Azula asked, feeling a small brush work delicately over her eyelids. The sensation was almost hypnotic, a mix of trust and tenderness that Katara hadn’t anticipated.
“Okay, now open your eyes.”
Katara slowly opened her eyes, meeting Azula’s satisfied smile. The firebender’s expression indicated she had done a good job. Katara stood up and looked in the mirror. Her reflection showed a more refined and elegant version of herself, with the pink tones highlighting her natural features.
“Wow, Azula, this is incredible. I didn’t know you were also good at doing other people’s makeup.”
Azula shrugged, a hint of pride in her eyes. “There are many things you don’t know about me.”
Katara smiled, feeling her heart beat strongly. “I guess I have a lot to learn.”
Azula offered her hand, and Katara took it. With one last glance in the mirror, they both headed towards the door.
Azula could feel everyone’s eyes on her. First, Katara’s friends watched them take the lead and walk so closely together towards the festival. Then, at the festival itself, the gazes of the people around them. The festive atmosphere, full of bright lights, music, and laughter, did not manage to dispel the tension that Azula felt building in her chest.
She and Zuko always aroused a mix of expectation and disappointment wherever they went. The story of their family was known to all, and their scars, both physical and emotional, told more than words could express. Azula noticed all those looks, especially those focused on the scars adorning her body. The knot in her throat tightened, and her breaths became faster.
At that moment, Azula learned something new about Katara: she was incredibly perceptive. Katara, who had been by her side the whole time, took her hand and intertwined their fingers. The Water Tribe girl pressed closer to her and whispered, “Do you want to leave?”
“We just got here,” Azula replied, though her voice trembled slightly.
“And for me, that’s enough,” Katara replied, her eyes full of understanding and determination. “Besides, I saw Sokka with a bottle of cactus juice, and since I don’t want to drink, I’d have to take care of him…”
“Are you sure?” Azula asked, her eyes searching for any sign of doubt in Katara.
“Let me think,” Katara said, smiling. “Stay and take care of my drunk friends or take the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen to a nearby beach.”
“I-,” Azula began, surprised and a bit overwhelmed.
“Was I too embarrassing? Tui, I’m so sorry, it’s just that Sokka- why on earth did I listen to him-”
“I’d love to,” Azula interrupted, her voice steadier.
“Really?” Katara looked at her with hope.
“Let me think,” Azula said, a shy smile appearing on her face. “Stay here and have everyone judge me for breathing, or take the hand of the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen and leave?”
“Look who knows how to flirt back…” Katara murmured, her face lighting up with a smile.
“Shut up,” Azula said, laughing softly, feeling the tension beginning to melt away.
With one last look at the crowd and the festival lights, the two girls walked away, hand in hand, towards the nearby beach.
They had to walk a bit, but Katara led them to a small, empty cove. The sea breeze enveloped them as they approached the shore, the sound of the waves gently crashing against the sand providing a sense of calm.
Upon reaching the beach, Katara let go of Azula’s hand and ran towards the water, letting the tide wet her feet. Azula watched her, feeling a warmth in her chest that she hadn’t experienced in a long time. Katara turned around, her face illuminated by the moonlight, her smile radiant.
“I know this place because I used to come here to practice my waterbending quietly when we vacationed,” Katara said, extending a hand towards Azula.
Azula walked towards her, her steps slow and measured, as if each step was an affirmation of her decision to get closer. When she reached her side, Katara took her hand again. The waves wet their feet, and the whisper of the sea created a magical atmosphere.
“But now I know your secret,” Azula said softly, feeling the intimacy of the moment.
“I know,” Katara replied, squeezing her hand.
Azula, looking at their joined hands, asked sincerely, “Doesn’t this bother you?”
“For some crazy reason, I feel comfortable with you, no pretensions or expectations, just being myself. Does it bother you?”
“It’s what I expected, after all, you did defeat me.”
“I’m not going to apologize for that.”
“Nor do I need it.”
This pleasantly surprised Katara, who watched her closely, searching for any sign of doubt in Azula’s eyes. But what she found was disarming honesty.
Azula, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the intensity of the situation, went to sit on the sand to watch the moon reflect on the sea. The soft lunar glow created a silver path over the waves, a spectacle that seemed taken from a dream. Without taking her eyes off the sea, she noticed Katara sitting close to her.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” the waterbender asked, looking at Azula.
Azula looked at her, bathed in moonlight. Katara’s face was illuminated in a way that Azula couldn’t stop gazing at, entranced, not fully processing what the other girl had asked her.
“Azula?”
“You are gorgeous.”
“Thanks?”
“I- yeah…”
“Azula?”
“What?”
“Kiss me.”
“But- okay.”
“Okay?”
“Okay.”
“But do it?”
Azula took a deep breath, as if gathering courage, and brought Katara’s face close to hers with a hand on her cheek. She left the waterbender’s face mere inches from her own, but still didn’t kiss her.
“Azula.”
“You’ll regret it.”
“Azula.”
“You are better-“
Katara had asked her to kiss her, but before hearing forty excuses about why it was a bad idea, she decided to take the initiative herself. Without further ado, she closed the distance and kissed her.
The first kiss went as well as a first kiss could, with its hesitations and discoveries. It took them a few moments to find a rhythm that worked for both. Azula learned quickly, and Katara was impatient, a combination that didn’t seem to make much sense, but at that moment, it fit perfectly.
Katara’s passion was like an overwhelming wave, and Azula knew exactly how to follow her.
Katara had been wearing a beaming smile since breakfast that morning. The table was full of laughter and conversations, and though Katara was a naturally cheerful person, her joy seemed especially radiant today.
What truly puzzled Sokka was seeing Azula with a similar smile while talking to his sister, who seemed to have become her new best friend. This sight bewildered Sokka, who frowned, worried about the closeness between them.
At the breakfast table, Katara and Azula sat together in a corner, their closeness clearly visible. Azula had poured some tea, and Katara was handing her a portion of fresh fruit. The way they leaned towards each other and shared secrets in low murmurs was evident.
Katara, with her contagious laughter, made Azula relax more than Sokka had ever seen. Sometimes, their gazes would meet and hold for a few seconds, as if they were in their own world apart from the general bustle. Sokka noticed how Katara lightly touched Azula’s arm while telling a funny anecdote, and how Azula responded with a smile that seemed to light up her face in a new way. The gestures were subtle, but the connection between them was unmistakable. Sokka couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable seeing the natural and easy intimacy between them, compared to the coldness he usually associated with Azula.
Unable to bear the confusion any longer, Sokka quickly proposed, “Let’s go to the beach today, right, guys?”
“Yes!” everyone responded in unison, enthusiastically.
Sokka glanced back at his sister and Azula, who had returned to their own world. They seemed to be laughing about something Katara had said, and Azula leaned in to listen better, whispering something in Katara’s ear that made her burst into sincere laughter.
Upon arriving at the beach, the sun shone high in the sky, reflecting off the waves gently reaching the shore. The group scattered, some running towards the water, others settling on the sand. Katara, still with that radiant smile, took a deep breath and stepped forward, removing her robe to reveal her swimsuit. She walked towards the water, letting the waves caress her feet.
Azula, for her part, watched from the shore, feeling a knot in her stomach, a mix of nerves and excitement. Katara looked at her and, with an encouraging look, gestured for her to join.
“Come on, the water’s amazing,” Katara said, laughing.
Azula hesitated for a moment, but then, determined, she took off her outer clothes and joined Katara in the water. The two submerged themselves, letting the coolness of the sea envelop them. It felt liberating, as if the water was washing away not only their bodies but also their insecurities.
From the shore, everyone watched them closely. Something in the way they moved together, in how they looked at and laughed with each other, seemed too close, too intimate.
“They are too close… are… Agni, they’re kissing!!!” exclaimed Zuko, eyes wide open.
Indeed, Katara and Azula had drawn closer, first in a game of splashes and laughter, then in an embrace that brought them even closer. Their lips met in a tender and passionate kiss, indifferent to the curious and astonished looks of their friends on the shore.
The rest of the group was left open-mouthed, some smiling, others blinking, surprised. Zuko, after the initial shock, sighed and shrugged. “Well, I suppose if anyone can handle Azula, it’s Katara.”
Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. The relationship between Katara and Azula blossomed. Azula learned to see her scars as part of her story, her strength. Every time Katara looked at her, it was with a love that only grew with time. Likewise, Azula reminded Katara of her stretch marks.
Years passed, and Katara continued to kiss each of those scars with the same devotion and tenderness as the first day, reminding Azula that every part of her was worthy of love. Azula did the same with her stretch marks, which soon ceased to matter to the waterbender. In fact, she began to like them, and seeing herself without them was no longer something she considered. After all, they had marked the beginning of one of the best things that had ever happened to her.