Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Mom, why do some people have words on their chests?”

“The spirits are generous, Zuko. They gave us a way to know we’ve found our soulmate. We fall in love with many people in our lives, but when we fall in love with our soulmate, the words that make us realize they’re the one appear on the skin over our hearts.”

Zuko always wondered what his words would be. What could someone say to him to make everything click like that? Secretly, he liked to imagine what his soulmate would be like. She had to be nice, smart, brave, and hopefully pretty. She was going to be the Fire Lady, so she’d have to be good at that. But whoever she was, he was excited to meet her. For a while, he thought that it would be Mai, and he just wasn’t old enough to feel that kind of love. His uncle had known his soulmate since childhood, but they had both gotten their marks at fifteen. Zuko figured the same would be true for him, more or less, if his soulmate was Mai. He had been promised to her since childhood, and he'd hoped that meant everyone had sensed something special about them.

After all, everyone expected it to be Mai. It would have been straight out of a romance scroll, two children who would eventually be betrothed turning out to be soulmates. But no words ever appeared. Even when he returned from his exile, the skin over his heart remained bare, just like the skin over hers. In the Fire Nation, nobles were usually covered up to their necks, as it was rare for a husband and wife to actually be soulmates. Marriages were political, and reminders of how those arrangements went against the wishes of the spirits were uncomfortable. But Zuko saw the skin over Mai’s heart during their trip to Ember Island. He still cared for her, but at this point he was sure it was never going to happen.

At the same time, though, if not Mai, then who? In his exile, he had thought that regaining his honor was the missing piece. His mother had once told him that you could never really be in love until your whole self was ready for it. Once his father restored his honor, he would be whole and ready to gain his soulmark. But now, he knew better. Still, he wondered if it would ever appear. And even if it did, there was the horrifying possibility that it would be one sided. He had heard stories of that before. Who could ever fall in love with someone like him? A banished prince with a permanent mark of shame. Most people still looked at the scar before looking at him. The only person who never had was Toph, and that hardly counted since she couldn’t even see it. The rest of “Team Avatar,” as Sokka called them, had gotten over it eventually, but it took them a while.

Except for Katara. She had stopped all the way back on Kyoshi Island. She always looked at his whole face, just with rage in her eyes as she did. Perhaps that was why he had opened up to her like that in the Catacombs. She saw him, even if she hated what she saw. And maybe that was also why it hurt so much that she still refused to trust him. It wasn’t superficial. Everytime she looked at him, it was like she was piercing his soul, looking deep within, and hating every inch of what she saw. That hurt far worse than anyone who only saw his surface.

Zuko hated it. He wanted so badly for her to trust him. To like him. She was incredible. He saw the way she took care of her friends, how much she cared about Aang, and how fiercely she fought for what she believed in. Anyone alive who knew Katara and didn’t respect her, and fear her a little, was a fool. When Sokka, back at the Air Temple, had told him the story of her dressing up as a Fire Nation spirit to help a village, he had been struck by an odd feeling in his stomach. It felt a little like when he ate too many sweets as a child. Though, he also often felt that way when Katara beat him in a sparring match. The strangest part was that upon hearing the story, the thought occurred to him that Katara would make an incredible Fire Lady. It was ridiculous. He felt ashamed to be standing face to face with Sokka and having such a thought about the guy’s sister. Zuko had immediately excused himself to go dunk his head in a fountain to shock out the foolish idea. It was probably just because she was the only girl his age around, or at least that’s what he told himself. He was a teenage boy. It didn’t mean anything. He was just being stupid.

He still wanted desperately to earn her respect and approval. And that had nothing to do with any odd feelings in his stomach. He hated that she wasn’t exactly being unreasonable. He had a lot to make up for. Even beyond all his attempts to capture Aang, and the time he’d tied her to a tree, she had trusted him, offered to heal his scar, and he had turned his back on her and let his sister kill the Avatar. He winced just thinking about it.

And Aang had actually died for a moment, according to Sokka. “Listen, man,” his friend had explained,“his heart stopped and everything. If Katara hadn’t had the Spirit Water? I don’t even wanna think about it. The Avatar Cycle would have ended completely. Even with the water, he was completely passed out for two weeks.”

Zuko felt incredibly guilty about it, of course. He had pretty much the minute he saw Aang’s body fall. He was trying to make up for that, to the universe and to Katara. But the way she was treating him was still frustrating. He didn’t really think it was fair, even though he knew he deserved it. Hadn’t he shown her that he really was on their side? That he was trying? He knew he wasn’t perfect, but did she really have to get mad at him for saving her from falling rocks? Or maybe she thought they were even, since after that she saved him from falling to his death. Whatever. He was going to make her trust him. He couldn’t stand seeing that look in her eyes for one more minute.

It wasn’t even just because he thought she was beautiful and slightly terrifying when she gave him death glares. It hurt him somewhere deep in his soul that she didn’t trust him, that she really seemed to hate him. It just felt so fundamentally wrong, though he had no idea why. He needed her forgiveness, and her happiness, more than anything else in the world. More than he’d wanted his honor back after three years of exile. And that was a really high bar to cross.

He followed after her when she walked away from the group and the fire, begging to know why she couldn’t trust him. She told him everything he already knew. She felt differently about him because of his betrayal in the Crystal Catacombs. He knew he had to do more to earn her forgiveness, he always had. But he wanted to know what he could possibly do to make her trust him. She was so angry. Clearly, in her mind, he could never make it up to her. She had suffered too much at the hands of his people. He understood that. Of course he did. But he desperately wanted her to see him differently. More than anything. Katara was so incredible. It cut him to the bone to have her think so negatively of him.

It also hurt that he understood her so much. He almost wished he didn’t. He knew how easy it was to transfer his anger to the world at large, or even to a specific person. And he was still angry about the same things she was. About Ba Sing Se, and about his own mother. At least he knew she might be alive, and had some sort of closure regarding what had happened to her at his father’s hands. Katara had none of that. But, maybe, if he could just talk to Sokka, maybe he could help her get it.

He sat outside her tent all night, armed with the information from Sokka about who had killed their mother. He had to show her just how serious he was about this. They understood each other, just as they had back in the Catacombs. Aang and Sokka didn’t get it, but Zuko hadn’t really expected them to. He was going to support Katara, though. She was in charge. She needed this. He understood that.

He tried not to think too hard about how good it felt to be fighting by her side. They seemed to just slot together perfectly, moving as a unit without even having to communicate with each other. And even though he let her take the lead, he tried to look out for her. When he woke up in Appa’s saddle to see her still going strong, he (after admiring how she looked framed against the rising sun for a moment) tried to gently remind her to take care of herself, but she wasn’t having it. She couldn’t let herself be weak.

He listened to her recount her side of the story he’d heard before from Sokka, and he was horrified. To have seen the man, to have been too late, to have seen her own mother’s body murdered by a firebender, it made him want to throw up. He understood completely why she was so angry. He couldn’t imagine ever moving on from that. She was unbelievably strong, and her mother had been, too. He made sure to tell her so, and convinced her to let him take the reins for a while so she could get some rest before they reached Whaletail Island.

Once again, they moved as one. They knew exactly what to do, and executed the plan perfectly. He’d barely even faltered when he saw her reach inside a man and control the water inside his body. It was something he’d always wondered about, and it made him ten times more terrified of her, but he tried not to let that show. He just focused on the man in front of them. And then on figuring out who the right man was, and where to find him.

He knew there was an island where Fire Nation captains tended to retire, and his hunch was correct. This time, she let him take the lead as they spied on the man and laid a tripline, but once it came time for face to face he knew it was all her. This was her mission, her closure. His anger on her behalf was not anywhere close to the rage and hurt he knew she was feeling as she looked the man in the eye. He’d felt the same way in the bunker during the eclipse.

So he stood back and watched, and tried to hide his shock when he learned that Katara’s mother had not just faced the leader of the Southern Raiders alone, but lied to his face to protect her daughter. It was yet another thing he had in common with Katara, he supposed. Mothers that sacrificed themselves to protect them. Seeing her stop the rain was equally shocking, but he stood back. This was for her. Whatever she did, it was her choice. He wouldn’t stop her. He would support her. And when she made her choice, he understood it. Yon Rha was a pathetic man. Making him live out the rest of his pathetic, miserable life knowing that he’d failed, and that Katara had held his life in her hands, then decided he wasn’t even worth it? That was the most fitting end for the man he could think of.

And now, she finally had closure. He was proud of her, proud that she’d done what was best for her and hadn’t looked back. They left Yon Rha behind, sniveling in the mud, and made their way back to where they’d hidden Appa in the trees. Zuko followed Katara from a safe distance, and made no objection when she climbed up to take Appa’s reins immediately.

The rain didn’t let up as they began their flight back to the others. It would be a long one, Zuko knew, and he wasn’t sure it was the best idea to make it in one night. Appa was tired, and they were all soaked to the bone. He could tell Katara was exhausted, even if she wouldn’t admit it. After an hour, he finally decided to voice his concerns.

“Katara,” he called out from the saddle, “c’mon. Let Appa rest. I see some caves on those islands there, let’s just sleep there for the night.”

She didn’t answer, just wordlessly guided Appa to a cave in some rocks. Once they were inside, she slid off Appa’s head and down to the ground, then wordlessly bent the water out of her clothes and hair, Appa’s coat and saddle, and finally, after a moment, Zuko’s clothes and hair.

Zuko watched her silently as she stood there, her breathing heavy. After a moment, he realized she was crying. Quickly, he tossed down their bedrolls and bags, then jumped out of the saddle. “Katara,” he said awkwardly, “I get that you don’t really want to do it with me, but I think you need to talk about it.”

She looked up at him, her eyes red and her cheeks wet, and she opened her mouth like she wanted to say something, but all that came out was a devastating strangled sound. She started to sob, burying her head in her hands. Zuko didn’t know what to do. All he could think was to comfort her the way his mother had always comforted him. He reached out and hugged her, awkwardly stroking her (really, really good smelling) hair with one hand while the other held the small of her back. For once, she didn’t shove him off of her. She just stood there, weeping uncontrollably for what felt like hours. Eventually, she even moved her hands and wrapped them around him, burying her face in his chest as she continued to cry. Finally, she quieted, sniffling and hiccuping a few times, then pulled away slightly to wipe her nose aggressively with her sleeve. She looked back up at him, meeting his gaze for a moment before her eyes widened and she aggressively yanked herself out of his arms and bent her tears out of his shirt.

“I’m sorry, Zuko,” she said as she turned away, crossing her arms over her chest protectively, “you obviously didn’t want to see that.”

Zuko sighed. “I’d be more worried if you didn’t cry like that, honestly,” he admitted. “That was… a lot. And I understand why you’re embarrassed and all, but I am really proud of you.”

She snorted, that edge he was very familiar with now back in her voice. “You don’t even know me.”

“I know how you’re feeling. I know what it’s like to confront the man who took your mother away. I know how it feels to spare him even when you want him dead. I know how it feels to wonder if you made the right choice.”

“I did make the right choice,” she snapped, “I know I did.”

“I believe you,” he said simply.

She faltered at that.

“I believe you. And I think you made the right choice too, but I know that you still probably feel conflicted.”

“Aang was wrong,” she spat, her hands clenching into fists, “I don’t forgive him. I never will.”

“That’s fine. Aang doesn’t know everything.”

Katara began to pace around the cave. Zuko just watched, letting her get it all out. “I know I didn’t want to kill him,” she said firmly. “I mean, I did, I wanted him dead, but I didn’t want to kill him. And I don’t know if it’s because I’m too weak to be a killer, or too strong to let him make me one. I don’t want to be a killer. I don’t want to be like him. But he deserves it. He was so pathetic. What kind of man offers up his own mother like that? I want him to live with that. But I still want him dead.” She stopped for a minute. “I didn’t want to let him ruin my life any more than he already has. He already made me a bloodbender. I couldn’t let him make me a murderer, too.”

“Is that what it’s called?” Zuko couldn’t help but ask, “Bloodbending?”

She stared at him like she’d forgotten he was there. “Yeah,” she sighed eventually, resuming her pacing, “bloodbending. It’s when you reach inside a living creature and bend the water inside them. You can only do it under a full moon, because of how difficult it is. A woman named Hama taught it to me. She figured out how to do it when she was trapped in a Fire Nation prison, and used it to escape. She’s the only other living bender from the Southern Water Tribe. She was using it to get revenge on innocent Fire Nation civilians, and I had to use it on her to stop her. I hated it. I felt so bad for her. I understood her, but what she was doing was wrong. And we had to give her back to Fire Nation authorities. I hated that. We put her right back where she started. She didn’t deserve that. But I swore I’d never bloodbend ever again. It’s wrong. You should never control someone like that. And I never wanted the evil of the Fire Nation to corrupt me like it did her.”

She stopped again, staring at her hands. Zuko decided he wouldn’t ask any more questions about it. At least not now. It was too raw for her. Finally, she continued, “But it did corrupt me. I used it on that man because I was just so angry. And he wasn’t even who we were looking for. I mean, he’s probably done terrible things, too, but I don’t ever want my anger to be indiscriminate like that. And I don’t want it to corrupt me. I guess that’s a part of why I couldn’t kill Yon Rha, too.”

“Katara, you are so unbelievably strong. And so unbelievably good. I really do believe you made the right decision. For yourself, at the very least.”

“I don’t need your approval. But… Thank you.”

“I’m glad you got your closure. I know how much it means to know what happened, and to confront the man who did it. You can start to heal, you know? Aang’s wrong about needing to forgive him, but he has a point about being able to move on.”

Katara looked away from him, fiddling with the pendant on her necklace. “I- I’m glad, too. Thank you, Zuko. For all of this. I don’t need to forgive him, but I think I should forgive you.”

He’d almost forgotten about that. This trip had stopped being about earning her forgiveness a long time ago. At this point, he really just wanted to see her get her justice and her closure. He’d thought that he wanted her forgiveness more than anything, but it turned out what he really wanted was her happiness. Still, that didn’t mitigate how good it felt to hear those words. How desperately had he been dreaming of them for weeks? And now his dreams had finally come true. He dipped his head slightly, looking at her shoes. “Thank you, Katara. I really hope we can be friends.” The words were true, but they still felt like a lie. He wanted more than that. He was no better than Aang, just better at hiding it.

She smiled, moving forward and pulling him into another hug, a happier one this time. He felt his cheeks grow warm as he hugged her back. “I definitely think we can make that happen,” she responded. “But, now that we’re friends, can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” he laughed slightly before she pulled away and looked at him, her face serious.

“What did you mean before? About how you understand what I’m dealing with?”

Zuko felt his stomach drop to the floor. For all his talk about how she needed to talk about it, he really didn’t want to talk about his version of “it.” It was really only fair, though. He’d seen a lot of her vulnerabilities today, and she deserved the same from him. He still couldn’t really look her in the eyes to give it to her, though.

So he turned away and knelt down, busying himself with setting up their bedrolls. “On the Day of Black Sun,” he began, “I went to see my father during the eclipse. I told him that the Avatar was alive, and Azula lied about me being the one to kill him. And I told him I wasn’t going to take his orders anymore. He was going to listen to me.

“I told him that all I ever wanted was for him to accept me. That I thought I wanted my honor, but I really just wanted his love for once. I wanted to please him. I wanted the man who banished me to have had an explanation for it. I wanted there to be a reason for him to challenge a thirteen year old to an Agni Kai for speaking out of turn. But you can’t justify that. He said it was to teach me respect, but I knew better. It was cruelty, which is all he knows. I learned the truth. I learned that this war is wrong, that we need peace. I told him I was going to free my Uncle, my only real father, and go teach Aang firebending with him. He tried to goad me into fighting him. I didn't take the bait. But then he lured me in by asking me if I wanted to know the truth about my mom. He said that she wasn’t actually dead, just banished. And that she’d sacrificed herself to save my life. Then the eclipse ended and he tried to kill me with lightning. But I redirected it. I could’ve killed him, but I didn’t. I just left. You know the rest.”

Finally, he looked back up from the bedrolls to see Katara kneeling right beside him. She was much closer than he’d realized, and she was holding up her hand up to the left side of his face. She could see the way the shape lined up to her palm and fingers. Her eyes were wide and her voice was full of horror. “I know what an Agni Kai is. You said, in the Catacombs, that your scar was the mark on a banished prince. Did- did your father do that to you?”

Zuko's throat was tight. He hadn't expected the answer to be quite so difficult to get out. “Yes," he choked out after a long moment. Then the full story came spilling out. "I spoke out of turn in a war meeting. A general was proposing that we use a battalion of new recruits as bait to be slaughtered as a distraction while a more experienced battalion snuck around behind. I couldn’t believe he could suggest such a thing. I knew it was wrong, and I told him so. But I wasn’t supposed to say anything. I wasn’t even supposed to be there. It was disrespectful. My father said it must be resolved with an Agni Kai, and I agreed because I thought it would be against the general. But it wasn’t. The disrespect was against my father, because it was his war room. When I saw him in the arena with me, I refused to fight him. I begged for mercy. But that just made him more angry. He told me I would learn respect, and suffering would be my teacher. Then he lit his hand, and burned me. After that, he banished me for my weakness, and told me I could only return once I’d captured the Avatar. My scar and my banishment were my greatest shame.”

“Oh, Zuko,” Katara gasped, tears in her eyes once again. She moved her hand, gently reaching to cup his scarred cheek. “He was wrong. He was so, so wrong. I’m sorry I misunderstood you for so long. Your scar- It’s not a mark of shame, it’s a mark of courage.”

Zuko felt a tightness in his chest. It was so simple, but to hear her say that was earth-shattering. He cared so much about what she thought of him. To know that was what she believed of him, it meant everything. He was in deep, he knew it. He’d never cared so deeply about what someone thought of him. Even his father, or his uncle. They were different. He knew that he could only care this much about someone he was truly in love with. And that meant he was so screwed. She wasn’t his. She wasn’t anyone’s, really, but she especially wasn’t his, and she never would be.

“Thank you, Katara,” he said, bowing his head. He couldn’t meet her eyes just yet. She couldn’t know how it made his heart burn to hear that she really thought that way about him. He wanted her to always think that way about him. She was so unbelievably kind and brave and perfect. “It’s not your fault,” he added, “I was pretty hard to understand. And I wasn’t doing what was right. You have every right to hate me.”

“No I don’t,” she snapped, “you were turned around, Zuko, but you were good. And you’ve been trying so hard and I was being so unfair… And how can I ever hate you knowing this? You are good. You are so good, and you are really, really brave. I’m really glad to have you with us now.”

She had to stop. He was going to keel over and die, right there. He almost did when she lunged forward and grabbed him, pulling him into a tight hug. His skin was on fire everywhere she was touching it. It took him a moment to remember he should hug her back.

Eventually, they broke apart. “I’m sorry, I made this all about me. This was supposed to be about you.”

“No, Zuko, this was about you, too. I needed closure for my mother, and you helped me get that. But I had to come to terms with a lot of things, including how I feel about you. And now I have, so thank you for that. I feel this… this peace I haven’t felt in a long time. Thank you.”

“Oh,” Zuko responded dumbly, “you’re welcome.”

“I’ve never really had anyone understand me about this. Sokka just doesn’t get it. He didn’t see her body. Dad wouldn’t let us go back in the house at all until he and Gran-Gran had finished wrapping her in a seal pelt for mourning. He only saw her after they were done. But for a really long time, I saw her almost every time I closed my eyes. It was horrible. I had to sleep in Sokka’s bed to make it go away, but he never really knew that because I couldn’t even bring myself to talk about it. He just thought I missed her.”

Zuko didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t bear to think of anyone dealing with something so terrible, much less someone as young as Katara had been. “I’m sorry, Katara, I can’t imagine what that must’ve been like.”

“I’ve learned to live with it. You have to, at some point. But I got really focused on taking care of the village like my mom did, and taking care of Sokka and my dad. They needed me, so I had to be there. Sokka told Toph once that sometimes when he tries to think of Mom’s face, he sees mine. I think that’s part of it, too. He had someone. But I didn’t. I’ve just always had this big gaping hole in my chest. I miss my mom. And I’m angry that my last memory of her is what that man did to her. But now, it feels different. I’ve faced him, and it feels like I’ve faced that hole, too. It’s always gonna be there, but the edges aren’t so jagged anymore.”

“I understand those feelings. I’m sorry you had to suffer alone. You’re so strong, Katara, but you shouldn’t have had to be. You didn’t deserve all of that.”

Katara looked him in the eye and smiled at him, which she’d never done before, not like that. It was crooked and watery, but he felt like a flower receiving the rays of a rising sun. “You’re a really good listener, Zuko. Thank you.” She gave him another long hug before rising to her feet. She wiped her eyes and cleared her throat, then changed the subject with authority. “We should change out of these clothes and get some sleep. I’ll go over there.” She grabbed her bag and headed over toward a spot where she’d be concealed behind Appa.

Zuko nodded and grabbed his own bag, pulling out his regular shirt before taking off his black one. He looked down to stuff it into the bag, and noticed a black line on his left pectoral. A sentence he couldn’t read, right above his heart. A soulmark. He pulled on his new shirt quickly, before Katara could come back and see it, then laid down on his sleeping roll, his eyes wide open.

After a moment, Katara returned and laid down on her own sleeping roll, her back to him. “Thank you, Zuko,” she whispered. "Goodnight."

“Goodnight, Katara,” he whispered back. His voice was tight, but she didn’t notice. As she drifted off to sleep, he was still wide awake, the only thought in his head being how completely and utterly screwed he was.

Chapter Text

“Mom, what’re those words on your chest?”

“That’s my soulmark, sweetie. It says ‘How about a kiss for good luck?’ Your dad said that to me before a big hunt once, and that’s when I knew I loved him. So the spirits wrote it over my heart to make sure I knew he was my soulmate.”

Katara had always been fascinated by the idea of soulmates. She’d asked her parents over and over again to tell the stories of how they got their words, and when they discovered each other’s soulmarks. In the South Pole, the best story was often how you found out about your soulmate’s mark, since everyone was usually too bundled up to see the skin where soulmarks appeared. Katara loved hearing about her dad trying to snoop around with Kya’s friends to see if she’d said anything about a soulmark. She’d heard other stories, too, the one about the first soulmates, and all the other ones her Gran-Gran had to tell. Sokka had never understood why she cared so much. He figured they’d both meet their soulmates eventually, and right now there were more important things to worry about, like fishing and learning how to use his war club. But he was a boy. He just didn’t get it.

Her hopes of finding her soulmate dwindled, though, as she realized there weren’t any boys her age in her village to be her soulmate. She decided he would just be like the handsome warrior in one of her favorite stories, who came into a village mysteriously with a terrible injury and was nursed back to health by a woman who turned out to be his soulmate. It was wonderfully romantic, in her opinion, to meet a handsome stranger like that and have him turn out to be your soulmate.

After her mother died, though, she decided she never wanted to meet her soulmate. Seeing how broken her father was by the loss of his soulmate, she decided she never wanted to meet hers. She’d never forget when he handed her the necklace her mother always wore. “This is for you, Katara,” he said, “carry her with you, always.” His eyes were so empty, so broken. She couldn’t imagine the pain he must’ve been in, seeing the other half of his soul murdered on the floor of their own home. She never wanted to feel that. The skin over her father’s heart had once read “You’re ridiculous, Hakoda,” in bold black ink. When she saw his soulmark for the first time after the raid, now faded to a sickly shade of gray, Katara became terrified of ever having that color marr her skin. She tried to forget about soulmates, and focused on taking over her mother’s responsibilities. They were hers, now.

Still, when Aang came, she felt hopeful for the first time in years. Maybe once he ended the war, it would be okay for her to have a soulmate. She let herself begin to imagine again. She knew Aang wanted it to be him, just as much as she knew it never would be him. At first, she’d thought about it, but the closer they became, the more she thought of him as a brother. He felt almost like her own child sometimes. She tried not to lead him on, but she didn’t want to hurt him, either. He was only a kid. They could deal with it all later.

Secretly, she had wondered a few times, particularly when she first met Jet. She’d even asked Aunt Wu all about her future husband, just to know. For after the war, of course.

The fortune teller had told her all about her soulmate. She’d predicted that Katara would have a great romance with a very powerful bender. It excited Katara more than she liked to admit. Occasionally, she would dream about her mysterious soulmate. It was always the same dream. She never saw his face, but she could tell he was handsome. He was taller than her, and very, very kind. She got used to this mysterious soulmate, who would hold her hand and look at the stars with her. She would wake up happy, and confident that she would meet him one day. But she didn’t have time to think about him during the day anymore. She had to look after everyone, teach Aang waterbending, and make sure Zuko didn’t try anything with him. She always had a meal to make, or clothes to clean, or someone to wrangle. She couldn’t afford to dwell on her dreams.

The night after Zuko and Sokka returned with her father, she had the dream again. This time, though, her soulmate had a face. Zuko’s face. She woke with a start, trying not to shriek. She sat on her bedroll for a while taking deep breaths. It was ridiculous. Zuko? Her soulmate? The spoiled and formerly evil prince? Who might still be evil? No way. Her mind was playing tricks on her. She really needed to get more sleep, without any more dreams. She didn’t even like Zuko. He wasn’t even her friend. Sure, he was handsome and all, but he was Zuko. She’d basically had a nightmare. She laid back down and pulled her blanket over her head, pushing the dream far, far away and trying to fall back asleep. The dreams continued, though, and they made her resent Zuko even more.

Everytime he touched her, she’d jerk away. She tried not to speak to him, and when she had to make conversation it was short and cold. As everyone else seemed to fall under his spell, she began to resent him even more. He was probably using some weird firebender magic. Some enchantment they taught princes in fancy firebending school.

He kept trying with her, too, and she hated it. He must’ve had some angle. He was trying to get her to let her guard down. Well, she wasn’t going to let him. And she really needed him to stop touching her with his weird, too-warm firebender hands. It kept making her stomach do backflips, and it made her dreams worse. She was so angry at herself for falling for his act.

When he’d tackled her and saved her from the rocks, she’d hated how much she liked feeling his arms around her. And how oddly proud she felt when she saw him hold his own against Azula. When she used her waterbending to keep their stray blasts of fire from hitting Appa, she noticed that it was equally difficult to dissipate the blasts from both of them, and she hated that she did. She especially hated the worry she felt when she saw him fall from the airship. She was angry at him for it, too. How could he risk himself like that? He was the only firebending teacher Aang had! And how dare he scare her like that? The genuine terror she’d felt when she saw him fall made the blood in her veins turn to ice. She screamed out that they had to catch him, and stood up immediately to grab him. Once he was safe, she had to grip the sides of Appa’s saddle to stop herself from strangling Zuko herself.

She hated how helpful he was. She hated the jokes he made, and how they made everyone laugh. She hated how everyone else loved him. He didn’t deserve it. She most of all hated how when she stormed away from the fire, he immediately followed her. He was too nice and it drove her crazy. It had to be an act, though at this point even she knew he’d more than proven himself. She just couldn’t believe it.

Because she had, once. He’d said that about his mom and she’d thought that maybe he was right, that they had more in common than she’d thought. She’d tried to apologize for yelling, and she’d felt bad when he took it the wrong way. She’d been moved by what he’d said about his scar and his destiny. She’d wanted to know how they were linked. And she’d almost wasted her spirit water on him. She’d touched his cheek and looked into his eyes, and felt something deep in her soul that told her that he was good. That he could be trusted. She’d seen how he’d bowed his head to her, and let her touch the most vulnerable part of him. And when she’d looked into his eyes, she’d been moved by how beautiful they were, and all the emotion she’d seen flickering beneath the surface.

And where had all that gotten her? Watching him firebend at Aang, and then at her. “I have changed,” he’d said. Yeah, changed into a better manipulator, more like. Though she was surprised that wasn’t taught in firebender preschool.

It was because of him that she’d had to catch Aang’s lifeless body as it fell and carry him out of the catacombs. It had been like her mother all over again, seeing that burn on his back. She’d been lucky Sokka had been there with Appa waiting for them. She’d felt his heart beat rapidly and then stop. She’d felt him stop breathing. The spirit water had been a last resort, and she’d had no idea if it would work or not. Thank the spirits it did. After that, she’d known she could never trust Zuko again.

She told him as much. She’d been the first to trust him, and she’d be the last to make that mistake now. There was nothing he could do that would make it up to her.

And then she found him outside her tent, looking all pathetic. And he gave her everything she hadn’t known she’d needed. He’d backed her up with Aang and Sokka, he didn’t judge her when she lashed out at her brother, he followed her lead. It felt right when they worked side by side to infiltrate the communication tower. He’d explained what they had to do, and that they’d have to be stealthy while doing it, but after that they’d barely even had to speak to each other. Instinctively, they’d each understood what the other was doing and exactly how to assist.

Strangely, she had felt the need to tell him the full story about her mother. He seemed to have a general idea of what the Raiders did, and he’d gotten Sokka’s version of events. But she needed Zuko to understand what she’d gone through, and what Sokka hadn’t. Sokka never saw their mother’s body. And he never saw the man who did it. This was personal for her in a way it wasn’t for her brother. Zuko seemed to understand that. He seemed to understand a lot of things.

He certainly knew exactly what to say to get her to sleep while he guided Appa the rest of the way to Whaletail Island. He only woke her once the ship was in sight. Once again, they only needed the most barebones plan, allowing instinct to take over as they worked side by side. Zuko only spoke to make sure she was ready, and to intimidate the commander.

He didn’t say anything about when she reached inside the man in her anger and took control of the blood inside him. It horrified her that she did it so instinctively against the man, who wasn’t even the person they were looking for. She expected Zuko to make some sort of comment on it, but he didn’t say anything. He just rolled with it, continuing to interrogate the man.

They found the right man quickly, as Zuko knew exactly where a man of Yon Rha’s station would retire. They worked side by side once more to follow him and lay their trap, but Zuko stood back to let her face the man on her own.

It felt good, to look him in his pathetic eyes. To terrify him as he had once terrified her, and to see him learn that he had failed in his mission. But she refused to let him make her a murderer. She hadn’t expected Zuko to understand that, either, but he had.

He understood a lot of things, and he always listened so intently. He could also comfort her in a way no one else could, which was perhaps even more surprising. She learned in that cave that he truly did see her in a way no one else seemed to. It all struck her, in an odd way, and suddenly, she couldn’t find it in herself to be angry at him any longer. He listened intently as she explained her thoughts and her feelings, and never tried to argue with her. His quiet and simple affirmations of her emotions and her competence meant everything to her. And now, she really felt like she understood him, too. Hearing him explain everything his father had done to him, she felt horrible. He hadn’t deserved any of that, and he clearly had worked hard to join their side.

Katara had already decided to forgive him, but hearing his story made it easy. She hoped the hugs she gave him worked as well as his did for her. She hoped he could forgive himself. And she hoped they could be friends for a long time.

When she woke up the next morning, it took her a moment to remember where she was. Staring at the black stone wall of the cave, her memories of the previous night came rushing back to her. Yon Rha. The village. Zuko.

Zuko. It was odd to think of him without feeling anger or hatred. But it was all gone now. All of her resentment towards him had flowed down the river of her tears and out of her heart and mind altogether. She felt an odd sort of warmth towards him now.

It was different from what she felt towards Sokka, or Aang, or Toph. "Something new," she thought, until she realized that she’d felt it before, that first time in the catacombs. She considered the feeling as she rolled over and saw that he had already woken up and cleaned up his bed roll and pack. Worry flooded through her for a moment, until she remembered he was a firebender. “I rise with the sun,” and all that. She had once hated not knowing where Zuko was because she was worried about him doing something dastardly, but now she was just concerned for him.

She looked around the cave until she spotted him sitting cross-legged at the mouth of it, facing out towards the early morning sun. He was meditating, she realized, as she spotted the flickering of a small fire in his cupped hands.

She stared at him for a moment longer as she began to pack up her own bedroll, taking care to stay as quiet as she could so as not to disturb him. Appa was awake as well, and also looking at Zuko. The soft thump of Katara’s bedroll and pack landing in Appa’s saddle finally made Zuko stir, and he extinguished his fire as he turned to see her awake and ready to go.

“Good morning,” he called gently, rising quickly to make his way over to her. “I wanted to let you sleep, you had a long day yesterday.”

“So did you,” Katara reminded him, slightly flustered by his thoughtfulness. “How long have you been awake?”

“Since sunrise. Only three hours or so.”

Katara suddenly felt embarrassed, hoping she hadn’t snored. “Really?”

“Yeah, firebenders all wake up with the sun. Can’t be helped. So I packed up my stuff, ate some breakfast and took Appa out for his, and then meditated for a while."

“You’ve been meditating for three hours?” she inquired, shocked by his discipline.

“Well, more like two. I always start my morning by meditating. All firebenders should, it helps us stay in tune with our inner fire. Usually I only do it for half an hour, but I… um, well, I had a lot on my mind.” Zuko turned a little pink with that.

“Oh.”

There was a slightly awkward silence for a moment. Finally Zuko broke it with a cough. “Anyway, I was thinking, and I’m pretty sure I know a place we can hide. My sister and my father will never even think to look there. It’s not far from here, so I thought I could take you and you can decide if it’ll work.”

“Me? Zuko, it should really be a group decision.”

“They’ll all agree with whatever you want anyway, Katara. And you’re the one I trust most to decide.”

Katara felt her cheeks heat up. “Well… okay. Let’s go.”

Zuko nodded, and they both climbed aboard Appa, her in the saddle and him taking the reins. Katara pulled jerky out of her pack for her breakfast, then settled into her seat and watched Zuko intently. He leaned forward to pet Appa’s head before guiding the sky bison out of the cave and out over the ocean. He took them high up in the clouds where no one on the ground could see them as they flew over the Fire Nation, and in what felt like no time at all he was taking them down towards a small island. He’d been right that the new place wasn’t far.

Katara gazed in wonder at the beautiful tropical island as Zuko called for her to give them a bit of cover as he directed Appa to land in the courtyard behind an enormous house on a mountain.

Zuko jumped down from Appa’s neck as soon as they landed, then held out his arm for Katara as she slid down from the saddle a moment later. She took it as she landed, grateful for the extra bit of steadiness on her feet.

“What is this place?” she asked, gazing around in wonder.

Zuko sighed. “This is my family’s beach house. We used to come here every summer, back when we were actually happy. But no one has been inside in years, besides me. They even stopped sending servants to clean it. A few weeks ago, when my father sent me here with my sister and her friends, we stayed somewhere else. Azula wouldn’t even go inside. Mai and Ty Lee would only go on the private beach. I came in to, uh, collect some stuff.” At Katara’s questioning look, he explained, “I burned some of our old family portraits in a bonfire.”

“Oh, Zuko,” Katara shook her head with a slight laugh, “you were so-”

“I know,” he groaned, cutting her off, “you really don’t have to remind me. Anyway, last time I was here, no one recognized me. It’ll probably be the same for you guys as long as you dress the part. The house is totally private and no one would dare to come here. It’s got access to the beach for waterbending stuff, and lots of ground for earthbending. And no one would guess that the Avatar would dare to hide in the Fire Lord’s own house.”

“It sounds perfect,” Katara agreed. “But let’s look around inside first, to make sure it’ll work.”

Zuko nodded and gestured for her to follow him up the steps. They walked into a beautiful living room, with furniture that was faded and dusty, but clearly expensive and well crafted. Directly in front of her was a doorway to what appeared to be a sectioned off entryway. She could see a grand double door. On the far wall next to the inset, there was a closed door in the far left corner. An L-shaped staircase was nestled into the left corner closest to her, and the wall on the right housed two open doorways. Zuko pointed to each exit in turn.

“That’s the kitchen,” he explained, pointing to the doorway on the right closest to her, “and that’s the dining room right in front of it, which connects to the front porches. Right in front of us is the entry with the front door. That closed door on the far wall is my father’s study, and the one by the stairs is the washroom. The stairs lead up to the bedrooms.”

Katara walked around and investigated every room but the Fire Lord’s study. She felt no need to see where a young Ozai had probably drafted ideas that had only brought pain. As she explored, however, she made note of the cleaning supplies in the kitchen, and all the dust and cobwebs around the house. Zuko waited patiently by the door they’d come in, gazing at the decorations on the walls. His face was dark, and he startled slightly when she suggested they go upstairs.

The stairs led to a landing with huge windows, and dark imprints on the walls made her suspect she knew where Zuko had sourced the portraits he’d mentioned. Off to the side was the entry to an L-shaped hallway, which Zuko led her towards. “There’s six bedrooms, which is perfect since there’s six of us,” he offered as he began pointing out each one. The first room they passed was a guest room, which apparently his uncle usually used. The next, another guest room most often occupied by his cousin. Then Azula’s, Zuko’s, his mother’s, and his father’s.

“I’ll take my father’s,” he said grimly when they reached it, “just to get it out of the way.” After a moment, though, he softened. “You can have my mother’s, if you’d like. It has the best view of the ocean.”

Katara smiled at his thoughtfulness, and opened her mouth to accept.

Before she could respond, though, Zuko seemed to realize something and quickly added an addendum. “Unless that would be weird for you, of course. There is a door that connects them. But we can lock it, obviously.”

Katara’s cheeks heated. “No, it’s sweet, thank you. I’ll take it, if you’re really okay with it.”

“I’m okay with it,” he reassured her.

“Okay.”

They stood in an awkward silence again, looking at each other. Something was different now with Zuko, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was. He almost seemed more cautious around her than he was before, though in a different way. She wanted to know why.

Finally, she broke their odd impasse. “You should go get the others.”

Zuko’s brow furrowed. “Me? You’re coming too, aren’t you?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m going to stay here and clean things up a little for when everyone gets here. I saw a broom and some other stuff in the kitchen. Where are the sheets for the beds?”

“There’s a spare set in each bedroom, in the wardrobes. But are you sure, Katara? You don’t have to, I was going to do it when we came back again.”

“I’m sure. Everyone will want to relax once they get here, and they’ll want fresh bedding for that. Trust me, they all complained about how dusty all the beds were when we got to the temple and I had to run around and find spares and remake them all. I’d rather do it before they’re here; minimize the whining.”

Zuko looked upset at her explanation. “Surely they can make their own beds, can’t they? You shouldn’t have to do everything, Katara.”

His words stung a little. He was hitting right at feelings buried deep inside her that she didn’t want to deal with at the moment. “I know, but if I don’t do it, it won’t get done. Or at least, it won’t get done well. Besides, it’s easier this way.”

“Katara-”

She cut him off. “I’m serious, Zuko. This stuff has always been my job. Let me do it. Go get the others. I’ll see you soon.”

Zuko was clearly unhappy, but he nodded, giving into her order. He turned to leave before pausing. “I think there are some clothes in my mom’s wardrobe, too. You’re welcome to wear them,” he offered, then continued his path back to the stairs.

Katara nodded and thanked him. She watched him walk back down the hallway and sighed, slumping against the wall as soon as he was out of sight. She knew he was right, the others could make their own beds, in theory. And Aang definitely could have helped her find the supplies she needed at the temple, if he hadn’t insisted he was too busy playing a game with Teo. But Toph didn’t care enough to properly make a bed. She would’ve slept on dirty sheets and smelled even worse in the morning. Same for Sokka, for the most part, though he’d probably rip off the dirty sheets and sleep on the bare bed. Aang, as with all things, would insist that she did it better, but she supposed if she really put her foot down he’d do it himself. It just wasn’t worth the fight. She’d taken on her mother’s role in her village, and she’d taken it on again with her friends. It was easier that way, and it meant she always had something to do, at the very least.

Setting her thoughts aside, Katara got to work sweeping up and dusting, starting with the bedrooms. She changed all the sheets and brought the dirty ones downstairs to wash. Then she set to cleaning up the downstairs, namely the kitchen. She’d have to cook dinner tonight, so she began to wash all the dishes and cookware she knew were absolutely needed. She was extremely impressed by the wash basin in the kitchen with an attached water pump, as it made her job much easier.

Katara noticed the sun sitting low on the horizon as she finished, and realized Zuko would be back soon with the others. Looking down at her now filthy outfit, she quickly made her way to her new bedroom where she’d left her pack. Fishing out her Fire Nation clothes, she changed into them quickly, dumping her old ones into the laundry basket in the corner. Looking at herself in the mirror, she decided to do her hair in her Fire Nation style as well. Zuko had said she’d need to look the part. When she finished, she smiled at her appearance before heading back downstairs and out to meet the others.

Watching as beautiful colors began to paint the sky, she took the long walk down the hill to the dock to wait for them. The previous day’s events hit her like a tidal wave as she sat down. It had helped immensely to talk the night before with Zuko, but her emotions surrounding her mother and the man who killed her were still rough and stormy. The only thing she was fully at peace with was her new understanding of Zuko. And she wasn’t looking forward to discussing any of her feelings with the others. They wouldn’t understand the way Zuko did.

Seeing Appa approach, knowing that Aang was waiting to bombard her once again with his preaching about forgiveness for evil, did not feel good. She watched Zuko guide the bison to the beach by the dock, knowing Aang would jump before Appa could even touch down and immediately run to her.

“Katara! Are you okay?” he called as he approached, and she sighed.

“I’m doing fine,” she answered, not yet turning to face him.

“Zuko told me what you did. Or, what you didn’t do, I guess.” He seemed upbeat. She was glad she wouldn’t have to tell the whole story, though she did feel a twinge of guilt that Zuko probably had to endure a full interrogation when he’d arrived alone. She’d forgotten that when she’d sent him away. “I’m proud of you,” Aang continued.

That annoyed her a little. Aang had clearly come to his own conclusions about why she’d made the choice she did. “I wanted to do it,” she declared. “I wanted to take out all my anger at him, but I couldn’t. I don’t know if it’s because I’m too weak to do it, or because I’m strong enough not to.” She was glad she’d already explained herself once. It made it easier the second go round.

“You did the right thing,” Aang announced solemnly, as she’d expected, “forgiveness is the first step you have to take to begin healing.”

Of course he didn’t understand. She rose to her feet and turned to him, angry. “But I didn’t forgive him. I’ll never forgive him.”

Aang was surprised at that, she could tell.

“There is one person I’ve forgiven, though,” she informed him, softening slightly as her gaze turned to Zuko, who had been observing quietly a few steps back. In a few big steps she was right in front of him, and she smiled as she grabbed him for a hug, which he immediately reciprocated. He was warm and comforting, and he smelled like smoke.

They pulled apart, and she smiled at him before she headed back down the dock to talk to Sokka. She knew he’d want to hear everything from her, and she steeled herself to tell the full story. Sokka, Toph, and Suki listened intently as she led them up the steps and into the living room. Aang and Zuko rejoined them for the tail end as she explained she’d stayed behind to get the house ready.

Sokka was quiet, clearly processing the new information about her and their mother. He met her eyes, and she could tell exactly what he was feeling. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. Finally, he stood and hugged her. She hugged him back, knowing exactly what he meant by it.

As soon as they separated, Toph punched her in the arm and grinned at her. “I’m proud of you, Sugar Queen,” she announced. Katara was surprised by how nice that felt.

“Thanks, Toph.”

“I’m proud of you, too,” Suki chimed in. “And thank you for cleaning up for us, that’s very kind.”

Katara noticed Zuko elbow Aang at that. “Yeah, thank you, Katara,” Aang added.

“It’s okay,” Katara assured them, “I wanted to do it.” She ignored the face Zuko made at that. “Let’s decide on bedrooms, next. There’s enough for everyone to have their own.”

The solemn mood lifted a bit at that. “I want the biggest one!” Aang called out immediately.

Toph was indignant. “Hey, no fair Twinkletoes! I can’t even see them right now ‘cause of the stupid wood floors!”

“The biggest one was Fire Lord Ozai’s,” Katara reminded them, giving the pair pause. “Zuko’s going to have that one.” She was glad Zuko had foreseen the argument and awkward situation, she really did not want to mediate any arguments.

“Oh. Yeah, that’s probably best,” Aang acquiesced.

“I call second biggest then!” Toph shouted, causing Aang to start an argument about the rules of calling dibs and how they transferred.

“It doesn’t matter,” interrupted Zuko, “that one’s my mother’s, and I already told Katara she can have it.”

Aang looked suspicious at that, his eyes darting between the two of them. “Why’d you do that?”

“It has the best view of the water,” Zuko answered coolly, and Aang looked a little relieved. “Katara does a lot for us. She’s the reason the rooms are ready. She deserves the best one. Besides, she was here first.”

“Let’s let Zuko decide who gets which room. We’re guests in his house,” Katara suggested, touched by Zuko’s words. The others accepted, reluctantly, and turned to Zuko for his ruling.

“You can have my old room, Aang. “It’s the one next to Katara’s. It should work for you, I was about your age last time I stayed there.”

Aang bristled at that. “Is it the third biggest?”

“All the bedrooms besides mine and Katara’s are the same size,” he clarified, amused.

“Okay, fine,” Aang agreed, “I’ll take that one.”

Zuko surveyed the three people who remained unassigned. “Toph, you take the one by the stairs, since it’s easiest to find. That’s the guest room my uncle usually used. Suki can have Azula’s old room, and Sokka can have the corner guest room. Lu Ten stayed in that one most often.”

All three agreed to his assignments, and headed upstairs to investigate. Katara turned back to Zuko and smiled. “It’s good to see everyone again. I’m going to go start on dinner.”

“I’ll help,” Zuko announced quickly, and, before she could protest, added, “you’ll need a firebender to light everything, anyway.”

She couldn’t argue with that. But surprisingly, Katara really appreciated having Zuko’s help cooking. His firebending helped everything cook quickly and evenly, and his extra set of hands made all the preparation go faster. They used up the last of the food they’d brought from the Air Temple, and agreed to head to the market in town the next day.

The food was soon ready, and Katara called everyone to eat in the dining room. Dinner was quiet, everyone still taking in the new living situation. They only spoke when Zuko began to explain his plan for a training and sparring schedule. Everyone agreed to it, with a few adjustments, and finished their meal happily.

Suki stood when she was done, bringing her dish to the kitchen. “Thank you guys for cooking. We really missed having someone good at it while you were gone."

“You’re welcome,” Katara smiled as she stood and began to collect everyone else’s plates. “Now everyone shoo and get some rest.”

There were no arguments. Her friends were exhausted, and happy to go right to bed. Zuko, however, did not follow them. Instead, he followed her back into the kitchen as she began washing up. “Seriously, Katara,” he murmured, “you don’t have to do everything yourself. Let me help, please.”

Katara sighed, turning toward him with a plate still in her hands. “Yes, I do. You don’t get it, Zuko. I take care of everyone. That’s what I do.”

“Well, let me take care of you,” he counters, and suddenly her chest feels tight. Her heart burns, and she feels tears threatening to well up in her eyes.

How could he just cut to her core like that? The boy she’d once considered her nemesis was gazing at her with soft and kind eyes that saw right through her. She couldn’t understand it. The way Zuko just seemed to get her. He understood exactly how she thought and felt to a degree that almost scared her. No one in her life had ever been able to do that, and few had even tried. Zuko was so… she couldn’t even put words to the rush of affection for him she felt coursing through her veins. He put such care and attention into everything he did, from the piggybacks he’d give Toph to the precise firebending lessons he prepared for Aang. The practice matches in sword fighting he never let Sokka win, and the encouragement and advice he gave as her brother improved. The respect he paid to Suki, and his remorse for burning her village down. She’d always noticed it, even though she’d tried to ignore it. No wonder everyone loved him. She did too.

She loved him. Under all the bitterness, hatred, and anger she held toward the Fire Nation and the prince who represented it, she’d been falling in love with him this whole time. Every time he’d appeared in her dreams she’d called nightmares, every time he’d caused that funny feeling in her stomach she’d called anger, the deep and fierce sadness and hatred she’d felt for Ozai when Zuko told her about their Agni Kai, it was all the love her heart had secretly been forming without her permission.

Spirits, she was in trouble. She blinked, clearing her throat and looking away from Zuko quickly. “Fine,” she choked out, “you can dry the dishes and put them away.”

He seemed satisfied with that, and she refused to look at him as they worked, focusing intently on the dishes and water before her. As soon as they finished, she squeaked out a “thank you” and rushed upstairs. She needed to sleep. She was exhausted, she could deal with this in the morning.

As she pulled off her shirt to change into a nightgown she’d found in the closet earlier, she once again caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. There was an odd black mark on her chest. She frowned and walked closer to see it clearly.

Oh, spirits help her. Katara looked down at her chest and back up at the mirror, rubbing at the mark with her fingers in hopes it would come off. She knew it wouldn’t. Squinting at her reflection, she deciphered the characters slowly, flipping them in her head. She recognized Zuko’s handwriting. She had a soulmark. This love she’d recently discovered wasn’t just for Zuko her friend, it was for Zuko her soulmate.

This was not good.

Chapter Text

Zuko had always known that his parents weren’t soulmates. It wasn’t strange to him, as arranged marriages were common among Fire Nation nobility. He had always wondered why they had been matched, as his mother was not noble by birth, but learning from his uncle that Ursa was chosen for Ozai due to her ancestry had certainly explained some things.

He also knew, though, that his uncle had fought fiercely to be able to marry his soulmate. Iroh had met Suna when he was a child, as she was the daughter of his firebending master. Their marks had appeared when they were teenagers, and that had been it for Iroh. Azulon had tried to present him with more politically advantageous matches, but Iroh had refused to entertain the idea of marrying anyone else. Eventually, Azulon had to give in. The people loved it, their future Fire Lord marrying a common girl because she was his soulmate. It was romantic, and endeared Iroh to his future subjects. Their wedding was celebrated for days all across the Fire Nation. Everyone loved the romance of Iroh and Suna, none more so than Iroh himself. Zuko had heard the story of Iroh receiving his mark so many times, he could hear his uncle’s voice recounting the tale.

“Nephew, I was so embarrassed! I was trying a new firebending form, and I tripped over my own feet right in front of her! Do you know what she did, Prince Zuko? She laughed! I told her “You don’t have to rub it in!” But she looked right at me, and said “Come on, try again!” That was when I knew, and she did, too. I was not wearing any shirt, and she saw the mark appear above my chest. She pulled back the neck of her dress to see her own fresh mark, and we were overjoyed.”

His uncle could talk for days on end about his wife. Zuko had never known his Aunt Suna, as she had died only days after giving birth to Lu Ten, but he certainly felt like he did after three years in exile with his uncle. He heard stories of her all the time, and had seen the ashen soulmark that remained above Iroh’s heart. Once, he had hated hearing the stories. They rubbed salt in the wound, as at the time he had been certain he would never find a soulmate of his own. But now, he would give anything to speak to his uncle again. Zuko wanted to hear the stories, and to get his uncle’s advice.

His current situation was extremely delicate, and while Uncle Iroh would probably have excellent advice on how to handle it, Zuko was flying blind. All he knew was that he had to do everything in his power to keep any of his friends from seeing the words on his chest, which meant keeping his shirt on around them at all times. Even around Toph, just to be safe. Though, she probably already knew something was going on with him. He knew she could detect his heart rate, and he also knew his heart went crazy every time he was around Katara. He kept the ties on his shirts triple knotted, and locked the door to his bedroom every night. He washed himself and his clothes in the hot springs first thing in the morning, before anyone else was awake. And he absolutely never took any layers off for training.

He could tell it confused Aang, who always took his own shirt off for firebending.

“It’s so hot, Zuko, how are you wearing so many layers?” the Avatar would ask, and Zuko would lie through his teeth about being used to the heat.

He wouldn’t join in when everyone else went swimming. He avoided ever being alone with Toph. And he tried his absolute hardest to minimize his longing glances at Katara. That was probably the most difficult part.

Because spirits she was beautiful. The first time he saw her in her Fire Nation clothing on the dock, he’d done a double take. Seeing her exposed skin in the colors of his nation, which complimented the brown of her skin and hair so nicely, had been a shock to his system. And now, every time he watched her move as she practiced her bending, he felt like he was going to faint. Every time the lush curls of her hair fell into her face, he had to force himself not to stare as she tucked them back into place. He had already struggled with not staring at her back at the Air Temple, but now it was ten times worse. He was in love with her, and there was no denying it. It was spelled out on his chest as a permanent reminder. As if he’d ever need one. Being in love with Katara was an experience no one could forget.

And his love for her wasn’t really the biggest problem, the problem was that there was no way she returned his affection. She’d only forgiven him a few days ago, and she had really hated him before that. They had certainly fallen into a friendship and routine easily, but that didn’t mean she genuinely cared for him the way he cared for her.

Plus, there was the Aang problem. He had figured out that Aang had a crush on her months ago, at about the same time he’d learned her name. He’d also figured out that she did not return his feelings. But Katara was extremely important to Aang, and Zuko had no idea how the Avatar would react if he found out his newest friend was hopelessly in love with his crush. Even without the soulmate detail. It would upset the delicate balance of the friend group, and of Aang’s emotions. It wasn’t worth risking, especially when they only had eight weeks to prepare for Sozin’s Comet. That was about as far ahead as Zuko was capable of thinking. Aang would defeat his father, his uncle would take the throne, and Zuko could figure everything else out then.

Until then, though, Zuko could certainly enjoy the little things. Everytime he sparred with Katara, he had a wide smile on his face as they exchanged blows. They were evenly matched, and he loved watching her move and show off her skills. It took twice the effort not to be distracted and actually fight back. He almost preferred when he could watch her train Aang or spar with the others, passing off his staring as studying her technique.

His favorite moments were their alone time, though. Zuko always cooked meals with her, and split the load of the required clean up. He treasured that time spent alone with her, when she would entrust him with her honest thoughts. She’d explained that at the South Pole, cooking was usually communal, and social. Now that she had him in the kitchen with her, the habit was returning. He’d assured her multiple times that he didn’t mind. Truthfully, he just loved to hear her voice. Whenever they were together in the kitchen, he would listen carefully as she delved into her frustrations and anxieties. He was honored to be her confidant, and tried his best to assuage her fears. He assured her that Aang was progressing quickly in his firebending, and that Fire Nation tacticians would not be planning on dealing with a fully realized Avatar.

“My father thinks I’m a failure,” he explained. “He was confident that I’d be an incompetent teacher for Aang. Azula thinks the same. We have the element of surprise on our side with his firebending.”

She’d bite her lip and scrunch her nose, but she wouldn’t argue. That was the case with most of her worries, and his responses.

It was also during this time that he elected not to tell her about his father’s plan to burn down the Earth Kingdom. She definitely didn’t need the extra stress when they already had the comet as a ticking clock. It didn’t feel good lying to her, but Katara already had so much on her plate it was a miracle she was still balancing it.

At one point, she’d finally explained to him the extent of the responsibilities she’d taken on in her village after her mother died, and especially after her father left. He kept it contained, but he often felt himself growing angry on her account. It was no wonder she was like this now, she’d convinced herself that she had to run an entire tribe when she was ten. “It’s really not so bad,” she would always assure him, but it was hard to believe that when he listened to her. He wished all their friends appreciated her as much as he did. He knew Suki did, at least, as she always thanked Katara unprompted, and often nudged Sokka to do the same. She consistently offered help with the chores as well, but Katara always denied it. She often gave the excuse that Zuko was already going to help her, which always gave him a bump of satisfaction, though he knew it was ridiculous.

He always tried to convince Katara that he could take on some of the jobs himself, but she insisted that she had to do them. He learned not to push so hard, but with Suki’s help, he did manage to condition the others into thanking her more often.

His biggest victory had come today, when he convinced her to let Sokka and Suki handle a trip into town for some fresh fruit and meat. Zuko and Katara had gone to the market on their first full day on the island to stock up all the main supplies they’d need for their stay, but weekly trips were still needed for fresh ingredients. As much as he’d loved the alone time with her in town (where he could almost imagine that they were a young couple on a vacation together), he vastly preferred when he could convince her to lighten her load. And today, instead of worrying about everyone else, she could relax with him in the courtyard and practice her bending. They were completely alone, as Aang and Toph were down on the beach practicing sandbending.

Zuko’s dwelling on his uncle’s wisdom had reminded him that many of the Dragon of the West’s firebending moves had come from studying benders of other elements. So, he’d suggested to Katara that they try to study each other’s bending forms and adapt them to their own elements. She’d agreed enthusiastically, and now they stood opposite each other as he demonstrated a few basic firebending forms. Katara watched him intently, and he tried not to let it affect his concentration.

At one point, when he went through a move that sent out an arc of fire, she stopped him.

“I see firebenders do that a lot,” she explained, “usually as a defense. Like you did in that village when your uncle was hurt.”

“You don’t have to remind me,” Zuko winced, dropping his face into his palm.

Katara laughed. “I know, but your reactions are so cute when I do!”

It took Zuko a moment to process her calling him cute, and he quickly raised his head again to give her a wide eyed stare. Katara didn’t seem to notice it, though, as she focused on calling water from the fountain and quickly dispersing it in a sharp wave, mimicking his form. She picked it up quickly, and he was impressed at her accuracy.

“Hey, that was pretty good! How was my form?” she asked, and he smiled.

“Really good. But start with your elbow tucked in further. Your hand should almost be resting on your opposite shoulder. You also have to be really quick in your swing, and you’ll get a longer one if you angle your hips back to start.”

She tried again, much closer this time. “Like that?”

“Almost. Here,” and without thinking, he made his way behind her and reached around to adjust her form, positioning her arms, and taking hold of her waist to angle her properly. He kept his touch light, but he still felt a spark of electricity when he touched her bare stomach. “Now try,” he mumbled, stepping back and flexing his hands to try to erase the feeling of her skin. This time, she did it perfectly. “You’ve got it!” he congratulated, trying desperately to return to reality.

“Thanks, Zuko!” she grinned, turning back to face him. “Now it’s my turn to show you some waterbending moves.”

They continued back and forth, getting used to each other's touch as they corrected and guided each other through forms. Zuko felt his soulmark tingle as he watched how she moved, and how she celebrated when she nailed down a new form. He had grown used to it, though. Now it was only a slightly cruel reminder that he was hopelessly in love with a girl who was way out of his league.

At one point, though, they both underestimated her range when she attempted to carry out a form with ice instead of regular water to make it offensive. Though he had positioned himself off to her side for safety, two stray ice daggers still struck him right over his heart with enough force to knock him on his back. “Ironic,” he thought as he processed the hit and caught his breath. “She always gets my heart.”

Katara was kneeling at his side in a moment, apologizing profusely and fussing over him.

“It’s fine, Katara, I’m fine, don’t worry,” he assured her, as sat up and reached to pull the two points from his skin. “They mostly just ripped my clothes. It doesn’t even hurt. I was just surprised.”

But removing the ice revealed that he was bleeding. It really was minor, just a bad scratch, but that didn’t stop Katara. “Oh, spirits!” she exclaimed, and immediately pulled water from the fountain to coat one hand as she reached the other to pull back his shirt.

“Katara, wait!” he yelped as he tried to stop her, but he was too late. She yanked the fabric away and pressed her hand to his chest, quickly knitting his wound closed with ease. But as she pulled her hand away to inspect her work, her eyes widened. He could tell she’d finally noticed the black sentence her hand had previously covered, and his breath caught in his throat.

Her hand hovered for a minute over his chest before she reached out a finger to trace the words. “It’s not a mark of shame, it’s a mark of courage,” she read aloud slowly, still staring wide-eyed at the words. “Zuko…” she whispered, trailing off for a moment before suddenly meeting his eyes. “That’s my handwriting. I said that to you.”

“I’m sorry, Katara. I know you don’t- This doesn’t have to change anything. I’m so sorry. You already have so much you’re dealing with, you don’t have to- We can totally pretend this never happened, or you can just totally ignore me and we never have to speak again. It’s completely up to you.”

“Oh, Zuko,” she laughed, tears welling in her eyes. She kept one hand resting over his heart, and reached up with the other to pull back her shirt, revealing a soulmark of her own.

Zuko’s brow furrowed as he looked back up at her. Wouldn’t she have mentioned a soulmate by now? Who on earth could it be? Looking back at her mark, though, his heart stopped. “Well, let me take care of you,” he read aloud just as she had, then paused, processing. His eyes bounced between her mark and her face rapidly as he realized what the words meant. “I said that to you. That’s my handwriting. Are you- We’re soulmates?”

“Yes, Zuko,” she laughed, releasing her shirt and moving to cup his face in her hands. “We’re soulmates.”

He broke out into a slow grin as he sat up completely and grabbed her own face in his hands, pulling her in for a kiss he’d been dreaming of for a long time. She responded in equal measure, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him flush against her. They only broke when they both needed air.

“Wow,” she giggled, “so that’s what that’s supposed to feel like.”

Zuko traced her cheek with his thumb as he snaked an arm around her and pulled her onto his lap. “Yeah, that’s definitely what that’s supposed to feel like,” he affirmed as he kissed her again. He was intoxicated by her. The feeling of her skin, the smell of her hair, the taste of her lips, it overwhelmed and enthralled him. He had dreamed of this, but his dreams didn’t even come close to reality. In that moment, Azula could have appeared with more of her firebombs and he wouldn’t have even noticed.

Katara broke the kiss after a moment, panting slightly. “We’re soulmates,” she hummed, studying his face like she was seeing him for the first time again. “I just can’t believe it.”

“I know. You’re way too good for me.”

Katara snorted and batted at his shoulder. “Don’t talk about my soulmate like that!” she scolded playfully. “I happen to think he’s pretty great.”

“Well he’s not as great as my soulmate. She’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen, and the smartest, and the kindest. I’m gonna fight to be with her, no matter what it takes.”

It occurred to him he may have gotten a little too serious a little too fast as Katara’s face fell slightly. She kissed him again lightly before pulling back, still smiling, but with an edge of worry to it.

“We should get inside, the others will be back soon.”

He nodded, concerned, and they untangled themselves to get to their feet. He was glad when she grabbed his hand quickly, as he was unwilling to lose physical contact with her. Katara led him inside, making a beeline for Zuko’s bedroom and locking the door. Once they were safely hidden away, though, she immediately seemed to relax. He sat down on his bed and she quickly joined him, sitting sideways with her legs across his lap as he immediately wrapped his arms around her waist. They sat in silence for a moment, but he was once again enthralled by the very essence of her and hardly noticed.

Katara broke the silence after a short while, her voice small. “I know when you got your mark, but how long have you…” she trailed off, but he knew what she meant.

“Well, I mean, I have eyes. The first time I saw you I was stunned that anyone could be that beautiful. Beyond that… I’m not sure. I certainly thought about you all the time, especially after Ba Sing Se. But as far as actually knowing I liked you, I think that started at the Air Temple. Sokka told me about when you pretended to be the Painted Lady, and I just had such a strong reaction. I tried to tell myself it was just because you were the only girl my age, but deep down I knew I had it bad. I cared so much about what you thought about me and how you were feeling. Then, when you said that about my scar, it just meant so much to me to have your approval. And to have you think positively of something I’ve always been ashamed of? It was everything. And I realized I’d only feel like that about someone I was in love with.”

Katara looked shocked. She opened and closed her mouth a few times before looking away from him, embarrassed. “Thank you, Zuko. No one else really understood why I did that. Became the Painted Lady, I mean. They backed me up, but they didn’t get it. I just can’t stand to see people hurting, no matter who they are. I had to help them.”

“That’s a really admirable thing, Katara. I’ve certainly always been impressed by it.”

She smiled softly, still not meeting his gaze. “Thank you. You know, the Painted Lady- the real one? She came to me after that. I’ve never told anyone about it. I was alone at the water, and she appeared from the mist and thanked me.”

Zuko nodded, thinking back on all Iroh had taught him about the spirits of his nation. “Fire Nation spirits always respect those who take action and do what’s right. Which is probably why they haven’t been seen much since the war started.”

They were both quiet for a moment, remembering the real world that was always pressing in around them. But for now, with the door locked, the real world couldn’t touch them. They were riding the high of discovering their soulbond, and that was all they needed.

“What about you?” Zuko inquired, breaking the silence. Finally, she looked back up at him.

“Honestly, I hated you. For a really long time. I’ve told you that for a while, you represented everything I was fighting against. I did notice that you looked really good without the dumb ponytail when I saw you again for the first time after the North Pole-”

“It’s called a dragontail. It’s a very old style,” he muttered, and she laughed and shushed him.

“Anyway. I still didn’t like you. I started to see the good in you in the catacombs, but, well, you know. I was very determined to hate you after that. But something changed when you got back from the Boiling Rock. Hearing the story about how you risked your life for the sake of my family, it really meant a lot to me. I was still too angry at you to really acknowledge it, but I, um, I had a dream about you that night. That was kind of the beginning of it, I guess. And then the day we got here, when you just kept insisting on caring about me, and it was like you just saw through everything, and I realized how thoughtful you are, it just hit me that you’re everything I ever dreamed of in a soulmate and I was in love with you.”

Zuko was sure he must be bright red at that point. She laughed and poked his cheek. “Now we’re even,” she continued, “I mean, I’d shout it from the rooftops if it weren’t for… well, you know.”

“Yeah, I know.” He sighed and squeezed her hand.

Katara leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed in turn. “My parents were perfect for each other. When I was a kid, I was so excited to have that kind of love with my soulmate. But after she died, I was terrified of it. I saw how much it broke my dad to lose her, and I never wanted to go through that. I didn’t want to find him- you, until the war was over at the very least, and before we found Aang I wasn’t sure that would ever happen. Now that I know, now that I’ve found you, I’m still scared. But I’m mostly just excited. Before, I didn’t know why anyone would risk that pain, but now I get it. It’s worth it, this feeling.”

Zuko squeezed Katara tightly against his chest. “You won’t have to feel that pain. Not for a long, long time.” He knew full well that such a claim was impossible to make, but he didn’t care. He was determined to make sure Katara never had to feel that sort of hurt.

They were both quiet for a moment, until Katara spoke again. “Are your parents soulmates?” she asked softly, and he sighed.

“No, they were an arranged marriage,” he explained. “It’s not very common for Fire Nation nobles to marry their soulmates, you’re usually promised to someone as a child, then betrothed as a teenager. Even if you end up finding your soulmate, you still have to marry your betrothed. Sometimes people have affairs, but it’s not really discussed. Not anywhere I was allowed to be, anyway.”

Katara pulled back slightly to look at him. Zuko could see gears turning in her head regarding their newfound soulbond and his potential future in the royal family, and quickly changed the subject. “Uncle was able to marry his soulmate, though. Azulon was very focused on finding my mother, but he always intended to match her with my father since she was a commoner. He hadn’t gotten around to finding a noble match for Uncle when he met his soulmate, and he demanded to marry her. He wouldn’t take no for an answer. I never met her, but I knew how much he loved her. Between his stories about her and my mother’s bedtime scrolls, I’ve always been really excited to find my soulmate. But after my banishment, I started to believe no one would ever love me like that.”

“Well,” Katara smiled softly, “I do.”

“And I still can hardly believe it. I’m the luckiest guy in the world.” Zuko leaned in and kissed her gently. She reciprocated easily, but after a moment she pulled back with anxiety in her eyes.

“No one can know about this,” Katara insisted suddenly. “We have to act like nothing’s changed around the others. Everyone has to be focused right now.”

Zuko frowned. He knew that, but he still felt a little hurt by how strongly she insisted on it. “I know that, Katara. You don’t have to say it like that.”

Her face softened quickly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound so harsh. I’m just realizing how hard it will be to hide. I mean, I don’t want to let go of you at all, but with how they’d all react…”

“Hey, listen to me,” Zuko interrupted, cupping her cheek. “We don’t have to hide it when we’re alone, and we’re alone all the time. It’ll be hard, but we can do it. And once we defeat my father and my Uncle becomes the Fire Lord, he’ll be sure to let me court you officially. We’ll explain it to everyone then.”

At that, the tension seemed to melt out of her body like he’d held a flame to it. “Okay,” she agreed, “we can do that.” She placed another soft kiss on his lips before pulling back with a smile.

He moved to return her kiss, but they both froze when they heard the front door open below them. Making eye contact, they both sighed. Their reprieve was officially over.

Katara gave him one last peck before rising to head downstairs. “Wait a minute before you follow me,” she instructed before turning and walking out the door, and Zuko did just that.

He stood for a moment at the top of the stairs, listening to her ask about the market before moving to join the group.

Zuko stopped on the landing, seeing that Sokka and Suki had returned hand in hand and carrying shopping bags. Toph and Aang had come back inside as well, and both were sniffing around the bags. “Did you get everything on the list?” Zuko added. “Katara worked really hard on it.”

“Of course we did,” Sokka answered proudly. “And a few extras.”

The nature of those extras was revealed when Aang pulled out a package to inspect. “Zuko, what are fire flakes?” he asked, squinting at the handwritten label.

“A bad idea for you guys,” Zuko responded, grabbing the package and the bag in Sokka’s hands as Katara took the one in Suki’s. “People in Fire Nation put them in our food to make it extra spicy. I’ve had food from the other nations. This amount of spice might kill all of you.”

Sokka puffed out his chest and wrapped an arm around a giggling Suki. “Try me!” he challenged, and Zuko held back a smile at Katara’s eye roll as he followed her into the kitchen.

They made their way to their usual spots and set to work, neither speaking except to discuss the task at hand. When the time came, Zuko put two pinches of fire flakes in his dish, and a half pinch in Sokka’s. He couldn’t say he hadn’t missed Fire Nation spice. Katara watched him measure it out, and raised an eyebrow when he met her gaze before turning towards the dining room.

“Dinner’s ready!” she called as they laid out the plates of food. Their friends appeared almost immediately and took their usual seats around the table. Sokka immediately began to dig into his dish, but spit it out quickly in favor of guzzling his water.

Katara burst out laughing, and Zuko was glad his smile at the sound of it could be passed off as a reaction to Sokka’s outburst as everyone else joined in her laughter. “Sokka,” she choked out, “Zuko barely put any flakes on your plate! I watched him put more than triple that in his food.”

“Are you going to admit that I was right?” Zuko taunted, and Sokka glared at him.

“No, actually, this is really tasty,” he responded through gritted teeth before lifting another trembling bite to his mouth. Everyone quickly realized the Sokka was going to force himself to eat it all to prove a point, and they returned to their own meals with latent giggles. Katara discreetly slipped her free hand under the table to reach Zuko’s, and he intertwined their fingers, resting them on her knee. They continued in an easy quiet, aside from Sokka’s heavy breathing, until Suki looked up and squinted at Zuko.

“What happened to your shirt, Zuko?” she asked, and he looked down quickly. He’d completely forgotten about the tear the ice had made, and for a moment he was terrified that Suki was looking right through to his soulmark. Thankfully, the holes were small and in the wrong position. A tiny bit of his pale skin could be seen, but nothing incriminating.

“Oh, I forgot about that,” Katara winced. “We had a sparring mishap today,” she said quickly, answering Suki’s question before turning back to Zuko. “Bring it by my room tonight before bed and I’ll mend it for the morning.”

“Thanks, Katara,” he smiled, and they both ignored the envy on Aang’s face.

After dinner, they followed their usual routine washing up together, then staggered their goodnights. Zuko made a show of knocking on her door and handing her the torn clothing before returning to his room, carefully hiding his soulmark from the potential snooping eyes of the other doors in the hallway. He returned to his own room, locked the door, and changed into his sleep pants, then waited for Toph’s snores to fill the silence. When he was sure she was out, he tapped lightly on the door that connected his room to Katara’s. She opened it quickly, dressed in a light and airy nightgown that showed off her soulmark. They just stared for a moment, mostly at each other’s soulmarks, before Katara stepped back and let him in. Neither of them spoke a word.

Zuko had heard about how attached soulmates often became after learning of the bond, and now he could absolutely attest to it. At that moment, what he wanted more than anything was just to be in the same room as Katara. He sat on the end of her bed and stared at her as she worked. She didn’t seem to mind, as she sat at the vanity and mended his shirt with a soft smile, occasionally glancing up to meet his eye in the mirror. He took the opportunity to study her as she worked, noting every detail of her process and how lovely she looked doing it.

“I’d like to learn how to do that myself one day,” he murmured as she knotted her last few stitches.

“Why? I’m sure you’ll always have someone else around who can do it.” Her voice was just as low. They were both very aware that Aang was asleep on just the other side of the wall.

“It seems like a good skill to have. And it’s impressive. Every time you mend something, I can’t even tell it had a hole.”

“Thank you,” she smiled as she cut her last thread and handed the bundle back to him. “My mother was even better than I am. She taught me. Maybe I’ll teach you.”

“I’d like that.”

They remained like that, her sitting and him standing with the bundle in his hands.

“I wish we didn’t have to hide,” he sighed. “I’m so proud that you’re my soulmate.”

“I know, but they just can’t find out. I mean, Sokka would be so insufferable. So would Toph. And it would destroy Aang. He thinks he’s in love with me. He’s just waiting for the soulmarks. Sometimes he says these things, and I think he’s purposely trying to give me a good soulmark.”

Zuko snorted, and they both paused for a moment to listen for any reactions before he continued. “He’s twelve. He’s not in love with anyone.”

Katara fixed him with an unimpressed glare. “Well, I know that, but he doesn’t. And I can’t tell him no. Not now. It would break him. I try not to lead him on, but I know he thinks I like him back. He’s kissed me before, but I’ve just refused to bring it up.”

“You’ve kissed him? Is that who you meant earlier? Aang?”

“No!” she hissed, then stopped. “Well, maybe a little, but I knew it was bad with him. And I did not kiss him. He kissed me. I never kissed back, just stood there. I was talking about Jet before. He was my first kiss.”

Zuko quickly pressed his hand to his mouth to cover his laugh, dropping the bundle. Katara stood and swatted at his arm, indignant. “Listen, he was one of the first boys I ever met that wasn’t related to me! And he was very charming before I found out he was… well, you met him. He died a hero, but there was a lot of bad stuff in between.”

The reminder of Jet’s fate sobered him up quickly. “Ok, fine. You’ve met my first kiss, too. I guess I can’t judge.”

“The knife girl? Mai?”

“Yeah. She was one of my sister’s friends, and I think we were promised. If I hadn’t been banished, we’d probably be betrothed right now.”

Katara frowned. They were quiet again. Zuko stooped down to pick up the clothes he’d dropped, knowing he should return to his room but finding his feet glued to the floor.

“I don’t want to leave you,” he whispered. “I know I said we have tons of alone time but it still doesn’t feel like enough. I don’t want to say goodbye.” Katara wrapped her arms around herself and bit her lip, a sure sign she was nervous or anxious.

“Would you like to spend the night?” she asked, her voice tiny. “So we don’t have to?”

“Yes, please,” he whispered back, trying to not sound too eager. He turned around quickly to put his clothes away and extinguish the light in his room.

When he returned, she’d pulled back the covers, but was still standing beside the bed. He extinguished the light, and they both climbed in and lay flat on their backs, completely aware of the sudden awkwardness of the situation. But Katara reached out her hand to take his in the neutral ground between them, and it seemed to be comfort enough for both of them to fall asleep quickly.

In the morning, when the first light of the rising sun woke him, Zuko found her wrapped in his arms and sleeping peacefully. Carefully extracting himself, he tried to ignore the pang in his heart when she let out a small groan and bundled herself into the covers at the loss of warmth. As much as it pained him to leave her, he kissed her forehead before slipping back through the door to his own room to get dressed and leave to meditate. He suspected this would probably become his morning routine, and he found the only thing he disliked about it was that he had to leave her. But he did.

They had a secret to keep, and a war to end.

Chapter Text

When Katara opened her eyes, she thought that the previous night had been another one of her soulmate dreams. She could feel that her bed was empty, and everything she remembered felt far too good to be true. But when she rolled over to face the center of the bed, allowing her arms to fall across it, she felt how warm the sheets still were and saw the indentation of another head on the pillow.

It wasn’t a dream. Zuko was her soulmate. She was Zuko’s soulmate. She and Zuko were soulmates. As it all clicked into place, Katara sat straight up, still staring at the side of the bed Zuko had occupied the night before. Her lips spread into an uncontrollable grin, and she pumped her fist enthusiastically before throwing off her covers to start the day, her whole body lighter than air. She floated to the mirror to inspect her soulmark, still beaming. Discovering a bond didn’t make your mark look any different. Everyone knew that. But as she squinted at Zuko’s neat handwriting over her heart, she was fairly sure that it was darker now. The whole mark seemed brand new.

After all, the first time she’d woken up and rushed to check the mark in the mirror, she’d been filled with dread and anxiety. That entire morning, she’d occupied herself by creating a list of all the reasons her situation was disastrous. First, Aang could not find out that she was in love with Zuko, much less that he was her soulmate. Second, she was pretty sure Zuko already had a girlfriend. Third, Sokka would freak out. Fourth, she was fighting a war and had no time for a soulmate. Fifth, Zuko was fighting that same war, and her fear of losing a soulmate could now very easily come true. Her list went on and on, but now it felt a lot less pressing. She knew that was ridiculous. Her worries were still just as real as they were the day she came up with them.

But she and Zuko were each other’s soulmates. She knew for sure that she loved him, and he loved her back. She knew how it felt to kiss him. They had a plan. Everything was going to be okay. At least for now, in the perfect bubble that was Ember Island. Now, she could finally feel nothing but happiness as she gazed at her soulmark, tracing it with her fingers. If she could show it off to the whole wide world, she would. But unfortunately, she couldn’t.

Instead, she took great care in looping her sarashi wraps over her left shoulder, making sure they completely covered her beautiful, beautiful mark.

When they’d first come to the Fire Nation, she’d stopped wearing her sarashi wraps over her shoulders. It was less secure, but they looked odd under the tight and one-shouldered Fire Nation style top she’d snatched off a clothesline. Even after her soulmark appeared, she’d still been able to hide it under the shirt when she wore it around the beach house. She’d known that from the day it had appeared. But on a day like today, when it was her turn to train Aang and she’d be wearing only the wraps in the water, she would have to be very careful to tie them tightly. Her soulmark had to be completely covered, even while bending and sparring. Once she was satisfied, she pulled on her clothes and carefully did her hair. As silly as it was, she did want to look nice on her first official day as a discovered soulmate. Looking in the mirror one last time, she decided she was presentable, and ready to head to the kitchen.

She couldn’t hear anything downstairs, though she knew Zuko was awake. At this point, she was used to waking up early to make breakfast, but she could never make herself rise with the sun like him. And as much as she’d like being able to wake up next to him, she was glad that he’d let her sleep. She never did well when she wasn’t fully rested, and they’d certainly been up late the night before.

Stepping out of her room, Katara headed for the stairs and knocked on each bedroom door as she passed by, calling out that it was time to wake up. When she reached the ground floor, she saw Zuko sitting in the courtyard, meditating. For a moment, she couldn’t help but stop to admire him. His hair was still wet and his clothes were rumpled, but he looked peaceful. His shoulders rose and fell steadily in tune with the fire cupped in his hands, and his face was relaxed and even, a rare sight when the others were awake. Keeping an ear out for the creak of a bedroom door, she slipped outside to where Zuko sat. At the sound of her footsteps, he quickly extinguished his flame and rose to his feet. Fast as lightning, Katara planted a good morning kiss on his lips and smiled.

“Hi,” she whispered.

“Hi,” he responded with a grin. “Let’s head in.”

She bent the water from his hair as she did every morning, and held back the itch to take his hand as they both made their way to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Everything seemed brand new today, even though in many ways nothing had changed. Katara had treasured having alone time with Zuko even before she knew he reciprocated her feelings. Since that night in the cave, she felt more comfortable with him than anyone else. He listened when she spoke, he gave advice when she needed it, and he was always there to lend an extra hand. And she knew that he wasn’t just treating her that way because of his feelings for her. She’d watched him be just as kind and supportive to everyone else as well. But he still seemed to just get her in such a special way. It was no wonder they were soulmates.

They set to work making porridge, keeping their voices low and listening for their friends. She snuck a few more kisses as they went, mostly to see how he’d turn a darker shade of pink each time.

“I would’ve stayed, if I could,” he murmured at one point while she stirred the pot he was warming. “But sometimes Aang wakes up with the sun, too, and comes looking for me.”

“I know,” she smiled. “There are rules we have to play by for now. But we can still make it work.”

Zuko opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a door upstairs swinging open and Sokka and Suki coming downstairs. Katara raised her eyebrows and set down her stirring spoon, while Zuko sighed and stepped back from the stove. Their alone time had come to an end.

“Smells great, Katara,” Sokka announced, poking his head in eagerly.

“Yeah, thank you guys,” Suki added, as she moved to stand beside him. Sokka wrapped an arm around her waist easily, and Katara tried to ignore her jealousy of how casual they could be.

“You’re welcome,” Zuko responded, draping a stiff arm across Katara’s shoulders. She realized she was glowering slightly and quickly put on a smile. Despite her efforts, Suki clearly noticed.

“The food will be ready soon, why don’t you go get Toph and Aang?” Katara suggested in an attempt to buy a few more precious moments.

Sokka shrugged and turned to head back upstairs. Suki followed, her lips curled into a small, knowing smirk.

“Suki’s gonna be a problem,” Katara whispered as she grabbed bowls from the cupboard and began portioning out the porridge. Zuko stood beside her, slicing mango to top off each serving.

“Oh, she already knew I had a crush on you,” he admitted. “She figured it out when I was asking her to help take some stuff off your plate. I denied it. But I was pretty obvious.”

Katara cursed. “Between her and Toph, this is going to be harder than I thought.” At Zuko’s slightly guilty look, though, she quickly clarified. “It’s worth it though, Zuko. It all is.”

He smiled. Then Aang came barreling down the stairs, and their day began for real.

After breakfast, it was time for training. Katara politely waved as Toph dragged Zuko off toward the market, then led Aang down the steps to the beach. She was extremely careful slipping off her clothes and folding them up, doubling checking her wraps once again for tightness.

“Okay, Aang,” she said with a clap of her hands, “let’s warm up with the basics first, then we can spar and I’ll see where you need some work.”

Aang was a good waterbender. Katara knew that. But that didn’t stop her from worrying about him in his upcoming battle with the Fire Lord. She was terrified of losing him again, both as the Avatar and as her friend. They didn’t have the hard deadline of the comet anymore, but a confrontation couldn’t be held off for long. And she still wasn’t confident that Ozai wouldn’t do something terrible with all that power, she just didn’t know what it could possibly be now that Ba Sing Se had fallen. Even aside from Aang’s feelings about violence and killing, she was worried that bending his non-native elements would be a major hurdle. Especially since he still couldn’t access the Avatar state. He wasn’t a master waterbender, or earthbender, and he definitely wasn’t a master firebender.

But Katara was a master, and it was her job to make Aang one, too. So she encouraged him to fight, hit her with his best and keep getting better. He could certainly hold his own against her, but it was still rare for him to beat her. She suspected he was holding back, scared of hurting her. It frustrated her to no end.

Today, at the very least, he was hitting with a decent amount of force, striking hard and fast and keeping her on her toes. At one point he even managed to knock her off her feet with a blow to the chest, but it loosened her sarashi wraps and nearly knocked them off her shoulder.

“Wait!” she screeched, bringing up a wave between them as she caught her breath, scrambling to her feet and turning her back to Aang, dropping the wave as she desperately re-tied the wraps even tighter than before.

“Katara! Are you okay?” Aang asked desperately, trying to come closer to her. Before she could stop herself, she whipped around and sent out a wave of water with the technique Zuko had taught her the day before, knocking Aang onto his back.

“I’m fine!” she shouted. “But I have to fix my wraps! Don’t come any closer!”

Aang immediately covered his eyes with his hand as he sat up. “I’m sorry!”

She turned her back again and didn’t answer. It wasn’t actually as big a deal as she was making it out to be. The only thing in danger of showing was her soulmark, and it was still covered, the wraps had just come undone slightly. She triple knotted them this time, taking deep breaths to restore her normal heart rate before turning back to face Aang. Keeping this secret was proving difficult, and bad for her blood pressure.

Once she was sure her wraps would hold, she splashed some water at Aang with as much playfulness as she could muster, and they fell back into sparring once again.

As the sun began to slip down toward the horizon, Katara spotted an odd figure approaching over the beach’s boundary hill in the distance. For a moment, she was filled with dread, fearing that someone was coming to attack them. But as she squinted at the hill, she soon realized it was Zuko with Toph on his shoulders. Toph often claimed the healed burns on her feet were acting up, and demanded Zuko carry her whenever that happened. He would always oblige, with the same embarrassed and guilty face Katara had grown familiar with.

Katara laughed and dropped the water from her hands, stepping out of the waves and onto the sand of the beach. “Zuko and Toph are back, Aang,” she announced over her shoulder as she moved. “Let’s call it a day.” She moved quickly to bend the water from her wraps and pull her clothes back on, then to fix her hair as she ran up the beach to wait for her approaching friends. A gust of airbending mussed up her curls again as Aang landed next to her, but she ignored it as best she could. Zuko reached them after a few moments more, clearly struggling with the weight of Toph and all the parcels she was holding.

“The market here is great!” Toph announced excitedly, finally dropping down and passing a few things over to Zuko. “Way better than the ones at the other villages!”

“You didn’t scam anyone, did you?” Katara asked, keeping her tone light despite her real concern.

“No,” Toph groaned, “Zuko said we have to keep a low profile.”

“We’re already all wanted criminals, we can’t afford to make it worse,” Zuko reminded her, clearly repeating something he’d already told her more than once.

Katara giggled, and Aang interrupted to examine everything Toph had purchased. Zuko met Katara’s eye, glancing up to the house in suggestion. She nodded, and they slipped away to climb the stairs together. For a moment, they both moved to interlock their fingers before realizing they couldn’t. Instead Zuko looked straight ahead while Katara glanced at his side profile, studying the slopes of his face. She’d been thinking more and more lately about his future as Fire Nation royalty. He had that look about him, like he’d been carved from ivory. It didn’t take much for her to picture him in grand robes, posing for a portrait that would hang in every Fire Nation home.

“What did you get?” she asked finally, nodding toward the packages he’d tucked into his pockets. Zuko startled a little at that, looking back at her with a blush.

“Some dried fruit and some snacks I always got here as a kid, mostly,” he responded, not quite meeting her eyes. She was suspicious, but she let it go as they reached the front door. It was time to start on dinner, anyway, and the two headed right to the kitchen.

That night, when Zuko knocked on her door again, he was holding one of the packages.

“This is for you,” he whispered, holding it out to her. Katara was shocked, and slightly embarrassed. But she took it gently into her hands, and they both sat down on her bed as she tore the brown paper away to reveal a carved wooden box. Inside it lay a small gold loop with a matching pin slotted through it. Intricate etchings decorated the band, and one side was adorned with a gold version of the small flame emblem that many Fire Nation citizens wore. “It’s lovely,” she breathed, “but what is it?”

“It’s for a topknot,” Zuko explained. “You put the loop over your hair, then push the pin through to hold it. I wanted to get you a proper courting gift, and we usually give hairpieces in the Fire Nation. Combs, topknot loops, and things like that.”

Katara looked at him in wonder, tears welling in her eyes. “Thank you, Zuko. I can’t wait to wear it.”

He beamed, then leaned in to kiss her gently. “I’m really glad you like it.”

Katara stood and carefully placed the box on the vanity. Being able to wear the loop every day excited her greatly. She could publicly show it off in a way she couldn’t with her soulmark. Her friends wouldn’t know what it meant, but she would. And that was good enough for her.

A cool ocean breeze blew in through her open window as she turned back to face Zuko on the bed. She shivered slightly, the thin fabric of her nightgown not providing much protection from the chill.

“I’ve been away from the Poles for too long,” she complained, “I’ve gone soft.”

“I can warm you,” Zuko snickered, holding his arms out to her.

Grumbling, Katara sat back down and allowed him to pull her into him. She couldn’t help but sigh as she snuggled into the warmth of his arms, her eyelids growing heavy.

Back when Zuko and Aang went to go look for the dragons, they came back with stories of fire being energy and life. At the time, Katara had still struggled to see it as anything but the pain and destruction Jeong Jeong had described to her. But since spending more time with Zuko, she’d come to see firebending as the gift it was. Zuko’s bending could keep them warm, cook their food, and provide light in the dark. And it was energy itself, a reflection of the life of its wielder. That was why Zuko woke with the sun every morning, and why he was always so warm to the touch. His firebending was an extension of his soul, and she’d come to love it just as she loved the rest of him.

Katara began to drift off to sleep as she remained nestled in her soulmate’s embrace. She was tired, and perfectly content to stay in his arms forever. She hardly noticed as Zuko gently lifted and maneuvered her to arrange them under the covers, only registering when he pressed a kiss to her temple and bade her goodnight.

The next morning, she woke to Zuko crouching beside her, a soft smile on his face as he stroked her hair away from her face.

“Shhh, go back to sleep,” he murmured. “I just wanted to look at you for a moment longer before I leave.”

She smiled back at him, leaning up to kiss him. She intended to follow his instructions, but she still wanted to say goodbye. Just before she closed her eyes again, though, she heard a door in the hallway shut and another one open.

“Zuko!” Aang’s voice called. “Let’s- where’d you go?”

They both froze. “I unlocked the doors,” Zuko whispered, eyes wide with horror as Aang knocked on the door adjoining her room to Zuko’s.

Katara was wide awake now. “Get under the bed,” she hissed back, and he quickly did as she said. The blankets fell down far enough over the side of the bed that he would be hidden as long as Aang didn’t look too closely. Just as the door swung open, she remembered to yank some covers up, covering her soulmark.

“Katara?” Aang asked as he poked his head in, confused. He’d clearly been expecting the door to lead to a washroom or closet or something.

“Aang! What are you doing in here?” she shrieked, not at all faking her annoyance.

“Sorry! I was looking for Zuko.” He at least had the decency to look embarrassed, but then his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Why’s there a door between your room and his?”

“Because this was his mother’s room and that was his father’s! Do the math, Aang!”

She took satisfaction at the sight of his face screwing up at that. He let out a sound of disgust, then paused. “Wait, does Zuko-”

“No, Aang! He doesn’t! He has manners!” She glared at him pointedly. “Go look for him out in the hot springs, he goes there in the morning sometimes.” Aang finally got the message and shut the door, his face beet red.

Katara let out a heavy groan and dropped back onto her pillow. Zuko emerged from under the bed looking pained. He opened his mouth, then shut it again. She shooed him away.

“We’ll talk later, you’ve got to go.”

He nodded and quickly left the room. She trusted his ability to throw Aang off their scent, but she still didn’t feel much better. This big scare with Aang already had her exhausted, but she had to push through.

Clamoring out of bed, Katara pulled on her clothes and brushed her hair, pulling into her new usual style. A smile finally returned to her face when she opened the box from the night before and carefully retrieved the loop, slipping it over her topknot and pinning it in place. Looking in the mirror, her excitement from the night before returned.

She knew Aang and Zuko would likely meditate for at least an hour, so she decided to wait before starting breakfast. Instead, she grabbed the basket of laundry they’d accumulated over the past few days and made her way down to the washroom, which had a built-in water pump and wash basin for laundry. She took her time, cleaning everything thoroughly and bending it all dry once she was done. Once she finished folding, she carried it all back upstairs and set it down in her room. She’d put it all away after everyone was awake.

When Katara came back downstairs, peeking out at where Zuko and Aang were meditating, her soulmate seemed to sense her gaze. Zuko’s eyes immediately blinked open and met hers, and he turned to say something to Aang before standing and moving to where she stood inside.

“Your hair looks nice,” he remarked as he reached her. They were both very aware that Aang was following him, and in earshot.

“Thank you,” she responded with a knowing smile. “Would you mind helping me make breakfast?”

“Not at all.”

“I can help, too!” Aang announced, and Katara winced.

“The kitchen is a little small for three people, Aang. But I’d really appreciate it if you went to wake up everyone else.”

Aang was obviously unhappy about being rebuffed, but he did as she asked. Katara and Zuko got to work in the kitchen, both savoring the small bit of alone time they had left. The food was finished quickly, and their friends all trickled into the dining room to eat within a few minutes. Katara squeezed Zuko’s hand one last time before they returned to the real world.

It was Zuko’s turn to train with Aang. Sokka and Suki had wandered off into town to explore again, so Katara decided to spend her day with Toph.

“Is there anything in particular you’d like to do today?” she asked. Toph shook her head.

“I think I’d just like to sit out in the back. Get an idea of Aang’s firebending skills, and Sparky’s, too.”

Katara prayed her heart hadn’t skipped a beat at that. “Alright. I wouldn’t mind a rest day.”

She tried not to stare too much as she and Toph arranged themselves in a shady spot at the edge of the courtyard. Aang had long shed his shirt, while Zuko kept his tied tightly. She knew it confused everyone that Zuko refused to remove it while instructing Aang, but she knew the truth. She smiled to herself. Their secret gave them plenty of stress, but it was still a great source of joy for her.

As the sun rose higher in the sky, its light struck the gold details adorning the roof of the house and made them glow. It was immediately eye-catching, and Katara was reminded of just who commissioned the house.

“It still feels so weird to be hiding from the Fire Lord in his own house,” she remarked, speaking mostly to herself.

“My father hasn’t come here since our family was actually happy,” Zuko snorted as he wiped sweat from his brow with a towel. “And that was a long time ago. This is the last place anyone would ever think to look for us.”

She knew that. Zuko had assured her of it from the beginning. But it still felt strange. Before she could respond, though, they were interrupted by Sokka running in with news, Suki hot on his heels.

“You guys are not gonna believe this!” he shouted. “There’s a play about us!”

“We were just in town and we found this poster!” Suki added as Sokka unfurled it to show to them.

Katara’s stomach dropped. She didn’t see how that could be a good thing, not in the Fire Nation. “How is that possible?” she asked as she hurried over to inspect the details of the advertisement.

“Listen to this!” Sokka exclaimed, flipping the poster to read it aloud. “The Boy In The Iceberg is a new production from acclaimed playwright Puan Tin, who scoured the globe gathering information on the Avatar from the icy South Pole to the heart of Ba Sing Se. His sources include singing nomads, pirates, prisoners of war, and a surprisingly knowledgeable merchant of cabbage.”

“Brought to you by the critically acclaimed Ember Island Players,” Suki finished.

Zuko groaned, attracting everyone’s attention. “My mother used to take us to see them. They butchered Love Amongst The Dragons every year.”

Katara made a mental note to ask more about that later, then turned back to her brother. “Sokka, do you really think it’s a good idea for us to attend a play about ourselves?” she cautioned.

“Come on! A day at the theater? This is the kind of wacky, time-wasting nonsense I’ve been missing!”

Katara couldn’t begrudge him that. She also missed when their days had been a lot more fun. “Zuko, what do you think?” she asked, turning to him. It had become her instinct at this point to seek his opinion, especially when it came to Ember Island.

“I don’t think it’ll be any good, and you’re right that it’s not a good idea anyway. Even if we sat at the back of the theater, it’s still too risky.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Katara agreed.

“Well, who put you two in charge?” Sokka complained. “I say we put it to a vote. All in favor of seeing the play?”

Katara and Zuko’s were the only hands not raised. She sighed.

Zuko expertly led them to the very back of the theater after sending Suki to purchase their tickets. Her face had been on wanted posters for the least amount of time, so she had the least chance of being recognized. They still had a decent view, but the curtains and distance between them and the other guests assured they wouldn’t be easily recognized.

He swiftly took the seat beside her when they got to their box, and she fought hard not to react when Aang tried to argue for it. Under the draping of Zuko’s cloak, she reached out to touch her fingers to his. She already knew she’d need that comfort to make it through the night.

Katara tried to focus on telling Toph what was happening, but she found it difficult to ignore how egregious her actress was. Her lines, the way she spoke, her clothes, Katara was nothing like that. And Sokka had never been as irreverent as his character was behaving. At least her brother was beginning to understand why she hadn’t wanted to come. Aang seemed to draw the same conclusion as soon as he saw that he was being played by a woman, and Zuko rolled his eyes as soon as his character spoke.

The play, unfortunately, continued. It was a poor account of everything that they’d been through, but it was based in some reality. She felt Zuko shaking with silent laughter when Fake Katara fawned over Fake Jet, and she buried her head in her hands, resisting the urge to elbow him. Most of the first act made her feel that way. She only perked up when they finally showed the group at the North Pole, hoping an intermission would be coming soon.

But when Fake Zuko fought Fake Katara she couldn’t help but think that they’d added some… strange undertones. Frankly, they’d also been there when Fake Zuko captured Fake Katara earlier. She didn’t want to bring it up, but it seemed that Zuko picked up on them too by how he stiffened. No one else seemed to notice, thankfully.

The intermission went by far too quickly for her taste, but they returned to their seats when the house lights flickered. They all decided they might as well see it through. Plus, Toph wanted to know how they portrayed her. (Annoyingly, she ended up loving it.)

The second act was even worse, in Katara’s opinion. Even more inaccurate, and much less entertaining. She found herself zoning out, until suddenly she was viciously pulled back by Fake Katara’s words to Fake Zuko beneath Ba Sing Se.

“I have to admit, Prince Zuko, I really find you attractive,” Fake Katara proclaimed, and Real Katara gaped.

“You don’t have to make fun of me!” Fake Zuko responded.

“But I mean it! I’ve had eyes for you since the day you first captured me.”

The playwright had the timing all wrong, of course, but it was right enough that the blood in Katara’s veins turned to ice. She glanced over at Zuko beside her, who looked equally shocked, and looked away quickly, purposely not making eye contact with Aang or her brother.

“Wait!” Fake Zuko interrupted. “I thought you were the Avatar’s girl!”

Fake Katara laughed. “The Avatar? Why, he’s like a little brother to me! Look, wouldn’t I have a soulmark by now if he was meant for me?” She pointed a little too close to the low cut of her costume for Katara’s taste, even aside from how ridiculous this whole conversation was. (Though, admittedly, they were right about her feelings toward Aang.) “Besides,” Fake Katara continued, “how could he ever find out about this?” The actors embraced, and Aang stood up and left angrily. Katara thought she might throw up from how badly her stomach was churning.

Sokka, thankfully, didn’t pick up on the horrific energy of the situation and asked Aang to get him some snacks. Katara calmed herself as best she could, especially when she saw how upset Zuko was getting at the play’s portrayal of him betraying his uncle.

“I know you didn’t really say that,” she whispered, trying to comfort him.

“I might as well have,” he sighed, looking away. She could tell he only felt worse as Fake Azula “killed” Fake Aang.

Another intermission came, and her friends all bickered as they filed out of their box. When she saw Aang wasn’t waiting just outside the door, she grew concerned, dread filling her stomach again. “Does anyone know where Aang is?”

“He left to get me fire gummies like ten minutes ago,” Sokka responded. “And I’m still waiting!”

Katara ignored him, announcing she was going to look for him outside as she left to investigate the balcony she’d noticed earlier. She found him there, staring out at the ocean.

“Are you alright?” she asked, cautious of his reaction to what he’d seen on stage.

“No, I’m not,” he said angrily, ripping off his hat. “I hate this play.”

“I know it’s upsetting,” she comforted, joining him at the railing, “but it seems like you’re overreacting.”

“Overreacting? If I hadn’t blocked my chakra, I’d probably be in the Avatar State right now!”

She rolled her eyes. He was only proving her point, even if he didn’t realize it. She didn’t say anything, though, knowing that Aang would continue once he calmed down.

“Katara, did you mean what you said in there?” he asked finally.

“In where? What are you talking about?”

“On stage, when you said I was just like a brother to you, and you didn’t have feelings for me.”

Katara could barely believe her ears. She knew Aang was young, but she at least thought he could tell the difference between reality and a bad play. “I didn’t say that,” she reminded him, “an actor said that.”

“But it’s true, isn’t it? We kissed at the invasion, and I thought we were gonna be together, but we’re not. The actor said that you’d have a soulmark by now if we were meant for each other. I know I’m kind of young to get my soulmark, but you’re not. And you don’t have one.”

Katara looked away. Her stomach was beginning to churn again. “Aang, I don’t know,” she said, trying to give the most neutral answer she could. She hated lying to him, but there was no way he was ready to hear the truth.

“Why don’t you know?” he pleaded.

She found herself growing annoyed. “Because we’re in the middle of a war, and we have other things to worry about. This isn’t the right time.” It wasn’t really a lie. Being in the middle of a war was why she didn’t want to discuss this with him, just not for the reasons he might think.

“Well, when is the right time?”

“Aang, I’m sorry, but right now I just can’t do this.” Again, not a lie.

Then Aang surged forward and kissed her. She was struck once again by how bad his kisses were, especially compared to Zuko’s. And then she got angry.

“I just said I can’t do this!” she shouted, then paused. “I’m going inside,” she gritted out, still not willing to have that fight yet. She stalked back into the theater, running into Zuko just as the house lights began to flicker again.

“Are you okay, Katara? Where’s Aang?”

“I’m fine,” she sighed, quickly taking his hand and squeezing it. “We can talk about it later. Let’s go.”

They made their way back to the box just as the third act began. It was still just as painful to watch, and they got just as much wrong. Aang finally returned just as the invasion began, and Katara pointedly didn’t look at him as Fake-Katara stood on top of a sub with Fake-Aang, explaining that she’d always love him as a brother. Fake-Aang responded that he wouldn’t want it any other way, and they shook hands. “If only it could be that easy,” Katara thought bitterly.

An overly dramatic reenactment of the invasion followed, with Fake-Katara keeping her hand oddly placed on her chest the entire time. Katara couldn’t understand why, until Fake Zuko appeared on stage again and she suddenly realized what was about to happen.

“I want to join you!” Fake Zuko announced to the Fake Team Avatar, and they seemed to reluctantly agree.

Fake Katara tossed her arms out to embrace him, revealing a ridiculously oversized black scribble on her chest. Everyone in the audience gasped, and Katara held back a groan.

“Well, now we have to have him!” Fake Aang said cheerily. “I’m happy to welcome my best friend’s soulmate!” They all ran off stage, then. Katara buried her head in her hands, refusing to look at anyone.

“Well, I guess that’s it,” came Sokka’s voice awkwardly, and she silently thanked the Spirits he’d been the one to break the awkward silence. “The play’s caught up to the present now.”

“Wait,” Suki interrupted, “the play’s not over.”

“But it is over, unless this is the future,” Sokka said, confused, as Fake Azula and Fake Ozai took the stage.

Katara peeked through her fingers, and watched in horror as Fake Azula killed Fake Zuko. She turned to look at him, wishing she could comfort him as he stared at the stage in horror. But it wasn’t over. They had to watch Fake Ozai kill Fake Aang, too, and listen as the entire theater gave the moment a standing ovation.

Zuko stood up quickly. “Come on, let’s go now before everyone else leaves.”

They all agreed, and left the building as quickly as they could. No one had much to say at all until they made it to the beach and Zuko broke the silence again. “That… wasn’t a good play,” he commented.

Everyone sounded their agreement, though Sokka complimented the effects. No one said anything else after that, all caught up in their own thoughts.

When Zuko snuck into Katara’s room a few hours later, she was sitting on her bed, stewing in her anxiety. He sat down and took her into his arms immediately.

“Aang is really upset,” she sighed, leaning her head against his chest. “He asked me if I felt like that actress said I did. I tried to tell him that it wasn’t the right time to talk about it. He asked when it would be, and I said I just can’t have that conversation right now. And for some reason, he thought that meant it was a good time to kiss me. I yelled at him, but I just didn’t want to have that fight so I left. Then he had to go back in and see fake me say I loved him like a brother and you’re my soulmate, and watch himself die.”

Zuko listened silently, stroking her hair as she spoke. When she finished, he spoke seriously. “He shouldn’t have kissed you. That was out of line, even if he was upset.”

“I know,” she sighed.

“I’ll talk to him tomorrow, remind him that the play wasn’t real. I won’t tell him I know about your conversation, but he’ll probably have some questions for me, anyway.”

Katara nodded, then looked up and kissed Zuko softly. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore. Let’s just go to sleep.” She stood and pulled back her covers, climbing under them and beckoning him to join her.

Her soulmate agreed, slipping in beside her and pulling her close. Thankfully, his presence calmed her mind enough to let her slip into sleep.