Chapter Text
Zuko anxiously taps his desk with a dried out brush as he stares at the blank parchment paper laid out in front of him. Since his last correspondence with his friends, he wants to keep his mind occupied while anticipating their arrival. It has been quite a long time and his mind wants to run wild at the possibilities of what could happen when they do eventually show up.
Though, there is one particular member of the gang he is nervous about seeing again.
The familiar sound of frantic footsteps rushing up to the door catches his ears. Several knocks resonate.
“Yes,” Zuko states, turning his attention to a close guard. “Have they arrived?”
“Fire Lord Zuko, your guests are here,” the guard responds.
“Very well then. Let them in.” Zuko pauses briefly before adding, “You don’t need to always add ‘Fire Lord Zuko’ with everything you say.”
“Of course, Fire Lord Zuko,” the guard says.
Zuko facepalms, his hand leaving the faintest of marks. He can deal with this another time. Slightly confused about why Fire Lord Zuko would facepalm himself, the imperial guard motions for the doors to open. The sight of his friends leaves a smile on his face, and he gestures for them to enter. Once they’re all in the throne room, he orders for all nearby guards to leave.
He notices the grimaces and reluctant expressions the guards wear on their faces, but he doesn’t care. “I will be alright,” he assures and gestures towards his friends. “After all, I am with the world’s most talented benders and fighters.” Unease seems to wash away the guards’ prior reluctance as they bow and promptly leave, shutting the door closed.
“Wow.” Sokka whistles as he begins walking around the room. “Ever thought about turning it down a notch with the red and gold? I bet some blue would look good in here.”
Zuko laughs inwardly with an amused smile as he watches the rest of the gang walking around observing the room, taking in all of the decor and furnishings. Paintings and photographs of his ancestors line the tops of the walls. Banners with the Fire Nation emblem hang from the ceiling in a long, silk fabric. A long red carpet embroidered with gold leads to the center of the giant throne. Several red pillars adorned with gold petal designs tower over them on the sides of the room.
Along with the guards, he had already dismissed all of the officials and alerted them to not bother him for the remainder of the day unless the matter is of extreme importance. This conversation will be on sensitive matters that cannot be revealed to the public—at least, not until the matter is resolved. There had been no pushback from his declaration but he does remember the inquisitive glances and nosy looks they shot his way.
Then, he sees her: Katara.
Long, dark brown hair, those cute tied-back hair loops, her bright blue eyes, and her dazzling, signature blue Southern Water Tribe regalia all wrapped in one ethereal beauty. Seeing her once again feels like he’s reliving that dream in the Fire Nation years ago before she had left. Now that she’s returned, he can sense she still has the mark of a true ambassador; though, he wonders if she can sense the mark she’s left on his heart.
Like a spark ignited since their last flame, her eyes catch his. Breathing momentarily becomes secondary as he focuses on keeping her stare. Many emotions can swirl within someone’s eyes, and in this moment, he hopes that she can’t see the ache that he has been burying for all these years.
A small smile is what he gives her. It is cordial and polite just like their relationship now. She, in return, gives him one of her radiant ones and winks before turning back to talk with Toph. He can’t be the only one who saw that, right? Left and right, he looks to see if there is another ghost of a person beside him, but to no avail. That wink is certainly meant for him.
Happiness cannot begin to describe the joyous, encompassing emotion he is experiencing right now. All he wants to do is soak in this treasured feeling and replay the memory over and over in his head. Her words from their last talk instantly come to mind and he finds this “reunion high” he is on falling off.
As much as he is overjoyed to see her, their other friends are around; it would be better to be courteous and reticent. After all, they are not here to simply exchange pleasantries and dive into spontaneous conversation, and while he would love to do that with her again, now isn’t the time.
Quietly, he sighs and forces himself to bury his feelings deeper down. He stands up and walks down the steps over to where all his friends have gathered in the middle of the room. Excited greetings and chatter fill his ears as he approaches closer. He is not so sure about how to get their attention until the solution startles him and the others. With a sneeze, the conversations all stop as they all turn their focus to him. He supposes that works.
“Thank you all for coming here on short notice,” Zuko starts. “I know it’s not frequently that I reach out to you like this, but a person really needs our help.” He turns to the curtain behind on his right hand side and beckons for someone with his hand. “You can come out. We’re in a safe place.”
In classic Water Tribe regalia, a woman steps out from behind the curtain and walks down the steps to stand beside Zuko. Katara’s eyes widen in awe immediately upon seeing the woman. Her hair is a dark brown with hair loops similar to hers, despite the rest of her hair being tied up in a neat bun. The biggest distinction Katara notices between them is their eyes, with the lady’s eyes being a shade of violet compared to her ocean blue. The woman holds herself together in a composed manner, but Katara can see through it, noticing the small beads of sweat glimmering off her forehead.
There’s no doubt in Katara’s mind that this woman is a member of the Northern Water Tribe. The characteristics are there. Katara has so many questions swirling through her brain, the most prominent of them being her reason for her appearance here, in the Fire Nation.
“Hello everyone,” the woman starts. “You may not recognize me, but I am the newly appointed member on the court council in the Northern Water Tribe. My name is Keelika. As of late, my nation has been growing, and I have been happy to see it thriving when it comes to trade, immigration, and mainly peace, particularly with the Earth Nation.” Keelika’s smile wavers. “However, as of late, there has been lots of hostility between my nation and the Earth Kingdom due to recent policies and gossip. I am sure you are all aware of how complicated it can be in these situations.”
Katara nods along with the rest of the gang. Keelika continues, “Well, to try and resolve this brewing hostility, I have been trying to find common ground for my nation and the Earth Kingdom.”
“How’s that been working out for you?” Aang asks.
“It has… been a journey.” Keelika gives a strained smile. “I was not expecting it to be easy of course, but it can be quite hard to change the minds of people.”
“How about your tribe?” Katara speaks up. “How are they helping you in all of this?”
“Well…” Keelika fidgets with her hands. “I seem to be somewhat alone in this idea of mending our relationship with the Earth Kingdom. Many of my counterparts back at the North Water Tribe are more concerned in the security and protection of our nation.”
Sokka crosses his arms. “Are they threatening to remove you?”
“They have been,” Keelika answers, “but I know they are empty threats. Calling another member a traitor is very common in these discussions. Emotions can run high after all. Although, something recently has happened that made me think otherwise.” Keelika shudders. “One night, when I was coming home from a late meeting, my house was in such disarray! All of my paintings were torn down, my furniture damaged, and a message carved into my wall. It was then that I had decided that I needed to take some sort of action. While I have my suspicions that the targeted attack was not from my tribe, I could not risk taking any chances, especially not when my life is in potential danger.”
Keelika gestures towards Zuko. “That is why I decided to flee to the Fire Nation for help. I have heard stories of what you all have done, so if you are willing, I would greatly appreciate your help.”
“You can count on us, lady!” Toph assures with a smug grin. “You are talking to the best of the very best here!”
“Yeah!” Aang agrees. “We’ll find out what this threat is and put a stop to it!”
Keelika smiles gratefully and bows her head. “Thank you all. Actually, I have another predicament to confess to. I am due to arrive for the Earth Kingdom conference in a few days, but considering my home invasion… I believe I am too fearful to go. I would prefer to avoid the possibility of another attempt on my life if you are all following what I mean.”
A cold feeling crawls up Katara’s back, and she instantly recognizes where it’s coming from. Beside her, she looks to see her brother’s eyes darting back and forth between her and the noble lady. She squints at him, elbowing him in the side. “What are you doing?” she hisses. “You’re making us look weird!”
Sokka glares at her in return, rubbing his sore side. “Excuse you! I was thinking of a brilliant plan to solve Miss Keelika’s problems.” He fully turns to the noble lady and asks, “How well are you known in the Earth Kingdom?”
“Earth Kingdom? Hm, not much,” she answers. “While I do have my reputation as a pacifist, I am a pretty reserved woman and prefer to be out of the public spotlight whenever possible, so most of the members on the council there have not met me. Typically, we exchange letters to keep one another updated about affairs.”
A devious grin stretches across Sokka’s face. “Perfect. Then my plan will work! We’ll do an undercover mission! Katara can dress up as Miss Keelika, and we’ll have Zuko be her bodyguard! That way we can hit two birds with one stone: find the threat and attend the conference in the Earth Kingdom!”
Katara’s mouth drops wide open, absolutely flabbergasted at the idea, but before she can voice her thoughts, another person beats her to the punch.
“What?!” Aang cries out. He walks over to Sokka, distraught clearly written on his face. “Why does he need to go with her?”
“Well, Miss Keelika, are you a waterbender perchance?” Sokka asks. Keelika shakes her head. “Then, we’ll need a bodyguard to protect Katara.”
Katara notices Aang’s frown has clearly not gone away. She knows it’s definitely linked to what happened between them years ago on their last outing, but she doesn’t say anything. She wishes that Aang wouldn’t stir any more fuss over this issue, hoping not to draw any unnecessary attention to Sokka’s choice of Zuko.
Suki steps in between Aang and Sokka, resting a supportive hand on her boyfriend’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Aang,” she says. “Sokka’s got a point. Since Zuko’s a firebender, it will be less suspicious for him to go than for you, as an airbender.”
Aang’s familiar pouty face reforms, and she worries that this argument will continue on, but instead, he sighs and says, “Fine.” She gives a relieved sigh as well, surprised to find that she had been holding her breath in the first place.
“Alright Snoozles,” Toph remarks. “What will we be doing if those two are playing hide n’ seek?”
Cheerfully, Sokka answers, “We’ll just be ourselves! Pretty easy enough.” He smirks proudly. “And we’ll each scout a portion of the Earth Kingdom and talk to other citizens and officials, that way we can draw attention from Zuko and Katara. No one will suspect them, since Zuko will be presumed to be at the Fire Nation while Katara’s still traveling.”
Then Sokka puts a hand on Aang’s shoulder. “Now, I have an important task for you since you’re the Avatar. Up to it?” Aang shrugs, still somewhat deflated. “Since you’re popular and well-known, we’ll have you meet with his Kingliness there.”
“Do you mean King Kuei?” Keelika speaks up, confused.
“Same thing.” Sokka brushes off as he continues, “Hiding you would be worse. If you’re found out, it would certainly create a bigger mess than if we just announced your arrival. Make sense?”
“King Kuei would go all crazy seeing Aang,” Toph mocks with a snicker, “since it’s been a long time since he’s seen him.”
“Then, it’d be great if you went with Aang,” Suki suggests. “You were born in the Earth Kingdom after all, so you know all about what to expect.”
Toph nudges her shoulder into Aang’s, jesting, “Look! Now you can be the noble lady! Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”
Aang rolls his eyes but smiles nevertheless. “What will you and Suki be doing, though?” he asks with a curious stare.
“Uh…” Sokka mutters. “Suki and I will be around. We’ll be like your guys’ messengers! Think of it like that. We’ll pass the messages you send along or if you need anything.”
“We still gotta be careful though,” Toph adds. “The last time I was there, they were making it harder to get into the Earth Kingdom.”
Sokka waves off Toph’s statement. “We’ll be fine~! With Aang and Katara’s noble lady status, there’s no way they’ll refuse us!”
Still dumbfounded, Katara stares at her brother in full astonishment. She can hardly believe he had brainstormed such an impressive, flawless plan in so little time. While she dislikes giving him more praise than he already gets from Suki, she has to admit that it is a pretty foolproof plan.
“Alright,” Katara declares with a sigh. “I’m in.”
Zuko stares at Katara in shock. He is not as surprised by Sokka’s plan but more so Katara’s agreement. From their last talk, he had been sure that she might protest at this undercover arrangement but looking at the confident, determined smile she wears now, he’s starting to think the opposite. Honestly, if there is any person he wouldn’t mind being a bodyguard for, it would certainly be her.
“Let’s get this plan in motion!” Suki declares with a fist bump into the air.
Now, in one of the Fire Nation’s spare bedrooms, the girls of the group find themselves helping Katara into the Northern Water Tribe regalia. In place of the regalia, Keelika wears a Fire Nation dress becoming of a noble lady with gold and red, enriching her elegant appearance.
Katara sits on a cushioned seat with her hands in her lap as she watches Keelika and Suki walk to and fro, picking up items and reading labels as they work to make her disguise as believable as possible.
“It is a good thing this dress fits you,” Keelika says, adjusting the sleeves on Katara. “If not, I would have had to get it tailored.”
Katara nods but doesn’t say a word as Suki is still applying makeup on her face from her travel makeup bag. While Zuko did offer them the countless outfits and makeup available at his nation’s dispense, Keelika had assured him that the jewelry and clothes she had would more than suffice as an adequate guise. Katara is antsy to see what she looks like but knows Suki will not let her see until she believes she looks like her lookalike.
Toph sits nearby, relaxed, throwing a yarn ball up and down in the air. “Are you guys done yet?” she remarks with a bored expression. “This is taking forever.”
“Done!” Stepping back, Suki admires her own handiwork on Katara’s figure as Keelika stands nearby to admire. “What do you think?”
“It looks like a younger version of me,” Keelika chuckles. “Although, I hope no one wonders too much about her eyes.”
“We should be fine,” Suki assures. “Again, you said no one has met you in the Earth Kingdom, right?”
Keelika gives a stiff smile. “Yes.”
“Then we’ll be okay.”
Meanwhile, in a couple of rooms over, Zuko stands exasperated with his arms spread out as Sokka walks around him in a circle, for what feels like the hundredth time, looking for any missing details in his outfit that could indicate something less than a bodyguard.
“Alright,” Sokka exclaims with a clap. “Turn around.” Zuko sighs and gives a full turn. “Great. Now, it’s one thing to look like a bodyguard, but it’s another thing to act like one.” Sokka turns to face Aang. “Right, Aang?’
“Huh?” Aang looks up at Sokka, clearly thrown off by his sudden question. “What’d you say?”
“I said that it’s important for Zuko to act like a bodyguard, right?”
“Right…”
“So, what advice do you have?”
Zuko watches as Aang’s gaze shifts onto him. “Just protect her, I guess. Make sure nothing happens.”
“That’s not real advice, Aang,” Sokka retorts, his attention focused back on Zuko. “Never mind, I’ll show you the ropes.”
However, Zuko notices how Aang’s stare lingers longer before it returns back on the tile floor. Aang doesn’t need to say anything for Zuko to sense Aang’s whole mood is off. The joy and charisma Aang typically shows is more subdued. He doesn’t know what had happened between him and Katara, but from his expressions and previous outburst, it had not ended in the most favorable of circumstances. Tempted to say something, he opens his mouth but is cut off by Sokka.
“Alright Zuko, listen up! Your cover story will be as a Northern Water Tribe war veteran,” Sokka declares before pointing at his face, “so no one will suspect you with that inconspicuous scar of yours!” Now, here are all the things you need to know about being a bodyguard, as one who has skillfully faced hundreds of enemies before!”
Inwardly, Zuko groans. He’s going to be here a while.
With Zuko and Katara set, and the rest of the gang ready, they all begin to get into Appa’s saddle. Their luggage and other relatively light supplies are already secured within the inside of the saddle. Before parting, they each wave at Keelika as Appa slowly starts to ascend into the air. Her figure grows smaller and smaller until it is but a colored dot, as the vast sky welcomes them with open hands.
Katara looks to her side, watching the trees whizzing past her below as she spots birds soaring beside them. Once she finds herself bored with the scenery, she turns to see Toph and Sokka chatting. From their overly loud voices, she catches pieces of their conversation.
“Ugh,” Toph groans. “When will we get there?! I hate being up here.”
“It’ll be three days,” Sokka answers. “Hang on.”
“As if I’m not already.”
Katara tunes out of the conversation and glances over at Aang still in front of them, sitting atop of Appa’s head. She’s glad that he’s steering, as she isn’t sure she’s ready for him to confront her about their last trip in the SWT. Her mind is already returning to the memory.
After her last talk with Zuko in the Fire Nation, she had figured that traveling with Aang to tie up loose ends in the SWT and resolve conflicts in other nations would help get her mind off of Zuko. She had been so wrong.
When she sat by the river, Aang had come up beside her. She believed he just wanted some company due to the outburst from the merchant they had talked to in the SWT and needed a pep talk. Instead, she found herself the target of a confession.
Her lips formed a tight line as she listened to him pour his heart out to her. But the whole time she couldn’t help but think of how to nicely let him down. When he finished, she carefully pieced her words together.
“Aang,” she began. “I… I’m sorry, but I don’t see you the way that you see me. I hope this doesn’t change anything between us.”
She watched as his cautiously optimistic face fell into dread; although, as if nothing had happened, a broad smile stretched across his face as he said, “No worries, Katara.”
There was definite worry though. From that day, as they continued to travel and resolve matters between groups of people, Aang tried to change her mind. It started subtle: her favorite snacks from her tribe, a beautiful piece of jewelry from the Earth Kingdom, and constant showers of compliments and praise.
Aang wasn’t going to let this go. So, she decided that they should go their separate ways for the moment until a more urgent matter arrived. The all too familiar disappointment showed up on his face, but this time it didn’t disappear. She wondered if this was too blunt of a choice for a moment. But she knew that the longer they stayed together, the more he would continue to try and win her non-existent affections.
So she had gathered up all her things and returned to the Southern Water Tribe to consult with the other council members on how to strengthen relations with the Northern Water Tribe. Years flew by faster than she had realized as she had completely forgotten about what happened with Aang, and her lingering feelings for Zuko.
That is until she received that fateful letter addressed to her to return to the Fire Nation at once.
She breaks away from the memory and returns to the present. Her eyes shift to Zuko, who seems occupied with looking around at their scenery. He looks even more handsome than the last time she had seen him. His hair had certainly grown out a lot, it now being past his shoulders. The glimmer of his amber eyes shines with the sun’s rays surrounding him.
Her lips form a small frown when she remembers how things ended between them. She knows the lingering gaze from the throne room had not been an accident. Now that she’s here with him again on this journey, she’s reminded of all the rippling feelings and emotions swirling inside her chest.
She shoves her feelings aside and shakes her head. They are here on a mission. She can’t let her emotions get the best of her, especially now; so, she rests her face onto her open palm and looks out into the distance, hoping that Zuko hadn’t caught her staring.
Three days go by before Toph shouts, “We’re here!”
Zuko rubs his eyes, blinking several times as he sees the familiar landscape of the Earth Kingdom growing closer to them. Nearly every level and corner seems to have guards patrolling around it, further confirming what Toph had told them. Once Appa grows closer to the Ba Sing Se’s entrances, guards from below shout for them to stop.
He watches as Aang lowers Appa to the ground right before the guards: a successful landing. Immediately Toph slides down the backside of Appa and down his tail onto the ground.
“Home sweet home!” Toph exclaims. “And by that, I mean my precious rocks!” She stomps on the ground for emphasis as rocks fly up briefly before falling back to the ground.
Zuko smiles and turns to Katara, gesturing towards the ground. Katara grins in response as the two of them slide down Appa’s tail. There, they join Toph as she’s celebrating her reunion with the ground. Beside him, Katara looks up and shouts to Sokka, “Hey! Are you staying up there?”
Sokka shouts back in reply, “Yeah! Who would want to be on the ground when I can cuddle up with my sweet Suki up here?” He notices how Katara amusedly rolls her eyes, but he also notices how she doesn’t say anything else to Aang. Zuko doesn’t fully understand what had happened between her and Aang, but he hopes that it won’t be anything that would harm their friendship.
To solve this, he calls out, “Aang, did you want to join us down here?” Immediately, he senses a cold feeling on his wrist to see Katara tensely holding onto it with a rigid expression.
Before he can ask her if she’s okay, Aang responds, “It’s fine. I need to lead Appa.”
Katara’s grip on his wrist loosens and he makes note to ask her later on about it. As they walk towards the guards, their expressions immediately brighten seeing the familiar members of the Avatar gang.
“Welcome Avatar and friends! You are always welcome to pass through!” one of the guards states. That is until their attention shifts to him and Katara. Immediately, their eyes squint with suspicion. “As for you two, I am sorry, but you are not allowed to enter unless you have the proper papers.”
Zuko is dumbfounded, but Katara bumps her elbow into his and winks. She gracefully walks forward in front of him with bold steps. He follows behind, prepared to follow whatever lead she has him take.
“Excuse me, do you guards know who I am?” Katara begins. He notices how she has raised the pitch of her voice slightly higher to mimic the noble lady’s voice. A part of him wants to snicker at her impression, but he knows any crack in his stoic mask would ruin this whole scheme.
The guards look at her with confused gazes, turning to look at each other before the other guard says, “No…”
Katara huffs and crosses her arms. “I am Lady Keelika of the Northern Water Tribe, and I was personally invited by the king to attend the upcoming Earth Kingdom conference. If you do not let me and my bodyguard through, you will regret this day for the rest of life.”
“I would listen to the lady…” Zuko warns. “The king will not be happy if he finds out you refused his esteemed guest, especially if he finds out the two guards responsible for turning her away.”
Sweat drops instantly form on the guards’ heads as they at once bow and open up the gates. “Of course! Of course!” they apologize. “We’re sorry for our imprudence. I hope this doesn’t dampen the rest of your stay, Lady Keelika.”
Katara smiles proudly, and Zuko is surprised that it worked.
“Not at all,” Katara replies in that same high-pitched voice. “I am sure it is a demanding job to keep track of all the dignitaries and nobles for the conference.”
“Let us accompany you to the king’s palace,” one of the guards offers, “as a way to properly apologize for our earlier behavior.”
Toph swats the guards off. “We’ll be fine. I’ll be leading them there.”
“We insist,” the other guard adds. “It wouldn’t be right for us to let the Avatar and his companions meet the king without any proper escort.”
Zuko and Katara share a brief glance before another voice speaks out.
“Okay then,” Aang answers. “You can lead us there.”
Katara doesn’t say anything. The guards nod as one of them leaves to lead them through the gate. As they walk, they soon arrive in the familiar courtyard of the Jasmine Dragon, owned by Zuko’s uncle.
“Your pet…” the guard stumbles on his words, trying to understand exactly what he is looking at, “bison… can stay here while we go to the palace, since it’s the only place big enough.”
Aang wordlessly nods and hops down, using his signature air move to land effortlessly; meanwhile, Suki and Sokka take the Appa tail slide as their means to get down.
Katara looks around the empty courtyard and spots a wooden sign on top of the door leading inside the famous tea shop. She examines it closer and quietly reads it, “I will be away on vacation for several days. Will return soon.” She smiles, knowing that the “vacation” Iroh is taking will be serving as an interim for Zuko. All she can hope for is that things are going fine in his kingdom without him, just as things going are okay with the Southern Water Tribe.
After dropping off Appa, the whole gang follows the guard to the palace entrance. There, imperial guards discuss with their escort as one comes up to Katara.
“Lady Keelika,” the imperial guard addresses. “It is nice to meet you. We are welcomed by your presence in Ba Sing Se. However…”
At these words, Aang immediately turns to talk with the guard. “What is the problem?” He gestures to Katara and Zuko. “They are frien—I mean, important officials! I don’t care if they stay with me and the others in the palace.”
“Well, you see Avatar Aang…” The guard hesitates before replying, “the rooms we have in the royal palace are rather limited. Nonetheless, we have luxury accommodation in our finest hotels nearby for Lady Keelika and her bodyguard to stay in during their visit.”
Aang’s frown deepens. “If you really want to mess—”
“Very well then,” Katara answers, cutting off Aang. She looks at him with indifferent poise. “I appreciate your assistance in this matter, Avatar Aang, but we will be fine.”
She winces at Aang’s hurt expression as he despondently replies with “Okay.”
However, before Zuko and Katara leave, Suki rushes over to shake hands with Katara. “It was very nice to meet you, Lady Keelika! I hope we see each other again soon.”
As Suki and the others are escorted away by another imperial guard, Katara feels the distinct texture of paper in her hand. She is slightly caught off-guard by this, but doesn’t allow her expression to reveal anything more. Discreetly, she pockets it and follows the other imperial guard to their hotel.
Inside their hotel room, they are mortified to see that their room has only one bed. They scout for any additional hidden beds but finally come to accept the fact that there are no others. Zuko offers to sleep on the ground but Katara shakes her head vehemently.
“It’s okay. I don’t mind sharing with you,” Katara says. “Besides, it’s big enough to fit like four people on it. If you’re not comfortable with it though, you don’t have to.”
Zuko is speechless at her words but nods in agreement. “I’m fine with it, if you are.” Katara smiles, and he does the same.
As they sit on the edge of the bed, Katara pulls out the paper from her pocket and unfurls it, handing it to Zuko. He reads, “If you need me, send out a smoke signal. Go team Zutara!”
Blood rushes up Zuko’s face at the last sentence, but he ignores it, hoping that it will fade away without Katara’s perceptive eye catching it.
“Well,” Katara says, “there’s nothing much we can do right now but sleep.”
“Yeah,” Zuko agrees. His heart is hammering in his chest though, and he hopes that Katara can’t hear it. They get ready for the night, taking turns in the bathroom as they switch into more comfortable sleepwear.
As Zuko lies on his back, he can hear Katara’s soft breathing right next to him. And he can’t help but think that if he could have the chance, he would want to sleep beside her every night. That is his last thought before his eyes close and his mind joins the realm of the unconscious.