First burn

Passing by

Zuko looked in the mirror as he adjusted his clothes the next morning, he pushed his sleeves up to his elbows getting warmer.

What does Aang know? He hasn't met Katara? There was no way Zuko was in love with her. That was insane. That feeling he has for her could not be love.

Love was supposed to be a liberating feeling not something that makes you wanna sink further down to the ground. That tingling feeling he gets when she touches him should not feel like a rubber band snapping against his skin. Wouldn't he want to kiss her or something if he was in love?

Did he enjoy being with her? Of course.

Look at who he was stuck with at home...

Did he usually only wanted to spend his time with her? Of course, he always felt safer with her but isn't that how friends are suppose to be? Someone to be able to be comfortable with, but there was not really much sexual feeling.

He wanted to protect her like at the beach with that one guy, wanted to keep her safe, he shared a lot with her and trusted her with that knowledge. She's so kind how could anyone keep a secret from her.

And of course she was beautiful and gorgeous, he would have to be blind to not see how stunning she was, a flawless face and amazing body. He almost got caught staring first time he saw her in a swimsuit.

Zuko groaned covering his face falling on his bed.

Stupid Aang getting in his head.

Why couldn't he just not say anything like that. Now he's going to be questioning everything. This couldn't be what love felt like- it... it almost hurt to feel like this.

Love wasnt suppose to hurt.

He huffed sitting back up with his face red thinking about what being in a relationship with her would be like, would it be like Mai? Maybe a loveless marriage is better, it would be awful to be one sided.

But maybe he should trust the avatar... he was a monk before, and monks are wise, right?

He was actually going to take advice from a fourteen year old. Damn Agni.

Fuck it, what does he have to lose?

Zuko stood and grabbed the flower that he requested, a single panda lily in a vase. He picked it out of the vase and held it in his one hand, it was a beautiful flower, it was so rare. He knew it only grew in the earth kingdom and in a specific area, he didn't want to take that away from the earth kingdom civilians... it's their flower.

Zuko held the flower to his chest a little as he walked out of his room and went down to study's where Katara was last seen. His heart raced in hope he wasn't going to embarrass himself.

Zuko peaked in the room but saw it was empty.

"Oh.." he huffed disappointed.

"Excuse me, have you seen princess Katara?" Zuko turned to the servants that passed by.

"O-oh um I saw her in the kitchen last, she was hungry, I-I hope that's alright prince Zuko," the young girl bowed nervously.

"She's free to go wherever she'd like? Thank you," Zuko smiled back at them as the two girls looked relieved seeing him leave.

Zuko went down some stairs as he headed to the kitchen.

"Hey Katara I gotta talk to you-" Zuko walked into the kitchen and the cooks jumped a little surprised but no Katara.

"Uh... princess Kataras not here?" He pursed his lips frowning as the cooks shook their heads quickly.

"Any idea where she went?" Zuko asked softly holding the flower behind his back.

"No sire," they all said.

"Okay then, thank you," he gulped backing away and let out a groan.

"When I actually look for her she's fucking impossible to find? Are you kidding me?" Zuko rubbed his face and looked at the panda lily again.

He pursed his lips and nodded determined now to find her.

He checked her bedroom in case, the library, the dining room, the weapons room, training room, her room again and his in case she might be stealing his books again.

"Don't listen to monks they're crazy," Zuko walked out to the garden annoyed and paused looking ahead.

Katara was sitting at the small pond with a loaf of bread to feed the turtle ducks and their babies.

He felt sick and hot and his stomach fluttered. All at the same time, anxious a little also...

"Oh hey Zuko," Katara turned feeling eyes on her and waved him over.

"I think turtle ducks like the softer breads better than the sourdough," she pouted a little as Zuko sat next to her, her feet where in the water on the edge with her dress pulled up to her thighs.

"It hurts the babies throat cause they can't chew all the way, they don't have teeth like penguin seals," Zuko took half the bread and pulled out the soft insides to feed the birds.

"Have you seen penguin seal teeth? Can eat through anything," Katara chuckled a little following zukos lead.

"Hey, uh so so-so for the wedding..." Zuko blushed darkly holding the flower in his opposite hand so Katara didn't see.

"Oh yea, do we actually have to plan for a wedding?" Katara asked making a face a little.

"Um no not really, arranged marriages are usually straight forward but I've never been to a fire nation wedding actually so I..." he pursed his lips feeling silly now. Katara turned his head to him curiously.

"Do you think we can add some water tribe customs?" She smiled gently.

Zuko laughed softly relieved she said it first, that she also didn't want to have something plain and just like a regular day.

"Of course, as long as there's more traditional fire nation? Uh not really royal but I.. I always liked the classic weddings the commoners do," Zuko blushed with a smile.

"Oh this might be the first wedding in history that will be opposite nations combining their culture in a wedding!" Katara grew excited sitting on her knees now facing Zuko.

"I-I wanted to do the panda Lily's as the flower, but Um their rare in the earth kingdom so I don't really wanted to get a lot," Zuko nodded glancing at his hand.

"But since we can't have them at the wedding I still wanted you at least to have one," he smiled softly holding it up for her and Katara was shocked. She took the flower gently and sniffed it a little. She's never seen one before.

"Wow, that's to bad this is beautiful Zuko," Katara breathed looking at the flower.

"Thank you, I would've loved to have these, but I'm sure we can find something else we both like," she smiled up at him and Zuko swallowed a lump in his throat.

"Of course, I'm glad you like it so much, I just happen to be passing you and thought you'd like one," he smiled back blushing a little more.

"Uh tell me about some water tribe traditions you'd like to include, I think it would be really nice to have your culture included," Zuko put his hands in his lap to listen fully as Katara crossed her legs smiling with the flower staying in her hands as she started to tell him about how the water tribes traditions would be able to combine with their fire nation wedding.