First burn

Fireworks

Katara laid in bed bored as she had a candle burning by her side, she couldn't focus on the book, she knew it was close to the middle of the light and she just couldn't fall asleep. She got up to pace a little by the window maybe hoping that would help.

She looked in the distance seeing the fire nations city past the palace walls, a fire work in the distance. Her eyes lit up watching the way the colors danced in the night sky, it was memorizing.

A sound on the side caught her attention. Looking quickly outside her window on the side she could see Zuko.

Why was he outside?

At this time of night?

Cant he be normal and spy on the fire works from the window like the rest of them?

She watched him in the grass backing up looking at the palace, he took off in a sprint and climbed up the wall with vines that have been growing for centuries and held him as he grunted a little climbing to the roof. Her jaw dropped watching him jump up to the roof and walked out of her sight.

"Zuko!" She yelled ina whisper hoping he'd be the only one that heard her.

His head popped up from the roof hearing his name.

"Kat?" He blinked confused.

"Oi, sparky, lemme come with," she stuck half her body out the window as Zuko slid to her as he stood on top of her roof.

"You saw the fire works?" He smiled down at her as Katara had a big grin on her lip nodding.

He dropped a rope from above but it was a foot away from her window from the ledge.

"Can you reach?" He asked. She grabbed the rope and gave a small tug.

"Where did you get a rope?" Katara snorted as she started to climb up with help from Zuko pulling the rope. He grabbed her hand and helped her on top of the roof.

Katara saw a small hiding compartment on the roof only you could see if you were on the roof, rope, blanket, some books.

"I use to hide a lot as a kid so I didn't have to play with Azula or do my studies," Zuko smirked as they walked on the roof together.

"Do you know why there's fire works?" Katara asked holding onto a Zuko as they walked up the slanted part of the roof since she was barefoot.

"They do that sometimes, celebrations of any kind, fire nation loves their fire works," Zuko walked backwards to watch.

"The summer solstice celebration is one of my favorites," Zuko stretched his arms up as they made it to the top.

"Wow you can see everything up here," Katara gasped softly seeing the city lights all around as they were at the highest point in this part of the palace.

"Okay you see that fire work going off? That it's green? Those are the loudest ones, and go off multiple at a time, scream when it goes off," Zuko put a hand on her shoulder pointing ahead as Katara saw it go off to the sky.

"Scream? Won't someone hear us?" Katara asked wide eyes.

"No, it's loud," he grinned.

There was a loud explosion.

It canceled both of the two teenagers emptying out their lungs with all the building up they've had in their lives as they screamed as loud at they could. Barely hearing the others.

Katara burst out laughing as she panted from screaming in one breath.

"That felt good," she smiled up at him.

"Got a lot of rage building up," he chuckled.

Katara sat on the roof as Zuko went to his little compartment below But ran back up a second later with a small bag and small box, he sat next to her setting them on the roof and opened them.

"What's that?" Katara looked at it confused.

"Chocolate and pomegranate," Zuko grabbed a small piece of chocolate and four pomegranate seeds before popping them in his mouth.

"You have some weird fruit up here," Katara gave it a try. There was a small tart tang but the chocolate made it better. She was impressed by the tastes.

"Then your going to be freaked out when you see the actual fruit," Zuko hummed.

They watched the fire works together with the great between them as it was comfortable silence, the warm air was comfortable and being above made it seem... peaceful.

"You think this is our future now?" Katara asked softly.

"What do you mean?" Zuko asked not paying much mind by seriousness in her tone.

"It's just always going to be us, you know?" She sighed and zukos heart sunk a little.

"No," he inhaled a little.

"This isn't forever, this is just for now, I can promise you you're not always just going to have to be with me," Zuko didn't look at her as he kept his eyes on the fire works.

"What- no, no no that's not what i meant Zuko," Katara saw the disappointment and panicked a little.

"I mean that we're always going to have to look out after each other because we can't trust anyone else here, that we're going to have to sneak off like this to enjoy a moment of peace," she played with her hairs ends worried how it sounded.

"I love spending time with you, and this makes me feel like a normal teenager, but I never felt like a princess before, being treated like I'm above another human, and not being able to socialize normally anymore because of it," her eyes looked down. She was going to be the fire lady, they had to be overly polite but she hated it.

Zuko listened and thought about it, he understood how big the change was.

"Let's go," Zuko got up.

"Wha- Zuko please I didn't mean it to be negative..." Kataras eyes widen.

"I want to go to the town, let's go before the fire works end," he turned to her calmly with his hand out. Her jaw dropped but she glared and kicked him.

"You jerk I thought you were mad at me because I hurt your feelings!" She scoffed getting up as Zuko shrugged innocently.

"You coming jerk who hurt my feelings?" He smiled gently.

"Yes I'm fucking coming," she giggled following him.

Zuko gulped a little as she held onto his hand while he lead her down and made sure she didn't fall.

They didn't waste any time to sneak out to the city as they both were excited to get out again.