60.- Guilt

(From Katara's POV, post-TSR, pre-comet)

"You make one step backward, one slip up, give me one reason to think you might hurt Aang, and you won't have to worry about your destiny anymore, because I'll make sure your destiny ends, right then and there. Permanently."

Katara shuddered as she remembered those words. They resonated like a drear bell in her and she couldn't imagine the kind of fear she set into Zuko. As she walked towards his tent, she thought about how much help he'd been in helping her find the man that killed her mother. He'd done so much for her in one day, when all she'd done was mistrust and misunderstand him. Even if she'd forgiven him for what he'd done in the past, what about those words?

They never talked about it after she'd let bygones be bygones, but the guilt was weighing down. How do you fight alongside someone who says such things?

Finally at his tent, Katara felt a strange shiver go up her arms, like a warning of sorts. Brushing that aside, the waterbender pushed the flaps of his tent aside and entered, "Zuko, I-"

She was taken aback by the scene. Zuko had thrashed about at some point in his sleep and was now laying, half-naked and spread-eagle, over half his pallete and the floor. She'd never paid much mind to it before, but the firebender before her was… attractive. More than attractive, even. A blush burned bright on her cheeks and she moved to step out, when his gold eyes snapped open and focused on her.

"Katara?" came his raspy, tired voice. He sat up, abs bunching together as he slouched on the floor, "What are you doing here?"

Wildy, she thought of making up an excuse, but the only ones that came up were very… lame. He looked up at her, focused eyes going in and out of a sleepy droop. Katara shuddered, wanting very much to run, but knowing he'd only come after her… and there was a thrill in that, "Er… I wanted to come by and… uh… apologize."

Zuko perked an eyebrow, then put his arms over his head to stretch as he spoke, "Apologize for what?" The muscles strained; Katara couldn't take her eyes off him, "Why don't you come sit down?"

She scooted closer, her feet never really coming more than three and a half feet away. Zuko kept giving her a look of 'why so scared?', "Well, uh… what I said back in the Air Temple…"

"Oh, that?" He relaxed and laid back down on his side, head propped up by his left arm, "Don't worry about it. I think I'd say the same thing if I were in your position. I know what I did and I know it was terrible. And then at Ba Sing Se? I can't even believe it, and I was there! I was so… so wrapped up in wanting to appease my father and getting my honor back that I… forgot about the one person who came to care about me."

Those gold eyes locked on Katara's blue ones, which widen in surprise. He sat back up and leaned towards her, "I shouldn't have hurt you, betrayed your trust. In truth… I thought so hard about choosing you- er-… your side. And when I thought about it, I saw you and how you offered to help me."

He leaned in closer, Katara too stunned by his words to move, "I don't think I could ever thank you enough for this…"

His lips brushed hers. Her thoughts raced. Dear spirits, his lips were so soft and inviting. She shuddered again as his hand touched her cheek, tempting her to move closer. She slowly closed her eyes, felt an invisible force push her forward…

"Katara?" the waterbender jumped, spooking Zuko. Sokka was calling for her. She struggled to her feet and started for the tent flap with no hesitation until she reached it. Stopping with a hand on tent fabric, she looked over her shoulder at him.

"And I don't think I could ever thank you enough…"

END: Guilt