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Description
Zutara Cave

My eyes flew through the cave, my heartbeat speeded up. There had to be a way out! I felt panic rising up inside my chest. The claustrofobic feeling of being trapped, feeling the air getting thinner and thinner by the minute… just like that day. That one day covered in dakness. I'm not sure why I'd kissed Aang on that day. Probably because of the adrenaline. Or the near dead-feeling. I'm not sure.
I breathed in and out once, holding the air inside my longs as long as possible. I was going to be fine. This was different from back then, back in the labyrinth. This was a prison. Being a prisoner sucked, but at least you knew you were kept alive.
A faint sound above me caught my attention. The sound grew louder and louder. Screaming. Then, the circle shaped entrence of my cel opened, the light it let in blinded me.
"You've got company." A male's voice grumbled.
A young man, probably about my age, was thrown down at my feet. I held my breath as the guy looked up to me. "Zuko!" I yelled, my face suddenly filled with anger. To keep myself calm, I started walking around in the cave. "Why did they throw you in here?" I snarled. He didn't answer, he just sat on the floor without even looking at me. It only irritated me more.
"Oh wait, let me guess," I hissed, "It's a trap, so that when Aang shows up to help me, you can finally have him in your little firenation cluches!" Zuko only moved his head towards me, but seemed to change his mind and remained silent.
"You're a terrible person, you know that!" I yelled, "Always following us, hunting the Avatar, trying to capture the worlds last hope for peace! But what do you care? You're the firelord's son. Spreading war and violence and hatered is in your blood."
"You don't know what you're talking about!" he suddenly shouted. I flinched at his reaction, surprised. But his words only made me furios. "I don't?" I started yelling again, "How dare you! You have no idea what this war has put me through, me personally!" I couldn't stop the tears from starting to run down my face. I didn't intent to open up to him at all, but the memories forced me into auto pilot. As the week little girl I was before, I sank down om my knees and cried. "The firenation took my mother away from me…"
Behind me, I heard him move and then his voice reaced me, softer, more tender then I'd ever heard it. So very different from the harsh voice I thought belonged to him. "I'm sorry," he said. "That's something we have in common."
I turned around slowely. As I caught his eye, he copyed my motions untill we were both up straight, facing each other. I suddenly felt timid and embarrased for hating him that much. I looked away.
"Sorry I yelled at you before," I muttered, keeping my eyes to the ground.
"It doesn't matter," he answered. I felt a need to explain to him anyway.
"It's just that… for so long now, whenever I would imagin the face of the enemy… it's your face." I told him. I could see he was hurt by my comment and immideatly started feeling guilty again.
"My face," he said, bringing one hand to the burn mark that covered the left side of face.
"I see…"
"No, no, that's not what I meant," I said, terrified to hurt him more.
"It's okay," he said, "I used to think this scar marked me, the mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase the Avatar forever…" I never thought I could feel so sorry for this person. In just five minutes, my world in which Zuko was our greatest enemy, had flipped arround.
"But lately," Zuko continued, "I've realized I'm free to determine my own destiny. Even if I'll never be free of my mark."
The idea popped into my head, and I suddenly felt so sure this was the right thing to do.
"Maybe you could be free of it," I said.
"What?" I looked at me wide eyed.
"I have healing abilities." I explained. But I saw the disappointment leaking off his face as I spoke.
"It's a scar," he muttered, "It can't be healed."
To convince him, I showed him the small bottle of water I kept underneath my clothes.
"This is water from the spirit oasis at the North Pole," I told him, "It has special properties, so I've been saving it for something important." He shot me an amuzed look. Blushing, I contiued. "I don't know if it'll work, but…"
I walked towards him, holding up one hand. Zuko looked at me disbelieving but then nodded, giving me his permission. He losed his eyes. I placed one hand on his left eye, the injured skin felt rough under my fingers. Also, his skin was burning hot, like he had some kind of life threatening fever.
"Z-Zuko, you're hot," I muttered. His eyes flew back open. "Excuse me?"
I felt my head getting red as a tomato, and was glad that Toph wasn't here to hear this. "No, I-I mean your skin is hot!"
"It is?" He paced one hand on his cheek. "It feels just fine to me." Then, he suddenly placed his other hand on my cheek. He frowned while my head got even more red. "You skin is as cold as ice," he said.
"It's not." I grumbled. He just ignored me.
"Aren't those hairloopies irritating?"
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"Nothing," he said. "I just wondered if they weren't irritating."
"No, you are." I said defensively.
"Okay, okay, calm down," he said, "Hey, maybe it's that, because I'm a firebender and you're a waterbender, I'm hot to you." We both flinched at the wrong choice of words.
"I-I mean-"
"Yeah."
"I really meant that-"
"I get it," I said.
"Good."
We remained silent for a while. "So where were we?" I eventually said, eager to break the silence. "Oh, yeah, the healing."
"Are you sure you can do this?" Zuko asked hesitating.
"No," I replied. "But I bet it's worth the try." He smiled, and I realized I'd never seen him smile like that before. Whenever he'd smiled, it had always been a sarcastic or offending smile, but never so… lovely.
I bended the water out of the small bottle and made it cover Zuko's skin. The water lighted up blue-white as I released my healing powers. He moaned as the skin under my fingers started to change. When I was sure he'd be allright, I stopped the healing and bended the water back into the bottle. I looked at the result of my efforts and gasped. The skin was entirely smooth and healthy as it once must have been. Zuko's left eye was still a bit smaller than the other, but the whole thing was amazing! I placed my hand back on his skin, eager to touch the soft-looking skin. His face was so… it was just… beautiful.
"A-Are you done now?" Zuko asked anxiously.
"I am," I sighed.
"And?" He asked, suddenly insecure. "How do I look?"
"Hot." The word was out before I knew it.
"Verry funny, waterbender," he replied sarcastically.
"I-I'm serious," I muttered.
"Sure," he said as he started touching his face with both hands. A fainth smile started spreading across his mouth.
"Wait," he gasped suddenly. "I only have one eyebrow?!"
"I'm sure it will grow back," I assured him. "Those things take time."
"I thought you'd never done this before?" he said.
"Well, I didn't, but…"
"Then how do you know?"
"I just do!" I started shouting again, losing my affection for him by the second as he started acting like himself again. "And you know what, a bit of gatitude would be apropriate! Do you even realize what I just did?"
His face fel and he looked away, suddenly emberassed. "You're right," he whispered. "I'm so sorry. I can't even tell you how thankfull I am… I owe you so much." His golden eyes met mine again. Something had changed in the way he looked. Not only had he become more serious, but there was a sertain determation in his expression that made me shiver.
"No you don't," I said, "I was happy to-"
"Katara, stop it," he cut me off. I flinched. I'd never thought he'd actually know my name.
"I meant what I said," he continued, "I really can't tell you how gadefull and happy I feel right now, how relieved." He took a step closer. "No one has ever done anything this nice for me. And if they did, it was always out of duty or fear."
"Zuko-" I started.
"Let me finish," he said. "I want you to realize how much this means to me." He took another step towards me. "I've never met anyone like you. You're so unselfish, so forgiving. Less than a month ago, I hunt you down and tried to distroy both you and your friends, and look at you now. Healing me, treating me as if you've known me your whole life. And I must say it feels that way too. Like I've known you my whole life…" My back touched the cold, green wall behind me. Now, I was trapped between that wall and Zuko, and all I could think of was how gorgeous his face had become.
"I've thought of a way to repay you," he said as he held still, his renewed face only inches away from mine. I imagened how great it would feel to hold that face between my hands, to kiss those perfect lips…
And then, Aang came into my head. His face. The way he'd looked when I'd kissed him, back in the Cave of Two Lovers. How shy yet ecstatic he'd smiled at me. How much this would hurt him.
"Stop it," I whispered, my voice hoised.
"What?" Zuko asked confused, his look at me turned cold.
"I can't," I said. "Aang…"
Zuko's eyes became soft again. "You worry too much," he whispered, moving his head closer to mine again.
"Don't," I insisted.
"Tell me you don't want me to," Zuko said. "Tell me you want me to back off, and I will."
"I…" My mind wanted to say 'no', it really did. It just couldn't compeed with both my body and heart. I gave in. "I can't."
"That's what I thought," Zuko whispered as he took my face between his hands. It melted the ice off my skin, made it burn like his. Burning with desire. And then he kissed me. He kissed me ever so gently, barely touching me, yet the fire it lighted made it fairytale-like perfect. He let go of me far too soon and looked at me intensely.
"You know what?" he said.
"What?" I croacked. He smiled.
"I really love your hairloopies."

Description
Zutara Cave

My eyes flew through the cave, my heartbeat speeded up. There had to be a way out! I felt panic rising up inside my chest. The claustrofobic feeling of being trapped, feeling the air getting thinner and thinner by the minute… just like that day. That one day covered in dakness. I'm not sure why I'd kissed Aang on that day. Probably because of the adrenaline. Or the near dead-feeling. I'm not sure.
I breathed in and out once, holding the air inside my longs as long as possible. I was going to be fine. This was different from back then, back in the labyrinth. This was a prison. Being a prisoner sucked, but at least you knew you were kept alive.
A faint sound above me caught my attention. The sound grew louder and louder. Screaming. Then, the circle shaped entrence of my cel opened, the light it let in blinded me.
"You've got company." A male's voice grumbled.
A young man, probably about my age, was thrown down at my feet. I held my breath as the guy looked up to me. "Zuko!" I yelled, my face suddenly filled with anger. To keep myself calm, I started walking around in the cave. "Why did they throw you in here?" I snarled. He didn't answer, he just sat on the floor without even looking at me. It only irritated me more.
"Oh wait, let me guess," I hissed, "It's a trap, so that when Aang shows up to help me, you can finally have him in your little firenation cluches!" Zuko only moved his head towards me, but seemed to change his mind and remained silent.
"You're a terrible person, you know that!" I yelled, "Always following us, hunting the Avatar, trying to capture the worlds last hope for peace! But what do you care? You're the firelord's son. Spreading war and violence and hatered is in your blood."
"You don't know what you're talking about!" he suddenly shouted. I flinched at his reaction, surprised. But his words only made me furios. "I don't?" I started yelling again, "How dare you! You have no idea what this war has put me through, me personally!" I couldn't stop the tears from starting to run down my face. I didn't intent to open up to him at all, but the memories forced me into auto pilot. As the week little girl I was before, I sank down om my knees and cried. "The firenation took my mother away from me…"
Behind me, I heard him move and then his voice reaced me, softer, more tender then I'd ever heard it. So very different from the harsh voice I thought belonged to him. "I'm sorry," he said. "That's something we have in common."
I turned around slowely. As I caught his eye, he copyed my motions untill we were both up straight, facing each other. I suddenly felt timid and embarrased for hating him that much. I looked away.
"Sorry I yelled at you before," I muttered, keeping my eyes to the ground.
"It doesn't matter," he answered. I felt a need to explain to him anyway.
"It's just that… for so long now, whenever I would imagin the face of the enemy… it's your face." I told him. I could see he was hurt by my comment and immideatly started feeling guilty again.
"My face," he said, bringing one hand to the burn mark that covered the left side of face.
"I see…"
"No, no, that's not what I meant," I said, terrified to hurt him more.
"It's okay," he said, "I used to think this scar marked me, the mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase the Avatar forever…" I never thought I could feel so sorry for this person. In just five minutes, my world in which Zuko was our greatest enemy, had flipped arround.
"But lately," Zuko continued, "I've realized I'm free to determine my own destiny. Even if I'll never be free of my mark."
The idea popped into my head, and I suddenly felt so sure this was the right thing to do.
"Maybe you could be free of it," I said.
"What?" I looked at me wide eyed.
"I have healing abilities." I explained. But I saw the disappointment leaking off his face as I spoke.
"It's a scar," he muttered, "It can't be healed."
To convince him, I showed him the small bottle of water I kept underneath my clothes.
"This is water from the spirit oasis at the North Pole," I told him, "It has special properties, so I've been saving it for something important." He shot me an amuzed look. Blushing, I contiued. "I don't know if it'll work, but…"
I walked towards him, holding up one hand. Zuko looked at me disbelieving but then nodded, giving me his permission. He losed his eyes. I placed one hand on his left eye, the injured skin felt rough under my fingers. Also, his skin was burning hot, like he had some kind of life threatening fever.
"Z-Zuko, you're hot," I muttered. His eyes flew back open. "Excuse me?"
I felt my head getting red as a tomato, and was glad that Toph wasn't here to hear this. "No, I-I mean your skin is hot!"
"It is?" He paced one hand on his cheek. "It feels just fine to me." Then, he suddenly placed his other hand on my cheek. He frowned while my head got even more red. "You skin is as cold as ice," he said.
"It's not." I grumbled. He just ignored me.
"Aren't those hairloopies irritating?"
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"Nothing," he said. "I just wondered if they weren't irritating."
"No, you are." I said defensively.
"Okay, okay, calm down," he said, "Hey, maybe it's that, because I'm a firebender and you're a waterbender, I'm hot to you." We both flinched at the wrong choice of words.
"I-I mean-"
"Yeah."
"I really meant that-"
"I get it," I said.
"Good."
We remained silent for a while. "So where were we?" I eventually said, eager to break the silence. "Oh, yeah, the healing."
"Are you sure you can do this?" Zuko asked hesitating.
"No," I replied. "But I bet it's worth the try." He smiled, and I realized I'd never seen him smile like that before. Whenever he'd smiled, it had always been a sarcastic or offending smile, but never so… lovely.
I bended the water out of the small bottle and made it cover Zuko's skin. The water lighted up blue-white as I released my healing powers. He moaned as the skin under my fingers started to change. When I was sure he'd be allright, I stopped the healing and bended the water back into the bottle. I looked at the result of my efforts and gasped. The skin was entirely smooth and healthy as it once must have been. Zuko's left eye was still a bit smaller than the other, but the whole thing was amazing! I placed my hand back on his skin, eager to touch the soft-looking skin. His face was so… it was just… beautiful.
"A-Are you done now?" Zuko asked anxiously.
"I am," I sighed.
"And?" He asked, suddenly insecure. "How do I look?"
"Hot." The word was out before I knew it.
"Verry funny, waterbender," he replied sarcastically.
"I-I'm serious," I muttered.
"Sure," he said as he started touching his face with both hands. A fainth smile started spreading across his mouth.
"Wait," he gasped suddenly. "I only have one eyebrow?!"
"I'm sure it will grow back," I assured him. "Those things take time."
"I thought you'd never done this before?" he said.
"Well, I didn't, but…"
"Then how do you know?"
"I just do!" I started shouting again, losing my affection for him by the second as he started acting like himself again. "And you know what, a bit of gatitude would be apropriate! Do you even realize what I just did?"
His face fel and he looked away, suddenly emberassed. "You're right," he whispered. "I'm so sorry. I can't even tell you how thankfull I am… I owe you so much." His golden eyes met mine again. Something had changed in the way he looked. Not only had he become more serious, but there was a sertain determation in his expression that made me shiver.
"No you don't," I said, "I was happy to-"
"Katara, stop it," he cut me off. I flinched. I'd never thought he'd actually know my name.
"I meant what I said," he continued, "I really can't tell you how gadefull and happy I feel right now, how relieved." He took a step closer. "No one has ever done anything this nice for me. And if they did, it was always out of duty or fear."
"Zuko-" I started.
"Let me finish," he said. "I want you to realize how much this means to me." He took another step towards me. "I've never met anyone like you. You're so unselfish, so forgiving. Less than a month ago, I hunt you down and tried to distroy both you and your friends, and look at you now. Healing me, treating me as if you've known me your whole life. And I must say it feels that way too. Like I've known you my whole life…" My back touched the cold, green wall behind me. Now, I was trapped between that wall and Zuko, and all I could think of was how gorgeous his face had become.
"I've thought of a way to repay you," he said as he held still, his renewed face only inches away from mine. I imagened how great it would feel to hold that face between my hands, to kiss those perfect lips…
And then, Aang came into my head. His face. The way he'd looked when I'd kissed him, back in the Cave of Two Lovers. How shy yet ecstatic he'd smiled at me. How much this would hurt him.
"Stop it," I whispered, my voice hoised.
"What?" Zuko asked confused, his look at me turned cold.
"I can't," I said. "Aang…"
Zuko's eyes became soft again. "You worry too much," he whispered, moving his head closer to mine again.
"Don't," I insisted.
"Tell me you don't want me to," Zuko said. "Tell me you want me to back off, and I will."
"I…" My mind wanted to say 'no', it really did. It just couldn't compeed with both my body and heart. I gave in. "I can't."
"That's what I thought," Zuko whispered as he took my face between his hands. It melted the ice off my skin, made it burn like his. Burning with desire. And then he kissed me. He kissed me ever so gently, barely touching me, yet the fire it lighted made it fairytale-like perfect. He let go of me far too soon and looked at me intensely.
"You know what?" he said.
"What?" I croacked. He smiled.
"I really love your hairloopies."