The Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit

The Water Bender's Heart pt 1

Katara sits with Zuko for almost a whole hour, mostly in silence. Her heart feeling content to just stay by Zuko's side.

But then her feet become numb and her stomach rumbles.

"Come on," Katara says, standing to her feet, she wobbles for a second before straightening herself.

"I don't want to go back," Zuko grumbles, looking to Katara as she picks up her hat.

"I didn't say we were going back," Katara scoffs, "Come on."

"Where are we going?" Zuko asks, Katara offers her hand and helps the Fire Lord to his feet.

"It's a secret," she smiles, taking his hand and leading him away. They slip past the guards and then Katara leads Zuko away from the palace.

...

"Where are we going?" Zuko asks, for the thousandth time.

"You'll see," Katara laughs, "Be patient."

"You know, kidnapping the Fire Lord is a punishable offence," Zuko says, grumbling as Katara continues to lead him away, not once has she let go of his hand.

"Well you can punish me as much as you like when we get there," Katara says, shock by the sultriness of her voice.

Katara's comment manages to spark a smile to the Fire Lord's face and he finds himself hurrying along with Katara.

Katara leads him to a small cottage, hidden in the woods resting alongside a calm river.

"What is this place?" Zuko gapes, marvelling at the serenity, "it looks so... peaceful."

"It belonged to a woman I helped," Katara says, "The first time I was the Painted Lady, I met a woman, she told me that when she owned this cottage in the woods for whenever she needed to get away from her home."

Katara walks up onto the porch and then opens the already unlocked door.

"She offered this house up to me as tribute to the Painted Lady," Katara says, crossing the threshold, Zuko remains outside, "Come on," Katara says, squeezing his hand, "No one will find us here."

Zuko stays outside, not crossing the threshold, his eyes haunted as if he's trapped in a horrible memory.

"Hey," Katara says, stepping back outside, "It's alright."

"Kat," he chokes, "I..."

"You don't have to talk," Katara says after Zuko flounders for a moment, "It's alright."

Katara steps forward and goes to her toes as she wraps her arms around Zuko's neck, drawing him close as he sighs and holds her tight.

Zuko's shoulders quiver as he cries, his tears staining Katara's robes.

"It's alright," Katara soothes, running her hand through Zuko's oily hair.

Katara leads Zuko inside, she takes off her hat and places it by the door.

"I don't want anything to eat," Zuko grumbles when Katara goes to the kitchen.

"Fine," she huffs, throwing off her hood, "We'll start with a bath then."

When Katara looks to Zuko she finds him staring at her in shock, his bloodshot eyes stare at her as if she has a second head growing from her shoulder.

Katara's cheeks redden as she realizes that Zuko is staring at the long pins in her hair.

"You kept them," he breathes.

"You can ogle the pins as much as you like, once you in the bath," Katara says, taking Zuko to the bathroom. She fills the bath with warm water and then turns to leave.