Zutara Week 2018

Letters

An AU of the finale, how it should have ended (I'm looking at you, Bryke!)
    
     He may have been a prince, but Zuko had no way with words.
He tried it with Mai, but she either didn't care or just became annoyed with his attempts to be a verbal Romeo.
But Katara was different.
She left him speechless.
So he decided that if his mouth couldn't help him, maybe his hands would. As would a piece of parchment and a brush and some ink.
Yup, he was going to write her a love letter. The things we do for love, right?
Night after night, Zuko sat alone, a brush in his hand, and a blank roll of parchment spread out before him. One could not begin to wonder how long it took him to figure out how to even address the letter (was 'dearest Katara' too desperate?).
Finally, he did it.
He wrote a full, complete letter, expressing his undying love for the waterbender who captured his heart.
Once he had it rolled up and tied with a red silken ribbon, he carefully snuck into Katara's room (a guest room at the Fire Nation palace) and placed it on her bed. What happened next was the longest eight hours of his life.
Until realized he forgot to sign it.
He almost screamed when he realized it.
That evening, at Iroh's tea restuarant, where everyone was celebrating the war's end, Zuko left for the deck outside to get fresh air. He was leaned over the railing of deck, his gaze fixed on the sunset, when he felt a light tap on his shoulder. When he turned around, he almost had a heart attack.
Katara stood behind, dressed in a stunning lime green kimono with a lovely pink flower in her hair and smile on her face.
"Hey..."
"Hi, Zuko...."
Both blushed.
They talked about the war's end for a while. "So, uh....how's Aang?" he asked. "He's fine." Katara said. "Are you two a thing now, or...?" he blurted out.
He wanted to kick himself.
Katara looked down. "No, we're not. And, to be honest, I don't want to. Aang's wonderful but he's like a little brother to me. I love him, just not in that way." she explained.
Zuko felt his inner-self break into a happy dance. But he reminded himself not to get his hopes up. Katara spoke up again. "Besides, it wouldn't be fair to him either, especially if I had feelings for someone else..."
The hairs on Zuko's neck stood up. Goosebumps ravaged him. His spine tingled and his stomach knotted. "Oh." he gaped.
Suddenly, she reached into her kimono and pulled out a scroll. Zuko's throat went dry. It was his scroll. The one he wrote for her. The one he poured out all his feelings for her into.
"Which reminds me...I found this on my bed today. It looks like I have a secret admirer." she said, smiling. Zuko scratched his neck. "Really?" was all he managed to choke out. She nodded. She unrolled and her eyes scanned through the neatly written lines. "It's very sweet. Whoever wrote it really put a lot into it." she said. Zuko could not bring himself to look at the letter.
"I just wonder how the author managed to get into my room to put it on my bed without someone noticing or stopping him. Y'know...unless it was someone who had authority to go into my room...."
Oh God, no. Could it be?
"Zuko."
He swallowed and looked at her. She looked at him with affection and care in her eyes. "Do you know who could have written this?" she asked, her voice oozing with sweetness. He gulped. Agni kill me now... he prayed in his mind.
"Well, uh...I, uhm....I'll look into it, if you want..." he stammered, looking back to the sunset.
God, he was an idiot.
"Zuko..." she said again. He forced himself to look at her again.
"Zuko, I love you but....you can be so obvious sometimes." she said. Zuko blinked.
What?
Wait a minute, did she say....?
"Uuuuhhhhhh.....I, uh.....I can explain...." once again, Zuko's words failed him.
Without warning, Katara leaned in and kissed Zuko on the lips. "I love you too, you dork." she said.
Zuko almost burst into flames at that moment. "What?"
"I just told you that I loved you too, Zuko. I love you."
It took Zuko a moment to process what she had just said. And then, he grabbed the girl, this beautiful, wonderful girl, and pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips against hers. She flung her arms around him and kissed him back and the two embraced each other like there was no tomorrow.
Zuko pulled away for a moment. He looked deep into her blue eyes and said, with all the sincerity and love in the world, "I love you too, Katara."
She smiled and he smiled and they kissed each other once more, the sun setting behind them in the pink and golden horizon.
For once, Zuko's words didn't fail him.