Renegaded Spirits

Bonding

"Zuko~"

"Zukooooooo~" katara poked Zuko with a stick from behind him while he was kindling the fire with Durk curled up on his lap.

"What kat?" He snapped turning to her and katara smirked.

"Aha! You made a nickname for me!" She accused and Zukos eyes widen.

"What?" Zuko asked unamused.

"You call me kat, everyone calls me katara," katara scooted over to him smirking deviously and zuko glared.

"Maybe idiot would suit you better," Zuko mumbled and cried out when she punched him in the arm, hearing what he said.

"I guess it slipped out when I started saving your life more often," Zuko looked at her flatly and Katara gasped.

"I do not need saving!" She snapped.

"Pirates?" He raised an eye brow.

"I saved you too," she crossed her arms.

"Boys?" He smirked and katara blushed furiously.

"Okay okay I get it! Damn you prince zuko," katara shoved him more playful and Zuko smiled gently back.

"I don't know, I can stop," Zuko rubbed the back of his neck leaning back as he stared at the fire.

"No... No it's okay, I like it, it's unique," katara tucked her hair behind her ear and zuko glanced at her quickly.

"You miss them," he stated.

"Who?" Katara was caught by surprise.

"Your friends, you miss them don't you," Zuko gulped. Katara touched his shoulder and touched the side of his face, his scarred side.

"Yes, I do," she started and inhaled deeply but looked into his golden eyes.

"I miss my home too, since I left, I never left he South Pole until Aang came along... Then I made more friends, suki, yue, haru, toph, and everything didn't seem so bad until ba sing si," katara pursed her lips.

"A lot happened in ba sing si," she sighed looking at him but Zukos eyes averted down in guilt. She moved his face back up and smiled gently touching his scar, slightly rubbing her thumb across his cheek.

"I saw the real you for the first time, and out of everything, I got a new friend in time from there too," she sent him a kind smile.

"So I'm counted as a friend now?" Zuko smirked leaning closer. He knew she'd get flustered and embarrassed but he also thought she'd pull away.

But she didn't.

"Don't push your luck Prince Zuko," she poked his nose and pushed Zuko away after a moment by the nose.

"Come on kat, admit it, you don't hate me," Zuko teased back and katara scoffed a laugh.

"Me? Befriend the Prince of the fire nation? The Chiefs daughter? A master water bender?" Katara put a hand over her chest and her nose in the air.

"How about a criminal of treason of the fire nation? A rouged Prince? The blue spirit?" Zuko offered crossing his arms.

"Only if the painted lady can join him," katara giggled.

Zuko reached down into his bag and pulled out a mask that he hid away. It was painted a slick creamy white with red markings along the face and a crescent moon on the forehead.

"I found it at the festival, near the play, I knew you liked it and there's been plays on legends such as the painted lady, she is a fire nation tale but they missed some things so I finished it up," Zuko handed her the mask and katara took it in her slim hands gently and her finger tips skimmed over the wooden mask.