The Art Of Finding Each Other (Zutara)

If It's Just The Two Of Us

"We're almost there, right?"

Up in the air, the wind wasn't gentle at all. A persistent breeze brushed against the two travelers as the sun was setting upon them. The evening was dying down and leaving way for the night to make its timed appearance.

The question made Zuko shift his attention from the clouds and back to reality. Alongside Katara, Sokka, he had stayed awake almost all night to prepare for his and Katara's departure. Now, several hours later, he was starting to feel a little drained because of the lack of proper sleep. Still, he wouldn't have done it any other way.

Tilting his head, he found the waterbender sitting down and going through the various papers they had brought with them. "Yeah, don't worry. We'll land before it gets too late."

"How do you even know this Mithsa Island?" she asked, raising a brow. "It's not exactly on many maps."

Zuko stepped away from the railing and sat down next to her. "Well, when I first came to the Southern Air Temple on my hunt for the Avatar, I spent a night there. It was quiet enough, perfect for a banished prince." He finished off with a bittersweet chuckle.

Katara placed a hand over his knee. "Hey, it's proving useful now. You know, so we don't have to camp out in the middle of the ocean or the Air Temple."

There she was, the girl who could make him feel better about practically anything, brushing her fingers against his leg in a reassuring gesture. Of course, it worked. Though mentioning his banishment hadn't made him upset, it was just the sleepiness starting to take away his most cohesive words.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," he said, twitching up his lips to gift her with a soft smile. "So, is our plan all reviewed?"

She grinned in response. "You bet. Tonight, we sleep on the island and leave first thing in the morning to Gaipan. Tomorrow evening we should get there and see what we're dealing with."

"I wonder what the place looks like now, Atkin told me that after the flood there was pretty much nothing left."

"Well, your advisor was right." A shadow of remorse crossed her eyes. "When we left there, almost the entire village was destroyed. But don't panic, it's been a year, I'm sure they've rebuilt something."

"I can only hope so." Zuko allowed his head to rest heavily against the side of the air balloon, breathing into the cold air.

"It'll all be alright, you'll see," Katara said. She hadn't moved her hand yet.

The stars were already glittering across the night sky, and an overwhelming silence took over them. Zuko realized that - even though they had been spending a lot of time just the two of them - now they were actually alone together. It was only them, nothing more. No one else to call the shots, only two travelers and a hot air balloon.

"It really is quiet up here." Katara's voice echoed in his ears. "At least without Sokka snoring."

He chuckled, amazed at her peculiar way of missing her brother. "I don't mind it though."

"What?" she asked, a playful smirk planted on her face. "Sokka's snoring or being here just with me?"

Well, someone was feeling like being straightforward tonight. Zuko felt his heart starting to pound inside his chest, betraying his - attempt of a - confident expression.

Raising a brow, he tried his best not to stutter. "Both? Um, I mean, neither of them are bad things."

Wrong answer. Definitely the wrong answer. The frown that appeared on her face made him realize it within seconds. Why had he gotten so nervous about a simple - and silly - question?