"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.

"Zuko it's beautiful," she whispered.

"I knew you didn't have your stuff except the hat, so hopefully you'll be able to join me as partners," he nodded but made a small sound of distress when katara threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

"Is that where you disappear too at night?" Katara pulled away with a laugh. He shrugged.

"We're close to a village so we can head there tomorrow and if there's trouble..." Zuko trailed off and katara tried on the mask. Zuko handed her the larger hat and it hid her identity well as Zukos blue spirit mask did with the black hood.

"The blue spirit and the painted lady," katara smirked pulling her mask up and looked at Zuko. "I like the ring of that,"

They fell into relaxing silence as they listened to the sound of embers cracking in the fire in front of them.

"Tell me about your home," Zuko said calmly and katara was busy looking at the mask that was beautifully carven.

"O-oh what? My home?" Katara looked at him confused.

"Yea, I wanna know what your homes like, your family, you, you know most about me," Zuko shrugged.

"Not everything, but I'm getting there," katara smirked but nodded.

"My home... My home cold but that freezing ice was comforting, maybes it's cause I knew I was fine with being a water bender, and even before that I loved the snow, Sokka and I had snow ball fights, building forts contests, my mom would watch while dad was away with the men... Sokka tried to show off how strong he was and would claim dad would bring him on a hunting trip," katara laughed to herself.

"He finally did just the two of them, only a little while before he left for the war," she gulped looking down. "Sokka had to learn how to hunt fish and other animals if he was to stay behind, but I started to go with Sokka to fish cause of my water bending,"

"He just called it magic water a lot cause I could catch fish with my bending but he didn't like that since it just meant it's easier for me," she smirked.

"But it's just cold out there, the bitter winds nipping at your cheeks and nose, winters are worst," katara rubbed her arms that where bare, she remembered how she always had to wear a parka, no way she thought she'd would be in such little clothing in only months.

"It's the South Pole, it's always winter," Zuko said flatly.

"No, winters there's barely any sun, we barely go outside cause of storms," katara laughed.

"I'm guessing the fire nation doesn't get snow?" She teased him.

"Never saw snow before traveling, three years and I still hated it, no offense but I like being warm," Zuko huffed and katara laughed at him.

Suddenly they heard a stick snap behind them and zuko was on his feet.

"Relax its probably an animal," katara grabbed his wrist and pulled him back down as Durk sat up alarms looking where the stick snapping was.

"One a dragon doesn't like?" Zuko knelt next to her still on guards.

"There's nothing in those woods," she sighed tugging on his wrist.

"Not even a platypus bear? Or maybe another dragon," Zuko looked at her unamused and she glanced at Durk, seeing he was hissing.

"No, your just always paranoid," katara scoffed.

"Hello children,"

Katara let out a shriek of fear and wrapped her arms around Zukos bicep tightly as she squeezed her eyes shut. Zuko looked back seeing an old woman emerging from the woods to them.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you," she saw katara and the water bender peaked an eye open seeing it was a harmless old lady and glanced seeing she was attached with a death grip on Zuko.

"O-oh sorry," she got off him with her hands up and a nervous smile but Zuko stayed calm.

"What are two children doing out in the middle of the woods in the middle of then night? You look freezing my dears," the woman looked at katara and zuko with a soft smile.

"We're travelers," Zuko stated dryly.

"I have an inn near by, I insist that you two sleep there rather on the cold ground, you look like you could use a hot meal," the woman nodded and katara touched her own stomach feeling it growl.

"Maybe a night wouldn't hurt anyone," she looked up at Zuko and he glanced at the old woman but said nothing, keeping his arms crossed.

"Sorry about him, I'm katara," she motioned to herself but smacked Zukos arm.

"Lee," he said flatly narrowing his eyes.

"Well I'm Hama... Children shouldn't be alone in these woods, people disappear and never return around this time," Hama said and Kataras eyes widen.

"Disappear? How?" She asked and zuko glared now at the old woman at how suspicious she seemed.

"Never mind that, come come you two, let's get you under a roof," Hama waved her off and started to walk.

"One night in a bed? Please?" Katara looked at Zuko with pleading eyes that she begged would work. He let out a sigh and nodded.

"We can't stay long, someone may recognize us," Zuko grabbed their stuff and handed katara her bag as Durk ran up his leg and went in his shirt for warmth against his chest.

"But it is the same village we'd hit tomorrow, I guess it won't hurt," Zuko swallowed his instincts on how he felt about this woman and katara smiled excitedly and they walked together not to far behind Hama.