The Fire Throne (Zutara)

I

Katara noticed that Zuko relied on the beating of her heart.

In their few sacred moments alone, and there weren't many, they would curl up on a bunk together. There were far too many people for romantic and sexual exploration, and by the end of the day, they were both exhausted so it felt natural to just sink into each other's embrace and just exist.

Sometimes, Katara was cradled by his arms, her head burrowed at the dip of his collarbone, hair curtaining her view. Sometimes, Zuko was resting on her chest, curled around her figure, cheek to her warm skin as he dozed off.

It was becoming more common that the latter is how they'd find themselves. Katara knew that the nights he fell asleep on her, her nightmares were abated, at least temporarily. He might sometimes whimper and twitch, and she did not wish the undoubtedly dark thoughts that clouded his mind on anyone. They hadn't talked about his father's death, but somewhere she knew that he clung to the horror of it, and one day, they'd talk.

Sleeping on Katara seemed to put this at temporary ease.

The nights she dozed off on him, he didn't sleep, for his eyes were always rimmed red in the morning. He'd yawn throughout his work, and he had the haggard appearance of someone who was haunted by a ghost of the past in the night.

It wasn't just the assurance that she was safe, though Katara was sure that was a large part of it.

No, he was listening to her heartbeat. He'd cling to this like a lifeline, never settling his one good ear anywhere else, his breathing echoing the thumping and falling to the cadence of it. He needed this. He had to listen to her heart to fall asleep, not just for the white-noise to tune out whatever demons snapped at his thoughts, but for the words it spoke to him over and over and over; I'm here, I'm here, I'm here...I'm alive.

I'm still alive.

Because, despite it all, incredulously...Katara was still alive. Katara was living, breathing in front of him, but after the insane turns of the last year, one would be sane to imagine they made a fake reality where Katara survived it all. It seemed almost impossible that she'd slid away from death time, after time, after time. So yes, Zuko needed to hear her heart, to have tangible evidence she was still here, for him to slip into slumber.

And more shockingly, they were alive together. Together in the literal sense...they'd both made it out, and Zuko needed reminders that he'd narrowly escaped his demise on occasions too, but it was deeper than that.

They were alive and they were together.

They'd told no one about the engagement. It didn't seem like the time or place and deep down, they both wanted to hoard this secret to themselves for a time. To know this and send each other little smiles that no one here knew the depth of. It passed the time, kept things interesting.

They were openly a couple, however. They had no qualms about holding hands or kissing or falling asleep in each other's bunks every day. Most had no reaction, if not just a 'finally'. Some of the surviving contestants were a bit disappointed, but no one was shocked. Everyone just accepted it.

Plenty of people were in couples here at the temples, which...thank Tui and La.

Katara would be the first to admit she had no idea how to be a proper girlfriend. She hadn't dated anyone long-term at home and the whole farce of the Choice didn't set anyone up with real knowledge. She'd observed good, healthy relationships from her mother and father, but watching someone catch a fish didn't mean you immediately knew how to do it yourself.

Maybe Zuko didn't either. Maybe he had only ever seen his father and mother and his idea of how to be a good boyfriend was always fighting the way he'd grown up.