A/N: I'm sorry if it sounds a little wrong when it says: "...made a part of him ache. A certain part that'd been abused and tortured and was thought to be condemned." It's not supposed to sound perverted, it just kinda came out that way. Forgive me. /

Also, I loveloveloveloveloveloveeee this story! It's one of my favorite oneshots that I've ever written. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

REVIEW please. And review Oracle too. I'm nurturing that story, but it needs some reader TLC. :D

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of the characters within it.

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Metaphors

Katara sat on the edge of the large fountain in the center of the outside platform. It was fairly breezy at the Western Air Temple, but not unbearable, just a bit cold. Katara was used to it, since she grew up at the South Pole, but it still felt strange. She was getting chills and she wasn't sure if it was the fact that it was cold or that the thoughts in her head were actually getting to her.

She'd been pondering quite a few things now. Her relationship with Zuko in all his glory, a recent fight with her brother, but mostly her thoughts centered around Aang.

Aang would need to defeat the Fire Lord. How he would do that was even a mystery to him and Katara knew it. She also knew Aang was too innocent to kill. To innocent to deal with that kind of anchor on his heart. She also recalled his past attempt at taking the Fire Lord down. Ozai was gone. What if he escaped again this time and did something that ended the war, but was unable to be found. How would Aang defeat him, then?

She sighed. She knew Aang wasn't ready to do this, no matter how often she told him he was. She was lying to him. Blatantly lying. He would never be ready for this. This kind of thing wasn't in his nature.

"Katara?" she heard a familiar voice call behind her. Even though she knew the voice, she turned around as if on instinct. She didn't even feel like responding. All that wanted to come out, couldn't. She was drained of anger and hate and betrayal at the moment.

"Katara, you should go to bed. It's late," the voice said insistantly.

The waterbender pulled her legs up to her chest and tried to ignore the voice. She didn't want to talk to him. Of all people, she wasn't prepared to talk to him.

She felt as his presence engulfed her. He stood at her side for a moment and hesitantly sat down.

"Everyone's worried about you. You've been... distant. You're father says you're scared, Sokka says you're moody, but I think you're confused."

She could feel the tears slide down her eyelashes and cheeks, falling into her lap. She looked at the boy, the one she thought she understood. The one that betrayed her.

"Why do you even pretend to care?" she questioned him.

He placed his hand on her shoulder and she glared at him but didn't push him away.

"I do care, Katara. No matter how much you want to deny it, I care. I don't care because I have to, I care because I want to. And if you don't want me to, that's just too bad because I'm going to continue to care about you- about everyone- about this whole situation long after it's over. That's who I am. That's who I'm meant to be."

"You left us. You left us to die. You left him to die!" she screeched at him, burying her face in her knees.

The hand he placed on her shoulder made it's way around her upper body and pulled her towards him. He was usually afraid of her, but something about her like this... her crying... made a part of him ache. A certain part that'd been abused and tortured and was thought to be condemned. He sighed as it beat quick-paced at her deep breaths of sorrow.

"I'm sorry," he replied simply, knowing of nothing else to say. Her crying stopped and she pulled away from him, looking into his gold eyes with compassion. He was a bit taken aback by this, used to her staring daggers at him, but content that he could make her feel this way.

She smiled weakly.

"Could I ask you something?" she inquired.

He nodded.

"Of course."

"Do you believe in love at first sight?"

Zuko looked at the ground, confused at how the conversation took such a strange turn of events. When he looked back up, Katara was gazing at the stars thoughtfully.

"No," he said bluntly.

She winced at that one, strong word. She felt a chill creap up her spine in the process.

"Oh..." she replied.

"Why?"

She locked her eyes onto his in a hard stare.

"You don't think you could just meet someone and know you love them?"

The banished prince shook his head.

"Absolutely not. Sure there could be a connection or something... an attraction. But love? I don't think so. It's like you see an apple. It looks perfect, right? But you take a bite and find out there's a worm inside. Then you question yourself - 'how'd this worm get into the apple without leaving some sort of mark on the outside?'"

Katara bit her tongue, bringing her eyebrows together in concentration.

"No. There's a rainbow. You know it's just a trick of the light, but when you reach out to touch it, and realize it's real, it's the most amazing thing you've ever experienced."

He scoffed at her efforts, finding the loophole.

"But a rainbow really is a trick of the light."

"Have you ever tried to touch one?"

"No."

Katara smirked.

"Then how would you know?"

He smiled back at her and a short silence past over them.

"I like how you think, Katara of the Water Tribe."

"I'd say the same to you, but I'd be lying."

Zuko casually rolled his eyes.

"So, who is it?" he asked, suddenly catching her off guard.

She looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

"What?"

"This person you think you're in love with. You're rainbow."

Katara placed her hands firmly on the sides of her and pushed herself to a standing position.

"You know, I'm suddenly really tired. I think I'll go to bed. A little birdie told me that everyone's worried I-"

He grabbed her wrist and turned her around, forcing her to face him. She tried to keep her eyes away from him, but in the end, failed.

"Katara... if you want to keep things a secret, don't tell people. But if you want to tell people things without really telling them, you've gotta use better metaphors. I mean, come on. How obvious can you get?"

She tried to stiffle her giggle but failed miserably, biting her lower lip.

"Is it really that bad?" she asked. He nodded. "Well... promise not to tell anyone? Especially him. I've got to do it myself... eventually..."

Zuko released the waterbenders wrist and walked with her on the way back to their rooms. He smiled softly.

"Of course. Trust me, I don't have to say anything. You're so obvious, I'm confused how he doesn't already know!"

She sighed.

"I may be obvious, but he's oblivious. How ironic... And Zuko... thank you."

She stopped right outside her room and grabbed Zuko's lower arm. She pulled him into a hug.

"By the way... I forgive you."