Melt The ICE

two lovers, forbidden from one another,

“Listen, there was no need to lie to Toph because I didn't tell her anything. Even now, I only say things that are true when she's around—that you're recovering, that it's best if they give you space, stuff like that. The virus story? I waited until I could catch the guys alone and told them about it. They're the ones who spoke to Toph…”

“...and because they believed your excuse, she couldn't sense any lie,” Katara finishes his trail of thought. Eyes narrowed, she stares at Zuko as though discovering a new edge of him. “That's...strangely devious of you, Zuko.”

Pride flutters within his chest.

Toph: He Just said "Thanks" to Katara's "I love you!"

Zuko *Toph, please. Burry me here!*

The unintentional parallel of young, teenage villain Zuko talking a bunch of shit about how the safety of his crew doesn't matter but doing the right thing when the time comes and putting the safety of the crew above his goals and years later A.ang as a grown ass man and alleged hero of the story selfishly putting his goals above everyone else's lives and getting them all killed for it.

The unintentional parallel of Zuko selflessly giving his life for Katara and Katara healing him and then years later A.ang's selfishness getting everyone killed but it's okay cause he's got the Katara ex Machina magic healing water plot armor to save him and everyone else from the consequences of his selfish choices. How Katara saved herself, him, and everyone else after he put them all in harms way, while over a decade prior she was saved by Zuko who was acting selflessly, facing his sister alone to prevent Katara from being hurt, and then she saved him after he sacrificed himself.

Zuko protects Katara by facing Azula alone -> Zuko nearly DIES for Katara, sacrificing his own life and the success of their mission so that she can live -> Katara protects Zuko, defeats Azula, and repays his sacrifice by saving his life

Push, pull.

A.ang puts Katara and everyone else in danger by trusting a complete stranger -> A.ang gets everyone including Katara killed by putting his own goals over the lives of his friends -> A.ang gets HIMSELF killed -> it's okay bc Katara resurrects herself and everyone else, repays him for putting them all in danger and getting them all killed by bringing him back to life and no one is even a little bit mad about it.

Push, push, push, push. Take and take and take. No reciprocity.

if they do the thing that no one expects and make it canon or at the very least leave it ambiguous and open without canonizing kata.ang and romantically coding the zutara scenes to the nth degree, there is going to be a category 5 shipping war event that will leave countless dead and injured in the casualty count.