By the time he'd turned to finally look at her, Katara was smiling fondly once more. "It's really that much of a surprise?" she questioned. She couldn't see how. Hadn't he noticed how she acted when rescuing him? Hadn't he realized how relieved she'd been to see him again? Cordelia had noticed - Katara had caught the older woman's knowing smile - so how could Zuko have not?
"You... do like me, too, right? I thought that's what you were saying. I-" Now it was her turn to blush as she internally flailed at the thought of having misunderstood what he was trying to say. She would never live it down. Never.