Title: Hate
Summary:- Katara learns that in order to hate Zuko, she has to have a passion for him. Zutara. Hopefully better than it sounds.
Disclaimer- Yes I own them, but only if my cat is talking to me in english, the sky is a pretty sunset red all day long, and I've already seen Spiderman 3. That would be a life I wouldn't need to be sarcastic in too! Can I trade lives?
A/N: This is my first Avatar fic so go easy if they aren't totally in character. I'd still like your honest opinion though.
Katara had snuck away from camp long enough to think to herself. It seemed like she had less and less time to do that now. Everything was getting so chaotic that she could barely think at all anymore. She pushed all thoughts of the war out of her head and walked into a forest that was near camp, careful to make sure she wouldn't get lost.
She looked around for signs of anyone or anything dangerous before sitting down on a rock. Her mind immediately raced to how lonely she really felt. Sure she had Sokka and Aang but she still felt alone sometimes. They were her only real friends now and one of them was her brother.
She sighed and put her head in her hands. She had so many enemies though, too many for her liking. She mentally went through all of her enemies, Aang's enemies. Her mind stopped on the Fire Nation's Prince though.
She wasn't sure if she would count him as an enemy. Zuko had helped them before, protected her a few times even. But in the end he was still fighting them and chasing the Avatar, wasn't he? Yes… He was an enemy.
Katara heard a twig snap behind her and she quickly stood up opening her flask, ready with a water whip. There was no one there. She lowered her head and returned the water to its container. She turned around slowly to sit back down on her rock.
Two hands grabbed her wrists and held them up between her body and another as soon as she turned around. She snapped her head up to look into her attacker's eyes. That was a mistake. Her eyes went wide in surprise.
"Deja Vu?" A familiar voice said and smirked.
"Let me go Zuko." She tried to free herself from his grip but he held on tighter, the heat from his hands transferring to her wrists. "I won't tell you where he is." She said sternly still struggling slightly.
"I'm sick of this game." He said then leaned forward. "Where is he?" He asked determined to get an answer from her.
"Go to hell!" She yelled in his face. He didn't even flinch though.
"You're fighting a loosing battle, peasant." He told her. She let out a low growl at him but he only chuckled. "You don't scare me." He pushed her away so fast that she fell to the ground. "Fight me, or run back to your camp." He smirked again.
Katara slowly stood and took her stance as he took his. There was a silent understanding between them on when they were ready to start fighting. It flickered in their eyes right before someone took the first shot every time they fought.
Zuko, of course, was the first to attack. He threw a fireball directly at her but Katara jumped out of the way. She bended the water of the flask to grab his leg and flip him on his back. He fell with a groan and smirked slightly once again. She retracted the water and held it in front of her, ready for him.
He quickly jumped back up throwing multiple fireballs her way. She was able to either dodge them or block them with water. Once he stopped firing, she threw all of her water at him, not even thinking. At the same time, he shot a straight string of fire towards her. The fire and water collided creating steam between them.
As soon as the steam cleared away, Katara realized she had no more water, but Zuko still had his fire. She looked at him, seeing an understanding in his eyes again.
They had a silent agreement now that stated; no bending. They both prepared for hand-to-hand combat.
This time Katara was the first to attack. She got a strange feeling as she did though. She really had no idea how it came upon her though. She was fighting. There shouldn't have been a warm feeling enveloping her as she hit an enemy. She made the mistake of thinking about it for a split second too long.
Before she knew it, she was pinned to the ground, Zuko leering down at her. She squinted her eyes and looked at him angrily. She saw his lips twitch up, tempting a smile that never came. That was not the reaction she suspected.
"So, where is he?" He said sternly.
"That wasn't part of our agreement." She told him referring to the silent agreement they always seemed to have while fighting.
"I don't recall any agreement." He smirked down at her feeding her anger.
"Bull!" She knew he understood what she was talking about. He always knew. "Let me go, Zuko." She pressed her lips together and stared at him. He stood slowly, releasing her. He held out his hand for her to take but she swatted it away. "I hate you." She said softly as she turned to walk further from camp.
"I know." She didn't see the smile he had on his face.
Katara continued walking away from camp in case Zuko was following her.
….Zuko…
The name rang in her ears. She hated him so much. No matter how he helped or protected her in the past or future could change that. She wouldn't let it.
…hate Zuko?...
It sounded strange now that she thought about it. She really started thinking about it. She never got any kind of feeling other than anger when she was fighting with anyone other than him. Maybe she just hated him that much… But that didn't make much sense either. She let out a frustrated groan.
"Thinking about me?" She heard his voice say from her left. Why did he always show up when he was thinking about him? Did he have some kind of radar?
"No." She lied and continued walking.
"Liar." He whispered in her ear. She was surprised at how fast he had gotten to her side. She stopped walking and straightened he back. "I know that groan." He kept whispering to her. "I used to let it out when thinking about you." He admitted while running his fingers across her neck.
"Wh-What?" She stuttered, unsure of what he meant.
"You really are just a peasant aren't you?" He asked moving in front of her.
"I have a name you know." She said trying to avoid real conversation and trying to avoid his eyes.
"Oh I know," He pulled her close and whispered in her ear again. "Katara." She could feel him smirk against her face. She tried to push him away but he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close.
"Get away from me." She had almost no voice left from shock.
"No." He spun her around so her back was pressed against his chest. He kept his hands around her waist.
"What do you want?" She asked not daring to turn her head towards him. Her only answer was the feeling of Zuko pressing his face into her hair which he was slowly untying. "I hate you." She said again.
"Good." He smiled. She should have been scared. She should have been worried that he was planning something. She should have been fighting him. Most of all, she should not be feeling that warm sensation again.
Zuko had untied her hair and it was now flowing down her back, his hand tangling in it. He breathed deeply and calmly as he once again turned her towards him. He had an expression that was hard to read on his face. The surprised and slightly confused expression on Katara's face was easy to read though, and he chuckled at it.
"I hate you too." He leaned towards her.
"Really?" Her voice cracked slightly. "Because it seems to me that you like me…" She finally moved, raising her hands up to his shoulders. "…a lot." She finished.
"That's because you're an idiot." He told her brining her flush against him. "Hate is as strong as love. It requires passion and understanding. It can consume you." He tilted his head and looked at her closely. "It will consume you, if it's strong enough." He corrected himself.
"You're saying that because I hate you, I love you?" She questioned.
"No." He said a little harshly. "But you do have a passion for me." He leaned down to her neck. "Just as I do for you." He placed a small kiss on her neck and that was returned with a nearly silent moan.
Katara's hands slipped up to his neck before wrapping her arms around him. She felt his smile against her skin as he placed more small kisses on her shoulder and neck. She never pictured herself in this position with him, except for the occasional dream but that was out of her control. This was not. She could push him away, but she wouldn't. She was sure how to feel when he pulled away.
"Hate isn't always a bad thing." He whispered.
"It's consumed you." She offered as a protest.
"Only my hate for you has the power to consume me, and I won't let it."
"You already have." She tilted her head this time as a silent offer, an understanding. And he took it very quickly. His lips pressed hard against hers so quickly, she wasn't even sure it had happened.
Zuko controlled himself after apparently realizing what he had done and pushed Katara to the ground. She looked up at him, her eyes containing anger, pain, passion, hate. Without another word, he left.
She hated him. She hated that he was right. She hated how he made her feel. Hated how he wouldn't leave her alone, how he was always fighting her, how he made her feel. She hated him, but it was with a passion, a real passion, and understanding.
She was still on the ground going over what had happened and tried to control the anger that flooded her. She really hated him, she really did. But for the first time in a long time, she didn't feel so lonely.
This is meant to be a one-shot but after writing it, I might decide to make a sequel if enough people like it. We'll see. Please review!