Songfic time :D Yeah, it sounds a bit Kataang (the song, I mean) but it's all Zutara in my world :) I hope it is in yours too.
Someone at school requested that I learn this song on guitar and play it for them. I absolutely LOVED it. And so it became the basis and inspiration for a Zuko/Katara fic. LOOOVE IT.
Disclaimer: Avatar TLA belongs to Bryke, Nick, and Viacom. Simple, Starving to be Safe is claimed by Daphne Loves Derby. This story happens to be mine though.
"Zuko," an old, yet firm hand rested upon the young man's shoulder.
The Fire Lord pulled his gaze away from his cup of tea and looked up.
"You are up early," said Uncle Iroh, rather knowingly.
"I rise with the sun," replied Zuko. He sighed and looked at his tea again, "I have a lot on my mind, Uncle."
"Well, then," resolved Uncle, "I suppose you will need this time to...think...before you leave for home tomorrow." His uncle took a serving of tea of his own and left the room.
How quiet it was--at that moment--while Zuko thought deeply. And yet, how sad it was, too. To think that it was only yesterday that the young war heroes had their small celebration in this very room.
From Uncle Iroh's words--the word home was emphasized in the young soul's mind. The Fire Nation was now home. Was it really? Well, for a long time, he thought it was.
Right now, it didn't feel like home anymore. Nothing waited for him there except Mai. She had left earlier than everyone after the small celebration--claiming to be too tired to celebrate any more. She's expecting him. Her, and the stress waiting to bombard the Fire Lord the minute he steps onto his land. One can't really call that home.
Home is where the heart is. And his heart was with his friends. His family.
Lately I've been thinking so strangely about the clouds…
"Katara, look! Watch this!" Aang yelled out from above her. He settled into a ready position atop the roof of the Earth Kingdom Palace of Ba Sing Se. His glider snapped open beautifully as he sent it spearing through the air. He then leaped off, gracefully, from the pagoda and landed himself, steadily, on the glider so that he balanced while it continued to soar.
"Aang, no!" yelped Katara as her azure eyes went wide with worry.
"Katara! I'm okay!" he assured her amidst his flight, "Watch me!"
As he balanced, he moved his arms forward and around, in a circle--each arm alternating after another. His arms followed a circular dance above and around his head. He seemed to be controlling both the path of his glider and the clouds around him. Those clouds followed him like the young children to the flutist's mesmerizing song. She screamed when Aang enticed the glider up, into a loop, then down...
"What happened?" said Zuko worriedly as he ran up next to Katara . Her head was tilted up and his golden amber eyes followed her blue ones to the early morning sky. He saw Aang stand atop his glider as he looped and dived through the air.
Zuko loosened, "Oh, he'll be okay," he tried to assure Katara, "After all, he's the Avatar, right?" Zuko smiled warmly at her, but she did not return the gesture.
Instead, her eyes remained glued to the young airbender above them. Her pretty face was scrunched up in anxiety. She was clearly uncomfortable.
It was the worst thing to see in her. Katara was always the confidant--the protector. And Zuko couldn't stand seeing her hopeless.
"AANG! STOP IT!" Zuko finally yelled for Katara's sake.
Aang suddenly dove down. In her shock, Katara clapped her hands over her mouth as she gasped sharply. Fortunately, he swerved back up towards the heavens.
The Avatar seemed not to hear Zuko's plead.
While Katara focused just on the figure of Aang, Zuko took in the big picture. Although Katara wasn't aware of it, Aang was writing the silver-lined clouds. I love-- read the sky.
Aang dangerously dipped down to finish the last stroke of the character 'you'. She still did not take notice of his message, and his stroke only freaked out Katara more--her hands shot up to cover her eyes, separating her fingers slightly in fear that he'd disappear if she looked away.
And how they seem to slowly fade away...
"AANG! YOU'RE SCARING KATARA!" Zuko tried, painstakingly, once more.
Finally, the airbender caught notice at her name. He whipped his head towards their position below him. And unfortunately, this momentary distraction caused him to lose balance.
"WHOA!" His glider jerked violently under him. He had no other way to regain balance, so he simply grappled onto the base of his glider--hanging on for dear life as it wobbled away in midair.
Aang sliced right through his silver-lined message--sloping down towards the Earth Kingdom grounds.
Maybe someday we will find a way to disappear...
"Water..." Zuko barely heard her mumble the words.
"What?"
"WATER!" she turned towards him desperately and clenched his robes in her hands, "I need WATER!"
Zuko looked up to see the Avatar advancing towards their position. And then he looked inside the palace from where he came earlier. There, still on the table, was his tea from earlier that morning.
Katara, reading his eyes, automatically enticed the tea to her.
In the heat of the moment, she did not hear Zuko's "KATARA! WATCH OUT!" And he pushed her out of the way of a falling airbender before she could use her ability.
Black.
Just me and you on silver lining dreams...
A thundrous sound reached their ears as they shot their glances up above them. From their position below the royal Fire Nation balloon, they saw red and blue fits of explosions clash against each other. And suddenly, two figures came rushing down.
Her ceruleans orbs grew wide at the larger falling figure and the Avatar quickly steered his sky bison towards it.
She watched him pass through cloud after cloud as he descended. And as the group atop the bison grew closer to him, she had no worry--only confidence. Confidence focused her attention on the young man's body and her eyes narrowed on him only. Closer...
Katara stretched out her arms as he, too, tried to reach for salvation. Almost there...were the thoughts reflected in each other's eyes.
In their relief, they felt the other's firm grasp.
Until Zuko slipped through her grip and she went through the pain of watching him fall under her failure.
"No!" she whispered fiercely to herself.
Her instincts suddenly told her to do the impossible. Adrenaline rushed through her young veins as she dove off the bison and into the abyss. She did not hear the plea of her father, her brother, and her best friend.
As the two caught eye contact in midair, they reached for each other once more.
They seemed to be only centimeters apart. It seemed like a barrier forbade them to come near each other.
Oh, how could I survive...without your love,
It pained him to see her vulnerable without him there. It pained him that he couldn't just get up and protect her from his monstrosity of a sister.
He saw her oceanic eyes flicker to his own for just a fraction of a second.
And that's all it took to tell him that she was alright. Despite the fear he saw in her eyes at that moment, he knew that she'll come back for him.
Katara was that kind of person. She was a protector. She was his confidant.
So he laid still to wait for her.
...
His stomach hurt badly. And suddenly that pain went away.
He hadn't known how long he had been lying there. But he felt her gentle hand behind his aching head. He met her eyes. And the sight of her...She came back. All the pain that went through his heart was healed. The wound he got by protecting her was healed. Scarred, but that didn't matter as long as she was safe.
and the hope you bring?
"Thank you, Katara," he managed to slip from his tongue.
He saw her eyes water. Her beautiful, azure eyes were crying for him, "I think I'm the one who should be thanking you."
Oh, even when the sky is falling down...
Katara jerked awake, tears in her eyes. And she woke up to find his golden eyes on her own, accompanied with a warm, caring smile.
"You're okay," he said.
She smiled affectionately, "Zuko," she sat up a little too quickly as pain suddenly shot through her head.
"You still need some rest."
"What happened?"
Zuko looked away from her to the bed on the other side. She turned her gaze towards the sleeping figure in the next bed over.
There, like a child lost in his dreams, laid a serene Aang.
She was too tired to check, right then. So she asked, "Is he okay?"
The Fire Lord nodded, "He just went unconscious," he nodded again towards the Avatar,"There's still a huge bump on his arrow though."
She nodded at his answer and stared at the edge of her bed.
"Do you remember what happened yesterday?" asked Zuko, disliking the silence between them.
"It's been over a day?" She recalled Aang's foolish act, "Then, why do I feel terrible?" She raised her hand to her forhead, trying to force the headache away.
Katara suddenly felt his hand cup her cheek tenderly, gently wiping away her tears with his thumb. Although she didn't flinch, she felt her cheeks turn red, hoping that he didn't feel the rush of heat to his hand.
He didn't seem to acknowledge it because he seemed so natural to be so close to her.
"I pushed you out of the way," said Zuko, "Aang's glider was pointed straight toward your middle," he gestured his hand over his own stomach, "and it could've ruptured your insides...far worse than Aang."
She cringed at the feeling.
I know I have you...
Her melancholy gaze travelled towards Zuko's golden orbs once more. Her expression gradually transitioned into a warm one when she met his eyes.
"Why are you always there to save me?" she mused.
and that's all I need
"I don't know," he said as smiled a smile only for her. But he knew why.
Read and Review, PLEASE :D Reviews encourage me to update faster P:
So about NL, you guys need to know that I update once a month, sometimes a week earlier or so. But I'm trying guys :( You know I wouldn't die on you.
-SHL