Student Joy and Wellness Club – 1
Katara checked her watch as she entered the Campus Eatery. Perfect: 20 minutes before she had to be in the tutoring center to help Meng with her Organic Chemistry homework. She had shown a lot of improvement over the semester, though she still seemed to inexplicably hate Katara.
She left her bag by an empty table and went to get her usual fruit smoothie and salad. When she returned with the food, she was slightly surprised to see that someone had taken the seat right next to hers. She recognized him, but didn't know his name: she saw him shelving books in the library sometimes. He had an Advanced Mandarin textbook next to his plate. And that scar around his eye was pretty hard to miss. But why was he sitting there? Had he not seen her bag? True, it was sort of tucked under a chair. It would be awkward to move when he had only just sat down… and maybe he knew who she was and needed something?
Well, all she could do was sit down and see if he said anything. And if he didn't, she could just eat her lunch quietly as planned.
He didn't look up when she took the chair next to his. He was staring broodily at his pizza, so she turned her attention to her salad and they ate beside one another in silence for several minutes. She considered leaving, but didn't want to arrive early to the tutoring center because the douchy Student Assistance Coordinator, Zhao, might be there, and she did not want to talk to him. Ick. And her companion seemed content to munch away at his pepperoni and mushroom pizza, so the silence grew and strengthened.
All of a sudden, a girl wearing all pink plopped down across from them. "Hi!"
Katara, whose cheeks were full of salad, could only stare. She glanced at her table-mate to see if this person was a friend of his, only to see him looking back at her in similar confusion. They simultaneously looked up at the pink girl.
"I'm Ty Lee," she said, answering at least one of Katara's several questions.
"Zuko," said the guy at her side after a several second pause.
"I'm Katara," she added, swallowing an unchewed carrot medallion by accident. She coughed.
"That's great, that's perfect," Ty Lee said warmly. Katara's confusion grew ten-fold, and she sensed her lunch companion—Zuko—shift uncomfortably. "Well my dears, I'm co-president of The Student Joy and Wellness Club. Our job on campus is to promote joy and wellness in every form."
Katara relaxed: she was a recruiter. That was alright then. She could just say she had to run to work and didn't have time to sign up for a club. That sort of left Zuko in the lurch, but she didn't owe him anything, did she?
"Now, I can tell just from looking at you two that there's something I can help with. Right?"
Katara's well-planned escape line died on her lips. What? She looked at Zuko, alarmed, and was slightly calmed to see him looking equally panicked. Whoever this nutty girl was, they could put her off this delusion together.
"Let me just say right now that whatever issues you two are having, you'll definitely be able to cope. I mean, your auras are just too perfectly matched."
"Wait—" said Zuko.
"We're not—" Katara tried to protest, but Ty Lee raised her hands calmly in the universal 'I'm not done' gesture, and her two hapless victims subsided warily.
"I know I'm a perfect stranger, so this may feel odd. But in a way, that's the best way to do it because I won't be biased about anything. Okay?"
"I think you're conf—" Zuko started, but Ty Lee hushed him again.
"I saw just from looking at you that you're both stressed about different things, so the sort of conflict resolution exercise I have in mind is more based around regaining trust and intimacy so that you two can work through those private issues together as a couple, okay?"
"Wait, you don't understand," Katara said desperately. This was rapidly getting out of control.
"That's just it," Ty Lee said rapturously. "I don't need to understand. You two understand, and that's all that counts."
"Wait—" said Zuko.
"Yeah, wait," Katara agreed. "I mean, we don't even—"
"We're not a—"
"Please, I don't need to hear about everything!" Ty Lee pleaded. "Just take each other's' hand, okay?"
"We don't need—I mean, we aren't—" Zuko sounded mildly hysterical, and Katara felt the same.
"Trust me guys, I'm trained in this stuff. You may not believe it, but these practices have helped countless people become better in touch with themselves and the people most important to them, not only romantic partners, but friends and family too. And it can't hurt, right? Just hold hands for a minute."
Gasping like a fish in air, Katara turned to Zuko, who looked about the same as she felt. That is, frantic and desperate and out of options.
"Well…" Katara wavered.
"Like you've only just met and you're shaking hands for the first time," Ty Lee encouraged. Katara almost laughed at the appropriateness.
"I say we make a break for it: you run for the door while I suppress her fire," Zuko muttered out of the side of his mouth. Now Katara did laugh.
"I say we cooperate to get a shorter sentence," she whispered back. He snorted. Ty Lee beamed at them ecstatically from across the table.
"Just do it?" Zuko suggested.
"Whatever makes her go away," Katara agreed.
They turned to face each other and joined hands. His palm was warm and broad and callused.
"Oh, wonderful, you two, just perfect!" Ty Lee squealed. "Agreeing to help each other is the first step to rebuilding trust!"
Katara and Zuko glanced at each other dubiously, and she resisted cracking up.
"Now both of you repeat after me." Ty Lee was practically singing at this point. "I trust you and accept you."
"I trust you and accept you," they repeated in unison. Katara's face felt like it was the color of a fire engine. This guy was a perfect stranger! What the hell was she saying to him?
"Look at each other," Ty Lee instructed. Katara blushed harder, but was gratified to see (when she finally did look up at him) that Zuko looked about as embarrassed as she felt: very. "Again: I trust you and accept you."
"I trust you and accept you," they said again. Keeping eye contact was the hardest thing she'd ever done in her life. She hoped her hand wasn't sweating.
"Your problems are my problems and we'll solve them together." Ty Lee sounded like she was on the verge of happy tears.
"Your problems are my problems and we'll solve them together," they repeated dutifully. Katara wondered if Zuko could make Zhao less of a douche bag, and doubted it. He had really pretty eyes though… something between amber and gold…
"I am dedicated to you, and nothing will deter me."
Oh God… "I am dedicated to you, and nothing will deter me." Her head was literally going to explode if this didn't end soon.
"We can talk this through. We are strong together. We can cope."
"We can talk this through. We are strong together. We can cope." Seriously though. She could not keep looking at him like this.
"Well done, you two!" Katara broke their eye contact with relief as Ty Lee gave them a mini round of applause. "You've officially taken the first step towards a more complete understanding of your struggles and the solution. Now, I'll take care of your plates, okay? You should go have that conversation and start on the road to healing. Go on, it's beautiful outside! Bye!"
Katara barely had time to snatch her bag before Zuko got hold of her other hand and dragged her out of the Eatery to the grassy field. Katara immediately collapsed onto the ground, howling with laughter born of real amusement and a healthy dash of humiliation. "I feel like someone was supposed to jump out and yell 'you're on candid camera'!" she exclaimed breathlessly.
"Seriously," Zuko agreed, lowering himself to sit beside her on the grass. "Are we sure it's not April Fools?"
"March twelfth, unfortunately," she replied, giggling. "Man, that was too crazy. Did you hear that aura comment?"
"Yeah, and all that about being able to solve one another's problems. What crap. I don't think you're going to select my Major for me by the end of next week."
"Probably not, sorry. And I doubt you can make my boss less of a douche bag," she agreed regretfully. "Have you ever heard of The Student Joy and Wellness Club anyway?"
"No, but I'm not strictly 'involved' in student life. Get in, get a degree and get out, that's my take on it."
"I feel that, I guess," she agreed and looked absently at her watch. "Oh, hell! I'm gonna be late if I don't hurry. Are you headed towards the tutoring center?"
"No, I live in Loomis, on the north end of campus. Are you a tutor?" he asked, standing up.
"Yes, mainly for the sciences. I'm aiming to become a pediatric surgeon," she said as she gave him her hand again and he pulled her to her feet.
"Wow. What year are you?"
"Freshman," she said cheerfully, brushing her skirt off.
"God, I'm screwed," he groaned.
"Why?" she asked, concerned.
"I'm about to be a junior and I don't know what I want to study."
"Yikes." That sounded terrifying. Katara liked having plans and goals, particularly in academia. Leave Sokka to his sports and undeclared Major.
"You're telling me." She nodded, glancing anxiously at her watch, unsure of how to end the exchange without being rude. "You have to go," he inferred, kindly sparing her the awkward 'I have to go but not because I don't like you' spiel. "But listen, do you want to hang out sometime? And like, not get accosted by crazy people?"
She thought about the sense of humor and maturity he had demonstrated throughout the whole episode. She thought of his hands and his eyes. "Definitely," she said, and grinned the whole way as she sprinted to work.
A/N: Aaaand more Zutara, how surprising! :D This is the product of an evening of intense procrastination, a kinda weird experience at lunch, and a slightly sleep-deprived imagination. Hope you like!
Dear flamers: thanks for upping my review count. :)
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