Summary:My inspiration from this story came from the song Twisted by Carrie Underwood. I do not own the rights to that amazing song, but I bought a copy from iTunes.
Author's Note: I am attempting to branch into the Avatar World. Give me some feedback, good, bad, flames whatever.
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender.
Katara sat by the fountain, absentmindedly bending the water back and forth. Zuko was teaching Aang fire bending, on this hot day. Try as she might she couldn't find anything wrong with him. Zuko had been a perfect gentleman.
Everyone in their small group had come to like him. It wasn't supposed to be like this, they were just supposed to tolerate him until Aang defeated Ozai. But no, Toph ended up liking him because he did everything humanly possible to make up for burning her, including carrying her around the entire temple. Aang grew to respect him and value his opinion as a teacher and as a general human. Sokka liked him because he was another manly man who liked weapons and meat. Appa liked him for setting him free and Momo liked him because he was always warm. She was the odd girl out. Katara sighed as she turned away from the practicing pair.
"What's on your mind Sugar Queen?"
"Nothing Toph, I'm just thinking…," Katara trailed off, glancing back at Zuko and Aang.
"You like Hothead, don't you Katara?" Toph asked looking at Katara with her sightless eyes.
"No, I don't Toph; that's the problem." Katara got up and walked away.
Zuko looked up from training with Aang in time to see Katara walk off. "We've done enough training for today Av…Aang. I think your earth bending teacher wants you to get some work done."
Avatar Aang nodded, "Yes Zuko." Zuko and Aang bowed to each other, as was customary, and then went their separate ways.
Zuko looked at Toph and Aang and the faint blush that was gracing both of their cheeks. He quickly ducked into a random hallway before he could be questioned by Sokka about some weapon, he wanted to be accepted by the group, but this guy would not leave him alone. I think my mistake was telling him I like meat thought Zuko.
Zuko stopped for a moment at the faint sound crying coming from Katara's room. He paused for a moment outside the door before knocking softly. He heard the sound of sniffling before a bleary eyed Katara opened the door. "What do you want, Zuko?"
"I wanted to see if you were okay," Zuko stated, taking in her haggard appearance.
"I'm fine, now leave me alone," Katara replied icily before starting to close the door, his foot was in the way.
"Just know that I'm here if you want to talk, and I'm sorry." With that Zuko removed his foot and started to walk back to his room.
Katara closed the door and slid down it with her head in her hands. Everyone loved Zuko but she couldn't. She couldn't believe him now, she did that back in Ba Sing Se and look how that turned out. She couldn't fall for Zuko; she would not betray her nation like that. She would not be made a fool of again.
The days passed, and Katara doesn't know when it happened, but it did. Zuko had to be the bigger person and with his apology came the torrid of emotions. Katara started to notice the good things he did. How he let everyone eat their fill before he started, how he was always patient with Aang and how he got along great with her brother, a feat even she had problems accomplishing.
He also made the extra effort with her. He would always help with dishes, instead of running out after he finished eating, like everyone else. He would make sure that the fireplace in her room was lit, so she would stay warm in the night. Most importantly, though, he gave her space. He had done exactly what she asked, and she hated him for that. If he had been the self righteous bastard she thought he was, then he would have pushed her over the edge, and she could hate him; but he didn't and now she had fallen, hard.
It happened all of a sudden, there was no specific point when she fell, but she did. And it was entirely his damn fault. Katara buried her face into her pillow and cried. Zuko had somehow worked his way into her heart and now there was not going back.
Katara got out of bed and quietly walked through the temple until she got to Zuko's room. As softly as she could she opened the door, he was awake. "I want to talk," was all Katara said, hoping he remembered he promise. He did. Zuko nodded and made space for her to sit across from him on the bed.
"I can't do it Zuko."
"Do what Katara?" he asked gently, because, although he was glad Katara was talking to him, he had no idea why Katara chose his room in the middle of the night to talk.
"I can't fall for you," Katara decided to cut straight to the point.
"Oh. Why not?" Zuko replied, trying to follow her train of thought.
"We don't work. You are fire and I'm water. We are opposites and I can't betray my nation like that." Zuko was beyond confused now, but he said he would be there to talk, so he would.
"Who's asking you to betray your nation Katara?"
"My heart," she replied in a soft voice. "Somewhere, sometime, somehow, I fell for you and now I can't go back." Zuko looked at Katara with an expression she had never seen before.
"Katara, our relationship is twisted, it is distorted and to most people it is downright wrong. But I've fallen too." Zuko wanted to reach out, hold her, and apologize a million times over for his betrayal, but he held back. It was Katara's decision and he would respect it.
"I am just feeling over my head Zuko, give me time." Katara asked in a small voice. Her heart was crying out to stay with Zuko, but staying was crazy. She got up placed a chaste kiss on his cheek and returned to her room.
More time past and everyone in the temple evolved. They were all feeling the pressure of the approaching comet and tensions were running high. Katara stared at Zuko, trying to absorb his presence. She wouldn't let him within her walls, but she wanted to.
"What's on your mind Sugar Queen?" asked Toph, who was extremely frustrated with the refusal of Hothead and Sweetness to get together.
"Nothing Toph, I'm just thinking," Katara drawled.
"This feels like familiar territory," stated Toph. Katara nodded. "So I'll ask again, do you like Zuko?"
"Yes," Katara whispered, "but I can't."
"And why not?"
"We are opposites and…" Toph interrupted.
"And you could go on for hours and hours, but it boils down to you like him and he likes you. You need him, and you know it. Let go of your crazy ideals and tell Hothead you like him and enjoy the time you have. You don't know what the future will bring Sweetness, but I know you are avoiding happiness." Katara looked back at Zuko, her heart yearned to go over there, but something still held her back.
"Katara, you and Zuko are one of the most twisted and messed up people that could ever be in a relationship. The idea of you falling for him is insane, but it happened. So what, who is going to yell at you for following your heart? No one. You said it yourself; you were the only one that didn't accept Zuko."
Toph and Katara sat in a comfortable silence while Katara mulled Toph's words over. While Katara was in her trance, she failed to notice that Sokka, Aang, Zuko and even Haru and the gang had all congregated at the fountain.
"Katara," called Zuko softly, concerned as to why she hadn't responded to anything anyone had said. Katara glanced up sharply at Zuko and the two connected gazes. Katara then realized what Toph had been trying to tell her.
Katara leapt into Zuko's arms and buried her face in his chest. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
"What for?" he asked, forgetting that her brother and friends were standing a few feet away.
"For being an idiot, and denying my heart," Katara responded, "I love you Zuko."
Those words, he had wanted to hear them for so long, but Katara's fears were justified. "I love you too, Katara, but you were right. Our relationship is wrong and will be frowned upon." Katara looked up at his face and searched for rejection in his face.
"That's not a no, is it?" she asked fearfully, not wanting to face rejection.
Zuko smiled a true smile and replied, "No, that is not a no."
"Good," Katara stated as she brought his lips to hers. As the broke apart she whispered, "Cause I'm gonna love you even if it's wrong."
I'm thinking of turning this into a series of one-shots based on Carrie Underwood's entire cd Carnival Ride. Let me know what you think. R&R
