A/N: This actually started out as a submission for Zutara Week 2009 (Day 2: Blood), but it turned out WAY different than I thought it would, so I submitted it as a separate piece. Important information after this fic, so please take the time to read it. This takes place between TSR (The Southern Raiders) and the EIP (Ember Island Players)
The Clashing of Flames and Waves
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It started with a deluge of water.
Zuko had been meditating on the cliffs overlooking the beach when it happened. Sokka had been plotting with Toph to get everybody ready for the coming battle, so they had managed to convince the team members to attack each other at random intervals. Being prepared to expect the unexpected, or something to that effect. He had just taken a deep breath when it was knocked out of him a heartbeat later, disrupting his breathing and bringing him out of his meditative trance. Opening his eyes, he brushed his wet hair away from his face and stood up. Turning around, he saw the reason not only for his current wet state, but why he was out here meditating in the first place.
That infuriating... woman.
Katara was on the beach, a dozen feet below him, standing in a bending stance. Lifting more water from the ocean, she took a step back and quirked her eyebrow in challenge, waiting for him to come down.
Agni. Did she know what she did to him? Did she realise how beautiful she was to him, at this moment? And it wasn't even what she was wearing (although her underwrappings barely covered anything). It was just who she was – wild, and untamed. Her dark brown tresses, waving in the slight wind, and her eyes... Agni, he'd seen less depth staring into the ocean during his banishment.
Shaking off his momentary distraction, he returned her look with a slightly lopsided smile and blasted off the cliff, letting his firebending take him up and over her, separating her from the ocean. With a smirk, he blasted a short jet of fire at her, knowing that she'd deflect it, but still keeping an eye on it so it wouldn't burn her.
As predicted, Katara grabbed a tendril of water straight from the air and deflected his flames off to the side so that they left a blackened scorch mark on the rock face. Not giving up, Zuko continued to blast ball after ball of fire at her, trying to break her defence. But Katara smoothly adapted and, grabbing he moisture from a nearby tree, settled into a smooth, sinuous defensive pattern Zuko realised that the battle wasn't going to be finished that quickly, so he stopped with the large, continuous blasts. Feeling his inner flame grow a little larger in anticipation of a challenging battle, he began to try a technique that he had picked up from a friend in the Navy. Holding back his next fireball, he focuses it into a sliver of yellowed flame. With a flick of his wrist, he aims it jut to the right of Katara's ear.
Smirking, Katara looked as Zuko launched blast after blast at her. He'll never learn... I can deflect these easily. But whydoes he have to meditate without a shirt? I mean, yeah, his body is amazing, but... did I just admit to myself that I find him attractive? Nah, Toph couldn't be right. Her and her crazy theories that me and Zuko have the hots for each other are completely ridiculous. However... Taking another look at the half-naked firebender blasting her I COULD make a worst choice to have a crush on... Now, what did Toph say to do to see if he likes me? Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice that the latest blast wasn't anywhere near the size it normally was, nor that it was a much more intense flame. Bringing her water around again for a deflection, she was surprised when it cut straight though her shield and breezed past her ear, making her fall flat on her butt.
That certainly got her attention. Zuko smirked as he mentally thanked that old sea dog from his ship. Thanks, Jee. Remind me to get you a bottle of Uncle's fire whiskey next time I see you. Jee's brother was a Yu Yan archer, and the two had worked together when they were younger, and had developed that technique before Jee's brother had died in an assassination attempt gone wrong. Focusing the fire let you cut through obstacles – they had originally made for for assassinations, to go through a single earthen wall. Centering himself once more, Zuko started to flick flame arrows at Katara.
What's... what's this? Trying to hold back her shock at Zuko's new technique, Katara scrambled to adapt. Trying ice walls, thicker water... nothing worked. Eventually, she had to resort to something that she hated resorting to. She had only done it once or twice, and only when sparring with Zuko: Aang would always hold back, but Zuko... sparring Zuko gave her a rush, and he never went easy on her. As the next flicker of fire flashed towards her, she dived to the side.
Zuko was smirking. Everything she tried failed in the face of Jee's fire arrow. Considering that the technique was specifically designed to kill... Zuko shook off the lingering doubt and fired another dart. This time, Katara did the smart thing and dodged outright. As she dived, though, she stumbled and fell down, crying out in pain. Immediately, Zuko stopped firebending and ran towards her. "Katara!" As Zuko reached down to grab her hand and pull her up, the world spun around him and he found himself on his back, with an icicle dagger against his neck. He could feel it bite against the thin skin on his throat and felt a hot trickle of blood well up from the wound. Katara smirked and leaned down and put her mouth next to his ear and he felt her hot breath whisper into it.
"Nice moves, Zuko, but no dice." Zuko couldn't see it, but Katara was blushing furiously. Toph told me that this would work... I hope that she wasn't trying to trick me... "Better luck next time, Sparky" As she got up, she realised that she was straddling him, with her legs on both sides of his hips. Blushing more furiously, she suddenly noticed that a trail of blood was trickling down his neck. Grabbing some water from the air, she moved to heal it but she noticed the stunned look on Zuko's face. Do it, Katara. She could almost hear Toph's voice in her head. Twisting her fingers slightly, she ran a single finger along Zuko's wound, healing it. Giving Zuko an exaggerated wink, she stepped off of him and gave her hips a little extra swing as she walked away.
Zuko finally snapped out of his daze a moment later, and a heartbeat after that, he broke into a true smile. "Next time..." Keeping the grin on his face, he started the short walk back to his family's summer home.
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Neither Katara nor Zuko noticed the pair of hurt, grey eyes that stared out from under the nearby bushes. They had arrived not long after the duel had started, and had narrowed in fury as the firebender begin to use those almost lethal looking darts. Near the conclusion, they had almost moved to defend the water tribeswoman when she had fallen and cried out, but seeing that it was a trick... I never knew that Katara would try something like that. Seeing the two benders so close... a rage and a deep, painful hurt rose within him, and tears started to trickle down his face. Wiping the water from his eyes, the figure darted back into the underbrush, tears again filling his eyes.
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OH GOD THE AANGST. I'm terrible, aren't I? Well, at least I didn't ignore his feelings completely, right? I am actually in the process of writing a second chapter (called Jealousy – guess why) as a tribute of sorts to Zutara Week '09. Should I post it, once it's complete? Now, I have other news – As you may or not have figured out, I do not have a beta. Therefore, I am asking for your help. If there's someone out there who's willing to bug me to update, bounce ideas off and generally act as spellchecker, please drop me a PM, or something.