Crossover

It is a truth universally acknowledged that once one was involved with a prince and stopping a war that any royal council would be in want of you for a ball or party where "differences would be forgotten and all would have fun." Regardless of anyone's opinion of it.

As almost always, Katara dreaded these stuffy sorts of meetings where she had to go and act polite among ambassadors and nobles. She had come to dislike putting on her traditional, formal gear, which got hot and heavy in the summer heat of the Fire Nation, where, inevitably, these things were held.

Hot and heavy

Gasping breaths…his soft lips…gold glimmering in the moonlight—

She stopped her train of thought right then and there, before any of that got out of hand.

Sighing, she prepared herself, tying the knot of her wrap-around dress, and slapped a belt on over it. She arranged her hair, knowing soon, she would have to hop across to Toph's apartments in the royal grounds to help her put on an outfit that was at least color-coordinated properly and put her hair up in a way that at least stayed in place. The last party she went to, Toph had had a fit of independence and had worn a brown tunic-dress, yellow leggings, and her hair ended up springing out of its position, promptly spraying one of Zuko's relatives with hairpins. It ended rather nastily with several broken pillars and burnt tapestries, and a few angry yells of, "SPARKY, will ya calm down!"

Katara checked herself briefly in the mirror.

Fancy up-do, with hair loopies placed just so amongst the loops; check.

Fancy blue dress with the white fur trim on the hem and long trailing sleeves? Double check.

Pearl and sea-glass earrings? Check.

Mother's necklace? Check, as always.

She sighed, hiked up her gown, and walked out into the overcast, muggy night to find Toph.

"Soooo! You lookin' forward to seein' Sparky in all his finery?" Toph asked her as Katara begin twisting her tough, dry, and butt-length black hair into an acceptable shape. If they were lucky, and Yue's light blessed them, Toph's hair might even end up looking attractive.

Of course, not that Toph really cared. But Katara knew that she'd work it anyways.

"Well, I suppose. But neither my pride nor my slight prejudice of the Fire Nation will allow me to enjoy it," she replied, smiling slightly. Toph smiled back.

"Even after seven years, you still hold a grudge, Sugar Queen?"

"A small one. And I really can't let Zuko, I mean, the Fire Lord, let his guard down. He's just too funny when he's on the edge!"

"Nicely put." Toph wriggled impatiently in her seat, wrinkling the folds of her green kimono. Katara put the last pin in place in Toph's hair.

"And to be honest, I don't think that Zuko ever looks attractive in Fire Nation formal wear, but that's just my opinion."

"Good opinion, once lost, is lost forever, Katara," Toph quipped, getting up and leading the way out the door and to the party.

"Very funny, shorty," she jibed, knocking her friend on the shoulder with her elbow.

Katara sighed. Aang was beginning to bore her with his talk of chakras and spirits. He may have been her best friend, but the Avatar was not a sensible young man, and the deficiency of knowledge of other peoples' interests of things other than peacemaking had been but little assisted by hours of education on party talk or real life society.

As usual, it was hot in the room, and she was beginning to feel quite damp. Toph was busy chatting up a few of Zuko's, no the Fire Lord's relatives that seemed to be her age. Sokka, looking formal (and actually acceptable for public, she cheered to herself) in a deep blue robe, shirt, and pants, with a shoulder piece emblazoned with the moon symbol, danced with make-up-free Suki, who wore envy-inspiring green, her short red hair decorated with a single white lotus.

She put her hand on her chin and observed the room further. Dignitaries for each nation were scattered around, talking with each other. Several groups of Fire Nation nobles chattered and danced with each other. She noted Mai and Ty Lee standing with each other, talking animatedly, each well-dressed.

As her eyes roamed, she spied the Fire Lord himself. At scarcely twenty-three years of age, he had the look of someone a little too stressed, and slightly bored. He cut a fine figure in a deep scarlet shirt, black trousers, and a black surcoat with gold filigree details along the edges. His pointed boots did nothing to disguise his height, and the cumbersome crimson robe he wore carelessly over his outfit didn't narrow his shoulders in the slightest. His hair, always unruly, a good rival to Toph's, spilled out of its formal topknot, onto the scarred face, which really, truly didn't disfigure his good looks.

She laughed. He had a few growth spurts since she last seen him at nineteen years old. He'd gone from a teenage boy just getting used to his body to a tall, broad-shouldered man in this time, unlike her brother. All the growth spurts in the world, and Sokka would still remain long, lanky, and skinny.

"Katara? Katara?" Aang asked quietly, nudging her, a great feat, considering the immense folds of robe draping over his left arm.

"Hmmm, yes, Aang?" she said.

"You were daydreaming. What's going on in your head?"

"Oh, I was just observing the party."

"And by that you mean 'observing Zuko', right?" He smiled widely.

"Very funny Aang."

"Well, if a woman is partial to a man, and does not endeavor to conceal it, he must find it out," he said, attempting to sound old and wise.

"You know, Aang, coming from the single guy, you know an awful lot about love," she said sarcastically.

"Exactly, Baldie! What are you digging at?" Toph said, joining the conversation.

"Um, well, you see…" The young man struggled for words.

"Well, come on Twinkle-toes! Dance with me!" The Avatar soon found himself dragged off by his old sifu onto the dance floor.

Katara found herself sighing again. She felt another nudge, and craned her neck to see her brother standing next to her.

"Yes, brother dear?"

"How're you?"

"Oh, dandy!"

"Try 'the only one not dancing' on for size," Sokka teased.

"If the moccasin fits, wear it."

"Don't go giving me Gran-Gran's old proverbs. It's bad enough that she and Iroh are here, never mind Grandpakku. I've been getting jibes about marriage all night long."

"I thought Pakku asked you not to call him that."

"Whatever. Dance with me? Suki's eating."

Katara reluctantly took Sokka's hand and he whirled her out onto the floor. She espied Zuko dancing with Mai, smiling with his big white teeth.

Oh, what those teeth would be able to do…

Stop that, she told herself fiercely.

"Katara, it's no secret that you've been observing Zuko a lot tonight. I think the whole party knows," Sokka said, "But I think he's still affronted since the last party we had, and you completely denied him a dance. I'm pretty sure I heard him crying in the bathroom."

"'And then he didn't dance with anyone that night.' I've heard it. I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified me," she said crisply.

"Since when did he mortify you, Katara?" Sokka asked. "I'm pretty sure that you're just hiding your feelings for him underneath a layer of ice!"

"Coming from the guy who's been living with his girlfriend for almost seven years and is afraid to make a commitment!"

"You may as well have beaten him with your hairbrush!"

"May I cut in?" said a soft, smoky voice. Katara and Sokka turned to it, realizing that they had stopped dancing.

"Sure! But I think that it'll look weird with two guys dancing together!" Sokka said, his voice jumping a little higher.

"No, I meant with your sister," Zuko said softly, grinning. "But let's hope she doesn't beat me with her hairbrush."

Katara pinked considerably.

"I would be honored, Fire Lord Zuko," she said, quivering. He swept it, taking her hand and waist, and off they waltzed.

"And so how have you been these past years? You've been living on Kyoshi, right?" Zuko asked.

"Correct."

"But you haven't been to the South Pole in a while, yes?"

"Well, true. I really should go. And drag Sokka with me; Dad's getting old, and Sokka's next in line to be chieftain."

"Really now?"

"Really." She snorted softly. Her brother, the Southern Water Tribe chieftain; he was more likely to be Suki's devoted and slavish husband on Kyoshi.

"I think that he would be an excellent leader," Zuko said. "Better that me, I'm sure."

"Zuko, nothing is more deceitful than the appearance of humility," she said crossly.

"Why so touchy tonight, Katara?"

"I have my reasons."

His face blackened considerably.

"Come, let us take this outside before it gets messy," he said. He grasped her forearm and pulled her out of the throng of people, out a door, and onto a pavilion leading to the royal gardens.

"Pray tell, what has anyone done to make you so angry?" he asked.

"I am simply defending my brother and making sure you know your lessons! Acting like a politician amongst friends is no way to be!"

Zuko heaved a sigh of disgust. He turned, and faced the gardens.

It was only then did Katara feel tiny and terrible. She shut her eyes briefly, allowing images to flash through her mind.

That's enough.

"Zuko…I'm sorry. I can't speak much plainer but to admit that my own pride is getting in the way of my feelings."

"Really now?" He turned, and looked at her. She felt transparent.

"Forgive me?" she asked, spreading her arms.

He bypassed her arms and went straight for her mouth.