Author's Note: Hello! Silver here once again. I have absolutely loved Avatar: The Last Airbender since I'd first watched it a couple years ago. I think the series was absolutely amazing, and it just felt right to do a fanfic featuring my favorite shipping from the fandom...ZUTARA! I hope you enjoy! Remember to review if you like!
Chapter 1: Flight M6273
He hated flights, needless to say. It was evident in the way he held himself as he perched uncomfortably on the edge of the blue seat cushion.
Zuko Kanai waited for his plane to take off, sitting uneasily in seat IA of flight M6273. Above all, he knew he hated the initial smell of airplane smell spewing throughout the plane cabin that permeated the air that he was to breathe for the next five hours-he was flying out from Chicago, Illinois, to New York City, New York, to scout out a possible location for his company's new headquarters.
He rubbed his eyes and massaged his aching temples, and the reality of the situation hit him again. His father was dead, and at twenty-seven years old, he was now in control of his family's business empire-the water supply company Phoenix Water Lines.
Unbidden, the thought of his father brought up long-forgotten memories of his other parent-his mother, Ursa Kanai (née Mimura). Why she had married his father, Ozai Kanai, he'd never known. She'd been one of only three people in his life that hadn't tried to make his existence a living hell, the other two being his uncle Iroh and cousin Lu Ten. Iroh had passed on in his sleep eight years ago-peacefully, thank the Spirits. Lu Ten had died fifteen years ago when he had been surveying a water main site, preparing for inheritance of the company from his father, and a pipe had struck him on the head, fatally injuring him. Then Uncle had died, and then Ozai had inherited the company from his older brother.
He sighed.
Uncle had always been kind to him, if a little crazy about tea. An afternoon spent at his uncle's even one spent discussing tea-had always been an enjoyable afternoon. Uncle had been a jolly man, always booming with hearty laughter and bad jokes with worse punchlines. Nevertheless, in the easy company of his kindly uncle, Zuko had always found it easy to laugh at any terrible joke. He'd been an infectiously happy man, and had always managed to pass some of that happiness on to Zuko.
Lu Ten had been eight years Zuko's senior, but not stuck-up or superior about it at all. He'd always been willing to impart some of his knowledge to his younger cousin, who had always looked up at him with wide, admiring eyes, trying to absorb every bit of knowledge that the older cousin he considered his role model spoke. He had always been quiet, grave-pensive. And that had been how he died-without a sound save for the clank of the metal pipe. He'd been killed instantly, and Zuko's world had been turned upside down by the loss of such an important person in his life.
His mother had always been quiet and a little sad-he'd always been able to see it in the subtle set of her lips, the way her golden eyes would darken when all grew quiet and one was able to hear oneself's thoughts. He'd always wondered what had had such cause to mire her in such a perpetual sadness, but he'd never asked. It had never seemed more wrong to broach a topic like that, and so he kept his mouth shut and never uttered a single word on the subject.
He was returned to reality (unfortunately, a plane) by the sensation of someone taking their seat beside him. He was sitting in the aisle seat and the window seat had already been taken, leaving only the middle seat open, and now that had been taken by the new traveler, who was taking a few moments to settle in.
As the newcomer, a woman, was settling in, he took a moment to look over at her. She had skin some shades darker than his own pale skin, and hair the color of milk chocolate.
She suddenly turned, and he found himself looking in ocean-blue eyes set into a face that looked to usually be filled with a light happiness, but was currently filled with a subtle sorrow that looked wrong. She looked to be only one or two years younger than he saw her mouth move, her lips form words, and realized that she was addressing him.
"Hi. My name's Katara, Katara Nanahara. What's yours?"
He found himself entranced by those ocean-blue eyes, then managed to shake himself from his temporary daze.
"Oh-yeah. My name's Zuko Kanai. Nice to meet you." Uncertainly, he extended his hand out to shake. She took it with a firm but gentle grip, and he could not help but notice that her hand was comfortably warm and slightly callused, a little rough at the fingertips.
"So...uh...where are you from?" His voice was slightly uncertain; it'd been so long since he'd met someone new for purposes other than for business reasons. With an internal wince, he realized how dominated by business his life was.
"I'm from Seattle. Y'know...I've always loved the water, even the rain. What about you?"
"I'm from Illinois...but I've never liked the cold. I've always been...more of a summer person."
"Ah. So why are you heading to New York?" Her eyes were bright blue, filled with inquisitiveness.
"I'm scouting out a new location for the Phoenix Water Lines company ." His voice rasped unexpectedly, suddenly gritty with tiredness, and he was reminded of his recent late nights, when he would stay up until 3:00 A.M. in the morning, get three hours of sleep, and be up by 6:00 A.M. Sometimes, he would stay up late enough to still be awake and aware to see the first predawn glimmers of light reaching over the horizon, and he would rub his tired, tired eyes. "So, what about you?"
"A job interview...for AP...y'know, Associated Press. I've always wanted to write for them." On the word "write," her eyes brightened a little bit. "Writing's always been my forte."
"Oh. Cool. Congratulations. The only writing I really do these days is drawing up reports."
"Wow. You must be pretty busy, huh?"
"Yeah." On that last word, the intercom came on.
"Hello, ladies, gents, and kids. My name is Teo Kuninobu. I'll be your pilot today. We'll be taking off shortly, so please keep note of the seat belt sign. You will need to turn off your electronic devices at the moment. We will alert you when you can turn them back on, after takeoff. Buckle up, and enjoy the flight!" The intercom cut off, and Zuko fastened his seat belt. Next to him, he noticed Katara doing the same.
Within the next few minutes, the plane began to move along the runway, with a grinding, crunching noise as the wheels turned on the asphalt that was the takeoff strip.
And in a mere instant, the plane was up in the sky.
