The original reason I started coming back to this site: ZUTARA FANFICTION!
"Are we there yet?"
"No."
"Are we there yet?"
"No."
"Are we there yet?"
"Toph!"
Katara looked back at the blind girl, shooting her a look she was lucky she couldn't see. Toph grinned and waved. "Sorry, just trying to pass the time. Lord Smokey isn't too much fun over here."
Zuko closed his eyes and tried to ease himself of his growing headache. "Well I'm sorry I'm a poor source of amusement," he finally said.
"Don't sweat it, dude."
"Both of you, please!" Katara gripped the reigns on Appa and turned around to look at them. "It's getting dark; we'll make landing soon, okay?"
"I don't even understand why she came with us in the first place," Zuko muttered as he let his head rest on the edge of the saddle, staring out at the land flying below them.
"Trust me, it ain't fun being the third wheel."
"Okay, here we are!" Katara tried to yell over Toph, bringing the bison down as quickly and noisily as she could. Zuko cast her a look of thanks as they hit the ground.
Despite enjoying the luxuries of a Fire Lord, camping was one of the things he secretly missed. He loved the friendly, working atmosphere as everyone set up together, from gathering wood to rolling out sleeping bags and unpacking supplies, the sounds of the fire starting and Toph's smart-alecky responses. Actually, Zuko thought as he looked over at her now, maybe he didn't miss that. It was never gone to begin with.
His ultimate secret favorite, however, had been the stars. Almost every night, whether he was traveling with Iroh, the Avatar, or by himself, he would lie awake for hours and just stare up at them, letting his mind wander in ways that he would have never allowed in the day. Sometimes he thought about his mother and where she might be, if she was even alive; other nights he dreamed about the future. He clearly remembered one night, very soon before his coronation, when he remembered that he was still due to find a wife and make things right with the rest of the world. The tasks had seemed impossible at the time, the only two that he would never fulfill. He laughed now as he thought about where he was: on his way to make a treaty with the Northern Water Tribe, his wife faithfully at his side (although, in part, to see her father as well). He'd even proposed to Katara under the stars.
"So we should get there about noon tomorrow," Katara said, rolling out a map next to her dinner. "We could spend the night there if we're too tired and leave after a good breakfast."
Zuko frowned at the idea. "I hope your father isn't looking to start a fight. I'll be near useless with all the snow."
She laughed. "He loves you, you know that!"
"Zuko just doesn't like the cold, that's all," Toph grinned. "Makes him feel...inadequate. With his firebending, of course," she added maliciously as he choked on his tea.
"Oh please, don't even act like you came along for the ride." Katara didn't even look up from the map. "If I'm correct, Aang said he wanted to be there for this treaty, didn't he?"
"Wow, Katara, this arctic hen is great!" Toph waved it around distractedly. "How much did you make, is there any left? Gee, thanks!"
Katara and Zuko exchanged grins as the earthbender shoveled the extra portion in her mouth and chewed noisily. They knew that Aang would probably be just as excited to see her, and just as bashful about it.
Dinner slowly broke up after some more banter, Zuko taking an extra cup of tea as he was taking the first watch. He sat next to Katara, watching her reorganize their supply pack for something to do. Absentmindedly, she reached for Zuko's tea cup.
"Ow!"
She gasped and muttered a curse as she burnt herself.
They'd both seen worse, but he was immediately worried for her regardless. "Are you alright?"
She waved her hand and grimaced. "Yeah...I'll be fine. Just a little stupidity. I'm tired, I wasn't thinking."
"Here."
Lifting her hand, he poured some water on it and watched as her own special ability took over. Within seconds, the burn was gone. Katara smiled and looked up at him, lightly kissing him. "Better. See?"
"Aww, you two are sooooooooo cute!"
They turned to see Toph rolling her eyes and making kissy faces at them. "Who woulda thought? Fire and water, together in harmony and all that! A love story for the ages! Seriously, I should be a poet."
Katara laughed as Zuko's eye twitched. "Don't expect any mercy when we get to the North Pole," he gritted. "Make sure you let the Avatar know exactly why you two are the butt of everyone's jokes."
"By then you'll be a Lord Popsicle, so I think we'll be okay. And I'm just saying: you two are going to have some pretty interesting kids."
"Toph, you just referred to you and Aang as 'we'," Katara piped up.
"I said goodnight guys! See you bright and early!" Her rock tent shot up and she went silent.
Katara laughed as she huddled into her own sleeping bag. "I can stay up with you if you want me to," she offered.
Zuko shook his head. "It's fine. Besides, I wouldn't want your father to worry about you."
She snorted. "He always will. He may not have been around that much, but he's still a dad. It's in his nature to worry."
The young man looked down at the fire. "A dad, huh..."
Katara smiled and lay down. "Goodnight, Zuko."
"'Night." He hoped she couldn't sense the distraction in his voice.
They'd gotten up early to travel so the camp went quiet very quickly, save for Toph's incredible snoring and the loud breathing of Appa. Years of travel had made him immune to these sounds, though. If anything, he needed them to fall asleep now.
Of course, he also had problems sleeping with an anxious mind, which was probably helpful as he was on first watch anyway. Zuko found himself looking back up at the stars, searching for answers as if he were a moody, anxious, banished prince again.
"Kids?" he tried the word out, testing it like a new dish or a firebending technique. Either of those things would have been much easier. "How could I ever be a father?"
He'd never really thought of it before. Yes, of course he wanted children; he loved Katara, and he wanted to start a family with her. There were, of course, more practical reasons for him to have a child as well, but he hadn't truly thought of it until before he'd even proposed to her. He had so many questions now, questions that a son usually saved for his father. Zuko frowned as he realized this. Iroh, the only man that he was ever truly close to, was only going to be around for so long. Katara grew up without a mother as well. Who were they going to turn to?
He lay down next to Katara, wrapping an arm around her and burying his face in her neck. She smiled and gave a small "hmm," instinctively moving to his warmth. "Something on your mind?"
"How could you tell?"
"You flinched when I said the word 'dad.' And I know you're not really scared of him because I know you heard us talking when he said that I couldn't have found a more perfect husband."
He couldn't help but smile. "I love you."
"Love you, too." She kissed his forehead sleepily, dozing off in his arms.
He stared back up at the stars, expecting some sort of closure, some feeling of assurance, but it wasn't there. She was perfect for him, and he knew that. He knew that she would make a great mother. So why did he still feel this way?
"Katara?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you think I would make a good dad?"
"Of course I do," she murmured.
"Okay. I was just wondering."
Zuko was still staring up at the sky. He looked over at Katara, then back up at the sky, then back at her again. Giving a sigh, he looked up one last time. "Katara?"
"Mmm."
"Are you sure?"
"Mm-hmm."
Silence. "...was that a yes or a no?"
"Mmm."
"...a yes?"
"Yes! Zuko will make a good father, dammit! You two will have pretty half-Water Tribe, half-Fire Nation babies and they'll grow up happy with their loving royal parents and everyone will rejoice for them! Now can we all get some sleep?" Toph slammed the ground and a third wall shot up to block out the rest of the one-sided banter.
Katara giggled drowsily. "She's right, you know."
"About the father thing or about sleep?"
"Both." She opened an eye. "In all seriousness, though, I'm not at all worried. You'll make a great father."
"Serious?"
"That's what I said."
He smiled and kissed her. "Thanks. Goodnight, Katara."
"Goodnight, Zuko."
"Goodnight, Toph," they called out together.
"Shut up, all of you!"
And now, on to improve that crap of a story I call Sands of Time.