Disclaier: I do not, and never will, own Avatar: the Last Airbender.
Zutara Week: Crossover
Katara shuffled around the main pavilion in the Western Air Temple, cleaning up. She folded up some of Sokka's dirty clothes that were lying scattered on the floor and deftly swept a wave of water across a particularly dirty patch on the floor. The motherly girl continued cleaning, lost in her own thoughts. Though she was not to be left to her own devices, as she might have wished....
"Oh lighten up, Sweetness! Come play Pai Sho with us, I'm totally creaming knucklehead here," the 'knucklehead' to which Toph was referring to made a strangled sound of protest.
"I am not a knucklehead! And I'm not losing either!" Sokka cried.
"Yeah you are," Zuko grinned, leaning back against a boulder Toph had so kindly placed there before....while throwing it at Aang during training. Sitting beside him, Aang chuckled and shrugged sympathetically at Sokka. At the sound of Zuko's voice, Katara tensed, but a split second later, she visibly forced herself to relax, a fact that was not lost on any of the other kids. Toph, though her face didn't change, reached out her awareness towards the prince specifically. Sokka and Aang shared a look and Zuko lowered his head.
"I'll go....clean up my room," Zuko said quietly. He stood and with his head lowered, walked out of the room. No one challenged his pitiful excuse to escape and they watched him pass silently. When Toph felt him walk out of hearing range, she exhaled a huge breath.
"Gosh, Sugar Queen. Did you have to do that?"
Katara closed her eyes and sat down on the edge of the fountain, massaging her temples. "Sorry, I didn't mean to. It was just ...... a reflex, I suppose. It's hard,"
Aang leapt up, going up unnaturally high before landing lightly on the fountain beside her, his clothes rustling on the brief breeze that was created. He sat next to her companionably and draped an arm around her shoulders.
"It's okay, Katara. I know its hard to trust him, but he really is a nice guy,"
"Once you get past the introverted-ness, silence, temper, and arrogance," Sokka piped up in a fake cheery voice.
"And if I can forgive him, you can too," Aang finished confidently, choosing to ignore Sokka.
"Yeah. Seriously though," Sokka gave up the peppy facade and became somber, "You should go talk to him. Resolve those feelings, get over the trust issues. Talk it out, you know?"
"Yeah...I guess I should," the girl stood wearily.
"He's in his room," Toph added. Katara nodded and strode away, bracing herself internally for the conversation she was about to have.
"......"
"Wanna play Pai Sho?"
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Katara paused briefly in front of the wooden door. I can't believe I'm actually doing this... She took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
"Hey. It's me," she called quietly.
A brief silence ensued and then Katara heard the rustling of blankets and clothes. The door opened a crack and Zuko's unscarred eye was there, his rumply black hair hanging into it. They stared at each other for a moment before Zuko seemed to come to his senses.
"Oh. Hi," he said as he opened the door and walked away. Katara stood awkwardly in the doorway before walking in and quietly shutting the door behind her. Zuko strode across his small room and plopped down onto his bed. He rested he elbows on his knees, hands clasped together, and head bowed, seemingly perfectly content to say nothing.
As she stood in the middle of the room, Katara let her eyes flicker around curiously. She had never been inside Zuko's room in the temple and had wondered briefly what it looked like. Besides the bed in the corner (its blankets folded carefully, Katara noted, pleased), the only other furniture in the room was a small desk on which sat Zuko's travel worn pack. Propped up against the wall however, was a portrait of the old man, General Iroh. The one who had saved her back in Ba Sing Se. When Zuko had betrayed them. Katara winced and hastily shoved the painful memory away. Those kinds of memories would do nothing for the coming discussion.
Looking up, Zuko followed the line of her sight to the portrait.
"My uncle. He loved me like a son, like his own. He was always there for me, with tea and advice, or just to listen to my problems. My whole life, beside my mother, he was the only one who ever cared about me. He abandoned his family and life in the Fire Nation to be with me in my exile," Zuko closed his eyes, as if the memory was too painful, "And I betrayed him,"
Katara'sheart was touched. Here was a glimpse of lost, lonely, confused, and hurt boy she had so briefly seen before. She sat down next to him on the bed, all wariness forgotten.
"Yeah, you did. But Zuko, you're truly sorry for what you did and you're here now. With us. Trying to help save the world. You make us tea, help wash the dishes, teach Aang firebending, make jokes with Sokka, and do everything you can to make up for burning Toph's feet. You're a different person than you were, and your uncle would be proud,"
Zuko shook his head angrily.
"You don't understand! He hates me, I know he does. How could he forgive me after all that I betrayed him? How could he lo-like me anymore?"
"Zuko, from hearing what your uncle did for you, he loves you very much. If he truly loves you that much, and he does, he will forgive you," Katara smiled at him.
Zuko looked up at her, his eyes speaking mountains.
"Thank you," he said, with a small smile.
Katara answered with a grin and she stood. She placed her hands on either side of his head and placed a motherly kiss on the top of his head. Ruffling his dark hair, Katara walked out of the room. As she left, she looked over her shoulder and said a few words that sealed their friendship.
"And Zuko? I forgive you," And with that, she left the room.
Speechless, Zuko subconsciously reached up a hand and placed it on the spot where she had kissed him and then moved his hand to rest on his lips. Maybe someday....
And the bridge between polite tolerance and friendship was crossed over, and two teenagers became unbreakable friends. And maybe more...someday.
Author's Note: Hi everyone! So, this is for Zutara week, though I haven't actually signed up (mainly because I don't know if I need to and if I do, I don't know how, but whatever. :D) and I'm just writing. Yeah, its not really romantic Zutara, 'cept for that bit at the end that's onesided Zutara and promises more. Please reveiw! I've never done prompts and I don't know how I did....