Cold Shoulder
Disclaimer – Avatar is not mine. It belongs to Ryan DiMartino and Brian Koneitzko.
Okay…I got this idea, based off a comment someone made a while ago on LJ about the prophecy that Katara would marry a powerful bender, and someone had suggested (out of teasing) that it could be Pakku. This was such a interesting idea that I simply had to try it.
Warnings. Um… If you don't like old men and young girls, turn back. Other than that…yeah, this story is not for little kiddies. Please note I started writing this before the season finale. So in this story the turn of events is a bit different. Pakku never went to the South Pole, and it was Katara who went back instead.
Katara was miserable, more miserable than she had ever been, she mused as the gondola floated through the city, the man she had just married sitting at her side. The walls of the buildings seemed to close in onto her, and the water surrounding her seemed cold and forbidding.
Without her knowledge, Pakku had asked her father for her hand in marriage...and her father had said yes!
Katara and Aang had remained at the North for a while, training under Pakku, before they left, and a little over a year later she had turned sixteen. It was supposed to be a happy occasion for her, until her father had made a fateful announcement. That announcement had come a few weeks after a convoy of North Water Tribe members came to the South, wishing to reinforce their ties. But somehow, her father had ended up with quite a few nice gifts. There were a few for her as well, including a gorgeous new parka, and Hakoda had not explained why. Since her sixteenth birthday had been a month away, she had thought it was a birthday gift. She was mistaken, for it was a different kind of gift.
So this meant a trip to the North Pole for her and her father. Her grandmother was already dead, and her father was strangely mum on the trip.
It was not until they were settled in the city that she found out why she had been brought here. Some sweet sixteen this turned out to be.
She remained cold and miserable, at first trying to argue with her father. But he remained convinced that this was a good match, as the South was struggling and she would have a better life here, her husband was wealthy, and a powerful Waterbender at that. Which would most likely guarantee Waterbending progeny, and the Water Tribes were always in need of that.
She went through the motions of compliance, behaving herself, although thoughts of suicide or running away frequented her thoughts as well as disbelief. Pakku was her Waterbending teacher. Now he was to be her husband. The wedding feast and ceremony today had been hell for her. She had to fight back the urge to just flee into the frozen wasteland beyond the city. And now there was the wedding night to look forward to.
Her hair was done up and she wore her fine new parka… all of her clothing was in fact new, but none of that mattered to her. She refused to make eye contact with her husband, folding her arms as she looked out at the water. She had half a mind to plunge off the gondola and let herself sink to the bottom, but there was no doubt Pakku would fish, or more accurately, bend her out of the water.
Idly, she fiddled around with one of her braids, fingering the polished shell clasp.
"The parka I had made for you is rather becoming of you." Pakku said as he glanced down at her. She did not reply and continued staring at the water. Her new parka was not the light or medium blue that most people of the Water Tribe wore, but it was a deep blue like his own.
She stiffened a little as the boat came to a gradual stop and looked up to see one of the buildings, assuming correctly that this was to be her new residence.
"Come along now." Pakku said as he reached for her hand. She had to resist the urge to yank her hand away violently or throw up on him.
That'd be a fine way to start off the wedding night, emptying her stomach on her groom. Perhaps that would make him lose interest in her.
But no. Part of her knew it was immature, and she did not want to arouse the ire of her groom, or disappoint her father. So she held back the meager amount of food she had eaten at the sumptuous wedding feast even as she felt Pakku's fingers on the side of her neck, brushing against it gently. She groaned softly and jerked away involuntarily, coming so close to slapping him right there, before glaring at him silently. The driver of the gondola glanced over at them curiously as he waited for them to climb off.
She had felt so miserable at the ceremony and feast, even when everyone congratulated her for marrying such a powerful Waterbender. Her own rank in the city was now high because of him, but she didn't care. Sokka had looked surprised she was marrying Pakku and Aang…he had looked so sad. Whenever she looked over at him, she had seen such wistful grey eyes staring at her. She wanted to go over to him and hug him and tell her that she had never agreed to this. But she was given no such opportunity for a quiet moment. It had been a whirlwind of activity since arriving at the North Pole.
The wedding had been three days after she had arrived – such a short amount of time for her to grow on the idea of Pakku's bride! She had been surrounded by a bustle of activity, with barely a moment to sit down and breathe, and she had been with Pakku a few times as well, once alone, just to talk, and twice in others' company…she didn't like it either way.
I'm supposed to be married to someone who loves me! Someone who I love back! Someone who wouldn't go behind my back and pull a stunt like this! she thought furiously as she stepped off the gondola. She would rather be married to Aang or even Zuko than this arrogant, dour and selfish man. He was harsh enough as her teacher, what would he be like as a husband?
Pakku held back a smirk as his bride stepped off the gondola, steadying herself with his hand just a bit. Even though she had behaved herself, he knew she was not happy, but that would come to pass. What mattered was that she was now his, and a lovely bride she was. He had feared for a moment that her father wouldn't accept his proposal, thank the spirits that he did.
He had come to admire her greatly when she was training under him as a student, and when she left he found out that he had missed her sorely. She was like no other woman, and he was determined to have her back. Katara might think that he wanted her because she had a resemblance to Kana, but he was not so petty as to marry for that. He had never desired any other woman as much as he did Katara, not even Kana. Now, it looked as if he might have a bit of happiness, after all his lonely years, with a worthy wife. Whether she would willingly make him happy, was debatable, but he was determined.
He remembered waiting with bated breath as the convoy of boats reached the North Pole, for then he would have his answer, and there were no words to describe the satisfaction he had felt when he saw father and daughter at the prow of the leading boat. He had nearly done a dance of joy right there and then on the city wall. Even though Katara had been short with him during their private meeting, he was not deterred at all.
Katara looked up at him defiantly when she had her feet placed firmly on the walk. The gondola drifted away, and he simply responded to her defiant glare with a smirk.
"Shall we, wife?" Pakku asked as he turned towards the building. She said nothing, but did not jerk away when he tugged at her hand, leading her into the building and walking up a flight of stairs to his residence. Not once did she make eye contact or look up at him, but that mattered not.
They came to a large and comfortable-looking chamber, with furs and rugs scattered about the floor, along with a couple on the walls, to make for a very cozy-looking living space. In the middle of this chamber raged a fire, and their wedding gifts were already put in here and set about loosely out of the way. A couple of hanging blankets on the walls led to smaller chambers, and another flight of stairs led to the rooftop which led to a very impressive view of the city. His status as Waterbending Master led him to be able to secure one of the best living quarters.
On the other side of the chamber was a large pile of furs and blankets, and now he would have someone to keep that pile warm. The fire cast its cheery glow all around the room and he looked down at his wife. He could see that despite her unhappiness, she was impressed. She would be living more than comfortably with him.
Pakku turned back to the entrance and lifted his arms, ice and snow climbing up and forming a wall so it was as if the door had never been there. He had to hold back a chuckle as he noticed the look of dismay in his wife's eyes. She was certainly honest with her emotions. Even if she stayed calm, showing no signs of obvious defiance or unhappiness, he could read it all in her eyes as if she were an open book. He admired her spirit and knew she would be an excellent companion for him despite her rebellious streak… although he would show her who was the boss.
Katara watched as the door disappeared, holding back a sigh. She had learned plenty from Pakku, and if she wanted to open the door, she had to either make it collapse or break it into pieces for she wasn't yet proficient enough to open or close it smoothly as he just did. She knew he would stop her if she tried to open the door and flee.
She walked to one side of the room, looking out the windows. She hadn't expected to see the impressive view that was to be had, and held back a soft gasp as she realized just how much could be seen. The waxing moonlight bathed the city in hues of blue and silver, and for a moment she forgot about just why she was here.
"Beautiful isn't it?" Pakku asked as he approached from behind, his eyes on the girl and ignoring the view before them. He had seen it often enough to ignore it sometimes.
"Yes." she said quietly, stiffening a bit. He had to go and ruin the moment with that comment! And as if on cue, it was just now that she noticed the square in front of the Palace, just on the left side of the panorama she was looking out at, where the wedding ceremony had been held. Most of the people were gone now and two or three milled about on their own business.
She held back a sigh as she looked away from this and back at the buildings and canals, wishing she was free right now. Her eyes traveled to her gloves and she picked up one hand, looking at the glove. It was new along with her parka – and the rest of her wardrobe, but these things mattered nothing to her, nor did the gems in her hair. She knew Pakku was wealthy but what was that to her? She did not care for him and it was heartbreaking for her to find herself being married against her will.
She could just stare out the window forever if it would hold off what would come next, but it was bound to happen sooner or later. And when she felt Pakku place his hands on her waist from behind, she knew it was sooner.
I hope he has a heart attack and leaves me a rich widow, Katara thought dryly, before she felt his breath on the side of her neck, instinctively she pushed him away and spun around to face him.
"Being defiant again, aren't we?" Pakku said in that condescending tone that made her want to smack him. Katara simply glared back at him and Pakku glared right back, crossing his arms and looking down at her. She glared at him with a cold intensity in her blue eyes that made the barren ice fields that surrounded the city seem warm in comparison, and any other man would have been put off. But not Pakku.
"You are mine now, Katara. Get used to it."
"No I won't! I am not a thing to be taken!" she shot back defiantly, stomping her foot.
"You are mine. Now, do as I say and stop being defiant. Your place is here at home here with me and not gallivanting around with a child."
"You never even asked me if I wanted to marry! You just asked my father and bribed him with gifts! What the hell would you want me for anyway? I'm just a poor Southern Watertribe girl! So go to hell because I hate you!"
Pakku stared at her for a moment before he grabbed her arm and yanked her close, their bodies pressed flush together.
"Because I can, and I don't care if you hate me." Pakku snarled, even though deep within, her declaration cut with the precision of a honed shard of ice, stabbing clear through his heart.
"If you chose me because I look like Kana, that is a sick and disgusting reason! I am not her and I cannot replace her, not that I would even want to!" Katara said, her voice dripping with contempt.
"My reasons are my own." Pakku said, her grip around her arm tightening.
"I'm not a plaything or a replacement for someone else." she said, looking out the window again, trying to pull away.
"Go lay down." the Waterbending Master replied calmly, letting go of her arm.
"Ohh no, I most certainly will not!" Katara shot back.
"Yes you will." he replied with a calm tone, as if he was speaking to an unruly child. She spun around to glare at him.
"Like I said before…I am not a replacement or a plaything. I refuse to be treated like one."
"You will do as I say and like it."
"No I will not!" she said loudly, her beautiful blue eyes glinting with her fierce spirit, causing a shiver to pass through the old man. She was more than what she thought he saw her to be – but he did not have to explain his reasons to her! She was right, but he was not going to encourage her defiance. She was his, and that was that.
"You are mine, and that is all that will be said on this matter."
"I am not anyone's, especially not a arrogant and condescending bastard like you who went behind my back to get my hand in marriage!" she snapped and Pakku grabbed her arm, pulling her into the direction of the pile of furs.
Katara yelled and dug her feet into the floor.
"I refuse to let you rape me!" she said and Pakku stopped for a moment. Katara blinked when she felt the pull on her stop and looked up to see the stunned expression on his face. His eyes narrowed and he appeared deep in thought, as if what she said had actually mattered to him.
Pakku looked down at her and loosened his grip, letting her stand there like a statue as she stared back at him coldly. He had no intention to be violent to her, that was unbecoming of his conduct as a husband and teacher, but she would learn her place.
"You are mine Katara… now stop acting stubborn and start being a wife."
"I never asked to be one." she said quietly, looking away. He noticed the sadness in her eyes, and longed to comfort her. But he was so set in his ways, that he had no idea just how to mollify her.
"That does not matter." Pakku shrugged as he placed his hand on her shoulder.
"No, it doesn't matter to you, it didn't matter to my father or anyone else. What does it matter what I want, I am just a stupid girl." Katara said in a voice that was soft yet full of self-depreciation.
"You're my 'stupid girl' now." Pakku shot out before he could find gentler words to say. She pulled away from him, going back to the window. He was about to say something else when he paused, hearing her hold back a sob.
She said nothing as she stood there, letting the moonlight fall on her face as tears fell down her cheeks. Her wedding was supposed to be a joyous occasion and it was nothing of the sort! What would her mother or grandmother-now both dead, say if they saw her like this? Unhappily married to a man old enough to be her grandsire?
He felt conflicted. Part of him wanted to order her to stop crying. He was a stern and harsh man who had little tolerance for other people's weaknesses. But deeper within him, a stirring of compassion pulled at him to comfort her instead. After all, she was his wife, and he had chosen her above all else. It would do no good to have her turn against him, and he wanted her affection.
Katara said nothing as he wrapped her arms around her, and she placed her mittened hands over her mouth to muffle her sobs as the tears fell down her cheeks.
"It's okay. Everything will be better." Pakku said calmly, squeezing her just a bit.
"No, it won't!" Katara choked out.
"Yes it will."
"How?" Katara asked miserably as she pulled away from him. "I never asked for any of this! I'm not her! You will find that out and be disappointed!"
"No I will not be."
"What makes you so sure? I am not she! Get that through your head!' Katara said, taking off her necklace and hurling it to the floor.
"You have her beauty and grace." And more, Pakku mused, not answering her question and statement.
"You're comparing me to her." she said, huffing and turning away. She wanted a man who wanted her for…well, her. Like Aang. Poor, sweet Aang…
"And what if I am?"
"This was not my dream of being married! I wanted a man who loves me for me, not some sleazy old Waterbending master who's twisted enough to marry someone who's young enough to be his grandchild! I'll kill myself!" she shouted at him.
His hand narrowly missed her face but she stood firm, not even flinching a bit. And he was impressed; he mused as he studied his wife closely. She had more fire than Kana ever did, much more, and with so much raw talent on top of that. He had not actually been intending to hit her, but people would usually flinch when they thought they would be struck.
"You will do as I say."
"This is a sham of a marriage. Understand that I am not and will not ever be her. I am Katara!" she said icily and she could have sworn she saw a glimmer in his eye.
He closed the space between them and pulled her close, placing a deep kiss on her lips. His breath, she had expected to taste like raw fish, but surprisingly, it did not. She let out an involuntary moan as he lightly bit on her lip before moving to her cheek and down to her throat, his breath surprisingly hot against her skin.
"Be honest with me Pakku, and tell me why you really want me. Be completely honest, so I can understand. If it is because of my grandmother, tell me. If it's because I am pretty and young, tell me. Be honest, no matter what it is. Don't tell me that 'you have your reasons'. I don't want any illusions between us."
She stood there, her arms now folded across her chest, waiting for an answer.
"Fine. You want an answer? Take your pick or take all of them – you look enough like her, you are young and beautiful, you are a good Waterbender, or you make good breeding stock. Or should I rattle off more reasons why I should have taken you as my bride?" Pakku shot back. Katara looked down at the floor and sighed softly. He knew it wasn't the right answer, but she was already unhappy enough and he didn't think she would take to the truth well. And he was her husband and master – he could say and do whatever he wanted. Course, he wasn't going to abuse that right and beat or mistreat her.
"Breeding stock?" Katara said icily after a moment, "With a asshole like you to sire my children, I'm going to abort them."
"I'll make sure you don't." Pakku shot back authoritatively.
"I'll throw myself down the stairs or into the icy water!" she said, trying to not cry as she ripped the trinkets out of her hair and hurled them at him.
"You'll do as I say and like it." Pakku said with a shrug.
"Take the necklace and trinkets and shove it!" she said, sitting down in the corner and pulling her parka over her head, obscuring her face completely. He set his jaw and strode over to her, grabbing the parka and yanking it off before she could fight him off. She yelped as she tried to grab it back and fell down on her rear end, sitting there dazedly and looking up at him.
"Mine." Pakku growled as he tossed the parka aside.
"No!' Katara yelled and her power lashed out for her, ripping water out of one of the cisterns that he kept in another corner. It turned into a shower of ice, blowing at him and coating him in a neat layer of crystal. When she saw what she had done, she stared at him. With a flick of his hands, he lifted the thin coat of ice off himself.
Katara quickly got up, trying to make a mad dash past him, but he grabbed her and spun her around, looking down at her.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Katara." he said firmly, squeezing her just a little before his lips descended down on hers again, causing her to try to pull away again. He held her firmly, and gently guided her over to the edge of the pile of furs before lowering her down.
She had on a thick and soft over robe of deep blue, and under that was a snow-silk robe made for intimate moments, of a soft blue color that matched her eyes. He had these made for her even before she had come here in the hopes that her father had accepted his proposal. And she looked beautiful in them.
As soon as she was seated, he carefully let go and looked down at her. She didn't dash for it, which was good.
"Please. Don't do this to me." Katara said quietly, her hands clasped together almost as if she was begging. He crossed his arms and smirked before he answered her.
"Do what? Take my wife? Why not?"
"I never asked for this…my dream was to me told that I was loved…and married to someone who cared for me and wanted me to be happy…" she said softly, looking down. Her hair was now partially loose after ripping out the shell clasps and it strangely suited her.
"Dreams are foolish." Pakku said, seeing her face fall just a little.
"They are not as important as life." he added.
"No they are not…" Katara conceded with a sigh, "But they are important in their own right nonetheless."
Pakku stared at her for a moment before uncrossing his arms. She looked back up at him, saying nothing. If he had a gentler personality, he might have offered her a reassuring smile.
(the wedding night scene has been cut out, per Fanfiction Net's lame 'no-smut' rule. To find the full and uncut version of this story, go to my profile and follow the helpful links have pasted there)
After he was done, they simply lay there quietly. She was tired though not exhausted, and felt thirsty, so she turned her head up to look at him.
"Pakku?" she asked softly and when he nodded, "Is it okay if I make some tea?"
"You may."
"Thank you." she said quietly as she pulled away from him, slipping on her thick robe and going over to the wedding gifts, knowing there was tea somewhere, and found it. Pakku lay there silently, watching her through half-lidded eyes but not saying or doing anything.
Katara poured herself a cup and sipped at it quietly, considering her situation. She supposed she could make the best of it, if he said that he was not going to hurt her. He could be lying, but he had always been honest with her even if it was brutal, and he was a good teacher albeit stern. Running away was an option, but to where? Definitely not the South Pole.
"Pakku?" she called out softly.
"Yes, Katara?"
"Are you...are you going to continue teaching me Waterbending?"
"Of course I will. I'm your teacher as well and I refuse to let the best student I ever had waste her potential."
Katara sat there, stunned for a moment by this comment. She knew Pakku did not say things to flatter people, but still what he said meant a lot to her. Did he really think she was THAT good? True, she was one of his advanced students but…wow.
"Thank you." Katara said quietly, looking back at the fire for a few moments, looking at the teapot.
"Would you like some tea?"
"Actually, yes I would." Pakku said, his expression calm as she poured him a cup and brought it over to him. After he took the cup she went back to the fire, staring at the flames as she nursed her cup, feeling his eyes on her but she ignored him.
Her hair was now completely loose and she looked utterly alluring, like a goddess. But he said nothing and sipped at his tea before setting it aside. She finished hers not long after, and he wondered if she would be stubborn again and stay where she was. But, she got to her feet and wandered back to him. As soon as she slid under the furs, his arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her close.
Katara blinked as he did this but said nothing, feeling him spoon against her. With a gesture like this she couldn't help but wonder if maybe he really did care for her at all, and blushed when she felt a nuzzle on the side of her neck. But she was not going to ask or hope. He was simply her teacher and her spouse, that was all. She would hold no illusions. As long as he provided for her she could live with it and perhaps find a happy life in this city, at least there were more opportunities for her here than the South Pole.
"Good night." Katara whispered, closing her eyes.
"Good night."
Katara was asleep soon enough, but Pakku was not quite there yet and he stroked her hair, running his fingers along the thick brown locks and inhaling the faint but sweet scent.
He allowed himself a small smile; he had gained himself quite a prize, more than enough to make up for what he had lost so long ago. Strong, skilled, intelligent, and spirited. And now she belonged to him, now and forever.
His fingers ran along her cheek lightly as he listened to her soft and regular breathing
Katara groaned softly, stirring under the furs, taking a moment to register her surroundings when she didn't recognize them right away as she felt a weight around her middle, realizing it was an arm when she heard soft snoring. So the wedding hadn't been a bad dream…unfortunately.
She stifled a groan and burrowed under the furs further, as if she could shut herself from everything. This caused her husband to wake up, but he didn't seem to mind as he pulled her closer and nuzzled her sleepily. She stiffened a little before pulling the fur over her head as if she could hide from him, but of course there was no shutting herself off from his touch or embrace.
"Sleep well, wife?" Pakku murmured as he opened his eyes.
"I guess so." Katara replied stiffly and he raised an eyebrow.
"Good. Now go and fix breakfast." he said just as stiffly.
She rolled over to face him and glared at him icily.
"The least you could do…is say please."
"Fix me something to eat." Pakku ordered and she just lay there, glowering at him. He glared back at her, raising himself with one arm so he could look down at her. But she refused to be intimidated and as he continued glaring she lifted her middle finger.
But he refused to give in and blinked when she rolled over so her back was to him and she closed her eyes, doing nothing.
"Get to work!" Pakku ordered, shaking her shoulder.
"I am your wife, not your slave!" she snapped back, staring at the wall.
"I am your husband and I order you to make breakfast!" he said, placing his hand on her back and giving her a firm push.
She could see arguing with him was useless and she was hungry, so she huffed and climbed out of the furs, pulling out various things after exploring the food storage and going over to the fire to cook, rekindling the embers expertly. The aroma of stew soon enough filled the room and she put on tea as well.
Pakku slipped on his pants and robe, sauntering over to the fire when he saw her ladle the stew out into two bowls. He tasted it, surprised at how good it was. He had almost expected her to intentionally make the food taste bad in retaliation.
He took a seat, quietly sipping at his stew and tea, looking at her every so often as she ate her own breakfast, noticing how she ate daintily, not making any mess on herself as some other people were wont to do with stew. Her hair was still down and he definitely liked this better than the braid and once again he thought about how beautiful she was and how good it had felt to have her under him.
Katara held back a blush, feeling self conscious under his gaze but she held her cool, taking in her breakfast and washing the dishes with quick Waterbending when they were done and putting them away.
Pakku got to his feet, putting on his parka and shoes. She looked up at him wonderingly.
"Get dressed, it's time for your Waterbending lesson."