Zutara Week Day 3: Voices

(noun); The sound produced in a person's larynx as speech or song.

(verb); Express something in words.

Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning. –Maya Angelou

Writing by candlelight, the ink trailed after the pen fluently as it formed words. Words held meaning, life and death, love and hate, but these words… found no real significance. The frustrated teenager did not want his most recent attempt to end up in the trash like the many before it, but how could he give it real feeling?

Zuko had always struggled with finding the right words, and had once before resorted to writing instead of speaking. But that was when he broke it off with Mai, and he felt he had done it very badly. Would confessing love to another go just as badly? Would his words remain empty on the page as those beautiful blue eyes scanned each one over?

Words could be such a beautiful thing; Zuko knew this because every time the waterbender spoke to him, they gave him feeling. Not always were they good feelings, as sometimes they were anger, resentment, and hopelessness. But those words were often true to the core, no matter how cold, and they made him realize who he really was.

That was just it. They were words spoken, not written. No matter how much someone may try to pour their heart into a letter, even if they do it well, it is not the same as hearing it come from their lips and from their heart. Hiding behind a piece of parchment wasn't how the Fire Prince should handle this! He needed to face it proudly, and if he were to be shot down, he would take it strongly.

The letter was crumpled and engulfed with a controlled flame within Zuko's palm before he stood up and exited the dark room. There would be no more hiding. He had to admit though: he was intimidated by Katara's fierce personality. It was also something to admire. These thoughts ran through his head, ones that he thought should never be spoken, but what if these were the words she needed to hear?

Striding out to the courtyard, to the pond. That was where to find the waterbender, near her soothing and calming element. Hopefully it wouldn't turn to cold ice, but physical pain would hurt him less than arctic words pouring out of her mouth.

There she was. Katara's arms moved with the flow of the water before her as she practiced her forms. It was exquisite and it made him wonder if a harsh firebender could ever have such a wonderful woman. His voice threatened to shut itself away when he opened his mouth, but he forced it through his teeth.

"Katara," he spoke. She stopped, letting the water fall back into the clear pond with a small splash, ringlets of water spreading slowly out. Her cerulean gaze turned to look into his scarred face, but didn't hold any grudge by then. She only wondered what brought him there.

"What is it?" Katara asked him, fully turning to face him. She hadn't talked to him for a couple of days, and was wondering if he was all right.

"Well," Zuko was already nervously running a hand through his dark hair as his golden eyes looked to the clear sky. "I've been thinking, and I know you're probably going to get angry at me for saying this-"

"Just say it, Zuko." Katara stopped him from rambling any further, getting annoyed with the way he was going about speaking to her.

The Fire Prince took a calming breath as he stared at the Water Tribe Princess. He needed to say what he thought—no, what he felt. It didn't come from the mind; it came from the heart. A place even Mai never seemed to get a grasp of.

"From the first day we met, your icy personality was the first to intimidate me, but it also captivated me the more I reflected on it. When you first came to stay here, I was at first resentful of your presence, but now it's different," these words came out of Zuko's mouth without much warning. He knew that they must have been what he truly felt then. Feeling empowered, he stepped forward and stole away her hand in his pale hands.

"Every day you would criticize and belittle me on every move I made, every word I spoke. All I got around you was the feeling of worthlessness and rage." He could almost feel his temper threatening to boil over even then, but looking into her blue eyes made the urge subside. "But now I don't feel the wrath of the ocean when I'm around you. It's the serene sense of a warm lake that makes me feel different. I-"

Katara didn't make him let go of her hand, but squeezed it and stopped him from continuing. "Zuko," she had to stop and laugh a little, "Just get to the point." He was surprised that she actually laughed at him, looking up at him without any kind of fury that was normally expected. He could feel his face burn a little bit from the embarrassment of finally doing this.

"Katara, will you go out with me?" The words were out there and his breath caught in his throat. It was then and there that his fate was decided.

The Princess's smile was what would surprise anyone after such an offer. She nodded her head and looked into his eyes speaking truthfully.

"I would like that."