Zutara- what the directors didn't show you
I don't own Avatar, just lurv it :D 3
Reader discretion, this gets a tad bit racy.
The atmosphere was tense. Shots of blue flame were engulfing the orange red sky. The tense, yet generall fluid palace was now a feild of chaos and hatred. Punch after punch, fire was expunged from the souls of those who for so long desired it to be expressed. Then, he looked up and halted and began to speak. The words rolled off of his tongue in a fateful moment. A moment that should never have happened. For his simple questioning of why no lightening was being used caused his volitile sibling to boil over. The words catalyzed her crazed fury and she unleashed the unbounded electric shock. Yet, not where it was intended to land. The blue lightning was heading over to the dark beauty who had been standing innocently on the side lines to the feirce agni kai. It was coming closer. her heart was pounding in her chest, her feet glued, unable to move. Then, without warning, as if only on instinct...a moment of altruism, the muscular man, once her sworn enemy had run infront of her, taking the hit. Time was still. The lightning struck full impact at his stomach. He collapsed. Was he gone? Why was he so still? More importantly, why did he do it? No time to question. The cazed woman still on a ramage had to be stopped. The next minutes events were a blur, yet somehow it ended with Azula chained down. She was stopped, finished. Her screams still rang through the evening but she was powerless. Kataras body was still trembing with the reminence of adrenaline that had surged through her body. Her peripheral vision reminded her of zuko. she rushed over to his sidem lifting him up. He groaned. He was moving. It had to be a miracle. She lifted body up, watching as his golden eyes opened slowly. tears ran down her face as he thanked her gently. She shrugged it off and thanked him back. After all, he had saved her life. She as he touched her she felt a chill run through her body. She loked down as his hands grasped her arms. His hands were so muscular, so protecting and unafraid. Her heart waas racing, almost as fast as it had been earlier. She looked into his face. It had seen so much, so tortured. She lifed her hand up and made her way over to the beautiful imperfection on his left eye. she could see him tremble slightly. She watched his eyes, so filled with hurt. Why hadn't she noticed the kindness in him before? She leaned in, the moment interuppted by the noise of a few guards running to see what had happened. Katara stopped herself. "We should find the others, make sure everything is allright". He nodded in agreement. He stood up and winced, stumbing. She grabbed his forearm, it seemed so suprisingly strong. He put his arm around her for support. She watched as a sweet smile came across his face as the two of them slowly made their way over to Appa. Katara couldn't get her mind past Aang though. How was he? Was it finally all over? In addition to that though, what was going on with them? they had been through so much together, and she loved him, but something was missing. She always thought of him as a brother. Now the only reason she might be changing her mind was most likely because he had just saved the world. She would have to face a decision though, she couldn't avoid it much longer. They had kissed at the play, and she made an excuse, saying no because they were in the middle of a war. Now, the war was over. she had no more excuses. Finally, the rest of the group was spotted. everything happened so fast in those moments. Katara glanced over at Aang guiltily. His face had such a strenght to it now, a certain maturity. She was proud of him. And still filled with regrets and guilt she willed herself to feel the power in his touch. yet, when he gave her a hug of congratulations, she felt nothing. The touch of the master of all elements didn't have that flame or that electricity of the scarrred man she had so long despised. it took all of her being to forgive him, to hug him, but when she did that day he helped her find her mothers killer, she felt something entirely new. A chill ran through her body, and her heart had begun to race. She remembered the moment felt more powerful than the moment when Jet had held her, that feeling she thought could have never been rivaled. She felt more power in that engrossing hug than the most passionately loving kiss she had recieved from Aang. When they pulled away from the embrace that day, she remembered looking into Zuko's eyes, and saw beauty, and something new. A look she had seen before, a look Aang often had when she looked in his eyes. But in Zuko's eyes, there was a strength, and more than a loving look, but a look of passion. Zuko felt it as well. That moment in the catacombs, when she touched his scar, he didn't flinch, or pull away. He didn't understand why. She was the only one who could make him feel safe, like his whole quest for honor didn't matter. In that moment, only she existed. But it was foolish, they could never be. Or could they? Zuko had made up his mind, he placed his strong hand on Kataras shoulder. She felt her cheeks burning, her body pound. She turned around to face him when she felt her body being pulled towards Aang, in that second, her lips were met with a kiss, but not the one she had been hoping for. "The war is over katara, now we can be together" she forced a smile, and reluctantly agreed. Why was she so weak? Why could she not say no? His eyes were twinkling and looked so innocent. It made her heart melt. She could give him a try, after all, she had promised.
After the induction ceremony in which Zuko became firelord, somehow the crowd had cleared and Zuko and Katara were left a lone. "Congratulations Zuko, you truely have made your family proud. You've made all of us proud" She smiled at him softly and hugged him. After they left the embrace Zuko cleared his throat and spoke. "Katara, you have made us proud. Without you, i certaintly would not have made it here, thank you." The two were silent for a while, sheepishly looking at each other, longingly. "Katara- listen, back when you saved me, there was a moment when..." She interupted, "Zuko, i know what you are going to say, but it's ridiculous. It was the heat of the moment. You know you love Mai, and she loves you"
"You don't know what i feel Katara. But i need to know, do you love Aang" She flinched for a moment, and hesitated, but then sharply answered, "Of course i love him, we've been through so much, we are family. I love him"
"Katara, I meant do you love him? I'm no expert, I've spent basically my whole life rejecting the idea of love, I was afraid of pain, losing my honor, getting distracted. I've always been too distint from the world to feel anything, to connect to anyone. It's all been a product of my experiences, but that moment, when we were in the catacombs together, and after you defeated Azula, I felt awake again, in a way no one, not Mai, or anyone has ever made me feel"
"Zuko, I made a promise to Aang, i can learn to love him, and if it doesn't work, I can put it to an end. You and I, we've only just begun to know each other. We can't be, not yet" As she said this, she felt her voice shaking. The crowd had cleared out. It was just the two of them. She felt her body moving closer to Zuko's radiant warmth. She touched his chest, moving her hand around his back. He embraced her, usually steady hands trembling. He gazed into her eyes, at her beautiful face. He pressed his lips in to touch hers. The instant he did, chills ran through both of their bodies. The kiss started out slow, and then quickened. The passion was rising, lips moving fast, hearts pounding. Hands were moving fast, and he placed his hands on her chest. She wanted him, all of him and as she glanced down, she could tell that he clearly wanted her. She unbuttoned his uniform, revealing his strong chest. Pressing her face against it, she felt he was warm, and his heart was racing. She kissed his chest, and moved her way up to his face again, and to his ear were she whispered that she wanted him. Now was the moment of her life, this boy could teach her all she had never known. "If you'll have me, I'll be yours". Zuko nodded, but as he looked up at the sky he noticed that the sun was close to setting. Uncle and their friends would be expecting them back at the tea shop. "No Katara, not now, we are late. If we don't leave now, we will never get ourselves out of this mess. Aang will just be hurt more".
"you're right" She pulled away sadly. The progressed towards the shop, Zukos arm around her small body, pulling her close. As she put her arm around his waste, she felt desire and passion in her body. When the tea shop was in sight the two pulled away. Entering it, the group didn't notice that they had even been gone. They were playing around laughing and smiling. Aang glanced up, "Katara! You have to see this!" He rushed over to her, grabbing her hand. She reluctantly smiled and allowed herself to be pulled towards him. As they continued to talk, Katara met Zuko's gaze, Mai's hands wrapped around his reluctant body. They nodded subtly in aknowlegment. Some day, they would have there chance, and for now, they could just love what they had. Aang said something to Katara, and her focus was broken. As she looked at his sweet face, she found love. He was so enthusiastic, so kind. "I'm going out to look at the sunset" he said She nodded and watched as he left, glancing back to see if she would follow. She looked at Mai and Zuko in an embrace, and walked outside to the boy who she did in fact love loved. She pulled him towards her and kissed him, closing her eyes, all the while imagining that it was Zuko. As he wrapped his arms around her, she imagined that it was Zuko's embrace, and she felt happy. As they pulled apart, they walked back into the tea shop holding hands. She was smiling, which Zuko noticed. He walked over to her and whispered in her ear, "You will be happy with him. He loves you, and I can't be selfish" She looked up and him sadly, "You don't understand", she whimpered, "I love you, but I love him too, in a different way. I can't hurt him, and until i am strong enough, or he is, then this is how it has to be" He nodded in agreement, "For so long, I've never known what love really was, but I found it again. And now i truely know the importance of honor, its putting your friends before your selfish needs, its being patient until time sorts itself out, its waiting, knowing maybe what we want won't come, but living in the moment so we won't betray, won't cheat, won't bring pain. And maybe one day, we can be" As he finished, he began to walk away, smiling. And in that moment, she knew, that she loved him, and he was right. Now was not the time, but one day, they would indeed, be together.