Playfully Appealing
Day 4: Whimsical
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"Come on, Zuko, you need to get out of this stuffy office!"
He ignored her, eyes still scanning a piece of parchment. She put her hands on her hip.
"As your healer, I command that you rest!"
He pulled out a piece of parchment and pen to write a reply.
She went around the desk and yanked at his arm. "You're going to pre-maturely turn yourself into an old fart if you keep this up!"
He put down the pen and gave her a look. "Not now, Katara. I'm in the middle of something important."
"You've been in the middle of something important for the past few days. You need and deserve a break. Please? For me?" she asked, batting her eyelashes mockingly.
There had been an incident a few days earlier where a nobleman's daughter had managed to worm her way in to the palace's private garden and when she and Zuko had gone for a picnic there( it was all that she could do to get him a break), the girl had draped herself over Zuko, fawning and batting her eyelashes blatantly. Katara had told her off and sent her on her way.
It worked. He cracked a small grin. "Fine. But only for a short while."
"Yes!" she jumped up and punched her fist into the air.
"And I get to choose where we go," he decided," after what happened last time."
She nodded, appeased, and smiled. He stood and took her hand, leading her along with him. When the guards made a move to follow him, he help up a hand and dismissed them. After several turns and many maybe-this-way-is-shorter's, Zuko pulled along into a beautiful garden that she had never seen before. Some of the plants had overgrown, trees had shed many petals and leaves (making a huge mess), and there is a large pond with tall, untrimmed grass at its edges. She loved it.
"Zuko, this is gorgeous…" she said, stepping out of her shoes and taking a few steps in the grass that caressed her feet.
She loved that this garden was not neat and proper like all of the others, proof of the palace's uptight standards. This garden's raw beauty was amazing. She walked near the pond and dipped a toe in the water. It was perfect and warm. The turtleducks rushed to her toe, softly nipping. She giggled, overjoyed and turned to Zuko, holding her hands out.
He stepped forward and sat, tugging her down into his lap by the hands. She laughed and fell, pushing him to the ground. Under her, he grinned brightly, eyes squinting slightly with happiness and cheeks flushed.
"You look beautiful, Katara," he whispered and she blushed, tapping the tip of his nose.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a little glow in the air. Looking up, she saw many tiny glowing creatures slowly illuminating now that the sky was dark. She rolled off of Zuko so that she was lying next to him.
"They're called fireflies. My mother and I used to try to catch them, but I think it was impossible," he said quietly, smiling.
He hummed a quiet melody while she stared at the bugs, fascinated. Overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement all of a sudden, she turned to Zuko and kissed him full on the mouth.
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"Come on, children, your father and I have something amazing to show you," the woman called, stepping into Ursa's Garden, reserved only for the Royal Family.
Aratuz, Akiya and Kuzo ran past her, nearly tripping on their formal wear. The giggled carelessly, each trying to catch a butterfly with their bare hands.
The Fire Lord led his wife in, arm around her waist. "This place brings back some whimsical memories, if I recall correctly," he smiled, eyes crinkling.
Katara slapped his chest softly, blushing, "Shush up."
He planted one big kiss on her lips.