A.N -Hi Guys it's me again, if you're a new reader then welcome. If not then I apologize for my constant flitting, I plan to stick with this if it get's popular enough but I won't if it's a flop. Please review as I spent a long time on this. I know it's short but it will pick up :)
~This is set during the last 10 or so episodes of Book 3: Fire so sorry for any spoilers. Also I have made them older in my author POV, I want to incorporate some issues only 16+ characters would experience so everyone bar Aang is 2 years older. Imagine Katara and Sokka discovered Aang while Katara was about 15/16 :D Anyway! without further ado!~
Rated T for sexual references and possible nudity later on, some foul language may crop up but it will be a rare occurrence. Have fun and enjoy reading!
I do not own Avatar: Legend of Aang/The Last Airbender! I write for my own personal pleasure and to fuel my passion for writing. Criticise if it is needed but seriously flaming is unnecessary! Luv yas! ~
The slap hurt far more than I had expected. Even though I knew it was coming. I fought back the tears, fought back the urge to flinch away and run. I was once the price of the fire nation. I was stronger than this.
I was kicking myself, I had burned Toph's feet and damaged the slightest bit of trust any of them had in me! I'm so stupid. It was midnight, give or take an hour or two, and the moonlight was dazzling.
"Why can't I be good?" I groaned at the toad in front of me, all I received in reply was a load croak and what appeared to be a sneer.
A rustle in the bushes caught my attention and I crouch, positioned ready to bend against an assailant. I stretch out my left leg, leaning on my right. My fists balled and a familiar heat travelled down the length of my arms, right from my heart.
"Zuko?" An all too familiar voice called from the dense foliage. I faltered, the heat of bending replaced by an urgent, violent heat. The heat of desire.
"Katara." My voice was pitifully weak and strained.
"Oh Zuko!" Katara was running towards me, her arms outstretched, her eyes watering with joy. I stood and went to her. I was but a foot or two away before I saw what was coming, I braced just that little too late.
"How DARE you!" Katara's rant began. I stood and accepted it as I tried to ignore the stinging. She had hit me on the left side of my face. Another wound from a loved one…
"So you are just going to stand there?" Katara's cold voice slices through my skin. It tears through my very heart, cuts deep into my raw, emotion-ridden soul.
"Yes. No. I don't know!" I bellow, tears threatening to breach the seal of my lids and betray me.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Katara throws her hands up, exasperated. She's pacing but her eyes never leave mine. Those sweet pools of iridescent beauty.
"I don't know," I repeat, throwing myself to the ground, I land on my backside and fist my hands into the dirt. "I told you something so deep and your response is a slap? I didn't mean to hurt Toph! It was an accident!" I growl, the shame is slowly being usurped by tendrils of anger.
"You are a lying snake, you aren't even a human being!" Katara's ranting is getting more furious now, "You haven't the capability of…" She pauses, uncertainty clouding her sapphire eyes for a moment, "That!" She explodes, arms flying outwards. She looks just as beautiful angry as she does…docile.
"What aren't I capable of Katara?" I realise I'm playing with the dirt, heating it so that it compresses. I let the dirt go and watch as in crumbles.
"You know exactly what I am talking about!" She wails, her pacing ceases and she turns to face me.
"Why are you afraid of saying it?" I ask, almost softly. I stare up into her flaming blue eyes, not unlike my sister's bending, I muse. I quickly shake my head, ridding my mind of that, bitch.
"I'm not afraid!" Katara stares me down, giving me her most intimidating look.
"But you are," I stand and step cautiously towards her, my purpose apparent. I come within about a foot of her slight form, yet she does not flinch away. "I can see it, feel it." I reach out to cup her cheek, again no hesitation. If anything she moves into my slight gesture of affection.
"I hate you." She whispers feebly as her actions juxtapose her words. She throws herself into my embrace.
"You know that isn't true." I Sigh as the familiar routine ensues, "You're just angry at me, right?" I squeeze her tight.
She nods her head, "It's been so long." The statement pains me, it sends uncomfortable shocks under my skin, making my neck muscles twitch.
"I'm sorry, sorry for everything." My emotional submission physically relaxes me and I am able to appreciate Katara's warm, smooth frame.
"I don't care anymore Zuko, I-I-" She pauses and pulls away slightly, she looks up into my eyes.
"You what?" I smile comfortingly, stroking a rebellious strand of hair away behind her ear.
"I can't do this!" She cries and wrenches herself out of my arms, I catch her wrist.
"What's wrong?" I ask, rejection flaring up inside of me.
"This is wrong, everything is wrong! Leave me alone!" She bends a small blade of water and cuts at the hand binding her. I jerk my hand back, letting her go.
"Katara! Wait!" I call after her as she vanishes back into the forestry.
"Why can't I do anything right?" I yell, fire erupting into the sky from my all too eager fists.
"Why am I so weak?" Katara asked herself as she fled through the forest. "I'm such a failure!" She cried out, seemingly to no one. She threw herself over fallen branches and under low boughs. She cried, letting her hurt be known to the universe. She had almost done it this time, almost told him how she felt. If it weren't for her anger, for her friend getting hurt, she would have. Finally after a few scrapes and bruises she arrived at the large bush that concealed a secret entrance to the air temple below.
"Katara?" Toph's voice echoed from behind Katara as she tried to sneak past a sleeping Appa. Toph was sat on the ledge of the grand water fountain, her feet dipped in the water, she was facing away from Katara.
"Shhhhh!" Katara waved her ands frantically before shaking her head. Toph wouldn't see her gestures.
"Why are we being quiet?" Toph whispered mockingly.
"No reason." Katara attempted calm, and failed.
"Oh, okay then, so you weren't using that secret tunnel to go and see Zuko or anything were you?"
"What?" Katara tried to control her heart rate and her breathing, Toph's lie detecting skills could be the death of her.
"Katara I know." Toph smiled vacantly up at Katara.
"How?" Katara grasped her sleeves nervously.
"I hear you, when you have nightmares." Toph admits softly.
"I don't have-"
"Save it Katara." Toph interrupts her quickly, "I hear you calling out his name and I know you cry."
"Toph please, please don't tell anyone." Katara begged, falling to her knees.
"Gosh! Don't be so melodramatic!" Toph giggled from her perch, "Can you come and do some of that water healing juju on my feet?"
"Sure," Katara began to relax, she may have had her ups and downs with Toph but she was glad they were friends now, "How much is it hurting and where?" Katara asked softly, her maternal instinct taking over, as she sat next to Toph.
"It's all over really." Toph rubbed her head out of habit.
"Okay, now swing your feet up onto the ledge in front of me so I can have a look." Katara slipped off her sandles and placed her legs either side of the ledge and slowly drew out the water from the pool, letting it encompass her hands. Slowly she let her chakra feed the swirling pools, pushing them into healing motions.
"This may tickle a bit." Katara warned with a small smile. Katara let the water flow, her eyes hooding slightly as she lost herself in her task. Healing gave Katara a sense of pride and purpose. She sat for the better part of an hour healing Toph's feet before she was happy she had done the best she could.
"There you go." Katara sighed with a satisfying weariness.
"Thank you Katara." Toph smiled and shuffled to her roll mat just beneath the fountain.
"Goodnight Toph." Katara bid wearily before trudging off to her room, hopefully for a peaceful night's sleep. She was doubtful.
"Katara, I love you." The recollection of her slap wakes me. I find I am shivering and alone. Not even my little toad friend to accompany me. I lie and watch the sunrise. The orange contrasting brilliantly with the myriad of pinks that vein through the sky like cracks in a sheet of ice. Corals and magentas, pearly rose hues and thousands I cannot name. I wish I could share this beauty with her. I wish she wasn't so afraid to love me… I wish…
A.N - I'm sorry that I'm being so inconsistent with my fics but I can't seem to pick up my love for Bleach or Naruto so this is a little stab in the dark, hope you enjoyed. PLEASE! REVIEW! :D xxx ~ Esuta ~