"Drink hearty, everyone!" Iroh called to the crowd of five teenagers. Aang snatched up his earthenware cup out of Iroh's hands and peered at the liquid inside. His face immediately became downcast.
"Gee, thanks Iroh," the bald monk muttered, feigning eagerness, and he slumped away dejectedly.
Katara frowned, sauntered over to the fireplace, and picked up two cups of the drink. She handed off a cup to Toph, and they both exchanged knowing looks.
"Uggh... chocolatl again!" they both moaned. Sighing deeply, Katara crossed over to the edge of the clearing to take a seat on her favorite rock.
"Chocolatl is the new hip drink!" Katara pouted, mimicking Iroh. "Yeah, maybe for people who haven't been drinking it three times a day." She peered at the thick, brown, warm liquid inside. Trying to mask a disgusted face, she brought the cup to her lips and took a tentative sip. "Bleccch!" Katara hastily spat out the chocolatl. "I'm so sick of chocolatl."
"Don't count on getting anything different."
Katara whirled around to face the speaker. A tall, pale teenager, with shaggy black hair leaned against Appa's swelled stomach, his arms crossed, and his face bearing a sour look. His brow furrowed to partially conceal two piercing amber eyes, and the bright red scar on his eye crinkled slightly.
Zuko, she thought loathingly.
He lazily ambled over to her, then plopped down beside her on the rock. She scooted away; he almost sighed in exasperation, but something told him not to.
"Whenever Iroh has an obsession, he sticks to it like glue," Zuko explained. Katara snorted slightly and somehow managed to turn it into a sneeze and a cough. "He's a very passionate man."
Just like you, Zuko? Katara wondered.
"Iroh won't be giving up chocolatl just yet. He'll force it on you until you become used to it. Eventually it'll just become a part of your life, and then, who knows? Maybe you'll find another side of chocolatl. Something you haven't seen before."
Katara gave a harsh laugh. "What's that supposed to—"
But before she could finish, Katara noticed something different about Zuko. For a fleeting moment, his eyes looked—hopeful. Almost to the point of pleading.
Who knows? Maybe you'll find another side of chocolatl. Something you haven't seen before. And suddenly, she understood.
Hot tears pooled quickly in her eyes, and she turned away from Zuko, trying to hide them from view. She breathed in sharply. "Maybe I've had enough of chocolatl," she whimpered softly.
"What don't you like about it?" Zuko whispered.
Katara stared at her cup of milky brown liquid. "It's just so—so—bitter!" she yelled furiously. In a rage, she slammed her cup to the forest floor; it only cracked slightly. She turned on her heels and ran through the forest, her tears flowing freely now. She darted past trees and bushes; she was really crying now. Katara could hear the crunching and snapping of twigs from behind her. Zuko was following her, and he was catching up fast.
Katara tore through the forest, scrambling over the tree roots. She could feel Zuko's presence, but she kept pushing herself.
Until her foot got caught underneath a tree root.
"Aaah!" Katara cried out. She stumbled and was thrown right on her hands. A searing pain shot through her left ankle and she winced, moaning slightly. Katara tried to shake it free, but it only made the pain worse. She broke down, the tears streaming down her cheeks, gasping sobs escaping from her throat.
Zuko stared at the poor girl. Her hair had come loose from its normal bun and braid and now hung in loose waves around her dark shoulders. Her blue robes were torn and tattered. She craned her neck up to look at him. Her sapphire eyes looked like crystalline shards; they were so beautiful.
Katara put her head back down. She was so ashamed of herself.
Please, Spirits, get me out of here, Katara prayed silently. I ask for nothing more.
Suddenly she felt herself elevating into the air. Her eyes flew open, only to stare up at Zuko; he had scooped her up into his toned arms and was carrying Katara bridal style. Katara's face turned an unheard-of shade of red. Zuko glanced at her cherry-red face and cradled her head with his hand.
He continued to carry her in his arms as they trudged through the forest. Finally the pair of them reached the edge of the forest and came to a towering cliff. Zuko gently laid Katara down on the ground and placed his hand cautiously on Katara's swollen ankle. She winced in pain.
"It's nothing," she stammered, struggling through the throbbing pain.
Zuko ignored her; he laced his spindly fingers around her ankle and carefully clamped his hands. Delicious warmth spread all over Katara's sore ankle.
"Is chocolatl only bitter?" Zuko whispered softly.
Katara bit her lower lip and looked away. "No," she answered. Zuko kneaded Katara's ankle a bit more.
"Well, tell me more about what you think of chocolatl."
Katara pulled herself a little closer to Zuko, and hugged her knees tightly. "It starts off bland, then it seems to almost, I dunno, tempt you, into thinking that the drink will be sweet, and then BAM! It gets all bitter and horrible again." She placed her chin on her knees. "I wish it would be consistent."
Zuko gently let go of Katara's ankle and gazed at her, a hard, blazing look in his eyes. Katara felt her stomach twist into knots, and a hot blush crept up her cheeks.
"Maybe," Zuko started, "well, maybe the chocolatl is just hiding its real flavor because you're used to the bitterness. You just need to trust."
"I can't trust!" Katara shouted. Her entire body tensed up as she clenched her eyes shut. "I can't," she stuttered. "I'm not strong enough."
Zuko wrapped an arm around Katara, gently hoisting her to her feet. "Yes you are," he murmured softly.
"But I—"
"Katara, I think you should give chocolatl another chance. Let the flavor stay within your mouth so you can taste all the colors that it's hiding from you."
"But—"
"Just trust it!" Zuko blurted out, grabbing her forearms tightly. Katara's sapphire eyes widened in fear. Zuko gently let go of her. He reached down, picked up his earthenware cup of chocolatl, and drank the whole cup of brown liquid in one gulp. He wiped the froth off his lips and came back to Katara. He grasped her shoulders firmly and stared hard at her.
"Can you trust me?" he pleaded. Katara was shocked; she could only emit a faint squeak. Zuko's arms gently folded around the water princess and pulled her in closer. Then, unexpectedly, before Katara even had time to protest, his mouth met hers gently in a sweet, soft kiss. He pulled away from her, placing his fingers on her mouth in a caressing manner. Katara melted inside. She lifted Zuko's hand off and flattened her palm against his. Their hands matched completely.
"Okay," Katara whispered.
The End
© dark twilight mistress 2007, all rights reserved.