I know that this theme is supposed to mean "change" as in "transformation", but I've never found the Zutara Week prompts too difficult or thought provoking so I like to play around with them, i.e. "change" as in "get naked". Enjoy.
It had entirely been a misunderstanding.
He simply hadn't heard her when she left, and had been too engrossed in his own conversation to pay much attention. He had assumed she'd turned in early for the night, although of course in retrospect this was nonsensical; Katara had always seemed to be a night cat owl.
Suki and Sokka were the first to go, and no one really wanted to question them about it. Not long after the lovebirds had closed their tent, Aang and Toph were yawning as well. To be fair, Zuko had assumed she was asleep too, getting all the rest she could before the approaching comet.
He had gone to the water with entirely innocent intentions to bathe.
The moon had slid sheepishly behind a cloud, and darkness obscured much of the path. He cursed once stepping into a sharp bramble but otherwise the night was filled only with the rustle of grass and the soft hum of insects.
He was not trying to sneak anywhere, really, he just walked quietly—there had been too many years spent hunting and being hunted to break the habit. Plants grew thick along the sides of the river, nourished by the water, and the stream twisted in and out between rocks and land, obscuring most of it from view at any given point. He had been looking down, trying not to walk into anything else. He had always been cautious to check his surroundings before getting comfortable anywhere, but the Gaang was well-hidden deep in the woods, and the nearest town was quite a ways off.
He could hear the water moving gently, lapping against the riverbanks. Clothes discarded, he slipped into the chilly water to soak. The water warmed just slightly everywhere it touched his skin, and the night hummed on unaware of the uncomfortable situation unfolding in the water.
The moon cut through the heavy clouds and cast its light out into the night.
And it was then Zuko realized his mistake.
She was there in the water, on the other side, apparently just far enough to have not heard him join her. Her head was leaning back against the grass of the bank, body submerged, eyes closed. He froze. Of course she would be in the water. She was always in the water, stripped down to her white wraps, splashing around, twirling the water this way and that.
She had not noticed him yet, but she would definitely misunderstand him dropping silently into the water naked. He was caught, debating what to do. He could try and back out the way he had come, but if she caught him it would look far worse. He could get her attention and try and apologize. But he was still naked, and the place this was most concealed was in the water. She would not appreciate him flashing her, but she would likely not appreciate him mulling about in such a state so close to her either.
She sighed from across the water and he looked up, worried she had spotted him.
It was worse.
She seemed entirely in a world of her own, somewhere in her mind, eyes still closed. But more of her was floating in the water now, and she was not wearing the wraps Zuko had assumed she would be. The swell of her breasts broke the surface of the water.
Zuko looked away quickly, blush finding his cheeks and spreading fast. She was too naked, and she was too close to him. Moving comically slow, he pushed himself out of the water, keeping his eyes on her face (her face, don't look anywhere else). He picked his clothes up, mentally cursing even the quiet sound of the fabric moving. His heart was attempting to beat right out of his chest. How could he have been so silent getting there and every step seemed so noisy now?
When a tree obscured him from her view, he turned and fled rather ungracefully back to the campsite. He nearly fell over changing hurriedly back into his pants as fast as possible. He dropped onto his sleeping mat and closed the tent behind him. Now to try and remove that image of her that was burned into his mind.
Back at the river, Katara smiled to herself, hands trailing lazy patterns in the water. It wasn't fair to tease Zuko, but he made it too easy.
Hope that last bit doesn't feel too OOC; I think teasing!Katara is certainly in her, she just rarely lets it show.
Also, I usually write something and then rewrite it 3 times and stare at it for a week before I post it, but this was written and posted all tonight so I hope it's not too terrible. I wanted to put something up to prove I was still alive, and to say I'm almost finished with chapter 4 of Healing and Hating, which has been a long time coming but I'm excited. Please R&R, dears.
And shout out to ArtemisandOrion who favorited and reviewed the last chapter on my birthday :)