Smoke in My Eyes
Rated: M (for adult themes, alcohol and tobacco use, language and sexual situations)
Summary: In which a spark takes root.
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she's got you high and you don't even know it yet
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"What an ass."
Katara could only nod at Zuko's assessment of Jet and the situation. For twenty minutes, she told him the gist of her on-again-off-again relationship with her now ex-boyfriend; and after saying everything out loud, she briefly wondered what she ever saw in the guy.
"I should have listened to my Gran-Gran all along…"
"Katara, there's nothing wrong with giving people a second chance."
She frowned a bit. "Maybe, but it feels like I'm the one that always gets burned. Anyway, it's getting late, I should probably head home."
Zuko stood and collected the dishes.
"Thanks again for letting me crash here even though it was almost closing time."
Zuko gave a shrug as he headed behind the counter to place the dishes in the sink. "Not a problem."
Katara felt like there was something else she should say; it just did not feel right leaving the encounter so…unfinished.
"Do you want a lift back?" He asked casually.
"No thank you, the walk's not too far and though I really do not want to see his face right now, he has my purse."
Zuko quirked an eyebrow at that. "Did he think it would bring out the color in his eyes or something?"
Katara laughed. "No. I left it his car for safekeeping."
"I see. Be careful out there."
"Don't worry, I can handle myself just fine." Katara gave him another smile before walking out of the shop.
Zuko watched her go, a pensive look on his face.
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"Stupid shoes," Katara complained as she walked the blocks back to her high school. Her low heel shoes were starting to pinch and hurt her feet.
When she rounded the corner that led to the school's driveway, she glanced around the parking lot. To her horror, she did not see Jet's car parked anywhere.
"That fucking jerk!" Katara yelled, running the last few steps into the lot to make sure her eyes were not deceiving her.
"I don't believe this…He left. He had to know my stuff was still in his car, he just had to," Katara thought out loud, fighting back the urge to scream again.
Everything of importance was in her purse. Her house keys, her mobile, her wallet, all of it.
Katara shook her head in disbelief, walking over to the front doors for the second time that night to enter the school. Hopefully Gran-Gran would not be too angry with her for coming home earlier than expected and she would take any anger out on Jet for ditching her in the first place.
Katara went to the front desk and picked up the phone, dialing home.
She did not receive an answer. She tried a few more times after that and left a message on the last attempt. Katara then tried calling Sokka in the vain hope that he would pick up. Usually when he was on his dates, no one would hear a peep out of him, except his girlfriend; for reasons Katara did not want to think too hard about. As predicted, she again received no answer and was left with almost zero options.
Katara cursed and placed the phone down on the receiver. Dismissing the thought of walking the twenty miles back to her house, she wondered if going back to the bakery would be a good idea.
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When Katara approached the front door to the sweets shop, her body sagged in relief at seeing Zuko sweeping the floor. She tapped on the glass, getting his attention.
Zuko propped the broom on the counter and made his way over, unlocking and opening the door.
"If you want more cookies, I'm afraid I already threw them out,"
Katara shook her head.
Zuko stepped aside and Katara walked in, looking worse off than before.
"Let me guess, he took off."
"Yes! Unbelievable, right? He could have at least left my stuff inside the school somewhere, but no, he had to fulfill his application for biggest jerk of the year award."
Katara sat in a chair, giving her feet a much needed respite.
Zuko smirked at her proclamation.
"How about I drive you into the city for a cab? I'll even throw in the fare money."
"Are you sure?"
"It's no problem."
Katara glanced out the window at the dark sky then looked over at Zuko and had to admit, the night was not a total lost. At least there were still some good people out in the world.
Zuko resumed sweeping everything up, and once finished, went to the back of the store and after a moment, came back with a mop.
Katara had an idea.
"Did you want any help? Think of it as payback for the fare. After all, it's the least I can do."
Zuko paused in his mopping and shot her a dubious look.
"Did you really want to do physical labor in a dress and heels?"
Katara shrugged as she stood up. "I'll manage."
Zuko handed her the mop. "Finish the front and I'll take out the rest of the garbage."
As Zuko went to the back of the store, Katara went to work on cleaning the remainder of the black and pink tiled floor. After five or six minutes passed, both finished with their respective tasks, Zuko locked the front door, turning the sign to the 'sorry, we're closed' side, and closed the blinds on the window.
"We'll need to go out the side door."
Katara gave a nod and followed him to the back, Zuko hitting the lights on the way.
They exited out, Zuko locking the door before leading the way to the back parking lot where his car temporarily resided.
"It's about a ten minute ride to the city," Zuko supplied as he unlocked the car doors.
"That's fine. It's easier getting a cab downtown vs. calling and playing the waiting game anyway."
Once inside, Zuko pulled out and set off toward the city.
Moments passed where neither one of them said anything else.
Katara let her eyes roam over the interior of the car, noting how clean and sparse it was. The only personal item in it was a random tea leaf keychain dangling from the rearview mirror.
She then glanced out the passenger window, everything going by in a blur of colors and lights.
"Do you think he'll give back your stuff? Zuko asked after a while.
"He will, one way or another. I have an older brother who is very overprotective, and can bench press over two hundred pounds, so yeah, he will give me back my stuff."
There was a pause, followed by a chuckle from Zuko.
"Good to know."
They fell into a comfortable silence and within moments, were entering the outskirts of the city.
Zuko wondered where the best place would be to drop off Katara. Usually taxis frequented the hotel areas, then there were the streets with all the bars, but on a second thought, he dismissed it. Too many creeps lurked around the bars.
"Oh, I see a few parked over by the Element Hotel!" Katara yelled in relief.
Zuko pulled the car into the semi-circle drive way at the front entrance. He put the car in park and then reached into his pants pocket, pulling out his wallet.
"Would thirty be enough?" he asked, leafing through a few ten dollar bills.
"It should be, yeah."
Zuko handed her the money.
"Thank you once again. I'll pay you back," she promised, forming a fist around the money so that it was hidden.
"Don't worry about it. Just make it home safely, and maybe have your brother punch the guy's face in," Zuko half joked, grinning.
Katara smirked. "I'm sure that can be arranged. See you around," she replied as she opened the door, getting out of the car. Once shut, she walked toward the row of cabs idling in front of the hotel, giving Zuko a wave.
He waved back, watching her walk over to the parked taxis by the sidewalk, waiting until she was actually inside one, giving one last wave as the driver drove off, disappearing down the street.
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One week later…
"We're finally free!" Katara shouted in glee.
Suki smiled, her hand grasping her diploma. "Yeah, it's a very liberating feeling."
They met up with Gran-Gran and Katara's brother, who scooped Suki up in a spinning hug outside the high school.
"Congrats, babe."
Suki giggled, face red.
Gran-Gran hugged Katara. "I'm so proud of you."
Katara gave her a squeeze before letting go. "Me too."
"So, where do you all want to go to celebrate?" Gran-Gran asked as they all began to walk to Sokka's car in the school parking lot, maneuvering through other high school graduates and their respective families.
"Oh! Can we try that new restaurant down the way? I think it's called Golden Dragon or something. I hear it's pretty good," Suki answered.
Sokka entered his key on the driver's side, unlocking all the doors.
"Sounds good to me," Sokka and Katara agreed in unison.
Gran-Gran gave a nod, climbing into the passenger side, the rest following suit.
Soon, they were driving away from the place that held so many memories: of dances, tests, mountains of homework, decorated lockers, and so much more.
As they drove, Katara noticed the street they were going down, and when they made a right, her eyes landed on the restaurant, and the shop residing two buildings down from it.
I wonder if he's still working there…
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"Ah, that was glorious," Sokka declared, rubbing his stomach in appreciation. The family had just finished eating their late lunch, letting the delicious food digest.
When the server came by with the check, Gran-Gran took it, holding up a hand up to Katara and Sokka to stop their impending protest.
"My treat, no arguments," Gran-Gran stated as she slipped a credit card into the black check book. "Which reminds me. Katara, Suki, these are for you."
Gran-Gran handed them each a card, which they took in kind.
"Oh, Gran-Gran, you shouldn't have," Suki replied honestly, taking the card.
"Nonsense. The way Sokka talks about you all the time, why, you're practically family," Gran-Gran teased, grinning.
"Gran-Gran!" Sokka shouted, turning red in the face.
Katara smiled, taking her card and opening it up. She read the sentiment, then her eyes widen at the amount of money tucked in it. There was five-hundred dollars and Katara wondered how her grandmother had so much to spare considering she was living off of her retirement fund. Katara glanced over at Suki's amount and saw she had half as much.
Sokka peaked over as well and whistled. "I always knew you were the favorite," he joked toward his sister.
"Weren't you the one that received a car for their graduation present?" Katara shot back just as jokingly.
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As Sokka drove Suki and Gran-Gran home, Katara stayed behind. She left the restaurant only a moment after them and headed to the bakery, casually pushing the front door open.
She saw a mother and a young daughter sitting at the table, both enjoying an ice cream cone. Katara walked past them, smiling wistfully and made her way up to the front counter, where an elder woman with long grey hair done up in a high ponytail awaited her.
"Hello, how may I help you?"
"Hi. I was wondering if Zuko-"- what was his last name?—"was working today?" Katara asked politely.
"He is. Zuko!" the lady yelled back toward the back of the store and a moment later, he emerged, black apron tied neatly around his beige work pants, name tag firmly in place over the right strap, a maroon polo shirt residing underneath.
"Yes, Ms. Lo?"
"There's a young lady here wanting to see you," Ms. Lo answered, smirking a bit.
Zuko looked from her to Katara standing there in her navy blue graduation gown.
"Hey. Finally free, I see."
Katara laughed, his words having a sort of nostalgia feel to them. "Yeah. We actually just finished eating celebratory dinner over at the Golden Dragon. It was pretty delicious, and the owner was so jolly."
Zuko sighed, though smiled a bit. "The owner is actually my uncle."
"Really?"
"Yeah. And he's co-owner of this place too, along with Ms. Lo and her sister Ms. Li"
Katara smiled. "That's so cool. Oh yeah, the reason I came by. Here," she replied, reaching into her pocket and handing over thirty dollars.
Zuko accepted it, surprised.
"Thanks for letting me borrow it."
"Did your brother give him a punch in the face?" he asked, pocketing the money.
"Sadly no, too many people were around, but he was able to get my stuff back."
"Pity, he deserved it," Zuko answered.
Ms. Lo eyed the pair as she placed mini cupcakes on a tray on the counter. "Ya know, Zuko, you can take your fifteen minute break now."
Zuko turned red and scratched the back of his neck.
"Okay," he told Ms. Lo, then to Katara, "I'll be right back," after which he went to the back and a moment later emerged, apron long gone and a red lighter already in his hand.
"Want to sit out front for a bit?" he asked, coming from behind the counter.
"Sure," was Katara's happy reply and together, they walked out and sat on a metal bench outside the window to the shop.
Zuko pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his khakis.
"You don't mind, do you? Cause can I wait." Zuko asked, glancing at Katara sitting beside him, taking note of just the few inches of space between them.
"Not at all. In fact…" Katara glanced between him and the pack. "Could I bum one?"
Zuko looked at her, surprised. "Uh, sure."
He tapped the box and pulled out two sticks, handing her one and the lighter.
"Thanks."
Katara placed it between her lips and then tried to light it, fumbling with the lighter.
"Can you help me?" she asked with a mumbling laugh.
Zuko smiled and took the lighter, sparking it once to get a flame, using his other hand to cup around it, keeping the slight spring wind out.
Katara inhaled and only coughed slightly at the intake.
Zuko lit his own with ease and blew out a puff.
"First time?"
Katara blushed slightly.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Only to someone who's been smoking for a while," was Zuko's answer as he started to watch random people go by, going about their day.
Katara watched as well, simply holding the cigarette between her thumb and forefinger, ashes drifting into the wind.
"It's about control," Katara said after a moment.
Zuko slid his eyes over to her, confused but intrigued, patiently waiting for her to continue.
"I never actually smoke it, I just hold it. It's the only time I can control fire," Katara stated cryptically. "Anyway, your break is probably almost up, I should get going."
Zuko took a pull from his cig and watched Katara stand up. He did not want to push her to explain what she meant, but he nonetheless felt the gravity of learning more about her.
"Make sure you don't hold onto it very long or else you'll get burned," Zuko remarked.
Katara looked at him, a sad smile gracing her face.
"Too late for that. See you around, Zuko."
Katara walked away, her blue graduation gown bellowing out behind her.
He watched her retreat through the smoke and briefly wondered if she would honor that promise.
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One week later…
Katara stretched out, pushing her bed covers aside, and slowly pieces of her subconscious floated to the forefront.
She figured she waited long enough, but it still unnerved her that she let slip something so close to her heart. She never even came close to revealing to her jerk of an ex-boyfriend and they dated for a good while.
However, Katara also felt compelled to seek him out again, even just a snippet of his time; but she did not know a good pretense she could go under to see him.
Then a light bulb went off in her head and scrambled out of the bed, quickly getting dressed before sprinting out of her room, going to the bathroom to hurriedly brush her teeth and comb her tangled hair.
Adding just a hint of lip gloss, Katara felt presentable enough to venture out.
She went to Sokka's room, knocking on the door.
"Sokka, wake up!"
Katara heard a groan, followed by a shuffling of sheets hitting the hardwood floor before the door opened, revealing Sokka's tired face.
"What is it? I had a long night, ya know."
Katara rolled her eyes at her brother's so-called long night, which really just meant he was at Suki's place well into the morning.
"Well, could you drive me somewhere real quick?"
Sokka glanced behind him and squinted at the alarm clock on his nightstand.
"At ten in the morning?"
Katara casually shrugged. "I need to pick up something for Gran and I don't want her to know just yet."
Sokka sighed then conceded. "Fine. Let me get dressed."
"Thanks, bro, you're the best!"
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
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Katara twisted her hands, slightly nervous as she stood in front of the bakery. Her brother long since dropped her off and driven back home. She mentally tried to brace herself and hoped she would not let anything else slip, albeit vague or blatant.
Pushing the front door open, she let her worries stay outside.
Once again the sight of an elderly woman situated behind the counter greeted Katara and she could not help but smile.
"Hey, Ms. Lo."
The lady in question looked up from her magazine was reading.
"My child, I'm afraid you have me confused with someone else."
Katara frowned in confusion until it dawned on her what Zuko told her the last time she was there, though he neglected to mention they were twins.
"Ms. Li?"
"There you go," Ms. Li replied with a smile before asking, "What can I do for you today, Miss?"
Before Katara could answer, Zuko stepped through door leading to the back, a tray full of colorful bagged cookies residing on top of it.
"Hey, Katara," he greeted, placing the tray up top of the counter next to the register.
"Hey," Katara said right back, gravitating over to the cookies and to the guy that brought them in.
Ms. Li's eyes darted between them and did not bother fighting the grin off her face.
"I'll just get the rest of the cookies from the back," she stated, already heading to the back kitchen.
"Ms. Li, I can—" started Zuko before he was cut off.
"No, no, I got it," Ms. Li stated, waving her hand as she made her way to the back, the door swinging back and forth a few times before finally stilling.
Katara bit her lip, her nerves getting to her again now that they were relatively alone.
Zuko shook his head. "I swear she's the more stubborn one of the two."
Katara smiled at that, and then picked up a bag of cookies, examining the contents.
"New item?" she asked, liking the different bright colors on the cookies in the clear bag which had a lacey, bright blue ribbon tied around the top.
Zuko nodded, picking up a bag himself.
"Yeah. Each color on the cookies represents a different fruit flavor."
"Sounds yummy and slightly risky," Katara told him.
Zuko put his bag back and took the one she held, untying the bag before gently taking a cookie out.
"Take a risk."
Katara looked at him then at the cookie a few times before nodding, leaning over and taking the cookie directly with her mouth, her lips brushing against his fingers that held it. Leaning back, she chewed, face flushed. In turn, with eyes locked on hers, Zuko lifted his fingers to his lips and gently licked off the crumbs.
"Worth it?" he asked softly.
More than you know.
"I'll take six bags."
Which was the entire tray's worth.
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A/N: Chapter title credit goes to Mumm-Ra's "She's Got You High."