A/N: Here's the second chapter of The Pads of Her Fingers. Please review! They are always appreciated. It would really, really mean a lot if you review :) so please, please do just that :)


When he reads


Zuko browses through his library. There is a particular scroll that he thought of whilst in the South Pole. He's always wanted to learn more about the other nations, about their culture, their agriculture, their landscape, everything.

He'd hate to admit it but he was very much like his father and his father's father before him. They were all intrigued by the other countries, the only difference was that he loves the other nations and they hated them.

Zuko collects the scroll from the geography section and returns to his desk. The book is visibly old. There is a layer of dust on top of it and Zuko cleans it off with his finger, bringing it closer to him to inspect it more closely.

He smirks. The first few portions of the scroll speaks about the aggressive blizzards that pelt the Southern Water Tribe every few months. He smirks even more because he cannot think of anything else but Katara. She is the blizzard of their little crew.

As if on cue, he hears the doors open and listens as her lithe figure passes through them. She is quiet and stealthy but there is no way to fool Zuko because he knows her too well. He wonders if he should surprise her by not being surprised or if he should pretend to be surprised for her benefit. He decides to do the former.

So that when her small gentle hands make contact with his perfectly sculpted, twenty-one year old body, he doesn't jump; much to her dismay. Instead, he allows her arms to drape over his shoulders. Her head is next to his now and if he were playful and daring enough, he would turn and kiss her. He doesn't. Instead he ignores how good her presence is and sits stalk still.

She moves onto his lap and picks up his scroll. Read to me, what she says is not a request; it's an order and Zuko scoffs. Him, the great Fire Lord, to read to a little Southern Water Tribe peasant, he didn't think so. "No, I'm not reading to you", he states simply. He shifts slightly so she is more comfortable. "This is an important document, I'm studying."

"But who says reading to someone can't help you study well? You may be able to study even better." Zuko shifts again. What on earth was she trying to do? Was she flirting with him? He seriously doubted it. Katara wasn't a girl; she was, well, she was Katara. Sure she was attractive and stuff but he definitely didn't like her or anything. "Read to me", she insists. Damn her, she was good at convincing people.

"You can read it yourself", he tells her and shifts again. "You went to school, you learned how to read and write and you've been staying here for years, read it yourself", he tells her even though he's already prepared to dictate but seriously holding back from reading the first chapter which happens to be on blizzards also known as Katara's temperaments. "You can't resist me", she tells him again "I'm…"

"Your best friend", he finishes for her because he knows the words she always repeats when she wants something from him like the dress she is wearing now. It doesn't suit her at all and he wonders why she chose dark crimson when she clearly has blue eyes.

"Come on Zuko", she tells him in that, he'd hate to admit it, irresistible and slightly annoying tone and he groans. Damn, damn, damn her.

"The weather is generally cold in the Southern Tribe, however, there are occasions when they have bright sunshine and…" Zuko stops because he can feel her shifting into his arms. And he knows that she is trying to get to sleep. Zuko rolls his eyes. "Katara", he begins. "You should go back to your room", he tells her and then proceeds to shift such that she is now the one sitting on the chair.

He looks at her, her eyes are half open and then suddenly they are closed and she is nodding away with her eyes opening and then closing and then opening again. She is struggling to keep awake and this amuses Zuko.

He doesn't know why but there is always something about Katara's antics that makes him laugh and happy when he looks at her. Now is a great example as she nods and then blinks away her sleep only to shut her eyes again and then opens them and then shuts them again.

Zuko watches her for another brief moment. She is adorable. He realizes this as he looks at the expression on her face. She is slightly sleepy and yet trying to keep herself on her feet; so to speak of course.

On a whim, Zuko decides that he wasn't about to let his best friend freeze in the middle of the night in a library which got awfully cold in the winter. So he lifts her despite her protests and brings her through the corridors of the Fire Nation Palace.

There are offers to carry her for him but there is a part of him that feels overly protective for some reason, he will not let her go and so he finds himself in a room painted with blue and white. He smirks slightly; this is the way he had wanted it to be when she told him she was moving in. This was the way he knew she'd want it to be.

And that is when he realizes that his arms ache and so as gently as possible, he lays her beneath her covers. He looks at her for a moment and then decides that this was the time when he should leave her.

She grabs his arm and holds on to it, her eyes are sleepy but she fights it and beckons him to come and lay with her. He is hesitant at first but doesn't resist her for long. He is tired after all and so he decides to lie down.

"Only for awhile."

He is surprised however, to find himself in Katara's bed with her arms wrapped up around him and his around her and instead of being embarrassed, Zuko is shy to admit that this feels right.