Here's mah promise! Hahah, before the month ends xD Lots of Zuko/Katara interaction.
Summary: In the event of Mai's disappearance months after the war, Zuko goes to Katara to seek both Mai and his mother. All the while, an opposing conspirancy goes up against the new rule of the Fire Nation.
Spoilers: the Finale.
Disclaimer: Avatar TLA ain't mine. It's Bryke's and Nick's and Viacom's. Blah blah blah, etc.
Warm.
He was so warm.
"You don't know how much this means to me," said Zuko. He enveloped her in an embrace. In reality, Zuko knew he was wrong. Katara perfectly understood how he felt. He knew, and he could tell--because she didn't even stiffen at his affectionate gesture. She stayed calm, relaxed, but confident.
"I do know, Zuko," she laughed--because she knew that he knew it, too.
They still stood on the patio, but casually made their way together into the garden. She followed him to the turtleduck pond and he sat under a large tree--it was very old, but grand. Katara continued to stand as she watched two turtleducks cuddle behind a rock. She suddenly remembered, it was still winter, they had a reason to cuddle. But the sight of the two love birds relaxed every inch of muscle in her body, and she smiled.
"I needed this," said Katara.
Zuko looked up, "Huh?"
"I really needed a vacation."
Zuko snorted, "Well, whatever the reason, I'm really glad you agreed to help. Even though I can't really see an investigation mission as a vacation."
Katara shifted her breezy smile to Zuko, "Think of it as payback."
Now Zuko scoffed, "For what?" He knew the answer, but he wanted to hear her say it anyway.
"Oh, please, Zuko. Don't play mind games, again. You know what I mean," For helping me redeem my mother, she reminded him in her mind. She crossed her arms, but Zuko just smirked.
"Did you bring your travelling pack?" he asked.
"Actually, Meeting the Fire Lord is a great privilege! So I packed only my nicest ambassador robes to--," she rambled on and caught eye contact with him. But Zuko raised his good eyebrow. He knew her game, so she admitted retentively, "Of course, I did! You know I did."
Back at the South Pole, Uncle Iroh advised her to pack her travelling clothes. That included her twin water flasks, mission robes, and even her black gear for late night sneaking. She thought she would use it to scoop out Mai's snatchers. What she didn't know was that she would be using it to find a whole different person--a more important person, Zuko's mother. This train of thought brought her down to business. She came here to accomplish a goal. It was time they start soon.
Her once carefree smile deepened into a straight line. Zuko seemed to read her mood, for he looked hesitant.
Katara questioned seriously, "Do you have any leads?"
Zuko was stuck in his study once more. This time, with a different companion at his side. This companion, he was plainly more comfortable around--for she was compassionate towards him.
But this time, she was not. And now he was wary in her presence. Because he feared her a little.
"No leads?!" she told him off, "You asked me to come here to help you. And we've already hit a dead end?!"
She collapsed into Zuko's chair, kneading the sides of her temples with two fingers. Her pretty face transformed into an indignant expression.
That was Zuko's chair. The Fire Lord's. But he gave it up relentlessly to the fiery watertribes woman. He sat, instead--and timidly--on a less important chair next to the fire place. Even the fire seemed to acknowledge her mood, for it grew small.
"You didn't even go to your father a second time?"
"I decided that I'd let him wait and think before he's ready to give me a real answer," said Zuko rather sheepishly.
"Let's see... It's been about four, maybe five months since you asked. You don't think he's ready?" she falsely accused, "Zuko! It's about your mother, for spirit's sake! I don't think it's the time to be patient!"
"Yeah, well..." he paused very shortly to consider his answer, and shortly enough so she wouldn't refute. "I had busy, political affairs to attend to...you know, as Fire Lord."
Of course she knew. She understood perfectly. She knew the stress of dealing with international and national transactions. She, too, had quite the busy schedule as Ambassador Katara of the Water Tribe. So sympathetically, she backed down a little. Zuko felt a little lighter. But as he lifted his teacup to sip, his hand shook the porcelain rather jerkily.
"What about Azula?" she sighed as she continued to massage the side of her forehead.
"She's not giving up any answers anytime, soon," he admitted defeatedly.
Katara groaned a deep, heavy sigh.
"You know," said Uncle Iroh, "There is an urban myth that the more you sigh, the shorter you become." He stood in the doorway, casually holding a tray of tea.
Katara gasped a short breath. And Zuko couldn't help but snort. He turned his expression to the fire and smirked to himself. As she let the breath go, she glared daggers at the back of his head.
Iroh chuckled at their childish affairs, "Have you ever considered a third alternative?" said he.
Both Zuko and Katara looked up. She, with a pleading look; he, with a more annoyed one. "Who?" they asked in unison.
"What about Miss Ty Lee?"
Zuko palmed his forehead, "Uncle! Why didn't you tell me earlier?!"
"Well, you didn't ask," replied Uncle Iroh, innocently.
"Even though you knew it was slowly killing me inside?!"
Iroh threw his hands in the air and pretended to look hurt, "I did not know it was killing you!"
Fire Lord Zuko dignantly strode out of the meeting room. He did not feel as burdened as usual today--because he knew he was getting closer and closer to fill the empty, longing feeling for his mother-which kept nagging him deep in his heart.
Zuko strolled on towards the royal chambers, to the garden. It was his favorite location, besides his study, because--like his study--it was private, and the turtleduck pond reminded him of his dear mother.
Katara was there. She sat under the grand tree, feeding bread crumbs to the turtleducks. That was his spot.
"That's my spot," he said after he cleared his throat.
Katara's oceanic eyes flickered briefly to him, then focused back on the pond and smirked, "Yeah, well, your spot's been taken."
Zuko snorted and rolled his eyes. He squatted down next to her and watched the turtleducks dive for her breadcrumbs. Out of nowhere, he snatched the bread from her hands and started feeding the turtleducks himself.
Katara's eyes widened in surprise at his gesture and was momentarily peeved. Then she grinned deviously as she bended a strip of pond water over Zuko's figure. The water was freed from her control and she let it soak the Fire Lord, including his--her bread.
Her carefree laughter rang in the air, even the turtleducks quacked up. (Sorry for the pun...)
Much to his chagrin, Zuko looked at the bread and sighed defeatedly. The soggy bread was mush in his hands. Useless. He threw the bread into the pond, not knowing he hit a turtleduckling.
"Zuko!" scolded Katara. When Zuko looked up, he saw the mother turtleduck quack angrily at him, swim straight at him, and grasp his finger in her beak.
His amber gold eyes grew large and Zuko yelped irksomely at the mother's offense. Katara only laughed harder as she helped him get his finger back.
"She bit me!"
"Of course, she bit you! You attacked her duckling. She only wants to protect him," she said before she started off into another fit of giggles.
"I know that!" he said defensively. But Zuko eased into a snicker as he watched her enjoying the moment in giggles. Her laughter was contagious.
Katara took a deep breath as she released her last few chortles and relaxed against the trunk of the shady tree.
"Let's go inside," he said, "I need to change my robes."
Katara scoffed, "Please, spare me," she said sarcastically and bent the water easily out of his clothes. "I want to stay out here. I like here. It's relaxing."
Zuko smiled at her, then at the sky, "I know."
For two minutes, Zuko and Katara just layed there, staring at the cloudless, blue sky. The sun was still climbing to noon when reality suddenly sunk in.
"So," Katara started casually as she opened one eye slightly.
"So?" asked Zuko.
"So...when are we going to leave for Kyoshi Island?"
"Two days," he answered.
"Two days?" she sat up abruptly. It wasn't enough to plan and prepare for what might lie ahead.
"Three, then!" he sat up, too, throwing his arms in the air.
"Three?! Four!" she insisted.
"Four?!" Too long! he said with his eyes.
"Okay, then, three," Katara submitted. She knows when she's beaten, "Three days is good," and she crossed her arms and looked away.
Zuko nodded. He rested his chin in the palm of his hand and stared at the reflection of the blue sky in the pond.
"So," Katara started again, slowly.
He turned to her, "What now?" his voice contained only a small trace of annoyance.
She raised her hands, signifying no harm, then she crossed her arms again, "How are your meetings?"
"Tiresome," he replied.
"Is that so?"
"It is."
She looked around casually and Zuko eyed her suspiciously. "What?" he asked carefully.
"Is there a possible chance--I can join you?"
"No," he said, rather quickly, too. She sent him an accusing look in her chagrin.
"Those meetings are between me, the Fire Lord, and my Royal Council," he supported his answer and she formed an 'o' with her lips.
"However," he started again, "I have another meeting with all the government officials the day after. It would be a perfect occassion for Ambassador Katara of the Water Tribe to grace her presence with."
Katara snorted, "Why, I would be honored to, Fire Lord Zuko," and she smiled at him.
The night before the Government Official Meeting...
"I'm sorry to bother you, Lady Katara."
Katara lifted her head up and pried her eyes from her desk. A young maid stood at the entrance of her room, bowing deeplly. Katara stood up and walked to her. But the maid kept her head down. So, Katara gently put a slender hand on her shoulder. She smiled when the maid gathered her courage to make eye contact.
"It's fine," assured Katara, "I was only writing a letter to my brother. Am I needed somewhere?"
The maid nodded, "Fire Lord Zuko wanted to check on you," she said feebly, "He requests your presence at dinner because you're quite late."
Katara sighed and looked at the time-telling candle--invented by Teo's father, the Mechanist.
"I see... Well, tell Lord Zuko that I'll be on my way, then," Katara emphasized the 'Lord Zuko' in her sentence. She nodded politely at the maid.
"Yes, my Lady," said the maid as she scurried off.
"Katara is fine!" She added while the maid faded from her sight, "Oh, and thank you!"
Katara put on a small smile as she shook her head. She said to herself, "My Lady... What a title..."
Katara took her time to walk to the Fire Lord's private diner--greeting the night guards as she walked by them. They said, "Greetings, Miss Katara," and, "Good evening, my Lady," with the courteous smile and nod. She was intentionally taking her time just to peeve Zuko. After all, he could have checked on her, himself, if he was so worried.
When she reached the doors to the diner, she opened them slowly for dramatic effect. Then she would walk in casually, her nose high in the air, and then she'd see his vexed expression with his brow furrowed--it would be her trophy. Katara was proud of herself because she played out this plan in her head only while she was still opening the doors. She smelled victory as she heard the clanking of utensils and porcelain...
Empty. Gone. Stood up.
The servants were only cleaning up.
Now Katara was peeved. Zuko wasn't even there. That pompous jerk, she thought. She didnt take that long, did she?
The room went cold. Zuko straightened, abruptly, in his seat and stiffened.
"You could've checked on me, yourself, you know," said Katara as she stood in the doorway. "And then when I bother to show up at dinner, you're not even there."
Zuko continued reading he paperwork, "You took too long."
Katara crossed her arms, defensively, "I was writing a letter to Sokka."
"The maid said you were on your way."
"Well, I was making small talk to the guards."
"All of them?" Zuko shifted in his seat and looked up at her with his eyebrow raised.
"The ones I passed by!" she said, feeling accused, "How long did you actually wait?"
"Five minutes after the maid came back," Zuko was still calm, "It only takes two minutes to get there."
Katara scoffed, "If you run."
"Well, then," he said, "You're just slow."
Katara 'hmphed' and walked over to his desk. She turned the document he was reading so she could see. "What's this?" she asked, wanting to change the subject.
He huffed a sigh and rested his cheek on his fist, "It's a proposition--"
"--to send some militia to back up the Earth Kingdom villages against rioting Fire Nation," Katara rolled her eyes, "Like I've never heard that one before."
"Tell me about it," agreed Zuko.
"It's a free country, now! They're free to fight for their own cause! What happened to peace making?"
"A hundred years of war--"
"--leaves us scarred and divided," Katara finished for him.
Zuko snorted, "You can say that, again."
"Scarred and divided," she said with more emphasis.
...
Those words built tension.
Zuko's golden eyes were downcast as he raised a hand to touch his scar. And Katara watched him while she subconsciously touched two fingers to her mother's neckace.
"I think it was destiny the prevented me from healing your scar," said Katara to break the silence.
He nodded, "It was the worst mistake I've ever made," Katara watched him move to the seat by the fire place, "I betrayed Uncle. I betrayed you, Katara. You were the first person to trust me," she sat next to him as he continued, "And I betrayed himself. I was the perfect prince to my father. But it was the worst feeling ever."
Katara was looking at his profile--an outline of the unscarred prince that could have been. "But you wouldn't have learned without the experience," she reached out a tender hand to touch his scar. He didn't flinch at all, and she turned him to meet her cerulean gaze.
"Zuko... You're scar doesn't, at all, mark you as dishonorable," said she, "You're Fire Lord Zuko. It means you're strong, passionate, wise, a little bit too fierce," she chuckled lightly, "But highly honorable."
"I know that, now," he smiled gently.
"You have the traits of a great leader. And that's why you're here to rule, Mr. Fire Lord. That's why you're Zuko," she smiled back.
He put a hand on her shoulder, "I'm here to rebuild a world--"
"--of love and peace--,"
"--with you--,"
Her tan cheeks pinked slightly, "--and Aang," she grinned from ear to ear, "And Sokka, and Toph, and Suki--"
"You need to stop finishing my sentences," mused Zuko.
Katara stood up and bowed, "Forgive me, my Lord," she laughed. "You're so predictable. Well, I'm going to hit the hay."
"No dinner?" he asked as he watched her walk towards the doorway.
"I'll go for a late night snack," She looked at the candle, "or an early morning snack."
He nodded as she started her way down the corridor.
"Don't forget the meeting tomorrow!" he called out.
"Good night, Mr. Fire Lord!"
He shook his head and smiled as he sat down at his desk. Good night, he said in his thoughts. And his head thudded the desk as he plunged into slumber.
Tell me your favorite part :D I like to write my stories in a way that you can watch it like a movie in your head. I hope it works :) Thanks for staying with me, guys. Read and Review, Review, Review! The next one will feature the Government Official Meeting and the journey to/at Kyoshi Island. REVIEW!! I love reviews!
-SHL
Edit: P.S. I'll be writing one-shots during my writer's block in case you guys get tired of waiting for the next chapter. I hope you guys read them :D