AN: I've got a pretty funny story to tell. Partway through Zutara Week, my family conducted an intervention and packed us off (because they needed it too) to Digital Detox. No phones, no tablets, no computers. No tech except the communal record player. It sucked. And it rocked. I'm confused. It's freeing, but at the same time highly isolatory. And worst of all, since this was pretty much sprung on me I didn't remember to bring along a notepad and pen to jot things down!

Not much of an excuse. But I'll carry on with the week. The chapter will be uploaded on the days (somewhat) they should have been last week.

Also, the shortest chapter I've written for Zutara Week. Double upload today.

Cheers,

Eastonia

Lilac(s)

Lilacs in the language of flowers:

'A representation of the firm confidence the giver has in the receiver.'

'I have faith in you.'

'The first realisation of love.'

Katara moved into her (well, technically Zuko's but she was renting) little countryside flat at the start of March.

Just over two months later in late spring, sprays of light to pale purple blooms started popping up around the garden near the pond. Katara very nearly squealed (externally, she was squealing internally). Lilacs ranked among her favourite flowers. Both for herself to enjoy and to send as gifts.

Her sketchbook was now riddled with little notes and lopsided drawings, but she was getting better.

"Hey!" Zuko's voice knocked Katara of her musings.

She opened her bedroom window, which coincidentally overlooked the rather picturesque smithy, to yell back down at him.

"What?"

"First farmer's market of the month's tomorrow. Want to come with? I heard the chippy is getting excited about the new peas that are coming in."

Katara had quickly picked up that the locals here clung rather tightly to their self-sustainability. Produce was mainly seasonal items and, this being inland, most of the fish was river-caught. She had never tasted bream, perch, pike or carp before moving here. (Zuko had laughed about it when they had gone to buy a fish dinner and she couldn't recognise any of the fishes on offer. Turns out that due to his heritage, the unfamiliar textures of the fishes were all too familiar to him.Oriental-Asians.)

But she had to admit, she had come to love the village chippy's fruit cider battered carp, with their rustic chips (which always had enough vinegar), and mushy peas with the hint of mint.

"Yeah I'll come with! But why ask me today?"

"Loading up bric'a'brac for the market."

Katara mentally face-palmed. Last month, Katara had shown up at Zuko's doorstep with lunch and no matter how much she screamed he simply would not come out. It was only by chance (during one of her silent periods when her righteous indignation died down a little) that she heard her phone ringing frantically, delivering her an explanation.

Zuko's main 'allowance' he gave himself (never mind he had the entre wealth of Foh Tech behind him) came from the commissions he received online and, apparently from the mini sculptures and bits and pieces of jewellery (bespoke or not) he made in between commissions for the fun of it. No, really, it actually was junk. The commissions provided his main living stipend and the market sales he saved for 'a rainy day'.

Katara thought her mad little thought over, and then decided to just roll with it.
"Hey Zuko!" She shouted as he pulled the tarp over the back of his pickup to secure his merchandise.

"Yeah?"

"If I can get a piece done for tomorrow, could I add it to your stand?"

"Sure! But didn't you say that you'll be painting?"

"It's acrylic! It'll not take long to dry!"

"Well hurry up then! What are you going to paint anyways?"

Katara grinned down at Zuko from her window and shouted back, "The lilacs!" before running to her easel.

Nothing in her sketchbook seemed to come close to the real-life representations, but she could work around that. She didn't need to do still life. She could be abstract. And there was the sunshine on the water of the pond, and there were the newly blooming lilacs surrounding it.

Katara mixed her paints and touched brush to canvas.

...

Three years, eleven months and twenty-four days ago Zuko began the cleaning up process of Foh Tech, aka he started his first day at the company.
The usual bouquets, congratulatory notes and such greeted him as he walked into his fa-his office. And almost immediately his phone began to ring, he answered without looking at the number.

"Heya!" Katara's immediately said. "Did you get them?"

Zuko smiled slightly, "Get what?"

"Oooh. You better have got them or else heads will roll."

"Kats, what do you mean?"

"The flowers!"

Zuko paused, brought his phone away from his face and stared incredulously at it before asking, "You got me flowers?"

"Of course I did! You're first day on the job and I know you're going to do great. Besides, anyone tries funny business with our team and heads start rolling yeah?"

Zuko chuckled "Yeah. Which ones are yours?"

"The lilacs!"

"The lilacs?"

Zuko glanced around searching for a mainly lilac with sprays of other flowers bouquet. He didn't see one. In fact, if he were to look for lilacs then…

"You gave me straight up lilacs, nothing added on?"

"Uh huh!"

"Why?"

"Well, see. I don't have any other messages to send than that."

"Okay, you lost me Kats."

"The language of flowers. Look it up, it might come in useful someday – maybe, I don't know. But lilacs are my personal favourite flowers to give to my family and friends. And Zuko, you do know you're both right?"

Zuko rolled his eyes fondly, "You don't take down several triad groups without considering your team that I reckon. What message are you trying to send via flowers anyway?"

"I have faith in you. Remember that okay?" And with that, Katara hung up.

…

That day Zuko had, indeed, looked up a guide to the language of flowers. And Katara had kept on sending those lilacs. He tended to get more from her (arriving alongside the takeout she apparently ordered as a reminder to eat) during deal season.

Lilacs ended up becoming a very dear flower to his heart. So much so that after fixing up the smithy, he purchased several late-blooming lilac shrubs and hired a gardener to landscape his backyard with them.

Those were the same lilacs Katara had sent to him, and now was painting.

…

Zuko shook his head.

"Of course she'd paint the lilacs." He muttered to himself. Really, if he was truthful, he was somewhat expecting it.

Then, unbidden the other meaning of the flowers came to the forefront of his mind, 'Lilacs also represent a person's first realisation of love', he thought.

And just like he did nearly three years ago, he shoved it to the back of his mind.