Disclaimer: I own nothing
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Note: Sorry this chapter is so short…I'm seriously struggling to make any time for it. Finals are coming up! Gah! Anyway, I hope you guys like—I don't consider it my best work. Please send encouragement in the form of REVIEWSSS….love ya.
O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oCHAPTER FOURo0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
The next morning Katara vowed to take on Zuko with a vengeance. She wasn't going to back down this time. This time she came armed—with something that was sure to give her some assurance, some confidence. Something that guaranteed Zuko couldn't intimidate her. And something she had stolen from Sokka's bag while he wasn't looking.
It was a shirt.
It was a modestly fashioned one, at best. Katara couldn't remember, but she was almost certain that the shirt was one of Sokka's impulse buys he made while they were wandering the various towns in the Earth Kingdom. It was sleeveless, green, and had a bit of detailed embroidery alone the collar and the hem.
The waterbender entered the room cautiously, her ears perking, listening for any signs of movement. She heard none, and stepped delicately into the room, which was flooded with the morning light. Zuko sat across from the door, his ankles and hands still obediently bound, staring at some cracks in the wall adjacent to him. He didn't event turn his head to acknowledge Katara's appearance. The waterbender frowned. He was still being stubborn—still determined to ignore and irritate and irately plunder her patience.
Angrily, Katara gathered up the shirt and chucked it at high speed into his chest. The firebender made a little surprised grunt as the bundle hit him square in the chest, and then he turned his yellow eyes on Katara, glaring. She met his stare with her own icy gaze.
"Here's a little present for you," she told him sternly. "Put it on or I'm not coming anywhere near you."
Zuko scowled bitterly. "Where's your little earthbending sidekick?"
"That's not your concern," Katara countered. "Didn't I just tell you do put on that shirt?"
"Please—you cannot expect me to take orders from a child."
Katara could feel her blood boil already, but she wouldn't let Zuko get the upper hand. "Child?! Excuse me, but aren't you only—what? A year older than I am? At most?"
A thoughtful look overcame the firebender's face, and it looked foreign on his features. "I have no idea. I don't know your age."
"I'm fourteen."
"Well, I'm sixteen."
"Which means you're just as much a child as I am."
Zuko raised his head defiantly. "Actually, in my country, being sixteen legally makes me an adult."
"Oh, really? Well, where I come from, adulthood is determined by our maturity. And right now you're functioning at an eight-year-old's level." Katara grinned triumphantly as she watched Zuko's face crease in anger. Remarkably, he didn't blow up as he had the nights before.
"I don't need to explain my behavior to you, peasant."
"Are you going to put on the shirt or not?" Katara asked, placing her hand on her hip and a frown pulling at her lips.
Zuko's eyes narrowed. "Well, that will be somewhat difficult, considering that both my hands are bound."
Katara frowned displeasingly. She had forgotten about Zuko's physical restraints, and that meant…she lamented even bringing the shirt at all…that she would have to help him dress. Her comfort level suddenly plummeted, and she could feel her heart begin to pound in nervousness. Zuko couldn't know about it. She approached him gracefully, feigning calm and confidence. Reaching her delicate, browned hands towards him, she gathered and unfolded the shirt, then flung half of it over her shoulder. Then she extended her arms towards Zuko.
"Give me your hands," she commanded softly.
Zuko hesitated a moment, but then yielded his bound wrists, turning them upward so that Katara could see the slight blue color of the veins under the skin, and she could even see his pulse. It was the slightest, most minute movement, which pumped a tiny portion of skin near his palm up and down in a steady rhythm. Katara watched it, somehow curious, as she untied the knots. She saw the pulse grow less steady and calm—it too began to mimic her own, pumping the skin concealing it up and down suddenly. Katara was confused, and she looked up at the firebender's face for answers.
She wasn't expecting to lock eyes with him. They were so close now, and he was staring at her. Not just a regular stare. The kind of stare that Katara felt cut through her flesh and look inside her—into her very soul. She didn't like this feeling, and abruptly glanced back down, paying all of her attention to the knot she was undoing. The waterbender kept in mind the chance that he would try to attack her, but she was equipped with her waterskin, bulging full, ready for use should she need it.
Finally, the knot came undone. Zuko seemed to breath in relief when his arms were freed, and he didn't seem interested in attacking, but even so, Katara jumped up and placed her hand protectively over her waterskin. The firebender looked at her like she was the biggest of fools.
"Don't bother," Zuko scoffed. "If I attacked you know I'd have to deal with my uncle's lecture about bad manners."
Katara's eyes narrowed, but she dropped her hands. Reaching over her shoulder for the shirt, she handed it to him. "There. Can you manage now?"
The boy smirked and stood up, slipping his arms into the fabric. Katara couldn't help her eyes being drawn to Zuko's bare chest. Embarassed by her own thoughts, she turned away, shielding her eyes with the palm of her hand. But it was too late; she could feel the dreadful warm flush of blush creeping up her neck and invading her cheeks. After a moment she glanced over her shoulder to see if Zuko was finished.
She didn't see him at first, then spotted him to the left, poised just out of vision. He'd untied the binds around his ankles…and put on the shirt she'd given him, thank goodness. Katara immediately launched into a defense stance; though Zuko made no move other than to gently toss the length of rope he'd removed back at her.
"I'm not going to be a prisoner any more," he instructed. "And I'm not going to fight you either."
Katara scowled but held her stance. "After all your fuss yesterday, you just changed your mind like that?" she injected sarcastically.
"No, I used my head. It seems to be an unusual thing around here," Zuko retorted, still making no threatening movements. "If what you said about my heart chakra being blocked is true, I won't even be capable of bending."
The Prince outstretched his right hand and clenched his fist tightly, while Katara raised her hands protectively across her face, reading herself for a potential attack. But it never came. Zuko's fist began to smoke, and his brow furrowed in either frustration or concentration—Katara didn't know which—but no flames ignited. Exasperated, Zuko flung his hand back to his side and looked at the waterbender angrily.
"See? I've got no bending." He pivoted around and rubbed his wrists, his head drooping. "I'm no threat to you now."
Katara relaxed…slightly. "What kind of mind games are you playing on me, Zuko? And how do I know that you're not faking losing your bending?"
Zuko faced her once more. "Please, waterbender. You know I'm hardly the kind to play that card. Believe me, if I could firebend, I'd be miles away already!"
"I so don't believe you!"
"You want me to go back to being difficult, then?" Zuko chirped, steping forward. "Alright, I don't mind. I actually enjoyed irritating you."
Katara stepped forward in turn and thrust a finger in the boy's face. "You…you…"
"Me. Yeah, I know, you hate me."
"I never said that."
"If you insist, waterbender."
The girl placed her hands on her hips. It was impeccable how quickly Zuko could irritate the heck out of her. She wanted to just storm out of the room like she had yesterday, but if she did, that meant that Zuko would win yet another battle. She couldn't let him get the upper hand again. His ego was already too inflated.
Then Katara was struck with a brilliant—no, beyond brilliant—idea.
"You are already being difficult, and the more you act this way the less I feel like healing you," Katara explained, and then dropped the bomb. "And if you want me to heal you and restore your bending, you're going to have to earn my services."
That stopped Zuko in his tracks. He blinked at her. "Earn?"
Katara nodded her head enthusiastically. "Yes—earn. It means that you'll have to pull your weight around here. Your uncle does it perfectly well. I'm sure you could too."
"I don't have to do anything for you!" Zuko's temper began to flare, and Katara knew that now, it was she who was gaining the upper hand.
She stepped in even closer. "If you want your bending back? You will."
Zuko stared at the girl in front of him in disbelief. Suddenly his cocky witticism dissolved, and his lips formed a tight thin line on his face. After a few moments he spat out a single angry, and defeated word.
"Fine," he agreed.
Katara's face instantly burst into a wide smile; she made no effort to hide it. "Great!" She said cheerily. "Why don't you follow me and we'll go ask Sokka what he thinks you should do."
She began to walk towards the exit but glanced back over her shoulder, fully intending to throw another victorious smile at the bitter Zuko. But he hadn't budged, and he regarded her with a fierce glare.
"There is no way that I'm taking orders from that Water Tribe peasant!" He insisted stubbornly.
Katara approached him again, this time with a slightly harder, more icy look on her face. "Well, then I suppose you won't be receiving any healing from this Water Tribe peasant!"
Zuko's eyes flared and his head reeled back a bit, but Katara didn't back down. She held his gaze. Finally beat, Zuko forced out another exasperated "Fine."
Another smirk graced the waterbender's face. "Let's go then."
Katara victoriously marched out the door, with an angry and defeated Zuko lingering behind. She led the Prince through the alleyways of the abandoned Earth Kingdom town, the reactions of her friends running over and over like small dramas in her mind. Surely they would be surprised, even shocked, that Zuko had finally abandoned his charade and decided to work with the group. Of course, she couldn't give the Prince too much credit, because he was only doing it to gain his bending back. She glanced once more over her shoulder at the teenager walking steadily behind her; he looked none too happy to stare back at her, shooting daggers from his eyes.
It didn't matter. As long as Zuko's chakra was blocked, he had no bending. He had no way of threatening them. He was…essentially harmless. And now he could be useful too.
Smiling wider, Katara strode towards the group campsite, thankful to have won today's battle.
PERSONAL THINGY: How'd all my reader's like the little "Uh-oh, Zuko can't bend" curve-ball? Lol. Hope you all liked--once again--PLEASE REVIEW!!
REVIEWER RESPONSES: (Cuz I love yalls)
purewhiteshadow: Yeah, he is pretty immature in this story, isn't he? Thanks for reading!
tantei39kunoichi: I'm really glad you enjoyed! Thanks for the review!
Avatargirl92: I have a personal policy that I respond to every (friendly) review I get in the next chapter if I'm not completly squashed for time! So you'll be mentioned every chapter from now on, as long as you review! Thanks for you continued support!
Bonnie: I'm glad you like it so much! I always strive to make my stories different than the typical Zutara. And--let's face it--Zuko is never at the mercy of the Gaang very often, and certainly not without his bending power. How'd you like that little curveball? Thanks for reviewing!
wicca in training: I agree with you that good vs. bad pair-ups are interesting, because all of the time in order for the story to turn out happy one of them needs to change, and to me, relationships are all about comprimise. I also really like Zuko's character because he's sort of the bad guy, but he's the rare, wonderful type that gets the chance to redeem himself in the end. LOVE THAT. And love you for reviewing again! Thanks!
dontwaitupxx: Untie Zuko? Wish granted! Thanks for the review!
Harlequin Jade: Thanks for the review, I'm glad you liked! Thanks again!
Akriloth Warrior: I'm not sure how Katara would react if Zuko told her that yet...maybe later. Thanks for review; I'm glad you like it!
BlueHeavensAngel: I wondered what would have happened if Zuko got hit too, and that's why I wrote this story. I'm glad you think that it's atypical. I try! Thanks very much, glad you enjoyed!
pink princess 16: I'm not telling who wins! But I'm hoping that both will! :) Thanks for the review, I'm glad you enjoyed.
ML7: Hey faithful! Thanks for the review! I'm working on the humanity/Zuko thing. I'll knead it out eventually. I'm glad you liked. Thanks again!
NorthernLights25: Thanks for the encouragement, I'm glad you liked it! Thanks for the review too--love!
ManyWaysForgotten: Thanks for the review and I'm glad you added me to your faves! I'm flattered! Hoped you liked this chapter...thanks again!
Dragon Jadefire: Thanks for the review, and I'm glad you liked!
FireChildSlytherin5: I'm glad you're enjoying the way I'm portraying Zuko in this fic! Thanks for the review!
LordRevanGrandMaster: I'm glad you thought it was worth the wait! Fortunately, you didn't have to wait so long for this chapter...thanks very much for he review and your continued support and encouragement! Thanks again!
Aussiereader: Thanks, I'm flattered to hear that you think it's an awesome story, and I'm also glad it made you laugh! I'm sure that Zuko and Iroh will have words for each other, especially now that Zuko is somewhat free to roam around the campsite. Thanks very much for the review!