Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the last airbender. I idolize the people who do. I am not responsible for any trauma you may experience when reading this piece of purely fan-made fiction. I make no profit off of the characters or concepts of Avatar: the last Airbender.
A/N: TTATT I'm sorry this took so long, you guys. I have a lot of work to do IRL right now, plus I have been writing the rest of the story too. Everything should be up before this weekend :) I was also trying to challenge myself with this one, and with the rest of the story. I don't know how it will all turn out, but I am enjoying it.
Things start to get a little happier in this chapter. This is the one chapter in the story where everything is normal. xD I was gonna add a part about them actually trying to find Ursa, but that is boring. I couldn't get myself to concentrate on it. I'll tell you what you need to know after this chapter. They skip a bit. I don't care. xD
In other news, this is the first story I have ever made with chapter titles. They're not all good. Some of them are from songs. Al relate to the sky in some way, I decided. That's what kinda reflects their moods. Hopefully it isn't too cheesy for all of you :D I know the last one will be from my favorite song (that I really want a zutarian AMV for...), Taking Back Sunday's "My blue heaven." The song has a really peaceful yet exhilarating mood, and the song meaning is really sweet too. It doesn't really fit this fic as much as my other oneshot, but I didn't know it until yesterday. shrugs In any case, if anyone out there makes AMV's, I have a request. I will explain more if you accept the offer. (I have no moneys to give, but I can do an art or fic to pay for it if you want)
At a World's End
Chapter Four: The Hardest Hue to Hold
Zuko wakes up the next morning on edge. He stays in bed for half an hour after the sun has risen, already dreading the day and what it will bring. Somehow he knows something bad will come from their journey. If nothing else, his friendship with a certain waterbender is in jeopardy. I never should have let her come. I'm ruining her whole life.
As they continue their trek, there has never been more of an awkward space between them. Not even when she had still been resentful toward him, before they had become friends. Back then it had just been mutual anger and guilt. Now…now they will always have that one moment hanging over them.
Zuko for one cannot stop thinking about what had transpired between them-the feeling that rushed through him. He had never felt that happy, scared, and exhilarated all at once. Who would have guessed one simple touch could change things so much?
But it did. The change had been big. Extraordinary even. People had always joked about a relationship between the two, and they had not though twice about such comments before brushing them off. But then there is one simple touch and they cannot stop thinking about it. They do nothing but think about it.
And suddenly, every moment is perceived by two dirty minds, now that the possibility exists, and each statement prompts some kind of innuendo or double entendre. Suddenly they are nothing more than two innocent, sex-brained teenagers.
Zuko would catch himself staring at the girl when she would walk in front of him. He had noticed her beauty before, of course, but it had never mattered to him until now. He finds himself staring at the crook of her neck and lets his eyes linger on the curve of her waist (She looks so…soft, he thinks, gazing at her blue-clad form), and more than once, he would feel her icy stare on him. He finds himself wishing he could brush a hand against the fabric of her shirt or run a finger through the ends of her curls.
By the time they stop at the next campsite, the whole thing had really been getting pretty annoying, and yet he never stops.
It wasn't until that night that things had stopped being so painfully awkward.
They had been sitting on opposite sides of the fire, avoiding any physical contact and trying not to look at each other in vain, and having a nondescript conversation about different bending styles. Things had been going well.
As they finished dinner it had started to get late, and Katara had not been able to control her own mouth at the statement, "The move was easier than I had remembered. I thought it would have been harder."
He heard her snicker in a tired, drunken like way before, "…That's what she said."
Both broke out laughing, and suddenly the walls were broken down, each giving way to their dirty minds with a long series of sex jokes.
After that, both silently agreed to ignore whatever feeling it was that warned them.
"Ugh…I think I forgot how much I hated walking…" It was her third such comment that day. Zuko didn't know whether to be annoyed at her complaints or to be relieved she was talking to him again.
The sun had finally come out that day, and the result was two hot, sweaty, energetic but slightly travel-worn benders, walking side by side.
Zuko pulls a map from his pack, rolling his eyes and letting out an overly dramatic sigh. He pulls the scroll taut.
"Hm…" He says, stroking his chin and studying the map. She doesn't notice it is upside down. "We should be at the next town by…next month."
They now come to the top of a forested hill, and stop to look at the view that had been hidden before. A sprawling village is visible on the horizon across from them.
She snorts through her nose before rolling her eyes. She watches him silently as he rolls up the map and slips it in with the rest of his things. Zuko pretends not to notice.
They start walking again, making the descent down a jagged path. They have to skip around the rocks jutting out every couple steps.
"Oh, great," she says sarcastically, half concentrating on not tripping. "That means we should find your mother by the time you're thirty." She throws him a mischievous look.
He brings his chin up and sticks his chest out, walking slowly and regally. "Firelords don't age, Katara. I would expect you know that." He falls behind her, keeping a slower pace, lips curling into a smirk. "I'm in no rush." His eyes are smiling.
"Well I am." She states haughtily turning around and grabbing his arm with both hands. She pulls him by the wrist, trying to get him to walk faster. "And I would like to still be looking this young by the time we finish with-"
As she says this, she trips over a stray rock, flying towards the ground and pulling him down with her. She contorts her face and shuts her eyes, bracing herself. There is a brief moment where they are both suspended in the air, arms flailing.
She lands on her back with him keeping her flat on the ground. "Ouch" His chest is pressed against hers, their legs intertwined. She opens her eyes wide and looks away. "Sorry, umm… could you…?" She finds it hard to breath, being pressed up against him like this. A blush covers her cheeks as she smiles apologetically.
Suddenly, he is laughing. His chest shakes against hers before he brings himself off her, propping himself up on his hands and knees. She imagines how this might look to a traveler or something, a girl on the ground and a man straddling her, and starts to laugh too.
"How did this happen?" She brings a hand up to her head and they laugh together for a good five minutes, with heaving shoulders and stitches in their sides.
Soon they are panting, smiles plastered to their faces, and Zuko brings his head up, opening his eyes to look at her for a second.
Their eyes meet. Once again that feeling comes through him, his senses screaming a warning. He smiles apologetically, ignoring it. "I'll just get off you now." He pushes himself off of her, not looking nearly as graceful as he had just moments ago.
He gives her a hand to help her up.
"Now let's move on," she says with a grunt, standing up again. "I want to get out of this forest and into a shower. I'm covered in dirt." She smiles at him.
Katara doesn't notice him watching as she brushes the dirt off her clothes, or the heat spreading over his face at the word, "shower."
A/N: awww. Isn't that cute? He's fallin' in lurve. mkay. Anyways, I hope this was satisfactory to you all. I know it's a little slow at the beginning. I also know how cracked up that joke was :D I had fun with it.
This chapter was never really necessary to the plot. I just wanted to show how close they are and how much fun they have with each other when they are not depressed. things take a turn later.
thank you, all my wonderful reviewers. I know that isn't many, but that's okay. You guys are all so nice to me :3
I really hope I am approaching all this the right way. If not, feel free to tell me. :D
-Fishy