Well I decided to revamp the first few chapters of my series. I figured a good Summer-Cleaning would do. Hahaha
Disclaimer: Oh yeah...I soo own Avatar. Can you just tell?
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It had been one month. They had been marooned, for one freaking MONTH on this pathetic little island. No one had shown up to rescue them, no one had shown up. At…ALL…
Zuko swore if he had to stay one more day with her…He would probably kill her.
"…So that when Aang realized that Toph would be a great earthbending teacher. I didn't think much of it, you know. Aang was the one who had to choose. Her family, on the other hand was pretty adamant about not letting her come with us. I thought they would throw us in jail or something…" She was rambling.
He lifted a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. Building a shelter would be a whole lot more productive if she just shut her pretty little mouth for a few minutes.
"…And then she just showed up, running towards us with a big smile on her face. I had never seen Aang so relieved in my life. I was pretty relieved too, we didn't have to keep looking for another earth bending teacher. So Aang had jumped off of Appa and…"
"Katara…" Zuko finally called, his eyes shut as he tried to calm himself down. She finally stopped, and he could feel her gaze on him. "Could you please…just stay quiet for a while?" He asked her.
"…I was just trying to make conversation, Zuko." She said, her tone somewhat offended. "You know to pass the time. You've been nothing but silent this entire time since last week."
Zuko heaved a deep sigh. "Can you at least try to make an attempt at being social?" She was annoyed now, her tone dry.
Zuko turned around with an equally dry look on his face. Katara was standing with a makeshift fishing pole dug on the ground, her gaze expectant and irritated. He didn't fail to notice how she was in her under clothes. The white material hugging her form in a most remarkable way, her long hair was pulled up into a messy braid. Messy enough to have several locks escape.
It would take a miracle for Zuko to admit that she was very attractive. But he knew she was, and he knew that she was strong enough to really drive him wild. In a good way and a bad way.
Careful not to lick his lips, Zuko glared at her before turning around and continuing to fix their so called 'shelter'. Maybe now she would stay quiet for a while and get a clue...He was trying to ignore her...and her amazing figure...
"Zuko…" Zuko let his shoulders droop. He didn't know how long he had to put up with her.
"What now, Katara?" he asked gruffly, trying to keep his mind from straying to her clothes.
"You know what? Never mind, you can do whatever you want." Katara stated, huffing as she turned her attention back to her fishing. Zuko inhaled deeply and exhaled forcefully he raised his head and a stream of fire escaped from his mouth.
"What did I do this time?" he asked with such radiating exasperation, it made Katara blink curiously, but only for a second. She looked at him and sighed.
"Oh no, you didn't do anything wrong. I'm the one who keeps bothering you with my boring stories." She stated, on edge.
Zuko stared at her, "Wait, hold on. You're getting mad at me?" he asked, frustrated. She glared at him. "Oh, come on! Look, all I want is just some peace and quiet! It's not too much to ask, Katara!"
"All I was doing was trying to fill in the space!" She yelled back, throwing her fists to her sides. "A week ago you couldn't wait to pick a fight!" She was storming up to him, Zuko held his ground. "We had three whole days of silence, Zuko, and all this quiet is driving me crazy!!"
"You haven't stopped talking for four hours, Katara! All this 'conversation'" Zuko made quote signs with his fingers, "is driving me crazy!!
"Ugh! You're so hopeless!" She leaned back, arching her head to the sky. Zuko saw clearly well the shape of her neck and the structure of her front for a moment. Cursing his hormones, he looked away. "It's a MIRACLE that you're uncle hasn't left you while you two were traveling, you can't hold a conversation, even if you wanted to!"
Zuko huffed, turning back his attention on her. Outraged by her accusations, and embarrassed by his own staring, Zuko shot fire from his fists as he closed the distance between them. "I SO can hold a conversation!" He shouted.
"Well you've done a remarkable job proving that, Zuko!" Katara snapped back, poking his chest hard with a finger. He was certain she could do other things with that hand...
"Ugh!" Zuko exclaimed, grabbing at his hair and tugging. "You're so unbelievably impossible! I have NO idea how the Avatar could deal with such a blabbering girl!"
Scoffing loudly in anger Katara pushed him, "Well he actually talked BACK, Zuko!"
"Well I don't see him here, do you?!" Zuko slapped her hand off him, for many reasons aside from anger. "He's probably having such a good time right now without you talking him to death!"
"I do NOT talk him to death!" She shot back, this time feeling worried.
"Well you sure aren't proving that to me!"
"UGH! FINE! If you want so much quiet time, Zuko, then I'll just leave and you can find your own food and find your own way to get out of this forsaken island!" and with that Katara turned and stormed off into the direction of the trees.
"You're just going to leave me here?!" Zuko yelled at her back. She quickly turned around and threw her arms up, and Zuko saw the wave of ocean water too late.
Thoroughly soaked and angry, he breathed fire. "FINE! LEAVE THEN! I DON'T NEED YOU!! I'VE SURVIVED PLENTY OF TIMES BY MYSELF!!"
Katara didn't say anything she just kept walking. Zuko growled and shot fire at the sand. "Stupid girl!"
Turning around he angrily began to finish his job, muttering about stupid beautiful water tribe girls that couldn't keep their mouths shut.
About three to four hours passed and Katara hadn't returned to the camp the two of them were sharing, and the anger and flames had long since died followed by a racking guilt and worry. Zuko stood by the fire, cooking two small fishes that Katara's fishing line had nabbed, staring intently at the fire as he tried to make sense of the situation.
He really hadn't meant to yell at her, but she was just so frustrating sometimes! It was bad enough that he kept staring at her while she was around. He blamed it on himself, since he had last sprained his ankle and had watched her gently heal him and that time he almost broke his collarbone when she almost fell from that tree after trying to fetch fruit. She had healed him then too, and it was at that moment, he figured, that he most likely started to really notice her. It had made him edgy.
Every time she was near or stood relatively close, his hands would tremble slightly and his heart would race. It made him feel horribly inadequate. So they would argue a whole lot more and he would fine some sort of release in making her explode like that. At least then his face would be red and she would assume it was out of anger.
But she had never really marched off, leaving him alone. Now Zuko was beyond worried about her. She was probably off doing whatever she wanted and paying no heed to him at all. Shaking his head he tried to focus on other things.
Glaring at the embers before him, he realized how long it's been since he really let out a bunch of fire like that…not since that time when he was at Li's village and he had used all that power in anger at those wretched men. He didn't know what it was about that girl that really set him off, but she managed to always push his buttons and succeed in making him blow up.
He remembered how bright her eyes were as she yelled at him, throwing her voice at him as if she could control him. It both excited him and made him want to strangle her. Who did she think she was, yelling at the fire prince like that?
He groaned. Then again he was acting like a jerk. He didn't have to shut her up so much. She was trying to be civil whilst he just tried to ignore her. It wasn't fair for her to have to put up with him like that. Glaring at the setting sun, Zuko knew that he would have to apologize to her.
Then again how would she reply to him? Would she laugh and mock him? Or just throw water at him? Or maybe she would just smile and hug him like he had seen her hug Aang?
Zuko felt his face warm and his heart race again. Ugh, this was ridiculous! How was he supposed to act? All of this was just so sudden that he really didn't know what to really do. Should he try to woo her or just pretend that this was just a phase he would grow out of?
None of that would matter if you never found her and apologized first. Zuko sighed.
If you can find her… Standing up abruptly, Zuko turned and began to up the beach and towards the way Katara had left. The worry and fear for her gripped him, but he was a master tracker. He would be able to find her soon enough, Zuko was grateful that she hadn't been trained not to leave a trail. She had walked for some time, moving this way and that. Zuko was careful to leave marks on trees and such to be able to lead them back.
She probably got lost. Or…worse…
Zuko walked faster now, his red traveling clothes being yanked by branches and shrubs as the vegetation got thicker and thicker as he walked. His bare feet would stumble over rocks and fallen branches and realized that the possibility of falling and breaking an ankle was pretty high now. But as he walked he noticed some leaves and branches looked as if they were sucked dry.
He slowed down when he heard the sound of rushing water and speech. It was far off but he could hear it. Relief spread through his chest, she was alright.
As he neared he could barely catch parts of her conversation, "…You'd think…gosh if only I could just…now…" The closer he got the more he could hear.
"Is it so bad to really feel something?" He heard her say and froze. Listening he made no move to get closer. "I mean…yeah we were enemies at some point and after what he did for me to avenge my mom…I realize that we're friends now…but…"
Zuko felt his heart begin to race. Is she talking about me?
"Look, I know you're a frog and everything and you can't understand me and talking to a frog is possibly the most ridiculous thing ever and only weird people talk to frogs anyway..." She paused. He waited feeling slightly insulted for some strange reason.
"But...I think…I think I really like him now."
Zuko forgot to breathe then, his hand clutched at a nearby branch, unconciously leaning in to hear more. "I mean, sure he can be such a jerk and have completely no regard for other people not to mention being a complete angsty teenager at times…" Zuko frowned. Angsty? She thought he was full of angst? Well…okay maybe he was…but with good reason!
"…But…" Zuko continued to listen, "he's shown me how selfless he is." She was speaking warmly now and Zuko really felt his heart race then.
"He can be very kind and gentle…and resourceful…and smart…and handsome…" She trailed off and he felt his cheeks warm. "And his scar…" Zuko felt his insides freeze, whatever good feeling he was experiencing froze as his stomach began to drop.
"I used to think it was so…horrible…" Zuko felt his heart sink and his hand rise to cover said blemish. "But now…I just can't picture him without it."
He felt torn, he didn't know what she meant by that. "Not saying that's a bad thing…" She continued. "I don't see why but…it just…it makes him who he is…" He heard her sigh. "Ugh…he probably thinks I'm this annoying brat who won't leave him alone."
Zuko frowned, somewhat feeling caught. "Maybe I should. Just leave him alone…"
He moved, then. Walking past branched and trees, getting closer and closer. He heard her gasp and heard leaves crumble and rustle; she must've been sitting down. He finally saw her over a big bush, her hands up holding a large whip of water from the river by her side and saw her jaw drop.
"Zuko?" She stammered, and he stepped into sight. She dropped the water by her feet, freezing. A breeze ruffled leaves and their clothing and Zuko moved a hand over his eyes to brush the hair that dared to blind him. At that point Zuko didn't know what to say. Silence set between them aside from the sound of rustling leaves from the trees and the rush of the river. He fidgeted suddenly, and kicked himself mentally for not preparing to talk to her. She waited for him to speak, her eyes wide almost panicky.
"Uh…I wanted to speak to you…" Zuko started lamely, his eyes were not drifting away from how her braid was swinging in the breeze, and how her clothes were floating around her along with it. He cleared his throat as she shifted under his gaze.
"…Did you hear…?" She asked her voice really high. Zuko blushed, nodding. "Yeah…most of it anyway…" She slapped her hands to her face. Her face gone red, embarrassed. Zuko felt awkward then, it was obvious she had not intended for him to hear. Dropping her hands she shifted to face him.
"Look, Zuko…" she started, keeping her gaze on her hands. "What I said back there…uh…"
"Was it the truth?" he interrupted, she gaze snapped up to his, surprised. "What?"
Zuko straightened and gazed at her intently. "Was what you said…the truth?" he asked slowly. He vaguely started to notice that fireflied were beginning to fly around them, the growing darkness letting crickets and other night creatures begin to wake.
She began to fidget and squirm, Zuko knew she was debating whether she should tell him the truth or not was wise enough. "All I need to hear…is if you meant it at all."
Katara looked at him for a moment and looked away. She stayed quiet for a moment and Zuko almost began to dread her answer. Then she nodded. "It was the truth…"
"Oh…" Zuko felt his knees weaken, his heart kept racing and his face had done no better than to keep reminding him of that fact. Katara hid her face from him; she turned around so her back faced him. So…she did like him. Suddenly he could feel lightheadedness spread over his body.
"So…do you have…anything to say?"
The question almost made Zuko jump, confused. "What are you trying to say?" he asked, her voice trembling slightly.
She sighed as she turned around rather slightly; he was facing her side as she stared into the water's shimmering surface. "I mean…Well you kind of just heard me say that I…um…"
"Yeah…" Zuko said, wary. Taking an unconscious step forward he leaned closer to hear her. She looked alarmed then, and looked as though she was trying to see if she could run or face him.
"It's just…I was wondering if you had anything to say about…"
"I know how you're feeling…" he said before he could stop himself. She faced him again, not sure what he was trying to say. He frowned, feeling somewhat confused again. What was he trying to say? "Look…I'm sorry." He said, and he saw her pale over the thin light of the fire flies and the fading light of the day.
"No, no!" He panicked, "Not like that I mean I'm sorry about yelling at you! …earlier…"
She seemed to compose a little more, still uncertain. "It's just…this is kind of sudden for me." He said, looking away. His cheeks burning bright, "The thing is…I've been feeling really…strongly…about you…for the past two weeks…and I didn't think it would be possible that you would…"
"Feel the same way?" Zuko looked back at her, seeing a sudden glow in her eyes. His chest felt light and heavy at the same time, "Y-yeah…" He stammered. Katara shook her head, her eyes wide. She looked back at him and began to walk towards him.
Zuko really didn't know what to do. "So…are you saying that…you think you…?" She asked her face bright and pink, shyly, "That you…actually feel the same way…or…?" She finally stood directly in front of him.
Zuko flushed, his heart began to race again. He breathed and felt the airy feeling give him more confidence. Grabbing her hand he raised it to his chest and pressed it on his thundering heart.
"I think that I really care about you…very much." Katara gasped softly, almost inaudibly. Zuko looked at her eyes and saw the wonder and awe in them. He hadn't realized he had sort of admitted his feelings to her and to himself at that moment.
As if his body was being controlled by something powerful and liberating, he felt his hand lift her chin and leaned in. Gently, pressing his lips against hers, he closed his eyes. Katara had stood very still, and as she felt her own lips return the motion, she relaxed.
The kiss lasted ten seconds at most, but the feeling felt as if it had lasted only one short moment. When they parted Zuko watched her eyes open and look at him. He worried, and feared that she would let him go and walk off again. But she smiled, softly, and embraced him.
Her hug, wrapped around his neck and she buried her face in his neck. Zuko held on to her, awkwardly at first but then he tightened his hold, breathing her in, trying to memorize her sweet perfume. They held each other, and when they parted she rested her forehead against his.
Zuko never thought he would feel this way, especially with this girl, and as they walked back he let her talk about anything at that moment. Zuko, feeling complete and happy for once in his life, never wanted to stop listening to her talk.
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Yeah…much better. So I fixed it.
Might as well make it a whole lot longer.
Review please! Let me know what you think!
Mido-Ao
