Chapter Seven
(Reader's Choice--Pick your own song, send me the title and I'll rename the chapter with the best song!)
Katara had been doing everything in her power to stay away from Zuko. She cut across the hall , ducked around a corner, or just walked straight past- depending on what was easiest. Some vacation this was turning out to be, she spent all her time constantly looking out for him, and some days, she just wanted to scream at him for not waiting for her like she had done for him. About a week into their vacation, everyone had finally convinced everyone else to go to the beach. There were things to be packed, So Katara kept herself busy all morning.
Zuko had by now, noticed Katara's odd behavior. "Hey," he started awkwardly, handing her a towel to put in the basket. She glanced at him, her blue eyes almost as cold as frigid water. "Listen, I know things have changed a lot for both of us. But I don't think that we can't still be friends. (A/N: "Its not like I'm going to glomp you or anything *Wink*")"
Friends? That's all he wanted to be… friends? The word cut her open. Now, by looking straight at her with his gold eyes, it was throwing salt in the wound. Blinking to keep back tears, Katara bit her tongue and forced herself to smile. "Yes, friends." Zuko smiled and relaxed a bit. Still, though, he was less than a foot away from her- and that made her uneasy. For the first time since their arrival, she actually looked in his eyes with a shy smile on her lips. "So, uh… how are things going with…"
"Mai?" Zuko asked, watching a dark figure come out of the living room. "What are you doing here?" This wasn't right… his old girlfriend shouldn't be here, especially when he's talking to Katara. (No, nope, no. That wasn't happening! Lalalalalalalalalalaah!) The figure shrugged.
"Uh…" Katara started. "I'll just be going now…" she pointed toward the door and left the room quickly, bumping into Toph as she rounded the corner.
"What the Hell are you doing!?" Toph squealed.
"Sorry, I was just coming around the corner…"
"No, you idiot! You left them alone! She'll probably slit his wrists or something!" Toph grabbed Katara's sleeve and pulled her back into the kitchen door way where they saw-well Katara saw and Toph felt- Mai jabbing a kiss right on Zuko's mouth. Instantly, Katara's heart sank. Her world had stopped spinning. Up until now she never really thought… but there they were- kissing. In the exact same spot that she had been standing in less that ten seconds ago. Having seen enough, Katara turned around and ran out of the room. Her heart started to pound in rage and sadness. Silently, she skidded around a corner, almost colliding with Suki.
"What's wrong, Katara?" Suki asked as the girl ran past.
"Nothing!" Katara said as she darted toward her room.
Suddenly, Suki heard Zuko yell; 'What the Hell Mai! We are through! You can't just go kissing me like that What. The. Hell!' She grasped the door frame and peeked into the kitchen where she saw Zuko pushing Queen Doom away from him. 'You are the one that broke up with me, so I don't want you to come back into my life and…'
'And what? Break up things with that water bending skank!' Mai threw a pale finger toward the door.
'She is not a skank! And there is nothing going on between us! We just established a friendship, and if you aren't into me anymore then why do you care if I did have a thing for her?'
'So you do have a thing for her!'
'No! I don't!'
'Then why won't you let me kiss you?'
'Because Mai, I don't love you… I never have.'
The girl dressed in black gaped as she stepped back. 'That's a lie!'
Zuko laughed and looked around the room. 'No, its not,' He smiled. His eyes lit up in amusement as he watched the girl fall deeper into rage. 'Mai, I have never really felt anything when I'm with you. Honestly, I've felt more love toward a Ostrich-Horse than I have for you.' Mai gasped as her face reddened. Finally she stormed out of the house, nearly in tears for the first time in her life.
"Whoa! Epic!" Suki whispered as she turned back to go into the living room.
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Katara slammed the door behind her in teary fury. How could he! How dare he! After everything how can he have the nerve to… She was standing right there! She could have turned around and her forehead would have bumped his chin, that's how close they had been. That how close he had come to her. But he was a player. He didn't care. He hurt her and probably didn't even care! She shoved her face into a pillow to smother a scream. Quickly, she was so lost in sorrow that she didn't even notice her door opening. "Hey, Sugar Queen…" a small voice asked timidly. Katara, her face streaked with tears looked up from her soaked pillow.
"Hi Toph," She whispered.
"Listen… I know I'm not too good with this stuff, but I can tell your upset. And I know why, too." Katara pushed herself up to her palms and tucked her legs underneath her. "I know that you still have a thing for Princey. I knew about it before too." She felt the girl's face slacken and sighed as she continued. "I just want you to know that I won't tell anybody and I'm here for you, Queenie."
"You knew?" Katara asked, her blue eyes wide and her hands sweating beneath the dark gloves.
"Yeah, and Sokka kinda figured it out on his own. But we are the only ones who know, I promise." Toph darted her blind eyes around the room as if she could see what it looked like. "Oh, and I can tell you that wha-" a loud knock on the door stopped her mid sentence. Silently she slid off the edge of the bed where she had been sitting. "Well, what are you waiting for, open the door?" Toph followed Katara very closely as she neared the door and shot out of the room the moment the door had opened. This, in turn caused the person… the person… on the other side of the door to stumble forward and step right into Katara.
The girl looked up from the dark red fabric that had attacked her face, and only then noticed that there were two hands on her back. (And that her own hands were resting against the boy's chest. Her face blushed about as red as Zuko's shirt. "Sorry," they both murmured at the same time. Katara pushed off of him gently, not wanting him to even be there. "Listen, Zuko. I'm not feeling too well right now, so maybe you should go."
"Hey, I just wanted..."
"Please, I really don't feel well," Katara begged,rubbing her arm quietly.
"Are you alright?" Zuko knew he sounded a little too worried, but really didn't care.
"I'm fine, really, but I just want to lie down for a spell until we leave, so..."
"Oh, alright. Feel better," he said, his golden eyes shining with what turned out to be tears that just wouldn't fall. The door was almost closed when Katara lifted a pillow to her face and screamed. Almost closed. But he could still see. And it just made everything even more clear. She still couldn't stand him.
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Katara stood on the beach, waves lapping at her ankles. Never in her life had she felt this exposed. Her bending clothes felt unnatural against her thighs. Her long legs shook as the warm air brushed over them. "So, Blue," a voice started. Katara turned her head to the side to see Zuko standing beside her. "Feeling better?" He asked with a smirk to emphasize the word 'better'. Even though she wanted to just walk away from him- having seen him and his girlfriend having a make-out-athon, she couldn't tear her eyes away. Despite the smirk, there was sincerity in Zuko's eyes.
"Much," Katara answered tersely. She moved her foot forward in the sand, stepping deeper into the water. The sand was very soft, and almost as white as the single cloud above them. As the girl looked away from the sand and up at the water, a hand came to her forearm. "Whats wrong?" She asked, her eyes flickering up to his gold ones.
"I just realized something..." Zuko started, as if he had forgotten something. Katara's eyes widened in anticipation. "I'm on vacation... wow, this is nice."
The water kept swishing over her knees. Swallowing anger was hard, but pain, even harder. She had been foolish, childish, to think that he was actually going to tell her... But She forced a smile and gave him a little shove. "Shut up, Red." Quickly, she grabbed his hand and pulled him into the water. Beneath the surface was a whole other world; pink corals and yellow sponges sat stationary on the sand, while fish and little baby turtles swam around seaweed. Katara smiled at Zuko, who, she realized, was still holding on to her hand. She looked up to the surface and Zuko nodded, he needed some air himself. Both of them surfaced at the same time, bobbing up and down in the waves like human buoys. "What do you think?" The girl asked quietly. "this is my element, my world. Everything is so intricately woven together, and everything depends on everything else. I've heard that if you find a baby sea turtle, scoop it up, kiss it and set it free, you deepest wish will come true. Its only a myth though," she added with a blush.
"Somethings are worth trying." With a little smile on his face, he scooped up one of the brilliantly green turtles. It continued to swim around in his cupped hands, never really getting anywhere before turning around. "Do you want to give it a try?" He asked extending his hands to Katara. With a little red on her face, she kissed the little animal, bumping her chin off the Firelord's hand. Zuko followed suit, and then he and Katara let the turtle go together. "So, what did you wish for, Blue?"
"Things to be right."
"Really?"
"I know, its corny..."
"No, its just that-"
"HEY LOVEBIRDS!" Toph yelled. "QUIT YOUR FLIRTING AND GET BACK HERE! WE NEED SPARKEY TO START THE FIRE!" Though they both knew she was kidding, they couldn't help but blush. How had it looked? Them standing, hands seemingly clasped, waist deep in the ocean. "THAT WAS A JOKE! BUT WE REALLY DO NEED SPARKEY TO GET THE FIRE GOING..." With a chuckle of relief they both looked at each other. Do it! He's with Mai!
Kiss her! She has someone else!
Kiss him!
Kiss her!
Just do it!
You have nothing to loose! Quit being a chicken and kiss her! Barely moving, they leaned to one another. Ever so slightly, they were closer. It was... nice.
"HELLOOOO!" Toph yelled again. "SPARKEY, GET YOUR ROYAL ASS OVER HERE AND LIGHT THE FIRE!"
Quickly the two pulled away from one another, only now aware of what they had almost done. As Katara came out of the water Toph whispered "I just saved your ass from kissisng him in front of everyone!" The older girl nodded and continued past, suddenly greatful.
The roaring of waves crashing onto the shore was drounded out by chatter and laughter. Katara was the only one who sat silent. She had seen him kiss another woman, then why did she still want him to kiss her. It wasn't a jealousy thing- but deep down she wanted to believe that they were through. But she couldn't. There was a complexity about him that simply intriuged her. The fact that he needed more that a kiss to make him smile, the fact that he didn't even need the kiss itself was desirable. All you had to do was listen and be willing to learn and care about what he was saying. You just had to want more than... Katara shivered. How could women do that? See a perfectly good man and think only about sex. He desereved more than that. He deserved someone who cared. He deserved her.
DAMN! So close! But gotta give Toph some slack, she was just trying to help. Oh, sorry for the Maikoness. I do NOT support that relationshit at all! And it is a relationSHIT!! Sorry to all the Maikoians who still support Zutara... I just don't like the couple. Anyway!! What did you think? My fav part was the baby turtle thing! I don't know why, but it was fun! Sorry about the title, it was a lil misleading.. but thats the way (uh huh uh huh!) I like it! Muahaha! Oh and the title will be coming up soon... use your imagination! I can probably tell you that your mind is in the wrong place! Oh well! ZUtara... any kind of Zutara is awesome! unless its anti zutara. then it sux. :3
~She poe.
