Title: The Taming of the Shrew
Author: setlib
Rating: T-rated for language and sexual content
Setting: Alternate Universe – modern high school, no bending
Pairings: Zuko x Katara
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to any characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Summary: Zuko and Katara are seniors in high school. He teases her, then ignores her. She despises him. But when Zuko's father kicks him out of the house and he has to move in with his hippie Uncle Iroh, he begins to see Katara in a new light. But as the bard warned, "the course of true love never did run smooth."

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The Taming of the Shrew, Chapter 7: Grip

For the second day in a row, I bolted out of English class as soon as the bell rang. Toph was waiting for me before Statistics started, lounging outside the classroom door.

"So, how'd it go?"

"He's insufferable!" I threw my stuff onto a desk and sat down.

"Did you come in late like I told you, so he couldn't psych you out before class started?" Toph asked, sitting behind me.

"Yes!"

"And did you ignore him completely?"

"Yes! I didn't even look at him!"

"Were you able to slip the insults into the class discussion?"

"Yes!" I pounded the desk in frustration. "But he figured out what I was doing right away, and then he started doing it, too. He even said I was sexually repressed!"

Toph snickered. "That's a good one."

"That's not helpful! Besides, it's not true."

"Sugar Queen, it is soooo true. He's got you pegged."

I crossed my arms on my desk and dropped my forehead onto them. "All I know is, he started saying all these suggestive things, and I got flustered, and then I just froze up. Again."

"Since he's so much better at insults than you, I think you've got to change your strategy. Even with me feeding you lines in advance, you still can't keep up with him. The way I see it, you have two choices: one, ignore him completely. He's enjoying watching you get upset. So if you can stop reacting to his comments, he may get bored and leave you alone."

"I don't think that's possible," I mumbled. "I try, but he always knows just what to say to provoke me. What's the other option?"

"Two, just admit that you have the hots for him."

My head shot up and I turned back to face her. "Not you, too! Why do people keep saying that?"

"Uh, because it's obvious?"

I felt like pulling my hair out in frustration. "Look, the important point here is that I want him to stop acting like such a jerk. I don't know why he keeps picking on me!"

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again: For someone so smart, you sure are dumb."

"Toph! What are you talking about?"

"He's not picking on you – he's coming on to you. He's trying to get your attention because he likes you."

I shook my head. "That makes absolutely no sense. If he liked me, then he should be treating me nice. Not making me upset!"

"Look, some of us just lack the social skills to admit to someone that we like them. So we get their attention any way we can, even if it's through teasing."

"We?" I asked. Toph picked at her fingernails, avoiding my gaze. "Do you mean there's someone you like? Who is it?"

She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. "From now on, you're on your own, Sweetness. Make up your mind. Do you want Zuko's attention, or not?"

That's the problem, I thought as I turned around in my seat to face the board. I'm not sure anymore.

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I wasn't ready to face him at Break, so I ducked into the library. Making my way over to one of the sturdy wooden tables in a quiet corner, I settled down to do a few minutes' worth of homework. I pulled my math notebook out and began sketching some charts. But I'd barely started when I suddenly felt gooseflesh tingle along my arm. I turned to see Zuko walking up behind me. I couldn't help it – I jumped.

"What is that, your diary?" he teased, sliding into the seat next to mine and leaning back, one arm draped leisurely over the side of the chair as if he owned it. "Are you writing down all your naughty thoughts about me?"

"It's statistics homework, genius. Does your girlfriend know you're stalking me?"

He smiled and shifted his weight, leaning forward, elbows on the table. The sunlight glinted off his dark hair and my stomach clenched as he came near. Damn, he was good looking. He lowered his voice to that husky rumble that was becoming so familiar, and looked at me playfully. "I just thought you might want to practice our scene tomorrow. Have you read it yet?"

I shook my head warily.

"It's our wedding night, remember? You're going to be doing a lot of moaning."

Alarmed, I scrambled in my backpack and pulled out my copy of the play, trying to flip ahead to Scene Four. Laughing, he grabbed my wrist.

"I'm just joking, Katara. Relax. It's so easy getting a rise out of you."

Relieved, I let my hand drop to the table, palm up. He relaxed his grip on my wrist, his fingers sliding along the sensitive veins until his hand rested over mine, his large palm lying heavily on top of my own. I glanced down at our hands, nearly entwined, but didn't pull away. I looked up to meet his gaze. He didn't pull away either. The moment seemed to stretch out, a secret truce measured in painful heartbeats.

Oh. My. God.

Toph had totally been right. Zuko had a crush on me! Suddenly I realized that I actually had some measure of power over him. He'd been driving me crazy the past few days. But could I drive him crazy too?

I shifted forward in my chair, leaning my elbows on the table, mirroring his position. This brought our faces close together, so close that I could feel his breath against my lips. He smelled spicy, like cinnamon, or maybe peppermint. I was tempted to find out which it was. I licked my lips and his eyes widened.

"Do you like it, Zuko?" I whispered.

He blinked. "Like what?"

I let a slow smile curve my lips. Had he already forgotten what we'd been talking about? "Getting a rise out of me. You said it was easy. You keep doing it to me. Over and over. You like it, don't you?"

His grip tightened on my hand and he began to pull me toward him. My gaze dropped to his lips, thin but wide, as he narrowed the distance between us. Suddenly the library door swung open and we both jerked apart guiltily. He pushed back from the table, his chair squeaking sharply against the floor, and looked down at me.

"Yeah, I like it. I like it a lot," he said huskily, then left me sitting there alone while he stalked out of the room.

I should have felt the thrill of victory. I used his own tactics against him, and I did it all on my own. I held my ground against Zuko, until he got flustered and fled. But instead all I felt was a hollow sense of emptiness, a loss, as if all the heat and life in the room had left with him.