Hmmm... might be the last chapter just now. Maybe one more, but yea. Thought I'd prepare y'all. THE END IS NEAR! I promise I'm not crazy. . Well I don't own ATLA still. Enjoy. Oh and sorry bout not warning you bout the Taang, but somebody had to be with Aang and I don't like Toph being all alone all the time sooooo yea. Ok now I'm done with the disclaimer. ON TO THE STORY.
"Katara, why are you coming home so late?" It was two thirty in the morning and her father was up and sitting in a chair watching the front door. As soon as she had walked through the door he had wrapped her up in a bone crushing hug and was now speaking into her dark hair.
"I was just at the beach with Zuko and we lost track of time Dad. I'm sorry." She returned his hug for just a moment before he backed up and held her shoulders at arms length.
"You were out with Zuko." It was supposed to be a question but he wasn't saying it like a question. The relieved smile that he had worn just a minute ago was gone. It had been replaced by a frown of disapproval.
"Yes Dad. Is there a problem with that?" Immediately she was on the defensive. She hadn't really had many boyfriends and when she had boyfriends her dad didn't really notice since he was away at work almost all of the time. Hakoda took in a breath. This wasn't like his daughter. She was the responsible one. The one who always seemed to take care of the family even though she was the baby.
"I don't think that you should see Zuko anymore. He's a bad influence on you."
"What?! Are you kidding me Dad? That's crazy!"
"No, it's not Katara. You never used to stay out until two thirty in the morning until you met that boy. You're being reckless Katara."
"You can't tell me what to do and what not to do!" She wrenched her shoulders out of his grasp as her anger grew.
"I'm your father and I..."
"You may be my father but you're never around. You just left after Mom died! Mentally you just vanished! You can't just somehow decide when to show up and tell me how to live my life! Don't try to deny it! You've been gone and you know it. I'm finally happy with Zuko around. Don't try and take my happiness away because I won't let you." She had been yelling in the start of her rant but halfway through her voice had quited down to a dangerous whisper. Her father was speechless as his daughter ran away from him and into her room upstairs.
How could he do this to her? How could he try and tell her to stay away from Zuko? He was the only person that she felt sixteen around. He let her be herself. He may be her opposite but he kept her grounded when she wanted to drift away. Zuko was the best thing that had ever happened to her. Why would her Dad want to take that away? Didn't he realize how happy he made her? She was pacing around her room now with questions and thoughts circling around and around in her head. She couldn't believe the conversation that had just happened. She almost missed her phone buzzing with an incoming message. She paused only long enough to grab her phone from where she had tossed it on her bed when she had stormed into her room and resumed pacing. It was a text from Zuko.
was ur dad mad?
She scoffed at her phone.
mad is an understatement
She calmed herself down enough to flop down on her blue bed and wait for Zuko to text her back.
wht happned?
dad flipped. said i shudnt c u again
o..wow
crazy right?
Zuko studied his phone. He was slowly realizing just how much he cared for the girl that he was texting. He didn't want to be the one to come between her and her father. He could tell how much she loved him whenever they talked about him. Maybe he could suffer through a break to help her and her father repair the rift that he had caused.
maybe a break wudnt be too bad
He typed the message and looked at it for a minute and tried to talk himself out of sending it but he just kept talking himself back into sending it. Finally, five minutes later, he pushed the send button.
Katara couldn't believe what she was seeing. He wanted to take a break? Was it because of Mai? Had he realized that he still loved her?
..u serious?
He hoped that this was the right thing to do.
just a lil break. not a break up. just some time so that u nd ur dad can make up
She looked at her phone in disbelief. Was he really using her fight with her dad as an excuse to halfway break up with her? Was he serious?
if u dont wanna be my bf all u hav to do is say so
Now, he was freaking out. He began pacing in his room trying to figure out how to fix this. He didn't want to not be her boyfriend, but his dad hated him and it wasn't a fun time. He just didn't want her to have to go through that. That was all that he wanted. To spare her from pain, but it seemed he was causing her more pain instead.
that's not wht i want katara
She sat up and looked at her phone. She couldn't figure this boy out at all. First he said that he wanted to break up and now he was saying that he didn't want to break up. What did he want? What wasn't he saying?
what do u want zuko?
i just kno wht its like to hav ur dad hate u. its not fun. i dont want u to go thru the same thing
He hoped that he wasn't digging himself deeper. That was what he wanted. He just hoped that he'd said it right so that she got what he meant and didn't get even more mad at him.
Was he serious? He was dragging his own daddy issues into this? This wasn't about him and all HIS issues. This was about HER.
mayb a break is a good idea
Had she really just sent that? She had. Was she insane? What was she doing? But she didn't rush to text him back that no, a break was definitely NOT a good idea. She was sitting on her bedspread waiting for him to respond. Did she want him to try and fight for her or did she really want a break?
He couldn't believe that this was actually happening. Was this actually happening? He sat down hard on the floor and stared at the bright little screen of his phone. At the message that his girlfriend had just sent. Was she his girlfriend still?
just for a week? to try nd smooth things ovr with ur dad?
fine. bye Zuko
He stared at his phone in disbelief. Just like that? She was gone? Only for a week he reminded himself. Just for a week and then she'd be back. Then he could hold her again. Already he missed the cool feel of her body held against his. The way she always sighed into thier kisses. The way it felt to press his cheek against her hair.
She was mad at him, but only for a moment. Then the reality of what had just happened slammed into her like a pile of bricks. He was gone. He was gone? How could he be gone? She looked down at her phone hoping, praying, that he would text her saying that this was all a mistake. That this wasn't what he wanted. This wasn't what should be happening. That was when she felt the first tear slip down her cheek and onto her phone. She knew that it wouldn't be her last.
One week later found Katara curled up in her bed. She had laid there all of Saturday and Sunday. She'd even called in sick to sick on Monday and Tuesday. Every night she'd cry herself to sleep, but she couldn't sleep. She couldn't eat. She couldn't even function. She felt like someone had snuffed out a candle inside of her that she needed to keep going, but it was gone. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't get warm. Her friends were not oblivious to this obvious change in her. On Wednesday she had been swarmed with Suki, Toph, Ty Lee, and Aang coming after her and asking her if she was ok. Telling her that they had missed her. She didn't even seem to see them. She just looked away and pressed on to her locker and then to her classes. Right after school she just went home. The coach let her after taking one look at her. She looked sick. She was pale and there were bags under her eyes. Her brother, who had already seen her like this, just stood at a distance waiting for them to see how changed she was. He had never seen his sister like this. She had barely eaten at all over the last four days. She was always shivering. He was worried about her. The light was gone from her eyes, and he had noticed a certain silent emo boy was being more silent and emo than usual. Zuko wouldn't talk either. Whenever Sokka looked over at the other boy during lunch his food was completely untouched. Both of them seemed to be in their own little worlds of misery. Sokka couldn't help but wonder what had happened between the two of them. Katara wouldn't even let him give her hugs. Finally on Thursday night Hakoda pulled his son aside.
"Have you noticed anything different about Katara lately?"
"What you mean the crying every night, the not eating, and the not sleeping? The not talking even at school to her friends? The fact that the couch sends her home right after school because she looks so weak and pale? Do you mean THAT Dad?" He couldn't believe that it had taken his father this long to notice the state of his daughter. Wasn't she supposed to be Daddy's little girl?
"What?! I just thought that she wasn't eating as much as she used to. That she looked more tired than normal. Why is she acting like this?" Sokka looked at his father incredulously. It was true that after their mom had died that his dad had kind of checked out but Sokka had thought that he was back but it looked like he still didn't know his kids very well.
"I don't know. Nobody knows. She won't talk to anyone. It started last Saturday. That night that she came home really late from hanging out with Zuko. That was the first time I heard her cry until she was asleep." Sokka looked down at the ground and rubbed the back of his neck. He didn't really remember their mom even though he was the eldest. It had always been just him and Katara in his head. It killed him to see his sister like this.
"Last.. Saturday.." Hakoda's face paled as he remembered his daughter coming downstairs with red, blood shot eyes half an hour after she had stormed up to her room to tell him that she and Zuko had broken up and that he should be happy now. He had gotten his way. He had figured that it was just a typical teenage girl overreacting. He hadn't realized how deeply it would affect her.
"What? Do you know what happened Dad?"
"She... I suggested that she and Zuko stop seeing each other and she stormed upstairs. I thought he was a bad influence on her. She had been out until two thirty for Christ's Sake. She came down a little while later and told me that she and him had broken up.." Sokka's face grew increasingly pale as he listened to his dad explain and understanding dawned upon him.
Across town Iroh was bringing his nephew another cup of tea. Ever since last Saturday Zuko had retreated back into his shell and his uncle had watched with dismay. He had been coming out. Saying what was on his mind. Telling people how he felt. Even making jokes and smiling every now and then. Then Katara stopped coming around and he didn't eat. He didn't seem to sleep either. He despaired for his nephew's health. A couple of his friends had come around every so often but they never stayed for very long. Zuko just didn't talk to them. He just sat on his bed and stared off into space. Sometimes Iroh heard soft, sad, heartbroken songs coming from his room. Most often they were country songs. Not the loud guitar riffs and drum solos that he had grown used to. Vaguely he could remember Katara showing him a few songs that sounded like the ones that he seemed to always play now.
"Zuko. I brought you some tea."
"Thank you Uncle." The teenage boy unfolded himself from his bed and stode over to the doorway where his uncle was standing.
"I've been meaning to ask... What happened to Katara?" Zuko snapped his head up to meet his uncle's eyes. It was the first time since last Saturday that he had heard anyone say her name aloud. Sure, he hadn't thought of anything else but it was one thing to hear a name in your head and one thing to hear someone say it aloud.
"We umm.." He swallowed and tried to hold back the tears he'd been holding in for one very long week. "Decided to" Here his voice cracked. "take a short break. It should end today." Iroh studied his nephew. He'd never seen him this sad. Any other person would say that he looked the same as he always did, but he could tell the difference. He could see the sadness, the despair, in his nephew's nearly golden eyes.
"Thank you for the tea Uncle." Then he quietly and gently shut the door on his Uncle. Setting the tea down he walked back over to his bed and started the playlist that he had made. He had titled it 'Katara - missing.' There were a couple other playlists that he just couldn't bring himself to listen to. Like the one that she had made for him. The one that he had made of all of her favorite songs. After two songs that he barely heard Wanted by Hunter Hayes came one. He made it ten words in before he was surrounded by the memory of their first dance at the Sadie Hawkin's. He had tears streaming down his face before he even registered that he might start crying.
"Katara!" Sokka was barrelling up the stairs. Everything made sense now. Why his sister had been so out of it. Why Zuko was acting the same way. She didn't look up from her phone when he came crashing into her room. She had been staring at it since she got home. This was the day that they were supposed to be back together. Should she text him first or should she wait for him to text her? Did he even want to get back together? It was driving her insane.
"I know what happened with you and Zuko. Dad totally blames himself. You need to go over to Zuko's. Here are the keys. Go. NOW." She looked up then to find a set of keys coming towards her face. Instantly her hand shot up and caught them.
"Sokka?"
"Stop sitting there and staring at me with those eyes. Go over to Zuko's and make up with him. Dad totally agrees that you should. He realizes that he was wrong and that he wasn't a bad influence on you."
"Why isn't he telling me this?" She still hadn't moved from her spot on her bed.
"Because he figured that you wouldn't listen to him, so I'm here. Just go now. We can fix you first and then fix you and Dad. Go. Please go Katara. You're dying without him and I know that you can't see it but he's dying without you." She didn't need him to say anything else. Leaping off of her bed in her blue sweat pants and grey tank top she slipped her flip flops on while walking out of the door. She slid into the driver's seat of her dad's jeep. As soon as she had started the engine she was gone. She made it to Zuko's house in record time. Only one minute. She had sped ten miles over the speed limit and blown through five stop signs. She had no idea how she hadn't been pulled over. Without knocking she burst into his house to see Iroh just standing in the entryway gaping at her. This was not the girl he remembered. She was skinnier, paler, almost sick looking with bags under her eyes. Her beautiful hair was completely tangled and she was wearing only a tank top and sweat pants. She had a crazed and slightly desperate glint in her eye.
"Zuko?"
"In his room." As she blew past him he watched her go. He realized that she looked almost exactly like Zuko. It had only been a week and yet both teens looked like they'd dropped ten pounds. He watched as she ran to his room and stood in front of his door for a moment before bursting into his room.
He was laying on his back staring at his ceiling with his phone in his hand. He didn't know if he was supposed to text her first or not. He had decided to let himself cry. Uncle wouldn't mind. He had gone through six more songs before a song by Rascal Flatts came on that he couldn't help but think resonated within him too much for his comfort.
I can usually drink you right off of my mind, but I miss you tonight.
I can normally push you right out of my heart, but I'm too tired to fight.
Yeah the whole thing begins, and I let you sink into my veins
And I feel the pain like it's new
Everything that we were.
Everything that you said.
Everything that I did and that I couldn't do plays through tonight.
Tonight your memory burns like a fire
With every one it grows higher and higher
And I can't get over it, I just can't put out this love
I just sit in these flames and pray that you'll come back
Close my eyes tightly, hold on and hope that I'm dreaming..
Come wake me up
It was then that Katara threw open his door to reveal him laying on his bed helplessly crying. He sat up when his door swung open so fast and hit his wall. Uncle would never open his door like that, and there he saw her. Standing in his doorway and looking at him like she was never happier to see anyone or anything in the whole wide world. Three seconds passed with them just looking at each other, crying.
"Katara." He sounded so weak, so broken. She just couldn't take it anymore, so she took the two steps to his bed and fell into his arms. Their lips locked and their eyes closed they told each other how much they had missed each other. With her fingers knotted in his hair she let him know about every night that she had cried until the sun rose. Every night that she had barely slept without him in her life. With his warm hands leaving trails of heat all along her back he showed her how much he had missed her. How much he had been craving her. Not just this. Not just her touch but the sight of her. Her laughter. Her eyes. Her stubborness. Everything. Finally she pulled herself off of him to look at him. He was smiling. He was actually smiling.
"Zuko." She sighed his name. He could see color again. He reached up and smoothed the tangled hair back from her face. Her beautiful face. With his other hand resting on her waist he realized just how small she was. Not like the time at the Sadie Hawkin's Dance. She was skinny in an unhealthy way.
"Katara, have you been eating?" She fell back onto his chest and he wrapped her up as the music suddenly got loud with the chorus after a slight pause.
"No, not really. I couldn't." Her voice was muffled by his chest. "Have you been sleeping?" She peeked up at him to make sure that she had seen the bags under his eyes.
"No, not really. I couldn't." She laughed a little.
"Me either."
"Katara, I was an idiot. I should've known that a step away from you was always going to be a step in the wrong direction for me."
"Zuko, it's not all your fault. I agreed. I was mad at you for suggesting we take a break. You were just trying to help. You were just trying to spare me the pain you had felt." With one arm he held her close and with the other he stroked her hair. She had both of her hands folded up underneath her chest with her palms flat against his chest. She had never felt more at home. More at peace. This was exactly where she was supposed to be. Why had she been anywhere else?
"Let's never do that again ok?" She smiled and snuggled deeper into him.
"Ok."
They spent the next couple of hours just lying there like that. Soon enough Zuko realized how sleepy he was getting. He tried to nudge Katara but realized that she had already fallen asleep on top of him. He looked over at his clock. It was only eleven. He should still be wide awake. He was about to call Uncle into his room when he appeared along with Katara's father. Zuko hurridedly closed his eyes in an attempt to make them think he was sleeping.
"See? They're perfectly fine. I'll sleep in here on the floor. I fear that if we move them now that they might wake up and not be able to sleep again. My nephew hasn't been able to sleep for the past week."
"Neither has my daughter. I can't say that I like this, but if this is what it takes to get her back to normal then so be it. You'll sleep in here on the floor? Are you a light sleeper?"
"Yes, you have nothing to worry about."
"Alright. Thank you Iroh." The dark haired man clapped the older man on the shoulder and left.
"I know that you are awake Zuko. I won't sleep in your room, but I will sleep right by the door. Don't do anything stupid." With that Iroh gently closed the door. What he didn't know was that his words fell on deaf ears. Zuko had only heard the first four words Hakoda had said before he drifted off into sleep.
When he woke up before her, which he always did, he looked down at the girl he still held in his arms. The sun fell upon her face and highlighted her features. She looked beautiful. He smiled and moved a strand of hair from her face. She murmured and stirred a little bit. Slowly her eyelids fluttered open. Bleary blue eyes looked up at his face. She couldn't help but feel like this was how she wanted her day to start. Looking up at Zuko.
"Well good morning." He laughed a bit as she stretched and yawned hugely. She was cute when she was sleepy.
"What time is it?" Came the groggy reply as she rubbed her eyes. Zuko looked over at his clock again.
"Uh... noon."
"What really? My dad must be freaking out by now." She tried to get up to leave but he held her down.
"Your dad knows that you're here. Uncle's just outside the door. It's fine."
"Really? Oh.. well then nevermind." She laid herself back down on top of him and flicked a bit of his hair that was hanging in his face.
"How'd you sleep?" His hand found the little stip of skin on her lower back where her tank top rode up and he began rubbing his thumb over it again and again knowing that she loved it.
"Really good actually. I can't believe I didn't move. You?"
"Same. Actually slept. No nightmares. No dreams either." Katara laughed a little at his last remark about not having had a dream.
"What?"
"Oh nothing, you just reminded me of a quote. It's super cheesy."
"Well, let's here it."
"First, this." She wriggled herself up farther on his body and kissed him long and hard.
"What was that for?" Zuko finally got out when she broke it off.
"One week of pent up not kissing you."
"Well in that case..." He reached up and pulled her head back down towards his. One kiss was followed by a second which was followed by many. They never led to more. They never felt like they needed more. Just this way of expressing things that words would just never be able to appropriately describe.
"Ok, now can I hear that quote?" Katara was back to having her head laying on his chest and was tracing lazy circles on the part of his chest that wasn't taken up by her head.
"I don't think I remember it exactly right but it went something like.. you know it's love when reality is finally better than your dreams. Told you it was cheesy."
"Katara? Zuko?" Uncle's voice calling from outside the door prevented Zuko from answering.
"Yes, Uncle?"
"Would you two like breakfast..er.. lunch?" Zuko looked down at Katara as she looked up at him. Neither had eaten in a week and both were starving.
"We would love lunch Iroh. Thank you. Make sure to make a lot of food!" Katara cheerily called back.
"Alright!" Iroh was happy to hear that his nephew wanted food. Quickly, well as quickly as Iroh ever moved towards food that he wasn't going to eat, he walked into the kitchen to begin making their lunch.
"Katara, I really am sorry for being such an idiot."
"It's fine, Zuko. I forgive you. It's just like life. A work in progress. We make mistakes. It doesn't matter how many mistakes we make as long as we don't make the same mistakes over and over again and that we learn from our mistakes."
"What did I ever do without you?"
"I have no idea." She smiled up at him and pressed another kiss to his lips. This was where she was meant to be and she wasn't going to let anyone move her from here again. This was where he was supposed to be and he wasn't going to let anyone take her from him again.
Yeah... That was TOOOOOTALLY the last chapter. Hope y'all liked it! Hope I did ok for my first AU story. And my first Avatar story... Ok so of course there was Wanted by Hunter Hayes and I don't own that. The other song was Come Wake Me Up by Rascal Flatts and I don't own that either. Goodbye now my lovelies 3
