Wow, been a while. But lucky for you the NHL playoffs got me interested in writing this story again. Enjoy!
Zuko slowly walked down the tunnel towards the locker room. The cheers of the crowd and yelps of joy from his teammates faded behind him, but the walls still shook from the celebration. Zuko removed his glove and placed his hand on the cool brick that the stadium was built out of. A wry smile formed on his lips as he felt the wall vibrate from the sheer noise that the people of South Point were making. As he resumed his walk to the locker room he kept his hand on the wall, slowly dragging it along so he could literally feel the celebration. When he reached the room it was slightly quieter than the hallway but a soft hum could still be heard signifying the crowd hadn't stopped rejoicing. Zuko gingerly sat down on the bench in front of his locker and began to shed his uniform. First his helmet, then the tape from the blade of his stick was removed. Next his skates came off and then his elbow pads, each item carefully placed in the locker. Zuko found himself falling in to the same routine as every other time he did this chore. Even though it wasn't for the school he originally thought it would be for, and even though it was with a team that had little to no chance of going all that far, Zuko found he really enjoyed the first game of his junior season.
"No celebrating for the big bad Zuko?" The voice initially startled him, and he hoped she didn't notice he jumped a bit. But when he recognized the voice, Zuko realized he wouldn't want it to be anyone else. He slowly turned his head and looked at her over his shoulder. She was standing confidently in the doorway, hands on her hips. Zuko then cocked his head to the side in confusion as he saw her wearing a South Point jersey. When they were hanging out before the game he saw Sokka give his jersey to Suki, and Aang in turn gave his to Toph. Yet, Katara was wearing a plain white tee then, where did she get a jersey from, and whose was it? An annoyed feeling crept into his gut, and he turned back to removing his shin guards. He heard her huff and begin to cross the room towards him. "How can you be moody after winning?" Zuko slightly chuckled but did not turn to face her. "Are you not even going to comment on my new accessory?" Zuko sighed and looked at her over his shoulder once again. Then, when she saw she had his attention, Katara did a little twirl. The name and number on the back of the jersey was his! Zuko went red and quickly turned back to whatever he was doing, he couldn't quite remember what it was at the moment. Katara then took a seat next to him on the bench.
"Seems a little too big for you." He joked and she laughed. He then looked at her and noticed she had sat very close to him. She seemed a little embarrassed, and wasn't making eye contact. His gaze went moved higher and saw she had her hair up. The hairstyle made her neck visible, and he found his eyes tracing her delicate features down to her clavicle where it became obscured by the baggy jersey. "I assume my uncle had something to do with this?" Zuko did his best to keep a smile in his voice, he didn't want to sound accusatory or anything. She laughed lightly to herself and then finally made eye contact. Those big blue eyes, Zuko had to break the eye contact and look down at his task at hand to keep himself from doing something stupid, like kiss her.
"He found me in the stands, said he was too big to be wearing it." Zuko joined her in a laugh, the visual of his uncle attempting to fit into the jersey was too much. "So, are you going to answer my question?" Zuko had spent the entire time Katara was in his presence trying to remove one shin guard, but just knowing she was sitting next to him was so distracting he had to give it up. He leaned back and looked up at the ceiling, the humming of cheers had grown softer but it was still there.
"I guess it's just not in me." Zuko looked to Katara now and found she hadn't stopped looking at him the whole time he was avoiding her gaze. "I guess taking a victory lap just isn't in my nature. I'm used to just coming back to the locker room, and getting ready to go home." Zuko shrugged, trying to convey that he just wasn't sure what else there was to do after a game. Back at St. Mary's nobody in that locker room wanted to spend any more time than necessary with each other. Once they stepped off the ice, they became strangers. Here, even though he had only been living in South Point for a little over six weeks, he was accepted with open arms. Zuko found himself surrounded by teammates constantly. Whether it was in the hallways at school, in the shops along Main Street, or simply watching TV in one of their living rooms. Back in New York there were no huge on ice celebrations, not even when they won State last year. They shook hands with the other team, accepted their trophy, and left. His family life didn't exactly encourage him to celebrate his successes either. So watching Sokka and the others explode once the final seconds ticked off the game clock was quite an alien experience.
"Oh, come on." Katara's voice brought him back to the present. "Not even a little tiny bit of you wanted to freak out and celebrate?" She emphasized her point by flailing her arms around, mimicking her brother's actions on the ice. Zuko couldn't help but let an enormous smile cross his lips as she sat there, arms still raised above her head with a goofy inquisitive look on her face. "What's so funny?" She asked.
"I don't know, what do you think it could be?" Zuko replied as raised his own arms mirroring her posture. She laughed realizing he was mocking her and brought her arms down on to his making them both lower their arms. He resisted and raised his arms up again. "No, you know what? You might have something here. I might just keep my arms up like this all the time."
"Shut up!" She exclaimed through fits of giggles continuing to try and shove his arms down to his sides. The problem was he was much stronger than her, and quite a bit taller. To try and gain some leverage she propped herself up on her knees on the bench. Zuko laughed as the giggling girl attempted to overpower him, this seemed to give her more incentive to win their impromptu little wrestling match. The problem with this was he was now supporting most of her weight, and having less than a foot of bench to balance both of them on made this difficult. The inevitable happened and the fell backwards to the floor. Katara gave a sharp yelp as Zuko fell away from underneath her. Zuko's back hit the rubber surface of the room's floor, and he let out a low grunt as he had the wind slightly knocked out of him. The rest of the wind was knocked out of him as Katara landed on his chest. He closed his eyes and let out a long sigh trying to regain his composure. When he opened his eyes all he saw was Katara's eyes gazing right back at him. They had come to be in an awkward position on the floor. Zuko was flat on his back with his legs propped up on the bench, and Katara was on top of him. All she did was smile.
"I win."
Sokka triumphantly walked down the tunnel to the locker room with the pick axe raised high above his head with the rest of the team in tow. They had spent a good 20 minutes skating around the ice, showing the trophy off to the crowd, and maybe showing a little bit extra off to the Cherrywood fans as they filed out of the arena. The most entertaining part was when Principal Wu tried to make Sokka give the pick axe to her so she could formally present it to the team. Sokka refused, he instead continued to celebrate with the team as she announced them as this year's winner of the annual Pick Axe Rivalry Game over the loud speaker. He figured she wouldn't mind the lack of formalities too much, as the win meant more to her then presenting the trophy. Sokka had noticed Zuko had ducked out of the celebration early, this didn't surprise him. As Zuko had only been a resident of South Point for a relatively short amount of time, Sokka knew he didn't fully understand the enormity of the win. Sokka felt an arm around his shoulders and looked to his right to see Aang. The younger boy was sporting the biggest grin Sokka had ever seen.
"My Captain, My Captain!" began Aang, to the laughter of the rest of the team behind them. "How do you intend to break the news to Suki that you have a new love?" Aang asked gesturing to the pick axe in his hands. The team cracked up even louder. Sokka pretended to give this question serious contemplation, then responded with his usual joking manor.
"There is enough Sokka to go around!" The laughter in the tunnel was now deafening. All the members of the team were also slinging out jokes full of innuendo, the pick axe was apparently going to rock Sokka's world tonight. Sokka then turned around to address his team while walking backwards. "Tonight this is our key to the city!" A loud cheer came from the team in response. "Tonight we're going to run this town!" Another cheer in response, Sokka felt his back hit the door to the locker room and turned to open it. "Tonight we-" He stopped mid-sentence, as when he opened the door he was greeted to the sight of his sister on top of Zuko on the floor, saying something like 'I win'.
Katara's head shot up and he and his sister locked eyes, her jaw hit the floor, and Sokka figured his had too. He immediately made an about face and closed the door behind him. The team was shouting about the traffic jam that had accumulated around the door. Sokka racked his brain for an answer to why the team was not going to be entering the locker room for the time being. He was saved from giving some halfcocked lie when the door opened up behind him. His sister emerged and began to weave her way past the team mumbling congratulations. Sokka immediately made another quick turn and reentered the locker room, pick axe in hand.
Toph made chit chat with Suki and some others outside the arena. It seemed the whole town was waiting for the team to emerge. The excitement was palpable, everyone was over the moon about the win. Even the old men that seemed to never smile, just sit in on practices and grumble about each players strengths and weaknesses, were cracking jokes and Toph thought she saw them discretely passing a flask around amongst themselves. Everyone was grinning ear to ear, except for her friend that was walking towards her with a very distressed look on her face. Toph nudged Suki to get her attention away from whomever she was talking to and motioned towards the advancing Katara. Suki immediately noticed that Katara looked mortified.
"Oh, what happened between Zuko and her now?" Suki asked exasperatedly. Toph's mind went along the exact same lines. When Zuko disappeared off the ice, Katara disappeared from the stands, and they had to have met up somewhere. Now with Katara looking the way she did, the only explanation was she and Sparky had it out, again. Toph and Suki weren't surprised when the first thing out of Katara's mouth was she needed to talk.
"What did Sparky do this time?" Was Toph's reply, Katara's eyes got big, apparently she didn't know she had been so easy to read.
"It wasn't Zuko, well not really, oh, Sokka is going to go ballistic!" While Katara babbled, Toph and Suki looked at each other quizzically. Suki must have been on the same wavelength with Toph, and that wavelength was 'What the hell is she talking about?'
"Why don't we just take this crazy train somewhere less crowded?" Toph offered to Suki and then they led their unhinged friend away from the crowd. Once they were out of earshot of the mass of people waiting for the team, Katara filled them in on what happened. Toph listened as she recounted the encounter with Zuko in the locker room, and Toph had to hold back a maniacal cackle when Katara told them that Sokka burst in.
"So odds Zuko is breathing?" Suki asked jokingly, Katara didn't seem to think this was very funny.
"By now the whole team knows about it!" Katara yelled shooting her arms above her head. "Then the town!" She was no pacing back and forth in front of Toph and Suki. "What if Sokka freaks out? What if he never speaks to Zuko again? What if the team falls apart?" Toph put her head in her palm and sighed heavily.
"Nobody freaked the last time you two spent some 'Alone Time' in the locker room together." Toph quipped, tired of watching her friend have an unwarranted meltdown, and wanting to go meet Aang. This comment earned a glare from Katara and a giggle from Suki.
"This is different." Katara began, becoming calmer. "Sokka walked in just as I was about to ki-" Katara clasped her hands over her mouth. Toph's eyebrows shot up, the way Katara had explained it earlier it was a flirty wrestling match that ended with them on the floor and a surprised Sokka walking in on a situation he would take the wrong way. Now she was admitting to making a move on Zuko. Suki squealed at the juicy bit of gossip, Toph rolled her eyes and blew her bangs out of her eyes. Honestly, Toph thought, the way Katara and Zuko always seemed to complicate things between themselves was unbelievable. She was sure two people that had known each other for such a relatively short period of time could not have this much drama. Yet these two seemed to have done it with ease.
"You and Sparky are insane." Toph said and turned on her heel to rejoin everyone that was waiting for the team.
Aang stood behind Sokka with the rest of the team as their Captain was giving a rather animated speech to the newest member of the team who was sitting with his head in his hand. Sokka was pacing back and forth, swinging the pick axe to and fro, occasionally pointing it at Zuko. Aang was not particularly happy with Zuko at the moment. He had not seen what Sokka had seen, but he did see Katara rush from the locker room looking very flustered. What had he done to Katara? What had Katara done to him? Why was Sokka talking about "honor" and "taking responsibility", and why did he sound like a politician while doing it? Long official sounding sentences with words Aang was sure Sokka didn't understand. Why wad Zuko just sitting there, not even trying to interrupt Sokka? The rest of the guys had been finding this whole situation quite amusing, while Aang could feel himself literally bursting with questions, questions that needed answering.
"…and furthermore, the child shall be instructed in the way of the great game that is hockey by me, for I am the effervescent leader of all that is hockey in South Point-" Sokka's speech, Aang would describe it as more of a ramble, was cut off as Zuko stood up and grabbed him by the shoulders.
"You Are A Crazy Person!" Zuko exclaimed, the whole team when from sniggering to full on laughter at this, and the whole scene seemed to diffuse as everyone made their way to their lockers to change. Sokka gave Zuko a smile and sat next to him at his own locker, and Aang made his way to the other side of Sokka to his locker.
"So what did you walk in on that warranted that, display, Sokka?" Aang asked nervously, hoping he didn't get the answer that was forming in his mind. Sokka had seen Zuko and Katara doing something that inspired him to give Zuko a speech about childcare. Instead Zuko answered Aang's question.
"He saw the aftermath of Katara tackling me, and assumed we were making the next generation of his family." Aang felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders, Katara had just tackled him, and there was nothing between Zuko and Katara. So Katara was still single and he still had a shot. Aang bolted upright, he had somehow just admitted to himself that he still wanted Katara, but he was with Toph, right? Aang placed his head in his hands as he tried to get a hold of himself. He thought he was over Katara, had moved on and now had an awesome girlfriend. But, then why did he get upset whenever the subject of Zuko and Katara got brought up? This was no good. Aang was brought out of his thoughts as Sokka slapped him on the back.
"Katara must be embarrassed as all get out!" Sokka exclaimed, and Aang wondered how this extremely over protective brother was not disturbed at all about Zuko and Katara. Did Sokka believe what Zuko said about what he and Katara were doing? Aang found himself wondering if he believed Zuko. "I know!" Sokka turned back to Zuko, with a mischievous glint in his eye. "We'll freak her out even more! I'll chase you around with the pick axe and Katara will lose it!" Aang did not feel this was a very good idea. He looked to Zuko, hoping the older boy would voice what Aang was thinking. At first, Aang's hope of Zuko being weary of pranking Katara was seemingly rewarded, but then Zuko's apprehensive look turned to a smirk that mimicked Sokka's. Aang sighed and voiced his worries.
"You know this is just going to end with Katara exploding on you two." Aang said in the manner of a disapproving parent. But the two older boys just smiled and assured Aang that it would all be fine. Aang let it go and found himself focusing on his feeling for Toph, and his maybe not so gone feelings for Katara.
Katara stood to the side of the crowd with Suki. They had followed Toph back to the exit that the team would emerge from. Suki was going on about all the parties that would be going on all over town tonight, and how their group would be expected to make appearances at all of them. Katara was worried if their group would even make it out of the parking lot. After Sokka had seen Zuko and her entangled on the floor together, he might have killed Zuko. And if the happened her Dad would have to arrest Sokka. And if that happened there would be a huge scandal. And if that happened everyone would find out about her and Zuko on the floor. And if that happened everyone would call her a whore and blame her for two of the best players on the team being dead and in jail. And if that happened she would be kicked out of town. And if that happened what would she do? She was going to be banished from South Point and be alone in the world. What would she do for a living? How would she finish school? How would she make money? She'd have to become a prostitute! Then her pimp would kill her! She was going to die!
"Katara!" She jumped and saw that Suki was trying to get her attention. "You're hyper ventilating and mumbling to yourself." Suki said with a worried look. Katara was going to freak out, and she was about to unload her train of thought that lead her to become a dead hooker when the door burst open. Out came Zuko, he was wearing black jeans and a red hoodie, with a black pea coat over that. His gym bag slung over his shoulder, and he was in a full sprint. This was not what the crowd expected, they had assumed the team would come out together triumphant and ready for their applause. So when they were instead met with the newest team member in a full sprint the crowd was hushed instead of celebratory. Then what Katara saw next made her stomach plummet. Her brother was next to emerge, clad in his usual blue jeans and letterman jacket, with the pick axe raised high above his head, ready to strike down on Zuko. Suki let out a resounding "Fuck!" obviously thinking what Katara was, that Sokka was going to murder Zuko.
"I shall have satisfaction!" Bellowed Sokka as he pursued Zuko, the crowd parting to let them through. Katara and Suki stood seemingly planted in the ground wide eyed, watching the horrific scene play out in front of them. Katara could not believe it, her worse nightmare was happening, right in front of her, in front of the whole town for that matter. "You shall pay City Boy!" Sokka continued as the two boys went round and round the area. Katara could hear the crowd, young and old, mumbling "what the fuck?" Soon all she could hear was her heart pounding in her ears. Then Zuko made an abrupt turn and was headed straight for her! His almost comically terrified face softened as he neared her. Then, when he was a few feet away, Zuko broke into a huge smile.
Whatever Katara was about to scream was now caught in her throat, what the hell was he smiling about? Her brother was about to brain him with the trophy they just won and he was smiling? Then Zuko's smile was followed by a wink, but Katara had little to no time to be confused by this. In one smooth motion, without even breaking stride, Zuko bent down, wrapped his right arm around her waist, and lifter her ass over tea kettle onto his shoulder. Katara heard herself unceremoniously shriek as he did this and she was staring at the small of Zuko's back when she heard her brother's distinctive laugh. Sokka's laughter was soon followed by what seemed to be everyone there. She then lifted herself so she could see what was going on, and everyone was in fits of hysterics. The rest of the team had emerged and they were laughing as well. And there was her brother, calm as you please with his arm over Suki's shoulder waving goodbye to her and Zuko.
"I'm going to kill you Sokka!"
Sorry it was not very long, but there is more to come! Read and Review please!