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She places ten copper pieces onto the bar. "We'd like two rooms for the night."
The man behind the bar, who was hopefully the owner of inn, stares at the money. His hands are busy wiping a mug with a cloth which has seen better days. The man grunts, and places the mug behind him. He places his grubby hands beside the pile of money.
"Miss, this will barely get you one room."
Katara's shoulders slump forward. She knows they have no more money besides a small amount they have put aside for food. Even with the money they received from selling the ostrich horse, they don't want to waste it on two inn rooms for only a couple of days. She glances back at her companion. Their only pack is slung over his shoulders; his swords hang by his side. The left side of his head is angled to the wooden floor, as if hoping that would hide his scar.
"Does that one room happen to have two beds?"
The innkeeper looks behind Katara, and Zuko dips his head lower. "In a bit of lover's spat I see. Sorry, only one bed. But I'm sure you two will be back on good terms soon. After all, it is the festival tomorrow night."
Katara opens her mouth to argue, that in fact her and Zuko are not a couple and never will be.
A hand comes out in front of her, pushing the money closer to the innkeeper. Zuko's breath is hot on her ear. "We'll take the room."
"It's the last room on the left; the only one still vacant. And Miss, make sure you and your boyfriend aren't too loud." The innkeeper winks.
"He's not my-"
She feels a force push on her back. Zuko's warm hand guides her to the stairs; she can barely hear the words he mumbles. "The man doesn't care."
Katara forces down her blush with a swallow and heads up the stairs, purposely putting distance between her and Zuko.
When Katara finally reaches their room, she lets out a cry of frustration at the size. A wash basin is crammed into the corner as the one bed takes up most of the space. And the rest is dedicated to a wooden dresser. There is barely a sliver of floor between the two. The lone window had been left open, making the room chillier than it should have been and it gives them a great view of people setting up for the festival.
Zuko comes up behind her, letting out his own grunt of disappointment. "I don't even have enough room to sleep on the floor."
"What made you think you would be on the floor?"
"Well I certainly wasn't going to make you have that privilege, and I am pretty sure you don't want to sleep in the same bed as me."
"We can all make sacrifices," Katara says nonchalantly, and Zuko's eyebrow raises slightly at her reaction. "I...uh I don't usually roll around or anything."
"Oh.. okay. That's good I guess." Zuko rubs the back of his neck because they are just standing there looking at the room, and it is starting to become awkward.
"I should close the window."
Katara is the first one to step into the room, and the boards creak under her foot. A grimace appears on her face, and she quickly steps over a couple of boards so she can get to the bed quicker.
The mattress is surprisingly soft as her knees make two indents. The window doesn't close all the way, leaving a slight gap for the chilly air.
At least I'm sleeping with a firebender, Katara thinks. Anything is better than one more night in the woods.
She flops back down onto the bed and watches with amusement as Zuko makes his way into the room, making sure to step over the board with the creak. Disgust blooms on his face and Katara can't help but feel the same way.
"Ten copper pieces got us this garbage?"
"Ten copper pieces would have gotten us the stables anywhere else."
"The ostrich horses have a better resting place than this."
Katara buries her face into the pillow muffling her groan. With her head buried, it occurs to her that there is only one pillow in the whole room. She is not going to enjoy being in such close contact with him.
Maybe the woods would have been better.
"Let's worry about it tomorrow." Katara pats the very little space next to her as she scoots closer to the wall.
"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Zuko says as he tentatively sits on the end of the bed and takes off his boots.
"Its fine Zuko. Just shut up and go to sleep." Katara rolls over and scowls at the wall, tracing the grooves with her eyes.
His back touches hers, but she can't move any farther away, and Katara has a feeling that half of his body is already hanging off the bed.
"Well, good night."
With that the one candle in the room is extinguished, and Katara now stares up at the moon.
"Are you here for a meal?" the innkeeper asks. He snaps his fingers, and a stable boy comes out from behind a swinging door. The innkeeper motions for the boy to take care of the man behind Katara while the innkeeper talks to her
"Actually I'm looking for the showers... if you have any."
"There 'round back, Miss." He leans across the bar top and points to the back door. "Go through that and take a left. It's not hard to miss."
"Thank y-"
"You'll want this," the innkeeper says roughly.
A slim white bar flies through the air; it lands with a hard thump on her palms. Soap. Her thumb rubs over the smooth, unblemished texture.
"That's one copper piece. You better pay for it when you get back." The man's dark eyes narrow as imprinting her image into his memory so he knows who owes him money.
"I will, don't worry sir." Katara bows low in thanks, clutching the bar of soap tightly in her right hand.
The outside shower is not impressive. A wooden shack complete with a crumbling curtain is the only worthy description of the structure Katara stands in front of. Katara brushes aside the curtain and grimaces as a piece of the fabric falls off into her hand, crumbling to dust in her palm.
A woman pushes past her, bumping Katara into the wooden frame with a grunt. "Sorry, sorry," says the woman as she brushes past Katara again. This time the wet tendrils of the woman's hair graze past Katara's nose.
At least I know I'm in the right place, Katara thinks as she wipes water off of her face even though she will be drenched with water soon enough.
As Katara's eyes adjust to the difference of light between the dimly lit shack and the dawn, she realizes there are separate stalls in the shack itself, making it more efficient for the inn occupants to go at once instead of waiting the inconvenience of going one at a time.
To Katara's shock and with slight disgust setting into her features, she suddenly notices it is also communal. Katara quickly diverts her eyes to the floor as she sees a grown man walk out of his stall with no towel.
Her feet pad against the floor as she makes her way to the farthest stall without looking at anyone coming out of their stalls. The last stall on the right is the smallest, but Katara doesn't want to be near any strangers while she bathes.
She locks the wooden door from the inside and places the bar of soap on the wooden self. Her fingers work steadily through the knots in her hair; Her face sets into of indecision as she tries to figure out what she should do with her clothes. Obviously she will need to buy new ones in the market today, but does she really want to put on her dirt ridden clothes again?
Katara's fingers snag on a tangle causing her lips to twitch in pain. She'll wash them, she decides at last. No one will see her waterbending in this stall. And it is the only option that does not end with her walking naked out of the stall and back up into the room.
She peels the tunic off of her body, throwing it into the corner of her stall to deal with it later. The trousers come off in a similar fashion as sweat and dirt have almost adhered the material to her skin, permanently.
Her bindings have stayed in far better condition though it is still a struggle to untie them and throw them into the pile.
Goose bumps rise on her naked body as a gust of wind blows in through the cracks in the wall. Her hands gropes for the lever that releases the water. A gush of stone cold water splashes down around Katara; the cold sears her skin causing Katara to shriek and stuff a fist into her mouth afterwards.
More prepared this time, Katara steps into the water stream, allowing it to wash away the first layer of dirt as her teeth chatter. Her fingers blindly graze the soap self, and she fumbles for the bar as it slips out of her hand and onto the soaked floor.
Grumbling, Katara reaches down for the pieces and starts lathering her body. The soap runs down the length of her body, and she has never felt so happy being under her element. As she brings the soap to her neck, her nose sniffs the air around her. She brings the bar to her face and sniffs it. The scent of jasmine fills her sinuses. A giddy grin spreads across her face; it is the best scent she has smelt in days.
Her fingers push up the lever to stop the torrent of water for a moment.
She gathers some sudges in her hands and starts to work on her hair. Her hands dig into her curls and start to scrape against her scalp. She runs her hands down the length of her hair, making sure she covers every inch. When sopa starts to run into her eyes, her hands slid over the lever and knock it down releasing the bone chilling water.
The soap washes completely out of her hair after a couple of minutes. With the water still pouring out from the ceiling, Katara grabs her disgusting clothes and starts to wash them with the bar of soap.
As she furiously scrubs each item of clothing, the bar shrinks until it is brittle enough to break under the pressure of her hand.
Zuko's going to have to buy another one, Katara thinks.
With another flick of her fingers, she flips up the lever. She bends tendrils of water from her clothes until they are as dry as they were before she took them off. Katara bends water from the rest of her body excluding her hair, knowing it will be questionable for her to come out with dry but clean hair.
She wrings her hair, twisting it between her hands so the extra water splashes to the floor. Her wet hair flops against her back as she puts back on her clothes.
Adjusting her undergarments to her desire, Katara skives putting back on the same outfit she has been wearing for more than a week, but she has to.
Katara opens the stall door when she is fully covered, and leaves the same way she came in, no eye contact.
When she reaches the door of the inn, she maneuvers her way through the throng of people just starting to come down for their morning meal or for other daily activities. She runs up the stairs, but not before catching the glare of the innkeeper. She gulps, and her pace quickens as her steps lead her closer to their room.
"Zuko," she says while opening the door in a flourish of hand fumbling, "I need one copper piece before the innkeeper kills me!"
Zuko openly gawks at her, but reaches into their money pouch by his dao blades. "Here," he says, placing a copper piece into her palm. "I don't want to know."
Katara turns as soon as the piece lands in her hand; her wet, unbound curls wack Zuko in the face as she completes the sudden turn.
"Sorry!" she calls out to him as she runs out of the room.
Her chest heaves in anticipation as she thunders down the stairs and kindly pushes past people. She places the copper piece on the bar with a clink. "For the soap," she says, out of breath.
The innkeeper gives her a weird glance. "Thanks."
Katara nods in return and heads back up the stairs at a leisurely pace. When she walks through the open door to their room, she is met with the sight of Zuko standing there with his arms crossed against his chest, waiting.
"I said I was sorry," she says sheepishly.
"Can I bathe now?"
"Yeah." She waterbends the water from her hair now that she is in the privacy of their room. The water, that she throws into the basin, leaves behind tangles that she will have to deal with later. Zuko grunts, and Katara looks up at him. He raises an eyebrow at her.
"Oh, right! They're around back. They're also communal." A light blush stains her cheeks
His eyes widen slightly. "Oh."
"If you want soap, don't forget a copper piece," Katara calls after him as he slowly shuts the door.
The sun relentlessly beats down on them as they walk through the town's market. Katara stays close to Zuko, trying not to catch eyes of strangers. She knows her looks points her out as an outsider; it makes her self conscious. It makes her want to curl up in a protective ball, safe from the views of these locals.
His fingers lightly hover behind her back as he leans down to whisper in her ear. "Katara you're making me nervous. You'll be fine." He fully lays his hand on her back and his thumb rubs soothing circles on her clothes.
"I know, it's just I look so different, I'm afraid someone will recognize me. I don't want to be the one who ruins everything."
"If someone is going to ruin this, it will be me. My face can't exactly be hidden." Zuko gestures vaguely to his scar, but covers it up by scratching his head for any onlookers.
"What are the chances that an Earth Kingdom town knows of Fire Nation royalty," she mumbles under her breath so no one but him can hear.
"You'd be surprised." He doesn't say anything else but stops at a vendor's table suddenly.
The stall is dedicated to men's clothing, and Katara realizes while she had the luxury of washing her clothes, Zuko had to put his dirty ones back on. Katara picks at the clothing, wondering if any would be good for her since she has found trousers to be a much more efficient article of clothing when one is traveling.
"How much for the tunic and trousers?" Zuko holds a bundle of green and brown in his hands.
The merchant looks up from his scroll. Pushing his glasses on his face, he says "I'd say a silver piece would be good enough."
Zuko grinds his teeth together at the outrageous price, and opens his mouth to haggle. Katara places her hand on his arm. "Lee, it's fine. Give the man his money."
Zuko sends her an incredulous stare, grumbling as he digs through the pouch for a silver piece. "Here," Zuko says, roughly placing the coin into the man's outstretched hand.
"Pleasure doing buisness with you." The merchant goes back to reading his scroll, and Zuko walks away from the stall clutching his new bundle.
"I could have bargained for a better price." Their foot steps lead them on the path to their inn, knowing that they are done shopping for the day.
"And make a scene? I don't think so."
They pass a shop Katara doesn't remember seeing on the way into the market. The prospect of being lost does not phase her; it is the contents of the shop that her quickening heart rate and sudden gasp are for. Her eyes snag on the dress maker's shop. The exquisite dresses gleam in the light of the mid afternoon sun, catching every sparkle, every shine of the silk they were sown with.
"Go ahead," he says, knowing the look in her eye. "I'll be back at the inn if you need me."
By the time Zuko's body fades into the crowd, Katara realizes she has no money even if she wanted to buy one of these dresses. But, her mind retaliates, what would you do with it?
Go to the festival, is her response. On her travels with Aang and her brother, her eyes have been opened up to many different cultures and traditions. Some drastically different from her quiet Water Tribe gatherings on the solstices. It's exciting to encounter a new experience, one she wants to be apart of.
A frown mars Katara's features as her feet start to drag her away from the dresses. Her mind is still caught up in the stitching that had to be done by hand. Katara doesn't notice when she passes the shop's open doorway, and someone calls out to her.
"Miss are you looking for a dress to the Spring Festival?"
Katara stops, turning her head for the person the voice belonged to. It takes a blink of her blue eyes for her to see a slim figure in the doorway. It takes another to realize this woman is talking to her.
Katara clears her throat. "I'm afraid I don't have any money."
The woman steps out from the shadows of the shop, and Katara is greeted with a young face, no older than eighteen or nineteen years of age. A smile graces her full lips and the woman's green eyes gleam with a delight of a potential customer. "That doesn't matter. You can return the dress in morning; no one has to know. I'm Avani." The shop owner bows slightly to Katara.
She returns the bow, adding, "It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Ling."
A lock of Avani's auburn hair falls in front of her face, marring the woman's face. With a slight chuckle Avani pushes her hair back into her bun, and gestures for Katara to follow her.
"Now Ling, are we looking to impress someone tonight?" Avani says once Katara steps into the store and onto the hard wood lining the floor.
Katara scowls as the face of an angry firebender pops into her head, but she smooths out her features before Avani can notice. "Not particularly."
"Then I guess we'll just have to get someone to notice you. Follow me." Avani grabs her by the hands and drags her farther into the shop.
Katara originally bristles at the sudden contact but soon relaxes as Katara realizes she may have just have made a friend in Avani.
When Katara's eyes adjust to the light change, her lips turn up in a smile of approval. It is quaint sized room. Bolts of fabric are lined up against the wall while finished dresses are hanging on hooks for the viewer to easily see. No one else is in the store, but Katara senses this one is popular just by the sear quality of the dresses Katara's gaze lingers on.
"I couldn't possibly take a dress form you without paying."
"Nonsense. I wouldn't want to see any maiden going to the festival in your clothing," Avani says bluntly.
Her face pales, and she starts to subconsciously brush dirt off of her shirt as if that will make her ragged outfit presentable. "I'm not even sure if I am going."
A surprised look lights up Avani's features. "What? You have to go; this is a must, especially since you are a traveler and have not experienced the magic of this festival."
"It seems you have persuaded me." The grin Katara gives her is pained as she realizes she will now have to convince a stubborn male with much more gusto. Though, Katara could always go alone and leave the firebender to brood in the dark if that is his alternative option.
Avani taps her chin. "Do you have a prefered color?"
"No. I don't know what I would look good in."
"Hmm. I have a feeling blue would be your color or red." Avani's mouth twist into one disgust, and Katara takes a tiny step backwards.
"W-what's wrong with those colors?"
Avani face morphs again, back into her goofy smile. "Nothing's wrong with blue; it's one of my favorite colors. But you must share my resentments of the color red."
"O-of course," Katara says quickly.
"We've lost many good men to those basterds, including my father. So excuse me for hating their sacred color."
"No excuses needed. I lost my mother to them; I know what it feels like."
"I'm not surprised. It seems like everyone has lost someone by the hands of a person in the Fire Nation. I hope the Avatar hurries and ends this spirit forsaken war soon."
"I keep my fingers crossed every day." Katara's heart clenches in sadness as she misses her brother and Aang; she misses them more than what she lets on, more than what she shows to Zuko.
Avani laughs breaking up the gloom that had fallen over the two of them. "Why talk of the war when we should be getting you into a dress for tonight?"
Katara giggles as the woman skips through a door at the back of the shop. She envies this woman's light hardness even after she had been through the tragedy of losing a parent. Avani quickly comes back from the room holding a pile of blue and green silk."There's three dresses here. One's green, but I think you will like the style."
Katara thanks her and proceeds to the curtained changing area. She tries on the first blue dress. It is a lighter shade of blue; it could almost be mistaken as white if a person just glanced at it. She shimmies herself into to it. The waist is snug and the fabric is tight under her arms and bust. Katara feels constricted, and after spending many weeks in trousers, she misses the mobility of them. She places the dress into the 'no' pile.
"You didn't happen to come to town with the man with the scar did you?" Avani says from the other side of the curtain.
Katara's heart freezes as she slowly unbuttons the green dress to try it on. "I did. Uh.. why do you want to know?"
"Just curious. Do you know how he got that scar?"
"From a firebender I believe. I only met him a couple of weeks ago so I wouldn't know the whole story." It hurts to lie to her new acquaintance? Friend? But Katara has to, to save Zuko and herself.
"It must have been a brutal fight... You're not dating him.. are you?" Avani says cautiously; the tone is complete with a hint of jealousy and amusement.
"No! I would never... talk about uggg." Katara mimics a gagging noise, and Avani laughs. Is she still lying? Katara doesn't know if anything she is saying to Avani is the truth.
"But is he single?"
Katara sees where this is going and decides to kill Avani's questioning before she gets to attached or before Zuko does something even worse. "I think he has someone; he uh.. he talks about her all the time." Katara lies as smoothly as she can.
"Oh. That's to bad."
Avani had missed judged her size as the green dress is just as tight as the first though Katara does like the style as Avani had suggested.
The darker blue dress fits perfectly, and Katara twirls a little in the changing room. The sleeves are long, but the style fits for the chilly nights. The dress swirls like the ocean at night, and Katara can't help but feel at home in this dress.
Katara slides the curtain aside to show Avani.
"Eeek!" she squeals with delight. "You look gorgeous. That dress looks beautiful on you. You, Miss Ling, are perfection. Any man tonight will be lucky to dance with you."
Katara blushes at the praise. "You.. You really think so?"
"I know so. Now go in and change back to whatever garb you were wearing before, and I'll pack that dress up for you."
When Katara is given the box with the dress, she can't help but let a smug smirk creep up onto her face in hope that a certain firebender will catch her wearing the elegant garment.
"I really wish I could pay you," she says finally.
"I own this shop so anything goes; as long as you return it, we're fine. I'll see you at the festival."
Katara finds herself nodding, hoping it is true.
When Katara comes in, Zuko is by the water basin. His face drips with water as his hands come to rake through his hair.
He's dressed in all black. His tunic and trousers are a messy heap on the floor, and his new clothes are folded neatly on the bed still unworn. His dao swords are sheathed on his back. His free hand clutches the ribbons of the Blue Spirit mask.
When her eyes snag on the swaying Blue Spirit mask, she lets out an growl causing Zuko to look up suddenly and with wide eyes.
"Where do you think you're going?"
His features gain control of their emotions, and his eyes narrow. "If you haven't noticed, we are in dire need of money or will be soon enough. There are plenty of rich people in this town; they won't notice a coin purse or two missing."
"We don't steal money from people." Katara adjusts the box underneath her arm.
"Ah, yes. We've been over this. It is apparent that you only steal from pirates. And before you ask, you're not going this time. Not after what happened when I decided to bring you along last time."
"We agreed that it was an honest mistak-"
"One you would whole heartedly make again because you care for everyone, even if they are strangers."
"Why can't we get a job; get money that way so we don't have to steal." She could work with Avani, if there is a job opening.
"You mean so I don't have to steal. A job means we set roots in this town, a trail that can be easily picked up by any soldier, and one that will be hard to terminate when we leave."
Katara finds it hard to think of a respectable comeback, one that doesn't sound childish. "It's the middle of the day, Zuko. What do you expect to accomplish?"
"I've done this in broad daylight before."
"Please, Zuko think this through. We- you don't have to do this. We'll be fine with the money we have. I don't want to leave yet." It's her last plea, her last chance for him to see reason.
"You can't stop me," Zuko whispers; his eyes won't meet hers.
Her eyes widen, and mouth falls open in a sigh. The grip on her box tightens. "I guess I can't," she says quietly. His poster deflates as her words reach his ears. Zuko's feet take a step closer to her, but she backs up until the woods of the scratches her skin.
"I'll be at the festival when you want to come and find me." She thought he had changed. With her head held high, she wrenches open the door and slams it in her wake, not caring if Zuko has a response.
Katara fiddles with her hair as her drink slides down her throat. The cobblestone center is lit with lanterns of all shapes and sizes. The music is hard to hear over the roar of the crowd, but soon many couples of the festival are dancing and twirling to its rhythm.
Katara hears herself laughing at something Avani has just said, something her eyes were too distracted with for her to comprehend properly.
"Excuse me," Katara says suddenly putting her glass down. She sees him standing in the shadows, where the light of the lanterns can't reach him.
He changed out of his Blue Spirit costume. In place is a cleaner white tunic, one he must have purchased with his new found money. It is not the one he brought at the market earlier in the day. It wasn't causal; the tunic, though plain, was made for a night like this.
"I see your little expedition worked." She gestures vaguely to his new clothes.
He lowers his head to the ground as his boot swirls around the loose dirt. "I.. Uh.. I actually didn't go through with it."
Katara tries to hide the smile that creeps up on her face, maybe he has changed.
"It's the spring equinox, and I was thinking of how I didn't want any spirits angry with me since it is a festival for spirits, and I uh.. I saw most of families have children... so.. Uggg." Zuko brings up his fingers to pinch the bridge of his nose. A habit she notices he does when he is frustrated with himself and her.
Katara starts to giggle at his rambling but quickly stops when Zuko shoots her a glare. The smile doesn't fall from her face though.
"Dance with me." She holds out her arm in front of him. Her eyes shine with the magic of the festival.
He glances away from her, deciding to land his gaze on some of the village children playing with dolls. "No."
A pout graces her lips. "Do you not know how too?" Her arm is still extended out to him.
His jaw ticks. "I was a prince living in a palace. Of course I know how to dance." Zuko's arms fold in front of his chest, and he brings his gaze back to her. "I don't want to dance."
She grabs his arm anyways. Zuko stumbles after her and tries to rip his arm out of her grip, but she holds on tight. Katara stops walking when they land in the middle of square. Music plays, and other couples start to dance again.
Zuko stubbornly stands there, not wanting to partake in any of tonight's events, no matter how much his mother used to love this holiday.
"Dance with me, Lee."
He doesn't respond. Katara starts twirling around him, her new dress flying along with her. Her unbound hair whips her in the back and face.
Hands suddenly grip her wrists, stopping her in mid twirl. Golden eyes bore into her. "If I dance with you, will you stop this incessant twirling?"
"Of course." She doesn't bother to hide her grin anymore, she has won.
The grip on her wrists slanken. One of his hands goes to clasp hers, while the other glides to her waist.
She gently rests her other hand on his shoulder.
They start off sloppy, not used to dancing with each other. They stumble; she thinks she has stepped on Zuko's feet at least twice. They are more synchronized when fighting. As the music plays on, Zuko relaxes his body, letting it glide with the music. Katara stops looking down at her feet and gives herself courage to look at his face.
"My mother used to love this holiday." They say at the same time, lost in their surroundings and music of the festival.
Both of them blush at the mortification of saying the exact same thing. They still keep the rhythm of the dance.
Katara stays silent, mulling over what she should say.
Out of character, surprising Katara and himself, Zuko speaks first. His voice is hushed to a whisper so surrounding dancers don't over hear. But Katara is close enough to hear him, close enough to feel his hot breath on her face. Close enough to smell his scent of cinnamon and smoke.
"In the Fire Nation, we used to go all out for this holiday. It was the one day where my father was out celebrating with the capital, and I was home. Most years, it would just be me and my mother." His eyes glaze over, and his lips twitch in a hint of a smile, though one never comes.
"In my tribe, we would all come together to sing songs and pray to the spirits for a good summer." The level of her voice matches his whisper. "We still tried to keep up the traditions when the men went to war, but it wasn't the same."
"Nothing is the same anymore."
No, nothing is the same. Here she is dancing with her sworn enemy. His hand is clutching her waist, and she doesn't mind. Some how her arm has slung itself around his neck, consequently bringing them closer together. Her fingers fiddle with the short ends of his hair; she has yet to notice.
"You look uh.. you look nice." Zuko's usually pale skin is stained pink, but his eyes don't wander to avoid embarrassment.
Katara raises an eyebrow. "Is nice all I get?"
Zuko clears his throat, and pink becomes red. "No not nice... beautiful. You look beautiful."
She blushes at the compliment as Zuko twirls her in rhythm with the other couples. Her shoes tap on the cobblestone, and her hair frames her head in massive curls as she twirls and twirls. "Thank you," she says breathlessly.
The blush never leaves Zuko's cheeks. "Do I want to know how much that dress cost us?" Zuko places his hand on her waist again, and their feet return to their original movements. He must have forgotten that he holds the money.
"It was free."
"Free," he says disbelievingly.
"As long as I bring it back in perfect condition to Avani tomorrow."
His brow furrows in confusion. "Who's Avani?"
"A friend," Katara says flippantly.
Zuko's mouth falls open slightly before he responds in full. "You made a friend?"
"It is surprisingly easy if one is.. hospitable." Katara can't help her mocking tone as a scowl graces his features.
"How about your outfit?" Katara tugs on the fabric near his neck. The material is cotton, but if one looks at it in the right light, the shirt would have the semblance of silk.
"Not enough for us to be worried." His voice trails off at end.
"Lee..."
"Just our remaining copper pieces," Zuko relents at last. "Are you going to tell me I'm beautiful too?" His lips turn up in a sly smirk as his eyes fill with amusement.
"No."
Katara lets out a surprised shriek as Zuko picks her up off the ground and starts spinning her in the air. Her hands clutch tightly on his shoulders, and her fingers dig into the thin material of his shirt. Luckily, her shriek does not cause a turn of heads.
"Lee, put me down!" But the effect of her tone is lost as she starts to laugh. He gives her a pointed look and keeps spinning her. "Fine, fine, you look very pretty tonight."
"Close enough." Zuko stops spinning her, letting her feet touch the ground once more. Zuko clutches his head as the world suddenly starts to spin.
"Why did you do that?" Katara's feet wobbles on the cobblestone as she tries to regain her balance.
"I.. I'm not to sure. But it did not have the desired outcome."
Her vision clears, and the image of Zuko stops spinning around her. Katara realizes she is know under the shadows of the trees, that Zuko had danced them away from the festival. She turns around, coming face to face with Zuko's sparkling golden eyes, like miniature suns.
"Are you all right?" he says at last.
Her hands play with the hem of the sleeve as she nods. Katara tilts her head up and kisses him on his scarred cheek, an impromptu act, but one she doesn't regret. Her lips linger for a moment before she pulls away. His eyes flutter close from the unexpected contact, and his eyelashes cast strange shadows across his unscarred cheek. "Thank you for everything you've done for me, even when I didn't deserve it."
If Zuko says anything after, she doesn't hear it as a sudden wave of drowsiness claims her. It's when she closes her eyes and leans against Zuko's body as he carries her back to their room. It's when he lays her gently down onto the bed, making sure she is covered. In her sleep induced haze, she thinks that maybe it is best that some things don't stay the same.
My longest chapter ever!
I like to think that this ends part 1 of the story. If the Zutara went a little to fast in this chapter, I'm sorry. But to those who are worried about the pace, no lip on lip action will happen for a while.
I'm starting school in three days (I'm not happy about that), so I don't know how updates are going to go since this is the last chapter I had big parts already written up. Don't expect one next week, but I'll see what I can do.
Speaking of not having things written, is there anything you would like to see in upcoming chapters? I have the rough outline planed but I am always looking to add to it.
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