aelisabethchilds:
And… Hello there! I am alive.
Yup, finals, packing up, moving out, driving home and unpacking have not left me dead, just unable to write for a very long time.
I'm terribly sorry for the wait, but here is another installment:) It's a little short, and only one sided, but I hope you like it! Share it with your pals, review it for me and happy reading.
OH! And HAPPY SUMMER!
AHHHHHHHH!
I.
LOVE.
SUMMER.
Mmmkay. I'm done now.
She woke up with the sun.
Katara hadn't undressed after entering her rooms last night, and she'd just laid down on her bed and gone to sleep. It was better than thinking about her day...
But the curtains had been wide open-something she hadn't noticed when she'd gone to bed-and so Katara woke up with early morning sunlight dancing on her cheeks.
The day before suddenly seemed very far away as she let the sun wash over her eyelids. She wouldn't think about that today. That was a problem for tomorrow.
She slipped off her bed, tugged at her rumpled dress and walked over to the tall windows. The night's rain was gone, but it had left the view from her rooms looking fresh and vibrant.
She'd fallen into the habit of sleeping in for as long as possible. At home, her father didn't seem to mind. However, his allowing her to lounge in bed resulted in some very rushed mornings, and hurried maneuvering through the streets and rivers of their tribe. There was something almost decadent about laying in a warm bed, not quite awake, listening to the sounds of the world outside.
As Katara gazed out past the capitol, it's streets not yet crowded, and blinked at the rising sun, she decided that she'd been missing out. There was something pleasant about waking up early; the ocean stretched out along the horizon, pearly and still. There wasn't a single boat in sight, and the sea seemed to be holding it's breath, waiting for something.
She sighed, and turned away from the stunning view. Today was her last day of freedom. The embassadors from the other nations would be arriving tomorrow night, and with them would come long meeting, political maneuverings and endless attempts to display one nation's superiority over the other.
Not in a threatening way, she amended, wincing at the thought of the long days ahead of her, but in an almost childish way. Each nation seemed eager to prove itself the most industrious, wealthy or honorable among the rest.
Katara grinned as she thought of the early meetings held between the nations. The distrust had been so thick in the air that she could have cut it with a dull boomerang. The reinstated king of the Earth Kingdom was willing to give the new, peace-professing Firelord his trust, but his advisors had remained skeptical. And even the elders of the water tribes had trouble believing that the young Firelord meant each entreaty for forgiveness on behalf of his nation. The reparations Zuko doled out went a long way towards repairing relationships between nations, but a cautious, almost friendly rivalry remained.
It would make the next weeks...interesting, Katara decided, as she stepped out of her wrinkled dress, and slipped on a pair of loose, dark grey cropped pants, a long, lightweight sleeveless tunic in a ruddy rose colour, and a pair of soft, flat sandals. She grabbed a sash as she left her room, tying it snugly around her waist.
Today was her last day of freedom, and she planned to spend it wisely.
The usual dining room was empty, but a delicious spread of food as laid out, and she sat herself down in front of a bowl of sliced mangoes. The fruit was fast becoming her favourite.
Katara was halfway through the large bowl when Aang strolled in.
"'Morning," He said, flopping down next to her.
"Mrrnnnrf." Katara replied, around her mouthful of fruit. She swallowed, choking a little-she'd just taken a big bite.
Aang grinned, and helped himself to the mango as well, adding a slice of toast to his plate, and reaching past Katara to grab the teapot.
"So, tomorrow ends our vacation," the airbender stated, pouring himself the steaming tea, "Do you have any plans for today, anything to celebrate our last day without official obligations?"
She groaned, shoving against his shoulder, " Don't remind me. I'm not used to all this fancy representing stuff, not like you, O great and powerful Avatar."
She clasped her hands, and bowed ridiculously low, her forehead touching the table.
"O Avatar Aang, we require your presence at our meeting. We don't know how to proceed without your eons of wisdom, and your stunning hairstyle."
Aang flicked the back of her still bowed head.
"And your manly beard," she added, straightening, "It makes you seem all the wiser."
"Careful," Aang interrupted, flourishing his yogurty spoon at her, "The beard adds to my wisdom, and if you mock it, you may force me to go into the avatar state and rain destruction down upon your head."
"Oooh. I'm scared."
"You should be."
Aang proceeded to eat the rest of his breakfast looking quite smug, while Katara nursed two cups of tea. It was the same spiced tea Zuko had made for her last night-
"So what are you doing today?" Aang asked, pushing a lone mushroom around his plate.
"I'm not sure," she replied, "I thought I might head into the capitol-"
"That's a great plan!"
Aang shot up and dragged Katara up by her wrist.
"A field trip into the capitol, no extra servants. Just the old team Avatar and the Fire Nation capitol."
"Without the whole invasion, and fighting though, right?" Katara prodded, a little worried by the gleam in the taller boy's eye.
"Of course," he said airily, "I was thinking we could take the city by storm figuratively, run around and find the best things to do. Shake things up a bit."
Katara followed Aang as he hurried out of the dining room, and back toward their rooms.
He banged on Sokka and Suki's door five times before a bleary-eyed, wild-haired Sokka opened the door.
"Is the palace burning down?" he asked.
"No," Aang said, "But I was just thinking that we could-"
"If the palace isn't burning down, then I'm sleeping in. And if it is, point Katara in the general direction of the fire. She's pretty good with that kind of stuff."
Sokka shut the door on Aang's face.
Katara grinned as Aang shook his head, and began to knock on the door once again. Nothing kept him down for long, she thought.
This time Suki opened the door.
"Sorry about Sokka," she said, rubbing her own bleary eyes, "What is it you want?"
Aang quickly explained his plan for the capitol, and by the time he had finished, Suki was nodding, and said, "That sounds fun. Give us half an hour, and we'll be ready."
Aang bounced down the hall as Suk shut the door once more, and he raised his hand to knock on Toph's door.
Just as his fist was about to make contact with the wood, the door swung open, and Toph walked out.
"I heard your plan," she said airily, "And it sounds like fun."
"Great," Aang said, darting forward to grab the blind woman's hand, "We still have to wait for Sokka and Suki, but let's get breakfast, and then come back to get them."
The couple started walking back towards the dining room when Katara called out, "Aang! You've already eaten breakfast!"
The avatar glanced over his shoulder and grinned impishly.
"I'm hungry again."
Katara imagined that Aang's sudden hunger had more to do with spending time with the lovely earthbender than the actual state of his stomach.
"Fine," She muttered, left alone in the long hall, "I'll just-just-"
Katara paused. She had at least half an hour before her brother and Suki came out of their bedroom, and there was no telling how long Aang and Toph would stay at breakfast.
"I'll get Zuko." She said aloud, as the idea hit her.
This was his last day before the representatives descended, and she was sure he could use some time away from his study. The young Firelord seemed to spend an awful lot time in that room.
Fishing into her trouser pocket, Katara grabbed the map Zuko had made for her, and checking to see where he had marked his study, she set off.
His study was past his rooms and through a couple great halls that left her usually quiet footsteps echoing loudly about the rafters, like a shout ringing off a canyon.
She stopped abruptly in front of a large window, stretching from the floor to the high ceiling, and admired the view.
It looked down upon the new gardens, and she could make out the small figures of people strolling its green paths.
To the right of the window was an engraved, single door, not so grand as her own.
Katara knocked, and waited for a reply. No one answered.
She knocked again, and then began to second-guess herself. Maybe Zuko was still sleeping? It was still rather early in the day; the sun had only just begun to heat the palace halls.
She turned to walk back to her own rooms, and maybe have Mina track down the Firelord, but curiosity pulled her to a stop.
She wanted to see Zuko's study.
She'd never been inside his rooms before last night, and that glimpse into the way he liked to live offered a tantalising view of Zuko himself. He never seemed to follow what was considered "normal".
And so Katara peered down the hall, making sure no one was there to witness her trespassing on the Firelord's privacy. Then she darted back to the door, and cracking it open, slipped in.
It was dark.
Katara blinked rapidly, letting her eyes adjust to the change in light. Glancing around, she saw there was another large window, but this one was covered by long, dark drapes, which let only the tiniest bit of early morning sunlight creep in.
The room itself was smaller than she would have imagined, and rather cluttered. A desk sat against one wall, one half of it's surface buried under a mess of papers, and the other covered with leather folders. A teapot and a cup balanced precariously upon the stacks of paper, and a few candles jutted through the mess as well.
Katara thought that if they had been lit there might have been a serious fire hazard.
Looking around some more, she saw a bookshelf against another wall, packed full of leather folders, identical to the ones on the desk. It also contained a few heavily bound books and tightly rolled scrolls.
As her eyes fully adjusted, Katara noted the low couch that was near the center of the room. It was heaped with an odd assortment of pillows, and blankets-
She blinked.
Those weren't just pillows. Someone was lying on the couch.
Her hand flew up to her mouth just in time to silence her squeak.
Zuko was sleeping in here!
She nearly sprinted to the door, and had it open when she felt that same pull of curiosity.
She fought for a moment, and then, sighing, she shut the door and crept back over to the couch.
Zuko looked different when he was asleep. His face seemed softer, the lean lines of his jaw a little slack. He was even snoring slightly, a small, rather soothing sound.
His dark hair was mussed about his face, a few thick strands falling in front of his eyes. Even his scar looked different, she noted. It looked less painful, like a shadow of a bad memory, but merely a shadow.
She inched closer to the sleeping man; fully aware that she should have left the second she realised he was in here.
But this was a side of Zuko she had yet to see, completely without barriers or expectations to be met or defenses to be made.
She was fascinated.
She leaned down next to him-how had she gotten so close?- and made to brush the hair out of his eyes. Her fingers were just inches from touching him when she realised what she was doing and jerked back.
Unfortunately, her jerk caught her off balance, and Katara tumbled to the ground with a loud "thunk".
Zuko's eyes flew open, and in an instant he had jumped off the couch, and threw himself at her, pushing her further to the ground.
Katara lay stunned, unable to even breathe. She had barely seen him move, and now she was being crushed by his weight.
She exhaled rather forcefully, and stared up at Zuko, who stared right back at her. Then he blinked and recognition crept into his gaze, which had been decidedly unfriendly before.
"Um, Zuko," she whispered out, "You're crushing me. Could you maybe..."
Just as suddenly as he threw himself on her, he was off, and hauling her up with him.
"Katara," he said, looking around in bewilderment, "Why did you-how did you-why are you here?"
He didn't sound angry, she noted with relief, just confused.
"I was trying to find you, to invite to come with all of us into the capitol for the day," she began, unsure if she should make eye contact, for she was sure that her face had flushed to a dark beet color, "And I thought you might be in your study, you know, because you're always working so much, and I thought that you might like to take a day off because everyone is coming tomorrow, and this might be your last chance to get out and have fun and-"
She was muted by his warm hand coming up to cover her mouth.
"Slow down," He stated, and he pulled her back with him to sit on the couch which, she noted absentmindedly, was still warm from his sleeping there.
"And start over," Zuko commanded.
Katara took a deep breath and willed her face to cool down.
"Aang and I thought that it might be a good idea for all of us to head into the capital today. We could go without any servants or fusses, and just spend the day together. Aang was calling it a reunion of Team Avatar and the Fire Nation capital."
One of Zuko's eyebrows quirked up.
"I hope this isn't supposed to be a return to the invasion plan?"
"That's what I asked," She grinned, relaxing a little-Zuko didn't seem angry that she let herself into his study- "But no. We thought we might just see what there is to see and do before the representatives come and all our time is devoted to this conference."
Zuko nodded as she was speaking, and once she had quieted, he said "That sounds like a good idea. I think I did enough work last night to excuse myself from working today."
He gestured about the room.
"I stayed up late last night, after we...talked, and did some work for the conference. That's why I was sleeping on here. It's my bed away from bed."
"Oh. I'm sorry about intruding," She murmured, a wave of embarrassment washing over her, "I was just looking for you, and when no one answered to my knock-" She shrugged- "I was curious."
Zuko grinned, his eyes still a little sleepy looking.
Katara felt the sudden urge to reach over and smooth his messy hair; he looked so much younger with it falling about his shoulders.
"It's not a problem," he answered easily, "And if I can have a little time to change, I'd love to go into the city with you."
Katara smiled at him, and she was sure she must look like an utter idiot, with her smile stretching across her face.
He stood, and Katara followed, walking close behind him as he strode out of the room and through the halls. Zuko nodded to the guard standing by his door, and then ushered Katara in before she knew what was happening.
"Wait," She began looking around his rooms, now sunlight and cheerful, in contrast to the way they seemed last night, "Should I be in here-"
Zuko cut her off with a sharp hand movement and said, "It's fine, I'll only be second, and besides-" he grinned- "I could really use some help with my hair."
Katara looked at his mess of a head of hair and agreed.
"Alright."
"Great," Zuko said, "Give me a moment..."
And with that he dashed into a doorway and disappeared for about half a minute.
Returning to the main room, Katara saw that he had not only thrown on a fresh pair of trousers, well worn boots, and a cream, long sleeved tunic, but that he had somehow managed to get his hair dripping wet, and was looking at her expectantly from behind a curtain of soaking black hair.
She burst into giggles.
"What?" the disheveled Firelord asked, frowning at her, "Did I put on mismatching boots?"
He glanced down at his toes, then back at her, his brows furrowed.
"It's your hair," she finally sputtered out, "You look like a half-drowned monkey-lion."
Zuko's brows cleared, and then he gave Katara a very regal glare.
"You may now aid me with my royal hair, water tribe peasant. Quickly now."
He sat down on a cushion by his bed, and Katara scurried over, doing her best impersonation of a devoted servant, including a rather slavish look pasted on her face.
"Yes, Firelord Zuko, sir," she murmured, bending the excess water out of his hair with a sharp movement, "Right away, you Fireyness."
She stood behind him, and leaned over his head, gathering up his hair. She was ridiculously glad that he couldn't see her face as she worked his hair into a simple topknot. It was thick, and smooth and actually quite silky. With a twinge, she realised that it was probably prettier than her hair.
She took the leather binder he offered and tied the knot in place.
"There," she said, letting her hands fall to her sides, "All done, Your Sparkyness. Is there anything else you need from this humble peasant?"
Zuko scrambled and grinned down at her.
"That should be all for now. You may escort me to my esteemed guests."
Katara held her arm out with a flourish and Zuko placed his large hand upon it lightly.
They walked through the halls to the guest rooms, and only once Sokka nd Suki and Aang and Toph were in sight did Zuko drop his hand from her arm.
He grinned at her as they joined the rest of the group.
"Gee," Toph drawled, a smile lurking about her lips, "It took you two long enough. What were you doing? Having a secret meeting?"
Katara was rather glad that Toph couldn't see her sudden flush.
"Katara just came to get me," Zuko stated, "And I took a little while getting ready for the day."
"Speaking of," interjected Sokka, who seemed much more awake than his previous appearance, "Shouldn't we get going? We only have today, and I have a lot I want to see."
Suki smiled indulgently at her husband, and followed him as sun around and began to stride towards the exit.
Aang took a hold of Toph's hand and started pulling her along.
"Whoa there, Twinkletoes. Not so fast, I thought we agreed upon a limited amount of hand-holding."
The avatar shrugged, and dropped her hand, only to sling his arm around her shoulders.
"Aang!"
He grinned.
Katara started after them, when she heard Zuko demand, "Peasant! Aren't you going to offer to escort me?"
Turning around she found Zuko standing with his hands folded and his stance wide, the very picture of indignance.
She swept a ridiculously low curtsy, made even sillier by her lack of a skirt, and held out her arm.
With a smirk, Zuko took it and tucked it next to his side.
"Let's catch up," he said.
And they followed her friends and family out of the palace.
Katara was sure that this would be a good day.