Title: Floozy
Author: MushuBug
Rating: G. Oh, so G.
Pairings: Katara/Everybody. No, seriously. I've covered the four mainline Katara/Guy pairings in here.
Word Count: Just over 700
Author's Notes: A random idea I got while in the shower, which is where the plot bunnies crawl up the drain, latch onto my pinkie toe, and don't let go until they're satisfied.
Disclaimer: If I owned Avatar, it would run 7 days a week, we wouldn't have any of these pesky month-long hiatuses, and Dr. Hua would be a real character. As none of those thingsare true, I think it's obvious that I don't own Avatar; Nickelodeon does. --'
Katara stoked the fire with angry vigor. She was still fuming over an argument she and Sokka had had earlier that day.
'Boy crazy?' she thought crossly. Why on earth would he call me boy crazy! It's not like I go around flirting with every guy I see! And I haven't had that many love interests...
First there had been Kayo. But they had been six, and the total extent of their relationship had been a lot of blushing and giggling at each other while holding hands- not even with their fingers laced. And it had all ended when Sokka saw them, beat the poor boy up until he ran home crying for his mumma, and told Katara she was never allowed to touch another boy ever again. Being the dutiful sister she was, she followed his instructions. But they had only been little kids, so Kayo didn't count.
Then, eight years later, she had met Haru. They had definitely had some chemistry. Between the long walks, the deep conversation, and the whole inciting-rebellion-among-repressed-ranks-of-earth benders thing, they had grown to care for each other. But it was just a silly little thing that was fun for a while- an infatuation between a boy who saw nothing but a pretty girl with a beautiful soul; and a girl who had seen no men except Aang, Sokka, and a dozen or so five-year-olds for longer than she cared to remember. She had known him for all of two days, so she didn't lose sleep when they moved on. She hadn't thought about him in a long time. So Haru didn't count either.
And then they met Jet. Oh yes, she had fallen hard that time. She had been fed up with her brother's insensitivity, and there he was, acting like the perfect guy, saying all the perfect things, and being just wonderful. And the fact that he was tall, handsome and the skilled leader of a rebellion against the Fire Nation hadn't hurt either. He was the knight in shining (though mismatched) armor. But then she saw the monster beneath the mask, and she thought she could hear her heart shatter. He had turned her against Sokka and tricked her and Aang into helping him wreak havoc. She had poured every ounce of her fury into her water bending, wanting to hurt him as much as he had hurt her. Eventually, she learned the lesson and got over him. But it was just an infatuation, so it didn't count.
And, of course, there was Aang. He liked her, they both knew it, but she wasn't about to do anything about it just yet. He'd have to mature quite a bit before she could think about him as more than a little kid. But she'd admit he already had some good qualities: a very nice guy, a great fighter, and maybe, when he grew into himself, he might be handsome one day. But he was still too young right now, so he didn't count.
Then there were all the random guys they met on their journeys. The attractive earth soldiers they met passing through various towns; the masculine sailors at the docks they stopped at; even the assorted boys running errands to the market as they passed. There had been some very nice fellows in her water bending class at the North Pole, but once you've made a guy cry for mercy, you tend to lose most of your attraction (not to mention respect) for him. And then there was that wonderfully good-looking Fire Prince she got to duel every so often. As much as she hated herself for thinking it, even with the scar, he was one of the best looking men she'd ever seen in her short life. But she knew nothing would ever come of these relationships, so they didn't count.
In the midst of her insomnia-inspired reflections, something surfaced in Katara's memory. An insult, murmured so quietly she had hardly heard it by a girl who seemed to hate her for reasons she could now begin to guess.
Maybe Meng and Sokka are right, she thought suddenly. Maybe I am a boy-crazy floozy.
…Nah.
Katara yawned as she settled back into her bedroll, falling asleep almost instantly.
The end. This was originally twice as long since I had included the argument with Sokka, but it wasn't that important, so it got the editing axe. I think it turned out ok, but not as good as it could have been. I like my long version of 'The Birthday Talk' better, so you guys can go read that, too/self pimping> Please Read and Review!
Also, for those of you who were wondering from the opening Author's Notes: Dr. Hua is my favorite character from amurderofcrows' epic fanfic Ship of Fools: The Avatar Cycle. It's truly awesome. You can find it (and tons of Hua goodness) at ficwad(dot)com/viewstory.php?sid8638
