A Bubble of Violence

Author/Artist: MuffyTaj
Pairing: Zuko/Katara
Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Theme: #8. Our Own World
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, or the series.

In a special world made of hatred and power Zuko clashed against Katara. There was no room for doubt, no room for honour or wonder or failure, only the scuffle of feet on the floor and the flare of elements colliding. The roar of fire was smothered by the thud of water, and the small grunts as hits were made were lost in the space around them, unheeded. The Avatar and the warrior lay momentarily forgotten as the barely-taught talented and the hard-working talentless swooped and swung at each other.

There were no words spoken, or at least none heard as his legs kicked out, throwing her out of her stance. She retaliated by sticking ice to his eyes, and in the split-second it took him to melt it she had head-butted him, sending him sprawling. He grabbed her as he fell, screaming something as they tumbled over and over, each trying to get on top of the other, each destroying the ground beneath them with unrestrained power.

Her fingernails, sharpened by shards of frozen water, tore at his face and chest as his hands attempted to burn her arms off. His legs locked around her waist, trying to push her down as she bit into his neck hard enough to draw blood. Twigs stuck into exposed flesh and rocks scraped skin raw unnoticed as they continued to wrestle each other into submission.

She threw his hands off her arms, the smell of burnt flesh making her cringe for a moment. Then his hands were around her throat, and hers around his, pulling each other closer and trying to make the other pass out first. His face crashed down onto hers as he tried to break her hold, his lips smashing against hers in a parody of a kiss, and chipping their teeth. She shouted something into his open mouth, before using his spit to freeze his teeth together. He released his grip on her neck, before he reared back and slammed his fist onto her sternum.

Pain lanced through Katara and for an instant the world disappeared. By the time it had faded back in Zuko had her pinned thoroughly down with his own arms and legs.

Both felt that he should have said something, like "I win, peasant," or that she should have spat something defiant at him along the lines of "you'll never get away with this" but instead all he had time for was a brief twisted smile, before passing out on top of her.