30 Kisses challenge 8: our own world
Sidetracked
"Let's face it," He said tiredly, wiping a bead of sweat off of his face. "We're lost."
"We aren't lost." She argued. "We're just…we're just sidetracked, that's all."
He sighed exasperated. "Sidetracked? Katara, we're in the middle of nowhere, how the hell can you say we're sidetracked? We're lost and you know it—"
"Shh!" She interrupted, holding her finger to his lips. Silence erupted between the two. "Did you hear that?" She asked slowly, fearfully.
He rolled his eyes. "Hear what, Katara? There was nothing to hear!" She slapped her hand across his mouth, leaning closer to him. The two stood in perfect silence and stillness for almost five minutes before Zuko pushed her off of him.
"Have you gone loony on me?" He managed to ask before she attached herself to his arm again.
She shivered. "Can you—can you seriously not hear that?"
"No! I've told you a thousand times already, I haven't heard," Words failed him as he continued to yell at her. "…Whatever it is that you're hearing!" He finally managed to detach her from his arm, pulling away from her fearful embrace (basic human contact made him queasy). "Now come on, we have to find Aang and Sokka—"
She was crying.
Damnit! Why did she have to do that? Didn't she know he was no good with crying women? Last time he tried to comfort a crying girl, it had been his sister four years ago and she had almost killed him afterwards.
Katara wiped her eyes, each teardrop rolling down her cheek like small, placid kisses on her face. "I'm sorry." She whispered, and he began to feel really guilty for yelling at her. "I'm just tired and hearing things, I guess."
He frowned. "I shouldn't have yelled at you." He admitted, more so to himself than to her. "This place is creepy, and it's getting dark, and we're lost…"
She looked up to him, her eyes wide. "It's worse than that swamp we were in a few weeks ago." She looked away. "At least then I wasn't alone."
That hurt.
"You aren't alone, Katara." He whispered slowly. "I'm here."
Her smile was small. "It isn't the same." And why not?
"Do you not trust me?" Strange, he couldn't explain it, but he wanted her to trust him.
At least this time her smile reached her eyes. "Should I?"
He frowned. (Girls were so confusing.) "Have I given you a reason not to?"
Now she was grinning, rather cheekily at that. "Oh, I don't know, that whole 'I must capture the Avatar' phase you were in a while back ago might've given me a reason not to." Great, she was teasing him.
"Very funny, Katara. Now let's get moving."
And so they walked, in silence, but the silence did not last very long.
"Hey Zuko?" She broke the quiet stillness of the forest, grabbing his hand to stop him. He turned to look to her, now curious of her ever-changing mood swings. (Were all girls like that?)
"I trust you." Was all she said, and it was all that needed to be said. He smiled and nodded, leading her through the woods, each lost in their own little world, but comforted by each other's presence.
Both oblivious to the fact that their hand remained locked throughout the journey.
XXX
END
Silly Katara probably faked crying because she needed an excuse to hold Zuko's hand. Silly girl. Can't say I blame her, though,I'd do it too. In a heartbeat.
Also, Booter-Freak is the bomb, and drew me fanart of Zuko, Katara, Kimi, Kita, and Koda, all together. Link is in my profile. 'Tis awesome, it is. You should go check it out.
Jak