IT WAS 80 HERE TODAY! HAPPY SUMMER MY PEEPS!
Thank you, as always, sincerely, to those that continue to review. Y'alls are the true MVPs: PoeticMoonchild, SlythindorRen, Zebra Blu, KnightOwl247, Little Margarita, Cherokee96, sophiecambellbower, storyofanunknownfangirl, Auri Kvothe, alias093001, and Chevalier Lecture!
My beta has dubbed this story the 'funniest chapter yet', so I hope you all enjoy it!
Once in her room, Katara set her bag on her bed. She went to the bathroom, and when she came back out, Yue was carefully folding her clothes into a chest on the left side and hanging some dresses. Katara was glad for the cue; chances are, she'd have just left it all crammed in her basket had she not seen Yue unpacking.
As it was, it took far less time for Katara to organize her things (and re-organize them, frankly) than it did Yue. She, besides Toph, had probably packed the least extensively. She was beginning to wonder if perhaps she should have brought more.
"Yue, we're here for two days. You have four dresses hanging up." Katara frowned, peeking inside the cabinet. She knew there were even more clothes in the drawers, and to be honest, she was worried she'd misheard Zuko. Maybe they were supposed to be here for a week and two days, not just two singular days.
"Oh, I know," Yue sighed, sitting back. "But I couldn't decide what I might want to wear. And Prince Zuko was a little...vague." She frowned. It was perhaps the meanest thing she'd ever said. "Which is fine, I like surprises," she amended swiftly. "But I don't know what to expect."
"Beaching, probably," Katara said, shrugging.
"Yes, we should get changed," Yue said, perking up, opening a small drawer. Katara simply shucked off her dress, but left on the wrappings that were underneath her three layers. She took care to slip her beads out of her hair, pulling all of it into a bun on her head.
Yue vanished into the bathroom.
"Are you nearly ready?" Yue asked when she returned out.
"Uhm, I'm ready now."
Yue blinked at Katara, as though she didn't understand.
"Princess Katara, you're in your underclothes," she said slowly.
"Yes?"
"I just," Yue cut herself off, studying Katara, "Did you forget your swimsuit?" she asked in a near pitying tone.
"What do you mean?" Katara frowned, crossing her arms, feeling embarrassed but she did not know why. "This is my swim outfit."
Yue frowned, pressing her hand over her lips. "Princess Katara, you can't wear your undergarments in front of the Prince and the other ladies!" She sounded scandalized. "It wouldn't be...it wouldn't be right."
"Well, I mean, I usually take this piece here off when I sleep." Katara tugged on a knotted end of the fabric. Yue was still staring at Katara like she had just announced she was marrying Ozai.
"What do you wear when you go in the water?" Yue asked in a different way.
"We don't," Katara said flatly. Until recently, she hadn't even been aware that people went in the water for pleasure, at least not prolonged amounts of time in the water. Swimming in the South was basically suicidal. The most people ever did - and it was idiots like her brother - was dare each other to dive into the ocean and then get out very quickly. They warmed water for bathing, but that was done in the nude, and Katara had never lingered in the bath, knowing others needed it and it was a process to re-warm the water. The closest approximation they had were the sweat huts, but people just wore...well, what Yue was calling undergarments. There really wasn't room to be shy about one's body. Besides, the huts were always separated by gender.
So truly, the concept of swimming for pleasure and having a separate outfit just for this seemed really wacky to Katara.
"But surely…" Yue was very much struggling. "We have hot steam pools in the North, like spas. Don't you have that?"
Katara gave a firm shake of her head. It would be so much firewood wasted to be continually warming a pool of water for someone to just splash around in. She was starting to feel like the Katara that had first arrived: savage, stupid, and unaware of the way the world worked. Maybe Yue saw the way her lip trembled, despite Katara telling herself she wasn't going to cry over this. She knew Yue wasn't trying to make her feel bad, but well…
"I have extras. I brought four suits," Yue whispered. "You can have one of them," she said, rushing over to the drawers, holding up different variations of what she was wearing.
"Thank you," Katara breathed out. "I'll have Aiga clean them and-"
"You can just have one, Katara. I have plenty," Yue insisted. Katara didn't like taking things like she was some poor little untaught Southerner.
"Until Aiga makes my own," Katara said. Yue offered her up a warm smile.
"Well yes, of course," she said, realizing that this was the only way Katara would take it.
It was in two pieces, and made of weird stretchy fabric. Katara had never touched anything like it.
"And this is just for when you go in the water?" Katara asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, or beaches, like today," Yue said. "It's new in the North too. My father's generation was the first to hear about these," she admitted after a second.
The garment was made in Water Tribe colors, small miracles, since Katara recognized the stitch work as culturally Fire Nation. It was just a band on the top with a small skirt on the bottom. Yue's was very covered; one piece in all, except for the big 'v' down the front of it.
"Seems, uh, like it's missing some parts," Katara said blankly.
"It's the style. You'll see other girls wearing far less. I'm not a fan." Yue scrunched up her nose.
"I'll just change then," Katara grumbled, closing herself into the bathroom. The suit seemed to fit her well, but she felt really...strange in it. But, if this is what she was supposed to wear...well, Katara trusted Yue.
Yue handed off a lightweight kimono, motioning for Katara to put it over her shoulders. Katara shrugged, taking all her cues from the Northern girl at this point.
"I have a bag of things for us," Yue announced, patting a woven tote that was under her arm. "A pair of towels for the beach, some water skins in case we feel dehydrated, and wide hats to protect our faces from the sun. We probably need it less than others, but it's good to avoid sunburn."
Katara wouldn't have thought of any of that, despite being told by Sokka continuously she was the 'mom friend'.
"Thank you," Katara said, and she meant it.
Down in the lobby, most of the group had already gathered. Zhi was counting heads as they came down the stairs, using her handy clipboard and ink pen, which Katara thought might be glued to her hands.
They were some of the last pairs, which was fine. The absolute last to arrive down were On Ji and Ratana, who were slowed down because the pair was lugging a huge parasol down the stairs.
"I have very sensitive skin," On Ji said to Zhi, who just ticked off their names.
Most of the girls were covered in lightweight kimonos or blankets and scarves, as Katara and Yue were, so at this point, Katara couldn't see their entire outfits. Most of the girls were carrying totes as bit as Yue's, if not bigger. Katara wondered what they possibly could be bringing down to the beach?
"Before we head down, girls, I just have a few things to remind you all of," Zhi started, but was easily drowned out by the chatter of excited girls. "We won't go down until you all quiet," she said, raising her voice above the noise. Quickly, a hush grew over the crowd. Toph, next to Katara, opened her mouth like she was going to be loud, and Katara sharply jabbed her side. Toph pouted, like Katara had just rained on her parade.
"This is a very popular beach for young people all around your age. I am sure there will many handsome and strapping men on the beach. On one hand, I must remind you that while you are a contestant in this competition, you are the property of the Fire Lord." Katara remembered that rule and winced. It really, still, rubbed her all the wrong ways. "And thusly it is considered treason to be with any other men romantically and," Zhi inhaled, "Sexually." Katara looked around; pretty much all the girls would give their left leg to be with Zuko, she doubted anyone was going to ruin their chances by cavorting with a guy. "However, many of the young men around on the beach this weekend are the children of Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom officers and loyalists, very prestigious pedigrees. It would not be completely unwise to befriend them. Often, it is tradition that Prince Zuko will help secure worthy betrothals and marriages for the top ten girls, and I'm sure if you had a preference, he would one day not be opposed to hearing so. Keep both of these things in mind, ladies!" Zhi finished cheerfully.
"I'm so confused," Alcina murmured to no one in particular. "Does she want us to be friendly toward the guys here or not?"
"Yes and no," Suki said. "I think she's saying that we should find our second choice, but not to cross the line anywhere." She snorted.
"Think guys here really want a near-princess?" Alcina said.
"I think they want girls with boobs and father-in-laws with money and power," Toph said bluntly, "Which means that girls like Ty Lee should pretty much be getting marriage offers by the end of the night!"
Ty Lee, who luckily didn't overhear, did fit that criteria.
"Toph!" Katara said, shaking her head.
"You're not too bad yourself," Alcina said with glimmering eyes. Katara often forgot she was a true Fire Nationer, but when she was smirking at Toph, she had a little bit of Azula in her. "Well-proportioned and a palace to your name," she said, motioning to Toph. "Plus, the rest of you is dainty. I'm surprised you're not swimming in suitors."
"If they try to touch these," Toph said, motioning to her chest, "I'll break their goddamn arms. I keep forgetting I have these. I was flat-chested up until a year ago, looked sort of like a boy. Wish I would have stayed that way," she pouted.
"I really doubt that any girl ever bemoaned the fact her woman figure arrived," Suki said.
"Ugg, don't call me that. A girl. Yuck." Toph shook her head.
"But you are."
"Unfortunately," Toph said. "I rarely like to be reminded."
The walk down to the beach was quick. It was right near the hotel, and already swimming with people roughly their age, just as Zhi had foretold. And, yes, a lot were men. Men that Katara could understand some girls would find attractive, but they all just reminded of Hahn. She knew she shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but honestly, none of these men seemed like boyfriend material. That is, if Katara wanted a boyfriend...besides Zuko, who was sorta her boyfriend. In the way that he was everyone's boyfriend right now.
She did not.
"Where is Prince Zuko?" Avizeh asked Zhi, turning around in a full circle.
"The prince and the others will come down shortly. Right now, I think you should set up. There seems to be some open space over there. If anyone needs me, I will be at the hotel bar.
The girls, now alone, all stayed in a close pack for just a second, shuffling over to the pointed spot. There was a pause, as though everyone was unsure how to proceed, before Suki unfurled her towel, laying it down.
Immediately, everyone else jumped to work.
More than one person had brought an umbrella, but On Ji's was the largest. Katara watched Yue jump into action, trying to encourage the umbrellas be spread evenly, so that everyone had a little bit of shade.
"Always the peacemaker," Azula said, seemingly arriving from nowhere, causing Katara to jump out of her skin.
"Where's Prince Zuko?" Ty Lee asked, frowning.
"Agni, like I care. Doing something stupid, I'm sure. Work." Azula rolled her eyes. She put her hand on her hip, scanning the area. "Now, who can I get to set my things up?"
"I can, Princess," Hahn jumped to offer.
"Oh, well, if you insist," Azula said, hardly needing much to be swayed. Aang, who had lingered for a second, turned. "Where are you going, Kuzon?"
"I have some things that Zhao asked me to do," Aang said carefully. However, Katara expected he was looking for an excuse not to take off his clothes.
"Oh, come on, it's not like he'll know," Azula said, grabbing his shirt. "I don't know if I've ever seen you have fun. You sully the Fire Nation Family history with your stuffiness."
"Cousin," Aang said through gritted teeth, indicating to Katara how frustrated he was. He didn't often like reminding Azula of their kinship, specifically because it was fabricated. "You want to tell Zhao when I come home empty handed why it was so?"
Azula made a sound in the back of her throat, releasing Aang. "Yuck, fine. But you will have fun this weekend," she said firmly, pressing his chest.
Aang rolled his eyes. "Fine."
He caught Katara's eyes, rolling out his shoulders. That whole encounter had obviously ruffled him. He then looked to Ty Lee, his face staying exactly the same, which also told Katara how hard he was trying not to smile her way.
He turned away to leave.
Ty Lee gave a halfway sad smile, but shrugged it off as she pulled her lightweight dress over her shoulders. Katara immediately understood what Yue had been talking about when it concerned swimsuits. It looked like she was just wearing three small scraps of fabric. Katara was glad Aang was turned around; surely, he'd be bright scarlet if he saw her.
The boys that had been lingering, watching the large convoy of mostly girls settle up, immediately swarmed Ty Lee.
"You need help unpacking?" one asked, making heart-eyes toward Ty Lee.
Ty Lee frowned. "I think I can manage."
"A girl as beautiful as you shouldn't have to lift a finger," the boy continued, reaching for her bag.
Aang paused, turning back. Katara closed her eyes.
Don't, Aang, don't, she silently prayed, don't show your hand and give Azula something over you, over us.
After a very prolonged moment, Katara watched his fist unclench. He inhaled sharply, angrily, turning away. Thank spirits.
"Don't be rude, Ty Lee," Azula said. "Let them help you."
Ty Lee frowned at the group of boys, clearly unsure. She stuttered a little bit, her eyes sliding to the left, not exactly toward Aang, but close enough. She clutched her bag to her body. Azula hadn't given the words as a playful encouragement, she'd demanded it of Ty Lee.
"We got it," Katara said firmly, coming over to Ty Lee. "Imagine that boys, we're both beautiful and smart enough to put an umbrella in the sand," she said sarcastically.
"Oh, hello," a boy purred, eyes switching to Katara. "You're not like the other girls, huh. Little bit of that exotic beauty."
Katara wanted to barf. "Not interested," she said, rolling her eyes. "Really, shoo. I think some of those girls would be elated to have your help." She pointed to where Nadhari and Avizeh were milling.
Once they left, Azula shook her head.
"They were just being nice."
"Oh, sure." Katara let out a bark of laughter. "And they didn't totally want something in return. A kiss, at the very least." She began to help Ty Lee dig the umbrella into the sand and flatten her towel. "Just bad news."
"You have such experience?" Azula asked suspiciously, a devious grin appearing slowly.
"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Katara asked, tired of her games. "To smear my name and tell Prince Zuko I'm impure or whatever bullshit. No, I just have an idiot brother. You do too."
"I sincerely doubt you should be calling the Prince "stupid," Katara," Azula said, as though personally offended.
"I'm sure you've called him worse." Katara knew she had. "And not that he's an idiot. Just that he's a boy. And boys think with their…" She raised her eyebrows, motioning downward.
Azula broke a smile. Whether it was genuine or not, Katara didn't know.
"Well, that's just common knowledge," Azula said.
"Look, if you were so concerned about my virtue, obviously you should be concerned about Ty Lee's as well. You can't be naive enough to think that they were honestly flattered by personality - no offense, Ty."
"Oh, I know it all," Ty Lee assured, "Not offended."
"Whatever." Azula pinched the bridge of her nose. "You don't seem like the type of girl who wants to sit around making childish sandcastles. Do you want to play a round of kuai ball?" She motioned to the set-up net.
"You want to play with me?" Katara guffawed.
"I want winners. Fighters. As much as I hate you,"
"Gee, you're really making me want to play a game with you."
"-You are both of those things, irritatingly. I pick the best for my squad," Azula said. "Ty Lee, you're playing. Mai...if Zuko ever arrives, he'd be a good addition. If not…" Azula scanned the girls gathered. "Suki. One more...Katara, do you think you could convince that dwarf of yours to play?"
Katara stared at Azula, uncomprehending. "You mean...Toph? Not if you call her that."
"Fine, the short angry one. Better?"
"Maybe. Let me ask her. You go claim the next game. Spirits," Katara grumped. Why was she even agreeing to this? Maybe the idea of seeing Azula act like somewhat of a normal teenager was too tempting to pass up.
She shook it off, sharing glances with Ty Lee.
"Thanks," Ty Lee said quietly.
"Don't mention it. Truly. I have your back," Katara said honestly, and then turned to find Suki and Toph. "Yo! Toph! How do you feel about being a winner?"
XXxxXX
Zuko walked down to the beach. He could not pretend to have pressing work to do any longer, and his absence would soon cause a hoard of girls to come looking for him. He'd stayed in his room at Lo and Li's house as long as he possibly could, but alas, it was time to hit the beach.
If his plans had gone like he'd hoped, he would have enjoyed coming down here with just two or three select girls. To try to spend equal time with all of them? Spirits, it seemed like an easier task to figure out the whole situation with the Airbenders!
Sokka had stayed with Zuko, while the rest had gone down about an hour ago. Aang had popped back in to say he was going into town and would reconvene with Zuko before nightfall. He'd mentioned that Azula had seemingly been in good, playful spirits...and this deeply concerned him.
If Aang hadn't passed that along, Zuko might have convinced himself to stay hidden for another half an hour. But he didn't trust his sister.
It was a little silly, huh? Hiding from girls like they were rabid moose-bears or something, and not teenage ladies.
He'd admitted to Sokka as much why he hung back.
"Yeah, let me just say that I feel for you, bro."
"All the girls in the South want you, I take it?" Zuko asked, trying to resist adding in an eyeroll.
"I don't like that tone. I'm the son of a chief, and look at these!" Sokka flexed his arm proudly. "Plus, not a lot of options, if I'm being honest. I mean, I guess it's nice to know that I won the popularity contest against the boy that licks icicles or the boy that lost three toes because taking his boot off to put socks on was too much of a hassle."
"Has your dad started mentioning marriage?"
"Not as aggressively as putting together a competition to pick a wife." Sokka laughed dryly. "But I'm 20. My dad had picked my mom out when they were ten and married when they were sixteen. So yes."
"Does he want you to pick a Southern wife?" Zuko asked, genuinely curious, and noticed the wince that Sokka tried to stifle. "Do you want a Southern wife?"
"I…" Sokka suddenly lost his voice. "I guess...well, you have to imagine if that's the boys for husband choices, there's not a ton of girls either." He tried to play it off with laughter, but there was a raw, pained sound. "Okay, we need something for this conversation."
Zuko was at first confused about what that 'something' was, until Sokka vanished into the kitchen. He could hear him asking Lo and Li something, and a moment later, he returned with two jars.
"To take with us to the beach. Very slowly," he offered, handing Zuko the glass. Once in his hand, Sokka clinked his glass against Zuko's. Zuko sipped it. Sake.
"I think he'd prefer a Southern wife, since she'll be part of the council for our tribe. He's had a lot of reasons to be untrusting." Sokka pointed out as they gathered their towels for the beach. Zuko latched the door behind them.
"Does he...does your dad wish the same of Katara?"
Sokka took a big gulp of his glass. "That's where this is going."
"Where what's going?" Zuko asked defensively.
"You're asking if my father would approve of you," Sokka replied back with a smirk. "And to be honest? Well, I don't know. My dad has always been super protective about Katara. She's his baby girl, you know? And she's always been his favorite. Not that my dad doesn't love me, but there's something between them I never had. I think…" Sokka chewed on his lip. "He'd want her to feel safe, wherever she ends up. I think he'd want a relationship where Katara is in charge. Spirits knows it wouldn't work the other way around," Sokka laughed. "And while I could vouch for you, Zuko, you're a prince. I don't know if Katara would ever be in charge."
"I take it she hasn't told you about the first time we met, huh?" Zuko said before he could think about it.
Sokka snapped his head toward him. "No."
"Erm, never mind." Zuko drank deeply.
"You're blushing! Now you have to tell me, bud," Sokka encouraged, "C'mon!"
"Okay, fine," Zuko snapped, only because he knew Katara would gleefully tell Sokka if he did not. "She mistook me for a burglar. That's too much to get into, but she knocked me off a roof and tied me to a tree. And then the first time I tried to kiss her, she broke my nose," Zuko added.
Sokka snorted so hard that the sake came up his nose. "You're joking! Oh, well, that does sound like her."
"I don't think I'd lie about something so...horrifyingly embarrassing." Zuko replied stiffly, but when Sokka threw his arm around him, he felt a little bit better about it.
"Well, I feel a lot better about you liking Katara knowing that she can just break a bone whenever she feels like it," Sokka said honestly. "She's a force."
"I don't like recalling those times," Zuko mumbled.
"Everyone has an embarrassing story with a girlfriend," Sokka assured. At Zuko's dubious face, he sipped the glass. "Okay, okay. Take me. First time a girl went down on me, my dad walked in on us. I guess we don't really have doors, so maybe I was asking for it but," Sokka shrugged. "At the time? I thought I was going to die of embarrassment."
"That happened?" Zuko said. "And you're just...telling me?" he added, a bit more unsure.
"Well, yeah," Sokka shot him a weird look. "We're bros, right?"
"I just...I guess I haven't had a friend like you before," Zuko said honestly.
"Obnoxious and different?" Sokka punched his arm playfully. "Someone who forces sake on you?"
"Someone not looking at me as a way to climb the social ladder," Zuko said bluntly.
"Oh. Yeah, I don't give two shits about that," Sokka said as they approached the beach. "Gee, I wonder where the contestants are," he said.
Zuko shielded his eyes with his hand. There was a large group of girls...and a larger group of boys milling near them. He chuckled.
"We're not inconspicuous. However, I don't think I see Katara…"
"Oh! There she is! Playing some game or something with your sister."
"Har-har," Zuko shoved him playfully.
"No, seriously," Sokka dragged him to the right, the opposite direction. Indeed, as they approached a kuai ball field, Zuko realized that Katara was one of the competitors...along with his sister.
"Oh." Zuko blinked.
"Ah, look at that, Suki...Ty Lee...Toph...Mai's playing too," Sokka said, a tinge pink. Zuko raised an eyebrow. This seemed like a worst nightmare; his sister playing a sports game with all the top choices for his hand in marriage.
As they got close enough to see individual figures, Zuko was caught off guard by how little Katara was wearing. He'd seen girls in swimsuits, but seeing Katara in a swimsuit?
They approached just as the game was ending; clearly in the favor of his sister and Katara's team. In fact, he and Sokka had come just in time to see Katara serve Azula a perfect airborne ball, just for his sister to strike it ruthlessly onto the other team's side. They attempted to block it, but it went careening down into the sand.
"Victorious!" Azula crowed, holding up her hand. To Zuko's surprise, she allowed Katara to high-five her. What sort of alternate world had they entered? Was he dreaming?
"That's hot," Sokka said simply, sipping at his drink. Zuko really didn't want to ask to whom he was referring to.
"Oh, Zuzu, nice of you to finally join us," Azula said, catching her brother's eye. "We've already played two rounds of kuai ball. I would have asked you to join, but I think that this girls team is more ferocious than you could be."
"Uhm, thanks?" Zuko tilted his head.
"Whatever. Mai, you thirsty? I'm getting a drink. Ty Lee, you too." She snapped her fingers. Mai joined her without a beat, but Ty Lee hesitated. Less than a year ago, Ty Lee wouldn't have thought twice, Zuko considered. Now, she hung back, just for a beat, before following.
Suki and Toph were shaking hands with the other team, chatting them up casually.
"You were playing a game with my sister?" Zuko asked, raising an eyebrow as Katara came over to them. She looked at the two glasses in the boys' hands before taking Zuko's and taking a drink of it.
"You know, she's actually being nice. As nice as she can be, that is," Katara snorted. "She's very...strategic. She noticed that one of the girls had a limp on her left, and we served there. It was all very military, but we won. I mean, there were times I was a little scared for their lives, like when your sister said 'We defeated you for all time. You will never rise from the ashes of your shame and humiliation', but you know, other than that…"
"Oh, that." Zuko rolled his eyes. "I'm pretty sure that's how Azula expresses she's having fun."
"Mhh." Katara sipped more of the glass. "Well, we did win, and that's Azula's favorite activity."
"Kuai ball?" Sokka asked.
"Winning," Katara corrected.
"Hey, so," Zuko said, taking his glass back, "Look, I should probably spend the day hanging out with the other girls...I don't want you to feel…"
"Offended?" Katara tilted her head. "It's fine. Seriously. Go and make some girls giggle. Azula told me I didn't seem like the type who wanted to build sandcastles, but joke's on her, because Toph and I are going to make the most epic sandcastle. We still have tomorrow." She shoved his chest goodnaturedly, "Seriously. I'm fine. Sokka, you wanna help?"
"I mean," Sokka puffed out his chest, "I did make that guard tower out of snow, and how different is snow and wet sand?"
"Yes," Katara replied deadpanned. "Exactly. C'mon!" She tugged him to where Toph was stomping down a good flat area with her feet.
Zuko looked back at the gaggle of girls. Sighing, and wishing he could spend the whole day with Katara, he undid his robes. As he tucked his robe into his arms, showing off his chest, he heard a great many girls - and not just the ones in the competition - give a sigh.
He turned back and caught Katara looking, if even for a second.
Turning back, smirking, he felt a lot better as he walked over to the rest of the girls.
XXxxXX
The rest of the day lazed by beautifully. By the time the group started walking back to the hotel, Katara considered it a very full and fun day. She hardly saw Zuko, apart from the moments she saw him switching between girls. It sort of seemed like he was just going along with the day. Anything that they asked him to do, he agreed...within reason. It was the easiest way to please everyone, but it had to be taking a toll on Zuko. She truly felt for him.
She, Toph, and Sokka were making good work on their sandcastle, which was quickly sprawling into a sand fortress. Toph was practicing ways to just make the sand do what she wanted, but if there was a lot of water in the sand, it became difficult for her. So, it was more that Sokka and Katara and Toph were making warring cities. Toph, trying to create models of her hometown, had encouraged Sokka and Katara to make a sand version of the Southern Water Tribe. Katara hoped it would still be up the next morning.
Most girls were so exhausted from the long day in the sun that after dinner, they just went to bed without fuss. Katara herself, her skin warm and face sore from smiling, fell into bed without complaint.
XXxxXX
Where Katara was sleeping soundly at night, Zuko was up whispering with Aang, who had only arrived back at the house an hour ago.
"There aren't any airbenders around here," Aang reported back. "This town is full of Ozai sympathizers. If there were any, they wouldn't be caught dead."
"Yeah, I worried about that," Zuko whispered back. He was careful to keep their voices scarcely above a whisper.
"Plus, it's all riches here. People aren't desperate, aren't without means to get out," Aang continued.
"Anyone that may help us?"
Aang furrowed his brow.
"There's a lady...when I brought up airbenders, her face flashed, just for a second. I bet she had a relative that was one, and they got out. She seemed worried for them. She might be willing to help people through the area." Aang sighed. "But she might be the only one on the whole island."
Zuko nodded to himself. "Work on her tomorrow, as much as you can. We don't want to leave it hanging before we go back."
Aang paused. He seemed unsure. "You, ah, you said your family has a place on the island that you never use. Do you think-"
"No," Zuko replied flatly.
"But…"
"It's out of the question, Kuzon," Zuko hissed. "Besides, it's just full of empty memories anyway."
He rolled over.
"Zuko, I-"
"Just go to sleep," Zuko said without turning. "The whole weekend is giving me stress. Don't give me anymore."
XXxxXX
Their second day on the island was to be much of the same, as Katara was told. The girls had a painfully long breakfast. By the time they were gathered with their things to go down to the beach, it seemed that half the day had already been wasted.
Not that Katara had anything she particularly needed to do, but the general slowness of the girls bothered her. She could tell it bothered a few others, such as Suki and surprisingly, Nadhari. Girls like Avizeh took their dear sweet time with everything. It was almost painful.
This time, the group from the other house met up with them to walk down, still sans Aang.
Katara saw a flash of disappointment on Ty Lee's face. When Katara patted her arm in understanding, Ty Lee shrugged.
"It's for the best," she said, but her smile didn't quite fill her face.
Down at the beach, most of their sand castle creations were still standing. There was a group of young children gathered around Toph's, staring in amazement at the intricate details.
"Did you make this?" one little girl asked Toph.
"Yep, what's it to you?" Toph said, tying back her long hair into a high bun.
"It's incredible! How did you do it?" she breathed.
Toph blinked. "Earthbending," she said after a long moment. The little girl squealed.
"I'm an earthbender too! Show me, show me!" Katara entirely expected Toph to brush off the young girl, but to her surprise, Toph just grinned, cracking her knuckles.
"You won't ever find a better teacher," she insisted. Then, Katara worried she'd be harsh on the girl, until she saw Toph helping her build her own tiny towns. Not with a whole lot of love, but not meanly. Toph wasn't a jerk enough to hurt an eight year old's feelings, at least.
"Hey!" Sokka choked out. Katara turned to see a boy with a toy Fire Nation Navy fleet ship shoving it through the sand, like it was the sea, into the guard tower closest to the water. Sokka's muddy guard dower flopped and fell.
"Aha! Attack of the Fire Nation! Pew pew!" the boy cried.
"It's a sand castle, we can rebuild," Katara said, waving to the boy who gave a floppy, but friendly, wave back.
"But that took me all day," Sokka groaned. Katara watched him go over to try to convince the boy to stop attacking their sand city. He became momentarily distracted watching Toph with the young girl, a weird look in his face that Katara couldn't quite place.
"Can I help you?" Suki asked, tapping Katara's shoulder. "Looks like fun."
"Yeah, we're just making the South here," Katara said. "Here's my house," she added, pointing to a pile of sand she hadn't yet shaped.
"Just tell me how to help."
XXxxXX
"I should get going," Zuko said, trying to sound apologetic as he nudged Saoirse.
"C'mon, can't you stay longer?" Saoirse pouted, crossing her arms.
"It wouldn't be fair to the other girls," Zuko said, pausing before wrapping an arm around her waist.
"I won't tell anyone if you don't," Saoirse smirked, tilting her head. Zuko laughed.
"If you don't think a girl wouldn't notice I spent an hour longer with you than anyone else, you clearly haven't been paying attention."
Saoirse shrugged her shoulders in defeat. "I just always want to spend more time with you than I have," she pouted quietly.
Zuko swallowed nodding. "I know the feeling," he said. He did feel bad at the way that Saoirse instantly brightened, maybe thinking he was referring to her, but in reality, he was thinking of Katara.
It wasn't fair to Saoirse; she was a very nice girl. She'd take him on a walk down the beach, away from the group, and they'd picked up interesting seashells along the way. It had been fun, it had been enjoyable, and Zuko had forgotten how much he liked talking to her.
"Are we going to get another date soon? You know, more than just this?" Saoirse questioned, motioning to the beach.
"Of course. Things are settling down after the attacks and soon I'll be doing dates regularly again."
Saoirse pursed her lips. "I can't wait."
Zuko offered back a slight smile in return. He turned them back to the main beach, finishing their hour and a half together with a kiss to her forehead, which seemed to please the Northern Water Tribe girl enough.
As soon as Saoirse was waving to Zuko, returning to find Kilee with her palms full of brightly colored shells, Zuko was scanning the beach for Katara.
He found her exactly where she'd begun the morning; at the sand castles.
"Hey, Kat, Sokka," Zuko nodded to the pair of siblings. "Toph."
"Oh, Zuko," Toph teased in a sing-songy voice. "Are you here for our date?"
Zuko groaned. "Do you want one?"
"Naw. I'm just messin' with ya." Toph came up, slapping his arm. "Don't look so depressed at the thought though!"
"I wasn't depressed, I was-"
"You can't hide from me, remember. I know when you're lying," Toph teased. "Besides, I still have more to work on here."
"Uh, looks pretty complete to me," Zuko said, eyes widening in surprise at the complexity of her work.
"So you'd think, so you'd think," Toph just replied cryptically, shaking a finger.
Zuko blinked, rolling his eyes. "Katara, so...do you...can we...maybe…"
"Yes," Katara laughed. "Sokka can finish by himself, right?"
Sokka, who was currently precisely measuring twigs to use as flags, startled. "What? Oh, yeah, whatever. I'm busy." He waved them away. "Wait!"
Zuko bit his tongue to groan in frustration as Katara turned back.
"If you find any more of this seaweed - the green stuff, not the brown gooey stuff - bring it back. We need it for the walls. Gotta make my city more impressive than Toph's," he added, sending a narrowed glare her way. Toph sent him back the middle finger, which three young children immediately tried to copy. Zuko groaned and dragged his hand down his face; he was going to be scalped by parents for one of his contestants teaching their children dirty words and phrases before the weekend was up.
"He's lying, we're just doing it for fun," Katara said, bending down to pat a wall back into place.
"That's what you think," Sokka said firmly.
"Right," Zuko said, since there was a clear difference in skill level between the two.
"We'll look our hardest," Katara said, winking to her brother.
Once they were a few feet away, Zuko resisted the urge to twine his fingers in hers. "What do you want to do?"
"Have you been in the water yet? I'm covered in sand and could for sure use a good wash," Katara said, patting off her arms.
"Not further than a few feet. Most of the girls asked me to put lotion on their backs or read with them or find shells," Zuko said.
"Have you been having fun?"
That was Katara, always looking out for him.
"Of course," Zuko said, and he meant that almost-completely honestly.
"We can do something else," Katara said, picking up on that small unsureness in his tone.
"No, that sounds great," he assured, pointing to the sea. Katara grabbed his hand to pull him to the waves. "I should have guessed the waterbender would want to go in the water."
Katara, running her fingers through her soaked hair to shove it back, blinked innocently at him. "Maybe I should be more unpredictable."
"Oh? I'd like to see you try." Zuko said.
Katara shrugged, at first seeming to brush his words off as she led them deeper and deeper into the sea, until they were almost treading water.
"How's this for unpredictable?" she asked. Zuko frowned, not understanding. As he was opening is mouth to ask what about this was something strange, Katara tackled him under the water. Just as he was getting his bearings under the waves, she kissed him. He opened his eye to see her hair floating out behind her like she was a sea goddess, tiny bubbles escaping her lips as she laughed.
Zuko dove back up for air.
"I could have drowned," he said, though he wasn't as upset as he pretended to be.
"I wouldn't have let you," Katara said firmly. She flashed him a white smile. "Are you properly wet?"
"Yes, my hair is soaked," he said, pointing to his locks, shaking his head like a dog to try the tips.
"I am too," Katara said.
"Yeah, you dove in right away," Zuko agreed.
"No," Katara said, coming up right next to him. He was just hardly touching the bottom flat-footed, so he was sure Katara was on her tiptoes, and grasping his arms to keep herself steady. "I'm soaked,"she breathed in a husky tone.
"You…" Zuko breathed out, but it sounded like a pained wheeze. About a thousand neurons all lit up at once in his brain...and then went right from his brain downward.
Katara used the weightlessness of the water to push herself up far enough to wrap her arms around his neck, kissing his neck, curling a leg around his own legs. She wasn't going to kiss him in public, not on the lips, but even just the hot kiss to his collarbone had him groaning and his hardness straining at his bottoms. Something about her doing this so openly, when she probably definitely wasn't supposed to be doing this, drove him even crazier than if they were alone.
"Katara, you-" Zuko started to protest, hands gripping her arms, until he wondered why he was protesting? This was, actually, sorta great.
"Mhh? What's that?" Katara tilted her head.
Zuko shook away the water in his head. This was bad. As much as he wanted this, it was bad. They shouldn't be doing this right now. They couldn't be doing this now. The rest of the competition was just lounging on the beach, definitely in sight. He let Katara's fingers trace his stomach, hard as he flexed as he tried not to move, until they got a little bit too low.
"Katara, you are not helping," he hissed.
Katara took her hand away. He expected her to be offended. Instead, she looked up at him with slightly confused, liquid eyes. Did she truly not-
She leaned up, kissing him chastely on his neck, before flicking her tongue over his earlobe.
"This is payback for dinner, Zuko," she murmured against his warm skin.
Zuko cussed in his mind. The foot-on-leg thing had been a spur of the moment thought, something he hadn't thought through other than that he'd enjoyed seeing Katara's ears redden. He hadn't thought she'd retaliate, and not so deftly!
Katara stood back, stretching. "Well, I think it's just about time for dinner. We should probably get out of the water, hmm?" she teased.
"You go," Zuko said, gritting his teeth.
"Aren't you coming?" Katara asked, smirking.
"No," he replied shortly, trying to think of all the least sexy things that he'd ever seen, to little help.
Katara flashed him a grin before swimming back. Zuko closed his eyes; if he walked out now, surely, everyone would see his tented pants. Think of Ozai in a bathing suit...think of Lo and Li in bathing suits...think that dead owl-cat he'd poked when he was eight…
"Zuko! Come inside! Dinner's soon!" Sokka called, wading into the water. "And you know me, I'm starved."
"You're always starved," Zuko snapped out. While he could tell Sokka his predicament, and for any other girl who had caused it he would, he wasn't about to admit he'd gotten hard while in the water with his sister.
"Well, hurry it up," Sokka encouraged.
"I just...I want to enjoy the water a little longer." Zuko forced a smile.
"The beach will still be here tomorrow."
"Yes," Zuko breathed out, willing himself to relax, trying not to catch sight of Katara in that swimsuit, knowing she'd still be wearing it the next day. "That might be exactly the issue."
THE LANNISTERS PAY THEIR RESPECTS (that's honestly all I could think as I was writing that line about payback for Katara. I've been in a Game of Thrones mood lately, which has seriously hurt my heart. Arg. Urg. Avatar continues to be one of the most satisfying shows ever written, but what else is new?)
Little Margarita! You have reached a drabble if you so want one :)
In terms of what's new on the Zutara/ADS front, if ya head over to my tumblr- youngblodlex22- I have uploaded (1) A floorplan of Katara's rooms/the contestant rooms and (2) some aesthetic boards for the original characters. I have previously uploaded Aiga, Alcina, and Dhakiya's before, but I now have added Ratana, Avizeh, Caecillia, and Bahiravi to the mix! I'll be continuing to upload those periodically, so if you want to see what I imagine them to look like, check that out!
In other, non Avatar news, because I'm still stewing about the finale of Game of Thrones, I've uploaded a GendryxArya fic about 5 scenes that I feel should have been added to the last episode. It's currently just on A03, but if there's any interest, I'll put it up on fanfiction too!
Anyway, enjoy this chapter!