ZW 2014 Day 7: Slow Dancing
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Peace
Aang tries to teach Zuko to dance, with mixed results.
"You have to raise your arms higher, like this." Aang throws his arms in the air and bounds across the cave floor.
Zuko, who is never short on grace but quite lacking in enthusiasm, glares for a moment before leaping after Aang. His arms flop out limply. "Why are we doing this?"
"Because Sifu Hotman-" Zuko growls, but Aang continues merrily. "As the new Fire Lord, it's your job to lead the Fire Nation into peace and harmony. And part of that is dancing!" Aang pulls Katara up from her seat. "Watch us."
Their bending dance is smooth, wild, free, just as it was when they were twelve and fourteen and dancing at a secret party in a cave much smaller and danker than this one. Katara laughs giddily as Aang swings her around and turns around her, and Aang grins every time he sees her in a new waterbending stance. When they finish the dance, Aang bends her over his knee in a dip and relishes the smile on her face and the light dampness in her hair. Exuberance radiates off of her like light from the sun, and she is beautiful.
"See Zuko? Easy." Setting Katara back to her feet, Aang turns to face his unwilling pupil.
"Aang, maybe we should try a different approach." Katara gently moves him aside and takes his place in front of Zuko. "Let's start with something a little less…happy."
"Dancing is happy!" Aang objects.
To Aang's frustration, she ignores him. "Zuko, let's start small. Put one hand here-" she gestures to her hip "-and I'll hold your other hand. Now just shift your weight from foot to foot."
"I feel stupid." Zuko grumbles.
Katara raises her eyebrows. "Did you feel less stupid throwing yourself around trying to be Aang?"
"No."
"Now do three steps. Bring one foot forward before you do the two steps, and then put it backward and two step. That's it! You did it!"
Zuko sags against her a bit, one part relieved and one part exhausted and one part sick and tired of this. They fall into a comfortable rhythm as Katara occasionally instructs him to turn or spin her under his arm.
The wild dance she did with Aang was a celebration. This is peace. Her head is tucked under Zuko's chin, and his right hand holds her left, his other her hip. They move their feet without thinking, perfectly unified.
Aang is just a little miffed, but he's not sure he can articulate why without sounding silly.
Slow dancing can just stay banned, he thinks.
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A/N: As much as I enjoy stories about Zuko and Katara dancing, and Zuko is so great at dancing because he's royalty and they learned dancing, I've never been convinced. Dancing doesn't seem like something Ozai would encourage or tolerate in either of his children.
