Hello, I am about 4 days late to Zutara week 2021. But nevertheless, I am here now and ready to rumble.

Here is to day 1-Hair

Happy Reading!


It was one of those sweltering day on Ember Island and Katara wanted nothing more than to throw herself into the ocean and drown. But no, she was stuck in the kitchen cooking all day to make Sokka his favorite meal, seas prunes mixed with Komodo chicken. If you asked Katara the two dishes do not mix well together, but it was her brother's birthday, so why not?

"Ugh, Tui and La, please make a breeze happen!" Katara wipes her forehead for the hundredth time that day as she stands over a pot of boiling sea prunes. Her hair loopies felt heavier against her cheeks as she moves the spoon around the pot.

She'd forgone her typical WaterTribe garb for one of Azula's old two piece outfits. It was a short crop top that wrapped around her chest and a skirt that came to her knees. Not something she'd typically wear, but definitely helping to alleviate the heat of the day.

Katara reaches over the counter to grab another spice for the Komodo chicken when her hair starts to stick to the nape of her neck, making her even hotter.

"Could it get any hotter?!" Shoving away from the stove she stalks to her room to grab a hair band. As she's walking down the hallway, a fist full of hair being piled on top of her head, she runs smack into the last person she wanted to see.

"Oh!" Zuko turns them around, letting his back fall to the ground with a thud, pulling Katara down with him. Her hair fans all around her covering her face.

"Just great! Thank you sooo much for walking into me! I'm already hot as is that I don't need the human furnace on me too!"

Zuko gulps and leans back against his elbows, pushing Katara up slightly. "S-sorry, I didn't see you-"

"No kidding!" Katara huffs in frustration a few strands of brown hair fly into Zuko's face.

"Do you want me to tie you hair back?" he blurts. His amber eyes widen at his own words and winces, waiting for the harsh reply from the girl on top of him.

There's no hiding that Katara still hates Zuko from the incident back at the catacombs, and even with him helping around camp and trying to do as much as he can to gain her trust, she still can't forgive him.

Katara glares at him for a moment before pulling away and sitting back on her knees. She runs a hand through her mess of curls thinking.

Do I really want him to touch my hair?

Zuko doesn't move from where he is, hell, he doesn't even think he's breathing anymore. He watches as her eyes travel behind him to the kitchen where the a pot starts to boil.

She sighs before handing the hair band over to Zuko. He takes it without thought and sits up.

"You-uhh…" He takes a deep breath. "Turn around." He says in a shy voice. He's only ever done this a few times for Azula when they were kids.

She glances at him and the hair band before turning her back to him.

Zuko moves closer to her and takes her hair loopies out of the small bun she has and lets the hair fall loose.

Katara tenses when she feels him touch her hair at first but relaxes as his fingers comb through each strand before pulling it back. She takes note of how gentle he is, making sure not to pull too hard, but enough to pull the hair away from her neck.

After a moment, her hair is in a high bun. Her hair loopies are secured in the band so they sit just right against her cheeks.

"All done." He lets his hands fall to her shoulders, his thumbs brushing slightly against the back of her neck. Katara finds herself enjoying his touch maybe a little too much for someone she was angry with.

"Thanks." She turns around to face him and smiles. "How do I look?"

Zuko's lip quirks slightly as he reaches out to fix the left loopie, noticing it was a little higher than the right. When he's satisfied with his work, he lets his hand travel from her temple and grazes her jaw with his thumb without thought.

She has soft skin.

He pulls his hand back and blinks. Katara's blue eyes widening.

What was that?

He coughs awkwardly, averting her gaze, and stands up. He offers a hand out to Katara and she accepts it gratefully.

He points in the direction of the yard, "I um..I gotta meet up with Aang." He breezes past her, but pauses before leaving the house.

He glances back at her and smiles, "You look nice with your hair back." And he dashes out of the house before she can reply.

Katara stares at the spot where Zuko was, feeling herself flush for a whole different reason than the hot day.