"I am so happy you came" I say right as she drops,
"I am glad to see someone's relationship is still going well."
Katara is flushed throughout her face when the blood totally drains from mine as her words sink in. Well this just went for bad to worse.
Clearing my throat and trying to not sound disappointed I respond, "actually… we just broke up." My words seem to shoot a lightning bolt between us and Katara makes direct eye contact with me. I beg that my eyes show her everything I haven't said yet. I want you, I am not hurt, open your heart to me.
"Oh Zuko I hope you are ok!" Katara says with a rush of emotion and she barrels into a tight embrace.
I can't help it, I nuzzle straight into her hair closing my eyes and taking a deep breath in. She smells amazing, like the ocean after a rain. This is what I have yearned for during my lonely years.
I didn't give up the hold and she didn't either. The relief of having someone here, by my side and that i cared about within my arms feels so right. That is when I barely hear it.
Actually, for a minute I thought I imagined it. She whispered, "I missed you".
If I wasn't sure she would have ran for the hills, I would have proposed right there. It was on the tip of my tongue. 'I love you, I missed you too. Let's get married and not separate again.'
My fantasy was picking out our first child's name as I whispered back, "I missed you more." And smiled into her hair. My heart is thudding a mile a minute.
With one final squeeze she pulls away from me. As she separates it feels like a part of me goes with her. I maybe imagining it but it looks like she wanted to stay in my arms as much as I silently willed her to stay. At the last second I rest both hands on her shoulders as my irrational fear is she is going to keep drifting away out of reach.
I stare into her eyes and ask, "How was the trip? You made amazing time." before I get lost in her.
"I may have helped the boat along here or there." She smirks and nods while trying to look around the room. "It doesn't look like you changed much."
Now she is nodding her head around the room and steps out of my hands all together. Maybe I was being too close too fast? I straighten up to my full height and clasp my hands behind my back at the elbows to avoid grabbing for her again.
"No, I didn't really make any adjustments. Remodeling felt low on the priority list. Now that you are here though maybe you could help me make it seem less…" I trail off as I watch her walk around.
"Intimidating?" She provides while swinging her shoulders back to me and full-on smiling.
"Well this room IS the throne room; shouldn't I be slightly intimidating here as the ruler?" I smirk back at her. Now that I am really drinking her in I can admit she looks tired. That could be because of traveling or maybe she is more upset about Aang that I originally thought. Ok, ok hoped… hoped she wasn't too torn up and was ready to move on.
Maybe I could be a shoulder to cry on? I don't envy the idea of having the love of my life cry about another guy but we could also bond over breakups and find love with each other.
"Didn't you ask me here to help you on bonding with other nations and rebuilding? Maybe this is a good place to start." Katara shares as she rounds the room and comes back to face me. Her smile warms me more than my fire bending does. "So how long did you want me to stay? You didn't mention…" she says while giving me a small smile.
Forever is the first thought but not what I share. "I don't want to put a limit on it. It will be nice to have you here." I share, then something occurs to me, "How long were you planning on staying?"
Katara starts to bite her lower lip as she considers her answer. This is a new trait she has started doing and it will be my downfall. I want to nibble on the lip for her, take her in my arms and stop the worry. Is she going to tell me only 2 weeks?
It just occurred to me this could be a short visit for her. She could be using it as a stop to somewhere else or maybe she only planned on a small visit. How can I woo someone who stays for only 1 week?!
"I didn't have a plan. I just packed everything and… here I am. I was hoping you wouldn't mind me staying for a while. After… Aang left people in my tribe kept looking at me with either pity or like I was a prize to be won. It was kind of terrible actually. One guy would hang out near my house to try and walk me anywhere I wanted to go. I had to create a back door if you can believe it to avoid him. Thank goodness our houses are made of ice and water." She shares in a rush of annoyance and laughing.
My reaction betrays me as my hand starts to white-knuckle and the fire flames dance a bit behind us. Who the fuck thought they could take her away from me? "I hope he learned a lesson." I say without much teeth grinding while I will my body to unclench.
"Oh he did after I froze him to a local lamp pole when he tried to kiss me." Katara shares.
"What was his name?" I can barely hold in my feelings at this point. This man and his family line are going to be banned from the fire nation until his grandkids have grandkids.
Katara smirks at me as if she is happy a friend is rushing to her defense. "Kato, but I don't want to talk about him." No, I don't want to either.
"It is getting to be close to lunch. Let me take you to your room and we then we can have lunch together and you can update me on everything." I announce and take my hand guiding her out of the room. My hand rests on the small of her back since I can't stop touching her.
This could be a problem if my affections cannot get put in check but I don't want it to end yet. She is here and real, not in my imagination.
In preparation for her visit I had advised my staff that Katara is to have the best suite available before you lead to the royal family wing. It is reserved for foreign royalty. She is considered a princess to me and will be a queen if I have any say about it so it fits.
As we round the corner to the nicer suites Katara gives me a look of confusion. "This isn't the normal suite I have when I am here with the gaang…" I am unclear if that is a good thing, bad thing or just an observation she is making out loud. I am going to need to address it though.
"That was when everyone is visiting at the same time. You are here as a personal guest of the Fire Lord and I want to make sure you are treated with nothing but the highest respect. If you turn the corner at the end of the hallway to the right you land in the royal suites where I am." I tell her as if this is a common practice as my hands start sweating.
What I don't tell her is anyone is stopped by guards before they could get that far. She and Iroh will be the only exception to that rule.
A guard opens her new rooms door and she is greeted with the antechamber for her room complete with a desk, fireplace and lounge area. She looks around with her mouth dropping slightly open taking it in. Her shock is cute and makes me want to smile, how can she not see how infatuated I am.
When she goes to open the bedroom and turns back with a smile I say the first thing I can think of, "Where are your hair loopies?"
Katara gives me a slight giggle and I curse Sokka under my breath. He rubs off on me too much at times.
"Since I was coming to the fire nation thought I would try a more grown-up hair style. I am of marrying age after all now and no longer a girl but a woman in my tribe." She provides as she gives a slight blush.
Marrying age rings in my head. I open my mouth to say something and there is a knock at the door.
A servant enters with her head low to the ground and hands folded in front of herself.
"Fire Lord Zuko, General Wein has requested to talk with you about fines assessed from the port."
I have been asking for this meeting for a week now and he picks the worst time to agree to meet. My job is never done. I nod and look at Katara with a slightly sad expression.
"I actually need to unpack and I might take a nap if you wouldn't mind due to my journey. Can I miss lunch and we have dinner instead?" Katara supplies helpfully. She has always understood the demands to a job and makes a great ally to have on your side.
"It would be my pleasure." I tell her and then turn to the servant.
"Please arrange for dinner with Lady Katara and myself in my antechamber at 5pm. Until then, give her anything she needs." I say and leave as the servant nods bowing lower.
Well that could have gone worse. Now to the wooing.