Zutara Week Prompt: Speak
"Speaked"
"Spoke"
"Speaked!"
"Spoke!" Zuko slammed the papers on his mahogany desk and stood up from his seat, which looked like a power drain for a sleep-deprived man.
"I'm telling you, 'speaked' isn't grammatically correct! You can't just add 'ed' to every word and think that'll make it past tense!" he strained to keep his voice at a cool, calm and collected level, as a Fire Lord should sound, but the way he was blowing smoke out of his nose gave his frustration away instantly to Katara. But she wouldn't back down, despite a small doubt that she just might be wrong. Zuko's temper was rubbing of on her at this point.
"Well, in Water Tribe's native writing, that's how it is!" Katara adamantly placed her hands on her hips as she and Zuko had a stare-down.
"This is Fire Nation script, so it doesn't count!" he stretched the word 'Fire Nation' like a rubber noodle. That seems to have set her off. She slapped Zuko from across the desk, making the stacked papers fly.
"Don't you dare talk to me like I'm a baby!"
His eyes widened in shock as he felt the red mark of a Katara's hand on is cheek. His shock turned into rage, making his fists spurt flames.
"What in Agni was that for? If anybody were talking like a baby here, it would be you! You don't know nearly as much of my language as I do!"
"But you're the one who taught me, so if I got, it's your fault!"
"Is not! You must've remembered wrong. Stop trying to defend yourself, you clearly are inexperienced in Fire Nation script!" Zuko sighed as he swept his back off his forehead.
Katara sniffed haughtily as she silently accepted defeat. Slumping on the chair she had risen from in the heat of the argument, she bended the sweat off her face.
"Why is it so hot in here?" She sniffed the air and wrinkled her nose. Another part of her also pushed her to change the subject, she hated being wrong.
"Did you burn something Zuko? I'm smelling smoke"
His eyes widened as he stopped gripping the edge of the desk and silently cursed. There was a vivid black hand-shaped scorch etched into the elegantly carved side of the polished wood. Katara smirked.
"The carpenter who made that desk won't be happy that his hard work was put to waste on a burn".
"I can get a new desk", he grumbled as re-ordered the papers that were flung off the table when Katara had reached over the desk to slap him. He felt the red mark where Katara's hands had met his face and noticed it still stung.
"That would be a waste, it's such a nice desk" she replied. Their tempers had cooled by now and exhaustion had taken its place. She sipped her tea and helped Zuko re-organise the desk.
"Do slaps from a water bender always hurt this much?" He half-joked. She glanced at his face and analysed it for the first time since they had gone without sleep to finish the enduring paper work. He looked paler than usual and his eyes looked worn and screamed, 'I NEED SLEEP!'.
A clack on the door interrupted her thoughts.
"Lady Katara, Fire Lord Zuko, I have herbal tea", a shy servant hesitantly peered into the room with a tray holding two steaming cups of liquid goodness.
"We didn't ask for tea" the servant shied away from Zuko's gaze.
"We didn't, but we'll take it, thank you!" Katara glared at Zuko as she accepted the tray and shoved a cup in Zuko's hands. Turning down rejuvenating tea seemed silly, and besides, she liked tea. He looked at it warily and asked the servant who had requested her to bring it. General Iroh, the servant replied, ever since he left on his trip to the Earth Kingdom, he ordered the servant to prepare the tea when they spend over-hours in Zuko's office.
"Say thank you to this kind servant for bringing us tea, Zuko" she poked him.
He grumpily muttered a thank you and dismissed the servant.
"Typical Uncle" he rolled his eyes and sipped moodily. Katara grinned at his mood. She liked to call this his 'emo' stage; a nickname copied from Sokka. He enjoys riling him up and stifled a laugh recalling her brother poking Zuko with a stick at the Western Air Temple when he had lost his bending. Zuko raised an eyebrow at her, curious why she was smiling at her tea.
"You need to get some rest." Katara reminded herself of his eyebags.
"I'm fine"
"Those eyebags and pale skin are telling me a different story. You're getting some rest and if you resist, I'll force you to bed" She realised she made a mistake once she saw Zuko blush.
"Not in that way! I m-mean I'll make you get some rest in bed!" she spluttered. She was pretty sure that she was blushing as well now. Thanks a lot, Zuko.
"Um, right. Well I guess I better go before you bend me out" he had given up trying to defy her orders and scuffled around the carved chairs and stacks of paper strewn on the floor to the door.
"I still think 'speaked' is the right word", she felt like borrowing Sokka's smarminess today and decided to try to tick him off. Maybe he might burn something again, she thought with a smirk. Zuko made the loudest face slap before slamming the door to his room.
…..
This was hastily slapped together for Day two of Zutara week. Not great, but I'm desperate to upload and felt guilty skipping day one. The more responsible side of my brain says I should be placing my assignments over this, but I just don't give two shits anymore about school so eh._.