A/N Day 13: They Were Roommates
Under My Skin and In My Blood
It was originally going to be temporary.
Sokka and Suki were getting serious just as Katara's lease was coming up but he still had 6 months to go on his. It seemed like an obvious decision, the apartment was nice, even closer to the office than her last place and once she got the room to stop smelling like Sokka's socks it was going to be a great space.
There was also the not-so-small factor of having Zuko for a housemate.
Not that she really had any issues with Zuko. They got along really well. The bad blood from their past had cleared entirely a long time ago. He seemed to be an ideal roommate, neat and happy to pull his own weight.
She LIKED Zuko. She felt comfortable with Zuko IN GROUPS. They never spend that much alone time together since 'the incident' and she's felt awkward when it's just the two of them ever since. He seems awkward most of the time anyway (when he isn't making sarcastic comments, brooding or stubbornly making a point).
So Katara was going to move in with Zuko. It was only for six months, what could happen?
The morning she moved in there was a surprising amount of noise and the house smelled oddly beachy. She wasn't sure what she'd been expecting but finding Zuko singing along to the various girl group tracks he was listening to with his headphones, while he vacuumed the room she was moving into wasn't it.
She especially wasn't expecting him to be burning a scented candle.
He didn't notice her at first which gave her ample opportunity to definitely no look at his butt as he hunched over or the way he danced around doing housework.
When he did finally notice her, he practically jumped out of his skin and into a defensive pose that was probably drilled into him over years of martial arts. She laughed and put the boxes she was carrying down so she could greet him. She gave him a very brief hug. He was really warm, as he usually is, which made pulling away a little sad.
"You didn't have to clean for me I would've done it."
"It's fine, I thought it would make a good welcoming gesture."
"and the candle?"
"I know what this room used to smell like, I didn't think that a simple spray would cancel out that almost rotting fish smell that Sokka's feet emit."
She let out a hearty laugh and he looked more at ease. "The scent is really nice actually. Kind of reminds me of home."
"Really? That's what I was aiming for. It's called Sea Breeze."
She feels a strange tug on her heartstrings but decides to ignore it, thank him and go back to the van and collect more of her things.
Sokka had moved in with Suki the day before so it had been a little difficult to coerce him into helping her.
"You don't understand Kat. We have to christen all the rooms of our new home"
Suki gave him a light chastising whack.
"Don't be gross Sokka. Of course, we'll help you with your move."
As Katara went to walk out the door Sokka came in carrying two boxes clearly labelled FRAGILE rather precariously on top of each other. Suki gave her an apologetic smile and mouthed 'I tried to stop him'.
There was a loud dramatic gasp followed by clattering that was quickly muffled.
"IT LOOKS SO DIFFERENT NOW." He wheezed, "You never cleaned for meeee"
When Suki and Katara rushed to the door of the room they saw Zuko on his knees holding the two boxes that evidentially Sokka had dropped.
"I cleaned for you all the time you just never noticed."
The two women left them to squabble and carried the rest of the boxes up to the apartment.
She let Sokka go after all the boxes were carried up. He was getting antsy and more interested in 'delegating' than actually helping. Suki did help her find her sheets and pillows and made the bed with her so she could still sleep even if she didn't want to unpack everything just yet. Sokka had taken his mattress that morning (it was going to be for their spare room) so Katara didn't have to think about what may have occurred in the place she slept. Her new mattress had been delivered early that morning so everything was fresh.
After the happy couple left Katara finally decided to take a break. She sat at the kitchen counter of her new home, one she had sat in innumerable times before, and felt different. An ominous feeling of anticipation and new beginnings hit her as the sun started to set over the city and painted the room a stunning purple-pink.
"The light here is my favourite part of the building."
She turned and watched Zuko sit on the stool beside hers, elbows leaning casually on the countertop. His hair was up in a messy bun but the shorter parts near his face were plastered to his forehead from sweat. He'd been cleaning and helping pretty vigorously all day. He still looked great though which Katara knew was far better than she was looking.
"When we first moved in, I thought it was weird that there were these huge windows in the kitchen and living area but sitting here at sunset, it all makes sense. She smiled, nodded once and looked back out over the city.
"It is a beautiful view."
They sit in silence for a few moments before he gets up and walks to the fridge.
"I thought it would be nice to celebrate you moving in…"
He's holding a nice bottle of wine. For a moment Katara's mind flicks to the glasses in that box she still isn't quite game to check but she quickly realises he's staring at her nervously awaiting approval.
"That sounds wonderful Zuko, thank you. You're very sweet."
They order food and Katara insists on choosing the restaurant because now that she's living in a different area there would be a whole new array of eateries available. The sip their wine quietly as they wait for it to arrive. She wonders if he's nervous. If she's the first woman he's lived with since growing up with Azula or if he and Mai got to that point before calling it quits.
She didn't ask though. Toph told her she's too nosey and there is still the factor of 'the incident' playing on her mind and she's worried that now it's just them he'll say something.
Katara had been so proud of herself, organising her move on a Thursday so she could still go into work the next day and double check on their progress. She was an Operations Manager at a human rights focused non-for-profit and although her team was great, she had an overwhelming need to be there and make sure everything was running smoothly.
She barely needed her alarm; the bedrooms had east facing windows that flood with morning sunlight. She got dressed, which she could probably afford to do after breakfast now that she lived closer but it hadn't even occurred to her. When she eventually padded out of her fortress of boxes it was to B-line directly for the kitchen.
One of the perks of moving in to the house her brother used to live in was that she already knew where everything in the kitchen was and how all the appliances worked. She had been accused in the past of being a little dead to the world until she's been up for a while. She boils the kettle and goes about making herself a bowl of cereal. She carries her coffee and bowl to the dining table and plants herself down, opening her phone to scroll through something mindlessly while she gradually wakes up.
It isn't until the sound stops that she realised the shower had been going.
It isn't until the door opens and Zuko steps out with just a towel wrapped around his hips that it dawns on her that IF THE SHOWER WAS GOING IT MEANS HE WAS IN THERE AND WAS NAKED. There is an audible squeak and he was instantly alerted and embarrassed by her presence.
She'd dropped her spoon into her cereal.
The milk had splashed and gotten all over her shirt.
She hadn't even realised yet because she was too busy being intensely mortified and unblinkingly staring at him. He wasn't super close but he wasn't far enough away for her to not be able to notice as a droplet carved its way down his chest and disappeared into his towel.
"I'm so sorry I forgot that things were different. I didn't even think you'd be awake... I just went for my morning run and I wasn't even thinking…"
He was spewing apologies when she finally looks down and swears as the transparent splotch on her nice white shirt became obvious.
She rushes back into her room to change, still glowing with blush.
She's late to work because she spent a full ten minutes staring at herself in the mirror wondering how she was going to survive living there.
It does eventually get easier. They start off a little awkward with each other but eventually they transition from silent dinners at the dining table to relaxed dinners on the couch watching tv together. TV with dinner became watching TV together regularly. Within a week they had 'a show' they'd watch together.
Gradually sitting on either ends of the couch became sitting together. They'd have popcorn and it would be pointless to sit so far away from each other if they were going to share.
Sitting together became snuggling and sharing a blanket.
She'd wonder how this awkward, grouchy, dramatic guy had become so easy to be around so quickly. She would often have to remind herself that it was super platonic. Some nights she didn't want to get off the couch.
Katara had been living there just over two weeks when Zuko powers through the house in something of a stress rage. She calls after him from the kitchen, it was her turn to cook, but he disappeared into his room. When he comes out it's 20 minutes later and Katara had started on a glass of the wine she was cooking with.
"You look fancy, what's going on."
"I have a date."
She had learnt from the cereal debacle, the spoon is placed on top of the pot
"You have a what?"
"A Date." He raked his fingers through his hair and looked flustered. She starts feeling unreasonably annoyed with him.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"It was a busy week. I sort of forgot about it"
"How can you forget about a date!"
"I don't know Katara." His voice was on the border of being snappy and she didn't appreciate it. "Have you seen my burgundy tie?"
She had. It was hanging over a railing in the bathroom.
"No." She was crossing her arms now. She channelled her passive aggression into taking the food off the stove as he searched in a frenzy.
He found it eventually and somewhere along the line he also finds his cool (or his usual masque of the sort).
He's tying it around his neck as she shovels stew into her mouth, "Will you be alright here on your own?"
She swallows loudly, "I'm not staying here."
"Oh, sorry I assumed…" She was wearing tracksuit pants and an old faded shirt that used to be her dad's, it wasn't really a 'out on the town' ready outfit. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to a bar with Toph."
"Oh." He seemed surprised and for a second, she can see the idea of flicking back her 'why didn't you tell me' from earlier but he decides against it. Instead he just put his wallet into his pocket and said, "Have fun."
His tie was wonky but she doesn't tell him. She just says, "You too. On your date."
The door shut behind him and she realised she'd actually have to go out now.
"Hey Toph, want a wingwoman tonight?"
Toph actually already had a wingman lined up, Aang, but she told her to join them at the Badgermole anyway. She had entirely unpacked by this point but her wardrobe wasn't really nightlife appropriate. Regardless she found something that would probably work and touched up her make-up, amping it up to be a bit more dramatic.
The Badgermole was one of those dark and perpetually sticky establishments. It was also Toph's favourite. It was a bit of a dive but it served a purpose (read as: alcohol) and that was enough for Katara. She was still feeling really annoyed. Not about Zuko's date, he was a grown up he can do whatever or whoever he wants. Just… in general.
The others were already at the bar when she got there. Toph was locked in a fierce looking arm wrestle.
"If he wins, she'll let him buy her a drink," Aang whispered.
"Oh, Sweetness is here," she chimes before slamming the guy's arm back, "sorry buddy, I'm going to have a drink with my friend but I might take you up on that offer a little later."
She turned, smiling widely and unseeing eyes twinkling a little under the dimmed fluorescents. "So, Sugar Queen, what brings you out tonight."
"Do I need a reason to want to come out and have a good time with my friends?"
"No but you usually have one. No Zuko? Trouble in paradise."
"They didn't move in together like that Toph, leave her alone. Right Katara?" Aang's big eyes fluttered at her. He'd toned back a lot over the years but she knew he was still quietly waiting for her to tell him she was ready for something to happen between them.
"No Aang, you're right we're just friends. Zuko has a date tonight."
"I see," Toph smiled mischievously but Aang seemed completely oblivious to her tone and just noted that it was great for him and that he hoped it would go well. Katara managed a lacklustre hum of agreement and then ordered a drink.
"AND a round of shots!" Toph added in the direction of the bartender. "It's on me tonight Sweetness, it's been a while since you last came out with us." The young heiress passed her card over.
As the hours went by she did manage to have a pretty decent time. Toph was thriving, describing it as her best, safe, hoe life. Katara knew the safe was thrown in purely for her benefit but she knew that Toph's career as an MMA fighter made her pretty safe generally. It's still early by night out standards when Toph turns to Katara and enquires after the attractiveness of the guy that she had been arm wrestling and whether he was still there.
"I'd say he's a solid 7 looks wise. His arms are really big but his nose is a bit crooked like it was broken in the past… and yeah he's still here." Aang replied before Katara even had the chance. "Sorry, I've done this before."
The younger woman slips off her stool and whistles loudly. The man shyly gets up and walks over, "You still want to get me that drink?"
He nods at first before remembering that she BLIND and quickly saying "Yeah, I definitely do."
"Great, let's make it one for the road then."
Then they leave and Katara is left a little shocked.
"It's nice that you're here. Usually when she does this I'm all alone." She just nodded, a little in shock as to what had just played out. "Would you like to have another drink? I can stay out with you. I still don't drink alcohol myself." She looked reluctant. "Or we could go back to my place and watch a movie."
"Actually, Aang I'm kind of tired. I think I'll just head home."
"Oh ok… I'll drive you."
He almost forgets to turn off to her new place and not head further out. He parked and looked over at her.
"I would've been happy to have you stay with me you know. While you looked for somewhere else."
"Aang this move wasn't trying to offend you. It worked out really well."
"Ok but if you ever need a break from him, I'm not too far away."
"Thanks for the ride, Aang."
She climbs the stairs and unlocked the door.
Zuko still wasn't back. She nudged his bedroom door, telling herself it was just to make sure but his bed was still empty. She didn't go all that hard but she's definitely tipsy. Her annoyance from earlier was back and she poured herself a glass of water. She washed her face and changed back into her dad's shirt and snuggled into bed.
She wasn't quite drunk enough to think what she does is a good idea but she's lonely and she's kinda sad and he said when she ran into him the other day that he'd changed.
The next morning, she got up a little hungover and still feeling a little sorry for herself. She vaguely registered the sound of talking but she's barely a person before caffeine in the morning and thinks nothing of it until she walks out and witnesses Zuko and presumably his date kissing.
He even had the gall to act embarrassed that she caught him.
The woman is around Katara's height but green-eyed a lot paler. She looked at Katara like she was some gutter monster but honestly not everyone can wake up and have a perfect perky ponytail. She'd forgotten to braid her hair before going to bed.
"Uh I'll see you around Zuko." Her eyes flicked back to Katara and then she left. He didn't even try to go after her.
"Umm I'm sorry you saw that…"
"oh no, I LOVED my walk to the coffee machine being interrupted by people sucking face."
"Come on Katara…"
"Nope. It's FINE. You're allowed to parade your floozies through here. I won't stop you."
He looked really annoyed now.
"I'd ask how your night went but evidentially it went VERY well."
She makes her drink and sits at the table.
"Girls are crazy." He grumbles as he goes back to his bedroom. His unslept in bedroom.
She takes this time to check her phone only to notice a trio of texts from Jet and she blanches.
KAT! Great to hear from you. Guess you must've unblocked my number ^_^
It's pretty late right now but we could probably meet up tomorrow or the next day? I really am different now.
How about coffee?
The headache she had starts throbbing.
He's eating some of the stew she made the night before when she comes out of the bathroom.
"I was very surprised to see your preference for perky girls Zuko. Especially after meeting Mai."
"Just drop it Katara. You don't even know her."
"I saw enough this morning to realise that she is just all-around perky." She gestures to her breasts.
"When are you seeing her again?"
"I don't know."
"come on Zuko, don't play hard to get."
"I don't know Katara." He practically seethed.
He took a deep breath then gave her a deadpan look. "The stew is delicious. Thank you for cooking." Then he proceeds to very obviously ignore her. It's like he knew it would get under her skin.
Iroh visits the next day. Katara greeted him at the door but he didn't seem to behave quite like his normal self.
"It is nice to see you Miss Katara. My Nephew neglected to tell me that you and your brother had swapped accommodations, how nice."
"He and Suki were very excited about moving in together and there is no point wasting 6 months lease when I needed somewhere to go."
He nodded slowly.
"Well you're welcome to come too when Zuko has dinner with me Sundays."
She smiled, "I'll keep that in mind." She goes to Zuko's door, calling "your Uncle is here." And then going to her room to let them talk. She collects up laundry and excuses herself to wash it. Iroh finds her 40 minutes later, still sitting in front of the machine watching it work as she stared at unanswered texts on her phone.
"If you don't mind a bit of friendly advice, Ms Katara. Forgiveness, can be very healing. Not everyone deserves it and it is not always possible but sometimes people's evils are small and we don't understand them enough to know why they were committed. Sometimes things aren't as they seem and love finds you in places you don't expect."
Then he leaves.
She replies to the text.
Zuko tries to make peace after that. He comes to her room and announces he ordered her favourite food.
"Stewed Sea prunes?"
"Yeah… I guess it was meant as an apologetic gesture."
"What are you apologising for?"
"Um Jin being here when you got up yesterday…"
"I wasn't mad about that" it doesn't look like he believes her.
"Well what am I apologising for?"
"What kind of question is that?!"
He groans, "I don't know I just want us to go back to getting along."
"Fine. Thank you for the Sea prunes."
It was not fine. Now she felt the resolve to go out with Jet and ups the coffee to a dinner date.
The Friday night she tells Zuko very obviously that she has a datethe next night and her date will be picking her up from home. She knew he wasn't doing anything the next day. Sokka and Suki were going on a romantic weekend away, Toph had a fight on but it was too far away to do anything but stream it and Aang was in the middle of 48 hours of meditation.
When the Saturday rolls around she makes a big show about getting ready. She was particularly proud of waltzing out of the bathroom post shower with a towel wrapped around her hair and one around her body. He was at the dining table, checking emails on his laptop. His jaw dropped when he saw her and she just smiled and asked if he saw her mother's necklace?
She knew where it was. She left it on the coffee table when they watched TV together the night before.
"You took it off last night during the show. I'll get it for you, you go get dressed."
She contemplated doing her make up in the towel but decided against it. Instead she gets ready, wears something red because she knows that gets his attention and then realises, halfway through her eyeliner that she's being childish.
She doesn't change though.
When Jet arrives she lets him in into the building.
"I have to put my shoes on, could you distract him for a few minutes." Zuko raises a brow but agrees.
She can hear the door open and a very loud
"JET"
"LI"
"It's actually Zuko…"
"I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M IN THE HOME OF LI THE LIAR"
She almost stumbles over her heels rushing out towards them.
"How did you get simultaneously more masculine and feminine since I saw you last? Were you just like, 'Better get jacked but grow my hair all long and silky so people would THANK ME if I strangled them'?"
Zuko looks confused,
"I bet you could crush a fucking melon with those thighs, you asshole. Those huge sexy arms don't make you any less of a dickhead."
"You're still insane Jet,"
"THANKS Now I'll have plenty more to talk to my therapist about. Li sorry ZUKO who clearly has identity issues thinks I'M CRAZY."
"OK THAT'S ENOUGH BOYS. Let's just go." She can't even manage a smile she just looks done with it all. She just hoped that once Zuko wasn't there Jet would be less distracted by him.
He talks about Zuko for a solid hour.
"How'd you come to start living with that handsome pratface?"
She explains but she can see him disengage partway through. Then he starts suggesting 'funny' pranks they could play on him.
"You know what would be hilarious. One night you could just steal all his shirts and like I could come over and we could watch him and he looks around and has no shirt. How funny would that be."
They're halfway through mains when he finally starts talking about another topic mostly because she hits him with a "So are you still teaching at risk youth how to steal?"
She had met Jet years earlier at a fundraiser, he works with foster kids but he seemed to encourage and teach a lot of criminal skills to the kids which was why they broke up the first time.
"Nope, I'm a new man."
He talks a lot about his vision for future initiatives. It's almost nice and she starts to forget how annoying he was being. Then he asks about Sokka but in a way that implies he was kind of into Suki and was curious if she was single yet.
She decides not to get dessert and just go home. She doesn't invite him up.
"Nice seeing you Jet. Have a good night." Then she goes inside and deletes his phone number.
Zuko is on the couch in the middle of a movie when she gets home.
"Hey… how'd it go?" He was aiming for subtle but failing. It was sweet though.
"Trainwreck. He was more interested in talking about you then asking about what I'm up to these days."
He looks visibly relieved.
"Since it isn't going to work between him and I he is free for you," with a wink. He looks distressed by the prospect.
They go back to their cute nights in. One night she falls asleep on his shoulder and wakes up, tucked into bed.
They've been living together for almost two months when the both decide to dip on Friday night drinks with colleagues. She opens a bottle of wine and they watch a cheesy rom com that he lowkey gets really into "I just don't see why they can't just be together, you know."
After it finishes, they do a fair bit of staring at each other and talk and then it's the wine talking but she asks him why he didn't call and then never brought up 'the incident' again.
"We never even talked about it. You went on like it never even happened."
-Eight months earlier-
The gang had gone out together for the first time in ages. A new club had opened called 'the Crystal Catacombs' and it was something of a bioluminescent labyrinth. They were a few drinks in when they were separated from the others. They started having a heart to heart and she eventually just lent over and kissed him.
The kissing turned to making out and every time they parted, they'd laugh and smile and be so mind blown that it was actually happening and he'd cradle her face in his hands and say I can't believe you're real and she'd caress his scarred cheek and say you too and then they'd kiss again. Aang found them and they separated really quickly but as they followed him back to her friends he whispered "I'll call you tomorrow. I like you, I want to see if we can make something here work." She left shortly after.
"And then you didn't call. I actually called you the day after and you didn't say anything about it, just that you had a horrible headache the next day. When I asked you if there was anything you forgot, all you said was honestly the whole night is a big blur."
He looked appalled and distressed.
"I literally blacked out that night, Katara. I asked Sokka about it after that call because I was so confused and he said he saw me talking to Azula after you left. Apparently I had a drink with her. Turned out the abnormally bad hangover was a side effect of drugging…"
"WHAT! Why didn't you tell me?"
"I tried to but every time I spoke to you you'd get all cold or blow me off… after a while I kind of just forgot it even happened.
They were quiet for a long time then he let out a loud breath and put his head in his hands.
"To think, all this time I've been dreaming of kissing you and I actually got the chance and then blew it without even knowing."
"you've been thinking about kissing me?"
"Can you blame me? I already knew you were incredible and beautiful and then I had to start seeing you every time, all the time."
"I've been wanting to kiss you too."
She bites her lip.
Her brushes her hair behind her ear,
"Can I kiss you now?"
Her yes is whispered against his lips.
They're both a little drunk, at some point during the movie a second bottle had been opened. It starts escalating and she's so happy she's light headed.
Then he stops, blushing, and suggests "maybe we slow down and talk about this properly in the morning when we're more sober. I want to remember this."
He is a gentleman and walks her to the door of her bedroom even though they're next door to each other.
"Sweet dreams,"
She steals a quick peak, "I'll see you in the morning."
She falls asleep with a smile on her face.
A/N Wooo! Last time I left these two on an angsty cliff hanger so this one is a lot happier because everyone asked for it.
If people are into this I do have bits and pieces for a Zuko-centric parallel piece and maybe a sequel kind of thing.
Hope you like it :)