Blazing Melting Blades Chapter 5
By Animanganerd01
A/N: Okay… so I know I'm a terrible awful person who can't keep her word about updating… I got busy, had writers block, and the first anime episode of Vampire Knight was just released… yeah, it was awesome! But, hey, I did finally update. Though, it's kinda short, gomen. I just really wanted to put this part in and it didn't sound right to draw it out and make it longer.
Disclaimer: If you think I own Avatar or The Cutting Edge, I'm seriously going to call the nice men in the white coats to come take you back to the happy hotel (i.e. I own nothing. Zip. Nadda. Not a thing).
Finally, there was a crack in the ice. Zuko and Katara could finally be civil, albeit curt, but civil.
In the weeks that followed the 'hockey incident' they practiced harder than ever. They began a workout routine when not one the ice under Iroh's strict coaching. Soon it became a competition.
It all began with a race in the morning to see who could get to the rink first. Katara, who always prided herself on being an early riser, was stunned and annoyed to find Zuko on the ice before her. She couldn't help but notice as he landed a perfect double axle that he was learning faster than she had. It wasn't long, though, until she finally figured his time out and managed to get to the rink first.
Then, the competition had moved to their mid-morning jogs. Zuko allowed her a small lead for about a quarter of a mile before running up behind her and snatching her headband. He smirked as he sped ahead of her, waving the blue headband in her face.
"Hey!" she shrieked. "Give it back!"
"Come and get it Ice Princess!" he teased as he ran faster. Eventually, he would toss it into the air and run off, reaching the house long before Katara.
The training became so strenuous that it began to show, even to Hakoda and Sokka. For instance, when Katara fell asleep at dinner, falling head first into her salad. Sokka had stared then burst out laughing. He had experienced similar with Zuko earlier that day. He had walked into the bathroom to find Zuko asleep half standing, half sleeping on the sink, a toothbrush hanging limply from his mouth. This was too much fun. He decided he would join the workouts, if only just to watch his sister and Zuko compete with each other.
Weight training was another of Zuko's strengths (A/N: Pun totally intended). Years of construction work and hockey gave him a huge advantage over the 'ice princess.' He contented himself by challenging Sokka, growing slowly fond of Katara's odd older brother. He was annoying, but at the same time, it was nice to have a young man his age around to banter with; like a brother he never had.
On the other hand, ballet lessons were another story. Sokka refused to participate or even go near the 'feminine nightmare,' though he would give Zuko a sympathetic look every time he trudged off to the lesson. Katara was graceful and fluid and constantly put him to shame, what with his jerky, awkward, and stiff movements.
It was during one such of these lessons that he finally revealed his firebending to her. Until then, he had kept it in check, only allowing his hands to glow just that once. Even in the modern day, firebenders were widely distrusted. But today, his proverbial dam broke. He had fallen on his butt for the millionth time and Katara's barely contained snicker sent him over the edge. He let out a frustrated roar, complete with fire-breath and steam.
"You're a firebender!" said Katara taking a shocked step away from him. That explained why his hands were so warm in practice and why the air around him always seemed a bit warmer. 'Or is was it just me?'
"Thank you for stating the obvious," he snapped. "I hadn't noticed before."
"Humph!" She glared at him. A wicked light came to her eyes suddenly and she unscrewed her water bottle. Before Zuko could react, she bent the water out of it and flung it in his face.
Zuko sputtered and shook the water from his shaggy hair. "And you're a waterbender. No wonder we can't get along."
"It stands to reason," she said smirking.
"Then again, opposites attract, do they not?" said Iroh, who had been standing in the doorway for who knows how long. He was grinning mischievously, his old, wise eyes crinkling in amusement.
"UNCLE!"
"IROH!"
A/N: And that's it for now… I have no idea when I'll update again. I'm visiting a college this weekend so maybe I'll type on the way up there. Who knows; not me that's for sure. Thank you for reading this far. Please review! It lets me know you like it! Oh, and if you haven't read my Zutara in The Chibi Series, you should check it out. You can find it on my biography page.