Oh well, yeah... I know I said weekly updates, but since nobody reviewed the story other than an anonimous reader I kind of felt bad about it.
Also, college was hell last week so I didn't have time to update. I forgot because of an Statistics proyect.
Anyways, read and review!
Remember I don't own A:TLA, otherwise I would have kicked Mai's ass (she is so dull! She exasperates me so much it hurts.) and Zutara would have been a reality!
Enjoy!
II
She saw him again by pure coincidence three days after the meeting –there's no such thing as coincidence, but let just say that it defines the scene.
Katara and Sokka were playing in a large garden that they found that morning. Sokka was playing with his boomerang, using a nearby tree as a target and failing to get it back into position. He was getting better, though.
She, on the other hand, was behind a pond, turtle-ducks swimming happily in the surface, and she kept trying to clumsily bend at least a water whip, which was a hard task. She was getting frustrated –Sokka gave up a moment earlier, too– and the next minute she saw that boy again. He was being accompanied by a little girl –she didn't know how much younger than him she was, but it certainly wasn't much.
By the looks of it, this girl wasn't exactly the nice type. Her expression was arrogant and she was clearly proud of herself. She was sarcastic and by the boy's expression, annoying. Katara assumed they were related, for she also whore the little ornament in her hair and their physical resemblance was too strong to be ignored.
She had stared for much too long, Katara decided. The boy had felt her watching him and their eyes met. Katara tensed and looked away, trying to act as normal as possible, but then the two kids reached her and Sokka a couple of minutes later. The little girl stopped and her pose was so overconfident Katara had to raise a brow at her, unconsciously acting rude. The girl stood straight and her chin up, trying to look down at her.
"Oh, look at this, Zu zu. Two water tribe peasants. How curious!" the girl whispered not so quietly.
The boy beside her rolled his eyes boringly at his accompaniment.
"Don't call them that, Azula. You don't even know them." He retorted. His –oh so wonderfully powerful– golden-brown eyes looked at her, a tint of pink in his cheeks "My name is Zuko, son of Prince Ozai and Urza from the fire nation. I am pleased to meet you…" he bowed with a poorly-concealed smirk and then he looked at her again, confused. "uhm?"
Katara blinked. Sokka approached curiously at them.
"Oh! The pleasure is all mine, Prince Zuko. My name is Katara, and he is Sokka, my older brother" she quickly answered with a respectful bow that didn't go as well as she expected.
The black-haired girl beside Zuko scoffed while she crossed her arms. "I'll get going, Zu zu. Don't take too long with the peasants, father won't be happy about it" and then she was gone, an arrogant smile in her face.
Katara felt angry, but didn't complain. It was not appropriate from her. Zuko, however, noticed her discomfort and quickly added. "I apologize for my sister's words. She's not the sweet type" He smiled shyly at them, feeling awkward.
Katara didn't say a word. Then Sokka's eyes where wide in recognition and he spoke and the whole situation got even more awkward.
"Oh, I remember you, fire-boy." Sokka approached; a not-so-happy expression in his face. "You're the guy that fluttered my sister the whole meeting three days ago."
Katara jumped a little and her face burned in embarrassment. She gave Sokka her murderer look without saying a word so she won't be disrespectful in front of this important boy in front of her. Sokka either ignored her or he did not understand her (most likely the first option) because he continued speaking.
"My sister is still flushed, you see? What's your problem?"
Katara looked at his golden-brown eyes, and saw the same embarrassment that she was feeling. This time, she couldn't stand it, and she slapped Sokka in the head. "Shut it, penguin!"
"Hey! What's that for, 'Tara?" his eyes angry "I am your big brother, so you have to respect me!" his whole posture changed while he said that –something he was used to say a lot so that he could prove his point, even if he was wrong.
Zuko saw her still pink face and her –oh, so blue– eyes rolling at his older brother, that kept rambling about little sister, respect and good manners.
"Are you done, penguin?" she teased. Zuko noticed Sokka grow tense and his face flushing in anger.
And then he heard her laugh. It was a melodic laugh, like she where singing. And her face wasn't full of embarrassment anymore, but reflected happiness and mockery. He heard Sokka say something angry at her and she got serious.
They all stood there looking at each other. Or at least, Zuko looked at them looking at each other. There was a long moment of pause, and then he saw, from the corner of his eye, that her wrist moved, and the next thing he saw, was a not-so-perfect water whip splash in her brother's face. Sokka fell to the ground in surprise.
She is a waterbender. He thought, surprised. His golden eyes looked at her curiously for a moment, and then hers stopped in his, her face turned a light shade of pink, but she kept her gaze right there.
A moment later, they heard Sokka screaming angrily at her (they were so busy staring at one another and smiling stupidly that they did not remember what was Sokka talking about), and then she looked away and literally froze his brother's mouth shut.
"Oh, Sokka, come on, shut up! You're being rude" Katara joked. Zuko rose a brow, confused "Zuko is feeling offended with your attitude. You're embarrassing us!" she chuckled again.
The fire son was about to deny it but Sokka made muffed noises and Zuko chuckled. Katara looked at him and smiled, and Zuko returned the gesture less awkwardly. They started laughing at Sokka while he struggled trying to break the ice around his mouth. A moment later, Katara bended the ice to its liquid form and her brother was finally free.
"Oh, I hate it when you play with water!" Sokka reproached. "And don't ever call me 'penguin' again! I am not a baby, I'm a man!"
"Oh, yeah sure, so manlike" Zuko chuckled. Sokka stared at him. Katara laughed.
"I am not playing with water, I am waterbendig, you jerk! And get over yourself, brother. You're still a baby!" Katara teased. Sokka turned around and started to leave "Don't get mad Sokka!" her smile never leaving her face.
But Sokka was already gone. And all Katara and her new friend Zuko did, was laugh out loud.
They returned the Southern Water Tribe the next day at noon, but Zuko promised Katara he would try to visit her, or at least write her a letter so she wouldn't forget about him –it could be the first and last time they see each other anyways.
But, certainly, it wasn't. This was a good thing, of course. He wrote her letters and she mocked him by his bad calligraphy –hers was almost perfect– and he returned the favor with various jokes about how she had not spelled well this or that.
By the time they saw each other –about a year later, maybe less–he noticed she had changed. Firstly, her waterbending had improved –a perfect water whip had flown over his head when she angrily declared he had been a 'day and a half' late and that he was supposed to arrive the day before. Secondly, she had grown a short temper he did not recall her having, and the third, was that he had almost forgot about her blue eyes.
It was an strange feeling, he concluded, when he decided, (years after that day) that forgetting her –so unique shade of blue– eyes was something frightening.
No body helped me to review grammar in this one, so, sorry if there's something wrong!
Review!