Moonlight and Fireflies
Chapter 2 - Collision
Splash!
Katara's eyes fluttered open. Pulling up from the warm sand of sleep seemed particularly difficult to do this morning. In fact, she could just bury herself back beneath it and wonder about it later. She twitched her nose before shutting her eyes again. It got as far as a half-sleep when she then realized…
Her eyes snapped open. Her body went completely rigid.
Where was she?
Boat. Drifting down a river. Traveling to Ogurai-kou. With Zuko.
…
Zuko!
She suppressed a squeak. Carefully she turned her head, and was met with a very close close-up of the Prince's sleeping face.
Aww—ah! No! What am I doing!
It was hard to maintain her cool. But, no. There was nothing to be upset about. Nothing happened. The boat was small. Yes, the boat was small, and that was the simple, legitimate reason why Zuko was laying right next to her.
Even though she was nodding to herself in concurrence... she was still laying there, staring at him.
She stopped nodding. Her mind was ceaselessly telling her to scoot away from him because there would never be anything between them, er… except for a big wall separating nations, incurable differences and entirely unlike goals, and…
Zuko started to wake.
Urging herself to calm down, Katara carefully slid up to the side of the boat, putting a more excusable distance between them. She hugged her knees, only then acknowledging the morning chill when it was too late to snuggle up to the safe fire her companion housed.
After a little stretching, the Prince finally opened his eyes. Katara couldn't help but notice how cute he looked just awakening.
He pulled up to his elbows and took a survey of the surrounds. Then he looked at Katara. "You didn't have to wait for me."
"Huh?" she uttered confusedly.
Zuko sat up all the way, yawned and scratched his head before looking around a second time. "Last night you mentioned something about using your waterbending to make travel go faster," he clarified, his casual gaze set on her. There wasn't really an emotion Katara could pull from the amber eyes. Strangely that bothered her. How could he speak of last night like nothing happened.
Not that anything did... but she'd think he would have something to say about it. Had she read all wrong into their moods last night? Maybe she was making too big a deal out of it. Heck, maybe she'd imagined everything! Seriously, what was she thinking? The very idea this handsome Prince could possibly have a thing for a mere "peasant" was ridiculous. To him she was probably just a burden anyway. He was traveling with her just because deep down he really did have a good heart. It was charity. It was nothing.
"Katara? Are you alright?" Zuko said with an unusual tone.
Katara blinked and saw the wary look in his eyes. It hadn't occurred to her that her thoughts were reflecting on the outside, namely turning red in the face and tensing up pugnaciously.
She clapped a hand to one side of her cheek, and flashed the best smile she could. The accompanying coy giggle sounded painfully fake—even to her own ears. "Haha… Of course! I'm just fine. You're right, I did mention a better way of travel… last night! Um, okay. Just stay seated. I'll take care of it," she proclaimed brightly. Then she hopped up to her feet and took a stance.
With her back turned to him, she let the facade come down, and focused on her task. At least with this, she wouldn't have to face the Prince for most of the day, if not all of it. Still, she couldn't quite peg why she was feeling so grumpy, so let down, so used…
"You're sure you're alright?" Zuko questioned in the same unsteady tone.
Katara didn't answer. Yeah, just let him wonder. It'll give him something to wile away the UNBEARABLE hours he has to spend with a plain Water Tribe peasant!
"Katara. Can you at least try to keep the boat on a stable course?"
THAT DOES IT! She whirled around, throwing her fists down to her sides. "Do you think you can do better? Is that it? Maybe I can't live up to your impossible standards! Maybe I can't be the princess acceptable to an absolutely FANTASTIC Prince such as yourself! AND I DON'T WANT TO! If you think you can do better, fine! In fact, why not just dump the useless burden you obviously think I am, and we can both move on with our lives SEPERATELY!" The rant was out. Oh, it was out. She huffed, and puffed, hardly aware that the boat had been turned backwards, floating tipsily along the slow currents.
Zuko was scrunched against the edge, shocked and surely confused. "I could… help you steer… with the paddle… if you want…" A change suddenly occurred in his eyes. He scowled and slowly stood up to tower over her. Katara could feel the annoyingly tempting heat emitting from his flaring nostrils. "Wait. Since when do you get the audacity to speak to me like that? All I've ever done since we agreed to travel together is be nice. You're the one who's been judging me the whole way! Can you give me an example of when I've ever been unfair to you?"
"What about just a minute ago when you basically told me how to do what I do best, and that's waterbend. How'd you like it if I told you how to firebend!"
"You're crazy!"
"And you're a hypocrite!"
They growled in each other's faces.
Zuko's expression was the first to go soft. He sighed, and looked down at the boat floor. "What are we doing? I thought at least some of the thorns had been removed last night. Now, things just seem to be worse…" he seemed to half be speaking to himself.
Katara felt his sorrow. She held one arm, and downcast her gaze shamefully. It sounded as though last night had meant something to him after all. She'd been too insecure about herself, and too distrusting to have faith in her own heart and accept what should have been plain to see.
"I… I'm sorry… Zuko. I just thought…" She looked at him, finding his steady, mollifying gaze. Her cheeks scalded. She looked down, shaking her head and smiling bitterly. "I guess I was just being stupid. But… I promise, it won't happen again," she added quickly, blushing more and more it seemed.
And then it happened…
Prince Zuko smiled.
She blinked, in partial disbelief, partial wonder, and very stunned. Maybe it had happened at least a few times before, because his skin didn't crack. Zuko's smile was surely a rare natural wonder of the world.
"Wow. A phenomenon right before my eyes," she whispered.
His brow raised in question.
A quiet moment passed. Their gazes stayed linked, and slowly they drew closer together. Katara slowly closed her eyes in tandem with him. Perhaps a tiny centimeter from lip contact, there was a loud sound.
Splash!
They straightened up and alertly probed the surroundings. Katara thought she saw something submerge beneath the murky water. It disappeared in a billow of disturbed sand. She glanced at Zuko, who stared at that spot in the river. Their boat drifted over it bit by anxious bit.
Water suddenly sprouted up around what looked like a seal.
"WAAAH!" Katara yelped, jumping back into Zuko, who automatically took her in a protective embrace. They both stilled when they got a good look at what it was.
"Hello, there!" a man in a slick black wet suit and bug-like goggles greeted. "Oops! Didn't frighten you, now, did I?"
Katara and Zuko exchanged looks.
"What do you think you're doing? Who are you?" Zuko demanded.
The man lowered his goggles to dangle around his neck, revealing a pair of mirth-filled green eyes. "Hm? Oh, yeah! I noticed this boat floatin' about earlier, but I didn't want to wake the folks who were obviously trying to sleep in it," he said with a wink that made Katara scramble away from Zuko.
Zuko wiped a hand down his face out of annoyance. "You didn't answer either of my questions!"
Bandit was a little concerned with keeping pace with their boat. It took him a moment. "Ah, sorry! How rude o' me!" he said, "My name's Bandit! Pleased to meet ya!"
Katara couldn't help but gape.
Zuko's hands curled into fists. "You... If you even think about—"
"See, I was huntin' for some o' these," Bandit finished, and opened his gloved palm to reveal a few beautiful looking gems. Katara inched closer for a better look, unconsciously staying protected behind Zuko. "They're called 'Tears of the Stars'! Well... that's what I have been calling 'em anyway. They fetch a handsome sum on the casual market. Royalty and common folk alike are drawn to the natural appeal of these things. What do ya say, boy? Would ya like to special order a personalized ring for your lovely girlfriend?" Bandit winked again.
Now Katara just wanted to punch the guy. Which was probably a little nicer compared to what Zuko was thinking of doing to him, considering his eyes had turned a hard yellow. But then, Zuko's body betrayed his threatening demeanor with a growly stomach. He folded his arms across it, his teeth visibly grinding together. Zuko was not having a very good morning. Katara felt somewhat guilty for that...
"Oh. Empty tummy, eh? Not a good feelin', that. I know! How's about I cook us all up a delicious breakfast! My treat for spoiling your romantic getaway!"
"WHAT? Listen, Bandit—"
Katara tugged Zuko's arm. He looked at her impatiently, and she whispered, "I think that our scant food supplies might have fallen overboard some time when... well..."
Gladly, she didn't get a scolding like she surely deserved. Zuko just let out a defeated sigh, and Bandit beamed, darn near blindingly. He paddled his free arm through the water a few times to catch up to them again.
"You comin' around? Good, 'cause I wouldn't want you whippersnappers to starve out here! Ain't a town for miles, but my home's just a few minutes away. By the by, I hope none of that stuff that landed on me 'neath the river was yours..." he added, rubbing his chin with his free hand. "Strange. Sounded as tho some young lovers were havin' a spat." The smile and poorly muffled snicker told the teens Bandit would be pushing his luck to breaking limits often.
Katara never noticed the pensive look in Zuko's eyes as he stared at the gems still held out in Bandit's hand. Because she hardly had the chance when the boat crashed into a thick tree branch jutting out of nowhere.
The morning was just getting better and better.
AN: Thanks for the reviews! Sorry that I didn't clarify if this fic was a one-shot or not. It's a short fic, a ficlet! Hmm... that sounds kind of funny... Ahem. Yeah, so this might be five chapters long.
Hope you enjoy! And um... maybe review? (hopeful smile)