DISCLAIMER:
I don't own "ATLA."
DAY FOUR: DATE
"I can't believe we are doing this." Katara huffed, trying to ignore Zuko's warm, strong hand in hers. Zuko and Katara were strolling hand in hand in a restaurant, sitting right by Mai and her new boyfriend, Ruan Jian. Katara's usually loose or braided hair was in a tight bun with a Fire Lily woven into it. She wore a blue Water Tribe gown with fur and silver trim, with beatiful sapphire earrings to match. Her feet were in impossibly high silver heels and her feet already hurt. They'd barely sat down at a table yet!
"You promised." Zuko hissed, as the waiter handed them their menus. "Besides, I'll pay you gold if this works out."
The waiter bowed to the young Fire Lord. "Will you and your..." he looked at Katara, uncertain what to call her. Friend? Girlfriend? Fiance? Ambassador? If he said the wrong thing, the Fire Lord had every right to roast the man on the spot.
Fortunately, Zuko was not Ozai, and Katara quickly stepped in. "His girlfriend, sir." She shook his hand. He shot her a smile of relief and turned to Zuko. "What would you and your girlfriend care for now? A drink perhaps?" Zuko and Katara glanced at their menus.
"I would like a strawberry lemonade please." Katara said. She tried not to look at Zuko, who was looking her with that damned smoldering (though it was fake) face. She felt the back of her neck prickle when he smoothly ran a finger down her cheek.
"Pina colada." Zuko ordered. The waiter bowed again, and left to the couple to look at their menus.
"Oh, look, Mai is looking right over here." Zuko whispered with a big smile on his face. Bystanders AND his ex-girlfriend would just see a Fire Lord smiling happily at his "date," and not a jealous boyfriend getting revenge and hopefully another chance with Mai.
"Zuko, this doesn't feel right." Katara said softly as Zuko's warm hands covered hers. Zuko brushed a small kiss on her hand before letting go. In spite of herself, Katara flushed red. Zuko smiled in slight triumph, and reached over to stroke her cheek.
Luckily, as Katara was going to go faint from his touch, the waiter came with the drinks. They ordered their dinner.
Zuko raised a glass, and called out in a loud voice, "A toast to a happy beginning!", while looking adoringly at Katara. She ducked her head out of slight embarrassment, before she saw Mai's hurt face. Mai looked down and picked at her spicy kabobs.
"My darling," Zuko told Katara, who was chewing her fish. "You make me the happiest man in the world."
Katara recited her rehearsed line. "And you make me the happiest woman." It was true, but...he didn't mean his previous line.
Zuko leaned in, and whispered, "Good, good. Now kiss me."
"What?" Katara said so loudly that the restaurant patrons turned to stare. She felt her whole face turn the color of Zuko's robes.
"Don't make a scene!" he hissed. "Kiss me!"
Katara grabbed his face and kissed him. Zuko felt fire rip through his body as Katara's soft lips pressed on his. It was passionate, desperate, and aching with...something raw. Katara put all she had in this kiss-the feelings she failed to act on at Sozin's Comet, the feelings she felt when she saw Mai and Zuko kiss, the feelings when Zuko casually brushed her arm or held her hand. She loved him, but he did not love her back.
Suddenly, Katara pulled back with tears in her eyes. "I can't...do this." To his surprise, he saw tiny teardrops in her eyes.
"Katara, what's wrong?" Zuko asked, concerned.
Katara glared at him, her eyes starting to well up with unshed tears. "If you didn't know by now, we wouldn't be in this!" She dumped her drink over the Fire Lord and raced out of the restaurant, not caring if people were staring. Her shoe fell off on the porch, but she didn't stop running.
Mai stood over him and sighed. "You're really dense, aren't you?"
Zuko looked at her with surprise, but Mai sighed and rolled her eyes. "Katara likes you. She got caught up in that stupid fake date to make me jealous-" she held a finger to his lips as he protested. "Yes, I knew. Look, Zuko, I know you miss me. But I've moved on. You have to move on. Katara loves you. I don't. Give her a chance, Zuko."
Zuko couldn't believe his ears. How could he be so stupid? He put it all together-her blushes, her hesitation of this plan, her getting caught up in the date, her blue eyes looking at him, the alieght shiver when he pressed his warm flesh against hers, the strong and heated kiss. Dear Agni! What had he done?
He gently caressed her forgotten shoe, looking out to the horizon of the South Pole. He had landed safely on the shores, secretely suffering through the introductions and questions. He asked Hakoda where his daughter was, but Hakoda sighed and shook his head. "She's been...moping around lately. She wouldn't tell anyone what's gong on. She seemed like me when I first got rejected by Kya." He looked into the naive Fire Lord's eyes, and Zuko understood.
Zuko caught her with a dark blue parka showing off her eyes. He apologized a great deal while Katara stared at him with unblinking eyes. He held out her lost shoe, and asked her to start over...with him.
AN 7/30: Hope this is better!