Smug
Zuko looked out towards the training ground where Aang and Katara were sparring. They had decided that they would practise with the same amount of water they would have during a fight in the palace. Zuko couldn't seem to take his eyes of them. After a few minutes it was no longer them but her. The way she seemed to flow like the water she was bending. She was so in tune with her element she was as much a part it as it was a part of her. Zuko sighed, "There aren't any girls like THAT in the Fire Nation." He thought to himself.
"Hey Zuko what you doing?" Toph asked cheerfully. Zuko was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't even notice her walking up towards him.
"Err nothing." Zuko replied shakily.
"Doesn't feel like nothing, you're heart is doing flips, what are you looking at?" She asked suspiciously.
"Nothing!! Jeez why are you here anyway?" Zuko said defensively.
"Last time I checked this wasn't your fountain. Excuse me if I'm wrong."
"Oh. Sorry Toph. Maybe the heat is making me cranky." He forced a smile.
"But you're from the Fire Nation, you should be use to it. You still haven't answered my question Zuko. What are you avoiding…"
"Hi guys!" Aang said merrily.
"Hi Aang. Hi Katara. Ahh!!" Toph said smiling to herself. "So that's what you were looking at."
"You were looking at us?" Katara asked.
"Yeah." Zuko said unconsciously touching his hair. He cleared his throat. "Urm Aang you need to attack more. You're too defensive."
"So you were judging us?" Katara said placing her hand on her hip and coyly smiling.
"No no no no." Zuko sighed. "Urmmm Aang think about what I said I'm going to get some firewood." With that he walked off.
"Aww Zuko, If only you knew." Toph thought to herself.
It was early evening of that day and the sun was slowly setting behind the hills that surrounded the Western Air Tenple. Katara sat on her bed and looked out of her window towards the fountain. Aang and Zuko were sparring which caused the water to shimmer with each flame that passed near it. Her eyes drifted from the beauty of the fountain to Aang and Zuko's choreographed movements. Aang had certainly progressed quickly when it came to firebending although it was still pretty clear that he had a lot to learn. Zuko on the other hand was…Regal. Each move was firm and definite. Katara had seen Zuko fight before but she was always on the receiving end, this time she was actually able to watch the way he fought. "Wow" she thought to herself. "He's amazing." She turned so that she could get a better view and unconsciously began fiddling with her hair. "We don't have boys like that in the North OR South Pole." She thought to herself grinning while she did but unsure why. Before her mind could rest on the topic Toph entered her room.
"Hey Toph. How you been?"
"I'm good. Was just in Teo's room."
"Huh?" Katara's mind was other things.
"You know. Teo's room , ground floor first room on the left. Come on Katara where is your mind at?"
"Oh yeah yeah Teo's room. What were you doing there?"
"Sokka was telling "scary" stories but Zuko and Twinkletoes little fight kept on interrupting him so we decided to call it quits and I came up here." She smilied. "What were you doing?" she asked coyly.
"Nothing." She said. Her mind finally focused on what was happening.
"Hello." Toph pointed at her feet. "How many times do I have to tell you guys that I can tell when you're lying."
"Seriously Toph I wasn't doing anything." Outside Zuko could be heard grunting. Aang must have tried Sokka's sneak attack.
"Ahh so that's what you were doing" Toph said grinning broadly. "You were looking at Zuko."
"What!? No I wasn't. How could you think that." Katara lied, now wishing she had closed the window when Toph entered.
"Can't say I'm surprised." Toph said ignoring Katara's little outburst. "Your heart has been fluttering whenever Zuko's around for quite some time now."
"What?! No it hasn't."
"Yeah, sure Katara. Anyway, I have to do some things now. I'll see YOU tomorrow. Night." She said innocently
"Good night Toph." Katara said half embarrassed half relieved that Toph hadn't made to big a deal about her over active heart.
Morning. Katara woke up bright eyed and eager for the day. She had slept surprisingly well. After washing and getting dressed she walked out towards the fountain where she found Toph sitting casually.
"Hey Katara, thought I might find you here." Toph said smiling slightly
"Urm this is where we usually have breakfast Toph." Katara said. Obviously Toph had not forgotten about the events of last night as quickly as Katara had hoped.
"Right. Whatever could I be thinking." Toph said innocently.
Katara ignored her. "Where is everyone? Sokka's usually down for breakfast by dawn." Katara started walking around peering through the widows of the rooms.
"They're not here. The boys have gone fishing. They somehow got the idea that you would really appreciate it if they came back with loads of fish seeing as we were running short. They were more than happy to help."
"Right. Why didn't you go then?" Katara said sarcastically, still trying to work out what Toph was doing.
"Why Katara, I wanted to spend some quality time with you. I'm hurt that you're not as happy about it as I am." She placed her hand on her heart as if she had been deeply wounded. Suddenly a yawn came form one of the rooms. Katara and Toph turned simultaneously to the direction of the sound.
"Actually, it's such a nice day, I think I go and practise my bending. I could do with a work out. You know what they say, a rolling stone gathers no…"
"Hey. Where is everybody?" Zuko said coming out of his room scratching his head. He was still half asleep. Katara blushed, Toph smirked.
"Yeah I think I better get started on that work out. See you guys." As she walked away from the now fully aware Zuko and Katara Toph grinned smugly.
"Man I'm good!" She thought to her self.
Manipulative
Katara sat by the edge of the river and mumbled to herself incoherently. She knew that each person did their bit within the group but she hated the fact that it was her turn to do the laundry. "Give me breakfast duty any day." She thought to herself. Suddenly the bushes surrounding her started to rustle. She stood up and took up her ready position; no one was going to catch her unawares. Seconds later, Zuko emerged from the bushes battling tree branches whilst trying to keep hold of a large clay container. "Oh it's you." Katara said returning to her washing.
"Yeah, I'm on water duty." replied Zuko nervously. He cautiously walked up to the river making sure to keep a large enough distance between himself and Katara. Although he had managed to gain the trust of the majority of the group (Momo still didn't like him) Katara had always remained slightly hostile towards him.
The uncomfortable silence seemed to go on forever. It was bad enough having to do chores you didn't like but to do it in the presence of someone you weren't exactly friendly with was excruciating. Katara coughed, she couldn't keep it in anymore. Zuko looked towards the sky and sighed. "It's now or never." he thought to himself. Slowly he stood up and walked towards Katara.
"I didn't call you." Katara mumbled. It wasn't said maliciously but somehow it came across that way.
"I know." Zuko responded. "I need to tell you something." Katara turned around confused.
"I'm listening."
"Well, I've been here for a while now and I've realised that I haven't apologised to you."
"Zuko you don't have to…. "Katara began but Zuko cut her off.
"Katara," he sighed and looked her straight in the eyes. "I'm sorry. Out of everyone here I've hurt you the most. What I did in Ba Sing Se" was inexcusable and I truly regret it."
"Zuko, you really don't have to do…"
"If there is anything I could do to make it up to you. Please feel free to ask."
Katara thought about this for a moment and smiled. "Well, my hands are really hurting."
Zuko looked at her completely unaware of what she was indicating.
"This cold water is really doing its worst on my hands…."
Zuko looked at her as if she were saying something in another language. "Man, could Zuko really be this dense?" Katara thought to herself
"You know, from all this washing. My hands don't think they can take it any more." Katara said slowly, placing emphasise on the word washing.
"Ohh" Zuko said finally realising what she was hinting at. "Oh I'll do the washing for you."
"Thanks Zuko" Katara said grinning to herself. She had forgiven Zuko a long time ago and although not completely, she had begun to trust him. It was true that she wasn't as friendly as she was to the others, Zuko had really proven himself and she had a new found respect for him.
Days later, Katara's turn to collect water had come. Around the fire, Sokka looked towards the fading sunlight and turned towards Katara. "Katara you should go before nightfall so that we have water for tomorrow."
"I would Sokka but I'm REALLY tired and…"
"I'll do it." Zuko volunteered.
"But you did it a few days ago. Sokka argued. "You must be crazy because I hate water duty but…" Sokka shrugged.
"I don't mind" Zuko got up and walked towards the river. Collecting water could sometimes be a joy rather than chore when it was sunny or warm but when it was cold with fading light like now, it wasn't the best of times. Zuko began to wonder when his "payback" period would end.
"Toph scooted up close to Katara. "What have you got on Zuko?" She asked quietly enough for only the two of them to hear.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Katara said, childishly sticking her nose in the air.
"I've see you, you've practically got him on a leash like a sheepdog." Toph nudged her.
"I do not. If he wants to make up for what he's done in the past by dong my chores I say let him."
"Katara does he know that you've forgiven him and that you're not angry with him anymore?" Toph asked.
"I haven't had a chance to talk to him about that."
"Katara". Toph paused and broadened her smile. "You're taking advantage of him, you're playing on his guilt you're manipulating him!"
"That's rich coming form you Toph. I find it really hard to believe…"
"Katara."
"And furthermore Toph, I see you still have him doing things for you for burning your feet which…"
"Katara."
"I shouldn't even be explaining myself too you. I mean its just…"
"Katara!!" Toph yelled slightly. Katara sure was good at being a pain at times.
"What is it Toph?" Katara asked frustrated.
"I've taught you well."
Both Katara and Toph smiled at each other and started giggling hysterically.
Zutara WeeK - Mythology
It was early evening, the sun shone weakly through the heavy clouds causing a faint rainbow to form. The warm humid air provided a warm blanket of heat over the camp creating a snug effect. The group sat around the campfire listening to the myths and legends of each nation's culture.
"Wow Aang that was amazing." Katara said captured by the magic of his words.
"Yeah Aang, amazing." Toph said grinning to herself. She knew what was coming next; the predictability of Sokka was something you could set your watch by.
"Urm Aang you told three stories now."
"Actually I've told Four Sokka." Aang grumbled.
Yeah Aang four, I kinda fell asleep during the first but anyway, why is it that in most of them the fire bender always ends up with the water bender? Did things like that happen a lot when you were a kid?" Katara and Zuko blushed simultaneously hoping that the rest of the gang put it down to the heat radiating from the campfire.
"Urm well." Aang was very careful about what he said next. The last thing he wanted to do was give Katara ideas. He had noticed the way her and Zuko had began to argue less and smile more in each others company. How could he have been so silly? He thought to himself.
"It didn't happen THAT often Sokka it was just that when it did it was really something being opposites and all." Aang said casually, trying to play it down as much as possible.
"Surely the water bender had better taste." Sokka joked nudging his sister.
"Yeah better taste." Katara said smiling into the fire.
"My feet hurt." Toph exclaimed. "Like two things are pounding at them really hard." She chuckled at her own personal inside joke.
Stare
Katara stared at the fluid movements of the campfire. She seemed to be lost in her own thoughts and enjoyed the rare peacefulness of the evening. The light breeze blew through her hair causing it to ripple in similar way to the flames. Her eyes were intense.
"Why are you staring at me?" Zuko asked slightly afraid. Coincidentally he was sitting directly opposite her on the other side of the campfire and they were the only ones there. the rest of the gang were surprisingly tired after today's events. "What have I done now?" Zuko rolled his eyes.
"Huh …What…" Katara's mind came back to the present. "I'm not staring at you Zuko." Katara said flatly.
"Oh." Zuko replied. An odd silence broke between them.
Katara mind seemed to be working out something. She sat up abruptly, finally coming to a decision. Slowly, she stood up and walked over to Zuko and sat down. Although she was now no further than a hand's width away from him her eyes remained focused on the fire. Zuko looked at her, shocked by what had just happened and blushing slightly, he didn't know why, maybe it was because he had never been so close to her since…well since. He sighed.
Katara turned to face him and looked directly into his eyes. "Why did you do it?"
"Huh. Do what?" He looked puzzled.
"Back in the catacombs, why did you do it?" Katara maintained her unyielding eye contact with him. Zuko seemed to cringe. He knew that this moment would come sooner or later.
"Katara," His voice trembled slightly as he said her name. It created an unfamiliar sensation in the pit of his stomach. "Many things happened that day. During that time I had just begun to feel like a normal person. Although I was posing as a refuge working in a tea shop," he chuckled to himself, "I was finally free. Free from my feelings of shame, free from my feelings of guilt.,finally able to be myself. But on that day, everything seemed to come back to me instantaneously once I saw Azula. In her I saw everything that I thought I wanted in front of me. All of those feelings of shame returned. Rather than running to fight another day, 'I had to be dramatic'. Azula's words came out bitter. Katara assumed that those feelings might still remain. "And ended up in the catacombs where you were." he turned to face the flames. He could no longer take her excruciating stare but continued to talk.
"Other than my uncle and my mother no one had ever spoken to me you did. You seemed to really care about what I was feeling and my …" he paused and touched his scar. "Situation." Not only that, I felt your pain. We had something in common a very uncommon thing for me".
"I did care."
His eyes remained on the flame it seemed to grow when Katara spoke. "How could she have such a powerful effect on him?" He thought to himself.
"You're the only person I've let touch my scar you know. Not even Uncle has. You just seemed so…" He struggled to find the most appropriate word. "Sincere. As a prince let alone a banished prince, that quality in particular is hard to find in people. Anyway after Aang and Uncle found us I thought to myself maybe I wasn't meant to be free. Maybe my father's power over me is something that should last forever. Fate seemed to be against the healing of my scar, maybe this actually WAS meant to be destiny. That's why I couldn't look at you when you walked away.
After you left my thoughts didn't become any clearer. Then Azula said something that just left me standing. She said 'You are free to choose' in her eerie sarcastic voice as if she knew that in actual fact I wasn't. I still believed that I wanted everything she had I wanted my fathers approval." He paused. "I think you know the rest."
Katara kept on looking at him, he so much smaller now.
"But after I returned to the Fire Nation everything changed, things that I thought I wanted , that I thought would make me happy seemed empty and hollow. I began to realise that I was truly contempt when I was with uncle serving tea." He chuckled again, "And also that I felt truly ashamed of the fact that I had let him down. He had truly loved my like a son and I …." words failed him. "At that moment I knew that I had to make things right. I had travelled all over the world and had seen the importance of true love, love that isn't based on success. I finally saw how wrong my father and his ideas were. I had to make things right." He turned and faced Katara. It was his turn to look her I the eye.
"That's it; I now have no secrets from you. " His hand brushed away a lock of her from her face. She tensed under his touch. "I'm sorry. I truly am, I never should have betrayed you. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to realise who's really important to me."
He blushed immediately after he had spoken. "I meant what. What's really important to me." He smiled weakly.
Katara smiled. "Thank you for being honest. I'm glad you're on our side Zuko."
"Thanks." Zuko said, his smile growing
"I forgive you Zuko." She turned to face the flame. It was her turn to avoid his stare. "I'm sorry for being so mean to you earlier. I didn't understand."
"I forgive you Katara."
She turned and saw him grinning cheekily. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Then something strange happened. Suddenly Katara found herself in the Zuko's embrace. "Thank You Katara" He whispered. Katara hugged him back, feeling as though a great weight had been lifted of her shoulders.
They pulled away from each other.
"Friends" Zuko held out his hand
Katara looked at it. "Surely there were worse things than being friends with the Fire Prince." She thought to herself.
"Friends" She replied smiling while shaking his hand.