Entry 21: Again with the Tea! Uncle has gotten us jobs in a tea shop, and even at home, its tea tea tea! I am seriously getting worried about him. Oh and on a side note, I was right about Jet, he did see my uncle heat his tea… I did get a chance to let out some pent up aggression though. It felt good
"Pent up aggression?"
Zuko smiled and waved his hands to the air.
"Well, I couldn't fire bend, so I got to use my swords, Jet was really tough, but I could not let people know we were firebenders, Uncle was really trying, and… Wait… Give me that!"
Zuko made a grab for the scroll and instinctively Katara evaded his motion.
"What?"
Katara stood up and look at Zuko who was now sprawling on the bed at his failed attempt to acquire his journal
"You can't read the next part!"
"Why not!"
"It's Personal!"
Katara Laughed and turned her back to him opening the scroll a bit more, a solid weight hit her back and she was sent flying to the ground, Zuko atop of her.
Zuko reached for the scroll but Katara arched her back sharply and sent him tumbling to the side, without a moment to compose himself he found Katara straddling over him pinning his arms down with her knees.
And from that position she began to read the next entry aloud
"Entry22: I love how you number them Zuko"
"Get off me!"
"No, Entry22: Okay uncle needs to stop arranging things for me, this time he set me up on a date! Seriously I think he is getting a bit too comfortable here! It's like he is settling down to stay forever! Though the girl was nice, her name was Jin, and she did seem to like me… Urgh, I even firebended to make her happy, what's wrong with me! Though the kiss did feel nice… but I am not even going there! She is to forward for me anyway."
Katara laughed and looked down at Zuko.
"This is it? This is what you were getting so hot and bothered about"
"Not as hot and bother as I am about to get if you don't get off me!"
"Oh hush up and take it like a man, does this mean I beat you three times now?"
"Get off"
Katara stood up, grinning she offered him a hand; he stared at it like it would bite him, but eventually took it.
"I don't usually write about that kind of stuff, it's just, I had nothing else to write about that day"
Zuko was flushed and seemed to be looking for the quickest way out of the room, his eyes returning to the window a lot. Katara laughed and sat to the bed.
"I take it back, your nothing like my brother"
"What?"
"Nothing, come sit down on the bed before you hurt yourself"
"I would not hurt myself! How could I hurt myself from standing up?"
"It's a figure of speech Zuko, besides, there is nothing wrong in liking a kiss, and I don't see why you didn't want me reading this."
"It's embarrassing"
"I don't see anything embarrassing here, in fact, I think it was rather sweet, firebending to make her happy… though I fail to see how it could make her happy…"
"There was a fountain, it had candles around it, she wanted me to see how the light reflected in the water, but all the candles were out… I had her close her eyes, then I lit them for her…"
Katara looked slightly stunned; she stared at him until he felt the need to break the silence.
"She was nice to me! I didn't want to see her disappointed"
"No, I... it's not that... I just didn't realize you were… a romantic"
"I am NOT a Romantic! I just didn't want to see her sad!"
"Zuko, that was romantic…"
"Just Shut up and"
"Read the damn scroll woman" Katara ended for him and he grinned, and she took note that he actually had a nice smile, which was also odd for her to remark as she could only ever think of him scowling at her
Entry23: Uncle got offered a new tea shop today, this is getting out of hand, he is creating a life that we cant live, it will only hurt him more in the end if he keeps this up… I found out that the Avatar is in this city, if I find him, we can go back to our old life, our real life. At least that's what I thought, Uncle is right, this is not what I want to do. I let the bison go, and with it, possibly my last chance to catch the Avatar.
"So you really did set Appa free…"
Zuko frowned and then nodded
"I don't understand, if at this point, you were comfortable with who you were, and how you were living… then why?"
Katara felt his hand on hers and she drew her eyes to meet with his, there was a warmth in his gaze, but also a sadness
"Keep reading Katara… your jumping ahead…"
Katara felt her cheeks burning and she was suddenly all to aware now that he had removed his shirt, and was sitting right next to her, his hand now covering her hand. The thing was, Zuko did not seem to be aware of it himself, he was just staring at her. She forgot why for a moment and then seemed to jolt herself back to reality
"Read! Right! on it!"
Entry24: I got sick today, I miss my mother…
The entry was short, but it held more meaning then any words could express, Katara felt the same pain tugging at her heart as she felt that day she had been with him in the cave. The same day he had betrayed them.
She looked at him. But he was looking at the entry. The pain that he went through was clear on his face.
Katara unfurled the next entry and began to read
Entry25: well I suppose I should get used to my life here, after all, its not so bad, we are living more like nobility here then we have done in three years, and with not having to worry about capturing the avatar, life seems pretty good. And we have been invited to serve tea to the emperor!
Katara smiled and pointed to the last part.
"Your Uncle must have made quite an impression to be invited to see the emperor and serve him tea"
"I wish it was so simple…"
Zuko unfurled the next part, it was longer then most of his entries, Katara just watched as he did it, not really understanding why he had gone so quiet all of a sudden.
