Ever since the day he had stumbled across her at the lake, Zuko had always watched Katara practice her bending.
She didn't know this, of course. Neither did anyone else. And if they did, he'd never hear the end of it. His uncle and the blind-girl would tease him about it every chance they got, while the girl's brother and the Avatar would yell at him for doing such an inappropriate thing.
Zuko knew the routine well, by now. Katara would announce that she was going to practice, and leave in the direction of the nearest water source. Shortly after, he would also announce plans to practice, and head in the direction opposite Katara. Once a safe distance away, he would sneak over to Katara, and quietly enjoy the show.
Tonight, she was practicing by a group of geysers. After a few moments of watching steam erupt from the openings, Katara stripped down to her undergarments and undid her hair, placing her clothes far enough away so they wouldn't get wet.
No, Zuko wasn't spying on her so he could see her in her underwear. Not at all.
He certainly wasn't going to complain about it, though.
Actually, in all honesty, he watched so he could see her waterbend. There was just something about her movements that was… enchanting. Sure, he'd seen her bend plenty of times before, but it was different when she was just practicing. Maybe it was because she was less aggressive, and more peaceful. He wasn't sure, and he doubted he'd ever be. All he knew was that he loved seeing her bend.
Which is why he was behind a tree, peeking around its trunk so he could focus on the actions of the girl in front of him.
As steam billowed out of the ground, Katara moved her arms though the air, turning the steam into a thin ribbon of water. She gracefully moved her arms around herself, causing the water to twist and twirl as though attached to her fingers by invisible strings.
It was beautiful.
Katara halted the ribbon of water in front of herself, expanding it until it was an orb of swirling water. Then, she turned it into several smaller bubbles, giggling as they floated through the air. Zuko couldn't stop himself, and soon began laughing softly as well.
Katara heard him.
"Who's there?" She demanded, turning towards the trees where he hid. The water she had been bending splashed onto the ground.
Zuko swiftly moved out of her line of vision, wasting no time heading back to camp.
His show had been cut short today, but he knew there would be another tomorrow.
Author's Notes: Yeah, not sure how happy I am with this one :/. I s'pose it's decent, though certainly not my best.
I'll hopefully post more today, though I'm not sure. Relatives from another province are supposed to be visiting, so I may not get on the computer again.
Tell me what you think!
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of it's characters.
