So, sorry it took me a few days. It was my birthday and I've seriously been partying hardy. And my best friend's birthday is the day after mine, so 48 hours of birthday. Got food poisoning...
Anyway I had some notes about the bolding of the text. I personally like it because I tend to skim over the actual talking without it. Though if enough people want me to I'll take it off, just let me know.
Thank you again for all the wonderful words of encouragement.
Disclaimer: Avatar and the world of does not belong to me.
Chapter 3: Unspoken words
Zuko walked quietly through the main hall. His boots taping lightly on the marble tiles with each step. Each step, each tap another thought. How long had he wanted to be here? How long had he wanted to call this his home? He gently stroked his fingers down the smooth marble pillars, this was his home, and it felt good.
"What now Fire Lord?"
His heart clenched hearing the title fall from her lips. It hurt him to have her call him a name which used to bring such fear and terror, she should never fear him, "Please, Katara, call me Zuko." It hurt him to lose the familiarity, "I'm your friend." He turned to find her, leaning sideways against the nearest pillar, her hair falling loosely around her shoulders, her arms crossed acrost her chest; and her eyes, her icy blue eyes were locked on his.
Her smooth brown brow cocked ever so slightly, "Ok… Zuko." There was a pause in which he noticed the rest of the group, why hadn't he noticed them earlier. "What do we do now?"
"Shouldn't that be Aang's job? Deciding the fate of the world and all."
"It's his job to take care of the world, you need to decide what's best for your country." She was right, it was his country now.
"We need to gather so we can decide how to move forward." Behind Katara, Aang spoke. Casually Zuko noticed one of his hands were placed on the small of Katara's back, like he enjoyed simply feeling her next to him.
Without much more thought Zuko nodded, the war had been over for weeks and they hadn't begun the real work yet. "I'll have the room set for a..." For a what? Traditionally it would be set for a war meeting, but that was no longer true. If he could help it, that would never be true again. "I'll have a conference room set in here, how about we meet in an hour?"
"Sounds great, I'm outta here!" Toph characteristically was the first to go.
Sokka and Suki quietly excused themselves, hand in hand. Idly Zuko wondered what they would do now that the war was over? Would they finally get married? Zuko smiled, good they should be happy. The moon in the sky knows they deserve it.
"Katara, you coming?"
She hadn't moved an inch from where she was delicately perched, her arms cfolded across her chest, hands wrapped around her elbows, "No, I think I'll stay here for a while, I'll meet up with you later." He nodded quietly before tossing Zuko one, quick glance that said everything. 'Take care of her. Don't let her down. I love her. I'm afraid for her.' Without another word, Aang excused himself.
These past few weeks had changed their lives, changed everyone's lives. Never once in her dreams did Katara imagine she would stand in this hall with the Fire Lord and have feelings any less then hatred. Quite the opposite in fact.
The longer Katara stood there the more at ease she felt. Zuko, how long had it been since that name brought her pain? Now another feeling filled her heart. Warmth and comfort was all that she felt now. All the attributes of a true fire bending master.
The room was silent for some time before either of them would talk—could talk. The air said it all. Their eyes said it all.
Thank you for being there, thank you for saving my life, thank you for saving my soul, thank you for being my friend.
Both of them wanted to speak but neither of them had anything to say, their eyes said it all.
Standing here, with his golden eyes on her left Katara feeling incredibly bare. Even her arms folded across her chest couldn't stop the fire building in her stomach. For that moment in time she was happy to simply be leaning against this pillar, keeping her from letting her own knees drop her on the floor.
"How are ya?" Zuko walked casually over to her side, his hands brushing against the pillar not a few inches from her.
"Nervous." She looked down, since the fight Katara had felt incredibly comfortable talking to him, even about the most random things.
"How come?"
"Well, I can't even remember a time where I woke up and didn't know what was going to happen next. Run from so-and-so, fight what's her face, look for you-know-who. But I don't know what to do next, it's kind of scary."
"You help end the biggest war in history, and you're afraid because you don't know what to do next?"
Katara laughed quietly, "When you say it like that you make me sound stupid."
"Well, to be honest, you are being kind of silly."
Katara pushed off the wall and turned her back to him, "Oh gee, thanks for making me feel bad."
Zuko walked up next to her, smiling slightly, "Come on, let's go for a walk."
Katara sighed quietly but obliged, her feet following the trail he laid out. Not much was said while Zuko lead her to the only spot in the Fire Nation that she could feel at home. As a child he used to love sitting in his mother's courtyard. The water always seemed so peaceful, able to wash over even the most frazzled young fire prince.
Katara sat at the edge of the small pond, her feet mere inches from the water's surface. "What are you going to do now?"
"What do you mean?" Zuko sat next to her, the grass and warm air welcoming him to simply relax.
"Well you have a country now, and I am sure Mai will be all over you now that you don't have anywhere else to be."
She was right, now he could start building a real life, all of them could, "I don't know, I'm guessing that a whole lot of new responsibilities are about to come our way."
"I know, I just wish there were someone for us to look to, someone who could help tell us what to do next."
"War is all that anyone has known for a long time, it's going to be hard for everyone to adjust." Katara was silent for a while, he was right.
"You know, maybe it won't be so bad. Waking up not afraid of what the days will bring"
"You're wrong Katara." She stopped and looked at him, her blue eyes riddled with confusion and despair. How could he say that? Katara curled her knees to her chest wrapping her arms around them. She was scared; she was nervous and unnerved about this new word they were creating and he really wasn't helping. "I have a feeling that the fear isn't gone. It's just transformed, matured." He looked over to her, Katara's face looked so lost and Zuko didn't know what to do. His friend was scared.
"Hey now, come here." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, "this isn't going to be easy, but we can do it. Believe it or not, but there is a whole lot that needs re-done, but we can do it."
"You really think so?" She didn't bother to look at him, she simply watched the turtle-ducks splash carelessly.
"We have to, it's what we do. It's what we were made to do."
"Guys!" Toph came running, waving her arms a moment too soon, "They wanted me to come get you, the room is ready and we have to start this thing."
