Disclaimer: ATLA is not mine, but this story is, and so is my dog. My big black dog. That would rip out your throat if you plagiarized. (Joking—she'd rip off your head) :D
Katara sat on the ice block in front of her igloo in the small South Pole village. Penguin-seals played with fish remains in the middle of the 'road'.
When an out of place ostrich-horse came bouncing up on the horizon, Katara shot up, her face lit up in excitement. Her boyfriend Zuko was coming up the 'road', splashing through the dirtier snow.
"Bye Sokka! By Gran-Gran! I'm going on my date!"And with that she ran off to the ostrich-horse, her boyfriend sitting and smiling, and heaved herself on.
As they raced away, leaving Sokka and Gran-Gran on the porch, Sokka grumbled.
"Gran-Gran, why is Katara dating that kind of guy? Angsty Fire Prince with an honor-complex is not the kind of person I see my sister with. Besides, he used to chase us! He was trying to capture the world's last hope for peace! He isn't worth a lick! In fact, when it comes to brains, I think he got the melting end of the icicle if you know what I mean…"
Gran-Gran just flicked the back of his head.
"She's in love with the boy."
*oOo*
Katara sat in Zuko's lap, her head on his chest, and his arms around her waist as they watched the penguin-seals play.
"Zuko…" She half-opened her eyes.
"Hmm?" He opened his own eyes and looked down at her face.
"I love you." He blinked. She just sat and smiled, simply content in telling him, not exactly expecting the reply she got. "I love you too."
It was her turn to blink, her face tight in surprise, but it soon relaxed as a large grin spread across her face. "Good…" And she slipped into sleep, comforted by the intense warmth of his body.
On their way to Katara's settlement, where they would stop before he went to his camp by his ship, he slipped something on her finger, jostled a little by the gait of the ostrich-horse.
"I'm afraid the Fire Lord's seal will have to do until I can go back to find a suitable wedding band."
She began to cry, and turned awkwardly in the saddle to hug Zuko with all she was worth, nearly crushing his ribs, and making the ice crack around them.
*oOo*
"Katara. Igloo. Now." Sokka pointed behind him at her igloo. She reluctantly let go of her fiancé's hand, and headed for her igloo, humming and skipping.
Sokka glared at her retreating form, and then turned to Zuko. As he opened his mouth to talk to Zuko the lateness of the hour, when Gran-Gran came out of her own igloo, and thwacked him on the back of the head.
"Gran-Gran!"
"Sokka, you have no right to patronize Zuko."
"But—"
"You acted just like this when Suki came to visit."
"Gran-Gran! Don't bring Suki into this!"
"Suki's father said the same things about you that you have been saying about Zuko."
"But—"
"No buts!"
She grabbed his ear, and led him away, Sokka protesting the entire time.
This left Zuko where he had been, watching the entire exchange with fascination, and a mixture of growing respect and fear for Katara's grandmother.
Song: She's in Love with the Boy by Trisha Yearwood
O.o
Sorry about the lateness *cringes* don't hate me for not updating in *cough*a*cough*month*cough**cough*. This one was not my favorite, and the typed version has a LOT of editing from the original I wrote down in my fan fiction journal thing. This one is a lot better. Please Review!