A/N: SORRY SORRY SORRY THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN UPDATED SOONER SORRY SORRY SORRY
Disclaimer: I don't own.
Katara noticed that her mornings had become routine. Zuko would wake up first (at whatever time he did, she was vaguely aware in that his movements managed to disturb her), use the bathroom and be out in time for her to fully wake up and take her turn. Then she'd open the door in case he needed the mirror again (he usually did to put his hair up but some mornings he slept later and still needed to shave by the time it was her turn in the bathroom). This was a morning where he still needed to shave. She watched him carefully stoke the razor under his chin. He winced as the last stroke drew a tiny drop of blood.
"I got it," she said as she quickly summoned water to her hand. She healed the little cut thinking nothing of it.
"Thanks," he said before kissing her forehead. Then his face turned red and he grabbed a towel to wipe his face. "I'm meeting Mom this morning so I won't join you for breakfast." He turned and fled.
Katara stood there and did not think of how her forehead suddenly tingled.
Zuko marched into the garden. He'd grown to hate acting without thinking. Uncle had told him over and over again he needed to work on that and still he had problems.
"You look flustered," Ursa said as he plopped down next to her.
"I cut myself shaving," he said, hoping that wouldn't lead to more questions.
"Oh, where? Your father used to complain all day when he did that. You'd think it was a fatal wound." She rolled her eyes. "Tell me you're not like that."
"No but one time I did cut my cheek kind of badly. Uncle then lectured me about trying to shave while we were going through a storm." As he finished a servant set down a tray with their breakfast and tea. Ursa busied herself with serving the two of them. They sat and ate in silence for awhile.
"Why are you so quiet?" Ursa finally asked.
"It's nothing," Zuko gave as his non answer.
"Oh, now it's something and I'm not above tickling you to get it out."
"That only worked when I was a kid."
Ursa put her bowl down. "Then you won't mind if I-"
Zuko held his hands up. "No! Fine, you win! I," he paused, "I kissed Katara this morning."
Ursa's face lit up as she smiled broadly. "That's wonderful!"
"No it's not! I didn't mean to do it and it's all Uncle's fault!"
"How is this Iroh's fault?"
"He told me about how he'd always kiss Aunt Nozomi every morning because he wanted to show he loved her even if they were fighting. He told me that was important in a marriage."
"That's true," Ursa confirmed.
"But it's not like my marriage is real or anything."
"You love Katara, don't you?"
"No!"
"But you think she's pretty!"
"Of course! And caring and stubborn and way more self assured than she should be and, and…"
"Your wife."
Zuko's face went slack. "My wife," he whispered. "Agni Katara's my wife."
Ursa nodded. "Yes, darling, she is. You've been married almost two weeks now."
Zuko fell backwards and covered his face with his hands. He kept muttering 'Katara' and 'wife.' Ursa poured another cup of tea and waited for him to calm down (he'd done the same thing when the concept of school had been explained to him).
A pink blur chose that moment to cartwheel into the garden. "Hi Lady Ursa," Ty Lee said happily. "What's wrong with Zuko?"
"I think he's just realized Katara is his wife." She turned to look at the cheery girl. "You're early."
"We have a war balloon for Kyoshi Island and they let the Kyoshi Warriors us it whenever we want. Do you think we should do something?"
"No, he'll get over it. Later would you join Iroh and I for tea?" Ty Lee nodded as she folded herself into a ball next to Ursa.
Zuko kept muttering until Ursa couldn't take it anymore. She poked him in the stomach and told him to grow up and be Fire Lord.
Toph hated the dress. She had no idea what color it was (or what 'color' even was) and despised that the simpering seamstress kept telling her this 'color' looked good on her. She'd rather they tell her that they were going to cut the sleeves in half at least and loosen whatever was wrapped around her chest because it was getting hard to breathe. Plus the fabric felt thin and she was certain she'd rip it (not that that was necessarily a bad thing). The worst part, however, was her mother's constant comments without even asking her daughter's opinion (not that she cared about how high her collar was but it's the principle of the matter).
"Oh Toph," her mother cooed, "you're going to look so beautiful."
"I'm going to be annoyed," she muttered as she crossed her arms.
"Put your arms down," one of the seamstresses commanded.
"Make me."
"That's no way to speak to-"
The door banged open as Aang called "Sifu Toph I want to...practice..earthbending," he trailed off. "Wow," he said softly.
Toph hopped off the stool she was standing on and felt the vibrations she knew were there. Aang's heart was racing and she could hear his slight gasps. This was not good. He was acting like Sokka did whenever Suki entered the room back in the beach house (Sokka still did this but to a lesser extent). Aang couldn't be developing a crush on her! This was going to make everything worse!
"You look beautiful," he said.
"You can talk about how pretty everything is all you want but I want you out back in the garden chucking boulders in ten minutes or you'll be sorry!" Toph shouted. That seemed to scare him a little.
"Yes Sifu Toph!" She felt him take off (literally) and flee the room.
"That's no way to talk to the Avatar," her mother chided.
"It's how I always have and I'm not going to change that because he's my husband." She felt a slight shift from a few of the seamstresses. "Now get me out of this thing so I can chuck rocks at his head!"
They chuckled but helped and one was even so bold as so wish her luck. She bit her tongue instead of saying she never needed luck.
Having tea with Iroh later apparently meant "wait for Zuko to leave and Iroh to appear as if by magic." She was fairly certain the old man had, in fact, waited until his nephew was gone to appear. She still had a hard time reconciling the fact The Dragon of the West and Azula's fuddy duddy uncle who bought her dolls (when everyone knew Azula only wanted firebending scrolls and world domination). Still she did admire Iroh's battle strategies for the Siege of Ba Sing Se. She never, ever brought it up with Iroh because usually his aura was bright yellow or gold but when someone mentioned his campaigns his aura darken. She wasn't going to be responsible for that.
"So," she began, "you want me to make sure Zuko and Katara stay together?"
"Yes, my dear," Iroh confirmed. "We feel the two a suited for each other and have just, uh, not realized this themselves."
"I believe the accurate term is they're being stubborn idiots," Ursa added.
"It makes sense," Ty Lee said. "But, well, I'm still Mai's friend but I guess she dumped Zuko awhile ago and the last time she came to visit she kept telling me about this new boy she met and her life away from her parents and her aura was almost a light pink instead of grey, much pinker than when she was with Zuko so I guess they're through. So I think I can help!"
"Wonderful!" Iroh exclaimed.
"What should I do?" she asked.
"Just make sure they end up together a lot, hint that they look so good together, report back to us, and make sure Katara's doing everything the Fire Lady should," Ursa said.
"The last one's going to be hard. I never paid attention during the etiquette classes at school."
"I'm sure everything will be fine." Ty Lee really did believe that when Iroh said it.
Zuko never thought he'd see the sight that greeted him as he opened his office door. There, sitting at his desk like she belonged, was Katara writing a letter and dressed in Fire Nation red with a gold flame in her hair. His stomach curled in a pleasant way as his mind reminded him, yet again, that Katara was his wife. Suddenly that didn't seem so scary.
"Are you going to stand there all day or are you going to come in?" She asked.
He shook his head and closed the door behind him because, really, they were going to dissolve whatever this marriage was and thinking of Katara like this was not going to help. "What are you doing? Drafting a letter to my generals demanding they put you in charge?"
"Sadly no, that's a little farther down on my list. I'm just finishing my letter to Sokka telling him what we've managed to accomplish here and asking him what he's done."
"About?"
"Getting you declared an unfit husband in the South Pole."
"Oh," Zuko paused, "OH right. We're supposed to write each other."
"I've already done the letter for Toph and Aang, all you have to do is sign it," she told him as she gestured to the letter next to her. The ink still looked slightly damp as he read it over.
"Katara I don't think Aang's going to read the part about how its mean and horribly rude to not tell your friends that you're in a relationship."
"Well he should because they both should have let us know!"
"Are you going to complain to Sokka about this too?"
"Of course!"
"Do you mind if I add a few things to the end of both letters?" Katara shook her head and went back to writing. On the letter to Toph and Aang Zuko added that he was sorry for Katara's anger but she was very hurt and could you two let her know about any other upcoming life events that they had planned because he was getting really tired of hearing about this. For Sokka and Suki's he apologized for Katara's rants and then requested that they wait to get married, pretty please.
Zuko was just finishing sealing the second letter when someone knocked. "Come in," Katara called as she looked up from the hospital report she was reading (at least he'd get some new ideas out of this marriage).
"Hi Zuko, hi Katara. Ursa sent me to get you because she's leaving and wants to say goodbye so you better hurry up. Oh Katara you look really pretty in red and I really like how poofy your hair is! But in a good way! Can you show me how you do that sometime? Mine falls straight after I take it out of my braid," Ty Lee yammered on as she grabbed Katara's and then Zuko's hands and pulled them out of the office
"Did you know she was coming?" Katara asked.
"Not at all," Zuko said.
"We're just going to have so much fun while I'm on vacation!"
"Fun," Zuko repeated, even though he was sure that wasn't exactly how Ty Lee's vacation was going to go.
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