Happy Memorial Day, everyone. Well, I just wanted to do something a little different but still had to do with the upcoming episodes in July, so I decided to work with the Ember Island Players episode a little bit. I absolutely loved the clip shown at the NYCC and the cute banter between Zuko and Katara. So, out of my love for the clip and Zutara, I just thought it would have been so sexy if Zuko whispered something about the play they are watching in Katara’s ear. As she quietly watches the scene that made her blush madly.

Plot –

Katara intently watched characters that represented them professionally state their lines in front of her. The scene of the pirates and Zuko tying her to a tree played in front of her. She silently got miffed as the past feelings toward Zuko and who he used to be rose up inside of her. Hearing those familiar lines brought back so many memories that weren’t necessarily bad, but more along the lines of past instances that should be forgotten with her recent forgiveness toward the ex-Prince who was sitting beside her.

Zuko noticed the scene as it played out. The grotesque character that played him was really aggravating his nerves as the actor gracefully walked around the flat wooden tree and upon the slightly overweight actress who was supposed to be portraying the slim and beautiful woman sitting on his right. Zuko sighed softly as he watched Aang grumble before leaning over the trail in boredom as he still was a bit angered over the woman who was playing the almighty Avatar.

Zuko softly chuckled at the Avatar’s reaction, but was quickly brought out of his thoughts when he heard the exact same words he spoke to Katara over a year ago.

“lease try to understand. I need the Avatar to restore something I’ve lost -- My honor. Perhaps in exchange, I can restore something you’ve lost.” The actor softly spoke very intimately into the actress’s ear. Zuko’s eyes widened as he watched what he had done so long ago. All of the torture and trying to bribe Katara with her dead mother’s necklace in order to receive the information on the Avatar made him feel a sickening nauseous feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Zuko looked over at Katara and fully expected her to be glaring at him with nothing but hatred. Instead, her eyes were glued to the scene in front of her and her cheeks were beginning to turn a soft shade of red. A smirk appeared on his face before he swiftly leaned over to her. His chest rested softly against her shoulder as his lips remained only inches from her face.

Katara instantaneously felt his warm breath against her neck which made her cheeks burn even redder. Feeling his breath this close to her face instantly brought back that warm night into her memory. The flawless dark sky with every star shining as bright as the sun as the moon cascading its warmth and light upon the earth. His body pressed up against hers. His fingers hanging loosely against her neck as her mother’s necklace dangled in front of her throat. She recalled looking to her left and gazing into those intense gold eyes. His pale skin shining eerily in the blue light of the moon.

Katara didn’t exactly remember every word he spoke but it was the way he said them that remained with her. She had never heard him speak like that. His voice was usually distorted as he angrily yelled for information on the Avatar and as he was firebending in rage. But as he spoke those words into her ear, it was as if she was hearing his voice for the very first time. His soft raspy tone rang throughout her ears making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up straight, but not in the bad way.

“Hey.” Zuko whispered suddenly. Katara’s cheeks burned even brighter as he waited for his nect words.

“Yeah?” she asked.

Zuko mulled over everything he wanted to say in these next few intense seconds. Most of what he wanted to say was overruled because of how stupid it sounded in his head or how the waterbender might take it in a bad sense. So, without thinking, he hurriedly whispered –

Well, sorry, but I couldn’t really think of absolutely ANYTHING that sounded relevant to this picture or they didn’t sound quite general enough. So, I’ll just leave Zuko’s whisperings up to you, but if someone thinks of something absolutely perfect for this, I’ll use it and submit it with the words. So, if you can think of one, let me know.

Avatar is going to continue to air on Monday, July 14th. As always, Zutara Forever!