Zutara Week 2013 - Day 7

*sighs* last day.... so bittersweet....

This easily was my favorite piece I did all week! I just adore directional lighting. :-D Being the last day, I did want to make this special -- so while this doesn't really need a story to make a setting -- I'll do one anyway. Love you! It's been a great week and I'm super excited to reveal a project I've been working on in the next few weeks! Keep an eye out for it and as always, even though it wasn't canon -- SCREW IT! Zutara FOREVER!

-----

Katara sat along the porch railing on Zuko's beach house on Ember Island. It'd been a long day -- training with the entire gaang, doing laundry, fixing dinner, mending her brother's seven pairs of pants and three pairs of socks, and on top of all that -- having to sit through that stupid play. Spirits, she should have slapped her brother when he mentioned it. At first she was intrigued -- I mean, how was it that a little water bending nobody from the South Pole would ever even fathom having their life acted out on stage -- with an audience?! Right now, she'd trade it all for a bottle of ricewine from Ozai's liquor cabinet.

It wasn't just the play though.

The lie sounded stupid even to herself. It was the intermission. Aang had kissed her -- again -- yet again without warning and without consent. She wanted to tell him so many times she didn't feel that way about him, but never wanting to hurt his feelings knowing how skittish Aang could be. The last thing they needed was him disappearing... She had come to the point where she hoped one day she'd feel the same and they'd live happily every after -- traveling the world, having tons of babies, growing old -- all that jazz -- but after the kiss tonight -- she knew he wasn't the one. There was no spark. She didn't feel any of that sweeping feeling of weightlessness and love Suki told her about. It was just -- his lips on hers. Nothing else. With that thought, she let out a dramatic sigh and pressed her face into her hands.

From where she sat, she knew she shouldn't be moping as much. That was usually Zuko's job. The name in her mind stirred up an even more awkward memories for her. Seeing the two of them played out on stage -- being romantic during the painful exchange of words and ultimate betrayal in the crystal catacombs. It was an obvious lie -- and the betrayal of Zuko made her forget exact what she felt in that cave. Take away the hurt of the aftermath -- and she remembered. Hearing about his mother -- seeing him as a boy just two years older than her in just as much pain. Hearing about his scar -- and wanting nothing more than to take that pain away. She would have to. But that wasn't the only thing she wanted to do. When she touched his face, her fingers on his scar and her thumb accidentally brushing his warm soft lips. She remembered this strange feeling of wanting to kiss those lips. She still didn't know where that thought came from -- but she actually didn't mind the thought as much as she thought she would. She just summed it up to physical attraction -- because she never was able to deny -- Zuko WAS very handsome -- and from the stories she heard during her travelers, kissing a firebender was incredible -- their bodies always warm, they're also unbelievably passionate, and --

"What are you doing?" a raspy voiced asked from seemingly nowhere.

Katara jumped and 'eeped'. Her blue eyes wide as she tried to descern the person beside her, her fingers struggling to find her water pounch, silently cursing herself that she forgot it when she changed into her normal watertribe clothes after the play. Her heartbeat slowing slightly, she finally looked at the figure and noticed the amber eyes cutting through the dark night.

"Spirits, Zuko! You scared the crap out of me." Katara grumbled, feeling her heartbeat still pounding in her chest when the object of her less than pure thoughts standing in front of her. "I'm just thinking. You know -- recovering from that stupid play."

"Same here. Couldn't sleep -- so, just thought -- well... " he muttered. "Mind if I join you?"

"Suit yourself." she replied, scooting over slightly.

"Thanks." he replied, sitting to her left.

"So, everyone else asleep?" she asked after a few quiet moments.

"Yeah. Between Sokka and Toph's snoring, it's amazing anyone can sleep in there." Zuko replied dryly.

Katara laughed softly at that.

"You seem quiet tonight. You okay?" Zuko asked turning to her.

Katara's eyes finally adjusted to the night and she could now see his face clearly. His pale skin having a louminous glow in the moonlight that wasn't being obscured by the dark clouds. His features soft and the smoldering amber in his eyes making her throat become dry. She wanted to stay the standard 'i'm fine' but the gentleness in Zuko's eyes surprised her. They were friends now -- good friends. They'd been through so much and ever since the trip to find Yon Ra -- surprisingly close. They spoke sometimes for hours on end and between sparring and Zuko helping with chores and dinner -- they just found out they had a lot on common. Even more than what they knew of each other in those crystal caves. They were both easily angered, loud, passionate, strong work ethic, and stubborn as all hell. "No." she finally said turning her face from him.

"I knew it. You've been -- different -- since we got back from the play... and I think I know why."

Too afraid to interrupt -- she waited for him to elaborate.

"You're still angry about the cave aren't you?" Zuko asked, his eyes full of the guilt and sorrow he buried so long ago.

"No! No no no! That's not it at all..." Katara said, kind of relieved he didn't see what happened during the intermission. "I forgave you a long time ago for that.

"Then what is it?" Zuko asked. That question she was afraid of.

"It's Aang."

"You worried he won't defeat my father?"

"No. Not that. I mean, we've been training him like crazy -- I know he'll do it. It's just --"

"What?"

"He -- he kissed me! ...During the intermission." Katara finally looked at Zuko and was taken aback by the fire she saw spark in his eyes before it disappeared.

"...Oh." he replied after a moment. He turned his head away and suddenly found the floor beneath his feet very interesting. "You kiss him back?" he finally asked.

"No." she said quickly. "The thing is -- I thought I would eventually feel the same as he does for me! I thought it coming so close to the end it would only intensify, but it just isn't there! I want him to be happy! I do! He's the Avatar! He's done so much! He deserves to be! Maybe I'm just selfish, I don't know! It's just everything is so... Ugh, and you know I thought it was just because it's so close to the end of the war I as second guessing things -- but it's more than that! It's just... "

"Complicated." he finished. He looked at her with soft understanding.

"Yeah... Complicated." Katara breathed, her eyes looking at her lap.

"You know..." Zuko continued. "It's not fair that you're only thinking on his side of things."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you deserve to be happy too, Katara."

Katara's eyes widened before she looked at the Prince sitting next to her. His eyes warm, a soft smile on his handsome face. She felt more than heard the rain trickling on the roof above them. The soft thunder rumbling across the sky.

"You know, I once thought I deserved this scar. For speaking out of turn -- for not being the perfect Prince my father wanted. Chasing Aang all over the world for three years... I don't think I smiled once in those years. Even after Ba Sing Sei, going home -- thinking I finally had all I ever wanted -- I wasn't happy. But after joining you guys -- For once in my life, I found somewhere I kinda belonged. I realized I didn't deserve all the bad things that happened to me -- but as hard as it is for me to believe it sometimes -- we all deserve to be happy -- even if it goes against something we once believed to be the truth. When you asked me to heal my scar -- I jumped at the chance thinking it's what I wanted -- it would make me happy. I hate to admit but even if you did heal it that day -- my betrayal would have been the same. It was because inside, I was still that same angry bitter person. I wanted go home and it wasn't how I thought it would be. At home with my father, sister, girlfriend -- the same. You may not believe it, but you guys actually changed my outlook. My father was still cold -- my sister -- still the biggest bitch on the planet -- even my old girlfriend -- I realized that she didn't much care for the new me. She wanted to be the way it was before I had left. But that old me was dead and gone. It was then I soon realized it would never be the same -- it didn't change -- but I did. And I now realized I had been wrong this whole time. I came home to find my honor -- when I never lost it in the first place. My father could never take it away -- and he didn't. The scar he did give me was I think the greatest thing that could have happened to me. It made me who I am... and the Firelord I need to be. But even with that -- we all deserve to be happy. Even if it's not originally what you'd picture it to be."

Katara looked at Zuko -- as if seeing him for the first time. The confidence on his face and glow in his eyes made her realize just how far he'd come. Was that only a year ago? She realized in a moment his eyelids had lowered slightly. She looked at him realizing his hand now on hers, her fingers interlocking immedietely. She met his eyes and saw the obvious longing. Had that always been there? Like gravity, she felt compelled to draw closer to his warmth like a moth to the flame. Their lips met halfway. Katara felt the butterflies rising in her chest when she met his warm lips. She felt Zuko's lips curve into a smile and she couldn't help but do the same.

Both didn't really know when it happened -- but slowly, a spark that ignited so long ago grew into a life all it's own. Sitting underneath the lightening flashing across the night sky and soft thunder, two once enemies realized that destiny truly was a funny thing.