#Katara and I are going to have tea to relieve the frustration.

[the-genius-az]

Why do you like teenage pregnancies so much? Did you have a baby when you were a teenager or what?

Thank you for asking kindly, Amor!

It's something personal, and when I was six years old I had to take care of my little brother when he was born, because my parents worked, (my little brother was not planned) so I took charge.

Luckily my brother was a calm baby, but it was still stressful taking care of someone at a very young age, having someone depend on you is overwhelming because YOU ALSO depend on someone.

And I romanticized having a baby at a young age (still do), to relieve stress. We're good now! My brother does not depend on me now, although he still sees me as his other father/mother figure.

PS: That's why the character I most identify with in Atla is Katara.

[infinitefandomimagines]

Scarred - Zuko x Reader

WARNINGS: ARGUING, BURN SCARS, ANGST

-

REQUEST: zuko x reader where the reader is the last one to forgive zuko at the western air temple bc he accidentally hurt her in the crystal catacombs and than zuko goes to her tent, begging for forgiveness and she shows him the scar he gave her and it’s super fluffy:33

-

"Y/N. . . what do you say?" All eyes landed on you, waiting for your response to Aang's question. However, there was only one pair of eyes in particular you glared back at; and if looks could kill, the recently renounced Fire Nation prince in front of you would've surely met his demise right then. But Zuko knew how to hold himself in front of those who wanted to intimidate him. If there was anything his father taught him, it was that much.

Despite your fiery stare and previous threats from the first time he pleaded for forgiveness that you'd "knock him on his ass" if he ever came near you again, he kept his composure. There was no doubt in his mind you'd stay true to that warning, which is why he made sure to keep enough distance between the two of you.

There was a hopeful gleam in his eyes, so far Aang, Sokka, Katara, and Toph had agreed to let him join the team, albeit some more hesitantly than others. If everyone else found it in their hearts to forgive and forget, surely you could as well. Wrong.

"No."

You saw the last bit of hope fizzle from his eyes as defeat weighed down on him, causing his shoulders to sink and his head to drop. "I know you don't trust me, I don't blame you. I've done horrible things, hurt you and your friends-"

"You can't even begin to imagine the amount of pain you've caused me!" Your words held a venomous sting, yet your tone was strained, calm almost.

"Y/N," Katara stepped up behind you, her voice was soft. You could barely feel the hand she'd placed on your left shoulder, thick and itchy bandages blocking her attempt at comfort. "I don't like it either, but Aang needs to learn fire bending."

"I really believe he's changed, give him a chance to-"

You cut Aang off, finally breaking your gaze from Zuko to face the young monk. "He's already had too many chances!"

No one could admit that you were wrong, not even Zuko. Because every time he'd faught against your little group of rag-tag heroes, you'd given him a chance. Even while the rest of team avatar faught the exiled prince, you never threw a single blow that wasn't defensive or to save your friends. Instead, you'd offer him a chance to join the right side. Of course, he never accepted, but you saw the benefits of your kindness when he'd began to show a sense of mercy against you. There was something in your head telling you he was more than just a villain.

But that mindset changed when you and the gang faught against him and his sister in the crystal catacombs. When Aang almost died. When he chose the Fire Nation's side. When he'd made sure to leave you a permanent reminder of that day.

After a few moments of tense silence, you let out an impatience scoff. "Leave, Zuko. I gave you my answer, the least you can do is respect it."

Reluctantly, he nodded, mumbling out an apology before turning on his heels. He only got in a few steps before Aang interjected.

"Zuko, stop."

He did, glancing over his shoulder, ready to hear what Aang had to say.

"I'm sorry, Y/N, but Zuko is staying. I need need to learn fire bending and he's my only option. I really believe he's changed for the better."

"You don't have to forgive him, but Aang's right, we need him," Sokka added in, to which Toph agreed.

You took in their words, it was obvious they weren't up for debate. You hated that they were right, you all did need Zuko, no matter your current opinion on him.

"Fine," you sighed, looking at Zuko, who was now standing awkwardly with his hands behind his back. "But stay away from me."

Over the next few days, Zuko had somehow managed to gain the complete and utter trust of everyone, even Katara. Everyone except you. Then again, you hadn't had your "life changing field trip with Zuko" that made everyone seemingly forget about everything he'd ever done to them. Field trip or not, earning your trust wasn't going to be that easy. You didn't care how many times he made everybody tea and told cringey jokes.

"Where did you learn to make so many different types of tea?" Aang inquired, causing everyone to look at Zuko, wanting to hear his answer.

Zuko returned to his seat around the fire between Toph and Aang, finally finished handing out small cups of tea. "My uncle, it's his favorite thing to make, he even owned a tea shop at one point."

"You mean the one you betrayed," you deadpanned coldly. You flicked your eyes up from the warm cup of tea in your hands to Zuko, wanting to see his reaction.

His smile faultered, and katara shot a disapproving look at you. For a second you felt guilty, maybe that was too far. He looked genuinely hurt by your comment, but soon another emotion took over his features. You could see it in the way he clenched his jaw and sat up straighter.

"Yeah. That one." His tone was one of poorly restrained bitterness, you'd definitely struck a nerve.

You hummed in response, refusing to break eye contact with him, like you were challenging him to say something equally as cold, but he didn't take the bait. Instead, he took a deep breath, just like his uncle taught him.

"I don't get it," He asked, frustrated and fed up with your snarky comments and side eyes. "Everyone else trusts me, why can't you?"

"You really have to ask?"

Katara could feel the tension and awkwardness of the impending argument hanging over everyone. This wasn't the time nor place to be having this conversation.

"I think now would be a good time for another healing session," she interjected, giving you a look that informed you she wasn't exactly asking. With a frustrated huff, you stood up and made your way to your tent, not even waiting for Katara to follow.

You plopped down onto your sleeping bag, sitting with your left side towards the opening.

Katara was there in a few minutes, holding a medium sized bowl of water in her hands. She gently set it down on the ground, taking a seat on your sleeping bag as well, facing your left side.

You tugged your left sleeve down so you could free it. With your shoulder now exposed, she carefully removed the bandages that covered your shoulder and the side of your neck, revealing the red and scarred skin hidden underneath.

"How does it look?" You asked, attempting to ignore the itchy feeling of the fresh air hitting your wound.

"It's healing, slowly" she answered as she conjured the water from the bowl and molded it with her hands. She purified the liquid, causing it it glow. Slowly, she lowered it until the cool water molded over your injured skin. You clenched your teeth and whimpered at the sudden sting the contact made, but then Katara started making circular motions with her hands, beginning the healing process. The stinging pain soon morphed into a comforting cold and relieving sensation.

Katara had done this for you and Aang multiple times since the gang escaped from that wretched crystal catacomb. As much progress as your skin had made in healing, you couldn't seem to wipe the painful memories of how you'd recieved such a wound from your mind. You could remember the events so vividly it was as if they'd happened yesterday.

You were stalling, Zuko and Azula knew that, yet they didn't seem to mind. If anything, Azula enjoyed watching you struggle to give your friends more time. You needed to stall them long enough for Aang to fully enter the avatar state, that's all.

"Come on, Zuko, you know what needs to be done!" Azula coaxed.

"No! You still have a chance Zuko, you can still make this right!" You could see the conflict rising in him as you and Azula tugged at his morals.

There was a moment, a single second where his emotions betrayed him, where you could see how badly he wanted to go with you and the gang. But it was gone just as fast as it came.

"I will kill the avatar and restore my honor, as well as my rightful place beside my father!" He launched into action, sending overpowering blows your way.

He kept you distracted and unable to help your friends long enough for Azula to strike down Aang. Your head snapped towards Katara's screams and you saw him laying there, completely unconscious.

You were distracted, and Zuko impulsively took advantage, sending a blast of orange and red flames towards you.

In all honesty, he expected you to dodge it, you always did without fail. But this time you were too distracted, too concerned with Aang, and he caught you completely off guard. You didn't even realize you were being attacked until the flames painfully scorched your skin.

You let out a horrifying scream as you crumbled to your knees, your shaky hand hovering over your left shoulder as you tried to control your instinct to grab it, knowing it would only hurt worse. You clenched your teeth together, biting back tears as you whipped your head around go see Zuko.

He looked shocked, remorseful even, but that didn't stop anger from edging its way into your glare.

You shuddered at the memory and tried to shake it from your head completely.

"You're all done," Katara said, maneuvering the water back into the bowl. A dull ache returned to your wound, but it felt significantly better than before.

"Thanks, Katara," you mumbled.

"Do you need help rewrapping the bandages?"

You shook your head, preferring to be alone and do the difficult task by yourself. Katara seemed to understand, because she didn't push the issue like she usually would. Instead, she left you with a few words.

"What you said was too far tonight, you should really apologize to Zuko, he is trying you know?"

She didn't wait for a response, not that you planned on giving much of one anyway, but soon you were alone, relishing in the peaceful silence.

But your silence didn't last long, just a few minutes after Katara left there was a whispering voice just outside your tent. It was unmistakable who'd come to visit you, and with great reluctance did you let him in.

"What do you want?" you asked, annoyance filling your voice. You refused to make eye contact with the boy, opting to stare at the mess of tangled bandages in your hands.

Your question was met with silence, that only seemed to worsen your mood. Really? He invades your tent just to ignore your one question? This guy was just unbelievable!

You could feel yourself loosing your temperature once again. "I said, what do you-" Your head snapped up at Zuko, ready to tell him off. But you froze when you saw his gaze, and how it held your figure. His jaw was slack, and his eyes swam as tears pooled at his lash-line. But his eyes never met yours. No, his focus was completely on the uncovered scar that graced your left side.

Your shoulder had taken most of the impact, just shy of being completely colored with a dull red scar. But the wound didn't stop there, covering a decent portion of your shoulder blade. The red marking also stretched up in a jagged stripe, narrowing to a point on the side of your neck, just barely marking your cheek.

You hated how you shuddered under his gaze, and had to look away. Your fingers moving faster as your tried to unravel the tangled bandage. You wanted to cover the burned area as soon as possible.

"I- I did that." It wasn't a question. He spoke purely in matter-of-fact statements, he knew exactly where you'd received your mark from.

"Yeah." You said sharply, picking up the bandage and moving to re-wrap the large wound.

"I . . . I am so sorry-"

"You've said."

Re-wrapping the affected area was proving to be more difficult than you'd thought, especially in your heightened state or frustration. Usually Katara did this part, and you were starting to regret sending her away.

"Please, let me help you," Zuko pleaded, reaching a shaky hand out to grasp at the bandage in your grip. You immediately flinched away from him, the sudden movement sending a sharp pain through your left side.

"Stay away from me!" You bit at him.

Zuko immediately pulled his hand back from you, as if he'd burned you unintentionally for a second time. "I'm sorry," he impulsively spilled out.

"Would you stop saying that? Stop apologizing, nothing is going to make me- ow!" Your own pain cut your sentence short, the sharp pain returning, sending another shock wave up your side at your frustrated movements.

"I'm so- just, please, let me help you and then I'll leave you alone, I promise."

You took a moment to think about the offer, and as much as you didn't want his help, the promise for him to leave is what enticed you to agree. So reluctantly, you handed him the bandages and positioned yourself closer to him, allowing Zuko to access your wound and wrap it with ease.

With slow movements, Zuko began wrapping the burned area. His touch was suprisingly gentle, even more so than Katara's, something you hadn't thought possible. But even with his feather-like touch, your skin still twitched as his fingers and the bandages made contact with the more sensitive areas. Zuko muttered out small apologies each time you flinched, despite your earlier message to stop that. Though the skin had begun the early stages of scarring, it was still sensitive.

"Uh, d-did I ever tell you how I got my scar?" Zuko asked suddenly, not even bothering to look up from his task. You knew what he was doing, he'd been doing things like that since he got here, trying to make small talk with you to cover up the awkward tension. You usually never entertained it, but for some reason tonight you felt intrigued by his question.

"No." You answered shortly, trying your best not to show your growing interest. You'd always been curious about the scar.

"My father gave it to me," he stated, oddly calmly. It was almost mindless the way he told the story as he continued to carefully wrap up your injury. Like the memory had become second nature to tell.

"Oh," you whispered out softly, your mind buzzing with a million different ways to respond to him, yet none of them felt right.

"I spoke out of turn during a meeting, over a general. They wanted to sacrifice an entire division of fire nation soldiers to gain the advantage. But I-," He swallowed thickly. ". . . I thought that was wrong so I spoke up."

You nodded ever so slightly, letting out a soft hum, showing that you were still listening and waiting for him to continue. At this point Zuko had finished wrapping the bandages around your burn, allowing you to turn your body to face him fully.

"My father was furious with my disrepect towards the general. He said that the dispute would need to be resolved with an agni kai, and I accepted. And when the day came I thought I'd be fighting the general I interrupted, but then my father walked out, my agni kai was to be against him."

With each word you felt your heart grow heavier and ache for the boy you swore you hated. You were beginning to question whether you genuinely hated him or if what you truly felt was left over betrayal and anger.

"How old were you?" You finally asked the question that had been bouncing around your head since he began the story.

"Thirteen, not long before I was banished."

You felt yourself boil with anger, but for once it wasn't directed towards the boy in front of you. No, you were furious with the Fire Lord. Who could do that to someone? To a child. Zuko must not have noticed the way your jaw clenched and your fists tightened into balls, because he continued the story as if he hadn't just made your heart drop into your stomach with his answer.

"I didn't want to fight my father, I couldn't. But he took my refusal as another sign of disrespect. I begged for his forgiveness, but he wouldn't hear it. He claimed that I would learn my lesson through suffering. He raised his hand just in front of my face and then he-"

His voice caught in his throat with a crack as he visibly grimaced from the sheer memory of the event. Instinctively, you reached out for his hand, placing yours over top of his much larger one. Now it was his turn to flinch at the sudden contact.

"Zuko, it's okay, you don't have to tell me this, I understand-"

"No! I do! I need you to understand that I never meant to hurt you! I need you to know that the last thing I wanted was for you to feel the same pain I did. After what my father did, I never wanted to inflict that on anyone. I knew that pain and yet I still hurt you . . . the one person who actually believed I could change!"

His hands flew into the air as his frustrated yells of regret were lost to the silent night. He then exasperatedly brought his arms back down and dropped his head into the palms of his hands. His body shook as he took in deep breaths, trying his best not to shed any tears. He was just so frustrated with himself.

"I thought you would dodge it," His muffled whimpers poured out. "You always dodged it."

It was then that you realized how cold you'd been to the boy. You were so caught up in your own hurt and anger, only concerned with making him feel as horrible as you had with your hurtful words. Not once had you considered that he was already kicking himself ten times harder for the pain he'd caused you. He really hadn't meant to hurt you.

And that's when you did something unexpected. In an impulsive attempt to comfort him, you threw your arms around his neck, pulling him in to a hug. His breath hitched, obviously shocked by the gesture, his body going stiff.

"I understand now, I forgive you, Zuko."

At those seven words he melted into your embrace, returning it as he wrapped his arms around your figure. His chin now rested on top of your good shoulder, as he was being extra cautious as to not press on your burns.

"And I'm sorry, for what I said about you and your uncle. He'd be proud of you."

His grip on you tighten, mumbling out a 'thank you,' in the process, finally feeling as though he could fully begin healing from all the wrong he'd done.

-

TAGLIST: @theepartygetsmewetter  

[passable-talent]

| part 1 | part 2 |

this storyline might end up being long 👀 so in order for me to get to other requests I’m gonna not continue it until someone requests an extension again. thanks y’all 💕💕

edit: EIGHT MILLION PEOPLE HAVE ASKED FOR THIS TO BE CONTINUED IT WILL BE U ITS OKAY

edit: | part 4 | part 5 | part 6 | part 7 | part 8 |

Rice seemed to be the morning meal. There was an abundance of it, and it was filling, and you wouldn’t complain, as you had food at all. What was weird, though, was standing beside Zuko as you waited for Katara to scoop you your serving.

As soon as you got your portion you left his side, making a beeline to Toph, sitting down beside her on the edge of the fountain.

“I’ve been practicing my seismics,” you told her, and she didn’t much acknowledge you other than a quick nod. You weren’t wearing shoes, as you tended not to in the morning, and you pressed the flat of your foot into the floor.

“Watch this,” you said, and you closed your eyes as you put a scoop of rice to your mouth. At the same time, you dug your toe into the ground, sending a small stone up under Sokka.

He shot up from the floor and rubbed his behind, scowling. Toph, on the other hand, burst out laughing.

“Toph!” Sokka shouted, a slight waiver in his voice with the cracking of his throat.

“It wasn’t me!” She said back, still laughing. Sokka turned his gaze to you, almost glaring, and you gave him back a charming, innocent smile.

Despite yourself, your eyes flicked for a moment to Zuko, and you found him with a smile on his face.

You had missed that smile, and you hadn’t known it until now.

Aang and Zuko disappeared for a while to rediscover Zuko’s firebending, which you thought was hilarious. Of course he loses his firebending, right when you need him to be a firebender. You spend the few days they were gone practicing your earthbending and wrestling with your emotions, but you got no further than you’d gotten the night he came and talked to you.

You still cared for him. And that made you angry sometimes.

When he returned with Aang, once again capable of firebending, you were glad that Aang once again had his teacher. But you were also glad that Zuko was back. You, just like Katara, were slowly learning to laugh at him, or with him, depending on the day. You were letting your guard down, bit by bit, and allowing yourself to look at him more and more.

There was this... tension whenever the two of you were in the same room. It was like neither of you were quite willing to speak first, out of pride or awkwardness or something of the like. You couldn’t tell what he was feeling, but to you it felt like there was something just out of reach, blocking you from taking a step closer to forgiving him. It frustrated you, because you did miss the friendship you once had with him.

One night, while the rest of the group were sitting around a fire, you decided to take your anger out on some rocks. So you travelled up the cliff side, to where you could pitch stones around without worrying about destroying the temple. You began by practicing your forms, the strong stances that earthbending martial arts were known for, but with the adrenaline and anger you felt you soon moved to different techniques. Earthbending’s kicks were very contact based- as though you would hit the body and stop. But your lean stature made it easier for you to practice other types of kicks, those that spun or involved jumps. It made the rocks move differently, but you knew that if you could master the style of earthbending that fit your frame, you’d be more unpredictable in battle.

That was the logic. Sometimes, you just needed to spin and jump and land with an impact. Sometimes you just needed to stomp and pretend it was the fire lord’s face underneath your foot, or Azula you launched that boulder into instead of a tree. You tried to picture one of your boulders knocking Zuko down a few pegs, but you couldn’t. He was being so kind- he made tea for the group and tried to make you all laugh. He helped Aang learn firebending, and offered to light a fire in your bedroom to keep you warm on a particularly cold day.

You couldn’t hold a grudge against him. Your grip on your anger was wearing away, and leaving behind what you realized was the root of it all, leaving behind that wall that had blocked you from stepping closer to him.

Fear.

You were afraid of how close you had once been to him. You were afraid that it would be all too easy to fall into old habits, and you’d be left betrayed once again. You were afraid of how much he meant to you, all this time.

And fear made you lash out.

You spun and dug your knuckles into the ground to launch a few stones into the air, the thit as they impacted with a tree satisfying to your ears. The rumbling of the earth as you pulled it’s rock from the ground made you feel better, and the slight stinging pain in your joints reminded you of your power, because even if you couldn’t control Zuko and your emotions, you could control the earth.

“Y/N?” Zuko’s voice startled you so deeply that a hunk of rock was punched in his direction before you even registered it was him, at which point you pulled your fist back and threw it to the ground, reversing the stone headed right for Zuko and burying it back in the dirt.

“Sorry,” you said, breathing hard with eyes wide. You’d almost smacked him. With a boulder. That would’ve been bad. “You scared me.” He laughed worriedly, reaching up to scratch the back of his head.

“Well you got me back,” he said, looking for a moment at the stone you’d put back into the ground after almost flattening him with it. He turned his gaze back to you. “Can I tell you something that you can’t tell anyone else?” You furrowed your eyebrows, but nodded.

“I have a feeling Sokka is going to do something very stupid tonight, and I’m not going to let him go alone. So I don’t know how long we’ll be gone, and I didn’t want to go without saying goodbye.” All sorts of emotions came rushing up your throat, and you frowned.

“What’s he trying to do that you don’t know how long it’s going to be?” You asked, before you could stop yourself. Knowing that he may not answer that question, you followed it up with a few more. “Is it dangerous? Do you think you’ll be gone more than a day?”

“There’s no way to know,” he said, and looked to the side. “It might be a few days.” You swallowed hard, one hand coming up to squeeze your other bicep. There was silence, for a moment, other than the croaking of the badger frogs in the forest.

“I, uh,” you let slip out, and you swallowed hard. “Just stay safe and come back, okay?” Your eyes caught his, and you found vulnerability swimming in them. You knew he must’ve seen the same.

“Yeah,” he said, and turned to renter the temple. You watched him walk away for a moment, overwhelming worry and dread overtaking you and keeping you rooted to your spot.

“Zuko?” You finally forced out, and he turned back to you. You broke from your stance and ran forward, wrapping his torso in a hug before you thought enough to stop yourself. You closed your eyes tightly, as though if you didn’t see him, you wouldn’t know how he reacted.

His arms came around your shoulders and he held you tightly, resting his nose down and onto your shoulder.

“Thanks for telling me,” you said, and he nodded. You pulled away and let him go, your hand pressed to the dirt to sense him as he travelled back down to the temple.

He was gone the next morning, along with Sokka. You kept your mouth shut, knowing that it wasn’t a fishing trip at all, and waited, simmering with the knowledge he’d given you. Your curse was the worst of all, as you knew that they were doing something dangerous, but you didn’t know what. You could only hope that they’d come back. And when they did, they brought with them Hakoda and Suki. It was a great surprise, and you hugged him when he returned.

You were relieved to see him alive.

He hugged you back, tightly, as though he was struggling with something, and you watched him when he pulled away.

“I need to talk to you,” he said, not meeting your eyes.

“Okay, why?”

“I ran into Mai.”

-🦌 Roe

[sol-tinyrayofsun]

Zutara Week Day 6 - Affirm:  It Was Always You (Falling For Me)

This little story has been on my mind for quite some time now and I somehow made it work with the prompt. It’s really fluffy, ridiculous, and features a lot of Toph’s brilliance to mess with her friends yet always meaning well. I just had a good time writing it, it was honestly a fun ride.

I hope you enjoy it! As always, thank you for reading! Feedback and comments are always appreciated! <3 In case you prefer it, also on AO3! Title: It Was Always You (Falling For Me)

Rating: G

Summary: When Katara let Toph convince her of giving Zuko a love potion to make him fall in love with her, she knew the chances of the plan going sideways were extremely high. Still, the last thing she expected was for Zuko to act normal. Painfully normal. Operation “Sparky Falling For Sugar Queen” turns out to be a little too complicated. (Set after Ember Island Players but before Sozin’s Comet).

----- “Pst! Katara!”

The waterbender tilted her head. The kitchen appeared to be empty. Still, she could hear someone calling for her, loud and clear. She had been busy making sure they had everything ready for lunch around Zuko’s holiday house at Ember Island. 

“Katara!” There it was, that voice again. “Listen up, Sugar Queen!”

Wait for a second, that was Toph’s voice. Definitely. 

“Toph?” She asked, walking around the room. “Where on earth are you?”

“Inside the broomstick closet!” Toph chuckled. “Come here for a sec.”

Katara did as she said. Once she opened the door, she found Toph mischievously smirking, holding a little bottle in her hands. 

“So, what is it?” 

“This!” Toph replied, showing off the bottle with a grin on her face. “This is what I wanted to show you!”

“And you were hidden with all those broomsticks because…” 

“Dramatic effect, Sugar Queen, never underestimate it,” she said, stepping into the kitchen hall. “Now, aren’t you going to ask what this is for?”

“Sure, Toph,” Katara let out an amused sigh. “Why is it so important?

“How do you feel about having some fun at Sparky’s expenses?”

In all honesty, the idea sounded tempting. After the dreadful night Katara had endured with that stupid play just days ago, she could use more than a little fun. Although Toph’s idea of fun could sometimes be questionable, at the very least.

“Hold up. What do you have in mind?”

“This little thing,” Toph shook the bottle up in the air. “It’s a temporary love potion.”

Katara broke down in a scandalous laugh. “Yeah, and where did you get that from?”

Toph made a defensive frown. “Hey, it’s the real deal! I bought it from a weird old lady in town. She wasn’t lying, I swear.”

“Alright, I believe you. And what do you suggest we do with it?” 

“Yes, that’s the attitude!” she celebrated. “According to the weirdo, two drops of this stuff and you can make anyone fall at your feet. All you need is for the other person to consume it while looking at you. And I just thought, wouldn’t it be hilarious if Zuko just happened to suddenly be crazy in love with you? That play inspired me, that’s all I’m saying.”

Well, that sounded like a recipe for disaster. Especially considering the way that play had contributed to her latest confusion regarding her feelings for two very powerful - and very different - benders. Still, it was a tempting offer. 

“Toph, that’s insane!” Hesitation could be heard in her voice. “Trust me, pranking Zuko would be entertaining, but we cannot force him to be forever in love with me! I mean, what on earth would we do then? Seems a little cruel to me.”

“See? That’s the catch. It’s temporary. Two drops would only make him fall in love with you for a couple of days, tops. Come on! I thought you had been introduced to the concept of fun.”

Spirits, screw it. Two days of some harmless fun, how bad could it be? She could use a little distraction from the constant stress they were all under.

“Are you sure the effect will wear off?” 

“Absolutely. Say yes, please! You know I can always do it without you. Or to you.” A mischievous smile framed her face. “You know you want to torture Sparky a little bit.”

“Alright… Let’s do it. But if anything goes sideways it’s your responsibility.” 

“Heck yeah! That’s the spirit!” Toph gave her an affectionate punch in the shoulder. “Oh man, this is going to be too fun to watch!”

And so operation “Sparky falling for Sugar Queen” was put into motion. The two girls would prepare some tea - which would undoubtedly bribe Zuko in there - and make sure he was left alone with Katara when it came to drinking it. Toph would oversee everything from a cautious distance. It was the craziest, most random idea ever. But it sure sounded like fun.

 Once everything was ready, Katara waited for Zuko in the kitchen. Needless to say, she was feeling a tad nervous. Waiting by the countertop, staring at the two teacups in front of her, she felt her heart racing on her chest. 

It was just for two days. And it would certainly be nice to laugh with Toph about Zuko’s ridiculous lovey-dovey attitude. Most importantly, she wouldn’t even dream to risk Toph giving her the concoction. No, her feelings were already messy enough without the help of any love potion. 

“Katara, are you in here?” Zuko’s voice interrupted her overthinking. “Toph said you made tea for me…?”

Time for the show. She put on her brightest smile as Zuko sat down in front of her. 

“Yes! You seemed so tired this morning, figured you could use a little boost.” 

She handed him the cup with the two drops mixed in the tea. 

Zuko gifted her with a thankful smile. “Thank you, that’s very nice of you.”

Nice of me… Yeah, sure. Just drink the tea and look at me. 

He started drinking, only to stop after a few sips to have a little chat.

“So, Aang’s training is looking decent,” he started saying. “But I can tell he’s getting increasingly anxious. We might need to keep an eye on him, I wouldn’t want him to start avoiding our sessions.” 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Katara intervened. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t slack on his training. Drink your tea, it’ll get cold otherwise.”

“Alright, alright,” he complied, looking into her eyes. “Thanks again for making it.” 

Katara observed him as he drank the whole thing in one go. Her golden eyes staring at her with an amused shine to them. She wondered how Zuko being in love with her would be like. He didn’t exactly give off the cheesy type vibes, though she knew how much of a dork he actually was. If you fall in love because of a potion, you’re pretty much doomed to grandiloquent gestures and infatuated declarations, right? Well, she wasn’t an expert on the subject. But she did know a thing or two about having feelings for someone.

Toph sneaked into the kitchen, placing her hands on Zuko’s shoulders and giving them one tight squeeze. “Hello there, Sparky, how are you feeling on this lovely day?” 

“Hey Toph,” he greeted her. “Much better after that tea, actually.”

Despite the perfectly normal response, Toph continued with her attack.

“You know what? Sugar Queen over here confessed to me this morning that she felt she looked terrible. I’m clearly not the best judge when it comes to looks.” The vicious smile on her face was a little too obvious. “How is she looking today, Sparky? Isn’t she stunning as usual?”

Oh, no. Katara felt herself blushing. The whole operation had quickly turned into Toph having fun at the expenses of both her and Zuko. But in all honesty, how could she had ever expected otherwise?

“Um, well,” Zuko mumbled, his eyes glued to the countertop. “She looks just the same to me. Like you said, um, she’s got her usual look.”

Katara wished Toph could see the look of utter confusion in her eyes. That was not the response she had imagined. 

Zuko abruptly stood up. “Alright, I think I’ll get back to training. See you two later,” he greeted them. “Oh, and Katara. Thanks again for the tea.”

‘Thanks for the tea’? So much for romantic gestures. 

Toph grasped her arm as soon as Zuko was out the door. 

“What on earth? That was the least romantic interaction ever.” The earthbender exclaimed, looking frustrated. 

“Hey, let’s give it some time. Maybe the effect hasn’t kicked in yet.” 

“Okay, we’ll wait. Man, what a bummer. I was fully expecting him to start a rant about how beautiful you are.” Toph threw her hands up in the air, grunting.

“Patience, we’ll get there,” Katara reassured her.

But am I even sure I want to get there? 

Deep down, a part of her was hoping for it.

The rest of the day was spent with Toph trying her best to get Zuko to do anything remotely romantic regarding Katara, in an attempt to kick off the love potion effects. Much to her frustration, nothing seemed to do the trick. Katara wasn’t sure what to think of it. Did she feel relieved, disappointed, or maybe even bored? Truth be told, it was kind of a mix of all three. 

Katara witnessed as Toph did everything she could. From suggesting they paired up in training all the way up to making them meditate together. All she got from Zuko was radio silence. Well, at least in the sense they were expecting. 

“Are you sure you don’t feel a little weird, Sparky?” Toph asked him for the millionth time during dinner. 

“Um, no? Why?” Zuko had a look of complete confusion on his face. 

“You sure you don’t feel a little more sparky than usual? Don’t you sense some new emotions?” Toph continued. “Anything different?”

“Alright, that’s enough Toph,” Katara interrupted. “You’re scaring the poor boy.”

“Yeah, Toph, what’s all that nonsense about?” Sokka asked. 

“Why should Zuko feel different?” Aang’s voice showed a tad of concern. 

“Nothing, nothing,” Toph replied. “Calm down, you all. I was just wondering.”

Katara noticed the annoyed frown on her friend’s face. She seemed pissed off by the lack of results, the whole plan had been her idea after all. 

After the meal, Suki stayed with them doing the dishes. 

“Are you two going to tell me what’s going on already?” she asked them, with her hands on her hips and an inquisitive look in her eyes. 

“Going on with what?” Toph played the innocent. “We’re just scraping plates.”

“Oh, come on! You have been acting weird all day! Especially you, Toph, asking Zuko the most random questions.”

“What do you say, Sugar Queen, should we tell her?” Toph asked.

“Sure, maybe she’ll even know why it’s not working,” Katara replied. “But Suki, promise not to tell any of the guys, alright?”

Suki let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine, just spill it.” 

“Okay, let me see. We made Sparky drink a love potion with his tea so he would fall in love with Katara. For two days. And before you ask, yes, it’s legit. Oh, but nothing’s happened yet.” Toph´s explanation was accompanied by a playful grin on her face. 

“You’re joking, right?” Suki asked with a sarcastic smirk. “Katara would never be on board with that.”

“Actually,” she said, blushing. “I thought it was kind of a fun idea.”

“Yeah, so much for fun since Sparky hasn’t shown any signs of love and it’s been hours! He should be acting all lovey-dovey already.”

Suki burst into laughter. “Spirits, that’s hilarious! You gave him a freaking love potion and he’s acting as usual?”

“I don’t get what you’re laughing about! Something’s seriously wrong with him! Or us!” Toph complained. “Katara, are you sure you didn’t drink the potion yourself?”

“Yes, Toph, I’m absolutely positive I gave him the cup with the two drops,” Katara replied. 

“Are you telling me you two don’t realize what’s going on?” Suki asked, an amused expression framing her face. “For being the ones to come up with this plan you seem rather clueless.”

A suspicion started to take shape into Katara’s mind. She couldn’t help but ask. “Suki, what are you talking about?” 

“Yeah, come on!” Toph urged her. “Do you know something that we don’t?”

Suki let out a soft giggle. “Well, let’s think about it. You gave Zuko a love potion to fall for Katara, right? Toph, you say it’s a legit one. But Zuko is acting painfully normal. Even though he is under the effects of the potion.”

“Your point is?” Toph was sitting down on the countertop with a desperate expression on her face. 

“If Zuko acts just as usual when he is supposed to be artificially in love with Katara… What do you think it’s the reason?”

“His heart is missing?” 

“The dose wasn’t strong enough?”

“No!” Suki exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. “He was already in love with her!”

Wait. What? That doesn’t make any sense.

“Spirits, Spirits, Spirits!!!” Toph jumped down the countertop, hands on her head, and on the verge of screaming. “That’s it! Suki, you’re a genius.”

Katara hadn’t even blinked. She was not even entirely sure she was still breathing. Zuko in love with her? It couldn’t be. He had even looked embarrassed by the way the play paired them together. Although she had acted embarrassed as well. And a part of her knew very well why. 

“Sugar Queen, I can’t believe I didn’t realize it sooner.” Toph poked her cheeks. “His heartbeat is all over the place whenever you’re around but again so is yours, and I thought it was just all that love/hate dynamic you’ve got going on. I had actually started to suspect he liked you, but Spirits, I didn´t realize he loves you.”

Love/hate, what? This can’t be happening.

Suki raised a brow. “Hold up, Toph, are you saying Katara’s heart beats faster when Zuko is around?”

“That’s a lie!” Katara exclaimed, snapping out. She couldn’t let her friends figure out the truth. “My heart is perfectly fine, thank you very much. And Zuko is not in love with me!”

“And I suppose you have unlimited access to his mind and that’s how you know that?” Toph deadpanned. 

“No… I - That’s unfair Toph,” she managed to mumble, feeling her heart starting to race on her chest.

“As unfair as the fact that you’re heart is betraying your words in this exact second,” Toph replied. 

Katara wished with all of her strength that the ground opened up and swallowed her. The entire operation had gone sideways. But not in the way she had originally expected. No, it was worse.

“Alright, alright,” Suki intervened. “Enough torturing with Katara, this was supposed to be about Zuko.”

“Thank you. Can we please go back to the point?” 

Toph let out an exasperated sigh. “The point is Zuko is in love with you, Sugar Queen. But not because of the love potion, it seems like he’s been head over heels for you way before drinking that tea.”

“I seriously can't believe you didn’t figure this out sooner,” Suki said. “The question is, what are you going to do about it, Kat?” 

That was a very good question indeed. One she had no answer for. 

“Why should I even do something about it?” Katara asked, a confused look in her eyes. 

“Because I think deep down you want to.” Suki’s tone got serious all of the sudden.

Toph placed a hand on her shoulder. “Sugar Queen, I’m sorry if my prank ended up bringing you a headache. But Suki’s right, you should confront him.”

“Confront him? We’re in the middle of a war! I don’t need any distractions.” Her head was spinning a little too fast.

“Says the girl who complied to give a love potion to Sparky,” Toph remarked.

“Katara, would you seriously prefer to have a lump on your throat until Aang has taken down Fire Lord Ozai?”

Truth be told, she would hate that. A part of her knew she had feelings for Zuko. For that poor firebender she had given a love potion to. Only to have the whole scheme backfire right on her face. Now, she had to stand up to it. 

“No.” She shook her head. “I wouldn’t prefer that.” 

“Then hear me out because I have a plan!” Toph exclaimed, enthusiasm written all over her face. “I know how to get one last bit of fun out of this failure of an operation.”

——

The next day went out according to what the girls had planned. Still hoping for at least a bit of extra romance on Zuko’s behalf - which, unsurprisingly, never occurred - the three of them acted normal all the way until the afternoon. 

After training, Toph cornered the poor Zuko on his way to the beach. Katara and Suki stayed at the shore, discreetly listening. 

“Sparky, this is your last chance!” Toph exclaimed.

“My last chance for what?” The look of sheer confusion on his face was priceless to say the least. 

“Come on! Please tell me you are feeling extra lovey-dovey and maybe I’ll let you walk away without making you even more uncomfortable.”

“Toph, I swear I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

“You’re telling me you don’t feel any special romantic feelings today?”

“Um, no?” His voice had a strain of nervousness to it.

“And what about regular feelings? Got them for anyone? Maybe for someone you drink a lot of tea with?”

“Uh - No? Um, Toph, can I please go now?” Zuko stuttered. 

“Ha! I knew it, you sneaky little bastard! That’s a lie.” Toph threw her hands up in the air. “I can tell you’re lying. I was right, heck yeah!”

Zuko anxiously tried to get past her. “Alright, sure, can I please go down to the beach now?” 

“Don’t you want to know why I’m asking you this?”

“Do I have to?”

“We gave you a love potion, Sparky! A love potion mixed with that tea you drank yesterday. And you were supposed to fall in love with Miss Sugar Queen!” Toph’s was grinning from ear to ear. 

Katara and Suki exchanged a concerned look. That was not part of the plan. Katara was supposed to be the one to tell Zuko about the love potion. After Toph had made sure whether he was lying or not. Then, and only maybe, she would mention the tricky subject of actual feelings. 

“What on earth, Toph?” Zuko’s face was pale as a ghost. “Why would you do that?” 

“Because I've been suspecting for forever that you liked her! And when I got that love potion it was just too tempting not to go for it. I thought it would be a fun experiment! Katara was also on board with it.” 

“But?”

“But it only made me reaffirm my theory! What I didn’t expect is that you don’t just like her, you’re full-blown in love with her!”

“Toph, can you please tone it down? I wouldn’t want anyone else to hear this conversation,” Zuko pleaded.”

Katara was cursing Toph, Suki, Zuko, the moon, the stars, the Spirits, and herself. Toph playing matchmaker as subtle as an elephant trying to fit into her sleeping tent.

“Sparky, don’t you see Katara and Suki over there in the corner? They’re already listening!” Toph waved at the two of them, she had the most amused look on her face.

“What? Toph!” Zuko’s face was now entirely red. “You’re insane.”

“Sh, let me get to the best part,” she shushed him. “I think our dear Sugar Queen has something very important to tell you.”

Toph grabbed him by the wrist and started marching up to them. 

Toph, you’ll pay for this, Katara thought as she found herself in front of Zuko. 

“Now, I think Suki and I have to go do literally anything else but being here,” Toph resolved. “Alright! Everyone’s happy? See you!

“Kat, I’m sorry,” Suki mumbled. “I had no clue about this but I’ll better go.”

The two girls sprinted back to the house, where Aang and Sokka were probably taking care of dinner. 

Her eyes met Zuko’s, and she felt her heart racing inside of her chest. The awkwardness of the situation was remarkable. 

“So… I’m taking it you heard everything Toph said?” Zuko asked, sitting down on the shore next to her. 

“Yeah,” she replied, nervously playing with the sand that surrounded them. “I’m sorry about the love potion thing. It was stupid of me.”

“I just didn’t understand the logic behind it. Were you going to let me be in love with you for all eternity?”

“The effect was supposed to wash out tomorrow…” She let out a sigh. “But I guess it’s the same now.”

“Because you realized that I acted normal around you even with the potion?”

“Exactly.” Katara took a deep breath. “Look, Zuko, I had no clue-”

“Katara,” he interrupted her. “It’s okay. I don’t mind you know.”

“So it’s true then? Are you…”

“Am I in love with you?” He rubbed the back of his neck, his whole body seemed anxious. “Yeah, I am. I guess even more than I knew.”

Silence. Just sheer silence. 

Zuko rushed to continue. “It’s perfectly okay if you don’t feel the same way.”

But she did feel the same way. 

“Look, I think I’m in love with you too,” she blurted out, feeling her cheeks turning bright red.

“You are?” His voice was tinted with astonishment. 

She nodded in agreement. Then, she proceeded to say something else. “The night of the play, Aang felt terrible about the possibility of us being together. He kissed me and… and I pulled apart. I was horribly confused. A part of me knew he has always expected to be with me. But it didn’t feel right.”

Katara made a pause. She couldn’t believe she was actually saying those words out loud. 

“Go on, I’m listening,” Zuko encouraged her.

“Well, I knew I felt something for you for a long time already. But with what happened the night of the play, and now this whole love potion thing… I realize I’m in love with you too.”

Zuko brushed his fingertips against the back of her hand. “Thank you, for being honest with me.”

She squeezed his hand. “Thank you for not wanting to kill me for giving you a love potion.”

“Now what?”

“I don’t know. We still have a war to win.”

A moment of quietness invaded the space between them. Their fingers were intertwined, both of their hearts racing. They were savoring the confirmation of their feelings - and embracing the uncertainty - together. 

“Do you want to wait?”

“Wait?”

“Yeah, until this whole mess is over,” he explained. “We can figure out things slowly, I don’t mind. It’s not like I’m suddenly going to stop having feelings for you.”

“So you would still be in love with me… And I would still be in love with you…” 

“But we focus on winning the war first.” 

Katara tilted her to look straight at him. “Can I occasionally do this, though?”

He made a slight frown. “Do what?”

She didn’t give him much time to wonder. In a split second, she leaned onto him and placed a kiss on his lips. It was sweet, quick, and a little timid. But it was still the first kiss they shared. 

“So?” Katara asked, a light smile framing her face. “Can I?”

Zuko placed his arm around her shoulder, allowing her to rest her head on the creek of his neck. 

He squeezed her hand, chuckling. “Yeah, I think you can.”

“You know  what? I’m really glad Toph convinced me to give you that stupid love potion.”

---- I hope you enjoyed this fluffy little thing I wrote! Feedback is always appreciated! <3 Thank you for reading! @zutaraweek

[reyxa]

can’t we all just get oolong? ch. 2

AO3

title: can’t we just get oolong? author: Reyxa rating: T summary: au where zuko and iroh settle in ba sing se post-banishment. when a pretty water bender start frequenting the jasmine dragon, zuko’s world turns upside down.

note: slightly shorter chapter this time around but the next one will be Beefy so stay tuned!!

Chapter 2: White Tea

Katara has spent the whole morning distractedly tugging on her braid, a little anxious at the notion of returning to the Jasmine Dragon.

It’s less that she thinks it’s dangerous and far more that she’s nervous to see Zuko. She hates more than anything the way he stirs her chest, the way his name is etched across her mind right now.

“Katara!” Aang jolts her from her reverie, calling her name as he emerges from their bathroom. “You wanna go looking for your mom’s necklace today?”

She searches desperately for an excuse. She just can’t take Aang with her to the teashop. She wouldn’t risk it, especially since it seems like those two firebenders had ties to Azula herself. It would be too dangerous touting the Avatar around like that.

And maybe a part of her really just wants to scope out the teashop again by herself.

“We can’t, Aang.” Sokka pipes up before Katara can even begin to form coherent sentences. “I really want to go talk to some more aristocrats and government officials around here. Knock on some doors.” he combs his hair into his wolf tail as he speaks, squinting into the mirror. “Remember that one guy across the street who warned us about the Dai Li after Joo Di left that first day searching for Appa? I’m sure there’s more people around here willing to talk to us and having the Avatar around won’t hurt.”

Toph is toying with her headband, using it to poke between her toes. “I’m with Snoozles. We should really try to get our plans to the Earth King as fast as possible. Then we can get the hell out of this city.”

Katara hops off the couch to refill her waterskins at the basin, trying to hide her relieved expression. “They’re right, Aang. We should focus on finding Appa and figuring out the invasion first. I’m sure my necklace will turn up! It always does.”

Aang nods. “Yeah, I get it. But we’ll find it as soon as we can, okay?”

She smiles reassuringly.

~

Zuko peers into the teashop from behind the counter, counting the amount of customers who need serving. Sure that his uncle can handle it on his own for a while, Zuko slips out the backdoor into the alley.

The alley is empty save for a few abandoned carts collecting dust. The bustle of the main streets can be heard on either side but hardly anyone glances into the dark cove.

The mid-afternoon sun is high and heavy, but Zuko relishes its presence. He draws on its heat, feels it burn through his veins. Breathing deeply, eyes closed in concentration, he slides into a basic stance.

Drawing on his inner fire, he steps and throws a punch down the alley.

He opens one eye, praying for some sort of flame. His fist smolders, prickling with a fire that won’t burst.

He grunts and throws a regular punch at the wall, hardly feeling the skin on his knuckles split against the brick.

The one thing he was born to do and he can’t even do that.

Okay, okay, what would Uncle say right now? he contemplates, holding his mildly bleeding hand against his chest. ‘Zuko, it is not your ability that is wanting but your ability to look within yourself to seek your true abilities.’ he groans internally. That still makes no sense.

Shaking his head, he commits to working through a few more firebending forms, at most producing short erratic sparks. He isn’t sure how much time has passed but sweat is pouring down his temples and drenching his Jasmine Dragon uniform.

He throws in the towel, mounting frustration turning his mind to shreds. Wiping sweat with the corner of his apron, he slides back into the shop.

As much as he wants to rush upstairs and wash the afternoon off himself, his uncle is waiting by the door, tapping his foot expectantly. “What were you up to, nephew?

Zuko sighs. “I was trying to firebend.”

Iroh’s brow lifts in surprise. “Firebending? Any particular reason?”

Bracing himself for another lecture, Zuko stalks over to the teapots, pouring himself a chilled glass. “How many times do I have to explain, Uncle? Azula is on our tails! She’ll be expecting a fight, you know how she is.”

“This again.” Iroh shakes his head. “Prince Zuko, I understand I cannot remove this notion that the Fire Nation is chasing you. I know it is both what you fear and what you desire. But, please, at least do not let my teashop become collateral damage to your ways.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Zuko storms out into the teashop, piling dirty cups angrily.

He feels like he’s teetering on the edge, like his mind is a hurricane thrashing away at his grip on reality. The last time he had felt so tumultuous, he was angry at being stuck here in Ba Sing Se, instead of being allowed by his Uncle to chase the Avatar. All he had wanted was to return home, Avatar in tow. He had been neglectful of his burn wounds, barely caring for his health and lashing out at his uncle who did.

It had taken a long time for that anger to turn to dejection to turn to acceptance of his circumstance.

But the sight of that girl, with eyes bluer than Ember Island oceans and fierce unyielding words spilling past her lips, had made him regress. She’s a curse, he knows it.

But something tells him she’s his answer too.

~

Katara knows breaking into an unsuspecting teashop full of firebenders in the middle of the night may not be her brightest idea yet but it’s too late to turn back.

The streets are emptied save for a few Dai Li posts but she fancies herself a master of stealth as she hugs the shadows. Her shoes are soundless against the stone-paved streets and she keeps half of her water tucked in the palm of her hand.

The gang still hadn’t really figured out what the deal with the Dai Li is quite yet but Katara does know she’d rather not get caught breaking curfew. She had noticed their piercing gazes and Joo Di’s tight smile when any Dai Li were posted nearby. Though the city was a refugee haven, something told Katara they wouldn’t care very much that she was the Avatar’s companion if she were caught breaking the rules.

The sound of feet slipping against stone whispers in her ear, sending her ducking into an alley until her heart stopped pounding in her ears. The patrol of Dai Li, marching in stiff lines to match their stern faces, pass by her hiding spot without glancing her way.

She steals further down the dark alleyway, not particularly sure where in Ba Sing Se she was. Navigation is Sokka’s thing and she’s only been to the Jasmine Dragon once.

Sighing, she heads back down the main street, still lurking in the shadows. Time passes her by but the moon remains high in the sky, lighting her path.

“Hey! You’re breaking curfew!” a voice shouts behind her.

Katara’s spine stiffens, heart pounding wildly. She draws the rest of her water from her water skin, its presence assuring her she would not be the captured one tonight. She pivots on her toes to face the Dai Li voice.

His rocks are poised to handcuff, feet already in an earthbending stance.

But it isn’t her he’s shouting at.

Dirt flies as she throws herself behind a vacant food stall. She counts her heartbeat as the altercation develops to blows.

“I need back up!” The Dai Li soldier shouts. Katara can hear the sounds of struggle but she isn’t sure who was on the other side.

Against her better judgement, she peeks over the dusty wooden table. The Dai Li soldier slides into his bending forms solidly, pushing rock after rock. Clearly trained well, he springs off the wall as he narrowly escapes the deadly end of twin swords.

Twin swords Katara finds a little familiar.

No way.

Scrambling on hands on knees, she crawls closer to the fight. Her head pokes out from the left side. Across the stone-paved street is the Dai Li agent, sweating under his green robes as he ducks under the reach of a broadsword. Two other agents run in from the far side of the street, faces illuminated beneath the street lamps. Between them is the swordwielder, a flurry of motion as he fights off the agents. A mask conceals his features, a taunting blue smile with tusks on each end.

The man hesitates just for a second before throwing one of his swords to pin a soldier against the wall. Katara can’t help but imagine golden eyes staring at her.

She wants to run. Go back home or keep skirting the streets to find the Jasmine Dragon but she feels glued to her spot as the swordwielder takes hit after hit. He remains soundless, even as a boulder to the chest takes him down. His last sword skitters out of reach.

The Dai Li wear triumphant smiles as they wrestle him to his feet to cuff him. The flash of Water Tribe lapis lazuli tied around his wrist winks at her for a second before rock binds his hands together.

Her heart stops, she blinks as if imagining it. Sighing, she rises to her feet, watching a Dai Li agent reach for his mask. I’m gonna regret this, aren’t I?

Adrenaline is already filling her veins as her waterskins pop open.

Feet pounding against the pavement, she encases her arms with the water and reaches across the street to the agent. The water stretches, wrapping around his shoulders. Katara flicks her wrist, throwing the man against the wall.

Her water splashes over the masked man and the other agent who takes no time to summon a few boulders.

She skids out of their path, throwing ice shards at the agent. His distraction with her loosens the grip he has on the man in cuffs. She watches the rock encasing crumble away from his wrists as he slams them against the brick wall. Katara can’t help a silent smile as he rushes to grab his swords.

Dai Li agents seem to double in numbers every second that passes. They emerge from the shadows and Katara finds herself fearing arrest. For every single agent she knocks out, two others replace him.

She sweeps her leg, water follows its trail and knocks back several Dai Li agents. A presence at her back sets her spine straight but it’s only the masked stranger standing at her back, swords a swift blur.

Instinct takes over. Her body moves through bending forms on its own volition while overly aware of the potential firebender at her back.

A streetful of Dai Li agents either lying unconscious on the pavement or pinned to several buildings are left when they’re done.

Katara’s panting wildly, her heart pounding out of her chest. So much for a discreet heist.

“Come with me.” the masked man grabs her risk and drags her off before she can bother protesting.

~

Zuko tears off his mask as they duck into the alleyway behind the Jasmine Dragon. He waits for surprise to flicker over the waterbender’s face but it doesn’t come.

She simply looks at him, arms crossed. “I have questions.”

“It seems like you always have questions.” he rolls his eyes, sheathing his swords.

Indignation fills her voice. “Yeah, well you owe me answers! Why do you have my mother’s necklace? You took it from me on purpose, didn’t you? Of course you did, why wouldn’t you stoop so low, firebender? You know—”

He grabs her shoulders, hushing her quietly. “Please, stop. You talk more than my uncle.”

Her blue eyes blaze. “Fine. Say your piece.”

He shakes his head. She really is something. “Fine. I didn’t take your necklace, you left it here.”

“And you decided to comb the streets of Ba Sing Se looking for me?! Why?” she’s straining to keep her voice low.

“Let me talk!” Zuko didn’t exactly have an answer as to why he thought taking the necklace and sneaking out would be a good idea. There was a very slim chance he would run into her or find where she was staying but he had taken the chance anyway. He can’t help but feel a little smug that it worked out. “I needed answers. I needed to know what you know about Azula.”

“I’m still not convinced you’re not working with her. Your uncle is nice enough but you, I don’t know.” she steps away from him, eyeing the necklace dangling from his wrist.

“I’m not working with my sister and I never would!” he chews his lip, eyes flickering over her face. He sighs. “I just want to keep my uncle and his teashop safe from her. If she found out we were in the city…”

Her eyes soften a little and something in Zuko’s chest shifts. He throws the feeling to the back of his mind. There’s no time to analyze that. “I— fine. But I have questions too.”

He nods, feeling the pit in his stomach dissipate. He’ll finally get answers. He can finally find peace.

“Are you two going to keep shouting in the alleyway or will you at least come inside?”

Zuko jumps back at the sound of his uncle’s voice. The waterbender is holding fistfuls of his shirt, equally startled.

Iroh grins at them, still in his pajamas. He gestures for them to follow, humming as he leads them into the teashop.

Zuko and the waterbender girl glance at each other before she yanks back her hands and follows his uncle.

Zuko shakes his head and shuts the door behind them.

[zi-i-think]

10 | Being Better Matters

Pairing: Zuko x Ama (OC)

Word Count: 7500+

.☽☼☾.

~ Ama ☾ ~

          "...And then my father basically refused to let her see me again." Suh cackled. "And rightfully so. I'm so glad I realized that becoming friends with the maid's daughter was not the way to go. So improper."

         "Uh huh." I responded dully, slowly stirring my tea for no reason other than boredom.

         When I agreed to lunch with Suh I didn't know what to expect exactly. But what was happening right now definitely made me hate agreeing to it. I could have made up something stupid. Like that Katara needed me to help her with some last minutes decorations or that Sokka wanted to train with me.

         I only agreed to this so that maybe, just maybe, I would come to like Suh. And to prove to everyone that I didn't have feelings for my ex.

         The woman chatted away. Barely giving me room to say anything. Not that I cared, really. I was zoning out so much that I didn't even know if I'd be able to hold conversation.

         I got the general story. Suh was out playing with another little girl and broke her arm somehow. Then she and her family blamed the little girl, who was unfortunately the maid's daughter.

         The way Suh talked about the maids and others who were considered "low-class" made me sick. She talked about them as if they were animals or lesser than.

         Her obnoxiously loud voice and cackle got everyone in the restaurant staring at us and sending annoyed glances. I didn't blame them. I'd probably do the same if I were in their position.

         "Oh, goodness." Suh gasped and giggled. "I just realized that I've only talked about myself this entire time." You just realized this? "So what were your maids like as a child?" She delicately picking up her noodles with her chopsticks. Spirits, can she eat any slower?

         "Oh, I didn't have any maids." I informed her in a matter-of-fact tone.

         "Oh." Her lips formed an 'O' shape and she seemed confused. "I don't understand, you father is Head Chieftain. You live in a palace." She laughed lightly, like she thought I was pulling her leg.

         I shrugged. "During the war all of the men went off to fight. So the women and kids just tried to make due with what we had. I mean, we helped each other but no one had maids."

         "Oh no wonder you're so humble." Suh gasped. Like she had just solved the world’s greatest puzzle. "Ama, you are so brave to have taking care your siblings for all those years."

         "Well, I was more like we took care of each other." I tried to correct her, but Suh just talked right over me.

         "Oh, I wish I had siblings." She grinned. "I admire you so much. It must have been so hard for you to leave them."

         I stayed silent. I wasn't exactly sure what Suh wanted me to say. I wasn't sure about anything during this conversation. It was weird. Talking to Suh was weird. How does Zuko deal with this? I know I wasn't exactly pleasant either, but Suh had no boundaries. I could only imagine how he reacted if she pressed for him to talk about his family.

         "Well?" Suh said in a curious tone, expecting me to say something. "Was it hard for you to leave your siblings?"

         That question felt a bit... forced. It was sort of oddly placed in the conversation. Oh who am I kidding? This entire conversation has been odd. Maybe I'm just reading into this entire thing too deeply.

         "Yeah, I think it's always hard to leave the people closest to you, no matter how long it'd be." I answered her.

         "And, uh. What about leaving Zuko?" She asked more nervously. Goodness is this just a jealous girlfriend thing?

         "It was hard to leave everyone." I told her. "But I don't regret it. My time away gave me the time to understand myself."

         "Oh, like your whole bisexual thing." She giggled. "You're not attracted to me, right."

         "No, I'm not." I faked a laugh. I don't know how to interact with this woman anymore. I stayed calm. She doesn't know boundaries, that's all. Just like Shemi. And I love Shemi. She's the sweetest.

         "Good. Cause that would be gross." She snickered with her hand over her mouth.

         I gave her a distraught look, but kept a smile. "Excuse me?"

         "Oh, I mean this in no offense to you. I just think that two women together is unseemly." She saw nothing wrong with what she was saying. I take back what I said. Suh in nothing like Shemi.

         Despite having a huge urge to throw my cold tea at her and educate her about what is okay to say and what isn't. I held my tongue. But I couldn't stand to be here for another minute.

         "Oh my goodness, Suh I'm so sorry." I faked a gasp and placed my hand over my mouth to sell my shocked expression. "I just remembered that Katara needs my help soon."

         "Oh, I thought she and Aang were just doing light work today with the chef." Suh responded with a light head tilt. So she has part of a brain I see.

         "Well, yes." I nodded. "But she needs my help with picking up a package. She wants me to take it back to the venue as soon as it arrives."

         "Oh, okay." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and look around nervously. Like the people in the small Water Tribe restaurant scared her.

         "Thank you so much for understanding." I sighed in fake appreciation. Slipping a few coins on the table to pay, which may have been more than it should have, I left the establishment.

         I sighed in both frustration and relief the moment I stepped out into the cold air. Technically I wasn't lying that there was a package I needed to pick up. Originally, I was just going to get it after lunch, but I didn't realize how good of an excuse it would be.

         Walking to the post office, I thought about the conversation with the irritating woman. There was just something so off about the whole thing and about her. I brushed it off. Was she obnoxious? Yes. Was she rude? Even though she didn't notice it. Yes. But was she some evil mastermind like my gut was telling me? Definitely not.

         I did find it weird how Zuko was actually, dare I say, happy to be with her. I mean. The Zuko. The man who jumped in front of lighting for me before even telling me the full extent of his traumatizing childhood is somehow incredibly compatible with a girl who asked for my entire life story the second day I knew her. But I guess he just changed more than I thought he didn't since the last time I saw him.

         "Hey sis!" I almost jumped at Sokka's voice. I turned around, seeing my brother jogging over to me on the sidewalk to catch up with me. "I thought you were still with Suh."

         "Oh that? Yeah, I left." I huffed a laugh. Finally next to me, I interlocked my left arm to his right arm so that we could walk together.

         "Ha!" Sokka laughed. "I don't blame you. She is incredibly talkative and annoying." I felt relieved that he was actually agreeing with me, unlike my other friends.

         "And when she asks these incredibly personal questions." I added.

         Sokka groaned and threw his head back in annoyance. "She asked how our mom died last night." I shook my head and sighed. "I tried to tell Zuko not to bring her to boy's night, but Aang was okay with it, so my argument meant nothing."

         "Ah yes. The groom has the final word." I laughed.

         "You know I only saw Zuko without her hanging off his arm once since they got here." He held up his index finger to make a point. "And that was when you guys had the bridal shower. Those two are always together."

         "Aww, is my brother sad he doesn't get to hang out with his boyfriend?" I quipped with a fake frown.

         "Oh shut up." He replied. "I'd just be nice to hang out. Just us guys doing guy things. Not shopping."

         "Shopping can be manly." I argued.

         "Maybe if we were shopping for weapons. Not jewelry." I scoffed at him. "Besides, I was really hoping for a good spar. Like the good old times."

         "What about me?" I shrugged while i made my suggestion.

         "We tried that a month ago." He pointed out and gave me a smug look. "I won."

         "Right, except I was still out of touch with my weapons." I pointed out. "The 8 months at the air temple didn't really give me a lot of time to practice with a sword."

         "Well if you're really in the mood to get your ass whooped by me again. Alright." He agreed, positive he'd win again. "We'll meet in the training yard tomorrow morning."

         "Sounds like a plan." I chuckled.

         "Where are we going?" Sokka finally asked, furrowing his eyebrows as he looked around the block. Trying to piece together where we were.

         "The placement cards and the ceiling drapes arrived today." I told him. "I'm actually glad you're here to help me take the boxes back to the venue."

         "Knew I shouldn't have come over." Sokka grumbled under his breath.

         "Hey, Sokka. Do you think that there's anything malicious about Suh?" I wondered. I knew I already dismissed the idea, but I still needed a different opinion.

         "Malicious? About Suh?" He repeated. His tone already telling me that he didn't think so. "Sis, the girl's a pain, but she's too peppy to wish anything bad upon anyone. Especially on any of Zuko's closest and most beloved friends."

         "You're right." I nodded. "I just have this gut feeling that she's hiding something."

         Sokka laughed loudly at that. "Suh is an open book. That girl explained her entire childhood in extreme detail. If she were hiding anything it'd probably be about something stupid. Like that she's had beer before." I laughed at the random thing he said and gave him a confused look. "I swear she almost threw up after the first sip last night." He claimed.

         Gosh I missed Sokka. His randomness and his cheery attitude always brought a smile to my face. He spewed so much nonsense during the rest of the errand that I didn't even think about the offputting woman again.

.☽☼☾.

~ Suh ♛ ~

         The moment Ama left the restaurant, I stood up as well. No way did I want to be in some substandard Water Tribe restaurant more than I had to. I set down the payment for the food and left.

         I knew she'd probably be waiting for me. Fuck. I didn't want to have to see her. Last she told me, I was to meet her at some old Fire Nation ship not too far from the town. I didn't exactly know why she would choose some old and gross place, but it wasn't like she could get an room at an Inn.

         Ugh. I hate snow. I grumbled as I made my way to the rendezvous. How do these people deal with it all the time? It's freezing and it's wet. I couldn't wait to get back to the Fire Nation.

         Finally arriving at the old ship, I found a tear in the metal and climbed through. The entire boat was standing on large pieces of ice, holding it above the rest of the terrain. A part of me was scared that the entire hunk of metal would fall through the ice, but another part of me knew I had to keep going. I couldn't avoid her anymore.

         I didn't even know where I was going. I just kept walking through the metal hall. "Shit!" I yelled and tripped forward. I looked at my feet. I just tripped over a string. Furrowing my eyebrows in confusion, I sat on my butt. And then I realized it was a tripwire. The metal under me rumbled and creaked. I didn't have time to more away and fell through the trapdoor.

         I screamed in fear, falling through the steep slide backwards. Until I finally came to a slow stop. I looked around. It seemed I just landed myself in some ice tunnel. At least the ice reflected the light from outside so that I can see clearly.

         "Wonderful." I grumbled to myself. Not only did I just walk into some unknown ship that was believed to be haunted, but now I'm lost. How the hell am I supposed to get to her now? I pushed myself off the cold and hard ground. And wiped off the stray pieces of snow that stuck to my clothing.

         "Well, finally." Her voice caught my ear. I turned around to see her and crossed my arms.

         "Hello, Azula." I greeted back. My tone kept it's peppy and cheerful tone. As opposed to her cold and venomous one. I was a perky person. It's a part of my personality. And it worked wonders to get me what I wanted. No one expected the giggly and seemingly foolish girl to play others like a game of chess.

         Azula wore all dark clothing. Her long sleeved gray tunic was tucked into black pants. And she wore a black tunic. Her dark brown hair was put into a high ponytail, ending just below her shoulders. Even clothed in the less than royal clothing that she would wear during the war, Azula's essence commanded to be treated with respect and to be unquestioned.

         Her hands were on her hips and she smirked at me with her red painted lips. "I was beginning to wonder if you backed out of our plan." She shrugged and started to walk down the ice tunnel, making me follow her.

         "Right, well pardon me if I'd rather spend my time with your brother." I stated matter-of-factly. "Besides, it wasn't like I was just gonna ignore you the entire time."

         Azula rolled her eyes. "Leiza if you want to be Fire Lazy you need to learn not to keep others waiting."

         "Don't call me that." I grumbled. "That's my old name." I realized that we just entered what looked like an entire room. Old animal skins were on the ground, seats make of ice, a fire on the side of the room with a pot on it. Azula had made herself a semi-comfortable home for herself. Well, for the time being.

         "I know that. I gave you your identity." She waved her hand to prove a point. "I do hope you hold up your end of the bargain, though." Azula took a seat on the animal skin, sitting criss-crossed. I sat across from her, grimacing at the feeling of the fur.

         "Right, well Ama isn't exactly that cooperative." I told her. Azula scowled, but kept quiet to let me continue. "Everyone trusts me. Even that little lie-detector." I recalled the hours Azula spent teaching me to lie expertly. "Ama is the only one holding back."

         Azula laughed at me. "Of course she's holding back. You have a tendancy of speaking before you think. You don't want to offend the girl. Plus, you're with her ex."

         "I thought that she moved on from Zuko." I snarled. "There was that Munal girl or whatever her name was."

         "Zuko got struck by lighting for that little water baby." Azula pointed out. "As much as everyone might say Zuko's in her past, my brother is always going to have a place in her heart. The same goes for him."

         I'm no firebender, but if I were there would be smoke coming from my ears. "Well she can't have him!" I shouted. "I love Zuko! Not her! And he loves me!"

         "Where did that peppy attitude go?" Azula looked amused at my angered expression. "Don't make me regret breaking you out of that mental institution all those years ago, Suh."

         "Whatever." I grumbled and rolled my eyes.

         "Whatever feelings they might have for each other. It'll be gone soon enough." Azula asure me with her devilish tone and her eyes narrowed in a cunning way. "Remember the plan."

         Zuko will end up with me. I will be Fire Lady. That was the goal. Spirits, just the thought of being with Zuko brought me so much happiness and excitement. I know that I was technically lying to him. About who I was.

         Everything about my childhood was true. I grew up rich. My father was a general in the war. But I was sent to that damn mental institution. They called it an "obsessive disorder." But I called it ambition. Azula broke me out six years ago. We pretended to be the kemurikage for a while. Most of the other girls broke away. But I stuck with Azula.

         Azula was manipulative, just like me. I stuck with her for Zuko. She was my ticket to be with him. I was patient and calculating. And now I had him. He loved me for my personality. He told me that I was the one for him. I took care of him so that he wouldn't overwork himself. Because I loved him. Plus he was so good in bed. How could I resist a man like that?

         "So, what have we learned?" Azula asked me.

         "Ama didn't like when I brought up her late girlfriend." I started. "It hit a nerve."

         "No kidding." Azula scoffed, probably already knowing that. "I need details, Suh. If we're going to do this right I need you to start from the beginning."

         I mentally growned. Looks like I'm going to be in this dank, disgusting place for a while. But if it meant I got what I wanted in the end. Fine.

.☽☼☾.

~ Ama ☾ ~

         The day was actually not freezing. There was no wind this morning, which was rare. The air was still cold, don't get me wrong. Usually I'd wear my coat in order to keep warm, but given that I was about to kick Sokka's ass, I didn't need my coat.

         Neither of us have forgotten about the little sparring session. And it was no surprise that the others wanted to watch. No one would pass up the chance of finding something to make fun of later.

         The training yard was pretty standard. It was placed to the side of the palace, beside one of the many mountains. The usual light snow covered the ground in order to prevent any serious injuries. But that also meant one would have to be extra conscious about their movements to keep from slipping.

         The perimital of the rectangular training area was a pathway made of rock. There were snowy blue pillars, holding up an overhead covering. Benches were placed under it for anyone watching. In this case, that meant our friends.

         I did my last triceps stretch before tightening my ponytail. "Are you sure you still wanna fight me?" Sokka asked me, swinging his sword to the sides as he approached the middle of the yard. "After all, I am one of the best warriors of the Southern Water Tribe."

         I created my own sword out of ice while approaching him and stopping a few feet away from him. "What? Afraid you'll get beat by your sister?"

         "Of course not. I just know that sword-fighting isn't really your style." Sokka shrugged. He took his stance. Legs apart, right foot in front of his left, swatting slightly and his sword held up by his head. I also got into the same stance, preparing for the spar.

         "Go Ama!" Ty Lee cheered.

         "Show him who's boss!" Suki cheered as well.

         Sokka looked at his girlfriend with his mouth hanging open. "Suki! Who's side are you on?" She only laughed in response, leaning back on her hands to watch the show.

         My brother and I stared at each other competitively, waiting for the other to make the first move. He moved first, stepping forward and swinging his sword at me. I moved my own sword, blocking the strike. While I pushed it away from me, I stepped to the side, kicking my brother on his side.

         He stumbled a bit at the impact, but quickly regained his footing. I took the moment to attack, swinging my weapon across. Sokka stepped back and spun to the side. He tried to strike me from above and I blocked it, holding my sword above my head. Tilting my weapon, his sword stid off to the side.

         I then swung my sword violently across. Sokka almost didn't see it coming, ducking under the blade. He looked at me with some shock. I gave him a cocky smirk, taking a few steps back while throwing the weeping from one hand to another.

         He ran towards me. I spun on my right foot, dodging his blade. My right hand gripped his wrist, letting me elbow Sokka harshly in the chest. He stumbled back and I swung my sword at him. He quickly reacted with his weapon and the metal hit briefly.

         Spinning for more momentum, I took another swing. It made contact with Sokka's sword and it slipped from his grasp. The weapon landed a few feet away. I kept my sword up, pointed at my brother.

         There were a few cheers from the benches. I was starting to enjoy my victory too quickly. Because Sokka kicked the kilt of my ice sword, and it fell out of my hand. Also landing a few feet away from me. Sokka sprinted over to his sword.

         Now I had a fraction of a second to make a decision. Either run to my weapon or keep Sokka from getting to his. I took the latter. Sprinting after my brother, I slid on the ground, kicking the sword even further away just before he reached for it.

         But he was running too fast, and now I was in the way. Sokka tripped over me. My side now hurt where his foot collided with my body. My brother was now closer to the sword but I scurried to roll over him to get in between him and the weapon.

         We both stood to our feet with our fists up and I went to punch him. He swat my arm away and I tried again, getting the same result. He in turn attempted to punch me back. I grabbed his wrist and twisted his arm.

         "Ow ow ow!" He shouted in pain while I stepped behind him, his arm twisted behind his back. I kicked the back of his knee, making him kneel on the ground.

         "So." I grin proudly. I love winning. Always a good feeling. "I win?"

         Sokka groaned, hesitant to let me win. But for the second time during that fight. I got too cocky. My brother slid one of his legs back and kicked it under me, making me let go of my grip on him as I fell on my side. Sokka reached to pick up his sword quickly and pointed it at me just as I sat up on my butt.

         "Sorry, sis. You just gotta admit that I'm a better warrior than you." He claimed his victory.

         "Okay, fine." I grumbled. Sokka lowered dhis sword and held his arm out to help me up. But I just slapped it away and got up by myself.

         "You're such a sore loser, ya know." My brother laughed at me while I already started heading to the benches.

         My ponytail had become loose during the spar and I had strands of hair sticking up. Sokka's warrior's wolf tail wasn't much different.

         "Gotta say, though, you're good with a sword." He complimented while we walked to the benches with friends. "Just not as good as me." I sucked in an annoyed breath and clenched my jaw at his taunting and he burst out laughing at my expression.

         "Well you don't have to rub it in." I grumbled and crossed my arms over my chest.

         Katara stood from her seat and wrapped an arm around both our shoulders. "It doesn't matter who's better. Just that you both gave it your all and did wonderful."

         I scoffed. "No, I disagree. Being better matters."

         "One way or another, we're all better than each other." Sokka pointed out. "Ama's better at fighting with waterbending, Katara is better at healing, and I'm better at everything else." Katara and I shared the same annoyed look, but we both were still humored by our brother.

         "Sweetie, I think it's time to go." Aang got up from his seat.

         "Oh! Yes, I think it is time." Katara grinned widely, leaving Sokka and I to join her fiance. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she wrapped her arms around his waist. They were so cute. Sure, the "sweetie" nicknames were a little nauseating, but they expressed so much love for eachother.

         A small smile tugged at my lips knowing that my sister would spend the rest of her life with someone who made her incredibly happy. Forget that he's the Avatar, he's a good man and I couldn't imagine Katara being with anyone else.

         "I didn't know you guys had wedding duties to attend to." Suki spoke up, also getting up from her seat to stand by her boyfriend.

         "We don't." Aang replied.

         "We have a date." Katara blushed. "With all the planning and preparations, Aang and I haven't had enough time just by ourselves. No distractions."

         "Yeah, instead those distractions get thrown on me." I smirked jokingly.

         "You offered!" My sister exclaimed with annoyance in her tone.

         "I'm just teasing." I laughed. "Enjoy your date, you two." Rolling her eyes, Katara and Aang went to leave the training yard and to whatever it was that they had planned. "So what's everyone else got planned?" I turned to everyone else who'd been silent.

         "Mai and I are going to try snowboarding!" Ty Lee answered and then placed a thoughtful finger on her chin. "We aren't exactly sure what it is, but we've been told it's fun." I chuckled at my friend's bubbly personality.

         "Suki and I are going to the market." Sokka grinned, intertwining his hand with Suki's.

         I then turned to Zuko, waiting for a response. "Fire Lord duties. Unfortunately, work doesn't stop for the Avatar's wedding." I frowned. Work during a vacation? Sounds awful.

         "Aw, I'm sorry, baby." Suh pouted, linking arms with him and cuddling up next to him. Zuko just smiled and chuckled at her. "I'm lucky I brought some books with me. Today is perfect to me to just sit back and relax."

         "Didn't know she could read." Mai muttered so softly that I could only hear. My hand covered my mouth to keep from laughing loudly. The others looked over at me and I faked a cough.

         "Ama, you should go." Sokka said very dryly. I gave him a sort of offended look at how he wanted me to leave. "No seriously. Auntie Nalle hates when people are late and you are a sweaty mess."

         I looked down at myself. Sokka was right. I couldn't exactly go to Auntie Nalle with my messy hair and sweat stained shirt. "Right, uh." I realized. "Well then, I'll see you all at dinner." There was a series of "byes" and "laters" from the group as I left the yard.

         Today wouldn't be a bad day. Auntie Nalle graciously offered to bake some of the pastries for the wedding. All I had to do was confirm what Katara wanted, figure out how many were needed, and then hopefully I wouldn't have to stay for her gossip.

.☽☼☾.

         I hate gossip. Don't get me wrong. I love a good scandal every now and then. However, I don't really enjoy speculations about people. I should've just told Antie Nalle that I really didn't care if Eyin stole Vulla's soup recipe. I haven't talked to them in years.

         Luckily though. The day was coming to an end. I didn't even think I'd be at dinner after all those sweets I was given. The sun was still high up in the air, telling me that most of the others were probably still busy.

         And I was in no hurry, so I walked through the courtyard beside the palace slowly. Breathing in that sweet smell of the afternoons in the Southern Water Tribe. It gave me so much nostalgia. Taking me back to when my siblings and I would have snowball fights and then go back home where mom would have dinner ready. Like her steamed dumplings. She'd scold me about my messy hair or maybe how I tore my coat. Still, I'd give anything to go back to those days.

         I ran my hands through my loose hair and looked up at the sky. Just then, a messenger hawk flew above my head and landed on one of the window sills of the palace. It was one of the windows for our hallway. Who's receiving a letter?

         My walking slowed down in curiosity. The window finally opened and Suh poked her head out. I narrowed my eyes and moved closer to one of the pillars, hiding behind it, but still getting a decent view of the window. Suh took the message from the compartment on the hawks back and the animal took off into the sky again.

         The woman unrolled the paper, reading over it. Her eyebrows pinched together and a grimace found its way to her lips I wasn't good are reading lips but it looked she either said something along the lines of "are you fucking kidding me" or "ate a funny kidney".

         Finishing the letter, Suh rolled the letter up and again. Then she poked her head out again, looking to her left and right. She was looking to see if anyone saw her receive her letter. I quickly brought my head behind the pillar again so she wouldn't see me.

         Fuck. No one looks that suspicious when receiving a letter. My mind tried to find some logical response to keep me from spiralling into some conspiracy. Maybe it was a family member or work? No she doesn't work. And what kind of familial letter would get someone to react that way? From what I've gathered, she didn't have any issues with her family.

         I looked around the pillar, seeing that the window was now closed shut. I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes. What are you hiding, Suh?

.☽☼☾.

         "Where the hell do you think you're going!" I shouted. My tone was etched with anger and also humor while I chased a thug that was running away from the city he's been terrorizing for so long. I threw my right arm up, water flew past me and turned to ice around his feet.

         The man tried to move, but there was no use. My running slowed down and I walked towards him with a light skip in my step. "Oh, you're going to pay for this." The grumpy middle aged man grimaced at me.

         I gave him a flat smile, bending more water to create handcuffs made of ice behind his back. "No, you're going to pay. In a cell" I stated matter-of-factly and removed the ice around his feet to lead him back to the village.

         I lightly shoved him into the back of the carriage, where he and the rest of the criminals would be taken away to a larger city to be locked up. Most of the smaller villages didn't have enough policemen to uphold the law or even a place to lock up said law breakers. Leaving them vulnerable to bandits and thugs like these guys.

         "My village can not thank you enough." The mayor expressed his appreciation to myself and the rest of my group. "We do not have much to give, but please accept some of our fresh vegetables and meat."

         One of the older women stepped towards us with a basket filled with carrots, tomatoes, meats, and other things. She handed it to Masha and she bowed her head in thanks.

         Mulan stepped forward to speak to the mayor, putting her katana into its sheath. "Thank you, for your generous gift. It was an honor to fulfill our duty in ridding your town of those criminals."

         She was always so respectful to everyone. When speaking to officials especially, Mulan's voice was polite and unwavering. And because of that, we were respected back. But trust me. The moment someone stepped out of line, she'd be sure to put them back into their place.

         We all bowed to the mayor to bid our farewell and left the village to set up camp for the night. "We have enough here to make a stew!" Masha looked through the basket. "We're eating good tonight, my fellow bastards!"

.☽☼☾.

         At dusk that day, Masha was standing over a large pot, cooking us all a stew. I sat on the grass with my back against a fallen tree, taking in the sight of my new friends.

         After Mulan introduced me to the Miraculous Bastards a month ago, I joined them. It wasn't much different than when I traveled with Aang and the others. We never spent too long in one place, taking down gangs and others who took advantage of villages and the average citizen.

         The group was made up of five people, including me. There was Masha. She had light brown, messy hair and brown eyes. She was like the caretaker. Always asked if we drank water, great cook, sewed our clothes. She sort of reminded me of Katara. She was the only earthbender; and she was a damn good one, too. I hoped to one day introduce her to Toph. Despite having two very different personalities, I wondered if they'd get along.

         Then there was Bono, Masha's twin brother. Same brown hair and brown eyes. He was the quiet, observant type. He liked to keep a journal with him at all times for haikus and to draw landscapes. Unlike his sister, though, Bono wasn't a bender. Instead, he was skilled with the bow and arrow and double swords. His sympathetic nature made it incredibly easy to talk to him, but not as much to joke with.

         Taon was Masha's boyfriend. He was a firebender from the colonies. His reckless and adventurous personality made him incredibly fun to be around. I remember the first night I was with them he woke me up in the middle of the night to go looking for a saber-tooth moose lion; for no reason other than the fun of it. I was convinced that if it weren't for Masha, he would've gotten himself killed in one was or another.

         And lastly, Mulan. Spirits, where do I start. She was no bender, but her fighting was incredible. She mastered many forms in a multitude of weapons, incredibly flexible, strong. A true warrior. She was the unofficial leader of the Miraculous Bastards. Her posture and voice commanded respect and she was always prepared for anything. But she was also so sweet and it was so easy to talk to her. We'd spend hours talking nonsense and laugh at Taon and Masha's bickering.

         But even after a month of knowing her, there was still the feeling of nervousness around her. After meeting her, that feeling of missing something in my life disappeared. It kind of felt like when I had a crush on Zuko, before dating.

         "Alright, everyone! The stew is ready!" Masha grinned happily, pouring the first bowl. I stood from my stop and joined the others around the pot.

         "Masha, this smells incredible." I complimented as I got handed a bowl.

         "Thank you." She accepted the compliment, holding the last field bowl in her hand. "It's the perfect meal for this special occasion."

         "Oh, what's that?" I wondered curiously.

         "Today marks one month since you've been with us." Mulan reminded me with a light nudge. I couldn't help but blush lightly at the touch.

         "Yeah, we're really lucky to have you with us." Bono added.

         "An incredible fighter and an even better friend." Taon lighted his bowl up in the air and cheered. "To Ama!"

         "To Ama!" The others repeated, lifting their bowls up as well.

         I laughed with them and shook my head. "You guys are amazing, But if I'm being honest, I should be the one lucky to have you all. A bunch of rascals who like to beat up bullies? My kind of people." They all laughed at my words. "But really, thank you for letting me join you all."

         "Of course." Masha assured me. "Now, let's eat before this all gets cold."

         I took my spot by the fallen tree to eat. Masha and Taon sat not far from me, starting to engage in their own conversation. Bono didn't like to be disturbed when he was eating and sat further away from us all. And Mulan sat next to me.

         Neither of us said anything at first. We both focused more on the vegetables and the beef in the stew. But we both also wanted to say something to each other.

         "Masha is probably the best cook I've ever come across." Mulan broke the silence and set the finished bowl down beside her. "I remember the first time she cooked for me when we were 16, I tried to convince her to own a restaurant or something."

         "Well, she'd definitely do well." I finished my stew as well and set it on my lap.

         Mulan looked over at the others, seeing that no one was really paying attention to us. "Hey, let's get out of here." She pointed away from camp with her thumb.

         I raised an eyebrow, both in curiosity and confusion. "And go where?"

         She shrugged and made her suggestion. "There's a lake not far from here. I got water from there earlier."

         "Sound fun." I agreed, moving the empty bowl to the ground and standing up. Mulan smiled at me and stood up as well. No one noticed us leave the camp. Which isn't necessarily a problem, we shouldn't be away long.

         I followed the redhead through the trees, listening to the sound of crickets. "Here it is." Mulan announced as we finally arrived at the lake. There wasn't a ton of light tonight because there was only a half moon in the sky. Mulan grinned at me and then took my hand, pulling me with her to the lake. "Check this out."

         She placed her hand in the water and moved it from side to side. The water that moved glowed a bright blue. My jaw dropped at the incredible sight. "Wow." I gasped and dipped my hands into the cold water as well. "How does this happen?"

         "It's a chemical reaction in the algae." Mulan answered. I gave her a curious look, wondering how she knew that. "My parents studied it a little. They were herbalists so they found this stuff interesting."

         "It's incredible." I admired the incredible sight. You truly do learn something new everyday. With a mischievous smirk, I splashed some water at Mulan. The woman gasped in shock as I laughed. She splashed me back, and the droplets fell on my face and chest. "Oh, okay then."

         I bent the glowing water till it was over the redhead. "Ama, no!" She squealed and tried to back up while still on the ground. I dropped the water, drenching her in it. Her hands wiped the water out of her eyes and she gave me a playful glare as I giggled uncontrollably.

         And without warning, Mulan lunged at me. "Ahh!" I shrieked while she pushed us both into the lake. The edge of the lake was still pretty shallow, allowing for us both to sit up and it only reached to our waist. "What the hell?" I laughed.

         "You started it." She retorted. I bit my bottom lip and shook my head at her. I bent some more water to throw at her, but Mulan moved further into the water. "Nuh uh. Sorry, sweetheart but you're gonna have to catch me first."

         I scoffed amusingly while the redhead dove deeper into the water. I took her up on that challenge and followed her in further. She wasn't really trying to outswim me. I caught up to her pretty quickly, tackling her and we both submerged into the lake. The water glowed at all the movement we were making.

         Breaking through the surface, the two of us gasped for air and giggled. Luckily we weren't that deep and could stand. The water ended just above my waist. "I didn't think this through." Mulan muttered, looking down at her soaking clothes.

         "Relax, I can bend the water out of our clothes when we get out." I reminded her and moved closer to her.

         Just for the curiosity of it, I bent the water, moving it from side to side as it glowed. I took it a step further, swirling it around my body and then around Mulan's. The two of us giggled while I slipped the water back in the lake.

         "No matter how often you do that I'm always to mezmerised but it." Mulan looked at me in awe. "Well, it's either that or just the gorgeous woman who's bending the water." I turned to look at her and our eyes met. Her green eyes felt like they were seeing every inch of me. Every insecurity and every flaw. But also every beautiful aspect and everything admirable.

         Neither of us said anything. My eyes looked down at her heart shaped lips. She never painted them, but they still had an orange tint to them. Which I thought was absolutely unique and beautiful.

         Mulan leaned in hesitantly, waiting for me to back away. But I didn't. In fact, I also leaned in. She closed the gap and her soft lip finally met mine. It felt perfect and pure. But just as quickly as it happened, she pulled away and hastily started to trudge through the water.

         "Wait, Mulan!" I called and started to trudge after her. Was the kiss bad? Was I bad?

         "I shouldn't have done that." The woman replied with a distressed tone. She scrunched up her hair, getting the water out and she stepped out of the lake.

         "Why? Was it me?" I wondered. My chest felt heavy with worry that I had just made a complete fool of myself. I was already planning to leave the group. I couldn't stay if it was just going to be awkward.

         "No, no. It wasn't you." Mulan told me.

         "Then what?" I grabbed her wrist to keep her from leaving further.

         She turned around with tears in her eyes and she shook her head. "You were perfect." She started. "You are perfect. I just can't do this to you."

         "What? Do what?" I begged to know.

         "You're a hero, Ama. I can't be the reason you get shunned and rejected by the world." He looked down at her hands to avoid my look. "Like what my parents did to me." It clicked in my mind. Just a moment ago, it felt like it was just me and her. But there's still an entire world that wouldn't be thrilled if two women fell in love. Mulan's parents being one example.

         The thing was. I didn't care. I placed my hand on both sides of Mulan's cheeks, wiping her tears away with my thumbs. "Fuck the world." I told her and shook my head. "This can just stay between us or we can shout it from the rooftops. It doesn't matter. I just don't want to have to reject how I feel about you."

         Mulan raised her head, looking me in the eye again. "And how do you feel about me?" She wondered with a soft smile.

         "With you I feel happy. I feel like I can do anything with you by my side." I told her. "I like you more than a friend."

         Mulan wrapped her arms around my waist, pulling me close to her. "I like you more than a friend, too." And we kissed again. It was soft and loving. And, again, it felt perfect. "I can't tell you hold long the others were trying to convince me to make a move." She giggled when she pulled back a little.

         "Did Teon try to give you a pep-talk?" I asked with a humorous smirk.

         "Yeah and then Bono did a better job at it." Mulan responded and the two of us laughed. This felt right. I didn't know in that moment, but it wouldn't last. The feeling of being pure.

.☽☼☾.

Let's go lesbians, lets go! Jk, Ama is a little bi baby. I wanted some background for Ama and Mulan before some more tea! But also cause I love wlw representation and there isn't enough of it. And don't worry everyone cause Zuko is getting some love pretty soon!

Love you all! Hang loose, amigos 🤙🏼

[grither55]

The Princess and the Peasant - (An Azula Epic) - Chapter 36 - A Talk Between Family

The commandeered airship soared over the oceans waters while chaos was underway in the bowels of the ship.

Sokka and Aang were seated a distance away from Katara while they watched with fury in their eyes as Katara released a sorrowful cry while they treated her maimed arm.

"They're gonna pay for this!" The tactician yelled out with tears in his eyes while the monk placed a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Please Sokka. I am just as angry as you. But we need to try to stay calm right now. For Katara!" The Avatar reasoned with tears in his own eyes while his friend hid in the palm of his hand.

"I know Aang. But it's not that easy." Sokka mumbled with a hand over his face while Aang nodded in agreement.

'I have failed once again! Toph is missing! Iroh lost an eye! And…and Katara! I swore on Bumi's name that I would stop the Fire Nation! I can't…I can't let this girl prevent me from defeating Azula and the Fire Lord! There must be something I can do to defeat her!' Aang thought with his palms clasped in his lap while his fretful eyes stared down at his feet.

All the while Pakku sat across from them slumped over in a chair watching the scene with pain-stricken eyes.

After many weeks of Zoe's torture, he wanted nothing more to pass out in a warm bed.

But he couldn't!

Not until he knew that his granddaughter would be okay!

The medical team worked furiously at their task while Zuko gazed in from the glass window with enraged golden eyes.

His disabled arm was now in a bandaged sling and he could only clench his fist in his anger at the sight before him.

'Azula! If you hadn't had struck Katara in the shoulder she wouldn't been torn apart by the landmine!' The former prince thought with his fists tightening at his hip before turning to storm down the hall.

Mere moments later he come to a stop before another room to see his uncle seated in a chair with a bandage wrapped around the left side of his face.

"Uncle…are you…" Zuko trailed off with the words dying in his throat while Iroh turned to smile back at him.

And seated before the wounded man was two steaming cups of tea.

"I will be fine Prince Zuko. It's just only an eye." Iroh assured only for his nephew to stare at him incredulously.

"Just an eye!" The former prince shouted with flames burning at the fingertips of his good hand while the older man reached out to grasp his cup of tea.

"Look at the bright side. Now we share the same location for our battle scars." The Dragon of the West stated before taking a sip of his tea while his nephew glowered down at him.

"You're quite carefree. Considering that Azula now has the power to not only rival Aang…but completely neutralize him whenever that girl is in her presence! On top of that we now have to deal with Azula's bloodhound chasing us everywhere we go! And that isn't even getting into what she did to Katara!" Zuko exclaimed in a furious voice with his fist balling up in his anger while Iroh now gazed down solemnly into his tea.

"I…am aware of the gravity of our situation. I am just…relieved to see have you back." Iroh commented in a softer voice while Zuko stared down at him with guilt ridden golden eyes.

"I…apologize Uncle. Both for losing my temper now and…before." The former prince muttered with shame in his eyes once more.

"And I will say once more that there is nothing to forgive." The Dragon of the West assured while he stared at his nephew taking a seat opposite of him.

"Once my father realizes what that girl can do…" Zuko spoke in an unnerved voice while Iroh nodded glumly.

"There will be no stopping my brother then." Iroh agreed with a heavy sigh before taking another calming drink of his tea.

"Where…did she come from? Why would such a power reappear now after so nearly two thousand years? It's…like she just popped out of nowhere!" The former prince lamented with frustration in his voice while his uncle gazed into his tea.

"It does certainly seem that way. I have a hunch…that the only person who would know of her origins would be your sister." The Dragon of the West replied with another sigh while his nephew scowled at the steel flooring.

"And now that Azula is aware of it. You can bet that she is going to keep that girl by her side at all times. There won't be a single chance to remove her from her side." Zuko spoke with a sliver of fear in his eyes before he found himself reaching out for the spare cup of tea.

"From the sound of it…this Elle has already spent a great deal of time with Azula…much more than most would care for." Iroh remarked with a frown while Zuko nodded in agreement.

"Toph told us that she met her a few weeks ago…wandering the Fire Nation. And then we saw her again that village without Azula. After this…Azula won't allow her to walk free anymore." The former prince grunted before taking a relieving drink of the tea.

At the mere mention of Toph the two gazed down into their teacups with worried expressions on both of their faces.

"Uncle…about Toph…. how will we…?" Zuko inquired with a tilt of his head while Iroh met his gaze.

"Appa left in search of her just moments ago. It's far too risky for us to attempt to approach the island when we're all this injured. We can't fight another battle. Not today." The Dragon of the West declared in a serious voice.

"Now that Zoe survived…what is going to happen to Mai?" The former prince pressed with urgent concern for his former fiancé.

"One can only hope that Azula cares enough for her to protect her from Zoe." Iroh answered with a flinch while Zuko stared at him for what seemed like an eternity.

"Azula? Care about anyone but herself? That's a good one." Zuko scoffed with his injured arm falling into his lap while he glared down into his drink.

Although he won't deny that it almost seemed as if Azula felt something for Elle.

But…that couldn't be!

He scowled while he shook his head all the while reminding himself that Azula always lies.

That girl is astoundingly naïve.

His sister has been manipulating her for quite some time now.

Azula put her claws in deep and removing them will be almost impossible.

But maybe…if he gets another chance to talk to Elle without Azula around…

There may be a chance that he can convince her to stand against Azula.

He was snapped out of his musings when he heard his uncle hum thoughtfully with a contemplative countenance.

"I recall the first…and only time where I heard of this 'Component'." The Dragon of the West began with a thoughtful look in his remaining eye.

"Was it…in ancient records?" The former prince found himself asking only for his uncle to shake his head.

"The dragons once spoke of it. I went to speak to them…in search of the Avatar several years before Aang was found in his iceberg." Iroh confessed to the astonishment of Zuko who now gazed at him with surprised golden eyes.

"What…did they say?" Zuko pondered with inquisitive golden eyes while Iroh's golden eye turned to him grimly.

"They did not say much. They said that the Avatar's purpose is to balance the Spirit World. They claimed that the Avatar would return in time…and they were not wrong." The Dragon of the West explained to his entranced nephew.

The older man took a deep breath before gazing up from his cup of tea into his nephew's curious yet concerned eyes.

"The dragon claimed that there was once an opposite of the Avatar…that existed thousands of years before he was even born. This power…was called the Component. The Component's purpose was to serve as a check over the Avatar, to prevent an Avatar from stepping past their bounds." Iroh informed with his eye gazing back at Zuko's stunned face.

In a strange way Zuko supposed it made sense for there to be a measure to prevent an Avatar from becoming a tyrant.

But Aang wasn't a tyrant!

That's the part that didn't make any sense.

His father and his sister are the very thing that the holder of this power would seek to stop and yet this girl is going to assist his sister in conquering the world!

"You see Prince Zuko. The Avatar's power comes from the Spirit World…and according to the dragon I spoke to. The Component's purpose is negation…the holder of this power possessed the ability to tear through the spiritual plane." The Dragon of the West revealed with a grave countenance while Zuko sunk bank into his chair after hearing those words.

"Tear…through the spiritual plane." The former prince repeated with unnerved golden eyes gazing down in rapidly rising alarm.

This is horrible!

Never in a million years should Azula ever be in possession of such a power!

And even more horrifying.

Elle didn't even seem to understand the nature of what she held in her very hands!

His sister will effortlessly shape and mold her to her will!

This poor girl was naively in love with his selfish sister who was quite clearly toying with her emotions.

She was literally putty in Azula's hands!

"It is a grim, grim day. But there is good news." Iroh sighed while his nephew stared at him in disbelief.

"I find that hard to believe." Zuko snorted with his tea cup in hand while Iroh set his empty cup down.

"The girl is young, very young. She doesn't seem to know her own power yet. This gives us time…to come up with a plan." The Dragon of the West explained while the younger man numbly nodded in agreement.

"She may not know it yet. But I can guarantee that it won't take long for Azula to decipher it." The former prince insisted with a glower on his scarred face while his uncle turned to face him once more.

"All true. But for now. Let's handle one problem at a time. For now, let's not worry about your sister…my brother or this young girl. Let's…focus on Zoe." Iroh began with a hardened countenance while Zuko's eyes still lingered on his bandaged face.

"I'll defeat her…somehow. I swear I'll make her regret all of the people that she killed today." Zuko growled with his fists clenching once more in his rage.

"To do that…you're going to have to alter your fighting style." The Dragon of the West spoke with a hand on his bandaged cheek while he cringed from the pain.

"Alter my fighting style?" The former prince pondered in an attentive voice with his blood beginning to boil once more while he watched his uncle hold his head in pain.

"She truly is deserving of her reputation. I…must admit that I underestimated her. Her fighting style is incredibly deceptive…ingenious even." Iroh responded with a frown while Zuko listened in closely.

"She doesn't fight like most firebenders do." Zuko muttered in understanding while Iroh nodded gravely.

"She uses tools that one wouldn't expect of most firebenders. Bombs, grappling line, and swords. Before witnessing her in combat one might think that she is compensating from a lack of skill in firebending. But that couldn't be farther from the truth!" The Dragon of the West exclaimed while leaning forward with his hands on his knees.

"Obviously. Only a fool would think otherwise." The former prince scoffed with a scowl still gracing his lips.

"You would think Prince Zuko. But she attacks rapidly and without warning. In terms of strictly hand to hand combat she may well be even more dangerous than your sister. And as you have seen by the time her enemies realize just how dangerous she really is. It is already too late." Iroh lamented while they vividly recalled the men that Zoe cut down in her vicious boarding of the airship.

"That tool of hers…it's not something I've seen before." Zuko commented before taking another drink of his tea.

"That's because it was likely custom made for her own use. And therein lies the problem. She is purposefully conserving the use of her chi by using every tool that she can to fight without her bending. I suspect that her firebending is no doubt stronger than what we saw. She wants her enemies to think that she is nothing without her weapons." The Dragon of the West remarked with his back against his seat while his nephew nodded grimly.

"She's…hiding the true power in her bending." The former prince breathed with his hands trembling in his fury.

"Precisely. This way if she should ever be stripped of her weapons…her enemies will let their guard down." Iroh concluded with a sigh while his hand slid down from his face.

"So…what do we do?" Zuko asked in a frustrated voice while Iroh held a thoughtful finger to his chin.

"There's only one person who may possess the solution we need." The Dragon of the West replied with a small grin on his lips.

"Who?" The former prince questioned in a curious voice while he gazed at his uncle's smile in bafflement.

But as strange as it may be. It relieved him to see his uncle returning to his usual self.

"Her former instructor…who just so happens to be your former teacher as well." Iroh stated slyly while Zuko stared back at him with surprised golden eyes.

"You mean…she's a student of…" Zuko trailed off with realization in his voice.

His mind was already flashing back to the days when he first learned how to use his dual broadswords!

"Yes. We must consult my old friend…Piandao." The Dragon of the West admitted with resolve in his voice while he raised his eye to meet his nephew's speechless gaze.

"I…can't believe he taught her." The former prince murmured while his uncle nodded in agreement while they gazed back at one another.

Iroh certainly couldn't blame his nephew for his shock.

He himself…to this day doesn't understand what his old friend saw in Zoe to deem her worth his teachings.

He honestly didn't have the faintest idea.

And he likely never will.

[carnistcervine]

Sun Spirit Sokka AU

So I got this idea like, in the fandom we always talkin bout shipping the sun and the moon right? I mean we usually use that in reference to zutara, but what about the actual sun and moon? Yue is connected to the moon spirit, so what if Sokka was connected to the sun spirit? Like not only would Sokka be all frustrated because he doesn't like all that spirit nonsense, but also(and especially) because Agni is a Fire Nation deity. Lets not forget, sun and moon power couple. Just. Yes.

-While he's still quite small, Sokka falls through the ice.

-Agni comes to little Sokka's aid, trying to hold his spirit to his body. But Hakoda isn't able to get his boy out of the water before lethal hypothermia sets in. Rather than let the child die, Agni imparts some of his life into Sokka, reviving him.

-Hakoda is relieved to see color starting to return to his son's face as he coughs, sucking in breaths once more. He bundles him up and rushes him back home, despite Sokka's protests that he's too hot.

-From Sokka's perspective, after falling through the ice he felt the cold closing in around him. Then he suddenly felt a hand grabbing him, only the hand felt wicked hot, like fire itself had latched onto him. He tried to open his eyes, but all he could see was a man with a face as bright and white hot as the sun. The hand kept pulling him towards the bright, radiating heat, until he could no longer feel the freezing ocean around him. The hand held onto him, and he could hear the crackling of fire, however the world was fading from view. Just before he slipped from consciousness he felt like fire was flowing into his mouth, it burned its way down his throat until it reached his stomach were it got hotter and hotter until it felt like he had a tiny sun inside of him. He forced his eyes open to see his father's concerned face, wrapping him in furs to keep him warm. But Sokka already felt like he was burning from the inside-out, and squirmed and moaned in protest.

-The next week or so, Sokka remained inside, being cared for by his mother and grandmother. His sister also stayed by his side, worried that he might not be there is she left. But there was also another person who watched over him during this time. A strange man dressed in fine reds who seemed to have his face constantly obscured by some bright glow. He radiated just as much heat as the fire pit, and strangest of all, he spoke like the crackling of fire. But no one ever addressed the mysterious firebender in the room. So Sokka simply assumed he was a hallucination and left it at that.

-The night before Sokka's fever finally broke, the strange man stood up and walked outside, the taking the life of the flames with him and leaving Sokka in the cold dark.

-The next morning Sokka felt better than ever. He went back along with his life, casually ignoring the faint sensation of the sun blazing within him. He couldn't feel any literal burn, so he reasoned that there wasn't actually anything there.

-After the whole ordeal though, Sokka noticed some of his fellow tribe members giving him a wide berth. He was very confused at first, until Katara explained to him that his eyes had turned to a very firey-looking gold color.

-While even Hakoda had some concerns about his son's sudden eye color change, Sokka proved quick enough that he was the same kid he'd always been. It's not long before people go back to treating him normally.

-Soon after the event, Sokka notices that not only does he have a newfound affinity for fire, but also he wakes with the sun, and while he feels much more sensitive to the cold, he found that he's better able to keep himself warm. He convinces himself that since he can't throw flames from his fists, he's not a firebender.

-Sokka becomes deathly ill during the Long Night(polar winter). He feels icy cold on the inside, and becomes increasingly lethargic as the earth tilts further away from the sun's light. Katara stays by his side the whole time(because siblings who care deeply about one another are my bread and butter.) Each time it happens, Katara grows more and more concerned that Sokka won't survive. However, he promises her that he won't leave her and he'll always be there to protect her.

-When the Southern Raiders come, Hakoda makes Sokka go hide with his sister. He's never seen Sokka produce fire, but deep in his gut, he knows that once the firebenders take one look at Sokka's golden eyes, they'll drag him away and corrupt the poor boy.

-After loosing his mother, Sokka goes off by himself to cry when he feels a warm hand on his shoulder. He quickly wipes his tears and pulls himself together before turning around to see a man dressed in fine reds. He can't see his face, it's somehow obscured by the sun(or maybe it is the sun). Sokka pulls away venomously. In a fit of rage, he attempts to strike the man, but before his fist can connect, he's not there anymore. In fact, it was like he was never there in the first place. Freaked out, Sokka sulks away.

-When Zuko comes on his ship, he takes one look at Sokka with his blazing gold eyes and Water Tribe looks and has several questions. However instead of using words like a normal person, Zuko throws fire at Sokka. Having fire thrown at his face, Sokka lapses into instinct and cancels the attack out with a fireball of his own. Zuko keeps throwing fire at Sokka, who responds by somehow bending the flames away. Sokka's not sure how he's using fire magic, but if it can stop him from getting burned he'll take it. The most major questions in Zuko's mind are, is this boy a half-breed, or-

-His question is answered when Aang bursts in a penguin-otter. Well, partially answered at least. Zuko gets a strange feeling from Sokka though. Normally he can sense other firebenders through their inner flame, but this one seems to have an inner sun. He commands his men to take both the Avatar and the strange firebender with them.

-Of course Iroh is able to see right away that Sokka has been touched by the sun. Iroh is subtle about it and decides to have tea and pleasant conversation with Sokka.

-Iroh looks the other way when Sokka and Aang escape with Katara.

-As much as he doesn't like the Fire Nation, Sokka has to admit that Iroh is very pleasant to talk to. He seems like such a nice old man, and as much as Sokka wanted to think it was an act, he can't ignore that Iroh intentionally let them get away.

-Being the embodiment of the sun nearly ends badly for poor Sokka on Kyoshi.

-Skipping ahead a bit~

-Once they reach the North Pole, they recognize Sokka as a firebender right away, but Yue comes to his rescue.

-Tui speaks through her and scolds the guards for trying to drown Agni. Sokka's confused as to why this pretty girl just called him Agni, but if it stops him from being drowned he's a-ok with it.

-Yue and Sokka connect with one another right away. While Sokka is immediately smitten, Yue doesn't start to fall for him until she starts to get to know him.

-At first Yue doesn't see a problem with hanging out with Sokka, as she's just getting to know him as a friend, but she starts to feel bad when she develops feelings for him. Seeing as she's already engaged.

-Sokka stays with Katara and Yue while Aang seeks out the aid of the spirits.

-When Zuko comes, Agni speaks through Sokka and commands Zuko to stand down. When Zuko refuses, Tui takes control of Yue and she and Katara freeze Zuko to the wall.

-When Yue explains her back story and how she came to embody the moon, she explains to Sokka that the sun spirit, Agni had imparted some of his life into Sokka to save him.

-Sokka's lowkey frustrated that the patron spirit of the Fire Nation lives within him.

-When Zuko comes to at dawn, Sokka's ready for him and has Agni command the prince to stand down once again. Feeling the full force of the sun, Zuko reluctantly complies and the group tie him up.

-When Zhao tries to kill Tui, Agni pushes Sokka into action and he attacks Zhao. Katara, Sokka, Yue and Iroh manage to defeat all of Zhao's firebenders before Sokka throws another fire blast causing Zhao to nearly fall into the spirit pool.

-Sokka tries to get Agni to tell Zhao to stand down, when a dark pair of arms reach out from the spirit pool and drag him under. The group look all over for the man, but Agni tells Sokka that Zhao is gone.

-Sokka feels a deep, dark dread at that.

-Iroh takes Zuko with him, and Yue ends up joining the Gaang.

-Sun and Moon power couple fuck yeah.

-Being one with Agni grants Sokka fire power, and being one with Tui grants Yue water power. However, the two of them have to rely on Tui and Agni until they can learn to properly bend themselves. Yue has a little bit of bending experience, and Katara ends up with two students instead of one. Sokka just has what little Jeong-Jeong could teach him. So Agni takes Sokka on as a student, imparting his knowledge of fire onto his mortal emissary.

-Sokka being connected to Agni does get back to the Fire Nation, and uh... They're not just gonna stand by and let the chosen emissary of their patron deity get paraded around by a bunch of Water Tribe.

[sol-tinyrayofsun]

Zutara Week Day 6 - Affirm:  It Was Always You (Falling For Me)

*Alright, I´m reposting this because it´s not showing up in the tags.*

This little story has been on my mind for quite some time now and I somehow made it work with the prompt. It’s really fluffy, ridiculous, and features a lot of Toph’s brilliance to mess with her friends yet always meaning well. I just had a good time writing it, it was honestly a fun ride.

I hope you enjoy it! As always, thank you for reading! Feedback and comments are always appreciated! <3 In case you prefer it, also on AO3!

Title: It Was Always You (Falling For Me)

Rating: G

Summary: When Katara let Toph convince her of giving Zuko a love potion to make him fall in love with her, she knew the chances of the plan going sideways were extremely high. Still, the last thing she expected was for Zuko to act normal. Painfully normal. Operation “Sparky Falling For Sugar Queen” turns out to be a little too complicated. (Set after Ember Island Players but before Sozin’s Comet).

----- 

 “Pst! Katara!”

The waterbender tilted her head. The kitchen appeared to be empty. Still, she could hear someone calling for her, loud and clear. She had been busy making sure they had everything ready for lunch around Zuko’s holiday house at Ember Island.

“Katara!” There it was, that voice again. “Listen up, Sugar Queen!”

Wait for a second, that was Toph’s voice. Definitely.

“Toph?” She asked, walking around the room. “Where on earth are you?”

“Inside the broomstick closet!” Toph chuckled. “Come here for a sec.”

Katara did as she said. Once she opened the door, she found Toph mischievously smirking, holding a little bottle in her hands.

“So, what is it?”

“This!” Toph replied, showing off the bottle with a grin on her face. “This is what I wanted to show you!”

“And you were hidden with all those broomsticks because…”

“Dramatic effect, Sugar Queen, never underestimate it,” she said, stepping into the kitchen hall. “Now, aren’t you going to ask what this is for?”

“Sure, Toph,” Katara let out an amused sigh. “Why is it so important?

“How do you feel about having some fun at Sparky’s expenses?”

In all honesty, the idea sounded tempting. After the dreadful night Katara had endured with that stupid play just days ago, she could use more than a little fun. Although Toph’s idea of fun could sometimes be questionable, at the very least.

“Hold up. What do you have in mind?”

“This little thing,” Toph shook the bottle up in the air. “It’s a temporary love potion.”

Katara broke down in a scandalous laugh. “Yeah, and where did you get that from?”

Toph made a defensive frown. “Hey, it’s the real deal! I bought it from a weird old lady in town. She wasn’t lying, I swear.”

“Alright, I believe you. And what do you suggest we do with it?”

“Yes, that’s the attitude!” she celebrated. “According to the weirdo, two drops of this stuff and you can make anyone fall at your feet. All you need is for the other person to consume it while looking at you. And I just thought, wouldn’t it be hilarious if Zuko just happened to suddenly be crazy in love with you? That play inspired me, that’s all I’m saying.”

Well, that sounded like a recipe for disaster. Especially considering the way that play had contributed to her latest confusion regarding her feelings for two very powerful - and very different - benders. Still, it was a tempting offer.

“Toph, that’s insane!” Hesitation could be heard in her voice. “Trust me, pranking Zuko would be entertaining, but we cannot force him to be forever in love with me! I mean, what on earth would we do then? Seems a little cruel to me.”

“See? That’s the catch. It’s temporary. Two drops would only make him fall in love with you for a couple of days, tops. Come on! I thought you had been introduced to the concept of fun.”

Spirits, screw it. Two days of some harmless fun, how bad could it be? She could use a little distraction from the constant stress they were all under.

“Are you sure the effect will wear off?”

“Absolutely. Say yes, please! You know I can always do it without you. Or to you.” A mischievous smile framed her face. “You know you want to torture Sparky a little bit.”

“Alright… Let’s do it. But if anything goes sideways it’s your responsibility.”

“Heck yeah! That’s the spirit!” Toph gave her an affectionate punch in the shoulder. “Oh man, this is going to be too fun to watch!”

And so operation “Sparky falling for Sugar Queen” was put into motion. The two girls would prepare some tea - which would undoubtedly bribe Zuko in there - and make sure he was left alone with Katara when it came to drinking it. Toph would oversee everything from a cautious distance. It was the craziest, most random idea ever. But it sure sounded like fun.

Once everything was ready, Katara waited for Zuko in the kitchen. Needless to say, she was feeling a tad nervous. Waiting by the countertop, staring at the two teacups in front of her, she felt her heart racing on her chest.

It was just for two days. And it would certainly be nice to laugh with Toph about Zuko’s ridiculous lovey-dovey attitude. Most importantly, she wouldn’t even dream to risk Toph giving her the concoction. No, her feelings were already messy enough without the help of any love potion.

“Katara, are you in here?” Zuko’s voice interrupted her overthinking. “Toph said you made tea for me…?”

Time for the show. She put on her brightest smile as Zuko sat down in front of her.

“Yes! You seemed so tired this morning, figured you could use a little boost.”

She handed him the cup with the two drops mixed in the tea.

Zuko gifted her with a thankful smile. “Thank you, that’s very nice of you.”

Nice of me… Yeah, sure. Just drink the tea and look at me.

He started drinking, only to stop after a few sips to have a little chat.

“So, Aang’s training is looking decent,” he started saying. “But I can tell he’s getting increasingly anxious. We might need to keep an eye on him, I wouldn’t want him to start avoiding our sessions.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Katara intervened. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t slack on his training. Drink your tea, it’ll get cold otherwise.”

“Alright, alright,” he complied, looking into her eyes. “Thanks again for making it.”

Katara observed him as he drank the whole thing in one go. Her golden eyes staring at her with an amused shine to them. She wondered how Zuko being in love with her would be like. He didn’t exactly give off the cheesy type vibes, though she knew how much of a dork he actually was. If you fall in love because of a potion, you’re pretty much doomed to grandiloquent gestures and infatuated declarations, right? Well, she wasn’t an expert on the subject. But she did know a thing or two about having feelings for someone.

Toph sneaked into the kitchen, placing her hands on Zuko’s shoulders and giving them one tight squeeze. “Hello there, Sparky, how are you feeling on this lovely day?”

“Hey Toph,” he greeted her. “Much better after that tea, actually.”

Despite the perfectly normal response, Toph continued with her attack.

“You know what? Sugar Queen over here confessed to me this morning that she felt she looked terrible. I’m clearly not the best judge when it comes to looks.” The vicious smile on her face was a little too obvious. “How is she looking today, Sparky? Isn’t she stunning as usual?”

Oh, no. Katara felt herself blushing. The whole operation had quickly turned into Toph having fun at the expenses of both her and Zuko. But in all honesty, how could she had ever expected otherwise?

“Um, well,” Zuko mumbled, his eyes glued to the countertop. “She looks just the same to me. Like you said, um, she’s got her usual look.”

Katara wished Toph could see the look of utter confusion in her eyes. That was not the response she had imagined.

Zuko abruptly stood up. “Alright, I think I’ll get back to training. See you two later,” he greeted them. “Oh, and Katara. Thanks again for the tea.”

‘Thanks for the tea’? So much for romantic gestures.

Toph grasped her arm as soon as Zuko was out the door.

“What on earth? That was the least romantic interaction ever.” The earthbender exclaimed, looking frustrated.

“Hey, let’s give it some time. Maybe the effect hasn’t kicked in yet.”

“Okay, we’ll wait. Man, what a bummer. I was fully expecting him to start a rant about how beautiful you are.” Toph threw her hands up in the air, grunting.

“Patience, we’ll get there,” Katara reassured her.

But am I even sure I want to get there?

Deep down, a part of her was hoping for it.

The rest of the day was spent with Toph trying her best to get Zuko to do anything remotely romantic regarding Katara, in an attempt to kick off the love potion effects. Much to her frustration, nothing seemed to do the trick. Katara wasn’t sure what to think of it. Did she feel relieved, disappointed, or maybe even bored? Truth be told, it was kind of a mix of all three.

Katara witnessed as Toph did everything she could. From suggesting they paired up in training all the way up to making them meditate together. All she got from Zuko was radio silence. Well, at least in the sense they were expecting.

“Are you sure you don’t feel a little weird, Sparky?” Toph asked him for the millionth time during dinner.

“Um, no? Why?” Zuko had a look of complete confusion on his face.

“You sure you don’t feel a little more sparky than usual? Don’t you sense some new emotions?” Toph continued. “Anything different?”

“Alright, that’s enough Toph,” Katara interrupted. “You’re scaring the poor boy.”

“Yeah, Toph, what’s all that nonsense about?” Sokka asked.

“Why should Zuko feel different?” Aang’s voice showed a tad of concern.

“Nothing, nothing,” Toph replied. “Calm down, you all. I was just wondering.”

Katara noticed the annoyed frown on her friend’s face. She seemed pissed off by the lack of results, the whole plan had been her idea after all.

After the meal, Suki stayed with them doing the dishes.

“Are you two going to tell me what’s going on already?” she asked them, with her hands on her hips and an inquisitive look in her eyes.

“Going on with what?” Toph played the innocent. “We’re just scraping plates.”

“Oh, come on! You have been acting weird all day! Especially you, Toph, asking Zuko the most random questions.”

“What do you say, Sugar Queen, should we tell her?” Toph asked.

“Sure, maybe she’ll even know why it’s not working,” Katara replied. “But Suki, promise not to tell any of the guys, alright?”

Suki let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine, just spill it.”

“Okay, let me see. We made Sparky drink a love potion with his tea so he would fall in love with Katara. For two days. And before you ask, yes, it’s legit. Oh, but nothing’s happened yet.” Toph´s explanation was accompanied by a playful grin on her face.

“You’re joking, right?” Suki asked with a sarcastic smirk. “Katara would never be on board with that.”

“Actually,” she said, blushing. “I thought it was kind of a fun idea.”

“Yeah, so much for fun since Sparky hasn’t shown any signs of love and it’s been hours! He should be acting all lovey-dovey already.”

Suki burst into laughter. “Spirits, that’s hilarious! You gave him a freaking love potion and he’s acting as usual?”

“I don’t get what you’re laughing about! Something’s seriously wrong with him! Or us!” Toph complained. “Katara, are you sure you didn’t drink the potion yourself?”

“Yes, Toph, I’m absolutely positive I gave him the cup with the two drops,” Katara replied.

“Are you telling me you two don’t realize what’s going on?” Suki asked, an amused expression framing her face. “For being the ones to come up with this plan you seem rather clueless.”

A suspicion started to take shape into Katara’s mind. She couldn’t help but ask. “Suki, what are you talking about?”

“Yeah, come on!” Toph urged her. “Do you know something that we don’t?”

Suki let out a soft giggle. “Well, let’s think about it. You gave Zuko a love potion to fall for Katara, right? Toph, you say it’s a legit one. But Zuko is acting painfully normal. Even though he is under the effects of the potion.”

“Your point is?” Toph was sitting down on the countertop with a desperate expression on her face.

“If Zuko acts just as usual when he is supposed to be artificially in love with Katara… What do you think it’s the reason?”

“His heart is missing?”

“The dose wasn’t strong enough?”

“No!” Suki exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. “He was already in love with her!”

Wait. What? That doesn’t make any sense.

“Spirits, Spirits, Spirits!!!” Toph jumped down the countertop, hands on her head, and on the verge of screaming. “That’s it! Suki, you’re a genius.”

Katara hadn’t even blinked. She was not even entirely sure she was still breathing. Zuko in love with her? It couldn’t be. He had even looked embarrassed by the way the play paired them together. Although she had acted embarrassed as well. And a part of her knew very well why.

“Sugar Queen, I can’t believe I didn’t realize it sooner.” Toph poked her cheeks. “His heartbeat is all over the place whenever you’re around but again so is yours, and I thought it was just all that love/hate dynamic you’ve got going on. I had actually started to suspect he liked you, but Spirits, I didn´t realize he loves you.”

Love/hate, what? This can’t be happening.

Suki raised a brow. “Hold up, Toph, are you saying Katara’s heart beats faster when Zuko is around?”

“That’s a lie!” Katara exclaimed, snapping out. She couldn’t let her friends figure out the truth. “My heart is perfectly fine, thank you very much. And Zuko is not in love with me!”

“And I suppose you have unlimited access to his mind and that’s how you know that?” Toph deadpanned.

“No… I - That’s unfair Toph,” she managed to mumble, feeling her heart starting to race on her chest.

“As unfair as the fact that you’re heart is betraying your words in this exact second,” Toph replied.

Katara wished with all of her strength that the ground opened up and swallowed her. The entire operation had gone sideways. But not in the way she had originally expected. No, it was worse.

“Alright, alright,” Suki intervened. “Enough torturing with Katara, this was supposed to be about Zuko.”

“Thank you. Can we please go back to the point?”

Toph let out an exasperated sigh. “The point is Zuko is in love with you, Sugar Queen. But not because of the love potion, it seems like he’s been head over heels for you way before drinking that tea.”

“I seriously can't believe you didn’t figure this out sooner,” Suki said. “The question is, what are you going to do about it, Kat?”

That was a very good question indeed. One she had no answer for.

“Why should I even do something about it?” Katara asked, a confused look in her eyes.

“Because I think deep down you want to.” Suki’s tone got serious all of the sudden.

Toph placed a hand on her shoulder. “Sugar Queen, I’m sorry if my prank ended up bringing you a headache. But Suki’s right, you should confront him.”

“Confront him? We’re in the middle of a war! I don’t need any distractions.” Her head was spinning a little too fast.

“Says the girl who complied to give a love potion to Sparky,” Toph remarked.

“Katara, would you seriously prefer to have a lump on your throat until Aang has taken down Fire Lord Ozai?”

Truth be told, she would hate that. A part of her knew she had feelings for Zuko. For that poor firebender she had given a love potion to. Only to have the whole scheme backfire right on her face. Now, she had to stand up to it.

“No.” She shook her head. “I wouldn’t prefer that.”

“Then hear me out because I have a plan!” Toph exclaimed, enthusiasm written all over her face. “I know how to get one last bit of fun out of this failure of an operation.”

——

The next day went out according to what the girls had planned. Still hoping for at least a bit of extra romance on Zuko’s behalf - which, unsurprisingly, never occurred - the three of them acted normal all the way until the afternoon.

After training, Toph cornered the poor Zuko on his way to the beach. Katara and Suki stayed at the shore, discreetly listening.

“Sparky, this is your last chance!” Toph exclaimed.

“My last chance for what?” The look of sheer confusion on his face was priceless to say the least.

“Come on! Please tell me you are feeling extra lovey-dovey and maybe I’ll let you walk away without making you even more uncomfortable.”

“Toph, I swear I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

“You’re telling me you don’t feel any special romantic feelings today?”

“Um, no?” His voice had a strain of nervousness to it.

“And what about regular feelings? Got them for anyone? Maybe for someone you drink a lot of tea with?”

“Uh - No? Um, Toph, can I please go now?” Zuko stuttered.

“Ha! I knew it, you sneaky little bastard! That’s a lie.” Toph threw her hands up in the air. “I can tell you’re lying. I was right, heck yeah!”

Zuko anxiously tried to get past her. “Alright, sure, can I please go down to the beach now?”

“Don’t you want to know why I’m asking you this?”

“Do I have to?”

“We gave you a love potion, Sparky! A love potion mixed with that tea you drank yesterday. And you were supposed to fall in love with Miss Sugar Queen!” Toph’s was grinning from ear to ear.

Katara and Suki exchanged a concerned look. That was not part of the plan. Katara was supposed to be the one to tell Zuko about the love potion. After Toph had made sure whether he was lying or not. Then, and only maybe, she would mention the tricky subject of actual feelings.

“What on earth, Toph?” Zuko’s face was pale as a ghost. “Why would you do that?”

“Because I've been suspecting for forever that you liked her! And when I got that love potion it was just too tempting not to go for it. I thought it would be a fun experiment! Katara was also on board with it.”

“But?”

“But it only made me reaffirm my theory! What I didn’t expect is that you don’t just like her, you’re full-blown in love with her!”

“Toph, can you please tone it down? I wouldn’t want anyone else to hear this conversation,” Zuko pleaded.”

Katara was cursing Toph, Suki, Zuko, the moon, the stars, the Spirits, and herself. Toph playing matchmaker as subtle as an elephant trying to fit into her sleeping tent.

“Sparky, don’t you see Katara and Suki over there in the corner? They’re already listening!” Toph waved at the two of them, she had the most amused look on her face.

“What? Toph!” Zuko’s face was now entirely red. “You’re insane.”

“Sh, let me get to the best part,” she shushed him. “I think our dear Sugar Queen has something very important to tell you.”

Toph grabbed him by the wrist and started marching up to them.

Toph, you’ll pay for this, Katara thought as she found herself in front of Zuko.

“Now, I think Suki and I have to go do literally anything else but being here,” Toph resolved. “Alright! Everyone’s happy? See you!

“Kat, I’m sorry,” Suki mumbled. “I had no clue about this but I’ll better go.”

The two girls sprinted back to the house, where Aang and Sokka were probably taking care of dinner.

Her eyes met Zuko’s, and she felt her heart racing inside of her chest. The awkwardness of the situation was remarkable.

“So… I’m taking it you heard everything Toph said?” Zuko asked, sitting down on the shore next to her.

“Yeah,” she replied, nervously playing with the sand that surrounded them. “I’m sorry about the love potion thing. It was stupid of me.”

“I just didn’t understand the logic behind it. Were you going to let me be in love with you for all eternity?”

“The effect was supposed to wash out tomorrow…” She let out a sigh. “But I guess it’s the same now.”

“Because you realized that I acted normal around you even with the potion?”

“Exactly.” Katara took a deep breath. “Look, Zuko, I had no clue-”

“Katara,” he interrupted her. “It’s okay. I don’t mind you know.”

“So it’s true then? Are you…”

“Am I in love with you?” He rubbed the back of his neck, his whole body seemed anxious. “Yeah, I am. I guess even more than I knew.”

Silence. Just sheer silence.

Zuko rushed to continue. “It’s perfectly okay if you don’t feel the same way.”

But she did feel the same way.

“Look, I think I’m in love with you too,” she blurted out, feeling her cheeks turning bright red.

“You are?” His voice was tinted with astonishment.

She nodded in agreement. Then, she proceeded to say something else. “The night of the play, Aang felt terrible about the possibility of us being together. He kissed me and… and I pulled apart. I was horribly confused. A part of me knew he has always expected to be with me. But it didn’t feel right.”

Katara made a pause. She couldn’t believe she was actually saying those words out loud.

“Go on, I’m listening,” Zuko encouraged her.

“Well, I knew I felt something for you for a long time already. But with what happened the night of the play, and now this whole love potion thing… I realize I’m in love with you too.”

Zuko brushed his fingertips against the back of her hand. “Thank you, for being honest with me.”

She squeezed his hand. “Thank you for not wanting to kill me for giving you a love potion.”

“Now what?”

“I don’t know. We still have a war to win.”

A moment of quietness invaded the space between them. Their fingers were intertwined, both of their hearts racing. They were savoring the confirmation of their feelings - and embracing the uncertainty - together.

“Do you want to wait?”

“Wait?”

“Yeah, until this whole mess is over,” he explained. “We can figure out things slowly, I don’t mind. It’s not like I’m suddenly going to stop having feelings for you.”

“So you would still be in love with me… And I would still be in love with you…”

“But we focus on winning the war first.”

Katara tilted her to look straight at him. “Can I occasionally do this, though?”

He made a slight frown. “Do what?”

She didn’t give him much time to wonder. In a split second, she leaned onto him and placed a kiss on his lips. It was sweet, quick, and a little timid. But it was still the first kiss they shared.

“So?” Katara asked, a light smile framing her face. “Can I?”

Zuko placed his arm around her shoulder, allowing her to rest her head on the creek of his neck.

He squeezed her hand, chuckling. “Yeah, I think you can.”

“You know  what? I’m really glad Toph convinced me to give you that stupid love potion.”

---- I hope you enjoyed this fluffy little thing I wrote! Feedback is always appreciated! <3 Thank you for reading!