#Protective!Katara

[demaparbat-hp]

Oh, Aang, you're really in it now...

This is Zu—I mean, Jian Li and Katara's second meeting in the Kyoshi Warriors AU. The first proper one, anyway.

Once they get through a minor difference of opinion or two (“I can carry my own basket!” “Never said you—” “I'm not weak!” “I didn't—” “Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean—” “Would you listen for once, woman?!” ) they'll become nearly inseparable.

For now Jian Li will carry Katara's basket all the way to the Kyoshi Warriors' dojo and, once there, they'll mercilessly tease Sokka when they see him in uniform.

[posalis]

Do you ever think about Zuko acting as a human shield for Sokka? Because I do. A lot. (x)

[mugentakeda]

better safe than sorry

[muffinlance]

Prompt: Aang didn't know Zuko was raising a baby dragon

Aang tilts his head. He doesn’t lower his staff, because—because Zuko, but he doesn’t try hitting him again, either. At least, not anywhere near his chestplate, which the other boy is very suddenly defending like there’s a second Avatar inside.

“Do you… have something in there?” Aang asks.

“NO!” shouts Zuko, who definitely has something inside his armor. It makes a kind of scrabbly-paws-on-metal sound and then—

“Do you have a dragon in there?” Aang squeals. 

And maybe in retrospect he should have thought more before bouncing towards the fiery teenager, but in Aang’s defense there is the cutest, tiniest, fluffiest little maned dragon head he’s ever seen trying to peek out of Zuko’s neckline. And anyway, the other boy is way too busy backpedaling and trying to push the dragon’s snout back inside to Capture the Avatar, so. So Aang absolutely shoves a hand at the dragon’s nose for it to smell him, because that’s how you greet them—

—Or is that praying mantis-dogs?—

And then there is a Fire Prince squawking and shoving him away, which is definitely not a bending move, but not before a little lizard tongue tickles Aang’s hand which is so cute.

“Uh,” says Sokka, lowering his club. “I. I am not actually sure how I’m supposed to be reacting, here.”

“We’re fighting,” snarls Zuko, who is cupping protective hands over the dragon, and definitely not fighting. The dragon has wormed one stubby little leg and an adorably oversized wing out, and seems enthusiastically set on more. 

Which is the point where Zuko’s uncle finally catches up to them, at his usual leisurely pace. If he wasn’t with Zuko, Aang would maybe think that the older man wasn’t all that invested in catching him.

“Nephew, do you…” And then he catches sight of the dragon.

Zuko pales.

“Hello, Uncle Backup,” says Sokka, grabbing Aang and Katara’s arms. “And that’s our cue to go go go.”

Zuko chases them. Because he’s Zuko.

Zuko… gets ahead of them. Which is not very chase-y?

Zuko vaults into Appa’s saddle ahead of them and holds his hands up as Katara threatens him with a hovering stream of water. He… doesn’t seem to be leaving, or attacking, and his uncle is running after them way faster than Aang is used to, so. Yip-yip?

Katara and Sokka sit down, once Zuko’s uncle looks very small under them. Zuko keeps his hands up. The baby dragon is flapping its free wing appreciatively in the rushing air. And chirruping really cutely.

“So,” says Sokka, slowly. “You… needed a ride?”

“I don’t—” Zuko starts to shout, before lowering his volume, even if his tone is exactly the same. “I don’t need a ride.”

“Uh-huh,” says Sokka, even more slowly. 

Zuko continues to keep his hands up. His dragon is trying to squirm the rest of the way free, and has decided that gnawing at his chest plate is the way to do this. It’s making pretty good progress against the black and red paint. The metal, not so much.

Aang keeps glancing back from Appa’s head. “You, um,” he says, suddenly realizing that You seemed scared will probably just lead to more shouting. And fire. Which there has been a really noticeable lack of, and Aang kind of wants to encourage that. 

“Did your uncle not know about the dragon?” he asks, instead.

“Uncle is the Dragon of the West,” Zuko says, more quietly than Aang has ever heard him say anything. And also like it’s a full explanation. But judging by the equally confused looks on Katara and Sokka’s faces, this isn’t just another thing he’s missed during the past hundred years. 

The baby dragon huffs at its lack of progress. And flops, like an over-cooked and very dejected noodle, against Zuko’s chest. 

Zuko swallows. And stops glaring at any of them, because he’s no longer meeting their eyes. He lowers his hands, slowly, and works a shoulder strap free. It’s enough for the dragon to puddle limply down into his lap, where it curls into a very alert spring. 

“Do you know how someone gets the title dragon?” Zuko says. “By killing a dragon. Uncle thought he killed the last two. And father was—he was so mad, not that uncle killed the last, but that he killed two. That he didn’t leave some glory for the rest of our family.”

Sokka clears his throat, after the obligatory awkward silence. “Your family is… kind of messed up, huh?” 

“What was your first clue,” says the Fire Prince, his scarred face deadpan.

His very prominently scarred face.

Oh. 

Katara crosses her arms. Which makes her look grumpier, but she’s not able to bend as quickly like that, so Aang knows she’s feeling less going-to-waterwhip-you grumpy and more prove-me-wrong grumpy. 

“If killing it would be so glorious,” she asks, “why haven’t you?”

“It— She— She’s just a child. It wouldn’t be honorable,” Zuko says, straightening his back.

“Uh-huh,” says Sokka.

But Aang. Aang grins. “Hey! I’m a child, too!”

The Fire Prince groans, and drops his face into his knees. His dragon climbs up onto his head and, using his ponytail approximately like a tree branch, stretches both her wings out, and lifts her little nose to the wind.

(You can also read this and other prompts on AO3.)

[a-todd-illustration]

I will literally never get over the kids™ + Zuko, I’m devouring these crumbs of content (yes I did just spend half an hour scrolling through your account)

Then have some more! Protective Zuko fighting off a thief in the night

[nesisamess]

my biggest issue with the atla fandom isn’t even the shipping wars but instead that people don’t even understand the huge potential for toxic yuri that katara and azula have…

[jellyfilledeyes]

Friendly reminder that katara is a canon punk and not a "soft girl whos into bad boys UwU 🥺" like bro stop projecting this isn't a Y/N fanfic

[hanadoesstuffwrong]

Wait, what do you mean Zuko and Katara don't get married and usher in a Golden Age???

You mean to tell me they didn't just win back THEIR kingdom together?!?!?

Excuse me sir that is his Queen!

[ap-kinda-lit]

Time Travel AU Katara finally getting to see Zuko as a baby and little kid and she m e l t s when she sees how cute, sweet, and just so innocent he was. He would feed and talk to the turtleducks then try sneak them inside, eagerly ask his mother to hold his baby sister only to have his hair and face pulled, play-pretend dramatically while practicing his swordsmanship, try to make a flower necklace for his mom but bungle it up hilariously, fix Azula’s dolls after she damaged them, write excited letters to his uncle Iroh asking him about his adventures and what the world was like, secretly stay up past his bedtime to read under his bed covers, learn about pottery and try to make a little dragon statue for his dad, etc.

It makes it even more heart wrenching when Katara sees what he lives with and is forced to go through…

[punkeropercyjackson]

Local cis woman thinks she slammed the patriarchy because she crushes on bad boy characters instead of goody two shoes male protagonists

[ekwolfwriter-blog]

It has been a while but have had this stored for a while because the animators were on point with this episode.

Like, look at his face when he looked at the rocks that almost fell on her. I know this is me talking but like that looks like a "Like hell I am going to let them hurt her!" look if I ever saw one. And how protective his is for her.

Might need to do a whole breakdown because this whole scene is perfectly animated for these two.

But that is just me being me. Hope you all enjoy.

[demaparbat-hp]

Izumi of Jang Hui died young. She was sixteen and unwed. A kind child, protective and lonely—thus unfit for this world.

Izumi of Jang Hui was murdered. The Painted Lady was born out of hatred and grief. Her skin is painted red with the patterns of her scars. Her home is the river where the Dark Water Spirit dwells—he who found her, drowned and beautiful.

Build shrines by the river and pray for her good will. Harm her land or people and pray for mercy.

[posalis]

Katara & Aang in AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER, 2.02 — The Cave of Two Lovers

[the-genius-az]

Love your ideas!

So Azula and Katara have been kidnapped by the enemy, how would act Alpha!Azula to protect Omega!Katara?

Hmmm... I feel like Azula would explode, you know, that way where she just doesn't think about anything but protecting.

He probably grabs Katara and his fire protects the two, like a barrier, and maybe when he is about to faint the barrier explodes towards the others, killing everyone, but fulfilling the duty to protect.

[aloeverified]

i will never forgive atla fans for always talking about how katara is the mom friend and sokka is the adventurous one when. have you seen the first season. sokka refuses to try anything new whereas katara is curious about everything.

y'all just see a male character who's loud and a female character who's kind and put them in the same roles over and over again.

[zukosdualdao]

actually having a lot of feelings about sokka warily remarking that katara does mean it when she says she wants to fight in the waterbending master and how actually worried he seems during the fight, and katara's surprised "sokka!" when sokka volunteers for battle right after being told how dangerous it is.