#zutara drabble

[arcanarix]

@lupanaoflaminar || thanks for the suggestion! apologies for the delay. enjoy!

aang notices a change in the dynamic between zuko and katara.

how does he notice this shift?

appa detects that dramatic shift first--nudging him and pointing out how much closer and intimate they've gotten. from exchanging little whispers, maybe sweet nothings for all that aang knows, or stealing glances when they can. it must cease in aang's world, because he does see katara first and that means she's his turf, thank you very much.

appa disagrees.

never does he feel more betrayed, but if there's anyone's judgment aang trusts more than anyone's, it's appa's. so he knows when to wave that little white flag in the realm of his disastrous excuse for a love life. katara seems interested in zuko, as much as she vehemently denies it to his face.

appa knows better; now aang knows better.

it's another evening of watching those two fumble around each other like imbeciles. ok zuko's the imbecile, especially for weasling his way into her radar like this; katara's the smartest, prettiest, most powerful girl in the world in aang's eyes (though her interest in zuko has him reconsidering that judgment). appa adjusts his position where he is by aang and yawns, just before taking action.

zuko and katara choose to sit next to each other by the fire, but there's a healthy distance between them. something aang appreciates, but apparently appa has other plans. zuko relaxes his posture, tension releasing from his body and feeling at peace in katara's presence. aang continues to glower like a jealous partner. that's just like aang always feels around her. zuko does seem to want to make a move but is petrified about proceeding. firelord title aside, he's just like any other awkward teenager working through complicated emotions like feelings for a girl near and dear to him.

aang tries to ignore the jealousy pooling in his gut. really, he does. he's given the time to back COMPLETELY off. he knows katara doesn't belong to anyone, and she can be with whoever makes her happy. if zuko makes her happy, then that's that. appa has a great judge of character after all and zuko is still his dearest friend above all else.

while katara's attending to some strands of hair that have gone astray from the humidity, zuko admires her with the most soft affection glimmering in his amber eyes. it makes aang sick to his stomach. that's how AANG always looks at katara . . .

he catches zuko glancing at her every now and then, and almost tries to reach his hand out to her, but retracts at the last minute. he's probably groaning to himself, and appa, as fed up with these antics as he is, nudges zuko hard by the shoulder and now he's barely centimeters from smelling katara's freshly washed hair.

"s-sorry! sorry. don't know what got over appa and i uhhhh -- am i invading your personal space?"

katara glances up at him with a puzzled expression before shaking her head with a smile.

"not at all zuko." in fact to zuko's delight and aang's disapproval she scoots into him, practically in his lap. "is that better?"

"i, uh, yes! of course," zuko stammers. appa groans before returning to aang's side, pleased with his role of zuko's personal wingman.

"you know you're supposed to be on my side," aang whispers. "but i guess it's just not meant to be with us."

appa grunts in response, as if to affirm what aang said is true.

[stardust948]

A zutara prompt, modern au, bending optional.

Katara, sees Zuko and falls in love at first sight. Zuko is confused and concerned about why a really pretty girl would be staring at him.

She should be studying.

She needed to be studying. Spirits, that was the whole reason she was in summer school in the first place! But Katara couldn’t help it. Every time she forced her eyes back to the text book, they’d wonder right back to the window where she could see the training arena. Where she could see him.

The boy was beautiful.

Pale skin sparkling from sweat in the summer sun. Dark hair tied up in a hasty topknot with loose strands sticking to his face. Ripped muscles coupled with a well-defined chest.

Katara flushed, feeling as hot as the fire the boy wielded. She’d give herself five more minutes then return to her anatomy books. Besides, if she thought about it, she technically was studying anatomy right now.

~*~

“Still slow as ever, Zuzu.” Azula teased as she opened her water bottle. “But you nearly grazed me this time, so I’ll give you that.”

“Yeah whatever.” Zuko dumped his water on his head and sighed, letting the steam waft off him.

“Dramatic much.” Azula muttered.

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Your secret admirer would beg the differ.” Azula nodded towards the dorm building.

Zuko followed her gaze and saw a Water Tribe girl watching him from a window a floor above them. Even from here, he could see her deep blue eyes and bright red flush. Zuko’s heart fluttered when they made eye contact. The girl flinched and quickly looked away.

“What was that about?”

“Seriously?” Azula asked dryly.

“Maybe she’s never seen advance firebending forms before.” Zuko rubbed his chin and thought about the tension between the Fire Nation and Water Tribes. Since campus was practically deserted during summer school, he’d figure it was fine to firebend outside. “I hope we didn’t make her uncomfortable.”  

Azula rolled her eyes. “You’re unbelievable.” She stole his water bottle and finished it off. “Loser buys ice cream!”

Zuko groaned. He glanced back at the window and caught the name of the building. Whitman dorm. He decided to drop by and clear things up with her.

“I’ll catch up with you later.”

“Fine. You owe me. Plus interest.” Azula shrugged.  “And don’t expect me to go easy on you next training session.”

Zuko waved her off as he headed towards the dorm.

~*~

Katara had never been more embarrassed in her entire life.

She buried her head in the textbook to muffle her scream. That’s it. No more using the study room. Katara quickly packed her bags and ran out. It was a 20 minute walk to the library but she clearly couldn’t focus here. She should had left sooner. Spirits, why did it take a hot guy catching her ogling to come to the decision.

Once inside the elevator, Katara sighed deeply. She’s never going to live this down. Hopefully, she’ll never see him again. The elevator ding snapped her out of her spiraling thoughts. Katara barged out, eager to put some distance between her and the embarrassing memory, when she crashed into someone.

“Ow! Watch where…” Katara trailed off.

She knew that chest.

“Sorry about that.” The boy rasped. “Oh, you’re the girl from the window!”

Katara wanted to die.

“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable with my bending. Since it’s pretty empty out I thought no one would mind.” The boy scratched his head sheepishly. “Um, my sister and I can use the gym if you want-“

“No!” Katara blurted out.

The boy gave her a confused look.

“No, uh, it’s no problem really. I’ve never seen firebending up close and was amazed by your… form.”

“Really?”  

Katara nodded, throat growing dry. Up close, he was even more enamoring and sincere.

“Wow, thanks. That’s a relief. I’m Zuko by the way.”

“Katara.”

“I was about to head to the cafeteria. Wanna come?” Zuko glanced at her bag. “Oh, unless you were heading somewhere.

“It’s fine really.” Katara smiled and shook her head. “I love a good distraction.”

~~~

This was so fun! Thanks for the prompt ❤️

[zutaranation]

Dance with Me

[elmundodeflor]

And just like that, she’d fallen for him.

Spring. Summer. Autumn. The world had its cycles. There had been peace before war, and peace would come after bloodsheds and battles.

Katara looks at Zuko, at how he stares out to the width in the horizons. The curves of his nose and lips are soft, much like the colors of the leaves around them. The lines of his jaw and cheeks are sharp, in contrast.

He’s a beautiful man; she’s always thought so, even when they were enemies and he’d sworn he’d kill them. She likes it better this way, though— being friends, confidants, long-time companions. Kindness suits him more, either way. She likes how his face looks when he’s calm, — when there’s no rage to contort his scar, no scowl furrowing his brow.

She also likes that he knows her. That they can stand, silence pending between them, and it’s never too tense or uncomfortable. Zuko is just that good to her. He never puts too much pressure on her shoulders, — she’s had enough of that already. Instead, he soothes the rough edges. Lets her make her own choices and never judges her for them.

He looks back at her. An easy smile grazes his features; baffling, tortuous, beautiful. Katara has to fight the urge to freeze some water from her bottle and smash it across her searing face.

“Do you wanna…”, his voice cuts through the wind, raspy as it ever was. When he talks, it’s evident that he’s nervous. That he’s been circling around his thoughts and can’t seem to find the words. “I mean…”, he tries again. “Do you wanna stay here until you decide what to do?”

She hums, then turns her gaze back to the gardens. Aang had asked her to travel the world along with him, — to be by his side and help other people, from other nations and villages. She had yet to give him a proper answer.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to— go on missions, hear the masses’ suffering and be present in whatever way she could. Maybe, it was that she simply had pictured something different for herself. She could be so much more than just the “Avatar’s girl”! She could go home, lend a useful hand to Sokka and her dad advocating for their tribe. She could be an ambassador.

She could be with Zuko.

She can imagine the whole thing all too well, actually, — being on the palace, with him, until she could confront Aang about what to do. They could go for an evening stroll, feed turtleducks by the lake. Zuko’d make tea way past dinner time, and she’d laugh along with Suki when he’d burn his tongue by the first sip.

“There’s nothing I’d like more.”, she tells him, then. They are in one of the many balconies, staring out at the sun. The last scraps of summer have flushed with the breeze, and now the trees look all kinds of reds, yellows, oranges. Almost like they’ve caught on fire.

Zuko smiles at her again. A shy, wonderful thing that makes his eyes glint. His hair’s shaggy and overgrown, and falls limp between the honey of his irises. His cheeks burn a bright pink that, Katara deduces, might be from the gentle light warming up their faces.

“Okay.”, he says. He likes this, as well, — having her around. That he can open up to someone he can share his scars with, both the physical and the ones that lay underneath.

Katara inches close to him, just enough so that their elbows nudge together. The world has its cycles, she believes. Blue skies bleed into the darkness of the night. Ice defrosts when heated-up. And just like that, she’d fall for Zuko— delicate, and raw, and over and over. Helpless, like the moon that carries down the tides. Hopeless, like the autumn leaves that fall, ever so slow, and now gather at their feet like sea-foam.

“Okay.”

[ok-boomerang]

Hey Lena!

Zutara Drabble # 5 & 8, please. ^.^

“Wait a minute. Are you jealous?” & “Wanna bet?”

Katara knocked once, briefly, on the Fire Lord’s office door before pushing it open and inviting herself in. She and Zuko had worked together for so long—had been friends for so long—that they no longer had the need, or the patience, for a semblance of formality.

Katara supposed that on some unlucky day in the future she might walk in on him practicing his Iroh impression, or worse (better?), with his pants down. But per usual, the Fire Lord was merely at his desk, head in hand, as his glazed-over eyes scanned some boring parchment.

“Hey Zuko,” chirped Katara, feeling herself almost expand upon seeing him, upon seeing the transformation of his face when his eyes fell on her—the subtle widening of his right eye, the easy smile that pulled at the corners of his mouth.

“Hey,” he said in response, setting his parchment aside and giving her his full attention. A piece of hair had fallen out of his top knot. “My favorite ambassador—"

“Mhm, whatever,” she joked back. “Funny how I become the favorite every time the fishing waters treaty is up for renewal—"

“You’re always my favorite, I just happen to point it out at specific times.”

Katara rolled her eyes, even though she felt her cheeks warm a little at Zuko’s words.

“Anyway,” she said, shrugging off that impossibility, “I’m just delivering the report on the healers in Fire Fountain City.” She handed him another piece of parchment, which Zuko took with some hesitation.

“The report on the healers—?” he muttered, eyes scanning the page. “But I didn’t need this for a couple more days—”

“Yes, well, Tanriq invited me to the Fire Lantern Festival tomorrow evening, so I got it done early.”

She watched as Zuko’s eyes stopped scanning the parchment, but he didn’t look up.

“Tanriq?” For some reason, his voice had gone up in pitch.

“Do you know another Tanriq?” Katara asked, curious at Zuko’s confusion.

“The—the ambassador from the Northern Water Tribe?”

“Of course,” said Katara slowly.

“You’re—together?”

“No,” she said immediately, and then chided herself. “I mean—I’m giving him a chance. So…maybe in the future? We’ll see how it goes—”

“It’s not going to go well,” Zuko interrupted her.

Katara blinked at him. “Huh?”

“I mean,” Zuko said, bringing his hands in front of him on the desk and rolling them together. “I just mean—it’s just a little odd, the two of you—the Fire Lantern Festival—"

“What’s so odd about it?” Katara asked, half surprised and half curious about the issue Zuko saw that she couldn’t. “I like festivals.”

“Right, but do you like them with Tanriq? I—I dunno you will.”

“Sure, he’s a little boring—”

“He doesn’t know you at all!” Zuko interjected, and then quieted, shifting his eyes. But he continued. “I mean, will he know to take you to the food stalls that sell ocean kumquats? Will he take you dancing early enough so you don’t miss the tsungi horn players?”

Katara laughed. “I can tell him not to!” she pointed out. “You don’t need to be worried for me, I’m sure we’ll have a fine time—”

“Wanna bet?”

Katara stared at him. “Do I want to…make a bet about whether I’ll enjoy myself on a date?”

“Um,” said Zuko, shifting in his seat so that the chair squeaked. The panic on his face did not match the regality of his formal robes. “No, that was uncalled for, sorry,” he said. “I—I—”

And as Zuko stuttered, and Katara stared at Zuko’s rapidly reddening cheeks, she came to an unlikely—but perhaps possible?—conclusion.

“Wait a minute. Are you jealous?”

She hadn’t meant to say it out loud. She had to fight the urge to clap a hand to her mouth in horror. And if Zuko had looked skeptical whatsoever, she would have curled in on herself and scurried out the door like a goat dog with its tail between its legs. And then possibly quit her job and moved to the Foggy Swamp.

But Zuko didn’t look skeptical. Zuko did not calmly and coolly reject her suggestion. Instead, he noisily backed up his chair, stood, buried his hands in his hair, and yelped, “Me?! Jealous?! No—no, definitely not!” And then he laughed like an unhinged hyena leopard.

“I—” Katara started, over what sounded like the beginnings of a panic attack. “I—um,” she said, reminding herself that she was a waterbending master and teacher to the Avatar and she was not scared of anything—“I won’t go with him. If you—um—if you don’t want me to,” she said, knowing that her tone had drastically changed from teasing to serious.

Zuko’s laughter died down and he matched her serious expression. “Katara, no—I would never try to insert myself in your personal life—I’m sorry, I just got, um—” he paused, but didn’t finish his sentence.

“Can I take your bet then?”

“What?”

“But for the other side. I bet you I won’t have a nice time with Tanriq.”

“I—look—I was being childish—of course you’ll have a nice time—”

“Maybe,” she said, and Zuko’s face fell for the briefest moment before he schooled it to one of impassive regard once more. “But I think I’ll have a nicer time with someone who knows me better, like you said.”

Zuko looked away from her and stretched his arm behind him to rub the back of his neck. “I think you should go with whoever you want to go with,” he muttered.

Katara wanted to scream. But…she did want this more than she wanted to scream. “You,” she said, only a smidge of frustration in her voice. “I’d rather go with you.”

Zuko’s eyes snapped to hers. “Oh? Is that—is that—is that right?”

“If, um, if you want to,” she murmured, suddenly feeling her mortification rise. What if she’d gauged this wrong? She did get along with Hu in the Foggy Swamp. She could totally start a new life there.

“Yes,” Zuko said immediately. “I mean—yes. I do want.” His eyes were boring into hers.

“Um, great,” she said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “So…I’ll tell Tanriq nevermind…and you’ll just need to tell your guards—”

“No,” Zuko said, leaning forward now, and Katara felt her blood thrill. “Many of the festival goers will wear masks. We can too.

“Really? But I don’t have a mask—"

“Don’t worry, I have an idea for us.”

[the-badger-mole]

Prompt 47 with zutara

"No one needs to know.”

That was Katara’s mantra. So what, she had a crush on Zuko. He was the first age appropriate guy she’d been around since Jet, and he was handsome. It only made sense. It didn’t help that Suki was with them now, and she and Sokka were being so obnoxiously enamored with each other. Katara felt left out, that was all. That’s why her palms got sweaty when Zuko smiled at her. That’s why she wanted kiss him when he offered to help with chores. Nothing more. And it was a secret she would die with.

[broadwaybalogna]

send prompts it is!!

because I just finished a math test and need my blorbos to suffer with me, let's have zutara in a modern au where they take a math test together! 😊

one of them would have a pretty low score and fluff and comfort ensues

(i hope I pass)

I’ve literally been waiting all night for another prompt to pop into my inbox and this is so cute omg!!!

Have I ever said how much I love modern Zutara? Because I LOVE modern Zutara.

Also- I hope you pass your test! Sending all luck your way~

Oh yeah, before I start this. I would like to reiterate that I am an American. Apparently different counties have different ways of grading but for me an A is a 90-100, a B is an 80-90 and a C is around a 70-80. D is 64 up and F is anything below. Just thought I should point that out before I begin.

Zuko moved out of his dad’s house when he was fifteen. Well, more like he was kicked out and he displayed little to no reluctance to leave. After his mother had left, he had little hope of seeing his father redeem himself.

But Zuko found that old habits died hard. Because even though his uncle was one of the most caring people he had ever met, there was still this overwhelming anxiety Zuko felt when he did something wrong. Especially in school.

In Zuko’s experience, school was the easiest way for Ozai to control Zuko. He spent most of his nights either studying or hiding, only ever leaving his room for dinner. His father checked his grades twice a day (he had figured out Zuko’s school username and password) to make sure Zuko was on top of everything. So when Zuko moved, his mentality regarding school didn’t change, even if his environment had.

He found himself still cooped up in his room reading through books, skipping meals, and solving equations well into the night.

That changed when he met Katara.

Katara was what many people called a “nerd”. But she still looked pretty so she didn’t get teased nearly as much as she would’ve had she not been. Katara, like Zuko, aced tests and projects. However, Katara, unlike Zuko, was an enthusiastic learner. She would raise her hand every chance she got in class to answer a question or ask for clarification. She even sometimes corrected their teachers on their mistakes. Needless to say, Zuko gave her a lot of side eyes.

They didn’t have very many classes together, especially since she was a grade below his, but she had been moved up to Zuko’s Math, English, and Physics classes. She apparently also took on level Biology which made Zuko’s head spiral.

At first, they barely spoke a word to one another. But once acknowledging each others academic achievements, they began so talk every so often during free time in classes. Katara would often be working on something for another class while they talked, though. Zuko still found it relaxing. Although she enjoyed it more, she still understood the pressures of school and the mental spirals it would put people through.

One thing led to another and they began studying together as well. Zuko couldn’t really help her with Biology (it was an elective. Seriously, who takes a core class as an elective??) but they exchanged notes and shortcuts for other classes. Zuko was able to give her a lot of tips on writing papers for English since he had a politician for a father (finally, Ozai was good for something).

Katara was a beast at math, though. She tackled each problem like it was common sense. Since it was a higher level, she was still challenged, but not nearly as much as other kids in their class were. It was no wonder Katara also took physics, the science that revolves around math.

The one thing she struggled with was history. Zuko learned very early into their friendship that Katara was absolute ass at memorizing anything. The only way she was able to memorize formula’s was because she would repeat them over and over throughout study sessions until it drove them both insane. So Zuko found himself helping her most with that subject.

One night, when a study session ran much longer than it should’ve, Iroh suggested she stay with the two of them for the night. That was her first and most notably, not last, sleepover at Zuko’s. Actually, it was the furthest thing from her last. It became part of their routine for her to stay over once or twice a week to keep studying. Iroh tried to get them to relax and take breaks every so often, which they did, but most of their time was spent either studying or talking.

Then even more of their time was spent talking.

Then a really good portion of their time was spent going on walks midday and talking.

And Zuko enjoyed it so much. He seriously enjoyed just being able to breathe. He felt genuenly free when he was with Katara, studying or not.

But both Zuko and Katara soon realized that prioritizing their mental health over school had consequences.

It had been time for their unit test in math, a test both of them had forgotten to study for the night before. Zuko mentally beat himself up over and he could see Katara out of the corner of his eye drop her head onto her desk.

They were so screwed.

Or, well, just Zuko was screwed. Turned out that Katara’s ‘mathematical Common sense formulas’ came in handy and get her an 79% on the test. Although she had never gotten a grade below an 85 in the class, she still let out a sigh when she checked her grade in her phone.

“Are they out?” Zuko asked, already pulling out his phone to check his own grade.

“Yeah. Ugh, I’m so screwed. Sit brought down my semester grade to a 89.”

“That big of a jump? I thought you had a 96 earlier?”

“This was worth a lot of points. I feel so stupid.”

Katara continued to ramble but Zuko tuned her out as he looked at his grade from the light below him.

61.

He pursed his lips and closed his eyes, convinced that it was all a hallucination.

“Nine was a hellscape and- hey, are you okay?” He heard Katara say as he looked back down to his phone.

61.

It was still there, staring at him, no, laughing at him from the grade-book. Zuko felt like he could hear his father’s voice yelling at him, lecturing him over the horrifying careers that lie ahead of him based on this one mistake.

“Zuko? Can you hear me?”

Could he hear her? For some reason, he didn’t know how to answer.

“Iroh! Something’s going on with Zuko!” That was the last thing Zuko registered before he felt his chest heave and his mind race.

When Zuko could finally register the things around him again, he was in his bed laying down. He turned to his side and saw Katara pacing in his bedroom.

“Kat?”

“Zuko! Oh my god, toh scared the bejesus out of me! Are you okay? Do you need me to get you a water?”

“That would be nice.”

“Good, because I already got you one.” Katara tached over to Zuko’s bedside table and passed him a cup of water. Classic Katara, always being one step ahead. “Iroh said you had a panic attack. I assume it was over- um…” Zuko thought back to what had happened. Right.

“Yeah, my bad.”

“Oh no! Not your bad! In no way is this your bad, Zuko! This is your shitty father’s bad- no- your shitty father’s worst,” she corrected herself.

“Hmm,” he hummed.

“Zuko,” Katara finally said, lowering her voice and finally becoming more calm, “I don’t really know much about your relationship with your dad- or school. But it was so nice seeing you actually happy and talking these past few days. It really put things into perspective for me. I realize that I’ve been studying so much all the time, that I never thought about how it affected you. I’m sorry.”

“What? No, don’t be sorry. My relationship with school is.. complicated at best, but in no way is any of it your fault,” he sat up to face Katara, “but I have realized how much more I like being free. I just need to find a balance.”

“Could I- could I help you find it?” Katara asked after a short moment has passed.

“I’d love that.”

They both smiled and Katara engulfed Zuko in a soul-crushing hug. Zuko’s heart did a little flip and he let out a sigh.

He liked this.

He also might like Katara.

He was happy with those conclusions.

It’s 1am and I have state testing tomorrow (today??) so GOODNIGHT!

[riseswiththesun]

tell me what you really feel

mini drabble/ficlet based off this comic by @mayskalih! i saw her first hc about this and had wanted to write something but then she did the comic and i literally got up and wrote this sksks so thank you for the brainrot LOL

not sure when the canon time frame of this would be I kinda made it vague, so you can imagine it how you want tbh lol, I kinda imagine them a bit older, so like canon divergence/post canon

ao3 link

word count: 2.5k

title inspired by lyrics from the song like or like like by miniature tigers

He hates to admit how much the words sting when Sokka says them. 

Lovebirds.

Zuko feels like he did as a child; the way he feels is almost petulant, wanting something he knows he cannot have. The way feelings he can't quite discern—anger, jealousy, sadness, bitterness, perhaps, he isn't sure, and he doesn't even really want to know—pool at the bottom of his stomach, leaving him uneasy. But he knows all of this is so painfully trivial, pathetic even, how such a nonsensical word almost sends him into a downward spiral of emotions.

But Sokka only confirmed what he’s expected—what he’s known. 

He’s seen the way that the two of them smile at each other, the way she seems almost happier, lighter, brighter, around Aang—something he would be foolish to think she would ever be around him. And so even though he’s been clinging to their few brief moments of amicability, the few moments of vulnerability, and the few brief touches that he’s clung onto more than he likes to admit, he knows his place. He’s grateful for the forgiveness he’s been granted, and that, albeit unfortunately, will just have to be enough.

Zukko never wanted to come to terms with these feelings—if that’s what they even are. He’s tried to tuck them into the back of his mind, being content with where they currently remained—something he didn’t want to grapple with. But now, the painstaking realization has hit him that his feelings are large and grand, knowing that it’s more than just admiration or maybe even something as menial as a crush. He cares, feelings that feel large and grand in a way that he can’t quite comprehend. But he knows that he likes how he feels understood, and he likes how he feels that he’s not someone who’s broken, and he likes that he feels that he is someone who is capable of doing good things—of making a change, of becoming good again. And even aside from that, he likes that she is all things good, that she is hope, that she is someone who deserves better—which is something that he knows that he is not.

So because he cares, he allows for the upturn of his own lips as he watches the two of them, the sun casting down glowing rays—something almost out of a picture, and he thinks to himself: this is what she deserves, what she wants.

And because he cares, cares in a way that it aches in the deepest swells of his chest, he turns to Sokka, nodding in agreeance, the same smile on his face as he speaks.

“You’re right, Sokka,” he says almost breathily, forbidding any sort of indication of the affliction that hangs low in his throat to show in his voice. “We should help them.”

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆

Katara feels a shift—something is off. 

It feels harmless at first; she doesn’t think much of it. It starts with Sokka’s calculated glances towards her, almost as if he has some sort of intention behind his stares. He has the same look on his face when he talks about war plans or whenever he’s discussing something concerning logistics—he’s plotting, but she doesn’t know what. 

She sees the way he and Zuko share mutual looks, almost as if it’s something they’re in on together. It felt harmless at first, the way they’re insistent on certain things, guiding her to certain parts of the camp, directing her to do certain tasks that normally they wouldn’t have her do, but then it crosses into a certain territory where it raises flags, and she knows that something’s off, but she can’t quite figure out what.

It makes the energy within the camp feel strained—she can tell that Sokka is being sneaky, like he’s hiding something from her, or maybe even all of them, which only floods her with additional anxiety—something she already feels she has enough of, and doesn’t need more of at a time like this; Toph is indifferent as always; Suki constantly looks as if she’s worried, almost as if she knows what’s going on, but refuses to say much of anything; Aang tries to keep spirits up, acting as he always does, which that much she can appreciate, her one small semblance of normalcy; but then there’s Zuko, who she doesn’t know how to describe his behavior, but all she knows is his is the person’s behaviors whose bothers her the most. 

She hates that once she finally found herself comfortable with him, almost seeking him out, almost desiring to be near him, he’s decided he no longer wants to be near her, taking every opportunity to push her away. Every instance in which she attempted to even talk to him, whether it be for something small, or even when she tries to seek out his assistance, he’s quick to call someone in replacement of him.

Katara huffs to herself, feeling exasperated by everything that’s been going on the last few days. Part of her feels like she’s being dramatic, something everyone wouldn’t hesitate to tell her, but she knows that something is wrong, and she hates that it bothers her so much. 

She finds herself roaming aimlessly around their campsite, searching for some form of respite, anything at this to put her mind at her ease. She sees Aang and Zuko sitting and talking, prompting her to try and join them, hoping talking with them could jog her spirits even the smallest bit knowing the two of them are two people that as of lately, are the only ones who she feels like understand her most.

“Hey,” Katara calls out as she approaches them, a smile on her face, “Can I join you guys?” She takes a seat before they can even answer, assuming she’ll receive an eventual yes. She somewhat receives one in the form of Aang’s returned grin, but Zuko’s body stiffens at the sight of her. The smile she saw from afar has been replaced by a face she once deemed as cold—an expression she didn’t associate e 

“U-uh,” he hesitates, quickly standing up. “I-I gotta go…” Walking away before the two of them can question his reasonings for leaving.

Aang and Katara share confused glances, before both their eyes follow Zuko to the other side of their camp, joining Sokka in whatever it is he seems to be doing. Aang gives her a shrug before he continues the conversation, but Katara no longer has any interest in talking, her mood seemingly gone sour.

But most of all, she hates the feeling in her chest, something almost like a tear in her heart, that occurred the second that Zuko left, taking all the air in her lungs with him.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆

Zuko concludes that solitude is the best course of action. 

He knows that he’s doing the right thing, the honorable one even, but it doesn’t make it any more bearable. He almost wishes that he felt the petty rage and jealousy that he felt with Mai—anger, at least, is an easier concept to grapple with. 

But he finds that whatever this is, he can only take in strides, the gravity of his feelings being a harsh reality that he’s been forced to come to terms with. Each time Zuko aids in this plan of theirs, he knows it’s for a greater purpose, one that he would put above his own desires and feelings (something that the Zuko before would have never considered), so he continues, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. 

Though despite being someone who's changed, valuing those who he cares about, it’s in his innate being as a person to at times, wallow. So he concludes that solitude is in fact the best course of action. Because in isolation, there he can bask in his emotions without fear of being questioned; there is nobody to judge his seemingly childish tantrums, when all of it just feels so unfair, and why him; but most of all, there he can live in the bliss in  knowing he’s the only one who knows just how much his feelings have amounted to, and just how much he may have fucked up in allowing them to get to that point. 

So he keeps to himself in the moments that he can, doing whatever tasks he can alone, cherishing the few moments of privacy he gets to wrestle with his emotions. He clings to whatever noises around him, hoping they can somehow bring him back to earth, but it’s normally much to no avail—the crackle of the fire and the buzzing of insects in the night sky only provide cursory background noise to the never ending state of chaos of his mind. 

In Zuko's mind, he feels as though there’s a constant influx of emotions, so much so that he almost doesn’t feel smaller hands against his back, jolting him out of his thoughts, stopping him in his tracks. 

“Hey, Zuko,” a voice that could belong to nobody other than Katara calls out from behind him. He feels his body stiffen at her touch, no longer used to the close contact, even in the few instances it had occurred. Zuko turns to face her, her face showing clear signs of displeasure, but before Zuko can even question why, she keeps talking. “Why are you avoiding me?” She asks, anger, or maybe even hurt, Zuko thinks, hanging in her voice. 

His eyes go wide, but he quickly tries to regain his composure, not wanting to raise any sort of concern. He thinks to what he’s done for the entirety of the week whenever Katara’s had any sort of issue, knowing there’s a better solution than him to her problems. 

“Let me go get Aang…” He says gently, trying not to make matters worse. 

Her face scrunches at this, releasing out a huff—she’s upset. Zuko tries to think of what he could’ve done to upset her, all he’s done since they’ve made amends is try his hardest to do right by her, and he feels like he constantly keeps coming up short, only confirming what he’s known for so long—she deserves better. 

“You’re not going anywhere—you don’t need to get Aang, this has nothing to do with him,” she starts, closing the distance between them. Zuko can see the telltale signs of her anger, the face she makes when she’s fed up with all of them, when they’ve pushed her buttons too hard, or worn her patience too thin—the furrow between her brows, the narrow of her eyes, the rosiness in her cheeks, the exasperation in her voice. “What’s wrong, Zuko? Why are you avoiding me? Why is it that every time I try to talk to you or ask for your help, you suddenly call Aang or leave?” She asks angrily, before her voice gets quiet, as if she’s nervous to finish the rest of her sentence, “Did I… do something?” 

Zuko didn’t think there was a feeling that felt worse than how he already did, but the look on Katara’s face, one that had just been filled with anger, that now holds so much hurt, is enough to make him fess up to the whole ruse—he doesn’t want to leave any room for misinterpretation. 

“I-I wanted to help you and Aang!” He blurts out. “Sokka told me you liked each other, so we’ve… been trying to help you two. Maybe it wasn’t the best idea but… that’s why I’ve been doing that, for you two.”

Her face twists, this time not in anger, but what he thinks is annoyance. Katara lets out a pained huff, pinching her nose and closing her eyes, almost as if she had to take a moment to process his words. 

“You two are idiots,” she sighs. 

This time, it’s Zuko's turn for his face to scrunch up, but for him, rather than anger or annoyance, it’s in confusion. He raises his brows, leaning against the wall behind him, “What?”

Katara steps closer, cutting the distance between them from arm’s length to inches away in just a few seconds. She leans in, pressing her hands against the stone wall behind him for support. Their faces are so close he can feel her breath tickling his cheek, he feels his heart racing and his palms growing sweaty, the result of too many emotions and her presence alone. 

“Zuko, I don’t like Aang…” She says. “I like you.”

He blinks at her, feeling dumbfounded. The words hang in the air, almost as if they’re waiting for Zuko to take them and physically make himself process them, screaming at him to comprehend the gravity of what she means, but Katara, instead, does it for him, giving him no time for things like insecurity or misunderstanding. She closes the distance between them, pressing her lips onto his. 

At first, Zuko feels his body tense—one too many shocking proclamations have occurred, leaving him incapable of processing things at a normal rate. By the time his mind has finally processed her words, I like you, his body finally has caught up to reality, taking him out of the state of limbo he’s since been existing in—those few seconds between before and after her profession—he feels Katara pull away, just after he’d finally become accustomed to the way her lips felt against his. 

He feels his cheeks flush, seeing the way she looks at him, waiting for his response. Her eyes have a look in them, softness almost, something akin to hope, Zuko thinks. They stare at one another, at a loss for words, both too scared to break the silence between them, the only sound their bated breaths and the drumming of their heartbeats. 

Zuko has never been the best at emotions or words, he thinks the best course of action in this scenario is just doing. So this time, it’s Zuko who leans forward, cupping her cheek affectionately before pressing his lips onto hers with a confidence he didn’t know that he had in himself. 

And though Zuko isn’t perfect, and he still has so much to learn, so much growing to still do, maybe he is deserving of good things, and there are people who are capable of seeing the good in him too. He thinks that maybe later they can talk more about their feelings and specifics and whatever other misunderstandings may have occurred, but for now, he enjoys the way she feels underneath his touch, a feeling he wants to tattoo in his memory, a moment like this he will remember forever. 

All the feelings of self doubt and insecurity and the little voices that scream inside him, you aren’t enough, begin to dissipate with every little press of her mouth against his. It feels sweet and it feels new and it feels like the good in life that he’s been searching for. 

When he finally pulls away, he looks at her, admiring how the fire casts a glow on her face, her cheeks rosy, and her lips plush. Her eyes sparkle, and Zuko never realized, or at least he’s never allowed himself to admit just how beautiful she really is. 

He feels a warmth settle inside him, the corners of his lips upturning. And there’s more that he wants to say, but his mind, always an influx of emotions, albeit this time, positive ones, settles on: “I like you too, Katara.”

[andthatisnotfake]

Bedtime story

“Though the prince could bend fire, his heart was cold and frozen. Slowly, the ice spread to his whole body; he was afraid that he’d never freeze forever.”

Katara paused by her son’s bedroom door, listening as Zuko told him a bedtime story.

“Noooooo!”

“Don’t worry, someone could save him.”

“Who?”

“A beautiful princess, whose heart was warm and full of love. She was kind to him, and slowly but surely, his heart began to thaw.”

“She saved him!?”

“Yes, and he fell in love with her.”

“Did she love him too?”

Katara walked into the room. “She sure did.”

[soopersara]

Fic Printing

Anthology time!

I'm gonna be honest, I've had the Brightest in the Dark collection sitting around for... a while now. Why didn't I post about it until I got a second anthology printed? I dunno. Probably laziness.

In any case, that's all of the drabbles and oneshots (plus a short multichapter) I've written so far printed up in 2 volumes. The printable PDFs will be linked in the reblog for anyone who may be interested!

Photos of my growing fanfic collection below the cut:

Now to stare longingly at my Ice & Smoke Book 2 cover art for however many months/years it takes to draft that sucker and find the best places to break between volumes.

[elevenharbor]

Title: soliloquy Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender (Cartoon 2005) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Katara & Zuko (Avatar) Characters: Zuko (Avatar), Katara (Avatar), Original Characters Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Fire Lord Zuko, Ember Island (Avatar), Feels, Self-Reflection Summary: on an evening stroll, a servant catches Fire Lord Zuko's conversation with the moon, his words a whispered soliloquy carried on the ocean breeze.

read here (AO3) || Fanfiction

[stardust948]

Was on reddit and saw this writing prompt and thought it could be fun to make it Zutara and also thought you'd do a great job at making it a oneshot if you'd like :)

From r/WritingPrompts by jardanovic

You're a supervillain whose latest evil scheme threatens to throw the city into chaos unless your nemesis goes on a date with you. To your surprise, they agree with enthusiasm before you can even explain what the consequences of refusing are.

Why don't you say so?

“Nephew, is this really necessary?”

“Shh quiet! Painted Lady will be here any minute. And I told you, it’s Fire Prince!”

“Why don’t you ask her? I’m sure she’ll understand.”

“You know why. Now go prepare for Phase Two! Hurry!”

Fire Prince grumbled to himself and reviewed his notes as Iroh left. Tonight had to go perfectly. Phoenix King was due to reawaken any day and he still had to complete all of the tasks. The alarms blared signaling one of his many traps were triggered.

She’s here.

Fire Prince put on his red and black dragon helmet then took the platform lift to the lower deck. As expected, a figure decked in bright red and brown was tied to a pillar. She lifted her head letting the thick veils that hung from her bamboo hat to part. Her bright blue eyes lined by decorative face paint sparkled with amusement.

“Sunshine.” She said in a sing song voice. “There’s has to be an easier way to get a girl’s attention.”

“What’s the fun in that, my dear lady?” Fire Prince smirked.

“Please. You’re too stiff and humorless to have fun.”   

“I am not!”

“Sure.” Painted Lady giggled. “So what’s on the agenda today? Laser beams? Mutated mongoose-lizards? Oh! An army of giant robot turtleducks?!”

“Clever.” Fire Prince circled the pillar in slow careful steps. “But I decided to go old school.”

 “Well, don’t keep me in suspense.”

“I’ve planted six interconnected bombs in six secret locations spread throughout Republic City that will go off in exactly-“

“Six hours?”

“Let me finish!” Fire Prince hissed.

Painted Lady laughed. Fire Prince cleared his throat to compose himself. Where was he? Oh yes.

“That will go off in exactly SIX HOURS, coating Republic City in a classified yet dangerous substance. I alone know the kill code which I will gladly share with you,” Fire Prince leaned closer to her face. “For a price, of course.”

Painted Lady raised her brows expectedly. “Oh?”

“One evening together. No bending. No battle. No tricks. If you refuse, I’ll-“

“Deal.”

Fire Prince blinked hard. “What?”

“How does dinner at Beifongs sound? I hear their komodo chicken entrée is incredible. And I’ve been dying to see that new Omashu movie.”

“Wait, wait-“ Fire Prince shook his head and took a step back. “I didn’t even tell you the consequences yet!”  

“Don’t worry, Sunshine. I can put two and two together.” Painted Lady casually freed herself from the trap then reapplied her lipstick. “Honestly, it’s about time. Meet me on the Avatar Aang statue at 8?”

Fire Prince could only manage a nod.

“Great! See you then!” Painted Lady winked at him.

She summoned a wave and rode it through the sunroof, leaving a dumbfounded Fire Prince behind.

Iroh came in carrying a tsungi horn with a whole orchestra following behind. He casted Fire Prince a knowing smirk.

“I take it we won’t need Phase Two?”

“No.” Fire Prince continued to look up at the sunroof. “That won’t be necessary.”  

///

This was such a fun prompt! I’ll definitely turn this into a full one shot later. Thanks for the ask 💖💖💖

[zutaranation]

Katara's hand rests over Zuko's chest as he sleeps. The moon's glow dances through the opaque curtains over the bedspread. The waterbender always feels restless at night. Katara counts each of Zuko's heartbeats.

Thudum. Thudum. Thudum.

Healthy. Safe. Alive. She rests her eyes at peace. The heart she once felt stop beneath her fingertips, she's now lulled to sleep by its sound.

And, he sleeps too.

Healthy. Safe. Alive. Happy.

Both of them: happy.

[narcissusneverknewme]

Zuko spoke, “Here.” Into Katara’s hand he dropped a little shell, pink and purple and white.

[badlucksav]

Trick or treat! 🧡💜

Hello friend! I spent entirely too long trying to decide what little treat I could give you. So here’s a little drabble for my Living Statues idea I’d had for @zkmythicalcreaturesweek I never got around to writing:

***

The statue was a gift from the Southern Water Tribe for his father, placed out in the garden by the turtleduck pond. It was a beautiful piece of craftsmanship, carved from some unfamiliar black stone that must have been native to the arctic south. Whom ever had carved it took their time to put in the fine details: the lines of the statue’s palms and each eyelash were carved delicately into the stone’s smooth surface.

It was of a young woman with flowing hair and round eyes that seemed to follow you wherever you went. Most of the Fire Nation court marveled over it for the first few weeks after its arrival (it had been on display during one of his father’s lavish parties to be admired), but for Zuko there was something about it he didn’t quite like, although he couldn’t place his finger on it.

Zuko was neither superstitious nor silly, but sometimes he felt as though somehow that statue was alive, that in the darkest hours of the night the girl would step off of her stone pedestal and creep through the empty halls of the palace, her stone feet scraping lightly as her round eyes roved, looking for him.

It was foolish and stupid, and Azula would have surely made fun of him if he had ever dared to voice that irrational fear. That’s what it was—irrational. Statues didn’t move. But it did not stop Zuko from hurrying away from that statue when the last traces of twilight fled the sky, his heart thundering in his chest as his skin prickled, fearful that one of those cold stone hands would wrap around his shoulder as he fled.

No, it wasn’t rational at all. Yet Zuko could not quite convince himself that the statue wasn’t some alive creature, waiting, biding its time, searching for the perfect moment to creep through the palace and murder him in his sleep.

***

Come trick or treat in my ask box!

[ok-boomerang]

YOU DID WHAT?! for the drabble prompts!

"YOU DID WHAT?!"

Zuko had waited until Katara had fallen asleep at his bedside—which she had scarcely left since she dragged him away from the scorched courtyard—before he slowly and gingerly slid out from under his blankets. His bare feet touched the cool floor of his bedroom, and he stood for what felt like the first time in days, though really it had only been a handful of hours since he last carefully got up used the restroom.

He tiptoed across the room, sparing a glance at Katara, only to see she was indeed fully out—he knew she was exhausted from constant healing sessions, even though she tried to hide it. The dim glow of the torch on the wall revealed how she'd fallen asleep with her head against her hand; a piece of curly hair swayed in the breeze of her breath each time she exhaled.

Unfortunately, Zuko had taken too many steps just watching Katara, and he forgot the small circle of chairs the sages had set out to use when they visited him. This is how Zuko woke Katara: yelling "Fuck!" loudly as his knee painfully collided with the corner of a chair.

Katara at once jumped awake and launched herself from her sleeping position, water already flooded around her hands as she surveyed the room in a panic. But there was no would-be assassin—just Zuko, clutching his knee and finding it suddenly hard to breathe from the energy he expended by yelling.

"What are you—what?!" Katara exclaimed before she was on him, her water-clothed hands now surveying his knee. "It's the middle of the night! What were you doing?"

"I was—uh—" he stuttered, which was his downfall. Couldn't he have said "I was going to the bathroom" instead of hesitating like the terrible liar he was?

Katara crossed her arms in front of him and frowned. "Were you by chance, going to visit a certain palace sage?"

Zuko huffed, annoyed he was so transparent, but even more annoyed at the sage who had insulted Katara. "He has to know what he said about you was out of line! You've been healing me non-stop, you already fully saved my life—"

"I appreciate your concern, Zuko—believe me, I'm angry too—but you can deal with him when you're better, right?" She laid a cool hand on his chest, as if surveying for more damage. "Why a midnight rendezvous in the first place, unless you're trying to—trying to—" she trailed off, realization seeming to hit her as Zuko's stomach sank.

"You were going to fight him?!" she hissed.

"No!" Zuko yelped, much too quickly.

"An agni kai?"

"No—no—of course not! I mean, nothing that could end in death!"

Katara exhaled like an angry cat.

"Just a minor beat-down to defend your honor," he murmured.

"Defend my honor?"

Zuko didn't say anything, for the look on Katara's face told him nothing he could say would calm her down.

But instead of chewing him out, she only sighed, put one hand on his arm, and began to lead him back to bed. "You're going back to sleep. I'll give you the sleeping tincture you clearly didn't take tonight, and we'll talk about Fire Sage Shayu in the morning."

"All right, Healer Katara."

"Damn right," she said with a little grin as she helped him climb into bed. She gave him the tincture and after one last look at Katara's self-satisfied expression, Zuko was fully out.

--

In the morning, Zuko woke with the sun, and automatically turned toward where Katara usually sat—she was there, of course, sitting vigil and fast asleep. He couldn't help the small smile that unfolded on his face, except—

That was weird. Katara looked—rather roughed up. There was dirt on her cheek and what looked like a burn hole on her tunic sleeve.

"Katara?" he asked loudly, shifting toward her and too concerned not to wake her. What had happened while he was sleeping?! "Are you okay?"

"Mhm," she said sleepily, blinking her eyes open with a lopsided grin. He noticed her lip was split. "But I made sure Fire Sage Shayu wasn't."

"YOU DID WHAT?!"