ZUTARA trash

escrevendoaalma

she was being ironic but I obviously don’t care

thevictorianghost

Ok @theadamantdaughter but I decided to turn this into foreshadowing I ~~couldn’t stop myself I’m sorry~~ didn’t wanna stop myself I’m not sorry.

***

“Maybe something like… this?”

Katara gasped. She’d lost her necklace days ago, during the parade that celebrated the end of the War. It’d been stolen by a pickpocket. She hadn’t thought it possible to find it again on the streets of Caldera. It had hurt even more when she realized in a couple of days (or in a couple hours, by now), she’d be on her way back to the Southern Water Tribe with Sokka, her father and her delegation. Without it. Katara wrapped her mother’s necklace around her neck. Where it belonged. “Aang, how’d you get that?”

“Aang, how’d you get that?” parrotted Sokka.

“Zuko asked me to be sure I got it for you.”

Katara’s hand rested on the carved stone. It ethereally shone in the setting sun’s golden-orange light. This felt… familiar, somehow. Like this had happened before. That’s when it clicked. It had happened before.

“It’s not the first time he got it back for me. Isn’t it?”

Sokka and Aang stared at her.

Realization dawned on them. Their jaws went slack, and their eyes bulged. Years ago, Aang had gotten her necklace back from Zuko. Back when Zuko was chasing them around and they were trying to find a Waterbending Master for Aang. Now they were ambassadors for their respective Nations, Aang was an Avatar in his own right and Zuko was Fire Lord.

It felt like a lifetime ago.

“What?” asked Toph with an impatient huff. Her hands gripped the railing of the balcony they were standing on with Caldera, magnificent, spreading at their feet. “You’re so quiet, guys! Why does this feel like this is important? And what’s going on with Katara’s heartbeat?”

“Yeah,” added Suki. “What’s the matter?”

They hadn’t been there, back then.

Katara half-listened as Aang and Sokka explained the situation at hand. Katara’s mind was lost in the past. She remembered what she’d said, back then.

“Oh, that’s so sweet of Zuko. Give him a kiss for me when you see him!”

She blushed at the thought. She’d been ironic, that time. But nowadays…

“I have to go.”

They all stared at her. Unnervingly so.

“Okay,” said Aang.

They shared a glance. He knew what she was going to do, and he also knew what it meant. They’d broken up months ago. But she knew he still hurt.

“You’re sure?” she heard herself ask.

His smile barely faltered. “Yeah. It’s all right.”

She ran off.

The Palace hallways were busy as ever. Everyone was preparing for the final feast of the Hundred Years Festival. All the servants, nobles, Fire Sages and members of other delegations were already converging towards the grand ballroom in anticipation for the last main event. That wouldn’t be where she’d find him. Katara checked his office first. No sign of Zuko. She made a dash for the throne room, redecorated after Ozai’s time.

He was talking to her father.

Zuko spotted her first. “Katara?”

“Can I talk to you?”

Hakoda shot a glance behind him. He looked from Zuko to her. And smiled knowingly. He bowed respectfully, to which Zuko responded with a bow of his own, and Hakoda clasped a hand around Zuko’s shoulder.

“I know when I’m not needed anymore. I’ll see you at the feast, Fire Lord.”

When they were alone, Zuko frowned.

“Is something the matter?”

Katara crossed the room, more resolute with every step.

“It’s about my mother’s necklace.”

“Oh! Yeah, I’m glad Aang got it back to you.”

“But he didn’t. Right?”

At that, Zuko rubbed the back of his neck.

“Well, the Blue Spirit may have had something to do with it.”

By now, she was standing in front of him, his head bowed and hers raised slightly to look him in the eyes. He’d always been taller than her. But back when he’d first given back her necklace, his height had meant… Danger. Enemy.

Not anymore.

“The Painted Lady thanks her fellow spirit, then.”

Zuko chuckled… but it died in his throat and he frowned with his one eyebrow.

“What’s this really about?”

“Remember back when you’d first taken my necklace?”

His frown deepened.

“I try not to.”

“Well, back then, I’d said it was sweet of you to get it back, and asked Aang to kiss you next time he’d see you.” She batted her eyelashes ironically and he exhaled a breathy laugh. “Seriously… I don’t think Aang’s going to kiss you, so I think this is long overdue, hm?”

Her hand brushed his left cheek. The scarred one. She kissed him there.

“So, thank you. Fire Lord Zuko.”

His mouth hung agape for a few seconds. Then his hands gently cupped her cheeks and he leaned down. When their noses touched, he whispered:

“You’re welcome. Southern Water Tribe Ambassador and Waterbending Master Katara.”

She kissed him on the lips, and he met her half-way there.

leannebrown.ca

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