#but zutara in south pole has my whole heart

[billsbae]

katara marrying into the fire nation yeah good, but zuko marrying into the water tribe?? even better

[soopersara]

Union

Zutara Week 2023: Day 3

Read it on AO3 | @zutaraweek

Everyone seems to know that Zuko and Katara plan to get married someday. The only question left is when they'll finally get around to it.

For what feels like the dozenth time in a row, Zuko checks his own pocket. In his thick polar leopard fur parka, even a set of solid gold hair beads and combs is small enough, light enough to feel insubstantial. Still, he is aware of its presence. Almost too aware of it at times.

“I’m surprised the two of you haven’t gotten this all settled before now.” There is a familiar look in Hakoda’s eyes, the same one that Uncle gives him every time the subject of marriage comes up. A look of curiosity and impatience that usually comes just before another casual inquiry about when Zuko plans to marry Katara. But Hakoda isn’t quite as pushy as Uncle. “I wouldn’t have blamed you if you’d decided to elope before you made it back to the South Pole.”

Zuko offers a sheepish shrug. “Apparently that’s not the proper way to do things. I’ve thought about it every day for months now, and I doubt Katara would have minded, but I don’t need to make her life any more difficult by proposing the wrong way.”

“And what about my life?” Kanna thumps her walking stick against the floor. “I’m not getting any younger here. If you two don’t hurry up, I’ll never get to meet my great-grandchildren.”

Hakoda frowns. “Mother.”

“It’s a fact of life, dear. We can’t all be King Bumi and live as many centuries as we please.”

“I’m going to ask her,” Zuko says. “Before we go north again, I swear.” His pulse quickens at the sound of his own admission, and he checks his pocket for reassurance. The engagement gift itself is as close to perfect as he can ever hope, but he’s less sure about his ability to actually propose. “I’m not sure about kids yet, but you’ll at least know if she wants to marry me before we leave.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that part.” Kanna waves a knobby hand at him. “I’ve known my granddaughter long enough to know the look she gets in her eyes when she’s made up her mind. She’s decided what she’s going to say. And frankly, I don’t think she would have dragged you all the way down here if it was no.”

Though Zuko’s heart still races, he manages a smile before Katara bursts into the house, cheeks flushed with cold, and hair glistening with ice crystals at its tips.

“There you are,” Kanna says. “We were just talking about you, weren’t we, boys?”

Zuko feels his face flush, and Katara looks from him to Kanna and back again. “Well, that’s always reassuring. Thanks, Gran-Gran.” Before there can be any further response, Katara grabs his hand and pulls back toward the door again. “I think we’re going to leave before you fill my boyfriend’s head with any more embarrassing stories.”

He makes no effort to resist, and before he knows it, Katara has led him out into the snow and halfway down the street toward the burgeoning waterbending academy.

“So how bad is it?” she asks, looping her mittened hands around his arm. “Did they tell you about the time when I froze all my dad’s underwear to the side of the council hut because he wouldn’t let me keep an otter penguin in our tent?”

His eyebrow creeps ever so slightly upward. “You did?”

“Okay, I’m going to take that as a no, and also as a sign that I need to stop giving away my secrets.” Still walking, she buries her face in his arm. “Stop me the next time I try to embarrass myself, okay?”

A snort bursts out of him. “I would, but I know for a fact that Uncle tells you so much worse about me every chance he gets. Even Sokka is too busy to tell me any embarrassing stories about you most of the time.”

“I’d really like to keep it that way.” They make it only a step or two farther before her mood seems to lighten again, and she pulls just far enough back to steer him around a corner. “Maybe you can come with me to watch waterbending lessons tomorrow instead of spending the whole morning alone with Dad and Gran-Gran.”

He certainly isn’t opposed to the idea. Any excuse to spend more time with her is always welcome, even if all that entails is sitting quiet at the sidelines while Katara guides a group of noisy, energetic children through their waterbending forms.

He agrees, and as Katara leads him past the bending academy, pointing out all the practice space and sparring areas, he checks his pocket one more time. The combs and beads still rest there, exactly where they should be, and Zuko lets out a long, slow breath. Two opposing impulses battle inside his chest—on the one hand, he’s been waiting to find the right moment, the perfect moment for weeks now. If she’s going to remember this for the rest of their lives, the least he can do is propose to her properly.

But on the other hand, his patience with himself is running thin, and the brilliant warmth of her enthusiasm strains his resolve to its breaking point. If he doesn’t ask her soon, he might well lose his mind.

So when their winding path takes them to the far side of the village, he can hardly bring himself to stop alongside her.

“Oh, spirits, we should probably go back before you freeze out here.”

“What?” Though his face tingles a bit when a breeze passes by, though he’s certain that his cheeks are crimson from the chill, he doesn’t feel cold. Not enough to turn back, at least. “No, I’m fine. It isn’t that cold.”

Katara raises an eyebrow.

“It isn’t,” he insists. “I was just—thinking.”

“About what?”

Under the intensity of her gaze, his mouth goes dry, and it takes all his will to keep from checking his pocket again. Instead, he nods toward the path leading out of the village. “I was thinking that there’s probably a great view from the hill over there. Especially around sunset.”

Her lips twitch into a crooked smile, and the grip on his hand tightens ever so slightly. “You do realize that the sun isn’t really going to set for a few more days, right? If you want to wait out there until sunset, you really will freeze.”

“In that case, I guess I can settle for half an hour. But I think you’re underestimating my ability to keep myself warm.”

“I could never. You’re the one who keeps my feet warm every night.” She bumps him lightly with her hip before starting up the path. “But you might be underestimating the South Pole’s wind.”

It’s all that Zuko can do to keep his composure as they make their way up the sloping path. But he waits, and when they reach the crest of the hill, Katara stretches before turning a brilliant smile back on him.

“Okay, I’ll admit it. Freezing or not, this view is worth it.”

Though Zuko has trouble focusing on the landscape, he can’t help but agree with her. The afternoon sun paints shining bronze streaks through her hair, and her eyes shine as bright as he’s ever seen them before.

He grasps her hand before she can go any further. “Katara—I wanted to ask you something.” His heart sits in the back of his throat. Despite her family’s confidence, despite his own suspicion that Katara will say yes, he can’t seem to push the worry away.

“Oh?” She looks up, and her gaze pierces him.

Silently, he thanks the spirits that it’s cold enough to keep his mittens on so that Katara won’t know how much his palms are sweating. He fumbles in his pocket until at last his fingers close around the little box of combs and beads. “Being with you has been one of the best things that’s ever happened to me. Every day that we’re together, you mean more to me, and now—” He succeeds in extracting the box from his pocket and fumbles to turn it right side up.

Before he can finish, Katara lets out a squeak of surprised excitement and claps her hands to her mouth. “Yes. Yes, of course I will.”

Zuko blinks, and a surprising amount of tension leaves his chest and shoulders all at once. “You—you realize I haven’t finished the question yet. Right?”

“Oh! Right, I knew that.” She makes an apparent effort at bringing her expression back under control, then motions for him to continue. “Go on.”

Despite his best effort at solemnity, a smile breaks across his face. “I’m not sure I can remember what I wanted to say anymore. I swear I had this all planned out yesterday.” Looking down, he clears his throat and slides open the richly engraved lid so that she can see the beads and the combs lying in neat rows inside their case. “But I love you, Katara. And even if I can’t remember the right words, I would be honored if you would marry me.”

This time, Katara isn’t content to merely smile at him. This time, she springs forward and throws her arms around his neck. “Yes. Of course I’ll marry you.”

Zuko laughs, and as his arms close tight around her waist, the world seems to slow.

Right now, with Katara in his arms and the future opening up around them, all the urgency in the world is gone.

[jasmine-tea-latte]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Spread the self-love 💜

Thank you so much, love! ❤️❤️❤️

While I love my bigger, ongoing fics ("delicate" and TYCSTD), I'm veering into a slightly different approach.

Besides my more well-known fics, these five will always have a place in my heart.

Of Halos, Waves, and Starlight – The very first fic that I wrote, the one that kicked all of this off! This one is my baby, the one that I wrote based on a fleeting idea and a want to see a ZK fic with them dancing and falling in love. It was June 2020, shortly after that year’s Zutara Week prompts had been released and the pandemic shut down everything, and I had a lot more free time on my hands. So I thought, why not? Let’s write a fanfic for the hell of it! Then once I finished Halos, I decided to write something for all seven prompts… and the rest is history!

The Fortuneteller and the Fire Prince – This one was born from a tumblr post, when I thought “that sounds like a fun fic idea – I’d want to read that!” before deciding, “actually, I want to write that.” This is my third most-liked fic, and it’s one that I go back to from time to time. I just love the idea of S1 Zuko discovering that a certain waterbending peasant might just be the love of his life. This was so fun to write ❤️

this pain won’t be for evermore – This little two-parter was another fic that was a lot of fun to write. I have a fondness for Pining!Zuko and this one has a whole forest full of our fiery boi pining away. Katara’s POV in the second chapter was also a pleasant surprise, as I initially hadn’t planned to add on to it. I followed this fic up with another entry for ZK Drabble December 2020, though this one will always be one of my favorites.

You are the Ocean (and I'm Good at Drowning) – This is one of my more purple-prose-ish (purply prose? purplish prose?) fics, and I make zero apologies for how indulgent it is, even if it probably defies the law of physics on some level. This fic is straight-up fluff and steam, and I have such a soft spot for this little story.

little rays of starlight – One of these days I will go back to working on the parent fic that inspired this one, but it is not this day. In the meantime, this was a sweet little break from everything else, set in The Phoenix and the Dragon universe and chronicling ZK’s first trip to the South Pole after becoming parents, hoping to show their daughter the southern lights. I love doting, fussy mother hen Zuzu worrying about their bebe while his loving wife looks on, grinning at her dork of a husband. There are lots of continuity nods and a few references that tie this to the parent fic, though it can be read as a standalone.

A runner-up would be Happy Birthday, Father Lord, also set in the same AU as “little rays of starlight.” This one was written as a coping mechanism during a particularly stressful time, and I needed a dose of major fluff to cheer me up. Yes, back when I first came up with this universe I gave ZK a whopping SEVEN steambabies. Yes, I got carried away and no, nowadays they’d have a fraction of that at most. But still, this one was a lot of fun and best of all, there’s a lot of love.

I tag you – yes you! Don’t make me go into your inbox 😉

[cablesscutie]

Zutara Month 2021 Day 3: Cuddling for Warmth

Read it on AO3

She regrets, sometimes, that her children spend little enough time in the South Pole that they shiver even in the milder summer air.  When Kya was a toddler still and Izumi just a baby, she had still been spending the whole season with her family, escaping the wretched heat of the Fire Nation for sparkling snow.  Though she missed her husband terribly on those visits, reviving the love letters of their courtship days felt achingly romantic, and her heart swelled every time she had to start sewing a tiny parka and boots in preparation for the journey.  Going home was one of her favorite times of the year.

The visits still happen, but they are shorter now, only a month that always feels just a bit too short.  It was a necessary sacrifice though, she reasoned the first year of their abbreviated stay.  At four, Kya had decided after a month away from her father that she missed him too much to have fun anymore, and after remaining inconsolable for days despite any amount of treats or games offered, Katara had admitted that it was time to go home.  

This time, though, Zuko arranged so that he can go with.  They’re going to spend the whole summer again, this time as a family.  Almost immediately, everyone except Katara is miserably cold, no gloves and coats apparently thick enough to ward off the chill.

“My ears hurt!” Kya complains.

“I can’t feel my toes!” Izumi panics.

“I’m f-f-fine Kat-t-tara,” Zuko shivers.

So, back inside they go after yet another failed attempt at family fun in the snow.  She and Zuko hang wet parkas and boots by the fire to dry, and she sighs, shoulders slumping.

Zuko’s hand settles on her back.  “What’s the matter, my love?”

She looks up at him, her mouth twisting sadly.  “I just wish the kids were having more fun.  This was supposed to be their home too.”

His hand rubs up and down her spine, and Katara finds it becomes easier to stand straight again.  “We’ll just have to try something else.”

It seems like that is the end of the discussion, as he turns to unfold a soft pelt and approaches their daughters.  She expects him to bundle them up at a safer distance from the fire where they are attempting to thaw their extremities.  Instead, she watches him drape the blanket around himself like a cape and scoop both girls up in his arms.  They shriek in surprise, laughing and demanding to be put down until Zuko sinks down onto the cushions in the living room, settling the children in his lap.

 Katara finds a smile creeping across her lips as she watches her daughters immediately melt into their father’s warmth.  With a sweep of the blanket wrapped around him, he beckons her to join them, and she eagerly tucks herself under his arm.  Just because she is used to the cold of the South Pole does not mean she is any less appreciative of the feel of Zuko soft and warm against her.

When they are all comfortable, Zuko smiles and says, “Girls,” in a voice too casual to be natural.  “Has your mother ever told you the story of the first time she ever took me penguin sledding?”

“No!” they both exclaim, pleading eyes turning on their mother, always eager for an embarrassing story about their father.

“Well,” Katara says with a shrug, “I suppose if you’re really curious, I could tell you.”  Kya topples out of Zuko’s lap and into Katara’s in her excitement.  Katara laughs and nuzzles her daughter’s flushed cheek before beginning, “Well, it was your father’s first visit to the South Pole as Fire Lord…”

[airiustide]

*cackles like a maniac*

I don’t even know what this is yet! But I’ve managed to settle on zutara modern au for my next fic. and oh, it’s happening and I can’t stop writing. Expect a summary and title soon for this gem. 

***

“I’m not sure I have the confidence for this yet.” Katara tries to reason with her friend.

“This is how you go from Instagram model to industry. If you don’t know the right people, you can’t get your foot in the door. Being my friend will only get you so far, sugarqueen.”

Katara hates when Toph calls her that but she can’t exactly argue on the matter. She had, after all, left the comfort of the South Pole to venture into something grander and her Instagram photos would only get her so far. “I hate that you’re right.” She sighs audibly.

“You’re damn right I am. Now stay her, there’s someone I want you to meet.”

Toph disappears in the crowd and it’s after this that Katara gathers just how loud it was in the studio. She feels out of place, small. The city is big and vast and it begins to sink in how much different this was than anything Katara had ever experienced. There was no one here to hold her hand but Toph. Could she really make acquaintances here? Could she trust herself to be open to opportunities she wasn’t familiar with?

The nerves were eating at her. Katara passes through people to reach the table lined with food and drink and snatches the nearest glass of champagne. She swallows it fast, closing her eyes and bringing the back of her hand to her mouth as the alcohol sets in. She exhales, grabbing another. This time she takes slow slips, not wanting to be inebriated but enough to get her through the event.

Katara walks back to the spot she thinks she remembers Toph told her to stay put. She bites her inner cheek, slowly turning around to take in the place. People continued to chat all around her, seeming to be unaware of her presence let alone introduce themselves. She stops when she notices a young man she doesn’t recognize looking in her direction. No, he’s staring directly at her.

Despite the discomfort of being stared at so intently, Katara can’t dismiss how attractive the stranger looks. His amber eyes contrasted nicely with his alabaster skin. His shaggy hair flowed over his eyes and tapered on the sides. He was dressed in black jeans and calf high laced boots, a dark tee and a dark leather jacket. He has a distinct scar on the left side of his face but it doesn’t take away from his handsome features; in fact, it accented it even more.

The stranger’s lips break into a smirk and lifting his hand he waves at her. Katara is dumbfounded but her heart starts racing a mile a minute and a blush suffuses her cheeks. Was he for real? Not wanting to come off rude she smiles, waving back shyly.

“Zuko! There you are!” A cheery voice squeals from behind her, a young woman with a long single braid skips over to him with an excited wave of her own.

Oh sweet La! Katara wanted the floor to open up and swallow her whole. He wasn’t waving at her!

[lordmomohismomoness]

Plot Oriented Stories

So let us melt and make no noise by LittleLostStar

Rated M 69K words WIP last updated Jan 2021

When a mission to the South Pole goes awry, Prince Zuko awakens in the home of a healer named Katara and finds his heart is damaged and his bending has vanished. His quest to find the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe is his destiny-- the one chance to regain his honour and return home. But as time passes and Zuko's heart heals, it becomes clear that Katara is protecting an ancient secret of her own, and that both of their destinies are entwined in ways never before thought possible.

The Prince's Choice by FrostedGemstone22

Rated T 206K words Completed 2018

Katara is 18 and the Southern Water Tribe has held an uneasy allegiance with the Fire Nation for the last 100 or so years. When Katara's tribe goes through a food shortage, Katara takes it upon herself to make sure they survive. She agrees to enter a competition where the young Prince Zuko will choose a wife out of 35 women. Katara promises herself she only has to last a day until a truce she can't ignore is offered, and now Katara is in it for the long haul. A Zutara! Selection AU. More couple tags to be added as they appear.

Note: The first few chapters are not up to my standard of grammar, however the writer did enlist a beta reader shortly into the fic which made it much better.

Once Around The Sun by Eleventy7

Rated T 147K words Completed 2014

Later, Katara can see how it all fell apart. Azula in her cell, growing roses; Zuko surrounded by enemies, slowly dying; their friends in the Earth Kingdom, safely escaping. And herself at the centre of it, saving lives and breaking promises. Set after finale, eventual Zutara.

Warning: Tearbender

How to Lose Friends and Alienate People by Cyrene

Rated T 30K words WIP Last updated Nov 2020

A bunch of weirdos who frequent his uncle's diner invite "Lee" to play some stupid game with them called "Paragons of the Elements." Yeah, that's not happening, especially since one of them -- Katara -- already thinks he's a jerk. Except then it does, and he can't really get out of it. Then he doesn't WANT to. But can he really make friends with people who know nothing about who he really is? Is it possible for him to be the person they think he is, or will he always be weighed down by his past?

Long story short (too late!) this is the "Gaang plays D&D AU, with a healthy side of Zutara" you didn't know you needed, and Zuko's being a killjoy about it. It takes place in a modern world, with all bending or supernatural stuff relegated to the gaming table. Relationships are tagged by what occurs in each individual story, not the series as a whole.

Oceans Away by PearofAnons

Rated M 56K words WIP Last updated Dec 2020

The irony was not lost on him. The moment his wife told him he did not have her heart was the very moment he realized she had long captured his.

or

In their world many would mistaken their tale as some grand love story, but if you were to ask those close to them, they would say it was really quite simple. Family, duty, honor. With these two stubborn fools, love wasn't originally part of the plan, it just grew quietly along the way.

Contains Smut

His Majesty Prefers Blue by Shamelessliar

Rated M 212K words Completed 2012

A year after the war's end, the gaang returns to the Fire Nation for a week of diplomatic meetings. There, they hear rumors about a vigilante who wears a blue mask and Katara finds herself digging deeper into his identity and motives. Blue/Zutara Lemons

Trigger warnings: rape, torture (1 scene)

Subterfuge by Smylealong

Rated M 113K words WIP last updated Oct 2020

Thirty years ago, the Fire Nation attacked, throwing the world off balance. Katara entered the Fire Nation war camp at Ba Sing Se as a healer, prepared to do whatever it takes to play her part in stopping the war. Getting kidnapped with the Fire Prince and falling in love with him were not parts of the plan. AU. Zutara.

Trigger Warnings: Sexual Assault, Incest, Graphic Depiction of Violence

Call Me Katto by ShamelessLiar

Rated M 272K words Completed 2015

The Avatar awakens two years late, when only a token resistance still struggles against the Fire Nation. Katara disguises herself as a boy to follow Sokka into war. Not only must she hide her gender from her comrades, she has to help the Avatar while also dodging the creepy prince who’s taken such an intense interest in her. AU for timing.

Cursed Kiss by AlwaysZutarian

Rated E 136K words WIP Last Updated Feb 2021

Cursed to live with the body of a fearsome beast, Zuko hid from a cruel world that would not hesitate to destroy him, consumed with rage for those who had betrayed him, resigned to a lifetime of solitude. But then a ray of hope came in the form of a beautiful, blue-eyed woman. Could she look beyond his physical appearance and break his curse? Or would he forever remain alone?

The Dragon and the Siren (AO3) The Dragon and the Siren (ff.net) by CultofStrawberry

Rated M/T 147K+ words Completed 2012

Zutara, Hades x Persephone inspired. In a land of gods and spirits, Katara is the daughter of the Sea, and Zuko is the powerful and reclusive God of the Fire Realms. Zuko has been pining for her for too long... so he finally takes action.

[fictionissocialinquiry]

I know I should be working on Rumour Has It: The Festival of Molten Sun and I promise I am! but this zutara dark!verse fic has been pulling at me and it’s becoming slightly epic in scope!

The Nwanyi Spirit & the Woman Who Bent Blood has my whole heart right now! Enemies to lovers, you say? BIG YES to that trope. When the Avatar disappears from the world, regular people have to take up the hero role and be the change they want to see in the world. When Katara is dragged into a spirit’s plots.... well, read the excerpt to find out ;)

He chuckled, quiet as the creak of mooring lines, and traced her bones— collar, ribs, sternum— his fingers slowing over the brand on her chest.

‘What’s this?’

The nwanyi mark— two crescent moons facing away from a full moon— almost glowed in the warm lantern light; pale as moonlight. Zuko’s fingers traced the lines of the mark, sending shivers down her spine.

‘A spirit’s blessing,’ she answered truthfully, watching his fingers move across her skin.

‘It’s on your fire chakra.’

‘Mm.’

‘It doesn’t look like any tattoo I’ve seen…’

‘It’s a spirit’s blessing, not a tattoo.’

He glanced up at her, curiously. ‘Which spirit blessed you?’

Katara bit her lips, worrying it between her teeth. Most people wanted nothing to do with her when they found out about her connection with the spirit of the dead. ‘Will you promise to keep it a secret?’

He raised his one remaining brow. ‘On my honour.’

She wriggled nearer, pulling him closer to whisper in his ear, ‘The Nwanyi Spirit.’

‘The Spirit of the Dead?’

She nodded, watching him carefully.

‘Agni,’ he swore but nothing like fear showed in his expression. He watched her steadily; a pilgrim’s respect in the face of the holy. ‘I knew you were a killer but not every killer is charged to do so by the Spirit of Death.’

‘She’s hard to refuse,’ Katara agreed, threading his finger through hers.

‘Where did you meet her?’

‘Southern Earth Kingdom. Not long after leaving the South Pole. She was… There had been a massacre. I found her among the bodies.’

Zuko studied her closely. ‘What happened?’

‘We talked. She called me spirit-touch or ­changer or something equally as mysterious and unhelpful and offered me a bargain.’

‘What were the terms?’

She hitched her leg over his, drawing them nearer. ‘I never really figured that out.’

‘You made a bargain with a spirit without knowing the terms?’

‘You don’t just refuse the Spirit of the Dead, Zuko. She had voids for eyes.’

[zktop10]

Author Feature: duCOQUELICOT

Ok, so I am a fan of our next featured author and I am so thrilled to have them on my blog! Welcome duCOQUELICOT

Please go check out the stories and make sure to leave some love! And as always, share these lists so others can find something new as well!

Title: Gem of the Setting Sun Rated: T Summary: The war might be over, but that's just the beginning of a whole new era of problems. The Gaang find themselves amidst the struggles of rebuilding the world, growing up, coming of age and understanding who they are, now that everything has changed.

When everyone seems to have something to do besides Katara, she sets out to find her own destiny. Zuko, who is trying to change a century of hatred into an era of peace and love, could use the help of a brave waterbender with a heart of gold. Learning about the histories of their respective nations, they discover a threat to the world that is greater than anyone could have foreseen. Also, Zutara.

New (final) chapter: At dawn, Zuko and Katara find each other again. Score: 7.5 / 10 Rated T WIPs: 1.3 / 10 Tags: Slow Burn, Angst, Mutual Pining

Title: One Quiet Night Rated: NR Summary: Prompt #77, where Zuko and Katara swap elements - but I just use it as an excuse to have them talk. Score: 5.8 / 10 Not Rated One Shots: 1.4 / 10 Tags: One Shot, Element Swap

Title: there are roads left in both of our shoes Rated: G Summary: In the Spirit World, Yue learns about the fate of her friends before they know it themselves. The spirits have their unique way of dealing with the material world and its inhabitants, and one of the most interesting ones is reincarnation. As it turns out, two people she knows have had their paths tied together since the beginning of time. Score: 4.6 / 10 Rated G One Shots: 6.7 / 10 Tags: One Shot, Zutara Week, Series, Soulmates

Title: Zutara Month 2020 Rated: G Summary: A collection of bits and pieces for my 'Gem of the Setting Sun' universe. Jumping back and forward in time, so will contain spoilers, but I guess it's okay because we all want Zutara to happen anyway :). These works will find their way back into the story, one way or another. Score: 4.5 / 10 Rated G Complete: 0.3/ 10 Tags: Zutara Month

Title: counting the ways to fall without landing Rated: G Summary: What if we had gotten more scenes with Zuko and the Gaang before the Comet arrived? Well, this is what that is. A collection of scenes and snippets of everything that happened between "The Western Air Temple" and Zuko's coronation. And maybe something after that, too. Score: 3.5 / 10 Rated G One Shots: 4.9 / 10 Tags: One Shot, Zutara Week, Lost Scene

Title: it rained through the night Rated: G Summary: Katara doesn't even want to talk to that moody, silent kid in her after school art class. But she has no choice, because when they both end up at the wrong place at the wrong time, they'll have to work together to solve the mystery. Score: 3.5 / 10 Rated G One Shots: 4.9 / 10 Tags: One Shot, Alternate Universe, Modern Universe, High School Setting

Title: caught between a rock and a hard place Rated: G Summary: Just when Iroh and Aang reach the belly of the Crystal Catacombs, the earth shatters. Katara and Zuko are cut off from their saviors, and from Azula as well. They'll have to work together to find a way out: is their uneasy, rather shaky alliance able to withstand the problems their journey will throw at them? Score: 3.2 / 10 Rated G One Shots: 4.4 / 10 Tags: Zutara Week, Crystal Catacombs

Title: it keeps raining in your heart Rated: T Summary: The unthinkable has happened. Aang hasn't survived his battle with Phoenix King Ozai, and Zuko and Katara have to flee the Fire Nation palace in a hurry. The world is barren, and the future is uncertain. Will they find the new Avatar before the Fire Nation does? Will they ever be reunited with their friends and family? And what will they do about Azula, whom Zuko, despite everything, couldn't leave behind? Score: 3.2 / 10 Rated T One Shot: 2.3 / 10 Tags: One Shot, Zutara Week, Alternate Universe, Canon Divergence, Lost the War

Title: between your waves Rated: G Summary: Ten years after the comet, Zuko asks Katara to come to the Fire Nation palace. They haven't seen each other in a while, and Katara is nervous. It turns out Zuko has finally gotten a lead on where his mother might be, and wants Katara along for the ride. On the trip, old feelings resurface, and while there are numerous misunderstandings, they are still drawn to each other.

Oneshot/prologue for Zutara Week 2020: Reunion. Score: 2.6 / 10 Rated G One Shot: 3.3 / 10 Tags: One Shot, Zutara Week, Misunderstandings, Awkward Encounters

Title: you're the only thing i've ever truly known Rated: G Summary: After Kanna's death, Zuko stays in the South Pole for a little while to help out his friends. Katara doesn't know how to handle his kindness, but is thankful for it. Together, they reminisce about what life and death means, and Zuko makes a promise to Katara. Score: 2.5 / 10 Rated T One Shot: 3.2 / 10 Tags: Zutara Week, Fluff, Some Angst

[fanfics-arent-therapy-but-idc]

Zutara fluff

Oneshot

Love

Katara found herself unconsciously bending droplets of sweat off her forehead and arms as her carriage pulled into the palace. “How does the fire nation manage to get hotter every time I visit ?” She asks herself as her aid helps her off of the carriage and escorts her through the palace front doors. Katara was still in disbelief every time she made a trip here. How did a Southern Water tribe girl end up becoming a regular guest at the fire nation palace? “Well, it does help that your boyfriend is the Fire Lord,” she answers her own question. When she entered the front door she was met by a lady with a solemn look on her face.

“My deepest apologies, Lady Katara but Fire Lord Zuko has been called into two emergency meetings by his council and will not be able to greet you until sun down. He sends his personal apologies and has also told me to inform you that he has added a pool and blackout windows to your quarters,” the elderly lady in a palace uniform said.

Katara let out a sigh, but it was one of understanding. The visit had been impromptu, a pit stop of sorts before she headed to the newly founded Republic city. “No worries. Just let him know that I’ll be here, waiting for him,” she replies. The messenger bowed deeply to her, something that she still can’t get used to, and scurried away. Katara was left to her own devices.

Her first visit wasn’t to her new pool, but to the last room on the west wing. She knocked on the door and waited, hoping that the person on the other end was there. The sound of a latch opening and the delicious aroma of Jasmine tea comforted her in a strange way that also makes complete sense. The door finally opened to reveal an old man with kind eyes, smiling at her. “Ah, if it isn’t my favorite water bender,” he said while ushering her into his quarters.

“Iroh, I’m one of the only water benders you know,” she replied jokingly.

“Well, you are still my favorite nonetheless,” he responded casually.

Katara laughed at the old man and took her usual seat at his Pai Sho table. He took his and they began to play the ancient game. Iroh won the first match in five moves. Katara, similar to Zuko, wasn’t the best at this game but she didn’t particularly care that she was losing to him. She just enjoyed spending time with him; Zuko’s real father. The next five games last longer than the first but the results are the same. Iroh leaves the table to make what she can only assume as his 30th cup of tea of today and Katara follows to watch the master at work.

“Would you like to learn how to make my famous Jasmine tea?” Iroh asks.

“Yes, that would be great Iroh. Even though I’m new to the whole ‘tea’ world, I know that yours is some of the best there is!” She exclaims.

“Thank you, dear girl,” he replies bashfully and begins the tea making lesson with a long history about tea leaves and their properties. She listened intently, determined to learn the ancient art of tea making. Iroh heated the leafy water using his bending and then with a flick of her wrist, Katara poured the tea into the strainer and placed equal amounts of water into two ornate tea cups. They took their cups back to the table and carefully sipped from the piping hot cups, both eager to taste their joint creation. It had been a while since she had tasted Iroh’s tea so she looked to him with eager eyes for the official comparison.

Iroh closed his eyes in concentration for what seemed like hours until he finally spoke. “This tea is perfect Katara. A little weaker than I prefer, but despite that it’s amazing,”.

Katara smiled in delight. “At least I’m good at one thing Fire Nation related,” she blurted.

She hadn’t meant to say that out loud but it had happened and she wouldn’t lie to Iroh about what it meant either. A small part of her wanted to say it to someone. To work out her feelings about her future with Zuko and how hard or easy it could be. She waited to hear some of Iroh’s famous platitudes about destiny, but to no avail. He just took another long sip of tea and said “Pai Sho master or not, Katara, Zuko loves you just the way you are.”

Love. The word, she’s heard a million times before but it sounds so unfamiliar in this context. Did she love Zuko? Did Zuko love her? What else would keep a relationship a world apart and sustained through letters and weekend visits so strong for two years? What else would cause her to even question leaving her tribe and team Avatar to live in a permanently overheated palace? What else could keep them from losing each other in the vast sea of complications that is their lives?

“I’m in love with him,” she says, once again, her thoughts spilling out of her mouth.

“I would spend every second of every day in this hot as coals palace if it meant that we would be together,”

“And he would spend every second of every day in an ice igloo in the South Pole if it meant that he could be with you,” Iroh speaks on behalf of his absent nephew. It was at that moment the door opened slightly and Saya, her aid, peeked her head through the door. Katara turned to the large window in Iroh’s room and a swarm of butterflies invaded her stomach. It was sundown. “Go to him,” Iroh commanded with a smile on his face. She hugged the old man and sprinted out of his room, leaving a startled Saya in the doorway of General Iroh’s bedroom.

“Care to play a game of Pai Sho?”

Katara was running through the gilded halls of the palace, her wavy hair bouncing behind her. When she finally reached the large and heavy wooden doors of his bedroom, she took a deep breath, bracing herself for the unexpected.

She found him facing a mirror, hands searching through his hair for the pins that attached his crown to his head. “Are you ready to do this,” she asks herself although she already knows the answer. She takes one last deep breath, as though she’s preparing for battle. This is it, she reminds herself before she does the unthinkable.

“Zuko, she whispers,”.

He turns his body to the sound of her voice and when they lock eyes Katara’s heart swells.

“Katara!” He exclaims, making his way over to her and embracing her in a bone crushing hug. They haven’t been this close in months. He was warm; and even though the palace was already too hot and the sun was blazing through the windows, she didn’t want to let him go. He breaks their contact to look at her. It’s like he was getting drunk off of her presence and Katara could say that the same thing was happening to herself. At this moment, nothing else but the two of them existed.

“I love you,” she whispers to him and only him. She searches his golden eyes for a response but there are so many emotions playing on his face. Katara isn’t sure that she’s ever seen his scarred eye open that wide. “Say something!” She wills him in her mind. Instead of words, Zuko pulls her face to his and they meet in a kiss so intense, yet so soft that she feels like she’s floating. His lips are like drugs to her, she keeps seeking them out the moment they’re apart from hers. Her hands are in his hair, knocking the crown off of his head. His sturdy hands are caressing her back while simultaneously keeping them intertwined. Katara regretfully ends their kiss so she could catch her breath.

“Was this your way of telling me you love me back?” Katara asks in between small gasps of air.

“Yes. I was never all that good with words so I thought that I’d show instead of tell,” he said with that same stupid crooked smile that she loved so much. Katara’s mind flashes back to a flustered Zuko attempting to join team Avatar after months of chasing them around the world. The past.

“Well then if you don’t mind I’ll just keep doing the talking then,”

“Sure, why no-“

“Marry me,” an empowered Katara interrupted. “One kiss for yes. Two kisses for Hell Yes,” she finished.

Zuko pulled her close again, letting his body do the talking. “One, three, ten… ” Katara attempted to count, losing track after reaching double digits. “So that’s a Hell Yes times fifty,” she joked when they broke apart once again.

Zuko chuckled. “ That’s a Hell Yes times infinity,”

“Wow,” she responded wistfully, contemplating an eternity with Zuko by her side. A paradise, she decides.

“And people say you’re no good with words,” she says smiling. Zuko brings her back to him for another hug.

“You’re cool,” he comments on her body temperature, “I like it,”.

[stardust948]

Home

Zutara Drabble December 2020 Day 31 

@zkdrabbledecember  

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28462650

Summary: After Izumi assumes the throne, Zuko and Katara return to the South Pole to retire.  

Katara inhaled the salty breeze then exhaled slowly, watching her breath come out in puffy white smokes and dance around her. After all these years, the thought of snow and ice warmed her heart in its own special way.

“We should be there before nightfall.” Zuko said as he wrapped his arm around her. “Chief Yue sent word that she already made preparations for our arrival.”

She smiled, thinking about her niece. Yue definitely inherited her father’s love for planning and schedules. Katara reached up and pulled his hood over his white hair, going on about how he’s not as young as he used to be despite Zuko’s half-hearted protests.

“I still have the Breath of Life, love. I’m not going to freeze to death!”

“And I’m here to make sure that you don’t.” Katara said poking him in the chest. She adjusted his blue parka until she was satisfied. Zuko planted a kiss on her forehead.

“My hero.”

Katara laughed then leaned against his chest as Zuko wrapped his arms around her. They watched the gentle winter sun slowly rise over the horizon. The only sound was the metal ship slapping against the waves.

“Are you sure about this, Zuko?” Katara asked after a moment.

“Izumi is going to make a fine ruler. We’ve prepared her for this her whole life and she knows where to reach us whenever she needs to.”

“I know. I’m so proud of her.” Katara felt tears well up as she thought about how far her daughter has come. There were many obstacles both external and internal but Izumi overcame them all bravely. Katara had never felt such pride in her long life.

“I meant, are you sure about moving to the South Pole? Azula said she wouldn’t mind if we stayed on Ember Island with her.”

“Of course, I’m sure. You lived in the Fire Nation for 60 years with me. It’s only right that I live 60 years with you in the South Pole.”

“60 whole years, huh?”

“Or until you get sick of me.”

“Just don’t tie me to anymore trees and I’ll might keep you around for a bit.”

Zuko laughed and rested his head on top of Katara’s.

“I mean it ‘Tara,” he whispered. “As long as I’m with you, I’m home.”

This time, Katara let her tears fall as she pulled Zuko into a passionate kiss.

It didn’t matter where they traveled or where they finally settled down.

They were home with each other.  

[sol-tinyrayofsun]

Zutara Week Day 5 - Hesitancy: What Am I To Say?

Alright, this was actually the first thing I wrote for Zutara Week. It’s angsty as hell, but with a nice ending. I love fluff but angst just gets me every time. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy it as much as I do.  As ever, thank you for reading! Feedback is always appreciated! <3

Also on AO3!

Title: What Am I To Say?

Rating: G

Summary:  “Choices, Katara,” he continued to say, noticing her silence. “It’s all about choices.” Zuko was telling the truth. She had unfortunately made sure to push him away five years ago. One stupid decision that had shattered every last bit of her existence. Even worse, it had also damaged many others. On a split second, all those moons ago, Katara had managed to secure heartache for them both.

------

She wasn’t sure how long it had been since the last time she had properly faced him. Their last conversation dated from months ago. And what a dull chat had it been. The frigidity caused by a choice she had made five years ago had ultimately marked the fallout of their relationship. But everything was different now. She knew he was aware of it. Still, she felt hesitant. The idea of owning up her mistakes to him terrified her. Maybe focusing strictly on the reason why she had been summoned there would be her best bet. 

Katara descended from the carriage that had brought her all the way to the gates of the Fire Nation Royal Palace. The humid weather took her by surprise. She had gotten too used to the cold air of the South Pole. After all, the last few months had found her recluded to her duties within the Southern Water Tribe. Her family had unsuccessfully tried to get her to go out into the world on multiple occasions. Nothing had worked, she just wanted to figure out things by herself for a while. 

Still, there she was. Back to where their undoing had started. She shook her head as she tried to put on her brightest smile. Lifting up her sight from the concrete courtyard ground, his golden eyes met hers. This was it. The moment she had dreaded for more than a week. She felt her heart skipping a beat. It was him.

“Master Katara.” His voice was raspy, sharp. “A pleasure to see you again. May I ask how was your trip?” He extended his hand to her. 

There it was. That ice-cold attitude. It killed her, destroyed her to the very core. She wanted to scream, to make him drop his ridiculous act. Really, after all we have gone through? When are you going to stop shutting me down? she thought as she remembered an answer was expected from her. Right, diplomacy. What a tricky little thing. 

“Fire Lord Zuko,” she greeted him as she took his hand. That simple touch was enough to make her whole body flinch. “The trip was fine, thanks. I assume the rest of the delegates have arrived already.”

Both of them dropped their hands. She hated every second of that awkward and impersonal interaction. It seemed like things had only gotten worse with the passing of time. 

“Well, let me and my guards escort you to your room. The meeting is at five in the afternoon, sharp,” Zuko said as he gestured her to start walking. “Be sure to let me know if there’s anything else you might need.” 

Following his lead, she looked him in the eyes. His gaze was puzzling, apparently impossible to decipher. Still, she could’ve sworn she perceived a strain of warmth somewhere behind the nervous batting of his eyelashes. 

“Thank you, Zuko. I’ll make sure to be there on time.”

Katara felt as if her words had no real meaning. There was simply so much more to be said. She wanted to tell him to stop the nonsense, to ask how he was feeling, to question him about how he found out about what had happened in her life three months ago. But it wasn’t the time or place. It never seemed to be for the two of them. Her mind kept vacillating, completely disoriented, and as clouded as a stormy sky. It wouldn’t be the first time he messed with her judgment. 

Repressing a frustrated sigh, she hurried into the Palace. The sooner she could be done with her visit, the better. That way she could go back to her quiet routine at the South Pole without any delays. Every single moment she spent there felt like a dagger sinking down on her chest. There were just too many memories, too many shadows of what it could have been. She wasn’t in the mood for an annoying “What if…?” to come waltzing into her life. Real life wasn’t as easy as a fairytale. She had made her choice years ago. Now, she was trying to live with its consequences. And to get through her visit to the Fire Nation without breaking down. 

The council room was packed with delegates. Katara couldn’t help but curse the timing of the meeting. Just when she was starting to get back some sense of normalcy into her life, business had dragged her there once again. 

The international collaboration between the Fire Nation and the Water Tribes had run smoothly for years. What a brilliant moment for Blaze Industries to start questioning the price of the oil the Southern Water Tribe provided them with. Of course, once one company inquired, the rest of them followed. In no time, a council was needed to discuss whether the terms of the economic alliance should be reviewed or left alone. 

She had enough on her plate already. Being the first functional year of the Southern Water Tribe Waterbending Academy, work was as hefty as ever. Not to mention the most recent occurrence within her personal life. It had left her in a muddle, questioning her judgment. She had even isolated from all her friends. All because of her unwillingness to be honest with herself, or with anyone for that matter, until it was too late. Way too late to avoid any harm to be made. 

Katara shook her head, making sure to be grounded enough before the meeting began. She wasn’t about to let her private dilemmas interfere with her work. 

Everyone stood still as the doors opened one last time before starting. Fire Lord Zuko made its way to his usual seat. All that time and she still remembered to perfection where he used to seat at every meeting. With a polite nod, he saluted the attendees as he prepared to speak. 

“Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for being here today,” he greeted them. “I understand that Blaze Industries wanted to be the first one to present a statement. So without further ado let’s allow them to start. Chief Executive Kian?”

The chairwoman didn’t take long to comply. The assembly had officially started. If it went well she could be on her way home by the next day. She prompted herself to drop her concerns about her relationship with Zuko. The economic future of her Tribe could be jeopardized in the case the oil issue wasn’t handled properly. She could get sentimental some other time. 

The nocturnal breeze caused her hair to sweep across her cheeks. Stars lit up the sky like snowflakes dancing around the darkness of the night. The light wind made the water ripple softly across the turtleduck pond. Silence hung in the air that surrounded the courtyard of the Royal Palace. As she strolled around the gardens, Katara wondered what on earth was she doing there. 

Maybe she had just gotten tired of the solitude of her room, a place so impersonal that it felt almost insulting. The walls of this palace had once been like a home to her. Now the place was suffocating her, reminding her of why she was in that position in the first place. Or perhaps she had been drawn there by all those memories. Ghosts from brighter times. 

It wasn’t like the outcome of the assembly had provided her with a reason for feeling so uneasy. She had managed to keep Blaze Industries and the rest of the companies at bay without harming their economic alliance. All that fuss for nothing. It only took for her to remind them of all the benefits of having her tribe as the primary oil supplier alongside a slight warning that a price increase might be necessary if they didn’t hold their end of the bargain to get them to stand down. 

Of course, Zuko had backed her up. Despite everything that had happened between them, one thing had always been clear: they would do their best to support each other no matter what. Anyways, aside from that detail, she was sure Zuko knew how outrageous Blaze Industries’ claim was. He would never allow anyone of his Nation to take advantage of outsiders, not under his watch. After all, it was that attitude that made him such a good leader for his people. Peace had remained intact around the world thanks to leaders like them.

Seems like some things just don’t change, Katara thought as she sat by the turtleduck pond.  Nothing was the same anymore, but there she was, back where it had all started to fall apart. That place brought back too many memories, good memories. She couldn’t help but smile, staring at the clear night sky, thinking about the time the entire gang had hosted a theater evening right in that same courtyard. Her heart felt bittersweetly warm from the vivid evocation of happier and easier days. 

“What are you smiling about?” a familiar voice asked her. 

A flinch. A heartbeat. A realization. He was right there, wasn’t he? Katara lowered down her sight, tilting her head to be able to look at him. 

“I’m not smiling, Zuko.” Her words came out a little harsher than expected. “I just needed some fresh air.” 

Well, that’s a great way to greet someone you care about, isn’t it? 

They stared into each other’s eyes, paralyzed. He was still meters away from her, analyzing her from a cautious distance. Katara wasn’t sure if he would come any closer. His cold facade probably included ignoring her to death. 

Still, Zuko took a step forward. And another. All the way up to where she was sitting. 

“Has the outcome of the assembly brought you any relief?” He was standing right before her, with a puzzling expression on his face. 

Of course, he would only come near to torture her with even more politics. She brought her knees closer to her chest, in an unconscious attempt to shield herself from the torment she was feeling. She couldn’t take it any longer. 

“The outcome of the assembly was expected. What a shame I had to come all the way here to calm down some dull businessmen.”

“I’m sorry, aren’t you the primary Ambassador of the Southern Water Tribe?”

Shocker. As if he didn’t know what she did for a living. Though, she hadn’t been acting like a proper ambassador for the last three months. At least regarding the traveling.

“Yes, Zuko, I am! Spirits, know you’re going to pretend we don’t know each other?” She hadn’t expected to be on the verge of screaming. Still, she didn’t care anymore. Things couldn’t get any worse, could they?

His eyes widened. Guess he wasn’t expecting her to get so loud either. 

“Katara, you’ve been a complete ghost for three months. None of our friends were able to reach you,” he said as he let out a sigh. “We might as well be strangers at this point.”

“But we are not!” That’s it, her tone couldn’t possibly get any louder. “You didn’t even try to look for me! And don’t even pretend you didn’t know. Everyone knew. Everyone knew what a fool of myself I had made.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I wasn’t aware of the fact that I was the one who had to come running up to you after what you decided!”

She abruptly dragged herself to her feet. “But you knew! You knew what it meant for me to decline Aang’s proposal! Spirits, Zuko, you probably saw that one coming!” Her voice trailed off in an exasperated scream. 

“Of course I saw it coming, but it wasn’t my place to interfere anymore, was it?” His voice started to shake.

Katara stayed quiet, unable to react to his statement. Looking at him now, at the way his eyes reflected a great deal of resentment, she felt more regret than ever before. 

“Choices, Katara,” he continued to say, noticing her silence. “It’s all about choices.”

Zuko was telling the truth. She had unfortunately made sure to push him away five years ago. One stupid decision that had shattered every last bit of her existence. Even worse, it had also damaged many others. On a split second, all those moons ago, Katara had managed to secure heartache for them both. 

“What do you want me to say? Do you want me to tell you how sorry I am for tearing us apart? Do you want me to break into tears and confess how ridiculous I feel?” She felt a lump on her throat. “What do you want from me, Zuko?! Please, drop your act. I know in some corner of your heart you still care about me.”

“I’m not performing any kind of act!” He looked exhausted, worn out, defeated. “You were the one who told me we shouldn’t be together, or have you forgotten about that? You said I should go with Mai and you had to accept to be with Aang. A whole year, Katara, a whole year we sneaked around in the shadows, all because you were afraid of admitting the truth to yourself!”

He was right. Spirits, every word that came out of his mouth broke her walls down a little more. 

Five years. Five miserable years since she had broken them up to be with someone else. To be with Aang, and for Zuko to be with Mai. All for what? Right there, standing in the courtyard, screaming at the person she had managed to push too far away, she had no clue.

“Zuko… I - It was all - I know, alright?” she mumbled, a treacherous tear streaming down her cheek. “It was the stupidest decision I’ve ever made.”

“Then, please, don’t look at me like I was the one who broke your heart. Because all I wanted to do was to be with you.” He sat down, staring at the ground. “That’s why I ended things with Mai so soon, unlike you, I wasn’t ready to wake up every day knowing I was lying to myself.”

He must’ve known his words were utterly harsh. But they uncovered an awful truth. She had been lying to herself for years. And the result had been more than clear. Three months ago she had rejected Aang’s marriage proposition, to everyone’s surprise. Except for a certain firebender that was familiar with every single one of her rough edges. As Aang pleaded for her to spend the rest of her life by his side, she had realized that was not what she wanted. Not who she wanted. Too late. Repeatedly too late. What a mess she had made. 

Katara plummeted to the floor, sitting next to him. The nocturnal breeze caused her to shudder. No one else was there. It was only them, finally saying what they had wanted to confess for years. 

“You know why I rejected Aang, right?” She finally asked, hoping her question would get him to look at her. 

“Because you were never in love with him? Katara, why are you doing this? Your failed relationship is none of my business anymore. Plus, Aang told me all about it. I would prefer not to have to endure that torture once again.”

Wait.

“Aang talked with you about our breakup?”

“Don’t you realize that while you were hiding from reality the world kept turning? We’re friends, of course, he told me all about how you broke his heart.” He chuckled, bitterly smiling. “Little did he know, you broke mine first.”

“No, you don’t get to do this,” she blurted out, feeling her voice getting louder once again. “You don’t get to pin this all on me. You should’ve stopped me! If you were so certain we had to be together why on earth didn’t you do something about it?”

He finally lifted his sight, his eyes were puffy. “What did you want me to say? I practically begged you, Spirits, I told you I loved you. And you said you loved me too, but that you had to go. You left. I didn’t. I’m sorry for thinking that was what you wanted.”

“Zuko, I’m sorry too, alright? What am I to say now? I can’t turn back time.”

“You’re right, you can’t. Guess we’ll both have to live with it.” He started to get up from the ground. “Goodnight. I´m sorry, I can´t bear this any longer”

“Wait!” She grasped his arm with such intensity she thought she might’ve hurt him. “Please, don’t leave. I….”

“Katara, you asked me if I knew why you rejected Aang.” His voice was shaking. “Anything you want me to know?”

“It’s true, I rejected Aang because I didn’t love him,” she started to say, feeling her heart pounding on her chest. “Because I still love you, Zuko. I never stopped loving you.”

There. The secret was about. Five years of burying the truth deep inside her, endless days and nights of finding herself crying for no apparent reason. But the reason was there, it had always been there. It was him. She cried because of him. She cried for the love she had lost. For the person she had pushed away in an attempt of selling a lie to herself. She loved Zuko with every fiber of her being. It had always been there, burning in the back of her mind. And now he knew it too. 

Silence. That was all the response she got from him. Silence and a pair of golden eyes looking thoroughly at her. 

“Say something,” she pleaded, tears streaming down her face. “At least have the guts to say you don’t love me anymore. Because I’ve just told you something that’s been killing me for years. I love you, and I’m sorry.”

Nothing. For a moment, there was nothing. Not even a blink.

Then Zuko grasped her shoulders and kissed her. It took her by surprise, almost making her question if perhaps their entire interaction was just a dream. But it wasn’t. It was real, crazy, unexpected. He was kissing her like they were running out of time; like somebody might pull them apart at any second. 

Needless to say, she was kissing him back. She was kissing him like she had never kissed anyone before. Desperately, emotionally, and with a newfound intensity. This was the most alive she had felt in months. Right there, glued to the person she had once let go of. 

Almost out of breath, Zuko pulled apart first. His eyes were glistening in the moonlight. A mysterious grin had taken over his face.

“I love you too,” he whispered. “Katara, I’ve always loved you.”

Spirits, she couldn’t believe her luck. 

“Then why did you shut me down like that?”

“Because you were with Aang! I had to keep my distance or it would have destroyed me.” He brushed his fingers against her cheek. “When I found out you had rejected him I… I wanted to go after you, to tell you that it was the right decision. I was dying to make you feel less alone. But I couldn’t do that to you, to Aang, or to myself. You needed to figure out what you wanted.”

“I want you, Zuko,” Katara said as she felt herself crying again. “I screwed up. Big time. I never should’ve made us go our separate ways. There´s nothing I regret more.”

“So what now, then?” 

“Can we start over, please? I know there’s no way to erase the last five years from our memory. But we could make this right. We can make this work the second time around. Together.”

“I suppose we could do it. But, don’t you care what everyone else would think?”

“No, not anymore. I won’t make the same mistake again.” She cupped his cheeks into her hands, pressing her forehead onto his. “If you let me, I’ll prove to you that you’re all I want.”

His eyes showed he wanted it, too. Katara was sure of it. They had never stopped loving each other. 

“Of course I’ll let you,” he replied, placing a soft kiss on her nose. “Does this mean you’re not leaving tomorrow? Because I really should let the coachman know whether he has to prepare the carriage or not.”

Katara chuckled, considering his teasing an invitation to stay a little longer. 

“I think I won’t be leaving until we figure this out.”

“Good, then you’ll add it to your schedule and I’ll add it to mine,” he joked. 

“Are you going to keep chatting or does kissing me sound like a better idea to you?” 

“Why don’t we wait another five years and I’ll see how it suits me then?”

“Sure,” Katara planted a kiss on his lips. “Whoops, five years are over.”

Zuko’s response seemed to agree with her since it only consisted of multiple kisses all over her face. She kissed him back, burying her fingers into his hair, making a mess of his Fire Lord looks. Neither of them cared anymore. They were finally together. 

One choice had been her undoing. Yet, somehow, a single assembly had also pushed her to make things right. She couldn’t turn back time, but she could make the most out of the mess she’d caused years ago. And, Spirits, she had every intention to do so. 

------ See? I promised you the ending was a happy one. I hope you enjoyed it! <3  @zutaraweek

[tellthestoryofmybrokendreams]

Rollercoaster

Fandom: Avatar: the Last Airbender

Pairing: Zuko/Katara

Status: Complete

Words: 1,927

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Desc: Katara has her ups and downs. Sometimes they’re bumps in the road, and sometimes they’re a ride on an Omashu mail cart. Zuko learns more about her everyday as she surprises him and they grow together. But these surprises are the things he loves about her.

(Or, a story of Katara being everything Zuko could ever want or need, and an examination of just how exactly they got together.)

A/N: Hello again my loves! This is second in my new series based on my love of Zutara, my love of Bleachers, and the ways they intertwine. I explain better in the first fic, but these are in track order, not chronological order, and the whole set contains two continuities.

Now, let's get on with Zuko drinking his loving Katara juice lmao. Enjoy!

If someone were to ask Zuko to list Katara’s flaws, he supposes he could. She has a temper, she holds grudges, and she tends to make impulse decisions without realizing the consequences. She cares almost too much, especially about the people she loves, to the point where he thinks if any of Team Avatar had to die to defeat the Fire Lord she might let Ozai and Azula win. Though, really, the same could be said of him.

And it’s not like he particularly cared about or looked for her “flaws” anyway, he’s just heard Toph and Sokka complain about her. Or maybe he got annoyed once or twice at her attempts to help everyone they come across, despite the weight it puts on her shoulders.

Everyone has a flaw or two, everyone has a negative aspect to their personality. He would know, he’s got a top twenty list for himself. And he spent his childhood surrounded by people dominated by their flaws.

That doesn’t mean she’s not incredible, though. He thinks often about their own “life changing field trip”, and how powerful she was, how that trip changed how he saw her and made everything make sense. Before they left, he knew she’d had lessons with a waterbending master, and that she was teaching Aang. But whenever he imagined her, thought of their last fight, he hadn’t even imagined her full power. She’d been good, but he’d thought it surely was just because of the full moon. To see her reach inside someone and take control of the water inside them? That was the moment he recognized that she was a true master, probably one of the best water benders in the world.

That trip overall had been a lot for the two of them, the tension was thick and she went out of her way to avoid touching him. Their last meaningful interaction was weighing on them both.

Unbeknownst to the rest of the team, Katara had come to his room for a second time after he returned from Boiling Rock. She wanted to know exactly what had happened, and her brother refused to tell her. She’d perched herself on his window sill as he sighed, sat on his bed, and thought back to try to give her every detail. Spirits knew he’d want to know everything if she’d brought his mother back to him.

He hadn’t noticed at the time, but as he recounted their daring escape, tears had slowly filled her eyes. She’d curled herself into a ball slowly as she took in the information. And when she heard him describe their final fight with Azula and Ty Lee on top of the gondola, and coming so close to dying, she stood suddenly. He finished explaining how he knew if Azula was there, she’d have a war balloon before looking up, noticing her sudden movement and startling.

She took a tentative step closer to him, then hesitated, “What would you have done? If Mai hadn’t saved you I mean.”

He shrugged, “Well, I’d grab Sokka, Suki, and your father, and try to do that move Azula did. Shoot fire and use it to propel me as I jump. If I couldn’t make it, I’d throw them up, either to the rim of the volcano or so they could grab the other line and climb it.”

She considered for a moment, nodding, before freezing and narrowing her eyes slightly, “If you did that, you’d die.”

“I’d die if I didn’t do it-”

“No, the gondolas are probably built to float.”

“Well either way, it was more important for them to survive. You and Aang need Sokka, Sokka would never forgive himself if Suki died, and I refuse to let the two of you lose your second parent. Aang progressed quickly with firebending, he could have gone on and taught himself decently without me. It would be an honor to die and save some of the most important people in this fight.”

Katara almost seemed to tremble as her mouth fell open. She took a small step, then another, before practically sprinting towards him and throwing her arms around him. Shocked, he almost didn’t return the embrace. After a second she pulled away, still leaving her hands on his shoulders despite the slightly awkward distance between them, and he stared at her in confusion.

She looked conflicted, unsure of herself, as she looked him in the eye before whispering, “Th-thank you Zuko. That was good of you,” she paused, before returning to her normal tone when addressing him, “But I...I still don’t trust you. This doesn’t change that.”

He deflated a little, “I kno-”

And she suddenly shot up on her tiptoes, and pressed her lips to his. This time, it was almost instinctive. He kissed her back fiercely and went to wrap his arms around her waist.

Before he could, she was out of his reach, a look of shock and horror on her face that morphed into anger as she quickly bent the water from the glass by his bed to fall over his head. She turned on her heel and stormed out, muttering under her breath. Her words were rapid and blended together, and his head was spinning, so even his above average hearing couldn’t make sense of it.

They hadn’t discussed it, not even on their expedition, but he knows it’s the reason she was so hostile between then and when they faced Yon Rha. At the time, he was completely bewildered. He was certain she’d kissed him, but then she was so angry and disgusted, like he’d forced himself. He knew he hadn’t, and she probably would have done more than released water over his head if he had, anyway.

And then she was yelling at him about her mother when he tried to talk to her about how she was acting, and he figured out what she was thinking. Really, it was just what she’d said beneath Ba Sing Se. The Fire Nation took her mother, and when she thought of the Fire Nation she pictured him. Throw in her bizarre fury over their even more bizarre...incident, and of course she was cold and angry with him.

He knew he had to make it up to her, make everything up to her, and he figured getting closure for her mother was exactly what she needed. Whatever closure meant to her.

Their adventure to get said closure was...eventful. She proved herself a force to be reckoned with, and he silently thanked the Spirits that he’d switched sides when he did. He was certain she’d now be able to stop his heart with a flick of her wrist if she wanted to.

And when they climbed back on Appa’s back, she’d immediately curled up in a ball in the saddle. He pulled a blanket from his pack and gently laid it over her, before taking the reins and steering Appa toward Ember Island. All this time discussing her past had made him think of his own, and a safe haven it held.

“I know somewhere we can stay for now,” he called back to her, “And I’m gonna take us there and drop you off before I go get the others.”

He thought he saw her nod.

But when they touched down at his family beach house, and he explained what it was and led her to a bedroom to rest, the rain outside became a heavy storm with far too much lightning for Appa to fly safely. So he stayed the night in the house with her, waiting for the rain to let up. He’d given Katara his mother’s room, but as he stood upstairs in the hallway he knew his childhood bedroom was not where he should stay.

He made his way to his father’s old room at the end of the hall and stepped inside. This room had the most dust, despite their servants usually cleaning before a trip, since Ozai hadn’t come to the house with his family for years even before they stopped going altogether. Zuko shook out the bedding before climbing in and falling asleep quickly as his exhaustion hit him.

These circumstances usually led to dreamless sleep, but he was still chased through his subconscious by long, dark hair and beautiful blue eyes, just as he had been every night since his return from Boiling Rock. If he was truly honest with himself, she’d haunted him since he first laid eyes on her at the South Pole.

The next day, the rain was still pounding down outside. He lit a fire and they sat down together in front of it, drinking tea that had probably gone bad. They were silent, until he asked how she was doing and she sighed and turned to face him.

“I’m ok. I feel better than I have in a while. I don’t know if it was weakness or strength that I didn’t kill him, but I don’t think he deserved it anyway. He is a cowardly, empty man, and death would be too kind. I embarrassed him by beating him so easily, and by finding him too pitiful to bother killing. He will suffer with his crimes for the rest of his life, be imprisoned once we win, and die a slow death in his old age, hopefully from a painful disease. I think I did the right thing.”

He smiled, “If you feel it was right, then it was.”

She stared at him all morning, and he pretended not to notice. When he finally was able to leave and get the rest of the crew, she looked at him unabashedly, smiled, and said goodbye.

When the whole Team Avatar came back and saw that she wasn’t in the house, he and Aang went out to look for her on Appa. Finding his favorite waterbender sitting on the dock and swishing the ocean with her feet, he stood back and allowed Aang to talk with her. He wasn’t really listening, it was a private conversation, and probably a repeat of their own exchange. He did tune in when he noticed her stand up angrily.

“I didn’t forgive him. I’ll never forgive him,” she told Aang, hard and direct and letting him know he was wrong this time. But then she softened and turned to him with a smile, “But I am ready to forgive you.”

She walked toward him, and he stayed still, waiting for her next move. And she launched herself at him and threw her arms around him. He felt his inner fire expand as another drive cemented itself in his soul, “Be everything Katara needed him to be.”

And from then on, she was always by his side and he was always by hers. They were Yin and Yang, and they made each other better. Even before they told their friends, they knew they were each other’s one and only. She led him into battle and adventure alike, and he loved every bit of her. She was fun and incredible, his favorite person in the world. She continues to surprise him as she did on that first trip together, and they run free together with no plans to ever stop. Stuffy Fire Nation politics couldn’t even begin to hope to contain them. Each of her flaws only makes her more beautiful, another aspect of the woman he loves. He never knew what would come next with her, but he knew and trusted every bit of this girl with every bit of him.

[soopersara]

Date

Well... as it turns out, it took a little over a year before I got a chance finish this one, but I got there eventually! @zutaradreams​ has probably forgotten all about this request by now, but I come bearing some very, very belated fluff.

AO3 | FFN

Prompt #18 from this list, originally Day 4 of Zutara Week 2010

When Katara takes a post as ambassador in the Fire Nation, Zuko wants to celebrate her and give their friends a proper sendoff. But their trip to the Equinox Festival doesn’t go quite as he planned.

⁂

"Well, I think that settles it." Katara plopped onto the bench next to him. "We've been ditched."

"Seems like it." Zuko's mouth was dry, and he scuffed his sweaty palms against his trousers.

This was not going according to plan. And technically, it was only half his plan anyway. So it wasn't really his fault that it was all going sideways.

It had been almost three years since they'd all been together in the Fire Nation. Almost three years since he'd had a chance to see Katara for more than a few days in a row, since he'd been able to talk to her outside of letters and political meetings. And the rest of his friends too. Of course he'd missed all of them.

But he would be lying to himself if he didn't admit that it was Katara who occupied his thoughts most often.

And now they were back together, all of them, and while the others were preparing to leave in a few days' time, Katara was here to stay. It had nothing to do with him personally. He knew that. The Southern Water Tribe needed an ambassador in the Fire Nation, and Katara was far and away the best candidate. That didn't mean that he wasn't excited to have her back. That certainly didn't mean that his feelings for her had gone away. He was only human, and he liked her very, very much.

It had been Zuko's idea for the group to spend some time together before Sokka and Suki left. It had not been Zuko's idea to go to the Equinox Festival. That had been Sokka's suggestion. More specifically, Sokka had suggested a double date at the festival.

Zuko had tried to protest the idea, he really had. He and Katara were not dating. This couldn't possibly be a date. He just wanted to see his friends again before they left. And spend time with Katara. Mostly spend time with Katara. But not on a date.

Not that he would mind dating Katara. In fact, Zuko would have been delighted to date Katara. But he was fairly certain that Katara didn't feel the same, and Zuko was working very hard to learn how to quit while he was ahead.

But then Sokka had talked a lot and very quickly, and somewhere along the way Zuko must have agreed to the plan because the next thing he knew, he was standing sheepishly outside Katara's door and inviting her to the festival.

He really needed to figure out how Sokka did that. It would make his most crotchety advisors so much easier to deal with.

To Zuko's surprise, Katara had agreed. She even seemed excited about it. And Zuko had begun to hope that the festival might still be the kind of celebration he had pictured. For all of them. But mostly for Katara.

Then Sokka and Suki had ditched them.

He snuck a glance at Katara. She'd taken to wearing deep blue Fire Nation silks sewn in traditional Water Tribe styles. The color, she had informed him, was reserved for warriors at the South Pole, and now that she had earned the right to wear it, she had no intention to ever wear another shade of blue again. Zuko couldn't blame her. She'd more than earned the honor.

But it was a bit of a problem too. She was luminous in her warrior's blue, and it made it exceptionally difficult for Zuko to look away.

"Since we're here anyway," he began, voice rough, "Maybe we should—" He gestured lamely at the festivities.

Agni, why was this so difficult? He spoke in front of his advisors every day, and they were much less pleasant than Katara.

She followed his gaze, then turned back, smiling. "You're right. We definitely should."

⁂

Katara was tempted to tease him. Zuko, the wise and beloved leader of the Fire Nation, who had an impeccable sense of direction honed by years at sea, was completely lost in the middle of a festival in his own city and getting more flustered by the minute.

"I just don't understand! The street performances should be in the theater district. It doesn't make sense to have them anywhere else!" He grew more and more animated, punctuating every point with a broad sweep of his arms.

The impulse won her over. "I don't know about that. I think it would make more sense to put them in the straw-hat district," she deadpanned.

"Why on earth would we put street performances in the—" Zuko met her eyes and stopped short. His brow furrowed, and he made a grumpy little sound. "You're trying to tease me, aren't you?"

Grinning, Katara took hold of his arm. "I'm pretty sure I'm succeeding."

Zuko made another grumpy noise. "For the record, we don't have a straw-hat district. This isn't Ba Sing Se. We're not big enough to be that organized."

"I'm glad," Katara answered, still holding his arm as she kept pace beside him. "It's going to take me enough time to learn my way around as it is."

Zuko's hand rested ever so lightly on top of hers. "I'll make sure you don't get lost."

Katara's heart fluttered. She'd missed him. Exchanging letters was nice, but it was nothing compared to being with him, being able to talk face-to-face. A few peace summits and meetings a year just wasn't enough. But she hadn't expected to find herself alone with him so soon. Not unless it was on official business of some sort.

She suspected that Sokka and Suki had ditched them deliberately, though she couldn't decide whether it was so Katara would be left alone with Zuko, or so that Sokka and Suki could spend some time alone. The latter made more sense, which was exactly why she suspected the former.

She felt her cheeks burn and looked forward. "Good. I wouldn't want to make the Fire Lord's personal guards search the city every time I step out of the palace."

"I'd look for you too if you got lost."

Katara looked up in time to see his warm golden eyes soften. Her grip on his arm tightened just a fraction, and Zuko looked away, clearing his throat.

"And—uh—of course the city makes a lot more sense when the theater district isn't full of koalasheep petting stalls."

Katara laughed. It did look a little odd to see children petting fluffy animals in front of ornate, gold-trimmed theaters, but as far as she could tell, the festival had overtaken the whole city.

"You really had your heart set on finding the street performances, didn't you?"

He reddened. "I was looking forward to it. I heard from the palace staff that there was going to be an outdoor production of Love Amongst the Dragons."

She poked him in the elbow. "I seem to remember you complaining about having to watch that play."

His lips pressed together. "I complained about having to watch that play at Ember Island. It's a good play. The Ember Island Players are just bad."He paused briefly. "I guess we're not going to find out if this one is any good if I can't figure out where it is."

"Too bad you're in your fancy Fire Lord clothes. Otherwise you could climb up on one of these buildings to get a better view." She snuck a sideways glance at him. "Or does that only work when you have your mask with you?"

He scowled. "Very funny."

"You're grumpy," Katara observed, smiling.

He frowned. "I am not."

"Grumpy because we're missing a play."

"I'm not."

"You're the grumpiest."

She thought she saw the corner of his mouth twitch. "Stop."

"Fire Lord Grump."

He made a valiant effort at scowling but gave in when she laughed and hugged his arm.

"I'm not grumpy, Katara." The smile was evident in his voice, and when she looked up, the soft warmth was back in his eyes.

Her stomach did a pleasant little flip. "See, now I believe you." She let her head rest briefly against his shoulder. It felt good to be close to him again. Tugging him forward, she wound her way up the street, past a cluster of children ogling a pen full of moo-sows and the parents watching from a few steps back, past a tall woman giving another group of children an impassioned lecture about the gentle nature of komodo rhinos while holding one by the bridle.

Zuko fell in step beside her, following her lead, still wearing that small, soft smile whenever she glanced back at him.

Katara gave his arm a light squeeze. "Do they perform Love Amongst the Dragons very often? Maybe we could see it some other time." She motioned toward yet another petting stall. "When the theater district isn't full of moo-sows and koalasheep."

He reddened a little, but this time, it was softened by the warmth in his eyes, by the faintest hint of a smile on his lips. "I'm sure we could. If you want to."

She felt something warm inside her. "Deal."

⁂

Her hands stayed steady on his arm, a gentle line of connection between the two of them. He softened into it. He liked the contact with her, the sensation that felt almost like tenderness.

She was just making sure that they didn't get separated. Zuko knew that. That didn't make his heart beat any slower or his face feel any less warm.

He cleared his throat and looked ahead. He was a grown man. The Fire Lord. He shouldn't be blushing so much just from the sensation of Katara's hand looped around his arm.

They wound their way past the last of the animal pens and up to the next street, where a wave of aroma washed over them. Spices and cooking meat and sweets—every type of food he could think of mixed into a single, heady aroma.

Katara groaned, and her grip tightened on his arm.

He looked down at her. "Katara? Are you okay?"

She looked up at him, her lower lip jutting out a bit. For all that she'd grown, for all that she was more graceful and mature than he remembered, she could still manage the most adorable pout he'd ever seen.

"I just realized that I'm starving." She eyed the food stands ahead. "Possibly to death."

He couldn't hold back a snort. "Somehow I doubt that last part. I've seen you sneaking into the palace kitchens in the middle of the night.

A finger found its way into his ribs. "Only because you were sneaking around too. I'll have you know that I'm very sneaky about my midnight snacks."

He rolled his eyes and poked her arm back. "The sneakiest. That must be why I hear you walking past my door both ways every single time." He paused, turning his eyes down the street again. "Though you are a lot sneakier than Sokka, I'll give you that much."

"So generous." Her head swiveled from side to side, eyes wide as she examined all the carts and stalls and trays of fried snacks stacked into ornamental spires and pyramids and spirals. "What do you recommend? I don't even know what most of this stuff is."

Zuko gave his best thoughtful face. "Well, my favorite are always the fire flakes—" He cut off with a laugh when she jabbed her elbow into his side.

"Something I can eat. I'm a waterbender. I'm not supposed to breathe fire after I finish a snack."

"Wimp."

"Says the man who couldn't eat a pickled eel squid when he visited the South Pole last time." She smiled up at him, and Zuko's heart sped up. "I mean it. What's the best thing here that isn't so spicy that it'll burn me from the inside out?"

He considered. There were kabobs of different types of meat, all richly marinated, and several of them probably too spicy for Katara's liking. There were savory buns packed with spices, and dumplings smothered in peppery broth. And fire flakes, of course. She wouldn't like any of those. But everything else seemed equally likely. Stopping in place, he scanned the booths. There had to be something that would blow her away. Something more special than the cakes and pastries she was always stealing from the palace kitchens, sometimes to deliver to him, and sometimes not.

Something special enough to make up for the play she wouldn't get a chance to see tonight. Something special enough for her.

A smile crept over his face, and he cupped his hand over hers. "Wait here for just a minute. I think I know exactly what you'll like."

⁂

Katara waited. Not because she wanted to—she had her own money, and she was perfectly capable of picking out her own snacks. But Zuko had darted off through the crowd so quickly that she didn't really have a chance to stop him, and the crowd was so thick, so bustling, that she was a little afraid of getting lost if she moved too far from where he'd left her. Though she'd grown, she still wasn't tall enough to see over the crowd, and Zuko, though tall, wasn't so absurdly tall that he stood out from the rest of the crowd.

She was a tiny bit apprehensive. She trusted Zuko, of course, but he was almost too excited, and he really didn't understand how terribly spicy Fire Nation food could be. He didn't know that some of the milder treats that he'd sent along with his messages while she was still at the South Pole had given Gran-Gran an upset stomach or that Sokka had taken the spicier treats and challenged the rest of the warriors to an eating contest that left them all in tears. Of course, Katara's tolerance was considerably higher than Gran-Gran's, but she didn't want to accidentally make a fool of herself. She was enjoying her time with Zuko too much.

Only a few minutes passed before Zuko emerged from the crowd again, beaming, his eyes crinkled in joy and excitement. He held a small paper pouch between his hands and stopped a few steps away from her.

"Close your eyes."

Katara raised an eyebrow at him. "Why?"

"It's a surprise."

"I'm not sure I trust that smirk." She stretched upward, and Zuko raised the pouch so she couldn't see inside.

"Uh-uh. No peeking or you'll ruin the surprise. Eyes closed."

Katara made a face. "Fine. But if you're trying to feed me fire flakes, I will blow stinky spice-breath in your face."

"Noted. Now open your mouth."

She obeyed, and she felt Zuko come closer by the soft, ever-present heat radiating off of him. She wanted to lean even closer, to rest against his chest and get lost somewhere in his arms.

Zuko popped something small and dense onto her tongue. "Okay. Try it."

Almost the instant she closed her mouth, she was hit by a rush of salty, sour tang, and her eyes popped open. It was chewy, whatever it was, and the outside encrusted with a thin layer of crispiness. As she chewed, the sharpest edge of the flavor wore away, softening into a sweet, mild taste.

"What is this?" she asked, staring at Zuko, wide-eyed. It was a bit like some kind of dried fruit, but it wasn't a type of fruit that she recognized, and the slight hint of salt remained as she chewed, and she could have sworn that she knew the flavor from something, but it was just different enough that she couldn't place it.

"Do you like it?"

She nodded. Whatever that thing was, it was wonderful.

Zuko's smile grew. "Candied ocean kumquats. I remembered that your family ate them stewed when you were all in the Fire Nation, because—"

"Because they're just like sea prunes."

Zuko nodded. "I don't really get the appeal of stewing them, but the candied ones are pretty popular."

Katara couldn't keep her smile from growing wider and wider until it felt like her face would crack. The candied ocean kumquats tasted good enough on their own, but Zuko had chosen them just for her, and he knew her well enough to know that she'd like them, and he was right, and—she reached up and snatched the paper pouch from his hand. If she didn't do something quick, she was going to be in very real danger of kissing him.

"Just for that stewed sea prune blasphemy, I'm taking the whole bag."

"Hey!" he protested. "I didn't say they were bad. Just—slimy."

Grinning, Katara popped another little candied kumquat into her mouth and spun out of his reach. "I'm keeping them. All of them."

Zuko seemed to catch her teasing tone and caught up with her in just a few steps. "Give me one."

"Why should I?" She gave a little sniff and held the pouch out to the other side. "You called my favorite food slimy."

One of his long arms snaked around her, and Katara yelped, pulling the pouch in against her chest.

Laughing, she ducked under his arm and stepped back a few paces. "You'll have to fight me for them, Fire Lord." She folded the top of the pouch shut and dangled it out at arms' length.

"Are you sure you want to challenge me? I'm taller than you. I can reach wherever you try to hide them."

"You may be taller, but I'm hungry, and a very nice man just bought a snack for me." She opened the top of the pouch again, just enough to slip out another piece of candied kumquat between her fingertips.

Zuko took that as his chance to lunge, and caught her by the waist, lifting her off the ground.

Katara couldn't stop laughing. Through the irrepressible fits of giggling, she saw him laughing too. Her heart fluttered. How had she forgotten how wonderful his laugh was? It was rare, but every time she'd ever heard his laugh unweighted by stress, every fiber of her being lit up along with him. His arms around her waist were warm and strong, and being pressed against his chest was every bit as perfect as her imagination had suggested. She would be perfectly content to stay pressed up against him forever.

Smiling, he came to a halt, and holding her with one arm, grabbed the pouch with the other. "Got them," he said quietly, not pulling the pouch away from her.

His breath brushed against her cheek, and she realized anew how close he was, his face only inches away. In fact, with the way he was holding her, with her feet dangling a few inches from the ground, she was perfectly level with him. So close that if she just leaned in—

Her lips crashed into his, and she saw Zuko's eyes widen for the briefest moment before she closed her eyes. She'd kissed before. Not often, and not with many people, but this one felt different. There wasn't fluttering or uncertainty, there was no feeling that she was going to lift off the ground and float off into the sky. This felt like landing. This felt like reaching shore after weeks at sea, like her feet on solid ground after flying away from danger. This felt like home.

She only pulled away when Zuko's grip on her waist slackened enough that her feet touched the ground, and she stared up at him, breathless. Zuko's face had gone crimson—even his scar looked a shade darker than usual, and his eyes were wide.

"You—you just—"

"Did something I've been thinking about for a long time?"

"You did? You have?"

Katara smiled and pulled the pouch of candied ocean kumquats out of his loose grasp. "And I think I won these back." She dangled the pouch in front of him again.

Zuko kept gaping at her for a few seconds longer.

She looped her free hand through his. "Did I break the Fire Lord too?"

"Maybe." He looked down at her, and her heart fluttered in her chest. "Definitely a little bit."

"Hmm." She squeezed his hand and turned for the food stalls again. "In that case, I'm going to have to have you point out your favorite food in this whole place, and it'll be my treat."

"And if I say that it's fire flakes?"

She leaned a little closer to him as a cluster of people pressed past them down the path. "Then it might be a little while longer before I try that kissing thing again." She snuck a glance up at him through her lashes.

His mouth curled into a slight smile, and he returned the pressure on her hand. "Then I think I can handle finding another favorite."

[the-descension-inks]

Sojourn (Zutara Week 2020)

Summary: It's a strange fate that they have crafted for themselves; lines that don't quite meet, stars that circle each other, and stories that are almost written. (Or, glimpses into Zuko and Katara's lives, told in reverse, from the very end to the very beginning.) 

[4/9] Celestial

There's a beat, and then another, and then finally: "We should probably get going." Her lips curve into half a smile. "The aurora awaits."

A thought occurs to him: "I was thinking of that story you'd once told us. About spirits and the aurora."

She pauses for a moment, and he worries he remembers more than he should. But then: "You always seemed to like that one." A smile ghosts up her face, voice coming from somewhere far away, "A path from this world to the next, so tough that one gets lost in the darkness of the night. And so the old spirits decided that they'd shine a torch and guide the new spirits home, giving birth to the first aurora, and all the ones that came after."

Read the entire series here, and this chapter under the cut, or on AO3, or on FF.net.

154 AG

The south pole, Zuko realizes as Druk carries him through the iridescent skies, is truly something else bathed in the light of the aurora.

The light bounces off the snow, green and blue, and swirls in the air around him; ethereal and otherworldly. It makes all the stories he has heard over the years about spirits slipping in and out through portals of nothingness seem all that much real.

The ship bearing the Republic City Police insignia looms into view at the dock below him. A smile creeps up his face as he maneuvers his dragon closer to the woman who is leaning heavily against the ship.

"I hate shoes," is how Toph greets him, kicking at the snow sullenly to make a point.

A laugh bubbles out of Zuko, and he extends an arm forward that she takes without hesitation.

"It's good to see you, Toph."

She grins at him, cocks her head to the side. "You too, Sparky. You look really good."

"Uh, tha—" He rolls his eyes as the grin on Toph's face widens, and mutters under his breath, "Very funny."

She snorts, latches onto him just a little tighter, and then: "Shall we?"

.

.

A lot has changed since Zuko visited the south for the first time, and where there only stood a dilapidated village, there are now cities, complete with a compound to train the next Avatar.

He wonders how many years it'll take them to find out who that will be, and promises himself that he'll do everything to keep the peace that they have fought so hard to secure in place till they do.

Life really comes full circle at times, he thinks.

They slowly inch towards civilization, more and more people showing up, hushed whispers going around at the sight of the Fire Lord and the Chief of Police of Republic City.

Zuko is used to this by now, has stopped reading too much into the pointed glares that are thrown at him even now. Forgiveness for his nation has been a long and strenuous path, and it's only fair.

He dispels that thought, focuses on the present, and looks around for a hint of blue robes and a crooked smile.

"If I were a betting woman, I'd say she's in the healing hut," Toph deadpans, and he almost freezes.

He grows increasingly aware of the way his heart picks up pace, an uneasiness settling to the pit of his stomach.

He grimaces, and not for the first time in his life, hopes the woman beside him wasn't so adept in the art of reading heartbeats. "I don't know what you're talking about," he even manages to sound nonchalant but knows there's really no point.

"Sure you don't." Zuko considers collapsing face-first in the tundra. Toph sighs, has the audacity to sound bored: "It's not like it's a secret."

"What?"

"For me. Relax, Sparky. I'm not the gossiping kind."

Zuko tries to sort through the scramble that is his mind, tries to make sense of it, at least some of it, and finally fumbles, "H-how long?"

"Oh, just a little while." He lets out a breath, but then: "About half a century, give or take."

Agni, what had he walked into?

"The healing hut," she reminds him, and he complies.

.

.

Somehow, that is exactly where they find Katara.

Zuko tries not to stare too much, perfectly cognizant of Toph's presence beside him, but that's always been a lost battle with Katara. She looks older, and more... worn out, he thinks, given how the last few months must have been for her.

But she also looks at peace, at home, starkly different to the woman he had seen a few years ago in Caldera City.

"Uncle Zuko!" He is torn from his thoughts by the other waterbender in the room, and her solid embrace.

Katara greets Toph with a hug, as her eyes meet his across the room. He imagines there's a smile in it somewhere.

Pleasantries are exchanged; he asks Kya how the south pole has treated her, and she tells him rather sternly to stop losing sleep over politics and asks him how his daughter and grandchildren are doing.

It's nice to be here, he thinks somewhere at the back of his mind.

"The two of you are very late," Katara says after that with narrowed eyes and hands on her hips.

"Still mothering us, I see, Sugar Queen."

Katara rolls her eyes, huffs, and feigns annoyance, and somewhere in between, looks at him for some semblance of support.

She looks happy, and that's always looked good on her, and so he shrugs it off. She rolls her eyes again, this time at him, and Zuko decides it's all worth it.

Always has been.

"Where is Snoozles?" Toph's voice rings through the little bubble he has somehow walked into.

He feels his face flush, wonders why it feels so easy to get lost in his own world when she is around.

Kya snorts, something that he vaguely registers. "He's with my brothers, and Aunt Suki." Pauses for a while, and then takes Toph's arms into her own. "We should go meet them."

Toph perks up at that immediately. "That's a wonderful idea," she says. And then, with one firm punch against Zuko's arm: "We can leave these two to trade their bad jokes."

Zuko winces, wonders if that was required, but keeps his thoughts to himself. Honestly, he has had a little too much of Toph's bluntness for one day.

He hopes it's only him and his imagination, the way the air seems to change around them. It's not bad or uncomfortable, but somehow more... familiar; intimate.

"Fire Lord Zuko," Katara smiles at him, eyes glinting like always, as the door behind them shuts.

He returns her smile, feels impossibly warm in a land of ice, and asks, "You holding up okay?"

The air changes again, and this time he knows it isn't in his head. The smile falls off Katara's face, lips stretching into a thin line. Her eyes slowly meet his, and she asks, voice nothing more than a whisper, "Why does everyone ask me the same thing?"

His brows furrow on their own. "Katara—"

"My husband was a hundred and sixty-six years old, and he's left me with a legacy to look after. I can't sit and grieve like we're ordinary people."

It's not so much the words, but the way she says it that takes him aback; devoid of emotion and overly practical. It's like staring back in time, looking at himself in the mirror—

"Katara."

It's like she reads his mind: "It's not what you're thinking, Zuko. I'm okay. I really am."

"But—"

"I loved Aang, I did." There's a smile on her lips, bitter but there. Her voice trembles, "Despite everything, we shared a life together. But I know what's next for me. I finally do."

He doesn't say anything, doesn't know if there's anything to be said.

"The next Avatar's amongst us, Zuko. Here, somewhere in the south pole, and now I know... That is the purpose I had been looking for."

He takes in her words, looks into her eyes that shine without a flicker of doubt, and wonders where all her strength comes from.

He ignores the way his heart clenches at his next words: "The world's lucky to have you, Katara."

She startles, but gives him a smile nonetheless, blue eyes brighter than he has seen in a long time.

There's a beat, and then another, and then finally: "We should probably get going." Her lips curve into half a smile. "The aurora awaits."

A thought occurs to him: "I was thinking of that story you'd once told us. About spirits and the aurora."

She pauses for a moment, and he worries he remembers more than he should. But then: "You always seemed to like that one." A smile ghosts up her face, voice coming from somewhere far away, "A path from this world to the next, so tough that one gets lost in the darkness of the night. And so the old spirits decided that they'd shine a torch and guide the new spirits home, giving birth to the first aurora, and all the ones that came after."

There's a lump in Zuko's throat; he swallows, then muses, "A torch."

She beams at him. "It's probably the stories that make it all the more beautiful."

He wills himself to nod, and then: "Do you believe someone would really shine a torch for us?"

Katara looks at him, eyes searching and misty; he feels he is shattering into a thousand pieces, and coalescing into being whole, all at the same time.

She blinks, takes a step closer, and finally: "I'd shine one for you."

.

.

.

A/N: The tale about the southern lights and the spirits is one of many Inuit beliefs regarding the aurora. It (amongst many other things) is where this story kind of started taking shape, with how Katara tells Zuko she would shine a torch for him (in this chapter), and how she actually manifests to help him through to the next world (in the first chapter). 

*sighs, and sighs some more* I just have a lot of feelings about these two.

Thank you for reading, as always!

(I've given up on my work showing up in the tags. 🤷)

@zutaraweek

[trojantoast]

Heartlines - Zutara Week 2018  Day One - First Kiss

“Oh what a thing to choose

But, no

In some way I’m there with you 

up against the wall

on a Wednesday afternoon 

Just keep following the heartlines on your hand”

- “Heartlines” by Florence + The Machine

#zutaraweek

@zutaraweek

There comes a certain point in every housewarming party for someone in their mid twenties that a threshold is crossed. After that threshold is crossed there can be no turning back. At this particular housewarming party, that threshold was kissing games with an empty bottle of alcohol.

Katara stared at Sokka, who held the bottle of firewhisky aloft.

“Everyone in a circle on the floor.” he commanded with an authority that was not a far cry from the tone he used on the Day of Black Sun.

“Sokka, what are you doing.” Katara rubbed her temples, she had already had far too much to drink and a game of spin the bottle with this crowd did not sound appealing in the least. One person in their little party was her brother, the other was her brother’s wife, one was the avatar and her ex boyfriend, one was the greatest earthbender on the planet who Katara wasn't sure had brushed her teeth in the last year,another was pink clad acrobat and her kyoshi warrior girlfriend  and Zuko.

Katara glanced around the room, no one else seemed to have a problem with this except her. Well, and Zuko, who Katara was pretty sure hadn’t heard the beginning of the conversation and looked very confused.

“Sokka are sure this is a good idea.” the waterbender eyed her very drunk brother.

Katara stumbled forward as a hand slapped her back. “It's fine Sugar Queen, it'll be fun.” Toph gave her a wide grin and Katara grimaced. Katara wasn't so sure.

“So how do you play this.” Aang inquired innocently. The group had gathered on a mat on the floor of Sokka and Suki’s new home on Kyoshi island,  in a loose circle with the whiskey bottle on its side in the middle of them.

“Well, young, naive twinkle toes, this game is called Ten Minutes in the Lower Ring.” Toph started confidently she leaned back on a couch behind her, one leg resting on the other’s knee and her head tilted back.

“No,” interjected Ty Lee. “I thought it was Eight Minutes by The Docks.”

“Wait, I thought it was called Six Minutes in The House.”

Katara heard a groan next to her and she turned to see Zuko pinching the bridge of his nose. “What are you all talking about? I've never heard of any of these games.”  

    “Yeah I'm confused too.” Aang looked around the circle.

    Suki chuckled. “ Well Aang, and Zuko, on Kyoshi we call it Seven Minutes in Paradise, spin the bottle is another name for it, those other names reference to the pleasures one experiences in a harem.” she said it so nonchalantly Katara couldn't help but smile.

“What is this game?!” Aang's shocked voice made Katara out-right giggle.

“Well,” Suki continued, “its a kissing game, one person spins an empty bottle and they have to spend seven minutes in a room alone with whoever it lands on. Alone, as in,… making out.”

Katara didn't like how Aang’s eyes immediately turned to her, she looked away. They had only broken up afew months ago, it had been a very long (and painful) relationship for her.

“In the South Pole we called it Seven Minutes by the Fire.” Sokka said out of the blue. His bravado had faded a tad and now he shamelessly stared at Suki.

This was so weird.

“ lets stop blabbing and get to playing.” Toph chimed in. Zuko groaned again.

    It was katara’s turn first and she found that her heart beat quickly as she considered her options. The only person that it wouldn't be incredibly painful to spend seven minutes with was probably Zuko and Ty Lee’s girlfriend (Katara was pretty sure her name was Nim Mae). Nim Mae wouldn't be too bad because Katara didn't know her and Katara could easily purge the incident from her alcohol hazed mind, and Zuko, well, Zuko was complicated.

    Katara rested her fingertips on the cool glass and gave it a spin. For a moment the room was silent as the bottle spun but Katara’s heart began to hammer as it slowed, finally it came to a rest between Aang and Zuko. Katara wanted to crawl in a whole and never come out. But seemingly of its own accord the bottle shifted over to Zuko and the room let out a sigh of relief. Except for Zuko, he inhaled deeply and a blush rose up his neck.

    “Up and at em you two, the bottle’s word is law.” Toph said almost to cheerily.

Katara looked over at Zuko who’s dark hair was a little mussed up and his gold eyes burned, he gave her a small smile.

    “The bottles word is law.” Katara repeated.

    Zuko and Katara found themselves in a small closet off one of the main hallways. The only thing in it was a bucket collecting leaking water from the roof. The room was quickly filled with their body heat and Katara could smell Zuko from her position leaning on the back wall.

He smelled really good, like spices. He leaned up against the door frame.

“So have you ever played this before.” Zuko asked awkwardly. Everything about the past fifteen minutes was incredibly awkward.

“No have you?”

“Nope”

“So do we just…?”

“Yep.”

There was a beat of silence where Katara worked up her courage and she crossed the foot of space between them meeting his lips.

When their mouths met, energy coursed through her body; hot and heavy. They broke away after first contact and there was another beat of silence as they both reflected on the threshold they had just crossed. Things would never be the same after this seven minutes in the closet.

Their lips met again.

This time more passionate. Zuko pressed Katara against the wall lifting her up on her toes. She threw her leg over his knee and straddled his thigh. She felt his hands roam up her sides as her tongue sneaked into his mouth. Her gut churned and Zuko braced himself with one elbow above her head. Katara tilted her head a little and she felt Zuko’s teeth brush her lip. They separated another time to catch their breath. The waterbender and the Firelord’s chests heaved in rhythm. Katara saw his eyes glint in the darkness. He brought his head closer until his heavy breathe was on her neck.

“Why have we never done this before.” Zuko murmured. Something light fluttered around in Katara’s chest. She pressed her mouth to the exposed skin above his collar as Zuko began to kiss her neck.

“I don't know.” Katara said, an uncontrollable smile spreading across her face. “But we sure were stupid”

    Toph couldn't help but grin as she sat in the circle back in the living room, listening in to the two’s “little moment”. She would tell Katara later that the bottle cap was metal.

So I'm finally able to contribute to Zutara week! barely. I’ve had a really long week and my life has been super busy but here I am. an hour late to the first day of ZK week. but I hope you all enjoyed and I'm already working on tomorrows prompt (Letters)

[airiustide]

When They Meet

Katara and Zuko have been in a long term, long distance relationship. After so long, they finally take the time to video chat with one another.

“Katara? Katara can you hear me?”

Static hung in the background as Zuko turned the dial on his speakers back and forth.

“Ye-” he heard faintly. “Yeah!” this time his speakers were on full volume and he had no time to brace himself for the deafening sound of her voice.

“Oh, haha. Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Zuko groaned, rubbing his ear as his long distance girlfriend appeared on the window of his computer screen. 

She was smiling at him, eyes as blue as the ocean. She was beautiful. Zuko took a glance at the small window next to hers to make sure he didn’t look ridiculous. After almost a year of chatting online and on the phone, Zuko would finally see the face behind the girl he fell in love with through random friends on social media. Granted, he had seen plenty of her posted photos but none held a candle to her real life beauty. If she didn’t take his breath away before, she sure as hell did now.

His grin was so big, he didn’t even consider how much of a kid it made him look like.

“I like you face.” she chuckled, eyes bright as she studied his features on her computer screen.

“I-I like yours too.” he laughed nervously.

“Oh, really. What do you like about it?,” Katara tucked a stray hair behind her ear and adjusted herself in her seat, propping her knee up so she could place her hands on it to rest her head. She was wearing a light blue sweater that fell over one shoulder with a pair of white shorts. Her hair was put up in a messy bun and she wasn’t wearing make up like she did in the pictures she sent him. Zuko preferred her without it.

“I-uh” he faked a cough, a blush forming on his cheeks. “I like your eyes.”

“Uh-huh?” she encouraged with a teasing smirk.

“And your cheeks.”

“These.” she gave an open smile and poked at both her cheeks with her fingers. “What else?”

“Your ears.”

She flicked her ears and gagged. “These giant things? Can’t say they’re meant for flying”

Zuko shook his head shaking with laughter. “Your nose.”

She crossed her eyes.

“I hope that’s not your orgasm face.”

“No. This is.” Katara kept her eyes crossed and flicked her nose with her tongue.

“That’s attractive.”

“Yeah, I turn plenty of heads. So, what have you been up too?”

“Nothing much. Aside from work I just sort of hang around home.”

“Wow! That’s wild!” 

“You think that’s wild, you should see me practice my juggling.”

“That is, indeed, wild. You know, I was told to stay away from bad boys like you.”

“You don’t like bad boys?” Zuko raised his brow.

“Oh, I love ‘em. The stay-at-home amateur juggling type has always twisted my panties…”

“Glad I’m your type.”

“…if I were wearing panties.”

“This conversation just went in a whole new direction.”

“As long as that direction is up, then I know I did good.” She said in a sultry tone, moving her eyebrows up and down.

“Hah, innuendo. Good one.”

Katara covered her mouth with the sleeve of her sweater as she giggled. “You are adorable, Zuko.”

“I like bad boy better but I’ll accept the compliment.” he smirked. He loved Katara’s open personality. He wasn’t very good at being social. He often came off as angry and uninviting when in actuality he was awkward and misunderstood. But not with Katara. She made him feel like he could truly be himself around her without worry. The only issue was the distance. She was all the way in the South Pole and he, in the Fire Nation. It would only be a few more days before they would meet face to face.

“You almost ready to see me? I will warn you, when I snore, I sound like shark-whale during mating season.”

“I already find you arousing,” he rolled his eyes. “you don’t need to sell yourself out.”

“Then I won’t hold back.” she slumped in her chair and huffed.

“What’s wrong, Kat.”

“I want to be there now.” she pouted.

“Soon. We’ll be spending everyday together from then on out.”

They were silent for a moment , Zuko eyed her twisting the ring on her finger. She hummed, lips pursed, and then gently brushed the diamond with the tip of her index. He could see scattered boxes in the background of her apartment.  Averting her eyes back to the screen, she gave him a smile that made his heart jump. “I love you, Zuko.” she said sweetly.

Zuko knew this was all a risk. Things could easily go wrong no matter how long they’ve talked and no matter many times they said they love each other. But when he found that ring, so plain and simple yet so uplifted with beauty just like her, he knew he wanted to do something big with her. And she said yes. If there was ever anything in his life he doubted more than anything, this he knew he never would.

“I love you too, Kat.”

A/N: I am so sorry I haven’t posted a drabble in a while on tumblr. Between work, my kid starting wrestling and my other fanfics, not including my fics for upcoming Zutara Month, I have been overwhelmed. I will try to post at least twice a week until the holidays are over.