#zutaraang fanfic

[my-cabbages-gorl]

Zutaraang ficlet- Spend The Night With Us - T

my-cabbages-gorl

including this pic for reference of correct ages in this fic When Zuko brings Izumi to spend a weekend with Aang, Katara, and the kids on Air Temple Island, the three of them have a private moment to rekindle an old flame.

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Balancing the last of the dinner dishes in his hands, Zuko approaches Aang and Katara, who are tidying up after Bumi, Kya, and Izumi finish their meal. With a soft clatter, he places the dishes in the basin, a sense of belonging warming his expression as he leans against the counter.  

Katara steals a glance at him, her voice hushed with a hint of uncertainty. "It’s been a while since you've stayed here with us on the island..." She pauses, searching for the right words, hesitant about how her thoughts might be received.  

Sensing her unease, Aang chimes in, a gentle smile dancing on his lips. "Katara means that you don't have to stay in your room alone tonight, Zuko. I mean... If you don’t want to." He focuses on the linen cloth in his hands, methodically tending to the dishes in the basin, while cautiously peeking up to gauge Zuko's reaction, hoping his words convey their genuine invitation.  

Zuko chuckles softly, a playful glint in his eyes as he lifts a hand to his chest. "And what might you be implying? I am the Fire Lord, after all, Aang." 

Aang and Katara pause their washing, sharing an incredulous glance before smirking at Zuko's comment. Their eyes meet in silent understanding, a wordless bond between the three of them a result of many moonlit nights tangled in the sheets together. With a shared breath, a soft, quiet laugh escapes them all. 

Katara flicks her fingers, bending a few droplets of water to playfully splash Zuko's face. "Don’t be an idiot," she teases, their laughter intertwining in the air. Aang, wiping his hands with the linen cloth slung over his shoulder, leans across Katara. Tenderly brushing his hand against Zuko's face to wipe away the droplets from his cheek with his thumb, his touch lingers. 

Zuko's hand reaches up, wrapping Aang's wrist delicately, noticing the subtle movement of muscles and tendons beneath his fingertips. Their eyes meet in a shared moment, a silent exchange of understanding. Softly, Zuko presses a gentle kiss into Aang's palm, his gaze never leaving Aang's. 

A breath hitches in Aang's chest as Zuko's tongue slides from between his pressed lips and delicately brushes against Aang's sensitive flesh, evoking a quiet, sharp inhale. Katara clenches her jaw, a rush of warmth stirring within her at the sight of Zuko's lips on Aang's skin. 

Zuko releases Aang's hand as Izumi toddles up from behind them, her small hand tugging on Zuko's robes, her eyes heavy with sleep. "Time for sleep, my darling?" Zuko coos, his voice carrying a soothing warmth as he gathers Izumi into his arms. With her head resting against his shoulder, she's already drifting off. 

As he carries Izumi toward the children’s room, a glimmer lingers in Zuko's eyes as he steals a glance over his shoulder at Aang and Katara. A silent exchange charged with electricity. He murmurs softly to them, "Good night, you two... for now," the hint of an intimate promise dripping sweetly from every word.

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[woodlaflababab]

Zutaraang ficlet, featuring Zuko and Katara coming home after a fight and Aang patching them up.

-<>-

Aang's head popped up as the sound of the front door opening reached him. A familiar bloom of soft happiness went through his chest as he stood up to look at the door and the two people returning home.

That happiness lasted about two seconds before it was replaced by the gut dropping feeling that came with seeing his loved ones hurt.

“What happened?” He exclaimed, already rushing over to the two of them.

Katara, who seemed to be in slightly better shape but still sporting the start of a wicked bruise on her cheek and being very slow and easy in her movements with one arm, at least had the good manners to look somewhat sheepish. “We got into a fight.”

Zuko, with a bit of blood smeared near his mouth from a busted lip and a burgeoning black eye, just nodded from next to her, one of his hands, scraped up and bloody, being cradled by the other.

Aang groaned and immediately started shooing his loved ones into the kitchen where he could patch them up. He pulled chairs for the both of them over to the sink next to each other and made a sharp 'sit down’ gesture, to which they thankfully complied.

“Okay so,” Aang started as he retrieved the first aid supplies, “seriously, what happened?”

He heard Katara huff from behind him. “You know Hahn?”

Honestly, that alone told Aang plenty but he nodded and gestured for her to continue as he started setting the supplies down on the counter next to them.

“Well me and Zuko offered to talk to him on Yue's behalf after yesterday. We didn't expect him to be that difficult, but he refused to listen to anything we said.” 

She looked over to Zuko who nodded in affirmation. 

“He was showing off this macho attitude for his friends,” she continued, “but when it became obvious he wasn't going to get what he wanted, he just started throwing insults around, mostly sexists, mostly about Yue. He was asking for it.”

Aang gave her an exasperated look and ran a soft rag under some warm water to start cleaning up Zuko's face and hand.

Katara held her hands up. “In my defense, I didn't throw the first punch.” 

Aang nodded, at least happy to hear they didn't start the- 

“Zuko did.”

Aang cast his look over to Zuko who simply glared back. For a guy currently getting his hand patched up like a kid who fell from his bike, he was incredibly unrepentant.

“If Katara can stand not to punch a guy for being sexist, can't you?” Aang joked, no real heat behind the words.

“I didn't punch him because he was sexist.” Zuko grumbled. When Aang just raised an eyebrow at him, Zuko continued almost petulantly. “He stepped too close to Katara.”

Aang rolled his eyes with a small grin while Katara started cackling beside Zuko. “Really, Zuko,” Aang started, “you have to work on this possessive stuff.”

“Hey.” Zuko protested. “Even if I hadn't punched him first, Katara would have.”

Katara shrugged. “He's right. Hahn was saying some really nasty stuff about Yue.”

Aang just shook his head, too fond of them to be anything other than exasperated. Rather than respond, he just handed Zuko a cold pack for his eye and moved over to Katara.

He gently took her arm in his hands, noticing with a little distress the way she still winced. “What happened here?” 

“One of the guys, I don't even remember which, just yanked on my arm in a bad direction. It's nothing serious, just sore.” She assured him but he still pouted at her.

Aang handed her an ice pack as well and wandered off to get some pain killers and her favorite sweet tea. When he got back and handed them over, Zuko nudged Aang with a foot. 

“You know we would go to war for you, right?”

Aang grinned. “Going to war for someone is easy.” As he turned his back to grab different supplies, he tossed a look over his shoulder. “Would you make friends with your enemies for me?”

Zuko pulled a sour face but Katara straightened up. “I basically did. I was nice to Zuko, wasn't I?”

Zuko scoffed. “Nice? Katara you weren't 'nice’ to me until we almost murdered a guy together.”

“Okay,” Katara ceded, “I was tolerating. It counts.”

“Barely. You threatened to kill me. Quite brutally.”

Katara didn't look sorry in the slightest. “I just wanted to make sure you knew where you stood.”

Zuko rolled his eyes. “Please, you were just jealous.”

“Jealous?” Katara scoffed in offense but her grin gave her away. “What, of you?”

“Yeah. Of me.” Zuko seethed back. 

Aang, having watched the two of them grow progressively closer as they bickered, his eyes going back and forth like a ping pong ball, stuck his hand in the two inches still remaining between their faces. “No making out while I'm patching you up.”

Both leaned back away from each other, Katara laughing and Zuko looking somehow both chastised and offended.

Aang dropped down to one knee in front of Katara to address the bloody scrape on her knee, wiping it clean but determining it not bad enough to need anything more. Still, wanting to make her feel better, he leaned forward to place a soft reverent kiss above the wound, lingering there as he made eye contact with her. Blue stared back at him and he gloried a little at the flicker of want he saw there.

Then Zuko made a vaguely displeased sound and Aang pulled his lips away, pressing his forehead to her knee instead to hide his amused grin at Zuko's ridiculousness.

“Oh now who's jealous.” He heard Katara taunt as he stood up.

Before Zuko could respond, Aang slid a hand behind Zuko's head, fingers sinking into his hair, so he could pull Zuko forward enough to place a small kiss on his forehead. “Don't be jealous, Zuko.”

“I'm not-,” Zuko said the words on a low grumble but didn't bother finishing the protest.

Aang took a step back to look over the two of them, making sure he wasn't missing anything, and he got caught up in just staring at them, a little lost in how in-love he was with the two trigger-happy idiots. 

“You're at least a little proud of us, right?” Katara asked, her tone joking but Aang could see the small current of worry in her.

“Of course. I'm always proud of you two. I'm sure Yue will love the story when she hears it.”

Both of them beamed up at him, pleased with the praise. 

“But please, for the sake of my sanity, don't do it again.” He added on and enjoyed the laughter it drew from his two favorite people.

[atla-confessions]

Which is why I was asking for a post-canon Zutara fic with platonic Zukaang and Kataang besties. And platonic Maiko too, she's so important to Zuko's journey

It might seem unconventional - but if you're interested, just try polyshipping. It's a small fandom, but has some really good fics. I think Zuko / Katara / Aang is a criminally underrated pairing in the fandom.

Original anon who asked for recs here. I still think it's incredibly funny that I'm having this peaceful dicussion when in the background it's *dodging gunfire from brutal shipwars*. Never change, ATLA fandom.

Anyway! Thanks a lot anon. I've never tried reading a polyship but you may be right! I'll give it a shot. Katara deserves 2 men who adore her, I get it.

This is definitely going to be my last post, it's gone on LONG ENOUGH. All I wanted was some wholesome Zutara recs after all.

But I appreciate the people who took the time to respond to me and especially rec me new fics! Thanks a lot anons.

X

[likealittleheartbeat]

Soon after Zuko joins the gaang but before Boiling Rock, Zuko learns about what happened after Katara and Aang escaped from the crystal catacombs

“How did you survive, or, no, come back, then?” Zuko mumbled.

“You don’t want to hear about what happened in-between? That’s what Sokka asked about.”

“Whatever you feel like telling me.”

“Well, it’s nothing.” The crashing ocean waves in the distance made a shroud of sound around them.

“Then you don’t have to tell me anything.”

“What do you think happens when people die?”

“What do I think, or what was I taught to think?” The firebender peeked up from beneath his bangs.

Aang flashed the impish expression Zuko had seen so often now. “I’m glad to hear those are two different categories.”

[kumeko]

And on AO3

A/N: For the @zutaraangzine! I like the idea of Zuko and Katara being ridiculously competitive no matter what AU they’re in. And if they're bad now, wait till they're in bed. XD

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Aang liked working at a bakery. He liked the warm smell of fresh pastries as they got out of the oven, the way flour and dough could combine into so many tasty things, and how the treats just melted in his mouth. Okay, so maybe he didn’t like working in a bakery so much as he loved eating in a bakery, but one of the perks was all the free food and he had always been an optimist at heart.

Still, if he had to pick any bakery to work at, The Lotus was the best. Located in the heart of Republic City, it was a bakery that fused together the best aspects of the four nations: the solid flavours of the Earth Kingdom, the spicy tastes of the Fire Nation, the delicate creations of the Water Tribes, and even the simple dishes of the Air Nomads. This was the only bakery that took the main idea of the city, of combining the nations, and actually applied it to its food.

Staring at a tray that held confections from all four groups, it was easy to believe that they could work out their differences.

“Hey, Twinkle Toes, stop making out with the food and deal with the customers.” An annoyed Toph jabbed him in the side hard. Once, she had claimed she won a wrestling contest. Even if her short height made the idea laughable, the strength in her arms did not.

“Hey!” Aang glared at her as he set down the tray. “I almost dropped this. We’d have to remake everything.”

“You’d have to remake everything.” Toph pretended to grope blindly in front of her. “I can’t see, remember? You shouldn’t block my way.”

Considering that her other hand was holding a walking stick, it was an entirely blatant lie. It was a losing battle to point that out. Aang puffed his cheeks. “I wasn’t making out with the food.”

Toph grinned slyly and he realized immediately he’d made a mistake. “You’d rather do it with them, right?”

She pointed at the front door just as two familiar faces stepped in. Aang flushed, unable to refute her words. While he liked working at the bakery, the reason he loved it here was solely because this was the one stop Zuko and Katara made every morning.

His maybe-kinda-they-were-still-sorting-it-out partners. Aang glanced at the tray again. Maybe the real reason he was so optimistic about Republic City and all it promised was that this was the only place where the three of them could meet. The Air Nomads rarely descended the mountains, the Water Tribe their icy homes, and the Fire Nation only liked travelling for business. It was surprising enough that an Earth Kingdom resident like Toph had left her home, her people were known to stay rooted in one town for their entire lives.

At Republic City, there was space for all of them.

“Hey, Aang,” Katara called out as she studied the cookie tray, no doubt picking out which ones she wanted for a special after-lunch snack.

Next to her, Zuko leaned against the counter, his fingers drumming restlessly on the cool surface. “Morning.”

Aang grinned as headed to the cashier. As usual, the pair were dressed in suits, and he had never realized how much he liked the uniform until he saw it on them. A slightly more unusual sight was the fact that Katara’s collar was loose enough for her mother’s necklace to peek out underneath, or that Zuko’s hair was pulled back and revealed the entire burn that marred his right eye.

They looked like they were dressed up for something, but he wasn’t sure what. They’d only been dating for a few months, so it couldn’t be an anniversary. It wasn’t a birthday either. Aang reached over and squeezed Katara’s hand first, then Zuko’s. “Looking good, you guys! Something up?”

Katara flushed, the blush reaching her ears. “Thanks. I thought it might be a little too much, the collar thing, but…” She trailed off, sheepish. “It doesn’t look unprofessional, does it?”

“No!” Zuko and Aang blurted out at the same time, shaking their heads. Aang didn’t have to ask to know what Zuko was thinking—there was something a little sexy about the whole rumpled collar look, and it was rare enough that Katara felt confident enough to pull it off. If she took it back now, she might never do it again.

Besides, it was probably professional. Aang had seen worse.

Katara stared at them both, her eyes narrowing slightly. “It feels suspicious when you two talk at the same time. It reminds me of my brother.”

It was almost an honour to be compared to Sokka. If there was anyone who could match Aang in pranking or relaxing, it was him. Still, that wouldn’t help their case today. He gave her a thumbs up. “It’s nothing! Really! You look good!”

“Amazing,” Zuko chimed in, nodding. 

Her suspicious stare only grew deeper. Aang quickly turned to Zuko, changing the topic. “You’re showing your scar today.”

“Ah, yeah.” Zuko lightly touched his hair. Now that Aang was closer, he could see the gel keeping it in place. “Azula told me I looked like a shaggy dog otherwise.”

Aang laughed. “Oh man, your sister is a killer, how does she think of these things?”

“I like dogs,” Katara added unhelpfully.

“Not you two too.” Zuko groaned. “I like my hair down.”

She squeezed his shoulder. “So do I, but maybe not in the office? At least not for the presentation.”

Aang blinked. Presentation. Well, that explained why they looked a little off today. “What presentation?”

“Aang, don’t tell me you forgot.” Katara frowned, hands on her hips. “Seriously?”

“I won’t tell you?” he replied weakly.

Zuko straightened slightly, recovering from the blow to his ego moments ago. “It’s about the city’s trolleys. Our companies are trying to get the contract for them.”

“Oh. Right.” Vaguely, Aang remembered hearing something about it at their last date. To be perfectly honest, he never had the head for business, and Katara and Zuko liked to get real technical about it. Which was fine, they both looked happy when they talked about it, but he never remembered a word of it after.

Katara snorted. “He’s trying. I’m going to get it.”

Immediately, Zuko crossed his arms. “You won’t. Your proposal’s too expensive.”

“Guys, really?” Aang groaned as they ignored him, their bodies as tense as boxers in a ring. They verbally sparred at least once a day and he wasn’t entirely convinced it wasn’t some weird type of flirting between the two.

“Yours is environmentally unfriendly.” Katara smiled, all teeth. “The citizens will protest.”

Zuko smirked, striking back. “They’ll be too busy ripping apart yours after they realize it’ll cause delays.”

“A small delay is better than actual service interruptions,” Katara retorted, ready for the jab. She countered, “Your trolleys need more maintenance and replacements.”

Aang could almost see them actually punching each other. He pulled out two cookies from the cookie platter and held it out. “Come on, guys, don’t fight.”

“We’re not fighting,” they replied at the same time, not taking their eyes off each other as they accepted the cookies.

“Sure looks like fighting,” Aang muttered.

Katara looked away first. Reaching over the counter, she pulled Aang closer and pressed a gentle kiss on his cheek. “Dinner tonight’s at the Otter Penguin House. See you at eight when I win.”

Before he could respond, Zuko kissed his other cheek, his eyes still on Katara. “Dinner’s at the Dragon Grill. When I win.”

“Oh we’ll see about that,” Katara growled, nabbing an extra cookie before marching out of the café.

“Don’t worry, you’ll have a front seat to it,” Zuko retorted, also nabbing an extra cookie. 

Aang’s jaw dropped as he watched them walk away. “Guys? You’re going to pay for that, right?”

They didn’t so much as turn around, the pair pushing against each other as they tried to be the first one out.

“You sure know how to pick them, Twinkle Toes,” Toph said, appearing at his elbow suddenly. Luckily, this time he wasn’t carrying anything and he was too tired to jump.

“They’re usually not that bad,” he defended weakly.

“They’re like this every morning.” Toph snorted derisively. “You sure you’re dating?”

He didn’t even hesitate before replying. “Yeah.”

It wasn’t like he could blame Toph. For someone who didn’t know them, they wouldn’t notice how Zuko had smelled lightly of Katara’s strawberry shampoo or how Katara was wearing the earrings Zuko had bought her. Or how they both had the bracelet he’d given them.

Aang had noticed they liked to do that when they were particularly nervous. To take little bits of their relationship with them like war paint.  It was the small things, sometimes.

“If you say so.” Toph shrugged. “So what’re you going to do about dinner?”

Aang flinched. “I have to book both of those restaurants and then a third one for when they both lose.”

“When?” Toph raised a brow.

“Yeah, cause Suki’s also bidding. And I’ve never seen her fail.” Aang sighed, pulling out his phone. Republic City was great, it was the only place they could all meet.

He just wasn’t sure sometimes if there was enough space for their egos.

[sokkastyles]

what do u think about zuko/katara/aang?

I love it! But too much of the fanfic focuses on the KA side of it and I just...cannot make myself care.

Also a lot of KA shippers who also ship zutaraang seem to add in Zuko as the hot side piece because they know KA isn't sexy and Zuko deserves a lot more than that.

There are not enough fics about zutaraang's epic bond, though. Give me the polycule as ambassadors of the new world. Katara and her boys, let's go!

[zukomysweetbabyboy]

greetings, welcome to my little atla hell blog <3 my name is ziggy and i use all pronouns. feel free to interact or send me asks :)

no ship discourse. i just like my silly little characters and their silly little dynamics. if i rb ship content that doesn’t always (or even usually) mean i ship those characters romantically.

table of contents:

misc: fave, my posts, fanfic

groupings: the gaang, avatars, zutara, zukki, zukka, kataang, taang, mailee, water tribe siblings, fire hazard siblings, zutaraang, zukaang

characters: zuko, aang, katara, sokka, suki, mai, ty lee, azula, iroh, hakoda, appa

[thinkingisadangerouspastime]

avatar state

day three of zutaraang week 2020 by @zutaraangtastic! today i tried my hand at some angst (aangst, if you will). i hope you enjoy :)

avatar state: who dares to love forever (oh, when love must die?)

Waiting was the hardest part.

“He was supposed to be back five days ago!” Katara snapped, shoving past the Fire Nation guards to enter Zuko’s personal study. “Five days! And we haven’t heard anything from him!”

Aang had been called to the Earth Kingdom last week to help put down an uprising of hot-blooded Ozai supporters in one of the former Fire Nation colonies - of all places - and had been expected back before the weekend passed. It was a higher risk mission than usual, as some of the firebenders had supposedly convinced earthbenders to join their cause - as to how they’d done that, Katara didn’t have a damn clue - but Aang had promised he could handle it without her and Zuko’s help. Now it was five days beyond his promised return, and neither he nor anyone else had sent word about what had caused his delay. Lagging two or three days behind schedule wasn’t necessarily unusual for Aang, what with him being the Avatar, but not having heard from him? And not having heard anything about him? And then taking into consideration how dangerous the mission had been labelled to be? Katara felt her anxiety was completely justified. And therefore so were her lack of appetite and the sleepless nights she’d been having.

Zuko sighed, scrawling his signature at the bottom of one of the many papers on his desk before placing his pen down and looking up at her. “I know. I dispatched people to the Earth Kingdom two days after his intended return date, and I’m expecting them to send news by messenger hawk that will arrive either tonight or tomorrow morning.”

Katara had to resist the urge to tear her hair out, as that particular display of frustration would get her nowhere. Still, the pent-up stress and fear and guilt for not accompanying Aang when she could have - it demanded release. She slammed her palms down on Zuko’s desk. “There has to be more you can do. You’re the Fire Lord. Something! Anything more than just sitting here, for spirits’ sake!”

Zuko dismissed the aide who Katara assumed had been helping him sort through and review his paperwork, waiting for the door to shut behind them before he addressed her again. “I know it’s frustrating,” he began, his tone even, “but all we can do right now is wait for news to arrive.”

If Katara hadn’t been a waterbender, she would have described her blood as being on fire. She supposed ‘boiling’ would have to do. “‘Wait’?” she repeated, her voice far icier than the hot rage burning inside of her. “How can you possibly expect me to wait any longer?!” She’d waited five days already, and she couldn’t stand the endless delays for even one more second. Her hand dropped to the flask ever-present on her hip. “No. You can’t make me stay here. I’m going after him.” Maybe it was futile, but she didn’t care, at least looking for him was an action, at least she’d be doing something instead of sitting helpless -

“Katara, you are not leaving this palace,” Zuko ordered, staring her down.

She met his gaze with a cold, steely one of her own. “You have no power over me, Fire Lord Zuko,” she sneered, an ugly, irrational hatred curling through her veins. “In fact, as your esteemed guest, you should be helping me in any way possible rather than refusing to provide me assistance.”

“And what, exactly, do you plan to do to help him, Katara?” Zuko said, standing and crossing his arms over his chest. She could tell he was trying not to lose his temper - Aang had once pointed out to her how Zuko tended to clench his jaw when he was frustrated, and she’d noticed it ever since. “We don’t know where he is inside the colony, or if he’s even in that area of the Earth Kingdom anymore!”

“And? I’ll figure it out,” she snapped, grip tightening on her flask of water. “You’re the Fire Lord, aren’t you? Use that power and status of yours to - to get me an ostrich horse or something! Anything that covers ground fast.”

“No. I won’t,” Zuko said, his shoulders stiffening. “We are not taking any action until the messenger hawk arrives. Only once we have a clear read on the situation will anyone, us included, be allowed to -”

The anger simmering in the pit of Katara’s stomach finally boiled over. “Oh, shut up about ‘we’! Just shut up!” she shouted, her hands clenching into fists at her sides before she relaxed one enough to point at him accusingly, her eyes narrowing in a deadly glare. “There is no ‘we’, Fire Lord Zuko, because apparently I am the only one here who actually cares about Aang since all you want to do is sit here and pretend everything is fine! There is no ‘we’, because you’re incapable of making a decisive choice to try and help him before it’s too late!” She blinked back tears, furiously wiping at her eyes before her fists clenched again. “Dammit, Zuko, Tui and La know that there isn’t a ‘we’, because it’s clear from your - your apathy that you don’t love Aang as much as I do!”

Katara regretted the harsh words as soon as they left her lips, inhaling sharply and biting her tongue less than a second later. But before her mind could piece together a coherent apology -

“How dare you,” Zuko growled, tendrils of smoke and a flicker of fire escaping the corners of his mouth as sparks flew out of his fingertips. If looks could kill, Katara knew his venomous glare would have sent her six feet under. “How dare you suggest that I don’t care about Aang because I have the sense not to take hasty action like you so impatiently want to? How dare you suggest that I’m content with sitting behind my desk and waiting for news to arrive? How dare you suggest that I don’t - that I don’t love him -”

His voice broke, and just as quickly as rage had poured out of him, it dissipated, the fire in his eyes vanishing as a look of deep, aching pain fell across his features.

“You have no idea how worried I am,” he whispered. “I have more power than anyone else in my country, and I’m still helpless. Left behind. Stuck… waiting.”

It took every ounce of willpower in Katara’s body to keep herself from breaking into sobs. “You’re wrong,” she managed to say. “I know exactly how worried you are.” She could feel a tear sliding down her cheek, and she had to bite her tongue to keep the rest from pouring out for fear they would never stop. “I’m sorry.” She took a step away from his desk, holding her arms open.

And when Zuko walked around to accept her embrace, burying his face into her hair as she pressed her own into his shoulder, she couldn’t say when she began to cry, nor did she know which of them allowed their tears to fall first. Not that it mattered. When it came to Aang, it never did.

“I’m so afraid,” Katara said, her words coming out as fractured gasps between heaving sobs. “He’s never - disappeared like this, without saying something or - or letting someone know! If something happened to him, I don’t know what I’ll do -”

It had been hard enough watching him die once. She wasn’t ready - no, she couldn’t watch it happen again.

Zuko’s arms tightened around her. “I know,” he murmured. Katara didn’t miss the unsteadiness, the fear, the pain in his voice. “I can’t imagine life without him, either.”

His words only made her cry harder, and she probably would have cried all night had a messenger not barged into Zuko’s study, panting hard and face red as a tomato, presumably from sprinting all the way down the hall.

“Lord - Lord Zuko!” he gasped. “A - A message! From” - he heaved in a deep breath - “from the Earth Kingdom!”

To his credit, Zuko remained far more composed than she did. No doubt thanks to his royal upbringing. Katara barely managed to quiet her sobs to muffled, hiccuping sniffles as the firebender pulled away from her, though he did keep a hand on her shoulder, for which she was silently grateful.

“Read the message,” Zuko ordered, though without the usual intensity of his regal demeanor. “Please.”

Aang had to be the one driving those manners into him. Aang and Iroh.

The messenger nodded, taking in a few more deep breaths before coughing and then clearing his throat as he opened the parchment scroll. “In a battle against a group of former Fire Lord Ozai’s supporters,” he began, “Avatar Aang attempted to hold them all off on his own to allow civilians to escape the area, as the firebenders made extreme efforts to burn down the numerous houses and shops in the vicinity. However, when forced to enter the Avatar state or else be overwhelmed, he was injured by a rogue earthbender -”

The last thing Katara remembered were her knees buckling beneath her and Zuko crying out her name before everything went dark.

~*~

Katara woke up with a warm, damp cloth pressed to her forehead and a steaming cup of tea on the table next to her… bed?

This was not the guest room Zuko had given her.

“You’re in the palace’s infirmary. Of sorts,” a voice explained. “Right now it’s not much more than a big room of small beds and tables, but we’re expecting to stock it with medicine and bandages before the end of the week. It was still faster to carry you here than to your bedroom.”

Katara groaned, pulling the cloth off of her forehead. “What happened?”

“You fainted,” Zuko said flatly. He was sitting on a chair next to her ‘bed’. “Before you ask, you were only out for a few minutes.” He then sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. Or maybe it was exasperation. Possibly both. “Dammit, Katara! How can a waterbender get dehydrated? Aang is going to kill me when he finds out I let his girlfriend forget to take care of herself!”

Katara rolled her eyes as she pushed herself up into a sitting position and - 

Oh. The world was spinning. That was… concerning.

Okay, maybe she was a little lightheaded from not having eaten or slept for the past 72 hours. But she was fine. Or she would be in a minute or two.

“Don’t even try to argue,” Zuko grumbled. He proceeded to hand her the cup of tea that had been resting on the table next to her. “Here. Drink this. I tried to make it like Uncle does.”

The emphasis usually went on ‘tried’ in these scenarios, or so Aang had once warned her, but she didn’t want to seem ungrateful, so she didn’t protest. She was thankful for his help regardless.

A few minutes and a few sips of tea later, Katara felt considerably more alert, and not to mention the world was no longer spinning. She considered herself 100% less likely to faint. Probably. Hopefully.

“Okay,” she said, taking a final sip of tea before placing her cup back down on the small table beside her bed. “I’m good now. What did the rest of the message say? The one about Aang?”

Zuko appeared hesitant to answer. Not a great sign. “I don’t think it’s the best idea for me to -”

“Zuko.” Katara tried to find a middle ground between stern and pleading. “I have to know. You know I do.”

Zuko flinched beneath her steady gaze, then sighed. “It… didn’t really say much else,” he admitted. “Just that Aang was injured in the Avatar state, and when the dust cloud dissipated afterwards, he was nowhere to be seen. No one knows for certain what happened to him.”

Katara’s heart dropped into her stomach, and she suspected it was a good thing she wasn’t standing as she had to bite back bile rising in her throat. “No one?” she repeated after a pause, clutching at the blue fabric on her lap. “How can there be no word about him?! He might be an airbender, but he can’t just disappear -”

“I’ve already got my people there digging for more information,” he promised her, though he didn’t sound confident. Which didn’t exactly reassure her, but it was… better than nothing. Barely. “It’s possibly that he’s already on his way back with Appa already, and that’s why no one has seen him.”

Katara couldn’t help but scoff at his suggestion, which at least distracted her from the nausea rolling in the pit of her stomach. “As if the spirits would ever let us be so lucky -”

“KATARA!”

Her voice caught in her throat at the familiar, frantic tone. She didn’t dare to get her hopes up, and yet -

In a blur of orange, the person Katara had been weeping for less than ten minutes earlier was by her side, leaning over her bed and pushing her hair out of her face. She hadn’t realized it had fallen down.

“Katara, they told me you fainted!” Aang exclaimed worriedly, his eyebrows furrowed in concern as he touched her cheek. “Sweetie, what hap-”

Katara didn’t let him finish, cupping his face with both of her hands and leaning forward to capture his lips in a searing kiss. “I was so worried about you, Aang,” she breathed when she finally had to break away for air. “When I heard you were hurt in the Avatar state, I thought -”

“Shh,” Aang whispered, kissing away the tears that had started to trickle down her cheeks. “I’m fine. I’m okay. I’m here now. You don’t need to worry any more.”

Katara took a deep breath before she managed a small nod. “Okay.”

He looked her over one more time before pushing her hair out of her face again and then pulling away, standing upright to face Zuko, who Katara realized had jumped to his feet when Aang first came rushing in.

“Are you okay?” Aang asked him quietly.

Zuko didn’t respond at first, blinking furiously in an evident attempt to stop his own tears from falling. He let out a shuddering breath, the tension gradually disappearing from his shoulders. “Spirits, Aang, seeing you alive…” He shook his head. “Not yet. But… I will be. Because you’re here now.”

Aang gave him a soft smile, and even though it hadn’t been directed at her, Katara couldn’t help but feel more at ease. “Can I hug you?”

Zuko nodded, wiping beneath his right eye with the base of his palm. “Yes. Thank you.”

No further words were spoken. But with Aang, there often didn’t need to be. And when Katara was pulled off her makeshift bed and into their hug a minute or so later, she couldn’t say she was surprised.

Waiting was the hardest part.

But as their boyfriend gently kissed the top of her head before pressing a soft kiss to Zuko’s cheek, Katara knew that Aang… He’d always be worth waiting for.

[moderndaygaang]

Zutaraang Week 2020

Day 1 - Jealousy

Wrote a little something, inspired by @irresistible-revolution’s amazing Zutaraang headcanons. ♥️

@zutaraangtastic

[lifewtr]

Sunday to Sunday | M for Mature | 1/15

Summary: Aang and Zuko need a tour guide. They find love instead.

Zuko blinks when he scrolls again and is met with digital resistance. Aside from the links provided at the bottom, that’s it; that’s the entirety of the website. Still, as minimalist as the website is, Zuko finds that the simplicity of it has only enticed his curiosity to grow. In no time he has tapped through the TOURS tab, encouraged instantly toward the ABOUT page after finding quite a few activities that he hadn’t seen on any of the previous travel agency sites.

ABOUT YOUR HOST, the page reads under a thin banner of well photographed foliage, Captain K. Kyason of the SWTCG has maintained the ultimate command and control of The Blue Diamond vessel for over 7 years, and has been offering private, personalized tours of Nunavi in cooperation with the Congress of Ingchi Island, Center for Research in Energy and Environment (CREE), and the Beifong International House of Customs (BIHC) for over 5.

Captain K. Kyason is a postgraduate alumnus of Yang University of the Northern Water Tribe. The Captain is also a lover of food, a lover of art, and a proud fan of the Kyoshi Warriors.

Zuko pauses, both admiration and amusement starting to bubble in his chest. While the host of Get Lost’s ‘about me’ section is full of the exact kind of charm that Aang is a sap for, he is far more impressed by the affiliated institutions that have been listed. Yet, he absolutely can’t lie to himself about his intrigue on the more charming parts of the Captain’s narrative: the Kyoshi Warriors are good but he is more of a Sun Warrior guy, and he most definitely could debate about it. What kind of food and what kind of art? How does one achieve postgrad completion while actively operating under one of the world’s most prudent military branches?

What is a captain from the Southern Coast Guard doing selling private tours of some tiny island in the Southern Isles of the Air Nation?

[Read the full chapter on AO3!] / [@zutaraangtastic]

[carnistirs]

cilla’s fanfic edits ➢ requested by @jaystrifes for Full Circle (zutaraang)

[kuchee]

I'm participating in @fandomtrumpshate this year!! This is my first time participating, I’ll be offering to write an ATLA fic up to 10k!

My listed interests: 

Character-wise, I'm interested in the gaang, especially Aang!

I love genfic (especially about friendships), character/setting studies, romance, hurt/comfort, humour, experimental POVs and structures, lighthearted AUs, and epistolary/media fic. Post-canon is my jam. I'm fine with angst, violence, and pure smut (as long as it is character- and feeling-focused).

Check out my auction for more details, word count/donation limits, preferences etc. 

If you know me as a writer, I'm also open to other fandoms/concepts than are listed on a case by case basis! Check out my ao3 for examples of my work 🌟

[atla-confessions]

Which is why I was asking for a post-canon Zutara fic with platonic Zukaang and Kataang besties. And platonic Maiko too, she's so important to Zuko's journey

heyy anon.

You sound a little like me (except I'm neutral on Mai). I think Zutara is really compelling. but I also love Aang's friendship with Zuko and Katara. They changed each other for the better. It's tough for us out there 😢 unfortunately.

From my experience, you won't find what you're looking for in Zk fic. So you can stop trying tbh 🤷 Sorry. If you like Aang, it's best to avoid it.

It might seem unconventional - but if you're interested, just try polyshipping. It's a small fandom, but has some really good fics. I think Zuko / Katara / Aang is a criminally underrated pairing in the fandom. There's delicious messiness involved, but everyone is treated respectfully.

Just my thoughts. Otherwise, Kataang fic with Zuko as a main character usually depicts their friendship pretty well, but obviously no ZK romance (which is what you wanted).

X

[fireladyari]

HAPPY

    The afternoon was cool right after the sun hid behind the large clouds covering the Fire Nation signaling the rain to come. She smiled looking at the clouds but the oncoming rain is not just the reason for her smile, she can hear their voices and their laughter coming from the Fire Lord’s favorite place in the palace, his mother’s garden. She smiled at the voice of a grown man trying to imitate a child and a toddler’s giggling. She continued walking past another corridor out to the garden where she saw the Fire Lord carrying a child on his back while doing a turtleduck walk. Her smile never fades it even widen.

    “Mommy!” The kid rushed towards Katara leaving Zuko nearly falling to the pond as he cleared the way for the little boy. Katara opened her arms and the little boy crashed into her smiling from ear to ear.

    “That was close! Are you OK Zuko?” she was clearly worried but Zuko was not responding.

    He saw her hugged her child in the most motherly way and he was overcome with warmth that he just never felt before. Suddenly his heart is beating fast, his hands sweating as he watched Katara taking care of the child in front of him. He can’t explain what this exact thing he’s feeling, he’s just so happy. He was just standing there not realizing that Katara has been calling him. He went back from his trance when the little boy ran towards him and climbed to his shoulder smearing dust to his Fire Lord robe in his struggle to climb. Zuko didn’t seem to mind it but Katara stood up and closed their distance. She dusted the Fire Lord’s robe and pinched the little boys nose now in Zuko’s arm. Then again, that warmth that he feels as he witness what’s happening in front of him is wrapping around him making him flushed.

    “Zuko, Are you really OK? Your face is red. Do you have a fever?” he wished she never noticed it.

    “No, no I’m fine. I’m completely Fi-“ he couldn’t finish when Katara placed her cool palm on his forehead and then on his cheeks.

    “You’re not fine! You’re burning.”

    “Katara, I’m a firebender remember? I’m always… hot” he felt embarrassed as he realized what he said. He didn’t intend the pun but Katara bought it.

    “Whatever…” she punched his left arm teasingly and giggled. The little boy wrapped his small hands on Zuko’s cheeks and exclaimed

    “ It’s Hot!” the three of them burst into laughter. Zuko is happy, he’s never been this happy his whole life.

    “You’re really the one who makes me the happiest” then she kissed the little boy’s forehead.

    “Katara? Do you know who’s the happiest person in the world right now?” she raised her eyebrows looking at him questioningly “It’s this little guy’s father.” He pinched the boy’s nose that made him sneeze “The happiest and the luckiest guy in the world!” he whispered to the little boy but is loud enough for katara to hear.

    She chuckled and looked straight into the little boy’s face and held his tiny hands. “I know Aang feels that way right now” she smiled “especially since our little girl is nearly arriving.” She said in a sweet voice while rubbing her bulging tummy lovingly. Zuko’s chest tightened, it felt like his heart is being clenched in a fist and he can’t breath.

    “I’m envious” he said

    “I’m sure you’re gonna welcome a healthy baby girl in a few months and don’t worry, I’m- we’re… we are always praying for you and Mai.” That didn’t help with Zuko’s pain. He loved Mai. He does… but still. He wanted to say something but he felt like there was a lump in his throat that he can’t even mutter a sound.

    “Katara, Bumi! I’m back!”

    “Daddy!” Bumi came down from Zuko and ran towards his father. Aang crouched down and carried his son. Katara was smiling while she was walking towards her family.

    “I’m back sweetie! I missed you both.” Then he kissed Katara.

    “I’m glad you’re back safe sweetie. How was your trip?”

    Zuko was looking at them from a distance, smiling. He felt sad but he is also contented and happy to see the only person he truly loved is happy with the person she loves.

END.

----------------—-------------------------------

I just gotta have to get this out of my head! This is for my multishipper friends. Tbh, I don't like this fic, I really don't . Thanks for reading this drabble?, is it drabble? Anyway, thanks for dropping by and giving this some attention.

[kuchee1]

Heartlines / Aang/Katara/Zuko future fic

Summary: After the news of a catastrophe interrupts Aang and Katara’s wedding, they must team up with Zuko to bring aid to the Earth Kingdom. Soon enough they realise that working by old friends reignites old feelings.

Chapter 6! 🌝

[stupidbihours]

i’m gonna expand on this because i have no self control and need to get this idea out of my brain.

i always saw mai and zuko as a marriage of convenience (if they ever DID get married, it was super unclear in the comics but the writers have hinted that mai is izumi’s mom so i’m going with it) because mai definitely prefers women, she’s everyone’s ideal goth gf and i stand by that. like they loved each other but i don’t think they were ~in love~ in the traditional way, something i’m sure zuko just thought he’d have to accept because his parents didn’t marry for love and neither did most of his family, so he proposed to mai partially out of duty, partially because he at least wanted his closest female friend to rule with him for the rest of his life. plus zuko is the perfect beard for mai and ty lee to date because ty lee? lesbian. so they’re all happy and that’s how they live for a while, but eventually zuko gets kinda lonely, he wants to love someone like mai and ty lee love each other. he knows they love him, but it’s different and they all know it.

aang would ABSOLUTELY be the one to propose the idea of polyamory, but you can bet that he’d be super wary to bring it up. he and katara would have been together for years by this point, probably already married, but he wouldn’t want to make katara feel inadequate or like she isn’t enough because of course she is, he just thinks that maybe they could expand their love even more, include someone who they both care about and maybe needs affection more than anyone they know (but that’s not why they picked him, that’s just a happy coincidence).

he’s obviously bring it up to katara first because duh, and katara would never even have thought about it. she’s hesitant, but she’s open to it, she’s water tribe, she can go with the flow when she feels like it. they probably spend weeks or months planning on how to broach the subject with zuko because the man’s pretty skittish, they don’t want to scare him off.

up until recently, zuko wouldn’t dare think about something like this because like,,, he’s not GAY, he’s the fire lord, he’s had sex with girls (okay, one girl), so he can’t be gay (spoiler alert, zuzu, ur queer and everyone but you knows it, just ask sokka, our bisexual overlord)

when aang and katara finally bring it up, zuko would be scandalized (at first) until aang explains things because i HOLD FIRM that basically all air nomads were bi/pan & poly he’s like “yeah everyone fucks everyone, that’s what the monks taught me, has the world gotten prudish in the last 100 years?” and zuko’s like “i know you didn’t know your parents but that isn’t how most families work” and aang’s like “??? i had a family i was raised in a commune me and all the monk kids there were raised together, chances are i was related to most of them somehow”

when it comes to fight or flight response, i really think zuko is the flight bitch. in his youth he’d rather fight, but he’s an adult now so he chooses to run away from his problems, like a grown up. so zuko would freak out, excuse himself, and avoid them while he tries to sort out his thoughts and feelings, feelings he thought he’d never have to deal with since they were both out of his league and oh yeah they’re together, so he thought he’d just have to accept it but NOW they’re trying to involve him? mai eventually corners him and gets the truth from him, and she’d tell him he’s being an idiot.

“well DO you like them?”

“...yes.”

“then i don’t see what the problem is.”

“it could cause an international incident!”

“so what?”

“so WHAT?!”

“yeah. just be happy. if you need to, keep it private, but don’t stop yourself because of how you think other people would react if they ever found out, that’s stupid.”

meanwhile, aang’s having a breakdown because he thinks he just scared away his best friend, and katara’s freaking a little but she’s trying to keep him calm saying “he didn’t say no, he just needs time” and “if he does say no, we can always go back to the way things were.” now she doesn’t entirely believe that second statement, but she’s saying it to calm her husband down, and it works well enough.

eventually zuko shows up out of the blue to air temple island, and they all haven’t seen each other for a few months, and aang and katara want to go hug him but they don’t know if he’s here to reject their proposal so they don’t want to make it worse. until he opens his arms and they finally get to hug him and talk it out.

“it’ll be risky,” zuko says.

“yeah, but isn’t everything we do?” katara would say.

“good point.”

zuko stays on the island and they talk all night, coming up with every possible scenario that could go wrong, analyzing how they’d fix it, and how much they’re willing to risk to try and be together.

they decide they’re willing to risk almost anything, and finally, FINALLY, after hours of talking and years of longing, aang and katara get to kiss zuko, and it’s glorious.

-

TL;DR: i have no self control and summarized what could be a beautiful zutaraang fanfic in one stupid textpost.

‪you fools....., absolute buffoons...... zutara this, kataang that, when you’re ignoring the most obvious, most superior relationship....... all three of them. with the ATLA renaissance, i better see some fucking zutaraang appreciation.‬ give me that aged up throuple or give me DEATH