(no subject)
Title: Heart of The Problem
Author/Artist: Earthstar_chan
Theme: #23, Heart of the Problem
Couple/Fandom: Zuko/Katara/Avatar: The Last Airbender
Rating: PG
Warnings: This story takes place before episode 5 and 6, so Iroh and Zuko haven't seperated and Toph isn't around yet. It's also an AU of the second season when Iroh and Zuko are traveling with Aang and the gang.
It had been a long time since Zuko had this feeling. He’d barely felt it during his hunt for the Avatar and his constant running from Azula. Now, during his time traveling with the Avatar and his friends, the feeling was more common. Zuko was bored.
They had sent up camp for the night and everyone else was busy. Iroh was teaching Aang firebending, but away from the others for safety reasons. Sokka had gone hunting and Katara had gone to the river to wash clothes. Zuko had nothing to do, and so he was left with no companions save a sleeping Appa and a scurrying Momo who was chasing a butterfly.
Zuko felt that he should be doing something useful, but there was nothing for him to do. He couldn’t join Iroh and Aang because he wasn’t nearly as patient as his uncle was. He refused to join Sokka, unless he couldn’t avoid it; hunting was something Sokka was much better at and Zuko refused to let the boy gloat. The only option left was helping Katara with the laundry.
Zuko sighed and glanced at Momo. “I don’t suppose you have any ideas?”
Momo paused, tilted his head and then return to his task of catching the butterfly and possibly eating it.
“Didn’t think so.” Zuko got up and proceeded through the bushes. He found the river easily enough, and there was the pile of dirty clothes, but there was no Katara.
Zuko raised a suspicious eyebrow. “Where did she....”
SPLASH!
Zuko turned and looked toward the river.
The following events happened in less than five seconds.
Zuko’s jaw dropped.
Katara screamed bloody murder.
Zuko cursed, turned around and ran for his life.
It never occurred to Zuko that Katara might have decided to take a bath before washing clothes.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
“Katara, are you okay?”
“Yes Aang I’m fine.”
“But.....you’re so quiet tonight.”
Sokka tore off another piece of meat. “Yeah, usually you’re nagging me about chewing with my mouth opened by now.”
Katara uneasily twiddled her thumbs. “Oh....I’m....just tired....that’s all.”
Zuko quietly sighed. He and Katara hadn’t dared to exchange any eye contact all night. Neither of them dared to tell the others. Katara would die of embarrassment. Zuko would literally die, by Sokka wanting to choke and strangle him at the same time for seeing his little sister naked.
“You’re awfully quiet as well, Zuko.”
The prince glanced up to Iroh. “I’m.....also tired...”
Zuko could tell his uncle wasn’t convinced.
“Hey Katara, did you finish the laundry?” Sokka asked through a mouthful of meat.
“Um...no....” She blushed a little. “I got....distracted.”
Sokka grumbled. “You took a bath again didn’t you?”
Zuko froze. The moon peach he’d been eating dropped from his hand.
“Katara can’t you clean clothes first, then wash yourself?”
Katara rolled her eyes. “Fine! I’ll make it a priority next time!”
Zuko sweated a little, but was much calmer now. There was no way Sokka and Aang could figure out what had happened.
However, it was then that he noticed the wide grin Iroh had on his face. It wasn’t his usual friendly smile. It was his famous “I know your little secret smile.” Zuko was convinced that Azula had learned it from their uncle. This meant only one thing. Iroh knew!
Zuko glared and mouthed the words “Don’t you dare!”
Iroh said nothing and continued to smile. Iroh then picked up a peach. “Sokka, may I borrow your knife?”
“Sure, why?”
“So that I can peel this moon peach. I enjoy eating them naked.”
Zuko and Katara choked.
“That’s how I like to eat them too!” Aang replied. “It tastes better without the skin.”
Iroh nodded. “Yes, naked is the way to go.....Where are you two off to?”
Katara quickly walked away. “I”m going to finish washing our clothes.”
Zuko yelled as he walked very briskly. “I’m getting more firewood.”
Aang looked at the small pile of wood. “But we already have.....”
“I’M GETTING MORE!!”
Sokka and Aang exchanged baffled expressions while Iroh chuckled.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Later, it was Zuko’s turn to keep watch while the others slept, and he was thankful. He wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway. Whenever he closed his eyes the image of Katara bathing sprang into his mind.
Zuko growled. This was so stupid! He was a Fire Nation prince and he was worrying over some peasant girl who he accidently seen naked! Unfortunately, it was not just any girl, it was Katara. Furthermore, she was the first girl that Zuko had actually seen fully naked.
Zuko growled, then heard footsteps. He turned to find only Katara. Zuko straightened as if to show her that there was nothing on his mind, even if he was secretly trying to prove that to himself.
“Couldn’t sleep?” Zuko asked.
“No.” Katara replied took a seat next to Zuko. “We need to talk.”
Zuko sighed. “Agreed.”
Katara swallowed. “I know it was an accident, but you saw me naked. It happened and we can NEVER tell Aang and Sokka....”
“Because they would both kill me, especially Sokka.”
“Right, but you and I can’t keep avoiding each other like this or they will suspect that something’s up.” Katara took a deep breath. Zuko had a feeling that she’d been practicing this speech over and over again in her mind.
“We are both mature so let’s just put this behind us and pretend this never happened and we’ll never speak of it again.”
“Agreed.” Zuko instantly replied.
Katara appeared satisfied and got up. “See you in the morning then.”
Zuko nodded, then a thought occurred to him. “Wait, Katara......”
She paused and turned. “Yes?”
“From what I saw, you’re getting too skinny. You should try putting on a few more pounds.”
In the morning, Aang and Sokka both wondered why Katara was so grumpy and why Zuko had a such a large bump on his head.
Author/Artist: Earthstar_chan
Theme: #23, Heart of the Problem
Couple/Fandom: Zuko/Katara/Avatar: The Last Airbender
Rating: PG
Warnings: This story takes place before episode 5 and 6, so Iroh and Zuko haven't seperated and Toph isn't around yet. It's also an AU of the second season when Iroh and Zuko are traveling with Aang and the gang.
It had been a long time since Zuko had this feeling. He’d barely felt it during his hunt for the Avatar and his constant running from Azula. Now, during his time traveling with the Avatar and his friends, the feeling was more common. Zuko was bored.
They had sent up camp for the night and everyone else was busy. Iroh was teaching Aang firebending, but away from the others for safety reasons. Sokka had gone hunting and Katara had gone to the river to wash clothes. Zuko had nothing to do, and so he was left with no companions save a sleeping Appa and a scurrying Momo who was chasing a butterfly.
Zuko felt that he should be doing something useful, but there was nothing for him to do. He couldn’t join Iroh and Aang because he wasn’t nearly as patient as his uncle was. He refused to join Sokka, unless he couldn’t avoid it; hunting was something Sokka was much better at and Zuko refused to let the boy gloat. The only option left was helping Katara with the laundry.
Zuko sighed and glanced at Momo. “I don’t suppose you have any ideas?”
Momo paused, tilted his head and then return to his task of catching the butterfly and possibly eating it.
“Didn’t think so.” Zuko got up and proceeded through the bushes. He found the river easily enough, and there was the pile of dirty clothes, but there was no Katara.
Zuko raised a suspicious eyebrow. “Where did she....”
SPLASH!
Zuko turned and looked toward the river.
The following events happened in less than five seconds.
Zuko’s jaw dropped.
Katara screamed bloody murder.
Zuko cursed, turned around and ran for his life.
It never occurred to Zuko that Katara might have decided to take a bath before washing clothes.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
“Katara, are you okay?”
“Yes Aang I’m fine.”
“But.....you’re so quiet tonight.”
Sokka tore off another piece of meat. “Yeah, usually you’re nagging me about chewing with my mouth opened by now.”
Katara uneasily twiddled her thumbs. “Oh....I’m....just tired....that’s all.”
Zuko quietly sighed. He and Katara hadn’t dared to exchange any eye contact all night. Neither of them dared to tell the others. Katara would die of embarrassment. Zuko would literally die, by Sokka wanting to choke and strangle him at the same time for seeing his little sister naked.
“You’re awfully quiet as well, Zuko.”
The prince glanced up to Iroh. “I’m.....also tired...”
Zuko could tell his uncle wasn’t convinced.
“Hey Katara, did you finish the laundry?” Sokka asked through a mouthful of meat.
“Um...no....” She blushed a little. “I got....distracted.”
Sokka grumbled. “You took a bath again didn’t you?”
Zuko froze. The moon peach he’d been eating dropped from his hand.
“Katara can’t you clean clothes first, then wash yourself?”
Katara rolled her eyes. “Fine! I’ll make it a priority next time!”
Zuko sweated a little, but was much calmer now. There was no way Sokka and Aang could figure out what had happened.
However, it was then that he noticed the wide grin Iroh had on his face. It wasn’t his usual friendly smile. It was his famous “I know your little secret smile.” Zuko was convinced that Azula had learned it from their uncle. This meant only one thing. Iroh knew!
Zuko glared and mouthed the words “Don’t you dare!”
Iroh said nothing and continued to smile. Iroh then picked up a peach. “Sokka, may I borrow your knife?”
“Sure, why?”
“So that I can peel this moon peach. I enjoy eating them naked.”
Zuko and Katara choked.
“That’s how I like to eat them too!” Aang replied. “It tastes better without the skin.”
Iroh nodded. “Yes, naked is the way to go.....Where are you two off to?”
Katara quickly walked away. “I”m going to finish washing our clothes.”
Zuko yelled as he walked very briskly. “I’m getting more firewood.”
Aang looked at the small pile of wood. “But we already have.....”
“I’M GETTING MORE!!”
Sokka and Aang exchanged baffled expressions while Iroh chuckled.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Later, it was Zuko’s turn to keep watch while the others slept, and he was thankful. He wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway. Whenever he closed his eyes the image of Katara bathing sprang into his mind.
Zuko growled. This was so stupid! He was a Fire Nation prince and he was worrying over some peasant girl who he accidently seen naked! Unfortunately, it was not just any girl, it was Katara. Furthermore, she was the first girl that Zuko had actually seen fully naked.
Zuko growled, then heard footsteps. He turned to find only Katara. Zuko straightened as if to show her that there was nothing on his mind, even if he was secretly trying to prove that to himself.
“Couldn’t sleep?” Zuko asked.
“No.” Katara replied took a seat next to Zuko. “We need to talk.”
Zuko sighed. “Agreed.”
Katara swallowed. “I know it was an accident, but you saw me naked. It happened and we can NEVER tell Aang and Sokka....”
“Because they would both kill me, especially Sokka.”
“Right, but you and I can’t keep avoiding each other like this or they will suspect that something’s up.” Katara took a deep breath. Zuko had a feeling that she’d been practicing this speech over and over again in her mind.
“We are both mature so let’s just put this behind us and pretend this never happened and we’ll never speak of it again.”
“Agreed.” Zuko instantly replied.
Katara appeared satisfied and got up. “See you in the morning then.”
Zuko nodded, then a thought occurred to him. “Wait, Katara......”
She paused and turned. “Yes?”
“From what I saw, you’re getting too skinny. You should try putting on a few more pounds.”
In the morning, Aang and Sokka both wondered why Katara was so grumpy and why Zuko had a such a large bump on his head.