Unintended Consequences From Unplanned Actions (Avatar, Katara/Zuko) [PG]
Title: Unintended Consequences From Unplanned Actions
Author: havocthecat
Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Pairing: Katara/Zuko
Synopsis: Zuko doesn't always read people as well as he should.
Author's Notes: My inner monologue for Zuko declares that he's an emo geek boy. He tries so hard to get it right. This is set vaguely AU-ish, not in any particular episode, but definitely during second season, probably between The Chase and Bitter Work. Thank you to lanna_kitty and melyanna for beta work. The story is much better thanks to you two. Happy birthday, miera_c! You'll recognize the scenario, I'm sure.
***
Zuko watched Katara's eyes as he leaned in. They were wide, and a deep shade of blue that he'd never seen in the Fire Nation. She didn't say anything when he pressed his mouth to hers. Her lips were soft, and Zuko thought about putting his arms around her, but that might be too much. After a minute, she made a soft, surprised noise and pulled back. Her eyes narrowed, and Zuko started to wonder if he'd made a mistake.
When Katara stepped back further, planting her feet on the ground, and her arms whirled, fluid and graceful, Zuko knew he had. She sent a cascade of water arcing out from the nearby stream to surround him, then, with a smooth sweep of her hands, she bent the water so it crashed into him. Zuko was swatted to the ground. He gasped, trying to catch his breath, as he stared at Katara.
This wasn't the most auspicious beginning to a relationship. In fact, like most of Zuko's relationships, if this was even a relationship, it was the most inauspicious beginning possible. He wasn't sure what it was that made him want to screw everything up in the worst way.
He'd been cursed at birth. He was sure of it. His grandfather had probably taken one look at him in his cradle and said - portentously, because everything that Fire Lord Azulon said was both prophetic and legally binding on the entire universe - "That one will be trouble. Just like his tea-loving uncle."
Katara's fists were clenched as she stood there watching him. Zuko groaned and let his head fall back into the mud with a squish. He was going to have bruises all over his back in the morning. Worst of all, he deserved them. But he had thought that was what Katara wanted.
"I thought you wanted me to kiss you!" Zuko called out. He'd landed flat on his back, sprawled out in the dirt, wondering if it was possible to kick himself, and, just to make today that much worse, soaking wet. With mud in his hair, and-- Was that a flying lemur hopping onto his nose? The world blurred as Zuko's eyes crossed.
A tail thumped down on his forehead. Yep. Flying lemur. It was probably the Avatar's pet.
"Argh!" Zuko got nothing but a mouthful of fur for his trouble. He sat up, and the flying lemur tumbled to the ground, squeaked at him one more time, and flew away. Maybe Azula would arrive, challenge him to an Agni Kai, and blast him with lightning. That would spare him ever having to face Katara again.
Except that idea was put to rest when Katara took two steps forward, leaned over him, hands on her hips, and yelled at him. "When I want you to kiss me, I'll tell you!"
She paused and glared at Zuko, who decided that saying nothing was better than digging himself deeper into the waterbending-caused mud that was soaking into his pants. Something changed her mood - probably Zuko's expression - and Katara grinned. Then she laughed. At him. Prince Zuko. Heir to the throne of the Fire Nation. He was desperate to capture the Avatar and regain his honor, while she was trying to help the Avatar escape him and defeat his father, and he'd just tried to kiss her.
He really had thought she'd wanted him to.
"It isn't funny," snapped Zuko. He shoved himself up off the ground and tried to brush mud off of his sleeves. It didn't work out as well as he'd hoped, and he ended up wiping mud on the few remaining clean areas of his clothes.
"Oh, I think it is," said Katara, still laughing at him. "You look terrible."
Her hand was covering her mouth, but her eyes were lit up with amusement, and Zuko wondered what it would be like to make her laugh about something that didn't involve his abject humiliation.
The problem with thinking about Katara laughing in happiness was that Zuko started thinking about what it would be like to kiss her when it wasn't a mistake, and what it would be like to be fighting at her side, instead of dueling her. Which were all things he shouldn't be thinking about.
He needed to find his own path, and restore his honor. His honor didn't leave room for a Southern Water Tribe girl, no matter how fiercely protective she could be, nor how much his equal at bending she was. The Fire Nation had no place for a woman like her.
Not even one who had offered to help when Uncle Iroh had been blasted with lightning by Azula.
"Next time, I'll make sure I heard you right," muttered Zuko, before leaping backward and running off. He looked back, sure Katara would be headed in the opposite direction, but she stood there, stream in the background, staring after him with an expression he couldn't read.
--end--
Author: havocthecat
Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Pairing: Katara/Zuko
Synopsis: Zuko doesn't always read people as well as he should.
Author's Notes: My inner monologue for Zuko declares that he's an emo geek boy. He tries so hard to get it right. This is set vaguely AU-ish, not in any particular episode, but definitely during second season, probably between The Chase and Bitter Work. Thank you to lanna_kitty and melyanna for beta work. The story is much better thanks to you two. Happy birthday, miera_c! You'll recognize the scenario, I'm sure.
***
Zuko watched Katara's eyes as he leaned in. They were wide, and a deep shade of blue that he'd never seen in the Fire Nation. She didn't say anything when he pressed his mouth to hers. Her lips were soft, and Zuko thought about putting his arms around her, but that might be too much. After a minute, she made a soft, surprised noise and pulled back. Her eyes narrowed, and Zuko started to wonder if he'd made a mistake.
When Katara stepped back further, planting her feet on the ground, and her arms whirled, fluid and graceful, Zuko knew he had. She sent a cascade of water arcing out from the nearby stream to surround him, then, with a smooth sweep of her hands, she bent the water so it crashed into him. Zuko was swatted to the ground. He gasped, trying to catch his breath, as he stared at Katara.
This wasn't the most auspicious beginning to a relationship. In fact, like most of Zuko's relationships, if this was even a relationship, it was the most inauspicious beginning possible. He wasn't sure what it was that made him want to screw everything up in the worst way.
He'd been cursed at birth. He was sure of it. His grandfather had probably taken one look at him in his cradle and said - portentously, because everything that Fire Lord Azulon said was both prophetic and legally binding on the entire universe - "That one will be trouble. Just like his tea-loving uncle."
Katara's fists were clenched as she stood there watching him. Zuko groaned and let his head fall back into the mud with a squish. He was going to have bruises all over his back in the morning. Worst of all, he deserved them. But he had thought that was what Katara wanted.
"I thought you wanted me to kiss you!" Zuko called out. He'd landed flat on his back, sprawled out in the dirt, wondering if it was possible to kick himself, and, just to make today that much worse, soaking wet. With mud in his hair, and-- Was that a flying lemur hopping onto his nose? The world blurred as Zuko's eyes crossed.
A tail thumped down on his forehead. Yep. Flying lemur. It was probably the Avatar's pet.
"Argh!" Zuko got nothing but a mouthful of fur for his trouble. He sat up, and the flying lemur tumbled to the ground, squeaked at him one more time, and flew away. Maybe Azula would arrive, challenge him to an Agni Kai, and blast him with lightning. That would spare him ever having to face Katara again.
Except that idea was put to rest when Katara took two steps forward, leaned over him, hands on her hips, and yelled at him. "When I want you to kiss me, I'll tell you!"
She paused and glared at Zuko, who decided that saying nothing was better than digging himself deeper into the waterbending-caused mud that was soaking into his pants. Something changed her mood - probably Zuko's expression - and Katara grinned. Then she laughed. At him. Prince Zuko. Heir to the throne of the Fire Nation. He was desperate to capture the Avatar and regain his honor, while she was trying to help the Avatar escape him and defeat his father, and he'd just tried to kiss her.
He really had thought she'd wanted him to.
"It isn't funny," snapped Zuko. He shoved himself up off the ground and tried to brush mud off of his sleeves. It didn't work out as well as he'd hoped, and he ended up wiping mud on the few remaining clean areas of his clothes.
"Oh, I think it is," said Katara, still laughing at him. "You look terrible."
Her hand was covering her mouth, but her eyes were lit up with amusement, and Zuko wondered what it would be like to make her laugh about something that didn't involve his abject humiliation.
The problem with thinking about Katara laughing in happiness was that Zuko started thinking about what it would be like to kiss her when it wasn't a mistake, and what it would be like to be fighting at her side, instead of dueling her. Which were all things he shouldn't be thinking about.
He needed to find his own path, and restore his honor. His honor didn't leave room for a Southern Water Tribe girl, no matter how fiercely protective she could be, nor how much his equal at bending she was. The Fire Nation had no place for a woman like her.
Not even one who had offered to help when Uncle Iroh had been blasted with lightning by Azula.
"Next time, I'll make sure I heard you right," muttered Zuko, before leaping backward and running off. He looked back, sure Katara would be headed in the opposite direction, but she stood there, stream in the background, staring after him with an expression he couldn't read.
--end--