Desperate measures
These are 1sentence Challenge prompts; during the past 6 weeks where I didn't have access to my pc, I used to print promptlists at work and wrote the sentences by hand at home as a means to relax (writing is incredibly relaxing to me). All my sentences (without a claim at the community, for obvious reasons):
#01 Comfort
Sokka is not at all happy to learn that his sister has found love in the arms of the exiled prince; however, he takes great comfort in the fact that as Katara's only male relative (present) according to their tribal customs, it is now his sacred duty, privilege and pleasure to make Zuko's life hell.
#02 Kiss
He gingerly touches his lips, regarding her with eyes just as wide and startled as her own, to ensure that his lips are still in place after having been pressed so intimately against hers; he pulls her closer for another kiss to make sure that they still function properly, too.
#03 Soft
To their mutual surprise that find that his hands are so much softer than hers - but they like it.
#04 Pain
Zuko frowns as he watche sher fuss over the avatar's scraps and burns - had he known that she would react like that to their injuries, he would've allowed the brat to cause some damage during their sparring session, too.
#05 Potatoes
With a dejected sigh she kneels next to him and picks up the poisenous root he found, saying "This, Zuko, is not a potatoe..."
#07 Chocolate
Watching her eat chocolate for the very first time (slowly, languidely, sensually) awakens the urge in him to bring her all the chocolate in the world.
#08 Happiness
Happiness, his uncle would say, is not the absence of problems, but their conquering; he caresses her tearstaiend face knowing that their happiness is not too far away.
#09 Telephone
They see the column of viscious black smoke rising from their camp and Sokka and Zuko - both knowing what it means - abandon their shouting match and run as fast as they can with only one word (the cause for their dispute) echoing in either's mind: 'Katara!'
#10 Ears
She understands that their travel companions' curiosity is insatiable; that doesn't stop her from freezing the three eavesdroppers to the very tree under whichs branches Zuko has just (sort-of-maybe-not-I'm-not-sure-if-you-know-what-I-mean) confessed his love feelings for her.
#11 Name
He doesn't care what her name means, to be honest; to him, Katara is a synonym for love (happiness, hope, life) - the most beautiful of them all.
#12 Sensual
It's his voice, she thinks, pleasant shivers running down her spine whever he addresses her.
#13 Death
She is not afraid of dying in his arms for the very first time - it is only natural; he on the other hand is a nervous wreak, never having pleasure a woman (or virgin or wife or lover or Katara) before.
#14 Sex
Water tribe women are much more vocal about their preferences and pleasures thatn fire nation men but Katara doesn't mind: eventually she'll get Zuko to open up about these things, too.
#15 Touch
His hands are slightly shaky as he reaches for her but then, suddenly, she withdraws fearfully from his touch and his fists shake for an entirely different reason.
#16 Weakness
He smirks, playing with the necklace in his hands; all's fair in love and war, after all, and he has no shame to exploit her weakness and trade it for his own. ('Your necklace in exchange for thirty kisses - surely your heirloom is worth as much...')
#17 Tears
He watches her, head tilted towards the sky, a blue bird trapped in a golden cage, wondering whether the rivulets of water streaking across her cheek are her own tears or the summer rain and what it is she might be mourning: the loss of her freedom or the loss of her friends.
#18 Speed
It would forever remain a mystery to Zuko how she could be so much slower than Sokka during their hand-to-hand sparring matches, yet always slap his hand away before he could get even near to touching his 'special treat' (and waht a shapely, delectable 'treat' it was).
#19 Wind
There was a certain connection between the wind and the waves that the flame would never quite grasp, regarding the wind with apprehensive golden eyes.
#20 Freedom
"Freedom," he ends, his eyes straying to where she stands - blue eyes and singed clothes, "is being offered your childhood dream and abandoning it to spend a life awake in the arms of the one person you love more than life itself." (If only Iroh were here, he'd be so proud of him...)
#21 Life
When he was old and gray and wrinkled, Lord Zuko would often reminisce about his past, never tiring of telling his grandchildren that the best moment in his life had been whan he'd discovered that fire and water did, in fact, make perfect ink to write one's story.
#22 Jealousy
"Song," he greeted the earth kingdom girl and the way he said her name made Katara want to scream.
#23 Hands
Hers were delicate and callous like those of a warrior, his own were rather big in comparison and a lot softer; their baby's hands were incredibly tiny (just as everything else about it safe it's voice and appetite) and he wonders what kind of hands their firstborn son will grow up to have.
#24 Taste
She'd never been fond of the sour dragon fruit but found that tasting its juices from his lips transformed it into the nectar of the gods.
#25 Devotion
He knows that she is not loyal to his kingdom, but she'd do anything to keep him and their family safe, which makes Katara of the Southern Water Tribe the Fire Nation's most devoted sentinel.
#26 Forever
Their time is limited; still she makes him promise her forever - and he acquiesces.
#27 Blood
He gasps, not inpain, as she tenderly caresses his slashed open chest, her hand submerged in a glove of eerily glowing water (blue, he notes, like her eyes).
#28 Sickness
It doesn't surprise Katara at all that even the mighty Prince Zuko can be reduced to a pathetic cry-baby by a mere cold. ('I think I'm dying...')
#29 Melody
Neither Sokka nor Aang can carry a tune to safe their lives, but the exiled Prince, Toph and Katara discover, sings like an angel; especially love songs.
#30 Star
She asks him to explain the different stellar constellations and how to navigate by them (as if she didn't know those things herself) and he agrees - it's the perfect excuse to spend the night stargazing with her.
#31 Home
Home is where the heart is; Iroh watches how his nephew and the watertribe girl sneak into the woods together and is glad that finally, Zuko has found a resting place for his.
#32 Confusion
He regards the flower curiously, wondering why his gift made her cry.
#33 Fear
He hides behind Sokka and Aang, having never seen anything as scary as an angry Katara.
#34a Lightning
Her eyes focus on the woman, no, mosnter, that struck down her love with blue lightning and Katara knows with absolute certainty that this time, the Fire Princess will not escape alive.
34b Thunder
He desperately wishes Katara would be the one to squeeze the life out of his arm - a thunder a clap, a rolling of eyes - instead of Toph.
#35 Bonds
The white silk ribbon ties their hands together; a little red string their souls.
#36 Market
He has a lot to say, but it is Katara who gathers an audience willing to listen in New Ozai's market with only a few well-chosen words and it makes him respect her just a little more; he'd tell her, too, if there weren't an avatar to safe.
#37 Technology
She doesn't understand just how firebending can be used to lock a door so he tries to explain the mechanism to her but soon finds that she is starring at his lips in a rather peculiar way which leads him to the assumption she'd rather be doing something else; needless to say it doesn't take him too long to figure out what precisely that is.
#38 Gift
She unwraps the delicate red oni mask (a fire nation demon, she notes) and caressing the laquered wood she accepts the unspoked invitation with a nod of her head.
#39 Smile
Zuko's blood runs cold as his sister, her hands stained with Katara's lifeblood, tells him to smile.
#40 Innocence
He explains to his frenetic son that no, momma is not sick but that she is pregnant which means that momma and papa made a baby brother or sister - they don't know yet which -; he is not prepared for his five year old son asking how they cannot know what the baby will be if they made it and just how babies are made in the first place. (It doesn't help at all that she seems to think its hilarious.)
#41 Completion
He hates being separated from her for any length of time (no matter how long or short it is) for it is only with her in his arms that he feels truly at peace and whole.
#42 Clouds
It is a silly game, that much is for sure, but when Aang inssits that this cloud does so look like Katara waterbending, Zuko feels butterflies rise in his stomach because although the cloud does pass as Katara's silhouette, in his opinion she is most definitely no waterbending.
#43 Sky
She says that she loves the pale blues of the morning sky whereas he admits to prefer the darker blues of the ocean; he blushes a deep shade of red as Sokka teasingly adds 'Just the shade of Katara's eyes, right, Zuko?'
#44 Heaven
Heaven is him whispering her name in the dead of the night, his eyes alight with love.
#45 Hell
Hell is listening to her anguished cries (Aang! Aang!) and being powerless to do anything to stop them.
#46 Sun
She rises with the sun so he doesn't have to spend the wee morning hours alone. ('We're all family after all...')
#47 Moon
He leads her into a slow dance under Yue's watchful eyes, telling her with touch alone that he has no desire at all to be another brother to her.
#48 Waves
Katara revels in the feel of waves playing around her body and Zuko is only a little envious that she can be so close to her element without having to fear injury.
#49 Hair
None of their travel companions know that to Zuko, brushing Katara's hair and braiding it for her is as good as kissing her; they wouldn't let him do it if they did.
#40 Supernova
"Will you shut up now and let me tell you how much I love you, damn it?!"
* * * * *
#01 Walking
He doesn't mind walking behind the waterbender; but really: is that enciting err... annoying sway of her hips natural or just a perverse way of taunting him with what he is not supposed to have because if its the latter, he might just show her how little he cares for the things he is 'supposed' to be doing, nowadays.
#02 Waltz
It is a watertribe dance - a slow one at that - but with Katara as his teacher Zuko learns quickly that there are many perks to dancing it; one of them being that him putting his hand on her waist in public is perfectly acceptable when the music is playing.
#03 Wishes
Zuko feels infinitely grateful when Sokka clasps his shoulder and wishes him and Katara all the best.
#04 Wonder
"Very well... I'll admit, only this once, that your brother is a capable warrior but if you tell anyone about that, I'll deny that this conversation ever took place; cann I hold your hand now?"
#05 Worry
He eyes yet another shadow wearily cursing himself, her brother and the avatar for letting her go on her own and - is that her?
#06 Whimsy
He watches her gloomingly pulling petals off a flower, then abandon the nearly-stripped stem in favor of throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him senseless.
#07 Waste
He listens to Katara describe her very first kiss ('It was so wonderful, he tastes so sweet and his lips are so soft and he makes me feel so alive') and thinks that it is thoroughly waster on the banished Fire Nation prince.
#08 Whisky and rum
He watches self-satisfied as the other two boys become sick, once again glad that the only thing he got drunk on last night were the taste of her kisses and the feel of her skin brushing against his.
#09 War
"Please understand that I have to do this," she tells his sleeping form, strapping the canteen to her waist.
#10 Weddings
He watches sullenly how she sways around the dance floor in her husbands arms, brown curls dancing teasingly around her slender form until Katara quietly slips into the seat next to him, grasping his hand and telling him that their youngest child will be fine and if not, Sokka has already promised to help hunt down and maim "He-who-is-not-worthy-of-my-favorite-niece".
#11 Birthday
Birthday presents are nice, she thinks, but the second-best present she got today is how Zuko made Sokka and Aang help him do all the chores she usually does (the best being waking up in the arms of a real prince).
#12 Blessing
"I'll hunt you down personally if you make my sister unhappy for only a second," Sokka growls and Zuko knows that it's as close to a blessing as he'll ever get.
#13 Bias
Personally, he thinks that she is the most beautiful and amazing woman in the world but, leaning in to kiss her, he concedes that he might be just a little bit biased.
#14 Burning
He allows her ot touch the scar marring the left side of his face - sometimes, when he awakes from nightmares of a fateful day 3 years ago, he swears he can still feel the flames licking away his flesh - and sighs; her hands are as cool and soothing as the water she's bending.
#15 Breathing
It requires some practice but finally they learn how to kiss for hours without running out of breath.
#16 Breaking
brutal
risk
elements
Azula
Katara
injury
never
GOD! -
Breaking.
#17 Belief
"I believe him," she says (they're both surprosed that she and not the avatar speaks up for him) and so paves the road that will lead him into their mismatched little group.
#18 Balloon
She shies from the strange basked (he climbed into it so easily) and he laughs quietly at her: "Come on, Katara, it's only a balloon."
#19 Balcony
He turns around one more time, smiling slightly at the blue clad figure standing on ther bedroom balcony, waving good-bye.
#20 Baney
Katara guesses that on a higher, universal level it might be considered somewhat fair that her loving Zuko drives her brother insane and that in turn, Sokka has become the bane of both their existances.
#21 Quiet
Aang watches, a little jealous, how Zuko is able to tell Katara so much without uttering a single word.
#22 Quirks
She has many adorable quirks, but whenever Katara starts twisting a strand of hair around one of her fingers, her eyes rolled towards the sky in a thoughtful but very un-Katara-like expression (he's seen it often enough in the empty faces of his father's concubines) Zuko just wants to shake her.
#23 Question
Its his eyes that ask her ('Do you love me?') and her lips pressed against his that leave no doubt in his or anybody else's mind when answering ('Of course I do, silly!').
#24 Quarrel
"No Katara, I forbit it," he yells, unaware of the fact taht Katara does not take well to men telling her what she can and what she can't do.
#25 Quitting
He tries to dry her tears and calm her down with gentle caresses and soothing words, but the fears she voices are his own. ('I can't do this! I give up! I'm going to be a horrible parent!')
#26 Jump
The distance between them is no more than a couple of feet - but the drop is what scares her; still she jumps into Zuko's waiting arms, her eyes trained on his.
#27 Jester
He abhors making a fool out of himseld butfor her sake he agrees to the frilly ribbons and thick face paint (because she'll be by his side looking just as silly).
#28 Jousting
"No, Aang," Prince Zuko says calmly, "I do not refuse to fight you because I am scared - I refuse to fight you because Katara's affections are nothing either of us could possibly hope to obtain by beathing the other senseless; this decision lies with Katara alone and we have no right to make it for her." (Secretly, though, he hopes that she didnÄt already forget all the things he told her last night.)
#29 Jewel
Even long after he had vanished (the presumed he was dead, but no body was ever found) she held on to that single, tear-shaped rock he had given her; and when she was old and grey, her hair snow-white from the wisdom of decades spent making a difference in the world, she did - her precious jewel clasped in her hand. ("Why do you keep it?" - "It reminds me of you." and "Take care of it, Katara. I'll be coming back for both of you.")
#30 Just
"I... just wanted you to know; that's all."
#31 Smirk
Her look of surprise upon being approached by him ("Katara, can I talk to you for a moment? Alone, if you don't mind?" soon fades and is replaced by one of wonder ("I... this is difficult for me; I apologize.") and then a smirk takes its place ("I love you... you're all I can think about."); turnabout is fair play she thinks and tells Jet all about her relationship to Zuko (at least all that she is willing to tell him).
#32 Sorrow
After the flames die away (miraculously they didn't touch her at all), he cradles her body to his, shedding tears for the first time in years and mourning her loss with a scream, so full of raw emotion, that it strikes genuine fear into Fire Lord Ozai's stone-could heart. ('Kataraaa!!')
#33 Stupidity
"So, you aren't in love with Toph?" (She wonders what made him think that.)
#34 Serenade
It is a strange feeling, he thinks, to have a female waterbending master from the Southern Watertribe serenade to you, but tradition is tradition.
#35 Sarcasm
"Of course, oh mighty Prince Zuko, but before I rush to obey your command, tell me, what kind of death would your royal highness prefer so I can arrange for a prompt and painful delivery?"
#36 Sordid
Sure, he'd asked her about her first date with Zuko, but taht didn't mean that Sokka wanted to hear every sordid little detail (i. e. how gorgeous his eyes are, how soft his hair is and how tingly he makes her feel when he says her name).
#37 Soliloquy - Zuko
I didn't mean to fall in love with Katara of the Southern Water Tribe over singed clothing and military tactics to overthrow my father, but I didn't mind, either.
#37 Soliloquy - Katara
The first time I was forced to admit that Prince Zuko, banished prince of the Fire Nation, was a boy in need of a friend was when he screamed at us to leave him and his injured uncle alone; that was when my heart wept for him.
#38 Sojourn
After two weeks spent at the Southern Watertribe (the tiny settlement has transformed int a lively city since his last 'visit'), Zuko is eager to show Katara all the changes of the rebuild Sozun.
#39 Share
She isn't too happy about having to share Zuko's attention with another woman, but she'll let it slide this once because it's Gran-Gran.
#40 Solitary
All that remains of the Blue Spirit is a shattered mask an a bloodstained betrothal necklace, the kind that was commonly used among the watertribes before they met the same fate es the air normads. (Togehter at last.)
#41 Nowhere
(There is nowhere safe for us to meet," Shu says, but Oma knows the perfect place.)
"There is no safe place for us to meet, Zuko," Katara says and the prince feels a foreboding familiarity rise in his stomach as he assures her that he knows the perfect place, promising that this time, it's not a cave. (This time?)
#42 Neutral
They usually fought behind her back rather then in front of her because the only thing Sokka and Zuko agreed on easily was the fact that Katara should not have to take sides in their quarrels.
#43 Nuance
It's the little things - the tilt of their heads, the ghost of a smile flickering across their faces, the tiniest of frowns when they think he doesn't see it - the Fire Nation nobles had no trouble accepting Katara as his wide, but they did struggle with the fact that the once banished, honoerless first-born son of their former souvereign was no Fire Lord Zuko, rightful ruler of the Fire Nation and ally of Avatar Aang.
#44 Near
Late on in their marriage, Katara only needed to keep an eyes on the canldes in the palace to know whether her husband was near or not.
#45 Natural
Katara soon realizes that when it comes to dancing or else requiring smooth movements, Zuko is a natural.
#46 Horizon
Zuko frowns at the silhouette of Appa, dark against the morning sky; figures, he thinks and turns to Katara: "We don't need them."
#47 Valiant
Katara chuckles, brushing away the horrifying, disgusting, creepy -- "Oh Zuko, it's only a slug."
#48 Virtuous
It is Zuko who teaches Katara that patience is a virtue; they still make Sokka believe that it's the other way round just for the hell of it.
#49 Victory
Her move is completely irrational until he looks at the board from above and realizes he helped her spell out the word 'fool' with Pai Sho tiles.
#50 Defeat
The best part of having him chase her around their chambers is when he makes her yield with tender caresses and rough kisses, stating "I win" in that cocky and arrogant manner she remember oh-so-vividly from their youth.
* * * * *
#01 Ring
"It's too soon," Katara reprimands him, knowing fully well what these rings stand for in the Fire Nation but Zuko shakes his head: "This is only a promise; I want you to be aware of my intentions."
#02 Hero
"... and that is how mommy and uncle Aang defeated the evil overlord and saved the world."
#03 Memory
He remembers tanned ksin and clear blue eyes but Zuko, the retired Lord of the Fire Nation, can't remember her name and it pains him because he knows she was special to him on more ways than one.
#04 Box
Years after their deaths, the youngest princess of the Fire Nation would often look at all the trinkets gathered in the plain black box under her mother's bed; powerful mementos of the life and love of her grandparents, Zuko of the Fire Nation and Katara of the Southern Watertribe.
#05 Run
Even when he finally catches her after having chased her around camp for the last ten minutes, Katara still refuses to admit that she was the one who stole Zuko's tunic (alright, so she did do it, but the view was so totally worth it).
#06 Hurricance
To Katara, it feels like the raw forces of nature when they are together; like a hurricane, Zuko says, because he refuses to conjure up the mental image of a deadly storm (it reminds him too much of Azula).
#07 Wings
"Snow angels," he mutters under his breath, watching Katara and the children of the tribe frolic in the snow.
#08 Cold
He turns on his other side, silken sheets twisted around his sweaty limbs at an odd angle, thinking that even in the summer heat, his bed is oh so cold withour her.
#09 Red
The young blue-eyes prince doesn't understand why the uniform of their nation makes his mother frown whenever she sees him don it. ('It is nothing,' she says with a sideglance at the Fire Lord's scared face.)
#10 Drink
The wine he offers her is laced with poison; Zuko watches Katara drink deeply from it before finishing off the remains, golden eyes fixed on blue ones that are slowly losing focus.
#11 Midnight
Katara tries to swat the hand away, still half-asleep, which is so intend on roushing her; a slap to her face and her eyes snap open, focusing on the Blue Spirit hovering just above her body ('Oh goddess... I'm having that dream again.')
#12 Temptation
She doesn't feel guilty at all, having banished her husband's name from her mind for the time beind, as she surrenders to temptation and allows Fire Lord Zuko to taste her lips, his kisses sweet as sin.
#13 View
Blushing, Zuko steps behind the heavy curtains of his balcony responding to Iroh's inquiry with a nod, saying that yes, the view from his new chambers is indeed fantastic (and it'll remain so as long as Katara continues to pracitce her bending in the pond within the cherry tree grove just under his balcony).
#14 Music
Together, they write a symphony: skin on skin, sending sighs down each other's backs, burning kisses and could touches, moving in their own sweet rhythm.
#15 Silk
She looks absolutely stunning in the burgundy silk robes he picked for her, but when Katara hastily tears the robes off her body, Zuko realizes that it is by far too soon to ask her to give up that part of her livfe.
#16 Cover
He watcher her rearanging the sheets covering their son and his heart is so full of love he fears it might burst.
#17 Promise
"No Zuko, you promised to marry me," Mai screams, holding the shiny blade closer to the waterbender's throat.
#18 Dream
In his dreams, Katara directs those calm, hurtful words at Zuko instead of him, then melts into his embrace to taste his lips under the prince's anguished gaze, and not vice versa.
#19 Candle
There is a certain finalty in the way the royal physician blows out the white candle and although it is considered a weakness, Zuko allows Katara to latch onto his arm and mourn their son's passing.
#20 Talent
"That is enough," Zuko says; his son is not a firebender and the young fire lord is frateful for that as it spares his son from having to master the talent that cost him a mother.
#21 Silence
The first time Zuko bothers to actually converse with her - ironically - it shte one time a sore throat took away his voice.
#22 Journey
They started out as enemies (by association) and eventually became disgruntled allies; Iroh know that from there, the journey to being lovers is a long and painful one and he regrets not being there to strenghten Zuko's faith in Katara when it wavers (and waver it will, he is sure of that).
#23 Fire
He exhales a steady stream of flames and Katara takes a step back, thinking that this time she might have pushed the prout prince a little too far.
#24 Strength
His limbs are heavy, too heavy for him to move them, numbed by pain (his left shoulder is dislocated and there's a dagger potruding from his thigh at an off angle - he's sure it's poisoned) and he doesn't want to have to move, to fight again because he's so tired and really, he's not an one-man-army (despite what others may think) but then he hears her frantic cries, barely carrying over the battle noiuse ("No, you can't!") and before he knows it he rises to his feet, unsteadily at first, his breathing coming in short, pained gasps, moving towards where she is (because that's where the avatar will be and wherever the monk is, his sister will be) with a speed and strength (his blades are dancing around him like deadly, silver-and-red butterfly wings) that'll forever make the Blue Spirit the stuff of a legend.
#25 Mask
Katara watches her prince (lord, actually, but no one's picky about titles inside of her head) sleep, remembering how he told her that yes, he could in fact spend his days cursing his sire for having given him this scar (as well as for all the autracities he committed) but the scar does have its uses: it is a rather formidable mask, he says; she has been able to look right through it from the start - if only Zuko were capable of that as well.
#26 Ice
It is most definitely an Earth Kingdom dessert (no one from the Watertribes would have ever thought of eating snow after all) and although Sokka appreciates the treat King Bumi has offered them (thank the gods it isn't cabbage flavored), his is rather apprehensive of the way Zuko bluses as he watches Katara eat her ice cream (what in Sedna's is she doing?).
#27 Fall
It only takes a couple of moments (blue fabric, white fur, windswept chocolate tresses and dark skin, eyes as blue as the ocean, sparkling with determination) and they realize that the red and black thing falling from the top of the tower must have been Zuko, because only Katara would try to jump into the sea after him (Aang wonders whether she'll be able to safe Zuko and herself with her waterbending while plumetting to her death).
#28 Forgotten
The Fire Lord picks up the familiar looking, dust-covered pendant (a blue stone with the Watertribe's sigil carved into it) and remember blue eyes set in a tan face that no longer has a name.
#29 Dance
Whatever they do, it is always a finely choreographed dance; be it fighting or loving each other.
#30 Body
He didn't mean to watch her bath, but now that he's seen her without her robes (for the second time) he can't help but admire how the gangly body of the girl he once tied to a tree blossomed into the soft curves of the woman that was Katara - Aang would probably agree one he woke up again (he really needed to work on being stealthy).
#31 Sacred
It never occured to Zuko that the view of the full moon over the black ocean water might have any particular significance for Katara (despite the obvious mourning of the firl who had sacrificed herself to become the moon), so when one night by the short a somber ex-Fire Nation prince offered a waterbending master far from home a customary, hand-made betrothal necklace, he expected her sharp intake of breath but not the single ray of moonlight to illuminate the aquamarine crystal pendant from within and stay there for years to come. (Come to think of it, he hadn't expected her brother to break into tears the next morning, either.)
#32 Farewells
It would take years for peace to finally return to all nations and for a tentative trust to settle; that day, a month after the victorious defeat of Ozai and the destruction of the comet, everyone said their farewells except for two people: a young fire nation warrior, who was now entrusted with the task of leading his nation into an era of peace and an even younger waterbender, who would return to the North Pole to study the art of healing - these two parted ways with a kiss and a promise. ("I'll come back for you.")
#33 World
They had destroyed the world in which a prideful young firebending prince seeking revenge and a hardheaded girl from the South Pole aiding the elusive avatar on hi smission could learn to grudginly respect each other and become friends; now they were building the world in which the firebender, grown into a man, and the girl from the South Pole, by all means a woman, could not only be comrades-in-arms or friends, but lovers, too.
#34 Formal
The first time he had visited their tribe, Zuko had been the enemy; the second time Sokka still considered him to be after his former nemesis - and he had been Sokka's nemesis in every sense of the word, make no mistakes about that - had spoken. ("I, Zuko of the Fire Nation, beg of you permission to woe and court Katara of the Southern Watertribe and to take her as my wife, should she be willing.")
#35 Fever
Katara had been rather edgy the last few days, but when she returned from fetching Zuko with her face all flushed, Aang was certain that his friend must have come down with a fever - he never once considered the possibility that the 'fever' mighthave been caused by Zuko's habit of training shirtless.
#36 Laugh
He remember to have laughed with all his heart - a real laugh - but it must have been a long time ago. ("Has it truly been only three weeks since Kat- they left, uncle?")
#37 Lies
"Chief Hahn, allow me to congratulate you and your wife, Lady Katara, on your marriage and to wish you all the best," Zuko says, bowing deeply to hide the disgust she will be able to find in his eyes.
#38 Forever
"Keep this in mind, Katara: forever is a long time to spend alone," Zuko replies calmly. ("I don't care, I'll love him forver... you can't make me stop!")
#39 Overwhelmed
He stands behind her, holding the delicate silver necklace close to her skin (she can sense the worn fabric and feel the pendant rest on her collarbone) and they are both overwhelmed and startled by a strong sense of déjà vu; "Excuse me, but are you sure that we've never met, Kasumi?"
#40 Whisper
He's not sure why, but Zuko finds the sight of Song and Katara whispering and giggling (for any amount of time) highly disconcerting.
#41 Wait
The village people are no longer bothered by the sight of the Fire Lord and his entourage spending an entire day (from sunrise to sunrise) at the village's well but they can't help but wonder what the lord is waiting for as the years go by and why he would caress the worn canteen by his side so lovingly when the moon rose.
#42 Talk
The people of the Northern Watertribe soon learned that the apprentice healer Katara didn't mind what was said about herself but whenever the local gossip mongers turned their attention on the recently crowned Fire Lord, they were fiercely reminded of the fact taht said apprentice heales was and still is a formidable fighter and doesn't tolerate such talk about her ex-ally; they're pretty certain that he's also another ex-something of hers.
#43 Search
A decade after the war, Avatar Aang still hadn't found hide nor hair of his lost friends but was certain that wherever they were, Zuko and Katara had to be happy togehter.
#44 Hope
No Zuko, I don't like you; I don't know what it is I feel, but I know it's more than that," Katara said slowly.
#45 Eclipse
Sokka didn't know when his love for his sister won out over his dislike (it hadn't been hate for a long time) for Zuko, only that eventually he could no longer bear to feel guilty for denying her happiness.
#46 Gravity
As sure as fruit falling from a tree would find the ground, Zuko and Katara would find each other in battle, fighting back to back and snarling at each other, not at their enemies, wielding fire and water and sometimes even steam with deadly precisision.
#47 Highway
Zuko soon learned that the fastest way into KataraÄs hear was - in his case - not through sugar-sweet words and compliments but rather gruelling training sessions during which they could both drop all pretenses and just be.
#48 Unknown
Zuko thought he knew everything about Katara until he walke din on her sharing tender kisses with Song.
#49 Lock
After she finally managed to unlock the heavy steel chest, Jo-Jo the kissing bandit was surprised to find a sealed letter instead of the riches she presumed it held - the ones it should have held judging by how heavily it had been guarded - and groaned out loud she she broke the royal seal and read the first line: "My beloved Katara,".
#50 Breathe
He awakre to the feel of her soft, warm breathe caressing his face and cool hands burried in his hair - not to lips pressed against his.
* * * * *
#01 Air
She briefly looks his way and Zuko struggles to pull enough air into his lungs.
#02 Apples
He wasn't even sure why the way she reached up to pluck crimson apples from the tree's branches made the prince blush, but whatever it was Sokka knew he didn't like it.
#03 Beginning
In the beginning, there was the word: "I want to help you."
#04 Bugs
Zuko doesn't understand why Toph insists on calling them 'ladybugs' because neither he nor Katara look anything like those disgusting creatures but Toph's line of thought is a lot more down-to-earth than that. ("What do ladybugs do?" "Err..." "Eat lice, right. What do you do?" "Hey, we're not eating lice!" "Sugar Queen must like them dumb like that...")
#05 Coffee
Tara doesn't realize what happened right away until the young man with startling, folden brown eyes speaks; "Excuse me, have we met before," he asks instead of yelling at her for spilling the suddenly cold coffe over his shirt.
#06 Dark
It is in the dark of night, when he sits out on the balcony all alone to watch the moonlight refelct of the sea, that Zuko learns what it feels like to be heartbroken.
#07 Despair
Katara doesn't know what else to say to make him stay and so she just blurts out the words without being consciously aware of doing so: "Please, Zuko, I love you; doesn't that mean anything to you?"
#08 Doors
There are many doors in the maze that is his heart; Zuko is genuinely surprised that Katara has made her way to its center (smugly awaiting him there) without him even noticing - those old, rusty hinges should have somehow alerted him to her presence, shouldn't they?
#09 Drink
Sharing a cup means nothing other than being short of another one for the waterbender from the South Pole; however, there has to be a certain significance to it if the Fire Lord offers you a drink from his cup during a private dinner; Katara is certain that Zuko can afford Appa's weigh in cups and is nowehre near paranoid enough (yet) to fear for poison in the tea his uncle sent him, so she wonders what exactly he's playing at.
#10 Duty
They speak of duty as if neither Zuko nor Katara were of having them, but the exiled prince argues that both of them have duties towards themselves, too, and he refuses to give up his love for Katara just because Aang claims her saw her first or because Sokka doesn't like him.
#11 Earth
It is Toph who, initially, is the one Katara can turn to after fighting with Zuko because, all differences aside they're both firls that had to fight for what they regard as right and important and that's already two good reasons to stick togehter - occasionally. (The third being that he really
was out of line, even in Toph's opinion.)
#12 End
"I thought you'd understand; I did all of this just for you."
#13 Fall
The third season of the year is their first as friends; they laugh easily together when no one's watching and share their worries - fall will forever be a synonym for "easy comradry" to Zuko.
#14 Fire
The flames are his element, he lives for the moments in which he and the flame are one, when the fire is an extension of his self, when he is the all-consuming stream of heat coming from his bare hands; that is until he discovers that an entirely different flame burns between him and Katara and eventhough he can't control it like the fire he bends he simply can't get enough of it.
#15 Flexible
He knows that water is flexible; he didn't know that the same applies to waterbenders and their bodies.
#16 Flying
Saying the words out loud is like breaking free and suddenly, Katara is flying
#17 Food
Sokka doesn't ask why picking fruits takes Katara almost two hours, now why her lips are bruised, why her hair is a mess, whether that's a love bite on her neck or why Zuko is equally dissheveled; the young watertribe warrior is absolutely certain that he doesn't want to know.
#18 Foot
She's not sure what it means, but in her dreams Prince Zuko lovingly massages her right foot and for some inexplicable reason the thought makes Katara blush twelve shades of red.
#19 Grave
He grave is plain and simple, a non-descript pillar of wood just outside of the Fire Temple, where she fell; despite their personal preferences he and the avatar agreed that any other kind of memento would be unwanted and unwelcome on her part - so instead he arranged for her ashes to be buried in an urn made of sapphires and siver, because at least now it is a remotely appropriate resting place for his love.
#20 Green
He tells himself that he doesn't like the green robe because it doesn't do Katara justice and not because the earthbender with the ridiculously girly hair gave it to her.
#21 Head
Zuka can name at least a dozen reasons from the top of his head why him loving Katara is a bad thing, but not one of them can argue against the sole reason his hear insisst on; no one ever said that being in love has to make sense at all times.
#22 Hollow
Yes, she is the one to receive his kisses and caresses at night, but the Fire Lord's consort cannot shake the feeling that his kisses have become like his eyes: hollow and void of any emotion, only the shell of what they once were and Mai begins to doubt whether killing the waterbender and taking her place had really been such a good idea.
#23 Honor
He thinks the car is proof to his lack of it, but she tells him the words that Iroh wasn't allowed to: that it in fact proofs that the father is the one lacking honor and not the son; from then on he begins to wear it with pride.
#24 Hope
Hope is a fragile little thing, yet often even more long-lived than most other human emotions; she used to say that hope dies last - Zuko clings to his hope as desperately as Katara clings to her life, eventhough they both know its futile.
#25 Light
Their love is a tiny fleck of light in the darkness of the world, but this tiny light, Katara knows, can change everything for the better.
#26 Lost
She'd been warned about men like him (Gran-Gran was just as protective of her as Sokka was) but that didn't change the fact that one look into his eyes was enough for her to lose her heart in the process.
#27 Metal
Katara always thought that metal was cold and unfeeling until she found a bronze sculpture of a young Zuko in Iroh's chambers.
#28 New
"It is not a replacement," he assures her hastily even before she is done unwrapping the choker he made for her.
#29 Old
The pai sho tile she places on the table between them is old - it used to be Iroh's, as he leans back he remember, golden eyes fixed on blue ones, the difference he made; "In both our lives," she reminds him with a loving smile.
#30 Peace
"It's... peace," she whisperes and Zuko shakes his head, tightening his hold on her, saying: "No, it's cessation of hostilities - there's a difference."
#31 Poison
He remembers a poem about how the most beautiful of flowers are laced in deadly poison, but as Fire Lord ZUko looks at his blue-eyes assassin (are those tears in her eyes?) he can't stop himiself from thinking that even if he'd known the outcome beforehand, he wouldn't change a single thing; hehe knows his smile tells her as much and - yes, those are tears in her eyes.
#32 Pretty
The night sky is pretty, she says but he shakes his head no; pretty, he says, isn't strong enough.
#33 Rain
Hair plastered to her face, the wall in her back and Zuko in front of her, causing sensations just under her skin she'd never though possible - it's not the first time the rapid pitter-patter of rain falling to the ground matches Katara's wild heart beat.
#34 Regret
"I know it doesn't mean much but... I am sorry," he says, bowing his head shamefully to her brother.
#35 Roses
The multitude of fragrant flowers in the palace's garden makes her dizzy - Iroh tells her that each and every one of them has a meaning; Katara is certain that Zuko wasn't talking about those when he complained about her being too much like the roses she has taken a liking to.
#36 Secret
Hurried kisses and rushed caresses are their world - they both know that it'll end the moment the affair between the Fire Lord and the ambassador of the Southern Watertribe is discovered.
#37 Snake
"You really mean to tell me that you had to teach him about one-eyed snakes?"
#38 Snow
He thought it was impossible to make love in the snow until she proved him wrong and showed him how to build a house out of it.
#39 Solid
"Yes I cherish our moments togehter but I need, no, I want something tangible, something solid with - damn it, I'm not yet done talking, Katara!"
#40 Spring
The following spring their comradry changes and is replaced by genuine friendhsip and deeply rooted trust; Katara will never forget the day he swallowed his pride and asked her for help, saying the four words she'd never expected to hear from him: "Because I trust you."
#41 Stable
Their relationship is highly volatile - Zuko and Katara agree that this is the only thing about them that can be described as (somewaht) 'stable'.
#42 Strange
His request for her to fight him seems less strange when he overpowers her and his passionate kisses render her speechless.
#43 Summer
It is shortly after he declared his trust to her that her voice and touch affect him in a manner that Sokka wouldn't approof of - summer is marked by the realization that Katara is neither a girl nor a mother in his eyes but rather a young woman that demands and deserves his respect.
#44 Taboo
They never speak his name because the mentioning of Aang makes Zuko angry and Katara sad.
#45 Ugly
"Ugly is only another word for 'different'," he says softly, wiping tears off his wife's tanned cheeks.
#46 War
There are numerous scars on the lady's back - Paja often has to remind herself that the Fire Lady (although a refined and elegant woman) knows of war becasue she used to fight one.
#47 Water
Aya is as close to a master firebender as Yosuke is to being a master waterbender; wheny they fight there is this sense of familarity, but neither can shake the feeling that Aya should be bending water under the full moon.
#48 Welcome
It is a tiny word, often thoughtlessly uttered when admitting a visitor inside; still it sends Zuko's heatbeat into a frenzy when she steps into Chief Hakoda's tent during his second visit to the South Pole, greeted by a woman that once was the girl Katara, a long time ago.
#49 Winter
During the harsh days of winter, Katara decides that she's waited long enough for Zuko to make his move and so kisses him smack in the face.
#50 Wood
The Blue Spirits wooden mask breaks in half and falls from his face - it is then that Katara realizes who her savior is and why her embracing him intimately caused Aang to attack.
* * * * *
#01 Motion
Katara glances at him over her shoulder, the tilt of her head and the sway of her hips being all the invitation Zuko needs.
#02 Cool
He skin burns in anticipation is she lowers herself into the soothingly cool water but then a breathless Zuko breaks through the foilage and suddenly the water is no longer enough to appease the burning.
#03 Young
Worshipping her body with gasped murmurs of her name, with every kiss, every caress brushed against her skin, the banished fire prince experiences the miracle of being young and foolish.
#04 Last
Katara writhes and wriggles underneath him and although still fully dressed, Zuko just knows that he won't last much longer.
#05 Wrong
His mouth on her throat, rough hands covering her body's heat she comes apart, her heart singing his praise and her mind chanting 'wrongwrongwrong' over and over again.
#06 Gentle
Tanned hands tug on his clothes persistantly, cherry red lips hover over his pale skin and Zuko wonders how one woman's gentleness can render him absolutely helpless.
#07 One
And then suddenly the borders are blurred and they can't tell where Katara ends or where Zuko begins because they are one and they've been cravind this sense of completion all their lives.
#01 Comfort
Sokka is not at all happy to learn that his sister has found love in the arms of the exiled prince; however, he takes great comfort in the fact that as Katara's only male relative (present) according to their tribal customs, it is now his sacred duty, privilege and pleasure to make Zuko's life hell.
#02 Kiss
He gingerly touches his lips, regarding her with eyes just as wide and startled as her own, to ensure that his lips are still in place after having been pressed so intimately against hers; he pulls her closer for another kiss to make sure that they still function properly, too.
#03 Soft
To their mutual surprise that find that his hands are so much softer than hers - but they like it.
#04 Pain
Zuko frowns as he watche sher fuss over the avatar's scraps and burns - had he known that she would react like that to their injuries, he would've allowed the brat to cause some damage during their sparring session, too.
#05 Potatoes
With a dejected sigh she kneels next to him and picks up the poisenous root he found, saying "This, Zuko, is not a potatoe..."
#07 Chocolate
Watching her eat chocolate for the very first time (slowly, languidely, sensually) awakens the urge in him to bring her all the chocolate in the world.
#08 Happiness
Happiness, his uncle would say, is not the absence of problems, but their conquering; he caresses her tearstaiend face knowing that their happiness is not too far away.
#09 Telephone
They see the column of viscious black smoke rising from their camp and Sokka and Zuko - both knowing what it means - abandon their shouting match and run as fast as they can with only one word (the cause for their dispute) echoing in either's mind: 'Katara!'
#10 Ears
She understands that their travel companions' curiosity is insatiable; that doesn't stop her from freezing the three eavesdroppers to the very tree under whichs branches Zuko has just (sort-of-maybe-not-I'm-not-sure-if-you-know-what-I-mean) confessed his love feelings for her.
#11 Name
He doesn't care what her name means, to be honest; to him, Katara is a synonym for love (happiness, hope, life) - the most beautiful of them all.
#12 Sensual
It's his voice, she thinks, pleasant shivers running down her spine whever he addresses her.
#13 Death
She is not afraid of dying in his arms for the very first time - it is only natural; he on the other hand is a nervous wreak, never having pleasure a woman (or virgin or wife or lover or Katara) before.
#14 Sex
Water tribe women are much more vocal about their preferences and pleasures thatn fire nation men but Katara doesn't mind: eventually she'll get Zuko to open up about these things, too.
#15 Touch
His hands are slightly shaky as he reaches for her but then, suddenly, she withdraws fearfully from his touch and his fists shake for an entirely different reason.
#16 Weakness
He smirks, playing with the necklace in his hands; all's fair in love and war, after all, and he has no shame to exploit her weakness and trade it for his own. ('Your necklace in exchange for thirty kisses - surely your heirloom is worth as much...')
#17 Tears
He watches her, head tilted towards the sky, a blue bird trapped in a golden cage, wondering whether the rivulets of water streaking across her cheek are her own tears or the summer rain and what it is she might be mourning: the loss of her freedom or the loss of her friends.
#18 Speed
It would forever remain a mystery to Zuko how she could be so much slower than Sokka during their hand-to-hand sparring matches, yet always slap his hand away before he could get even near to touching his 'special treat' (and waht a shapely, delectable 'treat' it was).
#19 Wind
There was a certain connection between the wind and the waves that the flame would never quite grasp, regarding the wind with apprehensive golden eyes.
#20 Freedom
"Freedom," he ends, his eyes straying to where she stands - blue eyes and singed clothes, "is being offered your childhood dream and abandoning it to spend a life awake in the arms of the one person you love more than life itself." (If only Iroh were here, he'd be so proud of him...)
#21 Life
When he was old and gray and wrinkled, Lord Zuko would often reminisce about his past, never tiring of telling his grandchildren that the best moment in his life had been whan he'd discovered that fire and water did, in fact, make perfect ink to write one's story.
#22 Jealousy
"Song," he greeted the earth kingdom girl and the way he said her name made Katara want to scream.
#23 Hands
Hers were delicate and callous like those of a warrior, his own were rather big in comparison and a lot softer; their baby's hands were incredibly tiny (just as everything else about it safe it's voice and appetite) and he wonders what kind of hands their firstborn son will grow up to have.
#24 Taste
She'd never been fond of the sour dragon fruit but found that tasting its juices from his lips transformed it into the nectar of the gods.
#25 Devotion
He knows that she is not loyal to his kingdom, but she'd do anything to keep him and their family safe, which makes Katara of the Southern Water Tribe the Fire Nation's most devoted sentinel.
#26 Forever
Their time is limited; still she makes him promise her forever - and he acquiesces.
#27 Blood
He gasps, not inpain, as she tenderly caresses his slashed open chest, her hand submerged in a glove of eerily glowing water (blue, he notes, like her eyes).
#28 Sickness
It doesn't surprise Katara at all that even the mighty Prince Zuko can be reduced to a pathetic cry-baby by a mere cold. ('I think I'm dying...')
#29 Melody
Neither Sokka nor Aang can carry a tune to safe their lives, but the exiled Prince, Toph and Katara discover, sings like an angel; especially love songs.
#30 Star
She asks him to explain the different stellar constellations and how to navigate by them (as if she didn't know those things herself) and he agrees - it's the perfect excuse to spend the night stargazing with her.
#31 Home
Home is where the heart is; Iroh watches how his nephew and the watertribe girl sneak into the woods together and is glad that finally, Zuko has found a resting place for his.
#32 Confusion
He regards the flower curiously, wondering why his gift made her cry.
#33 Fear
He hides behind Sokka and Aang, having never seen anything as scary as an angry Katara.
#34a Lightning
Her eyes focus on the woman, no, mosnter, that struck down her love with blue lightning and Katara knows with absolute certainty that this time, the Fire Princess will not escape alive.
34b Thunder
He desperately wishes Katara would be the one to squeeze the life out of his arm - a thunder a clap, a rolling of eyes - instead of Toph.
#35 Bonds
The white silk ribbon ties their hands together; a little red string their souls.
#36 Market
He has a lot to say, but it is Katara who gathers an audience willing to listen in New Ozai's market with only a few well-chosen words and it makes him respect her just a little more; he'd tell her, too, if there weren't an avatar to safe.
#37 Technology
She doesn't understand just how firebending can be used to lock a door so he tries to explain the mechanism to her but soon finds that she is starring at his lips in a rather peculiar way which leads him to the assumption she'd rather be doing something else; needless to say it doesn't take him too long to figure out what precisely that is.
#38 Gift
She unwraps the delicate red oni mask (a fire nation demon, she notes) and caressing the laquered wood she accepts the unspoked invitation with a nod of her head.
#39 Smile
Zuko's blood runs cold as his sister, her hands stained with Katara's lifeblood, tells him to smile.
#40 Innocence
He explains to his frenetic son that no, momma is not sick but that she is pregnant which means that momma and papa made a baby brother or sister - they don't know yet which -; he is not prepared for his five year old son asking how they cannot know what the baby will be if they made it and just how babies are made in the first place. (It doesn't help at all that she seems to think its hilarious.)
#41 Completion
He hates being separated from her for any length of time (no matter how long or short it is) for it is only with her in his arms that he feels truly at peace and whole.
#42 Clouds
It is a silly game, that much is for sure, but when Aang inssits that this cloud does so look like Katara waterbending, Zuko feels butterflies rise in his stomach because although the cloud does pass as Katara's silhouette, in his opinion she is most definitely no waterbending.
#43 Sky
She says that she loves the pale blues of the morning sky whereas he admits to prefer the darker blues of the ocean; he blushes a deep shade of red as Sokka teasingly adds 'Just the shade of Katara's eyes, right, Zuko?'
#44 Heaven
Heaven is him whispering her name in the dead of the night, his eyes alight with love.
#45 Hell
Hell is listening to her anguished cries (Aang! Aang!) and being powerless to do anything to stop them.
#46 Sun
She rises with the sun so he doesn't have to spend the wee morning hours alone. ('We're all family after all...')
#47 Moon
He leads her into a slow dance under Yue's watchful eyes, telling her with touch alone that he has no desire at all to be another brother to her.
#48 Waves
Katara revels in the feel of waves playing around her body and Zuko is only a little envious that she can be so close to her element without having to fear injury.
#49 Hair
None of their travel companions know that to Zuko, brushing Katara's hair and braiding it for her is as good as kissing her; they wouldn't let him do it if they did.
#40 Supernova
"Will you shut up now and let me tell you how much I love you, damn it?!"
* * * * *
#01 Walking
He doesn't mind walking behind the waterbender; but really: is that enciting err... annoying sway of her hips natural or just a perverse way of taunting him with what he is not supposed to have because if its the latter, he might just show her how little he cares for the things he is 'supposed' to be doing, nowadays.
#02 Waltz
It is a watertribe dance - a slow one at that - but with Katara as his teacher Zuko learns quickly that there are many perks to dancing it; one of them being that him putting his hand on her waist in public is perfectly acceptable when the music is playing.
#03 Wishes
Zuko feels infinitely grateful when Sokka clasps his shoulder and wishes him and Katara all the best.
#04 Wonder
"Very well... I'll admit, only this once, that your brother is a capable warrior but if you tell anyone about that, I'll deny that this conversation ever took place; cann I hold your hand now?"
#05 Worry
He eyes yet another shadow wearily cursing himself, her brother and the avatar for letting her go on her own and - is that her?
#06 Whimsy
He watches her gloomingly pulling petals off a flower, then abandon the nearly-stripped stem in favor of throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him senseless.
#07 Waste
He listens to Katara describe her very first kiss ('It was so wonderful, he tastes so sweet and his lips are so soft and he makes me feel so alive') and thinks that it is thoroughly waster on the banished Fire Nation prince.
#08 Whisky and rum
He watches self-satisfied as the other two boys become sick, once again glad that the only thing he got drunk on last night were the taste of her kisses and the feel of her skin brushing against his.
#09 War
"Please understand that I have to do this," she tells his sleeping form, strapping the canteen to her waist.
#10 Weddings
He watches sullenly how she sways around the dance floor in her husbands arms, brown curls dancing teasingly around her slender form until Katara quietly slips into the seat next to him, grasping his hand and telling him that their youngest child will be fine and if not, Sokka has already promised to help hunt down and maim "He-who-is-not-worthy-of-my-favorite-niece".
#11 Birthday
Birthday presents are nice, she thinks, but the second-best present she got today is how Zuko made Sokka and Aang help him do all the chores she usually does (the best being waking up in the arms of a real prince).
#12 Blessing
"I'll hunt you down personally if you make my sister unhappy for only a second," Sokka growls and Zuko knows that it's as close to a blessing as he'll ever get.
#13 Bias
Personally, he thinks that she is the most beautiful and amazing woman in the world but, leaning in to kiss her, he concedes that he might be just a little bit biased.
#14 Burning
He allows her ot touch the scar marring the left side of his face - sometimes, when he awakes from nightmares of a fateful day 3 years ago, he swears he can still feel the flames licking away his flesh - and sighs; her hands are as cool and soothing as the water she's bending.
#15 Breathing
It requires some practice but finally they learn how to kiss for hours without running out of breath.
#16 Breaking
brutal
risk
elements
Azula
Katara
injury
never
GOD! -
Breaking.
#17 Belief
"I believe him," she says (they're both surprosed that she and not the avatar speaks up for him) and so paves the road that will lead him into their mismatched little group.
#18 Balloon
She shies from the strange basked (he climbed into it so easily) and he laughs quietly at her: "Come on, Katara, it's only a balloon."
#19 Balcony
He turns around one more time, smiling slightly at the blue clad figure standing on ther bedroom balcony, waving good-bye.
#20 Baney
Katara guesses that on a higher, universal level it might be considered somewhat fair that her loving Zuko drives her brother insane and that in turn, Sokka has become the bane of both their existances.
#21 Quiet
Aang watches, a little jealous, how Zuko is able to tell Katara so much without uttering a single word.
#22 Quirks
She has many adorable quirks, but whenever Katara starts twisting a strand of hair around one of her fingers, her eyes rolled towards the sky in a thoughtful but very un-Katara-like expression (he's seen it often enough in the empty faces of his father's concubines) Zuko just wants to shake her.
#23 Question
Its his eyes that ask her ('Do you love me?') and her lips pressed against his that leave no doubt in his or anybody else's mind when answering ('Of course I do, silly!').
#24 Quarrel
"No Katara, I forbit it," he yells, unaware of the fact taht Katara does not take well to men telling her what she can and what she can't do.
#25 Quitting
He tries to dry her tears and calm her down with gentle caresses and soothing words, but the fears she voices are his own. ('I can't do this! I give up! I'm going to be a horrible parent!')
#26 Jump
The distance between them is no more than a couple of feet - but the drop is what scares her; still she jumps into Zuko's waiting arms, her eyes trained on his.
#27 Jester
He abhors making a fool out of himseld butfor her sake he agrees to the frilly ribbons and thick face paint (because she'll be by his side looking just as silly).
#28 Jousting
"No, Aang," Prince Zuko says calmly, "I do not refuse to fight you because I am scared - I refuse to fight you because Katara's affections are nothing either of us could possibly hope to obtain by beathing the other senseless; this decision lies with Katara alone and we have no right to make it for her." (Secretly, though, he hopes that she didnÄt already forget all the things he told her last night.)
#29 Jewel
Even long after he had vanished (the presumed he was dead, but no body was ever found) she held on to that single, tear-shaped rock he had given her; and when she was old and grey, her hair snow-white from the wisdom of decades spent making a difference in the world, she did - her precious jewel clasped in her hand. ("Why do you keep it?" - "It reminds me of you." and "Take care of it, Katara. I'll be coming back for both of you.")
#30 Just
"I... just wanted you to know; that's all."
#31 Smirk
Her look of surprise upon being approached by him ("Katara, can I talk to you for a moment? Alone, if you don't mind?" soon fades and is replaced by one of wonder ("I... this is difficult for me; I apologize.") and then a smirk takes its place ("I love you... you're all I can think about."); turnabout is fair play she thinks and tells Jet all about her relationship to Zuko (at least all that she is willing to tell him).
#32 Sorrow
After the flames die away (miraculously they didn't touch her at all), he cradles her body to his, shedding tears for the first time in years and mourning her loss with a scream, so full of raw emotion, that it strikes genuine fear into Fire Lord Ozai's stone-could heart. ('Kataraaa!!')
#33 Stupidity
"So, you aren't in love with Toph?" (She wonders what made him think that.)
#34 Serenade
It is a strange feeling, he thinks, to have a female waterbending master from the Southern Watertribe serenade to you, but tradition is tradition.
#35 Sarcasm
"Of course, oh mighty Prince Zuko, but before I rush to obey your command, tell me, what kind of death would your royal highness prefer so I can arrange for a prompt and painful delivery?"
#36 Sordid
Sure, he'd asked her about her first date with Zuko, but taht didn't mean that Sokka wanted to hear every sordid little detail (i. e. how gorgeous his eyes are, how soft his hair is and how tingly he makes her feel when he says her name).
#37 Soliloquy - Zuko
I didn't mean to fall in love with Katara of the Southern Water Tribe over singed clothing and military tactics to overthrow my father, but I didn't mind, either.
#37 Soliloquy - Katara
The first time I was forced to admit that Prince Zuko, banished prince of the Fire Nation, was a boy in need of a friend was when he screamed at us to leave him and his injured uncle alone; that was when my heart wept for him.
#38 Sojourn
After two weeks spent at the Southern Watertribe (the tiny settlement has transformed int a lively city since his last 'visit'), Zuko is eager to show Katara all the changes of the rebuild Sozun.
#39 Share
She isn't too happy about having to share Zuko's attention with another woman, but she'll let it slide this once because it's Gran-Gran.
#40 Solitary
All that remains of the Blue Spirit is a shattered mask an a bloodstained betrothal necklace, the kind that was commonly used among the watertribes before they met the same fate es the air normads. (Togehter at last.)
#41 Nowhere
(There is nowhere safe for us to meet," Shu says, but Oma knows the perfect place.)
"There is no safe place for us to meet, Zuko," Katara says and the prince feels a foreboding familiarity rise in his stomach as he assures her that he knows the perfect place, promising that this time, it's not a cave. (This time?)
#42 Neutral
They usually fought behind her back rather then in front of her because the only thing Sokka and Zuko agreed on easily was the fact that Katara should not have to take sides in their quarrels.
#43 Nuance
It's the little things - the tilt of their heads, the ghost of a smile flickering across their faces, the tiniest of frowns when they think he doesn't see it - the Fire Nation nobles had no trouble accepting Katara as his wide, but they did struggle with the fact that the once banished, honoerless first-born son of their former souvereign was no Fire Lord Zuko, rightful ruler of the Fire Nation and ally of Avatar Aang.
#44 Near
Late on in their marriage, Katara only needed to keep an eyes on the canldes in the palace to know whether her husband was near or not.
#45 Natural
Katara soon realizes that when it comes to dancing or else requiring smooth movements, Zuko is a natural.
#46 Horizon
Zuko frowns at the silhouette of Appa, dark against the morning sky; figures, he thinks and turns to Katara: "We don't need them."
#47 Valiant
Katara chuckles, brushing away the horrifying, disgusting, creepy -- "Oh Zuko, it's only a slug."
#48 Virtuous
It is Zuko who teaches Katara that patience is a virtue; they still make Sokka believe that it's the other way round just for the hell of it.
#49 Victory
Her move is completely irrational until he looks at the board from above and realizes he helped her spell out the word 'fool' with Pai Sho tiles.
#50 Defeat
The best part of having him chase her around their chambers is when he makes her yield with tender caresses and rough kisses, stating "I win" in that cocky and arrogant manner she remember oh-so-vividly from their youth.
* * * * *
#01 Ring
"It's too soon," Katara reprimands him, knowing fully well what these rings stand for in the Fire Nation but Zuko shakes his head: "This is only a promise; I want you to be aware of my intentions."
#02 Hero
"... and that is how mommy and uncle Aang defeated the evil overlord and saved the world."
#03 Memory
He remembers tanned ksin and clear blue eyes but Zuko, the retired Lord of the Fire Nation, can't remember her name and it pains him because he knows she was special to him on more ways than one.
#04 Box
Years after their deaths, the youngest princess of the Fire Nation would often look at all the trinkets gathered in the plain black box under her mother's bed; powerful mementos of the life and love of her grandparents, Zuko of the Fire Nation and Katara of the Southern Watertribe.
#05 Run
Even when he finally catches her after having chased her around camp for the last ten minutes, Katara still refuses to admit that she was the one who stole Zuko's tunic (alright, so she did do it, but the view was so totally worth it).
#06 Hurricance
To Katara, it feels like the raw forces of nature when they are together; like a hurricane, Zuko says, because he refuses to conjure up the mental image of a deadly storm (it reminds him too much of Azula).
#07 Wings
"Snow angels," he mutters under his breath, watching Katara and the children of the tribe frolic in the snow.
#08 Cold
He turns on his other side, silken sheets twisted around his sweaty limbs at an odd angle, thinking that even in the summer heat, his bed is oh so cold withour her.
#09 Red
The young blue-eyes prince doesn't understand why the uniform of their nation makes his mother frown whenever she sees him don it. ('It is nothing,' she says with a sideglance at the Fire Lord's scared face.)
#10 Drink
The wine he offers her is laced with poison; Zuko watches Katara drink deeply from it before finishing off the remains, golden eyes fixed on blue ones that are slowly losing focus.
#11 Midnight
Katara tries to swat the hand away, still half-asleep, which is so intend on roushing her; a slap to her face and her eyes snap open, focusing on the Blue Spirit hovering just above her body ('Oh goddess... I'm having that dream again.')
#12 Temptation
She doesn't feel guilty at all, having banished her husband's name from her mind for the time beind, as she surrenders to temptation and allows Fire Lord Zuko to taste her lips, his kisses sweet as sin.
#13 View
Blushing, Zuko steps behind the heavy curtains of his balcony responding to Iroh's inquiry with a nod, saying that yes, the view from his new chambers is indeed fantastic (and it'll remain so as long as Katara continues to pracitce her bending in the pond within the cherry tree grove just under his balcony).
#14 Music
Together, they write a symphony: skin on skin, sending sighs down each other's backs, burning kisses and could touches, moving in their own sweet rhythm.
#15 Silk
She looks absolutely stunning in the burgundy silk robes he picked for her, but when Katara hastily tears the robes off her body, Zuko realizes that it is by far too soon to ask her to give up that part of her livfe.
#16 Cover
He watcher her rearanging the sheets covering their son and his heart is so full of love he fears it might burst.
#17 Promise
"No Zuko, you promised to marry me," Mai screams, holding the shiny blade closer to the waterbender's throat.
#18 Dream
In his dreams, Katara directs those calm, hurtful words at Zuko instead of him, then melts into his embrace to taste his lips under the prince's anguished gaze, and not vice versa.
#19 Candle
There is a certain finalty in the way the royal physician blows out the white candle and although it is considered a weakness, Zuko allows Katara to latch onto his arm and mourn their son's passing.
#20 Talent
"That is enough," Zuko says; his son is not a firebender and the young fire lord is frateful for that as it spares his son from having to master the talent that cost him a mother.
#21 Silence
The first time Zuko bothers to actually converse with her - ironically - it shte one time a sore throat took away his voice.
#22 Journey
They started out as enemies (by association) and eventually became disgruntled allies; Iroh know that from there, the journey to being lovers is a long and painful one and he regrets not being there to strenghten Zuko's faith in Katara when it wavers (and waver it will, he is sure of that).
#23 Fire
He exhales a steady stream of flames and Katara takes a step back, thinking that this time she might have pushed the prout prince a little too far.
#24 Strength
His limbs are heavy, too heavy for him to move them, numbed by pain (his left shoulder is dislocated and there's a dagger potruding from his thigh at an off angle - he's sure it's poisoned) and he doesn't want to have to move, to fight again because he's so tired and really, he's not an one-man-army (despite what others may think) but then he hears her frantic cries, barely carrying over the battle noiuse ("No, you can't!") and before he knows it he rises to his feet, unsteadily at first, his breathing coming in short, pained gasps, moving towards where she is (because that's where the avatar will be and wherever the monk is, his sister will be) with a speed and strength (his blades are dancing around him like deadly, silver-and-red butterfly wings) that'll forever make the Blue Spirit the stuff of a legend.
#25 Mask
Katara watches her prince (lord, actually, but no one's picky about titles inside of her head) sleep, remembering how he told her that yes, he could in fact spend his days cursing his sire for having given him this scar (as well as for all the autracities he committed) but the scar does have its uses: it is a rather formidable mask, he says; she has been able to look right through it from the start - if only Zuko were capable of that as well.
#26 Ice
It is most definitely an Earth Kingdom dessert (no one from the Watertribes would have ever thought of eating snow after all) and although Sokka appreciates the treat King Bumi has offered them (thank the gods it isn't cabbage flavored), his is rather apprehensive of the way Zuko bluses as he watches Katara eat her ice cream (what in Sedna's is she doing?).
#27 Fall
It only takes a couple of moments (blue fabric, white fur, windswept chocolate tresses and dark skin, eyes as blue as the ocean, sparkling with determination) and they realize that the red and black thing falling from the top of the tower must have been Zuko, because only Katara would try to jump into the sea after him (Aang wonders whether she'll be able to safe Zuko and herself with her waterbending while plumetting to her death).
#28 Forgotten
The Fire Lord picks up the familiar looking, dust-covered pendant (a blue stone with the Watertribe's sigil carved into it) and remember blue eyes set in a tan face that no longer has a name.
#29 Dance
Whatever they do, it is always a finely choreographed dance; be it fighting or loving each other.
#30 Body
He didn't mean to watch her bath, but now that he's seen her without her robes (for the second time) he can't help but admire how the gangly body of the girl he once tied to a tree blossomed into the soft curves of the woman that was Katara - Aang would probably agree one he woke up again (he really needed to work on being stealthy).
#31 Sacred
It never occured to Zuko that the view of the full moon over the black ocean water might have any particular significance for Katara (despite the obvious mourning of the firl who had sacrificed herself to become the moon), so when one night by the short a somber ex-Fire Nation prince offered a waterbending master far from home a customary, hand-made betrothal necklace, he expected her sharp intake of breath but not the single ray of moonlight to illuminate the aquamarine crystal pendant from within and stay there for years to come. (Come to think of it, he hadn't expected her brother to break into tears the next morning, either.)
#32 Farewells
It would take years for peace to finally return to all nations and for a tentative trust to settle; that day, a month after the victorious defeat of Ozai and the destruction of the comet, everyone said their farewells except for two people: a young fire nation warrior, who was now entrusted with the task of leading his nation into an era of peace and an even younger waterbender, who would return to the North Pole to study the art of healing - these two parted ways with a kiss and a promise. ("I'll come back for you.")
#33 World
They had destroyed the world in which a prideful young firebending prince seeking revenge and a hardheaded girl from the South Pole aiding the elusive avatar on hi smission could learn to grudginly respect each other and become friends; now they were building the world in which the firebender, grown into a man, and the girl from the South Pole, by all means a woman, could not only be comrades-in-arms or friends, but lovers, too.
#34 Formal
The first time he had visited their tribe, Zuko had been the enemy; the second time Sokka still considered him to be after his former nemesis - and he had been Sokka's nemesis in every sense of the word, make no mistakes about that - had spoken. ("I, Zuko of the Fire Nation, beg of you permission to woe and court Katara of the Southern Watertribe and to take her as my wife, should she be willing.")
#35 Fever
Katara had been rather edgy the last few days, but when she returned from fetching Zuko with her face all flushed, Aang was certain that his friend must have come down with a fever - he never once considered the possibility that the 'fever' mighthave been caused by Zuko's habit of training shirtless.
#36 Laugh
He remember to have laughed with all his heart - a real laugh - but it must have been a long time ago. ("Has it truly been only three weeks since Kat- they left, uncle?")
#37 Lies
"Chief Hahn, allow me to congratulate you and your wife, Lady Katara, on your marriage and to wish you all the best," Zuko says, bowing deeply to hide the disgust she will be able to find in his eyes.
#38 Forever
"Keep this in mind, Katara: forever is a long time to spend alone," Zuko replies calmly. ("I don't care, I'll love him forver... you can't make me stop!")
#39 Overwhelmed
He stands behind her, holding the delicate silver necklace close to her skin (she can sense the worn fabric and feel the pendant rest on her collarbone) and they are both overwhelmed and startled by a strong sense of déjà vu; "Excuse me, but are you sure that we've never met, Kasumi?"
#40 Whisper
He's not sure why, but Zuko finds the sight of Song and Katara whispering and giggling (for any amount of time) highly disconcerting.
#41 Wait
The village people are no longer bothered by the sight of the Fire Lord and his entourage spending an entire day (from sunrise to sunrise) at the village's well but they can't help but wonder what the lord is waiting for as the years go by and why he would caress the worn canteen by his side so lovingly when the moon rose.
#42 Talk
The people of the Northern Watertribe soon learned that the apprentice healer Katara didn't mind what was said about herself but whenever the local gossip mongers turned their attention on the recently crowned Fire Lord, they were fiercely reminded of the fact taht said apprentice heales was and still is a formidable fighter and doesn't tolerate such talk about her ex-ally; they're pretty certain that he's also another ex-something of hers.
#43 Search
A decade after the war, Avatar Aang still hadn't found hide nor hair of his lost friends but was certain that wherever they were, Zuko and Katara had to be happy togehter.
#44 Hope
No Zuko, I don't like you; I don't know what it is I feel, but I know it's more than that," Katara said slowly.
#45 Eclipse
Sokka didn't know when his love for his sister won out over his dislike (it hadn't been hate for a long time) for Zuko, only that eventually he could no longer bear to feel guilty for denying her happiness.
#46 Gravity
As sure as fruit falling from a tree would find the ground, Zuko and Katara would find each other in battle, fighting back to back and snarling at each other, not at their enemies, wielding fire and water and sometimes even steam with deadly precisision.
#47 Highway
Zuko soon learned that the fastest way into KataraÄs hear was - in his case - not through sugar-sweet words and compliments but rather gruelling training sessions during which they could both drop all pretenses and just be.
#48 Unknown
Zuko thought he knew everything about Katara until he walke din on her sharing tender kisses with Song.
#49 Lock
After she finally managed to unlock the heavy steel chest, Jo-Jo the kissing bandit was surprised to find a sealed letter instead of the riches she presumed it held - the ones it should have held judging by how heavily it had been guarded - and groaned out loud she she broke the royal seal and read the first line: "My beloved Katara,".
#50 Breathe
He awakre to the feel of her soft, warm breathe caressing his face and cool hands burried in his hair - not to lips pressed against his.
* * * * *
#01 Air
She briefly looks his way and Zuko struggles to pull enough air into his lungs.
#02 Apples
He wasn't even sure why the way she reached up to pluck crimson apples from the tree's branches made the prince blush, but whatever it was Sokka knew he didn't like it.
#03 Beginning
In the beginning, there was the word: "I want to help you."
#04 Bugs
Zuko doesn't understand why Toph insists on calling them 'ladybugs' because neither he nor Katara look anything like those disgusting creatures but Toph's line of thought is a lot more down-to-earth than that. ("What do ladybugs do?" "Err..." "Eat lice, right. What do you do?" "Hey, we're not eating lice!" "Sugar Queen must like them dumb like that...")
#05 Coffee
Tara doesn't realize what happened right away until the young man with startling, folden brown eyes speaks; "Excuse me, have we met before," he asks instead of yelling at her for spilling the suddenly cold coffe over his shirt.
#06 Dark
It is in the dark of night, when he sits out on the balcony all alone to watch the moonlight refelct of the sea, that Zuko learns what it feels like to be heartbroken.
#07 Despair
Katara doesn't know what else to say to make him stay and so she just blurts out the words without being consciously aware of doing so: "Please, Zuko, I love you; doesn't that mean anything to you?"
#08 Doors
There are many doors in the maze that is his heart; Zuko is genuinely surprised that Katara has made her way to its center (smugly awaiting him there) without him even noticing - those old, rusty hinges should have somehow alerted him to her presence, shouldn't they?
#09 Drink
Sharing a cup means nothing other than being short of another one for the waterbender from the South Pole; however, there has to be a certain significance to it if the Fire Lord offers you a drink from his cup during a private dinner; Katara is certain that Zuko can afford Appa's weigh in cups and is nowehre near paranoid enough (yet) to fear for poison in the tea his uncle sent him, so she wonders what exactly he's playing at.
#10 Duty
They speak of duty as if neither Zuko nor Katara were of having them, but the exiled prince argues that both of them have duties towards themselves, too, and he refuses to give up his love for Katara just because Aang claims her saw her first or because Sokka doesn't like him.
#11 Earth
It is Toph who, initially, is the one Katara can turn to after fighting with Zuko because, all differences aside they're both firls that had to fight for what they regard as right and important and that's already two good reasons to stick togehter - occasionally. (The third being that he really
was out of line, even in Toph's opinion.)
#12 End
"I thought you'd understand; I did all of this just for you."
#13 Fall
The third season of the year is their first as friends; they laugh easily together when no one's watching and share their worries - fall will forever be a synonym for "easy comradry" to Zuko.
#14 Fire
The flames are his element, he lives for the moments in which he and the flame are one, when the fire is an extension of his self, when he is the all-consuming stream of heat coming from his bare hands; that is until he discovers that an entirely different flame burns between him and Katara and eventhough he can't control it like the fire he bends he simply can't get enough of it.
#15 Flexible
He knows that water is flexible; he didn't know that the same applies to waterbenders and their bodies.
#16 Flying
Saying the words out loud is like breaking free and suddenly, Katara is flying
#17 Food
Sokka doesn't ask why picking fruits takes Katara almost two hours, now why her lips are bruised, why her hair is a mess, whether that's a love bite on her neck or why Zuko is equally dissheveled; the young watertribe warrior is absolutely certain that he doesn't want to know.
#18 Foot
She's not sure what it means, but in her dreams Prince Zuko lovingly massages her right foot and for some inexplicable reason the thought makes Katara blush twelve shades of red.
#19 Grave
He grave is plain and simple, a non-descript pillar of wood just outside of the Fire Temple, where she fell; despite their personal preferences he and the avatar agreed that any other kind of memento would be unwanted and unwelcome on her part - so instead he arranged for her ashes to be buried in an urn made of sapphires and siver, because at least now it is a remotely appropriate resting place for his love.
#20 Green
He tells himself that he doesn't like the green robe because it doesn't do Katara justice and not because the earthbender with the ridiculously girly hair gave it to her.
#21 Head
Zuka can name at least a dozen reasons from the top of his head why him loving Katara is a bad thing, but not one of them can argue against the sole reason his hear insisst on; no one ever said that being in love has to make sense at all times.
#22 Hollow
Yes, she is the one to receive his kisses and caresses at night, but the Fire Lord's consort cannot shake the feeling that his kisses have become like his eyes: hollow and void of any emotion, only the shell of what they once were and Mai begins to doubt whether killing the waterbender and taking her place had really been such a good idea.
#23 Honor
He thinks the car is proof to his lack of it, but she tells him the words that Iroh wasn't allowed to: that it in fact proofs that the father is the one lacking honor and not the son; from then on he begins to wear it with pride.
#24 Hope
Hope is a fragile little thing, yet often even more long-lived than most other human emotions; she used to say that hope dies last - Zuko clings to his hope as desperately as Katara clings to her life, eventhough they both know its futile.
#25 Light
Their love is a tiny fleck of light in the darkness of the world, but this tiny light, Katara knows, can change everything for the better.
#26 Lost
She'd been warned about men like him (Gran-Gran was just as protective of her as Sokka was) but that didn't change the fact that one look into his eyes was enough for her to lose her heart in the process.
#27 Metal
Katara always thought that metal was cold and unfeeling until she found a bronze sculpture of a young Zuko in Iroh's chambers.
#28 New
"It is not a replacement," he assures her hastily even before she is done unwrapping the choker he made for her.
#29 Old
The pai sho tile she places on the table between them is old - it used to be Iroh's, as he leans back he remember, golden eyes fixed on blue ones, the difference he made; "In both our lives," she reminds him with a loving smile.
#30 Peace
"It's... peace," she whisperes and Zuko shakes his head, tightening his hold on her, saying: "No, it's cessation of hostilities - there's a difference."
#31 Poison
He remembers a poem about how the most beautiful of flowers are laced in deadly poison, but as Fire Lord ZUko looks at his blue-eyes assassin (are those tears in her eyes?) he can't stop himiself from thinking that even if he'd known the outcome beforehand, he wouldn't change a single thing; hehe knows his smile tells her as much and - yes, those are tears in her eyes.
#32 Pretty
The night sky is pretty, she says but he shakes his head no; pretty, he says, isn't strong enough.
#33 Rain
Hair plastered to her face, the wall in her back and Zuko in front of her, causing sensations just under her skin she'd never though possible - it's not the first time the rapid pitter-patter of rain falling to the ground matches Katara's wild heart beat.
#34 Regret
"I know it doesn't mean much but... I am sorry," he says, bowing his head shamefully to her brother.
#35 Roses
The multitude of fragrant flowers in the palace's garden makes her dizzy - Iroh tells her that each and every one of them has a meaning; Katara is certain that Zuko wasn't talking about those when he complained about her being too much like the roses she has taken a liking to.
#36 Secret
Hurried kisses and rushed caresses are their world - they both know that it'll end the moment the affair between the Fire Lord and the ambassador of the Southern Watertribe is discovered.
#37 Snake
"You really mean to tell me that you had to teach him about one-eyed snakes?"
#38 Snow
He thought it was impossible to make love in the snow until she proved him wrong and showed him how to build a house out of it.
#39 Solid
"Yes I cherish our moments togehter but I need, no, I want something tangible, something solid with - damn it, I'm not yet done talking, Katara!"
#40 Spring
The following spring their comradry changes and is replaced by genuine friendhsip and deeply rooted trust; Katara will never forget the day he swallowed his pride and asked her for help, saying the four words she'd never expected to hear from him: "Because I trust you."
#41 Stable
Their relationship is highly volatile - Zuko and Katara agree that this is the only thing about them that can be described as (somewaht) 'stable'.
#42 Strange
His request for her to fight him seems less strange when he overpowers her and his passionate kisses render her speechless.
#43 Summer
It is shortly after he declared his trust to her that her voice and touch affect him in a manner that Sokka wouldn't approof of - summer is marked by the realization that Katara is neither a girl nor a mother in his eyes but rather a young woman that demands and deserves his respect.
#44 Taboo
They never speak his name because the mentioning of Aang makes Zuko angry and Katara sad.
#45 Ugly
"Ugly is only another word for 'different'," he says softly, wiping tears off his wife's tanned cheeks.
#46 War
There are numerous scars on the lady's back - Paja often has to remind herself that the Fire Lady (although a refined and elegant woman) knows of war becasue she used to fight one.
#47 Water
Aya is as close to a master firebender as Yosuke is to being a master waterbender; wheny they fight there is this sense of familarity, but neither can shake the feeling that Aya should be bending water under the full moon.
#48 Welcome
It is a tiny word, often thoughtlessly uttered when admitting a visitor inside; still it sends Zuko's heatbeat into a frenzy when she steps into Chief Hakoda's tent during his second visit to the South Pole, greeted by a woman that once was the girl Katara, a long time ago.
#49 Winter
During the harsh days of winter, Katara decides that she's waited long enough for Zuko to make his move and so kisses him smack in the face.
#50 Wood
The Blue Spirits wooden mask breaks in half and falls from his face - it is then that Katara realizes who her savior is and why her embracing him intimately caused Aang to attack.
* * * * *
#01 Motion
Katara glances at him over her shoulder, the tilt of her head and the sway of her hips being all the invitation Zuko needs.
#02 Cool
He skin burns in anticipation is she lowers herself into the soothingly cool water but then a breathless Zuko breaks through the foilage and suddenly the water is no longer enough to appease the burning.
#03 Young
Worshipping her body with gasped murmurs of her name, with every kiss, every caress brushed against her skin, the banished fire prince experiences the miracle of being young and foolish.
#04 Last
Katara writhes and wriggles underneath him and although still fully dressed, Zuko just knows that he won't last much longer.
#05 Wrong
His mouth on her throat, rough hands covering her body's heat she comes apart, her heart singing his praise and her mind chanting 'wrongwrongwrong' over and over again.
#06 Gentle
Tanned hands tug on his clothes persistantly, cherry red lips hover over his pale skin and Zuko wonders how one woman's gentleness can render him absolutely helpless.
#07 One
And then suddenly the borders are blurred and they can't tell where Katara ends or where Zuko begins because they are one and they've been cravind this sense of completion all their lives.