avatar fic: crown of flowers (Katara, Zuko)
crown of flowers
Summary: Katara, Zuko, and financial issues. Sometimes the simple things are worth more than the grand gestures. If you’re a practical person, that is.
Characters: Katara, Zuko
Word Count: 808
Prompt: avatar_contest ; 044. Seduce // Challenge
“Excuse me?”
“Wha- Why- Did I do something wrong?”
Her hands go to her hips before either of them can blink an eye, and a part of Katara thinks that maybe this is not the right time to do this, since they’re practically hours away from Sozin’s Comet with exactly no idea of where the Avatar is-
(Aang’s gone. Never mind the argument they had just the night before, never mind that he kissed her just two nights ago- he left, and she was left wondering if he ever looked back when he’s leaving.)
-which is precisely the reason why the boy in front of her basically takes charge of the group (to her surprise, she found herself not objecting) and is currently giving instructions right and left on how to shop for supplies with an intensity she notices he once used to chase them all over the world, back on the old days.
…the fact that even Sokka doesn’t so much let out as a complain should really have clued her that Zuko is holding a better grasp on her friends better than Katara herself, on some of her bad days. The problem is it’s hard to believe that a person is capable to lead them when he’s currently looking at her rather meekly, as if expecting her to physically harm him after the slight disapproving tone she used.
“Erm, Katara?”, he interrupts her thoughts, complete with a weak, uncertain wave. Hi. Zuko here. Her mouth twitches, torn between wanting to order him to man up, or just flat out laugh at his antics. “Is something wrong?”
She sighs. Back to topic. “What did you just tell Sokka to do?”
“… I… told him to stop bothering Suki?”
“No, the other one.”
“Carry his sword in case anything happens in town?”
“After that, the thing about our coins-“
“Oh. I told him not to spend too much money. No offense to you, but when Sokka shops, he’s a shopper shopper.” He paused. “So is Toph, but she’s-“
“Why would you tell him that?”
“Tell him what?”
Katara resists the urge to smack her forehead (come on, it’s such a Sokka thing to do) and instead narrow her eyes wryly, “Why did you tell him not to spend our money too much?”
“Because…” Zuko looks at her like he’s having second thoughts on being truthful to her, which does nothing to her mood- I forgive you, I thought we’re friends now- ”… we don’t know what’s going to happen.”
I don’t know if my plan’s going to work, he leaves that part unspoken. We can end up anywhere, the war can end or continue, and all of us will end up dead with no supplies and money left, in case no one’s able to help us anymore.
She is silent. Her brother’s a genius in drawing battle plans and war tactics, Suki’s thoughts are also priceless with the clear logic behind it, and while Toph never ran out of things to say, a worst case scenario is a rare topic for discussion. There was The Day of Black Sun, but they don’t like to talk about it, more like Aang doesn’t like to talk about it- but this time, there’s going to be no escape. There were some nights when she really thought about it- about where will they go- what are they going to eat-
“Hey. You’re okay?”
“I’m fine.” She smiles earnestly. “No one had ever really put any thoughts to our financial state before.” She remembers the fiasco with the gambling and the town and what kind of alias is The Runaway and shrugs nonchalantly, “Well, they do, but you know how much-“
“You run a pretty tight ship, don’t you?”
She blinks once, not really catching the reference- “Oh. Well, I tried to. With Sokka’s antics and Aang’s enthusiasm and Toph’s- you know what I mean.”
Zuko is now smiling, his shoulders easing up and relaxed as he seems to be enjoying how their conversation is turning out. “Try living with my uncle for three years and then you can say you know what I mean.”
She holds back a chuckle, before realizing that he’s looking at her- “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” After a moment of hesitation, he adds, “You should really load your bags to Appa-“
“-we’re leaving soon. Okay, okay, I get it.”
Ten steps away and she might or might not heard him saying that she doesn’t have to be the only one to think, and curses her heart for fluttering because of something other than a walk for two at sunset, a dramatic embrace that lifts her off the ground and above the trees, or even an intense waltz that literally swept her off her feet.
She’s always been more of a practical than a romantic kind of girl, anyway.