Seashell [Avatar: The Last Airbender, Zuko/Katara, PG]
Title: Seashell
Author/Artist: rosehiptea
Rating: PG
Warnings: None really.
Word count: 641
Summary: A seashell has a different meaning in the Fire Nation
A/N: For the prompt: Avatar, Katara/Zuko, culture clash - cultural differences in flirting/romance/sex lead to a misunderstanding.
Katara had given up on sleep and decided a moonlit walk on the beach might calm her worries about the war and about everything else. She was surprised to see Zuko standing on the beach also, but he slept separately from the rest of them so she hadn't realized he had walked out here too. When he saw her, he walked straight toward her.
"Katara, you did come! I almost gave up."
To her shock he reached out and pulled her into a strong embrace. She had no idea what was going on, and even wondered if Zuko had gone a little crazy. Gently, she moved out of his arms.
"Are you all right, Zuko?"
"I'm fine," he said. Then he bent his head as if he were trying to kiss her! She ducked.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Zuko?"
"I'm sorry," said Zuko. "I'm moving too fast. We have all night!" He looked pensive as he said it. "Or, do you mean you changed your mind?" Now he just looked sad.
"Changed my mind about what?" She was about ready to hit him, but first she wanted to know if he was in his right mind.
"You gave me that seashell today!" he said.
Katara remembered the moment perfectly. It was a lovely shell with a white and brown pattern on it, and it had reminded her of Zuko's eyes somehow, so she had given it to him. She hadn't said anything about his eyes, though, just "Zuko, I want you to have this." He had looked surprised, but she had put that down to the fact that she was being nice to him at all.
"I just liked the shell, so I gave it to you."
Zuko's eyes widened and then suddenly he was hiding his face in his hands. "Oh no. Oh no, I'm... sorry."
"You didn't do anything wrong. When I gave you the shell, I mean," Katara said in confusion.
"No, I did, I..." Zuko raised his head and took a deep breath. "See, in most of the Fire Nation, seashells are pretty rare. And they're also symbolic. You know how a seashell looks-- well, never mind that part. If a girl gives a boy a seashell, it means--"
Katara tapped her foot. "Means what?"
"That she wants to sleep with him. Metaphorically."
"Metaphor--." Katara frowned and then she nearly yelled. "You actually thought I would--"
"Well, you had been being nicer to me lately."
He looked so dejected that Katara was sure he was telling the truth, and as much as she wanted to belt him for even thinking she wanted something like that, she held back.
"In the Water Tribes, if you give someone a seashell, it means 'Here, have a seashell.'"
"I figured that out!" he said. "And I’m really sorry I tried to kiss you. I swear I honestly thought you wanted me to."
"Yeah, well, I just about punched you!" she retorted. She was about to lecture him, or use waterbending on him after all, when it occurred to her that she had hurt his feelings. Maybe he deserved it, but she still had. The fact that he had waited here for her was a little flattering, though she'd never tell him that.
"So," she said in a milder tone. "Do guys collect a bunch of seashells and show them off?"
"No!" said Zuko. "Well, not if they're decent people. And I don't have any, if that's what you're asking."
"So you've never--"
"Right, never," Zuko answered.
"Me neither," said Katara. Hesitantly, she leaned over and kissed him briefly on the cheek. "I'm... sorry you waited here for nothing."
As she went back to bed, she was still thinking of Zuko, and what might have happened if she were a different girl with a different seashell.
Author/Artist: rosehiptea
Rating: PG
Warnings: None really.
Word count: 641
Summary: A seashell has a different meaning in the Fire Nation
A/N: For the prompt: Avatar, Katara/Zuko, culture clash - cultural differences in flirting/romance/sex lead to a misunderstanding.
Katara had given up on sleep and decided a moonlit walk on the beach might calm her worries about the war and about everything else. She was surprised to see Zuko standing on the beach also, but he slept separately from the rest of them so she hadn't realized he had walked out here too. When he saw her, he walked straight toward her.
"Katara, you did come! I almost gave up."
To her shock he reached out and pulled her into a strong embrace. She had no idea what was going on, and even wondered if Zuko had gone a little crazy. Gently, she moved out of his arms.
"Are you all right, Zuko?"
"I'm fine," he said. Then he bent his head as if he were trying to kiss her! She ducked.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Zuko?"
"I'm sorry," said Zuko. "I'm moving too fast. We have all night!" He looked pensive as he said it. "Or, do you mean you changed your mind?" Now he just looked sad.
"Changed my mind about what?" She was about ready to hit him, but first she wanted to know if he was in his right mind.
"You gave me that seashell today!" he said.
Katara remembered the moment perfectly. It was a lovely shell with a white and brown pattern on it, and it had reminded her of Zuko's eyes somehow, so she had given it to him. She hadn't said anything about his eyes, though, just "Zuko, I want you to have this." He had looked surprised, but she had put that down to the fact that she was being nice to him at all.
"I just liked the shell, so I gave it to you."
Zuko's eyes widened and then suddenly he was hiding his face in his hands. "Oh no. Oh no, I'm... sorry."
"You didn't do anything wrong. When I gave you the shell, I mean," Katara said in confusion.
"No, I did, I..." Zuko raised his head and took a deep breath. "See, in most of the Fire Nation, seashells are pretty rare. And they're also symbolic. You know how a seashell looks-- well, never mind that part. If a girl gives a boy a seashell, it means--"
Katara tapped her foot. "Means what?"
"That she wants to sleep with him. Metaphorically."
"Metaphor--." Katara frowned and then she nearly yelled. "You actually thought I would--"
"Well, you had been being nicer to me lately."
He looked so dejected that Katara was sure he was telling the truth, and as much as she wanted to belt him for even thinking she wanted something like that, she held back.
"In the Water Tribes, if you give someone a seashell, it means 'Here, have a seashell.'"
"I figured that out!" he said. "And I’m really sorry I tried to kiss you. I swear I honestly thought you wanted me to."
"Yeah, well, I just about punched you!" she retorted. She was about to lecture him, or use waterbending on him after all, when it occurred to her that she had hurt his feelings. Maybe he deserved it, but she still had. The fact that he had waited here for her was a little flattering, though she'd never tell him that.
"So," she said in a milder tone. "Do guys collect a bunch of seashells and show them off?"
"No!" said Zuko. "Well, not if they're decent people. And I don't have any, if that's what you're asking."
"So you've never--"
"Right, never," Zuko answered.
"Me neither," said Katara. Hesitantly, she leaned over and kissed him briefly on the cheek. "I'm... sorry you waited here for nothing."
As she went back to bed, she was still thinking of Zuko, and what might have happened if she were a different girl with a different seashell.