Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction ❯ Zutara Tribute ❯ Electrifying ( Chapter 2 )

A/N: The ultimate challenge. Six one-shots in one day. Can I do it? If it's for Zutara, of course I can.

 

Electrifying

 

 

Katara couldn't stand it anymore. She understood him being around to teach Aang firebending and she would put up with that for Aang. But, the way he walked around the Western Air Temple infuriated her. He acted like he'd never done anything to them, never hunted them around the globe and never tried to kill them. Even when he back in the Fire Nation with his honour restored and Daddy's precious love, he tried to kill them through an assassin.

 

All those terrible things and yet everyone seemed to have forgotten them. Katara wouldn't forget. She wouldn't let herself forget. Someone like him can't change. One day Zuko will slip up and I'll be there to get rid of him.

 

All a matter of time.

 

Katara absently bent some water from the fountain of the temple while she watched Aang and Zuko firebend. She hated to admit it, but Zuko was a good teacher, maybe as good as herself. He shouldn't be allowed to look so good while bending though.

 

Katara's hand froze and the water she was bending spilled on the ground. Where did that came from? Thoughts like those were forbidden. Haru: Sure why not think that way, I once did. Sokka: If he weren't my brother, sure. He must have some sort of appeal since Suki's with him. Zuko: No no no. Not after what he did.

 

“Listen, Sugarqueen, if you want to join you should stop staring at those two and walk over. The practice would be good for both of them.”

 

“I wasn't staring at them!” Katara defended. She directed her attention to the water that spilled on the ground. Carefully she started to bend it of the ground and back in between her hands.

 

“You're right. You weren't staring at them. You were staring at Sparky.” Toph smirked when Katara lost control of the water and it splashed all over the two of them.

 

“I did no such thing!”

 

“I can tell you're lying,” Toph taunted.

 

“I don't have to take this; in fact I have better things to do than stand her arguing with you. It's time to get lunch started.” Katara stomped away from Toph with her hands balled into fists at her side.

 

Aang and Zuko, who had seen the whole exchange and heard everything Katara shouted, were looking at the fountain to try and figure out what happened.

 

“Hey, Toph, what's wrong with Katara?” Aang called.

 

“Nothing to worry about, Twinkletoes. With any luck the start of a very good thing just happened,” Toph shouted back as she walked away.

 

When Toph finished, Zuko looked to where Katara was sitting next to their cooking pot. Sokka went up to say something to her and nearly had his head ripped off by Katara. He slumped in defeat. If all those other dinners were bad, tonight's would be hell.

 

“What's wrong with you, Sifu Hotman?” Aang asked.

 

“How many times to I have to tell you not to call me that?” Zuko shouted.

 

Katara gave a surprised scream in the background as the fire flared and grew. Knowing who was responsible she turned and glared at the hot-headed prince. Just a matter of time, Katara thought.

 

When he saw that glare, Zuko got back into a fighting stance facing Aang. “Let's get back to work. This may be my last day alive and you still have a lot of work to do.”

 

Aang was confused by this statement but did as Zuko said.

 

* * *

 

At lunch everyone was keeping a careful distance from Katara. Her argument with Toph earlier had put her in a foul mood. Many members of the group had already felt her wrath for asking simple questions and such. Aang and Zuko were the only ones who sat close to her.

 

If Zuko had had it his way, he's be sitting with the others. Walking into a war zone—especially this one—was not what he wanted, but Aang refused to let him sit anywhere else. The eyes of the others pitied him, also not what he wanted.

 

He sat there eyeing one of the roasted frogcats sitting near the fire. Katara was sitting closest to the fire, but it was best not to ask her. Eye on the prize, Zuko walked to the fire and back—so far so good—and returned to his place on the ground.

 

“Why didn't you ask me to get that for you? Would a lowly peasant like me contaminate your food?” Katara asked sharply.

 

“I didn't ask you because I didn't want to trouble you,” Zuko answered in a polite tone.

 

“Oh, of course you didn't. I don't have to do around here and I'd prefer if you didn't take my only job right out from under me. I'm actually surprised you managed to get your own food. Don't princes have people to get their food for them?”

 

That was the last straw. Zuko had tried to be civil, but if Katara wanted a war he'd give it to her. He stood up, “Someone tries to do something nice and they get this?! What's your problem?” Zuko shouted.

 

Katara stood up to match him. “My problem is you! Isn't that obvious? You just come to us asking to teach Aang firebending and expect us to just forgive you? I get why those two trust you,” Katara motioned towards Aang and Sokka. “Aang trusts anyone and Sokka's a bonehead!”

 

“Hey! I am not—“ Sokka started but was quickly gagged by Haru. Haru shook his head while The Duke looked at Sokka like he was crazy.

 

Defeated Sokka went back to eating his frogcat.

 

“But I'll never trust you. I won't make that mistake again.” Katara stated icily.

 

“Again? You trusted me once?” Zuko was shocked. He had never seen this coming.

 

“Back in the cave of Ba Sin Se. I thought we had a bond! I thought you'd changed. You could have joined us, but you chose to betray me and join Azula.” Katara practically spat her name and tears started to flow. “And when I left the cave with Aang you wouldn't even look me in the eye! Were you planning on throwing everything we had away then?”

 

“No, I…You have it all wrong.” Zuko almost pleaded.

 

“Forget it. You made your choice. Now we both have to live with the consequences,” Katara said as she turned away from the group. She had found a spring not too far into the forest, it was the perfect place to cool off.

 

Stupid arrogant fire prince. Bet he never once thought about others when he made his decision. `I must regain my honour no matter what,' A little consideration is all I wanted—an afterthought even! Katara thought.

 

Maybe he didn't know there was anyone to consider, a voice in Katara's head said as she reached the spring.

 

It doesn't matter, Katara reasoned with it. It doesn't matter how kind he can be, how smart he is, or how sexy he looks when he firebends…shirtless. Everything is as it is.

 

She laughed at her train of thought. “So much for forbidden.”

 

There was a shifting in the trees behind her. A loving friend, come to talk some sense into her, great. “Go away, Aang. I'm not coming back so just leave me alone.”

 

“It's not Aang,” Zuko said walking into the clearing.

 

“I'm especially not talking to you!” Katara formed a water whip and attacked Zuko which he nimbly dodged.

 

“Listen, I don't want to fight,” he said dodging all of Katara's strikes.

 

“Get away!” She said.

 

As Zuko's feet reached ground after dodging Katara's water whip, she created a wave of water. With no time to get away, Zuko was forced to use firebending. As soon as he did a bending brawl was started.

 

Every dart, shield, whip, and trap was defended and countered showing the two were equally matched. But somewhere along the way the fight began to feel more like a dance.

 

With every movement sparks were created in the air between them. Their presence created the urge to reach out and touch Zuko's face in Katara. Whenever their skin touched, Katara felt a surge of electricity in her body. They were so powerful, he must feel them too. It couldn't just be her.

 

Movement in the trees beside her caught Katara's attention. Momo came flying out and sat on a rock nearby. “Momo?” The flying lemur was the distraction Zuko needed to end this. With Katara distracted he had her pinned to a rock on the side of the spring.

 

She was hypnotized by his eyes. Everytime she'd seen them, Zuko's eyes had been a cold, hard, solid gold. Hardened by the brutality of life Zuko was living. Now in the midst of their battle, his eyes had become livid. Liquid gold was in their place now. They were full of life and pulled Katara in like a moth to a flame.

 

The areas on her arm where Zuko was holding her were on fire. It was a welcome feeling. A pleasurable feeling Katara would welcome anytime. Though for different reasons, she found she still didn't want to leave the spring.

 

All this time she had been trying to deny the fact she was falling for him. The task consumed her, love had turned out to be a hard thing to keep behind bars. Now that it was free, Katara wondered why she ever kept something that could make her so happy locked up.

 

There was only one thing she wanted from this evening now.

 

The two had been standing so still staring into each others eyes that Katara jumped and gasped when she felt Zuko's lips crash against hers.

 

As the lightning traveled through her body at this touch, Katara knew she was in heaven.