Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction ❯ Zutara Tribute ❯ Smug ( Chapter 3 )

A/N: This is fun! I feel sorry for people reading my other stories though. I'm just completely leaving them hanging. Wonder if any of them will read this, hmmm…Oh well, on to Zutara Week: entry 3!

 

Smug

 

“Face it, Zuko. We are hopelessly lost,” Katara said. “We've been trying to get back to the temple for hours. Not only that, but we lost Sokka and half our rice with him! How did we even lose him?!”

 

“He was holding us back anyway,” Zuko said cutting down a curtain of vines. Sokka had been knocked out by a branch Zuko held back for Katara and not him. The last time he saw him, Sokka was falling down a hill. “And we're not lost; I know where we're going.”

 

“How can you know where we're going when we don't know where we are? If Sokka was here with the map, we'd be okay. If there's anything he's good for its reading maps.”

 

“In case you've forgotten, I had to make my own way while I was banished.”

 

“You were on a ship most of the time. With navigators and maps!” Katara shouted scaring birds out of nearby trees. “And when on land, you were following a giant white bison, the riders of said bison following a map!” Let's see you worm your way out of that one, Zuzu.

 

Zuko didn't respond.

 

“Good to see you've finally given up.”

 

“I haven't given up. I just don't answer inferior arguments like yours.”

 

Katara wanted to scream to the heavens and rip her hair out. Zuko had to be the most conceited, smug, annoying person she'd ever had the misfortune of knowing.

 

“Can't you at least send up some sort of fire flare so everyone at camp can find us?”

 

“And what if a Fire Nation camp sees it,” Zuko said holding a branch back so Katara could walk through.

 

“I really don't care at this point. If the Fire Nation captures us we can escape and restart this whole mess with a new sense of direction.” Katara waited for Zuko to catch up and walked beside him.

 

“If only escaping was that easy.”

 

“It was on your ship. Don't give me that look. One little airbender managed to defeat your guards and bash you with out a scratch.”

 

“Are you looking to get hurt?”

 

“You wouldn't dare.”

 

“Zuko smirked, “Try me.”

 

“Platypusbear!” Katara shouted. In her surprise she hid behind Zuko and wrapped her arms around his waist.

 

The bear charged out of the denser wooded area towards Zuko. In defense Zuko created a wall of fire around them to stop the bear from reaching them.

 

He bent down on one knee, Katara still behind him. “Hurry and get on, Katara.”

 

“You mean a piggy back?”

 

“I'll feel better running knowing your safe and not falling behind. Now get on.” Katara heard a hint of a threat in his voice.

 

“Right,” Katara nodded and got on Zuko's back. Her arms now wrapped carefully around neck and shoulders.

 

Zuko let the wall of fire down and ran as fast as he could.

 

The bear had been waiting patiently for its prey to bring its defenses down and now chased after the pair through the forest.

 

Having Katara so close made it hard for him to concentrate. Her breathe brushing against his ear, her whole body pressed against his back. Distracted he was, but more determined than ever he was also. I won't let anything happen to Katara. If anything does, I'll never forgive myself.

 

“The platypusbear is gaining!” Katara said in his ear.

 

“It just doesn't know when to give up,” Zuko muttered. “Hold on tight, Katara.” He gripped Katara's thigh tighter and spun. Zuko firebent with his legs sending a wave a fire towards the bear's back and landed the 360 spin then continued running. It was harder than it usually would be since he was carrying Katara and a large bag of rice on his back.

 

“Quit showing off and run!” Katara shouted making Zuko flinch. Did she have to be so loud? She was right there after all.

 

“Why don't you just admit you like it?”

 

“Like what?”

 

“Riding on my back and seeing my skill with fire.”

 

Katara blushed. So what if she did, she'd never tell him anyway. “I won't because I don't.”

 

The bear roared behind them. “I don't think our friend likes to be ignored,” Katara joked.

 

“No kidding.” Zuko quickly let go of Katara's right thigh and sent a ball of fire at the bear without turning his head to look. It hit in front of the bear's paw stalling it for a couple seconds.

 

“Are you crazy?! Look when you throw those. You could have lit the whole forest on fire!”

 

“Did I?”

 

“Well, no, but still.” Get lost in a forest after buying food: check. Make Zuko insult me: check. Feed Zuko's ego: check. This day is going wonderfully so far. I wonder if I'll get a fever too.

 

“The stop worrying and enjoy the ride. I am doing all the work you know.” Zuko ducked under a low hanging branch, but tripped over a large tree trunk lying on the ground a foot past it. Next thing Zuko knew he was sliding now a muddy hill with Katara sitting on his back like he was a sled.

 

Katara started cutting all the branches that might hit her with her waterbending. While on the ground Zuko had to lean away from any branches or roots. “Hey mind using some of that down here?” Zuko said dodging a root.

 

“Why don't you just use your own bending?”

 

“I might burn the whole forest down,” Zuko said mocking her with her own words form earlier.

 

“You know, if I were you I would keep my mouth shut so mud doesn't get in it,” Katara said still waterbending as they reached the bottom of the hill.

 

Katara stepped off of Zuko and started walking in the mud. She mad a disgusted face, “This is being with the swamp benders all over again.”

 

“They must lead one dirty life,” Zuko said. He gestured to the mud covering the front of his body.

 

“It isn't all bad. Swamp skiing was fu—“

 

Zuko rushed over to where Katara fell in the mud. “Are you okay?” Please be okay. Don't drown in the mud.

 

She pushed herself off the ground. “Yes, I'm fine. I tripped over that.” Katara pointed to something long covered in mud. The long thing shifted and revealed a human face.

 

“Sokka!” Katara shouted. She turned her brother over and shook him to wake him up. “Come on, Sokka. You need to wake up. There's a time for everything!”

 

Sokka grunted and lazily opened one eye. “K-Katara?”

 

Katara hugged her brother, “I'm so glad you're okay! Do you know what this means Zuko?”

 

Zuko shrugged. “I have to carry him, you, and the rice?”

 

“No. We have the map so we can go home! No more wondering around this forest!” Katara almost squealed out of happiness.

 

Zuko just crossed his arms. “I would have found the way sooner or later. No map required.”

 

“'Cause that worked so well last time. Lost my brother, found a platypus bear, and to top off your great sense of direction, we're back where we were an hour ago!”

 

“It's called trail and error, Katara.”

 

“Why you—“ Katara pointed to his chest.

 

Sokka scratched his head. “Did I miss something important?”

 

“Quiet, Sokka!” Zuko and Katara shouted in unison.