#i also don't think i've ever written from katara's pov before so this was a great exercise

[hklnvgl]

I was about to send you another HP prompt, but then for some reason I remembered I hadn't read Zutara in a while and couldn't resist... So, Zutara + first kiss!

Katara had long since learnt to live afraid. She hadn’t probably felt totally safe since her mom had died—there was always a small sliver of fear lurching around, ready to jump and bite her neck the moment she let her guard down.

So now they were living in the Fire Lord’s summer house. In the Fire Nation. And Katara was fine with it.

Mostly.

And even if she hadn’t been, it didn’t matter. Because they had to do this, because they were the only ones that could.

So when she couldn’t sleep at night, she went for a walk.

It was dark—the moon was hidden behind storm clouds—, so she really didn’t see Zuko until he called her name.

“Oh. Hi,” she said, when he helpfully lit a small flame on his palm that made it easier for her to not twist her ankle on a rock as she made her way to him.

The sand she sat on was cold.

“It’s nice in here,” Katara said. The ocean was dark and deafening, but she wasn’t afraid of the water.

Zuko hummed. He kept the flame going, so Katara got to see the burnt half of his face. It was brutal, and looking at it sent contradictory messages to her stomach, so Katara looked back to the waves.

“Did you come here often?”

“I think once a year, probably. Maybe more. I was little, so I don’t really remember much.”

Katara’s nod got lost in the night.

“When I was little I wouldn’t have thought to imagine a place like this was even possible.”

“Why not?” Zuko asked, and it sounded harsh and angry, but Katara was starting to learn that meant he thought he was being attacked.

“’Cause the water’s so warm,” Katara said.

“Oh. Right. It must be weird.”

“I mean, not the weirdest thing we’ve seen since we left the South Pole, but—Yeah, kind of.”

“What is the weirdest thing you’ve seen?” The change in his tone made Katara turn her face towards him, only to find Zuko was already looking at her.

The air was growing heavier with the promise of the storm.

“Well, I’m not sure. The swamp was weird. And I don’t think I’ll ever get why you guys like fireflakes so much.” Katara smirked. “And there was this very weird guy who followed us even to the North Pole, you know? He used to have the ugliest ponytail—”

“It’s called a Phoenix Tail and—”

“But it turns out he was not weird at all,” she finished, softly, and smiled as she saw her words making it through Zuko’s brain.

“He wasn’t?”

“Nah, he was just—” Lost, Katara thought. Alone, confused. Sad. “Young,” she said outloud.

“Oh,” Zuko said. He opened his mouth as if to add something, but thought better of it. He wet his lips, forcing Katara to zone in to those little droplets of moisture now on Zuko’s lips. “Did he grow up?”

“Who?” Katara blinked. Zuko’s eyes shone when the fire caught on them. “Oh. Well, a bit.”

“And that’s good, right?”

Katara shivered. She didn’t know how she could be cold when they were in the Fire Nation.

“It’s—yeah, I guess. Good. Yes.”

Zuko smiled, and his whole face changed. Katara was briefly reminded of what she’d felt when she’d seen Aang airbend for the first time. Like she was the special witness of something too wonderful to be let out in the world, where it could be shattered or broken. Like she was being tasked to protect it.

Katara didn’t want any more responsibilities to add to the ones she already carried. She had already too many things to think about.

She turned back to look at the ocean.

“I’m glad,” Zuko said. He stood up gracefully, still not stifling the flame. He shook his clothes to get rid of the sand. “Thanks.”

She wasn’t sure what he was thanking her for. She didn’t ask. She was planning on nodding him goodbye and waiting here until her heart decided it was time to beat normally again.

But then Zuko’s hand was there, reaching out to help her stand. If Katara refused, he’d go to bed and they’d only see each other in the morning, when they started getting breakfast ready.

Katara found herself studying the small scars tracing Zuko’s stretched hand. For once, she didn’t feel afraid.

“Wait,” she said. She took his hand. When they were standing up, Zuko was taller than her.

She stood on her tiptoes to press her lips against his. After a beat, Zuko kissed her back.

#atla #atla fic #zutara #katara #zuko #fic #thanks for the prompt!! #it's also been a very long time since i last wrote zutara so i needed a bit to get in the mood #but welcome to the land of teen awkwardness!! #i also don't think i've ever written from katara's pov before so this was a great exercise #and it's reminded me of how great a character she is! #anyway! hope you enjoy! #d #d reaches 200 #ailec-12