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#zutara fanfiction
kamaria-7 · 2 days
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does anyone have a zutara fic recommendation with slow burn. Like extreme slow burn to the point that they don’t even hold hands till the end
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freetobee1216 · 2 days
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Anyone know of any fic recs or fanart of Zuko and Katara ala “but daddy I love him” like? Asking for a friend…. 😳
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soopersara · 23 days
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Me: Zuko's scar is kind of shaped like a flame.
Me: I mean, no shit, it's a burn scar.
Me: But it has the three little pointy bits at the back, which kind of make it look like the Fire Nation's flame emblem, but turned sideways.
Me: ...
Me, scribbling furiously: The resistance movement in the Fire Nation comes to see Zuko as the symbolic leader of their movement toward the end of the war, and because voicing support for the traitor prince isn't tolerated, the resistance needs a subtler way to make their position known. All across the Fire Nation, banners are stolen and re-hung sideways, official seals on documents are deliberately printed crooked, and disillusioned soldiers deface their uniforms by tearing the flame emblems away and reattaching them sideways. What most people know but no one will say is that the sideways flames represent Zuko's scar, and that the symbol indicates support for him as a leader and for his mission to bring an end to the war.
Me: ...
Me: Am I gonna have to start another fic just for this idea?
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demaparbat-hp · 6 months
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—Uiscefhuaraithe—
The feel of coldness only water brings
Katara of the Southern Water Tribe has hands scarred by fire and great talent, though no teacher.
Zuko is a mute War Child, a herbalist and healer, and the Blue Spirit. He bears the mark of fire, and the scar of the blade that took away his voice. 
The first time they met, the Blue Spirit had just saved her, tough not before her hands got burned. The second time they met, his name was Lee, and he was healing her. 
They live in war and they will fight, if not for the world, then for themselves.
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moonlitxeuphoria · 23 days
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Zuko’s hands left her face, and his fingertips were curling around one of her wrists again just like before, though much gentler this time.
Then he carefully guided her palm to settle flat against his chest as it rapidly rose and fell, right over his thundering heartbeat.
“Do you feel that?”
Zuko’s voice rasped out from somewhere nearby in the blackness, perhaps mere inches from her face.
A rough palm rested atop the back of her hand, holding her shaking fingers in place and splaying them out flat against the sweat-dampened fabric covering his chest.
“That’s my heart,” he continued, hoarser now than she’d ever heard him sound before. “Do you feel it beating?”
She could, though it felt more like a drum being thrashed out of control amidst the haze still swirling in her mind.
“Focus on that,” Zuko whispered.
Warm air gently washed over her face now as he moved closer into her space and panted somewhere above her in the night air.
“Find my heartbeat. Listen.”
Delicate - Chapter 18 by Jasmine-Tea-Latte
Had this one in the works for a while, and boy am I glad it finally made it out of the woods 🎉
Funny story, I actually drew another version of this exact scene like waaaay back during my first round of fanart for this fic, but hated how it looked so I waited a couple months after the fact and then tried my hand at redrawing it 🤣)
Anywaaaaays, if you haven’t already, pleaaaase go check out this amazing fic by @jasmine-tea-latte , you will not be disappointed!!
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Can you recommend fanfiction that you personally really like?
Yes! Love this ask. I’ve never made a Zutara fic rec list partially because I’ve read so many wonderful stories over time that I find the prospect daunting! 
But there are absolutely certain stories that I have a personal soft spot for, that I return to again and again. And that’s my criteria for what’s included below. This is a sampling of fics that I find myself coming back to, in no particular order. I may come back and add more, because this list is so far from exhaustive. A mix of ratings (marked), so keep that in mind.
Wish I Was the Moon by Like a Dove (T), post-canon: There’s so much that I love about the way this one-shot explores Katara’s character and what she faces post-canon, how she frees herself, strikes out in the world and finds her way home. Her feelings for Zuko, and her inner-conflict around them, are rendered tangibly, both through scene and subtext. A really good example of how an author can show a character’s lack of/journey to self-knowledge without breaking voice.
Refraction by caroes3725 (E), post-canon: When I started reading Zutara fanfic (for me this was in 2020), this was the fic I was looking for—a deep, realistic-to-canon, in-character exploration of how Zutara could unfold after the events of ATLA in a way that gives Katara in particular the arc she deserves. Really well-done development of the Fire Nation court world, well-developed characters, shining dialogue. An amazingly well-worth-it slow burn.
Wildfire by rainstormdragon (E), post-canon: To me this story is kind of a steamy Zutara thesis. The characters are so spot on and alive, their flaws are on full display in a way that feels realistic, and their chemistry is powered by their compatibility—matched in passion and stubbornness, and also in what they want from life. And I think it really gets Aang, too, which is something that can be hard to find in ZK fic. Also really hot, but that's only part of what makes it really shine.
Partners in Learning by evergreenonthehorizon (T), Modern AU: One of the things I love in modern AUs is watching an author weave that invisible string between these characters. Sometimes, it’s by writing narrative arcs that parallel the series, and sometimes it’s by drawing out the personality traits that make the characters both lovable to readers and such a compelling match and watching that spark bloom into flame. This beautifully written story does that so, so well in a really compelling Modern AU setting. Zuko and Katara here are so wonderfully lovable, and it’s a joy to watch them fall for one another, too.
Journeys by Smediterranea (E), Modern AU: In real life, I want to see my friends in relationships with people who can recognize why they’re so particularly amazing. That potential, I think, part of the appeal of ZK as a ship, and that’s part of the special magic of this fic. Watching these two characters get to know one another—really see one another—and fall in love deliciously sweeps the reader up. Plus, really fun, in character cameos from the rest of the Gaang along the way.
Spark, set fire by marijayne (T), Modern AU: literary fanfic, and I mean that in the best way. This story is beautiful and bittersweet, the latter is not often something I seek out in fanfic (where I hide from life), but here it’s gorgeous and worth it. The world building here is really cool—allows the author to explore some of a set of cultural issues/interactions that both echo the ATLA world and ours. The characters are so tenderly drawn (dadko especially)—and the connection between them builds beautifully and tangibly—and the longing is…chef’s kiss. 
Wrong when it's right by nire (T), Book 1 Canon Divergence: Before I read this, I couldn't imagine wanting to read a Book 1 Zutara. After, I wanted more. Bickering, bed-roll sharing, shared heat, tenderness and common ground. A delight from start to finish.
Anyway, thanks for asking and happy reading! <3 And if you want more recs, let me know.
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piggypie22 · 2 months
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Zutara’s Son
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“Try it on son, it will be yours one day”-Zuko
Ok so I know most people want the firstborn steambaby to be a girl firebender but hear me out, imagine the plot. Zuko struggles forming a father-son relationship with his waterbending son, who has a hard time trying to accept that he will be the next firelord. The fire nation wants to override his birthright and make his younger firebending sister the heir to the throne. This all leads him to be ashamed of his abilities and only use waterbending in secret. Zuko must teach him there is more to being firelord than awesome displays of power, all the while forming their bond as father and son. Katara must show him the beauty and strength of waterbending and to embrace it. Finally, he must prove his worth as a future leader of the fire nation to his people.
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didisficrecs · 1 month
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ZUTARA FICS
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Read
The Sun, the Moon, and the Truth – by thee senlinyu, post war, angsty angst, smut, pining
Purr – modern uni au, TA zuko, zuko pursues katara, sliiiight angst, smut & fluff
Sunshine Riptide – post war, smut, tension
The Sparrowkeet series – angsty angst, one shots, gaang
My faves from the series — Sparrowkeet – e2l kinda, angsty angst I don't have a clue – jealousy Heartbeats (or, Wherein Toph is Smarter and Generally More Awesome Than Everyone Else) – angst A Rush of Blood to the Head – e2l kinda The Fourth Wall (or, The Ember Island Players) – angst
when you say "it's gonna happen now" – modern au, f2l, fluff
it's late and i think it's about time for you and me to get closer – character study, smut, yearning, longing
as if you were on fire from within/the moon lives in the lining of your skin – modern au, rivals to lovers, smut, fwb
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To be Read
Journeys – modern uni au
Dancing in the Dark – Ba Sing Se
Twist Me to the Left – modern band au
and expectations she won't meet – modern au, TA zuko
indigo summer – modern au, surfer katara
Lotus Lake – modern boarding school au
The Penance Series – smut
His Majesty Prefers Blue
When The Mask Comes Off
Rumour Has It
This ffnet list This ao3 list
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*stories w smut have aged-up characters as far as i know😭
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zutarasbuff · 2 months
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Found this somewhere on Tumblr, it infuriated me to a great extent and forced me to crush the “coloniser-colonial romance” accusation against the Zutara nation. For this, you need to read everything quite carefully that will be presented to you.
So people who accuse Zutara use this narrative that Zuko had a princely life as a colonizer, unlike Katara. Now look at the ground reality:
Katara’s mother Kya lied to Yon Rha that she was the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe to save her daughter. A similar act was done by Ursa (Zuko’s mother) who killed Firelord Azulon with her potion as part of her deal with Ozai to save the life of her son Zuko and got banished eventually. That makes us come to one certain conclusion:
Both Zuko and Katara spent greater part of their life without their mothers and this impacted their childhood badly as we find them dealing with the trauma of loss even after they hit puberty.
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As if the absence of a mother was not enough, when Hakoda (Katara’s father) leaves with the fleet for the war, it’s almost the same time when we find Ozai getting immersed in attacking other nations, so much so that he’s never there for both of his children. Technically speaking, even if Ozai was there physically, he was never emotionally available for his children being a narcissistic father.
I would say that Zuko had the worst childhood experience as compared to Katara because Katara had a brother who always supported his sister in dealing with the trauma, but we don’t see that in the case of Zuko whose own sister used to bully him right from the childhood for being too weak and the mom’s pet.
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Now let’s analyze the colonizer part. Unfortunately, Zuko was born to a father who was not just the worst ruler but an equally worse son, brother, husband, and father. One can say that Zuko’s only fault was to hail from a wrong family but other than that, he was never a colonizer. You may ask why. I will give you a reason.
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It’s not just Katara who has to bear the ill effects of the war that was imposed on her, but in many ways Zuko was a direct victim of what we call “Emotional Imperialism”. In psychology, it’s a condition where the colonizers not just physically take control of their colonies, but they start infusing their ideals deep into the mentality of their subjects as well.
Coming back to the case of Zuko, we find that he never gets to formulate the normal father-son relationship with Ozai, rather Ozai treats both his children as his humble subjects who need to obey him unquestionably and need to be perfect as his subjects. He’s in every sense not just a narcissistic parent but a controlling one as well who emotionally traps both his children and wants to rule over them at every cost. The apparent manifestation of this emotional imperialism is evident through:
Zuko’s quest to be the best firebender
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When the colonizers start ruling over a certain colony, it’s the colonials who feel the need to be validated by their masters. It’s their first survival strategy that they embrace the change as they know resistance is going to be of no use. They simply adapt themselves to the new ideals that are set forth by their ruling masters. Similarly, Ozai always wanted his children to be the absolute embodiment of Azulon’s great bloodline and both his children obliged to his desires because they feared the firelord. Therefore, his stiff standards force both his children to compete against each other from a very young age. This is the worst form of emotional imperialism where the subjects simply want some validation in return and therefore they are ready to even forget their kinship. That’s what we find as Zuko repeatedly wants to “get his honor back and win the trust of his father”. What do you think this honor is? It’s not the quest for being the next heir to the throne, rather it’s being the absolute best in the eyes of the master who controls both the siblings. We know Ozai has a manipulative nature and this relates exactly to the manipulative attitude of a colonizer who puts the colonials against each other.
Zuko’s almost absent friend circle
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Have you ever seen the modus operandi of the colonizers? They alienate their subjects so that the subjects find no way of self-expression and eventually give up to the demands of their masters. That’s exactly the scenario that propagates in Zuko’s life. Other than Mai and Ty Lee we don’t even find his friends throughout the series. Isn’t it a bit strange that despite being a prince, he has no guy friend of his age? He has no friends at all. It’s because the master (Ozai) wanted so. The siblings never get much exposure to the outside world. When we draw a comparison of Zuko’s situation, then Katara seems to be at an advantage in that she found a peer group that allowed her to grow further and overcome her insecurities. Zuko, however never got a chance to blend into an actual peer group and that kept him secluded throughout and gave him his introverted persona. Don’t you find it strange that as a friend Zuko got no one but his uncle who had a lot of age differences and the opinions differed too? This created a rift further maybe because Zuko felt that somehow his feelings were not interpreted well by Uncle Iroh. Compared to his “angry guy” persona, he grows a lot more friendly when he finds the gang or should we say people of his age. This allows him to understand his persona in a constructive way and he strives to alter the course of his life afterwards.
Identity crisis
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Out of all the characters on ATLA, people often say that Zuko is the one with the most complex attributes because he is not even sure of his “destiny”. Sounds familiar? Eh? Well, this is the typical case of an identity crisis existing in the subjects of a colony. Zuko goes through this phase where he is always striving hard to explore his identity, and his destiny thus fueling his internal rage as well. A kaleidoscopic journey is what he follows. Sometimes it’s rage, sometimes regret and sometimes he even questions the actions of his father. By the end, his driving force to change his alliances is nothing but this very identity crisis. This makes me remember a very interesting observation that whenever he’s near the gang, he’s a bit cranky and at the same time uneasy because he looks at the gang as the polar opposite of himself. To a caged bird who has accepted his fate, even the slightest call of resistance feels like Hades’ call and that’s why he repeatedly aims to avoid Aang’s calls for forming a friendship because he is afraid of peeking into his resisting side. That’s the typical thing you find in Haru who despite being a fine earthbender resists waging a war against the firebenders who roam freely in his village at first. So would you blame Zuko for never resisting the colonization when as a subject it was inherent to his mentality for a long time?
A harsh realisation
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People who degrade Zutara with this stupid claim that Katara was the only one who “lost everything” need to get their brains checked thoroughly because when we compare her loss to the magnitude of the loss faced by Zuko at the end of the war, the comparing scale diverts wildly in Zuko’s favor. Though many of you know this; I will recall it for you again. Katara lost her mother to the war but in the end, she got lifelong friends to cherish with her brother as well father. On the contrary, even during the war, we find that Zuko loses not only his mother, his father, and his sister in the worst possible way. It means all his family members are lost to him in every sense when the war ends. Now some of you will come to me with the argument that the gang eventually finds Ursa back but how? With her memories all erased. It means that the war has not just left him with permanent emotional wounds but it has further taken the very idea of a family from his life.
We zutarians never ship Zutara together because we “just find them good together” but it’s deeper than that. It’s because Zuko was the one who understood Katara’s quest for Yon Rha in order to find answers behind her mother’s death in addition to revenge. This is because deep down he was always looking for the answers of his mother’s (who was the only real person known to him) banishment. That’s exactly what we find after Zuko becomes the firelord. The first thing he does is asking Ozai questions and being certain that he’s finally gonna tell everything. We ship them together because Katara was the only person who understood the value of Zuko jumping in front of Azula’s lightning to save her. We ship them together because we believe if it had become a potential canon, maybe both of them could have helped each other in healing with their individual traumas and creating a real family together.
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calderacitylovers · 9 months
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Zutara SlowBurn FanFiction: Personal Favs, part II
·        DESTINY IS A FUNNY THING by Megara Pike | Published: 2020-08-21 | 198K Words | 45 Chapters
ATLA Season 3 rewrite, fills in a lot of blanks between canon scenes. From the Southern Raiders to Sozin's Comet through coronation and aftermath. Growing friendships, bonding, being there for each other, a carnival & a cave, epic spirits' appearance on the Ember island, sparring, nightmares, assassination attempts, political ruses, and covert operations. Lovely, sweet. Exciting plot.
 ·        ATLA Book 4: Ashes by elayne_cypher | Published: 2018-10-27 | 306K words | 34 Chapters
This action-packed story picks up right after Ember Island Players and continues well after the war. Zuko is facing many challenges as a new Fire Lord. Romance, tough decisions, rebels, traitors, out-of-body experiences, secret headquarters, angst, teamwork, fire jets. The story has a bunch of OCs.
 ·        Refraction by caroes3725  | Published: 2020-09-09 | 215K Words | 37 Chapters
After breaking up with Aang, Katara needs to figure out her place and role in the patriarchal world. As determined Katara stubbornly bulldozes her way through Fire Nation political scene, her feelings for Zuko grow. Diplomatic visits, Gaang reunion, bonding with Kanna, insights into the life of Caldera city, stuffy politicians, cute correspondence, tropical storm, women supporting women, assassination attempts, personal boundaries. A sweet well-written coming-of-age story with a healthy measure of slow-burn and mutual pining. Katara and Zuko are both POVs, but the story mostly follows Katara. Bonus: Mai is NOT a clingy resentful idiot, but a smart person and a good friend. Some explicit language here and there, a bit of mild smut.
 ·        I Asked You First by halfhoursonearth | Published: 2020-10-03 | 142K words | 22/? Chapters
Ongoing, incomplete. Post Southern Raiders ATLAS3 rewrite. Mostly canon-compliant with blanks filled in between familiar scenes. Zuko and Katara develop a close friendship built on trust and sharing each other’s fears and hopes. Includes mentions of implied child abuse, Lu Ten’s diaries, exploring Avatar Roku’s legacy, sharing a balcony, heart-to-hearts, a hot spring under the stars, an actual date, and artbending. It’s incomplete, but what we have is bliss. Slowburn, mutual pining. Zutara-centric, but also explores the personalities of Team Avatar and their relationships.
 ·        Katara Alone by cablesscutie | Published: 2020-05-31 | 21K words
Katara is not an “unnecessary accessory to a more powerful man”. After the war, she is willing to forge her own path as she turns to people who need her the most on her journey of self-discovery. Features character exploration, correspondence, exploring outback villages of Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom, sweet reunions, and new firebending skills.
 ·        THE PHOENIX AND THE DRAGON - THE COMPLETE SERIES by JasmineTeaLatte | Published: 2021-06-11 | 100K words | 31 Chapters
This story picks up after The Ember Island Players. Zuko and Katara get to know each other during a late-night conversation by the campfire. In this story, you will find healthy boundaries, protective Sokka, a dash of Taang, sparring, funny banter & lots of flirting.
·        HESITATE by tiffaniesblews | Published: 2020-07-11 | 22K Words | 12 Chapters
This story picks up right after Zuko's coronation and spans two years afterwards. Zuko & Katara talk, share a few beautiful moments, write to each other, and reunite for the 2nd anniversary of the war ending. Very sweet, fluffy story about two sweethearts figuring out their feelings for each other.
·        LIKE WE'RE MADE OF STARLIGHT by Naladot | Published: 2021-11-28 | 5K Words
Katara leaves her post as the ambassador to the Fire Nation to take up a new one as the ambassador to the Northern Water Tribe. Her absence makes Zuko realize that he's got an unfortunate crush, which he is determined to keep secret. Unfortunately for him, subtly has never been one of his strengths—especially when he arrives in the Northern Water Tribe and she keeps taking him on what seem to be dates.
·        FIGURE IT OUT by clearascountryair | Published: 2021-12-20 | 35K words | 13 Chapters
After choosing not to kill Yon Rha, Katara rethinks her sense of self and others' perceptions of her. Or,    In which Katara learns that there’s a really big difference between being kissed when you don’t want to be and being kissed when you do. Aged-up 3B/Ember Island AU.
-  I FOUND YOU by that_turtleduck | Published: 2020-11-01 Completed: 2024-02-24 Words: 157,541 Chapters: 28/28
After divorcing Aang, Katara uproots her family and travels to Caldera. There she finds comfort, kindness and support from an old friend. Katara tries to find her footing as an independent political figure. Great story & relationship dynamic of Momtara & Dadko in their early 30s (Ember island, diplomatic meeting, dancing, turtleduck pond, letters). Delicious slow burn with rewarding spicy resolution in the end (explicit open door). Titters on the side of Anti-Aang.
Here’s a link to Part I of my personal favorites.
Here’s a link to Wholesome Zutara Short Stories.
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strawberrymilkyumyum · 7 months
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zuko tries to slow down his pace when walking with katara because she's shorter than him, she's not gonna be able to catch up to him with her short legs right????
wrong
she is smaller but she is so fast he genuinelly can't keep up with her and has to ask her to slow down bc she just zooms off like a rocket
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riseswiththesun · 13 days
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tell me how you really feel
zutara | rated t | 2.5k | cross-posted from tumblr
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⋆⁺⋆ ☾ 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𖤓 ⋆⁺⋆
Zuko never wanted to come to terms with these feelings—if that’s what they even are. He’s tried to tuck them into the back of his mind, being content with where they currently remained—something he didn’t want to grapple with. He cares, feelings that feel large and grand in a way that he can’t quite comprehend.
So because he cares, he allows for the upturn of his own lips as he watches the two of them, the sun casting down glowing rays—something almost out of a picture, and he thinks to himself: this is what she deserves, what she wants.
or
zuko comes to terms with his feelings for katara, but it might just be too late | inspired by this art from @mayskalih
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I’ve been wondering a lot lately about how I think Zutara would happen without changing the events of the show too much, though there are some here and there. Here’s what I’ve come up with so far:
We would see signs of Zuko’s feelings first. But he doesn’t say anything, because he feels like he doesn’t have a chance and he doesn’t deserve her even if he did. As for Katara, well she told Aang there was too much going on to even consider romantic feelings. And this is partially true, but also she just doesn’t know what she feels exactly. Then she goes to find her mother’s killer with Zuko. After this she looks at him differently, she feels she can trust him. But no one knows how Zuko fits into the gaang just yet. There isn’t an exact moment for her when she thinks “I’m starting to like him”, but instead they find this rhythm. Then he asks her to join him at the Agni Kai with Azula, which she does. When he takes the lightening for her, she’s so scared that he’s dead. She puts Azula on ice (haha) and rushes over to try and save him, scared out of her mind that he’s dead. He can’t be dead. All these emotions hit her at once as she tries to save him. She does. His hand goes over hers and he thanks her, and in that moment she feels something. She doesn’t acknowledge it, but she feels it nonetheless. She thanks him. And as the next few days pass and all these things are happening so fast around her she keeps going back to that moment, and she realizes her feelings have changed. She likes him, without a doubt in her mind she knows she does, but she has these complicated feelings for Aang so she pushes that away. When Aang comes to talk to her outside of the Jasmine Dragon he tells her he loves her and goes in for a kiss, but she pulls back. In that moment she knows she doesn’t love him in the same way. Her feelings were a jumbled mess of love, loyalty, reverence, fear, being grateful to him for changing her life, and probably a bunch of other things she couldn’t name. But none of them were romantic. So she was honest with him in the best way she knew how. And Aang accepted this, though you could see him shrink a bit. A different kind of sadness and grief filled him, and everyone felt it. Saw it. But Katara doesn’t approach Zuko, she couldn’t do that to Aang. Besides there’s too much work to be done. And Zuko doesn’t approach Katara, because no matter what connection he felt at the Agni Kai, he couldn’t do that to Aang. And how does he know it wasn’t one sided? Him and Mai didn’t get back together, but she was still someone he’d considered a friend. As time passes the gaang gets busier and busier, they’re reorganizing the world after all. But they send letters. And Katara and Zuko both notice that their letters to one another are different than the letters they send everyone else. Then Katara opens her most recent letter from Zuko, her stomach filled with the same butterflies she felt at the Agni Kai when he held her hand, and in it he finally says he loves her. He doesn’t expect anything, but before he resigns himself to a marriage for the sake of the Fire Nation he had to tell her. Just once. And she writes back, telling him how much she loves him too and how she wished she could have said it sooner but she couldn’t for so many reasons. But instead of sending it, she makes her way to the Fire Nation. Zuko is told Master Katara from the Southern Water Tribe is here for him and he tells his advisor to let her in his study. She comes in, and she’s even more beautiful than the last time she saw him. His first thought is she’s here about the letter, she’s angry. She looks very determined after all. He immediately starts apologizing, then she smiles and almost runs into his arms, shifting his world on its axis with a kiss.
Wow that was wayyyy longer than I thought it’d be😅
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ok-boomerang · 2 months
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Hey Lena!
Zutara Drabble # 5 & 8, please. ^.^
“Wait a minute. Are you jealous?” & “Wanna bet?”
Katara knocked once, briefly, on the Fire Lord’s office door before pushing it open and inviting herself in. She and Zuko had worked together for so long—had been friends for so long—that they no longer had the need, or the patience, for a semblance of formality.
Katara supposed that on some unlucky day in the future she might walk in on him practicing his Iroh impression, or worse (better?), with his pants down. But per usual, the Fire Lord was merely at his desk, head in hand, as his glazed-over eyes scanned some boring parchment.
“Hey Zuko,” chirped Katara, feeling herself almost expand upon seeing him, upon seeing the transformation of his face when his eyes fell on her—the subtle widening of his right eye, the easy smile that pulled at the corners of his mouth.
“Hey,” he said in response, setting his parchment aside and giving her his full attention. A piece of hair had fallen out of his top knot. “My favorite ambassador—"
“Mhm, whatever,” she joked back. “Funny how I become the favorite every time the fishing waters treaty is up for renewal—"
“You’re always my favorite, I just happen to point it out at specific times.”
Katara rolled her eyes, even though she felt her cheeks warm a little at Zuko’s words.
“Anyway,” she said, shrugging off that impossibility, “I’m just delivering the report on the healers in Fire Fountain City.” She handed him another piece of parchment, which Zuko took with some hesitation.
“The report on the healers—?” he muttered, eyes scanning the page. “But I didn’t need this for a couple more days—”
“Yes, well, Tanriq invited me to the Fire Lantern Festival tomorrow evening, so I got it done early.”
She watched as Zuko’s eyes stopped scanning the parchment, but he didn’t look up.
“Tanriq?” For some reason, his voice had gone up in pitch.
“Do you know another Tanriq?” Katara asked, curious at Zuko’s confusion.
“The—the ambassador from the Northern Water Tribe?”
“Of course,” said Katara slowly.
“You’re—together?”
“No,” she said immediately, and then chided herself. “I mean—I’m giving him a chance. So…maybe in the future? We’ll see how it goes—”
“It’s not going to go well,” Zuko interrupted her.
Katara blinked at him. “Huh?”
“I mean,” Zuko said, bringing his hands in front of him on the desk and rolling them together. “I just mean—it’s just a little odd, the two of you—the Fire Lantern Festival—"
“What’s so odd about it?” Katara asked, half surprised and half curious about the issue Zuko saw that she couldn’t. “I like festivals.”
“Right, but do you like them with Tanriq? I—I dunno you will.”
“Sure, he’s a little boring—”
“He doesn’t know you at all!” Zuko interjected, and then quieted, shifting his eyes. But he continued. “I mean, will he know to take you to the food stalls that sell ocean kumquats? Will he take you dancing early enough so you don’t miss the tsungi horn players?”
Katara laughed. “I can tell him not to!” she pointed out. “You don’t need to be worried for me, I’m sure we’ll have a fine time—”
“Wanna bet?”
Katara stared at him. “Do I want to…make a bet about whether I’ll enjoy myself on a date?”
“Um,” said Zuko, shifting in his seat so that the chair squeaked. The panic on his face did not match the regality of his formal robes. “No, that was uncalled for, sorry,” he said. “I—I—”
And as Zuko stuttered, and Katara stared at Zuko’s rapidly reddening cheeks, she came to an unlikely—but perhaps possible?—conclusion.
“Wait a minute. Are you jealous?”
She hadn’t meant to say it out loud. She had to fight the urge to clap a hand to her mouth in horror. And if Zuko had looked skeptical whatsoever, she would have curled in on herself and scurried out the door like a goat dog with its tail between its legs. And then possibly quit her job and moved to the Foggy Swamp.
But Zuko didn’t look skeptical. Zuko did not calmly and coolly reject her suggestion. Instead, he noisily backed up his chair, stood, buried his hands in his hair, and yelped, “Me?! Jealous?! No—no, definitely not!” And then he laughed like an unhinged hyena leopard.
“I—” Katara started, over what sounded like the beginnings of a panic attack. “I—um,” she said, reminding herself that she was a waterbending master and teacher to the Avatar and she was not scared of anything—“I won’t go with him. If you—um—if you don’t want me to,” she said, knowing that her tone had drastically changed from teasing to serious.
Zuko’s laughter died down and he matched her serious expression. “Katara, no—I would never try to insert myself in your personal life—I’m sorry, I just got, um—” he paused, but didn’t finish his sentence.
“Can I take your bet then?”
“What?”
“But for the other side. I bet you I won’t have a nice time with Tanriq.”
“I—look—I was being childish—of course you’ll have a nice time—”
“Maybe,” she said, and Zuko’s face fell for the briefest moment before he schooled it to one of impassive regard once more. “But I think I’ll have a nicer time with someone who knows me better, like you said.”
Zuko looked away from her and stretched his arm behind him to rub the back of his neck. “I think you should go with whoever you want to go with,” he muttered.
Katara wanted to scream. But…she did want this more than she wanted to scream. “You,” she said, only a smidge of frustration in her voice. “I’d rather go with you.”
Zuko’s eyes snapped to hers. “Oh? Is that—is that—is that right?”
“If, um, if you want to,” she murmured, suddenly feeling her mortification rise. What if she’d gauged this wrong? She did get along with Hu in the Foggy Swamp. She could totally start a new life there.
“Yes,” Zuko said immediately. “I mean—yes. I do want.” His eyes were boring into hers.
“Um, great,” she said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “So…I’ll tell Tanriq nevermind…and you’ll just need to tell your guards—”
“No,” Zuko said, leaning forward now, and Katara felt her blood thrill. “Many of the festival goers will wear masks. We can too.
“Really? But I don’t have a mask—"
“Don’t worry, I have an idea for us.”
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chantalvonrosen · 6 days
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WIP I like the idea, but I think there is a lot of work to do
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ninazadzia · 2 months
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AU in which Aang loses to Fire Lord Ozai. Zuko and Katara are imprisoned together in the Fire Nation.
Zutara. E for smut.
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