fic [Avatar: The Last Airbender | Zuko/Katara] we hold our hearts in silence (long version)
we hold our hearts in silence
Fandom + Characters: A:TLA; Zuko/Katara, Zutara
Category: Romance, drama
Rating: Safe
Disclaimer: I do not own A:TLA.
Word Count: 3000+
Notes: Finally, I finished something. I decided to keep the title I gave to the drabble because it seemed to make sense. Comments and criticisms are greatly appreciated.
Summary: Seventy years later, Korra tries to understand Zuko and Katara.
fic [Avatar: The Last Airbender | Zuko/Katara] we hold our hearts in silence
we hold our hearts in silence
Fandom + Characters: A:TLA; Zuko/Katara, Zutara
Category: Drama
Rating: Safe
Disclaimer: I do not own A:TLA.
Word Count: 400+
Notes: This is actually part of a longer fic I'm working on, but it can stand alone, so I decided to let it go first. I might never finish the longer fic, after all.
Summary: Katara spends the eve before her wedding feeding turtleducks with Zuko.
Quietly, like he is whispering a secret, “I think I loved her.”
Aang and Katara decide to get married in the Fire Nation. It’s a political move as much as it is a personal one – this way, they show the world that the nations are unified and Aang gets his wish to pay homage to Roku and Sozin’s—his and Zuko’s—friendship. It also doesn’t hurt that no one throws a better wedding party than Iroh.
Katara spends the eve before her wedding in the palace gardens, with Zuko, feeding the turtleducks. They sit in companionable silence, mere centimeters between their shoulders, but for some reason Katara feels that every second to tomorrow makes them farther apart.
From the corner of her eye, Zuko absentmindedly runs thumb over his chest. Katara holds her breath in hopes that the thumping of her chest will go away.
She doesn’t need to ask to know that he’s touching his scar.
There is something else she’s been meaning to ask, however.
“They said… that the Spirits show you something important before you die,” she began their conversation with this statement. Zuko – Fire Lord Zuko, now – arched his good eyebrow at her, but wisely didn’t comment. He shrugged and she took this as a cue to continue. “That time… with Azula’s lightning.” She swallowed; when had her lips gone dry? “Did you think you would die?”
A turtleduck attempts to get bread from his hand; it nips at him and she watches it quietly as it acquires a crumb for itself. The turtleduck is already on its way back to the lake when he replies.
“I was prepared,” he admits simply, like it was nothing.
Katara forces the lump in her throat to go down. “Did the Spirits show you anything?”
Before answering, Zuko moves backwards, resting his hands on the grass. His eyes close. “I saw a girl,” he confesses.
“A female Spirit?”
He shakes his head.
“Did you know her?”
“I still do. She offered me a second chance when I thought I had none.” Zuko opens his eyes and deliberately meets Katara’s gaze. “But I betrayed her.”
I thought you changed!
I have changed.
She remembers the overwhelming disappointment, the budding anger--I was the first person who trusted you, remember! Back in Ba Sing Se!--the recollections flood her and her fingers curl. She bites her lips and tries not to think of how hard she is holding back her tears. “Did she… did she forgive you?”
Zuko nods. Then, slowly, he takes her hand and places it over his scar, her thumb slightly grazing over his lips. Katara’s throat constricts and she makes a choking sound.
Quietly, like he is whispering a secret, “I think I loved her.”
Katara’s world stops, and she almost says she loved you, too.
draft fic [Avatar: The Last Airbender | Zuko/Katara] Playing House
Playing House
Fandom + Characters: A:TLA; Zuko/Katara
Category: Humor, Fluff, Romance
Rating: Teen
Disclaimer: I do not own A:TLA.
Word Count: (unfinished)
Notes: Just putting it out there. I'll finish it soon.
Summary: Wherein Aang is a mama's boy, Toph is a daddy's girl, and Suki saw it coming a mile away.
Toph didn’t let the opportunity pass. “I’m telling you, it’s fine with mom,” Without missing a beat, she kicked Aang into a standing position and started dragging him away again. “Therefore, it should be fine with you too, dad. Thanks! We’re going now.”
Zuko didn’t even register Toph’s words until she was far away.
“What—wait, Toph!”
Suki chose that moment to appear out of her hiding place. Standing next to the fuming Zuko, she commented, “My father would usually say ‘come back here, young lady!’ in moments like this.”
Zuko glared at her.
“But there’ll be fire-breathing circus dancers!” Aang thought this was a Very Valid Argument, because fire-breathing circus dancers could make detailed shapes out of the fire and really how cool was that. Katara, who was doing the laundry until she was interrupted, was not impressed.
“Aang, I know you want to go out and have fun,” she began, already switching to her motherly I-know-what’s-best-for-you tone, “But we can’t risk it. It’s two weeks ‘til the comet. You should be practicing your bending.”
Aang was about to protest, but Toph cut in for him. “He deserves a day off, Sweetness! Sparky’s been running him ragged. Look at him!” She exaggerated her movements and tried to motion to where Aang was, but when her hand thrust in the wrong direction Aang remedied it by just being the one to go to where she was pointing. “He’s all work and no play. He’s become a dull boy!”
Katara wanted to begin on how Aang will probably never become a dull boy, he was too much of a flighty airbender for that—but her words fell short when Aang began to beg.
The Avatar wore his best puppy dog face as he knelt by his Waterbending Sifu. “Please, Katara,” he pleaded, “I’ll be with Toph and Toph will be with me. We’ll be careful. We’ll wear our Fire Nation clothes. I’ll cover my arrows. I’ll bring you back ingredients for tomorrow’s breakfast and –”
Katara sighed.
“Oh, alright then,” she conceded quickly enough; she really couldn’t stand Aang’s defeated look. In front of her, Toph and Aang shamelessly high-fived. Their victory was short-lived, however, as Katara continued, “But only if Zuko says yes too.”
Toph arched an eyebrow. Beside her, Aang groaned. “What? Why do we need Sparky’s approval?”
“Well, why did you need mine?” Katara threw the question back at her, but Toph simply crossed her arms and gave her a look that clearly meant to say ‘because you’d give us a scolding if we just left without telling you’. Katara rolled her eyes and turned her back to them, her attention going back to the pile of dirty clothes she was supposed to be washing. “Zuko expects Aang to be practicing his firebending this afternoon. He’ll also give you a scolding if you just ditch him.”
Aang did not like where this was going. “But Zuko will never say yes!”
Katara gave him pointed look. “Would you really rather leave him today and have him punish you tomorrow?”
“Yes! No!” In frustration, Aang buried his face in his hands. Glancing at Toph, he muttered, “I don’t think we’ll be able to go after all…”
“Oh, quit being a wussy, Twinkletoes,” the blind earthbender took Aang by the ear, but not before she spit a ball of saliva first. “Stand up! Now, you took care of Sweetness. Let me take care of Sparky.”
And before Aang was able to protest, Toph began dragging him away.
/
Suki was surprised to see Toph dragging Aang through the courtyard. Curious, she followed them from a distance, only to see them stop in front of a training Zuko.
“Hey, Sparky!” Toph let go of Aang’s ear as she called for Zuko, causing the Avatar to flop ungracefully on the ground. While Aang lamented the pain on his forehead, Toph continued on and approached the firebender even though he was still in mid-stance. “I need Twinkles this afternoon. Mind if he skips training?”
Zuko didn’t even so much glance at them as he finished his forms. With a final deep breath, he bowed—“Is he bowing to the air?” “It’s part of the kata, Toph!”—before turning towards the two younger benders.
“Does he need more earthbending training?” He asked, and for a moment Toph considered saying yes. Sparky would definitely agree to leave Aang with her if it was for bending practice.
But then, she realized reluctantly, she’d feel bad if she lied to him.
“Nope, I don’t need him for bending of any type,” she cleared up. Next to her, she could feel Aang’s heartbeat race. Zuko was probably giving him a pretty intense stare, and she was glad she was blind because at least she didn’t have to be intimidated by the Fire Prince’s infamous glares. “There’s a festival in town. Lots of activities, parlor games, mini-games—”
“Gambling games, you mean.”
“Call it what you want, Hotman. I happen to enjoy those festivities.”
“Well, you can go. Aang needs to improve his firebending. He has to stay and train.”
She heard Aang groan, but Toph wasn’t fazed. She expected this kind of response, and she knew how to go around it. “But,” and she made sure to look like a sad little girl as she spoke, “I didn’t get out much back in Gaoling, you know. I could always hear the noise of festivals just outside our gate. I kept on wishing someone would take me there.”
She knew Zuko wouldn’t be able to say no if she pulled the ‘My parents were so scared I’d trip over thin air and die that they never let me have any friends and fun, ever’ card.
She underestimated him, however. He was a tougher opponent than Katara. “Ask Sokka if he can go with you, then. Aang has to stay.”
“But –”
“No buts.”
“Please, Sparky?”
“No.”
“Pleaaase?”
Suki watched as Toph pulled off… something similar to Aang’s puppy dog face, only more adorable and, well, girlish. It was strange, seeing the blind girl ask permission from anyone. Her attempts with Zuko reminded Suki of those times she begged her dad to allow her to train with the Kiyoshi warriors.
Zuko sighed, looking from Toph to Aang then back again. Toph had added a pout to her expression, and she had somehow kicked Aang with some earth to make him look pleading, too.
“Ugh,” the firebender groaned, rubbing the back of his neck in frustration. If Toph gave him that look… “What did Katara say?”
Toph’s face immediately warped from pouting to suspicious. “She said we should ask you.”
“She did?”
“She said it was fine with her as long as you said yes.”
The changes of the look on Zuko’s face were priceless… if only Toph could see it. She sensed his fluctuating emotions, though; he was sending enough vibrations to scare half the wildlife off Ember Island one second and then eerily steady the next.
“Well,” the prince’s calm voice gave Aang hope, because he was expecting something angry or sarcastic. “If Katara thinks its fine…”
Toph didn’t let the opportunity pass. “I’m telling you, it’s fine with mom,” Without missing a beat, she kicked Aang into a standing position and started dragging him away again. “Therefore, it should be fine with you too, dad. Thanks! We’re going now.”
Zuko didn’t even register Toph’s words until she was far away.
“What—wait, Toph!”
Suki chose that moment to appear out of her hiding place. Standing next to the fuming Zuko, she commented, “My father would usually say ‘come back here, young lady!’ in moments like this.”
trigger
Fandom + Characters: Detective Conan; Shinichi/Ran
Category: Romance
Rating: Teen
Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan.
Word Count: 1,143
Notes: Thank you to my darling girl-in-a-well for the beta!
Summary: No matter how Shinichi weighs his options, he knows his choice.
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