Number 28, and do me .... a surprise!
“Keep your eyes on me.” + zutara
“zuko. i need to do this. i need to be ready.”
“katara, no! i’ve already told you, it’s too dangerous!”
she pauses and breaks eye contact. she already knows that he’s thinking back to the agni kai.
to azula’s face.
to his miscalculation.
to katara’s form, frozen in shock.
to the electric burn that seared a lasting echo of pain into his bones.
katara takes a breath.
“but i need to be ready. in case you aren’t.”
he’s staring at the ground, face pained. she can tell that he knows she’s right.
she can also tell that he knows the stakes. that he knows all too well what he stands to lose.
that this time around would be so much worse.
zuko can’t bring himself to meet her eyes.
“i don’t trust her yet.”
she knows his reluctance is an admission of the depth of his feelings for her.
katara closes the distance between them and cups his face, bringing his gaze to meet her.
“there’s no better way to find out if you can though, is there?”
after a long moment, he relents.
he sighs and brings his hands up to tenderly grasp her wrists, and leans into her touch.
“fine. keep your eyes on me, okay?”
she can’t help the airy laugh of relief that escapes her.
“you know as well as i do that that’s not something you have to worry about, fire lord.”
now zuko’s smile is matching hers.
they break apart and assume the beginning stance, katara perfectly mirroring every move her husband makes.