his callused hand held her face as she cried. she couldnāt stop crying, not since zuko had appa land for the night. facing yon rha was supposed to make her feel better, but it didnāt.Ā
more tears streamed down kataraās face and the zukoās pale hand brushed some of her tears down her face.Ā āit- it hurts!ā she cried,Ā āit hurts so bad.āĀ
when she looked up, so saw the pain written all over his face,Ā āi know.ā he swiped away a few more tears.Ā āi understand.āĀ
āhow? how you you possibly understand!ā she wasnāt yelling, she wasnāt angry, she was desperate. katara knew he wasnāt lying, zuko couldnāt lie to save his own life, or hers.Ā
he sighed,Ā ādo you remember ba sing se?ā she nodded.Ā āi told you we had something in common?ā katara nodded again.Ā āwell, now we have this in common too.āĀ
zuko couldāve meant that they went on this same trip, but she knew that wasnāt the case. heād done what she did before.Ā āwhen?āĀ
āon the day of black sun.ā katara leaned into his hand.Ā āi always thought- i thought letting him live was weak, even though i knew it was the right choice. but when i saw you today i realized,ā that you showed true strength. you showed me i was strong too.Ā āthank you, katara.ā
he was so painfully honest that she couldnāt take it anymore. katara threw herself into his arms, causing him to stumble back. the hug was relaxing, or it would be if zuko was hugging her back. katara squeezed her arms and zuko wrapped his around her, pulling her tight to him. she buried her face in his neck and said,Ā āthank you, zuko.ā
with that, he tucked his face into her hair and sighed. eventually they sat down, which turned to laying on appaās legs. katara wasnāt ready to let go of him just yet, he was her lifeline. from the relaxed beating of zukoās heart, she thought he wasnāt too eager to separate either. they fell asleep curled into each other.Ā
when she woke, it was still dark. she only slept a few hours, but she felt as though she slept for days. it was the best sleep sheād had since her mom died. katara leaned back to study the firebenderās face. it was relaxed for once, and innocent. he was the same boy who hunted her, but that boy was put to rest a lifetime ago.Ā
sensing her move, zuko unconsciously pulled her closer, resting his head on top of hers. he hummed and katara felt warm and fuzzy. she let herself be pulled closer and she buried her face in his chest. it was the best sleep sheās had in years, and she knows she wonāt be able to sleep well without zuko with her. with his arms strong around her waist, katara realized she would be able to sleep alone, but she never wanted to sleep without him there ever again.Ā
hereās my second contribution toĀ @zkfanworkweekā . this is for angst wednesday. i donāt know if this was angsty, iāve never done this before and i prefer fluff. i hope you like it!
I insist that this fanfic "Bloodbending Practice" (careful there is lime! Rated M) by mysticwater and this scene happened in the southern raiders episode. It's canon -cough-
I totally felt the moment when Katara had a slight mental breakdown after meeting Yon Rah and Zuko was there to comfort her on their way back. It's so nicely written and I really enjoyed reading it! š
Anyway this is my contribution for Screw-Canon-We-Die-Like-Men Thursday for the @zkfanworkweek !
This is for @neincraff and their AMAZING zutara fic that has been my recent obsession, For Pride And Honor, AND ITS SO GOOD. HIGHLY RECOMENED YOU READ IT GOSH IM OBSESSED. Without spoiling too much, the Fire Nation is in the middle of a Civil War and your resident Waterbending Master Katara is roped into helping Prince Zuko claim his victory. Fair warning its Rated E for smut, and mentions of attempted r*pe (should this be censored?), which is brief at the beginning.
(Btw I took some creative liberties on Kataras outfit because I wasnt sure how it looked)
And in her hand, a thin stem with tiny white bell-shaped flowers, one or two or three or four just barely hanging on.
She gathered her strength and lifted her head to meet Zukoās eyes. He stared back, body statuesquely still but eyes frantic. She opened her hand, showing him the flower resting in her palm. She held his gaze a moment, willing him to understand.
And then she snapped it in half.
~ Countdown, Four, thereās nothing more.
Her mouth moved with a short series of words that he couldnāt make out in the dim light. She opened her palm and he realized that she was showing him the flower that he had given her a few hours ago. It was wilted, its flowers barely clinging to the stem. But it was still beautiful.
She held it in both hands for a few seconds and he wondered what she was trying to say. Her blue eyes were piercing, as if she were concentrating every ounce of vitality into giving him this look. This look that made his world stop spinning and hold his breath in anticipation.
And then she snapped the flower in half.
- Countdown, Four, except this By @hugs4zuko / @thetasteoflies
This is my very nervous entry for @zkfanworkweek Day 3; Fan Art Tuesday. I donāt publish my art really, because Iām really just starting back up, but this was an image I couldnāt get out of my head. And honestly, @hugs4zuko has such an amazing way with imagery and symbolism without being pretentious in the slightest.... Countdown is by far one of my all time favorite WIPs and fic overall.
Btw- two different perspectives on the same event... the repetition, the meaning, just... profound. And this whole moment is heart wrenching.
This is an E rated fic. Please proceed with caution, and respect tags/age restrictions.
Hello lovelies! Please accept this most humble offering to the @zkfanworkweek. I'm not going to lie, I caught a little of the imposter syndrome that's been going around looking at all the amazing art and reading the most incredible works to come out of only two days so far. But then I remembered that's what makes this ship so beautiful, is we have TONS of AMAZING content that shows our love for these two, and adding to that can only be a good thing.
Anyways, if you haven't checked out @pineapple-frenzy, you should. Their art is AMAZING and I'm slightly obsessed, especially with their short hair Katara art. This fic is less of "Let me put into words this art" and more of "I was so inspired by this short hair Katara that I need to write a short hair Katara fic". So it might be a tiny stretch for the prompt, but oh well. This post specifically is what inspired me to write this little fic. So I hope you enjoy! And thank you pineapple for all your beautiful works!!
Zutara Fanworks Appreciation Week snuck up on me, so sadly I havenāt had time to properly contribute anything. Iād love to participate next year or maybe even before then (I play by my own rules, folks!)
Still, though. I wanted to at the very least pay tribute to some of my all-time favorite Zutara fanfics that Iāve enjoyed and have inspired me over the years.
(Click here for my post on Self-Love Saturday, where I shamelessly promote my series The Phoenix and the Dragon and share a bit of backstory behind how it came to be in the first place.)
Iāve shipped Zutara ever since Fall 2006, and I have been fortunate to read so many excellent fanfics since then.
Some have made me laugh, others made me sob, others straight up made my heart burn like it was shot full of lightning:
So in honor of @zkfanworkweekā, below are 13 of my favorite Zutara fanfics, in no particular order:
~*~*~
Rated G(eneral)/T(een)
Engulfed by Luaburachid
Zuko finds himself engulfed by love.
A sweet one-shot of our favorite firebender discovering how deep his feelings are for a certain waterbender. Itās just pure fluff and always brings a smile to my face.
Ā we hold our hearts in silence by psychedelic_aya
Seventy years later, Korra tries to figure out Zuko and Katara.
Oh, this one is so bittersweet but oh so good. It alternates between flashbacks and Korraās POV watching an older Zuko and Katara interact. Justā¦ ugh. My heart.
Ā Day 6: Found by SooperSara
When Sokka comes up with an idea to get rid of Joo Dee, Katara finds herself in the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se with a tea server she did not expect to meet.
I love a good Jasmine Dragon AU where Katara / the Gaang actually interacts with Zuko while heās undercover as Lee from the tea shop instead of what happened in āThe Guru.ā This is so much fun to read, and my only complaint is that itās not longer.
Ā Celestial by SooperSara
An unexpected dip into the koi pond at the North Pole brings Zuko in contact with the spirits and grants him insight to his destiny. A destiny he isnāt sure he wants.
Another by the talented SooperSara! Actually, you should check out all of her stuff. Itās all so good, and I absolutely adore this one. Itās pretty canon-compliant and the endingā¦ oh, the ending makes me tearbend. Maāam, Iām still weepy.
Ā this little fuse we lit made something in you by SecondStarOnTheLeft
There's a secret door in the wall of Katara's room. Things go a little further than planned, once she opens it.
What happens when Katara discovers a secret tunnel (secret, secret, secret tunnel, yeah!) that leads directly to the Fire Lordās bedroom? Reading this fic is like settling down to drink a hot cup of Irohās tea ā itās soothing, sweet, and thoroughly warms the soul. Ā
Ā Dancing in the Dark by damagectrl
Post-Season 2 AU: While in Ba Sing Se, Katara and Toph hear a rumor about two tea servers in the lower tiers of Ba Sing Se and sneak away go to investigate only to have their suspicions confirmed. On her personal time, Katara tries to teach herself to dance and fails so badly, a masked man takes pity on her to try to help.
This is one most OGs will probably remember. Itās also one of the first ZK fics I ever read, back when I was a wee lil bb Zutarian! It was originally posted in Oct. 2006 and takes place between āAppaās Lost Daysā and āLake Laogai.ā One of my all-time favorite Bluetara AND Jasmine Dragon AUs. Heck, all of damagectrlās works are fantastic reads, for that matter. I highly recommend checking them out, especially this classic.
Ā such selfish prayers by andromeda3116
Katara's ambition, so long set aside for the good of others, breaks free and sets fire to her soul. Or, Katara has a vision of her canon future, casts it aside, and becomes a world-changing politician instead.
Thereās a reason why this fic is one of the highest rated on AO3, if not THE highest. It does right by Katara and gives her the ending she deserves. 10/10 would recommend.
Ā better than things dreamed of in the forest by catie_writes_things (SERIES)
As a child, Bumi knew: his mother was a waterbender, his father was an airbender, and he was a firebender. Something about these facts did not add up, but it would take him a long time to understand.
Hands down, one of the most heartbreaking fics / series Iāve ever read. The author describes this as the adultery fic for people who hate adultery fics, and it certainly packs an emotional punch in the gut. Personally, Iām not one for the āZuko and Katara have an affair while sheās with Aangā fics in general, but this one examines the fallout caused by a single night of passion and all of the consequences that stem from it, especially how the ripple effect of their choices impacts everyone. Even though it breaks my heart all over again every time I reread it, I canāt recommend it highly enough.Ā
Ā ~*~*~
(More fics, several with high ratings, are listed below the cut)
Rated M(ature)/E(xplicit)
Moonlight and Sunshadow by GrapefruitTwostep
The dragon offered Katara a deal: protection for her family and tribe if she lived with it for a year and a day. And she said yes. Because what other way was there to save her people? But there was more to the dragon than Katara bargained for. An "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" retelling.
A fairy tale AU in which Zuko is cursed to live as a dragon and Katara is certainly no damsel in distress. Youāve probably heard some version of the original fairy tale before that this fic is inspired by, and itās such a delight to read.
Ā The Blackfish and the Dragon by ama
Katara grew up in the Southern Water Tribe under the tutelage of Hama, the only waterbender ever to have escaped Fire Nation captivity. When Zuko arrives at the South Pole, seeking the Avatar, they are more than ready to defend him. Then one day, the Southern Water Tribe receives a petition for peace, and a proposal of marriage.
One of the best arranged marriage AUs Iāve come across. Iroh is crowned Fire Lord after defeating Ozai, and Katara must find some way to peacefully coexist with her hotheaded new husband as she also finds a place for herself in the Fire Nation.
Ā Confused by thispieceofwork
Zuko stood. "You told Aang you were confused. Are you confused because of me?" Katara was silent, arms crossed in front of her. "Don't make me answer that."
Starts during āThe Ember Island Playersā where Zuko overhears Aang and Kataraās private conversation on the balcony. This is another fic that will shatter your heart into a million pieces but itās oh so worth it in the end.
Ā A Heated Exchange by Smediterranea (SERIES)
Katara had not considered herself to be someone who would have earth-shattering sex with a guy whose name she didnāt even know. But here she was, certain that she had never made a better decision in her life.
An AU two-part series of Katara getting familiar with a certain handsome guy who lives down the hall in her college dorm. Itās funny, cute, and cuddling while watching Planet Earth has never been hotter.
Ā Bonus day: Tea Shop by cincilin
"Hello and welcome to the Jasmine Dragon. Today's special isā" he cut himself of with a sharp intake of breath, at the same moment that Katara placed the voice and looked up.
'He has hair.' was her first thought. Then the rest of her brain caught up with her and she started to get up, sending Momo scrambling to hide under the table. Season 2 AU, during "The Guru."
I told yāall, I *LOVE* a good Jasmine Dragon AU fic, and this one-shot checks all the boxes: heart-to-heart conversations? Witty dialogue and banter? Bending match that turns into a makeout and something steamier? Itās got it all.
~*~*~
This was only going to be a list of maybe 5-7fic recs, but wellā¦ oops. I also kept the above list to completed works only, just because this post is already long enough.
Several of my other favorites that get honorable mention include:
Thinking Out Loud (WIP)
The Summit (WIP)
Sparrowkeet (Series)
Purr
The Nature of the Blue Spirit
Rhythm of the Rain
Fault Lines
Clarity
Seriously, there are just SO MANY good Zutara fics out there. I had to cut myself off from adding even more, because I could go on and on and on. Much like Admiral Zhao, I have no. self. control.Ā
I love you all, my fellow ZutariansĀ ā¤ļøšš Mwah! Happy ZFAW!Ā
Itās barely in time for the @zkfanworkweek Day 4: Angst Wednesday, but, hey, on the plus itās also about 15 years late overall. Nonetheless, the dining room is proud to present...
No Map Without Water
Prologue: +checkpoint+
Somewhere in the air, there is a girl.Ā Somewhere on the sea, there is a boy.
