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#this is not zutara vibe if you watched the show for real
zvtara-was-never-canon · 10 months
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The belief that everyone would magically ship Zutara if it were canon and we wouldn’t have this ship war is ridiculous. I’ve seen reactors watching the show for the first time being like, “I really hope Katara and Aang end up together.” I’ve seen reactors dreading the idea of Zuko and Katara kissing by the end. I’ve seen reactors not caring at all during Zuko and Katara’s final emotional scene and instead being much more focused on Azula’s mental state. I’ve seen reactors confused about Zutara, being like “well what about Mai? Didn’t she sacrifice everything for Zuko?”
Yup, I remember plenty of reactors having to repeatedly tell people "No, we don't like Zutara, stop pestering us about it already."
One of said reactors had liked Kataang from day one, and right away there were always TONS of comments in his videos about how he'd "change his mind very soon." When he didn't, it became "Just wait for Ba Sing Se" - and naturally what happened was that he was invested in Aang's conflict over not wanting to have absolute power if it meant having to give up on love, and how Katara was utterly emotionally destroyed when he died, and then brought him back to life.
Zutarians were then SURE that book 3 would get him on their side then. Instead, he loved Zuko's romance with Mai, didn't get any romantic vibes from The Southern Raiders or Zuko and Katara saving each other, and cheered when Maiko and Kataang were endgame. And in a Q&A he did after finishing the show, he had to answer over and over that no, he did not get any Zutara feels, and obviously got more and more annoyed at people.
The REAL fun for me tho was seeing some Zutarians be shocked that a guy that was indifferent to both Kataang and Maiko HATED Zutara, and was way less patient than the first guy when they kept harrassing him about it, to the point that he full on said "If you ship Zutara, you're a fucking idiot." Naturally, they called him rude, conveniently forgetting that they pushed him to that extreme.
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
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hello-yue-here · 3 years
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1) what's your favourite element and why
2) momo or appa
3) what got you into avatar (additionally: what made you keep watching it)
4) fav part of canon / canon info you will always ignore every single day
5) which adult do you think would vibe best with the gaang, not in a parental way, but like in a friends way
sincerely, bread bestie (p.s. you don't have to answer all of these lol i just wanted to give you options)
1) i think water because it can do so much. it can heal. it can turn to ice. it can be a weapon. it can be a cool party trick. it can do so much?? its so versitile just like water and i think that they way they modeled the bending is more than just ‘oh katara has water powers’ like the creators put a lot of thought into ALL kinds of bending but i think water is the most prominent examples of that because it rlly shows how flexible the element is through the many uses of bending. so yeah. water.
2) appa. i have two appa plushies in my room that two diffeeenr friends got me for mt bday without consulting one another and it was amzing. i love appe. momo is still wonderful but. appa my beloved
3) when the atla renaissance began, i saw it EVERYWHERE on my tiktok fyp even tho i had never shown any interest in any tiktoks ab it before. eventually i was like yk what this actually seems kinda good may as well give it a shot. and it was AMAZING. so i started looking on my insta explore page for fanarts and looking up funfacts and eventually that turned into coming on tumblr and ive been here ever since! ive also rewatched the show over twenty times since it returned to netflix. whoops.
4) canon things i love:
grumpy grouchy sarcastic sokka
yuekka
maiko
kataang
toph listening to the earth before making her moves
the way sokka earned mark of the wise
p much everything suki does
the final agni kai. ik theres a lot of arguing between zutara shippers and basically everyone else ab zuko taking the lighting bolt for katara and zuko taking the kightning bolt for anyone. look he DID take that bolt for katara specifically and he WOULD take a bolt for anyone in the gaang. these facts can and should coexist. removing all shipping arguments ab this scene tho: i love it so much because its one of the most defining moments that shows just how far zuko has come as a chatacter. like that is the epitome of the depiction if his growth for me.
aang and his marble trick
aang being more than just a goofy kid. hes so wise. hes so strong. hes been through so fuckin much and hes STILL THAT POSITIVE. hes so strong and i love him.
canon things i ignore
ik this is the comics but basically the entire way they handled azulas arc in the comics. i havent even read them but ive seen so many posts ab azula in the comics that it has made me not want to read them. i am a firm believer in azula redemption arc. i think if given the right circumstances and the right chances and help to improve that she could become a good person. she is capable of changing and i think that the fact that she stayed a villain in the comics is just ugh not the good good
yues death. nope shes alive.
jets death. nope hes alive.
aang being a bad father in lok. wtf. thats so out of character for him. its so ooc its ridiculous.
cop toph. so ooc. she is a RULE BREAKER. why would she willingly ENFORCE THEM. like no. toph rejoined the earthbending tournament circuit and helped invent probending. thats the new canon
5) okay
in the show adult?: bato. like still has some sort of parental vibes but also: hes bato. hes chill. i firmly believe that bato is a sarcastic bastard who is a ‘bad influence on the children’ please. zuko taught them all those curse words, bato didnt. (although he didnt stop it)
okay but a real life adult? my history teacher or geometry teacher. they were my BESTIES in school. and i related to zuko sokka toph and suki a lil too much so obviosuly these irl ppl would be their friends lmao
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WAITTTT DID YOU GET ANY ZK ASKS YET? If not, pls do 1, 12, and 28 ☺️☺️ love you and your blog 🥺💞💞💞
Hey, girlie!!! Love you too, queen 💖💋
So let’s get to these questions, shall we?
“1. What made you start shipping Zutara?”
Okay, I’ma keep it real with y’all; I saw fanart and screencaps from the show and thought they looked cute together. But then once I watched A:tLA for the first time in a long time, I fell in love with their characters and their super dynamic relationship. Zuko and Katara have become my favorite relationship and favorite characters because they’re just a whole vibe, y’know??? Like who wouldn’t want someone who can let you genuinely be yourself with no judgement whatsoever and hear every word that comes out of your mouth and never take them for granted? Who wouldn’t want someone who embraces the mistakes you’ve made and tell you how much you’ve grown as a person and how deserving you are of love? Who wouldn’t want someone who takes all of you in and gives all of them back? Idk about y’all but that sounds like marriage material to me.
“12. What are your steambaby headcanons?”
HOO BOY, buckle up, y’all cause it’s about to get LONG!
So, I headcanon that Zuko and Katara have four kids; Izumi, Lu Ten II, Kya II, and Kallik (in order from eldest to youngest). I wanted to keep their canon daughters because I love them sm.
Izumi - Nonbender; the crown Princess of the Fire Nation; looks pretty much the same as she did in TLoK, but she has black hair in youth; Wears signature Water Tribe hair loopies and Fire Nation top knot; Izumi is skilled in the art of dao swordsmanship, jian fencing (courtesy of Uncle Sokka), tessenjutsu (courtesy of Aunt Suki), and chi blocking (courtesy of Aunt Ty Lee); Izumi has ADHD—more on the inattentive side than the hyperactive—and her special interests include writing and reading (will expand on those), and one of her coping mechanisms is writing lists (just like Sokka), and when she is feeling overstimulated, Zuko and Katara let her take breaks and do what she needs to do to feel better cause sometimes old fashioned nobles just don’t get it; Izumi goes on a journey of self discovery because she has doubts about being the Fire Lord.
Lu Ten II - Firebender, but make it blue like Aunt Azula’s; Black hair, shaved at the sides, wears it in top knot when he has to be formal otherwise it’s always in a wolftail; Blue eyes like his momma 🥺; Tallest of the four; Light brown skin, like pretty mixed, you can tell he’s biracial; Lu Ten is skilled in archery and, like Uncle Sokka, loves to invent things; I know windsurfing wasn’t invented till the 1970s, but whatever this is fantasy, Lu Ten is a pro windsurfer; I base him mostly on Jim Hawkins from Treasure Planet; Has a lot of unresolved angst (for reasons would be spoilers for a big A:tLA project I’m working on); Is a big momma’s boy, he loves and respects his momma, but he doesn’t need to drink respect women juice since it’s already coursing through his veins; May or may not be the next Blue Spirit 🤫
Kya II - Waterbender; looks about the same as TLoK counterpart; Total daddy’s girl; Katara 2.0; A trouble maker, her and Lu Ten are the chaotic duo of the siblings; Bisexual panic all day erry day; becomes the Southern Water Tribe representative and chairwoman of the United Republic Council; Goes to live in Republic City when she’s older; goes from SWT helping with her cousin Chief Amaruq (Sukka baby) and Republic City. Might help Korra with her waterbending training.
Kallik - Waterbender; Blue eyes, dark brown hair shaved on the sides in a wolftail with a braided beaded strand hanging out (if someone knows the official name please tell me), and brown skin; Kallik is a sensitive soul, he’s a hopeless romantic, loves theatre and animals; Iroh taught him how to play Pai Sho and make delicious tea and he would invite Zuko and Katara to tea parties with his stuffed animals; Wants to become a doctor to help people, so he knows a lot about human anatomy and medical stuff; Is part of the reason Katara gets over her fear of bloodbending, he shows her that it can be used for good; Becomes the new owner of the Jasmine Dragon once Iroh passes away and lives happily with his husband and two adopted kids while being one of the best doctors there.
Yeah, Zuko and Katara are proud of the family they created, and while they had their fears in the beginning, they love their babies with all their hearts and wouldn’t change a thing. If you’d like to hear more about my steambaby headcanons, feel free to DM me!
“28. What’s a Zutara fic trope you can’t get enough of?”
Oh man, I love me a good modern AU. There’s just something about Zuko and Katara in our day and age that just makes it that much more fun. Like Zuko and Katara going grocery shopping? Amazing. Them texting cute mushy things on their phones? Adorable. Just everything about a modern AU is fantastic.
If there’s any more questions you guys would like me to answer, please feel free to ask me them! I love talking about Zutara and A:tLA in general.
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sol-tinyrayofsun · 4 years
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Zutara Week Day 6 - Affirm:  It Was Always You (Falling For Me)
This little story has been on my mind for quite some time now and I somehow made it work with the prompt. It’s really fluffy, ridiculous, and features a lot of Toph’s brilliance to mess with her friends yet always meaning well. I just had a good time writing it, it was honestly a fun ride.
I hope you enjoy it! As always, thank you for reading! Feedback and comments are always appreciated! <3 In case you prefer it, also on AO3! Title: It Was Always You (Falling For Me)
Rating: G
Summary: When Katara let Toph convince her of giving Zuko a love potion to make him fall in love with her, she knew the chances of the plan going sideways were extremely high. Still, the last thing she expected was for Zuko to act normal. Painfully normal. Operation “Sparky Falling For Sugar Queen” turns out to be a little too complicated. (Set after Ember Island Players but before Sozin’s Comet).
----- “Pst! Katara!”
The waterbender tilted her head. The kitchen appeared to be empty. Still, she could hear someone calling for her, loud and clear. She had been busy making sure they had everything ready for lunch around Zuko’s holiday house at Ember Island. 
“Katara!” There it was, that voice again. “Listen up, Sugar Queen!”
Wait for a second, that was Toph’s voice. Definitely. 
“Toph?” She asked, walking around the room. “Where on earth are you?”
“Inside the broomstick closet!” Toph chuckled. “Come here for a sec.”
Katara did as she said. Once she opened the door, she found Toph mischievously smirking, holding a little bottle in her hands. 
“So, what is it?” 
“This!” Toph replied, showing off the bottle with a grin on her face. “This is what I wanted to show you!”
“And you were hidden with all those broomsticks because…” 
“Dramatic effect, Sugar Queen, never underestimate it,” she said, stepping into the kitchen hall. “Now, aren’t you going to ask what this is for?”
“Sure, Toph,” Katara let out an amused sigh. “Why is it so important?
“How do you feel about having some fun at Sparky’s expenses?”
In all honesty, the idea sounded tempting. After the dreadful night Katara had endured with that stupid play just days ago, she could use more than a little fun. Although Toph’s idea of fun could sometimes be questionable, at the very least.
“Hold up. What do you have in mind?”
“This little thing,” Toph shook the bottle up in the air. “It’s a temporary love potion.”
Katara broke down in a scandalous laugh. “Yeah, and where did you get that from?”
Toph made a defensive frown. “Hey, it’s the real deal! I bought it from a weird old lady in town. She wasn’t lying, I swear.”
“Alright, I believe you. And what do you suggest we do with it?” 
“Yes, that’s the attitude!” she celebrated. “According to the weirdo, two drops of this stuff and you can make anyone fall at your feet. All you need is for the other person to consume it while looking at you. And I just thought, wouldn’t it be hilarious if Zuko just happened to suddenly be crazy in love with you? That play inspired me, that’s all I’m saying.”
Well, that sounded like a recipe for disaster. Especially considering the way that play had contributed to her latest confusion regarding her feelings for two very powerful - and very different - benders. Still, it was a tempting offer. 
“Toph, that’s insane!” Hesitation could be heard in her voice. “Trust me, pranking Zuko would be entertaining, but we cannot force him to be forever in love with me! I mean, what on earth would we do then? Seems a little cruel to me.”
“See? That’s the catch. It’s temporary. Two drops would only make him fall in love with you for a couple of days, tops. Come on! I thought you had been introduced to the concept of fun.”
Spirits, screw it. Two days of some harmless fun, how bad could it be? She could use a little distraction from the constant stress they were all under.
“Are you sure the effect will wear off?” 
“Absolutely. Say yes, please! You know I can always do it without you. Or to you.” A mischievous smile framed her face. “You know you want to torture Sparky a little bit.”
“Alright… Let’s do it. But if anything goes sideways it’s your responsibility.” 
“Heck yeah! That’s the spirit!” Toph gave her an affectionate punch in the shoulder. “Oh man, this is going to be too fun to watch!”
And so operation “Sparky falling for Sugar Queen” was put into motion. The two girls would prepare some tea - which would undoubtedly bribe Zuko in there - and make sure he was left alone with Katara when it came to drinking it. Toph would oversee everything from a cautious distance. It was the craziest, most random idea ever. But it sure sounded like fun.
 Once everything was ready, Katara waited for Zuko in the kitchen. Needless to say, she was feeling a tad nervous. Waiting by the countertop, staring at the two teacups in front of her, she felt her heart racing on her chest. 
It was just for two days. And it would certainly be nice to laugh with Toph about Zuko’s ridiculous lovey-dovey attitude. Most importantly, she wouldn’t even dream to risk Toph giving her the concoction. No, her feelings were already messy enough without the help of any love potion. 
“Katara, are you in here?” Zuko’s voice interrupted her overthinking. “Toph said you made tea for me…?”
Time for the show. She put on her brightest smile as Zuko sat down in front of her. 
“Yes! You seemed so tired this morning, figured you could use a little boost.” 
She handed him the cup with the two drops mixed in the tea. 
Zuko gifted her with a thankful smile. “Thank you, that’s very nice of you.”
Nice of me… Yeah, sure. Just drink the tea and look at me. 
He started drinking, only to stop after a few sips to have a little chat.
“So, Aang’s training is looking decent,” he started saying. “But I can tell he’s getting increasingly anxious. We might need to keep an eye on him, I wouldn’t want him to start avoiding our sessions.” 
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Katara intervened. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t slack on his training. Drink your tea, it’ll get cold otherwise.”
“Alright, alright,” he complied, looking into her eyes. “Thanks again for making it.” 
Katara observed him as he drank the whole thing in one go. Her golden eyes staring at her with an amused shine to them. She wondered how Zuko being in love with her would be like. He didn’t exactly give off the cheesy type vibes, though she knew how much of a dork he actually was. If you fall in love because of a potion, you’re pretty much doomed to grandiloquent gestures and infatuated declarations, right? Well, she wasn’t an expert on the subject. But she did know a thing or two about having feelings for someone.
Toph sneaked into the kitchen, placing her hands on Zuko’s shoulders and giving them one tight squeeze. “Hello there, Sparky, how are you feeling on this lovely day?” 
“Hey Toph,” he greeted her. “Much better after that tea, actually.”
Despite the perfectly normal response, Toph continued with her attack.
“You know what? Sugar Queen over here confessed to me this morning that she felt she looked terrible. I’m clearly not the best judge when it comes to looks.” The vicious smile on her face was a little too obvious. “How is she looking today, Sparky? Isn’t she stunning as usual?”
Oh, no. Katara felt herself blushing. The whole operation had quickly turned into Toph having fun at the expenses of both her and Zuko. But in all honesty, how could she had ever expected otherwise?
“Um, well,” Zuko mumbled, his eyes glued to the countertop. “She looks just the same to me. Like you said, um, she’s got her usual look.”
Katara wished Toph could see the look of utter confusion in her eyes. That was not the response she had imagined. 
Zuko abruptly stood up. “Alright, I think I’ll get back to training. See you two later,” he greeted them. “Oh, and Katara. Thanks again for the tea.”
‘Thanks for the tea’? So much for romantic gestures. 
Toph grasped her arm as soon as Zuko was out the door. 
“What on earth? That was the least romantic interaction ever.” The earthbender exclaimed, looking frustrated. 
“Hey, let’s give it some time. Maybe the effect hasn’t kicked in yet.” 
“Okay, we’ll wait. Man, what a bummer. I was fully expecting him to start a rant about how beautiful you are.” Toph threw her hands up in the air, grunting.
“Patience, we’ll get there,” Katara reassured her.
But am I even sure I want to get there? 
Deep down, a part of her was hoping for it.
The rest of the day was spent with Toph trying her best to get Zuko to do anything remotely romantic regarding Katara, in an attempt to kick off the love potion effects. Much to her frustration, nothing seemed to do the trick. Katara wasn’t sure what to think of it. Did she feel relieved, disappointed, or maybe even bored? Truth be told, it was kind of a mix of all three. 
Katara witnessed as Toph did everything she could. From suggesting they paired up in training all the way up to making them meditate together. All she got from Zuko was radio silence. Well, at least in the sense they were expecting. 
“Are you sure you don’t feel a little weird, Sparky?” Toph asked him for the millionth time during dinner. 
“Um, no? Why?” Zuko had a look of complete confusion on his face. 
“You sure you don’t feel a little more sparky than usual? Don’t you sense some new emotions?” Toph continued. “Anything different?”
“Alright, that’s enough Toph,” Katara interrupted. “You’re scaring the poor boy.”
“Yeah, Toph, what’s all that nonsense about?” Sokka asked. 
“Why should Zuko feel different?” Aang’s voice showed a tad of concern. 
“Nothing, nothing,” Toph replied. “Calm down, you all. I was just wondering.”
Katara noticed the annoyed frown on her friend’s face. She seemed pissed off by the lack of results, the whole plan had been her idea after all. 
After the meal, Suki stayed with them doing the dishes. 
“Are you two going to tell me what’s going on already?” she asked them, with her hands on her hips and an inquisitive look in her eyes. 
“Going on with what?” Toph played the innocent. “We’re just scraping plates.”
“Oh, come on! You have been acting weird all day! Especially you, Toph, asking Zuko the most random questions.”
“What do you say, Sugar Queen, should we tell her?” Toph asked.
“Sure, maybe she’ll even know why it’s not working,” Katara replied. “But Suki, promise not to tell any of the guys, alright?”
Suki let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine, just spill it.” 
“Okay, let me see. We made Sparky drink a love potion with his tea so he would fall in love with Katara. For two days. And before you ask, yes, it’s legit. Oh, but nothing’s happened yet.” Toph´s explanation was accompanied by a playful grin on her face. 
“You’re joking, right?” Suki asked with a sarcastic smirk. “Katara would never be on board with that.”
“Actually,” she said, blushing. “I thought it was kind of a fun idea.”
“Yeah, so much for fun since Sparky hasn’t shown any signs of love and it’s been hours! He should be acting all lovey-dovey already.”
Suki burst into laughter. “Spirits, that’s hilarious! You gave him a freaking love potion and he’s acting as usual?”
“I don’t get what you’re laughing about! Something’s seriously wrong with him! Or us!” Toph complained. “Katara, are you sure you didn’t drink the potion yourself?”
“Yes, Toph, I’m absolutely positive I gave him the cup with the two drops,” Katara replied. 
“Are you telling me you two don’t realize what’s going on?” Suki asked, an amused expression framing her face. “For being the ones to come up with this plan you seem rather clueless.”
A suspicion started to take shape into Katara’s mind. She couldn’t help but ask. “Suki, what are you talking about?” 
“Yeah, come on!” Toph urged her. “Do you know something that we don’t?”
Suki let out a soft giggle. “Well, let’s think about it. You gave Zuko a love potion to fall for Katara, right? Toph, you say it’s a legit one. But Zuko is acting painfully normal. Even though he is under the effects of the potion.”
“Your point is?” Toph was sitting down on the countertop with a desperate expression on her face. 
“If Zuko acts just as usual when he is supposed to be artificially in love with Katara… What do you think it’s the reason?”
“His heart is missing?” 
“The dose wasn’t strong enough?”
“No!” Suki exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. “He was already in love with her!”
Wait. What? That doesn’t make any sense.
“Spirits, Spirits, Spirits!!!” Toph jumped down the countertop, hands on her head, and on the verge of screaming. “That’s it! Suki, you’re a genius.”
Katara hadn’t even blinked. She was not even entirely sure she was still breathing. Zuko in love with her? It couldn’t be. He had even looked embarrassed by the way the play paired them together. Although she had acted embarrassed as well. And a part of her knew very well why. 
“Sugar Queen, I can’t believe I didn’t realize it sooner.” Toph poked her cheeks. “His heartbeat is all over the place whenever you’re around but again so is yours, and I thought it was just all that love/hate dynamic you’ve got going on. I had actually started to suspect he liked you, but Spirits, I didn´t realize he loves you.”
Love/hate, what? This can’t be happening.
Suki raised a brow. “Hold up, Toph, are you saying Katara’s heart beats faster when Zuko is around?”
“That’s a lie!” Katara exclaimed, snapping out. She couldn’t let her friends figure out the truth. “My heart is perfectly fine, thank you very much. And Zuko is not in love with me!”
“And I suppose you have unlimited access to his mind and that’s how you know that?” Toph deadpanned. 
“No… I - That’s unfair Toph,” she managed to mumble, feeling her heart starting to race on her chest.
“As unfair as the fact that you’re heart is betraying your words in this exact second,” Toph replied. 
Katara wished with all of her strength that the ground opened up and swallowed her. The entire operation had gone sideways. But not in the way she had originally expected. No, it was worse.
“Alright, alright,” Suki intervened. “Enough torturing with Katara, this was supposed to be about Zuko.”
“Thank you. Can we please go back to the point?” 
Toph let out an exasperated sigh. “The point is Zuko is in love with you, Sugar Queen. But not because of the love potion, it seems like he’s been head over heels for you way before drinking that tea.”
“I seriously can't believe you didn’t figure this out sooner,” Suki said. “The question is, what are you going to do about it, Kat?” 
That was a very good question indeed. One she had no answer for. 
“Why should I even do something about it?” Katara asked, a confused look in her eyes. 
“Because I think deep down you want to.” Suki’s tone got serious all of the sudden.
Toph placed a hand on her shoulder. “Sugar Queen, I’m sorry if my prank ended up bringing you a headache. But Suki’s right, you should confront him.”
“Confront him? We’re in the middle of a war! I don’t need any distractions.” Her head was spinning a little too fast.
“Says the girl who complied to give a love potion to Sparky,” Toph remarked.
“Katara, would you seriously prefer to have a lump on your throat until Aang has taken down Fire Lord Ozai?”
Truth be told, she would hate that. A part of her knew she had feelings for Zuko. For that poor firebender she had given a love potion to. Only to have the whole scheme backfire right on her face. Now, she had to stand up to it. 
“No.” She shook her head. “I wouldn’t prefer that.” 
“Then hear me out because I have a plan!” Toph exclaimed, enthusiasm written all over her face. “I know how to get one last bit of fun out of this failure of an operation.”
——
The next day went out according to what the girls had planned. Still hoping for at least a bit of extra romance on Zuko’s behalf - which, unsurprisingly, never occurred - the three of them acted normal all the way until the afternoon. 
After training, Toph cornered the poor Zuko on his way to the beach. Katara and Suki stayed at the shore, discreetly listening. 
“Sparky, this is your last chance!” Toph exclaimed.
“My last chance for what?” The look of sheer confusion on his face was priceless to say the least. 
“Come on! Please tell me you are feeling extra lovey-dovey and maybe I’ll let you walk away without making you even more uncomfortable.”
“Toph, I swear I have no clue what you’re talking about.”
“You’re telling me you don’t feel any special romantic feelings today?”
“Um, no?” His voice had a strain of nervousness to it.
“And what about regular feelings? Got them for anyone? Maybe for someone you drink a lot of tea with?”
“Uh - No? Um, Toph, can I please go now?” Zuko stuttered. 
“Ha! I knew it, you sneaky little bastard! That’s a lie.” Toph threw her hands up in the air. “I can tell you’re lying. I was right, heck yeah!”
Zuko anxiously tried to get past her. “Alright, sure, can I please go down to the beach now?” 
“Don’t you want to know why I’m asking you this?”
“Do I have to?”
“We gave you a love potion, Sparky! A love potion mixed with that tea you drank yesterday. And you were supposed to fall in love with Miss Sugar Queen!” Toph’s was grinning from ear to ear. 
Katara and Suki exchanged a concerned look. That was not part of the plan. Katara was supposed to be the one to tell Zuko about the love potion. After Toph had made sure whether he was lying or not. Then, and only maybe, she would mention the tricky subject of actual feelings. 
“What on earth, Toph?” Zuko’s face was pale as a ghost. “Why would you do that?” 
“Because I've been suspecting for forever that you liked her! And when I got that love potion it was just too tempting not to go for it. I thought it would be a fun experiment! Katara was also on board with it.” 
“But?”
“But it only made me reaffirm my theory! What I didn’t expect is that you don’t just like her, you’re full-blown in love with her!”
“Toph, can you please tone it down? I wouldn’t want anyone else to hear this conversation,” Zuko pleaded.”
Katara was cursing Toph, Suki, Zuko, the moon, the stars, the Spirits, and herself. Toph playing matchmaker as subtle as an elephant trying to fit into her sleeping tent.
“Sparky, don’t you see Katara and Suki over there in the corner? They’re already listening!” Toph waved at the two of them, she had the most amused look on her face.
“What? Toph!” Zuko’s face was now entirely red. “You’re insane.”
“Sh, let me get to the best part,” she shushed him. “I think our dear Sugar Queen has something very important to tell you.”
Toph grabbed him by the wrist and started marching up to them. 
Toph, you’ll pay for this, Katara thought as she found herself in front of Zuko. 
“Now, I think Suki and I have to go do literally anything else but being here,” Toph resolved. “Alright! Everyone’s happy? See you!
“Kat, I’m sorry,” Suki mumbled. “I had no clue about this but I’ll better go.”
The two girls sprinted back to the house, where Aang and Sokka were probably taking care of dinner. 
Her eyes met Zuko’s, and she felt her heart racing inside of her chest. The awkwardness of the situation was remarkable. 
“So… I’m taking it you heard everything Toph said?” Zuko asked, sitting down on the shore next to her. 
“Yeah,” she replied, nervously playing with the sand that surrounded them. “I’m sorry about the love potion thing. It was stupid of me.”
“I just didn’t understand the logic behind it. Were you going to let me be in love with you for all eternity?”
“The effect was supposed to wash out tomorrow…” She let out a sigh. “But I guess it’s the same now.”
“Because you realized that I acted normal around you even with the potion?”
“Exactly.” Katara took a deep breath. “Look, Zuko, I had no clue-”
“Katara,” he interrupted her. “It’s okay. I don’t mind you know.”
“So it’s true then? Are you…”
“Am I in love with you?” He rubbed the back of his neck, his whole body seemed anxious. “Yeah, I am. I guess even more than I knew.”
Silence. Just sheer silence. 
Zuko rushed to continue. “It’s perfectly okay if you don’t feel the same way.”
But she did feel the same way. 
“Look, I think I’m in love with you too,” she blurted out, feeling her cheeks turning bright red.
“You are?” His voice was tinted with astonishment. 
She nodded in agreement. Then, she proceeded to say something else. “The night of the play, Aang felt terrible about the possibility of us being together. He kissed me and… and I pulled apart. I was horribly confused. A part of me knew he has always expected to be with me. But it didn’t feel right.”
Katara made a pause. She couldn’t believe she was actually saying those words out loud. 
“Go on, I’m listening,” Zuko encouraged her.
“Well, I knew I felt something for you for a long time already. But with what happened the night of the play, and now this whole love potion thing… I realize I’m in love with you too.”
Zuko brushed his fingertips against the back of her hand. “Thank you, for being honest with me.”
She squeezed his hand. “Thank you for not wanting to kill me for giving you a love potion.”
“Now what?”
“I don’t know. We still have a war to win.”
A moment of quietness invaded the space between them. Their fingers were intertwined, both of their hearts racing. They were savoring the confirmation of their feelings - and embracing the uncertainty - together. 
“Do you want to wait?”
“Wait?”
“Yeah, until this whole mess is over,” he explained. “We can figure out things slowly, I don’t mind. It’s not like I’m suddenly going to stop having feelings for you.”
“So you would still be in love with me… And I would still be in love with you…” 
“But we focus on winning the war first.” 
Katara tilted her to look straight at him. “Can I occasionally do this, though?”
He made a slight frown. “Do what?”
She didn’t give him much time to wonder. In a split second, she leaned onto him and placed a kiss on his lips. It was sweet, quick, and a little timid. But it was still the first kiss they shared. 
“So?” Katara asked, a light smile framing her face. “Can I?”
Zuko placed his arm around her shoulder, allowing her to rest her head on the creek of his neck. 
He squeezed her hand, chuckling. “Yeah, I think you can.”
“You know  what? I’m really glad Toph convinced me to give you that stupid love potion.”
---- I hope you enjoyed this fluffy little thing I wrote! Feedback is always appreciated! <3 Thank you for reading! @zutaraweek
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whattheheehaw · 4 years
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Thanks @babytreehugger for the tag! I love your blog too and I live for your rambly tags 😅😂. Also, I really love your vibes (if that makes any sense).
Rules: tag nine people you want to get to know better or catch up with, then answer these questions.
Three ships:
Y’all already know that I ship Zutara, Taang, Sukka, and Mailee so here’s three other ships that I would die for.
Urzai from Avatar: the Last Airbender. I know, I know. A lot of people don’t like it, but ever since I saw that fountain scene from “Zuko Alone”, my life was changed. However, I only dig show!canon when it comes to this ship. The comics don’t exist.
Korrasami from The Legend of Korra. I have mixed feelings about the show (and even more mixed feelings about the romantic subplots of the show), but I absolutely adore these bisexual queens! 
Adrienette/Ladynoir/Ladrien/Marichat from Miraculous Ladybug. Does that count as 1 ship? I mean, they’re the same people so... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Last song: Ok, this is embarassing 😅. I have a fascination with song mashups and I just listened to Bohemian WAPsody, which is a mashup between “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen and “WAP” by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion. I only listened to this as a joke, but it actually kinda slaps? I swear I listen to real music 87% of the time.
Last movie: It was some dumb Lifetime movie. My mom and I love to watch them and make jokes over the absurdity of the plot. 
Currently craving:  A Korean croquette (korroke). Preferrably with curry filling. Those things are my childhood and I haven’t had one in a while :(
Currently reading: I just finished rereading The Crucible and picked up Angela’s Ashes yesterday.
Uhhhhh.... I don’t really know who to tag tbh 😅. Let’s just say if you find this post and you want to join in on the action, you definitely can!
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sol-tinyrayofsun · 4 years
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Zutara Week Day 6 - Affirm:  It Was Always You (Falling For Me)
*Alright, I´m reposting this because it´s not showing up in the tags.*
This little story has been on my mind for quite some time now and I somehow made it work with the prompt. It’s really fluffy, ridiculous, and features a lot of Toph’s brilliance to mess with her friends yet always meaning well. I just had a good time writing it, it was honestly a fun ride.
I hope you enjoy it! As always, thank you for reading! Feedback and comments are always appreciated! <3 In case you prefer it, also on AO3!
Title: It Was Always You (Falling For Me)
Rating: G
Summary: When Katara let Toph convince her of giving Zuko a love potion to make him fall in love with her, she knew the chances of the plan going sideways were extremely high. Still, the last thing she expected was for Zuko to act normal. Painfully normal. Operation “Sparky Falling For Sugar Queen” turns out to be a little too complicated. (Set after Ember Island Players but before Sozin’s Comet).
----- 
 “Pst! Katara!”
The waterbender tilted her head. The kitchen appeared to be empty. Still, she could hear someone calling for her, loud and clear. She had been busy making sure they had everything ready for lunch around Zuko’s holiday house at Ember Island.
“Katara!” There it was, that voice again. “Listen up, Sugar Queen!”
Wait for a second, that was Toph’s voice. Definitely.
“Toph?” She asked, walking around the room. “Where on earth are you?”
“Inside the broomstick closet!” Toph chuckled. “Come here for a sec.”
Katara did as she said. Once she opened the door, she found Toph mischievously smirking, holding a little bottle in her hands.
“So, what is it?”
“This!” Toph replied, showing off the bottle with a grin on her face. “This is what I wanted to show you!”
“And you were hidden with all those broomsticks because…”
“Dramatic effect, Sugar Queen, never underestimate it,” she said, stepping into the kitchen hall. “Now, aren’t you going to ask what this is for?”
“Sure, Toph,” Katara let out an amused sigh. “Why is it so important?
“How do you feel about having some fun at Sparky’s expenses?”
In all honesty, the idea sounded tempting. After the dreadful night Katara had endured with that stupid play just days ago, she could use more than a little fun. Although Toph’s idea of fun could sometimes be questionable, at the very least.
“Hold up. What do you have in mind?”
“This little thing,” Toph shook the bottle up in the air. “It’s a temporary love potion.”
Katara broke down in a scandalous laugh. “Yeah, and where did you get that from?”
Toph made a defensive frown. “Hey, it’s the real deal! I bought it from a weird old lady in town. She wasn’t lying, I swear.”
“Alright, I believe you. And what do you suggest we do with it?”
“Yes, that’s the attitude!” she celebrated. “According to the weirdo, two drops of this stuff and you can make anyone fall at your feet. All you need is for the other person to consume it while looking at you. And I just thought, wouldn’t it be hilarious if Zuko just happened to suddenly be crazy in love with you? That play inspired me, that’s all I’m saying.”
Well, that sounded like a recipe for disaster. Especially considering the way that play had contributed to her latest confusion regarding her feelings for two very powerful - and very different - benders. Still, it was a tempting offer.
“Toph, that’s insane!” Hesitation could be heard in her voice. “Trust me, pranking Zuko would be entertaining, but we cannot force him to be forever in love with me! I mean, what on earth would we do then? Seems a little cruel to me.”
“See? That’s the catch. It’s temporary. Two drops would only make him fall in love with you for a couple of days, tops. Come on! I thought you had been introduced to the concept of fun.”
Spirits, screw it. Two days of some harmless fun, how bad could it be? She could use a little distraction from the constant stress they were all under.
“Are you sure the effect will wear off?”
“Absolutely. Say yes, please! You know I can always do it without you. Or to you.” A mischievous smile framed her face. “You know you want to torture Sparky a little bit.”
“Alright… Let’s do it. But if anything goes sideways it’s your responsibility.”
“Heck yeah! That’s the spirit!” Toph gave her an affectionate punch in the shoulder. “Oh man, this is going to be too fun to watch!”
And so operation “Sparky falling for Sugar Queen” was put into motion. The two girls would prepare some tea - which would undoubtedly bribe Zuko in there - and make sure he was left alone with Katara when it came to drinking it. Toph would oversee everything from a cautious distance. It was the craziest, most random idea ever. But it sure sounded like fun.
Once everything was ready, Katara waited for Zuko in the kitchen. Needless to say, she was feeling a tad nervous. Waiting by the countertop, staring at the two teacups in front of her, she felt her heart racing on her chest.
It was just for two days. And it would certainly be nice to laugh with Toph about Zuko’s ridiculous lovey-dovey attitude. Most importantly, she wouldn’t even dream to risk Toph giving her the concoction. No, her feelings were already messy enough without the help of any love potion.
“Katara, are you in here?” Zuko’s voice interrupted her overthinking. “Toph said you made tea for me…?”
Time for the show. She put on her brightest smile as Zuko sat down in front of her.
“Yes! You seemed so tired this morning, figured you could use a little boost.”
She handed him the cup with the two drops mixed in the tea.
Zuko gifted her with a thankful smile. “Thank you, that’s very nice of you.”
Nice of me… Yeah, sure. Just drink the tea and look at me.
He started drinking, only to stop after a few sips to have a little chat.
“So, Aang’s training is looking decent,” he started saying. “But I can tell he’s getting increasingly anxious. We might need to keep an eye on him, I wouldn’t want him to start avoiding our sessions.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Katara intervened. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t slack on his training. Drink your tea, it’ll get cold otherwise.”
“Alright, alright,” he complied, looking into her eyes. “Thanks again for making it.”
Katara observed him as he drank the whole thing in one go. Her golden eyes staring at her with an amused shine to them. She wondered how Zuko being in love with her would be like. He didn’t exactly give off the cheesy type vibes, though she knew how much of a dork he actually was. If you fall in love because of a potion, you’re pretty much doomed to grandiloquent gestures and infatuated declarations, right? Well, she wasn’t an expert on the subject. But she did know a thing or two about having feelings for someone.
Toph sneaked into the kitchen, placing her hands on Zuko’s shoulders and giving them one tight squeeze. “Hello there, Sparky, how are you feeling on this lovely day?”
“Hey Toph,” he greeted her. “Much better after that tea, actually.”
Despite the perfectly normal response, Toph continued with her attack.
“You know what? Sugar Queen over here confessed to me this morning that she felt she looked terrible. I’m clearly not the best judge when it comes to looks.” The vicious smile on her face was a little too obvious. “How is she looking today, Sparky? Isn’t she stunning as usual?”
Oh, no. Katara felt herself blushing. The whole operation had quickly turned into Toph having fun at the expenses of both her and Zuko. But in all honesty, how could she had ever expected otherwise?
“Um, well,” Zuko mumbled, his eyes glued to the countertop. “She looks just the same to me. Like you said, um, she’s got her usual look.”
Katara wished Toph could see the look of utter confusion in her eyes. That was not the response she had imagined.
Zuko abruptly stood up. “Alright, I think I’ll get back to training. See you two later,” he greeted them. “Oh, and Katara. Thanks again for the tea.”
‘Thanks for the tea’? So much for romantic gestures.
Toph grasped her arm as soon as Zuko was out the door.
“What on earth? That was the least romantic interaction ever.” The earthbender exclaimed, looking frustrated.
“Hey, let’s give it some time. Maybe the effect hasn’t kicked in yet.”
“Okay, we’ll wait. Man, what a bummer. I was fully expecting him to start a rant about how beautiful you are.” Toph threw her hands up in the air, grunting.
“Patience, we’ll get there,” Katara reassured her.
But am I even sure I want to get there?
Deep down, a part of her was hoping for it.
The rest of the day was spent with Toph trying her best to get Zuko to do anything remotely romantic regarding Katara, in an attempt to kick off the love potion effects. Much to her frustration, nothing seemed to do the trick. Katara wasn’t sure what to think of it. Did she feel relieved, disappointed, or maybe even bored? Truth be told, it was kind of a mix of all three.
Katara witnessed as Toph did everything she could. From suggesting they paired up in training all the way up to making them meditate together. All she got from Zuko was radio silence. Well, at least in the sense they were expecting.
“Are you sure you don’t feel a little weird, Sparky?” Toph asked him for the millionth time during dinner.
“Um, no? Why?” Zuko had a look of complete confusion on his face.
“You sure you don’t feel a little more sparky than usual? Don’t you sense some new emotions?” Toph continued. “Anything different?”
“Alright, that’s enough Toph,” Katara interrupted. “You’re scaring the poor boy.”
“Yeah, Toph, what’s all that nonsense about?” Sokka asked.
“Why should Zuko feel different?” Aang’s voice showed a tad of concern.
“Nothing, nothing,” Toph replied. “Calm down, you all. I was just wondering.”
Katara noticed the annoyed frown on her friend’s face. She seemed pissed off by the lack of results, the whole plan had been her idea after all.
After the meal, Suki stayed with them doing the dishes.
“Are you two going to tell me what’s going on already?” she asked them, with her hands on her hips and an inquisitive look in her eyes.
“Going on with what?” Toph played the innocent. “We’re just scraping plates.”
“Oh, come on! You have been acting weird all day! Especially you, Toph, asking Zuko the most random questions.”
“What do you say, Sugar Queen, should we tell her?” Toph asked.
“Sure, maybe she’ll even know why it’s not working,” Katara replied. “But Suki, promise not to tell any of the guys, alright?”
Suki let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine, just spill it.”
“Okay, let me see. We made Sparky drink a love potion with his tea so he would fall in love with Katara. For two days. And before you ask, yes, it’s legit. Oh, but nothing’s happened yet.” Toph´s explanation was accompanied by a playful grin on her face.
“You’re joking, right?” Suki asked with a sarcastic smirk. “Katara would never be on board with that.”
“Actually,” she said, blushing. “I thought it was kind of a fun idea.”
“Yeah, so much for fun since Sparky hasn’t shown any signs of love and it’s been hours! He should be acting all lovey-dovey already.”
Suki burst into laughter. “Spirits, that’s hilarious! You gave him a freaking love potion and he’s acting as usual?”
“I don’t get what you’re laughing about! Something’s seriously wrong with him! Or us!” Toph complained. “Katara, are you sure you didn’t drink the potion yourself?”
“Yes, Toph, I’m absolutely positive I gave him the cup with the two drops,” Katara replied.
“Are you telling me you two don’t realize what’s going on?” Suki asked, an amused expression framing her face. “For being the ones to come up with this plan you seem rather clueless.”
A suspicion started to take shape into Katara’s mind. She couldn’t help but ask. “Suki, what are you talking about?”
“Yeah, come on!” Toph urged her. “Do you know something that we don’t?”
Suki let out a soft giggle. “Well, let’s think about it. You gave Zuko a love potion to fall for Katara, right? Toph, you say it’s a legit one. But Zuko is acting painfully normal. Even though he is under the effects of the potion.”
“Your point is?” Toph was sitting down on the countertop with a desperate expression on her face.
“If Zuko acts just as usual when he is supposed to be artificially in love with Katara… What do you think it’s the reason?”
“His heart is missing?”
“The dose wasn’t strong enough?”
“No!” Suki exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. “He was already in love with her!”
Wait. What? That doesn’t make any sense.
“Spirits, Spirits, Spirits!!!” Toph jumped down the countertop, hands on her head, and on the verge of screaming. “That’s it! Suki, you’re a genius.”
Katara hadn’t even blinked. She was not even entirely sure she was still breathing. Zuko in love with her? It couldn’t be. He had even looked embarrassed by the way the play paired them together. Although she had acted embarrassed as well. And a part of her knew very well why.
“Sugar Queen, I can’t believe I didn’t realize it sooner.” Toph poked her cheeks. “His heartbeat is all over the place whenever you’re around but again so is yours, and I thought it was just all that love/hate dynamic you’ve got going on. I had actually started to suspect he liked you, but Spirits, I didn´t realize he loves you.”
Love/hate, what? This can’t be happening.
Suki raised a brow. “Hold up, Toph, are you saying Katara’s heart beats faster when Zuko is around?”
“That’s a lie!” Katara exclaimed, snapping out. She couldn’t let her friends figure out the truth. “My heart is perfectly fine, thank you very much. And Zuko is not in love with me!”
“And I suppose you have unlimited access to his mind and that’s how you know that?” Toph deadpanned.
“No… I - That’s unfair Toph,” she managed to mumble, feeling her heart starting to race on her chest.
“As unfair as the fact that you’re heart is betraying your words in this exact second,” Toph replied.
Katara wished with all of her strength that the ground opened up and swallowed her. The entire operation had gone sideways. But not in the way she had originally expected. No, it was worse.
“Alright, alright,” Suki intervened. “Enough torturing with Katara, this was supposed to be about Zuko.”
“Thank you. Can we please go back to the point?”
Toph let out an exasperated sigh. “The point is Zuko is in love with you, Sugar Queen. But not because of the love potion, it seems like he’s been head over heels for you way before drinking that tea.”
“I seriously can't believe you didn’t figure this out sooner,” Suki said. “The question is, what are you going to do about it, Kat?”
That was a very good question indeed. One she had no answer for.
“Why should I even do something about it?” Katara asked, a confused look in her eyes.
“Because I think deep down you want to.” Suki’s tone got serious all of the sudden.
Toph placed a hand on her shoulder. “Sugar Queen, I’m sorry if my prank ended up bringing you a headache. But Suki’s right, you should confront him.”
“Confront him? We’re in the middle of a war! I don’t need any distractions.” Her head was spinning a little too fast.
“Says the girl who complied to give a love potion to Sparky,” Toph remarked.
“Katara, would you seriously prefer to have a lump on your throat until Aang has taken down Fire Lord Ozai?”
Truth be told, she would hate that. A part of her knew she had feelings for Zuko. For that poor firebender she had given a love potion to. Only to have the whole scheme backfire right on her face. Now, she had to stand up to it.
“No.” She shook her head. “I wouldn’t prefer that.”
“Then hear me out because I have a plan!” Toph exclaimed, enthusiasm written all over her face. “I know how to get one last bit of fun out of this failure of an operation.”
——
The next day went out according to what the girls had planned. Still hoping for at least a bit of extra romance on Zuko’s behalf - which, unsurprisingly, never occurred - the three of them acted normal all the way until the afternoon.
After training, Toph cornered the poor Zuko on his way to the beach. Katara and Suki stayed at the shore, discreetly listening.
“Sparky, this is your last chance!” Toph exclaimed.
“My last chance for what?” The look of sheer confusion on his face was priceless to say the least.
“Come on! Please tell me you are feeling extra lovey-dovey and maybe I’ll let you walk away without making you even more uncomfortable.”
“Toph, I swear I have no clue what you’re talking about.”
“You’re telling me you don’t feel any special romantic feelings today?”
“Um, no?” His voice had a strain of nervousness to it.
“And what about regular feelings? Got them for anyone? Maybe for someone you drink a lot of tea with?”
“Uh - No? Um, Toph, can I please go now?” Zuko stuttered.
“Ha! I knew it, you sneaky little bastard! That’s a lie.” Toph threw her hands up in the air. “I can tell you’re lying. I was right, heck yeah!”
Zuko anxiously tried to get past her. “Alright, sure, can I please go down to the beach now?”
“Don’t you want to know why I’m asking you this?”
“Do I have to?”
“We gave you a love potion, Sparky! A love potion mixed with that tea you drank yesterday. And you were supposed to fall in love with Miss Sugar Queen!” Toph’s was grinning from ear to ear.
Katara and Suki exchanged a concerned look. That was not part of the plan. Katara was supposed to be the one to tell Zuko about the love potion. After Toph had made sure whether he was lying or not. Then, and only maybe, she would mention the tricky subject of actual feelings.
“What on earth, Toph?” Zuko’s face was pale as a ghost. “Why would you do that?”
“Because I've been suspecting for forever that you liked her! And when I got that love potion it was just too tempting not to go for it. I thought it would be a fun experiment! Katara was also on board with it.”
“But?”
“But it only made me reaffirm my theory! What I didn’t expect is that you don’t just like her, you’re full-blown in love with her!”
“Toph, can you please tone it down? I wouldn’t want anyone else to hear this conversation,” Zuko pleaded.”
Katara was cursing Toph, Suki, Zuko, the moon, the stars, the Spirits, and herself. Toph playing matchmaker as subtle as an elephant trying to fit into her sleeping tent.
“Sparky, don’t you see Katara and Suki over there in the corner? They’re already listening!” Toph waved at the two of them, she had the most amused look on her face.
“What? Toph!” Zuko’s face was now entirely red. “You’re insane.”
“Sh, let me get to the best part,” she shushed him. “I think our dear Sugar Queen has something very important to tell you.”
Toph grabbed him by the wrist and started marching up to them.
Toph, you’ll pay for this, Katara thought as she found herself in front of Zuko.
“Now, I think Suki and I have to go do literally anything else but being here,” Toph resolved. “Alright! Everyone’s happy? See you!
“Kat, I’m sorry,” Suki mumbled. “I had no clue about this but I’ll better go.”
The two girls sprinted back to the house, where Aang and Sokka were probably taking care of dinner.
Her eyes met Zuko’s, and she felt her heart racing inside of her chest. The awkwardness of the situation was remarkable.
“So… I’m taking it you heard everything Toph said?” Zuko asked, sitting down on the shore next to her.
“Yeah,” she replied, nervously playing with the sand that surrounded them. “I’m sorry about the love potion thing. It was stupid of me.”
“I just didn’t understand the logic behind it. Were you going to let me be in love with you for all eternity?”
“The effect was supposed to wash out tomorrow…” She let out a sigh. “But I guess it’s the same now.”
“Because you realized that I acted normal around you even with the potion?”
“Exactly.” Katara took a deep breath. “Look, Zuko, I had no clue-”
“Katara,” he interrupted her. “It’s okay. I don’t mind you know.”
“So it’s true then? Are you…”
“Am I in love with you?” He rubbed the back of his neck, his whole body seemed anxious. “Yeah, I am. I guess even more than I knew.”
Silence. Just sheer silence.
Zuko rushed to continue. “It’s perfectly okay if you don’t feel the same way.”
But she did feel the same way.
“Look, I think I’m in love with you too,” she blurted out, feeling her cheeks turning bright red.
“You are?” His voice was tinted with astonishment.
She nodded in agreement. Then, she proceeded to say something else. “The night of the play, Aang felt terrible about the possibility of us being together. He kissed me and… and I pulled apart. I was horribly confused. A part of me knew he has always expected to be with me. But it didn’t feel right.”
Katara made a pause. She couldn’t believe she was actually saying those words out loud.
“Go on, I’m listening,” Zuko encouraged her.
“Well, I knew I felt something for you for a long time already. But with what happened the night of the play, and now this whole love potion thing… I realize I’m in love with you too.”
Zuko brushed his fingertips against the back of her hand. “Thank you, for being honest with me.”
She squeezed his hand. “Thank you for not wanting to kill me for giving you a love potion.”
“Now what?”
“I don’t know. We still have a war to win.”
A moment of quietness invaded the space between them. Their fingers were intertwined, both of their hearts racing. They were savoring the confirmation of their feelings - and embracing the uncertainty - together.
“Do you want to wait?”
“Wait?”
“Yeah, until this whole mess is over,” he explained. “We can figure out things slowly, I don’t mind. It’s not like I’m suddenly going to stop having feelings for you.”
“So you would still be in love with me… And I would still be in love with you…”
“But we focus on winning the war first.”
Katara tilted her to look straight at him. “Can I occasionally do this, though?”
He made a slight frown. “Do what?”
She didn’t give him much time to wonder. In a split second, she leaned onto him and placed a kiss on his lips. It was sweet, quick, and a little timid. But it was still the first kiss they shared.
“So?” Katara asked, a light smile framing her face. “Can I?”
Zuko placed his arm around her shoulder, allowing her to rest her head on the creek of his neck.
He squeezed her hand, chuckling. “Yeah, I think you can.”
“You know  what? I’m really glad Toph convinced me to give you that stupid love potion.”
---- I hope you enjoyed this fluffy little thing I wrote! Feedback is always appreciated! <3 Thank you for reading!
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