3So, yeah. This story was inspired by the wind, hurhur. I always forget how good it feels to have a good, strong breeze to just hit your face. It really lifts your spirits. D
This story was originally posted by me on Distant Horizon's forums, a fan site for Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or any of the characters. If I did... D
The Breath of Life
A Zutara One-Shot 'Drabble'
By Sasoriza
There was no way he'd let her win this time. No, not again, not ever again, his ego couldn't handle it. She was lightning fast. Her moves were fluid, precise, and almost deadly accurate. Zuko had to stay on his toes to avoid being hit too hard. Whenever he would place his palms together and aimed to fire, she'd always be able to counter attack him. He didn't want to admit it, but it felt like he was losing.
As she fired at him one last time, aiming for his feet, Zuko leaped up into the air, shooting rapid blasts of fire at his opponent. Somehow, she had outsmarted him, grabbing hold of his leg and yanking him down. Zuko fell to the ground with a thud. His chest heaved as he gasped for air. Having the wind knocked out of him didn't help the situation he was going to be in soon, as the girl began to tower over him.
She stood above him, hands teasingly on her hips and a sly smile on her face. "I have you beat," she mused. Zuko looked quite grim to her, and he ever so slightly frowned at her. "What are you going to do now, seeing as I have won this round?"
At that moment, a smirk grew upon Zuko's face as he spun around, using his legs to knock the girl off balance. It worked. She began to fall, and just before she hit the ground all of the way, Zuko caught her head. He looked down on her, the hint of pleasure still apparent in his expression.
"Ha," he said articulately. "Now who's on top?" He triumphantly folded his arms across his chest.
"Let's just call this one a draw," the girl lightly chuckled. Zuko half-heartedly smiled, and offered her his hand so she could get up. She hesitantly took it, feeling the warmth and strength in his grasp. Once up, she took it upon herself to dust off her wrinkled pants. "Well," she breathed merrily, "that was a nice work out, wasn't it?"
He grinned at her, brushing his hands against his thighs. "It was, we should do this more often." The girl sent a sparkling smile his way, which sent chills down his spine. Zuko coughed nervously, looking away.
She looked to see where the sun had positioned itself in the mid-morning sky. A large, enthusiastic smile began to over take her. "Come on!" she gasped, grabbing Zuko's wrist and dragging him along with her.
"Katara, where are we going?" he asked, only a tad bit surprised. She giggled and kept running, refusing to answer his question quite yet. Zuko couldn't help but to smile.
They continued to run until they reached a thick wall of vines. Zuko stopped, and tried to decide what to do next. "Is this the brilliant place where you were taking me?"
Katara snorted, "No, why would I bring you here? It's so dull." Zuko wrinkled his nose and folded his arms across his chest yet again. He watched her look around the vines, picking up some of the broad leaves that blocked her view.
"Okay," Zuko sighed, becoming impatient, "what exactly are you looking for?"
She continued rooting through the foliage with determination, not breaking her concentration. Finally, she smiled and looked up at Zuko. "This," she answered him after a while. Katara moved aside so Zuko could see the tiny break in the think vines that formed a barrier in front of them. He looked through the hole, which he guessed was approximately two feet wide.
"Wow," Zuko sighed. He could clearly see a field of lush green grass and a rich blue sky to go along with it through the small window. "How'd you find this place?" he asked, standing up in the process.
Katara put her hands on her lap and sat back. "You know me," she chimed. "I can't sit still for too long. I found this place while I was out for a walk."
Zuko nodded, now wondering how to see more of this place. "So, are we just going to sit her grappling at it?" he asked her.
She snickered at his response. "No," she snickered. Zuko look down at her with eyes begging to be told what was next. "Just follow me," she directed him. Katara reached around to her side to her water pouch. After taking out a fair amount of water, she began to gently cut back the bulky vines so that the hole was just big enough for them to fit through.
Zuko watched her every move. The way that she manipulated the water at her own will. The way that she cut back the vines without harming them, using so much focus, he had noted. The way that she looked so at peace when she bended was what caught his attention the most. He didn't want to have these thoughts toward her, as she was merely his friend, but the more he spent time with her, the more the thoughts came.
Again, she took hold of his wrist, guiding him through the gap in between the vines. Zuko momentarily closed his eyes, adjusting to the much brighter sunlight. When he opened his eyes, a small gasp nearly left his mouth. All around him were gentle rolling grass knolls with dashes of violet flowers leaping out of the tall grass. A barricade of coniferous trees lined the side that they were nearest. The plain was very calm and there were no trees, except for the large circular pattern of cherry blossom trees near the edge of a near by cliff.
They were both quiet, until Katara daintily touched his arm. "Isn't this beautiful?" she cooed. He looked over to her and smiled warmly at her, making her heart flutter. Her eyes beamed with compassion and trust, and then she began to walk forward. "Let's go sit down over there," she said to him, pointing in the direction of the blossoming trees.
Zuko took a few extra large strides to catch up to her. They both broke into a full out run. The wind hitting his face made Zuko feel alive, a feeling he hadn't had in a while. It aroused his senses and brought joy to him. He didn't feel like saying much, since he rarely did anyway, but his expression was more than words them self.
When they finally got to the trees, Katara was catching her breath while Zuko peered around slightly. He smirked at her. "Having trouble?" he teased.
She shot him a fiery, yet playful, glance and stood up straight. "Hey, I don't train all the time, unlike so other people I know," she hinted toward him.
"What can I say?" he beamed with pride. "You have to be in shape when you live like I do."
Katara snickered at him, laughing with his funny gestures, posing and acting all buff. "Okay, okay," she giggled, "but we live the same lives, you know. You just over do things pretty often."
Zuko slumped to the ground, resting his back against the thick trunk of a cherry blossom tree. Katara lightly sat down next to him, brushing up against him as she went down. A tint of red began to grow across Zuko's cheeks, as Katara nestled up beside him. The wind still tingled his senses, and it blew his messy hair back and forth. He noticed that a few loose strands of Katara's hair swayed in the wind, as well. With a sigh, he relaxed, and closed his eyes.
She glanced over at him. He looked so calm, so at peace. Katara couldn't help but to smile. When he was like this, so down to earth, that was when she liked him most. "If the world ever stopped turning," she whispered, barely audible. Zuko opened his eyes, and then looked into her. There was a flood of emotion, a passion, a desire. "I wouldn't mind it stopping right now, at this point in time, with us here together."
Zuko was silent, and didn't respond right away. He closed his eyes again, letting the wind take away his worries, his cares, his fears. Everything that was bothering him seemed to melt away, being carried by the wind. It brought life to him, and a surge of confidence filled his heart.
"I-I feel the same way, Katara," he stuttered. Katara gazed upon him, quite shocked that he had replied in that way. For what seemed like an eternity, they were lost in each other's gaze. She searched his strong, golden eyes for some sign of playfulness, but she only saw sincerity. Zuko, too, looked for any sign of her feeling like she was being tricked, yet he could only find calm. He finally smiled and cupped her chin in his hand with a very gentle touch. The young girl's heart pounded in her chest as he drew closer. Then, he began to whisper in his ear. "The wind has this effect on my sometimes. It cleanses me, makes my head clear, and now I can see what I've been missing."
"What?" she asked in a soft, quiet tone. "What are you missing?"
He brought himself back so he could gaze into her eyes once more. A cherry blossom fell from the tree above them, landing in-between the two of them. "You," he murmured, "I've been missing you."
Katara was dazed, and she couldn't find the words to react. "Zuko. . .I ―" He then reached forward to pull her in closer, and she didn't push him away. Instead, she let him touch her, letting him put his hand through her hair. She, too, finally rested her head on his shoulder. A sharp breeze came, causing dozens of cherry blossom to flutter around them. Once more, they looked into the other's eyes, getting lost yet again.
Not even a minute passed before Katara found herself wanting to take this a minor step farther. She longed to feel the touch of his lips on hers, and as if he had read her mind, Zuko lightly kissed her cheek. Everything started spinning, causing Katara to lose control of her mind. The wind had died down to a gentle breeze, and she inhaled. Now, she understood what Zuko had mentioned earlier about how the wind cleansed him. She now felt the same way.
"You know," Katara began, "I wouldn't mind just staying here for a while. The view is just so perfect, and so is this moment." Zuko smiled at her, moving in to gently kiss her again. Katara let herself go and let her desires take over. She meet his lips and instantly found herself feeling safe. There was a warmth beginning to grow inside of her, and his touch made her feel wanted, but mainly, it made her feel loved. This was all that she had wanted, Zuko by her side, being there to love her every step of the way, and the wind, to cleanse her once troubled mind.
They stopped, breathing only slightly heavily, but with little trouble. "What was that?" Zuko asked, having not expected such a lavish and in depth kiss.
Katara smiled, putting a hand graciously on his arm. "It was the wind," she whispered to him. Zuko's eyes and expression softened, and he felt himself growing weak. She went up to kiss him again, letting her heart and desires control her every movement. The passion that they shared was only equalized by the dancing of the cherry blossoms and the gentle whirl of wind that had started it all.