25Title: Framework
Disclaimer: Characters, ect belong to Mike and Bryan. I write this purely for entertainment purposes.
Rating: K+
Summary: What if in "Sozin's Coment" Katara had come into the room instead of Mai? Zuko/Katara.
Author's Note: I know that the alternate ending thing has been done a million times since "Sozin's Comet" aired, but since I've only begun my foray into Avatar fan fiction, I decided that I'd share the one I recently wrote.
Framework
The soon to be appointed Fire Lord winced greatly as he struggled to put his arm through the sleeve of his robe, hissing as the sting of his wound seared across his torso. Zuko was stubborn to surrender to the pain and proceeded to dress himself only to hit several walls of soreness once more. Reluctant to submit to defeat, he attempted again to pull the silken sleeve of red up his arm, only to be interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Need some assistance?"
Zuko glanced beyond his shoulder, smiling when he saw the blue clad Waterbender leaning against the doorway. "Katara!" he stepped to one side at her approach.
She reached a hand out to him and held up the empty robe sleeve so he could more easily put his arm into it. "Now don't you get used to this, Fire Lord," she teased as he shrugged the remaining part of the garment over his shoulder.
"I won't," he promised, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Good." Much to his surprise, she turned him round to face her and she gently caressed a gloved hand across his bandaged wound. The pressure of her movements at times making Zuko shut his eyes tightly so as not to visibly recoil from her touch. "It will be a long while before this is fully healed," she stated pointedly, her voice notably sadder. "I wish there was more I could do."
Zuko blanched at her words and roughly grabbed her wrists into his hands, ignoring the dull throbbing of his shoulder, as well as her protests, and stared her straight in the eye. "Don't ever underestimate what you have done for me," he whispered angrily. "If it weren't for you…" he paused, "this coronation would be a funeral."
Katara's eyes glistened with unshed tears and Zuko dropped her wrists, stepping several paces away from her, his face cast sullenly to the floor. Before long, he realized that his legs brought him to the ornate bed at the center of the room and he lowered himself to sit: Its old frame sighed under the strain of his weight. He mentally noted that if money allowed, to have the ancient frames replaced with a sturdier material. The bed creaked again and the mattress sunk lightly beside him, a comforting hand squeezing his non-bandaged shoulder.
"I didn't mean to upset you," her apologetic voice hardly audible. "It's just… It's been almost two weeks since your injury, and…" she stood, lacing her arms across her chest, an apparent reluctance surrounding her, "and each night, when I finally manage to close my eyes and rest, all I see is… all I see is you being struck by your sister's lightning. Had I not been there, had I not completely frozen like an id—
"You are not a fool for being afraid of a giant line of electricity hurling toward you." Zuko raised himself to his full height, having practically jumped from the bed to stand in front of her. "Even the bravest of warriors will falter when their life is on the line. Maybe, maybe if I hadn't gotten cocky—
"So now you're placing the blame on yourself?" she asked, her sapphire eyes flashing with a ferocious passion and unbridled anger. "For once in your life you had a right to be cocky, to be full of yourself! You were holding your own against your sister! Your sister! A Firebending prodigy! She broke the rules of the Agni Kai. She is the one at fault, Zuko," then concluded hesitantly, "not us."
The weight of her words filled the room with a thickness that not even his Dao swords could slice. A pregnant silence passed between the two benders before the dark haired prince cautiously enveloped her in a slightly awkward though tight embrace. She surprised even herself how quickly she accepted his strong arms about her waist, her body nestling perfectly into his, as if she were made to fit against him.
As the tension between the two dissipated, a sorrow replaced the anger Katara had felt suddenly moments ago and a mournful sob escaped from her dry lips. Zuko bound the girl closer to him, his chest muffling the howling, painful cries, his own eyes watering as the heavy realization dawned upon the two that the war was truly over. That after so many obstacles, the emotional demand required keeping a strong face, here they stood. Raw and unknowing of what their futures now held outside of their respective duties, having lived in a world so long consumed by nothing but war.
Zuko reveled in the scent of her hair, the dark tresses smelling sweetly of yucca and before he could inhale further, the Waterbender gently pulled away from him, an embarrassing smile upon her face.
"I'm sorry," she said, about to wipe the moisture from her eyes and cheeks with the heels of her hands, but Zuko was quicker. Reaching up and taking her face into his hands, he ran the soft pads of his thumbs across her cheekbones.
Katara leaned into his touch, her large, orb-like eyes never leaving his amber ones. Hesitation flitted briefly between them as they closed the space amidst their bodies, his nose grazing against hers and their foreheads gently touching. His lips were parted slightly, the heat of his breath skimming across her cheek. She lifted herself onto the balls of her feet as Zuko emboldened his movements, their lips melding together in a chaste kiss that deepened into a passionate battle of tongues. Despite the Firebender's injury, Zuko's arms wrapped tighter around her torso and Katara could feel her toes just barely reaching the floor now. When the teenagers broke apart for air, a single thread of saliva still connecting their lips, a deep flush graced their cheeks and neither faltered in their gazes.
After several moments, Katara softly spoke, "You can put me down now."
"Oh, sorry," he obliged her request, but did not remove his arms from around her. "Is this all right?"
"Is what all right?"
"This, us," he clarified, unsure. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kissed you, but... We can quickly forget this happened if—
She lifted a single digit to his lips and shushed him. "Zuko, I wouldn't have reciprocated had it not felt… right. So please, just shut up and let's not ruin this since we're likely to be interrupted by one of your servants, or possibly my brother, which we don't want," she grimaced.
He smiled, a derisive laugh escaping him. "Agreed," and they allowed themselves to continue lingering in the other's embrace.