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Chapter Text

*In Character*

“Attention, everyone!” Kuruk banged a hand drum to hush the gathered crowd. “The contest will now begin to select the new champion for the venerable Princess Yue!” The princess in question appeared from behind a white curtain.

Her fur-trimmed purple dress swished around her ankles as she stepped to the stage. Beads of silver and bone glinted brightly against her dark, elaborately braided hair. Cheers and wolf whistles rippled through the crowd until Yue raised her hand. “Those who would be my champion, step into the ring and declare yourself,” she commanded. Five brave souls entered.

First, a smug man with hooked swords on his hips and straw in his mouth. “I, Jet, will be your champion.” Yue groaned internally. Jet had been a thorn in her side since their passionate, but brief, entanglement over a year ago. If he won, her week would be beyond ruined.

A younger man in orange robes did a back flip over Jet and landed lightly in front of him. He grinned broadly and shouted, “I, Gyatso, will be your champion!” while throwing up a peace sign. Yue laughed; whether in or out of game, he never failed to brighten her day.

A woman, the only one to enter, was next. Most people gawked at the heavy dress and heavier makeup she wore, wondering how she could fight like that. Yue knew the answer: easily. “I, Kyoshi, will be your champion.” The princess noted the wink Kyoshi gave Kuruk and the dreamy sigh her brother made.

The last entrant was someone Yue had never seen before. He sported a red tunic under leather armor and twin swords sheathed across his back. Dark hair hung in his eyes, partially obscuring the scar that puckered across the left half of his face. It seemed strange to try and hide what looked like a very well-made prosthetic. The mystery man strutted past the other contestants and fixed her with a serious glare. “I, Lu Ten, will be your champion.” One thing was clear about this man: he was intense. Those types were either the best or worst people at these events. Yue hoped for the best.

“Fight well, warriors,” she called out. Her eyes drifted back to Lu Ten. “Good luck,” she said loud enough for only him. She swore she saw Jet roll his eyes in the background.

“If that is all, let’s lay out the ground rules,” Kuruk put his fist on top of his head to indicate he was speaking out of character. “This will be a battle royale. If you run out of HP, you’re out. If you step or get pushed outside the ring, you’re also out. You can’t use any healing spells or items during the contest, but there are healers present that will tend to your wounds once you’re eliminated.” He gestured to a small group of people wearing aprons over blue dresses and tunics outside the ring. “As usual, use lightest touch with weapons, and if you’re using spell packets, you can pick them up once the contest is over. Any questions?” Kuruk, now back in character, stroked his (obviously fake) beard thoughtfully as he surveyed the lineup. “Alright, then.” He backed out of the ring and banged the drum three times. “Fight!”

The competitors spread out around the ring, sizing each other up. Jet struck first, charging at Lu Ten from the other side of the circle. His recklessness cost him right away in the form of an air strike from Gyatso and a slice from Kyoshi’s fan. Lu Ten, unfazed, crossed his swords in front of him to block Jet’s overhead swing. “Hey, no head shots!” Kuruk shouted.

Jet sneered. “I hear ya.” He sliced his other sword toward Lu Ten’s legs. The scarred warrior dislodged one of his swords long enough to knock Jet’s off course. He ducked and spun away on his knees just in time to avoid Kyoshi’s fan blade. Her attack wasn’t meant for him, though—Jet narrowly avoided getting hit again. He bared his swords and squared off with her. Lu Ten kept his eyes on them for a moment, but Kyoshi seemed singularly focused on Jet. That would keep him away for a bit, so he just had to worry about--

An air blast whizzed passed his ear. Lu Ten jumped to his feet as Gyatso performed the kata to launch another bending attack. He’d have to interrupt him before that happened. Lu Ten rushed the airbender to no avail—Gyatso leapt over his first sword and did a back bend under his second. “Nice try!” The bouncing boy’s compliment sounded genuine even as he launched three strikes at Lu Ten: one to the stomach (hit), the leg (dodged), and the chest (blocked).

Meanwhile, Kyoshi had worn Jet down. He was damaged and desperate. That made him dangerous. “Grah!” He cried as he launched a flurry of attacks at her. Her fans were like a force field as she maneuvered them around her body, refusing to let him land a hit.

“Come on, Jet. I’m right here!” Kyoshi goaded. As expected, he took the bait. He extended his swords to either side, and as he began to close them around her, she folded her fan, dropped to one knee, and jabbed him right in the sternum. Jet stumbled back, clutching his chest, and reluctantly stumbled out of the ring toward the healing station.

With that nuisance taken care of, she turned to see the remaining obstacles going at each other. Both looked fairly wounded. This should be a piece of cake. Kyoshi strode towards them, fans at the ready, and looked for an opening.

Unluckily for her, Lu Ten and Gyatso saw her at the same time. The look they exchanged told her she was in trouble: they weren’t about to leave their fight unfinished. The men bore down on her, one with long-range bending, the other with short-range swords. Her defense was strong, but not impenetrable. By the time she reached the edge of the ring, they had both gotten a hit in on her. Now she was balancing on the edge of defeat. Kyoshi tiptoed around the outside edge of the ring, blocking Lu Ten’s advances. Just when she thought she had a chance at escaping, Gyatso popped up right in front of her face. “Hi there!” he grinned. In her shock, Kyoshi reeled back and landed with one foot outside the ring.

Lu Ten and Gyatso took a moment to catch their breath. Gyatso was running low on his element; he would have to be judicious with his last few attacks against an opponent so perceptive. Lu Ten rolled his shoulders back and took a fighting stance, wounded but undeterred. He stepped toward the airbender, who then stepped back. “Out of air?” he guessed.

Gyatso huffed. “Not yet!” He threw out an air blast that Lu Ten easily smacked out of the air. Crap.

Lu Ten smirked. Gyatso returned a nervous smile as though silently asking for mercy. No such luck. Lu Ten rushed forward and spun toward the airbender, who jumped only to land right in the path of his opponent’s second sword. His only hope now was distance and good aim. Lu Ten was determined not to give him the former. The more Gyatso leapt around, the closer Lu Ten seemed to get. He had no choice but to try to knock the swordsman off his feet. Gyatso readied four air blasts. Lu Ten’s eyes widened as he caught onto the airbender’s play. He managed to jump back, barely avoiding getting his feet blown out from under him. Gyatso readied two more attacks, a wide grin on his face. There was no way Lu Ten could get close enough to end this. Then again, he didn’t have to.

The swordsman’s hand became engulfed in flames. The crowd gasped in shock as he pulled back, aimed, and launched a cyclone of fire at the no-longer-smiling monk. When the smoke cleared, Gyatso lay on the ground, defeated.

The crowd cheered as Lu Ten sheathed his swords. Even Kyoshi and Gyatso politely applauded. Notably, Jet did not. “Step forward, Lu Ten,” Yue said. The winner approached her with the same confident bearing as before, despite his exhaustion. Kuruk passed Yue a blue sash embroidered with encircled waves, the symbol of the Water Tribe. “Kneel.” Lu Ten knelt at her feet, bowed his head, and placed his fist over his heart. He was as willing a supplicant as he was competent a warrior. “Lu Ten, do you pledge yourself, body and soul, to fight for my honor?”

“I do.” His answer carried determination. Devotion. Yue shivered at its sincerity.

She leaned forward and draped the sash across his chest. “I appoint you Sir Lu Ten, Champion of the Water Tribe.” She offered him her hand. The second his fingers touched her palm, electricity lit up under her skin.

.::.

*Out of Character*

Once the crowd dispersed, Aang and Suki joined the “Water Tribe” siblings and their new champion. “That was awesome! You’ve got some crazy moves!” Aang exclaimed.

“That’s saying something coming from our little acrobat,” Suki added. “Nice job out there. I was hoping for a three-peat, but you earned it.”

“You’ve been the champion for two years?” Zuko asked.

Suki made a “so-so” motion with her hand. “Kind of. I was the Earth Kingdom Champion for two years, but I wanted to try something new,” by which she meant keep her best friend’s creepy ex at bay. At least that mission was accomplished. “I was really surprised by you, though. The Water Tribe tournament is always the smallest, but they’ve never had anyone from the Fire Nation compete.”

“And boy, did that turn out well for me!” A short young woman holding a cane headed towards them as she fanned herself with a huge handful of yuan. “Not a single person bet on you, and now I’m rich!” she cackled.

“Nice! High five!” Sokka held his hand out near the newcomer and she smacked it as hard as she could. “OW!”

“Oh sorry, I didn’t realize I was high fiving the princess,” she teased.

Katara rolled her eyes. “You know I’m standing right here, Toph.”

Her mischievous demeanor and milky eyes reminded Zuko of a mysterious character he’d heard of. She often lurked in the shadows, swindling innocent travelers out of their hard-earned yuan with feigned helplessness and a shocking aptitude for games of chance. Running a betting ring wouldn’t be too much of a stretch. “Are you the Blind Bandit?” he asked.

“Gee, what gave me away?” Toph asked as she leaned against her cane.

“Don’t answer that,” Katara interjected. “She’s just messing with you.”

“Come on, sugar queen, you gotta let me haze him a little if he’s gonna be with us all week.”

“Sugar queen?” Zuko asked, his perplexed gaze turning to Katara.

The royally dressed woman sighed. “God forbid a woman eat a couple slices of cake one time.”

“If by 'a couple' you mean more than half the damn thing,” Toph muttered.

The rest of the group laughed as Katara scoffed and crossed her arms in an indignant attempt to hide her blush. Zuko couldn’t help but find her adorable. “If you’re all done, can we get back to more important things?” she grumbled.

“I vote we take Toph’s money down to the Misty Palms Oasis for a drink first,” Sokka suggested. That, everyone could agree on.

Chapter Text

*In Character*

Lu Ten followed three steps behind Yue, now firmly back in her regal persona, as was customary for the champion of each nation’s princess. “Lu Ten, booze or no booze?” Kuruk asked.

“No booze.” He was on the job, after all. He and Yue claimed a table while the rest of the group went to the bar to get the signature Misty Palms smoothies. He was so preoccupied scanning the bar for potential threats that he was completely oblivious to Yue staring at him until she cleared her throat.

“I appreciate your dedication, but you can relax a little,” she snickered.

He fixed his striking gold eyes on her with a stern gaze. “What kind of champion would I be if I didn’t look out for my princess?” he countered.

His raspy voice lingered delicately over the words, “my princess.” It sounded more like a pet name than a title on his lips which, if Yue’s fluttering heart was to be trusted, she didn’t mind in the slightest. “I...I suppose,” she said. Neither her first champion, Gyatso, nor her second, Jet, had taken the mostly ceremonial position so seriously. This well-meaning stranger was far more invested in RP than most of her friends. She would have to match him. “I have to wonder, though, what is a talented warrior from the Fire Nation doing defending the princess of the Water Tribe?”

His face darkened. “I have renounced the Fire Nation.”

Yue raised an eyebrow. “They say those who abandon their nation do not know loyalty at all.”

“I’ve never liked that saying. Blind loyalty is not true loyalty, as far as I’m concerned,” Lu Ten said.

“So the Fire Nation has done something you disagree with, then?”

“Not yet.”

Before he could elaborate, her friends returned with their fruity drinks with varying levels of booziness. “So Yue, are you ready for the Eclipse Ritual?” Kyoshi asked between sips of her virgin mango drink.

“Oh no, I forgot! Han is sick this year, so we’re short a person!” Yue took a long drink of her adult coconut concoction. “We need to rework the choreography today or find a replacement,” she sighed.

Kuruk, seemingly drunk already (or perhaps he was just overly friendly), threw his arm around Lu Ten. “Good thing we just got a new honorary tribe member!” he said.

Lu Ten nearly spilled his drink at Kuruk’s intrusion. “Uh, I—I couldn’t. It’s a Water Tribe thing, and besides, I’m not much of a dancer…” His face reddened nearly to the shade of his scar. Seriously, how did he make it look so realistic?

“You sure were light on your feet during that fight,” the Bandit said nonchalantly.

Lu Ten narrowed his eyes at her. “How would you know?” Was that rude to ask? He wasn’t sure, but it seemed a fair question.

She smiled. “Twinkletoes here wouldn’t shut up about it while we were at the bar.” Gyatso glared at her, and Lu Ten snickered at the monk's apparent nickname. “What do you think, princess? He’s your manservant.”

“Don’t call him that,” Yue groaned. Her ice-blue eyes drifted to Lu Ten, whose smile rapidly faded as she appraised him. “I think you all might have a point.” Her lips curved into a sanguine smile as she recalled his athleticism during the contest. “Consider this your formal initiation into the Water Tribe, Lu Ten. We’ll get started as soon as we’re back at camp.”

.::.

*Out of Character*

With the council members out of the main tent, Zuko and Katara had plenty of space to practice the steps for the Eclipse Ritual. He had donned the red and orange hakama Han would have worn representing the sun. “A firebender playing the sun. Weird that we haven’t thought of this before,” Katara joked. She had changed into her moon outfit: a billowing white dress with a wig to match. “Stand over there and when I start walking, come towards me.” Zuko walked to the other side of the tent. Katara counted off on her fingers then began to sway towards him. He walked forward unceremoniously. “Don’t just walk. Put some heart into it!”

Zuko blushed. “Sorry.” This was at least his fifth apology after about five minutes of practice. He seemed much less confident now that they were out of character.

Katara sighed. “It’s okay. Let’s rewind a little. Do you know the story behind this ritual?”

“It signifies the moon’s significance to the Water Tribe, right?”

“Yes, but it’s also about the connection between the moon and the sun. We depict them as two spirits who want to be together. Most of the time they’re separated by their duties, but our ritual celebrates the moment that the sun and moon briefly become one during an eclipse. The fact that the moon stands in front of the sun represents its importance to the Water Tribe, but the overall message is about unity and love,” she explained.

“That’s beautiful,” Zuko smiled. “That’s not how they see it in the Fire Nation, though.”

“Really? What do they say over there?”

He rolled his eyes. “Most of them think you’re trying to say the Water Tribe is better than the Fire Nation, with the whole moon blocking out the sun thing.”

“That’s so reductive!” Katara huffed.

“I’m just telling you what I heard.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Does this have something to do with that thing you were talking about at Misty Palms?”

Zuko shrugged. “I don’t know. I left before I found out any details so I could make it to the Water Tribe champion contest.”

Though she was happy to have him, it would have been nice to have some better intel. Katara waved her hand. “We’ll worry about that later. Now get up and try again.” As they took their places, she added one final instruction. “This time, walk toward me like you want me more than heaven and earth.”

He paused a moment to take her in. Her confident smile and electric personality were already attractive, but that dress… Zuko had done a good job of (mostly) ignoring how deliciously it clung to her curves, but her request made that impossible to ignore. “Shouldn’t be a problem,” he mumbled.

On Katara’s count, they began to move towards each other. Their steps were languid, arms reaching, eyes pleading until they met in the center of the tent. They clasped their hands and kept their gemstone eyes locked on one another. Zuko lost himself in every detail of her soft-featured face. “I don’t remember what comes next,” he whispered.

Katara’s breath caught as his searching gaze roved over her. “Hold me,” was all she could say.

“Huh?” Zuko’s confusion over her fantastically vague instructions broke the spell.

She cleared her throat. “That’s what comes next. Here.” Katara put one hand on his shoulder and he placed one on her hip. “Then we dance for a bit.” She walked him through the steps, drilling them until they were turning around the tent with only slightly more than minimal effort. “That’s it! Now once we get there, you need to get behind me and—”

“Hold you?” he finished.

Katara swallowed her embarrassment. “E-Exactly,” she said.

“Can do, uh...boss,” he muttered. It was nice to know she wasn’t the only one feeling awkward.

Zuko lifted her hand, twirled her, and lowered their arms down to cage her against his chest. Katara caressed his face with her free hand, brushing over his scar. He flinched; she hoped she didn’t mess up his makeup.

As instructed, Zuko stepped aside, knelt down, and raised his hands toward her. He did his best to look at her like the moon and not the prettiest woman he’d ever seen, but couldn’t both be looked upon with awe? Katara, meanwhile, remained focused. She gave him a short nod and stepped forward. “And this is where I’ll do the final movement. Then all that’s left is for you to line up with everyone and take a bow. Any questions?” His expression was wide open when she turned back to him. “You look confused,” she concluded.

Zuko shook himself out of his stupor. “Sorry, I just spaced out. No questions.”

“Okay, great! Let’s do it again just to make sure.” They ran the dance thrice more, correcting little errors each time. “Good job. Go take a break and we’ll practice the group portion with everyone else in an hour.” Zuko nodded, grabbed his original costume, and stepped towards the tent exit. “Oh, one more thing!” Katara called after him. “Your scar prosthetic looks amazing. How did you get it to look so real?”

Zuko’s jaw tightened. As he glared at the ground, Katara got the sense she’d just done something horribly wrong. “It is real,” he said simply.

And there it was. “Oh… I’m sorry—”

“It’s fine.” Zuko cut her off and left without another word.

.::.

Katara’s stomach was in knots waiting for the Eclipse Ritual to begin. Zuko hadn’t said a word to her since their private practice earlier and had barely looked at her during the group practice session. Frankly, she was surprised he still showed up. But there he was on the opposite side of the stage, dressed like the sun and wearing an expression as dark as a storm. She wanted to give him space, but she didn’t think she would be able to get through this dance without at least trying to apologize.

She gently tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. He cut his eyes toward her but kept his head hung low. “Hey, I’m so sorry about earlier. I really appreciate you doing this, but if you want to resign as champion once the ritual is over, I totally get it,” she said.

Zuko finally looked at her. Her eyes welled with remorse as she waited for his reply. He suddenly felt guilty for moping all day. After all, it wasn’t the first time someone had commented on his scar and it wouldn’t be the last. All things considered, her misplaced compliment was far from the most offensive thing he’d heard. He’d been a fool to make her worry so much over it. “Don’t worry about it. I’m not going anywhere,” he replied. The slight smile he mustered helped Katara believe him.

“I’m glad.” She smiled back brighter and shyly waved goodbye as she hastened back to her side of the stage.

*In Character*

The dance began with an ensemble dressed in flowing blue garments emulating the ocean. They swayed to the sound of slow strings until the instruments quickened into a chaotic rhythm. The ocean began to spin across the stage like a whirlpool. Then Yue—the moon—entered with an angelic chorus and the waters gained order. They parted for her, rose to meet her, fell away at her command.

When night ended and the sun—Lu Ten—rose, the ocean rippled around him to the driving beat of drums, relishing in his heat. When the moon returned, the ocean’s movements were stronger, like the sun’s energy had empowered them to better serve her.

The cycle continued and with each rotation, the sun tried to stay above the horizon a little longer to gaze at the moon, and the moon refused to vanish until she’d glimpsed the sun. The ocean intensified with their desire until at last the sun and moon met and the waters calmed.

A gentle wooden flute accompanied their waltz. They held each other close and fell into the steps as though they’d done them in a thousand lifetimes. Nothing else existed but the sun—Lu Ten—Zuko, and the moon—Yue—Katara.

The sun would have danced with her forever if she hadn’t pinched his shoulder to let him know he’d already taken her around an extra time. Reluctantly, he stopped at center stage and let her go. The music swelled and so did the ocean as she performed an elegant series of waterbending forms. The sun dutifully watched until she extended her body into the shape of a crescent, ending the ritual.

The dancers lined up to take a bow with Lu Ten and Yue in the center. The roaring crowd noise was nothing compared to the sound of blood pumping in Lu Ten’s ears as he held Yue’s hand. She turned to him, beaming ear to ear, and said, “You were fantastic!”

Her smile made him completely forget the dozens of eyes watching. He leaned towards her and with his lips grazing the shell of her ear whispered, “I was nothing compared to you, my princess.”

Chapter Text

*In Character*

His voice caressed her skin like velvet. He spoke so tenderly, so earnestly that Yue found herself wondering what it would be like to truly be his princess. Lu Ten’s cheeks were flushed when he pulled away, his eyes wildly oscillating between hope and trepidation. If he was nervous he’d upset her, she knew just the way to ease his mind. As soon as they got off this stage…

Screams wrested their attention from each other. The audience scattered, scrambling to get away from blasts of fire that streaked through the crowd like comets. ‘Firebenders!?’

“So you have turned traitor, brother.” A shrewd voice cut through the chaos. Its owner strolled down the aisle of overturned tables and chairs as though it were a walk in the park. Her cold black armor was a stark counterpoint to her neatly made-up face. “I can’t say I’m surprised, but I had to see it for myself. You look ridiculous, by the way.”

Lu Ten stepped in front of Yue protectively. “What are you doing here, Ursa?” he growled. Yue knew that name: the Fire Nation princess. There had been a feud between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom since she came to power, but the Water Tribe had managed not to get involved until now.

“Frankly, I was hurt not to be invited to your little dance.” Ursa gestured to the carnage around her. “I couldn’t let Princess Yue’s rudeness go unpunished, could I?”

Yue pushed her way in front of Lu Ten. “This ritual is private. You had no right to intrude! Your actions are tantamount to a declaration of war!” she shouted.

“Not interested,” Ursa sighed.

Lu Ten caught two figures approaching from either side of the stage, weapons glinting in their hands. “Yue!” He wrapped himself around her just in time to take the throwing knife meant for her. The other figure cartwheeled toward them with twin daggers in her grip. Lu Ten managed to knock one away, but the other caught him in the shoulder. His arm went slack and fell to his side. The final blow came from behind: a lightning bolt from his sister. “Augh!”

“Lu Ten!” Yue struggled to hold him up as his grip on her failed.

His functional hand gradually slipped from her arm as he fell. “I’m sorry.” Then he was gone.

“No…” Yue gasped. Water. She needed water if she wanted any hope of avenging him. But she had none, and the knife-wielding women were almost upon her.

She would have met her end if not for Kuruk and Kyoshi. Thankfully, the two warriors appeared in the nick of time with a few others who hadn’t been wounded by Ursa’s forces and fended them off. Kuruk pulled Yue off the stage, ignoring her cries to go back for Lu Ten. “Where’s my water skin? I’m going back out there!”

“No you’re not,” Kuruk said. “Kyoshi and the others have everything handled. Our top priority now is keeping you safe.”

“What about Lu Ten?”

“You can’t help him.”

Yue wrenched free of her brother’s grip. “He would have been able to fight back if not for your brilliant idea to put him in the ritual! Now you expect me to just give up?”

Kuruk’s face fell. “Look, I get that you’re worried, but the consequences of losing you are too great. We’ll regroup after we get the Fire Nation out of here.”

With clenched fists and a hardened jaw, Yue reluctantly accepted her fate. She knew Kuruk was right. As the conduits of the elements, each princess was tied to her people’s bending abilities. If she were lost now when the Fire Nation already had an advantage, there would be no hope left for them.

.::.

Once the Fire Nation army retreated, the Water Tribe took inventory of the damage. Many were wounded, and several were sent to the Spirit World. Whether they would find their way out remained to be seen.

Lu Ten was captured.

“Leave him,” councilman Ennok said. “He’s probably been with them all along. We don’t owe him anything.”

“You owe him my life,” Yue snapped. “We have to rescue him. Once our forces are healed, I will lead us to the Fire Nation to get him back.”

“The hell you will! You can’t go risking your life for some random firebender.”

“He’s not random—he’s my champion.”

“And you’re thinking with your lady parts just like last year,” Ennok scoffed.

*Out of Character*

“By the ages!” Katara used the safety call to let Ennok, real name Koenn, know that the roleplay was getting too intense and they needed to break character. “What the hell, dude.”

Koenn rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment as everyone in the tent glared at him. “Sorry. That was too far.”

“No shit, Sherlock,” Toph said.

“I retract my last statement. Please continue,” Koenn said.

*In Character*

“As I was saying,” Yue proceeded, “Lu Ten may have won the contest to become my champion, but we all welcomed him to participate in our sacred Eclipse Ritual. He is one of us and he deserves our help.” The rest of the council agreed. “Then it’s settled. We’ll let everyone continue to rest until moon rise, then we’ll strike.”

*Out of Character*

As everyone filtered out of the tent, Suki pulled Katara aside. “Hey, you want to tell me what’s really going on with you and Zuko?”

“What are you talking about? I’m just acting according to my character.”

Her friend smirked. “I’m not saying Koenn was right, but I don’t think you or “Yue” would be this hellbent on saving most people.”

Katara really couldn’t hide anything from her. “Fine,” she relented. “Nothing’s happened, but...there have definitely been vibes.”

“I could have told you that much. Tell me the good stuff!”

Katara flushed. “There’s nothing to tell! We got a little carried away when we were practicing and again after the dance…”

“Oh yeah, Sokka told me all about that. He said you two were giving each other “fuck me” eyes in front of the whole crowd,” Suki laughed.

“He didn’t say that! And we weren’t!” Katara sputtered, mortified.

“You’re right, he didn’t. He looked like he was going to have a heart attack trying to tell me, so I put him out of his misery. But from what I hear, everyone was thinking it,” she grinned.

Katara let out a long, frustrated sigh. “Look, he’s hot. Like REALLY hot. And roleplaying with him is…” she trailed off, remembering the sensation of his lips on her skin as he whispered in her ear, “stimulating.” Probably not the best word to use, if Suki’s laughter was any indication. “We haven’t really talked much out of game, but in character, he’s been wonderful to me. Yue wouldn’t abandon Lu Ten.”

“And Katara?”

“I…” Katara bit her lip as she considered her next words as though Suki wouldn’t make fun of her regardless of what she said. “I want to get to know Zuko better.”

“Oh, I’m sure you do,” Suki said as she waggled her eyebrows. Hearing Katara’s sharp inhale, she held up a hand to cut her off. “Relax, I’m done. I just wanted to check on you. I don’t want to have another Chet situation on our hands.”

Katara scoffed. “This is different. Zuko’s different.” She couldn’t fight the smile that crept over her face as she recalled their dance practice. He’d been open despite his discomfort, tender despite his strength. Or perhaps because of them. “I promise, whatever this is, it’s nothing like what happened with Chet.”

Suki smiled softly. “I believe you. I’ll be right there with you when we save your boyfriend.”

“He’s not my—”

“Yet,” Suki winked.

.::.

*In Character*

“Who does he think he’s fooling, playing hero all of a sudden?” Lo gagged at the notion.

“Oooh, someone’s jealous,” Li teased.

Lo threw a warning knife at Li. “Shut up. I am not,” she said.

Li playfully smacked the knife out of the air with her braid. “No need to get huffy with me. Why don’t you just go talk to him? It’s not like he can run away right now.”

“Do I look that desperate?” Lo deadpanned.

“I wouldn’t say desperate,” Li mused as she tapped her chin.

“Quiet, you two,” Ursa said. “You can play with my brother later. We’ve got more important things to deal with now.” She held open the tent flap for a man with hooked swords.

Li immediately cartwheeled towards him, landing delicately at his feet. “Well, hello, handsome,” she said, her voice lilted with interest.

The new arrival raked his eyes over her athletic, pink-clad body. “Hi there,” he smiled.

“Jet,” Ursa interrupted, “would you care to share what you’ve just told me?”

“With pleasure.” He winked at Li as he pulled the straw out of his mouth. “The Water Tribe is coming to rescue their pet tonight.”

“You mean Lu Ten?” Lo asked, suddenly alert.

“Yup. I eavesdropped on their strategy meeting.”

“So what? We beat them before, and we’ll do it again. Simple as that,” Lo said.

“I’m not so sure. Everyone you took down earlier made it back from the Spirit World, so their numbers have recovered. Plus, it’s a full moon tonight. The waterbenders will be stronger.” He popped the straw back into his mouth and flicked it side to side with his tongue.

“The Water Tribe thinks they have the element of surprise. We can use that against them thanks to our new friend,” Ursa grinned.

Lo narrowed her eyes. She wasn’t convinced. “You’re not Fire Nation. Why are you helping us?”

“Why not? Lu Ten isn’t Water Tribe,” he countered.

“Thank you for your assistance,” Ursa said. “I assume you’ll be wanting some kind of reward for this information?”

“It hadn’t occurred to me, your highness,” he lied. “But if you’re in a giving mood, I’d be happy to take the Water Tribe princess off your hands when this is all over.” Li scoffed and returned to her seat next to Lo.

Ursa smirked. “Consider her yours.”

.::.

Night fell and the Water Tribe, along with a few trusted allies, stole silently across the field to the Fire Nation camp. They listened for the sounds of drums, horns, anything that might indicate the presence of unsuspecting firebenders. But it was silent.

“This isn’t right,” Kuruk whispered. “Their camp is never this quiet. Someone should scout ahead before we go any further.”

“I’ll do it!” Gyatso volunteered.

“You’re not exactly stealthy in that bright orange getup, Gyatso.”

“But I have the best chance of outrunning them if I get caught.”

“He’s got a point there,” Kyoshi said.

“All right. Get back here as soon as you can.” Kuruk made some hand signals to the rest of the party to tell them to stay back.

Yue nudged her brother. “You don’t think they knew we were coming, do you?”

Kuruk shrugged. “Maybe. At least we’ll have a shot at a fair fight this time.”

The princess nodded, though the still air unsettled her the longer Gyatso was gone.

Suddenly, cries of pain began to ripple through their ranks. “Ambush!” someone shouted.

‘Not again!’ Yue forced her panic down. “Everyone, attack! Remember, we have the moon on our side!” Full moons granted the waterbenders empowered attacks and quicker healing. Even without the element of surprise, they could still rely on their element. The princess herself felled three firebenders in quick succession with lethal shards of ice. With them out of the way, her path was clear. She nodded at Kuruk and Kyoshi, entrusting the fight to them. “Bandit, with me.”

“Aye aye,” the blind girl followed behind, completely unbothered by the darkness.

.::.

The wooden door creaked open. He could hear the sounds of battle in the distance. “Who is it? What’s going on out there?” Lu Ten called.

*Out of Character*

“It’s me, Zuko. You can drop the act,” Mai said.

Zuko shifted uncomfortably against the wall. “I don’t suppose you’re here to untie me, are you? This seems like overkill.”

She ignored him. “What do you know about a guy named Jet?”

The name sounded familiar. He racked his brain for a moment to find its origin. “He competed in the Water Tribe champion contest. Why?”

“He came to warn us that the Water Tribe is coming to rescue you. All he asked for in return was their princess.”

A rescue mission? That explained the noise. Zuko thought back to the contest. Jet, or whatever his real name was, had been the first to enter, and Katara hadn’t looked too pleased. She seemed relieved when he was eliminated, too. If there was history there, he doubted it had ended well for her. “Azula isn’t seriously considering that, is she?”

“You know her. She’s got major character bleed issues,” Mai sighed. She stepped behind Zuko and began to work at the rope binding his wrists.

“What are you doing?”

Mai paused to give him a withering glare. “Do you want me to untie you or not?”

“...Yes. Thank you.” Once she was done, he rubbed his sore wrists. “We need lightest touch rules for capture, too,” he grumbled.

Mai started towards the door, but Zuko followed after her. “Wait, Mai. I...I’m sorry about—”

“It’s fine, Zuko. You don’t need to apologize for how you feel.” Her voice was as steady as ever.

Zuko nodded. Their friendship had suffered ever since Mai confessed her feelings and he didn’t reciprocate. He hoped this would be a turning point. “Thanks again. I’m here if you ever need me.”

*In Character*

Lo turned on him with steely eyes. “What could I possibly need from a traitor like you?” A slight smile played on her lips as she left.

.::.

The Fire Nation had left their camp poorly guarded in preparation for the ambush. With a little help from the Blind Bandit’s Fire Nation disguise and feigned helplessness, she and Yue managed to distract and subdue the two guards at the entrance. Now all that was left was to find where they were holding Lu Ten prisoner.

Leaves shuffled behind them, and they turned to fight. “It’s just me!” Gyatso barely managed to get the words out in time for Yue and Bandit to lower their attacks.

“Twinkletoes!” Bandit exclaimed, “where the hell have you been?”

“I heard the fighting start before I could make it back, so I decided to look for Lu Ten instead.”

Yue’s heart lurched. “And? Did you find him?”

“Not yet,” Gyatso admitted, “but I’ve narrowed it down to a couple of places. Follow me.”

.::.

Lu Ten kept to the shadows as best he could in his bright orange regalia. The camp was suspiciously empty, but he still couldn’t risk running into anyone without his swords or his spark powder. He would hate to throw away the massive favor Lo did for him by getting caught.

Apparently, the thought jinxed him. “How the hell did you get out!?” Jet drew his swords as he stomped towards him.

“Don’t try to stop me.” Jet blocked Lu Ten’s path no matter which way he stepped.

“You’ve got no weapons.” His face morphed from rage to glee as the realization dawned. “There’s no way you’re making it out of here.”

Lu Ten took a fighting stance. “Don’t think I won’t fight back just because I’m unarmed.”

“You can get banished for that,” Jet sneered.

“Only if you tell the Dai Li, but I don’t think you’re the type to rely on authority.”

“You’re smarter than you look.” Jet lunged at him without further pretense, swinging his right hook at Lu Ten full force. Lu Ten grabbed the shaft and aimed to clock Jet in the jaw, but the armed man released his sword and leapt back.

Lu Ten twirled the hook sword around his wrist. “A little unwieldy, but it’ll do,” he said.

“Shut your mouth, smartass!” Jet charged again, this time with such speed and ferocity that Lu Ten couldn’t avoid him. He tried to block the blow with his stolen sword, but Jet swung straight through it. The hook’s shaft caught Lu Ten right in his unscarred temple. As he stumbled back, Jet hooked his ankle and knocked him prone. He loomed over Lu Ten, his long shadow stretching into the night. “You should’ve stayed in your cell, you smug bastard.” Jet raised his sword, but before he could strike again, he heard her.

“Get away from him!” The girl he longed for so much that he’d started a war stood ready to fight for the man whose skull he’d just tried to cave in.

*Out of Character*

He softened his expression and opened his arms to her. “Katara, baby. I’ve missed you.”

“I’m not your baby,” she spat. “I’m not your anything, Chet. Now quit fucking around and let Zuko go before I call the refs.”

“Go ahead. Your new boy toy tried to punch me. If I go out, there’s a good chance I’m taking him with me.”

Katara looked past him at Zuko. He was laid out, clutching what should have been the uninjured side of his face. Blood seeped through his fingers. “What did you do!?”

Chet walked towards her with frightening calm. “I just got rid of the competition. Now there’s nothing standing between us.”

She recoiled as he tried to stroke her cheek. “You’re out of your mind!”

“Yo, Katara. Do you want me to kill this guy?” Toph suggested.

“Maybe,” she mumbled.

“Hold on, hold on.” Aang stepped between Katara and Chet. “Everyone take a deep breath. It’s clear that tensions are high. How about we just fight this out in-game and call it a night?”

Toph kicked him in the calf. “What are you doing, Twinkletoes? This creep needs to die!” she said through gritted teeth.

Aang nudged her back. “I’m just trying to stop him from beating anyone else up. If he agrees to this, we can end it quickly and get Zuko some help,” he whispered.

Chet, either oblivious or ambivalent toward their conspiring, agreed. “You’re on.”

*In Character*

“One against three? That hardly seems fair.” The same sharp voice from the Eclipse Ritual stabbed through the night. “Let’s make this a more balanced match. If you can beat both of us, you can have Lulu. Otherwise, he’s staying with us.”

“On one condition,” Yue growled, “when this is over, no matter who wins, we get him medical attention immediately.” Ursa and Jet nodded. “Okay, then.” She launched two ice shards at Jet, refusing to waste another second on their antics. He took one straight to the chest and moved to attack Gyatso, but Yue stepped in front of him.

“I don’t want to fight you,” he said.

She glared at him with the force of a gale. “Either get over it or get out of my way.” She launched another shard, then another, and another, getting closer to him each time. He still refused to turn his weapon on her.

“Stop! You got me! I yield!” he shouted as she continued pelting him mercilessly. He shuffled back in a desperate bid to escape her wrath and tripped over a tree root. Yue yanked him back up by his collar with shocking strength.

“I never want to see you again. If I do, you’re finished. Got it?” As soon as Jet nodded, she dropped him flat on his back. He scuttled away like the insect he was.

Meanwhile, Gyatso and Bandit had their hands full with Ursa. Bandit’s sound-based aim was stellar, but it was harder to dodge the quiet flights of fire. Gyatso, for his part, defended her well. Each combatant had only been hit once, but Ursa’s armor made that damage negligible compared to her plain-clothed opponents. Luckily, she was distracted enough not to notice Yue’s advance. A shard of ice caught her in the leg. Bandit and Gyatso capitalized with a blast of air to the shoulder and a flying boulder to the chest. “Jet’s gone, and you’re outnumbered. You can surrender, or I can kill you. Your choice,” Yue seethed.

Ursa looked from the three benders to her injured brother. Perhaps she’d let things go a bit too far this time. “Fine. Get him out of my sight.” With that, she left to call off her forces.

*Out of Character*

Katara slid on her knees as she fell to Zuko’s side. “Aang, go get the med team!”

“On it!” he disappeared in a blur.

“Toph, go tell Sokka and Suki what happened.”

“You bet,” she walked back toward the dwindling battle sounds.

Her hands trembled as she lifted Zuko’s head into her lap. “Are you okay? Let me see your face.”

“I’m fine. It’s just a scratch,” Zuko said.

“Let. Me. See.” There was no arguing with that tone of voice. Zuko cautiously moved his hand and felt blood drip into his eye. “Oh my god! I swear, if I ever see Chet again, I’m going to kill him,” she raged.

“Katara.” Zuko’s voice was gentle as he reached towards her face with his clean hand. “I’m okay. If you hadn’t come when you did, I’d be in much worse shape.”

She pressed his hand to her cheek. “If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt in the first place.” Her voice quivered as she spoke.

Zuko frowned. “But then I wouldn’t know you.” The warm sincerity in his voice was so familiar. Maybe the line between Lu Ten’s personality and Zuko’s wasn’t as stark as she thought. “I’d fight a dozen shitty exes for you.” His smile was joking, but she felt like he meant it.

Katara kissed his forehead and laughed as she rested hers against it. “Lucky for you, I only have one.”

“Oh, thank god,” Zuko sighed. They were still laughing when the medical team arrived.

Chapter Text

In the aftermath of the battle, the medical team stitched up Zuko’s wound and Chet was asked to leave the site immediately. No official call had been made on whether or not he would be banned from Age of Elements, but it seemed likely. The Water Tribe and Fire Nation signed a non-aggression pact that would remain active for the rest of the event. Everyone could finally breathe.

*In Character*

Drinks flowed and music filled the air as the Water Tribe celebrated, but Lu Ten remained ill at ease. His anxious leg bounced as he waited for Yue to return. Despite the non-aggression pact, he was nowhere near relaxed enough to be away from her after what they’d been through that night. When he tried to insist that he was alright, she had pulled the royalty card to demand that he sit down and rest. His chest unclenched when she finally returned to the table.

“I brought you another ice pack,” she said.

Lu Ten took it with a courteous bow of his head. “Thank you, princess.”

*Out of Character*

Katara half smiled at him. “Can we just be us for tonight?”

“...Sure.” Zuko shifted in his seat. His shoulders curled, his head dipped, and his peaceful expression turned sour. It was as though he had physically transformed from Lu Ten to himself. He seemed much less happy.

Awkward silence fell between them, horribly unfitting for the festive atmosphere. “How’s your eye?” Katara asked.

“Which one?” She froze. Was he still mad about her thinking his scar was fake? “Sorry. That was a bad joke.”

“Oh!” She exhaled with relief. “No, it was funny.” His grimace practically screamed ‘don’t bother.’ This was not going the way she’d hoped. It occurred to her that she only really knew of one thing they had in common. “So...how often do you go LARPing?”

Zuko perked up a little at that. “I go to big events like this a few times a year, but I’m at small LARPs and ren faires every weekend.”

Katara swallowed her drink quickly lest she waste alcohol with a spit take. “Seriously!? I can barely manage the prep work for Age of Elements!”

“At this point I just keep a few bags packed all the time. Makes things easier.”

“I guess so. That’s a lot of dedication.”

His shy smile faltered. “Believe it or not, my sister’s the one who got me into it.”

“Is Ursa really your sister, then? Or was that just an RP thing?”

“Nope, she’s my sister. Her real name is Azula.”

Katara took another sip of her drink to stop her mouth from getting ahead of her brain. “She seems very...enthusiastic.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Zuko chuckled. “She’s not always like that. She just gets really intense, especially when combat’s involved. You might like her outside of this.”

“We’ll see,” Katara mused.

“I hope so.” Lu Ten would have held her gaze until she melted. Zuko blushed and looked away.

He wasn’t wiggling out of this that easily. “You’re pretty smooth when you want to be, huh?” Katara teased.

His blush deepened. “I hope I haven’t made you uncomfortable.”

“Not at all!” she answered too quickly. His eyes widened (as much as they could in their respective states). Worried she’d come on too strong, she added, “You’ve been a great RP partner.”

“Oh. Thanks.” In a stunning display of bodily angst, Zuko slumped even further into himself. Normally, he took pride in his roleplay abilities. Perhaps too much, considering how much of his personal time was spent embodying Lu Ten and other characters. But Katara...he wanted her to see Zuko. More than that, he wanted her to like Zuko, but that seemed like a lofty ask. Maybe he needed a bit more balance in his life.

A boisterous man sidled up to their table. “What are you two sad sacks doing moping over here?” Sokka asked. He was definitely drunk this time. “It’s a party! Eat, drink, be merry and all that!” He placed two cups of cactus juice—the strongest mixed drink Misty Palms had—on their table and bounced back to Suki, who was waiting for him with a kiss and another drink.

Katara couldn’t help but laugh at her brother’s efforts. “He has a point. Do you drink?” she asked, remembering his refusal the last time they came to the bar.

“Lu Ten doesn’t, but I do.” He slammed back the cactus juice in one gulp. The music changed to a bardcore rendition of Hips Don’t Lie. Emboldened by the strong drink rapidly working its way into his system, he set down his ice pack, stood, and offered his hand to a wide-eyed Katara. “Want to dance?”

Despite her concern for his well-being after watching him down the infamous cocktail like water, she took his hand. “You’re not sick of dancing with me after what happened last time?” she joked.

“Not even close,” he replied. Familiar heat stirred in Katara’s chest as she followed him to the dance floor.

Zuko was not remotely prepared for the way she moved. As the Moon she had floated like a cloud, but as Katara she was a force of nature. Her braid whipped around her as she spun while her hands twisted above her head like dueling birds. And dear lord, her hips. If ignoring her curves was difficult during their practice session, it was downright impossible now as she rolled her body in positively sinful ways, peeking at him through half-lidded eyes all the while. Her moves attracted the attention of several other party goers who watched her in ways that made one word ring out in Zuko’s head: mine.

A ludicrous thought, he chastised himself, as they’d barely spent any time together as themselves. But her eyes were on him and no one else.

He slid into her space like he belonged there and she welcomed him in. When he leaned forward, she leaned back. When she stepped in, he stepped out. Push, pull. They followed each other in perfect rhythm, agonizingly refraining from touching until Zuko felt like he was going to lose his mind. Mercifully, when the final chords sounded she grabbed his hand and when she spun into him, he caught her with one hand on her arched back and the other on her raised thigh. The circle of celebrants around them clapped and whistled, but they barely registered it over their pounding hearts and heaving breaths.

The music slowed to another medieval styled remix: Kiss from a Rose. Before they knew it, they were upright in each others’ arms, swaying in time to the ballad. “You’re a great dancer,” Zuko said. Understatement of the year.

Katara blushed. “I’m always a little self-conscious when it’s not choreographed in advance.”

“Really? You looked like you were in your element to me.”

“Then I successfully fooled you,” she laughed.

His hands tightened on her hips as he recalled the looks other people were giving her before he joined her. “You fooled a lot of people.” His voice came out low, his hunger unmasked.

Her body responded easily. She snaked her hands around his neck. With heavy eyes and bitten lip she whispered, “I only care about one.”

Zuko had never wanted to kiss someone so badly. He wanted to be the one biting her lip, making those beautiful blue eyes flutter shut. “Katara…” He leaned in, and so did she.

But when their lips were scarcely an inch apart, screams ripped them out of their moment. “You sent me to the Spirit World, you bastard!”

“Back off unless you want to go back, asshole!”

In-character beef and alcohol rarely mixed well. One of the bartenders and several other players suddenly had their hands full breaking up a fight. “Do you want to get out of here?” Katara asked. From the way she clung to him and the slight tremor in her voice, Zuko could tell there was only one right answer.

“I’ll walk you back to your tent.”

.::.

They walked back to the Water Tribe camp in nebulous quiet. The adrenaline of that almost-kiss had Zuko’s head spinning, but with Katara so obviously troubled beside him, he shoved those feelings down. She held her arms tight to her chest and stared at the ground. Part of him worried that she regretted what had happened between them at Misty Palms. It wouldn’t have been the first time. But that couldn’t be right. It just couldn’t. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Katara shrugged her shoulders. “I’m sorry. Just seeing that fight so soon after you and Jet…”

He could fill in the gaps. “I get it. It’s been a long night.”

“For what it’s worth, I had a great time.” Her smile was soft, but genuine.

He returned it. Smiling was easy around her. “Me too.”

The silence on the rest of their walk was decidedly comfortable. Once they arrived at Katara’s tent, Zuko said goodbye. “Wait,” she called after him. Excitement sparkled in Zuko’s chest. “I need to go off site tomorrow to get some supplies. Do you want to come?”

Not exactly the request he was hoping for, but it pleased him nonetheless. “Sounds nice. I’m camping in the out of game space. Want to meet there?” She nodded. “Cool. I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said.

“Cool…” She didn’t enter her tent, and he didn’t leave. The night felt unfinished. Katara took Zuko’s hand and pulled herself to him. “One more thing.” She placed her other hand on his shoulder, stood on her toes, and planted a warm, lingering kiss on his cheek. “Goodnight,” she whispered.

Her full lips left a hint of moisture that turned cold in the night air when she pulled away, A stark, beautiful remnant that proved her affection real. Zuko wanted her to have a reminder, too. He lifted his hand to her cheek. Katara immediately sighed and leaned into it. Running hot had its disadvantages, but her response to his heat was a privilege. The tip of his nose brushed across her temple as he slowly kissed her cheekbone, her jaw, her earlobe. His lips lingered exactly where they had on stage after the Eclipse Ritual, exactly where he knew they would make her shiver. “Goodnight, Katara.” His tongue luxuriated over every syllable of her name.

It was a miracle that Katara made it into her tent alone after that.

Chapter Text

Katara headed toward the out of game campsite soon after she woke up. The morning dew still clung to the blades of grass that tickled her ankles. Zuko was waiting for her on the outskirts of the out of game tents when she arrived. He gave a small smile when he saw her and Katara’s steps quickened in response. “Sorry to keep you waiting,” she said.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve always been a morning person,” Zuko said with a shrug.

“That makes one of us,” Katara yawned. “I don’t remember the last time I was up this early.”

Zuko snickered. “Katara, it’s like 7:30.”

“Too early,” she insisted.

“Let’s get you some coffee.” He fell into step beside Katara and they started toward the parking lot. Zuko opened the passenger door to his dark red jeep and closed it behind her once she’d climbed inside. By the time he made it to the driver’s seat, Katara was already tearing through the CD collection in his glove box. “You know, most people ask before rummaging through other peoples’ stuff.”

His stiff demeanor didn’t deter Katara one bit. “It was already open.”

“Wow, nosy and a liar. I’m learning all kinds of things about you today.” He punctuated his stern words with a smirk as he turned on the car.

“And I’m learning a lot about you,” Katara quipped as she pulled out a CD. “ABBA? Really?”

“Everyone likes ABBA!” he defended.

“Oho, what’s this? ‘The Downward Spiral.’ Edgy.”

“That one’s from high school.”

“Should I be concerned?”

“Only if I start playing it.” The energy in the car shifted at that, thick with dark memories and timid questions too soon to ask.

Katara flipped through the albums in search of something lighter. “Oh my god, I love Whitney Houston! Mind if I put this on?” Zuko nodded. Katara slid the disc into the slot and Whitney’s sweet, powerful voice filled the air.

“I found out what I've been missing
Always on the run
I've been looking for someone”

Katara felt her cheeks warm as the opening lines of “You Give Good Love” reverberated through the speakers.

“...you give good love to me
Baby, it's so good
Take this heart of mine into your hands”

She peeked at Zuko whose fingers were flexing nervously against the steering wheel. “I love this song,” she said.

“Yeah,” Zuko smiled, “me too.”

Since she was apparently incapable of repressing her urge to be sarcastic this morning, Katara said, “So you have some good taste after all.”

The car paused at a cosmically timed stop sign. Despite the country roads being clear, Zuko took the opportunity to turn towards his sardonic passenger. “I like to think so.” The drop in his voice made one thing clear: he wasn’t talking about music. Flustered, Katara turned her attention outward. She spent the rest of the journey watching sunlight flicker through the leaves and trying not to match the lyrics of every love song to the handsome driver she hardly knew.

.::.

They parked on the main street of a quaint mountain town about half an hour later. Their first stop was a local coffee shop with a pseudo-industrial aesthetic. Zuko paid for their orders: black tea for him, a peppermint mocha for her, and two croissants. Katara was too sleepy to notice the perturbed looks and snide whispers directed at them while they ate. Well, mostly him.

Zuko tapped his cup anxiously as he waited for Katara to finish her croissant. He’d eaten his in four bites in an effort to get out of here as quickly as possible, but with her bird-like nibbles that could take a while. “What do you think happened?” he heard someone whisper. The constant refrain of speculation behind his back never got easier. Knowing his face probably looked downright murderous, he made a point of aiming his gaze at his cup, not wanting to make his friend feel rushed or cause a scene by glaring at his spectators.

“Something wrong with your tea?” Zuko blinked up at Katara. “You look like you just drank poison,” she said.

“The tea’s fine,” Zuko grimaced. Katara furrowed her brow in concern. “It’s fine. It’s just not as good as what my uncle serves at his tea shop.” Frankly, all tea tasted like hot leaf juice to him, but he hoped that invoking Iroh’s name would aid him in his tea-related deception.

Katara snickered. “Snob,” she said as she popped the last bite of croissant into her mouth. For all his self-consciousness, Zuko felt strangely relaxed when Katara teased him. Certainly there was nothing to unpack there.

Their pastries eaten, they left the shop with drinks in hand. They went next door to the mercifully empty pharmacy where they quickly grabbed bug spray, sun screen, medicine, and some snacks. One self-checkout later, they were on the way back to Zuko’s car. “Well, that’s done. What now?” Katara asked as she set her grocery bag of dried fruit and spicy chips in the passenger seat.

Zuko raised a quizzical brow. While still slightly bruised, the swelling had mostly gone down. “Shouldn’t we head back to site?”

“We could, or…” Katara shut the car door and grinned. “We could have some fun while we’re here.”

Walking around town while people gawked at him was not his idea of fun. He rifled through a list of excuses to get them back to site. ‘Your character is too important. Your brother might get worried. I left my camp stove on.’ But none of them stood a chance against her big, bright smile. He threw the bag of supplies into the car and locked it. “Sure. Why not.”

.::.

They found themselves in a smal thrift shop called down the road. “Hey Zuko, check this out.” He turned away from a shelf full of antique brooches and saw Katara striking a pose wearing a hat shaped like a penguin. His pursed lips parted into a huge smile as his body shook with laughter. Katara expected an amused eye roll or a chuckle at best. His pure, unbridled laughter was a gift that warmed her insides. She only grew hotter when he stepped towards her, the smile not yet faded from his flushed face.

“Where the hell did you find this thing?” he played with the pompoms hanging over her shoulders as he asked.

“The kids section.”

“What were you doing in the kids section?”

“Looking for penguin hats, obviously.”

“Obviously.”

“I found something else, too.” Katara produced a lion-shaped hat from behind her back and lifted it over his head.

“No,” Zuko said as he side stepped.

“Aw, come on!” She followed, her arms still hovering over his head.

“No way. I’ll look ridiculous.” He ducked out of her range.

“That’s the point.” She boxed him in.

“It’s cute when you do it.” They froze.

“You...think I’m cute?” Katara blinked.

Physically and mentally cornered, Zuko nodded. “Y-yeah. I do.”

“Then…” Katara lunged forward with the hat again, “let me dress you up!”

Zuko grabbed her forearms and held her at bay. “Never mind, I take it back!”

“Can I help you find anything?” The elderly shop owner’s voice snapped them out of their wrestling match.

“Nope!” They said in unison.

“Actually,” Katara said, “can you take a picture of us?”

The old woman clapped her hands in delight. “Of course, dear!” Katara handed her her digital camera, showed her how to use it, and returned to Zuko who was standing straight as a board. Katara grabbed his arm, pulled him forward, and smushed the lion hat onto his head. She met his glare with a triumphant smirk.

“Say cheese!” the owner said. Katara threw up a peace sign and smiled for the camera. Zuko hated having his picture taken. Instead of looking at the camera, he cast his eyes toward Katara and managed a half-smile for her.

“Thank you,” Katara said as she took her camera back.

“Of course. You two make a lovely couple.” Zuko felt his blood pressure spike while Katara nearly jumped out of her skin.

“We’re not—”

“It’s not like that—”

The owner held up her hand to stay their protests. “Save your breath, kids. Aunt Wu knows these things.” Wu cackled to herself as she went back to the front of the store.

The atmosphere between the not-couple remained charged as she left. Neither dared risk looking at the other. “We sh—” they both started.

“You go ahead,” Zuko said.

“No, you,” Katara replied.

“I was just going to say we should probably start heading back.”

“Good idea.” Katara put the hats back and they left the store without a word toward each other or the meddlesome Aunt Wu. While waiting at a cross walk, something caught Katara’s eye. “Look at that!” she pointed across the street to another shop.

Zuko followed her hand. “A record store?”

“I know we need to get going, but do you want to check it out real quick? It seems like the kind of place you’d like with your music collection.”

‘Nosy liar. Thoughtful and perceptive.’ He smiled at her softly. “You’re right. Yeah, let’s go take a look.”

They roamed around the record store for a little while sharing their thoughts on various artists and albums. “Ooh, Sade! I wishI had a record player,” Katara mused.

“I’ve got one. Maybe you could come over and listen to it sometime.” He meant it as a friendly offer, but then he remembered Aunt Wu’s insinuation and feared being presumptuous. “O-or I could just let you borrow it,” he added.

Katara completely ignored his addition, lost in the idea of being in Zuko’s home. It was nearly winter now. Maybe she could make hot chocolate while he picked out some music—something soft and slow. If it got really cold they could get under the blanket and… Practicality interrupted her fantasy. “Where do you live, anyway?” People traveled from far and wide to attend Age of Elements; it wouldn’t be wise to get excited by an invitation that might not be possible to accept.

“About two hours west of here. You?”

“An hour south.” She twirled a loose curl around her finger. “So we’re not too far apart. Maybe I could come over sometime. If you were serious, that is.”

“Uh…” Zuko scrambled for an answer as he felt his brain shutting down its speech center. “Yeah. Totally.”

“Great! Give me your phone.” His hand obeyed her command if not his own. Katara flipped it open and pressed the buttons to add her name and number to his contacts then called herself to add his number later. “There. Now we can make plans when LARP is over.”

“Great,” he breathed. “Um, how about I buy you that record so we can listen to it together?”

Katara clutched the Lovers Rock album to her chest. “Are you sure? You paid for breakfast and everything from the pharmacy.”

Zuko held out his hand. “I’m sure. Give it here.”

She passed him the vinyl without further objection. No one had really doted on her since her mother died and part of her felt wrong for allowing it. But from the way Zuko acted both in and out of character, she suspected he might make her get used to it.

The cashier looked up when they got to the checkout counter. “He—holy SHIT dude, what the hell happened?” The young man recoiled, his eyes fixated on Zuko’s scar.

And there it was, the thing he’d been afraid of since they left site that morning: disgust. He had shaken off the wisps that had floated around him in the coffee shop, but now it was laid bare on this cashier’s horrified face. Zuko’s jaw clenched in frustration. “I want to buy this.” The only thing that mattered now was getting out of here.

“Christ, that looks awful.” He seemed not to hear Zuko at all.

Katara waved her hand in front of the cashier’s face. “Hey! We’re kind of in a hurry so can you quit being rude and do your job?”

His eyes widened further when he saw Katara. “What’s a cute girl like you doing with a monster like that?”

“Forget it!” Zuko barked. He stormed out of the store without the record or his dignity.

“Zuko!” Katara flipped off the cashier then chased after her friend. People practically leapt out of Zuko’s path as he stalked up the street. “Zuko, wait!” she called, but he didn’t stop. She chased him through the parted sea of frightened tourists all the way back to the car. She made it just as he slammed the door behind him. As she reached for the passenger door lever, he slammed his fists against the dashboard. Her hand hovered, frozen, as she listened to his muffled scream. Her heart ached at the sound.

After a few minutes, Katara finally climbed into the jeep. “Are...you okay?” The question always felt so silly when the answer was obvious.

“No.” Zuko’s voice was flat as he rested his head against the steering wheel.

Normally she was great at helping her friends when they got upset. Aang needed praise. Sokka needed a hug. Toph needed space. Suki needed to vent. But Zuko...their friendship was still too new. Katara didn’t know what he needed, and she hated how powerless it made her feel. “That guy was an asshole. I flipped him off before I left.” Zuko snorted, but didn’t respond. “Just forget about what he said. You’re not a monster, you’re—”

“Katara,” he scolded, “Can we not talk about it?” Katara nodded, chastened, and strapped herself in. Zuko started the car and they made the long drive back to site without another word.

.::.

Katara unfastened her seat belt the second Zuko turned the car off. “Wait,” Zuko said. All the ire had drained from his voice. She didn’t open the door, but didn’t turn to look at him either. “I’m sorry I snapped at you. You didn’t deserve that.”

“You’re right,” she sighed. “But I’m sorry if I made you feel worse.”

“You didn’t. Thanks for flipping that guy off.”

“Any time,” Katara chuckled. A beat.

“Can I tell you something?” Zuko asked. She nodded. “It’s about how I got my scar.”

“Zuko, you don’t—you don’t have to tell me that,” Katara gasped.

Zuko unfastened his seat belt and turned his body towards her. “I want you to know, if you’re okay with that.”

“Of course.” Katara placed her hand on the center console, fingers dangling over the edge for Zuko to take if he so chose. He did.

Zuko took a deep, steadying breath. It had been a long time since he told anyone this story. “Remember when I mentioned I had a bad time in high school?” She squeezed his hand in response. He squeezed back. “The summer before my freshman year, my dad did this to me. I tried to stop him from hitting my mom so he poured alcohol on my face and lit a match.”

Katara’s free hand flew to cover her mouth. “Zuko…” His eyes were dim when he looked up at her.

“A lot of people react to me like the cashier did today. I try not to let it get to me, but sometimes I just…” He grimaced as he flashed back to lashing out at the cashier and abandoning Katara in the store. Her thumb rubbing circles across his knuckles kept him grounded. “It wears on me. That’s why I spend so much time LARPing. People at these events don’t look at me like I’m a freak. I feel normal here.”

“I’m sorry I don’t know what to say,” she admitted.

“You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted you to know because...because I want to keep spending time with you in the real world, but I thought you should know what that means.”

He watched as she reached toward his scarred cheek, stopping just short, a silent ask for permission. He granted it with a slight nod. Katara stroked her fingers over the ridges of his scar. His eyes drifted shut and he sighed at the gentle sensation. “I think it means I get to spend time with someone incredibly brave,” she whispered.

Shuddering breaths racked Zuko’s body as relief coursed through him. Katara settled her hand firmly against his cheek. When he opened his eyes again, they were brighter than she’d ever seen, wet with unshed tears. She wanted to dive across the car and hold him until he had no more tears to cry. Unfortunately, they were loudly reminded that they had other things to attend to when someone started banging on the hood of the jeep. Zuko threw open the door to yell at the assailant. “Quit hitting my car, Sokka!”

“I’ve been looking for you two all morning!” Sokka shouted. “While you were off making out, the rest of us were freaking out!”

“We weren’t making out,” Katara scowled. “We just went into town to get some stuff and got stuck in traffic. Here.” She tossed her brother a bag of beef jerky.

Sokka was immediately pacified. “Well, I guess it can’t be helped,” he said as he chomped down on a strip of dried beef. “Let’s just get back to camp.” Sokka set off and Zuko and Katara followed behind, sharing furtive glances as they let their arms sway a hair’s breadth apart.