Fall of the White Lotus [Zutara/Taang]

38 | Virus

Music: Princess Yue, The Track Team (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

                             Zuko grabbed Katara's hand and swiftly pulled her underneath the grand staircase. Crouching down, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders as he focused on where the voices came from, a grim expression on his face.

Once again things were blowing up in his face. How else could it be that those conceited beach boys from three years ago were now sneaking around in his summer house on a mission to end his reign?

"Do you know these housebreakers?" Katara was looking at him searchingly, and Zuko's gaze darkened. Of course she'd noticed he'd recognized the voices.

"Well, you know, we bad guys, we all know each other," came the sarcastic reply. He referred to the old housekeeper's words in a pitiful attempt to evade her question, but Katara wasn't in the mood for sarcasm.

She gave him a hard stare and Zuko gave in.

"Alright. We met with them during that holiday I told you about. I... We kind of trashed the house of one of them."

"What?!"

A pale hand clapped over Katara's mouth to muffle her abhorred hiss, and Zuko's eyes looked at her pleadingly, begging her to be quiet.

"Please, Katara. I'll explain later, I promise," he whispered urgently. "There's really no excuse for what we did. All I can say is that it was pubescent frustration on our part."

"What can possibly justify the trashing of a house?" Katara mumbled indistinctly behind his hand. Her blue eyes spat fire.

Growing up in the harsh environment of the South Pole with the ever present threat of Fire Nation raids lurking on the horizon had instilled in her a deep awareness of the importance of shelter against the elements. It could literally mean the difference between life and death. That someone would trifle with that for whatever shallow reason was beyond her.

Zuko bowed his head in shame as he removed his hand from her lips. "They thought Azula and I weren't cool enough for them," he whispered lamely.

He waited with bated breath for Katara's. reaction but then a small tremble made the corner of her mouth curl up. "I'm sure that must have hurt deeply," she commented dryly, and he grimaced in response.

"I know, it's ridiculous. Let's just say I had lost my way when we came here," he mumbled darkly.

Next to him, Katara allowed herself a wry smile. She knew how much he regretted his decision to side with Azula the moment they'd left Ba Sing Se. How she wished things had gone differently back then - that instead of fighting him, they could have taken him with them as their friend and ally. Perhaps then she would have allowed herself to listen to the hopeful jump of her heart when his face had all but lit up at seeing her leaning against the doorpost of his room in the Western Air Temple.

Unaware of her train of thought, Zuko tightened his arm around her shoulders when the footsteps of the intruders reached the hall.

Katara's attention immediately snapped back and she reached for her water pouch. "Whatever the reason, you made yourself some enemies that day," she observed.

But Zuko shook his head. "No, they didn't know who we were."

And upon seeing her confused gaze he explained, "Azula wanted it that way." He set his jaw. "But I believe the time has come for a proper introduction."

                           All was silent around them as Toph and Aang started their journey into the swamp-like world where the spirits dwell. Only the sounds of their own feet sucking their way through the mud broke the silence.