markofthebrave | [ Action, Voice ] .042

[Even Katara can only deny the effects of the dreams so long. It wasn't so bad at first when they were just vivid and of a different Luceti... but this other world, with these strange people she feels connected to, and the strange consistency of them, as if they were actually telling a story...

...and she knows the dreams have been effecting her dad too. And that it hasn't been good. So... she's going to take today to do maybe what she should have done from the start.]

[Filtered to Sokka]

Hey, I need to talk to you. What time can I come by?

[Filtered to Zuko]

...can we meet later?

[Filtered to Chouji]
I know this is weird, but have you been dreaming that we--

[Filtered to Shikamaru]
Did we ever--

[Filtered to Masaomi]
Don't take this the wrong way, but I had a dream about us, and we were fighting. You broke my rib, but it wasn't a bad thing and I can't stop thinking about--

[Filtered to Nami]
...have you been having dreams that we were friends, once?

[Filtered to Ginko]
Ginko... have you ever heard of parasites that... live in the dark and steal sight from people's eyes, and can be drawn out by moonlight?

[Filtered to San]
I dreamed you had come into my house for food, that you drew a knife and nearly attacked Sokka, and I had to knock you down.

[Filtered to Sanji]
Sanji, did we ever...

[Filtered to Jet]
I - you - there was a dam that -

[Katara abruptly shoves away from her journal, scribbling through her filters madly. Checking with Sokka and Zuko would be enough. She didn't want to go and get people upset or excited about something that may or may not be true. She hesitates for a long moment at the doorway to her father's room, contemplating knocking and asking him-

What have you been dreaming about, Dad? They haven't stopped. Do you think they mean something?

-but eventually she just writes a note that she's going to spend some time practicing, picks up her yari, and heads into the forest. She's almost hoping to see one of the beasties everyone's been talking about. She could do with a good fight against something she can actually touch.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He was about to answer that rambling thing of hers when she took his face and...

... and kissed him.

Katara. Kissed. Him.

... oh.

He's just going to lean into that and his hands settle on her shoulders. This was nice. This was really nice -- and so much better than just about anything those dreams handed him.]

[Some indefinable weight falls off her shoulders when he responds and - this is nice. It's really nice, it's more than nice, actually. It's been a while since she's done anything like this and some part of Katara vaguely wonders why she waited so long, because... mmm... yeah.

It's incredibly tempting to just step closer and wind her arms around him and keep kissing, but in the back of her head she realizes that she kind of needs to get an answer first and - mmm. Maybe one more--

--okay, okay, breaking away now, breath slightly unsteady - she moves her head away but doesn't try to step out of his hold, doesn't quite move her hands from his face.]

I really like you, Zuko. I want us to be more than friends.

[He keeps his hands on her shoulders and smiles down at her, because it felt good, in more ways than one. It felt good to be accepted. Good to be liked. Good to be wanted and after the last couple nights of dreams that made absolutely no sense and Jet being withdrawn, he needed that. Wanted that. Whichever. It didn't matter.]

I think that can be arranged.

[Happiness bubbles up inside her, contrasting with the warmth that simply comes from wanting and being wanted it return. She almost laughs.]

Good.

[And she doesn't move, only smiles at him as if to say - So what are you going to do about it?]

[If she was thinking he was going to kiss her again, she's mistaken. Yeah, that kiss was definitely good and he'll be wanting more of those again, but there's a sort of reassurance and encouragement that won't come from a tentative kiss, just exploring the beginnings of a relationship.

And, so, without a word, he pulls her into (possibly a bone-crushing) hug.]

Oomph!

[OK, unexpected, yes, but she can roll with it. Despite her freedom with dispensing hugs, she very rarely receives them - and she's not the type to linger in these sort of things.

But then. This is different.

Not really about her at all, is it - it's about that family he always wanted until his dreams started to convince him otherwise... So she closes her eyes, lets her arms slide around him, and holds on tightly.

It's all right. I'm right here.]

[Somehow, this should be awkward and strange, but it's not. He's sure she expected some teasing, or a kiss, or something -- anything -- besides being pulled into a hug, but for him, it just somehow felt right. After a moment, he pulls back.]

So... this walk we're taking? Gonna keep us from prying eyes, right?

[Now he'll get to the teasing.]

[She pulls back as well, loosening her arms before sliding them off his neck and down to her side all together. Still, she doesn't break completely free from the circle of his arms, leaning back to smile up at him with a faint blush.]

That was part of the idea, yeah. Unless you didn't get enough of that at the mikan harvest.

[Oh. The mikan harvest. That had been special.]

You've got quite the family.

[Hey, there's some sort of fondness in his voice. Somewhere. At least they're there and not sociopaths.]

[Shrug. Grin.

She's unapologetic about ~~throwing you to the wolves~~ introducing you this way. She had to know if you could take it. Otherwise - there wasn't any point.]

Yeah, they're something else. I'm glad you were able to get along with them.

[Kinda a deal breaker, before you even were sure the deal was on the table.]

[He returns the shrug with one of his own.]

I got my fill of swords and spiked mikan juice, that's for sure.

[Katara abruptly straightens in indignation, having grown accustomed to Zuko's hands still loosely holding her.]

Who spiked your mikan juice?!

[That's just a travesty, is what it is. The fact that her alcohol tolerence is practically non-existent may be flavoring her response a bit.]

[Blink, blink. He didn't quite expect that sort of reaction. He'd (kind of) been teasing.]

It's not important!

[Because he's not telling her that her father handed him a glass of really strong mikan juice.]

What do you mean, of course it's important! I didn't bring you there so they could try to get you drunk!

[Oh, jeez, Katara, don't kill him. It's a split second decision he has to make: Who's scarier, Law or Katara?

... Yeah, easy answer.]

Your dad! Your dad did. He was just trying to be nice. I think.

[Frowny face.]

What was he thinking...

[Because it's never as simple as a drink with her dad and a boy she's interested in, Zuko. Katara refuses to believe it, even as she ducks her head in thought.]

[Way to kill the mood, moron.]

He was being nice?

[She blinks up at him. Did he really just - pffff.

She grins wryly and lifts up her hands to place them lightly on his chest.]

You've got a lot to learn about my family.

[Well, at least she's not going to inadvertently kill him in a rage over her father. Life's good.]

I have time.

Yeah.

[And then she steps forward to just - rest her head on his shoulder, turning their half-embrace into a true one again.

They have time.]

Edited 2011-05-03 17:09 (UTC)

[It's so weird that he's never noticed just how perfectly she fits there, held in his arms. They've been friends for a lifetime, always around each other. Always dancing around each other.

Never coming close enough for this.

Thank the Malnosso for Jet's crazy schemes.

It's right.

And so, he just holds her.]

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