Day One - Dragons

How had it come down to this?

One minute they'd been walking around the wide streets of Ba Sing Se, shopping around various booths at his Uncle's request to go out and relax.

And the next, Katara had dragged him into an obscure tattoo shop. How she had managed to drag him, he who was nearly twice her size, so easily was beyond him.

Well, not really. He had learned never to undermine the waterbender. She was stronger than she looked. And there was something about her eyes, the ones that held the depth of the ocean's and the danger of blue flame, that always made him cave.

Damned waterbender.

"Remind me again why you think this is a good idea?" he asked crossing his arms over his chest.

She threw a smile over his shoulder. "I've always thought they were beautiful, my GranGran used to tell me stories of marked warriors, the swirling ink patterns on their skin. Ancient tribe elders with stories on their bodies. I won't get a permanent one …."

There's a pause and then she continues, "not now anyways."

He looks around the room. Stuffy is the only way he can describe it. There's not much space to move around. The chair in the middle of the shop and table they're at now seem disproportionately large. And the owner is a burly man who seems to take up most of the room.

Katara is still too busy flipping over the pages of the book, gazing at every design intently and very, very slowly that he decides that maybe dying here wouldn't be a stretch. Then again he's always been dramatic, he's only begrudgingly begun to accept that.

"Found anything you'd like yet miss?" the owner asks gruffly. Good so Zuko isn't the only one getting impatient.

She shakes her head. "I can't really decide …. There's so much and I don't really have anything in mind."

The man settles back in his chair, a furrow in his thick grey brows. Zuko looks back at Katara. Her fingers skim over one particular flower drawing, but she shakes her head and flips the page.

"That one was nice, why not?" comes his voice to shake her from her thoughts.

"It's a panda-lily, they were the ones Aang used to give me." Her voice is straightforward, calm and betraying any emotion. But Zuko knows all too well.

"Hey, why don't you let me decide?"

She looks up at him, her hand falls away from the page. The shop owner groans quietly from behind them.

There's something mischievous in her eyes now, and a small wicked smile grazes her lips.

"Only if you get a matching one."

Suddenly any flowery designs fall from his thoughts. He knows she won't let him argue his way out of this …. And by now the only thing he wants is to get out of here. How is she not affected by the humidity in here.

… oh, right, waterbender.

He sighs in defeat. "Fine, but go sit in the chair so you don't see what I choose."

Her lips quirk up in a sweet smile. "Okay!"

She bounces over to the chair and even the owner's face softens as he watches her graceful movements.

Agni, that woman could have nations at her feet just with her beauty. Not that she doesn't have one already.

His eyes return to the book she left behind and he takes it into his hands without hesitation. He had seen one drawing that had stood out from the rest. He flipped to it and turned to the owner.

"We'll be having the same one," he goes over to where the man sits, "this one."

The man takes a look at Zuko and nods.

"Fitting." Then his eyes roam over to the waterbender. "And interesting indeed."

When they're both done Zuko can see that the sun is already descending over the horizon quickly.

Katara waits patiently on his right side, the "tattoo" on her left arm still drying down. She'd promised to only look once both of them were finished and luckily Zuko felt the man begin to just add in last details. He breathed out happily. Finally they were going to leave.

"Okay there young man, you're done. Now both of you go take a look."

Katara claps her hands with glee and takes Zuko's wrist and drags them over to the mirror in excitement.

He doesn't focus on this arm in the mirror, instead he looks at her.

Her eyes widen as she looks at her arm. He sincerely hopes this isn't in disgust. Her mouth opens ever so slightly before turning into a grin.

"It's beautiful," she murmurs as her eyes trace every detail.

The proud dragon flows from her shoulder to her forearm, with flames swirling around it. But, Zuko notes, the flames on her dragon curl more, they resemble waves more than flames.

His voice is shakier than he expects, "You do?"

Her grin turns into a smile. "Of course. Not my first choice but very mesmerizing indeed. I love it Zuko, really."

She kisses his cheek just at the point where flawless pale skin meets the roughness of his scar and then turns back to the mirror. Zuko feels the spot where her lips met his skin start to burn up. He looks back to the owner instead of looking back the mirror.

"How much will it be?"

The owner shakes his head. "Leave it on the house," he stops, "better yet, tell Iroh to send me some of his best tea blends for payment, I'd like some of that."

If there's one thing Zuko has come to learn, is that big, scary looking men, enjoy tea the most. That or his Uncle just has a larger tea cult than he ever thought possible. And somehow Zuko is able to place this man's face in his Uncle's tea shop, he's more than likely been one of Uncle's many customers since Zuko's been here.

"And oh," the man begins again, "congratulations." He sends a wink Zuko's way and this time Zuko feels his entire face flush. He quickly thanks the man, stammers is more of what it sounds like, as he grabs Katara by the arm and leads the way out.

A very special thank you to my wonderful beta - mochimistress - for being extremely patient and loving with me always. Find her at Archive of Our Own for her wonderful writing abilities.

*inspiration from the new movie "Nerve" and the tattoo dare scene.