The Typical Zutara Cliché

By Caspre (who just loves to take the piss)

For reasons that we MUSN'T question, the Prince of Flames and muscular talent, Zuko and the Ice Queen and beautiful warrior, Katara found themselves trapped in an desolate room in the middle of nowhere together, alone, with no means of escape in the near future.

Katara glared at her nemesis with such blaze in her eyes, Zuko almost remarked that she looked close to a Fire Bender. However, he was too disgusted at her presence to compliment her in any way.

Fire and water can never mix; one must always conquer the other. They knew this much as their blood hammered through their veins, and their fists clenched into claws.

They stood at a stubborn distance, both scrutinizing each other in silence.

It was Zuko who spoke first, in his curious accent and dusted voice.

"So we finally meet face to face. And we're not fighting this time."

"Not yet." Katara corrected him fiercely, her chest heaving as adrenaline fizzled through her.

It's my chance…she thought to herself, It's time I finally told the bastard what I think of him.

"You're an evil person!" She cried abruptly, and was silent again, not quite sure what to do next. Zuko watched her for a moment, unimpressed.

"I was expecting something a bit more original?" He goaded.

"UGH!" Katara scoffed, shooting him a look of disgust.

They stood in silence in the room that only held a fireplace and a few blankets crumpled in the corner. Still keeping one eye on the girl that he despised, Zuko gave a tremendous punch and lit the fireplace. Katara jumped at the sudden bending and hardened her stance.

"Oh please, I'm not about to fight you." Zuko said, rolling his eyes. Katara only tensed further.

"You're getting over-excited-"

"I'M CALM!" She yelled. Suddenly, Zuko's laughter rang around the stingy walls. Katara slackened in disbelief.

"You…just laughed." She told him.

"Evidently." Zuko said dryly.

"You…laugh?"

"I was aware that most humans had the ability to-"

"Stop getting smart with me." She snapped, "It's just a surprise that's all…" She thought for a moment, "It wasn't even an evil laugh." Disbelief coloured her tone.

Zuko looked at her as if she had suddenly changed into a lemon.

"What's the obsession with me laughing? What, you thought that the Fire Nation don't have souls?"

Silence. Katara looked away.

"You're kidding!"

"You hear stories sometimes!" She protested bright pink in the face at Zuko's shock at her being so gullible.

"Well, I heard that Water Tribe scavengers believe anything they hear-"

SMACK!
The Fire Nation Prince stumbled backwards, clutching a red spot that was glowing exactly between his eyes, where a water-whip had just struck. Katara gathered her water back into its pouch, but didn't completely banish the thought of brandishing it once more.

Breathing slightly harder, Zuko lowered his hand and glared at her. She found that she couldn't look at him for more than two seconds; his golden eyes were just too intense.

"I won't fight you…" He repeated quietly and calmly, his voice gifted with a touch of something different, like the sound of shingle being washed away by the waves on a beach.

Katara found her body temperature considerably higher than it had been a few moments before.

It must be the heat of the fire. She dismissed, watching Zuko closely for any sudden movements.

Ah to hell with it! She cried in her head and lunged for him, tearing her water from her pouch as she moved with agility and grace. Zuko wasn't surprised; he had been waiting for the proud Water Bender to get big-headed.

In one swift motion, he flicked a rope of fire through her water, evaporating it in the blink of an eye. She stopped abruptly, stumbling slightly from the sudden halt, surprise filling her eyes. She stood only a couple of feet away from him, rigid with anticipation, anger and fear.

"If you weren't being so reckless you could have effortlessly avoided that move," Zuko said, but without a trace of scorn in his voice, "I've seen you fight, I've fought you myself, and you're very advanced."

Instead of weakening, Katara only hardened.

"It's no time for sweet-talk," She dismissed heatedly, "I know it's just another mind game like your sisters'."

"I'm nothing like my sister." Zuko retorted harshly, and for once his fiery eyes turned cold and distant.

"Are you sure? I've seen you fight dirty, Zuko- tricking me into thinking that you had changed back in the caves in Ba Sing Se!" Katara shouted dramatically, becoming angry again, her gestures becoming more violent and aggressive with every word, "But then you double-crossed us and your sister nearly killed Aang!"

Zuko was lost for words, and to his surprise, he felt the guilt crash down on him like heavy waves.

But before he had any time to explain, Katara had seized his shoulders, hooked her foot around his ankle and taken it out from under him.

They crashed to the floor.

"I can play mind games too, Zuko." She enlightened him, a sly smile on her face. However, her smirk disappeared in almost a second when she realized that she was lying on top of him...

ZING!

(To Be Continued...obvs.)