Zutara – Confessions of the Cactus Juice

Disclaimer: (oops I forgot this the first time :P) I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

It was strange I didn't know how I ended up here, sitting next to Zuko at this suspicious looking place in the middle of the night. It was strange. I took another gulp from that refreshing murky beverage Zuko had ordered. He called it a Fire Nation specialty which was named Hot Special.

I turned to him and smiled. He seemed rather bummed for his wedding tomorrow and I couldn't help but want to "heal" him. It was my nature. Just ask Toph, she'll tell you.

"What happened to the rest of 'em?" I asked my voice sounding slurry.

"I could ask you the same," he replied as clam as ever he didn't even bother to look at me.

I snubbed him off by pushing him roughly on the shoulder and looking the other way like an immature child.

- earlier that day -

"Zuko, you ready for your big surprise?" Aang cheerfully asked jumping up and down in glee.

"Hey, don't spoil my plan Aang, after all I am the master planner," boasted Sokka again and he was once again ignored.

"Yeah sure," responded Zuko with no interest.

"It's a…"

"BACHELOR PARTY!" Sokka and Aang exclaimed together.

It seemed as if they hadn't matured at all. Sokka's behavior of course threw Suki into a fit of giggles.

Sokka turned his attention to us, the girls.

"Of course, you ladies could take Mai out on her bachelorette party, though I'm sure it'd be no match for ours!" Sokka continued trying to urge on Suki's giggles. It was really filling his ego.

"Great," responded Mai in her usual "interested" tone.

Ty Lee then decided to chirp in. "Oh Mai, it'll be wonderful! We can all have facials and bond together! Wouldn't that be nice? And there are so many of us!" She looked around to all of us. It was true, there were more girls than boys.

The party for the girls would be: Toph, Me, Suki, Ty Lee and Mai where as the boys only had Zuko, Aang, Sokka and Iroh.

It was then that the boys set off to what I had overheard would be a night to remember full of drinking and a lecture from Iroh. I giggled at the thought. Boy, would Zuko be in for it tonight. As they left Aang turned to me and smiled shyly. I blushed back.

Our relationship hadn't really gone any further, in truth, I was envious of Suki and Sokka even, gulp, envious of Mai and Zuko.

Ty Lee ushered the rest of us out skipping along. I really was rather nervous and uneasy about the party because I didn't really know Mai all to well. We fought against each other mostly during the war and I only knew her through a brief introduction. Though Ty Lee was sweet she was overpowering in her enthusiasm. Toph and Mai hit off I guess, if you could call it that. Toph's sarcasm and Mai's lack of interest was rather amusing to watch. Ty Lee and Suki were both excited about the party.

I on the other hand, wasn't happy today. I'm sure Mai must have been more unsettled than me, seeing as her wedding was tomorrow but some how I was anxious about it too. Aang was trying to figure out why I had been acting strange all this time we'd been at the Fire Nation.

Suddenly, Ty Lee pushed open large doors and the others gasped. It was a beautifully lit room with water fountains and moist air. It was paradise for me, yet it did not improve my mood. We sat down in soft chairs and Ty Lee ordered the servants to get us ready for our facials. As we did, the girls began to gossip.

A facial and a massage later we all took a dip in a nice hot spring. I was thankful that the Fire Nation's volcanic activity gave birth to such a wonderful asset.

"So how's it like being with Zuko?" Suki asked as Ty Lee and her pried on Mai.

I felt uncomfortable again. "Guys, we shouldn't pry," I started and Toph gave me a weird look with her hazy eyes.

"You okay Sugar Queen? On any other day you'd be the first one to want to know," she explained sinking deeper into the soothing shallow hot spring.

I looked away, I couldn't lie with Toph around and even though we were in water the spring was shallow and Toph could still tell if I was lying.

"Don't you want to know if being with Zuko is anything like being with the Avatar, oops I mean Aang," Ty Lee chirped in.

"He isn't, " Mai spoke up leaving an uncomfortable silence. I already knew that he wasn't, why did she say that.

"Guys, I'm not feeling so well, I'm going to head back to my room and get some rest. You guys have fun I don't want to ruin it." I said quickly creeping out of the hot spring and grabbing my towel.

The helpers handed me a big red fluffy robe.

"What happened to my clothes?" I asked missing my familiar blue clothes.

"We were ordered to wash them and give you these comfortable robes. New clothes can be found in your rooms. Along with the attire for the ceremony tomorrow," they informed me calmly.

I groaned understanding I wouldn't be anywhere near my comforting blue tones. I stormed up the stairs. My bedroom was covered in red and black decorations. I found it sickening when I first arrived but now I sort of like it and that was really scaring me.

I saw on my bed laid out were the dresses for tomorrow. I was to be a bridesmaid. I didn't know why but it seemed maybe they were short on girls as Mai didn't seem really all too social. The dress was a silky satin in deep red. I ran my hand over it. It was so soft. I really didn't want to go to the wedding.

Next to it were some other clothes in a similar colour scheme. I turned to my small humble chest that Appa had carried over. I dug through for the dress I had brought, a nice formal purple. It was rich and deep and I loved the velvety feel. I put it on over my warm moist skin. I hugged myself and wished that somehow I wouldn't have to go for the wedding. Maybe it was the wedding that was troubling me?

I looked outside towards the setting sun and I could feel the strength grow inside me as the moon rose. I decided to take a walk around town now that it was cool.

As I roamed the streets I realized quickly that this dress was not suitable for Fire Nation night life as many leering man began to come up to me on my walk. I was quick to deal with them, seeing as it was a full moon tonight.

I stared into the windows of the stores and shops looking at the trinkets on display. That is when I saw him, his unmistakable scar, his slouched form and his gloomy appearance as he sat and drank. He wasn't with the rest of the guys and this bar seemed not a place the Fire Lord would be. It was small and quiet and seemed as if no one knew it existed. Like a private retreat for him. I pushed the door and entered.

That is how I found myself there, but I questioned how my feet simply found him when I didn't even know what I was looking for. I sat myself next to him.

"Nice place," I started breaking the silence that we had since I had arrived for his wedding. And from the last time we departed. Before he engaged Mai, before everything changed.

"Want anything?" he asked hoarsely in his usual manner.

"No no nothing I'm fine- wait, you know actually I have this big headache and I think it might be your sun, too much Fire Nation sun I think that's it because you know Zuko, gosh you haven't said a word to me since I got here and I just, how come your not worried about get-" I started finally venting my frustration.

"Make the lady a Hot Special please, she obviously needs new opinion of us," he said cutting me off for the bartender.

I was stunned and angry. I didn't know if I should go foreword and spaz more, but then again I knew I wasn't 14 anymore and I couldn't just yell anymore it would have consequences. I was lucky I'd learned to bend properly or else my outburst could have easily broken the bottles in the little shack like bar.

The bartender had a rough beard and an oddly kind smile as he handed me the murky liquid.

- Two glasses later -

Zuko looked at me with pity and he had a completed depressed expression after. I wanted to wipe it away.

"What happened to the rest of 'em?" I asked my voice sounding slurry.

"I could ask you the same," he replied as clam as ever he didn't even bother to look at me.

I snubbed him off by pushing him roughly on the shoulder and looking the other way like an immature child.

- Four glasses later -

"Sorry I push..sh.. you," I giggled. "I ditched the girls," I explained as if that answered everything.

"I see, but I thought you'd enjoy that, with all the water and all," he smirked.

"I wasn't having any fun. What about you Mr. groom? How was your last night of single freedom?" I giggled sounding rather strange.

He groaned in response.

"Not to your liking I see," as I replied I took my hand and rubbed it along his arm which looked oh so strong right now.

"You've obviously had too much to drink," he stated pushing me back.

"Yes, the special was…lovely. Thank-you bar tender hotman! I now love the fire nation and their…their…their," I started standing up and staggering. A true drunk.

"Cactus juice specials."

"What?" I screamed my eyes popping at the bar tender.

"They cool you down, don't be alarmed. I'll take you back to the palace. You should be in your room Katara. Not roaming the streets in…that," Zuko stated looking at my dress.

"Why? What's wrong with my dress? Is it because it's not red because I'm tired of you making me-mHM"

He kissed me.

Just like that.

The half-drunk Zuko, and the fully drunk me, were kissing, in a bar, and the only witness was the bar tender. Who did nothing to stop his engaged-soon-to-be-married-tomorrow Fire Lord and I could only clumsily swing my hands around his neck and bend as my knees weakened. He was holding the base of my neck pulling me into him and holding me to his lips as if without that he would die.

And then, as quick as it came he let go. And I fell back as if the elastic had been let go, I felt the snap inside me, but my idiotic drunk self couldn't even feel pain. I sat up and smiled silly and told the bar tender to give me another drink.

"No more," Zuko's voice stated as cold as usual.

"Are you the drink Dai Li, Mr.? I don't think so. So get your hand off my drink!" I claimed grabbing it from him and holding it tightly in my grasp.

"Dai Li?" Zuko asked amused.

"Yes the green men!" I shouted.

I thank the bar tender now for not kicking me out then and there.

I turned to the bartender, slammed my hands on the counter and shouted, "We'll take a big bottle of it to go!"

"What?" Zuko replied.

"You heard me Mr., to go!"

"Katara, I'm getting married tomorrow, I can't be sick tomorrow. What will they think?"

"Who will think? Who? Whoo… Who…" I began hooting like an owl, spreading my arms and charging out the door.

The bar tender placed the bottle on the counter and Zuko grabbed it as he followed me out of the bar. I spread my hands like I was an owl now and continued hooting.

"Katara!" he hoarsely whispered.

I turned to see him covering his face with his hat.

"Zuko," I started pointing to a man on the street. He leaned in carefully. "I think that man thinks you're the Fire Lord."

He gave me a deflated and harsh glare.

"What's in the bottle?" I asked big eyed.

"Katara! You just ordered it! What's wrong with you?" He asked losing patience quickly.

"With who? With who?" I chimed not fully hearing anything else.

My, that sounded like an owl again. So I began to hoot running ahead.

A sharp hand grasped my wrist pulling me back to their warm body.

I looked up from the nice warm firm chest to a familiar face. "You know, you look a lot like someone I know…his name is Zuko."

I saw him roll his eyes.

"Really?" he asked letting go of my hand.

"Yes."

"Tell me about him," he asked urging me on as I walked ahead of him my back to him.

"He's charming, nice, he was evil and mean to me once. Even captured me once and tried to black mail me with this," I pointed to my necklace. "But he's on the right track now. He's a wonderful teacher and real honorable guy. He's the Fire Lord you know, and he's very handsome."

Zuko seemed pleased with the ego boast, but I was too drunk to notice.

"He's getting married, it troubles me." I whispered loud enough for him to hear.

"Why you've got the Avatar don't you?" He replied immediately with spite.

"Aang?" I laughed. "It's not love. It isn't. I thought it was, but I was young and stupid and now I can't tell him that I don't. It's embarrassing and ...Oh god, I think I love him."

"Love…?" Zuko questioned desperately, asking a silent question in the still of the night.

"Love Zuko!" I turned to face him and looked at him like this was a completely obvious fact.

I suddenly found myself against his lips again.

"And I love you," were the last words I heard.

- the next morning-

I woke up with the sun shining on me and a small headache. I rolled my head still closing my eyes. My hands began to move and they stumbled into warmth which I grasped, pulled up into and snuggled.

"So we aren't a morning person are we?" a voice laughed.

I opened my eyes to find myself in a comforting red room, wrapped in red blankets and red linens and resting on a white pillow, in a wood bed. Strangely, the colours did not bother me today. My eyes made there way over to Zuko lying next to me.

I smiled. I snuggled closer. I blinked. I widened my eyes. I pushed him away and sat up.

"The wedding!"

"Is off, now go to bed," he gently cooed.

The idea was pleasing I fell back into the covers. "But how?"

"Through lots and lots of cactus juice."

- the end-