action - quad

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

[Standing at the edge of the Quad garden Zuko's eying the strawberry bushes his previous Home Economics class had planted weeks ago. He's got his arms folded over his chest and a confused glare on his face as he stares down at the plants.

It's been bugging him for a while now... what could he get Katara? What would she like? Flowers seemed too... fast, too soon, he wasn't sure about the flowers. Not right now. And so here he was glowering at the strawberry bushes as though that alone would change his mind.

Were they ripe enough to pick? Could he even use his fingers to pick them? What if he squished them from plucking them too hard off the stems? What if Katara had an allergy to strawberries? What if he brought her a basket of them and he ended up putting her in a hospital bed?!

All sorts of negative thoughts were running through his mind, he's that distracted that if anyone came by he might not notice them at first.]

Comments

[watertides.livejournal.com]

[Katara nods as she pops the rest of the strawberry into her mouth, her cheeks flushing a bit from the sweetness of the fruit.]

They are. Do you want to try one?

[Before he can protest, though, Katara had already reached down to pluck another plump and ripe berry, holding it out for him to take.]

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

Uh-- [But there she is already holding it out for him. He reaches out to take it from her, cheeks heating up as their fingers brush and he quickly pops the strawberry into his mouth.]

I guess they are, yeah...

[watertides.livejournal.com]

[The light contact of their fingers brushing against each other has Katara flushing as well, though she recovers quickly at his answer. Cocking her head to one side, she looks at him with a curious expression.]

Do you like strawberries? [Come to think of it, there was a lot about him she that doesn't know about.]

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

They're good, but they're nowhere near as good as the moonpeaches that grow in the Fire Nation.

[Zuko averts his gaze down to the patches of strawberries and carefully steps around them, crouching down to busy himself with the purpose of his being there: to pick her strawberries.]

[watertides.livejournal.com]

I had moon peaches a couple of times when we were in the Fire Nation. They're really good, too.

[Unsure of what to do now, she watches Zuko in silence before finally speaking up.]

Uhm... do you want any help?

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

[Hearing that she's already tried the fruit, Zuko pauses in his berry picking to look over at her, surprised by the news.]

You have..?

[And then he shakes his head, forcing himself to look away again and busy himself with the strawberries.]

...I'll be fine.

[watertides.livejournal.com]

[Now she was unsure if he even wanted her to be there in that moment; but seeing how he didn't seemed that bothered, Katara sat herself on one of the stone benches beside the garden.]

When we were hiding in the Fire Nation, we found a moon peach tree and picked some of the fruits to eat.

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

[Zuko can't help but look over at her again. He tries not to make a face.]

By 'we', you mean you and Aang?

[Ping. Teeny spike of jealousy. But he pushes it down because now's not the time to think about that!]

[watertides.livejournal.com]

[Katara is a bit surprised by the question, but she tries not to frown at his tone.]

'We' as in all of us-- Toph, Sokka, Aang.

damn you f or messing with our headcanon >8(9

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

I see.

[A noncommittal sound and the firebender goes back to casually picking his berries.]

[watertides.livejournal.com]

[That question alone had her rubbed the wrong way, though she tries not to let it show. Instead, she crosses her arms as she watching him pick his strawberries. Which was kind of a strange situation, all things considering...]

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

[He can feel her eyes on him, watching his every little move with his berry picking. Zuko pauses before reaching for another strawberry to pluck and glances over from the corner of his eye feeling very self-conscious now that she's ... just sitting there ... watching him...]

...you're watching me pretty closely.

[watertides.livejournal.com]

[Katara gave a shrug.] There isn't anything else to do.

... Unless you want me to leave? [Answer that carefully, Zuko.]

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

...well... no. [Frowning. Badly. Focuses on his strawberry picking now and adds in a quiet mutter:] ...I was picking them for you.

[And because he's done and filled up most of his little basket, Zuko carefully steps around the patches and moves over to where she's sitting, holding out the basket. He may have squished one or two but the rest are all nice and red and just right.]

[watertides.livejournal.com]

[... Oh.

Well, she hadn't been expecting that answer. Her cheeks heat up a little bit in a mildly embarrassed yet pleased blush, and she looks up at Zuko with a smile.]

Thank you.

[Taking the basket, Katara then scoots over a bit on the bench, a silent invitation for him to sit next to her.]

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

[A weight's been lifted off of his shoulders once she accepts the basket and smiles. Maybe even seeing the blush on her cheeks gives him that fluttery stomach feeling.

Zuko hesitates for a split second before dropping down onto the bench next to her. He glances over and then glances away.]

You're welcome...

[watertides.livejournal.com]

[Katara is still blushing faintly as she picks a strawberry out from the basket. Luckily she had a bottle of water with her; bending out a couple of drops to clean the strawberry, she hesitates before turning to face Zuko, holding it out. Seeing that he isn't even facing her, though, she nudging his thigh lightly with her knee.]

Here.

[And she isn't holding it out for him to simply take; she's holding it up level to where his lips would approximately be, essentially feeding it to him.]

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

[Zuko only looks over when he hears her speaking and stops dead at the strawberry that's in front of his face. He leans back just a bit, eyes crossing as they look down at the fruit.]

Uh. What about it?

[watertides.livejournal.com]

[Is it not obvious? Katara stares at him for a moment, before giving the strawberry a little wave before him.]

I'm offering it to you.

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

No... you're trying to feed it to me.

[watertides.livejournal.com]

[Now she's blushing, but she tries to mask it by huffing loudly.]

So? Do you want it or not?

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

I've just... I've never had anyone uh...

[Okay, shutting up, and doing so by leaning forward to snag the strawberry with his teeth. He bites into it, his face warm.]

[watertides.livejournal.com]

[Katara is blushing now as well, and for some reason she has to avert her eyes when he bites down on the fruit. Once he's eaten it, she drops the stem down onto the bench to pick up another strawberry, biting into it herself for something to do.]

[pyromatics.livejournal.com]

[Awkwarddddddddd. Zuko looks away while chewing. Swallowing seems so hard to do with the lump of nervousness lodged in his throat, but he does so anyway, loudly, awkwardly trying to clear it.]

[watertides.livejournal.com]

[She hears that little clearing of throat, but she's still busy eating her strawberry as she's still a bit embarrassed. An arm is crossed over her chest as her eyes glance over to the side, anything to not have to meet his gaze.]