I Want My Honor

● — || 𝐊atara kept her eyes locked on him as she felt the fire within him simmer away at her words . A soft wave of [ [ guilt ] ] washed across her insides as her eyes fell to the right . Slowly , she placed her right hand on his shoulder as her thoughts rolled through her mind .

❝ Zuko , we've spent our entire [ [ lives ] ] carving our own peace , and what feels like an [ [ eternity ] ] chasing hope . At what point does it become our turn to have someone else carve it out for us ? ❞ Katara let her question linger between them for a moment , then shifted her gaze to settle on his features once more .

❝ Your Uncle was right , though — about hope . ❞ Her thumb rubbed his shoulder in subtle circles . ❝ Even if the reality of the situation is grim , if you give up hope , then what else do you have ? ❞ Katara's lips [ [ gradually ] ] pulled into a tender smile . ❝ We'll have peace , in Hira , Zuko . . . I know we will . And if you are sure about it , then I know we'll have it . We'll have mornings away from all of [ [ this ] ] - ❞ she vaguely gestured to the surrounding area , ❝ - and nights where it's just you , me , and the sanctuary that we've made for ourselves . It won't be perfect , but it will be home , and it will be [ [ ours ] ] . ❞

“That’s just the thing,” he replies as he leans into her gentle touch, those soothing motions calming his upset. “No one is going to do this for us. Our destiny, our hope, our peace is something we have to create for ourselves because if in one hundred year no one fought for it for the world, they sure as Agni aren’t going to start now just because we're asking nicely.” He exhales a frustrated breath as he lets the rest of her message cool the ire in his heart.

“I do believe it—I believe Hira`a is where we're going to be happy for the rest of our lives. I know it’s going to be hard. I have to travel for council sessions. People are going to complain and call me selfish. I am being selfish. I’m entitled to be when it comes to my own peace. I’ve already given this nation all of myself. I need this, Katara. We need this.”

● — || 𝐊atara's hands settled in front of her waist as she watched his aura visibly falter . ❝ Zuko . . . You're so confident about that , and I trust you , but that . . . is something you don't know for sure . ❞ She said softly , closing the distance between them with a few steps . ❝ His influence is felt whether he is behind bars or sitting on the throne . Do you really think he's going to stop just because you send him somewhere else ? ❞ While it may not sound like it , Katara hoped more than [ [ anything ] ] that sending him out to sea would make him stop for good . . . But if Aang taking his bending wasn't enough , would anything be ?

Zuko's aura visibly dims as Katara speaks aloud the same things he feared and makes him question his own [ignorant] hopes that distance could offer even the slightest respite from his father's influences. He knows it's never going to be enough. Nothing but Ozai's death will bring them any semblance of peace. But if they're going to cope, then he has to choose hope before he loses himself to despair again.

“I know,” he replies, his voice barely breaking from a whisper as he looks into her eyes and sees the storm of worry in them. "Uncle used to say hope was something you give yourself when things feel impossible. I have to believe that now. That we can have peace, somehow, even if we have to carve it out for ourselves.”

“If there is ever a day you don't say something unhinged to humble me, that'll be the day I worry about our marriage," he says, his smile widening as he lean in to brush his lips against her's. His torso half dressed for the day. He was already running behind, but he's cared less about punctuality lately. Wanting to savor these mornings with his wife and daughter.

“As soon as I shut him up, I'm coming back and getting back into this bed with you."

● — || ❝ 𝐋etting me pick how long we can stay in Hira is dangerous , and you know it . Also , you don't have to apologize , Zuko . Really . . . He's an adult . He should be able to regulate his own actions and feelings . There's no reason that you have to make excuses for him . You're his son , not his keeper . ❞

Zuko looks down with a tired sigh, searching for words that weren't going to come out as self loathing. Because he didn't loath himself. Not like he used to whenever he'd find himself having to make excuses for his father out of the guilt of filial piety.

“It won't be like this anymore when he's moved. He won't have the influences he does now.”

“Hehe," he chuckles, a smile tugging at his mouth where it was pulled taught in frustration seconds ago. “Waking up and seeing my face in the mirror must be a real day ruiner for him.”

● — || ❝ 𝐌y existence . ❞

“I wouldn't call that tiny, itty bitty or any other adjective for small. I'm sorry that you've been the focus on his tirades, though. This trip to Hira's is going to help. You won't have to hear any more about him. Nothing but quiet and peace for as long as you want us to be there.”

ZK Fanwork Appreciation Week Day 3: Fanart Tuesday

(Mature Content warning for below link. Do not click if under 18 or not into E-rated stories.) Based on Chapter 3 of Something Brewing  By @dracosollicitus (Draco_sollicitus on AO3) Rated E - EXPLICIT (I cannot emphasize enough that while I adapted the “safe” bits of build up in this chapter, this story is EXPLICIT and NSFW with Adult Zutara. DO NOT INTERACT/READ/REBLOG/LIKE IF UNDER 18 or if it’s not your thing. You have been warned.)

There are just so many moments in Draco_sollicitus’s Something Brewing that I love… so yes… just a little more of Chapter 3. I couldn’t help but make one more fanart for it! MATURE CONTENT WARNING for the AO3 story! This comic ended up being a bit more mature than I usually make, but I really wanted to explore this sort of intimate moment when Zuko takes his shirt off, and Katara is sort of flooded with a strange mixture of emotions: being attracted but also reminded of the trauma of Zuko almost dying. I don’t know… it was really moving to read, so I wanted to capture it. I’m not really adept at comics though so please forgive the quality of this; alas, I didn’t have time to board it (weeps). And yes the proportions got a little wacky; by the time I noticed it, it was too late to fix it ToT… but yeah. Enjoy!