Open Mistletoe Shenanigans

[desertions]

Suddenly there's mistletoe above you! And someone is stuck under you! And neither one of you can move until you kiss! Shenanigans abound, basically.

I'll be throwing in my muses so feel free to tag them, or leave blank comments with people you want to play and I will give them people! There are no rules here, only fun and silly holiday kissing.

Enjoy!!!

Comments

[banishment]

[ zuko lets go of her hand so he can cradle her face in both of his. ]

How are you this blind? [ he laughs lightly, shaking his head. ] Everyone sees it but you.

[ who sits outside a girl's tent all night, waiting for her to emerge if they aren't more invested in what the person thinks about beyond the boundaries of friendship and camaraderie? ]

[waving]

[Maybe she hasn't seen it because she simply didn't want to. It's not that she's never considered it -- but after Ba Sing Se she tried to forget that she might of ever thought of him that way. Even now as she's forgiven him --

And yet, as he cradles her face in his hands, as her own hand still rests on his cheek and she thinks about the kiss earlier -- it had gone much further than it needed to and things suddenly click.]

Oh.

[Oh? that's what you're going with here Katara?]

[banishment]

Oh. [ he mimics her soft tone, leaning forward to touch his forehead to hers, closing his eyes. ] Is that all you have to say?

[ zuko's half convinced he's about to be frozen to the ground or water whipped away, but he doesn't care. he's enjoying the moment. she knows, and she's not pushing him away — yet. ]

[waving]

Give me a moment to process it, will you? [It's said more jokingly than anything else -- but it's sort of true. It's almost like a light bulb going off in her head where suddenly everything makes a lot of sense.

Why he fought so hard to get her to see him differently again. How he waited all night outside of her tent...how did she not see this sooner?

Other than perhaps willfully choosing not to. Aang's crush on her is burden enough. (She's tried to make it clear that she doesn't feel the same way about the Avatar, he feels more like a younger brother to her, but he doesn't seem to listen) Except this doesn't really feel like a burden at all. If she were upset or angry at this revelation she would have not only pulled away by now but yes, she probably would have iced him into the wall. But instead she lets her own eyes flutter shut as she lets out a small chuckle, more at herself than anything else.]

...Am I really the last person to figure this out?

[banishment]

I gave myself away a dozen times, but you never seemed to notice.

[ he lifts his chin, pressing a chaste kiss to her forehead. for someone who's so standoffish and doesn't take kindly to people invading his personal space, zuko's awful affectionate when he wants to be.

and honestly surprised he's not a frozen heap at her feet, that she hasn't removed his hands or protested any of his words or actions— nevermind the confirmation he has himself convinced is unwanted. ]

[waving]

Maybe I didn't want to.

[She's saying that part to herself as much as to anyone else. Because she's not upset at this realization, so she's trying to work out exactly what she does feel about it. Why she hasn't pulled away from him just yet, even though she probably should. She's not sure she's ever seen him be quite this gentle before.]

[banishment]

[ his hands dropped to her hips and he took a step back, ready to withdraw completely if she wanted him to. he was probably being too forward in his relief that she finally knew something he'd been kind of bad at hiding. now that she did, it was up to her what she ultimately did with the knowledge that the crown prince of the fire nation, a boy who attacked her and chased her halfway around the world, had somehow fallen for her — hard. ]

But now you do. [ frown? it's a very unsure sort of frown, as if he's frowning because he thinks she expects him to frown. ]

[waving]

And now I do.

[And she isn't totally sure what she wants to do with that. There are a million thoughts in her head -- and in retrospect she wonders how she didn't see it except maybe she really did try actively not to. Even after she had forgiven him she still remembered how hurt she had been before. Maybe she didn't see the obvious because she didn't want to give him the chance to hurt her again.

Not that she expects him to betray them again, after everything he's told her today she knows for certain he would never do that.]

Zuko, even if I -- I think part of me might feel the same way but...

[She trails off for a moment. Aang's already struggled with activating the Avatar state because of his attachment to her, his inability to let her go. If she got involved with somebody else would it provide more distraction to him?

She can't be that selfish, can she?"]

[banishment]

You might?

[ his good eye goes wide in surprise. he hadn't expected that, though he can't exactly blame her hesitation.

reluctantly, he lets go of her and takes another step back. ]

I get it. This isn't exactly the best time. I'm bad at timing... among other things. I shouldn't have brought it up.

[waving]

I might.

[She had enjoyed kissing him, at the very least.]

It's not your fault. You told me to drop it and I didn't.

[She had kept pressing -- it had seemed important, and it still does. But it's hard not to think about how it could effect everything else.

Not that it's her job to coddle Aang or his feelings but if she pursued something with someone else and it distracted Aang from what he needed to do -- how could she not feel responsible?]

[banishment]

Might's good.

[ especially since zuko never thought he'd have even a sliver of a chance, even without the complications that make pursuing anything with someone not suited to him kind of a futile effort. he might've left his crown and nation behind, but if this war ends in their favor and his uncle ascends the throne, zuko will be back in the line of succession, and will likely be looking at a political marriage that will best benefit the fire nation's reformed state.

but they could also die in the attempt or lose and wind up outcasts the rest of their lives, so taking in the reality of his blood ties into consideration is probably moot. ]

I did, but I can't exactly take that back. Unless you want me to. Then I can. We can pretend this never happened.

[waving]

I don't want to pretend like this never happened.

[the words barrel out of her almost impulsively. but she doesn't want to pretend like nothing happened. like they didn't kiss or open up to one another while standing there so intimately.

after what had happened with jet katara simply hasn't given romance much thought. she knows how aang feels about her -- but she also knows she doesn't feel the same. he's more like a younger brother to her than anything else and someday that's going to have to be something they'll both have to actively address.]

[banishment]

You don't?

[ that also surprises him. he thought she would've jumped at the chance to erase these moments from history and take him up on the offer to forget all about it immediately. but she doesn't, and she might feel something in return.

...where did that leave them? ]

[waving]

I don't.

[She's not sure she could anyway, as much as it might be easier to do so.

she's not entirely sure where this leaves them either.]

If I had an issue with any of it, don't you think I would have said something?

[She's not exactly known for staying quiet when she doesn't approve of things.]

[banishment]

...probably.

[ again, he would've probably been frozen to the ground if she had a problem with it, but she said might. and she let him touch her and he could've sworn she kissed him back— but he wasn't in the business of getting his hopes up. not anymore.

with a sigh, he turned on his heel away from her. ]

We should probably be getting back to camp before my uncle comes looking for us.

[ because idk this is suddenly taking place during the ep where aang is afk turtlelion and they're at the white lotus camp??? ]

[waving]

[She did kiss him back -- or technically she kissed him first but when it turned into something more than just "oh I'm kissing you so we can get away from this plant holding us hostage" she had kissed back

but she probably shouldn't push it until she has a better idea of what she wants. which is why she tries to ignore the slight pang when he turns away from her.

he's right. they should head back.]

You're right. We don't want anyone to worry about us.

[works for me???]