Mistletoe

Disclaimer: I own as much as Jon Snow knows

"What has my brother done now?" Katara sighed when, over her right shoulder, she felt the tell-tale burst of heat that always accompanied Zuko.

The firebender shrugged languidly. "Nothing yet, as far as I can tell. I left him with Suki and Toph."

"You know, that's actually probably for the best," she took a sip of her drink. "Sokka can't handle his alcohol, but Suki and Toph can definitely handle him."

"That would explain why Suki's filling up the water jugs, and why Toph is sitting on your brother and smirking."

Katara rolled her eyes good naturedly. "I don't particularly want to know what they're planning."

Zuko snorted. "I have a vague idea."

"So are you enjoying Aang's party? I know you're not usually the party type."

"It's alright, I guess. I mean, Sokka, Aang and Uncle did kinda blackmail me into coming, but there have been some positives."

"Like…?"

"The food's alright, Aang's taste in music does seem to have improved from just his CDs of whale noises, I got to see you…and the others, of course."

Katara's mind wandered to the fact that 'the others' had appeared to have been added as a second thought. Mercifully, before her treacherous mind could expand on that, and lead to spirits-know-what, her attention was diverted by Suki and Toph passing them, leading a soaking wet and marginally less drunk Sokka towards the bathroom.

Suki glanced over to them, before her eyes widened, and travelled to a spot just above their heads, before smirking and waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Zuko frowned. "Why is she looking at us like that?"

Katara looked up, before her eyes widened like Suki's had. "Mistletoe."

The tips of Zuko's ears reddened slightly. "Oh."

Katara bit her lip as she glanced at the boy she was not-so-secretly crushing on (thank the Spirits that Zuko could be utterly oblivious at the best of times), as they stood in an awkward silence under the mistletoe that had been hung over their heads by either the Universe sending them a message, or (probably) Toph wanting to mess with them.

"Did you know that mistletoe was considered sacred to the Ancient Celts?" Zuko blurted suddenly. "It's because it grows on trees, which were also considered sacred, and its berries were thought to contain the spirit of the tree. They had this whole special ceremony surrounding it; on the sixth day of a new moon, druids had to wear special white robes and use golden knives to cut the mistletoe from the trees. It was also seen as a good luck charm; a sprig over the door of a house was thought to protect it from thunder, lightning and all evil."

Katara raised an eyebrow. "Never thought you'd be one to go and research the sacred properties of mistletoe, Sparky."

Zuko flushed. "Actually, it was Uncle. He was trying to look up whether you can make tea from it, and I guess the historical bit of it sort of stuck with me."

"That is the sort of thing Iroh would do." Katara paused, "…can you make tea from mistletoe?"

"I'm pretty sure it turned out that it's poisonous."

Another awkward silence eclipsed them, with both of them either looking at the floor, or glancing up at the mistletoe above them, only to quickly avert their eyes when they thought the other was looking at them.

"You know," Zuko mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't really need mistletoe as a good luck charm. Not when I've got you." His eyes suddenly widened and his face turned even redder. "I said that out loud didn't I?"

Katara hid a smile, as he began babbling about how he was sorry if that made her uncomfortable, he was a total idiot, please don't freeze him to a wall like she did to Sokka the other day –

"Oh shut up you dork," she murmured, grabbing his shirt collar, and pulling him down.

Happy Zutara Month!