Please Please Let Me Get What I Want

So this is my first story on this account. I've written fanfiction before but I can't tell you that I'm incredible at it, even if I'm studying English right now. Anyway, the characters are hopefully all in original character and if not, forgive me. I know a lot of people are skeptical as to the canonability of Zutara, and I'm not here to confirm or deny that. Just to bring a hopefully interesting series...of...longer than usual drabbles. Lol. I don't know, I'm new to this thing, help a girl out )

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar, they are the property of their respective owners Viacom and Nickelodeon.

Sindee
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1. Refusal

He didn't dare look up. Not unless he wanted an eye full of daggers brought to him by the girl sitting across from his bending pupil. He continued to sip at his tea (a new found love) and casually pick at the gruel like substance that this girl, Katara, had made for lunch.

His pupil Aang had warned him that though Katara's cooking was typically fantastic, on days where they were pressed for time and food, she usually resorted to making a less than interesting meal. Today was one of those days. She had conjured up a concoction that was supposedly called "Sea prunes"...supplies happily garnered from the Fire Nation. Zuko cursed his nation for even thinking of growing such a plant but since no one else was offering any food at the ready, the prunes would have to suffice.

"How is it?" Katara asked, looking around at the group, eagerly awaiting a positive response. Sokka was accustomed to prunes as much as Katara was and nodded wildly in appreciation, praising his sister for making it "just as good as mom did". Katara haughtily accepted this appraisal and remarked at how nice it was when Sokka wasn't being a complete idiot.

Haru groaned a bit but kept in his lunch, but the Duke wasn't so lucky and shortly expressed this onto the floor. Teo had secretly disposed of the prunes (or fed them to Momo) while the rest of the gang sucked in their taste buds and ate on.

"And how is it for you, Prince Zuko." Katara asked the prince, making sure he was aware of the iciness she had paired to his name.

Zuko hestiated for a bit and looked around the room for answers. Aang hid his face quickly as did Sokka and Haru. The Duke had already made his way out of the room and to the lavatory and Teo temporarily feigned blindness to Zuko's silent pleas. The only person looking square at him was Toph. Toph, he had learned, was blind. He had never known this before and was surprised that her talents in earthbending had extended so far that even sight wasn't a problem for her. He looked down at her feet and frowned. It was an accident, he reminded himself.

"Well Sparky, aren't you going to answer Katara's question?" Toph asked, grinning wide.

Sparky? Well, that was new.

"It's good." he managed to say, pushing a spoonful into his mouth and hoping his gag reflexes wouldn't kick in. I sure hope this wasn't poisoned...

The waterbender managed a tight smile before getting up to clean up the dishes. And as she started, the gang dispursed into the chambers of the temple. All except for Zuko.

"What are you doing?" Katara asked, looking over at Zuko who was in the middle of picking up plates.

"Um...Cleaning?" He replied.

"Ah, cleaning. Well, sorry I'm the one who usually cleans up around here." Katara said, pulling the plate from his hands in mild annoyance. Zuko looked up in disbelief.

"Well, I figured I'd just help seeing as you're the only one who's...doing anything." he offered, trying his best not to sound pathetic. Though, he couldn't help but feel that he was.

Katara threw down her wash cloth and growled. "If you're trying to win my trust by helping me clean, it'll take more than cleaning a bowl to do it," she leaned toward him and jabbed her small index finger into the middle of his chest, "I know who you are and if you actually think that kissing up to me will win my trust...I'm sorry but it just doesn't work that way. Go train with Aang, you're more useful to him than you are to me."

He looked down at the place where her finger had touched. He felt a dent had been put into his skin, even past all the layers of his clothing. With his finger, he smoothed the dent to assauge the pain of broken skin and self-defeat. When he looked up again, Katara wasn't paying any mind to him but putting all the bowls that had accumulated from breakfast and lunch into the washing tub.

He sighed. She was possibly more impossible than Azula.