Baking upwards of 100 doughnuts per day wasn't exactly what Zuko had in mind for his future career. After his father kicked him out, Zuko went to the first person he could think of: his Uncle. At some point during his childhood, Iroh had taken him in, acting as a safe haven from the tribulations of home during his parent's divorce. His mother had left, sticking him and his sister with their father. Azula flourished, of course, well aware that she was the favorite child and taking advantage of that fact to torment Zuko endlessly. The break from his emotionally exhausting family was nice, but he knew he had to return home eventually. When he did, things seemed to be fine for a time. His father began mentoring him in the ways of his work, expecting Zuko to inherit the family business when he came of age. It never sat well with Zuko, but he dealt with it anyway, appreciating the step up from the way he used to be treated. As he grew older, Zuko found himself wanting to aspire to things greater than his family's morally ambiguous business of arms trafficking. The police force always intrigued him, but when his father found the application in his room-obviously hidden deep in a bottom drawer to prevent that exact discovery-he told him to pack his things and leave. No warning, no chance of redemption, just a finger pointing to their front door.

Zuko's dreams were crushed. He showed up at Iroh's doorstep with his tail tucked between his legs the same day. Iroh took him in with warm and open arms, offering him sanctuary while he got back on his feet. It was just too bad that the subsequent depression hit him like a ton of bricks. Why should he even try to join the force? He was obviously not good enough if his father couldn't even picture it in his future. Zuko stayed in bed for a full week before Iroh finally convinced him to escape his four-walled prison and do something. Once Zuko was motivated enough to get up on his own, Iroh recruited him to help out in his bakery. His lead baker had left unexpectedly and he was short-staffed. Zuko agreed, and soon enough he was in charge of replenishing the doughnut supply over the course of the entire day. Business wasn't exactly slow, but it keep him occupied each day, and that was good enough for him. Left alone too long, he knew he would slip back into the shadows of his mind, so during his down-time he focused on making the doughnuts as delicious as possible. Chocolate glazes, vanilla glazes, cookie crumbs, rainbow sprinkles, all the recipes were perfected and quickly added to the specialties menu. It made Zuko happy to see customers enjoying his treats so much, and he soon became quite the happy baker.

One day, on a typical, cloudy wednesday, the door twinkled as the shopkeeper's bell rang. Zuko peered around the large fryer, curious as to who would be walking in less than 10 minutes after opening. No one usually came in until the lunch rush, where they'd be crashing from their morning coffee and require some sort of sugar to get them to quitting time. He caught a glance at the woman that walked in. Her angular face was framed by long, flowing chocolate hair that somehow seemed to shine in the overcast light. He had to stop his jaw from dropping into the vat of hot oil. His eyes ventured down to the woman's body. Spirits, she was absolutely gorgeous. Her frame was lean and strong but still held all the curves he found enticing in a woman. Zuko caught himself staring at her chest and shook his head, mentally hitting himself for being so piggish. Tempted to catch another peek, he looked at her again. This time, he noticed she was wearing a navy blue uniform with a pronounced silver police officer badge over her heart. How on earth did he not notice that when he was obviously enraptured by her chest?

The woman finally reached the counter and stood awkwardly for a moment before Zuko realized he was supposed to go up and take her order. Throwing down the mixing bowl from his arms, he hurriedly wiped his flour-coated hands on his apron and approached the register.

"Good morning, ma'am," he said, trying his hardest not to stumble on his words, "What can I get for you?"

"Good morning," she responded, and Zuko felt his heart melt. Her smile was gentle and sweet, but her lips were seductive and he almost had to reach down to suppress a little something that was beginning to stand to attention. "I'm actually new in town, so I want to try a doughnut, but you have so many options."

"Oh! In that case, I can, ah, recommend one for you. What do you usually like?"

"Well," she said, trailing off into silence as she pursed her lips in thought. She was scanning the menu board and Zuko was grateful she wasn't paying attention to his flushed face. Curse his pale skin, it always made his emotions very well known. "I usually like coffee with my breakfast, but you don't seem to serve any here."

"I've been meaning to get that on the menu, but my Uncle insists we only serve tea. Says it's better for your heart, or whatever."

The woman giggled. Fuck, that sound. How could a laugh be so attractive?

"I've heard that coffee can reduce the chance of cancer. Maybe that will help you convince your Uncle."

"I'll make sure to remember that. But if it's coffee you're looking for, I think I have something for you." Zuko made his way back to the display and bent down to reach the bottom shelf. He took a piece of parchment paper and grabbed a doughnut before returning to the counter. "I'm working on this new flavor. It's not on the menu yet because I haven't perfected it, but you might be able to tell me if it's any good. I call it the Morning Buzz. It's a mocha glaze with crumbled chocolate cookies on top."

"I think that sounds great, thank you!" Zuko nervously handed the woman the doughnut and she eagerly took it from him, touching his fingers as she did. Another pulse shot down to his hips and he had to suppress a groan. It'd been too long since he'd gotten laid, and he was beginning to notice the effects of his abstinence.

She reached into her bag to find her wallet, but Zuko held up a hand. "Please, it's on me. Welcome to town."

"Are you sure?" the woman asked, brows furrowed slightly, "I don't want to be a burden."

"You're helping me out by trying an experimental flavor. We can just call it even."

Zuko swore he could see a slight flush grace the woman's face, but it was hard to tell with her brown complexion. "Well, thank you, then... Zuko? Is that how you pronounce it?" She said after glancing down at his nametag.

"Yeah, you got it."

"That's good, I'm usually so bad at names. Anyway, I appreciate it. I would stay to tell you how it is, but I'm already late for work. It's my first day on the job and I don't want to set a bad first impression."

"It's no worries, I understand. Maybe I'll see you around."

The woman began to turn toward the exit as she maintained eye contact, her azure eyes hypnotizing Zuko. "Perhaps," she said sultrily with a quick wink, and before Zuko could process what had just happened she was out the door.


The next day, Zuko was preparing the morning tea when he heard a customer walk into the shop. He turned and noticed it was the same woman from the day before, except this time her hair was tied up in a high pony and accented by the two french braids she had woven along each side of her scalp. Even tied back, her curly hair reached her shoulder blades and swung as she walked. Mesmerizing, just like yesterday.

She rested one hand gracefully on the counter as she waved in Zuko's direction with the other. Zuko lifted his hand to wave back, only to knock over a metal tin of tea and send the dried leaves cascading over the table. He panicked to scramble together the leaves that hadn't made their way into the wet sink and the woman giggled. Spirits, she must think he was a clutz, not even able to brew some tea without making a mess. It's not like it was his job or anything. Zuko cleaned up the tea and threw whatever leaves had survived into the canvas brewing bag before plopping it into the kettle of water. He finally made it to the front register, thoroughly embarrassed that this goddess of a woman had to witness his stupidity.

"Hi again," Zuko mumbled sheepishly, "How can I help you?"

The woman was still grinning at him when she spoke. "Well, I would ask for tea, but it seems like it's not quite ready."

"Spirits, sorry about that," Zuko said as he rubbed his temple, "I can still get you a cup if you're willing to wait-"

"I'm only joking," she interrupted, "Actually, I wouldn't mind one of your doughnuts again. Got anything new hidden away in your experimental shelf?"

Zuko, his chest puffed from his pride, smiled at her. "So I'm guessing that means you liked the Morning Buzz?"

"Liked it? I loved it," she responded, eyes slightly hooded, "Gotta love something delicious in your mouth, right?"

Well, there went his dick. Zuko felt the pressure of an emerging erection strain against the seams of his work pants, and he hunched over slightly to hopefully relieve some of the tension. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Ah, well, yes, I guess that's… sure, that's a nice…" Zuko continued stumbling over his words as he avoided eye contact with the woman in front of him. Suddenly, he turned and retreated to the doughnut display, using his blocked gaze to press on his crotch and coerce his dick back to its original size. Taking a breath, he bent down and scanned the shelf, eyes landing on a doughnut with a bright blue glaze. It matched her eyes. Zuko returned to the counter with the colorful pastry.

"This one... well, I haven't exactly figured out a name for it. But it's covered in a blue raspberry glaze and filled with blackberry jam. I know it's a little different, but I thought I'd try something different from just the typical dessert flavors."

"No, that sounds lovely," she said as she reached for the doughnut. Zuko was careful not to let their hands touch, not wanting to deal with his hyperactive dick again. He punched a few buttons on the register.

"That'll be $1.25."

"Ah, yes, of course," she mumbled as she fished around her purse, "Sorry, I wasn't prepared to get out my wallet…"

What, she had expected this doughnut to be free as well? Shit, looks like he set a precedent last time. Now she thought she could just get free doughnuts by making comments that caught his crotch's attention. Zuko would have to be more careful in the future, she could be trouble. He waited patiently for her to pull out the right change before taking the money and printing out her receipt. She took the piece of paper and thanked him before leaving the shop and heading off to work, and Zuko found himself letting out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.


The woman visited Zuko at work every morning for the next two weeks. Every time, she would make some sort of suggestive comment to him, and every time Zuko would brush it off as some feeble attempt at avoiding payment. It was beginning to get annoying, to be frank. Zuko found her extremely attractive, and he so badly wanted to flirt back, but if he did it would only encourage her to keep trying for complimentary doughnuts. One morning, she ordered a cup of tea with her usual order of a new, off-the-menu doughnut. The tea hadn't quite finished brewing so they were left to chat while she waited.

"You know, you seem like the cop type," She said as she casually leaned onto the counter in front of her. "Half of the guys on the force aren't nearly as built as you are."

If this was her way of flirting into free food, she was sadly mistaken. Zuko wasn't about to let the charms of a woman impact his Uncle's sales. He had to admit, though, that the compliment was nice to hear.

"You really think so?" Zuko responded, trying to hide his enthusiasm. He wasn't going to feed into her trap, but he wasn't objected to talking about the force. "I once thought about enrolling in a training academy."

"What happened?" she asked, "You still could, you know. As long as you pass the physical test it doesn't really matter how old you are."

Zuko thought on that, but only for a moment. It wouldn't be worth getting his hopes up in any way if it meant they would just be shattered later down the line.

"Nah," he said with a drawl, "I don't think that's my path."

"You'll never know if you don't try," she said as she reached into her wallet and pulled out a small, blue business card. "This is the number to my boss, the chief of police. You can give him a call and tell him Katara recommended you. Or…" her voice trailed off as she pulled out a pen and scribbled something onto the back of the card. "...you can give me a call, and I can help you prepare before you talk to him."

Zuko hesitantly took the card and glanced at the markings that interrupted the smooth surface of the cardstock. Yup, that was definitely a phone number, written beneath the name he now realized he never caught from her. He anxiously flipped the piece of paper between his fingers before stuffing it into his pocket. "Thanks, I'll think about it."

Katara was about to say something when they were interrupted by the whistling of the kettle. Zuko poured her her cup of ginseng tea and handed it over to her, where she smiled as she inhaled the fragrant steam.

"Thanks. Hey, do you know why this is my favorite type of tea?" Katara asked as she began to turn toward the exit.

"No, why?"

"Well, it's been said ginseng is quite an effective aphrodisiac."


Zuko sat on his bed mulling over the card he held in front of him. The police force? Was that even an option anymore? It was obvious that Zuko didn't hold the ability to be a police officer, not after his father's beratement when he discovered the pamphlet Zuko had picked up at the local career fair. He was too weak, too dumb, too many things that eliminated him from the running. There was no way he could succeed in the field. Then again, an actual cop told him she saw potential in him. She even offered to be his recommendation. Maybe, just maybe, his father was wrong. But how was he supposed to find that out?

Zuko reached for his phone and dialed the number Katara had written earlier that day. It took a few rings, but she answered, and she sounded curious about who was behind the unknown number on her phone.

"Hey, it's, uh, it's Zuko."

Katara's voice considerably perked up after he spoke. She exclaimed his name in such a delightful tone that Zuko felt his heart flutter, and she asked how he was doing. When he explained his dilemma, excluding the part about his father, she hummed contemplatively before inviting him over for some preliminary training. Zuko glanced over at his alarm clock; it was only 8:00 pm, he could afford to spend the evening out. He agreed, and Katara excitedly gave him her address. After he hung up, Zuko went and changed into something a little more athletic, assuming that they would be doing some sort of physical testing as well.

When he left his room and went to open the front door, Iroh peeped his head out of his study.

"Nephew! Where are you going?"

"I'm going out, Uncle. I was invited over to a… a friend's place."

Iroh beamed at Zuko. Since his arrival to his Uncle's place, Zuko hadn't exactly been a socialite. This would technically be his first outing without Iroh dragging him by the collar to the closest town event. Going out on his own accord, this was a huge step. "Well, don't let me keep you. You have a spare key, no? I'm getting a bit old and can't guarantee I'll be awake when you return."

Zuko jangled his key ring in the air. "I'm all set."

"Good. Have a nice time," Iroh said gently before retreating to his study once more. Zuko left the house and made his way to the bus stop down the street. It was a bit tricky finding Katara's place, but he managed to get there quick enough and knocked at the front door.

When she answered, Zuko was a little taken aback by seeing her not in uniform. With her skin-tight white tank top and blue jogging shorts, he saw more of her skin than he'd seen so far, and Agni was it beautiful. He was right, she was very well built. Her time in academy training must have put her in tip-top shape, because every part of her arms or legs were taut and defined. She had put her hair in a loose side-braid, sending a few spiral strands of hair over her cheeks and grazing the tops of her collar bones. As his eyes traveled down her torso, he saw the small peaks on each breast and realized that she neglected to put on a bra.

"You ready?" Katara said as she leaned her hand against the open door.

Zuko took a deep gulp as he forced his mind back into focus. "Yeah, totally. What are we doing exactly?"

Katara spun around on her heels and began walking through the front room, gesturing for him to follow her inside. He hurriedly caught up to her after swinging the door closed behind him. She led them both to a room in the back corridor that was once a spare bedroom but had been converted into a personal training room. A metal pull-up bar, freestanding punching bag, and incline chest press were placed around room, leaving enough space to make the room feel bigger than it actually was.

"Like I said earlier today, as long as you can pass the physical test, then you're golden. Anything you need to know information-wise will be taught to you during your training. So, we're basically just going to be doing conditioning workouts. Better to impress them than just barely make it through with a lackluster performance."

Man, it was a good call to dress in athletic attire. Zuko thought there would at least be some flashcards or something, but apparently that wasn't necessary. Shrugging, he walked to the punching bag and shoved it, sending it wobbling back and forth.

"Alright. Where are we starting?"

Katara pointed to the pull-up bar. "Give me 10 pull-ups."

Zuko grabbed the bar, flexing his fingers around the metal until he got a solid grip, and lifted himself up. Once he reached 10 pull-ups, he kept going, pushing himself to a personal record of 16. He had to admit to himself that he was definitely motivated by the lovely lady staring at him, which probably gave him the energy needed to complete that last rep. When he dropped himself to the ground, that flats of his feet hitting the wooden floor with a thud, he looked over and noticed Katara staring at him with her arms crossed.

"I said 10."

Zuko shrugged. "You said it's better to impress."

Katara blew a strand of hair out of her face with an annoyed huff. "Alright, fine. Next test." She turned and strode toward the bench press. "What's your one-rep max?"

"Honestly, I don't know," Zuko admitted, "I don't really go to a gym. I just workout at home, so usually running and pushups, stuff like that."

Katara stared at the weights contemplatively before she started loading them onto the bar. When she was done, she stepped back and gestured for him to give it a shot.

"How much weight is this?"

"I'll tell you when you've tried it."

Zuko chuckled and took a seat on the cushioned bench, positioning himself below the roughly-textured bar. He pushed up on the bar and was able to manage 8 reps. The bar settled into its place on the bench press and Zuko pushed himself up straight, only to be met with the slight-gaped mouth of the woman in front of him.

"How did I do?"

"I gave you 200 pounds."

"...is that good?"

Katara pinched her temple and exhaled softly before she met his gaze again. "That means your one-rep max should be around 250 pounds."

"Again, I'm not sure if that's good."

"Yes, it's good," Katara said as she emptied the weights from the bar and set the bar against the wall, "very good, actually."

Zuko couldn't help but feel his chest swell with pride. He guessed that he would be in decent shape, what with either hauling around sacks of flour all day or aggressively working out to suppress his darkest thoughts whenever they'd peek through the depths of his mind. Maybe he could actually make a decent cop.

"Alright, now that last test," Katara said as she reached deep in the duffle bag that sat in the corner of the room, "This will really tell me if you're up for the challenge of being a cop."

Out from the black folds of fabric came a set of metal handcuffs. Zuko stirred in his seat. "Handcuffs?"

"Yes. As a cop, you'll use them to subdue criminals." She tossed them toward Zuko and he caught them mid-air. "Here's the catch: they can also be used against you. You're going to need to make sure you can successfully secure someone in them. People aren't always going to willingly put themselves in chains."

"So what exactly are we doing?"

Katara smirked. "You're going to try to handcuff me."

"What?"

"Oh, trust me, it won't be easy. I'll be trying to do the same. The loser is whoever ends up chained."

Zuko smiled smugly as he tossed the handcuffs between his hands. "Well, in that case, I hope you're not a sore loser."

Katara stood tall as she prepared for Zuko's attack. He lunged forward, thinking he could snag her wrist and end this in record time, only for her hand to whip away from him quicker than he expected and send him to his knees. He looked up to see her grinning down at him. "What was that about losing?"

Zuko growled as he threw himself back up onto his feet. He lunged for her again and she quickly evaded him, stepping aside with her hands behind her back and her posture impeccable. She managed to keep flitting out of his reach and Zuko began to grow frustrated, which made his movements less and less sophisticated. Katara stood in front of the bench and, when Zuko rushed toward her, she stepped away and left him to trip and land on the bench itself. He turned himself so he was seated on the bench and was surprised when Katara grabbed the handcuffs, latching one cuff onto the nearest wrist. "Hey!" He yelped as his hands were drug down below the level of the bench and Katara locked them together, leaving his arms trapped around the bench behind him. Zuko rattled his arms in an attempt to free himself, sliding his wrists up to a higher point where the bench was inclined and allowing him to sit up more comfortably. Katara just stood in front of him, hands on her hips and a smug expression gracing her flushed face.

"Are you happy?"

"Yes," Katara laughed, "Spirits, you should see your face right now. It's so funny."

"It's not funny," Zuko argued back, "Unlock me."

Katara strode toward him slowly and paused, her eyes flicking between his eyes and lips. She bit her lip in thought before she stepped a foot on either side of the bench and sat herself down on his lap, her gentle hands settling on his shoulders. "What if I want to keep you locked up for a little longer?"

Zuko felt a rush of blood surge directly to his crotch, swelling his member until it hit the soft, warm place sitting above it. His hips recoiled, but Katara kept the contact by pressing her own hips harder against him. Her fingers traveled down from his shoulders to the base of his neck and teased at his shirt collar, tickling the surface with her nails. What was this? Naturally, Zuko said the first thought that came to his mind.

"You're not getting any more free doughnuts out of me," Zuko stammered out indignantly. Katara shot him a confused expression before it quickly resolved and she chuckled as she continued caressing his chest.

"You really think that's what this is about?" She said seductively, tightening her thighs around his and sending an electric shock through his body.

"It's not?" Zuko asked. When Katara simply raised an eyebrow at him with a smirk, it finally hit him. "Oh… Oh." He was so thick. The beautiful woman currently straddling him had been flirting with him this entire time and he thought she was just trying to beguile free food out of him. How much of an idiot was he, honestly?

"I have to admit, your doughnuts are very tasty," Katara said before she leaned in and nipped at his earlobe, "But I'll bet you taste a lot better," she whispered in a hot breath of air before dragging her lips across his scarred cheek to meet his and send them into a deep, scalding kiss.

This was torture. Katara was all over him, rubbing her body against every inch of his, and he couldn't even touch her with his hands chained behind his back. He dove his tongue forward, begging entry, to which Katara's lips parted with a moan. If all he could do was kiss her, then by the Spirits he would kiss her well.

Then, a thought came to him. Zuko lifted one knee up off the ground, pushing his thigh against her ass and pressing her center more firmly against his bulge. When she gasped into his mouth, he knew he had succeeded. He rose his knee higher and Katara paused her kissing, her lips still touching his as they exchanged hot and heavy breaths. She began to roll her hips against him, swiping the entire length of her center against the stiff peak in his shorts before reversing and repeating. Zuko could feel his erection growing firmer with each noise that came from Katara's body, and he growled into her neck when she lifted her head to whine into the open air. At this point, her nails were digging into his chest and would surely leave marks.

"Oh, fuck, Zuko," He heard her whimper. Agni, if only he could use his hands, she would be stark naked on the floor by now and yelling his name. Zuko leaned his head forward so that he could suck on her neck, and Katara mewled at the sensation on the delicate skin. As though he triggered something in her, she pulled her arms away from him and lifted her tank top over her head, revealing her bare breasts. Zuko took that as an invitation and dove in, latching his mouth onto one of the dark peaks. Katara tangled her fingers in Zuko's hair on the back of his head, trapping him against her chest. He didn't mind. He could have spent all day in this position. Her cries escalated when Zuko alternated between swirling her nipple with his tongue and biting down on the tender nub.

As he was about to relocate to the other breast, Katara stopped him by suddenly pushing herself from his lap to stand in front of him. Zuko whined in protest but quickly realized that she got up only to pull his shorts and boxers down to his ankles, sending his erection jutting up to greet her. She followed suit by pulling down her own shorts and panties, tugging them over socked feet and throwing them to the other side of the room. As though being apart were burning her, she swiftly returned to his lap, her damp folds hugging the velvety skin of Zuko's length. A hearty groan escaped him and he thought he may get off right then and there. He took a deep breath as he put all his effort into calming his dick enough to make it to the main event.

Katara's liquor quickly saturated his entire shaft from her grinding, her lips locked to crook of his neck as she moved. He could feel her heat throbbing against him and he bucked his hips up, eliciting a moan that reverberated against the skin she was kissing. Zuko's vision was going spotty as his desire overwhelmed him. Is this what being on drugs felt like?

"Katara…" Zuko pleaded as his member prodded against her slick heat. Katara finished one last grind against him before she lifted her hips and positioned Zuko's head so that it sat straight up, slightly nestled in the soft skin of her entrance. She pulled her face away from his neck to make eye contact as she lowered herself slowly, purposefully, stretching herself wide to accommodate him in totality. They both let out a simultaneous cry of pure delight.

Katara began to bounce on Zuko's lap, slow at first before she picked up the pace and filled the room with the sound of her ass hitting his thighs. With every thrust she let out a loud squeak that turned into sobs as her core wound tighter and tighter. Almost at climax, she shoved Zuko back so that he lay flat against the bench, completely under her control. She dug her nails into his chest through his shirt as she rode him mercilessly, shaking the bench beneath him. Zuko flattened his head against the cushion and let out a guttural noise, enraptured by the way Katara told ahold of him. Suddenly, Katara's legs began to quake and her riding became erratic, and Zuko felt her walls clench around his shaft with a suffocating intensity. His seed was practically pulled right out of him as he came. With all her energy spent, Katara flopped forward and laid flat against Zuko's chest, their sweat mingling as their combined heavy breathing sent her body up and down. Zuko felt himself shrink inside of her, but she didn't move. They stayed interlocked until they finally caught their breath. Katara propped her head up so that her chin rested on his sternum and she smiled up at him.

"I'd definitely say you're fit enough to make it as a cop."

Zuko couldn't help but laugh. Nothing could have sounded sweeter post-sex than telling him his dream job could be a reality. Katara pushed herself up so that their lips met once more in a sweet peck.

He had a good feeling about this one, despite the fact that he was once convinced she was just trying to seduce free doughnuts out of him. Even if that's what she was really doing, he couldn't blame her. I mean, what cop wouldn't take advantage of fucking the baker?