I'm gonna say this one is somewhat A/U and note that Azula is 18 (and Zuko a bit older) in this fic for reasons that will become obvious. This said, I promise this isn't just going to be incest for the incest of it but it's gonna have a plot. And I also promise that this one is gonna hit the feels hard eventually…

For the past few months Azula tried to tell herself that the feelings she harbored are completely normal. Of course she loves her brother. He's her brother. It's simple really. Nothing wrong with loving family…

Nothing wrong…

But just how much should one love their sibling? Certainly not as much as Azula felt she did. Not with such passion that she did.

No.

Siblings don't think of each other how she thinks of him, she realized, her thoughts looping back to a day—about three weeks back, in the palace courtyard; the two of them hadn't much to do other than make conversation, so they'd decided they may as well take it outside where the scenery was nicer and the summer heat blazed.

Halfway through a conversation about what had changed since he left, Zuko—apparently growing too hot—tossed his shirt off and to the side.

Azula found her face flushing—with summer heat, so she claimed. Zuko bought the lie, what else would cause her face to redden like so? Nothing that he knew of.

Nothing that she wanted him to know of.

Not yet.

Zuko eyed her, expecting her to carry on the conversation. Her own eyes took to tracing the toned lines of his abdomen.

The type of build that had her longing to trace her finger nails up and down a man's chest.

Azula recalled sputtering out some kind of conclusion sentence before tugging herself away from the situation so that she could give it an assessment.

An explanation.

She'd come up with many theories in her bedroom that night. Theories that led to all kinds of conclusions—her favorite was that she simply hadn't any male company in a while and was seeking an outlet.

Deep down, Azula knew that the one true conclusion was much simpler and less psych-savvy than that; she was in love with her brother. With her own flesh and blood sibling.

She racked a hand through her hair. It's just so confusing…"she found herself muttering aloud. "Shouldn't happen."

Thousands of thoughts abuzzed in her head, most of them conflicting and contradictory to one another. A sigh escaped her parted lips. What time is it?Azula stood, deciding that no matter what time it was she'd been sitting in her room too long—thinking about the same things she thought about yesterday and the day before that…and the day before that.

One thing was certain though, she needed to rid herself of these thoughts somehow. Azula wandered down the hall, knowing very well that the only way to do so was to come out with it.

Knowing that tonight was a night as good as any…

And Azula felt sick. Sick and nervous and queasy. She pressed on anyhow.

She came to Zuko's bedroom door, pressing her hand slightly to it, she called his name…more softly than she had wanted to. Zuko offered her no response. "Alright fine…I'm just going to come in then." Azula took a deep breath, the anticipation weighing heavy. She pushed the door ajar.

No wonder he hadn't answered…he's not in here. Azula frowned. She cursed inwardly, every passing second bought her more dread…made her more hesitant. At this point Azula had half the mind to just retreat back to her room, back to her comfort zone.

It's surely safer there.

It's not like her to retreat…not at all. She continued her stride down the hall, stopping only to ask one of the servants if they'd seen little Zu-Zu anywhere.

"In the courtyard." The man said, " 'swere I last sawed him."

Taking his word for it, Azula made her way outside. Azula approached quietly. Now they were both in the palace courtyard…progress; the two of them stood by the pond—Zu-Zu putting way too much focus on those turtleducks.

"Aren't you going to greet me Zu-Zu?" Azula prompted.

"You're the one who came out here by me, I was under the impression that you were supposed to greet me."

"I suppose…" Azula trailed off. Her heart falling quickly—his mood seeming rather sour. Perhaps I should save myself some dignity and go back.

"What did you come out here for?"

"Nothing really."

Zuko turned to her. "I know you didn't come all the way out here just to tell me that you didn't come out here to tell me anything."

"Yes." Azula replied. "I suppose you're right…" She looked down into the pond. She found herself twisting her bangs around her pointer.

"Well out with it!" Zuko hollered. "I was enjoying my alone time."

"Well, excuse me." Azula hissed, her cheeks warming with budding anger. "Perhaps I'll just go back inside."

"Feel free." Zuko grumbled waved her off.

"What's with you tonight? Turtleduck bite you in the ass?" The words rolled off her tongue, slick and icy, before she could stop them. It was just so natural…habitual for her to be so witty with him. Her comfort zone, she realized bitterly.

Zuko clenched his fist. "I'm not in the mood Azula."

Azula shrugged. "Not my problem."

"Go back in the palace Azula. There are plenty of people in there, I'm sure you can find someone else to piss off."

This was not going as she had planned. Not at all. He wasn't supposed to be an ass, he was supposed to have greeted her and started a pleasant conversation…

Every ounce of Azula's soul wanted to deliver a rain of fire that'd have him regretting those words. Instead she found her stomach knotting and eyes wetting with unannounced tears.

Instead she yanked him by the collar and bought his lips to her own. Her lips sliding over his, awkward and kind of sloppily at first.

She felt his hand gripping her hair—unintentionally roughly. Azula pulled back. But only for a moment, before giving Zuko's lip a soft nibble.

And then he tugged out of the kiss. His eyes burning deep into hers. She simply stared, panting softly as he stared her down.

He turned away from her.

That was it, she knew. She had messed that one up.

But to her credit, she messed it up in probably the sexiest way anyone could mess something up.

The self-imposed smirk faded as she realized the problem. Not that she made out with her brother…no, she was more than okay with that.

She was now anyways.

But that she could have. Would have had her way if she didn't choke up. If she hadn't been so nervous in the beginning. And now she'd done and ruined it for good.

Azula looked to her feet. "Please say something…" Her voice came out much smaller than she had intended, and much less demanding.

"What can I say?" Zuko asked. "How am I supposed to respond to that?" He added with one of his trademark dramatic sweeping gestures. "Do you want me to tell you that I liked it? That I want more? That I was angry because I was just as confused as you were?"

Azula made no hesitation this time. "Yes."

"Well…well. It's true."

The silence fell again, this time much thicker. Much longer. Until Azula had to do something to take herself away from it. The first distraction that Azula could think of was the pond.

Father wasn't home. So the two of them could do whatever they felt; this included swimming in the pond father had specifically told them not to swim in.

Azula slid herself into the pond, casting her fine silks to the side, she didn't want to explain to Ozai how she'd managed to ruin them if she didn't have the need.

Zuko found himself staring at her pale bare back, wondering just what the hell prompted her to undress in front of him.

Once she was about waist deep she turned to him. "Feel free to join me. This cold pond is much better than being…alone with your thoughts."

Azula didn't know how right she was. Zuko's thoughts traveled to dark and tabooed spots that terrified him.

He was making himself sick.

He wanted nothing more to purge those thoughts.

He should turn away. He knew he should turn away. And yet he found himself staring right down at his sister's slim, naked form…noticing things about it that he never should. Thinking things about it that he never should.

Azula found within herself, the decency to fold her arms over her chest. But that didn't hide her figure in the slightest…that hourglass shape, those curves…

In that moment it became apparent, just how long it's been since he last seen her.

And Zuko never wanted to slap himself more than he had then. Disgusting. He's disgusting. And filthy. He hasn't felt this much self-loathing since initially turning against Iroh only months ago.

The old man would be so ashamed…

"I can put my cloths back on…"

Zuko cut her off "NO!"

His eyes widened. Why am I always so impulsive!?

Azula betrayed only the slightest hint of surprise. And he wondered if this was how far she'd meant to for things to go. The feeling of unease grew in him as he realized that this time, not even Azula had control over this situation she'd created.

"I…I should go. Before I…" Zuko stammered.

"No. It's alright." Azula rested her arms on the stones surrounding the pond. Her long silky hair plastering itself to her back. The moonlight giving it an otherworldly sort of shine. "I said you could join me." She tilted her head. "I was kind of hoping…"

She crooned on, voice like the silk she cast aside. But Zuko couldn't focus on her words—lost in his own wondering; maybe he was wrong, maybe she did have a firm handle on the situation. Thank Agni, at least one of them did…