In For the Kill
Post-Series
Rating M (R)
We can fight our desires
But when we start making fires
We get ever so hot
Whether we like it or not
"In For the Kill" – La Roux
Aang made her happy. Happy, like smiles and love and all the things that should make fairy tale endings.
Twenty-three and married four years, Katara was happy. They had even spoken of children soon.
Things were right. The world was peaceful. Outside of a few minor baddies for Aang to take care of, their lives were quiet. They traveled, as a dutiful Avatar should.
In the years since the war ended, peace flourished and lives changed. The young grew into the mantle of responsibility, as the old gave theirs up in hope for a new day. Not long after Sokka and Suki had their first child, Kana peacefully died in her sleep. Hakoda began grooming his firstborn to take over the chieftain position of the Southern Tribe, which had grown exponentially with the return of the warriors and the moving south of some Northern tribesmen.
Toph Bei Fong remained in the Earth Kingdom, creating a new, transparent security force in Ba Sing Se under the Earth King. She proved to be a formidable commander, whipping the city into shape.
Iroh, the great Dragon of the West, was content operating his tea shop in Ba Sing Se, venturing to his homeland a few times a year to advise his nephew.
Zuko had been crowned Fire Lord, and faced the monumental task of rebuilding and demilitarizing his nation. Added to this was the fact that international relations were a nightmare, as his nation was a ruthless aggressor for a century.
In all of this, there was peace.
Katara inwardly cringed as the Water Tribe vessel passed the Gates of Azulon. Abandoned, the great monolith of the former Fire Lord showed signs of wear, from wind and water damage.
Ironic.
"Master, we should be arriving into the Fire Nation Capital in an hour's time. Is that alright?"
She glanced behind her at the boy, she shouldn't say boy – he's her age, nodding her head. He stood taller than her, clothed in the summer blues of the Water Tribe. He was a Northern transplant to the South, an eager boy ready to take on the world.
"Of course, Makok. That's fine. And for the last time, don't call me Master." Katara said, turning around fully with a grin on her face, "You are making me feel like Pakku."
He grinned back, bowing his head slightly. "Yes, Katara. Master Pakku has designs of returning North soon, by the way."
Katara's grin turned lopsided. He had not taken Kana's passing well. Pakku did not have much left for him in the Southern Tribe after she died. He would return North and prepare for his own eventual passing, having lived for many, many winters.
It was the way of the world.
The Southern Tribe had grown in number and influence, its hunting waters extending outward, to the east and west, as there were more and more mouths to feed.
That's why she was on her way to the Fire Nation. Part of her was slightly annoyed that she was the one having to trek halfway across the world to meet with the Fire Lord's council and not her brother, who was the highest advisor to the Chief, her father.
But Sokka, obstinate as ever, stated that she should go, and that he "never got along with Lord Flame-o."
Toph's visit to Kyoshi had rubbed off on him.
That in itself would not be reason enough for her to leave the Southern Air Temple, where Aang and herself had settled as their home. However, a heavily pregnant Suki, on her second child, described herself to be big as a "walrusbear", and "just about ready to pop, Katara!" Katara knew that the last thing Sokka should be doing was leaving the Southern City.
So thus, Katara sighed, she was venturing to the Fire Nation Capital on behalf of her father and her home tribe to negotiate hunting rights in the western waters. It was all very trivial actually. Stupid, may actually be the right word for it. The people of the Fire Nation, even those on the Southern islands, did not hunt walrusbear for food. No one but the Water Tribe had built cuisine around the meat. Why was there such a to-do about everything?
Aang already had commitments in Ba Sing Se, traveling to Omashu to visit the ailing Bumi in the meantime. He had, of course, talked Katara into doing this for her tribe and that he didn't need her to come with him, not that he wouldn't enjoy the company.
Katara felt a smile ghost across her face. Her Aang was always so selfless. So wonderful.
"My Lady Katara, we will be docking soon!"
Katara shook the thoughts from her mind and left the side of the ship, heading below deck so she could change into her formal summer blues.
If there was one thing she enjoyed on her visits to the court of the Fire Lord, it was the deference people showed her.
Not that it wasn't unmerited, she huffed to herself as she strode through the grand gates to the Palace after a palanquin ride from the docks. Her formal summer robes, embroidered geometric patterns of purple and sky blue on the backdrop of ocean blue, Katara felt majestic. She had undone her familiar braid, letting her long, chestnut hair cascade over her shoulders as the beads from the loops at her temples softly clicked together.
She was Katara, daughter of the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe (did that make her a Princess of sorts?), she was the sister of the future chief, and she was the wife of the Avatar.
Katara had her own merits, of course. She was, arguably so, the most powerful Waterbender in the world. That was worthy of deference.
The great doors of the Palace groaned open, carved in the pattern of winding dragons and dancing flames.
Katara, with her small retinue of Water Tribe warriors and sailors, stood at the threshold of the palace as the large, ceremonial doors fully opened.
"Lady Katara, welcome to the court of Fire Lord Zuko."
The greeting rang forth from a woman striding from the center of the large, marble hallway toward the opened doors, followed by a line of servants.
Katara curtseyed, her eyes to the floor. "Thank you, my Lady." When Katara stood, she found her hands taken forth by a pair of pale, thin hands. Soft hands. Motherly hands.
"You are always welcome here, Katara."
Katara smiled as she met the gaze of happy golden eyes framed by long raven hair. A golden topknot in the shape of a flame pulled the woman's hair into the traditional court fashion; she was dressed in the flowing crimson robes of the court, with golden thread embroidered into the collar.
"Thank you, Lady Ursa."
Ursa smiled back, "Come, let me bring you to your lodgings. The Fire Lord is, unfortunately, sequestered in meetings until after the afternoon tea hour. You are to meet with him and his council at four o'clock."
Katara followed the Lady Mother down the ornamental hallway, hitting a stride even with hers.
"My son's work is never done." Ursa stated, a tinge of sadness in her voice, "I have had lunch prepared for your arrival in the east salon. I do hope that it is acceptable for me to entertain you and your retinue until you are received by the Fire Lord."
"Of course!" Katara replied instantly. The two came to a stop after traversing a side hallway in front of a large, ornate door.
"Here is your room, Katara. Your company will find their lodgings down the hall." Ursa nodded to a manservant behind her, who bowed and led the soldiers and sailors of the Water Tribe further down the hall.
Ursa bowed slightly as the doors opened to a stately bedroom. A maid curtseyed deeply to Katara. "Aiko has been instructed to take care of any needs you may have. She will take you to the east salon for lunch when you are ready. I shall see you there."
"Thank you, Lady Mother."
"Please. Ursa."
"Ursa." Katara smiled, bowing to meet Ursa's bow before the Princess Dowager left.
Aiko, the young, raven-haired maid, bowed deeply as Katara came into the bedroom, "I will come back for my lady ambassador in twenty minutes?"
"That's fine. Thank you, Aiko."
As Aiko bowed again and closed the door behind her, Katara shook off all the court sophistication and dove onto the large bed, exhaling deeply as she stared at the black lacquered ceiling.
It had been three years since Zuko had finally gotten his father, deposed Fire Lord Ozai to break and tell him where his mother was being kept. On a deserted island, far to the north of the main ring of Fire Nation islands, Ursa lived in exile. Accompanied by Aang, Katara, and Toph, Zuko traveled to the island, engaged in a short battle with the guards still loyal to Ozai, and freed his mother from her prison.
She returned with her son to his newly established court, falling easily into the position of First Lady of the Court, taking care of court life as Zuko struggled to keep up with his duties as Fire Lord in a now peaceful world.
Katara had always liked Ursa. In a way, her gentle demeanor reminded Katara of her own mother. And she was sure that her being here at court was an immeasurable comfort to Zuko, who seemed frazzled to say the least every time she saw him. Iroh would come from Ba Sing Se a few times a year to advise his nephew, so Zuko did have a stable support system.
But still, he had so much to do. Not to mention he had thrown his heartless father and insane sister into prison cells deep within the Palace. Not easy.
"Lady Ambassador?"
Katara looked up. It had been twenty minutes already? She shrugged, dusted off her robe, and jumped off the bed, following the maid to have lunch with the Dowager Princess.
"The Fire Lord will see you now, Lady Ambassador."
The doorman bowed deeply to the Waterbender, extending his arm into the throne room. Katara nodded, stepping forward into the majestic, but dark room.
The room where Fire Lords past plotted the genocide of the Airbenders, the destruction of her tribe, the hundred-year war.
Now Zuko, the scarred boy who had chased her the world over, tied her to a tree, and helped her find the final absolution on the death of her mother, sat in the dais, where his monster of a father, grandfather, and great grandfather sat.
His hair was pulled into a tight topknot, the golden crown of the Fire Lord fastened tightly to it. Zuko's dark crimson robes set off the golden thread of his mantle, creating a flame at the middle of his chest.
Katara paced up to the receiving area, curtseying slightly, only slightly – I think we're equals, to Zuko, who stood up on the dais and bowed to her. She grinned to herself, he thinks that too.
Zuko's ministers, lined up on either side of the aisle Katara walked down, bowed deeply to Katara.
All this formality was making her weary.
"Zuko, can we just forgo this formality and get to the point? We've known each other for years." Katara could almost feel the bristling of the crimson-clad ministers at her frankness.
Zuko raised his eyebrow- Katara had always found that a little weird, to have one eyebrow- and shrugged, the flames glinting off the gold threat embroidered into his crimson robes. He wasn't going to fight with her. The dark circles under his eyes attested to that.
"That's fine with me. What does the Water Tribe need to discuss with the Fire Nation?" Zuko stated, sitting back down cross-legged on the dais.
"Hunting rights. With the growth of the Southern Tribe, which has tripled since the end of the war, we need to expand our hunting waters, some of which in the West border the southwestern Fire Nation islands and waters. In that area, it would be Walrusbears. And from what I understand, they aren't hunted by Fire Nation citizens and don't seem to be part of Fire Nation cuisine. I'm asking you to let my tribesmen hunt in Fire Nation lands."
Zuko nodded, his head balancing on his hands. Looking past Katara, he raised his chin toward a minister toward her right. "Minister Hao."
A skinny man shot up, bowing to the Fire Lord. "Yes, my Lord?"
"As governor of the Southwestern islands, what do you think of the Water Tribe's proposal?"
"The Southwestern islands have no qualms with Lady Katara's proposal. We would request that the Water Tribe would establish a trade route in our largest city, Quian." The man nodded, turning to Katara.
"The Water Tribe will that satisfactory and beneficial to both regions. I will establish the official trade relationship when I return to the council next week."
Zuko nodded, waving to Hao. "Have it be done."
The ministers nodded, bowing to the Fire Lord. Silence took over the room. Katara looked incredulously toward Zuko.
"So, that's it? I came here for this?"
A grin seemed to cross Zuko's face, if not for just a second. "Actually, yes. This is what we do all day, every day."
Katara rolled her eyes. "Well, then, I'll take my leave to go. I'll be returning to the Water Tribe tomorrow morning. It was good to see you, Zuko."
"Likewise, Katara."
Katara curtseyed, brushing her hair off her shoulder as she stood up. Turning on her heel, she strode out of the throne room, incredulous to the ridiculousness of the situation.
She also felt all of the eyes boring into her back as she left.
She couldn't sleep. It wasn't the bed, the bed was probably the most comfortable one she had ever laid in, but sleep was not going to come.
She was just too frustrated by this stupid venture. Seriously, she had wasted her time on this?
Instead, she took to roaming the Fire Lord's palace. From her stately bedroom, she snuck out to the hallway, dodging the guards behind black marble pillars until she reached an archway to an open courtyard. She heard the running of water. It was comforting.
She stepped out into the moonlight, finding a small waterfall to her left, with a koi pond attached.
A burst of flame surprised her, jumping back into the shadows. The flame wasn't aimed toward her; it was on the far side of the courtyard.
On that far side of the courtyard, Fire Lord Zuko was practicing his firebending. Katara was mesmerized by the movements, the dancing flames. It had been so long since she had really seen Firebending; Aang was still a bit leery of the art.
He looked larger than she remembered him. Of course, he was seventeen the last time that she had seen him out of his Fire Lord regalia. He was taller, more muscular. Katara thought Zuko's arms looked huge, sculpted in the sleeveless black shirt he wore over grey pants.
Although really, it was just the passage of time. Her brother looked like that, even Aang looked like that. She knew that she had changed as well, her hips fuller, her figure taking more of an hourglass shape.
Katara watched as Zuko went through the movements, his limbs sharp and precise. She had not remembered him to be this exact. Her heart hitched in her chest when the air around him crackled, and a bright flash exploded upward.
"When did you learn to lightning bend?" she spoke up, stepping forward. She had of course, admitted her spying, but she was far too curious not to know.
Zuko turned around, without a hint of surprise that she was there. Katara knew better than to think she had snuck up on him. "Uncle taught me. I needed to be sure enough and strong enough to take on my sister should she ever escape."
"How is Azula?" Katara questioned, knowing that the Princess had gone insane and was locked away as a prisoner of state.
Zuko sighed. "She's getting better, maybe someday I will be able to let her out, but not anytime soon. My father is powerless, so I may confine him to the palace and at least out of the cell soon."
"I'm glad to see your compassion has grown, Zuko."
"Thank my mother for that. For so much that my father did to her, my mother shows nothing but mercy toward him. She visits him in that cell every day, and Azula too."
Katara gave him a lop sided grin as she walked further toward him. "Your mother is a wonderful person."
"I know."
Silence.
Zuko looked up at the night sky. Katara followed suit. "You know," he piped up, "things were supposed to get easier in peace. I haven't found that. It was a lot easier chasing you guys all over the world than what I'm doing now."
Katara looked at him. His eyes were still fixated on the heavens. "You have wonderful people surrounding you, Zuko, your mother, your uncle, Mai-"
"Mai left. A month ago. Its over between me and her." He interjected without emotion.
Whoops. Katara frowned. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."
"We just kind of drifted. It doesn't matter. You and the Avatar are doing well I suppose?"
She just nodded, fiddling with one of the loops attached to her braid.
Zuko finally looked down, making eye contact with her. "Spar with me." The Fire Lord did not ask, he commanded. It was not a question, but a statement. Katara nodded, a smirk returning to her face.
"Like old times."
"Like old times."
Katara leaned back into a fighting stance, pulling water from the pond to float in front of her. Her hands splayed outward, she waited for Zuko's attack.
Zuko brought his right foot down in front of him and stepped hard, swinging his fist forward as a fire blast generated and flew toward Katara. She swept the water upwards with a wave of her arm, blocking the flame effectively.
And so it began.
Katara sprinted forward, water flowing on either side of her body. She swung her arms together, bringing the water to slam centrally on Zuko's position.
Zuko swung his arms down, propelling himself upward with a burst of fire, flipping in the air as he came down in front of Katara. He swung his arm out, creating a dagger of fire, as she pulled the water back toward her to block his swing.
The two combatants jumped back, breathing heavily. A moment seemed to hang heavily before they dove into combat again.
Twists and turns of their bodies became an intricate dance, a dance of flames and ice. A dance of dueling warriors, this duel of the sun and moon.
A dance they know well.
Katara froze a wall of ice in front of her, creating a shield against Zuko's flame, which dissipated quickly – too quickly . She had only a fraction of a second to react to the ice shattering as Zuko barreled through it, his whole body radiating fire.
Katara was fast, but not enough for Zuko. He kicked his leg out low, sweeping hers out from underneath her, sending her flying backwards. Katara threw her arm out to flip herself over, but Zuko quickly pivoted and dove, throwing his body into hers.
They rolled, as a mess of limbs, once, twice, until she landed on her back, the wind knocked out of her as Zuko pinned her down with his body weight, arm strong across her chest holding her down.
He huffed, trying to catch his own breath. His breath, that was hot on her face as his body was hard against hers. She struggled against him, which only brought his assertion of strength, holding her down again.
She knew, as she was tangled up on the ground with the Fire Lord, that Aang made her happy. Happy. She was in love with him.
But in this moment in time, Zuko made her boil.
He pinned her to the ground, strong hands on her shoulders clamping down. "You don't know what to do in close quarters, you need to be able to defend yourself without your bending."
"I guess I'm going to get a lesson now?"
"Not now, perhaps tomorrow." Zuko stated flatly, shifting his weight slightly on top of her.
Katara had another thing coming however. Her small, lithe frame gave her the ability to swing her knee up to connect with Zuko's stomach. He wheezed, hands dropping to the floor as Katara used all her strength to flip the two of them over where she was on top, successfully straddling his stomach in an instant. "You think I don't know how to wrestle growing up with Sokka as an older brother? I think I win, Fire Lord."
Triumphant, Katara smacked one hand on his chest. His remarkably, hard, toned chest.
"Fine." Zuko wheezed, catching his breath. With her hips on his diaphragm, his shallow breaths were uncomfortable. He pushed her hips backward to get her off his stomach.
She gasped slightly with the motion. Great, she was now straddling his hips, and he definitely noticed as well.
They say we can love who we trust
But what is love without lust?
Two hearts with accurate devotions
And what are feelings without emotions?
Aang makes me happy.
They were still breathing heavily, though not completely from the exertion now. Golden eyes pierced her own, her heartbeat echoed loudly within her chest.
In a single instant, Zuko flipped her off of him and continued the motion to pin her down again. Before she knew what was happening, his lips came crashing down on hers, her breath hitched in her throat.
Aang makes me…
Katara opened her mouth to his, moaning deeply as she dug her fingers into his hair, essentially pulling it out of the topknot. Zuko's hands landed on her hips, which were dangerously grinding against his own.
The threshold for dangerous territory had been crossed long ago.
In flashes of conscious thought, Katara knew that somehow, through the passionate kissing and hands all over each other, they had made it to the Fire Lord's majestic bedroom.
She nearly tore his shirt off, pulling it over his head in the few seconds that their tongues weren't continuing the earlier duel.
Zuko peeled her robes from her, pushing down on her leggings as they frantically kissed, touched, wanted.
Katara had never felt so hot in her life; her skin was on fire, her eyesight hazy. This feeling, it was new, it was different, it was…
Zuko picked her up and threw her down on his bed, this is it, having shimmied out of his own pants and- push, sigh- they were together.
The sound Katara made when Zuko set himself fully inside her nearly made him come there and then.
The way she arched her back underneath him, the feeling of his teeth on her neck and across her breasts, the digging of her nails into his back…
This wasn't sex…. Katara decided as Zuko found an amazing rhythm.
This was passion. This was years of hate and misunderstandings. This was frustration.
This was something that neither of them had experienced, though they both weren't virgins.
What this was, was two bodies in sync, locked in combat and locked in each other. This was Zuko thrusting down at a furious pace and Katara receiving headily. This was her forcing up his shoulders and in one fluid motion, using momentum, flipping herself on top of him, vying for control.
Zuko moaned hands digging into her hips as she ground them back and forth against his own, push and pull like the tide as she latched onto his shoulders, shoving him down onto the bed as he leaned up toward her. A smirk crept across her face.
His eyes flared, teeth clenched and he growled, smoke escaping from between his lips. Zuko's overwhelming strength overcame her; he flipped her down to the bed and wrapped his arms around her legs, hoisting them onto his shoulders to pound mercilessly down into her.
Hard, deep, fast…. Katara realized that this was fucking.
It hit her like a water whip. One more thrust… and she was sent over the edge careening. Katara moaned headily, her back arching off the bed into Zuko's chest, her internal muscles rippling as she melted underneath him, dragging her nails down his back, eliciting a hiss from him as he continued his merciless assault on her senses.
As she came down from her heights, she noticed his breath hitching, his thrusts uneven and jerky. With one final, deep thrust Zuko groaned, pushing down on her body with a vice grip on her hips. With slow, rolling movements, he released.
And by god, she felt warmth radiating from her core throughout her body, from her fingers to her toes. Her insides were on fire.
Zuko tumbled off her, landing on the bed next to her as they both tried to catch their breath.
No words.
To speak would be to invite so many unwanted feelings, to ruin the moment.
Instead they just slept on black silk sheets in the bed of the Fire Lord.
Let's go to war to make peace
Let's be cold to create heat
I hope in darkness we can see
And you're not blinded by the light from me
She was the Waterbending Master of the Southern Water Tribe, married to the Avatar, and had just had an affair with the Fire Lord.
Katara was married to Aang, and just slept with Zuko.
It was all so wrong. Aang made her happy.
She woke up in black silk sheets, too hot, sticky and covered with last nights sweat that was not all her own.
She woke up with an arm strewn across her waist and a mess of dark hair as she turned her head to the side.
Katara shot up, holding the sheet to cover her chest, waking Zuko up in the process. Their eyes locked and the world stood still as Zuko sat up also.
Shame. She just had an affair, cheating on the world's most selfless man.
Guilt. He, the Fire Lord, just had an affair with one of the Water Tribe's highest leaders.
Regret. "I need to go."
Repulsion. She buried her head in her hands. "I can't believe I did that. I'm a horrible person."
Blame. "It was not all you. It wasn't right for either of us, Katara."
She looked up; her blue eyes threatening to sheen over with unshed tears. Those golden eyes bored into her soul.
Need.
The duality of human nature. For everything that Katara was, Zuko was not.
He completed her. But she loved Aang. That wasn't going to change.
She stood up, grabbing her blue robes and shrugging them over her shoulders. Reaching for her leggings, she glanced back at the Fire Lord.
Zuko stared off into space while he gathered his hair back into the topknot. He stood up and pulled on his pants.
Lust.
"Last night shouldn't have happened," She piped up.
"Guess what, it did. You enjoyed it, I enjoyed it. Don't kid yourself." Zuko spat back, refusing to make eye contact.
Katara was forced into silence.
After a minute Zuko finally looked up. "We had sex. It was great. You aren't leaving Aang and I wouldn't want you to. This was never about your unhappiness, my unhappiness, or anything like that."
The word love remained unspoken.
That's because there was no love. Katara didn't love Zuko, Zuko didn't love Katara.
It just so happened, that last night, they had needed each other. Wanted each other.
"All right."
She pulled on her boots, nodded to the Fire Lord, and left.
Such volatile elements, fire and water.
I'm going in for the kill
I'm doing it for the thrill
Oh, I'm hoping you'll understand
And not let go of my hand.
A/N: First one-shot of a series of Zutara one-shots, drabbles, etc. They will range and vary greatly. Please R&R!