Disclaimer: Anything you recognize does not belong to me. Everything you do not, does.
Good Morning
The hour before dawn was dark but never silent. Birds were beginning to awaken, their chirps heard through the open windows of the Fire Nation Palace. Katara's eyes fluttered open, and she sat up, wrapping her arms around her knees, to watch the world outside the window across from her. Gentle sunrays were coming up from the west, slowly but surely. Sheets rustled softly behind her, and she felt warm fingertips brushing the hair away from her shoulder, loving lips pressing a kiss to her shoulder blade.
Strong arms curved around her small frame, tugging her back to lie on the bed as the lips pressed another kiss to the tender skin just below her earlobe. Katara sighed happily, leaning back to nestle on her husband's right arm. The hand of that arm moved to rest on her ribcage, pulling her closer into his bare chest.
"Why are you up so early?" Zuko murmured, as together they watched daybreak seep over the mountain ridges of the west.
Katara shrugged and played with his fingers. "I wanted to watch the sunrise."
"Huh. So maybe you do have some Fire Nation blood in you." A cocked eyebrow, a teasing grin.
"Don't let Sokka hear you say that. He's very proud of his heritage." Katara propped herself up on one elbow, letting her hair drape itself onto her lower shoulder. "Besides," she added, "why do you look so sleepy? As I recall, a few years ago at the North Pole, you told me you rose with the sun ."
"And then I fought you," Zuko finished dryly, moving to sit against the headboard. He crossed his arms. "Must we relive those times? I'm not proud of my past."
"I know. I was simply stating a fact." Katara grinned impishly up at Zuko. "You don't have to be ashamed of your past as long as you're proud of the present."
"Getting a little philosophical now, aren't we?"
"No, actually. But I think Iroh is getting to me a bit… I'm starting to like tea now."
Zuko gasped in mock horror. "Oh, no!" he mocked sarcastically. "Whatever should we do?"
He tackled Katara in a bear hug, pinning her down on the pillows, one of his large hands holding both of her smaller ones above her head. Leaning down, their lips met in a kiss softer than the light that now filtered through the window.
Breaking the kiss, Zuko looked down, into the eyes of his wife. "Good morning, love."