Author's Note: Here is my second Zutara lemon! I hope you all like it, even though it's rather long… It takes place while the Gaang is in Ba Sing Se, and Zuko is working at the tea shop. Comments/suggestions welcome and appreciated, thank you for reading! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

The tea shop is bustling this particular evening, many people seeking a warm drink to escape the chilly breeze that sweeps through the small town where Zuko and his Uncle are staying. Every table in the shop is occupied, and as Zuko scans the tables from behind the counter, he can see yet another wave of customers arriving from outside.

"Zuko," Iroh says excitedly, placing his hand on his nephew's shoulder. "Look at all this business!"

Zuko says nothing, only grunts, grumpy from having been working all day. Grabbing a tray holding three cups of Jasmine Tea, he makes his way through the shop to a table that seats what appears to be a mother and her two daughters. As he approaches, both young ladies look up, a blush immediately creeping onto their faces. One girl leans toward the other, and Zuko hears the word "handsome" being whispered into the girl's ear. Both teenagers giggle and look up at him, and now he is blushing, too.

"Here's your order," he mutters, looking anywhere but at the two girls. "Three cups of Jasmine Tea."

"Thank you, young man," the woman he assumes is their mother says, flashing him a kind smile.

Bowing his head, Zuko quickly makes his way to the back behind the counter, where it is safe.

"What's this?"

Zuko cringes as he hears Iroh's voice behind him; he knew what was coming next.

"A royal member of the Fire Nation, afraid of two harmless teenage girls?" Iroh chuckles, holding his belly. "Really, Zuko – I'm surprised at you!"

"Uncle!" Zuko hisses, glancing at the table where the girls are seated. "Be quiet! I don't want them to hear you!"

Iroh hides a smile behind his hand, his eyes gleaming as his nephew glowers at him. The old man turns and waddles through the kitchen doors, pausing to wink at a scowling Zuko through the circular window.

"And I'm not afraid of them," Zuko says to no one in particular, before snatching a plate of tarts and walking over to a group of older men seated next to the front window.

Turning his back toward the front door to place the order on the table, he doesn't notice four new customers enter the shop and approach the front counter.

Having his two servers occupied at the moment, the owner of the tea shop emerges from the back room to seat the new arrivals.

"Welcome!" he says with a wide smile, in a good mood to see all the money being made this busy night. "Follow me, if you please."

The four customers follow him to a corner table, sitting down on the green-embroidered cushions atop the chairs.

"I'll give you a minute to look over our menu," the owner tells them, placing four packets on the tabletop. The man bows, before returning to the back room to resume his coin-counting, and the four customers at the table begin chatting.

"Well," a dark-skinned girl with blue eyes says with a smile. "This tea shop is lovely!"

"Yeah!" a younger boy agrees, waving his hands in the air. "You're right, Katara – it's so cozy in here."

A girl with black hair and cloudy eyes snorts, crossing her arms over her chest. "There's way too much furniture in here. I've already stubbed my toes twice!"

Katara frowns at her companion. "Don't be such a downer, Toph. We finally have the chance to relax for a bit – don't ruin it," she scolds.

The smaller girl huffs indignantly and sticks her tongue out at Katara.

"How do you like this place, Sokka?" Toph asks a teenage guy that looks similar to Katara.

"It's difficult to say," Sokka murmurs, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Something about this place feels a bit…off."

"Don't worry, Sokka. I'm sure there's nothing to worry about," the smaller boy tells him, patting his shoulder reassuringly.

Sokka raises a dark eyebrow. "If you say so, Aang."

The older teenager scans the tea shop while the others at his table peruse the menu. He is impressed at all the business the place is pulling in; every single table is full, and more customers are continue to enter the shop. His eyes come to rest on the back of a waiter with black hair, who is refilling coffee for a table of older men. Although Sokka can't see his face, there is something strangely familiar about the guy.

Before he can say something to his companions, the owner of the tea shop returns to take their orders.

"Have you decided what you would like?" the man asks with a smile.

Katara speaks first, "I'll have a cup of Ginseng tea, with a cherry tart."

"I'll have the same as her," Toph says, pointing her thumb at the older girl. "I hope what you got is good," she whispers in Katara's ear. "I can't exactly see my options," she mutters dramatically, pulling on her lower eyelids.

Katara shakes her head at Toph's antics, elbowing her in the side.

"I'll have a cup of Jasmine tea," Aang tells the man with a bright smile.

"And I'll have spiced tea with two blueberry tarts," Sokka decides.

The owner of the tea shop nods his head, scribbling down their orders on his notepad. "Excellent choices! I'll go put in the orders," he exclaims as he makes his way to the kitchen doors.

"This stuff better be pretty good," Sokka mutters, scowling at the prices.

Katara sighs as she rises to her feet. "Again, with the negative attitudes! Really?" she grumbles.

"Where are you going?" Aang asks her as she begins to walk away.

"I'm just going to the bathroom," she tells him. "I'll be back in a minute."

OooooOooooOooooO

Zuko turns from the table of old men with a sigh. Old customers are so fussy and cranky, he complains inwardly, running a hand through his short black hair.

He steps into the kitchen, placing a few plates next to the sink.

"Some slob spilled their tea all over the floor," he grumbles to Iroh, who is boiling water on the stove. "I'll be back in a minute; I need to grab the mop from the storage closet."

"All right," his uncle replies, raising an eyebrow at Zuko's bad mood.

Zuko shuffles out the door and back toward the hallway with the bathrooms, where the storage closet is tucked away in the corner of the small building. As he passes by the women's bathroom, he slams straight into a girl exiting the doors, and they crash to the floor, Zuko grunting as he lands on top of her body.

"Oh my god," the girl beneath him says, "I'm so sorry! I was coming out of the bathroom and I didn't see-"

Her voice cuts off as she looks up into the face of the boy who has chased her and her friends around the world. Katara's blue eyes widen with disbelief, and something that looks like fear.

"You…" Zuko breathes, staring down at the waterbender in shock.

Katara opens her mouth to scream a warning to her friends, and Zuko slaps a hand over her mouth, panic rushing through his body as he realizes that this girl – a simple, water tribe peasant – has the power to reveal his true identity. He and his Uncle would be sent back to his father, and then his pursuit of honor would be over.

"Be quiet," Zuko hisses in Katara's ear, holding down her arms with his.

She struggles beneath his body, attempting to free herself from his grasp. He feels her lips moving against his hand as she tries to speak, but he only holds her mouth tighter. As her body writhes under his, she unintentionally brings her knee up and it brushes the place between his legs, and a sudden pleasurable sensation sweeps through him.

"A-ah," he whispers, his eyes flaring gold as he feels himself starting to harden.

The waterbender's eyes widen as she realizes what she did, and a blush creeps onto her dark cheeks underneath Zuko's hand.

Embarrassed, Zuko snarls and throws himself off her body, gripping her wrists with one hand while he continues to covers her mouth with his other. Dragging her into the storage closet, he slams the door behind him, pushing Katara to the other side of the room while he blocks her only exit. He sees her reach to her waist for her water skin, but a smirk crosses his lips when he sees that she has not brought it with her.

"You have no defense," Zuko tells her smugly. "So I would suggest that you cooperate."

OooooOooooOooooO

Katara's pounds inside her chest as the banished prince steps closer to her; it seems as if it will leap out of body at any moment, and she begins panting to support its rapid beating.

"Why are you in Ba Sing Se?" Zuko demands, his golden eyes burning so intensely it's as if they are on fire.

She has never seen them so intense before; and she doesn't know if it's because of what just happened on the floor outside the closet, or if it's the small space they are in, but she suddenly finds herself wanting to grab him, to kiss him. Yes, Katara, the pure-hearted water tribe peasant, wants to intimately touch the man who she has been running from for far too long. And as Katara gazes at the firebender, things about Zuko she's never noticed before become startlingly clear. His broad, strong shoulders and muscular chest that expands when he breathes; his lean, muscular midsection that is hidden beneath the simple green shades of clothing; the black, silky hair that contrasts his pale skin. Her cheeks flush pink when she recalls what she had felt against her leg in the hallway.

"I said, why are you in Ba Sing Se?" Zuko repeats impatiently, snapping Katara out of her daze. Her hands begin to shake slightly as she feels the temperature in the room shoot up, as the hostile firebender in front of her attempts to control his temper.

"I – I…um…" Katara stammers, unable to form coherent words.

The muscles in Zuko's jaw clench before he grabs her shoulders and slams her into the wall, causing her to gasp as the few shelves in the closet rattle violently. His face is mere inches from her own, and she can feel his breath on her skin; the intoxicating scent of smoke and embers consumes her senses as she stares up into his piercing gold eyes. One of his large hands pin hers to the wall above her head, while the other is planted against the wall beside her head.

Zuko's mouth opens to question her again, but no words come out of his throat. He simply stares into Katara's eyes, and she can see something change in them as they dart between her eyes and her mouth; there is no longer anger and hostility in them, but an unfamiliar longing that brings his face fractionally closer to hers. She can see his chest rising and falling quickly, while his rapid breathing, as well as her own, resonates in the small space of the storage closet.

OooooOooooOooooO

Beautiful, bright blue. That's all Zuko can see as he stares into the face of the girl he has chased around the world. His earlier aggression has somehow vanished, and all he feels now is the overwhelming urge to kiss her, run his hands over her beautiful body. Kiss her! His subconscious screams at him, but the rational part of his mind tells him, You can't kiss her; she's the enemy. This is insane. This is crazy.

But as he closes the space between them and feels her warm, soft lips against his, it feels so right, so perfect. She wastes no time, and is quickly responding to his mouth with her own, ravishing his lips and their delicious flavor that is far better than anything she has ever tasted. He hears her moan against his mouth, and he moves his hands to cup her soft face, his thumbs brushing over the soft skin of her cheeks. As their mouths move over each other's, Katara's arms wrap around his neck, fisting in his silky hair and tugging slightly. A low groan escapes his throat at the feeling, and his earlier erection returns, painfully confined at the front of his pants.

Zuko's hands move down Katara's neck, running over her chest and down to her hips. He grabs them and pulls her lower body forward, grinding his hardened member against the base of her stomach. She gasps as his erection pushes against her, and wraps one of her legs around his, the slit on the side of her dress falling open to reveal the tanned, flawless skin of her thighs. The firebender's hand moves down to slide the palm of his hand across the exposed flesh, and Katara shudders at the feeling of his warm hand rubbing underneath her thigh.

"Oh, Zuko…" she moans between kisses, feeling a wet slickness between her legs.

Zuko groans at the sound of his name on her lips and he slides his tongue into her mouth, brushing it against hers in a slow, sensual dance for dominance.

His hands reach behind her, and fumble with the buttons that secure the dress onto her body. With a few satisfying pops, he is slowly peeling the dress down her arms, over her hips, and into a pile at her feet.

"Spirits…" he murmurs as his eyes take in the sight of her sensual body, which is curved immaculately in all the right places. His breath hitches in his throat as Katara grabs the hem of his shirt, and he raises his arms as she slips it up over his head, dropping it onto the floor to join her discarded dress.

The waterbender's eyes widen and glitter as she scans his lean, muscular body that is more beautiful than she could have imagined. His pale skin is stretched over a defined abs and chest, and his arms are adorned with thick muscle that is lined with a small number of veins.

Zuko's lips plant a quick, chaste kiss on her lips before they move to nibble on her ear softly, eliciting a small whimper from Katara's throat. Satisfied with her reaction, he continues to kiss her neck, making his way to her collarbone and sucking it gently. Her hands run up and down his warm back, sending shivers down his spine as he feverishly kisses her soft skin. Zuko's mouth finds its way to her full breasts, kissing and sucking the nipples gently. Katara gasps at the sweet contact, and a twinge of pride makes Zuko smile against her chest. Here was the girl so determined to prove to the world that she was strong enough to fight the Fire Nation, and she was becoming undone at the mere touch of his mouth and hands on her body. The banished prince sucks gently on her left breast, while his hand teases the right with his thumb and forefinger. His erection throbs painfully, and he groans.

He moves back to Katara's mouth, and she hooks her thumbs into the waistband of his pants. Moving onto her knees, she slides them down his muscular legs, gasping as his erection springs free from its confines. Her eyes widen as she takes in the size of his hardened member, but excitement shines in her eyes and flutters in her chest as she tentatively grasps it with both hands. A low, guttural moan escapes Zuko's throat, and she slowly slides her hands up and down the length of his cock, marveling at how soft and firm it is. A small bead of precum oozes from the tip of his erection, and she runs her hands over it, spreading it over his member and making it glisten in the low light of the closet. Katara glances up to see Zuko's chest rising and falling heavily, and his eyebrows are knitted together in a look of pure pleasure as he gazes down at her, something like wonder in his eyes.

In a moment of absolute courage, Katara leans forward and tentatively places her mouth around his erection, tasting a strange, salty flavor that is surprisingly delicious.

"K – Katara!" Zuko nearly whimpers, his eyes rolling back and his jaw slack.

A warm, desirable feeling pools in the pit of Katara's stomach and she moves her head down further, Zuko's erection disappearing inside the warm cavern of her mouth. She moves one of her hands and splays it across his lower stomach, right above his manhood, and she feels him shiver beneath her palm as sweet, sublime waves rack his body. Moving her lips back, she gently runs her teeth over his length, causing the firebender to groan and gasp. Zuko's hands fist in her hair and he pulls it slightly.

"K – Katara…you have…to stop," he moans between his pants for breath, and he pulls her up to a standing position.

Her confidence boosted from her performance moments before, Katara slides her hands to the small piece of cloth that covers her womanhood and slides it down her long legs. She smiles slightly as she watches Zuko's eyes widen and burn with an intense heat as he gazes at her, and the cloth drops onto the floor silently.

The banished prince moves toward her with renewed passion and grabs her hips, lifting her up onto his and pushing her back against the wall. Katara's blue orbs gaze down at him and her lips part as she wraps her legs around his backside, pulling his body closer to hers. His erection presses against her wet entrance, and Katara moans as she feels his manhood between her legs.

Zuko's golden eyes gaze into her blue ones, asking for permission to take her body.

"Yes…" she whispers, nodding her head slowly.

A single heartbeat passes before he thrusts inside her, and she cries out, waves of pleasure shooting through her body to the fingertips. Zuko groans and throws his head back, his erection receiving endless friction inside of the waterbender. His hips thrust his cock inside of her over and over, setting a pounding rhythm while Katara's arms snake around his neck. Zuko hits a bundle of nerves inside Katara relentlessly, and she feels herself starting to climb higher and higher. Stars dance in her vision, and her walls contract around Zuko's member, squeezing it tighter than he would have thought possible. In a sudden jolt, both benders orgasm, groaning as their bodies are lost in pure bliss. The banished prince empties himself inside of Katara, evidence of his climax trickling outside of her entrance and down the inside of her legs.

Both benders collapse to the floor, Katara laying on top of Zuko's lean body. Their bodies press together as they breathe heavily, and Katara lifts herself onto her elbows to look down into Zuko's beautiful, scarred face. Neither the prince nor peasant has words for the other; they simply stare into each other's eyes, disbelief mirrored on flushed faces at the act they've just performed. But the consequences didn't matter; the only thing of importance in the world to the benders was the body pressed against their own.

OooooOooooOooooO

"Oh good, you're back!" Iroh exclaims as his nephew enters the kitchen. "The table of older gentlemen requires more tea." He pauses. "You were gone so long, and you didn't find the mop?" he asks, a disapproving look crossing his face as he sees Zuko's empty hands.

"What? Oh – yeah, I uh…couldn't find it," Zuko lies, having completely forgotten the real reason he went to the storage closet.

Iroh raises an eyebrow at him, but decides not to say anything else about it. Something about his nephew seems…off. He can't put his finger on it, though. Iroh brushes it off as his imagination, but as Zuko exits the kitchen with a tray of tea, he swears there is a smile is on his nephew's face.

"I must be dreaming," he mutters to himself, returning his attention to his pot of boiling tea.

Zuko hides his face from the members at Katara's table as he strides over to the table of old men, but not before he notices Katara emerging from the back hallway and making her way to her seat.

The two share a small, knowing smile and she looks away quickly, a blush spreading over her face.

"What took you so long?" Sokka questions his sister as she returns to the table. He is stuffing his face with his order of fresh-baked blueberry tarts. "You're tea is getting cold!"

Katara sits down, practically glowing as she tries to hide the ridiculous grin that threatens to spread over her face.

"I…had to wait for a stall to open," she says, taking a bite of her cherry tart.

The others at her table share eyebrow raises, but say nothing as they start up a conversation. Katara hears a distant noise in the background of her thoughts, but she is lost in the memory of Zuko inside her as it keeps replaying itself in her mind. With a small smile, Katara decides that the taste of her cherry tart could never come close to matching the taste of the banished Fire Prince.