A Bath in Midsummer
The stars glittered in the clear midnight firmament, while Yue's pale, golden glow softened the darkness of the late hour. Summer days in the Fire Nation were sweltering and arid, and the nights only slightly less so. Earlier in the evening, the citizens of Royal Caldera City had sought to cool themselves with their traditional evening market day, and now the whole city was sound asleep, even the guard towers ringing the lip of the crater, within which lay the whole city. Within the Royal Palace, amid a forest of ebony columns, sixteen-year-old Fire Lord Zuko stepped into the pool. The scarred but handsome youth let out a low hissing breath, letting the tepid water soothe his overheated skin. Today had been scorching, and the night's unbearably stuffy air drew him to this late bath in the first place. Sitting back, his head laying back on the warm stone edge, the teen let his mind wander. His eyes stared at the dark blue-enameled ceiling over the pool, studded with fist-sized diamonds glittering in a perfect rendition of the night sky; but his mind flew free, each thought washing through his brain in time with the ripples of the water's surface. Climate was never much of a problem traveling with... what did Sokka call it?...Team Avatar, that was it. They'd usually fly on Appa high up in the air to avoid the heat, and Aang or Katara could always bend water or ice to cool the group off. But Aang was gone, off to help Sokka reconcile the Southern Water Tribes with their former Fire Nation enemies. Toph had gone to visit her family, months after running away, and Suki was presumably with Sokka to meet his and Katara's Gran-Gran. That left...Katara.
Katara chose to stay for a few days in Royal Caldera, for reasons unknown. She had been staying for three days now, but other matters had always prevented Zuko from meeting with or even seeing the pretty waterbender. If she was smart, she was probably in bed right now, surrounded by as much ice as she could bend to ward off the heat. Zuko frowned slightly as he thought of her, a flush coming to his cheeks. Pretty... well, that would describe Katara, Zuko thought; there was no use dancing around that. His mind drifted over to her silken dark tresses, her soulful sapphire eyes, and lingered on her dusky, dark skin. Those features, stunning as they were, didn't lock the Water Tribe girl in Zuko's deepest, most intimate thoughts. The young firebender sighed, sinking deeper into the water, up to the neck as he sunk deeper into his musing. Whether mad or happy, sad or confused, Katara made it show. Zuko would watch raptly every time Aang or Toph would pull at prank on her; not to enjoy to joke, but to see that tinge of red rise in her cheeks, and those lips scrunch up so adorably. There was only one time where Zuko had been truly terrified... that day when Katara cornered him in the Western Air Temple. She threatened him against hurting Aang in any way, her eyes coalescing into cold, cobalt crystals boring into his mind. Her cheeks were flushing with the intensity of her voice, darkening her already-rich complexion. She could have killed him right there, and Zuko's spine shot up with a thrill of fear as he remembered that day. It was that passion that fettered his mind to Katara, denying him any sort of reprieve from that intoxicating vision.
There there was the day of the Comet... the Agni Kai with his deranged sister... Zuko's bandaged abdomen twinged under the warming water. He remembered the terrible convulsion through his body as Azula's lightning bolt hit him, that wracking pain coursing through him over and over with no outlet. Another memory banished that... a memory of cool, wet hands gently releasing the terminal energy rampaging through his limp form, healing the burning and the agony. He recalled a pair of blue eyes, clear and glinting with fear and concern, turned to bright joy as he offered, "Thank you Katara..." With a pleased rumbling deep in his throat, Zuko remembered Katara's soft, loving reply, "I think I'm the one who should be thanking you..." With that, the Fire Lord drifted slowly into sleep, caressed by the heated, lapping water, and the warm night's breeze.
"Hey! You're gonna to catch a cold if you fall asleep there!" Zuko's eyes shot open, and with a noise like something between a squeak and a yell of surprise, he flew up from his seat, tripped, and collapsed deeper into the pool with a resounding splash. He shot up, coughing and sputtering, shaking the water from his short, tousled hair, only to see Katara doubled over in laughter, clutching her sides.
"Hahahahaha! What WAS that, a squeal? You sounded like Ty Lee when she stepped on that spiderbeetle!" Zuko brushed soggy hair from his face, both scarred and intact eyes narrowed in her direction.
"I wasn't sleeping... You didn't have to come over here and scare me to death. What're you doing here anyway? It's late—go to bed!" He growled, taking his seat back in the pool, turning round to glance at her.
"I could say the same thing—it was hot and I wanted a bath. I get to use this too, right?" Katara snorted and began undoing the sash to her powder blue robe.
"No, you can't. It's just for-" he turned around, saw Katara toss the robe off her shoulders, clad in only her sarashi wrap. Zuko's eyes (both of them) widened like saucers, and his jaw fell open. He began protesting, vehemently not trying to draw attention to the fact that he was gawking at her like some addle-brained pervert. "W-what are you doing? You can't do that here!" Katara cocked an eyebrow, setting a hand on her hip with her best "don't be silly" expression.
"Oh come on, Zuko. We've bathed together dozens of times. You're not seeing anything Sokka, Aang, or Toph hasn't seen already." Katara slipped into the pool still wearing her wrap, immediately cooling the water as she swam around.
Despite the sudden chill of the water, Zuko blushed even more. "First of all, Sokka's your brother, and Aang and Toph are just kids. AND Toph can't see," he protested. Katara giggled and tossed a ball of water at Zuko, who quickly splashed out of the way."
"Well, I'm in right now, so it's no use complaining." She floated gently on her back, smirking over at Zuko. The Fire Lord, grumbled and sullenly settled back into the water, trying to banish the intoxicating image of a scantily-clad, beautiful waterbender floating around him. The Water Tribe girl stared up at the diamond-starred ceiling in wonder and remarked, "I've never seen this part of the Palace before... You've never shown it to me."
"This is the Fire Lord's bath...It's my first time here... My father was the last person to use it, before he tried to burn down the Earth Kingdom...I remember coming here with my mother when I was little. After she was banished, nobody but my father was allowed to come.. I guess it's mine now..."
Zuko glanced around, sighing. Katara stopped floating and faced him curiously. They had never really had a time like this, alone. During the search for Yon Rha, she had been so focused on avenging her mother, she didn't consider the handsome young man as closely as she was able to now. She never really noticed the intense gold of his amber eyes, or the intense mixture of dignity, confidence, and sadness that burned from them. Her eyes traveled to his scar, thinking of how she never truly understood what that kind of pain would feel like, or the humiliation he may have felt every time he looked in the mirror. After joining the group, she noticed that Zuko was more at peace than probably ever before in his life, but there was still a distance, an almost timid shyness that remained. He'd still bathe alone, and never joined in any of the group's activities unless directly asked. She'd finally forgiven and accepted him after their mission together, but he still recoiled slightly when she would touch him. He would rarely meet her eyes, as if he was still ridden with guilt over his pursuit of the Avatar and his betrayal under Ba Sing Se. And yet... when he was firebending or sparring... Katara shivered slightly, color rising to her cheeks. She always managed to watch him from afar or secretly. There he showed nothing but confidence, every motion of his hands and feet sweeping through the air, leaving magnificent blazing trails that wreathed his wiry, toned body in glorious orange arcs. Even his swordsmanship displayed a fiery elegance and mastery that Sokka could barely keep up with in their sessions together.
"Your mother... I know you went to ask Ozai...did he-did you..?" Zuko glanced at her, eyes shimmering strangely.
"He told me... She'd been sent to a colony, near Whale Tail Island, but... nobody's seen her for months... I'm..I'm going to go look for her, when Aang comes back with Appa tomorrow..." The corner of his mouth lifted barely, and that shy but peaceful smile softened his features again. "I'm finally going to see her, Katara... After all this time, all these years..."
Katara smiled bravely, touched by Zuko's honest vulnerability. He had always bonded so quickly with the group, putting everything he had into forging such strong friendships, despite his shyness. Katara wondered if he ever had friends as close as the gang, Mai and Ty Lee notwithstanding. "That's so great," she said. "I'm sure she'll be so happy to see you. Are you going to bring Mai along too? She has to meet your mother, now that you're boyfriend and girlfriend again." Privately, Katara couldn't understand how someone as passionate and emotional as Zuko could connect with such a solemn, cold block of ice like Mai. Zuko needed someone who felt how he felt, who could understand putting so much will and care into everything, someone like...
"We got into another fight today." The flat tone of his voice snapped Katara from her reverie. "She left for Kyoshi Island with Ty Lee this morning, I...don't think she'll be coming back for a while." Zuko stared off, his eyes gleaming oddly in the darkness. Katara tilted her head, questioning.
"Another fight? Zuko, what's been going on?" According to Ty Lee, the two had been running into some "hiccups." The heated arguments echoing through the palace walls told Katara otherwise. After the yelling would cease, Zuko and Mai would never appear together, always seeming to be on opposite ends of the palace at any given time. After a while, it just seemed like two strangers were dwelling in the palace, ignoring the other. Katara could see the pain etched on Zuko's face-it broke her heart, but some dark corner of her mind thrilled at the idea of Mai finally leaving... leaving Zuko to free himself completely... to her, Katara...
"She...doesn't realize what being with the Fire Lord means... it means being at my side all the time, acting like the perfect lady. She spent her entire life rebelling against what her parents forced her into..." Zuko cocked his head, eying Katara intently. "What about you and Aang? How's that going?"
Katara felt the heat rise up past her cheeks to the top of her head. What WAS going on with her and the young airbender? He kissed her outside the Jasmine Dragon that day, but to be honest... she never really saw Aang in that light. If she wanted to be brutally honest, she never thought she'd be with someone as...young as Aang. Sure, he was the Avatar, and actually more than a century old, but...well... as Sokka said (and Aang agreed with), he was "just a goofy kid." Katara saw herself, more or less, as a mother to Aang- that role pretty much grew naturally for her. But Aang obviously felt something more than that... could Katara really say such to him? How would Aang react? Katara slapped herself mentally. She was being silly, letting such a small question from Zuko rile her up like this! Besides, what business was it of Zuko's? He was her friend, but some things you just don't go exposing to everyone...
"I-I... don't know what you're talking about, Zuko." She tried to huff and turn imperiously away, nose in the air, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw something dominating her periphery. Try as she might, she found herself glancing longer and longer out the corner of her vision, desperately trying to get a clearer look at Zuko's face without giving him the satisfaction of fully turning to face him. Giving up she turned to him, face screwed up in a pout, and stopped dead.
She saw Zuko, lounging back, toned arms propped up against the edge of the pool, eyebrow cocked in curiosity. Sweat from the night's heat glinted off his perfect skin from the torches lighting the bath and the tepid water. His eyes glowed molten gold, shining through the curtain of hair that was casting a shade over his scar, adding dark, smoky mystery over his still-handsome features. To Katara, Zuko looked for all the world like a recumbent, smoldering dragon who had cornered some terrified virgin for his prey. Katara shivered, trying not to stare directly at the stunning Fire Lord's amber eyes while taking in his glistening, muscled form. The waterbender shivered, trying to form some order of coherent thought in her head without completely going to pieces.
"I thought you and Aang were together. I mean, that's what we all think." Something about Katara's behavior clicked in Zuko's head. She was acting way too flustered for such a question. It's not like it'd be embarrassing to date the Avatar, right? Unless... unless she wasn't actually dating him. But what about the kiss? Would that mean...? Zuko felt the heat lurk from beneath the water up to his neck. A low thrumming in his heart took the vague implications of her discomfort and blew them into infinite possiblities. He closed his eyes and struggled internally for a moment. He couldn't let his excitement go overboard; what if Katara and Aang really were romantically involved? In that case, the stupidest thing he could do would be to confess how he felt to Katara, especially half-dressed and in a bath. No, it was best to leave the question hanging and see how the Water Tribe girl responded. Even lounging on the submerged bench, Zuko felt like he was tottering over a roaring waterfall, waiting for the one answer that would either keep his feet on the ground, or push him off into the roaring torrent below...
"We... We're not together. A-At least I don't think so. A-Aang thinks... well... I don't know if he even understands what he's feeling. He's so young, and... I don't think he really feels that way towards me..." Katara sank lower, ashamed. She felt her heart give a painful wrench, and it almost brought her to tears. She felt like she was betraying Aang, but at the same time, she couldn't justify her continuing to leave Aang in such a confused, disordered state. He needed to understand that Katara never saw him as romantically as he saw her... She hadn't done anything to justify that reaction, only acted as a mother-figure... Her breast rebelled again at her confession, and this time, she couldn't keep the tears from flowing. She turned away, struggling to regain herself when her eyes popped open. She felt a pair of strong, wiry arms wrap tenderly around her shoulders. She felt the water flare briefly in heat, untying the worry-tightened knots of her muscles. She felt herself turn slowly, guided by those strong, soft hands, and through her tears she saw a pair of golden eyes wreathed by a twirling halo of steam, caressing her hair with their gaze, wiping her tears without a single brush of the hand. She stared, transfixed. "Z-Zuko...what are you..."
Zuko's voice had lowered, so husky that it sounded like he was sobbing the words. "Katara... I'm going to do something that is probably the stupidest thing I have ever done, but please... I've needed to do this for too long...After... After I do it... whatever you choose to do, I'll accept it."
Katara's eyes widened, and she twisted a bit, but Zuko's hands held her tightly on her bare shoulders. "Zuko, what are you talking-"
His hands slipped down under the water, cradling her slim waist, and pulled her forward. He knew that he would have avoided this moment forever if he could. He needed to face it, needed to force himself to confront his want, his desire, and to seize it before it passed into oblivion. Zuko was never one to shuffle or stall; it was now.
In one swift motion, his head dipped down and he kissed Katara, lips locking in a pure, fiery embrace as his fingertips dragged across the dusky skin of her waist and sides. His breath caught into the kiss, letting his soul bleed from every orifice, flowing from his lips to hers, from his fingers running scorching trails on her hips under the water. She tasted like winter, like frosted mint leaves chewed in a blizzard on the North Pole. Her lips made him forget the heat, and sent a chill running down his taut body, turning him to jelly. He felt her shudder, felt her entire body crumbling, and stepped back. Steam gushed from the water's surface, mingling with Zuko's nervous sweat as he waited for Katara to respond. He was a dead man, he was sure of it... Katara would NEVER forgive him for this... but it was so worth it... a weak, hopeless smile almost crept onto his face... He couldn't apologize for how that felt, that relief and heat and cold and lust and love... white-hot, heartrending love.
Katara stared, mouth still slightly open. What had just happened? She could still taste him on her lips, a whisper of spice and heat and passion whispering about, dancing on her tongue. The sensuous, steam, laced with Zuko's scent like some subtle earthy perfume, somehow drove away the stuffiness of the night, replacing the staid, stagnant heat with something at once brighter and darker, a drowning, intoxicating elixir of pure sacred joy and dripping shadowy eroticism. Katara threw it all to the night. She felt herself step closer, feeling the ripples trailing about her as she pressed up against his bare, toned stomach. Her hand slid up his back, feeling the steam and the sweat and the bated fear. She ran her hand through his thick short hair, drawing back the curtain hiding his scar. Golden dragons' eyes averted, too ashamed to gaze upon this beautiful goddess while he was so marred. A slight guiding of the hand brought Zuko's eyes back into communion with Katara's sapphire gaze, and her cool, wet hand ran down to the darkened comet of his burn. With Katara's water-sheathed hand closing on his left eye, Zuko tipped his head back, relishing the cool healing current rushing over his scar. He could feel her through the scar tissue, could feel her hand and the waters flowing through and under his skin, healing what it could. His scar would remain, but he could know what her touch felt like, healing what lay underneath. Katara's hand ran to the nape of Zuko's neck, and pulled him down...down...
"I choose you, Zuko..." she whispered against his lips, brushing, caressing. The Fire Lord's eyes flashed with fierce light, and he flew unto her again, pouring more and more of himself as his hands wrapped around the waterbender in a grip that would never relent. Fire and ice spurted from the water, clashing, fighting, dancing, and making love as the two kissed in each others arms, cool mist and warm steam enveloping the entire pool. They remained kissing, even as the dawn's rosy fingers shot through the receding midnight blue, catching the the diamonds studding the ceiling of the pool and showering Zuko and Katara in the coruscating glitter of a thousand rainbows.