Thoughts Under the Moonlight

I do not own Avatar, but you all know that.

Thoughts Under the Moonlight

Katara watches the moon glow brightly in the dark night sky as Appa flies. The light from the moon shines silver; illuminates the saddle and her clothing and her skin in its pale glow. Below the land is black and quiet, silent, unsuspecting. It doesn't know that it may very well be engulfed in flames and heat in a few short hours, animals and plants and people burning to ash and rising as smoke. She can't imagine the sight of the world on fire, so she memorizes the sight of the world when it isn't, when it's as it should be.

"We should sleep." Zuko says softly, his golden eyes like suns. His eyes shine with the warmth of fire and the color of flames, gentle and kind like fire rarely is.

"I don't know if I can." She's afraid that if she sleeps when she wakes the world will already be burning and they'll be too late and her friends and brother will be gone.

"I'm worried too." Zuko tells her, tells her even though she hasn't told him that she's worried so she wonders how he already knows.

"Do you think Aang will beat the Fire Lord?" She asks because she isn't sure, she doesn't know if he can and she wants someone to agree with her. She needs someone to agree with her because she feels guilty that she doubts him. She isn't supposed to doubt the Avatar, but she doubts Aang.

"I don't know." He's honest and the relief is bittersweet; there's a chance the world is going to burn. The world is in the hands of a twelve year old who won't take a life and it hurts, because if Aang kills the Fire Lord, he won't be able to live with himself, and if he doesn't kill him, then he won't live at all. It's a horrible ultimatum and she wishes he doesn't have to face it.

"Oh Zuko." She sighs and throws her arms around him, they both need reassurance and she hopes a hug can give that to them. His arms are warm around her and she wants to forget the war and the Fire Lord and the comet and Aang for just a few moments. "What if..?"

"We can't think of that right now." Zuko whispers and she can see that he's thinking of it even as he tells her not to. Dread and worry hang heavy in the air and in their actions; it coats their bodies like a second skin that can't be washed away until the battle is over.

"What else is there to think about?" She wants to know what else they can possibly think about at that moment, what can possibly be more important then the situation to come.

"Each other." Zuko kisses her before she can question his meaning. His mouth is hot and soft against hers, and she reaches a hand up to cup the side of his face. Zuko is her friend, she doesn't kiss her friends, but it feels so good and she doesn't want it to stop because if it stops then she's going to be concerned and terrified again. They both need a distraction and sleep won't come and she thinks Zuko understands when she hesitantly slides a hand beneath his shirt. "We shouldn't." He breathes when she pulls his shirt over his head and reveals his muscled chest to the silver moonlight. He doesn't sound like he believes what he's saying, he sounds like he wants to, wants to as much as she wants to.

"We can."

She can't think of anything other then Zuko for long moments. Her world is narrowed to pleasant heat and the feel of skin against her skin, lips against her lips. Pleasure is a constant in that temporary existence, fire and water combining to a wonderful steam that forms on their skin like sweat. She doesn't love him but she wants to, there's a spark behind the kisses that there never is with Aang, but she can't love Zuko because if Aang defeats the Fire Lord then she owes him her love even if she isn't sure she can honestly give it to him. Zuko kisses a path down her jaw and a final white hot ecstasy and nearly searing heat rush through her body and she shudders and grips at Zuko's shoulders. Afterwards, contentment and exhaustion settle in, and Zuko holds her close to keep her warm as the darkness of sleep envelops them both.

Morning will come quickly; she can make decisions when the world is either saved or over.

Let me know what you thought, and be thankful the title wasn't "Sex Under the Moonlight" because it was my first choice. ;)