Katara lay awake, listening to the tide of her breathing. In and out, washing, lapping against the shore of the bed they were sharing, the bed they shared illicitly. Katara could not believe the situation she was in with this mad, mad girl.
Zuko was her husband, she loved him. She loved Zuko beyond all else. Azula was engaged to Ty Lee. That was how it was supposed to work out, that they were both supposed to pursue a happily ever after with their proper lover.
Katara remembered helping Azula heal at the request of Zuko. Her compassion prompted her to give the princess a chance, to guide her through the steps towards feeling like a human again. And Katara would look at Zuko and kiss him and she one day simply noticed that he had his sister's eyes.
"You have your sister's eyes," Katara said, examining Zuko closely. He blinked twice, surprised.
"I guess I do. It's royal family gold," Zuko said, slipping in for another kiss. And while Katara once saw crystal catacombs in Zuko's eyes, she could only see Azula.
It was at that moment she realized she was falling in love with the wrong person.
Azula stirred in her sleep and woke up, making a small sound of pain. Katara's heart moved in a way she did not know it could. When she realized her heart moved that way with Zuko, her relationship with Aang had ended. It was for the best, definitely for the best.
And now she was locked in an affair with her sister-in-law. Azula may have had an easy time with it due to her amorality, but Katara struggled fiercely with the fact that she was sleeping with Azula.
Katara had never felt so alone as of tonight. Azula's heart was racing as she tried to silence her nightmare, to tell herself it was not real. And Katara leaned over and touched her lips to Azula's neck and the princess moaned and Katara's body was wracked with guilt.
"I can't even look at Zuko anymore," Katara murmured and Azula slowly shook her head.
The princess caught her breath and said, "Then leave him, if it's so important to you. Me, I'm fine with the sex."
"Can you look at her and not feel like a monster?"
"It's a little late for me not to feel like a monster, sweetheart," Azula said bitterly, cruelly, coldly and Katara felt like she was stabbed with ice. Frostbite. Azula gave her frostbite but it never felt so good.
Katara watched Zuko from afar.
"He looks nice today," Katara remarked to Sokka.
Sokka shrugged. "I guess?"
Katara rolled her eyes. "He does." She was secure in her words.
She looked at Azula, across the way, her lips painted with another girl's Kyoshi Warrior make-up. And Katara saw that Azula looked better than Zuko today.
Zuko caught sight of Katara and Sokka and walked over to greet them regally. Kindness, compassion, a history of a sexual spark that Katara had felt since the Western Air Temple. That was tangible, that was real. Azula was making out with Ty Lee and Katara knew she was off limits.
Katara could not hurt Zuko that way.
"You make me hurt," Katara whispered as the lamp started to burn out. Azula caught it and the room was bathed in blue. Blue flame and Katara's blue underwear that Azula's fingers had traced across a thousand times.
"I have a habit of doing that to people," Azula replied calmly, touching her sharp nails to Katara's navel.
Katara felt tears swell and bit them back.
"It hurts in a good way."
And she kissed Azula on the lips and decided that she might be a monster.
But at least she would not be alone.