This is another one of those I-have-no-idea-what-the-hell-I'm-doing kind of stories, though I must say, I am quite proud of this one.

I own nothing! Zuko, Katara, and anything else recognizable belong to Mike/Bryan/Nickelodeon!


It was a classic story. He was a prince; she was a pauper. His element was fire; hers was water. Uproars from all corners of the world arose with the announcement of their engagement. It was a classic controversy. For a time, it seemed like the only person who approved was the Avatar. It was true that he had loved the water maid, but...he was the Avatar. He wasn't permitted to be bound to one place because of a girl when the world needed him. After seeing her so unimaginably happy with the prince, he figured that if he couldn't have her, his best friend would be the next best person. He had blessed the two and wished them well. Person by person, city by city, the world began to accept the untraditional couple with the Avatar's guidance and reassurance. For the time being, everything was a classic fairy tale.

The sky was a flawless, blank slate of blues and pinks. The morning was still new, the sun just beginning to stretch its arms after the peaceful night. A zephyr floated aimlessly through the open balcony doors, braiding itself into the gauzy canopy of the bed, twitching the material like a butterfly's wings. The new dawn cast streams of gentle, early light onto the two figures on the floor, softly gracing their bodies with its touch.

She had skin the color of caramel, rich and smooth and exotic. Dark, mocha hair splayed over the pale white bed sheets. Eyes that were normally sapphire and vibrant were closed and blissfully ignorant to the awakening world.

The young man with shaggy raven hair and ferocious golden eyes laid awake next to her, his thick-muscled legs twined with hers. A rare smile crept across his stoic face, crinkling the rough skin of the burgundy scar that dominated the left side of his face as he admired her sleeping form. He could feel each breath she took, for he was so close to her.

He had been up for quite some time already, just watching her sleep and fondly remembering the previous night. His name a heavy, whispered mantra from her lips; the incredibly ecstasy produced from the curious caresses of her hands; rolling off the bed somewhere in the depths of the night when fighting over who was going to be on top; her breathless gasps when asking for his tongue.

Carefully turning over, he shook her gently. When she didn't wake, he groaned with the effort of getting up and nibbled at her earlobe. "Tara," he murmured, nudging her jaw with his nose. "Katara. Come on. Get up." She stirred at she felt his tongue skim over the shell of her ear, making a halfhearted sound of protest. She rolled over lazily, pressing her face to the starburst shaped scar on his chest.

"I hate morning people," she muttered. A giggle rose from her mouth as she felt his fingers in her hair. With deep breaths, she inhaled in his unique scent of smoke and freesia, and, with what she thought was inconspicuousness, she touched her tongue to his chest-his skin was still salty from the night before. She sighed dreamily at the memory as he shivered at the contact.

Katara rolled over then, the blankets that were woven in an impossibly complex weave around the two tugging at their own fibers. Her ankles and neck cracked as she stretched, her toes sliding up his calf. After a long few moments of blank nothingness, she turned her head to look at him. "Good morning, Zuko," she said.

He gave a short chuckle under his breath. "Morning, love." Zuko inched toward her, teasing her, until meeting her lips softly. Her fingers gripped the white carpeting beneath them in an attempt to ground herself: she got so high off of his kisses that sometimes she believed that the wind would sweep her away in her bliss. She moaned as she lifted one hand to tangle into his hair.

When they broke apart audibly, Zuko hovered over her, smiling. "What's the plan for today?" Katara asked, her blue eyes searching his face. He threw one arm around her waist, trapping her to the floor.

"I don't want to do anything today. I want to stay here."

She huddled closer as she whispered, "Can we do that?"

"I don't see why not. I make the rules now."

The prospect of a free day-no plans or meetings or people to see-was much too good to pass up.

"I've never spent the day in bed with a guy before."

"Neither have I," he responded, earning a light thwack on the arm.

She shook her head disapprovingly and tenderly reached up to touch the red of his scar. The skin was surprisingly smooth under her touch-something that had always fascinated her-and was noticeably warmer than the rest of his face.

What fascinated him, though, was her fascination. He didn't know how she could love a monster like himself. He didn't know why she liked the blemish, the horrid reminder of the past. He couldn't believe he was permitted to touch such a perfect person and hold her. He told himself that it was the spirits making up for everything they had done to him in the early years. Zuko watched her intently as her fingers danced across the uneven planes of his face.

"Day in bed it is, then?" he asked, closing his eyes as she brushed her fingertips over his lips. She made an incoherent sound of acquiescence then pressed her face to his neck. With moments, after burrowing herself deeper into his arms, she drifted back into unknowing sleep, soon followed by her lover.

Hours passed wonderfully slow, with no interruptions. Maids gathered outside the young Lord and Lady's room, watching on silently as they slept. Simultaneous sighs could be heard whenever he moved to clutch her tighter, for it was nice to see that the crown prince had finally gotten his fairy tale ending.

~Fin~


Inspiration came from several songs and a movie, though the ideas are vague and altered. If you can figure out what I used, kudos to you.

People always write about how all the rooms are so dark and red, so I decided to switch it up a bit and have the room bright and light...think little beach cottage on the coast of Maine.

OMG YUS I USED TEH WORD ZEPHYR. One of life's goal is complete. xD

Review, please?
Tchao, Zutarians.
-Erika-
xoxo