There was some sort of conference going on in the new Firelord's palace, something Katara could have attended if she wanted to, but for some reason she had followed Mai into the royal family's private chambers, and, well, there was no reason to turn back now. Mai had promised a diversion from the boring meetings, and Katara was anxious to know what the woman could find interesting, being as everything else seemed to bore her to sighs and snide comments.
"Come along, Katara," the Firelord's wife said, beckoning from beyond a red curtain emblazoned with the Fire Nation crest, "There's nothing to do in the halls, unless you like that sort of thing."
Did she mean history? Katara turned away from all the fascinating portraits of Fire noblemen and battles from as far back as before Sozin's War, but she obediently followed. She passed the curtain and stepped through the door into a room that, now that she saw it, made clear in her mind Mai's intent. The Firelord's bedroom.
Of course she knew women sometimes did this sort of thing. A few of her friends had sometimes crept into empty igloos and come back giggling and blushing. She had thought it was just because there were no boys their age in the village after the men had gone off to war, but now that she was old enough to know that desire sometimes ran that way... She felt a shiver of excitement. This could be a fun diversion.
Mai smiled, seeing the surprise on Katara's face. "Knew you'd like it." She gestured for Katara to turn around, and she did. When Katara looked back, nothing seemed to have changed except for Mai's hair, which was hanging loose out of its buns. Then Katara saw the scattered underclothes and wraps on the floor, and the casual way Mai was holding her robe. She let the red robe slip down, revealing bare shoulders and then round breasts, pale and smooth. A noblewoman's skin, the look of a wealthy woman who could afford to live inside in this hot country. Katara took a step forward, entranced by that skin and wanting to hold those breasts.
Mai laughed and gave a rare smile. "You'll have to get rid of that," she said, motioning to Katara's dress. With a small blush, Katara stepped back and pulled off her dress and pants, then her breast wrap and underclothes.
They were both naked now, and Mai looked at Katara's dark skin and hair approvingly. "They say Water Tribe girls are the best lovers. Is that true, 'Tara?"
"I..."
Another smile, and Mai put an arm around Katara and pulled her towards the bed. "We'll learn, I suppose," she teased. And Katara certainly wanted to find out.
"Well? Lie down," Mai said, as she deftly untied Katara's hair and ran her fingers through the braid. "Unless of course you know what to do with those fine hands of yours." She took a brown hand in her own and pressed it to her breast. Katara's eyes widened and she moved to lie back on the soft sheets.
"I've never... I mean, I want to..." Katara began. Mai laid a fine finger on her lips.
"Then I'll take it gently. To start."
Gracefully and slowly, Mai pulled herself up onto the bed, folding long legs under her body and leaning over Katara. She ran her long fingers over a dark breast, and Katara made a sound of surprise, then leaned into the touch. Hesitantly, she reached her own hands up and rested them against Mai's breasts, then caressed them in the same way, making circles in the soft skin around the breast, the warm space between them, and running her thumb over the nipple. Mai moved her legs to lie over Katara's, and pulled her hand down Katara's side to her hip. Katara gasped, then grinned.
"You like that?" Mai pressed harder, and Katara mimicked the motion on her body. Mai tossed her black hair, her eyes narrowed. She ran her hands lower, dragging fingertips just across the surface of the skin, making Katara shiver beneath her. Mai played the coarse black hairs under her hand, brushing and pinching and feeling the rough heartbeat and growing heat. She cupped it in her palm teasingly, then dragged her hand the rest of the way down, between the girl's legs, feeling wetness there. Katara gasped again. "I like that. I like that," she breathed.
"You're getting hot, you little icy thing," Mai said, shaking her hips to put Katara's hand in the best position.
"Hot is good. Fun."
"I can show you fun," Mai said, and she brushed the wet folds between the dark legs, teasing fingertips rubbing slowly harder. And then she slid them inside, making Katara shudder and whine with feeling as she pressed into the slick surfaces. Mai felt the wetness increase, felt legs kicking beneath her, then heard a sigh.
"I can see... I can see why my friends liked this so much," Katara whispered, holding Mai tight against her.
"I knew you'd like it as soon as I saw you," Mai said, slyly. "But we have to get beck now, or my so-serious husband will be wondering what we've been up to for so long."
"Do we really have to stop?" Katara complained weakly.
Mai laughed. "We can do it again next time. Although it'll be your turn to do it to me."
~o~
Reluctantly, the two untangled themselves and left the bed. They shared glances as they dressed, Katara's almost shy after the heat of the moment had passed. Mai simply smiled with narrowed eyes, making Katara impatient for the next meeting.
They walked back down the hall to the conference chamber, where the others were just finished up, rolling scrolls and making final agreements.
"Katara!" Aang greeted her brightly, "You look like you had fun! What were you doing?"
"We... we were looking at the paintings in the hall," Katara answered, trying and failing to keep from blushing. "They're really interesting."