[NORTHERN LIGHTS] part 3
"Comme une pluie dans tes yeux."
Time slows down in the split second that it takes for him to evade the fire that nearly singes his eyebrows, and within that suspended moment, he relives a memory that is not truly his. The heat lingering on his unblemished skin reminds him of the awful burns that erupted into heavy scars, those deep paths that would one day pave his quest for equality. But as the blaze clears from his vision and he meets the gaze of her deep blue eyes, he remembers that he is not Amon and that the source of his suffering was instead rooted in its polar opposite, in the blistering cold of the North, from the frozen heart of a ruthless ex-waterbender.
She pivots into a roundhouse kick with her heel lit like a torch, and he easily parries once again with a swift sidestep, not even bothering to extinguish the danger with the water at his disposal. It had become second nature to never rely on bending, and his defensive fighting style seemed to rile her up because she could never land a hit.
"Fight back, you coward!" she growls impatiently.
He chuckles coolly. "Only when you give me reason to do so."
The ground beneath his firm stance rumbles as the earth shoots up to destabilize him. She then mixes fire and water, sending a barrage of attacks from both sides, giving him little room for escape. But he still manages to dodge without the use of bending, jumping in the air with an elegant flip, and she cries once more out of frustration.
It felt like trying to swat a particularly annoying mosquito-fly that was too fast for her reflexes. No matter how many creative strikes she shot, he always seemed ten steps ahead of her and knew exactly where she would hit. The fire in her gut simply did not go away; she was expelling a lot of energy and yet the heat remained strong as ever. She could practically still feel his fingers on her nape and below her navel, building up the pressure that she so desperately wanted to release.
"Having fun?" he asks jokingly.
"Bite me, you asshole. We're not even sparring properly!" She shoots a jet of water that he swiftly dodges. "You won't even bend the water I'm throwing at you!"
"Watch your language or else I might just bite." He sneaks behind her like a shadow, and rubs the pressure point on her nape, as if to mock her poor defenses. "I told you before, bending is not everything."
She lets out a grunt-moan, some bizarre sound of fury and pleasure as he releases his grip. "That's not what you said."
"Oh?"
"You said," she tries to punch him but only meets air, "that you don't need bending to please the body."
"And would you agree?"
Fire erupts from her palm, aiming for his irritating face. "Never!"
"So you are having fun." He evades the attack, ducking with his hands behind his back. "Is this the absolute height of pleasure? The best thing in the world?
"Can it, old man!"
"I am simply asking a question, little miss."
"And I'm telling you to shut up." The ground creases from the earth she bends, and he staggers momentarily before quickly regaining balance.
"I'm impressed, you almost made me lose my footing. Bending sure is the greatest. Doesn't it solve all the problems?"
It's like he could read her mind and knew the exact words that would further her aggravation. She was growing tired of pouring out her soul through the elements, and receiving no satisfaction from the act. As she blasts more water and fire in a violent fit, the persisting heat coursing through her veins simply refuses to go away. She begrudgingly admits: bending was failing her.
"Korra, I'm still waiting for your response."
She wants to pummel his face, to beat away that insidious smirk, but she is too tired of repeating the actions that yielded no results. Her fists drop to her sides, head downcast to hide her sullen expression.
"Are you okay?" he asks, not quite sounding completely sincere. He carelessly approaches her, reaching out for her chin.
She swats his hand away. "Don't touch me."
"With that attitude of yours, it's no wonder that you think bending and fighting are the only solutions to everything—
"Shut up," she mumbles, still avoiding eye contact.
He stands right in front of her at an intimate distance, completely vulnerable to any of her attacks, and yet she doesn't bother taking advantage of the opening because she knows that it wouldn't stop the taunts or the heat. There must be another way.
"But I must commend you. Even though I dodged every one of your attacks, you certainly proved to be a master of evasion for the questions that were thrown."
Her fist clenches, ready to spring back into action despite trying to patiently think of a solution— who was she kidding, her temperament wouldn't change just because she willed it, so she finds herself on the brink of acting on stupid impulse. Her mind slowly drifts further away from rational thought as she is consumed with the pressing urge of simply getting him to shut up.
"I suppose the Avatar is wise in all areas of expertise, both physically and mentally. Though, I'm beginning to doubt the former. Aside from that one earthbending move, it's a real shame that the Avatar wasn't even able to lay a fin—
She grabs the collar of his tunic and forces his head down onto her lips, smashing him into silence and effectively shutting his trap. Their teeth clatter clumsily upon impact, almost chipping as she fights her way into his mouth, taming that infuriating tongue that she so desperately wants to bite off. Her fingers claw at his neck and travel upwards to rake into his scalp, grabbing fistfuls of coarse hair like hanging onto reins when he tries to jerk away. He certainly has to take back his comment; the Avatar was now winning the battle and there was no chance of escape, especially with her body now pressing against his, those soft breasts massaging into his toned chest. He feels a devious desire overcome his spirit, much like the sinful release from bending, and he soon eases into her, allowing his hands to rest on her beautiful back to pull her in closer.
There were many things that Noatak could anticipate for the night, but kissing the Avatar was not one of them. He knew that she was sexually frustrated by the sound of her blood, and he had stimulated those pressure points to teach her a lesson. But never in a million reincarnations did he think that she would use him as her release. Nor did he ever think that he would enjoy such an activity with the enemy that haunted him from the moment his father sealed his fate.
She tastes raw and immature, with a dash of uncertainty despite her initial confidence. He notices this when the adrenaline dies down and her movements remain just as sloppy, her tongue lashing out like a prodigious bender without any discipline. Still holding the small of her back, but moving his other hand to cup the side of her face, he asserts his age by guiding her rough childish movements into graceful licks and controlled pacing. He loses himself somewhat as he strokes the soft skin of her cheek, letting the strands of her hair brush against his fingers that unconsciously fiddle with the nostalgic hairclip. It reminds him that she is, at the very basis, a Water Tribe girl, just like the ones he may have chased long ago. He is simply making up for his teenage years that were denied to him, those frivolous moments that he did not have the luxury of experiencing.
Needing air, she breaks away to give her bruised lips a rest, but she doesn't let go of her firm grip on his hair. Nose to nose, amidst the warmth of their intermingled breath, their hazy sight makes contact for a brief second before the fog abruptly clears, eyes widening in panic. Reality comes crashing down in the form of a violent headbutt to his forehead; her shrill cry rings in his ears as he staggers back from the unexpected blow.
He grunts, rubbing the sore spot that quickly blossoms into a red dot in the center. "Explain yourself, Avatar."
She looks just as confused, staring blankly into the distance. "I kissed you."
"Thank you for the reminder."
"You just wouldn't shut up and I kind of lost it…It's… It's all your fault!" The fire of emotion quickly returns to her eyes, and she does not hesitate to disclose the bane of her temporary insanity. "This stupid heat in my body just wouldn't go away. It's driving me nuts like I can't even control myself, and even after all that bending, I'm not feeling the least bit satisfied… I have no idea what to do anymore!"
Despite also feeling shaken up by the ordeal, he forces himself to appear unfazed. "It'll wear off, eventually."
She sinks to the ground, her spirit rather defeated even after her supposed victory. "Yeah, but the feeling really sucks and I hate… waiting without doing anything about it."
"You don't have any other options. So be patient, and it will disappear by tomorrow morning."
"Tomorrow morning!? Spirits, I can't wait that long!"
"Like I said, your options are limited. You don't have a choice."
She considers his words only for a brief moment before realisation hits, her face brightening with hope. "But I do! You did this to me. So you can surely reverse your work!"
"No, I cannot."
"Oh c'mon, Noa. I know you can. You just don't want to help me."
"Do you realise what you are asking of me?"
"Umm.. yes? I'm asking you to reverse what you did. I don't care how it's done, just get rid of this annoying feeling!"
He can't believe her naivety. Did she not suspect at all what this 'heat' was? Or maybe she did and was just being coy, considering she had just viciously made out with him. "You don't care how it's done? You want me to… solve your problem?"
"You already know my answer. So, can you do it or not?"
He sighs heavily, completely baffled at where this could lead. That damn 'kiss' certainly piqued his curiosity, and it was not everyday that he could hold such a strong-spirited young Water Tribe girl in his arms. "I can…"
"Great! So get to work!"
"… but it isn't right."
"Look, does my face seem like it gives a pigeon-rat's ass?" She stares at him, challenging and dead serious.
He remains silent. This girl simply never took 'no' for an answer. It wasn't too late to make a sneaky escape, jumping in the water and hoping that she would not follow him again, but another side of him craved to stay in her company, only for this night.
"Fine," he admits defeat, choosing flow over flight, desire over reason. "I will teach you the powers of a non-bender."
"Pffft, show me what you got, Sifu Noa."
She takes a stand, but closes her eyes since she expects the same treatment as last time. His footsteps are reluctant at first, and she thinks that he might cower, but her doubt washes away when she feels his approaching presence through the faint scent of his distinctively masculine skin. A thumb gently brushes aside her bangs, lingering over the center of her forehead, and she wonders if there was an important pressure point in that area, perhaps something that would officially quell the heat. She hears him sigh once more, sounding a bit like an exhale of guilt, and his hand travels to the side of her face to cup her cheek in the same manner as before. With fingertips behind her earlobe and the rough pad of his thumb stroking along her jawline, she is surprised by the intimacy, but does not question his methods despite the heat that seems to be rising instead of diminishing.
He leans in, but does not claim her lips right away. Instead, he grazes his nose against hers, warm sharp breath tickling her skin and leaving more excitement in its wake. She is tempted to open her eyes, or maybe voice a complaint because the anticipation was stifling and she hated waiting, especially when she did not even know what to expect. But the words remained trapped in her throat as he closes the little distance between their lips, pressing tenderly like a sensual massage. This is probably how a first kiss should feel, not like the previous struggle for dominance, and as he slides an experienced tongue into her mouth, she releases an enticing moan that urges him to continue. However, upon hearing herself make such an embarrassing noise, she comes to her senses and realises that, for the second time, she was kissing Noa with dubious consent.
Pushing him away, she gasps for air, head down and not meeting his eye.
"What's wrong?" he asks, genuinely confused by the sudden rejection.
"What's wrong?" she yells, looking up rather affronted. "You were kissing me again!"
"And…?"
"And… that's…not what I… Y-y-you were supposed to get rid of the heat! Not, kiss me like a lover."
"I thought that you'd appreciate a little intimacy. But if you prefer it rough and straight to the point, by all means, I can change my ways of handling you."
"Wait. What are we even talking about?"
"Isn't that obvious?" When she doesn't answer, he realises that she is truly naive. "Sex."
Her brows hit her hairline, eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets. "WHAT?"
"So you really don't understand what that persistent heat is," he says to himself. She is still too shocked to respond, and he is pretty sure her face is beet red, despite the blue tint from the moonlight. "Avatar Korra, you amaze me, truly. Your little knowledge of the human body has surpassed the limits of even your high-esteemed predecessors."
She trips over her words, sputtering nonsensical syllables, but finally manages to form a coherent sentence. "O-okay, I knew that my body was..ummm.. h-horny… but I thought you had a different method to solve the problem…like pressure points or something, okay?"
In truth, he was also embarrassed, feeling somewhat of a creep for having put the moves on a girl less than half his age. "I'm sorry."
"What for?"
"For instigating inappropriate behaviour? For imposing intimacy on you?"
"Well, now that I think about it, I did lead you on. So I guess we're even." She sighs, feeling a bit depressed for reasons unknown. It had felt so good, but she panicked and was now left with bitter regret. She didn't want their night to end like this. "Hey Noa, did you…umm… enjoy kissing me?"
His head hangs in disbelief, surprised that she would continue such an awkward topic, but strangely elated that she would question further. "You are, by far, the most unromantic girl I have ever met." Her brows crease into a frown. "But it felt very nice, so yes, it was enjoyable."
"Would you do it again?" she asks, suspiciously casual.
It's his turn to frown. "Are you leading me on?"
"Answer my question."
"Answer mine first."
"No, I asked first," she insists.
"I'm aware. But my response depends on yours."
"Well, you're not getting it."
"Then our conversation ends here." He turns his back, already taking a few steps away, and she feels a jolt, a sudden urge to pin him down.
She reaches out her hand, wishing to grab that broad shoulder. "Hang on, don't leave."
He stops in his tracks. "So answer my question: are you leading me on?"
Scratching the back of her head, she looks to the sky before the embarrassing reply slips from her lips. "If I said yes, what would you do?"
"I would also say yes to your question."
"So that means…you would kiss me again?"
"Only to teach you a lesson for being a tease."
"And if I wasn't teasing, would you do it anyways?"
He chuckles, turning to face her, with eyes glinting dangerously. "For someone who is so direct, you're really beating around the bush. Tell me what you want, Korra."
"Another kiss."
He approaches her with deliberate drawn-out steps. "Is that all?"
"No, it's not. I also want sex."
His jaw nearly drops from the blunt statement. If she had been forward before, this definitely ploughed into him below the belt. Their conversation was certainly leading in that direction, but he didn't think that she would admit it so fast, breaking the tension he was trying to build and getting straight to the point. He kind of resented her for foiling his plans. "That's.. certainly not romantic poetry, but you do have a way with words."
"Is that a compliment?"
"The closest I'll ever give you."
"Wow, you're really hopeless when it comes to being nice."
Leaning into her ear, he whispers tauntingly. "At least I have class."
The smooth timbre distracts all coherent thoughts, but she manages to mutter a feeble reply. "Just shut up."
"It'll be my pleasure."
And for the third time that night, he drowns her into a passionate kiss, claiming her lips more aggressively than their last session, but certainly more controlled than the first. Cradling her face gently with one hand, he however grows bolder with the other, searching for the bottom hem of her shirt and slipping inside to feel the smooth expanse of her flat stomach, those hard abs reminding him that this was a girl with stamina. He revels in the soft texture of her lips and the spice of her tongue, flicking like fire in his mouth, but he wants to explore more, so he doesn't hesitate to tear away from the traditional kiss with a final sensuous bite of her lower lip. She shivers in delight, the heat building fast in her groin.
Her scent is weaved with the threads of unknown adventure and homely warmth, a feeling of comfort that's unsettling and unfamiliar, yet strangely welcoming. He breathes it in from the crook of her neck that he samples with gusto, sucking and nibbling on the delicate surface, but the tight collar of her shirt seems to interfere with the best spots of this erogenous zone. Both of his hands therefore meet her waist, daringly pulling the fabric up to reveal more of the Avatar's secrets.
"Raise your arms," he whispers into her ear, nipping tenderly on the lobe.
She slowly complies and the piece of garment is lifted over her head, quickly slipping from his grasp as he immediately gets to work on the bindings around her chest. They unravel with ease, and the open air chills her skin only for a fleeting moment before his large palm graces her with heat that matches her inner desire. It embarrasses her somewhat to be this exposed, especially under the scrutiny of this divine man along with the Spirit of the moon watching from above, but her pride was a fair trade for the satisfaction of her lust.
Her breasts are supple like the water he bends, just as forbidden and perhaps even more sinful. His arousal hardens as he begins to indulge, and although he is making up for loss teenage years, he no longer remains the inexperienced youth he once was; his stamina will not falter, despite the perfection of her curves that bend at his command.
"Beautiful," he breathes into her dark skin, nose deep into the valley of her chest.
"So you can be nice when you want."
"Nice? Don't speak too soon." His tongue circles around her left nipple, and she yelps when he bites down harshly.
"Oww, what was that for?" she asks, confused by the strangely arousing pain. She certainly had a lot to learn about her own body, particularly about the so-called 'powers' of the non-bender.
He doesn't respond since his mouth remains preoccupied, vigorously fondling the sensitive nub with teeth and tongue, but the answer to her question becomes self-explanatory when she starts to feel light-headed from the pleasure. The dim setting appears even more blurred through the unfocused lens of her half-lidded vision, and she barely registers their shifting position as he coaxes her already weak knees to gently collapse onto the ground. When her rear meets the hard pavement, she has the premonition that it was going to be a rough night against the rugged stone that now digs into her bare back. But at least it should provide firm support for the rocky road to come.
His skilled dexterity single-handedly unties the knot of her sash while he continues to tease her soft skin with light kisses and unexpected bites, tweaking a nipple with his free hand to receive the reward of her cute moan. She wants to return the favour and hear him hiss out embarrassing sounds like the ones escaping her dry throat, but her useless limbs simply flail around at random, finally grasping the hard muscles of his shoulders to cling onto some semblance of balance. He chuckles, thoroughly pleased to see the drastic change of the once-cocky girl he first met, and highly stimulated by the power of taming such a wild temper. She relishes the baritone rumbling, taking notice of the distinct lump of his Adam's apple that bobs against the swell of her chest, like the symbols of man and woman colliding into temptation.
Brushing off the pelt from her hips, he grows eager to dip in even deeper, dangerous waters, but his fingers inadvertently linger on the nostalgic fur and he mentally freezes. His thoughts spiral into the whirlpool of his bitter past— of white perpetual snow expanding into the barren landscape, of cold long nights huddled next to his coddled little brother, of arduous 'hunting trips' tainted with the horrible truth that would shape him for the worst... He can't control the blaring flashes of unwanted memories that consume his mind and blind his sight, nor can he stop the troubling emotions that spread into his boiling blood, causing his fist to clench and his throat to tighten as he stifles a cry of frustration.
Lost in the nightmare of remembrance, he uses the vulnerable body at his disposal to relieve his stress. Short nails dig into tender flesh that winces from the sudden outburst; it's not enough to wake her from the lusty daze, but it certainly puts her on edge as the adrenaline rushes from the accelerating pace. He strips down her pants with a forceful tug, the fabric bundling around her ankles like cuffs that restrict her movement. It feels disconcerting, so she attempts to kick off her boots and wriggle out of the confinement, but he obnoxiously decides to take a seat, right on her restless legs that go numb from the weight of his dense muscles.
He reaches for her pelvis with toe-curling anticipation and she assumes that he will be gentle since he slowly assesses the damp undergarment like a blind man gauging his surroundings with light touches. She finally realises that his eyes are in fact closed, his brows forming a knit frown that she doesn't quite understand. Despite her pounding heart beat, she relaxes and ignores the odd swing in his behaviour. But at the ripping sound of cotton fibres, she bucks her hips, gasping in shock as the last barrier guarding her modesty is viciously torn off and unceremoniously tossed aside like a fallen soldier. He said that he had class; what a liar.
She sits up on instinct, but his reflexes respond just as quickly, grabbing both of her wrists with one fluid motion of his left hand, and effortlessly pinning her back onto the ground. The rough pavement scrapes her skin as she is twisted around, her breasts now rubbing against the dirt like a bowing wolf-dog, like the ones he used to control for mere practise, and she flinches at the bruising grip that gropes her firm ass. There was no point of trying to shake him off—heck, she could overpower him with earthbending at any given point— but she remains deviously curious and extremely aroused despite the discomfort.
His impatient fingers slip into the crevasse of her buttocks, immediately sinking deeper and lower until he feels the distinct moisture of her opening, but in his mind, he is simply manipulating water with his pre-mature child hands, letting the wetness trail along his digits, manoeuvring with deadly precision to whip at a potential enemy— she moans in pleasure as the sensitive bud of her clit nearly bends from his fervent strokes. Her breaths are heavy and ragged, but he only hears the harsh tones of his father, the unfair scolding inflicted upon his poor baby brother that could never meet the impossibly high expectations. The memories anger him. He thought that they were permanently buried, but they seemed to be popping from their graves, and he berates himself for being so weak. He would just have to force the skeletons back where they belonged.
She's soaked to the brim and wants to take on more, rocking her hips to suggest what she desired. He hardly notices the hints because he simply wants to beat down the haunting skulls of his past, and that is exactly what he does: three of his fingers brusquely shove into her, pushing against the tight folds to force his entry. She cries out in pain, and it's his brother's voice that he hears, the choked scream of a pitiful kid seized in panic by the blood in his veins attacking from the inside. The memory must die. Digging mercilessly, going below six feet under to make sure the bones never resurface, he ignores her thrashing body that rejects the brutal invasion. She knew that he wasn't going to be nice, but this was going beyond her limits.
Letting out a piercing scream, one that could reach the moon, she calls out his name with the little energy that she has left.
"NOA! STOP!"
…Noa…tak…
His eyes shoot open and he releases her. The graveyard is nowhere in sight, the nightmare successfully vanished, but he is left with the harsh reality of a tear-stained girl trembling under his equally shaken limbs.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed the erotica? o_0 That last bit was probably a buzzkill, sorry! Noatak just has to overcome his future and past...to finally be able to enjoy the present...so yeah, we'll get him naked next chapter, I promise. ^_^
