A/N: NSFW ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


Katara

There he was. Zuko, easily identifiable by his immense stature and vibrant scar, stood tall next to Aang, whom she recognized even with his tattoos covered. It was no surprise to her that he had recruited Aang's help. What was surprising was that they weren't accompanied by any guards. The only other person with them was… Ozai? Why had they brought him? This must be what the gang had asked for: his freedom. No, she thought, I'm not worth that much. Had she known the gang would demand Ozai in return for her release, she would have tried harder to escape on her own. Hell, she might have taken advantage of Suyin's kindness and fought her way out ages ago. But now she was being traded for the most dangerous man in all the nations. Why would Zuko agree to this? He knew this was a bad call.

"We told you to come alone," A voice boomed from behind her. Although she couldn't see, she presumed it to be the voice of Malchin. It was authoritative and strong as it bounced between the high branches of the forest surrounding the clearing.

"I figured you wouldn't mind one more guest. It's not like we have any guards or weapons." Zuko held both impatience and anger in his voice, causing Katara to shudder. It had been almost 2 weeks since she last heard that sound but it felt like a lifetime.

"No matter. You understand, of course, that we must disable your bending for the time being."

"Disable?"

"Suyin," Malchin called, bringing forth the woman. Katara turned and followed Suyin with her eyes as she walked across the field to Zuko and Aang, hands in the air. She stopped, saying something quietly that Katara couldn't make out. Zuko didn't look worried, nor did Aang. Katara wanted to run to them, tell them not to let the woman chi block them. With them paralyzed and Katara in ropes, they could be easily overpowered, maybe even killed. It had to be a trap. She was about to struggle from her restraints right before Suyin's knuckles went flying, tapping Zuko's neck and shoulder. To Katara's surprise, he didn't collapse to the ground. Neither did Aang when Suyin turned to chi block him as well. Katara thought of when she was kidnapped in the first place. Her body completely turned to jelly. Suyin could have easily turned this situation into an assassination, a very successful one at that, yet she didn't, or at least wasn't ordered to. Katara guessed that Suyin was able to control exactly how her chi blocking affected her target.

And that immense amount of power frightened Katara.

When Suyin returned, she shot a gentle, knowing look in Katara's direction, careful that the others didn't notice.

"Thank you, Suyin," Malchin said, "You are dismissed."

Suyin bowed and retreated through the woods to the carriage that Katara knew lay on the hidden path. Although Katara had been blindfolded during the journey, it had been removed once she exited the carriage. It seemed a hassle to guide a blindfolded prisoner through an unkempt forest path, so her escorts let her see if only for their own convenience. Her dirtied leggings caught on nearly every stray twig or branch, but she was yanked ahead by her arm to maintain their quick pace. Had the weather been colder, her clothing would have been thicker and merely snagged on the foliage, not torn like her current pants did. She couldn't help but think the pants now resembled a type of fire nation cheese, though she couldn't remember the name.

Ugh, food. She couldn't stop thinking about it, since she hadn't eaten a full meal since her capture. Suyin had managed to sneak some scraps to her with her daily water, though Katara didn't understand why. Maybe it was just fellow maternal instinct. She pondered over Suyin's personal life, wondering if she had children of her own or perhaps felt too young for such a thing. Katara hadn't intended to fall pregnant so young, and she knew of many women older than her that still had yet to bear their first child. Whatever Suyin's situation was, it obviously influenced her to treat Katara with as much dignity as she could, given that Katara was still technically her prisoner.

"Alright," Zuko called across the empty space between them, "You've blocked our bending and we've brought what you want," he said as he aggressively shoved Ozai forward. The fallen Fire Lord was bound with rope handcuffs that wrapped around his torso and held his elbows to his waist. This should have made Katara feel safer, but instead it gave off the impression that he was a dangerous, wild animal. "Now release Katara."

An arrogant smirk shone on Malchin's face. He was obviously satisfied with himself for getting such a rouse out of Zuko. "Chul, why don't you escort our lovely Fire Lady to her husband," he ordered, "I think he's growing antsy."

Katara shuddered when an unfortunately familiar hand snagged her arm, which was bound behind her back by the wrists. With a grip so tight it would certainly leave bruises, he tugged Katara along and strode toward Zuko and Aang. She followed the path Chul was leading, keeping her eyes on her husband as his features became more distinguished. They halted once they reached Ozai. He stood a few feet ahead of her husband, looked as ragged as the day he was defeated but somehow more arrogant than ever. Katara stubbornly avoided looking at the face of her dishonorable father-in-law and she heard a low chuckle come from him. Chul grabbed Ozai with his free hand, definitely with a gentler grip than he held on Katara.

"Thank you for such a smooth transaction," Chul said sarcastically in Zuko's direction, "It's been a pleasure doing business with you."

When he released Katara, his hand moved immediately to slap her ass, jolting her forward. She didn't look back at him. He wasn't worth the energy. She did notice, however, Zuko's eyes turn black in anger. It wasn't hard to miss, even in the dark of the new moon. The shuffling of feet in the grass behind her prompted Zuko to rush to her side and she practically collapsed in his arms. He knew her so well that he predicted her fall even before she felt her muscles fail under her weight. She didn't have the energy or hydration to start crying, not now. Zuko held up her frame and she felt another pair hands, presumably Aang's, work on the ropes around her wrists.

"They're getting away…" She heard Aang murmur behind her.

"It doesn't matter," Zuko asserted, "Let's just focus on getting Katara back home safely. Spirits, just look at her."

Once her hands were free Zuko scooped her up bridal-style and began walking in the opposite direction. They eventually got to the carriage, although Katara couldn't quite recall the path they took; She was dozing out in Zuko's arms out of pure emotional exhaustion. Before she knew it she was placed in a cushioned seat inside the vehicle and a basket of fruits and bread was shoved in her lap. Immediately perking up at the smell, she tore into the food. She was absolutely ravenous. While she swallowed the berries a handful at a time, Zuko climbed into the carriage and latched the door, Aang taking his place as the coachman. The hat he wore perfectly hid his tattoos, and with the carriage disguised no one would guess that they were people of such importance. Zuko always did take his time meticulously coordinating plans. She often found that quirk of his annoying during their vacations, but today she couldn't be more thankful.

When Zuko attempted to hand her a waterskin, Katara instinctively let out an animalistic growl in defense of her food. She quickly realized that he was simply handing her a drink and, flustered, she took the offer, whispering a meek thank you. Instead of taking a drink right away-she found that the fruit had helped her thirst-she bended a stream of water to her arm and began healing the burnt skin. It was then, under the glow of the water, that Zuko finally noticed her wound. "Katara," he said, appalled, "What is that? What happened?"

"It's a burn," Katara said, "I got it when they captured me."

Zuko gently grabbed her wrist and lifted her arm closer to his face, interrupting her healing, as he squinted his eyes in the dim light. His eyes held a mixture of pain, sympathy, and outrage as he scanned the blistered surface. "Who did this?"

"The absolute brute that walked me to you guys," Katara grumbled, wanting to get back to her food. She didn't want to think about Chul, she just wanted to focus on regaining her strength.

"What do you mean by that?" Zuko countered, his voice shaking with what Katara guessed was pure fury. "What else did he do?"

"Please, Zuko, can we not…"

Her words faded into nothing as her head nodded forward, followed shortly by the rest of her body. Zuko caught her by her shoulders, holding her up as he moved to sit beside her and prop her against him.

"I'm sorry," Katara mumbled, still consumed by fatigue, "I didn't mean…"

"Shh, it's fine," Zuko said and he rubbed him hand along her arm dotingly, "Just sleep."

Almost as soon as the words were spoken Katara's body obeyed. She tucked her head into the crook of her husband's neck and immediately fell asleep, comforted by the warm touch of Zuko's hand stroking her tangled hair.


The next morning, the sun beams shooting through the crystal glass window struck Katara's face and suddenly woke her. She wasn't used to being in any form of light, let alone from the actual sun, so her skin reacted almost violently to the sensation. Her eyes darted around the room in a panic. For a moment, she didn't know where she was, until she recognized it as being the royal chambers of the Fire Nation palace. The reds and golds of the architecture gave it away. Rubbing her eyes, her vision focused and she saw Zuko sitting in the armchair across the room. It looked as though he had fallen asleep watching her, for he was still in a complete Fire Lord get-up with his hair properly tied back. He never slept with his hair up. The closest he ever got was when Katara would braid his hair, jealous of the shine it held, while they laid in bed chatting.

The sight of her husband caused her to cry. Spirits, he looked so beautiful, and she had missed him so much. In a brief moment during her capture she was concerned she would never see him again, yet there he was, watching over her as she slept in her own bed for the first time in weeks. It was only the sound of her tears that disturbed his nap, where he woke both confused and concerned.

"Katara, what…?" His groggy eyes honed in on the noise and he suddenly became very alert and awake. He practically leapt out of the chair to rush to her side. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Katara whispered as clutched his waist, holding him close, "Nothing's wrong at all."

Zuko's eyes welled up as he smiled and leaned in to kiss her forehead. Katara's cries intensified at the gesture and Zuko just held her as she let out all of the last 2 weeks. Eventually, her breathing calmed and she just laid in his arms, clinging onto the rough fabric of his uniform. She could have stayed there for eternity, but sadly they were interrupted by a soft rap at the door. A palace worker entered and bowed to the couple, mildly embarrassed upon realizing she had interrupted such a tender moment.

"My apologies," the worker mumbled, "I came to run the Lady's morning bath, if that's alright with your Lordship."

Katara glanced at her arms and was slightly disgusted by their apparent state. An odd cocktail of dirt and other material saturated her skin. She hadn't realized it had gotten so bad, and could only imagine how she smelled. A bath would be nice. Zuko was about to dismiss the woman when Katara intervened.

"Actually, that would be most appreciated. Thank you."

The worker bowed and made her way across the room to the royal bathroom, arms full of different layers of fabric and topped with miscellaneous bath items. With the door shut, Katara lifted herself out of Zuko's embrace, surprised at how sore her torso was. Sitting against a stone wall for 2 weeks probably wasn't conducive to good spinal health.

"I'm sorry, I probably smell revolting," she said as she attempted to comb through her hair with her fingers, "I wasn't exactly kept in a fancy suite while I was gone."

"Nonsense," Zuko doted, "You have absolutely nothing to apologize for. I'm just glad you're here."

"Oh, don't play nice. I'm gross."

"Maybe a little bit," Zuko smirked. Katara chuckled back and gestured with her hand to her vanity, where a silver comb sat, and Zuko went to retrieve it for her. She took the piece of precious metal and ran it through her mane as it snagged on every knot and clump of debris that it had collected Zuko watched her intently; she didn't feel like talking all that much, something he picked up on rather quickly. Just detangling her hair required all of whatever energy she had, even after a full night's sleep. As she yanked out the last knot, the palace worker came out of the bathroom and informed her that her bath had been drawn and was ready for her. She turned back to Zuko, who just nodded.

"I'll be out here. Go ahead."

Katara smiled and him, grateful, and made her way to the bathroom. The ceramic tile felt warm compared to her lowly prison cell. The firebending workers had a nice tradition of warming the clay after preparing a bath. Carefully, she peeled the layers of ruined clothing off of her body, placing them directly into the trash can in the corner of the room. There was no point in even trying to salvage the pieces of fabric that survived. She turned to the large, porcelain tub, eyeing the steam that bubbled over the edges as she made her way to the water.

Katara stepped into the bath and sighed. The eucalyptus oil steaming off the hot water relaxed her body and aided in washing away the signs of her capture. When she was settled in the tub, she submerged herself under the water, reveling in the feel of every inch of her body touching her element. She could have stayed there forever, but had to come up when her lungs demanded air. Spirits, she'd never been so grateful for a bath in her entire life. Before she could nod off in the comfort of the warmth, she began scrubbing her arms and legs with a rough bath sponge to clear any dirt that hadn't already soaked off. She avoided the delicate tissue on her forearm. It had significantly reddened during her time in the cell, despite healing the area that first day, and had already begun scarring. It could easily be concealed with the appropriate clothes, as most of the Fire Lady attire was long-sleeved anyway. She could also don her usual arm wraps. But if they were to visit the Ember Island estate, or if it were simply too hot to wear anything above the bare minimum… Someone had successfully made their mark on her and now she would have to go on living with that constant reminder. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't too terrible. She could have escaped with much worse. Plus, she actually could conceal this scar. Zuko had spent the past decade of his life with a mark he couldn't hide. If anything, she should be feeling lucky. She had to admit, though, that it still shook her confidence.

Sighing, she scrubbed her scalp clean with the suds of the bath before she stood and carefully stepped out of the slippery tub. She bended the water from her hair and skin and walked to the nearby counter, where a palace worker had set out a glass vial of jasmine oil and a clean dress for her to change into. It was rather short, with the bottom hem skimming her upper thigh, but it was the dress she liked most when she was planning to stay in all day. It wasn't too wild of a guess to assume that she wouldn't be going anywhere outside of the palace today. Katara felt touched that the worker had remembered and made a mental note to thank her. Feeling particularly dry, she took the dropper and moisturized her body with the oil, relishing in how soft it made her skin. She pulled the skimpy piece of fabric over her shoulders and let it fall over her torso before she put on the silk slippers that waited for her by the door and reentered the chambers.

Zuko was seated on their shared bed, facing the bathroom and head hanging down by his knees. He perked up at the sound of Katara opening the bamboo door. The pair of bright golden eyes were a gorgeous sight to see, especially after being deprived of them for so long. However, they grew concerned when they traveled down her body and settled on her legs, matched by an equalling concerned frown that weighed down Zuko's lips. Confused, Katara glanced at her legs. How did she not notice the hand-shaped bruises that stained her upper thighs? They must have been left behind when Chul attempted to take a piece of her she wasn't willing to surrender, not without a fight. When she looked back at Zuko, his eyes were glossier and darker than they were just a second ago.

"What are those? Katara, please tell me…" Zuko choked on his words before clearing his throat and continuing, "Please tell me those aren't handprints."

Katara looked and him painfully, giving him his answer. Zuko clenched his fists and smoke emanated from them as his knuckles turned white with tension. He was about to explode, she could tell, so she quickly strode closer. "No," Katara explained, "Listen to me-"

"I'm going to kill him," Zuko spat in a deep tone, "It was him, wasn't it? A 'brute,' that's what you called him, right? He… he raped you."

"Tried," Katara interrupted, "He tried to."

"He tried hard enough to leave a mark," Zuko murmured, unable to look at her and see the purple-green proof of his wife's pain. All he could do was stare at the ground as he processed the new information. Suddenly, he stood from the edge of the bed. "I'll call for a royal counselor. A female one. I know you probably don't want… A man, even if it's me, you're probably not comfortable… I shouldn't even been here, I should have given you space to recoup on your own. I'll leave."

"No," Katara insisted, closing the distance between them and grabbing his shoulders, "Zuko, listen. Yes, I was terrified. I was sure he was going to… but he was stopped. The only thing he did was burn me, but I've healed it. I am not damaged, or weak, or fragile. I'm here, you're here, and neither of us are going anywhere. You're too important to me."

As if her words pulled a trigger, Zuko lunged for her lips and kissed her. His hands heavily ran up her torso, the pressure feeling like a massage to her sore body. They landed on her shoulder blades, flattened palm-down, and pulled her into a tight embrace. She whimpered into the kiss as their tongues danced with one another. Her toes were the only part of her still touching the ground, as Zuko had lifted her frame, desperate to feel her, to touch her. Her gown, lingering with the smell of Jasmine that excited her core, had begun to bunch up as her freshly oiled skin slipped out from under the soft material. When Zuko attempted to grab her rear to lift her further up, his hand met her bare skin and his hips bucked at the sensation. He grabbed the hem of the gown before pausing, a choked noise escaping his lips as though he were about to ask permission to continue. Sensing the unspoken question, Katara brought her own hand to his, guiding him in pulling the silk up over her shoulders and tossing it aside to land on the hardwood floor. Zuko's hands returned to her hips and then swept over the skin of her stomach. Although it wasn't obvious, a small bulge had sprouted from her belly and her hips had widened ever so slightly. Zuko, familiar with the ins and outs of his wife's body, could tell just by touch the physical changes she was undergoing. A breathy chuffle escaped his lips as he realized what he was feeling.

"Our child," He murmured inquisitively, "Are they…?"

"Happy and healthy," Katara responded, "I can feel it."

Zuko's smile could have illuminated the world. His hands moved from her stomach to her back, not breaking contact, and pulled her in closer. Katara's hands worked on the many latches and clasps that his uniform held and, when she grew frustrated with them, Zuko helped, removing the last of his layers and sending them cascading to the floor around them. As soon as he stood naked Katara's hands flocked to his body and rubbed up and down his taut abdomen and chest. The tender skin of his lightning scar reacted to her touch more intensely than the rest, protruding slightly above its borders and flushing to a light pink. Her fingers adventured through his chest hair and swirled in circles to form little ringlets. Once she brought her hands up to his neck she pulled him down into a deep, intense kiss.

Her fervor caused Zuko to fall back onto the bed, leaving him seated on the edge of the mattress with Katara standing between his spread knees. She took that as an invitation to climb onto his lap and settled her own knees on the soft surface at either side of his hips. Her center brushed against the velvety skin of his member and she gasped into the kiss. Zuko growled lustfully, and she could feel him swell and push up against her. Instinctively, she ground her hips, dampening the length of him with her arousal and causing his erection to grow firmer by the second. Their breathing grew ragged in between kisses and she elevated her hips so that his head jutted up and prodded at her throbbing entrance.

"Are you sure you're fine with this?" Zuko asked in a breathless whisper against her lips. Answering his question, she sat down, impaling herself with his rigid member. They moaned in unison. She needed this. She needed him.

"Closer," Katara breathed into Zuko's ear as she tightened her legs around his waist, drawing him deeper inside. She arched into him, pressing every inch of her breasts and stomach against his ivory chest. Her nipples grazed against the smooth texture of his skin and pebbled further. She found her fingers lost in his hair as she gripped the back of his neck, scratching the surface and sending a chill down Zuko's back. When she ground harder into his lap Zuko slid his hands down her sides to meet her ass, spreading her wider as he helped control her movements against him. They took their time, with Zuko removing himself entirely before sheathing himself yet again in her heat. Every thrust of his cock was met with an equal thrust of her hips that sent him as deep inside of her as he could reach. Katara could feel the hot breath of her firebender tickle her collarbone as he alternated between kissing the skin and simply panting into it.

"I love you," She could hear him gasp between kisses, "Spirits, Kat, I love you."

She murmured words of encouragement into his neck as he quickened his pace, hitting the spot deep inside her that always sent her overboard. The sound of his hips smacking her slick heat mingled with the passionate cries that filled the hot and heavy air. Zuko slid a hand between them and directed it south. Katara's hips writhed under Zuko's touch as his fingertips vigorously yet purposefully swirled her clit, and she sobbed in delight at the maddening arousal that began to consume her body. When her legs weakened, shaking in anticipation of release, Zuko flipped her so that her back met the mattress and he continued rolling his hips into her. Her face met his chest in a cry of ecstasy, her wet lips dampening his skin as her jaw held an oh shape.

Finally, the tight knot inside of her snapped and a surge of electricity rushed through her as her liquor drenched his thatch of curly hair. Her walls suffocated his member with their sudden hold, and his thrusts grew sporadic as he rode the waves of her climax, pulling him into one of his own. His hips stilled, flush against her sex and enveloping his length completely. He held their lips together in a kiss as he filled her in a moment of intense pleasure, and she mewled at the warm sensation within the depths of her heat. When their bodies had calmed, Zuko finally pulled back from the kiss and looked upon her through hooded eyes. The glimmer had returned to both of their expressions, ecstatic at their reunion. Katara took her hand and rose it to meet his face, brushing the loose strand of hair away from his cheek and tucking it behind his ear before settling her palm on the expanse of his neck.

"I love you," she whispered intensely, "And I'm never leaving you again."

As Zuko lowered his head to kiss her once more, they were startled by a sudden booming sound shortly followed by a violent tremor that shifted the bed several inches and sent every hanging wall decoration sharply to the floor. Having been sent to the ground, Zuko steadied himself and stood, grabbing his robe as he rushed to the window to get a sense of what just happened.

"What was that?" Katara stammered, still in shock at the impact of the shock wave. Looking past her husband's shoulders she noticed large yellow and purple billows that hung just above the treeline. The dust, despite the sun being hidden behind the impending storm clouds, were glowing, bright enough to send an otherworldly light spilling over the mid-ground. Zuko turned back to her, eyes wide with bewilderment.

"I don't know, but it doesn't look good." Zuko rushed to the wardrobe and grabbed the first clothes he could find, stripping his robe to exchange it for a proper outfit. "I'm going to get Aang. We need to find the source of that explosion. You stay here."

"Like hell I am," Katara protested as she pushed herself from the bed and joined him at the wardrobe, shuffling through her own clothes. Zuko was about to argue when she rose a hand to his face. "Don't even bother, you know you can't win."

Zuko smiled proudly and reached into the back of the topmost drawer, pulling out two clumps of black fabric. "I guess we'll be needing these, then." Katara glanced at the contents of his hand and recognized them being the black masks they wore together on a mission so long ago. She smirked at her husband before grabbing one of the two and slipping it around her neck.