Seeing the look on Zuko's face as she entered, Katara could suddenly focus on nothing else. He was pale and his hair was disheveled, as if he had tousled it while it was tied back. Actually, it looked exactly like that.

He sat, slumped, in an arm chair. He was in the small library she had nestled in the night before. But he looked pained, and tired.

"Zuko?" Katara asked after she heard Rin shut the door at her exit. Zuko didn't look up, only cradled his head in his hands.

"Did I do the right thing Katara?" She heard a faint click and walked over to the chair. Kneeling beside it, Katara put an arm around Zuko's shoulders and the other she put over his lap.

"I can't tell you that Zuko. It might be wrong for many reasons, but it might be necessary. It all depends." She began rubbing small circles on his back as she spoke.

"Why does everything have to be so difficult." His tone was too flat for it to be a question. Katara sighed but shook his knees with her hand.

"Hey," She cajoled and he finally lifted his head to look at her. "Not everything is."

"Oh." Still flat, almost angry.

"You, I have found, are incredibly easy." It took a moment for her words to register, and she noticed when they did, because Zuko suddenly burst into laughter.

"It's hard to be a brooding prince when you do that." He said and sat back in the chair. Katara rocked back on her heels and lightly sat down. Pulling her knees to her chest, Katara looked up at the not brooding prince and smiled.

"Tell me what happened."

So he told her.

She found that it was the hardest, his telling of the day, when he discussed the doctor's vehement argument against Azula's release. She felt a pressure on her chest thinking how she agreed, and felt worse when she realized that Zuko did too.

But his sister's sanity was a price he was willing to pay for his mother. Katara tried to think of an equitable exchange, what she would sacrifice for information with her mother. She realized that she had been willing to sacrifice her relationship with Aang, that time with the Southern Raiders.

That time when Zuko had supported her unwaveringly and took every step into the dark with her, no matter the end result.

She watched as he laced his fingers together, squeezing his hands tight to make his knuckles go purple and white. He got to a point where he sighed and he let his hands relax, fall open. Now his thumbs slipped over one another as he spoke.

"Zuko." He stopped and they looked at each other. "You're not a bad person." Zuko stood up and held out his hands. Katara took them and he pulled her up. Still holding her hands, he looked at her intently.

"I am selling my sister's soul for a chance, a slim chance, at finding my mother."

"Then you're not a good person either."

"Then what am I?" Katara placed his hands on her hips and he held them there lightly. She put her arms around his neck and tilted her head up toward his face.

"You are a man. And you're here with me." She tightened her arms and brought herself up to kiss him. Now Zuko's hands tightened and he grabbed onto her, pulling her body into his.

"Are you rewarding me?" He asked when she pulled away, only slightly.

"Life exists in many moments. This one is very separate from earlier, which is a moment that you'll have to deal with again later."

"So, this is a break?"

"You talk too much." Zuko chuckled and then kissed her, gently. Everything about him became gentle. His fingers moved lightly up her body, running up her arms before arching to her back. His touch was feathery but Katara could feel each fingertip as it traced its way down the sides of her back. Zuko's hands fell open against the round fullness of her backside and she grinned, slightly, as she felt his squeeze, slightly.

"You, on the other hand," He said as he moved his face to her neck. "Are perfect." His hands came back up, pressing harder, following the line of her spine. Katara gasped and arched into him, noting that not all of him was gentle. One of his arms wrapped around her waist, the other slid up her neck, to tangle his fingers in her hair.

"Is it fair, that I get to enjoy this?"

"I learned a long time ago that life isn't fair." She answered. "Unbind me."

Now his fingers, firm and deft, undid the ties of her clothing. He unwound bolts of cloth and, for how quiet it had been, Katara was surprised that they made no noise as they hit the floor. Surely someone would hear. Someone would find them.

Someone had to notice when a fire burned this bright.

For him, her hands were just as firm, and just as caressing. They tucked up under the hem of his shirt and skimmed up his chest. She had felt the smooth knot of the lightning scar with its webbed tendrils, and here and there were the thin stitched lines of scars-to-be. Damaged, inside and out, but still her tall and not-so-brooding prince.

"Disrobe me." He said, his voice no more than a throaty whisper. She had lingered on his chest, thinking about the constant battering he underwent. So her hands were feathery as they traced down his sides, picking up the hem again and lifting it upward.

She couldn't reach him, now that he stood a whole head taller than her. He stopped and shrugged out of the shirt, letting it fall out of his hands as he stared at her. Looking down, she stared back.

He had the skin of freshly poured cream. Her hand, now resting on his stomach, looked like stirred up mud. And he was so lean, she could see the curve of his pelvis and the faint outline of his ribs. She knew he was strong but Zuko looked as if he hadn't an ounce of fat on him.

From the dresses she could no longer wear, Katara knew she wasn't a match for the women of the Fire Nation court.

"Where did you just go?" Zuko asked and Katara, not raising her eyes, let out one lone, breathy laugh.

"I cannot for the life of me understand how you find me attractive."

"Then let me educate you." He grabbed her, spun her, and suddenly he was sitting back in the chair with her on his lap. Her legs were tossed over one arm of the chair, while her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck. "You're gorgeous, for one."

"I'm fat."

"And?" She slapped his chest and scowled. "You are. You water benders are supposed to be. And I am not particularly bothered by that since it really brings out certain assets." He grabbed her again, a little rougher, and Katara's heart pounded. "Which means, I think you've got fantastic breasts." She was still bound but he kissed her chest anyway. Katara felt parts of her stiffen, parts of her rush with heat, and her throat tightened.

"I'm trying to find a non-water related metaphor for your hair, but it drives me crazy. I find myself fantasizing about taking you with me on top just so I can have a hand in it."

Her throat still constricted, Katara tried to speak. "How else would you take me?" Zuko laughed and slid a hand down to her thigh.

"It would be more you taking me. The thought of you taking your pleasure from me at your whim and leisure is intensely gratifying." One hand in her hair, one at her thigh, Katara felt like she was being pulled in two. "But that's not what we're talking about."

"Mmm." Having lost either her voice or her ability to speak, Katara stayed mostly mute.

"Your mouth. Blazes, beyond the amount of roasting sass you can expel, you have the nicest pair of lips I have ever had the pleasure of crossing. The sass was also fine because I like how quick you are. No simpering damsel in distress here, Master Katara." The hand on her thigh moved under her and pressed into more sensitive flesh.

"I'm not a Master, yet."

"You can be my mistress then." As the words came out of his mouth, they looked at each other. She knew what he had meant, but that is not what she felt in her gut. "Katara."

"We can't be together, can we." She said, her voice low and soft.

"Katara, you are with me now and I am never letting go." He kissed her and she put her mind to resisting. They were both too political, too diametric, but his kiss was urgent, his hands on her were grasping. Katara melted into him, into his kiss.

"I find you attractive," He whispered into her ear after they parted. "Because you are strong, you are beautiful, you are sexy, and you're so oblivious to it all that you don't even think to temper it." Pausing, Katara undid the tie in Zuko's hair. She ran a hand through it, feeling her fingers briefly snag on tangles.

"I like your hair." She whispered back. Startled, Zuko put his head back and looked into her eyes.

"Mine?" He asked, incredulous.

"It just, pours through my hands. It's so soft and smooth." She murmured. The corner of Zuko's mouth hitched up in a smile.

"Can I go back to talking about you?" He asked and pressed his lips to the curve of her neck. Katara sighed and relaxed into his hands.

"That would be nice." She said.

"Can we...talk about you in my, room?" He questioned, his lips still so close to her skin that she could feel them momentarily as he shaped different sounds.

"That would also be, nice." She said.

There was a back passageway, because of course there was. He pulled her through the darkened tunnels, his other hand outstretched holding a flame that illuminated only a small portion of them. They were quiet, though no one was around to hear them.

"No one is staying in this wing so we should be okay." He said.

"What does that mean?" She asked. He looked back only long enough to grin at her and then pushed on a section of the wall. Panels pushed open and they walked through.

Into an empty hallway.

"Zuko." Katara hissed. "I am practically naked!" She hid behind him and tightly grasped the hand holding hers. Zuko only laughed.

"Then we better hurry!" He pulled her again, this time practically running as they made their way down the hall. Katara hadn't been in the family wing before and she found it odd how homey it looked.

"In here." Zuko opened a door and pulled her inside. He closed the door and stepped past Katara, extending his arms. "My rooms."

"So, which fantasy is winning right now?" She asked. Zuko looked confused and dropped his arms.

"Eh?"

"Me?"

"What about you?"

"Top or bottom?" Zuko looked like he suddenly had swallowed his tongue and turned bright red.

"Are you serious?"

"When are we going to have another chance?"

"But, I mean, with you."

"What about me?"

"I wanted your first time to be, you know, special." Katara stepped up to him, lightly tucked her fingers into the top of his pants and pulled ever so slightly.

"Zuko, we're practically soldiers. The fact that my first time is indoors makes it special."

"Katara…" Zuko sounded pained and she smiled. One hand slipped free of his pants and she slid her fingers over the front of them. Zuko's eyes widened and he immediately scooped her up. "Yep, okay, you convinced me."

Laughing, Katara tried to brace herself as he suddenly swung around and marched to the bed. Before she could get a grasp of him, Zuko unceremoniously tossed her onto the bed as she squealed.

As he undid his pants, Katara sat up to undo her bindings. Zuko looked up and glared at her.

"No." He ordered. Katara held her hands up and fell back onto the bed. She heard more clothing hit on the floor, but some distance away. Then Zuko was in bed with her, lying next to her.

"Can you breathe with that on?" He asked. Katara looked down at her chest binding and shrugged.

"I mean, yeah. It's worn for support only so it's looser than say, people who bind for fighting or something."

"Okay good. So I can start from the bottom and work my way up." Zuko moved between her legs and Katara laughed.

"Good luck." The bottom set of bindings was to protect against chafing and just to keep warm the more vulnerable parts of a person. They started around the thighs, one wide band of cloth for each leg, and wound up to be tucked under a wider band that went from below the navel to just under the hips.

"I don't need luck when I have patience." Zuko untucked the end of the wrap around her abdomen and plucked at various points. Katara was surprised to feel the whole thing loosen. After the plucking came light tugging and suddenly, Zuko was sliding bands of the cloth down her legs. With that gone, he lifted one of her legs over his shoulder and began unwrapping.

"They will come off, eventually." She offered and Zuko stopped. He looked so at ease there, between her legs, one of which tossed over him. He was entangled in her. He was hers.

"You're blushing Katara." He said.

"You look good there. Betwixt and between me." She replied. He raised his brow.

"Oh? Well then let me stay here for a bit." He lowered himself, shifted her other leg over his other shoulder. "I don't know what they call this where you're from, but here it's called 'warming the ember.'"

"Warming…?" Her voice drifted before being cut off by a sharp intake of air. His lips, no, his tongue, both? He was warm and soft and sucking at her. His tongue widened to spread the thin folds of her, then narrowed to roll over the small nub he had found. Her head spun and she could soon no longer focus on what he was doing to her.

Now and then she would gasp. Now and then she would arch her back and whimper. Now and then she would open her mouth but her throat was closed.

She didn't have the mind to count how many times she arched and shuddered. But when Zuko was done, she felt tense yet languid.

"Finding the pearl." She said. Zuko looked curiously at her. "That's what they call that, where I'm from." Zuko smiled.

"Sex is ridiculous isn't it?" He said and bent down to kiss her. His lips were warm and wet.

"I don't know, you've sold me on it." She said.

"Wonderful. Then as payment," Zuko paused and, in one strong, fluid motion, slid his arm underneath her and rolled so that she was on top of him. "Would you mind unwrapping and letting me look at you?"

Katara sat up and felt the length of Zuko's erection resting against her backside. She suddenly felt helpless, lost in a mix of lust and anxiety. She had no idea what she was doing.

"Katara." His voice could get so low, and it wrapped its way through her chest and calmed her fluttering heart. His hands, ever present, were at her hips. She began to unwind the band of cloth at her chest and as she did, she looked down at herself.

The swell of her breasts slowly emerged as the cloth loosened. Below that was the soft slope of her belly, not flat like the women who could wear a silk robe and not betray a single curve. Here and there she could see silvery veins that had appeared when she could suddenly eat again, when she no longer had to worry about rations.

"A calm river can hide sharp rocks." Katara stopped, her hands behind her as she rolled the cloth from around her upper back.

"Excuse me?" She asked, slightly bewildered.

"I know what you're seeing. But you're not seeing everything." By the unforgiving depths, would his hands not stop moving? His fingers gripped into the flesh of her backside and she took in a sharp breath. "You are incredibly muscular. I bet you could crush a melon between your thighs." Katara scowled.

"That is equally as unattractive." She said and continued unwinding.

"I beg to differ." He moved his fingers over the tops of her thighs and inward. "I very much like the idea of many things running down your legs." He found the slickness of her that had continued to come from her even after he had stopped his kissing. The cloth fell from her hands and away from her body. Immediately, Zuko's gaze was drawn to what was revealed. "I could die now."

"This is nothing you haven't seen before."

"You say that like women aren't all painfully different."

"Just how many women have you been with?"

"Katara, lift up just a little." Worried she was crushing him, Katara lifted herself up a few inches above his body. "You're the only one that matters." Then he pulled her down on top of him.

She had expected pain. Women in her tribe had talked about it at great length. Usually, there was blood, but not always. Always, there was pain.

But she was so wet, so ready for him, that every inch of Zuko's cock slid easily into her. She gasped, which made her rock, which made him gasp, which made him arch, pushing just that much deeper into her.

"What do I do?" She asked. She panted.

"Honestly Katara," He replied. He groaned. "Whatever you want."

There were only a few motions she could actually use. She had already taken in all of him and to raise herself up would be to lose him. She rocked back and forth, unsure but enjoying the feeling of the head of his cock rubbing inside her.

"But what do you want my prince?" She asked. He grabbed her again.

"I'll show you a few things."

Afterward, he held her. They were both spent, and the warmth that had slipped out of her now cooled on the skin of her inner legs. They were both sweating, but still he held her, her back to his chest, his arm thrown over her.

"Did it hurt?" He finally asked her. Katara nestled back into him and pulled the blankets up and over her shoulder.

"No. Surprisingly."

"I've been told that if one does enough work in the beginning, that it shouldn't hurt."

"Been many a girls' first time then?" She quipped, but she felt a hollowness in her stomach.

"You do know I've only been with Mai right? And I was not her first time, though she was mine." Katara turned her head as far as it would go, but she could not see his face.

"Seriously?"

"What did you expect?" Katara turned her face back to the wall and shrugged.

"I mean, it just seemed that with you being the Fire Lord and attractive, that you would have women all over you."

"I do. But I'm not like that. I just can't find the desire to bed random women. I need to get to know them, to feel like there's more between us than desire. Or, I want the desire to come from some place more personal."

"So what, you collect women and hoard them till you're ready to bed them?"

"You've found me out. I was just letting you age like firewine till you were ready to drink."

"How do people consider you charming?"

"Says the woman currently in bed with this inept weirdo." Katara laughed and Zuko held her tighter, nuzzling the back of her head with his nose.

"I love you." He murmured into her hair. Katara put her hands on his and squeezed it.

"So you've said."

"Come take a bath with me." He kissed the back of her head, slapped her backside, and rolled out of bed as she protested. Finding that her legs trembled as she stood, Katara followed slowly after him. They walked into a small side room and there she found a larger bathing room that had a pool filled with steaming water. Petals floated in it and the air smelled faintly floral.

Zuko stepped in and moved through the water toward the center. He flicked water toward her with his hand.

"Coming in?" He crouched into the water so that it raised to his neck. Katara, flicking her hand, sent a gush of water at his face. He sputtered and stood, water now streaming down his chest. He let loose a string of curses as he rubbed his eyes.

"Damn it Katara." He sounded angry and Katara shied away. "I think a petal got in my eye."

"Zuko I'm sorry. I…" She rushed into the pool toward him. As she got close, he suddenly grabbed her and fell backward, causing them both to crash under the water. For a moment, he held her, and she opened her eyes to glare at him. He kissed her, just a pressing of lips, and let her go. They broke the surface together.

"You're a jerk." She said and Zuko grinned.

"I think you have the upper hand in this arena. So I'll take any opportunity given to me." Katara went quiet as she thought. Zuko dipped under the water again and rubbed his hair. Still thinking, Katara looked around for anything that might resemble soap, when she abruptly felt a sharp pain on her ass. Shrieking, she thrashed in the water and Zuko popped up again, laughing.

"Did you just bite me?" Katara balked. Zuko laughed harder and Katara huffed out a breath. "Oh that is it." Shifting one leg behind her, Katara pushed her hands outward toward him. Finally noticing, Zuko saw her movements and began a mad, splashing dash for the edge of the pool. Too late, it seemed, as the water around him held him in place. "You're on timeout." The water behind him, that wasn't holding him, split apart and the column that bound him pushed through. At the other end of the small pool as another set of stairs and Katara set Zuko down there. Water filled the pathway she had made but still his liquid bonds held.

"Now that's just mean." He said and Katara stuck out her tongue.

"Where's the soap?" She asked and he tilted his head to the left. "Thank you."

After Katara had washed and rinsed, she walked over to where Zuko was stuck.

"Having fun?" She inquired and Zuko's lone brow raised.

"Surprisingly, yes. It is very entertaining watching you." He answered. Katara pushed away the water below his waist and found him erect and waiting.

"Again?" There was laughter in her voice and Zuko smiled in return.

"Looking at you, there can be no wonder." Now she straddled him, though the angle was different as he was sitting. She lowered herself onto him again and kissed him as she did. Right as she slid to the base of his cock, she caught his lower lip between her teeth and he groaned.

"Blazes Katara, are you always so wet?" He asked as she settled into place.

"I am a waterbender." She sighed as she rose a little before sliding back down into place. She braced herself by putting her arms on his shoulders, as his forever moving hands were still bound behind him, and began a rhythmic bouncing on his lap. They kissed again, and Zuko's tongue pushed forward to meet hers. That somehow undid her, having him pushing through both sets of lips. She leaned her head back, momentarily looking up at the tiled ceiling before closing her eyes. She didn't want to be distracted by anything, only wanted to feel him inside of her. Her hands moved over his shoulders and down onto his back. Her fingers pressed into his flesh as she now moved back and forth, away and to.

His hands now were in her hair, pulling her back to him. His mouth was on hers and he kissed her roughly. He pushed himself deep into her and stood, her body wrapped impossibly tight around him.

"Take a deep breath." He whispered and they plunged into the water again.

For a moment, Katara couldn't tell which way they had fallen. All she cared was that he was still inside of her. But he had stopped moving and Katara felt a rising need to get him started.

Still submerged, Katara made a bubble for them and she laid on a bed of water.

"The air won't last long."

"Neither will I. I'm drowning in you Katara." Zuko was over her and in her, moving quickly and with deep, powerful thrusts. The raising need did not abet and somehow Zuko sensed this. One of his roving hands reached down between her legs and found the nub nestled just over the stretched pair of lips. He rubbed and rolled her flesh as he still moved in and out of her. The need, her need, coiled in the space right above his hand. With a gasp, Katara clung to Zuko's back, digging in her fingers.

"Zuko!" She yelled and felt the coiled need snap apart.

"Katara." Zuko clung to her now, his face pressed into the nape of her neck, both of his hands once again in her hair. His thrusts and breaths got faster till finally, he suddenly grabbed her ass with one hand and pulled himself further into her. She felt him spend himself in her, the same warm pulsing as earlier, and she cried out again.

Water rushed over them. They broke apart and rose to the surface. Weakly, they both made it back to the steps and sat down. Zuko pulled her to him and Katara rested her head on his chest, his arm over her shoulder.

"How long can you keep this up?" Katara asked as she interlocked her hand with his.

"As long as you'll have me."

"Good enough."

After the bath, both of them curled up back in the bed and fell asleep. They woke up, some time later, to a gentle knocking on the door. Zuko got up and put on a robe as Katara wriggled down further into the blankets. At the door, Zuko opened it a crack and spoke in a low tone to whoever was on the other side. Katara heard him curse sharply before closing the door.

"What is it?" She asked as he walked back to the bed.

"Sokka is looking for you."