Katara stirred, feeling an unbelievable pressure across her frame. She grumbled incoherently under her breath, her eyes drifting open to face the cause of her discomfort.
Above her, holding her body still with the weight of his own, was Zuko. His golden eyes stared into her blues, filled with a visible lust that made Katara blush.
She didn't move or speak. She simply stared up at him, waiting for him to make a move.
His golden eyes seemed to hypnotize her and clearly he knew it as well as she did. After long, heated moments of staring into her eyes a proud smirk dawned his features and he licked his lips. She shuddered, unable to prevent herself from doing so. Before she had a chance to even steady her now sporadic breathing, his lips were upon hers forcefully claiming her mouth as his own. Without thinking she raised her hand and entangled it into his hair, drawing him deeper into the kiss. His lips dominated hers almost hungrily and his tongue wound through her mouth spreading an intense heat from her mouth to every inch of her body.
Just as Katara felt as though she would die from lack of oxygen, albeit pleasantly, his lips broke away from hers leaving a silence between them filled only by their frenzied panting.
He chuckled and she could feel his chest vibrating against her, his smirk widening as he surveyed her lengthily. In his next breath his lips were once again upon her, dusting her neck and collarbone with slow, agonizing kisses as he gradually moved lower.
Katara's mind felt hazy and she struggled to gain control of her senses. She had yet to ask what he was doing or to struggle in the slightest, and this fact worried her. She was entirely under his power and, although thrilling, this scared her tremendously.
His mouth nipped her breast and she inhaled sharply, her hands involuntarily balling into fists with one gripping the bed covers and the other fervently grasping his hair. He chuckled again, his vibration only intensifying her already powerful pleasure. She felt his hand trailing down her side, his touch first sending shivers across her skin then full blown tremors as he plunged one of his fingers inside her. She gasped, his name leaving her lips in a hushed whisper as if a forbidden word.
"Katara, please." His raspy voice quietly pleaded, his breath tickling her exposed breast.
She said nothing, merely wrapped her legs around his waist and removed her hand from his hair to allow him to move freely.
That was all the permission he needed and in one swift motion he slammed into her, causing her to cry out louder than she ever had before as an unbelievable mixture of pain and pleasure flowed through her under his touch.
Katara's eyes flew open and she groaned, realizing what had happened. The hard floor was cold under her and she sat up, shakily trying to untangle herself from the confines of her tangled covers. She pulled herself back onto her bed, breathing deeply to calm her racing heart.
She'd never had a dream that powerfully realistic before.
Her room was dark and through the nearby window she could see the stars that still graced the sky. She sighed, rubbing her eyes and getting to her feet.
There was no way she was going to be able to sleep after that.
Zuko wandered the palace halls, unable to sleep. He wondered how long he'd been doing this, contemplating whether or not to return to his chambers to give sleep another chance. He knew he wouldn't with images of Katara's contorted figure so fresh in his mind; still wandering aimlessly was beginning to bore him.
That's when he saw it. Up ahead the ballroom door was propped open ever so slightly, something odd considering it had been shut when he'd passed it not long ago the first time. Curiously he approached, careful not to alert whoever was within to his presence. Peering in he saw her.
The room was dark, save for the lines of moonlight flooding in from the uncovered windows and littering the floor with milky spotlights. She twirled absentmindedly across the floor, stepping in and out of the streams of light that illuminated her skin in an almost angelic glow. Every now and then she'd stomp her feet or clutch her head as she moved, and Zuko desperately wanted to know what she was thinking of in those moments.
Silently, he stepped into the room careful not to draw her attention to him. He watched as she continued to spin until she disappeared behind an oversized pillar. Frowning, he waited for her to reemerge. Ten seconds. Thirty seconds. The time dragged on with her lost from view until finally he walked forward to see what had happened. He hesitated just before the pillar, unsure of what to say when he found her, before balling his hands into fists and continuing on.
"Better luck next time… Zuko?" Katara's voice dripped with venom against his ear, her small hand brandishing a blade pressed against his throat.
He said nothing, merely raised his hands in mock surrender and waited for her to remove her weapon from his skin.
"You shouldn't be here." She ground out, putting the blade away with a dissatisfied frown.
Zuko could have sworn there was something in her eyes, something beneath her anger, but quickly banished the idea as his own foolish desire.
"What are you doing up?" she demanded, prodding him in the chest angrily with her finger before crossing her arms across her chest.
"Couldn't sleep?" he asked her, both answering her question and posing one of his own.
She was silent for a moment, her cheeks slowly blushing crimson as she stared into his eyes as if remembering something he wasn't aware of, before tensing and quickly turning her back to him. He arched his eyebrow, puzzled by her odd reaction to such an innocent question. He opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong but quickly snapped it shut as footsteps began to echo in the hall outside the ballroom. It was his turn to tense as images of his fathers face warped with rage at him being alone with his newest conquest flashed through his mind.
"You don't think." Katara continued, harshly scolding him.
Zuko cringed with each word, ushering her to be quiet and praying she may actually obey him for once. She didn't.
"What if someone were to find us together in the middle of the night?" she demanded. "How would that look?"
He shushed her, pulling her further behind the pillar and slowly beginning to panic as the footsteps drew nearer and nearer.
"Katara, please." He begged, staring desperately into her blue eyes.
He watched as her blush intensified and her eyes widened in shock at his words, yet another reaction he didn't understand but didn't have time to question.
"What are you talking about?" she snapped, her breathing hitching as she did so. "I think you should leave, I mean really we cant jeopardize the plan with so little time –"
As the footsteps closed in, he did the only thing he could think of to shut her up.
Katara froze, not only had Zuko whispered the exact plead from her dream, his lips were now crushing hers and forcing her into silence. She could barely think, her hands on his chest stuck somewhere between pushing him away and pulling him closer.
His lips were soft yet forceful and his kiss was relentless, barely leaving her time to breathe let alone react. When he finally broke away they were both panting. He had a strange look on his face, one she couldn't quite place, and she suspected her face had the same. They just stood there, staring at each other in silence, waiting for the other to react.
Katara's heart was racing and slowly she felt herself beginning to panic. He, on the other hand, seemed perfectly comfortable in the heavy silence, in fact she would even go so far as to say he looked at home in it.
He made no move to step away from her and no move to resume his sudden barrage of kisses and, after what felt like an eternity being stared at, Katara finally averted her eyes and slipped free of him. Without looking back she rushed from the ballroom and to the protection of her bed. She knew her cheeks were almost as red as her wardrobe and could feel the lingering warmth his touch had left on her skin.
She had no idea what he had been thinking, and frankly even her own behavior puzzled her more than she would like. She knew she could have pushed him away, could have resisted or rejected him, but she hadn't.
She also knew that she had no clue how she was going to face him the next time they met.
Zuko watched in silence as she retreated from the ballroom in a flurry of flustered emotions and wide-eyed alarm. He sighed when she was out of sight, drawing his hand exhaustedly across his face as if to wipe away the memories of what he had just done. Not that he ever could, her kiss was permanently engrained into his thoughts, of that he was sure.
Even he had to admit his actions were reckless. Not only could he have drawn more attention to them if she had rebelled against his touch, but her lips had nearly made him lose control completely. He had continued the kiss well after the danger of being discovered had passed and would have continued further had his need for air not won out over his desire.
By the time he broke away from her it took every ounce of concentration not to reclaim her warm touch, her heated breath and her soft lips as his own. So he remained still and silent, the image of one of the many statues decorating the palace grounds, to refrain from touching her.
Then she ran and he knew he had no right to stop her.
He sighed again, glancing around the ballroom. In a few short hours the sun would be up and she would be in this very room practicing alongside that oversized lug of a man. He scowled, hating himself for letting her run back to where that man would hide her away under the pretense of rehearsal.
The only solace he found was the knowledge that tomorrow it would all be over. That she would be free from the cruel control of his father and separated from the band of misfit men who leered after her when she wasn't looking.
Soon he could put his real plan into motion. Soon she would be his.
Katara stood in the throne room as had become her usual practice. She bowed to the Fire Lord and cleared her throat, inhaling deeply before straightening up to speak.
"I've modeled this performance with your Excellency in mind." she purred, shooting him the sultry stare she'd become so accustomed to using to manipulate Fire Nation men.
He arched his eyebrows in response clearly intrigued by her statement, his ever present sneer spreading across his face.
She bowed quickly once more and retreated to her dance partner who was waiting patiently behind her. He smiled reassuringly at her and nodded ever so slightly to comfort her blatantly frazzled nerves.
She smiled meekly in return and with a deep exhale untied the sash to her robe and slipped it off her shoulders.
Zuko's eyes nearly fell out of his head as Katara's red silk robe glided from her body and fell in a delicate heap at her feet. A collective murmur of the other men in the room filled the space as his face pulled into a scowl.
The plan was being carried out right now of this he was certain. He himself had been the one to point out this performance had to be distracting in order to have this fact remain secret. Still, he had not in a million years expected her to take it this far for the sake of a mere distraction.
Upon close inspection, she was in fact wearing clothes. Although whether or not they could really be considered such was debatable. Her garments were the same color as her skin, giving the illusion of nudity as she stood shamelessly in front of the crowd of more than satisfied men. Her top covered only her breasts, suspended in place by almost invisibly thin straps, while her bottoms covered just that, only her bottom, a mere scrap of fabric acting as skimpy underwear at beast.
She was certainly giving her all to this distraction; he'd give her that.
He wasn't sure whether to be impressed or angry with her, in much the same was he wasn't sure whether to be impressed with the tailor for crafting such clothing or furious for allowing Katara to wear it.
She lay on her back on the floor, her dance partner, the brawny man Zuko had come to hate, positioning himself between her legs and gliding his large hands across the exposed skin of her sides. The room grew quiet, the men's murmurs fading into silence as the music began to drift softly through the air.
Zuko glanced at the band. The usually large number of men had dwindled substantially, with much of the rag tag team off executing the jailbreak, including Haru who he thought would never leave Katara's side willingly.
He glanced around the room, sighing in relief at the fact no one else seemed privy to the missing men with their eyes so fixated on the almost nude Katara.
As the music played her partner drew his hands down her exposed sides and across her bare legs. Katara glided one of her own hands across the man's chest in response, her back arching entrancingly off the floor as his hands reached her upper thighs. Her hand stopped at his neck, wrapping her hand gently around its back and pulling his face down to meet her chest. The man feathered his lips lightly across her chest before pulling his head back up, drawing her up with him into a seated position in which she straddled his hips.
Zuko's scowl deepened, despising this performance more with every passing moment. He'd wanted a distraction not a sex show between her and some nameless bulky meathead.
Their dance was like a game. She pulled his face back towards her, her fingers tracing his jaw line delicately. Just before their lips met she turned her head ever so slightly, the man's lips meeting her neck instead before leaning away from her once more.
She leaned back as well, rolling her head back as if basking in ultimate pleasure before extending one of her legs and resting it on her partners shoulder. Using said leg she drew him into her, his face hovering between her legs. He wrapped his arms around her waist, supporting her weight, and she wrapped both legs around his head, trapping him to her most intimate area. Then, just as quickly as she had bound him in place, she shifted her weight and flipped away from him, setting him free and finally making it to her feet.
The man held strong to her hand however, and just before she could rip it from his grasp he pulled her back to him. She twirled into his arms, her back pressing tightly against his bare chest, as she slowly drew one of her hands down his neck and he floated his hands to her hips to hold her intimately closer.
With a coy smile she stepped forwards and away from the touch of his body, the man's hands lingering on her hips and lifting her off the ground before throwing her into the air where she fell gracefully back into his arms.
Zuko frowned. This was going to be the longest, most tortuous night of his life, and the performance had barely begun.
"Hurry up." Haru whispered harshly to the men working at freeing Aang from his chains.
"It's not like they're made of string." One of the men shot back, furiously working at picking the lock to the shackles binding the Avatar's wrists.
Haru sighed, frustrated. The guards had been the least of their problems, going down without much of a fight and with almost no noise whatsoever. The chains, on the other hand, had proven much more difficult. They were thicker than his arms and impossible to cut through. Without the key it was only a matter of time before they were found trying to unlock them. He just prayed Katara was buying them enough time.
"Just calm down." Aang reassured him, watching the men working to pick his locks. "This is going to work. I'm sure of it."
Zuko watched as the man flipped Katara down, her head easing between his legs provocatively before flipping her back up, holding her frame at shoulder height with his head between her legs once more. They stayed like this for a few moments, Katara moving her arms like flowing water as the man walked slowly forward.
The music continued its soft hum, its melody almost as alluring as the dance itself.
The man stopped walking and Katara drifted down from his lift, her head fitting between his legs and her arms wrapping around his waist. Holding one of her feet the man leaned back into a deep arch, pulling Katara's leg with him into the splits.
Even Zuko had to admit this dance was mesmerizing. He'd never seen such powerful strength coupled with such intimate movements. Katara's flexibility was amazing, and that coupled with her erotic lack of clothing made her absolutely captivating to watch. All Zuko wanted to do was wrap his arms around her and press his lips to hers once more.
The two fell back to the floor effortlessly. With every move they made the man supported the entirety of Katara's weight, as if he were a frame merely showcasing the beauty of a priceless painting. He lifted her once more, seating her on his shoulder as they spun before flipping her down and setting her gently on her feet. With each escape she made from his grasp, the man pulled her back in and, when he didn't, she eventually came back to him of her own will. It was as if her body fit perfectly with his, two people who seamlessly came together to form one being.
He leaned forward and placed a kiss lightly on her neck. She closed her eyes and reveled in his touch in response. Zuko could practically feel their lust towards one another hanging in the air and although their performance was spellbinding, he hated the man more with every lingering touch he feathered Katara with.
She stepped away from him, and for once the man didn't stop her. She walked a few more steps and then, as if realizing he wasn't following, Katara stopped and turned around to face him with lust filled eyes. In one fluid motion she flipped forwards, not using her hands but simply propelling her feet seemingly effortlessly off the floor and over her head, forcing the man to be the one to step back for fear of being kicked.
He stepped towards her, grabbing her hands and pulling her in, their faces so close to touching in a kiss they could have held a piece of parchment between their noses. Then, before Zuko could even process what they were doing, Katara took a step back and leapt towards her partner, swinging through the air like a pendulum as the man held her by her arms before lifting her straight into the hair and holding her in a midair handstand. After suspending her there far longer than any man should have been able to, he glided her back to the ground and wrapped his arms around her in a sensual lovers embrace. Her mocha skin seemed to flow into his pale form as his large frame overwhelmed her petite body. Their bodies melded together, bending and contorting in the most intimate of ways as he effortlessly lifted, spun and flipped her around the room.
At one point he laid her on the ground, sprawling his own body over hers as he nuzzled his face into her neck. She drew her lusty gaze over the men in the audience as he did, as if silently imaging each of them in the place of her partner. Then, without warning, she rolled towards the audience, partner in tow, in an erotic entanglement of limbs. When they finally stilled she was the one on top and took the opportunity to pull away, giving her partner just enough time to place a kiss on her foot before daringly freeing herself from his embrace.
Zuko shuddered as her gaze lingered on him for the subtlest of moments before returning to her partner with a smirk.
"This way." Toph called over her shoulder in a whisper.
It hadn't taken long for the men to free her and Sokka from their prisons, and now that her feet were back on solid earth it was taking even less time for her to find their way out.
"How does she know?" one of their rescuers whispered skeptically, causing Toph to frown.
Before she had a chance to say anything snide in response, however, Sokka cut in on her behalf.
"Trust me, she knows." Was all he said, following quietly behind her, his words returning her focus to the escape at hand.
Zuko glowered as Katara was touched, watched and kissed in ways that should have been reserved solely for the bedroom. Although her partner was doing his best to show an indifferent expression to her advances in their performance, he could tell the man was more than a little pleased by her propositions, however theatrical they may have been.
He pressed her to his body, his breath coming in silent, heated pants now. Despite framing her, he was in control of her. He was more than her support, he was her possessor. His fingers trailed down her exposed body as he lifted her above his head, throwing her spiraling through the air above him and leaving her to trust that he would catch her. She was the dancer but he was the man in control of her movements, and said movements were getting increasingly more intense and erotic.
Looking around the room, Zuko saw not one man averting his eyes. No one could look away. Their plan was working flawlessly, however displeasing that may have been in his eyes, and he wondered if the others had succeeded in freeing the prisoners as brilliantly as Katara had succeeded in distracting the only men able to stop them.
"Here they come!" Toph called, pointing in the direction she meant.
Everyone waited, some taking on battle stances while others, including Sokka, merely watched where Toph had gestured, trusting in her statement.
Over the ridge figures began to appear, running towards them until it became blatantly obvious that Aang and the men who had freed him had arrived safely and un-followed at the designated meet spot.
"Took you long enough." Toph grumbled, punching Aang roughly in the shoulder.
"Nice to see you too, Toph." Aang smiled back, rubbing where she had hit.
"We're only missing Katara now." Sokka stated, cutting through the murmured congratulations of the surrounding men and drawing an uncomfortable silence. "What?" Sokka asked, confused by the reaction.
"Yeah," Toph cut in. "Where is Sugar Queen anyways?"
Haru glanced uncomfortably at them, before sighing and stepping forward to answer.
"She's in the throne room… with the Fire Lord. She's the distraction." Haru watched as they took in what he was saying with unbelieving expressions.
"WHAT?" Aang finally shouted furiously, cutting through the uncomfortable silence that had settled.
Katara balanced on the head of her partner, rewarded with gasps and claps from her audience. Zuko didn't move, he merely sat rigidly white-knuckled preparing to leap up and catch her if she faltered in any way. She didn't. He'd never noticed before how impressive her abilities were, in fact he'd wager they were on par with Ty Lee's, the only difference being Katara saw no need in flaunting them when she had her bending.
Finally she flipped off of him and he caught her, pulling her into his arms and cradling her against his body in an embrace. Gracefully she laid her head on his shoulder and they spun until the music stopped and their movement tapered off into the conclusion of their dance.
There was a silence before the men erupted into clapping, whistling and cat calling louder than Zuko thought possible. If sound could have brought down the room it would have surely been destroyed.
The two separated and, holding hands, took a bow to the elated audience.
Then, as if out of nowhere, the throne room doors flew open and a masked guard ran in.
"How dare you enter without permission!" the Fire Lord bellowed furiously.
"I beg your pardon." The guard bowed, terrified. "But the Avatar is gone."
Zuko froze and glanced over at Katara, who was also frozen in place mid bow.
"WHAT?" the Fire Lord demanded, absolute fury marring his features. "FIND HIM! AND BRING ME WHOEVER WAS IN CHARGE OF HIS SECURITY!"
The generals all scrambled to their feet to scour the palace for the missing Air Bender, and in the blink of an eye the throne room was empty of everyone but Katara, her band of misfit men, and Zuko.
"Time to go." Zuko nodded to her, gesturing for her to run.
She nodded and turned to do just that, hesitating for only a moment.
"What about you?" she asked, as if unsure whether she really wanted to care or not.
Her accomplices had already fled the room and were racing to get as far from the palace as physically possible before something got in their way.
"I'm right behind you." He stated.
Hurriedly he grabbed her and pulled her into his embrace, crushing his lips against hers and drawing a moan from her, before pulling away just as quickly.
"I promise." He pushed her towards the door as reassurance for her to leave, and watched as she ran towards her freedom.
A/N: Okay so I know this chapter is a little long but yay they're free! And the Zutara moments have officially begun! They will only get increasingly intense from here so look forward to that! Also the dance this time is modelled after one of the most intense dances I've seen... ever. I don't know if you've seen it or not but definitely check it out because you wont get the full picture of what Katara is doing without at least watching some of this, IT IS LITERALLY THAT AMAZING. Enough said. /watch?v=1nswzL8E0YU it's entitled "Best Couple Dance - Romantic". If you cant find it then PM me and I'll send u the link. So yeah, R&R please! Can't wait to hear thoughts on this one!