a/n I love all of you awesome people out there who are reading/reviewing/following/faoviting this little story of mine! Wow. You people rock!
So Zuko and Katara are on their way! Now, I wasn't having the best of weeks, so I decided to write some M rated material into this chapter. I mean come on. Zuko… Katara… on a boat… This chapter was mainly written for "that," so it doesn't advance the overall plot too much (just strengthening the Zutara bond). Enjoy ^_~
Chapter 28 ~Boating~
-Zuko-
They were really on their way. He could hardly believe it. They stood at the bow of the ship, feeling the wind against their skins.
"It's beautiful," Katara murmured beside him, staring out into the expanse of water. He smiled.
"Yeah," he agreed. Of course, he had seen this view many times in his life, but it was different with her. This time, he was able to see it through her eyes. The sun had already reached its peak and was to their backs.
"Where are we headed exactly?" she asked, glancing up at him.
"There's a factory in a Fire Nation strong hold by a small fishing village. I need to shut it down."
"Oh, yeah. I've been there." This surprised him.
"You have?" he asked, turning to look at her directly.
"Uhm…yeah," she looked a little guilty. Why? "I might have…broken the factory…" He laughed. A loud, hearty laugh that felt so good.
"'Might have?'"
"It was polluting the water," she said defensively, "The fishing town was almost dead when we arrived." He grinned and put an arm around her waist.
"I'm sure you got it back on track."
"Yes," her indignation melted, "I had to help."
"That's one of the things I love about you." She smiled shyly.
"So…" she said after a moment, "Are we going to start looking for your mother there?"
"No," he shook his head, "It's too close to the Fire Nation. She would have gone inland where she wouldn't be easily recognized." He could tell she knew what this meant for them, traveling wise. "We'll have to leave the ship and all of the men behind. We need to travel light and quiet. She might run…if she hears of soldiers."
"Okay." She said, "I figured that. Will…will we need to wear disguises?" Oh. He hadn't thought of that. His brow furrowed.
"I'm not sure. I didn't use one when I was a refugee." Most times… Is the Blue Spirit still a wanted criminal?
"Things are different now that you're Fire Lord. You're a symbol of hope and change, now. So you're going to get recognized."
"People are going to know I'm in the Earth Kingdom already… We just need to keep a low profile while we're looking for… her." It was still hard for him to believe that he was finally going to be searching for his mother.
"It's exciting."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, like another secret mission." He chuckled.
-Katara-
They stood, watching the water and embracing one another, until the sun had almost set.
"Fire Lord Zuko?" A man asked after clearing his voice. They both turned to see a tall, dark haired man. He was the corporal who had helped escort Ozai to jail.
"Corporal Huynh," Zuko nodded, remembering the man's name. She was a little impressed. After all Zuko had only heard the man's name once.
"Yes, Sir." The Corporal grinned slightly before adopting a straight face. "I wanted to inform you that dinner is ready."
"Very good, thank you." Zuko replied cordially. Corporal Huynh nodded once more before heading inside. "Well, I guess we should go in." She took one last glance at the water.
"Guess so," she smiled, just being near him seemed to put a smile on her face.
The inside of the ship was grander than the one she had been on while Aang was unconscious; however, the layout was similar. Thankfully she had been on the other ship long enough to get over the anxiety these ships gave her. Fear of Fire Nation ships was deeply rooted in her. She sat across from him in a room that was surprisingly cozy. Candlelight flickered and gave everything a soft yellow glow. A tapestry spread across the wall behind Zuko depicting a roaring sunrise. Every now and then, she caught his gaze and smiled.
"When do you think we'll get there?" she asked.
"Tomorrow morning, I expect." He replied. She could tell he was a little preoccupied, but of course, he had every right to be.
Once she had eaten her fill, she stretched contentedly.
"Done?" he asked. His warm eyes gave her a pleasant fluttery feeling in her lower stomach.
"Yes," she smiled, staring back at him with want.
"Do you-" he cleared his throat, "Do you want to check out the sleeping arrangements?" She nodded slowly. He got to is feet, walked around to her side of the table, and offered her his hands. She took them without any hesitation and followed him through the metal beast. They stopped outside a nondescript door.
"Is this it?" she asked. It might have seen like an obvious question, but in the other ship the best quarters were in the heart of the ship.
"Uh," his head stilled on the door, "No, not normally." It was as she thought then.
"Oh?"
"Yeah, I thought you'd uhm…" Why was he nervous? "I thought you'd like to have a window." He finally finished while he opened the door. Her heart sighed.
"Zuko," she whispered as she stepped into the room. The windowless, metal sleeping quarters had bothered her the most when she was last on a ship. This room was also cozier than the other was. There seemed to be a softness to it, but she couldn't explain why. She immediately went to the window. She had to cup her hands around her eyes to peer out. The moon was out, casting a shadow upon the boat. She could tell they were moving quickly through the dark. When she turned away from the window, he was beside her.
"Even though it's just for the night… I thought you'd rather be closer to the water."
"Thank you," she smiled up at him, loving his sweet gesture. "I love you." He smiled ever so slightly.
"I love you too." He replied and reached over to tuck some stray hairs behind her ear. His eyes were dark gold, pupils dilated. She reached up to cup his cheek and he leaned into her hand. He stared back at her. When she saw his eyes flicker down to her mouth, she pulled him in for the kiss. Her other hand joined his head to deepen their connection. His hands glided across her hips. She could feel his tongue asking tentatively for entrance, which she quickly granted.
It was a nice hot kiss, full of pent-up fire. They walked awkwardly to the bed, mouths still pressed together. She sat on the edge while he kneeled on the floor, making her head slightly higher than his.
"Hmm," he growled as his lips left hers. She wanted to resume their kiss, but he was leaning away. "Wait."
"What?" she asked breathlessly.
"Door." She glanced over and saw that the door was indeed partially open. He walked over, shut it, and secured the lock. She grinned salaciously at him as he walked back to her. As he grew closer, she laid back on the bed, supporting herself with her elbows. He stopped short, still standing, and just looked at her. "You want this?" he asked, his voice low. She nodded slowly and bit her lip. He groaned and began to unfasten his clothes. All the while, she watched him. Her hands began to wander across her skin, heading down. She slid one hand under her pants and touched herself.
"Ooh…" she groaned and closed her eyes. All of a sudden, he was on top of her, kissing her. Her wanderlust hand was pinned between them. She tried to tug it out, but it was stuck. He broke off the kiss and lifted off enough to free her hand.
"May I?" he husked, staring at her hand.
"Yes." She croaked and her fingers were soon inside his mouth. He moaned appreciatively as he cleaned off her hand. Soon her fingers slid out of his warm mouth. He leaned back slightly so she could lean forward and he could undo her top. Then she reached back to untie her breast bindings, which she tossed aside. She finally noticed that although his chest was bare, his pants were still on. The outline of his straining member was visible through the silk.
"Stand?" he asked. They both needed to remove their pants. She nodded; he got off the bed, and pulled her to her feet. When she reached to undo her pants, his hands stopped hers. "May I?" he asked, echoing some previous words.
"Sure," she whispered and put her hands by her side. His hands skated down her bare sides and quickly undid her pants, leaving just her under-wrappings. He deftly undid those too. Had he been practicing or something? Then he reached for his own pants, but she stopped him.
"My turn." She said and he nodded once. She stepped even closer to him, undid his pants, and followed them down. Now on her knees in front of him she looked up at him through her eyelashes. A moment later, she took his hot hard length into her mouth.
"Agni," he swore under his breath. He gathered her hair up and held it securely behind her head and out of her way. He was delicious, salty and sweet. She took him all the way into the back of her mouth before she pulled him all the way out, swirling her tongue around the flared tip. "Stop," he panted, "please." She stilled and looked up at him, her mouth still full. "Oh Agni, Katara." he groaned, staring down at her. He let go of her hair and brought her to her feet. "Tonight is yours." He informed her huskily, guiding her down onto the bed.
"Oh really?" Instead of replying, he started kissing her neck, working his way down.
His mouth moved over her shoulder, down her collarbone, and paused at her breasts. He kneaded one and nipped at the other. She groaned and pushed herself against him.
"You like this?" he asked, glancing up at her.
"Yes!" she cried when he rolled her nipple between his teeth. His hand, his mouth, and her sensitive breasts were a lethal combination.
"Do you want me to stop?" he asked, stilling.
"No," she begged him, "Please, continue!" Her body was wound so tightly, she craved release. She felt him grin against her as he continued. Not a moment later, she let go. He held onto her as she shook with release.
Her skin had sheen of sweat across it and she panted. No one had ever made her come by just touching her breasts, although, no one had ever loved her like Zuko.
"Was that alright?" she heard him ask as she came down from her high. She lifted her head to look at him.
"Yes," she sighed, "It was…wow…" He grinned now.
"Really?" he asked raising an eyebrow and slowly sinking lower.
"You're not…? Are you?" she asked figuring out where he was headed. He stilled.
"Do you not want me to?" he asked, his eyebrows bent.
"Uhm…" Of course, she did, but she just didn't have much experience with… that. But of course, neither did he. He had been the first and only person to do it… "Go ahead. If you want to." His smile returned.
"Yes, I really, really want to." His lips were already ghosting over her bellybutton. She couldn't watch. She leaned back against the pillows and closed her eyes, waiting for the sensation to hit. She thought she'd be ready for the cool blast of air when he blew on her, but she wasn't.
"Agni!" she swore, jolting. She could feel his breath come out as a chuckle before suddenly his mouth was on her. Her hips leaped off the bed. Agni! Agni! Agni! she said repeatedly in her mind. His right hand snaked around her thighs to help hold her hips down as his tongue slid through her folds.
"Hmm…" was the grumbling sound his throat made. His mouth was driving her wild. It was enough to relight the fire, but not enough to quench the ache. Her fingers found their way to his hair and tugged on it with the rhythm of his tongue.
"Agni Zuko!" she groaned, "I'm so close…" She was practically writhing with need. Then his tongue found what it was looking for and she was done. "Z-zuko!" she cried as she came for the second time. He kept moving against her, lapping up her juices and helping her ride out the wave. Her limbs started to deflate and she sunk into the mattress. He crawled up between her parted legs and kissed her lips. She closed her eyes and kissed him back. It was strange. She could taste herself. His left hand was cradling her neck, but she didn't know where his right hand went. She didn't have to guess for long though.
"Now?" he asked against her lips, his voice thick, tight, needy.
"Mhh-hhmm." She mumbled back. "Please." She needed this as much as he did. He gave a guttural grunt as he finally entered her.
"Oh Agni!" he cried pushing in all the way. "Agni! Katara, you feel so good."
He started with gentle thrusts, but they didn't last long. Soon his pace sped up while he kissed her again and then started kissing her jaw. She moaned every time he hit that stop deep inside her. He felt so big. She felt so full. What a delicious combination.
"I… I… oh…" he tried to speak, but the words turned to moans instead. She knew what he meant, so she tilted her hips, giving them a slightly different angle and inviting him in. With each movement, they drew closer. Her name on his lips was enough to drive her over the sweet edge. "Oooh! Ahhh! Agni! Katara! Ah!" That was it. As soon as she started to tremble, he had one last deceive thrust and with that, they both reached their peak.
He collapsed on top of her, still buried inside. When their ragged breathing started to calm and he rolled off. She was shattered. Vaguely, she felt him pull her into his arms and kiss the top of her head.
"Sleep now my love." He whispered.
-Zuko-
That was probably one of the best nights of his life. It was very early now. He had fallen asleep soon after she did, drifting off to the slow rise and fall of her chest. Agni he loved her. He knew he probably didn't tell her that enough, but he had always been bad with words. He nuzzled into her neck further, breathing in the wonderful smell. They needed to get up soon, but not quite yet. One of the crewmen would be around to inform them of their arrival later on. Hmmm… he thought. The crew probably had little doubts what their Fire Lord had been doing last night. Well, who cares! Katara was his bride to be so of course he was going to make love to her. Repeatedly. He grinned.
"What's so funny?" she asked sleepily, turning in his arms to face him. Agni she was beautiful.
"Nothing," he smiled, "Good morning."
"Hmm." She pouted, "It's too early."
"I know, but we might be there soon and it's probably best if we are…clothed."
"Yeah… probably don't want your people to see your crown jewels."
"Katara!" he said, shocked. She just grinned back at him and shrugged. Then she laughed softly. What a beautiful sound. He sighed; he was hopelessly in love with her.
"I have a question," she said, switching gears.
"Yeah?"
"Now… Not that I didn't love what happened last night, but" she blushed, "why did you…?" Although her question was left unfinished, he understood what she was asking.
"I love you Katara."
"I love you too."
"That's what last night was." She smiled at his answer.
"I hope I'll be able to show you something like that while we on this trip." Agni.
"I look forward to it."
"What about now?" she asked, eyeing him hungrily. Nope. Nope. Nope. Bad idea.
"As tempting as that sounds, we should get up. We'll be arriving soon."
"Okay," she agreed, "To be continued," she whispered in his face before crawling out of bed and throwing on a robe. He groaned and flopped back against the pillows. Her laughter echoed through the room.
Once they were both, presentable they went out onto the deck. The air felt cool against his skin, refreshing. He loved being out there with her and hugged her closer to him. He could see land in the distance, the fishing village. They were getting closer not only to the village, but also to their answers.
a/n I promised M did I not? Thanks for reading!
A familiar face might appear in the next update by the name(s) of Dock/Xu/Bushi...
