Chapter Twenty-Two: Zuko

The weeks passed faster than I anticipated.

I spent more time running around the palace and attending meetings than speaking to Katara. She was often found in the library or my mother's pod reading about politics and basic customs.

She studied and asked all the right questions, whatever she could to learn what she needed to know to help her people thrive. The things she argued for in recent council meetings started to gain more relevancy. She was a fast learner, indeed.

But today would be nothing but a joyous event. Shyu's daughter would wed this afternoon. I personally offered to throw the wedding in the comfort of my own home.

Her name is Akina, her betrothed, a scholar, and taught at a prestigious university here in Caldera they would make a beautiful couple.

I haven't spoken to Mai in weeks. Once she discovered Katara was staying in my adjoined bedroom she went back to living with her parents. I wasn't saddened by the prospect as much as I thought.

I hoped to speak to her at the wedding. I miss her dearly; despite her attitude, she's the only thing left of my old life and I'd like to reconcile; and at the very least be friends.

Kiri and Katara's giggling sounded on the other side of the wall making me smile as we both got ready for the wedding. A knock came to my door.

"My Lord, the Avatar and Lady Toph Beifong have arrived."

I nodded, "Very well, I'll be out in a moment." I finished getting dressed, my heavy Fire Lord robes ironically dragging me down but I kept my back straight and head high.

"Katara! Let's go, we're going to be late!"

It was quiet for a moment before she and Kiri came bursting through the door. She looked like a vision in blue and every inch a princess she already embodied. The beaded headpiece signifying her status as the princess of the Southern Tribe.

She walked towards me I couldn't help but glimpse at the slit in the side of her gown showing mocha skin up to her knee. I quickly averted my gaze as she joined my side. Katara said goodbye to Kiri and we walked towards the ballroom together.

Despite the massive space, the wedding was decorated in the most humble of ways. We barely entered the room before I heard Aang call to her. They genuinely embraced and I watched as he kissed her firm on the lips. They both tensed at the display of affection.

Almost as though it made each of them feel uncomfortable. It confused me deeply. "It's almost gross to watch, huh?" Tophs' voice sounding detached and even irritated, rang out next to me. I hadn't even seen her approach. She sipped on a glass of fire whisky, her unseeing eyes taking the couple in.

"It's good to see you, Toph." I hugged her grateful to see her again.

"Have you any affection for me left?" His voice almost sprung tears to my eyes and I spun around to see him.

"Uncle! I've missed you." I practically jumped in his arms, "I thought the White Lotus still needed you?"

We broke apart, his kind, warm eyes comforting me in ways no other could. I watched his gaze fly to Toph and the now perusing Avatar and Katara saying hello to guests who have already arrived.

Something was going on, but I knew better than to comment on it, especially now. "The Lotus made an exception!"

"Suki I told you we were late! We should have gone my way!" Sokka followed behind a very annoyed Suki. The frock she donned was gold and green and her hair swished at her shoulder blades while Sokka dressed in watertribe blue.

"Toph, Zuko, Iroh! It's so good to see everyone," suki exclaimed; hugs were passed around and eventually we drew the attention of Aang and Katara. Katara practically tripping on her gown to get to Sokka.

"I've missed you so much!" She embraced him deeply not letting go for a long moment. "Yea yea, I've missed you too little sister." He patted her head affectionately.

Katara turned to Suki next. "Suki I've miss-.." her eyes trailed down to her neck and back up before she practically screamed in excitement making us all jump.

She turned to Sokka and he just shrugged. Katara jumped in Suki's arms, "Congratulations, I'm so happy for you guys!"

I looked around grateful that the other faces here reflected the same amount of confusion. Katara picked up on it, "Guys look," she said pointing at her neck and the necklace that laid there, "Sokka asked Suki to marry him!"

Realization dawned on all of us and we passed around congratulations and sweet hugs, joking with Sokka and wondering how he ever convinced Suki to marry him.

The ceremony was nothing short of lovely and I watched longingly at the couple waltzing around the ballroom. Mai had never shown, the royal summons not even enough to get through to her.

"Are you ok, Zuko? You seem off?" Katara's gentle voice capturing my attention. I regretted the words before they were past my lips, "Where's Aang? Tired of him following you around already?"

Her eyes cut into me like the ice she bent. My comment doing more damage than my flames ever could. Clearly they were having some type of 'miscommunication' I'm sure it's the last thing she wants to think about.

"Toph helped herself to too much fire whisky, Aang is escorting her to her room. I just wanted to see if you were ok, but clearly you don't want to be bothered, my apologies, your highness." The sarcasm that dropped from her tongue sent guilt right to my heart.

"Wait." I said, my hand reaching out to capture her wrist. Her skin as cold as the freezing waters of the Northern Tribe, almost making me release her.

Her eyes found mine anyway, "Would you care to dance?" The question came easily off my lips, almost as easy as her taking my hand.

I lead her to the ballroom floor filled with swaying bodies, Katara's palm cooling my feverish skin. Her naturally cold body temperature permeated my skin.

She calmed the inferno inside of me. It was always there, tormenting me with its heat, it was almost unbearable. I had never known relief from it's maddening grasp until her skin met mine.

Until her ice chased away the fire.

We moved gently with the others, my chest firmly pressed against hers; her cool breath dancing across my cheeks like a spirits touch. It's too much but somehow not enough. Katara's eyes downcast to her feet. Her uneasiness almost sent me into a fit of laughter. "Katara." Her blue orbs met mine in an instant, my voice sounding huskier than I intended. "Don't worry about it, just follow me."

I've danced this same dance thousands of times, with hundreds of different partners but it's never felt so intimate. Not even when I danced with Mai.

Her eyes dove deeply into my own, like she was searching for something I wasn't sure she'd ever find. But she gave in, her body leaning against my own as I guided our movements. My mind became delirious as I spun her around the floor, my fingers digging into Katara's lower back for support as she arched into me.

"Princess Katara." An outside voice ended our little dance, and I pulled us to a stop but my hand stayed firmly seated at her lower back. Unable to give into the unforgiving heat just yet as we turned towards one of my servants.

"The Avatar regrets to inform he will be turning in for the night." She looked lost in her own mind, like she wasn't sure what it meant but she nodded gracefully as ever and thanked the man.

"Are you ok, Katara. You seem off." I wanted to snicker at using her own words but decided better of it. Now isn't the time.

Katara didn't speak, just hooked her elbow through mine and started walking. We reached Shyu and congratulated him and his family. Bidding him goodnight, Katara led me through the tunnels of my palace.

I quickly noticed where we were going and I smiled at the thought. Once we got to the little pond that was my mother's she sighed. Reaching for the ties on her dress I stood there dumbfounded. But continued to say nothing and the ties and clasps came loose.

The clip in the middle of her back proved difficult to reach. I didn't ask or wait for her permission to unfasten it for her. She looked behind her shoulder, blushing furiously before shrugging the outer coat off her petit form.

It fell to the ground with a soft thud and the shift of the underdress she wore swayed lightly in the breeze. She called water to her fingers immediately, being so far away from a body of water must make her anxious.

The water found its way back into the pond only moments later and she sat by the large oak tree motioning me to join her.

Katara's head fell almost effortlessly against my shoulder the second I sat next to her. It made me smile. We had become so comfortable with one another lately and our closeness proved it.

"Zuko I…" her voice faded off but she tried again. "I love Aang, I really do. And I know he loves me but I just-.. I." Her head fell. But I encouraged her, scooping up her cheek in my palm so she was looking at me.

"What if there is something more? Someone more? Can I just settle for the first man that loves me? Am I even sure what love is? How do you know? How do I know this isn't a foolish childhood love that I'll get over in a year?"

Katara's blue eyes racked my own for answers to her questions I didn't have or wouldn't give for her own benefit. I still pined after Mai, my childhood girlfriend, I had no advice to give because I felt the same way.

My hand moved at its own accord to the back of her neck, drawing her closer like I could retrieve the answers if I looked deeper into her eyes. She was only a few inches away now. But I just stared, bewitched by azure orbs.

I didn't miss the quick glances down to my lips or the way she slightly wet her own with her tongue. I couldn't read her mind but I knew what was going to happen.

She wasn't slow about it, slamming her lips into mine, it was almost ravenous, like she was searching. The second I kissed her back she moaned into me. A sensation I wouldn't soon forget covered my whole body, her cold lips and cold hands calmed the heat surging inside of me.

Katara's fingers curled around my neck, her nails biting into skin telling me she was far from done. My pounding heart made anything else hard to hear as it thrummed loudly in my ears.

Our lips moved together seamlessly like they've done this dance before, I couldn't stop my tongue from swiping at her lips asking for entrance.

She obliged, letting me in without a second thought. My left hand sneaking down to the slit in her shift that drove me crazy all night. When my hand found her thigh she jumped. I gripped the area, my thumb drawing tight circles there just to feel her soft skin. The little sounds erupting from her soft lips turned my own breaths ragged.

Katara's torturous fingers pawed at my robes desperate to touch the blazzing skin beneath.

She broke away breathless, her cheeks heated furiously from our bout, or maybe my closeness. I wasn't sure which. I was sure my pale cheeks looked no better. Her fingers danced up to my hair, her eyes leaving me for a moment before she slid out the pin lifting up the clip undoing my hair knot. Silky black locks falling in a curtain around my face.

"You're so beautiful." But it wasn't me who spoke, it was her lips that formed the words as she looked at me. Into me. Her words shocked me. I had been called a lot of things but beautiful was never one of them. Katara's icy fingers ghosting across my scar.

I couldn't bring myself to look away, my eyes followed a quick path down her body. Either thigh straddled my waist and I wondered when she slipped into my lap. The mocha skin of her thighs contrasted the white shift making her complexion seem darker than it really was.

She looked sheepish when my eyes locked back on hers as she slowly slid off my hips and back on the ground next to me.

Her fingers pushed the hair out of my eyes so she could look at me once more. Then I felt the betrayal slide across her face. Whereas I was broken off from Mai, Katara wasn't so separated.

But she didn't speak, and she certainly didn't back away. She was as entranced as I was. Trying to understand what we unwittingly just started.

"Katara?!"

The sound of her name being spoken sent us both flying out of our skin. We watched as Suki and Sokka rounded the corner. Katara stood immediately. She and Suki spoke quietly as Sokka approached me.

'Oh Agni, I just made out with his sister.' I watched Suki pick up Katara's outer coat and Katara's face looking apologetic as Suki led her away.

I stood and Sokka eyed my headpiece discarded on the ground, I picked it up. "It's not what it looks like.." my words sounded feeble at best. I was never a good liar. Sokka sighed audibly. "I don't know the ins and outs of your relationship with my sister. But I did just see her literally sitting in your lap."

I could feel the blush burn it's way up my neck and into my cheeks. I wanted to feel ashamed, but I didn't. "Aang is your friend, I for one, don't know what's going on with her and him but what I just witnessed wasn't exactly appropriate. How long have you been bedding my sister?"

The words almost made me choke, my cheeks flaming. I held up my hands in defense, "Nonono, Sokka her and I-we..I've never even...that's the first time we've even kissed! I would never…" my fumbling seemed to convince him and he sighed in relief.

He clapped me on the back, "Thank the Spirits, I really thought I was going to have to punch you in the face.."

He cleared his throat, "Clearly this is a new development, I encourage you to stop before this whole thing goes too far. I know how the people of your nation view my sister and the water tribes, she sent me a letter detailing what happened in her first council meeting.

"As much as I value couples from different nations…do you really think this is wise? It's only going to end in heartbreak, you won't be able to give each other everything you need to be completely happy. And I don't know how it would look for Katara to be seeing the Fire Lord.

"But I also value my sisters happiness. I am no fool. I saw the way she looked at you. The decision is ultimately yours and how you wish to proceed, but if you break my sisters heart, Fire Lord or not, I will kill you."

He looked at me once more, his glare enough to slice me in half, a look I haven't seen since I showed up at their camp and asked to join their team. I watched him walk away.

"What have I done, mom.." I whispered to the water below me expecting her to pop out of it.

Her answer never came.