Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender purely begins to Mike and Bryan. This is just my vain attempt to live past the series finale.

Summary: Building a new world is never easy. Years after the end of the war, one night between Zuko and Katara leads to the reveal of hidden truths and disrupts their plans of the peaceful lives they thought they'd have. Even when everything spins wild, they will always find each other. They could fight the entire Fire Nation together, but what are they willing to sacrifice when the other is on the line?

A/N: full version on AO3

Last Time...

Ignoring the way he mouthed at her neck, and was definitely leaving a mark, Katara explained, "The only reason I wanted to travel was to find a purpose. And I realized that by being the Water Tribe representative, I get to do what I want. And I get the added benefit of having a reason to see you more often. Yu Dao is much closer to the Fire Nation than the Southern Water Tribe and I figure that you'd have to visit to check in with the Fire Nation representative as well. It's just a year long position, Zuko, it's not like I'm completely throwing away my chance to travel or help others around the world. But I really think I could do some good there."

Zuko lifted his head and asked, "How often did you expect me to leave the Fire Nation to go to Yu Dao?"

Katara's cheeks pinked again. "I mean, it's not something I really thought about… Obviously, I understand if you can't visit that often. I don't expect you to abandon your country for me."

"To be honest, I was initially thinking that as Fire Lord as well as a founder of the United Republic of Nations, I should at least visit once in a while. But now that I think about it even more, quarterly visits make more sense."

Katara's cerulean eyes widened in surprise before crinkling as her lips curved into an alluring smile. "Oh they do?"

Zuko hummed thoughtfully before lowering his head again, "They do," he murmured before capturing her lips.

Sokka watched through narrowed eyes as Zuko and Katara sat across from him in the kitchen, quietly eating the breakfast they had made together. Sokka had initially raised an eyebrow at that, surprised to learn that the Fire Lord could cook. Zuko reminded the Water Tribe warrior that he had lived on a small ship for three years with a barebones crew and had been a refugee in the Earth Kingdom for several months before taking the throne. Sokka chewed on his omelette as he continued to watch the couple before reaching for his congee.

Skepticism colored his tone as he spoke through his chewing. He maintained, "We lived together for a month. How did we not know this about you?"

Zuko raised his eyes from his food to Sokka's face before sharing a look with Katara, who rolled her eyes at her brother. Zuko shrugged and said softly, "Katara knew."

Turning his attention to Katara, Sokka asked, "You knew?"

Katara pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. "Of course I knew. Zuko offered to help me with meals a little after he joined so that I wouldn't be the only one cooking for us five, plus Haru, Teo, and the Duke, and Suki, Dad, and Chit Sang once you two broke them out of the Boiling Rock. Or do you not recall how everyone was kept well-fed?"

Sokka rubbed the back of his neck nervously and gave a nervous laugh as he shrugged. "Hey, I never saw Zuko helping you. Just watched him train Aang or sulk around the temple and then he sulked the campsite and beach house when we fled the temple. I guess after we got supplies, the actual preparation of our food wasn't something I worried about."

"Believe me, Sokka, I know," Katara retorted, though she smiled at him good-naturedly. "Gran Gran and I spoiled you. It's truly a wonder how Suki deals with you," she teased.

"Besides," Zuko added, "you know how much Katara loves to dote on others." A corner of his mouth lifted into a smirk as he looked at Katara. "Always taking in strays," he said teasingly.

"Took you in, didn't I?"

"You didn't want to initially," Zuko reminded her.

Katara scowled playfully, but her cheeks pinked. "Though I hate to admit it, I can be wrong sometimes."

Zuko's smirk grew into a soft smile and he held her gaze. Sokka watched the exchange with a slack jaw before sighing loudly and continuing to eat his breakfast. Zuko's golden eyes slid to Sokka before meeting Katara's again, his tender, intimate smile turning into an understanding one. Katara turned to her brother, who was stabbing at his food.

"Sokka, I thought you weren't going to be weird about this?" she prompted.

"I made no such promise," he grumbled.

"Spirits, and I thought that you finally grew out of your immaturity. I thought it would finally be over once you got married."

"Katara, ask any man how they would react to their little sister dating their best friend and I promise you'll realize how cool I'm being right now. I could be swinging my club at Zuko's head right now. Or challenging him to a duel for your honor—"

"That is the most archaic thing—" Katara's voice rose over his.

"— but instead, I'm being pretty calm, if I do say so myself."

"— no one asked you!"

Ignoring the bickering siblings, Zuko blinked at Sokka and commented, "Well when you put it that way, I guess I wouldn't handle you dating Azula very well. But more so because I would be seriously concerned for you, not for Azula." Zuko shrugged and continued to quietly eat his breakfast.

Katara and Sokka both froze and turned to Zuko. Katara's jaw dropped before she broke out into laughter. Sokka spluttered wordlessly before brushing Zuko off, hurriedly slurping his congee before he choked on it, bits of rice flying from his mouth as he coughed and reached for his tea.

"Sokka, stop being so dramatic," Katara huffed.

She rose and stepped away from their table in the living room in order to go towards the kitchen, carrying her dirty dishes. She called over her shoulder, "Can I at least trust you two to behave while I go get a package of Toph's favorite pastries? I'll also be getting some treats for you to take back to Suki, Sokka. The least you can do is make sure that I don't come back to a destroyed house."

"Of course," Zuko said.

"Do you think I'm a complete imbecile?" Sokka retorted at the same time.

Katara smirked at her brother as she came back to the sitting room. "No comment. I'll meet you both at the Jasmine Dragon before Sokka heads back to Ember Island."

She paused before deciding to duck down and kiss Zuko on the cheek, her lips brushing against the rougher skin of his scar for a moment before she left the two men alone. The sound of the main door shutting echoed through the large house and in the meantime, Zuko blinked and felt his stomach flutter pleasantly at the lingering warmth of her kiss on his skin. He raised his eyes to find Sokka eyeing him yet again. Zuko sighed and put down his bowl of congee and raised an eyebrow expectantly.

"I thought we resolved this last night?"

"Zuko, she's my baby sister. You're going to be dealing with this for as long as you two are together."

"Sokka…" he began, "I know that this isn't what you wanted—"

"You said that you tried to hide your feelings for Katara as long as possible… exactly how long has that been?" Sokka interjected, his eyes narrow.

Gold eyes widening, Zuko answered slowly, "I'm not sure when I fell for her. I've spent literal years trying to piece it together. Whether it was during the war, after the war, I couldn't tell you. It just came out of nowhere and now I can't remember a time when I didn't feel this way."

"Right, that sounds very romantic. But it does matter. Zuko, I seem to recall that you were in a relationship with Mai after our first visit to Ba Sing Se and that you continued this relationship after the end of the war. So do you really mean to tell me that you had feelings for Katara while you were with Mai?"

"Sokka, that's not fair and you know it."

"It's fair where my sister is concerned."

"And what about when you tried to make moves on Princess Yue after meeting Suki first?" Zuko countered.

Sokka's face hardened. "Don't. That's not the same. Suki and I weren't officially together when I met Yue."

"And Mai and I weren't, either. Not when I met Katara. And isn't it the same? You mean to tell me you didn't have feelings for both girls? At pretty much the same time?"

"Zuko, I mean it."

Zuko scowled at Sokka. "So do I! I'm sorry— I know that Yue is still a sore subject for you, but can't you understand me a little bit more then? Mai was a childhood crush. And then I went back to the Fire Nation as a hero and thought I could finally have everything I wanted. At the time, I thought that meant Mai. Everything I was taught growing up meant that I was supposed to be with Mai, the daughter of a Fire Nation nobleman. I was playing the role that was expected of me— the prodigal prince who finally regained his honor. And then I broke up with her before joining you at the Western Air Temple. I thought Mai hated me until the Boiling Rock. And even then, after she admitted she loved me and saved our lives at the risk of her own freedom, I left her behind. I thought I was doing the noble thing… leaving her behind for my duty, sacrificing what I wanted for the greater good, but Sokka, if that was Suki, do you think you would've done the same thing?"

Sokka grudgingly admitted, "No. Once we found out she was there, I wouldn't have left without her. I even ruined our attack on the Day of Black Sun because I thought your sister had information on her whereabouts. I mean, she did, but of course Azula wouldn't tell me. I… I couldn't have left Suki. When we had to separate at the Western Air Temple after your sister found us, there was no way I wasn't bringing her with us on Appa."

"I finally met Katara properly at the Western Air Temple," Zuko said quietly. "Got a second chance. For her forgiveness, her friendship. The chance to truly know her. And maybe I fell for her then."

"And then you and Mai got back together after the war, which brings me back to my point."

"Aang and Katara started dating right after the war's end, too!" Zuko shook his head. "I wasn't even seventeen years old. How the hell is anyone just supposed to know? Sokka, I said it last night and I'll say it until the day I die— I know I'm not good enough for Katara. And I've never felt good enough. Not for my father, not for my people… how could I expect that it would be any different with her? After the war, she was with Aang and Mai cared for me and I cared for Mai, too. I thought that would be enough and that it was my path. That doesn't mean that any feelings I had for Katara were invalid. I wasn't even sure what my feelings were. I was trying to rebuild a country that was hated by the world and filled with people who hated me. It always seemed so effortless between Aang and Katara and that's what I thought I was craving so I ignored it and focused on my work."

"Then, Mai realized what she and I had wasn't sustainable and she broke up with me… And I didn't have a relationship to hide behind anymore. Realized that it wasn't just what Aang and Katara had… it was what Aang had that I wanted. So instead, I continued to keep my feelings to myself, ignoring them even more while I concentrated on bettering my country. I avoided visiting you all at the Southern Water Tribe— mainly because it's hard to leave the Fire Nation outside of official business, but also because how could I keep hiding this secret in front of her? And how could I just dump this onto Katara? Out of seemingly nowhere? And she was with Aang!"

Sokka watched intently as Zuko began to pace, his voice rising as his inner turmoil spilled out of him. Sokka frowned, feeling guilty for stirring him up. "Zuko, I didn't mean to—"

"But then, against all odds, she ended up coming to Ba Sing Se at the same time as me. She had broken up with Aang. I couldn't believe it. She was right here. We caught up and just talked and as we spent more time together, I felt like I could finally take a breath for the first time in years. Then after one night on cactus juice, she finally showed me that she just might feel the same way about me… and I turned her down."

"Katara was on cactus juice— wait you what?"

"I turned her down."

Sokka blinked in confusion before glaring at Zuko in suspicion. "So how exactly did we get here?"

Zuko smiled weakly. "Your sister is persistent. Well first, she was pissed, and then she was scared. But then she was persistent and then she got scared again. But I… got tired of fighting myself and I decided to let it happen and even go for it more boldly than I would have before. I realized… I want something good in my life. Sokka, I can't really make a good case except for these facts: I love Katara. I hope to Agni that Katara feels even a fraction of the same way about me. And I haven't even told her how I feel because I am terrified to death that this moment of time can pass by at any moment and that if it does, it will be my fault."

"You love Katara?"

With a shaky breath, Zuko jerked his head in a sharp nod. "I love her. Even though I know she's way out of my league," he added wryly.

Sokka's face softened and he knit his eyebrows together as he considered his next words, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Look, I meant it last night when I said that I know you're a good guy. And I shouldn't have called you a rebound or insinuated anything else like that. I'm just being an overprotective big brother. Katara dated Aang when she was barely fifteen years old. She's only been single for a few months and now she's moving on to my other best friend. I'm a little nervous, okay?"

Zuko smiled sadly. "You're a good big brother, Sokka. I wish Azula had one like you."

"C'mon, Zuko, you're a good brother. You help Azula as much as possible and you're making sure that she can't hurt herself or anyone else now. She needs you and although she won't admit it, I think she appreciates it deep down."

"Thanks." Zuko looked down at the table before clearing his throat awkwardly. He still had trouble discussing his struggle to rehabilitate his sister. "We should clean up and head to my uncle's tea shop. Katara's probably already waiting for us."

"Zuko."

Zuko raised his eyes to meet Sokka's kind gaze.

"Even though I'm her big brother, Katara has always been the one to take care of me. Katara deserves to be taken care of, too. And I know that you can do that for her. It won't be easy, mind you. You already know this, but Katara is a handful. So… I guess what I'm trying to say is good luck? But you should know that I'm going to be busting your balls throughout the entirety of your relationship."

"Wouldn't expect anything less."

The two men grinned.

Katara sighed as she and Zuko returned to their home to prepare for the closing ceremonies at the palace. After bidding Sokka farewell, they had spent two days finalizing details for the new council members' move to Yu Dao. They'd just come from the Jasmine Dragon, bidding Iroh farewell until their next trip to Ba Sing Se. Katara sighed again as she plopped onto a large cushion situated in front of the fireplace, resting an elbow on the low table and propping up her chin with her hand. Zuko obligingly lit the fireplace for her and she smiled at him in thanks.

"Spring is officially here," she murmured. "No need for a fire at night anymore. I'm not cold."

Zuko nodded and settled behind her, pulling her into his arms and encouraging her to lean against his chest. "I know," he said quietly, his breath warm against the shell of her ear. "But I know it relaxes you all the same. But whether it's the heat, the color, or the sound, I'm not quite sure of."

"You haven't figured it out yet?" Katara asked, and although Zuko couldn't see her face, he could tell that she was smiling.

He teased, "I'm trying very hard to check my pride and avoid saying that it's our fireside snuggles that relax you."

"Thank the spirits for that," Katara joked. She knit her eyebrows together and chewed on her bottom lip before asking, "I was wondering… What did you and Sokka discuss when I left you two alone the other day?"

Zuko scoffed. "What else? You."

"And?"

"And… nothing. Sokka gave me some more of his big brother speech and I had to talk to him about my feelings. You know, just a few of my favorite things."

Zuko shifted a bit as he thought back to Sokka's initial reaction to the news that they were dating. He ignored the voice in his head that suspiciously sounded like his father and focused on the truth that he knew. Sokka was his best friend. Sokka supported them. Katara stood up to Sokka to defend him and their relationship. She was all-in just a he was.

Katara chuckled lightly and the sound brought Zuko back. "I'm sure you loved it."

"Was ecstatic to do it." Zuko could hear something off in her voice and looked down, frowning as he saw the furrow in her brow, uncertainty written all over her face. "What's wrong?"

"I'm going to miss this. You," Katara admitted quietly. "I'm worried. What if the last few weeks… it's just a product of being alone in Ba Sing Se in the same house? We're going to separate soon and have to face our real lives. I'll be in Yu Dao and you'll be back in the Fire Nation. You're running a country and I guess I will be, too, and we're going from living with each other to maybe seeing other once every few months and…" Her voice faded as she continued to stare into the fire, her fears finally rising to the surface.

"Katara," Zuko said gently. "Stop worrying."

"I'm just— I get stressed and what if—"

Zuko tightened his arms around her and leaned down so that he could look her in the eye. His voice was kind and stern at the same time as he told her again, "Stop worrying. Whatever happens next, we'll handle it. We've handled much worse, you know. This will be hard, but not impossible. Okay?"

He kissed her temple tenderly and Katara closed her eyes and sighed as she intertwined her hand with one of his hands wrapped around her stomach. "Okay," she said, but Zuko could tell she wasn't completely convinced.

Zuko brushed her hair out of the way with the hand that wasn't tangled with Katara's. Then, he pressed his lips to that spot on her neck, just under her ear, that always made her sigh in a good way. As if on cue, Katara let out another breath and her eyes fluttered close, her dark lashes fanning prettily over the top of her cheeks. Zuko gently nipped at the sensitive skin before trailing his lips down to where her neck met her shoulder. He could just make out the fading bruises from when he marked her during their night together. He couldn't believe that was only a few nights ago. It felt like a lifetime had passed since.

He turned to rove his eyes over Katara's face and smiled to himself. He thought to himself that a lifetime still wouldn't be enough time to gaze at Katara's face this way. "We still have time until the closing ceremonies… I think I can use that time to convince you."

Katara's eyes opened and she turned around in his arms so that he could see her growing smile, her lips curving sensually. He saw how the bright blue of her eyes darkened tellingly, in a way that immediately had Zuko's body tensing in anticipation. "Is that a promise?" she whispered.

"Oh it's a promise," he growled. He made to lean down and capture her lips when a knock on their front door echoed through the house. Zuko groaned and let his head hang back.

Katara smiled at him apologetically before disentangling herself and heading for the door. As she looked over her shoulder, she saw Zuko throw himself completely onto the large cushion, one arm thrown over his face. She giggled and smoothed her tunic before opening the door.

She pulled up short and let out a small "Oh," in surprise.

Yang, the photographer from the Jasmine Dragon, stood at the entrance cheerfully. "Master Katara!" he greeted excitedly. He held up a bound stack of photos in his hand. "These are Councilman Sokka's photographs that he requested when we met at the Jasmine Dragon."

"Oh," Katara said again, with more recognition in her tone. She smiled and accepted the photos from him, bowing slightly in thanks. "Unfortunately, my brother already left to return to his honeymoon, but I'll make sure he gets them."

"Not to worry. He mentioned that the other night. Your brother also requested doubles so make sure to separate them before you pass them along. I'm sure he intended for you to have your own set."

Katara smiled warmly. "I will, thank you. And thank you for taking the time to humor my brother and bring these over. You didn't have to— I could have picked them up. I'm always visiting General Iroh."

Yang gave her a knowing look. "I know. But I'm happy to pay a favor to any of General Iroh's friends. And it's quite obvious that he thinks of you very highly."

A faint blush dusted over the top of Katara's cheeks. "That's sweet of you to say."

His eyes darted over her shoulder and he grinned at her. "Have a good night, Master Katara."

"You, too!" she called out as he turned and made his way down the front steps, disappearing into a carriage in front of the home. She frowned in confusion at his abrupt departure until she closed the door and turned around, her eyes landing on Zuko's taciturn expression as he stood a few feet in front of her with his arms folded over his chest. It was quite the intimidating look, she had to admit. She placed one hand on a cocked hip and raised an eyebrow at him. "Is that necessary?"

"It is when every man we run into has to flirt with you," he grumbled sourly.

"Yang wasn't flirting."

"He wanted to."

"You can't possibly know that."

Zuko rolled his eyes at her and gathered her in his arms. "Katara, I'm a man. I know it."

Katara's huff of laughter against his chest softened Zuko's expression and he pulled her back to the pile of cushions in front of the fire in the sitting room. She settled back against him and undid the knot of twine holding the stack of photos together. Zuko watched, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"These are so clear. It really is amazing what people are inventing nowadays," she murmured. She beamed at the photo of her with her father and Sokka as they were entangled in a tight hug. "Sokka was right. I do want a copy of these for myself. He's always thinking ahead."

Zuko hummed in her ear in agreement. "That's a great keepsake for you to take with you to Yu Dao," he commented. "A nice reminder of your family to have with you."

Continuing to shuffle through the photos, Katara's small smile widened and Zuko found himself staring at the radiant expression on her face instead of the photographs she was thumbing through. Then, Katara's expression turned gentle and warm and she let out a soft breath in amazement. Zuko's eyes were compelled to follow hers to find out what drew that expression.

She held a photograph of the two of them sitting next to each other at the Jasmine Dragon. He vaguely remembered that Sokka was the one to take this photo. They were leaning in towards each other, eyes only seeing each other. Katara looked up at Zuko with a loving, gentle smile and her eyes were crinkled with happiness. He was shocked to see his own countenance matching the expression, never knowing himself to show such emotion. In the photo, he stared down at Katara with obvious affection, a rare grin softening his face but lighting it up all the same.

Katara cleared her throat and after a moment, she said slowly, "I don't think Sokka needs the duplicate copy of this photo."

Zuko shook his head and pressed his lips to her temple. "No, I don't think he does. I think the second copy should go to me."

"I was hoping you'd say that." She worried her bottom lip as she continued to stare at the photo. "I don't understand…"

Frowning, he asked, "Katara?"

"How could I not see this? How were you able to hide your feelings for so long? How could I not realize that I felt this way about you, too? It's not just something that sprang up now. The proof is right here and I wasted so much time because I was afraid — afraid of hurting Aang, afraid of getting hurt myself. We could have had more time together if we just—"

"Katara."

She looked up at him, the authority in his voice compelling her, and Zuko immediately felt a pang in his chest at the anxious set of her mouth. "All that matters is that we're here now," he said simply, his voice calm and reassuring.

"How can you just know that?"

"I never thought that I'd be so lucky to get to this point… You agreeing to be with me at all in any capacity is a gift in and of itself and all the extra time we get is a bonus. I never thought it was a possibility. So I don't want to worry about what could have been when I can enjoy having you here with me now."

Zuko was taken aback when Katara threw the stack of photos onto the table and turned around again, straddling his lap as she rose above him, holding his face in her hands. She began to lightly pepper kisses over his face and she smirked when Zuko closed his eyes to her ministrations.

"You're right. No more worrying," she told him, purposefully pressing her lips against his scar. Katara's heart ached at the way Zuko's eyes shot open in surprise and with clear intention, she repeated the action, kissing the rough skin without hesitation. "Now where were we?"

Zuko's grin was predatory as he gripped her hips, pressing her closer. Katara giggled, the sound turning into a breathy sigh as she felt his hard length against her core, his heat and need matching hers.

"We were heading to my bed," he rasped out, choking back a gasp as Katara rolled her hips purposefully against him.

He managed to get to his feet with her in his arms. Katara relished in Zuko's show of strength as he carried her across the room before he braced her against a wall to kiss her again. She continued to grind her hips against him, her ankles crossing over his lower back.

Zuko groaned again and broke away, his nose brushing against hers as he panted, "Katara, if you don't stop that, we're not going to make it to the bed."

"What if I don't want to make it to the bed?" Katara countered, ducking her head for a heated kiss. Her resultant moans were swallowed by him, but the muffled sounds keyed him up nonetheless.

Zuko knew that she would be the death of him, but that it would be the most exquisite death.

Breaking away again with another breathless gasp, Zuko pressed their foreheads together. "As enticing as that sounds, you minx, if this is our last night together for a few months, we'll spend it on a bed."

Katara shivered at the roughness of his voice, the way his gold eyes darkened promisingly. She gulped before reminding him, "We still have the closing ceremonies to attend tonight. We have after to spend on a bed."

Grinning roguishly at her, Zuko teased, "There's an after? We've got an early morning tomorrow. Are you sure that's the wisest decision?"

Katara gripped the back of his head, her fingers twisting into the dark strands tightly before bringing his face close to hers. "As long as you give me what I want, there'll be a now and an after," she growled against his lips. She clung to him tightly and arched against him.

Zuko's breath huffed over her lips as he laughed lightly between kisses. "I'm more than happy to give you anything you want, Katara. Anything you need."

His smirk deepened as he felt how Katara shivered at his tone. Katara could only recall how her brain went fuzzy from his voice, rough with desire, and the way his lips pressed against hers again as he pulled at the sash holding her tunic closed.

That's how she soon found herself completely naked, still pressed against the wall, Zuko's lips persistent against hers in a slow, passionate kiss with one hand tangled in her tresses while the other rushed between her legs. Her tunic and leggings had been tossed somewhere over Zuko's shoulder, her sarashi in a pile at their feet. She had also managed to tug Zuko's shirt over his head so she could rake her nails over his back.

"Zuko," she gasped. "Please."

Zuko asked heatedly, "Is this what you want? What you need?"

Katara bowed her back and grit out a throaty, "Yes."

"You want it now?"

"Spirits, yes, Zuko—"

Katara let out a strangled gasp at the way his teeth dug into her neck, knowing that new lovebites would bloom.

Zuko wrenched them away from the wall to lay Katara back down on the pile of cushions they had left in front of the fireplace. Katara whined as he pulled away, rising up on her elbows to follow after him. Zuko made a scolding sound, just a click of his tongue, and Katara instinctively halted, watching as he quickly removed his pants and underwear. Zuko smirked as he watched Katara's stormy eyes, watching him greedily until her gaze fell on his erection. The way she stared at him possessively and her breasts rose with each breath was ratcheting up his arousal and as soon as he completely disentangled from his clothing, he climbed over her, kissing her while he skimmed his hands up from her hips to her breasts, teasing the dusky tips.

Katara's hands roamed over his broad back as she rocked her hips against him, the brush of her heat causing him to falter and break away from her lips, instead burying his face into the crook of her neck, trailing kisses down until he mouthed at her breast, taking a nipple into his mouth. Regaining his self-control, Zuko laved over the sensitive bud with his tongue, before gently biting along the mound and relishing in her whimpering as she felt the jolt in her veins from the pleasure-pain mix.

Having had enough, Katara grabbed for him. Once more, Zuko's self-control wavered and he groaned lowly against her breast, his eyes closing as he savored the feeling. Just as Katara felt a deep satisfaction at knowing she could affect him just as much as he affected her, Zuko grabbed her hands and pinned them above her head with one hand. The heat in Katara's lower abdomen flared and her body shook in anticipation.

"Tell me, Katara," Zuko commanded, his golden eyes blown with lust and his lips pulled back in a near snarl. "Say it," he hissed.

Katara tried to lift up against the hold he had on her wrists, not because she was afraid of him, but because she was so desperate to touch him. She attempted to roll her hips against him, but Zuko leaned back each time so that he was out of reach.

In light censure, he nipped lightly at her bottom lip and he urged her again, "Come on, gorgeous. Tell me."

Between the heat of his bare chest rubbing against her, the heat of his breath as he panted against her, and the heat in his eyes, Katara relented and locked eyes with him before she said in a quiet, almost shy voice, "Zuko, please, I want you. I need you." She whimpered, almost babbled, "I want to feel you. Need you. Please touch me, make me yours."

Zuko's eyes widened and after using his free hand to grip her hip, he pressed into her completely in one smooth motion. "Good girl," he growled as he settled into a rhythm.

Afterwards, he gently settled atop her, bringing her hands to his lips to kiss them affectionately. Katara smiled at him as she brushed the sweaty strands of dark hair out of his eyes, her hands automatically moving in soothing circles on his back as they lay tangled together. Their damp skin felt cool as they lay bare on the scattered cushions, despite the nearby fire.

"Katara?"

Katara's eyes had closed and she could only hum in response, her face sated and dreamy. Zuko grinned and kissed her cheek before folding her into his arms.

"Katara?" he asked again.

"I'm fine Zuko," she sighed, her voice still dazed. "Spirits, that was good."

Zuko chuckled, the sound rich and warm and it made Katara shudder again, her arousal still floating around her. Zuko smirked as he stroked her messy hair. "As much as I'd love to do that again, we do have to get cleaned up and ready for the closing ceremonies now. Remember, you're representing both of the Water Tribes."

Katara's eyes flew open and she looked from his satisfied smirk to the waning light that came in through the window. She groaned and let her head flop back onto his arm. "We're going to be late, aren't we?"

Zuko kissed her quickly. "Don't forget, you promised me after."

Katara started to scramble and Zuko tightened his hold on her to slow her down. "It'll be okay, Katara," he assured her before grinning. "You know… We'll save time if we share a shower."

He watched as Katara blinked at him impassively before her cheeks colored again and she bit on her lower lip. Looping her arms around the back of his neck, she relented, "Well you are the one who's been to more of these things than me. I'll defer to your expertise."

Zuko's heated look caused Katara's core to throb again. But soon, she was trembling with laughter instead as he scooped her up in his arms and carried her into his bathroom.

"We're sharing the shower then."