Zuko had not felt any joy or hope when he first heard that Azula's new hiding place had been discovered, nor when she was captured. He had never wanted to play this game, but by this point he was almost completely sure there was no way for him or his sister to win, and neither of them would ever be freed from it. Not that Azula wanted to be freed from it. Why should she? She always had the upper hand while he was never even taught the rules.
He would always resent everyone for constantly forcing him to keep this insanity alive, for not allowing him to break this cycle. From the moment their father started putting them against each other, they were doomed. Azula was Ozai's favorite, while Zuko was favored by Ursa and Iroh. His sister was the brilliant, cunning firebending prodigy, but he was the heir by right. His disgrace was her glory, and his ascension was her downfall. And even now that he was Fire Lord and the war was over, the whole world, even his friends and what was left of his family was counting on him to either defeat or kill her.
I'm sorry it has to end this way, brother.
He had not believed her when she told him that, but now he did. She had seen him as more than a rival a few times, and even brought him home. Yet it had not been enough. Nothing either of them did was ever enough. He tried fighting her, imprisoning her, forgetting her, joining her... nothing worked.
Yet none of his attempts to fix this had ever been more disastrous than when he tried to save her. He sent her to a good hospital, full of kind, brilliant professionals who could help her. He would visit her almost daily, giving her all the support she needed and more. He found their mother had made her sort things out with Azula, and made Iroh admit he had been unfair to her as well. He forgave her for everything she did, pardoned all of her crimes, taught her how to use her firebending for something other than hurting people, had Mai and Ty Lee visit her, had his friends tell her they were impressed by her progress, and most important of all, he had spent three long years proving that, despite of everything, he still loved her.
That had been his mistake. No matter how hard he tried, Zuko couldn't fool her. Azula knew what he actually wanted from her. He couldn't hide how he yearned, ached and burned for her. He couldn't make her believe he was not in love with her. She had tried to force him to admit it, and when he refused, she found a way to escape the hospital. For the past four years, he'd hear from her every other week - how she infiltrated the New Ozai society and destroyed them, how she hunted down his enemies, how she almost killed their father... and how she didn't even try to pretend she didn't do it all for love.
Her affection had been far more destructive than her hatred had ever been. She was this almost supernatural being that terrified the world as she left a trail of blood and ashes behind her. Most people were too scared to even come near him, and no woman was insane enough to want to become Fire Lady - not while Azula was still out there somewhere.
And Zuko hated to admit, but even before that was the case and long before Azula fell for him, whenever he would lay with a woman, he would find himself fighting the urge to say the wrong name - the right name. He would try to find love with someone else, yet always long to be in his sister's arms. She had poisoned his heart and mind a long time ago, but knowing that she was now waiting for him, wanting him... it killed him, because he knew he shouldn't go after her. No matter how much he wanted to.
So she'd come to him. Out of the blue or with a warning. Early in the morning, then late at night. Hidden in plain sight, both in the moonlight in the bright sunshine. Invading the palace or allowing herself to get caught by one of the hundreds of men that were trying to find her. Over and over, always escaping after a few days. People were afraid of her, and they expected their Fire Lord to do something. To lock her somewhere she wouldn't ever be able to escape, to take away her bending, or even kill her. But above all they wanted him to prove he did not feel the same sick, twisted love she was so proud of.
But he couldn't. And he wouldn't. When he went to visit her in prison to try one last time to put an end to all of this, he was already doomed.
His sister was his life. She was his whole world; she always had been. Even when he convinced himself he hated her, he had actually been trying to prove his worth to her. If he wasn't good enough to have her, then at least he'd be good enough to fight her. And now she was more than willing to give him everything he had ever wanted. How was he supposed to pretend he didn't love her when he had spent all those years worshiping her?
Just the mere sight of her made his heart skip a beat. Even wearing bland, grey prison clothes, chained up and behind bars she still looked like a princess - like a queen.
They had a special cell made up for her, and said cell was a room within a room. She was locked behind bars and held back by the strongest chains they had, both on her wrists and on her ankles. Yet there was still a metal door separating her from the rest of the prison, and there always at least seven guards at said door - and it took three official commands and a threat from Zuko to make them leave. He didn't want anyone listening to their conversation... or at least that was what he told himself. Azula, as usual, knew better.
"Brother, you've finally come to see me" her voice sounded like the sweetest melody in the world. She was sitting on her bed - it was small, but just as comfortable as any bed in the palace. He couldn't help treating her differently than the other prisoners.
"This has to stop, Azula" he said, locking the door behind him, but not daring to take a single step further. He trusted Azula and knew she wouldn't attack him, but he didn't trust himself around her "What you're doing is not right and it's making our nation unstable again. You say you care about me, so stop causing trouble" he tried being as firm as possible.
"I do care about you" she got up, wrapping her delicate hands around the steel bars keeping her separate from him "Which is why I won't stop. I can't rest while there's still any living person who wants to cause you harm."
"I don't want this, Azula. I don't want any more bloodshed, I don't want you to keep turning everything into a war, and I don't want you to be my prisoner."
She offered him a perverse smirk "What do you want from me then, My Lord?"
The malice in her words sent shivers down his spine, and his back hit the wall behind him as if he were being pinned to it. Yet there was also an opposing force trying to lure him to his sister, like her very soul was calling out for his.
Closer.
"I want you to truly try to heal. And I want you to find someone who loves you."
"You love me" she started to argue and he sighed.
"I don't love you like that" he said it said a million times, and each time it sounded even more false, and did nothing but hurt both of them.
"Liar" he could hear the anger in her voice, and saw as her face started to twitch "I see the way you look at me. You can lie to everyone else, but not to me, Zuzu."
"There are better men than me..."
"I want you" she threw her body forward, her hands still holding on to the steel bars, yet the hurt he could hear made Zuko forget for a moment that Azula wouldn't be able to break said bars. She looked at him with sad, desperate eyes "You love me, Zuzu. I know you do. Why are you still trying to deny it? Why are you still rejecting me after everything I did for you?"
The pain in her voice broke his heart. Without even realizing what he was doing, he took a step towards her "Azula, please don't do this."
"Why are you ashamed of loving me?" she sounded so sweet, so fragile...
Closer.
One more step and then another "I'm sorry, but it's just not right."
"Don't you want me?"
He held on to the steel bars and felt his entire body getting warmer when Azula covered his hands with hers. His heart was beating impossibly fast and he could barely breathe. Being so close to her was making his head spin. His eyes betrayed him, taking in the alluring sight - Azula's golden eyes burning with passion, her perfect lips, the blush in her cheeks, her long dark hair framing her face... the swell of her breasts, the flat of her stomach, the curve of her hips...
Would it really be so wrong to give her the love she craved? To give Azula what was rightfully hers? To give in and do what they both wanted to do? Didn't they deserve it after all those years of everything and everyone standing in their way?
His sister noticed his momentary weakness and offered him that malicious smile he knew so well "Don't you want me, Zuzu?" she asked again, in a low, sultry voice, her need for him almost tangible.
"More than I've ever wanted anything in my entire life" he whispered, feeling both relieved and suffocated by his own words, but unable to hold back anymore. He was aching for her and he was beyond tired of denying it.
Azula smiled and repeatedly kissed his hands. Zuko felt like every spot her lips touched was on fire. When she looked up and locked eyes with him, he couldn't help but to lean in, every second he spent waiting to feel her lips on his becoming more and more agonizing. Her brief, tender kiss made him burn. She kissed him again and he pressed his body up against the bars of her cell. Her tongue toyed with his and explored his mouth, making his head feel lighter like he was drunk.
His sister broke the kiss and hit her chains against the cold steel that kept them separated "Come closer, Zuzu"
Clumsily, the young Fire Lord moved away and fumbled with the keys until he opened the door to her cell, getting in and pulling his sister in for a long, tight embrace, kissing her hair, forehead, nose, cheeks, jaw, and lips.
"Free me" she demanded, but Zuko just pulled, tugged and twisted the chains on her wrists, making her cry out in pain and preventing her from moving her arms.
He pressed her against the wall, sucking and biting at her neck, leaving marks all over her pale skin, loving her little gasps and moans almost as much as he loved her continuing to struggle to break his grip and get rid of the chains. He had to pull away when she almost breathed fire on him.
"Free me. Now"
Zuko smirked and let go of the chains, getting the keys to free her. He kissed her wrists, then knelt on the floor, removing the chains from her ankles. Azula brought a hand to his hair, grabbing and pulling it, making him grimace. He grabbed the back of her knees and made her wrap her legs around him as he got up. She laced his neck with her arms and kissed him deeply.
He took her to bed and got on top of her. Azula removed his headpiece and threw it aside, immediately switching their positions, straddling him and rubbing up against his erection. As she took off her shirt, Zuko ran his hands up her stomach, then removed her chest-bindings, cupping and squeezing her breasts, teasing her nipples. His sister kissed his cheek and nipped at his ear, sucking the lobe into her mouth.
The second he pinned her to the bed again and started removing his robes, Azula sat up and practically ripped his clothes off of him, making him smirk. Once she was done, Zuko grabbed her by her hair, kissing her roughly. His sister moaned against his mouth and pulled him closer. She lied back and he took off her pants and panties, spreading her legs and placing himself in between them. He moaned and shivered as he penetrated her, fully inserting his cock into her, and simply staying there, feeling her walls squeezing him.
Azula's expression was pure lust and desire. She drew his face in for a kiss and smiled into it as he started thrusting, slowly at first, but still deep and hard. His sister moved her hips, trying to make him go faster. He smirked and grabbed her hips with enough force to bruise, keeping her in place, creating just enough heat to come dangerously close to burning her delicate skin.
"We're doing this my way, Azula" he could barely even recognize his own voice "Don't move"
When she disobeyed him, he burned her, making her cry out.
"Am I gonna have to chain you up again?" he snarled at her.
Despite the pain, Azula smirked "You'd like that wouldn't you? Maybe I'll let you do that some other time, but not now, love" she said, caressing his cheek "I want it fast"
Zuko grabbed her wrist and pined it above her head "Brat" he kissed her and started moving again, his sister meeting him thrust for thrust, burying her nails on his arms and back as he gave it to her rough. She bit his neck and made him hiss in pain. Zuko shifted in the bed, bringing his head lower so he could suck and bite her tits, soiling his sister's pale flesh as she moaned for him.
He pulled away and fucked her as fast as he could, holding on to one of her legs and keeping it up so he could go as deep as possible. Azula had tears in her eyes and was screaming impossibly loud. Zuko didn't mind it one bit. He wanted everyone to hear her crying out his name.
"What's the matter, Azula? Didn't you want it fast?" he taunted, twisting one of her nipples, making her contort in pain. When let go of it, she grabbed his hand and made him do it again, her other hand moving to her clit, teasing herself as he fucked her hard. Her golden eyes were locked on his, staring in pure adoration. He wouldn't be able to leave her ever again. He wanted to see that look in her eyes every single day, for the rest of their lives.
Azula's movements became clumsy and erratic, her body starting to shake violently as she reached her peak. The sight of her completely out of control due to the overwhelming pleasure he gave her was the final straw, and Zuko rutted in her. But he wasn't satisfied. He kissed her desperately as he continued fucking her, feeling his sister mark his back with her nails and with little sparks of her fire, like he had done to her hips - he knew she would make him pay for that, and if that was his punishment, he didn't mind it one bit. As they reached their climax, their kiss became all teeth and tongue, and bit each other's lips bloody. Zuko's body went limp on top of her as he gasped for air.
"My Zuzu" she said, out of breath, playing with his hair and kissing his forehead "I love you."
"I love you too, Azula" he gently pressed his lips to hers "So much..."
He could feel some of his shame and guilt rushing back, but it all seemed so small and insignificant now. He finally had the woman he loved, and he would not let her go.
"I'm taking you to the palace with me" he promised, making her chuckle.
"I know, dum-dum" she switched their positions and Zuko groaned in pain as she made him lie on his back "But we are not done just yet"
She captured his lips for another fiery kiss that seemed to set him alight. Even when she had been indifferent to him, her cold demeanor had a much greater effect on him than anything any of the other women he had been with had ever done, no matter how loving they were. He simply could never give them the pure passion he felt for Azula.
And now she was demanding all of it.
She mounted him, bringing herself down hard and fast on his cock. Her cheeks were still red after all that screaming and struggling to breathe, her long, dark hair was an absolute mess, her lips were bloody and bruised, and there were marks on her neck and breasts. It all only made her look even more gorgeous to him.
His sister brought her right hand to the scar right above his heart and then started to leave small burns all over his chest. He returned the favor by marking her hips again. Azula kept riding him furiously and threw her head back, moaning loudly as he brought her to another orgasm, but did not stop moving until he spilled himself inside her.
She kissed him sweetly over and over, before just lying next to him. Zuko embraced her, keeping her close and kissing her forehead, their desperate need for each other finally satisfied.
For that moment at least.