Second chapter of what I'm thinking is going to be 4 for this story. Had intended to leave it as a single chapter, or like multiple singles, but had this idea pop into my head so BAM, here we are. This one is a little more dialog heavy than the previous one, and a little hitch up in spiciness, but still not quite up to the standards I have for myself. Many thanks to those of you who commented on the first chapter, it really does mean alot to me. I am planning to keep sailing this ship, hopefully I'll be the captain of it at some point.
In this chapter, Suki is looking forward to some R&R after a long day, but things for main characters never go 100% to plan. Her and Ty Lee have a heart to heart about the situation with our favorite acrobat and a certain Fire Lord. Thoughts always welcome, and hope you all enjoy it.
Chapter 2: Burning Like Summer
"Okay girls, make sure to keep a close eye out, be safe, and I'll see you in the morning," Suki spoke to the Kyoshi Warriors who were relieving her for the night.
"Yes, ma'am," the pair of them spoke in unison, offering a small salute before their leader made her way off of the balcony. Boots clicked as she made her way across the floor of the Fire Lord's bedroom, stopping a short distance from her charge as he sat at his desk, poring over a mountain of documents.
"I think it'll be fine, but call for me if anything happens, alright?" she asked to the older boy, brow raising slightly at the mildly strained look crossing his face.
"Yeah, I know. Just make sure you get some rest tonight, Suki," he spoke in return, forcing a smile to his face as he subtly nodded his head.
'You're the one who needs some sleep,' Suki thought to herself, fighting with herself to ask what was stressing him out. It seemed a bit different than the usual governmental stuff, more like he just had something on his mind. Internally shaking her head, she turned to leave the room, bowing politely before moving past the large double doors.
"I wonder what's on his mind. He's so hard to read sometimes," the young woman mumbled to herself, remembering the times he had gotten himself in trouble for not opening up more to the people around him who genuinely cared for him. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she came to the decision to ask the one who had been spending the most time with him recently what could be on his mind.
After she took a nice, relaxing bath, she'd make sure to get the details from Ty Lee.
The distance between Zuko's bedroom and her own was not necessarily a long one, but the idea of relaxing in the large, ornately decorated royal bath hall had her trying to somehow will herself to simply appear there. Propping open the door to her own suite, she quickly removed her Kyoshi Warrior garb, hanging the dark green kimono on a rack set to the side. Boots, weaponry, armor all settled into their designated places, leaving the young woman clad simply in her undergarments.
Taking the opportunity to look herself over in the mirror, Suki grabbed at a small cloth on the edge of her vanity, wiping at the white and red makeup adorning her face to expose the smooth, softly tanned features beneath. Once she had removed as much of the makeup as she could, she tossed the towel in a small basket next to the heavy furniture, turning in each direction to admire her toned body.
"Looking good," Suki said to herself, teasingly pursing her lips at the sight of herself in the mirror. Sokka's sense of vanity had rubbed off on her in small ways, ways that she tried her very best to hide from other people. Never wanting to give off a sense of arrogance, confidence was definitely something to be applauded, and she definitely knew she had a body to be proud of.
Letting out a small giggle as she turned from the mirror, the young woman made her way to the dresser, grabbing a pair of panties and bra to wear after her bath. Setting the undergarments atop her bed, she reached for the green robe hanging on the inside of the bathroom door, slipping her slender arms through the soft, silky fabric. Padding her way towards the bathroom, she grabbed the dark red towel, folding the cloth neatly in her arms before resting the undergarments on top.
Once she had gathered all the necessities, Suki made her way out of her bedroom, footsteps quickening as she found herself anxious to dip into the heated bath to soak away the hints of stress of the day. One of the many perks of working for royalty was the ready availability of luxuries that showed the advanced technologies and practices of the Fire Nation.
Slipper encased feet padded through the dimly lit hallways of the Fire Nation palace, long auburn locks swaying against the small of her back as she made her way to the bath hall. It being so late at night, there were fewer servants and diplomats around, making it a bit more comfortable to make it through the fire lit halls.
As she approached the bath house, she bowed politely to the guards, watching as one opened the door for her with a noble bow of her own. The sound of the door closing behind her gave her a small peace of mind, knowing that there was always security at such sensitive positions.
"Seems like I'm the only one here," Suki mused to herself, a wide grin gracing her face as she scanned the expanse of the room. Heading off to one side, the young woman set herself in front of one of the storage bins used to hold clothing and other such items. Hooking her slender digits into the waistband of her underwear, she slipped the snugly fitting cloth down her legs, a small hitch hiccuping through her as the cool air passed across the now bare skin of her most sensitive spot.
A second twinge of heat flushed her face as she removed the bra, peachy toned nipples hardening naturally upon exposure to the fresh air. Feeling distinctly exposed, Suki was immensely grateful that she was the only one in the hall at the moment. Grabbing her towel, she set the small container in an ebony toned cubby, wrapping the cotton material around her body.
But as she made her way to the bath proper, turquoise eyes narrowed a bit as she heard soft sloshes of water sounding from the bath. 'So much for being the only one here,' she thought to herself, a heavy sigh escaping her lush lips at the realization.
Bare skin at the soles of the feet on tile sounded softly in her ear, slowly being drowned out by the growing volume of the movement in water ahead of her as she approached. A slender figure was silhouetted by the steam, causing the skilled warrior to narrow her eyes to try and make out the face of the girl in the bath.
'Who would be playing in the… water… at…' all thought seemed to cease as the steam cleared enough to give her a clearer image of the scene playing out in front of her. The temperature in her soft cheeks spiked, heart beating a notch faster at the sight held within her blue eyes.
Resting near the edge of the large bath, Ty Lee was resting on the small step within the water, long legs obscured by the hot water. Long chocolate tinted locks fanned out behind her atop the smooth surface, a few strands stuck to her shoulders and cheeks as she flexible girl leaned her head back lazily. From her vantage point, Suki could see that the younger girl's eyes were closed, right arm tensed at her side, brushing her breast with each movement.
The left hand was idly clutching at her exposed breasts, kneading the bountiful flesh and rolling the erect nipple between her fingers. Soft moans emanated from the lips of her subordinate and friend, but Suki felt her eyes drifting to the source of the swishing of the water that filled her ears.
Slender digits had slipped beneath the surface of the water, creating small ripples as her fingers disappeared between spread thighs. Ty Lee nibbled at her bottom lip as her hand seemed to cup her womanhood, two fingers slipping in and out of her sweet honey pot. Water splashed against the edge of the bath, in time with the slow, deliberate movements of Ty Lee's hand beneath the surface of the water.
Suki felt a small trickle of moisture beginning to coat her own pussy, causing her to lazily rub her thighs together. 'I wonder how long it'll take her to realize someone is standing here,' she thought simply, watching as Ty Lee fingered herself, lips parted as heavier moans began to sound out in the otherwise empty room.
"Mmmm… Zuko…" the acrobatic girl's voice dripped with lustful want, fingers moving with a quicker rhythm in and out of her, legs spreading a bit wider beneath the surface of the water. The Fire Lord's name brought Suki back to reality, forcing her to avert her eyes away from her long time friend.
"Ty Lee?" she asked, causing the other girl to freeze, twin fingers buried firmly within her warmth. After an agonizing moment, the two found their eyes locked, Suki smiling shyly as Ty Lee's cheeks jumped in tint, a heavy red tone coloring the round cheeks.
"Suki… How long have you been there?" the embarrassment was obvious on the words that slipped slowly from her lips.
"I just got here…" she lied, not wanting to increase the awkwardness of the moment.
"Did you-"
"...hear you moaning Zuko's name while you were masturbating?" Suki continued the other girl's question, indicating that she had indeed witnessed what Ty Lee had probably most wanted to avoid being heard.
"Oh my gosh," the Fire Nation girl seemed lost, panic swirling in her eyes as she tried clumsily to cover herself, water splashing as she removed herself from the heated bath. "I'm sorry, geez this is so embarrassing," words sounded weakly, limbs reaching in a highly uncoordinated fashion for a towel or something to cover her nakedness.
"It's alright, Ty, just calm down," Suki tried to sound reassuring, watching her friend scramble to cover herself. "Is there anything you want to talk about?" she asked, smiling wide as the other girl seemed to come back to herself for a moment.
Taking advantage of the clarity passing over the situation, Suki dropped her towel, idly comparing her chest to Ty Lee's as she made her way towards the water. "You really have a nice body, Ty," she complimented the other girl as she dipped her toes into the water, a contented sigh as more of her body dipped into the hot water. All the tension of the day just seemed to melt away, eyes closing as she savored the heat spreading along her skin.
"Thanks…" Ty Lee said weakly, brown bangs hanging in front of her eyes as the rest cascaded teasingly along her back, coming to a stop just above the curve of her well toned butt.
"So, what's on your mind?" the leader of the Kyoshi warriors asked the younger woman, one brow raising quizzically as she moved her head to face the other girl. Water dripped lazily down the slender girl's body, the small beads catching the gentle fire light as they ran along trails moving down towards her feet.
Her friend seemed like she was thinking for a moment, a small fidget apparent in her body causing a gentle swaying of her breasts. "It's nothing," she said softly, unsure if she should really tell the whole story.
"Where have I heard that before? You might be spending too much time with our esteemed Fire Lord," Suki joked a bit, earning her a small giggle from her younger friend.
"Do you think so?"
"I'm kidding with you, geez," Suki rolled her eyes teasingly as she leaned against the edge of the bath, shifting her head to indicate Ty Lee should join her.
"No, I've already been in the bath a pretty long time, so I feel kind of dizzy," Ty Lee excused, wrapping her towel around her body, the fabric straining a bit around the chest. Once she was covered she sat on the edge of the bath, dipping her feet idly into the steamy water.
"I hope you weren't doing that the whole time," the elder girl said half jokingly.
"Once or twice…" Ty Lee felt the embarassment return.
"Once or twice before I came in?" she asked, feeling a little awkward at the idea that she was stewing in girl juice. A subtle nod of the younger girl's head gave her the answer, causing her to leave the water, a heavy sigh accompanying the motion as her ideal relaxation time was more or less ruined. "I'll have to get the water replaced before anyone else uses the bath," she mused, heading towards the shower area off to the side.
"Sorry…"
"It's okay, but you really should do that kind of stuff in your own room, you know?" Suki spoke beneath the running water, still feeling a bit of relief under the hotness from the shower head.
"I know. I just couldn't help it." Ty Lee spoke softly as her older friend rinsed herself in the shower, water pattering against the intricately carved marble floor as she ran soap along her toned frame.
"So…" the older girl spoke gently as she turned off the faucet, grabbing the towel from the nearby rack to help dry herself off, "what's up with you and Zuko?"
"I don't know," the brunette kept her gaze pointedly at the water surrounding her feet, watching the ripples move across the surface with each movement. Her friend took a seat next to her, joining her in idly moving her feet through the hot water.
"But something happened, right?"
"You could say that," Ty Lee began, a swell of warmth in her chest as she remembered back to their kiss a few weeks earlier. "One day after one of his meetings, I could tell Zuko was kind of stressed, so I asked him what was wrong."
"And he said "it's nothing", right?"
"Pretty much." The two girls shared a small chuckle at the thought, each having spent enough time over the years to get a good hold on what kind of responses he tended to give when he was asked if something was going on. "But I could tell there was something wrong, and I was so mad that he just tries to do everything by himself, so I kind of lost my temper and yelled at him, telling him that he's not in this alone, ya know?"
"That sounds like something he'd need. I'm guessing he didn't take it well?" Suki inquired, casting her gaze over towards her friend.
"Actually, he kind of froze during it, then afterwards he kissed me," Ty Lee's voice seemed to flutter at the thought, her stomach churning with butterflies as a warm smile passed over her lips.
"Wait," the Kyoshi girl said somewhat dumbfounded, "he kissed you? Like, his lips on your lips?" it was proving difficult to imagine. Not that it was hard to picture her liking him, but her bright, bubbly demeanor always seemed to bother Zuko to some degree.
"Yeah. And it was… Suki, I felt like I fell in love all over again as soon as he did it. Like there were little explosions, and the whole world just disappeared," the dreamy, cotton candy like words flowed smoothly from the acrobat's lips, painting what seemed like a hyper idealized version of what might have happened.
"So, you guys are like seeing each other, or…?" had she really been so blind? Suki had always gotten hints that Ty Lee had a little crush on Zuko, with how willingly she would volunteer for guard duty. Or to spar with Zuko in their free time… or spend pretty much any spare moment the last month or so with him. 'How did I not realize it?' she scolded herself, her mind awhirl with thoughts on the subject.
"No!… I don't know, kind of?" Ty Lee seemed confused about the situation herself. "Like we had this super special moment, but really nothing happened after that. We've just been spending more time talking, getting to know each other, and I don't want to just come off as a floozy or some bimbo trying to get into his bed because he's the Fire Lord."
"I'm pretty sure he knows you better than that," Suki offered up in comfort, but seeing the particular dilemma. Zuko would struggle to make that move, to push things to another level even if it was something he wanted. Not that she knew for sure how he felt about Ty Lee deep down.
"I know. He's so sweet when he's not all stressed out and stuff." the younger girl spoke gently, seeming to get lost in her thoughts for a moment.
"What happened after that, then?"
"Nothing really. I just try to show him that he's not alone, that he can talk to me and stuff. And he has opened up a little more, so that's all I can ask for as his friend. But like those times when we spar, or practice or whatever, any time our bodies come in contact it's like little zaps of electricity run through my whole body," she spoke, wrapping her arms snugly around her chest to show the comfort she had felt.
"Still not getting how you get from that to… you know…" Suki was trying her best to be tactful about the situation she had walked in on.
"Well, imagine if you and Sokka were not dating, but you always managed to come in really close, physical contact," Ty Lee explained, eliciting a blush from her older friend. "Or like, if you're training or whatever, and there was these moments where your butt rubs against his… you know," here it was Ty's turn to feel a bit awkward painting the picture she was wanting to get across.
"Yeah, I guess that would kind of make things tough," the auburn haired girl gave her acknowledgement, a pang of arousal surging through her body. 'Ugh when is Sokka going to be here,' she thought with a tone of frustration, knowing that her boyfriend was set to visit her in the coming days… she hoped. "So, why don't you just tell him you're in love with him?" she asked her friend, trying to force her libido to subside as much as possible.
The limber young woman's legs stopped moving, the ripples in the water dying down. Brown hair hung in front of her face, obscuring her eyes as she seemed stuck on a thought lodged in her mind.
"It's not that easy. What if he doesn't feel the same way?" an unusual hesitance sounded in Ty's voice as she spoke, arms dropping lazily to her sides.
"Do you really think he would just kiss someone he didn't feel that way about? He doesn't seem like the type to just play with a girl's feelings like that."
"I don't know, Sukes. I've never felt this way before. It feels like my whole body is just going to explode everytime I'm around him, everytime we so much as have hands brush against each other it feels like I've gotten burned, and it's hard to even be his guard because I just want to stare and lose myself in his eyes," Ty Lee spoke genuinely, a painful mixture of hesitance, uncertainty but with a dash of hope.
"Sounds like you've got it bad. Do you think he feels the same way?"
"You know he's hard to read sometimes."
"That's true. Must come with the territory of growing up as royalty and all that stuff."
"So it's hard. Because whenever I see him stressed or worrying about stuff or even just catching a smile I just want to wrap my arms around him and kiss him like there's no tomorrow."
"Then just go for it," Suki offered, as though it were the most natural thing in the world. Ty Lee shifted her sight back to her friend, eyes blinking as though that had not occurred to her.
"But what if he gets creeped out, or tells me to leave or something?" Ty Lee was obviously trying to talk her way out of it, but Suki was not going to let her off that hook.
"Ty Lee, there's no way that would happen. I've been seeing him smile more lately, and I hadn't thought about it much, but I'm going to guess that's at least partly because of you." With a smile to her long time friend, Suki made to leave the bath area, damp footprints forming on the dark marble as she headed towards the changing area.
"Do you think so?" Ty Lee asked, thinking back to the previous few weeks.
"Absolutely," Suki said reassuringly, dropping her towel before grabbing her undergarments from the space she had left them. "Maybe he's just as confused about things himself, so just be patient," a subtle snap of stretchy fabric sounded as she slipped her underwear up along her legs, goosebumps forming as she could swear the younger girl was eyeing her as she did so. Casting a look behind her, she had to suppress a chuckle as the girl quickly averted her gaze.
Ty Lee let her mind wander as she approached the space she had left her own garments, her eyes catching sidelong glimpses of her friend's well toned features. "Sokka's a lucky guy," she said as she slid her own panties up firm, toned legs, stretching slightly as the fabric hugged her well rounded ass.
"Oh, he knows it," confidence personified, the leader of the Kyoshi warriors gave a teasing wink to her friend as she slipped her arms through the fabric of the bathrobe she had brought with her. "And if Zuko has half a brain, he'll be a pretty lucky guy, too."
"Suki?" Ty Lee asked hesitantly as her friend turned to leave the changing room.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks. You won't tell anyone what happened, right?"
"Your secret is safe with me," Suki said playfully, offering an ever so slight hint of something beneath the surface of her words, but Ty Lee just chalked it up to her somewhat addled state from overthinking and being in the heated bath for too long. "Make sure you get some sleep, and if you need me, you know where to find me." With a friendly wave, Suki exited the bath hall, leaving Ty Lee with her thoughts.
Turning around, the young woman let her body rest against the wall of cubbies, hands clasped lazily behind her. She knew Suki was right. There was no way for her to know what Zuko felt without going for it. Being shy and reserved was not her style. Figuring it would be problematic to some degree to simply barge into his room so late at night, Ty Lee promised herself that she would talk to him directly next chance she got.
The image of his smile in her mind sent a surge of want through her body, the lingering effects of being interrupted still wearing on her a bit.
"Gotta handle this before I head to bed," she said to herself, biting on her lower lip as her right hand worked itself inside of her robe, pressing against her womanhood through the thin fabric of her panties.
'I should probably head to my room first, though. Don't want to get caught again,' she thought, an intense burning flaring in her cheeks as she recalled the incident only a short time earlier. Forcing her hand from its place within her robe, the young woman made her way out of the bath chamber and then finally to her personal bedroom. No sooner had she entered the room than her robe was on the floor, fingers sliding inside of her panties as she lay flatly on her large bed.
Soon, she hoped, it would not just be her own hand bringing her pleasures.