Burning Frustration

Rating: M

Canon-Compliant

Content Warning: References to older adult sexual health issues, Implied sex

I don't know the real difference between a T, M or MA rating or what could count as overstepping the line, but I tried to be careful here. Sorry for any previous confusion involving chapters and mistakes with posting them. I'm still trying to get used to this. Anyway, here you are:

She was situated at her bedchamber table, reading a message-of-urgency from her second favorite fool, Earth King Kuei. She discerned from the scroll that the dumb old coot had gotten himself into yet another tight spot with his own civilians in regard to his choices—and lack-there-of—as a ruler, and was—of course—begging the Fire Lord and his (indeed, very) lovely Fire Lady for their assistance in the matter, per usual. She snickered to herself as she mused about the perpetual naivety and utter incompetence of the Earth Kingdom Government, even now, decades after The Hundred Year War's end. Of course not every ruling body could be blessed with a being with mind and talent for leading proactively like herself, she realized. Even so, she was always flabbergasted by the immense superiority of the Water Tribes' leadership in comparison to, well that. Albeit she gave him credit for living to his present age. Such a thing had to be an accomplishment for any simpleton. Heh, simpleton. Her thoughts began shifting...

She unconsciously bit her lip, then slowly massaged a hand over her pantless thigh before stopping and pulling it away.

"Siiiggghhhh." She breathed.

No, she wouldn't do that. But where was her favorite fool when she needed him? Her oaf of bread, her dum-dum? It'd been over three weeks since he'd initiated some private time with her, laid a hand on her, even mentioned or hinted at the subject. Before now, the longest they'd ever gone without at least some quick fondling in between meetings was three to four days. It almost felt like he was purposely avoiding it, avoiding her. It was really beginning to be unnerving, but she wouldn't give in to desperation. She'd never had to do such a thing before. Not during all their years of marriage, because she'd always been satisfied. She certainly couldn't initiate it herself either, past some seductive teasing to get the point across of course, she felt. It just wouldn't be...right. He was supposed to do it! If she did it then...how would that make her appear? It quickly became common knowledge to her while growing up, that there were things she should do and things she should not, if she wanted to keep an air of dignity. She was forced to mostly figure out on her own, what they were. A memory she hoped she'd buried deep inside the recesses of her mind sprouted up. Only for a moment; Ember Island, a house party, a stupid vapid boy, a quick, passionless kiss...followed by an embarrassing reje—

"Ugh!" She shook her head as though a bug flew by her, trying her best to get such thoughts off her mind.

It didn't matter anyway. They'd been extremely busy this month—they often were—and it probably just hadn't crossed his mind. He could be very clueless at times, sure, but she'd always admired his determination and focus. And she wouldn't deny that she was the same in that regard. She could wait; she was a very patient woman after all and always had been. Likely in a few more days he'd suddenly realize how much he yearned for the smoothness of her lips and skin, the embrace of her arms or legs as they wrapped around him, and the intense heat of their bodies as they stirred together. Their previous session was still fresh in her mind and she could feel his touches ghosting over her skin. She finished reading the scroll then pulled out another from her scrolls' basket. More waiting it was.

She was sick of waiting. It had been over a month now since they last touched. If he truly had wanted to be with her, he would have found a way already. She was now impatient, agitated, restless and in many parts oh, so frustrated. She was alone in their couples' quarters—which she had been quite often recently—lying under the bed covers, waiting for him to walk in. She'd sent a speedy servant to go fetch him too, so he had better be hasty! There was only one thing she desired right this moment: answers.

Suueeeetdch.

The door creaked as a clumsy, nervous man stumbled through.

"Azula, I᠆uh, received word from a servant that you needed to speak with me…

He looked around at the floor, attempting to avoid looking directly at her.

...here, immediately. She said you wouldn't hold on another second, heh heh."

He'd exposed himself the moment he walked in. And now she would do the same to both of them.

"Yes Zuzu, my love, there's something I've been meaning to speak to you about as of late. Do us a favor first would you?"

"Ye-Yes-ss?"

She pulled the covers off her body then stood up.

"Look at me while I'm speaking to you. If you have nothing to hide."

He did turn his head up to face her now. His jaw dropped a neck's length at what he saw.

She was completely bare—of cloth and paint. It was not particularly unusual, or a sight he was unused to, but it was surely unexpected.

She swayed up to him, her undone grayish hair swishing back and forth as she did so.

He slightly jumped when she was but a few footsteps away from him.

She crossed her arms, linking it with the very deep scowl on her face—the only portions of the art before him that weren't very pleasing to his eyes. He gave a small grimace.

"Oh? Does this sight disgust you, ZuZu?"

"Wha᠆no! Of course no—"

"Then why aren't your hands on me right now? Why haven't they been in weeks?"

"I…I…"

"Tell me, have I had an unpleasant scent on me recently that you just haven't been brave enough to let me know about, or face?"

"No, you—"

"Have I just aged past your preferred range? Or could it be that my body is…

She turned her eyes to the side and at the floor for a moment while she finished, trying her best to still seem intimidating, though she was sensitive to the next possibility.

...no longer to your liking?"

He raised both his eyebrows in surprise at that interrogating line.

As he himself grew older, he began to better appreciate and accept aging, and all that came with it, instead of scowling or gagging at anything that was evocative of it. Azula just so happened to be extremely healthy and strong at her age. She was still beautiful to him, that was true. But she always would be.

"Never that…"

What could it be, if not her scent, or her age or her body?

"Well what is it then! Have you just…lost interest?"

Zuko walked over to their bed and sat on it.

"No Azula, none of the above is happening. I was trying not to bring this up, but you don't know about it, and have a right to."

She walked over to sit on the bed too, anticipating his reveal.

"Azula, I...have a problem. With my...lower region."

"A problem there? You're going to have to be more...specific."

He rubbed the back of his neck.

"My...manhood won't...rise. Recently"

Azula's eyes grew wide.

"What…? For how long has this been the case?"

"It's been happening gradually, as time goes by, but it truly became alarming to me about two months ago. Give or take. I was trying to avoid intimacy that would show it, so that may be why you didn't notice."

Wow, sneaky of him.

Azula looked speechless

"Why did you...hide this from me? You knew I'd have to find out eventually, didn't you?"

Yes, I knew you would, like with everything else. I just didn't want you to...to…

Azula went under the covers now to hide herself.

"To think you were less of a man? Is that what you were afraid of?"

Zuko looked away.

"We promised since the moment we began courting, that we'd always be honest with each other. You weren't being honest with me here. Do you think I'm that same mean, lonely little girl that took out her anger on others by mocking them?"

"No, of course not. You were just a kid back then...You're the only one for me, but if you were someone else, I'd react the same."

She still felt a bit down about it, but she understood this sort of thing wasn't ever easy to admit.

"Okay. I believe you. But next time, just tell me. No one reads minds. And though you can't predict someone's reaction, I certainly wouldn't judge you for something you can't control. Especially not something like this."

He turned and smiled genuinely at her, bright eyed.

She leaned in and pressed her lips to his, their first kiss in a while.

She continued.

"And if you'd told me earlier, we might have been able to treat this earlier too."

"But what can be done about it?"

"Problems tend to have at least one solution to them."

True enough.

She pulled out her clothing that had been placed under the sheets, and redressed into them.

"Wait here dear, I'll be back. I'm going to try and find some information."

With that, she walked out of the room.

She was in the Royal Palace Library now, on a mission. She figured what she wanted might be in the family and intimacy section. The other option was the medical facts area. She went into the former and searched through it. Eventually she found a tied group of scrolls with the heading Healing Relationships and Coital Ailments, and picked it up.

This should be interesting, she thought to herself.

As she'd hoped, it did have something related to Zuko's issue. There was a recipe for a herb-based concoction that was supposed to be made through grinding, and then administered on the—yeah, she'd try this out.

Zuko sat on the bed, still waiting. She'd been gone only a short while, but it felt like hours had passed. He remembered that she told him she'd be back, but he was starting to become anxious. Maybe she'd forgotten about him, though that would be very out-of-character for her. Or maybe...maybe she only told him she'd left to figure this out, as a means of leaving him to wallow in his pity without making a fuss. Perhaps it would be due to her being too disappointed to be near him, and look at him. Maybe he should just trust her. He waited some more.

Eventually his worries were proven wrong and she walked back into their room.

I'm back ZuZu, and with this. She held up a small bowl filled with a substance he couldn't see. She sat down next to him and he glanced into. It was a green paste that, honestly, looked exactly like wasabi.

"Ummm, what's that?"

"This is the answer to your troubles. Or so the information in the library claims."

"That kind of looks like…"

"Food we eat often? Yes I agree with you. However, that's not what it is. It's not even spicy either, promise. I even tasted it out of curiosity, since all the ingredients are completely innocuous."

"Well, alrighty then."

"Great! Let's give it a try."

The paste, after just a few minutes, actually did start to help quite a lot. It wasn't exactly the same as it had been, say, even a decade ago, but neither of them expected it to be, nor did Azula need it to be. She suggested that they try this a few more times, just to see if it can have even more of a positive effect, but let him know that it didn't matter to her if not much changed, all their moments together were enjoyable to her.

He moved away from her nether region now and towards her lips. They kissed for a short while as they lied in their afterglow, before Azula felt the urge to ask about the situation from before, yet again.

"Okay, be honest, were you really never going to tell me? Did you expect us to just never have sex again, and have me be content with that?"

"Well ya see, I just figured it would eventually die down and—"

"Die down? That doesn't even sound like a good ending to this."

"I mean, I was hoping it would pass by and that'd everything would go back to sorta normal after."

"Haha. Pass by? Yeah I thought that's what you must have meant. Oh you, and your odd plans."

He moved his head and placed it at her neck.

"Would you have them any other way, Mochi?"

He kissed her passionately there.

"You're right, I wouldn't. Life's more fun that way."