Convergence of Destiny Chapter 14, an avatar: last airbender fanfic

Katara groaned lightly as she slowly woke from her sleep on the cold stone floor of the cave. Her back protested at any kind of movement as she lifted her head from where it had been pillowed on Zuko's chest to stretch.

Maybe I got a little spoiled sleeping in the Royal Chambers, she mused while she looked around their 'room'. They had found a nice sized cave not far from where they landed and Sokka had declared this would be their 'base' for the time being. Luckily, the cave had several different sections, and Zuko and Katara had quickly claimed one of the more private sections as their own, enlisting Toph to create a kind of door so they could have even more privacy. Sokka had not been happy about it, still not wanting his sister to sleep next to Zuko (and ostensibly wanting them all to sleep in the main room in case they were attacked), but Aang acted quickly in their defense, distracting Sokka with an offer to Earthbend private rooms for everyone and close off the cave at night so there was no danger of attack, and Sokka was quickly overruled.

They had decided to venture out in the morning when they had more time to find suitable Fire Nation outfits (all of them stuck out in their clothing from assorted nations except Zuko), and after Katara had finally had that healing session with Aang and they had tucked into their meagre dinner of rice Katara had thought to bring from the ship, they all retired early. She figured they should get an early start if the Gaang wanted to get disguises and breakfast, so she turned to her bonded to wake him up only to find his golden eyes already staring back at her.

I didn't know you were awake, she thought to him as he kissed her forehead in greeting. Katara smiled; sleepy morning Zuko was the most affectionate Zuko.

I rise with the dawn, he reminded her, though I have been getting up later and later recently, he flicked her nose gently as he teased her about her love of waking up late and her annoyance when Zuko left her alone in bed and abandoned his post of human pillow.

I don't know if I'm ready for the day, Katara groaned mentally as she snuggled back into Zuko's warm side. As glad as she finally was to have their relationship out in the open, she was weary of facing the accusatory looks from Sokka and the suggestive ones from Toph that were sure to come when they finally emerged from their room to face everyone.

Yeah, but if you don't get up, you'll never get to know my surprise for you, Zuko teased. Katara tried and failed to get a hint of what the surprise was in his thoughts, opening her mind further to let his thoughts in, but they were almost...muffled.

You'll have to show me how to do that so I can surprise you one day, she said in defeat as she got up and began stretching. They really did need to get a move on and both Toph and Sokka would probably need to be woken up and bribed out of bed with the promise of food before they would be able to accomplish anything. She sighed at the thought, mentally rolling up her sleeves to prepare herself when Zuko interrupted her train of thought.

How about I wake them up and you get started on breakfast?, he suggested. Katara paused- even after weeks of Zuko doing his best to help out and reduce the burden that fell on her, she hadn't gotten used to being able to split her responsibility with the Prince. Well, I guess he is much nicer and more helpful to me than anyone else, she thought bemusedly.

"Thanks," she said out loud to try and convey her gratefulness. Zuko simply smirked in reply as he got out of the bed to grab her possessively by the waist and kiss her neck. He grinned when she gasped in surprise and pleasure, then smirked as she sighed in disappointment when he pulled away from her again to move to a darker corner of the cave where Katara knew he had stored his things. He rummaged through them for a bit with his back to her as she began to change out of her sleeping clothes to contain her curiosity. As she pulled Zuko's tunic off her body over her head and leaned down to reach for her bindings, she felt Zuko's warm breath on her back as he walked up behind her and placed open mouth kisses directly on her spine. Katara shivered as he stopped kissing her to stand and take her hand, forcing her to spin and face him.

Katara blushed to be facing Zuko shirtless again, taking her time to memorize his body and distract herself from his intense gaze. He was chiseled from Firebending and living on the run, and Katara kept catching herself examining the defined 'V' of his waistline, wondering where it lead to. Their connection floated on the edge of her consciousness, increasing her need to reach out and run her fingers along his pale skin. The warm, buzzing power between them that she had been feeling for the past 2 days had softened, a sign of their shrinking reserves, she assumed. They hadn't seemed to lose their ability to speak in their thoughts without touching, but maybe that might happen if they didn't get a chance for some more physical intimacy soon.

Of course, the bond wasn't the only reason Katara was craving physical intimacy, but she didn't think herself ready to explore those thoughts this early in the morning.

While she had been thinking, Zuko had been staring at her unabashedly. He leaned forward to kiss her neck once more as he pressed fabric into her hands.

I bought you some things, he began, his thoughts tinged with nervousness, and this is the first that I think would be good for today.

Kataras smiled up at him as she pushed lightly on her Prince's chest to get him to back up slightly and give her space to look at what he had put in her hand. She realized there were several different garments, so she knelt down to carefully spread the delicate pieces out on her sleeping roll.

I've never felt fabric like this before, she mused as she ran her fingers over the delicate designs done in red and embroidered with black and gold.

It's called lace, Zuko said carefully, not able to tell by her tone if she liked the gifts or not. To be honest, Katara only recognized three things: a red, silken cropped top, skirt and leggings made out of matching, gold embroidered fabric. The other two pieces of clothing were small and oddly pieced together...triangles basically. There were two triangles sewn onto a thick band with thinner pieces of fabric connecting the tops of the triangles to the band as well. The other was a large triangle that was slightly smaller in the front than in the back. Katara tried to reassure Zuko of how much she liked the clothing and Zuko easily picked up on the confusion on the edge of her thoughts.

Women in high society wear these under their clothing instead of bindings, he explained, repeating what the merchant had told him of the garments when he had inquired about them in the market, they're more comfortable and don't cause so much...compression.

Katara blushed at the leering grin on Zuko's face. No doubt he was looking forward to seeing her chest without the constricting bindings on. Katara looked doubtfully at the two small garments.

Will it really...work? She tried to keep the sceptical tone from her thoughts. Zuko eagerly scooped up both garments from the sleeping roll and grabbed her once more, this time gripping her hips and dipping his finger shallowly below the waistband of her bindings, feeling around for the frayed end of wrap that was tucked into the waistband to keep everything from unraveling. He suddenly halted his progress to look her in the eyes, silently asking for permission.

I'll show you, if you want. Katara felt her whole body flush with heat and embarrassment at Zuko's suggestion and the placement of his hands. Any other time with any other person, the reasonable side of her personality would be hitting the brakes. No one had ever seen that part of her really. To think that Zuko might see all of her was kind of overwhelming. But another, larger part of her trusted Zuko and actually wanted him to see her. How good would the bond feel? She wondered. How good will it feel when we actually have sex?

With Zuko, it always felt like there was no holding back, like they were already so connected on so many levels that it would always be this way. It made it easy to forget that they had ever been apart, that they had actually been enemies. He knew her so well now that a large part of her was actually feeling impatient at how he might put that knowledge to good use.

That part of Katara was already nodding her head at Zuko, and he immediately took action now that he had her permission to continue. He knelt behind her to slowly unwind the white wrappings, having to go back and forth between her legs to do so, and she spread her legs obligingly as he placed a single kiss on her lower back. Katara's whole body felt so warm, yet she shivered as she felt more and more air on her thighs as Zuko worked quickly to reveal all of her smooth, tan skin. He uncovered a faint tattoo near the top of her thigh and ran his tongue slowly over it in question.

What's this? Katara shuddered as she tried to focus on something other than the feeling of Zuko's tongue tickling her skin.

When I became a Master Waterbender at the Northern Water Tribe, I was given a ceremonial tattoo, she gasped as Zuko purposefully brushed his hand against her core while he continued unwinding the garment.

I like it, he grinned as he moved around on his knees to face her. Katara moaned lightly when he dipped his tongue into her belly button teasingly, and was thus distracted as he finally unwound the rest of her binding and knelt staring at her moist core.

Katara blushed, the Firebender's warm breath feeling scaldingly hot between her legs. Everywhere his hands touched, the bond was practically singing, the warmth wrapping around her on all sides with comfort and pleasure. I feel...so hot, she struggled to think clearly as the pleasure of the bond bubbled up in her chest, overwhelming her with need. She embarrassingly bucked her hips as she moaned. Zuko looked up at her in surprise and not a small amount of smugness.

Can I touch you? He ghosted his fingers over her ass as his other hand slid over her mound, teasingly avoiding that sensitive spot he had rubbed back on the ship. Katara wondered at his question.

Please, she begged, not sure what she was begging for, but confident in the knowledge that Zuko knew, her mind focusing singly on her need to be closer to him. Katara's legs shook with the effort of preventing them from rubbing together to try and get some relief, and she shifted uncomfortably as moistness began to coat her thighs. She was so lost in her overwhelming thoughts that she was taken completely by surprise when Zuko forced her legs apart with his left hand while he abruptly pushed a finger into her with his right.

Oh! Katara gasped at the intrusion as Zuko purposefully wriggled and curled the finger inside her. The bond was buzzing so hot it almost burned at the point where Zuko had his finger sunken inside of her. As the slight pain at the unfamiliar intrusion began to subside, her legs shook with pleasure this time as her body tried to drive itself down onto the Firebender's finger almost against her will, searching for more.

"Zuko!" She gasped out loud, all thoughts flying out of her head except for his name and the sensation of his finger driving into her. Katara's head fell back, her hair tickling the top of her ass as Zuko added another long, thin finger beside the other one. Once again, there was a slight pain, but she was so wet at this point that his fingers slotted into her easily, and Katara could clearly feel him curling and scissoring them inside her as he set a torturously slow pace. The knowledge almost caused her to become undone as her hips bucked down on his fingers that brushed a sensitive spot deep inside of her, and she once again cried out his name.

"Zuko, please!" she begged. She clenched her toes as she rolled her hips on his fingers as he looked up to grin at her, staring right into her blue eyes as he added another digit. Any pain Katara felt at the slight stretch disappeared as he leaned forward, put his lips around that pleasurable bud and sucked, all while curling his three long fingers inside of her.

Katara immediately climaxed hard, and the pleasure of her orgasm continued on as Zuko continued pumping his fingers inside of her and the waves of sensation bounced across the bond. Her mouth was open, but no sound escaped her lips as her eyes clamped shut against the onslaught. She shuddered again as she practically dripped onto Zuko's hand.

The Prince had not looked away from her the whole time. I liked that look on your face...I loved the way you called my name, Zuko admitted, his thoughts filled with wonder and smugness. She smiled bashfully at the ceiling, eyes still closed.

Zuko continued watching Katara as her breathing slowly evened out and blue eyes fluttered open to stare into his gold ones. He observed her carefully as he teasingly wriggled his now soaked fingers in her pussy, then yanked his fingers out without warning, leaving her gasping as he stood to grab a towel and dampen it in the small basin she had set up last night.

Katara blushed as Zuko knelt before her with the moistened towel. Do you...do people usually put their mouths on girls'...? Her question trailed off when Zuko raised an eyebrow at her, but she saw through his bravado as a slight blush showed on his cheeks.

There are a lot of different ways to give pleasure, but not every man will want to do that, he explained as he gently and attentively cleaned her skin, leaving soft kisses on the cold path of the cloth against the inside of her thighs.

Oh, Katara thought, embarrassed but oddly proud that the Prince would do something like that just to please her. She quickly forgot her embarrassment as Zuko continued his ministrations. You can have whatever you want and call it whatever you want if you keep treating me like this, Katara sighed. It still felt strange to be so open and bared to another person, but he was being so caring and considerate and doing his best to make her comfortable, and that knowledge only made her admire the Firebender even more. Finally, Zuko seemed to deem her clean enough and swiped his tongue over her inner thigh one last time before he pulled away to finally grab the forgotten garments.

I did promise to show you how to put these on, he smirked. He held out the larger triangle with the smaller part in the front and Katara quickly caught on at seeing the now clearly, leg sized holes, and obediently stepped forward into the contraption so Zuko could pull it up to her hips, groping her ass after they were in place for good measure.

The silky fabric slid luxuriously against her skin in a way her bindings hand never had, and the freedom of movement created when she wasn't bound in constricting linen was almost life changing. Katara marveled at the breeze she felt on her rear as she twisted and turned, trying to get a good look at herself without a mirror.

Trust me, they look good, Zuko thought to her while his eyes burned with lust. Katara blushed at being caught examining herself so critically.

"What are they?" She asked curiously as Zuko stepped up behind her with the other lacy piece of clothing in his hands. He directed her hands through the arm holes and pulled the ends of the band around her back, using his other hand to position the triangles over her breasts (while sneaking the occasional grope in). Once Katara signaled she was comfortable, Zuko tied the band in the back, making a small bow.

"This," Zuko said as he walked around to face her and run a finger over her nipple through the thin fabric, "is a bra." His finger switched to the other nipple as the other hand skimmed her back, leaving a tingly, white hot path on its way down to caress her ass and run a finger over her pussy. "These are called panties or underwear," he said as her heartbeat quickened.

Spirits, how are you doing this to me? Katara wondered as she tried to regain control over herself and forget about the now familiar tightness and dampness that had sprung up between her legs again. Zuko grinned as he drew away and grabbed the cropped shirt he had bought for her, pulling it over her head as Katara read his thoughts and obediently held up her arms.

I have learned a few things here and there, he explained as he continued to dress her in first the leggings, then the skirt, it's also easy with the bond for me to read you and understand from your prospective what will feel good.

Katara sat down to begin brushing her hair after Zuko finished dressing her to mull that over. If she was being honest, the control Zuko had over her body scared her a bit. The intensity of the sensations he created inside her, amplified by the bond, it was addicting. Katara wondered if she would have been able to trust any man with this level of control over her if she wasn't bonded to them. She doubted it─now that she had Zuko, she would trust no one else with the task.

"You better not," Zuko growled playfully as Katara finished brushing her hair and stood as she abandoned her thoughts. While she had been busy, the Zuko had once again gone digging around his secret stash. He returned with several gold bangles that he helped her slide up her arms, and a pair of red satin flats that he slipped on her feet. Finally, he stood to his full height with something clutched in his hand.

Your necklace, Zuko gestured awkwardly at the piece of jewelry hanging around Katara's neck he had once stolen, it's very...Water Tribe. He opened his fist to reveal an intricately carved golden pendant hanging from a silky ribbon that was dyed a deep, rich red. The patterns carved into the metal reminded Katara vaguely of rough waves.

"Obviously, this is no replacement for your mother's necklace. And it's not a betrothal necklace, even though we are probably, maybe, kind of bonded for life, we've only been dating for 3 weeks, and the Fire Nation doesn't use betrothal necklaces anyway but it kind of looks like one so it's still kind of a symbol of commitment andー" Katara cut off the Prince's rambling by pressing her lips to his.

I love it, she thought as she smiled softly. She turned around and Zuko began putting the necklace on her without question, a slight blush on his face. Katara blushed as well at the direction of her thoughts─she was surprised at how much she liked the idea of wearing something that told others of their bond and her connection to Zuko. A small part of her that was becoming bigger the more time she spent with Zuko loved the idea of showing off that she belonged to her Prince and her Prince alone.

Zuko finished tying the necklace and smirked as he listened in on her thoughts.

Trust me, I like it just as much as you do.

At that, Zuko somehow pulled his own shirt over his head and opened the hunk of earth serving as a door in one fluid move. He smiled at Katara over his shoulder before he headed off to wake their stubborn friends.

Alone in their room, Katara resisted the urge to peek inside Zuko's things for more hints on her forthcoming presents. Instead, she drew water out of the basin in a fluid motion, coaxing the individual droplets to form together into a smooth, oval surface; a mirror large enough to see herself. She froze the ice with a thought, then walked over to lean the object against the wall. After stepping back far enough to see her full frame, she critically examined the familiar, yet unfamiliar image in front of her.

It's so strange to be wearing red, she thought as she moved her arm this way and that, watching the way the dim light in the cave bounced off her new bangles and golden pendant. The red silk looked unfamiliar around her neck, but she liked it. As much as she loved her mom's necklace, it was nice to have something solely her own. Katara eyed the small section of her midriff that was showing critically, fighting the urge to cross her arms and cover some of her exposed skin.

Less clothing is better for this Fire Nation weather, I suppose, she thought resignedly, though my boobs really do look a lot better.

And they did. Rather than being the compressed kind of 'uni-boob' the bindings created, her breasts looked distinct, perky, defined, even creating some cleavage that showed above the low neckline of her cropped shirt.

More than her new clothes, there were many small changes, things someone who had not known her well might struggle to see. I'm...glowing, Katara thought in wonder. And she was, though not obviously, like a lantern. Instead, every part of her seemed...enhanced. Her eyes brighter, her skin smoother, her figure more pronounced. Even my hair's longer, she thought in wonder, realizing why it had taken so long to detangle her locks this morning. I look...I look pregnant! She realized in horror. Her mind started to quickly spiral until she forcibly shook herself.

Get a grip, Katara struggle to reel her panic back in. She couldn't be pregnant─they hadn't actually had sex! She nearly smacked herself at her stupidity.

So, just another effect of this crazy bond then, she sighed. Not that these weren't good changes, and she definitely loved the way Zuko's eyes had been following her recently, but how much further could she possibly get from normal?

Katara sighed again as she tried to shake off her thoughts. Breakfast needed to be prepared, and Zuko must be nearly done waking everyone up by now. With one last glance in her makeshift mirror, Katara pulled a small section of hair in the front of her head into a top knot─why not add one more weird thing into the mix?─secured it with a ribbon, and left their room for the day.

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Zuko held Katara's arm securely in the crook of his own as the couple accompanied by the Gaang made their way through the crowded marketplace. Aang had long disappeared in the search for vegetarian fare, and Zuko was thankful to no longer have to watch the Airbender's eyes follow his girlfriend's well-defined body in her new outfit like a lost puppy.

Thoughts of his girlfriend made his eyes drift to the Waterbender tucked into his side. Katara looked peaceful and happy, here blue eyes bright as she took in all the different stalls of food and spices. The bond buzzed happily between them with her excitement and Zuko caught glimpses of her varied thoughts as her eyes darted back and forth.

I have good taste, he thought to himself satisfactorily as he eyed his Waterbender's body in Fire Nation red. The rich color made her skin look smooth and exotic, and her long, thick hair tumbled down her back ethereally. Zuko had noticed more than a few men looking her way and, though he couldn't blame them, he made sure to eye them menacingly and hold Katara a little tighter when they passed.

Zuko snapped out of his thoughts as he felt Katara nodding her head next to him. Sokka and Toph, clad in their newly co-opted Fire Nation clothes, were informing her of their plans to find food. Even though Toph could fend for herself for the most part, she still usually paired up with someone in an environment with so many people-especially when visually shopping to find the right stalls was involved. Toph ran off with Sokka in tow and Zuko and his girlfriend were left alone.

The bonded pair cherished moments like this. For the entirely of their brief relationship, they had mostly been confined to a boat, getting to explore port only once or twice before their departure in the middle of the night. They had also been keeping their relationship a secret from the rest of the Gaang, so it wasn't like they could go out for a date like a 'normal' couple might.

If Zuko was being honest, he wasn't too sure what people did on dates. He had only been on one date in his life, back when he was living as a refugee in Ba Sing Se, and that had ended in disaster. Had he still been at court, his parents would have likely set up occasional meetings between himself and his betrothed―chaperoned of course, but those meetings could hardly be considered dates either.

It was in times like these that Zuko appreciated the bond between himself and the Waterbender. He could feel that Katara had no specific expectations for their time in the market, and that took some pressure off of the Prince. Katara knew it would be up to them to do proper shopping as there was no way Toph and Sokka would know what to buy, and Aang would refuse to buy meat, so that's what she was expecting to do.

What if we split up to do the shopping, then we'll have more time to do something fun, Zuko suggested to Katara, her face clearly showing that he had interrupted her thoughts. Her confused expression melted away as she looked up at him and smiled widely.

Zuiko allowed himself to admire her for a moment, and the unrestrained way in which she smiled at him. Growing up a Prince, Zuko had always had a slightly vain streak. It couldn't be helped growing up in the Palace and being groomed to eventually become some 'Supreme Firelord' of the world. He had been very much aware of his looks as all teens were, and he endeavored always to embody the Fire Nation and look the part of the rightful heir. The symbolic Phoenix Tail hairstyle, the royal armor he wore, all of these things were part of a carefully crafted image that fell apart in an instant when his Father had burned his face.

His Father's flames, fueled by his ire, had quickly burned away the hair on the side of Zuko's head and the delicate skin on the side of his face. He was lucky his eyesight hadn't been badly affected by the flames, but that didn't make it any easier to remove the thick layer of bandages and look in the mirror in the days, weeks, month and years following the accident that he had been traveling, adrift of not only his homeland, but also his identity.

His Uncle and loyal crew had done their best to make things feel as normal as possible for him, but Zuko hadn't been able to stand the knowing and pitying looks on their faces and the slight restraint in any smiles they gave.

However, when Katara smiled at him, there was none of that. She smiled like she didn't even see the scar.

That's because I don't, silly. Katara's teasing thoughts drifted from the edge of Zuko's senses. He refocused on his surroundings, smiling ruefully down at his much shorter girlfriend.

Thanks for acting like you don't notice it, but you don't have to lie.

I don't! Katara insisted with a frown. She paused for a moment and Zuko could practically see her thoughts moving as she tried to explain.

If you think about it, I have never known you without your scar, she thought to him. You are so much more than your scar, so why should I see it?

Zuko blinked at the Waterbender as she smiled triumphantly at him.

"Great! Meet you here around noon!" Katara kissed his cheek with a grin as she disappeared into the crowd, mentally giving Zuko a list of the items he was responsible for.

Zuko was left standing in the square with a dumb grin on his face as he pondered how exactly he had gotten so lucky and tried to figure out what he should surprise his girlfriend with at noon.

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Katara's blue eyes darted back and forth as she scanned the crowded square trying to find her wayward Prince and juggle the multiple food packages she was balancing in her hands. Through the bond she could tell he was close by, but she still hadn't spotted him.

She gasped as two long, strong arms suddenly wrapped around her from behind.

"Zuko!" Katara yelped, dropping her bags to spin around and smack the Firebender's arm, "You scared me!"

Zuko simply smirked as he knelt down to retrieve her dropped bags and began to merge the purchased items with his own. He leaned down to drop a kiss on her neck and wrap snake his arm around her waist.

If my hugs scare you, then I can definitely make sure to give you less of them, he teased. Katara frowned.

That's not what I was saying!

Sounded like that's what you were saying.

Katara stopped as she looked up at Zuko, his eyes bright with mirth, the corners of his lips turned up in a wide grin. She smiled in response.

You're in a good mood, she observed.

I have a surprise for you, after we eat lunch, he revealed. Katara looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

More surprises? Zuko would only wink before he shifted the bags to one hand and used the other to pull Katara close.

Lunch first, he said as he began to pull Katara off in the opposite direction. They walked without hurry through the market while they both kept an eye out for a glimpse of any other members of the Gaang. Seeing none, Katara focused on Zuko's face as he expertly navigated the streets to eventually lead them to a small tea parlour advertising the best dumplings in town.

I didn't even know I was craving dumplings, Katara thought wryly as her stomach growled. She and her Tribe had eaten a mostly meat diet back in the South Pole, the frigidness of their environment didn't allow for the growing of many crops, and anything that involved flour was a luxury Katara had not experienced until she had left her icy home. Throughout her travels with the Gaang, she had savored all the different ways people in the rest of the world thought to use the bland white powder, and dumplings were some of her favorites. She smiled at the Firebender's thoughtfulness as he pulled her into the shop and somewhat brusquely requested a table for two―just because he tolerated the Gaang and Katara didn't mean he was ready to be nice to some random hostess.

Katara looked around the small restaurant as Zuko arranged their bags on one of the vacant chairs before pulling out another chair and looking at Katara expectantly.

"After you," Zuko said with a gesture. Katara blushed in slight confusion as she sat and Zuko took pity on her as he took a seat in the chair across from her and explained.

"A gentleman should always seat his lady at court." Katara's brow furrowed.

"But we're not at court," she pointed out. Zuko shrugged in response.

"Doesn't mean I shouldn't treat you in a way befitting of a lady. What if we find ourselves at court one day?"

Katara pushed that question to the side for a second in favor of her curiosity. She looked cautiously around the cafe for eavesdroppers before she continued their conversation out loud.

"What is court like?" she asked. Zuko sat silent for some time as he thought of a response, finally looking as though he would speak when their waiter appeared to ask for their order.

Katara looked at the menu, but she quickly realized she didn't recognize most of the Fire Nation fare on there. Zuko jumped to her rescue, ordering food and drinks for them both and waiting for the waiter to deliver their steaming cups of oolong tea before he answered her question.

"It was very restrictive," Zuko began slowly, "and there are a lot of rules. The families given titles and status have aligned themselves with the Fire Nation ruling family for most of history, so most of the people at court were also trusted advisors or generals or governors, and they talked a lot about war," he recalled. "Children were to be seen and not heard for the most part, except for Azula when it became clear she was a prodigy, so I was usually forgotten, especially after my mother disappeared."

Katara thought that sounded sad, and said as much, but Zuko shook his head.

"I used to think it was a bad thing too," he acknowledged. "I hated being shuffled to the side and ignored, and I wanted to be involved in every war meeting or conversation of tactics. But now," he gestured to Katara, "now I think it was a good thing I wasn't around all of that so much. I might not have been a very good heir, but I hope I'm a better person for it."

The Waterbender smiled at him, unable to resist leaning over and kissing his cheek now that she could without fear of being spotted. Before she could speak, the waiter re-appeared with several assorted trays of dumplings and two small sharing plates. He topped off their tea and left the couple to their meal.

"I thought we could just share all of it," Zuko explained. Katara smiled at the way the suggestion reminded her of how they ate back home in her village, and used the chopsticks resting on the table to pick a dumpling off the plate nearest to her.

"Mmm," She moaned at the taste. Zuko kept up a running commentary silently through their bond as they tucked into their preferred fare, informing Katara of the name of each thing she tasted and answering her questions in more detail. They both finished quickly, having been hungry from walking around in the sun all morning and eager to move on to their next activity before being reunited with the Gaang.

Zuko cleared the last of the dumplings, Katara having long since claimed fullness, and they quickly paid and left the cafe, heading out into the warm, early afternoon hand in hand.

I thought we could take a little tour, Zuko suggested, with the historic importance of this island, I know it like the back of my hand.

Katara brightened at the suggestion; she loved hearing Zuko talk about his home country. You could see the love shining in his eyes and the responsibility he felt to return to his nation and make it better than ever before. Even though he wasn't a prodigy like Azula, all of Zuko's hard work had clearly instilled in him a deep love and respect for his country that he might not have otherwise.

Katara took his hand in simple acceptance and off they went. The Prince led her through alleys and winding roads, pointing out statues and their significance, this sight and that. They strolled through a beautiful courtyard with flower boxes filled with all types of bright exotic specimens Katara had never seen before, and she didn't hesitate to pull him to a stop so she could have a closer look.

I wonder what these are, Katara mused as she fingered a bright pink plant with trumpet like petals. Flowers didn't grow in the South Pole, and Katara had delighted even in the weediest looking plants throughout her travels.

It's a Cameliarose, Zuko answered her silent question easily. She giggled slightly to herself; it shouldn't surprise her that Zuko seemed to know a little bit about everything.

It's beautiful, Katara thought as she idly plucked a petal from the flower to tuck behind her ear. She looked at her boyfriend to smile widely at him, pleased with the contrast of the bright pink against her dark locks. He looked at her with an inscrutable expression for a moment before taking her hand and continuing to stroll. Katara breathed in the fresh, perfumed air feeling peaceful as they walked―Zuko would open up eventually.

Those were my mother's favorite flowers, Zuko finally explained after a moment's hesitation. Katara looked at him in surprise as her hand reflexively went to the flower behind her ear.

I can take it out if you want, Katara said apologetically, her hand already moving to do so. Zuko caught the hand in mid air, entwining his fingers with her own and bringing their joined hands down to their sides.

No, I like it, Zuko objected as they reached the exit to the garden and a fork in the road. He deftly chose the path to the right and led the way as they continued their tour, eventually finding themselves in front of a larger building than most in the small town, the sign out front proclaiming it to be the Town Library.

Katara looked around wonderingly as Zuko opened the doors, the strong smell of parchment hitting her immediately. The Water Tribe girl had never seen another library outside of the one inhabited by the vengeful Knowledge Spirit Wan Shi Tong, and that was buried in the middle of a vast desert.

This library was clearly well-loved and taken care of. Instead of piles of sand and dust, there were reading chairs and posters that clearly explained the filing system and the types of books in each section. A couple of older, harsh looking women in uniform wandered from patron to patron, clearly helping as the purveyors of the library. One of those women spied the bonded couple when they entered and immediately came over to offer her assistance.

"Good afternoon," the woman greeted them as she approached, "are you looking for anything in particular today?"

Zuko and Katara looked at eachother. Despite the fact that they had gotten used to and depended on the bond between them, there was still that nagging feeling in the back of their minds that wanted to know more about the bond and how it had occurred. There seemed like no better place to start than a library, but what category would "freaky spirit bond" fall into?

"We're interested in learning more about chi," Katara interjected smoothly as Zuko floundered slightly. He nodded along with her; that made sense. The fact that their chi seemed to long to be together was just about the only concrete thing they knew about the bond that had mysteriously popped up between them.

The librarian's brow furrowed. "We don't have a section on chi here..most libraries nowadays don't, in fact. You might try the meditation section," the woman beamed as she began walking towards the meditation section without waiting for an answer. She explained to them the cataloguing system and then left the bonded pair to their own devices.

This section was considerably less busy than the other parts of the library, and smaller as well. It was nothing more than a couple of dusty rows of books and scrolls tucked into a dim corner of the library. Left alone, the couple looked around the small space as they wondered where to start.

Zuko began examining the spines and labels and pulling specific ones down, clearly eager to start looking. Katara followed his example, looking for any titles or summaries that mentioned how meditation might affect chi flow and chi in general.

Katara didn't know much about chi, though every child was taught the basics growing up in the South Pole. Chi should always flow uninterrupted, like water. In this way, your life source is always flowing, giving energy and, in certain people, granting bending abilities. Meditation was a way to look inward and calm the soul, reducing blockages of anger and anxiety that might prevent chi from flowing properly, inducing a calm and balanced well-being.

The Waterbender looked to her boyfriend as he sat down on a reading mat on the floor to begin scanning a few tomes and scrolls. She could sense his slight surprise and knew he must have already found something in the time she had been mulling over her thoughts.

What is it? Katara asked as she crossed her legs to join her boyfriend on the floor next to their supplies. Zuko looked to her reservedly.

I don't know if it's too important yet...you know about how meditation helps keep chi flowing and balanced?

Katara nodded her understanding so Zuko would continue. The Firebender pointed to the book in his hands. It was clearly very old, having a worn and exposed wooden spine and boasting a dragon skin cover.

This is about advanced meditation techniques, Zuko explained, it talks about how someone might meditate if they want to...enhance their chi.

"Enhance it?" Katara asked out loud, visibly confused. She looked around for a second in fear of someone overhearing, having forgotten her surroundings and how quiet it was in this corner of the library.

I...I didn't know that was possible. How would someone enhance their chi? Katara questioned, silently this time. Zuko sat silently as he gathered his thoughts for a moment so he could try and explain.

In the Fire Nation, we are taught that chi is your life force. The stronger your chi, the stronger you are, the more easily you can overcome sickness and adversity. Those with even stronger chi than normal are Firebenders.

Katara nodded; this was similar to the way chi was explained to them in the Water Tribe.

This book talks about different kinds of meditations you can do to enhance the different kinds of chi. There's spiritual chi, healing chi, he looked at Katara thinking of her healing abilities, mental chi...there's a lot of ways more chi can enhance the different abilities of the body.

Katara nodded slowly as she absorbed that information. If chi was a person's life force, it made sense that more life force would give a person more power and more abilities, but she didn't see how that related to the bond, and impressed that thought on Zuko through their connection. He nodded in agreement.

Yeah, that's what I thought at first until I saw the different meditation forms.

The Prince slid the ancient tome over to Katara and opened it to a page near the front that had several different illustrations of people meditating in various positions. Katara's eyes immediately landed on a row of illustrations which featured a meditating pair.

Convergence meditation, the book read, is an advanced form of meditation because it requires the synchrony of chi flow. By meditating with in complete synchrony with another person, one can direct one's chi to flow through the other and vice versa. In this way, their chi will converge, their paths will merge. This can only make them stronger.

Katara's reading was interrupted as a distant bell began to toll. The chime told them it was half past 3―long past the time the Gaang was supposed to reconvene in their cave. The pair rose and hurriedly returned the books and scrolls to their places on the shelf, grabbed their bag of supplies, linked hands, and left the library. They walked a path away from the town heading into the hills where their hidden base lie as they discussed their findings in the library. They were silent until they met up with Sokka and Toph, and in the chaos of an impromptu search for Aang, the bonded pair didn't get the chance to talk about their findings until late at night after everyone had gone to sleep.

Everyone, including the animals, had eaten. Aang had been found and was surprisingly going back to a Fire Nation school tomorrow? Long story. Sokka was satisfied with the schedule and Toph was happy about sleeping in a cave. And so, with everyone content and settled for now, Katara and Zuko retreated into their room to discuss their bond.

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Author's Note: This chapter was getting ridiculously long so it needed to be cut here. Another lemon, what do you guys think? The basis of my understanding of chi comes from google, but it works for my purposes. Drop a review if you have any more knowledge about the subject you might like to see featured in the story!