Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender purely begins to Mike and Bryan. This is just my vain attempt to live past the series finale.
Summary: Building a new world is never easy. Years after the end of the war, one night between Zuko and Katara leads to the reveal of hidden truths and disrupts their plans of the peaceful lives they thought they'd have. Even when everything spins wild, they will always find each other. They could fight the entire Fire Nation together, but what are they willing to sacrifice when the other is on the line?
Last Time…
Zuko narrowed his eyes and glowered at the road ahead of them. "Careful, Katara, I was really starting to like Haru."
Katara grinned at him and said, "Enough with the dramatic threats, Zuko. You know as well as I do that any crush he had on me faded years ago. A girl just wants to be flattered with a little jealousy."
Zuko's eyes locked with hers and Katara felt her stomach flip from the intensity. "Be careful what you wish for," he advised, his voice low and warm.
With more bravado than she knew she actually had, she retorted, "Taken under advisement. Now let's go home, Zuko."
She turned and settled against his chest again and Zuko smiled to himself as he held her a bit closer, urging their eel hound to quicken its pace, suddenly excited to return to their home.
Katara brought a slender hand to her temple, gently rubbing it in an effort to ignore the pounding headache she was developing. With a cursory glance around the table, she saw that Zuko looked to be of the same mindset, but he was much more subtle about it. The only sign was the line etched between his brows as he considered the other Waterbender's words. Once their announcement of the newly-formed United Republic of Nations was made and celebrated, Katara had then offered her suggestion for the teaching and necessary regulation of Bloodbending, which, of course, sparked immediate outrage from the Northern Water Tribe representatives.
"This cannot be right! It's a twisted affectation of our abilities as healers!" one of them claimed.
Katara sighed. "There is potential for that," she admitted, as she had many times before when the man kept circling around to this point. "But as I've told you before, Fire Lord Zuko and I believe that this skill can be controlled if we take preemptive and preventative measures with the right legislature as well as careful selection of the sharing of the skill."
Zuko added, "All bending has its risks and dangers. We allow benders to hone and practice their gift and trust that they won't use it for the wrong reasons. Master Bei Fong could bring down the entire city of Ba Sing Se if she so chose. Master Katara could sink the capital of the Northern Water Tribe. I could incinerate the Fire Nation capital city. Yet, you let us, and thousands of others, practice our bending because you trust that we won't." He paused to look at Katara purposefully.
"Master Katara is the best Waterbender that I've come across in my travels around the world. And one of the strongest opponents I've ever fought against and had the honor of fighting side by side with. She has mastered her gift to unparalleled lengths as well as all of the possibilities it allows: first with healing and now Bloodbending. She has surpassed every test your tribe's Waterbending Master has given her and has proven herself more than capable in situations that no one could have imagined by playing a pivotal role in the war's end. Master Katara taught the Avatar. And she accomplished all of these feats before she was fifteen years of age. And she accomplished it through more than just talent. It was her passion, hard work, willingness to learn, and determination that led to her mastery of her element. There's no one else I would trust with the handling of this regulation and I will always advocate her knowledge and ability of everything related to Waterbending. More importantly, I will always advocate for her judgment. There's no one else with a kinder heart and Master Katara always acts with the best intentions so we can be sure her knowledge won't go to the wrong hands."
He turned his attention to the Northern Water Tribe council leader and arched a dark eyebrow at him. "What else would you require?"
The man pursed his lips. He sat and sighed, holding his hands out entreatingly. "I just worry—"
"I know, Tulok," Katara interjected gently. "I worry, too. When I first learned the skill, it terrified me. I was forced into learning it to protect the Avatar during the war while we were traveling through the former colonies. I don't like the idea of using it sinisterly to exert power over someone else's will. But… I would be remiss to think that it doesn't have any use. It just needs to be used wisely. There are lives that have been lost… and I wonder if maybe using Bloodbending could have helped give people a chance to be healed." Katara frowned as she remembered Jet and how he lay dying beneath Lake Laogai. "I don't see it as a means of debasing Waterbending, but a chance to expand its capabilities for good."
"I think…" the second, younger Northern Water Tribe man spoke up, "Master Katara has a point."
"You agree with her, Inuk?" the first man asked incredulously.
"Tulok, how many good men have we lost? From what Master Katara has described, it's far from complete omnipotence. And it seems like Bloodbending requires careful tutelage as well as caution when practicing… you said it can only be done on the full moon?"
Katara sat straighter in her seat and rolled her shoulders back. "For the moment. I've attempted using this skill outside of this timeframe but each attempt exhausts me so far. It's both a hindrance and a failsafe, but I intend on seeing the possibilities on nights other than the full moon. As soon as I can use the skill without pain or fatigue, I'll attempt it during daylight. After all, we don't heal only on nights of the full moon. But as Fire Lord Zuko and I have said, Bloodbending isn't a perversion of Waterbending, but a chance to expand its possibilities for helping others."
Inuk considered her words and turned to Tulok, who nodded solemnly. "Then, the Water Tribes are in agreement and are ready to support this act, as long as Master Katara can provide a full draft of regulations by the summit's end in two weeks."
"The Fire Nation is in agreement as well," Zuko added. "I'll also be aiding Master Katara in writing the draft as well to continue this council's agreement to pass legislature in unification in the interest of transparency."
King Kuei considered the table of leaders before him and slowly nodded. "The Earth Kingdom agrees, dependent on the final laws as written by Master Katara and Fire Lord Zuko."
"And of the Air Acolytes? Avatar Aang's agreement?" the Earth Kingdom governor, Da-Song, inquired.
Katara quickly shared a glance with Zuko, who knew of Aang's distaste for Bloodbending. She answered, "We'll present the regulations to Avatar Aang when he arrives for the summit's conclusion at the end of the month for the final selection of the United Republic Council." She smiled weakly. "Then, we should be squared away until we revisit the topic at the next summit in beginning of the summer."
The men at the table expressed their concurrence with a booming chorus and King Kuei dismissed them. The Earth King governors were quick to leave the throne room, eager to return to their homes and retire for the evening. Zuko met quietly with his generals to discuss their next orders as well as inform Zuko of the latest news from the Fire Nation. Katara approached Inuk and Tulok clasping her hands in front of her and bowing her head respectfully. The two Water Tribe men raised their eyebrows in quiet surprise but smirked at the young Waterbender.
"Master Katara, there's no need," Inuk insisted.
Katara met his gaze and quipped, "Which makes my gesture all the more respectful. And truly, I want to express my appreciation for your support of my plans. I understand that it is an ability that can have devastating effects and the power may be tempting, but I have hope that we'll be able to use Bloodbending wisely and bolster our healers' capabilities. Healing is also such a beautiful gift that I should also like this to be an opportunity for more healers to be spread throughout the world. There are many who can use our help and I believe that we can do that."
Inuk clapped a heavy hand onto Katara's shoulder and gripped it warmly. "You are a true example of what the Water Tribes stand for. I'm sure the Chiefs will look on your plans with favor."
Thinking back to her memories and past encounters with Chief Arnook, Katara narrowed her eyes playfully at the Northern Water Tribe man. "Inuk, I didn't take you to be a liar," she teased.
Tulok added, "Chief Arnook is a hard man to convince, but he has looked to you and your brother for counsel in the wake of the war as he does respect your opinions. I'm sure the younger of our healers will be interested in this plan. However, we will not send word until the laws' final passing. No need to rile up the North until things are finalized." He smiled knowingly at Katara.
"I agree." Katara bowed again. "Have a good evening."
"You as well."
The two Water Tribe men strode out of the throne room and when Katara turned, she saw that only Zuko remained with her, his generals presumably dismissed by their commander. He jerked his head at the door and Katara nodded eagerly, walking side by side with him through the palace to their carriage.
"Where should we have dinner tonight?" he asked lightly.
Katara used her hip to bump him gently. "As if we aren't going to the Jasmine Dragon to see your uncle."
Zuko gave her one of his rare smiles and Katara felt a fluttering in her stomach that she told herself was simply due to hunger.
"Again," Zuko demanded, though his voice was strained.
Katara panted and swallowed roughly, sweat beading her face as she bent over, resting her hands on her thighs as she caught her breath. "You can't be serious," she said breathlessly.
Though he was on his hands and knees on the ground, Zuko merely shook his shaggy hair out of his eyes and insisted, "Again."
"No, Zuko," she said firmly. "We're exhausted."
"That's the whole point of this," he snapped. He rose to his feet, but Katara could see how his legs shook slightly as they held his weight. As he stood, his chest heaved, the pale skin glistening with his sweat. The pink sunburst scar on his chest looked slightly pinker as if blood rushed to the old wound while Zuko exerted himself. Katara made a mental note to ask him about that later.
Katara scoffed. "What's the point of trying to master these skills if they end up killing us anyway?" She scowled as she fiddled with her wrappings on her forearms as well as tightened the sash around her waist that kept her tunic closed.
The duo had been steadily training, helping the other hone the more difficult aspects of their bending. For Katara, she was struggling to hone in on her awareness of the water in Zuko's body so that she could Bloodbend without relying on the power of a full moon. Zuko had also been upping the ante by resisting her hold on his body and would actively Firebend at her to force Katara to react quickly and learn how to ease into Bloodbending as easily as she could shift phases of water. Of course, her onslaught of attacks meant that he had to find a way to quickly enter the state of mental clarify that would allow him to generate lightning.
They'd been training this way since they'd first gone to Yu Dao, sparring away from the campsite and prying eyes, though they both knew Toph likely figured out what they were up to. Needless to say, they had both been blown back by many failed attempts on their own part as well as each other's. With increased and diligent meditation, Katara had quickly been able to open her awareness of her element such that she could Bloodbend without the full moon, though she still struggled to maintain it during the day, finding more ease at night.
Zuko had managed to generate lightning a handful of times, though he had only been able to direct it safely twice so far. Luckily, both times were far away from Katara and the other times, he had merely thrown himself back with the force of the lightning. He grit his teeth, fighting back a groan at the sharp pain that traveled down his back as he settled from the latest blast, amplified by the fact that Katara had made sure to capture the lightning in ice in an effort to soften the explosion, being quick to release her water so the lightning didn't connect back to her. And being extremely quick in phasing the ice shrapnel into snow in time so that they wouldn't be impaled.
"It's not going to kill us," Zuko bit out.
Katara straightened and bent her sweat away from her forehead. "Yet."
"One more round."
Frowning, Katara refused to assume a defensive position. "Zuko."
"Katara," he retorted, mimicking her tone.
Glaring at the Firebender, Katara easily shifted her stance and pulled up water from the home's backyard water fountain and immediately sent a torrent of highly pressurized blasts of water at Zuko, learning the technique from watching him punch fire at her. In return, Zuko created a wall of flame that immediately turned her blasts into steam. Katara expanded the steam to lower his visibility and summoned a tendril of water, compressing it until it acted like a blade and rushed at Zuko. Zuko stayed still, listening to Katara's rapidly approaching footfalls to dodge out of the way and kick a large arc of fire at her. This forced Katara to loosen her water to act as a shield before quickly condensing the resultant steam back into water.
Before she could complete the water's transformation, Zuko grabbed one of her arms and twisted it behind her, appearing out of the steam like a spirit. She heard the ring of one of his broadswords and made a fist with her free hand, clenching it tightly, and heard the slight choke from somewhere above and behind her.
She kept still, feeling the cool metal of the blade against the overheated skin at her throat. Similarly, Katara could hear Zuko's throat working as she cut off the air supply by holding his lungs. Pain blossomed in her head from the intricacy of this kind of Bloodbending, much more invasive than merely holding his limbs hostage.
She rasped out, "Yield, Zuko."
Katara knew she could spread her control even further to his hands and make him yield, but her own pride drove her to make sure that he yielded on his own volition. Fighting the next wave of pain barreling through her head, she tightened her hold on him, purposefully applying more pressure. Zuko felt as though there was a komodo rhino sitting on his chest. After three attempts to get another breath and seeing his vision darken, Zuko threw his broadsword, the metal scraping as it skidded across the ground.
With a gasp, Katara removed her hold on Zuko's body and the two promptly fell onto the stone, winded and desperately trying to catch their breath. Katara hissed as her head pulsated and she closed her eyes against the bright sunlight shining down on them. She was half sprawled on top of Zuko since he had made sure to break her fall as they fell. It was easy for him to shift and curl her into his body, shielding her from the sun. He was gently rubbing his hand up and down her arm.
"That was…" he began. "New." His voice was still hoarse.
Her eyes still closed, Katara reached out for him, her hand feeling across his chest. Zuko took in another shaky breath as her fingers ghosted over his bare skin, but she continued until her hand rested above his heart. With a cursory outreach, she made sure that she didn't cause any damage.
Zuko grasped her hand with his own and kept it there. "I'm fine," he told her quietly. "You don't need to strain yourself more."
"I had to make sure."
Zuko tucked her closer to him and pressed his lips to her forehead, ignoring how she tried to protest and complain about how sweaty she was. "I'm fine," he told her again. "You did it."
Katara scoffed. "Only because you're so stubborn."
"Me?" he asked, amusement coloring his husky voice. He lifted his head to peer down at her, but she still had her head buried into his side, which amused Zuko as she was actively ignoring how sweaty he was.
"It took you forever to yield," she groused.
"You could have made me," he mentioned.
"That wasn't the point. If I made you yield, then I wouldn't have won, not really," Katara huffed. She opened one eye to look up at him and Zuko grinned tiredly at the bright blue peeking out at him. "But I did it," she said in a voice that was both quiet and proud.
"You did," he affirmed.
Katara's cheeks warmed at the obvious pride in his tone. With a groan, she sat up and held her head in her hands. Zuko watched her, making sure she wasn't otherwise hurt. Slowly, he joined her in sitting up, grimacing at how his muscles protested the simple movement.
"We should get you out of the sun. Especially if you feel like another migraine is coming." He had realized from their previous training sessions that getting her somewhere cool and dark straight away best alleviated her post-Bloodbending pain.
Katara summoned a tendril of water from the fountain and brought her water-cloaked fingertips to her temples, sighing as the pressure in her head decreased. As soon as the pain was manageable, she turned to Zuko, but he shook his head. When she reached for him again, he scooted away.
Rolling her eyes, she reached again. "Stop acting like a little kid and just let me—"
"You're tired."
"That didn't stop you fifteen minutes ago when you goaded me into sparring you again."
Zuko smirked. "It's not my fault that you're so damn competitive— hey!"
Katara lunged and straddled him, her palms on his chest and forcing him down onto the stone again. The rough texture slightly grated against his bare back, but Zuko paid it no heed, focused instead on the Waterbender hovering over him. He watched as her hands glowed with her element and smoothed over his skin, the cool touch refreshing against the balminess of his body. Katara's gaze remained steady on her hands, guiding them over his torso, knowing exactly where his muscles stiffened from exhaustion. As soon as she touched them, they immediately relaxed and he felt the soreness lift from his body. Her full lower lip was caught in her teeth as she concentrated and Zuko reached up to gently pull it free, stroking the pad of his thumb over the soft skin.
Katara looked away from her healing to see the entranced gaze in Zuko's eyes as he watched her. His eyes were liquid gold and burned into her with their intensity. They darted down to focus on her lip, still underneath his thumb. She tentatively licked her lips, mostly because she found that her mouth had gone dry all of a sudden. She could taste the salt on his thumb and saw how Zuko's eyes darkened as her tongue brushed against his skin. Immediately, she lost her grip on her water and it splashed onto Zuko completely but he paid it no mind or otherwise didn't indicate that he noticed the water dripping off of him.
He leaned up as he pressed closer to her, solidifying his other hand's caress of her face. Katara had unknowingly lowered down and leaned closer to Zuko, her palms sliding up from his abdomen to skim over his chest and finally entangle in his disheveled hair. Doing so had caused her body to glide along his and Zuko hissed through clenched teeth at the sensation of her body brushing his so closely. As she lowered to meet him, her weight settled and she unintentionally pressed her hips against his, prompting Zuko to mimic her and wrap his fingers in her hair. Katara sighed softly, a quiet whimper passing through her lips, and that was the sound that did it.
If Zuko were to die with that tiny noise being the last thing he heard, he would die happy.
Despite her healing cooling off his skin, he felt like he was burning up again. He surged up to meet Katara fully and pressed his lips against hers, swallowing her gasp. He captured her mouth and gently nipped on her full bottom lip, teasing her with his tongue, before she let out a strangled moan in response. The sound jarred him and he pulled away, breathing heavily as he pressed his forehead against hers.
"I'm sorry," he gasped. "I shouldn't have—"
Katara pressed her body even closer and shook her head, her eyes still half-closed. "Shut up, Zuko," she murmured before kissing him again.
Zuko's apologies were muffled by Katara's lips, but he groaned when Katara's hips ground against his purposefully. He broke away, gasping harshly, and he threw his head back as a wave of pleasure shot through him. Undeterred, Katara continued, trailing her lips down the column of his throat. Allowing her instinct to take over, she gently scraped her teeth against the sensitive skin at the hollow of his throat, feeling his hands tighten on her hips as she did so. Zuko's hips bucked up and Katara moaned throatily, feeling him press directly against her core, the heat and heaviness of his hard length against her causing tension to coil deliciously in her body and she moved her hips more insistently against him.
"Katara," Zuko pleaded, the damp warmth of her permeating through their light clothing. Her movements stroked him with a delicious pressure and he fought the urge to buck his hips up again.
"It's okay," Katara assured him. She gripped his face and kissed him again. "It's okay," she repeated between kisses. "Zuko, please," she breathed. She adjusted herself so that she could spread her legs further and press herself against him even more, allowing herself to rub firmly against the thick heat beneath her, eyes fluttering closed as the tension continued to build inside her.
Zuko deepened the kiss, his hands kneading the skin of her hips, gripping her tunic and twisting the fabric. "Katara, I—" he panted.
"Fire Lord Zuko! Master Katara!" a voice called from inside the house.
The two pulled apart with rough gasps and their hearts pounding in their chests. Zuko was quick to lift them up from the ground with Katara still in his arms, stumbling to his feet before lowering Katara, stiffly disentangling her legs from around his hips. She rushed to smooth out her tunic and pull her hair over one shoulder, though the voluminous waves still looked wrecked from how Zuko twisted his fingers through them. Zuko looked her over and nearly came from how her lips looked swollen and red, her cheeks also bright with color. Katara's bright blue eyes were still dark and heavy lidded with lust. He forced himself to take a calming breath and willed his body to settle down. They heard someone begin to exit the house to enter the back garden and Katara quickly turned to face their visitor, still attempting to smooth out her rumpled tunic, ruined by Zuko's fingers gripping into the fabric. She made to step forward, but Zuko gripped her hips again and brought her back so that she stood slightly in front of him.
"What?"
"I'm still a little… compromised," Zuko said with a clipped tone. He raised his eyebrow and nodded at her pointedly.
Katara's eyes followed his gaze and widened as she saw the prominent bulge at the front of his pants. She immediately raised her eyes and her blush deepened, her stomach tightening at the sight of what she did to him.
"Right," she said, a bit dazed. She cleared her throat and offered, "Do you want me to help with that?"
Golden eyes bulging, Zuko sputtered, "I don't think that we have the time—"
"Oh Spirits, no, um... I meant, I could try Bloodbending..."
Zuko's heart slowed and he felt his cheeks heat. "Maybe when you have a bit more practice. Not that I don't trust you... I'm just partial to this part of my anatomy."
Katara blinked at him, torn between feeling insulted that he thought she couldn't do it and wanting to burst into laughter.
Zuko smiled at her and turned her around, clearing his throat. "Just give me a moment," he said lowly in her ear.
Katara fought her smile. "Just a moment? Is that all it takes?"
Zuko laughed lowly in her ear, leaving her with one last kiss to her temple before lifting his head to greet their guest.
"Uncle!" he exclaimed, seeing the familiar man come through the sliding doors that led to the back garden.
The older Firebender meandered through the wraparound porch before descending the stone steps that led into the garden and training area. He chucked to himself as he approached them. "I do hope I wasn't interrupting. I happened to be in the Upper Ring to visit one of my most loyal patrons who wanted afternoon tea in the comfort of their own home and thought I would drop by as I was in the area. I feel quite bad that you two are always the ones to make the trip to see me."
Katara smiled politely. "Iroh, it's not often I get to see you. While I'm in Ba Sing Se, I'm happy to make the trip to the Jasmine Dragon when I can."
"You are far too gracious, Katara. I've brought some of my best blends with me and thought that you might sample some of them over some lunch that I've brought as well. I promise that they don't contain any cactus extract," he joked.
With a deep breath to calm her still racing heart, Katara stepped forward, holding out a hand to take his offered elbow as they retreated back into the house. "Well in that case," she joked back. "I do apologize, though, I'm covered in sweat and dirt. Zuko and I just finished a sparring match."
Iroh looked over his shoulder. "Is that what was happening? I thought I heard some sounds of… exertion. Please, Katara, enlighten me on your sparring match with my nephew. I should hope that he hasn't faltered in his skills." He winked at Zuko, who slapped a palm to his face.
Katara giggled and Zuko felt some of his irritation melt away at the happy sound. "On the contrary, he always gives as good as he gets. As to be expected." She smirked over her shoulder.
Zuko rolled his eyes and met her gaze with a crooked smile.
For the next few weeks, Zuko's mind always ended up traveling to that sparring session and more importantly what happened afterwards. It had a way of sneaking up on him in the middle of summit meetings, even if his favorite Waterbender wasn't present at the large table in King Kuei's throne room. Mercifully, his Uncle Iroh never brought it up or teased him about it, though he would look at Zuko knowingly over a cup of tea with a secretive smile.
Their subsequent sparring sessions never quite reached the same level of sexual charge, but it was as if that moment allowed Katara to open the floodgates in terms of her offering more affection. She kept it contained to their borrowed home in the Upper Ring, but she would reach out to caress his face during their dinners at home or press her leg to his as they sat by side reviewing scrolls and paperwork for their summit meetings. And on the nights they were both free from any official dinners they were required to attend, Katara liked to curl up against him in front of the fireplace in the living room, using his chest as a pillow as they told the other about their day, shared childhood stories passed down to them by Iroh or Gran-Gran, or vented their frustrations and anxieties without judgment from the other.
She draped herself over him, intertwining arms and hands and legs. Zuko allowed himself to nuzzle the top of her head, her cheek, as they settled into the cushions in front of the fire, content with their closeness, his fingertips running over her warm skin as he held her. He knew that she felt as free as he did when they were alone in their cocoon. They both anxiously awaited the official end of the summit so that they could finally have a conversation about them without any other worries or distractions.
The night before the spring summit's final large council meeting, the duo were up late making final revisions and notes to the legislature they were to present—and hopefully have passed— regarding the use of Bloodbending. Katara was filled with nervous energy, but Zuko assured her that he would be by her side and that it didn't matter what the summit council decided in the end, as he would always support her.
Katara yawned and lifted her arms straight up, hearing her joints in her shoulder pop as she pulled on her fingertips, lengthening her spine after being hunched over for hours. She reached back and placed her hands on her lower back to arch and stretch her spine even more, groaning softly at the stiffness with which her body moved. Zuko raised his gaze from the parchment he was looking over, his tired eyes sharpening as they focused on how Katara's movements pushed out her chest. His golden eyes darkened and his hand stopped writing notes to watch the way Katara's loosened tunic had given way and parted, allowing a glimpse of how the tan skin of her neck flowed uninterrupted to her chest, her skin's deep tones contrasted by the white wrappings binding her and how her breasts threatened to spill over.
With another small sigh, Katara rolled her neck to ease the tension further and Zuko continued to watch the sinewy movements, gulping. She gave a small shake of her shoulders to loosen her muscles and Zuko's eyes immediately went to her cleavage again.
Katara returned to the scroll she was reading and paused to glance up at him, not hearing the familiar scratch of his quill. "Zuko?"
"Hm?"
"Are you alright?"
"Hm?"
"Zuko."
"Yes?"
Katara giggled. "Finally, a real word. Is everything okay?"
"Yeah... just... Katara, you're stunning."
Katara was taken aback and Zuko watched as her expression turned bashful, her cheeks pinking prettily.
"Thank you?" she finally responded, confusion still evident in her face.
Zuko's eyes snapped up to meet Katara's, the heat in his golden orbs immediately making itself known in Katara's core. She felt her mouth part as her jaw went slack and she belatedly realized that she was holding her breath. The atmosphere between them shifted and Katara likened it to the feeling in the air when Zuko was getting closer to fulfilling his goal to generate lightning during sparring practice. It was as if the air was charging up.
"Zuko?" she asked again quietly, her voice trembling. She also noticed that her own fingers were shaking as well.
Zuko almost groaned at the way Katara's eyes darkened and her eyes trailed to his lips. He rose suddenly, and he felt something tighten in his lower stomach as well as a familiar rush of blood as his body tensed. He exhaled forcefully and took a step back.
"I'm sorry," he said quickly.
"Zuko?" Katara repeated for the fourth time in as many minutes. She didn't know if she knew any other name at the moment. She licked her lips and saw his gaze darken even further.
Zuko warned, "Katara, I need to… if you don't mean to… I don't know if I can— I should go—"
Without warning, Katara stood and her slender fingers were working at the knot that kept her tunic closed. Air escaped from Zuko's lips in a rough hiss as the blue fabric parted completely to reveal her how her chest narrowed to her slender waist before flaring out to her hips, still covered by her leggings. His body thrummed in response, as if she were Bloodbending him, though she was exerting her control over his body in a new way.
"Is this what you—"
"Agni, yes," Zuko choked out. He fought to keep the neediness out of his voice, but Katara could hear it and it only heightened her own.
Katara's breasts heaved with each breath. "We shouldn't—" she began.
"We shouldn't." he agreed quickly with a frantic nodding of his head. Then, Zuko frowned in confusion. "We shouldn't?"
Katara smiled at Zuko's tone and the obvious distraction in his face. "What I mean is, we shouldn't until we know what this is." She waved a hand between the two of them, her blue eyes looking over him hungrily.
His body wound tight, Zuko jerked his head once in concurrence. "Right."
"After Yu Dao, we said that we should discuss it. Rationally."
"That sounds familiar."
"I thought this conversation would happen after tomorrow. After the summit meeting. And that we'd both be fully clothed."
"So did I."
"Safe to say that plan has..."
"Gone to shit?" Zuko supplied.
Katara laughed and asked imploringly, "Is it too bold of me to say that you're as attracted to me as I am to you?"
Zuko swallowed harshly again and met her eyes, ignoring how her nipples hardened and strained against her wrappings. "Believe me, Katara, you've never been more right."
Despite the situation, Katara laughed again, actually finding some relief in the lightheartedness that broke through the tension between them. "I can tell," she murmured, her eyes roving over him appreciatively once more, settling on the apparent evidence between his legs.
"I thought about what you said…" she said softly.
"Oh?"
"I agree."
Zuko's brow furrowed in bemusement.
"We've spent the last few weeks fulfilling our own goals and commitments, both together and separate, and can come back to each other at the end of the day like usual. You don't impose your life or itinerary onto mine and you support me in my ventures. And a part of me knows that it'll be different once the spring summit ends and we're not living together anymore but... a bigger part of me knows that the important things that matter... that will always be there."
Katara pressed her lips together and took a deep breath. "I'm not ready to commit to anything permanent for now but I would like to start something new and see where it takes us. I don't want this to just be a one-time thing. I have a feeling…" she smiled up at him, "That I might like where this goes. And this is a choice that I'm making for myself."
Zuko's frown deepened. "I don't want anyone to think that I'm just using you," he revealed quietly.
Katara's eyes flashed with a determined glint. "Let them think what they want, Zuko. I know you're not."
"I don't want to become another regret for you," he confessed, his voice thin and shaky.
Katara's heart nearly broke. She reassured him, "You won't. You couldn't."
"Is this… are you sure?"
Chewing on her lip, Katara also wrung her fingers nervously as she spoke. "I guess what I'm asking is if you're sure. There's much more at stake for you. I can't move to the Fire Nation to be with you. At least not now." She missed how Zuko's eyebrow raised infinitesimally at that, his lips quirking upwards for a second. She continued, "There's still so much that I want to do. It'll be difficult and there'll be long stretches of time where we won't see each other. And I'm sure your court will have something to say about it, if it gets out. What I'm asking is if you think it's worth it and if you'd be okay with this arrangement. For now."
His face softening, he said ardently, "Katara, you're more than worth it. We've been separated for the last five years and it doesn't change how I feel about you. Believe me, the distance has done nothing to lessen how much I want you."
Katara let out a breath and offered him a relieved smile. "Good, I was hoping you'd say that."
"Agni, Katara, I've already traveled the world for you once. At least now, I can expect more frequent letters so that I'll know where you are," he joked.
Her smile turned alluring, her voice a purr. "I don't know. I think I like the idea of being chased by you."
There was a split second that Katara had before Zuko made his move. He leapt across the table they worked on and Katara squealed as she turned to run away but with Zuko's longer legs and faster reflexes, he quickly caught her around the waist, spinning her around and capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. Zuko's hands roved, pushing her tunic off of her shoulders completely, the light fabric falling to the floor in a quiet rustle. His fingers skimmed over the newly exposed expanse of tan skin, memorizing each divot and twist of her body with his fingertips. He pulled back slightly to scan her, his eyes hungry and possessive as he looked her over.
Katara leaned away shyly, but Zuko held firm and pulled her back. She muttered, "It's not as if you haven't seen this before. I've worn less while swimming."
Zuko smirked at her roguishly. "I miss those trips to Ember Island," he revealed teasingly.
He slid his hands up to her ribs and dared to swipe his thumbs directly over the outer edges of her breasts before savoring the full weight of them in his hands and brushing purposefully over her nipples, enjoying the gasp Katara let out as she did so. He groaned as well, his touch becoming more daring as he firmed his grip over her breasts, kneading the skin gently through her sarashi.
Immediately, his touch had ratcheted up the tension in Katara's body, causing her stomach to clench and her lower body to grow even hotter and wetter. Her fingers hovered at the hem of Zuko's shirt, dancing over the skin of his abdomen. She leaned up to kiss the underside of his jaw while slowly tugging and lifting the shirt. "Tit for tat, Zuko."
"Is that what we're calling it?" he teased, one corner of his mouth lifting in a dazed smile.
As soon as his shirt was gone, thrown to the floor, Katara skimmed her hands over the ivory skin, admiring the smooth firmness of his body. She relished in how her caramel-colored hands contrasted against him. She stepped closer, standing between his legs so that she could feel his muscular frame directly against hers as she kissed him. She dragged her fingers over his chest before lowering them over the muscles of his abdomen purposefully, teasingly tracing the v-shaped lines from either side of his hips that led to the sparse trail of dark hair below his navel.
"Spirits, your body is perfect," she murmured against his mouth.
Zuko grinned at her before he mimicked her motions and allowed his hands to skim her body before he brought one hand up from her butt to slide up her spine, catching at the end of her wrappings. He tugged at the end that was tucked in, immediately allowing the thick cotton to unravel around her, pooling loosely at her hips.
Katara felt the cooler air of the room hit her skin and she shivered involuntarily both from it and the knowledge that she was allowing Zuko to see her bare breasts for the first time. She moaned into his mouth as he deepened the kiss, coaxing her tongue to meet his.
Panting, he pulled back to look down at her. "Agni," he whispered. His eyes eagerly took in the full roundness of her breasts, their actual size hidden by the constricting nature of her sarashi. The smooth skin was tipped with dusky nipples that seemed to pebble further under his gaze. The flush that was appearing on her chest nearly matched the dusty rose. He met her eyes and held her gaze. "You're beautiful."
Katara fought to keep from instinctually covering herself and Zuko could feel how her hands tensed on his hips.
"Is this okay?" he asked breathlessly.
Katara nodded, lowering her eyes shyly. She took a deep breath and met his eyes again, admitting softly, "I'm a little nervous."
"If you don't want to, we can stop," he assured her. "Tell me and we'll stop whenever you're not comfortable."
"I've never…" Her rosy cheeks turned redder with embarrassment. "I've never been with anyone like this before."
Zuko kissed her softly to soothe her and as he pulled back, he confessed, "I also don't have much experience with this."
Katara raised an eyebrow at him dubiously. "Really?" When Zuko nodded his head, Katara pressed skeptically, "Even when you were with Mai?"
With an awkward grimace, Zuko admitted, "Mai and I have been together. But it wasn't really a frequent thing for us. I... never had the interest. I-I mean, I had the interest but I was barely a teenager when I was exiled, and then a fugitive and then Fire Lord. So I guess I never really had the opportunity. I mean, Mai and I fooled around when I came home after Azula took Ba Sing Se. And then we got back together right after the war ended and I guess we... a couple of times... But then, I busied myself with work, Mai never talked to me about it, and our relationship took a step back."
His words came out in a rush and Zuko could feel his cheeks burn. "So... yeah, I've had sex but I'd still say I don't really have much experience. Have you— does this mean you and Aang never...?"
Katara's cheeks were equally red and she fought to keep eye contact with Zuko. "No, we haven't. But not for Aang's lack of trying. It just... never felt right and I never felt comfortable going further than making out and some heavy petting."
Zuko took a deep breath before looking into Katara's eyes intently. "You and I can learn together. Believe me, I want to take this step with you, but only if you're ready. If you're sure." A part of him filled with pride knowing that if she agreed, he would be her first. And if he had it his way, her only.
Katara's blue eyes met Zuko's golden ones and saw the lust, but moreso, she saw the concern and adoration that was recently coming to the surface and deepened their friendship with their extended time together. The affection was so deep that she began to wonder just how she had been so oblivious and marveled at how he had kept his feelings hidden from her for so long.
Zuko smiled gently at her. "I have nothing left to hide, Katara."
His unspoken declaration hung in the air between them. Zuko's last secret taking up the scant space between the couple. It wormed its way into Katara's consciousness and into her heart. Slightly trembling, she pressed her lips against his softly in tender acquiescence.
"Katara, for tonight, can I call you mine?" he asked quietly against her lips, almost scared.
Katara nodded, her eyes closing as his lips lowered again to capture hers in a deep, sensual kiss. Slowly, he lifted a hand to cup one of her breasts, kneading it before lightly pinching the hard peak, causing Katara to jolt and her knees to buckle from the sensation. It was as if his touch went directly to her core and she shivered as the ache between her legs increased. Zuko released his hold on her breast to catch her, their bodies pressed together from hips to chest. Katara mewled at the feeling of her sensitive nipples brushing against the heated planes of his body.
Zuko then ducked his head to tenderly kiss the valley between her breasts before mouthing at her right breast and taking the nipple between his lips, moaning at how she reactively gasped his name, spurring him to pull harder. She inhaled sharply and arched against his mouth, greedily seeking out more. Soon enough, she had one hand dragging his face back up while her other hand skimmed over the front of his pants, palming his length and reveling in the throaty groan escaping him.
"Zuko, I'm yours," she answered.