Chapter 13
Katara woke up, opening her eyes and briefly wondering what had awakened her in the middle of the night. Was it some kind of sudden noise? She held her breath and listened, but she could not hear a thing, the estate appeared completely quiet. It felt odd, because for once she had managed to fall asleep easily the evening before, following a magical day on the beach, but now suddenly she was awake again. For once, there hadn't been any distracting dreams of Zuko either.
Katara tossed and turned in her bed, but after a while found herself struggling to resume her sleep. Feeling thirsty and remembering having left a full pitcher of mango juice on the kitchen table, Katara rose from the bed and stepped out into the hallway, making sure to remain as quiet as possible. She hadn't advanced far down the hallway leading to the kitchen, when she overheard some muffled noises coming from the room ahead of her.
Who could that be? Katara immediately became alerted, readying herself to waterbend if necessary as she slowly crept forward. Has Mai sent more thugs to attack us? She wondered, carefully peeking into the kitchen and then freezing, for nothing could have prepared her for the scene playing out in front of her.
Ty Lee was sitting on the kitchen table with her back turned towards Katara. Her back was completely bare and the top of her swimsuit lay discarded on the table. Ty Lee's knees were parted wide, her legs wrapped around Suki's waist, as her girlfriend stood by the table, the pair losing themselves in a distracting make-out session. While Katara was trying to decide whether to announce her presence through an embarrassed cough, or try to sneak back to her bedroom, Ty Lee leaned backwards on the table, exposing her naked chest to the utterly stunned Katara who could only stand there and watch enthralled at how Suki's hands slid up her girlfriend's body, reaching her breasts to cup and gently squeeze them... at which point, Suki raised her head and her eyes met Katara's, standing by the kitchen door with mouth agape in shocked surprise.
"Aaah!" Suki gasped, removing her hands from Ty Lee's breasts, as if she had been burned. "Katara... uh... sorry, we're so sorry!" she quickly apologized. "Ty Lee, I told you no making out in the kitchen, but no, you just had to risk getting us into trouble!" Ty Lee was far too busy covering herself up to look apologetic.
"Sorry, I was just... taken by surprise," Katara managed, finding her throat completely dry. "Why would you apologize, anyway? I know you two are together."
"Yes, but we shouldn't be making out in the kitchen like that, it's not very professional," Suki blushed.
"But fun," Ty Lee added, equally red in the face.
"Well... as far as I'm concerned, I didn't see anything," Katara managed an encouraging smile. "So, if you want to pick up where you left off back in your quarters, that's completely fine by me..."
"Ty Lee, I think Katara is onto something," Suki grinned, tugging on her girlfriend's arm. "Let's disappear! And thank the lucky stars that it was Katara who walked in on us instead of Zuko!" she giggled, dragging Ty Lee away with her.
"Yes, if Zuko had walked in on you two, he would have probably experienced self-combustion," Katara chuckled at herself, still unable to believe what she had just witnessed. Also, she was sure she had come to the kitchen for some reason, but right now she couldn't remember why. Oh yes, I was thirsty! And still am... she snapped her fingers, starting to look around for the pitcher of juice, but at that moment, a breathless Ty Lee rushed back into the kitchen.
Covering her naked breasts with her arm, Ty Lee grabbed her discarded top from the table. "Oops, I forgot something!" she exclaimed, quickly running off again.
Spirits, that girl is crazy! Katara shook her head in amusement, finally having located the pitcher and pouring herself a generous glass of juice. Crazy fun. I... can't blame Suki for falling for her while being parted from Sokka. Ty Lee is just so full of life...
Having sated her immediate thirst, Katara refilled her glass and brought it with her as she retreated back to her bedroom, settling in her bed to try and resume sleeping. Once again, it became a struggle. The passionate scene between the two girls began to replay in her mind and she felt a familiar heat slowly starting to build in her core. Katara let out a frustrated growl and tried to think about something incredibly unromantic like Sokka always picking his nose and then eating the boogers when he thought nobody was watching, but even such a horrible mental image did not stop the scene of Ty Lee and Suki making out from transforming in her mind's eye into something else, something that stoked the fire within her tenfold, if not more than that.
Katara suddenly saw herself in Ty Lee's place on the kitchen table, leaning back, her loose hair splayed in all directions, while Zuko loomed above her, kissing her as he began to caress her body, then trailing his kisses downwards until his lips reached her bare breasts. In her fantasy, Katara saw herself burying her fingers in Zuko's hair, pulling him tighter against her chest. She shuddered from a sudden spike of arousal, whimpering as she shook her head and tried to dismiss the fantasy, but it refused to leave easily and the fire burning deep within her showed no sign of abating, if anything, it demanded immediate tending to.
Realizing that she would not fall asleep again unless she took care of her distressed state, Katara slipped a hand between her thighs and quickly established the occasionally practiced motion of her wrist to help and relieve her tensions. She felt embarrassed at how quickly she found her release this time, barely having to touch herself as the flame within rose and crested, making her sob into the pillow. With her hand remaining trapped between her thighs, Katara's body began to relax and her breathing slowed as she finally fell asleep.
It was still pitch dark outside as Zuko woke with a start, alerted by a sudden but recognizable sound out in the hallway, that of a creaking floorboard. Concerned that Mai might have sent some more of her household goons to cause trouble, Zuko quickly threw a robe over his shoulders and silently slipped out of his quarters, just in time to see a shadowy figure leaving the estate through the front door, Zuko only catching the faintest outline of the intruder's shape.
With the intent of cutting the intruder off, Zuko quickly bolted towards the estate's side entrance, remaining pressed tight against the wall as he moved to peek around the corner. He couldn't see the intruder anywhere in the courtyard and for a moment Zuko thought that they had escaped already, but as he leaned a little further out from behind the corner, he caught a glimpse of a dark shape lingering by the entrance. As he was still deliberating how to proceed, Zuko became aware of the sounds of lithe footsteps slowly coming his way. The oblivious intruder passed right by him and Zuko reached out to firmly grasp their wrist, only to be rewarded by Katara's startled yelp.
"Oh," Zuko suddenly felt very foolish as he looked into Katara's wide eyes. "I didn't expect you to be sneaking around in the middle of the night."
"Zuko!" Katara gasped at him, trying to recover from the sudden scare. "My heart is doing triple backflips now! And anyway... I do not sneak!"
"Sorry," Zuko smiled apologetically. "Couldn't sleep?" Again? He nearly added, but withheld the comment.
"I fell asleep just fine, but I then woke up because of the dream I had," Katara explained, for some reason blushing lightly.
"A bad dream?" Zuko wondered. "Want to tell me about it?"
Katara's eyes widened noticeably at that, and she appeared slightly horrified. "N-no… it's not very interesting, anyway," she shrugged, looking eager to change the topic. "Anyway, I'm sorry if I woke you up."
"Eh, think nothing of it," Zuko replied. "It's a lovely night," he glanced at the skies, but they had turned cloudy. There also seemed to be heavy wind starting to pick up. "Well... it's a night, anyway," he amended with a smile. "Anyway, don't tell me you came out here for another bending exercise."
"Very funny," Katara glared at him. She then laughed and playfully elbowed his side. "Don't make it sound like I've regressed to the level of some beginner. I'm pretty sure I could still kick your ass easily. You've probably gone soft sitting on your throne."
"Oh, those are fighting words, Katara," Zuko wasn't one to back down from a challenge.
"You sure you want to do this, fire boy?" Katara winked, pointing at the sky above. Between the clouds, the partially obscured pale moon shone weakly.
"Or we could just spar like we used to out on the beach all those years ago," Zuko offered. "I remember having a lot of fun back then." Katara nodded, smiling softly at the memories. "I think I enjoyed testing my skill against yours the most."
"Really?" Katara looked surprised. "Why? You've never told me this."
"Opposing elements," Zuko said. "I could learn the most from you, far more than I could learn from Toph or Aang. And also just because of your way of bending. I mean, Toph is all about brute force and Aang always pulls his punches during sparring. But you... you actually wanted to best me so badly. You always gave your best shot trying to take me down."
"Well, I have a confession to make," Katara smiled. "You were also my favorite sparring partner, and for much the same reasons. Aang barely tried against me, and when I bested him it didn't feel like much of a victory. And Toph... eh, fighting an earthbender is about as enjoyable as chewing rocks. Anyway... shall we?" she challenged, assuming her bending stance, legs spread at shoulder width.
"Seriously though, let's take this one slow, I don't want to alert Suki or Ty Lee," Zuko said, also assuming his form. There was another reason why he didn't believe a very intense sparring match was a great idea just now. They were both emotionally compromised, and as such didn't have the greatest control over their own bending. And Zuko knew that he wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he hurt Katara, accidentally or not.
"Fine, I'll take it easy on you," Katara smiled, and with a flick of her wrist, water rose from the pool. Water whips began to pelt the ground where Zuko stood, but he didn't bother blocking them, instead swiftly dodging out of the way, unleashing a simple kick that sent a stream of fire in Katara's direction, merely to test her reaction. It was more than adequate, instead of wasting time shielding from the attack, Katara simply spun aside and with her next move, water splashed all over the courtyard and rapidly froze, keeping Zuko immobile. He answered by projecting a circle of fire centered on him outwards, melting the ice. Zuko just about managed to move out of the way as Katara followed up her offensive with a freezing ray that nearly struck him straight in the chest.
Still rolling away, Zuko lashed out with a counterattack, a pair of fire lashes, similar to Katara's water whips, aimed at her midsection. Again, Katara elected not to block but instead erected a column of ice underneath her feet, and the lashes struck the ice instead. The column of ice splintered into chunks, which Katara then launched at Zuko in rapid motion, and this time he was forced to go on the defensive, projecting a shield of intense fire that incinerated the shards before they reached him, but it also robbed Zuko of the opportunity to counter. Meanwhile, Katara went on the attack yet again, this time summoning a column of ice under Zuko and sending him flying. Katara then unleashed a flurry of water whips at the spot where Zuko was supposed to fall, but he never did land, instead using jet propulsion to levitate above ground. With a grin of excitement on his face, Zuko went right back on the attack, immediately putting Katara on the defensive.
With every move and counter, Zuko and Katara became more immersed in their dance-like bending contest. More and more complicated forms were invoked, a true battle of skill as well as wills, and to Zuko this brought back the memories of their sparring from years ago. It was during their contest that Zuko realized just why he found sparring with Katara so entrancing. Just like Zuko himself, Katara didn't do anything by half-measures, it just simply was not in her nature. A casual observer would only see her sweet, compassionate and nurturing side, but those who actually knew Katara were aware that she always applied herself with intensity and passion that was incredibly rare. Their sparring matches had revealed it back then, and it still held true to this day.
Completely lost in this primal dance of fire and ice with Katara, Zuko became vaguely aware of something else taking place outside of their bending duel. Were those voices calling out at them, and was there movement of shapes somewhere nearby? Zuko didn't dare to stop bending, uncertain if Katara had also taken notice, for she continued to press her offense against him. Then, as if in slow motion, he saw someone leaping high above them both in an acrobatic jump, landing directly behind Katara's back. Two quick and powerful jabs followed. Katara froze, letting out a pained grunt as her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she collapsed like a sack of rice.
"Umm," Zuko remarked in confusion, looking on as a scantily clad Ty Lee stood over Katara's prone form, a look of frozen horror on the girl's face. Equally semi-naked Suki stood close by, stunned and wide-eyed. "Well, that's not how I expected our little contest to end. I don't think Katara will accept me as the winner."
"Oh no! I chi-blocked Katara, I'm so, so sorry!" Ty Lee gasped, appearing on the verge of tears.
"I thought we were under attack," Suki explained apologetically. "We should have checked, but it looked like you were in trouble," she told Zuko. "And, well... we are sworn to protect you, after all."
"It's alright, it was an honest mistake," Zuko smiled at the pair, but Ty Lee still looked inconsolable. "Don't blame yourself too much Ty Lee, we know that Katara won't hold it against you. Once she recovers."
"Ugh, I'm such a fool," Ty Lee still lamented her misfortune.
"Come here," Suki said softly, embracing her distraught girlfriend. "Let's go inside and I'll make you a nice cup of jasmine tea to make you feel better. Though we should probably first help with Katara."
"What?" Zuko jumped from the mention of Katara's name. "No... no, I'll take care of her. She should come back to her senses shortly. I must say, Ty Lee... nobody can chi-block quite like you. I feel so much safer knowing that you're on my side." The girl flashed a bright smile back at him, immediately feeling much better as she followed Suki back inside.
Katara was starting to slowly regain her senses, but Zuko decided not to wait. He gathered the waterbender in his arms, marveling at how light she felt, effortlessly carrying Katara back to her bedroom and settling her down onto the bed. Katara finally opened her eyes and let out another groan, finding it very hard to move her limbs. "Ow... what happened?" she eventually managed. "How did it happen? I don't see how you could have-..."
"Oh, I didn't do this," Zuko smiled apologetically. "This is how Ty Lee's chi-blocking feels like. They mistook our sparring for an actual attack and Ty Lee took you down."
Katara blinked. "For such a sweet girl, she sure packs a punch, doesn't she?"
"Oh yes, and I assure you, she feels terribly about her mistake," Zuko said.
"Aw, tell her not to worry, I'm sure it will pass quickly," Katara smiled. "Umm... it will pass quickly, right?"
"Well..." Zuko rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "There's a reason why Ty Lee is probably the best chi-blocker who's ever lived. It'll pass eventually. Oh, and..." he thought of something, blushing slightly. "There is a way I can make it a little easier on you."
"Please do," Katara looked at him imploringly.
"Alright, but I'll have to turn you over on the bed," Zuko managed awkwardly. When Katara did not protest, he proceeded with the task, easily rolling her over in the bed. He placed his palms against Katara's pressure points on her lower back and below the shoulder blade, where Ty Lee's jabs had struck. Zuko invoked the flame within him, letting it warm his hands and spread through Katara's pressure points, opening them right up and restoring some of her chi flow. "Does that feel better?" he asked.
"That feels... amazing..." Katara sighed. "Please don't stop..." she added with a blissful look on her face. Zuko felt his cheeks burn when he realized that she was making tiny, infinitesimal noises, almost like purring. Suddenly, he wanted to continue warming her like that for as long as she would allow it.
Indeterminate amount of time passed before Katara spoke up again, sounding a little reluctant. "I... think you can stop now, the discomfort is all gone," she said. "And it probably takes something from you to keep it up..."
"As long as you're feeling better," Zuko told her.
"I am," Katara smiled. "But I'll need your help to flip me back again. I'm no longer in pain, but I still feel like boneless jelly."
Zuko smiled as he gently rolled Katara onto her back, his heart skipping at the grateful look she gave him. Her hair had become a tangled mess, splayed all over the pillow, and her rare moment of physical vulnerability only added to the intense beauty she radiated. Zuko found it very hard to look away, but it seemed as she felt the same, never breaking the eye contact between them. "This was a crazy day, wasn't it?" he eventually managed, aware that he sounded a little hoarse. "In a good way, though. I think."
"I enjoyed every moment of it," Katara smiled with a dreamy expression in her eyes.
"The only thing this day is missing is the explosive ending of the previous evening," Zuko spoke with sudden boldness, daring to mention the kiss of the evening before. Much to his surprise and relief, Katara did not appear uncomfortable.
"Well, I can't help you with that," she replied a little cheekily. "I can't lift my head from the pillow to surprise you again..."
"I, uh..." Zuko felt himself blushing furiously. "I mean... I could return the favor. Unless... unless you would see that as me taking advantage of you being disabled by chi-blocking."
"You'll never find out unless you try," Katara uttered, her cheeks reddening at her own boldness.
Zuko could hardly believe his ears. Katara was... not discouraging him? All the quandaries of whether it was the right thing to do suddenly felt irrelevant. He began to lean closer to her, stopping mid-way towards her lips to see whether the expression in her eyes had changed. It hadn't. Her eyes were the same, half-lidded, soft and warmly inviting. He closed the rest of the distance to her lips.
She tasted so sweet, of mangoes, but with a little hint of cinnamon. Their tongues wrestled and danced, and the way she sighed into his mouth quickly began to fill Zuko with an even greater need than to be just kissing her. The need became so intense and powerful, that it frightened Zuko and he reluctantly pulled away from her lips, his heart swelling with emotion as he watched her, breathing heavily, her chest heaving. There was so much he so desperately wanted to do with her, things that went far beyond kissing, but to even consider them when she was in a physically vulnerable state, it all felt a little wrong to Zuko. He withdrew altogether, against his greatest wishes, watching the myriad of emotions playing across Katara's face. He thought he could see happiness there, also reluctance, but most of all, there was understanding.
"I... should probably let you sleep, Katara," he spoke, almost shaking with restraint. "There's been... enough excitement today, and you need your rest."
"I do, yes," Katara whispered. "Goodnight, Zuko."
"Goodnight, Katara," the young Fire Lord replied, getting up and leaving the room, feeling dazed as he made his way back to his bedroom.