Chapter 15

After the departure of Suki and Ty Lee, Katara and Zuko continued to lounge on the cushions in the drawing room, busying themselves with idle conversation. Still feeling a little tipsy from Suki's drink of mystery, Katara eventually rose from the cushions to pace around the room for a bit in order to stretch her legs. Perhaps feeling emboldened from the drink, instead of returning to her old spot, she then instead chose to sit close by to Zuko. He gave her the warmest of smiles, shifting slightly to adjust his position, and Katara used it as an opportunity to subtly lean in against him, resting her back against his chest. For a moment, she felt a little worried because it felt as if Zuko had stopped breathing altogether after their bodies had made contact, but he soon relaxed against her and Katara felt Zuko's arm sneaking around her waist and coming to rest on the bare skin of her exposed midriff.

Katara shuddered in delight at the way his palm felt against her skin, his touch so warm and firm. She relaxed in his arms, feeling him bury his face in her hair, his breath warm against the back of her neck, sending a pleasant, slightly ticklish tingle down her spine. Katara was happy to simply rest like that for a while, in silence, listening to the raging storm outside, feeling safe and protected in Zuko's presence. A part of her wished she could freeze and trap them both in this moment forever, especially when she knew that this was their last evening on Ember Island and tomorrow, they would be returning to the mainland, where opportunities for such private moments would be far more limited.

It was the realization that their vacation was coming to an end that eventually prompted Katara to break the silence. "Zuko?" she asked quietly. "Can I ask you something?"

"Mhm?" he returned, clearly having drifted off into deep thoughts of his own.

"Why do you think this is happening?" Katara spoke. "Why now?"

"You mean... between us?" he replied softly. She nodded mutely. "I've been wondering about that myself. I mean... we could always write it off to the legend of Ember Island. You know, something about it being a magical place that makes one realize truths about themselves and those close to them."

"It's a lovely legend, but... at least for me, it all began before we even came to the island," Katara admitted.

"For me as well," Zuko chuckled. "And I've been spending hours examining our shared past and looking for some seeds back then that might explain this."

"Have you found anything?" Katara asked, feeling genuinely curious.

"Your beauty didn't escape me during our first encounters, but I didn't think much about it then. You were the enemy," Zuko began to explain.

"I think for me it was in the crystal catacombs beneath Ba Sing Se," Katara spoke quietly. "It was the first time I caught a glimpse that you might be something more than the ruthless, merciless hunter always hounding us relentlessly. And a part of me truly hoped that you might become an ally then and there. I think that is why your betrayal hurt so much."

"I'm sorry. I wish I could turn back time and make that choice again... but I can't," Zuko sighed. "You showed me kindness I hadn't earned, and I trampled all over it. When I realized just how much my actions had hurt you personally, I was so desperate to gain your trust. But I truly knew that you were special when I saw that other side of you while I was helping you find your mother's murderer."

"That side of me frightens me to this very day," Katara admitted pensively.

"It is frightening... but also captivating," Zuko pulled her a little tighter against himself. "It helped me realize so many things about you, Katara. It made me decide that you were the one who could help me take down Azula, and I was right."

"So you were," Katara sighed, snuggling closer against his chest and then turning her head to look up at him, momentarily losing herself in the softness of his eyes. "So... we've established that the potential of a spark was always there. But why did it emerge now of all times?"

"It was probably the perfect storm of circumstances," Zuko mused. "We've spent a lot of time together over the years, but always in the company of others, always dealing with one crisis or another. I don't think we ever got to spend time together just talking... just getting to know each other."

"And realizing that we make a good match," Katara finished. "The question is... what should we do about it all?"

"I wish I had an answer for that, Katara," Zuko sighed, burying his head against her shoulder. "We both know the stakes."

"What if there were no stakes?" Katara asked. "What if we could choose to do whatever we wanted to, never mind the consequences? What would you want?"

"That's an easy one to answer," Zuko replied, planting a light kiss on her shoulder. Even through the satin, it made Katara's heart race. "I want you, Katara. Now and forever."

Katara took a deep breath at his words, closing her eyes and trying to swallow the lump of emotions rising in her throat, all to no avail. She felt hot tears starting to pour down her cheeks. "Zuko, I... I know we shouldn't..." she began in a trembling voice.

"We probably shouldn't," Zuko whispered in agreement. His palm moved against her bare midriff in the gentlest of caresses. Katara nearly cried out from the way it stoked searing heat in the pit of her stomach, all the way to the junction of her legs. "The question remains..." he continued, pressing his lips against her shoulder again.

"Can we resist it?" Katara half-said, half-moaned. "These feelings... they threaten to consume me like flames. They frighten me, yet I cannot get enough of them."

"And the further we reach, the more powerful and more frightening they become," Zuko picked up where she had left off. "And more and more difficult to resist..."

Katara could not stand the tension any longer. She whipped around, turning to face him, her palms resting against his chest. "Maybe I'll regret it afterwards..." she spoke with her eyes lowered. "But... I can't fight it anymore. It's too painful to try. I don't care if it makes me weak..."

Zuko reached out and cupped her cheek, Katara instantly leaning into his touch. "Then we're both weak," he smiled at her. "I can't resist it any more than you do, Katara." He pulled her against him, and she yielded without any resistance, sliding into his arms in a way that felt so perfect and natural, finding her lips claimed in a fierce, needy kiss. She began to kiss him back, pouring all of her emotions into their contact, and when they finally parted, they were both completely breathless, cheeks smudged with tears of relief and finally released pent-up passion.

They resumed kissing with intense ferocity, and soon enough Katara found herself being slowly spun around in the cushions, Zuko lowering her down on her back, covering her body with his as he began to kiss her anew. Katara's head began to spin as her excitement surged even higher. This was all new to her, and yet she somehow knew right away just what she preferred, and that was to have Zuko on top of her like this, being able to observe him moving over her, to feel his strength. She hooked her legs around his waist and clung to him even tighter, gasping into his mouth when she felt his hands moving on to her back.

Katara let out a whimper of protest when Zuko eventually released her lips, but he hadn't intended to give her any respite. She found Zuko seeking access to her neck and she yieldingly turned her head, allowing him to place nips and kisses all along her neck, focusing on her pulse point, where it would undoubtedly leave a well noticeable hickey. The very thought of carrying a mark on her body, left behind by him, almost as if marking her as his possession, it made Katara so incredibly aroused that she couldn't stop herself from crying out in mounting pleasure.

As Zuko moved the trail of his kisses lower onto her collarbone with agonizing slowness, Katara felt like she was in danger of literally catching fire. The need in her was becoming so overwhelming, and Katara realized she needed much more than his teasing kisses afforded, her hands moving on their own accord, starting to tug insistently upon Zuko's shirt. In response, Zuko's hands on her back began to climb upwards, pushing Katara's top higher as well.

During their fumbling attempts to undress one another while Zuko was trying not to break off his kisses, Katara was the first to succeed, finally pulling his shirt over his shoulders and forcing him to lean back, allowing her to pull the shirt over his head and toss it aside. For a moment, he remained towering above her, watching Katara's eyes roam over his body with half-lidded admiring stares of appreciation. Zuko's muscles were not highly pronounced, he would never be considered someone with the strength of a bear, instead he had a muted power about him, all wiry, feline grace of a predator, full of subtle danger, and Katara found it very much to her liking, reaching out to pull him against her again, but Zuko held her back, ignoring her mewls of frustration.

With his breath held, Zuko took a hold of her top and then with one smooth motion pulled it upwards, Katara rising slightly and allowing him to undress her, leaving her chest bare. Zuko seemed to be almost petrified from the view, freezing for a moment, his eyes widening as he allowed his hands to wander across her abdomen, moving upwards with agonizing slowness. Katara let out a muffled sigh as his warm palms came into contact with her breasts. She felt her nipples instantly harden to a degree she hadn't suspected possible as he moved his hands to cup her breasts. When he leaned down to start kissing and tugging on one of her nipples, Katara cried out again, burying her hand into his hair. If she wasn't so completely lost in her pleasure, Katara would have probably found it amusing that her vivid fantasy of the previous evening was playing out right before her own eyes and she was very much a part of it.

As Zuko settled on top of her again, Katara quickly realized that she wasn't the only one extremely turned on, the layers of cloth still covering their lower bodies doing a poor job of disguising Zuko's arousal. The very thought that she was the cause of such a powerful reaction in him felt extremely gratifying to Katara, and filled her with another surge of fiery arousal. Her hands went wild on his back, nails digging in possessively as he continued to shower her breasts with attention from his lips and tongue. With sudden fierceness, Katara realized that she desperately needed more, and she needed it right now. She needed everything that he was willing to give to her tonight.

When he finally released her breasts to move back up and resume kissing her lips, Katara managed to moan his name past her lips. "Zuko..."

"Katara..." he whispered back. His voice sounded hoarse as he struggled with the effort of maintaining a semblance of control.

"I need you..." she managed, staring deep into his desire-filled eyes, losing herself in them. "Your room. Closer than mine..."

A powerful shudder ran through Zuko and Katara felt his arousal twitching against her. She could see him wanting her, needing her just as much as she needed him, and yet he still tried to nobly hold himself back as much as he could. "Are you certain you don't want me to stop?" he managed, even though he obviously hated himself for even asking such a thing. It was in this attempted self-restraint, the desire to do the right thing by her, that Katara realized just how deeply and inescapably she had fallen in love with this remarkable young man.

"I want you to stop, Zuko," Katara managed with a cheeky smile, watching him freeze in surprise. "I want you to stop talking..." she laughed, pulling him closer again and resuming their heated kisses. "Now... about that room..." she managed in between the kisses, finding herself being pulled along with Zuko as he rose from the cushions. Katara wrapped her legs around his waist, while Zuko held her by the lower back, and they continued to exchange ferocious kisses while stumbling all the way as Zuko carried her down the hallway towards his room.

The howls of the wind outside seemed to grow particularly desperate and ominous, but the two lovers paid them no heed. Only their burgeoning passion and surging feelings for one another mattered as they found completion and relief in each other's arms.