Hey y'all, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for 1000+ reviews! I'm happy to be bringing a chuckle to your throats and to be decorating your monitors and keyboards with whatever you happen to be noshing on as you choke on your own guffaws. Your drink-and-food-spattered computer consoles make me grin…and grimace with disgust.
As about 40 percent of the entries have been inspired by comments and suggestions you all have written to me, I want to thank you all for fuelling my brain along the way. Storybender started it, and everyone else helped it along with all their crazy ideas! More recently, I've been getting comments that sound like the following:
"I love this fic, but I wanna read more Zutara! Write some more Zuko/Katara scenes!"
"Why is there so much of everyone else in this story? I thought it was a Zutara fic!"
"Waah waah more fluff waah waah waah. Waah waah need more Zuko and Katara waah waaaaaah!"
Well, you asked for it, and so you shall receive!
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A Quickie and a Cure
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"So, how are you holding up?"
Katara looked wanly into her darling husband's eyes and smiled. "Tired. But happy."
Zuko snaked his arms around her waist and nuzzled her, kissing her neck delicately. "If you want, we don't have to stick around here," he murmured huskily. "I am the Fire Lord, after all. I don't have to be here to have fun…if you know what I mean." He waggled an eyebrow (his only eyebrow) at her suggestively.
The Waterbender giggled and pushed him gently off. "No, we should stay. I mean, look at all these people here. They traveled hundred of miles here to see us. They're here for us. The least we can do is stick around for our own party."
"They came for the free food and…er… entertainment." Zuko looked over at Chong and the Nomads, who were currently dueling sitars with Jee and the Waveriders. He shook his head. "C'mon," he coaxed. "Ten minutes in the bridal suite, and we can come back. I promise you won't regret it…" His voice trailed off seductively as he bent again to nibble on her earlobe, the tip of his tongue dancing over the curve of her jaw. Goose bumps licked up and down the Water girl's skin and she purred with a delightful shiver.
But Katara's libido came to a screeching halt as sudden realization hit her.
"Wait, did…did you just say ten minutes?" Her brow wrinkled in disappointed puzzlement.
"I can make it seven," Zuko said proudly. "Four, if you take your top off."
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Iroh felt a distinctive headache coming on. He rubbed at the stabbing, burning sensation boring at his temples and moaned. He'd only felt this particular pain a few other times in his life. Among his earliest experiences, he'd had this headache:
1. when Zuko had
declared he'd save Katara from the pirates and subsequently (and
heedlessly) proceeded to seduce her;
2. when Zuko had
completely ignored Jun's suggestion that Katara was his runaway
girlfriend, not even denying the allegation; and
3. when Zuko had
refused help from Katara after Azula had injured Iroh (because
there's nothing wrong with letting the people who love you help
you.)
And then there were those other times over the past few years. Like that time Katara asked Zuko to go skinny dipping, and he had asked his uncle to come along. Or that time Katara had coyly suggested Zuko give her a pearl necklace for her birthday…and he actually gave her a string of freshwater pearls.
("But I got her exactly what she wanted!" Zuko exclaimed in bewilderment. "And they weren't cheap, let me tell you." Iroh could only shake his head in defeat.)
His head throbbed at the memories. Yes, the retired general confirmed it; this was the kind of pain only complete and utter cluelessness could bring on. And now, it was attacking him with a vengeance.
The old man muttered a curse and went in search of his nephew to administer the cure to this particular kind of headache.
He found Zuko with Katara, her face a study of disgust, dismay and bemusement. The elderly Firebender sidled up next to the groom, who beamed at his wife, oblivious.
Iroh reached out and smacked him sharply upside the head.
"OW!"
His headache cleared. "Ahh. Much better."
He waddled away.
