A/N: I am so sorry for the delay, you have no idea how many times I had to write and rewrite this chapter. As this is a passion project it's really important to me that the writing quality doesn't drop.
Trigger warnings: this chapter may contain themes some readers may find triggering: suggested sexual aggression.
I own nothing.
Aqua
Zuko allowed himself to be led into the lake, the phantom of their kiss still playing against his lips. His heart had yet to calm down from the revelation of Katara's small tattoo, it was for him. The girl he loved so deeply had a permanent reminder of him on her skin. One she'd gotten before they'd ran into each other again four days previous.
If someone had told him a week ago that he'd be standing waist-deep in lake laogai with the sun bearing down on him, Katara's slender fingers wrapped in his he'd have called them a liar. The idea that he would've one day been able to meet Katara again was something he'd always kept close to his heart, a dream he didn't dare whisper for fear of it disintegrating into dust and being lost in the chaos that had been the last twenty years of his life.
He remembered the day he had met her so clearly, standing at the double doors of the school building, her wild curls had been tamed in a long braid down her back, she'd worn black leggings with blue stripes up the sides and a slightly too large white shirt open, with a blue vest top underneath, rolled at her elbows. Her sneakers were worn high tops and her bag was a simple blue tote, her necklace fixed around her throat.
She had been standing perfectly still as if she'd frozen herself in place, then he'd been annoyed by the strange girl, she had been standing in his way and showing no signs of moving. He'd scoffed giving some sarcastic comment about bad statue placement when she had turned enough to look at him. His breath had hitched and he found himself staring into the clearest blue eyes he'd ever seen, like the sky itself was looking back at him. His annoyance had melted and he found himself wanting to talk to her. Even then he found her beautiful, but he wouldn't admit that for two more months.
Her eyes had searched his face, and for that fraction of a second that they had fallen on his scar, his anger had flared up. So much so that it beat hard against his ears and drowned out whatever it was that she had asked him. He found out later she was asking him where the office was, rather than reply to her he had growled at her to get out of his way. He had watched her flinch for the briefest of moments before she narrowed her eyes at him, her mouth pressed into a thin line and returned his anger with her own.
She had chewed him out. Told him he didn't have to scowl at her and if he wanted her to move so badly he could've just asked. She had then proceeded to swirl on her heels and march into the building, he'd always thought if there had been a door she could have closed, she would have slammed it in his face. It had been his turn to freeze then, she'd been the first person to return his fire. If he had been truly honest with himself then, he'd have realised it wasn't anger he had felt for her, he had been wildly attracted to her, but of course, he didn't and proceeded to spend the rest of the week glaring at her to which she'd return with one of her own.
He could have laughed at the memory, he wondered what he would have said then if he knew what would happen between him and that strange girl in the doorway. That in the space of five months she'd go from someone who annoyed him, to his best friend to his girlfriend to his first love and then gone, would he have still chosen to get to know her?
"Zuko?" Came her sweet voice pulling him from his memories, his eyes had fixed on their interlocked hands. He shook himself from his reverie before meeting the same azure eyes that had first shaken his heart two years ago.
"Sorry, I was thinking about the day we met" he spoke honestly as he flexed his fingers around hers.
"Which part? The part where you scowled at me or the part where you called me a peasant?" She questioned with a tilt of her head, an amused smile spreading across her lips.
"I did not" came his reply.
"Yes, you did. I remember it so well because I spent the whole day thinking about it" she returned as she exploded into a fit of giggles. Her long hair started to float around her in the water. "Like you were a Prince or something" she added.
"I doubt I called you a peasant, maybe you misheard" he protested as a smile tugged at his own lips, he'd have folded his arms over his chest if it didn't mean letting go of her hand.
"You did, I would have laughed then if I didn't think you'd have actually exploded" she added her eyes sparkling with her amusement.
"Glad to see you find me so funny" he replied, his face as flat as he could manage.
"Court jesters usually are," she teased.
"Thought I was a Prince?" He returned.
"Oh right. Forgive me, Prince Zuko" she mocked with a bow of her head before she laughed again. The sound of her laughter filled him with warmth, he to that day couldn't remember what he had said to her, most often when he was in a rage he had little control over what fell out of his mouth, and even he found the idea of him calling her a peasant funny. It wouldn't have been that out of character, he had once called one of Azula's friends a wench.
The memory brought a smile to his face, maybe he did think he was a Prince, it wasn't the first time someone had called him one and he had definitely acted like one in the past, that or she was just a wench, maybe a mix of both.
"I'll consider it" he replied.
"How very gracious of you" she replied with the quirk of her brow. "How would his Highness also react to an attack on his person?" She added. Before he had time to fully comprehend what she'd meant he was met with a face full of the lake water.
He sputtered as he wiped at the cool water dripping from his face, he ran his hand through his hair pushing it back out of his eyes, before opening them to an innocently smiling Katara. He kept his face flat as he spat out the water that had gotten into his mouth.
She sucked her lip to stop the laughter from escaping her as she watched him eye her for a moment, she knew his game all too well, she was already balancing barely on the balls of her feet waiting to retreat at the first sign of movement.
He was fast, she was faster. Laughter escaped her as she spun to the left avoiding his wave. She let out a low whistle as she returned fire, splashing him once again. This time she didn't wait as he wiped the water from his eyes, fleeing as far as she could away from him before he set his feet against the side of the alcove and pushed himself towards her. A Squeal escaped her as she sidestepped his assault managing to push herself enough away from him, the momentum carrying him further forward.
She wagged her finger at him as she pushed herself back a little bit further, her confidence growing as she sent another small wave in his direction, knowing full well it wouldn't get him. He raised his eyebrow before he turned to leave the water. She eyed him suspiciously, not willing to move closer in case this was part of his strategy. It was only when the water was at his waist did she dare to move closer. Only when she was in range did he attack.
Katara realised very quickly that she should have trusted her instinct as she watched him duck himself into the water and throw himself back into a back handspring, the force of his legs hitting the water sending a small wave In her direction, his strategy had worked as she was promptly soaked.
This time it was her turn to sputter and wipe at the lake water as she scrubbed at her now dripping face. Just as she remembered their game was still active, she felt his arms encircle her waist, pulling her flush against his body as he dropped his mouth to her ear, his warm breath brushing against the shell.
"I win" he spoke in a voice so low it sent a shiver down her spine, her skin pebbled under the caress of his breath and brush of his lips against her cheekbone.
"You cheated" she complained weakly as she leant her temple against his good cheek, the droplets from his wet hair trailing down her skin before meeting the lake's surface once again.
"Me? Never" came his rasp as he laid his palms flat against her lower back, the heat from his larger hands sending a shock wave through her skin that caused a small gasp to escape her slightly parted lips.
She slipped her own hands to his bare sides, his taut muscles rippling beneath her hands as she did, she felt the tugging of his cheek against hers that told her he was smiling. She let out a low satisfied moan from deep within her throat as she felt his lips close around her earlobe.
"The answer is yes" his voice was a deep whisper that sent another shudder through her, giving her heart an assured squeeze before cascading down her middle like a waterfall of smoke to coil tightly in her stomach. His hands moving from her back to hold her face between them, his lips moving to butterfly across her cheeks.
"Yes?" She questioned softly as she turned her head slightly to allow his lips better access to her cheeks. She felt his lips curl into a smirk against her soft skin as he continued his slow torturous path along her face. Her veins flaring like a barely controlled wildfire as he went.
"If I knew what would happen between us" he answered as his lips came down to her jaw, earning him another soft contented sigh from her. "All of it…"
"...Would I have still kissed the girl in the doorway?" He continued as his lips made their way down her neck, kissing her pulse the way he knew she liked- his hot breath ghosting across before placing barely-there kisses all along the route to her visible collarbone. She let out a feminine hum as her grip tightened around his sides, the feeling of her nails digging small crescent moons into his skin, ever so slightly, sending a pulsating heat straight through him.
"The answer is yes. I'd have kissed her in the doorway" he grinned as he lifted his head enough to take her mouth with his, she leaned into lips her body melting against him and she ran her hands up his torso, feeling all the efforts of his early morning jogs as his muscles rippled beneath her touch, to wrap them around his broad shoulders. Her fingertips tracing small circles into the back of his neck as she let his lips guide hers.
He was the first to retreat, gathering his staggered breath in the short distance between them. His hands falling to her waist, as he dropped his forehead to hers. She cupped his scarred cheek running her thumb across the area where the scar met skin, before placing a soft kiss there.
Before her, no one outside of the medical profession touched his scar, Song had tried but had been sorry for it when he'd grabbed her wrist and snatched it away, leaving her standing in the middle of town as he stalked off home. Mai had also tried but changed trajectory and kissed his jaw when she'd seen the look in his eyes, he hated it. Hated having it, hated being reminded of it and hated how there was almost no feeling left in the damaged skin.
But he'd let Katara, the first time had been an innocent mistake she'd been making an iced smoothie for a customer, on a particularly busy day, and Zuko had been landed with working the register. As he'd turned round to warn her to remember the lid half the contents of the blender splashed all over them, the wall and the menu board, purple goop that smelled of yoghurt and blueberry dripped from his face as he glared at her in annoyance.
To his surprise, she turned to him and laughed, her entire front from the shoulders up, covered in the carnage of her own mistake. Luckily she had managed to save enough of the drink for the customer to stop any angry comments. Zuko remembered being furious as he began to mop up the mess she'd made, muttering to himself as he went, while Katara set about cleaning the countertops blender and the parts of the menu board she could reach. Once they had cleared the mess he disappeared into the back to wash his face off and change his top, grabbing a spare for Katara. At that time he wouldn't have bothered but the smoothie was drying sticky and was beginning to smell of curdled milk.
It was when she'd returned after cleaning herself up that she'd told him he'd missed a spot. He completely ignored her as he stood sentinel behind the register arms folded over his chest as she waited for the next customer with a scowl on his face. She'd spoken again but he already decided on ignoring her for the rest of the shift until he felt her fingers brush against his face. At first, he had been too shocked to say anything, he hated being touched by anyone and the very girl who had been forcing herself into his life just had. He was about to turn the air blue with his fury before she arched her brow at him and presented him with a glob of the purple gloop.
"I said you missed a spot" she had repeated as she then wiped it on the front of her apron, with that she'd started to bus some tables. He'd sat on his fury all shift before finally blowing up on her at the end of the day. He'd growled at her never to touch him again, once again she'd turned her tired fury his way and told him to "cram it smoothie face" before shoving past him letting the mop she'd been using run over his shoes. He remembered letting out a deep sigh before scowling in her direction, the fury coursing through his veins had been mixed as had the churning of his stomach. He should have realised then that he wanted her.
The second time had been their first kiss, they'd been studying together during a slow day at the tea shop, by then they had been friends for over a month and all glaring and insults had ceased between them. Katara had all but given up understanding a maths equation when he'd showed her an easier way to do it. Her entire face had lit up when she'd gotten it right and it was then that he'd taken his chance to kiss her. He'd been sitting right side facing her, his scar facing away from her, so when she'd cupped his face to draw him back into their clumsy kiss her thumb had brushed against the edge of his scar. He hadn't cared, the revelation that she had liked him back had overpowered any discomfort he'd felt at being touched there. Then over their time together he had grown used to it, the suggestion of her touch against his mostly unfeeling skin had comforted him, in some way. After her, he went back to scowling at anyone who dared.
"You're handsome" Katara whispered with a smile as she placed a peck on his lips.
"I know" came his reply as a grin spread across his face "but flattery will get you nowhere" he added before retreating from her embrace.
"Round 2?" She grinned as she lowered herself into the water. He nodded his reply before slapping his palm against the lake's surface soaking them both in the process.
After another water fight which resulted in another Katara loss, she got annoyed and stalked out of the water, sitting herself down on top of the towels they'd laid out earlier. She huffed as he chuckled at her from the water.
"It isn't funny, you cheated" she pouted as she rested her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands. Katara hated losing anything, she wished she could say it was a side effect from being raised with only a brother but it wasn't. Sokka could be competitive at times, but Katara could take it to a whole other level. Zuko, much like Katara was competitive. Which often meant when they got into a competition it always ended with one gloating and the other huffing.
"Want a rematch?" He called from the water.
"It wouldn't be much of a rematch" she mumbled to herself as she played with the corners of her towel.
"No, it wouldn't" Zuko grinned as he too climbed out of the lake, the sun catching the droplets and making them shine like freshly blown glass as they made their way back to the lake, trailing down his lean torso as they went. She found her eyes following the tear-shaped drops as they rejoined the surface. She was slightly jealous, the way the drops ran course down his beautiful body made her wish she was bold enough to run her fingers over the same trails, her lips...
It had reoccurred to her earlier that day, with her veins on fire and her body pressed to his, that Zuko wasn't the same tall, lanky boy he used to be, not to say he had been thin and scrawny, he never had been but he definitely hadn't been as muscular and as well defined as he was standing before her. She remembered the boy who hid what definition he did have under slightly too large shirts and hoodies, no matter how hot the weather was and wondered when that boy had swapped to t-shirts that clung to his broad chest and leather jackets that showed the tightly corded muscles of his arms, especially when he'd cross them over his chest, which he did a good portion of the time.
She also couldn't help but notice his lack of body hair, his arms and legs were almost completely hairless, with only a suggestion of dark hair littering his otherwise clear skin, even his chest was smooth with only a very thin trail of dark hair that led into the waistband of his trucks. The only times she'd ever seen a man shirtless was her father who did have an abundance of hair, face, chest and legs or Sokka who had none. She'd always just assumed that men would be covered in hair, for a time the idea repulsed her, but the first time she'd ever been with Zuko, he had been hairless, save for one area... Her face burned as she flicked her eyes back to the towel as she cleared her throat.
You were always good for sex. The voice had burst through her thoughts, icing the fire in her veins, like a blizzard through the summer. She felt her stomach lurch forward as the sneering voice of her ex echoed uninvited through her brain. She felt bile creep into her throat as she tried to shake him from her head.
Why now? She cursed inwardly as she tried to wrap her brain around where that voice had come from. He'd slipped into her mind once or twice already that day, but he'd never spoken.
Katara felt the mood inside her shift, as she fought to banish him from her mind. Zuko and Jet couldn't have been more opposite, Zuko was introspective and observant, he was more inclined to think about his answer before he gave it unless he was in a mood then there was no thinking first, but he wasn't calculated or manipulative. Jet had been. He was good at talking, knew what would cut and what would stitch. Jet was a charmer, like Sokka, he could make friends with everyone and everyone liked him. But underneath it all he was cruel.
Zuko was the opposite, he wasn't a charmer, if he didn't like you he wouldn't bother to hide it. He had little to no interest in making friends and he was selective about the ones he would make. Yet underneath the scowl was someone with a lot of love to give. She had always counted herself lucky to have been one of his friends and luckier still to have had his love, however brief she had it.
With Zuko, she had known what real love had felt like before she had known what fake love had felt like. So when she'd been on the receiving end of what Jet called love she should have run. But she didn't. And now, sitting next to the boy turned man who had shown her what love was, she couldn't rid herself of the boy playing man who'd taught her what love wasn't. The thought tore at her, guilt gnawing into her stomach. Zuko wasn't Jet. Jet would never be Zuko, so why couldn't she push Jet from her head when she was with Zuko?
Zuko had turned his eyes to the sky, the clear blue of the day had begun to gather clouds overhead, he noted the soft hue of grey the clouds had begun adopting but thought nothing of it, the weather had predicted a sunny day so he'd assumed the clouds would just pass overhead. Without giving it much of a second thought he took a seat next to Katara, her back turned to him.
He felt a small smirk spread over his lips, he assumed she was still pouting over losing to him twice in their game, shaking his head he decided to not gloat about it, they were on a date after all and the last thing he wanted was for her to get huffy and want to leave early. So he didn't, he leaned back and let the warm sun make its attempt at drying him off.
It was a few minutes of comfortable silence later that he heard her speak to him, he hadn't quite heard her properly, she was sitting to his left side and while a good majority of his sight had been saved, through the numerous surgeries and countless strengthening exercises, it had come at the detriment to his hearing. He wasn't completely deaf in his ear, but if he wasn't fully concentrating on the person speaking to him he could hear little more than a mumble. As if the person was speaking to him at a normal volume from a great distance away, being indoors or in relevantly close quarters helped, but outside against the elements made it significantly harder to hear properly.
"Did you say something?" He asked as he turned to face her, making sure his good ear was dominant.
"You didn't hear me?" She asked, no ridicule present in her voice.
"You're on my left" came his reply as he brushed his damp hair out of his eyes.
"Ah, right. Sorry. I was saying the weather has turned" She replied with a smile, he noticed how it hadn't quite reached her eyes, as she leaned her chin against her arms. He didn't bother looking to the sky, he could see from the slump of her shoulders and the downturn of the corners of her mouth that something was bothering her.
"It'll pass. It's not supposed to rain today" he spoke as he kept his eyes on her.
"Ah, that's good" she replied, he could hear the deflation in her voice, see the way her eyes fell on the space in front of her.
"Kat?" He spoke as he straightened himself into a sitting position, he reached out a hand and placed it on her shoulder.
"Do you think it's weird?" She asked softly, her eyes still fixed on the spot in front of her.
"I think lots of stuff is weird, you'll have to be more specific" he offered as he followed her eye line to nothing in particular.
"Us. Just meeting again after two years. Do you think it's weird?" She asked as she turned to face him, she leaned her cheek against her folded arms as she met his eyes. Azure on honey, her eyes scanning his again for what he wasn't entirely sure but whatever she was looking for she must have found because he watched wordlessly as she reached out and ran her fingers over his jaw.
"No. Just the right place at the right time" came his reply. He caught the gentle lines of her white tattoo in the peripherals of his scarred eye, the lines blurring ever so slightly in the field of his slightly weaker vision, it didn't matter it made his chest thump all the same.
He covered her smaller hand with his as he turned, trailing soft kisses on her palm, her skin tasting ever so slightly of salt and earth, his breath returning from her skin and tickling his lips as he made his way to the precious gem depicted on her wrist. He let his lips cover the art for a moment as he felt the rapid speed of her pulse through the thin mocha skin of her delicate wrist. Slowly he pressed his lips against it, a soft sigh leaving her as he did, his blood became hotter and more aggressive as it tore through him, leaving a trail of fire underneath his already warm skin.
"You think it was just a coincidence?" She asked, her voice a shade above a whisper, if he hadn't been leaning closer to her with his right ear forward he would have missed it.
Zuko wasn't good with his words, he wasn't his uncle or his sister, both of them had a verbal command over their differing thoughts that he just didn't possess. Iroh could soothe a soul with his proverbs and thought-provoking wisdom while Azula could cut one with the same efficiency of a hot knife through wet paper, he could do neither. He wished he could, many times during his teen years he had found himself loathing his lack of verbal efficacy, the one Azula had, with it he could have saved himself so much grief. Torn down enough people to be left well enough alone, Azula had a gift for it, she never had to raise her voice or a hand, she'd simply drop enough ice into her stare for whoever the aggressor was to step down and stay down.
Only then, he didn't wish for Azula's gifts, he wished for Iroh's. He wanted to say the right things to Katara, to soothe whatever was bothering her, whatever had soured her mood. But he just didn't know how, if his uncle had been there he would have known what to say to her and yet, he didn't want to stay silent. So he didn't, reaching for any words he spoke.
"I'm not going anywhere" he whispered against her skin, the faintest scent of jasmine rubbing sensually against his senses as he tried to pour what he felt for her into his lips.
"Isn't that my line?" She replied, the roaring waves of her oceanic eyes seeming to settle just a little. His skin turned to raw goose flesh as she cupped his good cheek, her lips brushing his, he felt as she spoke something he couldn't begin to hear before pressing her lips to his. His question lost in the sensation of her dizzying lips, of all the kisses they had shared recently, this kiss felt different. How or why he couldn't put his finger on it, but if he had to guess he'd have said unsure. Her lips didn't melt against his the way they had on the wall or ghost a romantic peck nor did they feel as hot or sensual as they had done in the lake.
The thought hazed inside his head as she laid back against the towels, bringing him with her as she went. He leaned over her, his hard broad chest brushing against her soft chest as he cupped her cheek running his thumb across her cheekbone. He felt that all too familiar fire roar inside of him like a dying campfire fed kindling as her hot wet tongue brushed against his bottom lip, asking for entrance.
He didn't deny her request as he met the tip of her tongue with his own, a soft gasp escaping her throat as he did. He smirked against her lips as he slid his tongue into her mouth, filling her with his liquor kisses, exploring her taste as he went. The heat from her skin brushing his, the salty taste of her mouth, which was no doubt lake water, the feel of butterfly fingertips as they twisted the small hairs at the back of his neck or even the soft inviting moans that floated from her throat and met his lips, all working together to build a haze over his brain.
All he could think about was her, how good it felt to be kissing her like that, how much he'd craved her lips on his, the incredible sensuality of her narrow hips cradling his, to feel her beneath him again after two years without her touch. He wanted her. In every way he wanted her. And it was that desire to have her that led his hand to remove itself from her cheek and drop to her hip, his fingertips curling around the waistband of her swimsuit…
A loud crash of thunder broke him from his spell as he turned to look over his shoulder, the sky that had been as clear as Katara's eyes not minutes before was completely covered by the dark grey clouds he had been so sure would pass overhead. A flash of light in the distance altered him to the summer storm they were about to be caught in.
"It's about to rain, come on" He spoke, as he lifted himself to his knees, brushing his fallen hair from his face he rose to his feet bringing Katara with him.
He worked quickly as he dressed, sliding his jeans over his still wet trunks, the feeling of the static in the air building around him, snapping at the ends of his wet hair and prickling at his skin, like a thousand tiny acupuncture needles.
Wordlessly he handed Katara her clothes, allowing her to slide them over her still soaked bathing suit, the white of her t-shirt becoming almost transparent as the lake water seeped into the stretched fabric. Zuko didn't notice as he threw the towels they'd been laying on into his bag.
He passed her a helmet before slipping on his, fastening the straps under his chin. Straddling his bike in the same way he had before she followed suit, his backpack on her back and her bag nestled in the space between her legs. slipping onto the seat behind him, she wrapped her arms tightly around his middle, he noted her grip was tighter than it had been earlier.
Another loud crack followed by a flash of bright light suspended his thought process, kicking the stand out and revving the engine into life, he sped off, their small alcove melting into the rock behind them as they went.
The twenty minutes it took them to enter the gates of Ba Sing Se saw the young pair soaked through by the rain, which had only come down harder as they got inside the city perimeters. With his vision becoming more impaired by the heavy rain whipping against his viser he knew the option of him driving them safely to campus was slim at best, even driving the Camaro through the heavy storm could be dangerous given the thunder and lighting fighting for visibly overhead.
Deciding it would be safer to wait out the storm he drove towards the residential area of the second district, pulling into his Uncle's driveway he turned off the engine. Katara followed him as he dismounted, pulling the bike into the garage, he waited for the door to close before leading Katara by hand into the shelter of his uncle's house.
"Shit. It wasn't supposed to rain today" he huffed running his hand through his drenched hair. The welcome mat beneath them became equally as soaked and waterlogged as they had become.
"There was definitely no storm on the forecast" came her response, she let out a weak nervous laugh as she covered her now see-through shirt with her arms, she missed the protection of the leather jacket she'd discarded in the garage.
"Yeah, no kidding. We should probably take a shower" he replied absentmindedly, the feeling of his rain-soaked clothes beginning to irritate and itch against his skin. The idea of a hot shower brought him a sense of calm, he had felt grimy, the salt of the lake mixed with the dirt of the rain was fraying his nerves. He wanted nothing more than to peel off his rain logged clothes and slip into the hot steam of his shower.
"No!" She cried as she took a step away from him, he turned to look at her. Only then could he focus on her face and when he did he felt his stomach lurch violently, his heart set to racing inside his chest at the panicked look in her eyes.
"Kat?" He stammered for the words through a dry mouth and drier brain, was it the storm? He'd never remembered her being afraid of storms before, she used to quite like them. One or twice as teenagers an aggressive storm had trapped her inside his house, they used to just wait it out under his blanket playing video games or watching a DVD.
"I don't want to take a shower with you" she added as she wrapped her arms over her chest. He stared at her in shock for a moment. Her eyes flicking wildly in her head as she looked everywhere but him. He felt a cold run through his veins as if he'd been doused in a layer of biting snow. Realisation dawned on him, it wasn't the storm, it was him.
"I didn't mean… there are two showers. One in my room and one in my uncle's…" his reply was frantic, he hadn't meant to suggest they shower together, he had meant to get rid of the rain chill. He swallowed hard as the memory of the lake came to him, he'd been on top of her… he felt sick… his hands had trailed her body, his fingers had curled underneath her waistband...
"Oh. Where's yours?" She asked, her voice had lost its confident edge, the uncertain quake of her words eating hard at his guilt, as she scanned her surroundings.
"Upstairs. First door on your right" he said through a dry throat. His heart pounding hard in his ears.
"Don't follow me" she ordered as she grabbed her bag from his hand and pounded up the stairs.
He stood in disbelief, staring at the spot where she had once stood. Boundaries, she had set boundaries and he had broken them, she had asked to go slow and he hadn't. The haze of his brain, the hot searing need for her that had lit him up, if he could have manipulated an element like the Avatar that Aang had been so enchanted with he probably could have set her on fire. Burned her. Maybe he did, it was obvious he didn't need the ability…
Shame and guilt bit at him hard. That reaction of hers. The wide-eyed panic, like prey being cornered, the unsteadiness of her voice of that glassy uncertain look In her eyes that couldn't look at him, the way she'd pulled away from him… like he was a danger to her. He needed to apologise, beg for forgiveness and pray he'd hadn't ruined what they had started to rebuild.
His heart pounding painfully inside his chest as he followed the path she'd taken with his line of sight, would she even want to talk to him again? She had looked scared. Afraid even… his stomach rolled. He wished someone would just tell him what to do or say to fix this. He didn't want to lose her. That thought hurt him as deeply as the thought that she was hurt by him…
Of course, you ruined it, Zuzu. Why would she want you? That biting high pitch voice seeped into his mind like venom into a snake bite. Only this time he didn't shake the thought, he let it sit in his head. He deserved it.
A/N: I'm going to leave this chapter as T, but the next chapter will be M.
Also, updates will slow to once or twice a week. Quality over quantity.
Please R&R