Blueeyeddevil06, thank you for being my beta!
Akal saw the devastation on his mother's face when she realized Aang had disappeared. His footprints led to the water, and they didn't come back out.
Zuko had seen her reaction too, and, not caring about what anyone would say, he pulled her into his arms and said, "It's not your fault, Katara. He didn't leave because you wouldn't date him. He knows how important this mission is." He then kissed her on the top of the head.
She looked tearfully into his eyes. "Why else would he leave?"
"I don't know, but we'll sure as hell find out!" He answered back. He refused to let Katara cry and blame herself for this.
Sokka all of a sudden registered that Katara was in Zuko's arms. "What?! Why are you holding my sister?!"
Suki rolled her eyes at Sokka's shock. "You didn't realize Zuko has feelings for your sister?"
"Well — yeah," he replied, "but she's letting him. Katara doesn't do anything she doesn't want and…" He looked horrified, "tell me I'm not the last one to figure this out!" He groaned in annoyance.
Suki shrugged, "Maybe Aang doesn't know."
Sokka slumped forward dramatically, "I hate being the last one." He then looked at his sister. "You like him?"
Katara just nodded. She had no clue how Sokka would take that information.
Sokka glared at Zuko long and hard, "When you're Fire Lord, I want you to make sure I can fix the jokes in any play they base on me."
Zuko looked at him curiously, "What?"
"I am way funnier than they wrote me out to be. I want to make sure everyone in the Fire Nation knows of my brilliance. If you're going to be making kissy faces with my sister, I want something out of it!"
"Wait, you aren't upset I'm dating your sister?"
"You're dating!?" Sokka looked at him in shock while Suki sighed in exasperation. "In that case, I want a huge room in the Fire Palace and all the Fireflakes I can eat!"
Katara chuckled, "You do just talk about food all the time."
"Whatever, Sis. I can't control who you date, but I can get a benefit out of your dating life."
Suki decided to step in there, "I'm happy for you both. You balance each other well."
Katara blushed, "Aang doesn't know, but I told him I wouldn't date him. What if that's why he left?"
"Then he's a narcissist who would put his feelings above thousands of lives," Akal answered. He knew what happened, but he also knew they needed to search for Aang. That was what led them to find Iroh.
Sokka pondered, "Could he be in the spirit world?"
"No," Zuko replied, "his body would still be here if he were."
Katara nodded, "Let's split up and search the island for him."
"I'm with Zuko!" Toph shouted out.
They spent the day searching the island. Akal laughed at Zuko's exasperation over having to be teamed up with Toph in her desire for a life-changing field trip with him. He fussed that she spent the whole time telling him tragic stories about her past.
They met back that evening, and no one had seen any clue where he'd gone.
Toph asked, "Has anyone noticed Momo's missing too?"
"Oh no! I knew it was only a matter of time before Appa ate Momo!" Sokka looked at Appa in utter dismay.
Katara rolled her eyes at Sokka, "He didn't eat him. Momo must have left with Aang. How are we going to find him?"
After a minute, everyone turned to look at Zuko. He furrowed his brow, "What? What is it?"
"Well," Sokka pointed out. "We do have someone here who's good at hunting the Avatar, don't we, Zuko?"
"I'm sorry, alright!"
"Yeah, but now we all want to find him. So we should put your special skills to the test," he challenged.
Zuko nodded, "Fine. We leave at first light tomorrow morning. We need to go to the Earth Kingdom. I know someone who can find him anywhere on Earth if we have something of his."
"Why not now?" Toph questioned.
"Because we're all tired, and by the time Appa gets us there, she'd be sleeping." That settled it in everyone's mind.
Akal pulled Zuko aside a short time later. "I found out they're planning on waiting until after Sozen's comet to attack the Fire Lord." Zuko looked at him in panic. "I — know — Zuko. That can't happen. I talked to Aang last night, and he knows what he has to do. You should tell everyone else tomorrow."
Akal felt bad fibbing to Zuko. He hadn't bothered to try to convince Aang to kill Fire Lord Ozai. After all, there wasn't any point. He wouldn't do it.
Aang had always been like a fun uncle to Akal. In fact, he referred to Aang as Uncle since he was a small child. They were close and had great times together.
That said, Akal never respected Aang the way he respected his father. He watched Zuko put the good of others above his own feelings constantly. It was what made him such a good ruler and an amazing father. Aang wasn't capable of that. He was so grateful he had the father he did.
Zuko nodded and sighed, "My father's a monster. You have no idea what it's like."
"You're right. I don't. My father…" Akal gave a wry smile, "My father would fight everything and everyone to protect my sister and me. Even his own past."
"He didn't save your mother."
"No, but even in my angriest moments, I never blamed him. There was nothing he could have done."
"Tell me a bit about him. I hope to be a good father someday, and I have a terrible example. Well, there is Uncle. He's been like a father to me."
"He has a temper, but I've never been afraid of him. It made me feel safer. I knew he'd defend me and had the power to do it. But, he never wavered with me, if that makes any sense." Akal was struggling to articulate what he meant. "His love was unconditional. All these years later, and his love for my mother hasn't wavered."
"So you've gone to the past." He stated. "How?"
"It was tricky and took a lot of planning. But, yes. I've come to the past. When I told him, his first worry was for my well-being. I then told him I'd save mom."
Zuko ran his fingers through his hair, "Wow. He sounds like an amazing father. I hope I can be half as good someday. I'm terrified of repeating my father's mistakes."
Akal chuckled. "I think you'll be fine. The fact that you worry about that shows that you won't repeat them. Plus, would Katara let you be a bad father?"
"Damn, do I want to marry her," Zuko burst out. He then blushed. "Sorry."
"Like I said. I'm on your side."
"Do we marry? Surely you know who the Fire Lord marries."
Akal couldn't help himself. He was not at all impartial or particularly patient. "Yes. You marry Katara."
Zuko's face lit up with joy. "She actually marries me?!"
"Yes. Now let's get to bed. It will be an early morning." Akal walked away smiling.
Zuko walked away from the conversation determined. He knew Katara was hurting, and now he knew he had the right to ensure she was taken care of. She would be his. He refused to let her suffer on her own.
He quickly made his way down the hall, slipped into her room, and locked the door. He didn't want to be interrupted.
She was lying on the bed crying. He briskly walked over to her and climbed onto the bed next to her. He then wrapped her in his arms, and she cried on his shoulder.
When her weeping slowed down, she whispered, "I'm not sorry we're together. I just hope that me saying no to dating him didn't make him leave."
"Katara, my love, he wouldn't run away again — ever. He learned from what happened last time. I don't know where he is, but we have a plan to look for him."
She gave him a watery smile, "You really don't think it's my fault, do you?"
"No! Not even a little bit. He knows his path. He won't run again."
"Thank you." She looked him in the eyes and said, "You're in my bed." She then blushed.
"And you aren't complaining," he retorted with a small smile.
"No, I'm not." She snuggled up to him.
He kissed her lips sweetly and said, "After this morning, I feel bolder around you. Is that okay?" And after he heard that he married her, he added mentally.
"I like bold Zuko. After all, it felt incredible this morning."
He pressed her to her back and leaned over her. "And tonight?"
"Tonight, I need comfort."
He settled on his back with his cock so hard it hurt. He would respect what she said, though. He'd hold her and comfort her.
He heard her chuckle and say, "I did find my orgasm this morning very comforting."
His eyes flew open in absolute shock. "Wha…?"
She lightly took his hand and spooned him. She then brought it under her clothing. "Do I need to teach you again?"
He surged up and pressed her to her back. "No. However, I have a different form of comfort in mind right now."
"Oh."
He looked at the beautiful woman that he loved lying under him. He groaned out in absolute desire. "I want you so much, Katara."
She smiled up at him and winked. "It's the time in my cycle when I can't get pregnant. The moon rules me. I want you too, Zuko."
They frantically stripped each other naked. Clothing tossed haphazardly on the floor. He touched her pussy, and she moaned out. Finally, he registered that she was ready for him and thrust his hard cock deep inside her. He paused and let her get over the initial shock of him breaking her virgin barrier. She rocked her hips once, and he was lost. He knew he knew very little about what he was doing, but by the look on her face, he was succeeding in bringing her immense pleasure. He almost lost his mind from the feeling.
He took her with deep, powerful thrusts, and she was grabbing onto the sheets and screaming out in pleasure. He almost came just from looking at what he was doing to her. Then, he felt her shutter and watched as she absolutely shattered into her orgasm. Two deep thrusts later, he spilled himself inside of her.
"Katara," he moaned out. "You are everything to me."
