Hi everyone!:)

Okay, so, I rushed this a bit, so it might not be well edited, but I'm satisfied with how the content turned out.

I've got exams coming up again, so the next chapter might have to wait til March or April.

Enjoy this!

Please tell me what you think!:)

I do not own Avatar The Last Airbender, nor its characters.


Chapter Thirty

As wonderful as officially and truly being together was, it was still new and awkward at first.

While washing the dishes, Zuko found that their fingers touched more often than the last time they had done this. He didn't know if that was okay. He didn't know if she wanted him to say something. Maybe she wanted to talk about something, while they stood there.

Zuko wanted to finish the dishes and wrap his arms around Katara. He wanted to place his chin on her head and hold her tightly to him. But how would she respond? She'd told him that she had been physically affectionate with Aang when it came to little kisses, touches and hugs. Zuko had never been this way with Mai. Maybe with Jin a little, but physical affection with Mai had always been sexual in a way. But just because Katara had been like that with Aang, did that mean she wanted to be like this with him, too?

"So, what are your plans for tonight?" he asked and tried to seem casual.

"Er… Well, I thought that if you stay, we could watch a film together," she said, looking shortly at him with a smile.

Zuko smiled back. "Sounds good. Any ideas?"

"Maybe just something on Netflix? I don't really want to decide on an important film right now." She looked back at him. "Unless you want to show me a film that is really important to you." She arched her brows.

Zuko shook his head. "No, that's alright to me."

A film. Yes, that was okay. A very couply thing to do.

Gods, where had his self-confidence gone? He'd felt so sure of himself earlier, after Katara had confessed to him, and he had her moaning before him.

Just the memory made his cock twitch.

Well, maybe his arousal had simply distracted him from his lacking self-confidence. After all, when she had told him that she needed a different angle, and he hadn't managed to do it right, doubts had arisen in him again. He had felt so incapable.

The sex with Katara in general though had been great. Which seemed obvious, given how their making out sessions had already been. Well, then Zuko had thought that he only liked Katara, but still, his body had known that he wanted more from her.

Zuko had only ever slept with two other women, and although these sexual experiences had felt good, they hadn't felt as good as sleeping with Katara. It hadn't only been the sensation of being inside her, but how she had touched him, how her skin had felt, how their kisses were.

As a teenage boy, sleeping with Jin had been a lot of fumbling, trying things out, and mostly just being amazed at what life has to offer. Kissing, enjoying intimacy with another human being had seemed overwhelming and completely mind blowing. But he had still been hesitant and never approached Jin with the intention to have sex.

With Mai, it had just been natural somehow. They had been a couple and having sex is what couples do. Of course, he'd loved her, but since he had never seen or perceived any strong feelings from her, he had also held back with his stronger feelings. And desire was one. He'd had the impression that Mai condemned people who showed their feelings too much. He had been careful and hadn't wanted her to feel disgusted with him because of his sexual desire.

But he hadn't felt any of this hesitance with Katara, which he just noticed now. He hadn't bit back any noises, he hadn't held back his passion at all. And she had seemed to enjoy it.

But had she really?

Or had she only pretended the way he had pretended for Mai, just the other way around?

Zuko was still arguing with himself in his head when they settled down on Katara's bed and she pulled her computer into her lap.

Zuko skidded to the wall and grabbed a few pillows for Katara's and his back.

He wasn't much surprised when Katara leaned into his side, shoving her shoulder under his arm to snuggle closer. He lifted his arm and let her cuddle up to him. He let his hand hang on her other side.

"Okay…" Katara murmured and scrolled down on Netflix. "Er…"

Zuko leaned a bit onto her, his cheek pressing into her hair to better see what was on her screen. "What about that?" He pointed to the cover for a Netflix production. "Cobra Kai. Sounds nice."

Katara grimaced. "Nice? It sounds anything but nice. It sounds like the name of a criminal gang," she complained, but still clicked on the trailer.

It showed a scene from a karate tournament. There was an old, blond boy, and a younger, smaller, dark haired boy facing each other, settling into fighting stances.

Someone made the sign to start, and the boys circled each other. Then the blond one attacked, but the dark haired one lowered his lifted leg and kicked out with his other one. He kicked the blonde one in the face, who went down in an instance. He writhed on the ground, held his face. The young boy was pronounced the champion. The camera zoomed to the blond boy, who still held his face in agony, and then an older version of the boy was shown, lying on the floor of a dirty apartment between beer bottles and takeout cartons.

Zuko had stiffened a little while watching the short fight. He knew exactly how it felt to lose against someone half his size. Aang had humiliated him quite a few times in Kung Fu class in high school.

"Oh, this seems to be a sequel of the The Karate Kid trilogy," Katara mused.

"What?" Zuko asked.

Katara looked at him, oddly. "You never watched The Karate Kid? I thought you liked martial arts films."

Zuko frowned. "I like martial arts, that doesn't mean that I like martial arts films. And I do prefer historical martial arts films."

Katara twisted her mouth. "So, no film about a bullied teenage boy who meets his master who teaches him karate to defend himself against his bully?"

Zuko kept looking at the screen. "How about the series? It seems to be told from the bully's perspective. That's interesting, right?"

Something in her gaze changed. "Well… Yeah, there are always two sides." She looked oddly at him.

Zuko squirmed. "What?"

"Did you mean me? With 'bully'?" She sounded hesitant.

He tightened his grip around her and brought his face closer to hers. "No. I didn't even think of that. Besides, that's behind us, right? I mean we both changed, and… You're not still mad at me for…?"

"No!" Katara took his face in her hands. "No, of course not. But I thought you might still be mad at me."

Zuko shortly closed his eyes because he didn't like to see this look on her face. He searched her lips and kissed them shortly, but hard. "I'm not mad at you, Katara. Not in the slightest. I don't think that I could have fallen for you, if I hadn't let go of my anger for you before."

She smiled at him, before nodding and kissing him back. "Okay. Good."

He wrapped his arms tighter around her and answered her kiss ardently.

The series wasn't so bad, and Zuko quickly forgot about any similarities between the film bully and himself, or Aang and the little boy in the film.

Now in his forties, the bully had a miserable life. He wasn't successful, didn't have a family and seemed to drink quite a lot.

The little boy had a family and was successful. He felt like he was better than his former bully.

So, the little boy became a bully, while the bully became a victim.

It was confusing. Maybe Zuko should have agreed to watch the film from the eighties first, which told their backstory, or he shouldn't have paid so much attention to how Katara felt against his side, how she smelled, how her chest rose with every one of her breaths.

His hand began to stroke over her arm after some time. Then he skidded down the wall to find a more comfortable way to half lie on the bed. Katara turned on her side and laid her head on his chest.

Oh. He started playing with her hair after a while, those wavy strands were so beautiful, and then he noticed that her breasts pressed into his side, and he became a little erect.

Twelve minutes. Then this episode would be over.

Katara stroked over his chest. His heart fluttered under her touch.

There was Karate fighting on the screen, and Katara scoffed at one of those badass phrases the blond man said when he won.

Zuko fought the urge to kick the computer from the bed and roll Katara on her back to lean over her.

Electronic music played in the end credits, and Katara's hand clicked stop before she closed the Netflix app and then turned the computer off. She closed it and gently deposited it on the ground next to her bed, before turning back to Zuko.

She looked shocked. "Sorry, did you want to keep watching?"

Zuko shook his head. He watched how she skidded closer to him, biting her lip. Her hand reached out to touch his stomach.

Zuko tensed a little. Her gaze darted to his eyes, but then he reached out to grasp her hips.

Katara smiled and climbed on top of him. She settled her hips on his, which caused Zuko's jaw to tense. He stroked his hands over her hips.

She licked her lips, her hair falling around them like a curtain of molten chocolate. He smiled when she kissed him.

His eyes closed, and he enjoyed the feeling of Katara's lips on his. The lips of his girlfriend, the woman he loved. The lips of the woman who loved him.

He groaned and fisted his hands in her hair, pulling her closer. He wriggled his butt on the mattress, searching to find the right position for his penis to be massaged against her core.

Katara's hips began moving on him almost in an instant. She moaned, and Zuko had to take a deep breath before asking for too much.

He felt a slight sting in his lower lip when he felt her teeth biting down. Oh gods.

His hands went to her hips and he quickly rolled them around to be on top. Their legs were dangling off the bed now, so they shifted a little to the wall and up so that Katara's head lied on her pillow.

Her hands caressed his cheeks, but she didn't seem to pull him closer. What she wanted was just to touch him. So, he kept himself up, supported on his elbows, leaning into her touch.

She sighed. "I thought so long that this was one-sided."

Zuko's eyes widened. "What?" She had known?

"I-I mean… Well, you even made it clear that we were just friends who made out." She shrugged.

He frowned. He'd made that clear? "Wait, you mean that it was one-sided from your side?" He felt totally baffled.

She bit her lip and nodded.

Zuko grimaced. He couldn't believe that she had felt like this when…

He'd warmed up to her quite early and had only become warmer until it felt like he was burning. Zuko knew that he'd loved Katara for a while now, but every time he had felt the proof in his chest or stomach, he had ignored it. He had tried to push these feelings away, telling himself that it couldn't be, that it shouldn't be.

He didn't care now anymore, though. Of course, his family was important to him, but Katara… It really felt as if she could be the one with whom he wanted to spend his life.

But he shouldn't get ahead of himself.

Despite it all, he already knew now that there was something more than there'd ever been with Jin and Mai.

Zuko let out a noise that sounded like a snort and a laughter at the same time. "I just asked you about this, because I knew that…" He swallowed. Saying "I love you" was one thing, but actually telling her all about how he felt for her... The way he had struggled with his feelings and all that? It would make him so vulnerable. He could just show her his back if he would do something like that.

"What?" Her eyes were wide, her voice whispered from emotions, and Zuko felt this hot air balloon feeling in his chest.

He knew it meant that he felt love for her. He loved her, and he… he wanted to make her feel good. He wanted to make her happy, to make it clear that she wouldn't doubt his feelings and not look so crushed again.

"I was already in love with you then," he said quietly. "But I tried to ignore it, and I tried to make these feelings go away." He kissed her palm. "But I couldn't keep away from you, so I needed an excuse. I needed a reason for why I would want you without having to confront my feelings." He pressed his eyes together. "I've loved you, but it took me some time to accept it."

She frowned and pushed herself up on her elbows.

Oh, great, what had he said?

"What do you mean? Why didn't you want to love me?" She looked a little mad.

Zuko took a few deep breaths, thinking really hard. Okay, what was a good response?

"Did you want to love me?" he asked back.

She opened her mouth and spluttered. "Well, it wasn't ideal… Given all this fake dating, but it didn't have anything to do with you!"

Hearing that made him happy and very guilty. "I'm sorry, Katara, but… it wasn't just the fake dating which made it less ideal for me. My father asked me with this for the first time to get a girlfriend to help him with something, but…" He doesn't want me to be with you, because he thinks you're not good enough. He's delusional. Zuko sighed. He couldn't tell her. If he wanted to be with Katara and his father not to become too angry, he had to make Ozai's campaign a success. And Ozai needed Katara's open and public support. So, Katara needed to keep liking him. "… he said that he might need that again. And I knew that."

Katara's frown deepened. "Zuko…"

He sat back on his knees. "No, I… Just, please… Let me explain this."

Her nostrils flared in anger, but she nodded.

"Once, I…" His throat was suddenly dry. "I disappointed my father. And it… It was awful. I couldn't…" He swallowed. "I can't do that again. So, I…" He sighed heavily. "First of all, I knew that really wanting to be with you would prevent me from doing what my father wants me to. And, well, I also… I also thought you could never feel like this for me."

A little of her anger had gone from her face, but she wasn't completely calm yet. "So, if you want to be with me, you will disappoint your father. You just said that you can't do that again."

Zuko shook his head. "That's what I thought!" He almost sounds excited. "But if making him proud means that…" He swallowed. "… I can't be with you, then I will disappoint him. I just… I want you, Katara, and I love you, and I only want to be by your side."

He shouldn't have tried to explain himself to her. He had started talking and hadn't been able to stop, just pouring everything out to her, and now he had displayed the intensity of his feelings, had made himself vulnerable, and he shouldn't have done that, because how else would she react than with rejecting him or mocking him or…?

She grabbed his face and crashed into him, kissing him roughly.

Zuko's eyes widened in surprise. What was she doing? His heart beat faster, as he began to feel the desperation in her kiss.

She pushed him onto the bed, her legs straddling his hips, and her hands wandered over his chest. She smiled at him. "That is really what I wanted to hear, but… Your father is your family. I understand that you don't want to disappoint him, and if we're realistic, we don't know if we will work. I just don't want you to make a rash decision," she whispered. "I don't want to be the cause of your unhappiness and any tension in your family."

Zuko wondered if that was her excuse to come up with a reason for why this wouldn't work. "You're not," he still said. "Father wants me to help his reputation, his career, and the company. But I can do that in other ways, too. I mean, I'm studying law to help the company, and I would get a job there later. But we… We are something else than business. And this is… This is more important." He took her hand into his, squeezing it and kissing her knuckles.

"Family is more important than business, too," said Katara. "I want to make you happy, and if I can do that, and your father sees how happy you are, I'm sure it will be okay. Your father will be happy if you're happy." She looked so sure when she said that.

His hands went into her silky hair. He ran his fingers through her curls, then smiled at her.

He didn't feel as assured as she apparently was, but he also didn't want to think about it too much. Yes, Katara was more important now. Making her happy was more important than ruining her reputation like his father wanted.

But were the arguments he had just presented her really true? It wasn't like he had a lot of time to think about all of this. When she'd said she returned his feelings, he had just been so happy, and then she'd said she really wanted to be with him, and while being with her in her apartment, it felt like everything on the outside didn't matter. But it did.

He looked at her and knew that he had never felt happier. And Katara was right. If he was happy, shouldn't his father be okay with this then?

Deep down, he knew the answer.

"Okay, we should stop worrying. We are a real couple now, we're in love, and we'll see where it leads," he said." He twirled a lock of her hair in his hand. "Let's just enjoy being together."

This was the first major step that Zuko had ever done against a wish from his father. What he'd done at thirteen was so much less. Zuko knew that he had to keep the truth about his feelings for Katara hidden from his father. For as long as possible.

Her hands moved over his chest in enticing patterns. "Okay." She smiled, as she took off her shirt.

Zuko wondered if he would get used to her doing so in the future. As for now, every time she did that, he felt like his heart stopped. He put his hands on her hips. "I meant in general, Katara." He smirked. "I didn't know you have such a dirty mind."

She grinned broadly. "Ah, what can I say? When there's such an adorable, hot man in my bed who says he loves me, how can I not want to take off my clothes?"

Zuko's eyes narrowed, but his lips kept smiling. "Flattery won't get you anywhere."

She smirked, put her hair behind her ears and leaned down on him. Her mouth trailed over his throat. "What about this? Will this get me anywhere?"

Zuko pressed his lips together. "No," he said in a strained voice. He still smiled, though, remembering how they had sat on her bed, almost two months ago, warming up to practising kissing. They had told each other what they would do to each other if they were a real couple. Katara did to him what he had told her back then he would do to her. An exciting feeling spread in his stomach at the thought that she remembered this as well as he did.

"Aw. How about this?" Her tongue licked over his pulse.

His kind of hard cock hardened really now. Zuko licked his lips as he thought back to the sex. Oh, he could sleep with her again. Right now. He was actually her boyfriend and could sleep with her! He almost laughed as a grin spread on his lips.

Katara sucked on his skin and nibbled on his shoulder.

Zuko moaned. "This gets you everywhere," he answered.

She looked up and smirked. "I knew that." She took off her bra.

Zuko thought his eyes would fall out from his awe-staring. Would he ever get used to seeing her breasts?

Instead of doing something to touch her, Zuko sat up and took his shirt off. He threw it at the floor, but then he hesitated. He remembered that Mai hadn't wanted to have sex several times a day. She had said that it would feel uncomfortable.

"Er, Katara, are you sure you want to do this again? That you're up for it?"

She looked dumbfounded. "Huh?"

"So, because you could be… sore?" Zuko was concerned, but he also felt a little uncomfortable.

She rolled her eyes. "I thought you believed me when I said I wasn't a virgin."

"But still. It happens. You… Well…" Zuko didn't know that much about female anatomy. He had always just accepted whatever Jin and Mai had told him. They were their bodies, surely they would know what was best, right?

She moved to his knees and started to open his trousers. "I feel up to it. Unless you're planning on being rough, then I would ask you to do that tomorrow."

Zuko blushed furiously. "I-I-I… I wouldn't… I mean… er…"

Katara chuckled.

He looked at her, how she pulled his pants down, his underwear, too, freeing his cock. Suddenly, he felt greedy hunger overcome him.

"Is that something you would like?" he asked. He was genuinely curious, but also a little intrigued.

Katara put a hand around his cock, stroking him. Zuko let out a deep sigh.

Her gaze dropped to what her hand was doing, as a blush coated her cheeks. "I, er…"

Zuko could have kicked himself. "Forget I asked."

He noticed a small bit of eagerness from her, and then he had to go and ask about it. Couldn't he be just happy with what she was willing to give already?

Katara licked her lips. "I think I would like to try 'rough'." Her hands left his cock and started rubbing over his thighs and hips. "I just never really did that before," she murmured.

Zuko's eyes widened. He had to swallow. He had never had any rough sex, either. Well, he guessed maybe with Jin when she had been on top. But that wasn't the kind of 'rough' that Katara had meant, he knew that. "Oh." Good to know.

"If that's alright with you. If not, we don't have to…" Katara spluttered.

"We'll meet in the middle," Zuko interrupted her. His voice became hoarser and he licked his dry lips again. Oh, her hand felt so good and soft on him. "But about being rough, I think I would like to do that with you, too," he said.

When she looked at him, her eyes had darkened, and she bit on her lower lip.

Zuko quickly sat up, and Katara got up from his lap. He pushed his pants down to his feet and took of his socks.

Katara was quick with her pants and underwear, too.

Seeing her completely naked made him want her, of course, but it also had something slightly calming. He took in her appearance and simply felt good.

He was with Katara. And now, he would take his time to pleasure her, to explore her body and to get to know her on a new level.

oOo

Zuko had had to leave early the next morning.

Unfortunately, it was still the middle of the week, and they both had classes and lectures to go to.

Katara had still been half asleep when Zuko had woken her up, telling her that he had to leave. Katara had protested and told him that he could shower in her apartment, that she even had a spare toothbrush (Katara always had spare toothbrushes, since you can never know when a friend will spontaneously stay overnight), and he could have some of her breakfast.

Zuko had agreed to stay in bed fifteen minutes longer but he'd said that he still needed to get some documents for his classes from his apartment. Katara had grumbled and wrapped her arms and legs tightly around him.

He felt so nice to lie next to, so warm and good. Being naked next to him made his body heat bearable. If Katara would have worn a pyjama, she would have probably woken up sweating and cursing his body heat. But since she was naked next to him, it was really nice.

And he smelled so good. She loved the way his skin felt against hers, so smooth. With his arm around her, she had felt loved and even protected. It felt like he'd kissed her every minute. On her forehead, on her cheek, her shoulder, her hair… Every time, she'd had to smile and tried to snuggle closer.

"Qinu!"

But then the fifteen minutes were over and Zuko got up to shower. Katara had thought about joining him but had chosen a few more minutes in bed instead. She'd still felt so sleepy. Not that their activities last night had taken so long… Not that long, anyway.

But it had felt so good in bed with him. And Katara loved lying in bed in general.

"Qinu!"

And after Zuko had dressed, he'd coaxed Katara to get up and take a shower, too. In the meantime, he had prepared breakfast. Two bowls of steaming rice had laid on the table next to two plates with omelette, tomatoes, mushrooms, and peppers. Zuko had just poured her some tea.

How had he done that this quick? Did Katara take so long for her shower?

She had hugged him and kissed him, and then they had eaten, and then reluctantly parted. This afternoon, they had an interview together, and then she would finally see him again, and touch his hand, or his arm, and she could see his smile, and…

"QINU!"

Katara sat up straight, her eyes widened, startled. "What? Yes? Er, present!"

The whole room snickered.

Professor Yugoda looked disappointed. "This is not High School, Qinu. And I already checked if everyone is present half an hour ago." The old woman raised an eyebrow.

Katara blushed furiously. Oh no. She had let her thoughts wander. What had Yugoda wanted to know? Were they still talking about the case of Wei Jin from 1913?

"I'm sorry," she said in an embarrassed way and bowed her head.

Professor Yugoda frowned slightly. "You had a rather happy facial expression. Whatever must be distracting you, must be good then."

Katara swallowed, feeling how her cheeks got hotter. She didn't know if Yugoda asked for confirmation, but she still nodded.

"So, you must feel up to give us your opinion on Ghan Jin's text about Wei Jin's trial, right?" The professor looked expectant, but not malicious.

Katara blinked and quickly looked down at her notes. She pressed her eyes together tightly, as she remembered she read the text during the weekend already. If she should have done it yesterday, she would have completely forgotten. Zuko had been so distracting.

Katara flipped through her folder to find the article and the page with her notes on it. "Yes, I feel up to it," she said, trying to shove all thoughts about Zuko far away in her mind.

At ten o'clock, while Katara was waiting in line to get a coffee in one of the numerous coffee shops around the campus, she received a message from Zuko, asking if she was free for lunch. Katara grinned widely, feeling happy that he wanted to see her so soon again, but at the same time she was incredibly disappointed, because she knew that she had a lecture during lunch time. While Zuko had a lecture in fifteen minutes, Katara had a free period, in which she wanted to get some work done.

Then I'll wait with lunch. You're done at 2 pm, right?

Yes. But you don't have to wait. Please eat something when you're hungry.

Fine. But you'll eat something at the hotel where we'll meet the journalist.

Okay.

"Katara?" She heard a hesitant noise behind her.

Katara hadn't even noticed that the room had gone weirdly quiet. She turned around and saw Meng.

Her eyes widened in shock, before she quickly narrowed them, feeling anger rising up inside of her. That bitch had called Zuko a monster. Her Zuko, the breakfast making Zuko who let her sleep fifteen minutes longer and wanted to wait for her with lunch.

"What do you want?" she asked, her voice sounding icily.

Meng looked uncomfortable, as she pulled at one of her plaits. "Well, I, erm… I don't know if you know, but Kasaishi Azula, so your boyfriend's sister, she's ah… spread some things about me on the Internet, and yesterday she reached out to me to apologise." Meng swallowed. "She wants to make a video with the three of us… to show everyone that we get along. She told me to ask you if you're okay with this."

Katara's eyebrows rose as disbelief flooded her. Just like that? Meng wanted Katara to pretend to like her just like that? She felt her nostrils flare and her hands tighten to fists. "I'm sorry for what Azula did, Meng. That is unfair and was clearly an overreaction, but and I sincerely hope that people will soon stop being mean to you. But if you don't apologise to the Kasaishis, I want nothing to do with you."

Meng swallowed. "I…"

"Katara?"

She felt her heart leap into her throat. Turning around, she saw him standing there, looking just like he had three hours ago, when he left. "Zuko!" Despite being angered by Meng's request, Katara smiled when she saw him and stretched out a hand to him.

Zuko closed the distance between them with two quick steps. He took her hand in both of his and held it there. Katara felt as if her heart would melt. Zuko stepped closer to her and put an arm around her, his hand running up and down her arm in a soothing way.

Katara wished this was just some coffee shop in which no one had seen the video of her and Meng fighting, or of Ozai standing up for her, or simply knowing of Zuko. Then she would greet him with a kiss, and Meng wouldn't be here.

But things were different.

He dipped his head. "My next lecture is in this building. I recognised you from outside and wanted to say hi," he said lowly into her ear. "Are you alright?" he asked, and Katara could tell that he was referring to Meng still standing in front of her, looking like some frightened rabbit.

She nodded, unconsciously moving closer to him.

Meng swallowed.

Katara narrowed her eyes. "Meng, I believe you haven't met my boyfriend yet. This is Zuko. Zuko, this is Meng. I think you know who she is." Her voice was heavy with disgust.

Zuko's grip around her tightened, as he nodded his head curtly. "Yes, I do know who she is." His voice sounded low, almost dangerous.

Katara decided that she liked this voice of his.

Meng had looked afraid at Katara telling her to apologise to the Kasaishis, but now, that one of them was here in front of her, she looked downright frightened. All blood seemed to leave her cheeks, and her eyes were wide, almost unblinking. She seemed to get a grip, though, after a few seconds. "I… Hello. It is nice to meet you. I…" She tugged at her braid again and took a deep breath. "I wanted to apologise. I judged you because you are rich. I made assumptions about your family, although I know nothing of them. I insulted you because I was angry at Katara. I am sorry about that."

Katara wondered how Zuko would handle this. She looked up at him.

His upper lip curled to reveal his teeth. He looked disgusted. "I don't want your apology. I couldn't care less about what you think of me. But you called Katara a gold-digging whore."

He said it like he couldn't believe that someone dared insult her. It was almost funny, given how in high school, he had regularly insulted her.

Katara felt Zuko tremble with anger. His face was hard, and he started to scowl heavily. "Apologise to her, and I won't have any reason to be angry at you."

Meng pressed her lips together and nodded, before bowing shortly to Katara. "I am sorry about what I said to you. I misjudged you, and I should have controlled my temper better."

Katara twisted her lips. Well, she had been the one to lash out first… Meng had simply reacted. Still, Katara didn't believe one piece of what Meng had said. But there were so many people in here, and Katara couldn't be an unforgiving bitch in front of so many witnesses.

"Okay…. I'm sorry, too." For not telling you off earlier. "I accept your apology." Katara was still stiff and angry, but she managed to bow a little, and then even smiled.

"Thank you!" Meng beamed at her, then at Zuko, bowed, and walked back out of the door.

Zuko turned Katara around to face him. His head dipped down to hers. "I have to go to my lecture now."

Katara nodded, her hands automatically sneaking up his stomach to grab onto the fabric of his shirt. "I know."

He kissed her shortly, but long enough for Katara to close her eyes and feel good with him. His lips left hers. "I'll see you at two then?"

"Yes." She nodded, licking her lips. "What about tonight? Are you free?"

He looked hesitant for a moment, and Katara wondered if this was too much for him, but he smiled and nodded after a moment. "I can come over, but I also still have to do some work…"

She quickly nodded. "That's alright. I should read that one text, anyway…"

He frowned. "If you don't have time, then why did you ask if I have some?"

She blushed. "I just like the thought of you being there."

Zuko smiled widely and kissed her again, deeper this time. Katara leaned forward, melting into his embrace.

"Hey, you two love birds!" a voice bellowed. "Is someone of you buying something or do you just want to halt the queue?"

Katara leaned away from Zuko and looked at the disgruntled woman. "Sorry. Erm, I'll have a cappuccino, please."

Zuko kissed her cheek. "I'll see you later."

She smiled at him and kissed his lips shortly. "Okay."

He still smiled, as he turned around and walked away.

Katara stood there, completely unaware of all the stares and phones in the air, her heart beating like mad, as she watched the nice backside of her boyfriend leave the coffee shop.

Until her next class, Katara prepared her homework, which she should have done yesterday but completely forgot about. She also prepared a few things for tomorrow, sipping her coffee.

It was good to be prepared, after all. And if Zuko would come over in the evening, she didn't want to have to still do some work.

Her next lecture seemed to drag on forever, held by the dull voice of Professor Ching, and Katara felt impatient to leave to see Zuko again. Which was crazy, as she had just seen him this morning.

Katara could barely concentrate, but she still managed to in the end. Just when she thought that she was ready to pay attention, the lecture ended. She quickly packed her things and rushed out of the building and away from campus.

She saw Zuko immediately, standing at the gate and waiting.

Katara felt her lips break into a smile. As she approached him this time, she slung her arms around him. Zuko smiled down at her, and she felt his arms wrap around her, too.

"Hey," she said softly.

"Hi," he answered, still smiling.

Katara leaned up to kiss him, really kiss him, deep and demanding of having entrance into his mouth. Zuko pulled her closer as he kissed her back. Katara sighed into his mouth before she slowly let go.

She had always enjoyed kissing him, but now, with their feelings out in the open, it was so much better. It felt like so much more. It was not just hot and good, but comfortable, like sunshine and home.

Oh, wow. Cool down, Katara. You've only been with him since yesterday!

She blushed heavily at her own thoughts, but he kept smiling at her, so maybe it was worth it.

His hands rubbed over her arms in a soothing way. "Are you alright?" he asked, looking concerned.

"Yes. Why?"

"Because of that girl earlier." He raised his eyebrows.

"Urgh." Katara rolled her eyes, squeezing her hand between his elbow and body to hold onto his arm. He bent his arm immediately, which made Katara smile. "Well, Meng heard from Azula." She looked at Zuko with raised eyebrows. "You said your father wasn't happy with this, and Azula should in some way apologise. Now she wants to make a video with the three of us to show how greatly we get along!" She scoffed.

Zuko looked displeased. "That sounds like bullshit. No one will believe that you actually get along. It's just damage control."

Katara nodded. "Yes, I think the same."

"By the way, I think it won't be necessary because of her scene earlier." He nodded towards their right and turned around to start walking to the train station.

Katara walked next to him, looked up to him and frowned. "What do you mean?"

He shrugged. "I'm just saying that she could have chosen to speak to you in a more private area, but she did it in front of all those other students. Word will spread, and I think I saw some guys filming the scene again." His voice sounded regrettable.

Katara groaned. "Not again! Can't they mind their own business?"

"I'm sorry." He kissed her on the head.

Katara leaned against him, but not so much to make them stumble. "What are you sorry for?"

"You wouldn't get this much attention if it weren't for who... "

"Stop it!" Katara smacked his arm. "I'm complaining about people prying into my business, not about who your family is."

He seemed relieved but not convinced as he smiled in an unsure way at her.

"Oh, by the way. I just remembered... our first exams are in three weeks, so this week is the last one in which it is okay to go out." She nodded to herself. "Sokka, Aang, Toph, and I always went to a club in this week, and then again after the exams. We're going this Friday. Do you want to come with us?"

Zuko raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

Katara rolled her eyes. "Of course." She would love to go to a club with him. She couldn't help but be curious about how Zuko was in such an environment. Was he stiff and not really dancing, dancing awkwardly, or for some reason a really great dancer? Did he know the songs and lyrics like Sokka and Toph who always shouted along? Did he hold his liquor as badly as Sokka or as well as Toph?

Katara knew, however, that whatever Zuko would do, nothing about it would remind her of Aang.

"Are you sure your brother and friends will be okay with this?" Zuko asked hesitantly.

"Sure! They even asked for you!" Katara grinned.

Zuko blinked. "Really?"

"Yeah. Aang can't wait. He thinks you're going to teach him Western Province traditional dance moves." Katara chuckles.

Zuko snorted. "As if he could learn them. They're not easy."

Katara's eyes widened and her eyebrows rose. She had thought this was funny, because she didn't think that Zuko knew these dances or that he would teach Aang. But Zuko saying that Aang wouldn't know how to learn them? She had not expected him reacting like this.

"I think you'd be surprised. Aang is a really good dancer."

Zuko sighed. "Of course, he is."

She tugged at his arm. "Don't get grumpy, Zuko, or my new pet name for you will be grumpy bear."

He glared at her, but she just giggled.

"I'm not grumpy," he declared in a haughty voice. "And I have no reason to be grumpy over Aang, since I already know that I'm better than him. After all, I got his ex-girlfriend." He looked very happy with himself.

Katara narrowed her eyes and raised one eyebrow. "Aha, so I'm a price for you that says you're better than Aang?"

Zuko grinned with raised eyebrows. She had never seen this expression on his face before. "Of course you are. I mean, what else could you be? You didn't think I liked you, did you?" The amused glint in his eyes made Katara not question if he was actually saying the truth.

"Oh no, here I thought we would have a wonderful, dramatic romance!" She threw her arms in the air. "Woe is me! All my hopes are crushed!" She pressed her hands against her chest.

"Dramatic romance, huh?" He looked thoughtful. "That doesn't sound so bad. Tell me more, and maybe I'll change my mind." He smirked down at her, one eyebrow raised.

"About what?"

"What you thought we could be."

"Hm, well, I thought we could be a happy couple that understands each other. That we can help each other and support each other. And that we will be cheesy with each other, but also fight often. That we might even hurt each other..."

He slipped from his smirking expression and looked appalled.

Katara smiled. "... but that we will never be indifferent towards each other, and always care for each other and about making each other happy."

Zuko blinked, and Katara blushed, wondering if this had been too cheesy.

His surprised expression changed into a smirk again. "Well, you were already quite cheesy right now."

Katara sniffed and glanced ahead of the road. "You forced me to be."

He chuckled, before he was quiet for an awful long amount of time. Katara looked up at him and saw that his cheeks were flushed.

She smiled to herself. She loved it whenever he would blush. And that he did blush so often. She hadn't thought this about him when she got to know him.

His arm snaked around her waist and then she felt his breath in her ear. She wondered how they could both keep walking like this.

"And you do make me very happy," he said in a low voice that made her shiver. "And you're right. I guess we never felt indifferent towards each other."

Katara quickly turned her head to press a kiss against his cheek.

His golden eyes seemed to burn.

A warm feeling in her chest made it hard to breathe.

"So, I think I'll keep you," he said, still in this haughty voice.

Katara rolled her eyes and shoved her elbow into his side.

"Ooof!"

"It's not like you really have any say in the matter," Katara said, attempting to adopt his haughty tone, while she kept staring ahead, trying hard not to smile.

Zuko squeezed her in her side as he pulled her closer towards him, and she squeaked in a surprised way. But also because she was ticklish.

He took her chin in his hand and pulled her face upwards before pressing his lips to hers. The kiss he gave her made her feel as if she could fly, as if fire burnt through her stomach and chest, leaving her completely and utterly breathless. But also hungry for more.

The smile he showed her was his usual happy, shy smile. "I love you," he murmured.

Katara melted. She would become a molten puddle right there at his feet. His smile, the look in his eyes, the sound of his voice when he said that... Oh, she really had to get a grip! Or at least get used to him quickly.

"I love you, too," she answered him, her voice still breathless and more high pitched than usual. She leaned upwards again to kiss him. The part of her brain that had not been infiltrated by Zuko yet was banging its head against a wall. What was this high-pitched voice?

Zuko wrapped his arms around her waist as she put her hands in his neck, stroking his skin there.

Katara sighed, leaning into him, melting for him. She remembered the second sex they'd had yesterday, this slow, sensual and emotional bringing together of two bodies. Her stomach was on fire.

His hands stroked her cheeks as he leaned back. "We should hurry if you still want to eat something."

Food? Who cared about food? And who cared about this stupid interview?

Katara certainly didn't.

She could have stared at Zuko's face for the rest of her life.

Dammit Katara! Stop being so cheesy!

But she was freshly in love! It was normal to be so cheesy at the beginning of a relationship!

However, the part of Katara's brain that was still Zuko-free reminded her of not looking at him with such a lovesick expression on her face. What if he started to get smug? She liked her sweet, cute, adorable Zuko, and however fun his teasing might have been, she didn't want him to ever stay so smug. Not that she thought he would become like this, but Katara knew that she was already so deep in love that she would have to be careful to protect her heart.

Because he had the power to shatter it into a million pieces.


Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think!:)

Yeah, I know, this chapter didn't have a lot of content, but I felt like I had to write something about Katara's and Zuko's relationship. It just began, and I felt like I still need to work on it. Of course, there is still more missing. Zuko still doesn't trust Katara completely, after all. But we will come to that.

The minutes I wrote about, and the actual scenes happening in the first episode of Cobra Kai are not accurate. I wrote from memory, so there are definitely mistakes. It's a very good series, though, you should check it out!

I chose Yugoda as a professor, because she taught Katara something in the series.

And that's it! Til next time!

Answers to reviews:

To KatMora606: Thanks so much for your review!:) Yes, you're right. If Katara and Zuko want to make it through all of this, they will have to stick together. But Azula actually thought since the beginning that Zuko and Katara were really together. I think I understand what you mean, and I really didn't want the sex to seem like they are sex gods. Thanks! Aaaaand, no, Katara doesn't know that it is Zuko's fault that she didn't get a job. He never told her. It's one of his ugly secrets. But she will find out. So, Katara thinks it was bad luck or fate that made her so desperate that she called Zuko for the "job". It's not so important, but not unimportant either. Oh, that is so nice of you! Thank you! :D Después de leer su reseña, estaba muy emocionada. Que alguien quiera dibujar un fan art para mi ! Solo quería responderte aquí primero, y luego me comunicaré contigo a través de Instagram. No tengo tumblr. Soy wateryemoya en Instagram. Y, por favor, no necesito un dibujo completo de mi historia, pero puedes elegir las escenas que te gusten y dibujarlas. ¡Muchas gracias! ¡No puedo esperar a esto! (google translation. Ich hoffe, dass es trotzdem Sinn ergibt, was ich geschrieben habe:) a tip: this was German;)

To Smckoy929: Thank you! Yeah, me, too! Haha:D

To uchihaNaruto247: Thank you! Weeeell, I guess I have to get used to it. This was not the last sex scene for this fic, after all ;). Thanks! :) And Zuko will show Katara his back. I know that this is important, but I didn't want this heart to heart right now. I felt like it's too soon. Yeah, Ozai... I have a plan. I just don't know how long it will take me to write it, or how many chapters...

To Guest: Thank you so much!:) It's definitely what I intended to do! Katara and Zuko have so much potential to be cute together, and I think that it is important to show this in fics. Well, I had twenty-nine chapters to get to this, so... yeah, might call it a slow burn.