The request knocked the air from Zuko's lungs and a small involuntary sound escaped his lips. In a heartbeat, his hands were on her face and he pressed his lips against hers. His kiss was soft, tentative, as though he still couldn't quite believe that she wanted this.

Katara trembled and melted into the achingly gentle kiss. His hands carefully held her face. It was at once too much and not enough.

She smiled into his mouth and pulled back just a tiny bit. "You're not going to break me," she whispered.

He looked at her with irresistible magnetism, and something more, a craving tempered by concern and the guilt he'd lived with for the past months.

She couldn't stand it any longer. She wanted him with a fire that seared her and would not be quenched. Her mouth found his again and her hands wove into his jet-black hair. She poured all of her desire into the kiss, pressing their lips together urgently, crushingly.

Zuko released a husky groan and then, like kindling going up in flame, he was kissing her back with the same desperate fervor. She felt one of his hands tangle in her hair, fingers digging in as he pulled her deeper and deeper into the kiss.

As he kissed her with such raw need, she felt weak with the idea that he had been constantly hot, constantly wanting her this whole time.

The kiss became messy, Zuko's tongue questing to explore her mouth. His other hand found her hip and she felt his grip tighten like he would never let go. And she didn't want him to.

Like the first time they had kissed, Katara felt as though she could barely withstand how her body reacted to his touch; a tidal wave of need surged through her, washing away everything but here and now, and an overpowering hunger. She felt dizzy with the rush of it.

She leaned into him as they kissed on the rock ledge, pressing herself to his chest, feeling like she still wasn't close enough. His arms wound around her possessively. He sucked on her bottom lip.

Katara wanted to feel more of him and she wanted it now. Without breaking their kiss, she scrambled into his lap, her legs straddling him as she pushed her entire body against the length of his.

Zuko felt awestruck by the beautiful waterbender, astonished she was actually in his lap right now. It was clear now that—somehow—she wanted him with the same ardent fury that he felt for her. How stupid he had been all this time! He ran his hands along her curves, savoring the feel of her just like he had fantasized about. He wanted to touch all of her, all at once.

Pushing against him, she kissed him fervently as his hands roamed her body. The feel of his hands, touching her, finally touching her, made her wish their clothes weren't in the way so she could feel the heat of him directly on her skin. When his thumb grazed her breast, she felt another flash of arousal. Through the layers of his pants and her sarashi wraps, she could feel that his cock was already stiff between her thighs.

Eventually, she tore her lips away and began planting nipping kisses along his jaw up to his ear, her fingers lightly tracing over his scar. Zuko moaned and tilted his head back, giving her full access to kiss him however she wanted. She moved her kisses down his neck, then sucked on the skin by his collarbone.

Her voice deep with lust, she said, "You have no idea how much I've thought about this."

Zuko's eyes met hers, alight with desire. "You have no idea how hard it was to control myself every time you were around. Especially when I woke up this morning, with you… But now that I think about it, you weren't sleeping, were you? You were doing that on purpose. Do you enjoy tormenting me?"

Katara laughed mischievously, "What, like this?" She rocked her hips back and forth in his lap, grinding against his extremely hard erection.

"I hope you know what you're doing, waterbender. There's no one to save you this time," he growled, grabbing her hips and rocking her faster. Then, unable to bear the layers of clothing between them any longer, Zuko pulled off her dress in one swift motion. She hurried to take her boots off, letting them fall to the ground.

She was now in only her sarashi wraps, with Zuko's hot lips trailing down her chest. His hands left her hips to caress her bare skin, everywhere he could touch it, her shoulders, her taut stomach, her thighs.

Katara's breath grew heavier. "Good. I can't wait to find out what you've been wanting to do to me this whole time. And I have a few ideas of my own..."

She tore off his shirt to reveal his muscular chest. Her fingers moved, seemingly on their own, to trace over his corded muscles and feel the heat of his torso.

Zuko took her mouth again, tasting, probing. The sensations swirled together, lips against lips, hands against bare skin, the torturously delicious friction of rubbing together, the sheer exhilarating delight of being in Zuko's lap.

Now his hands were tugging at the sarashi wraps around her breasts. She helped him, wiggling free of the garment. The cool air of the cave made her nipples harden. His hands hurried to her full, round breasts, cupping and gently squeezing. She arched her back to encourage him and suddenly his impossibly hot mouth was on her, his tongue tracing circles around her nipple, flicking lightly, teasing.

"Ahhh," she panted as his tongue moved faster and faster. She grasped weakly at his head, succeeding only in a shaky caress of her fingers through his hair. A dangerous build-up of tension arose in her lower stomach. "You're so… ahh… amazing."

He only grinned and moved his attentions to her other breast. Katara closed her eyes, enjoying the remarkable sensations. It was really happening, she was here, alone with Zuko, him needing her, filling her with sweet fire, and there was nothing to interrupt them this time. She didn't think she'd be able to go without this feeling ever again; it was addicting, intoxicating, undeniable.

"I need… more." She managed, electricity pulsing through her veins. She ground against him harder, and captured his lips as he lifted his face from her breast. With unbridled passion, she bit his lip and delved her tongue into his mouth, needing to taste him.

Zuko was truly lost now, swept away by the all-encompassing intensity of her, the unbelievable pleasure of having her all to himself, his desires accepted and even reciprocated. The need to have her, to possess her fully and completely, built under his skin until he was trembling with the ferocity of it.

In one swift movement, Zuko lifted her and Katara found herself deftly flipped onto her back, laying on the blankets with the powerful firebender on top of her. A wicked glint in his eye made her swallow as she went willingly, pliant and eager under his touch.

"I'm going to make you feel so good, waterbender," he rumbled.

Now it was Zuko who rocked his hips and created excruciatingly intimate friction between her legs. She clutched at him and pulled him closer, dragging her lips along his body, leaving wet kisses everywhere she could reach.

She stroked his arms and his broad back, the back of his neck, his hair, hungering for him, shuddering under him. Zuko crushed his lips to hers, harder than before, until her lips stung from the force.

She scrabbled at his pants, desperate now. How many nights had she longed for him?

Zuko pulled away to help remove the clothing, Katara emitting a ragged little whine at the loss of contact. He kicked off his boots, but paused with his thumb in the waistband of his pants.

"Have you…" Zuko began, surprised at the sound of his own voice, so hoarse and husky. "Have you done this before?" He didn't want to hurt her.

Katara flushed red and nodded. Zuko felt a flame of jealousy but he pushed it away—nothing before this mattered; what mattered was now. And she was his right now.

Katara caught the look in his eye and said, "But it was never like this. Nothing compares to this. To you. Fuck, Zuko, I've never wanted anyone like this before. You… do something to me. I need you. I can't explain it, but I need you."

Her words inflamed him even more as he looked down at her underneath him. Her rich black hair, tousled in the blankets, framing her face. The swell of her breasts as she breathed heavily. Her clear blue eyes, dilated, deep and soft, full of trust. Such an unbelievably breathtaking woman, wanting him, driving him wild.

Overcome with the sight, he gulped. "Oh, Katara."

"What?" She felt like he was caressing her with just his eyes. It made her heart flutter erratically.

"You're incredible. Can I just… look at you, for a minute?"

Swallowing nervously, she nodded. She had never felt more attractive than in this moment, seeing the lustful, admiring look in his eyes as he swept them over her nearly naked body, seeming to drink her in.

When he finally dipped to kiss her again, sweeter and softer this time, she felt his hand trembling as it slid along her jaw. He made a small noise, so full of longing that at first she thought it must have been her who made the sound. When she realized it wasn't her, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him deeper into the kiss with a burning need that drove all other thoughts away. Soon, his hand found her breast, making her moan into his mouth. As they kissed, she got ahold of his waistband and tugged at his pants again.

"You're beautiful. Spirits, so fucking beautiful. I want you, Katara, now." He said, helping her push down his pants.

She inhaled at the sight of him, now fully naked in the turquoise glow of the cave, all wiry muscle and strength. Her eyes followed the lean lines of his hips to his large swollen cock, and something inside of her thrummed at the sight of it.

He ripped her sarashi wraps away, and she helped him as quickly as she could. She couldn't explain the pulsing, feverish effect he was having on her, she only knew that she needed to feel his body against hers, she needed him to fill the ache that was building inside her and she needed it now or she would surely go mad.

Poised above her, desperate to plunge, Zuko hesitated again.

"You're sure?"

Katara moaned with impatience and tilted her hips toward him.

Zuko backed away, just a fraction. He cupped her cheek and ran his thumb along her lip, causing tremors to run through her.

He breathed out, "Katara. I've wanted you so much. For so long. But I never thought you could feel the same. I thought you hated me. I never dreamed, never dared to hope that I would have you like this. I need you to say it. I—I need to know that you're sure."

"Yes, yes, I'm sure, I've never been more sure about anything, please Zuko, I want you. Right now, please, now." She babbled, delirious with need. She raised her hips again, offering herself up for him to take and wanting to take him in return. She waited, beyond thinking, only anticipating now.

Zuko made a sound low in his throat that was half-animal. Suddenly his body was against hers again, and one of his hands clasped her hand beside her head, pressing it down, their fingers interlacing. She wound her other hand to the base of his back, pulling him, urging him on. His throbbing shaft probed, and, finding her wet and ready, finally sank into her depths.

Katara released a sinful moan as he filled her, a wanton sound that Zuko was afraid would drive him over the edge right that second—and he wasn't ready for it to end yet. Her eyes closed as she moved on a wave of sensations, hardly aware of anything except the unbelievable heat of his cock inside of her, stroking the deep places that throbbed so insistently, sending hot pulses of feeling through her.

He was gentler than she'd expected, pushing in and out of her maddeningly slowly. She wrapped her legs around him, thrusting against him and imploring him to go faster.

Zuko savored every second as he buried himself in her again and again, her warm, wet depths enveloping him deliciously with every movement.

"You feel just as good as I thought you would," he murmured in between thrusts.

"You… feel even better," she panted.

Just when Katara thought she could take no more without bursting, Zuko slid a hand between them, finding her clit. She jumped and her eyes widened as another jolt of pleasure washed over her. He grinned at her roguishly and bent to plant hot, wet, luxuriating kisses down the sensitive skin of her neck as he slid his fingers up and down, faster and faster in time with his thrusts.

"Fuuuuuck, Zuko," she gasped in amazement.

She writhed under him, her abdomen clenching and filling with an excruciating tension that begged for release. It was like nothing she'd ever experienced, her body feeling better than she'd imagined it capable of.

"Tell me how it feels." He whispered in her ear, watching her lose herself under his attentions. He shook with the effort of holding himself back from release.

The tension was reaching its peak. "I feel like… I'm on fire, like it's building, burning me up from the inside, but it's so good... I need you, it's so much, Zuko, it's the most amazing thing I've ever felt, but I need… I need…" She trailed off, words failing her completely as she strained against him, out of breath.

Katara felt his lips overtake her mouth as he thrusted into her harder now, his fingers moving still faster. The tight walls of her passage pulsed around his cock and Zuko was certain he wouldn't be able to keep himself from coming any longer when suddenly she bucked wildly.

His name broke from her lips in a scream.

The tension building within her burst free, sending waves of intense pleasure coursing through her entire body. She was filled with heat, finally having an outlet and release for the raging desire she felt, but she felt like she could do this forever and it still wouldn't be enough. Then she felt sunbursts in her brain, blocking out all coherent thought—everything that ever was and ever would be was right now, Zuko's body and hers locked together in this eternal instant.

Zuko surged into her with abandon, drawing cries of ecstasy from her with every thrust. Her nails dug into his back as she held onto him like a lifeline. It was more than he could bear, his own need overtaking him as her orgasm convulsed around his cock. His breathing grew rough, his expression fierce. He moaned her name and clutched her to him, coming with more intensity than he'd thought possible.

Together they moved, pleasure surging through them again and again.

Until, finally, they collapsed together, exhausted and spent.

Zuko's body rested on Katara's, his cock still inside her, and she thought she had never felt more whole. For a long moment, the only sound was their breathing in tandem as it slowed. They had given themselves to each other fully and neither wanted to move, afraid breaking apart would break the spell that had come over them, too.

After a time, Katara, dreamily content and almost asleep, dimly felt him move off of her. Her body immediately missed the weight, but then she felt strong arms wrap around her, pulling her close and encasing her in warmth. The last thing she knew before drifting into a sleep of oblivion was the feeling of being cared for and safe, as the storm raged on outside the cave.