Katara felt a bit sad when it was time to leave the cave. It was so beautiful, a little magical oasis tucked away and hidden from the world. She wondered if anything would change between them when they left, but as they got on their way, the conversation and banter kept up just the same. Traveling with a happy Zuko (a happy Zuko!) was a completely different experience than traveling with the reticent, irritable version of him she'd been on the road with up until now.

In truth, she could hardly believe how much she enjoyed his company. He was clever and self-possessed—at least, until she did or said something to rattle him, and then he'd become adorably awkward, which made her laugh. And he never expected her to take care of him, which it felt like she was always having to do for the rest of her friends, even Aang, who wanted to be with her romantically but still treated her like a nurturing figure.

But perhaps most surprising was that Zuko was sensitive and, dare she say it, sweet—both things she'd only caught glimpses of previously, before he'd put up his defenses again. Now, though, he began to relax and open up, allowing her to get to know the real person underneath all of the hurt and anger.

The days passed, and she was surprised by how easily they fell into a comfortable rhythm. They both slid into it like it was it was the most natural thing in the world. She grew accustomed to falling asleep next to him, wrapped in his arms, cuddled against him, feeling completely safe and treasured; then, waking in the morning to his warm breath—and often, hot lips—on her neck. She grew ever more fond of all the little things about him, like his messy morning hair, his diligent dedication to practicing his firebending and combat techniques, and the fact that although he drank tea, she wasn't entirely sure he actually liked it.

And no matter how much sex they had, she was astounded that her desire for him never dimmed. It was the opposite—the more she had him, the more she wanted, insatiable as wildfire. As soon as she ceased touching him, her fingers ached to return to his skin. He seemed to feel the same way, like he would never get enough. She'd often catch him watching her with a hungry look in his eyes that made her shiver in excitement—and usually that was all it took to send them both up in flames.

She thought he'd been right, when he said he would consume her if she let him. But she wasn't the only one who was consumed.

O – O – O – O – O – O

They began a regular routine of sparring in the evenings, on nights when they were sure no one was around to notice a firebender in the middle of the Earth Kingdom. It was exhilarating (and, more often than not, turned into a different kind of sparring, by the end). And just as Zuko had suggested, Katara soon found herself discovering new methods.

One night they were sparring next to a river, when Zuko suddenly broke out two huge fire whips, which she only barely managed to dodge. As the flames lashed out beside her, she got an idea for her own bending.

"You're going to have to do better than that, waterbender," Zuko called out, cracking the whips beside him.

Katara concentrated, bending a large amount of water from the river and molding it onto her arms, creating huge squid-like appendages that she could crack out in longer whips than her usual ones.

"Thanks for the idea," she said, reaching her squid-arms toward him. Zuko tried to jump away but the water was faster, and had a longer reach. She grabbed his legs and held him immobile as he struggled.

He continued to squirm as she walked closer. Typical of him, absolutely refusing to give up even when he'd clearly lost.

"I win," she said, releasing the water and pouncing into his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist.

"This time," he conceded, carrying her to their sleeping bags and lowering her to them gently, kissing her all the while.

The next time they sparred, Zuko had figured out a way to defeat the squid arms, with a sharp burst of flame that ripped across them.

O – O – O – O – O – O

They were getting closer to Ba Sing Se, having now gone past the city of Omashu and following the river toward where they'd heard there was a ferry into the city for refugees.

Tonight, they sat by the campfire after their evening meal, Katara sitting between Zuko's legs and leaning against his chest. Zuko casually traced patterns along her arms with his fingers.

"Remember when I taught you how to play Would You Rather, and you tried to use it to interrogate me?" Katara said, breaking the comfortable silence they'd been sharing staring into the fire together.

"Yes. I recall the game ended pretty quickly after that." Zuko pressed his lips to the top of her head.

"Well, how about you redeem yourself? Let's play again. I've always liked to play this game around the fire." Katara twisted around to look at him, a hopeful smile on her face.

"All right." Zuko furrowed his brow, trying to come up with a good question.

Katara started. "Would you rather… eat my cooking or yours?"

"Is this a trick question?"

"No! Come on, answer."

"Yours. It's really good. And, you cook with flavors that I haven't really tried before."

Katara was flattered. "Thank you! Okay, your turn."

"Would you rather be able to use your bending only to heal or only to fight?"

"Wow. That is a really hard one." Katara was quiet for a while, thinking as the fire crackled. Finally, she decided, "Fight."

"Really? That wasn't what I was expecting."

"Yeah, well. Healing people is important, but I think the world needs warriors right now. To fight…" she hesitated. "The Fire Nation. Oppression. Invasion. I think I can help more people using my bending to fight. As much as I wish that weren't the case, it is. And, combat bending is also used for defense, which definitely is important, the way my life is going right now. You know, traveling with the Avatar and all."

"Right. The Avatar." Zuko felt a bit of his old anger flare up, which he tried to push away. And something new, a twinge of possessiveness.

"Would you rather be back in our cave or be in Ba Sing Se tomorrow?" Katara leaned against him.

Another question, one she didn't dare ask, hung in her mind: Would you rather stay with me or get to go back to the Fire Nation? It wasn't a fair question and she knew it… but she thought of it anyway.

Zuko felt his heart tug at her question. As they had been drawing closer to Ba Sing Se, he'd developed a foreboding feeling that he was getting closer and closer to losing his waterbender, too.

"The cave," he said seriously. Then, trying to lighten the mood, "As much as I like my uncle, I'd rather spend a bit of extra time in your company."

"I'm flattered. Though I suppose my company does come with some extra perks." She burrowed her face into his neck, planting little kisses up toward his ear.

"Mmm," he sighed and tilted his head back. Then he took one of her hands in his, bringing it inches from his lips. "Would you rather I kiss your palm or your fingertips?"

"Fingertips," she breathed.

Zuko gently brought each finger to his lips, kissing the tip slowly before moving on to the next. Katara felt her stomach do a somersault.

Still, two could play at this game.

"Would you rather I start touching you or myself right now?" Katara smiled impishly.

Zuko swallowed heavily.

"Yourself," he managed, his voice hoarse.

Katara pulled off her shoes and leggings. Then, locking eyes with him, she slid her hand under her dress, between her legs.

Zuko watched, forgetting that they were supposed to be playing a game.

"It's your turn," she said huskily.

"I'm going to kiss you all over. Do you want... would you rather… I nip your skin as I go, or suck?" Zuko's golden eyes were beginning to harbor the carnal flame that always fueled Katara's own excitement.

"Nip," she said, yielding to him as he began trailing lingering kisses down her neck and across her chest. At her reply, he punctuated the soft kisses with small bites as he went.

"Ahh," Katara groaned, the slight sting of pain adding another dimension to the pleasure that was gathering in her core. Her body tingled with electricity, set off with each nip of Zuko's teeth on her sensitive skin.

Taking her hand out from between her legs, she tugged at Zuko's shirt, peeling him out of it while he continued to kiss and nip along her body, anywhere he found bare skin. He carefully unfastened her necklace and set it beside them.

"After I take off my dress, would you rather I remove my top or bottom wraps first?"

"Top. And I didn't say you could stop touching yourself," Zuko said, encircling his hand around her wrist and drawing it back down between her legs.

Katara flushed with heat. She quickly removed her dress with Zuko's help, then her top sarashi wraps. Zuko immediately dipped his head and planted wet kisses on the swell of her breasts, biting lightly and moving toward her nipple. His tongue flitted across, teasing, then swept more slowly, circling around the hard nub. When his warm mouth settled over her nipple and began to suck, she moaned salaciously. The sound enflamed Zuko with blistering need.

As he lavished attention on her breasts, she wiggled free of her bottom wraps. She brought her own fingers to rub along her clit in just the way she knew she liked. Moisture coated her fingers as she stroked up and down.

Zuko moved from one breast to the other. His cock throbbed as his own desire raged. Finally, he tore himself away from her chest.

"Katara, I'm so hard already. Would you rather use your hands or your mouth on me?"

"Mouth," she said with a sly grin, watching his eyes go wide.

She pushed him out of his pants and boots, then onto his back. His large cock strained insistently toward her. She kissed down his chiseled chest and stomach, reaching his thighs and the soft black curled hair between his spread legs.

She pressed a kiss to the head of his cock before parting her lips and, slowly at first, taking it into her mouth, sucking lightly. He convulsed, groaning involuntarily with the pleasure of being encompassed by her soft, wet, hot mouth. Then, she swirled her tongue around the head of his penis, flicking it across the sensitive tip.

She began to move faster, bobbing and sucking and swirling until he was almost drowning in lust and devotion and primal need. Heat pooled in his stomach, so intense it felt like his blood was on fire and every lick pushed him closer to an edge that he didn't want to reach just yet.

"W-waterbender," he stuttered. "S-stop, or I'll come."

Slowly Katara pulled off of his cock, sucking as she went. Looking up at him with her cheeks flushed and her hair mussed, she bit her swollen lips and smiled wantonly—and that alone nearly drove him over.

With mischief in her eyes, she casually picked up a strand from one of her sarashi wraps, lying on the ground. In a low voice she said, "Would you rather tie my hands or my ankles?"

Oh.

Zuko's mind went blank. Short-circuited. Cannot compute. His mouth went dry. He stared at her with a dumbfounded expression until she began to blush.

"Unless, you don't want—"

"Yes," he croaked, interrupting her.

"Which is it, then?" Her heartbeat skittered.

"Hands." Zuko's pulse was beating in his ears as she handed him the fabric.

Still kneeling, Katara obediently turned around and held her hands out together behind her back. Zuko swallowed. Scrambling to his knees, he wound the wraps firmly around her wrists. He tugged them for good measure, then tied a knot.

"It's not too tight, is it?" He traced a finger over her skin, starting at her wrist and moving up the curve of her arm to her shoulder, then to her waist and along the curve of her hip.

"Nope." She leaned back against him, twisting her head so she could kiss him over her shoulder.

He kissed her from behind, thrusting his tongue possessively into her mouth. Both his hands now roamed freely over her body. He squeezed her breast roughly and she groaned into his mouth. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought… but then, Katara was always surprising him in new and exciting ways. If this was what she wanted, he was more than happy to play along; in fact, he would delight in it.

Katara quivered under his touch. Being bound, putting herself at his mercy, reminded her of when she'd first kissed him on his ship and he'd pushed her up against the wall, all scorching need and furious desire. Now, as then, she felt incredibly turned on giving up control to him, like he could do whatever he wanted to her. There was something about relinquishing power to another person, knowing they wanted you and giving yourself to them fully, that was terribly arousing.

Still behind her, he kissed her shoulders and neck, opening his mouth to lick and suck her skin, nipping sporadically. One of his hands snaked around her midsection proprietarily, hauling her closer against him until she could feel his erection jutting into her lower back. His other hand slid up her thigh, tickling butterfly-soft against the sensitive skin there. Katara's breath hitched and she released a small whine in the back of her throat.

Her body moved forward a little on its own, and when Zuko forcefully pulled her back against him, her stomach fluttered wildly.

He murmured, "Is this what you wanted, waterbender? Just tell me if it's too much."

It was all she could do to gasp, "Yes, yes, this is what I want."

Her words sent a bolt of lust straight to his cock. The firelight highlighted every indentation of muscle and smooth curve of her body. He took it all in, the sight of her on her knees with her hands tied behind her back, breasts jutting out. She was stunning, and right now she was all his to enjoy. More than that, she wanted him to have his way with her. It ignited something primitive, deep inside him.

He slid his hand back up to her breast and rolled her nipple between his fingers, pinching it lightly. Then, a little harder. Katara moaned and let her head fall back onto his shoulder.

With his other hand, he caressed her inner thigh tantalizingly, coyly, until she found herself squirming, trying to encourage him to move his fingers just a little further up. She could feel her arousal gushing now, and her passage throbbed, craving him.

Zuko swished a finger lazily across her clit, then took his hand away. She groaned in protest.

"Uh-uh. We're still playing the game," he paused, grinding up against her just a little. His hand returned to her thigh, tracing teasing circles. "You want me to take you, don't you?"

Excitement caught in her throat, Katara could only nod wordlessly.

"Well, you'll have to wait, since I seem to be in charge here. But I'll give you one choice. Would you rather I pay attention to your breasts or your clit right now?"

She said breathlessly, "My clit."

"Should I make you beg me?" Zuko fluttered his fingers on her thigh for effect.

"Please, please, Zuko."

He could feel the way her entire body thrummed with arousal. She was enjoying this. So was he.

"Beg me again," he commanded.

"Ahh, Zuko, I'm begging you, please."

"Good," he whispered in her ear, his warm breath sending shudders all the way down her spine. With that he brought his fingers back to her clit and began stroking gently, slowly, excruciatingly. Her body responded automatically, rocking back and forth.

Zuko pushed her knees further apart and repositioned himself behind her so the head of his cock grazed against her entrance. Needing him desperately, she tried to bear down on him, but he leaned his hips backward, moving his cock just out of reach.

"Not yet. First, I'm going to touch you however I want. Since you begged me so nicely for it. And then I'm going to take you, how and when I want to."

Katara shuddered with exhilaration at his words and ground her body back against him again.

Then, his fingers began moving faster and faster along her clit, building a familiar feeling of tension deep in her abdomen, forcing a needy whimper from her lips.

Her body wanted to lurch forward with the sensations, but Zuko held her firmly upright on her knees with his free hand encircling her collarbone, pressing her into him, not choking her but in full control. He kissed her jawline and neck greedily from behind.

She could feel his cock probing from behind her, just outside her entrance. Every nerve in her body screamed that she needed to feel him inside her, but every time she tried to impale herself on him, he would twist just out of reach. The sweet torture was driving her mad.

"I love making you like this," Zuko growled. "So beautiful. So perfect for me. I'm going to fuck you so hard, waterbender."

At his words, he yanked her into the right position and plunged his cock into her abruptly, making her feel ravished. She moaned in her throat, the friction rubbing exquisitely against all the places deep inside her that had been crying out for him. He held her body against his with unyielding strength as he took her. She felt him deeper and deeper with every push.

In only a few thrusts, Katara could feel that the pressure was about to snap. On the precipice of her climax, she arched her back and drove herself onto him harder.

"Say my name," he ordered, his voice low and husky. "When you come for me."

"How…" she panted, barely able to get out the words, "do you always know how to make me feel, so ah—incredible? Aahh, oh, Zuko! Zuko!"

Then she could speak no more. The tension exploded, shuddering paroxysms detonating throughout her body. She cried out in pleasure, louder and louder the harder Zuko delved into her. Each thrust heightened the vibrations until she could barely stand it. Her passage clenched and pulsated around Zuko's cock as her orgasm raged through her body.

Zuko felt his own climax coming. It was too much, her quivering and throbbing around his cock as he took her from behind, her hands tied, moaning like that, calling out his name and setting his blood on fire. An animalistic hunger overtook him.

He pulled her onto him again and again, sinking his cock in voraciously, reveling in the feel of her. Burning hot pleasure flooded through him and his arms tightened around her, needing more of her, needing to feel her with every inch of his body, as the waves of pleasure washed over him. His groans joined hers and his vision seemed to white out, his body suddenly no longer under his control as he began to shake with his orgasm.

They rode out the sensations together until they were both trembling and spent.

It took a moment for Katara to come back to herself. She leaned her head against his shoulder, unable to hold herself upright anymore. Zuko lazily moved her sweaty hair off her neck and kissed her there tenderly.

Katara sighed and closed her eyes, resting in the moment.

"I guess I better let you loose now," Zuko chuckled in her ear, before working at the knot around her wrists with his fingers.

"Mmm. That was so good," Katara mumbled.

"I didn't know you liked that kind of thing."

"I didn't either. I've never done it before. Well, until you pushed me up against the wall…" she blushed at the admission.

"You know, we could have had a lot more fun when I had you tied to that tree." He nipped her earlobe playfully, now carefully unwinding the wraps.

When her wrists were free, Katara stretched her arms in front of her. Even after orgasming only a few minutes ago, her stomach did a little flip at his words. There was a lot more fun to be had. Still…

"I don't know about that. I really hated you then, you know."

"I know," he said, serious now. Involuntarily, Zuko clutched her closer to him. "And now?"

Katara twisted around to look him in the eye. Her blue eyes glowed luminous in the light of the campfire.

"I certainly don't hate you now." She kissed him softly and he felt like he was falling apart. "Although I feel like maybe you've possessed me, or something. It's pretty intense, whatever this is. Isn't it?"

"It is. I've never… had anything like it. Felt anything like it. With anyone." His eyes bored into hers, the very picture of passion. And it's not just the sex, he thought.

"Me neither." She wanted to blush and look away, but she made herself hold his intense gaze.

The moment lingered. Things unsaid—feelings unsaid—swooped just within reach. Any second now, someone would say something that couldn't be taken back.

Then Katara giggled nervously, shattering the charged silence. The words unsaid scattered into the wind.

O – O – O – O – O – O

Soon after, they snuggled in their sleeping bags in the tent (whose size now felt just right).

As he held her, thoughts turned through Zuko's mind. He felt content and filled with the joy of her. Nothing had ever felt so right as holding her in his arms.

No one has ever made me feel like this in my life. When she smiles at me, when I make her laugh, my heart feels… well, like maybe things could be okay. Like I didn't lose my honor, my place, my family, my father's respect. If only I could get my honor back. I wouldn't be a disappointment. Maybe I could make someone happy—make her happy. I want to make her happy. I wonder, could I bring her home with me? A waterbender. Would father ever accept her? Would she even want to go?

No. She wouldn't. Of course not, don't have foolish fantasies. It doesn't matter anyway. I don't have my honor, I can't go back. And she wouldn't go with me, even if I did. It's one thing that she enjoys having sex with me, maybe even enjoys my company despite herself. But what I'm thinking now… it's a whole other thing. She wouldn't want that with me. She said it herself, she hated me before and she's only confused now. She wouldn't go with me. She'll stay with the Avatar. The Avatar. If I only had him, I'd have my honor back. I'd be able to do anything, then. And what is her relationship with him, anyway? She said I'm not her first. Was it him?

Katara, too, was lost in her thoughts.

I can't believe this is the same Zuko who used to hunt us down and be so mean all the time. He's changed so much. I wonder if I could convince him to stay with me after we get to Ba Sing Se. Oh, but how would I tell my friends? Sokka would freak out. How could I make them accept him? Trust him? But if they did… And he could even teach Aang firebending! Oh no… Aang. He'll be devastated, he won't understand. But he's only sixteen, he's infatuated with me now but it will pass. It has to. I don't want to hurt him, never… but I can't give up Zuko, just to save Aang's feelings. What about my feelings? My feelings… And if they all see how he's changed, it'll be fine, I'll make sure it's fine.

If he would just stay.

Katara drew her fingertips over his skin in the darkness, up his arm and shoulder, then along his jawline. Gently, she followed the jawline to his scarred flesh and over the thin skin of the old burn.

Self-conscious, Zuko caught her hand in his, intertwining their fingers and moving her hand away.

"What happened? Is it okay if I ask?" she said softly.

Zuko's arm tightened around her and he was silent for so long that Katara didn't think he was going to answer.

Then, "My father. It was my fault."

"What? Was it an accident?"

"It wasn't."

"What happened?"

"I—don't want to say. You'll think less of me."

"It feels like every time I learn something new about you, I think only more of you. Somehow, I don't think this will be any different." Katara squeezed his hand reassuringly.

"Fine." Zuko swallowed, difficult emotions rising in his throat. "I deserved it. It was when I lost my honor. I interrupted a general in a war meeting. I disrespected my father, speaking out of turn in his war room. Then I… this is embarrassing, Katara. I was to fight an Agni Kai in punishment. But I didn't know it was my father I'd be fighting. I refused to fight him, I… I begged him. For mercy. I was a coward. Shameful. So he marked my face and took my honor to teach me a lesson."

Zuko wrested his hand from Katara's and twisted away, filled with humiliation. He felt sick. He was sure she would recoil from him now, disgusted with his cowardice.

"Oh my..." Katara breathed, horrified. She fell silent as his words sank in. "Zuko, that's horrible!"

"I told you you'd think less of me."

"I do not!"

"You don't?"

"No! How dare your father, your own father—" Katara shook with indignant anger. "How could he do that to you? How old were you?"

"Fifteen."

"Fifteen! You were only fifteen and your father—the Fire Lord—tried to duel you, his own son? To teach you not to speak out of turn in a meeting?! He burned you. On purpose. That is so awful, Zuko. You didn't deserve that. No one deserves that!"

Katara reached out to touch his arm, but Zuko jerked away.

"Don't say that. I did deserve it. I dishonored him, then I brought shame to our family with my cowardice. He was right to strip me of my honor."

"What do you mean he was right? What could you possibly have said in the war meeting that was so terrible?"

"I—I said that we shouldn't send a troop of inexperienced soldiers to the slaughter as a distraction tactic. But it isn't about what I said. It wasn't my place to say anything. And it is my shameful actions—my disrespect, my weakness, my disgraceful pathetic begging—that deserve to be punished."

Katara felt like the world was turning as she vibrated with righteous fury. His story made her want to burn down the whole Fire Nation—even more than she usually did.

Weeks ago when she'd been awoken by Zuko's nightmare, she had wondered what it must have been like to have the Fire Lord as a father. The Fire Lord, who was known throughout the world for being sadistic and cruel. Now, it was becoming all too clear. As Zuko sat beside her now, tense and curled into himself, she could see the legacy it had left. The person who was supposed to love and protect him when he was a child was the one who hurt him. The one who made him beg for mercy, and still didn't grant it. And after a lifetime of being treated that way, Zuko actually believed he deserved it.

"And then he banished you, on top of it."

"Yes. I can only get my honor back if I capture the Avatar for the Fire Nation. That's the only way I can redeem myself. The only way I can go home. That's why I hunted you and your friends."

"Zuko." She reached out to him again. She wished she could take him in her arms and smooth away all of this pain, all of the loneliness and despair, all of the feeling like he was a disgrace, despised by his father. She felt like she understood him so much more now, and it broke her heart to think of what he'd been through.

She thought it was amazing—a true testament to his character—that after everything, he still had any piece of his kind heart, his softness, left. No wonder he'd tried to deny it and hide it away, even kill it. It was survival.

"Don't touch me."

"You know what I think?"

"No."

"I think your father is wrong. I think that it's wicked to put your own child through that. I don't see weakness, I see compassion. I see a young man who didn't want to fight his own father. I see a grown man, a father, who was appallingly cruel. And I don't think that you ever lost your honor. I think you showed more honor than him and the rest of his shitty war room generals combined. I don't think your father could take it away from you, no matter what he told you."

"Well, he did take it." Zuko snarled, his internalized shame and self-loathing not allowing him to accept her words. Even all these years later, the memory was still raw.

She moved closer to him, "Zuko…"

"I don't need your pity."

"It's not pity. Please. Don't push me away. I—care about you. I really, really do."

He wanted to believe her; he so desperately wanted to believe everything that she said. But years of hurt, neglect, and abuse at the hands of his father could not be washed away so easily. He had to believe that if he just tried hard enough, if he just did the right things and proved himself, he could still win back his father's love and approval. He just had to.

Still, as she moved closer this time, he allowed her to touch him. Carefully, Katara wove her arms around him from behind, sliding one hand through his arm and wrapping it around his chest. His body was tense, and she could feel his heart beating forcefully through his skin.

For the first time, Zuko allowed himself to be comforted about that fateful day. Katara could feel his shoulders shaking as he grieved for what had been lost and for the want of somewhere to belong. For the want of feeling worthy and loved for who he was.

She snuggled closer and burrowed her face into the back of his neck, simply holding him until he finally relaxed and they both drifted to sleep.