A/N: I'm honestly shocked at the reception that this story is getting, and I'm so so thankful, really! Thank you for all your kind reviews!
This wasn't supposed to be much but since people seem to be enjoying it, I'll try to turn it into something, eh?
Katara blinked. She felt the world go blurry before her, brain swelling with a fury of emotions. She didn't know what to think, how to feel, what to do.
You're going to have to marry me
She blinked again. Marry Zuko? Become the Fire Lady, live in the palace in the place that she once hated with every ounce of her being? Help Zuko run the Fire Nation? Did they Fire Lady even do that, did they have any say in what happened?
She would have to give up her Water Tribe customs in place of those that were Fire Nation.
The Water Tribe, her home. Her dad, Sokka, Gran Gran. To just pick up her life and move to some strange land? Was it really the only way?
"Katara, I…"
She glanced up, and found her own eyes bleeding into Zuko's pleading irises. He looked just as confused and conflicted as she did. It eased her woes slightly, but it did not quench them.
"Zuko, I don't know, that's asking a lot and I-"
"You don't think you asking me to be a father isn't asking for a lot?!"
"I know it is!" she snapped, now glaring at him. She could tell he instantly regretted his outburst, but she kept going.
"I just, I'm so unsure. I have to root up my whole life, and Aang and Mai, and…"
Her family. Her father, oh La her father. What would her father say if he knew she'd become the Fire Lady because she was bearing the new prince or princess of the Fire Nation? And Sokka...Sokka had no control over her, but his overprotective big brotherness could be a bit more than annoying in some instances.
It was good he wasn't a firebender himself, or else Sokka would probably burn the entire palace to the ground when he found out.
Oh, gods. What had they done?
"I know Katara, and I'm sorry but…"
He didn't know what to say. And she couldn't blame him. She was at a loss for words herself.
After another long silence, she felt Zuko rub her shoulder, smiling gently.
"C'mon, let's go have dinner I'm sure you and...you, you must be starving."
break
Dinner, as he expected, quite a few levels above "tense". At least for Zuko. His guests seemed to be enjoying their reunion, laughing and chatting and whatnot.
Well, all but one of them.
The only thing that could've made the situation more difficult was if Mai had been there, but she was on her way back from Omashu. She was scheduled to be back the day after tomorrow.
Or perhaps she could just never come back. Hmm.
Zuko inwardly shook his head. No, he cared for Mai, he really did. But he knew that his soon to be ex was completely in love with him, he just knew.
Or well he thought he did. Women and their feelings wasn't exactly a realm of knowledge that Zuko fully understood. And with Mai being so monotone most of the time, it was that much harder to tell exactly what she was thinking and feeling without her explicitly saying so.
He didn't know whose reaction he dreaded more. Would it be Aang's or Mai's? Or perhaps the wrath of Chief Hakoda? Maybe Sokka's overprotectiveness heating up into a blazing fury when he finds out the Fire Lord knocked up his baby sister?
It was going to be a show. That was the only thing that was clear.
Zuko thought the should've just gotten it over with, but Katara wanted to wait until morning. Or something. But from seeing how the Avatar clung to the girl with that goofy smile painted across his face, it was easy to see why.
Aang was completely infatuated with her. And he was going to lose her come tomorrow.
Seeing Aang's arm flung around Katara stirred something within him, but he played it off as nerves for the upcoming revelations.
Yeah, right.
"So, how have you and Aang been doing, Katara?" Suki asked.
Zuko choked on his rice. Katara froze. Sokka glanced between them, a suspicious tint to his eyes.
Aang, however, was completely oblivious. Of course.
"Great, actually! I've been with her at the South Pole, and I mean I'd prefer to be travelling, but I understand that Katara has missed her family, so I've just been helping rebuild the village. Right Katara?"
She nodded weakly. Zuko tasted copper in his mouth.
"Actually...I've been thinking of us ge-"
"I have to use the bathroom!" Katara proclaimed, louder than need be as she jolted out of her chair and rushed out of the room.
Aang scratched his head. Toph let out a howling laugh, leading for Zuko to glare pointlessly at the blind girl.
"What?"
"Oh nothing, Sparky. But Aang, have you done the did with your girlfriend yet?"
The meat Sokka was aggressively chewing at fell from between his teeth. Suki blushed, but Zuko burned.
"What do you mean, Toph?"
Even Toph seemed confused at his statement, for she too was surprised at how innocent the monk was. But the earthbender would fix that, of course.
"Y'know, have you stuck it in her yet? Was it any good?"
"Toph!" Sokka cried, his face a mix of anger and disgust, "shut the hell up, he obviously hasn't, have you Aang?
"For the love of La please say no." Zuko barely heard him finish under his breath.
"I don't even know what you guys are talking about!"
Damn. The kid was dense. But if he was that dense, then maybe he wouldn't know…"
"Seriously, Aang? You do know how babies are made, don't you?"
"Well yeah!...Oh."
Fuck.
The Avatar blushed, sinking lower into his seat.
"No, we haven't Toph." he muttered sheepishly.
Sokka groaned in relief, but Toph only furrowed her eyebrows. Zuko gulped, but when the wave of realization hit him, he wanted to smash every plate on the table against his head. Save maybe a few that he could throw at the blind girl...
Of course Toph would be suspicious, with her Agni damn earthbending voodoo feely power magic. If the...her...their baby was far enough along, she'd be able to feel the heartbeat. Or well, he assumed so.
Unless she was asking because she honestly thought the monk had slept with Katara.
Just the thought of Aang and Katara doing what they had did that one night put a bad taste in Zuko's mouth. He shook his head. It was just the stress. But why wouldn't he be stressed? He was put into a situation where he was forced to marry Katara, for Agni's sake! Who wouldn't be upset about a forced marriage?
The idea of Katara becoming his wife however, didn't bother Zuko nearly as much he thought it should've.
Fuck.
Muttering a goodbye, Zuko rose from the table and left the room.
break
Katara gasped, shooting upright in her guest bed. She clutched at the silky fabric, cold sweat beading down her neck.
Breathe
Breathe breathe breathe
She was here, in the Fire Nation Palace, in her guest room. Not at the Southern Air Temple. She was safe. Aang was safe, they were all safe.
But was Aang really safe from himself?
That day, that day so long ago that it seemed like it'd been centuries since then, where Aang had flung himself into the Avatar state over the loss of his people. It was understandable, of course. Katara never blamed him for doing so. Yet, it was still shocking, and more than shocking it was frightening. It really was. At the time, she had no idea what was going on; but it wasn't her own safety she feared for. It was his.
And now, knowing that she was going to have to break his heart in less than 24 hours, it was again his safety that she feared for. As much as Aang was a monk, he was still a kid, especially when it came to Katara.
He'd told her how he'd been in love with her since the day she'd freed him from the iceberg. To this day, he still told her the same thing, how she was the only girl for him.
But he would understand, right? It's not like she'd cheated on him, right? And Toph would know that she wasn't lying, she would set him straight.
But he'd be able to handle it. He was the Avatar, he had to understand. He had to know it was the only way to keep balance in the Fire Nation. The heir to the throne was her child, and she couldn't make a bastard of her child. It's not what she wanted, and it's definitely not what Zuko wanted for his first born.
His child. His first born. The thought of such still made Katara lightheaded.
She sighed. She definitely wasn't getting back to sleep now. And well, if she had to suffer through the night in such a state, she could think of another person who should be doing the same. They were going to be wed soon, they had to push through such issues together.
The thought of this however, made Katara stumble over her feet as she made her way to the door. It was still so odd, too odd.
Not...bad. But odd. It was definitely odd.
As she swung the door open however, she yelped when a pair of golden eyes met hers, glowing in the darkness of room.
Zuko shushed her, grimacing.
"Sorry I didn't...I wasn't trying to scare you or anything."
"Then why are you just standing outside my door?"
He huffed. He eyed over her head, lips stuck in a firm line.
Oh. He wanted to come in.
She moved to the side, allowing him to stride into the room and seat himself on the edge of the bed. Katara did the same.
"I wasn't just standing there for shits," he muttered. "I was coming to see you. I, I can't-"
"Sleep," she finished, "and you figured I couldn't either."
He nodded slightly, offering her a weak smile.
After a minute, she sighed.
"It's all...it's so strange, to think that I'm going to marry you."
"Yeah."
"All because of that one night…"
"Yeah."
Something about the flat tone in his voice made her stomach flip. He sounded so...sad about it. Like...like…
Tears threatened her eyes, but she was too tired and too drained to stop them. She let them flow.
Zuko widened his own eyes, shocked at her sudden sadness. She tried to muster words through her sobs.
"I...you, you re-regret it, don't you?"
"Regret what, Katara?"
"That night!" she wailed, burying her head in her hands, "you must hate me for, for doing that with you and now your life is ruined because of me and oh Yue, it's all my fault it's all my-"
"I don't regret that night, Katara. Not at all."
The girl sniffed, as a small bout of fury mixed with her misery. He was lying, of course, trying to sooth her hysteric crying. Of course.
"It was...it was probably the best night of my life Katara."
He said it so softly that if she'd still been sniffling through his words, she wouldn't have heard him.
But she wasn't. And she heard every word.
Without warning, it was Zuko who tugged her into him, nestling his face into her hair, rubbing her back. Her tears eventually slowed to a stop as she snuggled further into his warm neck. Warm, it was so warm, it was-
Warm hands on her shoulders, her hips, scraping across her back
She stilled, pulling back slightly.
"Zuko, we shouldn't, we…"
But he only pulled her further up the bed with him, still cradling her in his arms.
"We're going to be married, Katara. I think it's okay."
"But Aang, and Mai, and-"
"Please."
She heard it in his voice, the desperation, the need. It made her curious, yet she couldn't find a reason to question him.
"At least until you fall asleep."
She nodded into him, sliding under the covers. He was so warm, so warm. His arms so strong, his chest so firm.
It wasn't like Aang. Aang was lean and lanky, and felt like that of what he was: a child.
Zuko, however, was much different. She could bury herself into him, completely enclosed in his strength and heat. It was quite...pleasurable.
As she began to drift back to sleep, she tried to think of a reason as to why this was wrong; that she should be wishing it was Aang she was falling asleep with. That it was Aang who should be dancing his fingers across her back, who should be pressing his lips lightly against her temple. Trying to think of reasons why her brain should be screaming at her for betraying Aang, the boy who loved her with all that he had.
She couldn't think of a reason.