A/N: Hello ladies and gentlemen! We're continuing the descent into the deep end with yet another...intense chapter, to say the least. Before that though, I want to tell you guys that you all rock for reviewing and adding this story to your alerts. They really give me motivation to keep things going!
There IS graphic content in this chapter. If you are offended by, or would rather just not read it, I have inserted warnings at the beginning and end of said content. Granted it will make the chapter shorter but...
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar.
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Chapter 3: Steam
Zuko heard her sobs long before her tent came into view.
His heart broke for her; he knew exactly what it felt like to lose a loved one. It felt like your world was going to end, like nothing mattered anymore. You would eventually start down a long, dark path that led to questioning what your purpose in the world was.
And he refused to let her fall that far.
He quietly pulled open the flap to her tent and poked his head in and caught sight of the bender. She looked absolutely broken…defeated. She lay on her sleeping mat, face down with her head on her arms, dry tears evidence to her pain.
"Katara," he whispered, trying not to startle her.
She gave no indication that she had heard him so he continued.
"Katara are you…alright?" he finished lamely, immediately wishing he could take back the question, "I-I mean…is there anything I can do for you? Do…you need anything?"
Still nothing.
With a sigh Zuko entered the tent and took a seat next to the prone girl. Her weeping had quieted, but hadn't lessened in intensity as her entire body was still wracked with dry sobs.
"Katara," Zuko began trying desperately to figure out what to say to the distraught bender, "I…well, there…dammit, how did Uncle do this?" The last was said in a frustrated whisper. He didn't want to leave her alone while she was dying of a broken heart, but he just wasn't as eloquent with comforting others as his uncle was.
'Just speak from your heart Zuko. Do not force things and do not try and make her get over her pain. Time heals all wounds. Some just take a little longer than others to do so.'
Another sigh escaped his lips and Zuko put his face in his hands. After a few moments of silence, he spoke, "Listen Katara. I can't make you feel better about losing A—" he stopped quickly, not sure whether to say Aang's name or not, but decided not to sugar coat anything (that's the way he would have wanted it anyway), "about losing Aang. I just…I want you to know that you're not alone, okay? You're not alone in this…in losing someone that you loved."
Suddenly, Katara stopped shaking and slowly raised her head to look at him through tear filled eyes, "Y-your mother." It wasn't a question, just an acknowledgement.
Zuko nodded and tentatively reached a hand out to wipe away the tear tracks running down her face, "Yeah. Katara I know that you've been through a lot, Agni I'm ashamed to admit I've been the cause of most of it, but you're strong. You're one of the strongest people I know. Stronger than that psychotic sister of mine, stronger than your brother, than your father, stronger than me!"
His heart leapt a little as a tiny snort of laughter escaped her throat. She slapped a hand over her mouth quickly and looked away from Zuko, shame clouding her face.
"Hey," he whispered, gently taking her chin in his hand and turning her to face him, "it isn't wrong to laugh Katara. What's wrong is stopping yourself from feeling, from living." He caressed her face softly; a pleased flush running through him as she leaned into is hand.
"I know. I…I just think that," she hesitated and brought her own hand to Zuko's, holding it in place as she sat up, "that it's disrespectful, you know? I mean he's only been gone for a little over a week. Aang…" she choked back a sob and squeezed his hand tighter, desperately looking for some kind of comfort.
Zuko responded immediately, pulling her into his arms and holding her close. She tucked her head into the crook of his neck and cried, the gut-wrenching sobs returning in full force as she clung to him desperately. He lightly rested his chin on her head and began to tenderly stroke her hair, softly whispering in her ear.
"It's alright Katara, just let it out. Shh, just let it go."
"He…he was so young Zuko! He was just a boy a-and he didn't deserve to die! Was it his fault that he was born to be the Avatar? Was it?" She was whispering but her voice was cracking in hysterics.
"No…no he definitely didn't deserve to die. He shouldn't have died; he shouldn't have been forced into that fight in the first place. If only I hadn't let my guard down and gotten so confident…I let Azula kill him! I-it was my fault! I'm the reason Aang is dead." By the time he'd finished speaking, Zuko's voice was little more than a whisper laced with remorse, "And I left Uncle. I managed to lose the only family that loves me and kill the Avatar in the same day…I'm a monster."
There was a resounding SMACK as Katara's hand met Zuko's cheek, the raw fury obvious as her eyes blazed blue and for a moment he was afraid she was going to start bending fire.
"Don't you dare say that Zuko! Don't you dare! Aang's death was no one's fault but Azula's! She took advantage of all the chaos around us, she was the one who was trying to get him, and she was the one who shot him with lightning! Not you! And your uncle did what he did for you Zuko. He did it so that we could escape alive and give Aang—" she stopped again, taking a deep breath to try and calm herself, "to give Aang a proper burial and not be paraded around like some trophy by the Fire Nation!"
She grabbed him closer, her hands going around his shoulders and tucking her head into his chest, "You have to be the strong one right now Zuko…please. You need to be strong…for me!"
And despite the tears that were falling down his face, despite the slight sting on his cheek from where she'd slapped him, he knew then and there that he loved her. And he would be strong for her because she needed him.
"Always Katara. I'll always be there for you. I-I…" he stopped, his heart now pounding as he realized what he'd almost said. He couldn't do that to her now, not when her emotions were convoluted with Aang's death and the loss of the war being only a matter of time.
"You what, Zuko?" Katara had come out from the comfort of his chest and was looking at him intently, a kind of desperation in her eyes, "What were you going to say?"
He shook his head, "Nothing…it's nothing Katara I—"
But she had grabbed his collar and pulled him down to meet her imploring gaze, "Please Zuko, please just tell me! I-I have to know…please!"
With her pleading eyes and the near agony in her voice, Zuko caved. 'Anything to keep her happy.'
"Katara…I-I…" it was so much harder to say outside of his mind but the tears streaking down Katara's face spurred him on, "I l-love you Katara."
He lowered his head as soon as he spoke, sure that he would be met with only rejection and disgust.
What he didn't expect was to feel soft hands on his face, or to look into wide blue eyes that were filled with hope and longing.
And he definitely never expected to feel her soft lips on his in a heated kiss.
He lost himself in the pleasure of the kiss; all of the emotions running through his body were enough to give him an almost euphoric high. He had never felt this way in his life. There was no possible way to describe the kiss other than perfect.
'No,' his conscious growled, 'she's just looking for an outlet. She doesn't really want this she just thinks that she does. You have to stop this before something bad happens and she winds up hating you forever!'
Reluctantly, Zuko pulled away from Katara and held her at arms length, "Katara…w-we can't do this. Not right now. You're confused and you don't really want this, you just…you'll just wind up hating me later."
She shook her head in denial, sending her long brown hair flying back and forth, "You're wrong Zuko; I do want this! I've wanted to kiss you since you first stepped off of that Fire Nation ship back in the North Pole. I've been slowly falling for you since you first started chasing us."
Zuko's eyes shot open in surprise at the revelation, stunned into silence. Katara could only offer him a tentative smile, a small blush crossing over her face.
"Y-y-you…like…since…me?" He couldn't put together a coherent sentence but she nodded in confirmation all the same. Nothing seemed to be making any sense anymore. So he did the only thing that did, to him at least.
He kissed her.
Hard.
(WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT AHEAD)
And Katara didn't hesitate to respond. She kissed him back with equal fervor, her hands going into his hair and tugging greedily. Her tongue met his lips briefly before he reciprocated, both of them clashing hungrily.
Zuko ran his hands across her back before finding the hem of her Water Tribe garment. Quickly he snaked his hands up and under and felt her cool, smooth flesh against his own. His heart started to pound as he continued to move up higher and higher, over her toned stomach and wrappings before pausing just below her breasts.
He pulled back and looked deep into her lust filled eyes, "Katara are you su—"
He was silenced by another searing kiss, the waterbender's hands grasping his own and pressing them into her chest, eliciting an excited moan from the girl.
"Zuko!" she gasped against his mouth, moving her hands to his shirt and lifting it over his head, revealing his muscled stomach and chest. Now exposed, she started trailing kisses down his neck all the way to his stomach.
Zuko, not to be outdone, swiftly removed Katara's tunic leaving her upper body covered only by her wrappings. He stopped Katara's roaming mouth and returned the favor, though taking more time at her neck, successfully finding a sensitive spot there. His hands still moved lightly over her body; breasts, stomach, and arms.
His mouth made it to her shoulders, the skin underneath flushing with goose bumps at the contact, before he moved down even further only to be met with the rough material of her wraps.
Katara let out a frustrated groan; her hands tangled in his hair as she growled, "Just take them off! Agni Zuko, take them off!"
He didn't need to be told twice.
Deftly, he removed the wraps, exposing Katara from the waist up. Not wasting any time, he immediately picked up where he had left off, moving down to her breasts, cupping one with his free hand and moving his mouth over the other. He kneaded and kissed them, playing with her small taut peaks while gently laying her down.
Her hands made their way to the waistband of his pants, finding the buckle of his belt and undoing it. One small, delicate hand snuck into his pants, finding his stiff member easily.
Now it was Zuko's turn to groan in pleasure as she held him in her hand.
"Katara!"
His husky, guttural voice sent shivers down her spine and she gripped his erection firmly, now beginning to stroke him slowly in response.
All coherent thought left Zuko as Katara continued her ministrations. "Oh Katara! Ah!" He could feel himself coming closer and closer to losing it, and he didn't want this to be over already.
He reached down and grabbed her hand, stopping her. At her questioning gaze, he simply replied, "My turn."
He proceeded to yank off her skirt and wrappings, leaving her completely naked. He kissed down her stomach and to her navel before slowly moving lower and lower until he found her womanhood. As soon as his tongue met her silky folds, her back arched as she moaned in ecstasy.
"Zuko! Oh, oh oh!" Her hips started to buck against his mouth, slowly at first before going faster and faster. She tugged at his head, desperately trying to get him even closer to her than he already was, before she tensed, locking up and yanking at his hair, "ZUKO!"
When she came down from the euphoria, she pulled him up to her mouth and kissed him hungrily. "I want you…I need you! Now!"
Zuko nodded, shedding his pants as fast as he could, finally naked himself, before he lay down between her long, brown legs inches separating her from him. He caught her eyes; they were begging him to.
So he complied.
If he had thought the sensation of kissing her was incredible, if he had sworn the feel of her hand on his member left him unable to think, it was nothing compared to the feel of being inside Katara, being one with her.
Both of their breaths caught in their throats and they stayed at the initial point of contact for what seemed like forever, eyes closed in pure ecstasy.
Zuko opened his eyes and was met by Katara's soft blue ones, "I love you Katara." He leaned down slowly, not yet wanting to disturb the pleasure between his legs, and kissed her tenderly.
When he pulled away, Katara responded, "And I love you Zuko."
And then Zuko, slowly but steadily, began to move back and forth conscious of Katara's innocence.
"J-just go Zuko, do it! I can take a little pain." She urged, clenching her fists in anticipation.
"Okay. It'll only hurt for a little bit Katara, I promise."
And with one sharp thrust and gasp from, Zuko and Katara respectively, it was over.
"Give me a second, please." Katara asked with a whimper, trying to regain her composure. With a deep breath, she nodded, "Okay, I'm ready."
Zuko started up a steady rhythm again, this time going deeper now that there was no obstacle.
"Zuko…Zuko, oh," Katara moaned, his name coming out as half a whisper and half a shout.
Knowing that it would be bad to wake the others camped around them Zuko silenced her with a passionate kiss while at the same time increasing his pace.
Faster and faster they went and before he knew it, Katara was matching him on every thrust, meeting him halfway. Everything intensified for both as they continued kissing. Katara was moaning louder and louder into his mouth, the feel of those vibrations sending his head spinning.
Closer now, they picked up speed until they were at a frenzied pace. Zuko could feel himself about to finish and, if the tightening of Katara's body was any indication, so was she.
They couldn't keep their lips locked any more, things felt so desperate. Their panting grew louder and faster, Katara's moans barely held in check. Zuko was pushing his endurance to the limit; he could feel his arms crying out in protest at having to hold his body up for so long in order not to crush Katara.
And then…bliss.
"ZUKO!"
"KATARA!"
(END GRAPHIC CONTENT)
He collapsed over her, making sure that he didn't hurt the waterbender, and laid his head in the crook of her neck breathing deeply and trying to slow his pounding heart.
Katara herself was in much the same condition, though she didn't have to find a place to rest her head. Zuko's breath tickled her neck and she absentmindedly ran her hands through his hair.
Finally catching his breath, Zuko rolled to the side and off Katara. He immediately missed the warmth of her body and hurriedly gathered her into his arms, pulling her into his chest. He smiled as she snuggled into him trying to find a comfortable position. She settled with a soft, satisfied sigh.
Zuko pulled her blanket over the both of them before wrapping his arms securely around her once again. There was a brief moment of silence before he heard her murmur softly.
"I love you."
Another smile crossed his face as he pulled her closer, "And I love you."
And not two minutes later, both were asleep in each other's arms.
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A/N: There you go folks! If you think things were just a tad rushed with Zuko and Katara (insert sarcasm if desired) I can see where you're coming from. However, think on this: people who are emotionally distraught have a tendency to act on their emotions impulsively rather than thinking things through. I'm not saying that what Zuko and Katara have is just a matter of situational opportunity, but the fact that the emotions have been repressed and are now being coupled with the death of Aang and the loss/capture of Iroh, make them rather eager to seek comfort, in this case intimate comfort, with the other.
Having said that, I can understand if the content of this chapter offended you. I don't want to lose any one of you guys to something as trivial as a piece of detailed fiction, but I can't say that I'm sorry for taking this story in the direction I am. I love all of you guys and I hope every one of you comes back! Until next time!
-HakushoRurouni