Summary: They have had their good times and their bad. The war has ended, and new relationships are thriving. Katara and Zuko are living happily as a married couple. That happiness can only last for so long. Arguments ensue and stress sets in, but love prevails over everything. This is their story…
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, themes, or quotes. Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs strictly to Nickelodeon Studios and its ingenious creators. This story is written only for private entertainment purposes and no copywrite infringement is intended. Thank you and enjoy the story!
Chapter 5 – Celebrations
The walls of his office had seemed to grow smaller and smaller, forcing him to hunch over his desk even more than before. Something that would seem so simple was threatening to crush him, trapping him within his own home. Zuko sat there, staring at the menacingly blank piece of parchment in front of him. It seemed to mock him for his lack of ideas, pulling him into a bigger trap of wordlessness. He had come to his office early that morning in order to get his plans appropriated before the Earth King's arrival the following day. Yes, he had been cutting it close, but with all of the things going on in his and Katara's own lives, it seemed impossible to do anything about it. Before, he could recite his plans in the most elegant of words, in the most diplomatic of ways. Now, of course, his words had failed him, no matter how he put them. No matter what the excuse was for his lack of productiveness, the silence that now engulfed the room explained it in full detail. Zuko continued to stare at the blank page in front of him, his elbows touching the crumpled pieces of his previous writings that lay on the desk next to him, some threatening to fall over the edge, their fate the same as those who already had. His head fell into his hands.
Why is this so difficult? he asked himself. It should not be this hard to come up with some kind of statement for when the Earth King arrives! I'm the Fire Lord, for Agni's sake! A quiet knock came at the door, snapping him out of his reverie.
"Come in," he said politely. The door across the office opened to reveal Katara's smiling face.
"Hey, how's the whole speech coming?" Katara asked, walking forward, closing the door behind her.
"Uh, pretty good," Zuko lied, straightening up in his chair.
As she reached his desk, she noticed all of the discarded papers next to him and frowned. "Is that why your desk is covered with crumpled up pieces of paper?" She looked down. "And your floor?" she asked, indicating one of the offending papers with her foot.
"Okay, you caught me. I'm kind of at a loss." His hand ran down his face and back up again, burying itself in his loose hair. "Before, I knew exactly what I was going to do when the Earth King arrived. I knew exactly what I was going to tell him concerning the reconstruction. I had everything planned. But, now, I'm completely lost."
"What made you so stressed out?"
"Honestly? I don't know. I have no idea, Katara," he said, slumping over the desk, his hands coming up to cover his face.
Katara stepped around behind him, massaging his shoulders. She could feel the tension in his muscles through the fabric of his robes. "Well, I just came in to check on you. You seemed so stressed out this morning, but it looks like that hasn't changed much. I was planning on going out to the garden… Maybe you should come with me. It might take some of the stress off."
"Thanks for the offer, Katara, but I'll have to pass," he said, taking a deep breath.
"Are you sure?" she asked. Her hands stopped their massaging and began a more soothing caress along his shoulders. "I'm certain that it would do you some good to get out of this stuffy office, even if it's just for a few minutes."
Zuko took another deep breath. "Yeah, I'm sure. I just really need to get something done and if I leave now, I honestly don't think I would come back."
"Okay. Well, I'm probably going to be out there for a while. I don't really have anything to do today. So, if you need me, that's where I'll be," She gave his shoulders a reassuring squeeze.
"Okay."
"Good luck," she said, planting a kiss on his head.
He chuckled. "Thanks."
Katara left the room, making sure to turn and give him a smile on her way out. He briefly returned it, but as soon as she shut the door, he slumped back over the desk with a heavy sigh. If anything is to be completely finished by the end of today, it has to be this, he thought. I just hope everything goes as planned…
A couple hours passed and Zuko remained at his desk. Of course, he had finally collected his thoughts and was able to put them into words. His progress had been steadily increasing and his plans were finally at the stage of being finalized, and everything was organized for the meeting. All he had to do was run the plans by a couple of his senior advisors and it would be set.
Seeing as he was into his work by this time, getting the last of the plans together, the quick rap that sounded at the door startled him, and he jumped at the sudden sound.
"Come in," he said, collecting the scrolls that were currently crowding his desk and organizing them into a neat line.
There was no sound other than the slight clicking of the door that indicated its opening and closing until: "Hello, Nephew. How are the meeting plans coming?" Iroh said cheerfully.
Zuko's looked up in surprise. "Uncle! What are you doing here? You are not supposed to still be in the palace, remember? I told you to stay in the same wing of the palace that your room is in, and I told you to not go anywhere else!"
Iroh sat down in the chair across from him and remained quiet, holding back the smirk that was threatening his features. A thought suddenly entered Zuko's mind and his hand flew to his face, his skin making a light slap! at the contact. "Agni, Katara didn't see you did she? Because if she did—"
"Easy, my nephew. I can assure you, Katara did not see me as I made my way to your office."
"Are you sure? I don't want this whole thing ruined. Aang and Toph are arriving back here this evening, and it's going to be difficult enough to keep her in the dark. Not to mention, I've just received word of Sokka and Suki's arrival, as well. Half of the things going on tonight are just pure, dumb luck! I'm surprised I was even able to get everyone together, and on such short notice, especially considering where everyone lives! I've done my best to keep it a secret up until now, and I don't want to lose it all because someone let slip of your presence in the hall, or because you were careless and allowed for her to see you!" Zuko said, his voice gaining volume as he spoke.
Iroh's face fell and his demeanor became very serious. "Zuko. No one is going to ruin the surprise. She remains perfectly oblivious. I, for one, am surprised that you were able to come up with this idea of yours on such a quick notice."
"It wasn't my idea; it was Aang's. I had told him while he and Toph were here about her plans for her birthday. He had said it was ridiculous how Katara didn't want to do anything special at all, so he suggested the idea that we throw her this whole thing," Zuko said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Well, I think that it is a great idea to do this for the Fire Lady, considering what the two of you have been through as of recent," Iroh said quietly.
"Thank you, Uncle. I appreciate that, and I know Katara will appreciate it, too. Just, please, don't let her see you anywhere. Not until tonight," Zuko pleaded.
"Of course not, Zuko. I promise to not spoil anything. You have my word."
"Thank you, again," Zuko smiled.
"Anything for you, Nephew. Now, I should go before any of the guards come this way, or our little Guest of Honor, for that matter," Iroh replied, winking quickly before standing to leave.
Zuko straightened in his chair and snatched a scroll from in front of him. "Wait! Before you go, can you read over this really fast? Tell me if I have everything right?" he asked.
Iroh smiled, taking the scroll. Zuko stood and moved to stand behind Iroh, eyeing him as he read. Iroh finished the scroll after a few minutes and sighed. A look of concern found its way to Zuko's face.
"Bad?" he asked, wary.
Iroh sighed again. "You know, Zuko? You worry yourself too much. This is an excellent proposition. You have done well, my nephew." He smiled and handed the scroll back into Zuko's waiting hand.
"Yeah, it only took me the entire time I've been in this office to get that much done," Zuko chuckled.
"Zuko, you must realize that you are making a better Fire Lord than you believe yourself to be. Stop criticizing yourself over every little thing."
"Easy for you to say. You're not the one doing it," Zuko sighed.
"Listen to me, Nephew. Stop worrying yourself over these trivial things. You are making a fine leader to this nation, and you do not have to be so worried about this meeting with the Earth King. It's going to be fine, Nephew, I assure you. Believe me," Iroh replied, placing a gentle, comforting hand in the Fire Lord's shoulder.
Zuko nodded. "Thank you, Uncle, for your reassurance. But, either way, I'm still stressed."
Iroh's eyebrows knitted together. "And for what reasons?"
Zuko sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Just everything that's been happening lately: the generals; all of the trouble in the Earth Kingdom and with Ba Sing Se; with Katara…"
"Have you spoken to Katara about being stressed? Or have you been able to speak to any of your advisors?" Iroh asked.
"I don't want to bother Katara with my problems regarding my work as Fire Lord, and, as strange as it sounds, I don't really want to bother the generals either," Zuko said, sarcasm in his tone. "I mean, the last thing I want is to have the generals and other advisors think that I am not fit to be Fire Lord; that I am weak."
Iroh shook his head. "When oil meets fire, it is guaranteed to burn."
"What?" Zuko cocked an eyebrow.
Iroh chuckled. "What it means, Nephew, is that when someone is constantly stressed, and they never gain any relief, they will surely fail."
"Thank you for that advice, Uncle. Though, I don't think it helped very much," Zuko sighed, crossing his arms. He leaned back onto his desk (nearly sitting on it) and shook his head.
"What you need to do is take a break, Zuko. If you don't, before you know it, bad things will begin to happen—things you won't have any control over. And when that happens, who knows what the consequences will be?"
"Bad things have already happened, Uncle!" Zuko yelled, throwing his arms up before letting his hands slam down on his desk next to him. He glared at Iroh, his eyes full of anger, and quite possibly anguish.
"Zuko. You can't possibly count everything bad that has happened recently. Things happen and you can't change them! You, of all people, Zuko, I would think would understand that!"
Zuko spoke through his teeth. "I am fully aware of that concept, Uncle. Thank you—again—for reminding me; for not allowing me to forget…"
"I have no wish to fight with you, Zuko. None at all. This should be a happy day for you. What you have planned for tonight is the perfect opportunity to relax and have fun. Forget about the meetings and generals. Forget about the Earth King. Forget it all, just for tonight. Be with your wife and your friends. Simply relax, Zuko. That's all I ask. Now, I will leave you to your thoughts, and I will have high hopes that you take my advice," Iroh said, bowing his head.
"Thank you, Uncle. And I mean that truthfully. Thank you." Zuko straightened himself, taking Iroh's hand in his in a gentle handshake.
"You're welcome, Nephew. Just, please do as I say. Just this once," Iroh smiled.
Zuko nodded. "I'll try, Uncle."
"I'll see you tonight at the celebration. Goodbye, for now, Zuko."
"Goodbye, Uncle."
Katara sat alone, simply by herself. It didn't bother her, being on her own in the palace, but it did give her the small amount of peace that she had throughout the day. She didn't expect anyone to interrupt her peace—not that she was a big person in the practice of meditation, because she wasn't—and no one had ever really tried to. She simply sat in the gardens, admiring the day's light on her face. It was so peaceful in the gardens that, on occasion, she would forget where she was; of course, that would be until she remembered that she had to remind someone, or herself, to do something, or the like.
But, for now, she sat in her and Zuko's usual spot, underneath the tree in the garden, looking out at the pond. She didn't have any bread to throw to the small turtle-ducks there, but they did not seem to mind too much. They seemed content with swimming in small circles, quacking gaily. At least, that was until two of the smaller ones started to bicker at one another. But the mother wouldn't have that; she swam right in between the two, quacking her disappointment. After their scolding, they separated; one swam one way, the second another way; the mother seemed pleased.
Katara giggled at the exchange between mother and children. Oh, how she wished for them—for children; for motherhood. She closed her eyes, turned her face to the clouds, and whispered a plea, a plea to the spirits to grant her and Zuko a child. A light breeze ruffled her hair and she willed for it to be a response. She knew that there was the possibility to have complications with any pregnancy she had. She knew that she, herself, could be at risk of being harmed. The physicians had explained that to her. Her family had explained that to her. Zuko had explained that to her. Her brain understood that logic, but her heart would not agree; it refused. She very well understood and was perfectly aware of the consequences, of what might happen to both her and the baby. But none of that mattered to her. She longed for a child, to be a mother.
After his confession, Katara very well understood the aversion that Zuko had on the subject of children. He had seen her suffer, witnessed the tears of sadness fall down her face as they explained to her what had happened. The amount of sadness and sense of failure, however, he did not understand. The idea of failing her child had overwhelmed her, and only ripped a bigger hole in her heart. But she had not let anyone see that, not even Zuko. She had put on her mask and held her head high, held back the tears every time she heard an apology or received a hug, or pat on the back, for every 'Sorry for your loss…'
Now it seemed as though she was offering the reassurance, the prayers, all for her husband. But, despite her best efforts, Zuko would not budge on the matter.
I can't Katara. I can't do this anymore, her brain quoted him, months after the incident. We will only end up hurting ourselves if we keep trying like this… If making love to you is going to become a chore, one that is gives us no result, then I can't keep doing this anymore. I can't… And with that, he had walked away. Katara knew that she had to stay strong for everyone around her, including herself, but only now would she admit to the fact that her age was now creeping up the doorstep. She knew that it should not be an issue, but, for the first time in her life, Katara wished that she could simply turn back time.
She had made progress as of late, however. He had told her that they would try again, when she was ready. But he refused to believe her when she told him she was ready. He could be so stubborn sometimes.
Katara blinked at the sudden darkness of the garden. She was surprised that no one had come for her, no matter how deep in thought she may have seemed. She instantly became concerned, and stood, dusting the dirt off her robes.
I wonder why no one came for me, she thought. She figured it wasn't that late, as the sun was only just starting to disappear under the horizon. Katara figured that it must be around meal time, and if that notion was true, the dining hall would be where everyone was. She shrugged to herself and began to head in that direction.
As she walked, Katara began to notice that there was no one in the halls; none at all. She had thought nothing of it, at first, but as she kept walking, the empty, quiet halls possessed an eerie feeling that could only be described in a scary story. Katara shivered at the idea, but kept heading for the dining hall nonetheless.
As she reached the large, ornate doors of the dining hall, she was relieved to see light coming out from under them. But no noise could be heard. Katara shrugged to herself again and opened the doors, only to be jolted backwards with the sound of screaming and clapping.
"Surprise!"
Katara blinked for a few seconds, registering what was going on. The dining hall was filled with people. To her right, flowers and flickering candles were placed elegantly on a table holding—what it looked to be—an array of finger foods. A small band was playing a soft tune in the background to her left, and separating her from other bodies in the room was what appeared to be a dance floor. As soon as her heart caught up with her, her mind began to register all of the smiling faces in the room.
"What—What's going on, here?" she asked stupidly, walking forward into the room. Her eyes focused on the small group of four directly in front of her: Aang, Toph, Sokka, and a pregnant Suki.
"A surprise party!" Aang smiled.
Katara managed a chuckle. "For what?"
"For your birthday, silly!" Sokka laughed, stepping forward to embrace her.
Katara shook her head, returning the hug. "But how are you here? All of you? Especially you two!" She stepped out of the hug and gestured to her brother and sister-in-law.
Sokka smiled. "Oh, come on! I wouldn't miss my little sister's birthday celebration!"
She furrowed her eyebrows. "But my birthday is not for a few more days."
"Well, duh. C'mon, Katara. I may forget a lot of things, but I do remember when your actual birthday is!"
Katara looked to the Avatar. "And you! You told me that you wouldn't be able to be here for my birthday because you had to go to the Air Temple!" She crossed her arms.
Aang shrugged. "Well, I figured we could hold out another couple of nights."
Toph nodded. "Anything for you, Sweetness."
Something finally clicked in Katara's brain. "But—Wait. Who planned all this?"
"Take a wild guess," a familiar voice said from behind her. Katara turned around to see Zuko entering the room, a big smile plastered on his face. She was surprised to see him not wearing his usual Fire Lord attire, and she immediately felt overdressed. She blushed as he approached her.
"I hate you!" she said, lightly slapping his chest. "I told you I didn't want to do anything for my birthday!" She playfully slapped at his chest again.
Zuko laughed, snaking an arm around her waist. "I know. But I still think your birthday is something worthy of having a celebration for." He then looked up to Sokka. "Hey, man, how've you been?"
"I'm good, thanks for asking. You?" Sokka asked, taking Zuko's arm in a traditional Water Tribe fashion.
"Same old. Paperwork. Nothing much," Zuko shrugged.
"Ugh! I don't know how you do it, man," Sokka shook his head.
The Fire Lord chuckled. "Ha! Speak for yourself. You live on a frozen wasteland filled with nothing but ice and snow! At least, here, we have buildings that don't melt!"
"You're just jealous because you don't live there," Sokka stuck his tongue out as if he were a child. Zuko shook his head, laughing.
"Whatever you say, Sokka. Hey, Katara? I have to go talk to someone. I'll be right back, okay?" he said, glancing at her, his head cocked to the side.
"What? Where are you going? Who do you need to talk to?" Katara said, looking around as if trying to find the face of one of his advisors or generals. Her search ended in vain as the only people she could see were her friends, give or take a few servants here and there.
"Nothing you need to worry about. Besides, this will give you time to catch up with everyone. I'll be back, I promise," he said, placing a quick kiss to her head. Her eyes followed him to the doors of the room, and when he disappeared behind them, she turned back to the gang, giving her brother a hug.
"Okay, Katara. I get it. Enough with the hugs. I get it. You just can't stand being away from your big brother," Sokka smirked.
"Oh, yeah. That's exactly what it is," She turned, glancing around the room. "Hey, you guys want to sit down over there? We can really catch up, then," she said, gesturing to one of the tables on the other side of the room. From what she saw, there were just enough chairs for everyone.
"I couldn't agree with you more," Suki chuckled, stroking her belly.
"Oh, Spirits, Suki, how have you been? I can't even tell you how excited I was when I got Sokka's letter…" Katara said as she sat, smiling.
"You can't even imagine. I definitely think the baby has more of Sokka in them, seeing as they keep kicking me day and night."
"Hey! I don't kick you!" Sokka said, mock horror in his tone.
Suki smiled. "No, but you can be a major pain in my butt from time to time."
"So, everything is going fine? No complications or anything like that?" Katara asked, eyeing Suki's pregnant belly.
She smiled. "Nope. It's all been fine. The new healers back in the Southern Water Tribe tell me that the baby is healthy and everything is going the way it should. Oh! Gran told me to send you her regards as well. You know how she is with traveling…"
"Of course, I'm glad she's doing well. But, I'm worried about you. I mean, I know how it was carrying a baby. It's hard work. How are you holding up?"
Suki was taken aback by Katara's words. How could she mention her pregnancy so freely? Regaining her composure, she answered, "I have no idea, honestly. I guess I'm doing something right, seeing as the baby is healthy."
"Well, that's a good thing! Have you thought of any names? Or are you going to just come up with one on the spot?" Katara asked, looking between both Sokka and Suki.
"We don't really know, yet. Still kind of tossing a couple things around. But, we'll see," Sokka said, smiling.
"And Aang, you said you had to go to Ember Island the other day? How did that go?" Katara asked, looking to the Avatar.
"It was great! The weather was perfect for flying, so we didn't have to worry about time. Appa got us there early, actually. Anyway, yeah, the merchants are doing much better after those raids a couple months back. Everyone is getting back on their feet just fine."
"That is really good news. I didn't know much about the raids; Zuko doesn't really like telling me about those things. He says that he doesn't want me to worry too much. I only got the basics. But, I'm glad everyone is getting back in the sway of things."
"How's Zuko? I mean, Aang told us that he was pretty stressed out the other day when he and Toph were here. He mentioned that he had a bunch of paperwork to get through, earlier. Is everything okay?" Sokka asked, cocking an eyebrow.
Katara offered him a reassuring smile. "Yeah, of course. He's just been really stressed about this meeting with the Earth King about the reconstruction of Ba Sing Se. He feels like the Earth King is going to turn down every idea that he has, best-case scenario, agree to his plans, but then change a million things, as well."
"Oh. Well, I'm pretty sure it won't be like that," Suki said. "I mean, Zuko's smart. He won't let anything like that happen."
Katara managed a laugh. "Yeah. But you should have seen him this morning. He was practically swimming in paperwork, trying to finalize his plans for tomorrow. I'm surprised he even had enough time to do this whole celebration thing. I just—I love him, and I wish he didn't have to be this stressed out all of the time." She looked up at her little family, all their smiling faces. "I wish he was here now. I want him to be able to relax and have a little fun after all the stress he's been through."
"Wish granted," Zuko said, coming up behind Katara, placing his hands on her shoulders.
She looked up at him and smiled. "You heard all of that, didn't you?"
He shrugged. "'Fraid so."
Katara looked up at Zuko, then to her friends, then quickly back to Zuko.
He took notice of her expression. "What?" he asked, leaning down so she could whisper in his ear.
"I feel completely overdressed," she whispered, gesturing to her formal robes, and then to his simple shirt-and-pants combo.
He chuckled. "Don't worry about it." He straightened and addressed the group. "Hey, guys? Would you mind if I stole Katara?"
"No problem," Sokka said, waving Zuko away as if he were an annoying insect. Zuko laughed and took Katara by the elbow.
"Come on, Katara. I have another surprise for you," he said, leading Katara away from the group. She turned and gave the group a little wave, one that was returned with enthusiastic smiles from her friends.
She turned back to Zuko, who was now pulling her to the back of the room. "I don't think I can handle any other surprises tonight, Zuko," Katara said. But right as she finished her sentence, she looked up to see Iroh smiling at her.
"Hello, Katara," Iroh smiled.
"Uncle!" She laughed, embracing him. "You, too? I thought you had to get back to your tea shop?"
"Well, I'm confident that my assistants can handle the tea shop while I am gone. After all, I believe my niece's birthday celebration is just a little more important." He winked.
"But, how—"
"My nephew has his ways of keeping secrets."
Katara looked up and narrowed her eyes at her husband, who, at the moment, seemed to be holding back a laugh. His smile gave him away.
Zuko dared to look at her. "What?"
"Did I mention that I hate you?" she asked, punching his shoulder.
"Ouch! Enough with the physical abuse, already! Just think about it—if you keep this up, you are only hurting yourself because if you keep hitting me, you're just going to be up all night healing my bruises." He rubbed at his shoulder in an overly-dramatic fashion.
"Oh, don't be such a baby."
Zuko scoffed at her comment, but quickly regained composure. "And, yes, you did mention your hatred of me earlier. But personally, I don't really think that that's true." He suddenly pulled her close and kissed her cheek.
Iroh smiled at the exchange between the two. "Well, if you'll excuse me, it has been a while since I have spoken to the Avatar, and I wish to greet him and the others. You two have fun."
As soon as Iroh was out of earshot, Katara turned to Zuko. "How in the world did you plan all of this?"
He shrugged. "Like Uncle said, I can be very secretive."
Katara squinted at him. "Uh, huh. And you know how much I hate parties? Especially when they are centered around me? Apparently Sokka never told you how disastrous my birthdays were when we were little."
"No, he didn't. Although, I will make a mental note to ask him about that." He tapped his chin as if in deep thought. Katara glared. "What? I was kidding! Anyway, I know you don't like big celebrations, but I felt that you needed to have this time to be with your friends and family. In light of recent events, I think you owe it to yourself to relax and have fun for a change."
She sighed. "Our family and friends."
Zuko furrowed his brow. "Huh?"
Katara shook her head. "You said 'my' family and friends. Correction: it's our family and friends."
"Well, tonight, it's about you, not me."
"I love you," she chuckled.
"I thought you said you hated me?" he said, smirking.
"Do you want to get hit again?" she asked playfully.
"No. I'm just saying, that's what you told me before. Now, all of a sudden, you change your mind? I'm just confused…" he joked.
"Don't ruin it," she said, hugging him.
He laughed in her ear. "Whatever you say, Birthday Girl."
"That counts as ruining it," she said. Looking up from the hug, she furrowed her eyebrows. "So, what ever happened to the whole 'relaxation day' plan, huh?"
"Oh, it's still on. I have arranged everything. I am officially off duty as Fire Lord on your birthday. No exceptions," he laughed.
"Oh, that's a relief. I thought this was in replacement of that." He shook his head and she hugged him again.
He finally returned the hug, pulling her to his chest. Just as they did, the music began to play a little louder, a soft tune that Katara could only recognize from their wedding.
Zuko looked up at the sound of the music and smiled. He backed up a couple steps and offered his hand. "Care for a dance?" he asked, smiling.
Katara lifted an eyebrow. "You hate dancing, Zuko."
His smile grew. "True. But it's a special occasion." He grabbed her hand and began pulling her to the center of the room, where couples (including Sokka and Suki, as well as Aang and Toph) were dancing. "Come on."
Katara smiled as he pulled her to the center of the floor and blushed as he placed an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. As Zuko began to set the pace of the dance, swaying back and forth, everything around Katara seemed to disappear. It was as if she were the heroine of every girl's fantasy; where she finds her love with every possible cliché that one would find in an old-time storybook following close behind, dancing the night away to her certain happy ending. She felt like she was floating, and the only thing holding her to the ground was Zuko. The only thing she felt was Zuko, and as she pressed her cheek to his chest, the only thing she could hear was his heartbeat, steadily thumping in her ear. She had no sense of direction and had no idea where he was leading her in their dance. She only knew that she trusted him and that he wouldn't lead her astray. She simply relaxed, letting him guide her along the dance floor, humming softly along with the music, taking in his warmth, his scent.
When the soft music ceased, a louder, more up-tempo rhythm taking its place, she felt Zuko stop his movements. She looked up just in time to see his eyes close and to feel his lips on hers. He kissed her lovingly for a moment, but by the time she registered her thoughts and began to return the kiss, he pulled back.
"Come on," he said, taking her hand. Still dazed from his kiss, it took her a second to realize that he was heading for the door.
"Zuko! I can't just leave my own party!" She made an attempt to pull her hand out of his grasp, but he held fast.
"No big deal. You're the Guest of Honor, and you get to choose when you leave," he said, pulling her towards the door.
She resisted. "But—" He cut her off with another kiss.
"It's fine. Come on," he pulled her again, and this time, she didn't argue.
It seemed like seconds before they arrived at their chamber doors and Zuko pulled her through, locking the door behind him. As soon as he turned back to her, his lips were on hers again, only more passionate than before. She was reluctant to kiss back and so, placing her hands flat on his chest, she tried to push him away. Katara failed at first, but finally succeeded, if not for only a few inches. His head pulled back only a fraction, his lips hovering over hers.
"What about the party? Don't we have to say goodbye to everyone?" she panted.
"Everyone leaves in a few days' time. Don't worry, you have time to spend with everyone, especially tomorrow while I'm meeting with the Earth King. They were all going to leave tomorrow, but I told them that it was ludicrous to only visit for one night. You have time, trust me," he said in a rush, kissing her lips again as a form of punctuation.
She pushed him back again. "But, don't you want to say goodbye to everyone, too?"
"It's fine. I'll have time to say it." He kissed her lips again, pulling her closer to him.
"But—" He cut her off her off with a sigh.
"Katara, I love you, but, please, shut up." He kissed her a fourth time, hoping that she would relax and not worry so much. When she didn't interrupt him, he broke away, smiling.
She took advantage of his break for air. "Okay," she said, returning the smile. She returned her lips to his and he chuckled, a low, throaty sound that vibrated against her fingers as her hands ghosted over his neck, her arms going around his shoulders. Satisfied with her action, Zuko deepened the kiss.
He began to walk her backwards towards the bed, and Katara went willingly, smiling into the kiss. As she walked, Zuko aided her in shedding her outer robe, letting it fall in a pool of crimson on the chamber floor. Finally free from the confinement of her formal robes, Katara replaced her arms around his neck as one of his hands weaved itself into her loose hair. Their lips broke for a second as Katara lay back on the bed, pulling Zuko with her.
Their lips connected for what seemed like the hundredth time. More articles of clothing were strewn across the floor, forgotten. When they finally became one, both hummed with happiness—a happiness one could only achieve by being with the one they loved. Each touch was reciprocated; each kiss or embrace mirrored with the same amount of love and passion; each sigh of contentment echoed with the same joy that the other possessed.
As they came down from their individual highs, they lay there in silence, one that was no longer awkward and uncomfortable, but peaceful, needed. Each knew what the other was thinking, feeling. The solid contentment of being in each other's arms became palpable as their breaths evened out.
Zuko gave into sleep first, his arms wrapped around her waist, his head resting lazily on her chest, moving up and down ever-so-slightly with her breathing. Katara blinked up at the ceiling, thoughts an empty space. As the room began to find the moonlight, Katara felt she needed to say something. She simply had to know.
"Zuko?" she whispered. No response. She tried again; only this time, her voice seemed stronger, more confident. "Zuko?"
"Hmm?" he hummed thoughtfully, his eyes still closed.
Katara hesitated for a moment. "So does this mean we're trying again?" She winced at her question, afraid of his answer, though she didn't entirely know why.
Zuko lifted his head off her chest and looked into her eyes. He saw her fear there and he immediately knew that she was dreading any answer that he would give. But, to her surprise, he kissed her.
Katara inwardly gasped at his actions, her thoughts becoming a vicious blur. Was he downright avoiding the question? Is he trying not to hurt my feelings by refusing to answer? Refusing me? What is going on in his head right now? she thought, unable to gather any sort of answer to any of her questions through his body language. She held fast, remaining unresponsive to his kiss, though gentle as it was.
When he finally pulled away, sighing contentedly, she eyed him silently begging him for an answer. He leaned on his elbow, studying her face.
"Does this mean we're trying?" she asked again hoping to hide her sense of hope deep within her. To her surprise, however, he smiled. In the dim moonlight, she could see his head nod.
"Yes?" she said, her voice quiet, almost a squeak.
Zuko smiled. "Yes."
As much as she wanted to believe him, she just had to get some kind of confirmation. "We're trying?"
He chuckled, nodding his head. "We're trying."
Katara gasped, pulling him down to her in an embrace. He laughed at her enthusiasm, returning her hug. Pulling back, she grasped his face in her hands, giving him a chaste kiss on the lips.
"Thank you," she breathed, "so much."
Zuko blinked at her, reveling in her happiness, her joy. He marveled how at peace she was with his words, how easily he could make her happy. It gave him a sense of gratification. With that, his head returned to her chest and he sighed, ignoring the fire that seemed to creep up into his stomach at the contact.
"What made you change your mind?" she whispered.
He chuckled. "Uncle."
"Uncle?"
"Yeah. Remember when I said I had to talk to someone?" He felt her nod. "Well, that's where I went. We talked for a bit, and then we walked back to the celebration together."
"And what did he tell you?" she asked, her hand coming up to stroke his hair.
"Well, I had already been thinking about it, and had made my decision. But, I felt that I had to talk to him, as well. I mean, you know how helpful he is when it comes to being unsure of a decision. He's really helped me a lot. I don't know what I'd do without him," he said, as if in his own world. He was brought back to the present at the feeling of Katara's hand on his ear. Her fingers traced down the scarred side of his face before curling around his jaw, willing him to look at her.
"You knew before you even talked to him? That you wanted to try again?"
"Yeah, I did," he breathed, not meeting her eyes, "I saw how upset you were. Any time the subject came up. I was just so thick-skulled to realize how ridiculous I was being. I'm sorry. My only worry is that something will happen to you again, or the baby. You and Uncle are the only real things in my life right now, and if I lose you—"
"Shush. Nothing's going to happen to me. Besides, nothing has even happened, yet. We only just agreed to try," she said gently, laying his head back on her chest, her hand stroking his hair once again.
"I know. It's still a big step for me, though."
"I know it is. It is for me, too." She kissed his head. "I love you, Zuko. And thank you for the party. Now, get some sleep; you have a big day tomorrow."
"You're very welcome, Katara." His voice seemed distance now, muffled. She knew it was only a matter of time before he was asleep.
Katara continued to blink up at the ceiling, her mind finally finding peace and contentment. She tried to focus on her husband's breathing, allowing it to lull her to unconsciousness. Her hand traveled gently through Zuko's hair as he slept, his scent enveloping her as she willed the sound of his breath to bring her slowly to her own sleep-induced peace.
Hope you enjoyed. Reviews are appreciated.
