She awoke the next morning feeling strangely more at ease around Zuko. For a month she had been so tense around him but she felt as if they were finally getting to understand one another.
As she rolled over she felt something hard beneath her and sat up rubbing the sand out of her eyes. There was a black box with a red ribbon on it. She took it and opened it slowly wondering what was in it. There was a letter.
Dear Katara,
I feel I owe you a new one after trying to take yours from you so long ago. I meant no disrespect to you then or now.
Zuko
It was a very simple letter, with no loves or kisses, just straightforward. She looked down to the box and lifted up the object surrounded in blue cloth. She felt tears come to her eyes as she thought of home. She unraveled the delicate cloth to reveal a beautiful new necklace. It looked like her mothers except on it was the fire nation symbol with the water tribe background. It was on a black ribbon too.
Her fingers went mechanically to the one around her neck. It was all she had left of her mother. She felt a tear run down her cheek. She was sure Zuko only meant this because he cared but she couldn't help but feel like she was trading one for the other forever. She felt obligated to wear it, if nothing else to show she would be compliant. Fire and water together forever. She hoped it would last.
She saw Zuko again at lunch and as she gazed at him, memories from the night before made her feel hot. She longed for him now and she bit her lip to try and hide the sensations running through her. He talked to his uncle easily and for some reason she could not take her eyes off him. She could only imagine what he looked like underneath his clothes and it sent shivers down her spine.
Unexpectedly Zuko turned to look at her and she felt her breath catch. His eyes regarded her intensely as if he saw right through her to what she was feeling. The corners of his lips twitched into a smile and she felt hot as a blush curled up on her cheeks. She looked away and tried to think of other things. She was very unsuccessful and finishing her food she excused herself early.
She was afraid for what she was feeling. She was afraid for everything. She spent the better part of the next few days avoiding him, going where she knew he would not be and going to sleep early and waking late.
This plan was faulty however since he had taken to the habit of wrapping his warm arms around her at night and pulling her closely to his bare skin. Every time he touched her, shivers ran up her spine and her body felt excited and ready. But ready for what? She thought hesitantly to herself.
One night she got in early as she had planned and Zuko was there waiting for her. He was calm and collected and didn't even bother to look up when she entered. She felt the same warm sensations cloud through her and turned to her mirror where she began to brush her hair mechanically all the while tensing every time she thought she heard the slightest movement.
When it seemed the silence would never end she looked up and saw he had somehow stealthily closed the distance between them and he was barely a foot away. He came up to her and gently took the brush out of her hands. She felt helpless. Did she want this? Did she want him? A burning desire inside of her told her yes but her mind still struggled with the logic. This was her duty, but did she love him? Could she love him?
His hands gently traced around her hair tugging swiftly at her curls and then moving them across one shoulder leaving the other bare. She stiffened as his lips came down and caressed her neck and she felt herself uncontrollably arching herself to feel him more. His hot breath tickled her and his kisses made her stiffen. Her hands were unresponsive in removing him away from her and she felt him as his hands came up over her shoulders and along her neck arching downward dangerously close to her chest. Instead at the last second they moved to her sides and down to her hips and then retraced their path back upward.
"Come with me." He whispered into her ear lovingly and she felt her body respond automatically as he lightly led her to the bed. She felt in a haze unable to control herself and it scared her and felt so good at the same time. He laid her down against the bed and resumed touching her and kissing her. He buried his face in her long hair and just savored the taste of being with her and beside her.
"Katara, you are so beautiful." She blushed and realized that was the first time anyone had said that to her in a passionate way. It made the red in her cheeks deepen and Zuko smiled at her innocence. He kissed her neck some more and she felt her body begin to tingle. He worked down her neck to her collarbone and she felt a weary hand waiting at the division of her robe.
He looked at her expectantly.
"I want you Zuko." She said this before he could even ask her again and she gave him a look as to say to dare and defy her words. He undid the strap around her robe and opened it. Needless to say she felt her body cringe in anticipation for she had made the robe her only means of cover for this night.
He stared at her bare naked form and let his hand run against the smooth dark skin. She let him inspect her as he had before and she found herself urging for the touch of his hands some more. He seemed to recognize this and worked agonizingly slowly along her shapes and curves.
He didn't best her for long before she had him reveal to her what he had been hiding under his robes. She was no longer a girl that night in more than one way. Physically, emotionally and mentally she was a woman now and she was his.
Another few months passed by and it was obvious to whoever saw them that Zuko and Katara's relationship was no ordinary one. They had begun to open up to each other and some even dared to suggest they were falling in love. Whatever the purpose of their blossoming relationship Iroh could never have been happier.
One day Katara received a wedding invitation for Toph and Haru. Apparently they were to be married and her, Zuko, and of course Iroh had been invited to the Earth Kingdom for the ceremony.
When she spoke of it over dinner there were mixed feelings.
"My dear, I think I am too old to travel to the Earth Kingdom, but you two go and have your fun." He smiled and chuckled a bit. Zuko looked at her sideways and she wondered what would be going through his mind.
"Zuko, will you come with me then?" He seemed a bit distant for a bit.
"I'm sorry Katara, I should stay here. I have too much work to be done." She frowned at their disdain.
"I don't understand am I missing something?" Iroh stopped chewing and shifted his eyes towards Zuko.
"If you remember Katara, the Fire Nation isn't exactly welcomed in Ba Sing Se." Zuko almost growled. Katara suddenly understood, she nodded in quiet unease realizing for one of the first times exactly where her position left her in the world.
"Of course, if you would like to go, we shall not stop you. Although you look absolutely lovely in red maybe a little blue to your wardrobe will brighten your day." Katara sat up straighter and smiled kindly at Iroh. He was insinuating she forsake her Fire Nation wardrobe for the wedding and resume her blue clothing once more. She may not be as easily placed in allegiance if she did not look like a Fire Nation princess and the people would be kinder to her and she would get to see Toph's wedding.
She hurriedly finished her dinner and went out to make preparations for her travels.
She didn't even hear Zuko walk in while she was busy making a list and checking it over and over again. She opened her trunk and looked in to see some of her assortment of her old clothes. She pulled some out, dusting them and straightening them, all the while with Zuko's eyes on her. He couldn't help feeling like the world was brighter when she was happy. Eventually she turned and was startled by his gaze on her.
"You seem happy." He stated simply. She furrowed her brows in confusion.
"Are you not happy?" She asked striding past him.
"I'm happy for you."
"Then what's the problem?" He grabbed her by her arms and drew her close to him kissing her full on the mouth passionately. She broke away and gave him an odd look, lusty almost.
"Zuko, before I leave there is something I wanted to try." His good eyebrow arched questioningly. She smiled deviously at him and dragged him into the bathroom. When he entered in he saw some unlit candles scattered around the floor and room and there in the middle was the bath already drawn but with cool water.
"Maybe if you heated the water and provided a little light this might be more enjoyable." He smiled at her and pointed his finger and with practiced ease lit the candles all about the room and then struck a fire beneath the tub to heat the water. When he turned around she was already naked and she walked gracefully to the tub and playfully getting in she signaled for him to follow.
He hurriedly stripped himself of his clothes and joined her in the now warming bath. He leaned down atop of her and kissed her on her mouth tugging his tongue into her. She moaned a little deeply and pushed him away.
"Zuko I want you to make love to me, but I don't want it to be normal. I want you to make love to me as a firebender to a waterbender." She grinned up at him but he seemed unsure.
"You want me to do what?" She came up closer to him just an inch from his body.
"I want you to firebend while you make love to me." She purred. Zuko turned and stared at her with his intense golden gaze.
"No, I don't want to burn you." She wasn't sure but she thought she could feel his body shaking. She shook her head smiling innocently at him.
"Just firebend with the candles, don't worry, the water will protect me." She leaned in and kissed him along his neck and breathed her cool hair on to him. He was already beginning to sweat in the heat of the bath.
He bent and kissed her and moved closer on top of her. She heard a slight hiss as his body grew hotter and the steam from the water began to rise. She let him kiss her body and as she did she found herself watching the candles amazed. With each passing minute the flames got brighter and bigger. The candles were melting furiously the wax puddles building up in the small plates she had prepared. They would run out of light soon if they kept this up, but she was fascinated by his control over fire, which had led to her idea.
She decided to play her own game and used the currents of the bath to help her. She pushed the waves underneath the surface deeper and deeper. She let it rise up against his skin and when she did that she heard him groan and the flames grew brighter.
Finally he could not resist her any more and leaned further on top of her. She let him curiously watching the candles out of the corner of her eyes. The steam hissed on the water as his body temperature rose some more. She loved this. His fluid motions pushing against her helped her stay her hand and let the waters in the bath push with him and against him. The flames bent back and forth as if being blown by an unimaginable wind swaying with their master's body in unison.
She found herself wanting more of his heat. She smiled wickedly and turned the water around them to ice. Without even a seconds time the water was melting from the pure heat in the room and of course having a firebender as a lover didn't hurt either.
After a while her mind became too preoccupied with other matters to keep her attention on the candles but as he made one last final push against her, at that moment all the lights in the room went out. She gasped and felt his lips meet hers.
"So how was it?" He whispered into her ear. She hadn't realized how hard she was breathing and when she tried to form her words it came out in gasps.
"Great and you?" She could feel him smiling in the dark, but with the lights gone and the heat fading from their bodies they left the warmth of their bathroom to sleep in their bed. Both of them were so exhausted they were asleep in moments.
A few weeks after their wonderful night together, Katara left with her ship to sail to the Earth Kingdom. From there arrangements had been made for her brother to meet her with their own retinue and she would travel with them the rest of the way.
She had already switched out her red wardrobe for a more favorable blue and was delighted in seeing her brother again. As she rummaged through her trunk of clothes she came across her crown. It had been tucked neatly inside her trunk. She had set it aside on purpose while she was packing but she guessed Zuko had purposefully slipped it in, so she would remember to come home. She shook her head exasperated.
When she docked at a small port to a neutral town she met up with Sokka. It had only been about four months since she had last seen him, but it felt like an eternity. He looked the same but he greeted her with a weariness she couldn't quite place.
"Sokka? Is everything alright?" She asked as he stepped back from her embrace. She wore a blue dress designed to be close to the ones she had worn back home but as he looked at her he regarded her suspiciously.
"Has he hurt you at all?" He blurted out to her. Her smile fell to a frown and she backed away from him.
"Who?" She asked.
"You know who I mean, Zuko! You know Prince of the Fire Nation? Firebending master? Any of this ringing a bell?" She regarded him coolly and knew this was treading on dangerous grounds.
"No he has not harmed me in any way." She said coldly and crossed her arms in defiance.
"So he hasn't touched you, that's a relief. Maybe we can still undo this marriage…If only…" Her arm came around fast and she slapped him hard across the face. His eyes regarded her coldly.
"What I do with my husband is of no concern to you Sokka!" She yelled at him. She felt her face burning and he turned away from her refusing to rub his cheek where she had slapped him. Those who had been watching in silence began to go about their way slowly still interested in the dueling siblings. The retinue was moving and Katara followed them in silence. She had not expected to meet with such hostility from her own brother.
Why had she been so harsh on him? He was only trying to help. But she loved being with Zuko and a part of her was almost ashamed of those feelings.
She regarded her brother with unease as the next day he came up to her. A few of the witnesses from the day before watched wearily, expecting confrontation. She turned her back to him, still angry with him.
"Look Katara, I had no right to say those things to you. I just don't trust him and you're my baby sister. I don't even want to have to think about what he does to you."
"Then don't." she snapped back to him. The expression that fell over his face was one of complete surprise.
"Do you…Do you love him?" He asked hesitantly. She felt the blood drain from her face. She had been with Zuko for only four months. Was it possible she loved him? She cared for him but was it love? She didn't think so.
"No, he is my husband and I am his wife. He treats me with respect and kindness. It's not bad." She said quietly, realizing just how good she had it. Most arranged marriages never work out as well as hers. She had passion and respect in her relationship. She was happy for the most part, but she missed her family and friends.
"I'm glad to hear that. Father will be also, but we should really get going. Ba Sing Se is another day away and we're not making the best of time. I'm sure Toph will be excited to see you and you never know, maybe Aang will be there too." Her smile brightened at the notion and then she felt sad. Was she truly not over Aang yet? Did she still wish to maybe be more than friends with him? Or has she forsaken thoughts of the Avatar for Zuko? She promised herself she would try to figure this out before she returned to the Fire Nation, a place she still refused to call home, no matter how much she sometimes almost did.