Avatar: Wherever You May Be
A/N: Yes, it's been MONTHS again since my last posting. I really have lost my feel - and in all honesty, all of my interest in this story – so here's the deal: this is 1 of 2 chapters left that are written and up to par for posting. I will get those up by Christmas and where the story stops can then been seen as the ending (it's happy, in a out-of-the-way, not really finalized but content anyways kind of thing).
My apologies to MizJoely who offered to beta this for me. I know I had said I would send the chapters to you, but I just didn't get myself to do it. I apologize for any spelling errors on my part then…
Also, congratulations to you, the reader! I'm not editing this majorly, so you get a decent nooky scene.
Warning: This chapter contains adult themes. Please do not read, or skip, if you will be offended. Thank you – MGMT.
Wherever You May Be
Chapter 12
sSSs
It only took two days to wrap up everything in the village so they could leave. After saying goodbye to Yao and Suyin for the last time and return most of the clothing she had borrowed, Katara quickly rushed back to the small hut that had felt like home for the past month. Part of it was because it had just been her and Zuko, but nonetheless she was a little sad about having to leave. It was only the fact that Zuko needed to contact Iroh immediately and she had to go help Aang and Toph that had them rushing around.
Stepping into the cabin she couldn't hear Zuko so she figured he was still at Lady Tien's saying goodbye to Jiro. Zuko's decision to leave Jiro here had actually been made for him in the end, the rebellion posing too much of a threat to his younger brother if Jiro was brought with them and made known to the world. Still, she knew Zuko felt like he was abandoning Jiro after they had only just met a few weeks ago. The two brothers had bonded quickly in that time, made easier by the fact that Jiro had already known and adored Zuko and Zuko enjoyed having a younger sibling that wanted to be around him.
Finished with the bed Katara straightened before glancing around to sigh. It seemed so bare now that it was like everything was wiped clean she thought with a shiver, sitting on the edge of the bed as she wrapped her arms around her tightly while staring into the fire. When she and Zuko left the next morning, the world and its numerous responsibilities returned to both of them.
Snapping her head up when she heard the front door close, she rose quickly and took a deep breath to calm her nerves and her emotions. Happy she at least hadn't broken down into tears she leaned against the doorway of the bedroom to see Zuko setting down a package on the floor next to the door.
"What's that?" she asked, curious.
"Nana gave us some food to last us to Ba Sing Se since it'll take us a few days to get there," Zuko explained. "I already packed the sleeping rolls on Appa's saddle so we should be good to leave in the morning."
"Everything here is cleaned up as well," Katara told him and blinked when Zuko frowned at her. "What? Is something wrong?"
"Are you okay? You seem a little sad, I guess, when you said that," he told her, still frowning.
"I don't really want to leave yet," she replied honestly, wrapping her arms around her stomach. "It's…it's been a while since I've had a place to call home."
"Home?" Zuko asked curiously and Katara flushed, irritated and embarrassed she had let that slip. Zuko was also ridiculously pleased by the comment as well she noticed, even if he had turned away so she barely caught the smirk on his lips as he went over to the fireplace that needed to be fed.
"How did it go with Jiro?" she asked to distract him from her betraying comments.
"He took the information well," Zuko told her, tossing a log on the fire. "He seemed excited about me coming back in the spring at least, once the mountains open and I can travel without needing Appa."
"You just want to avoid the snow."
"Yes," Zuko admitted and Katara laughed as he pulled her so he could wrap his arms around her from behind. "I also think I'll leave him in the village until I find my mother or until he turns thirteen in a few years. There isn't any need for him in the Fire Nation until then unless he wants to come with me in the spring."
"That's nice of you," Katara told him, leaning against him happily, "giving him a few more years to be a regular boy."
"I can be very nice sometimes," Zuko reminded her and she shivered as he traced a few kisses along her neck. The shivers turned into squirms as his hands started to work loosening her tunic and Katara finally batted his hands away to turn in his hold so that she faced him. Fisting her hands into his hair, she pulled him over so they could kiss properly. She kept it slow, knowing this could well be the last time they were alone like this and Zuko didn't seem to mind letting her set the tempo.
Letting go of his hair, she lightly traced his face with her finger tips, pausing briefly at the edge of his scar before touching the skin. With a shudder Zuko broke their kiss but he didn't remove her hands so Katara continued her exploration, taking in the feel of the burned skin. It was both smooth and creased from the damage and she blinked back the few tears that formed as she traced the darker section around his eye.
Not wanting Zuko to see the wetness she pulled his head down to place light kisses over the area even knowing there was a good chance he couldn't even feel it. He exhaled harshly at the action, his breath hitting her neck before he suddenly pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her tightly.
"You know, in all the years I was with Mai," he murmured into her hair softly, Katara stiffening at the name but not pulling back, curious about what Zuko was saying. "She never once did that. She never acknowledged it at all."
"Then she didn't love you enough," Katara said defensively into his shirt, balling her hands into the material. Loving someone meant accepting everything about them, no matter how ugly the truth or pain behind it.
"What?" he asked in the silence that followed and Zuko loosened his grip on her enough to pull back and look at her. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw his eyes, a bright gold she had only seen once before, that day on the training grounds when he had first kissed her.
"Zuko? What's wrong?" she asked confused before her words finally sank in. Blushing and uncomfortable at the position she had placed them in, Katara tried to step away but Zuko kept his hold on her as he continued to stare at her silently.
"You love me?" he finally asked and Katara tried to step out of his grasp, angry with herself. She hadn't wanted him to know just how deep her feelings ran for him, when she was still so unsure of how he felt. "Katara."
"Zuko, I just – " she started to say, planning to pass it off as a misspoken comment when Zuko tilted her head back to kiss her. Feeling her body weaken under the tender assault, she had some trouble focusing when he finally pulled back without giving her any space at the same time.
"Tell me the truth, Katara," he begged her gently and Katara gave up. "Please."
"I love you, of course I love you," she finally told him softly. "Why do you think I ran? And it's okay if you don't, I don't expect it."
"How can I not love you?" he asked her and Katara stiffened again before frowning.
"You can't…you never said – "
"I think I knew I was in love with you that day in the sparring rink," Zuko confessed as he ran his hand through her hair, the action also forcing her to stare up at him and see the honesty in his eyes. "I think I had been falling for you ever since Ba Sing Se, but you know me, slow to pick up on the obvious. Why else do you think I would risk leaving my country to find you, Katara? I would go anywhere to find the ones I love."
"Really?" she asked, some part of her still surprised that he would return her love. There were so many things stacked against them, their history and the future, that she had truly thought their would ever work.
"I love you, Katara," he repeated softly, gently framing her face with his hands. "You're my best friend and my closest confidant and –"
She didn't let him finish as she suddenly bent forward to kiss him, her heart thumping painfully in her chest. Zuko didn't seem to mind, his hands moving back to her hair as she braced against him, not wanting to hear what else he had to say. Not for the first time in her life, Katara figured the moment was too important to waste words as Zuko tugged her so that they were lying on the ground in front of the fireplace.
sSs
They made good time to Ba Sing Se Zuko decided as Appa breached the inner wall of the city and headed towards the Upper Level. They had made it well out of the Daiyu Mountains the first day and Zuko had been more than happy to shed his parka as the air had turned warmer. They had camped out along the large river just south of the mountains the first day, only half a day away from the outer wall of Ba Sing Se on bison-time and the sun was just now setting as they headed towards the Jasmine Dragon.
"Are you okay with us not to going to the Earth King's palace?" Katara asked and Zuko looked behind him to see her staring at him from where she leaned against the saddle horn. She still wore her parka to fight the cold air, having sniped earlier about not having firebending to keep her warm like Zuko.
"The Jasmine Dragon's fine," he told her shrugging before sighing. "Anyways, I'm sure King Kuei will offer me a room once we meet."
"They are nice," Katara murmured in agreement, moving to stare down at the streets. They were high enough to stop too much attention coming their way, using the dim light and clouds to their advantage. "I'm always offered one when I'm in town."
"Really?" he asked, frowning at the news. "Uncle said once he added on to the shop with more bedrooms you always stayed with him."
"I do," she told him, shaking her head. "I enjoy the privacy of not having servants hiding in every corner waiting for me to order them to get me something as stupid as a fruit tart."
"Right," Zuko grumbled softly under his breath as Appa started to descend into the city. With a soft groan the ten-ton bison landed on the inner courtyard of the Jasmine Dragon that led to the large barn Iroh had built from another building to house the bison when Aang was visiting Ba Sing Se. Originally Aang had sent Appa to the fields whenever they visited, but the bison whistle didn't reach that far and only ended up calling in the local animals, so the barn had been built instead. The city officials hadn't even protested, in part of Toph's influence and the fact that Appa was the Avatar's.
"Can you take care of Appa?" Katara asked him as she slid off the bison, holding their bags and extra gear. She went and sat them down at the base of the stairs that led to the rooms on the second floor before turning to look at him. "I'll go get the key from Soi Fon."
"Who?"
"She's the woman that took over the Jasmine Dragon when Uncle moved back to the Fire Nation," Katara explained, tugging off her parka to add it to the pile. "She lives only a few blocks away with her daughter and son-in-law and their kids."
"Are you afraid I'll scare her off?" Zuko asked and Katara shook her head before grinning.
"You're the Fire Lord, remember?" she asked, shrugging. "If you want to go and get pestered by your Uncle's customers and therefore the rest of the people still out tonight, you can come with me."
"I'll take care of Appa," Zuko decided and Katara laughed as she opened the door that led into the kitchen, leaving him in the courtyard with Appa who turned and licked him again. "Great."
sSs
"Soi Fon?" Katara called as she stepped inside the kitchen.
She happily took in the smell of ginseng and jasmine tea before glancing around, spotting the small room temporarily empty. There weren't any teas waiting to be served either so she wandered out to the seating area, knowing the woman would be there if she wasn't back in the kitchen. She was just as friendly as Iroh with strangers Katara had learned from her previous stays, actually having had met her several times before she had taken over the shop at the retired General's request.
"Soi Fon?" she asked softly, seeing her sitting at a table with what looked to be her family. Her head lifted in surprise before she smiled upon seeing Katara and hastily made her way over, laughing softly.
"Katara, my dear!" she greeted, hugging her quickly before pulling back. "It is nice to see you were found. Iroh had written me and said you had gone missing almost three months ago. The Avatar and his earthbender wrote me as well to let me know. When did you get in?"
"Just now on Appa," Katara told her, motioning back to towards the courtyard vaguely. "I'm here with Fire Lord Zuko; he's the one that found me. We will be staying here while we are in Ba Sing Se briefly."
"The young Fire Lord, hm?" Soi Fon murmured with interest as they headed back to the kitchen to avoid the curious patrons of the Jasmine Dragon. "Iroh had mentioned he might show up when you did. I just had the rooms cleaned as well, once that letter for you arrived, figuring it would just be a matter of days."
"What letter?" Katara asked, surprised. Everyone that would have tried to contact her had to have known she had been missing. "Is it from Aang or my family?"
"No, from what the messenger told me it's from here in Ba Sing Se, but not from the palace as a royal messenger didn't bring it," Soi Fon told her as she pulled out the key that went to the upper floor. "I left it upstairs on your bed for you though."
"Thank you," Katara told her, taking the key.
"I will get tea and some food prepared for you and the Fire Lord and bring it up in a few minutes," Soi Fon offered and Katara smiled gratefully before shaking her head.
"We can help ourselves. I'm taking a bath first anyways," Katara sighed happily at the thought of being able to properly clean up. "And the Fire Lord will probably want one as well, so it will be some time until we will be ready to eat."
"Nonsense," Soi Fon dismissed, gently ushering Katara back to the doors. "I will bring tea and food in an hour then to the small sitting room. You are too thin my dear; you need to eat some good warm food prepared by someone else. And no more protests."
"Thank you," Katara finally said, knowing she wouldn't win the argument with the older woman. Stepping back outside, she shivered at the sudden change in temperature and looked around the see Zuko leaving the barn. "Why are you wet?"
"Appa licked me again."
"Sokka must be right, there is something about you that Appa finds tasty," Katara decided as she grabbed her stuff while Zuko picked up his. "Are you sure you don't hide honey on you somewhere?"
"You tell me," Zuko said as he followed her up the stairs. "You seemed to get a good taste a few days ago."
Blushing, Katara quickly opened the door without commenting, hearing Zuko chuckle softly as he followed her inside. The hallways were dark until Zuko created a fireball in his free hand, letting Katara find the lanterns waiting for them on a small hallway table.
"Soi Fon recently cleaned the rooms," she told him over her shoulder as she passed the stairs that led back downstairs from inside and headed towards her room. Setting her stuff down she turned only to pause seeing Zuko doing the same before going and lighting the overhead lanterns so her room was fully lit, seemingly not interested in claiming his own room. "Um…"
"Something wrong?" Zuko asked, wandering around her room before looking back at her.
"No," she said slowly before shaking her head and looking towards the bed. Soi Fon rarely came upstairs and never entered the bedrooms unless asked, so them sharing a room wasn't a problem. She had just been thinking that they would have their own rooms like normal, though when she looked at the fact that they were in a relationship there wasn't any reason for them not to share.
"What's that?" Zuko asked and she turned to see him going through his bag.
"Nothing too important," she said, hoping it was true. She would read it right after her bath she decided, but getting clean without having to use a bucket was the first on her lists of priority. "I'll be back."
Going to the bathroom, Katara smiled happily at the large metal tub Iroh had brought from the Fire Nation when he had built the addition. Added to the fact that Sokka and Teo had designed plumbing to directly feed water into the tub and return it to the sewers, it was her favorite thing about staying at the Jasmine Dragon. And she even had her own firebender to warm the water for her rather than the slower method of using hot rocks, she though giddily as she started to fill the tub.
"It would figure the first thing you would do is find the largest source of hot water," Zuko commented behind her and she turned to see him leaning against the doorway. He had removed his long sleeved shirt and replaced it with one of his sleeveless training shirts and she hated he was still comfortable in the slightly chilled air when she would stay in layers, even though Ba Sing Se was far warmer than the village had been.
"This is going to be my first bath in months," she reminded him. "It's good for the both of us. Are you going to go train?"
"I was, but the thought of a bath with you sounds slightly more tempting," he told her and she stared at him in surprise before blushing. She had never bathed with anyone before, even when they had been traveling, using that time to gain some solitude. And the tub was large, as per Iroh's orders, but not enough to give them a lot of room. "Get something for my troubles since I'm pretty sure you were going to have me heat that water for you."
"Uh…sure," Katara finally said, finding the thought of bathing with him alluring as it sank in before grinning at him. "It's one of the few times we'll be around a large mass of water with my bending still out. You should take advantage of it."
"I plan to," he said, letting her go to sit on the edge while she went back to her – their – room to change into a light robe.
Her cheeks were heated when she returned to the bathroom and she wondered where all the confidence she had once displayed about being naked in front of him went. It was different, she realized as Zuko finished pulling off his shirt before looking towards her and grinning. They had been distracted before by other matters than to simply stop and notice each other disrobing. He had also always given her privacy when she had dressed again afterwards too, generally because her bindings took a while to do.
"I missed seeing you in blue," he said, pulling her over so she was standing between his legs as he stayed sitting on the tub edge. The air was humid as steam rose from the water, causing her free hair start to curl which Zuko seemed to notice as he tugged gently on one of the thicker locks.
"You don't like me in other colors?" she asked curious.
"You look good in everything except Air Nomad orange," he told her honestly, making her laugh as she remembered the one time she had let Aang convince her to wear the robes of a Air Nomad along with the others in their group shortly after the end of the war. None of them looked good in the burnt orange and browns except Aang and Toph. "Blue is just…yours."
"I like red though," she told him softly, looping her arms around his neck.
"If it's you in one of my shirts then I like you in red too," he smirked and Katara raised her eyebrows in question. "That first time you came out just wearing my shirt, Agni, I was close to dragging you back into the bedroom."
"Wasn't that right before Yao showed up?" she asked and Zuko nodded before pushing her back to stand and close the bathroom door.
"It was. You promised me something about view from the floor then too."
"I believe I gave you one a few nights ago," she said, echoing his words from earlier that day.
"You did," he said before slipping out of his pants and sitting down in the tub with a sigh. When she didn't move from her position he arched his eyebrow as he leaned back, arms braced on the sides of the tub. "You coming in or am I putting on a show?"
"Hm," she hummed as she walked back to the tub and wrapped her arms around him from behind, resting her head against his. To pay him back for his earlier comments she let hands wander over his chest, thankful her robe had short sleeves as her arms sank into the water. "Depends on the quality of the show."
"Katara," he growled and Katara kissed him quickly on his scarred cheek before straightening and slipping off her robe while still behind him. With a giggle she grabbed a nearby towel and draped it over his head, climbing into the tub as Zuko was pulling it off before tossing it to the ground. By then she had settled in between his legs, her own pulled up to her chest as she faced him across the small expanse of water. There were more comfortable positions she knew but it was amusing to see Zuko scowl at her through the fresh wave of steam. "You're not choosing now to be coy, are you?"
"Me? Never," she denied softly with a teasing smile, wiggling her toes to brush against his thighs. Groaning softly just to bug him, she sank deeper into the water, enjoying both that and Zuko's sucked in breath as she adjusted the position of her foot further up as she relaxed her legs a little. "I'm just taking pleasure in the hot water."
"I bet," Zuko said rather breathlessly as Katara wiggled her toes again before Zuko finally reached into the water to grab her feet. "I thought you wanted to get clean."
"I never rush my baths," she told him with a shrug, reaching up to push some of her hair from her face. A second later she gasped as Zuko pressed firmly into the sole of one of her feet, causing the muscles to contract before relaxing, her nerves tingling in response.
"Oh," she breathed softly as he continued to massage her feet, sinking further down into the water at the feeling. "That…that feels better than I would have expected."
"You have dancing feet," Zuko commented and she squirmed as his fingers trailed lightly over her arch before returning to massaging. "Long and thin. Must help with your bending."
"Master Pakku always tells me my stance is too firm," she told him as he started on the other foot. By then she was as far into the water she could get, the liquid over her shoulders as she leaned her head back. "Too many fights with Toph and you taught me how to hold my ground, so I'm not as fluid as he cares for."
"You're a Master, you get to change how you bend," Zuko reminded her as he let go of her foot. She protested a second later as Zuko pulled her slowly through the water until she settled in against him before smirking.
"Is the water stimulating, Zuko?" she asked him inquisitively letting her hands slide under the water again from where they had rested on his shoulders to explore underwater.
"You're a tease," he told her with a frown before twisting her around so she was between his legs again. She watched as he grabbed the soap and washrag set out next to the tub before he grabbed one of her arms and started to lather it.
"I can clean myself," she huffed only to squawk indignantly as Zuko pinched her side with his free hand, her body jerking forward at the action and sending water over the edge of the tub. "What was that for?"
"For being ungrateful," he told her, switching to her other arm. "You said you like to relax, so relax."
" 'Rush'," she corrected under her breath only to gasp as he pinched her again. "Stop pinching me!"
"Stop complaining," he ordered, flicking the soap bubbles on his hands off to the water before grabbing her mass of wet hair. "How often does a guy take the time to clean you personally?"
"Well, there was that time…" she mused faintly, bringing up her hands to start ticking off her fingers as she continued to mutter soft enough Zuko wouldn't hear her just to bug him. "Oh and Haru…Zuko!"
"Yes?" he asked innocently as Katara sputtered around the water running down her face after he had shoved her underwater at the mention of Haru. "Did you get soap in your eyes?"
"Oh, you are so lucky I can't bend right now," she told him, twisting enough to be able to see his face. He just smirked at the empty threat before twisting her back around before he started working on her hair with the shampoo. "Jealous, arrogant, snobby…"
"And down we go again," was her only warning before he pushed her back under the water. She gasped as she came up, wiping in the soap and water from her face quickly.
"Zuko!"
"You do not understand the concept of gratefulness," he told her, scooping more water onto her hair so that the rest of the shampoo was rinsed from it. With a growl she twisted around, bracing herself on her knees and the edge of the tub so that she was level with him.
"Stop dunking me under – oh!" she gasped in surprise as Zuko reached between her slightly spread legs and gently stroked her, defusing her irritation for a second before a new one surfaced. "That's cheating!"
"Is not," he countered archly as two fingers slipped inside her and Katara couldn't stop the gasp that escaped as her hands tightened on the edge of the tub. "Cheating implies the cheater gains something. However, this is cheating."
Pulling her forward, Zuko manipulated her legs so that she straddled him before pulling her down, entering her in a single thrust. She cried out as all of the muscles in her body locked up before relaxing, similar to Zuko's earlier foot massage, collapsing against his chest, resting her forehead against his shoulder. She could feel Zuko's rapid breathing as his hands flexed on her hips and he groaned softly as she pushed herself upright, causing her to sink further down on him.
The water provided additional lubricant as she rose up on her knees before sinking back down the length of him, using her arms to help control her movement. Zuko shifted one arm to support her back as he bent her so he could take a nipple in his mouth, licking away the moisture before sucking. She exhaled shakily at the sensation, rocking her hips forward as she continued to ride him. In the back of her mind she was aware of the water splashing over the edge of the tub before letting it go as she hit her first orgasm.
"Ah…" she breathed, closing her eyes as her fingers tingled in response to the climax, her grip slipping from the edge of the tub. Zuko continued to guide her up and down, his thrusts harder even as he switched to her other nipple and bit softly, causing Katara's back to arch as she gasped his name. Her hands found his shoulders, digging into the muscles as that glorious tension started to build up again.
Zuko seemed to notice as he pulled back to trail kisses along her wet shoulder as his hands slid along her body. Speeding up her movements until they were both gasping, Katara dipped her head as she heard Zuko suck in his breath sharply, his slight tell before he came, to kiss him before shuddering as her second orgasm swept through her.
sSs
"It's nice to know the food improved," Zuko noted some time later as he and Katara ate the food Soi Fon had brought them while they had cleaned up the bathroom and then changed. It was a nice combination of Earth Nation and Fire Nation food to provide a mix of spice and sweet for the two of them.
"Soi Fon is a good cook. And stop hogging the spicy noodles," she told him, reaching across him to grab a mass of noodles with her chopsticks.
"You're doing the same with the mango," he retaliated and was rewarded by a slap to his hand when he attempted to retrieve a slice of the fruit. "Hey!"
"The mango's mine," she told him, pointing her chopsticks at him before going after some of the sweet dumplings that were popular in the Earth Nation. They were filled with a mixture of chopped nuts and sugar and even the dough was sweeter than normal for a dumpling. "Oh, I forgot how good these are."
"These were probably one of the only things I enjoyed about Ba Sing Se when we lived here," Zuko told her as he grabbed one and ate it in a single bite. "Uncle bought a dozen of these a day. He also taught my cooks how to make these."
"I was wondering about that," Katara murmured as she continued to eat, glancing at him from the corner of her eyes. "Why did he start traveling back to the Fire Nation more often last year? After leaving you handle everything following the war, it seemed odd that he would start returning so often for so long."
"I needed some help on some things and he was the best one of the job," Zuko replied vaguely, reaching for more noodles to avoid having to look at Katara.
Iroh had actually returned at his request when his ministers and advisors had started pressuring him on producing an heir after he had turned twenty-two. There wasn't anyone in his family to replace him should he die expect Azula and Iroh who, even though he was Zuko's regent, still abdicated from ever taking the throne. Iroh had helped him argue that his marriage to Mai wasn't to be rushed for the sake of producing heirs, which now seemed pointless Zuko thought guiltily, as his broken engagement to Mai was probably common knowledge to everyone back at the Fire Nation by now.
"He decided to stay a while longer, though he had just returned from the Harvesting Festival here the day I left to find you."
"I missed the Festival," Katara sighed, eating the mango while keeping away from him. "I was just about to head north to see Arnook. You should come next year to see it; I think it's my favorite festival here in the Earth Nation. All of Ba Sing Se is decorated in fall colors, even the Earth King's palace and the Lower Ring, and they open the gates that go out to the produce fields. Even the nobility and government workers go to the field the day of the Festival to buy their own food from the growers and most of the restaurant owners bring food to sell."
"Do you go to it every year?" Zuko asked curiously, watching Katara pick up another piece of mango. Grabbing her wrist he pulled her hand over to him so he could take the mango from her chopsticks before letting her go, enjoying both the sweet fruit and the irritated look that crossed Katara's face.
"You ate my mango!" Katara cried out before scooting further away from him to save the rest of the fruit from him. She glared at him as she ate another piece, but Zuko just smirked as he grabbed a sweet dumpling. "I don't get to the festival every year. Since the end of the war I've probably made it three times now. But, I also get to see their Spring Festival, which they have to celebrate the new growing season and it's just as fun."
"We have something similar to that in the Fire Nation called 'Hanami'," Zuko explained. "When the cherry trees in the Fire Nation bloom, everyone goes and celebrates the new spring by eating under the trees. The blossoms only stay on for a few days before falling, making the ground look like it's covered in pink snow."
"Sounds lovely," Katara said, handing him the bowl of mangos as she returned to sit next to him. "We'll all have to come and see it next year."
"My mother had a whole bunch of them planted on the palace grounds when she was pregnant with me," Zuko said, smiling softly as he stared down at the five pieces of fruit she had left him. "I give the servants a day off and let them invite their family to the palace grounds to enjoy them if they care too."
"That's oddly sweet of you. You should go to the ones in public next year, though," Katara said and he looked at her in curiosity. "Show your subjects you celebrate the same things they do, especially something as symbolic and simple as trees blooming."
"You sound like a politician," Zuko teased her and Katara shrugged as she sipped the rice wine Soi Fon had brought up instead of tea.
"I've heard King Kuei get pestered about things like that often enough," she explained casually. "His new advisors are well versed in understanding that the opinions of the citizens of Ba Sing Se do matter, especially after Toph made her opinions known. She's the one that got him traveling through Ba Sing Se every month to meet some of the citizens and refugees, even though he enjoys it."
"You've gone with him then?"
"Once or twice, whenever I'm in town long enough. He does genuinely care for his citizens, but as a ruler he tends to get buried in policies and paperwork and is often distracted, as you should know."
Zuko nodded in agreement as he started gathering their now empty dishes. Katara helped him and the two went to the shop floor where Katara started on the dishes while he wandered out to the seating area. The shop was closed for the evening, so the room was dark until he used his bending to produce enough light to see. Little had changed from when the shop had first opened except for the expansion of an outside sitting area for when the weather was good and new pieces of artwork he noted, pausing at the framed piece of artwork next to the doorway.
Even after all these years it still looked like a four-year old had did the work he decided, reaching up to gently touch the faces on the paper.
"Uncle loves that picture," Katara said softly as she stepped up next to him. "The first time Sokka saw that Uncle had framed it he had almost burst into tears."
"It's still horrible."
"I know, but I think that's what gives it its value," Katara laughed, reaching out to brush her fingers lightly over the blob that was supposed to be Sokka. "He made another and has it at his house on Kyoshi Island. I think it's actually worse than this one."
"That's hard to believe," Zuko commented as the two headed back to the kitchen. As Katara headed towards the stairs to return upstairs Zuko grabbed her arm to stop her.
"What?" she asked curiously.
"I'm going to ask King Kuei to let me provide more firebenders to you and Aang," he told her, having thought about it since Appa had arrived. From what he had learned from Katara and the fact that Aang and Toph didn't have enough men to stop the rebellion currently, contributing firebenders to help wasn't unreasonable. "They would be more helpful in fighting the rebellion than more earthbenders."
Katara sighed and sat on the stairs, looking up at him as she crossed her arms before saying, "I was wondering when you were going to mention it."
"You were expecting me to do this?" Zuko asked and Katara raised her eyebrows at him.
"Of course I did, Zuko. I know you," she told him lightly, something in the way she said it that both pleased and bothered him. "The rebellion is being led by soldiers that once served your father and are official deserters in your country. It's only reasonable that you would use this as an excuse to try and help out."
"You don't think I should then?"
"Oh, no, I agree with you," Katara told him, shaking her head before sighing. "But I also know how hard it will be hard for you to convince the Senate to let you bring in more firebenders."
"They should know why I want to!" Zuko huffed. "Those men should be my responsibility as deserters from my military and remnants of the war effort."
"Yes, but their actions are now against the Earth Nation and the Senate wants to put them on trial because of it, which they can't do if they fall under your jurisdiction," Katara explained to him. "So, by keeping you out of it, when it gets all wrapped up they get their justice and the citizens of the Earth Nation get to see they are still protected."
"And if I let them try the deserters as Earth Nation criminals, what then?"
"They might still say no to you," Katara told him, shrugging. "However unreasonable it is, if they decided not to let you help that's all there is to it."
"What about the Council of Five?" Zuko asked. "Don't they get a say?"
"The Senate is what now controls the Council of Five. The generals can't even get the Senate to approve to send more men to Toph and Aang. I have little faith that they can convince them to let you provide firebenders."
"I still have to try," Zuko decided and Katara smiled at him. "What?"
"Of course you will," she said. "You never give up. However, Zuko, I can't help you with this."
"What?" He had been expecting her help to win over the Senate. "Why not?"
"My hands are tied," she explained, pushing off the stairs. "I'm officially employed by the Earth Nation at the moment so I can't help you with this. It's a…conflict of interest."
"A conflict of interest?" he echoes and Katara nodded before motioning him to follow her upstairs.
"I can tell you how to get in to see the Senate, skip the usually waiting list," she told him as they returned to the sitting room. She went to a chest against a wall and pulled out paper and writing utensils before returning to the table to set them down. "A hearing request usually takes a month at the earliest. I can get you one in less than week, but you need to write the request and a few duplicates. I also recommend you write to the Council of Five, telling everything they may need to know. If the Senate sees you are freely giving aid, it might help you.
"I'm sorry that's all I can do," she said softly, hugging Zuko briefly who sighed and returned it.
"It's fine," he returned, knowing she had provided him useful information that she probably shouldn't. Sitting, he started to write the request before realizing Katara was also quickly scribbling away across from him. "What are you doing?"
"Writing letters," she explained without looking up. "I need to send one to Dad, Sokka and Suki, Chief Arnook, and Toph and Aang to let them know I'm okay and what's going on here."
"Can you write one to Uncle too?" he asked and she finally glanced up to frown at him. "I'll send my own, but he would like to hear from you as well."
"Sure," she said and the two fell silent for some time until Katara finally sighed as she straightened up. By then the two both had a collection of letters written to be sent out, Zuko also having made sure to write to his closest advisors as well as Iroh. "I'll send these all out tomorrow when I go into town."
"I can do it," he said but Katara shook her head.
"You shouldn't leave the Jasmine Dragon," she told him and cut him off before he could protest. "I know you don't want to, Zuko, but for right now it would be best if people didn't know you were here in Ba Sing Se until you go and see the Senate."
"You shouldn't go out with your bending gone," he protested and Katara waved him off as she cleaned up the table.
"I'll be fine," she said, shrugging. "Ba Sing Se is safe from the rebellion."
"But what about the people that live in Ba Sing Se? I've lived with them, I know how dangerous it can be."
"Zuko, I promise I'll be fine. It's not like I'm going to the Lower Level," she told him as the two headed towards her bedroom. "I need to go the clothes-maker and order you robes, so you actually look like the Fire Lord when you see them, and a few other stops on the Middle and Upper Ring."
"Robes?" he asked and she raised her eyebrows at him as she tied up all of her letters with twine at her desk before doing the same with his.
"Of course. You can't appear in front of the Senate in what you're wearing now," she said, motioning to his clothing. "You look like a common worker, not the ruler of a country. Everything has to do with appearances in politics, Zuko, you know that."
"I know," he replied with a brief sigh, pulling out his medallion from where he had stashed it in his bag after they had first arrived in the village. He also grabbed his purse and produced the money for Katara to buy the robes. "Here, whatever you think I need."
"It's like I get to play dress-up with a living doll," she grinned as she took the coins before kissing him swiftly. "I'm tired of thinking about politics so enough of that for now. Let's do something different."
"I have something in mind," Zuko told her with a smirk, closing the bedroom door before pulling her towards the bed.
sSSs
Ending A/N: So, a few good things about this chapter. It's long, you have a (hopefully) good sex scene, Mai got bashed at least twice in the chapter, and a love confession all together! Plus, I got a BLEACH reference in, hahaha!
Also, for the first "scene" I actually wrote that last section (from the first kiss to ending) backwards. Was that an interesting method of writing! One chapter left to post, so can I get some reviews? Please? PLEASE?
A weird preview of the next chapter:
"So, tell me, how do you think elemental bending came about then?"
"Uh…badger moles?"
Dislcaimer: Avatar the Last Airbender belongs to Nickelodeon and its creators. I just muddy the waters a bit.