A/N: Lookie! A new chapter! I have a problem, okay? LOL. I hope you like the continuation of this story.
xx-Kitten.
Satisfied
By Kittenshift17
Chapter Three
"Where the slush have you been, Katara?" Sokka shouted by way of greeting when Katara let herself into their house in the Upper Ring. He barreled toward her, scooping her into his arms and crushing her to his chest as though he hadn't seen her in months, rather than in a few short hours.
"I got stuck in the Lower Ring overnight," Katara said truthfully, having spent the entire walk back to their house planning how she would explain away her absence without revealing that she'd spent the night in the arms of their least favourite Firebender.
"What?" Sokka asked, pulling back and holding her at arm's length while he peered into her face in confusion. "How did you get stuck down there? What were you even doing down there? Isn't it full of refugees?"
"I lost track of time on my walk yesterday because I got sidetracked healing some of the sick people down there. Before I knew it, it was starting to get dark and then they locked the gates when the markets closed down and all the merchants had gone home, and so I was stuck down there for the night."
She knew she was rambling a little in her nervousness, but if Sokka noticed, he didn't let it show. He was too focused on playing the concerned big brother who'd been worried about his baby-sister all night long. Katara only hoped that he would continue to do so, rather than seeing through her story and asking why she smelled like a certain firebender they all knew and why her hair was such a mess after having someone's hot hands running through it all night long.
"Are you alright?" Sokka asked seriously. "We were really worried about you. We searched for ages. Aang and Toph wouldn't let me mount a full-scale man-hunt because then the Dai Li would get involved."
"I'm fine, Sokka," Katara smiled reassuringly. "Sorry for making you worry. Hi, Aang."
She caught the airbender when he jumped into her arms, cuddling her in relief. As she did, Katara couldn't help noticing how small he felt after spending so many hours with Zuko's strong arms wrapped around her. Aang was by no means weak. Indeed, he was an incredibly powerful bender. But he was still just a kid, barely even a teenager, unlike Zuko, who was well on his way to being a man. Aang was shorter, and thinner, and far less developed.
"We thought you'd been captured by the Dai Li," Aang told her. "We searched until it got too dark, and we were about to come looking for you this morning when Toph heard you coming."
"What are you wearing, Katara?" Sokka interrupted, his eyes trailing over her ins search of injuries or any cause for him to go full-protective-big-brother and knock some skulls together.
Glancing down at herself, Katara realised she was still wearing Zuko's shirt and her cheeks brightened with embarrassment and nervousness, recalling how hot the firebender's hands had been tracing under the fabric of this very shirt.
"Oh, I tripped and got my dress badly stained," she explained. "A nice old woman gave me a bed for the night, but the only clothes she had spare that would fit me were some of her son's."
"That was nice of her," Aang said, accepting the lie easily, never doubting that she'd be truthful, too innocent and just a little too naïve to think she might've gotten someone else's shirt by any other means than charity.
Katara nodded, glancing at Toph, who'd yet to say a word about her return, or about her having spent the night away from them all for the first time in longer than she could remember. The earthbender moved closer, smoothing her feet carefully over the ground and picking up on the vibrations in a way that would surely give her away for a liar. Before she could pick up too much, Katara held her breath, hugging the other girl.
"You should wash up," Toph said. "You don't smell that great, Katara."
"Oh, you're one to talk," Katara laughed nervously, certain the blind girl could tell she'd lied to them about her whereabouts.
"Maybe we should go together? Have that girl's day you suggested. Enjoy some pampering," Toph suggested
"Sure," Katara said, not at all liking the sound of the blind girl trying to get her alone. She got the feeling the earthbender knew she'd lied and was just itching to drill her about it.
"Great, let's go now. You boys go rustle up some food from the market," Toph ordered.
"Oh, so we don't need pampering?" Aang protested, chuckling and looking like he wanted to come with them, even if they were going to do something girly, like getting their nails done.
"I'm not letting anyone pamper me," Sokka said, rolling his eyes. "Let them go get all pretty and we'll eat, Aang. I'm starving."
Aang looked disappointed for a moment but nodded even as Toph dragged Katara out the door. She didn't speak until they were a few blocks away, and Katara nervously awaited the Earthbender's questions.
"So," Toph said leadingly. "Who's the lucky guy?"
"There is no lucky guy," Katara said, even knowing the other girl would know it was a lie.
"Mmhhmm. Try again, sweetness. You smell like a guy. All over. And you lied about the old woman."
Katara sighed. "Well, I couldn't just tell them the truth. Sokka would've had a hippo-cow."
Toph grinned.
"I want all the juicy details," she said.
"There isn't any juiciness," Katara rolled her eyes. "I lost track of time. I got chased by some thugs with unpleasant intentions. I got saved by the Blue Spirit. And he gave me somewhere to sleep for the night and a shirt to wear that didn't smell foul."
"The same Blue Spirit who rescued Aang?" Toph confirmed.
Katara nodded.
"Did you find out who he really is, then?" she asked.
Katara frowned, wondering how she would get away with lying, before realising that while she knew that Zuko was the one behind the mask, she didn't know who he was. Not really.
"No," Katara said softly. "I don't think anyone will ever figure out who the man is behind that mask. Maybe not even him."
"I don't care about his personality," Toph rolled her eyes. "I want to know if he's pretty."
Katara laughed.
"No, he's not pretty," she answered truthfully, thinking of Zuko's angry scowl and the scar marring his features.
"Wears the mask for a reason, huh?" Toph said, looking crestfallen.
"Yes," Katara said. "He could never be considered pretty. Handsome, yes. To some. Rugged. Fierce. Scary. He has a dangerous face. But if you mean pretty, like perfect, then no."
"Wait, so he's dangerous and handsome and mysterious and he saved you from thugs, and I'm supposed to believe there're no juicy details?" Toph scoffed. "I'm blind, Katara. Not stupid."
Katara laughed. "What do you take me for?" she asked. "What juiciness could there possibly be?"
"You smell like him, Katara," Toph told her.
"I'm wearing his shirt," she pointed out. "Of course, I smell like him."
"I know you're lying." Toph said, grinning. "You kissed him, didn't you?"
"Of course not," Katara denied, but they both knew it was a lie.
~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~
General Iroh of the Fire Nation watched his nephew throughout the day after finding Miss Katara in bed with the boy. He knew it wasn't Zuko's first time, but it was the first time the girl hadn't been paid for the sake of teaching him how to please a woman and ridding him of his innocence, and it was the first time he'd shared his sleeping space with anyone so intimately. Iroh had wondered throughout their travels as they hunted the avatar if the pretty Water Tribe girl might've caught Zuko's attention, but he'd been shocked beyond words to find the two in bed together that morning. He eyed Zuko as the surly prince served tea, taking orders and bussing tables. He seemed as surly as ever, despite his pleasant night, and Iroh shook his head. A smile pulled at the corners of Iroh's mouth, recalling the laughter that had burst from the prince that very morning. It had been a long time since he'd heard the prince laugh like that. Not since before Ursa's disappearance, he was sure. Certainly not in the time since his exile.
It had been good to know Zuko could still find humor and Iroh wondered what this might mean for them. Would his nephew finally see sense and realize that the only way to reclaim his throne was to take it back by force? If he worked alongside the Avatar, Zuko would win the hearts of the other nations and a good many from among the Fire Nation, too. There were many among their people who loathed Ozai's mercilessness and more still who knew they would fair even worse under Azula's reign, if such a time ever came. They would accept him as their rightful and ruling Fire Lord if Zuko would just give up on trying to win his father's love; if he would just realize that Ozai's only love in life was power.
Iroh had been trying to make him see it for years, gently trying to nudge him in the direction of understanding that Ozai hadn't and couldn't take Zuko's honour. He'd been gently trying to suggest that maybe the way forward was to forget Ozai and his commands, and to make his own way in the world. Until he could do that, Zuko would have no hope of leading a rebellion. Iroh wondered if, just maybe, the pretty Water Tribe woman would provide the push Zuko needed to outgrow the hurt and confused boy he had been, and to finally become a powerful, determined, and unstoppable young man.
He desperately hoped the girl would make use of the coupon he'd given her. He needed her to come back. She would, surely. She'd left her mother's betrothal necklace in Zuko's possession. She must mean to one day return and reclaim it. Iroh wondered if there might ever come a day when, rather than her mother's necklace, she might wear a betrothal necklace of her very own. Iroh certainly wouldn't disprove if such a necklace happed to be fashioned in Fire Nation red.
~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~
"Still no sign of Appa," Sokka sighed two weeks after Katara had spent the night in the arms of a firebender.
"Maybe we need to put up posters?" Aang suggested. "He's a ten tonne flying bison. Someone must've seen him."
"That's a great idea, Aang!" Katara said.
"Just don't look at me to design them, okay?" Toph said, deadpan.
~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~
"We should split up," Sokka announced. "We'll cover more ground that way. Aang, you take these and fly across the city, dropping them as you see fit. Toph… you come with me."
"I can put up posters by myself!" Toph argued, snatching a poster and smearing some glue on the nearby wall. She slammed her hand against the wall, sticking the poster on facing the wrong way.
Everyone was silent.
"It's upside-down, isn't it?" the Earthbender asked, sounding resigned.
"Backwards," Aang said, never the most tactful.
Toph sighed. "I'll just go with Sokka."
"Good. Katara, you take these and paper the Middle Ring and the Lower ring, alright? We'll do the Upper Ring and take the train. Everyone rides the train. If we paper it, someone is sure to know something."
Katara pressed her lips together, her heart skipping a beat at the thought of returning to the Lower ring.
"Okay," she said nonchalantly. "Though it seems like I'll be the one doing most of the work."
"Just try to be back before sundown, this time," Sokka said.
"It's okay," Katara smiled. "I'm sure the old woman I stayed with last time wouldn't mind having me stay again, if I get stuck down there."
"If you're not back before dark, I'll come looking for you," Sokka warned her.
"Worry wart," Katara accused, rolling her eyes before taking a satchel full of posters and a pot of glue.
"Be good," Toph called, letting Sokka lead her away by the wrist even as she called over her shoulder in a sing-song voice designed to embarrass her.
"Oh, don't worry," Katara muttered, slipping her hand into her pocket and fingering the coupon for the tea shop where Zuko worked. "I plan to."
Toph cackled as she was led away and Katara felt a wicked little grin crawl her face as she wandered in the direction of the lower ring, far in the distance, papering the walls with posters as she went.