A/N:
And this story's rating is now 'T'. The innocence was nice while it lasted!
Fire Lord Iroh was too busy to do it.
Prince Ozai couldn't bring himself to find the time.
Ursa flat out refused, understandably.
This left Lu Ten to give Zuko the Very Important Talk.
"And there you have it," Lu Ten says, relatively calm considering the situation. "That's how…yeah. That's how that happens."
Zuko is stunned.
That seems implausible.
And yet at the same time it made so much sense! That was what that was for!
And aside from being totally weird and confusing, girls had a specific point!
Lu Ten frowns at him when he points this out.
"Women don't like it when you treat them like baby machines. So don't," he warns. Then he smiles and ruffles Zuko's hair in a brotherly fashion. "Just treat girls with respect and you'll do just fine."
Lu Ten clears his throat and looks down at the very specific and educational diagrams that he has brought along for the Very Important Talk.
Zuko can't stop staring at them.
They are horrifying.
They are fascinating.
"So," Lu Ten says, letting out an awkward cough. "That about sums that up. I'll leave those pictures here with you for the time being. For academic purposes," he finishes, narrowing his eyes at Zuko.
Zuko blinks up at his cousin innocently before handing his cousins the diagrams anyway.
He really has no use for educational diagrams of naked people who are performing what Lu Ten describes as the Very Important Deed.
Zuko is not sure how to tell Sokka about the Very Important Deed. He doesn't know if Sokka knows.
And he would rather be eaten by a tiger-lily then talk to Katara about it.
He hopes he never ever ever has to talk to her about it.
How terrifying.
Sokka clears the air nearly as soon as he, Katara and Chief Hakoda arrive for the summer.
"I know what sex is!" he exclaims gleefully. Katara gives a huff of indignation behind him.
"Why won't anyone tell me what that is?" she shrieks furiously, stomping her foot. "I wanna know!"
"You don't get to know until next year," Sokka says with a wave of his hand. He straightens his shoulders and holds himself up higher. "You're too little."
Katara turns her big blue eyes onto Zuko.
He bolts before she can ask.
Katara and Azula ignore him for the rest of the week, since both girls have no idea what the Very Important Deed is and yet both seem bent to know.
Zuko thinks this is a small sacrifice, considering.
She's been here in the Fire Nation for nearly a month and yet this is the first time she's come into his room.
He had missed her.
"Nightmare?" he asks. It was late, but not too late. He watches her step into his room and close the door behind her, Nukka faithfully by her side.
Zuko allows himself a moment to wish that he had a wolf too.
Maybe one day.
Katara reaches the edge of his bed and shakes her head. "No."
Zuko doesn't hide his surprise. He's suddenly feeling flushed and nervous. Katara has never come unless she's had a nightmare.
She brushes her fingertips along the bedspread. "I just…your bed is bigger than mine?" she offers weakly, as if she can't really think of anything.
"Erm," he gulps, not sure what to say.
Her shoulders sag and she sighs. "Fine. I'm not…I'm not sleeping well," she admits. "Last summer I got used to sleeping in here most nights."
He nods slowly before giving his permission. "Uh, sure."
She clambers up onto the bed and curls up on the other side, Nukka crawling between Zuko and Katara like she always does.
"Goodnight," Katara yawns. Then she's fast asleep.
He realizes the next morning that he sleeps better when she's around too.
Zuko is half heartedly showing Katara some sword fighting techniques. She's not very good; a sword obviously isn't her kind of weapon.
They both freeze when they hear too people giggling. They both rush to the edge of the garden and peer around the bushes. There's a servant girl and a kitchen boy in a secluded corner, right by the palace wall.
They're kissing.
"Gross," Zuko blurts out, turning away instantly. He doesn't want to see two people eating each other's faces, as Sokka puts it.
Katara, however, is now looking at him with a calculating expression.
He's about to take off when she grabs his face and kisses him.
Then just like that it's over.
Zuko stares down at her, eyes wide, face turning hot.
Katara's expression is blank and then her mouth twists up.
"Ew."
Zuko doesn't even feel offended. In fact he feels relieved.
She shakes her head, looking somewhat disgusted.
"Kissing is icky," she says, turning away and picking back up her sword. "Let's never do it again."
Zuko nods quickly. "Agreed."
A/N:
:D
Silly kids…
Review!