Disclaimer: I don't own The Avatar: The Last Airbender

Chapter 19

Side Effects

Ember absentmindedly whimpered. This man was serious. She freed her mind and grabbed a hold of his hand, missing the feeling of it wrapped around her waist. She slowly began to walk, hoping not to stumble on her weakened knees. She had waited for so long for this to happen again. She'd been waiting since she was sixteen to feel him again.

After a few steps and some twist and turns, they made it to their destination: Ember's chambers. After stepping inside and locking the doors, Zuko was all over her. His hands snaked trails of pleasure down her already hot body. His juicy, wet lips roamed her face and neck but never her lips. Ember's sense of heaven was just to great to even notice.

Zuko roughly pushed Ember to her nightstand that was much closer than the bed. He yanked her up by the back of her knees and sat her on top of the nightstand pushing all her candles that adorned it aside or on the floor. He immediately pushed himself against her clothed nether area, moaning in the process. Ember's long pale legs instantly wrapped around Zuko's waist as he ruined her shirt by ripping it off of her.

Zuko was rough and he was full of total need. He left slippery wet, open-mouthed kisses on Embers neck, driving her insane and making her moan accordingly. Holding her firmly by the waist, Zuko rammed his groin into Ember's sensitive spot, making them both groan impatiently.

Ripping himself from her slender neck, he immediately began to work on her all to exposed chests. Nibbling and biting on her erect nipples were causing even louder moaning to escape from his little sex toy. He was getting harder and harder every second.

Zuko was not at all in his right mind. He had no idea of what he was doing or whom he was doing. Yes he was a man, and he'd probably would cheat on Katara if he had the chance, but never with Ember. He couldn't be in his right mind if he actually decided to do it with Ember, his friend, whom Katara already didn't trust. Right now he was just clueless and looking for release.

Ember was in pure bliss. She loved how Zuko yanked on her legs to bring then higher to make the grind sweeter. His heavy breathes in her ear were intoxicating, making her drip wet. She wished he would talk to her and say meaningless things to make her feel good, but he said not one word. He spoke to her with his perverted actions, which she did not complain.

Ember's hands freely moved towards Zuko's Fire Lord robes. Zuko was to absorb in playing with Embers breast to even notice her pulling them off. She ran her hand down his well-toned body and was stricken speechless. Good thing there was no need for talk in the situation they were in. Wanting to taste him, she brushed her lips over his shoulder blades and got captivated. She began to suckle on the spot she brushed past and ran her long fingers all down his masculine body. She was ready for him. She was so ready to push him on her silk sheets and ride him, as he looked up in the mirror above the bed, watching her and him together. She wanted him to see how good they looked.

Ember's wish was finally about to come true. She was about to be with the man that she truly loved. Zuko was massaging her left breast and rubbing the side and inside of her thigh. Ember's skinny fingers were at the rim of his pants. She would have tugged then down if it weren't for a knock at her door and a loud yell of her name coming from behind it. "Lady Ember!?" Damn that Toru.

Zuko's head jolted up at the sound of Ember's name. He was out of his little trance and back in to his real world. Ember felt him stiffen under her. Damn, I was so close…

Zuko's whole body was limb. His head was rested in Ember's shoulders. Fiery red hair invaded his vision. Ember? Hopefully this was all a dream. Once he realized where his hands were, he quickly drew them away. They were clutched tightly at her bottom. He tried to move away but he was locked in with her legs. What the hell happened?

"Ah…Ember?" he looked up with and arched eyebrow. "What happened?" he asked, looking deep into her face. He was so confused and puzzled he didn't know what to do or know what to say.

Ember was out of her state of bliss and was now in the land of sorrow. She was so close…just so close it hurt, but she was well organized. They couldn't call her devious and conniving if she couldn't handle what was happening. She already knew what to say to Zuko if her ever came out of his weird state. "I…I…I don't know, I can't remember…" She practically choked out while unfolding her locked legs from Zuko's waist.

Zuko silently nodded and pulled himself away from her while pulling at his robes, trying to get them right. He practically jumped at another knock at the door. "Lady Ember!?" The yell erupted from the hallway again. Ember first turned her face to Zuko; he was in shocked and looked scared to death…poor guy! She then forced her head to the door and hid her angry face. "Toru, could you please go to the kitchen and bring me back some burning it's before coming in. I'm starving." She yelled from her place. She heard a loud "Un huh" and footsteps retreating. After fully satisfied of hearing no more footsteps she turned back to Zuko. He was stiff as a doorknob, looking at the door.

"Fire Lord?" Ember softly tried to get his attention. It worked but as soon as he glared her way his eyes got wide and he shot his head to the side. Ember looked at him questionably and then realized that she was still half-naked. She sighed in her head then tried to fix her ripped shirt. It was enough to cover her breast. You weren't acting like that when you were ready to fuck my brains out! She told him in her head. She was annoyed. One minute he's all over her and the next he can't look at her. She wondered what his problem was. What was with that strange state anyway, not that she cared but she was curious.

Without turning his head to see if she finished dressing, Zuko tried to speak "We…we…oooo, I can't believe this!" he groaned. He was thinking about Katara. His hands were shaking at his sides heavily.

"Don't worry… Everything will be okay, Fire Lord. We both have no clue as to what happened and we don't have to tell anyone. It'll be fine, and you'll be fine. Just don't worry, okay?" She smiled softly trying to calm him.

Even though Zuko couldn't see it, he could feel the smile on Ember's face. She was all right with it. To keep whatever had happened a secret. If she wasn't going to tell anyone then he wasn't either. Not even his dear old Uncle. Who knows what his uncle what have done if he found out something like that? He'd probably send Zuko to an early grave.

Zuko finally pushed all his emotions to the side and stood up like a real Fire Lord should stand. "Thanks, Ember." He said sincerely. He was truly grateful that she didn't what to talk about what happened. She was a real friend. He knew that she would never speak of this again and was sure of it. He just didn't know how wrong he was.

"No problem-o…" She replied to Zuko with a wide smile. How fake? Extremely. Zuko smiled half-heartedly, before walking to the door. He was stopped half way when he heard Ember's voice halt him.

"Zuko?"

"Yeah?"

"Fix your hair!" She laughed a little.

He smiled and walked out, fixing his hair.

As Ember watched Zuko leave, she remembered something. She left him with a couple of things of their little make-out session. Let's see if he gets to them before Katara does.

---

Zuko paced back and forth, in front of his bedroom doors. He was scared out of his mind. He had no idea of what to say to Katara. What was he supposed to do? Act normal?

"Act normal, act normal, you can do it!" He chanted to himself. He just couldn't let Katara find out about what he did. She'd be heart broken. She'd leave him. She'd kill him. He prayed that Ember wouldn't go back on her word and tell someone. Agni knows if she did then everyone would know, even Katara. Zuko didn't want this to happen but he knew that there was a possibility that it could happen. He just had to trust Ember, not to tell, and he could do that. She was his friend after all.

Zuko was still kind of weary on the idea of him and Ember being in their certain predicament. He just couldn't figure out how they got into that certain position. How could they both not know what happened. It was weird, but there was no point in thinking about that when it was only a door blocking him from his very temperamental wife who had the strength and power to kill him if she had the heart to.

He could still remember the day when she only thought that he was cheating on her and didn't have any proof. She nearly knocked him unconscious with the glass vases she threw at him. Imagine how it could have been if she had proof that he wasn't faithful. He'd really see the waterbender master's wrath.

Zuko took a deep breath and opened the closed doors that blocked him from his beautiful, unknowing wife. There was no use in sitting outside the door pacing with unneeded thoughts. Just act normal…

---

Katara lay in her bed reading an Earth Kingdom type book, silently to her self. She'd been reading ever since the day she was put to bed rest. This was the only thing she could do to kill her bored time. Of course Zuko had spent most of his time with her as she rested but he still had to leave sometimes to check up on the country and palace. He was Fire Lord after all. He would leave her for about an hour and she'd sit without company and read.

Today she had a chance to finish a very interesting book that had her pulled in from start to finish. It was called You're my rock and don't you ever forget it! It was basically about two Earthbending friends, a male and female, which were separated as young children and randomly, found each other after adulthood. They eventually fell in love, as they already were when they were kids. The book was written during the war so the book was about how the war affected their lives. The war was their obstacle and they need each other to be strong. They were each other's rock, trough hard times and bad. They stayed together and when their tragic fate came they died together.

Katara was soaked into the book; it had her full attention. All her hearts emotions crocked out from this little 335-page book of young loves. They died so young trying to stay together. O, how she felt for them and their life tragedy. The book was just too sad for words, the love was so strong, but not enough to keep them alive. A shame. She thought as she got up and put the book away.

On her way back to bed she heard her doors open. She looked up to find Zuko walking in, staring at her looking stoic. She wondered why he looked so emotionless. "What's wrong with you?" she asked, walking towards the bed.

"Nothing…" He turned his head from her and climbed into bed. He laid back and pulled his arm under his head, staring at the ceiling. "Sorry I wasn't here earlier," he began. "Important meeting…" He finished with out a complete sentence.

Katara made a small 'o' shape with her mouth. She didn't make a sound, she just stared at his face; he was paler than usual and he didn't look very calm. "Are you okay?" She asked. "You look funny…" she explained.

Zuko's eyes widened at this statement. " I look funny? What do you mean I look funny? What's wrong? IS IT MY HAIR?" He practically jumped out if the bed with uncertainty. He was afraid that she saw right threw him. So much for acting normal.

Katara stared in bewilderment at Zuko. He was jumpy…so NOT Zuko. "Ahhh…Maybe…Maybe you should take a nap or something, Zuko. I am not sure what happened in that meeting room, but it's got you so jumpy. You should calm down. I think a nice long nap would help you." She motioned for him to lay back down. Zuko moved his head from left to right to check his surroundings. Guilt makes you so paranoid. He looked up at Katara with an unsure look on his face then he nodded.

Zuko lay in his original position and struggled to fall asleep. Katara noticed and pulled his head to her chest as a comforting gesture. Zuko stirred at this. Something bad was surely going to happen. Paranoia had its toll on him.

Katara laid her chin on top of Zuko's hair and breathed. She caught a funny scent. She sniffed a couple of times to be sure it was from him. It was coming from his hair. She pulled her head back and smelled the sides of his face. A mixture of peppermint and coffee lingered off of him and into her sensitive nose. This was not his scent. "Zuko?" She pulled away from him, to look him in the eyes. Zuko opened one of his eyes to meet with Katara as a "What?" Gesture. "Why do you smell like that?" Zuko froze in place.

---

Ember sat on the edge of her luxurious couch in the lounge, which once contained her precious Zuko, a month ago. She stared blankly at the young boy across from her who had a look of terror written across his face. He sat in one of her favorite lounge chairs. Her shrewd mind could not think of anything good enough to do with this worthless peace of trash. Her skin boiled from just looking at this innocent soul who did all of her bidding.

The boy wasn't a slave…that was forbidden. He wasn't even a legal servant. Ember just found him in the middle of nowhere and felt pity for his ragged look. He was in Fire Nation territory but she knew from his appearance that he was not a local. She had come to find out that he was all alone in the word, so she decided to take him in, as a person to give orders to.

The boy owed Ember his very life. She took him in under her wing and clothed him and feed him. Gave him a roof over his head and now she was regretting every inch it. If it weren't for him and his bored-ness she'd still be with the king of her heart at that very moment instead of sitting there trying to figure out what to do to him. Ember resented this person that sat before her. What would she do to torment him?

"Ah…Lady Ember?" Toru nervously called to her. He was never really scared of her but today she frightened the hell out of him. His Lady Ember had been trying her hardest to win Fire Lord Zuko's heart, ever since he meet her, and now he messed things up for her today.

From the past and present of his knowledge, Ember was a psycho. She was in love with Fire Lord Zuko but the feelings weren't mutual, and she didn't seem to exempt it. She blamed it on the beautiful, Lady Katara. Ember told him that Katara had stolen her love's heart and she was going to get it back.

Ember had spent two years planning a scam to end Fire Lord Zuko and Lady Katara's relationship and now she was finally beginning to act on it. Toru had gotten his liking to play with people from Ember, but he was not as bad as she was. He had fun messing with others minds but he also felt bad for some of them. He knew when to stop.

Toru was told about Ember's evil plans but did not know about the little games she liked to play before going through with them. She owned a craft book hidden in her left dresser drawer; he knew all her secrets. He was told that she had gotten it from some thugs in Bei sing sei. The book was thick and black, with rusted pages. It held many secrets containing potions. He knew Ember wasn't a witch, no one has to be a witch to read a spell and collect the ingredients.

About a month ago, Ember gave him a list of things to find for her little concoction. After finding all the necessary items on the list, Ember told him what she was planning on doing with them. She had no one else to tell and besides, what evil genius do you know keeps there evil plans all to themselves?

I'll wait…

You can't think of anyone can you?

Exactly what I'm say here! What is the point of having an evil plan if you can't share it with anyone, any how? There isn't one.

When hearing about these amoral plans, Toru began to feel sorry for Katara, but there was nothing he could do. He had an obligation to serve Ember.

---

Ember was still in her own mind thinking about ways to punish Toru, but still…nothing. There was not enough pain in the world that could take away what she was feeling now. Nothing would make her feel better, so she just decided not do anything. She knew that this would make him uneasy. She knew that he'd probably think that she had something and was going to surprise him with it but she didn't and she wasn't going to tell him. He could stay jittery for all she cared.

After telling Toru off a little and sending him away, she thought about Zuko and his perplexed state. She wondered why he was so out of it back there. She hadn't even noticed that it had been a whole month since the day she gave him her home made potion.

She decided to investigate a little. Scanning threw her big oak wood dresser; she reached for her dark book of secrets. Searching or the 'no sex' potion, she fell upon something that had never caught her attenson. "Side-effects"

A/N: Hey you guys! Sorry it took me so long…anywho; I don't really like this chapter. What do you think?

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