A/N: CHAPTER 8 AND 9 HAVE BEEN EDITED. The toko sex never happened. so please re-read those two chapters if you haven't yet. You'll get a clearer picture. thanks :)
Zuko
X
I sip tea and eat some of the seal blubber Gran Gran had brought over earlier this evening. It's late, the moon has long come out and darkness has descended. But, Katara is not yet home. I glance at Azumi. Her breathing is shallow as she sleeps by the stove in the middle of the tent. She normally sleeps at Gran Gran and Pakku's , but tonight, she had dosed off here at dinner and we didn't want to move her.
I take another sip of tea and putting on my parka, head out into the cold. Katara had decided to go watch the fire at the community tent. Most people would go there with family, friends or their significant other. Yet, Katara has chosen to go alone. A chill runs up my spine. I try to convince myself that it must've been the gust of wind, but I know full well that it is the awkwardness that has come between us.
Feeling slightly worried, I start pacing. It is late, pass midnight, yet my wife has not returned. I look into the tent and note Azumi putting her thumb in her mouth, as she turns on her side and hugs her pillow closer. The childlike innocence that radiates from her makes me smile. Shutting the opening to the tent, I take a cigarette into my mouth and light it with flame from my finger. The first time I smoked, I was on my ship looking for the Avatar. I was thirteen, was undergoing puberty and didn't know any better.
When the poor effects of smoking became more and more apparent to the citizens of the Fire Nation and those abroad, I had decided to kick the habit. I was successful for the most part of my adult life, but then had lapsed into that familiar practice the very week I came to the South Pole. I'm not trying to blame Katara for resurrecting this in me, but, as Toph had told me the day they confronted Katara: staying with her isn't going to be good for you. I ponder over the words of the young earthbender. Could Katara really have such a profoundly bad effect on me?
Making sure the tent entrance is covered, I take from my pocket, a small metal flask of fire whiskey. I enjoy the way it courses down my throat and warms my body. I take in another sip of the alcohol and turn look out into the cold once more before I start back into the tent, snuffing out my cigarette. But then, something catches my eye and I turn around to see her. Katara walks toward me with lightness in her step. She is carrying something as a small smile plays on her lips.
"Hey," she says when she comes closer. I look at her, really look at her and am in awe at her beauty. Her face flushes slightly, her lips soft as I stare at her. Katara's hair is down, the way it was when we were traveling together, but what makes me stare, is her eyes, blue as the sky. I never thought she could be more beautiful than she was when we first met, but meeting her again when I came to the South Pole proved I was wrong. I cannot help but smile at the woman I love.
"Hi," is all I manage to say as my eyes set on her magnificence.
"Zuko," Katara says and places a hand on my arm. Her touch is soft, so gentle that I can feel my face warm a little. "I bought us some He Fen," she says. It's a Fire Nation favorite. Since the end of the war, some people, looking for adventure and a place they can live comfortably without the stresses of a fast-paced society, have settled in the South. Fire Nation settlers are now a more common sight than they ever have been. We pause for a moment outside our tent as my eyes roam her gorgeousness.
"Shall we go inside?" she asks and I nod at her. A smile comes to play on her features as she starts toward the tent.
"Katara," I say. She turns around and meets my gaze. "I… I kissed Toph," I tell her, slight embarrassment flooding me. She smiles and touches her hand to my arm.
"And I kissed Aang," she says, her tone reassuring. "Let's go inside," she tells me as we head into the tent.
"So, she's spending the night here?" she queries , touches her hand to the girl's forehead and is silent for a moment. "I never thought you would become the great father that you are," she says finally and places her hands on both sides of my face. I can feel my body growing warm. She is so goddamn close, her breath tickles my skin. Katara's brilliant blue eyes are boring into mine as she makes the first move.
Her lips mold perfectly with mine as she deepens the kiss. I can feel my body responding to the embrace. One of my hands comes up to pull her face closer as my other arm snakes around her middle, pulling her into my lap. She pulls away first and her eyes are misty with lust. Before long, my lips find hers and I am pouring my very soul into this kiss. It is so unlike the one I shared with Toph. That kiss was not heated, it was not sensual, just chaste and a little sheepish. But this one, this one is making my whole body react.
Before I know it, my tongue has skimmed her bottom lip such that she allows me entrance as I take the kiss to a completely new level. I move to kiss her neck as I settle her on the ground. She pulls at my tunic as we move and it comes away easily. I want her so bad, it's unbelievable, and that is when I glance at Azumi. Our child has begun to stir and despite the temptation to ignore her and make love to Katara, I cannot.
"Don't stop," she breathes when I pull away. "Zuko?" Katara says as she tries to pull me down to meet her lips.
"We can't do it now… not in front of her," I tell her and her already existing blush deepens. "I'll be right back," I state as I pull my clothing back on and gently lift Azumi into my arms. I don't want to leave Katara, I don't want to put our love making on hold but this is something that has to be done. I wrap Azumi up in her parka, press her close to my chest, and leave the tent. As I walk and carry her, Azumi's eyes open as she stares up at me. I smile down at the girl and she returns the gesture.
"Papa?" she calls. "Down," she states simply and I place her on the ground. As she becomes more and more awake, she brightens up and begins running. "Catch me Papa!" she says after a few moment and takes off. "Catch me!" she shouts again. Alarms go off in my ears as I quicken my step. She is heading in the direction of the frozen lake.
"Azumi!" I shout after her and race toward the child. She is running faster and is becoming more and more excited and that is when a loud sickening crack is heard. My eyes grow and I watch in horror as Azumi's face grows to one of fear. "Papa's coming dear," I say cautiously as I inch toward her. "Hey, it's going to be fine, I promise," I tell her and reach for her. She her movements are slow and fearful as she brings herself to reach for me.
"Come on dear," I say and smile at her as reassuringly as I can. When my fingers finally find hers, I try to pull her to safety but the ice cracks further. Before anything else can happen, I have pushed her away from the ice and she lands on the snow, I can feel relief flood me. Agni is kind, for there is a moment for me to be sure that she is safe, just before I fall into the frigid waters.
X
A shrill scream is heard as Pakku steps out of the tent he shares with his wife. He doesn't know who it is that made the horrifying noise but it is too pained for him to ignore. The sound comes to him again as he walks briskly in its direction. As he moves, he hears it again and quickly creates ice paths and sliding on them easily. The waterbending master is moving with a quicker pace now as his fear grows.
He nears the sounds of anguish and soon notes that the person making the sound is none other than his great-grand-daughter, Azumi.
"Papa!" the girl cries as she wails and reaches for the man who cannot be seen. She inches her way toward the lake but recoils when slight cracks form on the surface. Pakku's eyes widen as he pulls the child away hurriedly and drags her far away from the lake. "Papa!" she screams and makes a run for the ice again before Pakku finally realizes what has happened.
"No Azumi!" he shouts and freezes her leg to the snow beneath her. The child cries as she tries to release her limb. The old man heads toward the body of ice and thickens it with every step he takes. He cannot seem to find the opening and finally realizes that the ice must have frozen over. "Zuko!" he shouts and opens a hole in the ice with his bending. "Help! Damn it!" he screams and strains to see the younger man. Little light comes through as his breathing become ragged and nervous.
Sighing heavily, the master defrosts much of the ice around him and finally catches sight of the young man. "Damn," he says as he hurriedly pulls Zuko from the lake. But he is old and his strength is not as great as the young ones. Zuko slips from his grasp and floats further.
However, when Pakku glances to his side, he sees Sokka and some of the other men of the village running toward them. He thickens the ice for them to stand on as they move toward Zuko, hoisting him up and gathering around him.
"Bend the water from his clothes first!" Sokka's voice is loud and strong as Pakku does so. They wrap him up in many layers of dry clothes and wool as they light a fire to warm him up. "Someone go get Katara," the chief's son shouts as he rubs his brother-in-laws hands in his own. "Come on jerkbender, you never liked me call you that right? Come on, hit me," he says, his voice pained as he takes off the outer layer of his clothing and drapes it over Zuko.
"He's alive," one of the men at the scene, the village physician says as he places his hand near the firebenders nose. "I don't understand how. Thank the spirits," he says and glances up. Pakku moves to remove the water from the firebender's lungs.
"Zuko!" Katara's voice comes through as she settles herself before her husband. "Please, open your eyes, look at me," she begs but he doesn't.
"Take him to the healing tent," Sokka says and gathers his sister in his arms. "He'll be fine," he says as Katara sends a prayer up to any god who will listen.
A/N: PLEASE REVIEW! 10 AT LEAST PLEASE! tell me what you think! i'm so sorry for not letting zuko and katara do the deed but i just think that katara isn't in love with zuko yet. she may want to consummate their marriage because she thinks it's unfair to him if they don't but she doesn't love him. what i want to do with this accident is make her grow to love the man who has always loved her.