Author's Note: THIS CHAPTER HAS A HEAVY LEMON IN IT. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
Right over 4k words, too.
Also in my last chapter I did not realise Fanfiction blocks out links. So my Tumblr is hardheadsoftheart.

In response to a few reviews... this past week, I've had to delete some reviews, guys. Some readers are coming on and being incredibly rude, telling me flat out, "you aren't writing this story correctly and you NEED to write it like this."
I'm not trying to be rude to anyone, and I understand your thoughts and feelings but remember, I'm writing this, not you. I'm sorry I can't perfectly capture the personalities. I'm not Bryke. But also keep in mind certain characters are acting strange for a reason!
I do appreciate the kind criticism many of you are giving me and I love each and every reader and reviewer! Keep up the good work!

The next morning, Aang left on Appa to go back to the temple. Without Katara. His mind was reeling. He'd been taken by such shock and surprise that he couldn't even fathom reacting properly. And really, what would be considered a proper reaction when the woman you're in love with tells you she may leave you for good? Many would say the proper reaction would be not to let, still others would say crying or screaming or pitching a fit, and even then some people would say he should have reasoned with her and talked it out. But there were bound to be people in the world who reacted the same was as Aang- in shock and accepting.

But now, as the wind rushed around his body from high in the air, nothing but blue sky and cotton clouds on the horizon, he was beginning to truly think about what he could do, and what he should do to keep Katara his. He had not one clue that she was miserable- but he should have. Her personality had been slowly dwindling for a long period of time now, and he should have seen. Stupid! He sighed, the sigh lowering into a groan as he leaned backwards on Appa, pressing the heel of his palms into his eyes to block the sun and gather his thoughts.

By the gods, he was the Avatar. There had to be some way to solve this problem. He could solve a 100-year-long War but he couldn't save a marriage? That didn't seem quite right. But as the warm sun beat down on him, after a long night of tossing, turning and nightmares, Aang's heavy bones and exhaustion began to catch up to him, relaxing him and lulling him into a drowsy, deep sleep.

And his subconscious soon shoved him into an eerily realistic dream.

Aang was standing over a body, weeping. The body looked frail and broken, surrounded by scorched land and the smell of smoke and blood. The body was crumpled in a strange, foreign position, completely unmoving. Curious, the Airbending Monk stepped forward. He couldn't quite recall why he was weeping, but he knelt closer to the body, and flipped it over. A scream bubbled in his throat, a scream of pure shock and horror.

The mocha skin, so delicate despite being used to the constant abuse of bending and combat. The oceanic eyes, wide open yet unseeing. The perfect lips, usually so expressive, pouted open in a grimace. The blue Water Tribe dress she loved to wear, torn and signed, nearly ripped off. And the swell in her belly where his unborn child lay, deflated. Blood surrounded her in a puddle. Finally, the pain spilled out of Aang, leaving him crumpled over the body and sobbing, holding onto her cold and lifeless form. She was his everything, and he had let her die. He wasn't there. He put up no fight. Why?

Aang jolted awake as Appa made a landing near his and Katara's home, his breath coming in short gasps as the dream replayed itself vividly, every detail, over and over. Was it an omen? Did it represent Katara leaving him, or something much worse? He really had no clue. He really needed a clue. Maybe he could ask for guidance. Meditate. Someone could know… someone would help.

He used his bending to jump down from Appa, landing gently on legs that felt like jelly.

He needed answers.

And he would find them. Aang paced restlessly for a long while, until the sun was almost completely invisible beyond the horizon, before finally sitting and crossing his legs, evening his breath deeply.

In…

Out…

In…

Out…

His conscious mind drifted, the tattoos beginning to glow. But he saw no one, and heard no one, until a booming voice shook Aang to the bone.

"You seek answers?" The voice was deep and rumbling, one he was unaccustomed to and wasn't sure he had heard before. But the voice seemed benevolent, his mind dropping guard and dropping suspicions as it spoke.

"I do." He responded softly.

"Over your dream, is that correct, Avatar?"

"Yes."

"I can tell you little, for you must find the answers on your own. Your beloved Katara is confused right now, Avatar. Do not take the dream literally unless you feel you must. It is your feeling and your own emotion that was truly ruled out here."

"But… why? What did it mean? Is she going to die?"

"That is for you to discover and decipher, young Avatar. Is the Waterbender carrying your unborn child?"

"No, she's not…"

"Then you see the lack of literality, and you must decipher the dream. That itself proves that things are not quite as they seem."

Aang returned to his conscious mind with a jolt that felt like lightning in his spine, gasping in pain and groaning again in confusion. That had hardly helped at all!

When I woke up, Aang was already gone. There was a pang in my heart that I didn't say bye- but why? That was strange… I shook it off, blaming the confusion overtaking my brain, and stood, stretching and hearing my bones pop. I'd slept surprisingly deeply, getting everything off my chest the previous night had apparently helped a good deal. Now, I gathered my clothing and headed to go bathe in a river near the house. I'd scoped it as we were walking to Toph and Sokka's home, and it seemed like quite a delicious thought at the moment.

So I stood myself up and slipped from the simple house, trotting down to the water. I undressed, my clothing dropping to the ground, and quickly being spread across a rock. I looked around, making sure the coast was clear, and stepped in, walking until the lazily moving water went well past my chest. I dove in, the cool water surrounding my skin like liquid silk, bending and moving as I did and pulling my worries down the stream with the current. I surfaced again a few moments later, whipping my hair from my eyes and running my hands over my skin, wiping off the dirt and grime that I could.

I froze, hearing leaves rustle, and got into bending position. Someone make a choking noise and I whirled around, pinpointing the sound to a specific area the best I could.

"Er. Katara," A voice rasped, and Zuko walked out of the brush. I shrieked and ducked further into the water, shielding myself the best the clear, chilly water of the river would let me, crossing my legs and placing my hands in front of my breasts.

"DID YOU FOLLOW ME?" I howled. "Just because you're the Fire Lord definitely does not mean you can sit here and watch me bathe! Maybe in your Kingdom you can, but not here in the Earth Kingdom!"

"No! I didn't! I was practicing over there and heard splashing, I thought… I thought it was someone sneaking around so I figured I would get the upper hand. And then it turned out to be you, bathing," He kept his eyes averted, looking around me or past me but not directly at me, and I certainly appreciated it. Clearly, very few people had seen my unclothed, aside from Aang. As I thought of him, the strange pang shot through my heart, sending a cooling feeling through my veins that I really couldn't place. But it made me uncomfortable.

I hmphed. "Okay. So can you go on your way then so I can bathe in peace?" My voice came out a bit shriller than I had intended, but it wasn't every day you got stuck with the Fire Lord standing at a river while you bathed. Or at least, I'm sure that's not every day for most people. I would hope.

"Of course, my apologies," Zuko flushed such a deep red; his face almost matched his scar. I snorted back a laugh as he backed away, and then disappeared into the woods again. The adrenaline rush that spiked when I thought there was a danger present was fading away, leaving me with nothing but that strange icy feeling in my heart. It couldn't be over Aang. Maybe even my emotions were confused at this point.

There was no telling.

I left the river, the warm sun beating down on my skin. I bent the water from my hair and skin, leaving my usually tame waves of hair frizzy. Moving quickly, I took my dress and dipped it into the water, rinsing it and then bending the moisture out. I picked up the clean bindings I had grabbed and rolled them on with a practiced expertise, coming from years of doing so every time I bathed… except when I traveled with Aang and my brother, when I often bathed in my bindings. I pulled on my clothes and quickly combed through my hair, and then braided it, something I had not done in a long while. And I made my way back to Toph's home.

"Katara!" Sokka met me outside, his eyes troubled. "Let's talk."

Sokka? Talk? Something was off here. But, I obliged, and we began to walk.

"Look, Katara… has anything about Zuko seemed weird to you?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, one eyebrow raised.

"We get visits from Zuko more often than you do. And normally, when he's here, he's very… lord-y. Like old pre-Fire Lord Zuko. Except nicer and not lacking in the honor department. Has he been weird to you? You were alone with him for a while, after all," Sokka babbled on as he normally did, but he seemed to have a point. The only issue I had, was why Sokka was wondering about Zuko in the first place.

"Well, I guess I've noticed. He called me a Water Peasant for the first time in years!" Just thinking of when Zuko had referred to me as a Water Peasant to Sokka made my blood boil.

"That, too. It seemed like he was covering something up," Sokka pondered.

"Maybe he's embarrassed by something,"

"Mr. Honor does get overwhelmed by emotion," My brother agreed. I stifled a laugh. Sokka glared at me. "What?" He demanded. "I wasn't being funny!"

"Mr. Honor, really?"

"Don't judge me!"

"What, judge you about creeping on young little Toph?" I was only joking, by Sokka's response was insant. His eyebrows twitched and he set his jaw.

"You know nothing!"

"Ooooh are you embarrassed? You're married, for the Gods' sake, Sokka!"

My brother's face turned a deep red and he sputtered. "But… still!"

"Sokka, don't be stupid, we all know you adored Toph for a while and we're all proud you let her be of age before anything happened. Just because I tease you about it, doesn't mean anything. I think you make a great couple. Don't get your bindings in a wad," Damage control, since everyone knows Sokka is a little stupid sometimes, and more emotional than a Platypus Bear after eating Fire Nation Bath Scenters.

Sokka cooled a bit, and shrugged. "But my point is, Katara, I think Zuko's in love with you."

I gaped at him. Sokka had grown up, a lot… finally. But this was a conversation I had not once expected to happen. Not only was Sokka approaching me instead of Zuko, but he was speaking normally, not as an angry brother, and I was starting to think that wasn't possible. "Why in this world would you think that?" I finally managed.

"Like I said, we see him a lot and he's always very… lord-y, like I said. Really nice except for that temper, and he never insults any other benders, not even when he's joking. Which he's still not good at. I don't think he'll ever be good at joking. But then since you've been here with him, he's been weird and less talkative but more insulting and even more of a loose cannon than he normally is," I watched Sokka carefully as he spoke, looking for any hint that this was to get me to admit my feelings, but he seemed… genuine.

"I dunno if that means he's in love with me, Sokka. Really," I insisted, running my hands down the braid that fell down my back absently.

"He's a man, and I'm a man, I think I'd know th-"

"You? A man?" I cut him off, smirking and trying to hold back laughter. Sokka threw his hands up and sighed in an exaggerated fashion.

"Woman never want my help! Ever! Fine! You end up confused but don't come to meee!" Sokka stood up over-dramatically and ran back to the house, calling for Toph. And my normal- or what I call normal, for Sokka- brother was back, the seriousness dropped from the air and I was left confused and chuckling. And there was really only one way to help get rid of the confusion- confront the cause. So I turned and began the short trek back to the river and into the wooded area Zuko was training in. It wasn't hard to find exactly where he was, the sizzles and smell of flame and smoke intermingled with his grunts of effort as he trained, singled him out easily, and sent a giant pack of butterflies into a flurry in my stomach.

I pushed some branches out of the way and crept along until I was near Zuko, but not close enough to disturb him. Slowly, I pulled the water from my waterskin and trailed it towards him, yanked it back and whipped it at his head. It struck and fell, and I bent the water back into its holder. Zuko stiffened, growled and turned to face me, eyes narrowed.

"You want to play, Katara?" He growled in a voice that made my eyes fly open and my stomach drop.

"What?" I squeaked.

"Do you want to play?"

"S-sure," I stammered. Zuko's eyes were full of fire and smoke, a molten gold with darkening tints, the smile on his face nearly sadistic and holding a veiled threat. He almost looked like a different person.

"Are you really sure?" He asked, stepping closer. My instinct was to step back, but I refused, and stood my ground. "What if you get…hurt?"

"W-what do you mean?"

"I'll show you, since you are so sure…" He smirked and stepped towards me so quickly I barely had time to register the movement. Before I knew what was going on, the Fire Lord had me backed into a tree, his lips hot and hungry against mine. A small noise escaped the back of my throat and mentally I cursed as I kissed him back, heat pooling in my belly and my arms going around his waist. Before long, and far too soon, Zuko pulled away. "Would you still like to play?"

"Yes…" I murmured, entranced and too far gone with my own emotions.

"Good," He hissed. There was a dangerous edge to his voice, and his movements seemed far too fluid, like those of a Polar Leopard on the hunt. He moved swiftly, bending fire that I could not see but I could feel as it erupted across my skin, a ring around each ankle, each wrist and across my belly, burning a strip of my dress away with a faint hissing noise. I gasped, but the fire wasn't close enough to burn or to blister.

"We will play this game by my rules, Katara. You will listen to me and do as I say… have I made myself clear?" He voice was by my ear, but he was at my side, and I could barely see him.

"Yes," I answered, breathless and shaky.

"No. You say yes, sir,"

"Yes, sir…" I answered, confused at this game. Was this some power trip?

"Now, turn around and face the tree. I have the flames under my control; they won't burn you as you move. Wrists above your head. Good, girl. Now back up a bit… a bit more. Right there," I stopped, about a foot from the tree, my wrists suspended in the air by fire that Zuko was manipulating, my ankles held quite close together by my fire cuffs. The concentration it had to take to keep the fire from burning me and the tree, while still doing all of… whatever he was doing to me, had to be immense.

Zuko was at my back, I could feel the heat radiating from him. "Now, Katara… there are rules to this game, as there are rules to every game. You follow the rules, and you get rewarded. You disobey me, and you get punished. It's very simple. Am I clear?"

"Yes," I answered. Zuko growled under his breath and reached forward, pinching my nipple through my dress and bindings. I yelped. It hurt.

"What was that?"

"Yes, sir," I ground out, glowering at Zuko.

"Good girl," He said again. His hands wrapped around my waist and jerked my dress. There was a ripping noise as it split apart and fell to the ground. His hands smoothed over my body, pale and milky against my tanned skin, raising goosebumps where he touched. His fingers wandered upwards, yanking again at the collar of my dress. Another ripping noise; I was bare except for my necklace and my bindings. "The bindings are coming off now," Zuko said, as if answering my thoughts. He brought a fingertip to the bottom edge of my breast bindings, and they caught aflame, burning through. It was a small, pale yellow flame but I could feel warmth from it as it burnt my bindings- but somehow, not my skin. He did the same to my lower bindings, and soon I was bare. Despite the air being warm and spring-like, goosebumps were covering my skin, my nipples were hard and I was shivering.

"Aren't you beautiful?" Zuko breathed, planting a few kisses on my stomach, up towards my breasts and down to my hips where, without warning, he bit down so hard I cried out. "There are more rules, Katara," He decided to inform me, and I glared. "I take what I want, as I please. You thank me, you say 'sir' at the end. Your body is my property, and you are lucky I'm letting you enjoy this. Have you figured this game out, yet?"

I thought I had. It was a sort-of sex practice that was a bit taboo, the men overtaking and controlling the women for their pleasure. I had heard very little of it, but it always seemed a bit frightening. Yet here I was, at the Fire Lord's mercy. I nodded.

He reached up with both hands and pinched my bare nipples, hard. I squeaked and squeezed my eyes shut. "Yes, sir!" I called.

"Good girl," Zuko said, yet again. "I'm going to touch you now. Do you want that?"

"Yes, sir, please," and before I knew it Zuko's hand was gently parting my sex, sliding through the wetness.

"Look at you, Katara. So wet, already. Do you mean to tell me you like it this way?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly, my voice shrill. His hands down there were driving me mad, but he was lazily petting me, as one would pet a fire ferret to calm it down. Suddenly his hand found my button and started playing with it in lazy circles, causing me to gasp and my muscles to tense. He brought his other hand up, and slipped two fingers into my core from behind. The fingers at my clit disappeared, and his arms snaked around my upper thighs and resumed from the front of me. His fingers were moving swiftly inside of me and at my clit and I soon found myself calling out, moaning and writhing in my bonds. But abruptly, Zuko stopped.

"What would you like from me, Katara?" Zuko asked lazily, resuming his ministrations painfully slowly. "Do you want me to make you come?"

"Yes… please!" I gasped, and then hissed when he pinched my button roughly. I didn't correct myself, and he withdrew his fingers from inside me and slapped my ass. "Please, sir!" I amended. My head was dizzy and I was throbbing with the need for him.

"There you go…" Zuko sounded pleased, and resumed his earlier position, roughly pushing his fingers into me, three this time. I could feel the pleasure coiling tighter in my belly, and Zuko was hissing such dirty things in my ear.

"Look at how wet you are, Katara… you smell so sweet. You feel like silk. You want me so badly, don't you?" I couldn't manage to answer him, just whimper.

Suddenly he stopped again, and I cried out as he switched positions, kneeling in front of me. Suddenly his mouth was on me, sucking at my clitoris and lapping up my wetness, and his hands drove upwards, pinching and teasing my nipples. I moaned, pulling at the fire bounds holding me up as the pleasure grew and then released, sending a white flash across my vision. I nearly screamed, although it was mostly soundless and hoarse. "Ah… Zuko! Zuko, by the Gods…"

"Oh, we're not done yet, my little Waterbender," Zuko promised, standing to face me. He barely twitched his hands and the fire bounds disappeared, sending me stumbling. Zuko grabbed me and shoved me back up against the tree. "Our little game is far from over."

He pushed me against the bark of the tree, with my ass sticking outwards, and pulled his own pants off and with one swift movement, he was buried inside me. I gasped, and choked out a half-pained cry. He leaned over me as he thrust. "You like it, Katara, don't you?"

"Yes, sir!" I moaned, rocking my hips backward as best as I could. He filled me up, stretching me out and hitting just the right spot.

"Do you want me to fuck you harder?"

"Oh yes…!" My voice was hoarse. Zuko smacked my ass again, causing me to seize forward. He leaned back, grabbing my hips, and drove into me, his arms moving my body in rhythm with his own. Every movement, he hit a certain spot inside of me, sending blinding lights across my vision. Nothing coherent was coming from my mouth but I was groaning and begging him to "please, please let me come," His hands snaked around, pinching my clit roughly, sending pain-spiked pleasure through me, and I fell to pieces, screaming Zuko's name as he met his release and groaned my name, losing rhythm and jerking against me before nearly collapsing. And then it was over, and we were panting, staring at each other, naked and in shock.