When life gives you lemons? What do you do?

… no seriously. Asking for a friend. Just a thought to ponder as more smut below.

Leave a review if you would like! I'd love some feedback/thoughts/ requests?

Chapter 21: The Heat Between

"Win?" Katara was taken back by his competitiveness, responding. Her half-lidded stare only made things harder for him to resist.

'Plus you don't want to wake up anyone do you?" He whispered.

Katara's blue eyes suddenly opened at the idea that she was so close to her family… to Aang. She raised her brow with a suspicious look. "That's cold for a fire lord."

Zuko responded by moving one of his hands to her core again. This time taking no hesitation before inserting a finger causing her to gasp.

"You did break a vase. I'd try not to make any more sound."

"Not-ah-fair…" She bit her lip and pressed her now free hand against his member, still trapped beneath his loose sleeping shorts. She took her chance to regain some control, brushing her hand up before she hit the end of his length, and lingered slightly too long at its head.

"Speak for yourself…" Zuko groaned between his words as he pressed his thumb against her nub.

She groaned back in response.

"I'm being selfish right now Katara, I want you all to myself. And I can't hold on much longer if you-"

"If I what?" She slid her hand over his length again.

"Katara." Zuko's voice moaned with his warning as he pressed another finger into her core, driving them up into her making her buck. Her breasts bounced a bit as her body reacted, causing his eyes to focus in on her skin. The way her blue eyes shone in the darkness, against her deep mocha skin, her natural beauty somehow had become more entrancing in this moment than before

"Zuko?" She caught his pause and found his golden eyes meeting hers in an intense lidded gaze. She saw something in them she'd only seen in glimmers. Something she'd been hoping to feel again. She pressed her lips against his, more passionately than before.

"I think I'm…I may be falling…a bit… in love with you Zuko." She whispered into his ear.

Zuko paused for a second. "I think I am too Katara. I think I've been in love with you for a while."

Before she could ask, he kissed her passionately again. It started the flame again, and before the pair knew it, they were entangled in each other.

She could feel a brimming heat in the pads of her fingers as they pressed against his skin. Was it him? Or the friction between?

"I don't want to act rash." Zuko suddenly felt the weight of their doing, worried of the implications of their actions, knowing her tribe was leaving in the morning.

"Ah yes, now is the time to ask if we are acting rash…" Katara rolled her eyes with a flirty smile.

"Ahem…" Zuko's mouth twisted into a keen smile with his brows raised, aware of the wit of her flirting dig at him.

"Just shut up. Please." Katara took one last push to kiss him, nulling his concern, ending their war on who could enforce the most passionate kiss.

Her small plea had pushed him, as he pressed himself against her, the thick heat rising in the anticipation between them. He held himself now, positioned just outside her, as with a deep breath that felt like the warmth of a fire's heat on her neck, he pressed into her core.

She felt a yearning inside of her – a feeling of emptiness now that he had entered her. As if she wasn't complete before. She was certain he was taking it slow for her, his full length had not yet entered her. "More…" She felt herself whisper the words more breathily than she had anticipated, although feeling some pain, she was certains he wanted this.

"I don't want to rush if you're…" Zuko responded by pressing his hands into her hips, kissing down onto her forehead lightly. Katara felt her skin rise – something about Zuko being so caring and soft was surprising. She knew he could be, but when it happened, she felt herself subject to his touch more than ever. She shook her head, reassuring him to continue. His thrust pushed him deeper into her, in a quick motion her hips grinded, as his hands kept her steadied.

She felt her face grow flush when she felt him get slightly bigger inside of her. She bit her lip.

At the same time, he'd seen her face grow rosy, against the darkened dim of light on her and felt himself falling for again. "Agni, you're beautiful."

She looked up at him, immobilized by their position, or more specifically her position. Again, caught in each others eyes, only interrupted by their near equal decision to grind up against each other once more, leading them to groan.

She took her hand and trailed up his body, feeling his near perfect muscles, the same ones pressed to her at the fire nation camp as the Blue Spirit, no longer than a week ago. In a brief moment she questioned how long she had felt this flame for…had it started then? Or was there a kindling before?

Zuko's shiver from her lightly trailing fingertips caused him to grab to hand and pull it over her head, admitting his own vulnerability to her touch, brought her back. "I can't wait anymore…"

"I want you. Please…" Katara succumbed to her needs, her wish to push this further.

He re-entered her, pressing deep into her. She moaned a bit louder than she meant to and Zuko took the opportunity to shush her with a kiss. She felt him inside of her, grinding up into her. A new feeling, welling up inside of her. She put her hand around his neck pressing him closer to her, telling him to continue as moved into a rhythm.

He couldn't control himself; it was a flame that was overtaking him. "Agni Katara…" Her breasts moved up and down as she bit her own lip trying to keep her moans stifled. In his opinion this was only making her look more seductive.

She felt him grind with more passion as she swore, he was hitting her end. Her body contracted around him, pulling him slightly around his neck. He noticed and leaned forward. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course." They spoke in heavy breaths.

He suddenly flipped her, grabbing both hands, so she was underneath him. His body covered her back, his hands pinning hers too the bed. He was now positioned behind her, and as he thrusted in, he pressed further than before somehow, but her body contracted again.

Zuko grunted, feeling her constrict more around him. His fingers tightened between hers.

She pressed back into him on accident, and he moaned harder than he had meant to.

Katara felt her hips wiggle naturally, and continued to grind up to him, finding her own movements.

"Damn it." He moved his hand to her breast, kneading it as his pace quickened.

Her back arched as he began to hit a spot that made her body quiver. His hot breath on her back, a dragon's breath, added to the pace, while his delicate touches and fingers intertwined with her made her feel safe. Right. Solace. Finally, a vibration ripped through her as she gasped.

Zuko pulled out of her in response and tossed himself off to the side.

"Are you okay?"

"Better than ever." Katara turned to him on the bed smiling, and gently kissed his forehead.

"You know, you don't have to leave tomorrow…" Zuko's gaze casually went to the ceiling as his fingers ran through his hair, as the air began to cool.

"Are you asking me to stay?" Katara sat up in the bed, her long hair stuck to her body, a red flush covering her cheeks, her deep skin covered in a light dew. It was all Zuko's will not to drag her down into an embrace in that moment.

"I'd prefer not to have to ask, but it's your decision."

"Meaning?"

"If it was my decision, you would. But I'm not an asshole like my father."

"God if you were, you would have been dead long ago."

"Excuse me?"

"Let's be real Zuko, if you had not seen the light in your past, you'd be in a prison with your father or one of us may have hurt you. You had so many enemies…I don't mean to be harsh, but I can recall how I once felt about you."

"A bit of a low blow." He sighed and grit his teeth.

"I'm sorry…but those days feel so far away. Everything is different now. And for the better. So much better. And I'd love to stay but-"

"But what excuse can we use?"

"It's so damn complicated. I don't want to lie to everyone." Katara fell back onto the bed with a long sigh out.

"It doesn't have to be. You have so much insight into how to rule a nation and what you said today – you were brave. I want you here for selfish reasons, but I've said it before, you could do so good for this place. I'd risk my place as a Lord…if people challenged you…they have no right to. It's not progression if we don't challenge my people on their bias notions of your tribe."

"Don't pull your hair out. That's why I'll stay then." She twisted her fingers into his as they laid in the bed.

"Katara, that's brilliant." His eyes opened as he turned to look to her. "But In seriousness, I don't want you to think that I'm using you…I'm not about to let this end because others might want it to."

"We'll do our best then. I want to stay, but I'm not sure if I can leave my family for too long."

"Perhaps it would be best if we create a stronger trade route to the Southern Water tribe. With all of that travel it would be easy for Water tribe and Fire tribe to …"

"Don't even say it. I love it. As long as my people stay safe."

"I'm planning on making it my duty."

"Zuko…if something happens…between us…I need to know that that promise stays true."

"Of course. I stand by my word to protect Mai's family. I stand by my word to keep yours safe."

"Good…otherwise I'll come after you."

"Oh will you?" Zuko's serious expression turned to a smirk.

"Oh you can guarantee it. You see what happened to the last fire bender I dealt with."

"Yea, I suppose I like my bones not broken. I suppose I could ask that you don't ever do that. Freeze me just don't break me, ok?"

"Let's hope I never have to." Katara smiled back as she nuzzled herself into his chest.

"God, I hope so too."