a/n Hello everyone! I'm baaacck! Thank you all for reviewing and following! It means so much to me that you are liking what I am writing (even if I'm not the most punctual writer out there. *nervous chuckle.*). To repay some of my late fees this chapter is the longest chapter yet.

SO if you haven't already noticed, I formatted this chapter a little differently. If you love it, hate it, or whatever be sure to leave me a review so I know!

IN this chapter the Point of View bounces between Zuko and Katara, giving the reader both sides of the same event. (Again, if you love it, hate it, or whatever be sure to tell me!)

ALSO this chapter is most definitely rated M.

Chapter 13 ~Wow~

-Zuko-

Agni, how he loved her. He loved that she had a fierce internal fire that rivaled his own. He loved holding her head in his hands. He loved everything about the person beside him on the bed. After what happened with his mom, he wasn't really sure if he could truly love someone. He had never loved Mai; she had always been more of a distraction. But now, nothing was distracting him from the blue-eyed bender beside him.
"Zuko," her voice was quiet, but firm, "I love you so much it scares me." A million different replies popped into his head: 'I feel the same,' 'I know what you mean,' 'Me too,' but he didn't say any of them. Instead, he kissed her. He kissed her and tried to pour into her all of the love he felt filling him up. She stiffened for a moment, her surprise obvious, but she soon returned the kiss. A blissful groan vibrated through him as she rolled over on top of him.

If he had any doubt of her feelings for him, the kiss certainly erased them. It was surprising how much raw love he could feel in their kiss. When he couldn't confine himself to just her lips anymore, his mouth nibbled at her lower lip and nestled its way to her ear.
"Zuko…"she moaned as he rolled her earlobe gently in his teeth. Her voice had tickled his ear and she arched her back as she groaned.
"Oh Agni," he muttered. Whenever she shifted or arched her back, she rubbed against him and edged him on. Of course, by now he had an achingly hard erection. She suddenly stilled and broke away for a moment. Her eyes looked darker, filled with desire, but why had she stopped?
"Zuko?" she asked softly.
"Ye-," he cleared his throat to reduce the hunger in his voice, "Yes?" It hadn't worked very well. Even he could hear the extra thickness in his voice.
"Do you…" she hesitated. Her teeth clamped down on her bottom lip, which was already a little swollen from their kiss. Do I what, Katara? He thought. "Do you… Do you want to continue?" He couldn't help it. He had to laugh. Do I want to continue…hmmm…YES! When he saw her blush and look down he quickly stopped laughing. "I was trying to be good, and do the right thing." She mumbled.
"Oh Katara! I'm sorry, don't look down like that." With his right hand he gently tipped her head back up, "I'm so bad at being good, though."
"I don't think so," she paused for a beat, "Hmm… maybe you are." She finished, stubbornly. He almost laughed again at how stubborn she was and how much he loved her because of it, but he stopped himself.
"I wasn't laughing at you… I…" Agni he was never very good with words. "I have never wanted anything more. I...err…thought it was obvious." And he glanced down towards his groin, which she was distractively covering with her… Oh Agni! He groaned in his head. How was she doing it? He could hardly string two thoughts together.

When his eyes came back to her face, she was blushing like crazy. She closed her eyes for a second, steeling herself to say something. He stared into her eyes. They mesmerized him.
"Are you ready to continue?" She asked breathily, breaking his gaze and looking down. Every part of his body screamed 'Yes!' Then she looked off to the side, blushed, and quickly added, "Psychologically that is." The racing blood in his veins suddenly froze (and after being in the water by the Northern Watertribe he had a pretty good idea what that felt like). Am I really ready? Can I do this? Oh Agni, how am I ever supposed to concentrate… He closed his eyes, reaching for any control. How am I… What if I…? Is this the right time for this…? He squished his eyes shut tighter, but this time the feelings in his chest only strengthened. With his eyes closed, every sensation seemed intensified. Agni! He reopened his eyes. Those piercing blue eyes gave him the answer and assertion he needed. He needed this.
"You know what, Katara? Yes." He smiled. As he said the words, everything felt right. "I am ready. I want us to be as close as two people can be. I want you."
"I…I…" she stuttered, speechless. (Wow, Katara speechless, never thought he would see the day.) "Kiss me?" she asked.
"Yes," was all he was able to mutter as he pulled her down on him.

-Katara-

"Zuko, I love you so much it scares me." She barely got the words out before he kissed her. She had been afraid at first that he didn't feel the same, so she stiffened, but then she melted into the kiss, eagerly kissing him back. Now she knew for sure. They were alike. They had fierce fire, but also cool tenderness. It was surprising how much she liked that he could be gentle. Or that he showed her his gentle side. At first, he seemed so solitary and callous (it might have also been because he was her enemy, but still). Everything about him radiated anger. Now he had changed. When he had found the Gaang at the Western Air Temple and repented, she hadn't believed him. "I thought I had lost my honor, and that somehow, my father could return it to me. But I know now that no one can give you your honor. It's something you earn for yourself, by choosing to do what's right. All I want to do now is play my part in ending this war, and I know my destiny is to help you restore balance to the world," he had told them. For a second she had wanted to believe him, but the hurt of his betrayal at Ba Sing Se wouldn't let her. She hated him. She loathed him until he took her to the Southern Raiders and the man who had murdered her mother. After that, she was able to forgive him. After that, she couldn't get thoughts of him out of her head. It made her feel foolish. A silly girl to suddenly be 'in love' with Zuko, who undoubtedly didn't feel the same. But two days later, during their fight, she recognized the love in his eyes. From then on, she never felt foolish for loving him, just blessed to be loved back.

He groaned as she rolled over on top of him. With every ounce of her being, she poured her love into their connection. The kiss turned primal, raw. Soon his mouth left hers; he nibbled at her lower lip and then nestled up to her ear.
"Zuko…" she groaned, arching her back as he rolled her earlobe gently in his teeth. Wow.
"Oh Agni," he muttered softly against her ear. When she moved, she felt him, hot and hard in his pants. Everything became very real, very quickly. She stilled and broke away. His eyes were a little blurry, lost in desire.
"Zuko?" she asked softly.
"Ye-," his voice was thick, so he cleared his throat, "Yes?" It hadn't worked very well. There was an extra thickness in his voice. She needed to be sure. HE needed to be sure.
"Do you…" she hesitated and her teeth clamped down on her bottom lip. It felt a little swollen from their kiss, but she didn't mind. "Do you… Do you want to continue?" She hated having to be the one to pause the passion, but she wanted him to be absolutely sure. Then he started laughing. Her eyebrows bent in confusion and she blushed and lowered her head. As if on cue, he stopped laughing. Thank Agni. "I was trying to be good, and do the right thing." She mumbled.
"Oh Katara! I'm sorry, don't look down like that." he said quickly, gently tipping her head back up. She saw a second of panic in his eyes before he masked it. "I'm so bad at being good, though."
"I don't think so," she paused for a beat, remembering how hard he had laughed at her, "Hmm… maybe you are." She decided, stubbornly. The corners of his lips twitched, ready to laugh again, but wisely he didn't.
"I wasn't laughing at you… I… I have never wanted anything more. I...err…thought it was obvious." He glanced down towards his groin, which she was still straddled beside. Oh yes… I can tell how much you want me. Need me to- Her thoughts were cut off when his eyes came back to her face. Her face became very warm, as if she had been caught in the act. She wanted to dive into those hazel eyes of his, but she still needed to know something. She closed her eyes for a second, preparing herself.
"Are you ready to continue?" She asked breathily, breaking his gaze and looking down. Then her head snapped back up, turned to the side, she blushed, and quickly added, "Psychologically that is." A battle played out in his eyes. She could tell he had conflicting opinions still. He closed his eyes, hiding the battle from her. A crease formed between his eyebrows as the war raged on. When he reopened his eyes, they were dark, thick as the lining of buzzardwasp caves. The war inside him had obviously ended. He had reached a conclusion.
"You know what, Katara? Yes." He smiled. "I am ready. I want us to be as close as two people can be. I want you."
"I…I…" she stuttered, speechless. Only two words came to mind: "Kiss me?" she asked.
"Yes," he replied as he pulled her down on him.

The kiss was like nothing she had ever known. She could feel him pouring every bit of love and reverence into the kiss. She hoped he could tell how much she wanted this. Wanted him. The world seemed to be shattering around her. Nothing else mattered; every worry or care had been erased. Her hands wound into his hair, pulling him against her. His warm, rough hands drifted down to her bare waist, sending shivers down her back.
"Shirt? Off?" He asked in between kisses. Instead of responding, she just nodded and moved her hands to the knot on her shirt, just under her breasts. Immediately after her shirt was off she undid her breast binding and he tossed both to the side. This time he didn't hesitate. He looked down at her chest for only an instant before his hands were on her, squishing them, rubbing them, and gently pulling on them, driving her insane.
"Zuko!" she moaned and began pawing at his shirt. Understanding her meaning, he quickly broke away, yanked his shirt off (it seemed to take forever to undo the layers), and hungrily returned his mouth to hers. She couldn't help comparing them to a wave. The sensation he was creating in her was both smoothing (like a pebble being polished by the tide) and forceful (like a wave crashing against the shore and eroding the cliff side).
"Oh…" he groaned and twirled her nipples in between his pointers and thumbs.
"Pa-pants," she managed to utter amidst the swirling sensation. Wow, it was almost too much. Now it was his turn to reply with only a nod as he hopped off the bed and began to untie his sash. After the knot was released, his pants pooled at his feet. Instead of instantly rejoining her, he remained standing, and held out his hand to her. She didn't understand. All she could do was look between his face and his impressive erection that wavered not too far from her face. It reminded her of the last time he was unclothed in front of her.
"Pants," his voice was husky and his arousal was obvious. Oh. Slowly, she put her hand into his and he pulled her to her feet in front of him. She took a deep breath, undid the sash holding her pants up, untied her under-wrappings, and pulled them both off in one clumsy motion. Then she was there, right in front of him, with nothing to shield herself. For a second, she wanted to lower her head in embarrassment, but she stopped herself. Why would I want to hide from him? (The irony was not lost on her) I love him. So instead of bowing her head, she squared her shoulders and looked up at him, unashamed.

-Zuko-

If he thought their last kiss had been full of love and desire he was wonderfully wrong. Maybe it was because he now finally felt able to completely let go and he knew how much they both wanted this, because this kiss was almost indescribable. It felt as if firewhiskey coursed through his veins. He had only drank firewhiskey once before, with Uncle, and it was sure something. It had made his heart feel warm, his head feel fuzzy, and everything Uncle said seemed incredibly funny. Now it seemed like love has the same side effects, but without the horrible headache in the morning.

Her hands had found their way into his hair, drawing their bodies closer together. He loved it when she did that. His hands glided down to her naked waist, loving the feel of her soft skin under his rough hands. Their kiss grew stronger, but he wanted more. He was ready for more.
"Shirt?" he huffed into her mouth, "Off?" No other words could come to him. Apparently, no words could come to her at all because she just nodded. Then her fingers deftly undid the knot of her shirt and her breast bindings. As soon as the garments were removed, he snatched them away and tossed them over his shoulder. His eyes flicked down at her. Wow. Of course he had seen her topless before at the beach after their fight, but this time was different. Now he felt ready and almost worthy of loving her. So he just went for it (or them, in this case…). Wow. He thought again. They were so soft, plush, and round. He massaged them, tested them, and (once he felt brave enough) he ever so gently tugged on them.
"Zuko!" she moaned and started to push upward at his shirt. Well, if she wanted his shirt off he wasn't going to keep her waiting. All sense and reason had fled and been replaced by a near mindless state. He broke apart from her just enough to undo the layers of his shirt. It was only then that he realized how many stupid steps it took to get his shirt off. Finally, he threw it off and his mouth rejoined hers. For the few seconds they were apart he almost felt deprived.
"Oh…" he groaned and twirled her nipples in between his pointers and thumbs. They hardened even more under his touch.
"Pa-pants," she choked out. He nodded quickly and got off the bed to remove his pants (a much simpler job than the shirt had been). Now that he had gained a little distance from her, he was able to think a little more clearly. I want you. I want to see you (although the subject matter of his thoughts stayed intimately attached to her). So he held out his hand to her. Join me? But she didn't understand. Her eyes flittered between his face and his throbbing erection that was now at her eye level. He couldn't help but remember the first time she had seen him, unclothed, on the beach, and she… He had to stop his thoughts or he'd lose it.
"Pants," he grunted out, by way of explanation and distracting his errant thoughts. Her eyes widened slightly and she gave him her hand. And with one solid motion, she stood.

The cool air from her deep breath danced across his abdomen. He was almost overcome with the urge to kiss her, but he knew he should wait. Before he knew it she had fluidly taken off not only her pants, but her under-wrappings as well. Wow. He looked at the dark curls that curtained something exotic. Agni, the wait was worth it. Then, her shoulders moved and her head gracefully rose to look at him. His head snapped up to meet her gaze. But of course, he glanced back down at her. WOW. She was just so much more than he had ever dreamed. His eyes drifted up her body. He had never seen anything in all his travels that could compare to her beauty. Perhaps it was because he couldn't have appreciated the beauty, but now he could appreciate her beauty. His heart ached with the love he felt for her.
"So beautiful" he whispered as his eyes realigned with hers. She didn't blush, but she smiled. A shy, innocent smile that made him lose any delusion of control he thought he had. "Oh, Katara," he sighed and leaned in towards her.
"Zuko…" she mumbled as their mouths collided. He backed them up towards the bed until they both fell back against the pillows. It wasn't long before he wanted to explore the new territory she had uncovered. Very slowly, his hands glided effortlessly down her sides until his hand felt her soft curls. He paused for a moment, needing to make sure this was okay. A silent, yet swift, jolt of her hips made his fingers brush against her wet folds.

"Wow." They breathed in unison.

a/n Okay, so what'd you think?! Was the formatting weird? Story lame? Leave me a review so I know how I can do better! Thanks for reading!

There is a Harry Potter reference that I just had to make in there (did you find it? [I do not own Harry Potter nor do I claim to]).