a/n Thank so much to everyone for reviewing! And of course thank you to those who are now following this story! Sometimes I can hardly believe I have so many followers and favorites. In the back of my mind this is still just some dinky story I came up with that's probably lame. BUT you lovely people are starting to convince me otherwise! So keep the love coming! (Wow that sounds more than a little wrong…) So this is a good time for a reminder about the rating of this story. It is M mainly for sexual content. If that kind of thing offends you, you might want to skip this chapter.

SO this chapter was fun to write since it's… I don't how to describe it… cute? dramatic? lovey-dovey? sexy? All good reasons why I wrote it and hopefully why you will read it.

Chapter 23 ~Pillow Talk~

-Zuko-

The ride back was quiet. It was dark when they came out from underground. Her head rested on his shoulder and he had his right arm holding her close. The day's events were finally catching up to the both of them. He was tired. Weary. Physically he felt much better, but inside he was exhausted. Although she had healed him remarkably well, there was still a little pain, but he didn't want her to know. He glanced down and saw that she had fallen asleep against him. She looked so peaceful. Her face was smooth, free of worry. Why should he trouble her with his slight discomfort? He could deal with a little pain.
"Prince Zuko?" Yang asked from outside the palanquin.
"Yes?" he asked quietly, trying to lean towards the curtain so as not to wake her.
"Are we headed towards the guest quarters first? Or yours?" Yang asked.
"Guest quarters first, please." Zuko replied. As much as he wanted to, it wouldn't be wise for Katara and him to share a bed. The voice of his father drifted back to him, Fire Nation royalty are held to higher standards! How many times had Zuko heard those words growing up? Yet the only high standard Ozai held himself to was that of his concubines. Yes, his father only had 'the best concubines.' Zuko shuddered, recalling all of the women he'd seen pushed out of his father's chambers. He couldn't even imagine ever using, having, or 'owning' a concubine. There was only one woman he wanted to be with and she was still fast asleep against him.

She didn't wake up when Yang announced their arrival or when the palanquin stopped.
"Katara?" he whispered quietly. She frowned and nestled into his arms more. "Katara?" he asked again, kissing her head. A sound of protest came from her as she shook her head. He held his breath, trying to see if her eyes would open or not. They remained closed. He didn't have the heart to wake her up. As carefully as he could, he extracted himself from her grasp and picked her up. She murmured something that sounded an awful lot like his name and wrapped her arms around his neck. He smiled and pulled her out of the palanquin.

He brought her into one of the large guest suites. Everything in the room was pretty much either red or gold. In the middle of the room was a large bed with red silky sheets. A maid had already turned down the covers. As smoothly as he could, he laid her down on the soft bed. She muttered something else, but he couldn't make out the words. He stared down at her lovingly. Before he covered her up, he quietly removed her shoes and sat them on the floor. Her dark hair rippled across the golden pillows. A smile played on her lips. He hoped she was having a nice dream. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"Goodnight, my love," he whispered before standing up and heading for the door.

-Katara-

She didn't remember falling asleep. A warm breath and soft lips brushing her skin first disturbed her peaceful dreams. A part of her wanted to wake up and see the speaker, but the calling of sleep was too strong. Soon she was vaguely aware of being lifted up. The strong arms that held her had to be his, so she wrapped her arms around his neck. He held her close and she drifted back to sleep.

The memory of his sweet words caressing her skin roused her. Slowly, she opened her eyes, but he wasn't there. She was alone, lying on the green grass under the pagoda in the oasis.
"Zuko?" she called out alarmed. She quickly got to her feet, looking around. A mist that was spread across the water, covering it, was receding. Drawing nearer she saw that the top of the water was frozen. There was also something under the ice in the middle of the pond. She took a careful step onto the ice. It was thick enough to remain silent as she moved closer to see what was under it. Red and black, the image was distorted. She screamed when she realized what it was.

It was him. His face was pressed against the ice. His eyes were closed and his mouth was open. His hair hung away from him, looking like tentacles. His arms floated listlessly at his sides. The ends of his fingers and his knuckles were raw, probably from banging on the ice. She tried to melt the ice and break a hole for him, but nothing happened. The water wouldn't respond.
"NO!" she screamed, "Zuko!" Kneeling down, she pounded on the ice. Nothing. Suddenly a laugh filled the air. It was a cruel and sinister laugh.
"You cannot save him!" it boomed.
"Who are you?" she yelled, looking around, "I've heard you before. Come out!"
"Even if you break the ice, you are too late!" the voice went on.
"No!" She looked around frantically for something that would help her. The voice chuckled. "Shut up!" she yelled.
"Try and save him if you want, but you cannot fight the darkness." Then the mist started spreading back over the frozen water. It surrounded her. It was dark, almost black, inching closer. Her heart felt dead, heavy, dark.
"No," she whimpered, lying down on the ice above her love. She closed her eyes, accepting the dark mist. "I love you," she whispered against the ice.

Her eyes shot open.
"Zuko!" she yelled. It was dark. She was on a bed in an unfamiliar room. How did I get here? She asked herself. We were at the oasis…no that was a dream, but we were there earlier and then…He carried me in here? Yeah… she nodded to herself, remembering. But where was he now? She slid out of bed and almost tripped on her shoes. He had to be in his private/fancy quarters. Where is that, again? She tried to remember the palace map Sokka once made her study. She quietly opened the big door to her room and crept out. The hallway was empty, but at least there was a little moonlight streaming in and a few scattered lanterns. She was in the guest wing… the royal chambers were in the middle. She tiptoed down the hallway, across the fancy rugs, and towards the heart of the palace.

"Signs would be helpful," she muttered under her breath. She managed to find what was hopefully the royal chamber. Out of all the other rooms and hallways, these looked the most luxurious. The real question was which room would he be in? She figured the members of the royal family would each have their own high-end bedrooms, but which was his? Or would he be in the Fire Lord Chambers…? She didn't know. Who else would be here though? She thought, in case she peeked into them all. The only other member of the royal family that might be here was Iroh. She approached a decorated red door. It was the second door she tried. It opened easily, soundlessly.

The room was huge. She recognized him instantly. He was asleep, stretched out in a giant bed. She quietly shut the door behind her as she walked towards his sleeping form. He was so handsome. No worry or anger attacked his face. Now that she was here, she wasn't sure what to do. She had originally wanted to see him to confirm that he was all right. See, he's fine. It was just a dream. She tried to convince herself, but she was still troubled. She had a similar dream once before, but that time she hadn't given in so easily and he had saved her at the end. But this time…

I should go she thought and turned to leave. She was halfway to the door when she heard him speak.
"Katara?" he asked, rubbing his eyes with his hands while sitting up.
"Hi," she whispered, turning slowly, "Sorry, I'm leaving." He tilted his head in confusion.
"What's wrong?" She smiled feebly.
"It was just a bad dream. I had to see if you were okay…" She shrugged and scratched an imaginary itch on her arm. He pulled back the covers.
"Hey, come here," he beckoned and patted the bed beside him. There was a brief moment of indecision. She knew she shouldn't stay…but it wasn't like he was asking her to…yet.

-Zuko-

He stumbled into the room, getting into bed without taking off his clothes, barely managing to kick off his shoes. His eyes closed, but sleep wouldn't come. This stupid room held a lot of bad memories for him. Finally, utterly exhausted, he slept.

A familiar smell surrounded him. It was the perfume of water, salt, and the ocean. It was her. He opened his eyes and sat up. Sure enough, she was in his room, already half way to the door. After learning about her bad dream, he couldn't have her walk away. He could tell she was still pretty shaken up over whatever she had dreamed.
"Hey, come here," he said, calling her near. In the back of his mind, he knew this wasn't a good idea. Think of the gossip! A harsh voice reprimanded him in his head, Screw gossip. She needs me.

She hesitantly approached. Then practically ran to him. She slid into his bed, her back against his front, and he wrapped his arms around her.
"Thank you," she whispered into the darkness, snuggling closer.

They lay there together, listening to each other's breathing. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't fall back asleep. He was too busy thinking about the dream he had at the oasis. He wasn't sure if he should tell Katara. The dream or vision or whatever it was had really freaked him out and he was too worried about their future to sleep. Hopefully Uncle will be here tomorrow and I can talk to him. He thought. Katara adjusted slightly, restless, and he knew she was still awake too.
"Can't sleep?" he asked, softly.
"I'm sorry, Zuko," she whispered back, "I can't stop thinking about my nightmare."
"It's okay," he said soothingly stroking her arm. He knew what she meant. "Do you want to talk about it?" She was quiet for a moment.
"Yes," Her voice was so quietly if he wasn't beside her he probably wouldn't have heard. Again, she was quiet. He waited. She shifted in his arms to face him before she began.
"It…uh…well…"
"Was it like your other one?" he prompted. She blushed.
"Yes and no," she chewed on her lip, "It was worse. Scarier."
"I didn't do anything, did I?" he asked, worried. He remembered how she said he comforted her in her last dream and how she blushed and wouldn't continue. Perhaps I hurt her, or stepped over a line, or something.
"No, no, it wasn't that," she said quickly, guessing his thoughts. "You…you…" tears filled her eyes, not yet spilling down her cheeks. He stared into her eyes, trying to help her, but not knowing how. He decided to pull her in for a hug. They were already so close together he didn't have to move much. The tears she had been holding back pressed into his shirt.
"Shh…it's okay," he tried to comfort her. He held her while she silently cried.
"You were dead," she whispered and gripped him tighter.
"Shh! You're okay. I'm okay." He whispered back, rubbing her back.
"I couldn't save you!" she whined softly, "I couldn't bend. I couldn't do anything. You were frozen. Dead." He didn't say anything, wanting her to get it all out. He just hugged her close and smoothed her hair. "He said I was too late and I couldn't save you or fight the darkness. I tried. I tried, but he was right, I couldn't. The mist came and started to push me down. It was too much. I laid down by you, said 'I love you,' and welcomed the darkness." They lay together until her tears stopped. She slowly pulled out of his embrace to look in his face.
"Better?" he asked gently, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear. She nodded. Her eyes were a little red and her face was puffy from crying.
"I'm sorry, I'm such a mess. It just made me feel so… weak and alone. Then I woke up in a strange place all by myself… Am I being ridiculous?"
"No," he assured her, "never. I'm glad you're here. I was having trouble sleeping too."
"You were sound asleep when I came in," she countered.
"No, not really. It's this room," with one hand he gestured around, "so many memories…" It was in this room where he last saw his mother. Where Azula would stand by the doorway and tell him horrible lies.
"Hey," she called, pulling him from his thoughts and cupping his face. He smiled. She was so sweet. His Katara. "You okay?" He nodded, shaking off his thoughts. He could read the worry on her face and decided to change the topic back to her.
"You're not weak or alone. You're the strongest person I know."
"You mustn't know many people then," she muttered, dryly.
"No, you are. It's one of the things I love about you. You're a fighter. You don't give up. You're incredibly loving and caring. And you-" she kissed him, silencing him.
"And I have you," she whispered against his lips. A low groan came from his throat, as they got lost in the kiss.

It was a gentle kiss, full of love. He could feel her pouring her heart into their small connection and he tried to do the same. They were both panting when they finally parted. He could feel her heart through their clothes. It was racing. She recovered first.
"I love you. You know that, right?" she said, smiling up at him.
"Yeah, I know. I love you too." He smiled back. Agni how he loved her.

-Katara-

Nestled into his arms with her head against his shoulder, she felt the steady rise and fall of his breathing. Her left arm draped across his chest and his left arm wrapped around her shoulder. She felt safe. She also felt nurtured which was a slightly different feeling for her. Ever since she lost her mother, she had to help take care of the people in her tribe. She cooked, cleaned, and sewed. Then her father left and she and Sokka had to step up. As much as she loved Gran Gran, she was a tough no nonsense kind of person, who did not believe in coddling. The free time she had, she tried to practice her bending. When Sokka and her left with Aang she felt she had to be the responsible one, taking care of both boys. What she was experiencing now was a nice change, having someone comfort and care for her. She soon fell into a peaceful sleep.

Why was her pillow moving? Her eyes opened under much protest from her brain.
"Sorry," Zuko said, kissing the top of her head, "I didn't mean to wake you."
"Hmm…" she grumbled, snuggling closer. He chuckled.
"I have to get up soon," he whispered against her hair. She looked up at him, puzzled.
"Why?"
"Trust me, I'd much rather stay here with you," he kissed her nose, "but I have a nation to sort out." He sighed.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Just a little while longer?" He laughed again and smiled down at her.
"Of course," He wrapped his arms around her tighter. She kept looking up at him, taking in every detail of his face in the dainty rays of sunlight.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Nothing, I was just trying to memorize your face."
"Why?" his brow furrowed.
"I always want to remember how you look now."
"Even like this?" He asked. Then he crossed his eyes and stared down sideways at her. She laughed, causing his new face to break with laughter.
"Yes," she said through her giggles, "You have so many different faces and I want to learn them all. Serious, silly, hopeful, happy, passionate, confident, upset, concerned-"
"Maybe not those last ones." He interrupted her and then he turned to stare at nothing in particular.
"No," she said softly, reaching up to turn his chin back to her, "All of them, because I love all of you." He smiled his shy smile, the one reserved for her.
"Have I told you that I love you yet today?"
"Hmmm…" She pretended to think, "You know, I don't think so."
"Oh really?" he said in pretend surprise. "Have I made love to you recently?" Although his voice was full of sexy (faux) arrogance, she noticed how his ears turned very pink. It made her smile. She quickly disguised her smile by bighting her lip and slowly shaking her head.
"No…I don't think so."
"Hmm, I think you're right." He grinned, before looking down at her seriously, "But maybe you don't remember. Do I need to remind you?" She wasn't sure where this sultry attitude was coming from, but she wasn't going to question it. The confidence he was showing and the tone he was setting was spellbinding. "You haven't answered yet," he whispered into her ear. She moaned softly, already turned on. Suddenly he rolled them over so she was underneath him.
"What are you going to do?" she asked.
"Remind you," he answered, leaning down to kiss her neck.
"Remind of what?"
"Me." He pulled his head away to look at her, "I was wondering… I know I…once before…Can I…" His confidence was faltering. So she reached up to pull him in for a kiss.
"Zuko," she whispered, "it's okay."
"Really?"
"Yes," With that he slowly kissed her down her body. She was still wearing the clothes she wore yesterday. And in a vague sense, she realized that he had slept in what he'd worn the day before too. He moved down lower, stopping briefly at her belly before dropping even lower.
"Do you want to take these off?" he asked while nibbling at the edge of her pants. She nodded and he moved so she could slide out of bed.

Very slowly and deliberately, she undressed. She turned her back to him while she undid her under-wrappings.
"Agni," she heard him mutter. She grinned and could feel his eyes staring into her. As gracefully as she could, she twirled around to face him.

He was now standing beside the bed, without any of his clothes.
"Agni you're beautiful." He said, staring deeply into her eyes.
"Not so bad yourself," she replied. Her eyes swept his entire body before she could stop them. He quickly moved towards, picking her up to kiss her. She wrapped her legs around his waist. The feeling of herself against him was astonishing. He groaned.

In a blur of motions, they were back on the bed. He was again on top of her, but quickly working his way downward. Soon his mouth was right above her. She moaned in anticipation. She felt his breath against her as he laughed softly.
"How long has it been?" he asked before he kissed the inside of her thigh, creeping closer to where she needed him. She couldn't think. She couldn't answer.

a/n So what are your thoughts? Did you think this chapter was cute, long, dramatic, lovey-dovey, sexy, or some other adjective(s)? Thanks for reading!