Katara and Zuko were cuddled up the following morning in his room, on the couch, naked, and eating breakfast. He kept "accidentally" dropping food and eating it off her breasts –she didn't mind one bit; she giggled every time.

When they were finished, he grabbed one boob in his hand and nipped and sucked on the other one. Katara held his head to her breast while she arched her back and moaned in pleasure. He was attentively through with each large breast, paying close attention to every square millimeter. He didn't have anywhere to be that morning, and he wanted to spend the time finding mutual pleasure together.

He also knew that this time together would help him keep his equilibrium for the coming confrontation. He knew Mai wouldn't win, but it didn't mean she would stop. Azula was sure to confront him later that day too. His sister always left him feeling pathetic after every confrontation.

But for now, all there was, was their bodies and pleasure, and he was going to explore that with her.

Once he had explored her breasts with his mouth, he worked up to her neck and nibbled on it. He whispered, "I love you."

"And I love you," she replied easily.

He gripped her plump breast in his hand and chuckled, "I was talking to your boobs," he teased.

"They love you too," she sassed back.

"Here with you, like this and in love, it makes all the fighting worth it."

She firmly gripped his cock and pumped him. "I have something I want –sexually."

"Done!" he stated firmly. "Anything you want is yours."

"I want you to dominate me."

"You do like that," he said, smiling.

"Well, yes, but that isn't what I mean. I want you to really dominate me. I trust you enough to have you tie me up and take complete control."

His eyes shot wide, and then he blinked once. "What?"

"I want you to dominate me entirely and demand control over my body. I want to be utterly at your mercy." She found just even the idea of it wildly erotic. Also, she had another reason. She believed it would help him gain confidence in his own power outside the bedroom too.

He swallowed hard and nodded. "I-I think I can do that."

"Please, try for me. Sex with you is always amazing. So I'm just thinking this would add a different layer of thrill to it."

"What's out of bounds?"

She scoffed, "you wouldn't do anything that would bother me. In fact, there are a few things I'll request that you might feel uncomfortable doing. So it's your choice."

"What are they?" Her hand was still on his cock, so she pumped it again, and he hissed in pleasure through his teeth.

"Well, I would like you to get a bit rough with me. I really think I'd like you to spank me too. With how vocal I am, you'll be able to tell if I enjoy it."

Zuko soon had a wet and willing Katara tied to his massive bed spread-eagle. He stood near the bed, just admiring the view of her laid out naked for his pleasure.

He thrust two of his fingers into her mouth, "suck!" She obeyed immediately, licking and sucking on the digits. "And this is where the true pleasure is—you obeying because you want me."

He pulled out his fingers and then replaced them with his tongue as he kissed her roughly. He now understood the thrill of taking what he wanted, knowing she was enjoying herself. When he pulled back and looked at her glistening wet pussy he was suddenly very sure of what he wanted to do.

Still, he teased her, and he stroked his cock from root to tip, looking at her pussy and then again as his gaze shifted to her eyes. "It's tempting to jerk off and cum all over your face. I like the idea that I might get some in those fucking beautiful eyes. Still, I wonder if I should give your greedy wet pussy what it wants and take you." He stroked himself again. "Or maybe I'll press your boobs together and rut into you." He smiled as he watched her writhe trying to get some friction between her legs and failing.

He climbed over her with his cock bobbing and licked roughly between the wet folds of her pussy. "Such a greedy cunt. Look how dripping wet you are all for me." He tongued her again and then sucked up her juices. "What a ripe, juicy fruit you are. I'm going to take everything you can give me and more." He then set to work on her perfect pussy. She was drenched wet for him, and he wanted to push her pleasure to the limits. He sucked her clit, and she was writhing against the soft ropes tying her up and holding her firmly in place.

He heard her moaning in pleasure, and he smirked into her cunt. He was going to make her wild. He finger fucked her as he licked, nipped, and sucked at her. She was yelling out in pleasure and trying to ride his face. The ropes were preventing her from being able to do that. He then fucked her with his tongue using powerful flicks and used his fingers on her clit. She was harshly tugging at the rope, desperately trying to get more. More of anything. She just wanted to orgasm so badly that she almost yelled at him to stick his cock in her right now and fuck her already. The only thing that stopped her was the fact that she had asked for this, and really, it was working. He was driving her wild with pleasure. He sped up with his finger, and she screamed out in pleasure, twitching through her long, drawn-out orgasm. One he sucked and licked her through, not letting her rest.

"Well, aren't you a delicious treat?" he seductively licked his lips and smiled at her with a shit-eating grin. "Like that, did you?"

"Yes! So fucking-fantastically-much!"

"Listening to your orgasm made my dick twitch. You make the most wonderfully lewd noises when you're being pleasured."

"What can I say, other than you're so good at that?"

He untied the quick releases on the ropes. "Roll over." He then tied her arms together, wrapping them at the wrists, and tied a bow.

While she still lay on her stomach, he caressed the globes of her ass. "Are you sure?" In response, she nodded. His hand then came down on her butt cheek, and she screamed in pleasure. "I'm such a bad girl."

He spanked the other cheek, and she moaned. Zuko said, "Yes, you are, my water-whore. You're spreading your legs for the Fire Nation prince, letting him get off and cum inside your perfect cunt." He spanked her again. "The worst part is that you beg for my big cock. You want to feel me stretch your tight pussy." He spanked her again and then flicked her clit, and to his surprise and delight, she orgasmed.

He smiled down at her pink ass. "I know you were worried I would feel uncomfortable spanking you, but after that, I have no doubt how much you enjoy it. I'll spank you anytime you want."

He then took a discarded rope and tied it to the one around her wrists and then tied that to the headboard. "Rollover and spread your legs for me." She obeyed, and he flicked her clit. "Good girl."

He then crawled over her and thrust his cock inside of her. "You're so wet, Katara." He then made love to her with his eye locked on hers. She knew to and worked hard to keep her eyes open. He loved the passion in her eyes. They both orgasmed, and he pumped his seed out deep inside of her.

He moved and untied her wrists and then grew pale. "You have rope burns on both your wrists!" He kissed near the burn tenderly, not wanting to hurt her. "I'm so sorry."

She scoffed, "I did it to myself, and I didn't care. I can more than live with it to get to experience what just happened. That was amazing."

"I didn't want to hurt you –ever!" He said, upset.

She stroked his cheek. "I'm okay, Zuko. I wouldn't give up what just happened. It was… Wow! Zuko, the sex was amazing and your dominating me was so exciting. You saw and felt how wet I was. Did I sound like I was in any pain at all?!"

"No," he admitted, chuckling. "You sounded like you were having a fabulous time."

"So fucking fantastic, pun intended."

He wrapped her tenderly in his arms. "I love you."

"And I love you too."

He laid there sated for a while, tenderly kissing her wrists. He loved the feeling of holding her close after sex.

Eventually, she asked, "how long has Councilman Haru had his mistress?"

He thought about it, automatically assuming she had a reason for asking. "Now that I think of it, he's had her for... gosh, at least four years now. Why?"

"She spoke with me in the harem yesterday."

He chuckled, "that's bold of her. I thought they wouldn't approach you."

"She did approach me, but I still spoke to her first. She said a lot without saying too much. It was… Interesting."

"What did she say?"

"She asked Haru to bite her somewhere visible. She claims he hated doing it and that she asked him to bite her in order to get him in Ozai's favor -it worked. She was looking out for him because she believes he's a 'good man.'"

Zuko chuckled, "that's like calling someone a bad name here."

She laughed then said, "he doesn't have a wife, he's had the same mistress for years, and she had to make him treat her a certain way so that he could gain Ozai's favor. It sounds like us. Well, it sounds like what we could be with more time together."

"I noticed in the council meeting that he was calling on Haru more. I didn't even try to figure out why."

"The last 'invite only' dinner, the one that is supposed to be an honor to go to, was the first one they attended. I asked around discreetly. He was invited after the bite mark appeared."

Zuko sighed, "and she told you this because...?"

"She said because she knew I wasn't abused and because Haru thinks you are a 'good man,' I did point out that wasn't a compliment here, and she made a point of saying that he meant it as one and that he respects you."

He shook his head, "we can't involve them, Katara. It's too risky."

"I know," she said, rolling her eyes. "But she approached me, and I think he asked her to. Let him work to support you quietly. He can prove himself. I think he'll try. You don't have to risk anything. I wouldn't ask you to."

He kissed her forehead. "Sorry, you're right. I just… I know you wouldn't ask me to do anything dangerous. It was just when you compared them to us. It felt too personal."

"Maybe it was. And maybe I'm subconsciously looking for another ally now that Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai are here. I worry about what trouble they could cause for you. Especially a pissed-off jealous Mai."

"Then ask her for help without promising her anything. Being in your favor would be good for her and, in turn, good for Haru. If he's trying to become an ally, she will go out of her way to help you."

"Isn't that using her?"

"No, if they prove useful and trustworthy, they will get precisely what they want and more. They wouldn't know they were helping a man looking to make himself Fire Lord. If he helps me achieve that, it would be good sense for me to promote him.

"As far as Azula goes, Father is trying to start a fight between us. He claims he wants her to conquer Ba Sing Se, and then he wants me to rule it. Knowing him, he wants her to claim it as her own and make me take it from her."

Katara caressed his worried brow. "Relax. This will all take time, and with time we have a chance to plan. And for you to take it from her, he'd have to let you out of the palace. We can go and do anything we want once he does." She then kissed him sweetly on the lips. "I will do anything I need to in order to support you. I love you, and you are a good man. And I'm saying that as a member of the Southern Water Tribe to the prince of the Fire Nation."

He held her tightly. "You make me feel like I could accomplish anything."