Chapter 45
After a good night's rest and a relaxing morning, Zuko and Izara were working together to finish off the last of his paperwork. He was using her as a second set of eyes and it was making everything so much easier. Although he had wanted her to relax while she was here and not do any work, it seemed like she was enjoying the chance to assist him.
Considering they had officially started dating now, if things went the way he hoped, then Izara may end up ruling alongside him. It would likely be good practice for the future. Maybe he was getting ahead of himself, but he couldn't help it. He was just so damn happy to finally be able to look at her, touch her and kiss her whenever he felt like it, which was practically every second.
When they finished one batch and piled it to one side, Izara tied a string around it to keep it together for their return journey. She had a thoughtful expression, and he waited for her to say what was on her mind, but she kept quiet.
"What's on your mind?" He prompted and watched as she turned around with slightly widened eyes.
"Uhh, nothing really." She brushed him off but he wouldn't have that.
"Go on. Tell me." He leaned back in the chair, showing that he was giving her his full attention.
"Well, I was just thinking that clearly, the Supremacists took advantage of the lowered security in the Capital port, which I know you don't want to change. Maybe it would be smart to make an elite unit to counter this kind of thing. An anti-infiltration unit?" She mused aloud with her arms crossed over her chest.
"You would lead it, right?" He asked as if it was obvious, expecting a reaction from her, which he got.
"What?! I can't do that." Izara exclaimed, and Zuko bit back with a laugh.
"Tell me who else is more qualified than you." He questioned bluntly and watched the expression on her face change as she considered her answer.
"Daichi. Luan. Kazan." She suggested.
"Daichi barely speaks, so he would struggle. Luan has a young child and values his time at home, and Kazan hasn't had the practical experience with infiltration or exfiltration you've had." Zuko countered without hesitation.
"But I'm not capable of being an inspirational military leader." Izara retorted with a shrug.
"You don't have to be. You could hand-pick a small team to train personally. They could be your eyes and ears across the Capital. Across the Fire Nation." His mind was racing with ideas, and his mouth barely kept up.
"I don't want to manage a spy network. I just want to keep you safe." She said with a concerned frown, which slowed his thoughts.
"You're sweet." He reached over and grasped her hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it in appreciation. "Just a small team for the Palace, then."
"Maybe. I'll think about it." Izara said shyly.
"Choose your team." He replied while he lay down, putting his head in her lap and looking up at her.
"I'll think about it." She repeated, narrowing her eyes at him, but there was a hint of a smirk on her face.
Zuko smiled and closed his eyes, taking a few slow breaths as he enjoyed Izara's presence. She ran her fingers through his hair, carefully avoiding a few small knots in the lengths. This was exactly what he wanted to do while they were here, but he hadn't expected anything since Izara had already turned him down before. Now that he could finally be openly affectionate with her, he planned to take full advantage of it whenever he got the chance.
Once they got back to the Capital, he wanted to focus heavily on tracking down the Supremacists, and that would take up a lot of his time. He would spend every spare second he got with Izara when he could. It was also likely that she would have some involvement with the Supremacist problem, considering her insight and experience dealing with them on multiple occasions now. Out of anyone Zuko knew, Izara had accidentally become the authority on the Supremacists, not that she would agree with that. With her deciphering the information she'd stolen from their camp, they had an advantage Zuko intended to keep. He would press said advantage until he'd found them all and dismantled their networks and ideals.
The Fire Nation needed stability. His rule was consolidated, and he'd not had any issues with dissent within his council or leadership that he was aware of. Everyone who had been in his father's inner circle, or hadn't at least repented for what they had done and sanctioned during Ozai's reign, had been exiled to the remaining Fire Nation colonies or jailed for their crimes.
With his friends and Izara at his side, he would be able to achieve anything…
Later in the day, Izara decided to enjoy the pool in the courtyard, as she had not done so yet during their stay. Since she had no swimming clothes or a bathing suit, she put on a pair of clean underwear and a small crop top. The water appeared perfectly clean, and was fresh water, not salt water like that surrounding the island.
The water was cool and refreshing as she dipped her foot in and pulled her hair into a bun since it had fallen out partially earlier. Once she got in, she propped herself on a small rock designed to be used as a step or a seat. She spent most of the next chunk of time staring at the clouds moving across the sky, zoned out and enjoying the cool water. Since firebenders always ran hot, it was nice and refreshing, and the temperature didn't rise either.
After an indeterminable amount of time, Zuko appeared from the sliding door, a charming smile gracing his handsome face. Izara turned her head to watch him approach her spot, his hand dipping into the water to test the temperature. With a nod of approval, he swiftly removed his shirt and outer shorts before joining her in the water. Izara watched him as he settled on the other side of the rock, his arm draping over her shoulder. She responded with a joyful laugh, leaning her head against his shoulder while he affectionately pressed his nose against her hair.
Izara immensely enjoyed his attention, and he joined her in staring at the clouds as they moved across the sky for some time. Although they'd gotten there in the end, she felt stupid now for running away from him when he'd kissed her before the attack. Hindsight was always clearer, and obviously, things were exciting and new between them.
She placed her hand on his thigh underneath the water, and he shifted closer to her. His chin dropped, and he looked at the scar from the stab wound on her shoulder inflicted by the Supremacist. He turned towards her, sighing softly as he inspected it.
"How will I ever let you out of my sight again?" His voice was soft and wavered a little like he was thinking out loud.
Turning to face him with an encouraging smile on her face, he glanced at her face as if searching for something in her expression. Bringing his free hand up to cup her cheek, he tugged her head forward so he could rest his forehead against hers. She took in his presence, enjoying being so close to him. When she kissed his cheek, his eyes opened widely in surprise, and he smiled at her happily. He looked at her for a long moment.
The air between them became charged, and Zuko's gaze dropped to her mouth. His breathing slowed, and so did hers. They waited, seeing who made the first move, and Izara shifted first, closing the gap between them and kissing him first. He immediately reciprocated, his passion almost overwhelming her until she happily caught up. When she felt his tongue across her bottom lip, her lips parted in a soft sigh. Izara was aware of her toes curling as their kiss intensified. Feeling his fingers tangle in her hair as his mouth moved along her jaw, she squeezed her legs together in anticipation.
Zuko nuzzled into the crook of her neck, and Izara felt his mouth on her. She grasped his thigh muscles and waited to see what he would do.
Apparently, they just couldn't keep their hands off each other.
Izara could hear Zuko's breathing speeding up, and after a long second, he ran his tongue along the soft skin of her neck, up towards her ear. She inhaled in a hiss, squeezing his leg in return. The hand on her cheek moved down to her throat, keeping her in place to stop her from moving. Her toes curled tightly, and Zuko nipped, kissed and licked along her neck, gradually leading up along her jaw. When he reached her mouth, he traced his hand down her arm and onto her waist to keep her close. Their mouths crashed together with intensity, and Izara didn't want to stop like they had earlier. She was aware of the fact that there was wetness forming between her legs, just from his teasing. Taking some of the lead, she rose from her spot on the rock and straddled Zuko's lap. He looked up at her, watching her with half-lidded eyes darkened with lust as she settled on top of him. She could feel him hard beneath her and rolled her hips around, grinding downwards, making Zuko curse breathlessly.
His hands came to her back, pulling her down for another steamy kiss, exploring each other's mouths eagerly. Izara tangled her fingers in his hair, tugging on their lengths in response to the feeling she got when his hard length moved against her, covered by their clothes. Zuko let her lean back slightly, grasping at her breasts with urgent desire. He squeezed the soft flesh and cursed again as he touched her. Izara was more than happy for him to continue touching her like this, but she wanted more. Much more.
Her patience was quickly running out, and she took things further by tugging off her crop top, greatly appreciating how sharp Zuko's gaze on her became as she was topless on his lap. He immediately put his mouth on her chest, grabbing one breast. At the same time, he lapped and sucked on the other, making her whimper and grind against him to encourage him further. Upon removing his mouth from her, he looked up at her and tugged her down for another kiss with a hand on the back of her neck. He shifted his hips upward in time with the movements his tongue made along her own, turning her to jelly in his arms.
She couldn't help the moans that fell from her lips, most of them muffled by his mouth on her. Desperate for more contact, she reached her hands between them and went for the waistband of his shorts. The drawstring tie was simple to undo, but she fumbled with it hastily. Zuko's intensity heightened, nibbling and kissing along her shoulder as she undid his pants. Once she had successfully completed her task, she glanced at him briefly to ensure it was okay before continuing.
"Izara…" Zuko's breathy moan was all the permission she needed to get before she tugged his erection free.
He moaned loudly as she wrapped her hand around him, squeezing his eyes closed while his head fell back against the side of the pool. She stroked him gently, briefly wondering about his size and how that was going to fit inside her. One of his hands snaked between her legs, and he hooked a finger to pull her panties aside so he could return the favour. She shivered as he dragged a finger along her teasingly, and he seemed to enjoy the reactions he caused from her. As she continued stroking him, he sated her somewhat by carefully easing one of his fingers inside her. Izara moaned and rocked her hips in time with his movements to heighten the feeling while she touched him as well. She was surprised at his skill in bringing her to a wanton puddle with a brief touch. He knew how to curl his finger just the right way, and she could barely focus on anything else.
"Shit." She cursed in a lustily drunk voice, and Zuko smirked in pride while he watched her face.
"Good?" He asked, his voice deep and seductive.
Izara could only nod in answer before she'd completely lost her patience and lifted herself off him. He frowned at her in confusion as she released her grip on him, removed his finger from inside her and let her go. She hooked her thumbs in the side of her panties and shuffled them down, promptly ignoring them floating away into the middle of the pool. Zuko licked his lips and waited for her to return, settling into his lap.
"I want you." He whispered into her ear before he ran his tongue along her neck.
"Then take me." Izara rolled her hips against him, his hard length, moaning at the feeling of having no barrier between their skin any more.
Zuko put his hand between them and carefully moved himself into place. Izara let herself sink down onto him, her eyes fluttering, and Zuko moaned low and long. It took her a few movements to properly adjust and for him to be completely buried inside her, and they started at a slow pace. Izara rolled her hips onto him, hitting all those good spots inside her. His heavy breathing told her that he was very much enjoying himself, and she loved seeing his pleasured expression. Gradually, she increased the pace, and Zuko copied her rhythm by thrusting upward into her, hitting deep.
"Zu…ko." She balanced herself by holding onto his shoulders, and Zuko grasped her hips to drive her movements up and down onto him.
Likely, she would end up bruised later from the strength of his grip, but she really didn't care. All that she could focus on was feeling so full and blissful. Abruptly, Zuko held her in place to stop her moving and began driving up into her hard and fast. She could only moan in time with his thrusts, shuddering at the feeling.
"Izara…I can't…" He managed to choke out before he pulled himself out of her and shook with the force of his climax. His muscles tensed and relaxed rapidly.
As he came down from his high, his breathing began to slow gradually. Eventually, he opened his eyes to look at her. She smiled warmly at him, and he returned it lazily. His brow knitted together briefly before he shifted to help her stand. Zuko did the same before he held his hand to her. She took it, and they got out of the pool together. Zuko grabbed a towel each from the small cupboard on the deck, and they quickly dried off. Izara hadn't bothered to collect her clothes, but Zuko also didn't give her a chance and ditched his wet shorts in favour of the dry towel.
Once they'd gotten most of the water off them, he took hold of her hand again and led her upstairs to the master bedroom. He dropped his towel on the floor, leaving him naked before her. As he moved to stand in front of her, she smirked and allowed him to take her towel off, leaving it on the floor as well. With his hands on her waist, he steered her backwards towards the bed, and they shuffled onto it together until he hovered over her. Zuko kissed her fervently and massaged her breasts while he supported his weight with his elbow next to her, partially caging her in. After he released her breast, he trailed downward until he reached between her legs. Coming to sit on his knees, he broke their kiss and watched her with hunger as he put his finger inside her again. It was purposely slow and teasing, and Izara moaned and gripped the sheets tightly when he added a second finger. He used his free hand to press down onto her stomach, and her back arched off the bed as she loudly moaned his name over and over. He continued, driving her mad with pleasure, and she tried to grasp onto him, but he would push her hand down onto the bed every time. She could see him smirk sexily as she briefly opened her eyes that she'd squeezed shut.
Zuko seemed intent on driving her mad, not that she minded much. Her legs shook instantly when he put his mouth between her legs, furthering her wanton frenzy. She realised in the back of her mind that the fingers she tangled in his hair might be tugging painfully, but Zuko didn't let up on her despite this. The coil within her tightened until it finally snapped, and her back arched off his bed, calling his name in amongst the strangled moans and groans. He answered with his own, feeling the vibrations against her.
Before she'd come back to her senses completely, Zuko was hovering above her and buried inside her again. Her eyes flew open at the feeling, focusing on him chewing on his bottom lip as he likely tried to stop this from ending quickly. She gazed up at him, and he smirked as he started to move simultaneously. Izara didn't stay idle, ensuring she was still actively participating by rolling her hips in time with him. His kisses were frequent and placed on every inch of skin he could reach with fervent enthusiasm.
"Iz..." Zuko groaned, and she both saw and felt his muscles ripple with effort.
"Zuko," came her answer, and she encouraged him to move faster with her gyrations and her hands tugging around his waist.
Zuko gave her what she wanted, increasing his pace after he shifted one of her legs onto his shoulder. Izara swore loudly, and she knew that her inner muscles were clamping down hard on him, which was even more evident by the look on his face. His mouth was open, and golden eyes wide as he watched her, grasping his hand at her chest that bounced along with their movements. Feeling the coil tighten again, she did her best to shift with him as he seemed to be edging towards his own high.
"Fuck..." he swore and turned his head away from her face, squeezing his eyes shut, but kept up the pace.
Izara couldn't hold back the melody of her pleasured gasps, moans, and breaths, and she enjoyed that Zuko wasn't utterly silent. His answering sounds were wonderfully encouraging, and she was pleased he appeared to feel like she did. Eventually, his breaths became more ragged, and his muscles tensed in violent shudders. Her own climax hit her after his thrusts became harder, hitting just the right spot inside her, and they both clung tightly to each other throughout. Zuko buried his head in the crook of her neck, and she felt the sensation of liquid on her stomach while Zuko trembled and groaned.
"You okay?" He asked after taking a few breaths, and she could feel the warm air against her skin.
"Definitely." She answered and knew she sounded well-sated but didn't care.
Zuko's chuckle made her smile, and he gently kissed her collarbone, then her cheek and forehead with sincere affection. After nuzzling his nose against hers, he carefully sat back on his knees and smiled at her. He extended his hand to her, and she accepted it. They helped each other off the bed, heading towards the bathroom.
After they cleaned up and dressed lightly to combat the evening warmth, they curled up in bed together. They talked about anything and everything until they fell asleep...