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It was two days before the new year and three days before Katara’s birthday. She had spent the past week preparing alongside her father for the biggest event that her homeland would host in over a century. All of her time was taken up by making sure that there would be enough food, that the entertainment for the evening was all set, and that the great hall and the guest huts were cleaned and well-stocked in order to accommodate the number of people that they were expecting. It was a lot of work that vaguely reminded her of the time she spent traveling with Aang.
But it would be worth it. She was excited for the Southern Water Tribe to finally have a chance to share its culture and show off their rebuilding efforts to the rest of the world. That, and because all of her friends would be together again for the first time since Sokka and Suki’s wedding.
It would be just them celebrating her twenty-fourth birthday and she had been looking forward to it for quite a while now. Her father had suggested a party, noticing how lonely and downtrodden she had been since leaving the Fire Nation a few months ago, and after he roped in Sokka, Katara had finally broken down and agreed to it.
Toph had arrived first, with Sokka and a very pregnant Suki in tow from Kyoshi Island. It had only been a couple of weeks since she had last seen her brother and sister-by-marriage, but she still hugged them as tight as if it had been years. Toph was a little bit harder to convince, initially socking her in the arm as a greeting until Katara had eventually managed to corral her into a hug as well.
“Only because it’s almost your birthday,” the other girl grumbled. “But don’t think I’m hugging you again then!”
Aang was the next to make an appearance. They all gathered by the shore when he was first spotted and watched as Appa’s figure grew larger and larger in the sky. The airbender gracefully hopped off of his bison and landed on the ice next to them before being promptly dog-piled by his friends.
It had been years since he and Katara had called it quits, and whatever hurt feelings and awkwardness between them had long since faded and she had come to miss him dearly, telling him as much when they broke apart and she squeezed his arm.
She almost felt whole, as free and loved as she did when she was a kid in the few years after the war had ended. Almost, except for the fact that there was still one person from their little group who was missing.
It had been too long since she last saw Zuko.
When she had fled back to her homeland, Katara claimed that it was because her family needed her here, but she knew that they both had seen right through her excuse.
Things had been so good between them right before then. She had been his ambassador and also his closest friend, constantly at his side for the better half of a year. He confessed to her one night that he felt like she was the only one who really knew him, the air around them completely charged. She had almost whispered the same thing back but was terrified of tipping over the edge with him, no matter how the glint in his amber eyes was making her feel.
Then two days later, Mai had arrived at the palace, and despite them being off again for a while at this point, something inside Katara had shriveled up watching them interact. The easy smile on his face and the way that Mai so casually touched his arm bothered her more than she wanted to admit. She didn’t think she would be able to stomach seeing them together again, not when she was so close to Zuko, not when her days were filled with him, not when she had a crush on him the size of Omashu.
So Katara packed up her things and left rather abruptly, brushing off Zuko’s hurt expression and questioning eyes and sending Bato in her place to be his ambassador.
And of course she had missed her father and her brother and her tribe. She was happy to come home and work with the young children who had just discovered their bending abilities and curl up by the fire with Gran Gran while they sewed new clothes for the winter.
She was perfectly fine living like this, but only just fine. How could she be more than that when she was haunted by heated dreams of golden eyes and his secret smiles and the way he sounded when he laughed? There were several times when she asked herself if she made a mistake, longing to go back and tell him how she felt. But she wasn’t ready to see him with Mai. Not yet.
They haven’t spoken since she left. And while the Fire Lord responded to Chieftain Hakoda saying that he would be honored to join the Southern Water Tribe in celebration of the holiday, the letter to Zuko about Katara’s birthday had gone unanswered.
With the rest of their friends already in the South Pole, it was just a matter of time before he arrived as well.
And she was so nervous to reunite with him due to the way that they had left things, convincing herself that he did not want to see her anymore after what had happened. Did he even miss her as much as she missed him? Or should she take his silence as him wanting nothing to do with her?
For a brief moment, Katara wondered if he was going to bring Mai as his date to the new year’s festivities. The idea made her stomach clinch and her blood run cold, suddenly dreading the moment that he stepped off his ship.
But despite her worries, Zuko still arrived the next day, sans Mai, and with Iroh and Bato at his side.
She watched him greet her tribe and their friends, unable to tear her eyes away. A stab of longing bolted through her as the rasp of his voice floated through the air. His hair had grown since she left, now grazing his shoulders and framing his face so nicely.
Zuko bowed, Fire Nation style, to her father and she had to bite back a fond smile at his startled expression when Chieftain Hakoda wound up pulling him into a hug and clapping his back before Sokka tackled him from behind. She felt so at home watching him with her family, as if he belonged there with her.
But that feeling sunk away when he turned to her. Zuko bowed once to Katara, respectful as always, but curt and guarded. He didn’t open his arms and fold her into a hug like he normally did when they were reunited after some time apart. Instead, he kept his distance, only lingering by her side for as long as was polite.
Katara was shattered by the icy reception. He was her best friend and yet he was treating her as if she was just another dignitary he had to suffer through before he was allowed to go home. Was he really that upset with her?
It was now one day before the new year, and the six of them were having dinner in Katara’s hut, trading stories of their time away from each other and catching up. Zuko sat as far from her as he possibly could, making small talk around the table with everyone but her.
It shouldn’t sting so much, not when she was the one who had fled. But she had done it to protect her own heart. It felt quite ironic now given the fact that he was somehow still managing to stomp all over it. She had tried to talk to him earlier, asking him how he was doing and how his people were, but he brushed her off, giving a short answer and leaving her lonely.
She hated the distance between them, the way that he appeared to cut her off as if it were nothing. Katara began to feel a bit guilty, this was the same thing she did to him, so she shouldn’t be surprised. But even then, why did it hurt so much? She stared at Zuko when she thought he wasn’t looking, wishing for nothing more than for them to go back to how it was before. If anyone else noticed the tension between them, they didn’t say anything.
She sat and passively listened to the conversation flowing, as if she were a ghost, until Aang frowned at her from across the table, concerned. “You’ve been awfully quiet tonight, Katara. Is everything okay?”
All eyes in the room flashed towards her as she shakily replied, “I’m fine, Aang.”
“You know, Katara has been acting strange for a bit now,” Sokka interjected, contemplating, “ever since Zuko got here actually.”
She could feel his gaze on her and against her will, her face heated up. “Don’t be ridiculous, Sokka. There is just a lot going on right now that I have had to spend weeks preparing for!”
“Sure,” Toph cut in, not convinced, “but you were fine yesterday, Sugar Queen.”
Zuko was still studying her but didn’t say anything. He then rose from his chair, rather abruptly. “I am going to go, uh, back to my hut. The lack of sunlight is messing with my inner fire and I am not feeling well,” he claimed, although everyone saw through his flimsy excuse.
Sokka clapped him on the shoulder. “Alright buddy, get some rest. I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow for ice dodging?”
“Of course, I wouldn’t miss it,” he replied, hastily exiting the hut.
When the door shut behind him, they all turned back towards Katara, looking at her expectantly.
“What happened with you two?” Suki asked gently.
“Yeah, are you guys gonna be weird all weekend?” Her annoying brother unhelpfully added, raising an eyebrow in her direction.
“No! And nothing happened!”
“She’s lying,” Toph commented nonchalantly, almost amused by the entire situation.
“I’m not lying! We just—We—Nevermind!” She crossed her arms and turned away, done with being interrogated, and then Aang placed a calming hand on her forearm.
“Why did you leave the Fire Nation, Katara? You seemed to be so happy in all of the letters you sent me.” His big gray eyes looked at her with worry and Katara broke down.
“I was happy,” she admitted. “Really happy, actually. Zuko is— was my best friend. And everything was going great until Mai showed up and—”
“Oh.”
“What is it now, Sokka?” She replied, waspishly and wounded.
“Honey,” Suki began kindly, “did you really leave because of his ex-girlfriend?”
“No!”
“Lie.”
Suki paused, glancing between Toph and a fuming, blushing, absolutely humiliated Katara.
“...Okay. And do you want to talk about why Mai returning bothered you so much?”
“No.”
“Have you talked to Zuko about his relationship and if he even wanted to get back together with her?”
“...No.”
“So you just jumped to conclusions and left without even giving the guy a chance?”
“Sokka, sweetheart, this is my therapy session. Back off!” Suki scolded, pinching his arm and making Katara smile a bit.
“Ow! Fine, sorry,” he grumbled.
“But Sokka is right, honey,” Suki began, turning back to Katara. “This is clearly upsetting both of you and I think that you guys need to sit down and talk this out so that you don’t have a giant cloud hanging over your heads the entire time he’s here.”
“But he hates me now,” Katara insisted, sounding absolutely miserable.
Protests rang around the room and Katara buried her face into her hands. “No, he does, you guys. He doesn’t write me back anymore and never responded to the letter about my birthday.”
“Sugar Queen, he really doesn’t hate you. Trust me, I would know.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter what you think because our friendship is over! He will be gone tomorrow and then you won’t have to deal with our drama anymore! I am sorry we ruined your evening,” Katara snapped, rising from her own dining table and retreating to her room like a child, ignoring her friends calling out to her.
It was only one more day, she could survive this.
_____
Katara had spent the morning with her father, showing King Kuei and Iroh around her homeland, pointing out all of the reconstruction efforts and taking pride in all of her people’s accomplishments. That, and also avoiding Zuko.
She knew that she would be forced to see him again tonight for the new year celebration, but then he would be out of her life for good, or at least until the next time there was an international event and she had enough time to heal from the destruction of their friendship.
Suki had tried to get her to open up more about what was going on, but Katara refused, not wanting to face more rejection than she had already had.
For the festivities, she had spent the last few months sewing together an outfit. The dress, in a typical Southern Water Tribe blue, was made of silky material that she had brought back with her from the Fire Nation. In the right light, it shimmered like the auroras that graced the sky this time of year. She had a floor-length coat to go with it, white, with the fur trimmings in a blue that matched her dress. The clothes were beautiful, and they looked even better with her in it, if she did say so herself.
She was getting ready with the girls, braiding her sister-by-marriage’s hair in the usual style of her tribe, looping some beads through it that accentuated the flash of green in her outfit.
And while the green really complemented Suki’s eyes, nothing commanded more attention than her baby bump when she stood. “My niece is so close!” Katara cooed to her stomach, overwhelmed with joy.
“How do you know it’s a girl?” Toph asked, skeptical.
Katara put her hand on the baby bump and used her bending to feel for a heartbeat. “I just do,” she finally replied, shrugging.
Suki gave her hand a squeeze. “I hope you’re right,” she said.
“Me too.”
“Enough of the baby talk. Are you both ready for the party?” Toph interrupted.
And then a sly look formed on both of her companion’s faces, making Katara frown. “What is it, you two?”
“Oh nothing,” Suki said, “we’re just excited for the new year, honey.” She didn’t need to have Toph’s gifts to tell that her friend was lying.
They had arrived in the communal hut to kick off the evening. The building was lit warm with an inviting fire burning in the center, and traditional water tribe music was playing throughout, enticing couples to join hands and dance. Food from her culture was being served everywhere she looked, as well as wine. Katara swiped a glass to help settle some of her nerves over the evening and took the time to admire all of her tribe’s progress since the war had ended.
People from all over the world had gathered here tonight to celebrate her homeland and its traditions. She never thought that something like this could be possible a decade ago. It was a good feeling, seeing how far they’ve come and how much they’ve persevered and grown since then. Katara just wished that her mother could have been around to see it.
Iroh and Zuko filtered into the hut not much longer after she had arrived. He was wearing a stiff red coat that was quickly shrugged off given the warmth of the room, leaving him in his Fire Lord regalia, his crown glinting as he walked.
Spirits, he was so handsome that her heart squeezed in her chest. She had to look away.
He stayed in his corner with Iroh and she floated around the room, thanking everyone for coming and answering any questions they had about the South. All things considered, the evening was going well so far, even if her imagination was playing tricks on her and she thought she felt a familiar gaze tracing the blue of her dress and the way that it hugged her curves. When Katara tilted her head in Zuko’s direction, she sighed in disappointment, noticing him not staring at her like she secretly wanted, but talking instead to his uncle.
The music suddenly changed and soon a ton of water tribe dancers flitted their way to the head of the room. A rhythmic gong sounded off and the dancers began to move as one, performing a traditional tribe dance. They stomped around to the beat, their movements fluid and light, like a waterbender.
The crowd watched them as they moved, awed by the performance, and soon it was Katara’s turn to join them. As the oldest and at one point the only remaining bender from the South, she had a special place in tonight’s celebration.
Gradually, the other dancers faded around her until it was just her and the water that she impressively pulled from the air. She moved with it as if it were an extension of her, freezing the droplets to the amazement of the audience before she called the water back and swirled it around her body, graceful and effortlessly. The way that she controlled her element was mesmerizing. It was clear to all who watched her just how she had earned the title of master at such a young age, it was as if Katara was born to bend.
She was so focused on the push and pull of the liquid in her hands that everyone else seemed to disappear. When her performance was over and she evaporated the water with a simple flick of her wrist, the room burst into loud applause and she flushed, proud, her eyes landing on the person who she most and least wanted to see the reaction of.
There was something in Zuko’s eyes that made Katara’s stomach flip. He looked enraptured by her, his golden eyes burning right through her even from across the room. The world narrowed until it was just the two of them, their silent conversation saying things that she would not dare say aloud.
I’m sorry.
I miss you.
Do you feel it too?
But the moment was quickly broken. Her father joined her on stage, giving her a hug and telling the world how proud he was of his daughter. He then took to speaking about the past ten years since the war and of how much his homeland means to him while she stood by his side, still staring at Zuko.
He broke contact first, turning away from her to focus on Hakoda’s speech. But she couldn’t tear her eyes away from him, longing to fall into his arms and hear his raspy laugh in her ear and just be with him again.
It was just one evening. She could get through it.
Even if her heart didn’t seem convinced.
When her father was done speaking, she was freed to wander around and mingle with all of the guests in the room. Katara caught up with Chief Arnook and his wife, as well as a (thankfully now mustacheless) Haru and Teo, very pointedly avoiding where Iroh and Zuko stood off to the side.
That was until Sokka and Suki grabbed her arms and steered her directly towards them. “You can’t avoid them forever,” he whispered to her as she protested.
“Yes, I can! I mean—I’m not avoiding them, Sokka,” she hissed back. “Let me go! Haru and I were having a very interesting conversation!”
“I’m sure you were,” Suki replied with an eye roll, still marching her towards Zuko.
They stopped unceremoniously in front of the duo. They were in mid-conversation with King Kuei (one that Katara will note that Zuko looked like he was dying to get out of) and all of them abruptly stopped talking as they were approached.
“Why, if it isn’t the happy couple as well as Miss Katara!” Iroh greeted with an easy twinkle in his eye. “I miss seeing you around the Fire Nation, my dear.”
“And she misses being there,” Sokka said for her, throwing an arm around her shoulder. “We hate to interrupt, but King Kuei, my wife and I have been dying to ask you about temporarily filling Suki’s spot on the council for Republic City before the baby comes. Would you mind?”
“Oh! Not at all,” Kuei said, turning to bow towards Zuko and Iroh before he was dragged off. “Who knows when I will get to see the two of you again, anyways!”
With Kuei out of the picture, it left Katara standing awkwardly in front of Zuko and Iroh. Alone. Thanks for nothing, Sokka.
Zuko was staring at her, not in the intense way from earlier that made her knees weak and her heart beg for him, but instead, he appeared hesitant and unsure. Katara hugged her arms to her chest, looking away from him.
Luckily for both of them, Iroh chose to ignore the clear tension between the pair. “How have you been since returning home?” He asked her, voice jovial and caring.
“Um, I’ve been well,” she fumbled out. She didn’t want to tell him how lonely she had been with Sokka and Aang always coming and going on a whim, with most of the major rebuilding efforts already nearing completion, with how much she missed Zuko.
“That’s good to hear, my dear.” Iroh then sent Zuko a stern look that the younger man dismissed.
“Y-yeah. How have you two been?” Katara asked, trying to bury the tiny bubble of hurt that began to seep into her chest.
“I’ve been wonderful, thanks for asking! Spending my golden years with my nephew and the Jasmine Dragon is more than an old man like me could have hoped for!”
She smiled at him and they fell into an uncomfortable silence, unsure of what to say.
Undeterred, Iroh nudged Zuko. “Don’t be rude, Nephew! I believe that Katara had asked both of us the question.”
“I’ve been fine,” he replied gruffly. “Just you know, running the country and all.”
“Nephew, you are too modest! Lord Zuko has been very busy putting together a proposal to start a delegation of representatives from each region to help advise him! It’s very noble, don’t you think?”
Zuko flushed, rubbing the back of his neck, and Katara had to force herself to look him in the eyes. It was something that they talked about before when he was really frustrated and needed to vent about what he wanted for the future. It was similar to what her tribe did, and he always told her how much he admired it.
“That’s…That’s really great, Zuko. I’m sure that your people will appreciate it,” Katara responded weakly, her heart suddenly feeling hollow.
“It’s—it’s not done yet! Um, I mean, it’s still under construction. Just something I’ve been thinking about finally doing.”
He was flustered, trying to sell himself short. She wondered what else they talked about that he had started planning since she left. It stung more than she wished it did.
“No, Zuko. It’s a good idea. You should be proud of yourself,” she murmured, staring at the floor. “But you already knew that I thought that.”
He opened his mouth to retort, but then the music changed yet again to something more youthful and idyllic for dancing, and couples began to make their way to the center of the room around the fire.
“Oh wonderful,” Iroh exclaimed, clapping his hands together. “I love watching the youth dance. It reminds me of me and my wife back in the day.”
Katara turned to watch Sokka and Suki sway against the beat, one of his hands protectively on her baby bump. “Yeah,” she agreed.
“I believe that my nephew would love to accompany you onto the floor, wouldn’t you, Lord Zuko?”
The pair glanced at each other, and then quickly broke eye contact once again.
“That’s not necessary, Iroh—” Katara tried to protest, feeling both humiliated and rejected.
“Nonsense, I insist! It would be your honor, wouldn’t it, Nephew? A lovely lady such as Miss Katara shouldn’t go so long without a dance partner!”
“I don’t really dance, Uncle.”
He gave Zuko a disapproving look and the younger man cleared his throat and sighed, admonished. He turned towards Katara, bowing slightly, and then offered her his hand. “Katara, would you, uh, like to dance with me?”
She looked around the room at Iroh and Sokka and Suki’s (who had clearly spent half of the dance watching them) expectant faces and then steeled herself to finally meet his eyes. He didn’t look put out or irritated or angry or anything else she was worried that she would find there. Instead, Zuko looked nervous, almost as nervous as she felt. And that’s what sold it for her.
“I would love to,” she said sincerely, placing her hand in his much larger one. Judging by the look on his face, she thought that he almost seemed relieved.
Zuko whisked her out onto the dancefloor, awkwardly placing a hand on her hip, running his thumb along the silky fabric of her dress, while his other hand remained clasped in hers. Katara gripped his arm with her free hand, feeling his biceps flex under her touch, and inadvertently pulled him closer. Any other time she would have placed her head on his chest and hugged him as they danced, however, she feared that that ship had permanently sailed.
Despite that, the moment still felt so painfully intimate as they swayed together, almost romantic even, despite how far apart they were still standing from each other, so unlike how they were before she left. They danced in near silence, and she felt her heart break at the stranger he was going to become.
But even with the lingering melancholy, Katara found herself impressed. He twirled her at the right time and always remained in step with the beat, something that she didn’t expect from Zuko.
“You’re a good dancer,” she commented when he dipped her down and then back up into his arms.
“I grew up a prince,” he replied with a shrug, his voice sly. “You were pretty amazing out there yourself, earlier.”
Katara felt herself blush at his words. “That...that was nothing.”
His brows furrowed. “It was not nothing, Katara,” he shot back. “It was beautiful.” Zuko’s voice was so quiet that she didn’t think she was meant to hear the last part.
“Thanks. I worked really hard on it,” she revealed.
“I’m sure you did. You always do. The entire hut has your touches all over it,” he mumbled to the ground. He wasn’t the first person to congratulate her on her routine tonight, but it somehow meant the most that he did. Zuko was the only one who acknowledged and admired how much effort she put into this evening. Something about that settled oddly in her chest and she pulled him closer to her. The song was about to end and she knew that she didn’t have much more time until they would go their separate ways.
“I miss you, Zuko,” she admitted unbidden, needing him to know it before their time was up.
He stilled, a frown forming on his face, and that warmth that had settled in her chest froze over.
“Zuko?”
“Why did you leave like that?” He finally asked, loosening his hold on her.
“Don’t do that. You don’t understand! It’s—”
He recoiled from her completely, taking a step back. “You didn’t even give an explanation! You just became distant and cold like everything we had meant nothing!”
“I have the right to come back home if I want to!”
“Of course you do,” he spat. Heads started to turn in their direction and Zuko sighed, lowering his voice. “But I have the right to be upset that you just threw our friendship away like that and didn’t even tell me why! What did I do—what could I have done to make you do that?”
That pit of anxiety in her stomach morphed into guilt. She recalled when they were younger and he tried so hard to win back her trust after he lost it. He was probably driving himself mad trying to figure out what he did to her.
“You didn’t do anything,” she whispered, her eyes pleading.
“Don’t lie to me, Katara!”
“I’m not lying!”
He gave her a bewildered look and took a breath to steady himself, smoke flying from his nostrils. “I can’t do this,” he said after a moment, abruptly turning away from her and heading towards the other side of the room, leaving her all alone.
Suki had followed her into the bathroom, trying to get her to open up about what happened out there, but Katara had refused. She wiped away her unshed tears and any thoughts of Zuko from her mind.
He couldn’t possibly understand how she felt, and why it was so hard for her to be around him, especially when they were partners in everything back in the Fire Nation. Her days were filled with working as a team to build a better world after the war, and her evenings consisted of his raspy voice in her ear and hushed secrets passed back and forth between the two of them. Her nights, even now, went into a more dangerous territory, with heated dreams of his hands ghosting up her legs, over her breasts, in between her thighs.
He wouldn’t get it, especially because there was no way he felt the same. She watched him talk to Mai, the way that his eyes lit up and how easily he laughed at something she said. It wouldn’t have been much longer until they were back on again, and Katara was slowly abandoned and forgotten about, left with nothing but hurt feelings and a shattered heart.
Maybe it was better this way. He would be gone tomorrow and the distance would help her get her head straight until she was forced to see him again. The traitorous voice in her head hissed at her that it has been six months and she still felt this way, however. Maybe she always would.
She braced herself to be in his presence again as everyone gathered out in the cold to watch the auroras dance above them. Folklore said that the auroras were the spirits of Tui and La gracing the sky and their people every winter when the veil between the two worlds was the weakest, and with the way that Aang was looking around, both with childlike curiosity and the ancient wisdom that came from his hundreds of past lives, Katara thought that it might be true.
Either way, the lights were nothing short of stunning. When she was a child, Katara and Sokka would beg their parents to let them stay up and view them despite it being well past their bedtime. It was something that she normally spent the entire year looking forward to seeing again.
But she couldn’t enjoy it now, not with how miserable she was over her falling out with Zuko, not with how a mere few months ago she was telling him how she couldn’t wait for him to see them for the first time, together.
Instead, Katara was seated between Suki and her father, glumly watching the auroras as everyone else celebrated the season around her. All that ran through her mind was Zuko. Zuko. Zuko. Zuko.
She huffed and glanced around to observe her friends and family. Gran Gran and Pakku were bundled up and sharing a blanket together to stave off the cold. Sokka was whispering to Suki’s belly when he thought that no one was looking, telling his child how excited he was for her to come into the world and one day see the lights. Aang and Toph were ribbing at each other in the background as usual, and everyone felt a sense of community and bonding.
But most importantly, they all appeared to be blown away by the auroras. Even though it happens every year, this was the first time that every person she loved was around to see it. It felt like a once in a lifetime event.
“The lights are just spectacular,” Sokka said, sounding both wistful and amazed.
“I agree. They really are quite a sight,” Toph added.
“Yeah,” and then, “oh wait. That’s not funny, Toph!” Her responding cackles said otherwise.
Laughter and contentment settled around the group, and it was almost perfect. And then Katara realized that Zuko wasn’t there. She glanced over to where Haru sat, and then towards King Kuei and Chief Arnook but he was nowhere to be seen. Even Iroh was alone and nephewless.
Soon, Katara found herself slipping away from the crowd as well, no longer in the mood for celebration.
Katara headed towards the guest huts where all of the visitors were staying for the festivities. She felt stupid, going out of her way to find Zuko when she was the cause of him staying behind in the first place and he clearly wanted nothing to do with her. But if she did nothing and let him leave without even attempting to clear the air then it would just be death by a thousand cuts.
This was killing her. Even if he didn’t want her like she wanted him, even if their friendship could never be the same because of her pesky feelings, he was still her best friend. She needed to make it right somehow.
It didn’t take long to find him. She could see a little red flame sparking off from the distance, Zuko keeping it cupped in his hand as he stood outside of his and Iroh’s hut watching the light show.
“Are you not cold?” She asked, coming to stand over next to him. He was only in a light coat, a stark contrast to the heavy parka that she was currently bundled up in. But even from a distance, she could feel the heat radiating off of him.
“Firebender,” he explained with a shrug.
“Why aren’t you viewing the auroras with everyone?”
“Look, Katara, I kind of want to be alone right now, if you don’t mind.”
He turned his body so that he was facing slightly away, as if he couldn’t bear to look at her anymore. Katara crumbled.
“Zuko, I—”
“No! I can’t do this!” He took a step back, recoiling even further from her.
“Do what?” Although she knew the answer, she asked anyway, her eyes beginning to fill with tears.
“Pretend like everything is normal and fine when you won’t even tell me why you left to begin with! You drove me mad, for months, with worry and guilt! What did I do to make you hate me so much? I thought we moved past—”
“You didn’t do anything, Zuko! I’m sorry for making you feel that way! It’s just…” She trailed off, suddenly feeling vulnerable. She hated the way that Zuko could do that so easily to her, as if he was the only person who ever truly saw all of the ugly parts of her that she tried to keep hidden, the only one who would never run away from them.
“Just what?” He asked softly, desperately peering into her eyes for any sort of answer.
Her voice was so quiet when she finally spoke, her heart hammering out of her chest. “We were so close and when Mai came back I panicked. I thought that you were going to slowly start abandoning me like so many other people have before, so I decided to leave before that could happen.”
She forced herself to meet him in the eyes. Every part of her soul was exposed and she was trusting him to protect the heart that he unknowingly held in the palm of his hands.
“I don’t...understand,” Zuko eventually said after a moment, his brows furrowed. “Why would I—I would never have—I’m going crazy without you there.”
The flame in his hand flickered just a fraction and Katara flung herself into his arms, crushing him in a hug. The warmth of him seeped through to her, like being bundled in your favorite blanket on a cold winter’s night. He smelled of spice and smoke and the home she had built in the Fire Nation, so safe and familiar.
When Zuko hesitantly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer, Katara completely melted. She had missed him so, so much.
“I know you wouldn’t have,” she mumbled into his chest. “But with my mom dying, and then dad leaving, and everything that I went through with Aang, I just got scared. I’m sorry I left like that. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I miss you.”
His arms tightened around her. “It’s okay, Katara. I get it.” He soothed as he tilted her chin up to meet his eyes. Even in the dark, they burned bright. “I wouldn’t have abandoned you, you’re too important to me. I’m sorry too, maybe I should have expressed that better.”
Something in her thrilled at the husk of his voice when he said that, but she stamped those feelings down. He didn’t want her like that, he had a girlfriend.
Instead of vocalizing...any of that, she shook her head, giving him a watery smile. “You never made me feel like anything less, I promise.” It suddenly felt so silly now, worrying that he would abandon her because of Mai. They have both dated other people before and were still each other’s best friend.
“Good. I, uh, really miss you too. A lot.”
“Zuko, why didn’t you respond to the letter about my birthday?” She asked in a small voice.
He cleared his throat and looked away. “I didn’t think that you actually wanted me there with everything that happened,” he confessed.
He seemed as vulnerable as she felt and it made her heart squeeze. Gently, carefully, she brought one of her gloved hands to his face and guided his chin until he was meeting her eyes once more. “I want you there, Zuko. Please stay just one more day. It won’t be the same without you there.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to...be a burden.” He ran his hands through his hair, a movement that was so wonderfully familiar to her. She couldn’t stop the fond smile from forming on her face.
“Yes, Zuko, please come. There—there isn’t anyone who I want there more than you.”
She was glad that it was so dark outside so that he couldn’t see the way that her face flushed.
“Then it would be my honor,” he responded. It sounded so simple, so casual coming out of his mouth, but the heat in his eyes made the moment feel breathtakingly significant.
She turned her head slightly so that they could both face the auroras swirling above them.
“You’re supposed to make a wish, you know,” Katara whispered against his chest, her voice trembling slightly.
“Am I?”
“Yeah,” she nodded. “They say that whatever you wish for will come true the next year.”
The pair lapsed into a contemplative silence, his warmth seeping into her as he held her.
“I think I know what I want,” Zuko murmured, his voice so quiet that she almost didn’t hear him.
He glanced down to meet her eyes and at that moment, she wanted nothing more than to kiss him.
_____
Katara had awoken later than normal the next day, left alone to sleep because of her birthday. She had spent the rest of the night perched outside of Zuko’s hut, watching the aurora show with him and catching up until Iroh came by ready to turn in. She wasn’t sure how long they stayed out there. It could have been minutes, or hours, or even years, she never wanted to leave.
She was surprised at how effortless it was to fall back into him, how he had accepted her apology and explanation so easily. Things were still a bit stiff between them, but their moment together was the first time she had felt completely whole again since leaving the Fire Nation.
When she had finally risen from her bed, the sun was still not out, as it would only show itself for a few short hours these days. She got dressed and tended to her fire, and it wasn’t long until she heard banging on her door and was greeted by Suki and Sokka, who immediately showered with well wishes and happy birthdays.
“How does it feel being twenty-four?” Suki asked while Sokka squeezed her into a hug.
“The same as twenty-three,” she answered non committedly.
Her brother and sister-by-marriage prattled about while Katara got ready, fixing her hair in a braid and shrugging on her coat. When she returned to join them, Sokka was shoveling her supply of whale jerky into his mouth as if he were starving.
“Really?” she scoffed.
“What! A man’s gotta eat,” he replied with a shrug.
“Suki!”
“I know, I can’t believe it either,” Suki agreed with an eye roll, but the loving look on her face warmed Katara’s heart nonetheless.
“Where did you go last night by the way?”
“Can you at least chew all of your food before you talk!” He swallowed down what was in his mouth and then stuck his tongue out at her. “How are you my older brother when you are such a baby?!”
“Why are you avoiding the question?”
“I’m not!”
“Then where did you go last night?” He raised an eyebrow at her questioningly, and both were soon raised to his hairline at the flush forming on Katara’s cheeks. “I see.”
“See what, Sokka? La, you’re so annoying!”
He and Suki exchanged a look.
“Did you go to find Zuko?” Suki asked suspiciously sweetly.
“...yes”
“And is everything good now?”
“I...think so?” Katara responded, biting her lip. She was glad that they aired out the weird tension between them, but her traitorous heart still wanted more than she could have.
“You don’t sound like you did, honey. Is everything alright?”
“It is. We talked it out.”
“It must be, he was helping us set up the great hall for later,” Sokka mumbled. “And seemed to be less broody than normal.”
Katara sat down on her couch and buried her hands in her face, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. The sofa dipped next to her and she found herself wedged between Suki and Sokka. Suki took to rubbing soothing circles along her back.
“Hey, what happened last night?”
“He just doesn’t feel the same way that I do!”
“About what?”
“I like him so much but we’ve been friends for so long and he has a girlfriend! I just feel stupid.”
Suki’s hand stilled on her back. “You’re not stupid, Katara.”
“Yes, I am! I asked him to stay for my birthday and now I have to see him again! But after last night...I don’t know if I can do it.”
“Katara, have you tried...talking to him?”
Her head jerked towards Sokka, absolutely horrified.
“And say what? ‘Hey Zuko, I know you’re with Mai and that we weren’t speaking to each other for months and all but I kind of realized that I have feelings for you.’ I would sound ridiculous!”
“Honey, are you sure that he and Mai are back together? He hasn’t mentioned her at all.”
“Yes! I mean...I think so?” A flicker of doubt shot through her, but the rational side of her brain stamped down any foolish hope that started to arise. “And even if they weren’t, he still doesn’t like me.”
Sokka opened his mouth to say something, perhaps to protest, but Suki shook her head and he fell silent. Instead, she squeezed Katara’s shoulder in sympathy. “You’re the best person I know and any guy would be lucky to have you. One day, you’re going to find someone who makes you so happy and none of this will even matter, okay? Just remember that today.”
She gave Suki the best hug she could manage with the baby bump, thanking her and Sokka for always being there for her and for the advice.
Even then though, all she could think about was how she had already found that person.
After a bit, they made their way towards the common hut, which had been transformed from a new year’s celebration to an intimate birthday gathering. All of the people she loved most were there: Aang, her father, Gran Gran and Pakku, Toph, and Zuko.
Her friends tackled her into a hug that reminded her of when they were all just kids on the run. There were little gifts dotting the table for her, and her Gran Gran spent the entire morning preparing all of her favorite foods. As they sat around eating and drinking and laughing she was overwhelmed with love.
“I think you should open your presents, Katara!” Aang excitedly suggested next to her. A chorus echoed in agreement and Katara then took to unwrapping all of the gifts in front of her. She received some new hair beads that Sokka had very sweetly crafted himself, a new blanket that her grandmother had knitted for her, some fabric from the Earth Kingdom, a dagger from Toph, and a stuffed sky bison plush from Aang.
Soon there was one gift left, wrapped in exquisite gold packaging. Katara knew who it was from, and was saving it for last, all of a sudden nervous as she carefully unwrapped it, her heart pounding out of her chest. She could feel his gaze burning into her.
The first thing that she pulled out was a hair wrap that was silky blue and dazzled with sparkling gemstones all throughout it. Katara had always complained during her stay in the Fire Nation that the humid weather had made her hair a lost cause, and used to sneak some of Zuko’s hair wraps when he was not looking to tie up her own in a bun. The next thing she noticed was a bottle of fire whisky, the same type that they used to drink together on warm late summer evenings as they watched the rain showers.
The last thing she received made her suck in a breath. It was a delicate glass figurine, made to look like a waterbender dancing, with crushed fire lily petals accenting it throughout. She had always admired the glass making of firebenders, a skill uniquely their own, but with this amount of detail, down to the graceful flick of the wrist and the fluid way that water danced around the figure, there was no way that Zuko did not make it himself. He had to have watched her bending enough times to memorize her movements, even the things others would have missed about her skill. It was indescribably beautiful.
Not even a day ago, Katara believed that he hated her and that their friendship was beyond repair, and she was happy to have been proven wrong, to know that she had a little spot reserved in his heart for her as his friend. But this…it was suddenly all too much, how much she felt for him. Katara was speechless, completely stunned, and unable to tear her eyes away from the figurine. She thought that she might drown in love and affection.
Her friends and family were looking between the pair, the atmosphere in the room now feeling too intimate, as if it were just meant for only the two of them and everyone else was an intruder.
Zuko cleared his throat. “I, uh, thought that I would bring you some of your favorite Fire Nation things so that you had them with you here,” He coughed, flustered.
“It’s really sweet, Zuko. I—I love it.”
“You do?” His head whipped to her so fast that she couldn’t stop the grin from forming on her face.
“I do. So much. I don’t know what to say, it’s perfect. Thank you.”
“It was nothing,” he mumbled, appearing shy.
Katara had more that she wanted to say, but the spell was broken when Toph irritatingly snarked under her breath that they needed to get a room. Both of their faces went bright red and a cake was brought out to hastily change the subject.
Aang lit the candles, all twenty-four of them, and told Katara that she needed to make a wish. She closed her eyes and blew gingerly on the candles until all of the flames were gone. When she opened them again, she met Zuko’s amber ones and knew what she wanted.
_____
That night, Katara was kept awake, staring at the gorgeous glass waterbender, recalling the molten gold of his eyes and the way he looked at her earlier. And to think that he would be gone tomorrow...it was making her anxious, all of the things that were still left unsaid between them.
She waited until she was sure that everyone was asleep before she slipped out into the cold air, bundled in an oversized blue coat. Her feet moved on their own accord, landing at Zuko’s door and knocking before her brain could even register the action.
She heard some shuffling along the other side of the wall, and was greeted by the sight of a bleary-eyed Zuko, with his hair sticking out in all directions from his pillow. It was unfair how cute it was.
“‘Tara? Are you okay?” he asked, his voice rough with sleep. A shiver ran up her body. Maybe this was a stupid idea, but Katara bore the mark of the brave, she wasn’t about to back down now.
“Yes. I’m sorry for waking you—I just wanted to see you one last time before you head back home.” She fidgeted, biting her lip and twirling a loose strand of hair, and Zuko’s eyes softened around the corners.
“Oh. Um, it’s alright,” he yawned. “Do you want to come in?” She nodded, and he stepped aside, watching as she shed her coat and boots by the door.
“It’s warm in here,” Katara remarked, moving to sit by the fire that he had burning.
“Yeah, well, it’s cold out there,” he replied, causing her to smile. Zuko took the chair opposite of her. The desk that he had set up in his hut was littered with scrolls and paperwork despite his short stay. For some reason, it made her heart swell for him.
“Is Iroh here?” She asked, wanting to make sure that they were alone.
“Oh. Uh, no. He caught a ship with Kuei back to Ba Sing Se.”
“I see.”
“Yeah. So...what’s up?”
“I just don’t feel like I thanked you enough. For staying, and for my gifts. They were so lovely...I didn’t expect it.”
“Was it too much?” He asked after a moment.
“No!” she blurted out. And then, “it’s just, you put so much thought and effort into them and I didn’t even think you’d stay…”
“Katara, it was always my plan to leave them here for you,” he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. “I know we…weren’t speaking, but you’re still my best friend and I wasn’t about to not get you anything for your birthday.”
“That’s really sweet of you, Zuko. For what it’s worth, you’re my best friend too. Mai is lucky to have you.”
His head jerked up at that. “Mai? I haven’t seen her in months,” he muttered, confused.
“Oh.” They both fell quiet and she watched as his face processed a million different emotions until finally, he sighed, defeated.
“Katara,” he gave her a significant look, searching her face. “You had to know…?”
“Know what?” Her voice came out as a whisper, the intensity in his eyes matching her own.
The half-smile on his face turned remorseful. “It’s—Katara, it’s always been you.” She gasped softly at his admission, but Zuko had already resigned himself to his fate. “It’s probably for the best that I am leaving tomorrow,” he mumbled more to himself than to her. “It will give me more time to get over you.”
He stood up, seemingly getting ready to escort her out of his life once more, and Katara rose with him, invading his personal space and gripping his arm to keep him in place, her eyes pleading.
“All this time?” She sounded an edge past desperate.
“Since I was sixteen,” he answered, ruefully. “Look, I’m sorry if this is weird to hear. I know that you don’t feel the same way but I just needed you to kn—”
She closed the gap between them, finally, finally kissing him like she had wanted to all of these years.
Zuko stood there at first, unmoving and shocked before instinct took over and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him and deepening the kiss.
His lips on hers felt like a revelation, like all of the stars and the sun and the moon were aligning perfectly for this moment, as if the universe was clicking into place before her. It felt like coming home.
She broke apart after a moment to catch her breath and he chased her lips, giving her a quick peck before placing his forehead against hers.
“Wow, I—is this really happening?” He asked, slightly dazed.
Katara laughed and delicately cupped his scarred cheek, pulling away slightly so that she could look him in the eyes. “Zuko, I love you. I think I have for a while now.”
He didn’t even hesitate, already moving to recapture her mouth. “I love you too,” he said against her lips. “More than you could ever know.”
His kisses were intense and bruising and absolutely everything to her. She pulled him closer, hitching her legs around him and fisting her hands in his tunic, while his made a home in her hair.
He moved one of his hands to grip her waist, the warmth of him seeping through to her skin. She knew he was a firebender, but Katara was practically melting at his touch. The heat that flared through her as he licked into her mouth made her think that maybe he was somehow firebending her from within.
They continued to tangle themselves together and she fell further and further apart, becoming undone but stitched back together all at once. She couldn’t believe what she had been missing this entire time, and now that she had a taste of it, Katara didn’t think she would ever be able to go without it again.
Happiness and love and want were all that she could feel. That fire that he sparked inside of her was incinerating her the longer that they made out, and little moans began to escape from her lips.
Zuko broke apart and she whined in protest. A slight smirk formed on his face as he moved to suck at her exposed collar bone, behind her ear, at the base of her neck under where her mother’s pendant permanently lay.
Spirits. If she thought that his kisses were torture she was sorely mistaken. The way that he was making her feel now was indescribable, how he was driving her mad with just a few nips and touches, how he was making her want—no need, more.
“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted this,” he confessed against her skin. The hand that was gripping her hips was flirting with her tunic, his fingers grazing slightly underneath the fabric. His lips were kiss swollen and his pupils were blown wideout.
“Me too,” she whispered, “for so long.” The fire behind them roared with her words. Zuko’s hand was dangerously low on the small of her back, but he made no effort to go any lower as he was too respectful to do so without her consent.
“Can I?” he asked, his hand skating tantalizingly up and down her back.
She could feel her own arousal grow at the desire in his voice. “Yes, Zuko, yes. Please touch me,” she said, sounding breathless already.
He brought their lips back together and grabbed her ass, giving it an experimental squeeze. She ground her hips against him in retaliation and he swore under his breath. Katara wanted to say something coy and tease him, but the hungry expression on his face sent a thrill running through her and all she could think about was how much she wanted him.
“Agni, you’re so beautiful,” he groaned. He went back to her collarbone, sucking little lovebites into her skin while she whimpered underneath him. One of his warm hands snaked up to cup her breasts through the fabric of her shirt, running his thumb along her pebbled nipples.
Katara tugged at the shoulder of his tunic, causing Zuko to laugh and pull it off of his body. He tossed it carelessly onto the floor, revealing his rippled physique to her. She traced the little nicks and burns that were permanently etched into his skin and attempted to memorize all of the freckles and moles that were exposed to her. In her eyes, he was nothing short of perfect.
She ran her hand along his abs, enjoying the way that his muscles flexed beneath her fingers. She then brushed over his scar, the scar. The very one he received when he took a bolt of lightning for her. He trembled at her touch and everything seemed to fall into place. Maybe it was always supposed to wind up this way, with him and her together.
“I love you,” he breathed, removing her hand from the burnt flesh and bringing it up to his lips. “I think I always have.”
Her eyes flitted back down to his scar and she knew that it was true.
“I love you too.”
Boldly, Katara shed her own tunic and undid her braid, leaving her in nothing but her wrappings, before grabbing his hand and leading him to the bed.
She sank down onto the surface, propping herself up with her elbows and looking at him through her eyelashes, her long hair cascading down her shoulders and legs partially spread open. She watched as his eyes roamed over her body; his throat bobbed and she licked her lips, feeling drunk off his gaze.
“Zuko, please,” she begged. “Please, my love, please.”
“Anything. I’ll—I’ll give you anything you want,” he promised.
“I just want you.”
He joined Katara on the bed. His knee landed between her thighs and he nipped at her throat, his teeth grazing the sensitive flesh, his warm hands making a home on her body.
Zuko teased at her wrappings for a moment, making her flare-up with need. She threaded her fingers through his hair, attempting to pull him even closer.
“Can I?” He asked, playing with the knot that held her bindings together, his voice deliciously husky.
Katara nodded her head, a little too eagerly, giggling at the little curses that escaped from his mouth as he fumbled with the band. But the look on his eyes as he unraveled her wrappings made her go quiet.
As soon as they were freed, he cupped her breasts in his hands, and she was mesmerized by the contrast of his pale hands on her body. “So gorgeous,” he praised, giving them a tentative squeeze. Katara leaned into the touch, wanting more, and was rewarded with a tweak of her nipples that made her moan.
Zuko rolled one of them between his fingers, kneading at her other breast. He planted kisses along the sensitive flesh and in the valley between them, pressing more and more bruises into her skin and working her up into a frenzy.
“Zuko, please—”
“Yeah, I got you.”
Finally, he took one of her breasts into his mouth, swirling his tongue along the hardened bud and sucking, locking eyes with her. The heat of his gaze and his torturous mouth had her coming undone. The grip she had on his hair turned rough. “That feels incredible, Zuko. Don’t stop, please don’t stop.”
He popped off of her one breast and turned his attention to the other one, while his free hand traced circles along her hips. And while this felt impossibly good, they both found themselves starving for more. Zuko gave her breasts one last squeeze and began to move lower and lower down her body.
He left kisses and bites and a trail of gooseflesh everywhere he went, on her ribcage, her navel, her hip bone. Breathy sighs fell out of her with every move he made, spurring him on. She knew that she was going to be absolutely littered with his marks tomorrow morning, but he felt so impossibly good, it was more than worth it.
When he got to her bottom wrappings, Zuko glanced up at her questioningly and she nodded, shifting her hips so that he could unravel them, but he simply shook his head and continued downward. “Not yet,” he said, a laugh to his voice at the whine in hers.
Instead, he made his way down to her thighs, spreading her legs further apart. She could feel the heat of him through her thin layers and it set her on fire. Zuko nuzzled her thighs, and made his way up, up, up to her center, brushing his thumb over her core.
“You’re so nice and wet for me already,” he remarked as he stroked her through the fabric.
“I—I am a waterbender after all,” she said, echoing his words from last night.
“That you are,” the lovestruck look on his face coupled with the lust in his eyes was absolutely unfair. He started to slowly peel away her bindings, driving Katara mad with anticipation.
“I didn’t know you could be such a tease,” she clipped, as he hitched one of her legs over his shoulder.
“Not a tease,” he protested. “I just want to take my time with you.”
And oh.
She felt the blush flare up on her cheeks.
He caressed her thighs to ease some of the tension and looked up to meet her in the eyes. “Tell me what you want, birthday girl.”
She could feel his hot breath on her center and keened, feeling impossibly worked up without him even properly touching her yet. “I want...I want—Zuko, I wished for you—earlier when I was blowing out my candles. You’re all I want. Please. I want you to fuck me with your tongue, with your fingers, with your cock. I’ve wanted it for so long now, I need you.”
He reached up to meet her lips once again. “Anything you want, sweetheart. I’m all yours.”
He kissed his way back down, marking her up with more and more lovebites along her inner thighs, her arousal seeping through.
At last, he brought his tongue back to where she wanted it the most. Zuko rubbed his thumb over her stomach, commanding her to relax, and then dipped his tongue into her soaked folds, swiping it over her entrance.
Katara mewled, her hands flying to his hair and pushing his face closer into her.
“Greedy girl,” he commented. The vibrations of his voice pulsed through her, his nose bumping up against her clit. Zuko dipped his tongue back inside of her, lapping up some of her arousal as he did and spirits —He ate her out like it was his job, as if it were his only purpose in life. His eyes never left her face.
His tongue then moved from her entrance and brushed over her clit tentatively, teasingly, and Katara lost it. She bucked against his face, desperate for relief. “Right there, Zuko. Right there!” He began to suck, lavishing her little nub with all of his attention and she found herself floating higher and higher until he suddenly pulled away. “Wh—”
“Do you think you could handle some of my fingers, my love?”
And oh, yes. She licked her lips and was teleported back to all of the times he would lead her by the small of her back or wrap his long fingers around her wrist and she would wonder just what exactly else they could do. “I can,” she confirmed, maybe a bit too enthusiastically. But the look that flicked over Zuko’s face made her think he felt the same way.
He brought two fingers from the hand that was not currently gripping her thigh up to her mouth and she wrapped her lips around them, getting them nice and wet while he worked at her clit.
When he was satisfied, he removed his fingers from her mouth and brought them to her center, lightly circling her entrance before pushing his index finger inside of her. He pumped in and out, slowly and methodically, and when he crooked his finger inside of her she saw stars, thrusting herself against his hand to try and chase the feeling. “Oh, yes. Don’t stop. That feels so, ah.”
He added a second finger, stretching her out even more until Katara’s entire world was reduced to the feeling of him inside of her and the moans that escaped from her lips with each crook of his fingers.
Zuko's thumb brushed over her little nub and Katara’s vision turned white-hot. He brought his head back down and lapped his tongue over the sensitive bundle of nerves until heat was coiling in her center, about to snap. With one more crook of his fingers, she was coming undone, her back arching off the bed and his name reverently flying out of her mouth.
He coaxed her through her orgasm, giving her light little licks and singing her praises as she calmed down. “Look at you. You’re absolutely incredible, sweetheart. So, so good to me.” He pulled out his soaked fingers and brought them to his mouth. “And you taste like a dream come true, better than I imagined. How do you feel?”
She felt boneless, breathless, happy beyond words.
But instead of answering, she removed her thigh’s death grip on him and moved to claim his lips, flipping them over so that she was straddling his torso, her bare breasts brushing against his chest. He squeezed her ass, and Katara grinded down on him, pressing against his erection and making him groan. She smirked and rolled her hips again.
“Are you sure?” He asked, searching her face. His voice sounded so wrecked already.
“I am. I’ve wanted this for so long. Are you sure?”
He nodded and she shed his trousers, freeing his cock. It was red and thick and aching to be touched. She could feel herself becoming worked up again with desire.
She gripped him in her hands and began to stroke his length, tracing a vein that ran along the shaft before thumbing over the precum that had gathered at the head of his cock. She fell into a rhythm, loving the absolutely destroyed look on Zuko’s face, his mouth was parted slightly open and his eyes darkened by lust.
For a moment, Katara wondered what he would taste like, how large he would feel wrapped around her mouth. His fingers tangled in her hair as he watched her.
Zuko was keeping careful control right now, his hands fisting the sheets as Katara pumped him, and she could see that he was struggling to not thrust into her. The gesture was sweet, but she wanted more. She winked at him before lowering her lips to his cock, swirling her tongue around the tip of it before taking more into her mouth, her hands still stroking his base.
The loose grip he had on her hair tightened as she took more and more of him down, moaning around him. Her jaw ached and her eyes started to sting, but it was worth it for the absolutely enraptured look on Zuko’s face and the tremble of his thighs beneath her, for the incoherent praises that she was rewarded with as he fell apart.
“Fuck! Stop!” He was suddenly pulling away and Katara looked up at him concerned, her lips swollen and glistening.
“Is everything alright?”
“Of course, but I am not going to last long if you keep doing that and looking at me with those eyes! Do you still want to—”
“Yes!” She scrambled back into his lap and planted sloppy, open-mouthed kisses all over him. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” Zuko wrapped one of his arms around her and repositioned them so that her back was pressed against the mattress and he was looming over her, her hair fanning out over the pillows. “Stop me if anything gets to be too much, okay?”
“Okay,” she agreed, lacing one of his hands with hers. He gave her one last peck on the lips and was then lining himself up against her entrance.
She caressed his cheek, the scarred side, lovingly, as he pushed himself inside. When Zuko bottomed out he groaned, leaning his forehead against hers and giving Katara some time to adjust to the feel of him. She stretched around him so deliciously, it felt as if he were made for her. “Let me know when it’s okay to start moving,” he said, brushing his nose against hers.
“You’re good,” she promised. More than good, actually. He was perfect.
“You feel so incredible, so nice and tight. I’m going to make you feel so good, okay?”
She nodded dumbly and he began stroking into her. She could tell that he was quickly getting lost in the feeling, just as much as she was. Every thrust drove deeper and deeper into her as he started to chase after the little moans and whimpers that were falling from her mouth.
“Oh, Zuko, that feels so—I, mhmm!” She dug her nails into his skin, leaving a trail of scratch marks down his back.
“Fuck!” He had to tilt his head up to blow out a small flame, the hand gripping her hip becoming slightly warmer against her skin.
He started moving faster and faster, brushing up against her walls just right. Each snap of his hips against hers sent sparks flying through her, the flame he ignited inside of her growing and growing until it became a wildfire threatening to break loose.
“Yes, right there! Don’t— ah — stop. I’m so close!” She could feel the heat once again coil in her lower belly, begging to be brought to a release. “I’m right there I’m—”
Zuko snaked his hand from her hip down to her little nub, rubbing circles on it in time with his thrusts.
“Come on, sweetheart. You can do it, I know you can.” He stroked into her long and deep once, then twice, and soon Katara was clenching around him, coming undone for the second time that night.
A slew of curses flew out of Zuko’s mouth as she fell apart on his cock. He brought their still laced hands to his mouth and whispered that he loved her.
When he was sure that she was good, he started moving again, fucking into her hard and fast to chase his own high. She could tell that he was close when his hips began to stutter and his thrusts became more and more erratic.
He looked down at her questioningly, but also as if he wanted to devour her. Katara wrapped her shaky hands around his shoulders and held him in her embrace, refusing to let go as he climaxed. Zuko’s entire body went rigid and he buried his face in her shoulder, releasing himself inside of her.
She petted his hair and kissed him anywhere she could reach as he came down, feeling safe and sated and suddenly very sleepy in his arms.
After a minute, he reluctantly pulled out and she felt empty, pouting as she watched him get up and disappear from the room. Zuko came back not much later with a warm washcloth and reverently cleaned her up before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. He snuffed out the candle in the room with a wave of his wrist and Katara pulled the blankets tighter over them, cuddling into his chest while he stroked her back.
The last thing she felt before sleep finally overtook her was his lips moving against her forehead as he murmured “Happy birthday, I love you,” into her hair.
_____
She doesn’t know how long they had been asleep when she finally woke up, but Katara blushed and then grinned, feeling absolutely giddy as all of the memories from last night flooded back to her. She felt stupidly happy and impossibly warm with her legs tangled with his, his breath tickling the junction between her neck and shoulder, his arm wrapped securely around her waist. It felt as if they were fused together.
Zuko was still asleep, with the lack of sunlight in the South Pole keeping his inner fire from stirring. She shifted in his embrace, twisting so that she was facing him. Katara resettled herself against him and he subconsciously pulled her closer, making her stomach flip.
Zuko looked so peaceful when he was sleeping. His face was completely relaxed and at ease, all of the tension that he carried with him throughout the day no longer there. His mouth was parted slightly open and his breathing was nice and deep, his heartbeat steady under her hands. It was a sight that she wanted to wake up to every morning.
Katara snuggled closer to him, tracing the character for her name along his back muscles. He really did have such a nice back, it almost wasn’t fair. She then brushed some of his silky hair out of his face before running her hand along his bicep, still in awe from yesterday. He was hers, all hers, and she couldn’t believe it.
He started to stir at her petting so she leaned over and planted little kisses all across his face until his eyes eventually blinked open, still heavy with sleep, and a sweet smile overtook his features.
“So last night wasn’t just a very good dream?” he rasped, making her giggle, before capturing her lips with his.
“No, it wasn’t.” She nuzzled even closer to him.
“Then I’m the luckiest man in the world.” Katara soon found herself sharply aware of the intimate position that they were in. She was wearing nothing but the sleep tunic that he had so kindly provided to her last night before she clocked out and his hands were now slowly running up and down her body. Warmth surged through her and she traced along his lightning scar, giving him kiss after kiss after kiss.
“‘Tara?” He asked, suddenly pulling away. A flicker of insecurity washed over his face, making her frown. “Did you mean...everything last night?” He eventually asked, nervously picking at the bedsheet. “Because I did and—”
“Yes, Zuko, yes! I love you.” Another kiss. “I am in love with you. I love you.”
“I love you too,” he said, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. “I have for so long, I don’t even know who I am without you.”
His hand that was resting on her hip started rubbing slow, tantalizing circles through the fabric of her tunic, his gaze on her completely molten. When she looked down at her thighs she could see all of the bruises that he sucked into her skin last night.
“I’m yours. I swear it on Tui and La and all of the spirits in the sky.”
“And I’m yours too. I’ve always been, even if neither of us realized it until now.” She ran her fingers once more over his lightning scar and he shuddered before gathering both of her hands in his. “I—I don’t know when I will be able to visit again, but—”
Katara started laughing.
“What?!”
She had to kiss him again to wipe that pitiful look off of his face. “Zuko, I think there is one last thing you could do for my birthday.”
“And what would that be?”
The smile she sent him was tender. “Help me pack.”
He stilled, searching her face in mild disbelief. “Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to take you away from your family or your tribe or—”
“I’m sure. I’ll definitely visit— we’ll visit again, but I want to go home with you.”
She thought that he would say yes, or maybe even kiss her again. Instead, what fell out of his mouth was, “you’re what I wished for too! Um, when we were watching the auroras together, I mean. All I could think about was how much I loved you.”
The floodgate between them was broken. Katara felt tears run down her cheeks that were immediately thumbed away. It was the best feeling in the world, being in love and being loved back just as much.
“I don’t ever want to part from you again,” she said, cupping his cheek.
“Then you won’t be. I’ll never leave you, Katara. You’re the one for me.”
When their lips and eventually their bodies met again it felt as if she was sealing their fate, their future, their forever.
It was a while later when they finally emerged from Zuko’s guest hut hand-in-hand to find their friends. After endless teasing (as well as Suki sneaking her contraception tea before Katara even had to ask), a conversation with a very understanding Hakoda about how she wanted to return to the Fire Nation, and hours spent packing, she and Zuko were sailing back towards Caldera City, her waves always finding a home on his shore.