16k - Zutara Surprise

I don’t own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.



                                                Just One Night


Zuko cautiously stepped in the candlelit room. That was the night before the comet came… the night before everything might have changed, for the better… or for the worse…

Katara hadn’t forgiven him ever since he joined the group, so when today she told him that she wanted to talk with him tonight… he kind of didn’t know what to expect. Maybe she was finally over of her hurt… maybe she simply didn’t want to go to the battle tomorrow with this distance between them…

“Zuko.” He jumped in his place when she called out his name and a slight smirk appeared on her face as he looked up at her. She already knew that he was nervous about coming to her… even though she asked him to come. “I’m here…”

He straightened his back still standing in the doorway, and looked away when he stepped in. “Yeah… I see…”

She was wearing her Fire Nation clothes these last days, while the others were doing the same… and even though the moment flew away long ago, she did not forget the expression on the fire prince’s face when he’d first seen her that way… She was not blind.

And for some reasons ever since he could, he brought his gaze away from her when she was around, knowing well what staring might lead into…

She was watching him as he walked in, and as she didn’t say anything yet, he cleared his throat then leaned his hands on the table behind him. “So… you wanted to say something to me…” He started with a raised eyebrow.

Katara’s eyes locked with his golden ones for a long moment, before they slowly trailed lower, making him shift in his place uneasily. Every time she looked at him since he was with them, her eyes threw daggers at him, but know… the look in her eyes changed. As if the always measuring blue orbs suddenly found something that pleased them…

When she’d taken a step towards him, she started speaking. “I presume you’re curious why I asked you to come here.”

He made a slight nod when she stopped while looking at one of his arms rather than his face then tilted her head to the side to look outside the window at the night sky. “It’s really easy… and I’m more than sure that you’ll be interested in what I’m about to say…”

“Is that so?” He asked but as her look slightly changed, he made a frown. If there was something that he had learnt about her since joining them was how to read from her eyes. She was worried… the next day could bring them everything they hoped for… or might turn out in a complete disaster. “Are you nervous?” He asked softly and for a moment she looked up at him almost surprised before he added. “I mean… about what will happen tomorrow?”

A slight smile appeared on her face before she turned towards him again. “Not really… I know Aang is prepared. We all are.”  Her voice trailed off as she seemed to be lost in her thoughts, while he was waiting patiently for her to continue. “It’s just this damn waiting…” She murmured while crossing her arms. “As it is I’m not sure I could rest even if I tried…”

“I’m sure most of us are like that tonight…” The edge of Zuko’s lips curled into a smile because it seemed she only wanted to talk to someone. No death threats… no intention of killing him… he almost felt relieved. “If you try though I’m sure that you could fall asleep. I’m myself planning to…”

“No.” She said, interrupting him with looking in his eyes. “That’s not what I was thinking about…”

His only eyebrow rose and he’s looking at her confusedly. “Not…?”

“No.” She said before slowly turning to the side. "You know… We might as well die tomorrow...”

“Don’t say that!” Zuko said at once, and without thinking much he reached out for her arm to stop her from turning away.

For a moment they held each other’s gaze before he pulled his hand back awkwardly, but went on anyway. “No one dies. Not tomorrow.”

“That’s what I’m telling myself too, but…” There’s a bitter smile on her face before her expressions change. “We know well what might happen.” The way her voice sounded was not one of someone desperate… she was simply rational. And out of their group they really knew how much the world expected from them.

“The others… You… I…” She spoke lowly while looking up at him. “This might be our last night on this world. So that’s why I came to a decision..."

He was listening to her silently before, but something inside him felt uneasy with every one of her words, while she stepped closer to him. “…decision?”

Her eyes bore into his with an unreadable look. "That I don't want to die as a virgin..."

As if her closeness hadn't been enough already, when these words left her lips, the hand he leaned onto slipped behind him, shoving the vase from the table. With wide eyes he was quick enough to get a hold of it before turning back to her, but as she came even closer he leaned slightly backwards with straightened back. "K-katara... you're only joking now, right?"

He felt as a drop of sweat slowly made its way down his temple when she picked the vase out of his hand, wearing a mysterious expression. She leaned even closer to him and when he thought she'd close the gap between them, she slightly tilted her head then only put the vase back behind him, before giving him some space again.

But the tension that suddenly appeared in the air only strengthened when she spoke out. “I’ve never been more serious.”

He was looking at her bewildered, and as he didn’t seem to find his voice, not even when his lips parted, she shifted in her place putting a hand to her hip…

And as she did so the prince’s golden gaze unconsciously followed her hand’s way and seemingly stopped at her uncovered, perfect dark skin then on her whole form while his mind took in what the girl just asked from him… Images appeared before his inner eyes, which all contained her, but in a way he had never seen before…

Her lips curled up into a smile when he finally realized he was staring and snapped his head away.

He was just a man after all… and she knew that well.

“This is crazy…” He murmured before looking back at her again. This time look at her in the Eye! “The last time I checked you still hated my guts.” He said with banishing the previous thoughts from his head, and his expressions became controlled.

“Hate… is such a strong word…” She started then walked closer to him only slowly removing her hand from her hip then put it on his crossed arms making him tense. “Though whatever happened in the past, one thing never changed…” She spoke with slowly trailing her fingers upon his lower arm as she finished in a whisper. “You were never indifferent to me…”

She let out a gasp when his hand suddenly grabbed her wrist while looking in her eyes. “Why me?” He asked, with a narrow glance when she didn’t respond. “Why not Aang?”

She let out a noise and looked at him as if he had been crazy. “I can’t do that with Aang! Geez… do you know how young he is?”

For a moment he looked away while he let go of her hand and thought into it more. “Why not Haru?” He asked lowly next.

This time she smiled up at him. “He would still take it way too seriously… I need someone who doesn’t let emotions get in his way…” Her hand slowly rose up towards him and she let her fingers trail in his raven hair when she whispered in his ear. “I need you…”

A shiver ran down his spine but he caught her hand again, slowly removing it from his hair while his golden eyes held contact with her blue ones.

She frowned at him as he didn’t say a word. Why does he still resist?

“You just want to do something crazy…”

Katara looked to the side first then made a slight smile after turning her head back towards him. “Sometimes it’s good to be a bit crazy.” She slowly took a step closer to him and this time almost purred. “Don’t you like me?”

When she put one of her hands upon his chest he swallowed. “T-that is not the point…”

She felt through his shirt that his heartbeat fastened with every second that passed while she was in contact with him. “Then what is the point?” She asked then her lips curled upwards he slightly shifted in his place, and tried but couldn’t step back because of the table behind him. “You know, for quite some time now… I was watching you too. And let me tell you…” She went on while slowly moving her hand from his chest to his muscular stomach. “That I liked what I’ve seen…”

Zuko flinched under her touch and moved his hand to get a hold of hers, but this time she did not let him move her one away. “Katara, this… we shouldn’t…”

She once again focused on his eyes… there’s a silent plea in them, as the last sign of his defence… but she knew that he could not stand against her from now on any longer. So she used up her last card against him… but she didn’t know yet how much power it had upon him if it came to her. "Do you want me to forgive you?"

His mouth opened and she saw the surprise in his good eye. "I-I..." Zuko started when one of her fingers slowly circled upon his chest... so slow that his mind couldn't decide if he wanted to snap her hand away or rather push it to his skin even further. "It’s…” His eyes drifted to the side when her lips curled into a smile. “Complicated!" He snapped just before her hand reached to his chin.

"No Zuko, it's not.” She said turning his gaze back at her. “Do you want me to forgive you..." She asked with letting her hand trail lower and rest upon his chest again. "Or do you not?"

His lips slightly parted, but as he saw the glance in her eyes his voice didn't seem to be willing to appear. This time… he had lost.

He slowly bowed his head and a slight whisper left his mouth. "Yes..."

Katara made a smirk. "What was it?" She asked slightly turning her head to the side so that her ear was closer to him. "I think I didn't catch that..."

His fists clenched when she spoke on her teasing way, and he snapped his head up to lock eyes with her. "I said yes!" He said louder than he wanted, then went on lowly this time. "I want you to forgive me."

Her smile faded as she stepped close enough to whisper in his ear. "Then you wouldn't refuse a simple favour when a friend asked you, would you?"

His thoughts raced. "Favour...?" He felt the heat of her body, and could smell her wonderful scent from her freshly washed hair. She was truly serious…

"Just one simple favour…”  One of her hands trailed up his arm, and even this slight movement made his already racing heart beat faster. “And we'll start with a new page. A blank one..." He swallowed when her voice sounded again.

"One night..." She leaned so close to him that he felt her breath upon his face, but she stopped just before their lips could connect leaving him dazed. “Without consequences…”

He took deep breaths as his eyes conquered the depth of her blue ones and finally his thoughts became so slow that they almost stopped… "Only once..." He found himself breathing the answer.

"One single time." She said and there's a slight pause before she finished. "And we won't talk about it..."

"Never..." He whispered while they slowly leaned even closer as her arms trailed around his neck.

She triumphantly smiled up at him, but he no longer wanted to fight with her… he gave in, just as she wanted. “Good…” She purred before she felt his arms wrap around her pulling her even closer.

There is one single thing they’re both aware of, but didn't say out though... the fact that they could not forget this night, even if they tried…

Their lips collided passionately as the distance disappeared between them and their bodies fitted together in the most perfect way possible while they almost blindly stumbled towards the only bed of the room…

They didn't know it yet, but in both things they agreed in, they were oh so wrong...