fic: Something To Get Used To [Avatar the Last Airbender; Zuko/Katara]
Two fics posted in as much time? You bet your ass I'm back!
Title: Something To Get Used To
Author: whensheflies
Fandom/Pairing: Avatar: The Last Airbender; Zuko/Katara
Rating/Disclaimer: PG-13 for innuendo and an f-bomb. Nickelodeon owns all?
Summary: Ozai's funeral and its aftermath. AU.
A/N: My first foray into Avatar fandom, but hardly my first fic. I love Zutara with a fiery passion. This takes care of #3 This cancels out the hurt for the un_love_you table I borrowed. ~1300 words. Enjoy!
Something To Get Used To
To call a funeral pyre beautiful seemed a misnomer and yet it was the only word Katara could describe it as. She never imagined herself finding flame as a thing of beauty, but she'd grown to be more open-minded since the war and had since found peace in balance. Fire and water. Two sides of the same coin. Aang's relentless beliefs had rubbed off on her after all. But she was not thinking about Aang. She would save her guilt about that for another day. Today she was here in the Fire Nation for Zuko. As what, she mused, watching the flames dance before her eyes. His girlfriend? Hardly. The new Fire Lord didn't have girlfriends. That was hardly proper. Then what? His lover? His mistress? She hoped no one noticed the flush of her cheeks. She'd blame it on the heat radiating from Ozai's pyre if anyone asked.
His secret lover, no doubt, she thought with a smirk. She liked the sound of that. Zuko would hate it. He had a mind to change history and cause political uproar by taking a waterbender as his bride, but Katara knew it couldn't be. For one, she knew she was too young and not ready for the kind of responsibility that being wife of the Fire Lord would entail. Not even Zuko's persistent caresses and promises could convince her otherwise. The Fire Nation would never accept a Southern Water Tribe girl in a position of royalty. It just wasn't done. Damn Zuko for making her want him.
But who was she kidding? She would've wanted him even if he didn't want her. Something had changed after the war. Aang swept away with Avatar business. Sokka and Suki paired off and inseparable. Toph and Iroh had struck up a strange friendship and were always busy with the teashop. This left her with only Zuko for entertainment and like a moth to a flame, she was drawn to him. It was as if someone had tipped the scale of friendship, dumping both of them on the side of More Than.
"Fancy seeing you here."
Katara jumped at the sound of the voice at her side. She crossed her arms over her chest instinctively. "I wasn't aware that it was a private event, Mai." she snapped.
"Someone's defensive." Mai's lips curled upward ever so slightly.
"I am no--I just wanted to be here. For Zuko. As a sign of solidarity among the nations." Katara hated the way Mai put her on edge.
"Solidarity? Hm. Right. If you're here for Zuko, why aren't you down there at his side?"
"Why aren't you at his side?" Katara retorted.
Mai looked away from Katara and back at the funeral pyre. Most people wouldn't be able to decipher the subtle changes of Mai's features, but Katara knew she'd struck a nerve. Things with Mai and Zuko weren't good. Not since Katara started her relationship with Zuko. And even before that, when she was only Zuko's close friend, she remembered Zuko's frustration with Mai's indifference.
"Mai." Katara said softly, with remorse.
"Save your breath. I know where I'm wanted and by Zuko's side at his father's funeral isn't it." Mai said, still not looking at Katara.
The ceremony was coming to a close and people were already starting to disperse. The fire that burned Ozai's remains was now a mere smolder of embers and ash. She could see Zuko, unmoving in his white robes, in the distance.
"He still cares for you. In his own way." murmured Katara.
"Please. Your sweet act does nothing for me." Mai looked at her then. Her face gave away nothing, but there was venom in her words, "You've made your bed, Katara. Now lie in it." With that scathing remark, Mai walked away without a second glance for Katara.
Katara was rattled and angry, with Mai for pointing out her own hypocrisy and with herself for letting it get to this point. She knew Mai was jealous and yet she still let the girl get to her. Katara shook off the negative feelings and did the only thing she could think of. She went to Zuko's rooms and waited for him there.
***
Katara was alone in the Fire Lord's rooms for only minutes before the doors were opened, letting Zuko inside. She stood, concern etched across her features and waited for him to speak.
The doors closed behind him, leaving them in privacy. "Katara." he whispered. It was all she needed to hear. Within a few quick steps, she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. She suppressed a shiver when she felt him press his lips against her neck, his breath hot on her skin. "I'm glad you're here." he said, pulling apart from the embrace so he could see her.
"Where else would I be?" Katara said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. But Zuko's expression remained dark and Katara felt him rebuilding walls she'd tried so hard to keep down. She raised her hand to touch his cheek and he closed his eyes at her contact. "Hey," she whispered, "are you ok?"
"I'm fine." Zuko replied, pulling himself out of Katara's embrace. He moved to the other side of the room and began removing his funerary robes.
Katara followed, determined to fix whatever was bothering him. She helped him slide out of the white robes, leaving him in just his undergarments. She placed a hand on his chest and felt the steady racing of his heart. "No, you're not. I can tell. You're angry." she said, pulling his face back to hers after he looked away in frustration. "Talk to me, Zuko."
"How is it that you know me so well?" Zuko asked with a small smile.
"I'm just that good, but you're avoiding telling me something."
"It's just...this whole thing seems like a spectacle." he said with a frustrated wave of his hand.
"The funeral?"
"Yeah. It's a joke. A slap in the face."
Katara dragged her lower lip through her teeth, lost in thought. "He may have been evil, but your father was the Fire Lord. I thought the ceremony was respectful. "
Zuko narrowed his eyes. "I have no respect for him."
Slipping her hand into his, Katara laced her fingers with Zuko's. "You don't mean that."
"I do, Katara. My father was a coward. Instead of living a life of atonement for his wrongdoing, he killed himself. He told me that without bending, he was nothing and that he refused to be nothing. It's as if Azula and I meant nothing to him, only his bending was important and once he lost that... There is no honor in taking your own life. And my people honored him like a hero today. It felt wrong."
Katara squeezed Zuko's hand gently. "I'm sorry," she whispered, "I had no idea this was eating away at you so badly. But I understand how you must feel. I'm sorry."
"You're not the one that should be apologizing."
"Then tell me what you need, Zuko." she pleaded.
Instead of telling her, he slipped his free hand behind her neck dragging her closer. His lips covered hers in a kiss, heat searing Katara's lips. "Just be with me. I want to forget about this day."
Katara knew that Zuko was done talking for the evening. What he needed wasn't reassurances and niceties, what he needed was to be lost to sensation and touch. He was in pain and suffering the loss of a father who never gave him the love he deserved and if this was the only thing Katara could do to cancel out Zuko's hurt, then she'd give it her everything.
That night, their lovemaking wasn't tender or gentle. It was raw and visceral, unadulterated need. It was fucking, Katara thought when she lay panting and sated, wrapped in Zuko's embrace. It was something she could decidedly get used to.
Title: Something To Get Used To
Author: whensheflies
Fandom/Pairing: Avatar: The Last Airbender; Zuko/Katara
Rating/Disclaimer: PG-13 for innuendo and an f-bomb. Nickelodeon owns all?
Summary: Ozai's funeral and its aftermath. AU.
A/N: My first foray into Avatar fandom, but hardly my first fic. I love Zutara with a fiery passion. This takes care of #3 This cancels out the hurt for the un_love_you table I borrowed. ~1300 words. Enjoy!
Something To Get Used To
To call a funeral pyre beautiful seemed a misnomer and yet it was the only word Katara could describe it as. She never imagined herself finding flame as a thing of beauty, but she'd grown to be more open-minded since the war and had since found peace in balance. Fire and water. Two sides of the same coin. Aang's relentless beliefs had rubbed off on her after all. But she was not thinking about Aang. She would save her guilt about that for another day. Today she was here in the Fire Nation for Zuko. As what, she mused, watching the flames dance before her eyes. His girlfriend? Hardly. The new Fire Lord didn't have girlfriends. That was hardly proper. Then what? His lover? His mistress? She hoped no one noticed the flush of her cheeks. She'd blame it on the heat radiating from Ozai's pyre if anyone asked.
His secret lover, no doubt, she thought with a smirk. She liked the sound of that. Zuko would hate it. He had a mind to change history and cause political uproar by taking a waterbender as his bride, but Katara knew it couldn't be. For one, she knew she was too young and not ready for the kind of responsibility that being wife of the Fire Lord would entail. Not even Zuko's persistent caresses and promises could convince her otherwise. The Fire Nation would never accept a Southern Water Tribe girl in a position of royalty. It just wasn't done. Damn Zuko for making her want him.
But who was she kidding? She would've wanted him even if he didn't want her. Something had changed after the war. Aang swept away with Avatar business. Sokka and Suki paired off and inseparable. Toph and Iroh had struck up a strange friendship and were always busy with the teashop. This left her with only Zuko for entertainment and like a moth to a flame, she was drawn to him. It was as if someone had tipped the scale of friendship, dumping both of them on the side of More Than.
"Fancy seeing you here."
Katara jumped at the sound of the voice at her side. She crossed her arms over her chest instinctively. "I wasn't aware that it was a private event, Mai." she snapped.
"Someone's defensive." Mai's lips curled upward ever so slightly.
"I am no--I just wanted to be here. For Zuko. As a sign of solidarity among the nations." Katara hated the way Mai put her on edge.
"Solidarity? Hm. Right. If you're here for Zuko, why aren't you down there at his side?"
"Why aren't you at his side?" Katara retorted.
Mai looked away from Katara and back at the funeral pyre. Most people wouldn't be able to decipher the subtle changes of Mai's features, but Katara knew she'd struck a nerve. Things with Mai and Zuko weren't good. Not since Katara started her relationship with Zuko. And even before that, when she was only Zuko's close friend, she remembered Zuko's frustration with Mai's indifference.
"Mai." Katara said softly, with remorse.
"Save your breath. I know where I'm wanted and by Zuko's side at his father's funeral isn't it." Mai said, still not looking at Katara.
The ceremony was coming to a close and people were already starting to disperse. The fire that burned Ozai's remains was now a mere smolder of embers and ash. She could see Zuko, unmoving in his white robes, in the distance.
"He still cares for you. In his own way." murmured Katara.
"Please. Your sweet act does nothing for me." Mai looked at her then. Her face gave away nothing, but there was venom in her words, "You've made your bed, Katara. Now lie in it." With that scathing remark, Mai walked away without a second glance for Katara.
Katara was rattled and angry, with Mai for pointing out her own hypocrisy and with herself for letting it get to this point. She knew Mai was jealous and yet she still let the girl get to her. Katara shook off the negative feelings and did the only thing she could think of. She went to Zuko's rooms and waited for him there.
***
Katara was alone in the Fire Lord's rooms for only minutes before the doors were opened, letting Zuko inside. She stood, concern etched across her features and waited for him to speak.
The doors closed behind him, leaving them in privacy. "Katara." he whispered. It was all she needed to hear. Within a few quick steps, she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. She suppressed a shiver when she felt him press his lips against her neck, his breath hot on her skin. "I'm glad you're here." he said, pulling apart from the embrace so he could see her.
"Where else would I be?" Katara said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. But Zuko's expression remained dark and Katara felt him rebuilding walls she'd tried so hard to keep down. She raised her hand to touch his cheek and he closed his eyes at her contact. "Hey," she whispered, "are you ok?"
"I'm fine." Zuko replied, pulling himself out of Katara's embrace. He moved to the other side of the room and began removing his funerary robes.
Katara followed, determined to fix whatever was bothering him. She helped him slide out of the white robes, leaving him in just his undergarments. She placed a hand on his chest and felt the steady racing of his heart. "No, you're not. I can tell. You're angry." she said, pulling his face back to hers after he looked away in frustration. "Talk to me, Zuko."
"How is it that you know me so well?" Zuko asked with a small smile.
"I'm just that good, but you're avoiding telling me something."
"It's just...this whole thing seems like a spectacle." he said with a frustrated wave of his hand.
"The funeral?"
"Yeah. It's a joke. A slap in the face."
Katara dragged her lower lip through her teeth, lost in thought. "He may have been evil, but your father was the Fire Lord. I thought the ceremony was respectful. "
Zuko narrowed his eyes. "I have no respect for him."
Slipping her hand into his, Katara laced her fingers with Zuko's. "You don't mean that."
"I do, Katara. My father was a coward. Instead of living a life of atonement for his wrongdoing, he killed himself. He told me that without bending, he was nothing and that he refused to be nothing. It's as if Azula and I meant nothing to him, only his bending was important and once he lost that... There is no honor in taking your own life. And my people honored him like a hero today. It felt wrong."
Katara squeezed Zuko's hand gently. "I'm sorry," she whispered, "I had no idea this was eating away at you so badly. But I understand how you must feel. I'm sorry."
"You're not the one that should be apologizing."
"Then tell me what you need, Zuko." she pleaded.
Instead of telling her, he slipped his free hand behind her neck dragging her closer. His lips covered hers in a kiss, heat searing Katara's lips. "Just be with me. I want to forget about this day."
Katara knew that Zuko was done talking for the evening. What he needed wasn't reassurances and niceties, what he needed was to be lost to sensation and touch. He was in pain and suffering the loss of a father who never gave him the love he deserved and if this was the only thing Katara could do to cancel out Zuko's hurt, then she'd give it her everything.
That night, their lovemaking wasn't tender or gentle. It was raw and visceral, unadulterated need. It was fucking, Katara thought when she lay panting and sated, wrapped in Zuko's embrace. It was something she could decidedly get used to.