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Push and Pull	By : AngelaBlythe Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > Het - Male/Female > Katara/Zuko Views: 19400 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
PUSH AND PULL
CHAPTER 14: The Deserters
Part I
“Mmm…Zuko…that’s wonderful…”
He would absolutely never tire of waking her up. She was so pliant in the morning – though she was not an early riser. She wasn’t grumpy or grouchy in the morning, just unaware…kitten-like almost. She let him do anything he wanted. Zuko was always wide-awake as soon as the sun touched the sky. Katara, on the other hand, would probably sleep until noon if he let her. Which he wouldn’t.
He slunk down under the covers and kissed her stomach slowly, appreciatively. She moaned deeply, giggling when his fingers skimmed over her ribs.
“Five more minutes,” she yawned.
He shook his head, kissing her navel. “Get up.”
“Five more minutes of this,” she clarified, her arms stretching over her head. The stretch pulled her stomach taunt as she arched her back. Her breasts pushed up, nipples tightening under his fingers. Zuko clenched his jaw. Gods, she was beautiful in the morning. She was beautiful all the time.
He nuzzled her breasts softly, kissing them. She sighed at this, running her fingers through his short hair. He wanted to take her again, he wanted to be inside her warmth… But he knew she would be sore for a little while. He did not want to hurt her. And though he felt a boor when he did it, but he swiped the warm covers off their bodies and laughed as she shrieked, the cold invading her body. She shivered, giving him a dirty look as she playfully punched his arm.
“What was that for?” she asked sullenly. “I was enjoying that!”
She rolled out of bed, yawning again and dressing. He watched her attentively from the bed as she shuffled about the room – her hair loose and wild, her skin glowing in the early morning light. Katara began to boil some water for tea, and Zuko joined her at the table.
“I’ve been thinking,” she said with a yawn. “How are we going to find Jeong Jeong and Aang? I mean, surely Jeong Jeong’s already found Aang, but Jeong Jeong must have dozens of places he used to hide out in…”
Zuko considered this, knitting his eyebrows together. “I think they’ll leave us signs…they want us to rejoin with them after all.”
“Hmmm…” She made a face, deep in thought. “I don’t want them to know…”
He didn’t either. “Why?” he asked in a low voice.
She took a deep breath, lowering her eyes. “To Sokka I’m still five years old. He’s going to need a lot of time…to get to know you… I don’t expect you two to be best friends. But if it could ever get to a place where you didn’t want to kill each other as soon as look at each other…I’d certainly feel a lot better letting him know then. Later.” She took another deep breath. “And Aang…” She looked away, hands fidgeting with her hair. “Aang will be heartbroken.”
He looked at her sharply. “You mean…you and he…” The thought almost made him sick.
“It’s not like that,” she said quickly. She looked into his eyes long and hard. “Aang’s liked me for a very long time. Once…maybe it could have been something…but age and circumstances… What I’m trying to say is it is one-sided. He’s like my brother.”
After a while, Zuko nodded. “It’s better this way.”
He followed her into the cabin he and his uncle shared and watched as she attempted to wake the older general with tea. Zuko wasn’t stupid, he could put two and two together, but he’d rather NOT think about what happened to his uncle last night. Katara wafted the smell of tea under Uncle Iroh’s nose, smiling as he groaned and complained.
“Snow wine is very deceptive,” she chided gently, handing his uncle the tea. “I should have warned you…one glass is usually enough…”
Part II
He did not like being cooped up in the cabin all day. In fact, normally it would not have bothered him, but the knowledge that Katara was up on deck, being taken on a tour of the Western Wall with Captain Fong as her guide made him toxic with anger. Katara did not like him. Every time she was in close proximity to the Dai Li captain she shied away, stood as close to Zuko as she could. Her body language was always on the defensive, and she was purposefully cold. Zuko was aware of all this, and the fact that the Dai Li captain was so persistent on finding, talking to, and dining with Katara made him livid.
He did not like the way the captain talked to Katara, or the way he watched her when Katara was not looking. He did not like the way he spoke to her, as if he was trying to win her over with strength of personality and constant attention. He did not like the fact that the captain was always just around the corner, or making sure Katara was happy or satisfied with her quarters. He did not like the way the man walked or stood, or the way he showed off or tried to catch Katara’s attention.
And most of all what he loathed most about the Dai Li agent, Captain Fong, was the way he acted towards Zuko. Captain Fong knew Zuko was Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, exiled heir to the crown. He knew Zuko’s uncle was Prince Iroh, General of the Fire Nation, Dragon of the West, and the man who laid siege to Ba Sing Se for six hundred days. And though the Dai Li captain knew all this, he was under the impression that Katara had somehow captured Zuko and Iroh (though this was their only cover and reason for traveling together) and felt free to treat them both as lowly prisoners of war.
Even in the North Pole, surrounded by cold-hearted, icy-eyed waterbenders had Zuko never been so disgusted with someone. He should not have cared. He didn’t care that people who didn’t know he was royalty treated him like peasantry. He had lived as a refugee in poverty and hunger. He had been cast out of society, denied his birthright, and been labeled a traitor. So why did he care so much what one, stupid earthbending Dai Li captain thought?
Because he did not want Katara to think the same thing. It was so important to her for Zuko to have what he truly wanted – what she thought he deserved. If she spent time with this stupid Captain Fong, would they talk about Zuko? Would the captain insult Zuko every chance he got, try to win Katara’s affections?
But more importantly, was all this just too absolutely ridiculous for him to care about?
With an angry sigh, he paced the room once more. His uncle was sitting calmly before a cup of tea, occupying his mind with something tedious no doubt. How long did tours take? Zuko shook his head, willing himself to think of something else.
“If you are so worried,” his uncle said after a moment, “why don’t you just follow them?”
“I’m not worried!” he snapped.
“Oh, good,” his uncle replied, taking a sip of tea. “I wouldn’t be worried either if Katara was taking a tour of a ship with dark corners and empty rooms. And with a good-looking, influential Earth Kingdom captain with strong connections to the Head of the Dai Li no less…”
Zuko seethed for a moment, then threw on a dark cloak and slipped out of the cabin. It was not too hard to find the two – they were currently on the main bridge, and Captain Fong was attempting to explain navigational systems to Katara. Katara stifled a yawn behind the captain’s back and made an agreeable noise when he asked her a question. This was Captain Fong’s way of trying to win Katara over? Teaching her about sailing? Did he know Katara was from the Water Tribe?
He followed them for another twenty minutes as Captain Fong escorted Katara to her room. She bowed gracefully, and he asked her if she would dine with him that evening. Zuko watched carefully, curiously, as Katara shifted her eyes to the side.
“Captain Fong,” she said gently. Then she sighed. “I know you feel guilty…for not believing me. But I have forgiven you, and –”
“Katara,” he interrupted her, taking a step towards her. “It’s not just that. I think you know it’s not just that.”
Zuko’s teeth clenched, and he tightened his hands into angry fists. Zuko had been right. As much as Katara had tried to convince him that it was just Captain Fong feeling guilty, as much as she had said it was something else, Zuko knew. It was a gut feeling, as soon as he’d heard the way the man said Katara’s voice on the docks. He’d known. And if he so much as touched Katara…
“I’m sorry, Captain Fong,” Katara said in a soft voice. “I can’t.”
Fong actually looked a little heartbroken. “Is it…age?” he asked.
And that was just another thing Zuko didn’t like about Fong. He was probably about five years older than Katara, maybe a little more.
“Because I can wait,” he continued. “If that’s what’s bothering you, I can wait a few years. I can be patient for you, Katara.”
“It’s not just that, Captain Fong,” she said tactfully.
“I know we’re from different nations,” he reasoned. “But it’s not as if I’m from the Fire Nation.” Katara bit her lip. “I could talk to your father…work something out with your tribe…”
“Captain Fong…”
“And if it’s my uncle, that’s not a problem. We don’t have to see him if you don’t want –”
“Captain Fong…”
“And if it’s –”
“Captain Fong,” she said a little forcefully.
“Call me Wei,” he replied, his voice tender with longing. “I’d like it if you would…”
She closed her eyes and looked away. She was pressed against the cabin door, her lips pursed. Then she looked at him with hard, uncompromising eyes. “I can’t,” she said in a voice that was patient but stern.
Captain Fong licked his lips and looked down. “There’s someone else then.”
Zuko saw then that Katara actually pitied the man. She looked at him worriedly, her eyes soft with compassion.
“That’s it,” he continued, his voice low as he looked up at Katara. “There’s someone else.”
She didn’t deny it, but she didn’t confirm it. She looked at Captain Fong with a certain softness, putting a hand on his forearm. “It’s not as bad as all that, Captain Fong,” she said kindly. “You’re still young, and there are a lot of women – women who can make you happy and who will love you.” She smiled. “I know for certain there are a lot of girls in the North Pole who wouldn’t mind a warmer climate if they got to share it with you.”
He didn’t respond to this, and Katara drew her hand away. “Good night, Captain Fong,” she said softly, retreating into her room and closing the door.
Captain Fong didn’t leave, however. Zuko watched as the larger man sighed heavily, leaning his back against Katara’s door and massaged his temples. With a vicious smile, Zuko slipped with catlike grace out of the shadows he was hiding in. Captain Fong jumped to attention as Zuko appeared.
“What are you doing here?” he snapped.
Zuko just smirked, raising an eyebrow. “Nature calls…Captain…”
Fong sneered. “Just get back in you cabin. You’re lucky I don’t chain you and your uncle in the brig.”
Zuko shrugged. “I must be…but you wouldn’t want to upset Katara…any more than you already have…”
Captain Fong’s face became dark. “Leave her out of this. I hate having you on his ship just as much as you must hate being on it. But if you say another word about Katara you’re going to wish you’d never been spawned.”
Zuko allowed himself a smug smile. “No need to get so defensive, Captain Fong… But if you ever need any advice on the fairer sex…you know where to find me… I can assure you that little display of heartfelt longing doesn’t really make the cut for most women of Katara’s…standards…”
“Like you know anything about it, boy!” Fong spat back.
Zuko shrugged again. “You’re right. What do I know? I only spend twenty-four hours a day with the waterbender. I’m sure you know her much better than I do…”
“Shut up. You’re such a liar. All firebenders are liars.”
“Fair enough.” Zuko smirked and passed the huge earthbender quietly. “I’ll give you a bit of free advice, though…since I like you so much, Captain Fong.” Captain Fong actually looked interested, but he tried not to. Did the man have an ounce of guile to him? Was he always so clear, so easy to read? “Katara likes her men a little…warmer…”
He laughed as Captain Fong’s face went red. He muttered things as he stalked away, and Zuko found himself much happier as he opened the door to Katara’s cabin and snuck up on her from behind, raising his body heat to her favorite temperature…
Part III
Katara looked about the deserted campsite. There had been people here – the wooden cabins, the training arena, and the well-worn paths told her that. But there had been no one here within the last month or so. It was the third encampment that they’d discovered along a river. Zuko was sure they would have left sign somewhere, but in the previous two places there was nothing except deserted cabins and stale campfires.
“This is where Aang, Sokka, and I met Jeong Jeong for the first time,” Katara told Zuko. He was crouched on the ground in the middle of the cabin Jeong Jeong had made his own. His circle of candles was still standing, though everything was covered in dust, and a ray of light shot through the broken ceiling.
Zuko sighed and stood to full height. “Which cabin did you stay in?”
Katara thought back, then pulled the flap of the hut away and walked up the path, away from the riverbed. “That one,” she said, pointing to a cabin not too far away.
But that didn’t hold any clues either. Katara sighed. This wasn’t working. How had Aang and Sokka found Jeong Jeong and his deserters? Had they found Jeong Jeong and his deserters? She looked back along the river, past where the riverboat was anchored. They’d forgone the Western Wall to explore this river on a smaller boat.
That rock in the middle of the river was where Aang learned to firebend for the first time. She sighed. If she went down the river a little bit she would run into the place where she had first learned of her healing abilities. She picked her way through the trees, upstream a little farther. Yes. Right there.
I always wished I were blessed like you…free from this burning curse…
But Jeong Jeong was a great bender, and she could not compare to him. Not yet, anyway. She had many years to achieve his competency in her own discipline. She crouched next to the stream, sifting her hands through the water.
“There’s nothing here,” Zuko said from behind her. She had not even heard him approach.
She frowned. “Not anymore…”
Then she stood, and as she did the rock shifted and a bright ribbon – blue and silky, though dirty and damp, appeared out from the rocks. “Zuko,” she gasped, holding it up.
He looked at the dirty ribbon and raised an eyebrow.
“This is my ribbon,” she told him urgently. “That means Sokka’s been here – Aang’s been here!”
“There’s ink on it,” he said, slipping it from her fingers. “It says Pao Ben Shiun.”
Katara closed her eyes, letting a mental image of a map fill her mind. “That’s further up the river on the south bank.”
“If we make good time on the river we can be there tonight,” Zuko replied.
Katara felt anxious and sick as they boarded the boat. She wasn’t afraid that they wouldn’t find them – she was afraid they would. Of course, she missed her brother, and she missed Aang and Toph…but she would not be able to be with Zuko…their relationship would be strained. Though Katara had faith that eventually things would work out, she did not want to have to be patient, and she did not want to wait. She wanted to be able to be held by Zuko whenever she felt like it. She wanted to be able to let him know how much she loved him without fear of discovery. She wanted him to wake her up every morning with kisses and caresses. She wanted to make love to him. She did not want to have to worry about her brother or Aang, or pretending or disguising.
They made their way up the river slowly, the sun setting behind them. Katara smiled sadly as she felt Zuko’s hand on the small of her back. She glanced at him – his face was furrowed in concentration, his eyes searching the land along the river. It was as if his hand on her back was an absentminded gesture. Katara was made sad at the thought that even that touch would be banned once they met up with her brother and Aang. She just wanted his touch once more, just a few more stolen kisses, just one more moment of passion…
“There,” he said sharply, pointing his hand along the southern side of the river.
Katara opened her eyes and saw a fire off in the forest. They were entering the area around Pao Ben Shiun. There was a slight movement in the woods, a flash of metal. They were heading for shore, anchoring in the shallows and walking down the gangplank. Katara was at once grateful to see Jee – a man from the Deserters – and sad. He bowed to them as they lined up on the shore.
“Jee,” Zuko said shortly, bowing in return.
“We were wondering when you’d show up again, Prince Zuko,” the older man with huge sideburns replied. “Miss Katara,” he nodded.
Katara bowed to him gracefully.
“We didn’t expect you on an Earth Kingdom ship,” Jee said gruffly. “I assume there’s an explanation…but explanations can wait. We need to get back to the cover of camp.” He looked doubtfully at the Earth Kingdom soldiers and Captain Fong. “Your companions are welcome to a night of rest and food, of course.”
Katara jumped, having forgot her manners. “This is Captain Fong of the Earth Kingdom. Captain Fong, this is Jee. He’s the man we’ve been looking for.”
Captain Fong and Jee nodded at each other, but Captain Fong declined the invitation. “I have other, pressing duties back in Ba Sing Se.” Then he bowed to Katara. “I hope to see you again, Katara.”
Katara pursed her lips. “Have a safe journey, Captain Fong,” she replied.
They did not stay to see Captain Fong onto his ship, and Katara didn’t catch the sad, heartbroken look in Fong’s eyes as Zuko put a hand on her back, walking her into the forest behind Jee and Iroh. There were several other deserters present that Katara recognized.
Jee informed them that Jeong Jeong had located Aang and Sokka easily, and left a clue behind at the water’s edge for Katara and Zuko to find. Aang had been training tirelessly at the secret encampment, and though the Fire Nation had complete control of Pao Ben Shiun and the surrounding areas, Jeong Jeong and the Deserters had managed to stay under their radar. However, their location was a precarious one, and Fire Nation soldiers were often seen in the surrounding woods.
“How are Aang and Sokka?” Katara asked, moving to Jee’s side as they continued their long trek to the campsite. “Are they well?”
Jee nodded. “We told them all we knew of you and your condition. They’re very worried, of course.” Then he paused, frowning. “They told us about the solar eclipse…”
Katara looked away. “Yes…I’m afraid I have to apologize for that, Jee…”
Jee made a half-angry kind of noise. “It could not be avoided. Not one of the deserters blames you. It had to happen…”
And he did not speak to her – or anyone – for the rest of the journey. When Katara laid her eyes on the campsite she sighed. It was small and secluded. No wonder the Fire Nation soldiers had a hard time locating it. The Deserters had found a cave of the same size as the one Katara had stayed it, and there was dense foliage and trees all about the small valley. It was difficult to enter, and the water source was small and petering.
It seemed so surreal to see Aang and Sokka again. It was as if she was a different person meeting people she’d just heard about. In reality it had only been a few weeks since she’d last seen them, but to her it felt like years. Aang barreled into her first, and Sokka enveloped the two of them in a huge hug that Katara found claustrophobic, but sincere and loving. She put a hand on Aang’s bare head and he beamed at her. Sokka gave her a rare peck on the cheek.
“I missed you so much,” she said, realizing how true the words were when tears began to fall from her eyes. “I’m so glad you’re safe,” she hiccupped.
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Push and Pull