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Slow Heat	By : Spleef Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > General Views: 77367 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- 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.

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Slow Heat

Chapter 26 – The Tribulations of Ember Island

o0o0o0o
Two Weeks, Four Days BSC
(Early September, 1101)
Zuko

I lay there, feeling the energy flow through my veins as the sun rose above the horizon. I stared off, letting my eyes slowly wander along the room as light crept across the chamber, picking up on the rich glints in the mahogany of the floor and furniture.
Katara's skin turned from brown to a beautiful, rich mocha as the sun's rays kissed her skin. She lay there at my side, her braid draped along her shoulder, the red pajamas we had found looking divine against her dark skin. It was a thin, deep crimson summer-weight silk nightie with matching loose shorts, more than suitable for these warm nights in one of the hottest parts of the Fire Nation.
I hadn't been expecting to find some of my mother's old things in a chest up here, or some of my father's things as well. Servant's clothing was easier to store and put away, and in case it was stolen, no great loss. But I wasn't about to complain about the nice, silken things we had found.
I smirked to myself faintly. I would never forget the look on Katara's face as she slid the silk onto her body. I'd make sure she was never lacking in silk when she became my wife.
Sokka hadn't cared much for the feel of silk when I dug up some clothing for us guys to wear, and had opted for some of the servant's linen pajamas to wear. To each their own, I suppose. I myself welcomed the feel of silk around my legs and middle, and ran a palm down my thigh, luxuriating in the feel of the almost velvety material. I wasn't ashamed to admit that I enjoyed some of the finer things in life.
I rolled over and nuzzled Katara, raining kisses along the side of her face and neck. She murmured softly, and my attention became fiercer. I kissed along her arm and growled playfully before nuzzling her chest, feeling the softness of her pert breasts under the silk.
“Good morning, sunshine.” Blue eyes fluttered open and she smiled at me. I smiled back at her.
“Time to go back to your room.” I whispered. She blew a raspberry before snuggling closer. I smiled to myself. I certainly shared her sentiment! So I let myself relax, enjoying her cuddling for a while more as I rubbed her sides, the two of us enjoying a lazy snuggle. After what I guessed was maybe ten minutes, she finally climbed off the mat we shared, and rose to her feet gracefully, looking down at me. I took her proffered hands and climbed to my feet before leading her over to the window so we could look outside for a few minutes.
The master bedroom had the best view, and it was this room that I had opted to take. No one had really argued, the other rooms were spacious as well. Katara and Toph had taken the room across the hall from my room, a room that the Fire Lady or a favored consort usually was housed in, though Toph would sometimes wander outside to sleep or nao. Sokka and Aang had taken a room further down the hall, next to the main room on the second floor. None of us were able to sleep in the four-poster beds, as the mats we found were nowhere near big enough, and were used by servants. For the royal family, the mattresses were far larger, more plush, and had better stuffing, and were too high-maintenance to simply be rolled away into storage at a vacation home. I had placed my mat near the windows, the large bed between that and the door so that should someone pop in, they would not be able to see me unless I sat up. So far, no one had popped in uninvited, but Katara and I could never be too careful, especially now that Aang was apparently getting suspicious.
She breathed in deeply of the air, closing her eyes and feeling the sunlight on her face.
“I could just stay here forever.” she murmured.
“With me?” I teased.
“Of course. What would this place be without you?” she replied softly. I felt a gentle tug at my heart when she said that and raised a hand to cup her cheek.
“Then stay with me.” I pleaded softly. “We will come here every year, I promise. More than once, even.” I rubbed my thumb along her cheek as she stared up at me quietly.
Before she could say anything, I heard a sharp rapping at the door.
“Who is it?” I called out.
“It's Aang. I can't find Katara!” I heard him jiggle the knob, but I had locked the door as an extra precaution.
“Fuck.” I muttered. How could the kid already be up?
“Just tell him you don't know.” she whispered. I stalked over to the door as Katara climbed into the armoire. Aang rapped again, and I growled as I unlocked the door and yanked it open.
“Why would you ask me where she is?” I growled. He stared back at me.
“You've been spending a lot of time together.” He stared at me defiantly.
“So?” I snapped back. While we had all found things to enjoy on this island, it wasn't just a vacation. The reality of the situation was something none of us ever forgot, and we all spent a large part of our day training, taking turns with different partners and training as a group. Of course, it was only natural that Katara and I spent a good amount of time together, training and sparring. Not to mention the time we spent together in other pursuits...
We spent several long, terse moments staring at one another. Despite his height, the Avatar was apparently feeling courageous this morning. I gave him my best glare, narrowing my eyes. He stared right back, but he finally looked away.
“There's no reason for us to fight.” I stated, crossing my arms. The last thing we needed was conflict within our group. “Katara is capable of making her own decisions. If she wants to take a early morning walk on the beach or do whatever it is she's doing now, that's her business, and what she chooses to do with me is also her business. Whatever you think I'm doing to spite you, I'm not.” That was the truth. I spent time with Katara because I liked being with her. Aggravating the Avatar was the absolute last thing I had on my mind when I was savoring Katara's presence.
He looked back at me, though not as angrily.
“Promise?” He sounded almost vulnerable.
“I swear upon my honor.” I replied in all seriousness.

o0o0o0o
Katara

I could feel the sunlight on my skin and the sand between my toes as I stood there on the sand, blindfolded. My ears were also covered with pieces of cloth, so I was unable to hear quiet sounds like breathing or footsteps in sand. To my left, I sensed the ocean and heard the faintest roar. With my sight and hearing gone, the ocean seemed to fill my entire consciousness. There was no end to it, and I could feel the waves crashing on the shore. I ignored it, pushing the ocean to the back of my mind. I could be doing this elsewhere, but I needed to learn how to do this with other sources of water nearby, if I was to really master this.
I let out a quiet sigh, turning my entire focus into the element that I was born from, the element that I now Bended with the ease of a Master – how far along I had come from last year! – and sought out every trace of it. The ocean was easy enough, and there was moisture beneath me where the sand lay below sea level. I sensed the water in my own body, and...
Yes. Behind me, slightly to my left and several paces off, I sensed him. I concentrated on that, feeling the flow of water in my lover's body. I followed that flow, seeing the contours of his body come into focus, wisps and ghostlike lines of blue amidst the darkness of my temporary blindness.
That was how water looked to me. Outlines, shapes, ghostlike images of flowing white-blue. At first, I hadn't been able to see this. But over the last couple of months, I trained and focused. Every time, these blue lines became sharper and more defined. I started to understand just what it was that Toph saw with her element.
As I stood there, Zuko became clearer. His limbs became distinct, and then I even made out his fingers, flexing slightly as he stood there before he moved several steps to his right, now at my right too. I smiled to myself faintly as the blue lines defined his form more clearly, his face now taking shape, his strong jaw and nose taking shape in my vision.
I turned around, making slow steps in his direction. I reached out, aiming for his hand, and was more than gratified when I felt fingers under mine. He leaned down and I felt a kiss on my cheek before he danced away.
“No fair!” I laughed as I went after him. He moved slowly at first, but after I touched him a few times, his movements became quicker, zigzagging away from me, making circles, even doing a few jumps and flips. It was a bit jarring at first, but I understood that he was challenging me making me hone my talent further. That was what he was supposed to do, anyway. His quick movements caused blue lines to flow from him, like currents of water, and I reacted just in time when he pounced at me. I felt him whiz past, the breeze ruffling my hair a bit before I pounced on him. His hands came to my face and lifted the blindfold, and I saw that he was laughing.
“That was awesome. You did a wonderful job.” I was practically glowing under his loving praise.
“That's because I had a good teacher. You're the one who observed Toph and came up with the idea of us seeing like she did.”
“How does it look like?” he asked. I explained about the flowing blue lines, and he nodded. Toph had described to us what it was like for her the best she could; darkness interspersed with flowing bands of light, like the ripples that came when a Earthbender punched the ground.
“When I see you with my element, you glow. I see flowing lines of red and gold, the warmth radiating from here...” He placed his hand on my chest, where my heart beat under his palm. “Here, the colors are brightest, like a little sun. And then, when you exercise and work out, the rest of your body becomes a little brighter too.”
I certainly didn't expect his vision to be exactly the same as mine. He saw heat, I saw water, Toph saw mass.
“For me, it's different. I just see the water flowing along your body, through your veins. But I could tell that you'll need to go to the bathroom in a bit.” I smirked. I had noticed the slight fullness in his lower abdomen, the concentration of water in that spot. He stared at me for a moment before he started laughing, and I laughed with him.
“Mmm. I'm certain that... when you're aroused, the heat will be concentrated down there...” he murmured after we had both calmed down.
“You're more than welcome to test that little theory tonight.” I replied. We giggled for a bit before we rose to our feet.
“We've all been training since breakfast. What do you say we take a break?” he asked. I had started off by working with Toph, and then Aang. I was definitely more than ready to sit down. Zuko took off his shirt – always a delightful sight – and lay there on the sand, spreading out his arms. I took off my loose pants since I had on a two-piece swimsuit underneath, found among the things upstairs, and lay down near the breakwater so the waves could splash on my feet.
“You look like a mermaid that just came out of the water.” Zuko smiled fondly down at me, propping himself up on one arm.
“Whatever am I going to do with you?” I teased.
“Love me?” He looked so cute with that mop of hair, though sometimes I wanted to brush some of it away from that handsome face of his.
“Maybe.”
“There's no maybe about it.” he replied dryly. “You know you like it.”
I loved the banter that now came so easily to us. Often, we were quiet, just enjoying the silence, but it did feel good to tease Zuko and be teased back. He had such a nice smile! I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and saw Aang come down onto the beach, wearing a pair of pants that ended just below the knees. He looked like he had been through the wringer, and I figured Toph must have had her go at him.
“Toph must have had fun with you.” I remarked casually.
“I didn't.” Aang shot back. I smiled a little.
“Why don't you take a nice swim?” I asked. The water felt good as it splashed on my feet and lower legs.
“Yeah.” He stretched, his lanky limbs pale in the sun. Doubtless it felt good for him to be out of long-sleeved shirts and pants. He glanced at Zuko and myself for several long moments, and I remembered Zuko's promise to him this morning as I peeked through the opening in the armoire I had been hiding in. We both waited, staring at Aang quietly to see if he would ask what we were doing out here together, or something of the like. But he said nothing, and ran into the water.

o0o0o0o
Zuko

I had decided to show Katara around Ember Island. Mother and I had often taken walks when I was little, and I wanted to show her how lovely the island was. It felt good to be back here, and without my father or sister around, though I certainly would have welcomed Mother or Uncle, and even Lu Ten here.
My thoughts wandered to my uncle as we walked along the gray sand. Where was he now? What was he up to? Was he aware of the loss we had suffered during the day of the Black Sun? What was the White Lotus up to? I had considered leaving Ember Island to go and find them, but there wasn't much time left, and I had no idea where to start looking. My uncle's letter had also admonished me against it. It truly looked as if we were on our own.
“I'm hungry.” Katara murmured.
“What do you want me to do about it?” I shot back lightly. My arm was draped around her shoulders, and her own arm was around my middle as we strolled along the public beach, ignoring the other people here. Like at the market, most of the people here were young, and I saw a few kids playing in the sand. In one area, teenagers were engaged in a volleyball game. Once in a while I might hear snippets of a conversation, but nothing of interest. Just gossip and other silly talk.
“Well, the market's just past the beach, right? You could show me more of the treats you enjoy. Like... what was it? Fire flakes?”
“I'd be glad to.” I grinned. I had some money in my pocket, just in case.
“Hey, wanna go to a party?” I heard someone ask. I kept walking, thinking that it was intended for someone else.
“Hey, I'm talking to you! The guy with half of his face wrapped up!”
I stopped and frowned in irritation before I looked over Katara's head to see a couple of guys surrounded by a few other teenagers. Both of these guys were what most people would consider good-looking, and to me, the entire group looked vapid.
“We're having a party tonight. You can bring your girl.” the taller of the two guys explained.
“Uh... thanks.”
“Of course, you'll need to pay admission. Ten silver. Your girl's cute, but she'll need to pay too.”
“And why should I pay?” I asked. No wonder they were inviting a stranger to come.
“Consider it a... donation.”
“A donation for what?”
“Overhead. Y'know, food, entertainment, that kind of stuff.”
I did the math in my head. Ten silver coins was equal to one small gold piece, which was quite valuable. At many restaurants and markets, a complete meal (usually enough to feed two people, even), including tea and treats, would cost no more than one silver, or at a higher-end establishment, two. A lighter meal, or one made with cheaper ingredients, might cost only a couple of coppers. Some poorer establishments would not take gold pieces due to the large amount of change that would be required, unless that gold piece was being used to pay for an entire banquet.
Of course, gold pieces were more familiar and used among the establishments that nobles frequented, and here, I could see that silver was a well-used currency here. Still, ten silver was far too much, especially when I didn't know what would be served or what would be at the party.
“Seems like you're making a tidy profit off this.” I replied.
“Look who's complaining, a kid who apparently got himself hurt or some shit. What happened to your face, anyway?” His tone was derisive, but I remained calm.
“Oh, it was this stupid servant who wasn't paying attention.” I affected the disdainful tone that seemed to be second nature to the other guy, and waved my hand dismissively. “He liked lighting lamps all the time, because he was scared of the dark! I was sitting there reading, and I had more than enough light, but he put a lamp on the desk and lit it anyway. Stupid moron. He couldn't even light it up properly.”
This was met with a ripple of laughter from the group.
“Good help is so hard to find these days, isn't it?” one of the girls in the group asked. My tone must have pleased the ringleader, for he seemed a little more accepting of me.
“I hope that servant was punished.”
“Oh, he was. One hundred lashes and dismissed right after, without anyone in the house attending his wounds.” A similar fate had happened to a servant that had displeased my father.
“Good.” He stared at me and nodded. “I'm Chan. This is Ruon-Jian.” He motioned to the other guy, and Ruon-Jian flipped his hair before it fell back across his face. It was clear that these two were nothing more than pretty-boys, accustomed to the life of nobility and with a sense of entitlement to go along with it.
Even though I had been through many ordeals, they had formed me into a better person. I sent out a silent thank-you to Agni that I was nothing like these freewheeling young men.
“So, I can count on you to come tonight?” he asked. I squared my jaw, considering it. Did I want to spend a night around these stupid teens, or could I spend it with people that were of far more substantial character? Aang was annoying at times, but his heart was in the right place. Sokka was a respected peer and friend. Toph was tough, but she was also a great friend. And of course, there was Katara...
“I don't know.” I acted disinterested, though it wasn't really acting. “I was thinking of hanging with my girl.”
“You can hang at the party. The food'll be great, and there's music too.”
“It better be with what you're charging.” I shot back. There had to be some reason he was charging for the party. I stared at Chan, challenging him. He and Ruon-Jian exchanged stares before he broke from the group.
“I'll be honest with you.” he said as he leaned in, like he was sharing some kind of secret. “A few weeks ago, the Fire Lord's daughter and her two buddies came to a party of mine. And they messed up things real bad.”
Azula? Here on Ember Island? I felt my heart pounding, but I remained calm even as I felt Katara give me a quick squeeze.
“Seriously?” I asked. He nodded.
“She set things on fire and broke my Nana's vases and scrolls. Her friends too. One was flipping all over the place and swinging from the chandeliers and the other one had knives. I need to replace as much as I can before Dad comes home from the war.”
No wonder he was charging admission. I could only imagine how my father would react if I had a big party and got a lot of things broken.
“Why would the Princess break your things?” I asked casually.
“She's psycho! But don't tell her I said that.”
Despite my dislike of this young man, I disliked my sister even more.
“Count on it.” I nodded, feeling a bit of sympathy for him. “Maybe I can manage a donation. I'll see what I'm doing tonight, okay?” I said as an concession, without guaranteeing my presence. It seemed enough for him, and he nodded.
“Great! If you swing by, I'll owe ya one, okay? What's your name?”
“Lee. And this is my girl, Sapphire.”
“What family do you come from?” he asked. I paused for a moment. I certainly couldn't name my father's house. But my great-grandmother Ta Min had come from a modest but very respectable house. While Ta Min's family hadn't been the wealthiest, they were one of the oldest houses that had been founded in the earliest days of the Fire Nation. My grandfather certainly hadn't had any objection to my parent's union, so I named my mother's house. Some of her relatives were rather distant, living on other islands, and I'd just claim descent from one of these distant branches if Chan pressed further. But this explanation apparently satisfied him.
“Not a bad family, even if they aren't all that rich.” he commented. I shrugged.
“I'll make sure to not invite the Princess to any of my parties in the future.” I joked, and he laughed a little.
“Wanna hang with us?” he asked.
“No, we were going to the market to buy some treats. Maybe on the way back?” I kept my tone conciliatory and friendly.
“Sure.” He sauntered back to his group, and I let out a low sigh of relief.

o0o0o0o
Katara

I'd never seen rich and spoiled Fire Nation kids before. It certainly was an educational experience, though these kids reminded me somewhat of these snotty rich girls in Ba Sing Se who had been making fun of Toph's makeup.
“Are you going to the party tonight?” I asked. Zuko shrugged.
“I don't really want to, but then going there might be a valuable source of information. I mean, Chan's dad is in the war – I recognized his name – and it's a sure bet that most of the kids here have parents in the Court or in the army.”
“You're right.” Who knew what kind of information we might be able to glean? Might was the key word here – these were teenagers here having a good time. Who knew how much their parents told them?
“Well, we have till tonight to think about it. For now, let's see about getting you some fire-flakes.” He grinned at me as we walked past the stalls. In just a few moments, he had a paper bag of them in his hand. Remembering my experience with the pepper-cake, I plucked out just one flake and placed it on my tongue.
“Mmm, that's good.” I murmured. We wandered along the streets, sharing the flakes and looking at the different buildings. There was a doctor/apothecary, a bookstore, a tailor, and a few other establishments. All of them looked so neat and clean, and looked almost like vacation houses themselves, since many of them had verandas and open yards. It was the signs done in bleached wood carved out and painted in with black ink next to the doors or gates that declared them to be places of business.
“Hey... there's the theater. I've not been there in years!” We approached the large building that was set behind a wall and a open gate. There was a large poster on the left advertising a play called 'Love Amongst the Dragons', and I saw Zuko shake his head.
“When I was little, we would come here. Mother loved coming here, even if the actors butchered the play. I have yet to see that play performed by a good cast.” He had a faint, wistful smile on his face. “But I had such fun with Mother and Uncle, and my cousin too. They made any outing enjoyable.”
“Things are good when you're with loved ones.” I replied softly, glancing up at him. His arm slid around my middle as he pulled me close, resting his chin on the top of my head and simply holding me for several long moments. I smiled at him when he lifted his chin, and gave him a light squeeze. We turned back to the several posters on the wall and paused as we studied one. It was supposed to be about the Avatar, and there was a painting of what was clearly supposed to be Aang, a bald kid with a blue arrow on his head, but it didn't look like my friend. The neat calligraphy stated that it would premiere two nights from now.
“What do you think?” I asked as I gestured to the poster.
“Might be worth checking out. See what propaganda is going around. But then, I'm almost afraid to see it.”
“We should talk with the others first.” I replied. I could only imagine what the play might say about the Avatar, or about any of us.

o0o0o0o
Zuko

Our discovery was met with surprise and then cynical acceptance by the group. It was agreed that we would go and see the play, just so we could see what was going around.
After dinner, Zuko and I sat outside on the veranda, looking out at the ocean as the evening sun shone down on us. The sun would go down in almost an hour, and Chan had said the party started right after sunset. We still hadn't decided whether the party was worth forking over twenty pieces of silver – a huge part of our remaining money. There was also the risk that perhaps with so many people there, someone might recognize me despite my changed appearance. I smirked to myself as a brilliant idea crept into my thoughts.
“Tara.” I squeezed her hand. “I have a brilliant idea that you'll love.”
“Do tell.”
“Remember when we went as the Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit, and no one knew who we were?” I queried. She tilted her head.
“This isn't a costume party...”
“I don't mean going to the party as them. I mean sneaking around. Hiding in the shadows and getting the information we need... You know I have the skills. And you were incredible too. We can wrap ourselves in black and dress like ninjas... the moon is new, anyway, and no one will see. It's perfect for us.”
Katara stroked her chin as a lovely little smirk came across her face...
The only suitable black clothing we could find was silk, but that was rather appropriate for this warm summer's night. We took turns helping one another, tightening the soft material around our naked bodies with black sashes and wrapping material around one another's heads. When we were done, we looked at our reflections in the heavy, ornate mirror that sat against one wall of the master suite. Our bodies seemed nothing more than shadows, smooth curves and angles of black silk surrounded by the shadows of encroaching night. Surprisingly, the image was erotic to me, seeing how Katara's lithe curves looked under the material. Her lovely azure eyes twinkled through the slit that her head-wrapping afforded, and I chuckled softly.
“You look perfect for a night out with me.” I said as I took her hand, squeezing it.

o0o0o0o

You got that right, folks. From the woman who gave you hot, steamy Zutara and Blue!Paint, here's some ninja!Zutara, with MOAR headed your way in the next chapter! I didn't like the Southern Raiders episode because of the plot holes, but the ninja!Zutara was not something I could ignore. So here we go :D As always, enjoy and don't forget to review!
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Slow Heat