Zuko stared at the canopy of his bed, restless, his mind a jumble of half-thoughts. His body ached, both from the vigorous workout he'd endured in the ring that afternoon and from other needs. Needs he was trying desperately to suppress.

He swallowed, shifting on the silken sheets, his teeth clamping down on his bottom lip as he felt a stir in his lower belly. His hand clenched the covers, tempting visions swimming across the inky blackness of his bedroom.

He could still feel her thighs on his ribs, her hands on his wrists, pinning him to the practice ring floor. The way her sweet breath had whispered across his lips, the way her hair had glistened red in the sunlight as it swung forward. The way she tucked it behind her ear.

The way her breasts had moved with her labored breathing. The way her perfume had flitted on the edges of his senses all day, tantalizing and familiar. The way her cheeks turned bright red beneath her makeup whenever they argued.

"Stop it," Zuko mumbled as his hand started to creep beneath the covers. His cock twitched with interest, the restless want tugging at his guts growing with each second. He made a fist on his lower belly, fighting the urge to slip his hand down the front of his pajama pants and satisfy his need. He breathed out slowly, trying his best to turn his mind to less…complicated subjects.

It didn't work.

Unbidden, Suki's face sprang back into his mind with every thought. His fist relaxed on his stomach and he caressed his lower belly, thinking of the way she'd smiled at him, the way she'd looked in his study that evening, bent over a book. He could still see her; legs folded up beneath her, feet bare, painted toes flexing, her hair pushed behind one ear, exposing the slender column of her neck. He'd watched her over his paperwork, stealing little peeks as she'd read. He loved the way she worried her lip between her teeth, the way her eyes crinkled at the corners when she read something amusing.

She's your bodyguard. Your friend. It's…improper. No matter how much you want her, his rational mind said to him, while the rest of his body responded to the memory with a powerful, pulsing ache that spread from his crotch outward.

He moaned, his eyes closing as his cock unhelpfully reacted in accordance. He slipped his fingers into the top of his pants, fingertips skimming around the root of his cock. He hissed in reaction as he hardened even more. His fingers lazily encircled the hard flesh and he gave himself a perfunctory stroke.

At the same moment, a knock sounded softly from the door of his suite, startling him. Zuko snatched his hand out of his pants and sat up on his elbows as the knocker hesitated, then rapped again.

"Damn! Just a moment!" he called, swinging his legs out of bed and reaching for his robe. He threw it on, lit the candle beside his bed with a flick of his finger and then stood. A little moan squeezed out of his throat as he tied his robe around his waist and then readjusted it to hide the tent he was making of his pants. He willed his hard on away, but it stubbornly refused as he left the bedroom and entered the main room of his suite.

"Zuko?" a soft voice called from the other side of the door.

"What is it?" he asked in alarm, adrenaline thundering through his veins, a thousand scenarios running through his mind, most of them involving royal emergencies and assassins. He stumbled toward the door, and opened it a crack, revealing the woman standing on the other side of the dimly lit hallway. "Suki?"

"Zuko, I…I hope I didn't wake you," Suki said, chewing on her bottom lip. She was wearing a thin, short robe and a worried expression. She seemed to be breathing harder than usual, her hands clenched at her sides. She wasn't wearing her usual face paint and the sight of her so unadorned made his throat tighten. His fingers clenched the doorframe so hard he thought the wood would crack.

"No. I wasn't asleep. Is something wrong?"

"No! No…I couldn't sleep. I thought… Um…" she trailed off, her fingers fiddling with the bottom hem of her robe. He saw a flash of her thigh and felt light-headed. All of his blood seemed to be rushing south. "May I come in?"

Dammit. Stop.

"Uh…yeah. Uh. C-come in. Please," he said, opening the door wider and stepping back. Suki smiled a little and stepped into his room and he closed the door behind her. He twitched his robe a little bit, uncomfortably aware that his cock wasn't paying the least bit of attention to circumstances. As she walked past him, the scent of her perfume made his eyes close. He breathed in the scent of her, barely stifling the moan of longing that wanted to leave him. His cock twitched with interest and he felt sweat breaking out on his neck.

Hnnnff. She smells so good, he thought as he turned toward her. She stood in the middle of his suite, an apprehensive look on her face. She was still toying with the hem of her robe with one hand. The other lifted, pushing her hair behind her ear in the way that he liked. Their gazes met and he realized with a start that he was staring.

"Can I get you something to drink?" he asked and she nodded. He smiled tightly, grateful for an excuse to focus on something other than the way her robe gaped open, showing him a bit of cleavage and the silky bodice of her cream-colored nightgown. He walked past her and toward the little kitchenette in the corner of his living room suite.

He breathed out, his hand pressing against his erection with a mounting panic. Go. Away. Seriously, I'm not thirteen anymore, he thought desperately, wishing he could pour a pitcher of water all over himself. He breathed out; trying to think of calming things…but all he could think about was her.

"What would you like?" he called over his shoulder in an almost normal voice as things got less dire in his pants. Thank the spirits…

"Umm…surprise me," she said, coming up behind him. He automatically reached for the tea kettle, thinking of how calming it would be on his nerves.

"Is tea okay?"

"Sure. I like your tea," she said with a little laugh as he poured water into the kettle and then walked over to his sitting area.

"Thank my Uncle for that. He'd kill me if I couldn't make tea properly," Zuko said, holding his hand beneath the kettle. Flames bathed the bottom with a hot flare, the light illuminating Suki's face as she watched him. "So, uh, why couldn't you sleep?"

"I have a lot on my mind," Suki said softly, lifting the hem of her robe just a bit more. The kettle trembled in his hand as the water came to a rolling boil. "I had a feeling you might be awake. I thought we could be awake…together…"

He dampened the flames, blinking at her stupidly in the dim candlelight as he held the steaming kettle between them.

"Together."

"Yeah. I…uh…" Suki started and then stopped herself with a nibble of her bottom lip. Her gaze darted to his face and then down and away as a flush rose high into her cheeks. After a moment, she mumbled, "Let me help you."

He watched her rather dumbly as she moved past him and took two teacups, and his porcelain teapot out of the cupboard and placed them on the counter. He put the kettle down beside her and reached for his tin of tea leaves, his shoulder brushing hers. Their gazes met and a shy smile graced her lips before she quickly looked away.

Brow furrowing, Zuko prepared the tea, a comfortable silence falling between them as it infused. He kept stealing little glances at her, wondering why she looked so flustered. It wasn't like Suki to stumble over her words. She was one of the most competent and confident people he knew.

The two of them seemed to be dancing around some unspoken thing…

He drained the leaves and poured them two steaming cups of bitter, light brown tea. The smell was almost as divine as her perfume. He went to hand her a cup, and as he did their fingers brushed and the cup tumbled to the floor with a shatter of porcelain and a splash of hot liquid at their feet.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" she started, getting down on one knee and started picking up the broken shards. He quickly dropped down beside her and did the same.

"No, no…it was my fault," he said, as they both reached for the same shard. Their fingers brushed again and their gazes met; the heat of her gaze was like molten lava pouring down his back. Suki jerked away from him and they both went to stand—and promptly smashed heads with a hollow thock!

"Ouch!" Suki said, stumbling back, clutching her head at the point of impact. Stars were swimming in his gaze as he put his shards down and lifted his hand to his forehead. His face flamed red as Suki winced and gingerly put the remains of the teacup down.

"Sorry! Sorry! Are you okay? Here, let me see," he said, reaching out and moving her hands. He rubbed at the red spot with this thumb as Suki looked up at him through her hair. "That was totally my fault. I'm so…clumsy…" He trailed off as his gaze caught hers again with an inescapable magnetic pull. He found himself drowning in the limpid azure pools, suddenly very aware of how close they were standing, and of the way color suffused Suki's cheeks.

His hand threaded back through her hair as he pushed a strand behind one ear, then trailed his fingertips down the column of her neck.

Suki's hands lifted, touching his chest as he stepped ever closer, drawn in by that magnetic pull he couldn't resist, even if he wanted to. "How does it look?"

"I'll think you'll live," he whispered as his hand smoothed back around to the back of her neck. Suki licked her lips as she tilted her chin, her gaze flicking from his mouth and back to his eyes. He leaned in, good sense telling him to stop, the rest of his body and his heart telling him other things. More pressing things. "Suki…I…"

Kissherkissherkissherkissher! KISS. HER. YOU. IDIOT!

Suki hesitated as the distance between them closed. The air was full of heat, promise and forbidden things. Her gaze flicked across his face searchingly, and then she let out a little gusty breath. Her hands clenched in the fabric of his robe and she pulled him toward her, even as his hand pressed on the back of her neck. Their mouths slammed together with a staggering force, a little off-center, but still close enough to fire every hormone in his body. He readjusted, claiming her lips with a moan of longing. It was like a dam had burst in him. He kissed her hard, his hand fisting in her hair as Suki's arms wrapped around his shoulders. He pulled her against him, lifting her up to her tiptoes as they swayed in place. His mouth stung against hers; she was heat and indulgence and she tasted like cherries. It was everything he'd fantasized about, and more.

Suki moaned in her throat as he changed the angle of his head, his mouth opening hers with a lusty gasp of air. His lower lip strafed hers, seeking purchase. She caught his lip and tugged on it, then tucked it between her own. It had been too damned long since he'd kissed anyone, but she didn't seem to mind or notice how out of practice he was. When her tongue flicked across his lips, it took all of his restraint not to grab the knot of her robe and wrench it open on the spot. He chased her tongue back into her mouth with a wet, gentle stroke.

She tastes so fucking good…

His hands cupped her face, and then slid around her torso, pulling her crushingly hard against his chest. Everything in him was roaring in approval. More. He wanted more.

His head buzzed. His pulse quickened. Every breath was filled with the scent of her, and he filled his hands with her flesh, reveling in the muscle and bone, in the soft flesh, in the curve of her hips, in the way her breasts pushed against his chest. Suki's hands had a mind of their own too.

Goosebumps and hot trails of heat fought for dominance wherever she touched him. She seemed to be trying to melt into his skin and he welcomed her to try. He didn't want to stop. Not ever.

Suki pulled back first, panting, her mouth open, hot breath against his wet, swollen lips. Her hand was in his hair again, the other curling against his ribs inside of his robe, which she'd managed to open without him noticing. The feel of her fingers against his hot skin made runnels of want surge through him. The erection he'd managed to banish earlier teased him again. His skin felt hot and tight and there was a dull, aching throb in groin.

"Zuko…" she managed against his ear as his mouth moved down the column of her neck, nibbling, letting his tongue and his lower lip trail down her skin. A shaky breath left her, followed hard by a gasping moan when he bit down on her pulse point, just enough to leave a red mark. One hand tightened in his hair, the other clutched his ribs so hard he could feel her fingernails digging into his skin.

"I'm so glad you came to my room," he mumbled, sliding his mouth back to her ear. She shivered so hard her shoulders shook.

"I didn't know what I was doing. I just…I couldn't go one more night without…" But he cut her off with a blistering kiss. They swayed in place for a long moment, and then he kissed her neck again. Suki's hand tangled in his robe.

"We…we should…"

"What, stop?" he asked confusedly against her ear, delighting in the goosebumps that shivered down her neck.

"No… Let's go to the bedroom," she said, surprising him into pulling back. He stared at her for a long moment. She looked even more beautiful than before, with her hair mussed from his hands, her lips swollen and wet, her cheeks and chest flushed with heat. Her eyes were glazed and hooded with lust. "Unless…you don't want to…"

Her hand slid around and spread flatly down his stomach, and over his crotch. His cock twitched in excitement and he hissed in response and grabbed her hand, stilling her motion. His nose brushed hers as his eyes closed. He breathed her in, losing himself in the moment. He hadn't been imagining it. There had been something between them for months on end, an unspoken attraction that had slowly been driving him insane. "I definitely want to. I'm tired of sleeping alone…when all I want is to be with you. Didn't think you felt the same way…"

"Oh, I definitely did. Do," Suki whispered and kissed him again, slower this time. There was a heat there, a caged ferocity. Lust. Need. And a teasing weight to it. His hands spread on her waist, pulling her up against him again for one hot moment.

Then she pushed back from him with a laugh, hooked her fingers in the front of his silken pajama pants and tugged him forward as she walked backward. "Come on…"

He followed obediently in her wake, stumbling over his own two feet through the spilled, now cold tea on the floor. Suki glanced back at him with a mischievous glint in her eye. They entered the bedroom and he grabbed her hand, pulling her back toward him with a hard yank. Suki laughed and her arms went around him. Their mouths met, achingly hard. How easy it seemed, to be kissing her. How natural. His hand slid into her hair again as he walked the backward toward the big, empty bed.

Suki pushed his robe down his shoulders and it fell to the floor, leaving him to shiver in her arms. Her hands spread on his shoulders as he tugged her up against him again. Her hair fell around their faces as he took her weight, then put his knee up on the bed. They spilled onto the bed in a heap of limbs and lusty hands. Suki laughed against his mouth as her legs parted and she drew him down between them. He shook a little; the feel of her body beneath his was almost too much. He kissed her harder, losing himself in the heat and taste of her. His hands, emboldened, smoothed down her ribs and clenched her hips. She lifted her pelvis against his and he moaned against her mouth at the contact.

Suki's hand worked down his chest and then dipped unexpectedly into the front of his pants. He broke away from her mouth with a gasp, burying his face against her neck. She breathed heavily in his ear as her hand encircled his cock, caressing him with a shallow, steady pressure that made his eyes cross. Her hand tightened and he gasped, surging into her hand with a roll of his hips. He kissed her again, and then pulled back and grasped her wrist. Suki smiled saucily up at him, the tip of her tongue bitten between her teeth as he pinned her hands above her head.

"You like that?" she teased as he smiled at her, his hair falling across one shoulder.

"Too much," he intoned and brought his mouth down to hers again. He kissed her lightly, teasing the soft velvet of his lips with the tip of his tongue. When she opened her mouth for more, he moved down to her neck, dragging his lips over her skin, stealing little sighs and sips of salt. His hands released her wrists and she immediately dug her hands into his hair as he kissed down her breasts. His hands worked between their bodies and he undid her robe with fumbling, shaking fingers.

"Mmm…" Suki sighed as his hand skimmed along her ribs and up to her breasts. His mouth slid across her soft flesh, face pressing into the dip between her breasts. He rained kisses along her sweet-smelling skin. His hot breath gusted across her left nipple, which teasingly poked through the thin silk of her nightdress. His mouth closed over it in an instant and he rolled the distended peak between his lips, wetting the silk with his tongue. When he released her, Suki's little whimper of pleasure made the blood pounding in his ears rush even harder. His cock twitched, impatient with need.

He yanked the bodice of her nightdress down and drew her nipple into his mouth with a hard suck. Her back bowed, thrusting her breasts high. He moved with her, his tongue flicking over her nipple. The sweet and salty tang of her body flooded his senses, banishing the last vestige of his nervousness. He knew what he wanted.

Suki seemed to know what she wanted, too. Her feet lifted, and her toes hooked into the sides of his pants. With a wrench and a buck of her body, she wrenched his pants down his thighs. He released her breasts and looked up at her as she grinned. She grabbed his face and pulled him back to her mouth. He devoured her lips, kissing her deeply as he kicked his feet free of his pants. Suki wriggled beneath him and he broke away from her mouth, panting. It took him a moment to realize that she was taking off her panties.

"Help me," she giggled, biting her lip.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah…" he said, stuttering over his words again.

Zuko sat back on his knees, grasping her panties as she drew the down her hips. Suki lifted her legs and he pulled them off slowly, enjoying the sight of her laying there before him, her nightgown rucked up around her waist, her breasts peeking out of the bodice. He threw her panties aside and let his hands smooth back down her legs. They stared at one another for a long moment and he became very aware of the fact that he was stark naked, his cock hard and flushed bright red. Suki's gaze lingered there for several hot moments and he saw her tongue slide along her upper lip, moistening it as her eyes flashed. He dared a glance between her legs and felt heat suffusing his face as he saw her neat triangle of hair, and the flash of wet, pink flesh.

Suki sat up on her elbows and shimmied out of her robe, and then yanked her nightgown off over her head. He swallowed hard, reality hitting him. This was happening. He was going to have sex with Suki. Praise the spirits…

"You're so beautiful," he murmured in awe as she grinned.

"Come here," she said, reaching for him. He could only nod as she drew him down over top of her, his body cradled between her thighs. Suki kissed him again, so slow and deep and softly that he sank into her with a contented sigh.

His hand between their bodies and he slid his fingers against her pussy, coating them in wetness as he pressed into her. Suki shivered, her hips lifting against his hand. She mumbled against his lips, "Need you…"

He needed no further prompting or encouragement. He pulled back a little, licked his fingers, then smeared his saliva across the head of his cock. Then he pushed forward, entering her with a slow, shallow thrust. She was heat and flame, gripping and soft. Perfection. Pleasure played across Suki's face as her thighs fell open and she pulled him down against her again, welcoming him into her body with a soft, contented sigh. Her arms went around his shoulders as he braced himself above her, breathing in the scent of her body as he concentrated.

"Feels so…" But he couldn't finish. His hips pulled back and then surged forward again, taking her deeper. Again and again, he moved inside of her. The friction and heat was unbearable. The sound of her moans, breathless little gasps and the mumbled sound of his name spilling from her lips was enough to undo him. He kissed her again as her fingers caressed his spine, and then sank into his flexing buttocks, urging him on. His hips moved faster against hers. He wanted to make it last.

Suki moved with him, her hips rising and falling to meet his in a slow and steady rhythm that seemed to pick up speed as the minutes wore on. He groaned against her mouth and then buried his face against her neck again. She breathed into his ear, panting as she threw her head back. Her body gripped his tightly, pleasure radiating across lower body and resting in his back. He wanted to take her hard, to satisfy himself and the needs he'd denied himself for so long. But he wanted her to come too. He wanted to feel her coming around him, to watch her.

"Tell me what you need, Suki," he said against her ear, his hips moving tightly against hers.

"You. I just need you," she whispered and let her tongue trail up his neck.

Zuko gathered her up against him and sat back on his knees. Suki's arms tightened around him as she draped over his lap, her ankles crossing around him. She kissed him again, or maybe he kissed her. It didn't matter. He couldn't get enough. His hands spread on her back as she rolled her hips against his, over and over. The sensation was too sweet, and too damned pleasurable to be real. He pressed his hand into her lower back, urging her on. Suki gasped and shook around him, her head tipping back. He immediately kissed her neck as her fingers dug into his shoulders.

The heat and immediacy of orgasm was building within him, threatening to break free of his self-control. Suki seemed to sense that he was coming to the end of his reserve, and pushed him flat on his back. He readjusted beneath her, his hands clenching her hips as he stretched out his legs. Suki bit down on her lower lip again, concentrating as she rode him in short smooth strokes. He groaned and lifting into her, his heels digging into the mattress.

"I'm…" he started, but she merely smiled and let her fingers trail down the lightning-induced scar in the center of his chest.

"Tell me when."

"Want you to come, too…" he said with a shake of his head. Suki bent over him, and kissed him searing hard.

"It's okay, Zuko, let go," she said and sat up. Her hips circled his, fast and hard, grinding him into the bed. The sight of her mouth falling open in wordless ecstasy was too much. He felt himself coming, the tight feeling in his spine uncoiling with a whiplash spasm of pleasure that couldn't be contained, merely survived.

"Suki…" he groaned and felt her pull off of him. Her hand went around his slippery cock a half-second later, and she pumped him in her fist hard enough to make him bite his lip until he tasted blood. He came into her fist with a spurt, a groan of pleasure breaching his bloody lips as the world spun around him. He forced his eyes open and watched her hand as it slowed. Pearly liquid glistened on her stomach and the backs of her fingers and his stomach in little drips and drabs. Suki was grinning, flushed, her hair damp with sweat and tangled from his hands. "Oh wow…"

"I'll say…" she said in a warm, indulgent voice as she released him and sucked her wet fingers into her mouth. Her tongue flashed, setting an entirely new fire in his spine. Forgetting the post-coital lethargy that wanted to grip him, he sat up and grasped her, slamming a hot, hard kiss to her lips. He could taste himself on her tongue, and it only served to inflame him even further. Suki's hands sank into his hair as he grasped her, and turned them in the bed again.

He released her mouth and kissed down her breasts, lingering as she laughed huskily. "What are you…? Ohhhh… Oohh…Zuko..."

His fingers slipped between her legs and sank deep within her. Suki's hips twisted off of the bed and she whimpered a little. He released her nipple, and kissed down her stomach, lingering to lick the last traces of himself away from her flat stomach. His fingers massaged in and out of her, slowly, deeply. She was wet and warm and wonderful. When he buried his face against her pussy, she gasped and lifted her pelvis off of the bed. And when he flicked his tongue against the hard, distended bud of her clitoris, she gasped his name.

He worked her with his tongue, enjoying the way she tasted, the way she felt, the way she smelled. He suckled her clit into his mouth, his tongue rubbing across it swiftly. She was close. He wanted to bring her there, to watch her come the way she had watched him. His fingers slipped out of her and spread her flesh open. Her clit glistened, quivering in response to his attentions. Suki shifted restlessly on the bed, one leg over his shoulder, one hand twisted in his hair, the other clenching at the churned-up covers.

Gently, he blew air across her clit, delighting in the way it jumped and quivered in response. He slowly flicked his tongue across it again. And again. And again, until she couldn't seem to take any more. Then he sucked into his mouth again, working his tongue across it rapidly, his head moving back and forth between her legs. Her head thrashed on the blankets, little tremors gripping her body. She moaned his name, the sound shaky as her lip trembled. He pulled back and pressed his index finger against her clit, working her hard and fast.

The effect was immediate. Her head fell back again, a deep moan of pleasure leaving her. He increased his speed, watching her with mounting pleasure as the usually calm, cool and collected Captain of his guard lost all control in his bed.

"Zuko… OH!" she gasped and then her muscles tightened, her body lifting off of the bed a little. He dropped his hand and flicked his tongue against her again, and was rewarded by a second shudder from her that was even harder than the first. Both of her hands sank into his hair as she shivered against him, her thighs tightening on his head. He slowed after few moments, letting her come down in little increments. Finally, he lifted his head, letting out a contented sigh as her body relaxed into the bed and Suki let out a satisfied sigh.

He watched her for a long moment as she stared up at the drapes on his bed, a slow smile hitting her swollen lips. He grinned and kissed her inner thighs, then crawled his way back up her supple body. Suki's gaze was soft, her smile indulgent and sexy in the dim light of the single candle burning at his bedside. She studied his face in the same way he had studied her. She pushed his damp hair back over one shoulder, cupping his face for a moment. They breathed together, covered in sweat and bliss. Her thumb caressed across the scar over his eye, gently, reverently.

Then she pulled him down for a kiss that seemed to have no end. Or at least he never wanted it to end. Everything felt surreal. His world had narrowed to nothing but her. He couldn't imagine how he'd made it so long without making love to her. Being with her suddenly seemed as vital as breathing. His hand smoothed down her sides, and spread on her hips. He wanted to claim her. The sensation was so strong, so visceral, that he wondered at it.

Suki's hands worked down his chest, and then crept lower. Much to his surprise, his cock twitched when she encircled it. He broke off the kiss with a groan and then glanced down between their bodies with some chagrin.

"It's…uh…been a long time…" he said as Suki's eyebrow quirked.

"Do you hear me complaining?" she said, stroking him as he slowly hardened again. He kissed her again, slow and deep.

"What are we doing?" he whispered against her mouth between kisses.

"I don't know…but we definitely should have done it a long time ago," she replied, her nose nuzzling his as she brought him forward. He slipped inside of her with ease and they both sighed in pleasure. "How about we figure out what this is in the morning? Tonight…"

"Tonight all I want is you," he said and then kissed her again. He sank into her body, into her kisses, into everything that was her. Whatever morning held, and the complications that would inevitably arise from the Fire Lord having an affair with his chief bodyguard, he'd deal with them in the morning. Right now he needed her. Wanted her.

And if he could manage it, he was going to keep her…

(end)