Notes: Written for jordanalane, who inspired me to write more hot Zuki smut. Because the world needs it, dammit.

"So then Katara's screaming, 'GIVE ME BACK MY CLOTHES RIGHT NOW YOU FLYING RAT OR SO HELP ME!' and Momo's in the tree, climbing higher and higher and we're both standing there naked and so she turns to me, demanding I get our back."

"And Aang starts screaming at Momo. 'GET BACK HERE! GET BACK HERE! I HAVE NUTS FOR YOU!' And then I couldn't stop laughing because he didn't any pants on and for a minute there I thought he meant... Well, you know," Katara said as Zuko and Suki burst out laughing. Aang's face went bright red.

"I MEANT LECHE NUTS!" he said, holding up his hands.

"Sure, you did," Zuko said, glancing at Suki. Their gazes caught for a second and then she looked away, clutching her stomach as she laughed. It felt great to laugh, especially with friends.

"Poor Momo," Suki commiserated.

"Poor Momo? POOR ME! I had to fly up after him on a ball of air-naked!" Aang said as Katara giggled.

"On the plus side, I had a great view from the ground," Katara said, as her husband turned wide eyes on her. She grinned at him and nudged him with her feet. The waterbender was sprawled across the couch, her legs in Aang's lap. Suki couldn't help but notice how comfortable they looked together. How right.

"That's what you get for bringing him on your honeymoon!" Zuko said, with a wild gesture toward the winged lemur in question, who was dozing on the back of a chair, looking adorably innocent and certainly not capable of clothing theft.

"He stowed away in our luggage!" Aang argued, his face even redder, causing the others to laugh even harder.

"Did you finally get your clothes back?"

"After ten minutes of chasing Momo down. All butt naked," the airbender replied with a twist of his lips. "It was pretty cold too."

"Poor Aang," Katara said, pursing her lips at him.

"Poor Katara, you mean," Suki pointed out and made a gesture with her fingers that had Zuko choking on his wine.

"HEY!"

"Well, it was fun warming him up again, I will say that," Katara said with a blush, ignoring her husband's indignation, which slowly melted into a sly little grin. There was a far-away look in Aang's eyes, as if he was remembering just how much fun he'd had getting warm again.

"Well, there was that," Aang conceded, leaning toward Katara for a quick kiss on the lips. Katara smiled against his mouth and slipped one arm around his neck, turning the quick kiss into one that lingered.

Suki shifted, her own memories of a night of passion crowding through her, demanding attention. She glanced down at her hands, then looked at Zuko out the corner of her eye.

Zuko was watching Aang and Katara with an indulgent look on his face. She couldn't blame him. It was nice to see their friends so happy. Clearly the month they'd spent honeymooning at Zuko's Ember Island beach house had done a lot to loosen them up—they'd both been very tense and stressed before the wedding. She'd never seen them look happier. She felt a pang of jealousy in her, or maybe it was just longing.

For what, she didn't know. She'd had what they'd had once, but that was over and done with. And the only other man in her life seemed to be entirely content on ignoring the one night they'd spent together. Not that she could blame him. She'd used him and sneaked away before dawn. There wasn't much to talk about.

Then why can't I stop thinking about him?

Zuko turned away from their friends, and caught her eye, holding it for a long moment, as if he could sense what she was thinking about. She felt heat rising in her belly, the odd memory of his head between her thighs, his tongue working against her, driving her mad, hitting her like a battering ram. She felt a warm rush of wetness and squirmed in place, looking away from him.

Things had been so awkward between them since that night. She'd been avoiding being alone with him ever since, and if not for Katara and Aang insisting that both she and Zuko come to see the two of them off, she never would have come to the beach house. Better to avoid being alone with him, where her hormones, emotions and regrets might get the better of her.

"So how have you two been?" Aang asked as he and Katara pulled apart.

"Umm..."

"What do you mean by that?" she said at the same time as Zuko. They both started, glancing at each other and then away.

Aang's brows furrowed and he glanced at Katara, who had sunk back onto the pillow. She had an odd expression on her face. Suki worried her hands in her lap, her mouth suddenly dry. She picked up her wine glass and drained it.

"I just meant, how are things in the Fire Nation," Aang said slowly.

"He's been working himself to death."

"Fine," Zuko said at the same time.

She avoided his gaze this time, feeling heat in her face.

"And you, Suki?" Katara prompted. "I know we haven't talked much since...well, um... And there wasn't much time at the wedding to catch up."

"I'm fine, I guess. Same old, same old. And since the subject has already been brought up, how is Sokka?" she asked, in what she hoped was a casual voice. The memory of him dancing with a leggy, dark-haired waterbender at the wedding was still pretty fresh in her mind.

"According to his last letter, he's good. Busy. He's been back and forth between Republic City and the Southern Water Tribe for the past couple of months. I don't think he sleeps much."

"Is he still seeing that woman? Krissi?" Zuko asked, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees.

Katara glanced at Suki and then back at Zuko. "Ummm...well..."

"You can say it. It's not going to hurt my feelings," she said with a shrug. The truth was, she wasn't sure if she even cared or not. Somehow the pain of seeing her ex with another woman had been lost in a sea of confusion. Lost somewhere that night, in another man's bed.

"Yeah, they're still dating. She's nice," Katara said apologetically. Suki smiled.

"Good for him," she said, and found that she meant it. Odd, that.

"That's great," Zuko said, maybe a little too enthusiastically.

"I need more wine," Suki said abruptly, grabbing her glass and practically leaping to her feet.

She strode into the beach house's little kitchen, grabbing a bottle from the bucket of ice. Her pulse was throbbing in her ears. She didn't know what was wrong.

Footsteps behind her made her turn. She found herself staring at Zuko, who looked apprehensive, as if he was thinking better of approaching her.

"Are you okay?"

She turned away from him, jamming the corkscrew into the cork. "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be? We're having a good time with old friends and nothing is weird. Nothing at all."

His hand touched her bare back, the warmth as sudden as the memory it conjured. Of his kiss, slow and simmering, sizzling through her like a blazing fire. Of his hands on her body, reverent, gentle, unsure but steady. His warm breath, kissing away all of her troubles, giving her what she wanted, needed...

A hot lick of longing went through her and she fought the urge to moan. She shivered in place, biting down on her lip. The bottle trembled in her hands, her eyes closing.

"Suki..."

She turned and faced him, the bottle between them like a barrier. His hand had slid to her bare midriff, his skin hot on hers. She wanted to melt into him, like candle wax bowing to the flame, but she was made of stronger stuff and she didn't yield.

"What's wrong? I know you, something's wrong," he said, glancing at the doorway and then back at her. "Is it Sokka?"

"No," she said immediately. "It's..."

But she couldn't say it. They'd both become so good at not saying it, she didn't know how to break the habit.

There was pain in Zuko's topaz eyes, and longing. As if he knew what she was thinking. How could he not? How could he think of anything but that night, when it had been consuming her ever since?

"It's nothing," she said firmly, and set the bottle down on the counter. "It doesn't matter."

"It matters to me."

Suki looked down at her hands, clenching them into fists. "Just don't, Zuko. Please."

"If that's what you want," he said after a moment.

"I don't know what I want," she mumbled. "Or maybe I do. Maybe that's the problem."

"We should talk abou—" Zuko started, but he was cut off when Katara strolled into the kitchen. The waterbender stopped, staring at them with wide eyes. Zuko snatched his hand back and took a half-step away from her. But it was too late.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting. Aang and I are heading to bed. We have to leave early tomorrow morning. I just wanted to say thank you again for letting us use your beach house for the honeymoon. And for coming to see us off this weekend. It means a lot to me and Aang."

"Of course, it was my privilege, Katara. Let me say goodnight to Aang," Zuko said easily and Katara moved aside to let him pass through the doorway. Suki could feel her eyes on her, could feel the questions Katara wanted to ask.

"I had a feeling about you two."

"What?" Suki's head snapped up.

"You and Zuko. There was a vibe and I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was, but it makes so much sense now."

"No, we're not! There's no vibe."

Katara's skeptical look was downright searing. "You don't have to lie, Suki. It's not like I disapprove or something. Frankly, I think you two make a lot sense together. You guys have always been close and I've always kind of wondered if maybe you guys were... I think I'd be more surprised if you two weren't together. At the wedding, I was sure you two were up to something. I think it's cute."

"I...um..."

Katara smiled. "I won't say anything to Sokka, if you're worried. It's none of his business. If you're happy, and he's happy, that's all I care about." Katara crossed the room and pulled her into a warm hug, which she returned with no small amount of confusion.

Mostly because she wasn't happy, not really. She hadn't been since the night of the wedding, not since she'd sneaked out of the Fire Lord's room, smelling of guilt and sex and Zuko.

"Night!" Katara waved at them, sharing a little smile with Suki, who shakily returned it. Then the door to Aang and Katara's room closed, leaving Suki standing in the middle of the living room. She felt strange, off-balance, her nerves shot. Zuko was in the kitchen, putting the glasses in the sink.

Now was her chance to escape. To run like the coward she was.

"I can't stop thinking about it," Zuko said behind her, stopping her just as she touched the handle of her door. She half-turned toward him, her heart suddenly racing out of control. He was standing in the middle of the room, a strange expression on his face. There was pain there. Too much.

"About what?" she said cautiously, though she knew. What else could be talking about? She glanced at the door to Aang and Katara's room, but it was closed.

"The night of the wedding. We've never talked about it. Things are weird between us and I don't want them to be."

Suki swallowed, pressing her lips together. She didn't know what to say. What was he getting at? He'd made it perfectly clear that that night wasn't up for discussion. Not that she'd tried to bring it up. She'd been so mortified afterward, sure that she'd taken advantage of his kindness, that she'd hurt him. It had become this unspoken secret between them, heavy, always there, always teasing her with the memory of their one night together.

"I don't either," she said carefully.

"I was afraid to bring it up. I thought you regretted it and that's why you left. And... Suki, I know what I did was wrong. I took advantage of you. You were hurting and lonely and I... It wasn't right. I've never said, but I'm sorry. I need you to know how sorry I am."

She felt heat rising in her face and shock in her chest. Of all the things he might have said, she hadn't expected that, that he might blame himself. "You didn't take advantage of me. I took advantage of you. You were there for me when I needed you and I used you and then ran off like a coward."

"What? I didn't feel used. I felt..." he said and then stopped, his head falling forward, one hand rising to rub at the back of his neck. "I know I should regret sleeping with you, because of a million reasons, but I don't. Spirits help me, I don't. What I do regret is the way it's affected our friendship. I don't want to lose you and I feel like I am. I can deal with everything else, but I can't deal with that."

He looked up and met her gaze. They stared at one another for a long moment, then she found her voice.

"What are you saying?"

"I don't know. I'm just... I'm tired of the two of us dancing around it. We slept together, Suki. It was incredible and amazing and I know you don't feel the same way, but I needed you to know. I don't want to lose you, but I need you to know."

"Know what?"

Zuko bit his lip, eyes full of fear. Then he took a trembling breath, his voice carrying in the short distance between them.

"That I'm in love with you."

Suki blinked, feeling the words shockwaving through her body. They'd been speaking to each other in subterfuge for weeks, deftly working around that night, about what it meant, skirting around it with words too soft to mean anything.

But this. This was bold and raw and there was no hiding from it.

Maybe a part of her had known it. For months she had seen the way he looked at her when he thought she wasn't watching. How he'd looked at her that night, how he'd kissed her and held her until her tears had vanished. She'd paid him back by slipping out of his room at dawn, too shaken by her own confused emotions to confront what had happened. She'd felt despicable.

At the time she'd been upset, watching Sokka with another woman. She'd felt strange and lonely, sitting at her friends' wedding like some used-up spinster. At first she'd thought what had happened had just been a need to feel contact, to feel loved, even for a moment. She'd convinced herself that it was just sex at a weak moment and she'd hated herself for it, for using him.

She didn't know when she'd started to question herself and motives though. When she'd started second-guessing her whole reason for ending up in his room that night, a hunger in her belly she'd known only he could satisfy. If she really had been that lonely, she could have slept with anyone. She hadn't. She'd wanted Zuko and no one else. And once those thoughts, those doubts about her motives that night had crept in, she couldn't stop herself from thinking of every little moment before then. How she'd watch him and smile. Of the long hours they'd spent together, sparring, and reading, talking and laughing and huddling over letters from their friends. How sometimes just being in his presence was enough to make her bones ache with want.

How she had been dreaming about him for months before that night. How she'd touch herself in the darkness, his name on her lips. Long before he'd ever put his mouth on her.

Now her every waking thought was about him, about what could have been if she hadn't run off that night, if she'd just talked to him about it, if she'd just explained herself... If it had happened in another way, at another time, for clearer reasons...

He loved her. Zuko loved her and she'd let him think that she didn't feel the same way.

"I just needed you to know that," Zuko said sadly and turned away from her.

"I love you!" she burst out. The words left her like a firework exploding and she felt the report in her chest, echoing down into her bones, changing her on a cellular level.

Zuko turned toward her. Slowly, his face pale.

"What?"

"I think I have been for a long time. I didn't know it. Or maybe I did. I don't know. But I do. I love you and I'm sorry I ran off, but I was confused and felt... I made a mess of the whole thing."

Zuko held up a hand. "You don't have to apologize. Just say it again."

"I love you, Zuko."

And that was all it took. Suddenly Zuko charged across the distance between them, pulling her into his arms as easily as he had that night. She'd spent every night since the wedding wondering what it would be like to kiss him again, to feel his hands on her body, those long fingers of his pushing into her flesh like hot, claiming brands. His scent, all fire, all sage, all warmth and cider, wreathing around her, making her dizzy. His taste—sweet Spirits, his taste—like tart golden apples and warm spices and honey-dribbled tea. He was indulgence, pure indulgence, like chocolate and champagne and silk sheets.

Zuko made a noise in his chest, a low sound of pleasure. Like a distant roll of a thunder. Or the growl of a wild creature barely tamed and ready to lash out. His teeth caught her lower lip, nibbling with a shock of sensation that went straight through her body. Her fingers and toes tingled. Her pussy clenched in reaction, sparking a different set of feelings in her entirely.

He released her lip, his breath gusting against her swollen lips for one trembling moment. Then he kissed her again, as if he couldn't bear to stop. Not that she wanted him to. Her arms tightened on his neck, tangling in his hair, pulling him down against her.

His hands gripped her bare waist, thumbs digging in as he pushed her back into the door. Her back arched, bringing their pelvises together with a rough press that seemed to affect him as much as it affected her. That groan came tumbling out of him again and this time she drank it down, opening her mouth and flicking her tongue against his lips.

The kiss deepened as he opened to her, his tongue sliding sensually along hers. His head moved, angling to the side as he darted his tongue into her mouth with an almost lazy precision. It made her think of all of the wonderful things he was capable of with that tongue.

The very memory was enough to undo her.

She trembled against him, feeling warm and wet as Zuko stepped even closer. Her breasts flattened against his chest, her butt pressing back into the door as Zuko's clever hands spread up her ribcage and then back down to her hips, squeezing as he pushed his pelvis against hers.

Her pulse was racing. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears. Every touch was like static shock, zapping along her nerves until she was practically squirming in his arms. And still she kissed him, couldn't stop. Wouldn't stop.

Eventually they came up for air again, the both of them panting as if they'd run up a mountain. But it did feel that way, like they'd been climbing to this pinnacle for months. She wanted to see what was on the other side. She wanted to jump off with him. And only him.

"I've wanted to kiss you again so badly," he said, his forehead against hers, his hands heavy on her hips. "I dream about it. It's all I can do most of the time not to just grab you."

"I feel the same way," she said firmly, grasping the front of his tunic, pulling him against her again. He caught himself on the door, his mouth slamming into hers, tilting her head back.

Little sparks popped along her nerves and the air between them, what little there was, felt like it was charging for a storm. Like he was lightning-bending, and the feeling seemed to swell in her, centering between her legs. She was getting wetter with each kiss, the ache there insistent, demanding.

"I want to start over. I want to do this right," she mumbled between deep kisses and then flushed at the desperation in her voice.

"You mean that?" he asked, sliding one hand up her shoulder and around to the back of her neck, where the ties of her halter top made a knot.

"Yes," she breathed, her heart stopping for a moment.

A little smile hit Zuko's mouth. "Stay the night with me, Suki. The whole night this time."

She didn't even hesitate. "Yes."

And there it was. Unplanned—at least on her part—and totally out of the blue, but it was everything she wanted. Maybe she hadn't consciously known it that night. Maybe she'd been confused, but a part of her hadn't been. A part of her had gladly fallen into his arms because he was everything she'd needed. Everything her heart had been longing for.

Zuko kissed her again, softly, his lips barely touching hers. It was like electricity, his touch. Every inch of her body yearned toward his, even as he took hold of her halter top tie and slowly pulled the knot loose. Gravity took over, and the top drooped down, exposing the peaks of her firm breasts. The only thing keeping it on was the tie around her back.

"Ohhh..." she breathed as Zuko pushed his face into her neck. His mouth dragged along her skin, from ear to shoulder, his tongue darting along her pulse point. Her eyes closed, her teeth digging into her lower lip so hard she felt pain.

Zuko pulled her away from the door, working one hand behind her back. She felt him take hold of the second knot. He pulled it loose just as he bit down on her neck, shocking a gasp out of her that turned into a moan. Her head went back, her fingers clutching at him as goosebumps exploded down her side. Her nipples ached, throbbing in the air between them.

Her halter top hit the floor at her feet and she didn't miss it in the slightest. Not when Zuko wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up off of her feet. She wrapped her legs around him as he buried his face between her breasts.

He moaned, dragging kisses across her breasts and then gathering the peak of her left nipple into his mouth. He sucked hard, making her writhe in his arms, tremors of pleasure quaking through her.

"Zuko..."

He let go of her breast and she quickly claimed his mouth, pulling his face to hers with a hot, hard kiss that made a moan go through the both of them. Zuko pushed away from the door, grasping the handle and jerking it open. He walked them into her room, the door slamming shut behind them with a bang.

He sank down onto the bed with her, his body covering hers. Slowly they undressed one another. As if it were the first time. She loved every inch of him. Her hands smoothed over his shoulders, and then down his chest, feeling each movement of his muscles, the heat of him scorching her.

Zuko's mouth was everywhere, worshiping her with long flicks of his tongue, soft nibbles, deep sucking pulls that had her gasping and writhing in his arms.

He kicked his legs free of his pants and she grasped him by the hips, pulling him down against her. His mouth found hers, his tongue slowly rolling against hers. Her hand found his cock, velvety and soft. She stroked him from balls to tip, rubbing her thumb across the tip of his cock, smearing his pre-cum as he hardened for her. She pushed back his foreskin, rubbing against the glans until he was trembling against her, moaning into her kisses.

She squeezed his cock and he broke away from her mouth, panting in time to each lazy jerk of her hand.

Zuko shifted to the side, holding himself up on one elbow as he trailed his hand down her middle. She squirmed in anticipation, knowing what those long fingers of his were capable of. He parted her folds, sliding down her clit and then flirting with her opening. Teasing her. Drawing out the wetness just touching him had caused.

They stared at one another as his fingers stroked her pussy, gently, reverently. Her hand squeezed him again, slow pumps that made his hips shift against her hand. His thumb circled her clit, pushing back the hood and pressing on the sensitive nerves there. She gasped, jerking her hips upward, her head going back into the bed.

"I love watching you like this," he whispered and then sank his two of his fingers into her warm, wet heat, pressing upwards, right against her g-spot.

Her mouth opened, her body tightening as she lifted off of the bed again. "Unng!"

A ghost of a smile hit Zuko's mouth, but he was all concentration, all dark intent.

"Right there?"

"Y-yes..." she managed, her muscles quivering. Zuko's fingers pressed deeper, harder, rubbing against her inner walls. Deep, insistent pleasure crashed over her in waves, too powerful to resist. She didn't know how he'd learned this, but she wasn't going to complain. Not when his thumb was rubbing her clit and his fingertips were slowly massaging her g-spot.

His eyes glittered in the dim light. She shivered on the bed beneath him, her hand slipping off of his cock, which twitched against her inner thigh. She grasped the covers on the bed, her whole world narrowing to the hot wet friction of his hand between her legs.

His pulled his fingers out and spread his wet fingers across her labia, pinching her clit between them. Then he sank them back into her again. This time he wasn't gentle. He pressed into her swelling g-spot, right where she needed him to, curling his fingers and thrusting into her hard and fast.

"Oh fuck!" she shouted, digging her toes into the bed, bucking upward as the wet sounds filled the air. She writhed and tried to twist away from him, away from the pleasure, but Zuko pulled back, catching her hip with his other hand.

There was no getting away, not that she really wanted to. He was going to make her cum. He was going to make her scream. Her body tightened, hips rising of their own accord, her back bowing, head driving into the bed.

She screamed when she came. She couldn't help it. Her whole body seemed to explode, clenching around his fingers, wetness flooding out of her, the shockwaves driving the shout out of her lips until she was hoarse.

She came back to herself, lying flat on the bed again. Zuko had moved down, his tongue gently sliding through the thick wetness, probing her, pushing in deep with a lazy, blistering stroke, only to pull out and flick her clit, causing a white-hot lightning storm to ride along her nerves.

Her hands found his hair, bound back by a piece of silk. She pulled it free and laid his dark hair along her stomach. She pushed her hands into it, trying to get her breath back as Zuko moaned into her pussy.

One of his hands smoothed up her stomach and squeezed her breast. She caught his hand and brought his fingers to her mouth. She could taste her orgasm on his skin, musky and sweet. She sucked his fingers in deep and he grunted, lifting his head to stare at her through the dark strands of his hair.

"I love the way you taste," he said and there was something about the deep timbre of his voice, the shy truth of it all. His eyes burned with need, a need she shared. She wanted more. Wanted him inside of her.

She tangled her hand in his hair and pulled him up along her body. He went eagerly, settling between her legs as she drew them up against his hips. Their mouths met and she tasted her pussy on his tongue, his lips. She drew on his tongue, wanting more. So much more.

Zuko's cock twisted, pressing insistently against her pussy, sliding against her clit with each tremor of his hips. She reached between them, grasping him again. He moaned into her mouth and then whispered against her wet lips, "I love you so much..."

She didn't reply, just kissed him harder and positioned his cock at her opening.

Zuko thrust into her, hard and deep, knocking a gasp out of her. Her head went back, her brows screwed up, her mouth open. He met her gaze as her nails dug into his hips, attempting to both push him back and pull him forward. She didn't know what she wanted more.

"Suki?"

"So fucking deep," was all she could manage, and the words—so filthy in their rawness-seemed to work on them both. A rash of heat spread down her chest and Zuko's face grew equally as red, the blush of his cheeks blending with his scar.

"Too much?"

"I...I...yeah, too much," she said, breathing shallowly. "Slower. I need slower..."

"Yeah," he mumbled eagerly, gently pulling out of her, his hair falling down to shield his face. He gripped his cock, pushing the underside of along the swollen length of her slit, the rim of his head rubbing along her engorged clit. Her hips lifted, pushing upward even as she sank her head back down to the bed. "I'm sorry...got a little excited..."

"You're not the only one," she managed, a breathless giggle leaving her.

Suki lifted a hand, touching his cheek. He looked down at her and she saw the heat in his gaze. A slow smile spread over her face and she brought him down for a soft, slow kiss that rolled between them. Zuko's chest pressed against hers, her thighs tightening on his hips as she lifted her pelvis against his hips. He gripped his cock, pulling back just a fraction and then gently entering her again.

He sank in easily, just a few inches. Just enough for her to feel the head of his cock pushing against the pillowy, sensitive flesh of her g-spot. A moan left her and Zuko pulled back, bracing himself on his elbows on side of her head.

"Is that...?"

"Yes... Don't stop," was all she could reply, her breathing still shallow as she ran hands along his ribs. Zuko's hips rocked against hers, rubbing against her in just the right way. She rocked with him, gently, the both of them barely moving. But it was enough. Sweet Spirits, it was enough.

The air around them seemed close, warm with their breath, redolent with the aroused scent of their bodies. Zuko made little sounds in his throat with each gentle thrust into her. Her thighs stuck to his hips, sweat popping out on both of them, but neither of them seemed to care. She wanted to bathe in his sweat, to lick every drop off.

Zuko seemed content to just stare at her, biting his lip as braced himself above her. She stared back, unable to look away from the gleam of his eyes, the intensity there. The lust. The need. He lifted a hand and brushed her cheek, but she caught it, bringing his thumb to her mouth. She sucked on his thumb, biting down when Zuko changed the angle of his shallow thrusts, sending a gasp tumbling out of her.

She released his thumb and he pushed his against her lips, rubbing for a moment as her tongue darted out against it.

Zuko let out a groan and lowered himself down, kissing her hard, though his hips still moved at a steady, shallow pace that was sending pleasure curling through her body. Everything felt hot and wet and tight. Her nails dug into his hips, her mouth desperate against his.

His strong hand cupped her hip, lifting her into him. Her feet hooked together, hips rising and falling, meeting each of his thrusts with one of her own. Her breathing quickened, and a gasp left her when she felt her pussy tightening around him with a series convulsing spasms.

"Fuck," he breathed against her mouth, moving his head to bury it in her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, gasping with each thrust, goosebumps rising along her neck as he pulled her flesh into his mouth.

The pleasure mounted until she was jerking upward into him, pulling him in deeper, her eyes rolling back into her head. Zuko pulled back and thrust into her faster, but just as shallowly as before, slamming his cock into her g-spot as he had his fingers. It was too much.

Her body bucked beneath his, her hips rising high and tight, her head digging back into the bed. She was sure she shouted his name—maybe even screamed it—but it was all lost in a swirl of heat and intense, bone-deep pleasure. Her pussy tightened on him with a hard squeeze, followed by a warm, wet gush. He stilled, allowing her to shudder her way through her orgasm.

She opened her eyes after a moment, taking in a deep breath as her body slowly relaxed back into the bed. She'd practically wrapped herself around him like a snake. He didn't seem to mind though. He had a soft look on his face, of wonder, or excitement. Maybe he was just pleased with himself.

He should have been.

Though he was still inside of her, he seemed to be trying not to move. Sweat glistened on his skin, his hair swinging forward over his shoulders. He lifted a hand and gently pushed her hair out of her face. She blinked at him sleepily, feeling boneless, drenched in lust. She wanted more. More of him. More of this...this feeling. Of rightness and need and...love.

"Why are you look at me like that?" she whispered, though she knew.

"Because I love you," he answered and then blushed, ducking his head. She lifted her head and kissed his forehead, his eyelids, the bubbled flesh of his scar, his cheeks.

"Zuko..."

His mouth found hers again, his kiss filled with a hunger she found herself matching. He pulled out of her, making her whimper, both from the loss of contact, and the sensitive twang of her nerves. Wetness followed, leaving her inner thighs sticky. Zuko bit down on her lip again, then pulled back, giving her a shy grin, which did more to her than his mouth on her ever could.

He gathered her up against him, lifting her easily as he sat back on his heels. She draped across his body, her thighs shaking, her fingers grasping at him as he settled her on his lap. His cock poked at her and then slid along her sex, twitching at the nearness of her heat. She wanted him back inside of her. Wanted more so badly she couldn't articulate it.

She rolled her hips back and forth, sliding along the length of his cock, coating him in her wetness. Zuko made a sound against her throat, a harsh sound, a needing sound. Smiling, she reached behind herself, grasping his cock and tilting her hips back.

His hands gripped her hips, stilling her as he pulled his face back. Their gazes met.

Then she glided down his length, feeling every ridge and vein as he sank into her depths. She could tell by the look on his face what he needed. What he wanted. And she wanted to give it to him, the same way he had given it to her so many times already.

Her hips snapped back and forth, taking him in long strides, her feet digging into the bed for purchase. He clasped her hips, her waist, her ass, moving with her. There was no time for slow. A sense of urgency filled her now, eagerness and urgency.

She wanted to scream again. To taste his orgasm on her tongue the way he'd tasted hers.

Zuko's face pressed into her shoulder, sliding down to her breasts. He took one bouncing peak into his mouth, sucking on her nipple hard enough to send shivers pounding through her. He released her and caught her mouth with a wet kiss. Her fingers tugged at his hair, twisting up in it as her strokes quickened.

Zuko gave a growl against her mouth and she found herself being propelled backward, his weight pushing her down into the bed. His hips battered hers, driving her senses back toward the brink. Her nails dug into his shoulders, scratching furrows.

He thrust into her, hard, deep, the pleasure edged with pain. But she didn't want him to stop. A shout filled her throat and came out in little screams, encouraging noises, begging noises. Zuko kissed her in between each one, until she couldn't breathe, until the wet friction ignited the fire inside of her again and she exploded around him with a bucking writhe that lifted her hips against his, taking every inch of his cock.

Zuko stroked into her clenching body and then let out a deep groan. He pulled back from her, pulling out of her body, only to cum onto her inner thigh. His spine bent, his head falling to her breasts, his hair spilling all across her as he came.

Suki tilted her head back, staring at the draped canopy of the bed, at the red confines. Her whole body tingled, head to toe. Everything was wet and sticky, her thighs shaking and her whole body drenched in sweat and sex and Zuko.

Zuko's hand left his cock and gripped her thigh. He was still breathing hard, bent over her, his hair hiding his face. She reached up a hand and touched his shoulder, and he immediately lifted his head, staring at her with a cautious smile on his lips.

"Was that... Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked, flexing her toes. She almost felt like she'd had her limbs blown off for a minute there. Spirits, the man could fuck.

"I got a little rough," he said and she let out a genuine laugh, tugging him toward her.

"I like a little rough. Remember?" she whispered, blushing, though she didn't know why.

"Oh, I remember. I wanted to tell you before that night, you know. I wanted to just say the words, but I didn't know how you felt. I didn't know how to make a move. Then you were crying and then we were kissing and all I could think was how much I wanted to make you feel better. And how much I just wanted you."

"Zuko, I really was confused that night. I need you to know that. I thought I was using you, but I'm not so sure I was. At least not completely. I wanted you before that night ever happened. I just wasn't ready to admit that I had feelings for you. I was sort of hung up on my ex...but I can't for the life of me remember why. That all seems like it happened a very long time ago. The only mistake I made that night was running. I hope you can forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive. We both made mistakes that night. And we both let things go unsaid for too long. Let's just start over. Agreed?" he said softly, stroking her jaw. She smiled and nodded.

"Agreed." she said and then kissed him. Zuko kissed her back with that same lazy, sizzling sensuality as he had before and she felt her body responding again. After a few minutes, they pulled back, faces red, breathing hard again. A blush hit her cheeks as she stroked the back of his neck.

She didn't know why, but she felt shy all of a sudden. Afraid, maybe.

Because they were in love. And everything was changing. Had changed. That night had been a firebrand. She clutched him hard. She had let go before, but she wouldn't make the same mistake again.

"So what do we do now?" she asked him as he rolled to the side and gathered her up against him. She needed to use the bathroom and clean up, but she didn't want to move. Not yet. He seemed just as reluctant.

"I don't know," he said honestly. "I've never fallen in love with one of my friends before. Or one of my employees."

She grinned. "And I've never dated my best friend. Or my boss before. So we're in the same boat."

"This should be interesting then."

"Not as interesting as it's going to be in the morning."

Zuko's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"There's no way in hell Katara and Aang didn't hear me screaming your name. Breakfast is going to be awkward."

Zuko blanched and stared up at the ceiling, contemplating for a moment. Then he grinned and kissed her playfully. When he pulled back, he was still grinning.

"What?"she laughed.

"Worth it," he said simply and kissed her again. Their bodies melted against one another once more, taking each other slowly this time, lingering between kisses and strokes that seemed to have no end.

They fell asleep in each others arms a little before dawn. She didn't run this time.

She never would again.

(end)