Zuko leaned back and kissed me more fiercely and with my passion, immediately parting our lips and rubbing his tongue against mine. I responded eagerly and the burn deep inside my body and me flared up was aching for his again, aching to feel his body all over mine, skin to skin. I wanted to feel him inside me again.

As our lips mingled together he slowly removed all of our clothing, piece by piece and planted soft kisses all over my body. I tried my best not to flinch when he bumped a bruise or kissed to hard.

I reached down and grabbed his dick in my hand and began to stroke it, he was already hard, just waiting for me. I stroked him firmly, teasing the head against myself. I listened to his labored breathing, I could hear his body just screaming and crying to be inside me.

I took a moment to realize and appreciate just how much I loved this man. I love him more than the earth, moon and stars; more than my water bending, and more then anything I have ever loved before. This may have started off fueled by a strong sexual chemistry between Zuko and I, but it quickly developed into one of the most beautiful, pure and strong feelings I have ever felt or experienced, far beyond anything my imagination ever thought could be true. I love Zuko, Fire Lord Zuko, and I will be his for the rest of my life.

With that I relaxed and gave myself up to him, a moan escaping my lips as he slowly pushed himself into me, he held himself there and rested his forehead on mine. I felt his warmth and a tear drip down from him onto my cheek.

"I love you Katara." He whispered and kissed me softly. "Be with my forever." And kissed me again.

My heart was warm, "Yes. I love you too, more than anything. I will be with you forever." And I meant it.

We made love, for the first time in a long time, we were one again; my body has never felt so at peace or wholesome than it did then. Sharing a bed with Zuko, making love to him, cuddling, talking, and lying in a perfectly serine silence and I have never felt more at peace in my life.

This could not last forever though, and we both knew that. The sun was beginning to rise outside, coloring the sky soft orange and pink colors, alive and burning to life much like fire. I rose from Zukos arms on the bed and began to dress myself, preparing to sneak back into my room for the rest of the night time. I stopped dressing when I felt Zuko's warm hand on my shoulder, brushing my hair off of them and grazing his finger tips over the almost fully healed bruises.

"Katara, you would tell me what really happened if that story isn't true, wouldn't you?" Zuko said softly, obviously in reference to my wounds and the polar bear dog story. Instantly, I didn't know what to say, I didn't prepare myself for him to ask this question even though I knew it would be coming eventually.

"Of course." I lied, there is no way I am going to tell him what Aang did to me all those days ago. I have no idea how he would react, guilty because it was over him, or if anger would take over and he would go find Aang and do something stupid that would make the whole situation worse.

He remained silent for a moment so I turned and placed his hand over my heart. "Don't you worry about me…" I whispered, meaning it. His hand drifted down and he rested his palm flat over my abdomen.

"What about… this…" He hesitated and for the briefest of moments I realized something I had completely forgotten about since the incident with Aang a few days back. I had forgotten completely about it, probably because I did not feel it anymore…

"I don't…" I choked on my words. "I don't feel anything anymore." Words barely audible, he knew what I meant whether he heard it or not.

"Oh." Both of us were left without words, neither of us knowing what exactly to say at this point. Words couldn't describe how I was feeling in this moment, there was a part relief but it was drowned out by the sorrow weighing down my heart. "Must have been from the polar bear dog attack…"

My heart sunk deep into my stomach.

"Yeah, probably." I choked on my words.

"All thing happen for a reason, Katara." He wrapped me in his arms and stroked my hair. "It wasn't time for us yet."

I couldn't take the guilt of the lie I had told him but I knew I couldn't tell him the truth, which would be way worse. So I shrugged myself out of his arms and finished dressing, I had to return to Aang just in case he woke up early or went to the bathroom and wondered where I was. I didn't need to cause any new problems, the ones we had were already beginning to be too much to handle.

"I will see you today again. Get some sleep Zuko, I love you." I kissed him and lingered for a moment to look deep into his amber eyes. I did not like what I saw, despair and hopelessness looked back at me, I couldn't take it any longer and I left the room and quietly, slowly made my way back to my wing of the house.

I slipped back into my room and quietly slid the door shut behind me.

"Where did you go…" My heart sunk and I spun around to lock eyes with Aang, laying down in bed.

"Uhm, I got a glass of water." I lied horribly, but I could see it in his face, he knew I was lying to him. I shrugged my shoulders down and walked slowly to the bed.

"Katara… what happened to us?" He asked. I had never before heard such sadness in his voice, Aang was full of light everyday of his life, positivity is what he spoke most about and because of me he wasn't himself anymore. I ruined the spirit of one of the greatest and most holistic people I had ever known.

"I don't know Aang…" I sat down next to him and he cupped my cheek in his hand, I leaned into it and closed my eyes. After all that had changed and what him and I had been though since I returned home, I still felt that same comfort I had over ten years ago when we met. "I don't have a reason to explained why what happened, happened."

"But you're my best friend…" Tears welled up in his eyes and my heart broke, it was time for that conversation that I knew had to happen.

"And you are mine." A very true statement, "but maybe that is all we were meant to be?" I suggested, holding his eyes with my own. He let out a deep, long sigh and let his head fall back onto his pillow.

"Could we try to make it work?" He pleaded, his tears streaming faster down his cheeks.

"Aang…" I pleaded, I did not want to have this conversation, I wanted to leave things how they were about to be, over.

"Please Katara, maybe we can rekindle the love we had." He sat up and grabbed my shoulders with much excitement, I flinched with the pain of the bruises, he instantly released me. "I'm so sorry… did you tell him the truth?" He whispered, dipping his head low, looking at his palms in his lap.

"No."

"Why not…"

"There is already enough problems, I do not need anymore…" I gave the honest answer he needed to hear and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. His shoulders began to shake with soon-to-be sobs.

"I am so, so, incredibly sorry Katara. For everything, I, I don't know why- I have no excuse for what I did to you. I just didn't know what I was going to do without you and I overreacted-" He pleaded though his tears. My own sadness welled up in the form of tears and I began to cry with him.

"You didn't overreact Aang, what I did was so wrong. It is all my fault and I am so, so sorry Aang." Everything overcame me, I finally realized just how much I hurt and betrayed my fiancé and my best friend. I have completely, one hundred percent betrayed his love and his trust, and he had done nothing to deserve this. "I am so sorry."

"Then give us another chance." He lifted my chin to meet eyes with him, his blue eyes shown though his tears, twinkling in the sunrise though the window.

"Aang…" I simply did not want to try; I already moved on, I was already in love with someone else. Any effort to fall back in love with Aang would be futile.

"Please, you did this to me while I was gone, you didn't even give me a chance Katara. Give me a chance." He pleaded, his eyes were so full of hope and desperation my stomach churned with guilt. He had a point when he said I did not even give him a chance, but he is never home so he also can't make this his excuse for slipping up as a fiancé and boyfriend.

"I don't know…" I whispered.

"Please, give me till the vacation on Ember Island with everyone to prove that I can be the boyfriend and husband I promised to be."

It would be easy to just say no and run off with Zuko forever, with a halfway peaceful break with Aang, but something inside me knew that I kind of owed this to Aang. I had wronged him and betrayed him and now I was going to leave him without a chance? I know my feeling for Zuko would not change though; I loved him, stronger and deeper than I have ever loved before.

But still…

"Okay… We will stay together…"