Work Text:
“This is really well done,” Katara’s voice is soft as her fingers trailing across his back.
Zuko idly takes a puff from his cigarette and lets her take her time. Katara always seems fascinated by his tattoos and today is no different. She’s never been able to get a good look at his back piece before, and at least now it’s mostly finished. It’s cute how impressed she is with the piece. Though Zuko does have to agree, it is very good work. He wouldn’t have gotten it otherwise.
“I can take you to my guy one of these days, help you pick something out.” He makes the offer casually, but he hopes she can’t feel how his heartbeat speeds up. Zuko really likes the idea of taking her in to get her first tattoo, helping her pick the right thing, and holding her hand through the process. He wonders if she would enjoy it as much as he does.
Katara hums thoughtfully and continues tracing the lines of his dragon. She’s following its serpentine form as it twists from between his shoulders all the way down to the small of his back. Soft, feather-light touches that almost tickle. Zuko’s had other lovers try to do this, but he’s never felt comfortable with it before. Besides Jet, he doesn’t really trust anyone behind him like this while he’s vulnerable. This usually feels like a good way to get stabbed.
With Katara it’s different. He doesn’t feel threatened around her. Not that Katara isn’t absolutely terrifying when she wants to be—she definitely could kill him in a heartbeat if she really wanted to—but it’s not in her nature. She cares about people in a way that Zuko hasn’t known in a very long time. Somehow, amongst all the dirt and the filth of this city, Katara is still kind. She’s a breath of fresh air and Zuko’s been choking on smog for so very long.
If someone told him months ago that the bossy little EMT that scolded him for getting into a knife fight was probably the best thing that ever happened to him, he would have laughed in their face. Now he’d probably agree like some love sick fool. And then shoot them, because he really can’t have people knowing that she’s his weakness.
He can’t afford to have his father find out about her.
“I have no idea what I would even get,” Katara eventually answers, pulling Zuko from his maudlin thoughts. Her fingers are tracing the smoke now. Curling ever upwards in the decorative spirals.
For a second Zuko almost says something ridiculous, like she should get something that matches his. A dragon perhaps, the mate to his own. He catches himself before he does though. It's far too soon to say those kinds of things to her, he still hasn’t come clean about so many things. Instead Zuko twists so he can gently catch her arm and pulls her to his front, so he can study her skin now. He holds his cigarette away from her, knowing how much hates them.
“Hmmm.” Zuko trails his fingers across Katara’s mostly exposed chest. He can think of so many things that would look beautiful painted across her skin. His fingers trace across all the possible tattoos that come to mind. First along her collarbone—birds taking flight. Then dipping down along her sternum—the phases of the moon. Finally across the swells of her breasts—a vibrant bouquet of all the flowers that mean something to her. Zuko stops above her heart and gently taps with two fingers.
“What about that flower you said your mom liked? Moon flowers, wasn’t it? Right here, so she’s always with you.”
Katara looks up at him with wide eyes for a moment before letting her gaze fall to the fire lily above his own heart. She lifts her hand to trace the fading tattoo and smiles. It's soft and a little watery, but to Zuko it’s beautiful—she’s beautiful. The most gorgeous person he’s ever known. He doesn’t know how to tell her that, he doesn’t know how to tell her a lot of things.
Perhaps right now, flowers are more fitting for Katara. They can work up to the dragons later.