Chapter Text
“Well… this is awkward,” Zuko stammered, staring at the bed placed in the middle of the room. “I swear I told the hostess there were two of us.”
“Did you specifically ask for two beds?” Katara commented, turning towards Zuko and raising her brow at him in mock annoyance.
“....No,” he admitted quietly, cheeks flushing red as he averted his eyes away from Katara.
“Well, I think that’s pretty crucial information, isn’t it?” Katara teased, elbowing Zuko in the ribs before briskly walking into the room and dropping her bag on the floor by the bed.
All Zuko could do was sigh and close the door behind them as he followed Katara into the small room. While his stomach was in knots - twisting and turning with anxiety - Katara seemed carefree. She bustled around the room, opening the drawers of the bureau to check for cleanliness then opening the bathroom door to swiftly examine every available surface. Zuko didn’t know what to do, so he sat on the bed, watching as Katara moved about the room and hummed under her breath.
“Ease up, Zuko,” she commented, giving him a bright smile. “Honestly, we can share the bed for the night. We only have to travel tomorrow before we reach Ba Sing Se, so let’s just take advantage of our time together, okay?”
“Yeah,” Zuko agreed, nodding slowly. “But it’s late now, so I mean, what is there to enjoy?”
Katara shrugged as she opened her bag, sifting through her many clothes before she pulled out a red nightgown made of silk and lace. Zuko couldn’t help but to stare at the garment in her hand, his mouth watering as she began to imagine Katara wearing it, the material clinging to her soft curves.
“We’ll figure something out,” she replied, making her way towards the bathroom. He watched as she swayed her hips, her hair flowing behind her. He wondered if maybe, just maybe, Katara had a plan in mind.
As soon as the bathroom door closed, Zuko jumped up off the bed and began stripping out of his clothes, his outer robe and shirt pooling to the ground. When he was finally left in just his pants, he stuffed the rest of his clothes in his bag, heart pounding in his chest. Before he could do anything else, the bathroom door reopened and Katara came sashaying back into the room.
Just as he predicted, the silk nightgown clung to her skin, accentuating her curves and her tanned skin; it stopped mid-thigh, allowing Zuko to take in her toned legs. Her hair hung in waves down her back, framing her face. Zuko cleared his throat, pointedly looking away so that Katara couldn’t see the want growing in his eyes.
Or how his blood rushed south.
“Uh, I’m tired from traveling,” Zuko stated quickly, pulling back the covers and sliding into the bed, being sure to leave enough room so that he wouldn’t be touching Katara.
Katara hummed in reply, putting her clothes away before sliding into bed beside Zuko. Despite his best efforts to stay away, Katara kept moving closer until their bodies were pressed together. She shifted beside him, curling up against him so that she could slide an arm over his stomach, her skin burning hot against his. He took a sharp intake of breath, his body tensing before relaxing into her touch.
He hoped she couldn’t feel his heart racing, or how his body reacted to hers. Still, though, she didn’t seem to mind as she pressed herself closer, slotting her leg over his hip and nuzzling her face against his shoulder.
It felt natural, real.
So he wrapped an arm around her waist, fingers stroking the cool silk of her dress, just over her hip bone. She sighed contentedly, her breath tickling his skin.
“You can relax, you know,” she said quietly, flexing her fingers against his ribs so that he stifled a small laugh.
“Sorry,” he replied, feeling himself flush again in embarrassment. “I guess I just - I wasn’t really expecting all this, that’s all.”
He felt her shrug against him, but she didn’t reply. Instead, they fell into a mutual, comfortable silence. Zuko began to feel his eyes growing heavy with sleep, letting them fall closed as he tuned into Katara’s even breathing.