AU!
It had been almost three months since she was taken from her tribe, her home, by the ship of horrid firebenders and their leader, Admiral Zhao. When that monster of a man threw her into the brig of his gigantic ship, she expected to be imprisoned and tortured and perhaps even violated in the most nightmarish ways by the admiral.
But here she was, sitting on a comfy bed with cozy bed sheets draped over her bare body, sipping warm tea. Sitting next to her, with his head buried against her neck and his lips trailing butterfly kisses over her dusky skin, was the banished prince of the Fire Nation, Zuko.
After she was captured by Zhao, she was 'rescued', if you could call it that. Zhao brought aboard the banished prince, Zuko, and his uncle, General Iroh, to show off Katara like a caged, exotic animal. Afterwards, the ex-prince challenged him to an agni kai. The prize: Katara.
Zuko won.
While Zhao wanted the girl merely as an imprisoned trophy to abuse, Zuko's intentions were far different. The ex-prince wanted the girl for himself for reasons far more tender.
He didn't force her. He respected her, cared for her, and made his affections towards her clear in gentle, kind ways. As odd as it all was, the waterbender found herself returning his affections.
He kissed her, she kissed him. He held her, she held him. He spoke and bonded with her, she spoke and bonded with him. He loved her, she loved him.
"If you ever want to leave, I won't stop you. I don't want you to feel like a prisoner." he said to her one day aboard the ship's deck as he held her in his arms, her back pressed against his chest and her eyes on the ocean. She turned to face him and whispered, "I don't. And I don't want to leave you." And then she kissed him.
The relationship turning physical was imminent. She was a virgin and he knew this, which was why he didn't want to force her to do anything. She was the one to initiate it and he was happy to go along. It hurt, but it was overwhelmed by the love and gentleness and pleasure.
And so, here they were, cuddled together in his bed, some time after enjoying each other passionately, now enjoying calming tea.
"We're almost to the Southern Water Tribe, Kat." he speaks into her hair. She smiles. She looks forward to seeing her family once more, with her love beside her. "Will you come with me?" she asks him. He smiles and kisses her. "How can I say 'no'?" she giggles at him.
She leans in to kiss him sweetly, tea still on her tongue. He puts his hands on her body lovingly and they caress her flesh. She puts her hand on his cheek. "Maybe Gran-Gran will let you have some of her famous tea." she whispered against his lips. "Only if she doesn't try to kill me." he says. Katara laughs.
If she were to decide which was sweeter, all the tea in the world or the of the man she loved so dearly, she would most definitely choose the latter.
