- 𝑭𝑰𝑵𝑨𝑳𝑳𝒀 𝑻𝑶𝑮𝑬𝑻𝑯𝑬𝑹 ⊰

chapter 21

Katara and Nali remained in the healing huts past sunset. They would have stayed all night had the girls not needed to leave for dinner and Jee not come to fetch the two of them.

"You were very good in there," Jee told her as they walked back toward the palace, "with the children. They are drawn to you, it would seem. But we knew that, didn't we?"

"She's exhausted," she said, cradling the sleeping Nali closer to her chest.

Jee smiled. "I'm sure she hasn't had that much stimulation for a while now. It will be a quiet trip back without her."

Katara tried to keep her silence inconspicuous.

"Soon she'll be too big to carry like that. They grow like weeds."

A sad smile grazed her lips. "Then I'll cherish the time while I have it."

"Surely you'll have children of your own soon, if my memory of Water Tribe culture serves me right."

Katara bit her cheek, finding Jee's statement somewhat intrusive. He knew of her customs, but he also knew, if only vaguely, of her relations with Zuko. Was he trying to get her to reveal something? Or was he just being conversational?

"I guess," she responded slowly.

Jee must have picked up on her discomfort for their walk was completed in silence.

Instead of going to her room, however, when they arrived back at the palace, she carried Nali into Zuko's room. He was sitting at the desk in the corner of the room, deeply immersed in paperwork.

She crossed the room and laid Nali out on the bed, settling next to her.

"I was going to come check on you soon," he said a bit distractedly.

"It's all right; we just got back in," she said, stretching out.

"Hmm."

She looked over at him as he continued to study intensely whatever manuscript lay in front of him. Spirits, he was handsome.

"Come here," she commanded quietly.

He looked up from his work and acquiesced. He sat on the edge of the bed and leaned over her, one hand reaching to caress her cheek while the other rested on her waist. She pulled his head down so their lips met in a kiss that spoke of longing and hunger.

"I missed you," she murmured without pulling away.

"I missed you," he said. He deepened the kiss for a moment, their hot breaths lingering, before he pulled back slightly. "You should take her to Yun," he said, referring to Nali.

She shook her head. "We need a chaperone."

He sighed. "Then you shouldn't try to seduce me."

She smirked. "Seduce you? Hmm...I kind of like the sound of that."

"So do I," he growled, "when we're alone and I can have my way with you."

"Now, if I'm the one doing the seducing, I think I would have my way with you, not the other way around."

"Oh, is that how it goes?"