Steam: An Avatar Story

Chapter 20

Katara woke with a smile on her face. Beck's arm was curled around her waist, his face buried in her hair. She remembered last night, and sighed contentedly.

"You're awake?" Beck whispered, his cool breath trailing across her neck. Katara turned to face him and smiled again, nodding. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, and Katara snuggled closer, burying her face in his chest. He smelled crisp and clean, like the snow. She liked that scent a lot, it made her feel safe.

"Last night was.." Katara trailed off, blushing. Beck chuckled.

"I know," he replied, pressing another kiss to her forehead. With that, he rose, lifting his arms over his head. His muscled body stretched, and Katara's breath hitched slightly. He glanced down at her and cocked an eyebrow. "Katara, if you keep staring at me like that, we'll never leave this room," he growled. Katara giggled.

"That's okay," she replied, a coy smile painting her lips.

"I would love that as well," he bent down and pressed a kiss to her lips, "but we have responsibilities." Katara huffed, crossing her arms.

"I know, I know." She muttered, rising as well. The two of them dressed, walking out of her room once they were decent.

"Beck, you stayed over?" Sokka asked, watching them come into the kitchen. Beck glanced at Katara and nodded.

"Yeah. I crashed in the guest bedroom," he replied, turning his gaze back to Sokka. Katara shot him a furtive look, but said nothing. Katara marked that Suki's eyebrows were raised, but she didn't say anything either. The two benders sat next to each other, knees touching.

A few minutes later, Zuko appeared and took a seat as far away from Katara as he could get. Katara steadfastly refused to look at him, concentrating a little too hard on her meal. The tension between the two of them was thick and oppressive.

"Okay, did you and Katara get into a fight?" Sokka burst out a few minutes later. "The tension between you two could be cut with a knife,"

"Something like that," Katara muttered before Zuko could say anything. He glared at her, but she refused to meet his eyes. Zuko clenched his teeth and returned to his own meal.

The rest of breakfast carried on in silence, Sokka's eyes darting between Katara and Zuko. Suki was watching them as well, albeit not as openly. She knew that something went on between Beck and Katara, she heard the moaning from Katara's bedroom, and saw Zuko going to the bathroom from his room, as she had gone to the second one that was closer to her bedroom around the same time.

Once the meal finished, Suki cornered Katara, a teasing smile upon her face. Beck excused himself, needing to report somewhere for something. Suki didn't really care.

"What Suki?" Katara said, sighing as she opened the door to her room.

"I know you slept with Beck last night," Suki said, grinning. Katara's cheeks turned bright red. Suki cackled. "I can't believe it!"

"Keep it down will you?" Katara asked, embarrassed.

"I'm sorry I just think this is great, you're finally doing something about your feelings," Suki grinned, grabbing Katara's comb. They fell into a familiar routine that they hadn't done for a while, Katara sitting on a chair while Suki combed her hair out.

"You know you don't have to wait on me anymore Suki, you're a friend, and I'm not a Fire Nation princess anymore."

"It's fine Katara. And you still are a Fire Nation princess, being the Avatar doesn't change that."

"Maybe I don't want to be a princess, or the Avatar, maybe I just want to be me." Katara muttered, blowing out a breath.

"Unfortunately Katara, you don't get to choose that. It's who you are, and it's what you were born into."