My arm still wrapped around her neck as I squeezed tightly. My body released my seed deep inside her.
Softening up my grip I heard Katara's panting body as mine did the same.
"Just admit you stole it... and I could stop tomorrow," I whispered in he...
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Katara sat in a more homey wing of the sprawling palace she had stormed into earlier. Sekku approached quietly, carrying a cup of steaming tea, hoping to offer some small comfort in her sorrow.
Her fingers trembled around the borosilicate glass, causing the tea to ripple dangerously close to spilling over the rim.
"It's okay," Sekku said softly, sliding his larger hands over hers, steadying the cup. His white smile shone warmly against his chestnut-colored skin, a quiet reassurance. He wore a traditional blue sleeveless shirt, his warrior tattoo etched across his shoulder blade, a mark of strength and honor. His light brown hair fell long and loose, unbraided until the tips.
Katara's voice broke as she confessed, "I was prepared to hear news of Gran-Gran's passing, given her age... but I never imagined... Dad... I'm such a horrible daughter."
Her ocean-blue eyes brimmed with tears, unable to meet Sekku's gaze, yet finding a small thread of comfort in his steady presence.
"No, don't say that. You have no idea how happy I am to see you again," Sekku said softly, his eyes twinkling with warmth. Yet Katara didn't mirror his excitement; her grief weighed too heavily.
"We first met at the North Pole," Sekku continued, his voice quiet. "It was brief, during the battle. I... I was also the one who led the search for you years ago. Katara, I just want to say—I am so sorry we failed."
Katara's eyes narrowed as she studied his face. Memories flickered at the edges of her mind, hazy and incomplete, unable to fully take shape.
"It's not your fault," she admitted, voice trembling. "I should have been smarter... wiser... more untrusting."
"Katara... how could you have known life would turn out this way? Truly, you are not to blame," Sekku reassured her.
A single teardrop escaped Katara's eye, tracing a path down her cheek. How could I have known? she whispered internally, the weight of loss pressing down on her.
"It's not an excuse I'm trying to make... My father is dead. My brother has a child. I've missed you so much... and I—I was just... stupid."
Pulling her hands from Sekku's gentle grasp, her eyes brimmed again, threatening to spill over. She struggled to steady her voice.
"H-How did he die?" she choked out, bracing herself.
"The former Chief... Hakoda?" Sekku asked gently.
He exhaled deeply, unsure how to continue, the heaviness in his chest making words feel inadequate. His heart ached for her, knowing she was only hours away from confronting the finality of her father's death.
*THUMP*
"Katara!" Sokka's voice wailed as he burst through a door from the connecting hallway, leading to the rest of the palace.
