Our Eclipse (Zutara)

Chapter 25

(This chapter has mature themes)

"People of the Fire Nation, Rise." The Fire Sages say, and the large crowd at the foot of the stairs rise to their feet. "Your new ruler, long may he watch over our country and our people, Fire Lord Zuko!" Cheers are shouted as the golden flame is placed in his top knot, and Zuko rises to greet his people.

His hand extends to his side, and he grabs mine in his, raising it up to show our connection to the people, "Princess Katara and I, under unspeakably sad conditions for our country, will step forward, as the new era of rulers for our country, and we will change this nation for the better!" He shouts, holding my hand tighter in his firm grasp.

After the ceremonious event, we managed to sneak away from the crowding people and into his new room where Uncle Iroh's things had already been moved out into storage. We lay splayed out across the bed, our legs dangling off opposite edges, and our heads touching lightly in the center of the large bed. "The canopy above us was hand stitched by a friend of uncles during his old war days. I made a special request to keep it in here." He whispered and he reached down my arm and held my hand gently. "It's gorgeous," I whisper back, squeezing his hand tightly.

"Hey Zuko?" I ask into the dark looking to the side to see his scared eye looking up. "Yes?" He says looking back to me, pieces of his hair coming loose and falling down his forehead. "I can't breath in this dress and I don't know how to take it off." We both laugh as I struggle to sit up on the soft bed. "Just stand and let me help you." He laughs, one of his rare smiles shining through the dim light.

Inch by inch the fabric around my slim torso becomes loose as his nimble fingers work the dark red satin strings. I hold my hands at my chest, forearms pressed against my breasts keeping the corset above them as the fabric finally comes off. I can feel his warm fingers still lightly grazing my bare back. Slowly I release my arms from the corset and let the fabric fall down my body to my ankles, the breeze washing around my now bare body.

"Katara..." Zuko's voice softly speaks to my back. I feel him stand behind me, his body mere inches from my back. His milky white fingers trace down my side leaving a trail of fire beneath my skin. My whole body quivers as he grips lightly onto my arms, bringing me into his body and begins kissing the warm skin on my shoulder. "You're so beautiful." He whispers in my ear, making a trail of fiery kisses down my neck.

I turn to him and stare into his golden eyes, the space between out bodies suddenly feeling like too much.

Then as if he can read my thoughts, he presses our bodies together, kissing me with such a passion my knees began to feel weak beneath me. His breath was hot and ragged against my lips, his chest heaving onto mine, making the rough fabric of his tunic rub harshly against my bare, tender breasts making me gasp hard against his lips. He drops his hands down to my hips and grips me hard, pressing me against him tighter.

Slowly he lays me down on the plush bed, careful with me as he hovers over my body. Piece by piece, his elaborate clothing comes off as well and is tossed aside to be forgotten. Slowly and tenderly he takes me, making love to me into the early hours of the morning before we both collapse in a lovers tangle of sweat and bare bodies pressed against the covers.

As we both lay there, breathless, blushing, full of ecstasy from our first night together, I stared at the red silk canopy that depicted two stitched in dragons locked together in a sort of dance. And as I felt Zuko's soft breathing against my chest, as my fingers played with his soft ebony locks, and as I felt the silk bedding against our bodies, I realized that I'm exactly where I've always needed to be.