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1.
When she kisses Jet, it is out of curiosity. And okay, so she has a bit of a crush on him. How could she not, with the way he held her and swept her literally off her feet and into the trees. Besides, who can blame her for being a bit curious? Of the boys she knows, one is her brother, one may as well be, and one spends his time chasing them around the world with fire. Jet, on the other hand, is not related to her, doesn’t treat her like his mother (definitely doesn’t treat her like his mother), and is not exactly unpleasant to look at. So she makes no protest when he pulls her into his treehouse.
From the moment his lips meet hers, she knows he is far more experienced at this than she is, but she finds that it is surprisingly easy to mould her lips to his, and when he slips her dress off her shoulders she slides her hands under his shirt, pushing it up over his muscled torso. He ducks his head to kiss along her neck, her collarbone, the swell of her breasts just above her wrappings, and she moans softly, her hands clenching around his shoulders as he pulls her closer. She hadn’t realised it would feel like this – but when he pushes her back onto the bed, she sits up and holds out a hand, shaking her head. She may be curious, but she’s not ready to do that with someone who is almost a complete stranger. Perhaps later, when she knows him better…
Of course, then he turns out to be a liar and a murderer, so that particular experience will have to wait.
*******
2.
When he kisses Jin, it is out of reflex. Her lips are already on his, he responds without thinking. Unfortunately, when he does think, it is not about the girl in front of him – the cheerful Earth Kingdom girl for whom he lit the firelight fountain – but about her. And thinking about her is difficult because it usually leads to thinking about the Avatar. Which leads to things catching on fire, something he can’t afford to have happen in Ba Sing Se. Plus it gives him a headache.
Still, he can’t help dwelling on her calling out to him when Uncle was hurt; Zuko, I can help! And he sent her away. Of course I sent her away, she’s with the Avatar, he thinks, but it does little to stop her face from appearing in his thoughts on a far more regular basis than he would like. It’s complicated, he tells Jin, stepping back. She looks sad and he wants to explain, but what could he say? You see, I’m actually trying to capture the Avatar, and there’s this girl with him, and I tied her to a tree and she hates me but I keep imagining what it would be like to kiss her, for some reason. It even sounds stupid in his head.
So he apologises quietly and walks back, wishing he could have given Jin a different answer. It would sure have made his life easier. Then again, he thinks, since when has my life ever been easy?
*******
3.
When he kisses Mai, it is out of duty, and habit, and a need to belong. Being with Mai is as necessary as wearing formal robes, bowing before his father, taking the palanquin. He would rather walk, would rather stand up to Ozai, would rather wear his dao blades and Blue Spirit mask. Would rather kiss – no. He is the crown prince, and he will do what is necessary to uphold his honour and his image. Kissing – even wanting to kiss – the Avatar’s waterbender would be dishonourable at best. Treasonous at worst.
He is no traitor.
He puts his arm around Mai and tries to kiss a smile onto her face. When that doesn’t work, he orders more fruit tarts and tries, again, not to think about the girl with the carved necklace and deadly whips of water who once offered to heal his scar.
*******
4.
When he almost kisses her, it is out of something like gratitude. He remembers the flick of Azula’s eyes, remembers throwing himself between her and Katara before he had even registered the fact that he was moving, and then he just remembers pain…but now he feels her cool hands on his chest – it takes a second for that to register, but then it does and Katara’s hands are on his chest – and the pain eases to something closer to tolerable.
He opens his eyes to see hers, wide and anxious, her entire face a mask of worry that floods with visible relief when he whispers thank you Katara. And for a moment he wonders if it’s even possible. Could she…he took Azula’s lightning because he couldn’t bear the thought of it hitting Katara, but could she have been that worried when he had gone down?
I should be thanking you she says as she helps lift him up, and then her face is right there and he could swear her eyes flick for just an instant to his lips, and the lightning must be affecting his brain because he leans in – and then Azula screams, a chilling, almost inhuman sound, and he and Katara both jump and turn to stare at her, and the moment has passed. Zuko shakes his head, trying to clear his thoughts. They still have to deal with Azula, then they need to find the others, to find out what happened with his fath – with Ozai. Now is not the time to be wondering whether or not Katara wanted to kiss him. He probably just imagined it anyway.
*******
5.
When she kisses Aang, it is out of love – but not the kind of love he thinks he wants. Still, he has faced more in the past few days than any twelve-year-old should have to, and he has been trying to catch her eye all day. She knows a hug and some kind words are not what he is seeking. There will be a time for this conversation, a conversation she knows they need to have, but not now. So instead she kisses him, to give him at least this one moment to hold on to and remember.
It is a chaste kiss, a sweet kiss, but she regrets it almost immediately because though she is kissing Aang, she finds herself thinking of the Agni Kai, of Zuko leaning in, of thinking he was going to kiss her – of wanting him to kiss her – before Azula’s scream broke the moment. She pushes the memory out of her mind, but the guilt remains. She will have to tell Aang, but she can’t bring herself to wipe the smile off his young face. Not now.
*******
and 1.
When they kiss, it is out of desire. She finds him at dusk, when the moon is just beginning to rise into the sunset sky. He is out in the courtyard they have all been using for sparring and bending practice on occasion. Or, in Zuko’s case, every day. He is throwing fireballs into the fountain, and he is also not wearing a shirt. Katara can’t help staring for a moment before calling his name. Zuko.
He turns, startled, but then smiles when he sees her. She’s wearing her Fire Nation clothes today and she sees him glance over her body before seeming to realise what he is doing and looking back at her face, blushing slightly. He opens his mouth to say something, but Katara is tired of waiting, tired of this strange dance they seem to be doing around each other. So she crosses the few steps between them and kisses him.
For a split second he is frozen, but then his mouth opens against hers as she tangles her hands in his hair and his hands find her waist, her hips. She trails her fingers down his back, feeling the tight, corded muscles of his shoulders, his back, his chest. His hands brush the exposed skin at her waist, and then he hesitates. But she’s had enough of hesitation, so she leans back and pulls the top over her head, letting it fall to the grass. Zuko’s eyes widen in surprise, but then he pulls her to him and this time he kisses her, and his fingers fumble with her wrappings but then they too fall away. He moves a hand up to cup her breast and she arches into his touch, her hands on his hips, toying with the waistband of his trousers.
She sinks down, pulling him with her so they are both kneeling, her legs on either side of his. And when he lays her back gently onto the grass, she doesn’t tell him to stop.