"Chiyo!" Katara called out to Chiyo, excitedly beckoning her to come to their table, a liquor jar in her hand. "Chiyo! Over heeeere!" She was almost jumping in place, her braid and hair loopies swaying with her every jostling movement.
The latter excused herself from the guests giving their greetings and half-ran towards her friend that she hadn't seen in years. "Put that down, Katara! You're gonna spill it all over yourself!" As soon as she had safely pried the jar out of Katara's hands, she clasped her in a tight hug.
"Oh please, she can easily bend it out of her clothes!" Toph looked very much at home in her new uniform, a full body suit made of metal, but one that she can easily bend as a weapon if need be. Her feet were propped up on a protruding slab of rock, as was her habit. She had been assigned as Republic City's chief of police despite her young age, but she was second to none when it came to earthbending and combat.
Chiyo guided Katara to sit back down before trying to hug Toph, much to the latter's adamant refusal. "I swear to the spirits, I will cuff you to your chair!"
"I know you like hugs, Toph!" She teased knowing it would irritate her more.
"Especially from her boyfriend, Kanto!" Katara had joined in, bending the liquor out of the jar and into her empty cup with simple wag of her finger.
"Oh?! Our Toph finally has a boyfriend?!"
"He's not my boyfriend!"
"Yet!"
Their laughter didn't disturb the neighboring tables as they, too, were busy celebrating the establishment of the Republic. Everyone was busy with their wines and loud conversations, almost to the verge of shouting over the other.
A while later, Suki came over from her post, holding two large bottles of sparkling amber liquid. "I got the good stuff, ladies!"
"Suki!" Chiyo received the bottles and embraced Suki tightly.
Still in her Kyoshi Warrior uniform, she settled down next to Toph who passed her an empty glass. "Last one to come gets to drink a full glass!"
"I'll have to pass on that offer--" Suki protested but Katara had already started filling up her glass.
"That's supposed to be Katara's line, but look at her!"
Their cheeks were flushed with laughter and inebriation as the night went on. Chiyo was very eager to hear more of their stories that weren't told in the few letters they had exchanged over the years. She listened intently to Toph's rants about her ever-growing, lily-livered students, Katara's continuous research on healing and bloodbending, and Suki's training with the Kyoshi Warriors.
"Suki, how's Ty Lee, by the way?" Chiyo set down her third drink after a few sips. "She isn't causing any trouble, is she?"
"On the contrary! We're learning a lot about chi-blocking from her."
"There's less disturbances now that I'm chief of police!" Toph raised her chin and thumped her chest with a fist. "Those buffoons should think twice before even coming here!"
Suki agreed. "Still. It may come in handy when the need arises. I mean, with Azula still on the loose along the border, who knows—"
The table had gone quiet and they were looking towards Chiyo cautiously. Zuko had already warned them not to mention Azula for the time-being. But despite the slip-up, the entertainer was busy refilling her drink, unfazed. "I hope I can visit Ty Lee soon."
"I-I'll tell her to come over to the Fire Nation Capital!" Suki frantically searched her head for a new topic of conversation. "Oh! Oh! By the way, who's the cute, new guy with you earlier? The one with the flute!"
"Right?!" Katara, though tipsy, was still quick in the uptake of the new topic. "He looks so... so... handsome! He's tall and gorgeous, and his long hair looks so smooth like silk—"
"I'm telling Aang!"
"Toph, no!"
Chiyo nearly spilled her drink laughing from imagining Aang upset over Katara liking long-haired guys. To spare them from their curiosity, she answered. "He's just a fellow performer from the Earth Kingdom."
"Name?"
"Kaze."
"Age?"
"I didn't ask."
"Does he have a girlfriend?"
"Katara!"
She raised her hands in defense. "I was just asking! He was acting all lovey-dovey with you while you two were performing. I'm sure some weird, gossipy news will reach the South Pole by tomorrow morning!"
"You guys should've felt Zuko's irritated foot tapping since they came in!" Toph snickered and opened a new bottle. "Seriously, Chiyo, you're driving him nuts! Until now!"
Chiyo turned her attention towards the head table where the nation leaders were seated, instantly regretting it when she found her gaze locked with Zuko's, eyes narrowed still while he was nursing his drink. She remembered their almost-fight earlier when he told her to retire early after her performance.
And then the irritation came back. She rolled her eyes at him and stuck out her tongue before taking her attention back to her table and urging the girls for another round of drinks.
Two hours later, Chiyo and Suki were dragging a sleeping Katara while Toph walked behind them, not even a hint of tipsiness in her steps.
"Makes me wish I'm an airbender or something..." Suki mused as they walked through the halls of their temporary residence.
Chiyo agreed with her sentiment. "Me, too..."
"Sweetie?!" Aang's head peeked out from behind a door, then he hurried over to take Katara from the girls, lifting her up in his arms with ease. "Looks like you girls had a lot of fun out there!"
"You should've seen Katara ogling—"
Chiyo slammed a hand against Toph's mouth before chuckling awkwardly. "Hahahaha yes! We did! We'll leave Katara to you, Aang. Good night!" After that, she pulled on both Toph and Suki's arms to leave.
"Oh right, Chiyo! Zuko's been waiting for you back in your room!" Aang called out. "Thanks again for taking care of my Sweetie!"
Suki heard Chiyo's mumbled string of curses, giggling before she took pity on the quickly sobering girl. "We'll escort you to your room. Don't worry."
And so, they did escort her. Suki knocked on the door three times then ran away with Toph as fast as their legs could carry them. "See you tomorrow, Chiyo!" Their echoing laughter almost seemed mocking to her.
As soon as they were gone, a silent, brooding Zuko opened the door for her and stepped aside. Gathering the courage she collected from several glasses of liquor, she entered their room. She heard the distinct click of the lock after he closed the door behind her.
But even that was drowned out by the loud thumping of her heart against her chest.
Zuko didn't utter a single word as he took her hand gently and led her to the bed, pushing down on her shoulders so that she would sit. He sat next to her and carefully turned her body so that she was facing away from him. Slowly and cautiously, he started pulling the ruby pins off her hair, his brows knitted in concentration.
"Zuko?"
He didn't answer again, focusing on removing the endless accessories that she had worn. When that was done and her hair was loose, he slid off the bed to kneel on the floor.
"Zuko, what are you doing?!"
He lifted one of her feet and started taking off her silk shoes. Once she was relieved of her shoes, he began massaging her feet, warming them up with his large hands.
Chiyo was muddled in a state of confusion, inebriation, and the beginnings of excitement, her blush evident even in the darkness of their barely lit room. Her subconscious, however, was busy with questions.
"Is Zuko angry? What is he doing? Is this what they call the 'silent treatment'? Oh my, that feels so good..."
"Are you angry with me?" Zuko's question brought her out of her thoughts and she stared silently back at him.
"What?"
"Because of what I said earlier... Were you disappointed with me?"
"I... Well..."
He looked up at her, taking one of her hands and placing it against his cheek. "I'm sorry."
The warmth of his gaze melted her heart. But there was something more in his eyes, something more than just being apologetic for his words and actions. It made her stomach twist and knot uncomfortably.
Slowly, he moved her fingers and pressed them over his scar. "This is ugly, isn't it?"
"What?! NO!" Fuming, she took hold of his arms and pulled him back up on the bed. "No! Why are you saying that?! Who told you that?! I'll rip off their mouths and—"
His heavy sigh held so much more than words could ever say. He fell back on the bed with a soft thump, lifting an arm to cover his eyes from her searching gaze. "I'm sorry. Forget I said that..."
Chiyo frowned, refusing to dismiss it. She leaned over him and tugged on his arm, only to find his features twisted into this pained expression, his eyes closed tight, the corners wet with barely shed tears. At that moment, she had completely forgotten her anger. All that was left was this searing pain in her heart, seeing him this vulnerable and disheartened, compared to his usual confident and domineering self.
"Please look away..." She seldom heard his voice break like that. Has Zuko always had this insecurity? Whenever he looked in a mirror, can he not look past his scar and see what she can see?
She bent down and placed a gentle kiss on the corner of his left eye, over the infamous scar that a long-forgotten monster had inflicted upon his own son. "My dashing prince..." She crooned sweetly, kissing away his tears as he did for her more than once. "My handsome, endearing, sweet Fire Lord..."
"Biased..." His laugh was lifeless, his smile was empty, yet he welcomed her in his arms, his hand finding their way through her hair as she kept kissing and murmuring sweet words to him. "Everyone kept talking about you... and that person you played music with... over and over. I was so furious..."
"Don't mind him." Her tone was coloured with frustration at the mention of Kaze. She had anticipated his anger and jealousy, even as far as looking forward to it, but not like this. She didn't expect it to affect him to this extent, and she felt heavily guilty for it, for hurting him with his insecurity.
"For hours, I keep hearing them all talk about how handsome that guy is... how flawless, gorgeous, and talented... how you and him make the perfect couple—"
Chiyo cut him off by roughly grabbing either side of his face and taking his lips with hers. She coaxed him into responding by gently biting on his lower lip, then bravely straddling his hips.
"Thank the spirits for the liquid courage."
"Chiyo..." He breathed against her lips, letting air back into his lungs.
"Yeah?"
"Are you attracted to that person?"
For the tenth time for that night alone, she rolled her eyes at his question. "Not even a little bit."
"Really?"
"I think he preens too much like a peacock and I would like to fry him alive and toss him to the rhinos."
A bout of silence filled the void of conversation while they stayed like that for a long time. "If I didn't have my scar, do you think I could be as handsome as he is?"
He didn't expect her then to suddenly bump her forehead against his as if to knock some much-needed sense back into him. Zuko blinked up at her. "Idiot..." She murmured. "My idiot."
And after what seemed like forever, he finally smiled genuinely, seeing her solid, unwavering gaze that proved the sincerity of her words. "Yours."
Chiyo brushed away what was left of his tears, tenderly running the tips of her fingers over the dark skin of his scar. "This isn't ugly at all. This is a symbol of what you went through to get to where you are now. This is a symbol of your growth from that spoiled prince that I had a huge crush on, to this responsible, loving, extremely fine man under me..."
"Now you're just pulling my leg, love."
"I'd rather pull on something else—"
Zuko flipped them over swiftly and trapped her between his arms. "What did you say?" He was smirking now, slowly returning to his old self as if it were never gone. "Could you repeat that?"
"I said nothing! You must be drunk and hearing things! How many drinks have you had?"
"Three." He answered honestly. "Jars."
Her jaw slacked open. "How are you still this sober?!"
"I'm not. I am so drunk right now that all I can think of is how to make you forget that fucking peacock bastard and scream my name so hard tonight that you won't be able to talk or walk until next week."
Her face flushed all the way to the tips of her ears. Her body was being way too honest no matter how much she tried to deny him with her words alone. His night robe was already slightly loose, and all she had to do was tug at the ties for it to open and give her a magnificent view of his sculpted chest and more.
His chuckle vibrated richly through her as he leaned in to capture her with a scorching kiss. The after-taste of alcohol still lingered on their tongues, still they twined deliciously, spurring their desires even more.
He made quick work of their clothes, cursing as he tried to maneuver Chiyo out of her heavy garb, eventually giving up and tearing most of the fabric away. He muttered his half-sincere apologies as he generously showered her bare skin between gentle, light kisses and aggressive nips and bites.
A finger was pushed steadily into her, followed by another, making the familiar dull ache between her legs more pronounced. Zuko groaned against her chest as he felt her clamping down around his digits, coating them with her essence. "You're so ready for me, love..."
Her brain was slowly turning into mush, not knowing whether the mounting pleasure was from his mouth whispering such lewd words against her breast, his hand exploring her waist and side, or his fingers thrusting vigorously and drawing out her climax.
She could feel the anticipated feeling near and she was prepared to be thrown off the edge until he ceased his ministrations. Her eyes shot wide open only to see him with a wide mischievous grin, like a wolf playing with his prey.
Fueled by need and frustration, Chiyo pushed on his shoulder and flipped them over so that she was on top once again. She confidently gazed down at him with a serious expression as she straddled his hips. "You're mean..."
His smirk only grew as he let her take the lead. "Forgive me for being the insecure, selfish, jealous, and petty boyfriend."
She reached back and took his already hard member into her hand, pumping it with slow, agonizing strokes. "Not to mention sexy and completely capable of driving me insane..."
Zuko gripped her hips hard enough that surely it would leave a mark, then lifted her up. "I want to be deep inside you, love..."
She guided his pulsing, hot manhood towards her. Slowly with his support, she lowered herself onto it, letting him sink deep into her until he was buried up to the hilt. Her head was thrown back, almost in relief, feeling complete and whole just by being held and cared for like this.
Despite the cool night, their bodies were soaked with sweat as they moved together, first leisurely and unhurried, savoring each other's pace; then suddenly frenzied and desperate, cling to the other with unmasked devotion and obsession.
Seeing her move unabashed on top of him, hips frantically grinding against his, moaning out his name like a prayer, brought out a sense of animalistic desire and pride inside him. With incoherent, guttural curses, he lifted her off him and pushed her back down on the mess of sheets and pillows.
Chiyo's whimpers were not of pain, but of impatience, and of course, he complied. Lifting her legs and setting them on top of his broad shoulders, he thrusted back into her with reckless abandon. Zuko leaned down, amazed at how flexible the body he was ravaging, and kissed her saint-seducing, parted lips.
Her nails raked across his scalp and neck as she felt the pleasure peaking once more. Her breath, between moans and gibberish slurs, came off in short bursts. She could feel he was close as well, from the way she felt his cock throbbing against her inner walls, from the way his hips kept thrusting relentlessly at a frantic pace.
"R-right there... I'm c-close... Zuko...Haa...—!" He swallowed her screams of climax while riding out his own high with a few more pumps, grasping her thighs for support.
"Fuck..." He grinned triumphantly, watching her as she fought to right herself with half-lidded eyes, a satisfied expression on her beautiful features.
She nodded in agreement and let her eyes slide close in bliss. Almost about to drift off until she felt his warm lips around her ear lobe, nipping and gently tugging on the sensitive, reddened flesh.
"Do you really think we're done, Chiyo?"
Chiyo: Umm, Author-mom?
Author-nim: Yes, honey?
Chiyo: Do you know were I could find some rope, an ax, and some lighter fluid?
Author-nim: In the storage room, right next to my hopes and dreams. Why?
Chiyo: I have to kill a few sons of bitches for upsetting Zuko.
Author-nim: ... *sweating profusely*
-TheGreatestConWoman-