Two updates in a short amount of time. My, my this is truly fantastic. Anyway this chapter has gone through a lot of changes and likely will continue to go through many more changes. Well maybe not. This is my LONGEST chapter to date and a lot of stuff goes on. This chapter will likely be the last time we ever see any little forwards of the happenings in the Fire Nation. But do be advised that from now on there will be a lot of shifts from past and present (as seen in chapter 5). Thanks to yertletheturtle for the continued betaing! And Limnhere for reading =)

P.S. : Anyone's who's asked to read the chapters in advance will be getting them before I publish. TY!

I don't want to be your friend,
I just wanna be your lover.

- Radiohead

Chapter 6

Intentions

Fire Nation

Capitol City, Sundown

Neji had never been to the House of Cards before. He had been to the odd brothel in some backwards part of the Fire Nation, and had admittedly skirted around Kim-Jun’s Palace of Paradise in Ba Sing Se, but it was of historic note that he was invited to the House by the owner herself.

Cixi Dizon was supposedly the daughter of a wealthy merchant. She had used the money inherited from her father to buy the House of Cards from the previous owner, and changed the once quite dilapidated brothel into a respectable establishment…or respectable enough for the wealthy to be seen in.

“Beautiful, isn’t it Neji?” Dr. Osaka asked. Dr. Osaka was Neji’s friend and also his guide in the Capitol city. Though he had lived in the Fire Nation all his life, Neji had never been to the Capitol before and was excited to finally get a taste of his country’s culture. Even if it was the “seedy” underbelly of it. “There’s been a lot of renovations. Only a month ago if people heard you were at the House of Cards, you would’ve been deemed dishonourable. Now men bring their wives.” The doctor added, pointing at dozens of couples seated at dimly lit tables.

“It is very nice.” Neji replied, looking around cautiously. “Where is Mistress Cixi? I thought we were going to meet her here.”

“Patience. The Mistress is never one to break a promise.”

No longer than two minutes after the doctor had uttered these words, did a lean silhouette of a woman appear behind the curtain both gentlemen were standing in front of. A slender finger parted the cloth and the face of a beautiful woman appeared. Neji was speechless. Cixi had pale skin, and piercing green eyes he had never seen before on a woman. Her hair was long, and worn in curls that draped her shoulders perfectly.

“Mr. Stum Neji I presume?” The woman asked. Neji anxiously nodded. The woman giggled at his enthusiasm and extended her hand to him, motioning for the two men to enter her room. They followed her instruction and carefully parted the curtain. Cixi invited the men to sit on the divan at the edge of the room, then seated herself across from them in a large reclining chair. “Doctor Osaka says you are in the business of mining Mr. Neji.”

“Mining for jade and gold, yes.”

Cixi nodded. “My establishment is looking to purchase some gold and jade. Embellishments if you will, for the dining area. It would make the House of Cards all the more respectable…dare I say, royal?”

“Mistress Cixi, speaking objectively, the House of Cards is already quite a beautiful establishment without the jade or gold.”

Cixi laughed, and poured herself a cup of rice wine. She took the cup in her hand and took a small sip. “Thank you. There is some gold and some jade yes, but I’m looking for more. Wine?”

The gentleman shook their heads.

Neji looked at Dr. Osaka and then cautiously placed his gaze on Cixi. He couldn’t help but feel her eyes pinning him down and examining his every motion. She was beautiful yes, but he more stayed in her company the more he likened himself to a fly caught in a spider’s web. “To clear the air Miss Cixi, what was your price range for the jade and gold you were looking for?”

This time Cixi laughed. It was long and hearty, yet almost musical. Neji shivered.

“Mr. Neji, I’ve the money to spend for your jade, please, it is your price I am waiting for.”

Iroh’s letter sat on Zuko’s desk for a day, before Zuko decided to pick it up and read it again. Nothing had changed (obviously) but it was clear to him and to Mai that his patience was growing thin.

Zuko and Mai sat outside by the hot spring; Mai was nibbling on a fruit tart while Zuko sat next to her, staring stoically into the water.

“I can tell you want to leave.” Mai said. Zuko shot her an irritated glare and covered his eyes with his hands.

“It’d be nice if you didn’t tell me what I was thinking.” Zuko replied, rolling his eyes. His fiancé frowned slightly, and looked away from him. “I didn’t mean for that to sound so…snappy.” Zuko added, conceding to his own rudeness. But Mai wouldn’t look at him.

Instead, Mai got up and dusted the crumbs off her dress. She finally looked at Zuko and nodded slowly, her eyes still avoiding his. “I’m going to go inside. It’s too hot out here.” With that, she turned her back from him and walked inside.

Katara was on the other side of the hot spring. She was sitting in the courtyard, watching Sokka and Aang practice a dance Suki had taught them. Both of them were failing quite miserably at it, but that had not dampened their spirits and enthusiasm.

“Sokka, stop stepping on my feet! We’re not even dancing together.” Aang screeched, pointing at his injured toe. The Water Tribe warrior did not seem to be amused by Aang’s feeble wailing.

“Would you lighten up? It’s just a dance!” Sokka replied, visibly offended.

Aang folded his arms and closed his eyes with frustration. Cautiously, he opened an eye slowly and grinned from ear to ear. “I’m just kidding Sokka. You’re even better than Zuko.”

Katara let out a laugh, the first honest laugh she’d had in a few days. Ever since the masquerade ball, things around the beach house had become tense and stressful. Everyone seemed to be upset at one another, and Sokka had just started talking normally to her again.

“Katara, where’s your necklace?” Aang asked, pointing at her bare neck. Katara touched her neck again on impulse, and reddened.

“I just put it down for a little while. The ribbon was making my neck itch.” She replied, pointing at a thin red mark where the necklace’s ribbon would’ve been. Aang nodded appreciatively, and walked toward her. “I may have to replace the ribbon if it irritates your skin that much.” He gently put his hand on her neck and smiled. “After all, you can’t stop to heal your neck ever other minute.” He chuckled and turned back to Sokka.

Sokka seemed to be carefully observing Aang and Katara’s interaction with one another, and was particularly attentive to Katara. The waterbender knew her brother was going to be scrutinizing her for the next little while, but she figured he would forget his anger soon enough. After all, he was Sokka.

“Ugh, being pregnant isn’t all how your father described it Sokka.” Suki said, reclining on her beach chair. It seemed odd for there to be a chair in the middle of the stone floor of the courtyard, but Sokka was concerned about Suki standing too often and didn’t want her to sit on the floor.

“What did you expect, Suki? Dad can hunt and spear animals like a champion but I don’t think he knows anything about being a woman.” Sokka replied, stooping down next to her and rubbing her belly. “If he did it’d probably mean he was a woman…I think.”

Suki smiled and pecked him gently on the cheek. “Well, he did raise you and Katara so, he must’ve done something right.” Sokka reddened and put his hand on Suki’s, squeezing it gently.

"Or wrong..." Katara added silently, stealing a glance at her brother. However, Sokka wasn't paying attention to her anymore, but to his wife.

“What’s going on?” A voice asked. The gang turned around and saw that Zuko had come to join them.

“Suki taught me and Aang how to do a real genuine Kyoshi Warrior dance.” Sokka replied, feigning a demonstration. Zuko slowly clapped and looked at Suki with amusement.

“How was spending time in the hot spring, Zuko?” Suki asked.

Zuko immediately seemed irritated and fidgeted with the strap on his shorts. “We didn’t go into the hot spring, we just sat next to it.” Sokka and Aang stared blankly at him. “I mean, we own the property so we’ve been in the hot spring plenty of times.”

“I thought you needed to calm your nerves with the hot water?” Aang asked, raising a brow.

“Look, I can sit a tub of cold water and it’ll turn into a hot spring. Me and Mai just wanted to spend time together.” His eye unintentionally wandered to Katara, but she wasn’t looking at him. Instead, she was staring at Aang almost as if she was losing herself in the shiny surface of his bald head.

“Well that’s nice.” Suki said. Zuko knew she hadn’t meant it in that way but he had perceived her comment to be sarcastic and intrusive. There wasn’t anything nice about his relationship with Mai at the moment, and there was hardly anything that was going to be nice about it for the next while.

“Katara, you’ve been quiet for most of today.” Sokka said, suddenly. He rubbed his chin inquisitively and his lips extended into a smile from ear to ear. Katara silently snarled at him then turned away from him, indignantly.

“Not everyone has to verbally execute everything they say, Sokka. Not everyone is you.” She bitterly crossed her arms and scrunched her nose so tightly she could’ve formed permanent wrinkles.

However, the Water Tribe warrior seemed unfazed by his little sister’s blow-up. He pressed on. “Usually, you’re more vocal. Loud, annoying, kind of obnoxious…a little self-righteous.”

Zuko snuck in a laugh. He chuckled softly at Sokka’s verbal assault on his sister, and felt guiltily pleased with the way Sokka was punishing Katara for her silence. After all, the silence was burning Zuko way more than it was affecting anyone else in the group. Katara however, had heard Zuko’s laughter, and gave him the iciest glare he’d ever seen from her. The Fire Lord swallowed the knot rising in his throat.

“And what, is so funny Zuko?” Katara hissed. She made sure he could feel every prickly sensation she’d paired to his name. It made Zuko’s hair stand on end and the fuzz on the back of his neck stand erect.

“Nothing.” He managed. Smiling curtly, Katara turned away from him and kept her eyes on Aang. Her eyes didn’t leave the Avatar until she stood up again, and walked into the beach house. Zuko could tell, that Katara was far from pleased with his behaviour and far from happy with his guilty joy.

Katara stood in the kitchen for a few minutes, motionless, before she began preparing dinner. She was out of ideas for what to prepare and she was out of motivation to prepare meals. Why doesn’t Zuko just hire a stupid servant to do the cooking. She thought, even if she knew she didn't need the help and she actually enjoyed cooking. She just couldn't stand cooking if it meant thinking of something to, when all she wanted to do was think about something else. Something that was bothering her.

“Need help?”

Katara looked up and saw that Suki had entered the kitchen. Katara smiled and pulled a chair over to the counter.

“Thanks Suki. I’m kind of out of ideas right now.”

“For what, to cook?” Suki asked, sitting down.

Katara nodded and buried her head in her arms. “I really hate this place and spending more and more time here is just reminding me of every single emotion I thought would’ve gone away after the war. This place just brings back every single anxiety.”

“Katara…”

“Forget I said anything…where is everyone?” Katara asked, awkwardly changing the subject.

“Zuko and Mai are in the garden, and Sokka and Aang went into town. Katara, is there something you want to tell me about you and Zuko?”

“Nothing’s going on.”

Suki looked down. “I never said there was. But at any rate, I believe you Katara. I know you and I know you’re responsible.”

Katara snorted and let out a sigh. “I really hope Aang orders take out.”

At dinner, no one said much. Aang had ordered take out from a terrible Omashu rip-off restaurant and no one was enjoying it. The delicacy of shrimp dumplings had been massacred with tinny-salty shriveled shrimp wrapped inside week-old dumpling pastry. The noodles were too salty and the tea was too mild. Sokka didn’t seem to have a problem with the food, and neither did his wife. In her days of pregnancy, Suki seemed to ingest whatever food her husband would give her. Katara however, only entertained the meal by stirring the food around her plate with her chopsticks. Zuko wasn’t eating either. His mind was too busy reading and rereading what his uncle had written to him. The idea of going to Ba Sing Se was nagging at him, and the idea of abandoning his situation with Mai and Katara was becoming more and more appealing. Mai was becoming less of an ideal woman and more of a nagging wife while Katara was becoming frigid. What was worse was, his desires for love had began to wander in an unfaithful direction.

There was nothing more liberating, than the idea of running away.

However, there was no reason to run away. After all, he loved Mai and was certainly going to marry her. Katara was his best friend, and she was surely going to marry the Avatar. Nothing wasn’t certain. Things…emotions had complicated matters and Mai’s increasingly pessimistic attitude toward him had become and obstacle to overcome. Zuko was becoming uninterested with the idea of decomposing Mai’s complexities, and most often seemed dogged by the idea.

Zuko was so wrapped in his thoughts that he had forgotten he was in the middle of opening a fortune cookie.“Huh.” Zuko expressed, suddenly.

“What?” Aang asked, pushing a string of noodles into his mouth.

“Nothing…I just opened my fortune cookie.”

“What does it say?” asked Suki.

The Fire Lord dictated from a tiny strand of paper placed in the cookie. “A time is coming where there will be great change. Be prepared. Your fortune days are the 5, 9, 30.”

“Change, how very fitting. I thought you’d already changed.” Mai said, sipping her tea. Zuko narrowed his eyes at her and crushed the cookie in his hand.

“Oh leave him alone, will you? It’s just stupid a fortune cookie with a stupid fake fortune.”

The table went silent. Everyone exchanged surprised looks, and the focus of attention turned to Katara, sitting quietly, stirring her food around her plate. Zuko was unable to fix his unhinged jaw. Mai sat stoically beside him, seemingly unfazed, but noticeably perturbed.

“I’m going to go to sleep.” Katara said, pushing in her chair. She walked into the kitchen with her cup and plate, then disappeared into the darkness of the hall.

“What…just…happened?” Ty Lee asked, a tremor in her voice.

Sokka shrugged, and shoveled a large portion of rice into his mouth.

It wasn’t surprising that Zuko asked to leave the table early, and it also wasn’t surprising that he found himself walking toward Katara’s room. He blamed his feet for his habit, and he blamed his habitual hands for rapping at her door. He especially disliked the fact that his voice had become accustomed to calling her name, and disliked the fact his ears (and arguably his heart) liked the sound of her name (a lot).

“What?” The voice inside the room said, shrilly. Zuko opened the door and found the waterbender sitting at her vanity. She was staring blankly into the mirror, and Aang’s necklace was tangled in between her fingers.

“What happened, back there?” Zuko asked, pointing behind him.

Katara yawned, then rubbed her eyelids wearily. “I don’t know. I guess I yelled at your fiancé.” She paused for a bit, suddenly caught in her own thoughts. “Well, no. I was just reprimanding her for her dry sarcasm.”

Zuko smiled, uneasily.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed it yet but your fiancé is sarcastic, rude and dull.” Katara continued, examining her nails. “And she’s quite rude to me personally.”

The Fire Lord moved toward her, and took a seat on the edge of her bed. “Mai isn’t very personable. She’s…different.”

“I’ll say. I didn’t get a great impression of her when I met her in Ba Sing Se six years ago, and I’m not getting a great one now. Does she hate me?”

Zuko froze, suddenly unsure of his footing on the matter. “I don’t know you’d have to ask her.”

Katara snorted loudly, and leaned forward, cradling her head in her arms.

“You didn’t have to defend me.” Zuko said. “Mai is like that all the time, especially when she’s angry at me. She doesn't intend to be rude...and she doesn't try or want to be.”

The waterbender let out a breath of amusement but her joy quickly dissolved just as quickly as it came. “I wasn’t trying to defend you, it just felt like the right thing to say at the time.” Katara replied, blankly. She looked up and looked at Zuko through his reflection in the mirror. He seemed troubled.

“Oh.” He said, quietly.

They were silent for a moment before Zuko shuffled closer to Katara. He remained on the edge of the bed, but was closer to her back. Slowly, cautiously, carefully, he extended his arms forward, and circled them around the small of her back.

Katara’s blood went cold, and she could feel a cool sensation rising in her throat. Her heart was fluttering. She slowly moved forward. He let his hands fall neatly next to her, and he rested his palms on the surface of the bench she was seated on. He lifted a hand, and let her turn to face him, heart racing.

Zuko cupped Katara’s chin with his large hand, and pulled her face closer his. His lips hovered dangerously to hers. With some apprehension, he pressed against her and tasted her mouth, deeply. His tongue tangled with hers, and her arms circled tightly around his broad shoulders. Their breaths came out in short gasps as they fumbled onto Katara’s bed. There was nothing they could do to stop themselves.

Zuko’s eyes fluttered open. It was morning but as he surveyed his surroundings, he was becoming increasingly aware that he was not in his own bed, but Katara’s. Suddenly, a wave of panic rushed over him. He looked down. Okay I’m just shirtless, good…that’s…good. He looked to his left and saw Katara lying next to him. Luckily, she was fully clothed. Had they…had…relations? Zuko thought, recapping everything that had happened the night before. He had gone to Katara’s room, they’d exchanged a few words…and then he’d kissed her and they fell on her bed.

Had he fallen asleep before anything could have happened? There some relief to be found in the fact he probably had fallen asleep, and some disappointment in that same fact.

When he looked down again, he couldn’t help but feel the desire to kiss her again. She looked so peaceful in her sleep, and her bare cheek was practically asking to be kissed. Stop thinking you pervert, Zuko thought, scolding his mind. Cautiously, he put his hand on Katara’s shoulder and shook it. Katara’s eyelids lazily flickered open, and she let out a yawn.

“Zuko!” she screeched with surprise. She cupped her mouth, suddenly aware that she had exclaimed her surprise far too loudly.

“How…did this happen?” Zuko asked, head in his hands.

“I don’t know…you kissed me.”

“And you kissed back.”

“Well what was I supposed to do? Not kiss you?”

“If you didn’t want me to kiss you, then no you shouldn’t have.”

Katara rolled her eyes and pouted. “Sorry for assuaging your sensitive male ego.”

“We didn’t…” Zuko started, reaffirming himself without saying the deadly word.

“No, no…I think we fell asleep.” Katara replied, staring blankly into her sheets.

“Wow.”

“Wow what?”

“We’re like twenty and we fell asleep before we actually did it. Can you imagine us in thirty years?” Zuko replied thoughtlessly. Suddenly the danger of his affair seemed minimal in comparison to his lack of sexual performance.

Katara slapped his arm. “Quit it. Take this seriously Zuko.” She got out of bed and pushed back her long brown hair. “You were upset, I was upset, and this whole thing was one big misunderstanding. We fell asleep talking about our memories of the island. You fell asleep before you could go to your room-”

“What are you doing?” Zuko asked, scratching his head.

“What does it look like? I’m rehearsing our story. Now pay attention.”

Zuko heaved a long, heavy sigh and rubbed his eyelids. “Should I even bother going back to my room?”

Katara meekly looked at the Fire Lord, then looked away. “I don’t know…”

“Well, I have to face her some time.” Zuko cautiously walked from Katara’s room and down to his own room. He slowly opened the door knob and prayed that Mai was asleep.

When he saw Mai, she was lying on her side and her back was turned away from the door. Unintentionally, Zuko let out a sigh of relief. This, was his first mistake.

“Why do you sound so relieved?” Mai asked, not bothering to turn.

The Fire Lord’s stopped mid step, and he was afraid he was going to go into cardiac arrest from the shock. “What do you mean?”

“You haven’t been here all night Zuko.”

“I was in the recreation room. I slept down there.” Zuko replied, slightly stuttering and forgetting the alibi he and Katara had worked out.

“I didn’t know recreation room was a euphemism for the waterbender’s vagina. It makes sense though.” Mai deadpanned, still refusing to turn around.

“Nothing happened between me and Katara.”

“Nothing is always something for you Zuko. I’m beginning to believe you think that this relationship is nothing to you. You can’t lie to me anymore.”

“I’m telling the truth, we didn’t…we didn’t-”

“What?”

Zuko was having a hard time forming the words. He kept on stumbling over them in his head. “You know what I mean.”

“Get out.”

“What?”

“I said get out!” Suddenly, Mai sprang up and flung a sharp object at door behind him, grazing the side of his arm. Zuko fled the room and slammed the door. He was breathing heavily and sweat was forming into tiny beads on his brow. He looked down at his arm and with his other hand, nursed the tiny wound.

There was no turning back now.

When Katara finally worked up the courage to walk downstairs, she realized that everyone was still asleep. She went back to check Aang’s room and noticed that he was still in bed, snoring loud enough to wake his past lives. She walked over to his bedside, and knelt down next to him. She reached out a hand and stroked his cheek lightly. “I’m sorry Aang.”

As she walked from Aang’s room and into the hall, she noticed through the window that Mai was sitting in the garden sipping tea (or wine…). Realizing Zuko’s room was in the clear, she walked down the hall and knocked on his door. “Zuko?” There was no response. She knocked again. On her second knock she realized the door was open and the door gently slid inward.

The room looked different from the night she had stumbled in by accident. Everything was brightly illuminated by the sun and the balcony was open, letting to cool sea breeze flood in. She noticed something that hit her foot as she walked in. She bent down and picked up a golden bracelet. The jewels and jade were chipped, a few golden threads had come loose and there were jewel fragments all over the floor. As she got up, Katara’s eye wandered to Mai’s vanity where a note lay conspicuously, weighed down by a paperweight. Curiousity was one vice Katara could not rid and before she knew it she was holding onto the note and reading it.

Dear Mai,

I know that you’re upset with me and I know that you won’t listen to any excuse I give you. To be fair, I have not been that honest with you in the past and you have every right to hate me. What I’m doing now isn’t going to make you hate me any less, but I hope some time apart will help you forgive me.

I’m leaving for Ba Sing Se, and I’m going to find my mother. I’ve waited six years to find her and I’m done waiting. Please don’t follow me, I promise that I’ll be back in a month. Once I see her, I’ll come back and if you’ll have me, we can finally be married.

I know you don’t believe me but, I love you Mai. And I always will.

Love,

Zuko

When Katara finished reading, she haphazardly shoved the note inside a drawer and stormed out of the room. He had left them. He had left them all and was going to be gone for an entire month. Not only had he walked out on his own wedding, he had walked out on all his responsibilities as the Fire Lord and the mess he’d left with herself and Mai. Coward.

She shuffled back to her room, and lay down on her bed for a few minutes, reminiscing about Zuko’s form next to hers and how they’d actually spent a night together only hours ago. It was colder when he wasn’t around. Stupid warm firebender. Sitting up, she noticed that there was also a note on her dresser. Several notes.

She removed her mother’s necklace from the top of the pile (assuming that it was a paperweight) and extracted 8 pieces of parchment with boldly written hanzi on them. Seven of the notes were dated over the past six years, but the most recent one was at the very bottom of the pile.

Dear Katara,

I know you probably read Mai’s note.

Katara snorted. “I’m not that nosy.” She was.

If you haven’t, I’ll be surprised. Anyway, I know you’re upset that I’m leaving and you probably have called me a coward for abandoning all my responsibilities. But I don’t need you to judge me. I know that if you knew your mother was alive, you’d drop everything just to find her, so I know I don’t have to explain why I have to do this.

What happened last night happened. I don’t know why. Mai isn't happy. I don’t want to ask that you cover me while I'm away but, I’m going to ask anyway. And I can't think of any better reason other than, I trust you.

To be honest, I don’t know how I feel about you and I don't know how you feel about me. But in the meantime I’m just going to settle on telling you that I care about you and for that reason explicitly ask that you not follow me.

Please DON’T follow me.

Zuko

“Well now that you’ve told me not to, I have to.” Katara said aloud. She shoved the note into her vanity drawer and prepared herself to walk down the stairs to face everyone, including Mai.

AN: Yeah, Zuko just ditched responsibility. He did. The next chapter I realize is really quite jokey. Meaning, it's a lot funnier than I intended it to be. i can't decide if that's a good or a bad thing. You decide.