This is my first time writing a one-shot. In my other fic, I tried to follow the storyline as closely as possible, but I have always loved Zutara. So I decided to try a one-shot. It takes place on Katara and Zuko's way to battle with Azula. In this, they have to fight on board a ship. It's basically all smut. Please, review and tell me what you liked or didn't like. If people like this, I might expand it to a full story. I discovered I really enjoyed writing Zuko and Katara, but if it isn't something that people are into I will focus on my other fic. Enjoy!

Katara couldn't breathe. The smoke filled the hallway and she felt herself choking, her vision becoming blurred. The last thing she saw before she fell unconscious was the golden eyes of a Fire Nation soldier behind his helmet.

...

Zuko was fighting his hardest. Sweat rolled off of him as he punched flames towards the soldiers. There were five circling around him in the flame filled room. He had to go on instinct, there was no time to strategize. He mentally thanked his uncle for the grueling training while they were at sea. He ducked to dodge a punch, and got caught in the gut with a kick. He fell, and wielded his flame daggers, attempting to fight on the ground.

He never got a chance to get up, the fight too far in the soldiers' favor. He curled up, trying to protect his skin from the flames and his organs from the painful kicks the men were delivering. He slowly passed out from a final kick to the head.

...

Katara woke up handcuffed in a small holding cell. She couldn't see much, the only light coming from the cracks around the door. The cell wall was very cold and she shivered. She tried to move herself out of the corner she was in, only to discover her legs were cuffed as well. Starting to panic, she closed herself to meditate, hoping that by centering herself she would discover a solution to her predicament. After a few deep breaths, she opened her eyes to find she could see a little better.

The waterbender was able to discern a small cot on the other wall, without a blanket or pillow. She turned her head and saw a tray with some bread and what appeared to be tea. Looking finally to the corner across from her, she saw a large lump. The lump shifted a little and moaned. She gasped and jumped a little, causing her to lose balance and hit her head. Grumbling, she resituated herself and watched the lump go back to not moving.

That's a person, Katara! A person who is obviously in pain… Katara started to squirm and make herself move closer. She finally got near enough to clearly see the outline of the person, curled up in on himself, unbound. Although she thought that was peculiar, seeing how she herself was bound hand and foot, she did her best to bend the tea over to her. This task required all of her concentration and abilities, but the cuffs had enough links between them to allow her hands small movement. As the tea became drained of its color, it started to glow.

Using this light, Katara saw the cuts and bruises across the back of this other prisoner. The clothing was torn apart, leaving shreds in the place of the shirt. Her heart broke for this battered man. And it was most certainly a man, as she looked across the muscled back. She used the little amount of tea to try to heal the worst of the wounds. The cuts started closing and the bruising went from a sickly yellow to dark blues and purples. The effort caused sweat to break out on her lip, but she didn't stop. She continued on the man's back until she started to get light-headed. He had only made noise a couple of times while she worked on healing him. They were soft groans or moans, barely audible. This is what kept her going until she thought she would faint. She used what little energy she had left to drag herself onto the cot, where she passed out in blissful sleep.

...

Zuko woke up and groaned. He shifted only to be in so much pain he passed out right away.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but something felt good. He sighed and when it stopped, groaned. He fell back asleep, this time in much less pain.

This time Zuko woke up to quiet footsteps outside the door. He felt very still and wondered how long he had been lying on the floor. The room was dark and he tried to bend a small flame to see. All that came out was a little puff of smoke. He gasped, and then it hit him how cold he was. It's the coolers at the Boiling Rock! Not quite as cold but with me so weak, it wouldn't take much. Besides, who knows how long I've been in here.

Zuko sat up, and his head went spinning. Gasping for air, he tried to focus. He knew that if he focused, he could come up with some heat, even in such a cold room. He sat there taking deep breaths for almost twenty minutes before he tried to produce a flame. The flame he produced was small and shaky but he was grateful for it.

Slowly, he used one hand to raise himself off the floor to a standing position, recalling earlier when he had sat up. The other hand held the tiny flame and he used it to see around the room. He was in a corner by the door and a tray sat next to it, holding an empty cup and some bread. He puzzled over the empty cup before moving closer to the other side of the room, which held a cot. He knew that would help him rest and prepare to break out of this place. As he neared, he saw a young woman lying in it, her hands hand cuffed behind her and her legs loosely chained together.

Her blue dress had slid up while she slept, revealing her long tanned legs to him. He felt himself going hard despite the fact she was chained up and asleep. He knelt down next to the cot to see her face, which had been hidden to him by her long brown hair, which had fallen out of a ponytail. He gasped and fell backwards, the flame went out when he realized it was Katara.

...

Katara woke up at the noise and saw dimly the shape of a young man rubbing his back and struggling to get up. "Don't! You'll hurt yourself!" She struggled to get off the bed, causing her dress to slide up more. Zuko groaned as he felt himself harden more, even though he could no longer clearly see her. The knowledge that it was Katara in here with him was too much for him. They frequently denied their attraction for each other but now… now he could feel how obvious it was.

Katara heard him groan and started to fret. "I'll be off here in a minute, don't worry, it'll be okay. Stupid chains…" She started squirming more, and Zuko couldn't take anymore.

"Katara! Stop!" He voice was heavy with desire and Katara froze.

That body… those muscles… it was him? Katara shook now. "Zu-Zuko?" She stopped struggling to get off the cot and looked at him. She coughed. "Are you… um… are you okay?" Her voice was caught in her throat. She couldn't deny that they had chemistry, but they both kept it well hidden.

She heard him moving around and grunt every once in awhile. "I'm, uh, fine. A little sore. Can't bend." He tried to hide his desire but couldn't. He just hoped there would be no light for her to see what happened.

Katara shifted a little more. "Here, come sit by me on the cot. Why can't you bend? And why aren't you chained up?"

Zuko sat next to her, feeling some warmth off her body. He scooted closer, and was able to smell her and decided it was the best smell over… soft and earthy. "It's too cold for me to bend, I think. They used these things called coolers at the Boiling Rock, a frozen room to take away firebending. It's not that cold in here, but I'm weak enough it affects my bending. That's probably why I'm not shackled as well." Zuko's words rushed together but he felt Katara nod.

"So, if you warm up, you can bend?" Katara tilted her head up at the other bender, who looked across the wall. He grunted and nodded, trying not to think of ways that they could warm each other up. She looked at him, then scooted closer. "How are you feeling? I used the little tea we had to try to heal your back."

"So that's why the cup was empty. It is better, thank you. I was able to bend a little flame earlier to see around… that's how I got over here. But why didn't you try to unshackle yourself first?" Zuko almost didn't want her to be unshackled, the idea of her submitting to him too much of a turn on. He felt bad thinking that and shook his head to try to clear it.

"It would've taken too long and you needed help. I'm not sure I could have anyways." She shivered and he wrapped his arms around her, trying to keep her warm. "Aren't you cold?" Katara was all too aware he had no shirt on. And from what she could tell, the damage had only been to his back. His chest was flawlessly muscled.

"A little." He could feel her lean against his chest. "Ka-Katara?"

"What is it, Zuko?"

"Can we… lay down? It'll be warmer and more comfortable." He struggled to form the words and almost said the wrong thing. His heart was pounding.

"You'll need to help me." Her voice was very soft and he wasn't sure he heard her. "I can't move well by myself like this, and in such a small cot…" She trailed off, blushing, thinking of how close they would be.

Zuko's voice grew raspy. "I can do that." He helped shift her and lied down next to her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her against his chest. He shifted, making sure she couldn't feel his desire while she lay next to him. This feels so good. He sighed into her hair.

Katara felt much warmer and more comfortable now that Zuko had helped rearrange the two of them. She felt his arm around her and could feel the heat coming off his bare chest as she snuggled closer to him. Wow! He's so gentle… Katara could feel herself blushing from thinking of Zuko in this way. Sure, he had helped arrange her comfortable and gently, taking care to make sure she was as warm as possible, and providing his arm as a pillow for her to rest on. She felt herself drifting off to sleep, this time one unbroken by discomfort.

Zuko lay there awake, feeling with vividness where each part of his body touched his own. When Katara shifted in her sleep slightly, he felt her bare thigh hit his mostly bare leg. He grit his teeth to not groan in desire, knowing her skirt must have slid all the way up now. He knew she had no way to fix it and he should do the admirable thing and do so, but as looked down at her leg, he lost his breath and any ability to do that honorable thing. He felt himself pulsing in want and when she rolled over and lay her head against his chest, he almost lost control.

...

Katara looked down at her silver wedding gown. Her body shivered in excitement. Her mother settled the veil over her face and she smiled up at the woman. "Are you ready, Katara?" She nodded. "You're a beautiful bride." She kissed her on the head and left through the door, pausing to smile up at her husband. "She's all yours."

Hakoda looked at his daughter. "Are you ready?" She nodded, tears threatening to fall. "I'm so proud of you, Katara." She linked arms with him and starting walking down the long aisle to where her bridegroom stood. As she passed the front few rows, she glanced at her family and friends, minus Sokka, who stood next to her groom. Her mother and Suki smiled at her, while Toph had a half smile on her face. Aang looked near tears and reached out a hand.

"Please, Katara. Please. Not him." Katara looked pain.

"Aang, you have to understand. Aang, please." She whispered the words, then turned back to the altar. Her father held her up as her body threatened to fall over. She could barely tell what was happening once her father gave her hand to the man standing before her. She didn't listen to the ceremony, just stared into his eyes and speaking when she was supposed to. After the ceremony, her body hummed in anticipation of the night she knew was ahead of her.

They arrived at the beach house, newly redone. Ember Island – how much she enjoyed this place. They reached the bedroom and Katara sighed in excitement. He drew her a bath, filled with scented oils, and slowly disrobed her, sliding his hands down her sides, causing her breath to catch. "Oh, Zuko. I've waited so long for this."

The young firebender moaned into her neck. "Katara…" They slid into the tub, relishing the feel of each other's bodies as they explored each other, washing away the dirt and dust of travel. They sat in the tub, Katara resting between his legs, letting herself rest against his chest. He let his hands slide up to her breasts and squeezed, causing her to moan and roll her head back against him. He rubbed her hardened nipples and she gasped, wanting more.

Zuko never let the bath go cold as the two of them took turns in finding what was most delightful for the other person. And afterwards, he kissed her until she could no longer think and carried her to the bed. When he got in position to enter her, Katara panicked and tried to cover herself. Zuko took her arms and pinned them next to her hand, desire having overridden his senses. He kissed her as hard as he could and swiftly entered her. She cried out in a mixture of pain and pleasure.

...

Zuko watched the waterbender sleep, noticing her facial expressions change. I wonder what she's dreaming about. Katara's face smiled with contentment and Zuko couldn't help but smile with her. She's so beautiful. Just as the thought crossed his mind, Katara looked upset, and muttered, "Aang. Aang, please." The firebender scowled when he realized she was dreaming about the Avatar. Then, she smiled again. I guess Aang did what she wanted him to.

Katara shifted in positions, drawing closer to Zuko. Her hair fell into her face and Zuko lifted his arm to brush it away, so he could continue watching her. She sighed. "Zuko." He was drawn from his thoughts, worried his movement had wakened her. But no. She sighed again, then moaned, her hips bucking slightly. Zuko's eyes widened. Why did she say my name? Katara moaned again, her hips pushing harder against him when she cried out a little bit, then whispered, "Zuko, oh Zuko." Her voice was soft, and he couldn't help himself anymore.

Zuko leaned over and kissed her, hard. She sighed against his mouth and the opening allowed him to maneuver his tongue into her mouth. Katara woke up completely at the sensation of his tongue on hers and although she was surprised, she couldn't fight it. And she realized she didn't want to. She leaned into the kiss, encouraging Zuko to do more. He hardened the kiss and stroked her tongue with his. They broke for a moment and Zuko saw how completely awake she was.

They were both breathing heavy and Katara shifted, in the process getting herself closer to Zuko. Her eyes fluttered shut when she felt his hand slide down the side of her body, and it was then she realized how far up her skirt was. Her eyes flashed back open when his fingers hit the bare skin of her thigh and she let out a sigh. "Zuko…" With that word he shifted her under him, and silenced her with a demanding kiss. Normally a fighter, Zuko was surprised she let him dominate her like he did.

He held her head to him with one hand, and stroked her side with the other. When she shivered, he slid his hand back up to her breast. He could feel the nipple tightening through the cloth and he moaned against her lips. He kneaded her breast while she moaned and pushed her hips against him. He broke the kiss and untied her dress, quickly followed by removing her underbindings. She shivered when the cold air hit her bare body, but it was quickly covered by Zuko and his hands, caressing her. She shivered for a whole new reason now.

Katara didn't like being taken advantage of. In her mind, she knew that's what Zuko was doing. But waking up from her dream to discover that it was happening in real life… well, she wasn't going to fight it. It felt too good. And it surprised her that being dominated by such a strong male, one who she was very attracted to, was incredibly pleasureable.

She gasped when Zuko had stripped her, then fondled her. It was so amazing. She felt herself go wet. She was bucking against him without thinking. If she had her hands she would have tried to remove what was left of his pants. Zuko was driving her crazy with all the taunting. She knew the basics of what happened between men and women… but she didn't know it well.

Zuko kissed Katara and with one hand removed his pants. He let himself spring free and it pushed against Katara's thigh. She moaned and pushed against him. He was pulsing and warm and all Katara could think was that she wanted it in her. He was a little moist and yet he was working his hardest to keep from spilling.

Zuko slid down, kissing Katara's flat stomach. He let his tongue slid between her folds, a place not even his fingers had previously touched. She jumped and moaned and could do nothing but let him lick her, making her spiral higher and higher. Just before she broke, he stopped and she whimpered. "Zuko, please. Please! Zuko!" He had replaced his tongue with his finger and looked into Katara's desire filled eyes. His own were equally dilated and black.

He posed above her, ready to enter when he paused. "Katara… we don't…" Katara shook her head.

"Please, Zuko." That's all he needed. He entered her, hard, and then paused when she cried out. He stopped, waiting for her to be okay. When she nodded, he moved in and out of her, riding her fast and hard while she moaned and bucked against him. He couldn't believe how much it turned him on that he had all the control. She moaned when she climaxed, squeezing him tight over and over while she shuddered around him in bliss. When she did that, Zuko could no longer keep himself held together. He spilled his seed inside of her and collapsed atop of her, sweaty and tired.

He kissed her over and over, while they moaned together and stared in each other's eyes. Katara smiled at the firebender, who had brought her so much more pleasure than she had ever imagined. Zuko looked at her, and was almost instantly turned on again. "Katara…" They fell asleep that way, entangled.

...

By the time they broke out of the cell and the Fire Nation ship, they knew their lives had been irrevocably changed. Their relationship could not go back to where it was before. And they knew that once the war was over, they would try to discover what other things pleasured them.