Mature content ahead. Read it or beat it.

With an exhausted sigh, Zhu Li sunk into her bed. Well, this day ended just as great as it began. Not that she had anything against her job, it was hard work, and downright humiliating.
But it was her job after all, and all her life she learned not to give any backtalk and suffer in silence. Just like an assistant was supposed to do. For the brighter sides – it was better than most work she was offered before. And as thing seemed to run right now, she was the best at it. Varrick regularly repeated what a great worker she was – the best he could think of, to be precise. And of course what an amazing employer he was as well, but that was in his nature – he loved the attention and he loved being worshipped. She had none of this, honestly. Of course, he meant very much to him, he had grown almost like a family to her, but worship him? No. It was something slightly similar to silent admiring. Yes, admiring was the word. She for example loved the way he seemed to think. To work. If he works at all, that is. How he made it from rag to riches, while she was still stuck in the lower middleclass. How he could wrap people around his finger, using only his words and his wits. It was astonishing indeed. But what was less admiring was taking care of this man. Just today, she had to drag Varrick back home from a national party for the biggest fast-cats around the area – wasted to the core. All she could do for him was sending him straight to bed and make sure he would fall asleep to sober up again. And now she was here, snuggled into her big, fluffy blanket, stretching her limbs. But she was just not tired.

What was it about this man she could consider lovely? Or lovable at all. She had seen this man from all sides. Angry. Sad. Happy, Golly, Frustrated, Shy, Regretful. She had seen him hurt, wasted, asleep, pleased, even naked. She knew this man more than she probably knew herself. Unwillingly, perhaps. She had seen it coming the first day he worked with this man. Back then, he actually still worked by himself. Made himself tea, did the laundry, made his own dinner, kept his home clean. And now he had changed, but not so much for his temper. He always gave her the most absurd tasks and was ambiguous to leave his poor life behind him once and for all.
He was not lovely, not in her eyes. But he was admirable. Remarkable. And he meant so much to her…

Suddenly the door opened, slowly and carefully. Zhu Li cringed but stayed hidden under her blankets. Ugh, Varrick. He was awake. But oddly, she couldn't remember he ever would come to her room. He would mostly shout her name and demand her to meet him in his bedroom. But even she, the heartless war-machine, would crumble and forbid herself to go and work at four in the morning. Her body was worn out, and she was exhausted. Whatever it was, it could wait until tomorrow.
"Zhu Li?" he heard his slurring voice and a small hiccup following. She gulped. What was he doing here? She seriously grew curious now, there never was an occasion so important that he would walk up to her instead of the other way round.
"Are you sleeping?" she heard him whisper.
She slowly rose from her bed and rubbed her eyes.
"Sir, it's really late, you should go back to bed."
"But it's sooo cold in my room." He whined. Ugh, he was even whinier when he was drunk.

"Sir, your room is fully heated. I can bring you more blankets if you want – "Zhu Li could barely finish, before she suddenly felt the bed creak and give in for a few centimeter and she gasped as she bounced slightly. She looked to her side. Varrick had slipped beneath the covers and snuggled into her pillow, sighing happily about the warmth of her bed Zhu Li was astounded. If not slightly confused. Sure, he was intoxicated, she bet he didn't even notice he was sharing the bed with her. For once Zhu Li wished she had worn more than just her pajama top and her underwear, she didn't want to appear inappropriate. But that was probably no topic anymore, for he already had closed his eyes and was asleep, his chest rising and falling beneath the covers.
Zhu Li eyes stared at him for a few more moments, noticed how his usually perfectly groomed hair was all messy and so was his mustache. Like someone had bend them like wire. Fine. She could live with someone lying next to her in her bed and sharing some warmth in this icy cold night.
She rested her head back down onto the pillows and closed her eyes, hoping to fall asleep as well.

"Zhu Li?"
Zhu Li winced. Ugh, not such luck. "Zhu Li are you asleep?"
"Mhh – no, sir." She yawned and sat up. "What can I do for you?"
"I meant to tell you - you look gorgeous without your glasses."
Well that came unexpected. Zhu Li too late noticed she was flushing a little. "Thank you sir…" she murmured. He seldom complimented her. Most of the time he was addressing to her it was to 'do the thing'. She looked down at the man next to her who stared back at her with a small smile on his lips, his face resting on his hands and his eyelids fluttered. It almost made her chuckle. "And you should always keep your hair undone to these occasions."
"Sir, I always let my hair undone in bed."
Varrick made an 'O' shape with his mouth. Too bad he hadn't had come to her bedroom at this time earlier. Did he ever see her with open hair? No. More reason to admire her.
Zhu Li uncomfortably moved on her spot after almost a minute of neither of them saying a word and Varrick staring at her with wide awake eyes.
"Sir, you should get back to sleep now."
"I'm not tired, Zhu Li."
"Well, I am."

But Varrick just pouted at her. "If you keep doing that face and wake me up every two minutes we both won't get our sleep, I won't be able to assist you properly in the morning and you still have some important plans tomorrow remember?"
"What plans…?" he mumbled dreamily. Zhu Li sighed. She might be kind of rough to him right now but she was tired and exhausted and it was already weird having him inside her bed staring at her.
"Sir, you'll turn around now and fall asleep or I'll 'do whatever thing'!"
That seemed to stir something inside him. But instead of doing what she wished he sat up so quickly he nearly tumbled into her direction. Hands firmly resting on the next thing they reached, which were her knees, he looked with horror in her eyes.
"No Zhu Li, not the 'thing'." He begged.

Silence set it. The last time he called so desperately for her was the moment she betrayed him. He had begged her the same.
Don't do the thing.
She still could see his face. His desperation. The broken heart that shattered into a million pieces once he found out she was turning her back on him. She herself nearly couldn't bear looking at him. But now, she looked deep into those bright, blue eyes of his that seemed to astound her so much. Their faces were merely a few inches apart. And the pair of hands that rested on top of her legs started moving slightly. Instead of moving away though, Varrick seemed to stroke the base of them with his thumb. She tried to ignore it for a moment.
"I'm sorry sir." She muttered. But he didn't answer. Once she looked back into his face, she noticed he was not even paying attention anymore. Instead, his gaze was fixed on his hands, his palm gently running over her knees and further up her thigh. Zhu Li winced by the encounter of bare flesh against his palm. He was rubbing them with care over the skin of her small thighs, which were tiny compared to his own. She was fragile, even when she was three times stronger than him.
"Sir…?" she dared to ask.
"So soft…" he mused, not as a response but more to himself with utter admiration.

Varrick dared to shove his hand all the way up to the base of her hips and down to her knees again, and Zhu Li gulped heavily. How perfectly smooth her legs were, he thought. Not a single trace of any flaws, of spiky hair that was not cut properly from her body. He couldn't remember he ever touched such beautiful legs before, and he had had a few women in his life. Zhu Li hadn't. She never touched or was touched and his hands riding up her legs to her hips gave her frantic shivers. This felt nice. Very nice. She wouldn't admit that she loved his touches, no matter where they were. On her shoulder, where he usually rested his hands. Or occasionally on her waist. But this felt just much nicer than a friendly pat or a leading gesture.
"You're really a wonder, Zhu Li."
"I-I – uhm, thanks Sir…?" She really didn't know what to say, after all her still intoxicated employer was starting to grope her and she liked it. Before even having the chance to push him away, he found the courage to slip his hands under her long pajama top, cold fingers rest on each side of her bare hips. His eyes went further up again to stick upon the bulge of her chest and the buttons of the pajama top.
Oh, he wouldn't – would he ?

"Sir, we shouldn't –"
"It's really hot in here Zhu Li…I really don't like this temperature."
Hot? Well that was strange, just a few moment ago he was complaining about how cold everything was. But she too couldn't deny she felt mildly heated. She blushed and turned her face away from him. This was going to escalate and she didn't want it to happen. She didn't want to exploit him in this kind of state. She could sense and see that he did not know what he was doing, every move and thought that might rush through that genius mind of his was not genuine. She felt his hands pull away from her body. For a moment she felt cold and left alone, she liked how his heat radiated off of him and at her, but now she felt like something was missing. But upon looking back at the man across from her, she noticed his hands had grabbed the hem of his tunica and started pulling it over his body. Zhu Li panicked. Oh god, no that's not what she wanted to happen. Or did she?
"Sir what are you…doing?"
"It's sooooo hot." He panted and threw the top over his shoulder and off the bed. Zhu Li's cheeks burned. She had seen his chest multiple times, she even stopped counting at some point.

But now, fully exposed in her field of view, she noticed the muscles moving under the tanned skin and how flowingly they worked, the wide shoulders he covered with his garment and his dark chesthair. She was eager to touch. But she should not. He scooted a little closer to her again, and to Zhu Li's complete confusion, placed his fingers on the buttons of her shirt.
"Varrick!" she blurted out and moved away from him. "What do you think you're doing?"
"I just wanted to help you getting out of this suffocating shirt you wear. UGH, don't you feel hot too?" he wheezed. She did. But when he would do this, she would be topless in front of him and she definitely didn't know if she would find that as great as he would find. She hugged herself with her arms looped over the already exposed top of her breasts, looking back at him with her face red as a tomato. Varrick moved closer again, his knees touching hers and his hand on her elbows.
"Aw come on Zhu Li. You can touch if I can."

He pointed at his chest. Zhu Li hesitated first. This was going exactly where she thought this was going and she was certain it was not good for them. What if he would wake up the next morning in horror and then fire her? What if someone caught them? She knew his reputation was all he cared about, and she knew that one wrong move would ruin his status forever. Yet something made her move her hand towards him. And once she rested her palm on his left chest, he closed his eyes, lips barely parted. Zhu Li moved closer. To the point where she gently pressed his legs apart with her own, so she could scoot so close their nosetips nearly touched. Her other hand, shielding herself, slipped powerlessly from her body to join her other, roaming his chest with tingling feelings in her fingers. He was so soft and warm, the few muscles on his belly were firm, once she touched them. Varrick moaned soundlessly, dipping his head down to rest his forehead against hers. Her palms rubbed over his spine and his shoulderblades and she could tell he liked the way she admired his body. He was not too tall and not too short, not too obese and not to skinny. He was perfectly shaped in every way.

"Mhh…" he sighed. "Don't you forget something?" Zhu Li asked him and he opened his eyes to stare back at her. "Hm?"
"I only touch you if you touch me." She remembered him with a smirk. Varricks eyes beamed in a gleam that made her heart skip a beat. His hands reached out for her body again and started undoing the rest of the buttons of her shirt, before he gently pressed the garment over her shoulders and albeit feeling terribly shy, she dropped them. Varrick stared down at her with an expression she could not determine, but nevertheless she was sure he was not disappointed. A shivery sigh escaped her, the air around them was cold nevertheless and being exposed for him was freezing her skin.
Varrick looped his arms carefully and slowly around her lower back and drew her close to his body, so close her core collided with his. She was more shocked by the obvious reaction of his than where she should put her legs to, however moving her hips slightly made him gasp. Such a sweet, beautiful sound. She did the same movement again, pressing her hips against him. He gasped again, followed by a low moan. His voice was so hot, hoarse, as if it would embrace her body in a warm, hot Varrick-blanket.

His hands grabbed her waist for balance, riding his hands up to the two molds of soft flesh, and his thumbs gently brushed over her tips.
Now she was the one to gasp. He did the same movement again, and Zhu Li's nails dug gently into his arms.
"Ah…Sir…" she sighed happily.
"Zhu Li…" he whispered while massaging her breasts, making her squirm, her back arching against his touch and her head dipping slightly backwards, open for his lips. "Is…this a dream…?" he asked hoarsely while feeling her hands back on his chest. "I…I don't know…Sir."
"What…what if it is? What if it ends just the same as…always?"He squeezed her breast a bit harder and Zhu Li cringed in pleasure, moaning, but covering her mouth from this weird sound escaping her mouth."Always…?" she breathes. "You always come into my dreams and you are glorious and beautiful and so tender. And you make my chest go warm and the air gets so hot and then you just vanish…" he whined against her ear, kissing her earlobe nevertheless and moving further down her neck. "S-so-sorry sir…" she apologized, even if she barely had listened. His touches and kisses just completely made her mind numb.
"I—don't mean to."
"And now I feel it again, this…this strange feeling in my chest and in my pants and in the air and you are here and everything feels so…real…" he rested his hands on each side of her face to look into her mysterious grey eyes.
"Please don't leave again, Zhu Li." Zhu Li gulped. He really had dreams about her? Her? She was just his assistant, nothing else..

And he might be drunk. But just for this very moment she believed his words were genuine and with a warm smile, she moved closer to place her lips on his. The kiss was soft and tender and was gladly accepted by him. One kiss became another, a third, a forth one, until both were tangled in a hot mess of tongues wrestling and moaning against each other's lips. Varrick dipped them down onto the bed, his arms wrapped around her, her legs resting on his, hands holding onto his nape and running through his hair. The coldness was forgotten, he was so warm on her skin and she felt secure in his presence. While pampering her neck and breasts with little nibbles and kisses, her hand wandered down his chest, over his well-shaped belly, through the tuft of short black hair that ran down from his bellybutton to his member, giving it a light caress. Varrick shivered in her arm, she repeated her action, a bit more obvious. He cringed and moaned lightly in her mouth as they sealed them once again for a deep, messy kiss. Eventually she gathered enough courage to grab him completely. Oh dear, he was big. And hard as a rock. But yet so smooth and soft, like his skin was silk. Varrick let go of her lips, breathing heavily as he looked into her eyes expectantly. Should she dare it? He hadn't held her away yet, so she might end what she had begun. Applying slight pressure, she started moving her hand up and down his shaft, gentle to not hurt him. She instantly felt how Varrick's body tensed and relaxed again, fully snuggled against her, his face buried in her hair and she heard him taking in sharp breaths, letting them out in low, long moans.

"Zhu Li…" he moaned against her neck, making her spine quiver. "Zh-Zhu Li…I want - I want you to be the mother of my children. I want – hah – I want you to spend the rest of my life with me. We could - ahh – take all the money we have… and build us a little house, just – oh spirits ! – just for us."
Zhu Li gave a weak sigh a his words. They burned into her chest like a mark, her heart, already beating fast, pounded loudly against his own. and this was the moment she fell so much for this man that it was impossible for her to imagine living without him. Her hands loosened from him and cupped his face, stroking lovingly over his cheekbones, his burning hot cheeks, and looking deep into his eyes. Blue pools of deep passion looked back at her and she knew hers looked the same.
"I love you..." she whispered so faintly and deep from her chest, she almost didn't notice. But he seemed to. His hug tightened around her form, leaning his face against the side of hers, his moustache tickling her lightly. "I love you too..." Varrick breathed back. This was a dream. It had to be. But no matter how long it would take until it would end - she hoped it would never stop. He had removed her undergarment so fast she found herself gasping over finding her fully naked now, yet eager and ready. She certainly was. His words had given her the kick she needed, and Varrick managed to top it. Dipping down to merge their lips into long, passionate kisses, he ran his hand down to stroke her newly lifted secrets and Zhu Li gasped. Oh dear, this felt nice.
"Do it again..." she breathed, he nodded and repeated his action, rubbing his fingers against her already slick entrance. She squirmed beneath his touch, her hands holding onto his body, her nails racking over his shoulderblades and making sure to lure out a sound of pleasure from him midways.
"Wow...you should cut your nails sometimes..." he mumbled, but she didn't hear him, his fingers worked on her like an instrument.

"Oh Varrick..." she moaned loudly, bucking her hips against his hand. and before she even requested it, he slowly drilled a finger inside her, matching the rhythm of his palm rubbing against her nub. She was hot and soft and nice, his fingers embraced by pulsing walls who just waited eagerly to be filled with him. But he would take his time. As long as this night would go until he would wake up again to figure he was trapped in a dream again. "Varrick...please..." she panted.
"Yes...?" he asked her.
"Please...do the... thing...with me..."
"The thing..." he repeated in a horse voice. "Absolutely...!"

He pulled his hand away from her core and gently grabbed hers, intertwining his fingers with hers, pinning them down onto the mattress. They stared deeply into each others eyes once again, redness filled their face as they were certain this was the moment of no return. For both.
"Varrick...sir, uhm. You should know that...this is the first time i had this...with someone...you see...?"
He nodded. "I don't ... wanna hurt you."
"I will endure it." she assured him, giving him a small peck on his lips. He trusted she would make sure he would stop if she felt uncomfortable. She never does mistakes after all. And she does not let them slip past either. Varrick moved his hips against hers, first rubbing and teasing a little bit, trying to find the right angle, before he carefully slipped inside her. Oh gosh, Zhu Li almost cried out in pain. Just a second ago she trusted her body and selfcontrol to endure it but this was painfuller than she had expected. She held onto her lover for emotional support and he embraced her a bit tighter.

"S-Sorry..." he whispered. "I-I don't think we should-"
"I dare you chicken out now!" she suddenly hissed, harshly grabbing his buttocks and forced him to stay inside her and start moving. Varrick was baffled for a second, but he granted her this wish. Slowly, he bucked his hips against hers, moving himself halfway out and plunged back inside her. The pain was forgotten instantly and all that was left was a stirring pool of passion rolling inside her stomach and the sweet, pleasing friction between the two of them. Zhu Li parted her lips, letting every sound escape she could not keep in. Starting with low moans, and growing louder and louder. Varrick huffed and hissed as he moved a notch faster, looking down into her eyes, seeing raw lust sparkling in those grey pools that shone like silver.
Zhu Li stared back at him,, with each passing second falling deeper in love with this man. He was so magnificent, so remarkable...if she only knew that Yarrick was thinking just the same of her, but a hundred times more intensive. He had many women. From the Water Tribes, the Earth Tribe, Even from the Firenation, and non-benders - but not fire, nor earth, nor water was as important and glorious to him as she was. In this moment, and forever. Selfishly, the urge to kiss her took over and he bend down to capture her lips over and over again, feeling as her hands sunk into his jet-black hair and ruining its order completely. He didn't care. He loved it.

Their lovemaking became more frantic, both of them gasping and moaning whenever they hit these sweet spots. His movements were smooth and as soft as the tides of the ocean, and his warmth was as comforting as a summers day. Their gazes never left each others. Oh how she loved and hated this man equally. He made her sick. And he made her happy. He made her angry and sad and yet he was the only one who could make her heart beat louder than anything else.
"Varrick..." she moaned against his lips and he groaned in response, his head dipping down to rest back on her forehead. His eyes were shut tightly, and opened again and shut again as if he was figuring out if he was awake or not. "Zhu Li...oh Zhu Li...I love you, I love you ... ah... so much ... I n-never ... realized that I..."
But suddenly he was shut by Zhu Li grabbing onto his shoulders, head tilted back, mouth wide open as she moaned: "Varrick, f-faster..."

He wouldn't let her beg a second time and sped up, just to be greeted by her loud moaning, heavy breathing, the pulsing friction from her flesh around him.
Desperately pressing her face into the crook of his shoulder, he held tightly to her for support as also he noticed he was nearing the end. He wished this end didn't exist. He wished he could stay with her like this forever, hot and imitate and lying in each others arms. He buried his face back into her hair, moaning and groaning as he sped up, whispering words of love and adoration into her ear. Zhu Li kissed his neck and sucked on the thin layer of skin that was stirred by a frantic pulse, listening to every word he spoke. "Oh spirits, Zhu Li, i'm gonna...i'm gonna..." he panted - and she understood. Wrapping her arms around his form, she whispered:
"Do it...do the thing..."
And he did. He let himself go with a loud, hoarse groan and spend himself inside her until his power was sucked out and he collapsed on top of her, panting so hard she thought he might faint any second. Seconds, minutes, maybe hours they were lying here, panting, gasping for air and letting the previous events pass before their eyes and mind. It happened. They had done the thing.

The first thing Zhu Li felt was a cold wind brushing over her shoulder. An ice-cold one. The day was apparently just as cold as the night was, so Zhu Li grabbed the blanket and shoved it further up her body. Just then she noticed she wasn't wearing her pajama top. Or her pants. With a slight shock, she sat up, the blanket falling down from her form and she was greeted by the truth. What in heaven's nae did she think, putting off her clothes in the icy cold winter-night ? Suddenly, she felt something moving next to her. Varrick. He was lying on his side, his back turned to her. Oh...
Oh dear. Now she remembered. He came to her in the middle of the night, probably still intoxicated, and then they did ... the thing.
Zhu Li wondered what she should feel. Regretful? Angry? Happy? She felt, in fact, none of these. She was scared. What if Varrick wakes up to find out he and his assistance had done the thing - and would fire her? He never even showed any interest in her in the first place, and she could imagine what it felt like to wake up next to someone they only saw as their employee and nothing more. Zhu Li crawled back under her blanket, turning her back at him as well and closed her eyes.
Oh please, dear lord - don't let me lose my job! She waited until he would wake up. Se heard him mumble things, such as "Cookie jar's empty" or "I don't like chocolate pudding" - and then another time she heard him silently whisper her name. Over and over again. "Zhu Li ... Zhu Li ..."
She felt oddly sad about how desperate his voice sounded while calling for her. What was he dreaming, she wondered. That she would leave him? Betray him again? Or needed her help? She wanted to hug him, but didn't dare to even look at him. To the point were she heard something rustling behind her, by a following:
"Zhu Li?"

Zhu Li gulped. He was awake. And he had noticed her. For at least ten seconds, she didn't dare to breath, to move or speak. But as she suddenly felt his hand resting on her shoulder, she jerked and turned around in a flurry. Blue eyes stared at her, Varrick's hair was messy and curly and so was his moustache. He looked so handsome and she would have expressed it, if she wouldn't be shivering to the bones in fear.
"G-Go-Good morning ... sir." she tried to save the situation. Varrick blinked at her in confusion upon finding her as topless as he was.
"Zhu Li ... i think ... i think i'm still dreaming, am I?"
"What?" now she blinked in confusion.
"I must be dreaming ... i would never wake up to you in the same bed, and remember such things we might have done last night and feel such a weird ... feeling in my chest." She bit her lip at his words. "I think ... i think i'm having a heartattack."
"No, Sir ... i feel it too. "
He suddenly reached his hand out for her. And this time, it didn't stop and landed on her shoulder. He actually touched her face. He gently brushed his thumb over he cheekbone, his fingers sinking down in to the mess of chocolate-brown hair.

"Zhu Li...?" - "Yes ... Varrick?"
"It's really cold in here." he lifted his arm. "Do you wanna - uhm - do the thing?"
She understood instantly and with a smile and a nod, she scooted closer to him, resting her head against his chest, her hands around his warm, soft body, while his strong, masculine arm looped around her. His chin rested on her head and he soaked in her scent of honey and tea. And by now, Varrick was sure - it was not a dream. It was way too beautiful to be a dream anymore.