Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or the characters in the show.

A/N hey everyone! Here's another commissioned story, this time: shapeshifting!modern AU. I got influence from a TON of different sources, from Teen Wolf, Riverdale (lol wut), Twilight (again wut), and lots of different internet searches to get this little nugget. And also, cliche Katara being a mermaid, and completely different Zuko being a kitsune, so let me know what you guys think. As usual, there's smut at the end so beware if you have an aversion to sex.

Thanks for reading y'all!

Dreary would be an understated word to describe the Township of Anville. It seemed like a perpetual cloud of depression hung over the coastal town, apparent to Zuko the moment he and his mother drove past the faded welcome sign in their Rolls Royce. Ursa had insisted that it was a nice place, but Zuko was quick to think otherwise as they rolled through the streets, misty rain hitting the windows and the clouds obscuring the early morning sunlight.

"I'm sure you'd rather be back at home, but with your father being in jail-"

"I don't want to be anywhere one thousand miles from him," Zuko hissed before pressing his forehead back to the window. It had only been a month since he was released from the hospital, and one of the first days he was able to go out without half of his face wrapped in gauze. The first day he was able, they flew far away from their home on the East Coast to the other side of the country, where Ozai's wretched hands couldn't reach them.

Ursa sighed and rested her hand on his knee as she murmured, "Musuko, understand that your father is trying to prove his innocence. Without your support, he will remain in jail."

"He belongs there," Zuko suggested bitterly. He sniffed and hated the way that the salty air lingered in the back of his throat, just as much as he hated how the rainy weather was making his face and chest ache. "And we are to pay his repentance by hiding here until his trial. Perhaps he can trick the jury into thinking he's innocent instead of pulling us further into his mess and sully our own reputation to barely save his. I want nothing to do with him."

Ursa did not comment further than a downtrodden sigh, because she was pulling the car into a driveway of a gated home. After she entered a code into the keypad on the gate, she said, "This is the only property that doesn't have your father's name, so it was the only one that wasn't seized in the investigation. We will stay here until everything is settled back down."

"I'm not going back," he declared hotly.

"I don't expect you to."

The car pulled towards the house behind the gates and Ursa pulled the key out of the ignition once she parked. Zuko stared up at the home, a two-story cottage overgrown with vines and dead weeds. It was clear no one had lived here in years, perhaps as long as Zuko had been alive, and he scowled at the dead bird laying in the grass near the stone path.

"Well, it's better than the Holiday Inn," Ursa huffed before opening her door. "Come on, Zuko. We have some gardening to do."

~#~

Katara was sure something new entered the town limits when the hair on her neck stood up at dawn. She rose from her bed, weary of the new presence as it tingled against her senses, and immediately tried to fight the way her nerves seemed thrilled at the new arrival. When she descended the stairs of her modest home, she met eyes with her brother Sokka as he sat at the dining room table with the newspaper opened as he ate his breakfast. Immediately, she knew he seemed aware of the strange presence, as well.

"Have you read the news today, Kat?" he mentioned in a casual tone that spoke of warning.

As Katara shook her head, he tossed her the national news section of the paper and her eyes immediately went to the headlining article and adjourning photograph:

"Businessman and mogul Ozai Pyralis charged with fraud, embezzlement, and assault, among other charges. Trial pending as his family withdraw statements made at the indictment hearing."

She saw the way his eyes seemed to pierce through the camera and right into her soul, the color a distinguishable golden that spoke of his true nature, and she frowned as she said, "A fox in the sheep's den?"

Sokka snorted and replied cryptically, "Or the fox in the shark's waters."

Without another word and a grin on her lips, Katara grabbed her bag, then stepped out of the house and into the rain to run to the market. Today was when the freshest haul of fish and shrimp would be coming in, and she was certain her father would be partial to paella for dinner, so she wanted to grab the best of the bunch before heading over to the library to return her books. When she arrived at the market, however, she was aware of the heavy sensation of the strange new presence pressing down on her shoulders. Her eyes scanned the scant amount of people shopping and landed on the back of a broad-shouldered and tall hooded stranger.

He turned after paying for a small basket of goods and behind the protection of his hood she was greeted with a marred profile, fresh by the looks of it. His jaw was strong as his body appeared to be, and the second he turned towards her direction she was struck with the handsomeness of the rest of his face and the golden color of his eyes, same as the ones in the newspaper. Immediately, it told her of the source of the new presence that had been pressing against her since the morning.

But when he seemed to realize she was watching him, she already vanished from his sight. From her hiding spot behind a stall, she saw him furrow his brow before turning on his feet and pulling his hood tighter to the scar as he stepped out into the rain and started hiking up the hill towards the outskirts of town. As soon as he turned a corner, she was heading straight to her father at the docks. She entered the office without knocking, and Hakoda lifted his head to greet her with a knowing smile.

The door closed, and Katara got straight to the point, "Ozai Pyralis's son is here."

Hakoda nodded and set down the papers he had been reading. "I am aware. I felt them, too."

"Is this going to be a problem for our people?"

Hakoda sighed and stood, weariness clear in his light eyes as he looked out the window towards the rolling sea. "Zuko and Ursa Pyralis had nothing to do with Ozai's crimes. If I was informed correctly, Zuko made a statement against his father after he retracted his original testimony, which resulted in a brutal beating that landed him in the hospital for weeks."

Katara mulled her jaw and folded her arms under her chest. "Should we keep an eye on them?"

"Until they prove to be malicious, we will leave them alone," Hakoda declared softly. "Spirits know they have dealt with enough attention for the past few months. Perhaps staying here will provide them with the peace they deserve."

"Are you sure, papa?"

His smile was tired, but he nodded as he met her eyes. "Why don't you befriend the boy? He's probably very lonely."

~#~

For the first time in the two weeks since they arrived, the rain had let up and Zuko felt it was a good time to go for a jog. With no one prowling the streets so late, he would be more able to loosen the tensions that had been lingering in his limbs since he left the hospital. Too long without a release proved to be detrimental to his well-being. His parents had both warned him of the pitfalls of his lineage, and he was certain to exercise his abilities as much as he could, but ever since the incident he hadn't had the chance to get out.

So, as he picked up his pace and let his mind slip into a meditative state, Zuko ran. His legs pushed him far and fast, faster than a normal human, and his eyes opened for the first time in months. The water on the ground was never a hindrance, leapt over as if insignificant, and the lights of the streets were unneeded. Colors were bright, even in the dark of night, and the edges of everything sharpened. Such was his ability, and his curse.

He saw everything, big and small, and he smelled everything from the petrichor to the lingering scents of the spaghetti made for dinner by a family a block away. The sea pushed the thick scent of salt over him, filling the air with a heavy fog that hung over the entire town. It gave him cover, it gave him refuge. To be free, to succumb to his nature, to break.

To be able to see what seemed like a large fin dip back into the waters of the otherwise calm harbor as he passed the docks.

He slowed down and focused his sight on the water again. There was a strange discoloration, faint, dark blue and almost misty, like an aura of some sort that he recognized in the goonies his father hired for less-than-legal dealings. He blinked again, but the swirling was gone.

If it had been a fish, it was a huge one that had no business being so close to shore. The fin was too small to be a whale's, at least one that wouldn't have another much larger whale nearby. And it looked nothing like a shark fin, and the color was too blue to belong to any type of marine animal of that scale.

Frowning, Zuko started to back away from the docks and started to race back to his house. Seeing that no one else was out, he quickly let himself slip into his natural form and pad towards the cottage at breakneck speed. His feet hit the ground in a cadence he welcomed, quick and silent. When he reached the gates, he squeezed through the bars and darted towards the front door before shifting back and opening it.

His still-sharp eyes immediately went to where Ursa was sitting in front of the fire with a book in her hands. "Mother?"

She glanced up and smiled as soon as she saw him, clearly seeing his slitted eyes and heaving chest. "Musuko, back so soon from your run?"

Zuko frowned and took the seat across from her. He cut straight to the point, "There's something wrong with this town."

"What do you mean?"

"There's a heavy presence weighing on me," he remarked as he rubbed his temple. "I feel like I'm being watched every time I go out, and just now I saw a strange thing swimming in the harbor."

Ursa closed her book and set it on her lap with a sigh. "Zuko, you have nothing to worry about. This town is perfectly safe, and there is no reason for it not to be."

Zuko rose his single eyebrow in a silent question. She was hiding something from him, he knew it.

Ursa sighed again, "The sins of the father will remain so, musuko. You need not to fret over a few watchful eyes. It's a small town and we're new here, so we're bound to be noticed. It will go away eventually."

Zuko did not reply, but deep down he hoped her statement had been true. After all, it seemed the misdeeds of his father seemed to follow them no matter where they went, and even in an eerie town like this the past was sure to catch up with them. And he could only hope the strange citizens would go easy on them once they were found out.

~#~

Morning came and Katara greeted the rare sunshine with a stroll through the town. The air was crisp and refreshing, and the sunlight made her skin crawl with delight. Her late night stress relief had been cut short at the fear of being spotted by the new boy as he ran by the docks, so coming out to enjoy the weather now was a great way to make up for the lack of peace last night.

Speaking of the new boy...

He was running again, just like last night. How often does this guy run? And shirtless, for that matter?

Grinning, she decided it would be a great time to toy with him, to befriend him like her father asked. Luckily for her she was already dressed in leggings and comfortable shoes, so she hastened herself so she was quickly running side by side with the strange scarred boy. He immediately noticed her, confusion and suspicion clear on his face, and she only grinned in reply before pushing her legs more so she started going faster than him.

He huffed and she could feel him push himself harder and match her pace, but she only moved her legs faster so she was ahead again. Due to her abilities, she was luckily able to race around like this without much strain, as it would also be if she was in the water. For this boy, it didn't quite seem the case despite his obvious supernatural enhancements. It was a constant competition until they arrived at the iron gates of his rustic home, with him panting and doubling over as she grinned and propped her hands on her hips.

"I win."

He glared up at her, giving her a good look at the scar covering his left eye and the golden color of his irises. "Yeah, well... I'm just now... getting back into shape."

She figured he knew she was looking at his scar, so she decided to cut straight to the chase. "How did it happen?"

His eyes flickered dangerously and he straightened up. There was a haunted look on his face as he stared at her, then he sighed and turned his head so the scar was no longer visible to her. "An accident. Back at home."

She knew that wasn't the case, seeing the change in his aura to a muddy color that belonged to liars, but she decided not to push it. Instead, she shot out her hand and grinned. "Katara Marin."

He didn't even hesitate to take her hand and shake it as he replied, "Zuko Pyralis."

She was immediately intrigued by the heat coming off his rough palms. "You have very warm hands."

"Maybe your's are just cold," he retorted sharply and let her go.

Katara was pleased to see his eyes flash with curiosity instead of anger, and she felt it was a good time to get this boy to warm up to her. "You just moved here, right?"

He nodded, but said nothing.

The silent type, then? Katara steeled herself from getting irritated at the one-sided conversation they were inevitably going to have, and she said, "If you are looking for anything in town, I'd be happy to help. We have a really nice library and there's lots of things to do on the water once the weather warms up."

"Thanks, I'll let you know," he replied in an almost-short tone. "But for now, I'll just hang out here."

She tilted her head in curiosity and decided to test the waters. "You know, you can't always keep yourself locked up in your house all the time."

His only eyebrow shot up and he blinked a few times. "What?"

Seeing he didn't seem angry at her barb, she decided to take her father's advice. "Would you like to come out with me and some friends tonight? We're going to the abandoned farm outside of town for some dancing and drinking. It'll be fun. And get you out of this place."

Zuko looked up at his house, overgrown with vines and eerily vacant, and he sighed before turning back to her and giving her a slight smile. "Sure."

Success. Katara's grin widened and she said, "Great! I'll get you at eight."

~#~

Katara arrived at his door at 7:59, her long-sleeved blue dress flattering her already glittering eyes, the same eyes he couldn't get out his head since she left him that morning. She was smiling at him like she had a secret, and for some reason it made him start to regret agreeing to come out with her for the night. Her grin widened as she quickly pulled him out of his house and towards the truck parked in his driveway. Another teen was at the wheel, his appearance almost identical to Katara's, and Zuko was quick to learn that he was her brother.

"Older brother," he corrected as they all crammed into the single cab and he shifted the truck into reverse. The farm Katara had spoken of was about a half hour drive north of the town, abandoned years ago after the owner passed away with no children or family members to give the land to. The state had reclaimed the land after a year, but nothing had been done to it yet, mostly due to the persuasiveness of Anville's mayor, Arnook, and his claim that it was a heritage site for the people of his town.

Zuko felt like Katara wasn't telling him the whole truth.

"So where are you from, Zuko?" Sokka asked him once Katara had finished the little history lesson.

"Manhattan," he replied. "I was going to Columbia before we moved here."

"Rich and smart," Sokka remarked, somewhat sarcastic though genuine at the same time. "You sure know how to pick 'em, Kat."

"Hush it, Sokka," Katara hissed back to her brother before turning to Zuko again. "Do you like it here in Anville so far? I know it's not as glamorous as New York City, but it has its charms."

Zuko nodded and picked at the fraying fabric of his jeans at his knee. "It's quiet, which is exactly what I need."

Katara's face seemed to fall at that comment and she said, "Oh, no. Would going to this party be a bad idea? It'll be loud and there's a lot of people-"

Zuko shook his head and gave her a reassuring smile- well, as reassuring as he could - as he replied, "No, it's fine. Everyone needs to let loose every once in a while, right?"

"Fuck, yeah they do!" Sokka exclaimed as he reached over Katara and offered his fist to Zuko. When Zuko knocked his knuckles against it, Sokka whooped and turned up the radio. Katara met Zuko's eyes and gave him a dazzling smile, one that strangely made Zuko's chest feel tight and his good cheek to get hot. He almost choked on his breath at his body's reaction, and he quickly snapped his gaze back to the window to watch the world fly by. Not the admittedly beautiful girl next to him.

When Sokka pulled the truck off of the narrow highway onto an almost-hidden gravel path. His headlights were turned to the brightest setting and they drove deeper and deeper into the woods that stretched higher and higher above them.

"These are some of the oldest trees in the whole country," Katara stated, clearly seeing Zuko's wonder at their size. He met her eyes and she smiled that gleaming smile again. "That's another reason why Mayor Arnook fought so hard to keep this land undeveloped. Chop down these trees, and you destroy history."

Sokka snickered and wistfully added, "That and his daughter really likes the-"

Katara swiftly elbowed him in the side, causing him to jerk the wheel slightly and for the siblings to start bickering lowly so he couldn't hear. It eerily reminded Zuko of his little sister, and how she was currently hiding in Japan to avoid the same people who hunted down their father.

Zuko's once-excited mood died right in that instant. As the siblings continued to argue, he sighed and watched as the trees parted and revealed a wide open clearing that overlooked the ocean. In the center of the clearing was a barn that was definitely not run down. In fact, it looked like it was freshly painted and recently had an addition to the east side of the building. There were at least a dozen other cars and trucks - most likely every teen in the entirety of Anville and perhaps even the neighboring towns - and many were filing inside to dance to the music that was practically shaking the ground.

Katara was bouncing in her seat in her excitement, and as soon as Sokka pulled over and parked his truck, she reached across Zuko's chest to open the door and usher him out. He stumbled out of the cab and quickly righted himself before he was being tugged full-speed towards the barn. Her excitement was clear and intoxicating, making his heart race with wonder and thrill as her melodic laughter carried over the music.

The sheer volume of the music made his head spin, and the surprising amount of people inside the barn made his hackles rise and his excitement quickly switched to anxiety. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't stop his senses from sharpening and seeing everything.

Everything from the millions of colors refracting in the lights, the vibrations in the air from the music, the smell of sweat and alcohol mixed with the sweetness of fruit and cola. The veil-like and colored auras that he recognized from his time back in New York, auras that told him of a less than typical - or rather, less than human - nature.

Different auras that were surrounding almost everyone in the barn.

His racing heart picked up to a buzzing rate and he realized that he was in the middle of a hive of supernatural beings like himself. A faint sensation of a hand on his good cheek brought his attention back to the girl that had brought him there, and his eyes settled on her and the strange dark blue shroud that covered her. His panic increased tenfold and he tried to tear himself away from her so he could flee, but she was quick to hush him and his fears with a firm kiss on his lips.

Zuko was quickly overwhelmed with the scent and taste of her - both strong with the essence of the sea and spice - and he let himself kiss her back. It was strange, kissing a girl who he barely knew in a place full of people who would likely kill him if they knew who he was, and enjoying it. The music vibrated through his bones and helped him settle into the pace of the kiss: slow, sensual, hot and exhilaration. Perhaps it was the kiss itself, from the girl with motives unknown, and Zuko quickly righted himself and broke away from her.

Katara wrapped her arms around his shoulders and forced him to sway with the music, her hips pressing against his as her lips grazed his good ear, "It's alright. We're all friends here."

For some reason, the lilt of her voice seemed almost like a purr. It lulled him into a fake sense of comfort as his hands tightened their grips on her waist. "What are you?"

Katara leaned away and the grin on her lips was vicious, and absolutely breathtaking. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

Without another word, she tugged him out of the barn and back into the fresh air of the night. Zuko looked up to see the full moon high in the sky, shining down on Katara like some sort of beacon. She led him down the steep hill, away and out of sight, and soon they were treading on sands that gave way to the rolling ocean. She let go of his hand and swiftly pulled her dress over her head.

Zuko's panic returned and he felt his face flush when her bra was tossed haphazardly to the side. "Wait! You don't-"

She grinned at him from over her shoulder and replied, "A deal's a deal, right?"

He didn't have time to answer as she shimmied out of her panties and turned to face him fully, nude body bathed in the crisp moonlight, and Zuko's breath caught at her magnificent form. The veil was still surrounding her, not enough to hinder the view but enough to tug on his curiosity.

What was she?

Silently answering his unspoken question, Katara sauntered over to a rock that jutted out from the beach and towards the deeper parts of the water. She glanced at him one last time, blue eyes twinkling with mirth and something Zuko could only describe as lust, and she dove. Her body broke through the water like she was a droplet returning home, and Zuko quickly rushed to the rock where she had once been to stare down into the water that had swallowed her up.

His eyes quickly adjusted and he saw the faint blue shroud that had surrounded her swirling through the deeper parts of the water further out- just like the one he had seen the night before. He couldn't quite make out the shape - a skill he had yet to learn - but he could see it approaching at a rate he didn't think possible for a human.

When she broke the surface of the water, he could see why.

A long blue tail with a flared fin - the exact same one he saw the night before - and iridescent scales that reflected the bright light of the moon. Her breasts were still bare, but now freckled with scales like her entire torso. She laid on her back in the water, long hair floating around her head like a halo. She was giving him an ample view of every bit of her transformed body, and Zuko had to remind himself to breathe. After she swam a large circle in the water, she swiftly returned to where he was now perched. Her tapered fingers gripped the rock and nimbly pulled her up next to him, and he could see the webbing between them that matched the colors of her fin and scales.

He met her eyes and saw the same glimmering and impossibly blue color looking at him with excitement. Her tail flicked against the water and her lips pulled up into a smirk as she said coolly, "Okay. Your turn, zenko kasai."

His stomach dropped and he stared at her with horror. This... mermaid knew what he was?! How? He hadn't been seen by anyone in his form, at least not since before he was burned, so he had no idea how she could have figured him out so quickly!

"I can read auras," she stated, answering his internal questions, "so I can tell what you are by the shade and texture of your aura. A vibrant gold, just like your eyes."

"And yours is dark blue..." He knows he's gaping at this point in time. "But I didn't know..."

Her smirk returned and she said, "I can teach you, kitsune."

Zuko scowled and leaned away from her. "Why do you keep referring to me like that? Would you like me to keep calling you mermaid?"

Katara shook her head with a genuinely remorseful look on her face and she took his hand. Her fingers felt clammy and cold. "I'm sorry, Zuko. It's just... we don't ever see much more than people like me. Seeing something new is exciting. I couldn't help myself."

Zuko didn't say anything back. After all, what could he say? That he was thrilled that she saw him as some hot commodity or that he was happy that she figured him out so quickly when he was trying to hide?

Katara must have noticed his ire and unease because she leaned forward and kissed him again. This time, her lips were cool and soothing, whereas before they had been hot and demanding. When she pulled away, Zuko felt the distress literally get sucked out of him and he let his shoulders drop.

"You don't have to if you don't want to."

Her statement oddly eased him. It was strange, how much he actually trusted her despite the fact that he only met her a few hours prior to this moment. She eased him, like a balm on a burn, and it made him want to break down the walls he had so meticulously built up since the incident back home.

Although shaky, Zuko nodded and breathed deeply. He let himself release the careful hold he had on his true nature, slow and steady as his senses went into overdrive and his body succumbed to its natural instincts. When he opened his eyes, they locked onto Katara's and took in every dot of color there. The cerulean, the teal, the seafoam, the sapphire and cyan. Every single beautiful swirl of color that he let himself get lost in just as he lost his humanity.

He knew his eyes changed first, the pupils narrowing into slits as the golden color practically glowed like a fire. It was followed by the fangs he felt pressing into his lips, then the sharpening of his nails into deadly claws and finally the complete transformation into his true form, with his fur revealing itself and the fire-tinged tails growing out of his aura. He let himself change slowly, so she could see every part, and when he felt his shirt rip as his shoulders broadened, he saw her eyes widen with simultaneous fear and wonder.

The low grumbling in his chest told her that he was finished, and was waiting for her reaction. Her keen eyes darted to the left side of his face, seeing the discoloration of his scar and the lack of fur, and then to the four fiery tails that were loftily waving behind him. She visibly swallowed, then her hand lifted up and she brushed the mottled skin on his cheek. Zuko's heart slammed against his chest - no one touched that - and he snarled at her as he backed away, retreating down the rock and back to the beach. His paws sank into the sand and he quickly transformed back into his human self. The shreds of his shirt fell off of him in a limp heap, and he turned on his heels to march back up the hill.

"Zuko, wait!"

He stalled enough to see her clamber out of the water, her legs now present instead of her tail, and she ran to him - still completely naked, and he tried not to focus on that fact - before grabbing his hand once more.

"Please, don't go!" she plead. Zuko tried not to look at her - out of propriety or anger, he didn't know. She grabbed his other hand and clutched them both right at her chest. "Please. I didn't mean to offend you. It's just... I want to help you, and get to know you. Not scare you away. Really, I mean no harm."

Zuko was shocked at the genuine look in her eyes, and the way her skin seemed to warm at his touch, but he couldn't. Not yet. There was just too much to take in, knowing that the people up dancing in the barn were just like her and would see what he was, and despite the fact that he had literally just met her, he was scared at the fact that she was aware of his most precious secret. He couldn't trust her, nor could he trust the way he felt around her knowing what she was.

So he had to run.

"I'm sorry," he managed to murmur before ripping off the rest of his clothes and completely changing to his natural form. Without another glance, he ran away. He remembered the way back from the highway, but he didn't want to risk being spotted by a human. So he darted through the woods, anchoring on the scent of the town and his home on the outskirts. At his fastest pace, it would take him an hour of nonstop running, which he knew he had to do even if his body wasn't ready for it again. He had to get away, to flee the girl with the all-seeing eyes and the delicious lips.

He could feel his body start to struggle less than halfway through the trip, but he had to keep pushing. He sped past fallen trees and over rocks and hills that brought him closer and closer to the town. He could smell it even more now, that familiar scent he still couldn't quite describe, and he pushed himself even harder. The edges of his vision were starting to blur, and he felt himself sway and tilt with lightheadedness. But he had to push on until his home was in sight. The second he leapt over his fence and his paws landed on the familiar ground, he shifted back into a human and let himself pass out in exhaustion on the lawn.

~#~

Katara waited until the party died down before returning to the barn. She had leapt back into the ocean after Zuko fled, using the water to hide the tears she couldn't help but shed. She kicked herself and continuously cursed how forward she had been, how she hadn't handled the situation with as much discretion as she had wanted. She knew Zuko was skittish, such was his nature as a kitsune, but she had hoped to bring him out of his shell by revealing the others in the area that were like her, and by extension like him.

Unfortunately it backfired and he ran away.

But not before she got an ample view of his nude body. One that she couldn't keep out of her head.

After she redressed herself, Katara grabbed the clothes Zuko had shed and folded them up, using the excuse to bring them back to him the next morning as a way to explain herself. Sokka met her at the top of the hill, aware of what she had planned and subsequently done, and silently led her back to the truck. He didn't ask any questions, but did mention that the local café had a deal on coffee and bagels the next morning.

So here she was, walking up the path that led to his secluded home with a tray of two coffees in one hand and a bag of bagels in the other. She remembered the code Zuko had entered when they left the night before, so she pressed the buttons with her pinky finger and the gate was quickly swinging open for her. The Rolls Royce his mother drove was gone, so Katara figured she was gone with it. She could only hope that Zuko had stayed behind. After his hasty retreat, she assumed he would have been too exhausted to even leave his bed.

Hence the coffee.

She rang the doorbell and took a step away from the door, then less than a minute later the door swung open to reveal a shirtless and extremely disheveled Zuko. His eyes were shadowed with fatigue and plain irritation, so Katara merely smiled and presented the coffee and bagels.

Zuko sniffed the coffee with a disdainful look, then sighed, "I can't drink a mocha cappuccino. It'll make me sick."

"That one's for me," she replied, gently pushing past him to walk inside. "I brought you black with cinnamon and foam. I figured that's what you would like."

She could see he was eyeing her skeptically as she went straight to the dining room table to the left to set down her load. She took the drinks out of the tray, then reached into the bag to pull out the napkins and bagels. As she did so, Zuko closed the door and walked over quietly, his bare feet whispering on the ground as he came closer. She became keenly aware of his presence, heavily baring down on her like it always had been since he first arrived. But being so close - especially after everything that happened the night before - she was sure she was in a dangerous place. For her well-being and her heart.

"Thank you."

She jerked her head up to see him looking at the bagels and the coffee, a slight smile on his face. "What?"

He met her eyes and gave her a half shrug before sitting down and grabbing his coffee. "My mother had to leave this morning for some... business back home. And I honestly don't feel well enough to make myself any food."

Katara smiled and followed his lead, taking her drink and a bagel. "I'm glad I could help... Though, I was afraid you weren't going to let me in..."

His face quickly soured and he sighed heavily. "Are we safe here? I don't want to stay if we are unwelcome."

"As long as you behave yourselves, you should be fine," Katara remarked. Zuko met her eyes again and she added with a smile, "After all, there has to be a reason your mother picked this place instead of any other town to run away from Ozai."

Zuko visibly bristled when his father's name was mentioned, and Katara could feel the anxiety literally roll off of him in waves. She reached over and took his hand, in which he quickly accepted by twining their fingers together. Though, his unease was still prevalent.

"Can you tell me why you both had to come here?" she asked softly, the question clearly causing his jaw to clench. "Typically families don't flee when their loved ones are on trial."

"Not every family is like mine," he stated instantly. "My father is a bad man, and we came here so he couldn't hurt me- I mean, us... anymore."

That was interesting. "What do you mean?"

He sighed, a long weary sigh of someone much older than him, and he lowered his eyes to their joined hands. After a long moment, he rubbed his good eye with the heel of his free hand and started lowly, "A few months ago, I was approached by an FBI agent while I was between classes. He said that there was an investigation going on over my father and his business dealings and that if I knew anything I should come forward. I didn't know anything about it, so I told him of such, and he left me alone. My sister was always the one who got involved with the family business, not me. I was never good at it, nor held much interest in it, so I was kept ignorant of the finer details.

"About a week later, a different agent - the first agent's partner - came to me while I was at my martial arts class." Zuko sighed and tore his hand away from hers to run it through his already messy hair. "She told me that she needed to take an official statement from me and that I needed to come to the local police department. My mother and my lawyer were already there, so I was escorted into an interrogation room immediately to make my statement. When I did, all they asked me was what kind of man my father was. Nothing about his business dealings or the people in his 'family' that worked with him. So I was honest: that my father was a powerful and imposing man, but honest and loyal and stern."

Katara remained silent as he spoke, alert yet hypnotized by his voice and story. It was one quality of his that she figured was innate with his nature as a kitsune. A benevolent one, but one regardless. His abilities were to trick and to influence, which either could easily be done with just the sound of his raspy and low voice. She wondered if he received his abilities from his mother or father, and if Ozai was more of a malevolent trickster if the powers came from him.

Perhaps that's what got them in this mess in the first place.

Zuko sighed, uneven and sharp, and he continued, "A deal went down one night when I was coming home from class: a man that worked for my father, Zhao, was walking out of the house with a large duffel bag. It had my father's initials on it. One sniff and I knew it was full of money. When I went inside and asked my father what was going on, he told me to mind my place and get out of his sight.

"The very next day, the two agents that were investigating my father had gotten in a car accident." Zuko's face pulled into a pained scowl. "The woman died, while the man slipped into a coma shortly after he was air evac'ed to the hospital. I demanded Ozai tell me if he was involved, to which he beat me like he had when I was a child. I was spitting blood for two full days and had to use my sister's makeup to cover the one bruise on my face. He was sure to only hit me where I could be covered up with clothes, except that one slip-up."

Katara could feel her heart breaking for him, literally feeling his pain as he recounted the story that led him here. Her whole stomach felt like it was full of crushed bricks and her heart constricted under his pain. She focused and looked at his aura, a muddy and warped color around his heart and his throat. His pain was starting to manifest in his chi paths and mess up his entire aura. In an attempt to calm and ease him, she squeezed his hand again.

"Zuko, that's horrible."

He snorted humorlessly, adorned with an equally bitter smirk, and he said, "That's not even the worst of it."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she insisted. Vaguely, she realized she hadn't touched her drink or her food. She knew her coffee was getting cold, but she didn't care. This was much more important, despite the fact that she and Zuko only just met. Had she really only met this boy yesterday? It seemed like much longer than that to her, almost as if she had known him her whole life. How could she feel so... attached and deeply for him? Seeing him in pain hurt her, too, and all she wanted to do was ease it and see him smile genuinely.

"No, it's fine," he responded hoarsely. His fingers carefully wove with hers again. "I tried to hide the bruises, but my friend, Jet, noticed something was wrong when we were sparring at class. Usually we end the night in a tie, but he beat me every round because I had broken ribs and couldn't move properly. He forced me to tell him what happened, and when I didn't say anything, he just knew. He had an abusive father before running away to live with friends in Brooklyn, so he was familiar with the signs even though I was pretty skilled at hiding them. He called the police and made a report, then they came and picked me up before my driver could.

"I refused to tell them anything, at least..." He swallowed thickly and took a long drink of his coffee. Katara let him gather himself, to ease his heart before revealing the rest of his story. And when he did, he did not hold back, "They showed me pictures... Of Zhao with the duffel bag leaving our property, of the evidence that the accident with the FBI agents was no accident with skid marks on the side of their SUV matching the scratches on Zhao's Cadillac... Pictures of me spitting up blood in a bush when I thought I was alone. They knew everything, but they just wanted me to confirm it."

Zuko's breathing picked up and he bit his lip in attempt to calm himself down, but to no avail because Katara could see his eyes were starting to shift. He was losing control, fighting so hard to keep himself gathered while he told her of his story. Quietly, Katara leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his scarred cheek. He stilled immediately and his slitted pupils quickly rounded again as he gasped and turned his head to fully face her. She smiled, then kissed him on his lips before leaning back and squeezing his hand.

It seemed to ease him enough, and he smiled slightly before taking another deep breath. "My original character statement about my father was discarded by the lawyers, citing 'coercion' by the investigators. But my statement about how my father had given Zhao the duffel bag and how he beat me after questioning his involvement in the accident was proof enough to get him indicted. That night, after Jet and I left the station and he dropped me off at home, I saw my father's car wasn't in the garage. So I assumed he wasn't home and I would be safe enough to run inside and pack a small bag of things so I could stay with a friend for the night until things blew over. However, before I could get to the elevator, I was jumped by four masked men. I fought them off as best as I could, but with my previous injuries it was incredibly difficult.

"I was taken down pretty quickly," he stated evenly, almost emptily. "After being stabbed a few times and two more ribs broken. My right eye was swollen shut and I was certain I was bleeding internally. Two of the men removed their masks, revealing themselves to me: Zhao and my ex-girlfriend's father, Ukano. I knew then and there who had sent them, and he strode out of the elevator not a minute later as Zhao and Ukano hoisted me to my knees with my arms pulled back behind me. The pain was unbearable, but nothing compared to the disdainful look my father gave me as he walked closer."

His breathing was picking up again, but his eyes were empty and dull. Katara wanted to stop him from telling her any more, but a tear dropped out of his eye as he quietly said, "One of the other men handed him a small flamethrower and he took it as he looked me in the eyes and said, 'You dishonor your family, Zuko, and you betrayed us all. You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher.'"

Zuko's breathing seemed to stop, and Katara had to squeeze his hand to bring him back to the present. He blinked a few times and shook his head, then he sighed and scrubbed his face with his free hand. "The next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital, covered with bandages and a police officer stationed outside my door. That was a week after it happened. My father had been arrested the morning after the attack, and is still now in prison waiting on his trial. I was in the hospital for about a month with all of my injuries: five broken ribs, broken eye socket, three stab wounds in my stomach, and internal bleeding. And of course the burns. My mother and I came here, because she had been from here before moving to New York for school, and this house belonged to her family. She knows he did this to me, and we hopped on a plane as soon as I was released for travel. We landed in Copalis the following morning."

Her whole body hurt, aching for him and his pain, and she immediately reached out and took his other hand and clutched them both over her heart. "I'm so sorry that this happened to you, Zuko. I know it's a hollow apology because we barely know each other, but I feel honored to be someone you trust enough to tell this story to."

Zuko's eyes were glassy and red, but his small smile was heartwarming and relieved. "Thank you."

"Now..." She paused and took in the raw look on his face, the tired vulnerability in his golden eyes, and she sighed. "Why don't you try to get some rest? I can come back later tonight and we can go out, just you and me, and we can talk more about... whatever."

Zuko seemed to deflate slightly at her suggestion. She could see a thought run through his mind, fleeting but strong, and he leaned forward slightly to murmur, "Or... you can stay here. Then we can go out together."

Her smile told him her answer before she could say anything, and he silently stood and kissed her on the crown of her head before leading her upstairs. Katara was quick to take in all of the surroundings, the narrow halls and the sparse rooms with furniture still covered with sheets. If she remembered correctly, Zuko and his mother moved to Anville a little over two weeks ago. They didn't have much need for these rooms, nor the furniture within them. Only three doors of the six in the hall housed space being used: Ursa's room, the hall bathroom, and their current destination, Zuko's room.

He led her inside and completely collapsed on the large mattress in the middle of the room. Katara looked at the walls, painted dark red and almost completely bare save for a mirror and a calendar. It was incredibly clean, down to the desk that housed a thin laptop and a small stack of school books. Katara took a seat at the desk, marveling at how full this room felt despite its material emptiness.

"I haven't had much time to unpack," Zuko remarked, his voice muffled from the pillow he had pressed against his face.

"It's charming," Katara replied with an honest smile. "My room is much more cluttered than yours, but I've also lived there my whole life. You've only been here a few weeks."

His eyes were lidded when he met hers, and a lazy smile was on his face. "When I wake up, you're going to tell me more about yourself. It's only fair."

She only had to nod before he closed his eyes and almost immediately fell asleep, his breathing slow and his aura calming from the turbulent pulsating it had been doing since he started recounting his story.

As Zuko slept, Katara opened her phone and texted her brother telling him what was going on. He replied about an hour later as she was reading one of the books on Zuko's desk, telling her to be careful. It was around lunch time when Zuko's alarm on his phone went off, and he quickly dismissed it before rolling over and falling right back to sleep. At this angle, Katara was able to see every scar on his torso from the attack, recently healed but faint enough now to not be jarring or overly noticeable like the one on his face.

With the story he told, she had to force herself to calm down and not swim all the way to New York and murder that man in his sleep for what he did.

She had to force herself to leave the room in order to breathe. So, she did what any normal person would: snoop. She slunk into Ursa's room, disappointed to see she was just as unpacked and void of personal items as Zuko's, and she poked around the empty spare rooms only to see they were just as empty of any interesting trinkets or information. When she decided she should feed herself she went back down to the dining room, heated up her coffee in the microwave, and snacked on one of the bagels she didn't touch earlier.

It wasn't until about midafternoon that Zuko came back down, yawning and rubbing his eyes. He had dressed himself in jeans and a tee shirt, and he was holding a pair of tennis shoes under his armpits. She smiled at him as she rose from her seat in the living room, and he frowned before sitting where she had just been.

"I thought you left," he accused, his voice rough with sleep.

"No, I just wanted to let you sleep in peace without some stranger staring at you the whole time," she replied cheekily.

"Yes, because having a stranger in my room is much worse than having them snoop around my house," he quipped when he finished tying his shoes, grinning her all the while.

"Are you hungry?"

He nodded as he stood. "Famished."

After he grabbed his jacket, she pulled hers back on and led him towards town. There was a diner right near the docks, a favorite place of her family, and as soon as they stepped in Bato, the owner, eyed Zuko skeptically before she hushed his look with a sharp one of her own. Zuko seemed to notice the exchange, but said nothing of it, and they slid into a booth together.

The waiter, Hahn, came over, eyeing Zuko strangely like Bato had. Zuko seemed to take in in stride, possibly used to strange looks no matter where he went, and Katara went ahead and told Hahn what they wanted. When their orders were taken and Hahn rushed away, Zuko sat back in his chair, eyes locked onto her, and he gave her a smirk.

"Alright. Your turn."

Katara leaned back as well. "Okay. What do you want to know?"

He shrugged and licked his lips. "Everything. I spilled my can of worms, the least you can do is the same."

Katara sighed and played with the straw in her water. "What can I really say? My father sort of acts as the town's leader, despite the fact that he's not the Mayor. He comes from the tribe that originally lived on this land, and so are most of the citizens here, so they go to him for almost everything. Everyone from the tribe has a... gift. Like you and me."

Zuko's brow furrowed. "They're all...?"

"No," Katara shook her head and folded her hands on the table as she leaned closer. "Wolves, hawks, bobcats, mountain lions, coyotes, eagles, crows... To some they are considered skinwalkers but my people are not evil. They get a bad rap because of colonizers back in the days of the Gold Rush. They protect the land, and the people living here."

Zuko leaned forward as well and his eyes were intense. "And you? I'm sure a mermaid isn't classified as a skinwalker."

Katara shook her head again and took a deep breath. "That's because I take after my mother. She was a mermaid."

Zuko's lone eyebrow arched, silently beckoning her to continue.

"She drifted here from Palau during a bad typhoon season." Katara smiled wistfully as she looked out the window towards the harbor, where the boats were starting to return with the days hauls. "My father caught her in his net, and it was love at first sight. They married a year later, and a year after that Sokka was born."

Zuko was silent, letting her gather her thoughts and continue. She was grateful for that consideration, and couldn't help herself from smiling and reaching across the table to take his hand like she had that morning. She could tell he knew where the conversation was going, based on the way her voice had gotten sad when she spoke of her mother.

"There was an accident," she decided to say, getting straight to the point. She saw Zuko's eyes widen with surprise and she continued, "I was out swimming with her, further out than we typically went, and there was a boat. See, there were men traveling south from Alaska, hoping to hunt supernatural creatures that swam in these seas: selkies, mermaids, or maybe even the Kraken... and they found us. They followed us, no matter how far out we went. We couldn't go back to the harbor because they would follow us in and try to kill us regardless. I was starting to get tired, and couldn't keep up, and I could hear them loading up their harpoon guns. My mother swam back to grab me, but it was too late. She protected me from being shot with the harpoon, but in her act of sacrifice she was hit instead."

She didn't realize how empty her voice had gotten until she added on, "I was ten."

Zuko's hands took hers and he brought her knuckles up to his lips. He kissed each of them, one by one, then he met her eyes. "I'm so sorry that happened to you."

Katara felt the corner of her lips quirk up and she shrugged. "It happened almost ten years ago."

He lowered their hands back to the table. "Still. That doesn't mean it should be easier to recall."

She shrugged again, but before she could retort, Hahn had returned with their food and put it on the table. Zuko scarfed down his burger, to which she snickered and he shrugged and mumbled something about being hungry, and they continued to eat in silence until both of their plates were completely empty and their drinks drained. Zuko laid down double the amount of their bill in cash, and led her outside of the diner without another word.

Katara took the lead, however, as soon as they reached the docks. She brought him to the northern cliffs that overlooked the harbor and turned to him as soon as they were on the edge of the wooden planks that ended at the rocky shore.

"I want to start over, with everything," she said. Zuko tilted his head in confusion - much like a dog, or rather fox, would - and she took his hand as she elaborated, "I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

Without waiting, Katara walked towards the rocky cliffs and started following the narrow path she knew led towards a system of caves that faced the ocean. She could feel Zuko follow closely behind her, navigating the uneven rocks with ease. Once they reached one of the bigger caves that was partially filled with water, she started pulling off her clothes just as she had the night before, and turned to face him once everything was shed.

Zuko was staring at her unabashedly, taking in her entire form with appreciation and lust. He licked his lower lip before biting it, then met her eyes with slitted pupils. As she started easing herself into the water, Zuko started shedding his clothes, as well. She let her body change, her scales becoming prevalent again and her legs fusing together to form her tail. The webbing between her fingers grew, and her gills opened up once more.

Katara broke the surface of the water right as Zuko completely pulled off his underwear and started changing into his true form. The fiery tails lit up the entirety of the cave, their light reflecting off the dark water she laid in. His eyes were just as bright as he padded slightly into the water, his paws close to her hands as he dipped his snout towards her face. He sniffed her, then pressed the scarred side of his face against hers. She took him in her hands, thumbs brushing against the different cheeks, and she sighed.

"I'm sorry you had to endure this," she murmured against his nose. He made a whining noise in response, and she stroked the fur on the top of his head. His glowing eyes met hers and she smiled. "But you're here, and you're safe. I'll protect you. I promise."

Right before her eyes, he changed back into his human form - faster than she had seen him change the night before - and he quickly captured her lips in a searing kiss. His skin was incredibly hot, but not enough to hurt her. A moan vibrated her throat as his warm hands were cupped her face, and he was pushing her deeper into the water as he deepened the kiss. His tongue was powerful and sure, just as his hands were as his body became completely submerged with hers and he began exploring.

Katara let herself slip back into her human form, her legs separating again only to wrap around his bare hips and pull him closer. Zuko's warm hands palmed her breasts, the calloused skin dragging against her nipples and sending a flare of heat to her center. As she gasped, Zuko sucked her tongue between his lips and pinched both nipples between his finger tips.

He was rough yet skilled, touching her gently in the more sensitive places, while grabbing her hard in the places that made her head spin. His teeth were just as sharp as they were accurate, nibbling the precise spot on her neck that made her vision become hazy and her voice become hoarse. She could feel his arousal, hot and hard, pressing against her thigh, and the thought of being the reason he was so unhinged thrilled her.

One of his hands snaked between their bodies and rubbed her folds, exploring with certainty and finesse. He entered her without trouble, fingertips stroking the deepest and most sensitive part of her very being, and he was quick to set a tempo that left her quaking and panting against him.

Zuko kissed her again, hot and wet, and he used his other hand to guide one of hers to his manhood. She tightly wrapped her fingers around it and reveled in the way it made his pacing stutter and his voice to crack as he said her name against her lips. She kept up with his tempo, stroking him as he thrust his fingers into her, and soon they were both writhing and moaning messes.

He was having a hard time keeping them afloat, so Katara pushed him so he was back up against the rocky shore of the cave. He grunted only once before kissing her roughly again. He removed his hand from her, causing her to whimper at the loss of his touch, and he quickly amended it by gripping her hips and hoisting her up so she was straddling him.

Their eyes met and he grinned before kissing her soundly once more. Katara took this as a silent question, waiting for her to accept him, and so she lowered herself onto him, taking every inch of his erection as deeply as she could. He groaned into her mouth, his grip on her hips tightening to a bruising force, and he thrust the last bit of his length up into her. Katara cried out when he hit a particularly sensitive spot, breaking their kiss, and Zuko used his chance to preoccupy his mouth with her nipples.

As he suckled and nibbled, his hands guided her to grind up and down against him. Every pass of her hips sent sparks through her whole body, and her center tightened and fluttered around him. He thrust up into her unevenly, his pace staggered by the tide pushing against their bodies, and he let out small moans when she let him sink into her deeper than the thrust before.

She picked up her pace, fucking him hard and deep enough to make her own cries uncontrolled and loud enough to bounce off of the walls of their hidden cave. Zuko's teeth sank into her neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist, and he rolled his hips into hers again. Stars erupted behind her eyes when he hit that sensitive spot again, causing her to moan his name deep in her throat.

He bit her again and he met her eyes - the gold with the pupils narrowed to slits - and he smirked wide enough to reveal his sharp teeth. With another roll of his hips, Katara gasped and tightened her grip on his shoulders. He kissed her hard then, deep and demanding, and kept rolling himself up into her until her vision spun and her voice became hoarse with her cries of pleasure.

Katara could feel the onsets of her climax, tightening and coiling in her belly with every thrust of his cock into her and every grind of his pelvis against her clit. Her body was quaking, begging for release, and her pleas were stammered against his lips. Zuko's hand fumbled between their joined hips and he pinched her clit, just enough to send her over the edge with loud cries and white hot pulses.

He kept guiding her hips against him, rolling his own in tandem as she came down from her blinding high. He came with a shout, his grip impossibly tight and his teeth digging into the supple skin of her breast. They stayed like that for a while, letting the tide push and pull against their hot bodies, cooling them and bringing them back to reality.

Katara slumped against him and sighed when he pulled himself out, and she let the water cleanse away the evidence of their tryst. Zuko met her eyes, his now a mellow gold without the slits, and he smiled before kissing her softly on the cheek.

"Let's get dressed and go back to my place, yeah?"

She nodded and smirked before kissing him back and replying, "The clothes won't stay on for long once we get there."

The wicked gleam in his eyes was enough to make the water around her steam and for her to wish that there was a creek or something she could swim up to get them back to his house faster.

~#~

Zuko woke to the smell of coffee and cinnamon. He rolled over with a grunt, burying his face into his pillow, and tried to slip back into the erotic dream that he was having. A hand rested on his back, shaking him, and he swatted it away before pulling one of his extra pillows over his head.

"Zuko, it's time to wake up."

He stiffened at the voice and his eyes shot open. He sat up so fast that his head spun and he met the deep blue eyes of Katara, and her mirthful smile and naked body.

"I see you're not much of a morning person," she remarked as she took a sip of coffee out of his mug.

He frowned and took the mug out of her hands before taking a sip himself, finding the source of the cinnamon as the warmth washed down his throat. "Only when I'm kept up all night."

Katara had the nerve to look bashful, even in her nude state, and she took the coffee back from him before replying, "I'm sorry I took time out of your precious beauty sleep, but I this is kind of important."

Zuko plopped himself back on the bed and stretched, then languidly draped his arm over her lap before nuzzling his face into her thigh. "Did you wake me to tell me that you're going to have to eat me now that we've mated?"

Her response was a swat to the back of his head, then she carded her fingers through his hair and sighed, "Actually, no... I got a text from my dad this morning... You're going to want to read the newspaper."

At the sound of rustling paper, Zuko lifted his head to see her holding up the national news section of the town's newspaper. Right in the center of the page was a picture of his father, fresh out of prison and smug as he looked into the camera with his piercing eyes.

"Falsified Reports! Ozai Pyralis freed on bail and good behavior after reports of evidence tampering has stalled court dates."

Immediately after reading those lines and looking back at the still picture of his father, Zuko's heart plummeted into his stomach and he fought the urge to vomit. Free? This couldn't happen! Zuko had just run away, and now his father was free again to possibly finish what he started! There was no way he didn't know that Zuko was here with Ursa - wait! Was that why she went back home? To meet Ozai as he was let out of prison?! Was she going to bring him there because this home was the only place that wasn't seized in the investigations? What would happen if he showed up-

Zuko didn't realize he was hyperventilating until Katara was cupping his face and kissing him hard on the lips. The shock was enough to bring him back to himself and slow his breathing. The second she broke away from him, the concerned look on his face filled his vision and blocked out the haunting eyes on the paper.

"Take a deep breath," she ordered, and he did as she told. She smiled, then rubbed her thumbs against his cheeks as she said, "I swear on my life, if he comes here, my family will protect you."

He shook his head out of disbelief. "Why?"

Katara shrugged and kissed him again. "Because I think you tricked me into liking you, so you're stuck with me."

Zuko couldn't help himself from snorting and replying, "It's called imprinting, and I didn't do anything, at least on purpose. Maybe you just put a spell on me and you're going to use me later down the road for one of your wicked games."

She quickly pressed his shoulders to the mattress and straddled his hips, pressing her wet warmth against his growing erection. With a smirk, she ground herself against him as she murmured huskily, "Let's just let bygones be bygones, and fuck until you forget about that monster, okay?"

He leaned up and kissed her hard before gripping himself and sliding into her as he said, "Seems like a plan to me."

fin.