A neglected wife: In the middle of a long day of meetings, Zuko accidentally walks in on his wife pleasuring herself. He's forced to realize he's been neglecting his highest priority, but surely there's a way to make it up to her.
Wedding Night Worship: Zuko's wedding night and an unintentional prequel to the neglected wife
Sokka
Modern-day college AU: When your ex tells you youâll never find anyone who can do it like him and your best friend bets you he can do it better than your ex, whatâs a girl to do but accept the challenge?
Zuko's wedding night. Could serve as a prequel to this one.
a/n: honestly no plot, just smut. with some zuko self-deprecation at the end because he's still a broody guy at the end of the day.
i see other people put warnings/tags so I'm just going to follow it how I understand it: Married relationship/first time; 1st person with some of Zuko's pov.
word count: 2.2k
Zuko pulled me in for a deep, loving kiss that made my toes curl. His large hands grazed up and down my back, leaving shivers in their wake. When he pulled away to gaze at me, it was as if he was teasing the threads of my composure. We had laid side-by-side many times in our youth but never like this, skin-to-skin. His skin was warm and surprisingly soft everywhere. Every shift of movement felt like silk kindling.
Then Zuko kissed the top of my forehead. He kissed tantalizing trails all over my cheeks, down one side of my neck, all the way to my fingertips. And then across my chest to kiss the other hand. He kept mental note of every spot that made me sigh or gasp, especially as his kiss trailed down my body towards my ankles. He kissed down one leg, and up the other, methodically unraveling my composure on his journey. The need pooling at my center made me want to cry when he seemed passed it without notice. But then his hands, which had been caressing me in tandem with his kisses landed on my inner thigh. He was hovering over me again, propping himself up with the opposite arm. Our chests grazed each other as we breathed heavily, subtly heightening my need for him. His trail of kisses teased back at my lips.
âPlease, ZukoâŠI need you.â I heard myself beg; too desperate to be embarrassed.
âOf course, love.â He whispered against my lips before sliding his hand up.
His fingertips met my near-dripping center with a soft swipe over my entrance, landing easily on a nub that granted him my biggest gasp thus far. He smirked, in spite of himself. Slow, easy circles traced over that bud sent me into a spiral. My core tensed and my thighs were trembling almost immediately. He trailed kisses down my now shaky neck before landing back on my chest. His tongue mirrored his finger for a moment, circling my nipple before sucking on it gently. My back arched to give him better access. My hands eagerly entangled themselves in his hair. Zukoâs fingers moved faster, he started switching from circling to flicking and back again. I was becoming delirious and my gasps had grown into shaky moans. I felt all of my blood must be rushing to meet his fingertips, begging to share this otherworldly sensation. The magnetic tension holding me against him released suddenly, and I let out a long delirious moan.
àŠàŠàŠ
Zukoâs hand stilled, but he didnât remove it right away. He merely lifted his head to admire the sight of his new wife orgasming on his fingers. The tension in her furrowed brows and dropped jaw rose to a tense peak before deflating with satisfaction. He wanted to stay in the evidence of his first success until his fingers pruned. But not as much as he wanted to chase his second.
àŠàŠàŠ
Another run of kissing trails over my neck, and I lazily hummed at the steam of his mouth against me. But this time, he didnât pass my center without recognition. This time, it was his destination. Zuko guided my legs to open wider for him. A shocked âoh!â jumped out of me when he placed a soft kiss on that same, sensitive nub. He let his mouth hover and his tongue followed the trail his fingers left. I was in ecstasy. Every sensation heightened, faster and needier than before. My hands gripped the bedsheets with desperation as his tongue made a mess of me. It was so blinding, I clamped my trembling thighs around his head. I tried to pull myself away from the overwhelming sensations but his big hands tightened their grip on my hips to hold me in place. The resulting orgasm was even more intense than the last one. My entire body shook from the tremors of my blood roaring back through my veins. The trail of kisses back up my body was noticeably wetter than before. When his mouth found mine, his tongue teased mine with more than just his own saliva. He had settled himself easily between my legs, a delight I only had half a mind to be conscious of.
âAre you ready?â He whispered against my cheek.
I paused. Ready? What else could there be? I craned my neck to face him. His bright, golden eyes were hazy but pleading. I nodded.
àŠàŠàŠ
It shouldnât have surprised Zuko how quickly she came the second time. He was a little jealous how women could just do that over and over againâof course, not too jealous to deprive her of it. No, what surprised him the most was that when her thighs had clamped around his head, it had excited him even more. He became desperate to taste as much of her as possible and when she released on his mouth, he felt a roar of victory inside him. He was sure now, that the next part wouldnât hurt her.
àŠàŠàŠ
Zuko eased fully into me with one gentle push. My eyes shut and my back arched instinctively at the sudden stretch of accommodating him. I heard him groan next to my ear as my own voice let out a nonsensical whimper. He started with slow, shallow thrusts as I breathed heavily trying to get used to the fullness.
âAre you okay?â he breathed, and I felt comforted to hear the hitch in his breath. I wasnât the only one being affected anymore. I nodded again, meekly this time. I didnât trust I had command over my voice anymore.
He started pulling out a little more each time. It was intoxicating. As if with a mind of their own, my hips started moving to match him. My hands traced up his muscular arms to hold onto his shoulders.
âHey,â he murmured, gently nudging my nose with his. My eyes fluttered open, to meet his. His expression was surprisingly soft.
âHi,â I let out numbly, and we both chuckled. What more did we need to say?
Our faces were so close now, we were breathing into each other. His body engulfed mine, and I had never felt so worshipped. I slid my hands to the back of his neck, my palms grazed his jaw with his movement. Like magnets, our lips found each other again. I moaned into his mouth as his hand cradled my hip, then he raised his stomach for his hand to find its way back to my center. The combined pleasure was so lavish, I didnât even have time to process the peak before I came again. I cried out for him and Zuko stilled inside me. His head dropped into my neck, whimpering obscenities sink my skin.
àŠàŠàŠ
Nothing could have prepared Zuko for how tightly her body squeezed him or how incredible it felt to her moan for him, just him. He didnât even mind going slowly for her, even if his body was aching for more. But when she came around his cock, thatâs when he knew heaven was real and it was in her. He would do anything to chase that feeling again and again. And again.
àŠàŠàŠ
To my surprise, he only paused for a moment before resuming. His self-control had been knocked askew, and it was showing. Both hands now held my hips in place as his motions became needier. The pleasure was relentless. The thrill of feeling him so deep inside was lewd but I was too gone to care. It was as if he reached the base of my throat. In the midst of my shaky moans for him, I heard myself whimper for more. That seemed to be precisely what he was waiting for because he sped up instantly. His self-control now fully unraveled. He was bucking into me harshly, greedily. One hand on my hip to keep me in place and the other had taken to holding mine, squeezing it against the mattress. I squeezed back helplessly. It seemed to be our way of saying this was still love, even if it was no longer gentle.
He never wavered; I had lost track of how long we had been going at it and how many times he had made me come. Sometimes he changed his pace. Pulled almost all the way out before slamming back into me. Other times he only pulled out a little, but tried to push in more; tried to dig even deeper into me. My moans had grown raspy for him. He lifted one of my legs over his shoulder and when he realized that gave him a deeper angle, he lifted my other leg up, too. This new depth, matched with his bullying pace had my eyes rolling back and my core spasming around him as I came againâthe first time without that little nub. He still didnât waver.
If my brain hadnât melted into mush from the inundation of him, I might have wondered where his stamina came from. But coherent thoughts were for people who hadnât just been flipped onto their knees and taken from behind. Is it possible he reached even deeper yet? This new angle was punishing in a terrifyingly delicious way. My desperate moans were now muffled by the mattress below. It couldnât have been long since my last release, but I still swore I heard him murmur âagain,â before reaching his hand from my hip back around to my center. What had started as a sweet source of build-up and release now gave way like a simple on-switch. My sore thighs couldnât hold themselves up without Zukoâs hands anymore. Liquid gushed down my thighs in spurts between his thrusts. I wondered if it was possible to die from too much pleasure.
àŠàŠàŠ
Zuko wasnât a liarâŠexcept for every time he told himself that the next one would be the last. He had quickly grown addicted to the feeling of her body gushing around his, because of his. The way her muscles spasmed and squeezed him, the way her breath caught on itself. He felt devilishly satisfied seeing someone who was normally so composed, unravel for him. And oh, was she a whimpering, babbling mess for him now.
àŠàŠàŠ
âZukoâIâitâsâtooâmuchââ I finally gasped out, on my back again and still taking his ridiculous pace.
That finally snapped him back to reality. He slowed but didnât stop. âOkay,â he responded, trying not to sound disappointed. âJust one more.â
Before I could protest, his thumb was on me again. My sore body was flooded through what had now become a free-flowing channel of numbing ecstasy. Zukoâs pace quickened again and I worried I had misheard him or he hadnât heard me at all, but his quick uneven ruts proved short-lived. This time, I felt the heat him coming into me. Our combined liquids surged out of me, and for a moment we laid there together in silence.
Afterwards, Zuko ran me a bath and sat beside me while I limply tried to wash myself. I was sore all over in new ways. I was also exhausted, struggling to keep my eyes open. Noticing my weak movements, he gingerly pressed the rag towards the back of my shoulder and out of my hand. He didnât look at me while I cautiously observed his stoic expression. When he moved his hand to bring the rag to my other shoulder, I reached for it. He froze. I kissed his hand, and he sighed and closed his eyes. Reflection from the bath water danced across his face, illuminating the subtle expression I knew all too well. Shame. And as was customary for him, self-inflected.
âZukoâŠâ I started, not knowing exactly what to say, âthank you for making today the happiest day of my life.â I cooed. When he looked up at me with confusion, I knew I had read him right. âThe last royal wedding I saw was some generalâs, when I was a kid.â I continued more confidently. âI forgot how beautiful the fire dances are.â He nodded dutifully, âand tonightâŠwas so much more than I ever could have expected.â It should be odd that after such an obvious display gratification, one would need to be convinced of this own efficacy. But then, not when you know someone as self-deprecating as Zuko. He averted his eyes, I could almost see the gear turning in his head, trying to discern if I was just being polite.
âIâm sorry if IâŠhurt you. Iâll be gentler next time.â He lowered his head somberly.
âWhat are youâ? You didnât hurt me.â
âYou asked me to stop, but I still pushedâŠâ Zuko pushed himself off the edge of the bathtub and turned to sit with his back against it.
âHey,â I rose to reach his shoulders over the tubâs edge. âIâve never felt anything that incredible,â I whispered in his ear, hoping I sounded seductive, âyour touch felt so much like heaven, I was worried it might actually send me there.â I playfully nipped at his earlobe, earning a warm huff. He turned back towards me.
âYou felt like heaven,â he kissed my forehead, sending a warm tingle down my spine.
Modern-day college AU where Sokkaâs down bad for his best friend, whoâs trying to move on from a loser ex. When the opportunity arises to show her just how lame that guy really was compared to what else is out there (aka him), can he get out of his own goofy way to make it happen?
Alternatively: When your ex tells you youâll never find anyone who can do it like him and your best friend bets you he can do it better than your ex, whatâs a girl to do but accept the challenge?
First person POV. OK so to be honest, I was originally going to write this as a Bucky Barnes thing but after writing the Zuko post and then re-reading my first draft for this, I couldnât stop seeing Sokka as the guy. So, here we are. (I did change a LOT to make this more suitable for Sokka. Bucky Barnes is a much more serious character lol).
Tags/warnings? friends-to-lovers, p in v sex
word count: 6.8k
The excessive sex scene radiating off of Sokkaâs TV had me rolling my eyes. âPerformative bullshit,â I chastised under my breath.
âWhatâs wrong, too boring for you?â Sokka teased from across the couch.
Glaring up at his slouched stature, I thought how he couldnât recognize a rhetorical statement if his life depended on it.
âI just think itâs gratuitousâŠâ I explained awkwardly, âand unrealistic.â
âHow is it unrealistic? Theyâre just having sex.â He countered, seemingly oblivious to how little I wanted to be talking about sex with him.
âYeah, butâŠâ I bit my lip as the beautiful actress on screen scrunched her face from the below-screen action she was supposedly receiving. âWomen donât usuallyâŠI mean, I donât know of any guys who willinglyâ"
âAre you saying that I lost all those brain cells listening to you complain about Jet and he wasnât even good in bed?â His voice pitched with bitter amusement.
âWhat braincells?â I retorted though I wasnât entirely sure of if I was defending myself or Jet or both.
My cheeks burned with embarrassment as the actors, now both on screen, simulated perfectly timed orgasms under an artificially untwisted bedsheet.
âWhat braincells?â Sokka puffed up his chest in mock defense, âIâve won all but one science fair Iâve ever entered! If they hadnât disqualified me for being too cutting edge and killed my spirit, I could be curing ailments weâve never even heard of, saving the polar bears!â
âDidnât your school stop having science fairs after junior high?â
My newly found grin faded with a sigh as the couple on the screen continued their exaggerated moans and humping. I didnât miss my ex per se, but it would be nice to feel wanted like that once in a while. Sokka noticed my focus back on the TV and scoffed.
âItâs not that impressive,â he denounced, ânothing I havenât seen before.â
âOh, Iâm sure youâve seen all of this during your late-night internet time, but that doesnât make it common.â Irritation and humiliation heated my face.
âWhich part isnât common?â He seemed genuinely puzzled, only agitating me more.
I shut my eyes for a moment, was Sokka really capable of talking about this in a mature manner? Was I?
âSome women canâtâŠyou know.â I finally let out meekly. His eyes widened with understanding.
âSounds like a skill issue to me.â Sokka waved off, annoyingly nonchalant. âHis.â
âOr maybe somethingâs wrong with me.â I echoed an old argument swimming around in my memory.
âOhhhhmigoddddd nothingâs wrong with you. Jetâs just a loser!â Sokkaâs head dropped dramatically to the back of the couch. Turns out he was not capable of talking about this in a mature manner.
âAs if you could do any better.â I shot back; apparently neither was I.
Sokka blinked up at the ceiling, and I slammed my eyes back shut. What could have possessed me to say something like that? Why would I say something like that and why was I still defending my ex?
âWhat did you say?â
I could feel him staring at me, but refused to look over. I blurted out a curt âNothingâ before swiping the sofa pillow out from under my head to bury my face in. Perhaps suffocation could end this weird, annoying nightmare.
âI bet I could make you feel better than that idiot could even dream.â He muttered.
Thankfully, the pillow my face was currently buried in hid my jaw dropped response. But I could still feel the air changing around us. I could feel a strange curiosity start to bubble in my stomach. I was suddenly aware of how close my legs were to to his arm and how he could easily spread them if he wanted to.
âYou wish.â I cracked, hoping my curiosity and unease didnât come through.
âYouâre right, you probably couldnât handle me anyways.â The dispassionate bragging was exaggerated by him stretching his hands out in front of his face. I peeked over the the edge of the pillow. He wasnât being serious. Of course he wasnât. He couldnât be. Whew.
âExcuse me?â I threw the pillow onto the floor in mock offense and propped myself on my elbows to stare across the couch at him.
But then there was a strange, electric energy in the air around us. Between us.
âIâm just sayingâŠâ he slid reached his hand out to graze my ankle. âIf a PG-13 movieâs too extreme for youâŠâ He slid his hand up my leg.
My brain went blank. His hand was big and warm and calloused, leaving a tingly trail along my skin. I could only focus on where it was, where it could be.
âIf you donât believe meâŠâ his voice pitched with suggestion as his hand reached the top of my knee. âWhy donât you come find out.â
This is usually the part where I would respond with words. I knew that. But my mouth was dry and my body was on fire.
âWhatâs wrong? Scared all of a sudden?â Sokkaâs eyes glinted with mischief. He never did quite know when to stop taunting someone, especially me.
âOf you? Please!â My instincts returned to me, albeit weakly. I guess I never knew when to stop with him either.
âOh yeah?â The side of his mouth twitched with excitement.
âYeah.â I breathed. My heart skipped. I felt bare despite still being fully clothed in a hoodie and shorts.
Sokkaâs determined smirk fell into something different, maybe more pensive. His eyes dropped towards my body and then to where his hand rested. I inhaled sharply as his hand started to drift from the top of my knee towards the inside. Maybe his hand trembled with earnest as he continued to trail it lower down my inner thigh or maybe it was just my imagination. When heâd reached about mid-way, I clamped my legs shut. For the first time since this strange turn in our conversation, we really looked at each other. His blue eyes searched my face, and I wasnât sure if I wanted him to find what he was looking for. I was too preoccupied with the feeling of his fingers still lightly curled against my leg. Between my legs. His hand took up far more space than I would have expected. My brain crackled with a desire I couldnât quite name. A desire quelled by instinct.
Suddenly, Sokka jerked his hand out from between my thighs and let out a haughty laugh, saving me from my trance.
âYeahhhhh youâre clearly not ready for,â he spread his arms out with a dramatic muscle-flexing pose, âall of this.â
I rolled my eyes and pretended not to see the crack of disappointment in his face. Or how impressive his muscles actually were.
àŒ àŒ àŒ
We had agreed that day didnât mean anything, just a silly joke that went too far. But that agreement was promptly followed by radio silence. For the next two weeks, I was barely functioning on autopilot. I couldnât focus in class or on homework. At nights, I laid in bed and fought the urge to think about Sokka before inevitably giving up and allowing that moment play on repeat. Absentmindedly, I would place my own hand between my thighs, where his had been, and a fuzzy static in my brain would appear. Then I would berate myself for going against our agreement. Then I would worry endlessly if our friendship hadnât already been ruined.
I opened my phone to our messages countless times, closed them, re-opened them. Started typing something, closed it again.
âUgh!â I groaned out to an empty bedroom. What was happening to me? This was just Sokka!
A notification chimed on my phone, and I scooped it up with an embarrassing quickness.
[Katara, 10:22 pm]: hey weâre all at mcgeeâs pub. just let us know when youâre on yoru way!
Another groan, I had completely forgotten about Tophâs birthday. Energized by my aversion to being late, which I already was, I picked myself up off my bed and threw on whatever stood out from my closet first. A quick brush through my hair to hide any bed head and quick makeup. And thenâŠa blue pendant necklace Sokka had given me for my last birthday. Realistically, Katara and Sokka gave everyone necklaces as presentsâit was common in their culture, I was told. I felt the cool, blue stone in between my fingers as the memory of his hand between my legs started to sizzle my brain again. I didnât wear it. He had just been playing around anyways, I reasoned with myself.
McGeeâs pub was built and furnished with thick wood, one of the oldest buildings in our college town. Dimly lit and crowded, finding my friends seemed impossible until I felt a heavy hand on my shoulder. I whipped my head towards Sokkaâs easy smile. He leaned in close.
âCome on, everyoneâs this way.â
His cheek grazed mine and the warmth of his breath expanded over my skin. He grabbed my hand, and I meant to follow his lead with confused, bated breath.
âAre you okay?â He leaned back towards me, after feeling the tug of my hand not moving with him.
I stared up at him and nodded, not trusting myself to talk yet. He made a strange expression before tugging at my hand to follow him. His larger frame parted the crowds of people before us with ease, unknowingly giving me space to catch my breath. Then our hands separated the second we caught a glimpse of our friends. I wasnât sure who let go first.
Finally, we returned to normalcy. The group drank, laughed, shouted over the music, and I felt the weight of the last two weeks dissipate out of me. Things were okay. Two weeks ago was just a fluke, just a stupid joke gone too far. Observing Sokka now, I was sure of it. His same goofy antics that incurred rounds of laughs or eyerolls had just been employed differently then. He had surprised me; but he had been as serious then as he was now, challenging Toph to arm wrestling before backing out. At least, thatâs what I thought until I found myself in the bathroom with Toph.
âWhy are you and Sokka being so weird tonight?â she asked bluntly, leaning against a useless mirror.
âWhat?â I asked, washing my hands.
âWhat?â she mimicked, âyou know what! Heâs been staring at you and flexing his stupid boy muscles all night.â
I blushed, grateful for a moment that Toph couldnât see my embarrassment. Not stopping to wonder how Toph could know if someone was flexing.
âI donât know what youâreââ
âOh come on, everyone knows you two had a moment, or whatever Katara was blabbering on about.â He had told them about that? The confused static returned.
âCome on, out with it! Itâs my birthday and you canât keep secrets from a birthday girl.â She demanded.
âIâŠI donât know.â I finally admitted. âOne second, we were just watching a movie and then the nextâŠâ
âYou boned?â
âWhat? No!â
âThen whaaaat?â Tophâs impatience was feeling less and less like friendly curiosity and more like meddling.
âNothing happened, we were just joking around.â I crossed my arms. âWeâreâŠfriends.â Toph may not have been able to see my gesture, but I know she heard the uncertainty in my voice.
âSure, whatever.â She shrugged, âdoes he know that?â
I stared at the row of dinged up sinks along the wall before walking us both back out to the group. The crowd was still difficult to move through, maybe even rowdier, it seemed a new party had squeezed in towards the bar. We elbowed our way back and almost arrived unscathed until the crowd shifted in a way that catapulted me forwards. I probably would have continued the domino tumble if it hadnât been Sokka I was pushed into. Face pressed into his surprisingly firm chest, I resented how little time I was given to appreciate the moment. Sokkaâs chest reverberated with a laugh before he used those same big hands that had been driving me crazy to grip my waist and stand me back upright.
âYou good?â Despite standing so close, I could barely hear him.
âYeah, sorry!â I practically screamed in his direction. His hands were on my waist, and I couldnât trust myself to lean close towards his face.
Then he bent down to whisper in my ear, âDonât apologize, I liked it.â His lips brushed against my ear, sending shivers down my spine.
When his hands left my body, I refused to make eye contact with the rest of the group who were exchanging their own curious glances. The static in my brain and the memory of warmth between my legs, now joined by the feeling of his hands along my waist proved to be a more powerful concoction than the beer in my hand, and I needed fresh air if I hoped to survive this night with unembarrassed. I waited for the analog clock on the opposite wall to count down two minutes, avoiding suspicion, before I excused myself for a step outside. It helped that Sokka had been momentarily pulled away by a separate group of friends.
âAre you alright? Do you want someone to stand outside with you?â Katara furrowed her brows with concern.
âNo Iâm fine.â I wouldnât be able to hear the next morning, but I was fine. âI just need a second, Iâll be right back.â
Outside, the cool night air suppressed the crowd of voices and stench of body odor. I took a sigh of relief and leaned against the outer wall, ignoring the bouncer while feeling comforted by his presence. Thoughts sloshed against the beer inside of me as I recalled what Toph had said about how Sokka had been looking at me and then how he held me for that split second. He had said that two weeks ago hadnât meant anything, just a stupid joke. I wasnât sure if the disappointment I had felt was from him or myself.
âHeeeey, babe.â
I barely had time to register his voice before I felt Jetâs hands slide around my waist, pulling me against him.
âBeen a while, you donât answer your phone anymore?â He pressed a liquor-punctuated kiss against my cheek. I felt him stumble into me. I wondered if my faith in the bouncerâs presence was naĂŻve.
âWe broke up.â I grumbled, pushing his chest away. Thankfully, he stepped back.
âNo, I know.â He leaned his hand against the wall beside my head. âBut since itâs such a nice night and youâre out here all alone, looking adorable, just thought maybe Iâd give you another chance.â
I crossed my arms to contain the rage bubbling inside of me.
âYeah, right.â I rolled my eyes over towards the bouncer who, astonishingly, still wasnât acknowledging our presence.
âCâmon, babe. How long has it been?â He leaned his head back down against my ear, âI know you must be feening for it.â
My grip around myself tightened. The familiar feeling of wanting to crawl inside of myself was coming back in full force. That I could even stomach being around this creep for the four months of our relationship was beyond me now.
âCâmon, you know no one else is gonna make you feel as good as I can.â He teased a hand back around my waist. I felt my skin crawl with disgust where he grazed between my shirt and the seam of my shorts. But his words sparked a renewed sense of confidence. Jokes or not, hadnât Sokka argued the exact opposite?
âActually,â I yanked his wrist off my waist, âI donât know that.â A perplexed smile tugged at my face, as I too wondered just what I might do next.
âHuh?â Jetâs face fell into irritated confusion.
âGood night, Jet.â I punctuated each word before returning to the bar. In a turn of events, I was relieved by the stuffy crowd that was oblivious to the mistake I almost made.
I pushed my way through with more confidence this time and lit up when I saw the back of Sokkaâs ponytail. The dizzying static that had started to accompany his image now exhilarated me.
âHey,â I placed my hand on his bicep, unabashedly admiring it. I relished in his surprise before reclaiming my spot beside him.
àŒ àŒ àŒ
When the empty streets finally rescued us from that crowded pub, it was well past one in the morning. We were all hugging our goodbyes when Sokka offered to walk me back to my place.
âSince itâs late and all.â He explained.
I nodded with excitement and this time, I gleamed back into our friendsâ curious glances. Our walk back started easy, jokes carried over from earlier in the night. When our conversation lulled, I thought back to a particular part of the night and wondered how much I should share.
âJet was there tonight,â I tried to sound casual, and not acknowledge Sokkaâs tensing up. Evidently alcohol and finesse donât mix. âHe, uh, propositioned me.â
âHe propositioned you? What year is it?â Sokkaâs humor came out forced, and I gave him pity chuckle.
âI just mean, he came onto me. Said no one could do it better than him.â I hoped my physical air quotes could help relay that I hadnât bought it. Sokka rolled his eyes. âMade me think of how you kind of said the exact opposite.â My hope for a clever segue had landed flat on its face. He smirked, though.
âYeahhhh, I just know I could lap circles around that guy.â Sokka gloated in a way that set me off-balance again.
Had he just been joking before? Maybe I imagined what heâd said when his hands were on my waist. Maybe it had just been the liquid courage after all. My mental retreat hadnât gone unnoticed.
âHow are you feeling though?â He side-eyed me, âafter seeing him again?â
My walking slowed, as I mentally chewed on the question. I hated being near him again, my stomach had lurched at his touch. I hated him for touching me, tainting the static feeling that Sokka had left. âIt felt great walking away from him.â I concluded out loud.
I was so pleased with my answer, I almost didnât notice Sokka had stopped a few paces behind me. My apartment. The static started to return.
âOh! Thanks for walking me back.â I said, struggling to think of a cool way to invite him up.
âDonât mention it.â He waved off the verbal gratitude. âDangerous streets out here, you know,â and then he made a show of looking around before leaning in with a hand on the side of his mouth, like he was about to tell me a secret. âLots of ugly ex-boyfriends lurking about.â He whispered.
My inner tension burst into a less-than-graceful laugh. With my eyes squeezed shut, I didnât notice him beaming down at me. After composing myself, I looked up at him and realized my hand had landed on the side of his arm. His skin was soft under my palms, and I didnât want to let go. He seemed to notice as well.
âDo you want toâ"
âYou should go up before it gets too late.â He suggested dutifully, âI donât know about you, but I had a lot tonight.â
âYeahâŠâ I wanted to protest, but my mind was out of options and, as if on his command, the exhaustion of the night took hold of me. âThanks for walking me home, get yourself back safe.â
âGoodnight.â A swift yet surprisingly gentle kiss on my cheek punctuated his farewell. My heart swelled and the static coursed through my whole body this time.
àŒ àŒ àŒ
This time it was only two days in between seeing each other.
I arrived at Sokkaâs donning a hopefully casual summer dress and what I was sure was the perfect plan. Small talk first, segue seamlessly into talking about the night at McGeeâs, flirtatiously hint that I had been thinking about what would have happened if heâd come upstairs, make up for that lost opportunity.
I hadnât prepared for the party-sized fruit dish in the middle of his kitchen island or his uncharacteristically doting demeanor. He offered me three different beverages, offered to make more food in case the fruit dish wasnât substantial enough, and even nervously suggested we ditch the whole thing and go out to a nice restaurant. Unnerved by his overwhelming hospitality and unable to find a proper segue, I blurted out a crude question.
âWhat would you do if I said I wanted to find out?â I asked tentatively, staring down at the grape bowl in between us.
âFind out what?â A knowing smile started to creep across his face.
âLast time, you saidâŠthat you could do it better than him. What if I was ready now?â
His expression fell and for a moment, I worried Iâd misread the entire situation.
âWell, that depends,â he plopped a grape in his mouth and held it inside his cheek. âWhat would I get out of it?â
A blank stare was the only response I could muster. He chewed on his grape pensively before stalking towards me.
âWell,â he swallowed the grape, âif Iâm making you feel incredible,â the last word came out with a hollow flourish, âbut youâre just be thinking about him the whole time. Doesnât seem fair, does it?â His matter-of-fact tone came out strained.
My insides clamored with objection but when I opened my mouth, no words came out. He stopped just before our bodies could touch, inspecting my face once again for an answer I couldnât articulate.
âWhat do you want?â I deferred timidly.
He closed the gap between us and lowered his face down towards mine. My body was practically twitching with impatience. His lips brushed against mine as he whispered, âsay my name.â
âHuh?â My mostly-lowered eyelids shot back up and I caught the closest glimpse of his still half-opened blue eyes I had ever had.
He raised the back of his knuckle to gently glide down the side of my arm as he continued. âI want to hear you say my nameâŠâ goosebumps lay in the wake of downward trail across my skin. My heartrate quickened as his hand dropped past my fingertips onto my outer thigh. âWhen it feels like youâre about to explode,â he opened his palm to trace over the front of my thigh and then in between my legs again, finally. âI need to knowâŠâ his finger tips brushed up against my clit and my breath caught in my throat. I felt his lips smile against mine, âthat you know exactly whoâs doing that for you.â
I couldnât hold back anymore. I caught his lips in mine and slid my hands up over his broad chest. He kissed me back eagerly. With his free hand, he turned our bodies so my lower half was pressed against the kitchen island, then he increased his pressure on my clit. My hands found their way up against the back of his neck. Even from over the fabric of my underwear, my core was already fluttering from the sensation. I separated my legs more to give him better access, but a whimper escaped me when he pulled his hand away instead. Disappointment fled just as quickly. In one swift motion, he scooped both of my legs up around either side of him. My grip around his neck instinctively tightened and he broke our kiss to kiss down my jaw and suck on my neck and, I suspected, make sure he wasnât going to run us into anything on his walk towards his bedroom.
His firm mattress greeted my back as he lowered me down on it. His hands slid up over my hips, and he pulled my soaked panties off with ease. When he paused to look down at my body, I realized this time I didnât just feel bareâI actually was bare. Before the usual wave of insecurities could trickle in, he lowered himself over me and I was engulfed by his scent. Like a cedar forest. His kiss was surprisingly tender this time. He massaged my bruised lips with his before parting them with his tongue. I again reached up to caress the back of his head, but this time, I tugged gently at his ponytail. His soft hair tickled my face as it fell, and I giggled despite myself. He smiled with me before resting his forehead against mine. As we gazed into each otherâs eyes, I knew this moment meant more than its catalyst. The enormity of it terrified me. I lifted my chin up to kiss him again, as an excuse to break eye contact.
My back arched and my head dropped back into his mattress, all conducted by his featherlight touch. He circled and flicked my clit, orchestrating all types of tremors across my body and under my skin. A bundle of pleasure was inflating against the confines of my core, and my already shallow breaths were growing more panicked.
âS-Sokka,â I stammered, accidentally egging him on. âSokka, itâsâitâs too much.â I whimpered.
He slowed down for a moment, allowing me to heave air back into my lungs.
Weak and desperate for a break, I released my balled-up chunk of bedsheet and raised my hand to his waist. I started to trace down his still-shirted abs towards his belt buckle, but his hand, with two specific fingers lifted away from my skin, caught my wrist. My eyes fluttered open with confusion.
Wordlessly, Sokka placed my open palm atop his shoulder, before slipping his own hand back down. This time, he only lightly grazed my twitching clit before sliding two fingers inside of me. His fingers were, in fact, deeper than JetâsâŠanything, and I bit my lip to suppress a moan. He pressed his face into my still-clothed bosom and started to thrust his fingers in and out of me. Slowly at first. My body welcomed this new sensation. Hips rocked against the rhythm of his hand and then a third finger joined, and I jolted with approval. And then his pace quickened. And not long after that, I was sent back to squirming and moaning under him. His fingers reached a spot Iâd only ever heard about, and once my âOh god, right thereâ moan confirmed it for him, he set steady aim for it. His warm breath was still against my chest, almost dampening the fabric of shirt. His every movement was overwhelming me. When my legs started twitching, he sped up his pace even faster. Frantic, deep plunges into my core; that bundle of pleasure was again threatening to explode.
âSokka, IâI canât.â I begged, âtooâmuchâ" My throat was tired from so much heavy breathing.
This time, he didnât slow down, though. He merely lifted his head up to be level with mine again.
âJustârelaxââ he whispered through his own jagged breaths. âIâm here. Iâve got you.â
I came on his hand with a profusion of nonsensical words, some sounding enough like his name to satisfy him. When he kissed me, I was too weak to kiss him back properly. And when he left to grab paper towels to clean me off, I half-wondered if he even would come back. A bitter expectation from a different time. But return he did, and with warmed, wet paper towels, even.
After he laid next to me and gathered me back in his arms, staying awake to consider the implications of what just happened proved impossible. I dozed off to the drum of his heartbeat.
àŒ àŒ àŒ
Weeks followed, and I only grew more familiar with Sokkaâs bedroom. It became routine for me to go home with him any time the larger group hung out, after our respective classes let out on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Then again on Saturdays, and often Sundays depending on our Monday schedules. It wasnât just sexâwell technically it was never fully sex, Sokka still wouldnât let me touch him. But we still watched movies, joked around and teased each other, and tried to study together, which was expectedly what he most liked to interrupt.
I knew from personal experience and hearing women around me complain, that my situation with Sokka was unique. A man who only focused on a womanâs pleasure without expectingâwithout even allowing anything in return? A unicorn if there ever was one. But as lucky as it sounded, it irked me Even an earth-shattering orgasm can feel hollow if youâre alone in it. I had tried twice already to ask about what we were doing, only to be met with deflection. Slowly, confusion seeped back into me until one day, I just couldnât take it anymore.
Another movie flashed from Sokkaâs TV, an action film this time. Woods and hunting guns in cabins deluged my senses. Sokka laughed when I quickly spun to face him, avoiding a particularly graphic knife fight scene.
âWhatâre you laughing at?â I asked pointedly.
âNothing,â he poked my cheek, âyouâre cute.â
I glared up at him before burrowing my head back into his chest. The remainder of the movie may have blared in the background; but I was sleeping safe and peaceful in a loverâs arms.
âYou didnât like when the bear attacked?â Sokka grilled, later in bed.
âI donât even remember there being a bear.â
âRight, you were sleeping. Mistake number one, sleeping when a bearâs on the loose.â He pointed his index finger in the air.
âNo, mistake number one was agreeing to watch an action movie before bed.â I groaned.
He was already onto his next bit, fake roaring and growling. He shook his head up dramatically before landing it just next to the crook of my neck. His fake biting, embellished with grunts and tickled me into surprised laughter.
âSokka!â I pushed against his chest futilely.
He lifted his head up again with a beastlike shake before nibbling the other side of my neck.
âOkay, okay, you caught me!â I squealed. When he lifted his head up yet again with victory grunts, I shoved him over onto his back and straddled him.
âHaha! Shouldâve killed me.â I gloated. Excitement flared in his eyes, and I lowered head to imitate his prior behavior. Except when I nibbled on his neck, I heard an unmistakable hum. I tilted my head up just slightly to see his flushed cheeks, before lowering my lips down to his neck again. This time, I sucked on it slowly. My hips pressed down into his, and enjoying the very noticeable bulge underneath me. I had felt it pressed against me many times at this point, it was hard to hide, really; but had never been allowed to indulge in him for myself. I scraped the skin of his neck gently before rubbing myself cautiously against him. I barely had time to enjoy it before his hands flew up to constrain my hipsÂ
âSokkaâŠâ After weeks, whining was no longer beneath me.
I propped myself up on his chest and pouted down out him. He returned a strained expression. I searched his blue eyes and his long, tanned features for any clues as to what he was thinking. But a mind reader, I was not. I traced a thumb across his cheek, and he tilted his head away just enough to break contact. Disappointment broke across my face, simultaneously.
âLook, Iâm not going to force you or anythingâŠbut can you at least tell me why?â I pleaded.
âWhy what?â His tone was flat and curt, he refused to look at me.
I looked down at the mountain ridge that was still straining up against my hips.
âThereâs clearly some part of you that wantsâŠâ I was starting to feel hopeless again.
I pulled one of his hands off my hip and kissed the open palm before sighing into it. How could he be so in tune with my body yet still so oblivious at the same time?
âI want to feel like weâre sharing this time. Like itâs not just about me, itâs for both of us.â
Something must have actually reached him, because Sokkaâs eyebrows raised with surprise.
âSokka, please donât shut me out.â My voice trembled, âIâm in your bed more nights than my own nowadays. But you still wonât really talk to meââ
âFine!â He exhaled before I could finish. Then he lifted himself up against his headboard. His hand on my hip raised to my waist to steady me. âYou really want to do this?â
âI gave a quick nod, afraid anymore words would be too many.
His face relaxed into a soft expression I recognized from the times I caught him watching me fall sleep. He cupped my cheek in his big palm, and my heart fluttered. With another deep sigh, he pressed his forehead against mine, before whispering.
âOf course I want you. Every time you walk through my door, I want to carry you to my bed and never let you leave.â He retreated his forehead from mine to look at me with a peculiar sadness. âYou say you want this time to be about both of us, but it canât be.â
âBut why not?â I griped.
âBecause the only reason youâre here at all is because of Jet.â There was no malice or accusation in his voice, he stated it as if it were a fact. âAnd youâre clearly still in love with him, even if you wonât admit it to me or to yourself.â
I jerked back with surprise but before I had time to object, Sokka had started talking again.
âLook itâs fine. I get it, he was yourâŠfirst.â His eyes darted to the side with that last word.
âIâm not still in love with him.â I said plainly.
âWell, youâre still texting him constantly.â This time, accusation did lace through his words.
âNo?â My brows furrowed, âNo. Heâs texting me! I havenât actually talked to him in weeks! Probably since that one night I told you about, at the bar.â I could feel a different heat building up inside me. âAnd heâs not the only reason I started coming over here. I mean yes, I guess heâs who we were talking about that first kind-of-time but trust me, if I wanted to be with JetâI would be.â
Sokkaâs look of disappointment showed he didnât really believe me.
âI can prove it!â I stretched over to snatch my phone from his bedside table. Frantically, I opened the messages from Jet, walls of one-line texts asking if I was up, where I was, why I wasnât answering, unanswered attempts at flirting, spanning across the nearly four months since weâd broken up. âI havenât responded to anything.â I shoved my phone in Sokkaâs face insistently. I even dragged one dramatic swipe down to speed scroll up through the barrage of one-sided messages.
Sokkaâs mouth fell open but he didnât speak just yet. âBut if youâre not still into himâŠâ Sokka warily lifted his own finger to scroll up just enough to hit one of the last breakup texts Iâd sent, pleading with Jet to just leave me alone. âWhy not just block him? Iâve been seeing his name light up your phone practically every nightâŠ.â
My cheeks burned with embarrassment, âIâŠhadnât thought about that.â I admitted. âI mean, heâs annoying, but itâs not like heâs threatening me or anything.â
A look of incredulous confusion spread across his face. Then he locked my phone and tossed it carelessly onto the side of the bed. We beamed at each other before he pulled me into a deep kiss. His hands gripped back onto my hips, and this time, he pressed me back down against his re-hardening bulge.
âSo you love me, huh?â I teased before nipping at his bottom lip. âAre you gonna show me?â
âI thought you didnât want it to be all about you anymore.â He teased back, his hands slid up my body, taking my shirt with them.
âI meanâŠsome things can still be about me.â I brought his shirt up over his head and tossed it on the floor. âAs long as some things are about you, too.â
We made out heavily while I grinded my hips back and forth against him. Separated by at least three articles of clothing, I was growing needy.
I returned to kissing his neck, tracing my hands down his broad chest and abs. I was suddenly very grateful for all the gym time that took him away from me. I leaned my weight onto where my mouth was connected to the curve of his neck and lifted myself to my knees so I could unbutton his pants. Excitement buzzed through me when he also lifted his hips so I could slide them off. Impatient and worried that this moment might just be a dream, I hooked my hands on his briefs to pull them both down at the same time.
As I ran my hand up his shaft, felt the warm heat of him under taut skin, I only grew more and more desperate to feel him where Iâd been needing him most. I finally started to feel brave enough to start kissing down his chest, but he gripped my waist stopping me again.
âBut you saidââ I started to pout.
âI know, and trust me, I want that too. But you have no idea how long Iâve been waiting for this.â He eased me over on my back and sat back on his haunches to slide my panties off as well as fully push his own pants down, since Iâd only had the patience to push them down to his knees
Two entirely naked people for, surprisingly, the first time. Fear caught back in my throat. Even though I knew Sokka, part of me wondered if maybe he too, would completely change after sex. Once he was no longer âchasing.â But he wasnât staring down at me as if I was something to be devoured. His expression was much softer.
As he leaned in between my legs, pushing them apart, and pressed gave my clit a playful flick before slipping his finger inside of me. I inhaled sharply at the welcomed sensation. Sokka seemed to be testing something and whatever it was, he seemed satisfied. He licked his finger before lowering himself back down over me. My breath hitched when I felt his dick rest over my slit.
He kissed me with a surprising tenderness, his hips started made a shallow movement, dragging his dick back against my dripping cunt. And then he pulled back further so his tip dropped to the mattress in between my legs. Partially to prove to him and myself that I was ready, I reached down to hold him and align it with me.
That first stretch almost knocked the wind out of me. My entire insides were scrambling to adjust to his size. He started with slow, deep thrusts, each had my ligaments twitching. The more he moved, the more gluttonous I became. Mindlessly, my hips started undulating to match his rhythm. But then he started moving faster.
âHey, look at me,â he breathed.
My eyes fluttered open to see his gentle blue eyes gazing down at me. His smile was strained and excited. He planted a soft kiss on my lips, which I only partially felt as it coincided with the height of a thrust. Then he pulled his head back and propped himself up on his knees and lifting my hips stay aligned with his. This new angle had his dick aimed towards the front of my body and, more specifically, at my G-Spot. My body jerked, and I screamed out his name in surprise. Up until then, I had been enjoying the overwhelming but still slow-paced rise of pleasure. But I was rapidly on the brink now, and he knew it. His arms were curled around each of my legs, holding against his quickening pace, causing a furor of sensations to vibrate from my core. My orgasm hit me before I could even understand it. Sokka let my hips drop back to the mattress, but he didnât slow his pace. I could feel muscles spasming against every thrust. I could hear myself calling out Sokkaâs name, and I could hear him groan sweet nothings against my skin. But all I could really focus on was his cock continuing to split me open.Â
My orgasm-induced meditative state was disrupted by Sokkaâs sudden change of pace. One particularly deep, hard thrust jolted me back. He lifted himself up so he could press apply pressure on my clit, which rubbed with the rhythm of his quickening, arhythmic thrusts. Our first time was breathless and quivering, with clothes and bedsheets strewn all over the place. Much better than any movie.
ahhh i'm so excited people seemed to like my first post. i just finished the first draft of my next one, which is going to be about sokka. editing it now and will probably post it this weekend.
i have another idea, that i want to move to afterwards but tbh it's very different in tone. the first two contain a lot of emotional intimacy between the characters, or at least inferred; whereas this one is just a toxic ex hookup. i don't have any fictional characters in mind for that tbh and i don't know if i want to stay just in the atla world.
i'm thinking about toji from jjk because when i look up smut fics on tumblr, that's how a lot of people seem to write him. i don't know much about jjk, but tbh i'm not sure if that matters for this type of thing lol.
In the middle of a long day of meetings, Zuko accidentally walks in on his wife pleasuring herself. He's forced to realize he's been neglecting his highest priority, but surely there's a way to make it up to her.
a/n: hiiii okay this is the first time i've ever published something like this even though i've thought about it (fanfic in general but also smut) before. that said, constructive criticism is welcome. unnecessary rudeness will be ignored~
i see other people put warnings/tags so I'm just going to follow it how I understand it:
Married relationship; 1st person with some of Zuko's pov; the wife's not a virgin but she doesn't necessarily "understand" sex. Like, sex ed was probably nonexistent during this hypothetical time period. She's also pretty sad in the beginning but i promise it picks up. Sex is at the very end: masturbation (f); oral (f receiving); p in v sex
Lemme know if I did this part wrong lol.
word count: 3.3k
Edited a word or two where I saw an error.
Iâm not sure when it started. A nagging question, asking how long it had been since my husband had last laid with me. A sincere disappointment weighed heavier on my heart each night I fell asleep alone. Sometimes, deep into the night, I would wake slightly to the dip of the bed, telling me he was there. Then, a soft kiss or warm hand would find me, but I am too tired then or maybe too realistic to stir.
Last night, I couldnât sleep, though. Even after I felt the heavy dip of the mattress giving way to Zukoâs large build and heard the peaceful hum of his breathing to indicate he was asleep. No, I laid there impotently, next to my husband, desperate to feel him. When I finally dared myself to turn to look at him, I studied the handsome face which I loved so much. I marveled at how his soft lips balanced out his angular features, and I reminisced about how it used to feel to kiss them. Before we were married, before he became the Fire Lord with a never-ending list of duties. He had always been a man of burdens, but now the external weight of it all surpassed even the internal weight of his conscience. A soft huff left me as I felt the familiar stab at my heart. He has so many responsibilities now. Heâs taking care of an entire nation, attempting an impossible balancing act of making sense in a new world. And here I was, wallowing in juvenile loneliness.
When I awoke the next morning, the elongated streams of window light across the floor told me I had slept in later than usual. I tried to close my eyes again, fall back into a sleep that I could feel hadnât fully left me yet. With a deep inhale, I sat within my mind, hoping to concede back into a dreamâany dream.
I imagined my husband, by my side, holding me in his powerful arms. I imagined the soft platitudes he would whisper in my ear as one of his hands slid over my stomach and in between myâ. My own frustrated exhale broke through my thoughts. Is this really what itâs come to? I asked myself. And the resounding silence of our bed chambers mocked me with a yes. My eyes snapped open, cautiously scanning the room. Of course, there was no one else here, no guards standing by the closed door, no servants awaiting commands along the wall, no husband lying next to me to fill my loneliness, not even a pet to sun bathe on the floor. I was alone. So be it.
I closed my eyes and let out a sigh of subdued determination. My brow furrowed as I imagined him here, once more. Laying on my sideâno, on top of me. Kissing my neck, and touching me the way he knows makes me melt. I imagined him whispering sweet nothings in my ear. Telling me how much he needs me, how he canât wait any longer. When I reached my own hand down, to mimic his, my teeth caught my bottom lip at the surprise contact. In all our years of love and passion, I had never felt my own body like this. Not even when he was away at war. My skin was wet in a familiar way, but surprisingly swollen and plushy. Using my middle finger, I eased it up slowly with curiosity and I didnât have to wonder if Iâd found that special spot because my body jerked with immediate approval upon contact. Oh yes, this was that magic button that he would press to release all my senses. With a little more confidence now, I allowed myself to experiment. Sliding up and down over it felt nice, side-to-side? Better, more commanding. But a circular motion was ethereal. The deliciously familiar tension in my core was now being wound by my own hand. Soft huffing and mewing escaped my lips, causing my chest to rise and fall excitedly. I imagined his mouth between my legs, as he sometimes did, and my leg twitched as if he were there. And then I heard it.
The unmistakable thud of our heavy, wooden doors closing. My eyes snapped open to see the very object of my desire striding towards our one of our dressers. Wordlessly, he opened a middle drawer, snatched a scroll, and turned on his heel, away from me, back towards the door. If heâd noticed me, he gave no indication. Was it possible, I wondered, that he hadnât noticed me in bed at all? But the sinking suspicion that he had seen me solidified when he closed the door behind him with a hurried slam. The room felt emptier before, like it was struggling to readjust around the space he left. I let my head drop into my pillow with frustration. Itâs not like Iâm doing anything wrong, I argued for myself. Iâve brought no one else here with me, I justâŠI justâŠI have needs, too. After what felt like an hour of wavering between indignation and embarrassment, I finally decided to pick myself up to a bath. The day had already gone too long with my sleeping in, and I was going to have to show my face at some point.
àŠàŠàŠ
I spent all afternoon trying affirm for myself that I did nothing wrong. As I strolled through our garden, pretending to admire the beauty of the blossoming flowers, I mentally rehearsed a calm âItâs okay, sometimes thatâs just what women doâ response for him if it was brought upâperfectly calm and nonchalant, to really sell it. Never mind that I had no idea if that were actually true. I sat suspiciously still at my writing desk, as I addressed no one but my own confliction. Itâs not going to come up, I assured myself, because he didnât see anything. An assertion that failed to suppress my sadness. He didnât see me; he never does anymore.
Supper time drew nearer and anxiety had gnawed at my stomach so thoroughly, I wasnât sure Iâd even be able to eat. Heâs probably not going to eat with me anyways, heâll be in meetings all evening like usual, I tried to calm myself with the bitter reality that had been driven me to such hopelessness in the first place. Though I was certain I hadnât done anything wrong, there was something about his haughty movements, his turning away from me instead of towards me as he went to leave the room, that told me he was upset. Was I somehow breaking our vows by partaking in sex alone? Could it even be considered sex if he wasnât there? No, no of course not. And that would have to be my defense. I steeled myself for the unknown as I entered our dining hall.
The long, stone table sat dully with an array of vegetarian dishesâa tell-tale sign that he would, in fact, not be joining me for dinner after all. Of course not, I conceded, it was useless to worry heâd even seen me. Or if he had, a feverish thought cut in, that he had cared. Some unappreciated hot pepper tofu, stir fried bean sprouts, and red bean buns later, I thanked the waitstaff dully before dragging myself along the echoing stone halls towards the same lonely bed. Our bed, in name only nowadays. Perhaps, another ugly thought sneered, his bed in which I am just the current guestâno. I shoved back, Zuko has faults but he is not a dishonest man. He bears the weight of a nation at unrest on his shoulders, he does not need unrest in his home, too. Especially not one caused by a silly, bruised ego. I knew this and yet, when I reached our bedroom chamber doors, I faltered. I stared quietly at the ornate, brass doorknob, shaped like a fierce dragonâs head. I thumbed its forehead mindlessly wondering if maybe thatâs what I was missing, a pet to suppress my wandering mind in solitude. Yes, that would have to be the solution. Iâll speak to someone tomorrow about it. With deep breath and resolve, I pushed the door aside.
It was admittedly much earlier than I usually crawled back into bed, but I figured it was best to feed into my wallowing urges before they too, grew into problems. I turned to my side to appreciate the beautiful sky from beyond the windows. Fierce reds, oranges, and a soft yellow to balance it out. Like Zuko, I reflected. Bold and strong, but balanced with a kind spirit. Iâm lucky, I reminded myself, I just need to remember that.
àŠàŠàŠ
The next time the door opened was also surprisingly earlyâthe sun had only just set.
âZuko? Is everything okay?â I sat upright, clutching the bedsheets to my chest. He stood there with a mixed expression, and my heart raced. âDid something happen? At one of the colonies?â My mind raced alongside it towards whatever possible disaster could have brought him to me so early in the evening.
âThe colonies are fine.â His response was quiet but firm; his brows were furrowed, indicating that something was indeed bothering him.
My shoulders slumped with relief, before seizing up again slightly. My gaze dropped awkwardly to my lap. Any prior rehearsals I had drummed up during the day had abandoned me. Fear bubbled in my chest at what he might say next.
Zuko, who had known me just as long as I him, studied my worried expression. His heart stung with guilt, just as it had stung with surprise the last time he came through this doorway. Heâd planned to know what to say once he got here. It had been the only thing on his mind all day, eating away his attention during diplomat meetings and correspondence dictations. So much so, he almost sent out a letter telling a tea merchant heâd be happy to open up trade talks and also how incredibly sorry he was he had been inattentive and failing on his duties to cherish and honor him. Thankfully, his loyal scribe asked for a rare point of clarification. And now, walking un-assuredly to sit on the edge of our bed, sitting beside his wife, Zuko worried there were no words to make up for his prior disregard.
âZuko?â I rested a hand on his shoulder. âAre youâare we okay?â The weakness in my voice betrayed any hope that we could pretend this morning hadnât happened.
âIâm sorry if I upset you earlier,â I started to ramble, âI know you have a lot of responsibilities and I didnât want to worry you with something so frivolous asâŠâ Frivolous as what? What was it exactly that I was doing earlier? âI was thinking I might get a pet.â I detoured, âjust for some companyâŠâ
âWhat kind of a pet would do that for you?â Zuko cocked an eyebrow, still not looking at me.
âIânoâof course not. I just meantâŠfor the general, um, you know, loneliness.â
Zuko winced at the last word, and I wished I could find another one; but thatâs what he had witnessed earlier, wasnât it? Me succumbing to loneliness.
âIt was a moment of weaknessâŠâ I continued, at a quicker pace now, desperate for any indication that I was saying the right thing. âIt wonât happen again.â
The longer the pause held, the larger my anxiety grew. Would seconds really turn into minutes? Finally, he spoke.
âYou didnât upset me earlier. You didnât do anything wrong. IâŠâ he gritted his teeth. âIâm the one who needs to apologize to you.â Zuko shifted to fully face me now, his head raised just enough to bear his shame. âIâm sorry Iâve been neglecting you. I know itâs hard for you to be alone all the time.â
âNot as hard as it is to run a nationââ
âPlease.â He interrupted, âlet me make it up to you.â
àŠàŠàŠ
I didnât have time to process his offer, before he leaned in to kiss me. My shoulders fully relaxed as I leaned back into him. His warm, soft lips sucked at mine, deepening the kiss. My arms sprawled around his shoulders eagerly as he pressed forward, lowering me back into the bed under him. His solid chest rewarded me with its presence every time mine rose with breath. Electricity coursed through me, jolting to meet his touch as his sturdy hand gripped my waist. Anticipation swelled when it trailed up to cup my breast, and I shuddered from the bolt of pleasure of his his thumb brushing over my nipple through the fabric of my nightgown. Zuko shifted one of his legs up to separate my knees, brushing against my apex. He broke our kiss to trail sloppy kisses down my jaw, right under my ear which inexplicably causes warmth to pool between my legs every time.
âLet me remind you of something only I can do.â He murmured against my skin before pulling away.
The cold air that replaced him caused another shock to my symptom. I was heaving, trying to catch my breath as he slid down to between my legs. His own breath was heavy as he spread my legs wider, causing my nightgown to drop down around my hips. He again planted sloppy kisses along my skin, reaping a quake of anticipation along my inner thighs. A man on a mission, Zuko left no time for teasing. My hips bucked away at first, from the sudden onslaught of his tongue. But he grappled my hips down against the mattress. A slew of whimpers swelled into moans as his tongue sucked on that fascinating spot I had only just found that morning. My core constricted from the sudden pleasure and my legs trembled with each deliberate movement. As the pleasure began to overwhelm me, I frantically bundled trestles of his hair. Zuko heeded this familiar response by licking circular currents of bliss until the waves of pleasure broke and lapsed through my entire body. A much wetter kiss was pressed against my trembling, inner thigh.
I was still catching my breath as I watched his impressive stature rise to disrobe. When he shoved off his pants, trepidation stirred inside me. Since it had been so long, would it be difficult to manage? Like the first time?
The warmth of Zukoâs touch as he slid his hand back up my body melted my trepidation into anticipation. He had positioned himself back over me, this time using his knees to spread mine. I pulled him up into a kiss, greedy for more of him. And as he kissed me with a fervor I once feared Iâd never feel again, he loosened my robes until they gave way. The heat of his skin disseminated over mine, before shifting again to line himself against me.
âIâve missed you so much.â I accidentally thought out loud. Zuko paused for a moment, looking down at me with an inexplicable wonder. Then he kissed me to preempt the moan I let out as he pushed inside.
My hands gripped onto his shoulders hard as my body struggled to fit around him again. He seemed to sense that I was struggling, because he didnât move at first. No, it wasnât exactly like the first time, but the oneâs body can only adjust to so much so quickly, I reasoned with myself. Especially with someone so substantial. He pulled away from our kiss but kept his face close to mine.
âDoes it hurt?â He scanned my face with genuine concern.
Desperate to not lose the moment, I shook my head.
âNo, itâs justâŠbeen a while.â I huffed, and his head drooped into my neck. He wanted to apologize again.
He started slow, with shallow, gentle thrusts. Soon enough, my gasps grew into indulgent groans. He tested increasing his thrusts first before speed. And when each of those were met with loud, frenzied praise, he suddenly lifted his body to be perpendicular from mine. My body was suddenly stunned into awe as this new angle reached even deeper inside of me. I clamored to grip the bedsheets as he drove me to the edge; like lightning bolts were clamoring inside of me, charging up an explosion. And then he moved a hand to where our bodies connected. With barely any additional pressure at all, my orgasm broke under his touch. I could feel my insides pulsing and trying to clench around his unrelenting size.
Zuko waited patiently for me to come back down, before he pulled himself out of me. I was too delirious to wonder why he had raised one of my legs over his head to turn me onto my stomach before his hands were on my hips again. He effortlessly drew my hips up to his before shoving himself back in. Another angle, another depth Iâd forgotten he could reach. I cried out his name in shock, but this time he didnât start slow. He knew I could handle it.
Zuko alternated between pulling me up to my knees and pressing me down into the mattress, all the while never breaking his brutal pace. My thighs were starting to cramp from his pounding. When it was evident I was too exhausted to hold myself up on my knees anymore, he let me lay down before turning me on my side. One leg on the side of him, the other lifted up and held to his shoulder. My release was immediate. My body was buzzing from so much gratification that I wasnât even sure I had a body anymore, or if I was just an extension of him. Because he didnât stop this time. He kept his speed, with an intense stare aimed at where our bodies were connected. One powerful hand holding my leg against his chest, and one raising my hips to meet his. I felt my own liquids drip down my thighs, and I almost wondered if he even noticed I was drowning in the undercurrent of euphoria before he raised his thumb again. My body convulsed before it collapsed. I held no pretense of controlling my tremors as he extracted another orgasm from me, right after the other one, with no signs of stopping.
àŠàŠàŠ
Zuko knew I was spent. It was obvious three orgasms ago, when my eager moans collapsed into frail whimpers. It was obvious when he had extended my third orgasm into a fourth one by simply not breaking his pace; and when he felt the contractions of my muscles lose rhythm and break into frenetic spasming. And through all of that, he had been able to stave his own release off by focusing on one simple goal: his wife. But his willpower dissolved when he felt my soft hand press up against his chest and my warm mouth seek out the curve of his neck. I knew he was close when his pace suddenly became harsh and erratic. He dropped his hands back to my hips as he bucked into me.
âOne more, for me?â He gritted through his teeth, and my body needlessly followed his.
Zuko tensed as he held himself so deep inside of me, I swear I could feel him in my throat. The slight pulsing and warmth I felt as evidence of his release lulled me into a languid state. Still breathing heavily, he pressed his forehead against mine before making eye contact. His façade broke into a soft chuckle.
âI love you.â He gave my forehead a ceremonial kiss before capturing my mouth in one more.
I smiled weakly up at him. Iâm lucky, thatâs for sure.