Fic: "I’ll Take You Where The Water’s Deep"

[redbrunja]

Title: I’ll Take You Where The Water’s Deep
Author: redbrunja
Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Rating: R for sexual themes.
Author’s Note: Sequel to “Or Else This Heat Might Turn To Frost”
Prompted by rashaka’s reminding me of how awesome and apropos this song is.  Written for zutara100, prompt 002. Ends
Summery: “When she was a child, she used to play with the lamp flames.” Katara tries to do the right thing.

“This was a mistake, and it’s over.”

And it was, and it is, and Katara knows she made the right decision.

When she was a child, she used to play with the lamp flames, before she realized that it caused the oil to vanish faster, and they didn’t have oil enough to spare, not just so she could get her fingers sooty while she waited on the endless Southern Winters. But she remembered how to do it; the trick was quickness. Katara would drag her fingers through the flame, fast, and there would be only a flicker of warmth over her unburned fingers.

Zuko was the same; the longer she circled around him, let herself be tempted and worse, let herself succumb, the more likely it would be that instead of walking away with sooty lips and hair snarled into knots from his hands, it would end badly, Sokka furious, her father disappointed, Aang betrayed.

She was a Master Bender of the Southern Water Tribe, and there was a difference between making a former enemy a begrudging ally (“Well, fine, if you really want to, you can heat up the dish water and I suppose it couldn’t hurt if you heated up the bathwater too–”) and willingly taking him (his lips on her neck, his exhale hot enough to raise blisters, hands gripping her hips hard enough to bruise) to her bed.

No, it was better to end it now, while no one knew, while there would be no awkward looks, no questions, no recriminations.

She lasted a week and a half.

Then Katara was slipping into his room as the sun first creep over the horizon, falling into his arms while light the color of honey filled his chamber.

He kissed her like she’d been years away, gone to fight in some horrific war, instead of having seen her ten hours ago at dinner.

This was a betrayal, she knew it was, but when Zuko was moving over her, as slow and steadfast as the sea on a summer day, she couldn’t care.

She choked on her sobs when she came and Zuko kissed the tears away from her cheeks and murmured promises she knew he’d die to keep.

Somehow, that just made it worse.

Comments

[oyster-district.livejournal.com]

I like this one better than the previous one, because it has more visible imagery and Zuko feels more in character as does Katara -- he's desperately romantic and overwrought; she's unable to stop herself from doing things she knows/feels to be wrong (why hello there, waterbending scroll!). Also it's longer, so there's more room for that sort of thing.

Good job all 'round!

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm glad - I was worried about the classic 'sequels are less awesome than the first one' thing, and I'm glad it worked.

he's desperately romantic and overwrought;

Oh, so much so. I almost flinch to think how in love he'd really liked who then showed him kindness back - he's reminds me of Spike in that way. And have I told you my pet fanon that Zuko would be quite happy making sweet, sweet vanilla-y love, and Katara's like, reading romance scrolls she steals from Iroh and going, 'hmmm, must try, that, and that, and I bet I can talk Zuko into that one...'

she's unable to stop herself from doing things she knows/feels to be wrong (why hello there, waterbending scroll!)

I also think that Katara has issues with doing things just for her - I don't think she (in her heart of heart) thinks it was really wrong to steal from pirates, but that her motivation was that SHE wanted it, and then her behavior later towards Aang....

Thanks for the review!

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

YES! Exactly. That was my reaction too, everything you said, particularly the first few lines.

[belle-favrielle.livejournal.com]

Ooo, I really like this. Especially how you described the morning like, for some reasong. I guess we don't get too many sex scenes written during the day. :P

[belle-favrielle.livejournal.com]

Er, the morning LIGHT, I mean. Huuuur.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

She choked on her sobs when she came and Zuko kissed the tears away from her cheeks and murmured promises she knew he’d die to keep.

Oh man, I love that observation of Zuko... he is the sort who would only make promises like that if he sincerely meant to keep them. The boy is so devoted (look at how long he stayed loyal to Ozai), that if that devotion turned to a girl or a woman, and if he made her promises to that regard then I think he'd be completely serious about it. It's part of his whole "I must be honorable and keep my word" thing, which makes the betrayal of Iroh so ironic because Zuko never swore loyalty to his uncle, never outright like he owed his father. He betrayed Iroh emotionally but not technically, not in the literal sense of breaking any promises. Anyway, that's off-topic. I just mean that if Zuko says it, he means it. That's something I love about his character. I'd believe a vow from Zuko before a vow from Sokka. Although Sokka is probably more trustworthy in the overall sense and certainly more reasonable, I think Sokka would only metaphorically go to the ends of the earth whereas Zuko would show up 15,000 miles later with a retinue and an itinerary.

He kissed her like she’d been years away, gone to fight in some horrific war, instead of having seen her ten hours ago at dinner.

That's a lovely image.


Even though this still ends on an unhappy note for Katara, it feels more hopeful (and thus true to the characters, as these are good kids) than the previous one. Also, I'm a fan of the romantic inevitability narrative.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

he is the sort who would only make promises like that if he sincerely meant to keep them.

*nods* He's so that boy.

He betrayed Iroh emotionally but not technically, not in the literal sense of breaking any promises.

I know, he did, and I think that's one reason that he was so confused for so long (besides the writers being jackasses) because he couldn't understand feeling as bad as he did when he hadn't broken his word. I think Zuko has trouble with the concept of emotional truths and oaths, and that they, you know, even exist.

I think Sokka would only metaphorically go to the ends of the earth whereas Zuko would show up 15,000 miles later with a retinue and an itinerary.

This line make be laugh out loud. And is, so, so true. And part of that is there different personalities - Sokka is more about the big picture, while both Katara and Zuko are unable to NOT focus on the details. Like, I think Sokka would be a better tactician than Zuko, because Sokka would be able to say, 'okay, we're going to need to sacrifice these soldiers over here so we can win' while Zuko would be bending over backwards to find some way to get out of that choice. (And I'm assuming 'sacrifice these soldiers' as part of a valid strategy, not 'let's just throw there lives away, m'kay?')

He kissed her like she’d been years away, gone to fight in some horrific war, instead of having seen her ten hours ago at dinner.

That's a lovely image.

I'm glad you liked it - I worried about it being too one the nose, but I loved it too much not to add it in.

Also, I'm a fan of the romantic inevitability narrative.

You mean, the whole, I don't want to want you but I can't stay away? Yeah, I'm a sucker for that too.

Will you persist even after I bet you a billion dollars that I'll never love you

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

Since it worked so well last time... Have you heard THIS (http://www.megaupload.com/?d=0FRODZIM) song? Here's what I recommend: fast forward to 1:36 and listen to the bridge in the middle of the song.

Will you persist even after I kiss you
goodbye for the last time
will you keep on trying
to prove it

He is rugged and long-lasting. Who Could ever ask for me? Love without complications galore.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Do you have a direct link to my iPod? We totally need to do a music swap sometime. And yes, I have heard that song, many, many, many times.

However, it is firmly a 'Buffy and her issues with men'/Gojyo x Yaone song for me - the tone is way to mechanic and modern for Avatar.

Try again.

Lovely.

[manonlechat.livejournal.com]

Two mornings in a row! :D

To echo some of the praise above: loved the morning encounter (and YES, to her coming to him during his time of the day, so to speak, when she's weaker) and loved "murmured promises she knew he'd die to keep."

I also agree that Zuko would be a sweet, vanilla sex guy (and probably also one who equates sex with commitment? Which makes me worry that he may not break up with Mai afterall...?)

Thanks so much for another lovely Zutara drabble. Will there be another, Monday morning special to hope for? ;)

Re: Lovely.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Two mornings in a row! :D

I know! I totally didn't plan it or anything! And it depends.. there might be something monday morning if rashaka hits me with a song that twigs to my zutara muse. We'll see.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Aww, I'm glad.

It is such an intamine gesture, and I cannot imagine Zuko in a relationship that's just about sex - there is no way that boy could separate sex for intimacy.

[hyperion-rising.livejournal.com]

This is just beautiful.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

♥ ♥ ♥!!!!!

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[dharmavati.livejournal.com]

She choked on her sobs when she came and Zuko kissed the tears away from her cheeks and murmured promises she knew he’d die to keep.

Somehow, that just made it worse.

OH KATARA. OH ZUKO.

I think I felt my heart drop a few inches after reading then. I enjoyed the bit of exposition that was lacking in the prequel to this but I love how you bring it back to this intense emotional connection between these two. It was lovely, lovely, lovely to read this. :D

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm so glad you liked this.

[youkaislayer.livejournal.com]

Both Katara and Gran Gran come off as kind of prudish. I doubt Gran Gran would have that in her possession and if Katara would even want to try something she would be shy about saying it to Zuko. Zuko has his bawdy uncle to listen to and there were the sailors on his ship and we all know how sailors are. Again I think they'd both be on equal ground as far as sex is concerned maybe Zuko knowing a little more just because Iroh is such a love machine.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Not to me - but then, we're into fanon territory, so all interpretations are valid.

See, for me, neither Katara nor Gran-Gran comes off as prudish (Gran-Grand did go by herself to the south pole, and Katara is totally into romance).

Whereas I think Zuko spent season 1-2.5 unaware that he even had hormones, and going "UNCLE!" whenever Iroh brought it up. Plus, I don't think he was hanging out with the sailors. Too focused on catching the Avatar. So I think Katara's a little ahead of Zuko on that score. But again, it's all fanon, so *shrugs* it's up to each person to decide what they think.

[cheezmonke.livejournal.com]

The last two lines were spectacular. ♥

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I quite like them myself.

(And that is an awesome icon, by the way.)

Nice quote

[(Anonymous)]

Take time to reflect on all the things you have, not as a result of your
merit or hard work or because God or chance or the efforts of other people
have given them to you.


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http://xanga.com/alejandrovalenzuelaff

[anat-astarte.livejournal.com]

Oohh..love all the images and emotions in this. Great fic! <3

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Thank you. And since I replied to your other comment first, this is the sequel to 'Turn To Frost', just fyi.

Hello

[(Anonymous)]

I'm new here, just wanted to say hello and introduce myself.

Re: Hello

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Hi! Do you have an lj?