Body Heat

It was still storming, the cave was freezing and their campfire was dying. This was the only way they could stay warm, huddled naked together under the blankets.

Unfortunately, they didn't count on the undesired side effect such a method would have. In the back of Aang's mind he knew there would be a problem; lately he got aroused just looking at Katara, so being this close to her, naked in a cave, feeling the softness of her budding breasts against his chest...and was it his imagination or was she keeping his thigh trapped between hers on purpose?

He would go mad before the night was over, he was sure of it.

"Katara?"

"Yeah?"

"Sorry I got us stuck in here...you know, by running off."

"It's okay, Aang..." Katara sighed. She wasn't faring much better; for a while now she'd been having some strange feelings towards Aang. At first she'd shrugged it off as his being the Avatar, the savior of the world come to rescue them from the Fire Nation. But Aang was just...different, nothing like the boys she grew up with in the Southern Water Tribe. He was sweet, he was innocent and fun-loving. When she was with Aang, she felt strangely warm, warm and light all over, and right now holding him in her arms she felt warmer than ever despite the cold...she pulled closer, unconciously rubbing herself against his leg.

"Ohhh..."

"Aang, are you all right?"

Oh no, did I just do that out loud?! Argh, why is my body acting so strange?

"Sorry..." He started to pull away. "I...I should just-"

"No." She blushed, unable to look him in the eye. "I feel it too...really bad, your leg just feels so good down there right now." She knew the basics of sex, but the basics were nothing compared to...well, this.

"Katara...lately, every time I look at you I get hard. You're just so pretty and kind and I think I've liked you since the first day we met," Aang said quietly; even in the dark she could see he was blushing almost as badly as she was.

"I...I think I like you that way too, Aang," she sighed. "So...what should we do about it? We're probably not gonna get to sleep this way." She loosened her legs, freeing his thigh. "Do you ever...y'know, touch yourself down?"

"I dunno...sometimes I rub it a little at night, usually while I'm trying to fall asleep," he said. "What about you?"

"Yeah, a few times," she said, her blush deepening.

"Oh."

Awkward silence followed, it was clear what they were both thinking but neither had the nerve to say. Finally, Katara decided to bite the bullet, so to speak.

"Can...can I touch you, Aang?"

"Huh?" He blinked. "You...really?"

"Yeah, I'd touch you, and...well, in return you could do the same? For me?" Her face grew hotter and hotter with every word. Aang's heart pounded in his chest; was he dreaming? He'd barely had any sexual education before his hundred-year freeze; all he knew was that this kind of touching was only for the most committed of lovers, married couples. And Katara was asking him to do it to her.

"Okay, sure," he said. "Uh...so what do I do? I've never even seen a girl there before."

"Here." She took his hand gently, guiding it between her legs. He froze in uncertainty-this was her most private place, and if it was anything like his it would be sensitive. He didn't want to hurt her. Tentatively, he began to rub her there with his fingertips. A small moan escaped her lips.

"Yeah, like that," she said. Her hand went for his length, carefully grasping it.

"Aah!"

"D-did that hurt? Was I too rough?"

"No, it just...wow, that feels better than when I do it myself," he whispered. Katara smiled and began to stroke him up and down with her palm. Aang groaned in pleasure and began to rub harder between her legs.

"Mm, that's so good..."

They were going solely by instinct, or what little they had in this field anyway. Katara moved her hand lower to feel the sac beneath his shaft, and Aang had to bite his lip to keep from shouting. Likewise, when he poked a finger between her folds and stumbled upon the tiny bump just above her entrance, she gasped and tightened her legs around his hand.

"H-how am I doing?" he asked.

"Good...really good..."

"S-so are you," he gasped. "K-Katara, it feels so weird, I...I feel hot and crazy all over but I like it, I like it a lot!"

"Me too, Aang," she panted. "Oh...oh spirits-!" His finger was moving faster and faster and her hand pumped more vigorously until her whole body tightened up and her thighs clamped tighter than ever around his hand. "Aang, Aang, Aang!"

"Kataraaa...!" He froze as the sensations came to a peak, his fingers trapped in soft wetness as she clung to him; when her body finally relaxed he sagged against her. "Oh, Katara..."

She slowly withdrew her hand and brought it up to examine; Aang blushed as he saw the sticky white fluid coating it.

"Sorry," he said. "Guess we got a little carried away. Here, let me..." He reached for his discarded shirt.

"No, let me." Katara concentrated hard and used her bending to clean his release from her hand. "Wow, that was pretty incredible..."

"Yeah..."

They stared at each other, a mix of awkward guilt and satisfaction on their faces.

"...this is okay, right? Touching each other like this even though we're not married?" he asked.

"I...I think so. As long as we don't tell anyone else, or make a habit out of it," Katara said, though a part of her hoped they would do the latter. "T...thank you, Aang."

"Yeah, same to you," he mumbled. "Hey, Katara?"

"Yeah?"

"Um...can I kiss you? I've always wondered what that would be like."

"Sure." She drew him close and their lips met, slowly and clumsily.

*

The next morning, Sokka met them by the cave and wondered why they both looked so out of it.

"It was a rough night's sleep," Katara said, as Aang prayed to the spirits Sokka would never find out what he'd been doing with his sister the night before.