Disclaimer: I make no profit from this story and the characters belong to their respective owners at Nick and Viacom.
AN: So we've reached the concluding chapter. I thank you all for your involvement in reading and reviewing. Kudos to internallybrokendown for the 100th review and to SylverEyes for poking holes in Chapter 7. Thanks to my beta Spleefmistress for input that made the story better. Edits have been made to this chapter for a few naughty words and you'll see why. Even though Katara's left the ship, it doesn't make this chapter any less hawt. So read up and review!
Prince Zuko drifted to consciousness reluctantly. His head hurt terribly and the rest of him didn't feel too great either. A million random thoughts flashed through his mind. He took himself through the memories of how he had ended up like this. Damn that Waterbender! Was she still around? Silence rang through his room. Probably long gone by now, he told himself. How much time had gone by? Hesitantly, he opened his eyes and found the stars still visible through his window. Zuko wondered if it was the same evening, although he couldn't imagine his crew finding and leaving him in this state all day.
Remembering his training, he checked to make sure nothing was broken before he moved. There were plenty of aches but no fractures. He felt the remnants of blood and wax caked on his skin. Slowly, he brought his hand to his temple and winced as his fingers found an open sore. The knock out wound he supposed.
A wave of dizziness hit him as he tried to sit up. The blackness threatened to take him again. Zuko quickly lay back down to meditate until he felt strong enough to stand. In this state, he tried to identify every sting and ache on his body so he could hurriedly treat himself before the crew returned. The blackness eventually receded as he sat up, and the Prince hauled himself to his meditation bench. He needed a bath but the idea of floating candle wax was unappealing, so he began to peel the wax from his body and drop the pieces on the table. The task was mundane, and in no time at all his thoughts had drifted to Katara. He thought he could smell a trace of her scent still lingering in this spot and he wondered if he could ever meditate here again without thinking of her. He tried to come to terms with his failed attempt at seduction and (to his shame) rape of her. He had underestimated her strength completely. It wouldn't happen again, he vowed.
What had he said when he first had the idea? He'd screw her or kill her. It didn't seem logical anymore. He knew that she didn't deserve to die just for not sleeping with him. Katara was much too precious to waste like that. But why even think about failing to have her? He'd already promised himself he'd take her. It would just take longer than expected. Perhaps he'd even wait until he captured the Avatar. Zuko would ask his father to make a present of Katara to him for a reward; his own concubine. She could be properly prepared for him by palace servants. There'd be a soft mattress and rumpled silk sheets instead of a mat on the floor and there'd be far more privacy than echoing metal walls provided. Much earlier this evening, he had just intended to use her as he had used other females in the past. A quick release followed by discarding and he'd move on to his next conquest. Not so anymore. He definitely wanted to keep the Waterbender around. Her friends might be imprisoned but he'd save her from the palace dungeons and she'd be grateful to him. She'd show her gratitude in his bed. She'd throw herself into pleasuring him and her reward would be being in his favor and the security that came with it.
Zuko pictured Katara in a palace bedroom splayed naked across the red blankets, her hair loose and rippling over her shoulders, the lamps giving her mocha skin a soft glow. He shuddered and tried to push the image away. He needed to concentrate on cleaning up. But damn, he desperately needed to jerk off after all that tension! Perhaps he could indulge himself a little bit… His fantasy had already put him in need again and he proceeded to pump him anatomy furiously. He should've let Katara bring him to climax before when he had the chance. Her hands had been so soft… Now he was back to masturbating alone with his thoughts. The Prince lost himself in the fantasy of ravaging his dream concubine when suddenly the hinges of the door whined.
He ripped his hands from his manhood and practically dove for his discarded pants. He barely managed to get them on and flop down on his mat before Uncle's head poked into the room. "Prince Zuko?" he called softly. Zuko lay still, pretending to be asleep. Go away, go away… he thought venomously while trying to will away his arousal. Why of all times did Uncle have to check on him now? It wasn't even dawn yet, why was Uncle even up?
The teenager heard Iroh gasp and open the door fully. Zuko almost groaned. He felt a hand on his arm right next to the cut from his armor. Now the old man would start asking questions. There was no point pretending to sleep anymore; Uncle would've woken him up anyway. "I'm fine, Uncle," he said quietly.
"What happened, Nephew?" Iroh asked.
"Avatar," Zuko lied.
The General gave a soft "Hmmm…" before he asked, "What's on your face?" What? Zuko reached up to his scar. Damn! He'd forgotten it had landed there too.
"Wax," he mumbled. The Prince turned his face more into his pillow to hide the remnants of his bloody nose and other bruises. He tucked his forearms under his chest to hide Katara's scratch marks. Hopefully Iroh wouldn't notice anything else.
"I see," Uncle replied. "Have you been in your room since the fight with the Avatar?"
"Yes," he answered curtly. There was a moment of silence and Zuko sensed Uncle twisting around to observe the room before resuming his questions.
"Why are your meditation candles everywhere, Nephew?"
"I was angry," Zuko lied again. "About not capturing the Avatar again," he added.
"Ah," Iroh nodded. "And what of the girl? I saw you catch her." Zuko's heart missed a beat. There was an undertone to that question. How did Uncle always know? His eyes fell on the charred remnants of Katara's bindings next to the mat. Oh, that could be an indication.
"She escaped," Zuko sneered. "What do you care?"
"I don't mean to pry," Iroh said gently, "but as a concerned uncle, I have to ask." I don't want to talk about this with you! the Prince thought furiously. He dreaded where this conversation was going. There were times Iroh's avuncular concern irked Zuko no end and this was definitely one of those times! "Did you take her?" the General asked unabashedly.
Zuko's annoyance peaked and his temper came out. He turned over sharply to face Uncle and shouted, "Does it look like I've had any pleasure tonight?"
Iroh's concerned expression changed to shock and sadness as his eyes darted over Zuko's face. "Oh Zuko…" he breathed as his fingers stretched tentatively toward the Prince.
Zuko realized he must look like a bloody mess to his uncle, maybe even worse. "I'm okay," he muttered hurriedly and pushed Uncle's hand away. He needed to get out of the room before Uncle started fussing. "I… I just… need a bath," he blurted. Getting to his feet faster than injuries should've permitted, he quickly made for the washroom with Uncle's eyes following him out the door.
The washroom was just a sink, a shallow tub, and a towel rack, but Zuko was grateful for the privacy. He could've sponged off from the sink to just wash his injuries, but the idea of being submerged in hot water was more appealing to Zuko's sore body. He took off his pants, filled the tub, and slid into the steaming water.
The heat did feel good, but the water stung his injuries. Liquid patches of bright red and deep crimson swirled in the water before diluting. His body adjusted eventually and Zuko relaxed, letting the hot water soothe him. The thought of soothing water only brought him back to thinking about how much he missed Katara's comforting touch, and the frustrated teenager had to remind himself to relax.
He took himself to another fantasy of being with Katara. Considering where he was sitting, it made sense that in this reverie, the girl's element was everywhere. Zuko pictured himself and Katara in a secluded spot, waist deep in a small river with the warm summer rain pouring down, drenching the two benders to their very core. Their naked forms were slick and their hands slid smoothly over each other's skin. Katara's hair was stringy and locks of it stuck cutely to her face. Drops of rain fell from her thick eyelashes into the river's soft current and her pink tongue flicked out to lick other drops from her lips. To Zuko she resembled an Undine from the old legends; a spirit of water, truly happy surrounded by her element no matter the Firebender next to her. Zuko tangled his fingers through her hair and kissed her fervently, mixing the cool water on her mouth with his warm saliva. Even though no thunder rumbled from the cloudy sky and the wind was absent, the storm's downpour was ceaseless. The cascading water teased the two teenager's nipples to erection and as Zuko imagined Katara stroking his hardened nubs, he teased himself under the surface of the tub water.
Hot baths always made him able to feel his pulse strongly in his spine, temples, and fingertips. With the addition of being aroused, Zuko body was amped to sensitivity. He was so ready for climax but the Prince wanted to finish washing first. He'd pause in stroking himself to wash other areas periodically but his manhood remained just short of its peak, demanding attention. Katara would've been in for the night of her life if she had stayed, Zuko thought wistfully. After rinsing a final time, he threw his full attention into achieving release. He thought about when Katara had thrust her hips at him as he ground against her, the taste of her mouth, the satisfying weight of her breasts in his hands, how close Katara's silken folds had come to enveloping his member. That final thought sent him over the edge.
The orgasm he'd held off for so long sent his whole body into spasms of white hot pleasure. His eyes closed tightly as his face scrunched up and a few guttural noises escaped from his lips. He'd never been denied orgasm for so long before and the release of so much tension was explosive. The only way it could have been better was if it had been shared with a certain Waterbender. Zuko snorted out a few bursts of steam to cool his intense inner heat. The shockwaves pulsed from his temples to his toes and he slumped against the tub wall breathless and spent, his body trembling slightly.
The surrounding steam and his decreasing blood level made Zuko fall into a sleepy haze and it was with some difficulty, he roused himself from the bath. With no clean clothes set out for him, the teenager was forced to walk the corridors wrapped in just a towel. Hoping not to meet anyone in such an undignified manner, the Fire Prince padded to his room quickly, his dripping queue leaving a subtle trail of water behind him.
Zuko observed that Uncle had had the recently returned crewmen do a swift job of clean up to his quarters. There wasn't a trace of spilt wax left, Katara's burnt linens were gone, and his armor had been put away. The Prince shut his door and went to his trunk for fresh pair of pants. He dressed himself numbly, his mind already set on having him sleep well into the afternoon. When he made to close the lid to his trunk, his eyes lingered on his neatly stored red armor. Zuko only now considered that his entire wardrobe was made up of black, reds, and grays and he had only seen Katara ever wear blue. Was that a subconscious reason for his attraction; the contrast against his own habiliments? He inwardly cursed at the fact his entire ship was surrounded by blue. The color would only remind him of her more often. The Prince sighed deeply, again reminding himself to relax. There was nothing more he could do about Katara tonight and thinking of what he was missing was all too frustrating.
Then Zuko remembered Katara's necklace was supposed to be in the pouch on his belt. He didn't know why, but running his fingers across the cool stone carving was calming and he had done it often when he had possessed the jewelry for those many weeks. He had also toyed with idea of sleeping with it under his pillow, hoping to make his dreams just as calming as the carved waves that curled smoothly across the stone's surface, but he refused to love it that much. The Prince had surprised himself with how much he missed the trinket after the Avatar had taken it back at the abbey.
Zuko now rummaged through the trunk and found his belt tucked next to his wrist guards. He plunged a hand into the pouch only to find the bottom. The Firebender turned the purse upside down in hope that the necklace would fall out somehow. When nothing happened, he roughly threw the little bag back into his trunk and slammed the lid shut. He walked over to his cot and kicked it lightly before laying down.
Damn that girl! She was driving him crazy. Was it normal to think about females this much? He hated the distraction Katara had driven him to. Was this the same lust he had started with or were his present thoughts the lingering effects of his climax? Prince Zuko thought back to that incredible release in the bath. If one private encounter with this girl had him experiencing such intense pleasure even when there had been no sex, how much more pleasure could she draw from him? What could coitus with her really be like? The Firebender thought further back to his concubine fantasy. Katara would service him in gratitude if he saved her from the horrors of the Dragon Dungeons in the Fire Palace. But she'd need to know how close she came to such torture beforehand. And to even be near the Fire Palace and in a position to claim the girl for himself, Zuko needed the Avatar. That was the goal he needed to work for. Avatar first, everything else will fall into place, he assured himself.
For future encounters, he'd put his full attention to the Airbender and ignore the water wench whenever possible. Zuko wondered how she'd act around him now. Would she shy away hoping to be beneath his notice? Or perhaps she'd fight with renewed ferocity; wanting to punish him some more. Katara's behavior was as unpredictable as the current of a rushing river, and just as refreshing.
Zuko made himself comfortable on the mat. He pulled a sheet over his bruised body and sighed deeply. The sky outside the porthole was growing bluer with the first rays of sunlight breaking over the horizon. The crew was stirring for breakfast in the mess hall and early chores. Their passing footsteps were muffled by the heavy door. Reassured that he would eventually receive his dues, the Prince closed his eyes and, like so many nights previous, imagined Katara's form spooned comfortably against his body.
FIN
AN: I'm considering a bonus chapter where we explore Katara's thinking throughout the story and why she acted as she did in times when she didn't seem in-character. No promises but it's an inkling…