Katara and Iroh walked onto the deck as the cool sea breeze tickled their necks. Katara's thick brown hair blew in the wind as they walked to the rail.
"Ah today is a wonderful day isn't it, miss" the old man said as he took a breath of the salt stained air.
"Katara" she said blankly as she continued to stare at the ocean.
"What was that? Madam" he asked as he looked over at her with an eyebrow raised.
"My name, its Katara" she said with a sweet smile. For once in a long time she smiled, she was happy she was getting treated right and that she got to see the ocean once again.
"Katara, that is such a pretty name" he said with a sweet smile on his wrinkled face. Iroh had a long grey beard that went all the way to his chest. He was a wide man who must love food. He also seemed to always have a grin on his face.
"Thank you, Iroh" Katara said as she leaned against the railing. She let her hand lean over the side as she brought up a little stream of water.
She was focused as she swirled the water around in a circle until a hand grabbed her own hand, she looked up to see iroh looking at her.
"Remember our deal, Katara" he said as he released her hand from his grasp.
"Sorry" she muttered a little angry that she can't waterbend
His serious face changed to a simple grin as he beckoned to the door across deck, "shall we go have some tea, Miss Katara" he teased as he held his hand out for her to take.
Katara giggled as she placed her hand on his, "We shall" she managed to squeeze out between her giggles.
Katara and iroh walked into the room which had a short table that could seat four people and a pot of fresh tea lying in the center of the table.
"Ah the smell of fresh tea" he said as he took a whiff of the soothing aroma.
"Mm it smells so good in here I just love the smell of fresh brewed tea" she said as she as well took a breath of the warm air.
Iroh took a seat beside Katara as he pored her a cup of tea. She reached out and grabbed the cup of tea but not before a strong hand grabbed her wrist.
"What is this" iroh asked as he examined her cut fist.
'Damn I forgot to hide my cut' she mentally scolded herself.
"Oh just a cut" she said as she tried to jerk her hand away from his grasp.
"This is a fresh cut, how did you get it and I want the truth" iroh demanded as he stared at her with scolding eyes.
"I…uh, well….I got mad" she said with a weary smile on her tan face.
"So u cut yourself" he said almost yelling. 'Why the hell would anyone cause physical harm to themselves' he wondered to himself.
"No…. I didn't cut myself I was
mad so I punched the wall witch cut my hands.
She almost laughed
'he thought I cut myself' she thought laughing in her head at the
tea crazy old
man.
"Oh, well you and Prince Zuko do have something in common" he said as he chuckled to himself.
"Please don't compare me to that hothead jerk" she said as she looked down at the metal floor in anger.
"My nephew is troubled and I am sorry for all the trouble he has put you and your friends through personally" he said while sipping some boiling hot tea.
"How can you drink your tea that hot" Katara asked trying to change the subject to tea instead of the prince.
Iroh could tell this but didn't mind much because he liked tea so it didn't matter.
"I'm a firebender; we can stand extremely hot temperatures so we like things hotter than other nations, like our tea for instance." He laughed as he took another sip of his tea.
"Oh, well that makes since" she said as she let out a giggle and taking a sip of her own tea as well.
Zuko stormed into his room holding his head.
"That damn peasant bruised my face" he yelled as he threw his armor on the cold metal floor. "Now I have a damn headache" he roared as he threw himself onto the large mattress
He laid there for a while but threw himself to the other side. He tossed and turned as he tried to find slumber.
"What the fuck I can't sleep" he yelled as he threw himself to his feet.
"Ill just go drink some damn tea" he yelled to himself as he stormed out of his chamber and up on deck.
Katara and iroh were sitting and drinking tea until the door swung open.
"Uncle I want a cup of-"he was cut of as he saw a girl sitting down at his feet with a cup of tea in her tiny hands.
"What the fuck is she doing here" he roared as his fists started to glow.
"She accompanied me to a cup of tea, she is quite an entertaining person at that" he said as he sent a smile towards Katara who was just sitting and looking up at the very angry prince towering over her.
"Uncle, she is a prisoner not a guest she is to stay in her room or she can go down to a cell" he said as he shot a smirk to Katara.
"She is going to be treated with respect, prisoner or not she is a young lady who is going to stay with me on deck and drink tea with me" he said in a stern voice as he took another sip of his tea.
"But uncle-" he was cut off by his uncle.
"No what I say goes, now sit and have a cup of tea" his uncle demanded.
"Beside a peasant, no way" he spat looking down in disgust at the young girl.
"Sit" his uncle demanded in a harsh tone.
Zuko
looked at his uncle but sighed as he sat down on the mat beside
Katara.
"Peasant" he mumbled under his breath as he settled
into his seat.
"Hothead" Katara whispered under her own breath and before she knew it her hand was in his own hand.
He grabbed her hand and squeezed it as hard as he could and gave her a deadly glare, it was her warning.
Katara yanked her hand away and brought it up to her chest as she cradled her now sore hand.
"So Iroh, will I get a chance to waterbend" she asked with one eyebrow raised.
"No" the prince answered for his uncle as he took a sip of his tea.
"What Zuko means is that the crews members cant know you're a waterbender but inside your room you may" he said with a sweet smile.
"Oh and Zuko are you up for training today?" his uncle asked as he turned to his nephew.
"I have one hell of a headache uncle what do you think" he spat at his uncle.
Katara thought to her self for a moment.
'Katara you can heal his headache' her mind told her.
'Why would you heal him he tried to burn you'
'He might be kinder to you'
'Maybe but you still shouldn't do it'
'It's the right thing ill just do it what's to lose'
"I can heal it" she blurted out as she looked over at the prince.
"What are you talking about peasant" he demanded as he gave her an icy glare.
"I can make your headache go away using my waterbending" she said with a smile.
"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked a little confused.
"Just get me some water" she asked as iroh handed her a glass.
She bended it into a glove over her hands. "Trust me all im going to do is put this on your head and your headache will go away" she said as she walked behind him.
"You will not touch me peasant" he spat at her.
"I'm just trying to help so will you stand still so I can heal your damn headache so you can train then ill go back to my room" she yelled starting to get angry.
"Zuko just let her do it. what will you lose" his uncle said still drinking tea.
"Fine but if you cut me or mess up I will kill you" he spat as he sat there.
Katara placed her water covered hands at the sides of his head and watched as they started to glow. She waited a few seconds until removing her hands.
She bended the water off her hands and back into the cup. "There all done, would you like a hug since you did so good" she said in a mocking tome as she walked to the door.
"Shut up peasant" he spat as her pushed her out of his way as he walked up onto deck.
"Iroh will you lock me up in my room" she asked with a weak smile.
"You can just stay and watch training, you might actually like it" he said as he looked back over to Zuko stripping off his shirt.
"Oh please... Ill stay not because of Zuko but I think it will be interesting to watch" she said as she walked over and sat on a metal bench that was attached to the wall.
She watched as they trained. Zuko throwing punches and kicks and all different moves.
She just sat and watched until a young man came over to her and sat beside her.
"Hello, my name is ling" the young man said with a sweet smile on his face as he held his hand out.
Ling was tall and muscular, with broad shoulders and a ponytail. His ponytail wasn't shaved like Zuko's he just had long hair that was pulled back.
"Hello, my name is Katara" she said as she placed her hand on his.
He brought her hand to his mouth and gave it a light kiss. Katara blushed at this act of kindness.
"Katara that is a beautiful name. So what is a beautiful young woman like yourself doing on a firenation ship with prince Zuko" he asked with an eyebrow raised.
"Oh hell no!" she laughed, "im his bait for the avatar" she said giving him a sweet smile.
"Oh you're his waterbender" he asked with a smirk.
"I'm not his waterbender im not a waterbender at all" she lied.
"Oh I've never seen any other girls with the avatar but oh well" he said as he scooted closer to Katara
"So are you cold" he asked with a smile.
"Umm kind of but its ok" she said with a smile.
With that ling scooted as close to Katara as he possibly could and put his arm around her. She blushed a deep shade of red when she felt his warmth so close.
"They say fire benders are the best at keeping a woman warm at night." He said with a seductive smirk as he saw her face redden even darker.
Zuko was kicking and punching when he looked over to see his youngest crew member with his hands all over his prisoner. For some reason this made him angry, extremely angry.
He stopped shooting fire and stormed towards the couple.
"Get your hands off my prisoner" he roared as he was now standing in front of the two.
The young man was brave but as well very foolish. All the men of the crew know to always do what prince Zuko says, especially if he is angry, But Ling wasn't smart enough to do so.
"I didn't know you owned her" he said with a smirk as he cuddled even more with Katara.
"Get your hands off her" he roared at the boy, "I'm warning you" he was now red in the face with rage.
"I'm sorry it's her choice and if it was up to me I think she is looking comfortable in my arms" he said with a smirk on his face.
Ling leaned over and kissed Katara on the cheek and worked his way over to her mouth. She didn't like it to much since she just met him but since he was doing it to get on Zuko's nerves she just ignored it. Until he forcefully shoved his tongue in her mouth. She tried to push away but his hands snaked around her tiny form as he explored his mouth with his tongue. She kept trying to push him away but he just kept holding onto her tighter.
He started to bite her bottom lip teasingly then bit down on it hard where it started to bleed.
Zuko watched as she struggled and could tell she didn't like it but just smirked and stared at her.
Katara felt his lips roam her face and couldn't take it anymore she let the tears fall from her blue eyes.
When he was kissing her collarbone she took advantage of the freedom of her mouth.
"Zuko help" she managed to squeak out through her swollen and bloody lip.
Zuko was waiting for her to beg for his service witch he waited patiently for.
Zuko jumped forward and punched ling right in the cheek. The blow was hard witch made ling release the crying Katara. Zuko reached out and grabbed Katara before ling could have her in his grasp.
Katara clutched the back of Zuko's shirt as she cried. She was scared; she just got used by a guy for her body. It made her sick to her stomach.
"Yeah she seems to really want you now" Zuko spat at the boy as he jumped to his feet with a now swollen cheek.
"Man, I was just playing now we don't have to get all mad I mean come on she is so damn hot" ling said as he shot a wicked smile towards Katara.
Katara hid behind Zuko as she felt unclean as the boy talked about her in such a derogatory manner.
"She is just a toy that's all a peasant is worth" he spat.
Katara couldn't take it she walked out from behind Zuko and came face to face with ling.
"How dare you" she yelled as she punched him again in the jaw. He didn't expect it so he failed in blocking.
He fell to the ground cradling his now broken jaw.
Katara turned to Zuko with a tear stained
face. "Will you take me to my room now" she
Asked through her
swollen lip. "Please" she muttered as tears welled up in her
eyes.
She couldn't take it anymore so she fell to her
knees as she started to cry in her hands.
She wondered why she has
cried So much in this one day.
She continued to cry until
she felt herself being lifted off the ground. She was now in the
Arms
of a shirtless Zuko. She didn't care that she was in his arms
anymore since
He just saved her from ling.
She snaked
her arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder as he carried
her bridal
Style to her room.
Zuko was shocked on
how much this girl weighed, she felt like nothing in his arms.
He
Felt her face against his bare shoulder and her tears trickling
down his chest.
Zuko carried the crying Katara all the way to her room and sat her down on her bed.
He looked down at her now sobbing form, "why are you still crying" he asked her in a soft tone.
"d-d-do you think th-th-they will try to r-r-r-ape me" she asked about to start crying again.
He sighed and sat down beside her, "not why you're on my ship" he said with as soft smile that soon changed to a smirk.
"Hey why did you stop" she asked with a smile.
"Stop what" he asked a little harsher than intended.
"Smiling" she stated as she started to laugh.
"What do you mean by that exactly" he asked with an eyebrow raised.
"Umm you never smile…. Ever" she said as she started to laugh at the prince.
"Well I'm going to finish training" he said as he stood up but only to be pulled back down by no other than Katara herself.
"What are you doing" he asked as he saw the frowning girl with her arms intertwined with his own.
"I don't want to stay here alone what if they come here to… use me" she said as she suddenly felt her throat go dry and her face pale.
"Fine you can come watch training with me just stay out of my way" he said as he sighed.
They both sat up and walked to the door.
They were about to the door until Zuko felt tiny arms wrap around his middle and a small body pressed against his back. "Thank you Zuko for not letting ling go any farther" she said as she removed herself from the confused prince as she walked past him like nothing happened.
Zuko
walked up to her and grabbed her shoulder and jerked her around to
face him.
"don't ever do that again" he said in a
threatening voice, "you may think that I'm your friend or that
I'm going to be nice to you, your wrong I just did something nice
but that doesn't change anything" he spat as he just walked past
her and up on deck.
"Bastard" she mumbled under her breath as she too walked up on deck.
