Hey guys! Okay so I forced myself to sit and write. So here's chapter nine! A bit short, but oh well.

Do not own this series. I own my plot.

~paperbackwriter9


Zuko's Pov


Rain poured down and I stood in front of the inn. What was I thinking? What was I doing? She was not from my nation, and I was a prince. My head spun with the events that had taken place so quickly and I felt out of control. Fuck. Damn it! I was losing my mind, and if I didn't do anything soon I would lose all the honor I had.

Quietly pushing open the door, I saw there was no one in the front and I continued to the room I had rented. I should have gotten two rooms, and let the inn keeper be suspicious. As I stood outside the door I felt the key in my hand and finally put it in the lock.

The room was dark except for the light coming from the window. Katara must have opened the curtains, and I sighed. I saw her sleeping form curled up on the bed. I stopped any thoughts of her before they formed in my mind, and sat on a chair. There was a cup full of tea, and I was guessing she had found it somewhere and left it for me. It was cold, but it was good to drink something and I closed my eyes.

Prince of the Fire Nation… It was my destiny and I couldn't let any hormones ruin my plans. I would find my uncle, pay the girl, let her go, and capture the Avatar. This was how it had to be, and I could not stray away from my plan. She was just an unintelligent Waster Tribe girl, and there were plenty Fire Nation girls that were prettier.

But her blue eyes… And her tan skin…

I put my hands on either side of my hand and leaned over. Stop it! I thought to myself and I heard a soft sound. Quickly I sat up and looked at the door, and then the window.

You're driving yourself crazy.

The chair was not very comfortable and I tried sitting different ways to be able to sleep. Finally I found that just lying on the floor would be better, but I didn't want to lay my face on the ground. It was probably dirty, so I settled for the chair.

The light from the moon shone brightly on the bed and I peeked over at her and I could tell she was having a bad dream. Then her eyes opened and stared at the window and I kept my gaze on her lovely face that was bathed in moonlight. She was very appealing to look at, and I felt guilty again for keeping her with me.

Why was I keeping her? I guess I did not want to go search for my uncle on my own. I was afraid that the silence would take over me, and I would give up and maybe even give up on finding the Avatar. I scared myself with my thoughts and I turned my head and closed my eyes.

"Zuko…" Her soft voice said and I kept my eyes closed.

"What?" I said with a callous tone.

"Why did you kiss me?" Her words were simple and clear, and I sighed and kept my eyes shut.

"I don't know," I mumbled and suddenly the chair was very hard to sit on. Truthfully I wasn't quite sure why I had kissed her. I hadn't planned to even touch her, ever. "You were just there, so close… I just did it," and I felt like a moron as I talked. I did not want to say another word to her ever again.

"Oh," she said and I could hear her move. "You look uncomfortable, here," she said and I turned my head and looked over at her. She was offering me a blanket and a pillow.

"Thanks," I muttered and I stood and took them. I sat them on the chair and tried to make it work so I could finally get some sleep.

"Zuko?" She asked in a quiet voice and I looked over at her. "How is your wound?" I hesitated before I answered and I put my hand on my stomach. It stung, but it was much improved since this morning. "Let me bandage you, you were out in the rain," and I looked out the window as she took out the bandages and the medicine. I lifted my shirt and she took off the bind and put on the new one coated in the goo from the plant.

She stood in front of me and I looked at the space above her head. "Do you hate me?" She said softly and I was surprised by this question. If anything she should hate me, and I looked at my hands.

"I have a plan to capture the Avatar, and then I will be back home and one day hopefully become the Fire Lord. My plan must be flawless, because I'm tired living like this. I am a prince, not a peasant," and I saw her grimace and I knew it was a mean thing to say, but I had to make her hate me. If she hated my guts, then she could and would not want to ever feel anything for me. It would be much easier during the time we were going to be together looking for me uncle. "You know you could leave," I offered.

"I need money to get home," she said and eyed me. "And you know for a prince, who is supposed to have manners, you happen to be the most overconfident male I have met. If you capture the Avatar then this world will no longer be in balance because everyone knows what your father is planning to do with him." Her eyes were large and I stared back, anger in my expression.

"I want my honor," I said simply and she stood with her hands on her hips.

"Think about the world! Think about things that are larger than yourself!"

"I would like my home! It is my destiny to rule the Fire Nation and I will do it proudly!"

"Like your father?" She asked and stared at me with a frown. "He has killed so many innocent people and yet you want his love and his affection-"

"Shut up!" I yelled. I knew all about how he killed innocent people. "This ugly scar on my face is for trying to save innocent people, and you want to tell me about all the ones he has killed? I tried to stop him-"

"My mother is dead!" She yelled and stood not two inches from me and her eyes were large and her expression was filled with anger. "I will not let things like that happen to my people because of the hatred of the Fire Nation," and she backed up and sat on the bed.

I felt the anger inside me, and yet I did not yell back. I could not say anything, because I knew how it was to lose a mother. I squeezed my fists tightly and felt the anger pushing into me. "Your tribe is what you want to save? They have not even saved you," and she looked up with me with tears in her eyes. Guilt overwhelmed me and I sat on the chair and we sat in silence, except for her sniffling.

The shameful feelings would not leave me and I stood and found a cloth and handed it to her. She dried her eyes and looked up at me. With both had hurt one another and we were both too proud to apologize. I leaned down and kissed her again. This time I did not feel anything but the need to kiss her again. Guilt, shame, anger, it all disappeared and the only thing I could feel was the way her soft lips formed themselves around my own.

I found that she was kissing me back, and her hands were holding my arms, as if she thought I was going to run away again. The demons inside me yelled that this was wrong, that it would ruin me forever. But if I was the prince, why could I not kiss the Water Tribe girl and still have my honor? I was powerful enough to do whatever I wanted, and besides, I didn't have feelings for her that fell along the lines of affection.

She pulled away and with a curious expression, and then she put herself against me and wrapped her arms around my waist. As simple as a hug was, I felt some kind of relief and I slowly wrapped my arms around her small middle as well. It was a strange thing, to hug someone. "Zuko," she said softly and I broke from the hug and silently, I picked up the blanket and the pillow and placed it on the floor.

"We both need rest," I said and she nodded and slowly went back to the bed. "Tomorrow we are going to ask if there has been any local news about the storm and the Fire ships. We'll find food and suitable clothing, and then we must move on," and she nodded her head. "If any Fire Nation men notice me, they will bring me home and the search for my uncle may be called off. My father does not like his brother," and I sighed knowing that my father would probably call off any searching for my uncle.

"Good night," she said and I closed my eyes. I would not fail, and I could discard the girl whenever I wanted. I swallowed those thoughts and forced myself to believe it. If I believed it then hopefully I could do it.

And beside, I did not like her.


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