Hell's Rain
by Kaline Reine
Disclaimer: I do not own the Avatar series or any of the characters/settings. This is just a fanfiction story written for my own amusement.
WARNING: Adult situations and graphic sexual content. May also contain borderline, if not full-on, rape. Also some character death, angst, and other dark themes. If it's not your thing, then turn back now. You have been warned. This is written solely for my own amusement. If you don't like the pairing or the plot, then go elsewhere for your entertainment. This is my first Avatar fanfic... That being said, if you think you can handle it, then I hope you find it an enjoyable read. Feedback is welcome and appreciated.
Chapter 13:
The past few days had been fairly peaceful for Zuko. There were no annoying prisoners next door to drive him absolutely insane... It was nice.
Something just didn't feel right, though. He was working on putting his plan into motion. These past few days without Katara around had been... Different. It's not like he spent a ton of time with her, but she did make her presence known. She was always making these demands of him, even as a prisoner she still had him wrapped around her little finger.
Every now and then, the Fire Prince found his thoughts drifting back to her. It was confusing. He didn't like it.
"Are the preparations made?" He asked a member of his military.
The man bowed to him, respectfully. "Yes sir. We've sent the two decoys as you requested. Contact was made yesterday and we are all clear."
Zuko smiled. This made him happy. "Finally some good news for a change. Tonight, we celebrate! Drinks for all the men are on me."
"Really sir?" The Fire warrior seemed shocked by his sudden generousity.
"Hm... I take it something has put you in a good mood." Iroh stroked his beard and casually sipped his tea. "What's going on, Nephew?"
"All things have been set into motion... Every piece of my plan is in place. Now all we have to do is wait."
"Why do you have to be so serious all the time?" He offered Zuko a cup of tea, which to his surprise, the Prince accepted. "You'll like it. It's jasmine."
"And why can't you take things seriously, just for once?" Though his words were rough, Zuko managed a smile. "Have you gotten what I asked you for? Are all the errands done?"
"Why indeed... And yes. Everything is in place, so just relax and let things take their course."
Iroh's wisdom was always shrouded in mystery, much like the man it came from. The two of them continued to enjoy their tea for a while. It was rare for his nephew to join him. The peaceful moment lasted until Zuko mumbled something about having things to oversee, and took his leave. The old man just shook his head, and finished his tea alone.
He waited for his guest to join him in the dining room. It was intended to be a pleasant evening. Zuko was unsure how to go about treating her. He didn't have that much experience with women. The only person he'd been involved with in the past was Mai, and that was mostly out of convenience. He hadn't seen her for years. They'd never done anythng that serious, only some kissing and light petting. He hadn't felt much more for the girl than simple lust. This was different, and he was slowly coming to terms with that. It made him feel so vulnerable and he hated that.
When Katara entered the room, she looked as beautiful as ever. It made his heart stop. Her gorgeous blue eyes were complemented by the dress he'd chosen for her. He really wanted to find some way to make everything up to her, to get her to trust him again... He wasn't certain he deserved that trust. Time would tell.
She really didn't know what to say to him. Her cold eyes said it all, staring bleakly at her captor. Luckily enough, he was all the way across the room from her. Katara sat in the nearest chair, not wanting to be in such dangerous company.
The Fire Prince only laughed. "So I see you've decided to show up. Wise choice." He wasn't sure why he was acting that way. He had no clue how to even talk to her. He was certain she was still angry at him.
Zuko was taking all the precautions tonight. He'd asked for privacy, but he had guards posted everywhere. They waited just outside the door. They knew better than to eavesdrop on him when he had guests, even if they happened to also be prisoners. Servants and extra guards were at his beck and call. He knew he could not afford to take any more chances. He couldn't allow her to get away from him again. His mission was far too important for that.
"It's not like I had much of a choice, you know." She sent him a death glare.
"Please, won't you join me? Come sit next to me. I wish for you to be treated as a guest from now on."
Katara certainly didn't seem to trust him, but for some reason the look in his eyes made her want to obey. And he had mentioned treating her as his guest. Maybe this meant that her imprisonment was finally over.
She took the seat directly at his right hand, which he'd gestured to. She was aware it was normally reserved for highly esteemed guests. Why he would even allow a prisoner to dine with him was beyond her comprehension. From what she could tell, nothing about this man made the slightest bit of sense.
The food laid out on the table looked delicious. They started with a salad as an appetizer.
"I have nothing to say to you." She silently enjoyed her meal, after days of near starvation in the dungeon.
"I understand..." The Fire Prince looked away, sadly. "Just so you know... I'm really sorry. About everything."
Zuko tried to focus on his meal, and not make a huge fuss over his guest or her attitude. He would explain everything to her soon. His honor and his own pride were riding on the completion of his mission. Capturing the avatar meant everything... But capturing her heart meant more. He saw that now.
The main course was served and they dug in. Katara was appreciative of the nice dinner, even if it was confusing. It was best to take advantage of the fact that she was being allowed to eat.
The thought did cross her mind that perhaps this would be her last meal. Even if that were the case, there was nothing she could do about it. If she killed this man in front of her, the guards would close in on her and she would be taken directly to the Fire nation without a second thought. This was their Prince, after all.
"Sorry doesn't fix everything, you know." She spat. "You've locked me away, kept me here against my will, and done countless other horrible things..."
'Not to mention trying to rape me on several occasions...' She silently added, thinking it was best not to even bring that up. It felt too awkward.
"I know. And I don't know if there's a way I can ever make that up to you. But I intend to try." He looked so sincere, as he said it. "I really want this to be settled so there's no more bad blood between us. I mean it."
Katara wasn't the type to hold grudges. Well, okay... Technically she was. It was very hard to let go. Especially when something affected her and her friends' future so much and she was in such a bad situation. It was all his fault.
And yet, she found herself compelled to believe him. Why else would he do all of this? She was very good at reading people and wasn't convinced he was lying. He seemed completely genuine. That didn't mean he was, but... Maybe Aang was right. Maybe if she got to know him better, she wouldn't feel so hostile toward the Fire Prince.
"If you really wanted to make it up to me, you'd let me go. It's not that hard to understand. I have to save my friends."
He looked so utterly hurt by her comment. Zuko was torn... "I know. But that's the one thing I cannot do..."
So that was that. She was still willing to make an effort, since he was. And they needed to get off the subject anyway. It would only make them both more irritated, which wouldn't be very good for something that was probably intended to be a peace talk of sorts.
"Alright, well..." She took a deep breath, trying in vain to understand where he was coming from with all of this. "Let's just change the subject. Tell me something."
Zuko cut into the meat on his plate. This was indeed a meal fit for a Prince. He was happy to see her at least trying to be civil toward him now. Things had calmed down quite a bit. Maybe she would come around after all.
"Ask me anything, and I promise to answer honestly."
"Okay..." If she weren't holding a fork, she would have been tempted to rub her hands together in evil contemplation. She was beginning to see how this just might be able to work out in her favor. "Tell me more about your family life."
That was unexpected. Zuko hesitated. Could he really open up to her, just like that? He never spoke of his family. They had all betrayed him, in some way or another... All except for his beloved Uncle, that is. But he had made a promise and did not intend to break it so easily. That would be in poor taste.
And yet, it was so difficult for him to talk about it. He'd never told anyone about his family life. He just wasn't used to opening up to anyone.
"I'm not sure where I should start..." Zuko trailed off, somewhat lost in his own thoughts. "My father was always cruel to me. So was my sister. The only one who stuck up for me was my mother, and she was banished in order to save my life. I don't know where she is, and it's a closely guarded secret. To put a long story short... I lost her because of the war."
"That's terrible." Katara commented, slowly being taken in by his story. "I know what it's like to lose a family member. I lost my mother too..."
"I'm sorry."
Katara sighed. She really didn't know what else to say. The only appropriate reaction to someone apologizing was to say 'That's okay.' and she could not bring herself to say those words to him. It would feel like a lie before it even left her mouth.
Truthfully, it was not okay. It was the wrongest thing in the world. And although he'd felt suffering and loss too, it was very different.
Still, he had lost his mother for the same basic reason that she had lost hers... Life was really unfair that way. It was ironic. She vaguely remembered him mentioning something about it once before... When she'd offered to heal the scar on his face. She kind of wished she could still do that for him. It was a shame the sacred water had been used already, although she'd used it for a good reason.
"You mentioned something like that when we were imprisoned beneath Ba Sing Se together..." She paused to wipe her face with her napkin, having just finished the generous meal. "I was too foolish to listen then. And I'm sorry for that."
"It's alright. Would you care to join me outside, on the balcony?" He stood and offered her his hand, when the meal was over. He smiled at her. "There are other things I wish to speak with you about."
Katara hesitated. 'Should I really go with him?'
She mulled it over for a moment... It had been a while since she'd seen the light of the day, or even gotten a chance to go outside. It was doubtful she could find a way to escape, especially if they were as high up as she thought they were. But maybe it might be beneficial to her. If nothing else, she was very curious what he had to say.
Curiosity got the better of her. She took his hand and he led her outside, through a pair of enormous glass sliding doors. The balcony was made of red and black marble. It was really a sight to behold... She gazed up at the sky, unable to process the beauty before her. They were very high up, nearly thirty stories or so. They seemed to be in a very tall tower built for war. That was something she hated about this place. But she tried not to focus on that right now.
"Oh, I'd forgotten just how beautiful the night sky is..." She sighed dreamily. "Though anything is better than a dreary dungeon cell."
All of the pain he'd inflicted upon her was suddenly called to the forefront of her mind. Everything he'd done... It was dispicable. There was no way that a man like this would be kind to her, unless he wanted something.
Zuko smiled. He wasn't even sure why, but he felt at peace with her. "Katara... You should know, I-"
"Don't talk anymore. I want to go back to my room. May I leave now?"
He leaned in close to her. An instant later she felt his presence consuming her, his breath on her lips... It was a strange sensation, so different from her kiss with Aang before. And that was all she really had to compare it to. But this was... Sinful; wrong. But it somehow felt right. The feeling of his body pressing so close to hers was something she hadn't expected, yet she felt her body betraying her too.
"You will never have my permission to leave my side..." He whispered softly. "Not ever."
Their lips connected. In a flash of emotion, they were connected by flesh on flesh. All reason was lost when he kissed her. Katara felt herself melting into his arms, letting go of all the pain she'd ever felt inside.
Zuko swept her away, parting her lips with his tongue. They closed their eyes and all they could feel was the warmth of one another. Nothing else existed. None of it mattered anymore. All he wanted was to keep her by his side. He couldn't stand to let her go. Now the reasons were a lot more personal...
He felt her sigh into the kiss, quickly getting lost in all the passion. It was all he could do to hold himself back. He wanted to eat her alive... He felt himself getting more lost in her with every moment.
Author's Note: I am really sorry about the long wait for this story to be continued... I got extremely busy with commissions, and I didn't have time to work on personal things, like this fanfic. But you can expect more regular updates from this point on. I appreciate the messages I've recieved regarding this story and whether it will be continued. I'm flattered that you all seem to be enjoying it so much. But yes, I will continue writing it. I'm not giving up until it's finished. I already had the whole thing planned out from the start to finish when I began writing it. Here's hoping I don't mess it up from this point on. Thank you so much for your patience and for giving my first Avatar fanfic a chance! And thank you for all the wonderful reviews and messages about this story. That means a lot to me.
-k.R.