Chapter Two: Until It Sleeps

Sokka wished he could cover his ears so the creaking wasn't so loud but the shackles bound his wrists together tightly. He felt the ship sway, and something ominous creaked, as if the surrounding water would push in the ceiling and walls around him. The holding cells on Fire Nation ships were in the hull and they were a claustrophobic's nightmare. Sokka sighed. At least he knew Aang and Katara were safe, which was all that mattered . If those two were smart they would turn and head straight to the North Pole without trying any heroics on his behalf. Sokka doubted they would leave him, even if he'd pleaded with them and made them promise not to come after him if he was ever captured.

The brunette sighed, again, and tried not to move his wrists, the metal had begun to chafe. He'd awoken in the cell what seemed like hours ago and there was a throbbing on the back of his neck. He really wished he could itch it. Sokka sighed a third time and glared at his feet, where the cause of his problems lay comatose.

Prince Zuko.

Sokka didn't fully understand why he and the Prince of the Fire Nation were thrown in the same cell, after all he was just a peasant to them and this "Zuko" was their prince.

"See what happens when you help a firebender, Sokka." He muttered, more to the walls than himself.

It was a moment of weakness, the kind a man like his father would never have shown. Laying in the dusky road, face to face with those cold amber yellow eyes, Sokka had a revelation: the Prince was suddenly human, not a firebender, just a human. He bled, winced in pain, breathed flecks of blood onto his lips, and met Sokka's eyes with cold resolve. And even though Sokka could have easily slit his throat or plunged his dagger deep into the Prince's stomach, he couldn't because humans were much harder to kill compared to beasts. Sokka had never killed anyone in his life, so he gave the Prince his hand.

His second encounter with the Prince, he reminded himself, had nothing to do with mercy. After he left he firebender alone, he'd moved down the forested hill until he caught the sound of a Fire Nation regiment cursing. They said the Avatar escaped on some sort of flying animal; there was another occupant with him, a girl - Katara. He tried to evade them and he probably could have if he didn't stumble back to the Prince and fight with him. That, obviously, attracted the attention of said firebenders.

He still couldn't understand why they'd taken the Prince, though. Sokka supposed there was a chance he wasn't with the Fire Nation. Just the thought caused his view of the unconscious firebender to soften decimally.

The ship gave a great creak and shuddered. Sokka yelped and moved his hands toward his face defensively. Sure, a nagging voice of reason teased, like that would work. Nothing happened and the hull grew quiet again, somewhere in the higher chambers he could heard the guards' boisterous talk. Their confident voices crushed the dwindling amount of hope inside him; it had already taken a beating by their absence.

There was a new pain in his right leg where the unconscious Prince's shoulder was digging into his calve. The recent toss had knocked them closer together. The grotesque scar was facing him and from his angle Sokka thought the firebender looked demonic, nothing like he did in the battle. Nevertheless, Sokka could still feel the rough scar tissue grazing his cheek as the Prince was knocked unconscious in the woods. The Prince's chest rising and falling against his side, supplying the warm breathe that skipped across his neck… Sokka shuddered. He'd rarely been that close to another person lately, atleast not intimately close. But then, intimate was not a word he wanted to associate with the Prince.

Sokka nudged the other boy's shoulder away and a low moan escaped the unconscious Prince. Sokka froze and stared at him, apparently he'd also nudged the other prisoner's broken arm. His hands weren't bound together like Sokka's; they were incased in a box-like manacle that completely covered them and lay on the Prince's stomach. Sokka assumed this was to keep the firebender at bay. He noticed the right arm in the manacle was twisted in an unnatural position.

The firebender groaned again and muttered something unintelligible. His head swayed back and forth before his eyes opened for the first time. Instantly they dilated and narrowed. He tried to twist and sit, but his stomach muscles gave out. He fell back, coughed, and glared at Sokka's leg seeming to notice it for the first time. The Prince looked around, taking in the holding cell in all its grandeur.

"Zhao's ship," the Prince said in a scratchy voice as if informing himself. Sokka would have responded with something sarcastic but a low feral growl escaped the firebender's teeth and he slammed his good elbow on the steel floor. The bang was hollow.

"Uh, good morning… or night, …whatever," Sokka said weakly. The firebender craned his neck and scowled at his cellmate.

"Oh. You." The reply was a deadpan. The Prince turned away. "How long have we been here?"

"I'm not really sure… hours, maybe," Sokka answered the best he could. "You can't really tell down here - "

"Are there any guards posted right now?"

"No…"

Sokka watched the Prince close his eyes, his body tense. He was thinking very hard, probably trying to figure a way out. Sokka had already exhausted himself trying to find any fault in the cell and his shackles. There were none. Sokka felt his instincts scream for self-preservation, maybe Aang and Katara would come for him. Aang could defeat Zhao and his men. Aang was the Avatar and Sokka was just Sokka. The dark skinned boy scolded himself. He was bitter but, he reasoned, he had a right to be… Nonetheless, he believed in Aang, he had to for his mother's sake.

"Hey, Water Tribe peasant," The Prince hissed, looking up at the other prisoner. "Listen to me, whatever you do, do not reveal to Zhao that you are a friend of the Avatar." The Prince's good eye narrowed. "That is, unless you desire pain."

Sokka blinked and swallowed. Why was the Prince telling him this? "R-right. What should I tell him?"

The Prince didn't respond, his eyes were focused on the right side of the cell from which atleast five sets of footsteps could be heard.

"He's coming."

The breath stopped in Sokka's throat. Zhao was standing in front of them. At first glance, Sokka could tell Zhoa was formidable. He was still adorned in his armor, but it was his manner that held power. One of the guards opened the cell and Zhao walked in. He reminded Sokka of a very large cat, prowling around its prey.

"Zhao, you bastard," the Prince snarled with contempt. "You have no reason to hold me here! Release me this instant!"

"On the contrary, Prince Zuko, I do. You know I can arrest anyone who attempts to hinder the Fire Nation," Zhao was smirking. "You, on neutral ground, attacked my men. In doing to so, you attack the very nation you've sworn to serve, even after banishment…"

Sokka's eyes widened. Banished?

Zhao continued, "…I think that does give me the right to hold you. Under the circumstances you are considered a dangerous criminal; a threat to the welfare of your father's nation."

"Bullshit!" Zuko said, again writhing in his bonds. He couldn't stand. "You attacked before I did! My men will swear to it! So will my uncle!"

"What was left of your men and your foolish uncle fled the battle like cowards," Zhao said. "I've sent messengers to the other Commanders, the entire fleet will be watching the seas for them. I doubt that dinghy you call a ship will last long."

"You bastard," the Prince glared up at him. "I should have killed you in the Agni Kai!"

"Yes, yes, but you couldn't could you?" the Commander said quickly avoiding the overlaying meaning to Zuko's words. Zhao nodded toward Sokka, "And who are you?"

"I-I don't think you would really care," Sokka said stumbling along the words.

Zhao stepped over Zuko and pulled Sokka into a standing position by the front of his jerkin. "I care about anyone who aids a Fire Nation traitor. Especially if they're from the Water Tribe."

Sokka could feel the sweat on the back of his neck. He though fast. "I… I have an answer to your question, you see..." But not fast enough.

"He's one of my uncle's spies," Zuko said quickly. Perhaps to quickly. "He has been sworn to secrecy."

Zhao looked over his shoulder, "Really, now. Iroh using children to spy? And spy on whom may I ask?"

"Who do you think?" Sokka ground out and then winced. Damn his mouth's inability to connect with his brain sometimes.

Zuko quickly covered for the Water Tribesman. "He followed the Avatar into the village and informed us of his whereabouts. I only have you to thank for the target's escape."

"It that true?" Zhao turned back to Sokka. "Do you know anything else about the Avatar?"

"Yes --no! I mean it's true but I don't know anything, I just followed him! That's... that's all I was paid for!" Sokka said choking on the false words and ducked his head.

Zhao growled and shoved him roughly to a corner of the cell, "For now you stay here. But once we dock, you'll be tried and convicted as a criminal. After that, you'll wish I'd have killed you." The commander nodded towards the few men standing at attention outside the cell, "Chain the prisoner to the wall and take our beloved Prince to my chambers. It's been a while since we've had time to talk. Keep his right hand shackled and bring gauze for his other arm, you know the rest. I'll return after setting course for the nearest port."

There was an echo of "yesir!" and Zhao walked out of the cell and out of Zuko's view.

Zuko glared at the firebenders as they hoisted him to his feet. He could also see the Water Tribe boy crouched in the darkness, watching as they led him away. Zhao wasn't a fool; he would find out sooner or later what the boy really was and Zuko found himself hoping for later. As far as he was concerned the other boy was his prisoner, even if they both wore Zhao's shackles. Once he found a way out, Zuko was taking his prisoner with him.

---

"Move," said one of the guards and shoved Zuko down the hall. They walked in silence. The throbbing in Zuko's temple was not helping him memorize the path from the cell to Zhao's chambers. Zuko refused to consider what the Commander was planning; he would face it as it came.

Again, the guard shoved him, this time into a larger room decorated in burgundy and black. There the walls were blank, except for the large banners bearing the emblems of the Fire Nation, there was, also, a large mahogany desk and next to it… a luxurious bed. Zuko felt his stomach drop. A pale guard, not yet twenty, stopped him and drew a key fro his belt. Numbly, Zuko let a guard unshackle his left arm. Avoiding the Prince's eyes, the guard freed his left arm and undid the Prince's breastplate, setting it on the floor. Zuko was stripped of his second layer of clothing and then came the mandarin-collared negligee. Zuko winced and refused to shiver as he stood in his loose sleeveless undershirt.

"Lay down on the bed," the pale man said grimly as a fourth guard walked in caring a shallow dish of water and simple white bindings.

"You've got to be fucking kidding - "

Without hesitation the guard punched Zuko once in the stomach. An odd sounding gasp flew from his lips and Zuko felt himself doubling over. As he began to fall, the guard caught him. Caring Zuko like bride, the guard hoisted the younger man onto the bed. He secured the shackle on the Prince's right arm to a bedpost and left his ankles in the manacles, bound but moveable. The Prince tested his bonds against the bed's metal frame, leaving thin scratches. Zuko noticed there were other indentations on the bedpost.

"So," The Prince said slowly in a steady voice. "How many others?"

The guard next to him tensed and replied in a forced voice, "Silence, traitor."

Zuko snorted, and decided to let the stillness eat away at his captor. As the Prince expected, when the task was complete the guard quickly exited to room, nearly in a run. The other guards left in a more dignified manner, none, though, looked back. The last guard closed the door with his eyes on the ground. The bang was hollow.

Zuko immediately tugged at the manacle; his right hand was completely useless in the encasing and his left arm was of no use either. He rotated his shoulder and bent his elbow, his wrist was sprained and there was a break somewhere along his forearm. Zuko slowly took a breath. His chest ached. He concentrated on his right hand. Heat spread rapidly through the incasing, he hissed in pain. There was no way he could prepare himself against Zhao; his imagination had already created the nightmare that would come.

Within the room there was no sense of time, so when Zhao finally arrive Zuko wasn't sure if minutes or hours had passed. The older man walked in, he glanced briefly at Zuko before undoing his own breastplate. "You should stop struggling my Prince, you look paler than usual."

Zuko glared, "Fuck you, Zhao."

Free of the armor, the Commander approached the Prince, studying him silently. He made a semicircle around the bed before walking over to the water and gauze without a word. The silence sent an uncomfortable shiver down the Prince's spine. He turned his head towards the other man, "What kind of sick game is it this time?"

"Do you want that arm set or not? I can't return you to your father damaged." The answer was too simple, to kind. Zuko swallowed back the burning in his throat.

"I'd rather keep it this way if it means you wont lay your filthy hands on me."

Zhao turned and smiled at the Prince, setting the gauze and splints on the bedside, "I know."

"I hate you."

The Commander grasped Zuko's injured arm, running his fingers along the bone, pinching and pressing, looking for the break. "You know, my Prince, I've been looking forward to congratulating you on our last Agni Kai. You've undeniably improved in the last two years, though…" Zhao found the break and Zuko inhaled, grinding his teeth. "…I preferred you when you were younger." He grasped Zuko's wrist and elbow. "You're rash and unimpressionable now, before you were much more submissive. You even looked like a girl, which would make this much more comfortable..." He added the last though in a low voice, "…for both of us."

Zhao jerked the wrist and elbow apart and Zuko arched in pain. The Prince hissed through his teeth, letting the pent up air in his lungs escape instead of a scream. Zhao wasn't satisfied. Again, the commander check the break, the bones were aligned.

"I must say, my Prince, you do have a very high tolerance for pain," he set the splints and began to wrap the arm. "I remember the day your father gave you that scar. Your scream filled the stadium."

The Prince was breathing heavily. "What's… your… point, Zhao?"

"Just reminiscing." He had finished tying Zuko's wrist and sat back inspecting his work. The Prince was in more pain than he let on, Zhao was certain of that. He watched Zuko blink rapidly, trying to expel the blotched of color dancing in front of his eyes.

"Zhao…" the Prince's voice was a whisper and his eyes fluttered. He was loosing consciousness. "Zhao… I… I have to tell you something…"

"Hm?" The Commander's curiosity was struck; he leaned forward, over the Prince.

"I… " Zuko choked out. Then... "I WILL KILL YOU!"

Zuko's newly bandaged elbow collided with Zhao's chin, sending the man sprawling across Zuko's legs. Completely conscience and in a vengeful rage, Zuko caught Zhao by the neck within his knees. Locking his feet together he straightened his legs, choking the flailing commander.

"Zuko…" Zhao was grasping pathetically at the prince's knees.

"Begging won't help you right now," Zuko ground out as he pushed himself onto his elbows. "My honor won't be tarnished by your death."

"You don't… understand, Zuko," Zhao said. "The Water Tribe boy with you… if you kill me he will die, too."

"Really?" Zuko asked pitilessly. "Why should I believe you and why should I care about some mere boy?"

"He's been poisoned…he'll only last a three weeks, long enough for me to beat the information I need out of him…" Zhao said. "And I know he's not a spy…"

The prisoner's state was little of Zuko's concern, that was, if he would last long enough for the Prince to retrieve information on the Avatar as well. Yet, there was a tugging at his chest. The Water Tribe boy had save him in the battle.

"What is he then?" Zuko asked, jolting his right knee further into Zhao's neck.

"Your age, your ally, your type... perhaps even your lover."

The answer was a complete surprise, the last thing Zuko had suspected. "WHAT?"

Zuko felt Zhao take advantage of his shock. The Commander managed to bend the Prince's right knee and slip through his legs. Zhao lunged for Zuko's bandaged wrist with one hand; the other cupped the Prince's face roughly. The Prince, realizing that his legs were still around Zhao's waist dropped them, horror-struck.

"Still a virgin, I see," Zhao chuckled and whispered into the prince's right ear. "Does the idea of imtimacy with another man make you uncomfortable, my Prince?"

Zhao tied his bandaged arm to the other bedpost with the extra gauze and Zuko turned his head away, refusing to watch. The Commander responded by running his teeth across the exposed skin on the Prince's neck and sucking. It wasn't lovingly. It wasn't pleasuring. Zuko thrashed as Zhao began to mark him.

"Get off me you sick bastard!" The Prince yelled.

"Not likely, my Prince," Zhao said in a guttural voice. "All I want you to know is…" There was a soft creeping feeling running down Zuko's right arm where the steel manacle broke his skin. Zhao was momentarily distracted by the blood, but decided against stopping. "…You had this coming you, fucking brat. Without your dear Uncle Iroh you're nothing. Nothing."

His hands ran under the Princes shirt, along his chest, roughly examining the muscles and taking pleasure in pressuring the discolored skin around the ribs. Zuko closed his eyes, taking refuge in the darkness his eyelids provided, his mind centered on the pulse of his heart. He held his breath.

The older man's hands had reached is inner thighs and pulled his pants down past his knees. Fingers were stroking and pinching the pale skin, Zhao never touched him, though. Zuko bit into the side of his cheek, hard. His breath caught in his throat, Zhao was spreading his legs and bending his knees, only stopping to apply something from the bedside on himself. The Commander undid his own belt with a click and positioned himself, steadying Zuko's hips. It took his two tries to enter and Zuko gasped, his eyes opening.

Hope was glinting among the tousled covers as Zuko arched in pain and Zhao's hot body moved within him. Blood was filling the Prince's mouth and he swallowed it, concentrating on everything but Zhao against him, thrusting, the Commander's breathing, rough, grunting, and the idea of pleasure from the act. He loathed it, the warmth of the other body against him, in him.

When he first saw salvation - the small steel black key against the burgundy bedspread - Zuko was able to breath again. It wasn't Zhao who had left the key for him; it was the guard, definitely the guard. And all of Zuko's strength was put into reaching it. He thrashed again and Zhao must have been pleasured because he moaned and closed his eyes. Zuko, twisted his neck, and reached the key, dragging it with his tongue until it was close enough to pick up with his teeth. Satisfied, Zuko closed his eyes and concentrated on the taste of blood and steel under his tongue.

---

"Don't move!" One guard commanded as he aimed a hand toward Sokka. The Water Tribesman looked up. There were three guards facing him, two supporting the Prince and the other watching him intently.

Something was terribly wrong, the darker skinned boy concluded at once. The Prince had been stripped of his armor; his clothes were wrinkled and sodden from sweat. His arms were both bandaged, the left fully and the right was only bandaged around the wrist, where, Sokka assumed, the manacle had cut. But, despite his attire, Sokka couldn't help notice how he held himself. He was neither proud, nor defiant, his head hung slightly and hateful eyes glowered at something far off. He was no longer in the dim hull.

The cell was forced open and the Prince stumbled in. Sokka watched as Zuko's good shoulder collided with the wall. The Prince sunk to his knees and gave no resistance as a second guard entered and roughly drug him toward Sokka. The guard undid Sokka's left hand and placed it palm to palm against Zuko's. An unusual steel constrain was placed on their wrists. The Prince's uninjured hand was free, but to close to Sokka's to perform any bending, atleast, that is, unless the Prince didn't want to hurt him.

As the cell slammed closed, Sokka looked over at the firebender. The other was breathing steadily, his eyes focused on something outside of the cell that may not have existed. Sitting shoulder to shoulder, Sokka noted the tangles in his hair and the bruises on his neck where, Sokka assumed, someone had tried to strangle him. He watched Zuko breathe for some time before the firebender faced him with daunting yellow eyes.

"What?" Their faces were merely inches apart.

"What happened to you?"

Sokka felt the paler boy's fingers twitch. Zuko's head snapped away from the other boy. "Nothing that you should concern yourself with," he said darkly. Then in a lower, calmer, voice he said, "We're going to escape, tonight."

"What? Really?" Sokka whispered back his heart pounding rapidly, hope suddenly springing to life. He wondered what the Prince had in mind. There were no guards in the hull, but their presence could be heard in the higher rooms. Getting out of the hull was going to be the challenge… but what of the shackles?

"Yes, we are," Zuko said slowly, almost as if he was unsure. Sokka suddenly caught a flaw in his speech, it was odd sounding but Sokka couldn't place it. "All Fire Nation ships have a standard key that can unlock all the holding cells and shackles, most high ranking officers have one of their own, incase they're captured and locked in their own restraints. I have the key, there's just one problem though…"

Sokka blinked and studied the Prince, "Where is the key?"

"In my mouth."

"Oh…?"

"Honestly," Zuko sighed in exasperation. "Listen, peasant, my left arm is broken, my right arm is stuck to your left arm. The only usable appendage we have between ourselves is you right arm, which is secured to the wall by a foot long chain so you can't really reach over and take the key from me. Do you understand what I'm implying?"

Sokka felt his face pale, then flush red. He was thankful for the dimness of the cell. "We're going to have to… so I can unlock my arm?"

"Yes," Zuko looked grim and uncomfortable. "Just don't swallow."

Sokka felt the Prince's warm fingers entwine his. The touch was almost comforting but he suddenly felt the Prince's nails driving themselves into the soft flesh at the base of his fingers. Sokka gasped, "Ow. Ow - "

Zuko leaned forward quickly and caught Sokka's open lips with his own, just the touch was sickening. Using his body as leverage he pressed himself against the other boy and squeezed his eyes closed, the pit of his stomach dropping as his tongue pushed the key towards the other boy. Grimacing he tried not to think of their tongues entwining or the supple feel of it sliding across bar skin. It wasn't a kiss, it was survival.

It wasn't a kiss, Sokka's brain told him. He felt the Prince's tongue slip into this mouth and something metallic passed from the Prince' tongue to his. The feeling was extraordinary, the softness of the Prince's tongue as it brushed his. There was also a taste of blood, something Sokka never enjoyed, which swamped his mouth. He wanted it to end and it did in seconds.

The Prince turned away quickly and spit. Sokka, having the key, wasn't granted that privilege; instead he made a face and tried not to gag.

To Be Continued In…

Chapter Three: Share This Paralyze

Sokka and Zuko escape. (Much more complicated than it sounds.)

[edited 03.14.2009]