The next day, Zuko showed up in the late morning, just as she was beginning to awaken. As someone who drew her power from the moon, she was a night owl. Since her capture, she'd taken to staying up late into the night, partly to enjoy the feeling of the moon flowing through her (although it was muted through the layers of metal on the ship) and partly because she was wracking her mind to come up with some kind of viable escape plan. Nothing had occurred to her yet, but she wasn't going to give up either.

"Morning." Katara rubbed the sleep from her eyes, sitting on the edge of her cot.

Zuko crossed the room to her and pulled a key from his belt. He waited for her to stand, then began to unlock her shackles. "It seems like you're going to be with us for a while," he said without preamble.

"What? Did something happen to Aang? What do you know?" She suddenly felt wide awake.

"I've received word that the Avatar and his bison were caught up in a great storm, shortly after we encountered you on the riverbank. They were blown further north than we thought. We're moving to intercept but it could still be a few weeks before we catch up to him."

"A storm? Are they okay? What about my brother?"

"I have no more details."

"Well, couldn't we catch up to him sooner? I mean, if he were flying to us as we sailed to meet him?" Katara mused excitedly.

"Apparently there has been noted trouble with spirits in that region. It wouldn't surprise me if the Avatar was involved. It seems I must go to him. Again." Zuko said with annoyance. The whole point of kidnapping the (infuriatingly mesmerizing) waterbender was to lure the Avatar to him, yet here he was with circumstances conspiring to force him to pursue the airbender anyway.

"So what, if I'm staying awhile longer then?" Katara wondered what all this had to do with him removing her chains.

"My uncle reminds me that you are a young lady and urges me to treat you as our guest. And I agree it seems… unbefitting… to leave you in this uncomfortable cell when you may be with us for weeks yet. You will be moving to new quarters. Come."

Zuko led her through the interior of the ship, finally stopping in front of a metal door. Unlocking it, he pushed it open and stood aside waiting for Katara to enter first.

Although still quite spartan, the room was a far cry from the barren cell. The room featured a huge Fire Nation flag on one wall, at the foot of which was a small table and two cushions set on the floor, presumably for taking meals or playing pai sho. Candles and lanterns were scattered about in various alcoves and on daises, suffusing the room in gentle, warm light. Straw mats crisscrossed the floor. There was a large wooden chest against one wall and next to it, a bookshelf full of reading materials. A real bed, one that actually looked passably comfortable, was nestled into the corner, opposite the Fire Nation flag.

"I'll leave you to get acquainted with your new space. There are some changes of clothes in that chest." Zuko closed the door. A metallic sound rang out as he locked it firmly behind him.

Although a cage was still a cage by any other name, this was certainly a vast improvement. After drifting around the room and idly inspecting her new surroundings, Katara found herself in front of the chest. She took out a few items of clothing, all of them in Fire Nation reds, golds and blacks. Feeling like her Water Tribe clothes were getting grungy and a little worse for wear, Katara changed into one of the new dresses. Maroon with gold accents, it was a casual one-shoulder dress that hugged her breasts and torso before flowing into a skirt that stopped a little above her ankles. The dress was quite comfortable, but Katara still felt a little uneasy in the Fire Nation style and colors. Though, it was nice to be in something clean for a change.

She sighed, trying unsuccessfully not to speculate about what kind of spirit world troubles Aang was getting himself into now.

O – O – O – O – O – O

Zuko returned that evening to check on her, bringing tea as usual. When he opened the door, he couldn't help but stare at the sight of Katara; she was always beautiful, but in red and gold she was somehow even more striking than ever. The dress clung to her body, accentuating her curves far more than her Water Tribe layers had done.

Zuko swallowed heavily.

Katara blushed. "The clothes fit."

"I can see that." Involuntarily, his eyes flicked up and down her body. He hoped she didn't notice.

Of course, she did. Her stomach flip-flopped and she wished he would look away so it would stop. "Ahm, so where'd you get them, anyway?"

"Oh? It's just casual-wear we have on board for female soldiers. I don't have any women in my unit, so it was in storage."

"It's nice." Katara gave a little twirl.

It's more than nice, Zuko thought.

She continued, "The room is nice too. Give your uncle my thanks."

"Yes. I will." Zuko seemed stuck in place.

"So…" Katara looked around the room for something to talk about. She didn't like how much she liked the way he was looking at her. And it was obvious he wasn't about the carry the conversation. "What do you do for fun?"

"Nothing."

She laughed, not doubting him in the slightest. "You should really pick up a hobby, you know."

"Like what? Juggling?"

Katara broke into giggles. "Did you just tell a joke?!"

"I guess I did." Zuko looked as surprised as she was.

"I can hardly believe it!"

"Yeah, well, don't go spreading it around. It will ruin my reputation."

Katara laughed harder. "Two jokes in a row? Who are you and what have you done with Zuko?"

"What? No. I was serious."

"Right…" Katara went on, "Since you're in such a humorous mood, how about we play a game?"

"I didn't bring the board."

"We don't have to play pai sho. How about this? It's a game I used to play with my friends…back at the Water Tribe. It's called 'Would You Rather?'"

"I don't know…"

"Don't worry, it's easy. We just take turns asking the other person what they would prefer out of two different options. You try to pick two things that are hard to choose between, like things that are equally fun or equally terrible, or whatever. Come on." Katara sat on one of the cushions at the table, looking expectantly at him.

"That doesn't sound like my kind of game."

"Why do I get the feeling that no game is your kind of game?"

"Because I don't play games."

"Sure you do. We played pai sho, didn't we?"

"Well, yes."

"Then you can play this!"

Zuko looked at her like she was suggesting he stick his hand in a scorpion-bee nest, but he reluctantly settled himself into the cushion across from her and set out the tea.

"Good. I'll start so you can see how it goes. Something easy. Hmmm. If you were at a festival and your favorite song came on, would you rather dance or sing?"

"Neither."

Katara put her face into her hands in exasperation. "That's not how you play! You have to pick one of the options."

"Still neither."

"Wow, you really are no fun after all. I take back what I said about your humorous mood. We can't play if you're going to be like that."

"dance" Zuko said quietly into what sounded like a cough.

"Sorry I didn't catch that." Katara radiated amusement.

"I said dance, okay. I'd dance. If I had to."

She tried to imagine him dancing but couldn't quite picture it. Although, dancing wasn't so different from bending when you got right down to it, and he was very skilled at that.

"See, it's not so hard. Okay, ask me one."

Zuko furrowed his brow, trying to come up with something. "Would you rather yield to the Fire Nation or be destroyed?"

In a fit of giggles, Katara collapsed forward onto the table. "No way. Ask something more lighthearted."

"This is frivolous."

"Yep. You know, like it's meant to be played for fun or something."

"Fine. In your free time, would you rather be training in physical combat or bending techniques?"

"Stop being so serious Zuko!"

"You are very demanding, you know that?" Zuko paused, trying to think of a trivial question that she would accept. "How about… would you rather eat spiral noodles or long noodles?"

Shaking her head, she replied, "Is that the best you can come up with? Okay. Spiral. My turn. … Would you rather be able to fly or breathe underwater?"

"Well, some firebenders can fly… so I choose breathe underwater. Plus, it would be a good defense against you waterbenders. At least, the good ones," he said pointedly, the ghost of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Improbably, he found that he was actually starting to enjoy himself. He wasn't used to playing a game just for the pleasure of it—in the Fire Nation (or at least, in his family), every "game" was a test to hone your skills or a way to show dominance, and everyone always had an ulterior motive.

Katara sighed in exasperation. "You don't have to think about it so tactically. Anyway, it's your turn now."

"Would you rather… have a pet puma-goat or snail-sloth?"

"Way better! Now you're getting it. I choose… puma-goat, because I've never ridden one before. Okay, now… oooh. If you weren't a firebender, would you rather be an earthbender or a waterbender?"

"Fire is the superior bending form," Zuko held up a hand to cut Katara off before she could protest, "But if I had to choose another… water."

"Really? Why?"

"Water and fire are diametrically opposed. I think if any other bending could be almost as powerful as fire, it would have to be water, wouldn't it?"

"I never thought of it like that."

"Me neither. This game isn't so bad, I guess. My turn. Would you rather drown or burn to death?"

They continued back and forth, drinking tea, and forgetting for a little while that they were on opposite sides. Katara was astonished to find that Zuko wasn't terrible company once he let down his guard.

It was her turn to ask a question and she thought she'd do him a favor and give him one he'd find easy.

"Would you rather kiss a girl you like with no consequences or punch a man you hate with no consequences?"

She expected a swift answer about taking vengeance on foes, or something of the sort. What she didn't expect was when Zuko's eyes widened. He glanced at her face quickly, then away, and she swore she saw a hint of pink on his cheeks (although it was hard to tell in the soft firelight of the room, which gave everything a reddish hue).

"Kiss the girl," he croaked. He was acting almost abashed—an emotion she'd never seen on him before and honestly hadn't imagined the arrogant fire prince could feel.

"Oh," was all she could come up with, finding herself wondering what girl there could be that Zuko would want to kiss. Obviously some Fire Nation noble, nothing for her to concern herself with…. She most certainly shouldn't concern herself with what his lips would feel like against hers. And she most certainly shouldn't be remembering the way his muscular body felt pressed against hers in Kyoshi village, either.

She began to feel warm as she tried to quash the very unacceptable, thoroughly unwanted, and definitely inappropriate images dancing through her head.

"Surprise you, did I?" he said dryly.

"Actually, yeah." Now it was her turn to be embarrassed.

"Would you rather give up bathing for a month or sleep on the floor for a month?" Zuko asked, wanting to change the subject as quickly as possible.

"Oh, what I wouldn't give for a bath right now! Especially after spending a week straight in that cell. Honestly, I'm pretty used to sleeping on the ground in my sleeping bag, since we're on the road most of the time. So, I'd have to say I'd rather sleep on the floor and get to be clean."

Zuko nodded thoughtfully, sipping his tea.

"If you were reincarnated, would you rather come back as a turtle-duck or as the Avatar?"

"The Avatar, no question."

"But you hate him."

"Well, I wouldn't if he were me. And to command the power of all elements… yes, I would definitely be reincarnated as the Avatar." Zuko's thoughts turned to the airbender. He looked intently at Katara. "Would you rather tell me the Avatar's greatest weakness or what his ultimate plan is?"

"I think we're done with the game." Katara replied quietly, feeling a sense of loss that the lightness that had carried them through most of the evening had vanished. It was just like Zuko to turn something fun into simply another opportunity to interrogate her.

O – O – O – O – O – O

Zuko made his way back to his quarters, wondering how it had gotten so late. He felt frustrated, but this time it was with himself. He knew he'd ruined their game, but he hadn't seemed to be able to stop himself.

And what was that question about kissing someone with no consequences?

O – O – O – O – O – O

When Zuko arrived at her room the next day, she noticed he'd brought neither pai sho board nor tea.

"Follow me," he said, leading her down the hallway.

Eventually he stopped in front of a door, which looked like every other door she'd seen. "I thought you might like to wash up. Like you said, it's been almost a week now."

"Oh." Katara sighed, thinking of how nice it would be to wash. "Yes, I would."

"Okay. Good. The thing is," he hesitated. "Showers aren't exactly permitted for waterbenders. Obviously."

"Okay…" She wasn't sure where he was going with this.

Zuko's cheeks colored. "I'll have to go in the room with you." He rushed to continue, "There's a partition. I'll be behind it. I'll turn my back. If that's all right with you. It's the only way I can make sure you're not bending."

"Oh." Katara said again, warmth rushing to her face. "I guess so."

"Right then." He pushed open the door, revealing a stark bathroom, befitting a warship, decorated in the usual Fire Nation reds. As promised, a folded partition separated the shower from a small bench in the corner next to the door.

Zuko sat on the bench, turning his back to the partition. "I'll just be here, then." His voice sounded raspier than usual. "No bending."

"I know, I know." Katara responded, feeling nervous. She padded into the room, making her way to the shower.

She eyed the partition warily. Keeping her gaze on it, she stripped off her clothing until only her sarashi wraps remained. Heart pounding, she hesitated before peeling them off as well. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Zuko cleared his throat behind the partition. He was so close, if she took a few steps she'd be able to reach out and touch him. The idea quickened her pulse. Shaking her head angrily to clear her mind of these treacherous thoughts, she stepped into the shower and turned on the water.

"Oooooh!" she exclaimed in surprise when the water came on. It was hot.

"What's going on? You better not be bending." Zuko said, shifting behind the partition uncomfortably.

This was a dumb idea, he thought. How am I supposed to make sure she's not bending when I can't turn around and look at her? He felt agitated, knowing she was naked, so close, just behind the screen.

Somehow, since she'd come aboard his ship, the waterbender had wormed her way through his defenses. She teased him and laughed with him like no one ever had; not the people he'd known in the Fire Nation before his banishment, who would try to ingratiate themselves to curry favor; not the peasants he'd met on his travels, who cowered from him; not his soldiers who simply obeyed; not his family, with whom he always had to be on alert in case they had found some new way to humiliate him. Being with her was different. Pleasant.

And her remarkable beauty had not gone unnoticed, either. He was a hot-blooded 20-year-old man. The more time he spent with her, the more he wondered what it would be like to run his fingers along her skin, to tear his name from her lips in ecstasy.

Now here he was, only a flimsy screen separating them as she showered. It would be so easy to simply walk around the partition and join her. He chased away the thoughts, hating himself for them when he was meant to be doing something good for a change. She wouldn't want you. She hates you. Remember that.

"Of course not," came her reply to his assertion about her bending. Then, with awe, "The water is so hot."

"Well. Yeah. Firebenders." Zuko almost chuckled.

"We never had anything like this in the Southern Water Tribe. Just a hot bath… but you'd have to heat up all the water first, and by the time you got the last water hot, the first water would be cold already. This is wonderful!" She laughed in sheer delight as the hot water rushed over her skin, through her hair, and down her back.

Zuko smiled a full, true smile behind the divider; her happiness was contagious.

Katara wanted to spend an eternity in the hot shower, but she was hyper-aware that Zuko was just sitting there on the bench, waiting while she did. Again she felt a rush of heat—and an odd butterfly sensation had taken flight in her stomach—but she ascribed it to the shower and the steam that was beginning to fill the room.

Soap sat on a small shelf, which she grabbed and applied liberally over her body, washing her hair and face and skin. She didn't know when she'd have another chance.

She closed her eyes, relishing the sensations of the water, the soap, and the steam. It felt blissful after being cooped up for a week. "Mmmm," she moaned, losing herself in the moment.

Zuko dug his fingers into his thighs at the noise. Did she have any idea what she was doing to him? He wanted to say something, but his voice stuck in his throat. He tried doggedly not to think of the water coursing over her body as she made those sounds behind him. He tried not to want to be that water.

This was a bad idea. A bad, bad, stupid, idiotic, very bad idea.

Thoughts still spinning, he didn't even notice as the water turned off.

"Umm. Is there a towel?" Katata ventured quietly, jolting him from his thoughts. "Or, I could try to bend myself dry."

He tried to make his voice sound normal. "No bending!"

Katara felt exposed. "So, a towel?"

"Right. It's, oh it's right here." Shit. Why is it over here? In front of the bench by the door was a rack with fresh towels folded neatly. Standing, he grabbed one.

Katara could now see his back around the screen. He'd only need to turn around, and…

"Here." Keeping his back turned away stiffly, Zuko held out the towel behind him.

Katara crept closer, taking it from him hesitantly. Her whole body pulsated with pent-up energy, and now she wasn't so sure it was just the exhilaration of the shower. She quickly dried herself and got back into her clothes, wanting to forget this strange energy as soon as possible.