Can we keep her?

She can't escape. The door is shut and the window is too high for her to jump up to (or even out of) in her injured condition. One of her back legs and left paw ache like no one's business the moment she rests her weight on them, and she's bruised and sore all over. She doesn't know why. She doesn't remember anything before she woke up in Zuko's arms.

"Hey!" she says, glaring up at the boy. "Let me out! You can't just keep me in here!"

He smiles and leans down to rub her head. "You're a chatty thing, aren't you?"

She splutters more at him. He keeps being nice and petting her fur, and it's weird. His touch is so gentle. He also bandaged her paw and made a little blanket nest for her. She refuses to sit on it, even if it does look comfy and she doesn't like the cold feeling of the floor on her body. Zuko is still her enemy. This is a matter of principle.

The old man eventually comes home. This is Zuko's uncle, the one who got hurt by Azula back in that abandoned town. She doesn't know his name so just settles for calling him Uncle in her head.

Uncle and Zuko talk. She finally learns how she ended up in her enemy's arms. He'd found some kids being mean and poking her with sticks in the Lower Ring. He'd thought she was dead until he'd realised she was breathing. Not knowing what else to do, and not having money for an animal healer, he'd brought her home with him.

Uncle frowns. "She's an odd little thing, isn't she? Not an owlcat, not a foxcat, not a rabbacat. She seems to be just a cat."

"And she has blue eyes," Zuko observes. "Have you ever seen a cat with blue eyes?"

Uncle shakes his head.

"I'm worried she'll get attacked again if I let her go," the prince admits after a moment. "Those kids seemed to think she was some kind of demon spirit."

"Superstition is a dangerous thing. Black hybrid cats have never been popular in the Earth Kingdom, and with her blue eyes and the fact she's not even a hybrid, it's understandable people are wary of her. Poor thing. She'll probably end up dead or in the hands of some shady trader if we release her."

Katara gulped. Those were not fates she wanted.

"Can we … can we keep her?" Zuko asks.

"You want to keep her?"

Zuko rubs the base of his neck. "I know it's an extra mouth to feed, but she's hurt and she doesn't seem to have anyone else."

Uncle strokes his beard and peers at Katara.

"You won't have to do anything," Zuko assures him. "I can look after her. I'll feed her and buy her food out of my pay, and—"

"You really want her, don't you?"

Zuko does that shy, neck rub thing again. "I just want her to be safe."

Katara frowns. He looks too unthreatening, too soft. It's hard to remember this is the same angry jerk who chased them all over the world in a quest to capture Aang.

"Alright then," Uncle says. "I don't see the harm."

Zuko smiles and thanks his uncle. Katara is less impressed and tells them she's not a pet they can just adopt. All she gets in response is another pat from the boy.

Gah.

oOo

"How about Kuro?"

Katara makes a snorty cat noise.

"I'm guessing that's a no," Zuko mumbles.

He rolls onto his stomach, chin resting on his hands as he looks at her. She scowls back at him. Maybe that expression doesn't translate well on cat face, because he can't seem to get it in his dumb head that she doesn't want to be sitting on his bed with him. She doesn't want to be in his room period.

"Okay," he says, "then what about … Silky? Yeah. Silky."

She turns her nose up at him.

"Whiskers?"

"Are you kidding me? Don't you dare call me that!"

He sighs and presses his face into his palms. "Ugh, I don't know what to call you."

"I don't want you calling me anything. I'm not your pet, idiot."

He ignores this (probably because all he can hear are disgruntled meows). "Cat names, cat names." He rolls onto his back and flops his arms and legs out like a dramatic starfish. "What's a good name for you?"

"Look, my name is Katara! Give me a paper and quill and I'll write it down for you! Then maybe you'll realise I'm a girl, not a cat!"

He tilts his head back to look at her. "Your eyes are really blue. Maybe I'll call you Aoi."

Katara can only wail in frustration.

He frowns and rolls over onto his stomach again. "I guess you don't like that name either. You're a difficult cat to please."

"For the last time, I'm not a cat!"

"Zuko," Uncle calls from outside the room. "I'm going to head to the baths. Do you want to come now?"

"Sure."

Zuko gives her a light pat on her head. "I'll be back soon."

She recoils from his hand. "No need to hurry, Prince Idiot."

He just smiles and exits the room.

Ugh, ugh, ugh.

oOo

He still hasn't decided on a name by the time he wishes his uncle goodnight. The blanket nest he'd made for her when he'd first brought her to the apartment is actually his only blanket, so he seems to expect her to share his bed with him. He's provided her with food, water and kitty litter, the latter of which she has still refused to use. (Just the thought is mortifying.)

Zuko places her down at the end of his bed, just as he had done earlier. It is much nicer than the cold floor, but she stills gives him her best grumpy face. He laughs and lightly taps her nose with his finger. "It's the best I've got, Miss Difficult to Please. You'll just have to deal with it."

She blinks. Did her … did her nose really just get booped by Prince Zuko?

He pets her head, fingers sliding up to scratch behind her ears, and she quickly pulls back and swats at his hand with her uninjured paw. It's the only way to stop the urge to just melt. This boy is dangerous. She's going to have to be extra careful around those hands of his if she wants to protect her dignity.

"Sorry," he murmurs. "Guess it's natural you'd be skittish."

He wishes her goodnight with no further pats. Katara can only frown as she watches him pull the blanket over him and blow out the candle.

I'm trying to restrain myself from letting this story get out of control and become long, but each chapter is going to be pretty short, so if all else fails at least I can update regularly.