White Hot Flames (ZukoxOC)

19

        Zuko had been a little off the entire way back to the apartment. He stopped walking every once and awhile and just stood there until Rezalia tried to help him, then he would shake her off and start walking again. Iroh didn't seem to think anything was off as he cheerfully whistled. Nobody said anything until they returned to the apartment. Iroh waited until he ad closed the door to say anything. "You did the right thing, letting the Avatar's bison go free."

Zuko stumbles, catching himself on the wall. "I don't feel right."

And then the teen is tipping onto the floor, breaking a vase as he goes. Rezalia and Iroh both lunge forward, his name on their tongues. Rezalia leaves Iroh for a moment to get a futon for Zuko as well as a bunch of blankets. When she had returned, Iroh had shed Zuko of his shirt and retrieved a bowl of water and some rags.

Rezalia rolls out the foton and helps Iroh position Zuko onto it. "You're burning up. You have an intense fever. This will help cool you down," Iroh says as he places a wet rag over Zuko's brow.

Zuko whines a bit and tries to sit up. "So thirsty."

Rezalia shoves him back down gently. "Here's some clean water to drink. Stay under the blankets, and sweat this out."

Zuko snatches the ladle of water from him and drains it before tossing it aside and turning on his side grumpily. Rezalia leans over him, fixing the rag. "You'd probably sweat this out better if you were wearing a shirt."

"You like it," Zuko mumbles.

Rezalia laughs. Zuko never said such things when fully awake and healthy. "Well, I certainly don't hate it. Sleep, idiot."

Zuko's sleep was not peaceful by any means. Every couple of minutes, his face would contort and his body would twitch. The only good thing about the nightmares was that they were helping Zuko sweat out the sickness. It was late at night when Zuko finally wakes up, though he didn't seem to be cured just yet. Iroh pours his nephew a cup of tea.

"You should know this is not a natural sickness. But that shouldn't stop you from enjoying tea."

Zuko allows Iroh to prop him up so that he can drink before asking his question. "What? What's happening?"

"You're critical decision, what you did beneath that lake...it was in such conflict with your image of yourself, that you are now at war within your own mind and body," Iroh replies, urging Zuko to take another sip.

"What does that mea-" the remainder of Zuko's question is cut off by a violent coughing fit that has Rezalia patting him on the back, ignoring the way it was covered in sweat.

"You did something nice and it totally fucked you up, Z," Rezalia snickers, pushing his bangs off his forehead to make room for the wet cloth in her lap. Zuko grunts at her rather than glaring, as he didn't have the energy at the moment.

Iroh continues as if Rezalia hadn't spoken. "You're going through a metamorphosis, my nephew. It will not be a pleasant experience, but when you come out of it, you will be the beautiful Prince you were always meant to be."

"The prettiest butterfly."

It took a few days for Zuko to regain his health, and in that time Rezalia hardly slept a wink. Between running around caring for her best friend and the odd dreams she's been having that wake her in the middle of the night but she can never remember what happens. Vague shapes, colors, and emotions. Anger, fear, sadness. So yeah, Rezalia was tired.

Currently, she was half asleep in the living area of their apartment while Iroh made...something in the kitchen. She hardly registered Zuko getting up and donning a robe, and his conversation with his uncle was fuzzy. She could hear them but their words sounded fake in a way, she couldn't understand a word that was being said. That is, until she registered that Zuko's gibberish was being directed at her. "Wha..?" she mumbles.

"Spirits, Zali," Zuko mutters, his words becoming english again. "Did you sleep at all?"

Rezalia makes a few noises, but none of them form words. She whines as Zuko worms his arm under her back and props her up. "No," she protests weakly.

"You're gonna go take a nap, Zali," Zuko tells her as he winds his other arm under her knees and picks her up. Rezalia hums noncommentaily as the gentle rocking of Zuko's footsteps lulls her back to sleep. "I thought I was meant to be the sick one."

"Fuck you. 'M not sick," Rezalia grumbles as Zuko sets her on the bed. "Wake m'up before the shop opens."

Zuko shakes his head at her, though she couldn't see as she had yet to open her eyes. "Sure, Zali. But if you aren't feeling better you aren't working."

"Bitch."

By the time that Rezalia was meant to be woken up by, the girl was feeling much better. Her bought of sickness passing just as quickly as it had come on. "Feel better?" Zuko asks as Rezalia swings her legs over the side of the bed.

"I should be asking you that, Z," Rezalia laughs.

"Yeah, you kinda stole my thunder there, Zali," Zuko snickers. Rezalia grins at her best friend. This was the happiest he'd been in a long time. "What're you looking at?"

Rezalia smiles fondly and lifts a hand to rest on his cheek. "A dumbass."

Zuko scoffs and swats her away, though he couldn't hide the smile on his face. "Stop being an ass and get ready. We open shop in less than an hour."

Rezalia snickers as Zuko leaves the room so that she could change. Her uniform was in Earth Kingdom of course, with a long green dress that had slits in the side that showcased her dark grey pants that matches the belt wrapped around her waist. She donned her usual shoes these days, black boots that ended at her ankles.

Rezalia meets the boys in the shop. Iroh sighs as she arrives, though this was a sound of happiness rather than anger or sadness. "Who thought when we came to this city as refugees, that I'd end up owning my own tea shop. Follow your passion Zuko, and life will reward you."

"Congratulations Uncle," Zuko says with a grin.

"I'm very thankful," Iroh replies easily.

Rezalia leans around Zuko to flash Iroh a large grin. "You deserve it. The Jasmine Dragon will be the best tea shop in the city."

Iroh shakes his head and grabs the hands of both Zuko and Rezalia. " No, I'm thankful because you decided to share this special day with me. It means more than you know." Surprisingly, Zuko is the one to bring them into a group hug.

"Now let's make these people some tea," he says.

"Yes! Let's make some tea!"

Rezalia laughs and cheers before going off to invite their customers inside while Zuko and Iroh went off to the kitchen. As smiling citizens file in, Rezalia takes them to their table (there were far more of them in their new shop) and Zuko takes their order. Eventually, Rezalia was sure that they would need to hire help for now just the three of them was okay.