Wild At Heart (Zuko)

Chapter Six

The damaged house is almost a write-off, walls crumbling, holes in the ceiling but it does have a table, and it does have cookware and beds and a place to cook food. It will do for a night or two. Just for them to catch their breath. To make a plan. To work out where they are going to go and do next. Zuko and Iroh are seated at a knee-high table in the centre of the room. Iroh uses a mirrored plate to look at his face, still amazed by the level of healing that she showed. Kali sets a large plate in the centre of the table and then sits next to Iroh as he and Zuko peer over the roast duck dish.

"You said that Raya had to change her name" Iroh muses as he serves the dish to each of them. "From who?"

"The Fire Nation" She answers. Iroh pauses and then glances at Zuko. "Before..." She stops and then sighs. "Before that village where you bought me...Raya had a house.....with other girls" She explains. "They came and raided our home.....burnt it to the ground; Raya and I were the only ones that made it out..."

"What about your family?" Iroh asks. "Your...birth family" She shrugs.

"I don't remember" She answers. "I mean, obviously they existed...but where they are now...." She hums and shrugs again. "I know I was little when my first.......when he found me" She pokes at her food with her chopstick. "If they are alive, I haven't seen them since...."

"I haven't seen my father in many years" Zuko muses, she looks at him.

"Oh. Is he fighting in the war?" Kali asks him. Iroh finishes slurping a mouthful of noodles as he looks with some trepidation at his nephew to see how he will answer this question. Zuko puts his bowl on the table before he replies.

"Yeah" Zuko looks away and pulls a face, turns out he doesn't like lying to her.

..........

All the plates are empty, bellies filled as the sun sets outside. Kali stands from her seat as Iroh leans back. Happy and satisfied with a full belly.

"Thank you for the duck. It was excellent" Iroh tells her as she clears away the plates, carrying them in her hands, effortlessly, she knows how to do this effectively.

"You're welcome" Kali whispers softly, blushing, she's not used to people thanking her, for anything. 

"Zuko, where are your manners?" Iroh gives Zuko a look and then nods to Kali. She is not here as their slave and they need to start treating her as their friend and companion instead. She should be thanked for doing something that was once considered part of her slave skills and demands. She cooked for them because she wanted to, not because she felt she had to. That's a big step. Zuko turns and offers a small bow to Kali who appears surprised.

"Thank you" He whispers and then lifts his head to look at her. She shrinks back with a nod before turning to clear up. Zuko rises and looks away. Iroh looks between the two of them, a twinkle in his eye.

"We will stay here tonight" Iroh offers. "Then make haste in the morning"

....

On the porch, Zuko uses his fire-bending to light a porch lantern before he sits cross-legged on the deck of the porch. Content to do nothing right now. Kali exits the house, walks over to him as she adjusts her wrap around her shoulders.

"Can I sit with you?" She asks him, he glances at her and then away again before he nods. She sits beside him, pulling her legs under herself. They both sit there in silence, staring out into the night sky. He's surprised to find that he doesn't feel uncomfortable with her. She actually has a rather soothing presence. He can also feel when her eyes shift to his face. She's studying him. Trying to figure him out. But at least she isn't staring into her lap. She looks away again, drawing her fingers over her leg, to herself, she's mulling over something. "Did they do that?" She voices, breaking the silence, he frowns a little in response.

"Who did what?" He asks.

"The Fire Nation" She answers as she reaches out to touch the scarred side of his face, but Zuko grabs her hand without looking before she reaches his face. "It's okay" She flexes her fingers and he releases her hand, she pulls it back. "They hurt me, too" She raises the part of her dress covering her right leg to reveal a fire-bending scar. She didn't have time to heal it when it happened. She and Raya were fleeing from the fire and the fire-benders after they'd torched the brothel. By the time they stopped, it was too late to fix. Zuko appears shocked, she shrugs a little and covers the scar again. Zuko lifts his eyes to her face as she hangs her head down, staring down at her lap as she traces the edge of her gauntlet. He knows she doesn't just mean that one physical scar. She told them. That they came and burnt down her home. Her 'sisters'. Raya's life. His people did that to her. She clears her throat and stands, wanting to flee this. To flee him. He stops her, wrapping his fingers around her wrist, ignoring the cold bite of the gauntlets. She looks at him.

"Sit" He whispers and nods to where she had been perched at his side. The two of them share a look before she nods. He releases her and allows her to sit at his side.