Wild At Heart (Zuko)

Chapter Seven

Zuko can't sleep between the current situation and everything that's happened recently, and within the last three years, weighing heavily on him. The betrayal, by his own family no less. The anger in him. The uncertainty of his future. He lets out a breath, trying to calm himself down enough to get some sleep, he then turns over, pulling his blanket closer to him. From here, he can see Kali in her bed, she seems to be having as much trouble as he is sleeping. She's shaking, shivering. She's cold. He realises. And even with his fire-bending, he can feel the chill in the air. He glances at his uncle who lays snoring against the far wall. Zuko stands from the bed and drags his blanket over to where she is laying.

"What are you..?" She asks him, alarmed when he touches her arm and moves her slightly, trying to make space on the cot for the two of them. "If that's what you wanted all you had to do was say" She argues. He frowns at her.

"What?" He asks, she looks up at him, all wide-eyed and he suddenly realises what she meant. "No" He pushes himself away from her. "You were cold" He argues quickly. Trying to defend himself.

"Oh," She whispers and then nods. "Yes," She doesn't seem bothered by the thought that he might be propositioning her. Perhaps he was being a little naïve in regards to what she did. She's a slave. And old enough to be with men. He didn't think about it. But he should have considered it. Her eyes flicker around his face before she moves, shifting to make space next to her. He looks away and then closes his eyes. He didn't really want to make a fuss out of helping her. He assumed she was asleep. But she's awake. And aware that he was trying to be nice to her. He slides into the bed next to her, leaning up a little to adjust his blanket, adding it to the one she was using. An extra layer to keep her warm. He flinches slightly when he notices that she's reaching for his face. But she's not reaching for his scarred side, she's reaching for the cuts he received from Azula in the fight. She presses her fingers to the wounds and he closes his eyes. Feels a warmth flooding through him that erupts from her touch as she heals him, just as she had Iroh. She pulls her hand back and nods before she turns so she's facing the wall, her back to him. He lets out a breath and touches his forehead, but there is nothing there now, it's like it never happened. He looks at her, fighting a soft smile. She didn't have to do that. There was nothing in it for her. He pulls the two blankets around them both before settling against her back, the two of them curled together as he uses his fire-bending to warm the air under the blankets. To keep her warm. He takes a deep breath, trying to get comfortable as he moves. He's not used to being close to another, not in a relationship way, not in physicality. But he's okay with this. With her. Maybe it has something to do with the way she smells. She smells earthy and floral, and if he's honest, he expected nothing less from her. He doesn't know why. He settles in against her but she turns to face him, the two of them staring at one another before she leans closer and curls into his chest. He's surprised by this. By her affection. It's comforting. Nothing more. Just her seeking comfort in him. In the warmth that he's radiating. He lets out a breath, relaxing, before he wraps his arms around her.

........

Zuko wakes as the sun begins to rise but finds that Kali is no longer at his side and from how cold that side of the bed is, she's been gone a while. He frowns and turns, searching the hut room for her but she's not anywhere he can see. His uncle is up and about though, tucking into his breakfast. Zuko raises an eyebrow at him as he sits up, brushing the blankets from him.

"Kali" Iroh offers in way of an answer. "She made breakfast"

"Of course she did" Zuko stands and moves to join his uncle. There is a huge bowl of fresh fruit on the table with nuts and berries mixed in. He takes a seat at the table and then lets out a breath. "Do you think she left?" Zuko asks as he sits. Iroh pauses with a piece of fruit halfway to his lips.

"No" Iroh answers. He doesn't think she left them. She has nowhere to go and no one else to rely on, no one else that she could call friend. They are her family now, at least in Iroh's head. She's just a kid.

"These nature-benders" Zuko starts. "What can they do?"

"Bend nature to their will" Iroh points out, rather obviously. Zuko gives him a look.

"Specifically" He argues and looks away again.

"Plants, animals....the weather" Zuko glances at him. "My grandfather considered them the most dangerous of benders, Zuko, the things they could be capable of, practically limitless....they can summon raging storms, tree soldiers, stampedes of beasts...nature is such a broad concept, but they were peaceful people" Iroh looks rather sad about them being gone. Zuko looks out the window and lets out a breath. Iroh glances at his nephew. "Your sudden concern for her whereabouts have something to you crawling into her bed last night?" Zuko snaps his head around.

"She was cold" He defends himself. "It wasn't like that" Iroh hums a little and then strokes his beard, thinking.