White Hot Flames (ZukoxOC)

41

        Zuko was feeling a lot of things but at the top of that list was awkward. Rezalia was here. Next to him. Mostly because Appa's saddle was only so big but still. She was here. And he could reach out and touch her if he wanted to. He did want to. He kept his hands to himself. Being this close to her was amazing and horrible all at the same time. He wanted more space between them. He wanted less.

But Zuko knew he wasn't allowed to want things when it came to her anymore so he kept his mouth shut and looked away. Looked away from her and looked away from Aang, who was staring at him oddly. But maybe that's the way he always looks so Zuko doesn't mention it. "We've been riding for hours. I don't know why, but I thought this thing would be a lot faster," he says, trying to stop the awful itching feeling that had begun under his collar.

Appa growls and Aang frowns at him as well. "Appa's right, Zuko. In our group, typically we start our missions with a more up-beat attitude."

Rezalia snorts. "Since when? Two weeks ago Sokka threatened to throw Toph overboard if she made us stop to pee again." Zuko laughs and maybe he's imagining the way Rezalia's head twitches in his direction. Maybe she misses him too.

"Hush," Aang scolds.

The purple eyed girl nods seriously. "Yes, sir, Mr. Avatar, sir."

Aang scowls at her. Luckily, the ruins come into view before Aang can throw her overboard. All of them stop and stare, awed. Before long they were strolling through the collapsed city. Zuko and Aang prattled on about architecture and the past, bonding in some weird capacity Rezalia would never understand. It was going pretty well until Aang nearly died.

Only just barely managing to avoid both the arrows and the metal spikes, Aang turns to them in terror. "Zuko, I think the past is trying to kill me."

Rezalia snorts, kneeling in unison with Zuko to look at the spikes. "I can't believe it. This booby trap must be centuries old and it still works," Zuko murmurs.

"Not a whole lot of dust, though," the girl notes, swiping a finger along the side of one of the spikes and holding it up as proof. Zuko frowns a bit, humming low in his throat as he thinks.

"There's probably a lot more. Maybe this means we shouldn't be here," Aang says nervously.

Zuko grins a bit and runs along the wall to join him on the other side of the hole. "Where's that up-beat attitude you were talkin' about?"

Rezalia flips over, ignoted flames under her hands and feet to keep her airborne. "Don't be a spoilsport, Aang, this is the fun part. Besides, boobytraps are only used when someone has something to hide."

"Crazy," Aang moans. "You're both crazy. I hate you."

"Ooh, don't let the monks hear you say that," Rezalia teases and Aang pushes her for her efforts. Her and Toph truly were an awful influence on the boy.

Zuko slowly drags his thumb down the center of his chest and Rezalia nods once, falling back a bit as he sped up. When Aang attempted to follow Zuko, Rezalia was there to pull him back and whisper in his ear. "He hears something, stay with me."

In the end, Zuko found nothing and waves them forward. They enter a large building that was mostly intact, surprising for something hundreds of thousands years old. "Look, this seems promising," Aang chirps as they gaze around at the statures of men and dragons. "Though I'm not sure what this tells us about the original source of firebending."

"They look pretty angry to me," Zuko replies, examinging one of the statues.

Aang gazes at the dragon statues, breathing fire at the men. "I thought the dragons were friends with the Sun Warriors."