Wild At Heart (Zuko)

Chapter Forty-Three

Kali stands against Zuko with her head pressed against his chest, her eyes closed as she keeps her arms around him. It feels like they've been apart for far longer than they have. It's like a warmth that has flooded through her. She scrunches herself in closer and he chuckles softly, brushing his fingers down her back. She has missed him. Immeasurably.

"I thought you'd be angry with me" She admits quietly and he looks down at her sadly. After everything that they've been through, that she thought he'd be upset with her for leaving when it was the right thing for her, he knows that now, and she clearly thought that when she left. And from the looks of it, she is doing better without him. Being away from him did more for her than he did. Being without him. He doesn't want to think that he was holding her back, because he tried, he tried his best to be here for her, to encourage her and love her the way he thought was right, but he clearly did something wrong. She wasn't happy with him. She pulls back and looks up at him.

"I'm not angry" He assures her softly. "I could never be angry with you" He adds, she smiles up at him, then touches his clothing, feeling the more expensive fabric between her fingers. "Kali?" She hums, seemingly fascinated by the item of clothing he's wearing. "Petal?" She looks up at that new nickname. "The pygmy panther?" He asks.

"Oh," She chuckles a little. And he sees that there is a heavy weight lifted from her. That she knows he's not angry or upset with her. How worried she's been over it. That he'd utterly hate her for leaving. "That's Ran-Ya" She offers. "He's my friend"

"Of course, he is," Zuko tells her softly.

"I patched him up after he was hurt....he stayed" She adds and looks at the pygmy panther with a soft fond smile as he brushes up against her leg. Zuko touches her cheek, drawing his knuckles across her green skin. She's reverted back. All that effort she put into changing, and she is still wearing her natural green form. He knows how she feels about this. That she's doing it, he assumes that she is only green for his benefit. He drops his hand. That was part of the problem. The way he reacted over her changing her skin colour.

"What are you doing here, Kali?" He asks her. "Why did you come back?" She looks at him and then lets out a breath.

"I figured out how to get the Avatar" She admits, pulling her shawl edges through her fingers. He turns to her surprised. It was never on her to figure that out. It was never her mission. Her burden. It was his. And he never expected it of her.

"What?" He counters.

"The Avatar, you do still want to capture him, don't you?"

"Well..." He draws out, he was only just talking to Iroh about this not half an hour ago. But now that Kali is back, all of that desire and honour is gone. All he wants is to be with her. His honour doesn't matter to her. Because it never did. She found him honourable without his father's approval. She found him honourable without riches and titles. She loves him without all of that. But here she is, willing to help him get it back, because she knows that's what will make him happy. And he couldn't do the same with her and her skin. He doesn't deserve her. Bing holds up a missing poster for Appa and Zuko takes it from him. "What is this?" He looks at the poster and then nods. "I've seen these all over the city" He admits.

"I know where he went" Kali admits, Zuko looks at her. "I saw...I saw it happening...and I couldn't stop it....but if we save Appa, then you can find the Avatar....." He realises that this isn't all about him getting the Avatar, he was wrong, this is about her saving an innocent animal, and finding the Avatar is just going to be a happy side effect. The animal is more important to her, but she knows the Avatar is important to him. "I need your help to free him" He stares down at the poster. She is strong enough that she could do this alone. He's seen what she can do. And the fact that she can change her own body in the way she has says a lot about her true power levels. But she still came to him. Because she saw an opportunity to help them both. He moves closer to her and kisses her head, pulling her into another embrace. She is surprised by the affection but wraps her arm around him. He lets out a breath and looks out the window at the sun shining in the sky. There is nothing to be done about it during the day. They are going to have to wait until night to attempt this rescue, wait until the city sleeps.

"You should say hello to Uncle" He whispers to her softly. "He's missed you" He kisses her head again and then pulls back from her, she softens and smiles.

"I've missed him greatly" She assures him, he knows that she has, because he knows how much Iroh has missed her. She had no one. No one in her life showed her kindness, but then along came Iroh and it all changed. A bond between them was forged and likely will never be broken. She's like a daughter to him. A second chance for him. Kali touches Zuko's hand and then passes him, heading towards the door. Zuko closes his eyes and lets out a breath. Trying to decide what it is he wants now. Honour. Home. A life with Kali. His father's approval. If he returns to the Fire Nation, he doesn't know if she'll be allowed to come with him, if she'll even want to come with him. She belongs where it is green and fresh and alive. That's not home. He opens his eyes and looks down at the missing poster, listening to Iroh and Kali reuniting in the next room.