A Year of Silence (ATLA Zuko x OC)

Chapter Eighteen - Happiness At Last

It's been too long since the last time she had a nice sleep. A year, perhaps. A sleep with no nightmares, no hurt feelings, no doubts, no interruptions. It must have been evening when she woke up. But Iris barely cared. She was in her own room, completely relaxed from the fact that she was alone and she could do whatever she wanted.

She didn't really want to get off the bed. It was way too soft to abandon it like that. But on the other hand, she knew she couldn't stay bed-ridden all day.

She woke up, took a shower, dressed in freshly washed clothes and picked two forelocks of her hair back. Iris walked out of her room and she started walking down the hall towards the dining room just to check if she hadn't missed breakfast. But as far as she knew, she'd have missed it by that late hour.

But when she opened the door of the dining room, she saw only one plate and a servant ready to serve food at only one person. She took a better look as she walked in the room and she saw Zuko looking out the window, pushing the red satin curtain.

At first, he hadn't noticed she was there, but when he heard footsteps he turned around. They both smiled at each other and walked closer.

"Good morning, cupcake," Zuko said with a wide smile on his face. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. She was beautiful... always so perfect in front of his eyes.

"I'd mostly say 'evening," Iris said placing her hands on her waist.

"I know, Sokka said you really wanted a good night rest, so I made sure you'd have breakfast whenever you'd wake up," Zuko said plating a kiss on her forehead and wrapping his hands around her back.

She placed her hands on his chest and she looked up at him "Thank you, my Lord," she said raising an eyebrow, teasingly, knowing that he didn't like those formalities between them.

"It was my pleasure, Defender Iris," Zuko said leaning a bit closer so that his nose brushed hers.

They stared at one another for a small moment, eyes locking together. He put that same irresistible smile we all love seeing on his face and she bit her lip saying...

"I'm hungry,"

"Then eat," Zuko said and she shot him a look. His cheeks flushed bright red when he noticed what she meant by that. "I-I meant the breakfast!"

"Sure," Iris teasingly and she shrugged, walking towards the table as he took his hands off her waist.

He sighed rolling his eyes and he followed her behind. They both sat on the table, he sat beside her to make her some company while she ate the steamed tofu and rice with tea.

After a small moment of eating, she asked "How are all the others?"

Zuko chuckled "They're outside at the Agni Kai Arena trying to learn using some of Satoru's inventions,"

"You let Sokka, Kei Lo and Satoru all alone?!"

"And June, and Toph and Mai and my sister,"

"Those are gonna blow up the entire place," Iris said.

"Let them do it. It's not like they're gonna be any more Agni Kais in that Palace," Zuko said grinning remembering the bad memories of his past.

Iris looked sadly at him for a moment without him noticing and she tried to change the subject "Oh, and that reminds me, did Azula tell you where Dai is?" Iris asked.

"I think she mentioned something about him getting on Forgetful Valley," Zuko said.

"Hmm,"

"Is anything wrong?"