A Moment, Please.

Chapter 27

Zuko stood his room's window, staring into the distance as his left hand bushed up against his lips. They still stung with Amaya's hot kisses. He rested his arm back down. He gave a small smile; he had not only won her, but the Avatar. Katara still seemed to hold a grudge. If only she could see it through his eyes. She would understand. Even if she never did, he knew with Amaya on his side, he would always win.

~~~

Oh what have I done?

I rubbed my hand over my sore, bandaged forehead. I sighed at the thoughts of the night before, closing my eyes as the memories flooded my mind.

The kisses, were hot, forceful, but kind and yearned for. They held an unspoken power, and the thought sent my whole body burning. The part that made me go numb, but shiver the most, was that the need came equal from both of us. He had wanted me as much as I had wanted him.

I could still feel his hands, softly, just barely, touching my face. Running my own hands down his chest gave me the option of being able to feel his every curve. My fingers had curled into his fabric, not daring to remove it but not willing to release it.

But it wasn't what I planned. I had planned on, well, I didn't quite know what. I thought I was going to tell him it would never have worked out between us. He now, and always has, loved Mae. I was not, nor would I ever, be Mae. I was not that girl.

But the day before, when I hung to him for my life, the pain I saw in his eyes killed me. I knew it would kill him, but I needed to let go. If I hadn’t, I would have killed us both…and I mean that both figuratively and for real.

I sighed, opening my eyes. Pushing my hair back, I laid back down, trying to stop the spinning I felt. Everything, just thinking about it, made my head hurt. I had done the exact opposite of what I intended to do, and we were no closer to the finish line of our love race then before.

Now who's sending the mix message? Ugh, love is so stupid.

~~~

"Amaya- hold on!"

 
"Zuko- are you okay?"

He nodded, and glanced down to me. My eyes grew wide at the unmistakable ‘snap’ that camp from above us. His eyes followed where mine already looked. He clung to the green vine for dear life, and I clung to him for mine. The vine was breaking though, slowly, as if it enjoyed drawing out our torture.

"It can't hold both of us!"

Zuko’s head flung back down my direction, his eyes gone wide too. I shook my head, unable to believe the situation I had gotten myself into.

"I'll-I- I can make it. I'll climb up! I-I-"

Another round of snaps stopped him midsentence. I shook my head, a strange feeling over coming me. Zuko grunted, and my whole body shook as he pulled his one arm up to only have it go out on him. Another snap told us that the vine was not going to allow us to live much more. 

"Zuko- Zuko. Zuko!”

I called to him until he returned his gaze to me.

“Zuko, it's no use. It won't make it- it can’t hold us both."

I knew what I had to do. Only one of us would make it, one of us had to. Realizing the choice I had just made, I begun to wiggle my hand from his tight grip. His grip got tighter on my wiggling fingers

"Amaya, no- I can do it- Amaya, don't!"

I felt tears dribbling down my chin, not even realizing I had been crying. I looked up one last time, and shook my head.