Spark [Prince Zuko - Book One]

❃Chapter Twenty One❃

The cool night air was a relief. It filled her lungs up and gave her peace. Asake let it wash over her aching body, relishing in the fact that she was alone. No one would be looking for her and everyone was in bed, so she was safe to come out of her room. When she was alone, she felt the most safe.

Asake leaned against the cool railing, closing her eyes. Her mind was still numb, which was better than having it continually think about Zhao and what he did to her. The soft rocking of the ship should've upset her stomach like it used to, but it actually calmed her down even more. It reminded her that this was home and that she was safe here on the ship. A sweet scent wafted its way toward her, sending the rest of her walls crashing down. Asake was okay; she was safe on this ship. Especially out on the sea. No one unwanted would come through her life anymore.

A wave of sleepiness hit her like a ton of bricks. Asake hadn't been sleeping very well since her imprisonment, afraid to have reality seep into her nightmares. But now, underneath the stars, she was safe. She knew she shouldn't go to sleep leaning against the railing because Zuko would get angry at her again, so she dropped to the ground, laying back, propping her feet up on the railing. 

The night sky above her was so very beautiful; the moon was nearly full and the stars were at their brightest. Their lives seemed so simple. They burned bright for millions of years, showing the path to wayward travelers like her. However, the brightest stars were already gone, vanished, dead. Maybe that's how her life was like. She burned bright until Zhao took it all away from her. Maybe she was already dead inside and her life was burning up at this very moment.

Asake's eyes shut and her breathing slowed as she drifted off to sleep. It was easy falling asleep out here with the fresh air and the moon shining down upon her. She knew they would take care of her. She wasn't sure how long she was asleep before a soft tapping woke her up. However, she didn't move, not caring what the noise was. It wouldn't break the peace running through her right now. She opened one eye and saw a person standing above her. The moon shone behind him, and for just one second she saw Zhao's evil grin. She let out a surprised yelp, sitting up. 

"You don't have to get up," Zuko said quietly. Of course it was him. It wasn't Zhao. "I can join you down there."

He crouched down next to her, sitting back. Asake laid back down, and Zuko followed suit. "What are you doing out here?" she asked him, not facing him. It felt too awkward.

"I couldn't sleep."

"Hm. Me either."

Zuko snorted. It sounded strange to hear him laugh, especially when he rarely did it around her. She wondered what the special occasion was that made him be happy. "You were just asleep, Asake."

"I know, but I couldn't go to sleep in my room."

"At least you didn't fall asleep against the railing."

She chuckled, her eyes focused on the moon. "I made sure to lay down so I wouldn't make that mistake again. I didn't want you to get angry with me again." They both fell into an amiable silence. It was the first time they hadn't fought, and it was kind of nice. However, she did enjoy fighting with him, too. She soon realized that she enjoyed spending time with him overall. Every minute with him was better than being alone.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?"

"No."

Zuko sighed but didn't say anything else about it. She was glad he didn't push her. "I know we may have our differences in the past, but I need you to know that I do . . . care."

Asake barked out a laugh. Zuko cared about her? That was funny. She didn't really believe him. "Sure you do. Why didn't you come and find me sooner?"

"Zhao was hard to track," Zuko said, and Asake rolled her eyes. All he had were excuses. "You have no idea how much I wanted to go after you, Asake. I tried to make them follow Zhao's ship, but we lost it before we could even find it. If I could go back in time, I'd give my life just to find you."