Sunburn

14

Tsai and Zuko took Uncle Iroh to a nearby hovel. Yes, one of the ones that had been abandoned in the broken down village that they were haunting. The place was barely standing in shambles an entire wall was missing from one of its sides, but let's be real, they really had slept in worse places.

It had been a couple of hours now, it was dusk, the sun was setting and Iroh still hadn't awoken. However, his condition was becoming more and more stable with time. The room was dark barely being illuminated by a petty candle that sat on a bedside table next to the small wooden bed frame in which Iroh had been laid to recover in. Zuko never once left his side sitting idly, almost as if in a trance, simply starring at him. Tsai was the one changing Iroh's bandages, replacing them, applying ointment and attempting to keep him as comfortable as she could manage in these types of conditions. She had even ventured out for some food and plants at some point during the day.

Presently she left Iroh's side for a moment to brew some chamomile tea and get two bread rolls for dinner.

"Here," she said offering Zuko a bread roll. He ignored her and she insisted once again as she almost ate hers in one giant bite.

"I'm not hungry," he mumbled in a serious tone.

"It doesn't matter if you're hungry or not. You have to eat. It's been a long day and you need to be strong." She insisted.

Again, no response.

"Please?" She persisted.

"I said I wasn't hungry!" The nearby candle's flame grew significantly as he rose to his feet. He glared at the girl, "Will you just back off Tsai?!"

He was being mean. Regardless her expression remained stoic. She stood her ground not flinching an inch. They had done this dance before and frankly she was growing sick tired of it. She crossed her arms over her chest and flashed him an annoyed glare.

"Just....back off," he said lowering his head, he pinched the bridge of his nose and covered his face in a moment of frustration before letting out an exasperated sigh.

She looked at him with sad eyes.

"Hey," She said placing a hand on his shoulder and to her surprise he did not flinch away from her touch.

"Everything is going to be okay," She said with a tender voice. "I promise."

He looked into her warm eyes and she seemed so certain that his uncle was going to make it. Then suddenly he felt completely drained. He felt his shoulder's drop with a sudden wave of exhaustion. Zuko didn't want to fight anymore. He didn't want to argue.

Tsai's body became stiff when he wrapped his arms around her. He buried his head on her good shoulder and held her close. He couldn't remember when had been the last time he had held someone so tenderly. It took her a moment to see how vulnerable he was at the moment and slowly with some hesitation and much to his surprise she also wrapped her arms around him, holding him even closer.

"He's strong," she whispered. "He's going to be fine."

She felt him move his head against her shoulder in a nod. The ever optimist pulled away and looked at him with a soft smile. "Have a little faith," She said attempting to keep her spirits high giving his shoulder a small squeeze.

His eyes met hers and his heart pace escalated. He had been attempting to shut that emotional box inside of him. The one that held all of his emotions and made him do ridiculous things like this and made him think vulnerable thoughts. Specially thoughts about her...
He thought about the last time that box of colorful emotions had cracked ajar and how he had kissed her as himself, not as a nameless rebel with a kabuki theater mask, back that dusk on his ship's deck. Her rejection still stung. He was still no better of a man than the one he had been that day. He was still just an honor-less chump. He had to give her up. Lock that box and shut it away forever. He saw the scratch that Azula had carved on her face and the bandages on her shoulder peeking from underneath her fresh cotton shirt. She didn't deserve this.