Fan the Flame (Zuko X Reader)

Cinnamon

     Two weeks had passed since I had been captured. I kept track of the days that had passed by scratching small ticks in the side of the wall. The more ticks I added to the wall, the more anxious I became, growing more hopeless as the days passed. 

     I sat on the floor scratching in tick number 21 into the wall. Once I finished I got up and sat back down on my bed. facing the cell door, I thought of something I hadn't thought about before. What if I could pick the lock with my airbending? 

     I listened closely to try and hear any sort of sound that would mean a person was close by. Hearing nothing but the hum of the ship, I took a deep breath and pointed my hands towards the padlock on the cell door. Sending a small gust of air inside the keyhole, I used it as an extension of my hands and felt around. 

    Curved, jutted pieces of metal lined the inside of the lock. I twisted my hands to the side, directing the air in a spinning motion. I began to hear small clicks from inside of the lock as I continued to twirl the air inside of it. I smiled to myself. This was working. 

   Suddenly, the knob on the door to the room began to turn. Someone was coming in. 

     "Shit." I muttered under my breath. I stopped bending. The lock hit the side of the side of the door with a clang that I hoped whoever was coming in didn't hear. I winced. 

     The door opened and Zuko walked in with a bowl full of porridge. Luckily, he didn't look suspicious of anything so I relaxed a little. Instead he looked...nervous for some reason. I wondered why, seeing as I wasn't a threat to him. 

     "Uncle told me to bring you this so...here." He slid the porridge underneath my cell door. I stood up from my bed and walked over to pick it up. I picked up the dish and sat back down on my bed. I shoved a spoonful of porridge into my mouth. Not bad.

     "By the way, I wanted to tell you something." He glanced at the porridge and then back at me. "I decided, well it was mostly uncles decision, to let you stay in a room here on the ship. The door will stay locked though because, you know, you're still my prisoner." He crossed his arms and looked to the side. 

     "Why are you being so nice all of a sudden?" I asked, taking another bite of my porridge. From what I've seen of The Fire Prince, this was very out of character for him to do.

     Zuko clenched his jaw. "Do you want to stay in here?" He said roughly. 

     "No. I'm just...curious. That's all."  What is up with this guy? 

     "Well, I'll need to walk you there. To your room, I mean." His eyes shifted from me, to the cell door, and then back to me again. Slowly, Zuko stepped forward, Holding the key to my cell. He stuck the key into the lock and twisted it until it opened with a pop. I watched as he ever so slightly opened the door, just wide enough so he could slip through. 

     It took everything in me not to airbend the cell door wide open and make a run for it, but I knew that it was no use. Zuko was an immensely more powerful bender, and I didn't stand a chance. 

        Zuko grabbed my wrists and pulled them behind my back, startling me. It wasn't his roughness that caught me off guard, because he wasn't rough. Instead, it was how carefully he held my wrists. Firm but careful, like I was something that could break easily. 

       He pulled a rope out of his pocket and began to tie the cords around my wrists. The only other time that I had been this close to Zuko was on Kyoshi Island. I didn't notice it then, but now I do. He smells like cinnamon. despite my cold feelings towards him, it was a scent I could get used to. 

     He finished tying my wrists together. 

     "Come on." He grabbed the side of my arm and walked out of the cell, taking me through the door to the room my cell was in. 

     He led me outside to the deck of the ship. For the first time in weeks I felt fresh air. Taking a deep breath I let the air fill my lungs, exhaling a gust of wind that accidentally pushed me a step backwards. Oops. 

   "I wouldn't try that if I were you." Zuko tuned back to glare at me. 

        "It was an accident! I promise." Zuko rolled his eyes. Eventually we made it to my new room. Zuko opened the door and led me inside. The room was quite spacious, which was a nice change compared to my cell. A red and gold accented canopy bed fell in the centre of the room. A window just small enough to see through but not big enough for someone to crawl was just to the right of my bed.

     "Well, this is it. I'll leave you here." Zuko untied the rope around my wrist and spun around towards the door. 

   "Zuko?" He turned back to me. "Thank you." What was I thanking him for? He didn't deserve my thanks. But even though all I wanted was for him to set me free, This was still really kind of him. 

    "You're welcome, (Y/N)." He said. I swore I saw the hint of a smile on his lips before he quickly opened the door just enough for him to get through and closed it behind him. 

__________________________________

      I woke up from a much needed nap, stretching my arms as I sat up. A small smile grew on my face when I remembered why I was here instead of my cell and Zuko's act of kindness. I stood up from my bed and started for the window. It had been so long since I had been able to freely look outside. Never something I thought I'd miss. 

     Glancing out the window I noticed a blockade of ships forming a line that seemed like it went on forever. 

"Where are we?" I muttered to myself.

  Suddenly A reflection appeared on the water from something in the sky. I looked up to see Appa, Aang's sky bison soaring through the sky with Aang, Katara, and Sokka on it. I grinned. 

    He was here.