The Apprentice's Choice (an Avatar: The Last Airbender Fanfiction Zuko X OC)

Chapter 30: Interlude

Rain had started to fall through the thick canopy of forest trees in the Forgetful Valley. With his warm hand encasing hers, Zuko and Chiyo ran through the dark forest, tracing back the path from where they'd gone through. It started out as a light drizzle when they decided to slowly make their way back to Hira'a. Slowly, the large droplets of rain became more frequent and plenty, soaking their cloaks and clothes.

But the smiles and laughter they shared as they ran made it look as if they were racing through a vast open field under the midday spring sun, hand in hand, smiling from ear to ear. And their responsibilities, their sorrows and guilt were far behind them.

By the time they made it out of the forest and entered the town proper of Hira'a, they decided to head back to Noren and Ursa's old house for a break from the storm. Zuko led the way through the dark, lifeless house with fire in his hand, his arm wrapped around Chiyo's slightly shivering form.

Thankfully, there was some leftover firewood stored inside the house. Zuko shed off his drenched cloak, urging her to do the same, and lifted the logs inside. "Chiyo, are you alright? Where are you going?" He asked as he tossed the logs into the irori and set the firewood ablaze with a wave of his hand. "Chiyo?"

"In here!" She called from a separate room, rummaging through the cabinets for anything useful that the older couple might have left behind. Luckily, there were a bunch of old clothes and faded blankets that they could use.

Zuko followed her in. "I started a fire in the irori. You should dry yourself by the fire."

She was so startled at how close his voice was when he came up behind her that she dropped the blankets she was bunching up in her arms. "Y-you... we s-should get changed... I found some old clothes..."

"Alright." With a barely suppressed smirk, he started taking off his tunic.

"W-wait! What are you doing?!"

"Taking off my clothes."

Chiyo rolled her eyes while picking up the clothes and tossing a faded tunic and a pair of pants towards him. "Idiot." She murmured, blushing deeply, and left the room hastily.

She went back to the spare room she had used for a year, closing the door before changing into Noriko's old robes. "This will do for a while. Once our clothes dry up, we can wear them again." She took the pins and ties out of her hair letting it loose behind her to dry.

"Chiyo! Where do you keep running off to?!" Zuko called from outside, much like how a spoiled child calling after a parent does. Just as she finished tying her robes in place, Zuko came into the room and made a beeline straight towards her. "I thought you'd gone away..." He murmured as he wrapped his arms around her from behind, pulling her towards his bare chest, burying his face against the crook of her neck.

"W-where would I go in this kind of weather?!" Thunder rumbled outside as if to agree with her answer, the cold wind lightly rattled the wooden slats of the closed window.

"So... you mean, if there wasn't a raging storm out there right now, you'd leave?"

"I..." Chiyo bit her lip before turning around to face him, cheeks burning brightly as the sight mere inches from the tip of her nose. "I... I didn't say that..."

He had to admit, teasing her like this was just as fun as he had remembered back when they were kids. He enjoyed the way her cheeks flushed crimson and her brows knit together, trying to think of an appropriate comeback. "So, you'd stay? Even when the weather is fine?" He tilted her chin up so that she would look at him and only him. "With me?"