Life Happens Wherever You Are (Zuko x OC)

Chapter 6

I don't know how we did it but we ended up getting to the avatar before Azula did. We stand behind one of the buildings in the abandoned town that he has left the trail for Azula to. I looked at Zuko, he is intently staring at him.

"Why does he seem so calm?" he said out loud quietly.

"I guess he figures that he will have to face her eventually. So, what's the plan?"

"You will stay here. I don't want you getting hurt."

I open my mouth, "Seriously? You're going to fight the avatar alone? What makes you think that's going to go any better than the last times you have fought him?"

He side-eyes me, and I know that he doesn't like what I just said. I sigh, "Please, let me help you."

He looks at me with annoyance on his face. Something I haven't seen since we first started on this journey. "I do not need your help," he says through gritted teeth.

"I do not care what you say. If I see that you are in trouble I am going to help you whether you want it or not."

Zuko whipped around to face me, startling me. He is inches away from my face, and his intoxicating aroma swirls around me.

"If you get hurt, that's on me. I cannot have someone getting hurt because they think I am some lost soul that needs saving. I do not need your help."

I clenched my jaw, not backing away from him. He needs to know that I am not afraid of him, "This is not just your problem, Zuko. Whether you like it or not, I am involved now. I have nothing to lose. I have nothing to go back to. Whatever you decide to do, I am with you. It doesn't matter if you need me or not. After this, if you decide I'm too much of a burden for you, that's fine. But I am with you right now, and you owe enough to me to at least give me a chance."

Zuko says nothing, but he doesn't break eye contact, and he doesn't back down. And neither do I. I can see fire in his eyes, and as I search them for answers, it changes. It goes from an angry fire, to a hungry fire. I can see his jaw clench as he stares at me, and a heat coming from his body. We are standing so close to each other; I can almost hear his heartbeat. Out of the corner of my eye I see his hand twitch at his side.

"All right you've caught up with me," the avatars voice slices through the air, jolting us back into reality, "Now, who are you, and what do you want?"

We both turn to look in his direction and realize that he isn't talking to us. Azula must've shown up already.

"You mean you haven't guessed? You don't see the family resemblance? Here's a hint," a female voice sounds from behind us, but then the voice slightly changes, goes deeper, "I must find the avatar to restore my honor."

I looked back at Zuko and raised my eyebrow at him. He clenched his fists and started to storm out, but I grabbed his arm tightly. "Not yet, we need to wait for the right time."

Zuko turned back towards me, the fire in his eyes angry again. He ripped his arm out of my grasp, but stays where he is.

I start listening in again. "So, what now?" the avatar said.

"Now? Now it's over. You're tired, and you have no place to go. You can run, but I'll catch you."

"I'm not running," he stands up.

"Do you really want to fight me?" Azula asked.

Zuko turned to me, "Do not fight unless you absolutely have to."

He ran out from behind the building, in between Azula and the avatar, "Yes, I really do." he said.

I don't listen to what they say next, all of the possibilities of what could happen and what could go wrong run through my mind, drowning everything else out. There is no way that I am just going to stay hidden while they fight. I have done that for way too long. But I need to wait for the right time. If I make myself known now, we'd be at a disadvantage. Plus, I still don't know what Zuko's plan is, or if he even has one. The sound of fire blasts yank me out of my thoughts, in just enough time to see Zuko fly past me and crash into part of a building. I winced, waiting to see if Zuko is going to get up or not. He groaned, and stood up, looking back at me.