Fire & Rain: Book 2 (slow updates)

Bodyguard

Zuko's POV
As I finished dressing into my nightwear, there was a sudden, urgent knock at my bedroom door.

Before I could even step towards it, it swung open and from behind it, Y/N rushed over to me and threw her arms around my neck, "Zuko! Are you okay!?"

She pulled away from me and placed her hands on my face, examining it.

I placed my hands on her shoulders, reassuringly, "I'm fine, you didn't need to come all the way out here."

She furrowed her eyebrows, now examining my arms, "don't be absurd, of course I had to come! There was an attempt on your life, Zuko! Don't worry, I'll find them. I'll find them and I'll kill them."

She said it so casually, like murder meant so little to her.

I pulled away from her hands and brought them into my own, "that won't be necessary, I'm still new to the role of Fire Lord, there'll be rebels, I should've considered it."

She held stern eye contact with me, "all the more reason for me to find them. They should be made an example of. No one else would dare attack you if-"

"Y/N."

She huffed, "what?"

I moved my hand up to her hair and gently stroked it before placing a kiss on her forehead, "remember, we have a new image to show the world- we can't just hunt down and destroy anything that we don't like."

"Zuko, this isn't about fixing the damage from the war, there was an attempt on your life. The Fire Lord's life. That's treason, it's not about your new morals, it's about the law."

"I'll have an investigation organised, they don't need to lose their life."

She hadn't broken eye contact with me and furrowed her eyebrows, staying silent for a few seconds before turning away and sighing, "then you're letting me organise your personal security from now on."

I placed another gentle kiss to her forehead and mumbled, "okay, baby."

My attempt to calm her down was in vain. She pulled away from me, pacing up and down my room, fiddling with her thumbs.

She was definitely strategising- I remember her doing that a lot when we were kids if she was coming up with a plan for something.

"Y/N."

She looked over at me, "hm?"

"You can think about that kind of thing in the morning, you need to get some sleep."

She scrunched up her face, "sleep!? When people are out there trying to have you killed!? Absolutely not. Until I determine who the most suitable candidates are to protect you, I'll be standing guard outside your bedroom door."

I shook my head, "that's not necessary, I have guards-"

"Well your guards shouldn't have let someone get into the palace in the first place."

I sighed, "Y/N, I don't need you to stand guard outside my bedroom. You're my girlfriend, not my bodyguard."

She quickly snapped back, "and I'm also a soldier who's primary job is to protect the Fire Nation, guarding the Fire Lord's life is my top priority."