Torn Heart (Zuko x Reader)

Chapter 7

No ones POV:
          Zuko stormed off towards the shop where he got their food, hurt, enraged, and in physical pain from his still dislocated shoulder.  He was giving the shopkeeper his order, when he sensed movement behind him. Two men were standing behind him, just out of his periphery.
          The shopkeeper was bagging his order very...very slowly.
          The two men were stepping closer.
          "Listen, I just got into a fight," Zuko gestured to his shoulder, "So, let's make this easy and you tell me what your goal is here?"
          The shopkeeper dropped the act, holding up a wanted poster, "You don't think someone would have recognized your ugly mug?"
          Sighing, Zuko turned to face the two thugs, when an arrow came from seemingly nowhere, into one of their legs. As he cried out, another arrow whizzed past him and into his partners shoulder. Just then Y/N raced up to Zuko, grabbing his arm and dragging him away, "Come on, run!"
           The shopkeeper chased them through the streets. Y/N kept taking fast, jerky corners. Finally, she pulled Zuko through a door, "In here!"
           They stood just behind the door, listening to the running feet, until there was silence. Zuko let out his breath and it was then, when the exhale ruffled her hair when Y/N realized how close they were. She immediately jumped back about a foot. "What is the matter with you? Taking off like that?"
          "I—Wait? What?" Zuko breathed.
          Y/N just shook her head, before grabbing his shoulder without warning and slamming it back into place. Zukos yelp was drown out in the noise of the crowded pub they had ducked into. Y/N gestured for him to follow her and they pushed their way to an empty table in the corner. 
Y/N leaned forward and spoke softly, "So...you're a fire bender."
          "Last I checked. I don't get it. Doesn't that bother you?"
          Y/N shrugged, "Not really. I've been traveling with you for almost a week now and you haven't exactly cooked me in my sleep or anything."
           "So...you...still want to travel together?" Zuko asked, wondering at how incredibly relieved he was.
            "Sure, I don't see why not. But you have to tell me who you really are. No more secrets,"
            "What do you mean?"
           She snorted, "I'm guessing your name isn't really Lee for starters."
           He was quiet for a long moment, then speaking even softer, "It's Zuko."
           "Ah, Zuko," she repeated, trying it out on her lips. It sounded familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it, "That suites you a lot better. Are you like a runaway soldier or something?"
           The corners of his mouth twitched up just slightly, "Try more like exiled prince."
            Y/N turned the words over in her head before gasping, "So wait...you're like...the Fire Lords son?"
             He confirmed it and she gasped again, this time jokingly, "I've been traveling with royalty all this time?"
             Zuko snorted, "It's not like all that. I haven't been home in years and...it seems I just like digging myself into a deeper hole."
            "What do you mean by that?"
            "I'll tell you someday,"
            "Okay, and someday, you'll tell me how you got this," she reached out to touch his face, but Zuko grabbed her wrist and dropped his eyes from hers.
            After a moment, Y/N relaxed, lowering her hand and sliding it back until she was holding his, "Okay. Someday."

             They gathered their supplies and quickly left the town before they could get into even more trouble. As the town disappeared behind the trees, Y/N jumped, "Oh, I'm sorry, Zuko!"
             "What are you sorry for?" he asked, holding back a smile. She had been using his real name as often as she could—too often in fact—as if she was endeavoring to remember it, but he liked the way it sounded from her mouth.
            "I called you a freak the other day without realizing it," she moaned.
            "What?"
            "I said all benders are freaks. If I had known—"
            "Don't worry about it...You're not wrong..."
            Silence for a while, then, "Oh, Zuko!"
            "What?!" he asked, this time laughing outright.
            "You watched me dick around with flint this whole time, when you could have just—" she snapped her fingers.
            "I couldn't reveal myself,"
            "And I still don't get why not?"
            "You act like you've never had a run-in with the Fire Nation. Isn't that how you ended up in the hospital? That's me,"
             "But that's not really you. Just because you're a fire bender, I'm supposed to assume you're pure evil,"
             "You...wouldn't be the first," he admitted. In response to her quizzical look, he told her about the little boy and his family, the village he liberated from thugs, just to get turned away.
             What he didnt expect when he finished was to feel Y/N slide her hand into his, "That's terrible, Zuko. I'm sorry they treated you like that."
             Her hand was soft and gentle, gentler than anyone had touched him in maybe years. But still, Zuko pulled away. Better to not get too attached. Just in case.
              He cleared his throat, pushing on ahead of her, "We should get moving before nightfall."

Thanks again for reading! I'm putting a list of song recommendations at the beginning as well, so check that out if you want.
         ~Liz