Torn Heart (Zuko x Reader)

Chapter 9

               I woke up the next day to find smoke trailing up from the cooling coals of our fire—and no Zuko. I lurched up, panicking, "Zuko!"
               The woods were a blur of brown and green and were tauntingly still around me, like I was the only moving thing left on the planet.
                "Zuko!" I screamed, plowing forward, my bow and quiver in hand. I ran and ran, spinning wildly, still screaming his name. Soon I was completely turned around and my companions name felt rubbery and unnatural on my tongue from yelling it too many times. I whirled around again, "Zu—!"
                A pair of hands grabbed me by the shoulders and I screamed. But it was Zukos voice snapping, "Y/N! Would you stop yelling my real name!"
               I felt hot with embarrassment suddenly, but that was overshadowed by relief as I collapsed into him, "I'm sorry. I didn't know where you'd gone. I thought you might be in trouble."
               "I would've been if you didn't shut up," I felt him relax then, "I'm okay, Y/N. I just went to a higher vantage point to meditate in the rising sun. Calm down, calm down now."
               My breathing gradually slowed, my ear pressed against Zukos chest, listening to his heartbeat. Finally, I let go, taking his hand instead and letting him lead me back to the fire—thankfully one of us knew where we were still.
              When we reached the campsite, Zuko got to work restarting the fire so we could cook breakfast, while I stood there frozen and swaying, feeling like a gust of wind could blow me away. Apparently I looked like it, because Zuko laid eyes on me, rolled his eyes, and demanded, "Can you please sit down?! You've already put me through enough grief as it is."
               I obeyed and sat, suddenly feeling very out of place. It seemed like nothing had changed at all. Had he forgotten last night so easily or did it never even happen—a dream?
               That was until breakfast was well underway cooking, and Zuko slid up beside me, sitting hip-to-hip and kissed me on the cheek, his dusting pink, "Good morning by the way. How did you sleep?"
               "Great," I said, turning my face to kiss him on the mouth.
               After breakfast we continued down the road. After working up the courage for an embarrassingly long time, I slid my hand into Zuko's. To my surprise, he yanked away, before meeting my gaze with wide eyes, as if he was surprised too. "Um..."
               "Don't worry about it," I said and continued walking.
              After a moment, I felt him grab my hand—a little too tight. I gave him a squeeze though and he squeezed back. Slowly he relaxed, our fingers melting together until they fit perfectly like we were molding them out of clay and the space between us brightened with conversation. We exchanged stories—mine were mostly about my misadventures with Toph and his were mostly about his uncle. We continued on this way until we stopped for camp at the end of the day—which we chose to set up in companionable silence. After a small meal, we lay out on either side of the fire. I rolled onto my side and gazed at my companion.
              "What?" Zuko asked. It was the first thing either of us had said since stopping.
              "You seem different. Like something in you's letting go,"
              "I don't know what you're talking about," he said in a way that said he did.
              There was a long silence before I asked, "Do you miss it? Home, I mean."
               I wondered if Zuko hadn't heard me or if he had fallen asleep he was quiet for so long. But then he said, "Sometimes. At first I was homesick constantly, but now...I've been gone so long, it's more like a dull ache every now and then..." he was quiet for another long moment and when he spoke again, he said each word like he was stepping on egg shells. His voice cracked with emotion once or twice, but I pretended not to notice.
               "Now I don't know if I'll ever go back...if I'm even wanted back. I don't exactly...have much to go back to,"
               Only a giant palace and a spot ruling the biggest empire in the world, but you know... I didn't say that though. I just asked, "What do you mean?"
               "It's...complicated,"
              "Oh,"
              "What about you? Have you been home since leaving?"
              "A couple times," I grinned, "But it's been a while now. The first time I went back, I introduced my parents to my friends. They thought they were so crazy at first, but now they love each other. I bet my parents miss them as much as they miss me."
              Zuko was silent for a long moment before asking, "Do you think they'd like me? Your friends."
              I thought about it, "I think you guys would get along great. Honestly they'd be wary of you first because you're a fire bender, but they'd love you when they got to know you."
               Zuko just stared up at the stars, but I could tell the thoughts racing through his head. "Maybe you'll meet them some day," I said, "We can't be too far behind them now."
              I could hear him swallow, before huffing out a nervous laugh, "Yeah, maybe...Good night, Y/N."