By Your Side (Zuko x Reader) (Sequel to Torn Heart)

Chapter 3

My POV:
"Good night!"
"Night, guys!"
"Night, Toph! Night, Y/N! Good night, Sokka!"
"Good night, everyone," Katara practically dragged Aang to their room as he kept singing good nights.
"Night, guys. Sleep tight," I said over the lump in my throat before sliding my door shut.
I laid on my mat under the blanket, still fully clothed and listened. Five minutes past and the house was completely silent, no shuffling, no voices from Aang and Katara's room.Ten minutes passed—that had to be enough. I stood up and stepped silently to the window.
Of course the city outside was still very much alive as I made my way to where I agreed to meet Zuko, just on the other side of the wall, on the roof of a large warehouse. I reached the roof to see him waiting for me, sitting cross-legged near the peak. As soon as I laid eyes on him, I had the same feeling, the inner trembling, the kiss or kill dilemma.
"Hi," is all he said.
I hoisted myself onto the roof and shifted over to him, "Hey, how was the rest of work?"
He sighed, "Boring."
I shrugged, leaning back on my elbows, "Well, hey, that's good actually. So what did you want to talk about?"
"Us,"
I rolled my eyes, "Zuko, there is no us."
"There used to be,"
"No," I snapped, "There never was an us. You were just using me."
Words kept pouring out, along with hot, angry tears, "You know how confusing this all is? I felt something for you, but apparently you felt nothing? How can that be? Remember the night I almost died? I saw the fear in your eyes—that was real, I know it! And that night on the beach? That was real—at least it was to me. Maybe you were just taking advantage of me in another way..."
"That was real to me too," Zuko's voice was very soft.
"Then why'd you do it?" I asked, drained of all my anger.
He looked away from me, "I didn't have a choice."
I scoffed, "Oh, please, don't give me that. You always have a choice."
"You sound like Uncle," Zuko sighed, "Maybe I did, but it didn't feel like I had a way out. So I hurt you, and I can't honestly say I would make a different choice if I could go back. But I am sorry. I regret it every day and I think about you all the time, missing you, remembering what we had—that I just threw away. Y/N, I don't deserve a second chance, but I'm asking for it anyway."
    I lay down on my back, and listened to shuffling beside me as Zuko did the same, "I'm still pissed at you...but when I saw you in that tea shop...I don't know what came over me. I just knew I had to hang onto you. So...let's start over—or rather pick up where we left off—something like that."
    He again sighed with relief and I felt him relax, "Thank you."
    Our conversation turned to other things. "Have you—you know—seen anyone since we were together?" Zuko asked.
    "No...why? Have you?"
    "I did go on a date with one girl..." he said, wincing.
    "Is she prettier than me?"
    "Um...I..."
    I snorted, "I'm messing with you. Good for you. We've never really been on a real date."
    "What do you call this?"
    "Sitting on a roof and talking,"
    "I'd prefer sitting on a roof and talking with you than another 'real date' with her. She was really nice and yeah, kind of...pretty, but she wasn't you,"
    "Awe," I said, before making a gagging sound.
    "Hey," Zuko laughed—Ugh, I'd missed his laugh! It emerged so rarely too.
    We fell back into our old way of chatting as easy as breathing. Zuko told me about this psycho attacking him in the tea shop, trying to prove he was a fire bender and I told him about the sunken library with it's creepy owl guardian. I carded a hand through his hair, "Your hair's getting longer."
    He tugged on a lock of mine, "So is yours."
    "I was meaning to get Katara to cut it a little, but..."
    "You got separated," he offered. If he knew I was lying about our separation, he didn't mention it. I liked to think he didn't want to ruin everything again.
    "Yeah...What about you? Are you going to trust Iroh with your do?"
    "I haven't thought about it actually. I didn't want to cut it short in the first place,"
    "What do you mean?"
    "Well..." he hesitated.
    "You don't have to tell me," I amended hurriedly.
    Zuko met my eyes for a long moment. His seemed to almost glow in the dark. Finally, he said, "No, it's okay," then told me about Azula coming to him with the promise of returning home, just to try to bring him back as a prisoner.
    "She said my father thinks I'm..." he choked on the word for a second, "...a failure and he wants me locked up so I can't..." another gulp, "...embarrass him again."
I slipped one hand in his and grasped his arm with the other, "I'm so sorry."
    He tried to give me a believable smile, "My sister likes to lie. Who knows if he actually said that."
    He didn't sound very convinced.
    "And that's why you cut your hair?"
    He nodded, "Uncle and I were wanted by our own people. Doesn't matter why or by who I guess, but we were—are fugitives."
    "I see," I responded, squeezing his arm tighter.
    After a moment of silence, Zuko rubbed his hands together and abruptly sat up, "I'm getting chilly. We should go."
    "Sure," I said, watching him crawl around me and start down from the roof.
    I followed, Zuko helping me to the ground. As my feet hit the ground, he pulled me in without warning and kissed me deeply, the force throwing me back against the wall. With the taste of his lips, the feeling of his body pressed against mine, any feelings I still repressed came surging in full force.
    It seemed Zuko felt the same, as he was moaning into my mouth and when we ran out of breath, he moved to my neck, murmuring, "Come home with me?"
    My last defense shattered. "Okay," I whimpered, weakly.

It took all our willpower just to make it back to the apartment. As soon as the door closed, Zuko threw me up against it, crashing his lips against mine again.
Just then, someone cleared their throat and we leapt apart. Iroh sat in the living room with a cup of tea and a book. "Y/N," he grinned.
"Hi, Iroh," I panted, trying to compose myself, "How have you been?"
"Splendid. Yourself?"
"I'm fine,"
"Uncle," Zuko said through gritted teeth. His face was beet red, "Do you mind?"
"Right," Iroh grunted, setting down his book and standing, "I am going for a walk. I'll be back in twenty minutes."
"Thirty minutes," Zuko amended, as we stepped to the side to let Iroh pass.
I snorted, "More like five minutes." And earned a scowl from Zuko.
As the door closed behind Iroh, the apartment fell to awkward silence, the mood gone. "Nice place," I said, strolling around the small space.
"Yeah, it's okay,"
"I guess it's no palace,"
"Well...I mean...No, it's not even close,"
I laughed, coming back to him and looping my arms around his waist, "Maybe I'll see your palace someday."
"Maybe," Zuko smirked, "Now where were we."
Again, he cupped my face and kissed me, biting down on my lower lip, before dragging me into one of the bedrooms and sliding the door closed. It was like nothing existed outside of that room, nothing but Zuko's burning desire all for me. He ran his lips across my skin like he was memorizing every inch. No time had passed, everything repaired and all the hurt healed.
    If only it was that easy.