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

Chapter 11

No ones POV:
             "What's all this?" Zuko gazed down at the shopping bags that covered half their bed.
             "My new clothes," Y/N beamed. That day at noon, she and Azula had met Mai and Ty Lee outside the palace gate. It was past sunset now, "The girls helped me pick most of them out, but I—"
               "The girls?" Zuko echoed in disgust.
               "Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee," she clarified as if there were any other "girls," "They're actually pretty fun."
                "I thought you were just buying a few dresses,"
                "Well, I was, but I kinda got carried away,"
                Zuko couldn't hide the displeasure on his face apparently because Y/N pouted, "I can take some of it back if you want...even this..."
                She pulled a tiny black silk dress from one of the bags and Zuko felt heat rush to his face. "I got it cause I thought you'd like it. The girls teased me endlessly and I thought your sister would hurl, but I still got it. If you don't like it though..."
                "No, no, that's fine," Zuko said hurriedly and flustered, "The dresses are fine. I'll have a servant put them away...and then, m-maybe you can...show me that—that one."
               Y/N giggled, rushing off to the bathroom. By the time she emerged, the rest of her purchases had been put away and Zuko was sitting on the bed. She slunk up to him, trying desperately to look sexy. She probably failed, but he was still staring at her, slack-jawed and pale as she climbed onto his lap. She brought her lips to his shoulder, kissing a trail up his neck to his ear and nibbling on it, before pushing him onto his back and his facial expression hadn't changed.
               Zuko snapped out of it, when his back hit the covers though and he flipped Y/N under him, making her squeal and hiking her dress up to her hips.

My POV:
           After Zuko had had his way with me, we relaxed in the giant bathtub with a bottle of wine. I nuzzled into the curve of his neck, half swallowed in bubbles.
"Did you go see your father like you planned?" I asked, breaking the silence, reaching across him for my wine glass.
"I did..." he trailed off.
"And? Was he happy to see you?"
"Y/N, I don't want to talk about this...here,"
"Oh, come on, I was nervous for you,"
Zuko suppressed a grin, "He seems proud of me. He said I restored my honor, that I'm a hero. I guess Azula told him I was the one who...who killed the Avatar."
"Really?" I sat up a bit. The water around me seemed to go cold. I knew it wasn't true, but that didn't matter. As far as anyone else would think, I was in the bath with the man who murdered my friend.
And here I thought I couldn't look like more of a whore.
"Why would she do that?" I wondered, forcing myself to relax against him again.
            "I have no idea,"
            Zuko told me everything that happened. By the time he was finished, we had gotten out, dried off, and were putting on pajamas.
            "That's great, Zuko. I'm so happy for you," I said. It was only half a lie.
            Zuko frowned at me, "Come on, what do you really think?"
            I sat on the bed, sighing, "I am happy that you repaired your relationship with your dad, but you really have to prostrate yourself in front of him?"
            "He is the Fire Lord, Y/N,"
            "I don't give a rats ass. He's your dad!"
            "That's just the way our relationship is. Please try to understand, Y/N," he looked at me pleadingly and I remembered how much we needed each other.
            "I do—I mean, I don't, but I'm trying to," I slipped into bed on the other side of him and let him spoon me. The giant bed didn't seem so suffocating after we'd—ahem—broken it in.
            "That's all I can ask of you. Thank you,"
             "Of course. You know I just want you to be happy, right?"
             "Yeah,"
             "And are you? Happy?"
             "Yeah...I guess," his voice wavered with uncertainty.
             "It's okay if you don't know yet," I squeezed his hand that he had around my waist.
             Zuko buried his face in my hair and pulled me in tighter until I was worried he would absorb me, "I know you make me happy."

The next evening I found myself with the girls again, this time in Azula's room as Ty Lee wrestled my hair into a topknot.
"Almost! Almost!"
"Easy, Ty Lee. She looks like her eyes are gonna pop out of her head," Mai said over her tart, sounding like she couldn't care less if my eyes did pop out. The three of us sat in a mess of blankets and pillows on the floor, feasting on an array of snacks.
I heard a snap and Ty Lee exclaim, "There!"
"Not bad, Ty Lee," Azula commented from where she lay on her stomach on her bed. She held out a mirror to me, "What do you think, Y/N?"
I was never one to wear my hair up unless it got in my face, then I was a ponytail girl. Somehow it felt strange, but still I said, "I like it, I don't know if it suits me though..."
"Let me try something else then," Ty Lee said, excitedly.
"Wait, wait," Azula reached out and I had to force myself to not flinch away from her. She stuck one of her long nails into my bangs, tugging, and did the same thing on the other side, so locks of my bangs hung down and framed my face.
"That looks nice," Mai said with a milligram more enthusiasm than before.
"Yeah, I think that helps," I said, before looking between my reflection and Azula. She had given me the same hairstyle she wore and I couldn't decide if I should be scared or honored.
Still Ty Lee tried a few more hairstyles on me, before she and Mai had to leave. Then, all at once it was just Azula and I. I pulled my hair out of the latest style and she pulled her topknot out. She looked gorgeous and like a totally different person with her hair down.
"Does ZuZu still throw a fit when you hang out with us?" she asked suddenly.
"Yeah, he's chilled out a bit now though,"
"I don't understand it," Azula shrugged as I moved to sit beside her on the bed, "Who else are you going to hang out with? You can't hang out with him all day—he'll rub off on you and you'll start moping around muttering about honor all day."
We both laughed.
"Besides," she continued, giving me what I thought was a genuine smile (it didn't creep the living hell out of me—that's a good sign), "It's only natural I'd want to get to know my brothers girlfriend."
I felt my face burn, "You...want to get to know me."
She grasped my hands, "Of course, silly...I always wanted a big sister."
I felt my heart flutter, "Really?"
"Yes! There's so much I admire about you, Y/N. You're so gutsy—"
"Gutsy?"
"I mean—hanging out with your boyfriend's ex!? Come on! That's so brave,"
            Oh. That. "Um...I mean, Zuko said he and Mai are history, so..."
            "And that too!" Azula exclaimed, "You are so trusting. You believe everything Zuko says—I bet you two tell each other everything!"
             "Y-Yeah, we do...totally," I said, weakly. I pulled my hands away and stood up, "I should go to bed too."
              "Okay, see you in the morning...sis,"
              I paused at the door, "Yeah, good night...sis."

Uh-Oh, does Azula genuinely like us or is she just playing us?
Thanks for reading this far!
                      ~Liz