Flames Of Fate (Zuko X Reader)

Chapter Forty: The Girl; The Spirit

(Y/N) nodded absentmindedly as the final few formalities were made for the Division 41 soldiers to prepare for battle. She was impatient and barely heard the last few words from General Shu as they parted from the barracks. She left it, thankful she was away from the smell of sweat and grime, with one destination in her mind; the Palace.

Finally, she was free from her duties. It was tedious and being around supercilious generals and officials all day both bored and vexed her. She didn't know how Scylla, in her short tempered and cold nature, could manage it all. Then again it was (Y/N) who Yielded so now she had to reap what she sowed.

Naturally (Y/N) would rush to the shower room and have a long steaming bath to relax herself but right now all she could think about was Zuko and how she'd like to kick his ass.

The first day she's back and of course he mucks something up.

She wasn't expecting to see him at the war meeting, when she looked across and her (E/C) eyes locked onto his amber eyes she felt an odd tug in her stomach.

Then he stood up and spoke out of term and now she was more annoyed than she was flattered by his appearance.

It didn't take long for her to find him; she knew he'd be at the training area preparing for his Agni Kai.

When she reached the clearing, she saw him almost to the end of a sparring match.

She stopped and watched as he goes through a series of fluid movements, his body swaying with the grace of an experienced bender, so much more masculine than the goofy kid she grew up with. Every flicker of the flames he commands burns bright, the determination in his face as he strikes almost softens her mood.

(Y/N) can't deny that he looks, in a word, hot.

Soon they end with him almost blasting his opponent's face off.

Zuko bowed before his opponent as they finished up their training. Seeing that he was done she marched over.

The attendee saw her heading over and quickly bowed before scurrying away. (Y/N) had noticed that almost everyone in the palace seemed intimidated by her. Then again, she sometimes had flashes of when she was Scylla and it wasn't a pretty sight.

She focused her attention on Zuko, pushing aside the complicated parts of her thoughts. It wasn't hard to switch her attention to Zuko because right now he was a sight for sore eyes.

Zuko was covered in sweat, his hair sticking to the nape of his neck and loose strands falling over his amber eyes. He glances her way dismissively as she marches over and beckons for a towelette, ignoring her. A servant rushed over and offers it.

Somehow that irks (Y/N) even more.

"Oh you here to gloat at me now, Scylla?" Zuko asked, grabbing a towelette from the tray and dabbing his temple and neck with it.

She ignored the name and glared up at him. "What do you mean gloat at you, what the hell was that?"

He finished dabbing his sweat and handed it back to the servant before finally turning to her.

"That was me training." He said in a duh tone.

"No, I meant the War Counsil. You wouldn't be training for an Agni Kai if you had just followed protocol."

He stared down at her, dark long strands falling over his suddenly cold eyes. "I'm not just going to sit idly by while my people are being called 'fresh meat' and being used as bait."

"And I get that, I do, but there is a time to act and a time to not act. That wasn't-"

The corner of his lip tilted up in a sarcastic smile. "Of course, you'd know all about that huh,"