A Year of Silence (ATLA Zuko x OC)

Chapter Five - Danger

It couldn't be more awkward that it already was. It just couldn't. But it did. Did she really have to be his valet? It was Suki's idea. She preferred to be his bodyguard than his valet.

Elin bit her lip once more trying to suppress a blush that managed to creep over her cheeks. Zuko was standing right in front of her wearing only his pants. Thank goodness he was wearing his pants. It surely needed help getting dressed in all those heavy robes the Fire Lord was supposed to wear, and it was the valet's job to help him.

She wrapped the freshly washed robe from the couch and she helped him wear it. She sighed in relief when finally his bare chest was covered beneath the red satin fabric. Elin wrapped the red sash and she managed to tie it around his waist.

"Hands up," she said and he raised his hands so she could pass the sash around his torso and she started tying it.

"You know, I can do this on my own," Zuko said. A smile threatened to escape his lips noticing her endless efforts to keep her eyes away from his and trying not to touch him.

"It's the valet's job to help your Royal Highness fit in these robes. When I signed the documents accepting to be your valet, that was written down. You know how typical I am with this stuff," Elin said.

She finally made the proper knot and she pushed the edges of the sash, making it tighter than it was supposed to. Zuko gasped from the tight grasp of the sash around his waist.

She looked up at him "Too tight?" she asked.

"I can take it," Zuko said taking a deep breath, making sure he could actually breathe.

"Besides, we're trying to pick you a wife. You can't be dressed clumsily," Elin said.

"How do you know I dress myself clumsily?" Zuko asked suspiciously raising an eyebrow. As far as he remembered, Uncle Iroh, Ursa and Iris were the only ones that had ever gotten to watch him dressing himself.

Elin bit her lip as she turned around to wrap the last thing from the couch. She shrugged "Figures,"

Elin turned around and grabbed the last robe from the couch. She turned back to him and she helped him wear it. She fixed his collar with her thin fingers that were covered from the black gloves, and tried to force her gaze away from his. But she failed. Her gaze finally met his and she couldn't help than stare at him for a moment. The reasonable voice in her mind practically screamed at her to look away.

Zuko raised his hand and he, gently, took off her glasses. He had never seen the color of her eyes, and the glasses seemed to do a perfect job at hiding it. As far as he knew, from back then, Elin normally didn't wear glasses.

Elin raised her hand immediately and she pushed the glasses back on. She made a step behind, fending away from him as far as possible. She noticed the confused look in his eyes as he stared at her for a small moment. He really wanted to see her eyes.

"I can't see without my glasses," Elin said, trying to seem as truthful as she could. Well... that was one of the good stuff she learned as a double-agent all these months... lying nicely.

"Excuse me, I just wanted to-" Zuko tried to say but he was interrupted when the door of the Fire Lord's room opened and Suki walked in.

"Are you guys done?" Suki asked.

"Yes, we're done. Escort Fire Lord Zuko to the ballroom while I change, if you may," Elin said firmly.

"Of course," Suki said.

Elin bowed firmly at Zuko and she exited the room. Suki walked towards Zuko crossing her arms and she stared at him with a smile on her face.

"What?" Zuko asked.