Kissed By Fire

Part 22: Torn

Judging by the sun, Anut only slept for an hour or two. She didn't have any dreams, which she was immensely grateful for, but her back ached from the odd position she'd been curled up in, and from the fall she took.

Making her way down to the platform, she saw that Zuko had returned, his guards helping him remove his armor.

"Anut, you're awake," Iroh said happily. "Did you have a good rest?"

"I did," she said, smiling. As far as he knew, she'd been knocked out from drugged tea in her room this whole time, and she wanted to keep it that way. 

"You!" Zuko shouted, pointing at the redhead, eyes full of rage. "How many times do you need to disrespect me and in how many ways before you're satisfied? Do you enjoy tormenting me? Do you hate me?"

"What are you talking about, nephew?" 

"She was there at the temple, I saw her."

Anut swallowed, forcing an innocent look onto her face. "I've been here the whole time."

"You. Were. There."

"How did I get all the way to the island, pray tell?"

"You snuck on my boat," he hissed.

Raising an eyebrow, she looked over the bow of the ship at Zuko's private boat. "It's so small. Surely you would've noticed a stowaway on that thing."

"Then you swam."

"I swam all the way there and all the way back?" Anut asked slowly. "Then explain how I'm perfectly dry." It was true. Between her trip back with Macha against the wind and falling asleep on the blustery lookout tower, all the moisture evaporated from her clothes and hair.

He looked around, his soldiers watching him skeptically; he sounded crazy and he knew it. "I must've made a mistake. I apologize," he said with a bow.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure this has been a difficult day for you."

"Please, allow me to walk you back to your room." Without waiting for a response, Zuko put his arm on her lower back and led her down the stairs. Once they were inside her chambers, he slammed her against the wall. "I know you were there, I saw you in the temple, and so did the sages and they told Zhao."

Anut's face went white as parchment. "You're lying."

"Unlike you, I don't lie. They told him they there was a girl in the sanctuary who'd been kissed by fire, and it didn't take a lot to piece it together." Zuko released her, stepping back. "He doesn't know you're with me."

"Are you going to tell him?" she asked, looking down on the floor. 

"Why would I?"

"You said if I disobeyed you, you'd write a letter to Zhao and have me sent back." Anut looked back up at him, eyes watering. "So, are you going to?"

He blinked silently for a few seconds before reaching out and touching her cheek gently. "No matter how angry you make me- and you make me really fucking angry sometimes- I will never, ever send you back to him. I swear on my life."

"Thank you, Prince Zuko." Anut pressed her fist to her hand and bowed.

"Don't thank me; it's quite literally the least I could I do. And I'm pretty sure Iroh would throttle me if I even tried," he said, opening the door. "Dinner will be brought to you shortly, but please just stay here for tonight." 

After eating the rice and beans that were brought to her, Anut changed into her thin, white nightgown and flopped down into bed. The ship seemed to rock more than usual, and she kept opening her eyes, expecting something to fall onto the ground and shatter. More than anything, she didn't want any more dreams from Unagi. When she set out for Roku's temple, she thought she'd learn the spirit's name, that it would give her some power, or at least direct her research into the subject, but she felt just as lost as before.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the door creaking open. She pulled the blankets around herself, fear filling her up like a balloon, but she recognized those panther-like steps and gravelly breath.

"Zuko," she whispered, lying on her stomach. "Is that you?"

The mattress shifted as he knelt beside her, removing the blanket slowly. She shuddered when he kissed the side of her neck. Pushing her hair to the side, two hands gripped the collar of her nightgown and tore it down the middle, exposing her back. She gasped, goosebumps erupting on her bare skin. The bed creaked as he leaned down, pressing his lips to the nape of her neck, kissing down her spine until he reached the small of her back. He stopped, nipping gently at the skin before kissing his way back up to the side of her neck. His breath was hot and loud in her ear, and she could feel the blood rushing between her legs with arousal.

He repeated his journey several times, and Anut began to wonder if this would go anywhere, if he wanted her the way she wanted him. Then she felt it- Zuko's hardness brushed against her leg. Startled, he removed himself from her, running out of the room like a frightened child.

"Are you kidding me?" she muttered under her breath. Rolling onto her back, she removed the ruin nightgown, reaching a hand between her legs to finish what he started.