Safe & Sound | Book 1

13: Zuko

Art: Artist Not Found

Water gurgled in a low muffled hum below my ear. Birds of no notable distinction tweeted in the distance. The ebb and flow of my bed rocked comfort through my body. I was smiling before I even opened my eyes

When I finally did work my eyelids open, another wave familiar comfort spread over me. Loose shapes and colors of furniture I had started to know well greeted me.

I got out of bed lighter than air. Indistinguishable murmurs passed my door paired with the well-known thud of boots on metallic flooring. I followed the sound out of the room and down the hall.

The twists and turns to get to them helm were not worth noting. I entered without hesitation. The back of a man stood at the controls of the ship but he was only a hazy background to the two men sitting across from each other at a round table on the floor.

"Good morning, Kida," Iroh greeted without looking up from the Pai Sho game.

I responded with a similar greeting as I knelt down behind the boy across from him. My greeting to Zuko was much different. My long, red sleeved arms draped themselves over his shoulders as I pulled him back to place a kiss against his temple. When I pulled away, he was smiling. I smiled back.

"Good morning," he hummed in my ear.

I let out a content sigh and rested my head on his shoulder to overlook the game. "Who's winning?"

"Is that even a question?" Iroh teased.

I grinned at the man. Zuko wasn't at all incited by this response. He placed a hand over one of my arms and leaned into me, his head pressed against mine. "It doesn't matter," he sighed.

The moment was interrupted by the door banging open. A crewman entered with a look of alarm on his face. "Sir, the Avatar has been spotted in Ba Sing Se."

My arms instantly loosened on Zuko and I started to sit back, waiting for him to leap up and begin barking orders. Instead, he squeezed my arm tighter and kept me where I was. "Okay," he said, sounding unaffected.

"What is our course, Sir?" asked the man at the controls.

Zuko pulled on my arms just enough to reach forward and move one of the Pai Sho chips. "Maintain our current course."

"But...that's in the opposite direction."

His hand moved along the red silk covering my arm until he reached my hand and tangled his fingers with mine. "I know."

Zuko not instantly chasing after the Avatar? This couldn't be real.