The Blue Spirit ღ (Zuko x OC)

Chapter Ⅸ: The Fading Gold

It was hard to know what time it was inside the dim, metal room. Nala had been staring at the Fire Nation emblem on the wall for some time, trying to discern how close it was to dawn. She'd noticed Zuko asleep on the floor beside her. The distance between them felt cavernous. She turned onto her stomach, letting an arm dangle over the side of the bed and marvelled at the scar covering his face. She couldn't help but appreciate how beautiful it was, despite how it came to be there. She let a finger glide over his sleeping face reflectively. His eyes scrunched a little at her touch.

"I want to stay like this ..." Her voice came in barely a whisper, hoping it would find him in his dreams. "I wish you'd said we could have stayed like this ... but we can't, can we?"

Zuko groaned softly. She traced his jaw with her fingers, then caressed his scar ever so gently. His expression seemed to soften. She held the image of him laying so peacefully for a moment longer, before turning back over, expelling an exasperated breath.

We can't. The thought lingered persistently. She found herself wondering if he knew they couldn't for all the same reasons, or if he just didn't care for her in the way she thought he did. How could he? 

'Thief in a swamp'

*✧*

BANG, BANG!

"Prince Zuko." Came the voice of one of the crew. "Prince Zuko?"

Zuko stirred with a groan, feeling incredibly stiff.

"What?" He growled.
"The crew needs a heading, sir. Your Uncle has arranged a meeting."
"When?"
"Uh, now, sir."

Zuko cussed under his breath as he pushed himself up to his feet and walked groggily to get changed.

"I'm coming." His response was in complete acquiescence. He pulled his shirt off over his head, feeling a tightness in his back, then remembered why he had been on the floor. He quickly grabbed something to cover himself, glancing with burning cheeks at the bed to find Nala's eyes closed. Zuko felt relief wash over him as he continued to get changed, but couldn't shake the feeling that he'd had eyes on him for a split second.

He made his way to a small room further along the corridor where he found his Uncle, some crew members including the Helmsman and some tea; usual fair. He took a position at the table, looking over the map.

"We've had word the Avatar's bison had been sighted heading North-West, here." An officer traced a line with his finger. Zuko felt anticipation as he realised how close they were now to the Avatar. "We can make port here ..."

The officer had placed a finger somewhere fairly close making Zuko's stomach drop. He had the sickening feeling that Nala would leave the next time they came back to land. He hoped to delay the inevitability as much as he could.

"No." He found himself cutting the officer off hastily. "We'll follow the coastline North-West."
"Sir?"
"What about the Avatar?" His Uncle protested.
"He's on a flying bison, isn't he?" Zuko's tone was particularly snarky. "Travelling fast over land. We have a ship. And with Zhao burning forests to the South, we should be able to intercept him at some point further North."

The crew seemed to exchange looks as the Prince got to his feet.

"Make it work. I'm going to eat." He said, leaving for the corridor.