A Prisoner

Book 1; Chapter 8

Date

"Hey, (Y/N), what are you doing?"

Sokka asked you as you stood in the middle of the cavern, "Tai chi."

You answered, looking over at him as your body moved. He watched you in fascination, then began to to copy your movements, "So... why?"

"It helps me think."  You responded, smiling at him, "And, it helps me practice my firebending moves."

"It is pretty relaxing." Sokka mused, smiling, "Did you do this a lot in prison?"

"More than you even know."

A chuckle left his lips, "Were you a troublemaker?"

You laughed and hummed, "You could say that, I guess."

"I got that vibe about you." Sokka nodded, chuckling, "But, you also have the vibe of getting in trouble just to get away from drama."

"Wow, Sokka, you're pretty smart." You breathed, smiling a little, "What a pleasant surprise."

"Oh ha ha." Sokka said sarcastically, then chuckled, "So, what's going on between you in Mister Brooding over there?"

"We're... together?" You took a deep breath, smiling, "It's not unclear, but... not outright defined."

Sokka hummed, "I've got something like that going on."

"With Suki?" His face grew red at your question, which gave you your answer, "Well, I can tell that what you two have is real. And it's beautiful."

Sokka beamed at you and the two of you moved in silence, the only sounds around you were your breathing the sound of that river flowing in the distance. It was refreshing, being able to be comfortably around people after being alone for so many years, just because you were in prison surrounded by people doesn't mean that you talked to any of them, and the fact that they had all become such close friends to you had made it all the better. You had developed a particular fondness to Sokka, he reminded you a lot of who you wished you could be, who you would undoubtedly be had you not been warped by the fire nation. 

"Hey, (Y/N)," you heard Zuko say, walking up to the two of you, "can you come here for a second?"

"Sure, Z, what's up?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to come into town with me for some food?"

You smiled and nodded, "Sure! Let me go ask everyone what they want-"

"No." Zuko says, chuckling, "I meant you and me. Just us."

"Oh, then yeah." Your smile grew, then you realized what he meant, "Oh."

He laughed at you and shook his head, "Oh? Are you really that dense?"

"Shut up."

...

"Oh my god. Do you remember when your mom forced me to come with you guys on vacation that summer?"

"Stop it." Zuko laughed, shaking his head some at you, "Let's not talk about that."

"She and Azula kept calling you Zuzu~"

"Stop it." He jabbed you with his elbow, rolling his eyes at you, "Or else."

"Or else what?" You asked, looking at the orange lanterns that illuminated the street around you, "Are you gonna put me in prison, Zuzu?"

You gasped when he suddenly lifted you up and hung you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, your shared laughter filling the streets, "By order of the royal family, you are now my prisoner!"

"No!"

You exclaimed, eyes wide as delighted giggles rang from your lips like raindrops against harp strings. It was a sound Zuko could listen to forever, a sound the boy had missed with the wholeness of his being, and he was finally listening to it again. Fondly, the prince remembered the first time he had made you laugh, after you had returned from training, Zuko tried to show off his growing skill with his blades and lost his footing, sending he and Master Piandao careening into the pond a mere three feet away. Though, embarrassed, the young prince couldn't help but smile, as he had put one on your face for the first time since your arrival at the palace a month before.

"What are you thinking about?" You asked Zuko after he set you down, you took notice of him being spaced out, "Is everything alright?"

He blushed a little when he noticed how close you were, but smiled to put you at ease, "Of course, I was thinking about when I fell in the pond with Master Piandao and you thought it was the funniest thing.  You've been laughing at me since we were kids."

You snickered and grabbed his hand, "Only because you're so cute Zuzu."

He groaned and pulled you in for a kiss to shut you up... and just because he wanted to. You smiled against his lips and pulled him closer, wrapping your arms around his neck; everything was starting to feel right again. You hadn't realized how lost you were without him in your life, having grown used to be alone quickly when you went to prison, so to feel such a completeness with him around was exhilarating. It reminded you of happier times from when you were children. 

When Zuko pulled away he smiled at you, "So, what do you want to eat?"

You hummed and tilted your head back, frowning thoughtfully; you weren't sure. Honestly, you had forgotten that that's what you had come to town for, so caught up in spending time with him that it had slipped your mind. He chuckled softly as he watched you, Zuko knew better than to ask you questions like this. You were so indecisive. He raised an eyebrow when you made you decision, "Fire flakes and roasted turtleduck."

He smiled and nodded, grabbing your hand to lead you to a vendor. A wave of melancholy splashed over Zuko's mind, thinking about turtleducks made him remember his mom. Where was she? Why had she left him? What did he do wrong?

"Z...?"

You asked hesitantly, looking up at him in concern when you felt the shift in his mood; he looked down at you and smiled a crestfallen smile down at you, "I'm alright, just thinking about my mom."

You nodded slowly, taking a deep breath, "I'm sorry."

You weren't sure if you were the first to apologize to him for his mother's disappearance; maybe you had been, maybe everyone around him just didn't know what to say to the quiet, hurt prince. Wow. Prince. In all of the chaos lately, you hadn't had time to think of him as a prince: he's just been Zuko, someone just like you: a child forced to participate in a war that was not yours to fight. You were victims in this disgusting, century-long battle. The thought made you sick as your gaze fell on the scar that spanned across the side of his face. None of this should be happening in the in the first place.  A part of you was happy though, because for all you knew, if not for this war Zuko may not have been born at all, or the two of you would have never met. In a twisted way, you were almost grateful.