not from around here | Zuko X OC

book two - |chapter twenty two|

*celebratory trumpet noises*
WE DID IT WE DID-anyway, no Dora today.

We're now on boOK TWO WHOOP. Be prepared for a lot of fluff and perhaps some ✨s e x u a l t e n s i o n✨ (I never said between who-haha jokes. obviously between Saki and Zuzu, duh.)

I hope you enjoy this chapter and many more to come.

Anyways, y'all ugly *clicks fingers and disappears in a cloud of black smoky smoke*
(Pls get the reference.)

"Zuko! Wake up! Wake up, lazybones!"
Saki went from giving Zuko gentle nudges to punching him in the side, trying to wake him up.
"Ow! Saki, get off." He grumbled, turning away from her.
"But look!" Saki told him, poking his cheek with her index finger.

Saki had just woken up to a very strange feeling. The feeling of not rocking side to side on the raft that had been their home for the last three weeks.

That's right, three weeks. No food. No water.
Only their own company.

Saki and Zuko were getting along better than ever, even if that still meant frequent bickering.
Most of their arguments ended with either Saki or Zuko in the water after being shoved by the other one.
Although it happened to Saki a lot less because, after Zuko shoved her in the water the first time, she nearly drowned.

However, even though Iroh was worried, Zuko knew exactly what to do to help and wrapped his arms around her in a hug, heating up his body temperature to keep her warm.

Now they were finally at an island that looked like it had civilisation.

"Zuko look!" Saki snapped again.
"Leave me alone. All there is to do on this stupid raft is to sleep and argue with you. And I don't feel like getting pushed into the water right now." He grumbled, putting his hands on her waist and pushing her off.

Even though arguing was one of their favourite things to do, over the last week or so they had lost all energy to do anything.

"No! We're at land!" Saki told him, grabbing his wrists and moving them off his waist to try and pull him up.
"We're where!?" Her said, suddenly snapping his eyes open.
"Land! Look! It's land." Saki prodded the sand that was on the side of the raft.

Zuko sat up with a start and looked around.
"We made it!" He gasped, a smile finally forming on his face after weeks of frowning.
Saki threw her arms around him, smiling.
Zuko hugged her back, the smile still plastered on his face.

At first, he didn't like how huggy she was, or how much she liked to jump around.
But now, her hugs were one of the things keeping him going, although he would never say that out loud. She would never ever let it go if he did.

Looking around, Zuko could see they were on a beach with a few trees. If you walked up the beach there was a path that led up a hill slightly and to other destinations.

"Ooh! Zuko, wake up Iroh, there's a bath house." Saki said, looking at the wooden sign.
"I'm already awake. It's hard not to be with all the racket you two were making."
Iroh caught their attention from just behind Zuko and sat up too.
"And a bath house sounds wonderful. Just what we need." Iroh added.

They all slowly walked up to the bathhouse together, all exhausted but pushing on because of the thought of a nice warm bath.
Zuko suddenly seemed oddly down, just before then he was smiling and happy about finding land. Saki wondered if he could possibly be missing the raft, but that seemed insane.

"You okay Zuko?" Saki asked, leaning in closer to him and frowning.
"I'm fine." He answered shortly.
Saki glanced at Iroh and he gave her a look that meant 'don't push it'. Saki nodded in return and looked back ahead.