not from around here | Zuko X OC

| chapter thirty seven |

The trio traipsed into their apartment, Zuko walking slower than usual. Saki didn't have to skip every now and then to keep up. She presumed he just felt strange about doing something good.

But when Saki got to the apartment and looked at his face, she could tell something was wrong.

"You did the right thing. Letting the Avatar's bison go free." Uncle told him reassuringly, as Saki was busy examining Zuko's face.

"I don't feel right." Zuko answered groggily as he put his head in his hands.

Saki stepped towards Zuko, concern etched into her face as she frowned.
"Zuko, I think you should sit down, you don't look so g-"

She was interrupted by Zuko falling to the floor, taking a vase with him.
"Zuko!" Both Saki uncle exclaimed.

Saki dropped to her knees and leant over him, checking to see what was wrong.
Sweat ran down the side of his head and he was even paler than usual.

Iroh ran to get a sleeping mat and some blankets from the couch where Saki had left them that night as she tried to shake Zuko awake.

When uncle came back, she stopped shaking him and helped pull blankets over him.

"What's wrong with him?" Saki asked, concern in her voice as she tucked his hair out of his face.

"This sickness isn't natural, I think it's because he let the bison go. There's a war going on inside him and it's good versus evil."
Saki nodded at Iroh's explanation and looked back down at Zuko, stroking his hair.

"So It's not from me?" She asked, thinking back to when she had been ill and Zuko had cuddled with her in bed.

"No, what you had was just a normal sickness." Iroh reassured her.

"Will I catch this one?" She asked, however the answer wouldn't change the fact that she would stay by his side all the time.

"No, but you might not be feeling your best if you don't get any sleep tonight. You can have the bed, I'll watch over Zuko." Iroh told her, nodding at her to get some sleep.

Saki shook her head. "I'll watch him." She demanded.

"Saki, you need your sleep." Iroh tried to convince her.

"So do you uncle. He watched over me when the whole lightning fiasco happened." Saki said, pulling up her trouser leg and gesturing to the scar. "It's only right if I watch over him now."

Iroh smiled. "Zuko would want you to sleep." He pointed out.

"I would've wanted Zuko to sleep." She told him, raising an eyebrow.

"Hmm. You make a good argument. Alright, you can watch him, but we take shifts." He compromised. Saki nodded in reply.

She took the first shift and sat next to Zuko, talking to him quietly and stroking his hair. She talked to him about everything and anything, even thought she was sure he couldn't hear her.

When Iroh told her it was his turn she nodded and walked into the bedroom.
Zuko had her sleeping stuff so she slept in his bedding. It smelt like him, like a crackling fire that provided warmth to anyone who knew how to control it.