keep the paper lantern lit

worship

day six of zutaraang week 2020! this was probably one of my favorite prompts to write for. non-sexual intimacy/vulnerability makes me go feral lmao. also, i know i wrote the fic, but the heathers lyrics i chose fits so. well. for the zukaang focus i have going on here. i hope you enjoy!

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worship: when the morning comes, we'll burn away that tear, and raise our city here

Zuko hadn't seen Aang since they'd grabbed a quick bite together for lunch between meetings. They were supposed to meet for dinner together, too, but his council about reparations for the Water Tribes had run an extra two hours because of some bigoted old man who'd been rich enough to stay ignorant about the most severe crimes the Fire Nation had committed during the war, which meant Zuko had been forced to grab a fast dinner on his own. Spirits, he wished he could remove that bastard from the council, but the man had been 'elected' - though he still suspected unfairly - and thus Zuko was stuck with him for another year.

He'd planned to go to his bedroom and change out of his formal robes before heading to the guest room that Aang was staying in so he could apologize for missing dinner and maybe offer to have tea with him instead. Something to make up for his absence. And Zuko had been very determined not to get distracted from this goal. In fact, he ended up being so determined and so focused that he almost missed Aang himself sitting cross-legged on his bed when he entered his bedroom.

Then realization hit, and Zuko spun on his heel to gape at his boyfriend. "How did - What are you doing in here?!" he sputtered, feeling like he was 16 again and had to sneak Mai in and out of his room without being caught by guards or palace staff.

Aang snickered at his shock. "Well, I came through the balcony to rouse less suspicion, if that's what you're worried about," he said, gesturing to the unlocked but closed doors leading outside. "And I'm here because..." He trailed off, breaking eye contact with him as a blush darkened his face. "I wanted to spend time with you. Outside of all the meals and meetings and formal events."

Zuko could feel his own face reddening. "Oh."

"I - I can go if you want!" Aang hastily added. "I know it's not 'appropriate' and stuff for me to be in here since we're not married or even engaged yet, but I just..." He exhaled slowly, giving him a small, bashful smile. "I've really missed you. I know we write all the time, and it's not like I haven't loved helping Katara out at the South Pole this past month - oh, the restoration of the Southern Air Temple is going really well, too - but even then..." He shrugged, reaching up to place his left hand on his right shoulder. "It's not the same as being with you."

Zuko found himself fixated on the 'yet' of his boyfriend's statements, fixated on the implication that a proposal, a marriage, was somewhere in their future - spirits, he almost felt like he was going to combust. "No," he finally managed to choke out, releasing the fistful of fabric on his chest that he hadn't realized he'd been grabbing. "You're right. It's not the same. So... stay. Please."

His words seemed to make Aang relax immediately, as his boyfriend proceeded to offer him a relieved, euphoric smile. "Great." He then fell backwards, resting flat on his back in the middle of Zuko's bed.

Zuko frowned at the... odd motion, but didn't dwell on it. There were many things about Aang that could never be explained. He instead turned around to begin undressing and changing into his more casual, comfortable nightwear. The robe he wore to bed was cut low, always leaving at least half of the lightning scar that sat in the middle of his chest showing. Something inside him, a lingering, painful insecurity, made him tie his robe tighter than usual, leaving only the top of his scar visible for the world to peer upon.