Burnt Out - Zuko x OC

Cloves

Kai sat around the fire by Toph that evening after dinner. It was music night, a weekly tradition that Aang had started after he'd thrown a dance party for the children of the Fire Nation. Some nights it merely consisted of campfire singalongs, others, like tonight, there was an arsenal of instruments involved.

The fire brought a nice hue to the atmosphere. It crackled and smelled like home to Zuko. To Kai, it just smelled like him.

She hadn't joined Zuko back in his bedroom after her confrontation with Katara. She needed time to herself, time to think. Her head was swimming from the unexpected kiss and she didn't like how nice it felt to strike him across the face. But she couldn't avoid him now, not with him sitting right across from her. Not with the shadows dancing on his skin in a way that made him look dangerously handsome.

Kai got up. She whispered something to Toph that no one else could hear and nodded at Zuko, motioning for him to follow her.

She led him through winding hallways, down corridors that never seemed to end. The Western Air Temple was much larger than it looked, Zuko learned. It was when they were walking across a giant Pai Sho board that he finally caught up with her enough to grab her by the wrist. She turned sharply to face him and, as if on cue, all human languages left the confines of his brain.

Kai stared at him through the grey moonlight, waiting for him to speak, as if he'd been the one leading her on a wild goose chase.

"I-I'm... sorry." Zuko stammered.

"For?" Kai asked. And though there were a dozen things he could have been apologizing for, Zuko chose the most recent.

"Kissing you." He said. "I don't know why I did that, but I'm sorry."

She hummed and it confused Zuko. He'd half expected her to apologize for slapping him, though she didn't need to, but nothing of that sort happened.

Kai glanced around the board game. No white lotus tile in sight. No blooming flower formation made from the pieces. But she still had friends here. Solace and hope were still readily available to her.

"I stabbed your sister." She said abruptly, and her short but sweet tone nearly startled the boy.

"What?" He asked. Then realized what she said, and it was hard not to smile over the confession.

Kai's pearlescent canines peaked out from behind her grin in the first glimpse of what Zuko recognized as the real her. "Non-fatal, don't worry." She added.

"I'm sure she'll milk it back at the palace. But congratulations, you officially have a target on your head."

"A small price to pay."

Zuko's shoulders relaxed, they slouched into the stance they always did when he allowed himself to finally get comfortable. He sat in the middle of the game board hoping that Kai would take the spot in front of him.

She did. She folded her legs and covered them with her dress. Zuko fished around in his pocket for a moment before pulling out a hand rolled cigarette. He offered it to her and she took it. Their fingers popped loudly with static electricity when they touched. It scared Zuko, but Kai pretended not to notice. She stuck the paper between her lips and waited for a light, which came from the tip of his finger.

She sucked down deep and slow, the taste of winter filled her lungs — cloves. They made her tongue and lips numb. Nicotine flushed through her veins, making her head feel swimmy and her body nice and tingly.

"How'd it go with your dad?" Kai asked without looking him in the eyes. Her chest stung as she recalled the feeling of a grueling battle pursuing close by.