Life Happens Wherever You Are (Zuko x OC)

Chapter 18

It was getting dark now, Zuko hadn't come out of our room yet. I was getting tired, and was laying on the couch. Iroh was still occasionally rattling off ideas for the tea shop, whether it was the name, decorations, or a menu. I ended up drifting off on the couch, and was awoken to the front door opening.

I rubbed my eyes and sat up, seeing Iroh in the doorway. "Iroh? What is it?" I grumbled.

"Nothing to worry about, just going out with Zuko. Go back to sleep," he responded, then walked out and shut the door behind him.

I sat there for a moment, not sure what was happening. But if Iroh was with Zuko, then I don't have to worry about it, Iroh would take care of him. I settled back down on the couch, and tried to go back to sleep. I tossed and turned for a while, but eventually gave up on sleeping more. I got up and decided to practice some of my stances and breathing, I had been slacking off since leaving home.

I assumed my stance, shifting my weight from side to side, gliding my hands with it. I breathed deep and slow, trying to clear my mind. But a face consumed my thoughts, just like it always does. I smiled, his hair had grown so much since we first met. Looking back on our interactions, he has really been up and down a lot. I wonder what he was like when he was with the fire nation, I have never seen him in fire nation clothing or armor. Was he angrier when he was with the fire nation? Would that come back if he was able to go home?

I remembered our interaction a week before, after his fight with Jet. There was so much passion in him that I had never seen before, and the way he spoke to me... I think I'm falling for him. This all happened so quickly, and I feel like I can't stop myself. Should I tell him how I feel? No, maybe I should keep it to myself, at least until I know more about him and how he acts and reacts to things. But it's so hard to keep my emotions inside, I have always liked expressing how I feel to others.

I sighed and dropped my stance, and just then, I heard the front door open. I turned around to see Zuko and Iroh coming through the door.

"Zuko! Iroh!"

Zuko didn't look so great, I gave him a weird look as he slumped in the door, dragging his swords behind him. He wasn't wearing his normal clothes, he was wearing an all-black outfit with brown wraps on his wrists and calves.

"You did the right thing. Letting the avatar's bison go free," Iroh said, shutting the door.

"What? What happened?" I asked, still watching Zuko as he didn't react.

"Prince Zuko tracked down the bison and instead of capturing it for himself, he set it free."

"Really? Wow that's great I –"

Zuko cut me off, "I don't feel right." He waivered, touching his forehead.

"What do you mean?" I asked, going over to where he was standing next to the door to the room.

He tried to reach out to a small table next to him, and then collapsed with a grunt.

"Zuko!" Iroh and I yelled, rushing over to him.

I touched his forehead. "He's burning up," I said worriedly. We dragged him inside our room and onto the mat. As Iroh took off his shirt, I grabbed the blanket from the mat and placed it over him. Iroh grabbed a bucket of water and some rags, dipping them into the water.

Zuko's forehead was covered in sweat, he rolled onto his back and groaned. I could see on his face that he was in pain.

"You're burning up," Iroh told him, "You have an intense fever. This will help cool you down." He placed the rag on his forehead.