Written for a Mousie's request for Zukaang and 'cuddling in public' from a cuddling prompts list.
Also partly inspired by a scene in one of my favourite K-Dramas, The Moon Embracing the Sun. 3
"My Lord!"
"Hm?" Zuko twisted his arm out of Aang's grip, but it was like trying to get away from a clinging vine with eyes like a pleading puppy.
"This is," Kezon looked disapprovingly at where Aang had wrapped both arms around one of Zuko's, head pushing against his shoulder, "inappropriate. For someone of your standing."
"Mine or his?" Zuko asked curiously. Normally he might have wondered, but he wouldn't have spoken. Aang being around was affecting him, he thought wryly. Both his mood and how - open he was.
"Both!" Kezon said, looking horrified.
"Shouldn't that cancel itself out, then?" Aang asked, leaning around Zuko to peer up into his face, grinning.
"And you have a very important meeting this morning!" Kezon said, frowning. "With the entire council and the Avatar!"
Zuko blinked at him, then looked at Aang, whose face had gone slack with confusion.
"Avatar Aang," Zuko said formally, which was surprisingly easy even with Aang trying to become a pentapus and clinging to his arm, "I recognise that this is highly unusual, and offer my utmost apologies for the request, but would you consent to possibly postponing our meeting this morning so that I may escort my very important guest, the Avatar, on a tour through the lower city as he wishes?" he asked, his lips twitching.
Aang stifled a giggle. "Certainly, Fire Lord Zuko." he said, his own voice burbling with laughter in spots. "I would not dream of monopolising your time when such an important personage-" He couldn't finish, unrestrained laughter breaking through for a few moments before Aang controlled himself again. "I hope you enjoy the day, your fieriness." He stepped back and bowed.
"I think our relations with the Avatar will survive the meeting postponement." Zuko told his personal advisor dryly. He softened it with a slight smile, because Kezon spent most of his time in varying levels of fretting but it was always stemming from an honest desire to help Zuko and keep both his palace and his people running smoothly.
"Come on come on come on!" Aang encouraged, bouncing a little and catching at Zuko's arm again, dragging him along like it would be any more effective this time. Although Zuko supposed it was, at that, since he was already moving to follow.
Zuko was already mostly beyond being surprised at Aang's boundless energy - or his cheerful nature - but it was admittedly fun to watch him . . . unleashed upon the unsuspecting people of Harbor City. He'd barely managed to restrain a laugh when Aang asked on the way down the switchback road if he thought they might be able to go unrecognised.
Not likely. Zuko stuck out quite enough himself - while he was not dressed for a public appearance, he was still clearly wearing royal robes, and the emblem in his hair, and this was the city surrounding Caldera City and the Fire Palace, they knew their Fire Lord.
It wasn't as though Zuko was hard to recognise, even out of his royal attire.
If anyone somehow managed to miss that, Aang stood out even more. Wearing Air Nomad clothing and his Airbending Master's tattoos and swanning about as though the entire world hadn't spent the last few years hearing stories about his exploits. Or seeing them - and him - in person. Aang visited here frequently, too - even after the solid month he had spent here immediately after the end of the War, up to Zuko's formal investment as Fire Lord and beyond.
It nicely dovetailed, Aang's apparent desire to stay close with the world's need for reassurance that the Avatar was keeping an eye on the Fire Nation. Zuko sighed, but pulled a smile to his lips as Aang darted back to his side again - he refused to chase quite so energetically back and forth across the market streets himself. Aang didn't seem to mind flitting back to him whenever he had something to show Zuko, or something to say, though.
When the sun was high overhead - the meeting probably still wouldn't have been over, had Aang not dragged him away from the palace before it began - Zuko collared Aang with one hand on one of his darting trips past. Aang made a soft, confused sound, but Zuko directed him easily off towards a small restaurant for lunch and he bounced along eagerly.
The proprietor of the little shop looked flustered but a hopeful shushing gesture from Zuko had him calming himself and at least sort of managing to treat them like regular customers. Zuko didn't fool himself, though, that Aang's cheerful, easygoing manner didn't have more to do with his growing ease than Zuko's assurances.
Aang had been putting people at ease all over the town all morning, and after a leisurely lunch - Aang got distracted talking to the proprietor's daughter for a while - continued to do so all afternoon. It was entertaining watching Aang enjoying exploring the town - and it was relaxing for Zuko to not be the complete centre of public attention, even in his own nation, for a little while.
As it wore on into evening they were still wandering wherever Aang's whims led them - and Zuko hadn't exactly imagined they'd spend all day exploring Harbor City, but his other plans had all involved Aang in any case. Aang darted back to Zuko's side and grabbed hold of him again, seizing his wrist and then lacing their fingers together as he drew Zuko off and around a corner. Zuko eyed him curiously, but didn't resist Aang's tugging.
"Aang, what are you-" Zuko was silenced mid-question by dint of the whuff of air that was knocked out of him when Aang shoved him down to sit on the ground. Aang followed, tumbling neatly down beside Zuko and grinning, folding his legs. Zuko's eyebrow arched and he looked dubiously at Aang, only to have his attention directed forward again, towards- The tiny theatre of a puppet show.
He huffed, fighting a smile, and shook his head. And tugged Aang back a little without dragging him up to his feet, because even Aang was far taller than most of those gathering around to watch the show - mainly children, the adults who wanted to watch mostly hanging back around the edges of the open square - and if Aang and Zuko were too close to the front they blocked the view.
Aang pouted, and Zuko wound their fingers together again, resting their twined hands on his thigh. Aang bounced a little as he changed positions, leaning up against Zuko's shoulder, taking advantage of the difference in their heights to tip his head to rest there.
He had to slouch a little to manage it, as he once certainly would not have, but not much - Zuko had grown over the past few years, as tall or taller now than his father had been. Though Aang had grown even more and it now seemed he would likely match Zuko's height before he stopped.
Aang's free hand squirmed between Zuko's arm and his ribs, fingers tickling even through the fabric of Zuko's sleeve.
He rolled his eyes, smiling fondly, and shifted obligingly to angle his arm out. He smothered a laugh, his smile twitching, as Aang wrapped his arms around Zuko's and leaned on him more heavily.
The puppet show was tolerable - a story of a palace serving girl who had fallen in love with the Fire Lord, ostensibly based on history some few hundred years ago, though Zuko . . . had his doubts. It was more enjoyable when Zuko had Aang's soft gasps or laughs or excited hums in his ear, though.
Zuko idly stroked the back of Aang's hand as one of the puppeteers came out to talk about the history behind the play. Zuko's eye twitched as he listened, though he was somewhat soothed by the disbelieving or irritated muttering from other audience members around him. And he wouldn't be rude - and disruptive - and rise to leave before the performers finished, even if the show itself had ended.
Zuko gradually realised that Aang had come to slump against his side even more while the man spoke. And there had been no comments from him, or huffy little noises at the bastardisation of history, even if it was quite before his time.
He nudged Aang, but he didn't respond - not even to press closer, as Zuko might have expected. Zuko craned his neck to look down at Aang. Who . . . appeared to be asleep. He blinked, then snorted.
"Aang?" Zuko murmured, nudging him again, and he made a quiet little whiny sound and curled up tighter, head tilted at an awkward angle on Zuko's shoulder. He looked skyward for a moment - the sky was bleeding a dull orange, the sun mostly set already - and then prodded Aang again. "Really?"
Aang didn't react, and Zuko frowned, prodding him in the side. He made a little snuffling sound and slid forwards, almost across Zuko's chest.
He stopped prodding Aang and instead twisted to let him slide closer, almost into Zuko's lap. Unfolding his legs, he rose with Aang cradled in his arms. He cleared his throat quietly, dipping his head, as he caught the gaze of a lamplighter making his circuit of the square.
The man smiled slightly, but looked away, flicking tiny flames up to the waiting torches.
Aang wriggled, and Zuko paused, waiting to see if he would wake. He didn't, and Zuko shook his head, lips twitching, before he settled Aang more comfortably in his arms.
Aang was heavy - much more than he had been the first time Zuko carried him anywhere, and he thought even more than Aang had been last time - but he was easy to carry despite that. He cuddled into Zuko's arms comfortably - his body tucking into a snug little curl - and even if he was heavy, Zuko thought he was lighter than he really ought to be, for his size.
Zuko raised his chin, balancing Aang against him, and gave up fighting the tiny smile playing across his face even as he watched some of his people noticing them. Mostly there were smiles, and a few surprised looks.
Both grew fewer as Zuko made his way up the road and the people themselves thinned out. Once in Caldera City - passing by stationed guards who looked like they weren't sure what the protocol was when the Fire Lord walked by their posts, on foot, carrying the Avatar - there were more surprised and disapproving looks. Hidden behind polite, stonelike masks, of course.
Zuko ignored them. The nobles who did disapprove would never say anything, not to him and likely not even to each other. Crossing the Fire Lord was enough of a dangerous gambit on its own; add crossing or perhaps insulting the Avatar and there was little that could have been worth it to most of those who lived here.
Kezon was waiting for them at the palace doors, and Zuko waited for him to offer some kind of comment or warning about the impropriety of this, but he only eyed the sleeping Avatar in Zuko's arms and stepped aside, opening one half of the huge doors. A guard hurried over to pull open the other one, and Zuko dipped his head in acknowledgement to them both.
Zuko shifted one arm, pulling Aang a little higher against his shoulder, only a tiny bit surprised when Aang still didn't wake. Surely the day hadn't been that hard . . . but then, Aang had only arrived at the palace yesterday, and while he'd sworn he was fine, especially after a night's sleep, Zuko had already suspected he was a little more travel-worn than he would admit.
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