I hope you guys enjoy this story. It took a few days on and off and is one of the longest things I've written creatively. I'm really trying to get into a writing addiction. So yeah, reviews would be awesome!
I'm also working on a Fable story if anyone is interested.
Disclaimer: I do not own Zuko, Iroh, or any other canon character from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Ruza does belong to me.
I do not know how long we have been out at sea. The days roll by, blurring together. Maybe I'll ask the General. He would remember. Though right now would not be a good time.
Every night I would sneak up and watch the Prince practice his bending. You could say I have a slight crush on him. I never cared that he was banished or was fighting on the wrong side. He was different. Nothing was handed to him on a silver platter. The male I watched on nights he decided to stay up late and practice firebending, had worked for everything.
Now, I would start helping. I am not sure if I am a bender, but I was willing to try. Night after night for maybe the last few weeks I would come up and under the moon try my hand at firebending. My green eyes glittered with the passion I had to become strong. When I watched Prince Zuko and General Iroh run off to do battle, I stayed behind, along with a few others who were not as inclined to fight as the others were. All of them tried to cheer me up, but nothing worked.
The only way I could feel at ease with myself was to learn firebending.
"Hgh….HGH!" I stood there panting, sweat dripping down my face. Nothing was working. What was it that Iroh kept telling Zuko? Something about breathing? Closing my eyes, I began to relax. Even breathing filled the air and I readied myself once more. Step…step…PUNCH! I smiled in triumph.
A small stream of fire slithered through the air and danced softly around until they faded into nothing. The warmth of the small embers felt good in the chilly night air. Silent giggles escaped my mouth. I did it. Tonight I, Ruza, became a firebender. Excited I did the basic move once more. The fire came out a lot more smoothly this time and in a bigger flame.
Calming down, the palms of my hands faced towards the metal floor and a long sigh filled the quiet air. I had been out for quite some time. Someone may come up soon.
As quietly as I could, I opened the hatch and climbed down backwards to close the door with both hands. I had found out the hard way that the metal door was a bit heavy for one arm. Plus, it would close with less noise if I used both arms. The door finally closed and I took the last steps down until my foot felt complete solid ground. It was only when I started turning around that my senses came back.
My face almost collided with a solid chest, thankfully robed. I took a sharp intake of breath, obviously heard by a certain young man. Daring my luck, I looked up, only to come face to face with a stern Prince Zuko. In respect I bowed to him and tried to wiggle my way around him. Though, the look I was getting made me stay in place.
"Good evening Prince Zuko. What are you up so late for?" I kept a steady face around him. Something tells me that being a coward would not get me anywhere. His one eyebrow scrunched up in the slightest motion.
"I could ask you the same thing. What are you doing up this late at night?" My gaze was steady on him and by now I was able to look at him without being distracted by his scar. I blinked a few times, taking in his handsome features. Well now…it was not the time to think of these things.
"I have a hard time going to sleep at a decent hour. So usually I'm up until around midnight or later." His stare was merciless. He never blinked and never let up his eyes. They always stayed narrow at me. What was he always thinking about behind those amber eyes?
He said nothing more but continued past the hatch and walked around underneath the deck. I smiled in victory. To prove my alibi, I went straight to my room and changed into my night clothes. Despite sitting on my bed, I still could not feel tired. The run in with Zuko shook me up and the adrenaline still coursed through my veins. It felt kinda good actually.
I gazed over to my mirror at my nightstand. Small and basic, something Iroh had given to me when I first joined the crew. He somehow knew that even though I agreed to stick with them, that I still had basic girly needs. Looking into the mirror, I smiled. Iroh was acting so much like a great…father to me. And I am not even related to him! Zuko has it lucky. Too bad he cannot see that.
Picking up a brush, I began to smooth out the knots and tangles that coated my long rich dark brown hair. The mirror reminded me that one streak of my dark locks held a lighter shade of brown right up front in my bangs. I always liked it…it was different. My sun kissed skin had lost a lot of its color, being cooped up inside the ship for a long time now. There was still a light tan to it, just not as dark as it used to be. I do not know how long I was sitting there, but the stillness and quiet finally got my nerves to settle down. The bed felt good, and just a few moments of lying there, I was knocked out cold.
Morning came around again and someone actually came in to get me up. When I could keep my eyes open long enough, I finally figured out the shaded figure shaking my shoulder. It was Tor, the head chef of the ship.
"You're still in bed? Man! You must have had a long night! I heard you ran into Prince Zuko last night." Almost everything came in one ear and out the other. I blinked a few times trying to process what he had said. The man was actually a thin chef with a decent build to him. A long goatee had been pulled up for cooking breakfast and his hair had grown out in the years spent on sea. His locks were beginning to dull out and the sleek shininess of his hair were disappearing. There was great respect for him. Out of everyone on the ship, he was the only one to stay completely himself.
"Mnnn…sorta. I was up late last night and was just coming back down below deck to get to my room. I didn't notice Zuko until I turned around from closing the hatch." My tired eyes met his energetic gaze. I could tell he was trying to see if I was being honest. Finally his well-known smile showed itself.
"Haha! Well then c'mon! Breakfast aint gonna cook itself ya know!" I smiled and jumped right out of bed. Somehow he knew how to get a person up and going, save for the Prince. We reached the kitchen in no time and began slaving away at the stove. I set off to the side cutting up fruits while he took care of the meat. Despite all the times I have cooked with my mother, I still could not bear to prepare the meat.
With the both of us hard at work, breakfast was done in a flash. The mixture of sweet and salty filled the air as pureed fruits, eggs, and bacon lay deliciously across the plates. Not long after preparing breakfast a messenger had come to tell us that the General and the Prince wished for their breakfast to be brought outside. Tor and I turned to one another and he shrugged his shoulders. The two of us grabbed a plate and cup and took it outside.
Tor happened to be the one leading the two of us and he went to General Iroh sitting closer to the door. Prince Zuko stood in the middle of the deck practicing his form. When Tor handed the General his breakfast, he began to lightly laugh and call Zuko for breakfast. From last night, I could hardly look at him…frankly; I was too embarrassed to do so. Instead I slightly bowed to him while handing him his food.
"Enjoy your breakfast." I said nothing more and turned to go back to the kitchen. It was hard keeping a steady pace back, worried that he may be watching me. Thankfully I managed to slip back into the ship and return to my little haven. Tor returned shortly after with the dishes and found the kitchen had been mostly cleaned up. Before he could say anything I looked at him, "go ahead and put the dishes in the sink. I'll take care of it. You go ahead and take a good rest of the day off." He was confused for a moment before I smiled at him. Tor took the hint and nodded. He threw a slight punch to my arm and I giggled at his little antic.
Now that I was alone, I could not help but think of back on the deck. Why did I freak out? What was the reason I could not look Zuko in the eye? I shook my head and let out a sigh. Finally I was able to move on to washing the last of the dishes. Whilst humming to a made up tune, someone entered the kitchen without me noticing.
"You seemed a little nervous this morning. Is everything alright, Ruza?" I flinched at the masculine voice and turned to see General Iroh standing there with his hand brought together, melding the two sleeves. Thankful for the gentle man, I sighed in relief. My gaze returned to him.
"I'm fine General. Thank you for the concern." I smiled at him and his frown stayed in place. Another sigh came from me and I turned back to the dishes. "You can see right through that by now…can't you?" He took a few steps forward and placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Ruza, it's painfully obvious to me that you are going through some conflict. I heard about you running into Zuko last night. Is that what has you shook up today?" I turned to look at the old man. He was sincere about helping me. My head nodded. A gentle chuckle echoed throughout the kitchen. "There is nothing to be ashamed of. You were up just as late as he was. Destiny just had you two bump into each other last night." I smiled at him and bowed.
"Thank you, General." He nodded and walked off. Before he totally left, Iroh stopped and gazed back at me. "Oh, and breakfast was wonderful! Thank you." I just smiled at him and he returned the action, finally leaving me to do my chores.
The kitchen was finally clean and I could move on to tidying up the rest of the ship. I started in the soldier's rooms, making their beds and picking up dirty clothes to fold them back up. It was the only way I could make myself useful on this ship…and most of the time…I still feel useless. It was almost noon when I finished with the soldier's rooms. I returned to the kitchen.
Tor was starting the water when I came back in. I waved and grabbed the vegetables. The water felt good running against my hands while I washed the produce. Neither of us said a thing the whole time, which felt extremely awkward. The kitchen smelled really good after ten minutes. Some roasted meat with a bowl of vegetable rice. Once again, we came out and served the two. It amazed me that Zuko still had energy to be training.
After I handed Zuko his meal, Iroh motioned for me to come sit next to him. I did as asked and we sat in silence, allowing the sea to strum its own music. Zuko finished quickly and resumed his training. Iroh watched with stern eyes, trying to find a fault in Zuko's posture. Which didn't take too long.
"Fire comes from the breath, Prince Zuko! Do not rely on pure strength!" The prince grunted with frustration and tried again. I felt my feelings again for the Prince when he was training. General Iroh noticed this and smiled in understanding. In a quiet voice he started, "oooh, I get it. It wasn't just about running into Zuko last night that had you flustered. You have feelings for the young Prince, don't you?" I looked over to him in surprise. He smiled warmly, contradicting to the temperature right now, and patted my back. My eyes turned sad.
"You're going to say that it isn't a good idea…he's too focused on finding the Avatar than to be interested in anybody." He pursed his lips and sighed. He did not want to discourage me, but I knew that things may not work out.
"I would not say that it's a bad idea, just be careful. You are right, he is intently focused on capturing the Avatar, but maybe a little attention wouldn't hurt him either." He winked and focused on Zuko again. "By the way, lunch was superb. You and Tor make an excellent team!" We laughed and I felt better. I took his dishes and collected Zuko's before heading back into the ship.
Back in the kitchen I apologized to Tor. He tried to wave it off, but I insisted. Though this time, he wanted to clean the dishes and so I allowed him to. I still had the rest of the ship to clean up.
Underneath the ship was like a maze, one twist would bring you to the front while the next would bring you to a dead end. Being out on the sea for this long has helped me learn the ins and outs of this ship. I made my way to Iroh's room. His bed was not nearly as messy as most of the occupants had theirs, which most of the time I was thankful for. While the time passed, I began to hum again, happy for some unknown reason. With Iroh's room done, I headed out and went to the last room on the ship.
Zuko's room.
I enjoyed coming in here mainly because Zuko took pride in making his room…well presentable. Nice Fire Nation décor and candles in the right spots. It surprised me to see that his bed was made. Shaking my head, I went to work. Mostly all that need to be done in here today was dusting. I was just about done when someone came in.
"Ruza…" I jumped and made a slight squeaking noise. My work had me so focused that I didn't notice the Prince walk in. Zuko watched the candles as I jumped and I noted the same thing he did. The flames grew when I was surprised. Not good. I didn't want him knowing about my abilities yet.
The look he gave me was hard and untrusting. I feigned innocence and thankfully it played out in my favor. Zuko began to relax and sat down on his bed. Taking this moment to return to my work, I apologized to him for the…surprised reaction. He brushed it off, probably having the Avatar on his mind.
I didn't take much longer in his room, feeling much more comfortable around him now than I did earlier. Nothing was said between us when I left, except for me telling him to have a relaxing evening. All I got was a grunt. Men…seriously.
It was a beautiful sunset today. Iroh joined me in watching the last rays of the day fade into the blackness of night. He was a rather soothing soul to be next to, unlike his nephew. Though I did have questions.
"Hey…General…" He looked to me for a moment before softly chuckling.
"Please, call me Uncle." I turned to him surprised. He just smiled into the sunset. "I'm no fool Ruza, I see what's going on between you and Zuko." I shook my head.
"There is nothing…Uncle. Zuko is just…well too engrossed with the Avatar." That smile was still there. I watched him funny and he just kept at it.
"Ruza, what you say may be true, but life is full of surprises." He turned and began back to going underneath. "Ruza, it is getting late. A woman needs her rest." I bowed to him respectfully.
"I appreciate your concern, but I would like to stay up for a little bit longer. I need to sort things out." His eyebrows knotted together in worry and I just nodded to him, allowing him some relief. He went below deck and I turned back to the sea.
Was it true what Iroh had said? Why did he want me calling him Uncle? My hand found its way to my head. This was a lot for a short amount of time. And what did he know about relationships? As far as I understood he had no wife or lover. All he had was his nephew…
I looked back down at the waters. They thrashed about in defiance to their disturbed peace, splashing violently against the metal of the ship and slamming back down into the sea. Was I like that? Maybe I was just letting myself being thrown about by my feelings, never feeling relaxed or at peace. It didn't help that I lost everything when I was young to pirates.
Ironic that everyone around lost their life to the Fire Nation, but I…I lost it to measly 'high risk traders'. I snorted in disgust and shout out a stream of fire from my clenched hands.
While everyone that did not live in the Fire Nation has a hatred for them, I was the exception. I had no reason to. Zuko and Iroh had found me in a rundown village being beaten down by some older boys. They wanted something from me I would not give. The retired General came to my rescue and Zuko stood by me. Their kindness, or at least Iroh's gave me hope. Zuko still had a bandage over his scarred eye at this time and I had been an orphan for about five or six years. Iroh offered a place for me on their ship. Without asking questions I agreed.
Shortly after I found out why the Fire Nation Prince was traveling abroad. I think it was then I began to have feelings for him. For the full two years of his current banishment, I have been practically there for him and his Uncle.
"So, that's what you've been up her late at night for." I squeaked. Yes, squeaked. Zuko appeared out of nowhere, and right when I was being deep in thought. I zipped around to him and watched him warily. He calmly stood there, probably thinking I looked like an idiot.
"Z-Zuko! What are you…" He had cocked an eyebrow at me and I lost all train of thought. The prince did not seem angry at all…more or less of the opposite. Metal slightly chinked when his feet came down upon it while he closed the space between us.
Before I knew it, he was behind me, grabbing my arms and bringing them to a battle ready stance. His fingers pushed my tense shoulders down while making sure my arms did not move.
"Relax. Not a lot of fire will come if you're too tense. Spread your legs further apart to get a more stable stance." Surprisingly the next couple of hours were very relaxed between us. I could not feel any tension nor did he seem distant from me.
When I could not keep going, I fell to my butt. Sweat dripped heavily and my lungs burned with exhaustion. I noticed that Zuko was panting himself, but nowhere near as much as I was. He came back up to me and offered his hand. A warm smile came across my face as I took his hand. Out of everything that happened that night, a return smile surprised me the most.
His was small, like as if he was almost afraid to let me see him like that. Afraid to open up. I do not know what came over me, but all I knew is what happened.
"Zuko…" He looked to me, questioning me with a face that wondered what I needed. I came up to him, real close. The look on his face told me his felt a bit uncomfortable with what little space there was between us. I ignored it and pressed on. "I want to tell you something before anything else happens…"
He looked around curious as to what I could possibly need to tell him right now. No words passed between us, but I tilted my head and closed the space between us.
The Prince's skin felt so soft against mine, almost as if it was waiting for someone. I could feel a need from him, a wanting for affection. Though I knew it was to be from his father.
After a few sweet tender moments I pulled away and I watched him. His ponytail danced in the wind and his amber eyes glittered wonderfully under the moon. Something came across in his eyes…an emotion I had never seen before from him.
Chills went up my spine when his thumb and forefinger held onto my jaw. My hair hung back as he held my head where it was, gazing lovingly into his shining orbs. His lips met mine this time. It felt so good…so…right.
When he broke it off, Zuko suggested we head to bed. It was far too late for the both of us to be up. The Prince allowed his chivalrous self to open the hatch, escort me to my room, and bid me goodnight. I thanked him and watched him walk off before closing my door. When I laid my head down, something told me that things would just keep getting better between the two of us.
Sleep was very much welcomed and my dreams were very pleasant that night.