Winter Wonder Land
Pairing: Zuko x Ty Lee (Ty Luko)
Ah, after a long break between these, I am making a return to the Zuko x Ty Lee pairing. Thinking about it last night, I was still sad that Ty Lee didn't get to be at the group's get together at the end of the show, but I digress. This is just a simple little one shot featuring them getting lost in a blizzard. There is one part where I thought about going into more... detail, but ultimately decided against it. For those of you reading it, let me know if you think it would work better with the details added, and I'll re-write it. Otherwise, enjoy the Ty Luko goodness.
"How the hell did I ever let you talk me into this?" Zuko asked, his voice high with his usual level of irritation. Out of the corner of his good eye the young Fire Lord watched his long time friend wander aimlessly about the small cavern, seemingly ignoring his obvious irritation pointed in her general direction.
The girl's chipper voice grated on his sore nerves as she hummed some song she must have picked up from the Kyoshi Warriors. Soft steps echoed off of the stone walls, seemingly surrounding him with each individual movement. Out beyond the entrance to the cave, he watched the flurry of snow as it blocked his view of the world beyond.
Deja vu. The situation conjured unpleasant memories in the young man. Memories of a time not too long ago when he was on the wrong side in the seemingly never ending conflict. Memories of talking to an unconscious monk over his life's hardships, recounting how he had worked hard for everything he had earned in life, whatever meager gains they might have been at the time.
Golden eyes shifted a bit as the meager firewood crackled, the reddish flame dancing in the breeze that entered the small opening. The flame held off the advance of the cold air around them, but he knew it wouldn't be too long before the fire died out. They hadn't managed to find much in the way of burnable material before the blizzard made any excursions out of the small cave impossible.
"Aww, come on Zuko. I'm sure the blizzard will die down before anything bad happens," his flexible companion sung, finishing a front hand stand before taking position at the young man's right side. The fire bender sighed heavily, a sound Ty Lee had heard many times when Zuko was feeling particularly grumpy or annoyed with something.
Chocolate tinted bangs fluttered in the cold breeze, her stone grey eyes watching the flame that sat just a short distance in front of her. The orangish glow illuminated the small cavern, the light dancing each time a breeze flowed into the cold cavern. Times like these, she wished she were a firebender herself, able to control one's own body temperature in cold temperatures.
Pulling her knees up towards her chest, the young girl let her left cheek lay upon her upturned knees, metallic eyes shifting to the boy at her side. She couldn't help but to smile at the word choice. He was really not the boy she had known all those years ago, when their little group was at its happiest. Before Azula's personality was warped beyond repair by her sinister father. When Ursa provided a buffer between Zuko and his father, protecting the boy from the harm his own father might have wanted to inflict for his failings.
He was now a man. Long gone was the awkward, confused young man she had known during their days in the Fire Nation. In his place was a confident, even handed ruler of one of the four nations of the world. She giggled at the thought. For the longest time, it was somewhat assumed that Azula would be the ruler of the Fire Nation when something happened to Ozai.
"What's so funny?" she was broken from her trip down memory lane by Zuko's quizzical voice. Gold tinted eye watched his younger friend, the flame in front of them giving his molten pools an odd sparkle to them. Like they were the embodiment of the Sun overhead. The flexible young girl let her eyes wander over the Fire Lord's features, watching the black locks of hair that hung lazily in front of his eyes and around the side of his large scar.
She still winced when she imagined how painful it must have been to receive, both physically and emotionally. As dysfunctional as she felt her family was, it wasn't anything like the Fire Nation's royal family, something she was genuinely thankful for. Part of her had wished she could have been there that day, to offer some kindness to him on that day. If she had, maybe he wouldn't have become so confused.
But she also knew that she couldn't have stood such a sight. To see a father mangle their own son, scarring him for life was something she couldn't stomach. A shiver crept up her spine, her mind unsure if it was a result of the cold breeze outside or the old memories in her head.
"It's nothing. I was just thinking how weird it is," she said, watching as Zuko's upturned brow fell into its normal position as he again turned his gaze out to the wintery land beyond the mouth of the cave.
"I know what you mean. This place is so different from the Fire Nation. So many bad memories," Zuko continued, feeling an odd sense of comfort around the always friendly girl. While she could be annoying with her constantly cheerful attitude, Zuko was genuinely grateful to have someone who would always lend a friendly ear, someone who would listen to the problems of her friends.
He figured she liked being counted on, liked being one thought of in times like that. Not that he couldn't relate to those feelings. Growing up in his home, he had always been viewed as the odd man out, not allowed to really find his own path in life. Only the path that would keep him out of his father's way. And he knew that Ty Lee had grown up similarly, albeit in a house too crowded to allow for any individuality as opposed to one of pure oppression.
A small grin crept onto his lips as he realized just how much they really had in common.
"Ah, I saw that Zuko," the girl teased, jabbing him in the side playfully with her elbow, a huge smile on her face. He always wondered how she could be so upbeat through all the stuff that had happened in her life. Gradually his face fell a bit as his mind drifted back once more, this time to a day at the beach. A night around a campfire, something like the one now crackling in front of them, sharing secrets and taking advantage of the forced vacation.
"I'm sorry, Ty Lee," he said, earning a puzzled look from the young girl.
"Why are you sorry? It's not like you summoned the blizzard," she said, tilting her head quickly towards the storm blowing outside. Zuko chuckled a bit at the innocent questioning he figured only she could pull off.
"I don't mean about that. I mean about... that day at the beach," he said, sliding his palms backwards against the cold ground as he leaned back. The flame's warmth passed through his boots to his feet, his entire body warming just a bit from the flickering source of warmth in the small cavern.
"Oh. It's alright. That was a long time ago, and I forgave you a long time ago," Ty Lee answered, tightening her arms around her upturned legs. The night in question still sat right near the front of her mind, her heart beating just a bit faster as she recalled it.
She had seen Mai and Zuko arguing, and had somewhat offhandedly mentioned that she was cold after Zuko had been rebuffed by the somewhat complicated Fire Nation aristocrat who was his girlfriend. She had been able to play it off as an attempt at humor when Zuko instead sought out some fire to burn for warmth. But a part of her wished for all the world that Zuko would have heard that little ring in her voice as the words spilled out and had offered her his warmth.
A light blush crept onto her cheeks as she imagined that scene playing out, Zuko's strong arms wrapped tightly around her slender frame as his warmth filled her body. Turning her face away from the young man at her side, she pressed her face against her knees, mentally berating herself for the somewhat unsavory direction her mind was taking at that moment. Thank God Zuko wasn't a mind reader, or she'd be in trouble.
"So, why did you want to take a walk in this cold, frigid wasteland?" Zuko asked, bringing the conversation back to something more contemporary. He watched the girl's body tense just a bit at his question, bringing a bit of confusion to his mind. Was it really that weird a question to be asking given their circumstances?
He watched the brown tail sway as she turned her head upward, resting her chin on her knees as she watched the snow nearly blow totally horizontally across the entrance to the cave. She wondered for a moment if the entrance would end up buried in snow, the way it was blowing outside. The kindling crackled again, causing her to jump just a bit before settling down.
"I don't know. You just looked all tense and unhappy, so I figured you could use something to take your mind off of things," she responded after a moment thinking, wondering herself why she had thought that a walk in the frozen wastes around the North Pole would be relaxing.
"You know, most of the time when you want to do something like that, you should at the very least check the sky first," Zuko spoke, giving the girl a lecture on planning ahead. Oh the irony was heavy on Zuko's mind, and he was glad his uncle wasn't there to offer any snide remarks about that just then.
"I did check the sky. But how was I supposed to know that it would suddenly turn into a storm. When we left, they were just fluffy and white, not all thick and dark," Ty Lee frowned, pouting a bit as she spoke. She didn't enjoy it when someone treated her like a child, especially not one of her few genuinely close friends.
"Well, I guess I was moping around a lot," Zuko spoke after a tense moment between them. He knew he was the last person who should be giving advice about thinking ahead, and he also knew he was sounding a bit condescending towards the younger girl. Awkward silence filled the room, aside from the subtle sound of burning wood.
As they sat together in the cozy but cold cave, they thought. Zuko wondered again why he had even bothered to come to the North Pole in the first place. The idea of seeing the rest of the gang had not seemed too appealing, given the circumstances of this particular reunion. He cringed as he remembered the day that Mai had left, citing the boring tedium of Palace life as being too soul crushing for her to deal with.
For just a moment, he wondered what she was up to at that moment. He heard that she had partnered up with the bounty hunter June, and had settled into the life of constant excitement. It was like they were made to be partners, and he knew for sure that he didn't want to ever be the target of that particular pair of ladies.
He also suspected certain other reasons for them joining forces, but he shook those thoughts from his mind right away. The last thing he needed while trapped in this snow clogged cave was to start thinking such inappropriate thoughts.
While Zuko was dealing with his inner turmoil, Ty Lee's mind was working itself into oblivion as she considered the merits of the situation. She had had the unfortunate, yet amusing luck to run into Mai and June on her way to the North Pole. The brunette wondered if she should let Zuko know what was going on, but also had a feeling that he was aware to some degree.
She had to admit, though, that the two of them made a good pair. They would definitely make hell for any potential bounties, and she didn't particularly relish the idea of being on the business end of their odd partnership.
More silence filled the natural room, if that were possible. The two teens' minds wandered before being shaken back to the present by the slight dimming of the light. Gold and silver tinted eyes widened in worry as the fire began to die, its fuel spent amidst the cold breezes blowing into the cave. And just as it had gotten to be almost bearable at that.
"Oh no, this can't be happening," Zuko said, groaning as he tried to will the fire back to life. But as much as he tried, the fire would only flare up, before shrinking back into its lesser state. A low growl sounded in his throat as he thought frantically of a way to warm the cave. As though it were mocking his very nature, the cold air and snow seemed to only intensify as the fire went out. He could almost hear it laughing at his futile efforts.
After a few minutes of trying to spark the fire, Zuko leaned back, totally out of ideas for anything to do. They couldn't just go out and look for firewood. It was the North Pole, after all, and they had very little of the stuff even in the best of conditions. To go out in the middle of the blizzard would only be suicide at this point. Deja vu again, truly.
"Zuko, I'm starting to feel cold," Ty Lee said, her voice shaking a bit as she spoke. The small embers that glowed in the burned wood was not nearly enough to warm up the room, simply taunting her with the possibilities of warmth.
"I'm sorry. I wish I had something else to burn," Zuko answered, feeling helpless as he felt the cold air moving into the room. The small relief that the fire had offered seemed distant as the cold nipped at his fingertips and his nose. But he knew he was lucky. As a firebender, his body naturally ran a bit warmer than normal people. Normal people like Ty Lee.
Focusing his energy inward, he tried to somehow radiate a bit more heat, to somehow offer some relief from the cold to his oldest friend. But before he could do anything, he felt slender arms snaking around his waist, soft hair pressing against his chest as he felt a pressure around his body.
"This works alright, Zuzu," Ty Lee sung, Zuko's cheeks flaring just a shade as he realized that she was hugging him. The warmth that he usually felt within his body was almost lost in the warmth he felt from the usually light, weak looking Ty Lee. Slender fingers dug into the dark red coat he wore, golden eyes narrowing just a bit in comfort as he looked down aimlessly at the girl.
"Ty Lee, what are you doing? I could just increase my body heat a little, and you wouldn't have to do that," he said, feeling a bit nervous as the full situation grabbed him. Alone. Together. In the middle of nowhere, with the always playful, sweet Ty Lee's arms wrapped tightly around his strong frame.
"Zuko...," she began, her voice cracking just a bit as her arms seemed to hold onto him tighter, as though he would disappear if she were to let go. He could almost feel her heart beating next to him, the steady rhythm of it nearly pounding in his ears. Looking down, his eyes caught hers, the meager amounts of moonlight that sifted in from outside causing the metallic pools to sparkle, like he was looking into the moon itself.
"What is it, Ty Lee?" he asked, his voice uncharacteristically soft as he continued to gaze at her eyes. As the freshness of the situation wore off, he became aware of more than just her warmth next to him. His blush warmed as he felt her breasts pressing against him, the soft mounds simply teasing him with the inviting comfort.
Locking eyes with the younger girl, he felt her warm breath as it escaped her lips, the soft puffs of flesh glimmering in the moon's slight glow, inviting him to simply lean down and capture them for himself. He gulped hard, wondering how he had gone so long without realizing one very obvious fact about Ty Lee. She was gorgeous.
It was always his forte to overlook the supremely obvious. She didn't have the dangerous, yet quiet beauty that Mai possessed, or the wild, raw beauty of the girl from the teashop. It was more of a sweet, innocent beauty, almost like a kind of cuteness. Positivity always flowed from her, as though she would wither without it cushioning her.
Without thinking, his right hand found a place upon her left cheek, lightly rubbing the soft, smooth curves of her face with his palm. His heart skipped a beat as she leaned into the touch, a near purr escaping her lips as he caressed her warm cheeks. Even in the dim light, he could barely perceive her eyelashes batting as she blinked, steel grey eyes peering into his as the world started to go a little fuzzy.
"Zuko, I-" Ty Lee began, stopping as the words threatened to come from her lips. She stopped herself, knowing that once the words flowed out that there would be no way to take them back, no way to rebuild that dam she had constructed around those thoughts so many years ago when she thought for all the world that Zuko and Mai would have the storybook ending.
But as she gazed into his eyes, watching the wild flash of energy within the golden pools, her heart felt as though it would leap out of her chest. She had always been flirtacious and energetic around other boys, using her obvious charms to get them to perform simple, menial tasks as she might have required them. But Zuko had been the only boy who hadn't simply viewed her as a toy or some trophy, treating her like a real person, instead of just trying to get into her pants.
Thoughts swirled as she felt his thumb rub just beneath her eye, the images of all the boys she had known up to now disappearing, blurring out until only one remained. She wondered if he knew how warm his hand was against her cheek, a few strands of long chocolate colored hair coming loose and brushing against the back of his hand. But she wanted to be closer still.
Throwing caution to the wind, she leaned up, catching his lips with hers as she placed her hands on his back, slender fingers digging into the thick cloth surrounding his body. The younger girl sighed into his mouth, the sensation causing her body to tense just a bit. It was just like she had imagined it. His lips felt rough, worn from his time abroad, yet soft and warm at the same time. No doubt the latter was an effect of lots of practice with Mai.
She could feel his surprise, picturing his eyes widening as the dim light fade completely, leaving them in isolated darkness there in that cave. Time stopped, and Ty Lee found herself wishing that it would never start up again.
After a moment, the both of them found the need for some air, and so they pulled apart. The young acrobat felt her face flushed as she tried to catch her breath, hesitantly tracing her plump lips with her thin fingers. The young girl sighed wistfully as she leaned back a bit, anxious to know what Zuko would say about the situation.
"Ty Lee... what was that?" he asked, genuine surprise causing his mind to kind of run in circles, trying to process the events of the previous moments. The taste of sweet cinnamon still sat upon his lips as he licked them, an impossible sweetness. He felt the warm softness still lingering against him, despite the girl's position two feet away. It was almost like a dream, inviting him to stay in the comforting warmth forever.
"I-I'm sorry, Zuko. It's just..." the moment of truth. Taking a deep breath, Ty Lee looked towards the young man, trying to see him through the darkness. "It's just, I've liked you for the longest time," she confessed, catching him by surprise. She had spent so much time conspiring to get him and Mai together, that it would be hard for anyone to guess that she felt that way.
"You what?" he asked, stupidly not knowing what else he could say in the situation. The young girl sighed heavily, and he could tell her body had slumped forward a bit, shoulders leaning forward towards him.
"I've liked you, like, forever, Zuko. I always thought you and Mai would end up together, and that it would be all happy and stuff, but I always liked you," she confessed, figuring she might as well spill it all.
"You're just so amazing. The way you never give up on things, no matter how impossible it seems for you. The way you treated me like a real person, not just some eye candy, or some trophy for you to have for yourself," she continued, each compliment catching him further off guard.
He had never been the epitome of self confidence the way Azula was, so to hear anyone give him any praise was surprising to him. As each syllable fell from the girl's sweet lips, he could hear her voice break just a bit, like a dam was about to burst. Finally, as she finished her brief rant, her voice cracked, and her tears began to stream down her face.
"I'm sorry. I never meant to make things so awkward, I just... couldn't keep it back anymore," she said, sobs echoing through the small alcove. Not knowing what else to do, Zuko closed the distance between the two of them, wrapping his strong arms around her body. Her body shook within his grasp as he patted her hair, trying his best to calm the girl down.
He felt the girl's fingers again digging into his jacket, as though he were going to just up and abandon her if she let him go. The young Fire Lord let the girl sob, trying to figure out what he was supposed to do in this situation.
He hadn't really given her much thought before, commonly associating her more with his sister than being a woman herself. But anytime he had wanted some unbiased advice, or a place to rest when work got too hectic, hers had always been the first place he sought out. Without realizing it, he found himself holding her tighter, trying to give her some of his inner warmth as she gradually calmed down.
Zuko found that he had always valued her as a friend, maybe the one person who truly understood him the most. He had never given her anything but scorn, and ridicule. But she had always offered her ear, and her opinions and her natural warmth to him. Leaning down, he rested his head atop hers, the soft brown hair casually rubbing against his somewhat rough skin.
"I'm sorry, Ty Lee. I never knew," he said, the girl's sobs pausing as he began to speak. "I never really gave it much thought before, since you always seemed like my sister's loyal pet or something," he said, realizing that he was probably making things worse. "I was never anything but mean to you, and you were always willing to smile at me anyway. You are an important person for me, Ty Lee, and, maybe I didn't really understand how important you were," he said, some hesitance slipping onto his voice as he looked down at her.
Her eyes twinkled as the moon pushed through the thick blizzard again, catching the watery fluid on the girl's eyes. Pressing his palms on either of her now damp cheeks, he pulled her gently towards him, his body taking over for his mind. As she moved forward, he did likewise, their breath mingling between them in the cold air.
He wasn't sure if it was love he was feeling, or just some kind of appreciation for her friendship, but he found that in that moment, he couldn't think of anything but her. Leaning in further, he closed the distance between them, his lips pressing firmly against hers. Both bodies tensed at the passionate gesture, the girl moaning softly into his mouth as he pushed forward against her soft body.
The girl's lips parted as she felt his tongue probing at her warm mouth, allowing him entry as he pushed her slowly down onto her back. All the coldness around them seemed to disappear into the growing heat between their bodies. Ty Lee moaned a bit louder as Zuko's hands slipped up underneath her shirt, sliding along her soft, warm body.
That night, the two of them explored each other's bodies, with no regard for the weather outside of the caver, or for the openness of their situation. Grunts and moans of passion echoed far into the wilderness, mixing with the howling winds of the blizzard.
Once they were both spent, the pair lay upon the discarded pile of clothes, pulling Zuko's long red coat over both their bodies. His natural warmth seemed to come in handy, providing enough heat for the both of them. Zuko idly played with the now messy locks of the younger girl's hair, feeling it slip through his fingers as she threw an arm lazily over his warm body.
"That was... wow..." was all Zuko could mutter, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. He had no way to tell how long they had been at it, but he guessed that he would be quite tired the next day. But not as tired as Ty Lee would be, he thought with a smirk.
"I never knew you were that wild, Zuko," Ty Lee said, teasing him just a bit, placing a kiss upon his right collar bone as he held her close.
"And here I thought you knew me," he teased back, earning a little playful shove from the girl at his right.
"Zuko?" she asked, resting her chin on her arms as they rested on his chest. The girl's erect nipples rubbed against his bare body as she looked into his eyes, her face far more innocent and sweet than he thought she had any right to after what they had just done.
"Hmm?" he asked, feeling a bit of sleepiness coming over him.
"Are you sure this was alright?" she asked, a small frown tugging at her lips. That was one question Zuko wasn't sure about himself. Moving his hands down her body, he rested them upon her hips, tracing small circles along the small of her back with his thumbs.
"I don't know. Do you regret it?" he asked.
"No!" she answered in a hurry, clutching him tightly in response to his question. She smiled as she felt him place a soft kiss on the top of her head.
"Me either. And Ty Lee?"
"Hmm?" she purred up towards him.
"I'm not sure if I can say I love you yet, but I know I want you around. Not for all this stuff, even though it was really fun," he spoke, earning a nervous yet playful giggle from the girl. "Even if this is the only time, I want you to come back to the Fire Nation with me," he said, catching her by surprise.
"What? You... want me to come live in the palace?" she asked, feeling his body move as he nodded in affirmation. Ty Lee's stomach felt like it was flipping through the sky, a near weightless feeling lifting her as she leaned up, catching his lips with hers.
"I take it that's a yes?" he asked after being allowed to come up for air again. The girl nodded in agreement, before the two made love again. As sleep fell upon them, Ty Lee pondered over his response. It was definitely not Zuko's style to come out and say 'I love you', so his response was not entirely unexpected.
As sleep claimed began to pull at her eyelids, she wondered how it could feel so comfortable sleeping next to another person.
"You really think they're in here?" the voice of the Water Tribe warrior echoed in the cave, slowly waking the pair of new found lovers.
"I don't know. It seems like the most logical place," Aang's voice added, the sounds growing closer. Zuko's eyes flickered open, catching the faint rays of the morning Sun. The snow during the night had piled up a bit, blocking off half the entrance to the cave.
"I still don't get why they decided to leave. Why did they even come here if they were just going to skip out on the wedding?" Katara's voice pierced the silence, upset as usual.
"Well, I can't blame him. I wish I'd thought of it," Toph said, earning a sarcastic snicker from Sokka. Zuko's mind finally clicked into action, and he realized that the gang had come looking for them after they had disappeared the night before.
"Maybe Zuko's just not a fan of weddings?" Suki suggested, the voices getting uncomfortably close to the small cavern. Aang's was the first form that Zuko made out against the shining morning Sun. The bald form paused, and as he grew acclimated to the light, Zuko's eyes caught the Avatar's. An awkward silence passed between them as Ty Lee sat upright, shifting the makeshift blanket off of her body as she did so.
"Oh, uh, they're not in here," Aang said in a hurry, his face a dark mess of red at having caught sight of Ty Lee's ample bosom. The crunch of feet on snow echoed in the cave, and while Ty Lee seemed to not care about her situation, Zuko found himself trying desperately to find a way to cover their shared nakedness.
"That sounds suspicious. What did you find-" Sokka asked, pushing past the young Avatar to get a peek at what was inside. Blue eyes widened in surprise and amusement at the sight, a malicious grin on his face as he drank in the sight of the young acrobat's features.
"Come on, Sokka, what is-" Suki began to ask, before catching the sight. Zuko felt like he was going to simple explode from embarrassment as the others began to gather around, Suki pounding Sokka down into the snow for supposed infidelity, while simultaneously trying to compare their bust sizes.
"Well, now I know why they weren't at the wedding," Katara said, her face showing embarrassed disapproval of the act as Ty Lee came to a standing position, shamelessly sporting her bare body as she reached for her clothes.
Once the pair were dressed, they boarded the large bison, both enduring the seemingly endless bombardment of questions about where they had been. Sokka offered some good natured ribbing on Zuko doing a 'nice job' on hooking up with the unnaturally flexible girl. Katara kept asking why he had even come if he was going to miss her and Aang's wedding, while Suki was quietly asking what it was like, possibly taking some pointers to be used at a later date herself.
All the while on their way back to the Northern Water Tribe city, Ty Lee clung to Zuko's arm, her arms wrapped around his as she leaned against his shoulder. An impossibly happy smile graced her lips the whole trip, the occasional goofy, happy sigh escaping her lips. Remembering that Ty Lee had accepted his sort of makeshift proposal, Zuko found himself wanting to get back to the Fire Nation as quickly as possible.
He figured this was the reason he had decided to come to the North Pole, as he placed a soft kiss on the girl's head.
As I said, if you all think it needs it, I'll do a little re-write and add some more details. For those of you wondering when the sequel to Zuko's Vacation will be written, it will probably be sometime this month. I have been kind of thinking of what to write, and now I just need to flesh out some of the details a bit, so look forward to that sometime relatively soon. But the next Avatar story I am planning to write is going to be an AU Zuki story, and it will probably be a little smuttier than this one (unless I need to do a rewrite, then they'll be about the same :P ). Until next time, good readers.