Warrior's Connections: Chapter 1 - Youthful Innocence
Rating: K for now
Pairing: Zuko x Suki
Ah, here is the first chapter of the sequel to 'Nighttime Sparring', featuring the Zuko x Suki pairing that has been taking over my mind recently. I was originally going to write the next chapter for my Jinko story today, but I flipped a coin, and this won. So, here is chapter one. Basically just picks up a few days after the first story, and will probably not be a very long story. Similar length to my Toko story, in all likelihood, but who knows. Hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
"Ugh, I just can't beat you. What the hell?" Suki muttered in frustration, he chest heaving heavily as she collapsed back onto the sand around Ember Island. The sound of her harsh breathing and quickly pumping blood echoed loudly in her ears, even as she felt a contented smile cross her ruby lips.
"Hey, you're doing better each time. One of these days you'll manage to win," Zuko said in an equally forced tone of voice, his body collapsing parallel to that of the young woman, his body pointing the opposite direction.
"There's no need to patronize me, you know? It seems like you're getting better just as fast as I am, so it's not like I'm getting any closer," she said, blue green eyes fogged just a bit between exhaustion and frustration.
"No, I can tell," he said, turning his head towards her, catching her bluish green spheres with his own pools of deep gold, "that you're getting better. But, it feels kind of like you're forcing yourself to fight with a handicap," he said seriously, a friendly smile crossing his lips as he thought of a better way to put it.
"What do you mean?" she asked, propping her head up with her right arm as she watched him slip into deep thought, something she had come to realize he did quite often, especially when left to his own devices.
"Hmm, maybe it's nothing, but it feels like your attacks are all just a little shorter than you're intending them to be. Kind of like they were designed to be used with some kind of weapon," he said, his lips curling in frustration as he fumbled for the right words.
"Well, on Kyoshi Island, we are taught to fight using fans," she explained, Zuko's eyes widening in realization as he smacked himself on the forehead, his act eliciting a small giggle from the girl.
"That explains it. I knew I had seen you using weapons somewhere before, but I just couldn't remember where," he said, smiling embarrassedly as the realization washed over him. "So, why don't you ever practice with a weapon?" he asked directly, realizing that she had not so much as looked for one during their time on the island.
"Well…" she began, taking in a deep breath as she set her own mind to thinking, hoping her reasoning was not too silly.
"Come on, it's not fair if we're sparring and you're not going at it with all you've got. I hope you're not taking it easy on me," he said somewhat jokingly, propping his body up on his elbows, the pointed joints digging into the soft sand beneath him.
"No, it's nothing like that," she said weakly, pulling herself into a sitting position, the two's backs facing one another as Suki watched the subtle movements of the tides on the ocean's dark surface.
"Sokka?" Zuko asked, watching the soft, almost imperceptible glow of the torch lights of the small beach house that the group had begun to occupy. Observing the girl from the corner of his eye, he caught a soft nod of the head before the girl let her focus drift to the soft white glow in the center of the sky.
"It's just, I get this feeling that somehow he would be upset if someone else in the group were to use weapons. Like it would somehow ruin his uniqueness, especially if I were to use a sword," she explained, a dry, mirthless chuckle escaping her lips as she brushed a few strands of auburn hair from her face.
"I use swords," Zuko said simply, running his fingers through the sand near his right thigh, making small furrows in the moistened earth. He heard the subtle crunch of sand as the girl turned towards him, his eyes turning to the side as he took in the sight of her.
"What?" she asked, blue-green eyes flashing with curiosity and almost anger at being kept in the dark. Dropping onto his back once again, the scarred teen placed his hands behind his head, propping it up slightly as the moon's light flowed over him.
"Well, dao swords to be exact. It's not like I'm a master with them or anything like that. I prefer to use my fire bending," he paused for a moment, flicking a few small embers from his fingertips for illustration. "But, sometimes it's not worth all the hassle, so swords are the onl real option," he said, bringing his fingers together before mock slashing the air, the quick, crisp motion leaving the soft ripping sound echoing in his ears behind the roar of the tide.
"Dao swords…" Suki mumbled, her voice sounding as though there were a memory to associate with the information, something that she was just unable to place into words or thoughts.
"Like I said, it's nothing major," he said, hoping that she wasn't putting two and two together in her mind. One of the group knew his secret identity, and he wanted to keep it that way as long as he was able.
"Does Sokka know about it?" she asked, pulling her legs beneath her as she sat cross legged in the sand, soft locks of rusty red falling over her face as she watched the Prince of the enemy nation, who had become close to her over the past few days.
"I doubt it. It's not like I go around flaunting them like he does with that black sword of his," Zuko said, rolling his eyes as he recalled all the times Sokka polished or sharpened the blade, the black sheen always reflecting in his blue eyes.
"Well, it is the only one like it in the world, and everyone likes to show off things that are unique to themselves," Suki explained, feeling a smile tug at her lips with the thought of the youthful enthusiasm that Sokka displayed when it came to his new sword.
"Maybe, but I'd be careful if I were you. I think he's liable to be enchanted by the sword, and get obsessed with it. And if he keeps sharpening it, it's going to wear down before we even get to the final battle," Zuko said sarcastically, causing the pair to share a laugh, Suki nudging the older boy on the shoulder.
"Hey, that's not even funny," she said, her girlish giggle telling him otherwise without so many words. "I'm far more beautiful than a dumb old sword," she added, not wanting to sound arrogant, but not wanting to even entertain the idea that Sokka might pay more attention to a weapon than to his girlfriend.
"Yeah you are…" Zuko said softly, his eyes darting open as he caught what he had said, Suki's eyes likewise shooting open as his words ran across her ears. The pair felt an awkward sort of silence pass over them with his statement, a silence filled only with the unbreakable sound of the ocean's tides.
"Umm, t-thanks, I guess," Suki said hesitantly, her eyes turning away from the young man now lying perpendicular to her, his head resting near her right knee.
"Ugh, just forget I said anything," he said, grumbling in the way that seemingly only Zuko could manage as he distractedly ran his fingers through his hair. Another awkward silence passed over the two, a soft ocean breeze blowing soothingly over their aching bodies as the sweat dried on their skin.
"So, since you won today, what is it you would like to know?" Suki asked, changing the topic as she set her gaze on the distant horizon, watching the moon's reflection ripple on the dark surface. Zuko sighed heavily in relief that she wasn't going to make a big deal out of what he had said. He drew his lips together as he lay in thought for a moment. On the few occasions they had sparred in the last week, he had won each time, and each time had extracted some sort of information from the girl.
Usually he chose to keep it simple, asking her things about her parents, or what it was like growing up on such a peaceful island, so isolated from the war. But now he had no questions to ask in that vein, and he did not want to pry too deeply into the girl's heart for information that she might not be willing to part with.
"I don't know. I can't really think of anything," he said seriously, giving the girl an almost apologetic look for not being able to come up with anything on the spot.
"Well, then how about a sort of dare," she suggested, not noticing as her slender fingers began to casually run through his fine black hair. The strands flowed easily through her fingers, the silky smooth feel of them contrasting with the image of the look of the Prince that he exuded.
Zuko also did not notice the gesture, but instead let his mind wander again internally, thinking of something he could request of the girl, something simple but interesting at the same time. His eyes sparked to life as an idea struck him.
"I know," he said, pulling himself into a sitting position in front of the young woman, his lips pulled into a near smirk as her warm hand brushed against the wet sand. "Next time we spar, it'll be with weapons. Whatever weapon you'd like to use, and I'll practice with my dao blades. It's been a while since I really used them," he said, the girl's silence giving him a moment's pause at thinking she may not have heard, or was going to simply refuse.
"Suki?" he asked gently, snapping his fingers in front of the girl's unresponsive eyes, wondering what was going on in her head. The girl blinked a few times in surprise, before leaning away from him a bit.
"Oh, I'm sorry I guess I got distracted," she said, giggling nervously as his brow quirked upward in confusion. "What did you say?" she asked, embarrassed at having not heard what he had said.
"I was just suggesting that it might be fun to spar with our weapons. You any good with a sword?" he asked directly, stretching his arms out over his head as he stood, letting his feet sink lightly into the wet sand.
"I'm alright," she admitted, taking his right hand as he offered it to her. She smiled a bit at the courtly behavior he exhibited, finding it almost hard to believe that only a few minutes earlier they had been nearly killing one another, fighting to almost their last breath. It was a strange feeling, one that Sokka would likely never be able to give her.
A sense of excitement mixed with a feeling of safety. Knowing that her opponent would never take it easy on her, yet not let her get hurt at the same time. Not pulling any punches, or apologizing when he knocked her down. Throwing her off guard with his words as they fought, only to offer encouragement after he won. Never rubbing it in her face, but giving her hope for the next time.
As she clasped his hand, she became acutely aware of just how warm his skin was against hers, even in the cool night air. She could almost feel the fire flowing in his body, how calming and soothing it felt. Suddenly the warmth she felt in her fingers traveled to her cheeks, the rounded flesh burning with an unseen fire.
Mentally shaking herself, she watched as Zuko shook his head in some confusion before turning towards the beach house. Almost as though showing off, she watched as he pulled his damp tunic from his body, revealing the toned muscles that came with years of dedicated training in various disciplines.
She had to caution herself to stop from staring as his still dampened skin caught the rays of moonlight, giving him an almost otherworldly appearance. Almost like some warrior spirit, descended to earth to stop…
"The Blue Spirit!?" Suki yelled, pointing directly at the young man, clasping her other hand over her mouth as she watched his body tense up at the admonishment. She watched as he quickly made his way back towards her, a look of irritation and almost embarrassment over the two words.
"What?" he whispered in as low a voice as he could manage and be heard over the rolling of the tides. Suki had to fight to keep herself from laughing, a million questions running through her head as she imagined the young man with a laughing blue mask adorning his face.
"Oh, it's nothing, it's just… the Blue Spirit?" she asked, the sheer mocking in her tone making the Prince's face darken several shades of red, channeling the now forgotten anger and rage he had become accustomed to for so long. Slowly the anger faded, realizing how strange it must sound to anyone looking at the situation from the outside.
"Yeah, yeah, hilarious. Look, it was a long time ago, during a… rough part of my life," he said simply, his tightened fists loosening as they hung down at his waist. Suki's giggling died down at the somber tone to his voice, and she regretted laughing, but only a little bit if she was honest with herself.
"Hey, I didn't mean to laugh," she lied, holding back the giggle that threatened to escape the ruby lips. "It's just so… surprising," she admitted, her chest pushing out as she stretched her arms over her head, giving a most unladylike groan at the small release of tension.
"Like I said, it was a different time of my life," Zuko said, turning away from the girl to avoid staring at the two mounds of flesh straining against the tight shirt she had wrapped around her chest. Memories of his days as the "renowned" bandit flashed through his mind, each event a memory he wished he could erase forever. But it was a part of him, as much as he might want to deny it, for the rest of his life. He just hoped Suki wouldn't blab it to everyone else.
"So, want to talk about it?" she asked, wanting to know how someone like Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation would fall so far that they would become a common bandit. He stared straight ahead of him, and she could almost hear the thoughts running through his head. Slowly he turned towards her, a distinct tone of mirth echoing in his golden eyes.
"Hmm. Maybe some day. If you can ever beat me," he offered in almost childish challenge, smirking defiantly at the younger girl before running off towards the beach house. Suki blinked in surprise for a moment, wondering if she had heard him correctly. Realization dawning on her, she set off running after him, a single moment of youthful innocence shared between the two as they headed back to camp, their exhaustion from sparring long forgotten.
This was the weirdest ending I ever wrote. I intended to write a lot more, make it about as long as the original story, but as I read the last paragraph, I thought to myself 'well, that's just about the perfect way to end this chapter' and I couldn't think of any way to write more without adding like 4000 words to it, so I will just save that for chapter 2. Things are definitely clicking between the two, and I wonder how long it will take them to realize that they're really connecting. Only time will tell. Thoughts on how I portrayed the characters is always appreciated. Until next time, good readers.
