Chapter 11: A matter of time and place

The night was a light summer blue. It was that time a year where the sun never seemed to be completely gone from the sky. Faint stars twinkled and the moon was full white shadow.

I walked alone through the garden as the servants were on tight schedules for the festivities that were in full motion somewhere behind me. I started to partially loosening the waist ties on my dresses and robes. As I sat down, I decided I wasn't going back in there anyway, so I might as well just crawl out of the clothes. I loosed the surface layers and slid halfway out of them. Finally I could breathe! The white cotton was airy and I cooled off. It was soothing. I pulled out the ribbon ties on my top-knot too and ruffled my hair.

That's more like it.

The faint sound of music from the party echoed in the palace. I leaned up against the cherry tree. I wondered if I was being rude for skipping out on the ceremony like that. Properly. A small yellow bird picked up crumbs by the roses. The nectar wine and champagne had made me dizzy and a tad sleepy. I could just take a nap here for a moment, nobody will notice, I thought and closed my eyes.


"What are you doing here Kai…? Are you okay?" Zuko asked.

I opened my eyes and looked up.

"I got sleepy." I said and rubbed my eyes. "How long was I out?"

"I don't know. The ceremony is over." He offered his hand so I could get up, but the dressed were loose and I had to grab them quickly for them not to slide off all at once.

"I have to tie it. Could you…?" I twirled my finger to indicate he should turn away.

"Oh… Yeah… Sure!" He spun round.

"I'm sorry I just left like that. Did the Gaang go home?" I asked while I tried to figure out where everything went on the dresses. It was futile so I ended up tying the cotton robe and shrugged on the silk one. I had the leftovers in my arms.

"Well they're staying in the guest wing for tonight. I think they have plans to fly off to do a quick errand in the morning. By everybody else left." Zuko said and peered over his shoulder to see if I was dressed.

I nodded that he could turn back.

"I'm really not royalty material." I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.

"No. But I like that." Zuko said quietly.

I considered that in a pause.

"… Do you really?" I asked. His eyes gleamed in the sparse light.

"Sure."

"Even though I'm stubborn and have flair for the dramatics?" I huffed.

"I never told him that! I don't know where Sokka got that from… Honest!" He defended.

"Nah... I'm actually kinda glad you told them about me. Flattered even… It makes me think that you care about me – or something." I said smugly.

My heart was pounding.

"I do care about you Kai. Do you… Care about me?" He asked calmly.

I was locked in place but at the same time I wanted to smack and hug him.

Of course! Of course I care!

"Don't you know the answer to that Zuko?" I laughed. "I care too much about you." I scratched my arm and looked away.

This was painful, but fun, but nerve-racking!

I simultaneously wanted the moment to end immediately and keep it going forever.

Our eyes met again and he looked hesitant.

Say something! Anything! I thought, and just as I was about to break off the conversation with a friendly slap on the back and a cheeky wink, he spoke.

"… Why is it too much?" He asked.

Oh, come on take a hint dude! My mind screamed.

"I don't know…" I scrambled to think of the best way to phrase how I felt. There was a now or never atmosphere hanging in the air.

"Because… I don't only care… I'm in-"

But I got cut off before I could finish.

"All hands to stations! Intruders on the wall!" I guard screamed from high above us.

I sighed in relief and threw the garments on the grass. A spark of excitement lit inside me. I would much rather fight than having that kind of conversation with Zuko.

I knew I was being a coward.

"Intruders, eh? Sounds like my kind of job." I flashed a grin, kicked off my shoes and ran off. In a flash I'd jumped up a bench and got crawling over the garden wall.

"You know we have stairs! You could use them for once Kai!" Zuko yelled after me. He' said something more but I didn't catch it - I was already dashing on top of the winy rooftops with flames ready to fire in my palms.


Because I was only wearing two layers now I was very aware that I wasn't wearing underwear. I thought about how I could fight without flashing anything, and I weighed my odds best in a ranged attack.

"Which way is the intruder?" I asked a guard. He pointed east and I sprinted across the wall road. It wasn't dark, but it was difficult to spot a person if they'd kept to the shadows. I ducked low and waited. If it were a bender who was attacking, especially a firebender, the intruder would give himself away fast enough. And if one of the guards spotted him first they would open fire as well.

An orange flame lid up by the eastern gate and I smirked.

"Gotha'."

As I moved closer I could see the guards being knocked out one by one. The intruder was a fast firebender who had had good training. I fired a blast from behind a cover, but he avoided it in an acrobatic jump. Woah, nice. He was a young man dressed in dark, and he was incredibly light on his feet. Lighter than Zuko. This was going to be a challenge.

I leaped out and started fighting. Very soon it was one on one as the guards had either been knocked out cold, of run off to get re-enforcements.

We danced around each other and every time my opponent made a move to get in a close up fight, I had to take a step back. The dress was flying about even though I made great efforts for it to stay still.

"Listen can't you -ugh- come back some other time? I'm not really dressed for this kind of thing right now!" I said while we kept firing back and forth.

"DEATH TO THE FIRELORD AND ALL THE TRAITORS!" My rival shouted in a battle cry.

"So that's a no huh?" I said and ducked a flame curve.

"Kai you can't reason with these kind of people!" Zuko yelled as he stepped up. He had taken off the formal robes and was looking furious. "Expect no mercy!" Zuko said to the whirling tornado of fiery kicks.

I took a new stance and tried to come up close. If I could knock him down Zuko could deal the final blow. In a few swift moves I got in, but he had no openings below the waist, too goddamn fast on his feet! He fired a fire punch and my hair got singed.

I cursed. That was going to take months to grow out.

Zuko swooped in and got the guy on his back.

I dived on top of the assassin and grabbed his hair and hands.

"Thanks." I grinned up to Zuko but he was pink in the cheeks and he had embarrassment on his face. I lifted a brow and was about to ask him what was wrong when I looked down.

My dress had loosened during the fight and my boobs were almost completely out.

"Argh! Take him Zuko! Now!" I shrieked "and DON'T look!" I screamed unable to let go of the guy.

"I wasn't looking! I didn't see anything!" Zuko squeezed his eyes shut.

"I meant don't look at me! Open your damned eyes and grab the intruder!" I cursed.

Zuko quickly replaced my hold on the squirming guy and I fumbled with covering up my bare chest. He was staring down at the guy and Zuko's face was precious.

I would have laughed if I didn't feel the exact way myself. I had fairly small breasts but they apparently still had an effect. I smacked my forehead for thinking about that now. I was a mess. A hot red blushing and sweating mess.

"So listen, the guards are on their way already and you got this. I'm gonna take off now." I said as I ducked behind a column to fix my clothes.

"Hey don't go! You might be a traitor but I can look past that if you're naked pretty girl!" The assassin chuckled, and I heard a smack and the guy saying 'ouch' as I ran away with humiliation carved in my face. I guess I really had flair for the dramatics.


I was more than mortified! Not only because I flashed my boobs to a guy that I was very much in love with, but also because I'd almost confessed my 'love' to him! And I have to admit that I was trying to avoid Zuko for a couple of days.

Luckily, because of my minor outburst before the ceremony, the handmaidens had stopped their pestering and I didn't have to be naked in front of anyone except myself! Which I was more than happy with! So that was a silver lining, right?

I was walking around in my own deep thoughts, on my way to the training hall, when I spotted Zuko. He was coming straight towards me, looking over a stack of paper, and I panicked.

I turned around in circles trying to locate a hiding place and then whooshed behind a tall red curtain. There I waited for him to pass me by.

"… Should I ask about why you are hiding behind the curtain or pretend I didn't see it?" I heard Zuko ask though the fabric.

I bit my cheek and crunched up my face in embarrassment.

"Is there a scenario where you could just not make fun of me for doing that?" I asked and peered out through the slit in the curtain.

"I' don't think so… No. That was pretty funny." He laughed a little.

"… Then… I was just checking if the windows had been locked. Safety first…" I shamefully stepped out.

"Sure." He smirked. "I was actually looking for you Kai. I have some new information about Hira'a." Zuko said and flicked through the papers. "It turns out my mother grew up there before she married my father. She might still have some relatives left we could ask about her whereabouts. Maybe she herself has gone back."

"Sounds like a plan. Are Aang and the others coming too?" I asked.

"I don't know. I'll send a hawk." He muttered and turned a page.

"So when do you want to be on the road?"

"Yesterday. But I have some affairs to tend to first. The colonies in the Earth Kingdom are becoming a problem… The relocation plan isn't going that smoothly." Zuko said in a tired tone.

"Do you wanna talk about it? I could help?" I offered.

"No… No. I'll handle it."

"Are you sure?" I was worried.

He was looking pretty worn already and the maddening feeling of wanting to help him but not make his decisions for him, scratched the surface.

"I'm the Firelord. I have to handle this myself." His yellow eyes flashed annoyance.

I could fight him on that, but it didn't seem that proactive. If he was having a difficult time the last thing he would need was a friend lecturing him.

I shrugged - a little offended.

"If you say so…" I sighed. "I'm going to have tea in the garden later today."

"Okay." He flicked through the papers again, not really listening to me anymore.

I shifted my weight.

If I wanted the awkward feeling out of my system it seemed I would have to work for it.

"Wanna come?" I asked and tried to catch his eye, but he was preoccupied.

I gently put my hand on the papers.

"Kai... I can't even find the time to read all this information." He groaned and looked at me.

"You were the one looking for me, remember. Well you found me, and now I'm telling you we are having tea in the garden this afternoon. We can talk about Hira'a." I smiled.

"I don't know if I-"He stared to arguing but I turned around on my heel.

"In the garden! Afternoon!" I yelled over my shoulder as I walked over to the training hall.

It was going to be an interesting day after all.


My training session had been a slow one. I couldn't concentrate on the targets or the techniques, and quite frankly it was tedious sparring alone. I couldn't meditate either. I think I was perhaps a little excited about spending some time with Zuko.

Not that I'd admit to that.

I was sitting under the cherry tree. Mika had set up a blanket and the tea. I'd apologized to her, but her feelings had been more than a little hurt by my rudeness. It was going to take a minute for her to forgive me for blasting fire at her butt.

The afternoon was quiet. The palace seemed to be at peace. I pulled out the hair ribbon and studied the burnt ends. It was fine, but I would have to cut some of it off at some point – might as well do it now. I pulled out my dagger (yes I had a dagger on me – actually more time than not) and snipped off a lock of hair.

"Oh-oh.." It had been the wrong one. I sat straighter and tried again, just a little bit this time.

"Damn!" I breathed. It was harder than it looked to cut your own hair with a knife.

"Do you want help with that?" I flinched and looked up. How did he keep sneaking up on me like that?! Zuko sat down next to me and picked the dagger out of my hand.

"You shouldn't flinch like that when you are holding a knife so close to your face." He teased.

"Oh shut up…" I pouted. "This isn't the first time my hair got flambéed."

"No? Turn around." Zuko said.

"Just cut the burnt stuff. And actually, on the ship, Tenzo had to cut me." I said.

I was sitting with my back to him.

"Really? Why?" The sound of hair getting sheared off singed.

"… I kinda set myself on fire. One time."

I heard Zuko laugh.

"That sound about right. Done." He handed me the knife and I turned back.

"Thanks, and what do you mean by that?" I huffed.

"I just mean that if anybody was to set themselves on fire by accident - it would be you." He chuckled and tugged at his robe. It looked heavy.

"Hm." I couldn't actually argue. "I was afraid you might not turn up?" I said as I handed him a cup of steaming tea.

"Well… It wouldn't be honorable to stand up a lady. Speaking of which I wasn't expecting you to bow in etiquette at the ceremony. I didn't think you liked that sort of thing."

"I don't… But I thought I might as well give the lady-thing a try. For one night at least." I shrugged.

"You don't have to bow like that to me. Ever. I told Aang the same thing."

"It's different. Aang is the avatar. And you guys are super close friends…" I sipped my tea.

"I thought you and I were close friends." He had a curious look on his face.

I was a little taken aback.

"We are…" My cheeks felt warm.

"Then how is it different?" He asked. I looked away.

"It just is…" I cut it off there. "When did you hear about Hira'a?" I changed the subject and he let me. This dance with words was getting on my own nerves.

"Yesterday. A hawk came with the message, but the contributor was anonyms."

"Sounds suspicious…" I mumbled down in my cup.

"Yes. I thought so too. But it doesn't matter, I have to go."

"I understand that. Are you nervous?" I questioned and he flicked to me with uneasiness.

"A little. I mean what if I find her and… And she doesn't…" He stopped and touched his face.

"All mothers are glad to see their children. No matter what." I took his hand and held it. I wanted to kiss it or place it on my cheek, but I couldn't. I offered a gentle smile.

"Perhaps." He sounded doubtful.

"I know my if my mom-" But I stopped dead.

Zuko gave my hand a tiny squeeze.

"I just realized something… It's been a long time since I felt like fighting with you - like really screaming and fighting you." I said grinning like a goof. "You really have turned out real nicely, and if your mom can't see that the instant she spots you. I don't think she had earned to right to call herself you mother. But that's just me." I shrugged a shoulder.

In that moment the sun disappeared behind the horizon. The sky was painted pink and orange and the soft flowers in the garden started to close ever so slightly.

"Kai… That means a lot." Zuko said while looking in to his tea.

"Yeah, yeah, you'll make me blush." I said in a kidding tone and took my hand back.

"Why do always do that?" He asked seriously.

"Do what?" I shrugged and grinned.

"That! You always do 'that thing' when we're about to talk about something... Ehm... deep! You do that thing where you just make everything a joke!" He said and his lip curled.

"I'm not making it a joke! I'm being genuine! I can talk about deep stuff. I just don't get the sense that you can." I snorted.

"I'm not the one running away all the time." He lifted his brow. "I'm asking you for 'a chat over a cup of tea.' What were you about to say the other night?" Zuko put down the cup and challenged my gaze. I got my drink in the wrong pipe and couched.

"What –couch- night?" I asked nonchalantly, which was hard to do as I was trying to confine the coughing to a minimum. I drained the rest of my tea in one swig. It burned my tongue.

"You know what I'm talking about. Don't play dumb it's not working." He sighed and irritation flashed in his eyes.

He had me cornered.

If somebody, or something, didn't stop this conversation I was very much forced to confess.

Might as well spill the beans, I thought.

"… Fine!" My brown knitted together. "But you pressured me to talk. Just remember that." I said sternly before taking a trembling breath.

I'd promised myself a long time ago that I wasn't going to stick my hand in the fire unless I was sure I wouldn't get burned, and here I was, throwing my whole damned self on the flames like it was freaking kindle.

I could feel the brutal rejection coming, the letdown in polite awkward words when he told me he 'still wasn't interested in pursuing whatever this was'...

My heartbeat raised in my throat.

"I… You… For a long time…" I ran a hand over my arm and struggled with the words. As they didn't seemed to want to slip over my lips I decided I wasn't going to confess my love in grand speech like some poet from the dark ages.

Zuko was close to me. We were sitting halfway opposite each other.

I leaned in, stopped to reconsider, then leaned a little more forward. I wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do but in that moment I gave in to the pull that gravitated me to him.

My lips touched Zuko's lightly in a fleeting soft kiss.

I pulled away and found the courage to look him in the eye slightly guarded.

Zuko was staring at me.

The moment hung there, in between us, like a big question filled with a lot of little questions.

Do you feel the same? If you do are we going to be together? Do you want me? Can we still be friends if you don't?

I couldn't make out his emotions and it terrified me.

"You like me?" He asked very quietly.

I felt like saying that I technically loved him, but whatever! Never mind me!

"I'm afraid so…" I suppressed the nervous grin bubbling up in me.

Apparently it was Zuko's turn to be the grinning one. He flashed a brilliant smile and I analyzed it skeptically.

"That's good…" He said and tilted his head. Still smiling.

"Is it though? 'cause I feel like you are making fun of me and you aren't really, ya' know, responding in a proper-" And then there it was.

It was incredible. He'd answered all of the little questions and one big one. And he'd done it without even uttering a word.

Zuko pulled me to him in a strong and sudden kiss.

I let go of the teacup and it rolled down in to the pond with a soft drop.

Then I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him back. The wonderful blast of ecstasy flared out from my chest. I touched his hair, his neck, his jaw, squeezed my eyes closed and felt the ripples of intoxicating exhilaration.

Zuko's lips were like kissing a bonfire.

He drew me closer by the waist with one hand, and gently by my neck with the other.

We parted to catch our breath, but only just. I would've broken out in laughter if I hadn't felt so dazed. My heart had skipped several beats and now it was working overtime to make up for it.

"Sorry about the cup." I breathed. Dizziness and dimness surrounded me, but it was the good kind. The kind that felt like I'd been doped with a huge dosage of happiness.

"I don't care about the stupid cup." Zuko was sounding a little ragged himself.

Our noses touched.

I still couldn't open my eyes and let the moment pass. He leaned closer to me again and kissed the corner of my mouth that pulled in a smirk. Then my cheek and right under my ear. I breathed in his warmth and sweetness as I hugged him.

Zuko's hand was in my hair and on my body. It tingled where he grazed my skin and I shuddered.

I drew his kiss back to by the collar of his cape. This time our meet was less hurried. Instead the kiss was tender and deep and slow. His hand slid over my thigh.

I wanted him, more than I'd ever wanted anything, to touch me like that allover.

A sudden drop of cold worry dripped down to the pit of my stomach. This was something I'd been daydreaming about (all day long some pathetic days) but to actually do it, was something I hadn't tried before. And it was with the guy I'd been pining over for literally years! Suddenly the pressure of everything going 'just right' weighed on me.

I pulled back in a gasp.

"People… They can see us." I said out of breath and touched my lips. They were scorching hot and plump.

I flicked my eyes to the palace wall, which was manned with guards.

"So?" His eyes shone yellow in the dark.

A chill ran through me. So I want to take off your clothes and do stuff to you, but I can't do that in the middle of the royal garden at hardly nightfall! I thought.

Besides, if this whole thing was to go well I didn't need an audience to make my nervousness worse.

"So… I don't want them to …" I glances away and lifted a brow.

"I didn't think you were so shy." He whispered close to me.

"I just…" My face grew redder by the second.

"Then let's go somewhere where we can't be seen." He said and stood, pulling me up with him.

I grinned like a goof. It was what I wanted too, but I didn't know how to be 'sexy' Kai and that made me panicky on a whole other level.

I didn't know the dance of flirting! Heck that kiss we'd just shared had been my first ever! If you didn't count the one on the ship that was an accident but not really…

I bit at my fingernail as Zuko towed me along.

How to be sexy, how to be sexy? I asked myself in a halfway anxiety attack.


He opened a door and peeked into his office.

It was dark and he shot a fire on to the wig of a candle by the window. Zuko sent me a cheeky smile and walked in. I giggled, yes legit giggling occurred, and we closed the door.

As soon as the lock had clicked, Zuko's hands were on me, and mine on him. It felt so good to be close to him, to touch him, and almost all of my angst-y-ness faded. My body relaxed in his hands.

"Better?" He teased.

"Don't be so smug about it." I cuddled my face in the nook of his neck.

He smelled incredible and exciting. I brushed his skin with my lips and Zuko breathed in my hair.

The muscles on his chest were firm under my palms and I wanted to see.

I tugged at his collar and undid the golden top hasp to kiss him underneath it. Zuko crooked his neck in an invite, and unclasped the heavy cape on his shoulders. It fell to the floor with a weighty 'thud'.

I pecked my way up to his lips again and the kiss deepened instantly.

We melted in to it and I let him fill every thought and manipulate every nerve in my body. His grasp on me tightened.

As Zuko pressed me back against his office desk I sat my palm down and accidently pushed over a stack of papers. They fell off and scattered dramatically on the floor.

Neither of us took any real notice.

"Wups." I muttered without opening my eyes. Zuko smiled against my lips.

His hands drifted to my butt and took a hold on me. In a strong move that shot excitement through my whole body, he eased me over the edge of the table so I could sit on it while we kissed.

The dress I was wearing was a wrap-around and it slid open over my thighs as Zuko stood between my legs. Some documents crumbled under my butt and I hoped it was a peace declaration of some sort.

He pulled back and plucked out the crown piece. I tried to undo his hair from its knot, but I shivered silently and lost my focus as he bit my neck.

"Let your hair down." I whispered against his jaw. His invisible stubbles were scratchy.

Zuko assisted me and then continued to pull my dress down over my shoulders. His dark soft hair fell down over his eyes as the ribbon gave in. I ran my hand through the silken locks.

I sighed as he kissed the bare skin of my collarbone.

His hands stroked over my legs and held my thighs in his warm hands.

So we were really doing 'that'.

I looked down at him because he was kissing the top of my cleavage. I flushed and bit down on my cheek. The threshold of sex was a few moments away and suddenly I didn't know what to do anymore. All the natural lovely gooeyness of our actions dried away and I became annoyingly self-conscious.

Dammit focus. I shook my head at myself. Think sexy! Act like you've done this a hundred times before! UGH! No! Don't do that. Be timid? Nah! Don't do what he wants, do what you want! Where should I put my hands? Can he sense I'm freaking out? Be cool, just be cool, and get out of your darn head Kai!

I pursued my breath in a slight alarm.

Zuko glanced up at me and pulled back slowly. Hyperventilation was almost upon me. I felt like if I 'blew it' I would somehow ruin my chance with him forever (which I'll tell you right now kiddies, is never the case if you're with someone worth your time).

The orange light flickered in his golden eyes at he studied me.

I was stiff as a board.

"Sorry." He said quietly and came up to my eye-level.

"About what?" I breathed and tugged a lock of dark hair behind his ear.

"Am I going too fast? I have been wanting to kiss you for a long time…" He muttered and I saw how red his cheeks had become too. It was very cute and it immediately made me feel a little better.

Zuko started redoing an undone bow on my clothes.

"How long?" I asked curiously as I stroked my hand over the back of his neck to pull him a little closer.

"How long have I wanted to kiss you? Eh… Since you came back… No. Before that." He breathed as he thought it over. "… I think perhaps… Since the first time that spirit thing happened."

"I had no idea you felt like that while we were on the ship…" I lowered my head in a smile.

"I've always felt drawn to you. Even when I shouldn't have." He muttered against my lips. "I mean, you drove me crazy back then. You still do."

"You are the one driving me crazy." I said quietly as I kissed him.

I pressed my body hotly against him. I wanted him to feel that I wanted him. That I wasn't acting weird because I was rejecting him.

"Kai. You would tell me if… Something was… Wrong? Right?" He let out a breath.

I flicked my eyes to the floor and back to him.

I my head, when it came to being intimate, the act should just 'flow casually'. All this doubt and stopping to talk about it wasn't very exciting to me.

"I'm just… I… It's complicated. I'm thinking too much, you know." I let my head fall back and sighed frustrated at my own sabotage. "But I really like you." I groaned at the ceiling.

"Hmm… You've always been a little neurotic." He teased gently.

Zuko touched my jaw and followed the line down my neck to my collarbone with his soft fingertips. It reminded me of the training hall incident where we'd played each other. In hindsight the chemistry had been quite obvious.

I snickered and ducked my head at the tickle.

"Jeez, calling me neurotic isn't that helpful if you're trying to get in my pants." I smirked at him.

"You're not wearing pants." He leaned on me with his leg.

He was right. I wasn't wearing much at all right there. My hips moved to the edge of the table. All the hesitations in my head started to muffle and subside.

Very soon it was only one thought that stood out clearly.

"Stop me if I go too far." He whispered in my ear.

Zuko ran his fingers along my skin under my skirt. My body itch to feel him everywhere.

I twirled his hair around my fingers and I knew that he couldn't go too far, not now when the fire burned inside me. I opened my leg wider and we kissed in a hungry way.

Zuko's hand wandered to the inside of my thighs. I clutched his clothes.

A loud rattling noise cut through the room and I made both of us jump.

We looked at each other and then at the doorknob to the office, which was skipping up and down.

"My lord, are you there? The meeting with the Earth King is in two minutes?" The strained voice of a man called.

Zuko turned his eyes to the ceiling and dropped against my shoulder.

The dark hair tickled me and I held his head. He muttered a curse on my skin and I couldn't help but to smirk at that. It was immensely sexy when he spoke foully.

"Listen… I have to work most of the night. The peace-meeting with the Earth King is one I can't blow off… But if you're okay with it, you could sleep in my room. I'll be there straight after the meeting…" He sounded coarse and husky.

I lifted his face to me and kissed it.

"Alright." I shrugged a little tentatively. "But… Won't it be strange to have me waiting in your room?" I made a face. Sitting around on his bed kinda made me feel a little… Concubine-ish.

"You don't have to… I could come to you instead?"

"I don't exactly mind." Feeling a little Concubine-ish in this particular situation was a bit hot, to be honest. Zuko laughed under his breath.

"Firelord Zuko?" An unsure knock sounded.

"I'll be there shortly." Zuko responded a little louder over his shoulder.

With that our embrace broke and Zuko took a step back and started to gather his hair back in a messy bun. I corrected my clothes and slid off the table.

"Wait, you have a paper stuck to your butt." Zuko chuckled and peeled an official-looking document off me.

"Sorry about that." I snickered in to my hands.

"No it's fine, I'm actually going to need this at the meeting. So thanks, you just spared me the trouble of looking for it." He skimmed it with a light expression. "I have to admit that the 'commandment in separable elevation of tax law' is a lot more interesting to me now." He smirked and put the paper down on a tea table.

I blushed in a smile and tightened my dress.

Zuko was fastening his cape and put the crown back in place but he looked a little tousled.

"I'll leave the clean up to you." I said and corrected his crocked crown and flipped his collar the right way up. "And… See you later." I added with a mischievous expression.

Zuko's eyes trailed me all the way to the door and it felt so good to be this noticed.

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