Zuko is the Fandom Bicycle: Everybody Gets a Ride
Chapter 14: Say Uncle
"He's in here, Warden." The guard trembled slightly, terrified by the proximity of the hulking man, boss of the notorious Boiling Rock Prison.
Edging forward, the young female guard unlocked the door and slid it back. It moved silently along its track. Inside the empty cell, dressed in prison rags the colour of dried blood, stood Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation.
The Warden observed the pup. He crossed bare, thickly muscled arms over his chest. Zuko was puny, scrawny, but wore a defiant look on that scarred face. He liked them defiant. It took longer to break them and breaking prisoners was entertaining. There was no room in the Boiling Rock for rebellion or back talk. Those who attempted escape, got involved in fights or committed one of several other possible infractions were duly punished. They soon learned, those rule-breakers, that there was no point to their behaviour, no hope of escape. The Warden was a good teacher.
Light from the corridor streamed into the dark cell. The Warden knew the way he looked in that light; huge, intimidating, fierce, cruel. He saw the way Zuko blinked, unaccustomed to the brightness. It made the boy seem vulnerable, even frail.
"Shut the door!" He growled the words.
The guard knew better than to argue. She yanked the door shut and stood sentry outside. The warden was silent, hulking in the shadows, sniffing the air for any scent of fear. He smiled then. The smile clung to his face, its grip precarious, as if it did not belong there.
"Prince Zuko; traitor, scum, weakling, pathetic excuse for a Fire Nation citizen…"
The young man stared into the Warden's eyes, accepted the appellations with a shrug. He was used to them, it seemed.
"Loser, heartbreaker."
As soon as that word fell off his lips, the Warden got a reaction. The prince's one good eye widened comically while the squinty one surrounded by scar tissue, failed to keep up.
"H, heartbreaker? What are you talking about?"
The Warden edged forward, standing in the little bit of light from the window. It emphasized his bulk. The prince took one tentative step back. His hands, delicate looking things for a man, grazed the wall.
The middle-aged man sensed a change in the atmosphere; it wasn't fear he felt, but apprehension. He allowed the prince to squirm for a few minutes and watched as expressions flickered across the regal features, and thoughts flickered in those gold eyes.
Leaning forward, pressing his palms against the cool stone wall, he put his face close to Zuko's. He stared hard into those eyes, reading everything that he could.
"Come on, boy; think about it."
"Mai; do you mean Mai?"
"Aren't you a smart boy?"
"How, how do you know about me and Mai? Who are you?"
"Mai didn't tell you about me?" The Warden stood up straight again and stroked his chin. "I'm almost hurt."
"No, she didn't."
"Well, she told me all about how you shattered her heart into pieces and then stepped on them, grinding them into the dirt." For such a large man, the words were spoken softly. But his anger and indignation came through. No one hurt Mai, not without answering to him. "What did she see in you anyway?"
"I didn't mean to hurt her. I wanted to protect her from all this." Zuko waved his arms about.
The Warden continued to stare. Zuko licked his dry lips, nervous now, perspiring under the arms. The little pink tongue, running along those perfect lips discomfited the man. He cleared his throat and backed away. The boy was handsome, he supposed, in a pretty sort of way and why was he even thinking about Zuko's looks? What had gotten into him?
Inhaling deeply, he spoke again. "You need to think about what you do before you do it. I should toss you into the boiling lake and watch you sink, screaming. That might make up for what you did to my niece."
"You're Mai's uncle? Um, isn't the lake a bit extreme? Mai might get angry at you for that. I'll bet she wants to punish me herself."
The Warden saw hope in the prince's eyes now. He wanted to smash that hope like Zuko had smashed Mai's heart.
"Mai would understand. We're close, see, very close." Mai's uncle reached out and with one thick fingertip, he stroked Zuko's cheek. There was a hint of stubble there, rough against the man's skin. The prince licked his lips again and gulped, taking in air as though he were starving for it.
Now that he'd touched once, the Warden wanted to touch more. Something about the prince drew him in. Was it the perverseness of caressing someone who represented everything he hated? Was it the idea of making Zuko squirm that appealed so much? Or was it something else, something that the Warden did not want to confront? He left the questions unanswered and stroked the other cheek, the scarred one. Then he pushed back Zuko's hair, roughly, and pressed his palm into the young man's forehead.
"I could do things to you, terrible things. And no one would question me. This is my prison."
"Mai would question you; I know she would."
"Perhaps you overestimate your importance to my niece."
The Warden saw doubt then and he grinned, resembling a feral animal.
"I could have so much fun."
"So have it then." Zuko crossed his own arms. It seemed he was tired of playing games. "Do what you want."
Leaning in close once more, so close that they shared the same bit of slightly stale air, the Warden whispered, "No, I'll let Mai take care of you. She's here, you know. And she wants to see you. Think about that." His breath moved wispy bits of brown hair. He leaned in closer, almost brushing his lips against pale skin. "Yes, you think about that."
With a swiftness that belied his size, the Warden backed away. He shouted at the guard, ordering the door opened. He couldn't resist glancing at his prisoner once more. The boy looked good in his rags.
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A/N: This is what insomnia and the inability to sleep in produces. If I go by the poll, Azula is next. Reviews are appreciated. Thanks those consistent few who do.