THE BODYGUARD
by Madame Bomb
Zuki Week - Day 3 (March 31st)
Prompt: MODERN AU
Rating: M+
Summary: A chance meeting with the sexy and mysterious son of a ruthless crime lord leads Suki on a dangerous adventure through the city's dark and dangerous underbelly.
Notes: I had a lot of fun with this one.
"Don't look now, but that guy at the bar is totally eye-fucking you," Tam said in an undertone, leaning in toward Suki's ear to be heard over the music pumping over the loudspeakers. Suki took a sip of her mojito and then followed Tam's gaze to the bar, which was boiling with activity.
The bar was black, chased with dark red LED lights. It fit the rest of the club; everything here was red and black, from the dance floor to the backlit 3D, red metal flames on the dark, blood red walls. AGNI KAI was the hottest club in the city. It had only been open for three months, but it had swiftly become the place to be. The wait list at the door was almost impossible to get your name on.
Suki still wasn't sure how their little bachelorette party had gotten in, but they'd been ushered through the red velvet ropes the moment their rented limo had pulled up to the curb. They'd been seated in the VIP section, which had come complete with a bottle of merlot, nestled in a black bucket full of ice.
Suki was impressed with the place. It had a certain dark allure, if that was your thing.
So did the man at the bar.
Suki couldn't help the way her brow arched as the man standing at the end of the bar, sipping a glass of whiskey on the rocks, met her eyes. He was handsome, in a tall, dark-haired, gorgeous, mysterious kind of way. Not that that was her type.
He had long black hair that caught the flashing red lights and dazzled the eye. He was wearing a suit, expensively cut to accentuate the line of his broad shoulders. That suit probably cost more than her rent for three months. Which said a lot; there was a reason she had two roommates and a pull out couch listed on Airbnb. Her work at the dojo teaching women's self-defense classes was fulfilling, if not lucrative.
It wasn't the man's good looks or the expensive cut of his suit that really caught her attention and made her heart flutter in her chest though. It was the scar on his face. It looked like someone had burned him once. It made him look roguish, dangerous. Thrilling.
So not my type, Suki thought, and took another sip of her drink. But a girl can be persuaded...
"He's fine as hell," Tam said and then nudged her with one carefully manicured finger. "You should fuck him."
Suki made a scoffing noise. "I don't even know him!"
"You don't have to know him!" Tam exclaimed. "You think I've known every guy I've ever fucked? Ha, NO!"
Suki laughed, shaking her head. "I know you think you're making a reasonable argument right now..."
"I am!" Tam said with a laugh, though her face was serious. She reached up and shoved her crown back onto her head. The plastic crown was studded with pasted on gems, and lined with fluffy pink feathers. She had on a sash that had "BRIDE" emblazoned in sparkling pink letters across it. "When was the last time you had sex, Suki? Six months ago? A year? When did you and Sokka break up?"
"A year ago," Suki said with a sigh over the music, tugging on her own glittery BRIDESMAID sash.
"A YEAR? My vagina wept," Tam said, one hand over her heart. "I can't go a day without a little something. A YEAR?! Girl, you need to dust that thing off and take it for a spin."
"How did Piandao get so lucky?" Suki said in a flat voice, amused.
But Tam's expression was suddenly far away, misty-eyed and totally love-sick. "I'm the lucky one. That man gives me a run for my money in the bedroom. Best dick I've had in my life. There's a reason I locked that shit down."
Suki smiled, rolling her eyes. She'd heard Tam gush about Piandao far too many times. And she knew way more about their sex life than she was comfortable with knowing. Tam wasn't one for hiding the details and she certainly had a way of putting things that would make a sailor blush.
The truth was, Suki was a little envious of her relationship with Piandao. Tam had always been a flirt, a bit flighty, but good-natured. She went from man to man, growing bored easily. But with Piandao... Well, Suki had seen them together. Tam had never been so happy since she and Piandao had started dating.
On paper they didn't look like they fit at all. Piandao was fifty-two, over half Tam's age. He was a military contractor who ran a security firm and Tam worked at the same dojo Suki worked at. They'd met by chance one day on the street.
It had been love at first sight, and for some reason they just worked. They'd been dating for nearly a year before Piandao had popped the question. Their wedding was next week. Suki was the maid of honor, a role she'd taken seriously. However, Tam had been the one to arrange this little foray to the club. She still didn't know how she'd gotten them in.
Right about the time Tam had met Piandao, Suki's long-term relationship with Sokka had fizzled. They'd grown apart. He traveled for his job at lot, and things just never seemed to work out for them. Watching Tam in the throws of new love up close while she'd been in her "eating Cherry Garcia in her loosest sweat pants" phase of the breakup had been rough. To say the least.
She was over Sokka now.
Tam was right though, she missed the sex, however infrequent it had been because of his job. Now all she had was sparring at the gym and an abused Hitachi wand for stress relief.
Not that she was the type of girl to sleep around. Even if she wanted to.
Even if the man looked like a whole ass snacc in a tailored suit, and he was looking at her like he'd like to introduce her to his sheets, face down, ass up.
God, he'd probably have his butler escort me out of his mansion in the morning. A walk of shame in front of the help. That would be an experience.
"You should be celebrating your impending nuptials, not trying to get your maid of honor laid!" Suki groused, draining the last of her mojito, just as Ty Lee, Rin, Qing, and Kikki bounced up. They were wearing bridesmaids sashes too. The four of them were covered in glitter and sweat. Kikki, five-foot nothing without the four-inch stripper heels she was wearing was clearly three-sheets to the wind.
It didn't take much to get her drunk, and she was sloppy about it. Suki had charged Qing with making sure she didn't gulp too many Jägerbombs at the bar, but clearly that hadn't happened. And judging by Qing's half-finished Long Island iced tea and the three brightly colored umbrellas jammed into Qing's pixie-cut hair, it wasn't hard to see why. Qing was nearly as drunk as Kikki.
Rin looked toasted too, lifting her long hair off of her neck and shouting, "WOO! I LOVE THIS SONG!" as the DJ started playing Lizzo's "Juice." Rin took a long chug of her rosé and then dashed back to the dance floor, nearly bowling Ty Lee over on the way.
Ty Lee looked sober enough, if you didn't know her. She was a quiet drunk, someone who got wasted in a corner and then passed out standing up. She had that look about her now, as she grabbed her beer and took a measured sip.
"What're you guys talking about?" Kikki asked, slurring her words as she leaned on Tam's shoulder.
"Piandao's dick," Suki said, churlishly.
"Yeah, but also that hottie at the bar. He's been eye-fucking Suki for a solid ten minutes," Tam said, making Suki groan. The last thing she needed was for her other friends to gang up on her. They all already teased her about how terribly, achingly single she was.
Ty Lee was dating a woman named Cara and they were blissfully happy and probably on their way to marriage like Tam. Rin was in an on-again, off-again thing with a man with commitment issues. Qing was married and had two kids. And Kikki...
Kikki was between boyfriends at the moment, like Suki, but no one gave her shit for it. Her ex had cheated on her and she'd walked in on it just last month. His mistake. Kikki had a temper. A bad one.
She'd stabbed a katana through the tires of his Prius, and then spray-painted the words CHEATER on the hood in bright red spray paint. Then she'd gone down to the homeless shelter and given away every last stitch of his clothing. She'd kicked him out of her apartment and when he'd shown up looking to get his stuff back, Kikki had pepper-sprayed him in the face and left him crying on her front side-walk.
Kikki was not to be fucked with, and Suki kind of envied her attitude sometimes. She didn't envy her alcohol tolerance, however, because she was (understandably) sloshed as she turned her gaze on the man at the bar, who was still watching Suki.
"Stalker alert," Kikki said. She turned back to Suki. "Want me to shove his nuts up his nose?"
"No," Suki said, as Kikki leaned away from Qing's shoulder. She swayed a little. "And you need some water. No more drinks for you. You're cut off!"
"But I want drinkies!" Kikki said pleadingly, her eyes big. Suki ignored her. Tam was the least drunk of them all, besides Suki, so she shoved Kikki at her.
"Watch her. If she drinks anything else she's going to throw up," Suki said, turning back to the bar. She glanced at the dance floor and saw Rin dancing with some guy who had his hands all over her. She nearly waded in and rescued her, but Rin didn't look like she minded. She'd have to keep an eye on them though. Who knew if that guy was a creep or not?
"Why do I always have to be the damned mom of the group?"
Her words were lost in the thundering bass as the DJ changed the song. She sidled up to the bar, squeezing in where she could. She tried to get the bartender's attention, but he was busy pouring some kind of complicated shots that involved way too many theatrics.
"I just want some damned water, not a show," Suki mumbled, glancing back at the table, but the girls had gone to the dance floor with Rin. They were dancing in a drunken knot. Quite a few eyes were on them, either because of how entirely not sober they were, or because of the sashes.
Or it's just because they're stone-cold hotties, Suki mused, watching her friends with exasperation, wishing she could kick back like they were and just enjoy herself. She couldn't help it. She felt out of place here.
"What are you having?" a voice said in Suki's ear, making her jump and wheel on the man standing at her elbow. She hadn't felt him approach her and that was highly unusual, even given the loud music and the crowd. She found herself staring into a pair of golden eyes that seemed to see right through her. Her heart lurched, skipped a beat, and then galloped away like a wild thing on the run from a predator.
Up close his scar was even more eye-catching, the skin red and mottled, knotted up like burled oak. It didn't do anything to detract from his looks, however, and just added to the strange allure of him.
And it didn't help that he was tall.
Damn, the tall ones are always my weakness, Suki thought, and then she found herself wishing, fervently, and a little stupidly, that she'd left her glittery bridesmaids sash back at the table. She didn't know why; he'd seen her wearing the damned thing from the bar and it hadn't repelled him.
Not that I want to attract him. I don't know him, even if he does smell like sex on a stick, she hastily added, as her pulse ramped up just a little bit more.
"That's none of your business," Suki shot at him, turning back to the bar. Someone moved out of the way and he leaned his elbow against the bar beside her. She glanced his way and tried to catch the bartender's attention again. She was ignored. Gritting her teeth, she glanced at the man with the scar again.
He was watching her with a soft look on his face. She didn't know what to make of it.
"What?" she finally said, turning to him. "You don't know how to take a hint?"
"I've been told I don't," he said, and then bit his lip. "I'm sorry. It's just...you caught my eye. You look familiar."
Suki shot him a skeptical look. "You look familiar? That's your pick up line?"
"It's not a line," he said, shaking his head. "The dojo downtown, the one across the street from Beifong's. You work there. I've seen you."
"Kikki was right, you are a stalker," she said, turning to face him now. She looked him up and down. "What's a guy like you doing in that part of the city? I hope you don't wear a suit like that in my neighborhood. You'll get mugged."
"Beifong's barbeque pork is worth the risk. Best place in the city," he said.
"I can't argue with that," she said, tipping her head at him. "So you've seen me at the dojo huh? You a peeping tom professionally, or just recreationally?"
"Ouch," he said, hand over his chest. "I swear I'm not a stalker. I was coming out of Beifong's one night and you were doing some kind of gymnastics kata thing. The dojo was lit up, You could see everything. It was hard not to watch. You've got moves. I was impressed. You ever think of doing bodyguard work?"
Suki's brow arched. "So this is a job offer and not a come on?"
She didn't know why she felt disappointed. Because she wasn't into him. She wasn't.
But he leaned in the next moment. "It's both, if you'd like."
Her pulse ramped up again. He was completely serious.
"I have a job," she said smartly.
"The dojo can't pay what I can," he said easily, as if money was nothing to him. It probably wasn't. Just who was this guy? "At least think it over."
"Okay, I will," she said cautiously. "But only if you buy me a drink. This damned bartender has been ignoring me this whole time."
His smile was easy and it spread across his face like sweet, decadent chocolate. He glanced at the bartender and then at her. "Of course. What'll it be?"
"A water."
"Water?"
"For my very drunk friend Kikki," she said, gesturing to her friends on the dance floor. His gaze followed her thumb and he smiled a little.
"Water it is," he said and then turned to the bartender. "Hung, I need a water please."
"Yes, boss," the bartender said, grabbing an ice cold bottle out of the cooler beneath the bar and sliding it to him within seconds. Then he turned away, taking another order. Suki goggled at him.
"Boss?"
"This is my club," he said with a shrug, handing her the water. "Or, rather, it's my father's club. I just run the place for him."
And for some reason that made him scowl. She wondered what that was about.
"Of course you do," Suki said weakly. "Well...thanks. I'd probably be standing there all night with him ignoring me."
"I don't know how anyone could ignore you," he said, tilting his head in obvious interest.
"It's the sash, isn't it?" she said, plucking at the stupid, glittery thing.
He leaned in close and she could smell his very expensive cologne. It was heady and masculine and made her think of being on her knees on a bearskin rug in front of a roaring fireplace. The image was so vivid she felt heat flush her skin instantly.
"Trust me. It's not the sash," he said in her ear and goosebumps fought with the heat rushing to the surface of her skin. She felt dizzy and it had nothing to do with the single mojito she'd been nursing all night.
She backed up a step, overwhelmed by her reaction. At the same moment someone came over to the bar, catching his eye. It was a young woman who bore a striking resemblance to him. She had glossy black hair, and the same golden eyes. She didn't have a scar on her face, but she carried something else; an air of regal superiority, which radiated out of her like railroad spikes, threatening to impale anyone stupid enough to get too close.
She jerked her thumb at him, impatiently, and then her regard slid over to Suki. Suki had the immediate impression that girl was unimpressed by her, which was only reinforced by the curl of her red lips. Suki felt heat beneath her skin.
He leaned away from the bar and glanced at her. "Damn. I have to take care of this."
"That's okay. I should... Kikki... Water... Umm... I have to go."
He looked disappointed, but he nodded. "Think about my offer. It's still on the table if you want it."
"I will," she said, backing away. She could still feel his eyes on her while she went back to their table. The heat of his gaze was enough to light her on fire. Offer is still on the table, huh? He keeps looking at me like that and he can get me on any table he wants.
She realized too late that she hadn't even gotten his name. He hadn't asked for hers either. Disappointment hit her. She should have at least gotten his number.
You know, for networking purposes.
When she glanced back at the bar, he was gone and so was the young woman in the red dress and the bitchy attitude. She sulked at the table until the others came back over. She made Kikki drink half of the bottle of water. The night wore on and despite the water, Kikki was clearly wasted. Tam decided it was time to go after someone bumped into Kikki and she threatened them.
She'd taken off her shoes at one point, and she tossed one of them into the crowd, loudly declaring them as weapons and torture devices. Suki, whose own feet were killing her in her heels, couldn't agree more. Together they slowly dragged Kikki toward the front entrance.
She fought them the whole way, but they eventually spilled out onto the sidewalk.
"I want to dance," Kikki slurred, trying to go back to the entrance of the club. "It's a party! You know who loved a party? Haru."
Then she planted her butt on the ground with a thump and started crying. Tam and Suki exchanged glances with Ty Lee. Rin and Qing were no help; they were only slightly less wasted than Kikki. Suki crouched down in front of Kikki.
"Honey, it's going to be okay," she started, as Kikki, gulping back tears, reached into her bag and pulled out her cell phone. "What are you doing?"
"I'm gonna call him," Kikki sniffed.
"NO, YOU'RE NOT!" they all said as one, and Suki swiftly plucked the phone out of her hands. Kikki grabbed for it, but her coordination was well off the mark and she missed by a mile.
"Absolutely not. Do you remember what he did to you?"
"He cheated on me. With a bleach blonde!" Kikki said. She seemed to be getting the hiccups. "In my own bed! I had to get a new bed! I couldn't afford a new bed! All I could buy was a futon! I'm a grown ass woman sleeping on a futon!"
"That's rough," a voice said behind Suki and she stood, turning to face the man from the bar. He was standing just behind her, watching Kikki with a slight grimace on his face. He met Suki's gaze. "I guess the water didn't work?"
"What are you doing here?" she asked him.
"Yeah, what are you doing here?" Tam said, elbowing Ty Lee, who pursed her lips and looked between them knowingly.
"I saw you leaving. I never got a chance to give you my number," he said, his hands in his pockets.
"Suki, he's hot," Kikki slurred. "Are you gonna fuck him or should I? Heyyyy..." Kikki made a lewd pumping gesture with her fist and then winked at him.
"A tempting offer," he said with amusement. "But I'll have to pass."
"Your loss, sucker. There's other fish in the barrel to shoot. Or whatever," Kikki said, as Ty Lee and Qing got her up onto her feet.
"I'll have to remember that," he said, and then pulled out a card and handed it to Suki. She took it and saw a cell phone number and a name written on it in simple black ink.
"Zuko, huh?"
"Call me. I was serious about the job offer. And about the other offer too."
"Was it an offer for sex? She hasn't had sex for a year. A YEAR! You should fuck him, Suki," Kikki said and then shoved her in the shoulder, trying to push her into Zuko. "Go on. Shoo. Get laid lil' Suki."
"Tam? Could you get her?" Suki said, sighing in exasperation. Tam looked like she was seconds from bursting out laughing. She grabbed Kikki and pulled her over to the side, while Ty Lee texted the limo they'd rented to pull around. She turned back to Zuko, who was watching them with his brows lifted. "Sorry about that. She's going through some stuff."
"I wasn't judging," he said. "Suki, huh? That's your name?"
"Last time I checked."
He reached forward, taking her hand and lifting it to his mouth. His eyes were on her as he gently kissed her hand. Suki heard a chorus of "ooooo's" from behind her, but ignored them. She could feel heat flush up her neck again, as Zuko's gaze searched hers.
He was about to say something when headlights splashed across them. It was the limo, pulling up to the curb. It was a sleek black thing, stretched out and far more flashy than anything Suki would have picked out. But it was Tam's night, not hers.
"Ride's here," Qing called.
"Unless you're gonna ride him home insteaaaaad," Kikki trilled, as the driver got out and came around to open the door for them.
"Well, I think that's enough mortification for one night," Suki said. "I have to go."
Zuko dropped her hand reluctantly. "Don't lose my number."
"What will you do if I don't call?"
"I do know where you work," he pointed out.
"Stalker," she said, flashing him a smile. It seemed to dazzle him, because he laughed and looked down, jamming his hands back into his pants pockets.
"I just know what I want when I see it," he said.
"Mmm, a spoiled little rich boy who gets whatever he wants whenever he wants it. I see," she said warmly, and that took some of the sting out of her words. He made a little face.
"I'm not spoiled."
"Sure you're not," she said. "Maybe it'll be good for you not to get what you want for once?"
"Maybe," he admitted. "But I still hope you'll call me."
"SUKI!"
She whipped around to face the limo, and saw Qing hanging out of it. "WHAT?"
"We're leaving! You coming with us, or are you coming with him?" Qing said, and winked at Zuko. Rin started making loud sex noises and she heard a chorus of laughter from inside the limo. Suki heard Zuko give a little snort.
"I hate you guys! I'll be right there!" Suki said through her teeth. She turned back to Zuko. "I really have to go."
"Goodbye, Suki."
She didn't trust her mouth, not when he was looking at her like that. Instead she went over to the limo and started to climb into the seat beside Qing. She'd barely swung her leg into the car when Kikki made a retching noise. The next moment the leather upholstery was generously slathered with chunks of the sushi they'd had for dinner.
Qing screamed. Ty Lee retched. Rin climbed out of the window, covered in the mess, and poor Tam, holding Kikki hostage so she didn't try to leave the limo, got absolutely blasted with it. Suki escaped unscathed, but just barely.
They got out of the car, with Tam sobbing, wiping at her face with her sash. Kikki sat down on the sidewalk again, wiping at her mouth, as the limo driver got out of the car and started yelling. They started gathering a crowd, and Suki's face burned.
"I told you! No vomit! You vomit, you walk!" the driver said, shaking his finger in Tam's dripping face. "Every goddamned bachelorette party there's gotta be one puker! EVERY FUCKING TIME!"
He slammed the door shut and climbed into the limo. His tires squealed as he pulled away from the curb, leaving them standing there in horrified shock.
Kikki belched from her seat on the pavement and then looked up at Suki.
"Do you have a breath mint?"
Horrified that Zuko had seen the entire incident, Suki got the girls calmed down and called a ride sharing service as fast as she could. She had wet wipes in her purse, and both Rin and Tam went to town on them, rubbing at their faces. There would be no getting it out of Tam's long black hair though, not without a ton of shampoo and a lot of patience.
"Well," Tam said, tossing a wipe into the trash can. "At least it can't get any worse."
"Are you sure I can't give you girls a ride?" Zuko asked again. He'd offered to drive them home after the limo had left.
"Kikki just threw up in a limo. You don't want her in your car," Suki said. "But thank you. We can't impose."
"It's no trouble," he said, and she wondered why he was lingering. She was mortified. He was definitely not going to want her to call him after this. He was probably wondering how he could get his number back from her.
Their ride finally showed up and they had some difficulty stuffing Kikki into the back. They eventually managed it, but when Suki went to climb in, she realized there wasn't enough room.
"Shit," she mumbled, after the driver told her she'd have to get another ride. "Okay. Tam? You got this? Can you get Kikki home?"
"Yeah. The faster we get everyone home the faster I can shower," Tam said through her teeth and then glanced at Zuko, still hovering behind her. "Are you good, Sukes? He's not really a stalker, is he?"
"Jury's out. I can handle myself," she said. Tam smiled, but it was tight-lipped.
"I know you can. But text me when you get home."
"You too," Suki said and then she closed the door. The car drove off, leaving Suki standing on the sidewalk outside of the club. Suki sighed, watching the brake lights speed off down the street.
"God, I hate sloppy drunks," a cold voice said behind her. Suki wheeled around and saw Zuko stiffen, his expression closing down instantly. The woman from the bar, the one who bore a striking resemblance to Zuko, was standing there, watching the car disappear. She had a cigarette in her fingers, and the glowing cherry lit up her pretty features.
"Dad know you're still smoking?"
"Dad know you're still a loser? Oh wait, how could he forget?" she shot at him, taking one last puff and then flicking the butt into the street. She blew out a lungful of smoke and then eyed Suki, looking her up and down. "Aren't you going to introduce me, Zuzu?"
Zuko looked uncomfortable, glancing between them for a moment.
"Um, Suki, this is my sister Azula. Azula, this is Suki."
"Hi," Suki said, lifting a hand warily. "Nice to meet you."
"Nice dress," the girl said in a scathing tone. Suki looked down at her favorite dress. She'd gotten it on sale in a thrift store, but the seafoam green color went well with her hair and it fit her perfectly. She'd always loved wearing it.
Of course, compared to the designer dress draped across Azula's frame like a second skin, it looked shabby and just as thrift store as it was. Shame burned her cheeks and she didn't like the feeling at all.
"You too," Suki mumbled, glancing at her phone. It was late. She wanted nothing more than to get a ride back to her own neighborhood where her second hand dress wouldn't stand out like a sore thumb. She started to open the ride share app on her phone, but Zuko stopped her.
"You know, I'm not doing anything right now. Can I give you a ride home?"
She turned on him again and looked between him and Azula, who was looking at Zuko with her eyebrow lifted. "I can't ask you to do that. I'll just call another Uber."
"It's not safe, though. Riding alone, this late at night. Let me give you a ride, please. I'd like to know that you're safe," Zuko said, and Suki saw Azula roll her eyes.
"I don't really know you either," Suki started.
"Please, Zuko's not some rapist frat boy. You're safe as houses with him," Azula said to her. "He probably wouldn't even know what to do if you stripped naked in front of him."
"Azula," Zuko said warningly, his eyes flashing. "I don't need a wingman."
"You're right. Because nothing is sadder than a grown man who needs his sister to help him get laid by some low class bar slut," Azula said and then turned to Suki. Her smile was sharp and unapologetic. "No offense."
"None taken, bitch," Suki shot at her.
Azula's smile changed and she studied Suki for a moment. Her lips pursed. "Hmmm. I could like you." She smacked Zuko on the back of the head. "Don't fuck this up!"
And with that, she marched back into the club, leaving Zuko standing there looking as mortified as Suki had felt after the limo incident. Zuko ran a hand down his face.
"So that walking advertisement for vasectomies was my sister. We run the club together," he said. "Well, I run the club and she sits around smoking and calling me names. It's a family business."
"Families are complicated."
"You have no idea," he said darkly, and then stepped closer. "I understand if you don't want a ride. Could you text me when you get home though? I'll worry otherwise. I mean, I've seen what you can do, but it's a dangerous city."
"I can handle myself," Suki said and then looked up into his eyes again. She bit her lip. She made a decision, then, and she hoped it wasn't one she was going to regret. "I'd love a ride home, if you're still offering."
Zuko's smile was slow and warm. "Of course."
She waited on the curb, wondering what she'd gotten herself into, while Zuko pulled his car around. The moment she saw the sleek, purring black sports car that pulled up beside her, her stomach hit her toes like a lead weight. She felt incredibly outclassed. She'd never dare touch a car like that, let alone sit in one. What if she scratched it?
Zuko didn't seem concerned, getting out and opening the door for her. He took her hand and helped her in. The car sat low to the ground, lower than the limo or the car she'd called for the girls. Her skirt rode up high on her thighs, and she was incredibly thankful that she'd worn panties tonight.
Not that she was the no-panties type anyway.
He closed the door and came around while she wiggled her skirt down as quickly as possible. The leather seats were butter soft, and she practically sank into them as she put on her seat belt.
When Zuko climbed in, he did the same and then glanced at her. Her skirt was still much too high, but she didn't want to yank it down in front of him. She felt his eyes on her legs and bit the inside of her lip.
"Buckled up?"
"Yeah. This is some car."
"You like it?"
"Mmm. You know, I read somewhere that men with sport's cars have small penises."
Zuko lifted his brow at her, the corners of his lips twitching. "My father always said I lived to defy expectations."
And he hit the gas, burning away from the curb with a screech of tires. The car accelerated in the blink of an eye, flashing past the speed limit with a playful wink and then full tilting into a heady, rushing pace that left her breathless and clutching the seat and the handle on the door.
She'd never been in such a fast car before. It took her breath away, watching the streets slide past in a blur. Zuko shifted gears, and took a corner at breakneck speed, the momentum practically shoving her into the door.
She should have been scared. She should have told him to slow down. Instead, she laughed and rolled down the window. The air blasted her in the face, pushing her short hair back.
Zuko rolled his window down too and the wind flew around the car as he found the on ramp for the freeway. It was nearly two a.m. and there were only a few cars and semis on the roadway. Zuko blasted past them, the car picking up even more speed.
The wind filled her, cold and bracing, fluttering the edges of her skirt so that she had to hold it down or else risk getting it flipped up into her face.
Zuko slid between two semis, and then changed into another lane. He easily put distance between himself the semis, and once he was two exits ahead of them, he finally slowed the car to the speed limit.
Suki looked over at him, and saw him watching her out of the corner of his eye. She was still smiling, the wind less forceful as it blew her hair back.
"That was fun," she said, fiddling with the hem of her dress. "You can drive."
"It's a passion of mine. I also fly. I should take you up sometime."
"I might let you. Can you do loop-de-loops?"
His smile was teasing. "I've been known to get a girl upside down."
He changed lanes again and she saw his eyes on her legs. She fiddled with her hem some more and saw his hand tighten on the steering wheel. "Eyes on the road."
"Sorry. You're very distracting."
"Am I?"
"Incredibly. The minute I saw you I was glued to the spot. I wasn't trying to stare, or creep you out. I just... Couldn't look away."
"Only because you recognized me from the dojo."
But the look he gave her was amused. "It was more than that, Suki."
She felt warm all over. She couldn't help it. It had been a long time since anyone had looked at her like that. Not since Sokka. She hadn't felt particularly sexy lately, but somehow, when Zuko looked at her, even in her not-quite-up-to-snuff thrift store dress, she felt desired. It was a heady feeling, almost as head-spinning as tearing down the streets in a sports car worth more than her entire life.
"So where am I taking you? I'm sort of aiming for Beifong's and the dojo, but I don't actually know where you live," he said, changing lanes again.
"I live above the dojo," she said. "With two roommates."
"The girls you were with earlier?"
"No, actually. Just some of them are students at the university. I did live with Kikki until she moved in with her boyfriend last year, though."
"This was before he cheated on her?"
"Yeah. She's not normally like that, but she walked in on him with another woman. In her bed. She's been kind of a mess ever since. And she can't hold her drink."
"Damn, that's cold," he said, and then hesitated. "And what about you?"
"I can hold my drink."
"I meant are you seeing anyone?"
"Just my vibrator," she said and then smacked her face into her hand. "Oh my God, I can't believe I just said that."
She looked up at Zuko and saw that he was watching her as he sped down the freeway. "Vibrator, huh?"
"Forget I said that."
"I'm am literally only going to be thinking about that from now on," he said, as she fiddled with her dress again. "I'm officially jealous of a vibrator."
Her face blazed. There was real heat in his voice; he'd meant it.
"And what about you? Are you seeing anyone?"
"I am painfully single, as if that wasn't already obvious."
"It's not obvious to me. You seem like a great catch," she said, and then wondered if she was trying to catch him or not. She was pretty sure she was. And she was pretty sure, as she fiddled with the hem of her skirt, that she wouldn't have a hard time reeling him in if she wanted.
She was still undecided. Mostly.
"Most women are put off by the scar," he said, gesturing vaguely to his face. "Then again, a lot of them see the money instead, and that's all they're after. I'm just what they have to deal with to get to the cash."
There was real hurt in his voice. She wondered who had hurt him like that to make him sound so defeated. She'd kill them. Suki played with her hem again and he took a measured breath.
"I'm sorry you've had to deal with that," Suki said. "Some people don't know a good thing when they see one."
"Do you?" he said, surprising her. She shifted in the seat a little.
"I like to think that I do."
Zuko bit his lip and then took the exit into her neighborhood. The streets were quiet and practically empty. This was a working-class neighborhood. People went to bed early and got up early. Zuko's purring car slid through the narrow streets like a snake, completely out of place.
He stopped at a stop sign and looked over at her. "You know, I could use something to eat. I know this 24-hour place a few blocks from here if you want to grab a bite."
She should have told him no, but clearly her mouth and her hormones were the ones in charge, not her rational brain.
"I'd love to."
Cafe Out Late was a bustling greasy spoon diner, with okay coffee and fantastic pie. Suki had eaten there a few times, but never so late at night. The place had a few customers when they walked in, despite the late hour. A group of students sat in the corner at a cracked vinyl booth, sipping coffee and scarfing down burgers and fries. They were playing some kind of card game, braying with laughter every few minutes.
They sat themselves in the opposite corner of the diner and Suki sank down onto the vinyl seat with a squelch. Zuko should have looked out of place, with his expensive clothing and aristocratic air, but he settled into the booth across from her with ease, not even flinching at how greasy the table was.
A tired waitress came over after a few minutes. Zuko ordered coffee, french fries, and cheeseburgers for both of them before she could give her order. The waitress walked away, leaving her to lift her brows at him.
"I can order for myself," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.
Zuko started and then said sheepishly, "Sorry. Yeah. Force of habit."
"Why is that a habit?"
But he shrugged. "The girls I usually end up taking out want me to order for them. Usually something expensive. And then they don't eat it."
Suki grabbed a sugar packet and ripped it open. She liked to dip her fingers in the sugar and lick it off, a habit that her ex-boyfriend had detested. "Maybe you should take out different girls?"
Zuko looked at her pointedly. "I'm trying to."
"You think this is a date?"
"It's kind of a date."
"Just because I let you order me a cheeseburger doesn't mean it's a date."
"And french fries," he pointed out, flashing her a grin. "French fries means its a date."
"No, dessert means its a date," she said primly, dipping her finger into the sugar. She licked it off of the tip of her finger. "You didn't order me dessert, so it's not a date."
Zuko watched her, amusement dancing in his eyes. Then he reached over and grabbed his own packet of sugar. He ripped it open, licked his fingertip and dipped it in. He licked the sugar crystals off of his finger and then looked at her.
"Fine, it's not a date."
"Glad we cleared that up," she said with a grin. "So what exactly do you need a bodyguard for anyway?"
Zuko blanched a little, his finger dropping from his mouth. He grabbed a paper napkin and wiped at his fingertip for a moment. "It's...complicated."
"Uncomplicate it for me," she said, just as the waitress came back with water, and two cups of coffee. She set the cups and saucers down in front of them, and the smell of the coffee, strong and black, wreathed around Suki's nose. The waitress told them it would be a few more minutes for their burgers, and then wandered off to another table.
Suki opened another sugar packet, stirring it into her coffee. When she looked up, Zuko was stirring cream into his, but he had his eye on her. She took a drink; the coffee was like river mud, but it was late enough that she didn't mind how strong it was.
"I'm waiting," she said, taking another hot sip.
Zuko took a bracing drink, grimaced at the strength of it, and then set his cup down.
"My father is a powerful man. He has a lot of enemies," Zuko said, but something about his tone set off alarms in her head. She narrowed her eyes at him.
"Well, that's vague and menacing," Suki said, leaning forward. "What kind of enemies?"
"Bad ones," he said. "The kind that leave bodies behind."
Her brows went up. "Ah. That kind."
"Yeah," he said grimly. "But I'm not worried about them. Those people...they have a code. They won't move on me if I don't move on them."
Suki stared at him. He wasn't lying. "What exactly is your father into, Zuko? Who is he?"
He stirred his coffee with his spoon for a moment and then said bitterly, "My father is a vicious bastard, and I know some things about him... About what he has planned..."
"Like what?" He hesitated and she leaned forward, her voice dropping. "Look, you wanted me to be your bodyguard, so I think you owe me an explanation!"
Zuko took a breath and then stared into her eyes. His expression was closed off and nearly unreadable. All of the flirting and amusement dropped away in an instant. "My father is planning to murder me."
Her eyes popped. She knew that he wasn't lying. She could see the pain and fear in his gaze, as he looked away and then back at her again.
"Why would he do that?"
"Because I'm a problem for him," he said grimly. "He wants me to take over the family business and I told him I don't want to."
"I thought you already ran the club?"
"The club is a front. The business, it's a lot bigger than that," Zuko said and then caught himself. He ran a hand down his face, scrubbing at his scar like he wanted to erase it. "I shouldn't be telling you this. I don't know why I offered you the job in the first place. I've always taken care of myself. I know how, and trust me, you don't want to get between me and my father. You don't know what he's capable of, but I do. He could hurt you. Will hurt you to get at me."
"Just who is your father?"
Zuko hesitated and then said softly, "Ozai."
Suki nearly dropped her coffee cup. "WHAT?"
"Lower your voice," Zuko said, leaning forward at the table. She hadn't realized how loud she'd been, but he'd surprised her. No, he'd shocked her. The students at the table playing the card game looked up at them for a moment, curiosity on their faces. They went back to their game a moment later and the noise in the diner slowly went back to normal.
Oh crap on a stick, I had to hook up with the hot son of the most notoriously brutal bastard in the entire city... Fantastic.
"Sorry," she mumbled out loud, shifting on the vinyl seat. Her legs were sticking to it, and she didn't like the feeling. She liked what she'd just learned about Zuko's father even less. "But seriously, your father is Ozai? He's the biggest crime boss in the city. Everyone's heard of him. He's a psychopath. No offense."
"None taken. He's proud of his reputation. Spirits know he earned it the hard way," Zuko said with a bitter twist to his mouth. "He wants me to be his right hand man, his successor. He gave me the club to manage as a test, but I never asked for that. I didn't want it. Hell, the money, the car, the penthouse, the airplanes... It's all his. It's all his money. I never asked for any of it. I even tried..." But he stopped as the waitress came out with their food.
She set the plates in front of them and then asked if they needed anything else. They mumbled no, and she tore their bill off and put it down in front of them before walking away. The moment she did, Suki heard a chime from her purse. She fished her phone out and glanced at the text message from Tam.
"The girls got home alright," she said as Zuko poured ketchup onto his french fries. He started eating them slowly, avoiding her eyes as she texted Tam back. She didn't tell her that she was out with Zuko; Tam would want details. She put her phone down and took a bite of her burger; it was greasy and gooey with cheese, with just the right amount of tomato and lettuce, and exactly what she needed to calm her empty stomach.
They ate in silence for a few minutes, as she rolled over what he'd said. Finally she wiped at her mouth and pushed her plate back, fixing him in her blue glare.
"What about your sister?"
"Azula's my father's favorite. She's only at the club to keep an eye on me. To make sure I tow the line. She'll do whatever he wants with a smile on her demonic little face."
The bitterness in his voice was almost dripping like acid.
"You weren't joking when you said your family was complicated."
"Yeah," Zuko mumbled, shoving his empty plate away. He'd practically inhaled the food. "Dad gave me an ultimatum the other day. Azula warned me tonight that dad was through waiting for my answer. She laughed about it."
"What ultimatum?"
"Join up in full or he'd take care of me like he should have when I was thirteen." And he gestured to the burn scar on his face. Suki stilled, staring at him in horror as realization dawned on her.
"He...he did that to you?" she whispered, her heart aching all of a sudden.
Zuko blanched, as if realizing he'd said too much. He grabbed the last few fries left on her plate, dipping them in ketchup and then shoving them into his mouth. "Look, we just met. I shouldn't be telling you all of this. I offered you the job because I know what you can do and I could use some extra muscle, but this isn't your fight. And I like you too much to involve you in this shit. Just forget I said anything."
But Suki pulled a little smirk. "Oh, Zuko, you don't know me very well if you think I'm going to keep my nose out of this now." His brow furrowed at that, a question in his eyes. "I have a thing for lost causes and broken things."
"You think I'm broken?"
"And a lost cause," she said with a smile. Zuko smiled and looked down at his empty plate. He wiped at his mouth with a napkin.
"You should stay far away from me."
"Do you want to stay away from me?"
He looked up at her. And shook his head. "No."
"What do you want?"
Zuko's lips curled a little. "I'd like to buy you dessert."
"Mm, but that would mean this is a date. This isn't a date," she said, showing the dimples in her cheeks. His eyes flicked over them, noticing them for the first time. His eyes flashed with interest.
"Fine then, no dessert. How about breakfast?"
Her brow arched. "We just ate a very late dinner."
"Trust me, you'll be hungry when I'm done with you," Zuko said, his voice dropping. "We could go back to my place, if you'd—"
But he cut off, as the door chimed and two men walked in. Zuko stiffened and the blood drained out of his face immediately. Suki followed his gaze and eyed the men who'd walked in. They were big, beefy, muscled, and wearing expensive suits. Everything about them screamed Professional Bad Guys, and every single warning light went off in Suki's brain at once the moment she got a good look at them.
"What's wrong?" she asked, but she thought she knew.
Zuko licked his lips and his voice was even as he pulled out a wad of cash and threw it down on the sticky, sugar-strewn table. "Just stand up and head for the door as quickly as possible."
"Who are they?"
"Just do it, Suki," he said tightly, standing and reaching for her. She stood and then suddenly wished that she was wearing comfortable flats instead of the nude-colored heels that had gone well past painful hours ago. The men in the doorway spotted them, or rather, they spotted Zuko, as she slung her cross-body purse over her shoulder and settled it on her hip.
Suki moved toward the door, but the men stepped into the way, blocking it.
"Excuse me. Could you please move?"
The tallest one, who had a nose that looked like it had been punched in at some point and then healed crooked, looked her up and down with a leer on his face. "Looky what we have here..."
"Aren't you a tart little piece of cherry pie?" the smaller one one said, licking his lips.
Suki's skin crawled and she readied a retort, her hand balling into a fist instantly. She felt Zuko's hand on her waist though, and he gently pushed her behind him. Suki wanted to tell him that she didn't need protection—Zuko had just tried to hire her as a bodyguard after all—but the two men's attention switched to Zuko in an instant.
"Baan, Le Tang, is there a problem?" Zuko asked in a hard voice unlike anything she'd heard from him before. There was danger in that voice, and the way his body tensed told her something else; Zuko had tried to hire her, but he wasn't some helpless playboy. Whatever else he was, he was a fighter. She could tell by the tension in his shoulders, and the way his posture dropped, ready for a fight.
"Your father sent us to retrieve you."
Zuko's eyes hardened. "How did he know where to find me?"
"He has ways of tracking you. We saw you leave the club with this tasty bitch. Suki, isn't it? You work at that dojo a few blocks away. Kyoshi Dojo, right?"
Zuko started, glancing at her. "How did you know her name?"
Dread frilled Suki. Oh, this was bad. What had she just gotten herself into?
Le Tang smirked. "Ozai knows everything, Zuko. Everything. You'd better come with us. The both of you."
Zuko tipped his head back; she could tell that he didn't like that answer at all. "I'm busy tonight. Tell Ozai I'll come to his office tomorrow."
"You're coming now," the one called Baan said, reaching from him. Zuko turned his hand immediately, twisting it and shoving the thug back a few steps. The one called Le Tang blew out a breath at that and then sneered at Zuko.
"He told us to bring you no matter what. We can do this easy way or the—OOF!" he started, but cut off when Suki kicked him right in the crotch with her heel. Le Tang crumpled, hands to his crotch, his face red in an instant.
"He said no," Suki snarled and then she punched Le Tang. He landed flat on his back on the chipped checkerboard linoleum floor.
Zuko stared at her in shock in the half-second it took Baan to realize what had just happened to his partner.
"Look out!" Suki said, and just in time too. Baan took a swing at Zuko. He ducked the punch, and Baan's momentum carried him toward Suki. He readjusted, swinging at her this time. Suki got her guard up, blocking the blow with her forearms. He was as big an ox, muscled, a brute.
She was used to fighting men like this though. She knew how to take him down, and she might have been able to easily, if she weren't wearing three inch heels and a cocktail dress.
She shoved his arms back and started to turn, intending on kicking him, but her ankle wobbled in her heels, throwing her off-balance. She got hammered in the face with his fist the next second and she went down in a sprawl on the floor.
"SUKI!"
She looked up to see Zuko and Baan going at it; swinging punches. Zuko's face was a mask of rage. He did a complicated block, and then got his shoulder up beneath Baan's arm, shoving him back into the door with a bang so hard the fogged-up glass cracked in a spider's web fracture.
"I'M CALLING THE POLICE!"
Suki glanced at the waitress who had served them their food. Suki had been ignoring the other customers, but she heard shouting as everyone's attention had gone to the fight in front of the doors. She heard the students yelling, pulling out cell phones and turning on their cameras.
That was bad. The last thing she needed was a viral Instagram video of her getting punched to the floor by a man with an obvious case of 'roid rage. They needed to get out of there. Fast. Before the police came.
Or before one of them got hurt.
She slipped her shoes off, as Le Tang climbed to his feet, still clutching his crotch. His nose was clearly broken, blood flowing down his lips and over his bared teeth. His eyes were like dark flints, and they were centered right on her.
She got to her feet, seeing Baan push off from the door and swing at Zuko, who ducked and kicked him. He got punched for his troubles, and Zuko's hair flew as his head was turned by the blow.
She started to go for Le Tang, but stopped when she saw him pull a black object out of the waistband of his pants. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared down the barrel of a handgun.
Someone screamed, probably one of the students. She was vaguely aware of bodies hitting the floor, but she paid the other customers no mind. Her eyes narrowed on the gun.
"You're gonna fuckin' pay for that, you little tart," he snarled and she saw his finger start to squeeze the trigger. Instinct kicked him and she bricked him in the face with one of her chunky heels, throwing it hard at his broken nose. The heel caught him between the eyes, and his aim went wild. The gun went off, missing her by several inches, though she felt the wind of the bullet passing her. It hit one of the domed pie plates on the counter. The glass shattered. Someone screamed again as the air rang with the report of the gun.
Suki didn't give him a chance to recover. She darted in, turning her other heel and slapping the gun out of his hands with it. It went flying across the diner and skittered over the countertop and out of sight. Then she hit him in the face with her heel, in an uppercut that knocked him out cold.
She knew it had worked instantly; his eyes popped wide and then he went down like a ton of bricks, right at her feet.
She looked up and saw Zuko grappling with Baan. Zuko had somehow gotten around the big man, and was clinging to his back like a spider-monkey. He had Baan in a chokehold. Baan's face was red, edging to purple as he tried to throw Zuko off, twisting in place.
Suki stepped up and jammed her elbow forward, right into Baan's skull. He sagged immediately, nearly taking Zuko down to the floor with him. Zuko stepped back, however, letting out a breath, his bloody lips open in shock as he stared down at the two men on the floor before them.
"Is he dead?"
"Nope, just out cold. We need to leave. Now," Suki said, and Zuko looked up. A smile curled the corners of his lips.
"I was just thinking the same thing," he said, and then he reached out, taking her hand in his. He yanked her out the door and she let him, her legs a little wobbly from the adrenaline. She tossed her shoe behind her and it landed next to Le Tang's inert form; the heel was broken beyond repair.
They spilled onto the street and he pulled her, barefoot, across the pavement to his car parked along the curb. He unlocked the doors after fumbling for his key fob.
"Get in!"
She wasted no time in climbing into the passenger seat, practically falling into the car and slamming the door shut, while he did the same. He started the car with another of those smooth, growling purrs, and then he jerked away from the curb, flooring it while she groped for her seat belt.
They were six blocks away when she finally let out a breath.
"You weren't kidding, were you?" she said, looking at his profile. Zuko's face was dark, lights strobing across his face as they passed streetlight after streetlight. He shifted gears and turned a corner, throwing her into the door. His hand reached out and he touched her knee.
"I'm sorry about that," he said tightly, righting the car and heading, she realized, for the river. "I told you. It's dangerous to be seen with me. I need to take you home before Ozai sends anyone else after me. And after that... After that he'll have no choice."
"I'm not going anywhere," she said stubbornly. "They knew my name. They knew where I worked."
Zuko squealed the car around another corner and they shot through an intersection, blowing through a red light. There was no traffic, however, just a garbage truck slowly trundling down the street. Steam rose from the grates as they flew past the truck. She could see the big cable bridge that spanned the river ahead of them, lit up in reds and greens. Beyond the bridge she could see the lights of the high rises in the Upper Ring section of the city.
"Damn! They know you were with me. I...I shouldn't have dragged you into this. You're in danger."
"So are you," she said tightly. "Slow down." But Zuko hit the gas again, blowing through more red lights. "I SAID SLOW DOWN!"
He glanced at her, and then turned another corner. The car shot through the entrance to the park that ran along the river. She jogged in this park a few times a week and knew it well, but she wasn't stupid enough to come here after dark. Not even with her skills.
Zuko slowed the car, driving toward the cable bridge. He parked beneath it, turning off the car and staring at the lights reflecting off of the river. The river was a dark, muddy snake before them, nearly a mile wide. There were barges out on the river, blowing their horns as they traversed the waters. The traffic on the bridge high above them seemed far away, though she could hear the rumble of distant engines.
Zuko's hands clenched the steering wheel so hard she heard the leather and plastic creaking. His jaw was working hard.
"I'm sorry, Suki."
"I'm not," she said softly. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"
"My father."
"I bet he's regretting that now. You're not going to make this easy on him, or his men," she said, and he glanced at her. He saw the small smile on her lips and then smirked a little.
"You're the one who took them both out. I knew you were good."
"Not that good. I almost got shot," she said, looking down at her lap. She played with the edge of her dress, chewing on her bottom lip.
"You lost your shoes."
"They were hurting my feet anyway," she said, looking back up at him. He was watching her, a tight expression on his face.
"If he'd shot you..."
"He didn't."
"He could have. They're going to come after you because of me. I should never have approached you tonight. I knew better and I still did it, and now..." He let out a breath and leaned forward, resting his arms on the wheel, his forehead on his forearms. "I'm sorry."
"I want the job, Zuko," Suki said, surprising herself for a moment. Then she realized that she had already made up her mind in the diner, long before the two thugs had appeared. She thought maybe she had made up her mind the moment she'd learned that Zuko's father had been the one to put that scar on his face.
She had never been able to resist a lost cause, after all.
He looked at her sharply, lifting his head off of his forearms.
"What?"
"I'll be your bodyguard," she said, fiddling with her hem again. "If you still want to hire me?"
"Why?" he asked. "I nearly got you killed, and now my father will be after you."
"Because I like you," she said, chewing on her bottom lip as she played with her skirt. "If your father's going to come after me anyway, I might as throw my lot in with you. In for a penny, in for a pound."
"He won't stop until I'm either dead, or I toe the line and join him," Zuko said warningly. "There is no in between with him. And... And he might not even want me to join him now. Not after what I did."
"What did you do?" But he didn't answer. She squeezed his hand. "I won't let him hurt you."
"I wont let him hurt you, either," he said fiercely, with his gaze trained to her skirt. "You should walk away from me, Suki."
"I don't want to," she said stubbornly. "Do I have the job or not?"
"Are you sure you know what you're getting into?"
"I do," she said, even though she didn't, not really, but she had a feeling she was going to find out. She twisted her hem up, glancing up at him. He was watching her intently, his eyes shining in the lights from the bridge. "So what do you say?"
His gaze flicked across her face for one hot moment. Then he leaned toward her, his hand landing on her bare knee. His skin was hot and callused, the hands of a fighter. She felt heat rush through her instantly.
"I say..." he started, his voice dropping, his eyes on her lips. "If you don't stop playing with that fucking dress I'm going to take it off of you."
His words hit her like one of Kikki's Jägerbombs, the sizzling desire in his voice too much for her to handle. Especially on the heels of the adrenaline from the fight.
And it had been an entire fucking YEAR.
She started to lean toward him, intending on kissing him, but the seat belt she'd forgotten she was wearing caught her, pushing her back with a strangling noise.
"Dammit," she cursed, hitting the button. Zuko let out a soft sound, a laugh, or maybe a moan of longing, as she pushed the belt aside and then pulled her cross-body purse off. She tossed it onto the floorboard with a thump. "Stupid seat belt."
Then she twisted, climbing over the gearshift and into his lap. Zuko didn't seem surprised, guiding her into his lap with his hands on her thighs, just beneath her skirt.
"What are you doing?" he mumbled, as she settled down on top of him, her heart thumping hard in her chest. There wasn't much room between him and the steering wheel, but he didn't seem to mind, especially the way her chest was against his.
"Hopefully you," she said with a smile, and then she kissed him. He groaned immediately, his mouth hot against hers, his fingers digging into her hips beneath her skirt. Suki turned her head, slanting a kiss across his lips that was searing hot. She could taste coffee in his mouth and the faintest copper of blood from his split lip.
She liked the taste of him, her tongue darting into his mouth. He opened to her immediately, one of his hands lifting, sinking into her hair and holding her there against him. The leather seat creaked beneath them as she rolled her hips against him, grinding down into his lap.
She was rewarded immediately by a groan that spilled into her mouth, and by the unmistakable bulge that grew, pressing into her through the fly of his pants.
She had a moment to wonder what exactly she was doing—she'd just met him, and he'd nearly gotten her shot by a couple of gangsters; she should have run screaming the moment the car had stopped—but she didn't care. She wanted him. She had since she'd seen him at the bar, watching her.
She was too horny to make good decisions for once. She was always the responsible one, the one who looked after her friends and made sure they got home safely and didn't drink too much. She was never reckless, never leaped without looking.
Just for once, just once, she was going to get what she wanted.
And it had been a year. A whole year.
She could not be responsible for her hormones after that.
Zuko kissed her hard, his hips lifting a little, right into the heat of her. She broke the kiss and he immediately nibbled his way down her throat, his teeth sinking in. She let out a shivery breath, her eyes closing, her head brushing the roof of the low car.
Her hips ground on his lap, putting pressure on his erection. Teasing him. When he got the straps of her dress down, she bit her lip, grinning as he nuzzled her breasts.
"I love this dress," he mumbled, and then he peeled her nude-colored bra and the bodice of the dress down, exposing both of her breasts. "Fuck..."
The hard moan in his voice was cut off when he drew her breast into his mouth, rolling her nipple across his hot tongue with a slash, his teeth digging in. Suki gasped, clasping his head to her chest, her hips rocking back and forth.
His hands smoothed down her back as he worked her breast in his mouth until everything ached. She could feel her pulse between her legs. Her head buzzed as his hands spread on her hips. He let go of her aching breast and moved to the other one.
"Condom," she managed, gasping as he took a deep pull at her. She'd managed to work her hand between them, her fingers landing on his belt. She opened it just as he lifted his head, panting. His eyes were unfocused, hazy with desire.
"Huh?"
"Do you have any?"
"Uh... No...?" he said, and then cursed. "Sorry. We can... Fuck, we can get some? There might be some place open...? A gas station?"
"No, no... I...I have one in my purse, I think," she said and he immediately leaned to the side, reaching out and snagging her purse from the floor. She moved back to give him room, and her back slammed into the steering wheel. The horn went off with a sharp blast, making her jump and scream a little.
She leaned away from the wheel, her hand over her mouth, face red as Zuko jerked himself back into a sitting position.
"Oops," she giggled, as he grinned and handed her the purse. "You think someone heard that?"
"Probably," he said, lifting her a little, giving him room to get his fly open. She heard his zipper go and her head spun. She was really going to do this... "Here's hoping they don't come investigate."
"We might give them a show," she said, digging furiously through her purse. She finally found the condom in one of the deep side pockets and she pulled it out, tossing her purse down onto the passenger seat. "Oh, thank God..."
She lifted up on her knees some more, her head bent against the ceiling of the car as she opened the packet. Zuko shimmied his pants down. She reached down and grasped his cock and he moaned, tensing as she rolled the condom on with expertise. Her hand followed, shaping him, her heart singing and that thumping pulse right between her legs, where everything was wet with anticipation.
"Are you sure you don't want to go somewhere more romantic? My penthouse is just across the river..."
"Shut up and fuck me, Zuko," she said before her mouth slammed to his again. He kissed her back, his arousal searing her immediately. Her hand stroked him in the little space between their bodies. Zuko's hands got beneath her skirt again, and she felt him grasp the gusset of her panties, pushing them aside.
Together they guided her over him, and when she sank down onto his length, they both sighed into each other's mouths. She eased herself down all of the way, taking every inch of him, the zipper of his pants digging into her thighs.
She clasped his seat, her hips rocking on him, rough and deep, taking him for all that she was worth. Zuko breathed into her mouth and kissed her.
"Suki..."
Her head tipped back as he adjusted, his hands pushing into her hips. She made sure to avoid hitting the steering wheel again, but she was mostly lost in him, in the hot press of his body against hers and the slick friction between her legs. Her head bumped against the roof with each thrust of her hips.
He felt amazing inside of her. She'd never done anything this crazy before, had never slept with a virtual stranger in the park, where anyone could come up and find them. She didn't care one bit about any of it though. She just wanted him.
Zuko seemed just as hungry for her, his hands beneath her dress, his mouth on her neck, her shoulders, digging little bites into her flesh. He took her breasts again, as she writhing in his lap, riding him hard. The car rocked beneath them, the windows fogging up. The air in the car smelled sex and sweat and she loved every single moment of it.
She knew that he was close when he let out a deep rumbling exhale of her name, his fingers digging bruises in her ass. She sped up, feeling her own pleasure mounting, until all she could do was pant, desperate for that high she knew was coming.
He came with a groan, and she followed half a second later, crashing over the precipice so hard and fast all she could do was cling to him. She shook on his lap, sweat rolling down her back. Zuko caught her mouth, kissing her hard, but she tore her mouth away, trying to capture her lost breath.
His head went back against the seat and he breathed hard, his chest rising and falling as he watched her come down. Suki put her hands on his chest, realizing with a start that she'd gotten his shirt open at some point. There was a tattoo on his chest, something large and red. She could see a peek of it through the buttons she'd ripped open.
"Wow," she breathed, her hips stilling on his. She could feel his heartbeat there, deep inside of her. She didn't want to pull away yet; everything was too warm, too slippery. She felt boneless, all of the stress of the fight rolling out of her with an exhale. She met his eyes in the dim light from the bridge overhead.
He was looking at her with a soft expression on his face, his lip bitten.
"Who are you and where have you been my whole fucking life?" he whispered, and then he yanked her forward, slamming a rough kiss to her lips. She kissed him back, her heart squeezing hard in her chest. She knew how he felt. She felt drunk, but she knew she wasn't. She'd only had one drink at the club, not nearly enough to make her feel this lightheaded, this giddy with desire. It was him, and the thrill of doing something so reckless. He made her feel...
Well, like she hadn't felt in a long time. Maybe ever.
The kiss went on, hot and deep, his hands sliding beneath her skirt again. She groaned into his mouth when he lifted her against him and then brought her back down with a thrust that shattered any illusion she'd had that he was spent. Her head buzzed with excitement as she joined him immediately, lost in desire, lost in him.
All she could do was cry out his name when she found her climax a second time, taking him with her. She shook in his arms, her dress half off, pooling around her hips, her bra in a haphazard tangle around her torso. He trembled against her, his mouth lazily running along her neck, sucking at her pulse point. She had a feeling he was going to leave behind love bites.
She laughed against him at the thought. She hadn't had a hickey since she was a teenager.
"What's so funny?" he asked seriously, but she just shook her head, cupping his scarred face.
"You. I feel drunk," she said, lifting off of him. He slipped out of her and she felt warm and boneless as she shifted her underwear back into place.
"You're not, are you?" he asked, worry in his voice.
She kissed his nose. "No. I'm not a lightweight like Kikki."
"Good," he said, letting out a sigh of relief. "I should have made sure of that before."
She laughed. "How did the son of a ruthless gangster end up so damned sweet?"
"My mother," he said sadly. She saw the look in his eyes all of a sudden and stilled on his lap.
"Zuko?"
He let out a breath and shook his head, reaching up and cupping her face. "There's a lot I have to tell you, if you're going to do this. And you shouldn't. Trust me, you shouldn't."
"Too late for that," she said, smiling slightly. "You know, I don't do things like this. I'm not this kind of woman."
"I know you're not," he said seriously. "You're too good for me."
"True," she said, grinning. He smiled, but it faded a moment later.
"I don't want you to get hurt."
"I can handle myself, and you know that. You said it yourself, they might come for me anyway. I'd rather do that by your side. If you want me there."
"You know that I do."
"So stop trying to scare me away," she said. Then she kissed his forehead and slung her leg back over the seat. She moved her purse and sank back into the passenger seat, shifting her dress and bra back into place while Zuko took off the condom and tied a knot in it. He grabbed some fast food napkins out of the glove box and waded it up in them, then stuffed the whole thing back into the box. He snapped it closed and glanced at her.
"I'll throw it away later," he said, embarrassment tinging his face.
She giggled, her fingers against her mouth, still a little punch-drunk. "I've never had sex in a car."
"Me neither," he said, sitting back in his seat. He reached over and touched her knee.
"I've never had sex with a man I just met either," she said pointedly.
"Me neither," he said, and he flashed her a grin. She laughed, tucking her hair behind one ear. He watched her with the light shining in his eyes. He shook his head a little. "I'm so glad I met you tonight, Suki. Even if you end up regretting it. Which you will. I'm still glad I met you."
"I won't regret it," she said and then her voice hardened. "But your father will."
His hand tangled with hers and he held on tightly. "Are you sure about this? You can walk away now. There's a chance they'll leave you alone."
But she shook her head. "I'm not leaving you, Zuko. Besides... Ozai has a lot to answer for. It would be my honor to take him down. He's hurt a lot of people in this city. I won't let you be one of them."
"You really do love a lost cause, don't you?"
Oh yes, I could love you, she thought wildly, and then told her heart to calm down.
"If you're lost, then I'm lost with you," she said instead and she leaned toward him. He kissed her, softly, and she could feel his fear in that kiss. He was scared, for her, for himself. She held on tightly and didn't let go until the sound of a phone ringing broke them apart.
She thought it was her phone for a moment, but Zuko fished his own phone out of his back pocket, cursing a little as he glanced at the screen.
"It's my sister," he said tightly, and then he answered it. "What do you want, Azula?"
Suki could hear Azula's cold drawl in the still, sex-scented air in the car. She tugged her dress down, trying not to listen, but she couldn't help it.
"He's tracking your phone. Ditch it," Azula said. Zuko looked at Suki, brows rising.
"What?"
"You heard me. And don't come back to the club. He knows what you did. He knows you took the money, Zuko. He sent Baan and Le Tang out to bring you in. They have orders to shoot you if you don't cooperate."
Zuko started as Suki lifted a hand to her mouth.
"Yeah, I got that message earlier," Zuko said darkly. "Why are you telling me this, Azula?"
"You're my brother, you assface piece of shit, why else? Why did you take the money?"
"I had to. It's the only way I'm getting free of him. And I know what he was going to do with it. I can't let him get away with it. Not again."
"You're an idiot if you think you can get away," Azula said angrily, her voice tense over the line. "But you'd better take that money and run anyway. Run as far away as you can and pray he doesn't find you. And ditch your phone. Idiot! And if he asked we never talked, you understand me?"
"Yeah, Azula. I understand. Thank you."
"Stay alive, jerk."
The line went dead, and Zuko pulled the phone back, staring at the screen. He shook his head, looking stunned. "She's always been full of surprises."
"What was she talking about? What money?"
But Zuko got out of the car with a huff, leaving the door open. Suki scrambled to follow, climbing out of the car and crossing her arms over her chest. The air was chilly by the river, the wind rising, pushing her sweaty hair off of her neck. She watched as Zuko flung his phone into the river with a splash.
He stood there, his shoulder stiff, the lights from the bridge splashing in red flashes across his handsome, scarred face. Suki walked up to him, her legs shaking a little, her bare feet sinking into the mud and rocks on the riverbank.
She touched his shoulder and he turned on her, his eyes tormented.
"I have to leave the city," he said. "Tonight. Azula's right. If he knows about the money, then I'm a dead man walking. This is about more than me joining him."
"What money?"
"It's a long story. I found out about one of his back alley deals. You don't need the details. It was... The money was supposed to go toward his newest business. Human trafficking. I robbed him blind. Every last cent. I thought I'd covered my tracks, but... He knows."
He glanced at the river, where a barge was slowly drifting with the current, blowing its horn with a mournful bellow. His expression was dark, unhappy.
"At least I'll take tonight with me," he said softly, turning back to her. He cupped her face and looked into her eyes. "I'll never forget you."
Suki knew what he was saying and her heart skipped several beats. He was going to leave tonight. He was going to leave her.
Her brow lifted. "You think I'm a one-night stand kind of girl?"
He frowned. "Suki..."
She stepped closed, throwing her arms around his neck. He put his arms around her waist immediately, and that told her everything she needed to know. "I'm not. I told you I was in this with you. I'm your bodyguard, Zuko. If you're leaving the city, I'm leaving with you. For my own safety, I think I have to. They knew my name, where I lived. They'll find me."
He looked at her with wonder in his eyes. "You'd do that? Just leave?"
"Tam will be pissed off that I'll miss her wedding, but I'm not leaving much behind, Zuko. That is...if you want me to come?"
Zuko hitched a little smile onto his lips, tightening his hold on her. "Since I saw you in the window of that dojo, the only thing I've wanted is to get to know you. I thought about you for weeks, and then there you were, in my club... I'm not about to let you go now."
"Then I guess you're stuck with me," she said, grinning. She let out a laugh, and it was all nerves. "I can't believe I'm doing this."
"Me neither. We have to go now. Before he tracks my phone again. I have the money stashed in a car the outer ring, one he doesn't know about. We can ditch this car and switch. We can be a hundred miles away before the sun comes up. I'll take you to your apartment, you can pack a bag."
But she shook her head. "I'm not leaving anything important behind. We can get clothes on the way."
"Are you sure?"
"I am," she said, and she kissed him. Zuko kissed her back, and she felt her stomach turn over, fear and excitement running hard through her. He pulled back.
"What are you going to tell your friends?"
"That I ran away with a gangster's son," she said and then laughed. "They'll never believe it. Not of me."
"Come on," he said, picking her up so that she didn't have to walk through the mud again. "We'll get you some shoes as soon as we're somewhere safe."
They got into the car and he pulled out of the park, taking the streets to the bridge on-ramp. They started over the bridge, heading for the interstate that would take them out of the sprawling metropolis that was the heart of his father's power.
Her heart slammed hard in her chest. This was crazy and she knew it.
But when he reached over, taking her hand, she held on tightly and then rolled the window down. The wind rushed over her and she breathed in the smell of the night, of freedom.
Whatever happened, she wasn't going to regret tonight or meeting him. And if his father came for him, she'd fight by his side.
Come for us, Ozai, she thought fiercely as Zuko floored it, the engine growling like a beast. Come for us if you dare.
"Maybe when we're safely out of the city we could stop?" she said. Zuko glanced at her, question in his eyes. "For dessert."
He smiled and hit the gas, lifting her hand to his mouth. "It's a date."
(end?)