Azula watched him intently. His hands were quickly and gently changing the bandages on her left arm. The wound wasn't as critical as the ones she had previously inflicted on herself, but the pain in her brother's eyes as he tended to it was visible.
Zuko wasn't completely unharmed either. There were some small burns on his hands and forearms, and mostly healed, nearly imperceptible ones on his face. They were the result of her moments of both rage and panic. Sometimes the resentment she felt for brother's victory in the war took over her. Sometimes the nightmares and hallucinations were too much to bear, and she would be terrified of anything and anyone that got too close to her.
However, that night, for the first time in nearly a year and a half, she felt no desire to hurt him, or to protect herself from him in any way. Azula looked and looked at him, but she could not see the enemy that merely happened to have the same blood that ran through her veins running through his. All she could see was her brother. The kind, innocent boy that was once her friend. The merciful man that had spared her life after everything she did. The only one who didn't turn his back on her, even when she herself told him to do so.
Maybe it was the medication, and the effort of all the doctors and healers. Maybe Zuko's actions had finally gotten through to her. Maybe she was just tired of trying to hurt others, only to end up destroying herself all over again.
"Stay" Azula asked him as he was finishing the bandage on her arm.
Zuko looked up at her, his eyes wide "What did you say?" She could hear the hope in his voice, but his tone was more surprised than pleased.
Azula couldn't blame him. It was a strange request coming from her. When Zuko spared her life and didn't have Aang take away her bending, she called him a fool. When he brought the best doctors in the whole world to the palace so she wouldn't have to be sent away, she refused to cooperate and often went against their orders. Even after he'd rush to her side in the middle of the night and comfort her when she'd wake up screaming and crying, she would kick him out of her room as soon she'd come back to her senses.
"I don't want to be alone. I feel safer when you're around" she said, a bit ashamed of herself for admitting something like that.
You're pathetic, a familiar voice reprimanded her.
Zuko got up, a smile on his face. "I'll be right back, okay?" Azula nodded and returned his smile despite herself. Not even a whole minute had passed before he walked through the door again, wearing his robe.
They lied down facing each other, a peaceful silence allowing them to relax and slowly drift into sleep. That night was one of the few since the day of Sozin's comet in which Azula didn't have any dreams and actually slept until morning. As she woke up, she felt her brother gently run his fingers through her hair. He was lying against a few pillows, and had a scroll in his other hand. She closed her eyes and allowed him to go on, the pleasant touch causing her to drift off again.
