I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. It belongs to its respective owners.

This idea came to me when I rewatched the episode "Zuko Alone" with a friend. Out of nowhere he says:

"Zuko's mom is kinda hot."

I had never thought of that before. Now I'm writing this.

For context, I am using an OC because I don't feel like getting into incest with Zuko, Sokka doesn't make sense to me, and Aang is too innocent for me to want to make a lemon with him. So I made my own character for that.

With that out of the way, enjoy!

Ursa felt two flashes when she opened her eyes again.

The first one was a flash of memories. She remembered what had happened in the last week. The threat Ozai made against Zuko. The deal she made with her horrible husband. The price she would have to pay for that deal.

She remembered the journey she had to make to escape Caldera. The ferry that carried her away from the palace had been the only time she had any aid when trying to reach Hira'a. It was her hometown and the only place where Ozai would never bother to look for her. It was beneath his notice.

After leaving the ferry, Ursa had to disguise herself to move through markets and towns without being recognized. If anyone saw that she was the former princess, it would cause a stir that might make Ozai act. And she could not risk her children any more than she already had.

She remembered that the journey had been anxious but also steady. She made it through the cities and villages until she reached the forest. One that she could discreetly walkthrough for a few days until she reached her old home. A place where she could finally feel some safety.

Her last memory was a pain below her legs and a sudden loss of consciousness.

The second flash that Ursa felt was one of surprising heat. Her body was warm. Warmer than she liked.

She realized the cause when she noticed all of the blankets on her. She was on a bed inside a plain wood room, with a pile of at least three large blankets covering her body. Taking off the blankets, Ursa noticed two major changes.

One was her clothes. She had been wearing only a plain red dress throughout her journey. One that did not hamper her mobility. But she wasn't wearing that right now. Instead, she was only wearing a red vest that did not cover her shoulders and seemed a tad large for her, falling below her waist. She had red leggings that reached to her shins. This was sleepwear for islanders. But how did she get it?

The other was her right foot. It was bandaged around her ankle. She tried to examine her ankle, but she found that touching it caused a short but noticeable pain in her foot.

The first thing Ursa noticed about the person who walked inside the room was how young he was. From a glance, he seemed to only be a few older than her own son. Perhaps close to sixteen? And with his tan-brown skin and unruly black hair, along with his simple clothes of a red shirt and brown leggings, he seemed like someone who was used to living outside.

Another she noticed was how relaxed he looked.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Kazon," the stranger introduced himself. "I bought you here because of the strain on your foot. I had medicine to help with it."

That explained how the bandages had been placed on her foot. But it didn't explain other things.

"Why am I here? And where am I, to be precise?"

"You're here because I decided to help you. As for where this is a cabin in the forest. There isn't any more information needed about that."

Ursa frowned at the boy. "I disagree. Why is there is a cabin in these woods?"

"Because someone lives in it."

"Why would someone live here when there is a town only a few miles away? The locals even said to avoid it."

"They never told me that," Kazon said. Something about the way he said it made the situation clearer for Ursa. But it raised another question.

"If you live out here, does that mean there are others as well?"

"If there were, I would be gone."

"Why?"

"You have asked a lot of questions. I'm surprised none of them relate to your foot," Kazon pointed out.

"I managed to put a few things together myself. How did you manage to treat the injury?" Ursa asked.

"I always have medical supplies with me in case something happens. I was surprised to find an injured person unconscious in the woods, but it did make for good practice."

"You make it sound as though you have little experience treating others. Should I be concerned?"

Kazon only smirked. "You seem fine to me. Although, with no one else available, you could consider yourself lucky that I found you."

Ursa had to concede that point. "That may be true? But why did you help me?"

Kazon frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You make it sound as though helping me was an inconvenience. So why do it?"

"Just because I like to be alone doesn't mean I would leave someone to die. I'm not a monster," Kazon said, his tone sounding almost offended.

"I never insinuated that you might be one."

"And I appreciate that," Kazon said as he left a bag on the edge of the bed. "Your sprain was bad, but it won't leave any lasting damage. I would recommend staying in the bed at least for today. That's why I bought food and some medicine here."

Curious, Ursa opened the bag. There was fruit, jerky, and a small bottle with a liquid inside.

"You're asking me to stay in a bed for today? Is this going to be the same for tomorrow?"

"I'm not sure. We can discuss that later when I return."

Ursa frowned. "Return? Where are you going?"

"I need to hunt if I want the supplies to not run out. I should be back before it gets dark. If something happens, just..."

Kazon took a moment to come up with a solution. He ended up opening the window.

"Scream out of here. I should be able to hear you."

Ursa had some concerns. Some of them lied with the fact that Kazon seemed to be making things up as he went along. Which was not ideal for a person who was apparently taking care of her.

But he had already closed the door behind him before Ursa could even put a thought together.

Which left her nothing to do except lie in that bed in a boring room.

Later...

The jerky was dry, and the medicine predictably did not taste very appealing. The fruit was without a doubt the best thing she was able to eat, being both flavorful and juicy. She had never eaten that specific fruit, but she assumed it was a type of mango.

Eating had been the highlight of her day, given that her other option was literally doing nothing but lying in a bed. At least eating gave her an excuse to sit up. She had at one point tried to stand and walk around the room, but the pain that came from her sprained foot would not allow it.

She could see the sun about to set from outside the open window. That meant that Kazon would be returning at any moment, assuming that his word was good. She sincerely hoped the boy's word was good. Being trapped with a stranger was one issue. Being trapped with an honor-less stranger would be another.

It was that thought that kept her mind occupied when the door to the room finally opened.

"Right on time," Kazon complimented himself as he came inside. "I got food, and I bought you some medicine."

"From where?"

"There are plants in the area. And I used to know a herbalist."

Ursa wanted to question him further. But Kazon did not give her a chance to. Kazon quickly left the food and vial on her bed before heading back to the door.

"That should keep you well until tomorrow. We can go over your situation then. Good night."

"Hold on Kazon. I-"

He had already slid the door shut before Ursa could finish her question. Which left her with nothing to do but wait.

Kazon had a feeling that he had come across as rude. But it wasn't like he could do anything about that. If he wanted to finish his work and still get at least a few hours of sleep, he needed to focus on the work alone.

He had to admit, this was certainly an interesting week for him. Ever since he had moved into the forest, social interaction had become as rare as a spirit sighting. So he was incredibly surprised to find a person in the woods while he was hunting. Especially a very pretty woman with-

Kazon, stay focused. Remember what father always said. Don't get distracted out there.

Shaking his head, Kazon went outside the front door of the cabin and stood on the porch. Using his firebending, he lit the lamp that hung right off the post. With an ample supply of light, he got back to work on his project. He cut up the wood he needed and started to tie it together. He hoped that she...

"Huh." Kazon shook his head when he made a realization. He had never asked her name.

...

Ursa had trouble sleeping. Having been stuck in the bed all day already, she was not eager to just stay there for another several hour.

She wanted to know where she was. And she was not about to just let a teenage boy make her stay. He seemed like a nice enough young man (for someone who lived in the forest and confined her to a bed), but she left behind one environment where she was forced to obey. She did not want to be trapped by another.

Ursa had to be careful. Her foot did not feel so well, so she had to be careful not to put weight on it. She would have to hop on her other foot, and hopefully not make so much noise that Kazon would wake up.

Luckily, there was sunlight coming in from the open window. She was able to use that little amount of light to carefully step out of the bed and move towards the wall. Once she had her hands pressed on it for support, Ursa began to scale her way towards the door. She made sure not to put too much weight on her foot, and to not make too much noise.

Once she reached the door, she slid it open and peered to the inside of the cabin.

Ursa had to admit that for a small cabin hidden in the woods, Kazon's home was impressively stocked. She could see the outline of what seemed to be a kitchen in the dark, and it seemed spacious. There also seemed to be a shelf that housed a few scrolls, though she couldn't tell due to the darkness. It was at times like this that she wished she could firebend.

Keeping her hand on the wall and her bad foot off the ground, Ursa moved closer to what seemed to be the bookshelf. If she could take a scroll to read under the moonlight, she would be satisfied.

She managed to make it to the shelf, taking one of the scrolls. Unfortunately, her grip on the scroll slipped, and it fell out of her hands. And on the to the floor.

"Who's there?!"

The front door smashed open, and Kazon barged inside with a ball of fire in his hand. Ursa was so taken aback that she fell to the ground. Thankfully, not on her injured foot.

"What the-?"

Kazon held the flame and moved to one of the lanterns in the living room. He set it, using it to illuminate the room. Kazon could now look down on the sitting older woman. "What are you doing?"

"I was hoping to move outside of that room for a while. I did not wish to feel imprisoned," Ursa explained. "I am sorry for disturbing you."

"You- you felt like that was imprisonment?"

Ursa immediately fixed her wording. "No, no. That was an exaggeration. I was just tired of being in there. I would have liked to move a bit."

"I'm sorry. I should have been more considerate. It's just..." Kazon struggled to get the next part out. "I haven't had guests in a long while."

Ursa frowned. "Why is that?"

"Give me a moment," Kazon said without answering Ursa. "I have something outside for you."

Kazon quickly walked outside the front door. He returned just as quickly with a wooden crutch.

"Where did you get that?" Ursa asked. He had mentioned being able to get medicine, but never anything about tools.

"I made it. I had some wood that hadn't been used, so I put it to use," Kazon explained. He walked up to Ursa and offered her the crutch. "Do you want to try it?"

Ursa, who liked the idea of being able to move with less inhibition, nodded. She reached up and grabbed ahold of the crutch.

"Careful. Let me help."

Kazon grabbed a hold of Ursa's other arms, hoisting himself under it and helping her to lift herself. Once Ursa was standing, she tested her weight on the crutch.

"It works."

"That's good. I would have had to catch you if it broke."

"And I would have appreciated it," Ursa said with a smile. A smile that made Kazon feel warmer inside than he had in a long time. A warmth that subsided when Ursa spoke again.

"But you didn't answer my question? Why am I your first guest in years? And as a matter of fact, why do you live alone?"

Kazon frowned, clearly unhappy with the question. But rather than lash out or yell like someone else Ursa knew, he simply bent down and picked up the dropped scroll. Looking at it once, he handed it to Ursa.

"You can read this to find out. I should go to bed."

"Kazon..."

"I have work to do once the sun is up. And this... isn't a subject I like to touch."

Kazon turned around, but then he paused.

"stupid..." he muttered under his breath. "I didn't ask your name."

Ursa offered a small smile as both a courtesy and a light apology for upsetting him.

"Ursa. My name is Ursa."

Kazon vaguely recognized that name. But it didn't matter too much to him. He was tired.

"You'll be able to go back in your room yourself, correct?"

"Yes."

"Alright. Just yell if you need me. Good night."

Kazon walked past Ursa, entering a room that was only a few feet from the kitchen. He quickly closed it behind himself, leaving Ursa alone in the living room.

Once he was gone, Ursa was able to finally realize her situation. She had run away from the royal palace, injured her foot, and now had to rely on a young man to help her.

A strange place to be.

Pushing those thoughts from her mind, Ursa opened the scroll. And saw a wanted poster.

A man by the name of Yun Gao. A deserter. But what caught her eye the most was the writing at the bottom.

Wanted Dead or Alive. 200 Coins. Son Also Missing.

"Son...?"

The truth clicked for Ursa. Kazon's father was a deserter. And being his son, Kazon was subject to a similar fate. Even though he likely hadn't done anything.

Had her nation truly fallen to this?

Ursa shook her head as she put the scroll away. She had had enough for one night. She walked with the crutch back to her room.

Kazon took his head out of the bucket of cold water after five seconds. As he dried himself off, he did his best to calm down. He had expected his first human interaction in years to be soldiers coming to arrest him.

A beautiful woman was the last thing he expected.

Sure, she had been injured at the time, and his instincts told him to help her. But the more he saw her, the more had to admire her beauty. Being the first woman he had seen in years might play a part, but he knew there was more to her than that. Aside from her thin frame and ivory skin, there was an elegance to her.

Even with her injury, she moved with more grace than Kazon thought was common for women. Even if his experience was limited, Kazon knew she was special. Just the way she spoke, with a soft and gentle voice against her full lips...

Kazon dropped his head on the pillow and forced himself to calm down. He was only helping a person until she could return to where she needs to go. He was better off alone.

After that night, the interactions between Ursa and Kazon become somewhat more comfortable. The former princess was still confined to the bed for a few days, but the crutch Kazon had constructed for her allowed her more mobility inside the house. Kazon had suggested not going outside just yet, on account of the uneven and rocky terrain of the forest.

For now, Ursa was inclined to agree.

She entertained herself by exploring the small home while Kazon was out hunting. She learned where he kept his scrolls, where he hid his meat and the fact that the cabin had an underground cellar hidden under the carpet. Likely in case of an emergency.

On this day, Ursa was sitting outside the cabin on a chair Kazon had left there. It was anything extravagant, but it allowed her to relax while her foot finished healing. It also allowed her a nice view of the forest from outside the cabin. She could hear the wind whistle in the trees and the birds make their noises.

And it was on this day, when her foot was feeling much better than before, that she saw Kazon walking to the cabin, wood in his back sack. They waved at each other. And once Kazon was at his home, he left the wood on the porch.

"I'm assuming nothing new has happened while I was gone?"

"Aside from finding a nice view, nothing," Ursa informed. It was often strange talking to a teenager with more ease than she had with anyone back at the palace, but she had become used to it. Kazon certainly didn't mind, and neither did she.

But there was still one thing that bothered her.

"Kazon, how do you manage it?"

"Hm?"

"Living out here alone. How are you able to deal with it?"

Kazon sighed as he realized he would have to get into this. He didn't like the topic.

"My grandfather built the cabin years ago, but he kept it in the family. When my father... he moved and I here. he's not here anymore, but he had taught me how to survive. And the fewer people know I'm here, the better."

Ursa could understand. Having been forced to leave her home herself, she could understand the feeling of being unable to return home. But while she could return to Hira'a and reconnect with old friends and flames, Kazon seemed to have it worse. He could not interact with anyone for the risk of being discovered and imprisoned. He was all alone.

It didn't seem fair to her.

Ursa was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice she knocked her crutch over.

"Let me get it."

"No, it's fine," Ursa said as she leaned down to get her crutch. But Kazon was faster. He picked it up and leaned upward to hand it to her.

"Here it-"

Their faces were now only inches apart. For the first time, Kazon could see the pale and elegant woman up close. Her skin was still smooth, even after all the time in the forest. Her eyes were warmer up close. And her lips... they...

"Kazon?"

Without a second thought, Kazon leaned forward and kissed Ursa. He pulled away just as quickly.

"I'm sorry. I don't why I did that," Kazon stammered. "It's just... you were... you are... I..."

Kazon was shut up when Ursa suddenly returned the kiss. She grabbed his face and pulled him towards hers. She couldn't say why she did it.

Maybe she wanted to feel some sort of warmth after escaping Ozai's unyielding cold. Maybe kissing this younger boy helped her feel stronger after spending so many years in a position of weakness. Or maybe she was lonelier than she thought she was.

But Ursa also quickly pulled away.

"You said my foot is healed, correct?" Ursa said quickly. She watched Kazon struggle to reorganize his thoughts and answer.

"Um, yeah. Yes, it is."

"I see," Ursa said without any change in her tone. "Do you know how to reach Hira'a from here?"

Kazon nodded. "I do. I... I can lead you there tomorrow. It's getting late."

"I would like that. Thank you, Kazon. I will be happy to return home."

As her younger companion nodded, Ursa tried her best to convince herself that she meant any of the words she had said.

This is where I will stop for now. For anyone who is wondering, all the 'steamy' stuff will be in the next chapter. I currently am planning this as a three-shot.

Anyway, feel free to leave reviews, and I will see you all when the next part is up.

Later!