The thin wispy clouds high above Kyoshi Island, a shimmering mixture of golds, reds and oranges by virtue of the setting sun, sat against a slowly encroaching navy sky. Distant, heavy clouds hung ominously over the sea and drifted ever closer from the black eastern sky. Light snowfall drifted from the peaks of the three surrounding mountain peaks down into the valley below. While the lower half of Kyoshi Island was still mostly snow-free, in another couple of weeks, the whole island would turn white.
Delighting in the crunch of snow beneath her boots, Suki ambled down the well-worn path from the dojo towards the village of Izutani. Despite the chill breeze, her Kyoshi uniform kept her warm. Kyoshi had made a perfect uniform; highly protective, flexible, light, and comfortable in nearly all kinds of weather. However, after a few moments of peaceful quiet, in spite of the uniform, she wrapped an arm around and hugged herself.
The talk of Sokka had caught her off guard. During her first few days on the island she had spent some time asking around if any letters addressed to her had been delivered, hoping to hear Sokka's name, but to no avail. It hadn't bothered her too much at the time, other than the initial disappointment she had felt. She knew any letter was likely on her desk in the Royal Palace. Yet, the lack of response from him now weighed on her mind much more after this day's training session.
Bringing her gloved hands to her face, she sighed into them and watched her cold breath drift into the air. The time between her letter to him and leaving for Ba Sing Se should have been enough for a response to arrive from the Southern Water Tribe. It surely must have been delayed…? She shook her head slowly. Perhaps he had been angrier than she had expected?
"Sokka is the type to take things like this emotionally," she muttered to herself. She stopped for a moment as another sigh left her. "But it usually didn't take him long to calm down and think more rationally." It wasn't uncommon for an argument between them to quickly subside into apologies, discussion, hugs, and kisses once that rational part of him took control.
A small, soft smile passed her lips. She could already hear his adorable, whiny voice in her mind complaining that he was always rational and intelligent; handsomely so, even!
She straightened herself and continued walking. She would wait until she was back in the Fire Nation to find the letter waiting for her. As she neared Ume and Aunt Eiko's house, she felt settled. There would definitely be one waiting for her.
And if there wasn't? Suki halted in her tracks again, but her thoughts were interrupted by a friendly shout.
Ume, an axe in hand and chopped firewood gathered around her feet, saluted Suki with a raise of the axe. Suki smiled, saluted back, and drove onwards as the sound of wood being split continued. Pushing those intrusive thoughts away, she hurried down the village path. She had come to Kyoshi Island to relax and calm her mind, and that was what she was going to do.
Coming under the shadow of the mountain as the sun sank behind it, the temperature dropped noticeably. She was eager to return home to her parents; she still had so much to talk to them about. However, there was still a message she had to deliver to Zuko first. Besides, she had to berate him for leaving the meeting without a guard too.
She had proposed an idea to the elders in the hall after Zuko had left, and they decided to leave it in her hands. She picked up the pace, a distinguishable hop in her step as she came into the village. Lanterns, hanging from the overheads of the thatched roofs, illuminated the street and houses below. The few people on the street lowered their voices as Suki passed. The Kyoshi Warrior marched down the slope of her village, giving a quick friendly nod to those close to her path. Oblivious to the unusual way they watched her, or the hushed discussions that took place, she headed towards the guesthouse of Zuko.
Zuko sat in sombre silence, an empty, tea-stained cup placed on the table to his left. A few candles barely kept the space visible as night descended. With one arm folded across himself to prop up the elbow of the other, his other hand stroked the light stubble on his jaw while he stared at nothing in particular. He had rushed from Nishigādo while maintaining his noble demeanour and headed straight for his guesthouse. His mind had been racing as he stepped in through the door, and tea had done little to calm his nerves.
He had been sitting in this same position for a few hours, debating the same questions over and over. Should he tell Suki of what happened today? Would that just make things worse? She had struggled with coming here in the first place, facing whatever her worries were. He didn't want to cause her any unnecessary hurt. Yet, did she not have a right to know how Hitomi had disrespected her?
He moved his hand up from his jaw, and lightly pinched the bridge of his nose. Of course, she does. It would be better for her to be prepared if Hitomi was to pounce on her. His hand fell from his face and into his lap as he eyed his headpiece. We faced much worse together during the war.
The large golden Fire Lord headpiece, which sat on a small dresser on the other side of the room, reflected the few lit candles around the room. He tore his eyes away from it and let out an exasperated breath.
Zuko knew well the difficulty and pain of Suki's now-well-founded fear. He had faced an extreme form of it; shunned by his own father and banished from his homeland. But even then, that had only occurred by the sole will of his father. For Suki, Kyoshi was a tight-knit community; if a large portion of the island came to dislike, and possibly even hate her for whatever reasons Hitomi had, that could cause problems. Zuko's lips pulled inward, forming a thin line.
What issues does Hitomi have with Suki?
Hitomi's dislike of him and some of her reasons towards Suki were quite clear, but that was the question he continued coming back to, nonetheless. Thinking back on their confrontation, he returned his hand to stroking his chin.
Zuko kept his voice low. "She called her a 'traitorous…'" Zuko cleared his throat, closed his eyes and exhaled deeply through his nose. Opening his eyes, he took no notice of the smoke that now slowly rose in front of him, to the ceiling, and drifted through the ajar window.
In what way could Suki be a traitor? She had done nothing but improve the reputation and standing of the Kyoshi Warriors across the Fire Nation. During their first few months, snide remarks and disrespectful comments had been fraught within the Royal Caldera. Even the previous Captain of the Guard, an old veteran by the nickname of Nook, considered it a slight against the Fire Nation needing help from such people. Yet, it was Suki, through her prudence, fortitude, determination, and, at least most of the time, professionalism, alongside the great shows of skill and discipline of the Kyoshi Warriors, that changed things.
It was only during the appointment of Suki as Captain of the Guard, and the retirement of Nook, when he spoke of them as 'one of the finest fighting forces to have ever come under the banner of the Fire Lord, and a testament to that resilient people of Kyoshi Island', that the weight of her actions were truly felt. Zuko had overseen the publication of that speech by royal decree across the Fire Nation to cement Suki's accomplishments, and personally sent one to Kyoshi Island. How could Hitomi possibly believe Suki had harmed and betrayed Kyoshi Island?
He swept his hand through his hair. Jealousy? Surely not. Hitomi's words were more than the spawn of jealousy, right? Was it possible she—
A series of sharp knocks coming from the entrance of the house snapped him out of his thoughts. With a grimace and the casual raise of a single hand while he stepped towards the door, the unlit candles around the room flickered to life, and the others burned brighter, quickly chasing away the creeping dark. He slid the door open.
Thoughts of Hitomi vanished and the grimace fell from his face, replaced by an almost hypnotised expression. Zuko took no notice of the brisk winter breeze that blew past him and into the house; he didn't feel it. The rest of the world dimmed behind the glow of the rosy-cheeked face and sparkling blue eyes, further emphasised by the surrounding bright white snow, looking up at him.
It had been in the carriage in Ba Sing Se that he had last seen her without any make-up; her natural beauty left him speechless that day. It did again. She brushed a strand of auburn hair off her face. His heart pounded in his chest.
"There you are," Suki said, smiling as she stepped onto the raised wooden platform that extended to both sides of the house. "I thought you must have been out or asleep; I had to knock twice."
Zuko blinked a few times before returning the smile. "I wasn't asleep. S... sorry, I was…"
"Lost in your thoughts?" She finished for him with a smirk. "When aren't you?" She tilted her head at the harried tiredness in his face. She scanned behind him. "Sorry, did I interrupt something?"
"Oh, no. Not at all. I just wasn't expecting you," Zuko said, moving to the side and gesturing to the entrance. "Would you like a cup of tea?"
Stepping into the house, Suki breathed into and rubbed her hands together. "Thanks, but I won't be spending too long here. I just have a little message for you, from the summit this morning." Zuko followed behind her, sliding the door closed. Suki turned, cocked an eyebrow, and with feigned annoyance, pursed her lips. "I hope you had fun wandering around Kyoshi Island with nobody at your side." Her lips turned upward into a smile. "It's good to know I don't have to return to the Fire Nation and let them know I lost their monarch."
However, Zuko didn't share her smile. His jaw locked up with the skin of his neck going taut; the muscles at the side of his neck bulged out. Suki knitted her eyebrows and quickly scanned the room again before looking back to him. "Zuko, what's wrong?" She held out her hand to him. "Did something happen?"
Zuko released the tension around his jaw and let out a slow sigh, his head dropping. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it after a few moments. She tilted her head at him. Returning to his normal posture, he tried again before shaking his head. "I think we should sit down. I'll make us both tea and explain then."
Suki stared at him and began to protest, until she threw her arms down in frustration. Her mom would have to wait. She sat down on a cushion at the edge of the main table, the fireplace just to her side, which burst to life as Zuko passed. Mumbling a thanks, she removed her gloves and brought her hands close. A nervous knot built up in her stomach as she stared into the fire.
After a few minutes, Zuko returned with two cups on a small salver. He handed Suki her cup before sitting down opposite her.
Neither spoke.
Suki motioned towards the silent Fire Lord with a nod.
Suki tapped the edge of her cup with her fingernail.
Suki crossed her arms. "Zuko, can you please just tell me what's the problem? What happened?"
He cleared his throat. "A… couple of things happened today." He reached up and scratched the back of his neck. "Although, it's less my problem, and more the problem Hitomi has with… well, with both of us."
Suki's eyes widened and her body stiffened. She stared into the worried eyes of Zuko, and as he continued, all her fears battered at the palisade of her mind, some already flooding in through the cracks.
The bright sun, hovering high over Kyoshi Island in the clear blue sky, shone across the gently lapping waves along the shore. A light breeze blew in from the sea, keeping the people of the island cool in the early summer heat. In the wide natural harbour sat a large metal transport ship which dwarfed the few small wooden fishing boats further out. It bore the insignia of the Fire Nation. Fire Nation sailors, out of their regular uniform and in more comfortable sailing outfits, worked alongside the wary people of Kyoshi as they brought supplies for the return journey to the Fire Nation Capital.
A large gathering of people stood on the beach, a mix of green and blue clothing. Kyoshi Warriors, their families, and friends chatted away; some hugged the girls about to leave for an unknown amount of time; mothers made sure they had everything packed; fathers did their best to not let their sadness show on their face.
Others inspected the metal ship or kept an eye on the Fire Nation soldiers. Ty Lee bounced between both groups with no care of the uneasiness. She could barely stand still, hopping from foot to foot when stood in one place. Her aura was practically glowing!
A small group of elders, Oyaji among them, watched everything. With one exception, they made no effort to hide the fact they disliked what was occurring before them.
Hidden amongst the treeline just along the edge of the beach, Kasumi rested her head against the chest of her boyfriend, a tall, lean yet well-built, good-looking young man. The couple stood in silence; arms wrapped around each other as they gently swayed side to side. They had spent the last couple of hours alone just enjoying each other's company.
Kasumi heard her mother and father calling for her on the beach and they slowly eased apart, but kept their hands entwined. She looked up at him, both sharing the same sad smile. She grinned before she stole a kiss and started walking backwards, playfully pulling Daigo along to the sound of her parents' calls.
Ami and Maiko strolled through the streets of Nishigādo alongside the other girls of the village who were travelling too, with Mikku and a few of their sisters seeing them off. Waves and goodbyes were called out to the leaving Kyoshi Warriors as they made their way towards the surrounding forest.
Earlier, The Kyoshi Warriors of Nishigādo had all been brought together for one last practice, with Hitomi leading them slowly through their forms and patterns. They had a group goodbye, where Hitomi, while not hiding her displeasure of them leaving, still hugged and wished them all luck, and hoped to see them again soon. She had left soon after, and the rest of the girls got into groups to see off their friends.
Further inland, in the dojo of Izutani, the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, resting on her knees, quietly sat alone in the middle of the dojo hall, facing away from the open door and towards the painted image of Kyoshi on the wall. Her eyes were closed, palms rested on her thighs, and the only sound was that of her slow deep breaths. She had come here after sharing a small drink with Ume and Aunt Eiko.
After a few minutes, she opened her eyes and looked around. The hall was in perfect condition; one could never have suspected the intense training she had put her sisters through only a few hours ago. Those coming with her would probably sleep through their journey to the Fire Nation.
She wore an excited smile, yet it was tinged with sadness. She wasn't sure how long it would be until she stepped back in this dojo, but an invigorating energy was building at the prospect of heading outside the island again.
She had begun organising for a small group of ten to twenty Kyoshi Warriors, although she had no idea how many would actually be coming until the ship set off, the instant she had finished reading Mai's letter. For such a stoic woman, Suki could easily feel the urgency in her writing.
She had heard bits and pieces of the dealings between the Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation and the colonies; poor Zuko must be stressed out of his mind trying to deal with it all. And having to worry about assassination attempts on top of that? Suki sat up a bit straighter. With the Kyoshi Warriors by his side, he'd have one less thing to worry about, she'd make sure of that. Hopefully, that would be enough.
Zuko was lucky to have Mai at his side; he needed someone to help bear that load he carried and confide in. She tilted her head slightly as she thought back on the letter. Mai had told her about the attempts on his life but seemed to focus more on the stress Zuko was under. Suki pulled her lips tight and placed one arm across her body. She knew all too well that promise Aang had made… Does Mai worry that there may be a bigger issue going on with him? She sighed and pursed her lips.
Could Mai need her help in other ways than just protection? Another few friendly faces amidst the palace? There were still talks of searching for his mother. What did Mai have planned for –
The crunch of gravel underfoot a short distance from the dojo pulled her thoughts back to present. It was probably her mother letting her know to start heading down to the bay to set sail. She had spent a couple hours with her parents, and her mother was going to come to see her off. She clasped her hands together and held them close to her chest. She hoped she saw her dad in his fishing boat as they sailed past. Her shoulders dropped slightly, and she looked around the hall once more until she settled on the comforting image of Kyoshi.
Has it already been an hour?
There was a sharp knock on the wooden frame. She glanced back, a smile on her face, which quickly vanished when she found Hitomi standing in the doorway. The middle knuckle of her upturned hand still lingered on the wood. The emerald-eyed girl's gaze locked onto the kneeling woman, and she slowly lowered her hand to her side. "Do you mind if I come in?"
Suki tilted her head before placing her hands on the floor and getting to her feet. "You don't need to ask, Hitomi. You're always welcome here." Hitomi leaned against the frame. Lowering her gaze and folding her arms against her chest, she sighed.
"I just thought that maybe after the elders' meeting… you might not want to see me." She raised her head and looked Suki in the eyes. Her jaw tensed. "I don't like this."
Suki placed a hand on her hip and shook her head. "I know things got a bit… heated during the discussions. But the elders, while not happy with it, agreed that—"
"I don't care about what the elders said!" Hitomi pushed off the doorframe and stepped into the hall. "A large group of Kyoshi Warriors going to protect the Fire Lord? Why would we do that?" She splayed her arms out wide. "Surely, the Fire Nation can take care of its own monarch!"
Suki folded her arms across her chest before shrugging her shoulders. "Apparently not. Mai doesn't think Zuko is safe with the way things are right now, especially after the attempts on his life."
Hitomi rolled her eyes and kept her arms out wide. "And why do we have to get involved in it?"
"As I explained in the meeting, Hitomi, we have a friend and ally in the Fire Nation who is helping our island to—"
Hitomi let out a barking laugh. "I heard your spiel already. Helping our island to grow? You mean brush over the pain that friend of yours caused to all of us?"
"For Kyoshi's sake, Hitomi! The Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom are practically at each at each other's throats and there are constant threats on Zuko's life." Hitomi gave an unimpressed shrug.
Suki placed her hands on the top of her head and stared at her battle-sister with incredulity. "You don't think Kyoshi Island should be concerned if the two largest powers in the world go to war again?"
"No, because it doesn't concern us," she said flatly. "The Hundred Year War was a world-wide affair: this isn't!" Hitomi leaned closer to Suki and lowered her voice. "This is about you wanting to help your friends, and you're dragging the whole of Kyoshi into it. Why don't you just go yourself?"
"Mai asked for the Kyoshi Warriors!" Suki snapped.
"Mai?" Hitomi repeated with a feigned ignorance before glaring at her captain. "And since when do you make those types of decisions? It was Oyaji and the other elders who sent the small groups of us out during the war, not you. Yet, You decided to send off a letter before bringing it before the elders." Her eyes narrowed as she loomed over Suki. "Who gave you the power to choose sides for us?" Her eyes narrowed as she loomed over Suki.
Suki, unyielding, stared right back at her without taking a single step back, keeping her arms crossed. "The village elders have agreed to allow me to take a group of Kyoshi Warriors to protect Zuko!" she reiterated. "Like you said, I would have left anyway if it was denied." Hitomi opened her mouth to speak but was cut off as Suki shouldered past her. "We already had this conversation at the meeting. We're done here."
Hitomi balled up her fists as Suki marched away. She stamped through the dojo's doorway after her. "Do you even give a damn about Kyoshi anymore?" Suki whipped around; her glare only tempered by the shock on her face. Hitomi faltered; her face fell for a moment before she found her voice again. There was a twitch of her mouth before it formed a scowl. "Where's the Suki who pushed me to my limits when we were young girls, who matched me every step of the way… who surpass—" She broke eye contact suddenly, rapidly blinking back furious tears before turning back to Suki. "Who I thought embodied what it meant to be a Kyoshi Warrior!"
Baffled, Suki stared into those emerald eyes.
"Don't look at me like that! Like you don't understand me!" Hitomi shouted, stamping her foot against the gravel path. "You're using—dragging the Kyoshi Warriors—"
"What's going on, is everything okay?" A voice called out, cutting off Hitomi's shouts. Miyuki, Suki's mother, hurried up the path, one hand at the sash around her stomach, where a pair of old fans were held in place. The hand fell to her side as her head swivelled between the two Kyoshi Warriors.
The pair held each other's gaze, a mixture of fury and hurt on both their faces. After a few tense moments, Suki turned and walked towards her mother. "It's fine, Mom." With that, Suki strode past Miyuki and continued down the path. Miyuki looked back and forth between them, giving Hitomi an intense look before following after her daughter.
Hitomi held her tongue and stood still until the sounds of their footsteps disappeared. She stepped backwards and sat down on the lip of the entrance to the Izutani dojo. Cradling her head in her palms, the tears finally broke through, and she sat there until the sky had turned orange.
Suki had barely made a sound as Zuko detailed the entirety of the events of Nishigādo, not interrupting him once. Now that he had finished, she stared at the table between them. Her hands, balled up so tight her nails dug into the flesh of her palms close to the point of drawing blood, pressed against the top of the table and shook violently.
Her entire body felt cold, and hundreds of thoughts rushed through her mind. Her breathing picked up. Her eyes darted in random directions but still the world closed and tunnelled in around her far worse than any fight or battle she had ever experienced. What if the rest of the island thinks like that? How many had been faking their excitement of seeing her again?
Her armoured kimono was too heavy, too warm. Her breathing too laboured.
Would they rather she leave and never set foot on her home again?
Blood pounded in her ears. The world around her spun.
Did Oyaji?
A sudden sob escaped her lips.
A pair of hands rested atop her fists and brought much needed and welcomed warmth. She raised her gaze and found a pair of golden eyes looking at her with deep concern. His lips were moving, but what was he saying?
His lips stopped, and instead, using his whole body, exaggerated deeply breathed in and out. She tilted her head but her breathing slowed, and while shaky, followed him in rhythm. Slowly, her vision cleared and breathing returned to, mostly, normal. Her fists unfurled slightly and Zuko's hands slipped into hers. Her hands tingled, a slight numbness coming over them and the rest of her body, but with enough feeling left to sense the gentle squeeze from Zuko.
Her gaze moved from his golden eyes to their entwined hands. Gently, she leaned forward and rested her forehead upon them. Zuko's eyes widened slightly for a moment before he relaxed.
A few minutes of silence passed as they stayed in that position. The wind outside, louder than before, was the only sound between them.
"Thank you," came Suki's soft, quavering voice. Zuko stared at the great warrior with his mouth slightly agape. Only a few days ago, Suki had shed tears before him for the first time. Now, there was a quality to Suki's tone that he had never heard in her before, one he had come to believe may not even exist within the bodyguard that had been by his side for so long; fear. Previously, it had always appeared as nervousness, or uneasiness when she spoke to him about Kyoshi, but this was unmistakable. His heart hurt. He wanted nothing more than to step around the table and pull her into a hug. He didn't.
After another few minutes, Suki took in a deep breath and raised her head. She gave a nod of thanks to Zuko. He squeezed her hands tenderly. "I know very well Hitomi's problems with me, but whatever it is that she has against you, we'll deal with it."
She nodded once more and bit her lip. Glancing down to their still interlaced fingers, she began to softly stroke her thumb across the knuckles of his right hand. She would have liked to stay in this position. Closing her eyes, and with a reluctant exhale, she eased her hands out of his. She brought her arms across herself, rubbing her upper arms, as her source of warmth disappeared, and the cold uneasiness spread through her once more.
Zuko moved off of his zabuton. There was a blur of dark red fabric until his heavy cloak draped softly around Suki's shoulders. Her eyes snapped open and fingers took hold of the edges to pull it closer around herself. It wasn't the same, but it was still comforting. She glanced up at Zuko, left with simply his fine robe. She flicked her eyes to the cloak and back to him.
Clearing his throat, he shrugged. "I'm fine. We firebenders generate our own heat." He cupped his hands in front of his mouth and let out a small breath of fire. It collected and hovered slightly off his palms before slowly extinguishing.
The Kyoshi Warrior let out a shaky laugh and stood up. The end of the long coat gathered slightly at her feet. Zuko opened his mouth before swiftly closing it. He mentally kicked himself for even thinking of making a comment like that in this situation. Besides, Suki likely already knew she looked good in red since Gaoling.
"I can see why you like wearing these," Suki said absent-mindedly.
"They're—" A gust of wind through the ajar window cut off Zuko's reply, bringing with it some snowflakes.
"I should get going," Suki said, moving to hand the cloak back to him as he hurried to close the window. "My mom will get worried if I'm not back soon."
"Keep it." Relieved to be facing away from the beautiful girl while he shut the window, he fiddled with the lock for a moment until the light blush across his cheeks subsided.
Suki raised an eyebrow and brought the cloak back in close to her. "Are you sure? I…I don't want you to get sick or anything."
Zuko turned to find her already rewrapping the cloak around herself. He grinned when her eyes closed and shoulders rose momentarily, and walked past her towards the door. "I'm sure." As soon as the door slid open a burst of biting wind blew in. The path from the guesthouse up to the village was becoming blanketed by the heavy snowfall. "Also, I think it might be needed."
She stepped up beside him, a slight grimace on her face at the prospect of running through all of that, but she had dealt with worse. With her peripheral vision she looked at Zuko. She gulped and let out a long breath. "Thanks…again."
"Of course." Zuko stepped to the side and leaned against the front of the doorframe. He gave her a reassuring smile. "We'll talk more later."
Suki went to step through the doorframe before halting and spinning towards him. She playfully slapped her forehead. "I almost forgot to tell you why I called here in the first place." Her voice still shook.
Zuko raised an eyebrow. "You mentioned something about a message from the elders?" Suki, more herself now, grinned at the Fire Lord, intrigue dancing in her eyes. The raised eyebrow became a furrowed brow. "Should I be worried?"
"Well, I suggested that as long as you're on the island here…" she trailed off a moment, looking around at the comfortable guesthouse he had been provided before flashing another smile at him. "You should be earning your keep. So, starting tomorrow, you'll be helping around the island at whatever work needs done."
Zuko tilted his head and slowly opened his mouth.
"Nope. No talking your way out of this." Suki cut in. "It was left in my hands, and I'm ordering you to do so."
The monarch's eyes went wide before he chuckled to himself. Suki seemed to be in better spirits the moment she got to tease him once more. He straightened and stood to his full height. "Don't think I won't forget this once we're back in the Fire Nation."
She winked at him. "Just remember who's in charge of keeping you safe." He returned her smile and nodded.
"It's not a bad idea though. It'll be good to get to know some of the people on the island." He placed his hands behind his head and stretched his back. He glanced off to the side for a moment. Besides, I'm no stranger to manual labour.
"I knew you'd think the same. One of the girls will come by in the morning to guide you." She took a scroll out of the inside of her kimono. "Give this to Ayai; she's the leader of the Kita-Esashi Kyoshi Warriors."
Zuko nodded before tilting his head. "Will I be working alongside the Kyoshi Warriors?"
Suki suppressed a weak laugh. "No, you won't." Zuko waited a moment for her to explain further. She didn't.
With a sigh, his head dropped. He glanced behind her, out through the door of the guesthouse. The wind had picked up even more and the snowfall was heavier with each passing moment. "You should hurry back, or you might be snowed in here for the night." That wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. The young man's eyes widened for a moment; the heat rose in his face. Behind his back, he lightly squeezed his hand into a fist, and the candlelight around them dimmed, hiding his features slightly.
Looking over her shoulder, a gentle flush came to Suki's own face. Hadn't she once read about this very situation in a romance novel before? "Yeah…" she muttered before shaking her head and turning back to him. She smirked. "Yes…snowed in…with a firebender. That makes sense."
Zuko stared at her bemused. His hand went to his face a few seconds later. "R…right," he said, his voice slightly nervous. The pair shared a laugh, and Suki bit her bottom lip as she gave a wide smile.
She turned again towards the door. "See you later, Zuko. Thanks again." She made to leave when Zuko's hand lightly gripped her elbow and turned her back towards him.
"Suki…" he said, his tone serious. He brought his hand to her shoulder and gave it a squeeze as he looked into her blue eyes. "I don't exactly know how, but we'll figure out some way to deal with Hitomi. Okay?"
She turned her gaze towards her feet on the snow-covered step. A short nod and a few quiet moments passed before her eyes met his once more. "I do know one thing though," Suki said, giving him a weak smile and pulling his cloak tighter around her. Zuko cocked an eyebrow at her. "I am never leaving you wander anywhere without an escort ever again." She took off running, the red cloak billowing behind her and thick snow crunching under her boots, while Zuko stood in the open door, a dumbfounded look on his face.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and as always would love to hear your opinion on it so far, or any little comments you may have. Consider favouriting if you think it deserved it, and following if you'd like to keep up with the story!
And chapter 7 is up! And quite the long chapter too, huh! A lot happened in it, and I hope you all found that flashback between Suki & Hitomi to be interesting. It seems there's a bit more to this situation that Zuko thought when he wondered if it was simply jealousy. I'd really love to hear some thoughts of how people thing the story is going so far, have your views of certain people changed, and where you think it might all be heading!
As for chapter 8...I can't really say when it will be up. I'm currently starting at a new job at the moment, so busy with that, and I need to plan out the chapter before writing it in the first place, but I hope to get it to you guys as soon as I can.
A big thanks to Serenity for being my beta throughout this story. She's incredible and I can say enough about how much she improves things!
And thanks to Rosy_Bay for reading over and giving some advice on the first half of this chapter!
By the way, I have a twitter: Mullach21. It's mostly become a Vtuber posting account, but feel free to PM me if you'd like to chat about the story! You could even tweet at me and I'll happily have a conversion on twitter proper!
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Thanks for reading!