Thanks s**ttysh*taki for following. Hope you don't mind being bleated... (just panicking about little kiddies, I'm paranoid like that...). And thanks Znpk for Following and Favouriting. And BethxAngle for Favouriting and Green March Jcuret98 for Following. and Sorry about the repeated chopping and changing, just not completely satisfied with the first chapters. Please let me know how you found it!
~ Jet ~
(Or, What Happened In The Night )
Ryuu POV
I felt my eyes drooping closed.
It was getting late and the sun had long since set. Yet I was still awake. Both out of insomnia and also panic. I was thinking way to much, it was keeping me up. The room I had been first placed in turned out to be the ship's prison hold. Iroh had managed to convince Zuko to move me to another room but he didn't specify.
For good reason. He moved me to Zuko's room.
The Prince wasn't back yet, but when he arrived he'd get a nasty shock. Me. After the horrible incident earlier we spent the rest of the day avoiding each other as much as possible. Although it didn't work. Tiny ship and all.
As I sat, hugging my knees, dressing just my bindings, I tried to block out my memories. They were all about the Earth Kingdom raid on a Fire Nation Fort. It's when my father died. When my mother lost an eye. I lost a leg. Tongues of flame licked the air as I kicked out. A solider advanced. He grabbed my arm and- and bye to leg. I closed my eyes in a futile attempt at blocking out the memory.
My father was screaming at me. He ran towards me, arms open. He was one foot away before he collapsed, incinerated from behind. I cried. The memories to much. My mother. She blocked an attack, but as she turned around, a spear- made contact- with her right eye.
I hated the feeling of uselessness. But I was only eight then. I'd followed my parents to the raid. It was a mistake. I thought I was a strong warrior who could be the hero of the hour. I wiped a tear away, pretending it was just a fly.
Then the door swung open. Zuko marched in and kicked it shut. He hadn't noticed me yet but, to my abject horror, he lit his hand and swung it above the shrine candles. They blew up into an inferno when he saw me. I couldn't tell if his reaction was surprise or fury as he was outlined by the flames.
"What?!" He yelled.
I covered my head, blocking out the fire light. The teen breathed in sharply and the candles subsided. He pinched the bridge of his nose impatiently.
"What?" He repeated.
Wiping away my tears, I looked up to him, "No other room-"
"Where you crying? Just now? " He interrupted me. I looked away, not wanting to appear vulnerable again. He echoed the question, leaning towards me. I pushed myself back into the corner, away from him. He knelt next to me and extended his arm.
"Fine. I was..." Admitting it to Zuko felt just damn wrong. But instead of hitting me out of it like some people, (*cough* Bounty hunter guy) he gently touched my cheek, wiping away any tears I had forgotten. I felt my skin heat at the surprisingly gentle action from this angsty teen.
"Tell me. I've found it helps, even if you don't feel like it. As uncle says 'Don't suffer in silence'."
His hand felt warm, but by no means soft. As he slid his thumb across my cheek I wanted to leap away from him. But didn't. Like earlier, I let myself be subject to his touch. He was comforting. We shared a common experience of Fire, but one had come out slightly better. Banished, but still a Prince.
"Better?" He asked, genuine kindness flickered across his eyes. When I nodded he removed his hand.
I still had the memories. But I knew that, because of that moment, Zuko could be confided in - as a friend - as a friend, but not when he's in a mood. No. Not when he's in a mood.
He crossed to his bed and fell onto it. Slowly he unstrapped his armour and threw it to the floor. Then, without warning, he ripped off his top. Again - I blushed. Turning as red as his Fire Nation flag. Teasingly, he stretched. It highlighted his muscles in the candle light. As much as I wanted to look away - I couldn't.
Slipping under his bed covers, he gave me one last assuring gaze, before turning and falling asleep. I brushed my hair, hanging on the my recent memories, like they were my life lines. I scolded myself.
'Stop it. Yes, spirits, he's good looking and sometimes sweet. But stop. By the Earthsage of Omashu, stop. You'll only hurt yourself by developing a- dammit - I already have.'
Throwing my head into the pillow I screamed. It wasn't loud enough to wake Zuko but loud enough to make me feel stupid. I had developed a micro-crush of Zuko. Freaking Zuko! My brain let me fall asleep, but didn't let me sleep nightmare free. However, after that, I did have a particularly nice dream about Goat dogs and Fire Ferrets.
...
"How are you already awake?" I rolled towards the sound of activity.
Light chuckle and the sound of armour against steel ship echoed throughout the room. I flicked open my eyes and wiped them cautiously. The outline of my roommate by the early morning sun set me in a surprisingly good mood.
"I rise with the sun," He quoted.
I scoffed, knowing the rest of the quote 'Water to the moon, Air to the breeze and Earth to the -'
"And you to the landslide," Zuko finished.
"Fine with me. I'll stay here and wait for a passing landslides. Thanks..."
The Prince put his arms akimbo, guilting me into getting up. When he did so, he turned scarlet at realizing I was only wearing a chest and posterior bindings. I stood there, watching him uncontrollably scanning my body. I snapped my fingers to get him out of his hormone-induced gaze.
He coughed awkwardly. Then, when I bent down to pick my clothes up, he scurried from the room with as much subtlety as a kimono rhino, slamming the door behind him.
...
"Ryuu, I win," Iroh grinned ear to ear.
Turns out my first duty after breakfast was 'play Pai sho'. I was warming the the idea of being Iroh's servant now. He would hardly ever set me real work; stuff like mop the floor or fold the bed sheets was were Iroh drew the line at my work.
My ankle was still raw, as was my waist. Everytime I caught them wrong I would squeal. The crew were used to it - and me. They treated me as just another soldier and not like a delicate flower. Half of me wished they'd treat me like a delicate flower because there's a certain limit to how many friendly back slaps I can pretend it didn't hurt.
"So, that's six to me, one to you."
I nodded. Iroh let me win one because it would seem unfair. Kindest man I know.
"Please may you go to the kitchens and ask Cook if he has any Ginseng tea, I seem to be running out. Oh, and also a report on food stock. We may need to stop off soon."
I bowed to him and went to the helms room door, as that is where Iroh had stationed our Pai sho matches.
"Thank you, sir."
He laughed and shook his head, "Iroh is fine."
With that, I excited. Excited right into Zuko. He had been storming towards the door at the same time I was going out of it. With a cry, we fell into each other, like the first time we met. Pushing myself up from Zuko, I apologised profusely. He helped me up but still had the annoyed expression painting his handsome face- dammit - I mean just, face.
"Soooo sorry, sir. I didn't see-"
"Well, be observant, " He snapped. Yep, he was in a mood.
He gave me my walking cane and checked I was fine before going into the same room I'd just come out of. Whatever he was to say to his uncle didn't seem like good news. I heard him shouting the other side of the heavy metal door.
Sneaking away, I got down the stairs before realizing - I had no idea where the kitchens were.
...
The umpteenth time I walked into a wall it was no longer funny. There is a limit to these things. And I had reached it. Below deck was still a mystery to me. So I naturally kept walking into walls... and kimono rhino cages... and armour rooms... and the soldiers showers (luckily it was steamed up, so nobody saw me and vice versa).
Then, after screaming at the hundredth wall, I found the kitchens.
The cook was nice enough. He updated me on the food situation and that we had no Ginseng tea left. Iroh had drunk it all. He wasn't going to be pleased. I managed to stumbled back to the command tower and up the mesh stairs. (Whoever was the designer, give them a punch from me).
"Iroh, siiiiiiiiir!" I tripped into the room. Literally tripped. Luckily Zuko caught me. He was very bemused at my manner of entrance. So was Iroh. And the helmsman. The men all had grins on their faces as Zuko pulled me to my feet.
"Thanks," I ran a hand through my stubby hair.
"You should be careful. I don't want you to have a fall - we! We don't! "
I giggled at his muck up. The teen let me go and hustled out of the room, excusing himself for 'Important Avatar hunting... stuff.'
"So?" Iroh prompted my report. I held onto the no Ginseng thing until last. We were low on noodles, rice or duck. And out of all things snack and dessert wise. From what the older man had told me, the soldiers' favourite dish was roast duck and noodles. So we were screwed. Unless we made a quick stop of at a sea market.
"Helmsman, set a course for a nearest market. We're going food shopping!"
