It's been a bit, but I'm back with a story that's been sitting in my folder for a bit to figure out a decent ending. It's short and sweet, but I felt that I needed to get this out. Obviously because of the origin of this fic, I'm a huge Childish Gambino (Donald Glover) fan and all rights are obviously his, but I'm not making money off of it, so whatever. More stories will be on the way, but it might take a bit. Enjoy!
She quickly arose from her sleep, not noticing the hair sticking to her face or the drool down her chin. Looking around, she saw that it was light out, her clock telling her it was an hour before the peak of the afternoon. She turned to see the sleeping form behind her, making her smile before climbing out of his arms. She fixed her hair and wiped her face clean of drool before grabbing her vapor pen. The scent of vanilla followed her throughout the small house as she walked into the kitchen ignoring her state of undress. Her house was nothing special. She had built it with some help from the local villagers. It had a small bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and living room with a small porch in the front. Even with the leaps and bounds of technology, the island of Kyoshi still kept some of its old ways. She turned on the radio and opened in the fridge, searching for something to calm her growling stomach. Frowning slightly, she didn't see anything she really wanted. She heard shifting in her bed and she shut the fridge, walking back into the bedroom. She leaned against the doorframe as he rubbed his eyes before looking at her, "What?"
She blew out the vanilla scented vapor out of her nose, "Oh nothing, I'm just watching you sleep."
He sat up, rolling his neck, "And I thought I was the weird one."
"Nope, you don't even come close to me," She grinned. "We should go grab some lunch at the diner, I haven't gone shopping yet."
He grabbed his shorts and tank top, "Sounds good then." He ignored her eyes on him as he got out of bed to get dressed. Finally pulling on his shirt, she entered the room to get her own clothes, but he grabbed her wrist. She grinned when he pulled her against him. They shared a loving kiss before letting her get her clothes. He went to the bathroom and she put on a small pair of denim shorts and a loose top with some sandals. Grabbing her small wallet and phone, she went outside to her black Baja bug. He came out shortly after, ruffling his shaggy hair, "You know you left the radio on in there right?"
She took another hit off of her vape pen, "It's off of batteries, it's not like I'm going to have a high electricity bill." He rolled his eyes and got into the car. Even though it was her car, she usually let him drive. He was like her own personal chauffeur. It always started up rough, but it was a smooth drive afterwards. She changed stations until she found a song she liked. She put her feet up on the dash and smoked off her vapor pen as she watched the island pass them by. She lived in one of the remote parts of the island, giving her privacy and beautiful views. His hand reached over and grabbed her hand, making her smile. It wasn't too much more of a drive into town; he pulled in one of the makeshift spots at the diner on the edge of town. Getting out of the car, they walked up the wooden steps that went up to the outdoor diner. The seats were outside while the kitchen was in a small enclosure. One of the chefs spotted the native islander and his face lit up.
"Suki, good to see you," He smiled, "Will it be your usual?"
She nodded, "You know it, he will have the same too." The chef looked at the man with her, she almost saw the darker look, but he nodded and went back to cooking. They took a seat and Suki took a few puffs off of her vapor pen. "What do you want to do today?"
He shrugged, "Nothing really."
"We do that every day," She chuckled. "What about the beach?" He nodded. Her brow rose up when he didn't continue the conversation, "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," He told her.
She snorted, "I know you better than that. You're not as different as you claim to be Zuko. What's going on?"
"I think he knows," Zuko whispered.
Suki thought about it for a moment before waving it off, "There is no way he knows. No one knows Zuko. I'm sure there would be a bigger problem if he knew that you weren't from here."
"I obviously don't fit in, I don't have the same mannerisms or anything like everyone here," He eyed the cook again, making sure he couldn't hear them.
"You'll fit in soon," She assured him. "This island is big enough that if we encounter a problem with people here, we can always go to the other part of the island where people are a little more accepting." The chef placed two plates on the counter. Suki hopped up and grabbed the plates, "Thank you so much Chan." He gave her a nod as she went back to the other counter, he lingered on the couple before going back to cooking. Her giggles were heard throughout the small diner, she still didn't get tired of his stories or jokes. He could entertain her for hours. Once they were done, she put their plates back on the counter and waved to Chan before they got back in the car. He drove down to the beach and parked below some palm trees. She was the first one out of the car and went down to the sand before he got out of the bug. He slowly walked down towards the water as she sat down in the sand. "Did you ever have a place like this where you came from?" She asked.
Zuko shook his head, "No, nothing like this back home."
Suki looked out to the ocean, "Well, now this place is your home and now you have a beach."
"Kyoshi isn't my home," He calmly replied, "Wherever you are is my home."
Her heart nearly swelled, "You are a true romantic…or you've been watching too many romantic movies."
"I don't really like movies," He answered honestly as he sat down beside her, "It makes human reaction seem completely different."
"True," She agreed. Suki looked over to him and gently pulled at his shirt, he turned his head towards her and she leaned up to kiss him softly. His hand rested on her exposed thigh before breaking their kiss. "You really don't like public displays of affection do you?"
Zuko shrugged, "I'm not totally against it or a giant fan of it." They watched the waves a little more before he got up, tossing his shirt to the side and going into the water. She loved watching him enjoy the water; it was like watching a child discover the joys of the ocean. Suki puffed off her vape as he exited the water, the water beading off of his muscular chest. "You don't want to join me?" She shook her head. He grabbed her empty hand, pulling her up with him. She was surprised when they walked away from the ocean, a smile on his face as they walked towards the woods. They ducked and dodged the leaves that were in their way before entering a small secluded spot. He turned and backed up against a tree, pulling her into a kiss.
She smiled against the kiss, her arms going around his neck and his resting on her hips, "Look at you, making a move on me in public."
"We're technically away from anyone else's eyes, I don't count this as public," He mumbled against her lips. "Plus, I don't think it would have been okay if I were to make a move on you while we're on the beach."
"I would have liked it," Suki gasped when his hands grabbed her firm butt. She pulled him deeper into the kiss, his tongue following her lead.
Suki smiled as she blew out another vapor cloud, looking up at the almost orange and pink sky. She had crashed down on the sand after their jungle romp, she hadn't moved since. Her head lulled to the side when she heard a car door shut. Zuko had a small bundle slung over his back that she was sure she tore up with her nails earlier. He sat down beside her, pulling out a beer and easily popped off the cap before handing it to her. "Thank you," She sat up and took a sip. He cleared out a flat space in the sand in front of them before taking out the wood from the bundle and placing them in a pile. Zuko put some newspaper between the pieces of wood and lit it on fire, it didn't take too much longer before the wood caught on fire. "Speaking of things that aren't legal, I'm not entirely sure this is legal."
He pulled out another beer for him, "I don't really care anymore." Zuko popped off the cap before leaning back with her. They watched the fire until the sun eventually set. Their drinks were long gone by the time they both got up. "Should we go back to the house?"
She shook her head, "Not yet." Suki grabbed his hand and they began to walk back towards the car. He was a little surprised that they walked past the car and went back through the trees.
"Where are we going?"
Suki smiled, "I just want to show you something." Finally breaking out of the foliage, Zuko's eyes scanned the clearing they found themselves in. He felt the hair on his arms stand up and he immediately froze. She looked back at him with a quizzical look, "What?" Everything seemed to slow as a loud gunshot rang in their ears, her teal eyes widened as Zuko was thrown back onto the ground. She couldn't even hear her own scream as she watched the blood starting to form on his shirt. Before dropping to the ground, she quickly peered around, not seeing anyone near them. Suki ignored the tears, pulling his head onto her lap and putting pressure on the wound. "Stay with me Zuko!" She cried, seeing the look of confusion on his face, still trying to understand what had just happened to him. She wiped away her tears as she continued to watch the blood leave his flesh, a chill ran through her as she felt a pair of hands grab her arm, yanking her back.
She sipped from her nearly empty bottle of beer, walking along the brick wall that separated the boardwalk from the pristine sandy beach of Kyoshi. Suki nearly lost her balance as she leaned more to the left, but easily regained her balance and finished off her beer. Spying a trash can several feet in front of her, she straightened up and tossed the bottle at the can. To her delight it fell perfectly within the can, her arms shot up in the air, "Suki for 3!" Her cheer made her lose her balance again, falling down to her right onto the sand. While it wasn't much of a forgiving fall, it was better than the cement. She chuckled softly to herself as she realized her idiocy, staring up at the clear night sky. The stars twinkling back at her, making her smile. While she enjoyed the secludedness of the island and the small group of associates that she knew in town, she longed for something new, well, more like someone. But that would require dealing with the egos of the boys her age on the island, which was definitely a big 'no' for her. She intertwined her fingers behind her head as she continued to stargaze, her attention being taken by a shooting star. Looking closer at it, she was surprised to see it moving too slowly to be a shooting star, but still moving quite quickly with a streak of red behind it. Her eyes widened when the star made a quick turn, coming closer towards the planet. "What the…" Her voice trailed off once the star started to enter the atmosphere. Suki furiously attempted to get as far away from the spot she lay as the star was nearing her, finally able to get up and over the wall, just as the star crashed into the previously calm waters. She waited for a few moments, hearing the disturbance in the water spilling out higher onto the beach. Her eyes peered over the wall, seeing the steam rise from where whatever crashed in the ocean had landed. Suki slowly approached the beach once again, her eyes widening when she saw a man appear up from the water a bit away from where the object had crashed. "Are you okay?!" Suki yelled at the man, seeing him slowly swim towards the shore. She wasn't too surprised she didn't get an answer, if something almost crushed her in the waters, she would be pretty shaken up about it. Getting near the shore, she could make out his short black hair and pale white skin, but nothing else on his person. He finally reached the shore, Suki couldn't help but look below his waist before meeting his golden gaze. "Um...Hi…"
The man didn't seem to have a bead of water on his body, "Uh, hi." He softly chuckled. "Where exactly am I?"
"Kyoshi," She answered, a little confused. "Are you okay? Did that thing hit you in the head?" Suki questioned, examining his head for a moment.
"I've never heard of a planet called Kyoshi," The man looked around. "It's a nice planet though."
Suki laughed, "How high are you man? This is Earth."
"Earth?" She nodded. "Where exactly on Earth?"
"Let's get you to a doctor and I can explain on the way," Suki felt a little more worried about his mental health. "Do you remember your name?"
He blinked a few times, "Zuko...my people call me Zuko." Zuko met her gaze, "And what name does a beautiful human like you go by?"
Suki smiled, her cheeks lighting up with a blush, "My people call me Suki."
Suki fought hard against her captor, throwing elbows to attempt to get free. She was turned around to see the stoic face of Chan staring back at her. Suki couldn't help herself but to throw a heavy right hook, connecting to his jaw, "Chan you asshole, what the fuck are you doing?!" She saw one of the other cooks from the restaurant, approaching Zuko with the rifle that she assumed had shot him. "Get away from him you psycho!"
Chan had recovered from Suki's punch, "Calm down Suki! He's not what he says he is, you have to get out of here!"
"You'll have to drag my dead body out of this clearing before I would leave him," Suki declared. The other chef shoved the butt of the gun into her stomach, making her double over. He and Chan grabbed her arms and started to drag her away, attempting to get her away from what they were about to do to the bleeding man.
Chan let go of her and grabbed the gun from the other man, "Watch her and make sure she doesn't get close to that thing." He turned back towards the clearing while Suki attempted to catch her breath. Between her desperate gasps for oxygen, she saw Chan look back at the other man. "Where the hell did he go?" A fireball came out of the trees, catching Chan on fire. The other man quickly let go of Suki, rushing to the quickly burning Chan. He grabbed the gun while Chan began to roll on the ground, attempting to extinguish the fire. The man shot wildly where the flames originated, bullets sprayed blindly into the trees. With no other noise other than the weak cries from Chan, the flames finally going out, and the waves crashing against each other. Suki watched with a neutral expression as the man quickly realized that he was highly outmatched. He turned to Suki, stalking towards her to use her as leverage, only for Zuko to nearly fly out of the trees to his right, flames trailing off his left leg and connecting with the back of his neck, the man quickly collapsing on the ground, the flames disappearing as he caught his breath. She could see the fire in his eyes, only fading once he met her gaze.
Zuko closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before walking over to Chan, who was still whimpering from the third-degree burn that covered the back of his head. "Don't look," He warned her, but she didn't turn away as he stepped on his neck, silencing his cries.
Her jaw slackened at the small flame that appeared between his palms before he closed his hands, extinguishing the flames. "You're seriously not from this planet then?" He nodded. "Why don't you have a ship or something? How can you speak our language? And why do you look like one of us?"
Zuko couldn't help but smirk with a small chuckle, "Is this seriously the first time you've met someone from another planet?" She nodded her head at him, a little dumbfounded by the question. "I was technically banished from my home planet for speaking out of turn to the ruler. My punishment was to be placed on a prison warship far away from my galaxy, which apparently is close to your galaxy. I broke out of my imprisonment and escaped through the airlock."
Her teal eyes went back up to the sky, "So does that mean someone is going to come looking for you?"
He shook his head, "No, if anything, I'm stuck here without any way off this planet. Earth isn't really known for being 'technologically advanced'."
Suki scoffed, "We've sent people to the Moon, we have a satellite currently searching for other intelligent life in the galaxy."
"My people have colonized on a few hundred planets already and yet your people haven't found other life other than me crashing on this planet," He held back his laughter, "The youngest of our people are visiting our Moons when they become of age. Unfortunately your people have a bit to go."
She was silent for a few moments, "And we all speak the same language?"
Zuko once again shook his head, pointing behind his right ear, "Most people have language implants that once spoken to us, it helps the user to speak in a forgein language. I learned your language just by the two words you spoke to me."
"What about you looking human?"
"You think you're the only species that looks like you?" He smiled.
"Just seems convenient…"
"If it makes you feel any better, I thought you were one of my people when I first saw you. I didn't think the females of your people could be as...beautiful as you are." Suki's face flushed, feeling his eyes on her. Her mind attempted to dissuade her from the alien, she had no idea if any of what he said was true, but all her protests were gone when he leaned in and captured her lips.
The last of the dirt was laid on the grave and Zuko wiped the sweat from his brow, he looked over to Suki, her back to him. He approached her calmly, placing a hand on her shoulder as another vapor cloud escaped her lips. "Are you okay?" Her shoulders rose and fell heavy as she attempted to alleviate the stress weighing her down, she finally nodded her head. "I'm sorry you had to see that."
She turned to him, her gaze looking down at the giant red stain on his shirt, "How did you survive that?"
He pulled his shirt up, the former wound looked cauterized. Turning around, she could see the same wound matching the front. "I also have a bit of a faster healing rate than your people."
Suki nodded as she took another hit off of her vape, "I guess we have to move to the other side of the island now…"
He nodded grimly, "I'm sorry Suki…I don't mean to take you away from your home."
"You had to do what you had to do Zuko," She replied, "Kyoshi isn't my home, my home is where ever you are Zuko." They shared a soft smile before he took her hand, walking away from the hidden shallow graves. "If we can't find a place here, we can always catch a boat to Ember Island. There are a lot less people asking questions there."
"Why's that?"
Suki looked up to him, "Because people end up like Chan if they do."
"Then I guess we'll fit right in there."
-SDB
