Playing With Fire

Chapter 4 - Sanctuary

The bright morning light had shone onto Amira's face as she crinkled her nose before opening her eyes. She was back in Zuko's bedroom, laying on his bed, still fully-clothed. Propping herself up on her elbows, she surveyed her surroundings. It was the late morning as the sun had begun to settle itself in the middle of the sky in time for noon. Suddenly, a whispered groan was heard directly beside her. Turning her gaze to the source of the groan, she'd noticed it was Zuko, lying on the floor, covered in a blanket. A small smile formed on her face, even though she wasn't exactly sure why it had. Sitting herself up on the bed properly, she hugged her knees, staring out the window, thinking about all that had been said last night. Everything that she had assumed would come out of letting someone know her past, was wrong. Or perhaps, Zuko and his uncle were just different from all the others. Different, she thought to herself, with a smile beginning to crack onto her face. Then, just as the smile had cracked onto her face, it faded as she thought more about last night. Those men would no doubt relay her location back to her father, and in little to no time, they would be back, she was sure of this. It was a miracle that she'd escaped; however, it was a greater miracle that Zuko had escaped. How did he do it? She glanced over at the sleeping creature. Even in his sleep, he bore that bothered expression. She never did ask where he'd gotten that scar, or how he recently managed to get away from one of her father's top men. Perhaps she shouldn't ask, not yet anyways. Rising to her feet, she steadily made her way past Zuko and out to the teashop. A number of people had been in there, but none seemed to bother about a new face stepping into the serene atmosphere. They were all indulged in their tea. Iroh, himself, didn't seem to bother about Amira's presence. He hummed to himself and carried out his work peacefully and joyfully.

Amira, too, had indulged herself in her work, and in a few minutes, another face had joined her in the teashop. Despite everything that had been said last night, and the fact that they'd successfully escaped a nightmarish event, Zuko still bore that indifferent, annoyed expression. Amira looked up from her work and beamed a smile at Zuko that he seemed to either have not noticed or ignored. She arched an eyebrow, but shook all thoughts away. Lee's probably got a lot on his mind, she told herself as she continued to take orders and clean down tables. Suddenly, a shadow had been cast over her as she finished clearing off a table from which the customer had spilled his tea before leaving in a haste. Turning around slowly, she stared up into the pale face of her rescuer. She smiled a small smile that he still hadn't returned. He merely looked into her eyes and stated, "My uncle wants me to take you out tonight." Amira's eyes widened a bit. Out? Out where, she asked herself. Wouldn't that put her in more danger than just staying in?

"U-Um, Lee," she said, and for some reason unbeknownst to her at the time, her cheeks had turned a vague shade of pink. "I don't think that's such a good idea," she continued while she finished clearing off the table.

"Uncle says that he has a feeling the men might return again tonight, and it'd be best if you weren't here to greet them again," Zuko finished.

"Surely, I'll need a disguise," Amira stated. Zuko gave her a slight nod.

"Uncle's supposed to have bought a new kimono for you," he replied. Amira gave an unsure nod. Something about this plan didn't seem entirely foolproof. These were two of her father's toughest and cleverest men. Surely, they could've seen through two teenagers and an old man's plan; however, it would be nice to get away from the teashop for a while, and a new dress would be nice too. The two went their separate ways neither giving a single glance back at the other. Amira's mind buzzed with thoughts of herself and Zuko going out tonight. Although it sounded a bit strange, she hadn't expected much to happen. In fact, she imagined them both sitting in silence in that alleyway, waiting for the coast to be cleared. Shaking all thoughts from her head, she refocused on her task at hand.

Several hours had passed before the sun had moved its way across the sky, and turned a brilliant orange colour as it decided to set beyond the horizon. Iroh had left the shop at around noon in search for the dress that would tie together Amira's disguise. Amira watched out of the corner of her eye, through a small crack in the door how Zuko made sure his kimono was secured around his waist. Her lip slipped under her teeth as she allowed her eyes to return to her work - wiping down the order table. She hadn't known whether or not she had developed feelings for Zuko, but she was attracted to him, this she was sure of. The door had finally opened fully, and Amira jumped a bit, stopping her work to look at the bothered Zuko. "Uncle hasn't returned yet," he asked standing in the doorway of the back room. Amira shook her head and returned to her work.

"Where are we going anyway," she asked as she finally put down the rag and faced him. Zuko's gaze turned to outside, checking to see whether he could spot his uncle returning with the kimono in hand.

"There's a place someone had shown me a time before. I didn't like it, but she did," he replied, turning to face her once more. Amira gave a slight nod. A girl had taken him there? Could he be involved with someone else? Suddenly, Zuko moved from in front of her and made his way to the door, opening and closing it quickly as Iroh slipped in. With a grand smile on his face, Iroh approached Amira and laid the green kimono on her arms. Amira gave a slight smile and bow, dismissing herself from the room and retreating to Zuko's room in order to put it on. As she tied her kimono securely around her, she looked down at herself with a slight smile on her face. Although she'd never liked the feeling of trying on dresses, the feeling of a fresh one after all these years was a comfort. Suddenly, a voice cleared outside the sliding door to Zuko's bedroom.

"Yes," Amira called back, smoothing over the front of her kimono. The sliding door slid open slowly, and the boy with brilliant, amber eyes that seemed to widen as they'd taken in the picture of Amira in her new kimono, stepped in. Amira could distinctly see two spots of pink colour his cheeks, and at this her cheeks, had too turned a light shade of pink. After several minutes of not speaking, Zuko finally cleared his throat and looked up at her. Amira's eyes shyly dodged his and refocused on the ground before her.

"We should go," Zuko's groggy voice whispered. Amira gave a slight nod and followed him out to the teashop. He hadn't known what had washed over him, then again, did he ever? There was something about a clean kimono on Amira that made her just a bit more appealing to Zuko. "Oh," Zuko said recalling what Uncle had told him. 'Keep Amira safe, Nephew. She could be helpful to you.' Zuko turned back around to face her. Amira, who'd been more focused on the ground, had bumped against his hard chest. She quickly muttered an apology and took a step back. Zuko suppressed a chuckle and looked at her hair, it was still down in its usual form. "Um, your hair," he spoke to her once more. Amira arched an eyebrow then in a sudden realization, scooped up her hair and tied it into a messy bun, allowing her side bangs to cover a piece of her face. Zuko gave an approving nod and walked in front of her once more. The sun had now disappeared, and the twilight had taken over. Zuko, placing a hand on her elbow, steadily guided her to their destined location along the streets of Ba Sing Se.

"Where are we going exactly," she whispered to him as they passed many people on the streets, some heading home from work, some walking down in couples, some heading off to dinner. Everyone seemed to be doing something in Ba Sing Se. Zuko still hadn't answered, until several minutes later.

"Here," he said indicating a large, square-like area with a large pool and glowing lamps around it. Amira's face had brightened up a bit; it was absolutely stunning! She'd never seen anything like this at the North Pole, nor in any of her travels. Releasing herself from Zuko's grasp, she took a step toward the pool, staring down into it at her reflection. Her smile, however, had seemed to disappear now. She couldn't remember the last time she'd truly looked at herself. She'd changed so much through the years, she hadn't recognized it. She always assumed she still looked like that thirteen year old girl she was. As she continued to stare into the pool, she noticed this to be incorrect. She'd certainly developed a lot, her features had been more refined, and she looked - well, mature. The thought and realization of how long ago she'd left her home had finally settled in. She could feel her heart sinking as remembered her home, the North Pole. It was easy to leave, but it was hard looking back on it. Everything that she'd left behind... She shook her head. She'd wanted that. She couldn't take being bossed around for a second longer. She was a prisoner in her own home. She needed to run away.

A throat cleared behind her before speaking, "Um," he stated, unknowing what would follow this. He simply needed to get her attention. Amira looked back at him and gave a slight smile, one which he still hadn't returned. "So, you're a princess, right," he asked as they'd both walked to one of the neighbouring benches. Sitting on the bench quite some distance apart, Amira gave a slight nod. Zuko nodded in turn as well. "Water tribe, right," he asked, trying to make conversation, even though he hadn't known why he'd tried. Amira nodded once more, focusing her eyes on the ground. Zuko clenched his fists at the silence. "Are you going to say anything or can you just nod your head," he asked bluntly. A small smile cracked itself onto Amira's face as she giggled a bit at his question. Zuko arched an eyebrow as she watched him. "What's so funny," he asked defensively. Amira stopped her giggling and looked to the floor once more, her smile fading as it once had.

"You reminded me of someone," she muttered quietly. This girl was confusing him even more, but all this had, in a strange way, also brought a sense of intrigue.

"Who," he asked just as quietly. Amira looked at him with a half-smile.

"A boy I used to know," she replied. Zuko gave a slight nod. "Um, he was a good friend, and then, I left," she concluded. Zuko nodded once more.

"I had someone special once," he started. Amira looked at him stunned; as bad as it sounded, she hadn't pictured him to be a warm, sensitive, caring, loving person. Then again, she never imagined he'd save her life. The sound of soft, sweet music filled the air, probably coming from an old man trying to earn his last few pieces before calling it a night.

"Do you dance," she asked at once.

"Never," he replied stiffly. Amira gave a slight nod and returned to looking at the floor. Then, within a second, she stood up immediately. Stepping gracefully and making all sorts of movements with her arms, she swayed to the softness of the music. Zuko watched her with a slight smile on his face. Although he'd normally be against anything of this nature, something, just something had sparked an interest and delight in him. Perhaps it was the way she cared, but didn't all at the same time, or the way she was enthusiastic with such little effort put into being so. The way she contradicted herself so much was intriguing. He liked this … a lot. "What're you doing," he asked, a slight chuckle in his voice. Amira shook her head and continued stepping and swaying.

"It's a dance, an old one," she stated. Suddenly Zuko stood up and seized the wrist she'd had in the air. Their chests had now only been an inch apart, and their faces had been just a bit closer.

"You must know this song then," he whispered to her. Amira, mesmerized by his amber-coloured eyes, gave only a nod. A small smile twitched on his face for a reason unbeknownst to him at the time. Amira's eyes fastened themselves on his pale lips; she, herself, hadn't known why she'd done so, but every fibre in her being had been egging her on. She could feel her lips being drawn to his as if some magnetic force had commanded them to do so. Zuko's eyes focused too on her lips, and by now, he could feel her breath coat his lips gently; it was a new feeling to him, but a likable one. Closer and closer their lips came, brushing against each other for only a second as a cry had broken out several corners down. Amira and Zuko both jumped at the ear-piercing shriek. Then, just as precipitously as the shriek had been heard the lit lamps that surrounded the area had been extinguished by a sudden gust of wind. In the spur of the moment, two arms had fastened themselves around her. Thoughts swirled around in Amira's head; had the men returned? They couldn't have! How could they have followed her all the way here? Surely, they can't be that good. Amira could feel her hair being tossed in all directions by the wind that had continuously been blowing. Could it have been a sandstorm, she wondered. Then, the hand that had fastened itself around her took hold of hers and led her off away from the square-like area. On and on they went, until finally, Zuko had pulled her into an alleyway, awaiting for some sort of explanation to this sudden gust of wind. An eerie howling of wind stirring past them, and Amira found herself cringing, holding onto Zuko tighter. The cold air had now stung against her skin.

Then, in another second, everything had stopped. Silence had fallen upon the entire city. Amira, slowly raising her head, looked up at Zuko who seemed to be listening intently to the silence as if to find something that would give identity to who or whatever had done this. "Lee," Amira began. Zuko immediately raised a finger to his lips, silencing her at once. Minutes passed and still nothing was heard. Perhaps it simply was a sandstorm, Amira wondered. Peeping around the corner, Zuko checked to see if they truly were alone. Strangely enough, nothing had popped or jumped out at all. They were sincerely alone. Zuko ceased his peeping and loosened his grip around Amira. Amira continued to gaze up at Zuko; she'd never recognized how beautifully imperfect he was. The way he did things, the cold ignorance he sometimes shared with her, the scar that occupied much of his left cheek, was perfect.

"I um, I guess we should go. It's late. No one would be crazy enough to come after you especially with that sandstorm," his voice rasped to her. Amira released her grip from around him as well a bit disappointed that their night together had been cut short. She watched as Zuko had attempted to lead the way following him. Neither spoke along the journey; the awkward silence seemed to have filled every street corner they'd turned or long alleyway they passed through. Finally, they'd arrived once more inside the teashop. Carefully closing up, still not talking one another, the teashop had been engulfed in a near darkness, the only source of light being a lamp lit from the back room which slivered through a crack in the door.

Looking back at Zuko, Amira felt an urge to touch him once more, to hold onto him. She didn't know what it was about his restless nature that made her feel so comfortable and that seemed to move her world into a serene and almost tranquil state. Perhaps it was the way that he was paranoid, just as she was, about people and their dealings. Perhaps it was because he knew what it was like to be an outcast, something she was very familiar with. He could feel her eyes watch him with every move he made. Although he was itching to turn toward her, he thought against it. He wasn't used to these feelings. He didn't even know what he was feeling. Something about her, though, had intrigued him. The way she seemed as if she depended on him for her own piece of sanity and comfort. It felt nice to be wanted, to be needed by someone when all his life he was pushed away by his own father. He was exiled, he wasn't needed by the fire nation, but now he was the necessity of a girl whose story had mimicked his. Finishing the sole duty of clearing off tables that Iroh had intentionally left this way so as to show no one had been home, Zuko attempted to make his way past her without any contact whatsoever. Amira, however, had something different planned. In an instant, Amira stood in front of Zuko blocking his way of getting to the back room. Zuko looked down at her as she stared up at him. "Thank you," was all Amira had managed to mutter out. Zuko gave her a confused look. "For tonight," she clarified. Zuko grew even more confused. They were caught in the middle of a giant sandstorm, what about tonight had been so enjoyable to her?

"We were caught in a sandstorm," Zuko mumbled his thoughts. She nodded, stepping closer to him. Zuko could now see her beautifully refined face reflected under the dim glow of the light. Hesitantly, he felt her place her hands on his chest. He hadn't known exactly why he'd allowed her to, but he seemed to enjoy her touch and the electrical surges it sent throughout his body. It was different, unlike anything else he'd experienced before. It reflected her, he sensed. She was different, and he hadn't known why, but he could feel as if he'd grown fond of her. He felt her gaze fall upon his lips, and at this, out of instinct, his hands had found their way to her back. Amira's pores tightened as a cold rush had run through her body. Sliding her hands to his shoulders, she could feel his face coming closer to hers; his breath gently warmed the frigid icicles that were her lips. Then, in another second, their lips had succumbed to one another's. Slowly but meaningfully, their lips fused together. Amira had wrapped her arms around Zuko's neck, her hand gently grabbing onto his hair. Zuko, had fully wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her just as closely as he had during the sandstorm or whatever it was they'd encountered. The kiss had prolonged in a passionate way, leaving feelings unexplainable and new to each of them. Steadily, the kiss had picked up intensity, however managed to keep its pace slow. Amira's chest had now pasted itself onto Zuko's, feeling the rise and fall of his chest and mimicking it with her own. Slowly and reluctantly, their lips had drawn away from each other. Eyes opening lazily to stare into the other's followed this. Amira's hands had slowly slid their way down his arms until they'd met his hands. Unknown to him then, Zuko had instinctively intertwined his fingers with her own, and in a short second they led themselves into his bedroom. Zuko, having kicked away the blanket on the floor, turned toward Amira once more. A small smirk had played on her lips as she watched him. Sliding his hands up her arms and onto her neck with his thumbs resting on either sides of her cheeks, he picked up her face once more and pressed his lips against hers. Amira felt her way up to his arms. Their lips' intensity had increased with every second, and Zuko's hands had now left her face and wrapped themselves around her small waist. With her arms wrapped around his neck as well, she could feel them both sinking down onto something soft.

There, she could feel herself kneeling just above Zuko's knees as he sat on the edge of the mattress. Then, in one swift movement, Zuko had shifted his sitting position to a supine one with Amira just above him. She could feel Zuko's hands tug at her kimono, and at that moment, their kiss had broken for the first time since its inception. Slipping her lower lip under her teeth, she positioned herself to kneel just above his waist. In a second, her hands had found their way onto the bow of her kimono unravelling it quickly. Slowly, she opened her kimono allowing it to slip off her shoulders and fall onto the mattress. Zuko's amber eyes marvelled at how well her naked body reflected the moon light. Leaning back over to him, she slid one hand onto his face and their kissing had resumed. In a few minutes, Zuko's kimono had been tossed onto the floor along with hers. Positions upon positions had been changed and moans and whispers of satisfaction had escaped into the air; however, in another moment, it was all over. There Amira lay upon Zuko's sculpted and perspiring chest, under the blanket Zuko had originally kicked away. His porcelain skin now glistened under the moonlight. With his fingers tangled in her hair, Zuko rested his lips against her forehead. Both their eyes had begun to close, each being sung quietly to sleep by the mere presence of each other. With their breathings synchronized and their presence lulling the other to sleep, both finally found an escape in the world - each other, the only sanctuary they could run to without really running anywhere.