Playing With Fire

Chapter 9 - At Last

His uncle hadn't muttered a word to him since the day he'd last seen Amira, and although it was unusual to have him not chiming in with pretentious proverbs and cryptic advice, Zuko dwelled in this moment for a while. As he'd thought before, what he really needed wasn't advice, and secretly he believed that Uncle understood this as well. Zuko had to find his own way out of this mess, out of thinking about … her. He had to. No one else would be able to guide him through this. How could they? They hadn't known what he'd felt; he hadn't even known what he felt towards her. As he dried the last piece of teacup, setting it on the order table, he looked out at the empty teashop. He was sure midnight was approaching as the streets sounded as deathly quiet as the store. As he stood there contemplating the silence, his mind began to wander. It stretched to regions Zuko hadn't known he was capable of thinking. He thought about what he felt about Amira, truly. Why he hadn't told her before, and what made him feel as if he could tell her now? There was one problem, though, even if he had decided to tell her, what would he say? He had convinced himself that feelings such as love and compassion were things he didn't experience, feelings made for a lesser human being, someone weaker. Images of her face flashed before him in his mind, and he could feel the corners of his lips pulling into a small smile as he thought about her. She was special. He knew that, for none other could make him ponder upon feelings. He chuckled a bit finding the thought that the outcast fire-bender was taking a minute to examine his feelings about a mere girl he'd met to be comical. Except … she wasn't simply a 'mere girl'. She induced and inspired feelings in him that he had not ordinarily felt, let alone thought he had.

Her with her beautiful hair and captivating eyes, was all he could think of as the days past, and he'd never truly wondered why. He'd simply accepted the fact that perhaps she may forever be on his mind, and that that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. He had wondered though, exactly what feeling this was? Love, maybe? But they'd hardly known each other! She'd only stayed for nearly half a month, so how could it be love? Was it possible? He shook his head, clearing away all thoughts. He was Zuko, for dragon's sake! He shouldn't be concerned with feelings and such. He was a warrior, a fighter, not some girl who sat about thinking about feelings. He felt something for her, and he would leave it at that. He no longer desired to know what he felt or how much it might've changed him. What did it even matter now? She was gone, never coming back, it seemed. Not yet, anyways, and then, how long would it take her to come back if she ever did? She was scared, scarred and no doubt felt betrayed by the sudden revelation that Zuko belonged to a group of people responsible for the majority of hurt in the world. It was difficult for even him to understand or comprehend how much their people had impacted an entire world for petty things such as power and greed. The war would never cease had no one step forward and stop this; however, no one would ever dare to or risk losing one's own life.

Just then, a sudden gust of wind had filled the teashop, blowing open windows and toppling over the teacup that rested so delicately on the counter. Zuko grunted and slammed both windows shut, proceeding into the back room to grab a cloth to pick up the shattered teacup.

At the same moment however, another force had opened the door. Amira looked in, sure that Zuko would be somewhere in the shop. It was not like him to fall asleep that quickly. She stepped into the teashop, looking around suspiciously. Nothing stirred. Proceeding cautiously into the backroom, there was still no sign of Zuko. Amira grew evermore curious as she stood seemingly alone in the backroom, peeping through Zuko's door for perhaps a glance at him. There was no one in the room. Had they left then? Had he gotten her father? Probably. She wouldn't blame him for all that she'd put him and his uncle through; of course, she should've expected this. Amira shook her head, and with her heart heavy proceeded back outside of the teashop, down the street to the place where secrets were revealed and loyalties were questioned.

Zuko stumbled out of the storage closet finally locating a piece of cloth and replacement teacup. Had someone been here or was he simply imagining things? He could've sworn he'd heard the door open and close and a sigh being heaved. Who was here? Or who had been, for that matter? He dismissed all thoughts, whoever they were obviously didn't stay long enough to detect signs of life. Proceeding back into the teashop, Zuko stooped down, gathering up the broken teacup in the cloth and disposing of it. Something was different in the teashop, almost as if the mood had lightened for even a second. Putting the unbroken teacup back into the tray, Zuko dusted off his hands and surveyed the teashop one last time. For once his heart hadn't felt heavy; it was almost as it was when … she was around. Had she been the one to come in? Would she have? Perhaps she'd felt guilty, or perhaps she'd thought it necessary to turn back and avenge the rest of the world by whipping some water at him. Everyone seemed to prefer the latter. He had to go after her though, hadn't he? He wanted to see her again, didn't he? Of course, but would it be best? Would she want that? There was no use in going if he was to just be rejected once more. Then suddenly from a dark corner in the room, a familiar, cryptic voice had spoken, "Well, what are you waiting for? Go find her!" Zuko looked towards the corner, only to see Iroh seated at the table watching him intensely. He could tell his uncle was being very serious, an uncommon trait he unusually bore. At once, and without a proper farewell or inquisition as to where he would go to find her, Zuko sprinted down the street already knowing where he was bound.

She stayed there for a while by the pool, allowing her feet to immerse themselves in the water. She looked down at her reflection as she kicked her feet gently. So much had changed over her 16 years of age, from getting engaged, to running away, to falling in love with someone she'd never thought she would have. How could everything go so perfectly and then completely fail at the last second? How could life just throw people around and thus change situations usually for the worse? How could it seem like life was picking on her for every fault, for every action she'd performed? Why her? Why did she have to be thrown into living with prison wardens for parents and then into an almost-relationship with a fire-bender? Why, life? Life seemed to be responsible for everything that happened to Amira, not to say that she didn't claim responsibility for actions that she carried out. It was just the consequent things that life was responsible for, and for that her life was a tragedy waiting to climax. Heaving a deep sigh, Amira dismissed all thoughts and muttered the words, "Life sucks," as clearly into the air as she could. No one would respond, right? Unless life wanted to rebut with an immature, "No, you suck." However, someone had responded.

"I know," the voice said behind her. Amira's heart stopped as she stiffened up immediately. That voice, she knew that voice. Turning around, tears cascaded down her face as she fixed her eyes on that rumpled black hair and the scar on his left cheek. Standing up she ran towards him, flinging her arms around his neck immediately. It had taken him a few minutes, she assumed, to recover from the fact that she'd been hugging him again, but eventually, he could feel his arms wrap themselves around her waist as he buried his face between her shoulder and jaw. Amira closed her eyes tightly, disallowing anymore tears from falling. Although she hadn't been certain of what it was and never bothered to ask Zuko about it, she'd felt something wet on her neck at that moment, perhaps it was a tear. She didn't care. It didn't matter; at this point nothing mattered. Amira pulled away from the hug still clutched in his arms. Looking up at his amber eyes, she could no longer see the indifference that had usually occupied that space, but there was a new emotion there. No, not love or compassion, not even desire. It was satisfaction. For so long, all he'd needed was her presence, her spirit, just her, and now, he had that in his arms, and for that he was more than satisfied. Amira's eyes flickered down to his lips and then back up at his eyes, shifting between the two constantly as they drew closer to hers. Their lips had finally succumbed to one another in a passionate and loving way. The grips around each other had strengthened, and this intensified their kiss even more. Amira's heart raced as she felt her chest rise and fall in unison with Zuko's. This was where she belonged, at the moment anyway, and as cliché as it sounds, she wouldn't imagine herself anywhere else but here.

Their lips finally pulled apart from one another's; their chests rising and falling deeply as smiles were plastered on both their faces. Leaning his forehead against hers and looking deeply in those amethyst eyes, Zuko felt his mouth gape open for a rather long time as if he were ready to speak. He watched as Amira waited expectantly to see whether or not he would actually talk. The issue was though, that he hadn't known what he was going to say. It felt as if words were bubbling in his chest and would come out through his mouth in any minute. Was he sick? No, of course not. Then what was this, what did he need to say so badly? "I-I don't not like you," he muttered rapidly and involuntarily. Zuko closed his mouth immediately. That? That was what he wanted to say! Not only was it utter nonsense, but it was completely out of character. No, Prince Zuko does not think about love and feelings; he thinks about honour and respect. Then again, maybe he didn't want to be Prince Zuko anymore. Instead, he would be Zuko. He wouldn't be as soft and 'mushy' as one would naturally guess was the opposite of his uptight character, but he would learn to feel again, and not think it a bad thing. He watched as tears filled Amira's eyes, and immediately he'd taken her face in his hands with his thumbs resting on either cheek prepared to clear away any spilt tears. He watched as her lips twitched into a smile before whispering, "I love you too." Their lips found each other's once again; this time only locking onto one another's for a minute, but no doubt possessing the same passion. Separating their foreheads from each other, Zuko took her hand in his as both proceeded down the street, walking past the teashop and continuing on. Neither said a word to the other, but neither wanted to. Words are lovely for expressing thought, yes, but sometimes not always required to convey a feeling. At last the silence they each experienced individually wasn't as discomforting now that it was reinvented into a comfortable silence, one where every unspoken word, undone action and un-thought thought was completely understood. At last they had found comfort that each so vastly wandered the world for and so greatly needed; at last each had come back to their sense of peace, to their … sanctuary.

So they continued down, walking for blocks and blocks, passing every street corner and alleyway, never looking back to where they came from, and leading each other away from the place that had introduced their feelings to one another, as well as stirred up feelings against them only to rekindle the feeling they both shared, now undoubtedly, for one another, and the feeling they felt would help them conquer their greatest obstacles … love.