when fire meets air

Chapter 15: Zuko

The bed here was soft.
That was the first thing that Zuko noticed when he entered the room he would be staying in for the foreseeable future.
It was a nice room, with wide windows and paintings on the wall, but there were no pictures of any sort of people. It was understandable, given it was a guest room, but Aang was known to be sentimental; he should have pictures somewhere of him and his friends...
But then he remembered what he said on the flight over. He was alone, no wife, no friends to stay with him. He lived in solitude, him and Momo facing the world alone.
In a way, be had been imprisoned too.
Zuko set down his things, which consisted of a toothbrush, a pair of pyjamas and a pair of slippers. That was it. All the once great Zuko had; he had trained the fucking avatar, and the only thing he had to his name were things every commoner had.
He scoffed and ran a hand through his shaggy hair. Maybe he was better off left in prison, away from everyone and everything. Because ever since he got out, all he has been is angry. He hated the world, he hated every single thing that could possibly have anything to do with happiness. He hated it.
But, life went on, and the ghosts from his past would move from just around the corner, and into his closet to haunt him like he was a child.
He never thought that he would be in the world again, having to rule a god damn nation, let alone having dinner with the one who abandoned him all those years ago.
Zuko had hidden in his room for a while, not wanting to leave because he knew that if he was in the same room as Aang for too long... well, there were certain things he wanted to do to that boy and most of them were not friendly.
Most of them.
He couldn't help but have any sort of emotions that festered when he was a child come back into play. Like the way his smile made his heart warm, or how when he spoke there were butterflies dancing in his stomach.
But he couldn't forgive him. Not when he left him alone in that prison for six years, letting him rot and allowing for him to get abused in so many ways...
No living creature deserves to endure that sort of torture.
But here he was, having faced that pain, and now braving another sort of torture:
Eating a meal with the person who forced him into that.

He heard a dinner bell ring, and sighed to himself. He may hate him, but he would at least give him the courtesy of eating a meal with him. His mother did raise him well.
Zuko straightened his robes and looked in the mirror, his head pounding and his eyes tired. He wasn't ready to face him, but he had to. His morals made him. He needed to.
So, he opened the door, stalking down the hall with heavy steps and entered what he assumed was the dining room. There was a small table, round, with food splayed out. The majority of it was vegetarian, which he understood since Aang hadn't eaten meat for as long as he had known him. To him, he would much rather have meat, but he hadn't had decent food in so long that he could eat anything.
"You must be hungry," he heard from the doorway. Zuko looked up, his face surprised at the sudden human contact. For a brief moment, he felt vulnerable. He felt exposed. He flinched, visibly, and he could see the sadness twist over Aang's face.
"Yes. I want to eat. I'm going to. You don't need to point out the fucking obvious." Zuko snapped, his hands curled into fists and a scowl burned into his face.
"Fine. Eat. I won't talk to you." He sounded defeated, tired, broken.
Good.
He fucking should be.
He should fucking feel bad.

He was the reason he was broken.
And he was going to make him feel as horrible as he did about it.

Hehe time for me to make this shit more depressing, don't worry, itll be worth it in the end!!

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Ta-ta!!!

- Dylan ♡♡