Wild At Heart (Zuko)

Chapter Seventeen

Zuko has set up camp next to a lake, somewhere quiet, peaceful.....too quiet. The only company he has is the ostrich horse whose mood is about as happy as he is. He assumes that's to do with her being away from the male. But he understands how she feels. Being away from a companion. Even if he and Kali are friends and nothing more. She became a firm fixture in his life, more than he realised she had become. He throws another branch onto the fire and lets out a sigh, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. He's tired. He's hungry. He's lonely. And he can't stop thinking about Kali. The way that she wormed her way in. The way she was just there. Next to him. His friend. He has to keep telling himself that they are friends. That's it. There is nothing else there. Because if he realises that he's already in love with her, then he has to admit that he left her behind, that he walked away from her. A cracking of branches close by draws his attention, sets the hairs on the back of his neck on edge. He turns his head, peering into the trees but sees nothing. There is another crack and he suddenly pulls one of his swords from the ground under his pack as he stands, turning to seek out the source of the sound. The ostrich horse makes a noise behind him and Zuko hisses for her to be quiet. There is another noise and he turns, ready to attack but stops himself. Kali stands there between the trees, giving him a nervous smile. The ostrich horse behind him makes a noise and hurries to Zuko's mount. Kali waves a little at Zuko.

"Found you" She whispers as she returns her grip on the strap of her bag across her chest. He lowers his sword and smiles back at her, relaxing.

"How...?" He asks, voice breaking slightly, touched that she'd come to find him. He clears his throat. "How did you find me?" She shrugs.

"Trees talk" She teases as she moves closer to him. He reaches out for her when she reaches him, touches her hand at her side, threading his fingers with hers.

"Of course they do" He pulls her into a hug, she relaxes against him and closes her eyes, clutching to the back of his robes. He has missed her, more than he will ever tell her. More than he will ever tell himself. He feels like he needed her. She would have been much better at dealing with the things he's been through. All those weeks travelling alone. Being away from her was hard. Excruciating. It was a stupid idea. Going off on his own. He doesn't know what he was thinking. He threads his fingers through her hair and closes his eyes as he presses his head to the side of hers. Comforting himself. Comforting her. She pulls back, touching his robes, rubbing a bit of dirt from them before she smiles brightly up at him, as if a massive weight has been lifted from her. He can't say he hates the way she's looking at him either. Like he matters to her. Like he matters to someone. Suddenly, she grabs to the front of his robes as her eyes become vacant. He pulls her closer to stop her from going over, from her taking him with her, his arm around her waist, curling into her. "Kali?" He asks, he's only seen this happen once and that was before they were friends. Now it's a little more jarring. Worrying. He grabs her face with his free hand as her eyes flicker around. "Kali" He whispers, her eyes stop on him and she returns from wherever she goes when this happens. "What is it?"

"Something's coming" She answers. "Big...something big..." She turns her head to look around. "A..." She frowns trying to find the right word to describe what she saw. "A weapon...I think"

"Is it coming this way?" He asks, she shakes her head.

"No, I didn't see it with us...I just saw it...on a road, moving....." He brushes his thumb across her cheek as she struggles to understand what she saw. To try and get a better understanding of it, to better explain what it is. She wrinkles her nose and shakes her head. She can't explain it, she's never seen anything like that before.

"If it's not going to affect us, then it doesn't matter" He assures her. She hums a little and leans back into his chest. He smiles to himself, wrapping his arms around her. "Are you staying?" He asks her. "Or were you just checking on me?"

"Staying" She whispers. "If that's okay...."

"If that's what you want" He counters, she grumbles something into his chest and he frowns. "What was that?" She lifts her head and gives him the stink eye.

"You and your uncle..." She complains. "Telling me to do what I want...to...make choices....I...I don't know how to..." She stops and pulls a face.

"Uncle told you to pick, didn't he?" Zuko asks. "Me or him..." She nods. "You chose me" He realises, she nods again. He fights tears, because when was the last time he was anyone's first choice. That she chose him. That she picked him, means a lot actually. Means everything. This is something they have, him and Kali. Something he's never shared with anyone else. This sort of relationship. This sort of friendship.