The Commander's Daughter (Zuko X OC)

Chapter 10 ~ Distractions

A/N: Hi! I tried to keep to 3rd person during this I hope you like it!

Karina kept her eyes trained on the bowl in front of her. The noodles floated in the murky soup steam slowly rising off of them. With a sigh she prodded her food with her chopstick and let her head rest in her palm.

This elicted a breathy chuckle from the man sat across from her. Iroh was concerned about the quiet young girl across from him, she  had been keeping to herself in the few days that had passed since they'd left Kyoshi. He noticed that her interaction with his stubborn nephew had dwindled, his own interaction with is nephew had decreased as well. He worried that the young Prince had been punishing himself for the Avatar's escape, Zuko had been training more frequently and whenever he wasn't training he was in his room meditating or planning. 

"What is wrong my dear?" The kind voice roused Karina from her thoughts and she sent a half hearted smile in Iroh's direction. Zuko had been avoiding her ever since the night he asked about her bending, at first she had tried to talk to him but as soon as he realised she was there he would make an excuse and leave never saying a word to her. She had eventually stopped trying to get him to acknowledge her. In all honesty she wasn't sure what she had done to upset the scarred prince but, she had a horrible feeling that it was linked to her inability to bend. 

"Oh, nothing," she muttered, clearing her throat she brought her eyes to Iroh's warm brown ones, " Iroh, how do you know if a person can bend or not?" Iroh raised an eyebrow at the question. Karina tried to keep her voice steady as she looked back down at the table, " Is there some sort of test or, do you...just know?" The older man didn't answer right away and Karina thought she had done something wrong, her body tensed. 

"I had always assumed that-" 

"General, Prince Zuko has requested you in his quarters." Iroh was interrupted by a stern guard. Sending Karina a fleeting apologetic look he rose from the table and smiled. 

"It seems that my nephew insists on interrupting this most delicious meal, would you care to join me?" Karina shook her head at his offer and watched as the older man followed the guard out of the canteen leaving her alone with her bowl of cold noodles. 

***

Zuko panted, his body hunched over, his eyes focused on the small beads of sweat dripping off of his face and onto the metal floor of the ship. He had been training again. He had been training nonstop since they had left Kyoshi and he was being to really see a difference in his abilities. Now there was more power behind his kicks and punches, and more accuracy to his blasts. However, all this training had done little to clear his mind of the thoughts of the quiet commanders daughter. His eyes flitted over to her frame, her hair blew around her face as she slowly sipped her tea listening to the story his uncle was regailing her with. 

Her eyes caught his and for a moment the two simply starred at each other, it was as if he could find heaven in her eyes. The pools of green intoxicated him, keeping him there begging for more never before had he seen such perfectly green eyes. She broke the eye contact and placed her tea down raising from her seat. 

The two of them had barely spoken, he still wasn't sure why she was mad at him or if he was mad at her, he craved to feel her arms around him. Looking back up he saw that she had moved from her postition next to his uncle and the old man was drinking his tea alone.

"Your highness?" Her voice sounds from behind him, how close she was able to get without him noticing is a little jarring but he is more focused on her how formal her tone is, it sounds too impersonal.  He felt his head nod acknowledging her. "I would like to speak with you, privately."

She dosen't wait for his reply and simply turns and begins to walk away. His eyes drift over her retreating frame, mind wandering. With a sigh he wipes his brow and follows her into the ship all the way to her private quarters. 

He'd never really realised how small all of the other quarters in the ship where, it made him wonder if his uncle's were a similar size.

Karina could feel self-consciousness creep over her, finally breaking through her mask of confidence. With a small sigh she turned to face Zuko, he was nervous, she was nervous. At least they were on the same page. 

"Look I have training that I-"

"Why are you ignoring me?" Zuko feels his body tense at her words, her eyes stare into his almost pleading him for an answer, he's tempted to reply with the question but something tells him that it'll be met with resistance. There is something about the way that the once meek female is acting that spurs something within him, he can't quite put a finger on what it is but it feels as if its coming from deep within. 

"I need to focus." If he could show it he would wince at his own words, and he sees her do the same. Zuko watches as the females confidence withers and her stance becomes timid. 

Karina can feel a bolt of pain run through her, her whole body reacting to words shes heard a million times. Her mind races with memories of her father and part of her wishes that the ground would just swallow her whole. But she is different now, she hasn't spent very long with the prince and his uncle but, their time together has changed her. With newfound confidence she raises her head and balls her fists at her sides. 

"And I stop that?" 

"Yes." They stared at each other for a moment, neither speaking or moving. 

Karina cleared her throat and broke the eye contact. 

"Then I suppose, you can drop me off in the next available island," Zuko contemplates protesting but she is quicker than he is, " I said that you should from the start anyway." 

And with those final words she moved past the Prince, leaving a slightly bewildered, angry Zuko alone.