Safe & Sound | Book 1

9: Just Tonight

Art: Falling by Clare Elsaesser

Iroh had assigned me homework. I had already perused enough while at the Fire Nation market we were docked at so I decided practicing now was as good a time as any. I sat on the floor with a bowl of water in front of me, trying to play with the movement. Working with freshwater versus salt was different and Iroh was trying to get me comfortable with more than just cold temperatures. It required immense concentration.

At the moment, my ears picked up on any little sound so I naturally looked up when I heard the handle of my door begin to move.

I dropped the water, my roughness causing the steaming liquid to splash onto my skin. I cursed under my breath. I was ready to curse at Zuko when he opened the door, but my certainty that it was him faded when the handle returned to its place. There was a knock. I frowned. "Come in," I said although it sounded more like a question.

As I had originally suspected, it was Zuko who walked into the room. I gave him an odd look. "You knocked."

He shrugged. "You told me too."

I had to bite my lip to keep from smiling. So he could be trained. "What's going on? Are we leaving?" I returned to my practice, attempting to pull as much liquid from the carpet to return to the bowl as I could.

"No," he grumbled, dropping onto my bed. I lowered my hand again and looked at the prince. He laid across the bed, his arms folded and a glare firmly turned up towards the ceiling. He must have felt my questioning gaze because he went on, "My uncle found a hot spring so he doesn't want to leave yet. I gave him half an hour."

That was likely to annoy Zuko but it wasn't what was making him so tense. I decided to give up on my practice. "What happened?" I asked as I stood up with the bowl. "You aren't in here because you enjoy my company." I brought the bowl over to the desk out of the way.

Ever since I had teased Zuko the other day, he'd become short with me again. I wasn't too surprised although I might have been a little disappointed. I hadn't meant to make our conversations stop; all I had wanted was for him not to get the wrong idea about what was going on. He could have as many feelings as he wanted for me but I wouldn't return them.

I knew he hadn't taken it great because he hadn't come to my room for the last few days.

When I looked back at the prince, I found him glaring at me instead of the ceiling. I wasn't sure if I'd somehow turned his anger on me or if he simply hated existence in general right now. "What?"

He shook his head and dragged his eyes back up to the ceiling. "Nothing," he muttered. "You're right," he said a little louder, "I'm hiding from the crew. They're driving me insane."

"Short drive."

He shot me another look and I instantly put my hands up in defense. He rolled his eyes and returned to his brooding.

I sat down on the edge of the bed beside his feet. "Don't tell me you got into another argument with Lieutenant Jee," I groaned.