War of Change | Book 3

23: Damaged

He nodded as a smile formed on his own mouth. "We will always be us."

The memory came flooding back to my mind, and before I knew it, my muscles broke free from their stony restraints. With an uncertain step, I allowed myself to sit beside the only person who made me weak.

"So, what's going on?" he inquired. I could feel his eyes on me, but all I could do was stare at my hands in my lap or the floor in front of us.

"I thought Suki told you."

His gaze finally broke off of me, turning to the wooden floorboards as well. "She told me you aren't cooperating," a sudden breathy laugh escaped his mouth, "obviously, she doesn't realize who she's working with."

I couldn't stop my own snicker from slipping out. "Obviously not," I let a long sigh drag out of my mouth as my shoulders eased some, "I'm not the easiest to work with, I suppose."

Zuko scoffed obnoxiously, earning my immediate glare. "How long did it take me to get you out of that room, or even into proper clothes?"

I rolled my eyes. "Like that had even been for you, I only came out because of Iroh."

The boy captured faux confusion. "You seriously didn't want to spend time with your favorite captor?"

"Of course I did," I chirped, earning a raised eyebrow from the prince, "technically, Iroh was my captor as well, and the crew was pretty nice after they started trusting me."

Zuko snorted and leaned back onto his palms. "Yeah, well, Uncle was just trying to play matchmaker." A long sigh gushed out of his lips. "Which I suppose he was very good at. I'm still not sure what he saw in you so quickly," he spoke offhandedly as if he hadn't meant for me to hear, but I saw the corner of his mouth turn up.

"Hey!" I exclaimed and, without thought, threw a playful punch at his arm, not realizing I had gotten close enough to even reach him.

He gave me an incredulous look, and I reconsidered. "Okay, yeah, that was a little strange, wasn't it?" I admitted, thinking back. "The power of Iroh, I guess. Maybe there is more than just leaves in that tea of his."

Zuko raised a brow. "Like what? Physic spirit leaves?"

I shrugged. "Maybe!" I turned my head towards him, portraying the most serious expression I could muster. "You never know."

The wide incredulous eyes on Zuko's face gradually paired with the curving of his mouth. An abrupt chortle tore out of his lips. I couldn't resist joining.

I can only imagine what the others must have been thinking when they had heard us laughing.

The uncertainty that once choked my words now danced out of the room with our laughter. Zuko let himself recline farther back onto the bed, keeping himself propped up on his elbow. I unconsciously followed, allowing myself to lay on my back as giggles continued to pour out of my mouth.