Growing Pains (Avatar The Last Airbender Fanfiction)

Chapter 8

I say down in front of Zuko, intently watching him. Of course he flinched at my presence. "You're not meditating correctly," I told him. My nose was still harshly stuffed, but I felt well enough to get out and get come fresh air.

"You sound like a turtle seal," he hissed at me. Yet he was still trying to concentrate. In retaliation I harshly blew out through my nose, making a gross bubbling noise. He opened his eyes to glare at me. "You are disgusting," he informed me withh annoyance.

I smirked at him. "Do you want help or not?" I questioned, leaning over to balance my head on my propped up hand.

I heard a low growel come from him. "Like your some meditation expert," he scoffed.

I deadpanned. "I sorta am," I reminded him, "I don't like doing it, but doesn't mean I'm not good at it."

"I don't need any help," he hugged, despite the fact I was offering my help. I knew he didn't like asking for help, so I am often quick to offer it.

I let out a sigh, which sounded crackly due too lingering mucus. Being sick sorta sucks. "You're too much in your head," I informed him as I stood up, "You gotta get out of there to properly meditate."

"I don't need a rogue preistess' help," he growled at me through his closed eyes. Even his posture was wrong. It was too stiff. While you should be open, you should still be comfortable.

I readjusted the blanket I had on. "If you change your mind, I'll be in my cabin." Off I shuffled, enjoying the cool metal under my feet. Everything was just so hot when it came to the Fire Nation.

In my cabin I discarded the blanket, much more comfortable in the robes and trousers I had on. Not to mention binding my boobs was too rediculous to do when I wsd having a hard enough time breathing as it is. Then armor is just a mess. With a loud sigh a crawled down to lay face flat on the metal ground. While it was not as cold as the metal of the deck, it was cooler than my cot.

"I've been told you should just sweat out fevers," and angry voice told me from my door. I still don't understand how he can open it without me noticing.

"Says Sifu Hotman," I scoffed at the prince, turning to have on side of my face against the cool metal.

I didn't need to see Zuko's face to know he was glaring at me. "I thought you were going to teach me how to meditate properly?" he questioned. I'm sure it was more how I didn't automatically stand up and start teach the moment he walked in the door.

"I can do it from here," I informed him, not moving an inch. "Now get into a comfortable position. Don't mater what, as long as your muscles are loose and your comfy. I personally like laying on my back. Right now I like having the cool metal against my face though."

"You still have a fever?" Zuko scoffed.

I somehow shrugged in my position. "Probably a low one but we're in warmer climate, and this place is a fucking sun anus, I can't really tell," I said in passive aggression.

"You hate heat so much, yet you want eo fries bend?" he questioned my hypocrisy.

"I hate temperature. Period," I informed him. "Hot. Cold. I'd prefer to feel none of it, like Airbenders..." I learned different techniques of different bending. It was more out of curiosity than anything else. I found air bending very interesting though.

"I thought you wanted to learn to meditate properly?" I questioned, seeing as we were off track.

Zuko sighed. "I've caught your ability to not stay on topic," he complained.

I smirked, "It's called an interesting thought process."

"But okay, are you comfortable?" I questioned. I shifted a bit to get comfortable myself, not enjoying the pressure on my chest.

With a slight groan, Zuko finally gave in and sat down, and closed his eyes. Still he had a stiff back and shoulders.

I let out a quiet sigh. "Loft your shoulders," I told him. I saw the grimace clear on his face. He was annoyed at me despite the fact I was helping him. Still he listened. He lifted his shoulder, cause his neck to scrunch up.

"Now roll them back." With another silent sigh he did so. His shoulders wer a lot less tense, as well as loosened up his back. "Keep them like thay," I told him, "You need to be lose when you meditate, you are far too stiff."

"Not all of us can run around ignoring everything," Zuko hissed.

I squinted at him, knowing he was trying to say something about me, but I didn't quite know what. "What do you mean?" I asked out of confusion.

Zuko opened his eyes and tensed back up. "You don't take anything seriously," he scoffed. I needed to sit up for this. "It's like you've ignored all responsibilities all together."

"What do you mean?" I asked again, this time with a hint of rage in my voice.

"I have responsibilities," he said in mater of fact tone. "Important responsibility. I can't just ignore them and let them go. Unlike you who runs around doing as you please, like a child."

I bit my tongue, and shook my head. I knew what was coming. "What you see has responsibility is skewed. You're just a lousy Daddy's Boy, want his attention. You don't even realose he dosent give two shits about you. Your running around trying to please him, when if you died, he wouldn't even blink."

Zuko growled, standing up." I don't know why I haven't thrown you overboard yet!? " he declared." You're not only traitorous, saying suck things about the Fire Lord are punishable by death. You also deny everything you can do. You have abilities to do thing people can only wish for. Yet you ignore them like they mean nothing. " He took patient steps toward me as he spoke, until he was towering over me.

I let out a loud groan. I jumped right up to my feet, deciding to ignore the lightheaded spell my body sent as a punishment for doing so. "You know how much pain such gifts caused me!"I yelled at him. I was ferousously untying the belt keeping my robe closed.

He took the final step closer, grabbing my hands before I could removey robes.  Zuko glared down at me with that look in his eyes. There wasn't much I could say before we started.