HOME | DD

Description
"Knock knock." Zuko glanced up, smiling as Mai walked into the infirmary. Her eyes glanced over at Sokka's snoring form before bouncing back to him. "Shouldn't you be asleep, like your buddy there?"

"That's the problem with being ordered to stay in bed all day. When night comes you can't sleep."

She crossed the room and sat on the side of his bed, one hand reaching up to brush away a lock of hair that had fallen into his face as he moved. "Your uncle's still refusing to let you get up?"

"And now he has Katara backing him up." Mai's eyes softened at his frustrated sigh.

"You'll be thanking them for it later, Zuko. After all you've been through, a few days of bed rest won't hurt."

His good hand reached out and clasped hers where it lay on his sheets. "And what about you? You've been through just as much as me, if not more. And yet from what I've heard, you're always hard at work."

"Someone has to make sure this thing stays hidden from Ozai while not crashing it into a mountain or the sea."

His slight frown deepened as for the first time, he took in the dark circles of her eyes. The thought whispered across his mind: had she been putting on more of her makeup to hide her exhaustion?

"So who's at the helm now?"

"Your Uncle, actually. I have to go relieve him in a few minutes."

"No, you don't." He slung his one good arm around her waist and tugged. Seeing how easily she came to him, his worry grew. "For once, you're going to do something for you."

Curling into his bruised and battered form, she lifted her head and turned to face him. "Oh really? And what exactly do you think I should do, Fire Lord?"

He pulled her closer, his focus turning inwards as he deliberately raised his body temperature. "That's the beauty of it. You don't have to do a thing."

It didn't take her long to understand what he meant. She didn't say anything, but the softening of her body was enough to tell him that he'd chosen well. And when his warmth finally lulled her into sleep, he was quick to follow.

Description
"Knock knock." Zuko glanced up, smiling as Mai walked into the infirmary. Her eyes glanced over at Sokka's snoring form before bouncing back to him. "Shouldn't you be asleep, like your buddy there?"

"That's the problem with being ordered to stay in bed all day. When night comes you can't sleep."

She crossed the room and sat on the side of his bed, one hand reaching up to brush away a lock of hair that had fallen into his face as he moved. "Your uncle's still refusing to let you get up?"

"And now he has Katara backing him up." Mai's eyes softened at his frustrated sigh.

"You'll be thanking them for it later, Zuko. After all you've been through, a few days of bed rest won't hurt."

His good hand reached out and clasped hers where it lay on his sheets. "And what about you? You've been through just as much as me, if not more. And yet from what I've heard, you're always hard at work."

"Someone has to make sure this thing stays hidden from Ozai while not crashing it into a mountain or the sea."

His slight frown deepened as for the first time, he took in the dark circles of her eyes. The thought whispered across his mind: had she been putting on more of her makeup to hide her exhaustion?

"So who's at the helm now?"

"Your Uncle, actually. I have to go relieve him in a few minutes."

"No, you don't." He slung his one good arm around her waist and tugged. Seeing how easily she came to him, his worry grew. "For once, you're going to do something for you."

Curling into his bruised and battered form, she lifted her head and turned to face him. "Oh really? And what exactly do you think I should do, Fire Lord?"

He pulled her closer, his focus turning inwards as he deliberately raised his body temperature. "That's the beauty of it. You don't have to do a thing."

It didn't take her long to understand what he meant. She didn't say anything, but the softening of her body was enough to tell him that he'd chosen well. And when his warmth finally lulled her into sleep, he was quick to follow.