Room 103, apharsites

[princeinexile]

The announcement had been made over breakfast -- the airship would be ready to fly tomorrow. Over night, they'd fill the balloon, and by dawn, they'd head out.

Zuko stayed in his room, looking over the assignment list -- her name, too, on it.

He sighed, and pushed it away, looking to Miho a moment, and then shook his head. He paused to wonder if his father ever struggled with decisions like these... and then realized that was a foolish question, indeed.

Comments

[slayer_fray]

It's a while before she comes back. She just hadn't known what to say or do, or where to go.

She didn't really want to see that look in his eyes again, even though it ached to be apart.

But return she does, slipping quietly in, coming home to the apartment more than to him.

"Thanks, Miho," she says quietly as she lets the assassin-slash-whore out the door. She doesn't even look up to see him.

[princeinexile]

Hey. She spoke. To Miho. That's new.

Zuko taps his much abused pen against the table, looking down as he nurses dark thoughts. But he drops the pen a moment later, and leans back, rubbing his good eye.

[slayer_fray]

Well, she knows her name. That's the new thing.

Now she heads into the bathroom to splash clean water onto her sweaty, dusty face, filling up a bottle before returning and sitting on the couch, sparing a glance at him now.

"You OK?"

Casual as anything.

[princeinexile]

He nods quietly. "Sokka and Harper says the balloon's ready. Going to post a notice tomorrow morning, and announce at breakfast. Day after..."

Day after, they go in.

He does not tell her she is on the list. He can't say it to her.

[slayer_fray]

She knows she isn't. She's not even going to look at it.

"Two days, then," she says, taking a swig from the bottle and staring into the fire.

That's too long. He'll kill Katara by that time. Mel just hopes Zuko can live with that, because she sure as hell won't be able to live with him after Sokka brings her body back.

[princeinexile]

"Will you take this up, post it in 202?" he asks. "I'm not up to stair practice." He's more heartsore and weary then weak, but it all amounts to the same thing.

[slayer_fray]

"Yeah," she says, rising again and walking over. Her eyes don't quite meet his as she reaches out for it, but she's not looking at the paper either, really.

[princeinexile]

He extends it.

"If there's somewhere you'd rather be, make a change," is all he says, and then releases it. He reaches down to unlock his wheels, and rolls back from the table.

"I think I'm going to sleep."

Or make a game attempt at trying.

[slayer_fray]

Mel does glance at the paper, at that.

And then she whips her head back up at him.

"This some kind of joke?"

Because it's really not funny.

[princeinexile]

"Not to me it isn't," Zuko says, still rolling bedroomwards.

[slayer_fray]

Mel looks at his back. And down at the paper in her hand. And at his back.

Make up your rutting mind already!

She tears it up angrily.

[princeinexile]

He turns his head, and then shakes it once. "Then YOU make up the roster, then."

He's done! Had it! Kaput! And getting up out of his chair and getting into bed. Screw this, he's not dealing with it.

[slayer_fray]

"Fine."

Mel sits right down and does so. After rearranging the paper so she can read his shakey handwriting, she sets to work copying it all out faithfully, omitting just one of the names.

Occasionnally she wipes at an eye with the heel of her hand, dragging it violently across her face

Pig perches on the back of one of the chairs, watching.

[princeinexile]

Pig is likely hoping that he gets to DO something. He does, right? HE GETS TO DO SOMETHING? RIGHT?

Hoo~~~

He on the table. Headbobbing. MESSAGE? YES? MESSAGE? Hooo~~

[slayer_fray]

"Shutup," Mel mutters at him, irritably. She's not in the mood for dealing with the bird, she really isn't.

It doesn't take long: she'd help come up with most of those groups even while Zuko was still in hospital. She knows how it works.

The hardest part is trying to not get tears across the list.

[princeinexile]

Pig head ducks. Hoo~~?

"Don't yell at him just because nothing satisfies you!" Zuko calls from the other room. "He's just trying to make you happy. We have that in COMMON!"

[slayer_fray]

Mel's sigh of annoyance comes out more like a gasp of pain, and she stands violently, sending her chair flying back to the floor.

"To hell with this," she says, under her breath and more to herself. "You can have your working girl back."

A few strides across the room and the door is flying back on it's hinges.

[princeinexile]

You don't think or feel right, when you're angry.

You just don't.

Which is why before she's made it to the hall there the bang of the door again, and a flushed and angry firebender in the way.

Standing. On his own two feet. Another slow step is taken, a deathmarch after her, eyes blazing.

It hurts, but when has anything worth something in his life not hurt him?

[slayer_fray]

Mel spins, the paper in her hand, glaring at him furiously.

"What the rutting hell do you think you're doing?"

[princeinexile]

"Following you. S'all you'll let me do, may as well-- embrace it."

[slayer_fray]

"Don't be such an idiot!" Mel exclaims, crossing the distance back to him.

A hand comes up to his shoulder, but stops, barely touching him.

"You'll do yourself more damage that way!"

[princeinexile]

"Because letting you walk off every other time we speak is so much better!" he hisses. "Like I care if I set myself back! My goals are useless!"

Beacuse there's not going to be anyone here to enjoy them with him.

[slayer_fray]

"Well everyone else cares!", Mel says. And now the hand is on his shoulder, snaking around to take as much weight as she can. "They need you here, you moron.

"We need you."

Her and the baby.

[princeinexile]

"Because I'm doing such a great job. Can't --- keep my relationships straight, can't keep my sister in line, can't keep dissention from forming, can't keep my family safe, can't..."

Can't do much of anything. CAn't even walk, even when she's pratically carrying him.

"We're falling apart."

[slayer_fray]

Mel pauses there, and very very gently lifts him up further so she's carrying him completely.

"I know."