(no subject)

[princeinexile]

Zuko retreated to his room after the incident with Arithon and Moraine; he was too mortified to do more then scribble a note for Stephanie, and then come upstairs. His forgotten lunch was laid aside, and Xu Ning was pointed to her bed and dishes, where she collapsed and eyed him as he stripped and hit the shower.

A little while later, he felt tired, but had no idea, really, what had happened. He'd have to ask somebody later. But eventaully, he crawled out of bed, put on some pants, and sat down besides the dog and ate lunch.

Occasionaslly, she got a treat.

Comments

[alwaysroomforhope]

Steph could explain, perhaps. If she knew.

Since she doesn't, she's carefully not looking worried as she knocks on the door - it's more difficult than it should be, but she's got her smirky face on.

"You in there?"

[princeinexile]

There is noise; feet on the floor. And then a shirtless firebender peering out. "Uh. Hey."

Blushing now. Not that she hasn't SEEN him without a shirt, but...

[alwaysroomforhope]

She waves, a slightly awkward gesture, and doesn't stare like she might've if ... yeah.

"I brought chocolate. In case you needed comforting. I mean, it works on girls, right?"

[princeinexile]

"...is it pepper chocolates? I've had them," he grins, and then lets her in, before he goes to dig up a shirt.

[alwaysroomforhope]

"Possibly?" She sets the box down, inspecting it. "I just asked Bar for chocolate for you. She usually knows."

Curious, she turns to inspect the suite. You can tell a lot about people from their homes, but she's not sure if that applies to Milliways.

Good that he's actually taken a suite, though, and isn't sleeping in the woods. It's cold out there.

[princeinexile]

He was too weirded out to sleep outside. And it's not like he gave the suite key back since he first got here and was too tired to do otherwise...

The room is ...spartan. THere is nothing of Zuko in it, really. Just the stuff that was here. If he left today and cleaned up after himself, you'd have never known it was him as compared to someone else.

"Maybe there'll be some in there. Is that a assorantment?" Oh yes. The one with red wrappers must be his. "We... don't have chocolate where I'm from," he says, popping one in his mouth.

[alwaysroomforhope]

"Chocolate heals all ills." She picks up one for herself - not red! - and goes to sit down.

Being in someone else's space for the first time is always weird, but it's a little less weird than it would've been if this had really been his home rather than just a standard-issue Milliways suite. Not like hers, with the assorted debris of a year of Milliways life cluttering it.

"What happened?"

[princeinexile]

"I went to walk my ostrich-horse. Get it some air, let it graze. Was going to eat lunch...and this man came by with his horse. I -- I've never set eyes on him before, and..."

He scratches the back of his neck.

"And I thought he was--- someone else, I guess, and tried to kill him on the spot. But he wrapped me up in-- in shadow, and then called someone else in and she did something to take... this... thing out of me."

He frowns, and then looks down at his lap as he sits on his couch, legs folding up under him. "I was possessed by something. It was-- disconcerting."

[alwaysroomforhope]

"Desh-theire," she says, quietly. "Was it - Arithon? The shadow mage? Little man, green eyes?"

Steph remembers Desh-theire. Oh, yes.

[princeinexile]

He nods quietly. "I think that's the word he used. And that does--yes, that was Arithon. And the woman was Moraine Sedai."

[alwaysroomforhope]

She reaches tentatively for his hand.

"Desh-theire possessed a lot of people a while ago. It ... twists you. Turns your anger against its enemies. Makes you want to kill them."

A heartbeat, and she adds, softer, "Makes you try to kill them. Even if you swore never to take life, ever."

[princeinexile]

"Oh," he says, and finds his hand in hers. He doesn't resist-- at the moment, he's glad for the comfort.

"So," he continues "You too?"

How else would she know what it's like?

[alwaysroomforhope]

"Me, too," she confirms, squeezing his hand. "Before. I was in cell for weeks. Are you - okay? Not hurt?"

Mordred had to knock Steph out to stop her going after 'Lysaer,' back then, and she'd broken her leg falling from the rafters. Zuko's not in plaster, though, and he doesn't look too unwell - she's scanning him carefully, gaze intent.

[princeinexile]

He's fine!

"I blew fire in that woman's face," he says haltingly, words coming slow. "It was--"

Insane, he realizes. "I was crazy. Possessed. That wasn't...anything I'd do. Even to an enemy. It was like... everything was grotesquely out of proportion..."

He shrugs, and then realizes she's giving him a Look. "..what?"e

[alwaysroomforhope]

She's just checking!

"Yeah. Desh-theire ... does that. It wasn't you at all. It - twists you. Uses you, to get to those it hates. Like a puppet."

STILL BITTER. And now angry, too, and those protective instincts are raising their heads. It was supposed to be defeated ages ago! It's not supposed to be using Zuko against Arithon still! NOT IMPRESSED.

[princeinexile]

He takes his hand and then nudges her. "Hey," he says. "I can take care of myself."

...cept when he has to have MONSTERS SUCKED OUT OF HIM.

"Don't worry. I'm okay." He ...sighs a little and rolls his eyes. "You don't have to worry about me. Ever."

Even if you probably should. Regularly.

[alwaysroomforhope]

She isn't laughing at him, it's more at herself.

"I can't help it, you know. I worry about people even when they're idiots."

Yeah, she's going to worry.

"You're okay though? Really?"

[princeinexile]

"Yes, really," Zuko says, and then gets up and leans over. He is-- still uncertain about initiating this, about taking contact, taking anything from her at all...

...but he kisses, tasting slightly of chocolates and pepper all at once.

"Try not to worry about me."

It's not a turn on!

[alwaysroomforhope]

"I'll try," she promises, close to his lips, and smiles even as she leans up to kiss him again, wrapping her arms around him.

She can't promise it'll work! But she'll try.

[princeinexile]

He finds himself eventually tangled on the couch, and then settles in, hands on her sides, an arm around her, the narrow couch enogh space for coziness.

And then he has to ask the wet blanket question:

"Are you sure... this is what you want?"

[alwaysroomforhope]

Oh Zuko. She pulls away, just enough to look at him, and it really is a Look this time.

"If it wasn't - if you weren't - would I be here?"

Does he think she couldn't defend herself against him, if she wanted? EYEBROW, ZUKO. Not that she's actually offended, but if she treats that kind of question as the stupid thing it is, maybe he'll get the point.

[princeinexile]

Properly chastened, he has the good sense to look a little cowed. Only a little though. But he considers, and then says: "No."

She has this element of certainty he's never been able to grasp -- at least, not since he was much younger then he is now. But at the same time, is this going to make her happy? Fulfill her?

Should he worry about a dead girl feeling fulfilled?

He nestles down, an arm around her. "I just-- don't know what I'm doing."

[alwaysroomforhope]

Does he mean that as applied to his whole life, or just to her? She kisses him, lightly, and asks "Do you need to?"

Go with the flow, Zuko. Don't worry where it's flowing to; destinations take care of themselves if you get the journey right. (Of course, that philosophy got her killed, but still. It applies to here and now, it really does!)

[princeinexile]

Honestly, his uncle would probably agree with her. Zuko however, has often desired more... stablity. Fire needs fuel to burn, otherwise it rages out of control and consumes everything, inluding itself eventually.

Zuko doesn't want to be the bonfire, the wildfire. He wants to be something weilded far more carefully.

"... Sometimes I think so," he says after a minute. "But then, I've never done this before. Maybe I'm wrong."

[alwaysroomforhope]

"I never know what I'm doing."

Fire burns itself out. Steph's a - well. Not exactly a living example. Something along those lines, though.

"Just ... as long as it's what you want, Zuko." There's concern in her eyes, and care, when she looks up at him. "I can be pushy sometimes."