[Zuko's Apartment, 103 - apharsites]

[princeinexile]

He was rolled in after the coffee wore off. Iroh did it, strangely; Miho was given a smile and dismissed and that was that, and the old man took his nephew down to his woman, and smiled and nodded and the wheelchair with the slumbering prince. It's like a special delivery! One prince in chair! Done!

Isn't he cute when he's nearly drooling?

Comments

[slayer_fray]

Adorable. Absolutely adorable.

Which is why Mel is very careful when she lifts him out of the chair to bring him into the bed. The last thing she wants right now is to wake him.

[princeinexile]

It must be good practice, helping your boyfriend by CARRYING him. Zuko mumbles something, but is soon in bed, still, though his fingers have caught in her shirt, holding on.

There is a mumbled request, sleepy and thick.

Come here, and warm up.

[slayer_fray]

OK, she can do that, letting him pull her to him and curling herself around his torso. Nothing she'd rather do more, in fact.

[princeinexile]

There is sleep, for quiet a few hours, til dry break has Zuko realizing he slept in his clothing, and there's a woman in bed wiht him and he's not sure how he got down here but he doesn't care.

Rolling away, he shucks his clothing and then returns to her, burrowing into the blankets to simply be quiet and be there. No one else but his uncle gets up this early-- so he will simply stay here, and indulge.

[slayer_fray]

Mel's certainly not ready to move yet. She's still more tired than normal, and unwilling to wake up much at all.

But she does hit the mattress with one arm when he disappears, and make contented happy noises hwne he returns, burrowing her head into his chest.

[princeinexile]

Slow touches are there. Does she want? If so, he'll gladly provide. If not, he will happily just have her there against him, tangled properly.

There are mumbled and sleepy sweetnesses, i love you's and melaka's, because he can say them and say them without fear laying the wave of affection like a choking oilslick. Even after it all, knowing what he knows, this is more security then they've had in months to just be.

[slayer_fray]

Mmmmmmmmm yes she wants. That'd be why she's writhing gently under his fingers, too tired to do anything else but let him be there, responding to his words with ones even less coherent, not wanting to wake up too fast and lose this heaven of being neither asleep nor awake.

[princeinexile]

Wanting is good. There are wandering hands and lips and soft breaths and a damn fine way to wake up, if he does say so himself, eyes only ever opening to glowing slits of gold, before lashes dip and they vanish again.

It's a good time to reacquaint oneself with the practice of slow love making, starting with languid foreplay and pleasing sweetness till it goes beyond, beyond, beyond.

They haven't done this in a while.

[slayer_fray]

They've been busy. Worried, arguing, crippled, pregnant. There's so many reasons why they haven't been just enjoying each other's company like this.

Which is a rutting shame because this? Would be how Mel would happlily spend her entire day doing. Just the two of them in their bed, together.

[princeinexile]

They can claim a day for honeymoon. Maybe two? Where they just put a sign out, 'Do Open Til Doomsday or Friday, Whichever Comes First', maybe?

It's hushed, but not every bit of love has to be a hurricane, not everything has to rattle the bedposts, not everything has t come soaked with sweat... Some of it is just damn good, in softness and love and the gentle exchange of love and affection.

Which isn't to say that when they're through that he's not breathing a little harder, or that he's not damp with sweat, ir that he's not all but purring in contentment. He all of those hings, cradling his woman against him, sighing her name.

Clue: It isn't 'Miho'.

[slayer_fray]

Yeah, she doesn't really expect it to. That's her problem and one she can deal with on her own, thanks. But her head is against his shoulder now, hair drenched in sweat, and there's a hand playing with his scalp...

...and looking for a queue that isn't there. So now Mel's frowning slightly, pulling lightly at the ragged part of his hair in confusion.

[princeinexile]

"...haircut," Zuko mumbles when he realizes there is a hand in his hair going 'wtf' a lot. "Shoulda been there. Azula nearly shat herself."

He is smug. And proud of himself, in a strange way.

[slayer_fray]

Mel exhales through her nose in a small snort of laughter.

She remembers what that meant to him, that ponytail. So yes, she's proud of him too, that he'd do that. Especially in front of Azula.

She turns her head and plants a kiss on the inside of his shoulder.

"You couldn't've taken a picture?"

[princeinexile]

"No?" Cameras, whut?

[slayer_fray]

Oh right, yeah.

"Never mind," she says lazily, and snuggles her head back down. "Did she tell you we met?"

[princeinexile]

"Yes. She hates you. And thinks I've chosen poorly," Zuko says as he nestles back down. "Which is a load of crock. Also, you're vuglar and gross."

He shrugs, and then says, "But then, she's not sleeping with you, so she doesn't know you're great in bed, she doesn't battle at your side, so she doesn't know that she'd rather lose her arm then you, and she's never fought with you, to know you can be good and wise. So her opinion is utter dross."

He got the GOOD woman!

[slayer_fray]

Mel just grins. Azula's disapproval gives her some sort of validity. She'd hate to be liked by a girl like that.

"And, since when is vulgar a bad thing?"

[princeinexile]

"Depends on where you are," Zuko says with a yawn, kissing her jaw. "Vulgar wouldn't go over well at court. Azula couldn't say 'fuck you' if she tried. She'd have to deliver a ten-word threat in perfect haiku."

[slayer_fray]

Mel laughs softly at that, and shrugs.

"But then she misses out on the satisfaction in standing up in court and saying 'fuck you' to the one person who wouldn't expect it. Having to watch your words means someone's controlling you."

[princeinexile]

"She doesn't get that," Zuko says. "But sometimes a controled phrase means you're doing the controlling. Sometime. It's all politics, though. We'll be dealing with it here soon enough, if we're not already."

Adam, for instance.

[slayer_fray]

Egh, politics. Mel makes a distasteful sound. But she shifts, snuggling deeper against him before bringing up the conversation.

"Have you thought about what you want to do?"

[princeinexile]

"I'm thinking... THat we'll set up a council. Picked by me for various qualifiactions. That council will maintain the community for one year. After that -- people can see how people have done their jobs, and if they don't like them, they can challenge; votes and ... stuff would have to be handled somehow. But... I'm really wary of putting this-- government in the hands of anyone else just yet."

But mostly because it's chaos! People are scared and crazy and they don't KNOW anybody. "During that time we can get systesms in place; the commitees can be semi-autonamous, and ... we'll see where it goes in a year."

He... sincerely believes they'll be here more then a year.

[slayer_fray]

Mel will be, anyway. She's not leaving.

"Not a year," she says. "Less than that. We need to get democracy instituted before then. We can't... people won't stand for it otherwise. Or at least, don't pick the council on your own."

[princeinexile]

Zuko chews the inside of his cheek. "Six months? Or-- well, how would you have the council chosen? Number of nominations to a place?"

He tilts his head. "I'm just-- worried Mel. We have a lot of new people here, who are scared and confused. It wouldn't take much for a few people with ideas to scare some of them some more, lie , take credit... Adam's open with his challenges, and I doubt he's hesitate to slander what's been done here if he thought it meant he could shake the system. And Azula..."

THAT get's a shudder. "She's already trying. She made a play for Harper today."

[slayer_fray]

Mel shakes her head, and turns over.

"That's the problem, isn't it?" she says, slightly bitter. "We don't want to tell them what to do, but we don't trust them to make the right decision."

For 'we', read 'every government in the world'.

[princeinexile]

"Right now, would you? Seriously? Would you be able to walk up to any of these new people and expect them to pick from strangers when they're scared, hurt, and have no idea what's coming next?" He shakes his head quietly. "People in groups, as a rule, get foolish... especially when they're scared, Mel."

"Six months, and then elections. Gives everyone time to settle, and us time to accomplish things. Do you think it will fly?"

[slayer_fray]

"I hope so," she says, less bitter now, but still not altogether happy. She just wants to live with her family somewhere safe. BUt her family's so big now.

So she leans against him and sighs, worried and content in equal measures.

[princeinexile]

"We'll do our best," Zuko assures her.

He wants to do right by everyone!

[slayer_fray]

"I know," she says, and she believes that. They'll work something out.

She lies there for a minute, breathing in his warmth, before she can bring herself to speak again. But she needs to know something, and doesn't trust him to volunteer the information.

"...Zuko?"

[princeinexile]

"Mmm?" He has settled into contentment; but that doesn't mean he's not listening!

[slayer_fray]

Deep breath. Not really wanting to broach the subject. But calmly asked:

"Do we know if he was killed?"

[princeinexile]

Eyes open.

"I have some more people to ask, but..." He takes a breath, "I don't think so. Everyone I've spoken to that wasn't immediately rushed to the infirmary and-- hasn't-- needed immediate care..."

He shakes his head. "I don't think so, Mel. Paige, Angua-- I-- I think if Angua'd done it she would have had Hellboy tell us. And Paige ... I don't think Paige could."

Little does he know about her and her abilities, but... Eh.

[slayer_fray]

"OK."

And that's it. She squeezes him softly to tell him that it's a minor detail, that getting people out and killing the Magog was the importnant thing. That she's sad, yes, but not angry, not frustrated, and above all not going to go out after her brother.

She just needed to know.

"OK."

[princeinexile]

"Hellboy says some people are fittin' to go hunting. A couple don't grasp the idea of 'wait till the tracker's healed'. We'll ...see what happens when Angua' up and go see what we can find."

He's still out there, still a threat.

He was the largest threat, really. The magog were just pawns. But-- if he doesn't need then anymore, if he just left them behind...

... does that mean he has something better now?

"Ok?"

[slayer_fray]

But he's not farming people.

Hopefully.

She nods. "Who's going? Angua and Red."

Who Mel's being to pair up in her mind as a team.

"Who else?"

[princeinexile]

"Krauser, Decan, and some new guy named Jayne Cobb who has this issue with authority and apparently isn't very bright. Also, he wanted to make Angua into stew."

That was, to say the least, irritating.

[slayer_fray]

To say the least.

"He wanted to make her into what?"

[princeinexile]

"Stew. Dog is protein. Meat. We need it. Why not carve her up?"

He shrugs. "Obviously, he doesn't know the dog is Angua, but..." Yeah, one can imagine how Hellboy took it.

[slayer_fray]

Yeah... one can.

"Is he OK?"

[princeinexile]

"He got back up after Hellboy knocked him down," Zuko says thoughtfully. "So yeah. Head must be like a rock, though."

[slayer_fray]

"No kidding," Mel remarks with a small grin.

"OK, those five sound like a team. When she's ready."

[princeinexile]

He nods. "I'll let Hellboy know."

He smirks slightly, and then cuddles. "You know, we've made love, given a shot at defining governmental policy for the next six months, and thrown together a good team for vampire hunting," he says as he traces a hand down her back.

"I think we should resume the first activity in celebration, and then get around to announcing the rest to the proper policies..." And before he better occupies his mouth, he adds, "Maybe things would have been better if this was the way Dad did things..."

But he didn't. Oh well! Zuko shall learn from his father's mistakes: No heavy policy decisions unless he's been laid first. A sound course of action!