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HeyThereLittleBear

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It was in the darkness of her tomb that she had the time to contemplate where her plan had all gone wrong, in the silence she mused over all of her wrong-doings, and in the dead air she thought about her future. The silence was her friend up to this point, a place where she was able to escape from the world, from the war even and find a place in which she could ease herself into a sense of peace, even if such peace were false. Mizuki had endured silence that was more complete than this, darkness that was more total, and places that robbed her more fully of her senses.

If they thought that this was torture, then they didn't know what torture was.

The relative quiet of her cell was broken only by a slow and gentle rumble and the occasional toss of the caravan, which was the system they were using to transport her. It had been a day, possibly, maybe even longer since they had left the capital, and she had a horrible feeling that they were taking her as far from curious eyes as possible. Afterall, she had been so close to killing the Fire Lord that it had shaken the higher ups.

But Mizuki was not just an ordinary girl, not just an ordinary anything, really. She was a child born of war and trained by people that wanted nothing more than Ozai's death, and they were determined to have his head. Since she had hit puberty at thirteen, she had been taught the ways of seduction - how to move her hips, to bat her eyes, to purr her voice. She was taught to dance when her body filled in, and her water-bending had only increased her abilities and made her more... Appealing, to those whom wanted a show.

And that was precisely how they'd pitched her and gotten her into the palace. The group had masqueraded as a traveling band of entertainers, with her as their 'big hit,' known for her erotic dance mixed with skillful bending. Ozai had been intrigued with her show, as Mizuki was an attractive young woman, her body thin and her breasts ample. He had requested a private show, to which she had gladly obliged. In the privacy of his throne room, she performed her dance just for him, with the added allure of less clothing. He had been intrigued, taking her to his bedroom. As he'd started to settle himself on top of her,his hands hungry on her thighs, she'd pulled the small blade from beneath her clothing.

The tip had just pierced his chest when she felt her thighs burn, his guards rushing the room before she could get any further. He'd tossed her then, leaving her an injured heap on the floor, the imprints of his hands burned against her skin. Days later she could still feel the throb of the burn, feel the heat of her injuries, and the pain still throbbed as she struggled to pretend that it was nothing worse than a sunburn.

Mizuki had spent several days in his prison cells, locked away from prying eyes and had decided what to do with the would-be assassin. It was after great thought that she was sent on her journey in the darkness, towards a destination that was to her unknown. She had been starved and beaten, burned and humiliated. But she had not been broken. Mizuki may have been a young girl compared to them, but her will was strong and her wrath was great. Mizuki was a patient creature, biding her time until they were foolish enough to let their guard down. Her bending wasn't just for looks, and her skills with dance had been transferred to dancing with blades, a dangerous and beautiful art of attack and defense.

And it seemed that her caravan had come to a stop, her eyes opening and body pushing herself up as best she could with her hands still bound, sitting patiently on her knees as her ears struggled to catch any noises from the outside. At first, there was nothing. Then a small crack of light came through the door, not horribly bright to most but nearly blinding to her in comparison to the darkness she'd been bathing in.

The guards took advantage of her temporary blindness, grasping her roughly by the arm and dragging her when her legs wouldn't immediately cooperate. She'd only just gotten her feet under her when they started to drag her towards a place she didn't recognize. The people there were whispering onlookers, too used to the brutality of the fire nation to speak out openly against it. And among the people was a man, unfamiliar to her but the apparent destination for her. The guards stopped several feet from him and a scroll was passed into his hands, no doubt a list of charges and her death sentence.

They didn't speak a word to her as the key to her shackles passed hands, the rough ones restraining and supporting her releasing. And just like that, her entourage was gone. And she was left in the care of... Mystery man.
 
Zuko took the scroll begrudgingly, not really wanting to deal with whatever game his father, noted to him by the seal on the scroll, had come up with this time. He looks at the two guards, his most notable feature becoming prominent on his face as the sun glazed it gently causing his already squinted left eye squinting further from the sun, what had caused the already slight squint was the burn sitting around his eye and over to the side of his temple, very obviously caused by a powerful fire bender. He didn’t seem to have to say anything, just looking at them made them back away, he seemed very powerful, even though he was staying at some Earth Kingdom tavern.

He unrolled the scroll, taking a look at the contents inside, he browsed the contents for a moment as the crowd that had gathered seemed to grow tired and leave, leaving only a few who watched on for another moment before joining the others and leaving, leaving the already burnt girl who’d just been delivered to him the only person in the courtyard other than himself while the guard carriages wrote away. He growled in anger his right hand which held the top of the scroll becoming enflamed, burning the scroll mostly to ash, he didn’t realise it but he’d just played a card he should have kept close to his chest, he’d shown this new girl that he was a fire bender.

The only piece of the scroll that remained intact enough to read as the shards and ash of the scroll fell to the ground in front of the girl was a large piece that obviously came from the bottom of the scroll, more noticeable because of the signature at the end. ‘If she tries to run, kill her.’ The cursive said prominently, followed by a rather elegant and recognizable squiggle of the signature of the Fire Lord himself, Ozai. He controlled his breathing, his anger about what he’d read starting to subside, steam seaming to show slightly from his nostrils as he flared them in his now shrinking state of anger.

Other than the scar on his face the second thing that stood out about the fire bender who’d played his cards was that… he wasn’t dressed like a fire bender, he wasn’t dressed like a fire nation soldier, or a fire nation member for that matter, his clothing was very neutral, bearing no resemblance of any national allegiance he wore a simple black robe with black undergarments, it was early morning and he clearly wasn’t properly dressed, he’d come out of bed to receive what he was told was ‘A parcel’ but had turned out to be this… girl.

The girl… he thought to himself for the first time looking down at her, black hair, pale skin, just like a fire nation girl, but the letter said otherwise, it said she was a water bending performer, a traveller who’d introduced herself into the palace and stab a blade in his father’s chest after she lured him into bed with her. ‘She was that good?’ he thought ‘She got my father into bed with her and into such a false sense of security that she managed to stab him?’ his thoughts continued ‘Impressive.’ He looked over that pale skin seeing the minor burns on her cheeks clearly caused by fire bending torture, ‘So the task masters didn’t break her?’ he thought to himself, ‘Then why on earth would I be able to break her’ he thought finally to himself ending with a tut.

“Mizuki” he said, his first word showing how dominant his voice could sound, he had a deep tone of voice and a sound of authority as he said her name. “That’s your name right?” he said following up looking down at the burnt girl a few cuts becoming obvious to him now on her arms and around her neck, she truly had lasted through the task maters without breaking, maybe she did get that close to his father.. ‘Impressive’ he thought to himself again, he was in awe at the girl in strange way, here she was knelt before him offered to him as a play toy ‘If you can break her Zuko, you will be an Heir again, find the other rebels, and return home a hero’ the scroll had said, she would be easier than the Avatar that’s for sure, but how much easier? That was the real question.

He looked down at the ground seeing the only piece of paper that hadn’t burnt to a crisp, the bottom of the sheet that held those words once more ‘If she tries to run, kill her’ his eyes flicked up from the sheet on the floor to hers as he stepped forward and stomped the sheet into the ground rubbing his foot against it before reaching over, laying his hands on her like she was his property – she was, she was the Fire Lords prisoner, and the Fire Lords slave, and the Fire Lord had given her to him as a toy to break, a toy to get information out of ‘by any means necessary’, another line of the scroll had said.

He pulled her to her feet and then looked at her as she stood at her full height about half a foot shorter than he, he then turned his back on her, she was dangerous, the letter he had read had mentioned that about her that was for sure, but he wasn’t fearful of this woman, showing fear was a weakness and a weakness that he didn’t have, he wouldn’t show her weakness and if she dared attack him, he would then show her strength, there was no significant bodies of what around here, she couldn’t use any major bending, especially with her hands bound, unless she was.. that good.. “Come, I was rudely awoken so early this morning I plan to go back to my rooms, you will be staying with me for… a while” he said quietly starting to walk away, leaving the woman behind him her hands bound by manacles, her feet free.
 
As Zuko examined the scroll, Mizuki was examining him. She took note of the fact his eye was damaged, a sign that he had a terrible brush with a fire bender that had no mercy on someone they dueled. She made a mental note of possibly damaged eyesight, making sure to keep in mind that he would be compromised if his better eye was taken out.

She was silent as she already started to plan an attack on her new singular captor, a man that was already a wounded animal ready to be put out of his misery. She could envision putting her thumbs into his eyes, the hot squish of blood as she took him out and the inevitable dodging of blind strikes against her should he want to fight back against her in his weakened state. His body was stronger than hers, much more physically fit in the way that she wouldn't be. She was lithe, but fit enough that she could outrun someone with ease. Her skill was her unassuming face and her endurance, built for years of dancing.

Zuko revealed the most interesting piece about himself as he burned the scroll, her curious eyes catching the last bit on the page. Kill her? She could laugh at that idea. She would rather die with honor than be a prisoner of some fire bending brat. He wasn't even a man yet from the way he acted, more of a boy. And boys were simple things, things that could be studied and controlled.

With her escort gone, the boy seemed more at ease and the crowd dissipated, no longer interested in the oddity of the girl or her new 'companion'. Mizuki was silent until the point of him pulling her to her feet, her legs weak at first as she found secure footing. Her legs hadn't been used properly in a good amount of time and it was a relief to feel her muscles again, even if they strained from the misuse.

"I apologize that my arrival woke you. Perhaps you should let me go. I assure you that you will sleep more peacefully with me gone than me here." Her tone was sarcastic, face forced to be apathetic as she followed him, taking on a long stride that stetched out her muscles. If she could get him to sleep, she could steal the key and be gone before he woke. Simple.

Mizuki didn't like the thought, however, of rooming with him, a scowl on her face. "I do hope you don't believe I will be your cuddle buddy. Last man to cuddle me got a knife to the chest." She smirked at the end of that, rather smug in herself.
 
He couldn't help himself but smile at her words, she was fierce and cocky, two traits that may prove an issue if he's to break her to earn his throne again, however, he will break her, she will submit to him - he'll find a way. As she spoke about being a 'cuddle buddy he couldn't help but chuckle out loud at her before stopping in front of her as they continue to walk, looking over his shoulder slightly giving her a look at his scared eye, "If I wanted to bed you woman, you wouldn't be getting in my bed with anywhere to hide a knife" he said hitting the last word through gritted teeth as he threatens her. "Don't push me, I'm impressed by what you did, I'm still milling over what to do with you." he voice changed drastically from one sentence to the next, the first through angry gritted teeth, the second... calm in a way, his voice soft even through it's deepness.

He continued to walk, his new companion in tow as he proceeded to the entrance to the out of the way tavern he was staying at, it was more of a tavern on the road rather than a tavern in the middle of a city, it stood alone and quite tall, about 4 stories and indeed long clearly providing plenty of space for guests. He opened the door to the tavern a small bell ringing as he did, he walked in holding the door until she entered, a woman appeared behind the desk in green Earth Kingdom robes her hair hanging down blonde over her shoulders, Zuko looked over to her, his companion was in manacles, and female, the likely rational from the woman would be that Zuko had come back to her tavern with a sex slave of some sorts. "Prepare a second room and add another meal to my tab." he says looking at the woman with a stern commanding look, a look of someone who was used to getting what he wanted from most of the people around him.

The woman hurriedly scurried away to prepare what he had requested Zuko gripped onto Mizuki's arm firmly, holding her by her bicep the soft silk of her robes gentle to the touch as he dragged her where he wanted her, moving throughout the building past the rooms and up a flight of stairs where he pulled a key from his robe pocket, not the key to her bindings, instead the key to one of the rooms, he left her standing behind him as he opened up the room and grabbed her once more by the bicep, leaving her with one last look at the corridor, the Shoji architecture prominent as he shoved her into the room with such a force that her weak legs probably wouldn't keep her up, as she tumbled he turned to close the door, locking it behind him and leaving the key in it as he advanced on her pulling another key from his pocket.

This time, the key was the one for her bindings, he knelt down in front of her pulling the bindings into his hands looking at her holding the metal. "I will remove these bindings." he said softly looking at her as if he was about to give another command in exchange for what he would do. "You are then to disrobe and provide me with one of your more disposable under garments." he said firmly in a commanding tone. "If you are to run for me, I need to be able to find you, so I need something strong with your scent." he says in a firm fashion. He knew a few owners of Shirshu, the large tracking creatures he'd used in the past to hunt the avatar, if she was to leave, he'd need something of hers, something strong in her scent to track her down, she was a much easier option than the avatar for getting his throne back, he just needed time to break her. "If you don't do it yourself, I will forcefully disrobe you." he said giving her the ultimatum, he didn't want her to think of him too much as her enemy, if he could show her that he was better than the task masters, better than those who'd beaten her then maybe he could make more progress with her, however, if that didn't work, he'd have to use the task masters route.

He slid the key into the lock, unlocking her manacles, giving her back control of her hands and her arms. The room was fairly bare, a mat that he'd been sleeping on accompanied by a pile of his folded clothes that he had yet to dress himself with, other than that there was a single window, locked to stop any one from sneaking into his room through there at night, this time it would serve a different purpose, it would stop something from sneaking out. After he'd unlocked her manacles he moved with his back turned to the door, removing the key and pocketing it.
 
The boy was at the very least more personable than her previous companions, though he was no more easy to deal with. She found that he was at the bare minimum amused by her, a smile coming to his lips at her smart mouth and fiery attitude. She could use It to her advantage, at the least. At best, she might could exploit his weaker personality. Unlike the guards, he seemed to be a bit more sympathetic towards her.

"Bed me?" She deigned surprise, her voice dry with sarcasm, "My, you don't seem old enough to bed a woman." It was a jest against him, an insult that was nothing in comparison to what she could have said. She didn't insult again, but her tongue was at the ready to have another smart remark ready against him. His next words made her silent, not because of his anger but because of the lack of true malice that was there. She bit her lip, deciding against making another wise crack at him.

Mizuki stayed silent for the rest of the trip through to the tavern, her eyes roaming about them to asess the situation fully and decide on what her best escape route possible. She followed him up to the room and watched as he drew the key. Her observation was interrupted as he tossed her quite unceremoniously into the room, her legs stumbling then giving way. She fought against the weakness in her body, her legs uncooperating at first to lift her back from the ground.

As he grasped her shackles she felt a bit of excitement in her belly, not from his touch but from the possibility of freedom. She was reluctant to lift her eyes to meet his. His words made her bit of happiness due a bit, her lips turning into a scowl at the thought of disrobing in front of him. She didn't answer, but her eyes broke from his and stared down at the shackles again, feeling joy rushing back as they fell free.

The first thing she did was spread her arms to their fullest extent, stretching out the muscles that had been cramped for so long. She rolled her shoulders and let out a soft sigh that was almost like one of pleasure, the relief of mobility something that made her feel like a human again. Rather than being so bold as to disrobe in front of him, she turned just a bit, working her dress off of her body slowly, her limbs still getting used to moving

As the dress slid from her body, the full extent of her injuries became painfully clear. Her back was crossed with markings from whips and her side was purple and green with deep bruising. Just above her left hip bone was a healing brand that had been put there- the seal of the fire nation. Beneath the damage of her torture, it was obvious her body was quite lovely. Her skin was soft and pale and her muscles were visible beneath the skin. Her hips had a soft curve to them and her breasts were supple, large enough to cup in a hand but small enough that they wouldn't interfere in a fight or dance.

Her eyes were averted from him still as she eased her panties off her body, revealing that her sex had been untouched by the men, mostly cleanly shaven and soft. Mizuki bundled her underlinens in her hand but didn't offer, her eyes finally meeting Zuko's with a challenge. "I suppose that these are what you were after." She said finally, tossing the linen at his face rather than offering. "Satisfied?"
 
He snatched her underwear taking them out of the air and pocketing them, if he ever lost sight of her, the strong scent present in this fabric would make her easy to track. "Yes." he responded to her question of his satisfication, his eyes where on her body, not for the figure it gave and the perfection it showed under the marks but, the marks where what gain his attention, the lashes on her back, bruises on her side, brand on her body - she was their property, their prisoner and belonged to them, they'd done what they wanted with her, but it was some what obvious that she was fresh, untouched in a sexual manner by her torturers, the first thing that came to his mind was that Ozai probably wanted to take that for himself after she'd broke, that was likely the only thing that saved her from hours after hours of rape at the hands of Fire Nation soldiers.

His hand reached up for the scar around his eyes. "Put your clothes back on." he said in a quiet depressive sullen manner as he walks across the room - he didn't want to see the extent of what had been done to her.

He knew she wasn't innocent, and that she very much could look after herself, but the fact that a woman's body so delicate had been beaten black and blue made his skin crawl slightly, he felt sorry for her. As he waited for her to dress he decided to dress himself, dropping the robe that he wore revealing the basic black under garments and then throwing on his actual robes, red by nature, obvious fire nation clothing he still wore it with some pride even though he knew what they could do, he'd seen the brutality on her body, he'd seen the brutality of a fire bender for himself. He stretched himself off a little bit and looked at her, he watched as she finished off clothing herself and then nodded. "When did you last eat, are you hungry?" he says in a soft caring manner, he still had his game plan, make her comfortable, make her like you, maybe then you can make her slip the information you need - she still doesn't know why she's with you. "If anyone asks, you're a lover of mine they Fire Nation kept from me all these years, and now we're reunited." he says firmly "You don't have to act affectionate to me just stick to the story." he says pulling a key from his robes and walking towards the door to open it. "My name is Zuko. By the way." he says in a slow gentle tone trying to make her comfortable.
 
His eyes made her skin crawl, she could feel him looking her over, from the abuses she had endured to the sudden lack of in her most private of areas. Everything in her wanted to cower away from his prying eyes but she instead stood taller and stretched her muscles, forcing herself against all of her instincts to let him get a good eye full of what she could survive through. They hadn't broken her and he wouldn't either.

Mizuki was thankful to put her dress back on but she didn't let it show, her face forcefully apathetic as she smoothed out the wrinkles on the smooth material. She watched him from the corner of her eyes as she finished up, watching his expression. Unlike the guards, he didn't seem apathetic towards her injuries. His face spoke of disgust, possibly shame. But it didn't stop him from proudly donning the colors of the fire nation, looking just like the rest of the filthy dogs.

His caring voice sounded like condescension, her nose wrinkling as she thought about it. "Three days ago." She didn't state it with sadness, just matter of factly. Her stomach, however, growled audibly at the thought of food. Her mouth, too, was a watering traitor. His kindness didn't make her warm up to him anymore, her eyes still watching him as if she expected him to suddenly change and beat her. She had become quite the cynic in her time with the fire nation. "Your lover? I suppose I should at least act like I missed you." She had resorted back to sarcasm again, a defense that helped her cope.

But she didn't object beyond that, her stomach too empty and her heart hoping too much for the promise of a meal. She took the extra, grudging step to take his arm, her hand wrapping tenderly about his forearm. While she had taken his arm, she didn't draw her body close as a lover would, the distance awkward at best. But it was better than having to drag her. "Lead the way, lover-boy."
 
Her grabbing of his arm surprised him slightly, he hadn't expected that, but it was a good idea from her, it would most certainly keep up the charade a little bit better if she was hanging off his arm, however her distancing of herself only dissatisfied him, he puller her closer, her head being forced against his upper arm and shoulder as he started to walk with her, guiding her, she moved where he wanted her to, he was much more powerful in the raw sense of the word and it wasn't hard for him to guide her with a firm hand. After a moment or so of walking through the corridors the two arrived in an open space decorated nicely with several low tables and nice mats sat around them for people to seat, the tavern wasn't for royalty but it wasn't for the poor either, it was rather nice and homey. He moved over to one of the open tables and let go of her arm nodding towards the mat on the floor waiting for her to seat herself.

Once she had he looked down at her straightening out his robes slightly where they'd crunched up a little from keeping her so close to him, he spoke through gritted teeth, "Wait here, don't try anything I'll get you some food" he said. He turned looking around the tavern's dining hall, it was fairly full of the patrons some of who had been outside and had seen the altercation between Zuko and Mizuki, there was looks of confusion as to why the girl who'd been in manacles and handed over to him walked in hung off his arm like she was something to be paraded around, this in some peoples minds probably didn't help their perception of Mizuki as a sex slave or paid escort.

Zuko found the woman who'd shown up at the front desk before and spoke briefly with her as she bowed her head and scurried away, Zuko was the only one in the tavern wearing Fire Nation colours, the rest where all obviously Earth Kingdom citizens, wearing their noticeable green. He moved back across the room, sitting next to Mizuki making himself comfortable. "She will bring you something to eat shortly." he said in a fairly hushed tone being aware of his surroundings and seeing the many people giving them looks, he couldn't put his finger on it but they all looked curiously on at the new woman sitting next to him. "I wont be staying here for much longer." he said softly, "so they wont be giving you that look for a while more." he looked over to the side of her cheek the light burn marks that where present there slowly fading, unlike his that would be there for the rest of his life, she'd gotten lucky in a way.. was the only thing that he could think of, no matter how bad the abuse she'd received was, she wouldn't have to bear the scar he would for the rest of his life, at worst she'd have a few light scars on her back.

After a moment of silence he took a deep breath almost nervously and whispered to her slightly, "Does it hurt?" he said with a gentle tone looking over to her, "did they give it any medical treatment?" he said once more in the same soft tone, he was playing his game, trying to earn her trust, but at the same time he felt a some what sort of concern for her, he'd been burnt at the fire nations hand and so had she, they where similar in a way, just his torture was mental in the ways it was being done, exile, kept away from his home, from his mother, from his throne, hers was more physical, cuts, bruisers, burns... They where similar, in a way, deep down he really did care about this girl who was stuck in a similar situation as he.
 
Her small favor in aiding his charade made him open the door wiser, pulling her to him hard enough that her cheek was pressed against his arm snugly, her arm pulled taut so that she couldn't pull away from him on her own. From the outside, she appeared to be snuggling onto him as if he had been the person she cares about most, though her.face didn't reflect what her body showed. In silent protest of the forced close encounter, her nails dug into his skin and her body tight like a coiled spring from stiffening.

The people of the tavern were watching the bizarre couple with a mix of curiosity and judgment. Some whispered to the others at the table and she was sure of what it looked like. It looked like the strange man had purchased a sex slave that wasn't too enthused with her job. But who would he, with someone whose personality resembled a cactus. She was thankful to he released from his side, pulling away as if he had struck her. Mizuki obeyed the order to sit, but mostly because she was still too weak enough to continue to stand on her own. Malnutrition and dehydration had done a rough thing to her strength, and she knew that if she were to make an escape it wouldn't be today.

While Zuko was away, she had time to stare at the utensils that were on the table, her eyes drawn to a long, sharp knife used to cut the tougher meats. She picked it up, admired the way the light struck the polished metal and pictures the way she wpils push it into his chest. She pretended like she could feel the gush of his blood over her fingers as he choked on his own blood, spittle turning red as it bubbled up through his lungs. She was tempted to hide it beneath her dress, to use it to kill him in the night so that she could make an easy escape. But no. Mizuki set it down, her hand trembling from adrenaline.

When he returned, she gave him a lazy smile as if she hadn't just been contemplating murdering him, "Thank you." She was polite enough to thank him for the meal, though the words tasted like ash. They might have looked the part of a couple in love as they walked in but they didn't now. She was quiet, contemplating the table and he was contemplating her from the way his eyes made the side of her head burn.

His next question caught her off guard, making her stare down at her lap as if thinking on how best to answer. She didn't want him to know that her brand was still fresh enough to burn with every movement, or that the large bruise that went from her lower Back to under her right breast hurt with each breath. She settled on an answer, "Pain is temporary. My wounds are minor." It was a lie, as most would scar, and the emblem would be there for life. But she didn't want his pity.

"Why does my pain matter to you? I am positive I wasn't sent here to be your date. I'm not foolish."
 
Her growled in a low tone at her comment about her pain mattering to him, he turned slightly so he was facing her more with her body leaning a little bit closer to her, almost as if he was going to kiss her cheek but he stopped a little bit away. "You'd be surprised how similar of a situation you and I are in." he whispered into her ear softly, a few eyes where still on them around the room as he whispered into her ear, he noticed them and decided to actually kiss her cheek laying a soft kiss on her cheek bone before pulling back and smiling like a man in love, he took a deep breath trying to contain his anger at her ignorance, why would he care? Of course he would care! He and her are one of the same, both loathed by the Fire Nation, both wounded, betrayed, hurt by the Fire Nation... but.. they where not the same, not at all, he was a spoiled Prince who spoke out of turn, she was a heroic assassin who tried to end the Fire Lords reign, having the same end result didn't mean they where similar, not at all, or did it? His mind was a mess with thoughts, it was at that moment that the serving girl placed two meals and two drinks down in front of the pair. "Thankyou" Zuko said charmingly looking up at the girl who smiled back at him as Zuko tipped her a few gold pieces.

Before he began to eat he realised something, early she'd Thanked him for sorting her out a meal, while it wasn't sincere, he could tell it was still a thankyou and he had not gratified that reasonably. "You're welcome" he says softly looking slightly over at Mizuki before reaching over and taking a drink from the small clay cup before setting it back down and sighing gently. "How did you end up in the Fire Lords home and then in his bed?" he said softly reaching down to the fork and chop sticks and beginning to work on his meal, eating slowly, his job was still there, if he could get information out of her he could get home... what a home that would be, back in the house with the man who exiled you, it was an interesting thought that was for sure. Throughout his eating he would sometimes flick a glimpse towards her, he was feeling something for this girl, there was something about her, the fierce nature of the girl and the tenacity to seduce the Fire Lord and attempt to kill him, it was attracting him towards her, and her body was a much nicer sight to behold when you couldn't see what was under the tightly hugging dress that she wore, the tight hugging silk dress giving prominence to her hips and breast the two most notable parts of her sat down figure, he smiled slightly at his thoughts about the girl while eating his meal.
 
He leaned in close enough she she could feel the heat of his breath tickling her neck and smell his skin, a smoky scent that made her nose tingle. She didn't move, but she stiffened visibly from the close proximity. Similar situations? In what way was he put through hell and back in service to his people? She was trying to help the world by killing the stark racing madman that held the throne and he what, sat in nice taverns complaining about a scar? She almost scoffed but caught herself. His kiss left her cheek burning, like he had set the tender flesh aflame, though she couldn't discern if it was a good feeling or bad.

Before her mind could pull something snarky from her repertoire, the serving girl had brought their dinner, smiling at them in a knowing fashion. Mizuki grasped her cup first, taking careful sips so that her stomach would accept the water once again. Once it settled in her stomach, she picked up her chopsticks and used her best restraint to eat with full manners. The food was at best mediocre compared to other fineries she had been treated to before, but with her body in the condition it was, it was the best thing she had ever tasted. As she chewed over her meal, she also chewed over her situation, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle put together to best understand where Zuko fell into place.

Zuko's furtive glances at her were not unnoticed, her hands gripping her chop sticks hard enough she could feel a small splinter dig into her finger. She finally had enough of his blatant staring when she set her utensils down, head turning to face him as her gaze leveled on him. "If you are going to stare, perhaps make it less obvious." She growled the words through her teeth, but her cheeks had turned a bit pink.

She returned her full attention back to her plate, but found that her stomach was already claiming it was full, having shrunk from lack of regular meals. His question made her guard rise considerably, her body shifting uncomfortably, "I was sold on the black market to the highest bidder for my in tact virginity." She lied, playing with her cup, "The Fire Lord was generous with his money."
 
He blushed slightly at her confrontation of her looking at him, but noticed something interesting, she was blushing too, it wasn't much but that was the first sign of weakness that this girl had shown him to in the short hour or two they'd been in close contact. Then she spoke about her story and he looked down at his food shaking his head slightly and unnoticeable, he knew Ozai.. he knew, his father, that was a lie, his father wouldn't go out of his way for something like that, after Zuko's mother left Ozai wasn't exactly unpopular with the ladies of the Fire Nation, being the Fire Lord sure did help that fact that was for sure, he didn't pull her up on the lie, he just nodded slightly, more obvious than his previous shake. "I see" he said, pretending to believe her lie, maybe he'd started to pry a little bit early.

He ate a little bit more, starting to come close to finishing his plate noticing that she had placed down her chopsticks on a half eaten plate, he cocked an eyebrow looking down at her, "Are you not going to eat it? I thought you'd be starving.." he said softly, an almost concerned sound on his voice, it was sincere, he'd seen how bad she'd been hurt, it made his scar look like nothing, however his scar did have it's disadvantages, right on his face, permanent, the whole of the Fire Nation knew that the Prince had been scared by his father, any where he'd go back home he'd get looked at, there would be no discreteness for him ever, because of this damned stupid scar. He quickly finished off what remained of the drink and his food, then sat back slightly, and whispered a little bit. "If you're done eating, we best either leave or you need to start cuddling closer to me." he said before sticking in his own sly remark, "cuddle buddy." he said mocking her previous statement, he expected that he would recieve the likely answer from the girl, she would request they return to the room, he didn't expect that she would bend to his will like that and cuddle up to him in a public place, however.. if she did he would like it.

There was something ringing in his mind however, a slight concern, for her, he was worried about her wounds, they looked bad and looked like they hadn't had treatment, there was no way she was going to take her robes off and allow him to have a look, he'd need to convince her to go see a medical practitioner when they reached Omashu, then, maybe she would actually get her wounds seen to, he looked down towards the girl, a slight air of concern on his face, he cared, he truly did, what had happened to her was horrible, even if it was a reasonable punishment for what she did, he reached up and touched his scar, lost in thoughts.
 
Mizuki was satisfied that he had accepted her lie as the truth, as he didn't seem to object to anything she had said. It was well known that the fire lord was very popular among the women in the fire kingdom, and it was no secret that many of the higher ups had offered the virginity of their daughters to him in order to rank up. It had been a dirty thing for them to do, but something she would expect out of anyone from the fire nation. The people were known to do dirty deeds to anyone, including their own. The only thing that they seemed to hold true to was the fact that the fire nation would be strong, as they were the best nation and deserved to rule over their lesser people.

She had picked up her cup and started to play with it as he commented on her half-touched plate, sipping gingerly at her drink after swirling it around. "When you don't eat regularly, you find that your stomach doesn't hold much." She stated calmly, though her voice had grown a bit... Cold, distant even. Her mind had turned inward, thinking of the injustices that she had suffered at their hands. They had starved her, deprived her of water, and had tortured her. At times, they'd put her in a chamber that took away most of her senses and left her there. If there was anything that had come close to breaking her, it had been that damned room. But instead, she turned to the one ability she lacked - singing. Her voice, though pleasant in speaking, sounded awful and off-key when she sung. She couldn't carry a tune to save her life, and it had actually saved her from insanity. She'd sung every annoying song and stupid jingle at the top of her lungs until the guards decided to release her, reluctant to put her in that situation again, as it had fired back on them so pitifully.

When he finished his plate, she was given a decision on what to do - either cuddle up on him and talk quietly or return to the room. She weighed her options carefully, finishing off her drink before setting down her cup. Mizuki didn't look at him as she closed the space between them, lifting the arm closest to her so that she could wrap it around herself, leaning in close to his side. She fit there surprisingly well, her head nestling up against a spot on his shoulder where she could find a comfortable enough dip. Her body was stiff, at first, obviously quite uncomfortable with the proximity, but she eased into him after a while until she almost melted into his side. She had her motives, because even if she didn't want to 'cuddle' Zuko, she would prefer being in the open than being alone with him. She knew where his mind had wandered, and she wasn't keen on the idea of being locked in a room with him.
 
His cheeks flushed with red as she cuddle up into him, taking him completely by surprise, it had been more of a joking mock at her previous statement but instead, here they where sat in the open tavern dining hall cuddling close together like two actual lovers. He pulled her flush against him the arm she'd used to first wrap around her self wrapping around her waist, the other hand musing with her hair a little, slightly for his own enjoyment but also to give the delusion to those around them, her hair was a dark raven black and the threads of it hung close together in thick fingers full as his fingers mused through it as he looked down at her, he could almost feel the improper shape of her back from her lashes against him as he held her so intimately, his hand squeezed against her hip and tummy uncomfortable, he began to feign opening up to her, with lies.

"I was a general.." he said softly, despite his youthful appearance he was around his early twenties, still young to hold such a position but he had his reasons in this lie. "My Father was The Dragon of the West." he said softly letting his voice run down over her body like a soothing layer of water, "The Fire Lord's Brother" he said softly twirling her hair around in his fingers as he held her close, people where starting to look away from them, almost as if to give them privacy in their public cuddle, he was starting to notice this and so continued with his mindless musing of his companions hair. "Their atrocities disgusted me... in battle, in cities, in small meaningless villages" he said still soft as he told a lie of story with confidence, he seemed rather good at the lie, so good that he could maybe convince himself that this was his actual story. "I resigned my post, Uncle Ozai wasn't happy about that..." he said with a soft chuckle before reaching down sliding his hand over the sleeves of the black robe dress she wore taking her hand and lifting it up to touch against the burnt skin, the texture was disgusting, revolting, horrible against the finger tips, "and that's when he gave me this." he said in a soft tone once more closing his eyes squeezing her a little bit more firm in his grip, enjoying her company while reciting his fake but believable story.

"That's why we're similar..." he said softly looking down at her now, her head pressed against chest as he looked down into her eyes, his lips where her eyes where as he hovered over her looking down. "We where both degraded at the hands of the Fire Lord..." he said letting his words drift off.
 
Being cuddled up against Zuko like this was becoming more and more bearable the longer that she stayed against him. His hand came up to play with her hair, a motion that was gentle enough that it sent goosebumps down her arms and made her shiver visibly. She could feel his hand against her side, her body wanting to fight against the touch where she was still very bruised. The people that had been sneaking glances at them every few moments or so were looking away now, cautiously averting their eyes from what they thought to be a private moment between lovers. She could smell his skin beneath the clothing, and he smelled like a true man of the fire nation, like smoke from a fireplace and something else that she couldn't place. It was a nice smell, and if he had been anyone else she would have buried her face in them and enjoyed him. But this was Zuko.

Mizuki was quiet as he told his backstory, her teeth chewing her lower lip slowly as she turned that story over in her head, trying to poke holes into his story but it was a rather good one. She didn't soften towards him at his story, even as her fingers slowly felt along the scar. She didn't immediately pull back from it, her hand pressing to it softly as her fingertips slowly and gently traced the outlines of it. The scar went deep and the skin was puckered from it, forever tinted a dark brown that was in deep contrast to his skin. Her thumb moved away from all of her other fingers, knowing that it looked like they were sharing a moment, lovers reunited and coming together in deep love. To match the look, she let her thumb trail across his lip, tracing over the lower part of it very slowly. It looked like she was leaning up to kiss him, but instead she put her cheek against his, her lips closer to his ear.

"We are not similar. You let your torture make you weak." Despite how warm her skin was against him, her voice was cold, her hand moving away from his face as she pulled away from him completely, sitting up straight and pulling her arms in to herself. "My torture taught me that next time, I need to plan harder and think smarter. I let him best me once. It won't happen again."
 
He lets her poke around the scar, letting her explore it, it didn't hurt, not anymore, he'd had it for a few years now and it was becoming more natural... no matter how bad of a thing that was. As she leaned up to speak to him he let his lips run across her cheek as she came close sharing a fake intimate moment, and then she spoke and he allowed her to speak, while she was calling him weak he just let her do it, let her speak and then as she slumped back down into his arms he looked down at her. "You're wrong." he says softly leaning down and kissing her forehead and smiling playfully as if she'd just shared a naughty secret with him, keeping up their appearance for anyone who may still be looking and as his lips laid against her forehead he spoke, in a hush tone. "My torture continues, and I haven't broke. I can go home whenever I want, all I have to do is lead his armies for him." he says with a confident tone, another complete lie but if it could make her more comfortable around him then it would be a useful lie. "I have the power in my hands to end my torture whenever-I'd-Like" he says hitting the last three words with a soft emphasis, "but if I do, it means having to torture someone else in my place, it means watching soldiers pillage and do what they want with innocent women, killing children if they dare fight back... I wont do that." he says his last few words through a gritted teeth of feigned anger.

The serving girl came back, taking the plates and cups away and Zuko nodded towards her with a smile still holding his 'lover' in his arms as they shared their very convincing intimate moment, he then turned back to her, taking her fingers once more in his hair playing with it gently, twirling it around his index finger, making almost a ring with her thick black hair before letting it drop back down onto her shoulders, he leaned his nose against her temple as if he was kissing the temple with his lips for an extended period of time but instead it just gave him an even closer distance to whisper things to her. "He sent me you, as a token of his friendship." he said in a whispered tone against her head "You where not sent here to be my date, no, you where sent here to be my toy, an innocent girl to abuse." he says through gritted honest angry teeth, the thought that his father probably would do something like that was making him angry, he then took a deep breath and pulled back from her slightly letting his arm come a little bit loose. "Now I'm sorry to break this little cuddle we've got going on here, I really do like it, but we aught to get back to the room." he said in a soft tone before sitting her up in her mat as he stood up holding a hand down to her like a gentleman to help her back up and hooked onto his arm.
 
Even with all of the intimacy being faked, it was nice for once to be pretending to be around someone that was pleasant. It was nice to not have to worry about what fresh hell she would be experiencing, or about what she was going to be forced to do. She even admittedly enjoyed his soft attention on her hair, her eyes closing for a moment as his lips brushed against her skin. That, for once, wasn't faked. It was almost nice to have someone be affectionate towards her. She had missed human contact, and it was a pleasant change to feel someone's hand in softness instead of anger and hatred. "If you were strong, you would fight back." She said, leaving the conversation at that she watched the serving girl come to collect their plates. Mizuki offered a shy smile at the woman, as if she had interrupted something more private than what they were really doing. Her cheeks turned pink again, and she forced herself to seem meek, covering her mouth as she turned away from the prying eyes into the shoulder of her 'lover'.

It was more believable that she had been sent to him as a present than anything else, and she felt disgust in her belly at the thought of being someone's prize. Her hand moved over the brand on her hip and she pressed the dress against it, wanting it to burn and remind her of the fact that the fire nation had no good in their hearts. They lived for themselves and only that. He had another purpose other than what he was talking about. There had to be something, she was sure of it. Because there was no part of her that could believe in him, no part that wasn't cynical and angry, still sullen over her fresh wounds. She didn't have any more time to dwell on it, he permitted her to separate from him, standing up before taking her hand and helping her to her feet. Mizuki could feel that her strength was returning, her legs cooperating more than they had before. She wrapped her arm around his again, holding him securely as she sighed, then leaned against his arm, her head nestled against it sweetly.

She let him lead a safe distance away from nosy onlookers before she leaned her head up, placing a slow, soft kiss at the soft spot just beneath his ear, "I would like a bath, if you trust me enough to leave me alone."
 
He raised an eyebrow at her kiss under his ear, there was no one around yet she'd laid a kiss onto him as if there was, it then became clear what she was doing when she asked for a bath, and added her little token on the end about if he would be willing to leave her alone. She was very seductive when it came to getting what she wanted, her voice soft, almost as soft as her lips on his neck, and her eyelashes naturally fluttering slightly almost as a second nature, he walked with her back to the room not answering her question yet, he then opened the door walking them both into the room as he closed the door behind him letting go of her arm as they arrived in a more private area.

"I'm more than confident to leave you on your own." He said lifting the fabric from his pocket, her underwear, kept on his body, the pair she's been wearing for days of torture, if anything would give a creature a scent this would be it for sure. "A wash won't make it unable to track you." He said referring to the Shrishu he would use to track her if she tried to run away. "I will have a maid run you a bath, would you like me to find you a medic to dress your wounds? I don't want them going septic" he said with genuine care in his voice as he spoke, the fire nation hadn't given her any medical care, no, not treating the wounds just made them worse, he looked on at her waiting on a response.

When he received one he turned to leave to leave her in private to disrobe and then he turned around walking over to her standing inches in front of her looking down, "please, Mizuki" he said firmly looking down at her "don't run away, if I don't find you, they might." The letter had told him if she was to escape he was to find her and kill her, but he also must report her disapearence to the fire nation, and that would mean they'd hunt her, and being in their hands was a lot worse than being in his, Zuko thought to himself before turning to leave, not locking the door behind him as he did, leaving her in private as he went to have a bath drawn for her.

Had she seduced him into doing this for her? He smiled softly and shuck his head, he wasn't doing this because she had seduced him, he was doing this because he felt bad for her situation, the physical torment the fire nation had put this innocent enough looking girl through was enough to make anyone with a heart throw their stomach up.
 
There was nothing from him immediately as she attempted to work her way into getting some privacy, her lips forming a frown for the rest of the walk back to the room. Once there, she understood why he hadn't spoken. He wanted to show her that he still had his leverage against her - the underwear. Ah, yes. Those. She would have to find one way or another to dispose of them before she made an escape, as it would be pointless just to be caught again. Either that or she would have to find a companion strong enough to take one of those monstrosities out of the picture quietly. Mizuki feigned innocence at his accusation, letting her eyes grow wide, "Run away? You know I would never. After all, I'm having so much fun with you."

He relented to letting her get a bath, though he made a comment that made her nose turn. A medic. Ah, yes. Another person that would want to attempt to pry into the why and how of what had happened to her, that would want to accuse her of things and make her seem a criminal for having done what needed to be done for years. "Thank you, I'll dress my own wounds." She said, her hand resting without thinking over the burn mark. If anything, she wouldn't want someone to see all of her body the way that all of the guards had. She'd been robbed of her clothing and tortured in the nude, though the only 'privacy' she'd had was the fact they didn't dare touch her virginity. That had stayed in tact, as she had gotten the message across early enough that she would tolerate all else except for that.

His plea was heard but it only made her smirk slowly, the challenge in her face apparent, "Lover-boy," She crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her hip just a bit, "If I make a run for it, do you really think I would let anyone catch me? I'd find a hole so deep in the ground even a badgermole couldn't find me." And that much wasn't a lie, she was clever enough and determined enough that if she did make an escape, she knew that she couldn't return to her friends, the family that she had loved when she had no family left. She had promised them that she would return to them, but just this once she would have to break a promise and keep them safe. It was best that the fire nation think she had planned the attack by herself.

Once he left the room, she felt comfortable enough to disrobe, setting her dress and only remaining underlinen to the side. To the far side of the room she could see a small mirror, the person in it someone she didn't recognize. The same general idea was still there, with lean muscles and long legs, but she didn't see her. She was drawn to it, stepping close enough to see her reflection in its entirety. There was something horrifying about seeing yourself for the first time in a long time, and she couldn't tell what, if anything, was still the same. They hadn't touched her hair, but it didn't seem to shine like before. Her body was still the same muscular dancer's body, but her skin wasn't the same. It was mottled with purples, blues, greens, and yellows of different stages of healing in bruising. The brand was an angry red against her pale skin, and it burned as if it wanted her attention there. Her breasts hadn't been spared from the damage, finger-shaped bruises cupping one and evident bite-related bruises on another. It was disheartening... But also empowering.

She had survived torture. She could endure anything else that the world could dish out to her. Mizuki turned away from the stranger in the mirror, picking up the robe that Zuko had abandoned and donning it. The material smelled like his skin and was soft against her, though it was several sizes too large and hung from her loosely. She tied it the best she could around her waist, smoothing it out so that it would show the least skin as possible. With that taken care of, she opened the door, peaking down the hallway to see where her 'lover-boy' had gone off to, desperately hoping that her bath would already be prepared.
 
Zuko turned the corridor a few moments after she had peaked her head out and sauntered calmly down towards his room that she was peaking her head out of, he turned to face as if he was about to walk into the room then looked at her draped in his robe, easily too big for her, it dragged across the floor like a gown and he chuckled a little bit but didn't object, she didn't have much in the way of clothing, he'd already taken one part of her garments from her leaving her with even less, it would be an issue they would address in Omashu, he couldn't have her walking around in the same clothing every day especially if their cover for why a random girl turned up at his door step was that they where previous lovers. "Follow me." He said gently urging her out of the door to lock it behind her as he walked down the corridor with her in tow.

At the end of the corridor he took a right turn leading down another and then a turn into one of the doors on this corridor, inside the room was a personal wash room, a simple tap on the wall with a large wooden bucket underneath for washing ones face and then a large wooden bath filled with scented water that was causing the steaming in the room and staining the fairly light wood a dark brown with moisture. He looked towards her and then pointed toward the bench in the room, a fairly large pile of soft bandages say there next to a towel and a white bath robe that was provided by the tavern, he held out his hand for his robe, it wasn't a bath robe due to the nature of the fabric, he didn't want to leave it in here to absorb the moisture, he looked on at her waiting for her to hand over his robe so that he could take it back to his room. "I will wait for you in the room, I'll have a maid clean your clothes up a little bit and have them left outside the door to this room." He said looking at her still waiting on his robe.
 
Mizuki didn't have to wait long for Zuko's return, his body popping around a corner just moments later and he seemed... Amused. She wasn't aware of how silly she looked, and she didn't care if his robe was over-sized for her, as it offered her plenty of privacy from prying eyes. She narrowed her eyes at him as she followed him, though he had thought her predicament amusing. The bathing room was not far from where they slept, the entire place damp enough that dew was already clinging to her skin, making his robe do much the same. The far bench held all the supplies she would need to clean herself, including bandages to wrap herself with once she tended to her wounds.

She was reluctant to undress in front of him again, but her reluctance was only delaying the inevitable. Her eyes looked away from him as she untied the robe, shrugging it down from her shoulders so that her bare skin was exposed to the air. Her cheeks had turned pink, though from embarrassment or the heat in the room it was hard to tell, her nipples swiftly growing to be perked on her chest. She set the robe in his hands, hesitant to do so, but finally meeting his gaze. "Thank you. I will be done in a bit."

She didn't wait for him to leave before she walked away, too eager to wash the memories from her body and cleanse herself. She scrubbed her face first, getting the smell of fear and sweat from her skin and refreshing herself. She was trying to avoid the heat of the bath as long as possible, knowing full well that all of her wounds would ache again in the water. But it was something that had to be done. She stepped into the larger wood tub tentatively, lowering herself excruciatingly slow as her muscles all tensed in preparation. There was no preparing for the fresh sting against her brand, the pain so sharp that it brought tears to her eyes and made her cry out softly. Her knees wobbled and she sank the rest of the way into the water against her will, painfully aware of each stripe against her back as her legs shook and she struggled to gain her composure back.

Washing herself was a hell in and of itself, the soap cleaning away the dirt but also irritating the wounds, her teeth having to bite her lower lip more than once to stop from making noise. She didn't want any more attention than was necessary to be drawn to her. The last thing she washed was her hair, thankful to feel the grime come free from her locks and get them grow soft again, the shine coming back, though not as bright as before.

It was hard to believe that it was the same person that stepped out of the tub than had stepped into it, her skin smooth and pale once again, lightly scented from the water instead of from her own sweat. Her wounds were painful, but not so much now that the water was gone from them. She dried herself off diligently before she wrapped her wounds, hands moving gingerly over the extremely tender flesh. She wasn't an expert by any means of tending to injuries, but she was adept enough that she could care for them. With nothing else to hold her back, she slipped on the bathrobe, bringing the soft, plush fabric up to her cheek to nuzzle it sweetly. She was almost disappointed that it didn't smell like him. Almost.

Mizuki was reluctant, but she did return to the room as promised, pushing the door open and stepping inside quietly. "I'm back." She announced, unsure of what else to say, "And my wounds are dressed, so you can stop pestering me about them." Well, that was more like her.
 
It didn’t take him long to leave the room and leave her to her privacy taking the robe and leaving her to bathe, he did take a look over her body after she’d first given him the robe, he couldn’t help but taken one look, it was an interesting comparison, one part disgusting because of what had been done to it, but one part beautiful because her figure was still very much prominent as he looked.

He left the room, opening the door only enough for him to slip out to make sure that no one on the corridor could get a peak in on his ‘lover’ he then closed the door behind him and used the key on the other side of the door to lock it to give her privacy, she was able to open it on the inside with the latch, so she wouldn’t be locked in until someone let her out.
The first thing he did after he left the room was proceed to the maids office, opening the door like he owned the place and moving in gesturing for one of the maids to come with him, she did, and she followed him through the building back to his room where he picked up the pile of Mizuki’s clothes that had been laid on the bed in a fairly well kept nature, he handed them to the maid and said “Get this cleaned for me, and if you have any clothing of similar size left from previous patrons, please bring it back with you” he said in a soft manner as the maid nodded her head away when he gave her a few gold pieces.

He then removed the flat pump like shoes that he was wearing leaving them by the door to the room as he moved across to the large mat on the floor that he’d been using to sleep on, while it didn’t look the most comfortable, it was fairly nice that was for sure, he took this moment while she bathed to treat himself to a half hour of extra shut eye, he’d been woken much earlier today than he’d planned to receive the girl from the Fire Nation and that had leaved him somewhat tired.

It took her shorter than he expect to clean herself and dress her wounds and the door opened up causing him to sit up in alarm, he hadn’t locked it because she was to be coming back but normally he would, it wouldn’t be the first time someone of the earth kingdom had thought to assassinate the Fire Nation member staying in their taverns. He looked over to her, she wore a robe much more fitting to her body, but also slightly more revealing, her long legs where visible in this robe as it only covered up to just above her knees but other than that it fit her much better than his. “Oh, it’s just you” he said softly in a relieved manner laying back down against the mat and closing his eyes, he seemed to be getting more and more comfortable around her, letting his guard down, would that be a bad thing? It was hard to tell at this moment but if she was to try anything he was still rather well trained, even if he wasn’t a general he was still a warrior prince and was more than capable in a fight, especially against a woman of much weaker physical strength no matter how sly and witty she was.

“The maids have your clothes, they’re cleaning them, I told them to bring anything else that might fit you also” he said in a gentle tone laying back still on the mat, hands behind his head one foot pressed against the mat the other one rested up against the knee, crossed over it comfortably. “If you wish to change out of the bathrobe feel free to search my bag and temporarily don my clothing” he said still not opening his eyes as he lay getting a little bit of rest, he would have a long travel starting soon to do the rest of the journey to Omashu.
 
The first thing that she noted when she returned to the room was that the maids had not been able to clean and return her dress to her as of yet. It made her lips twitch downward, but she didn't dare show her displeasure but so much. He had been kinder to her in the few hours they had been together than any of the other men had been. He had not only fed her but permitted her to clean herself and bandage her wounds, and was now providing her clean clothes to wear. At his offer of using his clothing, her hand moved over the robe, enjoying the material against her skin gently. Even though the robe was slightly damp on the inside from her skin, it was preferred over something else.

"I am fine, thank you. I will wait." She said, watching him as he laid content on the mat. His almost-sleeping form made her all too aware of how tired she was, the stresses having been worked out of her muscles from her bathing and her body refreshed, but her mind becoming sluggish. His mat was the only one available to them, and sleep sounded... Heavenly. She decided to push her boundaries, approaching him and slowly lowering herself down next to him. There was no pillow for her to rest her head, but she had been forced to be close to him already.

Mizuki hesitated for a moment before turning to her side, nestling against him softly as she rested her cheek against his chest. Her eyes were heavy, but she was hyper aware of every movement that he made. She was stiff in the somewhat cuddle at first, but eased into him slowly as she had before until it almost felt natural. Her eyes closed eventually as well, breathing even though she was awake... Kind of. Her voice was heavy when she spoke, its tone low, "Does this bother you?" She asked, 'this' being her cuddle.
 
His eyes where closed but his other senses where all focused on what was going on around him, then he heard her stepping towards him slowly, getting on her knees and then crawling into the bedmat beside him, at first she laid against him awkwardly and he couldn't help but cock a light smile, then she moved comfortably against him, cuddling close, like an actual lover, he slowly opened his eyes looking down. All he could see was the crown of her raven hair, atop her head blocking his view down at her, then she spoke, posing a question to him..

He didn't answer, at least not with words instead he slid his hand down and into her thick black hair playing with it as he had played with it in the dining hall, twirling the raven lengths around his finger playing with it gentle the soft smile on his face as he enjoyed her warmth, enjoyed playing with her soft slightly damp hair from her bathing and then sighed contently, there was something therapeutic about having a beautiful girl cuddled up to you on a mat.

There was a soft knock on the door followed by its opening, a maid stepped in and then blushed profusely, the short bath robe that Mizuki wore had naturally rode up her legs from when she'd climbed onto her side, showing a large amount of pale thighs to the door, which the maid could see very clearly. Zuko held Mizuki close and then raised a hand, "just put them there." He said as the maid placed down Mizuki's clothes and a few other garments she had found.. "And lock the door" he said as a following note - the maid did, leaving and closing the door.

The maid had broken the intimate silence so he smiled softly and kissed the crown of her hair, "not even slightly" he said in response to her question "quite the contrary" he said again looking down still only seeing the top of her head, he'd known this girl barely 3 hours and she'd already seduced her way into a bed with him.. and he hadn't checked her for any sort of weapons, she was good, so good, better than he thought, was her innocent wounded dear persona just an act to get close to him in bed and kill him? He swallowed a lump in his throat at the thought but smiled and mused her hair, if her stabbing him now was how he died, it would be a nice death. He thought with a smirk
 
The feel of his warmth and the steady rise and fall of his chest made her lull into a sense of security. Her arm moved reluctantly to curl around and hug his chest, her palm lightly resting over his heart. She could feel it against her skin in the relative stillness of the room and she was highly aware of her own heart playing a steady beat against her ribs. Her eyes closed and she let out a soft noise, a mix of content and comfort. His fingers tickled her as he ran his fingers through it slowly, relishing the feel of it

Mizuki opened her eyes as the knock came to the door, her body unmoving as the maid entered. She had brought clothing for her to wear, her dress and a few spare items. She remained in place as the woman closed and locked the door securely, her eyes lifting to look at him. He looked just as content now as he ever had and seemed to be enjoying their close embrace. Mizuki had just lowered her eyes as he stared down at her again, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. She didn't know how to take it, the seeming affection something that to her screamed a ploy. She didn't understand why he was being nice, but she didn't want to call him out on it and bring her relative peace to a screeching halt.

She spoke again after a long amount of silence, her eyes staring at her own hand on his chest. "I enjoy you playing with my hair," She admitted softly to him, her voice just barely a whisper, "It feels pleasant." That was as close to a compliment as she had given him, her eyes closing once again. Her hand was hesitant, but she did lift it slowly until fingertips found the skin on his jaw, tracing his jawline slowly. They trailed along his cheek and brushed his lips, moving up to trace the scar again very softly. Her fingers dipped back down, sliding to his neck where her hand rested comfortably in the gentle curve.
 
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