By Your Side (Zuko x Reader) (Sequel to Torn Heart)

No ones POV:
             Zuko finally wrested himself away from the clingy servants long enough to go to his room. He was half surprised his feet still remembered the way. Being home again—it was like a dream—a crazy, happy, feverish dream. He was a bit disappointed he didn't get to guide Y/N down these halls and watch her reaction, see her reaction to his room—which would be their room—
              Which was empty.
              "Y/N?" Zuko said into the silence.
              The air went cold, his heart stuttered in his chest and he raced back the way he came, before he nearly crashed headlong into the servant he had left in charged of her, "Where the hell is she?!"
               Reality rushed back in at the terrified look on her face—he was vastly overreacting. He stepped back, trying to recompose himself. This wasn't the lower ring of Ba Sing Se, this was not the wilderness, he was home.
               "S—Sorry," Zuko stammered and the servant almost looked more startled by the apology.
               "The princess insisted on taking the girl to her room. I don't know where she would have taken her, Sire," she answered finally.
               Dammit, Azula.
               "I do,"
      
               Zuko threw open the doors to the female servants quarters, expecting the squeals of half-decent women, expecting to find Y/N among them, looking lost, forlorn, ashamed.
               Of course that wasn't what he found.
               Instead, he was met by rhythmic clapping, singing, laughing. Within, Y/N was bounding back and forth, spinning and swinging around confused and startled servants while she sang, panting and flushed from the exertion. Most of the other girls looked beyond delighted, if not completely bewildered by this new maid and her strange movements.
               Zuko rolled his eyes. Oh yeah. He remembered who this girl was he was looking for.
               "Zuko!" Y/N cried, laying eyes on him. She skipped up to him and grabbed his hands, trying to twirl him, "Dance with me, baby!"
               Now the servant girls looked like their souls had left their body, because the weird new maid was now dancing—or attempting to dance—with the Fire Prince!
               "I don't have time for dancing, Y/N. Come on, let's go," Zuko wrenched himself from her grip and grabbed her wrist instead, dragging her into the hall while she called hurried goodbyes to her new friends.
                "I'm sorry, Y/N," Zuko said as he followed the hallways back to his room.
                "What for?"
                "Azula—she put you there to humiliate you, like you're a concubine or something,"
                To his surprise, she laughed, "Well, she failed. Those were some very nice girls."
                Zuko sighed and allowed himself to laugh as they reached his bedchamber again.

My POV:
                 Zuko looked so handsome. A gaggle of servants buzzed around him, outfitting him in elaborate armor and pulling his dark hair into a topknot with a beautiful gold hairpiece. I sat on the floor nearby, completely invisible, watching. When the servants finally backed off, I stood up and clasped my hands around his neck.
                 "You look so handsome," I tugged on the baby hairs falling out of his topknot, gushing, "And you have baby hairs sticking out!"
                 Zuko shook his head to release himself, blushing, "I feel weird. I can't believe I used to dress like this."
                 "I could get used to it," I mused, tracing circles on his armored chest with one finger.
                 A tiny smirk pulled at Zuko's lips, before he was dragged away from me again. "W-Wait here for me, okay?!"
                 No problem.
                 I couldn't believe Zuko's bedchamber when I laid eyes on it. I immediately flung myself in the huge bed. It seemed to swallow me up. And we could fit three more in the room itself!
                I sat on the bed now, listening to cheers outside. They had to be cheering for Zuko—my Zuko!
                But they couldn't drown out the guilty feeling in my stomach, the awful voice reminding me why they were cheering—Ba Sing Se fell. And I stood there and did nothing.
                It's not like I could have done anything.
               But you didn't even try—that's the point.
               I shook myself. I sounded like Katara.
               It broke my heart, but Aang was dead. Staying alive and being by Zuko's side was what was important now.
After a while, Zuko returned, flocked again by servants and looking exhausted. They took the decorative armor off and he rushed them out, closing the door behind them. Silence fell in the room and I stood up from the bed.
"Finally,"
Zuko sighed, giving me a weak smile, "That was intense. Could you hear the shouting?"
"A little," I led him back to the bed where I sat cross-legged and he laid with his head in my lap. I undid his topknot, letting his hair fall loosely around his face and ran my hands through it, "Now what?"
"I'll have to show you around the whole palace—and the city..." Zuko was cut off by a yawn.
"Do you want to do that stuff tomorrow?" I offered, "You seem whipped."
"Ah, I am," he admitted, reluctantly, "Tomorrow sounds good. Maybe we'll have dinner in here and go to sleep early."
"Now you're talking," I grinned, "We can have dinner brought here?!"
Zuko laughed, sitting up, "Yes, we can do whatever we want."
Whatever we want...That sounded great.
"Okay, then tomorrow—grand tour,"
"Right," Zuko said, "And I still have to go see my father when I get a chance—unless he summons me."
He was trying to hide his nerves, but something else bothered me, "Wait, you haven't even seen your dad yet?"
"No..."
"You would think he'd be excited to see you..." I mused, wishing it wouldn't sound so bitter.
Zuko shrugged it off, "He's probably just busy, you know?"
"Doing Lordly things?" I joked, trying to play off my distaste.
He chuckled, "Right—Oh, and I want you to meet him. A little later maybe."
"Me?" I couldn't suppress a shudder.
"Of course, you're the most important person in the world to me," Zuko was giving me a soft look, "I know he's intimidating, but he's my father and..."
"Say no more," I forced a smile, "If that's what you want, I'll..." I swallowed the bile that rose, "I'll meet Fire Lord Ozai."

Uh-oh, how's that going to go? Lol
Merry Christmas!!!
             ~Liz