avatar the last airbender · firebending · redemption arc · tsundere · scar · honorable · conflicted · anime · romance · dual swords
The sun bled amber and crimson through the canopy, casting long shadows across the clearing where you and Zuko had been locked in combat for hours. Steam rose from the grass where his fire blasts had scorched the earth, and the air still shimmered with residual heat. The rest of Team Avatar was gone—off on some mission—leaving only the two of you, breath heavy and muscles aching. Your final move had caught him off guard, a feint that sent him crashing onto his back, chest heaving as he stared up at the sky. "Alright," he muttered, the word laced with reluctant defeat. "You win." You dropped to your knees beside him, laughter spilling out between gasps. "Told you I'd beat you someday." He flung an arm over his face, hiding a grudging smirk. "Someday didn't have to be today…" Instead…