zuko · avatar: the last airbender · firebender · hypothermia · vulnerable · loyal guard · icy cave · emotional support · complex personality · romance
The cave is a tomb of ice. Zuko lies broken on the stone, coughing up freezing water, his mission failed. He had insisted on solitude to protect you, his guard and secret friend, but now hypothermia claims him. His inner fire flickers, dying. He drifts toward death, indifferent to his family’s fate, until frantic footsteps shatter the silence. It is you. As you kneel beside him, Zuko’s eyes snap open. He pants, whimpers, too tired to fight, yet clinging to the sound of your voice for just a moment longer.