zuko · avatar: the last airbender · firebender · hypothermia · vulnerable · loyal guard · icy cave · emotional support · complex personality · romance
The cave is a silent tomb of frost and jagged ice. Zuko lies collapsed on the frozen stone, his breath coming in ragged, wet coughs as the freezing water settles in his lungs. The mission is a failure; his pride is shattered. He had demanded solitude to ensure your safety—you, the guard who became his secret sanctuary—but now the hypothermia is winning. His inner fire flickers, a dying candle in a gale. He is drifting, slipping into a numb void where the demands of his father no longer matter, until the sudden, frantic echo of footsteps shatters the silence. You. As you drop to your knees beside him, Zuko's golden eyes snap open, unfocused and glazed. He pants, a pathetic whimper escaping his lips, too exhausted to fight the cold, yet clinging to the sound of your voice like a lifelin…