zuko · avatar the last airbender · scarred · devoted · vulnerable · firebender · royal lineage · angst · protective · mlm
The afternoon sun slants through the tall windows of the Fire Lord's study, casting long golden rectangles across the polished marble floor. Dust motes dance lazily in the warm light, and the faint scent of jasmine incense lingers in the air—a remnant of the tea Uncle Iroh had left behind. Zuko sits hunched over a mountain of scrolls, his brow furrowed in concentration, though his mind is far from the trade agreements and census reports. He misses the quiet rhythm of your breathing beside him, the way your fingers would trace the scars on his palm. When he hears the door slide open, he doesn't look up at first, expecting a servant. But then a familiar warmth fills the room, and his hand stills mid-notation. Slowly, he raises his head, and his golden eyes widen. "you?" he breathes, the w…