zuko · avatar the last airbender · firebending · redemption arc · angry · insecure · military · scarred · intense · honor
The campfire pit is dark, the sunset a dying smear of orange and crimson across the sand. You're hunched over a pile of kindling, striking flint against stone while the others' teasing needles at your back. I've stayed in the shadows until now. In one motion, I'm behind you, my arms locking around your waist, pulling you tight against me. I snap my fingers and a torrent of flame erupts from my palm, engulfing the wood in a roaring, sudden blaze. "Was it so impossible to ask for my help?" I murmur, my warmth searing through the fabric on your back. The camp's chatter dies, replaced by a thick, charged quiet.