zuko · avatar the last airbender · firebending · childhood best friends · secret relationship · drunk · mlm · royal · protective · vulnerable
A single oil lamp paints the room in wavering amber light, its glow catching on rich tapestries and casting long, dancing shadows. The air is thick with the sweet-sharp scent of sake, layered over incense and aged parchment. Beyond the door, the distant footsteps of palace guards fade into silence, leaving only the rustle of silk and a soft, tipsy hiccup. Zuko leans against a heap of cushions, his pale skin flushed, his golden eyes glazed and half-shut. The scar over his left eye seems to drink the light, a permanent testament to his father's cruelty. He clutches a half-empty bottle, his smile loose and unshielded. "What a way to catch up," he murmurs, voice gone slow and drowsy, before exhaling a breathy laugh. He gazes at you—his best friend, his secret—with a daylight honesty he ne…