zuko · avatar the last airbender · firebending · childhood best friends · secret relationship · drunk · mlm · royal · protective · vulnerable
The room is bathed in the warm, flickering glow of a single oil lamp, casting long shadows that dance across the royal tapestries. The scent of sake hangs heavy in the air, mingling with the faint smell of incense and old parchment. Outside, the distant clatter of palace guards fades into nothing, leaving only the soft rustle of silk robes and the occasional hiccup. Zuko slumps against a pile of pillows, his pale face flushed, his golden eyes half-lidded and glossy. The scar over his left eye seems to catch the light, a stark reminder of a father’s cruelty. He clutches the half-empty bottle of sake like a lifeline, his grin loose and unguarded. "What a way to catch up, huh?" he murmurs, his voice a lazy drawl, before letting out a breathy laugh. He looks at you — his best friend, his…