[ While Alayne spoke, Zuko watched her and silently did his best to tamp down the rising fear that he had shared too much. He wasn't in the habit of laying out his mistakes like that, even among Aang and the rest of the group - they all knew what he'd done, or some of it, there had not been a need to rehash it all like there was in order to answer Alayne's questions as he had.
In Ba Sing Se he had lived a different life, and here, surrounded by strangers it would have been easy to do that all over again, but Zuko didn't want to hide anymore, as harrowing as it was to come clean.
Without realizing it, he had been staring, taking in the chilly shade of her eyes and the curve of her lips without really meaning to. His throat went dry and though he told himself that it was from the anxiety telling the truth brought with it.
His shoulders sagged when she said she didn't want to go, but that relief was mixed with concern. Some part of him, aware of how much of himself he had laid bare for her, almost wanted her to ask to leave. It would have given him the chance to clear his head.
Instead, clarity was thin on the ground and he found himself willingly forsaking the want of it for her kind words, and the way she looked at him. ]
I– [ Again he took in the look on her face, and again he found himself losing track of the seconds, his focus returning to her lips as the truly insane idea of kissing her bounced around the forefront of his mind, uninvited and unnerving. ]
I'm glad you don't want to leave.
[ Zuko felt himself bowing slightly like a fool before he stepped back to go sit down again, putting some space between them as he picked up his tea and reheated it once more. ]
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Date: 2021-12-28 11:42 pm (UTC)In Ba Sing Se he had lived a different life, and here, surrounded by strangers it would have been easy to do that all over again, but Zuko didn't want to hide anymore, as harrowing as it was to come clean.
Without realizing it, he had been staring, taking in the chilly shade of her eyes and the curve of her lips without really meaning to. His throat went dry and though he told himself that it was from the anxiety telling the truth brought with it.
His shoulders sagged when she said she didn't want to go, but that relief was mixed with concern. Some part of him, aware of how much of himself he had laid bare for her, almost wanted her to ask to leave. It would have given him the chance to clear his head.
Instead, clarity was thin on the ground and he found himself willingly forsaking the want of it for her kind words, and the way she looked at him. ]
I– [ Again he took in the look on her face, and again he found himself losing track of the seconds, his focus returning to her lips as the truly insane idea of kissing her bounced around the forefront of his mind, uninvited and unnerving. ]
I'm glad you don't want to leave.
[ Zuko felt himself bowing slightly like a fool before he stepped back to go sit down again, putting some space between them as he picked up his tea and reheated it once more. ]