"He left you here to rot! I love you, I-" She stopped. Her mouth snapped closed, and absurdly, she heard her mother's voice telling her not to interrupt.
And suddenly it was his hands cupping hers, and he had slipped off their mittens to touch them skin to skin. "You've never said that before."
She hadn't. In all of their long, veiled conversations about duty, and honor, neither of them had ever said the word love. It was safer that way, pretending that they were talking about something, anything other than the fact that they could not be together.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
"I love you too." His hands were warm around hers, but his voice was small and frightened. "I've loved you for a really long time."
"But you still need to try to go home."
He nodded, and she forced down the pricking pain at the corners of her eyes.
"And I need to marry Hahn." Her mouth drew into a thin, unhappy line, as she felt her words begin the well-trod path that would end with both of them without each other, both unhappy and honorable.
He wasn't going to succeed. They both knew that. She wondered what would happen to the Fire Nation prince if the Fire Nation conquered his captors. Would they let him free? Put him on a ship and send him out to sail the world again? Where would an exile sail when the whole map was colored red? "Do you ever think about what would happen if we won the war? Not the Fire Nation, I mean. The Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom."
"No." There hadn't been any reason to, she supposed. "I guess I would be stuck here forever."
"Your father would be dethroned," she said softly, barely daring to continue. "There would need to be a new Firelord."
"My father would be dead," he said flatly. "Not dethroned, dead."
"They might put him in prison." But of course neither of them believed it.
"And would this new puppet Firelord," Zuko closed his eyes and swallowed. "Be able to marry the Northern Water Tribe princess?"
"It would be a good political match." She clutched his hand. "I can put Hahn off for a little while. Maybe a year. It might be enough."
"It's dishonorable." Zuko looked away. "He's my father."
And that it. It always was. Her hand still in Zuko's, Yue sat back with him against the wall to stare out over Zuko's quiet, empty, little cell.
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branchandroot
Holding This Breath - The aftermath of kidnapping Aang 2/2
Date: 2012-12-03 04:57 am (UTC)And suddenly it was his hands cupping hers, and he had slipped off their mittens to touch them skin to skin. "You've never said that before."
She hadn't. In all of their long, veiled conversations about duty, and honor, neither of them had ever said the word love. It was safer that way, pretending that they were talking about something, anything other than the fact that they could not be together.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
"I love you too." His hands were warm around hers, but his voice was small and frightened. "I've loved you for a really long time."
"But you still need to try to go home."
He nodded, and she forced down the pricking pain at the corners of her eyes.
"And I need to marry Hahn." Her mouth drew into a thin, unhappy line, as she felt her words begin the well-trod path that would end with both of them without each other, both unhappy and honorable.
He wasn't going to succeed. They both knew that. She wondered what would happen to the Fire Nation prince if the Fire Nation conquered his captors. Would they let him free? Put him on a ship and send him out to sail the world again? Where would an exile sail when the whole map was colored red? "Do you ever think about what would happen if we won the war? Not the Fire Nation, I mean. The Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom."
"No." There hadn't been any reason to, she supposed. "I guess I would be stuck here forever."
"Your father would be dethroned," she said softly, barely daring to continue. "There would need to be a new Firelord."
"My father would be dead," he said flatly. "Not dethroned, dead."
"They might put him in prison." But of course neither of them believed it.
"And would this new puppet Firelord," Zuko closed his eyes and swallowed. "Be able to marry the Northern Water Tribe princess?"
"It would be a good political match." She clutched his hand. "I can put Hahn off for a little while. Maybe a year. It might be enough."
"It's dishonorable." Zuko looked away. "He's my father."
And that it. It always was. Her hand still in Zuko's, Yue sat back with him against the wall to stare out over Zuko's quiet, empty, little cell.