CHAPTER ONE

"It would be better for the both of us if you got out of those clothes."

"Excuse me?" Zuko asked, looking from the stack of paperwork in front of him and focusing his attention on the woman standing in the doorway of the train carriage, her hands on her hips, her red lips pursed.

"You heard me."

Zuko put his papers down and stretched out in the train compartment, eying her with interest as he propped his boots up on the seat opposite them. "If you want to get me naked, you just have to ask, Suki."

Suki's lips twitched, but she shut down the smile he'd almost teased out of her the next instant. "Ha-Ha. That's not what I meant. This isn't a diplomatic mission, so there's no need to dress in those stuffy Fire Lord robes. That crown is a gold nightmare and a dead giveaway that you're royalty. It'll be easier to do my job and keep you from getting killed if you dress like an Earth Kingdom resident."

"And you don't stick out?" he said, gesturing to her Kyoshi uniform and makeup. "Not many people in full face paint out on the streets of Ba Sing Se. Except clowns and uh...ladies of the night."

"Did you just compare the noble tradition of the Kyoshi Warriors to prostitutes?"

"And clowns."

"I could beat the shit out of you, you know," Suki retorted, knocking his boots off of the seat with one gloved hand. She flounced into the seat with a huff as he chuckled.

"Believe me, I know. I'm still bruised from the last time you pinned me to the ground," he said, the memory of their last training session together coming over him like a heat wave. He could still see the sweat beading on her skin, the hair sticking to her slender neck, the feel of her hands on his wrists, and her warm, supple body pinning him to the ground...those blue eyes like lightning...burning into him...

Suki bit down on the inside of her lip, meeting his gaze for one hot moment.

"I didn't hear you complaining," she drawled and he felt heat flash up his spine, emboldening him past all decency.

"I'd have to be an idiot to complain about that," he said slowly, and enjoyed watching her gloved hands turn into fists at her sides. She swallowed, the look in her eyes just this side of aroused. Dark triumph spread in him with a rush.

Things between them had been like this since the start of their journey from the Fire Nation to Ba Sing Se. Well, if he were honest, things had been like this for months now, but being alone together for the past few days had certainly ramped things past a mild flirtation he could write off as simply friendly, to a sizzling undercurrent that neither one of them could deny any longer.

Or maybe he just didn't want to deny it.

He wanted her. He had known it for a long time and he was more than willing to cross that line between close friends to lovers. It was Suki herself that was stopping him from making any overt advances.

He knew she wanted him, though. It wasn't conceit. They had nearly kissed at least a dozen times, late at night, or during one of their hormone-soaked work out sessions when neither one of them could keep their hands off of the other.

But whenever things went almost close to too far, Suki pulled back. She slammed the door shut and went all formal on him. She turned from Suki, his long-time friend into Suki, the Leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, duty bound to protect him. All business. A blank mask.

This journey had been different, however. He wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because they were alone together. Maybe it was the change of scenery. Maybe the stars were aligned, he didn't know. He didn't care. He just knew that he liked it—loved it—when Suki's blue eyes darkened with desire like that.

It made him want to do...things. Bad things. That look in her eyes shook through all of his normal awkward reticence and emboldened him past all decency.

"You are an idiot," she said, prodding his knee with the tip of her boot. His hand swooped out and grabbed her ankle. He yanked her forward, making her slide to the end of the seat. A squeak left her, followed by a sharp, high-pitched giggle as he pulled her shoe off and tossed it on the floor. "What do you think you're doing?"

He caught her gaze, flashing her a grin as he scooped up her other leg and put it into his lap. He pried off her other boot and tossed it aside.

"Taking off that silly uniform of yours before someone mistakes you for a lady of ill repute," he said seriously. "Think of the scandal! The rumors!"

Suki giggled, her serious demeanor completely gone now. This was the Suki he liked best. His friend. The woman who made his heart burst, who could tease a smile out of him even on his gloomiest days. He'd never thought of himself as playful...but something about Suki brought it out in him. He liked it more than he could ever say.

"There won't be any rumors if you'd take off your crown," Suki said, squirming as he pulled off her sock and tossed it at her. She caught it and then squealed as he raked his fingers down the sole of her foot. She fought him, but he tickled her foot again, enjoying the way she threw back her head, the way her giggle was nearly a shriek. "ZUKO!"

"Your feet smell."

"THEY DO NOT!"

He made a face and tickled her foot again, but she sat up, launching herself across the space between the seats at him. He dropped her foot and reached for the fan on her waist, even as she pinned his shoulders back against the seat. She was still giggling.

"If you weren't the Fire Lord, I'd-" she said warningly.

"So pretend I'm not," he said quickly, his blood rushing in his ears. His gaze flicked to her lips and back to her flashing blue eyes.

"Hard to pretend when you're wearing that crown," she said through her teeth. He could see the burning light in her eyes though. He knew she had caught the clear invitation in his voice, the insinuation. The desire he was totally unable to control.

"I'll take it off when you take off this uniform," he said and flicked out the fan between them.

She let up on his shoulders and reached for her fan.

"Give me that!"

He closed it with a snap and grinned, pulling it out of her reach. "No."

"Give it!" she said in a stern voice that was betrayed by the smile playing on the corners of her lips. She stamped her bare foot on the carpeted floor. "Zuko! What has gotten into you?"

Zuko tucked the fan into the front of his robes and looked her straight in the eyes.

"I thought you wanted me to lighten up? Aren't you always telling me I'm too serious?" he said. "I just want to give you what you want, Suki."

Suki's smile slowly relaxed and he saw her bite down on her lower lip.

"Zuko..."

He shifted forward on the seat, one of his bent knees sliding between her legs as she stood before him. He looked up at her and they were so close he could have buried his face against her stomach, but he wasn't touching her. Instead he met her gaze.

"Isn't that what you want, Suki?" he asked softly.

Suki let out an unsteady breath and stepped closer, her hand sliding along his cheek.

"What I want..." she said slowly, "is for you to take off this damned crown."

And she seized the golden, flame-shaped crown in his hair and gave it a wrench. He jerked his head away, and grabbed her around the waist, twisting in place and depositing her on the seat beneath his pinning weight.

"Give me that stupid thing!" Suki laughed as they wrestled on the seat. He batted off her hands, grabbing her wrists as he laughed.

"No!"

"Give it!"

"No!" he said and stuck out his tongue at her.

She made a fake shocked face and then grinned at him. Her eyes were glittering with excitement. "Very mature."

She laughed as he let up on her wrists and grasped the half-helmet on her head, tossing it off, and mussing her hair.

"If I'm losing the crown, you're losing this helmet," he said seriously.

"I'm on duty," she giggled.

"So am I."

"You're on vacation."

"So are you."

"No, I'm not."

"You are if I say you are. Fire Lord, remember?"

"How can I forget...when you won't take off your crown?" Suki said, making a fake snarling face.

"You really want me to take it off?" She nodded. "Fine."

He reached up and pulled out the pins holding the golden, flame-shaped crown in place. His dark hair immediately tumbled down his shoulders as he leaned over her. He waved the crown at her and then tossed it aside.

"Happy now?"

Suki bit down on her lower lip and reached up, running her fingers through a snarl of his hair that had fallen forward. "Yes."

"Now you."

"Me what?"

"This armor is a problem," he said with a sigh and then looked in her eyes. "You should definitely take it off."

"Oh, I should, should I?" Her eyebrow arched as they stared at one another.

"Absolutely," he said seriously, as his blood roared in his ears. Suki shifted beneath him, her fingers twirling up in his hair. He couldn't stop staring at her mouth. And he was very aware of his knee between her thighs.

"Same to you," she said and flicked the pointed shoulders of his black cape. "One look at you, crown or no, and everyone will know you're a royal pain."

"Am not."

"Are too," she said warmly.

"Am not, but you make a good point," he said. "I definitely don't want to be anyone on this vacation but myself. I don't want to be the Fire Lord and I don't want you to be my bodyguard. I want the protocol and duty left behind. We're just Zuko and Suki, okay? We're just us."

There was a lot loaded into his words, and he knew she understood him perfectly. How could she not? Hadn't they been dancing around this months now?

"Zuko, I don't think..."

But he smiled a little. "Don't over-think it."

"That's usually my advice to you," she said in a quavering voice.

"It's good advice. I always take it," he said as he grasped her hand and brought it to his lips. He kissed the backs of her gloved knuckles. Suki hitched in a breath and he felt her other hand grip the front of his shirt, pulling him closer.

"I know you do. I-" she started, just as a loud whistle cracked the air, making them both jump. She snatched hand back and scooted up and away from him until her back was to the window of their train carriage. The train whistle coincided with a sudden jolt that rocked them in place.

Zuko caught himself on the seat and rushed forward, pushing the plush golden curtain aside to peer out into the gloom, and in the distance, the looming, illuminated wall of Ba Sing Se's massive outer ring.

"Shit," he intoned, feeling the train slowing as it approached the station, where a carriage would be waiting for them. He glanced at Suki. "I didn't realize we were so close to the city."

"I heard the new train is pretty fast," Suki said casually, smoothing her hair down as she reached for her boots and pulled them on. "We should...umm...freshen up.. We'll be at the station in a few minutes."

He glanced around the carriage, at his scattered papers on the floor and on the seat, at her helmet and his crown at their feet.

"Right," he said grimly, feeling thoroughly put out, as if he'd missed his moment. He gestured to his travel bag, which was on a shelf above the seats as she scooped up her shoes and helmet. "I guess I'll change. You're right. I'll attract too much attention."

"I should change too."

They stood at the same time and came face to face. Suki's panicked gaze as she met his eye made his heart clang hard against his ribcage.

"Sorry," he mumbled and moved out of her way, so she could sidle past him.

She stopped, however, and surprised him by stepping even closer. He stared down at her, his blood roaring.

"Zuko..." she started, and he caught his breath as he felt her hand slide into the front of his shirt. She pulled it out just as quickly though, and waved her closed fan in his face, pulling a twisted little smile that made him want to tackle her again. "I won't wear my uniform or paint while we're in Ba Sing Se, but there's no way I'm going weaponless. And my feet don't smell."

And then she bopped him on the nose with the fan and swept out of the carriage before he could say or do anything. He grinned after her, feeling...

Well, he wasn't sure what he was feeling at the moment.

Maybe it was hope.

Or, he thought ruefully as he felt his cock twitch, maybe it's something else entirely.