standing watch, an alternate universe gradually building love story
warning: use of coarse language, sexual situations, and adult themes

This is the first night that Suki enters the room where the Fire Lord sleeps. Normally, she takes the late night shifts with Ty Lee. They stand rigidly, something she was starting to learn that her counterpart was capable of. But they stand calmly and quietly together to make sure no one gets past. Except for this night. This night, Ty Lee leaves a message for her saying that an emergency has popped up and that she will have to stand alone or find another girl to join her. It already was a bad enough night for her, if it didn't already show by the fact that she wasn't in uniform. And now she walks through the Fire Lord's bed chamber. Zuko is fast asleep, something as equally surprising as the fact that she's even in his room in the first place. Suki remembers how lightly and fearfully Zuko has slept since moving to sleep in the tower, but she smiles to herself at the sight of his face, devoid of stress and appearing to remain in a peaceful sleep.

Unfortunately, luck was not on her side that night as she stumbles into his armoire, swearing lightly as it rattles. Zuko shoots straight up in his bed, his eyes wide and his hands fanning out at his sides. Flames spread from them like he had been trailing a cape of fire behind him and Suki is careful to shy away from them with a tiny cry of fear. It is then that his golden eyes adjust to the darkness and see her standing by his armoire, blushing with an embarrassed and evasive look on her face. "Suki?" His voice is sleep-ridden, deep and raspy, like he is preparing to clear his throat. "What are you doing in here? Is something wrong?" The Fire Lord rubs at his eyes before they widen, staring at the state of her. She blushes even further as she remembers not only has she undressed from her uniform, but she's wearing Fire Nation clothing.

"I..." She stammers, turning away from him. She cups her elbow with one hand and rubs her arm with the other hand. "I'm not having a good night. And Ty Lee isn't here."

"What?!" Zuko's roar frightens her into whirling around. He leaps to his feet and she winces as he blows past her, catching her shoulder with his as he storms outside. He walks in front of the door a few times as if he's pacing before he steps back into the room. "Where is she?" He hisses, his eyes alight, before he takes a step back and raises his hands to his face. "I'm sorry. Where is she?" He tries again; this time, his voice softer.

Suki frowns. "She didn't say. She left me a message saying she had an emergency and that I should ask another girl to join me on watch." She catches Zuko rolling his eyes before moving back to his bed. She wonders briefly if he's going to fall back asleep before she sees him pulling his shoes on.

"Stay here." She realizes it isn't a request and frowns.

"I'm your guard, Zuko," she counters, "I'll go with you."

"No." His voice is unyielding and she cowers slightly, knowing that she won't challenge him any further. He doesn't change from his sleeping clothes but he starts out the door before looking over at her. "You should clean off and try repainting your face paint. And lie down. You look like you're going to crumble from the inside out."

Zuko starts to head out of the door but Suki's lips tremble at his advice, knowing that it's honest and he has good intentions, but she can't help it; she starts crying anyway. She raises her hands furiously to her face, fighting her tears with the pads of her fingers, spreading the sticky white and red paint across her hands and under her fingernails. The Fire Lord peeks his head back in and stares at her, startled. "Suki, I didn't mean to—"

"It's okay," the warrior chokes out, emitting a noise that her brain intends to be a laugh but comes out as a watery strangle.

"I'm relieving you of your watch." When she starts to protest, he holds up a hand. "I, Fire Lord Zuko, command you to stand down from your watch. Get a good night's sleep. I'll have one of the Royal Palace guards stand watch in your place. Stay here while I go fetch a couple of guards and perhaps while I send to find out where your counterpart has run off to. You can use my bathroom if you please." And like that, Zuko turns and heads out of the tower. Suki winces, wondering if she looks a completely crazy mess to be permitted to use his personal bathroom as she slinks in. Much to her surprise, there is already a dimly lit sconce at the door and she moves to stand in front of the mirror. Boy, does she really look insane.

She's shaking, but not a shiver for a lack of heat. Instead, her shoulders shake back and forth like she is laughing or crying, even though she is no longer doing either of those things. Her cheeks glisten and solid streaks run through the even white and red face paint that has been smeared along her face from her contact with it. Her clothes are modest—a snug, silk tunic and a silk skirt that stops at her knees—and are a deep red and shimmering gold. She finds herself fidgeting at the reflection back at her and turns the faucet to splash some water on her face. She finds the smallest cloth in his bathroom and wipes her face clean.

She stares into her own hollowed green eyes and winced again as she replays the memories of the evening. The beautiful, upscale Fire Nation restaurant that Sokka takes her to. The way he is reserved with his humor and watches her the entire evening like a fascinated suitor. The moment he pulls the wooden box from under the table and the wafting sweet smell of the polish that coats it. The way her tears fall into the box at the sight of a carved necklace so fast that she can't see the stone setting or make out anything other than the vibrant mixture of green and blue hues in the stone. The way her evening ends with her walking home—alone; the way her evening ends with her returning to stand on her watch—alone. Suki angrily snaps out of her mind's haze to see tears running over her cheeks again and she hastily wipes them with the cloth before she discards it.

Zuko's bed chambers are empty now and she sits on the edge of his bed, frowning. She feels guilty that her evening has unprofessionally leaked into her job and she twists her hands around each other while she waits. She hopes that he's okay, fearing of him venturing around alone without a single guard. That was all that was needed for anyone to sneak in, and although she knew Zuko could take care of himself, she still was afraid that he'd befall some trouble along the way. She doesn't remember when it happens, but a silent assailant quickly overtakes her as she sits up straight in Zuko's bed.

Suki falls asleep.

When she wakes up, the sun is rising on the horizon and she stretches, feeling the uncomfortable creak of her bones. Her eyes hurt, no doubt from her tears, but with a horrified face, she realizes she has fallen asleep in the Fire Lord's bed. Cheeks blazing, she rolls out of the bed and half crashes, half somersaults across the floor and to her hands and knees. She gets up and quiets the gasp that threatens to escape at the sight in front of her. Two guards peer into the doorway and she stares at them after tearing her eyes from the sight of Zuko, his feet curled into a large chair, his fist propped underneath his scarred eye and his hair covering the other side of his face. His chest rose and fell gently and she could hardly guess how long he had been asleep there.

Shamefully, Suki pushes past the snickering guards and rushes down to her chambers. She's already embarrassed enough on her own without their suspiciously amused glances shot her way.

notes: my brother is a suzuki/zuki fan so a couple of my pieces will be centered around them for him and it'll be pretty frequently updated.