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They had all noticed it; they way he acted around you.
The way his eyes softened whenever a smile graced your features, the way his lips would quirk up at the ends as he stared at you with a reverence to rival that of the moon. They saw it; the way his hands would brush subtly against yours as you walked side by side, how his fingers would subconsciously reach out to graze your skin.
They saw the way he melted; his usual guarded exterior crumbling at the familiarity of your presence while you unknowingly filled the gaps in his heart left by the years of loneliness and exhaustion. You were his sanctuary, the walls he had so meticulously set up crashing down as he fearlessly bared to you his weary soul.
The group sat around the campfire, the flames casting shadows on your skin and the hushed voices of your friends carrying through the breeze and to your ears. Sokka was telling a story, his face animated and hands gesturing wildly. You weren’t quite sure what the story was about, more preoccupied with the fire bender who’s frame had been slowly caving into your figure.
You glance over, a fond smile pulling at your lips as you noticed the drooping of Zuko’s eyelids, the soft nodding of his head. His thigh pressed against yours and his shoulder resided against your side, his entire being itching for the solace of sleep. You felt the warmth emanating from his body; providing a comforting contrast to the chilly night air. His shaggy hair tickled your neck, tempting you to reach out and run your fingers through it.
You giggle softly as his eyes abruptly shoot open, the melodious sound causing his gaze to shift to yours. A sleepy smile overtakes his features, his head falling forward and nuzzling into the crook of your neck as his arms wind around your waist.
He shifts on the log, angling you so that he can comfortably hold you in his grasp and press a soft kiss to your cheek. Your face flushes mildly at the unexpected show of affection, a gleam of adoration shining in your eyes. You hold him lovingly, tenderly playing with the raven locks at the nape of his neck and rubbing a hand up and down the expanse of his back. You feel his breath against your skin, his eyelashes fluttering against your face as he buries himself deeper into your reprieve. Your own eyelids grow heavy, drifting downward until you find your cheek resting against the top of his head.
You don’t even realize your friends have stopped talking - pausing their ministrations to gape at the scene in front of them. The way Zuko’s forehead presses against your neck, his slender fingers drawling lazy circles around your hips. They had never seen him quite so free; the seemingly constant waves of trouble that usually fill him up cascading off of him as he blocks out the worries of the world through the heaven of your embrace. There is nothing but pure love in his caresses, his soul for once at rest from the ache of the world.
Sokka and Toph snicker quietly, Katara smiles. They disperse back to their sleeping bags, the embers in the hearth dwindling as the sounds of Appa’s snores fill the night. As the air grows colder and the light of the stars glints through the black vastness of the sky, Zuko’s arms stay wrapped around you - his mind at peace and his heart beating in accord with yours.