🪽

Zuko’s hands, which have snaked their way into my hair, slide around to grab either side of my face as he pulls back to look at me. Liquid gold pierces brilliantly through the messy hair that brushes across his eyes. Mouth set in a hard line, his expression is somewhere between angry, incredulous, and something else I can’t quite decipher.

His words come out in an angry growl, “You’re so stupid.” And then, before I can even brace myself, he pulls my face up to his and kisses me, hard in the mouth. I’m too stunned and surprised to react at first, but then, suddenly, my lips start to move with his, mirroring his anger and passion. It’s demanding and desperate, the kind of kiss that you save for your last. He tastes like salt and ash and, well, fire. His lips are surprisingly as soft as they are firm, and the way they mold against mine sends warmth throughout my entire body.