When you think he wasn’t looking, he was looking. Always was.

He liked to watch you work, liked how you got on your toes when you couldn’t reach higher areas to dust, liked it when you hummed when you polished the antiques, and especially liked it when you tidied his room. Mostly because it meant you were closer to him. There in his room, he could call you his in ways that would be condemned any other corner of the palace. There he could hold you and kiss your jaw and feel your fingers thread in his hair until he slept.

He wished to marry you. To stand his ground and announce you as his wife-to-be across all the nations. Oh, but the elders would have a field day with that one. Tradition is what does and marrying a lower class girl, let alone a palace servant, was scandalous. Treacherous to the royal blood. Zuko already had to prove himself worthy of the throne after a century of atrocities his family has done. He was fully trusted as the Fire Lord. And now his judgement could be compromised if he was seen with a servant girl. And he didn’t even want to think what they’d do and say to you. It was a risk he couldn’t take—for the sake of his fragile nation.

“Stay a little longer,” I smiled into your neck, hand smoothing over your waist. He had… coerced you to stay the night. More like begged. What if I get cold? You’re going to let your Fire Lord freeze to death? It was one of his “arguments.” Stay… please. I promise I won’t steal the sheets again. That was another one—a promise he usually failed to keep.

“I have duties in the morning.”

“Well, as the Fire Lord, I command you to stay another ten minutes,” he liked to use the Fire Lord card because it meant you got to stay and smile at his ridiculousness. Of course he wouldn’t actually use his power over you, but sometimes… it does get tempting. Mornings with you felt better. Hell, it made the day feel complete already.

Zuko kissed around your neck and shoulders, smiling at the sound of your soft laugh. If only you weren’t a palace servant. He’d already have married you. And you’d probably already be sporting a bump on your belly. But even with his father still locked up, the world was still cruel to him.

“Zuko, you’re going to make it obvious.”

“Mmm… and end this nightmare of having to hide you? Yes, please,” he gently kissed you. He wanted it to end. God, he really did. Having to sneak around, only being able to hold you at night and the wee hours of the morning was torture enough. But he couldn’t. It hurt him to admit that, “Fine. But I expect you back when the sun sets,” he finally concluded, though it took every muscle in him to not say fuck it and parade you the way he wanted.