Interruptions - Zukofic

[Garnet]

'kay. So I scribbled this out last night on a whim and reposted it to the fetish filter of my livejournal. Got a decent response, so I figured, "Eh, what the hell I'll throw it up here too", as I know there's a couple of people that follow this show on the forum (Green, I'm looking at you).

Uh, so yeah, just a small slightly-larger-than-a-drabble fic of Zuko, from Avatar: The Last Airbender. It's a cartoon that is admittedly aimed at a younger audience, but it has a surprisingly huge fanbase of older watchers (i.e... bored college kids who are young at heart, like me!). They do a ton of research into Eastern cultures (not just Japanese, but Indian, Ancient China, Tibetan, etc.) for us history/religion/martial arts geeks, too :x It's fun.

H'ANYway, dis is set sometime after the end of the series, based loosely around a timeline that a friend and I occasionally RP with. Mostly because I like Jin, she's assertive and obnoxious (my favorite type!), and I like her with Zuko so LOLOLOL fanon 8|

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It was in one of the sheltered walkways by the fountain that Jin finally managed to corner him, after an entire day of orbiting around each other, constantly buffered by his usual entourage of advisors and generals and whatever else. It annoyed her occasionally, but at the same time she accepted that it was simply the way of things, agreeing to wed the Fire Lord. She would resignedly think such things, and then unfailingly give a small, private smile thereafter. Common peasant stock marrying into royalty, and still she complains! What would mother say?

But now she had him to herself for a few minutes, even if it had necessitated a little well-executed ambush positioning beforehand. But even a busy dictator could not argue with Jin, and her expression told him as much, thinly smiling as it was as she placed herself directly before him, derailing his path to whatever meeting or pompous official he’d been en route to attend. “You’re a hard man to pin down,” she observed, as the Fire Lord obediently paused and accepted her arms draping themselves over his.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered in that soft, somber rasp of his. “Today’s just…busy for some reason.” The deeply trenched frown he’d been wearing even before she’d intercepted him had not faded any, even when she tilted her head up at him in that coy little way of hers that demanded a kiss. His eyes had drifted aside for a moment, but they snapped back to her now with a sudden recollection. “Besides, you saw me earlier, it’s not as if--…”

“I know, but that was at breakfast, dear. The sun’s nearly gone down,” she interrupted, and his scowl deepened briefly. Jin, however, was a practiced expert at diffusing her husband’s annoyance, and placed a hand on the “bad” side of his face innocently. “And you were grouchy even then,” she continued, stepping in and letting the hand slide down so that she could rest her cheek on his shoulder. She felt him sigh shallowly, and then wrap his arms around her. Not grudgingly, but resignedly.

“It’s nothing, I’m just... busy.”

“Mm-hm,” she agreed simply, listening offhandedly to the sound of his breathing. It was a little deeper than usual, and directed mainly through his mouth. Unusual, but these were all the tiny things that she would pick up on, as good at feigning obliviousness as she was. “But you’re always busy, and you don’t seem to mind then.”

He was quiet for a moment, then suddenly moved to shrug her off, beginning to step away and turn his face from her. Alarmed, she let go, but took a half-step after him. “Wait, Zuko, I didn’t mean…”

He shushed her protests with a motion from his hand. “You should…probably stand back, Jin,” he got out, the usual metallic purr of his voice rendered a little breathy, trembling almost.

Perplexed but obedient, she stood there as he separated them by another step, and tensed up for a moment, shoulders lifting beneath the light armor plating and a loose fist hovering a few inches beneath his mouth. She gasped aloud when a moment later, he clenched violently with a throaty and barely-contained sneeze.

“H’uht-CHSHH!”

More alarming, perhaps, was the sudden explosion of flame that rippled outwards from his twitching features and rolled off his shoulders. It had dissipated almost immediately, but Jin moved forward in concern.

“Zuko, bless you! You’re not burned, are you?”

A small, barely perceptible shake of his head stayed her. Well, that and the realization that another was coming upon him, visible as his expression crumpled and breath quivered in again. “Huht’CSHH! CHSHH!” He’d turned his face almost entirely from her, but she could still catch the quick, helpless sneer that curled his lip before a third struck. “… huht-CSHHuh!” As before, the air before him was briefly but dramatically illuminated by a small burst of flame. It flared once off of him, like an indignant fire reluctant to be doused, and then settled into nothingness.

“Bless,” Jin offered again, dutifully, and stayed wisely where she was while her husband briefly scrubbed the tip of his nose against the side of one hand. That gesture, she mused with a little smile, was a little more boyish and a little less fire lord…ish than he’d probably intended, but at least there was no one around to see. “Are you okay? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you sneeze before.” She paused, and then amended, “Okay, I know I haven’t, I would have remembered that.”

To her surprise, it was with mild chagrin rather than irritation that he glanced back up at her, wheat-colored eyes a little wet around the edges. “Mhn, excuse me.”

She took it as her cue, or permission at least, to close the distance between them. Reaching out, she slipped an arm to either side of his waist and peered up at him queerly. “You’re excused,” she offered with a pretty little smile. “Remind me not to hang around when you catch a cold,” she teased, pressing her brow into his shoulder again.

He was moodily quiet for a moment, possibly formulating an appropriate response. And then all at once she was holding on to nothing as he crudely pushed her off again, and moved away. There was no formal warning this time, just a quavering hitch of his breath and then…

“Huht’CSHHuh! Haht’CSHH!”

He’d had less time to turn away, and so she could see in full the way that flash of fire replaced the inelegant spray of a normal person’s sneeze. Prettier, perhaps, but markedly more dangerous. He was struggling with another, expression beginning to crease when Jin shrugged off her initial apprehension and stepped in. She was daring, or stupid, didn’t really care which as she reached up to take her husband’s jaw in one hand, turning it towards her a little, just not… fully.

“Here, stop that for a minute,” she scolded, and was privately pleased to see Zuko scrunch his nose sharply several times in a row in an attempt to quell the tickle. She had the brief notion that he’d been holding this off most of the day, surrounded by attention as he so usually was, and had probably needed this brief reprieve anyway. “What’s gotten into you?”

“J-Jin,” he got out warily, closing his hands at her upper arms. But most of his attention was on keeping the sneeze in check, and so his grip was light, not quite able to brush her off. He sighed weakly, and opted to endure it. “I’m not… not sure.”

She frowned, but stretched her fingertips up past his jaw, over the slightly angled curve of one cheek, following the smooth skin until it became twisted and dark. She’d had many chances to explore his scar before, but was consistently fascinated by its shape and texture. Rough in one place, and then almost eerily smooth right next to it. Harder than the rest of his flesh, stiff almost, it prevented him from ever opening his left eye all the way, and had stretched all the way to crisp his ear a little, deforming its outer shell. “No?”

“Might be…might be—huhh!” It almost verged on him just then, but stuck either of its own accord or his. A strand of hair had loosed itself from his topknot a little, and fell across his brow now, and Jin’s sympathy overwhelmed her mischievous nature. To impart some measure of relief, she let her thumb wander sideways, meeting unmarked skin again against the side of his nose. She could feel the tiny muscles there twitching, and ventured to apply a little pressure where it seemed to be bothering him the most.

The effect was immediate, his inhale quick and almost reflexive but for its note of desperation. With no chance to step away and politely turn from her, his arms quickly furled her closer in protection, and she wisely tucked her face into one shoulder.

“Uht’SHHHU! Uh’SHH!” She could feel the heat rippling just beside her head as he sneezed towards the opposite shoulder, a little too close for comfort but too brief to do any real damage. “Huht’CSSH!”

She sensed the breathless heave and consequent jerking clench of his chest against her as he worked out the rest of the fit with another, and another, until he’d sneezed nearly six times in a row before pausing for breath. There were a few, helpless half-starts, before he relaxed eventually with a deep and purring sigh.

Picking her head up again, Jin blinked at him, and subtly moved a hand back to check the ends of her hair for seared edges. Finding only a few frazzled strands, she offered him an apologetic smile. “Why do you put up with me?”

Fortunately, exhaustion and embarrassment seemed to override his temper, and with a miserable and sniffling shake of his head, Zuko confessed, “I have no idea.”

She had the decency, at least, to produce a handkerchief with within her sleeve and offer it along in a neatly folded square. The Fire Lord took it with some measure of lingering dismay, and snuffled into it quietly. “I didn’t really mean that, you know, about not hanging around if you catch cold,” she reminded him, and his eyes lifted a little.

“No?”

Sensing that he would never come right out and admit that he was ill in the first place, sly Jin moved a hand to the base of his neck, stroking that sensitive spot where his hair grew short and soft. As expected, he sighed with a little relief. “No. I’d just put you to bed and fuss over you endlessly.”

His expression hesitated, more from apprehension than any lingering itchiness it appeared, and she amended her statement with a little giggle. “Annnd I wouldn’t tell anyone else about it. Just us.”

“That,” Zuko sighed, pulling her close again once he’d recovered himself, and pressing a kiss to her brow, “I can agree with.”

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Deeheehee, shh I'm a dork :|

[Guest Hannah]

Yay! First comment!

That was great. But youy stole my sneeze-out-fire idea.

....Ah, no matter! That was greatness! Make more!!!

[Garnet]

Yay! First comment!

That was great. But youy stole my sneeze-out-fire idea.

....Ah, no matter! That was greatness! Make more!!!

Check yoh'self! XD I've been using that contrived little trick for ages (see my website, and the plethora of Ace/One Piece fics).

[Sawyer]

Eeeeeeee~ I love Zuko! Avatar's such a well-developed show, and some of the younger veiwers don't appriciate all of the effort it takes. ._.

Nonetheless, very good job on this!

[VoOs]

Mmmmm, I love this!

[Spoo]

Eeeee!! That was sooo cute! Gosh, make me feel like a giddy fangirl why don't ya! >_< I've always been a fan of characters who possess something that can expel in a sneeze. Zuko with the flames and Cho Hakkai with the chi blasts in particular. Thanks for making my day!

[Guest change]

Oh god yes XD this makes me so happy~

[Guest jafeir]

If someone could do an Azula fic, do you think she would sneeze fire and lightning?

[The Sneezster]

OK, I'll say it, but only 'cause I can't help myself.

That was hot.

[Spoo]

OK, I'll say it, but only 'cause I can't help myself.

That was hot.

...

[Garnet]

D'aww, thanks guys! I'm very glad it was well-received! I was semi-apprehensive about posting this one, for whatever reason XD Ohwell, I crazy.

@ Furetto: It is! I mean, it's still a kid's show in many aspects, but the themes and subject material and character interactions are verymature and well-developed, sometimes. And I just dork out way too much over all the little bits and bobs of various eastern cultures they manage to assimilate (i.e... Japanese/Hindu fire nation vs. Tibetan/Buddhist air nomads, etc. Tres chouette.)

@ Spoo: Omg, right?! I'm such a dork for things like that. It's just a fun twist on things, and draws even more attention to the "victim", heehee. And oooh, Hakkai! 8) You know, I never even thought of that, but now I might have to watch the rest of Saiyuki Reload (as I meant to...forever ago!), and maybe play with that concept.

@ jafeir: Actually, I have the wicked hots for Azula too, so if you want an Azula fic, just say the word and I can see what I'd come up with. Somehow I expect her to have a little more control than Zuko, since she's a prodigy and all, but maybe if she was sick or something.

@ Sneezster: ... XD *facepalm*

[Elle]

YES!!! I have been dying to see some Zuko sneezefic since you did that to die for comic with him. *purrs contendedly and rereads again and again*

*edit* I'd love to look at the fetish stuff on your livejournal. If you don't mind of course. I'm elle_rahen on livejournal. Oh, and I thought would just add a SQUEE!!! because your awesome.

[Neesan]

but now I might have to watch the rest of Saiyuki Reload (as I meant to...forever ago!), and maybe play with that concept.

*STARE AT* 8| Yes. Yes you must. Hehe! HAKKAI! I love him so hardcore. ;o;

While I gushed like crazy on this in journal, I will publicly announce that this was made of sexy that set my pants into flames. ...with no pun intented. 8D (Or was it?!?!) Pitiful unable to stoooooop, that is so djsklfjsfskdskds. YES. 8D *babbleflailat*

[Garnet]

@ chancy: Squee, so glad you enjoyed! 8D I had waaay too much fun writing it, must restrain myself from writing MOAR and moar! Also, have friended you and added you to my wrongness filter on LJ I'm "lizbeast" over there.

@ Kisa: SHHH, I'm working on it. Eventually! XD No, I kid, I like it, I just have to remember where I left off. Monocle! <3 But ebehehhe, sankyooou! Yes omg :[ Zuko needs to be afflicted with the "can't stop once I start" aspect. Because he is lame. *heart*

[Elle]

Yay! Thanks for friending me. I look forward to combing your journal for sneezy tidbits.

[Feta Sneeze]

That was excellent! /happy dance

Make more please!

If someone could do an Azula fic, do you think she would sneeze fire and lightning?

To answer this question, no she would not. If you remember Iroh talking about lightning, you have to have full concentration and calmness to shoot lightning, and even then, it's not yours to control.

HOWEVER, she would probably sneeze BLUE flame

[Garnet]

That was excellent! /happy dance

Make more please!

If someone could do an Azula fic, do you think she would sneeze fire and lightning?

To answer this question, no she would not. If you remember Iroh talking about lightning, you have to have full concentration and calmness to shoot lightning, and even then, it's not yours to control.

HOWEVER, she would probably sneeze BLUE flame

Blue flame, hmm! 8) That sounds like something that I may need to experiment with. I have nothing but horrible pedo love for her

[March Hare]

Restrain yourself from writing more?! Honey... WHY in the WORLD would you do such a thing? You are happy when you write more, right? And we are VERY happy when you do... so no more restraining, OK? Unless, of course, you need the time for tedious trivials like college and suchlike.

This is a gem of a ficlet, AGAIN. But then you're still one of The Best Authors on the forum. GRMVZNJGDKL fire sneezing...

[Guest jafeir]

OK, now I really want 2 see an Azula fic