Stupid Mistakes

"Hey Zuzu!"

Zuko sighed, though he smiled a little as Ty Lee pranced into his office. "Hey, Ty Lee."

"Oh, that's looks dull!" she exclaimed, sitting on the edge of his desk and ducking over to look at the stack of charters he was making his way through.

"Thank you," he said dryly.

She just giggled. "Zuko, you should take a break. We're all taking Suki out to dinner. Poor thing needs to get out."

Zuko furrowed his brows, finally looking up at her. "What do you mean?" He felt a strange pang in his chest. "Is she okay?"

Ty Lee cocked her head. "Zuko, didn't you hear? She and Sokka broke up last week."

Zuko's mouth fell open. "They did?" he asked in shock.

"Are you surprised? They haven't seen each other in over year."

Zuko's heart sank in his chest. "Oh, Agni…this is my fault. She should have just asked me for time off! I had no idea—"

"Oh, Zuko! Don't feel bad—this has nothing to do with you." Ty Lee paused, bringing a finger to her chin. "Well, perhaps that remains to be seen…"

"Huh?"

"I just mean, either of them could have made time to see each other, but didn't. They just kind of…drifted apart," she shrugged.

"Oh." Zuko frowned. Sokka and Suki had always seemed…well, perfect for each other. Or maybe he was just oblivious. His uncle had accused him of such in the past.

"Anyway, are you coming? We're getting komodo chicken."

"Um…sure. I'll come."

"Great! We'll be out front at eight," Ty Lee said happily, falling onto her hands and padding out the door.

Zuko looked back at the papers in front of him. He dipped his brush back in the ink well, and continued his work. He was soon lost in thought, however, suddenly remembering how terrible he'd felt after Mai broke up with him. It wasn't a pleasant memory.

His thoughts turned back to his interactions with Suki over the last week. She had seemed quieter than normal, but he'd just assumed she was tired. I really am oblivious, he realized, frowning. Some friend I am.

He sighed, glancing back at the stack of papers he'd just completed. His signature ran across each one—which would have been fine, if these weren't the copies prepared for King Bumi to sign.

"Ugh, idiot!" he huffed, crumpling up the stack and tossing it aside. What a stupid mistake.

"Oooh, incognito?" Ty Lee chuckled.

Zuko pouted. "I'm not going to Shao-Wei's as the Fire Lord, Ty Lee," he whispered, tugging the hood further over his eyes. He glanced around—several more Kyoshi Warriors were there, and he realized in some embarrassment that there were no other males. Not that this was very different from normal.

He spotted Suki among them as they moved down the steep steps. She was wearing a basic red tunic over loose pants, face clean of her war paint, and she walked quietly among the others looking…well, uncomfortable. That was unusual. Not that he could blame her—knowing Ty Lee, Suki had probably been dragged into this.

Much like myself, he realized wryly, watching as Suki sighed and stared away from the others and across the courtyard. It was strange to see her like this.

He didn't like it.

A second later, Zuko's heart flew into his chest as he stumbled down the last couple steps. On impulse, six surrounding Kyoshi Warriors reached out to stop his fall, the others scouting the area for attackers.

"Fire Lord! Are you all right?" the closest asked.

"I'm okay. Just…just tripped," he said in embarrassment, standing and straightening with as much dignity as he could muster. "Besides, it's just Lee tonight. Don't let me ruin your night off."

A few of them giggled, making Zuko blush. Agni, he was nearly twenty-one, and he still felt like an awkward teenager any time he couldn't hide behind the formality of his office. What if I'm like this forever? he wondered nervously.

Luckily, he could focus on eating once they made it to the restaurant. In all truth, Zuko did enjoy getting out of the palace, doing something a normal person his age might be doing. Not that he'd ever really done anything normal for his age.

He suddenly recalled a particular date in Ba Sing Se, and blushed again. He dug into his meal with renewed vigor.

A moment later, someone settled beside him. Suki slid her bowl atop the counter, peeking around him towards the other warriors who were chatting happily to his left.

"Regretting coming?" he asked carefully.

She grimaced, looking back at him. "Is it that obvious?"

He shrugged, then felt a tap on his arm. A man stood behind the counter, wearing an old apron covered in grease, a few whiskers dotting his chin. "Girl in the braid there says you're payin'," he huffed, tossing a thumb over his shoulder towards the other Kyoshi warriors.

Zuko raised a brow in amusement, digging into his pocket.

"Zuko," Suki whispered earnestly. "I'm sure Ty Lee was only joking—"

He handed the man the coin before she could finish. "It's fine. I was planning on paying anyway. It's the least I can do." What with the number of times you've all saved my life, he thought to himself. Particularly the warrior sitting beside him.

He watched her for a moment. Without her vibrant makeup, Suki just seemed so…human. Perhaps that's how he looked without his regal robes. He liked it; it made him miss the days they had all spent training Aang and drinking his own poor attempts at tea. Strange that he'd miss those days leading up to the dreaded comet, but it was the only time in his life where instead of being surrounded by enemies or advisors, he'd been surrounded by friends.

How strange that Suki was the only one of them still here.

"Hey son, you tryin' to cheat me?"

Zuko looked back, noticing the irritated shop owner hadn't moved, holding out the coins he'd handed over. Two copper pieces sat in his palm, and Zuko grimaced. He'd meant to grab the silver ones—the latter were smaller, pentagonal in shape, while the less valuable copper pieces were long and narrow. It was a foolish mistake.

"Oh, uh, sorry," Zuko said in embarrassment, digging back into his cloak and producing three silver pieces to make up for his blunder. The man's annoyance disappeared at once, nodding in approval and moving back towards the small kitchen.

"Oooh, dancing! That's a perfect idea!"

Feeling a strange, impending doom, Zuko glanced back at the others. A couple young men had joined them, leaning against the counter as Ty Lee spoke excitedly. One of them was turning a gold piece between his fingers, a smirk on his face while the other ran a conscious hand through combed back hair. Zuko scowled; they looked annoying.

"Suki, Zuko!" Ty Lee cried. "Chan's invited us all to go dancing down on Ember Street. Isn't that a perfect idea?"

Zuko groaned quietly. That sounded like a terrible idea.

"I don't know…" Suki said from beside him.

"Ah, come on!" another warrior insisted. "This is the perfect way for you to meet new people!"

Suki grimaced at that, looking like she had swallowed something terribly unpleasant. Which gave Zuko an idea.

"Spirits, Suki, you don't look so good," he fibbed.

"I…excuse me?"

"We better get you back," he went on, looking directly at her and raising his brow.

"Oh! Oh, yes. That chicken—not sitting so well right now," she said forcefully, feigning nausea.

The other warriors looked concerned, several offering to escort her home.

"I'll go," Zuko insisted, pushing quickly away from the table and offering Suki an arm. She took it weakly, playing her part well. "I can get us a carriage," he offered.

For some reason, Ty Lee had a mischievous look on her face. Why did he have a weird feeling this was exactly what she'd wanted?

Whatever. As long as he didn't have to go to some dumb dance with Chan and his cronies.

Once they were out of sight of the others, Suki pulled away, scratching the back of her neck.

"Thanks," she said with a smile.

"It's fine," he shrugged. "Honestly, I'd rather kiss Bosco than go dancing," he said dryly.

He heard a quiet snort, looking over to see Suki's hand pressed against her mouth, eyes gleaming in mirth. "Did you just…" she trailed off, shaking her head as they continued down the quiet streets.

Zuko bit his lip, the silence stretching out and making him more uncomfortable by the minute. Should he ask about Sokka? He grimaced—no, that was a terrible idea. But would it seem rude to pretend like it hadn't happened?

He glanced over at her, but Suki looked completely at ease with the silence, hands tucked into her pockets and face turned towards the sky above. Her demeanor calmed him, and he sighed. Maybe the quiet didn't have to be awkward after all.

"Beautiful, don't you think?"

Zuko flushed. "You—huh?"

"The stars," she explained, looking back at him and smiling in amusement. "You can see so many here, inside the Caldera. Living in the mountains like this…I almost feel like I could touch them," she said, reaching her hands up and breathing deeply.

Zuko stared at her for a moment, before following her gaze towards the heavens. Yes, it was beautiful. He couldn't remember the last time he'd looked up at them.

No…suddenly, he could. It was on one of the balconies, back when the weight of his new responsibilities was fresh and the threats around them seemed impossible to solve.

"Want some company?" she'd asked.

"Sure."

Zuko smiled. She'd been there then, too. How funny.

She lowered her arms, and sighed. She looked almost…lost, again. He really didn't like it. Suki always seemed to be in control—to see her like this was just wrong.

"Do you need to take some time off?" he asked. "You could visit Kyoshi…"

She smiled a little. "Please, no. The last thing I need right now is nothing to do." She sighed. "Though to be honest, even things around here have been a lot quieter than they used to be."

"I could, uh, hire a few assassins to come after me," Zuko said, pulling his hood on further and starting to walk back towards the palace. "I mean, I did know a guy…"

Suki laughed. "Zuko! That's not funny."

"Then why did you laugh?"

She laughed again, trying and failing to hide it behind her hand. "I'd almost forgotten you could be like this. Maybe we do need to get out more."

"Don't you dare tell that to Ty Lee."

She only laughed harder. Zuko grinned; he wasn't sure he could recall the last time he had made someone laugh. Seemed that lately, he just made his political opponents angry or his allies concerned.

They fell quiet again, though Zuko no longer felt uncomfortable with it. He'd never been a big talker in the first place—it was surprisingly nice to just be with someone without feeling the need to strike up a forced conversation.

They soon reached the front gates, and Zuko pulled back his hood. His guards raised their brows, quickly letting the two of them through.

"Thanks again, Zuko," Suki said. He glanced over; she looked tired, but much more at ease than she had at the start of the night.

He shrugged. "It's fine. I wanted to avoid Ty Lee's perfect idea as much as you did."

Suki smiled warmly. "I didn't mean that. I mean…you made me feel better, is all."

I did? he thought in surprise.

"See you in a bit," she said. "I'm on watch tonight."

"Oh, uh, okay. See you then."

She pressed her fist into her palm in a quick Fire Nation bow, and took off down one of the dark halls. She was turning the corner when Zuko realized he was still watching her go. He shook his head, clearing his throat as he took off in the opposite direction.

Ten minutes later, he stood in front of the large council room. Hand against the door, he stopped. Hang on—what am I doing here? he thought, frowning.

A second later, his hand came in contact with his brow. He'd been so lost in thought he'd moved in the complete opposite direction of where he needed to be.

I just need sleep, he decided, huffing and moving back the way he'd come.

Zuko breathed deeply, sweat dripping down in temples. The sun bore down on his bare chest, dao blades gleaming in his hands as he faced his opponent across the palace training grounds.

"Come on, Zuko! You're not even trying," Suki grinned back at him. She gripped the hilt of her long katana in both hands, held aloft between her eyes.

She was one of the few people he could find in the palace that offered a true challenge at the blade. He trained with several of the Kyoshi Warriors on occasion, of course, but over the last few weeks had teamed up with this particular partner more and more often. In fact, he'd been very determined to pick up his sword training with greater vigor as of late.

He felt his heart in his throat, suddenly wondering whether this weren't actually about training at all, but rather a way to get closer to—

"Woah!" he cried, Suki's blade slicing in the air near his chest. He leaned back on impulse, lost his balance, and fell flat on his back.

"Zuko!" Suki cried, dropping her stance and looking horrified. "I'm so sorry, I thought you saw me coming—"

"It's fine," he said, sitting up on one elbow and rubbing the back of his neck. "I just kind of…zoned out, I guess."

She frowned, tucking her sword away and reaching down to help him up. Her short hair was pulled half up, the rest sticking to her neck from their exercise. Even then, her eyes were bright, their bluish-green standing out against the reds all around them like a panda lily against a smoldering mountaintop—

"Zuko?"

"Huh?" he said, shaking his head.

She raised a brow. "I was saying, you can't go dropping your guard like that! What if I'd been an assassin?"

He chuckled a little. "Always so worried about that."

She pouted. "Isn't that what I'm being paid to worry about?"

"All right, all right," he conceded, hands held up in surrender. He couldn't quite hide his smile, though—it was kind of cute how protective she got around him sometimes.

Cute? he thought in bewilderment. Since when have I thought anything was cute?

He huffed, biting his lip and sliding his swords back into the holster against his back. "I, um, need to go finish up some work this evening," he said, face starting to redden. Stop that! he demanded. His cheeks, of course, disobeyed. Apparently, they didn't take orders from the Fire Lord.

"Need any help?"

He blinked, turning back to Suki in surprise. She looked suddenly abashed herself, pushing a strand of hair out of eyes. "I-I just meant…if you need it. I'm not on duty tonight and, mm, don't really have anything else to do," she shrugged, sucking in a breath and standing tall again. "I'm pretty good at forging signatures, in fact."

Zuko grinned, in spite of himself. "All right," he agreed.

He'd never felt so eager to do paperwork in his life.

"So…you really didn't have anything better to do than this?"

Suki looked up from the opposite side of Zuko's desk, smiling. They both sat with a stack of parchment before them and a brush in hand. "Well, I have been wanting to go down to the beaches south of the port," she admitted, glancing towards the open window. The warm, summer night air passed through, brushing the reddish locks from her cheeks. "I mean, I really do love the city," she went on. "But…sometimes I miss the ocean, I guess."

Zuko nodded. "You should go," he encouraged her.

"I don't know if I could get there and back fast enough…"

"You could take a war balloon."

She smiled in amusement. "I don't think that's allowed."

He hummed. "Well, I'll go with you, then," he decided a moment later. "They can't stop me from taking my own war balloons."

Suki stared at him, mouth falling open a bit. "Zuko," she started, lips curling up at the corners. "…Did you just ask me on a date?"

He blinked once, eyes growing wide. "I—oh! Oh, Agni, I didn't mean it like that. B-but I guess…if you wanted it to be a…ugh," he groaned, letting his face fall into one hand. "I really didn't mean it like that."

"Well, if you had," Suki said, standing and resting her hands on her hips. "I might have said yes."

Zuko looked up quickly, processing her words in a heartbeat. "Actually…I did mean it like that," he said earnestly.

She smiled, a pretty blush gracing her cheeks, before sauntering around the desk and planting a quick kiss on his cheek. "It's a date, then."

Zuko barely registered her movement towards the door, lifting a hand to his scarred skin in shock.

"You know," she started, pausing on the threshold. He looked up, still dazed. Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "I have some pretty high expectations for my first date with the Fire Lord," she declared, before escaping into the hall.

The grin came slowly, but soon spread across Zuko's face from ear to ear. Without thinking, he laid his head down on the desk—

And right into a page of wet ink.

The end.

A/N - This little thing was what came out of a prompt for Avatar World Week's "Summer Prompt List" on Tumblr. My prompt was "Silly Mistakes," and the first prompt I've ever used. Hope it worked okay! Zuki is my avatar otp so of course had to fit it to them. xoxo