Well, we'll see how long this week lasts for me. I have a research paper to write for work at the same time…. :/

Not a huge fan of the prompts this year, so I decided to make fun of the clichés. And, to my surprise, that developed into an epic bromance between – can you guess? Suki and Zuko!

…I know, right? But I am in love with them and I think they need to be BFF's. And now, on with the show!

Zutara Week 2012 – Day One

Serendipity

"You know, Zuko," Suki announced, drawing his attention away from the paperwork piled on his desk to where she sat, comfortably leaning against a wooden cabinet, "For a guy with such supposedly bad luck, you've had a pretty charmed life."

Zuko frowned, clearly not amused at the observation, and chose to ignore it in favor of the larger offense in progress. "Get off of that armoire," he snapped, "It's a delicate antique that has been in the family for generations, and I don't need those fans of yours scratching the finish."

Suki rolled her eyes, not at all cowed by his half-hearted rebuke, and leaned farther against the wood at her back. "I'm serious," she continued, "There really might be something to that whole 'lucky to be born' thing."

Resigned to the fact that his friend and self-appointed bodyguard wouldn't be dropping the subject or removing her person from the armoire any time soon, Zuko kneaded the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Okay, fine. But what is it about my life that has you thinking it can be considered even remotely close to being charmed? Was it being scarred and banished, forced to chase down the only person that could possibly set the word right again? Losing my mother? Or maybe it was more recent, like the assassination attempts, or being dumped by Mai for Ty Lee, of all people. Because if those things make a charmed life, I'm sure I have something wrong in the definition."

"Don't an idiot," Suki countered, dismissing his annoyance with a wave of her hand, "I'm not saying those things were good. I'm just saying that, well, despite everything, you did get pretty lucky."

Zuko simply raised an eyebrow and snorted in amusement. "I think spending all that time with your idiotic boyfriend has addled your brain."

"I'll have you know that Sokka is a genius," Suki retorted, arms crossed in defiance. "Even if he is a bit…eccentric. Oh, don't give me that look. You know what I mean."

Zuko just smirked in reply, his expression speaking of a victory that went beyond a slight insult to Sokka's mental state. "Oh, no," she gasped in mock outrage, "You are not changing the subject that easily!" She paused for a moment to register the vague wariness that entered Zuko's expression before she continued, mentally congratulating herself for catching her slip.

"I mean, think about it. Take your banishment, for example. If that had never happened, you'd still be here, in the Fire Nation, hiding from Azula and trying to fight a losing battle to convince your dad that you were good enough to be Fire Lord one day. That's if they hadn't found a way to conveniently kill you off by now."

Zuko shuddered involuntarily, and Suki continued, albeit with slightly more tact. "And that whole search for the Avatar made you so close with your Uncle – would that have happened if you'd stayed at home? Plus, it led you to us! You might still be fighting for the wrong team, otherwise. Now you're the first Fire Lord to reign in peace since before Sozin, and you have a family that loves you, no matter what."

Zuko's face colored and he coughed, clearly uncomfortable. "Well, that's not – I mean, sure, it worked out better, in the end, but that was never what I wanted in the first place!"

This time it was Suki's turn to raise an eyebrow, looking pointedly at a portrait of the Fire Lord and his future wife that sat on the desk. Zuko winced, and stumbled through an attempted recovery. "Well, I mean, of course I want it now. I love Katara, not that I didn't love Mai, but, you know, Katara is the one I really want, and – well all of you are great and so is peace, but I just – I mean, at the time, I, uh…"

"Oh, relax, Zuko," Suki laughed, "I won't tell Katara if you won't. Besides, I know what you meant." Zuko sighed in relief and slumped back in his chair, running a hand through his hair.

"Oh. Well, good," he replied, this time visibly measuring each word before he spoke. "I guess my point is that I never really planned for things to be this way. And it wasn't necessarily a walk in the park to get here."

"Point taken," Suki conceded, smiling in a way that spoke of a pygmy puma about to corner a particularly delicious prize. "So, maybe you aren't lucky, per se. But, well, have you heard of serendipity?"

Zuko sputtered and coughed, then ordered her out of the office, telling her to do her job rather than bother him while he had paperwork to finish. He could hear her laughter echo down the halls as she left.

Months later, as Zuko lay in bed, his wife curled tight against his side and her head pillowed on his arm, Zuko couldn't help but replay that particular conversation in his mind. And as Katara turned in her sleep to move deeper into his arms, letting out a soft murmur of contentment, he thought that perhaps there was something to Suki's words, after all.

Maybe there wasn't much luck in his life, but perhaps there was a touch of serendipity. And, to his surprise, he found he was very much okay with that.