"I'm so glad you could join us for dinner," said Ursa, waving the wine steward past her. "You must be terribly busy."
Lu-Ten offered up his glass eagerly. "Thank you," he nodded to the steward. "There are always many things that are last minute prior to a deployment but I'll always have time for family."
"Azula!" Ursa's eyes flashed. "Leave your brother alone!" Azula snapped to prim and proper form, hands delicately clasped in her lap as if she had not just been stabbing at her brother's leg with her butter knife. Zuko was scowling deeply at his dinner plate, continuing to refuse to look at anyone as he had since dinner started. Ursa sighed at her children.
"You must be so eager to rejoin your father." Ursa delicately sipped at her glass of water. "Lord Azulon says this next campaign will be the final push to bring down the walls of Ba Sing Se."
"Miserable old bastard," snarled Ozai. He ignored Ursa's scolding "Ozai!" and drained the wine from his goblet. The wine steward snapped to attention as Ozai slammed down his empty glass. The servant bowed as he tried to pour more wine without making eye contact with Prince Ozai, hands shaking.
Lu-Ten raised his glass to hide his smirk. "Father often says that Grandfather Azulon is too mean to die."
Ozai snorted at this. "True," was his only comment as he swirled his refreshed glass in his hand.
Lu-Ten caught Zuko sneaking a glance at him out of the corner of his eye. The boy had been avoiding him all day. He stuck his tongue out at the boy playfully, since this usually pulled the boy out of one of his moods. Zuko was having none of it, his scowl deepening even more.
Lu-Ten turned to address Zuko more formally. "You must be having some serious thoughts," he said in mock seriousness. "If you keep making that face, don't you know it will stay that way?"
Zuko shifted uncomfortably in his seat but refused to rise to the bait.
"He's just been crying all morning because you're leaving," said Azula matter of fact, being ever so helpful.
"Was not!" hollered Zuko in outrage, cheeks flaming beet red. He made to kick his sister under the table but his mother knew what to expect. "Zuko," Ursa called, warningly. He grudgingly settled back in to his chair, refusing to look up at anyone, cheeks still burning.
"Did I ever tell you about the time one of my infantrymen got trapped in the komodo rhino barn?" interjected Lu-Ten, attempting to change the topic.
They continued to exchange pleasantries through the rest of dinner.
Lu-Ten gave his mouth a final wipe with his napkin and rose from the table. "Sadly I must bid you all farewell, so I may resume packing." He offered small bows and turned to exit. As he headed towards the doorway in the massive dining room, he heard the scuffle of another chair backing away from the dinner table.
"May I be excused?" He heard Zuko ask politely.
"Of course you can, dear."
Lu-Ten hurried down the main hallway and ducked at the first main turn off, his back hugging the wall. He heard quiet sniffing as he heard Zuko shuffling down the hallway, following Lu-Ten's path. He waited until the boy was closer.
"Gotcha!" Lu-Ten bounded from his hiding place and grabbed Zuko, lifting the child in the air.
"Put me down!" Zuko kicked, struggling unexpectedly. Lu-Ten quickly did so, shocked. Usually his cousin loved this game.
He set the boy back down on his feet and sat on his heels to meet the boy at eye level.
Zuko's face was serious, eyes red. "Father says I shouldn't be playing games because I'm not a little kid anymore."
"Bah!" said Lu-Ten dismissively. "No games! Where's the fun in that?" Lu-Ten made a playful scowl. "Your father is as big a meany as Azulon." He tickled Zuko playfully.
Zuko tried to hide a small grin that lasted for an instant before he became serious again.
"Do you have to go?"
Lu-Ten dropped his playful demeanor to match the solemn child. "I do."
Zuko finally looked up at him, making eye contact with him for the first time in days. He threw his arms around Lu-Ten in a hug, knocking the man flat on his rear earning a small "oof!"
"Do you promise to write every day? You promise-promise?"
"I promise-promise," Lu-Ten said softly into Zuko's hair. He rose, towering over the small boy. Zuko sniffed and wiped at his face with his long sleeves. The boy finally cracked a true smile.
Lu-ten beamed. He offered the boy his hand. "C'mon. Let's go steal some fruit tarts from the kitchen."