Title: Morning Glow

Fandom: Avatar: the Last Airbender

Pairing/Characters: Ty Lee/Zuko

Warning(s): None

Genre: Fluff

It was a very still morning. Most of the nobles were still sound asleep, the breeze was whispering through the leaves, and Zuko's only company was the turtle ducks expecting their daily feed. Zuko smiled and broke off the corner of last night's left over bread, but before he could kneel toward them a pair of deft hands obscured his vision, causing him to drop the entire loaf in the water by mistake.

"Guess who!" came a bouncy female voice that he had the misfortune of knowing.

"Get off me!" said Zuko, trying to thrash his way out of the grip and failing miserably. The girl hung on like a malnourished elbow leech.

"Not until you guess who."

"I said get off me!" Before he could attempt to jerk away again Ty Lee grabbed onto his shoulders, stood on them with her hands, and put all of her weight into knocking him over as she shoved off. Then she flipped once toward him and took a seat right upon his navel.

"Taa daa! It's me, silly."

"That much was obvious," said Zuko, trying to prop himself up on his elbows. "Now get off me."

"You're blushing," said Ty Lee, leaning closer and closer toward him. Of course his face must have been red. He was frustrated, winded, pinned down, and before he knew it he was kissing Ty Lee. She was a relentless tease and a very pretty girl, but at the same time she was powerful, convincing, and knew how to read body language. She probably read in his own movements (or lack thereof) that this way OK. He wouldn't let his own body deceive him, though, as he tore his lips from hers and started coughing.

"Are you crazy? I have a girlfriend!"

"Oh, well Mai said that you two broke up."

"She WHAT?"

He seemed to recall a fight. He and Mai did that, so he didn't see what made it more break up worthy than others. Suddenly this very still morning jumped into a very hectic day.

"She said that you were all mine." Ty Lee sank into his chest and sighed.

"And what makes you think I want to be yours?"

He thought it was a perfectly legitimate question, but then she lifted her head, looked into his eyes, and started to tear up.

"What?" Zuko asked.

"You won't even give me a chance?" Her lip trembled, and when the first tear threatened to fall Zuko plopped flat to the ground and moaned.

"If it means that much to you I guess we could hang out and do... stuff... I guess."

Her face lit up in an instant, and he was dragged to his feet and all the way across the court yard.

END