Chapter 2: Reacquaintance
Rating: K
Alright, here is chapter 2, only one day after chapter 1. Quickest turnaround on an update for me in a while, but this one is really fun to write. Ty Lee is a good bit different than the female characters I usually write, so it comes out really fun. Zuko is probably a little OOC in this one, but it is after the war, so he has mellowed out a lot compared to previous seasons. Beginnings of the romantic angle here, so enjoy Ty Luko fans.
As he spoke, Zuko realized their somewhat awkward position, a blush creeping across his cheeks at the sight.
"Umm, Ty Lee…" he spoke, earning a curious glance from the younger girl. He knew she would not necessarily be embarrassed about it, but he was much more aware of personal boundaries and appearances. He just knew that if anyone saw them in such a position, then the talk would not take long to spread. The thoughts of scandal sent his head spinning, and he felt his face heat up as he felt her warm body resting against his own.
"What's wrong? You look flushed," she spoke sweetly, earning a groan of annoyance from the older boy.
"Could you get off of me now?" he asked quite directly, the brunette's eyes widening as their situation clicked into place. Turning her eyes downward, she smiled a sheepish smile, noticing the proximity of their bodies. She had to admit to herself, it wasn't entirely uncomfortable.
"Oh, sorry. It's just so exciting seeing a friend after so long, you know?" Despite himself, Zuko felt a smile tug at the corners of his lips, watching the pink and red clad girl bounce from atop his body in a single motion.
Pulling himself to his feet, the young Fire Lord dusted himself off, questioning where the bathroom was. Ty Lee sweetly pointed in the appropriate direction, Zuko nodding in appreciation before heading off.
Softly padding through the small living room, the young brunette clasped her hands together behind her back, her thoughts lingering on the position she and her long time friend had just been in.
"He's really warm…" she murmured to herself, a dreamy sort of smile crossing her face. She had had boyfriends, lots of them during her time in the Fire nation. But she had seldom been that close to a boy before. The young brunette wondered if all boys were so warm, and so well built. Mentally slapping herself, an amused giggle slipped through her soft lips.
'Mai would kill me if she heard me thinking that out loud,' the girl mused to herself, dropping lazily onto the olive green sofa near the center of the room. Casting a look onto the furniture, she felt her lips purse into a look of curiosity, as she wondered to herself if the Earth kingdom was even familiar with other colors besides greens and browns. Turning her head towards the bathroom, she listened as the water began to run, and wondered if Zuko was showering.
Another self reprimand, and the brunette tried to shut the thoughts out of her head. With some difficulty, she managed to focus on the sound of the running water, eyes gently hooding closed with the steady sound. "Maybe I'm more tired than I thought," she spoke to herself, feeling her light body falling into a prone position on the couch's cushioning.
"At least the seat is comfy," she added, placing her hands beneath her head for some support.
While Ty Lee was struggling with a sort of physical exhaustion, Zuko was in the bathroom, feeling like banging his head against the mirror image of himself.
"Gah, what is wrong with me?" he asked the reflection, not sure if he expected some sort of answer or not. Hanging his head slightly, the young man felt silly for even partially hoping for any answer. Even if it was his own reflection, it was still a reflection.
With a heavy sigh, he allowed his entire body to slump downward a bit, forearms resting against the cool material of the sink. Pushing himself into an upright position, he placed his hands beneath the cool water pouring from the sink, relaxing a bit with the crispness of the liquid.
Cupping his hands, he splashed a bit of the water onto his face, watching the droplets fall down the face of his mirror image. Small rivers of clear water ran down his skin, dripping from his chin back into the clean, white basin beneath him.
The mirror doppelganger seemed to question him, dangerous golden eyes boring into his soul. Questions that were running through his own mind. Why was he here, in the bathroom of a girl he would hardly have called a friend? Why had he gotten so embarrassed with her body pressed against his? Any why did he feel so… at ease?
The feel of soft, warm curves lingered in his mind, swirling the sensations in his mind. Everything about Ty Lee seemed different than any girl he had grown up with, and her body seemed to further bear that out. He loved Mai, that much he knew for certain. He loved to hold her in his arms, to savor the feel of her porcelain skin.
But just from the brief contact he had experienced with Ty Lee, after she had nearly tackled him to the ground, he had gotten a different feeling. Warmth. Comfort. Caring. Unbridled happiness and optimism. As a smile crept on his face, he gruffly shook his head, splashing himself with another few handfuls of cold water.
He definitely shouldn't be thinking about Ty Lee in that way. Looking about the bathroom, he spotted a small green hand towel, and reached out for it. The cottony feel was good against his skin, as he dabbed off the remainders of water from his face. Setting the towel down on the smooth beige countertop, he ran his fingers quickly through his hair, enjoying the feel of having it down after keeping it in the formal topknot for so long.
'Geez, why are girls so confusing?' he wondered, snickering a bit at his own confusion. Resolving to leave all thoughts of girls other than Mai from his mind, he turned the dial for the sink, listening to the life giving fluid drain loudly down the drain.
"Ty Lee, where do you-" he stopped, after taking only a few steps back into the living room. "Hey, I thought you were the one curious about things," he mused to himself, moving slowly towards the soft looking sofa.
As Ty Lee lay sleeping on the piece of green furniture, Zuko squatted next to her, brushing a stray strand of chocolate colored hair from her face. Leaning back on his haunches, the young man realized that he was actually staring at her, watching the subtle rise and fall of her chest as she slept.
"Get it together, Zuko," he scolded himself, as the girl mumbled something unintelligible in her sleep. Suppressing a light chuckle, he looked around the cozy living room. Seeing no blankets, he decided to do a little bit of exploring of her small, cozy little home. As usual for the Earth Kingdom, the place was decorated with lots of items sporting varying shades of green and brown, from nearly black back towards near blues.
He focused on the gentle rapping of his feet against the cool wooden floors, smiling as the comfort of the place filled him. It was the complete opposite of the cold, empty interiors of the Fire Nation palace, and he found his thoughts drifting to his uncle's teashop in Ba Sing Se. How comfortable he had become there. He had always assumed it was a simple relief from the seemingly endless wandering they had endured together, and nothing more.
Yet, as he padded down the small corridors of Ty Lee's home, he found himself wishing it were his instead. Finally he reached what he assumed to be Ty Lee's bedroom, and hesitatingly opened the door. Peering inside, he chuckled lightly at the sight of it. Contrary to the opinion he had always held of the young girl, she was rather messy, with clothes and bedding strewn carelessly about the floor.
"Geez, I always thought girls were supposed to be neat and tidy," he mused to himself, leaving the door open as he paced back towards the living room. Standing to the girl's side, he watched as she rolled over onto her side, the long braid falling just below her chin. With a sigh, Zuko leaned down, scooping up the light frame into his arms.
"You should be more careful, you know? Can't just be so relaxed," he scolded her lightly, so as not to wake her up. Adjusting her weight in his arms, he turned back towards her bedroom, trying to not think about the softness resting against his arms. Tried not to think about the light scents of cinnamon that seemed to rise from her, or the breezy breaths that were brushing against his neck.
After an agonizing short eternity, he finally reached the entryway to her cluttered bedroom, and just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, the girl shifted in his grasp. It seemed that even in her sleep, she was not beyond teasing him, as her slender arms slung themselves around his neck, her head nuzzling into his shoulder.
It became just that much harder to keep his thoughts from the girl in his grasp, and so forced himself forward. The uncomfortable warmth crept across his cheeks, and he knew that he must have been quite the sight, the Fire Lord blushing over a sleeping girl.
Reaching the bed, he set her down carefully, hoping he could manage it without waking her somehow. But as he went to stand up, the girl seemed to be prepared for one final tease, and tugged playfully on his neck. If he were not as strong as he was, he likely would have tumbled into the bed with her, so he was thankful for all the training he had gone through.
"Girls are crazy," his old mantra passed through his lips, as he reached behind him, uncurling the girl's smooth arms from their perch on his neck. Resting them down against her stomach, Zuko gripped the nearby blanket, and pulled it over her peaceful looking form. The smile that he had seen a short time earlier remained in place, and he wondered idly what kind of dreams an endless optimist like Ty Lee experienced.
The thought of dreams was enough to cool the warmth in Zuko's face, and the smile that he had not realized was present disappeared, replaced with a more recognizable expression. One of discomfort, frustration, and sadness. Whatever she was dreaming, he knew it would be more pleasant than the ones he was usually blessed with.
"Good night, Ty Lee," he whispered as he closed the door on his way out of her room. As the door clicked shut, the girl's body turned onto her left side, a warm, content smile glued upon her soft features.
"Zuko…" her sleep laced voice would barely have registered to anyone in the room, murmurs from her warm, comforting slumber.
************
"Mmmmm…." Ty Lee moaned loudly as she stretched her arms out above her head. Blinking a few times, the bubbly brunette looked curiously around her cozy room. Tilting her head to the side, she thought back to the night before. She remembered sitting on the couch, then falling over with heavy eyelids.
"Hmm, why was I sitting on the sofa?" she questioned herself, placing a finger on her chin as she thought. Soft grey eyes lit with memory as she remembered that Zuko had popped in on her. Cheeks flushed a light pink as she realized that she had fallen asleep on the sofa, and that Zuko must have carried her to bed.
"Omigod, Zuko!" she shouted, her voice a bit louder than she had intended. In a bout of unusual clumsiness, the girl tripped over the blanket that had covered her in her sleep. Rubbing her forehead in agony, she heard something completely unfamiliar to her, a sound that she was not sure was even possible.
"Wow, Ty Lee. That's some impressive acrobatic skills, I must say," Zuko stood in the doorway, dressed in the olive green attire he wore while serving as Iroh's waiter at his teashop. The usual grumpy look was gone, replaced with a genuine, amused smile as he laughed loudly at the brunette's morning mishap.
"Z-Zuko…" For the first time she could recall, the energetic young girl was unable to speak, lost for words. She had often wondered if Zuko was capable of laughing, or even smiling for that matter. All her doubts were washed away at the sight of him, and she remembered with clarity the dream she had experienced the night before. The light pink of her cheeks darkened just a bit, and she hoped that Zuko didn't notice.
"It's alright, just take your time. I made some tea, so we can have that talk if you would like," he responded easily, offering the girl his hand. Hesitantly reaching towards it, Ty Lee felt a sense of guilt rest in her throat. She shouldn't be having those kinds of thoughts about her best friend's boyfriend, right?
"T-thanks, Zuko," she answered hesitantly, feeling oddly shy around him. She failed to notice the quizzical look on his face as he watched her, soft grey eyes pointed down towards her feet.
"Well, if you'd like, you can get ready and we can have breakfast," he spoke, trying to cheer the girl up. Somehow it bothered him to see her not being her usual energetic self. The brunette nodded gently, and Zuko left the room, figuring she was just embarrassed over her fall, on top of her disheveled appearance from a night's sleep.
The image of the usually breezy, sure footed Ty Lee landing face first was something he knew he would keep in his memory for a while, and it brought a smile to his face. He made a note to tease her about it a bit once she was feeling better, and once he was settled in a bit more.
Closing his eyes as he entered the kitchen, he smiled just a bit wider at the scent of jasmine tea, a batch of which he had remembered to bring with him on his makeshift vacation. Although against his will at first, he had learned the fine art of tea making, and he found he enjoyed it… on the rare occasion he was not preoccupied with other thoughts.
The brew always seemed to come out poorly when he was frustrated or angry, which he realized glumly, was a great amount of the time. But when he was feeling peaceful and at ease, it seemed to come out much better.
"Mmm, that smells good. It looks like you've gotten better at making tea, Zuko," Ty Lee answered in her usual enjoyable tone of voice, earning her a relieved smile from Zuko as he turned towards her.
"Good morning. It'll be ready any minute, so just take a seat," A more energetic nod than before, and the onetime circus performer bounded over towards the comfortable sofa, her mind involuntarily drifting to the night before. Had she really fallen asleep on the couch, and had Zuko really carried her to bed? Both seemed odd, but so was Zuko just popping in for a visit.
"I'm not quite sure how it is, but here you go," he spoke after a few more minutes, passing the girl a ceramic cup filled with the fine smelling liquid. Closing her eyes, the young brunette inhaled the scent deeply, enjoying the sweet aroma.
"Thanks, Zuko. I guess all that time with Iroh really did you some good after all," she spoke, taking a light sip of the warm liquid. As it passed down her throat, she praised his improvement, while still mentioning that he was not nearly as good as Iroh.
"I just wish I had paid more attention when he was trying to teach me all that kind of stuff."
"You're not just talking about the tea making, right?" Ty Lee supplied inquisitively, Zuko's smile faltering just a bit into a look of recollection, and regret.
"No. I can't help but wonder what kind of person I might be, or how much sooner things might have happened if I hadn't been so focused on something I could never obtain in the first place," Zuko spoke, his voice dropping into a tone of anger, focused on himself. She knew how much he regretted all the bad decisions he had made, a feeling she had known herself during her time with Azula.
"It's alright, Zuko. Iroh's proud of you, and so is everyone else. You're doing a great job as Fire Lord, and you're single handedly changing how people view the Fire Nation. I bet your mom's proud of you, too," With that, their eyes met, and Ty Lee felt that earlier flush return to her cheeks, as her grey spheres became lost in his deep, honey colored eyes.
So much different than the cold, golden color of his father's or Azula's. A much warmer, kinder tone, one that could tell the story of his life of hardship to anyone who looked into them. The moment seemed to drag on forever, and yet ended with just one blink. Pulling herself back, the brunette took another sip of her drink, trying to calm the suddenly heavy beating of her heart.
"Thanks, Ty Lee," he spoke after what seemed a separate eternity, earning him a confused look.
"For what?" she asked, curious about his meaning.
"For everything, really. For not becoming just a clone of my sister, for being so supportive and nice. It means a lot to me," he answered genuinely, causing her cheeks to darken and heat up just that extra little bit more.
"O-oh, it's nothing," she excused, waving her hands frantically in front of her chest. Zuko's grin showed his enjoyment of her flustered attitude, though she had a feeling he would never know the cause of it. Putting on her usual chipper façade, she ignored the slight twinge of pain in her heart. Why was she so flustered over Zuko all of a sudden?
Thinking back on their time together, few were the times they were alone together. Usually, it was Mai and Azula accompanying her in Zuko's presence, the latter pushing Ty Lee to join in her mocking. Sometimes, she would wonder if Zuko would just snap and go into some kind of rage. The things Azula did, there is no way she could handle all of it and come out of it in any reasonable state of mind.
"So, how are things in the Kyoshi Warriors?" Zuko asked, setting his empty cup down on the table between her two sofas. Zuko had taken up position on the one opposite her, leaning forward just a bit, elbows resting on his knees.
"Ah, it's great. Everything is fun and exciting," she lied, not wanting to add any sort of burden onto Zuko's shoulders.
"You're not nearly the liar Azula is, Ty Lee. So, how are things really?" It wasn't fair that he was so good at reading people, and as she sipped the last of her tea, she solemnly set the cup down on the table, before falling back against the back of her sofa.
"It's alright. It's just-"
"-that no matter what, you will always be the outsider?" he finished her statement, earning a confused nod from the younger girl. Zuko simply smiled at her, before continuing.
"That same thing happened when I joined the Ava- Aang's group," apparently some habits are truly hard to break, she noted to herself with a little smile. "You just have to always try your best, and they'll open up to you. Besides, these girls do not have the best experiences with people from the Fire Nation," another statement from his personal experience.
"Yeah, I heard you burned down their village when you came here before, is it true?" The wince in his face showed that it was indeed true, and she wanted to press for further details, to know exactly what happened.
"Well, not the entire village. The Avatar saved the buildings from the fire, and he got away. Not one of my better days," he answered. It stung her just a bit to touch on some of the sensitive spots from his days of banishment, but then an idea struck her.
"I know, how about you apologize?" she suggested innocently, earning incredulous blinks from the older boy.
"Hahahaha!" He suddenly broke out into a dry sort of laugh, Ty Lee's face showing her curiosity over the action. "Ah, I'm sorry. It's just that there is so much more involved than that. I mean, what can I say? 'Sorry I burned down your village, can we be friends now?' It doesn't quite work that way," the familiar melancholy, self loathing tone of voice.
"It's alright Zuko. All the people here are really nice, and I'll go with you," she responded all at once, finding a new seat next to Zuko. Her hand holding his comfortingly, she looked into his eyes again.
"Heh. I wish I could be as optimistic as you." he replied evenly, slowly letting the smile creep back across his lips.
"You can. It just takes practice. When you feel sad, just smile, and everything will brighten up." As she spoke, she pulled at the corners of her lips, as though to illustrate the point to her older friend.
"It must be nice to live in La-La Land all the time," he answered sarcastically, rolling his eyes at her silly appearance. Despite his frustration, he thought inwardly that it might be a good idea to apologize to the people of Kyoshi Island.
"Aww, you're no fun, Zuko," she teased, pursing her lips in a mock pout.
"But, it's actually a good idea. Maybe tomorrow, once I'm settled in a bit," he continued, Ty Lee raising a brow in confusion. Then the realization hit her.
"Wait, you want to stay HERE!?" she yelled, earning a quick clasp of Zuko's hands over her lips.
"Shhh. Geez, it's not that big a deal, is it? I don't really know anyone else here."
"What about Sokka?" Ty Lee questioned, quieting down a bit. Zuko's face hardened in what she guessed must be annoyance.
"That guy snores like you wouldn't believe. I feel kinda bad for Suki," he responded, jabbing at the not present young man from the Water tribe.
"Hehehe. Ah, alright, I guess you can stay here," she answered after a moment of laughter between the two, feeling a little swell of happiness in her chest at the thought.
"So, why were you holding back in your spar yesterday?" Zuko asked after a comfortable moment of silence.
"W-what do you mean?" Ty Lee responded, hoping he would not press the matter.
"Come on, Ty Lee. We both know you can do better than that. It's not fair for your opponent if you try and let them win, you know?"
"Let them win? I would never do something like that," she spoke, feeling uneasy under Zuko's intense gaze. Shifting her sight to the side, she tried to think of something to say, some excuse. She knew that Zuko was a skilled fighter, so he could tell if someone was holding back, even if he was only watching.
"You would if you're trying to make friends, or trying not to hurt anyone," Bullseye. How could he be so good at getting to the heart of the matter when it concerned someone else?
"W-well, it's nothing like that," she lied again, fidgeting a bit in front of the older boy.
"Look, everyone knows you're a nice girl, Ty Lee, but if you hold back, even in a spar, you could get hurt," His voice filled with caring, a worry over the safety for one of the few people he considered a friend.
"Zuko, I…" she tried to answer, lost in the warmth spreading within her chest.
"I guess we both need to make some apologies tomorrow," Zuko smirked in satisfaction, leaning against the opposing end of the sofa. The energetic brunette tried to think her way out of it, but knew better. She had gotten Zuko to accept his own difficulty, but he had almost immediately flipped the tables on her.
"Ah, fine. Geez, how did you get so good at talking? I remember when you would always get flustered around other people," she prodded, leaning against the end opposite Zuko. It was a comfortable, companionable silence that filled the room.
"It takes lots of practice. And I had a good teacher," he added after a moment, his love for his uncle evident in his voice.
"Yeah, Iroh is a great guy." A gentle nod from Zuko, neither person recognizing their position, bodies effectively side by side. With a hint of apprehension, Ty Lee asked the same question from the night before. "So, Zuko, what brings you all the way out here?"
"Hmm…" he seemed as though he were thinking the matter over, stroking his chin in thought.
"Aww, come on Zuko, you can tell me," she added, batting her eyelashes towards him, catching an amused smile as he seemed to come to a decision.
"Alright, tell you what. I'll tell you if you can beat me in a sparring match," he spoke confidently, watching the confused expression on Ty Lee's face. He could tell she was apprehensive about the idea, for various reasons. He knew how dangerous her chi blocking techniques could be, likewise for his fire bending.
"No bending either, sound good?" he asked, a second idea forming in his head. "Let's just think of it as a game of tag," he added.
"Tag?"
"Yep. All it will take is a solid hit on the core to win. Best 3 out of 5 matches to win. Sound fair?" Ty Lee took the opportunity to think about it. Casting her gaze back towards Zuko, she smirked confidently at him.
"Deal. But, what if you win?" she asked, curious about his own wager in the contest.
"If I win, it'll just be something small. You just have to do a second favor for me," he answered, the pair sharing a smile at the wager. Zuko couldn't explain it very clearly, but he enjoyed being in the brunette's company. He felt more at ease, as though the world wasn't such a mess.
"Deal then, Zuko. So, when is it?" she asked honestly, leaning forward a bit, closing the distance between them slightly. Zuko mirrored the gesture, leaving their faces only inches apart as he answered.
"Right now," he said, reaching out and tapping her toes before back flipping off of the sofa. Settling on his feet, he watched as the younger girl's face hardened into a look of determination, and Zuko prepared for her first attack.
As the messy locks of brown hair waved in front of his eyes, he narrowed his golden spheres at the girl, smiling playfully as she pulled herself to her feet, staring right at him. 'This'll be fun,' he thought to himself as he dropped into a fighting stance.
Again, Zuko is probably a bit OOC here, but hopefuly not too much. Next chapter will have Zuko and Ty Lee in a sparring match, which should be fun. Not too intense, but not really light either. This pair is so good together in my opinion, so that makes the story more fun to write. Hopefully you guys enjoy it as well. Look forward to another chapter hopefully tomorrow, as this one is turning out really fun to write. Not sure how long it will be over all, since I was originally planning a 3-shot, but it will assuredly go longer than that. Keep your eyes glued for more development of the Zuko x Ty Lee romance.