Ty Luko--Ty Lee x Zuko
--Takes place during Tales of Ba Sing Se--
From the confusion that is Zuko
"Why were you traveling so much?" Jin looks at me curiously from across the table.
"We were, uh..." I search for an excuse, any excuse, but find nothing. I can't say that my psychotic sister is chasing me, or that I've been banished by the Firelord, or that my entire future could hinge on the capture of a twelve-year-old boy. Jin is still waiting for an answer, so I blurt the first thing that comes to mind. "...Part of this traveling circus." Instantly my thoughts flash to Ty Lee, put I shove away the memories and focus on the date.
"Really? What did you do? Wait, let me guess." Jin taps her chin for a moment, then points to me as if she's had a sudden epiphany. "You juggled."
That sounds vaguely like something Ty Lee would do, so I don't shoot down the notion. Still, I'm not completely eager as I cross my arms and manage to say stiffly, "Yes. I juggled."
"I've always wanted to learn how to juggle," Jin confides hopefully. Can't she ever give it a rest? "Can you show me something?" She promptly produces three bottles and holds them out.
I reluctantly accept the items and proceed to make an embarrassing attempt at the sport. It is awkward and clumsy, and the glass comes crashing down on my head. "I haven't practiced for a while." I lie, and refrain from saying: Maybe Ty Lee will teach me to do it properly later.
"It's all right." Jin lights up as she speaks, and for a second I think she is going to tell me about her aura. "Hey, I want to show you one of my favorite places in the city."
Before I have a chance to object, she grabs my hand and jerks me forward, through an alley, past a long row of buildings, under the light of the moon. "I'm so excited for you to see the Firelight Fountain," she gushes. "The lamps make the water sparkle and reflect in the pool in the most beautiful way." She seems so young, so naive, that it crushes me when we get to the fountain and all the lights are extinguished.
Her bottom lip trembles slightly. "I can't believe it. They aren't lit." As if hadn't noticed.
I hear a voice whisper in my ear, but no one is there. Am I hearing things?
It comes a second time, low, but calm, and I recognize it at once. "So cute together." The only time I've heard Ty Lee say that is when I was fourteen, and Azula tricked me into pushing Mai into a pool. Back then, Ty Lee had been talking about Mai and me when she said we were cute together, but I know what she means now even if she's not here to see it.
Ty Lee and I are too different to be together. She's fun-loving and perky, while I...I've heard people call me the Prince of Darkness behind my back. She's been free-spirited and happy-go-lucky for as long as I've known her, always jumping at a chance, any chance. She'd want me to take a risk with Jin, probably because she hates when I worry. Love can make a man forget his troubles. I should know.
"Close your eyes," I instruct Jin, and she obeys, covering the top half of her face with her palms. "And don't peek," I add as a precaution. If she found out I was a firebender and turned me in, I'd never get to see anyone from back home, including Ty Lee. I can't have that, so I light the lamps as swiftly as possible. "Okay. Now you can look."
"Oh wow," she exclaims breathlessly, her expression that of awe. "What happened? How did they light? How did you..." She looks at me disbelievingly, and my heart hammers in my chest; has she figured it out? I smile nervously to put her at ease, and--thank goodness--she turns back to gaze at my handiwork.
The orange flickers both on the wicks and in the water, casting an eerie glow about the entire scene. It is beautiful. Ty Lee would have loved it, but I mustn't wander to the past right now. I am putting her behind and moving forward on my own.
As we get closer and Jin becomes ever bolder, I feel the gentle touch of her fingers intertwining with mine. It is no accident, I find, when she leans in. Am I going to be kissed? I panic, but refuse to let it show. Keep your head, Zuko. It's all you have left. She appears as if she's going to get a little too friendly, so I reach in my pocket for a last resort.
"I brought you something." I slip the coupon between us and exhale a small sigh of relief when she stops. "It's a coupon for a free cup of tea."
She looks a bit hurt, and I wonder what Ty Lee would say of me if I made this girl cry. Fortunately, (or unfortunately, it depends on which way you spin it.) Jin bounces back quickly. After a small explanation on my part, the corners of her lips tweak up slyly. "I have something for you, too. Now it's your turn for you to close your eyes."
I hesitate, then do so. Anything to get her off my back. I have no idea what is going on, until something soft presses against my lips. I return the gesture, just for a moment to see what it's like, but I can't do it. I can't. I pull back and walk away, not very far, but enough for her to get the message.
"What's wrong?"
"It's complicated." I leave it at that, hoping she'll understand without getting too upset. "I have to go."
As much as I want to forget, Jin is simply not Ty Lee.
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