James was stressing so much that his mom made him stay home this whole week.
With James gone, I really had no one to vent on, which was bad I used my boyfriend as a ranting post, but he didn't seem to mind. And another thing with James being gone: Zuko apologized and kinda won't leave me alone. Every time he sees me in the hallway, he stops and asks me if I'm ok. I finally got tired of it and said if he asked me again I'd beat the crap out of him.
I walked out of math, and I just had to happen to see Zuko. Really Universe?
"Kaya!" he called as I tried to speed-walk the opposite way from him and pretended not to hear him.
"Don't talk don't talk don-" I muttered to myself before Zuko interrupted.
"James is back!"
That made me forget.
"Really?" I asked with excitement.
"No. I did that to make you listen to me."
"You ask me-"
"I'm not going to." He looked around and spotted the Janitor's Closet. He took my hand and dragged me in it.
"What are we doing?" I asked him as he shut the door.
"I wanted to tell you something."
"What?"
"Tonight, I'm going to talk Korra, because I know she'll do this-"
"Do what?"
"Let me finish. You and I are going to talk to my father some more tonight. I don't want anyone else to know. Ok?"
"I guess."
He raised his eyebrow.
"Fine. Yes. No one will know but us three."
"Good." He bounced on his toes like an awkward teenage guy talking to a girl he likes.
"What?"
He ruffled his hair and didn't respond. Then, he leaned down and kissed me!
Because this is what I had always wanted since I watch Avatar for the first time, I kissed him back as we both deepened the kiss and slipped our arms around each other.
I pulled back suddenly and gasped. "Zuko I have a boyfriend!" I almost yelled at him.
"Sorry," he muttered and left the closet angrily.
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"You ok Kaya?" Asami asked me as I accidentally ran into her in the hallway.
"Can you keep secrets?"
She nodded.
"Zuko just kissed me."
"You're kidding!"
I shook my head and pursed my lips.
"Oh wow Kaya. You're not going to tell James, right?"
"Absolutely right. What he doesn't know can't hurt him. Right?"
"That's what I've always heard."
"Me too."
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I waited in my treehouse late that night as our plan had said I was supposed to until I heard the knock. I opened to door to find Zuko and Korra standing there.
"Ready?" Korra asked me.
"I get to talk to Ozai again. I'm thrilled to death," I said emotionlessly.
Korra laughed as she got her Avatar portal thing ready so we could go through.
Zuko stepped through first. I was about to go in when we heard footsteps and voices.
"Korra?" I heard Katara asked through the dark.
"GO!" Korra whispered frantically and shoved me through, closing the portal as well. I landed on top of Zuko.
"She closed the portal. We can't get back on our own…" his eyes widened.
My throat formed a knot at the thought of it. "We won't be able to go home…" My eyes filled with tears.
Zuko looked at me sympathetically and hugged me.
"We'll be ok. This is my home after all. You'll be in good hands. Very good hands until Korra can get us back. Ok?"
I wiped my eyes. "Ok."
I looked up and him and blushed. This is what I've always wanted… So why does something so right like this feel so wrong at the same time?
I mentally shrugged and stood partially on my tiptoes to kiss Zuko. "I'm sorry," I told him after it was over.
"I think I can forgive you," he grinned and kissed me again.
If you stood and watched us, we'd look like two teenagers in each other's passionate embrace against a star-filled night. Just like I had always dreamed we'd be.
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Zuko held my hand as we climbed up the rocks at the side of the volcano the city was located in to get to the prison.
He squeezed my hand. I squeezed back and blushed happily. But I could also sense some guilt in the pit of my stomach at the thought of what James would think of me. I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT LOSE MY BESTFRIEND. That would kill me slowly from the inside out.
We snuck our way in when we got there.
"Ozai?" I said quietly and we gently opened the door.
I could hear his faint snore. I walked over to him and reached through the bars so I could wake him up.
Zuko pulled me back and shook his head violently.
"It's not like he can bend anymore. He can't hurt me." I lightly touched my fingertips to Zuko's scar.
He nodded and I proceeded in waking Ozai.
He groaned. "It's not 7 yet. Let me go back to sleep."
"Ozai please, we just need to talk."
He sat up. "What do you want?" He whined.
"I don't know what more information we could get from you, but do you mind if we chat with you? Maybe I could help your kids learn to forgive you if you'd be willing to be sorry and try to be a better person."
He turned in a flash to face me. His eyes were sad. I didn't see an ounce of evil in them. Or maybe he was just masking his true identity. But it really didn't look like a mask.
"Why would you help me?" he asked me quizzically.
"People from my world are normally raised to be nice to everyone and have good manners. It's kinda my thing."
He looked at me like I was crazy. Which I am BTW's.
"What do you regret most?" I asked kindly.
He turned to opposite way from me. It took a few moments to get an answer. "Taking Ursa away from my children. I didn't know it would be that hard to raise two kids."
Zuko started to talk, so I shushed him. "Go on. What else do you regret?"
"Burning my only son. The person who was supposed to be my pride and joy…"
"What about your daughter? What are you regretting that involves Azula?"
"She…she was made into a monster-like me-by me…"
"And your brother Iroh?"
"I regret telling my father to revoke his birthright so Iroh couldn't take the throne."
"I'm not saying that you did the right thing by becoming Fire Lord through murder, but Iroh didn't want to become Fire Lord at all. When Zuko gave him the chance at the White Lotus camp, Iroh declined and said that he would rather play Pai Shao and drink tea instead. So Zuko agreed with his uncle to take the throne."
"I didn't know all of this."
"Maybe that's because your brother was still trying to win the 600 Day Siege of Ba Sing Se."
"Most likely."
"I thank you for your time Ozai."
He nodded and Zuko and I left.
"Zuko?" I whispered when we were outside.
"Yeah Kaya?"
"I think I know what we need to do."
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"You sure this is the best way to go?" Zuko asked me as we were hiding behind some crates that needed to be transported to the Northern Water Tribe.
"With my amazing Avatar: The Last Airbender knowledge, this is the only way I know how to do what I'm doing."
"Okkkkkk…"
"Please don't do that to me."
"Sorry."
"This is the last one!" a crewmember called out to the helmsman as he loaded a crate onto the metal ship.
"Now," I whispered as we snuck our way on the vessel before the loading platform was carried away.
"And you're sure this is the best way?" Zuko asked me as we sat with the cargo under the deck of the boat.
"For the last time Zuko, I am absolutely certain I know what I am doing."
"Ok."
We were silent for a while as the eerie darkness slowly crept in.
"Zuko?"
"Yeah Kaya?"
"Do you think I'm doing the right thing to try and save the world?"
"I do. I really do."
"But what if I'm wrong? And my plan isn't the right way to do things?"
"I have every ounce of faith in me put into you. If anyone, other than the Avatars, can save a world, or two, it has to be you."
"Thanks."
"No problem."
"You're pretty good at this."
"At what?"
"Being a friend advocate."
"Thanks."
"No problem."
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I know what I said... And it's been what? 4 weeks since I saw you guys last? Oopsies!
With Great Love and Happy Reading,
avatarspiriaangkorra
