Zuko's hair fell to the sides as he slipped his headpiece off, placing it on his bedside table and brushing the few strands out of his face. He was definitely getting it shaved when he got back to the Fire Nation. Maybe not shaved, but as long as it didn't blind him with every turn of his head, he'd be happy. He and Suki hadn't spoken much on the walk home, which he was grateful for. She had simply done her job as his bodyguard, but still sent a few glances, letting him know that if he wanted to talk, she'd listen. He wasn't sure if his voice would keep steady if she had asked what he and Jin had spoken about. He never was good at lying. Ursa, Ty Lee and Jin had all known immediately he wasn't being honest; Suki would easily notice, although she probably wouldn't have pushed it. He was still wondering if Suki had somehow eavesdropped on their conversation. If she had, she showed no evidence of having done so.
Kyoshi Warriors can't lip-read, right? He'd have to ask her when he got the chance. Even if they couldn't, he never knew with Suki. She always seemed to have some trick up her sleeve. He still had trouble figuring out which signature was his, and which were her forgeries back on the airship. A loud knock on the door pulled him out of his thoughts.
"Zuko, is everything okay?" came Suki's muffled voice. The Fire Lord stayed quiet for a moment.
"I'm fine. Why?"
"You didn't answer when I first knocked. I thought you... May I come in? I'd rather not talk to a door." He chuckled, opened the door for her, and she held out a small plate with a cup towards him. "I thought some tea might help cheer you up."
"It usually does," he told her, giving a nod of thanks as he took the drink and sat down on his bed. His eyes shot up in pleasant surprise once he took a sip. "This is pretty good. Really good, actually."
"It's nothing, honestly. Iroh gave me a few lessons when he was staying with us once."
"It's always nice having a personal teamaker." He grinned when she rolled her eyes. He shifted over slightly and gestured towards the free space on the bed. She took the seat and looked around his room.
"Are we going to be staying in Ba Sing Se much longer?" she asked.
Zuko lightly scratched his stubble before shrugging. "Another day or two at the most. I want to say bye to Uncle before I leave." He glanced at her hands fidgeting with one of her fans. "Looking forward to being back in Kyoshi Island?" She left the fan in her lap and took a moment to respond.
"Yeah..." Zuko tilted his head and she glanced away from him, slipping the fan back into the ribbon tied at the waist of her kimono "Of course. It's been a few years since I've seen everyone. I'll have a lot to catch up on."
He nodded slowly and tried to catch her eye. "I doubt much will have changed in the three years you've been gone."
Another few silent seconds passed. "It's more like two and a half years actually."
Zuko let out a chuckle. "You realise that actually makes my point stronger."
"Shut up." The two smirked at each before Suki looked away again. "I want to apolo–" There was a knock on the door of the house and they both stood to answer it. "It's probably Ty Lee. I'll tell you later." Suki was quicker than Zuko and reached it first. She kept her free hand close to the hilt of her blade and opened the door halfway, being greeted by the plastic smile of Jia.
"Hello, Suki. Is the Fire Lord there?" she asked, looking past the bodyguard.
"He is," she told her, giving a slow nod. "Why do you want him?"
Jia eyes narrowed, but held her smile. "Have you forgotten you requested a carriage for tonight?" Suki's eyes widened and she cursed under her breath. She took a step back, letting the door swing open fully, and Jia bowed. "Fire Lord Zuko, the carriage to bring you to the Royal Jade has arrived."
He raised an eyebrow at the Earth Kingdom official before glancing at Suki. "The Royal Jade?"
"It's the restaurant I booked for you and Jin." A pang of guilt hit her when his shoulders drooped. "I'm sorry. I should have cancelled it when we–"
"It's alright," he said, waving away her apology. He swirled the remaining tea in his cup before finishing it off. "Jia, would you give my apologies to the Royal Jade for cancelling on such short notice? I'll pay for any special arrangements they may have made for me."
Jia's eyes flicked between the pair, the smile now gone, replaced by a confused grimace. "Of course, Fire Lord Zuko." They bowed to each other and Jia turned on her heel, heading for the carriage. Suki gently closed the door and looked back at Zuko, who had already sat by the table. She began to walk towards him but slowed when he pinched the bridge of his nose, mumbling to himself. He slowly ran his hand through his hair, letting out a deep sigh.
Suki stepped out of the front door before the logical side of her brain could protest. She spotted the carriage turn a corner and chased after it, easily catching up to the slow-moving vehicle. The coachman glanced down at her and gave the reigns a gentle pull, slowing the carriage to a stop. Jia opened the door and tilted her head at her.
"Did the Fire Lord change his mind?" she asked, her face once again straining under her smile.
She gave a quick nod, taking light breaths. "We'll be a couple of minutes, so just wait outside."
"We?" Jia said, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course. The Fire Lord must always have a bodyguard with him." The Kyoshi Warrior silently thanked her paint for hiding the blush that had began to come to her face.
"So, the Fire Lord will be dining alone then?"
"Well, technically not alone," she said, scratching the back of her neck. "I'll be with him."
"Uh-huh..." Jia muttered, slightly frowning before she stepped out of the carriage. "If that's the case, I'll make my way home. Enjoy your evening."
"Thank you." The two shared a bow and Suki hurried back to the house. A part of her told her this was a stupid move, but she didn't care.
"Where were you?" Zuko asked as she slipped through the door.
"Doesn't matter. Go and get dressed in some nice..." She eyed his clothes. He hadn't changed since meeting Jin. "Nevermind, you're fine. Just put your headpiece on." She bounded up the stairs before he could respond.
He stood still, a bemused look on his face before slowly making his way into his room and picking up his headpiece. He glanced in a mirror, quickly did up his hair and put the crown into place. "What in Agni does she have planned?" he asked his mirror-self, who gave a shrug. Zuko chuckled and slipped the needle through its hole, securing the piece. He began to adjust his robes when a glint caught his eye. He glanced back at his bedside table, and picked up the golden headpiece his mother gave him as a gift for Jin. He smiled sadly and traced his finger along the Fire Nation insignia engraving. There was a knock on his door and he slipped it into his pocket before turning around.
"How do I look?"
Zuko stared at the lightly blushing girl, eyes wide and mouth hanging slightly open. With a rounded neckline that showed off her collarbones, the dress hugged her chest and waist while the bottom of the dress, flowing down past her feet, was layered and folded over itself. A wine-coloured ribbon kept the light red fabric tight to her stomach and Zuko could see the pale skin of her shoulders through the silk wine shawl draped around her to just past her elbows. He couldn't help but think her slightly flushed cheeks complimented the dress well.
He lost himself as the rest of the world faded into the background. Zuko didn't understand how someone could have such an effect on him, but he was at a loss for words. "You look fantastic," he stuttered out after a few moments. "But why are you dressed like that?"
She rolled her eyes and gave an embarrassed grin. "I'm not one to turn down a free dinner, and thought it might cheer you up a bit. Are you ready to go?"
He glanced in the mirror before looking back to her. "Just give me a few minutes."
"You're worse than a woman," she said, smirking at him over her shoulder as she left. "I'll wait in the carriage."
He let out a deep breath the moment she was out of the room. He turned back to the mirror, placed both hands on the table and locked eyes with himself. "Control yourself. She's just trying to cheer you up, that's it. You've made one mistake; do not compound it with another." He straightened up, checked his appearance once more, and then heading for the carriage.
Suki smiled at him as he clambered into the carriage and sat next to her. He did his best not to look at her for too long. "I'm still surprised you wanted to do this," he said as the carriage began to move.
"Well, all the other girls were off enjoying Ba Sing Se." She lightly elbowed him in the side. "I was stuck playing matchmaker for the Fire Lord; I, at least, deserve a dinner." Zuko let out a chuckle before glancing at her.
"Where did you find that dress? My mother didn't give that as a gift for Jin, too, did she?"
She bit her lip and grinned sheepishly. "I may have looked through Ty Lee's wardrobe and found this." Her cheeks turned slightly pink. "I was surprised it fit me. I thought it was going to be a bit big."
He turned to her, a confused look on his face. "But Ty Lee is smaller than—" He quickly shut his mouth, mentally kicking himself for even thinking that was a good thing to say.
"I didn't mean it like that," they both said in unison, looking at each other, their faces burning up. Zuko quickly turned away, and decided the street was suddenly very interesting. Suki cast her gaze towards the floor of the carriage, crossed her arms across her chest and prayed for her blush to disappear.
After a couple of minutes of only the sounds of the coachman's light humming, the tapping of the ostich horses' talons on the road, and the hustle and bustle of the street, Zuko heard the Kyoshi Warrior curse behind him. He turned and saw her attempting to hold a mirror while applying make-up, balancing a small box on her lap. The carriage bounced up and down, making her almost poke herself in the eye. She let out a growl as she went to try again.
"Want me to hold those for you?" he asked, gesturing towards the mirror and small container of make-up.
"Thanks," she said, handing them over. Even without having to focus on keeping everything still, the rocking continued to make it difficult.
"Two seconds," Zuko said, placing the mirror and box on the seat. He leaned out the window of the carriage and caught the coachman's eye. "Would you slow the carriage down?"
He gave a nod and a slight pull on the reigns. "Of course, Fire Lord Zuko."
"Thank you," Suki said as he sat back down next to her.
"No problem at all." He picked the mirror back up. "Although, you don't really need to do this." She blinked at him a few times and tilted her head.. He shrugged before putting the mirror back down. "I just thought, considering you spend so much time in your Kyoshi make-up, maybe you'd prefer to not have to deal with it. It's not like you need it, anyway." Suki stared at him, eyes wide, and he broke her gaze.
She smiled lightly, her face once more heating up before frowning. "It would have been great if you told me that before I started to put it on." Zuko shrugged, opened a compartment in the wall in front of them and took out a small bowl, a cloth, and a kettle full of water. He quickly heated the kettle and poured the hot water into the bowl, handing it to her. "Can I get one of these when we're back in the Fire Nation?" she asked as she began to clean the make-up off her face.
"I'll think about it," he told her. The pair shared a laugh and he turned back to look out at the street.
Once Suki had finished with the cloth, she sat back, looking in the mirror once more. She glanced at the Fire Lord, who was still facing away from her. She bit her lip before using a piece of light red lipstick. She stared at herself in the small hand-mirror.
It goes well with the dress, she told herself, although she knew that wasn't why she had used it. She cleared her throat, and Zuko looked back at her.
"You're lovely," he said, and she bowed her head in thanks. "Although..."
Her eyes narrowed while she opened up one of her fans; a warning. "Yes?"
"You're missing something." Her head tilted and he smirked. He slipped his hand into his pocket but kept it closed when he took it out. "I know it was meant to be a gift for Jin, but...I think it would look nice." He opened his palm, revealing the golden headpiece.
After some hesitation, she took it and began to trace the Fire Nation symbol. She glanced at him before turning away. She bunched up her hair, slipped the headpiece on and slid in the pin. "Well, how do I look?"
He shifted slightly closer and reached up, slightly rotating the piece so the insignia faced the right direction. He sat back and felt his heart begin to thump in his chest as he stared into her blue eyes. "Beautiful."
An Old Flame Update - 15/02/18
This is just a quick update to leave you know that there won't be a chapter this week. As I thought, this week has been very busy, with both school work and other activities. I do have some good news though, Chapter 12 is looking to be about 4000 or so words, maybe even more. I'm at about 3000 right now, then it'll be sent off to my Beta and we'll have a bit of discussion on it. Hopefully, I'll have it finished by next Thursday. The chapter itself has some interesting conversations that you'll all hopefully enjoy.
Thank you for the patience, it's annoying not just for you, but for me too having to miss an update. Anyway, thank you for keeping up with the story. ^^
Update - 22/02/18
Good news! The chapter is written. ^^ Bad news, I still have to wait until I get it back from my beta, which should hopefully only take a couple of days. There'll probably be some slight rewrites, and general back and forth. Also, the chapter turned out to be about 6000 words! I'm considering splitting it into two 3000 words chapters, although they would be posted fairly close to each other. Again, I'm sorry about the delay; this chapter has a lot of stuff in it, and I want it to be the best thing I can make for you guys. On a side note, Chapter 11 has been beta'd and has a couple of small changes. The main thing being how the dress is described. If you have any questions, be sure to message me. Thank you all again for your patience!
So, this was originally meant to be the first part of the next chapter. However, it sorta morphed into it's own little chapter. Finally, Zuko found someone to give Ursa's gift! The dress is certainly different to the usual dresses of the Avatar world, but I think Ty Lee would go for something that would really turn some heads. Hopefully, the description gave you a nice image; as a guy, I'm never sure when describing clothing. Slightly clichéd ending, but I think it's pretty cute.
Next chapter will of course deal with this totally-not-a-date date. I know I am going to be quite busy during this week, but I will try to keep on schedule. I will post an update on my profile if I know for a fact the chapter won't be ready.
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I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter, and as always would love to hear your opinion on it so far, or any little comments you may have. Don't be afraid to PM me either if you'd like to ask a question, or discuss things about my story. I always love hearing feedback. Consider following if you'd like to keep up with the story. Thanks for reading!