A/N: I want to thank all of you for the reviews, follows, and favorites :D. Not just on this story, but on my other story as well, The Rise of Blue. It means a lot to me :D.
"Katara, you can't tell me you actually believe in this masked man?"
"Why not?" Katara exclaimed. "You can't tell me that you're not slightly interested in The Blue Spirit?"
Zuko shrugged, sipping on the ginseng tea that he had tried to make. Iroh had gotten drunk last night with an old friend. Someone that Iroh knew from Caldera named Jeong Jeong. Zuko had no idea who he was, but he really didn't care. Although, his ginseng tea was nowhere near as good as Iroh was. Even as Zuko cringed at the bitterness, he knew that Katara also wished Iroh was awake to make the tea.
"You're unbelievable, you know that?" Katara said with a roll of her eyes.
Raising his brow, Zuko looked down at the paper, pointing down at the image. It was one of a group of men, hogtied and hanging from the roof of the Ba Sing Se Police Station. One of the reporters went on to say that a blue smudge in the corner of the image as The Blue Spirit himself. Outside, Zuko did his best to feign interest, but inside, he was livid. The once beauty he called his was interested in him again. Even though it wasn't actually him.
"I'm just saying, I wouldn't put all my faith in a masked vigilante," Zuko said.
"You sound like Sokka."
Zuko's eyes widened. "Please don't ever compare me to your brother. I still remember how he hit me with a boomerang the first day we met."
"To be fair, Zuko," Katara smirked. "We were both eight, and you knocked over his snow-castle. I don't blame him."
The golden eyed man only shook his head as Katara gave a low snicker. Zuko remembered that day all those years ago. He had a toy flagship, one his uncle had given him. It had snowed, which was a rare phenomenon in Ba Sing Se. Sokka built this amazing snow castle, built with even a small watch tower. Zuko, in all his glory, ran through it with his toy flagship. The boomerang had hit him on the return.
"I take that as an insult to my pride," Zuko smirked, looking up at Katara.
"Well excuse me, your highness," Katara teased, smiling.
This was what Zuko truly missed about being home. The smile etched onto his face as he sipped the slightly repulsing tea once again. He couldn't hide his small spit back into the cub as he groaned. Katara burst into a full laugh, holding her sides together.
"I thought I was the only one who wasn't enjoying the tea," Katara said between fits of giggles and good laughs.
"Ha-ha," Zuko mumbled, a smile on his face.
Their laughter died slowly, their eyes meeting again. Zuko was sucked back into his dreams again. The latest one being one of Katara and him holding what looked like a small baby. Zuko guessed that it was theirs. The way her blue orbs entranced him made him wonder why he ever left. He found himself moving closer, not noticing one of his hands rested on top of hers, the other reaching out and slowly brushing the hair out of her face. He heard her suck in a breath, her body slightly trembling at his touch. Closer and closer they got, Zuko beginning to hear her breath quicken. Or was it his? He wasn't so sure at this point anymore.
Their lips were only inches apart before the door upstairs banged open. Zuko moved back in a flash, that warm feeling he was feeling fading away quickly. Zuko watched his uncle trudge down the stairs, not noticing the disheartened look on Katara's face. Once the old man was in sight, he beamed a smile, squinting at the light.
"Ah, sorry to intrude on you two," Iroh said. "This old man just needed a quick moment in the bathroom."
Without more words, Iroh was in the bathroom. Zuko turned back to Katara, not catching her frown quickly turning into a smile. He went back to his seat, only to cringe as the sound of his uncle's dry heaves echoed throughout the tea shop.
"I think you better go check on him," Katara said. "I promised Aang we would go down through the Fashion District today."
"Oh, okay," Zuko said.
Without thinking, Zuko lunged out, kissing Katara lightly on the cheek. The same spot he had kissed her all those nights ago. He smiled before walking into the kitchen and grabbing a cup of cold water and a warm towel. As he walked back to the bathroom, he failed to notice Katara softly brushing her cheek, a deep blush in her face as she walked out of The Jasmine Dragon.
The moon was full, hanging high in the sky as Zuko landed back on the roof of The Jasmine Dragon. He tore the oni mask off, sucking in the oxygen. He missed the blue tint from the mask, shaking away his exhaustion as he climbed down through his window and back into his room. After Katara had left, he couldn't help but follow her. He stayed two buildings behind her, watching as her and Aang held hands through the Fashion District.
The rest of the night was uneventful. One thing he managed to do was save Song, again from another group of men. Zuko swore that she was just trying to get to see who he was under the mask. Once in his room, he tore off the shozoku, folding it over the mask and swords as he tucked them under his bed. He put on the dull green shirt and brown pants, wanting to go tell Iroh that he was home now.
"Ah, I hear your nephew is awake now."
Zuko paused at the voice. It was a voice Zuko had only heard a few times, once a little more recently during his banishment. He trodded down the stairs, and there he stood, in all of his once proud glory. Hair in a top knot, his sideburns running down his face.
Zhao.
"Zuko, so good to see you up from your nap," Zhao said.
The young man flashed a look to Iroh, who only shrugged. A third cup of tea sat there, the steam rising indicating how fresh it was. Zhao smirked, only nodding to the open seat next to Iroh. The smirk sent chills down Zuko's spine as he slowly sat down.
"What are you doing here, Zhao?" Zuko asked.
Zhao chuckled, adjusting his dark black tie against his red shirt. He took the tea, taking a long swig with a generous groan as he placed the cup down.
"You still make good tea, Iroh," Zhao said.
"Thank you," Iroh said.
"What are you doing here?" Zuko asked again, his voice louder.
"Easy, boy. I'm just here on some business from Caldera. I'm a man of business, as you know. And my imports are needed by King Kuei," Zhao snapped.
Zuko clenched his fists around the tea cup, slowly taking in the warm liquid. He knew it was a lie. Zuko knew what Zhao was. Who he was, and what he did. He wanted to yell it out, right here, right now. But no, not yet. If Zhao was as smart as he let on, he would put the connection together. Everyone knew who The Blue Spirit was, and all the stuff that he knew about The Phoenix King and his supporters. Zhao was one of the biggest supporters, even since the day back in the Fire Nation where Ozai declared himself as supreme being.
"And how is that going?" Zuko finally managed to get out.
"Quite well," Zhao said, a pleased smile on his lips. "We're moving our operations down to the Lower Ring to reconnect with the poor."
Bullshit.
"That's great."
Another sip of the tea. Zuko only listened now as Zhao and Iroh conversed. Zhao, back in the days in Caldera and early Ba Sing Se, was one of Zuko's father's most trusted supporters. With all his lunatic plans to overthrow any sort of democratic or aristocracy rule, Zhao was always proud to stand by The Phoenix King. He was the family dog.
Without a word, Zuko stood up, nodding once to Zhao before trotting back upstairs into his room. It was minutes before the front door opened and closed, evidence of Zhao's leaving. Zuko's door flew open, Iroh standing there with a grim look on his face.
"What has got you all worked up, nephew?" Iroh asked.
"Because," Zuko said. "Zhao trained me when I was banished."
