Chapter XII

"So, do you think I can work with it?" Taki asked apprehensively, staring at Akiko's blank expression with hopes of seeing even the slightest reaction. His stomach churned into knots upon knots as he awaited his judgment.

The girl brushed her dark hair behind her ears with a sigh. "Takumi, I'm not sure if you want to hear my criticism." His hopeful face fell, staring sullenly at the young woman sitting across from him in the small booth. He traced the cold tabletop absently, feeling his legs shiver beneath him.

"If you do," Akiko began once more with an expression full of wisdom, "you aren't going to be pleased with it. I know you're always pleading with me to give you harsher criticism. Truth be told, I don't have anything to say other than... It's a work of pure genius."

The teenager's shocked features morphed into excitement, as he gestured to he papers strewn across the table. "Really? You think so? I wouldn't call it genius, but-"

"Taki, don't be modest. You know that it's the best you've come up with! And considering everything you've written so far, that's definitely something." Akiko gathered the papers for him with delicate hands. "Kazuki will be excited to see it. Have you told him yet?"

Taki looked away uncomfortably, sliding the documents into their protective folder. "I'd rather him not see it until it's absolutely finished, you know?" He smiled contentedly at his outlines, glad to have them approved by one of his closest friends. He rose from his seat and stretched with a sigh, feeling more relaxed than ever before.

"You seem to be looking well today," Akiko mentioned casually as Taki stuffed the folder into his cloak. "I mean, considering what day it is." She ended the sentence with a wince, keeping an eye on Taki's expression. She had refrained from mentioning 'it' for their entire work shift so far. Perhaps Taki had forgotten the time of year?

Surprisingly, the young man smiled at her softly, with a light shrug of his shoulders. "Zuko and I are going on a date tonight. I'm not entirely sure where I'm taking him, but it'll be fun." He ran a delicate hand through his hair, biting his lower lip nonchalantly.

Akiko's eyes lit up as she tried to hide her vast smile. "Of course it will be! In fact, you ought to go get ready now!" She stood up, only to begin ushering him out the doors of Asahi, despite his fruitless struggles.

"Akiko, I can't leave now!" he cried, trying to escape her iron-fist. "Look at all of these people." He gestured towards the tables upon tables of customers eying their clash with disinterest.

"It's not even our busiest time of day!" she muttered, rolling her eyes pointedly. "When's the last time you took a sick day, huh?"

"Yesterday," Taki reminded her as she shoved him out the door, referring to the intimate morning he had spent pining over his lover.

"Oh please," she laughed. "It's not as though you aren't always working!" She nearly had to knee him in the stomach to calm him down.

"I need the money!" he argued, trying to get around her outstretched arms and back into the small restaurant.

"I'll fill in your timecard for you!" Akiko cried, intercepting his path successfully. "Boss doesn't even have to know you're gone."

Taki sighed, finally relenting in his escape attempts. "You were never this nice to me when I didn't have a boyfriend." He eyed her carefully, taking a moment to embrace her. "Thanks," he whispered, before pulling away.

Akiko blushed, avoiding his eyes. "I'm just glad you found someone who makes you happy. I know that you'd do the same for me." She gave him a kiss on the cheek before trotting back into the restaurant. He smiled after her, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Perhaps he would go home, take a hot shower, and plan his night with Kazuki. That would keep him busy enough.

"I can't believe you're leaving tomorrow," Zuko whispered, an idle arm strung over his face. "It just isn't fair." But alas, when he opened his eyes there was no one in his room but his own pitiful self, curled up on his bed in distress. His thoughts lay completely with his older cousin, trying to imagine the man, proud in uniform, serving his country with a dedicated smile. Unfortunately, he could only retrieve flashbacks within his mind of the time they spent together sparring, swimming, training, laughing, and merely talking.

He groaned, shoving a hand to his head in anguish. He knew that if he begged his cousin to stay, Lu Ten would drop his suitcase in a heartbeat, despite his own desires. But Zuko simply wasn't that kind of person. He couldn't sacrifice his cousin's ambitions for his affections. He just loved his cousin so much, and the thought of losing him was always stuck in the back of his mind.

He's serving as a commander, he would remind himself. His foot probably won't even touch the battlefield. But even so, his breath was stolen from him as he thought of life without his cousin, tears filling his eyes. Damn Lu Ten and his need to prove himself. Nothing was worth risking his cousin's life; the life of his best friend his aspiration's model.

"Zuko?" a soft voice asked from his doorway, causing him to straighten up immediately with a huge phony smile on his face. He straightened his clothes quickly, brushing his hair back neatly.

"Come in!" he called, expecting to see Lu Ten. After all, his cousin was the only one who ever cared to visit him in his room. He was surprised to see the tired face of Iroh peering through the door. "Uncle," he exclaimed with mild alarm, searching his eyes quickly. The only time he saw his uncle was during his firebending lessons, and even then there was limited conversation. "Is something wrong?" he practically leapt from the bed, causing his uncle to laugh dully.

"No, no! Everything is... fine Prince Zuko," he said, though his expression obviously contradicted him. "Please, sit down."

He reluctantly conceded as his uncle sat beside him. "I must say I'm very proud of the progress you've been making in our sessions," he remarked conversationally, looking rather odd without a cup of tea in his hand. "You're doing remarkably well."

Zuko shifted uncomfortably, irritated with the small talk. It was obvious that Iroh was here for a reason other than his lessons. "It is your instruction that has been my only guide," he responded with a stifled groan, grinding his teeth together absently.

Iroh chuckled, patting him on the shoulder. "Apart from watching Lu Ten practice, hmm?" Zuko flinched at his cousin's name, finally making eye contact with his uncle, sorrow obvious within his features. "Tell me, Prince Zuko. How do you feel about Lu Ten departing for war?"

The young teen felt a tight clenching in his stomach as he forced out words to reply with. "I'm very proud of him. I think he'll be a wonderful addition to the siege and I have the utmost faith in him." The words came out dull and rehearsed, making Iroh bow his head with a sad smile.

"Of course. I should have expected that coming from Ozai's son." His words struck an icy dagger through Zuko's heart, making him visibly shudder. A hand touched his shoulder softly. "I didn't mean it that way. I simply meant speaking lies to ease the worries of an old man."

The teen sighed with what seemed to be relief, unsure of why his legs were trembling. "I don't doubt that he'll be fine. But even so, I can't help wishing he would stay for my sake," he confessed turning away in shame.

"I know you're very close to Lu Ten," Iroh stated, putting a hand on his shoulder. "He loves you with all his heart. If I were truly selfish, I would ask you to talk him into staying-" Zuko's face turned to one of absolute horror. "- but I could never ask you to do so," the man continued with a sigh. "I can only hope he finds what he is looking for quickly, so he can stop his youthful foolishness."

"Well then, we will just have to keep each other company until he does," Zuko whispered, putting a hand on Iroh's arm with a comforting smile, hiding his own inner pain effectively. His elder stared at him in surprise, before drifting into a soft smile.

"Yes, I suppose s-"

"Zuko? I-" Lu Ten faltered at the doorway. His eyes flickered to his father only momentarily, before focusing on Zuko, who bit his lower lip uncomfortably. So they still aren't speaking with each other. "I'm sorry. I'll come back la-"

"No, no!" Iroh exclaimed, rising from his seat quickly. "I was just leaving." He gave Zuko one last meaningful glance, before walking towards the door, where Lu Ten practically leapt out of the way. Glaring after his father, Lu Ten strode into the room and shut the door with far more force than necessary.

"What was he doing?" the older teen spat, pacing about the room. "Trying to get you to beg me to stay home?" He shot the other a dirty look, making him flinch a bit.

Zuko merely shook his head with a sigh. "No. He just wanted to talk about my firebending lessons for a bit, that's all."

"Oh," he murmured, abruptly taking a seat on the bed. "Sorry." Lu Ten's face looked as though he had been doing some intense consideration, worn and tired. "I'm just a bit edgy." The teens sat in silence, soaking in what seemed to be the countdown until their final minutes together. Tension trickled into the room, dousing them both within its clutches. "So, tomorrow's the big day."

"Yeah," Zuko agreed, leaning into his cousin's shoulder with a sigh. His chest ached harshly with every word he spoke.

"I would stay, you know," the older teen whispered, running his fingers through Zuko's hair. "Do you want me to stay?"

The young man's heart ached for him to tell the other the absolute truth, but his love for him prevented him from doing so. Zuko merely said, "I don't need you-" He choked, the rest of the sentence swallowed completely. That's not what I meant to say! Unable to find his voice, he was forced to turn away to hide his tears as Lu Ten exited the room silently and quickly, his expression drenched in a hurt that he would never allow his cousin to see on his face.

It was the most prevalent lie he'd ever told.

Taki observed himself in the mirror for a final time, straightening his shirt anxiously. He was dressed no differently than usual, but it bothered him somehow. Was he supposed to dress nicely for a public date? Perhaps he should wait until Kazuki came and- No, no! Then he would just look dense. He glared at his blood-red shirt for a last time, before tying his dark sash around it decisively. Ah well, it doesn't matter anyway. I don't have many nice clothes come to think of it.

The knock on his door came all too soon, his heart leaping with exhilaration. He had always been suspicious that Kazuki was reluctant to allow their connection to become public, and now they were making the first move into an honest relationship. He could only remember a single other time when he had been this happy. Taki strode quickly from his room, giving himself a last quick look in the mirror, just to ensure that he hadn't forgotten anything important, his pants for example. He slipped into the living room and unlocked the door, revealing his gorgeous boyfriend looking absolutely spectacular with his stunning figure, complimenting clothes, and his silky hair let down to border his face endearingly. The only thing missing was a smile.

Taki encompassed him around the waist, causing the younger teen to flush a light red. He laughed, touching their foreheads together. "Incredible. After all of the time we've spent together, you can still scrounge up a blush in my arms." He stroked Zuko's slender form tenderly as he spoke.

This only intensified the color in the boy's cheeks, a soft smile creeping onto his face. "I guess you just have the magic touch." It was Taki's turn to blush, forcing Zuko to stifle his laughter for the sake of the older man.

"Do you have a dining preference?" Taki asked him, pulling away so they could meet eye to eye.

Zuko gave an indifferent shrug. "It doesn't matter. We could just go over to Asahi-"

"No," Taki murmured, shaking his head firmly. "Let's go somewhere nice," he whispered with a playful smirk. At Zuko's exasperated look, he responded quickly, "Can't I treat my boyfriend once and a while?"

"I hate it when you spend money on me," he admitted, taking a step backwards as Taki turned to shut the door. Zuko wrapped a lazy arm around his midsection and yawned, stepping out into the road.

"And I hate it when you don't let me," the teen responded easily, glancing towards the west to observe the clouded sunset. The crimson streaks ran across the horizon like the path of a wet paintbrush. He set a loving hand on the other's waist, another caressing his face smoothly. Taki offered him a gentle kiss, to which Zuko was reluctant to respond. The younger of the two winced when their connection was deepened, courtesy of his boyfriend's gentle urging.

"Wait," Zuko whispered, halting the other's wandering hands. "We're in the middle of the street." He took a step to the side, eying their surroundings skeptically, wary of Taki's utmost comfort with their relationship. If someone recognizes me, we're dead!

Taki felt his heart drop to his stomach as he forced a laugh. "What, I can't love you in the middle of the street?" He's afraid. He tried to pull the teen into second kiss, but Zuko managed to evade his grasp, an alarmed look on his face. The older teen sighed to himself, before apologizing softly. "I guess you're just a little too cute to keep my hands off of." Zuko smiled weakly, before turning around to bite his lip.

Taki stuffed his hands in his pockets to keep himself from engaging the other into impulsive contact. "I heard there was a restaurant that serves good teriyaki across from the market square. They get a lot of business, but I'm sure they can squeeze us in."

Zuko breathed deeply, trying to calm his nerves. They hadn't been very many places together outside of Asahi and Taki's apartment. "That sounds wonderful. I'm starving." He tried to put all of his enthusiasm into his words, but his energy just wouldn't ignite. His worries for his cousin and the sake of his boyfriend dwelled heavily on his mind. They walked in an uncomfortable silence, trying to withdraw their minds from the abyss of worries upon worries. We're too young for this sort of stress, Zuko thought to himself, watching Taki sigh bleakly. He looked as though he needed something to distract him from his troubles. "How is your writing coming along?" the younger teen asked with a halfhearted grin. "Got a big project you're working on?" He sidestepped to avoid a rather large ditch in the road.

Taki relaxed immediately, sinking into the conversation with ease. "It's coming along nicely as a matter of fact. I'm working on an interesting story at the moment."

"Will I get to read it, or am I too unworthy?" Zuko joked, sticking his tongue out at the man.

"Of course you can read it! When it's finished," he added, with a teasing smile. "You were my inspiration after all."

Zuko froze, unbelieving of the words that had just come from his lover's mouth. "I was... your inspiration? A-Are you serious?" His heart seemed to pound against viciously against his chest.

Taki looked at him strangely, tilting his head to the left. "Yeah." He wondered if he had offended the other somehow. "Is something wrong?"

The teen shook his head, practically shouting his words. "No! No, that's not it! I just didn't think I was capable of inspiring bestselling novels, that's all!"

"Kazuki, I haven't even finished it yet. In fact, I've barely started! It can't be a bestseller considering I'm still a novice-"

"Oh, it will be," Zuko assured him through a dazed expression. "Definitely. I can't believe it. I inspired you!"

"Is that so hard to believe?" Taki asked with a laugh, as they began to approach their destination.

"Absolutely!" the younger teen blurted out forcefully, crossing his arms over his chest stubbornly. "I've never inspired anything! I'm sort of an ­anti-inspiration. People take a look at me and say, 'Gee, that's really uninspiring.'"

The older teen burst out laughing, shaking his head weakly. "You need a self-confidence boost."

Zuko shrugged, gesturing at the establishment to their left. "Is this it?"

Taki nodded, eying the elegant doorways that seemed to stand out among the buildings. The series of curved steps led up to a white, elegantly crafted arch that was almost nauseating to look at. He shuddered, eying the murals that lined the walls of the entrance consisting of deep intoxicating swirls of blue and violet that were almost too obnoxiously prominent to exist. "Could it be anymore gaudy?"

"Let's find out," Zuko called cheerfully, snagging his hand and leading him up the stairs. Upon entering the restaurant, Taki's words were stuffed violently down his throat. The entire atmosphere consisted of nothing but white walls, flashy sculptures, abstract paintings, and elderly people in ritzy clothing talking to each other in low, dignified voices. The older teen almost threw up, nearly backing immediately out of the building.

"It's so tortuously hideous," Taki whispered, as a stuffy waiter with an intricately designed moustache and glossy polished shoes walked over to greet them. "I think we might be underdressed."

"Nah, everybody else is overdressed," Zuko corrected him, amused by the cheap aesthetics. "It looks like they have good food at least. I'll pay half the tab if it gets too expensive." For once Taki didn't complain, trying not to chuckle at the waiter stalked forward towards them. He certainly looked as though had a stick shoved up his-

"Table for two?" Zuko choked out, clearly trying not to laugh at Taki's revolting stare.

"Of course sir," the man announced in the apparent, 'I-am-obviously-superior-to-you-so-take-a-hike' tone. "Right away. Please follow me." He grabbed a couple of menus from the pedestal at the doorway, eying the two teenagers skeptically.

"I can't remember the last time I ate at a restaurant with a menu," Taki hissed with slight amusement, as they weaved around the tables of the large room. The buffed floor shined so well, it was blinding.

"Who recommended this place again?" Zuko whispered, as they were shown to a table in the back of the crowded establishment.

"I don't remember," he admitted, thanking the attendant who left them with an almost sardonic bow. He took a seat, across from his boyfriend, who was eying the dining citizens intently as though looking for someone. "It must be someone's sick joke though. This place is disgus-"

"Something to drink?" A soft voice asked, interrupting his sentence rather fittingly. Taki suppressed a blush, glancing up at the young waitress who looked rather entertained by his embarrassment. His mouth gaped, making him look similar to a stunned fish, forcing Zuko to step in for him.

"He'll have tea with extra sugar and I'd like some water," he said, as his lover slid lower into his seat.

"Right away," the woman grinned at the two of them. "My name is Rin and I'll be your server tonight. I'll be back in a few minutes to take your orders." She winked at Taki, before walking off, making Zuko smirk.

"Smooth, Taki. Real smooth." Zuko imitated his shocked expression.

"Shut up!" the teen whispered, hiding his face behind the menu. "I hope I didn't offend her." His cheeks turned bright apple-red.

"She didn't look too insulted. I think she might have even agreed with you," he remarked conversationally, opening his menu with a flick of his wrist. "In fact, I think she was flirting with you." He laughed loudly at Taki's horrified expression, earning them a few indignant stares from across the room.

"Kazuki! I-" Taki was silenced abruptly, staring at the menu in his hands. "What the-"

Zuko glanced down at his own list of food options, raising an eyebrow. As royalty, he had been forced to order many courses with intricate names and foreign tastes, both extravagant and odd. However, never before had he been presented with a list of foods that had such dubious legality. "Jingisukan? Is that food or a drug?"

"I'm not really sure," Taki whispered, eying the name of the dish warily. "There aren't even any summaries. I feel like an idiot."

"I bet we'll order something that'll make us look like idiots too."

"Do you recognize anything?"

"Umm, soup?"

"No, Kazuki. No soup. We came here to get away from soup!"

"Erm... Well, bread comes with all entrees."

"They probably couldn't find a fancy word for it."

"I thought someone as cultured as you, Taki, would be able to identify at least a single item."

"You think I'm cultured? That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me."

Zuko winced, noticing the waitress headed back for their table. "Um, I'm going to the washroom! Order me something!"

"No! Don't leave me here!" Taki pleaded with wide eyes, shaking his head fiercely.

"Sorry, gotta go!" Zuko leapt from his seat and bounded towards the back of the restaurant, leaving Taki to glare heatedly at his retreating form.

The young teen slipped into the empty room, relieved to find that it lacked the profligately expensive taste of the dining area. The fire-lit lamps were dim, flickering softly and almost relaxingly. Zuko walked over to the basin in the corner, gently splashing his face with the chilling water. With a shiver he glanced up in the mirror, his heart leaping at the sight, making him jump backward five feet. Instead of his own features, he could have sworn he saw-

"Lu Ten," the boy whispered, overcome with emotion. His cousin would be leaving in the morning, only a few hours away it seemed. For every moment he spent staring at the mirror, the more realization seemed to strike him down. Without Lu Ten, there would be no one for him to laugh with, no one to talk to, no one to cover up his mistakes, no one to tease, no one to guide him. He laughed dully to himself. Who was he supposed to turn to now, his father? All he had was Taki, who still had yet to learn of his true identity. Zuko groaned, leaning against the wall in anguish. I can't do this by myself. I can't keep lying to him.

"Pull yourself together!" he whispered harshly to himself. "This isn't about you, it's about Lu Ten. You can't keep leaning on him for support."

But he simply couldn't seem to convince himself.

Zuko left the washroom in an even worse mood than he had entered it, staring down the citizens of the restaurant in anger. Certainly these well-off snobs had no idea how good they had it, sitting there, contentedly eating their dinner. He practically stomped into the dining room, his heart burning at the sight of Taki laughing with their waitress, Ren or Rei or whatever the hell her name was. For some reason, that look she was giving Taki was really pissing Zuko off. He let out a soft growl, watching his lover smile at her as she jotted down a few notes on her writing pad and practically skipped away. His eyes narrowed at his boyfriend. Why had Taki been so reserved around him tonight? Was it his reluctance to show public affection towards the man? Or was he not as sociable as the girly, attractive, idiot waitress?

"Hey!" Taki waved at him, looking considerably happier than when he had left. Zuko didn't respond, slumping into his chair with a scornful gaze. "Rin helped me decide what to order. I can't remember how to pronounce it, but she said it was delicious."

Oh, so now they were on a first name basis? "That's nice," Zuko hissed, looking towards the wall.

"You alright, Kazuki?" Taki asked softly, worry flooding his eyes. Unfortunately, all Zuko could hear was the sympathy in his voice, making him sigh in annoyance. If there was any way to add salt to Zuko's injuries, it was to feel sorry for him.

"Everything's fine," he muttered, wrapping his arms around himself defensively. His hand twitched irritably, causing an icy glass of water to splash down his front. Zuko cursed quietly, flicking the split liquid from his hands. Taki stifled a giggle at his boyfriend's irritation. He snagged the cloth napkin from his lap and leaned over the table, dabbing softly at the teen's damp, exposed throat trailing it tenderly, no seductively, down the teen's chest while-

"Would you stop treating me like such a fucking girl?" Zuko hissed, making Taki withdraw his hand as though he had been bitten by a poisonous snake.

"Wha-What's wrong?" he asked with alarm, stroking a hesitant finger across his lover's limp arm.

"Forget it," Zuko muttered sullenly, snatching his arm away and glaring at the wall.

The older teen left the matter alone, though not completely satisfied with the answer. He eyed his lover nervously, feeling a sharp tug at his heart. The date was supposed to distract Taki, not concern him! He looked away uneasily, trying not to provoke his irritated boyfriend. He sighed with relief a few minutes later, when their food was served quickly by a cheery Rin. Zuko on the other hand looked absolutely infuriated, downing his glass of water in five seconds flat while glaring at the waitress. Rin glanced uneasily at him, before scurrying away.

"Thank you!" Taki called, before turning to his lover with a whisper. "What's wrong with you?"

"I told you, it's nothing!" Zuko's voice became a bit louder, earning them a few glances. Suddenly he didn't care so much about being recognized. All he wanted was the aching in his chest to recede.

The other spoke in an undertone, shaking his head. "Kazuki-"

"Forget about it," Zuko pleaded, trying to calm his pounding heart. "I'm just a little upset right now. We'll talk later. Please, Taki."

"Promise?" he begged, staring the boy down.

I'm not so good with promises. The younger teen didn't respond, turning his attention to his plate. "What is it?" Zuko asked softly, eying the dish apprehensively. It appeared to be some sort of omelet with green and orange particles surrounded in a slimy brown sauce.

"She said it's some sort of urchin-crab stuff over rice." Taki sighed, breaking apart his chopsticks. "It looks interesting to say the least."

Zuko inspected a tiny bite-sized scoop before tossing it into his mouth. He chewed it suspiciously, before gagging and snatching his napkin and spitting it out. "It's goopy!" he whined, wiping his tongue on the back of his hand.

Taki couldn't help but laugh, putting his chopsticks down. "I'll take your word for it."

Soon enough however, both teens agreed that they couldn't leave their uneaten plates in the midst of a fancy restaurant. That would be rude after all, and the food had been awfully expensive. And so, what ensued was one of the most difficult contests either teen had either participated in. The "who-can-eat-the-most-goopy-food-without-throwing-up" contest. Laughing and retching between bites, the young men tried desperately to finish the mucky rations.

Within a half of an hour, Taki had prevailed, leaving only a third of the food within the deep-dish plate. Zuko forced himself to keep a straight posture in his chair, though he desperately wanted to slouch over and empty his guts on the floor. "How did you do that?" he groaned, watching Taki sip his tea delicately.

"I have a stomach of steel," the teen proclaimed smugly, piling the plates on top of each other.

Zuko was in a noticeably better mood by the end of the night, despite the hideously sickening food he had managed to choke down. However, his temper plunged downhill when their waitress came around for a last time. He attempted to politely avoid her gaze, staring directly at the wall determinedly. A few moments passed and he heard a smash from the tableside. He flinched, glancing back to see Rin had dropped one of the plates on the shiny floor, breaking it into quite a few pieces. The waitress visibly winced, before whispering an apology.

From across the room, a man's voice yelled warningly, "Rin! Did you drop another dish?"

The teenage girl bit her lip and shuddered, before turning to respond-

"Sorry!" Taki called, cutting the girl off. "It was my fault! I can pay for it!" He smiled at Rin, who simply stared at him in shock.

The man who had led the two of them into the restaurant gave Taki a surprised look, before waving the matter away with a gesture of his hand. Rin sighed with relief, whispering to the young man who had saved her, "Thank you so much."

"It's alright," he whispered back, with a subtle wink. "I understand what it's like." She giggled, leaning down to pick up the pieces of broken china.

It was the last straw for Zuko. No matter how petty and insignificant the spark had been, it was enough to bring the young man to his final nerve. The weight that had been leaning upon his chest the entire night crashed down on him, unraveling in a mixture of rage and despair. He shot from his seat and bound towards the doorway, uncaring of how many people he had to knock down in order to get there. He swore he could hear Taki calling for him, but he didn't stop until he was half a block down the dark street, leaning against the wall that lined the empty roads and breathing deeply.

"Kazuki?" Taki asked in a low voice, creeping towards his volatile boyfriend. "Kazuki? Please, tell me what's wrong." He stopped a good four feet away from the teen, allowing him the space if he needed it. Zuko could hear the concern in his voice, but it didn't calm the flame in his heart.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Were you not finished flirting with that waitress back there?" he spat, turning to face the stunned man.

Taken aback, Taki asked him, "Is that what's wrong? Kazuki, I was only being friendly. I wasn't flirting with her, you know that. Why don't you tell me what's bothering you?"

Zuko began to shake, unable to tell the other man the absolute truth. And so, he began to elaborate his rage on the half, no, perhaps quarter truth. "What's bothering me? What's bothering me is that I thought you valued our relationship! I thought you valued me! And the moment I turn my back you start hitting on the first teenager that winks at you!"

"I was not hitting on her!" Taki's voice grew upset, as memories of exactly why he hated this day came flooding back to him. No, please not now. "I have no attraction to women whatsoever! You're being ridiculous!"

"I'm being ridiculous!" Zuko cried, taking an involuntary step towards the distressed man. "I'm not the one who's completely ignoring the boundaries of our relationship!"

The older teen began to seethe, pent-up emotions swirling in his chest. "Me?! What about you?!"

"What?" the other snapped, glaring fiercely at the man.

"You pretend like our 'relationship' doesn't even exist outside of my apartment! You won't even touch me in public!" Taki's breathing became painful as he continued. His voice grew dangerously quiet. "I thought that at some stage, we had both accepted the fact that we were homosexuals. Hell, I thought we were even comfortable with it! But I was wrong, wasn't I? Is that why you glance behind your shoulder when we go out, Kazuki? Is that why you won't introduce me to your family? Or is it that you're hesitant about our relationship?"

Zuko froze, his heart tearing itself to pieces. He began to shake with a fury he had never known before. "Ho-How dare you? After all of this time, you dare doubt my feelings for you?! I offer my innocence to you, and this is what you think of me?!"

"I don't know what to think about it!" Taki's voice turned desperate. "You're hiding things from me! Do you have any idea how that kills me inside? I love you!"

Those three words were enough to set the young teen off. A tidal wave of emotions set in...

He has no idea what I have to do to be with him!

I have to cheat on my trusting fiancé to be with him!

He has no idea of the pain it causes me!

It hurts me more than it hurts him!

How can he stand there and accuse me of leading him on?

I can't tell him what he wants to know!

He would hate me if he knew!

Confused and hurt as hell, Zuko drew back a hand and slapped the teenager across the face. "You bastard," he hissed, glaring severely at the other. Taki brought a shaking hand to his stinging cheek, eyes filled with shock and horror. Tears slid down his cheeks, before Zuko could even recognize the implication and utter truth of what he had spoken. He brought a hand to his mouth, gasping sharply for breath.

"Takumi... Takumi, I'm so-"

But the man was already gone.