The stars twinkled overhead, shining down on a sleeping Republic City. The lights had mostly been shut off for the night, even in the districts that tended to stay up late, and what the older folk would call the witching hour was on the city. It was roughly equivalent to midafternoon for Zuko.

Jet and Mai had been expecting him earlier. Hopefully they weren't too disappointed that he was late.

The night air was chilly, but Zuko didn't mind. Being dead tended to numb your senses to that sort of thing. The wooden door in front of him swirled in its grain, and he brushed his thumb along the unfinished surface to feel the ridges catching at the callus there. He didn't knock yet. It had been…what, thirty years since he'd last seen? So long, it seemed. And he remembered Jet asking him not to leave, telling him that seventy was young, too young, to go off on his own in the vampire world.

Perhaps he'd look back and realize seventy years wasn't all that long someday.

But now to the present. He drew back his hand and made a fist, gently knocking on the door.

Mai was the one who opened it, grinning—really grinning—when she saw him. "You're finally back."

"I'm finally back," Zuko said.

Cool arms wrapped around him, tugging him inside, and Zuko rested his head on Mai's shoulder. Her hair smelled like flowery shampoo and lay loose across her shoulders. She seemed…softer, happier now, than she had before, when she had been caught and kept by her parents, by her station, in a life she hated. Now she'd had a fresh start. A new chance at childhood, just like him.

Unlike him, though, she was in no hurry to grow up.

"So, how's Jet lately?" he mumbles.

She slipped her hands from around his waist to stretch them out above her head and lay them on his shoulders. "He's a bit overprotective, I have to admit. Even for me. But at least I can reason with him."

Zuko chuckled. "Yea. He's much better than anything we had before, I think."

"I should hope so," a voice said from the kitchen, and Jet walked into the living room, a small smile playing across his face. "After all, your human parents were a bit of a low bar."

Zuko found himself chuckling. "Hello, Jet."

"Hi darling," Jet murmured, wrapping Zuko in his arms and kissing his temple, Mai still leaning on his other side. "How was it, being a runaway?"

"I did not run away."

"You did. After I told you ten billion times not to, that you were too young. You're still a kid by vampire standards, you know."

"I know, I know. But I was fine, just like I told you." Zuko sighed, but he leaned into Jet's arms nonetheless. He'd missed Jet. Hell, he'd even missed his overprotectiveness. "Like I said," he mumbled, "I have experience from being Prince. I didn't totally start over with the bite."

"Yes, but you were still totally new to the vampire world and—"

"Now come on, you two," Mai teased them, interrupting their argument. "I did not convince Zuko to come home just so you could argue. Remember the mover we're going to see in celebration?"

"Right! It's supposed to be good, right? About a waterbending hero or something?"

Jet sighed. "That's not until later. We've got time for a more...personal welcome." He wrapped his arms around Zuko again and nibbled gently at his ear.

Zuko leaned into Jet's embrace, pulling Mai towards him as well. He had to admit it was good to be home.

...my very first finished multi-chapter story. Whoa.