Chapter 11- Fire and fear

~I don't own the avatar-

My brother and I watched the live action avatar last night, just because we wanted to. It's even worse than I thought. But, we watched the show after, so that made it better.

If you're in America, I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving! If your not American, hope you had a good random Thursday in November! !

Jin rounded the corner, threw both arms around me and kissed me firmly on the mouth. "Hi!" she cried, blushing a bright red when I wiped the flour away on her cheek. "Hi. You ready?" Jin grabbed me by the hand and my stomach flopped. "I still have to sweep and finish close up."

A woman with greying hair and a dough covered apron stood behind the counter, squinting at us.

"Go ahead, Jin. I can close up tonight. Enjoy being young." she said with a tight smile. "Thank you!" Jin cried, kissing me again before dashing off to the back. "I'll just be a moment, sweetheart."

Jin's boss eyed me for a second as I shifted my weight back and forth. "Are you Lee?" she asked, stepping out from behind the counter. "Yes, Ma'am." I said with a slight bow. The woman looked down her long nose at me, eyes glancing to my scar for a moment but never looking me in the eyes. She was silent for a few breaths before finally speaking. "Take care of her." She looked me in the eyes, and I noticed for the first time something about Jin's boss.

Her own eye was marred by a large scar; jagged and slightly hooked, the coloring of the scar was similar enough to her skin that it wasn't noticeable unless one was looking for something, but it was there nonetheless.

"I will. I swear." She nodded, giving Jin a slight smile when she came back from the other room, her apron gone, a basket in her hand, and her cheeks completely flour-less.

"Ready! Thanks again, Ms. Lawan!" Jin said, grinning brightly and taking my hand. Lawan bowed slightly with a small smile. "Enjoy your evening, children."

"Thank you! Where are we going?" I asked, holding the door open for her. "I packed a picnic for us, and I was thinking we could head down to the fire fountain. Is that alright?" I lifted our joined hands, giving the back of her hand a kiss. "That sounds perfect, Jin." She beamed up at me, cheeks flushed.

"Oh, good! You've never seen it in the daytime! It's better at night, but the way the sunlight shines on the water and lanterns is almost as pretty. We could watch the sunset, too, if you'd like. That's nice too."

Agni, she's beautiful. Her eyes are bright and lively; the color of a perfect meadow. She'd twisted her hair into the two long braids that I was becoming quite attached to. Her lips formed a perfect smile, moving as she continued speaking before looking up at me expectantly.

Wait. Did she ask me a question?

"Uh, huh?" Jin snickered, making my face heat up. "I asked what's wrong? You seem a bit out of it today."

I shook my head quickly, helping her over a large pothole. "Nothing's wrong, I, uh, just got distracted."

"By what? Is everything ok?" She asked, her head tipping to the side, worry evident in her eyes. The spirits truly blessed me with her. "By you. In a good way!" Jin blushed, dropping my hand to hug me around the waist.

"You're sweet, Zuko." I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, not letting go till we reached the fountain. I told her the good news of my sister getting better, and of the Earth King's invitation, and Jin told me of her friend's wedding. I felt like I was walking on air when she agreed to go with me to the King's banquet,

A few others seemed to have a similar idea to us, an elderly couple giving us smiles of remembrance while a group of young children greeted Jin with squeals of familiarity.

As we settled down for our dinner, I realized that I was happy.

For the first time in years, I was totally and completely happy.

I lay my head on Zuko's shoulder, watching the sky turn from blue to orange. The Chen's and their grandchildren had left an hour before, leaving us alone leaning against the unlit fountain. They were a nice family, and had all taken an immediate liking to Zuko.

As the sun finished setting, the air turned chilly. However, the heat radiation off of the man beside me warmed me to the core.

"Jin?" Zuko said, breaking the comfortable silence we'd been sitting in. "Hm?" I asked, sitting up. Zuko smiled brightly, causing my chest to tighten.

"They're not lit." He motioned to all the lanterns above us, bouncing up on his feet. "Do I get to watch this time?" I asked, allowing Zuko to pull me up. He laughed, motioning for me to take a few steps away from him and the fountain.

He paused, taking a deep breathe before firing tiny flames at each lantern. The candle wicks inside them lit instantly, bathing both of us in warm light. Zuko beamed over his shoulder, looking very pleased with himself.

"Wow." I breathed, walking to stand beside him. "That was beautiful." Zuko chuckled, both of us turning to face each other much like we had all those months ago. "Not as beautiful as you."

He leaned down to kiss me, but we both froze when someone began to slowly clap. A large man with a crooked grin stood at the entrance to the fountain, the look on his face one of pure evil. Fear spread through my body, and I felt ready to vomit. This wasn't the first time I'd been jumped by this man, and the mere thought that Zuko could be hurt.

"Wonderful performance, firebender. I knew there was something off about you."

"Stay back here." Zuko whispered to me, putting himself between the man and me. "Be careful, Zuko."

"Zuko? Like the fire lord? Ah, this is my lucky day! Catching a firebender in the act, and it's the fire lord, no less!" The gangster cracked his knuckles before drawing a knife. "Sorry!" I whispered, not expecting Zuko to smile over at me. "Don't worry, Fire lily." His swords were drawn with a soft clink, and a sharp glint in his eyes as the man came charging towards us.

In less time than it took to blink, Zuko had launched himself over the man, wacking him over the head with the flat of his blade. The ruffian stumbled forward, nearly falling into the fountain. He turned, the knife in his hand, but before he could do anything, the butt of Zuko's hilt hit his forehead, knocking him backwards and out cold. The sound of their fight had caught the attention of several others. A few must've been from the same gang as the unconscious man, as they started shouting and pulling out weapons of their own.

"C'mon!" I was practically paralyzed by fear, but Zuko simply sheathed his swords quickly, picked me up, and tossed me over his shoulder, taking off in a run. Even though I trust him with my life, I still shrieked a bit when he scaled the side of a building and took off running across the roof. We came to a sudden stop on a random building, and he jumped down, his collar bone digging into my stomach painfully at the sudden drop. "I think we out ran 'em" Zuko said, carefully setting me on my feet.

The ground swam around me, and the world seemed to spin on its side. "Sorry, Jin!" He grabbed me by my elbows, allowing me to lean against him.

"It's ok. That was amazing, sweetheart!" Zuko blushed, glancing around us with untrusting eyes. "Let's get you home." As we left the alley, his arm still wrapped around me, I realized that I was happy.

For the first time in years, I was totally and completely happy.

IStanAangwithhair- Oh my gosh, thank you! That really means a lot! I love this ship so much, so I'm glad I can bring it more attention!

Rennyangelee- I think we all would love to be in Jin's shoes! There will be much more fluff for them to come!

Fitzclaire37- Thank you!

Guest- Thank you! Glad you like it!

Tenmei- Thank you! I'm really honored!

You guys are all so nice! Thank you!