Just a cute, fluffy little Ty Lee x Zuko fic. Originally planned to do a smut piece, but this story didn't really work for it, so here we go. There is probably a sequel to this one down the line, which WOULD have the smut, but for now just them being cute and fun together. Ty Lee got invited to make an appearance at the circus when they come to town, and she gets Zuko to come see her. Does she have ulterior motives though? Thoughts welcome as always, and hope you all enjoy it.

Circus Daze

Ty Lee x Zuko

Rating: E

I own nothing, just love the characters created by Brian and Mike.

'How did I let Ty Lee talk me into this?' Zuko wondered to himself, arms crossed against his chest underneath the long black cloak draped loosely against his body. Golden eyes darted idly around the large opening beneath the circus tent, wondering if anyone had noticed his presence.

The din of conversation sounded numbingly in his ears, a buzz of excitement permeating the atmosphere. Snippets of various conversations drew his attention to and fro, kids asking their guardians for treats, questions about animals, and wondering if the headline performance was really going to live up to expectations.

He knew the answer to his internalized question, of course. Long, batting eyelashes and a doe eyed expression had always been his weakness. Luckily for him, it was something that he seldom had to deal with in his life, his world filled with mostly strong, stubborn girls.

She had gotten an offer to appear with the circus she had traveled with for a time on their most recent stop at Caldera City, which she had nearly immediately jumped at. No sooner had she gotten the scroll with the formal offer than she had rushed through the palace to find her ostensible employer and long time friend, wanting him to attend the show.

While refusing at first, Ty Lee had put on her most affected sad expression, eyes shimmering with moisture as she batted her eyelashes at him. His resistance after that was short lived, and he had acquiesced to her request, with provisions that nothing major came up in the meantime. The bubbly girl's attitude had seemed as though she would explode in excitement, hugging him before running off to make the arrangements necessary.

Thinking of her excited smile, the Fire Lord felt his own lips curl into a grin. Ty Lee's positivity was absolutely viral, spreading through just about anyone who she was in any prolonged contact with.

Lights dimmed, the ringleader appearing in the center of stage to begin the proceedings. Zuko found himself wondering what kind of show he was in for, it being his first time at the circus. It was something he had been curious about as a child, as was perfectly normal, but his family situation made such a casual, care free excursion an impossibility.

Part of the reason he had chosen circus performer as part of his backstory while hiding out in Ba Sing Se with his uncle. The memory of that night so long ago brought a bittersweet smile to his face, remembering the one other person who had flashed such distinctly feminine wiles in his direction.

The ringleader disappeared in a flourish of smoke, the show kicking off in full as the first act appeared on the stage. Zuko sat transfixed, watching the acts perform, each more impressive than the last. Excitement washed across the audience, cheers greeting the various performers as they ran through their routines.

Finally, it was time for the lead performance, Ty Lee's acrobatic routine. Flames lit upon the torches on either side of the stage, his breath catching as he found himself staring wide-eyed at the slender frame of his long time friend.

Slender legs peaked out from a skirt very reminiscent of a flower, the reddish orange catching the bare expanses of soft ivory skin. A white shirt served to caress her ample curves, the swell of her breasts very evident beneath the material as she took in even, calm breaths. The hem of the chest covering stopped just above her bare belly, the taut muscles highlighted by the flickering lights on either side of her.

Soft brown hair was pulled into a tight braid, the tied up hair hanging loosely against the young woman's back. The trademark brunette bangs hung lazily in her face, brushing her rounded cheeks with a soft frame.

A focused but relaxed expression was etched across her face, Zuko's breath catching in his throat momentarily as he found her eyes trained directly on him. 'How did she manage to find me in this large crowd?' he wondered, knowing instinctively that she was in fact staring at him. Her lips pulled a bit more tightly into a smile, a warming pink flush on her cheeks.

He made sure to keep his eyes focused on her as she set her sights on the narrow wire held between two posts, suspended an impossibly large distance from the floor of the venue. As she tilted her body forward, placing her hands upon the wooden platform as she lifted her legs into the air, Zuko watched as she walked on her hands towards the small wire.

Slender fingers gripped the wire, gaining her purchase on the dangerous expanse of rope. Once she had gained a hold, she flipped easily back onto her feet, the red cloth of her shoes landing squarely upon the twine. Her brows furrowed in concentration as she proceeded, shifting her feet quickly so that she was facing the direction she had come from.

A stunned silence passed over the audience as she ran through her routine, each member of the paying public in awe at the grace of her movements. Legs swayed through the air with each flip, arms spreading outward to gain balance with each twirl of her slender body. She looked as though she were simply dancing, each movement a smooth, well practiced note in a veritable symphony of movement.

In what he figured must be near the close of her routine, she tensed her legs, bounding through the air. With a shift of her upper body, the young woman performed a full flip, landing confidently on the rope with a flourish.

Breathing became difficult for the young Fire Lord as he watched her, hypnotized and excited by the flawless movements. It was as though she had been practicing every day, never missing a beat from her previous time in the circus.

Slowly she made her way across the tautly stretched rope, the twisted material sagging and bouncing gently with each movement. He wondered where she got the confidence to pull off such dangerous maneuvers, how she had come to find such a calling in life. So many questions buzzed in his head that he would definitely like answers to soon.

After a breathless time, it came time for the finale, her body seductively leaning backwards, her fingers nearly gripping the rope at the same time as her feet. Her ample breasts protruded outward as she nearly bent herself in half, murmurs of wonder coursing through the crowd at the seemingly impossible feat of flexibility.

With a slow, steady rising of her legs, the young woman stood entirely upright on her hands, feet rising straight up into the air allowing the pink material clinging to her legs to come into direct view. Bending at the elbows, the young woman pushed off with both hands, sending herself sailing precariously along her path. A twisting and pulling of her body gave a tight, corkscrew sight as she arced through the air, no eyes in the audience focusing on anything but her.

Time seemed to freeze as she flipped through the air, somehow turning both vertically and horizontally as she moved. Legs tensed slightly as she landed upon the platform across from where she had begun, arms rising victoriously into the air to indicate the close of her routine.

Uproarious applause sounded from the audience, steely eyes shifting all across the expanse of humanity. With a bow, she felt the rush of excitement peak, a warm comfort filling her essence as she drank in the joy from the crowd. As she righted her body, Ty Lee focused her gaze on the Fire Lord, the smile widening as she caught his mystified, impressed look.

The previously pink tint of a blush darkened a bit, a gentle red painting her warm cheeks as she saw him applauding in time with the rest of the crowd. Turning the other way, she offered her thanks to the audience on the other side, natural showmanship evident in her actions.

Once she had basked in the appreciation of the crowd, she slipped down the rope ladder before disappearing into the back, waving to the patrons in all directions as she made her way across the smooth surface on the floor of the tent.

Once she had disappeared, the ringmaster re-appeared, his voice booming through the cavernous expanse to draw the crowd's attention. Rumblings of confusion sounded through them, figuring that the show was over since Ty Lee had been billed as the main attraction of that event.

Zuko felt himself joining in the confusion, wondering if there was something else on the show's schedule that he had somehow missed. He knew whatever it might be would have a hard time competing with the show he had just witnessed. The young man was brought from his wonderment by a gentle tugging on his cloak.

"Psst, Zuko," golden eyes widened as he came face to face with the woman herself, stone grey eyes burrowing into his soul as she whispered.

"Ty Lee? How did you get here so fast," he croaked out, trying his best to keep his voice down as he leaned down towards her.

"Oh, don't worry about that," she dismissed simply, a mirthful smile on her face. "More importantly, I have a favor to ask."

Alarm bells rang in Zuko's mind. Whenever someone wanted a favor from him, it usually turned into a huge ordeal. Eyes narrowed as he looked at her, wondering just what she was going to ask. She had already gotten him to essentially discard his duties for the day, so anything more was pushing it.

"What kind of favor?" he asked hesitantly, watching the smile stretch impossibly wide across her soft features.

"Come with me," she spoke gentle, clasping his hand with her own, giving it a tug as she headed back towards the preparation area of the circus. Zuko found himself blushing a bit at the contact, surprised at both the warmth of her slender fingers and the apparent dryness of her skin. As though she had indeed not really been trying earlier.

"Where are we going?"

"Well," she began, coming to a stop once they had disappeared behind the large curtain, "I want you to do an act."

Zuko's jaw hung limply as she spoke, his heart racing a million miles an hour at the mere thought of it. Sure, he had gotten used to giving public speeches and attending many ceremonies as head of state. But the idea of putting on an act in front of a gathering of strangers was more than he thought he could handle.

"Ty Lee, you know I can't. I wouldn't even know what to do, plus everyone would recognize me," he explained, verbally indicating the distinctive scar across the left side of his face. A painful throb echoed in his mind at the memory of how he had gained such a noteworthy injury.

"Come on, Zuko. Normally we like to end the show with a little flair of local color, a bending display of whichever element is the most prominent in the town we visit." As she explained the favor, Zuko could feel her attachment to the troupe, the word "we" very evident as she spoke. Shaking his head, he sent the thought of her simply disappearing into the ether with the circus from his mind, hints of anxiety seeping into his chest at her favor.

"And you want me, the Fire Lord, to just do some casual firebending? You know the whole royal court would rise up against me if I decided to do it, which I certainly am not," he was attempting to use his most commanding voice in the situation, the alarm bells becoming more loud as the look on her face did not fade in the slightest.

"Well, we do have a good selection of masks, if your identity is what you're worried about," she offered in response, fingers entwining together behind her back as she stood upright, staring directly into the welcoming golden pools of his eyes.

"Ty Lee," he started, pinching at the bridge of his nose as his agitation spiked, "I'm not like you. I'm not good at stuff like this."

"Psh, you can do it Zuko. Normally I wouldn't ask, but they weren't able to find someone in time, so you'd really be helping me and the rest of the guys," she said, her voice shifting ever so slightly as she spoke. There was something she wasn't saying, but he had no way of knowing what that might be, though he had a fair idea.

"I can't do it, I'm sorry," Zuko said with a heavy sigh, crossing his arms against his chest in finality. Turning his body, he made to leave the staging area, finding his progress stopped by slender fingers gripping the silky black hooded cloak.

"Come on, Zuko, pleee~ase?" she whined, her friend trying his best to ignore the look he knew she was giving him just beyond his back. Irritation flourished as he focused his eyes on the exit, freedom tantalizingly close by. He could practically feel her eyes on him, his mind filling in the image from when she had roped him into attending in the first place.

Times like this, he really envied his sister's ability to just tune out such emotional manipulation. With a low growl, he turned back towards his friend and protector, a twang tugging at his heart at the trembling lower lip paired with the wet eyes looking pleadingly at him.

"Ugh, FINE," he said in defeat, feeling decidedly defeated and swindled as the mock sad expression nearly instantly was replaced with her usual chipper expression.

"You're the best, Zuko," she said cheerily, throwing her arms around his muscular body in appreciation. Zuko blushed a bit as he felt her ample chest press against his clothed chest, the crimson of his shirt seemingly doing nothing to guard him.

"Not even. So, what do I actually do?" he asked, having no idea what kind of things one did as a simple show. Having spent so much time doing what he had to do in order to simply survive, the idea of entertaining people had never really crossed his mind.

"I'm sure you'll think of something," her words were entirely unconvincing, but the smile on her face as she pulled away indicated that she truly had the faith that he would think of something. Guilt filled his gut as he thought of disappointing such innocent faith. "I'm going to go tell the boss you're in," she offered before dashing off towards where the ringmaster was stalling for time with the audience.

With an intense throbbing in his forehead, Zuko knew now for sure that he had been tricked, the younger girl playing him like a pipa. "I'm going to get her for this," he promised, his body slacking with a heavy sigh.

Figuring he couldn't exactly back out immediately after agreeing to it, he made his way through the preparation area, watching as the various cast members milled about cleaning up and gathering items to pack up for the day. The occasional murmur of whispers pierced his hearing, pricking at his natural proclivity towards suspicion, a sense that had developed while trying to hide who he was for so long.

Making his way into a room filled with costumes, he wondered if this would be acceptable to find a costume he could use to at the very least hide his identity as he made a total idiot out of himself. Rummaging through the costumes hanging on a rack, his brows furrowed, not finding any of the flamboyant clothing to his liking.

Zuko cursed himself for not bringing clothing more casual, figuring that even his least distinctive royal attire would immediately give his attention away. Finally he found something to his liking, pulling a simple black shirt and pants from the rack. A flood of nostalgia fogged his mind, memories of his time as the infamous Blue Spirit eliciting an annoyed growl.

Simple was best for this situation though, so he would make do. Shifting his attention to the large trunk next to the clothing rack, he rummaged through his, hoping to find a mask that would work for the task at hand. 'I swear I better not find the mask that goes with this,' he thought to himself, gazing at the myriad painted faces beneath him.

Eyes widened as he found a nearly perfect mask. A single piece of lacquered wood gazed back at him, one half painted white, the other tinged with black but broken up with white streaks. Small patches that looked like flame dotted the white side, an unspoken battle between right and wrong ringing out from the simple appearance. 'That'll be perfect,' he thought, running his fingers lazily over the smoothly painted surface.

As he slipped his cloak off, followed by his simple clothing, he pondered what he should actually do for his makeshift "act". Zuko tried to recall any kind of performance he had really seen, coming up blank as he slipped the tight fitting black shirt over his head. Tightening the belt around his waist, he settled on basically just seeing what happens.

"You ready Zu-" Ty Lee's chipper voice caught in her throat as the Fire Lord turned back towards her, face obscured by the mixed tone mask. She blinked a few times as her mind caught up to the moment, watching fixed in place as he made his way past her.

"I don't think this is going to go well, but I'll give it a shot," he replied, placing a gentle hand on her bare shoulder. Turning as he walked, she watched as he made his way towards the waiting area just behind a large black curtain, wondering what he had in mind. But the mask he had chosen, somehow she had a certain deja vu about it, mind fuzzy on the details.

Once the ringmaster had announced the true final act for the event, Ty Lee made her way towards the parted curtain, eyes focused as her friend slipped into a straight posture, palms pressed together in front of his chest.

Pulling his hands apart, Zuko slipped into what looked to be a fighting posture, crimson flames following his hands as they moved. A series of punches, swipes and miscellaneous strikes followed, each movement punctuated by an intense burst of flame.

As he moved, his movements gradually mellowed, the harsh strikes replaced with fluid, flowing movements, the tenseness replaced with a calming sense of peace. Murmurs made their way around the audience, eyes focused on the masked man in the center of the ring. The size and intensity of the flames bursting from his hands alternated with each swipe.

The movements of his hands and feet caused a gentle swaying of Ty Lee's body as she watched, her mind placing herself within his grasp, feeling as though he were simply dancing. Wreaths of orange and red filled the air around him, flaring to life in the gazes of the captivated audience members.

It was nothing like the angry, determined bending he had displayed during his various battles from his banishment to the times immediately following his coronation as Fire Lord. Nor was it entirely serene and calm, more a mixture of the two mindsets, perfectly encapsulating his eternally conflicted identity.

The act seemed more of a half, as though it were missing a partner to fill in certain gaps. Ty Lee found herself wondering what kind of display it would be if that part would be filled in.

With a tensing of his legs, he sent himself into the air, similar to how he had seen Ty Lee move a short time earlier, a wheel of flame extending from his feet as he spun in the air. A wave of fire crested as he came back down to the ground, fingertips just brushing his toes as they stretched out in front of his nearly prone body.

Flashes of orange and red sparked to life in Ty Lee's eyes, the heated air glowing so brightly within her stone grey eyes. For a moment her heart twinged as he looked in her direction, his gaze piercing even beneath the carved wooden mask. She was entranced, watching the flame seem to be absorbed into his body as he took in a deep breath.

Gathering new flames at his finger tips, the small sparks grew as he stretched his arms outwards, extending to either side before blossoming into nearly flower like blazes in his palms. The flame swelled and swayed as they made their way along his arms, entwining together as they reached his black clad torso.

The murmurs of the audience gave way to surprised gasps that mirrored those of the acrobatic young woman, small sparks of green and blue flaring within the deep crimson. 'What is that?' she wondered idly, never recalling seeing such tones in firebending before.

Intense heat traveled in front of his body, disappearing as they approached the mouth of the white and black mask, looking as though he were devouring the flames. Once the last embers had disappeared, a swirl of colors obscured his body, streaks of color appearing within the expanses of reddish orange.

The tornado of mixed color flames grew and expanded, eliciting alarmed sounds from those audience members at the front row as it continued to obscure more and more of the ring. With only a few feet of space between the encroaching wall of flame and the bystanders, the swirls of color burst, stray embers floating in the air before dissipating in front of the patrons' eyes.

Stunned silence filled the arena, none entirely sure what they had just seen. In the center of the ring, where the storm of fire had started, there was only empty space, hints of steam and smoke drifting idly upwards.

Hushed whispers gave way to loud applause, calls for an encore as the audience wondered who that was that they had just seen. Ty Lee could relate to their confusion, her mind fixated on the mix of colors in the flame, only having seen one other kind of bending aside from the usual, memories of the sadistic princess flashing across her mind.

"So how bad was it?" she was brought back to reality by a hand on her shoulder, eyes widening as her body flinching tightly under the grasp. Clutching her chest for some calm, she turned around, finding herself staring into the calm molten gold of her friend's eyes.

"Zuko!? You scared me," she said, releasing a held breath as he pulled his hand back.

"I know the feeling," he teased, chuckling a bit at her expression as he held the mask by the strap down near his waist.

"Geez, it's not nice to sneak up on people," Ty Lee returned with a soft whine to her voice, brow raising as a thought occurred to her. "How did you get behind me?"

"I just walked. You seemed really in your thoughts."

"Well, yeah. That was…" she trailed off a bit unable to truly formulate her opinion.

"That bad, huh?" he finished, a nervous sort of dour note to his voice.

"No, that was amazing!" she replied, eyes widening in excitement as she leaned towards her friend. "I've never seen anything like that before, there were so many colors, it was beautiful," her words flowed in a hurry, a flurry of syllables cascading from her lips.

"I'm just glad it wasn't a total dud," he said nervously, exhaling a light breath.

"There's no way that could be a dud, everyone was totally into it."

"Everyone?" he asked, a soft, playful smirk on his lips.

"Yes, everyone," she blushed lightly, catching the subtext to his words.

"Well, that's a good thing."

"How long have you been able to do that?"

"Do what?"

"All those colors. I've never seen that before, I didn't even know it was possible," she added, the bright display still playing brightly in her memory.

"A few years," he said simply, wondering if he should really get into it. Not that he didn't trust Ty Lee, but the Sun Warriors had made it very clear that he wasn't to tell anyone.

"You gotta tell me all the details," she pleaded, curiosity bursting inside of her.

Zuko paused for a bit, thinking it over in his mind. "Well, I'm not really supposed to talk about it," he started, turning to make his way back to the changing room.

"No fair!" Ty Lee whined, falling into step to his right.

A playful, teasing smile graced his face as he slipped into the changing room. Gripping the bottom edge of the black shirt, he gave it a tug, toned muscles glistening in the firelight from the sweat he had built up during his routine.

Seemingly ignoring her frustrated state, Zuko discarded the damp shirt, tossing it lazily towards the rack with the rest of the clothing. As he placed his fingers on the waist of the pants, he realized the situation, pausing as he cast a glance back at the still lightly fuming brunette. "Uh, Ty Lee, could you turn around for a minute," he asked, watching as she gentle tilted her head in wonder.

"Why would I do that?"

"Well, I have to change my pants, so…" he watched realization spark her mind to action, a soft reddish tint flashing onto her cheeks. With a flustered exclamation, she turned around, offering Zuko a moment of privacy.

As he slipped the pants down his muscular legs, Ty Lee turned her head slightly, the blush darkening as she caught sight of his nearly entirely bare form. With a pang of hormones, she let her eyes travel across his well maintained figure, drinking in the sight of his toned muscles. A small wave of arousal flooded through her at the sight, her mind teasing her with images of their bodies intertwined and moving against one another.

Pushing the thought from her mind, she shifted her gaze painfully forward, staring at the entrance of the dressing room.

"Okay, I'm decent."

Turning back fully towards her friend, she watched as he slipped his arms into the sleeve of his shirt before draping the black hood over his face.

"More than decent, I'd say," she said with a distinctive undercurrent to her words.

"So, did I do a good job?" he asked, trying to ignore the pointed tone lacing the voice dripping from her lips.

"More than good! You were amazing!?" Both friends turned towards the entrance to the room, a flustered ringmaster panting as he stared wild eyed at the two. "Ty Lee told me she had a friend who would be perfect for the closing act, but she undersold it big time!"

"Did she?" Zuko asked pointedly, golden eyes shifting to his friend who had begun fidgeting a bit as the ringmaster inadvertently sold her out.

"You have to come with us full time, we would make a killing, and you would be the most famous firebender after the Fire Lord!" The older gentleman was lost in his excitement, eager to get the young man who had so captivated the audience into his group.

"Sorry, but I can't. I have other duties to attend to that makes it impossible," Zuko declined, trying to keep things as vague as he could. The older man tried to put forth further encouragement, but Ty Lee was the one to rescue her friend from further probing.

"Boss, I told you it was a one time thing, so you'll just have to figure things out," she said firmly, arms stretching out as she pushed the older man out the opening. He tried to further make his case, but began to grumble as he realized it was not going to happen.

With a heavy sigh, Ty Lee turned back towards the accusatory glare from her older friend, a sheepish look of apology on her face.

"I knew something was up," he said, eyes narrowing slightly as he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Zuko, I just thought it would be fun, and I've never performed for you before, and I knew you'd have a good time too," she spoke hurriedly, trying to get past the accusatory stare from her friend.

For a moment, he let her stew in apology, fighting to hold back the smirk threatening to stretch across his face. Once he was sure she was properly sorry, he decided to throw her a life line. "So, you went through all this just to show me your act?" he questioned, letting the smile slowly tug at his lips.

"I mean, kind of," she explained, cheeks darkening a bit as she caught his glare.

"Kind of?"

"It's just… you never show any interest in me or what I'm doing so I had to do something drastic."

Zuko strode quickly to close the distance between the two of them, stopping just in front of the younger woman. Gripping her chin with a pair of fingers, he tilted her head up so that their eyes locked, gazing warmly into her eyes.

"I wouldn't say I never have any interest in you and what you're doing," he said softly, hints of scent of fire and cinnamon on his breath sending shivers through her body as it playfully brushed against her cheeks. Grey eyes widened as he closed the remaining distance between them, bringing his hood down over both their faces as he pressed his lips to hers in a soft, teasingly gentle kiss.

A squeak of surprise slipped from Ty Lee's lips at the contact, a surge of electricity coursing through her from her lips down to her toes. Brown gray eyes fluttered closed, toes tensing as she leaned up to deepen the kiss.

The air around her cooled down as he pulled back, leaving her body seeking more contact. "Well, it was definitely a good time," he said simply, straightening the cloak draped over his body, lazily licking his lips as he tasted the flavor of her lip balm.

Ty Lee's eyes fluttered open, lost for words at what had just happened. Eyes locked on the wall behind her friend as he made his way past her, pausing momentarily just behind her.

"And I think I'd like to try it again sometime, maybe with a partner," he said, subtext clear with each word.

His words flowed into her ears, thick and heavy with meaning. Turning to follow as he made his way out of the tent, Ty Lee let her mind wander. A sedate, warm smile graced her soft features as she walked in step with the Fire Lord.

Zuko had opened a door, and she was curious to see what might be on the other side of it.