Boiling Point
Sandals in Eyes

In the beginning, Lu Ten wanted to avoid Iroh, unsure of how he'd tell his father the truth, yet there was no such luck.

Where he once worried about hurting Zuko and Iroh with the fact he was dishonest and kept his relationship with Ursa from both of them, let alone the fact he'd known for some time Zuko was his flesh and blood, he now worried about how Zuko needed to see Iroh, to know the man forgave him just as much as Lu Ten knew he needed to know both of them would forgive him. Yet, in the same regard, he knew how hard it would be for Zuko to say what he needed to Iroh.

"First thing's first is Zuko talks to father, but with how Zuko is, I think telling him first is the right thing to do. Just my luck though that I've not found time alone with him, my son, nor have we found father's trail."

There was no such luck, but then there was luck in that direction, in the form of one smelly sandal. Lu Ten wasn't even aware of its presence until Sokka let out a sound of disgust as he held his nose and held the offending object away from him. "Zuko, why do you have a stinky sandal?"

"It belongs to Uncle. I planned on giving it back to him when I saw him," Zuko stated, which was honestly so like Zuko in that he'd want to do the right thing yet not think about how a missing shoe would likely by now have been replaced. Of course, the object also belonged to Iroh, so it made quite a bit of sense the boy would hold onto any object he could of the old man's.

"Wait..." Sokka looked at him, still holding his nose. "Are you really telling me you had this stinky thing here the whole time while we were looking for your Uncle?"

"Yes. Why?" Zuko looked at Sokka, not following, but then Lu Ten did not either.

"It's stinky."

"And?"

"You know, it's sting-kee," Sokka repeated.

"I know it's..." Zuko's eyes widened. "Oh." Then his mouth formed a frown as he glared at Sokka. "Oh."

"I don't follow," Aang piped up.

"June," Zuko muttered.

Nobody mentioned before Zuko hiring a bounty hunter to track the Avatar down via scent, but soon the small group was tracking his father via the stinky smell from Iroh's sandal. As they traveled, Lu Ten pulled the hood in closer, his lips pushing together at the thought of giving his father an attack that would kill him, just from seeing his son alive, yet he pushed it aside, seeing how tense Zuko was.

He'd not expected to end up in Ba-Sing-Se, the city that his father failed to take so many years ago, something he'd learned eventually, but they found themselves among an army which seemed to be of no nation, yet he soon met the Waterbending Master that Katara spoke of, learning that he'd become her grandfather since the last time they met, but he pulled the hood over his face even tighter at seeing Piandao and Jeong Jeong there.

Sokka, it turned out, was also a student of Piandao and the two spoke to each other, but Lu Ten couldn't help but notice how Zuko kept glancing at the man, avoiding eye contact just in the same way he avoided eye contact with his old master, but also his father's old friend. He thought Piandao hadn't seen him until the man sent a smirk his way, that twinkle reminding him how devious the man was. "Our leader will be pleased to see you."

"Um," Aang tilted his head, the group had already informed them of the Order of the White Lotus and its mission to bring unity among the lands. "Who is your leader? I mean, I recognize everyone else here, but..."

"Oh. Sorry. I meant that he'll be pleased to see Prince Zuko and Prince Lu Ten," Piandao stated, which made Lu Ten know exactly who the leader was, but that knowledge made him tense up.

Jeong Jeong's eyes widened before he stepped over, pushing back the hood. A rather grin spread across his face. "Bless Agni." He then turned towards a tent where the sound of snoring came from, yelling loudly. "Iroh! Wake up! You've got to come out here and see this!"

Lu Ten froze in place, quickly reaching out for the back of Zuko's Fire Nation tunic knowing full well the boy's eyes were darting around for a way to escape, much like he'd done when confronted by Azula. Yet, Iroh was nobody to be feared like Azula. He swept out of the tent, the usual stern face Lu Ten remembered from the war on his face that he used on his soldiers which resulted in Zuko sucking in his breath leaning slightly as if in hopes that Lu Ten might let go.

"I hope you're interrupting my..." The stern look fell from Iroh's face, his eyes widening as his facial features softened. The next thing Lu Ten knew, and probably Zuko for that matter, was Iroh rushing forward to embrace both of them into one of his large hugs. A sigh escaped Lu Ten's mouth, his eyes closing as he melted into the warm embrace, all formality they were used to in the past out the window. Zuko, on the other hand, tensed up. "Bless the spirits. They've brought both of my boys, my sons back."

"...my sons back."

The words made Lu Ten tense up, but he felt Zuko tense up even more, almost as if he'd sensed Lu Ten's reaction. He could feel Iroh's hot tears. "Both of you, lost to me, one having lost their way in the living world and the other having been lost to the spirit world." Iroh pushed them both away. "But look at you both! You found your way home, didn't you?"

Zuko looked down at the ground. "I'm not your son."

"Zuko, of course..."

"I'm not re..." Zuko's voice caught. "...lated to you in that way." Lu Ten frowned, his mind wondering if Zuko meant to say something else, but then Zuko said. "He's your son, Uncle, and this is Lu Ten's time with you, not mine."

"Zu..." Iroh glanced up at Lu Ten, but then back at Zuko. "Can I speak to you both in my tent real quick?" One didn't argue with the general, but Lu Ten kept a grip on the back of Zuko's tunic, not that he needed to as the boy went in. He then said, "What is going on between the two of you? I had this discussion with you, that I'd come to think of you as my son Zuko, back when we were hiding in Ba-Sing-Se and you were ill. That's not changed just because Lu Ten is back."

"That..." Zuko's throat tightened, looking at the ground. "I don't want to come between your family moment."

"I, this wouldn't happen to be because Lu Ten tensed up. I assure you, he was simply surprised at my words. There is no way he'd be jealous..." Iroh stopped. "Lu Ten, are you jealous?"

"No," Lu Ten stated, yet it was a lie, a lie he hoped he didn't let show. Except, the question was whether he was jealous of Zuko, not whether he was jealous of his father. There was no way he'd be jealous of Zuko being a second son to Iroh, but there was jealousy there that Iroh had become a father to Zuko, a wave of slight anger there.

"Lu Ten!"

Obviously, he'd slipped, his eyes darting away, not wishing for this to be how he told either one of them. "It's not..."

"I'll leave. I don't..."

Lu Ten reacted quickly, reaching out and pulling Zuko into a hug, which caught the sixteen-year-old off guard. "Don't you dare!" He could hear how his voice strained. "Don't you dare leave Zuko! I didn't mean anything by that, and I could never be angry at you!"

"Why not? Why aren't both of you angry at me?"

"Angry?" Iroh shook his head. "No. Sad, yes. Zuko, don't you understand..."

Lu Ten finished for his father, "... how precious you are to this family?"

Zuko pulled away, looking Lu Ten in the eye. "But I'm not family, am I?"

"Zuko..." Lu Ten remembered his words from when they were rescued, his reaction to Zuko's eye. The young man, his son darted from the tent, but Lu Ten closed his eyes.

"What was that about? Zuko is most certainly family. Why am I still drilling that into that boy's head?"

"I..." Lu Ten looked at the ground. "Look. I'll explain later when I can, but I need to go talk to Zuko. I think this might be a mess I started, albeit unintentionally." He followed after the boy, moving quickly, worried about his son.