AU: Well, so much for trying to post every month. Life is a pain sometimes. Like literally. I'm still alive though. And slowly working away at chapters for my various stories. Thank you all who have been with me for all this. I appreciate your patience.

Mind you, this is another recap chapter, at least partly. And on the shorter side.

Also, I am posting in Archive of Our Own and sometimes post there before I post here, if that helps anyone.


The group settled back again as his father began to talk, telling them about what had transpired since they'd last crossed paths with the three young travelers. Zuko took this time to watch the expressions and reactions of the rest of the group around the table. He could only be grateful that Toph already knew who they were, otherwise this would be so much worse.

"So you've both just been here most of the time?" Avatar Aang asked once Iroh had finished the basic explanations.

"That is correct," the older firebender replied easily "We've become quite established here now. Our tea shop is quite popular." There was obvious pride in his voice as he spoke about his shop. Not that Zuko blamed him. They'd put a lot of work into getting this shop up and going. And his father was good at this. And it made him happy. Zuko may not always fully enjoy the quiet life as a tea shop worker, but he did appreciate how much it clearly meant to the older man who meant so much to him. Paired with Toph's companionship and his time working with the White Lotus it was enough.

But now Toph was leaving. Zuko couldn't stop the small frown that came to his face as he thought on this, tuning out the conversation going on around him. He would miss the rowdy earthbender. She was the closest friend he'd ever had. Sure Mai had been nice when he was younger, but she'd always been more Azula's friend than his. Things would be quiet around the city without her. He'd miss their regular spars. And her witty attitude. And watching her fight in the rumble. And...well. He'd just miss her. But he didn't want to keep her from getting away from her parents if that was what she wanted. Especially if, from the sounds of it, they were going to get more strict. Plus the Avatar did need an earthbending teacher and Toph was probably one of the best he could get all things considered. He was just-

"Zuko?" His father's voice cut through his thoughts, causing him to jump slightly and refocus on the older man. From the way his father and the others were all staring at him, he rather got the impression that wasn't the first time his name had been called. Heat flushed up the back of his neck as he let out a quiet, embarrassed cough and met his father's concerned and amused eyes. "Is everything alright Zuko?"

"Yes, of course." Judging by the raised eyebrow he got in reply he probably replied too quickly. "Did you need something Father?" There was a pause before the expression watching him gentled slightly.

"Would you mind helping me gather some snacks for our guests son?" Iroh's voice was fairly typical, but Zuko was certain that his father was pulling him aside to talk in private for a moment.

"But we already-OW!" Sokka's confusion was cut off as he suddenly jumped and reached down to rub his leg, clearly in pain. "Hey! What was that for!" Zuko couldn't help but huff a quiet laugh as Toph rolled her eyes in clear exasperation.

"Is he always this dumb?" the blind earthbender asked her waterbending counterpart, clearly exasperated.

"Unfortunately," Katara drawled back, earning an offended exclamation from her brother and a laugh from the young Avatar. Not wanting to interrupt, Zuko quietly stood up and nodded to his father before starting towards the kitchen. He could hear the older firebender making a quiet excuse to the three still at the table before following him out of the room. Zuko was unsurprised when his father shut the door behind him before coming over to place a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright Zuko?" Iroh's voice was low and concerned and Zuko found himself leaning into the comfort offered by the hand on his shoulder. He knew his father wouldn't push things if he refused to talk, but he found himself not really wanting to keep this to himself this time. Strange as that feeling was even now.

"I'm..." he trailed off for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts. Thankfully his father stayed quiet, letting him collect himself. "I'm going to miss her," he finished after several long moments. "it's been nice having someone my own age around. A friend." Iroh let out a low hum in acknowledgment and tightened his grip slightly. There were a few more beats of silence before the older man spoke, making sure Zuko was done talking first.

"That is understandable," his father's voice was low and soothing, a familiar comfort "You were denied real friends of your own age for most of your life." There was another pause, but this one felt like the older bender was thinking, searching for words, so Zuko turned his head to look back towards him, allowing a silent question to form on his face. After a moment Iroh seemed to come to a decision and continued speaking. "There is a way you could avoid missing her if you wanted." Zuko furrowed his eyes a bit at that, uncomprehendingly, but didn't bother to ask. He knew his father would clarify soon enough. He always did. Even if he sometimes...took the long way around to get there. Hopefully he wouldn't take quite as long this time, considering they had guests. Guests on a time limit at that. Thankfully he seemed to be aware of their time constraints because the older man moved onto the point after only a brief pause.

"The Avatar does need a firebending teacher after all," Iroh prompted gently before continuing on, cutting off any protests Zuko might start making "You are more than accomplished enough to teach him. And I think it do you good to spend time with others your own age. I can manage the shop well enough here without you if needed. And we can still communicate through the White Lotus as needed. On top of that, the resources and connections you have as a Lotus member now could do them a great deal of good on their travels."

Zuko's first instinct was to protest, loudly, but he clamped down on it quickly enough. He'd gotten pretty good at controlling those first impulses, and his temper, over these last several months. Meditation and finding a better way to control his inner flame had been a major part of that. On top of the other various lessons, his father had been teaching him. So, instead of just reacting, Zuko took a beat to let the words sink in. Allowed himself time to think about them properly. He knew his father wouldn't bring this sort of thing up lightly. So it was probably something he had thought about before.

So...what would be the benefits if he went with The Avatar and his group. There would be Toph of course. And that was no small benifit. He would miss her fiercely if he didn't go. And it would be nice to be able to directly help the war effort. It didn't get much more direct than assisting The Avatar himself. And he could find the group allies in various places. And with all the traveling the small group did he'd also be gathering intel to pass on to the White Lotus as well. That wasn't something to overlook.

The negative effects weren't anything to sneer at either though. Well, mostly just one negative effect. He hadn't been away from his new father for any extended period of time since his banishment and they'd been apart even less since leaving the military behind. The separation would be painful. He knew that even now. But would it be worth it? He wasn't sure. It was possible. Coming back out of his thoughts he refocused on the man in front of him only to find himself hit full blast by the pride Iroh was practically broadcasting at him. The visible approval of his action caught him off guard and temporarily derailed his thought process, leaving him floundering for a moment.

"Er. Well. Yes." He faltered before clearing his throat and trying to gather himself. "That's certainly an option..." He paused for a moment, frowning slightly. "Are you sure you'd be alright with that? I mean...we built this shop here. The two of us."

"We did," Iroh agreed warmly, moving his hand down from Zuko's arm to take his hand instead. "And I am very happy we did. I love what we've built here together. But I also know you weren't really content here until you met Toph. Lotus work helps, but it only does so much. And that's ok. I want you to be happy Zuko. And I believe you will be happier traveling with them. At least for a time. I will be alright here. I promise." Zuko continued to frown, but it grew more thoughtful than concerned (though the concern didn't entirely leave). He couldn't say his father was wrong... Agni's sun! This was quite the decision to have to make on such short notice, but he was short on time. He allowed himself a couple minutes longer before he let out a slow sigh. A moment later he straightened up with a short nod.

"Right," he agreed "I'll go get my things. I won't be long." He hesitated a moment before giving the other man a brief, fierce hug. He allowed himself to hold on for several moments before pulling away and hurrying upstairs. He had some packing to do. Thankfully he already had some basics packed. They always kept emergency bags packed, just in case they were discovered.