Zuko, Iroh, and I were at the tea shop. I was still avoiding Zuko, and I could tell that Iroh had caught on that I was avoiding him. Zuko was severing a customer and I was up at the counter with Iroh next to me.
"What's wrong?" Iroh asked
"Nothing, why do you ask?" I asked
"Because you are avoiding someone, and don't deny it." Iroh said
"He is still so obsessed with capturing Aang, and going back home." I said
Iroh went to say something but Zuko walked up to us.
"Are we done yet?" Zuko asked
"No we are not." Iroh said
When the day was finally done we headed back to the apartment. I changed my clothes. I was about to leave when Zuko stopped me.
"Where are you going?" Zuko asked
"To walk around." I said
"I'm coming with you, and I won't take no for an answer." Zuko said
"Fine." I said
I left the apartment and headed down the street, I don't how long I walked or where I had walked but I ended up the farthest out ring, that was filled with grass and trees, and flowers. I looked around and then fell backwards and just started up at the sky and the clouds. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Zuko lay down next to me.
"Can we talk now?" Zuko asked
"I really don't see what there is to talk about. You made it clear that you want to capture Aang and go back to the Fire Nation. You care less what happens to me." I said
"That's not true." Zuko said
"Which part?" I asked
"I do care what happens to you. But I want to go home." Zuko said
"You want to go back to place that turned their back on you. To the father that burned and banished you. To the sister that was sent to capture you, and has been rude to you since you were children." I said
Zuko bolted up right.
"You have no right to talk about that or them. You know nothing of my family." Zuko said
"I know what you and Iroh have told me. And I have had the great pleasure of meeting your sister not once but twice, and the second time she almost killed me. So I do have the right to say what I did." I said
Zuko fell back down to the ground.
"Why are you mad at me?" Zuko asked
"What about you." I said
"What?" Zuko asked
"A few nights ago, you said you wanted to take Aang and go home. I asked you what about me, and you answered what about you. Now do you understand why I am mad at you?" I said
"Yes, I understand why you are mad. I have no clue about what would happen if I went home. I don't know what would happen if I actually caught Aang. I don't know anything, other than the fact that I hate this city." Zuko said
"Who's Mai?" I asked
I could see Zuko physically stiffen.
"Well that answer that question." I said
Zuko sat up and looked at me.
"Unlike you I think I know what would happen. You capture Aang, then you go home. Your father welcomes you back, you become crown prince again. Iroh won't go back with you, and even if I wanted to I can't. I'm as you put it the first time we meet a peasant. Not only that, but I'm a waterbender who can also firebender." I said
"Exactly, you could come back with me, and nothing would be in the way." Zuko said
"Your father would want me to help him bring Ba Sing Se to the ground, or help him conquer the northern water tribe. I won't be a weapon." I said
"You won't be a weapon. I promise." Zuko said
"And you won't go back to being with Mai." I said
"I was never with Mai. She was just the only one of Azula's friends that I got along with. Maybe at one point we could have been more, but not anymore. Not since I meet you. I want to go home, but I also don't want to go home without you." Zuko said
I turn my head to look at him, he is looking down at me. I went to say something but he leaned downed and kissed me. We broke apart for a second, only to breath and then we were kissing again. We pulled apart again, I sat up and he pulled me into his lap, I wrapped my legs around his waist, I moved my hands into his hair, one of his hands wrapped around my neck and the other around my waist. We stayed like that for a while. We pulled apart.
"We should probably head back, we don't want anyone to see us, especially in this position." I said
"Okay." Zuko said
We got up and headed back to the apartment hand in hand. As we walked we talked more.
"How old are you" I asked
"17. How about you?" Zuko asked
"14." I said
"…wait I thought you were 13." Zuko said
"My birthday was a couple of days ago." I said
Zuko stopped walking.
"Why didn't you tell me or Iroh? We would have done something." Zuko said
"I didn't want to make a big deal about it. We were always busy doing stuff. Plus I'm used to people not making a big deal about it." I said
"But we would have made a big deal about it." Zuko said
I just looked at him. It took him a second before a different look flashed across his face,
"Right, you didn't want it to be made into a big deal. But I can still be upset about the fact that I missed it." Zuko said
"Don't feel bad about it. Now come on lets go. " I said
I grabbed his hand which at some point I had let go of, and pulled him towards the apartment.
"I hope you know that I will be telling Iroh about your birthday." Zuko said
"I know just don't let him make a huge deal about it." I said
"I'll try, but we both know how Iroh can be." Zuko said
We walked into the apartment, Iroh wasn't back yet from wherever he went. We went and sat down in Zuko's room and just talked for a while. We heard the door open and close, we looked out of Zuko's room to see Iroh who looked very sad. He looked us and smiled but we could tell that the smile was fake.
"Why don't I make you some tea, Iroh." I said
"That should wonderful." Iroh said
I left Zuko's room and head to the small kitchen to make Iroh some tea. Once I was done I had him sit down and I gave him his tea. He sat down and started to drink the tea, I could still see the sadness and pain in his eyes. I didn't bug him about, and I looked over to Zuko who was looking at Iroh with pity and understanding. Zuko walks over to us and stands behind me with his hands on my shoulders. Iroh looked at us over his tea cup.
"I'm glad to see that you two are back to…normal." Iroh said
"So am I." Zuko said
Iroh looked at me, he let out a sigh.
"The last time I was here in this city I-I lost my s-s-son. I couldn't do anything, I didn't even know he was in trouble. It's the main reason I stopped my siege. My son when he died it was like a small part of myself died as well. I lost someone I loved more than anything." Iroh said
"That's something we all have in common. We've all lost someone we love." I said
Zuko's hand on my shoulder tightened. Iroh looks at me.
"Who did you lose?" Iroh asked
"My mother, she was killed in a fire nation raid. I was in the tent with her when it happened. I just stood there as the man killed her. I didn't do anything, I could bend, I could have saved her or tried to fight the man until my father got to the tent…but I didn't I just stood there and watched." I said
I could feel tears falling from my eyes.
"It wasn't your fault. You were a child." Iroh said
"I used to think it was my fault. My brother and sister never blamed me, nor did my grandmother. My father on the other hand barley talked or looked to me while he was still in the village he blamed me. He never told me he did or didn't but it was something I knew by the way he acted." I said
Iroh stood up and moved over to me and pulled me into hug.
"I'm glad you don't blame yourself. And your father missed out on a watching his daughter grow into a beautiful, kind, and smart girl." Iroh said
"Thank you Iroh." I said
I felt Zuko hug me as well. We just sat there on the floor of the kitchen hugging each other. I had a smile on face, knowing that everything was going to be okay… little did I know my little happy world would soon burn and turn to ash.
