-o-I realize that one thing that the authors I like so much have in common (besides awesome writing skillz) is the fact that they update often. Quality AND Quantity...Or something like that. This idea hit me at work and I couldn't shake it. Hope you like! -o-
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Title: Some Things
Characters/Pairings: Zuko, slight Soko
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There was a moment of deafening silence when the man fell heavily to the ground, punctured only by the slight tinkle of broken glass falling from the table onto his motionless body. Zuko's hand throbbed, and an expression of carefully controlled anger evidenced itself on his face. Another heartbeat passed before the voice of his uncle penetrated the air, with a solemn, "I can't believe you just did that."
"Me neither, but I can't rightly blame him," spoke up one of the city guards, who turned back to his tea with an approving nod in the teen's direction. "That drunk had it coming to him."
"I wanted to punch him myself," admitted another man, and murmurs of concurrence perked up the stunned crowd of the teashop until a normal level of conversation buzzed again. Zuko's face was still hard as he helped his employer grab the unconscious man and dump him unceremoniously outside onto the empty streets of Ba Sing Se. The cool night air did little to sate his wrath, but he bowed his head in apology anyway.
"I'm sorry for causing a disturbance," he said, looking through the window to see his uncle already sweeping up the broken glass and conversing with the teashop's patrons as if nothing had happened. Of all the humiliating things he had heard people of the Earth Kindgom say about his homeland and people, why had this insult been the one for him to react to so explosively to? Thinking about the man's comments again only served to ignite his fury once more, and he clenched his fists against another outburst.
"Don't be," the teashop owner said, with one of those special paternal smiles that he reserved for the youth. "It's nice to know that young men in this generation still have respect for a woman's honor."
Zuko made a disgusted noise and brought his fist up to his face in the starlight, belatedly realizing that his hand was bleeding.
"Go take that hand to the healer, Lee," the owner instructed before disappearing again into the warm light of his shop and leaving Zuko alone in the empty streets except for the snoring body of the offensive man he had just punched out. He began the familiar journey to the healer's house, knowing that if anything could bring him down from the rage he was currently battling, it would be her, with her soft words and gentle hands.
"That was very brave of you, Lee," Song said once she had heard the story. His heart softened a little as he looked down at her petite figure; so busy massaging the purple ointment onto his bleeding hand. The anger subsided, but regret for his actions never came.
Zuko had been mildly irritated when the man insulted the Fire Nation, and truly offended when he began speaking loudly about his crude intentions for the female population in general. But he had knocked out the unruly drunk when he had combined the two distasteful subjects--because there are just some things you just don't say about someone's sister.
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-o-Lol, yeah. It's too late to edit. Meh. Review please—no silent readers this time! Have Nice Lives, Y'all-o-