Zuko did not truly want to talk at the moment but found himself doing so anyway; his uncle was always a fountain of wisdom, and most likely would know much more about women than he did.
"Uncle?" he asked.
Iroh looked up, not looking surprised at all by Zuko's call. But then again, was he ever surprised by his nephew's need for his wisdom? "What is it, Prince Zuko?" he replied.
"I was wondering," Zuko started, not completely sure of his wording even after his attempts to prepare for the conversation. "What is it about a girl that makes you care so much?"
His uncle smiled warmly at him. "Yes, it is quite an interesting thing." He said with the same warmth that made him so fatherly at times. "And the same advice cannot be given to every person. Certain things, you must figure out for yourself, and hope that the mistakes you make are forgivable."
"So can you help me out or not?" Zuko demanded, more out of fear of what his uncle's answer suggested than true annoyance, although everything he said seemed to come out that way. Zuko did not like the idea of going through this experience devoid of his uncle's wisdom, for if Iroh did not know the answer, how would Zuko himself stand any chance?
His uncle smiled deeper than before, and Zuko regretted the harshness of his demand. "I can help you, Prince Zuko. But I may need to know a little more about your situation." He said. "Tell me, do you know what it is that you want to accomplish by this?"
Zuko's expression must have given away his answer, for his uncle continued.
"Now many would tell you that you should know what you want going into a relationship. However, I believe that it can be even more rewarding to go in not expecting anything. That way, you are less likely to be disappointed because you did not set any expectations in the beginning." He said, sounding as wise as ever.
Zuko thought about this for a moment. He wasn't even sure if a relationship was a possibility for him, and he felt like he was in no position to expect anything of Jin. He didn't know whether this was good or not, but he had another question that he felt was more important.
"How can I keep from hurting her?" he asked.
His uncle's smile turned slowly to a look of solemnity that suited him very well.
"This is a very important question that you are asking, Prince Zuko, and it is especially important to you, being the person you are. You are quick to act, and new to the idea of thinking before speaking or acting. You are not insensitive, but you can still hurt people unintentionally." He said softly. "You must exercise caution when you are speaking to her until the both of you become more comfortable with each other. Even then, you must still make every attempt to control your anger, although it will be tested more than once. Even the kindest of people have weaknesses, and you must seek to find what her weakness is. Not to use against her, of course, but to better understand her and provide the strongest support in the area where she is most weak. This will be the ultimate test of trust for both of you, as you should never press her to reveal this secret to you, but should instead figure it out all on your own, without her ever knowing. Do you understand this, Prince Zuko?"
Zuko thought for a moment. He knew he had heard a similar teaching before. It was in one of the Fire Nation schools he attended as a child. They were teaching about allies in war. It was always best to know your allies weakness better than your opponents, because then you would have a better understanding of their decisions. The difference was that the schools taught that in the end, you use your allies' weakness against them, once the main enemy had been conquered. His uncle was teaching him an entirely new concept. To know of a weakness but to use it to draw closer to a person, and create trust instead of sabotage was complete blasphemy when compared to Zuko's earlier teachings. However, this new idea began to make perfect sense to him, and he wondered how he had missed the wisdom on this subject that his uncle so easily provided.
"Yes, Uncle," Zuko finally responded. "I think I do understand. Thank you for your advice." A shy smile escaped from his face.
"Anytime, Zuko," Iroh replied, returning Zuko's small smile with a hearty one befitting the old man's large figure. "After we clean up the shop, we will get you ready for your next date tonight."
Zuko had no problem with his uncle's use of the word "date". In fact, this usage invigorated him.