"Ok, so you have to teach me how to fight with swords." Said Zoe, staring after the retreating jail van where Jet's face could still be seen between the wooden bars.
There had been a tavern brawl, in their tea shop that just happened to be between Jet and, of course, Zuko. Yep, Jet had worked out they were firebenders, and decided action was the way to prove it.
Though he was correct, and though Zoe knew he was, she actually found herself not believing him for the way he had approached his case. 'I know their firebenders; I saw the old man heating his tea!' Yeah, great evidence Jet.
But, Zoe had felt completely useless; she couldn't airbend nor could she fight with weapons. She'd also been very jealous of Zuko; he made it look so easy, as if the swords were literally extensions of his arms. She had never felt more vulnerable and decided she must learn the art of sword play.
"Right," replied Zuko, "and then you'll end up slicing your hand off."
"Excuse me?" She hissed, taken aback. "I would be a great fighter! I'm fast, I have good reflexes! You haven't even given me a chance!"
Zuko sighed and looked her up and down, from her determined glare to her hands sitting on her hips. "Maybe some time."
Zoe was even more taken aback, she thought he would argue with her some more. "Oh." she said, "Uh… ok, thanks?"
Zuko shrugged and began walking, somewhat miserably, back into the shop. Zoe ran after him, Iroh not that far behind.
"Z-Lee, what's wrong?" asked Zoe, confused and concerned. "Did Jet injure you?" she said, quickly examining his body for wounds.
Zuko sighed angrily, "No." he snapped storming away from both she and Iroh.
Zoe stared after him surprised and Iroh placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I think we should all call it a night." he said wisely. Zoe agreed, nodding her head in a resigned way.
By the next morning, Zuko was still being Mr grumpy bum and Zoe was fed up with it.
"Zuko, either tell us what's bothering you or stop sulking." She snapped at the breakfast table when he wouldn't cease his continuous glaring.
He turned his glare on her, and remained like that for a moment. Then suddenly, "They hate us!" he burst out.
Zoe glanced at Iroh confused, "Um… who hates us?"
"Everyone, everyone! They despise the Fire Nation! You saw the way Jet acted when he thought we were just firebenders! Imagine what he would have been like if he knew I was the Prince!" He reeled and Zoe was caught between trying to be compassionate and to shush him before all the neighbours heard him. "Why don't you hate us?" he demanded angrily.
Zoe sighed and looked down, "To me you are Zuko and Iroh. You are Fire Nation and you are the Prince and the Dragon of the West, and that makes you: you. Why would I hate you for that? It's who you are, and you're my friends."
Zuko didn't answer, instead he kicked the table leg grumpily, but Iroh squeezed Zoe's shoulder and gave her a very warm smile which she returned.
"Zuko." said Zoe. He didn't look up and she struggled not to huff angrily. She had an idea. "You need to let off some steam; why don't we find some place private where we can bend. It is our day off."
"What an excellent idea!" piped in Iroh happily, "I have shopping to do anyway, and I'm sure you didn't want to come with me for that."
"Right," sneered Zuko, "Like we'll find anywhere to do that in this stinking city."
"Well we'll never know unless we look will we?" hissed Zoe angrily, "Where as sitting around the house all day, oh I'm sure we'll achieve much. I hope you remember what happened last time you wouldn't come out with us? You were nearly killed!" An echoing sound of an explosion seemed to linger in the air as the three of them remembered the night Zuko's ship was blown up. "So I'll go out will I? And expect to come home to the apartment in pieces and your limbs strewn about?"
Zuko sighed, defeated, but annoyed. "Fine." he snarled, "I'll come, but don't expect me to skip about with glee all happy-daisies like."
Zoe stifled a giggle; 'happy-daisies?' "Always the positive one aren't you Zuko?" said Zoe rolling her eyes, "come on then." She grabbed his hand, pulling him out of his chair and out the door.
After a good long hour of walking, (and sulking on Zuko's part) Zuko and Zoe finally managed to find somewhere, away from people and out of sight. It was in an old, empty warehouse which was good because Zuko's fire wouldn't be seen from far away and no one came round here.
As soon as they were in Zoe jumped on a conjured airball and went flying off. Quite literally, in fact as it seemed lack of practice meant lack of skill and she went crashing to the floor. She sat up crossly, dusting herself off.
"We am I such a bad bender?" she cried angrily and Zuko came to help her up. He offered her his hand and she took it, albeit a little grudgingly.
"You're not." He said sympathetically; he knew how she felt. "You've never even had a teacher; I'd say you're doing pretty well." He looked down to their hands which were still entwined, "when I was a kid my sister was always the best; I'd fail while she excelled. I was weak and she was a fire bending prodigy." He sneered the last word, dropping her hand and sending a vicious fireball at the wall from his palm.
After he started, he didn't stop. Flames were streaming and blasting every which way around them while Zoe watched him sadly. The air blazing and crackling like his anger, his pain. Zoe could see it, she could feel it. She wanted to help him, hold him, do something.
"I don't know Zuko." said Zoe when he finally fell to the ground exhausted. "Prodigy she may have been, but you, you're so much more than that. Your determination, honour, your own skill; you shouldn't underestimate yourself. Your sister could never compare to you." She sat down beside him.
"My mother…" started Zuko slowly, staring at the roof, "used to say things like that, she said she was proud of me for my determination, for never giving up." He wasn't sure why he was saying this, but it felt right to talk to her.
"She's a wise woman." smiled Zoe. She paused hesitantly, "will…will you tell me about her?"
Zuko turned his blazing golden eyes on Zoe and for a moment she thought she'd gone too far, but then he spoke. "She always loved me for who I am; the real me. She encouraged me, protected me and… I wasn't there to help her." Zoe wasn't sure if he was talking to her or himself now, he'd turned his head back to the ceiling, "I don't know where she is. I don't even know if she's alive."
There was a moment of silence and then Zoe said, "It sucks, doesn't it?"
Zuko looked back to her surprised. He'd expected the usual response to something like that: 'are you ok?' yeah fine…of course not, idiot! Or 'you must miss her.' No, I'm just getting all teary because I don't care. He felt a swelling surge of gratitude toward the girl next to him and he sat up, picked up her hand from her lap and held it.
Butterflies erupted in Zoe's stomach and seemed to fly through her body. She had never been so surprised by Zuko in her life. He had never been one to hold her hand; she'd always been the one to take his. For a second, she saw his eyes flick down to her lips and her heart skipped a beat. She leant forward subconsciously and his breath hitched, his hand tightening on hers. She shuffled to her knees and moved closer to him. Placing one hand on his cheek she pressed her lips to his jaw silently. Zuko nearly groaned and he moved his vacant hand to rest on Zoe's waist, pulling her closer and she kissed him again, moving slowly down his neck, his hand tightened on her waist.
She stopped suddenly; her breath quickening and a warm blush coated her cheeks. She smiled shyly. "Hey," she said nervously, "why don't we have a spar? I haven't duelled you for ages! I'm sure you're missing getting your ass kicked." Yeah, OK she was scared, but she had no idea what this was she was feeling and so she cowardly shied away from it.
Zuko smirked, but felt disappointed. Why did she stop? Probably because she realised what she was doing: who he was. "Yeah, because that happened so often." He said sarcastically as they got up, "Oh wait…that never happened."
Zoe grinned, despite the insult as there was a definite change in Zuko's attitude. Well, for now at least, and she was going to make the most of it. She took a breath, steadying herself. She was slightly regretful that she had stopped…what she had been doing, but she didn't want to be pushed away and hurt and seen as Zuko never showed any sign of liking her; being pushed away was a definite.
How silly and blinded she was.
And so the next quarter of the day was spent with Zuko chasing Zoe around the entire warehouse, but failing to catch her until finally she lost control and barrelled straight into him.
They both lay flat on their backs breathing heavily and laughing. Zoe was amazed, because for once it wasn't just her, it was him too; Zuko was actually laughing.
Zuko turned to Zoe who was a few metres away from him and smiled softly. "We should come back here again." He said.
Zoe grinned, "yeah we should." She agreed. Her stomach rumbled rather loudly and Zuko chuckled.
"Food?" he asked with a knowing smirk. She poked her tongue out at him.
"Food." She agreed and they headed off, quite happily, to town.
"I think that Earth Kingdom girl in the back corner is onto us." hissed Zoe placing her tea tray down next to Iroh and Zuko at the back of the shop.
"I agree," Whispered Zuko suspiciously, "I think she knows we're Fire Nation."
Iroh chuckled, and Zoe raised an eyebrow as she placed the fresh tea on her tray. "You're right; I've seen that girl in here quite a lot. Seems to me has quite the crush on you, Zuko." He said cheekily.
"What?" Splutter Zuko and Zoe at the same time.
"Thankyou for the tea." Said the girl suddenly who had magically appeared behind the counter. Zoe dropped her tray with a mighty clatter, the glasses shattering on contact with the hard floor. She blushed and glared accusingly at the girl.
"Sorry," she giggled, handing Zuko her money. "I didn't mean to startle you."
Zoe's eyes narrowed. "You didn't startle me." She snarled, "I feel the day isn't complete without at least one shattered glass."
"Uh..." she said confused and wary, "OK." Iroh chuckled.
"So, what's your name?" she asked Zuko as Zoe bent down to pick up the pieces. Zoe tried to remain calm while her limbs shook.
"Ah…" said Zuko nervously, "my names Lee. My Uncle, er…sister and I just moved here."
"Hi Lee." She said sweetly, looking at him through hazy eyes. "My names Jin. Thankyou and…well, I was wondering if you would like to go out sometime."
Zoe's hand clenched on the piece of broken china she currently held. The sharp edge pierced her skin and the blood flowed freely. "Ouch!" she yelped.
"He'd love to!" Iroh piped in, leaning down to inspect Zoe's cut, but she stood up before he had a chance.
"No he wouldn't." she snapped, glaring at 'Jin'.
"Don't mind Ping." Said Iroh hurriedly, "she's just having a bad day. Come with me Ping." and with much more force than Zoe realised he had, he pulled her out to the kitchen. Vaguely she could hear Jin making plans on where to meet that evening.
"Why are you making him go out with her?" She hissed as soon as they were out of earshot.
"Please, Zoe, you have to understand that I think it is a good idea for him to have a date with another girl." Iroh said wisely while wrapping a piece of cloth around Zoe's bloody finger to staunch the bleeding.
"What exactly is there to understand about that?" She snapped, hissing angrily when her cut stung a little.
"I believe it will help him to realise his feelings for you." He said in a very knowing way.
Zoe scoffed, "What feelings?"
Iroh shook his head sadly. "You're bright enough to see the good in my nephew, yet so blind that you misunderstand his feelings."
Zuko walked into the kitchen slowly, a curious expression on his face. Zoe glared at him, hurt and betrayed. This settled it; he clearly felt no romantic feelings toward her. He had done nothing to stop his Uncle setting him up. She yanked her hand out of Iroh's grasp and pushed past both of them out the door.
Where she was going she didn't know, all she knew was she didn't even want to lay her eyes in the Prince right now. She shouldn't care so much; it's just a stupid date. But, she did, she cared too much. Why was she with them anyway? Zuko didn't care about her like she did him, and clearing Iroh was oblivious to her feelings.
Suddenly, without having realised where her feet had taken her, Zoe came to an abrupt halt. She was at the gate barring her way to the middle ring, beyond that would be the upper ring. She felt a longing ache to visit her old home, her past, long gone happiness. Two gaurds held up their hands for her to stop.
"I just want to visit-" she began to say, but they silenced her.
"No one from the lower ring may visit the upper rings without permission."
"What? Why?" She demanded, "I'll come back, my home is here." As soon as she said it, she realised that it was true. Her home was here, with her friends, with Iroh and Zuko, the ones she loved.
They refused her entry once again and she shrugged. She supposed Ping was supposed to be Lee's sister, perhaps that was what was needed right now. So she began to slowly trudge back her way back home.
She was still hopeful however by the time she returned to their apartment and was full of expectations that Iroh to be full of Apologies and Zuko would declare his unrelenting love to her. But, love and apologies she did not receive. Instead she walked in on reality: Zuko sitting grumpily on a chair while Iroh combed his hair with a wet comb.
"Well don't you look fancy." She tried to say, but it came out as a sneer. "I think I saw your girl friend outside."
Zuko glowered at her, "She is not my girlfriend."
Zoe shrugged, trying to contain the nagging jealousy that was gnawing at her mind, trying to make her kick and scream in anger. "Cup of tea Uncle?"
"I would love some, thank you." He smiled, eyeing her carefully. Zuko stood up finally while Zoe fussed around with the spark rocks. He took a deep calming breath and headed to the door.
"Have a good night!" Called Iroh.
"See you later…" said Zoe weakly. A strange stalker like idea came to her mind and she debated on following them. No, Zoe, bad Zoe! She would not resort to such lowly methods.
Zoe handed Iroh his Tea. "You seem much calmer now." noticed Iroh.
"I had a think about some things." She replied simply. "If Zuko doesn't…like me, then I'll just have to deal with being his friend." Wow, she'd said it, she'd let it out. "I mean...not that I like him like that...I'm just saying..."
Iroh shook his head sadly. "I am afraid you still have not grasped the point."
A/N Thanks so much for the reviews! They seriously make me so happy! =) =) MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! And thanks again! I'm hoping to update once more before Christmas...we'll see how that goes :P