Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/10670172.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Underage
  Category:
      M/M, Multi
  Fandom:
      Avatar:_The_Last_Airbender, Avatar_(TV), Avatar:_Legend_of_Korra
  Relationship:
      Aang/Zuko_(Avatar), Aang/Katara_(Avatar), Mai/Zuko_(Avatar), Sokka/Suki_
      (Avatar), Toph_Beifong/Kanto
  Character:
      Aang_(Avatar), Zuko_(Avatar), Katara_(Avatar), Mai_(Avatar), Toph
      Beifong, Sokka_(Avatar), Suki_(Avatar), Iroh_(Avatar), Ty_Lee_(Avatar),
      Haru_(Avatar), Azula_(Avatar), Ursa_(Avatar), Ikem_(Avatar), Kiyi_
      (Avatar), Tom-Tom_(Avatar), Teo_(Avatar), Order_of_the_White_Lotus_-
      Character, Longshot_(Avatar), Smellerbee_(Avatar), The_Duke, Pipsqueak_
      (Avatar), Hakoda_(Avatar), Malina_(Avatar), Moo-Chee-Goo-Chee-La-Poo-Chee
      the_Third_|_The_Dark_One, Izumi_(Avatar), Bumi_II_(Avatar), Kya_II_
      (Avatar), Tenzin_(Avatar), Kanto_(Avatar), Ozai_(Avatar), Gran_Gran_
      (Avatar), Pakku_(Avatar), Korra_(Avatar)
  Additional Tags:
      Gay, Zukaang_-_Freeform, Lolita!Aang, Romance, Forbidden_Love, Cheating,
      Adultery, Lemon, Smut, life_story, Temptation, Guilt, Angst_and_Feels,
      Humor, Marriage, Honor, Rough_Sex, Anal_Sex, Anal_Fingering, Oral_Sex,
      Age_Difference, Coming_of_Age, Magical_Tattoos, References_to_Drugs,
      Alcohol, Ba_Sing_Se, Republic_City, Zuko's_POV, Funny, Arrow_dick, Taboo,
      Lolita
  Series:
      Part 1 of Like_the_Sun,_but_Inside_of_You_(Zukaang)
  Stats:
      Published: 2017-04-19 Updated: 2018-03-27 Chapters: 3/? Words: 28414
****** Like the Sun, but Inside of You ******
by airbendandsnap
Summary
     Can an obsession ever turn into platonic friendship?
     Three years after the defeat of Firelord Ozai, Aang and Zuko are hard
     at work building the Republic of Nations. When Zuko hears about the
     Avatar's breakup, it sets into motion a lifetime of romance, passion,
     and betrayal. It's a decision he's had to make before: chasing honor
     or following his heart. And, like before, he realizes the two are
     intertwined.
     [Fits canonically with Avatar, LoK, and the comics]
Notes
     This story will cover key points in Zuko and Aang's relationship up
     until Aang's death and will include an epilogue after that. I can't
     predict how many chapters it will be, as this is my first multi-
     chapter fic, but it's going to be pretty lengthy.
     I originally started this story during the events of Book 3, but the
     pre-established story from Zuko's point of view felt clumsy as I
     wrote it. Instead, I will eventually post that part of the story
     separately as a prequel. I've used canon from the graphic novels to
     write this. At the time of this posting, it's about a week until the
     final installment of North and South comes out, and the Legend of
     Korra comics are not yet out.
     Hope you enjoy!
***** The Avatar and the Firelord *****
In many ways, Zuko was grateful for the trips that took him away from his
palace in the Capitol City, Caldera. The air seemed lighter here, and though he
was long past the days when he could roam the Earth Kingdom anonymously, its
citizens were content to acknowledge him and then let him get back to work, not
shake his hand and schmooze with him like the would-be social climbers of the
Fire Nation. During late nights huddled around that small wooden table with
Aang, using the large dusty chalkboard hanging on the wall to map out ideas
that changed too quickly to commit to paper, Zuko felt like he was on the brink
of something huge. It was like the first time he’d conjured a small flame in
his palm at the age of six. The United Republic of Nations was a wildfire just
starting to grow, and one day its capitol was going to shine as bright as
lightning. The only perk Caldera held compared to the site of the future
capitol city was that Mai was there, but the time apart kept their relationship
from becoming tedious. Most of the time.
At this point, the city consisted of a few portable buildings and a whole lot
of land neatly bent into a flat canvas. Zuko and Aang were working closely with
the Department of Civil Bending and Planning to create the landscape of the
city. Aang wanted to wait until they had the entire city mapped out to start
building. Zuko secretly felt that might take away a bit of the charm, but he
tended to defer to Aang on matters of likability.
Currently, Aang had Avatar business to attend to, so Zuko was going alone to
meet Toph in the Department of Corrections to discuss her ideas for the future
police force of Republic City.
When he walked into the portable, Toph was tipped back in her chair with her
legs crossed on the desk in front of her and her fingers laced behind her head.
As Zuko closed the door, she leaped to her feet, assuming the posture that
meant she was using her bending to see him. Though most of the portables in the
city were raised slightly off the ground and accessible by steps, the
Department of Corrections sat flush against the land.
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite autocrat! Good to see you, Sparky!”
Zuko embraced her, glad she couldn’t see him wince at her tight grip.
“Greetings, Chief.”
Toph laughed, releasing him. “Can’t really be a chief before I have the police
force.”
“In due time, Bei Fong.”
Zuko made himself comfortable in the plush chair across from Toph’s desk while
she made them coffee on the little stove in her office’s kitchen. Much to Uncle
Iroh’s dismay, Toph had become a hardened coffee drinker recently, around the
time she turned sixteen.
She returned with two large mugs of the blackest, most viscous coffee Zuko had
ever seen. Hesitant to take a sip, he left it on the desk to cool.
Sitting across from him, Toph blew on the top of her coffee, then took a big
throaty gulp. “That’s the stuff,” she said, smacking her lips. She set the cup
down and resumed the laid-back position Zuko had found her in.
“Alright, brass tacks. As you know, my bending academy has produced a few
successes. Some better than others, but it is now confirmed that a fair amount
of earth benders can be trained to work with metal.”
Zuko narrowed his eyes. “I thought your message said you wanted to talk about
the police force.”
“It’s relevant, dingus,” said Toph smugly. “As I was saying, it’s been clearly
proven that if enough earth benders are taught the finer points of
metalbending, a decent percentage of them will be able to perform and
eventually master it. Now here’s where my genius comes into play. I believe
that a police task force comprised entirely of metal benders would have the
best chance at controlling crime in this city. Because it is such a rare skill
set, it would give us the edge in matters of conflict.”
Zuko took a sip of coffee to allow himself a moment to reflect. It was like mud
in his mouth. He willed himself to swallow, then set the mug down slowly.
“You say it’s a rare skill set, but also that most earth benders could learn it
with proper training. So how is it any more of an edge than, say, training
firebenders to bend lightning?”
Toph grinned widely and more smugly than ever. “Because in order to be properly
trained, you need to learn from a master. And currently, the only master is
yours truly.”
“And the people you’ve trained.”
“Right. My devotees.”
“You’re sure no one else will organically figure out how to metal bend?
Especially now that they know it’s physically possible?”
Toph shrugged and sat upright, taking a loud slurp from the mug she gripped
with both hands. “I can’t be sure of anything. But I am confident that if you
allow me to exclusively train metal benders for the force, I’ll make sure we
operate as a cohesive and formidable unit. Imagine me, times a couple dozen.”
Zuko smiled. “That does sound scary.” Zuko had known a lot of terrifying
teenage girls in his life, so Toph didn't phase him, but he was glad to have
nearly always been on her good side.
“Why thank you, Sparky.”
“I’ll run in by Aang when he gets back from his Avatar thing.”
“Avatar thing?” Toph wrinkled her nose. “What Avatar thing?”
“What—? Yeah, that’s why he’s not here right now. Avatar business. Happens all
the time? You do know our friend Aang is the Avatar, right?”
“Don’t be cute with me! I know all about Avatar things! But that’s not why Aang
isn’t here. He was at the Southern Water Tribe. To see Katara.”
Blood rushed to Zuko’s face. “What the hell! We had important things to do and
he told me he couldn’t be here. And he’s off penguin sledding with Katara?
That’s—”
“Zuko!” exclaimed Toph, her blank green eyes open wide. She only ever used his
name when she was done joking around. “They weren’t fucking penguin sledding,
god. Katara called him there to break up with him.”
Zuko blinked. His face was still burning and a strange numbness was spreading
in his chest. “Are you serious?”
Toph nodded sadly. “It’s been sort of a long time coming.”
Zuko shook his head, leaning back into his chair. “That’s so… I can’t believe
she made him travel all the way there to get his heart broken!”
“It wasn’t like that! It was mutual. Aang knew they had to call it off and just
wanted it to be in person.”
“Wait… wait.” Zuko ran a hand through his hair, knocking his topknot askew.
“How do you know all this?”
“Katara and I talk about it all the time. She’s been writing me a lot since
she’s been home. She’s my best friend,” Toph added, somewhat defensively.
“Well Aang is my best friend, and he has never once hinted that he’s any less
than madly in love with Katara.”
“Ugh, Sparky, you’re killing me. Of course he loves Katara. Of course Katara
loves Aang! But hello! That is one passionless union if I ever saw one. He is
spending all his time in this city and on ‘Avatar stuff.’ And Katara has her
own responsibilities urbanizing the Southern Water Tribe. Not to mention, she’s
a beautiful vibrant woman who has been taking a backseat to the fate of the
world for three years. It’s not personal, just not the right time for them.”
Zuko made a face. “You literally sound exactly like Katara.”
“That was a word-for-word quote.”
“‘Beautiful vibrant woman?’”
“A poet she is not.”
Zuko sighed and took a long sip of his coffee, barely tasting it. No one loved
a girl more than Aang loved Katara. Zuko figured Mai was probably the love of
his life—there had to be a reason they could never give each other up
completely. But he would be the first to admit they each had a hard time
putting the other first. Too much pride, or something. Probably a by-product of
being raised in nobility.
“There’s no way Aang is handling this well,” he said, wondering if he was
betraying Aang by saying so. But Toph knew him just as well as Zuko.
“Yeah,” she sighed. “Actually, Katara told me that Sokka was planning to come
back here with Aang, to make sure he doesn’t—you know. Freak out.”
“Right,” muttered Zuko. “Huh. I should probably spend some time with him too.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. There was so much work he had wanted to get
done in the next few days, but Aang would be useless while nursing a broken
heart. “Do you know if they’re coming back tomorrow morning? That’s what Aang
said when he lied to me about being on Avatar business.”
“Of course he frickin’ lied to you, Sparky! Getting dumped by your girlfriend
isn’t very impressive! He just wants you to think he’s cool.” She must have
sensed Zuko’s scowl because she laughed. “Yeah, I think tomorrow morning. Go
easy on him and he’ll have the twinkle back in his toes in no time.”
“Okay. Well—thanks for filling me in, I guess. I better get some work done
before he comes back and takes up all of my time.” Zuko stood up, adjusting his
robes.
“Wait! You never told me if I can merge the metalbending academy with the
future police force!”
Her eyes were wide and earnest. She was clearly passionate about this.
“Of course, Toph. I think it sounds like a great idea. I trust you to run the
department as you see fit, and I know Aang agrees.”
She beamed at him.
The rest of the day passed all too quickly, with Zuko sending letters to
different contractors to put businesses in the city’s downtown area. They had a
small aviary of messenger hawks in rotation, and by the time the last was sent,
he was exhausted. He could delegate the job to a lower staff member, but he
felt that it was important to change the reputation of the Fire Lord by
building the city with his own two hands, so to speak.
He slept through his alarm the next morning and was only woken when a massive
earthquake shook him sideways off the bed. His first, half-awake thought was
that the city was being attacked by earth benders who viewed the Republic of
Nations as an affront to the Earth Kingdom. It had happened once a few months
ago, but between Zuko, Aang, and Toph, it ended as quickly as it began.
He sprang to his feet and poked his fingers through the window blinds. The
barren landscape was completely obscured by a furry white mass less than ten
yards away from Zuko’s bungalow. The ground shook a second time as Appa let out
a lazy growl.
Zuko stepped away from the window and pulled his robe on sloppily, not
particularly caring if Aang and Sokka saw him disheveled. He didn't bother with
the top knot, leaving his hair hanging to his shoulders.
It was blazingly bright out, the sun high in the sky. Sokka was emptying a bag
of melons in front of Appa, who snorted appreciatively before he started
munching. Sokka had grown taller and stronger in the past few years and was
starting to resemble Hakoda, though he wasn’t nearly as broad-shouldered. Even
Aang had hit a growth spurt and was now as tall as Zuko. Zuko suspected he’d
soon be the shortest of the three of them, much to his dismay.
The lanky boy in question appeared on the other side of Appa with Momo on his
shoulder. Aang impassively watched Appa smash a melon between his teeth as he
leaned against his air glider staff.
Sokka glanced in the direction of the bungalow, squinting. “Zuko!” he shouted,
waving his arm. “Over here!” As if Zuko wasn’t already headed towards them.
Aang looked up. “Oh, hey, Zuko.” Momo shrieked and released his clutches,
flying onto Appa’s back.
“Hey, Aang,” Zuko said softly.
Aang held his gaze for a few seconds, then smiled sheepishly. “You know.”
Zuko blushed and shook his head. “No. I mean—what?”
Aang laughed humorlessly. “How did you find out?”
Zuko shrugged. “Toph.”
“Oh.” Aang sighed, looking down. He twirled his staff, making a divot in the
earth at their feet. “I’m really fine. I know I look all—sad, or whatever. But
I’m really fine.”
Zuko looked at Sokka, who was helping himself to one of Appa’s melons, his
cheeks bulging. “He’s fine, dude,” Sokka said after swallowing. “Come on, let’s
have some of that weird tea Iroh gave you for your coronation anniversary.”
An hour later, the three of them were seated in comfy plush chairs in Zuko’s
living room, fires crackling in the torches that lined the walls. The tea had
done a great job in raising Aang’s spirits. It wasn’t too strong, but it was
comforting with a bit of a kick and had a nice warming effect.
Aang rambled for a bit about how a garment district would help the economy.
Sokka was clearly not listening, but Zuko thought it was a pretty cool idea.
After a few minutes, Aang stopped talking abruptly and stared down at his tea
leaves. Zuko figured something had reminded him of Katara suddenly. He didn’t
really know what to say.
“Anyway,” said Aang, snapping to attention, “we’re going to Ba Sing Se
tonight.” He poured himself some more tea.
“To talk to the fabric merchants?”
“Huh? No. To go out. You know, out on the town.” He avoided Zuko’s eyes as he
sipped his tea.
Zuko raised his eyebrows at Sokka, who nodded.
“So… Air Nomads are allowed to drink now?”
Aang shrugged. “I don’t want to drink. I just want to go out.”
After Zuko cleared the tea cups, Aang took over the bathroom, getting ready for
their big night. Aang had his own place on a small island near the city, but
Sokka was staying here with Zuko, and they were all operating with the unspoken
knowledge that Aang shouldn't be alone.
Sokka had somehow gotten a hold of some possum-chicken skewers on the way over
and was now devouring them in the kitchen. He held one out to Zuko, who
accepted it wordlessly.
“So what exactly are we doing in Ba Sing Se? Something… morally questionable, I
imagine?” Zuko took a bite of his possum-chicken. A couple years ago, after one
of his break-ups with Mai, Uncle Iroh had taken him to a strip club in the
upper ring of Ba Sing Se. He had worn a mask so that no one would recognize him
as the budding Fire Lord, and though it had been a very fun night, he felt a
little creepy ogling women with his old uncle. The ladies knew Uncle well and
acted like they were in love with him. Zuko hoped he had several decades before
that sort of fake attraction appealed to him.
Sokka paused, setting the greasy skewer down on Zuko’s pristine countertop. “I
want Aang to feel better. I really do. But dude, he broke up with my sister
yesterday. I know he thinks talking to some girls will help him get over her,
but I just want to make sure he doesn’t do anything that would be disrespectful
to Katara.”
Zuko snorted. “Like what?”
“Like hooking up with someone the day after they broke up!”
“There’s no way Aang is going to ‘hook up’ with someone. It’s Aang. He loves
Katara. And he’s the most innocent, respectful kid I’ve ever met.”
Sokka shook his head, picking up the skewer. “Doesn’t matter. Any guy who’s
single for the first time in years is going to try it. It’s just how we are.”
“Uhh.” Zuko took another bite of his skewer, considering his words. “Are you
sure you’re not just saying that because you haven’t been single in years?”
Sokka rolled his eyes. “Obviously! That’s how I know what I’m talking about. I
love Suki to death, but if we broke up I would definitely not wait to hook up
with someone.”
“That’s extremely hypocritical!”
“You don’t get it. You always break up with Mai, so you’ve had your fun.”
“Yeah, which is how I know it’s not disrespectful. And therefore wouldn’t be if
Aang hooked up with someone.”
Sokka waved his skewer in Zuko’s face wildly. “Sister! The ex-boyfriend of my
sister! No! I don’t care if it’s hypocritical. If he tries to get with anyone I
will personally kick him in his nether arrow!”
Zuko scowled and pushed Sokka’s arm down. “Fine! I’ll try to keep him away from
girls, too. Just to prevent you from making an ass out of yourself.”
“Thaaank you,” said Sokka sarcastically. He snatched Zuko’s half-eaten skewer
out of his hand and ran into the guest room, shutting the door behind him.
Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose. They may not have had roads or real
buildings yet, but already the circus had come to the city.
 
**********************
“This was a bad idea. Appa has bad memories of Ba Sing Se!” Aang yelled over
Appa’s frantic roar.
“Who here doesn’t have bad memories of Ba Sing Se?! Momo will keep you company,
okay buddy?” Sokka said, patting Appa’s nose.
Momo trilled in agreement. Appa collapsed in a heap on the ground, throwing his
front hooves over his eyes.
“That works,” Sokka said. “Come on, Aang.”
The three of them started walking towards the nightlife district of the upper
ring.
Aang didn’t want to desecrate his monk clothing by wearing it to nightclubs, so
he was dressed in some of Zuko’s. Though they were the same height, they had
very different body types, but with some artful pinning and draping, he
actually looked pretty good. Zuko clapped him on the back proudly, his eyes
watering when a cloud of cologne hit him in the face.
“What is that smell?” he coughed. Aang opened his mouth to answer but Sokka
beat him to it.
“Dragon Noir,” he said in an undeterminable accent. “The finest in men’s
fragrances, sourced from the colonies. Want a spritz?”
“I’m good, thanks.”
“Is it too much?” Aang asked anxiously, casting another look in the direction
of Appa and Momo.
“No, buddy, it’s fine.”
“Aang! Reeee-lax! You are going to have the time of your life tonight, my man.
We’re going to the world famous Lotus Lounge.” Sokka smelled just as strongly
as Aang and had lots of shiny product in his wolf tail hairstyle.
“Well, I’ve never heard of it,” Zuko said.
“Me either,” said Aang.
“Read a men’s magazine sometime, guys, okay?”
“I thought you only read those for the funnies,” Aang said.
“I read them because I”—Sokka held up a finger—“am a man of style and swagger.
And yes, the funnies are extremely funny.”
Aang pulled his hood up as they made their way through town, not wanting the
extra attention. Thousands of tiny paper lanterns lined the streets in
clusters, bathing partygoers in a soft yellow light. Men in clothes like theirs
walked hand in hand with beautifully dressed women. The moon hung low and full
in the sky as if it didn’t want to miss out on the fun.
“It’s this place here,” Sokka said suddenly. They were standing in front of a
nondescript black facade with a heavy black door, on which “The Lotus Lounge”
was printed in scrawling gold characters. He opened the door.
Entered a small foyer. An old and very rigid-backed man greeted them, holding a
scroll in his hands.
“Names, gentlemen?”
“Oh, we’re not on the list,” Sokka said, smiling genially.
The man raised his eyebrows so high his monocle threatened to fall out. “I’m
sorry, sirs, but you must be on the list to enter.” He rolled it up, tucking it
into his robes. “May I suggest the Salt of the Earth nightclub?”
“No you may not, sir,” said Sokka. Zuko exchanged a look with Aang. “Sir, my
friends and I haven’t the time to be put on some list. We are busy changing the
world. See this scar?” He grabbed Zuko by the jaw, pushing his cheeks together.
“This is his royal highness, Fire Lord Zuko. And see this?” He turned to Aang
and pushed his hood down. “This is his universal bendiness, Avatar Aang.” He
put his thumb to his chest. “And I am Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe.” He
put his hands on his hips.
Zuko and Aang smacked their foreheads almost in unison. Well, thought Zuko, so
much for their big night out. Or any night out ever again. He was pretty sure
he’d have to go back into hiding.
“Great Scott!” The man bowed so low that this time his monocle actually did
fall out, though he adjusted it quickly. “It’s an honor to meet you, your
highness, and your… universal bendiness. Chief Sokka,”—Sokka raised his eyebrow
at Zuko—“you are always welcome here. Follow me.”
He headed down a narrow hallway, and they followed.
“I can’t believe you did that, ‘Chief,’” Aang scoffed in a low voice.
“How did you even know it would work?” Zuko asked.
Sokka laughed sheepishly. “I didn’t really, I’ve just always wanted to try it!
And I never get to, because you guys never want to go out with me!”
“I can’t imagine why,” Zuko said just loud enough for Aang to hear, who
chuckled.
The old man led them to a large, circular room with a circular bar on the
lowest level in the center. Circling that was a level that was slightly higher
than the bar and an outer level that was slightly higher than the previous one.
The place was full of chintz sofas and chandeliers, dotting the walls with
prisms in the low light.
Sokka started heading towards the bar, but the man gestured the other way.
“Please, gentlemen, make yourselves comfortable and all your needs will be
attended to.”
Sokka looked at Aang and shrugged, following the man to a group of love seats
near the wall, on the highest level. Almost immediately after they sat down, a
waiter arrived with a tray containing three glasses of amber liquor over ice
and three cigars.
“Um,” Aang said, raising a finger. “Do you have anything non-alcoholic?”
“Certainly! I can bring you a Swirly Temple, if that’s agreeable to you,
Avatar?”
“I’m not totally sure what that is, but I live in a temple…so, sure!”
Sokka had put the end of the cigar into his mouth, and Zuko followed suit. The
waiter lit Sokka’s with a fancy matchbook. He turned to do the same for Zuko,
but Zuko had already used firebending to light his, and the man bowed and
hurried away.
Sokka sucked on the end of his cigar and retched.
“You’re not supposed to inhale,” said Zuko. “Just puff.” He puffed on the end
of his cigar a couple of times to demonstrate.
“Huh? That’s like chewing up your food and then not swallowing. Cigars are
stupid.” Sokka gave his an evil look and then puffed on it distastefully.
A woman in a tight but elegant dress walked up and handed Aang a red fizzy
drink with a cherry and a loopy straw. “Your Swirly Temple, Avatar,” she said
reverently, bowing before walking away.
“Nice,” said Aang, admiring the straw.
Zuko took a sip from one of the drinks. It was barrel aged whiskey. Uncle Iroh
had taught him the finer points of alcohol consumption, and this one went down
smooth. Sokka grabbed a glass, took a sip, and gagged. Then he took another.
Aang had just taken a sip of his Swirly Temple. “Oh. My god. You guys. This is
so good. You need to try this.”
“I think we’re good,” said Zuko, swirling his glass appreciatively.
“Whoa,” Sokka muttered, looking over Zuko’s shoulder. Zuko turned to see what
he was looking at. At a couple of sofas over lounged a group of gorgeously
dressed young women. All five pairs of eyes were on them, and they smiled as
they fanned themselves.
Zuko looked back at Sokka, and shrugged as if to say, ‘why not.’ Sokka smiled
and waved the girls over. “Make room, Aang.”
A girl with shiny black curls styled in an elaborate pile atop her head sat
came over and sat between Aang and Sokka. A short buxom girl with lots of gold
jewelry sat on Zuko’s right, and her tall thin friend draped in a lacy gown sat
down on Sokka’s other side. A sweet-faced girl in a jaunty hat sat on Aang’s
other side, and a beautiful woman in a fur stole sat on Zuko’s left. They were
surrounded.
“Ladies, a pleasure. I’m Sokka. This is Aang and Zuko.”
“We know who you are,” said the tall woman in the same reverent almost-whisper
the waitress used. Sokka shook her fragile hand. “I’m Lian.”
The other women introduced themselves. The girl with the shiny curls was Karin,
the short girl was Dai-Tai, and the girl with the hat was Mariko. The woman in
the stole told them her name was Meili and then turned to Zuko.
“It is such an honor,” she said, in a low sexy voice. Zuko raised his eyebrows
at Sokka, who hid his grin in his glass.
The waiter arrived. “A round of our finest champagne for the ladies?”
“Yes, my good man,” said Sokka.
Five minutes later, the champagne had been poured—on the house, the waiter
assured them—and Sokka was deep into his dramatic retelling of the Day of Black
Sun.
“My father was too badly hurt to continue the fight, so at the age of fifteen,
I had to lead the battalion past the castle’s defenses.”
“Wow,” came the chorus of feminine sighs.
“That’s so brave. Were you scared?” Karin simpered.
“Pssssssh. No way. I knew we could take ‘em down Sokka style.” He made a
gesture like he was about to throw a boomerang. “I mean, I kinda messed up at
the end, but I got all the way up in there.”
“Why’d you mess up?” asked Mariko, peering around Aang and Karin.
“Because… of love,” Sokka said, staring wistfully into the distance.
“Awwwww!” the girls all squealed.
“Fire Lord,” Meili said, placing her hand on Zuko’s shoulder. “Is there a Mrs.
Fire Lord?”
Zuko laughed. “No. I’m a little young for that.”
“Pssh, don’t act like you and Mai won’t be married by the time you’re twenty-
one. I know all about your royal responsibilities. Unlike me. I’m a lone wolf,
baby.” Sokka smiled at Lian.
Zuko laughed. “Does Suki know that?”
“Suki doesn’t believe in the institution of marriage! I don’t think! We’ve
never talked about it.”
“Well, unmarried means free game in my book,” said Meili, taking a prim sip of
her champagne. Karin giggled and reached across to smack Meili’s knee
admonishingly.
Aang made a loud sound as he sucked the last of his Swirly Temple through the
loopy straw. He put the glass on the coffee table, looking irritated. “Well,
I’m single. No girlfriend. No ball and chain. Just livin’ the single life.” He
put his hands behind his head and his feet up on the table, accidentally
knocking over his glass.
“Aren’t you engaged to Sokka’s sister?” asked Mariko, her eyes wide.
Aang’s face turned red. “Nope.”
The girls all stared at him questioningly.
“She’s just a friend,” he added.
“Aww,” they sighed, eyes full of understanding and pity.
“Not like—just a friend, I mean like. You know. It was just, like, physical and
we were definitely not engaged. We were dating, but like, I decided I wanted to
be a free man. But it’s cool, we still—do it.” Aang whispered the last two
words, noticing that Sokka was staring him down like prey. The girls looked at
Aang like he’d sprouted an extra head.
“Nice,” said Mariko cheerfully, looking appraisingly at Aang.
Sokka continued talking about their adventures, making himself seem like the
hero of every story while Aang fumed silently. It was humorous watching Sokka
act so pompously, but Zuko knew this was the last thing Aang needed right now.
“Ladies, it’s been great meeting you, but we have some important world-saving
business to attend to.” Zuko stood. Sokka raised his eyebrows at Zuko, who gave
him a look.
“How will we see you again?” asked Lian, clutching Sokka’s hand as he stood.
“We’ll be back,” he said, kissing her hand.
As they stepped back into the night, Sokka rounded on Zuko. “What, you weren’t
having fun?”
“Not really, and hello? This night is supposed to be for Aang. No one was even
talking to him!”
Aang scoffed and rolled his eyes.
“You’re right, you’re right,” Sokka sighed. “Sorry Aang, I guess I’m just used
to you being your charismatic, social self and me not having to worry about it.
I should have known tonight would be different.”
“It’s okay, Sokka. All that Dragon Noir probably just got to your head,” said
Aang, patting him on the shoulder.
“So, now what?” sighed Sokka.
“We’re going to a real party.” Zuko grinned mischievously. “Follow me, boys.”
After several minutes of walking, they arrived at a bar on the lower ring. Loud
music and the sound of breaking glass could be heard from outside.
“What is this place?” asked Aang in awe.
“This is the divey-est dive in Ba Sing Se. My friend June used to come here all
the time.”
“Your friend June? You mean the bounty hunter you sicked on us when I first met
Aang?” asked Sokka incredulously.
“Yeah, and the one who helped me find Uncle, remember? She’s cool.” Zuko pushed
open the door and the others followed. A bar fight had just been broken up,
leaving a couple of broken chairs and glasses in its wake. The crowd was a mix
of thugs and con men, and women who looked nothing like those they left at the
Lotus Lounge but just as open to suggestion.
“Yes,” said Sokka, nodding. “Sokka likey. I’m headed to the bar, and no fancy-
man can stop me!” He ran towards the man standing behind the counter, who was
washing a mug and had a permanently skeptical face. “Two whiskeys on the rocks
and a Swirly Temple!”
The bartender scowled. “What the hell,” he said in a gravelly whisper, “is a
Swirly Temple?”
“A glass of water!” Aang shouted. “He means a glass of water.”
The bartender grunted and begin fixing their drinks.
“Sokka,” Aang whispered frantically, “do you want me to get my ass kicked?”
“Aang, I’ve seen you kick more asses at one time than this bar can contain per
maximum occupancy restrictions.”
“That is not the point!”
“Once I saw June kick this whole bar’s ass,” Zuko chimed in.
“Oooooh, June,” said Sokka mockingly, rolling his eyes.
After slapping the bartender some extra yuans, they took their drinks to a
table in the corner. Sokka finished his quickly and went back to the bar for
another. While he was there, a pretty woman with long hair and a very revealing
corset started talking to him, laughing so dramatically she showed all her
crooked teeth. Another girl with a ponytail and extremely high heels joined
them, and touching his arm and fluttering her eyelashes.
“I’ve never met a man who needed so much female attention,” said Zuko
distastefully, taking a sip of whiskey. Even Uncle Iroh had more restraint.
“Girls looove Sokka. Always have. Super attractive guys always have great luck
with girls.” Aang shrugged.
“Aang, don’t compare yourself to him. You’ve been single for about five
minutes; I’m sure you’ll have great luck with girls, too.”
Aang laughed. “I didn’t mean it like that! I’ve never been jealous of Sokka. I
don’t blame girls for going crazy for him; he is really attractive.”
Zuko laughed, giving Aang a weird look.
“He is! I mean, he looks almost exactly like Katara.” Zuko laughed harder. “You
find her attractive, right?” Aang gave Zuko a suggestive look.
Zuko was too buzzed not to find this hilarious, but he tried to answer
seriously. “Well—here’s the thing. I guess I used to, when I was chasing you
guys, and when I was trying to get her to accept me. But she did accept me, and
for some reason, I haven’t been attracted to her in that way since.”
“Seriously?” Aang gasped.
Zuko laughed. “Yeah. Sorry if that’s rude to say.”
“Not attracted to Katara? Seems impossible. But you said it while drunk, so it
must be true,” Aang mused, pulling on his bottom lip.
“Yup. Also, I would never say Sokka’s bad-looking, but between you and me I
really don’t get why girls love him so much more than other guys.” They glanced
over towards Sokka, who was now buying a round of shots for the two ladies and
a third, equally enamored friend. Zuko didn't share Aang’s attitude: he was
jealous.
“It’s not just his looks. He’s approachable and he actually likes the
attention. Honestly, you’re better looking than Sokka. You know you’re good
looking, right? But most girls probably wouldn’t flirt with you because you
look like you’d be mean to them.”
Zuko felt his face heat up and hoped it was just the whiskey. He scowled. “You
don’t know what you’re talking about, Aang. Is this one of those things where
you compliment me so I have to compliment you back? Sorry, but I’m not going to
sit here and tell you how pretty you are.”
Aang laughed. “That’s okay, I’m well aware of it.” He smiled sweetly and rolled
his eyes up and to the side in a girly fashion.
Zuko groaned but couldn’t help laughing, because it was so true. Aang was a
good-looking kid, but he couldn’t really be called handsome. He was pretty.
Sokka walked up with the women. Up close, it was clear that they were much
older than Sokka, Aang, and Zuko. “Are you boys ready for a round of pai sho?”
said the long haired one. Sokka raised his eyebrows at Zuko and Aang.
“Well, I was trained by the best pai sho player in the Fire Nation, so that
would be a little unfair. And my friend here doesn’t gamble,” said Zuko,
clapping Aang’s shoulder.
“The hell I don’t! I was trained by the best pai sho player in the Southern Air
Temple. Let’s do it!” Aang said, jumping to his feet. The girls cheered and led
them to the gaming tables on the other side of the room.
“What has gotten into you?” said Zuko admiringly.
“I don’t know! It’s like—I’m not drunk, but being around you when you’re drunk
is making me feel kinda—woooooo,” Aang said, spinning his finger around. “Like
a placebo effect.”
“Hmm. You’re a cheap date, Aang.”
Zuko won the first round of pai sho easily. Feeling uncomfortable with the way
the entire bar was side-eyeing him, he opted out of the next round to buy
drinks for themselves and the ladies. Aang joined him to help carry them.
Before they returned to the table, Sokka came running up to them.
“Oh my god. You guys! We are on the moon. I repeat, we are ON THE MOON. And
she. Is. Beautiful.” He dragged his hands down the sides of his face and
gasped.
“What is happening?” Zuko asked.
Sokka clapped his hand over his mouth. “Have I learned the language of the eel
hounds? Finally! All my studying has paid off!” He dropped to the ground and
begin taking his shoes off.
“I think I know what this is. One sec,” said Aang, and then he strode over to
the pai sho table.
Sokka had his shirt off and was now working on the drawstring of his pants.
Zuko quickly set the drinks down and got on the ground, grabbing Sokka’s hands.
“You can’t get naked here, man.”
“But I can’t go swimming in the sky fully clothed! Unhand me, eel hound!”
Sokka fought feebly against Zuko’s grip.
Aang came back, looking grave, followed by the woman with the ponytail. “Just
as I thought. Sokka drank cactus juice.”
“Hey, it ain’t my fault the kid can’t handle his juice,” said the woman, taking
one of the drinks Zuko set down.
“Okay, we’re getting out of here.” Zuko held Sokka up while Aang wrestled him
back into his shirt.
“No! NO! I am not going to the spirit world, it’s not my time!” Sokka flailed,
smacking Aang in the face.
“Ow!” said Aang.
Zuko pulled Sokka’s arms behind him. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” said Aang, rubbing his jaw. “But I have no idea how we’re going to get
Sokka back to Appa and then keep him from jumping off.”
“We could tie him up?” Zuko suggested.
Sokka gasped and started wiggling frantically in Zuko’s grip. “THE QUEEN IS
HERE!” he screamed. “She’s here and she summons me!”
“Yeah, I’ll ask the bartender if he has any rope,” said Aang, turning.
“You’re seriously going to tie up my boyfriend?” came an amused female voice
behind them.
Zuko turned to see Suki standing there in full Kiyoshi gear.
“My beautiful queen!” Sokka sobbed.
“How’d you find us?” Zuko asked.
“You really think I don’t know where you are at all times, Fire Lord? You
literally pay me to make sure you don’t get assassinated. I’ve been following
you all night. I see you three were quite popular at the Lotus Lounge.”
“I mean, I was, but not Sokka,” said Aang.
Sokka gasped. “How does this turtle-duck know my name?”
“You can let go of him, Zuko. He’ll do whatever I tell him.”
“I don’t know, Suki. He is on a lot of cactus juice.”
“Yeah, we drink it together sometimes. C’mon, Captain Boomerang. This queen
needs to be serviced.”
Zuko’s jaw dropped. He released Sokka’s arms and he went into Suki’s as docile
as a kitten, rubbing his face on hers and smearing her makeup.
“Whoa, sweetheart, save it for the inn. Thanks for looking out for him, guys.
We’ll meet up later, okay?”
“No, thank you” said Zuko, and Suki dragged Sokka out of the bar. It weirded
him out to learn that she followed him around, but currently, it had its
benefits.
“I need a drink,” he said, picking up one of the ones he set down. He gulped it
down, then grabbed another and did the same.
Aang laughed and snatched the drink away while Zuko was in mid-sip, causing
some whiskey to dribble on his chin. “Are you trying to get me drunk?!”
“Yes, Aang! Drink it!” He pushed Aang’s hand with the glass in it towards his
mouth. “Come on, you’re thirsty.”
Aang sniffed the glass and gagged. “No way.”
“It’s not fun drinking alone!”
“Then stop drinking, maybe?”
Zuko crossed his arms and sat sullenly on a bench. “You have some pretty good
ideas, Aang,” he said reproachfully.
“I know, right?” He leaned his elbow onto the high table nearby, smirking.
Zuko glanced around the bar. It was starting to wind down, pockets of regulars
here and there, a few people passed out in their booths. “So… was this the ‘big
night out’ of your dreams?”
Aang smiled. “It was actually pretty cool. I discovered a new drink, I got to
see Sokka high again, and I got to hang out with my best friends. To be honest,
though, it’s a little counter-productive having Sokka around when I’m trying to
forget about Katara.”
“Yeah,” said Zuko. Then, because alcohol had removed his filter, he added
“Sokka didn’t want you to hook up with any girls. I think that’s why he was
trying to talk to all of them.”
“Are you serious?” Aang laughed. “What’s he going to do, take a leaf from
Suki’s book and follow me around forever?”
“So you actually would hook up with a girl?”
Aang shrugged. “Why not? I’m single. Besides Katara’s the only person I’ve ever
kissed, let alone done—other stuff with. If we get back together, and she’s
done stuff with other people and I haven’t, it’ll mess everything up.” He
dragged his hands over his bald head, sitting next to Zuko on the bench.
“Well—only if she tells you about it.” Zuko and Mai had been each other’s
firsts, but what they got up to during their several breakups was strictly
“don’t ask, don’t tell.” He’d only met one of her other boyfriends, Kei Lo, and
she dumped him for Zuko, so he didn’t feel too sexually inadequate.
“Nah, I’d need to know. Especially if I hadn’t. So I should.”
“Well—don’t force yourself. But, uh, Sokka’s not here now, so you can score
with one of these… lovely bar wenches.”
Aang glanced around. “They seem sweet, but I don’t think it’s going to happen
tonight. You can be my wingman some other time.” He patted Zuko’s arm.
“I look forward to it.”
“Ready to get out of here?”
“Sure, but where would we go? Appa is so far and I’m so drunk.”
“We should just get a room. Did Suki say where they were staying?” Aang asked.
“I don’t think so. Also, they’re probably into some weird sex stuff and I don’t
want to overhear Sokka’s cactus juice ramblings combined with dirty talk.”
“Oh, yeah, that would be bad. Well, there are tons of inns around here. Let’s
just find one that doesn’t look too murdery and hope it’s not theirs.”
They set out into the moonlit street, strolling past last-call revelers. The
air was warm; summer had just arrived.
“Your birthday is soon,” Aang said.
“Yeah, next month. Twenty.” He scoffed.
“What’s wrong with being twenty?”
Zuko grumbled. “Well, it’s not, like, a rule, but most of the Fire Lords were
either married by the time they took the crown or betrothed shortly after.
Since I wasn’t even seventeen yet when I took over, it didn’t matter then, but
lately, it seems like the whole nation is subtly pressuring me to marry
someone.”
“Why do they care if the Fire Lord is married?”
“It’s more trustworthy; puts the subjects’ minds at ease. Also, depending on
the marriage, it can change political power. And—to be personal—the court is
suggesting that if I marry Mai, her father will lose a lot of pull as he keeps
trying to recruit people to overthrow me.”
Aang let out a low whistle. “So romantic.”
“Ha. Yeah. And there’s also another little problem. Mai and I haven’t talked
about any of this. So, like, what if she also expects me to marry her?” Zuko
pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Zuko, I’m sure that if Mai wants to marry you, it’s not so she can be Fire
Lady. It’s because you guys love each other. You always have and always will.”
“I know. I know, I’ll always love her. But, like—what if she isn’t the one I
want to spend the rest of my life with? What if that person’s still out there?”
He didn’t often allow himself to think it, because it felt like a betrayal.
“Well, if you feel that way, you should be honest. Like Katara and I. We had to
break up so that one day we can know for sure, one way or another.”
“Yeah, well, we’ve tried that. No, it’s stupid. I’m going to marry her someday
anyway, so I should just do it now before she gets mad and leaves me.”
“Now that’s stupid,” said Aang. They came across a three-story inn that looked
cozy and with only a slight risk of murder. “Let’s check this out.”
The inn had several vacancies and was able to offer them a spacious room on the
top floor with a stove and lots of nice lighting. There was a large,
comfortable bed, and a cot which the innkeeper pulled out of the closet and set
up.
“I’ll take the cot,” said Aang when the innkeeper left. “As a monk, I enjoy the
simpler things in life.”
“I’m not tired!” said Zuko, flopping down onto his bed. It was so comfortable.
In that moment, Zuko was glad Aang was a monk.
“Good, because if you go to bed now, you’ll have a wicked hangover.” Aang
reached into the pocket of the too-big pants he was wearing and pulled out a
teabag. “Your uncle gave this to me. I figured I’d have to use it on Sokka, but
Suki will take care of him. It’s Iroh’s own special sobering blend; he says he
hasn’t had a hangover in fifteen years.”
“Yeah, yeah, we’ve all heard that lie.”
“Worth a try,” said Aang, and he got to work putting a kettle on, lighting the
stove with firebending. He found a dusty mug in the cupboard and waterbent it
clean, then airbent it dry, setting it next to the stove.
“You’re taking care of me like Suki takes care of Sokka. That makes you a
girl.”
“I dare you to make a comment like that in front of Suki.”
“Never.”
“So, any plans for your birthday?”
“Um. Get you laid?”
“Thanks, but we should probably do something for you.”
“Get me laid.”
Aang laughed. “If that only happens on your birthday, I kind of get why you
don’t want to marry Mai.”
“No, just kidding. Hey, did you know that Azula and I were both born during
summer so we would be more powerful? And that’s why we’re so—” Zuko hiccuped
“—powerful?”
“Really?” Aang said. “Your parents planned it that way?”
“Oh, yes. Yes, actually, this is kind of fucked up. So, firebenders are more
powerful in summer, because the sun is out more. Obviously. But what you
probably don’t realize is that that doesn’t just extend to their bending.
Passion and life are the tenants of firebending—remember when we learned that
from the dragons? That was cool—and so firebenders are way more sexually turned
on and much more likely to conceive during summer. Like, in heat. Ha. That’s
why a lot of them are born in spring.”
Aang looked thoughtful. “Firebenders in heat. Makes sense, I guess.”
“Right, but here’s the fucked up part. My dad felt no passion for my mother,
and since my mother was not a fire bender, she could conceive whenever. So my
dad specifically only tried to conceive us during fall, to test his theory that
being born in summer made stronger benders. But yeah, he wouldn’t sleep with
her at any other time. Not that she even wanted to.”
Aang’s mouth hung open. “How do you know all this?”
Zuko shook his head. “Reconnecting with my mother has led to some pretty weird
revelations.”
“Yeah… wow. Well, that does explain why you two are so powerful. So, like…”
Aang smiled sheepishly. “Are you in firebender heat right now? Because you
showed an awful lot of restraint at the Lotus Lounge.”
“Oh, no, I don’t really do that. I’m, like, repressed.”
Aang burst out laughing. “What?”
“Just kidding. But, I don’t know, I’m not that sexually passionate. I’ve never
gotten caught up in the moment where I couldn’t control myself. In that sense.”
“Maybe that’s part of being more powerful,” Aang mused. The kettle began to
whistle and Aang stood from where he was sitting on the cot.
“Wait!” Zuko said, standing upright. “I’ll pour it! You don’t need to take care
of me!”
He put the tea satchel in the cup and poured the hot water over it, then begin
to blow on it.
Aang scratched the back of his head. “I don’t want to be that guy, but an
airbender could do the same thing way better.”
“I can do it just fine.” Zuko huffed and puffed.
A minute later, he was feeling lightheaded.
“For god’s sake,” said Aang, and he stood up and blew into Zuko’s cup. Part of
the gust caught him in the face, but steam was no longer rising off the cup.
Zuko took a sip and then spit the nasty-tasting liquid back into the cup.
“Nope. Nope nope nope.”
“Drink it!”
“No. I’ve got a better idea.” Zuko set the cup next to the stove. “You know how
we were talking about the dragons a few minutes ago? Or, like—I think I was
talking about the dragons? Remember the Dancing Dragon? Still remember how to
do it?”
“I mean—maybe? I’m a pretty good dancer, so. I probably have the muscle memory
of it.”
Zuko grabbed Aang by his wiry biceps. “Aang, do the Dancing Dragon with me.”
Aang raised an eyebrow. “Please, I beg you.”
“You need to drink that tea or you’ll be sorry in the morning. And we have no
room to do the Dancing Dragon in here!”
“Yes, we do, Aang. Look.” Zuko pushed his bed all the way to the corner of the
room and dragged Aang’s cot back into the closet. “So much room!” It still
probably wasn’t enough.
“Zuko,” said Aang crossing his arms.
“No, Aang, it starts like this.” He uncrossed Aang’s arms and held them up with
a bend in the elbow, lifting his right foot and bringing his knee up. “You have
to lift your foot up, Aang.”
He looked between Aang’s outstretched arms and into his face, which was
unamused. Zuko dropped Aang’s arms. “Fine, I’ll drink the stupid tea.”
“Thank you,” said Aang, handing him the cup. Zuko took another sip, made a face
at the taste, and then gulped it down quickly. Right away, the drunkenness that
made his head swim cleared up, and he was left with a slight buzz.
“Huh. This stuff actually works.”
“Told you.”
“Oh man, I was so drunk.”
Aang patted him on the arm. “You really were.”
Zuko sighed. “Hey, Aang?”
“Yeah?”
“Now that I drank the sobriety tea, will you do the damn Dancing Dragon with
me?”
Aang rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. “Sure.”
“Finally!”
Zuko and Aang stood across from one another. Aang looked into Zuko’s eyes
questioningly. Zuko gave a short nod, and they both sprang into the first step
of the Dancing Dragon.
Though the dance normally involved continuously moving forward, there wasn't
enough space in the room, so they went through the poses in place, glancing
sideways at each other. During the seventh pose, Aang stopped him.
“You’re doing that one wrong.”
“What?” Zuko’s arms were stretched wide, palms out. His right knee was bent and
his left leg was straight. “I thought you said you didn’t really remember.”
“It’s all coming back to me. It’s supposed to be like this.” Aang was in the
same position, except his left leg was bent too, creating a deep squat.
“I don’t remember going low like that.”
“Try it, it feels right.”
Zuko bent his knee a bit. “Like that?” he said skeptically.
“No.” Aang righted himself and walked over so he was standing right in front of
Zuko. “Go lower,” he said, pushing down gently on Zuko’s left hip. Zuko brought
his hip as low as possible, creating a deep lunge. “But don’t sink into it!”
Aang put his other hand on Zuko’s right ribcage, pushing him upwards. Their
faces were almost touching.
“This feels—” Zuko trailed off. He was going to say ‘This feels wrong,’ meaning
the pose didn’t feel like the one they learned three years ago. But with Aang
so close to him, those words might be taken the wrong way. In fact, Aang was
really close. Zuko could feel his breath on his neck.
“Feels what?” said Aang in a near-whisper.
Zuko looked up at Aang’s gray eyes, which were glinting in the light. The damn
kid had the biggest eyes he’d ever—
Aang closed his eyes and pressed his lips to Zuko’s, and something happened. A
feeling shot through Zuko’s heart like the first time he redirected lightning,
terrifying in its ferocity. He grabbed Aang toward him, and they both stood
upright as Aang’s soft, pretty lips parted for Zuko’s tongue.
This is crazy, Zuko thought. He pulled away slightly to search Aang’s face.
Aang’s lips were fat and swollen, his pupils blown wide and eyes heavy lidded.
Zuko grabbed Aang by the jaw to pull Aang’s mouth to his. Aang moaned into
Zuko’s mouth when he accidentally pressed on the spot Sokka had hit him in
earlier.
“Sorry,” said Zuko, loosening his grip.
“So good,” breathed Aang, putting his hand over Zuko’s to make him grip his jaw
tighter again, and that was all the encouragement he needed. He pushed Aang
backward several steps, still lip locked, until his back was against the wall,
and then pulled his own tunic over Aang’s head. The pants Aang wore were thin,
and the impressive bulge of his hard dick made Zuko’s throb. He rubbed Aang
over his pants, and Aang moaned loudly, grabbing Zuko’s shoulders. It was such
a raw, vulnerable sound that it scared Zuko a little.
He wrapped his arms around Aang, standing close so that his right leg was
between Aang’s and Aang’s right leg was between his and kissed his lips, then
each of his cheeks.
“Aang.” It came out in a cracked whisper, and he had to clear his throat.
“Hey,” he said in a normal whisper. “This is…” he exhaled heavily. “Really,
really nice, but are you sure? I mean, you’re not just doing this because you
feel like you have to hook up with someone now, right?”
Aang rolled his eyes, but he was grinning widely, his eyes crinkled. “No way.
Look. My hands are shaking.” He lifted one up for Zuko to see.
“So you want to stop?”
“No, no, I mean, my hands are shaking because I’m so fucking excited,” Aang
said, his voice shaking slightly too. “I—” he closed his eyes and took a deep
breath. “I’ve wanted you for so long. That’s why I let you prove you were on my
side three years ago, because I just wanted you to spend every day with me,
teaching me. I wanted to believe anything you said.”
“Holy shit,” said Zuko, sliding his erection on Aang’s thigh. Zuko thought back
to the first time he realized he might have feelings for Aang that didn’t line
up with a normal friendship, and how those feelings started long before the
realization. Aang had been so young, way too young. Since then, he’d been
repressing those feelings for years, because it would have been wrong, so
fucking wrong—he hissed as Aang adjusted his hips so that their hard cocks
rubbed together, separated by two layers of clothing.
Aang whispered into his scarred ear. “Tell me, Sifu Hotman, did you ever chase
anyone else to the ends of the earth? You said it was your destiny to find me.
You caught me years ago, but now you need to come and get me.”
Zuko snarled and ripped open Aang’s pants, revealing a surprisingly nice pair
of silk briefs that fit him well. Zuko rubbed his hands appreciatively over the
smooth material, feeling the hardness of his dick and the muscles of his ass.
He had never wanted someone this badly. I’m in heat, he thought, gripped with a
mad desire to laugh that passed quickly when Aang sucked on his neck, sinking
his teeth lightly into the skin.
Aang reached up and pulled the pin from Zuko’s topknot, releasing the golden
cuff. Zuko’s hair fell down past his shoulders. Aang made a frustrated sound.
“You look so good,” he sighed. He pulled Zuko’s shirt off, making a pained
expression at the sight of his naked torso.
Zuko smiled crookedly. “You’ve seen me shirtless before.”
“I know.” Aang ran his hands across Zuko’s hard chest, fingers grazing his
lightning-made scar. Zuko wrapped his own hands around Aang’s back, and when he
touched the similar scar there he was overwhelmed with an indescribable emotion
that had been building within him since they set foot in Ba Sing Se. Perhaps
sensing this, Aang kissed him deeply as he shoved Zuko’s pants down. Zuko
kicked his pants away, and they stood there panting in their underwear.
Aang spread his hand out on Zuko’s stomach. “When we met you thought you wanted
to kill me. Show me what you really wanted instead.” He trailed his hand down
to Zuko’s bulge.
“Fuck,” Zuko exclaimed softly. He couldn’t believe his innocent, sweet friend
had such a dirty mind. Aang really thought Zuko wanted to fuck him when he was
twelve and Zuko was sixteen? Zuko had been pursuing him for three years before
he even saw the kid. At that point, he didn’t know the first thing about sex or
attraction. And yet, what Aang was saying right now seemed to fit, in a sense.
He had asked Aang to kill him once too—but maybe this was what he’d wanted all
along.
He pulled Aang’s hand away from his crotch and pinned it to the wall over his
head. Aang looked into Zuko’s eyes until he realized Zuko was pulling his own
boxers off. The look on Aang’s face when Zuko’s cock sprung free felt as
empowering as a comet. Aang swallowed, as if his mouth suddenly became too wet,
and met Zuko’s eyes with total supplication. Zuko dropped Aang’s wrist and
kissed his hairless chest. His recent growth spurt gave him a lot of room to
fill out in the future, but right now he was perfect like this, thin but so
strong. Zuko pressed the flatness of his tongue against Aang’s nipple, then
pointed it, swirling it around the hard nub, eliciting another moan from Aang.
He ran his hands down Aang’s ribcage as he kissed down the length of his abs to
his bony hips that stuck out above his briefs, running his tongue across the
faint V between them. Aang’s breath grew ragged. Finally Zuko slid the silk
briefs down Aang’s thighs. The cock that bobbed right in front of Zuko’s face
was bigger than it felt through the silk, and was more aesthetically perfect
than he imagined a cock could be. He grasped it firmly, noticing as he did the
blue tattoo running in a vertical line across Aang’s balls and up the underside
of his dick. Zuko briefly wondered if Sokka knew how right he was that morning
when he mentioned Aang’s ‘nether arrow,’ and then Aang’s dick was in his mouth
and Aang’s hands were in his hair and all thoughts of Sokka were driven from
Zuko’s mind.
Aang cried out as Zuko deep throated him, running his finger down the blue line
on his balls. He reached his other hand around to knead Aang’s perfect, smooth
ass cheek. It fit so well in his hand. He brought his other hand from Aang’s
balls and made a ring with his fingers around the base of his dick, slowly
licking the arrow-adorned underside while locking eyes with Aang. As Zuko ran
his fingers down the cleft of Aang’s ass, Aang spread his feet more widely
apart, gritting his teeth and glaring down at Zuko with squinted eyes.
Zuko smirked as he lapped at the Aang’s cockhead, tasting a light trace of what
had to be precome. He brought his hand from Aang’s ass and put his index and
middle finger in his mouth, getting them slick with his saliva as Aang’s eyes
grew wide. He reached up behind Aang’s balls and pressed his middle finger
against Aang’s opening.
Aang grunted and moved his feet even wider apart as Zuko circled his asshole
with his finger. He slowly slid Aang’s cock into his mouth, and when it was
fully lodged in the back of his throat, Zuko pushed the tip of his finger
inside Aang.
“Oh god,” Aang panted, pulling Zuko’s hair so hard it was almost painful. “I’m
gonna— I think—“
Aang’s dick fell out of Zuko’s mouth with a loud wet plop. “Not yet.” Zuko
stood up slowly, the tip of his finger still in Aang’s impossibly tight ass.
“Put your arms around my shoulders and your legs around my waist.”
Aang’s mouth hung slightly ajar as he complied. He put his arms around Zuko’s
shoulders, and then bend the air beneath him to support his weight as he
wrapped his legs around Zuko’s waist. Sliding his finger in a millimeter
deeper, Zuko put his other hand under Aang’s ass.
Suddenly, Aang tightened his grip on Zuko’s shoulders, and the air beneath him
disappeared. As Zuko’s hand was the now the only thing supporting Aang, gravity
worked quickly, and Zuko’s finger slid in past the knuckle before he could stop
it. Aang let out a yell against Zuko’s collarbone that sounded like pain and
pleasure combined as Zuko adjusted his grip, accidentally driving his finger in
even deeper.
Aang lifted his face to meet Zuko’s eyes, panting heavily. “Oops,” he intoned.
“God, you are so bad,” Zuko marveled. He carried Aang to the bed and threw him
down, his finger disconnecting from Aang’s ass as Aang hit the mattress. Aang’s
painfully hard dick was pointed up towards his belly button, leaving a dab of
precome in the light hairs there and showing the full extent of the Air Nomads’
tattoo artistry. How lucky would he be, Zuko thought, if he could commission a
painting of this exact view? He bit his lower lip in appreciation, then turned
and went into the small private bathroom. A paper-wrapped bar of soap was in a
dish by the wash basin. Next to it were a few other basic toiletries, and a
cup. Zuko filled the cup with warm water, unwrapping the soap and dropping it
in. He brought the cup and a small towel with him back into the room.
Aang was laying in almost the same position Zuko left him in, but his arms were
stretched high over his head with his hands interlocked, and his knees were
bent with his feet flat against the mattress, showing Zuko everything. He gave
Zuko an innocent, pouty look, but there was a mischievous gleam in his eye.
Zuko set the cup and towel down on the windowsill and gouged out a small piece
of the water-softened soap. He hovered over Aang and kissed him deeply as he
rubbed it between his fingers. “Has anyone ever been here?” he murmured as he
slid his index finger into Aang slowly.
Aang gasped and arched, clutching Zuko’s biceps. “No.”
“Nothing?”
“Just my…fingers, but nothing bigger,” he panted, blushing.
Zuko flushed at the idea of Aang exploring himself with his fingers. “Then we
have some work to do.” There was a book about sex in the royal library, with a
very detailed section on anal pleasure. Zuko had read it thoroughly, wondering
if it was something Mai might want, but didn’t have the nerve to try. Mai
usually took control in their sex life, and he figured if she really wanted it
she’d have already demanded he try it.
He slowly worked his middle finger in alongside his index, the two slipping
together as Aang’s body tensed up around them.
“Just relax,” Zuko said. He wrapped his free hand around Aang’s throat and
squeezed the sides lightly, causing his eyes to lose focus as Zuko begin to
fuck him with two fingers. He released the pressure but kept his hand around
Aang’s throat, and Aang’s eyes refocused on Zuko’s as Zuko found a steady
rhythm with his fingers. He wanted to try bending some heat into his fingertips
but didn’t trust himself not to lose control, not with Aang so wanting and
brazen beneath him, a flush spreading through his body.
While his right hand worked Aang’s hole open, he spread his left palm out on
Aang’s perfect chest. He wasn’t just pretty, he was fucking beautiful. Zuko
moaned and dropped onto Aang, rubbing their hard dicks together and stroking
the arrow on top of his head as Aang stared into his eyes in open-mouthed awe.
Finally, Zuko’s fingers found the sweet spot he had only read about, and Aang
let out a guttural moan, squeezing his eyes shut and arching his hips up to
Zuko’s, making Zuko see stars as Aang clenched around him.
“Unnngh,” Aang grunted through gritted teeth. “I’ve been holding myself back
with water bending but I don’t think I can do it anymore! Please, Zuko!”
“I want you to come for me, Aang,” said Zuko, and he gripped their dicks
together in his large hand, jerking them furiously as he rubbed Aang deep
inside. He watched Aang’s face as he threw his head back and let out a half
scream, half cry. His hands tangled in Zuko’s hair and pulled hard as his seed
spilled over Zuko’s hand and both of their dicks, and his asshole spasmed
around Zuko’s fingers, clutching so hard that he could no longer rub. Zuko was
glad he had been drunk earlier; in any other state he probably couldn’t have
held back his own release.
“You’re doing so good. Pretty boy,” he whispered, smirking as he kissed Aang’s
cheeks, forehead, and finally lips, which were slightly parted. “I’m going to
give you something you need, okay? Because you’re so good.”
“Yes. Please, Sifu Hotman,” Aang panted. Zuko lifted his come-drenched left
hand.
“Clean me off first?”
He meant with waterbending, but Aang grabbed Zuko’s hand and begin licking his
own semen off of it, running his tongue up Zuko’s long fingers and back down to
suck on the webbing in between. Zuko gasped at how good it felt and how
powerful it made him feel to watch Aang suckle on his fingers submissively
while Zuko stood over him. With Mai, he was always the submissive one, and he
thought he preferred that. But now, his dick was harder than ever.
Zuko gently pulled his hand from Aang’s grip, trailing his finger down Aang’s
bottom lip like he was swearing him to secrecy. “Thank you.” He slowly
extracted his fingers from Aang’s ass, and returned them to the cup, breaking
off a larger piece of soap.
The water had made it much softer and messier, and as he slathered it onto
Aang’s asshole, it dripped onto the bedspread. Zuko reinserted his two fingers,
which slid in easily, and stroked Aang’s head as he kissed him. Then he spread
his fingers as far as he could in a V shape, stretching that impossible
tightness before adding his thumb.
Aang yelled.
“Does it hurt? Do you want me to stop?”
Aang panted. “Zuko, it’s me. I can take it! Come on, just, please give it to
me. Not your fingers—please.” He pulled Zuko down into a liplock.
Zuko removed his fingers from Aang as he broke the kiss, getting more soap from
the cup. He slicked the length of his cock as Aang watched with heavy-lidded
eyes.
“It’s so big,” Aang said.
“Too big?” That’s what Mai said, once.
“No.” Aang begin touching himself in imitation of Zuko. Properly lubricated,
Zuko placed his hand on Aang’s shoulder and lined his dick up. Aang released
his own, wrapping his arms and legs around Zuko.
As his cockhead breached the tight ring, Zuko checked Aang’s face for
hesitation. His eyelids fluttered, and there was a slight smile on his lips.
Zuko pushed in a couple of inches, and Aang hissed in obvious pain.
“You okay?”
“It feels really intense.”
“Want me to just stay here for a minute?”
“No, keep going.”
The soapwater seemed to have developed a thicker consistency, and Zuko wondered
if Aang did that with waterbending. He pushed in until Aang was seated halfway
on his dick, pausing to kiss Aang’s neck and the bruised underside of his jaw.
When he searched Aang’s eyes, they seemed to be asking him for something. He
pushed the rest of the way in and watched as Aang’s eyelids pinched shut, his
brows knitting together and mouth opening in a silent scream as Zuko’s balls
came to rest against his asscheeks.
Zuko wrapped both his arms around Aang and kissed him. When he pulled away,
Aang’s eyes were glazed; he looked light-headed. A slight smile somewhere
between smugness and awe parted his lips, and he reached up to stroke Zuko’s
cheek, his fingertips caressing the scar. He was fully hard again, his dick
pressed against Zuko’s stomach muscles.
Zuko had never experienced anything like this. His casual sexual encounters
were playful but perfunctory, and Mai directed their lovemaking like it was a
sex scene in an Ember Island play. Even when they lost their virginity to each
other, she had taken charge, making him lay on the bed so she could lower
herself down, telling him not to move while she adjusted to the size of him. He
loved being dominated by her and yielding to her control, but having Aang
surrender to him was intoxicating. Aang, the Avatar, his best friend, arguably
the most powerful person he knew, made weak beneath him.
Aang tilted his chin up, giving Zuko a pleading look. Zuko begin to thrust into
that tight, velvety heat. Every nerve ending was on fire; he felt the part of
his chest that wasn’t scarred flush. He started slow, working his way to a
quicker pace as Aang’s moans grew more exuberant. It didn’t take long until he
was able to slam in hard, his balls slapping Aang’s ass. Aang screamed out,
arching his back. Zuko grabbed Aang by each wrists and pinned his hands over
his head to the bed. Holding Aang’s wrists together with his left hand, he ran
his right over Aang’s chest and then down the ridges of his abs until he got to
his dick, surprised to find it half-hard and soaking wet. Zuko was planning to
hold off longer, wanting to see what Aang looked like taking dick from behind,
but the realization that Aang came from Zuko’s dick in his ass alone after
already coming set Zuko off, and he gripped Aang’s right hip hard as he
unloaded, a growl tearing through his gritted teeth. There was blazing white
behind his eyelids and his ears filled with a dull buzz, as if what he was
feeling in his dick was so intense that it short-circuited his other senses.
Aang’s hand tangled in his hair as he arched up to capture Zuko’s lips in a
kiss, and Zuko melted into it gratefully.
They kissed slowly as Zuko’s world solidified around him. He slowly slid his
dick out of Aang, feeling his come spill out of Aang’s opened hole, and flopped
to Aang’s side. Aang put his arms around Zuko, smiling like he just couldn’t
help himself.
“Now I know why they call you Hotman,” he sighed dreamily.
Zuko grinned. “You’re the only one who calls me that.”
“Now I know why I call you Hotman.”
“I think you always knew.”
“Hmm. Yeah.” Aang was still smiling slightly, his eyes closed.
“I know you prefer the monk cot, but you should sleep here tonight.”
Aang laughed. “Of course.”
After letting him clean himself out with waterbending, Zuko pulled Aang with
him to the top of the bed, where there was a single fluffy pillow. He laid his
head on it and turned to the side, motioning for Aang to join him. Aang faced
away from him and settled his ass by Zuko’s crotch, almost making him hard
again. Zuko admired the way Aang’s blue stripe went all the way to the cleft of
his perfect ass, and the way the spiky pattern left by Azula’s lightning strike
all those years ago bisected his toned back muscles. He pressed the scar on his
chest to the one on Aang’s back and wrapped his arm tightly around him. Aang
grabbed Zuko’s hand and held it to his chest, where he could feel Aang’s
heartbeat. Chi, he thought, and he pressed his lips to the vertebrae at the
back of Aang’s neck. His lips went slack against the blue-inked skin as sleep
quickly pulled him under, and he didn’t want the night to end, but with Aang so
strong in his arms he gave himself permission to be heavy, and fell down, down.
***** The Rift *****
Chapter Summary
     Aang's notoriously flighty even for an airbender. Zuko's left to deal
     with the fallout.
Chapter Notes
     Thank you so much for your patience! I've been working on a much
     longer chapter but decided to split it into two (long enough)
     chapters. I promise I won't wait eleven months to post the next one
     ;) It's almost done. Thank you so much to those who've commented or
     messaged me on tumblr; knowing that you guys were excited about this
     story made me that much more determined to work on it! <3
CH 2
Consciousness returned to Zuko slowly from a deep, dreamless sleep. He
stretched his arms out, becoming aware that he was lying on top of a duvet that
was not his own. And he was naked. And he was alone.
Zuko’s eyes sprang open. He was lying flat on his back on the bed. His clothes
had been folded and set next to his feet, and the clothes Aang had been wearing
were gone along with the kid himself. A sinking feeling flooded Zuko’s chest,
pinning him to the mattress.
He had fucked Aang.
The whole destiny of the world was thrown in to disarray because he lost his
head for a moment. Aang must have woken up and realized they made a terrible
mistake, so he left. Was he mad? Embarrassed? In pain, from the assault Zuko
ravaged on his body? A red hot feeling coursed through Zuko, so shameful he
wanted to die.
How were they going to build a city together now? Even more importantly, or
maybe just more important to Zuko, how was this going to impact their
friendship? And what would Mai think?
Zuko cringed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Mai. Not once last night had
he told himself that what he was doing was an insult to Mai, not even once. It
just hadn’t felt like it at the time. He’d never cheated on her before, but
they broke up so many times and dated other people, so that feeling of
ownership just wasn’t there. But they were very much in a relationship now, one
that had gotten serious without Zuko quite meaning it to. Fucking someone else,
much less a male, much less the person he spent more time with than Mai
herself? Yeah, he didn’t need to guess what her reaction would be.
He wondered if he could take a hit out on himself and frame it as a horrible
accident.
A sound came from the bathroom. The sound of something splashing around in
water. Zuko hesitated, then pulled on his pants, and walked to the ajar
bathroom door. Aang was standing in front of the dingy mirror, swishing a stone
blade in a cup of water. The same cup they had used last night. Half his head
was covered in shaving soap, the other half perfectly smooth. He dragged the
blade across the top of his head, adding another clean swath, and wiped the
excess foam on the edge of the cup, dunking his blade back into the water. He
looked up and met Zuko’s eyes in the mirror.
“Hey, you’re awake.” He smiled. “Want to grab breakfast before we go?”
“Um,” Zuko swallowed heavily. “I’m not really hungry, actually.”
“No problem. There’s some fruit in a bag on Appa’s back; we can eat that if he
and Momo didn’t get to it first.”
“Sounds good,” said Zuko, watching Aang and feeling rather out of his body.
“I’m almost done here, then we can head out.”
“Do you shave your head every morning?”
“Yeah, it’s kind of a ritual at this point. I hate having any amount of hair.”
Zuko thought involuntarily of the hair elsewhere on Aang’s body, and blushed.
“I’ll get dressed.”
Once Aang had finished shaving his head and face and Zuko had re-dressed in the
attire that was much too formal for daytime, they checked out of the inn and
followed the innkeeper’s directions to the nearest monorail station.
As they walked, Aang cleared his throat. “So, I don’t know about you, but I
think maybe we can push back our work a week. Take the rest of the week off,
recharge. What do you think?”
A day ago, Zuko would have been livid at this suggestion, but the thought of
work right now was too much for him. He sighed.
“Okay, we can do that. But I should go home. I can’t spend two weeks straight
away from the Fire Nation.”
“Yeah, definitely. Appa will take you to Caldera.”
“Thanks.” They continued walking in silence for a minute, but Zuko couldn’t go
without addressing the elephant-rhino in the room.
“So…” he began. “Last night.”
“Yeah.” Aang met his eyes with an embarrassed smile.
“Last night was, uh. Last night—well. Last night was…. not very nice to my
girlfriend,” he said awkwardly.
Aang looked down. “Yeah.”
Zuko wanted to kick himself. “But, like, you know. It made sense. How we got
swept up in the moment. It’s not like we planned it. But I shouldn’t have.”
Aang’s mouth quirked in a guilty, humorless smile. He seemed to be internally
debating something, then finally spoke. “I have a confession. I didn’t plan it
this way originally, but once we were back in the room I gave you that tea
because I wanted to seduce you, and I didn’t want to do it when you were
drunk.”
“Oh,” said Zuko, his cheeks flaming.
“Yeah. So, I guess I’m the one who betrayed Mai.”
“Well, you’re not the one who made a promise not to,” Zuko groaned.
Aang didn’t respond.
After a few minutes of silence they reached the train station. Part of Zuko was
okay with dropping the subject, but another part of him felt like if they
didn’t talk about it, it was like it never happened.
“So you wanted to seduce me?” Zuko asked, keeping his voice down, though the
station was mostly empty.
Aang laughed, embarrassed. “Yeah.”
“Wow. Um. Sort of a weird question, but was it because you wanted to… explore
your sexuality?” And if so, why didn’t you pick someone up at the bar and leave
me out of it, he wanted to add, but didn’t dare.
Aang gave him a weird look, raising one eyebrow.
“Or, what? Was it because of me specifically? Did it, like, mean something to
you?”
Now both of Aang’s eyebrows were high on his forehead. He took a deep breath.
“You’re one of the people I’ve been the closest to for three years. It’s a
little—I dunno, insulting?—that you have to ask if it meant something.”
Zuko shook his head. “No, you’re right, I know. I’m sorry. It’s just. I feel
the same, and I have a girlfriend, and I just feel… weird.”
“I understand.” He gave Zuko a small smile edged with sympathy and something
indecipherable.
They took the brief train ride in near silence. At the upper ring station’s
post office, Zuko sent a messenger hawk to Suki, alerting her of his
whereabouts and where he was headed next.
When they finally reached Appa and Momo, they discovered the animals had eaten
most of the fruit, save for a banana and a plum. Zuko’s appetite was still
gone, and he tried not to watch as Aang ate, the plum juice dripping down his
chin, the banana looking obscene next to his mouth. Aang was talking about
something—something to do with their city’s future police force—but Zuko could
barely concentrate.
“It’s just that she and I have different ideas of what constitutes police
brutality. But we have time to work all that out,” Aang said, throwing the
banana peel into a patch of weeds. “Okay, let’s get you home.”
Aang used a gust of air to leap onto Appa’s back, and reached his hand down to
Zuko. Zuko hesitated, then grabbed Aang’s hand as he climbed Appa, Aang pulling
him into the saddle. Aang slid down Appa’s shoulders onto the top of his head
and grabbed his reins. “Yip yip.”
The ground rumbled beneath them, and in a few moments they were soaring over
the sprawling streets of Ba Sing Se. What a city, thought Zuko. What happens in
Ba Sing Se haunts you forever.
Aang climbed up Appa’s shoulders and back into the saddle. He laid down on his
back, elbows bent and hands behind his head. “Nice day out,” he said, smiling.
Zuko had no idea what to do, so he said, “Uh, yeah,” and laid down next to
Aang. “Nice clouds… fluffy.” He had deja vu to his war balloon ride with Sokka
over three years ago, but this was somehow both more awkward and more
comfortable.
“Mmm-hm,” Aang agreed. “That one looks kind of like a sky bison.” He pointed to
a large round cloud.
“They…all…kind of look like sky bison,” Zuko mused.
“Nuh-uh! That one looks like Bumi’s hair.”
“It doesn’t; it’s not pointy enough.”
They spent the rest of the ride like this, chatting idly about lighthearted
things, lying on their backs and pointing up at the sky. Zuko was grateful for
the opportunity to stop thinking and to just be.
As the sun rose and then fell in the sky, the air around them grew warmer and
more humid as they entered Fire Nation skies. Aang sat upright and peeked over
the side of the saddle. “Getting there,” he commented, and then laid back down,
rolling on his side toward Zuko and propping his head up. “Remember, we have a
bunch of work to do next week. Don’t have too much fun at home.”
Zuko scoffed. “I’ve been working my hands to the bone!”
Aang reached his free hand out to grab one of Zuko’s, inspecting it in the
blazing glow of the sunset. “Nah,” he said. He met Zuko’s eyes and his face lit
up, and suddenly he leaned over and kissed Zuko hard on the mouth. Aang pulled
away immediately as a wave of stupid delight washed over Zuko.
“Sorry,” Aang said, smirking slightly, his eyes cast down. “Anyway…”
He sat upright and climbed out of the saddle, sliding back down to Appa’s head,
and steered him into a descent.
After a fashion, they landed in Caldera’s royal plaza, which was filled with
dozens of royal subjects and people of nobility, who turned to watch them. Zuko
slid down Appa’s side and landed on his feet, dusting off the trace amounts of
fur his clothes collected.
“See you next week, Zuko. Take care of yourself!” Aang called down to him.
“Alright, buddy. Yip yip!” With another earth shaking leap, Appa was airborne,
and within seconds he and Aang were shrinking into the purple horizon.
Zuko stood there, watching their retreating shape. Take care of himself. Yes.
Well. Okay, then. His head spun.
“Zuko!” came a low, flat female voice from behind him.
“Mai?” He whirled around.
His girlfriend stood there in a long red dress, her golden-brown eyes full of
concern and relief.
“I’m so glad you’re okay; I wasn’t expecting you to be in town tonight. Ty Lee
told me you hadn’t come home by the time she left the city this morning. She
said Suki went after you but that she also never returned to the city last
night.”
Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’d forgotten to tell them. I went out
with Aang and Sokka. Suki found us; now she’s with Sokka somewhere.”
Mai raised her eyebrows. “You went out? And didn’t tell your guards?”
“Yeah. That was stupid of me not to tell them. I wasn’t trying to keep it
secret; I legitimately forgot.”
“Okay…” Mai said. Zuko knew her long enough to distinguish the nuances of her
monotone, and she wasn’t happy.
“Yeah, um, Aang and Katara broke up, so Sokka dragged us out. It was all very
last minute.”
“They broke up? That’s too bad,” said Mai nonchalantly. “Well, at least I know
Aang and Sokka are good influences. I’m glad you’re home. Come over; my cook is
making a tuna steak dinner.” She smiled and put a hand on his shoulder.
Guilt sucked at the center of his chest. “That sounds amazing, babe,” he said,
kissing the shining bangs that covered her forehead. “But I’m still hungover.
Raincheck?”
Mai punched him lightly in the stomach. “You should have taken some of your
uncle’s sobriety tea.”
“I know, but I didn’t think I would be going out.”
She smoothed back his hair, which was still hanging down around his face, and
looked into his eyes. “Yeah, you look off. Get some rest, babe. I’ll come see
you tomorrow.”
“Thank you.” He kissed her, wondering as he did if she could taste all the sins
his lips committed in the dark.
**********
When his personal servant, Kato, came to deliver his eight o’ clock wake up
call, Zuko pretended he had slept through the night, though the haunted look in
his eyes proved otherwise. Ever loyal, Kato didn’t mention it.
He set Zuko’s tea tray on his bedside table. “Shall I run a bath for you, Lord
Zuko?”
“No, thank you.” He had bathed immediately after leaving Mai last night, but
his restless tossing and turning had left him feeling unclean. “Actually—yes.”
Kato bowed and then exited to the bathroom attached to Zuko’s chamber. Zuko
sighed, and stared at his tea. He would need something a little stronger.
Once his bath was drawn, he asked Kato to get him an extra teabag and something
for breakfast.
Zuko sunk into the hot water, feeling it glide against his tense muscles. He
tried to clear his mind, imagining he could feel the tension leaving his body,
but the hallow space behind his eyeballs pounded. The water made a soft
sloshing sound, and again he was reminded of that little wooden cup, of
everything.
Aang. That word, that face, that boy. It consumed him like a fire. Every move,
every sound Aang had made, was burned into Zuko’s brain. How could he keep
pretending to Mai that nothing had happened? She would look into his eyes and
know something had changed. It felt as tangible to him as the scar on his face.
When he returned to his bedchamber, the teacup held two teabags and was
steaming away, newly heated. He lifted the lid of the metal tureen next to it
to find a hearty breakfast of steak and eggs, which he attacked with vigor,
forgetting his princely manners. With his belly full for the first time in a
day and a half, he quickly succumbed to the sleep that had eluded him.
He slept dreamlessly for the second time in a row, and when he returned to
consciousness it felt like climbing out of a deep well.
“Hnngh,” he moaned as someone shook him roughly.
“Zuko, for gods’ sake!” came an angry female voice, and he felt a small but
strong punch on his leg.
“Mai?” he mumbled as her face solidified in front of him in the too-bright
room.
“What the hell, Zuko! You’ve been passed out for like, sixteen hours! It’s
lunchtime!”
Zuko groaned. It had been three hours, tops.
“Sorry, babe. I woke up to eat and bathe this morning but I still felt pretty
shitty.”
“You must have drank a lot,” she sneered, handing him his still-full teacup.
“I’ve never seen you like this.”
“I’ve never been like this,” he said, taking the teacup in one hand and
lighting a small fire beneath it with the other. “I guess I’m just getting
old.”
The sharpness in her eyes softened, and she kissed his cheek. “Yeah, I guess
you are. Almost twenty. Ugh.” She stuck her tongue out in a look of mock
disgust.
“Ha.” He took a sip from his warm teacup. She watched him, expectantly. He took
another sip.
He cleared his throat. “Hey, babe, can you go to the kitchens and ask them to
whip us up something for lunch while I get dressed?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Why don’t I just wait for you and we can go together?”
“I, uh… also have to use the bathroom. Been asleep for a while.”
“Got it.” She stood and kissed him again on the forehead. “Want anything
particular for lunch?”
“Whatever you want is fine.”
She smiled and swept out of the room.
Zuko sipped his tea again. And again. He did not want to follow her.
**********
The table in the royal dining room was much too large for just the two of them
to sit comfortably, so they took lunch at a smaller table on the veranda. It
was a warm but mild day, a thick canopy of red brocade shielding them from the
worst of the sun.
A couple of servants delivered the meal, a spread of salads, fruit, and
seafood. None of it seemed particularly appetizing to Zuko at the moment, but
he added each to his plate as Mai chattered banally across from him.
He took a sip from the glass of white wine they’d been served, and Mai stopped
mid-sentence, raising an eyebrow.
“A little ‘hair of the eelhound?’”
“Hmm?” He looked down at his glass. “Oh—yeah. I hear it’s the best hangover
cure.”
“That’s a myth,” she said, reaching across the small table and pulling the
glass out of his hand. “You’ll just get sick all over again.”
Zuko narrowed his eyes, annoyance pulsing through him. Why did she always have
to treat him like an ignorant child?
Mai speared a few melon chunks with her fork. “You better not get that drunk on
your birthday,” she said, and then ate them.
Zuko said nothing as she chewed.
She swallowed. “I was thinking we could have your friends meet us for dinner at
Flaming O on your birthday. It’s supposed to be really nice. Now, I know they
can dress up when they need to and that no one really cares what they act like
since they’re heroes, or whatever, but do you think you can talk to them about
not causing a scene? I really don’t want to deal with Katara waterbending at
the waitstaff again. What that waiter said was out of line, but that was
embarrassing. Although, I guess since she broke up with Aang you don’t have to
invite her.”
Zuko shoveled a piece of sea bass into his mouth, swallowing without tasting.
“Uh, I don’t really want to go to Flaming O.”
Mai stared at him. “Ohhh-kay, but your birthday is coming up and you haven’t
made any plans.”
Zuko shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m just not that into it this year.”
“So then why don’t you just let me handle it?”
“I just—don’t feel like doing anything, sorry.”
She stared at him for a long moment, calculating. “Fine.”
“No surprise parties, either.”
“Fine!” she yelled. “I hate parties anyway!”
“Of course you do.”
“What the hell is your problem?” said Mai, pushing herself away from the table.
“Nothing!” Zuko yelled. “It’s—nothing, Mai.”
She crossed her arms and looked away from him.
“Mai, I’m sorry. I know I’m in a shitty mood and taking it out on you.”
She scoffed.
“Babe, I love you, but I’m just—” he sighed, and then stood up quickly,
growling frustration as he punched a fireball off the veranda.
“You need to chill the fuck out, okay?” Mai yelled, jumping to her feet as
well.
“Okay! Fine! I guess I do! And I’m sorry, but having you around right now is
really stressing me out!”
The anger on her face was replaced with shock and hurt. “Why?”
Guilt gnawed at him.
“I don’t know. I don’t know, I don’t know.” Maybe if he kept repeating it it
would feel like the truth. “Mai, I’m sorry, but I can’t do this right now.”
“Do what?” she shrieked incredulously.
“I just—need some fucking space, okay?”
“Space like what? Like for the day? Or you’re breaking up with me again?”
“Well, I wasn’t going to go there right away, but you’re saying it, so yeah. I
guess I am.”
“Oh, fuck you,” she yelled, shoving his shoulder. She was beginning to cry, her
face red. “Seriously, fuck you, you’re so full of shit! I didn’t do anything to
you! You probably saw how much fun Aang was having being single and decided you
don’t want to be with me anymore. You are fucked”—she shoved his shoulder
again—“up!” He caught her hand before she could shove him a third time and
pulled her into a hug, her small shoulders bouncing with angry sobs.
“Please stop, Mai, I’m sorry,” he said, starting to cry himself. “I’m being an
asshole, I know. I’m sorry!” She continued to sob, soaking the collar of his
robe. “It’s not your fault. It’s me, I’m fucked up. I’m dysfunctional. I can’t
be a good boyfriend right now, or any kind of boyfriend. You know how I get,
I’m a piece of shit sometimes.”
After a few minutes of crying on him, Mai lifted her face from his shoulder and
wiped at it with her hands, further smearing the tracks of her mascara. “I’m so
done with this. I’m so done with you, Zuko.”
He said nothing as she slipped out of his arms, staring at her through the
tears that were steadily leaking from his eyes. She took a gasp of air,
apparently done crying for now.
“I’m sorry,” he said again pathetically.
“You’re not. But you will be. In a couple months when you come crawling back,
because I’m not going to be this stupid again.” She wiped at her eyes again,
staining the heel of her hand black. “This is the fifth fucking time you’ve
done this to me!” she screamed suddenly, explosive with anger again.
“No, it’s not!” Zuko yelled back. “I didn’t dump you all of those times! I
broke up with you twice and you broke up with me twice!”
“Only because of the stupid shit you did! Either way, Zuko, why the fuck would
I keep letting you hurt me after all the promises you’ve broken? I’m the
village idiot of Caldera! Everyone knows you don’t really love me.” Her voice
wavered. “Whatever, I don’t care. I’m sick of you anyway. This was your last
chance. It’s over for good.”
She stared at him for a few seconds, as if hoping he would tell her he took it
all back, that it was a bad joke, that he didn’t really want to break up. He
broke her gaze, staring at the floor.
She quickly turned on her heel and ran into the castle. Zuko felt as if his
insides had been ripped out and piled on the floor at his feet, leaving him
empty as a puppet. He hadn’t planned for any of that to happen. He sat down
until Kato entered the veranda tentatively a minute later, asking if Zuko was
done with his meal.
**********
Though his guilt weighed on him for the rest of the day, by the next morning he
felt lighter than he had in a while. Sure, he would turn twenty and the nation
would hear that he was no longer courting Mai, but anyone who had a problem
with it could go fuck themselves, for all he cared. He was building a nation
and helping restore harmony to the universe. He was undoing the generations of
damage laid down by past Fire Lords, and that was far more important than a
trivial marriage. He felt bad that he hurt Mai, but ultimately she was right.
They would never work out together. He did love her, but not in the way that
she needed—otherwise, he never would have been able to do what he did with
Aang.
His mind was consumed with thoughts of Aang. Not just the memory of their night
together, but the present and future. Where was Aang now? Alone, feeling the
sting of rejection from both Katara and Zuko? Balls-deep in some Ba Sing Se
escort? Meditating through the spirit world, infinitely above the human one and
all its sticky entanglements, Zuko included?
No, Zuko chided himself, there was no way. Zuko saw something in Aang that
night that he couldn’t have seen if Aang didn’t feel the same way. It was like
a little piece of Aang’s soul had become embedded in him, and vice versa. He
probably just left Caldera in such a hurry because he spotted Mai before Zuko
did.
Zuko wanted to send Aang a letter to tell him that he was single now, but every
time he sat down to write it, the words seemed clumsy and desperate. He would
meet with Aang in the Republic of Nations next week—whatever was between them
would certainly come to light then. He had to rest and focus on being present
for his nation—obsessing over it right now wouldn’t change anything.
Despite this wisdom, over the next few days, he thought of nothing but Aang. If
his council noticed he was distracted, they probably attributed it to his
breakup with Mai, and to his relief they said nothing.
He found himself imagining himself with Aang the same way he was with Mai, or
the way Aang was with Katara. Kissing, cuddling, going on trips together just
because. Massaging Aang’s shoulders after a long day at work. Aang running his
fingers through Zuko’s hair as they fell asleep together. It seemed ridiculous
in a way—boyfriend and boyfriend? Zuko didn’t know any couples like that, not
personally. But in a deeper way, it seemed exactly right.
But what would people say?
They were already starting to talk; he could feel it. Everyone assumed he would
marry Mai, not break up with her. If the citizens of the Fire Nation thought he
left her for a boy, it would be tantamount to treason.
After the Fire Nation overthrew him, he wouldn’t even have refuge in the
Republic of Nations, because what sort of founding fathers fucked each other?
They and the whole damn restoration project would be the laughing stock of the
entire world. He scowled when he remembered the story of Oma and Shu. When a
man and a woman fell in love, they sometimes got a city named after them. When
a man and a man fell in love, Zuko had no clue what happened, because no one
seemed to want to talk about it.
As the week dragged on, more slowly than Zuko thought possible, he found
himself becoming restless. He donned his usual disguise—a dark red cowl with a
hood that covered the top of his face. A few people who lived in the area might
have figured out it was him, but he didn’t care as long as they didn’t bother
him. Suki and Ty Lee were standing guard outside the castle as he left, and
they followed him to the nearby bazaar, hiding in the shadows.
He meandered through the crowd, people-watching. His citizens were so spirited
in summer, and it warmed his heart. During Ozai’s reign, the nation suffocated
under a miasma of formality, and not even children dared to dance or play in
public unless it was during one of the state-approved holidays.
How quickly things had changed! A little girl with a garland of panda lilies on
her head chased an even smaller boy, laughing when she dodged the puff of smoke
he sent back at her. A young woman sat on her boyfriend’s lap in a bench in the
plaza, feeding him fire flakes. Just a few years ago, that would have been
illegal. A few older people eyed the children and the young couple with
distaste.
“This country is going to hell,” he heard an old man mutter to his tiny wife.
“Just look at this trash.”
Zuko’s eyes followed to where the man was pointing, and his heart leapt into
his throat.
It was a wooden rack covered in newspapers and magazines. Front and center was
the Fire Nation’s most popular teen magazine, Tiger-Seal Beat. On the cover was
a highly realistic drawing of Aang surfing on ice as he was waterbending. The
artist captured his roguish smile, defined arms and legs, and the definition in
his jaw. “Daang!” was printed across the bottom in bubble characters.
Zuko waited until the elderly couple had moved on, then casually picked up the
Tiger-Seal Beat. He flipped through it until he found another drawing of Aang,
this time zooming straight up into the sky on his glider shirtless, his ab
muscles (overemphasized by the artist) on full display. The picture took up the
whole left page, and on the right page there was an article, also titled
“Daang!”
For many pre-teen girls around the world, Avatar Aang was a beloved first
crush. From the lucky few who met him before his legendary defeat of Fire Lord
Ozai, to those who had only heard the legends, the youthful and outgoing Avatar
was a breath of fresh air. But youthful he was: Aang was barely thirteen when
he removed the Fire Lord's bending, an unprecedented act. His Air Nomad
abnegation combined with innocence to rival a Ba Sing Se noblewoman has caused
many to think of him as an untouchable symbol of virtue.
Well, think again! Rumor has it that Aang has split from longtime girlfriend
Katara of the Water Tribe, the beautiful and deadly warrior who assisted him in
Ozai's defeat, and according to sources close to the Avatar, now sixteen, the
relationship definitely got hot and heavy.
That's right, sweet sixteen--and my, how he's grown into it well. Spotted ice-
surfing off the coast of Whale Tale Island, Aang has gone from tiny monk to
handsome hunk!
All you Fire Lord Zuko fangirls and Sokka sweethearts will change your tune
soon enough--he's the master of all four elements, but can YOU be the master of
Aang's heart?
Zuko slammed the magazine shut and put it back on the shelf, feeling sick with
embarrassment. It was bad enough that they wrote all that stuff about Aang, but
they had to drag his name into it? It made him wonder if similar articles had
been written about him. It wasn't like he had a subscription to Tiger-Seal
Beat.
‘Sources close to the Avatar?’ Zuko suddenly remembered how Aang had told the
girls at the Lotus Lounge that he and Katara “do it.” He groaned.
It was only a matter of time before everyone else saw what Zuko saw when he
looked at Aang. A good-looking Avatar had all the options in the world.
His thirst for adventure prematurely sated, Zuko walked back to the castle.
Again, he was torn between sending a letter to Aang right now—to win him over
before someone else did—and just having faith that everything would work out if
it was meant to be.
The next day, Suki invited him to join the Kyoshi warriors for lunch. They
didn’t often hang out socially unless Sokka was around, but it was a pleasant
surprise. Zuko joined the five women at a discreet, fancy cafe. It had high
windows to let in lots of natural light, and they were seated in the very
middle of the restaurant. Zuko normally didn't like being the center of
attention when he was just trying to go about his life, but he figured his
warriors would deter any paparazzi or rabid fans.
He ordered strong black tea and a soup of seafood and noodles, mostly listening
to the girls talk and interjecting occasionally, feeling content. It was nice
being around people who didn’t demand anything of him.
He was sitting in the corner, next to Ty Lee and across from Suki. There was
also Katsumi, a tall but baby-faced girl with long black hair that she wore in
many braids; Naomi, a shorter, muscular girl with dark eyes; and Fu Hao, who
looked mean but was actually quite pleasant.
When he was about halfway through his noodles and the others were engaged in a
discussion about the pros and cons of archery in battle, Ty Lee turned to him.
“So,” she begin tentatively, “how’ve you been? I mean, regarding the whole Mai
thing.”
Zuko smiled slightly. “I’m doing fine.”
Ty Lee brightened. “You seem fine! Really good, actually. That’s good.”
“Yeah, but you know. I feel bad about how it… transpired. How’s Mai doing?” He
lifted his tea to his lips, taking a sip.
“She’s really really good, actually!”
“Really? That’s—that’s great!”
“Yeah, she actually just left town this morning. She always wanted to travel,
and since she—well, you know, she doesn’t have anything else, uh, going on, she
decided to take an air balloon and just go!”
Zuko blinked. “Oh? Go where?”
“Well, I’m not sure where she’s stopping along the way, but I know she wants to
visit the North Pole.”
Zuko imagined Mai among the elegant but fearsome Northern Water Tribe. She’d
probably enjoy it there. He couldn’t believe their breakup had driven her out
of town. Embarrassingly, he never knew she wanted to see the world. She didn’t
ask him a whole lot about the places he saw while he was banished.
“Is she planning on traveling for a while?” Zuko asked, hoping he sounded
casual.
“Uh, yeah, I think so,” said Ty Lee sympathetically.
“Well,” said Zuko, at a bit of a loss. “I wish her the best. I’m sure she’ll
have lots of exciting adventures.”
“Definitely!” said Ty Lee, smiling as she tore a sticky bun apart with her
hands.
Zuko took a long sip of his tea and caught Suki’s eye across the table. “How’s
was Sokka’s comedown from the cactus juice?”
Suki laughed.
“Wait, what?” Ty Lee gasped, and the other girls laughed while Suki quickly
filled them in on the weekend’s events.
“He was fine,” she added at the end. “The only thing he was embarrassed about
was that I saw him flirting with so many girls, but I’m not an idiot.” She
rolled her eyes and took a sip from her drink. “I know how he is.”
Zuko had no reply to that, so he polished off his noodles, scooping the bottom
of the bowl with his spoon to get the last of the broth. He felt comfortably
full, and better than he had in days. He leaned back into his seat.
Suki startled, and leaned forward toward Zuko. “Oh my god, I just remembered
something! I can’t believe I haven't told you this yet; I just found out today
and it slipped my mind.”
“Uh oh, what is it?”
“Something great!” she beamed. “Katara and Aang got back together. Sokka wrote
me. Said that the night after they broke up Aang went to the Southern Water
Tribe and spent a bunch of time with her, taking her to do all the romantic
things that he was usually too busy for, and really won her back in a big way.”
Suki beamed. “I guess he had to lose her to realize he couldn’t live without
her. I’m glad he didn’t wait too long!”
“Aww!” said Fu Hao.
“They’re such a good couple,” commented Katsumi.
“Fire Lord?” said Naomi. “No disrespect, your highness, but you look—pale.”
They all turned to look at him. Zuko thought he might be past ‘pale;’ he felt
like he was turning green. Everything seemed to tunnel around him.
Ty Lee covered her mouth with her hand. “Suki, he just had a breakup!”
Suki’s eyes widened. “Zuko, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to rub it in your
face!”
“No, it’s not—it’s fine,” Zuko stammered. It felt like the soup was rising up
his esophagus, making him want to vomit. He put his head in his hands. He
noticed dimly that Suki was looking very alarmed, and wanted to let her know it
wasn’t her fault, but couldn’t find the words as his head swam.
He reached into his robe and pulled out a small satchel full of gold. He handed
it to Naomi. “Can you please handle the check? Sorry, I’m not feeling well.”
“Of course, sir,” she said, and stood. Out of the corner of his eye Zuko saw Ty
Lee gesturing for Fu Hao and Katsumi to join Naomi, and the three girls walked
toward the bar.
Ty Lee turned to Zuko and wrapped her arms around him. “I promise it’s going to
be okay!” she said. “Mai’s my best friend, and she means the world to me, but
you’re my friend too! And we’re here for you.” She broke the hug and gestured
to Suki, who nodded.
“I’m sorry Zuko, that was insensitive of me.” said Suki. “It just seems like
you’re so much happier now. I’m sorry if I’m being presumptuous, but if you’re
feeling relieved, it’s a sign that breaking up was the right decision.”
Ty Lee nodded adamantly. “You’ll find true love, just like Aang and Katara! But
you can’t do it if you keep hanging on to the past.”
Zuko drained his tea miserably. He couldn't find comfort in their words when
they only knew half the truth.
Suki and Ty Lee exchanged a sad look that made Zuko’s skin crawl. Ty Lee put
her hand on his shoulder.
“What’s it going to take to get you to feel better?”
Zuko stared into his tea leaves. He’d been through worse rejections, worse
heartbreaks that almost broke him completely, but didn’t. And there was really
only one reason for that.
Uncle Iroh.
“I’m going to the Jasmine Dragon,” he told them. The girls nodded, and without
a word they all stood and made for the door.
***** The Promise *****
Chapter Summary
     Love is in the air. Zuko is allergic.
ONE YEAR LATER
Zuko’s bungalow in the Republic was more of a proper house now, with the
addition of several rooms and a respectable backyard. He unwrapped some red
flowers he picked up downtown and placed them in a tall vase he’d filled with
water. He thought it would be a nice touch for when his guests arrived, and it
made him happy to support Republic City shops. They were all brand new, and
Zuko hoped he could help fan the fire and get the economy off to a great start.
He lit some incense, and then paced the room a few times. They were late, which
was normal for them, but Zuko prided himself on punctuality.
After a few minutes, he heard a commotion outside, and peaked through the
blinds. An emu-horse drawn carriage was making its way up the path. Zuko opened
the door and stood in the entrance way, raising a hand to shield his eyes
against the sun.
The carriage stopped, and Sokka stepped out before the conductor could
dismount, offering his hand back up toward the carriage. Suki grabbed it, as
well as one of his shoulders, and very slowly lowered herself down until Sokka
caught her and brought her gently to the ground. She seemed so small to Zuko,
in a plain green dress instead of her usual warrior robes.
They walked toward the house, and Zuko waved. They returned the gesture,
grinning widely.
“Fancy digs, my man,” said Sokka, grasping Zuko’s hand and bringing him into a
hug. “Forget going back to the Fire Nation; you’ll just bring it to you!”
“It’s hardly a palace,” laughed Zuko as he embraced Suki. She felt a lot
thinner and less muscular than he remembered. He led them inside, and poured
them tea from the pot on the stove as they made themselves comfortable.
“You look great,” he said to Suki, who smiled. Her skin was covered in faint
red scars left behind by the dragon pox. Zuko wasn’t sure if they would fade.
He’d heard rumors that if you catch dragon pox as an adult, all the damage was
permanent, but that could be a myth, and he didn’t want to bombard Suki with
questions.
“Thank you.” It was true, she did look great compared to the day he found her
in her bedchamber after failing to show up for security detail: sweaty, eyes
glazed, unresponsive to anything he was saying, seemingly hallucinating. The
blisters and shakes came later, after he had rushed her to the castle’s medic.
He had a small bout of dragon pox as a child, so he wasn’t afraid for himself,
just for her.
He was certain she would die, but she started to recover within a couple of
days. Unfortunately recovery was a long process, involving lots of bed rest
while the sores on her skin were healed and her body was purged of infection.
For someone who had been a fighter since she was young, it was understandably
frustrating.
“I feel so much better,” said Suki, smiling as she sipped her tea. “I’m finally
able to move. I can’t believe they made me lay down for a whole month for my
health.”
“It was so you could make a full recovery, babe,” said Sokka, stroking her
hair. “Get back to warrior shape.”
“Yeah,” Suki sighed. She lifted the sleeve of her robe and curled her bicep,
showing Zuko. It was small. “Real warrior over here.”
“Hey,” said Sokka, grabbing her arm and kissing the tiny muscle. “You were the
one who taught me that it doesn't matter how big or strong you are when it
comes to outsmarting your enemy.”
Suki smiled.
“Suki,” said Zuko. “Here’s the thing. As my personal guard, you’re invaluable
to me. I’ll be so grateful when you’re able to resume your place as the leader
of the Kyoshis. But as a friend and a person, you’re much more invaluable. So
I’m really glad you're taking the time you need to get better.”
Suki rolled her eyes, smiling, and hugged Zuko. “Don’t make me all emotional.”
“I made the reservations tonight for Mu Mizu,” Sokka said as Suki settled back
next to him. “Eight o’ clock.”
“I haven’t been yet; supposedly it’s the nicest place in town,” said Zuko.
“Well, it’s the only really nice place in town,” said Sokka.
About six months ago, Zuko and Aang had the basis of the downtown area built by
a team of talented earth benders and filled the buildings with shops,
restaurants, and offices that were looking to lay down roots in the up-and-
coming Republic City. They also had a city hall where they met with government
representatives who had moved from other cities that were now a part of the
Republic of Nations. The city population was still small, but growing steadily,
and new businesses were cropping up daily, keeping the Department of Civic
Bending and Planning busy.
“Aang’s in a meeting but he said he would come here afterward, then we can head
out,” Zuko said.
“Sounds good,” said Sokka. “Katara went to the police station when we got to
town; I guess Toph is showing her some new metal bending thing she’s been
using. They’ll probably just meet us there.”
Zuko brought out some seaweed snacks and a bowl of mixed nuts to hold them
over. “Did Sokka keep you entertained while you were on bed rest?”
“She got sick of my puppet shows,” said Sokka, grabbing a handful of nuts.
“I did not!” she smacked his knee lightly. She looked at Zuko. “He made these
really cute hand puppets of us and would act out their adventures. It was
great. But, actually, I started writing. And once I started I couldn’t stop!”
She smiled apologetically at Sokka, who smiled warmly back.
“What did you write about?” Zuko asked.
“At first I was just writing down my fighting techniques so I wouldn’t forget
them. But it evolved to become sort of a warrior’s code and fighting guide—I
don’t even know what you’d call it, I’ve never been into literature. All I know
is that makes me feel like I’m doing something useful.”
“That sounds incredible,” said Zuko. “I’d love to read it when you’re finished,
if you don’t mind.”
“You’ll get your chance; she’s going to publish it and sell it in all the
bookstands of Republic City!” Sokka squeezed Suki’s knee.
“We’ll see,” said Suki smiling self-consciously.
A bell chimed from the front door, and Zuko answered it. Aang was there with
his glider, and he grinned as he walked in. “Hey, Zuko.”
“Hey.” Zuko’s prediction a year ago had been correct; Aang had grown a few
inches taller and was starting to fill out a bit as well, though he was still
thin and lanky. His face was changing, becoming less babyish. It embarrassed
Zuko to think about how young Aang looked a year ago, and he usually tried not
to. “Sokka and Suki are here, come have some tea.”
Zuko poured more tea as everyone greeted each other, embracing.
They talked for another hour, Suki filling Aang in on her condition and her
newfound love of writing. Eventually, she nudged Sokka.
“We should start getting ready for dinner.”
Sokka eyed the big gold clock that was ticking away above the fireplace. “Damn,
you’re right.”
“Everything you need for showers is laid on the counter of the guest bathroom.”
“Is the shower big enough for two?” Sokka asked, and Aang laughed.
“It’s because I just got off bed rest and he thinks I still need help!” Suki
protested, laughing with Aang.
“Oh yeah, it’s huge,” said Zuko. “You crazy kids have fun.”
Suki shook her head as they got up, giggling. Sokka picked her up like a baby
and she shrieked, laughing as he carried her down the hall to the guest room.
“Oh, young love,” said Aang, rolling his eyes.
“Who needs it?” said Zuko, smirking and picking at a chip in his teacup.
“Eh, it’s probably not the most important thing,” Aang mused, watching Zuko.
“Hopefully not, or I’m fucked.”
“Wah, poor Zuko, it’s so lonely being the Fire Lord.” Aang pouted.
Zuko smirked again. “Speaking of young love, how’s Katara? You guys good?”
“Mmm. Good,” Aang replied unconvincingly, looking away.
Zuko’s heart leapt and his cheeks burned. Don’t get your hopes up don’t get
your hopes up don’t—
“You—sure?” he asked, hoping his voice sounded normal.
“Uhhhh… yeah, I’m sure. I just—I don’t know. This sounds really crazy, but I
think she’s hiding something from me.” He looked back at Zuko, their eyes
meeting.
“Like what?”
“Not sure. She’s been really distant lately, but she also seems happy,
definitely not mad at me or anything. Every time I talk to her about, just,
normal stuff, she replies with one word answers. I even asked her if everything
was okay and if she needed to tell me anything, and she just changed the
subject! Didn’t even deny it.”
Zuko let that sink in, unsure how to feel about it. He wanted Aang so badly.
Every day spent at work on Republic City was fresh torture for Zuko. They used
to spend a lot of time alone together; since that night in Ba Sing Se they
rarely ever did. But it didn’t make a difference. Every time Aang fixed him
with a casual smile from across a crowded room, as if that night had been
erased from his memory, Zuko felt like he was being spit-roasted over an open
flame.
And yet. The one time Aang rushed into Zuko’s arms he was still stinging from
Katara’s rejection, and after dropping off Zuko immediately rushed back to her.
Why repeat history? What was so great about Katara; how did she ever think she
could do better than Aang? He found himself burning with an irrational rage.
“Whatever, it’s stupid,” Aang said, leaning back in his chair. “I don’t even
care what she’s hiding. I just wish she wasn’t hiding it, you know?”
Zuko was pretty sure he didn’t know, but just said, “Yeah, I get you.”
He heard the guest shower shut off, the pipes running through the walls going
quiet.
Aang chewed his bottom lip, making it slightly swollen. “So, Mu Mizu, huh?”
“Yup. You been?”
“I checked it out when they first opened, but they didn’t have a lot of
vegetarian options. I guess Sokka told them I was a vegetarian, and they added
a whole extra menu. So… that’s pretty cool.”
“Yeah.”
They sat in semi-comfortable silence until Suki entered the living room,
wearing a beautiful high-collared dress that had some elements of her warrior
uniform without all the heavy armor.
“Where’s Sokka?” Aang asked.
“He’s getting himself ready,” Suki said. “He did my hair for me.” She showed
off a golden fan-shaped pin in her updo.
“Nice,” said Aang.
Sokka came out a few minutes later, his hair styled the same way he wore it in
Ba Sing Se last year. He was also wearing the same fancy water tribe clothing.
Zuko and Aang were already dressed in their formal wear, so they each had a
drink before heading out. Zuko served firewhiskey sours to Suki, Sokka, and
himself, and made Aang a sour soda.
Suki was still too weak to travel by bison, but their carriage had returned to
take them to Mu Mizu. Appa was left to roam in Zuko’s backyard, which was
probably uncomfortably small.
They arrived at a restaurant that resembled a turreted donjon, with sloping
white lacquered panels and green trim. The conductor unrolled a green carpet
leading out of the carriage, and they walked its path to Mu Mizu’s door. The
maitre d’ ushered them to a chandelier-lit private room with a large, low table
and plush green velvet cushions to sit on.
Katara and Toph were already there, and rose to greet them. Katara went to Aang
first, squeezing him tight with a giddy smile on her face. Thankfully, Toph
pulled Zuko into a hug before he could see them kiss.
Suki and Sokka took one side of the table, and Aang and Katara sat on the other
side, leaving Zuko and Toph to take each end. Zuko was seated between Aang and
Sokka.
The first course consisted of seaweed salad and miso soup. Aang filled the
others in on the new businesses that had popped up in Republic City. Sokka and
Suki asked questions, but Katara was unusually tight-lipped.
“So, how did you like the police station?” Aang asked Katara.
“Oh,” she said. “It was really cool.” She shoved a spoonful of miso soup in her
mouth. Aang turned to catch Zuko’s eye, as if to say, see? Zuko returned his
look with a blank stare, burning inside.
The second course consisted of thinly sliced raw fish in a succulent sauce, and
the third was slow-braised beef. Aang was brought stir-fried vegetables and
grilled tofu, respectively. Zuko drank more than his share of white wine from a
carafe on the men’s side of the table, and it was replaced. Every time Aang
glanced at Katara, worry knitting his brows, Zuko took a sip.
Finally, when the dessert had been served—creme brûlée with a caramelized
surface that shone like stained glass—Sokka raised his cup. “Suki and I have an
announcement to make.”
Everyone stopped and turned toward them. Aang had just cracked the top of his
creme brûlée, and was paused awkwardly with his spoon hovering. Katara was
smiling, her hands clasped together in excitement.
Suki smiled and folded the collar of her dress down, revealing a Water Tribe
betrothal necklace, its deep blue contrasting with the green of her outfit.
“We’re getting married!” Sokka shouted.
“Whoa!” Aang said, dropping his spoon. It clattered against the desert ramekin
loudly.
“Congratulations, man!” said Zuko, reaching out to grab Sokka’s shoulder and
shake it.
“Yeah…wow. Nice job, Sokka,” said Toph, giving Suki a playful smile before
taking a sip of her wine.
Katara squealed. “I’m so happy! And I knew that necklace would look amazing on
you!”
Sokka smiled sheepishly at Suki. “Katara helped me pick it out.”
Suki touched the carved stone hanging from the choker. It looked vaguely
square-shaped, but upon closer inspection Zuko saw that it was a circle with
four smaller circles placed evenly around it, giving it the appearance of
corners. “I kind of figured. You both did great.” She kissed Sokka on the
cheek.
“You already knew?” Aang asked.
Katara grinned. “I’ve known for weeks! It was so torturous not being able to
tell you! I could barely even talk to you. You probably noticed something was
up.”
Aang shrugged. “Yeah, kind of.” He briefly caught Zuko’s eye and gave a small
smile that Zuko didn’t return. He was starting to feel a bit queasy. Now that
Sokka was getting married, would people expect Zuko to start courting someone?
And what if Aang and Katara were next?
“When’s the wedding?” Toph asked.
“We’re setting the date about sixth months from now. It’ll be a winter
wedding,” said Suki, smiling as Sokka put his arm around her shoulder,
squeezing her to him.
“I guess you’ll be having it at the South Pole? Or, wait—on Kyoshi Island?”
Zuko asked.
“Actually—“ Suki exchanged a look with Sokka. “We were thinking…” She
hesitated.
Sokka looked from Aang to Zuko. “How do you guys feel about a wedding in
Republic City?”
Aang laughed. “I think it’s a great idea!” Katara grinned and squeezed his arm.
“Yeah, definitely,” said Zuko. With sixth months notice, they could easily make
it work. Since it would be the first high-profile wedding in Republic City,
Zuko figured the whole town would come together to make it wonderful.
“We’re going to be inviting a lot of people, so it’s a little overwhelming,”
said Suki. “But I was hoping that you two would be my bridesmaids.” She smiled
at Toph and Katara.
Katara squealed and said “Of course!” at the same time Toph asked, “Me?”
Suki laughed. “Yeah, definitely, Toph.”
Toph laughed awkwardly. “Um, I’d actually love to. I just figured you’d ask one
of the Kyoshi warriors or something.”
“Well, they’ll be part of the wedding! We have this sort of ritual whenever a
warrior gets married. But you’ve been a great friend to me, and I’d love to
have you by my side.”
Toph brushed her bangs out of her face, smiling self consciously. “Alright
Fangirl, that’s just sappy enough to sway me.”
“And of course, you two are going to be my groomsmen,” said Sokka, pointing
from Aang to Zuko. “Don’t make me beg.”
Zuko rolled his eyes. “Fiiiine.”
“We better be!” said Aang. “Wait, which one is the best man?”
“You’ll have to fight for the honor.”
Aang looked at Zuko, eyes narrowed. They softened after a few seconds. “I guess
we can share it,” he said.
“Honor is overrated,” said Zuko.
Sokka raised his glass of wine. “Well, here’s a toast. To all of you for being
in our wedding! And to this beautiful woman, for being with me.” He kissed
Suki’s cheek.
They all raised their glasses of wine (or in Aang’s case, lychee juice) and
said, “To Sokka and Suki!”
Zuko drank, noticing as he did that he probably shouldn’t have much more. He
set the glass down after one sip.
After they finish their dessert, Zuko insists on paying the check. He inherited
so much money as the heir to the Fire Nation’s throne that it often embarrassed
him. Luckily, he was able to justify it as a congratulatory dinner to Sokka and
Suki.
He got his robe from the coat rack and put it on, noticing Toph’s small green
overcoat. He brought it over to her, holding it out so she could put her arms
in it, but she took it from him and put it on herself.
“So, I guess that makes us dates,” Zuko said.
Toph paused midway through pulling her sleeve over her shoulder. “Huh?”
“For the wedding,” he said. “Aang and Katara will walk down the aisle together,
of course, so that leaves you and me as dates.”
Toph pulled her coat on all the way. “Aww. Yeah! How platonic of you!” she said
sarcastically, and stormed out of the room, following Katara, Sokka, and Suki.
Aang was the only one who was still in the room, finishing the clasp on his
airbender robe.
He smiled pityingly at Zuko, who was dumbfounded.
“What the hell is her problem?”
“Oh,” said Aang, checking the door nervously. Seeing that no one was left in
earshot, he said, “Well, Toph’s always had a thing for Sokka. She never really
talked about it but it’s been obvious to me for years.”
“Oh,” said Zuko. He supposed he had known that once.
“Maybe she’s mad you only like her as a friend, too.”
Zuko glared at Aang. “She’ll get over it. Sometimes friendship has to be
enough.” He walked out of the room, not looking at Aang once until they reached
the carriages.
***********
SIX MONTHS LATER
Zuko sat alone in a private booth in the back of La La Lemongrass, an overly
trendy restaurant in the middle ring of Ba Sing Se. It served a fusion of Earth
Kingdom and Fire Nation cuisine that rose to popularity in the colonies, and
Zuko had developed a taste for it during his stays in Republic City. He didn’t
often dine at fancy restaurants, however; he usually had an assistant bring
take-out boxes full of dim sum to the headquarters where he worked with Aang.
Aang, incidentally, was one of the people on whom Zuko was currently waiting.
The other was getting married in two days.
The table had been serviced with a bottle of champagne in a crystal bucket,
along with a small bottle of whiskey. Zuko left them untouched for now, sipping
his third cup of jasmine tea. Last time he checked his pocket watch, it had
been thirteen minutes after seven. He refused to check it again. Sokka and Aang
were traveling together from Republic City, where they were entertaining guests
visiting from the Southern Water Tribe. Zuko had come from the Fire Nation, but
would be heading back to the city with them.
At last he heard Sokka’s carrying voice as he made small talk with the hostess.
She pulled the red gauze curtain aside, letting Sokka and Aang into the small
room.
“Hey!” Zuko stood and hugged Sokka. Despite his initial reaction to Sokka’s
engagement, he was excited the big event was finally here. Everything had been
arranged beautifully and the city was beside itself with excitement. There had
been several headaches over the last six months—every business in town wanted a
piece of the action—but that was all finally over, and Zuko could enjoy it
fully.
He released Sokka and hugged Aang, who was even taller now. He seemed older
too, but not in a bad way. The stress and responsibility of running a city
while simultaneously being the Avatar weighed on him, but it also brought out a
new, more mature side of him. He was almost a man now, Zuko thought. At least
legally. How absurd, to think of what Aang had accomplished by this point.
They sat at the table, both across from Zuko, who tried not to take it
personally.
“Can I bring you anything else to drink besides champagne and whiskey?” the
hostess asked.
“Lychee juice would be awesome,” Aang said.
She bowed, and walked away.
“Nice choice,” Aang said, looking around.
“Suki and I came here when we were in town to get her dress,” said Sokka,
pouring two whiskeys. He passed one to Zuko, who pushed his teapot to the side.
“How are you feeling about the big day?” Zuko asked.
Sokka took a sip, then smiled roguishly. “I know I’m supposed to say all that
crap about having cold feet and getting tied down and whatnot, but, I dunno.”
He shrugged. “I just want to be with her. Two days is too long.”
“Wow,” said Zuko. “So I guess that means no bachelor party after all? La La
Lemongrass is it?”
“No,” said Sokka, slamming his whiskey glass on the table, where some sloshed
out. “I’m only getting married once, damnit. I need to do it right.”
Zuko and Aang laughed, Aang rolling his eyes. The hostess came back with his
lychee juice, along with a waiter. Sokka ordered plates for them all to share,
based on things he had tried last time and suggestions made by the waiter.
Zuko and Sokka drained their whiskeys around the same time, and Zuko refilled
them.
“So, what do you mean by ‘doing it right?’” Zuko asked Sokka. “That sounds a
little ominous.”
Sokka waved his hand. “Nothing crazy. I just want to go to a strip club.”
Zuko grimaced. “Do we have to?”
“Uh, yeah, dude. We have to!”
Zuko gave Aang a pointed look. Aang shrugged.
“It’s alright with me, as long as the ladies aren’t being exploited,” he said,
twiddling the straw of his juice. “I’ve never been to one, but I guess the
lower ring clubs can be pretty bad. I hear the ones up here treat their dancers
fairly.” He started drinking his juice, blushing.
“I know, I’ve been,” Zuko sighed. He looked at Sokka. “What does Suki think of
all this?”
“Dude, the girls are going to see male strippers tonight!”
Aang choked on his juice. He spit it back into the glass, coughing as Sokka
thumped him on the back.
“You really didn’t know that?” Sokka asked, barely hiding a smile.
“I didn’t wanna know,” Aang said, recovering his breath.
Zuko rolled his eyes. “I just really hate strip clubs.”
Sokka gave Zuko a sympathetic smile. “Zuko, buddy, I’m going to try to say this
in the nicest way possible. It’s my bachelor party tonight, so don’t be a
dick.”
Aang laughed. Zuko sneered. “Fine,” he groaned.
Sokka reached across to pat Zuko’s cheek. “You’re the best.”
The waiter arrived with plates of noodles, curries, dumplings, and spring
rolls. Zuko didn’t see how they’d be able to eat it all, and felt guilty for
being wasteful, but the food looked and smelled so delicious it actually made
his mouth water.
As Zuko took a little of everything and Aang took generous portions of the
vegetarian fare, Sokka grabbed the champagne out of its crystal bucket and
opened it, blowing the steam off the top. He poured glasses for himself and
Zuko, and then a tiny, sip-sized amount for Aang before returning the bottle.
Aang looked at the glass skeptically, but took it, to Zuko’s surprise.
“I’d like to toast a toast,” said Sokka, raising his glass.
“Hear, hear!” said Aang.
“To the next great adventure—marriage. And to Suki! My future wife and all
around mega babe.”
Zuko waited for more, but that seemed to be it, so he and Aang saluted the air
with their own glasses and said “To Sokka and Suki!”
Zuko took a sip. Aang tilted his champagne flute upside down, draining it.
“Look at you,” said Zuko, grinning.
“Not as good as lychee juice,” said Aang. “But not terrible.” He immediately
stuffed a spinach dumpling into his mouth, as if to negate this.
Zuko and Sokka followed suit, and begin eating. Sokka had been right—everything
was insanely delicious. After his third helping of a little of everything, Zuko
refilled his and Sokka’s champagnes.
“I just can’t believe you’re getting married,” he said, feeling a little tipsy.
“I didn’t think you’d ever fully settle down.”
Sokka finished swallowing. “Honestly… neither did I. Remember how I told you my
first girlfriend turned into the moon?”
Zuko nodded. He remembered when it happened, though he hadn’t known she was
Sokka’s girlfriend at the time. It was Zhao’s fault she was gone. Though Zuko
had been Zhao’s enemy, he was actively working against Team Avatar at the time,
and felt guilty about any hardships they went through then.
“That kind of messed me up,” Sokka continued. “I didn’t like to think about the
future, because anything could happen and nothing’s permanent. It seemed wrong
to try and go against that.”
Aang glanced up from his noodles. “What changed your mind?”
“Well. I never really worried about Suki, you know? She’s a fighter, she can
protect herself. Even when we were fighting Ozai and I thought she might be
dead—I thought we all were going to die, in that moment, and then she saved me.
It made me feel like she would always be able to finagle her way out of any
situation. Until she got dragon pox.”
He shifted in his seat, gulping more champagne.
“I thought she was going to die. For real, this time. It didn’t matter how
smart, strong, or brave she was, I was going to lose her and there was nothing
I could do about it. She was stable within a few days, but it changed me. I
knew that for however long we had together, I wanted her to be my wife.”
Chills ran down Zuko’s spine, something pinching in his heart. He looked at
Aang. Aang was nodding, eyes slightly unfocused, as if he understood.
Sokka laughed. “Is that heavy and sappy enough for you?”
Aang nodded again. “Definitely.”
“I’ll drink to that,” said Zuko, draining his glass. Sokka laughed again, and
followed suit.
They took a carriage to Screaming Orchid, in the section of the middle ring
that dealt with hedonistic pleasures. The neon characters embellished with
giant pink flowers felt conspicuous, and Zuko kept his hood up as he went in.
Aang was wearing red secular robes, but made no effort to conceal his arrows.
Due to their status, they were given a cushy table near the stage, and
complimentary drinks. Zuko accepted a beer, sipping slowly, wanting to pace
himself. Sokka took another whiskey.
A woman stepped onto the stage, her updo adorned with white lilies, wearing a
long white cheongsam. Her lips were painted red, shining like cherries. An
unseen pianist played sultry music from behind the stage as she begin to dance.
She had a white fan in her hand, which she used to flick the buttons off her
dress, one at a time, starting from the top.
“Oh yeah,” said Sokka. The buttons hit the ground, rolling on the stage as she
moved her hips slowly to the music. Her dress gapped open as each button
disappeared, and as the final one fell she slipped out of it and placed it on a
chair to the side of the stage.
She wore nothing but a bra and underwear, and low heeled sandals. Her lingerie
was lacy white silk, her full breasts straining against the cups of her bra,
the darkness of her nipples visible beneath the sheer fabric. She ran her hands
over them and down over her hips, swaying.
Zuko stole a look at Aang. He seemed transfixed, his eyes wide and glazed, his
mouth slightly open. Zuko felt his face heat up. Of course this is what Aang
likes. Women, and all the sensuality that comes with them. Did Katara ever
dress up and dance like this for Aang? Zuko couldn’t picture it—at least, not
without getting angry. Angrier. He took another sip of beer and tried to pay
attention to the dancer.
She was taking the lilies out of her updo and throwing each one to a different
man in the crowd. Sokka caught one, and twirled it between his fingers as he
watched her pull the pins from her hair, letting it fall down her back like a
black veil. She smiled, then fluttered her fan in front of her chest as she
deftly reached behind her back and unclasped the bra, letting it fall. Many of
the guys cheered, Sokka included, as she continued to flutter the fan, teasing
but not quite revealing.
Eventually, she snapped it shut, revealing her breasts to more cheers. Aang
hadn’t cheered, but he was gripping the arms of his chair tightly. The woman's
breasts were bigger than Zuko’s usual preference, but they looked good on her
hourglass figure, and the way they swayed slightly separate from the rest of
her body while she danced made him a little hard.
She ran the tip of the closed fan between them, then over, under, and all
around, brushing against her nipples. Finally, she slid the fan down her waist
and into the band of her underwear, pulling it down slightly.
“Fuck yeah,” said Sokka, taking a large sip of whiskey.
She reached her thumb into the waistband and shimmied the satin briefs down
slowly. When they were down by her hips she flicked the fan open, holding it
upside down to cover herself. A few guys booed, and she smiled deviously,
dropping the underwear down her legs.
She kicked them off and started walking down the aisle of the stage, waving the
fan slowly. First she walked down the side of the aisle across from them, and
as she walked by Zuko got an eyeful of her full but tight ass, his arousal
growing stronger. He shifted in his seat, adjusting his robes. Aang seemed to
notice, turning his head slightly in Zuko’s direction before returning his
attention to the dancer. For reasons he didn’t want to parse, this made Zuko’s
dick wilt.
She rounded the corner at the end of the aisle and made her way up their side,
still waving her fan with maddening languidness. As she walked by, every man
craned his neck to try to see behind the fan, including Sokka, and much to
Zuko’s surprise and chagrin, Aang. Zuko didn’t try, but he thought he caught a
glimpse of something dark and secret as she passed them.
Zuko wondered what it would be like to fuck a girl like that. Someone overtly
sexual, with the kind of body men drooled over. It would be nice, certainly,
but he found it hard to get excited over the mere fantasy.
He finally stole look at Aang’s crotch, and saw an inconspicuous but definite
bulge beneath his robe. He tried to imagine Aang fucking her. The image was
both upsetting and exciting, and he forced it out of his mind.
The dancer stood in the middle of the stage, and finally, slowly, closed the
fan. The crowd went wild when they saw her neatly trimmed pussy, her legs apart
in a stance, relishing the attention of the crowd. At this point, a fabric box
was being pushed around the stage by a cute girl in a black dress, and men were
throwing money into it. The dancer on stage rain her hands all over her body,
making eye contact and smirking at the men in the room. Sokka threw a sizable
amount of money into the box, and Aang threw in several yuan as well. Not
wanting to look like a poor sport, so did Zuko.
Zuko sipped his beer slowly as the rest of the dancers took their turn on
stage, each one with a different style and brand of sexuality. Sokka seemed to
fully appreciate each one, cheering loudly. Aang was quieter, but clearly
riveted, and Zuko found it hard to concentrate on the girls as he mulled over
the implications of this. Aang was straight, or just a nymphomaniac—he didn’t
think about Zuko that way anymore, after he’d gotten what he wanted. Over the
last year and a half, it seemed like Aang had forgotten all about what had
transpired between them. There were a few moments—a look that lasted slightly
longer than usual, an endeared laugh—that made Zuko think something was there.
It was clearly all in his head.
The glass of beer had been in his hand for so long; the next sip was lukewarm
and put a bad taste in his mouth. He set it down.
Sokka knocked his hand against Zuko’s shoulder. “That’s the one.”
“Huh?” said Zuko, as Aang turned to see what they were talking about.
“That’s the one I want a dance from.” He nodded towards the corner of the room.
A voluptuous woman in a leather bodice who had finished her show several
minutes before was lounging on a tall stool, smoking a cigarette through a long
black reed. She wore a gauzy black dressing gown and black lipstick.
“So?” said Zuko. “Get one, then?”
“Dude!” said Sokka, looking pained. “Can you please pretend like you’re
celebrating my bachelor party?”
Zuko glanced at Aang, who shrugged. Zuko sighed, then walked over to the woman
and asked her to take Sokka for a dance. He pulled a generous amount of coins
from his satchel and tried to hand them to her, but she insisted he drop them
into the small velvet purse sitting in her lap, right over her crotch. He
withheld a groan and did so, slowly so as not to be rude. She curved her black
lips into a smile and reached out a black-gloved hand, silently asking to be
led to Sokka.
He led her with as little enthusiasm as possible to the table. Sokka grinned in
his cheesy wolf-like manner. The girl tapped her cigarette into the ashtray on
their table, then grabbed Sokka by his collar and led him away. He didn’t spare
Zuko or Aang a parting glance.
Zuko resumed his seat and crossed his arms. A thin woman with cropped brown
hair was doing some sort of fire bending act with poi spinners as she
simultaneously removed her clothes. It was actually sort of impressive, if not
very sexy to him personally. Aang seemed entertained, the reflection of the
fire dancing in his big gray eyes.
After a few minutes, she extinguished the fires and bowed. Aang actually
cheered, clapping enthusiastically. He stopped when he realized Zuko hadn’t
even uncrossed his arms.
Aang hit Zuko’s knee lightly with the back of his hand. “What’s wrong? I know
you don’t like strip clubs, but you’ve been particularly grumpy tonight.”
Zuko scoffed. He wasn’t very tipsy anymore, but the combination of drinks was
curdling in his stomach, making his head ache. He couldn’t tolerate Aang’s
naïveté anymore.
“Are you serious?” Zuko sneered. “Being back in Ba Sing Se doesn’t jog your
memory at all?”
Aang reared his head back, looking stricken. Zuko picked up his lukewarm beer,
taking a sip that tasted like piss, just for something to do.
“That—of course I remember that.”
Zuko glared at him and took another sip.
Aang exhaled, exasperated. “I just—“ he struggled. “I just don’t understand why
that’s a bad thing. You don’t want to remember it?”
Zuko gaped at him. “Are you kidding me? the one who doesn’t want to remember?
You… for fuck’s sake, didn’t you ever wonder why Mai and I broke up?”
Aang’s eyes grew wide. “You told her?!” he hissed.
“No! I just felt—“ Suddenly, Sokka was sinking into the seat next to him,
looking thoroughly disheveled. Zuko stopped talking, turning away from Aang.
“Woo,” said Sokka feebly, panting. His hair was sticking out of his wolf tail
in several directions. “Oh man.”
“Have fun?” asked Zuko, trying his best not to scowl.
“Yeah,” Sokka panted, closing his eyes. He ran a hand over his face. “Fuck.
What time is it?”
Zuko pulled out his pocket watch. “A little after midnight.”
“Are you guys getting dances?”
“No,” said Zuko and Aang at the same time, Zuko more vehemently.
Sokka looked at them guiltily for a few seconds. “Would you be opposed to
heading back to Republic City? I’m a little, uh. Worn out.”
“Fuck no, I would not be opposed,” said Zuko.
“No way,” said Aang. “Let’s go.”
They took a carriage to the outer ring, where Appa was being housed in an
animal sanctuary. During the entire ride, Aang kept trying to catch his eye to
share a sympathetic look. After the first of these, Zuko pretended that he
didn’t notice, grateful for the dark.
Though Aang and Zuko both had houses in Republic City, they were staying the
night at the Four Elements Hotel, where the majority of the wedding party and
guests were staying. The wedding service would be held in the hotel’s chapel,
the reception in its ballroom.
Once on Appa’s back, Zuko feigned exhaustion as an excuse not to talk. Sokka
talked at length about his lap dance, which sounded to Zuko like a brief bit of
expensive and unsatisfying dry humping, but seemed to have shaken Sokka with a
vague sense of guilt. Aang gave one word responses, and Sokka’s voice slowed
until it was replaced by snoring, Aang’s joining him shortly after. Zuko
managed to sleep himself, fitfully and in short bursts. After some time, they
arrived at the hotel, where the night valet was waiting to take Appa to the
stables. Aang hugged Appa’s leg fiercely before allowing him to be led away.
Zuko, Aang, and Sokka had rooms on the same floor, on the opposite end of the
hall from the girls. They walked Sokka to his room first.
“Was tonight everything you hoped?” Aang asked.
“Well,” Sokka considered. “It definitely made me feel relieved to be getting
married. So there’s that.”
“Well, I guess that’s the best you can hope for.” Aang clapped him on the back.
Zuko pulled Sokka into a hug, sparing him a small smile, knowing they'd been
scarce tonight. “I’m really happy for you.”
Sokka grinned. “Thanks, guys. I love you both like you’re my own blood. Now, if
you don’t mind, I’m going to pass the fuck out.”
After they had closed the door on Sokka, they walked to the next room, which
was Zuko’s. He unlocked the door, starting to push it open.
“Zuko,” said Aang. Zuko turned around.
Aang was staring at him with grave sincerity. “Zuko, I really want to—”
“It’s fine,” Zuko interrupted. Aang’s face fell. Zuko forced a smile.
“Seriously, I was just in a bad mood. You know how I get. Let’s just be happy
for Sokka and Suki. This is going to be a really good wedding.”
Aang stared at him.
“Alright, well—goodnight,” Zuko said, pushing his door all the way open and
walking inside. He closed it gently enough so that he wasn’t necessarily
slamming it in Aang’s face, and then flung himself on top of the bed. Fuck
Aang, and his apology or spiel or whatever that was going to be. Tomorrow they
could go back to pretending Zuko didn’t care, and that would be fine; that
would be fantastic. He rolled under the sheets without taking his robes off,
and a deep dreamless sleep dragged him under.
He woke up late the next morning, and missed the continental breakfast that was
supposed to be the best in town. He didn’t mind too much; he wasn’t feeling
very social. He ordered plain black tea and toast to be delivered via room
service as he took a quick shower and shaved. He combed his hair into a top
knot and fastened a gold, flame-adorned band to it. He looked pretty good, he
thought, and wondered if he would meet anyone interesting during his time at
the hotel.
He’d tried dating a little since he’d been single, but nothing really stuck,
and after some time he decided he’d rather focus on more important things than
hooking up. If something real came along, he’d be open to it, but it had been
several months since he’d had sex of any kind with another person.
After eating and finishing his coffee, Zuko figured his absence was starting to
get conspicuous, so he pulled his robes on and went to the courtyard where the
reception would be held. It had been a mild winter for this part of the world,
but Zuko was used to the temperate, humid winters in the Fire Nation, and was
grateful he’d finished his tea while it was still hot.
Toph noticed him first, as soon as his feet hit the stone pavement she was
standing on. “Sparky!” she ran over and hugged him tight, Katara and Aang
following closely behind.
“Hey, Bandit,” he said, returning the hug just as tight. He was so happy to
have a bitter ally during a time like this, even if she didn’t realize it. He
hugged Katara lightly, and patted Aang’s back, not quite hugging him.
“Wow,” he said, as he took in the courtyard. Large cherry blossom trees
bordered the edges, hung with delicate blue lights that twinkled in such a way
that made them look like dripping water. White tables spanned the area, and
toward the far end there was a long, rectangular table for the wedding party. A
man on a tall latter was hanging paper lanterns from the lattice ceiling, where
the high midday sun shone through, casting everything in lined shadows that
moved as the lanterns swayed softly in the breeze.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” said Katara. “We were just going over the seating
arrangements.”
“Oh,” said Zuko. “Did you need my help with that?”
“No, no, I think we’ve got it all covered,” she said, double checking the list
she was grasping. ‘Actually, pretty much everything is covered for now. We
don’t need to deal with the florists or caterers until tomorrow.” She tapped
her chin thoughtfully. “Though there is something you can do.”
“Sure,” said Zuko. “What is it?”
“Check with the kitchens and make sure they have seaweed schnapps. It’s Gran
Gran’s favorite. They said they have a full bar, but it’s a little obscure and
I just want to check so that they have time to get some if not.”
“Okay,” said Zuko, feeling like he was given a task just for the sake of being
included. “Anything else?”
“Nope! Take Toph with you, if you want.” She walked away to go talk to some
Water Tribe girls who were watching the lights with interest, Aang trailing
her.
Zuko turned to Toph. “Do you appreciate being loaned out like an inanimate
object?”
She punched him in the arm. “Katara is going crazy, and it’s not even her
wedding. I can’t imagine what she’ll be like when it is.”
Zuko scowled.
“But yeah, I’m down to go to the kitchens with you. Survey the liquor supply.
Sample a few things.” She smiled at Zuko mischievously.
“Honestly, me too.”
After confirming that the kitchen was already stocked with two different brands
of seaweed schnapps, Zuko and Toph found themselves sipping martinis at the
ritzy bar in the hotel lobby.
“So, I heard you girls saw some strippers last night.” Zuko grinned.
“I didn’t see anything, dick.”
“Well…”
“I got a lap dance though.” She smirked and took a sip.
“How was that?”
Toph snorted. “Inspiring. Did you?”
“See strippers? Yes. Get a lap dance? No.”
“Couldn’t afford it?”
Zuko laughed. “Not my thing.”
“Well, it’s not like its ‘my thing either! Just, ya know, when in Ba Sing Se…”
“Eh, I like my women real.”
Toph rolled her eyes. “Well, maybe you’ll meet a real one at the wedding.”
“Maybe. Looking forward to seeing anyone in particular?” he asked, and was
shocked when Toph blushed.
“Just one of my old friends,” she said casually, sipping her martini.
“Old friend or old flame?”
“Ugh.” Toph rolled her eyes. “Not really. But I like him.”
Zuko was about to ask who, but Hakoda, his wife Malina, and Bato had just
walked into the bar and were walking toward them, smiling.
Over the course of the day, Zuko met so many people he couldn’t keep track of
their names. All the Water Tribe names sounded alike to him. He wished his
mother would have come—Sokka had invited her, along with Zuko’s stepfather and
half-sister—but after her years in exile she didn’t quite feel like attending
such a high profile event. Zuko could relate to this on a personal level, but
he liked being part of high society again most of the time.
He barely saw Aang and Katara all day, spending most of his time with Toph as
they socialized. He figured they were with Sokka and Suki, preparing them for
the big day. Zuko supposed that made Aang and Katara the more important members
of the wedding party, and was privately grateful.
On the morning of the wedding, he joined Aang in Sokka’s room, where Sokka was
putting on his ceremonial warrior outfit. Hakoda and Bato were there, and Bato
held the wolf helmet as Hakoda straightened the shoulders of Sokka’s vest.
Sokka gave Zuko a shaky smile as he walked in.
“Ready?” Zuko asked.
“Yeah. Just a little nervous. There are a lot of people here.”
“Need a drink to ease your nerves?” asked Bato, pulling a flask partway out of
his pocket.
“Nah, thanks,” said Sokka. “I’ll wait ’til the reception.”
Hakoda used white warpaint to draw two lines under each of Sokka’s eyes, and
then Bato placed the helmet on his head.
Zuko and Aang were already dressed in formal blue Water Tribe outfits. It was
Zuko’s first time wearing anything like it. and he felt strange. Aang looked
out of place too, the bright sky blue of his arrow clashing with the deep
lagoon shade of his overcoat.
“Ready?” Sokka sighed.
“If you are, then we are,” said Aang.
They walked to the hotel’s chapel area. Hakoda and Bato took Sokka to see the
minister. Zuko and Aang were going to meet up with the girls and Suki’s dad to
walk down the aisle. Zuko followed Aang to a room in the back of the chapel
area.
The door was closed, and a flurry of unintelligible voices could be heard
behind it. Aang knocked on the door.
After a few seconds, Katara opened it. She was wearing a blue dress, much
fancier than the ones she usually wore, her long hair in an updo and her face
made up.
“Wow,” said Aang. He kissed her. “You look great.”
“So do you!” she said, beaming. “Come in, you guys.”
They walked into the small room. Toph was dressed in the same outfit as Katara,
with the same hairstyle and makeup. She looked just as pretty, too, which
shocked Zuko. He’d never seen her all dolled up before.
Suki was sitting at a large vanity, talking to her parents. Her mom was fussing
with her headdress, and her dad was leaning against the wall. Her dress seemed
to be exactly like her warrior outfit, but white. Her headdress was similar to
the bronze one she usually wore, but silver and more delicate. The blue
betrothal necklace looked brilliant against her white collar as she smiled at
them in the mirror.
They hugged her, and she introduced them to her parents, Takeshi and Hotaru.
Suki always looked pretty, but today she was stunning, her chin length brown
hair in waves, her eyes shining. Her parents were beaming, and Zuko was happy,
so happy, that everything was going perfectly for the young couple. Despite
everything they’d been through, it was all going to be alright.
He and Toph were first down the aisle, and everyone oohed and ahhed as they
passed. Toph barely concealed her smirk, clearly uncomfortable and amused by
all the attention. The rows of white chairs were filled with people, and
pillars of ice stood by each row, bathed in soft light from the paper lanterns.
There were seats off to the side of the main podium where Ty Lee and the other
Kiyoshi warriors sat, stoic-faced.
Sokka stood at the end of the aisle. For some reason, Zuko had expected him to
look nervous, but he didn’t. He looked calm, composed, and confident—he looked,
somehow, like a man.
Once they reached him, Zuko went and stood next to him, leaving an Aang-sized
gap between them. He grinned at Sokka, who smirked, his blue eyes shining. Toph
stood on the far end of the podium, holding her pink flowers, looking beautiful
and lonely. Zuko’s heart twinged for her a little, because if what Aang had
told him was true, Zuko could relate to how she was feeling.
This sympathy did him no favors as Aang and Katara made their way down the
aisle, so he stuffed it down deep. They garnered their own gasps and praise
from the crown, and in what felt like a second Aang was standing between Zuko
and Sokka. Katara took her place next to Toph, and suddenly Toph didn’t seem so
lonely, which made Zuko smile.
He was still thinking about Toph when a trumpet rang out, and redidected his
attention to the end of the aisle. Suki had her arm through Takeshi’s, holding
her blue and white bouquet in the other hand. She was smiling hard.
Zuko stole a look at Sokka, and noticed Aang was doing the same. Sokka was
actually crying. His wolf hood concealed it from most of the crowd, and he
smiled even as his eyes glazed over. Something about it made Zuko
uncomfortable, as if he was witnessing a private thing, but Sokka didn’t seem
ashamed.
When Suki reached the front, the minister, dressed in gray nondenominational
formal wear, said some words before Suki’s father placed her hand in Sokka’s
and sat down in the front row. Suki beamed up at Sokka. A drumbeat started, and
then the Kiyoshi warriors rose from where they were seated and opened their
fans in unison. They did an intricate, slightly terrifying dance, ending in a
salute towards the couple. They held this position for several seconds, as
still as statues. Suki and Sokka bowed, and the warriors resumed their seats.
As the minister resumed speaking, Zuko found his attention drifting toward the
guests. He searched the sea of green and blue clothing for some red, hoping to
spot his Uncle. With the lamps shining on the wedding party and not much else,
it was hard for him to distinguish anyone.
From what Zuko understood, the vows were a fusion of traditional Water Tribe
and Earth Kingdom wedding vows. They sounded boring to Zuko, but he supposed
the Fire Nation’s were as well.
After a short while, the minister addressed Sokka. “Do you take this woman to
be your wife?”
“I do,” he said, more quietly than he usually spoke.
“Do you take this man to be your husband?”
“I do,” said Suki, her own eyes shining.
“You may now kiss.”
Sokka lifted Suki up and spun her in a circle. Katara took several steps back,
knocking into Toph. Sokka set Suki back on her feet and kissed her hard as she
clung onto his shoulders for balance.
Zuko clapped as the crowd cheered, relieved that Sokka was acting Sokka-like
again.
The reception hall looked ethereal with all the decorations finished; in
addition to the lights and cherry trees there were waterfalls and ice
sculptures maintained by a team of waterbenders. Zuko sat between Suki and Toph
at the long table, where they were served a delicious turkey-duck dinner and
champagne. After toasting to the newlyweds, both Zuko and Toph drained their
glasses immediately.
A small orchestra performed a variety of songs. Katara told Zuko and Toph that
they were a variety of Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom wedding songs, but Zuko
couldn’t tell which was which.
Sokka and Suki had their first dance, and people slowly begin to pair off and
join them on the dance floor.
Zuko considered asking Toph to dance, but he didn’t really enjoy dancing and
wasn’t sure that she did either.
Instead, he said, “Can I grab you a drink from the bar?”
“Hmm,” Toph considered. “Okay. Can you get me something with whiskey in it? One
of those girly things?”
“Uh, I don’t think girly drinks have whiskey in them.”
She blushed. “Oh.”
“Actually,” Zuko said quickly. “Yes, I know what you mean.” He bowed and then
hurried to the bar.
It was on his way that he finally saw the rotund red-robed figure he’d been
searching for.
“Uncle!”
Iroh turned around, his eyes brightening. “Nephew!”
They embraced. They saw each other fairly regularly, but it was always a
delight.
“I think blue is your color!”
Zuko grinned. “On your way to the bar?”
“Ah, yes,” said Iroh. “Champagne is nice, but whiskey makes me frisky!” He
wiggled his eyebrows.
“Oh no,” said Zuko, laughing despite himself. “No friskiness for you tonight.”
“But look at all these beautiful women!” Iroh made a sweeping gesture, and Zuko
looked. And that’s when he spotted another familiar red-robed figure.
Mai.
Zuko turned around quickly, flushing. “Mai’s here!” he whispered frantically.
Iroh looked over at Mai, arching an eyebrow. “Well, yes, of course! You didn’t
know?”
“Uh-uh,” said Zuko. He stole another look at Mai. She wasn’t looking his way;
either she didn’t see him there or was pretending not to.
Iroh grabbed hold of Zuko’s shoulder and gently steered him toward the bar.
“Life tests us this way sometimes. We must learn to walk through the fire.
Come, let’s get you a drink.”
“I also need one for Toph,” Zuko mumbled.
“Toph?” said Iroh, surprised. “She is much too young!”
Zuko scoffed. “I drank when I was her age.”
“I meant for you!”
Zuko scowled and opened his mouth to protest when Iroh started laughing,
clutching his stomach.
“Only joking, nephew.”
“Very funny.” About a year and a half ago, when Zuko found out that Aang and
Katara were back together, he had run to the Jasmine Dragon to be comforted by
his uncle. He hadn’t told him who he was heartbroken over, just that it wasn’t
Mai. Iroh didn’t pry, and Zuko was pretty sure he didn’t try to guess. But
sometimes he made comments that made Zuko feel, however illogically, that Iroh
knew.
As Zuko asked the bartender for a whiskey sour for Toph, Iroh got them two neat
fire whiskeys.
He knocked his glass against Zuko’s. “To new beginnings.”
Zuko took a sip.
He carried the drinks back to the table, but no one was sitting there. He
looked at the dance floor, which was packed now. Aang was dancing with Katara.
They were both amazing dancers, Zuko noticed hatefully. Sokka and Suki were
laughing, dancing with their arms flailing everywhere.
Zuko spotted Toph, who was dancing rather sexily with the Duke, reaching up to
touch his hat. Zuko realized that was who she had been talking about earlier.
He smiled, and put her drink down on the table. Who was he kidding? He and Toph
had never been ‘dates,’ and that was just as well.
Hakoda and Malina were doing some kind of Water Tribe dance, or maybe it was
just an old people thing. Ty Lee, still in her Kiyoshi makeup, was trying to
teach Haru how to dance. Behind them, Zuko saw Iroh talking to an older woman,
who was blushing.
He sighed and sat back down at the table. He drained his cup, then started on
the whiskey sour, which was just the right balance of whiskey and sour.
After a few minutes of watching the crowd, Zuko noticed a shadow fall over him.
“Hey.”
He looked up, and into Mai’s pale face.
“Oh. Hey.”
She sat down in Toph’s chair, setting two drinks on the table.
“What’re those?” he asked.
“I’m not sure. Some people went to dance as soon as they brought them to their
table, so I stole them.”
Zuko snorted.
Mai picked one up and held it to him. “Cheers.”
He picked the other one up and hit it against hers, and they both drank. It was
something with rum in it, not Zuko’s usual choice but pretty good nonetheless.
After a moment of comfortable silence, Ty Lee danced over to them. Zuko noticed
Haru heading to the bar.
“Hey guys!” she said brightly
“Who’s that?” said Mai, pointing at Haru’s retreating figure.
“I have no idea, but isn’t he cute?” she squealed.
“You think everyone’s cute,” said Man distastefully, sipping her drink. “But
actually, yes.”
“That’s Haru,” said Zuko. “We stayed together at the Air Temple—you know,
before I infiltrated Boiling Rock.” He gave Mai a small smile, remembering how
she saved him from his sister.
She didn’t smile back, but her eyes softened. “Oh right—his father was one of
the, uh, imprisoned—”
“Yeah,” said Zuko.
Ty Lee put her hands over her mouth. “Was his father okay?”
“Oh yeah, he was fine. His parents are over there.” He pointed to the dance
floor, where gigantic Tyro was dancing with his tiny wife.
“Oh, whew,” she smiled. She gasped, her eyes going wide. “I forgot to tell
him—uh, Haru—no cherries! I hate cherries!” She turned and started heading
toward the bar, so fast she was almost skipping.
“Oh god,” Mai laughed.
Zuko shook his head. “I could never understand how you two are best friends.”
“Ugh, I know. But she completes me,” Mai deadpanned. She smiled slightly. “She
invited me here; I’m sure you were wondering who did.”
“No, I—well, yeah, I was,” Zuko admitted sheepishly. “But, that’s great.”
“Yeah, I guess Suki gave all the Kiyoshis a plus-one option, and she picked
me.” Zuko could tell she was way more touched by this then her tone suggested.
“I’m just surprised to see you, because, well—I heard you’ve been gone.
Traveling and stuff.”
She cracked a smile, teeth and all. “I have been. I still am, actually, but I
thought I was due for a visit. This city is—well. It’s definitely not the worst
place I’ve been to, I can tell you that.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” said Zuko, smiling in spite of himself. “So
tell me about some of these places.”
She told him, sounding unimpressed at first, but as she spoke Zuko could tell
that she’d been truly affected by her experiences. He watched her eyes light up
and her cheeks flush as she told him about meeting air acolytes in the western
temple, and going to a festival on Whale Tale Island. She seemed so unlike the
bitter girl he broke up with a year and a half ago—but then again, she wasn’t
always that way. That’s what he loved about her cold exterior—he was the only
one who got to see the fire within.
Mai noticed the way he was looking at her and abruptly stopped talking. She
smirked and narrowed her eyes at him.
Zuko opened his mouth to speak, but she interrupted.
“If you think I’m going to dance with you, you’re out of your mind.”
He smiled, taken aback. “I would never presume to think that.”
“Good,” she said smugly, taking another sip.
Zuko noticed she was running low.
“Let me get you another drink.”
Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed
their work!