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You yawned as the afternoon sun beat down. The group had been walking for hours and there was still no town in sight. Getting to Ember Island was taking longer than expected, and you had to travel on foot whenever possible. Being in Fire Nation territory really had its downsides.
Finally a small village came into sight, and you all breathed a sigh of relief. Turning to face Zuko, you smiled. The prince had been complaining about all this walking the most, even more than Sokka.
Aang turned to Appa and patted him on the nose. “You stay here with Momo, alright buddy? Remember, don’t let anyone see you.”
As you walked into town, you instantly felt like you were being watched. “Hey guys, are you sure no one will recognize us in these disguises?”
“I’m sure,” Katara stated confidently, “we’ve been through countless Fire Nation towns and no one suspected us before.”
“But now you’re traveling with me,” Zuko warned, “I think people might notice the banished prince. Maybe it’s best if I just wait with Appa and Momo.”
“No,” you objected, “I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
Sokka nodded, “I think I have a plan. Katara and Toph can go into the hotel first, followed by me and Aang. Then you and Zuko can head in last. It will be less suspicious than all of us heading in as a group.”
You agreed, “That’s a good idea. We’ll space it out, one group every fifteen minutes.”
Opening the coin pouch, you took out a few for each group. “This should cover the room expense,” Zuko explained, “most hotels here aren’t overly expensive.”
“You guys should walk around town a bit, find out a bit about where we’re staying,” Toph suggested. “But don’t lose track of time, if we have to search for you idiots that will defeat the point of splitting up."
Laughing, you nodded, “Alright, we’ll see you soon.”
Zuko turned to face you, “This place has the same layout as most Fire Nation towns, so there should be a tea shop near here. We can check it out if you want.”
“That sounds great,” you smiled. “I know you’re not the biggest fan of tea, though.”
“Well,” he sighed, “I was also hoping we might find my Uncle there. It’s a stretch, but maybe we can find him. It doesn’t matter if he forgives me, I just need him to know that I’m sorry.”
Touching his arm gently, you replied “I’m sure he already knows, and I have no doubt he’ll forgive you. I may have only met him a few times but he cares about you so much.”
He looked over at you, “You really think so?”
“Yes, I really do. So, why don’t we check out that teahouse?”
Walking inside the quaint shop, you began to feel a sense of peace. The days of stress and travel had been exhausting and had taken a serious toll on you. Lights were dimmed to create the perfect ambiance, and water could be heard boiling in the back.
“I don’t see him,” Zuko said, looking down.
“Hey, it’s alright,” you glanced at him. “We still have time for a cup of tea if you want.”
“I’d like that,” he smiled. As you walked up to the counter to order, an uneasy feeling washed over you.
A tall man stood at the register, arms crossed. “Hi there,” you said, with what you hoped was a confident smile, “could I have a Jasmine tea please?”
“Sure thing,” he replied, then turned to Zuko. “You look very familiar, do I know you?”
Zuko shook his head, “I get that a lot, actually. People have told me I look a lot like the traitor prince but I don’t really see the resemblance. I guess it’s the scar."
The man nodded, “That’s probably it then. He might be a traitor, but it’s a shame how it happened.” He chuckled, “You didn’t get your scar from an Agni Kai too, did ‘ya?”
You noticed Zuko stiffen next to you. “No,” he answered. “Anyways, could I get a green tea?”
“Coming right up,” the man nodded. You handed him a few coins and went to sit at a nearby table. Zuko sat across from you, and he appeared a bit glum.
“Is everything alright?”
He dipped his head, not meeting your eyes, “I’m fine, it’s nothing."
“Was it what he said about your scar? I’m sure these people don’t know what really happened.”
“That’s just it, they do know what happened,” he whispered. “My scar is from an Agni Kai. When I was thirteen I disrespected my father in his war room. I was challenged to a fire duel, and when I refused to fight him,” he motioned vaguely at his scar. “That’s when he banished me. I lost my honor by refusing to fight him, and only finding the Avatar could bring it back. Or so I thought.”
“I never knew,” you said, tears threatening to spill out from the corner of your eyes. You touched his hand gently, but he pulled away.
He shook his head, “This is why I didn’t want to tell you, I don’t want pity."
“Zuko, it’s not pity. I care about you, and to know what happened,” you looked down, “it’s awful, and you don’t deserve to carry that weight all by yourself.”
“Thank you,” he said, “but for now, please don’t tell the others. I don’t want them to know just yet.”
“I understand,” you nodded. At this point you had finished your tea and a half hour had passed. “Do you think we should head back to the hotel now?”
“Sure,” he said with a small smile, “I think Toph will actually kill us if we’re late, so we had better get going.”
The hotel lobby was small but orderly, as you had found most things in the Fire Nation to be. Walking up to the desk, you placed your coins down. “We need a room please,” you said with a smile.
“ We only have one room left for the night, ” she replied hesitantly.
Zuko spoke up, “Oh that’s fine, we just need one room.”
“Alright then,” the desk clerk answered, “but there’s only one bed in the room. I’m obligated to inform you of that. Sorry, it’s been a busy day here so all the other rooms are taken.”
Your heartbeat picked up. “Well,” you glanced at Zuko, “can we have a moment to discuss it?”
“Of course,” she answered.
Turning to Zuko you asked, “Are you alright with sharing a bed?”
“I am if you are, but I could go stay with Appa if that’d make you more comfortable.”
“No, it’s fine,” you answered, feeling nervous. Turning back to the desk you said, “We’ll take the room.”
Upon entering the room you sighed. The bed seemed large enough that you could both fit without it being awkward. A knock came at your door and you startled, “Who’s there?”
“It’s just me,” Toph answered, opening the bedroom door. “Wait,” she said, “why do I only sense one bed?”
“That’s because there only is one,” Zuko explained, “it was the last room so we had to take it.”
Toph smirked at you from behind her bangs. Mockingly she asked, “Oh no, whatever shall you do?”
“We’re going to have to share the bed,” you answered, trying to keep your voice even.
“Have fun with that,” she said with a laugh. “I’m going to go check on the others.”
Before you knew it, the sun had set and it was pitch black out. “So,” Zuko cleared his throat, “do you want to go to bed now or,” he trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
“Uh sure, we can turn in now.” Crawling under the covers, you felt yourself practically sink into the mattress. It felt weird sleeping on such a soft mattress after months of camping out. The center of the bed felt a bit firmer, and you started to gravitate towards it as you began to fall asleep.
Zuko awoke with a start. Morning sun was beginning to creep through the curtains and you would need to check out of the hotel soon. However, getting out of bed was presenting a bit of a challenge. Apparently you both had the same idea and moved towards the middle of the mattress in your sleep.
Consequently, you had become entangled during the night. His arms were wrapped around you protectively, and your head was resting contentedly on his shoulder. A blush crept across his face as he tried to slide out of bed without waking you up. Finally succeeding, started packing up his few things silently.
Once he was done, he tiptoed over to the bed to wake you up. Before he did, he paused, hating to wake you up, you looked so peaceful. Mumbling sleepily you asked, “ Why are you looking at me like that? ”
“Oh,” his cheeks grew pink, “sorry I was just about to wake you up.”
“No, it’s alright. It was cute.” As soon as the words left your mouth you were awake. Did you just say that to him? Out loud?
“Well it’ll be time for us to head out soon, but I figured we could have breakfast here in the room if you want.”
“That sounds great,” you replied. As he went downstairs to place the order, you mentally kicked yourself. But there was also something you needed to ask him. When he finally came back with a tray of warm breakfast foods, you glanced over at him.
“Hey Zuko, last night, uh,” you stuttered, wishing you had thought this through, “I had a nightmare and woke up in the middle of the night, and I think I may have been sleeping on your shoulder. So, if I was, sorry about that.”
“It’s alright,” he smiled, a sudden burst of confidence flooding through him, “it was cute. I was wondering,” he glanced down nervously, “if there wasn’t a war happening, do you think we may have had a chance at something more than this?”
You stepped towards him, “What do you mean?”
He took a breath, “I really like you and I know this isn’t the most convenient time for me to confess, but-”
You cut him off, closing the distance between you, and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. “I like you too,” you confessed.
His eyes met yours, “Can I kiss you?” You nodded, and his lips met yours. For a moment the world seemed to melt away, until the bedroom door opened.
“We’re leaving in five minutes,” Toph started to say. “Oh come on,” she complained, “my feet did not need to see this first thing in the morning.”